Ivan knew that his droid missiles could respond quicker that the fighters, so he declined the offer. “No we’ll handle it. Thanks for the assist.”
“Moving to geo above you” advised Val, which meant the Resolute would move to within 30,000 kms above Rollinium. We’ll stay active for the next hour just in case.”
“Roger that. Out” replied Ivan. He switched channels. “Sue I’ve got a fix. You should have it now. Ten missiles counter battery.”
“Wilco” said Sue. She selected four of her support droids from her screen in the back of the command droid, hit the control to specify a counter battery mission, positioned the objective icon over the intel spot icon that had just been passed to her, set the number of missiles to ten and hit commit.
With an accurate loc fix from the Resolute there was no need for registration. The support droids, deployed on the far side of the terminal, launched their missiles. They went virtually straight up. The range was only six kilometres.
As they went up more rounds of enemy 150s came thumping down. They penetrated through the demolished top floor and laid waste to the next one down.
The ceiling above Ivan cracked and some panelling on the far wall came off. Dust was milling about and the bombardment was making a dreadful din. Tammy arrived with rifle in hand and a definite look of concern on her face. “Lower?” she yelled pointing down with her finger.
“Maybe” said Ivan. “But hopefully they’ll be silenced real soon.”
The missiles did come almost straight back down. But it only took a minor angle to have them impact six kilometres away. The enemy mortars stopped firing.
“Thank god for that” said Tammy.
“We’ve got company” hailed Sue. “My third platoon is engaging three enemy AFVs coming down the freeway over the wetlands. Their icons are punched in. I’m pulling the 3rd back. Can we have Trojan support to Reference Alpha 1?”
Ivan wiped away the dust from the screen. The place was now full of it from the bombardment. “OK I see it. I’ll get them moving.”
“Thanks” said Sue. “Oh shit there’s more. Looks like at least twelve. Fighters would be good.”
“I’m on it. Slow them down” hailed Ivan. He switched channels. “Val I’ll take those fighters and another two as well. We have some tin cans to fry at this ref Echo 1.”
“Roger that Ivan” acknowledged Val. “Launching two Limas now - call signs LimaCharlie1 and 2. ETA in …12 minutes. You have targeting control. LimaBravo1 and 2 will be on their way asap”.
1st Lt Jess Abib, commanding the 4th Armoured Platoon of 30th Coy, received the tasking order inside her Trojan III battlewagon, call sign Tango 1. She took less than a minute to brief and order her other three tangoes to follow her to the Alpha 1 reference location. As they started to move off in a column she checked her map display and confirmed her misgivings.
“Sir” she hailed Ivan.
“Yes” said Ivan.
“That Alpha 1 loc is really exposed Sir.”
“You should be able to go hull down there and enfilade the enemy as they move west on the freeway” said Ivan. Then he added “We control the skies by the way.”
“Yeah I’m not worried about that. Look, yes we can enfilade them nicely but if for any reason we have to move then we will be doing so without cover and against an enemy in an elevated position.” Jess had to hold on as her battlewagon tried to negotiate a laneway. “Can we go here instead – see Alpha 2? It’s a little further in range but no problem.”
Alpha 2 was a hangar, one of several in a cluster due east of the terminal building on a slight rise. Ivan reoriented the map display so he had a 3D vehicle commander’s perspective and panned the screen to that position. He checked the view and saw it was good. “OK I’ll let Delta Sunray know.”
“Thanks” signed off Jess. While Ivan coordinated the change with Sue, Jess’s battlewagons accelerated towards the Alpha 2 position.
“Golf this is LimaAlpha1 we are 4minutes away, requesting targeting” said 1st Lt Frank Congo.
“Tammy can you handle this” directed Ivan. She nodded and took charge of the targeting instructions. “Sue, change of loc for the Tangoes” advised Ivan. “They are now going to deploy at Alpha 2. That OK with you?”
But Sue was busy tasking her droids to engage the enemy AFVs with rockets.
“Sue, come in” said Ivan.
“Sorry. What is it?”
Ivan repeated himself. Sue checked the location. She didn’t see the problems with Alpha 1 but realised it would be better to have them firing as soon as they can. “OK, we can work with that. Got to go” she said.
“Jim” hailed Ivan.
“Yep” said Jim. “What’s happening?”
“We have a column of AFVs heading west from the city down the freeway towards us. Limas are on the way and I’ve committed your Tangoes. The droids are engaging. I need a reserve.”
“3rd Platoon should be at your loc. Use them. I’m coming over now.”
“No don’t try that Jim. Stay put where you are. Cancel all movement across the runway. Got that?”
“OK. You know we have fifty rogan here. I can see if their boss will commit them.”
“Do it but tell them to stay put till I say it’s OK to cross over.”
“You’re the boss Ivan” said Jim.
Those words struck Ivan, blowing away some of his own self-doubt. He allowed himself a brief smile.
“Ivan” hailed Jasmin. There was no emotion in her voice because she had resolved not to show any even though she was really concerned for her lover. She was determined to be professional.
“Yes” said Ivan, also determined to be professional.
“We’re seeing more AFVs coming in the city east of you. See spots Bogey 2, 3 and 4. Estimate thirty repeat thirty AFVs heading to the freeway.”
“Shit I thought we were supposed to be up against a company there. OK thanks for the heads up. Out” said Ivan. He turned to face Tammy who was in conversation with Lima Alpha 1. “Tell them to forget the other Bogeys, target Bogey 1 only.”
“Excuse me” hailed Tammy and then hit the controls to bring up these new enemy spots. “Gee where did they come from. OK I’m on it” she said to Ivan.”
Ivan issued an alert through the command system notifying of the new threat. He then realised that even with eight missiles apiece he needed more fighter support. “Val we need more fighter to engage these new AFV spots.”
“Li will coordinate that directly with you” said Val and she nodded to Li. He hailed Ivan and agreed to commit another four fighters. Ivan handed over the responsibility for all fighter coord to Tammy. He needed to focus on the ground ops.
He setup a conference call to his subordinate commanders. “It looks like the enemy has a whole battalion’s worth coming our way. Fighters are inbound but they may not be enough. Jim I want you to take command of all forces in your location, move to Charlie 1 and engage any enemy that turn off the freeway and head to the main terminal. Art can you clear that with the Col Kaant? If she won’t agree, have her defend where you are.”
“Sue” continued Ivan, “have your 1st Coy continue the delay. The kill zone will be at Charlie 2, right here at the base of the off ramps. Have your 2nd Coy change facing to the north and be prepared to assault any enemy that flank south and then west to the terminal. I’ll have Argha’s platoon defend here as the last line of resistance. Any questions?”
“How many missiles can we burn on this?” asked Sue.
“The lot if need be” said Ivan.
They all confirmed they were good with the plan.
“Let’s do it then” said Ivan. His mind was racing. He would leave Sue and Jim to coordinate with their subordinates but he needed to get Argha to the north east corner of the terminal building now.
“Argha where are you?” asked Ivan.
“I saw your plan just come through Sir. I’m redeploying to the North east corner right now. Any chance of some more Rizstorms?”<
br />
“Good man Argha. Your mission is to defend this terminal building from what is likely to be an enemy assault from the freeway off ramp directly south west to this building or they may try a turning movement south and then west. Can I leave that with you?”
“Yes Sir. What about extra missiles?”
“Sorry Argha. We’ve got what we’ve got.”
“OK.”
Tammy was holding up two fingers while she was talking to Lima Alpha 1. “To impact?” asked Ivan. She nodded.
Ivan opened up a channel to all subordinates in his command “Warning fighters inbound. 2 minutes to impact. Take cover.”
The leading enemy column of AFVs had picked up speed and was racing to close the distance to the off ramp. Jess was all keyed up inside Tango 1. She had deployed her platoon of four battlewagons in a rough line facing east. Like the others, her battlewagon was at the back end of a hangar, just north of its northern wall. She planned to fire and then reverse south behind the hangar, which would mask her from view by anyone east of their position.
She nearly shat herself when she saw the spots indicating another thirty AFVs. She was so glad she was in this location and not out there exposed on the slight rise 500m to her south east. She was tempted to engage this first column while they were still on the freeway. It would have been an angled shot upwards but do-able nonetheless.
The young XO had overruled her on that. He wanted to save everything for when the enemy got into the kill zone at the bottom of the ramp. The fighters would wreak havoc along the freeway and they would clean up any that got through. That was the plan and she prayed those fighters were good or lucky – she didn’t care which.
“Missiles away” advised Frank in Lima Alpha 1.
“Roger” replied Tammy.
Sixteen Javelin missiles configured for anti-armour targets were streaking towards the enemy AFVs at 150 kilometres per second (kps). Under this configuration the warhead carried four submunitions, each being a smaller rocket. These were deployed upon entering the atmosphere where their speed would drop off dramatically and each would lock onto an AFV.
The Imperialist AFVs mounted a beam weapon in their small turret. Their sensors detected the incoming threat less than twenty seconds from impact. Several decoys were fired into the air to confuse and misguide the incoming missiles. A high energy burst of electronic counter measures (ECM) attempted to jam them. The last line of defence was the beam weapons mounted in the small overhead turret of each vehicle.
Thankfully the AI controlling the beam weapon in each vehicle could be slaved to a master AI in the groups commanding vehicle. As if in unison the turrets swivelled and the beam weapons engaged at effectively point blank range. The decoys and jamming accounted for nine missiles. The beam weapons got lucky and took out another five. It was cold comfort though as the remaining 18 munitions struck pay dirt destroying nine of the twelve AFVs.
The first three escaped primarily because they had reached the off ramp and were protected by the overhead cover as the ramp wound down and back under the raised freeway. Up on the freeway there was carnage. Burning wreckage was strewn for 300m. Haphazard secondary explosions were firing from one of the vehicles which must have been carrying explosives.
Ivan was looking across from the third floor of the terminal building through his sniper sight that he was holding in his left hand. The range was just under two clicks but the x64 sights brought him up close enough to make out the wreckage. He was surprised not to see more bodies but he told himself not to think about that. He was brought back to the moment when his Tangoes opened fire on the three remaining AFVs once they had wound down and exited the off ramp onto the main road to the terminal.
The enemy AFVs were out in the open and being engaged from 1800m away. Their beam weapons were only good for 500m and so they could not fire back at their attackers. Their choices were to run away or close the range. They chose to close but first offloaded their payload of troops. One was hit during this process. Three warriors dismounted before a second round set the vehicle burning.
Jess could only imagine the horror going on inside that vehicle right now. But she knew that would be her fate if she didn’t focus on the task on engaging the next target. “Shift right 30 engage” she barked. Her gunner made the adjustment and fired. He didn’t wait to see the result but fired again as soon as he heard the clunk of the round being housed into the chamber. He wasn’t sure whether it was his round or Tango 2’s but the result was beyond doubt. “Scratch two” yelled out her gunner.
A figure tried to escape from the top forward hatch of the now stationery AFV. A plume of flame shot out from below and engulfed the figure, which sank back down. Jess swallowed hard at the sight. ‘I won’t forget that’ she said to herself but steeled herself. The emotion would have to wait for later.
The third AFV changed course 30 degrees and accelerated to top speed across the open field. As a round passed near to it, the AFV turned back 30 degrees in an attempt to zig-zag its way forward. Tango 4 bagged it on the next turn. Tango 3 put in another round for good measure. The Tango 4 gunner was about to fire a third when he saw the smoke and restrained himself.
The armoured charge was over. Ten warriors had managed to dismount and were heading for the cover afforded by the off ramp. Four of them were dragging two injured comrades. Jess saw this and knew she should feel pity but she knew more enemy were barrelling down the freeway and would be here any minute. These would rally and come back to fight. They had to be dealt with. She opened up with her quanto, joining the fire from the other tangoes as their quantos raked the area. None of the warriors reached the off ramp.
Jess felt this need to be sick rising up from her stomach. She popped the hatch above her, clambered up, leaned over and chucked up whatever contents she had in her stomach. She spat out her mouth as best she could and clambered back down securing the hatch. She had this foul taste in her mouth and the stench even overwhelmed the smell of sweaty bodies, machinery and electrical discharge from the big pulse cannon.
“Are you right skipper?” asked her gunner.
“Been better” she admitted. She spat out another bit of residue. “Sorry” she apologised.
“No need skipper. I would have done it myself but you beat me to the hatch.”
She laughed.
“Warning. Fighters inbound. Missiles away. Take cover.” She heard this second warning from Ivan and prayed they would get ‘em all this time. She checked the COP (common operating picture, which displays where all the friendly and enemy forces are on the map). “Fuck it, there’s even more. Looks like forty still coming our way” she hailed her troop. She checked the ammo states of her vehicles. They had used up 20% of their main gun ammo. “We need to conserve ammo everyone. Only one follow-up per vehicle. They …”
Her voice stopped as she got sight of the enemy column two and half clicks away. “Here they come” she hailed. But so too were the 96 anti-armour munitions. Jess rapidly switched her sights back from thermal to visual as the enemy beam weapons fired in unison at the incoming missiles. She was temporarily blinded by the flashes. When she recovered she could see flames, smoke and dust forming this huge milling cloud above the freeway. She switched to thermals again looking for the moving bright spots.
How they survived she did not know but she hailed “Looks like fourteen still running. Heading our way. Get ready.” She switched channels “Sir I count 14 enemy runners still coming. Can we have some fire support on the kill zone in 3 minutes? As much as you got.”
“OK confirm 14 AFVs, kill zone in 3. Out” hailed Ivan. He switched to Sue’s direct channel. “Sue kill zone in 3, 30 missiles.”
“We’ll only have four left after that” advised Sue.
“Understood.”
“Wilco.”
“Jim, are you in position and ready to engage?” hailed Ivan.
“Sure are, but it’s going to be at extreme range.”
“I realise that. Just fire half when
they enter. Keep the rest if you need to close.”
“Right” said Jim not relishing the prospect of having to cross the open to close with enemy AFVs and warriors. “Here they come now. Out.”
“On my command wait for it…” hailed Jim to his marines. He only had 16 Rizstorms in the group with him. He wasn’t feeling confident about this but he knew they were committed.
The leading enemy AFVs were grinding their way down and around the off ramp. The leading AFV would have caught sight of three burning AFVs in front of him about two hundred metres not to mention a couple of dozen bodies strewn across the field. It stopped about twenty metres shy of the end of the ramp and disgorged its warriors. The two behind it did likewise. Twenty four warriors moved forward and then jumped off the ramp and scrambled into the culvert of the road below. They began setting up their launchers, completely unaware that human eyes were watching them from only 300m behind. Jim’s marines and the fifty lightly armed warriors of Group Kaant were deployed in the rubble ready to fire.
Jim realised that the AFVs were not going to move ahead. He guessed rightly that more warriors would come down and deploy to support the AFVs.
Jess came to the same conclusion. “Hold that strike” she hailed. Ivan relayed the hold order to Sue just in time.
Sure enough more Imperialist warriors began moving from the off ramp and spreading along the culvert which afforded good cover from sight to Jess’s battlewagons.
“Incoming mortar fire” warned Val. “We’ve got a fix. Do you want us to deal with it.”
“Affirmative” said Ivan just as the first round came down short of the hangars where Jess’s battlewagons were deployed. The enemy only bothered with the one spotting round before firing for effect.
“Pull back” ordered Jess as the shells hit.
“Tango 3’s gone” hailed someone. Jess was being jostled as her driver was gunning the big beast backwards at maximum revs. Big 150 mm shells were smashing through the hangars. The enemy commander on the freeway saw her three surviving battlewagons pulling back and radioed the adjustment.
Audacity (Warner's World Book 5) Page 21