“Alpha-leader, Gold-three copies,” Major Faggini replied. “No changes.”
“Copy no changes,” she said. “Alpha-leader out.”
Gina quickly repeated her report to force commander Shoshon, a woman she had met only briefly by the name of Colonel Elizabeth Jung 2nd Faragut Strike Force, and quickly moved to another observation point. So far, her internal viper comm had proven hard for the Merki to track. It was a high speed burst transmission and used all local viper units as a sort of broadcast gestalt, like an old style antenna farm. It overwhelmed the ability of the Merki to track the transmission’s origin. The Merki had proven that helmet comms—although encrypted and as discreet as current technology could make them without making them useless—could be tracked all too easily. No one knew how they did it. Alliance stealth tech was supposed to be proof against Merki gear, but they now knew that was not so. Like the damnable Merki jamming they had confronted at the start of the Harmony campaign, it had been an unpleasant surprise.
It was standard procedure for the scouts to snoop, report, and then scoot to avoid incoming fire; Gina did so successfully. She wasn’t sure if the Merki had detected her transmission, or the strike was a lucky guess, but seconds after relocating, her previous OP (Observation Point) was hit repeatedly. She observed the result, clinically analysing the Merki strike and backtracking to find the gunners.
“Artillery Control, Alpha-leader. Fire mission,” she said using viper comm again.
There were multiple batteries of artillery deployed in and around Shoshon, and in theory, she could have given her targets to any of them, but she chose the viper controlled battery because she wanted fast accurate fire with minimal fuss such as seeking authorisations or needing verifications. Merkiaari had standard procedures too, like getting the hell out of Dodge after trying to snipe someone.
“Alpha-leader, Artillery Control. Say coordinates,” Captain Penleigh replied.
Gina smiled, happy to hear his voice. Eric had been trading off with Colonel Flowers since they upped sticks from Child of Harmony and relocated to Harmony. She gave him three targets.
“Acknowledged,” Eric said. “On the way.”
She waited and watched to evaluate the strike. Shells rumbled overhead, clearly audible, and explosions lit the night. Eric had chosen to use the regiment’s self-propelled guns over their Hellfire missile launchers, probably to reduce the chance of return fire. Gina would have made the same decision. Hellfire missiles were effective but flashy ordnance, especially in the dark when their bright exhaust could so easily be seen. She compared what she was seeing with the new heat sources displayed via TacNet. They matched. The Merki were probably dead. Probably. But they had ammo to spare so she let Eric pound the targets for a while.
“Targets eliminated,” Gina reported when she was in danger of being accused of overkill.
“Copy,” Eric said. “Artillery Control out.”
“Alpha-leader out.”
Explosions and gunfire continued uninterrupted in other parts of the city, and Gina wished she could be one of the trigger pullers, but she had her orders. Her temporary command of Alpha Company was in name only now. They had lost so many units on Child of Harmony that hasty reorganisation had left her with little more than a squad to command. Good then that her new mission didn’t need more than a squad to complete. Her remaining eight units, like Gina herself, were operating solo and scouting the enemy. It was a mission the vipers were performing more often as their numbers dwindled, she thought grimly. The Child of Harmony campaign had halved the number of combat capable vipers in the entire Alliance. Not all were dead, thank god, but they were out of the fight for the duration. Most were so badly damaged they had gone into automatic shutdown. Hibernation was a viper’s last hope of survival; their IMS (Integrated Medical System) used it to shunt all resources toward making repairs in a last desperate race to prevent death. Unfortunately, if the damage was that bad, a unit’s reactivation to full combat readiness was unlikely. Most remained in hibernation and were stored in stasis aboard Grafton with their true dead companions. Hibernation was the little death, a name the two hundred year old veterans of the last Merki War had chosen for it because unlike true death it did not last. Gina had experienced it only once, and was lucky enough to awake fully repaired from her own resources. A rare thing.
Gina went back to work.
Traditionally, vipers were deployed in advance of other forces to seek and destroy Merkiaari. The current campaign was a little different in that her job was not to kill Merki... well, she hadn’t actually been ordered to refrain, but it was heavily implied, and as a result her people had defaulted to a pure scouting role. Recon was actually something she was practiced at. A lot of her time as a Marine had been spent either performing that task or training to perform it. So the role wasn’t an uncomfortable fit.
Gina moved through the city avoiding contact and only killing Merkiaari when she had a good excuse. A lone Merki troop here—oh sorry I had to put her down to prevent her raising the alarm, sir. Why didn’t I avoid detection, sir? Well, she took me by surprise, sir. Gina grinned and snorted at her musing. Oops, so sorry, but that Merki squad had it coming, sir. They fired first. Must have tracked my last transmission.
She wasn’t the only viper doing the same or similar things and probably having the same excuses lined up. Vipers were designed and built to kill Merkiaari, not bypass them. TRS (Target Recognition Software) even made them automatically attack Merki targets by default. It actually took intervention on a viper’s part to prevent them killing Merki upon detection. She didn’t expect censure from her own commanders, they were vipers too, but Colonel Jung might be another matter. It wasn’t that Jung didn’t want the Merki dead. She absolutely did want them dead, but she was a strict disciplinarian and stickler for the rules. That was fine with Gina, she had worked with all kinds, but Jung wanted Shoshon liberated by her plan with her hands at the controls. She was an ambitious officer who wanted her first star, and winning battles especially against Merkiaari would be a big help. Shoshon itself was no prize anymore. It was pretty much trashed, but the campaign was coming to a close. This battle would probably be the last one, certainly the last that Jung could indisputably claim as hers. Gina doubted the final round-up of stray Merki troops would win anyone a medal or promotion. Shan would be tidying up strays long after Fleet pulled out, she was sure.
Gina worked her assigned area, making reports to both her commanders, and adding her data to TacNet as she did so. Busy keeping herself safe while keeping a wary eye on the enemy so there would be no surprises at sun up, she still made time to keep an eye on her own people’s diagnostics. It had become second nature now. All vipers were trained to watch their own, but she as Alpha-leader had access to all of her subordinate’s data as well. She paused as Cragg’s data updated and changed colour from green to flashing yellow.
Gina grunted as if punched in the guts. Yellow was serious. She found good cover and drilled down into Cragg’s data. Even as she did, the yellow colour turned pale orange on its way to the red of critical damage. Fuck! She spun, and sprinted out of her area toward Cragg’s position. Calls started to come in as her movement was detected on viper sensors. She was way out of position, crossing other unit’s areas of responsibility.
“All units, Alpha-leader,” Gina panted using viper comm. “Do not, repeat do not deviate. Stay on mission.”
“Alpha-leader, Alpha-one-one. I’m closest,” Sergeant Hiller said.
“Not for long, Ian. I’m already at max. ETA thirty seconds. Stay on mission and cover my arse. Jung will have it for lunch if she hears.”
Ian laughed. “You want me to play secretary and field her calls?”
“Good idea. Tell her I stepped out of the office for a minute.”
“Will do, Alpha-one-one out.”
“Alpha-leader clear,” she said, her sensors sweeping ahead looking for danger.
Gina didn’t have to engage light amplification. She had
been using it since darkness fell. The rubble and blasted landscape of Shoshon was revealed to her in the familiar monochrome of its use. She targeted a building ahead of her, taking note of her range to it, and prepared to jump. She hit the right stride, and watched the reticule on the ground marking her jump point coming closer. Her right foot came down exactly on the right spot and she launched herself in a high arc. She flew through the air expecting Merki weapon’s fire, but she went through the hole she had picked out unmolested, and slammed onto the floor of the room. She rolled to her feet, blew a new hole in the opposite door, and charged through.
Cragg wasn’t moving on her sensors, and he wasn’t transmitting a call for help. That was bad, but he wasn’t dead. His diagnostic data was still on her HUD, so she knew his condition. It was still pale orange, not yet red. Better yet, his blue icon on her sensors was not blinking. That told her he wasn’t in hibernation or dead awaiting pickup. There could be many reasons for his silence. Damaged helmet comm, damaged viper comm, even damaged TacNet—the system was automated, but there was a way to update it manually and a message in text format wasn’t beyond its capabilities. Surely if he could have, he would have reported in that way.
Gina stormed through the building and entered the room her sensors told her contained Martin Cragg, her friend and fellow viper. Something tackled her from the side and she spun with her right hand blurring toward her pistol. Her rifle hung from its sling behind her back and out of position.
Stupid stupid stupid! She had taken no precautions at all. Her thoughts flashed to Chrissie Roberts. Chris had been her very first casualty on Child of Harmony and had died because she was over confident in her viper abilities. She had been new to them; they all had back then. They had felt super Human, until Chris died in her first battle, and others died soon after. None of them had any illusions now.
The pistol came up and stopped. She could have pulled the trigger, even as she fell, but she recognised the bloody mangled thing tackling her to the floor. She grabbed him, turning slightly to cushion his fall with her own body. He didn’t fight her, maybe couldn’t do more than he had. He was totally fucked up. She kept an arm around him and holstered her pistol, then opened her helmet’s visor to reveal her face to him. His helmet was missing and blood covered his face. He was still bleeding from ears and nose, and one eye was stuck shut. He was breathing heavily and blood bubbled at his lips.
“Mart—” Gina began, but his bloodied hand blurred and clapped over her mouth. Her eyes popped wide at the slap. That bloody hurt!
Cragg shook his head urgently.
Gina checked her sensors, but there were no hostiles in range. What the hell? Cragg rolled off her. He grabbed her right arm, pawing her sleeve almost ripping it in his frenzy to reach her wristcomp. She let him, realising his own was missing and the forearm it had been strapped upon. Jesus he was screwed. One eye and arm out of commission, and his diagnostic data on her display listed many internal injuries. Why wasn’t he in hibernation? Maintenance mode wasn’t up to this; it would take days to deal with this level of damage.
Blood frothed and bubbled on his lips, punctured lung was on the list, but he used his good eye and hand to punch in coordinates on her wristcomp. He pressed save and seemed to breathe easier. He paused to cough up blood and spit it out. He looked into Gina’s eyes and put a finger over his own lips.
She nodded, really worried now. He pointed to her wristcomp and typed a message on the screen...
Don’t talk, don’t run a sweep. Do nothing until I finish... ok?
She nodded again.
Merki under a stealth field spoofed my sensors. Nearly got me. Coordinates in your comp. Big force. BIG! Near, will hear us, will detect transmissions... maybe. Can’t chance it. I interrupted hibernation. The beacon... I dead for sure.
Gina’s eyes widened. Cragg had aborted his own hibernation. That might kill him, but a beacon might well bring Merki right to him. He hadn’t chanced it. Merkiaari cloaked by stealth field was a new tactic. Stealth in space was standard, but on the ground, it was usually pointless. It was only good for static defence. The equipment was cumbersome and the nature of the field meant it had to be stationary to be effective.
Was doing the job, all good. No surprises. I detected a Merki trooper on his own. Think what the hell, why not? I kill it, will just say found it wounded ma’am. Couldn’t let it suffer could I?
Gina grinned, that was a good one. She typed that for him and nodded. Cragg nodded back and typed...
Went to check him. Found it. Fallen building hiding it. Completely hidden from satellite observation and my sensors. Totally fooled me, stealthed even under the rubble. Still can hardly believe it.
She cocked her head in question.
A troop ship, Gina, an intact troop ship buried deep. Not sure it crashed. If it didn’t...
Her eyes widened. Five Marauder class transports had been committed by the Merki to this incursion, and each one carried detachable troop ships or landers. There were typically a hundred thousand Merki troopers aboard a Marauder when fully loaded. A hundred regiments or fists as the Merki called them, ready to awaken at the touch of a button. Marauders could not land; they were too huge. They landed their fists aboard the detachable landers where they slept in stasis dreaming and awaiting battle. Twenty landers per Marauder—they really were monstrously huge ships—meant a maximum of five thousand troops aboard at launch. That didn’t mean Cragg’s ship had five thousand aboard now. They could all be dead, or half of them dead, or any number above or below. It wasn’t a lander anymore. It was a base! A stealthed base. There was no way to know how big this disaster was.
I was trying to scout for a way in. The General will order us in there, I just know it. Didn’t see the patrol. They got me good. Lost my arm and my damn rifle first thing. I beat feet, they chased me. Lost them near here but I think they’re close. They split into groups of two there at the end.
Gina nodded. Cragg was leaving out a lot. His injuries told her there had been a running gun fight. His armour was burned and scarred all over, and cracked on one side. Busted ribs there for sure. Probably what caused the punctured lung. The Merki splitting their force was interesting. They would only do that if they wanted to cover a wider area, and that meant they were actively searching for Cragg. Or had been. No way to know for sure if they still were, but if she had a stealthed base to protect, she wouldn’t give up until certain the threat was neutralised.
Gina typed... Ok. We need to exfil, get you some help and report in.
Cragg shook his head. I’m totally messed up, Gina. Leave me here. I’ll lay low.
It was the right thing, she knew, but she wasn’t going to be sensible this time around. She had abandoned Kate when the General insisted, and her friend had barely survived even with Stone’s help. She never wanted to feel that helpless rage ever again. She even had her excuse ready to go. General, she would say, Cragg was too damaged to download the data to me. It might even be true for all she knew. General, I’m sorry but I had to bring him and the data he contains. No choice, sir. That would work, right?
She didn’t bother to explain her reasoning. She just pulled Cragg up onto his feet and then put him over her shoulder ignoring all protests. She about faced and retraced her route through the building. She figured it was more than likely the safest way out. She had made it in after all. Luck did have its part to play no matter how often Richmond derided the notion. Luck is not a factor, Richmond would say. In one way, Gina could sympathise with that view, but she knew soldiers of any flavour were superstitious creatures and she was no different. She believed in luck, but believed even more that she made her own luck by being paranoid and good at her job.
Paranoia made her cautious when Gina reached her entry point. She might have just leapt down and run, but something whispered in the back of her brain. Don’t go down there, don’t you do it. Go up, not down. Not down this time.
She reversed course and found the access ramp to the upper fl
oor and roof. Shan didn’t use stairs, it was something to do with the way their legs worked, and most of their buildings were two or three stories above ground with the same below. She wasn’t sure they had ever invented elevators, not that she would chance using one even if she found one operating. The ramp spiralled up gently making it very easy to carry Cragg and she had her pistol out, leaving her rifle thumping her back.
She emerged onto the roof cautiously, and paused. Cragg’s warning not to run a sensor sweep held her back. She ramped up the gain on her hearing, listening for Merki breathing, and turned her head slowly, panning around to listen intently. She deactivated light amplification mode for the moment, and tried infra. Infra-vision or infrared detected heat emissions, and there were a couple visible to her, but they were part of the building’s infrastructure. The shape told her. Long straight lines like these were pipes. No Merki-shaped heat sources appeared. She switched back to light amplification mode and holstered her pistol.
Gina whispered so low she wasn’t certain Cragg would hear. “I’m going to throw you to the next roof. If I try a jump with you on my shoulder, I might bust something or break through the roof. Then we’re screwed.”
Cragg nodded.
She lowered Cragg into her arms and carried him like a child despite his size. Vipers were strong. She ran toward the edge and at the last moment spun around and let go. Cragg flew into space. Gina winced; she had overdone it. He flew high over the other roof and crashed down. The noise and pained groan was very audible. She backed up and then ran at the edge. Her leap was more conservative and she would have made a nice running landing if she hadn’t needed to turn it into a dive to avoid incoming fire.
The quiet dissolved, replaced by the hammering of Merkiaari cannon fire. Those huge gauss cannons were slug throwers not plasma, and although handheld like a rifle, they had more destructive punch than an Alliance AAR (Anti Armour Railgun). The noise was deafening. Definitely more than two firing, she realised. Cragg’s pursuers had found them.
Merkiaari Wars Series: Books 1-3 Page 81