Wrath of the Shaitans

by Sudipto Majumdar

  The shuttle would strafe the Shaitan position and buzz off at high speed before the Shaitans had a chance to let off a shot at the shuttle, which would also become visible on the Shaitan IR sensors. The machine gun strafing did not kill too many Shaitans. Some passes failed to hit even one, but it kept them disorientated and on guard. Most importantly it kept them pinned here on the plains, pursuing the marines believing it to be a much larger threat that it really was.

  They had succeeded in their mission as far as Ed was concerned. The 30 of them had destroyed the most potent weapon of the Shaitans – their shuttle. They had kept over 500 Shaitans busy for nearly 10 hours. They had now circled back to the point where they had left their fiery ghosts, some of whom were still mildly warm on the IR sensors. It was time to get his marines still alive back to the safety of the shuttle.

  “Eagle 2 do you copy?” Ed called out. “Repeat Eagle 2 do you copy?” Ed had to wait a few minutes continually calling out before Eagle 2 replied. They must have strayed out of the limited range of the radio. When the shuttle responded, Ed continued. “Eagle 2 it is time to get the boys into the shuttle. The suits are on the edge. Please find us a suitable extraction point to march towards immediately.”

  “Copy that Major. Give me a moment please.” Eagle 2 replied. Eagle 2 however started speaking almost immediately again in an excited voice. “Major we have good news and we have good news. The siege has been broken and the Shaitans killed there. We now have a home to go back to. Eagle 1 buzzed pass us to give the news. They have marked out an extraction point for you, which should be coming to your display now. Eagle 1 is waiting there to take your boys home. Eagle 2 is proceeding back to base to refuel and airlift the next batch of Marines for the final assault. Eagle 2 out.”

  There was a cheer that went through the tired marines. It was the best news they had heard in 24 hours. “Well you heard the man. What are we waiting for? Double time to the extraction point marines, I don’t care how tired you are.” Ed shouted out good naturedly. His mood had become lighter and there was a sprint in his steps as he ran towards the extraction point despite his tiredness. The marines didn’t need any further invitation either.

  As the marines were embarking on to the shuttle, their suits started giving critical battery level warning. Many of them had to plug on to the shuttle’s emergency life support to stay alive. The marines had really cut it thin and just made it back alive. When they reached back the plateau of the base where the shuttle landed, they were shocked to see the devastation of the base on the plateau. Fortunately half of the infrastructure of the base was inside the tunnels.

  It is not known whether Shaitans feel tired, and whether their performance decreases with that tiredness. It was thought that any biological creature after exertion would require some recuperation time. The shoe was on the other foot now. 200 Gurkha marines and 50 US marines from the second and the third platoon descended on the plains to fight about 350 Shaitans remaining on the plains.

  The Shaitans were the ones now who had been running and fighting for the last 10 hours. While the marines had also been in a major battle, but they had not been running continuously. The assault plan of the marines was dead simple. The simply landed next to the Shaitan camp on the plains. The main body of Shaitans pursuing Ed and his marines had strayed far from the camp.

  The marines surprised and quickly killed the few Shaitans remaining at their camp, and took up positions waiting for the Shaitans to come towards their camp. The Shaitans had no option but to try and rescue they camp. They would run out of oxygen sooner or later. They had to come towards the camp.

  The camp that the Shaitans had built was similar in design philosophy to the one they built on Titan, but on a smaller scale. It was circular and sunk in the ground. It had 4 exit, where marines were placed just in case anyone came out from behind them, otherwise they made no attempt to go inside.

  When the Shaitans assaulted the marines, it was from 360° all-round the camp. The Shaitans had taken the time to spread themselves in all direction and attack simultaneously. It was a clever tactic from the Shaitan commander since he must have thought that the marines were small in number. It would have worked if the marines were fewer in number.

  Leanna did not have to anticipate this tactic. She had placed the marines evenly all around anyway, since she had no idea where they Shaitans would assault from. The thing that gave the marines the advantage though were the two shuttles which had brought a few of the infrared lamps from the Kormas base, hooked them to their power supply and the gunner was moving the lights in a slow arc as they rested next to the Shaitan camp on either side. The marines nearby used the shuttles as shield as well.

  When the Shaitans attacked, the marines did not suffer from a visibility disadvantage. Thanks to the IR lamps, the marines saw them before the Shaitans saw the marines. The shuttles leapt up to the sky and pumped copious amount of lead into the charging Shaitans, while the marines got down on their knees to lower their profile and engaged in precision shooting.

  Only about half the Shaitans were able to make it to the marines for a melee fight. They did cause casualties with their plasma guns and their frenzied attack with their claws. The Shaitans managed to injure many marines, but thanks to the shuttle a lot of them could be evacuated immediately to the base and their lives saved. In the end only 12 marines lost their lives.

  The marines in turn were not just able to kill most of the Shaitans, but took three of them alive, all of them were type B warrior Shaitans. They also took four more type A Shaitans prisoners from inside the camp. For all the blood that the marines had bled, these prisoners would be more valuable than they realized at that moment.

  Space wars are quick, efficient and absolute. Ground wars are long and messy with sometimes ambiguous results. It is however ground wars that win you valuable intelligence. You cannot understand a war and gain from it unless you fight on the ground. This was the reason USC had put so much effort into building up the space marines. A single enemy soldier captured is worth more than a spaceship destroyed in terms of intelligence.

  When Leanna returned to the Kormas base, the civilians had already started the task or repairs and salvage on the base. Yusuke approached her and said. “Congratulations Colonel. You managed to wipe off the Shaitans from the face of Mars.”

  “Thanks but the credit goes more to that nutcase Major and his equally brave company. Make sure that you and the rest of your team thank them personally when they wake up. As far as wiping the Shaitans off the planet goes, don’t count your chickens yet Yusuke. There are more lurking somewhere, and we don’t even know where. That is the scary part.” Replied Leanna grimly.

  Chapter 27

  Hole in the ground

  South Pole of Mars

  September 2083

  “USS Resolute to Kormas base. Be advised that we have located the missing Shaitan bird. Repeat. USS Resolute to Kormas base. We have found the Shaitan shuttle.” The sensor operator repeated.

  “Copy that Resolute.” The com operator at Kormas base responded as she got in front of the screen. “I just received the coordinates, I will pass it on to the colonel. Thanks.”

  Leanna must have been monitoring the channel, for she butted into the conversation. “Resolute, this is Col. McGraw, it took mighty long. Where are the bastards hiding?”

  “They have made no efforts to camouflage colonel. They don’t seem to be hiding. The Shaitan shuttle is parked right in the open. They are right at the South Pole colonel. That is why it took us so long to find them. We had to change to a polar orbit to see them.” USS Resolute replied.

  “Ah… that explains it. Wonder what they are doing at the South Pole. May I speak to the captain please?” Leanna asked and she was connected to the Trisha. “Hey Trish, I know the Resolute has done a lot already in space, could I ask for one more favor?”

  Trisha stuck to formally addressing Leanna, despite them knowing each other very well. There were so few women in command pos
itions, that senior women officers in USC were usually close, sharing their unique issues in an otherwise male majority organization. Leanna however was far senior both in rank and age compared to Trisha. “Colonel, please let me know your command, we are here to help.”

  “Is it possible for the Resolute to take out the shuttle from space? Ideally disable it with an antimissile. The Marines have been through hell in the last few hours, I would like to spare them a serious fight by taking out the shuttle from space. I don’t want to create a mess though. I am very curious to find out what they are doing out there. Any clues about that from your sensors?” Leanna asked.

  “I am afraid colonel, you asked me something we cannot do. We are completely out of antimissiles. There is just one nuke left, which would definitely create a lot of mess. I am afraid the Marines will have to take their shuttles up against the Shaitan shuttle and do it the hard way.

  Regarding what they are up to, I have seen the sensor data, but I am afraid, I don’t have a clue why they would be interested in the South Pole. I can confirm that they have not tried to make any base, at least nothing over ground.

  It is unlikely that they would have constructed underground and we wouldn’t have detected construction signs. There hasn’t been enough time for them to have hidden it so well. Their shuttle engines are cold from the thermal images.

  It is likely that the radio jamming the Shaitans have unleashed is now working to their disadvantage. It was a good call colonel keeping it on, although it is a pain waiting for our orbit to take us over Kormas base to establish laser connectivity. The Shaitans at the South Pole are probably not aware of what has happened at the Kormas base.

  I am releasing our last satellite in synchronous orbit over Kormas base. It should make our communications easier, and will also give Kormas base direct line of communication to Earth without having to switch off the Shaitan radio jamming.” Trisha finished.

  “All right Trish. I guess with your current missile situation, there isn’t much you can do to help from up there. Thanks for putting up the satellite though. It will help a lot. Leanna out.” Leanna cut the line and connected to the air strip below in the plains.

  The Shaitan jamming had been left turned on primarily to prevent the other Shaitan shuttle on the South Pole from getting to suspect that there was something wrong here on Kormas base. It was however hampering their own efforts to coordinate the mop up operations.

  There were many Shaitan soldiers who had fled into the ravines. They needed to be hunted down and neutralized, before they were able to cause any act of sabotage or harm. Humans lived on the edge precariously on Mars. Even a small sabotage, for example to the nuclear power plant, would be a death sentence for all of the humans on Mars.

  So Leanna had to use the wired lines and ask the com operator there to fetch Ed from wherever he was. Ed came into view about 10 minutes later. He was obviously coming in from somewhere outside, and had not bothered to take off his suit since he intended to go back out. Even through the faceplate, Leanna could see that Ed was tired and fatigued. “Colonel, how can I be of service?”

  “Captain, you and your company has done enough for the day, and you need to mop up the stragglers anyway. You and your people have been doing a good job of that, and once you have finished I want all of you to get back into the base and take some rack time. I however need the service of your shuttles.

  The Gurkha platoons are relatively less fatigued, I want to take two of the platoons down to the South Pole to finish off the last Shaitan shuttle and check out what they hell they are doing out there.” Leanna said.

  “Colonel, we are almost finished out here. I can lead the platoons down to the South Pole if you order…” Ed started but Leanna cut him off.

  “You have done enough for the day Edward.” Leanna said in a soft but firm tone, leaving no doubt that this was not a suggestion but an order. “Don’t worry about babysitting a colonel, captain. I may no longer be as young as you, but I am not that old either. Remember I have seen my fair share of fighting these bastards.”

  “As you wish colonel, I will recall the shuttle that is helping us recon the ravines. I will get them refueled. Thankfully the Shaitans didn’t touch the airstrip or the fuel dumps.” Ed said and signed off.

  The shuttle ride to the South Pole was over two hours, and most of the Gurkha marines were fast asleep throughout the journey. ‘Less fatigued’ was a relative term. The Gurkha marines may have not had to make a death defying jump and hike up to the Korma base like the US Marines of the 3rd company, but they had also been fighting for almost 4 hours.

  There was no such relief for Leanna though. She was tense as they approached the designated point. She had coordinated with USS resolute. The Resolute had gone into a slower polar orbit, so that it would be in a region over the South Pole for almost 6 hours such that laser and radio communication with the ground would be possible.

  USS Resolute may not be able to help them with fire power, but it will be the eyes and ears for the attack force. Leanna had timed her approach to coincide with USS Resolute approaching the South Pole. Leanna looked at the sensor reports coming from the Resolute. There was no activity around the Shaitan shuttle. Hopefully it will stay that way for the next half hour.

  The shuttle was flying very low now, barely 10 meters above the surface, as it approached the designated point. The marines woke up and started getting ready to disembark. They had chosen a point 10 Km from the Shaitan shuttle. At this distance the Shaitan shuttle’s radars should be just over the horizon, so the shuttles should be safe from detection. 10 Km would not have been enough on Earth, but Mars was smaller, and the horizon was closer here.

  Leanna had always been fit all her life, but there was nothing anyone could do about age. It takes its toll. The 10 Km hike in a suit, even in the one third gravity of Mars was no longer a breeze for her. Their plan was simple. The two platoons would try to sneak close to the Shaitan shuttle, attack and disable the shuttle. Once that was done, they would call in their own shuttle for air support and try to overpower the Shaitan.

  Humans had never had an air combat with a Shaitan shuttle. They had no idea about its offensive and defensive capabilities. It was however huge in size, especially compared to the human shuttles. There was nothing preventing the Shaitan shuttles from carrying a large number of air-to-air missiles or even small nukes for that matter.

  The human shuttles by contrast were not designed for combat, but for transport. The USC shuttles still carried two externally mounted air-to-air missiles and one heavy caliber machine gun, which could be manually operated. It was thought best for them not to chance an air-to-air combat between the Shaitan and human shuttles if it could be avoided.

  USS Resolute was keeping a hawk eye on any change in status of the Shaitan shuttle and directly beaming it to the marching marines as well as the shuttles waiting at the designated 10 Km point. If somehow the Shaitans sensed the approaching marines, then the human shuttles would rush ahead to support the marines.

  At about 1500 meters, they slowed down and started walking. This would ensure that they did not bounce as high as they moved. It was hard in this low gravity to not bounce high as you ran fast. There was absolutely no cover between the Shaitan shuttle and the approaching marines.

  If the Shaitans had an attentive lookout on their shuttle, they would be able to detect the marines approaching now. There was nothing the marines could do about it. They just had to move as fast as they could and keep as low a profile as they could, storm the rest of the distance and hope to catch the Shaitans by surprise.

  When the marines were at about 400 meters from the shuttle they were detected. The Shaitan technology was better than humans, but it was not magical. The shuttle engines lit up but it still needed a few seconds for them to warm up and generate enough thrust to lift off.

  “RPGs aim for those engines NOW! Marines full speed ahead, let’s try to stop that thing from taking off.” Leanna shouted, as she wished she ha
d a few shoulder fired Surface to Air missiles. The marines normally outfitted themselves like a light infantry unit. There had been no SAMs stocked in the Kormas base. Shooting down an airplane or a shuttle did not figure as one of the likely possibilities when this base was built.

  The biggest weapon the marines had, to hit the shuttle from a distance was an RPG. It was a granddaddy of an RPG, but an RPG nonetheless. The USC-GCF special issue RPG had bigger explosive power and it shaped charge, was far more powerful and destructive than the RPGs used a hundred years ago against the sloped armor of tanks. It was tested to be effective on the kind of materials used on the hull of Shaitan ships.

  Humans had not seen Shaitan tanks or armored vehicles. This was the first battle where humans were seeing Shaitan shuttles, so they had no idea what these vehicles were made of. So the humans had gone with the assumption that they would be at least as hardy as the hull material of Shaitan ships.

  Leanna had ordered the engine exhaust targeted because they were likely to be the weakest part externally of the shuttle. The problem with RPGs were that they could not be guided. You had to aim and hope you got it right. Aiming for an engine at 400m with an RPG is not easy. It is a matter of luck. Once the shuttle starts moving, it would be even harder to hit the shuttle, let alone aim for the engines.

  Their best hope of disabling the shuttle would have been to sneak in and attach explosives, but it seems unlikely they would be able to do so. The marines rushing towards the shuttle were too far. Leanna just hoped there were no machine gun operator on board the shuttle aiming at the marines. They would be slaughtered.