by D. J. Holmes
Chapter 23
Many Emperors and Empress have put themselves in harm’s way. No doubt they all felt fear in the midst of battle. I doubt, however, that they were as stressed as those assigned to protect them.
-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.
Leaving his window, McGrath quickly made his way to the stairs that led down to the ground floor. As he descended, the signs of fighting ceased. Between Shelvey’s marines turning to face the new threat and General Johnston’s rear attack, the militia had been killed.
“General Johnston,” McGrath said as he came to attention and saluted his superior.
“You are leading the assault on Culthrapori’s residence?” Johnston asked.
“Yes Sir,” McGrath answered.
“And the roadblock, you have secured it?”
“My marines are in the process of doing so General,” McGrath replied.
Johnston nodded. “Then see to your marines, we’ll talk more once you secure our route to the governor’s house.” Johnston gestured towards the cowering militia around his feet. “We’ll take care of these and watch your back.”
“Of course General,” McGrath said as he spun and brought up his HUD again. Hemsworth had secured one of the buildings they were assaulting. From there they were pouring fire into the flank of what militia were left defending the roadblock. “Reorganize your platoon,” he ordered Shelvey. “We are advancing across the street.” After informing Hemsworth of what was happening, McGrath joined Shelvey’s marines as they made their charge across the open ground. Miraculously only one marine took a serious hit from an enemy plasma rifle. McGrath registered the marine’s cry of pain just before he hurdled the roadblock. The next several seconds were a blur as he head-butted one militia, fracturing his skull with the force his combat armor gave him. He shoved the butt of his rifle into the chest of another militia member before whipping his rifle around and gunning down a third enemy combatant. With that, the street was clear. Over the COM channel he heard Shelvey order his marines into the adjacent building to secure it. Given that no fire was coming down upon their heads, McGrath guessed the militia that had been in there were either dead or falling back. “Secure the area, and prepare to keep advancing,” he said to Shelvey and Hemsworth. “I need to speak to General Johnston and then we will proceed.”
Vaulting back over the roadblock, McGrath crossed the street again and found Johnston. Admiral Somerville had joined him. “General,” McGrath acknowledged with a nod. “Thanks for the assist.”
Johnston flashed him a brief smile. “No problem Major. What’s your situation?”
“We have eight platoons from the first wave pinning most of Culthrapori’s militia in their barracks and outer defenses,” McGrath explained. “We landed behind their frontlines. They just tried to erect a roadblock around the governor’s residence. It’s now breached. I’m about to give the order to proceed to the residence.”
“Very good Major, we will accompany you. You may carry on,” Johnston replied. McGrath hesitated. “Is there a problem Major?” Johnston queried.
McGrath felt his body stiffen as he did his best to hide his feelings. Though he still had to answer Johnston’s question. “None of you have combat armor. Wouldn’t it be safer to wait here? I can leave a squad of marines with you to stand guard. They can bring you forward once we have the residents secured.”
Johnston looked to Somerville and they both shared a glance. Then he turned back to McGrath. “No can do Major. We are coming with you. We’ll hang back, but we are going to be there when Culthrapori is apprehended. We’ve seen too much to just be spectators.” Before McGrath could say anything in reply, Johnston continued as he raised a hand, “and don’t think you’re going to assign a squad of marines to play babysitter with us. We can handle ourselves. You need every marine you’ve got. Understood?”
“Perfectly Sir,” McGrath replied in an obedient tone that conveyed the exact opposite of what he was thinking. The last thing he wanted was General Johnston or, even worse, Admiral Somerville being killed in his operation. He would never live the shame down. Not to mention the political consequences such a loss could have. Yet, as much as he hated it, he understood an order when he heard one. Trying to argue more would be a waste of time. Keying his COM unit, he turned and crossed the street once again. “Let’s push on to the residence, General Johnston and Admiral Somerville are going to accompany us.”
Though it was already his custom, McGrath made sure he stayed right at the very back of his marines’ formation. He knew Johnston and Somerville wouldn’t move past him so he made sure to keep himself out of harm’s way as the marines cautiously traversed the final few city blocks to the governor’s residence. A couple of firefights broke out here and there, but they encountered little significant resistance. “Major, you’re going to want to come and take a look at this,” Lieutenant Shelvey said not long after his lead squad made it to the outskirts of the residence. A minute later, when McGrath entered the building and climbed to the third story where Shelvey was waiting for him, he understood the Lieutenant’s tone. The governor’s residence was surrounded by a large park and gardens. There was a city block of open ground between the building McGrath was in and their target. The open ground wasn’t what had Shelvey concerned though. They had known about that obstacle going in. It was the administrative building itself that was not at all what McGrath had expected. Instead of a three-story hexagon shaped building, it looked like he was facing a fortress. Throughout the gardens, militia were standing or marching on patrol. Beyond them, poking out of several third story windows were the muzzles of heavy plasma cannons. The rest of the windows were either sandbagged up or open with more militia peering out. On the roof McGrath could see at least three separate sniper teams. They had probably already made his position. They’re just waiting until we come out in the open, he thought.
“What’s the problem?” General Johnston asked as McGrath turned back around the corner in the building to see him and Somerville moving up towards him past the waiting marines.
“They’re ready and waiting for us,” McGrath explained. “They don’t need any reinforcements from their barracks. There’s enough militia and ordinance to cause us a real headache. We could take a lot of casualties crossing that open ground. It might be wise to wait for the platoons from the second wave to catch up with us.”
Johnston screwed up his face. “Our intel suggested there were no more than fifty militia guarding the residence. The rest are usually out on patrol.” As he spoke Johnston moved past McGrath and leant around enough to peer out the window. He only looked for several seconds before turning back. “It seems our intelligence was wrong,” he said. He stepped to one side and motioned for Somerville to join him. McGrath tried to listen in but even with his combat amour’s enhanced audio sensors, he couldn’t quite make them out.
Moments later the two men broke apart. It was Somerville who moved closer to McGrath. “I think in this instance Major, we can forgo the request to keep collateral damage to a minimum. Whoever is in that building, they’re likely to be Culthrapori’s most loyal cronies. We’re going to have to consider them expendable. We can’t let Culthrapori escape. The General suggests a hypervelocity missile or two to the residence’s front door and a couple more for those plasma cannons. It should buy you the time your marines need to cover the open ground.”
McGrath didn’t have to think about it for more than a half second. “Yes Admiral, that should get us across the residence’s gardens without taking too much fire. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll speak to my Lieutenants and draw up a plan of assault.”
“Of course,” Somerville replied as he gestured for McGrath to move past him.
Moving over to where Shelvey and Hemsworth were conversing, McGrath joined them. “We have permission to use HVMs,” he said in a tone that conveyed the grin that his subordinates couldn’t see because of his combat armor. McGrath raised his left forearm and activated the small holo projecto
r on it. A 3D map of the residence appeared between the three officers. “We’ll hit the main entrance here with one missile, there are two heavy plasma guns approximately here and here,” McGrath explained as he pointed to two third story windows. “We’ll hit each of them as well. Between the explosions and the debris, we should have enough additional cover to make our charge. We’ll stick with our original plan for the rest. Shelvey, your platoon will assault from this direction using these trees for your cover. Hemsworth, your platoon can advance with the fountain and statues for yours. It looks like there are going to be militia out in the open along both of your routes unless they fall back once the shooting starts. Either way, make sure your marines are ready for close quarters combat as we move through the gardens.”
“Understood Major,” Shelvey replied.
“They’ll not know what hit them,” Hemsworth added.
“Just make sure your marines know what is likely to hit them in return,” McGrath warned. “Brief your people,” he said by way of dismissing them. “We go in two minutes.” McGrath made his way back to Johnston and Somerville. “We go in two minutes,” he informed them. He took a deep breath. “I believe you should wait here until we have secured the outer sections of the residence. In fact,” he continued before either man could interject. “I insist. This is my operation. Charging across the open gardens against so much opposition is going to be risky. I don’t want my marines’ attention dividend between taking their objective and protecting you two.” Letting out a deep breath, McGrath waited to see how cross both of them would be. After sharing a glance he was surprised when both Somerville and Johnston turned and smiled at him.
“Given what we’re facing, I think I’m happy to sit this one out,” Somerville said. “I may be eager to see Culthrapori brought to justice, but I don’t have a death wish. We’ll wait here until your marines have secured the gardens and are clearing the residence. Then we’ll join you.”
“Thank you,” McGrath replied, unable to hide the relief in his voice.
Somerville must have picked up on it for he smiled again. “Stop worrying about us and make your preparations Major. We’ll stay out of your hair.”
With a nod McGrath turned and made his way to the squad in Shelvey’s platoon that he had been accompanying. Whilst he wanted Somerville and Johnston to remain behind, he had no such intentions. He was going to cross the enemy’s field of fire with his marines. If he was going to order them to do it, he had to go himself. “Are your platoons in place?” he asked his Lieutenants over the COM channel.
“Affirmative,” both replied one after the other.
“Missiles first, then mortars and grenades,” McGrath replied. “On my mark.” McGrath silently counted to eight to allow Shelvey and Hemsworth time to make sure their marines knew the firing order. “Begin,” he commanded. Unable to just imagine what was about to happen, McGrath risked poking his head around the side of the building. He was just in time to see the three hypervelocity missiles zip across the open ground. They struck the residence at almost the exact same time. Three fireballs washed over the outside of the building and ate their way in. McGrath saw the militia diving for cover all across the gardens before the mortar rounds landed and the grenades the marines had hurled exploded. Both sets of ordinance were designed to provide cover for the marines’ assault. They exploded with a bright burst of light that would temporally blind anyone not wearing combat armor. Then smoke poured out of them as well as thousands of superhot metallic flakes. The flakes would descend over the course of several minutes, making it impossible for infra-red sensors to see the small heat signatures the marines’ combat armor gave off.
The next thing McGrath saw were the six marines of the squad he was accompanying move past him in a flash as they charged. Springing into action, he followed close behind as they moved into the dense smoke and cloud of metallic flakes. As soon as his vision became seriously impaired, his HUD overlaid a representation of the main features of the residence’s garden. As a result, when he came to the gardens outer wall, he vaulted over it even though he couldn’t see it. Still moving at a sprint, he continued forward. Twice Human shapes appeared in front of him. One he sent spinning to the ground with a combat armor enhanced punch to the ribs. His enhanced audio sensors easily heard the militia’s ribs cracking. The second he had just enough time to bring his plasma rifle to bear to dispatch.
When he was about halfway across the open ground the militia defending the residence regained their cohesion. The first indication McGrath got of the change was when plasma bolts exploded all around his feet. They’re firing blindly, he guessed as he continued to charge and no bolts zeroed in on him. A second later he passed a marine crumpled on the ground. Despite McGrath’s instincts calling out for him to stop and offer aid, he knew he couldn’t. The smoke and metallic chaff wouldn’t last much longer and if the residence wasn’t breached, the marines would be caught out in the open. Instead he fired blindly through the smoke towards where his HUD overlay said the second and third floors of the residence were. Perhaps his fire would cause some of the militia to duck for cover. For another ten seconds or so McGrath sprinted with all the speed his armor could give him. Then, just as suddenly as he had entered the cloud of smoke and chaff, he emerged from it. The residence towered above him just ten meters in front. McGrath didn’t have time to take it in. As soon as he emerged, the militia focused their fire on him. The only thing that saved him were the nearly one hundred other marines who appeared at the same time. Their lightening quick reflexes meant they tracked in on and dispatched the militia faster than Culthrapori’s men could hit their targets.
In barely longer that it would have taken McGrath to blink, he was through the hail of fire from the militia and bursting into the massive hole the HV missile had made. At least eight other marines had beaten him through. Three fell as militia opened up from where they were hiding behind pieces of rubble. The remaining marines dispatched them before McGrath could get involved. In the space of seconds, what remained of the residence’s large entrance hall was packed with marines. “Spread out,” McGrath ordered over the general COM channel. “Stick to your squads. You already have assigned search patterns. Clear this building and find Culthrapori!”
As the marines scattered McGrath looked for Shelvey and Hemsworth. “To me Lieutenants,” he said over their command COM channel when he confirmed both were still alive. “What is the status of your platoons?” he asked when they approached.
“I’ve got five marines down,” Shelvey said, “their combat armor is indicating they are gone. There are another seven out there wounded,” the Lieutenant added as he gestured towards the smoke filled gardens.
McGrath nodded and turned to Hemsworth. “Four dead, three unaccounted for,” the Lieutenant answered.
“Alright, we’ll send a couple of squads out to get the wounded as soon as the smoke clears,” McGrath informed them. “But first we need to clear the militia away from the windows. Focus on coordinating your platoons’ search patterns. We need to find Culthrapori or our losses will be in vain.”
Both Lieutenants nodded, Shelvey turned away in a gesture that suggested he was speaking to one of his subordinates on his COM unit. “I think we’re going to have a problem,” Shelvey said after he turned back. “I’m getting reports from my squad leaders. The layout of the residence isn’t matching our schematics.”
“What?” McGrath asked as he bit back a series of curses.
“There appear to be new doors that weren’t on the schematics and even new walls. It’s throwing off our search efforts,” Shelvey elaborated.
McGrath grimaced. “See to your platoons,” he ordered. “Do your best. They have obviously been making preparations for defending this place for a while now. Warn your marines to be careful.”
As both Lieutenants sprinted off to join their platoons, McGrath moved deeper into the residence. He wanted to see for himself what Culthrapori’s militia had done. It didn’t take him long to enc
ounter a wall where the schematics on his HUD said there shouldn’t be one. Reaching out he gave it a strong punch. When rock came crumbling away he grunted. They had gone to a lot of effort. Falling back a little, he found a small room that the marines had already cleared. Then he hunkered down and gave his full attention to his command and control HUD. He projected a 3D image of the residence with the location of each of his marines on it. In real time he watched as they systematically cleared the building room by room and floor by floor. At least as systematically as they could with the changes to the building. Here and there McGrath intervened to better coordinate several squads, but for the most part they didn’t need his help.