Lishun Delta - Reach
Colonel Clarke ran to the center of the assembly area and hollered at Major Bresov. "Get everyone here now!"
"The COs, sir?"
"Everyone!" Colonel Clarke yelled back. He ran through the half-wrecked tank hulls and stopped on the Northern edge. He climbed on top of Jailbird and picked his way over shrapnel scars, strapped gear, and a main cannon stained white.
He surveyed the remaining armor. Would it be enough?
The armor sat in clusters. Shrapnel poked out of armor plates, weapons hung limp and a mix of snow and mud coated everything. Craters marked where heavy weapons didn't penetrate, or not enough to kill the tank. Bandages littered the ground and it was all intermixed with leaked hydraulic fluid and the blood of those inside. Just because the armor survived didn't mean the entire crew did.
They had met the anvil, felt the hammer, and came out the other side anew.
Soldiers emerged from the rear of tanks. They limped in on each other's arms, leaned against the hulls, and stared up at the Colonel as veterans. More filtered in and finally came the recovery vehicles with the Engineers striped with mud.
Colonel Clarke stared down at them all. How much could he ask? "You've all done more than I ever hoped for. Some gave more than they thought they would. Now you all can stand as heroes, as soldiers who did their duty and did it well."
The wind whistled and slapped the wet snow against the hulls of the tanks.
"Now I ask of you once more, follow me into battle. A Kadan army will arrive in less than two days. My orders are to stay here and let them come. I say no! We take their gate, destroy it, and slay them as they come. If we wait to fight, they will destroy us all."
The soldiers looked up at Colonel Clarke with hard faces. No one spoke a word. The only sound was the snow falling and the lapping of the ocean in the distance.
"You have a choice. Stay, follow the orders I was given. Or go and blitz our way to the Kadan gate, destroy it, and destroy the enemy when they come through. I can't guarantee you success, freedom, or a pardon. The only thing I guarantee is that this, this is the right thing to do."
Colonel Clarke looked out into the faces of his soldiers. Would they follow? Oh god, will they follow me? It wasn't about rank, or about a petty crime, instead it was about duty. His heart slammed in his chest and he watched.
One man stepped ahead, his hands bound in bandages. "I'll go, Colonel."
Another limped out of the line and fell to a knee. "Count me in, sir."
They came forth as a line of wounded men. They came as broken men. They came as those forged in the heat of battle, slag once discarded and now refined. They came flawed and remained so, but they were soldiers.
Others stood behind, but those who stepped ahead far outnumbered those who didn't.
Colonel Clarke climbed down. "We leave in eight hours! Strip every piece of ammo you can find. Patch up your armor as best you can and make ready."
The crews dispersed and the tanks churned through the snow and sand and made way into the battlefield. The closest units swarmed onto the wrecked hull of Badger.
Commander Arap limped up with one arm on Umi. The rest of the Sigg were close behind in Vasilov overcoats. They looked out of place without Vasilov issue insulated helmets.
"COs! To me!" Colonel Clarke yelled. He waited a moment and looked at who was there. Before he could ask Arap spoke.
"We're down two COs."
"Captain Matsuo, would you take a platoon?"
"Yes sir. I'd recommend Lieutenant Riga for the other."
"It's done."
"Colonel, how we gonna travel back to the Kadan base when it took us five days to get down here?" Lieutenant Torori said.
"Lieutenant, we're going to ride the rails. It'll be almost as smooth as a highway. We should make it in sixteen hours."
"We're going to cut it close, Colonel," Umi said.
"Then we don't have any time to waste," Colonel Clarke said.
They worked through the sleety snow and formed up into a column next to the burned out hulk of the Kadan railcars. Great spotlights illuminated the area and sent out a globe of light that bathed the armor in white. They strapped on cases of ammunition, crates of artillery shells, and slabs of tank ammunition.
Some tanks heaped on shredded Kadan armor so that a patchwork of extra material swayed in the wind. Still others tried to pry loose the shrapnel. A group stood near the loading mechanism of the Sigg design main cannon.
Vaughn pointed at a slot on the side of the cannon. "This is the reserve chute. When you key up an ammo change it stores the previous shell here. Now a little trick, load your backup style, then load the primary. So now if ya got to switch it only takes a split second instead of waiting for the mechanism to purge the load and feed more."
Umi spoke next. "The Cion make good tanks. Really good tanks. If they mount AT barrels they're hard to hit, hard to see, and hard to kill. Keep that penetrator round ready, it's the only thing that'll punch through that shield."
Riga cleared his throat. "If ya got 'em try and bait 'em out. They're not patient. If you get a drop on 'em, run back into cover, make 'em follow. If you're moving right your flank unit will hit him."
The Sigg passed on every bit of knowledge they could think of. The arrayed tank crews listened and learned. Finally the time drew near and the order was given. The Sigg spread out in the Vasilov units. Umi took command of a tank named Apocalypse. Riga climbed into Damnation.
The last thing they loaded was a set of demolition charges. Two Engineers came from Reach and agreed to prime the charges and set them off.
The column moved slowly down the beginning of the track and struggled to stay on the line. The rails were warped and twisted like bent taffy. The heat of the burning railcars was so intense that the alloy lost temper. But finally they pushed through.
Then they flew. The column raced down the track that stretched into the distance. They rolled past the fields of sleety boulders and next to iced lakes. They crossed a bridge of taut girders and sailed over a dark river that dashed beneath in the darkness.
Their way led now through the steppes of snow and hidden mud. But now instead of tracing routes and breaking trail they plowed through growing snows. They continued on the hard pack at an easy forty kilometers an hour.
The route changed and the lay of the land flattened out. Windswept walls of snow rose up and gusts of winds rocketed down from the peaks that rose into darkness. They knew they were close when the cold seeped through the hulls and reminded everyone that death lurked in the snow. But instead of cowering in trench and bunker, they sought victory in steeds of steel.
#
Chapter Forty-Seven
Lishun Delta - Near the Mackinof Front
Tomi stared down the length of track and focused his eyes into the darkness. As far as he could see, which changed as the gusts blew, the track stretched out. It felt like he'd been driving forever, but this time the farther he drove the more the adrenaline pumped.
"Your draw," Hess said. He tapped his foot on the floor and bounced the tablet on his knee.
Wellington tapped at his pad. "Twin flush, draw down, bet up. Deal twice."
"You two ever gonna stop gambling?" Mick said.
"Is Mueller ever gonna stop stealing?" Hess replied. "Two of spades, ace of diamonds, draw three."
Mueller grinned. "Nope."
"Steak," Hutchins said. "With butter rolling down the sides, real butter. And beer. Deep black beer, the kind you can't even see through."
"Fuck that, a man to wine me, dine me, spoil me rotten," Kallio said. She squirmed in her seat. "Then a bath, god, a bath."
"So uh, whatcha doin' tomorrow?" Puck said.
"Fuck you," Kallio said and smacked Puck's hand.
Tomi spoke next. "Salmon, drizzled in lemon butter with a side of greens and a giant heap of sauerkraut and apples."
"Sauerkraut?" Waslinski said. "You can have any damn fantasy in the world and you want sauerkraut?"
"It's his last supper, not yours, eh?" Veriha said.
Tomi's smile fell off his face. Last supper. He hadn't thought of it like that.
"How ya holding up, Tomi?" Sergeant Nikov said.
"Still on the rails," he replied.
"CO says to stay frosty, we're getting into the zone."
Tomi focused on the rails and noticed that the sky was lightening. The sun, somewhere on the horizon, was rising. His heart beat a bit faster and he licked his dry lips. Almost there.
The card game continued. The discussions of women, food, theft, drink, and life everywhere else didn't stop. Jokes came and went. Banter rolled and everyone shivered together. The daylight grew until the sky was a sheet of slate gray with fine particles of snow rolling close to the ground.
"Bulldog," Lieutenant Torori called over the comms. "Drop off the grade, test the siding. We're getting ready to wedge."
Tomi steered the tank and it dropped down slowly off the packed gravel. It foundered for a second in the snow drift then settled down. He steered it a bit further and the suspension soaked up the terrain. The armor floated up and down for half a kilometer. "Solid sir."
"This is Jailbird. It's time. I've marked the map with three positions. The stargate will be in one of those spots. Find it, call for the Engineers, and hold your position. You know what you have to do, now do it."
The map view shifted and Tomi glanced at the path. The topographic map showed a series of low hills that merged into a high peaked ridge. Bulldog's objective was somewhere on the backside of the ridge. Right, he noticed, in the middle of the Kadan facility. He was nervous and excited all at once.
"We're going in with Delta," Sergeant Nikov said. "All right, folks, drop your cocks and grab your socks. Lock and load."
The crew pulled out their weapons and seated magazines, loaded rounds, and primed grenades. The banter dropped off, the chatter died away, but Hess and Wellington continued to gamble.
"Shift," Lieutenant Torori called.
The four vehicles of Bravo company dropped away from siding and plowed through the deep snow. Trails of white billowed up behind them. Delta company trailed off to the side and ran parallel. The course looked to move into white nothingness.
"Bulldog, correct right ten degrees, ride the gully," a raspy voice called. "Pause on the front, then pull back."
Tomi recognized the voice as the Sigg named Riga. He keyed up Sergeant Nikov. "TC?"
"Do it," Sergeant Nikov said.
Tomi drove through the bottom of the gully, halted the tank for a second, then slammed it in reverse.
Three rounds sang out through the snow and ricocheted off the leading edge of Bulldog. The cabin echoed with the ping of the incoming rounds. Alarms flashed for a moment.
The line of Vasilov armor pushed ahead. The units crawled up the edge of the rise.
"Acquired!" Nikov yelled. The main cannon sent out a three round burst.
The shells exploded in the snow with one billowing into the energy shields.
"Fuck!" Nikov yelled. "Loading penetrator!"
Rounds punched out from the other tanks and slammed into the line of Cion tanks. They had advanced fifty meters away from their prepared positions and were reversing hard. One sparkled blue light and then exploded. The second unit trailed black smoke for a moment then it too stopped. The last unit charged ahead and fired another barrage right at Bulldog.
Tomi felt something in his gut. He steered the nose, just a hair, and the Cion round impacted and flew into the sky. His stomach clenched tight and he spun the nose back. "Holy shit!"
The main cannon mechanism clunked behind Tomi and then fired out a round. By the time it struck the last Cion tank was already burning.
"Go, go!" Riga called.
Tomi slammed on the accelerator and the tank surged ahead. Artillery alarms rang out and just behind them geysers of white exploded into the sky. The artillery shifted and wandered but none came close enough to trigger the intercept system.
They rolled past the prepared positions and plowed through deep drifts. Snow rolled over the top of the hulls and for a second Tomi was blind. He panicked, slowed the tank, and let it groan its way through.
A Cion shell exploded just in front of Bulldog. Shards of shrapnel tinkled against the front edge.
"It's the main line, get hull down!" Riga yelled.
Tomi punched the tank in reverse and rolled back through the drift. He didn't stop until the only thing showing was the main cannon and upper camera banks.
The main cannon fired, paused a moment, shifted, and fired again. Rockets surged through the air just over the line and dove straight down into the Cion tanks. The rockets all detonated just moments before striking the Cion units. One Cion unit exploded, then another. A pair darted out of cover and tried to bridge the gap between the armor. Both exploded seconds apart.
Tomi felt invincible until he heard the screams on the comms. Someone on the line nearby had taken a hit and it sounded bad. A second later the comms cleared and it was replaced by an eerie silence.
"Keep firing," Lieutenant Torori called.
Rounds shot out from both lines. The Cion units glowed blue every time they were struck a glancing blow. While it saved them, it lit them up and told everyone where to fire.
"Belay, pull back, on my lead!" Riga called.
"Do it!" Nikov said.
Tomi slammed the tank back. Rounds sailed just over the top of the hill.
"Ya don't go head-to-head in a tank fight. You can't trade punches," Riga called. "Bulldog, Beowulf, head East three hundred meters, probe that edge."
Bulldog plowed through the snow and rolled behind the cover of the ridge. All down the line the Vasilov units fought. The Cion tanks were all in a prepared line that ran along a natural ridge. Between the two hills was a three kilometer gap. A gap large enough to ensure that whoever rolled out would be destroyed.
The only respite came when hurricane force gusts turned everything into white. But one moment it was a whiteout, the next completely clear.
"Tomi, right!" Nikov said.
Bulldog slewed to the right and settled into the bottom of a draw. It plowed through a massive drift and came to a stop just at the bottom. A wall of white obscured the space ahead.
"Stop, stop!" Nikov yelled.
The wind shattered through the falling snow and once again the space was clear.
Beowulf rolled up on the side of Bulldog and pushed up higher onto the ridge.
"Watch it, Beowulf, ain't no cover," Nikov called.
"We're fine—" came the reply then two rounds impacted the front slope of Beowulf. A thin trickle of black smoke rolled out from each of the holes.
"Beowulf, you okay?" Nikov called.
Tomi gripped the accelerator and stared at the dead tank just a dozen meters away. He'd seen two flashes far off in the distance. His body told him to run, to go, to move. But he knew if the tank moved their position would be blown. Sweat beaded up on the edge of his viewscreen.
"Fuck," Nikov said. "Bastard! Beowulf is down!"
"Get into cover," Lieutenant Torori called.
"We can't, were hidden in the snow, if we move they'll torch us."
"Did you see them? Mark the damn positions, use your equipment!" Lieutenant Torori said.
"Sergeant, I think I did," Tomi said.
"Mark it then, goddammit," Nikov said.
Tomi scrawled what he thought was the position of the Cion tanks. The map shifted for a moment and then the data went out.
"Don't move," Riga called. "Just relax. Nice and chill."
"What's happening?" Hutchins called from the back.
"Shut the fuck up!" Nikov called back through clenched teeth.
Riga spoke again, his voice was calm, smooth, barely audible. "So you just sit nice and still. I'm coming up behind you nice and easy. We're gonna wait for that wind now..."
Damnation came up behind Bulldog and halted in the deep snow. Black smoke puffed out of the
front of Beowulf. The winds shifted, the clouds dropped down another barrage of snow, and then Damnation moved. The tank pulled up almost directly behind Beowulf so that the front slope of Damnation was resting against the rear hatch.
"I'm going to fire as soon as the wind breaks, you hit the other one. You got it? You hit that fucker," Riga said.
Tomi stared into the wall of white. His heart raced and he could taste the adrenaline. His legs wobbled and he kept flexing his fingers.
They had no protection in front of them and once they fired, their position would be blown. "Fuck, fuck. Sergeant, you got this?"
"I got this," Sergeant Nikov said calmly.
The snow broke and the space cleared.
Damnation sent out a burst of two rounds right at the positions marked on the map. One of the rounds struck something that flared blue, the other disappeared into the snow.
"Fire!" Nikov yelled. The main cannon punched out three shells. The first struck the Cion tank and flared blue, the second ploughed through a track and the final round disappeared into an armored panel. A split second later flames ruptured out from the side.
Then the second Cion tank fired and a stream of rounds hammered into Beowulf. The ammo cooked off and a dull rumble echoed through the air.
Damnation fired before Bulldog could bring her gun into position. Riga fired just one round. The Cion armor split open and black sooty smoke billowed out.
"Get ready to move!" Lieutenant Torori called.
"Thanks," Nikov called to Damnation.
"Get ready," Riga said in a raspy voice.
The radar scream pinged with a single contact in the rear.
"Contact to our rear!" Tomi yelled.
The display blared again and announced a stream of missiles incoming.
"Incoming!" Sergeant Nikov said.
Tomi was just about to hammer on the controls when he realized that the missile intercept system wasn't firing. "It's ours!"
"Holy shit," Nikov said.
Far above the Vasilov line a barrage of gunship launched missiles flew into the air. They rose up as quickly as they could before the rockets stopped. They hung, stalled in the air, and tipped noses downward. The outer skin dropped away and the rockets blasted toward the Cion line. They flew through a stream of Cion anti-air and slammed into the Cion tanks.
Steel Breach Page 27