“How are things going?” Toman asked as everyone was quieting.
“No problems so far,” Kaethan only said.
The flicker of the colonel’s display was the signal for everyone to quiet down, and no more words were said. This was promised to be a short briefing, only detailing the operation that was being planned, nothing more. The notice that was sent to the battalion commanders mentioned the temporary loss of the Blackstone turret, and the downing of most of the attacking fleet, but offered few details. Kaethan hoped he would have time to talk to his father after the briefing to find out more.
“Good evening, gentlemen,” Colonel Neils began. “This meeting will be brief, after which we will be moving out. The Chandoine Guard headed out an hour ago, and we have to get on their tails. Their lead elements have already passed the Tigris River Bridge and are deploying there. We will then be leap-frogging ahead of them.”
The flat-screen display was now shining with a full color map of south Deladin being presented to everyone. The east-west highway was highlighted prominently.
“The enemy transport that slipped through our guard this morning set down somewhere in the area highlighted in blue.”
A light blue oval appeared then, highlighting a large area of rocky terrain about midway between Telville and Reims in the center of southern Deladin.
“Travelers on the highway reported seeing the transport set down south of the road, but we have conflicting accounts of exactly where. About thirty minutes ago, a narrow beam, subspace transmission was detected by the starports at Reims and Starveil. Their triangulation information was forwarded to the Chandoine Guard who then bombarded the position with their heavy rocket batteries. There is no way to tell whether this was the transport, or what the effect of our attack was, but this position has now become the primary objective of Telville Corps.”
A bright white triangle appeared on the screen, near center of the blue oval.
“Alien infantry have been reported attacking several plantations along the Witch River. One plantation owner who escaped in his grav-car reported alien infantry in full suits of body armor that were impervious to the shotguns that they use to fend off seyzarrs. Their infantry are using needle rifles and are being transported by wheeled armored vehicles, with larger needle rifles mounted on turrets. Also, escorting these vehicles are other wheeled vehicles that we were told discharge lightning bolts at their targets. These could be electron guns or perhaps ion cannons. So far, this man’s emergency call is the only information that we have received concerning the makeup of the ground forces that we will be facing.”
As Colonel Neils was talking, the map highlighted the Witch River, and then the plantations that were hit. Also highlighted now was a system of back roads the led up into the mountains of southern Deladin and several small mining communities there. It would be difficult to use them for flanking operations, however, since they went so deeply into the mountains before connecting.
But then the colonel turned the display off. Neils always finished his briefings by turning off the display and giving a motivational speech while he had everyone’s attention.
“This transport was sent in before all others, trusted to hold a beachhead for their invasion to set down within. We believe that these are elite troops with their best weaponry. They are also on the defensive in rough terrain, fully deployed and raiding the surrounding territory at will.”
So far, Kaethan thought, this wasn’t very motivational. Neils usually had a good finish, however.
“On the other hand, our enemy is heavily outnumbered, and in a territory that they are not accustomed to. We must use these advantages as best we can. This beachhead must be eliminated as quickly as possible, for our command believes that their last attack was only a test of our defenses. Their next attack will be in force. This pocket must be cleared by then so that we can be free to react to their invasion.”
Kaethan suddenly had the idea that the Telville Corps was being asked to charge their positions in a direct assault. Certainly their leaders realized that this was exactly what the aliens would be expecting, and would be best prepared for . . .
“Any questions?” Colonel Neils opened the floor.
“What will Tigris Guard be doing?” asked Major Thurman of 1st Mechanized.
“They will be supporting us, of course, though farther back. Depending on how we manage, they will either reinforce us, or be held back in protection of Telville along with the Chandoine Guard. Any other questions?”
Colonel Neils was making it plain that he was not encouraging questions, only suffering them. If anyone had any, they’d better be good.
“Will Reims be sending any forces from the other side?” asked Captain Held of 3rd Recon.
“Negative. We can’t lose the starport, gentlemen. Any other questions?”
No one said anything, though everyone may have just felt so blindsided by that last news that they couldn’t speak. Colonel Neils wrapped things up quickly.
“Then head back to your units, gentlemen. Detailed marching orders are waiting for you there. Dismissed! Captain Ishida?”
Kaethan was just about to start questioning his father when Colonel Neils called him over. He felt rather embarrassed as both his father and Walter tagged along behind him as he worked his way over to Neils. Everyone else was clearing out of the lobby quickly, and Kaethan had to thread his way through the rapidly exiting bodies.
“Yes, Colonel?” Kaethan asked when he got to him.
“You’ll have all three recon companies ahead of you, Captain, but I want my heaviest strikers as lead battalion. That means you, Captain.”
“Yes, Colonel. Any specific orders?”
“Just get us there quick, Captain, and don’t wait for anyone to tell you where to go or what to do.”
“Yes, sir.”
The two exchanged brief salutes and Neils left in a rush. As Kaethan turned around, he found that Walter and his father had already exchanged introductions, and were talking about Chains and Quarter.
“No,” his father was saying, “without his turret, Rokoyan wants my Bolos held back for planetary defense.”
“I thought that local governments couldn’t order Concordiat units around once shots were fired,” Walter replied.
“They can’t, but this is a judgment call. Rokoyan has reason to be worried. A second wave could hit us any moment, and he believes that your forces can handle the beachhead alone.”
“Father,” Kaethan interrupted, recalling his mother’s long diatribes on Delassian politics, “what Rokoyan wants is to prove that we can handle the defense of our planet ourselves, and therefore there is no reason to put a Concordiat military base here.”
The conversation ended then, as they both considered what he said. Walter then nodded, reluctantly agreeing. Delas hated government interference, and with a Concordiat base on the planet, there would be plenty to go around.
His father grimaced and shook his head.
“That fits,” Colonel Ishida agreed. “Well, if you guys start having trouble, I’ll be able to see it and call one of them in.”
“You’re coming to the front?” Kaethan asked defensively.
“Yes, Neils gave me permission to tag along with your unit. Do you mind?”
A wave of nausea swept through Kaethan’s entire body. The thought of his father watching over him during a fight was horrifying! The man had more combat experience than the combined population of Delas! Every maneuver that Kaethan executed, every order he gave, would be graded and judged according to impossible standards! All his mistakes would be instantly noticed and thrown back into his face as his father corrected him. God forbid anyone would die under his command, for he’d only have to look to his father to find out who was to blame. And, without doubt, his father would see every mistake that Kaethan made as a reflection upon himself.
“Of course not, Colonel,” he said.
* * *
Our missile supplies are nearly exhausted. Only two missiles remain in my vertical launch tubes, from my original storehouse of twenty. Unit DBQ has none left. All have been expended against the transports that successfully made planetfall and now approach the east and west coasts of Deladin. My remaining conventional warheads were not designed for use against such large targets, and we fear that our attacks may have been insufficient to stop them. The 39th’s MFOR-XXX-II (Melconian Front Optimization Refit for Bolo Mark XXXs, Version Two) gave each of us five Isis orbital denial thermonuclear missiles, but only fifteen Icehawk anti-armor missiles, designed more for penetration than for expansive damage.
The Delassian defense net has limited capability to track targets below the horizon, and these aliens approach slowly at wave-top level. They are communications silent and emit no active sensor sweeps. Our most effective method of acquiring these targets has been detecting the radiation that they are emitting from their fusion thrusters. This, unfortunately, is inexact, and our missiles must search for their thermal signature once they arrive in the area.