zone. 1 st Company and Hanford’s heavily depleted 2 nd Company, Diggs and the Lt Colonel, not to mention 3 rd , 4 th , and 5 th Company were all inside the zone. Danford had one more asset though, Lt Kim’s RASAT.
“Gilson, you may launch. Please patch the feed through to Lt Kim and her 2 nd Lt Ramirez from the RASAT.” After Gilson acknowledged his order he switched to the RASAT commander’s line. “Lt Kim. You should be receiving a feed from some drones I am about to launch. I don’t expect to get anything useful from the sensor drones, but they are just a distraction. I am also launching a spread of LOS comm drones. Hopefully we’ll get a snapshot picture that gives us something to act on. In that event, how many of your RASAT are combat effective? I would like your unit to spearhead the attack. If we don’t take down those jammers we’re going to have a hell of a time maintaining our position.
“Yes sir, I understand. I have twenty-seven effectives, not including myself. I got clipped earlier. I can hold the line sir, but I’ll just slow my unit down.” Danford thought she was trying to tell herself she couldn’t go forward more than informing him. “2 nd Lt Ramirez will be leading them sir. They can be moving in under thirty seconds from your command. Point us in a direction and we’ll wreck it, sir.”
“Of that, I have no doubt Lieutenant.” Danford paused for a moment. “How are things around the port?”
“Quiet sir. The entire force appears to have pulled back. We’re still receiving a fair volume of rocket and mortar fire, but it is just keeping us from crossing the open areas on our flanks towards the enemy positions. No counterattack apparent. The volume of fire and dispersed nature does preclude bringing down the heavy shuttles though, sir. They’d just get shot up on approach. I suspect they have a few marksmen with high-powered rifles just waiting for us to try.”
“Very well. Move your RASAT element up to this position, my people will cover the lines we have in the port.” Danford highlighted a spot near Hanford’s line, just outside the jammer range.
“Drone feed coming in now Captain.” His AI brought up the display. The sensor drones were feeding in data, but mostly only over their own position. As they crossed Hanford’s position they began to be blotted out by enemy AA fire. One drone survived long enough to send back a decent picture. The position where Digg’s had anchored his right flank was a melee, though without transponder codes it was difficult to tell who was winning. As the drone died, the LOS drones also began to suffer losses. At first, Danford was afraid that none of them would survive long enough to make a connection, but as the count dropped to two they connected. Lt Colonel Cain’s suit found and locked onto the drone. Captain Danford glanced at the data and paled. The battalion line was broken in at least four places. Data was broken up, with only about half of the marine armored suits inside the jamming being connected together by LOS. They were enough, however, to show that the enemy had launched an attack of overwhelming strength. There were at least twenty-five hundred armored troops inside the jamming zone. Even at full strength, the three companies inside the zone only had a strength of just under six hundred. Diggs had launched at well under that strength and they had all been fighting since they hit dirt a day ago. Four-to-one odds were not pleasant for exhausted men and women. He glanced to the top left to look at the flashing red indicator and his stomach jumped again. Just as the last LOS drone died he received a final update from Lt Colonel Cain’s suit. The suit was heavily damaged and non-ambulatory, with severe enough damage to both itself and the occupant that it was entering hibernation mode. Knowing Cain he’d override the command, but he’d have to be conscious and cognizant to do that. For the time being, Captain Danford was in
“Gilson, you may launch. Please patch the feed through to Lt Kim and her 2 nd Lt Ramirez from the RASAT.” After Gilson acknowledged his order he switched to the RASAT commander’s line. “Lt Kim. You should be receiving a feed from some drones I am about to launch. I don’t expect to get anything useful from the sensor drones, but they are just a distraction. I am also launching a spread of LOS comm drones. Hopefully we’ll get a snapshot picture that gives us something to act on. In that event, how many of your RASAT are combat effective? I would like your unit to spearhead the attack. If we don’t take down those jammers we’re going to have a hell of a time maintaining our position.
“Yes sir, I understand. I have twenty-seven effectives, not including myself. I got clipped earlier. I can hold the line sir, but I’ll just slow my unit down.” Danford thought she was trying to tell herself she couldn’t go forward more than informing him. “2 nd Lt Ramirez will be leading them sir. They can be moving in under thirty seconds from your command. Point us in a direction and we’ll wreck it, sir.”
“Of that, I have no doubt Lieutenant.” Danford paused for a moment. “How are things around the port?”
“Quiet sir. The entire force appears to have pulled back. We’re still receiving a fair volume of rocket and mortar fire, but it is just keeping us from crossing the open areas on our flanks towards the enemy positions. No counterattack apparent. The volume of fire and dispersed nature does preclude bringing down the heavy shuttles though, sir. They’d just get shot up on approach. I suspect they have a few marksmen with high-powered rifles just waiting for us to try.”
“Very well. Move your RASAT element up to this position, my people will cover the lines we have in the port.” Danford highlighted a spot near Hanford’s line, just outside the jammer range.
“Drone feed coming in now Captain.” His AI brought up the display. The sensor drones were feeding in data, but mostly only over their own position. As they crossed Hanford’s position they began to be blotted out by enemy AA fire. One drone survived long enough to send back a decent picture. The position where Digg’s had anchored his right flank was a melee, though without transponder codes it was difficult to tell who was winning. As the drone died, the LOS drones also began to suffer losses. At first, Danford was afraid that none of them would survive long enough to make a connection, but as the count dropped to two they connected. Lt Colonel Cain’s suit found and locked onto the drone. Captain Danford glanced at the data and paled. The battalion line was broken in at least four places. Data was broken up, with only about half of the marine armored suits inside the jamming being connected together by LOS. They were enough, however, to show that the enemy had launched an attack of overwhelming strength. There were at least twenty-five hundred armored troops inside the jamming zone. Even at full strength, the three companies inside the zone only had a strength of just under six hundred. Diggs had launched at well under that strength and they had all been fighting since they hit dirt a day ago. Four-to-one odds were not pleasant for exhausted men and women. He glanced to the top left to look at the flashing red indicator and his stomach jumped again. Just as the last LOS drone died he received a final update from Lt Colonel Cain’s suit. The suit was heavily damaged and non-ambulatory, with severe enough damage to both itself and the occupant that it was entering hibernation mode. Knowing Cain he’d override the command, but he’d have to be conscious and cognizant to do that. For the time being, Captain Danford was in
Similar Books
