“We can’t even communicate with them. The humans have somehow disrupted our long-range communications. Order the first regiment to begin their ground assault.”
“Alright boys, this is where we earn our keep. Contract the screen; pull the civilians in as tight as possible. It should hold up to heavy particle weapons if we can contract it to seven hundred yards. Pass on to the company commanders that the Alliance heavy weapons will probably target the screen covering the civilians first. Release all troops to use their hornets against any target of opportunity that shows itself, particularly heavy weapons. Stay low and behind your screens. Make sure your rifles are energized and use your suit sensors to pick your targets. Good hunting, men. We have to hold until help arrives. Make me proud.”
Jeremy Watson and Alonso Singh waited in their spider trap. They were members of Alpha company’s first squad, which was camouflaged four hundred yards in front of the defensive positions. They had dug a hole and crawled in, and then used their screen as a roof. Other marines then covered their lair with dirt, shrubbery, and grass to camouflage it. Each company had placed one squad out from their perimeter. Their job was to wait for the Alliance infantry to pass, and then go after their heavy weapons. They would then turn on the infantry and fight their way back to their lines. “Al, are they sure this screen will hold the weight of a heavy weapons platform?” Jeremy asked.
“The old man says it will,” Alonso replied. “That’s good enough for me. It’s the fighting-our-way-back that has me concerned.”
“I’ve got your back, Al.”
“Jer, I have a wife and three children waiting for me. If I don’t make it, will you deliver the letter in my back harness?”
“You’re going to make it, Al.”
“But if I don’t and you do, will you make sure they get it?”
“Semper fi, brother.”
“Here they come,” Alonso said. The two marines watched their display as the Alliance regiment moved forward. There were hundreds of drop troops moving across the landscape, kicking up dust as they changed direction to avoid the humans’ energy weapons. It was easy to see that these were well-disciplined troops. Jeremy turned up his magnification and saw the heavy weapon platforms moving about four hundred yards behind the troops. The members of first squad turned off their armor and waited for the ground forces to pass. They would receive a signal from company HQ when the heavy weapons were spotted by satellite.
“Al, there must be seven hundred troops that passed us.”
“At least seven hundred. Remember, we fire all eight of our hornets and program them for heavy weapons. Then you take the right, I’ll take the left, and let’s clear us a hole in their lines and haul it back to A company.” A loud tone came through their coms and Alonso said, “Time to go. Power your armor and fire hornets on three: one, two, three, go.”
The twelve marines of A company sprung from their lairs and launched all their hornets. Forty-eight of the small missiles went ninety feet vertical and then targeted the Alliance heavy weapon platforms. They then turned and leveled their blast rifles and began sprinting at forty-five miles per hour in their powered armor back toward their lines. The defensive lines in front of them were firing at the soldiers on the left and right of the marines, sprinting back to their lines. The trap door squads were firing into the back of the Alliance soldiers in front of them, and they were falling in big numbers. The Alliance foot soldiers expected the human line to be pinned down by their heavy weapons, but the hornets had done their part. Fifty of the seventy platforms were totally destroyed, and the remaining twenty had turned around to avoid destruction.
“What are they doing turning from the battle?” General Dorg yelled. “Turn them around immediately and commence firing.”
Jeremy and Alonso were approaching their lines when one of the Alliance weapon platforms fired a barrage of heavy slugs at the marines’ lines. One of the slugs went through Jeremy’s armor and out his shoulder. He fell and rolled. Alonso stopped and grabbed Jeremy’s back harness and ran, pulling him toward safety while firing his rifle single-handed. Alonso dropped eight Alliance soldiers before the weapons platform fired eight rounds through his armor. He died on the spot. Jeremy began crawling and pulled Alonso with him. The weapons platform that had hit them was killed by three high-speed rocket power cells that Alpha company artillery targeted on it. Three of Alpha company’s troops ran out and pulled the two to safety behind their built-up positions.
“Al, Al, answer me,” Jeremy pleaded.
The medic looked at Jeremy and said, “He won’t hear you, son. He’s gone.” Jeremy pulled himself up to Alonso’s body and pulled the letter out of his harness. He placed it in his armored glove and passed out from the pain.
“Colonel, there’s just too many,” Lieutenant Dunn said. “We’re close to losing Charlie company. There are only twenty effectives left, and the Alliance is sending troops there to breech our lines.”
“Gentlemen, we’re into the thick of it,” Richard said. “Everyone grab a rifle and let’s go join Charlie company.” The ten members of Richard’s staff grabbed weapons, and they sprinted through the screen and then dove behind Charlie company’s burned-out weapon platforms. Richard noticed a wounded marine, Jeremy, running with them. Jeremy said on the com, “It’s only a scratch, Colonel. Can’t let you have all the fun, sir.” The twelve marines joined the survivors of Charlie Company and started delivering devastating blaster fire into the Alliance’s advance. The whole perimeter around the Rossville camp looked like a scene from hell. The marines were being hit with constant missile and blaster fire. The entire front looked on fire. Yet they still continued to fire at the Alliance advance. Richard was hit by a rocket that hit close to where he was laying, and it broke his leg and threw him thirty feet off the line. He crawled back and continued firing. Then, slowly at first, then faster, the remaining Alliance ground troops began withdrawing. They disappeared down the valley and Richard commanded, “Cease fire.” Then there was silence.
A medic turned Richard over and said, “Sir, we’ve stopped the bleeding, but we need to move you out to set that leg.”
Richard said, “I will not leave my men. Go help someone who’s really hurt, I’m not moving.” All of Richard’s command heard the exchange. His radio was damaged and stuck on transmit on the general frequency. They heard the medic say, “Sir, your leg is broken in four places, you have shrapnel in your left arm, and your armor has lost its screen.”
“Medic, I’m not accustomed to repeating myself,” Richard replied. “Help my men that really need it. Now leave.” The medic left with a heavy heart, and Richard’s remaining marines felt something in them grow into hardened resolve; they vowed vengeance on the Alliance for what they had done to their commander. “Company commanders report,” Richard ordered.
“Sir, five of our six commanders are either dead or too wounded to fight,” Lieutenant Dunn said.
“How many men are still combat effective?” Richard asked.
“Three hundred seventy-five, sir.”
“We’ve lost 625 men,” Richard thought with a heavy heart. Then he asked, “Have we heard anything from surveillance?”
“Yes sir. The first regiment the Alliance sent against us was pretty much destroyed. They are massing the second regiment to attack in force through the valley. I think they feel that attacking the whole perimeter stretches them too thin. It appears that the entire regiment is approaching en masse down the valley.”
“Are our weapon platforms still hidden?”
“Yes sir, but they won’t be enough to stop them all.”
“Then we’ll just take as many of them as we can. Have all units move to the front, and then please inform the men I’m proud of them. They held up to the finest tradition.” Richard’s com was still set on transmit, and his men could hear his pride of their actions. They looked at each other and reached out and shook armored gloves. The Alliance was going to pay a high price, and they were going to sell their lives at a high premium.
Tag was watching as the final Alliance ships were being chased. Then he heard communications say, “Sir, the marines at Rossville are taking a beating. They’ve lost two-thirds of their troops and the Alliance is massing another regiment against them. All of the other marine units are tied down and are unable to relieve them.”
Kosiev said, “All our forces are chasing Alliance ships that are trying to escape. We’re the only ship here, and we have to be ready to go after any ship that drives toward the sun to escape. They’ll have to hold out another forty minutes.”
The communications officer looked at Tag and shook his head.
