Colonel Malin indicated points on the display’s map. “We acquired a large supply of additional chaff rounds from the stockpiles in this base. We’ll be able to screen your approach to the Syndicate positions.”
“Have we got enough chaff to extend the coverage for another twenty meters to each side?” Safir asked. “According to this plan, we’re going in against the center of the still-loyal Syndicate troops. I don’t want to catch flanking fire as we charge.”
“That’s a good idea,” Drakon said. “Do we have enough chaff to do that?”
Malin frowned as he checked the stocks. “Yes, sir.”
“Good. We’ll have your flanks covered, Colonel. Penetrate the center, wipe out the snakes there, then pivot your troops to both sides and roll up the rest of the Syndicate loyalists before they can throw up internal lines of defense.” He pointed to lines bisecting the rows of buildings. The Syndicate positions in the ruined buildings facing the base formed a large square, the square now divided, with about two-thirds loosely held by the recent mutineers and the remaining third along one of the sides and part of another side held by the still-loyal Syndicate soldiers, their defenses now facing both inward at Drakon’s troops and cutting across the lines of the square to face the rebellious troops. “These mark the positions held by Executive Gozen’s soldiers. Make sure your soldiers don’t shoot at anyone on or beyond those lines.”
“No problem, General, as long as they aren’t shooting at us. Speaking of which, while we’re rolling up these loyalists, are my people allowed to shoot at Syndicate soldiers who aren’t snakes?” Safir asked.
“Yes,” Drakon said. “Anybody who is shooting at them. The best information we have is that the ground forces still under snake control are not happy or highly motivated, so there’s a good chance you won’t encounter much resistance except from the snakes themselves. The fact that the snakes haven’t tried to hit Executive Gozen’s positions is a pretty clear sign that the soldiers they still control are unreliable or worn-out or both. But if they fight us, you are authorized to deal with resistance from any source.”
“Good.” Safir grimaced. “I’ve been resting my guys in shifts, but they are pretty tired, too, General. If we hit anything hard, they might stumble.”
“I understand. Both sides in this fight are reeling. But we’ve got enough left in us for a good punch that should knock out what’s left of our opponents.” He indicated the virtual map again. “The remaining Syndicate forces are spread a lot thinner than we were defending this base. They’ve taken heavy losses, and have a lot more frontage to cover. We should have a much easier time breaking their line than they had trying to break ours.”
Colonel Kai studied the plan. “What if Executive Gozen sends her soldiers after us while Colonel Safir is attacking the snakes?”
“Then you take care of them,” Drakon said. “Your brigade will peel off a few units to help cover the area of the base perimeter that Colonel Safir’s soldiers will be vacating during their attack, but you’ll have plenty of troops left facing Gozen’s positions if she tries to stab us in the back. I’ll be very surprised if that happens, but your brigade is insurance if it does.”
“How do we know if the worm has made it into the snake systems?” Safir asked.
“We’re employing our Trojan horse prisoner for that, too. Our code apes are using him to also sneak in a linked worm that will trick the Syndicate comm systems into sending a single microburst that will alert us when the snake-targeting worm is in place. That microburst will be our signal to attack.”
Safir suddenly laughed despite the fatigue lining her face. “Let’s see if I have that right, General. When the worm from the apes tells us the snakes are lit up by our horse, we attack.”
He couldn’t help smiling. “Exactly. You might want to phrase it differently when you brief your assault force, though.”
“No, sir. That’s exactly how I want to tell it to them. They’ll remember that, no matter how tired they are.”
“General,” Kai said, “would it not be wiser to simply have the Midway bombard those buildings held by the loyalists? We could wipe them out without any risk to us.”
“That’s true,” Drakon said. “But the loyalists might see the bombardment coming with enough time to evacuate into the next row of buildings behind them, the ones they occupied before. If I know snakes, they’ve been refusing to allow any retreat by the soldiers who are still loyal to the Syndicate. But if they see a big bombardment coming down on their heads, they’ll all run, and if those units get out into the city, we’ll have the human resource director’s own time trying to catch them.”
Safir nodded. “I’d rather finish it now. Did you know that people used to say the devil instead of the human resource director?”
“What’s the devil?” Kai asked.
“Something like a human resource director, I guess.”
“There’s another factor,” Drakon said. “Executive Gozen, and the soldiers with her, don’t want more of their comrades to die than necessary. Flattening those buildings in an attempt to kill everyone in them would make us look like someone who couldn’t be trusted and doesn’t care any more for human life than the Syndicate CEOs. Some of the survivors from this division may help form the core of a new defense force for Ulindi, and I want them to see us as trustworthy.”
“And not see us as Syndicate,” Colonel Kai said. “I understand. I was not aware of all of the issues that long-term planning had to take into account.”
“When are we doing this, General?” Safir asked.
“As soon as you’re ready. It’s important to hit the snakes before they can rest too long.”
Safir could be seen scanning her display, reviewing data on her soldiers. “Fifteen minutes, to brief my people, get them fully supplied for the assault, and get them in position.”
Drakon nodded. “Good. Colonel Malin, prepare to release the prisoners. I want them walking toward their respective parts of the line out there in exactly fifteen minutes.”
“What about the division’s CEO and his staff?” Malin asked. “Do we ask Midway to take them out?”
“I don’t know if they’re still in the location they occupied before Executive Gozen’s contact with them was severed. Wherever they are, once we take the rest of the Syndicate line out, I expect the CEO to stampede for safety with part of the staff. Midway will spot the vehicles or shuttles, and I’ll decide what to do from there. All right. Let’s go.”
Fifteen minutes later, Drakon watched in separate virtual windows as one freed prisoner walked slowly, hands held out and open, toward the positions held by Executive Gozen’s soldiers, and another freed prisoner in the same posture stepped toward the Syndicate positions still controlled by the snakes.
“It is always possible,” Malin murmured to Drakon, “that the snakes will simply shoot the prisoner rather than interrogate.”
“I thought of that,” Drakon said. “But I think the snakes are desperate to find out more about our status, and the only way they can get that information is by talking to that prisoner we just sent them.”
The prisoner who was headed for the positions controlled by the snakes clearly wasn’t as confident as Drakon about the reception awaiting him. He kept stumbling over the many imperfections in the fought-over and bombarded ground, his hands held as high as he could.
Drakon saw the first freed prisoner reach Executive Gozen’s positions and be brought in.
The second freed prisoner reached a spot just outside the Syndicate positions and stood there, apparently reacting to instructions.