Spike leaned over and said, “You’re a little early.”
Tad sat and fidgeted. A few more key leaders trickled in, took seats. Tad looked around and did a quick head-count and stood. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming on such short notice.” The group chuckled. Tad continued, “What we have is the initial phase of a much larger operation. At this time, I’ll turn things over to S-2.”
Tad stepped aside and moved to the recorder’s desk and activated the display controller. The screen behind the judges’ chair was white paint sprayed on the wall and a projector was bolted to the ceiling near the back of the room to provide images. Koa stood and moved to sit in the judges’ chair. Tad put an image of the operational map on the screen and dimmed the lights.
Koa said, “The Mosh have dropped eight divisions of light infantry all up and down the Gang-nam valley, positioned to capture five towns.” He stood and used a laser pointer to indicate the towns. Markers for Mosh units showed up on the map. “They are getting organized and I expect them to commence offensive operations some time today. Their initial contacts have been with Mandarin units defending the outskirts of the various towns, probing and reconnoitering for the most part.”
The image added markers for Mandarin units. “Although they took more than an estimated twenty percent casualties during their jump into the area, I project that they still have adequate combat strength to achieve specific objectives and hold them for as long as a week to ten days. And those objectives are most likely five bridges over the Gang-nam River.”
The image zoomed out to show twice as much area. Major Koa pointed at a collection of Mosh units about seventy kilometers off to the west. “That is six divisions of Mosh armor with a full compliment of supporting units. One of the wrecked Mosh drop boats landed inside Mandarin territory and they extracted a copy of their overall battle plan. Although it lacks specific detail, we do know that their plan is to seize five bridges with their airborne units and then bring their armor across. One of those bridges is in our operational area.”
Koa looked around the room, stepped back. Tad took his place and said, “The Mosh units in the field now are lightly armed for the most part, few of their heavy support equipment made it to the ground, at least not in any significant numbers. They are perfectly suited for urban combat, however, so their shortage of heavier weapons doesn’t degrade their capabilities for this operation. Also, the Mosh do have air superiority, gained by greater numbers of what would otherwise be obsolete aircraft.
“What they have done is they have set up bases for atmospheric-only craft, suitable as ground attack fighter-bombers. Their max speed seems to be just under mach 3. Their aerospace bombers are also ground-based now, able to carry larger bomb loads because their ionic propulsion engines have been removed and they no longer have to carry enough organic fuel for their atmospheric thrusters to re-enter space. All their aircraft are easy pickings for our Interceptors, but their greater numbers leave them with the capability to pretty much attack any targets they want, if they are willing to accept the moderate losses.
“On the ground, there have been no new weapons systems identified. The Mandarin units defending here in the Gang-nam Valley have been ordered to not retreat without express permission directly from their High Command. This order went out right after that General who was supposed to defend the capitol of the Western Province decided instead to vacate the city to prevent its destruction. The High Command gave him a quick show trial and the Supreme Commander hanged him live, in public.
“We are under no such restrictions, as our charter has us acting in the best interest of the Mandarin legislature, which has been disbanded for the most part. The Chancellor is still active but has little power beyond providing strategic guidance for us. His directive has been for us to inflict maximum casualties upon the Mosh over time while preserving our own strength. That gives us a great deal of latitude. Basically, we do whatever we want as long as it bothers the Mosh.
“Which leads directly into how we plan to defend our sector. Initially we will move forward into the fight and directly support Mandarin units. Inflict heavy losses upon the Mosh and then withdraw. There will be no need to leave our troops to cover the withdrawal, the Mandarin soldiers have already been ordered to die in place. Initially this will be done exclusively by the Marines. The first reason is because they are better equipped for urban warfare. The second reason is because I don’t think the Mosh know we have tanks here. We’ll keep that fact from them until it suits our purposes to use our armor.” Tad looked around. “Sir?”
Galen stood and took Tad’s place at the front of the room. “Here’s my guidance. Kill. Kill Mosh. We all know that Mandarin is in no position to win this war. We are here to reduce the number of Mosh warriors. Reduce their numbers so that their occupation after their victory will be less oppressive for the Mandarin people. Also, if we weaken them enough it will be that much easier for the Capellan Confederation to liberate this planet in the future. So again, my guidance to you is to kill Mosh. Inflict casualties and survive to inflict more. Mobile defense, tactical withdrawal. Any questions?” Galen looked around the room. No questions. “Dismissed.”
Chapter Fifteen
Late that afternoon Lance Corporal Stone rode in the back of a Capellan Marine assault boat. It carried him and his platoon to the north, set down in a park in the city and lowered its assault ramp. Last thing he heard before he disconnected was the boat’s pilot saying, “If you need more juice or more ammo let me know.”
Then the platoon debarked and Stone jogged away with his squad. They made their way to the north, away from the park, moving close to the walls of the tall buildings. They ran past factories and ware houses and they kept jogging until they reach flat-roofed apartment buildings. Eight to ten stories high, they enclosed courtyards. Up ahead were barricades where Mandarin soldiers stood watching the street. The squad leader signaled and the fire teams broke off. Stone led his lance mates—Hastings and Hitchcock—to the right and into the ground floor of an apartment building.
At the base of the stairs Stone said, “Hitchcock, wait around back and I’ll drop rope down to you. Hastings, take the FFE and satchel and go about three hundred meters ahead. I’ll signal from up top.”
“Hoorah.” They slipped away. Stone climbed the stairs and was grateful for the boost the powered armor gave his strength. The charge was still at ninety four per cent when he reached the roof. He looked over the low back wall down to the street and saw Hitchcock waiting, signaled to him. Hitchcock signaled back. Stone took the coil of rope off his shoulder and secured one end to an HVAC evaporator and tossed the other end down. Hitchcock took it, pulled it taught and yanked on it a couple of times and lifted himself to hang his whole body weight from the rope. It held.
Hitchcock then took the end of the rope and walked away far enough to hold the rope at an eight hundred mil angle to the ground and then secured its end to the grill of a storm drain in the curb of the alley. He then tested the rope again by hanging his full weight on it, jumped up to grab with both hands and dangled a meter off the ground and bounced a couple of times to be sure. He gave a thumb up to Stone and then went to climb the stairs and join him on the roof.
Hastings looked three hundred meters back at the roof top and saw Stone and Hitchcock there. Stone waved him to the left and then forward until Hastings stood up against the brick wall of a corner shop. Hastings set down the satchel of explosives and the Flame Field Expedient jug. The twenty liter plastic jug was half filled with alcohol and vegetable oil, with sugar and flour added as well. Hastings made sure the lid was tight and gave it a good, hard shaking to mix the contents and set it down. He then duck-taped a thin metal plate to its side and set it right up against the brick wall. He then looked up at the rooftop and Stone gave him a thumb-up gesture.