[[Posted by Cannonshop, 11-05-2010, 21:45:33]]Firebase India, North sector, Ia Drang Plateau, 1500 hours, local"so...you're saying there's been
no activity at all for the last twenty-four hours?" Gennifer Viers-Dupont asked.
"None. We sent out a patrol looking for 'em, found a couple abandoned camps, but no Charlies, and no Joshuas." Sgt. L'mons reported.
"Damn strange-any sign around the camps?" the acting CO of Company C, 137th FedCom Militia asked.
"No ma'am...well, there were signs they left, but direction? no. Either they've figured out a way to cover their tracks, or they've suddenly evolved teleportation." the Sgt. stated, "My money's on a new way to cover their damn tracks."
"Villagers still not talking?" Gennifer asked.
"No Ma'am. Something
big must be in the works." L'Mons grumped, "They haven't so much as taken a potshot..."
she stepped up onto the berm, and looked down across the high plains. "What about the water situation?" she asked.
"our guards on the well heads reported no activity." he told her.
"They're up to something..." she thought for a moment, then..."Double the guards tonight on the wellheads, and we're going to six hour rotations at the main encampment-six on guard, six on patrol, six for other duties, adn six hours downtime-except for the VTOL crews and 'mechwarriors, 'mechwarriors are twelve-on, six off backing up the armour-with six hour rotations as QRF standby."
"You think they're going to try something when it gets dark?" he asked.
"I would." she replied. she turned from the berm, and walked back down to the 'mechpool, where techs were servicing her ride. "Something about this whole situation stinks." Gennifer groused.
"Yes Ma'am..." the Sgt. agreed.
"You're doing it again." she said, "What did I tell you about being a 'yes man', Sargeant?"
"Not to do it." he allowed.
"That is correct...so, if you're agreeing with me, then you
also think there's something smelly about this situation?"
"Yes Ma'am. Word's getting around that Bravo's had a bunch of the draftees deserting." he said, "Not in big lumps, but, like, a seven man detail goes out, and six come back..."
"Well, OUR draftees aren't doing that." she asserted.
"No, Ma'am, they're not, but some of the ex-Fedsuns troops think we've got infiltrators inside the wire, wearing our uniforms..." he said.
"Like the Cappies did?" she asked, "We don't have 'Death Commando' out here, Sarge, nor Nekekami."
"No ma'am." he agreed, "We have religious fanatics, nationalists, and a pissed off population, but no Cappie death-squads."
She stopped. "They aren't 'fanatics', Sarge. Fanatics strap bombs to themselves and blow up markets-these guys are sneaky-bastards who don't fight fair, but they also don't target civilian populations in contested zones," she snapped, "They target
soldiers, and the occasional
Government Official, but they're
surgical about it with the Officials-that hit on the mayor of Hung Thiep was right in public, and messy, but nobody got hurt
except him-at least, nobody was hurt by THEIR actions except him."
"You sound like you respect 'em, Ma'am?" the NCO's tone carried a question.
"I
do. When irregular forces are that precise, and they're able to tie up as many troops as they have being that precise, they're worthy of respect-which is why we're going on the assumption that they've got some major move planned soon-whether it's hitting the well-heads, or hitting the firebase, I don't know yet, and it's useless to speculate, but every time they go quiet like this, they're prepping something..at least, that's been the pattern."
I'm guessing but are "charlies" Kowloonese and "Joshuas" Tigers.
If so why because while "charley" is pretty apt for Kowloonese South east asian style, I don't get "Joshua". ???
I'm guess the 'Joshua's are the religious settlements.