Chapter 26 – Conflagration
07:15
Katya’s forces were arrayed in orderly arcs of alternating trenches and earthen walls reinforced with gabion wall. Each arc intersected in a disorderly looking way anchored by concrete bunkers along the center and ends provided with clear lines of fire over and within the obstacles. Over both shoulders of her Hellbringer was a forward operating base from which half her artillery section operated. Long Tom howitzers hurled their high caliber shells into the fray, safe beneath Anti-Air Defenders and an armored firing position.
Ahead of them were a broad collection of combat vehicles and drones tied through the command van she was occupying and the more powerful and fully staffed comms gear at the airbase. She watched as the Brahmaputra’s SXR-robots fought hard in a grinding open field battle to stymie the advance of Wolf Dragoon’s Zeta Battalion, commanded by General Wolf, and reinforced by Barbara’s Marauder IIs. Precision guided Arrow IVs and Copperhead Shells worked in conjunction with the integral weapons of the units to tear into the assault Battalions. The enemy accomplished their mission as the rest of the force landed near Antares City.
While she didn’t trust the SXR-Brigade but even she admitted that for an open field battle with supporting assets they were serving their role, expendable assault troops. Even the Mongoose’s exceptional Mechwarriors they were not enough to withstand the inexorable advance of Wolf Dragoon’s Delta Regiment and the 21st Centauri Lancers.
Epsilon Galaxy did not rout however, nor did they accept certain defeat when withdrawal allowed a Warrior to gain Glory another day. Hovercraft swept up those they could while the SXR units spent themselves for time and to preserve the lives of valuable MechWarriors. “Foolish Mongoose, at least COMSTAR rid me of Asa Taney.”
She followed the action via the eyes of a Marker drone and keyed in the Battlenet of a now depleted Epsilon Galaxy. “Epsilon, this is Star Colonel Katya Kerensky, I am assuming command of your formation. We tried it your way now you are to follow my plan to hold this planet for as long as possible or until reinforcements arrive.
Withdraw and redeploy the MechWarriors to our overflow location. There are spare chassis available.”
Star Colonel Varyag Manaudou keyed on the same CommNet. “You must be crazy to think that you A Star Adder could be suitable for command of a Mongoose Galaxy. I would sooner charge Zeta’s guns than follow your orders and there are others who feel the same way.”
“If that is your choice, nothing is stopping you from doing so. The Star Adders are assuming control of this operation, and we will not let you stop us.”
“Then you will need to kill me.” Varyag howled over the Battlenet with affirmations throughout the fanatic Mongoose MechWarriors who refused to subordinate themselves to one of their rival Clan’s Officers. Katya muted the headset microphone, “which Mech is he piloting?”
The comms Tech turned the Marker’s camera and TAG laser to a Shadow Cat making best speed away from the enemy formation. “TAG it and order a Storm (SXR-20) unit to take him out.”
“Can you do that Star Colonel? He is on our side.”
“He did say I would have to kill him. Sounds like a Batchall to me.”
She looked over to the other women behind the consoles within the vehicle who all nodded in agreement. While they had never done so Star Adders had a long history of dropping precision artillery on Mongoose Mechs. “Aff, Star Captain.”
Katya keyed back into the command as the comms operators sent encrypted comms through the drone to them and back to the robot momentarily hijacking the Brahmaputra’s command signals with a stronger local one.
“If you insist Star Colonel Manaudou. Bargained well and done.”
“What!”
Two Arrow IVs obliterated the Shadow Cat, guided unerringly via remote control, from the air conditioned vehicle. Shortly thereafter Epsilon and the Brahmaputra’s command authority were granted to her BattleNet Circuit. Katya departed from the vehicle to walk through heavily armored infantry rushing forward with heavy support weapons, ammo boxes, cooling water, and spare power cells.
Her Hellbringer waited nearby. The enemy would soon be upon them, so the formation assumed its final configuration and throttled their engines up to combat power. At her mech’s feet Technicians in reflective heat-resistant uniforms finished attaching the cooling hoses from their 235-Yeti Coolant Tractor to her mech and Tanya’s Hellfire before beginning the recirculation pumps. Both mech’s vital cooling fluids rushed through the tractor, pulling heat from the mech, and transferring it to the Yeti’s radiators and via a secondary loop into the trailer of non-potable water behind it.
Currently they and the other mechs along the secondary arc ran cold but that would change shortly. As she closed the cockpit and its armored shroud afterward Katya took a moment to take control of her breathing before donning her neurohelmet.
“All Star Commanders report in.” Beneath her the ground shook as flocks of Mongoose mechs passed through the lines with enemy mechs in hot pursuit. Her subordinates both new and old triggered their status reports which were passed through the comms van before reaching her. “Just follow the plan.”
