Chapter 30

DAY 56 – GEOTHERMAL PLANT – RUZA

“Both target sites have an almost identical layout,” Brenner said as he leaned over a table in the mess hall, a crowd of resistance members and SWAR agents surrounding it. “Each one consists of three ten-foot defensive walls made from carbcrete surrounding a compound, with a rocky outcrop at their back that leads into a mine where the munitions are stored. Within this compound are several barracks and storage structures, a landing pad for dropships, and rows of sandbags and gabions designed to mitigate the effectiveness of aerial bombardment and slow advancing enemies. There are also four CIWS platforms, either situated at the corners of the walls or mounted atop the outcrop.”

He reached down to place a salt shaker on the sand. Without a holographic display, they had brought in bags of sand from outside and piled them on the table, using various pieces of cutlery and small items like bolts and screws as markers. Ruza examined the crude model of the enemy base – a roughly square compound backed by sloping rock faces represented by piled stones, the buildings made from empty MRE boxes.

“The MAST launchers should be parked near the entrances to the mines,” Brenner continued, gesturing to the shaker. “They need to remain outside to be combat-ready, so it’s unlikely that they’ll be moved into the tunnels once the shooting starts. There’s a guard tower by the entrance gate down here,” he continued, gesturing to an empty water bottle. “The Governor doesn’t have exact numbers for us, but he believes that there will be at least a hundred PDF guarding each site and a significant number of SWAR teams – whether new recruits or hardened agents, we don’t know. There are also likely to be PCEs – no more than six or seven per site, based on how many operational suits we think Barbosa has. The enemy is likely to have machinegun nests here, here, and here to cover the approaches.”

“Tough nut to crack,” Rivera said, crossing his arms as he took it all in. “How worried do we have to be about those CIWS guns?”

“They’re designed to shoot down incoming aerial threats,” Reed explained. “They shouldn’t pose a significant danger to our guys.”

“Unless they’re smart enough to pull the same stunt we did on Borealis and take direct control,” Brenner grumbled. “Those twenty-mill rotary guns can put out five-k rounds per minute. They’d tear us apart, but there’s not much we can do about them until we get inside. It’s a risk we just have to take.”

“I’m pretty happy to put money on the PDF being morons, but I dunno about the Borgs,” Reed replied.

“Either way, we’ll have to pull this off fast,” Brenner continued. “Response time, as always, is about fifteen minutes. Comms are clear, and it won’t take the carrier long to realize what we’re doing, but they can’t fire on the bases without losing their best deterrent. We have roughly two hundred resistance fighters and Marines,” he said as he pointed to some bottle caps that surrounded the base on three sides. “Each of these markers represents a squad of twelve – nine squads for each operation. We also have our HQ, which will consist of six of my agents and some VIPs.”

“Am I a VIP?” Reed asked, raising his hand.

“Yes, you’re a VIP,” Brenner sighed.

“Do I get a badge?”

“There are no badges,” Brenner replied more sternly. “Our teams will need to move across open ground to reach the walls and get inside the compound. The dunes provide some cover, but not much. The surrounding area is intended to be a kill zone hardened against infantry waves – a tactic commonly employed by the Bugs.”

“When we raided the garrison’s armory during the battle, we came away with several field mortars,” Reed added. “We couldn’t use them in the city, but this is a perfect opportunity to break them out. We don’t have a whole lot of shells, but it should be enough to lay down some covering fire while our teams advance.”

“We handed out some underbarrel grenade launchers while we were visiting, too,” Komodo added. “Combined grenade and mortar volleys should encourage the PDF to keep their heads down and give us some breathing room.”

“We can leapfrog our way in,” Rivera suggested. “Each twelve-man squad splits into two fireteams. One lays down covering fire while the other advances to a new position – maybe the lip of a dune. Repeat until they reach the wall.”

“Our marksmen can engage the machinegunners,” Ruza suggested. “They are the most immediate threat during our approach.”

“Harley – you’ll be our eyes in the sky,” Brenner added as he glanced over at the Jarilan. “Stay hidden and designate targets for mortar fire. We’ll also need you to track the positions of the PCEs. The last thing we want is an eighteen-hundred-pound surprise sneaking up on us.”

“You got it, Boss,” Harlequin replied with a lazy salute.

“You’ll be with me at the Alpha site. Komodo will lead the attack on the Beta site. Reed – I want you commanding the infantry at Beta. Rivera will command the Alpha infantry. You know your men and their capabilities better than we do.”

“Not to mention that they might not be too happy taking direct orders from a Borg,” Reed muttered.

“Ruza, I want you and the SCPEL team to scale this rock face and get into an elevated firing position overlooking the compound,” Brenner said with a gesture to the piled stones. “Your primary targets are the PCEs, but keep an eye on those CIWS guns. If it looks like they’re targeting the ground, take them out.”

“Understood,” Ruza replied.

“Comms have been restored, but sticking to laser where possible is good practice,” Brenner continued. “Make sure all of your men have their IFF systems switched off. Rivera, Reed – I want you to personally check each helmet. If even one of them is broadcasting, it’ll light their squad up like a switchboard.”

“Hang on, why doesn’t Beta get any heavy weapons?” Reed demanded. “I don’t want to be on the worst team!”

“My orbital asset will insert directly into the compound to engage the PCEs at Beta,” Brenner explained, lifting a stray slug and placing it upright in the sand. “Trust me – she’s bringing enough heavy weapons to make up the difference.”

“If you say so,” Reed conceded. “Right. Three-pronged attack, suppressive fire from mortars and GLs, heavy weapon teams take out the PCEs. Got it.”

“Remember – our only objective is to neutralize those MASTs by any means necessary,” Rivera said as he glanced around the table at their stony faces and opaque visors. “Capture them or destroy them if you must. You can disable the launch vehicle, but if that fails, go for the missiles. Those booster stages are full of highly reactive fuel that’ll go up like a candle if exposed to too much heat. A slug won’t do it, but an explosion might.”

“Any further questions?” Brenner asked. “Everyone clear on what they’re supposed to be doing? Good. Gear up and prepare to move out.”

They began to disperse, filing out of the room and heading to the makeshift armory to collect their weapons and equipment. The resistance hadn’t brought very much to the plant with them save for the rifles and ammunition they had been carrying during their escape, but the SWAR agents had arrived laden with large packs. They were handing out full XMR magazines to Owens and the other Marines who had escaped with Ruza and Rivera, along with bandoleers of shells and underslung launchers intended to be attached beneath the barrels of their rifles. There weren’t enough for everyone, but it would greatly enhance the threat level of the squad. Silverback began to pass out grenades from a satchel, the Marines filling their rigs and loading their weapons.