Chapter 69

“There,” Mage Ximena a drone operator pointed towards what appeared to be a natural cavern in the rocks of an unnamed wadi roughly in the direction the Vultoqi assault group were heading.

“You think the portal’s in there?” Roxanne asked with a slight frown.

“I do,” Ximena nodded. “Watch on playback.”

The screen showed the drone approach above the wadi and there was a slight glitch as it passed the cavern entrance.

“OK, I saw the glitch, what of it?”

“We replaced the standard detection package with a Loegrian designed one, much greater range and sophistication including an ability to detect quantum distortions against background clutter. Something is cloaked just in front of the cavern.”

“Something that our Seers would spot if they ran across it, but as they’re currently blocked...”

“Yes, Mage Roxanne.”

“OK, bring up the ‘spare’ and plant a deep penetration Null rod right in front of the cavern and then use the Raytheon deep penetration missiles on the standard drones to bring the roof down. I want the Vultoqi to have to physically drag out the debris if they want to escape.”

“Of course Mage Roxanne, consider it done.”

“Over there,” Gregorius pointed out a stream of smoke to Tenklar.

“I see it, Gregoreeuz. You want us to go there?”

“Yes my friend, I do.”

Tenklar belted out orders and the column of weapon platform trucks turned down a series of wadis that would bring them to the site pointed out. They had barely got a kilometre before a Vultoqi was highlighted in red by the power of Athena and several beams lanced out to slice it in several pieces.

“I think they know we are coming,” Tenklar observed.

“I also suspect they fear that we are coming,” Gregorius noted with a savage grin that was soon echoed by Tenklar and the other Yr’ch in the platform.

“Pick up the pace!” I yelled after a microburst communication databurst from the drones who were now going back to re-arm.

The Drow immediately began moving forward with less of their usual caution and were rewarded by the site of a Vultoqi ambush being highlighted in a red glow and vulnerable to our weaponry.

“Forward!” Birry ordered as our attack became concentrated on them with several well aimed shots taking out the flanking elements as well as a probable observer courtesy of Clara.

It was clear the Vultoqi had not expected to be spotted and despite having good cover were soon swarmed over by the Drow who other than a few severe wounds were without any fatalities. Our advance then was able to go forward steadily as the Vultoqi were either able to be spotted, or unable to get observers into place to spot for them.

Finally though, we reached a definite blocking force at the entry to a wadi that was held in strength and were for the minute held at bay.

“Look like that’s where the drones struck,” Kate observed as she scanned the site with a pair of binoculars.

“Yep, question is, how do we get through?”

The answer wasn’t long in coming.

“Punch through there,” Gregorius pointed.

“Lot of Vultoqi, we may end up isolated,” Tenklar commented, but gave the orders anyway.

“We have allies in the area, do not worry my friend.”

The Yr’ch beams slashed out at the entrenched Vultoqi who had piled up rocks at the wadi entrance and were attempting to use their plasma guns on the Yr’ch vehicles who were shielded with composite fusion generator core plated and were highly resistant to plasma fire because of it.

With the new (stolen) battery designs the recharge rate of their guns used in sequence rapidly had the Vultoqi retreating as their cover if not their bodies were shredded by the accurate fire the Yr’ch were able to bring to bear. It was at this point Tenklar noticed the forces of Athena’s allies moving forward despite their concealing armour preventing a full view of them.

“Good timing,” he noted to Gregorius.

“For this yes, let us also hope so for the prisoners Athena believes are in Vultoqi hands.”

“Advance!” Birry yelled as the Orcs punched straight through the broken Vultoqi defence line that had had us stalled.

The unbroken needed no further urging as they rapidly closed with the now desperate adelshaut.

“Let’s go,” I ordered the control team as we moved from cover into the maelstrom of dust and gunfire the arrival of the Orcs had given us.

“Don’t think they expected the Orcs,” Clara commented as she looked for any surviving Vultoqi.

“Neither did I. The blocking is still ongoing and we really need to find a way around it other than by radio signals to drones,” I replied. “Still, the message I got was to expect help.”

“And we certainly got it,” Róisín chuckled.

“Yep, but we also need to discuss with Roxanne or Arch about carrying some heavier weapons than Clara’s mortar.”

“True, a javelin launcher in a pocket universe would have helped,” Róisín nodded. “Far more effective than an RPG.”

“Very true, looks like we’ll have to get some heavier weaponry available for situations like this,” I nodded as the dust cleared and we were able to advance alongside the Orc weapon platforms into the wadi and the haze of smoke indicating a drone strike.

“I think so, John. We could have punched our own way through, rather than rely on the Orcs, not that they aren’t welcome.”

“Yep,” I nodded. “Hi Gregorius,” I greeted Athena’s primary Theurgist who was sitting in the open cab next to an Orc I recognised.

“Greetings, John. As you can see we have a few friends to help,” he cheerily replied.

“So I see. Greetings Land-boss Tenklar your aid was appreciated,” I finished in Yr’chan.

“You are welcome, though Ar-Thenna knows how on Draenoric I’m going to explain this one to my immediate superiors,” he replied.

“Aggressive patrolling against a Vultoqi incursion,” I shrugged with a grin, knowing Gregorius would ensure he was ok.

“Might work,” he replied with a grin of his own. “Ar-Thenna knows we killed a lot of them.”

“Lot more ahead and we suspect they have taken prisoners, though we have blocked their portal ... we hope.

“We will do our best to punch a hole through their lines for you to exploit,” Tenklar nodded.

“Thank you, our scouts report they are dug in about 1000 paces to your front and have managed to raise shields.”

“I should be able to cancel them out, but the front is too narrow to use our full might,” Gregorius noted.

“It is what it is,” I nodded.

“True. Tenklar, my friend. Can you engage the Vultoqi at a distance whilst John and his battalion attempt to infiltrate in close?”

“Of course Gregoreeuz.”

The Orc beam weapons weren’t as effective at the distance they were forced to fire at, but they were enough to force the Vultoqi to remain under cover just ahead of the Null zone I could feel the Drones had created. Gregorius was obviously channelling Athena as the screens the Vultoqi were using were down for the moment.

This enabled Birry to get the Drow under cloak to infiltrate near to the Vultoqi positions and start sniping at them as well, though they were well under cover and in numbers too. It was also reasonably obvious that they were trying to dig their way back into the cave where presumably the portal still existed. Of their prisoners, there was no sign, though we could not see all the Vultoqi either.

“Pity Gregorius can’t stop their plasma weapons from working either,” Kate noted.

“Athena’s powers are a bit limited at the minute, it’s either one or the other, but not both,” I replied as I observed our infiltration effort through binoculars ... well what I could see of it anyway as the Drow cloak was superb and I could usually only make out their footprints.

The Vultoqi were laying down a serious amount of plasma fire now most using all four limbs to hold a pistol and keep the Drow at bay as they were basically ignoring the Orcs, realising the real threat was from us. Essentially we had another stalemate ... or rather we did until a Raytheon missile from a drone streaked in to hit the centre of the Vultoqi line creating a gap for the Drow to pour into.

It was at this point that the Orcs from Tenklar’s vehicles who couldn’t fire on the barriers charged the Vultoqi being joined by Tu’tar and his people along with Nell and the Nosferatu.

“Ah, hell,” I sighed. “Advance!”

The command was rapidly relayed by Birry and his noncoms and the Drow rapidly advanced into the melee which had developed in the Vultoqi lines.

“Elpida, make sure they don’t try to get too frisky!” I ordered. “Róisín, Kate, make sure they don’t get to Elpida!”

“Yes, John,” came three replies as Elpida started to use her curse on any exposed Vultoqi.

The Drow themselves refused to be drawn into any melee but rapidly took out any Vultoqi approaching as well as infiltrating through the barrier to spread out and head towards where we suspected the portal was. Clara, Callum, Birry and I directed them towards any concentrations we could see as the melee behind us was rapidly being won by our forces and their expertise in hand to hand fighting on a level playing field courtesy of Gregorius.

There was a short sharp fight with the Vultoqi trying to clear the rubble from the entrance, but it was soon dealt with as other than taking out the last few remaining defenders there was little else to do except search the site.

“Over here, Mage John,” Birry called out.

I hurried over to face a grim sight, Mages, Alan, Carmilla and Moira lay slumped with their skulls crushed in along with what appeared to be the Dust of several Drow.

“Do we know who?” I asked, indicating the Drow.

“From the dog-tags yes,” Birry replied as several Drow hurried up to place the remains in several bags, specifically brought for this purpose.