Chapter 5

"Ok, Guns, what's going on? There wasn't anyone to face us during the drop and now there's no one to face us on the landing. This isn't right for Kurita. You're still up at the Head Shed so talk to me. Where's the rest of our ships?"

"Terry, hang cool for a bit. All hell's breaking loose up here and right now ain't the time to be bothering them. I'll get back to you as soon as I can."

I looked around and could see that most of our Dropships hadn't in fact dropped. Outworlds had landed just enough to reestablish a foothold so we could come in but that was about it. All three of our Unions were down as well as the Mule that Specter was aboard. I didn't see the Mule that had Demon aboard and they had all of the top end Heavies as well as our Assault Mechs. If this thing got hairy then we were going to need those big Mechs. They also had the Long Toms with them. Big guns are always helpful during an invasion like this. They had the range for counter battery fire that Snipers and Thumpers sometimes didn't have. We had another Mule that was loaded with additional supplies, our Combat Engineers, all of our vehicles and the mobile repair centers with all the cranes, derricks and gantries, I didn't see it either. In fact only about a third of our forces had grounded.

I called Billi on another frequency, had her join up with us and we headed forward. We might as well take some pressure off the front line troops while we waited for the rest of our people to arrive. Here too we ran into a problem, there was no front line! We moved up to where the forces had gathered but there were no enemy troops, no Mechs, no tanks or no anything. With only a third of our own forces down the powers leading didn't want to push the perimeter out too far and not be able to properly defend it.

This planet had a lot of high mineral/metal content and was driving our MAGs crazy. There was also jungle almost to the point of being a rain forest which hampered vision. It was not swampy or boggy in the area where we were but it might be further on. Jungle meant that there was going to be very little use for missiles as any stray limb would set them off once they had traveled far enough to have armed themselves.

"Eyeball from Fire 3, leave your support at the front and report to the Battery," came the report. It wasn't Guns.

"There's no front here to leave them." I replied.

"Terry, just do it and get your ass back here immediately!" That was Guns, he sounded like he was feeling the Captain's crosses he had just been given.

"Roger, wilco."

I passed on the orders to the pilots who had been with me and started back for the Spaceport. Kurita had been in the process of constructing it when we interrupted them. They had the runways in for the fighters and the Aerodynes, had completed much of the hard pads for the spheroids and were working on the storage facilities for the fuel, munitions and spare parts. The control tower was a shack on stilts not the normal building bristling with antennas and the Repair Bays were a slab floor and some steel beams. When they left they left behind all of their construction equipment and supplies so we could use their supplies to work on the Spaceport while waiting for our equipment to arrive. Most of the equipment had been sabotaged but they had been in such a hurry that it was only an amateur job. Our Dropship engineers and Techs were checking them over and working on repairs.

When I reported in Guns dragged me into his office and closed the door. "We are up the well known smelly creek, my friend. The Outworlds Alliance got reports of a large fleet of Kuritans that were headed this way. The Kuritans plan to reinforce the planet and man the drop points to contest them with anyone who might try to invade to take this place back. Outworlds has pulled back and they took with them most of our Dropships, wouldn't even allow them to uncouple and drop. Our ass is hanging out in the breeze now, Terry."

"What did get in and what are we missing that we will really need?" I asked him.

"Try food and munitions for a start. Less than twenty percent of that was dropped. All of our Assaults are still up there somewhere, along with their battery of Artillery. Regimental Artillery as well as the Regimental Headquarters didn't get in either. About forty percent of our infantry grounded, we have two batteries of Thumpers and our battery of Snipers. As we carry our own with us our munitions got in but none of the support vehicles got down so we have no way to get missiles and cannon shell up to the forward Mechs, no way to move the ground forces except for them to walk and none of their heavier equipment. If the troops didn't have it with them when they grounded then they don't have it. Our Combat Engineers didn't make it down and none of their equipment or explosives. Ninety percent of our support troops and all of their gear is still up there."

"So that means we also don't have the mobile repair center, right?"

"Terry, we ain't got shit and that's a fact. They're talking about using the repair bays in the Unions as our primary repair facility. They have pushed the perimeter forward as much as they dare. Our lines are about thirty klicks long shaped like a big horseshoe. The infantry is digging in and setting up defensive positions. They're also sending scouts forward to set motion detectors and other sensors to let us know if and when the Kuritans move forward. The Mechs we have, just shy of a Regiment that includes us and Outworlds, are being drawn back into reserve to reinforce any point that is attacked. They want us, the 3rd Artillery, to cover the middle. We can swing either way and assist the Thumpers who will be manning the sides. We can assist them with most of what they will be covering and with their greater range they can assist us with all that we will cover. We are supposed to operate more like the Regimental Artillery than we have as Battalion Artillery. I have been placed in charge of all three batteries."

"When are our other things getting here? They can't still want us to take this planet with just the forces we have?" I asked.

"Yes they do and right now we have no idea when the others are coming. You know yourself that it's a fifty-four hour drop even at one and a half 'g's. Even if they detached and dropped this minute it would still take them over two standard days to get here. We go ahead with what we have. You and the Pride will not be spotting for the Missile Mechs this trip, you will be working solely for the Artillery." Before I could say a word he raised a hand to me. "No argument, Terry. That's the way it has to be. We can't afford to have you getting shot up even if you do cause a lot of enemy Mechs to go down. We need you whole and in one piece this trip to call the shots for us and when needed for the Thumpers. You didn't want to be an Officer and convinced them to make me one instead. Now I'm the Officer, you're the enlisted man and I'm telling you how it's gonna be, got it Sergeant Ward?"

"Aye, Aye Sir, your worshipfulness Sir! Is it really that bad Guns?"

"It's that bad you disrespectful bastard. Go find a place to get some rest, sleep if you can. The Head Shed figures they will make a night attack and I'm going to need you rested for that."

"Don't worry Guns, I'll follow orders," I said and added a salute.

I left and went looking for a place that I could be out of the way and still handy if I was needed. When I found one I let the runner know where I was and tried to rest.

It was utter chaos out there with people and Mechs moving around all over the place. It was organized chaos though if you know what I mean. While they were running all around it was with a purpose, not just milling about aimlessly. Things were being organized for a defense of the perimeter, the Techs and engineers were going over the equipment that had been left behind and had several vehicles running already. Shelters and bunkers were being set up to house the few supplies we had brought with us and what had been left behind when Kurita withdrew. It was the human equivalent of kicking over an ant hill. Everyone was swarming about but they all had their tasks to accomplish for the greater good of the whole. Even though I was resting and trying to go to sleep I was doing the same thing.

It had been just after noon when we grounded and had been mid afternoon when I talked with Guns. Even with the heat I went to sleep. I am normally so keyed up during a drop that I don't sleep much so I was tired. It was about nine o'clock local when they woke me and it was all but dark. The sun was down but there was still some light in the western skies. The runner told me where a mess hall had been set up and that I should get something to eat and something to take with me for later. I wouldn't be able to come back just to eat and would probably get hungry.

The choices for the meal were small but it was hot and as well prepared as it could be with the limited facilities. Our kitchens were another thing that didn't make it down. The cook was one I knew and when I told him what I needed he said he would put together something for me to take along. I ate with a couple of pilots I knew and when I finished eating I picked up the lunch that Amos had put together for me. When I went to leave I was braced by an Officer.

I didn't recognize him so he must have just been transferred into Specter. It was also obvious that he was not a combat officer as his insignia, a Saint Andrews Cross, was silver, not the black anodized insignia we wore in combat. "Sergeant, with supplies so short you can't be removing food from the mess hall. Take it back to the cook."

"Sir, this is for later. I'm going to be on duty all night and won't be able to come back. I was told to bring a lunch along with me," I tried to explain.

"If you want to keep those stripes Mister you will listen when an Officer speaks to you and follow orders. I said no food was to be removed from the mess hall, do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." I took the food back to Amos but told him to hold on to it as I would be back shortly to retrieve it.

I nodded to the Lieutenant as I left and reported to the Battery command post like I had been told. When Guns asked about the lack of a lunch I told him what had happened.

Guns picked up the phone and punched in a number. "Major, sorry to bother you over something like this but you have an overeager shavetail as Kitchen Officer tonight. My Forward Observer was not allowed to take a lunch with him even after he explained that he would be on the front line all night. Would you take care of it 'cause if I do then you're going to be shy one shavetail son-of-a-bitch. You gave me enough problems without this kind of chicken shit... Yes, Ma'am, I'll let them know. Thank you Ma'am."

He hung up, turned back and said the problem would be straightened out and went on with the briefing. He pointed out a couple of places that the sensor had been showing flickers of possible movement but nothing definite yet. It looked like they were assembling for an attack but the listening posts had not reported any activity within their scope of vision.

When the briefing was over I left to saddle up and move to the location that Guns said he wanted me and ran into the Lieutenant from the mess hall. He was standing there with my lunch.

He handed it to me and mumbled something. When I asked him to repeat it he all but yelled. "Third Artillery Battery will be allowed to remove food from the mess hall as needed in the future. Did you hear it that time?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you sir."

Before either of us could say anything else Guns was standing there. "Dismissed Sergeant Ward, you have an assignment to carry out. Lieutenant, we need to have a word." I don't know what he said as he waited until I was out of hearing before he started to talk but I'll bet that the Lieutenant sat down very tenderly in the future because his rear was sore from being chewed on.

I moved forward to a position that had been prepared for me. A deep hole had been dug with a ramp down into it. With none of the engineering equipment available this hole meant that someone or several someones had expended a lot of effort to ensure at least the partial safety and concealment of me and the Pride. I was able to get down until just my head and shoulders were exposed, this cut down on my silhouette and in the dark I would look like just another lump that was there, also there was very little to register on Infrared. I flicked my sensors to IR and scanned the area. The dense canopy of trees kept the heat in but I was still able to distinguish between ambient heat and body heat. I started my sweep close in and slowly worked farther out. When I got out to the maximum range of the IRs I set both them and the motion detector for 25 kilograms. Anything over that would sound an alarm and I kicked back to rest as much as I could.

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't sleeping on duty. As we didn't know when the attack would come Guns told me to rest as much as possible until something triggered the alarm. I was following orders. I didn't really sleep, I dozed a bit and relaxed but I wouldn't say that I went to sleep. I even picked up on the flickers of heat before the sensor tripped the alarm. I reached forward and shut off the alarm and sat watching.

We had what looked like infantry slipping in towards us. I keyed the radio and let Guns know. I thought it might be just scouts at this point as there were just a couple of them and he agreed with me. We let them come on. He did alert the troops that were in front of me to the movement and to their location. Slowly they came in, forty meters, thirty meters, twenty meters, at that distance they seemed to fall down. Neither of them got up to continue. I called Guns and he confirmed it for me. One of the snipers had been watching them also and took them out just before they hit our lines.

I watched as four heat forms left our lines and moved cautiously forward and returned dragging the bodies. They returned to their holes and waited while others removed the two bodies to check them over. A body can tell you a lot if you know what to look for.

Fifteen minutes later there was more movement. This time it was more than just a couple. I could make out several clumps which said either mortar, missile or machine gun crews.

"Tee-One, please stand by, I have business for you." Using the pen light I circled the area so they could swing the guns into that general location. When the targets settled down and I could pinpoint them I would finalize the shoot for them. They continued to move slowly forward and then two much larger heat forms showed up. There were BattleMechs on the field! They were advancing very slowly to keep their noise level down. As they moved I let the computer chew on the configurations to tell me what type of Mechs they were while I kept track of the mortar and machine gun crews that were working their way forward.

At forty meters the soldiers stopped and looked like they were setting up for a possible assault. I enhanced the area on the computer and carefully marked each gun position with a number. I zipped it back to the battery with the order to fire when ready and I would sense the rounds. As they were firing on infantry they had broken themselves into half batteries. The first group was on target and after the second burst I had them shift to their next target. The shots had gone off early due to the tree cover but even so the air burst sent splinters from the trees as well as pieces from the shells whistling down among the troops which took out or wounded those that the shots themselves didn't. The second group was over and to the right. I adjusted them for the second shot and let them fire again and when I saw they were on, a third time. Two salvos of anti-personnel rounds when you're on target and the opposition had not dug in for protection was enough.

The two Mechs now moved forward at normal speed. With all the racket from the artillery the noise they made would not be noticed. My targeting computer identified them as two Firestarters, ideal BattleMechs against infantry. I slowly raised my arms until the cross hairs on both lasers met on the head of the closest Mech. I gang fired the two Large lasers and the head of that Mech exploded. That was the first they knew they had Mechs in front of them. I quickly shifted to the second and fired again. I didn't hit the head on this one, I did worse. The shift was not smooth and the sights came apart slightly. When I gang fired the second time I hit just below the head on the center of the chest with one laser and all but took the left arm off with the other. What it did do was rupture and ignite the canisters or tanks that were holding the flammable jelly that they shoot out. That stuff burns hotter than the small amount in an Inferno round. Under pressure it squirted out, coating his head and chest area and was burning into the chinks in his armor. The pilot ejected but with the canopy of tree tops over him all he did was squash himself against the limbs.

With the Mech burning like a large beacon the advancing soldiers were silhouetted against it and our guys started to pick them off. I had to look away as the heat coming off the Mech destroyed my IRs when I looked in that direction. There were still others moving in on the sides and assistance was needed with them.

I had Tee-One shift to a barrage of the area and then slowly work their way backwards. With the Mechs down, artillery all over them and much of their heavy weapons out of action they called for a retreat. After a couple more rounds to encourage them to leave I called a cease fire for Tee-One. I passed on a 'Well Done' to them as they had been on target every time except for the first shot by the second group. None of the enemy forces got closer than twenty meters of our lines and that was the first small group of scouts.

I reported in to Guns and let him know that the first attack had been beaten off. I gave him estimates of the strength that attacked and what it was when it retreated and that they had Mechs with them. He had of course been listening to the traffic with Thumper One on his left but had no way of knowing the strength or that Mechs were along. He then had me shift to the second position that had been readied for me. It was in Thumper Two territory in front of the second area where they had been getting flickers of something.

Less than a half hour after I had moved into position I again picked up scouts moving towards our lines. I had Guns alert the snipers as to where they were and waited. This time the snipers didn't wait as long as before and took them out at about fifty meters. Now we just waited for the attack.

For this attack they used a different strategy, they started making noise, playing loud music which messed up our sound locators and generally trying to disrupt and unnerve the soldiers. They also tried to pop mortar flares but that backfired on them as they were knocked back down by the thick overhead canopy of leaves and limbs. At about fifty meters they started to charge towards us. I had again marked the general area but when they started to run towards us I called for an area barrage and drew in a line ten meters in front of us. I told them to collapse the barrage slowly until they reached that line and then to cease fire as they would be too close to our own troops by then. Having listened to my transmissions to Tee-One they had loaded with anti-personnel rounds which had lots of sharp pieces to fly about and cut up soft things like trees, bushes and people.

The attack never reached the cease fire line. I was going to assist with my heavy machine guns but never needed to fire a shot. The troops in front of me were seasoned and knew how to take advantage of an artillery barrage and were picking off any survivors that made it through a blast. It wasn't combat, it was slaughter. The attackers never stood a chance.

There was no further movement after the second attack. No troops, no tanks and no more Mechs. They had Mechs here as we had seen signs of them but they never committed them to the battle. This would have been the ideal time as our lines were still up in the air and we were not yet working as a smooth, integrated unit but they never appeared. When morning came I pulled back and reported to 3rd Artillery and after eating something went to bed.

About noon a runner woke me with orders to report to the Ready room. When I got there they were updating the situation board and marking in the locations of some of the troop emplacements that they had spotted from the scouting missions. Since daylight our side had been slipping patrols into the jungle to look for the Kuritans.

"You just said that there were Mechs, you didn't say that you had taken out two Firestarters," said Guns when he looked up and saw me.

"They were no longer a threat so I didn't think it was worth mentioning. They were the only two that I spotted. None came with the second attack. What I was waiting for was an end run while the infantry had our attention to the front."

"You and everyone else. If they had only known how thin we were they could have walked in here and retaken the place with very little trouble. We're building tank traps, Mech traps and gun emplacements. The longer they hold off the harder it's going to be to push us off."

"What I want you to do is to go over to both the Thumper batteries and work with them some. You guys worked well together last night but you were still a bit clumsy. Work something out so that you can get the guns on target quicker and smoother. If they're going to be firing in half batteries then make sure that the right section gets the sensing corrections and so on. They're not used to working as closely with an FO as we are and that needs to be corrected," Guns said.

We talked about what corrections would get them on target faster and surer and I left to carry out his orders. I had to hitch a ride as there were still not enough vehicles checked over and repaired to assign to such things as I was doing.

The Battery Commanders all knew Guns Malone and knew of the work that I did with them even if they didn't know me that well. They listened to what I had to say because they knew I spoke from experience and not from some book or field manual. I told them what had worked for us in the past and what I wanted from them when I called in. We then started to try and smooth out any problem areas that this would create in order for them to accomplish my desires and the goals that had been given to us. By mid afternoon I was back and was told to get some more rest if I could. There would be a briefing at 2100 hrs, local.

They gave us a week to settle in. There were light skirmishes each night. You could call them large patrols or light actions, never over sixty men. They probed and poked. They also shelled us at odd hours during the day and nighttime. They were more of a nuisance than anything else as they did very little damage. We were spread so thin there was really very little for them to damage!

We had been sending out patrols also during this period and they kept returning with prisoners. They were members of the labor battalion that had been doing all the construction. When we had attacked they had headed inland with what they had in their hands at the time. They had no food, extra clothing, shelter, nothing. Many of them were waiting to be found so they could surrender they were so hungry. It was from one of them that our interrogators learned of a large group that was several klicks upriver from us. According to the laborer they were talking to the group was hungry and demoralized and he was sure that with only a little persuasion they would all surrender.

Taking two of the larger boats we had captured about twenty of our officers and men boarded and went up river to effect the capture. They left around 1330 hrs local.

At 2130 hrs when I reported in for briefing the room was filled with tension. When I tried to ask a couple of the guys what was up I got no response. A few minutes later Guns walked in and you could tell from the expression on his face that something was up. Something very important.

He cleared his throat and started to speak. His voice was thick with emotion. "This afternoon a half platoon of our people went up river to take the surrender of a group of construction laborers that had gathered at an abandoned village. It was an ambush. They were not construction workers but soldiers who opened fire on our people while they were under a flag of truce. They were prepared for us as they blanketed the area with white noise so no radio transmissions could be sent. A runner was sent out and Ernesto Sanchez made it back to give us the word and to get help for them. He swam down river to do this. The strength is estimated between one and two companies and no Mechs were seen or reported in the area. When Sanchez left our people were digging in along the river bank and were trying to hold until we could get there to assist."

"We're going back, people. We're going back heavy. 3rd Artillery is air mobil and will be going along. 1st and 2nd will hold here and cover the perimeter. Ward get maps of the area and be ready to move out at 2215 hrs. Lieutenant Peters will be in command until we return. 3rd Artillery, saddle up." Lieutenant Peters stepped forward to take over the briefing as we left.

Hoke knew something was up and had the Pride warmed up and ready when I arrived. I started to scroll through the maps I had of this area to see if I already had the necessary information on board.

"It's there. 1119 is what you're looking for. The new chip arrived while I was heating her up and I down loaded it," Hoke said. "The only thing it could be is those guys that went out in the boats this afternoon. How bad is it?"

"It was an ambush, Hoke. We're going to pay them a return visit now. We're going to try to get there before they go under but I don't give that much of a chance. Keep your fingers crossed."

After helping me get all the right straps connected and all the necessary fittings plugged in correctly he climbed down. As I moved out he gave me two thumbs up.

When I got to 3rd Artillery they were in the process of attaching the carry cables to the field pieces. Guns signaled for me to drop the ladder and climbed up to talk with me.

"Terry, I want you to move forward to this location," he said calling up the location on the map. "Scout the area and make sure it is reasonably secure. We will be lifting to that area and covering the advance from there. We will still be inside the range of the Thumpers so call on them if you feel it's necessary. Once we're down continue forward to sense our shots if it becomes necessary. We'll have infantry with us to secure the area once we're down. Move out as soon as you're ready."

As soon as he climbed down I retracted the ladder and moved out. I cut across the front and headed for the river. I was going to follow it to the location he had picked out for his artillery site. I pitied any Kuritan who tried to get in my way during this movement.

Just before I got to the river a machine gun opened up on me. I'm not sure what he thought he could do with him light machine gun but he tried. I could see him in my IR and returned fire. The twin mounted heavy machine guns on my right hand took care of the gun, the gunner, the loader and the nest. I didn't even slow down.

For a short while I was able to follow along on the riverbank but the jungle moved in so close that I could no longer do that so I began to wade through the water. At no time did it get more than chest deep which would make it about seven meters. The problem was a very soft bottom and snags in the water. I nearly fell a couple of times when one foot or the other got caught on either a snag or a large rock.

It took me nearly an hour to get the twelve klicks up river to the area that Guns wanted me to check out for them. I could find no signs of enemy activity in the area and let him know when I called him. The air temperature was only a few degrees less at night than during the day but those few degrees made a big difference. Without the constant heat from the sun I was able to sweep the area for any large heat forms and continued to do so until they had landed and the infantry had taken over the responsibility for the safety of the artillery.

With a wave to them I moved back into the river and continued on upstream. This time the delay was not due to the water or snags but to caution. As I got close to the area that had been pointed out as the ambush point I sank down until only about half the head of the Pride was clear of the water. Seated in the fighting chair I could look straight ahead and see the ripples that we were making in the water right ahead of me. They looked close enough to touch. I had also been planting relays so that I could get through the white noise that the Snakes were putting out.

It was just after midnight when I called Guns to let him know I was in position. "Do you want me to stay hidden or move up to let the guys know that help has arrived? Yes, some of them are still alive as I can make out the heat forms."

"Terry, that's great news but they are going to have to suffer for a while yet. Stay hidden, don't let anyone know you're there until it can do the most damage."