Forged Under Siege Page 5

  Jack turned and fixed Horan with a stare. “Pull yourself together, Ben. I’m going to need you. Copy?”

  “Copy that, sir,” Horan said sheepishly.

  At that moment, a plasma spear lashed out from within one of the Hydras. Jack saw the flash of the plasma spear and then a Marine from 1st squad fell.

  The pulse rifle fire response was immediate and sustained. Stone reported contact to Jack, but he was watching closely from the roof level of the facility.

  “Contact. Contact,” Stone called in, excitedly. This was his first contact with the Chitins as a squad leader. He was dealing with the extra responsibility well, but did sound a little overenthusiastic. “Chits in the Hydras. Returning fire.”

  Jack couldn’t see the Chitin position, they were taking cover behind the two Hydras. Then a second plasma spear lashed out. The Chitin fire was from within the ships.

  “Stone. Allen,” Jack spoke easily. “Move in and destroy those ships.”

  Jack watched the two squads close in. They fired as they advanced, keeping the Chitins inside their Hydras. A Marine from Allen’s squad rushed forward and planted a charge on the side of one of the Hydras. He ran to the second. The first Hydra lit up as a demolition charge smashed the Hydra hull. The craft was no longer space-worthy, but Jack was not convinced the Chitins inside had been killed.

  The second Hydra exploded moments later, and the two squads of Marines began to close in, Stone on a loop to the left while Allen headed directly to the smoldering Hydras.

  The Chitins emerged from the burning wrecks, a dozen of the massive soldiers rushing directly at Allen’s squad.

  The rushing Chitins slammed straight into Allen’s squad, the ridged tentacles stabbing forward at anyone in their path. The pulse rifle fire was sporadic. Jack spotted the electron bayonets flare up in the darkness. They slashed back and forth, leaving traces of their deadly light in the darkness.

  The Chitins didn’t stop to engage the Marines of 3rd squad but came thundering onwards, directly toward the hangar entrance. Jack counted nine Chitins now rushing at the entrance. They were a dangerous and deadly enemy, but a company of Marines would be more than a match for a handful of Chitins.

  At close range, the pulse rifles lit up and slammed a thousand rounds into the advancing Chitins. The barrage ripped the Chitins apart, leaving them broken and twitching within seconds. The Chitins that advanced the furthest lay only a few meters from the entrance. Jack watched as a Marine walked out and stabbed a bayonet into the Chitin’s massive smooth head.

  “They can’t win,” Horan said as he watched the Marines of 1st and 3rd squads walk among the fallen Chitins and finish them off. “It’ll take more than a couple of crashed Hydras. They can’t expect to win like that.” Horan folded his arms across his chest.

  “They didn’t crash,” Jack said. “And those dozen Chits weren’t sent to beat us. That entire Hydra attack was planned.”

  “What plan?” Horan asked. “To get slaughtered?”

  “No, Ben, “Jack said. He patted the squad leader on the shoulder and turned to walk back inside. “They were counting our guns. Keep your people sharp.”

  8

  Jack watched the Marines of Cobra Company carefully. They had just dealt with their first contact with the enemy on this deployment. He gauged the mood. It was buoyant despite the lack of supplies. The Fleet Marine pulse rifle was an awesome weapon and had kept the Marines of Cobra in good stead. It would protect them when the Chitins came again, and it would carry them forward if they needed to go on the offensive.

  The large entrance hangar gave Jack the opportunity to covertly observe the Marines. He could gauge a lot about the mood of the company by watching and listening. He wandered around, listening to the Marines positioned at the opening of the entrance hangar.

  Some equipment cases and disused materials had been gathered together to create makeshift cover. With the loss of all entrenchment tools in the crash landing, the Marines had to find cover where they could. For many on the ground floor, the best cover was to lie prone, their pulse rifles trained on the open ground beyond the entrance.

  Jack listened to the banter of the men on their squad communication channels. He had his communicator set to intercept any private communications that referenced key words involving fear or disparaging language. Jack knew morale would be a key ingredient for success. Once the Marines of Cobra thought they were defeated, they could turn that into a self-fulfilling prophecy.

  They needed supplies to construct a decent entrenchment. Jack found some equipment in a neat pile at one side of the hangar—maintenance supplies, including a number of long composite bars with spiked ends. He could only guess at their intended use, something technical in the deep workings of the planetary defense cannon, but now they were simple digging tools. Jack summoned a squad leader who was standing nearby.

  Erin Bevan was squad leader of 7th squad. Jack checked her service record quickly as she walked forward. Bevan had been one of the recent replacements deployed to Scorpio Battalion. Her squad was made up of the latest training squad from the new fleet training center on Eras, but Bevan was one of a handful of Marines to survive the destruction of the Taurus at the Battle of Grid Eight-Eight-Thirteen. She had floated adrift for two days before making contact with other survivors. She had formed the group into a deep space life raft by fastening their meat suits together. They had been subsequently rescued by a patrol corvette and brought back to the fleet. Bevan had been promoted to squad leader and given a fresh squad of Marines.

  “Erin,” Jack called out.

  Bevan saluted smartly.

  “At ease, Squad Leader,” Jack said. He pointed at the composite spikes in the pile at the side of the large main entrance space. “I don’t know what they are meant for, but they look like digging tools to me.”

  “Yes, sir,” Bevan said. She stepped over to them and took one of the meter-long spikes.

  “Have your squad dig a trench in front of the hangar entrance.” Jack pointed to the pale and dusty regolith of Brecon.

  “Yes, sir. At once, sir.” Bevan jogged over to her squad, who were lying on the smooth floor of the entrance hangar. She began instructing them to start digging.

  In a few moments, Bevan and her squad were attacking the surface of Brecon. The spikes were not well suited to the task, but the Marines were making it work, and soon they had created a shallow trench. It wasn’t great cover, but it was better than nothing.

  Jack walked to the stairway at the rear of the hangar. He climbed up a few steps. It gave him an overview of his Marines in the hangar, the elevated position giving him a good view of the approach to the entrance, and he looked out over the surface of Brecon. The trench was developing but was still only a few meters long. It was enough to deploy a squad and would provide better cover than simply lying prone. Bevan instructed her squad to continue digging, then she showed her courage by approaching Sam Torent, the squad leader of 6th squad.

  Sam Torent, one of the most experienced squad leaders in Cobra Company. His 6th squad was a legendary squad in Scorpio Battalion, if not the entire Fleet Marine service. Bevan instructed Torent to deploy his squad to the newly dug trench.

  A private communication channel opened on Jack’s communicator. It was Torent.

  “She’s a feisty one, Jack.” Torent was looking back across the massive entrance to Jack standing on the stairway.

  “She’s dug you a nice trench there, Sam.” Jack said. “Good of her to let you use it. Get your people into cover, Sam.”

  Torent gave Jack a casual salute. He looked tiny at such a distance, but Jack could read the cocky swagger in his movements.

  “Yes, sir,” Torent responded, then moved 6th squad into the trench.

  It was a good defensive position, Jack thought. He only wished he had more entrenchment tools. The opening at the entrance hangar was the length of the entire wall, a hundred meters across. It was going to be difficult to defend without good cover. And he ha
d three other sides to defend too, but thankfully, those sides only had single-door entrances that led to tight entrance corridors. A small crew of Marines could hold those entrances. Jack had deployed Taku Folau there and was confident the corridors would be held. If only Jack had the mounted pulse lasers, he could hold those small entrances indefinitely, but the heavy weaponry for a fixed-position deployment had also been lost in the crash.

  Thinking of the lost equipment did nothing to bring it back, and Jack had to deal with the situation the best he could with what was available. Jack touched his hand to the small pouch on his thigh where his ration block was stored. He felt a slight twinge of hunger. He knew his Marines would be getting that feeling too.

  Fatigue would start to become an issue soon too. He needed to start rotating his squads. He would begin moving them into the rest area of the inner complex inside the facility, where the Marines could remove their helmets and get a chance to eat, and a chance to breathe. Morale would be boosted by a chance to take a moment away from the front line, a front line that was, for now at least, quiet.

  Jack started with 1st squad, currently on overwatch duty on the roof level of the facility. He instructed their squad leader to take his people to the inner complex access at the rear of the main entrance hangar.

  “If any of your people are missing their ration blocks, share out what you have, clear?”

  Will Stone, squad leader of 1st squad, responded enthusiastically.

  “Sir, yes, sir. My squad could do with a bite, sir. I’ve got extra rations blocks. If anyone needs one, ask me.”

  Jack knew rations would be in short supply. If this deployment was going to stretch on, then rations would be as important as ammunition. Jack couldn’t wait any longer. He opened a channel to Major Griff on the Scorpio.

  “What it is, Jack?” Griff sounded busy.

  “Any news on the supply drop? We are making do down here, but we really need those supplies.”

  Griff was silent. Jack worried the major was ignoring his request. Eventually, Griff responded.

  “I’m putting a supply package together now. Everything you need for a long deployment. It’ll be departing the Scorpio momentarily. Griff out.”

  Jack heaved a sigh of relief. The supplies were on their way. The door at the top of the stairway leading to the roof level opened and the Marines of 1st squad started down the metal stairway. Jack pressed himself out of their way as they came past. The Marines saluted him and thanked him for relieving them for a few moments’ downtime.

  Squad Leader Stone came last and stopped alongside Jack. He leaned on the handrail and looked across the massive, empty space to the opening at the far end.

  “I don’t expect we’ll see much action, sir,” Stone said. “They can’t attack this cannon. It’s too powerful.”

  Jack didn’t agree, but he wasn’t going to spoil young Stone’s break.

  “Go and get your helmet off and have a bite to eat. I don’t know when I’ll next be able to relieve you. Copy?”

  “Copy that, sir,” Stone said. He stepped away from the handrail and went after his squad.

  Jack watched 1st squad file through the rotating airlock into the sealed inner complex where they could escape the confines of their helmet, wipe the sweat from their necks and brows, ruffle their hair, and take a well-earned rest.

  He didn’t agree with Stone’s assessment, though. The planetary defense cannons were powerful and for that very reason, the Chitins were sure to attack them again. They had attacked humans on sight at every opportunity. The cannons were the only obstacle currently in their way of total victory. Jack knew he would face the Chitin soldiers before long. He hoped it would be a long time, but he knew it was inevitable.

  The communication channel opened on Jack’s communicator. It was Major Griff.

  “Got that supply drop ready for you, Jack. Sending down a tac boat. Have your people ready to unload it. Landing at the entrance hangar in fifteen. Griff out.”

  Wishing that he’d had a chance to thank the major, Jack made his way down the stairway to the ground level. The hangar was big enough for the tac boat to fly into, but Jack needed the main entrance door raised for the ship to enter. He connected to the facility’s management protocols and initiated the entrance opening procedure. He then accessed Cobra Company’s communication channel and alerted the Marines.

  “Incoming supply drop. Stand by to unload supplies. Forge out.”

  9

  The hangar door rolled upwards at a slow but steady pace. Dust fell from the door as it rose. The Marines of 7th squad digging the ever-lengthening trench stopped working and looked up as the massive door moved silently upwards.

  Jack walked slowly toward the massive entrance. The entire side of the facility was open to space, the surface of Brecon stretched out to the horizon. The planet Eros was clearly visible in the black sky.

  The tac boat appeared in the far distance. Jack pulled out his field scanner and looked more closely. The tac boat was approaching the moon at a steep angle and with speed. Jack opened a channel to the tac boat.

  “Approaching tac boat, this is Commander Forge, Cobra. I’ve got a visual on your approach. Check your angle and speed.”

  The pilot replied with an annoyed and hostile tone. “Commander, I do not intend to spend any more time out here than necessary. I’ll be in the facility hangar in four minutes.”

  Jack detected the stress in the pilot’s voice. He was piloting a tac boat through space that had only a few hours ago been swarming with Chitin Hydras. He had every right to be nervous and anxious. He didn’t have any right to be irritated with Jack, but he had enough battles ahead of him that he wasn’t going to pick a fight with a frustrated and nervous tac boat pilot.

  Jack walked to the open entrance and watched the tac boat’s approach. The pilot had reached Brecon and was leveling out, flying directly toward the entrance hangar. The ship was still approaching at speed. Jack watched and hoped the pilot would slow down soon. It was becoming uncomfortable viewing.

  Then Jack saw the flash from the surface of the moon. It was bright and short-lived. Jack knew instinctively what it was.

  Before Jack could react, he spotted a second flash. Chitin plasma spears were targeting the tac boat. They slammed into the hull, sending a shower of light and color across the dark horizon of the moon.

  “Contact. Contact.” Jack was running to the newly-dug trench up ahead. “Chitin plasma spears. Take cover.”

  Diving into the trench and keeping a close eye on the approaching tac boat, Jack saw another plasma spear hit the underside of the ship.

  The tac boat began a series of increasingly erratic evasive maneuvers, twisting and turning.

  “Tac boat,” Jack said. “Come in, pilot. Put her down easy and we’ll come and assist.”

  The pilot’s channel was open and Jack could hear the panicked panting and grunting from the pilot as he swung the tac boat around, trying to avoid the ground fire.

  The squad on the roof level opened fire. The squad leaders reported they were engaging the Chits.

  “Chitin plasma spears. Five hundred meters. Returning fire.”

  “Watch your fire,” Jack said. “Don’t hit the tac boat.”

  Jack realized the Chitins that were firing must have been survivors of the Hydras that had landed on the moon only a few hours ago. They must have fallen back and hidden themselves, waiting for a chance to attack. They had found their chance with the incoming tac boat, a target of opportunity for the devious enemy.

  The tac boat climbed away from the surface in a wild evasive maneuver. Two more plasma spears slammed into the rear engine assembly. The tac boat swung toward its starboard side as yet another plasma spear struck its target.

  The explosion from the rear of the tac boat sent a shower of fire and debris to the surface of Brecon. The tac boat lost power and carried on its trajectory, spinning out of control. The path of the spinning and burning wreck had it heading directly toward Jack
and the main entrance hangar.

  “Take cover,” Jack called over the company channel.

  The tac boat dropped suddenly and slammed into the white surface, throwing up rock and dust in a huge billowing cloud before skidding to a halt. Jack looked through his field scanner and filtered out the dust. He saw the tac boat half-buried, two hundred meters out.

  Chitin plasma spears continued to slam into the downed boat. Jack counted the Chitin fire. There could only be two of the Chitin soldiers out there. They had given away their position and they would not escape Jack for long.

  “Sam,” Jack called to Torent. “Get sixth squad ready to move in on those Chits.”

  “You got it, sir. Sixth squad standing by.”

  The dust thrown up by the tac boat came pouring forward and into the entrance hangar. With the door fully open, the dust rolled right in, rolling over the Marines of Cobra Company.

  The plasma spears continued to slam into the crashed tac boat. Jack received a communication from an incoming fighter.

  “Be advised, ground troops. Fighter incoming. I’ve got a lock on that Chit position. Taking the shot now.”

  The fighter craft raced down from the black of space. A plasma spear leapt up from the surface, narrowly missing the sleek fighter. The fighter’s flank cannon lit up and slammed into the ground five hundred meters away. The fighter pulled up and raced away back into the black sky.

  “Enemy position destroyed,” the fighter pilot reported.

  “Thank you,” Jack said. “Good to know the Blades are watching over us.”

  “Copy that, Commander. Blade away.”

  Jack turned his attention to the crashed tac boat. The fire raging on the tac boat was severe and cut through the dust that still hung over the surface of Brecon.

  The sudden explosion of the tac boat cut through the dust, black and red fingers slicing through the white billowing dust cloud in jagged spikes.

  “Cover!” Jack shouted as the debris came clattering over the surface of the moon toward the entrance hangar.