Gabriel Landowski

CHAPTER VII

The village started out as an outpost on the edge of two frontiers. To the west was an awesome valley carved by a river flowing due east which marked the southern border of the settlement. The water merged with another river from the north, which made the eastern border, and then both flowed to the south. From the north, steep rock faces that were nearly impossible for any man to climb, ran south and parallel to the western bank of the water. To the east, as far as the eye could see, was a steppe of shoulder high bluegrass.

The drop ship Joker landed several miles north of the town, along a path that led to their destination. The idea was to preserve the shock effect of the ships for as long as possible. Regardless, Kyle was sure someone would see the screaming beasts land and the legend of dragons would persist.

The overall plan had each of the three drop ships making an insertion to the north, south, and west of the village which would allow for first hand reconnaissance of the terrain. Leaders took meticulous notes as their patrols plodded through the rough, broken ground of the foothills toward their objective. The southernmost group crossed a series of rough wooden bridges that spanned the valley river just before it merged with the other bordering the steppe.

Lieutenant Taylor had officially reorganized the company into two separate task forces of three platoons each. The first task force was composed of one platoon of troopers and two platoons of rangers who were left behind to guard the main post and interior of the valley. The second was composed of two platoons of troopers and one of rangers that would be deployed to defend the mountain pass from the advance of the Horde.

The organization of the Pass Task Force made sense to Kyle as it allowed two modern platoons to fight forward with the ranger platoon held in reserve. This enabled the natives to plug gaps in the line as well as free them up for special missions as needed. Holly selected the squad position along a ridge that led up to where the mortars would be deployed. The location of the holes would cover the rear approaches to the village and provide over-watch of the two platoons which were in line on the eastern slope of the village.

The natives, with the help of the villagers, dug their fighting positions. Holly was ordered to provide a security screen out in the tall grass to the east. The rangers, arranged in a wide arc, allowed for the detection of infiltration parties that might be probing ahead of the main enemy advance.

Kyle noted more often that his equipment was starting to show signs of wear and tear from extended field use. In the event that communications failed altogether, the rangers were instructed to fire on any enemy sighted, and withdraw while remaining in contact if practical. Any uninvolved rangers would immediately file down their side of the screen and exfiltrate to the defensive perimeter. There the natives would wait for those in contact to make their way out while providing cover fire as needed. The ranger platoon would then pass through the other two platoons in order to occupy battle positions to the rear of the main defensive line.

Holly kept in contact with the squad leaders via the helmet radios for most of the deployment into the steppe. He kept the platoon frequency in their right ear and task force frequency in their left. Occasionally Kyle heard Percy on the task force band as a radio operator stuck in headquarters. Kyle smiled at the thought of the sergeant invisibly chained to a transmitter where he could do the least harm.

By rights the son of a bitch should be dead.

On the morning of the second day Kyle walked his picket line when the task force frequency crackled to life in his left ear.

"TITAN 6, this is JOKER, OVER."

Kyle halted mid stride to listen as one of the drop ships called from high overhead. Even though he knew he would not be able to see it, Kyle looked skyward anyway.

"JOKER, this is TITAN 6 ZULU, go ahead, OVER."

The voice of Sergeant Percy was easy to distinguish.

"6 ZULU, Contact report follows, prepare to copy, OVER."

After brief moment of silence, Percy spoke again.

"Go ahead JOKER, OVER."

"Approximately one thousand November Mike Echo; Grid Foxtrot Bravo fo-wer fo-wer tew, six fife tew; Moving Sierra Whiskey on a heading of tew tew fife degrees Mike. They look like mounted cavalry and appear to be moving at a fast march pace, OVER."

A thousand enemy cavalry were spotted somewhere to the northeast and bearing down on the ranger screen. Based on the grid reference, Kyle looked at his map and figured the Horde to be no more than fifteen kilometers away. Percy read back the contact report to the pilot who confirmed it.

"6 ZULU, tell your actual that at their current rate of speed they will over take your ROMEO elements before they can make it back to the nest. JOKER requesting fire mission for harassment and interdiction, OVER."

The pilot wanted to use the mortars to break up and slow the enemy cavalry in order to give the rangers time to make it back to the main defense line in the village. Kyle stared off to the northeast as he listened, even though the source of the contact was well beyond anything he might have been able to observe. In front of him was nothing but flat kilometers of man high grass for as far as the eye could see. Somewhere out there a large force of mounted raiders wandered toward him.

Kyle had his rangers posted on small knolls they had made from stacks of sod cut out of the steppe. The slight elevation helped a little with visibility, but still they were not very high. If the bad guys knew where the ranger positions were, they could easily dismount and crawl undetected between the observation posts. Holly figured the Horde mentality was based on safety in numbers and a reliance on brute strength rather than stealth. This meant the enemy would most likely remain mounted and visible to a drop ship perched overhead. When Kyle inquired as to why the rangers were still being deployed in a screen Holly reminded him that 'likely' did not mean 'definitely'.

The task force net crackled again.

'JOKER, this is STEEL 6 ZULU, send your fire mission, OVER."

It was on!

STEEL was the call sign for the mortars on the ridge behind the town. Kyle wished that he could see what was about to unfold. Apparently the Lieutenant had approved the fire mission request. Some dog mounted hostiles were about to get pounded into chopped meat. The platoon frequency crackled in his right ear.

"ALL ROMEO elements, this is ROMEO 6. Move to Phase Line Charlie, I say again move to Phase Line Charlie, acknowledge, OVER."

Holly had ordered the ranger patrols to pull back to the defensive line just east of the village as there was no need for the early warning patrols anymore. When it was his turn, Kyle acknowledged the order and set off at a quick pace toward the next observation mound.

On the task force frequency the fire mission was underway. The pilot of Joker finished his initial request and adjusted the first spotting round onto the target.

"Add 1200, Right 800, OVER."

Kyle cringed as the initial spotting round was well off the mark. At the extreme distance of over fifteen kilometers, it was understandable since the only fire support available to the defense was the organic company mortars. Regardless, it was an impressive range to be able to reach when attempting to kill the enemy. Wilcox, in the mortar Fire Direction Center , echoed back the adjustment request to the drop ship pilot.

Kyle stopped moving long enough to listen for the mortars firing the adjusted round. Even though he strained, the only sound he heard was the soft wind moving the thick blades of grass dancing around him. He continued to hustle toward Taulk and the others.

"Drop 400, and Fire For Effect, OVER!"

"Drop 400, and Fire For Effect, OUT."

The second spotting round landed close enough to the enemy. The pilot was not going to try and bracket the target with a third adjusted round, and took a shortcut for the quick kill. Kyle came upon his first observation mound and ordered one of the rangers to spread the word down the line to Taulk. Everyone was to file back immediately and head for Phase Line Charlie as soon as possible.

As Kyle paused to catch his breath, he briefly thought about the dogs who panted their way under masters toward the death that was soon to find them. The riders probably heard the initial spotting rounds and saw the marking smoke, but they could not possibly know what was headed their way until it was too late.

Boy, are they in for a rude awakening!

"JOKER, 6 ZULU, Wun Tew rounds, OVER."

"Roger, Wun Tew rounds, OUT."

The wind died down at that moment as if it knew a show was about to start. Kyle raised a hand to silence Teek who nervously studied the tall grass to their front. Kyle turned to the distant west to listen for the distinctive sound of twelve mortar shells leaving their tubes. A compression round assist helped to make the journey to the extreme range of the weapon's capability. Kyle could barely hear the faint but distinct sound of the firing.

*poomb* *poomb* *p-p-poomb* *p-poomb* *p-p-p-poomb* *poomb*

Wilcox came back on the company frequency.

"JOKER, Rounds Complete, OVER."

"Roger, Rounds Complete, OUT."

The mission had been fired and the mortar shells arced their way toward the target. Kyle leaned back and stared straight into the sky as he searched for the black dots which sailed over his position. Teek stood nearby and looked questioningly toward the strange sound coming from the village, and then copied Kyle as he scanned the air above them.

"Corporal, what are you looking for?"

Kyle realized his search was futile at such a range and turned to the young native. He could see the nervousness on the face of the warrior and forgot that his rangers had no helmet radios, and were thus unaware of what was happening.

It's hard being the lowest guy on the totem pole and having no clue what was going on.

"Sorry Teek, I forget to keep you guys updated about things that I hear on the radio. We have large rifles called mortars which were firing at the lead elements of the Horde. When the big projectiles from the mortars hit the ground they explode into hundreds of little projectiles and kill everything around them."

Teek appeared surprised to learn of such a thing. Kyle reflected on the incomplete training his rangers had received, and wished he had had more time to prepare them. Unfortunately, The One had decided not to accommodate them and started his attack several weeks too early. Teek looked curious.

"Where are these mortars?"

Kyle jerked his thumb over his shoulder, back toward the pass.

"Remember where we dug our position in the village? Higher up on that same ridge. The mortars are firing their projectiles at a high angle all the way over there."

Kyle pointed in a rough northeast direction.

"Somewhere out there is a large group of Horde riders headed this way. One of the dragons is telling the mortars where to shoot in order to break up the enemy before they can reach us."

Teek appeared to consider the distance to the village. Then he turned and looked out past where Kyle had pointed.

"Mortars can sling projectiles that far?"

Kyle nodded his head and grinned at Teek who wore a mask of disbelief.

"There are bigger guns that can sling much larger projectiles even further than that. Unfortunately we didn't have any of those with us when we arrived on your planet."

Teek was stunned.

"Even further than the mortars?!"

Kyle tilted his head in the native fashion.

It's got to be a lot for his mind to process. Then again they are like children learning of our world for the first time. Once you explain things to them they seem to accept it and move on.

Teek looked perplexed as he scanned the sky around them.

"Where is the dragon now?"

Kyle laughed slightly as he pointed straight up.

"Somewhere up there beyond our visible range. They float in the air and tell us the movement of the enemy so that we can make better plans to defeat them."

Kyle watched as the young ranger scanned the heavens above for the drop ship. Teek started to ask another question but Kyle silenced him with a gesture as the task force frequency crackled once more.

"6 ZULU, RIGHT 200, Fire for Effect, OVER!"

Wilcox echoed back the adjustment. From the sound of it Kyle figured the pilot waited for the cavalry survivors to regroup and shifted the adjustment right on top of them. Kyle used pieces of sod on the ground to help explain to Teek what was happening.

"Okay, the dragon just asked for the mortars to fire more projectiles at the enemy, but in a different spot."

Kyle then pointed back toward the village and waited expectantly.

*poomb* *p-p-poomb* *p-poomb* *p-p-p-poomb* *poomb* *poomb*

Kyle imagined the devastation to the battle hardened raiders on the receiving end. He contemplated the angry buzz of the metal shards, blown at high speed, piercing men and dog as easily as a knife through butter. The result of such an attack was a completely shredded and scattered enemy. There was no way to fully describe the effect to Teek, so Kyle did not try. He made a mental note to get his rangers up to speed with the Call for Fire procedures when they resumed their training.

I'll have to show them a little example later on. That is, if we make it out of here in one piece!

As his rangers trickled in, Kyle continued to monitor the mortar fight against the cavalry. Joker continued to work the pattern of fire that he had used earlier. It was a truly brutal tactic to use against an enemy who grouped together for mental safety, inadvertently providing a bulls-eye to strike.

Kyle signaled the squad to move out. The rangers each glanced at his face trying to read how the fighting went. Teek explained what he had learned to the others, but he was clearly frustrated by his own inability when it came to answering their questions. Kyle counted each of his rangers as they quickly filed by. Bringing up the rear he ensured that no one was left behind.

I'm down to nine now. I wonder how many I'll have left tomorrow?

As the patrol made its way toward the low, dark foothills the firing of the mortar tubes grew louder. Kyle kept a sharp eye out for the shapes of raiders in the tall grass. It was possible for some advance scouts to have made it that far on foot, and he vowed never to be surprised again. Briefly he touched the torn copy of The Killer Angels in his pocket where he had kept it ever since that day.

By the time the squad moved a kilometer toward the village perimeter, Joker called an end to the fire mission which silenced the mortars. The pilot estimated a body count of around six hundred enemy cavalry. The rest scattered into small groups that fled to the north and east. For all intents and purposes, the unit ceased to exist as an effective fighting force.

The squad spent the next half hour making their way back through the grass. They paused long enough for Kyle to set up trip flare wires behind them at specified intervals. When the patrol neared the village the vegetation suddenly stopped. It had been cut flat for half a kilometer in every direction, radiating out from the river junction. The villagers who stayed behind removed any concealment the enemy might utilize in order to sneak up on the defensive perimeter. Eager to keep their skin on their bodies and their homes intact, the men worked tirelessly with their scythes and carried the stacks of cut grass behind the village to be used as forage for livestock.

Kyle called in a situation report to Holly and informed the platoon leader that the squad had reached the site identified as part of Phase Line Charlie. This was a trace of the edge of the cut portion of the steppe. Holly acknowledged and instructed Kyle to continue into the defense network to occupy the assigned squad positions. Up the slope leading to the ridge, he made out the mortar positions against the mountains in the distance.

As the squad made its way closer to the village they passed through a series of angled split log spikes sticking up from the ground. The tips were sharpened and meant to impale any cavalry that attempted to charge straight across the low flowing river in order to hit the east side of the defenses. Behind the spikes was the bank of the river from which any sort of large cover had been removed. Although the flowing water was shallow enough to wade across, the slippery stones, which lined the bed, made for treacherous footing. This would provide another obstacle to infiltration and direct assault.

The river bank closest to the village was covered by a series of machinegun positions. These were located where they would provide maximum grazing effect of the projectiles by firing them a meter off the ground for the distance of the mowed grass. The penetration power of these heavier throwers would be more effective at cutting down the large dogs that were sure to fill the plain.

Above these machineguns were the individual fighting positions for the rest of the respective platoons. They were placed in a lazy zigzag pattern around the edge of the village to form the main line of defense. The arrangement of the holes allowed for mutual fire support to each of the neighboring positions, while providing cover and concealment from enemy observation and arrows. Most importantly, the platoons would be able to fire on anything that approached the machine gunners, keeping those critical weapons safe from being overrun.

All of the fighting positions had overhead cover made from dirt piled on thick tree trunks, which gave good frontal overhang. This meant that an arrow had to be fired at a flat trajectory in order to enter the firing aperture. Enemy bolts loosed from across the river would arc too high in their flight and strike the overhang or the ground in front of the troopers. If the enemy closed in for a melee, it would be forced to lean into the muzzles of carbine fire in order to reach the occupants.

The village itself had also been prepared for the coming battle. All roads and trails that led to the buildings were blocked by sharpened felled trees known as abatis. These protections were under observation and fire of the troopers in the defensive positions. The women, children, and elderly were moved under armed escort away from the village itself and taken to a temporary camp further to the west. A unit of scouts was assigned the responsibility of protecting the civilians until it was safe to return home. The able-bodied men formed militia units. They were armed with crude pikes and would concentrate on manning the buildings of the village which were converted to impromptu forts.

The rangers passed through the anti-cavalry fence and by way of a narrow log bridge covered with a layer of gravel, crossed the shallow river. The Lieutenant had ordered all other crossings removed, and had left this one intact to help draw the enemy advance into the main kill sack of the defensive plan. After all friendly units were west of the river, the gravel would be removed and grease applied to the timbers. This would make for a visually tempting passage point that would be less than cooperative once gained.

As the squad crossed over the flowing water, Kyle could see the troopers of the regular platoons working in, and around, their fighting positions on the eastern slope, just outside of the village. Someone stood on top of a machinegun bunker and waved. Kyle returned the greeting unsure who it was at that distance.

They walked up the main trail to the first outlying buildings of the village and wove their way through a series of additional abatis obstacles meant for just that purpose. Once the rest of the defenders were finished outside of the perimeter they, too, would pass through this same point. The main road that led up to the barricade would then be blocked with additional abatis.

The barricade itself was a high wall of earth and logs manned by a unit of militia. The local men kept watch at the entrance of the village searching for any spies that might try to mingle with the population. These guards stared at Kyle and the rangers as they passed through the gate giving only a slight dip of the head in acknowledgement. Occupation of the village by all the rangers and troopers of the task force must have unnerved the townsfolk, but Kyle also understood their fear of the alternative. A visit by the Horde would be devastating. He glanced down at his own combat load as he trudged up the trail and his eyes fell to Neel's dagger which was sheathed under his left arm.

Kyle instructed Taulk to lead the squad to its position while he stopped in to report to the task force command post. Headquarters was situated in the corner of a large walled-off courtyard which had originally been intended as a safe haven for the villagers. For the upcoming fight the solid stone structure would serve to protect the nerve center of the defense, and serve as an Alamo if the need arose.

A new corporal took the report and made an entry in the task force log. Kyle wondered silently who would read the log book years from now, if it survived that long at all. As he glanced up, he caught Percy who briefly looked at him from where he sat in front of a transmitter. In apparent disregard the sergeant simply went back to his work. Kyle just smiled and headed out the way in which he had come.

It's probably best that he isn't going to be near me for the fight, else I know where my first two shots would have gone. �

When he arrived in the platoon assembly area Kyle checked on the rangers. They conducted personal maintenance and inspected their ammo, medical, and food supplies for the upcoming battle. He was not sure how long the engagement would last, but once they got into their holes he was going to do his damnedest to make sure they had no reason to get out.

With one last look back over his defenses, he watched the last of the ranger patrols filter in across the area of cut grass and head for the foot bridge. Kyle knew it was only a matter of time before the next people coming from that direction would do their very best to kill him.

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