Once more unto the breach,

Continued from here

“Commander, I don’t remember slogging our way through the woods in the dark being in the mission briefing.”

I grimaced. With the Coalition having completely withdrawn from the planet, the Dominion had abandoned their normal patrols and instead had their people moving randomly across our former territory. I hadn’t anticipated that and so our team had been forced to move only at night and through the densest woods toward what the fleet had determined to be the most probable location of Dara’s prison. Fortunately, our escape transport had set down in what the Dominion considered secured territory and was not in any danger of being discovered.

From behind me, a loud thump followed by muffled curses. “You all right Redding?” I asked.

“Tree root caught my foot sir. I’m good.”

I could hear Jay’em chuckling quietly. “I wouldn’t be laughing if I were you Captain. Your nose is still swollen from that limb you clothes lined yourself on.”

He blew a raspberry. “Wasn’t my fault sir, if I hadn’t been helping the Lieutenant over there I would’ve been watching were I was going.” Up ahead, the trooper on point motioned. Instantly, everyone was kneeling with our weapons pointed outward. After a few minutes, he signaled all clear and we continued on our way. Dara’s prison was only another few hours away. By sunrise, we were less than a kilometer from the base perimeter.

I motioned the men into a circle. “Hit now or wait till dark? Dark would be shield us better, but their patrols would be inside as well. Daytime has less defenders and obviously more visibility. I’m open to suggestions.”

Jay’em asked, “Any idea how far out their patrols go? We’d need to consider their response time as well.”

“Fleet intel showed them going as far as two hundred fifty kilometers. That was usually at one quarter and again at three quarters of their patrol. Their closest was only seventy-five kilometers out. Now that they’ve been forced to expand their coverage due to our retreat, analysts estimated they may be as far as four hundred and as close as two hundred kilometers now. Any immediate return would have them using their air transports, which gives us the chance to take them in the air, or force them to land outside our range and come at us from the ground. Either way, we’re looking at about an estimated thirty to forty-five minutes response time.”

“Take ‘em during the day sir! We can’t let Dara stay in there any longer than she has to.” Redding said firmly.

Nods of affirmation came from everyone. I nodded, “Ok then. We wait until twelve hundred hours. Patrols should be at their furthest point.” The team settled in to rest for the next few hours.

When it was time, I gave everyone their orders. “Start with the guard towers, target by numbers left to right. I’ll take the main comm array. Maintain fire until destroyed. Four, Six, once your targets are destroyed, switch to the gate, get us an access point, all other positions cover fire. One and Nine keep an eye out for approaching air support. Everyone fire on my command.” Everyone acknowledged, and started to spread out. I glanced over, “Jay’em, Redding?” Both men looked at me. “Don’t hit any trees.” Both gave me sour looks before heading off to their positions.

I scooted forward; ahead in the clearing was the nearest wall of the base, armed towers regularly spaced across its top. “Squad, ready missile launchers.” As acknowledgements came over the line, I reached down to my belt and activated a different comm. I tapped in one click and waited. One minute later, an answering click sounded followed ten seconds later by another. I smiled, we were ready.

I took a deep breath, this was it. “Fire!” Nine missiles streaked out of the woods simultaneously, guard towers exploded, bodies flew and eight towers were neutralized. The array of antennas and jamming machinery disintegrated. Four more missiles launched and decimated the remaining towers on the facing wall. Jay’em and Redding fired into the gate itself. As the blasts from their shots cleared, I could see that, rather than being heavily damaged, it had barely buckled. Not good. I lifted my own launcher and called over the line, “Three, Seven, hit the gate!” I let my remaining missile fly as well. It remained stubbornly intact. Even as I tried to adjust our battle plan the first defenders appeared on the wall and began firing into our surrounding woods.

“Return fire! Four, if you see a window, get in there and blow that door!” Jay’em responded with a grunt. Even as I said it though, I knew we were in trouble. Minutes passed while we traded fire with the steadily growing number of defenders.

I ducked down into the cover of a rock while battle raged around me. Jay’em landed beside me, “This isn’t working Commander.” A particularly large blast nearby forced us both to shield our faces while dirt and other debris rained down on us.

Redding joined us. “We’re dead unless we retreat sir.”

“Yeah, not what I’d planned. Time for a miracle.” I reached down grabbed the second comm unit. “Hawk to Groundpounder.” Both men looked at me in shock as a calm voice came over the line.

“Groundpounder reads you Hawk, ready for retrieval?

“Negative Bear, requesting air support.”

“Roger that Rogue, Seraphs on the way. Please advise situation.”

“Danger close fire mission, nine man team west of target Alpha. You’re cleared hot.”

“Acknowledged. You want the target razed?”

“Negative Groundpounder, friendlies in area. Targets will be marked.”

“Roger, ETA forty-five seconds.”

I scrambled back to my feet. “We got air support on the way!”

Jay’em yelled after me, “Where they coming from?”

“I told Admiral Sean I needed a surprise. He let me have Commander Bear and Seraph squadron.”

“Nice!”

“Three through Seven, laze targets! Light-riders coming in! Target the gate! Everyone else give us cover fire!”

Bear’s voice sounded over the main line, “Seraphs inbound, attack direction south, target acquired.” From our right a dozen Longbow fighters appeared, flying barely over the treetops. “Seraph One, Fox Two.”

“Seraph Two, Fox Two.” The lead two fighters launched their far more powerful missiles at the gate while the others strafed the towers on the remaining walls. A tremendous explosion blew the gate apart and silenced the defending fire from the wall.

“Squad, move in!” I yelled. The nine of us raced into the breach. A Dominion trooper stumbled out of the dust cloud and was immediately gunned down. “Seraphs, this is Hawk, target penetrated. Request suppression fire.”

“Acknowledged Hawk.”

Redding checked his scanner, “Dara’s beacon is coming from over there sir.” He indicated a building to our left.

“Four, Six, with me. Cover fire!” Redding, Jay’em and I ran to the building while the rest of the team formed into an outward facing semi-circle trading fire with the few defenders still on their feet.

Jay’em dropped to his knees as he arrived at door and began digging in his bag. He attached a small charge onto the door and moved to the side, “Clear!” A puff of smoke and he kicked in the door. “Fire in the hole!” A flash grenade was tossed in. The two Dominion troopers who had been kneeling at the end of the hallway were blown on their backs.

Redding charged in and shot both before they could recover, “Clear sir.” He started checking cells on both sides of the corridor. “Our people sir, alive but they’re not in good shape.”

As Jay’em took a position by the door, I started checking cells as well. “Get them out Redding, everyone’s going home. Hawk to Seraphs, we’ve picked up passengers, get our ride in here.” About halfway down the hall I opened the door and looked in. She lay on the ground, unmoving. I dove in, checked her vitals then closed my eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. “Jay’em, Redding, I’ve got her! She’s alive!”

Jay’em called back, “Our ride’s here Commander, time to go!” Under cover of the Seraphs, our squad mates had fallen back to the detention building and were helping carry the prisoners to the waiting transport.

I pulled Dara’s arm over my shoulders and hauled her to her feet.

Redding yelled back, “You’re the last one Commander, move it!”

Dara stirred as we limped back toward the door. She opened her eyes, focused on me. I smiled at her, “Sorry to be rough Major. But the MPs will be here any minute.”

A weak grin came to her face, “Took you long enough.”

“Blame Jay’em, he ran into a tree.”

“He’s here too?”

“And Redding and Bear, we weren’t going to leave you here.”

“Bear?”

“Oh come on Major, you remember that hotshot pilot who flew cover for us at Arneb?”

We stumbled into the transport. I let Dara down gently onto a padded bench then took my seat as the transport blasted off. I could see the Seraphs assume an escort formation around us. I swung my gaze over my fellow passengers, the survivors of the captured squad and all nine of my rescue team. No losses. I smiled and leaned back. Not a bad day. Redding and Jay’em were talking to Dara and I could see the smile on her face. We were together again. We’d be back, I knew. The Dominion hadn’t seen the last of us.