A Deep Sleep (Valhalla Book 1) (6 page)

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“Captain Danford, Colonel Cain here. What’s your status, we are starting receive increased fire here. My forward elements have linked up with Lt Digg’s company but we’ve all been shot up pretty badly. Fleet says that we sho…” A high pitched screech blotted out the Colonel and the suit reduced the volume to prevent damage to its systems or his more fragile ears.

“What the hell just happened?” Danford’s question was partly rhetorical as he suspected he knew the answer. His AI answered it anyway.

“It appears to be a very high powered jamming field. This suggests either a fixed unit or rather large mobile unit. Given the difficulty of moving such a unit on a battlefield and the likelihood of interdiction by orbital assets, I suspect a multi-jammer arrangement of both fixed and mobile jammers to create a wide area effect.”

“Yes, thank you.” Danford said caustically, annoyed again by his AI’s literality. “Contact Colonel Summers, I need to know what’s going on.”

“You are connected with Colonel Summers aboard
Guadalcanal
.” Danford hesitated for a second, he wasn’t used to talking to someone of such high rank, but then he pressed on.

“Colonel Summers, sir. I’ve just lost contact with Lieutenant Colonel Cain. His elements had just linked up with 3
rd
Company before we were subjected to a high powered, wide area jamming field.”

“Same thing just happened to us Captain. We’re trying to localize them now. We’re also seeing what might be troop movements but it is hard to tell. We don’t have great coverage right now, they enemy is interdicting our coverage with some sort of fog.” Summers sounded troubled. She could see what looked like troops moving, but that wasn’t enough to launch a strike so close to friendly positions in a degraded ISR environment. On top of that, the first wave of reinforcements couldn’t be launched because she had no idea what they would be sent into. “Just hold on down there Captain, we’ll figure this out.”

“Yes sir, we’ll hold.”

“I know you will Captain. Summers out.” The connection ended.

Danford thought over his options for a moment, then called up Sergeant Gilson again. He was beginning to realize just how valuable she was. She was invaluable at motivating his people while also keeping them from getting something vital blown off.

“Gilson, how many sensor drones and LOS comm drones remain?” The Line-Of-Sight comm drones were relatively simple affairs, capable of maintaining a laser link with their launcher or other designated point all through their flight path so long as they didn’t travel beyond the horizon or other obstacle. As they flew, they scanned in a pre-programmed pattern to look for friendly LOS comm units on suits of armor or other friendly assets. In a jammed environment, standard procedure was for these units to be searching the sky for just such drones. While they couldn’t reestablish communications, a burst transmission could be passed between the units and several snapshots of the two side’s tactical maps could also be exchanged.

“Sir, the company has twelve sensor drones and just about our full load of LOS comm drones, eighteen exactly sir.” Gilson’s reply was quick and sharp.

“I want to launch four of the sensor drones in a high launch profile, full evasion sequence. Then launch twelve of the LOS comm drones over our formation towards Lt Colonel Cain’s position. I need to know what’s going on.”

“Yes sir, I’ll have the launch ready in thirty seconds.” Gilson had obviously predicted just such an order. It took at least fifteen seconds to unpack a drone and another five to get it ready for launch. Assuming the marine with the drones was standing at the ready when the order came in. Programming the launch sequence and order would take about thirty seconds more.

“Let me know just before you launch. Your discretion on the launch profile for the comm drones.” Danford looked back at the tactical plot. His AI had the projected jamming field radius on his display as a light grey overtone. Through his suit speakers he could hear sounds of fighting, but that was to be expected. He really had no idea what was going on.

Suddenly, his visor auto-darkened. Danford’s head still snapped in the rough direction of Colonel Cain and most of the rest of the battalion on pure reflex. His visor cleared even before his head was fully turned. He knew what he was going to see but it was still like getting hit in the chest by a truck. Just on the edge of the horizon was a mushroom cloud forming in the clear morning sky.

“Captain,” His AI had already processed the data and knew Danford would want some information. “the detonation appears consistent with the previous PRC nuclear strike. The only difference is that this time the yield was closer to six kt.”

“Captain Danford, Gilson here sir. We’re ready to launch on your signal.” Gilson still sounded solid, but he could hear the increased stress level and concern. They were the only people outside the jamming zone. 1
st
Company and Hanford’s heavily depleted 2
nd
Company, Diggs and the Lt Colonel, not to mention 3
rd
, 4
th
, and 5
th
Company were all inside the zone. Danford had one more asset though, Lt Kim’s RASAT.

“Gilson, you may launch. Please patch the feed through to Lt Kim and her 2
nd
Lt Ramirez from the RASAT.” After Gilson acknowledged his order he switched to the RASAT commander’s line. “Lt Kim. You should be receiving a feed from some drones I am about to launch. I don’t expect to get anything useful from the sensor drones, but they are just a distraction. I am also launching a spread of LOS comm drones. Hopefully we’ll get a snapshot picture that gives us something to act on. In that event, how many of your RASAT are combat effective? I would like your unit to spearhead the attack. If we don’t take down those jammers we’re going to have a hell of a time maintaining our position.

“Yes sir, I understand. I have twenty-seven effectives, not including myself. I got clipped earlier. I can hold the line sir, but I’ll just slow my unit down.” Danford thought she was trying to tell herself she couldn’t go forward more than informing him. “2
nd
Lt Ramirez will be leading them sir. They can be moving in under thirty seconds from your command. Point us in a direction and we’ll wreck it, sir.”

“Of that, I have no doubt Lieutenant.” Danford paused for a moment. “How are things around the port?”

“Quiet sir. The entire force appears to have pulled back. We’re still receiving a fair volume of rocket and mortar fire, but it is just keeping us from crossing the open areas on our flanks towards the enemy positions. No counterattack apparent. The volume of fire and dispersed nature does preclude bringing down the heavy shuttles though, sir. They’d just get shot up on approach. I suspect they have a few marksmen with high-powered rifles just waiting for us to try.”

“Very well. Move your RASAT element up to this position, my people will cover the lines we have in the port.” Danford highlighted a spot near Hanford’s line, just outside the jammer range.

“Drone feed coming in now Captain.” His AI brought up the display. The sensor drones were feeding in data, but mostly only over their own position. As they crossed Hanford’s position they began to be blotted out by enemy AA fire. One drone survived long enough to send back a decent picture. The position where Digg’s had anchored his right flank was a melee, though without transponder codes it was difficult to tell who was winning. As the drone died, the LOS drones also began to suffer losses. At first, Danford was afraid that none of them would survive long enough to make a connection, but as the count dropped to two they connected. Lt Colonel Cain’s suit found and locked onto the drone. Captain Danford glanced at the data and paled. The battalion line was broken in at least four places. Data was broken up, with only about half of the marine armored suits inside the jamming being connected together by LOS. They were enough, however, to show that the enemy had launched an attack of overwhelming strength. There were at least twenty-five hundred armored troops inside the jamming zone. Even at full strength, the three companies inside the zone only had a strength of just under six hundred. Diggs had launched at well under that strength and they had all been fighting since they hit dirt a day ago. Four-to-one odds were not pleasant for exhausted men and women. He glanced to the top left to look at the flashing red indicator and his stomach jumped again. Just as the last LOS drone died he received a final update from Lt Colonel Cain’s suit. The suit was heavily damaged and non-ambulatory, with severe enough damage to both itself and the occupant that it was entering hibernation mode. Knowing Cain he’d override the command, but he’d have to be conscious and cognizant to do that. For the time being, Captain Danford was in command of 3
rd
Battalion. Danford realized he only had one choice on his next action. The battalion wasn’t in danger of being overrun, it had been overrun.

“Get me a channel to fleet, Colonel Summers and OT.” It took a second for the AI to set up the link.

“Connected, Colonel Summers is on the line, as well as Orbital Targeting, as per request.”

“Broken Arrow, I repeat Broken Arrow. This is Captain Danford, temporary command of 3
rd
Battalion. We are operating in a jam intensive environment and require immediate support. Available intelligence is transmitted with this request.” Danford made sure his AI attached all the data they had collected from their drones and frontline Marines to the transmission. The tac net meant that everyone in orbit should already have the data, but he’d rather make certain and know they saw it. This wasn’t a moment to make a mistake like that.

Danford’s Broken Arrow threw multiple things into action. Colonel Summers would be prepping for an opposed landing, should the situation stabilize enough to risk more troops, but she’d already been doing that so she didn’t have to take any additional actions. The real change was for the fleet assets in orbit.
Guadalcanal
and her sister ship
Truk
would be rotating to face the planet and dig deep into the upper atmosphere. Her escorts would follow suit. In a few minutes, all hell was going to break loose. Danford switched to the Battalion channel, though that only consisted of two depleted companies and one depleted RASAT at the moment.

“This is Captain Danford. Broken Arrow protocols are in effect. Those jammers are still going to make this difficult. With our LOS drone flight we are getting close to a triangulation, so the fleet will go for those first. Once they go down, the RASAT will spearhead our push into the zone. Watch for incoming kinetic strikes and stay the fuck out of those zones.  Remember, kinetic strikes don’t care if you’re friendly or not. They’re hostile to everything living and most things not. The lines in there are a mess so we aren’t going to try and have any ourselves. This will be a close ranged brawl. Remember, our brothers and sisters are going through the ringer in there and they’re counting on us to have their back. We’re not going to let them down.” Danford couldn’t hear it but, all across the line, the marines let out a howl. They were ready and no amount of sleep deprivation or exhaustion was going to slow them down, not while their own were trapped out there.

“Stim injection, standard dose.” Danford barked at his AI. It complied, though Danford suspected it would get on him about sleep and too many stims before too long.

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In orbit, Flag Captain Ledger had already received full launch authority from the Admiral. She was authorized free-fire authority with all conventional ordnance until the commander on the ground was satisfied. Colonel Summers had already confirmed approval for a Broken Arrow, not that any Marine officer worth their oxygen would ever deny an on-scene commander’s request for Broken Arrow. They didn’t train their people to invoke them in anything but the direst of circumstances and Ledger had seem some fights where they were warranted but not called in. Marines were a special kind of crazy determined, giving ‘never say die’ a new depth of meaning.
Guadalcanal
was in the upper atmosphere now, firing her forward position and braking thrusters continuously to stay in orbit.

“Forward magazines prepare for rapid fire, targeting profile as locked into the computer.” Ledger faced straight forward. She knew many marines quite well and she knew how serious a Broken Arrow situation was. Nobody wished for it, but when it did occur the marines on the ground knew Navy had their back. She also knew that she was about to kill some Marines, maybe a lot of Marines. Broken Arrow removed danger close restrictions. If the ground commander called in a location, she engaged it without checking the transponders for friendlies. The code was only for situations where the unit being overrun was judged likely to be destroyed without an orbital bombardment to stop the enemy assault.

Captain Danford had sent a target list for this strike that was calling in strikes inside the lines that had existed prior to the jamming. Ledger was hoping to clear up the picture by hitting the jammers, of which three had now been localized. There were probably a number of mobile units, but the three they had been able to identify appeared to be stationary once they got eyes on from one of the destroyer’s optical sensors. That same destroyer was engaging as she watched the display, the computer generating a dotted blue line connecting the destroyer to her targets on the planetary surface.