Commando City: A World at War Novel (World at War Online Book 7) (9 page)

“That also exposes them to AA fire for much longer,” Karen pointed out.

“I know, but coming in right toward the drop zone means there's going to be a lot less space, and that means a lot less margin for error.”

“I agree with that,” Anna said. “Besides, the reconnaissance photos indicate that there's four main points where the enemy forces are concentrated.” She stepped forward to the display and grabbed a stylus. “Here, around the University, down here at the hospital, here at Grover Heights, and here at Halyard Park.”

“I don't see any names marked there,” Danny said.

“They're just a label we used,” Liz said. “What would be there in the real world. Accounting for scaling and things like that, of course.”

“At any rate, that means if we're careful about our flight paths we shouldn't run into any trouble,” Anna cut in. “That gives us the best landing zone, a supply route and a decent margin for error.”

“We just have to be sure we can pull it off,” Selene noted.

“Yes, that is our one challenge.”

And the only way to overcome that was more training.

W
eeks of preparation
and many practice drops had led up to this point. Ghost Battalion's troops had repeatedly honed their skills, making themselves capable of landing within a small, confined area with little room for error. They could do it in the wide open fields south of Indianapolis. Now, it was time to make sure they could pull it off in an urban area.

Nora leaned against the side of the Colossus, feeling the hum of the engines vibrating the fuselage. In a few minutes her section would be dropping into the Eagle Creek District for their final practice run.

She turned her gaze toward the pair of Gazelles sitting in the hold, strapped onto their pallets with parachutes at the ready. The command section had hitched a ride on this particular transport, since the others were full with troops from the various platoons that made up the battalion. This plane didn't have a lot of extra space, but it was enough for a few more passengers.

“It's been a while,” Liz said as Nora met her gaze. “Remember the last time we performed a landing here?”

“I remember that we had to spearhead the assault that time too,” she replied with a smile. “Or rather, Selene and Danny had to do it. I was kind of along for the ride until we got off the beach. And of course, we're in the lead again.”

The choice for the initial landing went to either Black Wolf or Barghest, since they were the ones best suited for intense combat. Black Wolf, depending on perspective, had either the luck or misfortune of being chosen to land first, after Spectre's pathfinders secured the drop zone.

That had always been the case. Black Wolf and Redd Foxx were the two most veteran companies in the battalion, and Black Wolf had an extensive history of acting as assault troops when needed. They didn't have the sheer brute strength or staying power of a pure infantry company like Sacred Sword or Marauder, but they could overcome most defenses with a combination of skill, smarts and well-timed ferocity. That marked them as one of the elite companies within the region, let alone the alliance.

But that also meant that they were in danger of taking heavy casualties every time they went into a fight. Black Wolf Company had suffered horribly during the last few months, having to constantly retrain to keep their edge after so many of them had been killed in combat. Replacements weren't coming in very vast either, due to their strict recruiting requirements. Anyone wanting to join Ghost Battalion had to pass the ranger challenge in the battledomes. It ensured they only received especially skilled recruits, but it also slowed their growth.

In fact, Black Wolf had only about seventy members at the moment, while companies like Crimson Eagle, Marauder and Grizzly had well over one hundred. Sacred Sword was nearing two hundred members and the other companies were growing, leaving Ghost as the smallest battalion in the alliance.

And even then, Black Wolf lacked the numbers of the other line companies within their own battalion. Barghest and Redd Foxx now had more members, and Spectre was quickly catching up to them. Part of that was because the others had been away from the main areas of fighting and were able to integrate newer troops into their ranks. Black Wolf had been stuck on the front lines for months, and had refused to add any new members during that time to avoid breaking unit cohesion.

That was fine, except with the amount of attrition they were taking, Black Wolf and Ghost as a whole might become severely understrength. Nora was almost certain they'd suffer badly during combat in the Shorewood District, and even if they won they would need to take a considerable amount of time to refit and reorganize.

“Three minutes out from the drop zone,” the pilot said over the radio link.

Zach's voice spoke out next. “Switch to the radio for communication.”

Nora made a few adjustments in her wrist menu. They might be able to talk fine now, but once the ramp opened it would be a different story.

“Hope we don't land on top of them,” Anna commented offhandedly.

“Hm?” Nora asked.

“I hope we don't end up landing on the troops that have already dropped,” she repeated. “That has to be the worst way to lose part of a squad.”

“Shouldn't be much of a problem,” Zach chimed in. “Selene said that as long as we perform the radio call before we drop they'll be alert. Plus, it's going to be really hard to not notice a gigantic shadow falling on top of you.”

“Yeah, if you're looking up. But it's a different story when you're engaged.” Anna pointed out.

That concern was very real, and they were taking steps to address that today. None of their previous landings had been opposed for the sake of simplicity, but it meant the paratroopers lacked the same sense of urgency they'd need during actual combat. During this training mission, however, they would have opposition on the ground.

To properly simulate what Ghost Battalion would face, they had an opposing force waiting for them on the ground. Hephaestus Company had rounded up a platoon, adding most of the new recruits still training in the south before heading north to the front lines. They didn't have the combat abilities of veteran combat troops, but then again they'd be facing NPCs in the Shorewood District.

And while they couldn't simulate live fire, the Hephaestus contingent could at least take up positions and force them to adjust. Spectre and then Black Wolf would have to clear the drop zone for the next incoming units, otherwise they would likely be torn apart as they descended.

Once they had enough clear area the next wave would land, starting with their section. Code named Hermes, their Colossus would drop a pair of Gazelles into the battle zone, followed by the command staff and then supplies and ammunition on a separate pallet. Once they were on the ground they could quickly unpack the vehicles and have them ready for combat within a few seconds.

“Two minutes out,” the pilot warned.

“It's going to be odd, having actual armored vehicles to back us up,” Zach said. “Hats off to Hephaestus Company for getting them up and running so fast.”

“Just as long as we don't overestimate their capabilities,” Anna warned. “We're only bringing four, and I don't want to have them all blown up at the start of the battle.”

Nora agreed. Having armored support would be a luxury they were rarely afforded, but they couldn't afford to be careless with it. The Gazelles could only stand up to small arms fire, and one good shot from an RPG or a high caliber gun would turn them to scrap in an instant. They would need to be cautious, working in tandem with the infantry.

“We just have to make sure we get on the ground,” Zach said. “That's the most important thing right now. Too bad we don't have heavy lift helos, but I don't think they're going to be in the pipeline for a while.”

“Something like that would probably take some time,” Nora agreed. “I mean, I have no doubts Hephaestus can pull it off, but we shouldn't be taking time away from the rest of the alliance when we have other alternatives.”

And that was all part of the balancing act. Ghost Battalion might not have numbers, but by and large they had received the lion's share of new equipment. From helicopters to river craft, transport planes to assault rifles and everything in between, their unit was on the cutting edge. And while she appreciated every bit of that, Hephaestus also needed to spend time on weaponry that would benefit the frontline infantry as well.

“One minute out,” the pilot warned.

“Here goes nothing,” Anna commented, standing up and making one last check of her parachute.

Unlike the other planes, which used static lines to automatically deploy round parachutes, they were using ram air parachutes that had to be deployed manually. They could be steered better as well, allowing them to place themselves on target with far greater ease. Normally, there would be a danger of collisions, but with so few of them dropping that was virtually nonexistent.

Nora checked her own harness and then watched as the ramp started to deploy. She could see nothing but sky at first, and then the green fields and forests appeared as it lowered into position. Then that landscape suddenly disappeared as they passed over the Eagle Creek Reservoir.

“Brings back memories, doesn't it,” Zach commented.

“Stay focused,” Anna warned. “We need to drop on target and get these unpacked as soon as possible.”

First it would be the Gazelles, then the supplies, and finally them, since they could control their descent. Hopefully they could get everything out of the hold within a few seconds. The Colossus would slow to ensure they had more time to get out, but even moving barely above stall speed the plane would be traveling at over one hundred miles an hour. Even a second's delay could send them wildly off course.

“Hopefully we land with the rest of the troops,” Liz said. “Either that, or we get stuck crewing the vehicles ourselves.”

“Great, way to jinx us,” Zach replied.

“That's why we have a test run. To make sure we get everything right,” Anna said.

Nora looked out the back of the plane again, watching the scenery pass behind them and waiting for the light suspended above the ramp to go green.

Hephaestus had design the hold with a conveyer system in the middle, which could be activated by the pilot. Once it was switched on a belt would carry the pallets toward the back and push them off the ramp, where gravity would take over. The hold would be empty within a few seconds, and then it was their turn to jump.

Several practice runs had allowed them to get the timing down. Now, it was time to put it to good use. The light in back went green, and the pallets started moving.

“Here goes nothing,” Zach said over the radio link.

And in the next instant, the hold was empty. Liz started to sprint off the ramp first, followed by Anna and then Zach. Nora brought up the tail end and jumped into the blue after the rest.

The wind swirled around her, buffeting her gear and the parts of her face not covered by her goggles. She tried to resist the urge to immediately grab her rip chord. She had enough space before she hit the ground, and pulling it too soon might result in her becoming tangled with someone else. They needed space.

One by one, the parachutes deployed. Nora plummeted by the other three and then finally opened hers, grabbing the risers to give herself some proper steering once it was fully deployed. She looked down to see more parachutes blossoming below, these ones larger and round. If her estimates were correct the Gazelles would land right on target, in the middle of an area of relatively open ground within the city. If they didn't, then someone was going to have a falling armored vehicle crashing through their roof.

But that was why they had chosen the Eagle Creek District, after all. It had once been their entrance into Indianapolis, bustling with activity in its factory and various headquarters, but the capture of the entire city had turned it into somewhat of a backwater. The railhead was at Zionville, the industry in Central City and Hydra Headquarters had moved to a skyscraper across the river. Right now the district served as little more than a storage area, and that meant they could drop in without fear of damaging anything important.

Zach's voice started to echo over the radio link. “Alpha Wolf, Bravo Wolf, are you on the ground? Alpha Wolf, Bravo Wolf, this is Wolf Lead. Are you on the ground?”

“Roger that, Wolf Lead,” Danny replied. “We're on the ground expanding the perimeter as we speak.”

“We see you, by the way,” Selene added.

“How's Hephaestus doing?” Nora asked them.

“Well, they're trying,” Danny said with a chuckle. “But they're builders, not fighters. Remember that time you wanted to train some of them as combat engineers?”

“Maybe.”

“Still planning on doing that? Because it's going to take a lot of doing.”

“Gosh, you're mean,” Anna said.

“Sorry, but it's true,” Selene added. “They're not cut out for combat. Not against us, at least. If this was a real fight we would have massacred them already.”

Nora saw the ground and the buildings quickly approaching. Both Gazelles hit the earth with thuds that were audible even from her height, though everything looked to be intact. They'd find out soon enough when they tried to unpack them.

She pulled down on her risers and made a smooth landing. A few seconds later she unstrapped her harness and had her assault rifle in hand and ready to us. It wasn't loaded, but in a real combat situation she would have been ready to fight within moments.

Nora headed over to one of the Gazelles, joining up with the rest of the command section and a few others. They quickly unpacked the vehicle and opened up the hatches. Liz climbed into the driver's seat and started it up. The rest of them cracked open the supply pallet and loaded the Gazelle with ammunition. A couple of minutes later, and they were ready to fight.

“So far so good,” Nora commented as she watched the Gazelle drive off with its crew. The second vehicle was being prepared and would be ready shortly.

Zach looked down at his wrist menu. “Seven minutes to get it up and running. Not bad.” He looked up at the sky. “But we have to get moving too, otherwise we're going to have people falling on our heads.”

Barghest would be coming next, followed by Redd Foxx and the second pair of Gazelles. They'd need all the landing space they could get, so it was time for them to clear off and push their way into the rest of the district.

“What's our objective?” she asked.

“Funnily enough, it's our old HQ,” Zach told her. “Of course, since we can't shoot enough other I don't know how useful our push is going to be.”

Nora nodded and got on the radio. “Danny, Selene, how are you doing? Is there any point in pushing further, or do you have the landing zone clear?”

“We're clear,” Selene replied. “Thought it would be a lot better if we were able to practice against opposition.”

“We're not doing that unless we're in the battledomes though,” Danny said.

“And we can't practice our airborne landings there, so that's a no go,” Nora told them. “We know you can fight once you get on the ground. It's getting there that's the problem.”