“First Wave rearmed, sir,” the personnel informed Daniel. He quickly climbed back into his Pouncer and pulled the cockpit shut.
“Let’s do it again, people,” Daniel said into his com. He lifted his Pouncer into the air, with the others behind him, and headed back to the battle line. Second Wave peeled off, making room for First Wave’s second attack. They faced the wall again and let their missiles fly.
Their assessment of the gates strength was incorrect. They would just have to improvise.
“This isn’t working,” Daniel said.
“Sir, we're just making noise,” Nehemiah confirmed.
Daniel hated to admit it.
“How the hell is that damn gate still standing?” He said aloud. "Alright, pilots, hold tight. I'm going top side to get a better look."
"Commander?" .
"Not now, Minerva. I got this." Daniel pulled back on his stick and soared above the gates. Immediately gunfire rang out from the active compound guns. Daniel maneuvered through the gunfire to face the inside of the compound gates. When he saw it, his eyes lit up in shock - a completely new reinforcement of the front gates.
No wonder. "How in the hell did they get that up so fast?" He exclaimed audibly.
"What?" Rikki's voice asked through his com.
Daniel began a descent back to the Pouncer group. "They've got a complete construction of a reinforcement wall against the gates."
"In twenty-four hours?" Thor asked.
"I said there had to be a reason," Minerva barked. "We could've found that out an assault sooner and saved some ordinance."
"Minerva…" Daniel started.
"So we're here now. What do we do?" Rikki's question cut in, luckily. “Chance another bombing raid?”
“We’ve only got twelve planes. We wouldn’t last long and wouldn't cause much damage, given the risk,” Daniel said. “I’ve got a better idea. They’ve got four walls. Let’s knock on another one of them and see if this reinforcement goes all the way around.”
“That’s my kind of talk, Commander,” Nehemiah said.
“Second Wave, there’s a little change in strategy. When you come around this time, swing around to west wall and knock on that for a while.”
"You sure you don't want me to take a look at that first, Commander?" Minerva asked.
Daniel ignored the rhetorical question.
“Roger that, Commander,” Thor said.
Daniel glided his Pouncer left and prepared to let his remaining missiles fly. As his finger hit the trigger, his eyes lit up in surprise. There was a slew of RPGs headed their way. He managed to get the missile off as he quickly swerved his plane.
“All aircrafts break wide. RPGs, RPGs!” He screamed out. But it was too late. The aircrafts glided right into the path of the oncoming RPGs. Most managed to evade, but one Pouncer took one head on and exploded.
“Save your missiles, light them up with your 30cals,” Rikki screamed out.
The aircrafts glided in and out of RPG missiles as their guns targeted the ground force. The Pouncers were easy targets. Their range of motion was greatly diminished at their current height.
“Defend yourselves, but make sure to stay below Triple A firing range,” Daniel screamed.
This didn’t allow them much maneuvering room and made them easier targets for the ground forces. The only thing the Pouncers could do was maintain an even glide.
“We’re too close. We’re easy targets here,” Nehemiah said.
“Back it up and spread wide people,” Daniel said. “Don’t try to stand your ground.”
The aircrafts spit off rounds at the ground force, eliminating some, but the 100-man ground force was simply overwhelming.
“Fuck it. Use your missiles,” Daniel ordered.
“We’ll have to reload to reassert the wall attack if we do, which will cost us,” Rikki pointed out.
“We won’t be around to reload if we don’t. Light ‘em up!”
First Wave began firing their remaining load of Pouncer 1 missiles. A few well-placed missiles and the ground force’s numbers were greatly diminished, but not spent.
“Keep lighting them up,” Daniel said. “Thor, where are you at?”
“Were on our way now, Commander,” Thor said.
“Be prepared for heavy fire from ground forces.”
Avahloh watched as the Heavy Weapons Team was able to interrupt the strike force’s attack. He watched as the Pouncer missiles exploded and kept track of an estimate of the numbers that were being diminished. Too many too fast. He reached up to tap his com but then stopped. Reik was trying to avoid Avahloh's direct line of sight, but out of his peripheral, he could see Avahloh turn to look at him. His mind was obviously working. Avahloh put his head back down then looked away.
As Reik watched the team's first battle, he felt the sting of a no win situation. He had voiced his concerns to the 1st Narce. But the man didn't listen. What could he possibly expect with such limitations and his own lack of experience?
"Come on." Reik said under his breath." he could see the team was being effective, but not enough. They were losing numbers fast. Reik chanced a glance up at Avahloh. Unfortunately Avahloh was just looking up at him as well. They locked eyes. Kiel wondered what would be the chastising that would come from this. He could tell the team was failing. He wondered if Avahloh could tell. Reik and Avahloh held their gazes. Reik turning away now would only concede inability. Avahloh reached up to his mask again. He tapped his com.
“Extermination Team 2 meet me atop the front gate with your battle shields and weapons. All weapons should be armed with Reaper compressed 50mm rounds,” he ordered, "It appears one of our conversations was somewhat prophetic Sub-Commander," Avahloh said before turning and heading out of the Command Center.
Shit, Reik thought. That order was conceding Avahloh's lack of confidence in the heavy Weapon team’s capability. He could only wait till this was all over now. Both Coto and Kiel settled their eyes on Reik. He ignored their stares. He didn't need to look at them to know what was being conveyed.
Avahloh made his way to Morrison's old office where he grabbed his battle shield off the wall and secured it on his back. He grabbed his Reaper Gatlin Gun and reached for ammunition. He grabbed several sheets of compressed 50 mm and began to attach it to his gun’s ammunition feeder. These special Reaper rounds were made to rip through reinforced metals and then explode, just like the kind he had designed for the wall guns. In fact, they were the reason he borrowed their design for the wall guns. They had shown great effectiveness out in the field for Reapers. They would today as well.
Avahloh exited the office and proceeded to the elevator of the front gate. Members of Extermination Team 2 joined him in waves as he approached the elevator that would take them to the top of the front gate. When the elevator door opened, Avahloh stepped off with members of Extermination Team 2. He waited till all nineteen members arrived to the top and then approached the edge. He looked over at the Pouncer strike force that sat below.
“All Reapers, on me,” he said, then jumped off the wall onto the rubble at full sprint, followed by the entire force of Extermination Team 2.
As they sprinted down the rubble of the front wall, Thor and the Second Wave were approaching the battle line.
“Ok, so who the hell is this supposed to be?” Thor said.
“I don’t know, but they look like they mean business,” Minerva said.
“So do we. Wave Two, weapons hot,” he ordered. “Save your missiles for the wall.”
Extermination Team 2 got to the bottom of the wall and spread out into three staggered horizontal lines. They all reached back and pulled the shields, slamming the sharp triangular bottoms into the sands. They stood solid.
From a kneel, Grim Reaper soldiers peeked around their shields and let loose relentless streams of gunfire from their Gatling Guns. Thor and Wave Two opened up with turret fire. The Reapers were not deterred. Some fell, while the others held their ground as bullets bounce
d off their shields. Pouncers exploded while others became riddled with bullet holes.
“Holy shit! They got fucking tank guns or something.”
Eventually, and to Thor’s surprise, the Grim Reaper Gatling Gunfire was overwhelming. Bullets began to rip through Pouncer hulls.
“Back the fuck up and spread it thin. We’re too big of a target right now. Keep firing, don’t let up!”
The Second Wave Pouncers backed up slowly as they returned fire. Once the Pouncers were far enough back, where their gunfire was no longer terminally effective, Avahloh stepped from behind the shield. He started a steady stalking pace toward them, his gun barrels still spinning.
“Walk them down,” he said into his com. Extermination Team 2 stepped from behind their shields and followed Avahloh with the same even pace. Three rows of Grim Reaper soldiers slowly stalked six unprepared Pouncer Air Guns. It was no match.
“Commander, we’ve got another set of problems over here at the battle line,” Thor said. An explosion from beside him caught his attention as he tried to explain. “Shit!”
“What the fuck was that?” Daniel said as the explosion shot out clear through his com. The only answer was Thor screaming desperate orders.
“All aircrafts, missiles free. All aircrafts, missiles free!”
The order was enough for Daniel to break from First Wave and swing around the front to Second Wave. As he did so, he witnessed the Grim Reaper soldiers clad in armor, dashing through the sands and evading Pouncer 1 Missiles and explosions as easily as on a P.T. obstacle course. His Pouncers were getting backed down by foot soldiers.
Daniel let loose his cannons, catching a few Reapers off guard, but turning Avahloh’s wrath toward him. The Gatling Gunfire ripped past his windshield as Avahloh stalked Daniel’s fighter. Daniel threw his fighter into a fast lateral glide as he let loose a stream of gunfire. The rest of the Pouncers scrambled and had no choice but to rise in elevation out of range of Extermination Team 2, whose gunfire still persisted, and straight into the line of fire of AAAs. The sky lit up with anti-air gun fire.
“Commander, I feel like a really drunken Friday night,” Rikki’s voice shot through Daniel’s com.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean, Rikki?” Daniel asked.
“We’re catching it from all ends,” she responded.
Everyone’s com erupted with Nehemiah’s laughter.
“That is a damn good one, Rikki,” Nehemiah said. “That we are.”
With all this going on, Daniel couldn’t help but smile as well. “Keep it tight, people,” he said as he suppressed a laugh.
“Yeah, well, I’m ready to go night, night,” Minerva added as she cut through the center of the Pouncers.
“Minerva, what the hell are you doing?”
She swung low and headed for the Grim Reaper attack force.
"They’re only foot soldiers and we’re in damn Pouncers! They shouldn’t be able to stand toe-to-toe with us!" She informed. "We're wasting time and ammo here. Get your sacks out of your stomachs, people. Let's be Pouncer pilots, and let's get this over with."
“Don’t get overzealous. You're swinging way too low for those guns.”
"Shit. Minerva!" Nehemiah exclaimed. "Wait a damn minute and let me run some interference for you!"
Nehemiah attempted to change his flight path to meet up with Minerva's, but was cut off by intersecting gunfire from the Reapers and the wall guns.
"Nehemiah, pull back! You can't get to her from there," Ezra needlessly informed him.
"I figured that out, genius," Nehemiah retorted.
"I got her, Commander," Thor said as he changed his attack path.
"Damn it. Everybody keep your attack paths!" Daniel screamed. He could see that any abrupt change of flight path by any pilot would put them in intersecting gunfire from all three threats. They were just badly positioned.
"Minerva, break contact and swing back around with the rest of the group!” He ordered. "You don't have enough breathing room!"
As she committed to her attack run, Minerva quickly saw that Daniel was right. She attempted to swing out of her approach, but it was too late. She could hear her plane being riddled with bullets as she fired her guns. Her windshield cracked as a round broke through. Now her view was blurred.
Daniel could tell she was in trouble as her plane started to waver.
“Pull up, Minerva! Mini, can you hear me?” Daniel said. He broke off his attack run and dived toward her to run interference. His barrels were blasting hard at the Reapers, but as Mini attempted a skyward climb she found her plane engulfed in gunfire.
“Maybe not such a good idea,” she whispered.
“Punch out, Mini. You’re in a no-win flight path,” Daniel said.
“We can’t afford to lose the plane," she said as she started to regret her impulse decision. "I can get out of this.”
She slammed on her brakes, turned ninety degrees and attempted to break north. Daniel watched as her plane continued to shoot upward. Her escape attempt was pointless. She had positioned herself between the gun ranges of all three threats once she’d committed to her initial flight path.
"I can lose the Pouncer, but I can't afford to lose the pilot! Mini, punch out, damn it. That’s an order,” Daniel commanded.
She fought hard against the G forces and contemplated waiting another second, but realized she was not going to climb out of the gunfire fast enough. Dropping the nose of her Pouncer horizontal, she hit her eject button and blasted skyward. As she did, her Pouncer Air Gun exploded beneath her.
“Damn you, Mini. Fucking stubborn…” Daniel whispered.
“We’re down another one,” Rikki said.
“Brush that off, pilot!” Daniel said.
As he contemplated the potential loss, he could not bring himself to say the words. Not again. All aircrafts break contact.
Then it hit him. Minerva’s mistake had just given him an idea. He spun his Pouncer into an upward barrel roll, then hovered up until he could see over the walls of the compound. Anti-air gunfire sped his way. He dodged and glided out of their way as he stared intensely inside the walls. If this compound was similar to the one in their reality, it would work. Then he saw it. He punched his Pouncer backward and lowered elevation.
“It’s obvious this is another losing fight, people, but we are not leaving here empty-handed. Not this time.” He informed them.
“What’s on your mind, Daniel?” Thor asked. “Sounds risky.”
“First, I need all aircrafts to break contact. Reload Team, I need you all to exit the fighter except you, Talia.” Daniel thought about it quickly. “Actually, you too, Talia, and stand by.”
Daniel swung his Pouncer around and headed to the reload line. He landed and quickly exited his Pouncer.
“What’s the situation, Commander?” Talia asked as she walked up to him.
“I need you and your reload team to relocate to my Pouncer. Once the reload personnel is loaded, fly them back to the camp.”
“What are you going to do?” Talia asked.
“Don’t worry about it. Just make sure you get personnel to the camp. They've done their job. No need to keep them in harm's way.”
“Roger that, Commander,” she said with concern in her voice. Then she screamed out. “Reload team, we're switching ships. I need you all on board the Wing Commander’s ship quickly.”
“Rikki, break contact, but stay close. I need you to come and get me and Minerva,” Daniel said as he mounted Talia’s Pouncer and pulled the cockpit closed.
He lifted it into the air and headed back towards the attack line. Daniel swung his Pouncer far outside the battle line.
“All aircrafts, I need you clear of the battle line.”
Daniel flew the Pouncer through the hell storm of anti-air gunfire that was coming at him. He located his target again: the ammunition depot. Daniel hit the gas and blasted toward the compound and over the left wall.
As the buil
ding he targeted grew closer, he could hear the Pouncer being riddled with bullets. He hoped it would hold out long enough. He waited till he could see the details of the building’s windows. One way or another, he knew this assault had lost them Pouncers. This one more wouldn't matter, given the pay off. It was packed with Pouncer 1 Siege missiles. All of them exploding within an ammunitions depot would be massive. Daniel just hoped he had the right building.
“I’m punching out,” he said, then hit the eject switch. Wind rushed past him as he rocketed toward the sky. The Pouncer slammed into the building and an explosion rocked the compound, an explosion so massive that it could be heard by the fleeing Pouncers already two miles away. Daniels guess was right.
“Shit!” Rikki said as she watched the explosion rise high into the air. “Commander, I hope you’re ok, but I’m loving your fireworks display.”