Chapter Forty-Seven (Ullmook) (2/2)
”You would prefer the last fight? By all means, run down there, we will use the data of your death to plan our assault,” Ullmo'ot stated.
Jestrix didn't answer.
Ullmo'ok noticed that some of the infantry robots were trying to use their missiles as point defense, but in a section of the grid they were scanning around as if they were blind. ”Do you see that, Tak?”
”What?” Tak asked.
”Grid D-7, the infantry robots look blind,” Ullmo'ok said.
”Got the wavelength, gonna see if it works. Other warbois are loading it now. Firing.”
Ullmo'ok watched as it looked like all the robotic infantry suddenly went blind.
”Enemy is entering extreme range from direct fire weapons,” Tak said.
”What's our missile count?” Ullmo'ok asked.
”We're at ninety percent still,” Tak said.
”Back up, keep firing,” Ullmo'ok ordered. ”Activate battle-screens and EW. Fire long range energy weapons, don't consume ammo this are out.”
”Will do, boss,” Tak said. ”Everyone acknowleges.”
More and more gaps were appearing in point defense, the infantry weapons were obviously single shot, slow missiles, that the incoming missiles just rolled to avoid. The infantry robots began firing with their additional weapons, lasers and plasma, but obviously could not see.
Several times Ullmo'ok's targeting reticle flashed yellow and he took the shot with heavy lasers or particle beam cannons. His arena skills came in handy here, making difficult shots quickly, knowing how to cycle his weapons to keep his heat managable.
”They're retreating,” Tak said.
”Move forward,” Ullmo'ok ordered.
”Boss?” Tak said.
”Yes?”
”Pop a drone, sweep it around behind them. It might be an ambush. Precursors don't care about casualty numbers beyond resource expenditure and gain,” Tak said. ”Remember that Jotun wants the refinery and the mines.”
”Understood. Do so,” Ullmo'ok ordered. He watched the drone launch, configure for stealth, and sweep around low and slow.
”See, boss, what did I tell you?” Tak said. The machines hiding just beyond the hills and beyond the range of sensors were massive. Large flattened eggs bristling with weapons. ”You would have walked right into that.”
”I see,” Ullmo'ok said. He examing the data the drone was streaming back. Heavier weapons than his mech mounted, thicker point defense, thicker armor. The machines were heavier than his own mech, which was the largest of the bashmechs. The drone beeped excitedly and sent back the wavelengths the Precursor machines were using.
That narrow gap he'd left for his own missiles.
”What if we did this: fire EW with the same profile as we were using for the entire first wave, then drive in behind them, firing off EW in our gap, and drive the missiles through that way?” Ullmo'ok suggested.
”Lemme talk to the boys, boss. Keep up the fire but don't advance, OK?” Tak said.
”Everyone, keep up missile fire, do not advance. They have more hiding, trying to lure us in,” Ullmo'ok ordered.
He waited, feeling bored, watching the missiles pounding the Precursor machines.
He felt nothing.
”OK, boss, we've got it figured out,” Tak said. It showed a quick sim of the attack. It looked fine to Ullmo'ok. ”Should we do it?”
”Go ahead,” Ullmo'ok said. He gave a sigh and injected a straight stim into his leg. He was getting sleepy from boredom. He watched as the missiles reconfigured firing order then launched. they went in at the bigger machines in two prongs, EW leading the way. The Precursors held off on firing their point defense, obviously intending on luring the missiles in for better targeting data. When the second wave of EW cut loose it became obvious the big machines were blind. The missiles rolled, chose their targets, then shifted into a straight line.
”Why are they doing that?” Ullmo'ok asked.
”Fire the Leader targeting,” Tak answered.
The missiles all drove in on the same point, the crater getting deeper and deeper until finally the last ten or so of the long range missiles pounded into the interior of the Precursor machine. Fire and vaporized metal gouted out of the wound. Five of the machines exploded. The rest of them turned to face the two directions the missiles had streaked in from. There were twenty left.
”Fire again. Reverse the targeting EW,” Ullmo'ok ordered.
”Oh, good idea, boss,” Tak said. The second set began to launch.
”Fire a third set immediately after, double volley, maximum acceleration, straight into their face. No EW, just speed and warhead,” Ullmo'ok ordered.
”OK, boss,” Tak said.
The second volley was slowly approaching, hugging the ground, swerving around obstacles. The third volley roared out, bypassing the retreating combat machines. Less than 10% were knocked out.
The second volley activated the EW drones and went to supersonic immediately afterwards. At the same time the third volley went hypersonic.
The Precursor machines, hit from three sides, their jammers off bandwidth and their seekers using the wrong scanner data, had their point defense system fall apart. The missiles hammered in, over half of the vehicles exploding.
”Same thing, reverse, add a fourth on a high parabolic arc,” Ullmo'ok answered.
”Boss, our ammo levels,” Tak reminded.
”I'll send half back for reload while the rest of us stand guard, then we'll switch off,” Ullmo'ok said. ”We have no sat-scans or other battlefield data. It relies on our eyes,” Ullmo'ok stated.
”If you're sure,” Tak said.
”What would be your advice?” Ullmo'ok said.
”Umm, I don't know,” Tak said.
”Then let us try my way,” Ullmo'ok said.
The third 'volley' tore into the massive machines with even better effect. Ullmo'ok watched as the last of them exploded, then ordered a fourth volley to clean up the last of the original machines. He sighed and sent back half of his pilots to reload their ammo.
He felt nothing.
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”That did not feel proper,” Trekez said, staring at his mech, which was being reloaded with ammunition. ”It lacked glory and honor.”
Ullmo'ok drew his pistol, ignoring the sudden hiss of worry from the onlookers, and tossed it to Trekez. ”There you go. Feel free to put that in your mouth. At least then nobody else will get killed and your bashmech will still be available for the same effect.”
”I didn't mean...” Trekez said, carefully putting the needler on the table.
”It is all right, friend. I realize what you mean,” Ullmo'ok said, walking over to the table. He picked up a narcobrew bottle and cracked it open, putting the needler back in his pocket with his two lower hands. He offered Trekez the bottle and when the other being too it grabbed himself one.
”Doesn't the lack of glory both you? You, who fought the hardest for glory?” Illtrek asked.
Ullmo'ok shrugged. ”What is the use of glory or honor is nobody survives to witness it? Who do we point our finger at and call out to witness us, if the Precursors kill everyone? We will help the Terrans destroy this menace and rebuild the Arena. If we fall, then we witness one another and perhaps the Terrans will witness what we did in historical TriVids,” Ullmo'ok took a swig of narcobrew.
”My parents, my siblings, my husbands, my broodcarriers, my podlings, they are all in the shelters. I care not for honor and glory, I care only for them,” Plunketi'ik said, lifting up her narcobrew. ”If I must die and this Trucker must use atomics to scour away the factory so the Precursors no longer care, then that is what must be done. I am with you, Mooky.”
”I thank you,” Ullmo'ok said, nodding. ”I will force none to fight who do not wish to. Nap, eat, while your bashmechs are reloaded.”
Ullmo'ok turned away, walking to the nearby holotank.
”Tak, show me a replay of the battle. Point out what you see,” Ullmo'ok ordered.
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More battles followed, mostly the Jotun sending more mechanized minions to take the factory and Ullmo'ok wiping them out with missiles and long range weaponry. It was becoming almost mechanical, something Ullmo'ok felt could be done by a machine, not even requiring as complex programming as Tak.
It was the second day that things went sideways, to use a Terran term.
”Precursor forces down to 15% remaining,” Tak said. Ullmo'ok noticed that even the aVI seemed bored. ”Missile and indirect fire munitions down to 60%.”
”Keep up the pressure. We'll rotate out and reload now, we can finish off the remainder even at one-third strength,” Ullmo'ok ordered.
”Gotcha, boss,” Tak said. ”Sixteen heading back, eight staying. Going to rapid fire.”
The last of the Precursor machines fell easily, even as his ammunition levels dropped. Ullmo'ok joined the other eight in moving through the wreckage, using lasers to destroy any power source, destroy any possibly active Precursor machines.
”Boss, I have incoming aircraft. They're not even trying to be sneaky about it,” Tak said.
”How so?” Ullmo'ok asked.
”They're broadcasting ID and flying in the normal flight paths. They say they're CorpSec and Planetary Executors,” Tak said. ”They're hailing you.”
”Put it up on display-seven,” Ullmo'ok said, focusing his cybereye on it.
A Lanaktallan, his crests inflated, his sash covered in decorations, appeared on the screen. He looked at Ullmo'ok, clad in his cooling vest and body-blanket only and curled his tendrils in disgust. The sight of the cybereye made the Lanaktallan look physically ill.
”May I help you?” Ullmo'ok asked, firing a laser into the cracked hull of a weird looking crab with treads.
”I am Second Most High Executor Pru'thestic, in command of CorpSec and Executor forces,” the Lanaktallan snapped. ”Shut down your engines and present yourself for arrest.”
”Why would I do that?” Ullmo'ok asked, watching the ships swoop down. They landed, outside the debris field, and the sides lowered to allow being in powered armor to exit the craft.
”The Planetary Corporate Council and the Planetary Executor Council will take control of those shelters you illegally built and put them to proper use,” The Executor huffed. ”You will be placed under arrest and remanded for summary execution as a know criminal who has now been caught in possession of illegal technology and weaponry.”
”I will not allow them to eject my podlings for the shelters just so Corporate Executives can take their place,” Plunketi'ik snarled over the comlink.
”And if I object?” Ullmo'ok asked. He turned his bashmech to face the dropships, aware that the other eight mechs were moving up next to him, keeping far enough apart their battlescreens wouldn't rub together.
”Then you will be destroyed,” the Executor stated, his tendrils shaking with excitement.
Ullmo'ok felt something. That thing he had felt so long just out of reach.
”Come then,” Ullmo'ok answered. ”Witness us.”
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8th INFANTRY DIVISION MEMO
We're still getting pushed back but the tempo is slowing. Looks like the Precursors have been forced to start manufacturing reinforcements and replacements. They're going to be desperate for resources soon. Keep up the pressure.
------NOTHING FOLLOWS-------
144th ORDNANCE COMPANY
We've got the breathing room to reload the ammo stores of the 5th Irregulars. Our creation engines and nano-forges can cool down and de-slush on the way. They could probably use actual ammunition instead of civilian versions. Will head out once we're done reloading 1st Armored Recon.
------NOTHING FOLLOWS---------
KESTIMET DEFENDS REFINERY SUCCESSFULLY THROUGH THE NIGHT!
Kistimet CorpSec forces, working with Planetary Executor forces, have held off heavy attacks by the Precursor forces throughout the last day and night at the Hoolangenar Industrial Facility, managing to clear the area. The Corpsec and Executor forces intend on engaging the criminal Ullmo'ok and liberating the facility and the shelters beneath in just hours.
The government shelters beneath the facility should be open to Senior Executives and higher soon.