Chapter 335.5 (2/2)
”Checky checky,” the Mantid said again, although this time Palgret thought he saw some kind of flickering between the Mantid's antenna.
”All right, let's get your gear checked out, issued, then we'll run a few drills, see where you are,” the Terran said.
Palgret wondered why the Terran thought she was in charge of the infantry company, feeling his pride in his unit well up.
”Fall out,” she snapped, turning away.
Numsret motioned for the infantry company to follow her into the building where the armory was.
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By dinner Palgret's attitude had changed.
He'd seen the Terrans do an 'infantry charge' against a static position, one that he was manning, and frankly, he never wanted to see it again. They moved insanely fast, firing and maneuvering, taking cover before any heavy firepower could be brought against them, using their weapons to high effectiveness.
Palgret had even seen one throw a practice grenade nearly a hundred meters in a negligent appearing throw, the grenade lobbing up and dropping down through the firing gap in the bunker. Their accuracy with their weapons was almost insane to Palgret, and even more amazing, Palgret had found out that the accuracy they had displayed on the firing range had taken place without the humans being allowed to use their cybernetic systems, which would do nothing but improve their accuracy.
Palgret sat down with his squad, looking at his plate of steamed, boiled, and fresh vegetables.
”Did you see that human jump over the wall?” Stungut asked, setting down a stalk of gold-leaf.
They all nodded. The wall had been over the human's head and it had just ran up, jumped high enough to grab the edge, and flung itself over.
”Watching them mount the higher wall was even more frightening,” Kritmak said, referring to when the team of six Terrans had run up to the wall and quickly helped one another over in less time than it would have taken Palgret's squad to set up a siege ladder.
Commander Shu'uluka, a Lanaktallan infantry officer, moved up and sat down with the Maktanan soldiers.
”What is your opinion of our new allies?” he asked carefully.
Palgret looked around, then looked at the Lanaktallan directly. ”We do not understand why they have diluted their strength by breaking into smaller units and combining with us.”
The Lanaktallan closed his eyes a second, but his tendrils remained gently curled. When he opened his eyes he signified amusement. ”The Terrans believe that the whole is more than the sum of the parts, and that we will all fight more efficiently together.”
”What do you believe, sir?” Stungut asked.
The Lanaktallan tapped his own chest with two hands. ”I believe that they have resoundingly defeated every race and force that has gone to war with them,” he put all four hands on the table. ”I, personally, believe that working with the Terrans will ensure my family survives this war.”
They all nodded. They knew Commander Shu'uluka had two calves and a colt as well as a beautiful wife.
Palgret went back to his food as the Commander got up and moved to another table.
The others talked about how they weren't sure how much the Terrans would help.
Palgret had realized one thing the others hadn't.
It seemed like it should be a small thing. Maybe the civilian part of him still thought it was.
But he was an infantryman, and the small thing loomed large in his mind.
The Terran had been a soldier for over two hundred years.
That, by itself, wasn't the small thing.
The small thing, that loomed large in Palgret's thoughts, was simple.
She had seen combat.
Nobody at his dinner table had.
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”The purpose of the BOLO Continental Siege Engines is to deny the enemy landing areas,” the Terran said, this time dressed in body armor. She looked like a big bug. ”A BOLO can shoot down a Djinn in orbit, even take out a Balor with a clear shot. That big 250mm gun that it packs could blow a crater in your moon you'd be able to see.”
Everyone nodded. Numsret had asked how the Terrans knew where the AWM's would make planetfall.
”The clankers won't be able to land near a singular BOLO without being reduced to scrap metal, and since we have them working in teams of five, with an entire BOLO Battalion defending just this planet alone, that leave the clankers with very few places they can land,” she called out.
The troop transport started dropping.
”The city has been evacuated. Everyone is in shelters. Anyone who did not follow the government's orders is just shit out of luck,” the Terran female called out. ”We have thirty hours to prepare fighting positions, preposition ammunition and supplies, create rally points, and build medical treatment areas, as well as establish vehicle rearming and refit areas.”
The transport's thrusters screamed for a second before it set down with a thump. The doors rolled open, revealing a park, the trees scorched and charred. Other transports were setting down.
Palgret's entire infantry division was going to be part of the forces defending the city.
Palgret jogged out, his platoon pulling off to the side. The six Terrans split up, three jumping out almost immediately, the other three following after the platoon got off. The other four platoons followed, all of them jogging in perfect time.
His stomach was clenching already.
30 HOURS REMAIN