Dimensional Travels: World at War-Chapter 82: Storm on the mountain

Hammond and Strizen raced down the mountains as flashes of light and thunder erupted behind them. They did not turn back.

"Come on old man, keep up!" Strizen said, pulling ahead.

"Fuck you! You’re old too!"

Milano listened to the radio chatter. "Mayday! Mayday. Bravo three is hit. Returning to carrier for emergency maintenance."

Another:

"Mayday! Mayday. Delta one is hit. Returning to carrier for emergency maintenance."

The voices were procedural and professional, calm and steady even though they were damaged.

He turned to Miher. "We have to abort the strike. I’d rather give up the mountains than lose a single FA-18."

Miher paused. He looked at the map. "Then we have to set up kill boxes on the foothills. If anything breaches past Phase Line Whiskey, we engage and turn it to ash."

Milano nodded.

"Abort the strike. Have all aircraft return to the Carrier. Alpha, Bravo and Charlier from 6-8 will proceed to Phase line Uniform. Set up kill boxes outside of Esponia."

As Hammond reached the bottom, Eric was waiting for him and Strizen. "Heh. You old fools made it, eh?"

The two older leaders collapsed, gasping for breath. "Ya’ll gotta get more cardio. Come on. Get up. We are moving back to Phase line uniform. Hammond, you will take charge of the perimeter defense. Strizen, you will link back up with your men. Orders will be passed down at a later time as to what you will be doing. Now, get in the truck. We are in the kill box."

Phase line uniform was a buzz of activity. The entire line was a blur of motion as soldiers went about their tasks with professional efficiency. Fighting positions were dug, mines were placed down, and Abrams set up vectors of fire.

Milano got out of the truck, walking over to where the captains of each company were discussing the OPLAN.

Eric paused as he turned to Strizen. "How long has it been since the first attack?"

"Twenty five Minutes."

He nodded and got on the radio. "All units, be advised, the Brios attack will land in five minutes. Brace for potential landslides and avalanches."

They were far enough away that the landslides wouldn’t affect them, but they would have no targeting capabilities in that time frame.

Each company settled into position as the clock hit zero.

Heith looked coldly up at the mountains, his eyebrows narrowing as he sat on his chair. "Are all preparations met?" 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

The nearest advisor nodded. "Yes, my liege."

"How many Brios do we have left?"

"Five."

Heith nodded. "Fire them all. I want those mountains gone."

"Your will be done."

Heith then turned to his escort. "How far out is the rest of the Army?"

"The ballistae and other Brios are a day out, sire. The main Army is half a day march out."

"Very well. Set up a perimeter around Esponia after the dust clears. If anything approaches from the other side, it is to be turned to ash. All available Sraiaz systems are to remain here."

After his orders are given, Heith looked at the mountains. "We have allowed you to live for too long, Riemskin. It is time to pay for your arrogance."

Five distinct "THUNK"s were heard as the entire valley trembled. The ground shook as the rounds were sent towards Esponia. Heith watched with a sneer. His eyes tracking the rounds of mana.

Then they made contact with the mountains.

Reality bent as the rounds made contact. Air rushed inwards as light shattered. Waves of blue mana rushed outwards, and the mountain itself imploded in on itself.

Eric watched grimly as the top half of the mountain disappeared in a massive wave of blue mana. The light refracting off the explosion was bright enough he had to close his eyes. The pressure wave hit, air rushing at him so fast he had to steady himself on his truck.

Then he heard it. The roar of a massive explosion. The very air vibrated as waves of mana pushed out, massive clouds of rock and debris rushed down the mountain. When everything settled, what had once been a mountain was a mere hill.

"Well. That will complicate things."

Heith hid his glee as he watched the mountains collapse. The high snow caps that had plagued them for nearly five hundred years were now gone. He studied a map, comparing it to what he knew of what was outside Esponia. "When the dust settles, send Hima and his Llrathels to the other side."

The General’s paused, but nodded. "Yes sire."

Eric and the tank company commanders waited with bated breath. "If this engagement is anything like the last, Heith will send units in after the destruction of Esponia."

Milano was on a video call with them, Eric’s phone perched against the Humvee.

"Yes. Paladins from Alpha company have shifted their positions to cover what were the Esponia foothills. We have ISR assets over head and they will contact you when or if Cartharic forces approach."

Eric nodded. "Yes sir."

"Dryer, you will take point from here. The 3-2 battalion is back in the rear. If need be, they will flank any enemy movement.

"Copy that. Dryer out."

"Out."

The line went dead.

"Okay. Dragons, set up behind the tree line. If Cartharic does actually send units down Esponia, we will be waiting. Tanks, you will be first point of contact. Sectors of fire are already established. If anything pokes it’s head out, kill it. Bradleys, set up OP’s on the ridged east and west of phase line Uniform."

Jessica walked up to him, the rest of the HUMINT section behind her. "Where do we set up?"

Eric sighed. He didn’t want her in battle as a father, but as a soldier?

"Go up to this ridgeline east of us. Snipers on overwatch. Call out if you see the enemy doing anything they normally haven’t."

Jessica nodded as they went to follow his orders. Hammond stood nearby. "They grow up so fast, don’t they?"

"Shut the fuck up old man."

Roars of engines cresting a hill echoed through the valley. Hammond and Eric turned to look up. "Sunovabitch. They actually did press forward." Hammond mused as the morning light showed the cresting vehicles.

Eric facepalmed. "Does this dude just not learn?"

"Whatever. Engage when they reach killboxes Alpha and Bravo."

Radio chatter exploded as coordinates were called out for paladin target acquisition. The bradleys that were forward served as spotters as they called out enemy locations. Tanks and Paladins worked in conjunction. Entire enemy formations were engaged and destroyed. After ten Llrathels were destroyed, the enemy pulled back. Eric stood there with a lit cigarette in his mouth. "That was underwhelming."

Hammond nodded. "I’ll say. Even for a probing attack, that was weak."

"Do you got it from here? I think ill put you and Captain Megan here on the perimeter. "

Hammond shook his head. "Can I just retire?" He groaned.

Eric laughed. "What, scared of a girl, Hammond?"

The older man smirked. "I’m gonna tell Mia you said that."

"Please don’t."

After finishing up with the orders at Phase Line uniform, Eric drove back to HQ. The sun was high in the sky now, and he slumped over the steering wheel. His door opened, and Mia got in the truck. "Mm. You look like you’ve been in the field for a day." She said with a chuckle as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"I was. It didn’t help that a mountain range was destroyed." He groaned. "We’ve moved on from ’let me outnumber you’ to "let me just destroy any terrain you have useful. He is really learning a lot."

Mia chuckled at his rambling as they drove to HQ. "How did Ryan take the news?"

She looked down. "He did not take it well. I think he still had hope that maybe Mickey could be saved."

She sighed and leaned back in the chair as they pulled up. "I heard the heroes back story from Ryan. It was really sad."

Eric shook his head, holding Mia’s hands. "You and I both know that war isn’t kind. All we can do for these innocent people is fight back. The empire is long overdue for an eviction. Let’s give it to em."

Mia smiled and shook her head. "You’re crazy, you know that, right?"

He smirked and ran his hand along her thigh. "You married me anyway."

They kissed as they got out of the truck heading to the command room.

Milano sat with the captain of the Carrier in his office. Each man was looking at the reports. "I am glad no real damage was done. For future missions we need to ensure those things are not active." Milano mused as he read the damage reports.

The captain nodded. "Yes. Losing just one jet right now would be catastrophic."

A knock came on the door.

"General Milano? The command staff is ready."

"Very well. I will be over shortly."