Hellfire: Mechanized Warfare on a Galactic Scale (Metal Legion Book 3) by CH Gideon & Caleb Wachter & Craig Martelle

Author:CH Gideon & Caleb Wachter & Craig Martelle [Gideon, CH]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: LMBPN Publishing
Published: 2019-01-12T16:00:00+00:00

After his inspection of the ‘surprise’ in the drop-deck completed during the previous shift, Colonel Jenkins was once again in the Red Hare’s CAC. Captain Guan was receiving real-time updates from the Bonhoeffer after Jenkins had provided Colonel Li with his credentials and verified that he was indeed aboard the Red Hare.

The latest of those updates made it clear that the Finjou had no intention of backing down.

“General Akinouye,” Jenkins explained after reading the most recent missive from the Bonhoeffer, “has failed to establish a dialogue with the Finjou. Finjou ground forces have surrounded the Dragon Brigade and are now demanding the unconditional surrender of the rebel colonists who violated their sovereignty.”

“The evacuation deadline is in eleven hours,” Captain Guan mused. “We will not reach drop position for another sixteen.”

“The general will argue that the colonists are asylum-seeking refugees,” Jenkins replied, knowing that his speculation was meaningless, “and that they’re under Terran protection. He’ll also argue, truthfully, that once they’re on the surface, their life support supplies will only hold out for a day. Two at the most,” he amended after recalling just how many drop-cans the Red Hare’s sensors had detected in the badly-scattered and uncharacteristic drop-zone. “I expect that means we’ll exchange fire with the Finjou as soon as we make orbit. They won’t want us to reinforce our planetary forces, which is precisely what we’re going to do, and we can’t waste any time since evacuating seven thousand people will take at least half a day in a hot landing zone. They’ll maneuver to slow us down,” Jenkins gestured to one of the Finjou Talons as it broke formation and moved to a position that would provide it optimal fire angles on the approaching Red Hare, “but I doubt they’ll open fire until we begin evacuating the colonists. Then again,” he added pointedly, “I’m not especially familiar with the intricacies of Finjou psychology.”

“Fortunately, I am,” Guan replied measuredly. “They would have sent dozens of warships here if they viewed this situation as one of vital interest to their security. They send a single Claw of Talons, which means either their strangely feudal society failed to muster sufficient resentment to the human presence here or, more likely, that this engagement is designed to inform their decision how to proceed with regard to the Terran Republic.”

“They want to see how things unfold before committing?” Jenkins asked.

“Essentially,” Guan agreed. “They are a purely carnivorous species, Colonel, and as a result view all engagements as one of two things: territorial disputes or hunts. A territorial dispute requires an overwhelming show of force to ensure success, while a hunt is conducted more methodically and with greater caution. It would appear that they consider this to be the latter, so they have sent a scouting party to make a raid while the rest of the flight looks on.”

“Which suggests,” Jenkins mused, “that they might not take too kindly to the Red Hare reinforcing the Legion forces already on the planet?”

Guan laughed, stroking his immaculate beard as he did so.

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