Max walked Stalwart over to the senior infantry officer in camp before disembarking, using the same winch system that he first saw General Tennant using from the Phalanx Class Shining Darkness to lower himself to the ground. The only difference is, that Max used the top hatch on Stalwart since the side door is a single-use Emergency Hatch.
“Colonel. My unit has been ordered to move out to do some reconnaissance for a freshly trained group of local partisans, so we will be departing immediately, but I would like it if you would do a favor for me.” Max asked.
The soldier gave Max a curt nod, showing that he would do it even if he disagreed, and Max continued. “Somewhere in the swamp is a Crusader that looks a lot like mine. Bone and Bronze with red accents and half red shoulder pauldrons. We had to leave it behind due to damages, but if the pilot comes looking for us, let them know where we went. I can’t guarantee that they will be able to get communications working, or that we would hear them even if they did.”
That brings a look of relief to the soldier’s face. Passing along a memo to a lost Pilot is no big deal, though finding that Pilot is a big deal to their unit.
“Sure thing Major. There are a number of units gathered in the swamp right now, infantry and support units that is. Once they’re finished there, they will likely come here, since they’re from our cruiser. If they bring any of your Mecha I will let them know that you’re looking for them.”
Max gave the Colonel a salute before activating the winch and pulling himself back up to the top of Stalwart in one smooth motion. Given his physical capabilities, he could have easily jumped that high, but this way looks much more elegant and impressive. Now he sees why General Tennant did it that way all the time..
The last order of business before they leave is to handle the gear. They’re not in the swamps anymore where the boats can carry large amounts of gear with ease. Moving through the foothills will take another approach if they want to keep most of the unit’s supplies.
[Spread out and search for functional civilian heavy transports. One will be the bare minimum, three is enough to keep everything.] Max orders and the infantry goes on a hunt.
In the worst-case scenario, they can make a trailer from the Landers’ equipment program and pull it with one of the Crusaders, but that would make both the fear and the infantry in the trailer a higher priority target.
[Sir, we have what we need. There is a transport company yard with functional vehicles in the garage.] Captain Catan reports just before the humming of anti-gravity drives, or more precisely the low-quality ones used for heavy equipment, sounds in the distance.
From the look of them, these were heavy mining equipment, not long-distance transports, but in a way that’s even better. They might be somewhat slow, but the carrying capacity is unmatched.
According to the placard on the side, they are good for sixty tons of ore each, and they are seven meters tall, enough that the Corvette Class mecha can hide behind them. They’re also heavily Armored, for the safety of the crew while transporting heavy materials.
One after another, they glide out of the warehouse until ten enormous vehicles are lined up.
[They even have cranes, so we can keep the boats.] Captain Catan brags, before offering his men to load the first one into his cargo bay.
It’s an open-topped space, but the Narsians don’t spend much time flying, so the risk is minimal. Given their size, one of these behemoths could hold all the gear, but Max has a better plan.
[Ten is too many. Put some back. We will take three. Spread the gear between them and load the Corvettes inside, crouched out of sight. Anyone who tries to ambush us is in for a world of pain.] Max orders and Seven ore tea sorts are returned to storage.
[Ari, you have point. Vincente, you have the tail and I will take the left flank, which leaves Paul the right. To the Narsians we will look like a simple raw materials convoy with a depleted Heavy Mecha Wing as its guards.]
In the more populated areas that would be common, keeping the repair and munitions production units supplied. Food and weapons are shipped in other and faster vehicles since these slow transports are vulnerable to attack and can’t run away.
With everything loaded the protective tarps are rolled over the open top and the convoy begins to head for the foothills.
Traveling speed for the big vehicles is a comfortable walking speed for the Crusaders, making their progress down the ruins of the Goodyear look perfectly natural. Even the Narsians watching the camp from a distance don’t see anything odd about it and report it as a material shipment for units further from this contested position to intercept.
Attacking the supply lines now would give away their position, which is a terrible trade for a single shipment of raw ore. But once they get into the hills Max knows they will become a much more lucrative target. In fact, he’s counting on it.
At this speed, the journey will take three hours, with the facility being located just off the main highway they are following. But by two hours in, Max was beginning to question his estimate of the enemy’s priorities. Did they actually not care about the Kepler supply lines?
Or was it possible that they were stretched so thin in this twin that they couldn’t spare a single unit to intercept?
The unit was only ten kilometers from their destination when they finally found the reason that nothing had attacked them during their slow-moving trip.
Six Landers full of infantry were entrenched on a hill surrounded by Narsian soldiers. The giants were clearly taunting them, raining Plasma on them every time they tried to set up bunkers and generally keeping them suppressed and hiding.
Eventually, the Narsians would attack and wipe these soldiers out, but they were hoping that someone would be sent to assist the Kepler forces first.
[Alpha Squad, disembark and spread out behind the convoy. Bravo and Charlie, stay hidden until I give the order.] Max commanded his troops, while the huge transports continued along the highway as if they didn’t know anything was happening.
To the Narsians that were keeping the Kepler infantry pinned down, an ore convoy that didn’t even rate a full five mecha wing to escort it was possibly the most disappointing set of reinforcements that they could have seen, second only to a depleted infantry company. But they were still heavy Mecha, so there was no option but to engage now before the attack started.
So, the back lines of the Narsian attack force turned to face the convoy, only a half second before Stalwart and Paul’s unnamed replacement for Ferrus unleash their long ranged firepower. Ari’s Bulwark joined in with its Ion Destroyer, and Vincente’s Morning Glory began lobbing indirect fire up in the air with its Battle Cannon since it couldn’t see properly from its position behind the convoy.
The suddenness of the attack seemed to catch the Narsians off guard. They had expected the small force to hesitate when seeing the odds stacked against them, but instead, they were met with a withering storm of fire. Even worse, it wasn’t all aimed at the closest targets. The Pulse Lasers on Stalwart had an uncanny knack for hitting Narsian soldiers who were targeting the pinned-down Kepler infantry, punching holes in their backs while they were distracted.
The infantry took great joy in this small bit of payback, as well as taking advantage of the opening to set up heavy weapons positions and start properly firing back at the giants who had been holding them hostage until moments ago.
Slowly, the forces from the far side of the Landing zone were moved to take care of the attacking Mecha force, leaving only a scattered line of soldiers behind to keep the Kepler infantry from escaping. That was Alpha squad’s signal, and as soon as the Narsians had removed as many as they seemed likely to, the wing of Corvette class mecha attacked.
The result was chaos. Each mecha was left with only a few targets on that side of the encirclement, which all died within seconds of the Mecha opening fire, and now those who had been reassigned didn’t know if they should return or follow their orders and advance on the Heavy Mecha.
The hesitation only got more of them killed, as Alpha squad advanced and the infantry’s heavy weapons teams laid down as much fire as they could manage.
Just when things were starting to get under control, Max gave the next order. [Bravo and Charlie, disembark and join the fight. Pin them between us and the infantry.]