Sigma 16 T2 - Chapter 89 - Counter Battery (Patreon)

Talia hurried out of the command module, her boots clanging against the metal platform as she headed to the nearby edge. A mix of alarm and concern propelled her forward.

As she reached the edge, Dapple appeared, her normally sleepy eyes wide with excitement. The spider held a large piece of blackened metal in her forelimbs.

“What are you doing?” Talia asked.

Dapple chirped happily, her mandibles clicking together in a rhythm that seemed to convey a sense of pride. “Tch’Llik-Collect-Scrap-For-Maker!”

An industrial robotic unit whirred to life, coming out of the Slim Girl’s industrial module to stand beside Dapple. The spider handed the scrap to the robot, which promptly melted it down before moving back towards the fabrication plant nestled within the massive vehicle.

Talia shook her head, a wry smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

She glanced over the edge, her eyes widening as she spotted Dusky and Hot Pink making their way up the spider web ropes they had dropped to reach the ground below. She had forgotten that they could move vertically.

On the ground, multiple salvage and recovery CRD-X9s worked tirelessly to clean up the mess left behind by the battle. Their laser tools moved with precision, sorting through the debris and collecting valuable materials for repurposing.

Talia turned back to the spiders, her voice firm but laced with concern. “We could be engaged and in a battle at any moment. It’s not safe to be out here.”

Dapple pointed at Talia. “Maker-Outside! Safe-For-Tch’Llik!”

Talia sighed. “I’m out here because I came to tell you!”

Dapple reached out, her forelimb gently patting Talia’s helmet in a gesture of understanding. “Maker-work-hard! Tch’Llik-work-hard!”

[Notice: Additional scrap materials have been processed and added to resource stockpiles.]

Talia turned as Dusky and Hot Pink arrived on the platform, their forelimbs laden with scrap metal. Robot units came out to service their hauls as well, eagerly collecting the debris for processing.

“You need to wait in the zoological module nest,” Talia said, her voice firm. “We’re still in a battle. Just because you can’t see the Blues doesn’t mean they can’t attack back. There could be artillery or missiles launched at us.”

[Notice: CIWS units are now operational and shield module is active.]

Talia glanced at the spiders, her brow furrowed. “That’s beside the point, Neo. We can’t let our guard down.”

The spiders tilted their heads, their eyes filled with confusion. Hot Pink chirped, “Maker-Crazy-Talk-Self?”

Dusky clicked her mandibles, concern evident in her tone. “Maker-High-Stress-Need-Calm.”

“I’m talking to the computer,” Talia explained, gesturing towards the command module.

Dapple looked around. “Com-Pu-Ter-What?”

Talia sighed, her shoulders sagging slightly. “Please, just stay inside for now. It’s for your own safety.”

The spiders nodded, their forelimbs tapping together in a gesture of understanding. They scuttled towards the zoological module.

As they disappeared from view, Talia turned to the command module. “Neo, save some wreckage for them to salvage later. It seems to be something they enjoy doing.”

[Acknowledged: Allocating a portion of salvageable materials for spider retrieval.]

Talia walked back to the command module, her mind racing with the possibilities of what lay ahead. As she stepped inside, Neo’s voice filled the space.

[Warning: Imminent contact detected at the Desert Worm Site.]

Talia strode into the control module. She settled onto the command dais, the screens flickering to life before her.

The tactical display showed their units positioned on two vectors, the raptors spaced between them in loose groups. All were concealed behind hills and under cover, awaiting her command.

Tapping her armchair, Talia furrowed her brow. “They couldn’t have failed to notice the approach, could they?”

Neo’s response appeared on the screen, the AI zooming in on the enemy camp.

[Analysis: No obvious signs of alarm detected in enemy camp.]

Talia leaned forward, studying the image. “Why wouldn’t the other group radio about the attack?”

[Observation: No radio signals detected from enemy units.]

She huffed, frustration evident in her voice. “None of this makes any damned sense.”

Talia turned her attention back to Neo, her mind racing with possibilities. “Give me an estimate of losses and viability for the attack with our updated info.”

The AI’s response appeared moments later.

[Assessment: Losses possible, but defeat unlikely given current information and positioning.]

Talia nodded, her jaw set with determination. “Let’s do it then. We need to take more ground as a buffer for our rear bases.”

[Acknowledged: Initiating attack sequence.]

On the tactical display, Talia watched as her unit icons began to move forward in a pincer formation.

The Panthers crept around the hills, their engines humming softly as they maintained a low profile. As soon as they had a clear shot, they opened fire on the Blue defense emplacements.

Railgun rounds tore through metal and earth.

The MIRUs moved swiftly, taking up positions on the back slope of the hills.

The sound of mortars filled the air as they began to pummel the enemy base, explosions shaking the ground. Talia’s eyes narrowed as she observed the hostile infantry’s rapid response, their plasma weapons flashing as they returned fire from foxholes and trenches.

Enemy tanks turned their turrets towards the Panthers, their high-explosive rounds belching out in response. Talia gripped the armrests of her chair, her heart pounding as she watched the Panthers take the shots while hulled down. The explosive blasts filled the area with debris, but the Panthers’ armor prevented incapacitation.

The HIRUs joined the fray, moving up to support the MIRUs. They launched a barrage of shoulder rockets, the explosions rocking the base in a tsunami of fire and smoke.

Talia leaned forward. “Neo, we need to prioritize those anti-air and munition turrets. They’re the biggest threat to our air support.”

[Acknowledged: Targeting priority updated. Engaging anti-air and munition turrets.]

Talia watched as the HIRUs and Panthers shifted their focus, their weapons zeroing in on the turrets.

The flashes of enemy high-explosive rounds filled Talia’s screens, the Panthers’ sensors struggling to maintain a clear image through the onslaught.

[Notice: Panther visual sensors impaired. Switching to telemetry-guided aim.]

Talia nodded, her eyes darting across the tactical display as she watched the LIRUs move forward, their thinner forms exposing themselves to enemy fire as they deployed target finders. The Panthers adjusted their aim, railguns roaring as they fired on the turrets with renewed precision.

Plasma rounds splashed across the battlefield, striking the Panthers’ hull plates with searing heat. Talia held her breath, watching as the armor held firm against the onslaught. They were lucky the enemy fire was falling on the frontal plates—which were the most protected.

Still, the vehicles flashed yellow and then orange on the tactical feed. They wouldn’t last much longer if the enemy continued to pour so much fire on them.

“Have the MIRUs move up to support,” Talia ordered.

The MIRUs advanced together, their long-range rifles cracking as they provided cover fire from prone positions on the top of the hills.

The Blues shifted their aim to the IRUs. The sound of assault rifles and plasma fire filled the air, the exchange of bullets and energy filling the air. A second wave of mortar shells rained down, suppressing the enemy forces.

An enemy tank surged forward out of the dust cloud, weaving wildly as it closed the distance to the Panthers. Talia’s eyes widened as the tank rammed into one of her units, the impact shearing off the Panther’s side skirt.

The enemy vehicle flipped over though, and the second Panther put a railgun round right through its middle, causing the Blue vehicle’s turret to pop off in a violent explosion that righted the burning wreckage.

The last turret crumbled under the sustained fire.

“Raptor drones, move in. Lynx, begin bombardment of the enemy camp,” Talia said.

[Acknowledged: Raptor drones engaging. Lynx artillery commencing bombardment.]

Talia watched as the Raptors flashed forward on her tactical screen, their movements precise and calculated. She let out a tense breath, her shoulders relaxing slightly as she surveyed the unfolding situation.

“Looks like things are going to plan this time,” she murmured, her eyes never leaving the screen.

The enemy’s return fire dwindled to nearly nothing, the smoke and dust from the bombardment obscuring the battlefield. LIRUs moved forward, their scout rifles cracking as they picked off any Blues who dared to expose themselves.

The entire area was a smoky haze that made it hard to spot if anything hostile was left alive in the kill zone of the camp.

A yellow warning flashed across Talia’s screen, causing her heart to skip a beat. “Neo, what’s happening?”

[Warning: Incoming enemy artillery fire detected.]

“Shit,” Talia muttered under her breath, her eyes darting across the tactical display as red icons arced towards her units from the southwest. “Get them moving, now!”

The Panthers and MIRUs began to reposition, their movements hurried as they sought to avoid the impending barrage. The ground shook as the first shells landed, geysers of earth and debris erupting from the impact sites.

[Notice: Counter-battery fire has begun.]

Talia nodded, her mind racing as she considered their options. “Neo, we need to keep the Lynx moving after each barrage. We can’t afford to lose our artillery support.”

[Acknowledged: Implementing dynamic repositioning protocol for Lynx units.]

The tactical display lit up with a flurry of red circles, each one representing a lost unit. LIRUs, MIRUs, and HIRUs blinked out of existence in large groups, their signals lost amidst the enemy artillery barrage.

The desert crawler’s hull shook and rattled as its own heavy artillery rounds flew out into the sky.

She clenched her jaw, her fingers flying across the console as she tried to make sense of the situation.

“Neo, send out the Raptors,” Talia commanded, her voice tight with tension. “We need eyes on those artillery positions. Now.”

[Acknowledged: Deploying Raptor drones to scout enemy artillery locations.]

Talia watched as the Raptors zipped across the screen, their sleek forms darting between the hills and valleys of the battlefield. She held her breath, waiting for their telemetry to come back.

As the seconds ticked by, Talia bit her lip. The enemy was adapting, setting up traps and countermeasures that she hadn’t anticipated.

It was a stark reminder that, despite her advanced technology, the enemy wasn’t to be underestimated.

The Raptors’ data began to stream in, painting a grim picture of the enemy’s positions.

Multiple mobile artillery batteries nestled in the hills, their barrels pointed towards her units like the fangs of a venomous snake. They had already begun to move from their firing positions. Talia frowned, her mind racing as she considered her options.

[Notice: Enemy artillery positions located. No sign of anti-munition or anti-air units. Transmitting targeting data to Lynx units while Raptors provide targeting telemetry and harassment fire.]

Talia nodded. “Good. Let’s see if the Lynx can hit a moving target that far out.”

[Informative: Ammunition levels remain above 90%. Saturation bombardment is in progress.]

Oh. Well, that would work too.