Chapter 201: First on the Ground

Chapter 201: First on the Ground

The landing impact slammed through Pod 3 hard enough to shake every restraint inside it.

Metal groaned around the compartment while equipment rattled against its brackets, and several soldiers were thrown hard against their harnesses before the pod finally settled.

For a few seconds, nobody moved while the noise faded and everyone waited to make sure the craft had actually stopped.

The officer in charge released his harness and stood carefully.

"Check yourselves before anyone touches that door. I want to know now if somebody cannot run, carry ammunition, or use his weapon properly. Don’t lie and tell me you’re fine because you don’t want to stay behind."

The soldiers began releasing their restraints and checking one another.

One rifleman rolled his left shoulder and winced.

"I hit the wall during the final drop. I can move the arm, but it hurts when I raise the rifle."

"Then raise it."

The rifleman brought the weapon to his shoulder and aimed toward the closed hatch.

His expression tightened, but the rifle remained steady.

"I can hold it. If the pain gets worse, I’ll tell my section leader."

"Good. Stay with your section, but don’t wait until you lose the use of the arm before saying something."

Across the compartment, the radio operator had already opened his equipment case and fitted the headset over one ear.

"The set is working. I can hear Imperial traffic and transmissions from pods still descending. I haven’t heard another goblin unit confirm that they’re on the ground."

The officer glanced toward the sealed hatch.

"Then we assume we’re first. Nobody is coming outside to arrange the position for us."

The machine-gun crew checked their weapon while riflemen tightened straps and secured ammunition pouches that had shifted during descent.

The officer moved toward the hatch.

"When this opens, the first pair checks the ground around the pod. Everyone else waits for their call. Riflemen spread first. The machine gun stays near the pod until we find a good firing position. Radio stays with me."

A soldier near the front adjusted his helmet.

"And if there’s already something waiting outside?"

"Then tell us exactly what you see. If you see one Astragoth, say one. If you see movement but cannot identify it, say that. Do not fire at something because you were nervous and decided it looked dangerous."

The soldier gave a tense smile.

"You make it sound very easy."

"It becomes difficult when soldiers start hallucinating."

The hatch mechanism activated. The heavy panel opened outward, flooding the compartment with daylight.

The first two riflemen moved immediately.

One dropped beside the left side of the pod while the other crossed several steps to the right and raised his rifle toward the open plateau.

The officer followed after both signaled that the immediate ground was clear.

The plateau stretched around them in broken stone and uneven ground. A low rise stood ahead of the pod, while scattered rocks offered partial cover closer to the western edge.

The officer focused on the terrain his soldiers could actually use.

The rifleman on the left looked back.

"Nothing close on this side. I can see the edge of the plateau, but no clear movement to identify enemies."

The other rifleman called from the opposite side.

"Right side is clear too. Nothing beside the pod."

The officer waved the next soldiers out.

"First section, take that low rise. Spread across it. I don’t want men hiding behind the same cover."

The riflemen moved into position.

The machine-gun team emerged behind them carrying their weapon between them.

The gunner pointed toward a shallow depression.

"We could set up there. It gives us better protection."

His assistant looked across the depression.

"The problem is we’ll barely see the western approach until the enemy is close and already climbing."

The gunner pointed toward a stone shelf farther ahead.

"That gives us a better view, but anyone coming from the west will see us immediately."

The officer walked over.

"Which position lets you cover the western approach and still shift toward the south without dragging the gun across open ground?"

The assistant pointed toward a broken section of stone between the two places.

"That one. We lose some cover, but the west is clear and we can turn south without moving the whole setup."

The gunner crouched briefly and checked the angle.

"I can work from there. North would be awkward, but west and south are clean."

"Then use it. Get the gun set now and tell the nearest riflemen exactly where your firing lane is."

The two goblins lifted the weapon again.

The assistant glanced at the gunner.

"You could have agreed with me before making the officer command us."

"I wanted to make sure your idea is foolproof."

"Keep talking and I will make carry all the ammunition."

The officer looked back at them.

"Save the argument until after the gun is ready."

The next several minutes passed quickly as the position began to take shape. Riflemen occupied broken stone. Ammunition was placed where soldiers could reach it without standing fully exposed.

The machine-gun crew shifted its weapon once after realizing that the first placement crossed too close to one rifle position.

The officer walked the line and stopped beside a group near the low rise.

"Why do I have five rifles watching the same stretch of ground?"

The section leader pointed toward the northern side.

"I left that part open for the next pod. If another unit lands nearby, they’ll need somewhere to fit."

"They have not landed yet. Until they do, that section belongs to us. Put two men north and cover it now."

The section leader immediately waved two riflemen over.

"Take the northern edge. If another pod lands behind you, stay where you are until I tell you how we’re shifting."

One of the riflemen nodded.

"Better than guessing."

The officer continued along the line until the radio operator called for him.

"Sir, Pod 6 is on the ground."

The officer returned and took the handset.

"Pod 6, this is Pod 3. Give me your condition."

Static cracked before another officer answered.

"We’re down east of you. The landing was rough, but nobody is too injured to move. We’re opening now. I can see your marker, but I can’t tell whether you want us to hold here or come to you."

"Bring most of your people west. Keep enough men watching your eastern side while you move, but do not build a separate position around your pod. I want the two groups supporting each other."

The other officer gave a faint laugh through the radio.

"I was hoping you’d tell me you’d already found good cover and cleared the entire plateau."

"We only found rocks and open ground. If you were expecting something comfortable, you chose the wrong invasion."

"Fair enough. I’ll bring the main group west. What do you want done with my machine gun?"

"Mine is covering west and southwest. Put yours where it can watch north and east once you reach us. I do not want both guns covering the same approach."

"That works. I’ll leave one rifle section facing east until the rest of us close the gap, then pull them in enough that they aren’t isolated."

"Good. Warn your men about my machine gun’s firing lane before they cross into the position."

"I will. Surviving the descent only to run in front of a friendly fire would be embarrassing."

"It would also be permanent death."

The other officer laughed once.

"Point taken. We’re moving."

The officer returned the handset and looked toward the eastern side of the plateau.

Pod 6’s first soldiers were already emerging and spreading away from the hull.

He watched long enough to confirm they were moving properly, then returned to the western line.

One rifleman there was staring beyond the plateau edge.

The officer crouched beside him.

"What are you watching?"

"I saw movement below the western side. At first I thought it was shadow between the rocks, but it kept moving."

The officer raised his binoculars.

Several dark forms moved across the lower ground.

Their long bodies were unmistakable.

"Astragoths. Keep watching them and tell me if they change direction."

The rifleman kept his weapon pointed toward them.

"They looked smaller on the briefing display."

"They were farther away on the briefing display."

"That explains some of it. The rest is probably because they’re coming this way."

The officer watched the lead creatures for several seconds.

Their route was turning toward the plateau.

"They are changing direction toward us. Pass that along the western line. Enemy movement confirmed. Nobody fires yet."

The rifleman looked over.

"Not even one shot to check the range?"

"No. We know how far away they are. What we don’t know is how many rounds it takes to stop one. I don’t want to learn that while half the section is firing from a distance where they cannot keep their shots on target."

The warning moved along the line.

Pod 6’s soldiers were reaching the position by then.

Their officer came forward while his troops spread toward the northern and eastern sides.

"You found something?"

The Pod 3 officer handed him the binoculars.

"West-northwest. Several in front, more behind them. They turned toward the plateau after your pod came down."

The second officer studied the movement.

"They are coming directly toward us. They’re also faster than I expected for something that size."

"Same conclusion I reached."

The Pod 6 officer lowered the binoculars.

"I can move one rifle section toward your northern side and leave my machine gun covering east. If they hit your approach first, those rifles can reinforce you without leaving my entire side open."

"Do it, but keep your section together. I don’t want your men mixed into mine badly that it creates confusions once the shooting starts."

"Agreed. I’ll place them behind your northern section and tell the section leader he is supporting your line, not joining it."

"That gives us room to move them again if the enemy changes direction."

The other officer looked back toward the approaching Astragoths.

"How many can you actually see?"

"The front group clearly. There are more behind broken ground, but I can’t confirm the exact number."

"Good. I want accurate information"

The Pod 6 officer returned to his troops.

The Astragoths continued approaching.

Their size became clearer as they crossed the lower ground, their serpentine bodies moving with heavy but controlled speed.

Some were noticeably larger than others, but even the smaller ones dwarfed individual goblins.

A younger rifleman shifted his grip.

"Sir, they’re going to reach the slope soon. We could start shooting before they climb."

The officer looked at him.

"Could your section keep its shots on target from here?"

The soldier hesitated.

"We could hit something that size."

The rifleman looked along the line.

"We’d get more hits if they were closer."

"Exactly. I don’t care who fires the first shot on this planet. I care whether the first volley actually does damage against our enemy."

The soldier nodded.

"So we wait until the whole section can fire effectively."

"We wait until every round has a reasonable chance of hitting. Once they start climbing, the distance will close quickly. Stay ready."

The officer moved toward the machine-gun position.

The gunner was already behind the weapon while his assistant arranged ammunition within easy reach.

"Do you have the western approach?"

The gunner looked down the firing lane.

"From the lower slope upward. If they stay on that route, they’ll cross my sights before they reach the rifle positions."

"Good. You stay silent until I call for you."

The gunner glanced toward the approaching Astragoths.

"You’re opening with rifles first?"

"I want to know what concentrated rifle fire does. If rifles stop them, we save machine-gun ammunition. If the rifles aren’t enough, then you start firing."

The assistant gunner looked at his partner.

"That means you don’t get to empty your ammunition due to the enemy being too durable."

"Both of you check the feed and watch the approach. You can argue about who carries what when nothing is trying to reach us."

The assistant laughed quietly.

"He started it."

"I still don’t care."

The officer continued north.

Pod 6’s rifle section was settling behind the existing positions when the other officer approached again.

"My eastern side is clear. I moved only one section toward you, so I still have enough men to respond if something appears from that direction."

"Good. Keep your machine gun east until we have a reason to move it."

The Pod 6 officer looked toward the approaching Astragoths.

"You still want to hold fire?"

"Yes. I want the first volley taken at a distance where the men can keep their shots on target."

"That also tells us how much punishment these things can take before we commit the machine guns."

"Exactly. If the rifles barely slow them, we change immediately. I would rather learn that with every weapon ready than after half the line has wasted a magazine."

The Pod 6 officer nodded.

"I’ll make sure my section leaders explain that. Some of the younger soldiers are already asking why we aren’t shooting."

"They can dislike the order as long as they follow it."

"That I can enforce."

The first Astragoths reached the lower approach.

The goblins could now see their bodies flex as they climbed over broken stone.

The officer raised his voice enough to carry along the western line.

"Check your weapons now. Do not wait until they’re close enough to make your hands shake. Section leaders, assign targets before the first shot."

Bolts moved and magazines were checked.

A rifleman near the center raised his voice.

"What about the large one in front? Half the line is already watching it."

The section leader beside him answered first.

"Then half the line needs to stop staring at the same target. You take the thinner one on its right. Second pair takes the large one. Third pair covers anything that moves past them."

The officer nodded.

"That is what I want. Decide now instead of changing targets after the shooting begins."

The machine-gun crew signaled that they were ready.

Farther north, the Pod 6 officer called across the line.

"My section has targets assigned. East is still clear."

The Pod 3 officer answered without taking his eyes from the enemy.

"Keep watching east. If anything appears there, tell me before you move your gun. I do not want both sides changing positions without knowing what the other is doing."

The first Astragoth climbed farther up the approach, with several more following behind it.

A rifleman near the officer spoke quietly.

"They’re inside rifle range now."

The officer kept watching the distance.

"They’re inside a range where you can hit them once. I want them inside a range where you can hit them multiple times before they reach us."

The soldier breathed out slowly.

"Waiting feels worse when they’re close enough to see properly."

"Then watch your sights instead of their faces. You’ll have enough to think about once I give the order."

The rifleman beside him gave a nervous laugh, but neither lowered his weapon.

The officer settled his rifle against the stone in front of him.

Along the line, the goblins crouched behind cover with their sights trained on assigned targets. The machine guns remained silent behind them, crews are ready but waiting.

The Astragoths continued climbing toward the plateau, and the officers watched the shrinking distance until the first volley of fires comes.