Chapter 202: First Battle

Chapter 202: First Battle

The leading Astragoth crossed the section of broken stone below the western position. The Pod 3 officer had waited for the creature to reach this point because the riflemen could now keep their sights on its body without struggling with the distance. Several more Astragoths followed behind it, spread across the same approach.

"Western line, open fire. Stay on your assigned targets until they stop moving."

Rifles fired across the plateau. Several bullets struck the leading Astragoths, forcing one to twist sideways while another lowered the front of its body against the ground. Neither of them stopped. A larger Astragoth near the center took several hits across its upper body and continued climbing.

The officer fired at the larger creature and worked another round into his rifle. The first shots had already shown that a hit did not mean the enemy die.

A rifleman near the center fired again.

"I’ve hit that big guy twice. Yet it’s still coming."

His section leader kept his rifle directed on the same area.

"Then stay on it. Your partner is firing at the same target. Make sure to kill it thoroughly."

"I’ll keep on it. I wanted to make sure the hits were actually doing something."

"They are. It movements become noticeably slower after the last hit. Keep shooting."

The pair fired again. Two more bullets struck the Astragoth, followed by another shot from a rifleman farther along the line. The creature dropped its front against the slope, pushed itself forward with its tail for another few meters, then stopped.

The section leader immediately pointed farther downhill.

"First pair, shift to the one directly behind it. Second pair stays on the Astragoth coming up the right side."

The soldiers changed targets and continued firing. Farther south, another pair had been shooting the same Astragoth for several seconds without stopping.

The Pod 3 officer watched their target take another round and continue upward.

"Second section, add one pair to the center target. I want it down before the ones behind it catches up."

The section leader checked his men before moving anyone.

"My left pair just finished their target. I’ll put them on it."

"Do that. Keep the rest of your section where it is."

Two more rifles joined the fire. The Astragoth took several additional hits before collapsing, leaving the goblins free to shift their attention to the creatures behind it.

The surviving Astragoths suddenly increased their speed. Their tails pushed hard against the slope, driving their bodies over the rocky ground much faster than during their initial approach. The distance between the front group and the goblin positions began shrinking quickly.

One of the riflemen tracked his target as it moved. ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"They’re charging now. Mine is covering the ground much faster."

The officer kept his own sights on another creature.

" Don’t empty the magazine make ym3sch shot count."

The rifleman fired after following his target for another second.

"I can still track it. I just need more time between shots."

"Then take that time. A missed round is a wasted shot."

The Pod 6 officer contacted him over the radio while rifle fire continued along the western and northern parts of the position.

"They’ve accelerated on my side too. We dropped one, but two are still approaching from the north. I’m keeping my machine gun facing east because I still see movement there."

"Keep it there. My gun can cover the western concentration. If the enemy movement on the east turns toward you, make sure your weapon is not facing the wrong direction."

"Agreed. I’ll keep the northern rifles working and leave the gun on the eastarn direction."

The Pod 3 officer returned the handset and looked toward the western machine-gun team. The leading Astragoths were approaching the center of the gunner’s firing lane.

"The front group is about to cross your lane. Take the center once the riflemen are clear."

The gunner adjusted the weapon.

"I can fire after they pass that stone shelf. No friendly forces should be in it’sline of sight."

"Use short bursts. Stay on the center and let the rifles shoot anything that moves outside your line."

"I’ll keep the gun there."

The first Astragoth crossed the stone shelf, and the officer gave the order. The machine gun fired a controlled burst that struck the creature repeatedly across the upper body. It collapsed before moving another meter.

The gunner shifted his aim to two Astragoths following close behind and fired again. One fell under the burst, while the second moved away from the center and continued south with several wounds.

The assistant gunner watched it leave their firing lane.

"That wounded one is heading south."

"Leave it," the gunner replied. "If I turn my gun after it, I will cross the line of southern rifle positions."

The Pod 3 officer heard the exchange.

"Correct. Hold the center. Southern section, takedown the wounded target moving toward you."

Two riflemen shifted their sights and fired. Their first shots slowed the Astragoth, and the next series brought it down before it reached the upper slope.

Another pair of Astragoths entered the machine gun’s lane. The gunner fired two short bursts, stopping one and forcing the other to change direction toward the edge of the lane.

The assistant checked farther downhill.

"They’re spreading out their approach. The next group isn’t staying together."

The officer could see the same adjustments the enemy is making. Several Astragoths had separated from one another, reducing the number of targets the machine gun could engage in a single burst.

"Keep the machine gun on the center. Rifle sections, cover anything that moves outside its lane. Check where the other sections are before you shift."

The sections adjusted their fire without changing their positions. The machine gun continued controlling the center while rifle pairs engaged individual Astragoths moving toward the sides.

One Astragoth on the western approach stopped its direct advance and moved toward a cluster of loose stone. Its tail wrapped around a large rock and pulled it away from the ground.

The Pod 3 officer immediately pointed it out.

"Third section, left side. One enemy is preparing to throw a rock into our postion. Focus fire the enemy."

The section leader located the target.

"Third section, take the enemy rock thrower. The pair beside us keeps our previous target covered."

Several rifles fired. Bullets struck the Astragoth while it dragged the rock into a clear area, but it continued preparing the throw.

One of the soldiers called out while firing.

"It’s still lifting the rock. Our shots seems like not effective."

"Keep your fire on the body," the section leader answered. "We still have time."

The Astragoth began rotating its body and swinging the rock with its tail. The Pod 3 officer saw the movement and lowered himself behind his cover.

"Forward positions, get down. It’s about to throw."

The rock left the Astragoth’s tail and passed above the forward riflemen. It struck the ground behind them, breaking against the plateau and scattering fragments across the area.

Two goblins were struck by smaller pieces but remained on their feet. One checked the other’s shoulder while both stayed behind cover.

"Did anything get through your armor?"

"No. My shoulder hurts, but I can still move the arm and hold the rifle."

"Then stay beside me. Tell me if the arm starts getting weak."

The officer looked toward them.

"Can both of you continue fighting?"

The first rifleman raised his weapon again.

"We can continue. No serious injuries here."

"Stay on the line. Third section, finish the thrower before it hurle another rock towards us."

The soldiers had never ceased firing. Several more rounds struck the Astragoth, and the creature collapsed beside the loose stones before it could prepare another throw.

A rifleman on the southern side immediately called out another threat.

"Rock thrower south. It already has a stone on its tail."

The officer turned and saw another Astragoth wrapping its tail around a smaller rock.

"South section, take it. From now on, if you see one preparing a throw, engage it immediately. You don’t need to wait for my order."

The southern section leader raised his rifle.

"First pair, concentrate on the thrower. Second pair keeps the nearest advancing target covered unless I call you."

The first pair fired several rounds. The Astragoth continued lifting the rock.

"We aren’t stopping it," one of the riflemen said. "It’s starting to swing."

The section leader saw the same thing.

"Second pair, join them. Put everything on the thrower until the rock leaves its tail or the creature goes down."

Four rifles fired, but the Astragoth completed the motion first.

The rock struck the edge of a forward goblin position and shattered part of the stone cover. Two soldiers behind it were knocked down by the impact and fragments.

The section leader immediately called toward the rear.

"Two casualties at the southern position. I need two men to help move them. Everyone else keeps firing."

The Pod 3 officer moved closer while staying behind the remaining cover.

A soldier crouched beside the casualties and checked both quickly.

"One is dead. The other is conscious. His leg is bleeding heavily, and he has fragments in his side."

The officer looked at the wounded goblin.

"Can you move the leg?"

The soldier tried and stopped almost immediately.

"No, but I can use my arms to handle my rifle and fight."

"Then don’t try to move. You’re going behind the line."

The wounded soldier looked toward the fighting.

"If they put me behind cover, I can still shoot from there."

The goblin treating him pressed cloth against the leg.

"You’re bleeding too much. If you keep moving, you’ll make it worse."

The officer pointed toward two soldiers arriving from behind the position.

"Take him behind Pod 3 and hand him over for treatment. Once someone has taken responsibility for him, come straight back here."

One of the soldiers moved to the wounded goblin’s side.

"We’ll carry him behind the pod. That will keep him out of the western firing area."

"Use that position. Keep the route open in case we have more casualties."

The two soldiers lifted the wounded goblin and carried him away. The dead rifleman remained beside the damaged cover because removing him during the attack would require more soldiers to leave their positions.

The officer turned back to the southern section leader.

"Spread the soldiers who were using that cover. We lost two men because they were close enough for one impact to hit both."

The section leader checked the nearby rocks before directing his men.

"One pair moves left to the next stone. Another pair moves right. Keep enough space between the two positions that a single rock cannot hit both."

The soldiers shifted while the rest of the section continued firing.

The machine gun opened again in the center and brought down another Astragoth. A second creature moved away from its lane and headed toward the southern side, where several rifles immediately engaged it.

The Pod 3 officer fired twice at the same target. Another rifleman added several shots, and the Astragoth collapsed before reaching the upper slope.

A larger creature appeared behind it.

The Astragoth had a thicker body than most of those already killed, and several bullet wounds were already visible across its front. It continued climbing despite the hits.

The nearest section leader identified it first.

"Large target, center-west. First and second pairs concentrate on it. Third pair keeps the Astragoth behind it covered."

Four rifles fired on the target.

The larger Astragoth slowed briefly but continued forward.

A rifleman worked another round into his weapon.

"We’re getting hits, but it keeps moving again after every volley."

The section leader remained focused on the target.

"Then stay on it. Don’t shift while it’s still approaching our position."

Several more shots struck the creature, but it continued across the broken ground.

One soldier glanced toward the machine gun.

"Can the machine gun gunner turn its scope on this one? It’s getting closer."

The officer checked the center. Three Astragoths were still advancing through the machine gun’s assigned lane.

"No. If the gun turns, those three lose the fire holding them back. Keep the rifles concentrated on the large one."

"Then we need more rifles on it. It’s still closing in."

The officer watched the target take another series of hits. It had already survived sustained rifle fire and was now close enough that allowing it to continue would risk reaching the forward positions.

"RPG team, move to the center."

The gunner and assistant moved forward with the launcher and ammunition. They crouched behind the rifle line and looked downhill.

The RPG gunner spoke while searching for the target.

"Which one am I taking? There are several targets in the center."

"The large one moving center-west. Rifles have been hitting it since it was still in the lower slope, and they still haven’t stopped it."

The gunner found the Astragoth but did not raise the launcher yet.

"Two riflemen are in my firing lane. Move them right and I can take the shot."

The officer called to their section leader.

"Move the center pair to the right. One at a time. I don’t want both rifles to stop firing while they reposition."

The first soldier moved several meters and resumed firing from behind another rock. His partner followed once the first rifle was back in action.

The RPG assistant checked the area behind the launcher.

"Backblast area is clear. Keep everyone behind us out of this space until we fire."

The gunner raised the launcher, but the Astragoth moved behind a large stone and partly disappeared from view.

A rifleman near the front looked toward him.

"It’s close. Can you hit it from there?"

"Not cleanly. Part of the body is behind the rock. If I fire now, I may hit the stone instead."

"How much farther does it need to move?"

"A few meters. Keep firing and force it to come through the open ground."

The officer agreed with the gunner’s decision.

"Rifles continue. RPG waits for a clear target. Nobody moves into that firing lane."

More bullets struck the Astragoth as it pushed past the stone. It entered the open section of the slope with most of its body exposed.

The RPG gunner adjusted his aim.

"I have a clear shot now. Lane is still open."

The officer checked the two rifle positions beside him.

"Take it."

The rocket left the launcher and struck the Astragoth before it reached the forward line. The explosion stopped the creature immediately, throwing the front of its body sideways before the rest collapsed onto the rocks.

The section leader redirected his men as soon as the target stopped moving.

"Large one is down. First pair shifts left. Second pair returns to the center. We still have several coming."

A rifleman nearby changed magazines and looked toward the RPG team.

"That weapon is very effective it took down the enemy much faster. If another one emerges are we using another rocket?"

The officer kept watching the remaining Astragoths.

"If it gets close enough to threaten the line and the rifles aren’t stopping it, yes. We’re not using rockets on targets the rifles or machine gun can already kill."

The RPG assistant placed another round beside the launcher.

"We’ll stay here and keep the lane clear. Call the target if you need another shot."

"Stay ready, but don’t load until I give you one."

The machine gun fired another controlled burst while the rifle sections continued engaging the remaining Astragoths. Farther down the southern approach, another creature began moving toward loose stone, and the nearest rifle pair immediately shifted onto it.

The Pod 3 officer returned behind his cover and raised his rifle toward the next target.

"Rock throwers are the prioritytarget. After that, take the nearest Astragoth in your section. Machine gun holds the center. RPG team waits for my call."

The section leaders repeated the necessary parts of the order to their men. Behind the line, the wounded goblin was being carried toward Pod 3 while the dead rifleman remained beside the shattered southern position.

The first RPG had stopped the closest threat, but the attack had not ended. The officer fired at another Astragoth advancing through the western approach while the rest of the goblin line continued shooting.