Anthony DeCosmo - Parallels

Then the line of attacking soldiers burst through the smoke screen and pushed beyond the first ring of barricades with little trouble.

The bunker's radio broadcast, "Command, this is artillery control. The Committee has contacted us to find out why we haven’t fired. I don’t know what to tell them."

"Just wait for my signal," Gronard replied.

The raging lizards and the vanguard of the Chaktaw reached the first line of explosives, charging in an enthusiastic sprint as if sensing an opportunity for final victory.

"They’re going to overrun us!" Forest shouted as she reached for her two pistols hanging in dual shoulder harnesses.

"Relax. They’re already dead," Trevor spoke loud enough so that his confidence might infect everyone in the bunker.

The human defenders in the third line of defenses responded to the onslaught. Machine gun fire struck at Chaktaw infantry, portable missile launchers blew a part two of the lizards.

The incoming wave slowed, but did not stop. They lobbed fragmentation grenades into trenches. They sprayed lethal acid into pillboxes from backpack tubes affixed to hose-like guns.

That last line of defense became fully engaged with the spearhead of the enemy thrust. Certainly this was the moment the invaders hoped for after months of attack. Indeed, as the smoke screen blew off, the human commanders saw the Chaktaw reserves readying to join the assault; to provide that last assault to breach Thebes' defenses.

"I’ll order Third Legion forward," Snowe announced but, again, without any panic.

"No!" Trevor shouted then repeated, "No. We’ll need them for later."

Gronard set his plan into motion with a radio call, "All batteries, fire!"

The human artillery came to life, lobbing over the Chaktaw vanguard and into their mustering reserves catching the confident attackers on open ground. Poncho-wearing bodies flew into the air with each explosion, many in small pieces.

"Demolition control! Ignite primary charges!"

The explosive second ring of defenses popped off like fire crackers, tossing enemy infantry and decimating the heart of the attack wave.

The Chaktaw’s own artillery was powerless to intervene; any shots at the human defenses would also hit their own soldiers. In contrast, nothing inhibited Gronard's guns. Shells pummeled a relief force, first halting their advance then sending them into retreat.

At the forefront of the battle, the two columns of Chaktaw infantry engaging that final ring of defenses found themselves isolated and without support, a change in disposition noticed by the human defenders. The momentum of battle swung.

"Secondary charges! Detonate!"

Smoke from explosions, rifle fire, and grenades drifted across the defensive lines. From the bunker, Trevor and the others saw enemy corpses form in piles

"I will hand you over to ravaging men, artisans of destruction. You shall be fuel for the fire; your blood shall flow throughout the land."

Johnny’s quotation was the only spoken word in the command bunker for several long minutes; long minutes of watching their soldiers cut down what remained of the enemy's charge, of watching their artillery pulverize the retreating attackers.

After another half-an-hour of carnage, Gronard halted the bombardment leaving a battlefield covered with enemy bodies.

Through binoculars, Trevor saw the remnants of the Chaktaw army-five-hundred fighters and support personnel at best-gather beyond the range of Thebes' guns. He saw a defeated enemy, walking with their poncho'd heads slumped and constantly looking over their shoulders as if waiting for another nasty surprise. He saw them hurriedly gather what supplies they could carry and turn to the north, from whence they came.

In the meantime, the human defenders stood in their battlements and cheered, rifles thrust into the air, waving fists taunted their foe.

"Amazing," General Gronard said and then looked at Trevor. "You did it."

"No, General, you did it. I only convinced you to try."

Gronard drifted into something like a trance.

"You look…you look so much like…so much like…"

"I’m not," Trevor cut him off.

An aide interrupted, "The Committee is on the phone. They demand an immediate explanation as to why there was a change in doctrine."

Gronard said, "Whatever heat I take for not following the rule book was worth it. They can’t argue with results."

Trevor realized that everyone in the bunker thought the battle over. He protested, "Wait a second. We’re not done here."

"We’re done," Snowe said emphatically. "Let’s not push things too hard."

Trevor stepped toward him and said, "Every time they attack you beat them off. They go away, they come back. Every time."

"Not like this," Nina cut in. "You really, I mean, we really beat them up good. I’ve never seen them take that many casualties. Damn, we really bloodied their nose."

"Bloodied their nose? We have a chance to drive a stake through their heart!"

Gronard spoke into the phone, "Yes, I understand protocol. I saw an opportunity…yes, the military is subservient to The Committee…yes, we’ll be there in a few moments."

The General hung up the phone, sighed, and rejoined the group.

He spoke to Trevor, "I'm not sure who you really are but I’d rather have you on the other end of the phone than those…never mind. They want me and Director Snowe right now."

Snowe protested, "I have to take my men back to base and file after-action reports."

"Oh no," Gronard corrected. "The Committee wants to see us now."

Snowe scowled, showing the most emotion Trevor had seen from him since arriving in this alternate universe. The Committee had a hold on these people for some reason or another.

"Major Forest," the Director commanded without looking at her. "Take the Third Legion units back to barracks. I’ll meet up with you after I get my ass chewed out."

Snowe then took a step away. Trevor grabbed his arm.

"You know we have an opportunity right now, today. Why are you letting it slide by?"

Snowe put it bluntly, "Because The Committee is in charge, not you."

Snowe and Gronard left the bunker.

Trevor walked to the observation window. In the distance, he saw the Chaktaw moving away, a defeated army but nevertheless still an army.

– Trevor and Nina led a mob of junior officers from the First and Third Legions toward a security station next to a heavy metal door far away from any barracks.

The supply officer there gaped at the grim-faced gang descending upon his post. If he gave any thought to stopping them, it did not show. Besides, with a Major at the head of the group they must have obtained permission from The Committee to access the arsenal. Right?

Nina confiscated his key and brushed him aside, leading the crew into the armory.

The officers-volunteers-gathered rifles, fragmentation grenades, and light artillery shells in crates and on carts. At the same time, they stocked up for themselves. The room filled with the sound of magazines clicking into guns, weapon rigs strapping on, knives and bayonets slipping into sheaths and snapping onto barrels.

Trevor grabbed a rifle from a long rack of guns and then accepted a handful of magazines from one of the men he had recruited.

Soldiers from the Third Legion-the ones who trained with Trevor for two weeks and heard the stories about the defeated Geryon Battleship-eagerly volunteered.

Several squads of the First Legion had been nearly as easy to convince. They were battle weary, having spent months successfully defending the northern perimeter, only to watch the Chaktaw withdraw each time with little price paid. After tasting victory that morning, they starved for more.

Trevor estimated five hundred enemy troops plus dozens more combat-ineffective injured withdrawing to the north. Through these officers, Trevor ‘recruited’ nearly four hundred from the two Legions, and had done it in less than an hour.