Fourth Vector Ch. 15

Luke patted him heartily on the back. "We'll take care of business out here. You do your thing ashore, and we'll meet up after."

Jack said his goodbyes to Luke and Kim as they soon boarded back out to theValiant. He wanted to watch from ashore while the task force began to steam away from the beach, but he knew time was still of the essence.

His army needed him.

Jack grabbed Kat's hand and started after their horses. "Come on. We have a battle to win."

*****

"Well, it appears our enemies have had time to organize. It looks like they've picked up a few numbers as well."

It was about three hours since they left the beach, and no sooner did the marines arrive in camp then they set about taking positions and trying to figure out a plan for the upcoming battle. Jack looked out across the battlefield as Greg spoke the words, scanning the encampment of the Swabians and the enemy clans. He didn't appear to be exaggerating. There now seemed to be another two clans to bolster the ranks of theGartala and theLapusa. Jack estimated the addition of these two new clans probably brought in a total of about thirty-five hundred Andalucians facing against him. Their numbers had increased exponentially, and Jack had to wonder how many of them had defected over to their side once he started the retreat.

The only good thing, if it could be called such, was that the Swabians still appeared in roughly the same numbers. It meant the overall force in front of them was easily over forty-three hundred men, a sizable army for a country like this one.

As far as Jack's own forces, the losses from the first battle had brought his numbers down slightly, but the addition of the marines pushed his total up to about thirty-six hundred men. While he had a small advantage in rifles, he was outnumbered by almost a quarter. It also meant that just about any battle plan they came up with would have to take into account the range of the Swabian rifles.

"We need to have a war council before this thing cooks off," said Jack to Greg, as he gestured at their defensive position. "I don't like how they're lined up. It seems they have the Swabians massed in the center of their line."

"It's the smart thing to do," said Greg. "Put the heaviest hammer in the center with the weaker clans on the flanks. All they have to do is pierce the middle of our line, and then they can just roll up our flanks. We'll be sitting ducks."

"Come on. Let's talk this one through," said Jack, as the two men went to find the other leaders.

About twenty minutes later, Jack had gathered Greg, Dustin, the battalion commanders of all the marines, as well as Abel of theMuthada, Samir of theNumratha, and Masud, Wabu, and Hafiz of theBurlada.

"So that is our current position," said Jack as he outlined the enemy's location in detail to all the leaders. "They look to be set up to strike directly at our center with everything they've got."

"That seems pretty cut and dry to me, Jack," said Dustin. "Why don't we place all our marines in the center and blunt the attack? With this much firepower, we'll stop that attack right in its tracks."

"We could do that," said Greg as he drew a sketch of it in the sand. "But they have more Andalucians on their flanks. If they crush our flanks, they could surround us in the center, and that's even if we beat back their attack."

"Well then, we'll just fight our way out if these boys can't do the job," said Dustin, gesturing toward the other Andalucians.

"Not without taking a host of casualties," said Jack. "And I'd like to keep this army as intact as possible just in case any other clans get any ideas of defecting."

"We can't win a battle without taking casualties though, Your Majesty," said Samir. "Your countryman's plan of meeting the heaviest forces in the center has merit."

Jack nodded quietly and drew a sketch of how the battle would go forward in the sand below him. While he didn't expect his clans to withstand the assault on the flanks, he did think the marines could still survive the Swabians and then push out the rest of the enemy. Although, he almost shuddered to think of the cost. Yet what other choice did he have? It was either make the center strong or the flanks strong.

And that's when an idea hit him.

Jack covered the sand with his foot and redrew the lines one more time. This time, he positioned his marines on either flank, with a heavy strategic reserve in the center, just behind the front lines. In the main portion of the line in the center, he put in a thin covering of Andalucians—just enough to draw the enemy inside his own line before the flanks and the strategic reserve could come back to crush it from all sides.

It was a bold plan, but if it worked, he would be able to defeat their army in detail all at the same time.

"New idea," said Jack boldly as he called them all around him again. "We're not going to do a strong center. We're going to do a weak one with strong flanks. I want two marine battalions on each flank, and I want Greg's veterans, along with the replacements, in the middle making a strategic reserve. Lastly, I want theBurlada in the center, with theNumratha and theMuthada on either side of those, butting up against the marine battalions on the flanks. What we have in the other small clans can join those three as well."

He received several confused looks from many of the men around him. "Your Majesty, I don't mean to discourage your plan, but our clans won't hold up well against the Swabians in the center," said Samir with a cautious look. "You've seen it firsthand yourself just what those rifles do to Andalucians in combat. It would be a bloodbath."

"Yes, it would," said Jack before he held up his hand. "If, and I mean if, you stayed there to fight them on your own terms. I'm not asking you to do that."

Samir looked even more confused. "Then what are we to do?"

"I want you to get off as many shots with your bows as you can and once the enemy starts pushing on your center, I want you to fall back to the strategic reserve." Jack then drew the next phase in the sand showing the Andalucians pulling back to where Greg and his men were stationed.

"Your Majesty, then they would just break our center," said Wabu. "What use is a weak center?"

Jack then drew the third phase of the battle in the center, showing the intended movements of each piece after the enemy had been drawn in. He outlined each group's responsibility as the battle progressed, a simple maneuver that would be easy enough to accomplish in the heat of combat.

"Listen, I know this looks rather unorthodox. But they are putting their entire strength in the middle," said Jack. "I think we have a real chance here to counter that threat."

Half of the men didn't look convinced. It seemed like only Greg could see what Jack was trying to accomplish as the rest of them looked to want to keep with the original plan. Thankfully, with Jack being in charge, most of them were more keen to follow orders instead of dissenting on the plan, even if they didn't understand most of it.

"We don't have much time before they can attack, so let's get the men into place now," said Jack, adjourning the meeting.

"This is a bold plan, Jack," said Greg as the rest of the men departed. "I'm not sure where you cooked this one up, but if this doesn't work, our entire force is in jeopardy."

Jack looked back down to the map at his feet. Sure, if it didn't work, they might be surrounded and defeated in detail. It would mean the reinforcements were for nothing, Andalucia would be completely lost, and the task force would need a new commander.

However, if it worked, it meant they might be able to end this war today without dragging out a protracted fight with an increasing number of clans. For Jack to keep the throne of this country, he had to end this war quickly. This plan was the best shot they had to do that.

"We'll just have to make it work, Greg. We have no other option right now," said Jack finally, as he turned to face the man. "Get your battalion ready. Have you started to integrate the reinforcements?"

Greg shook his head. "Not really. Most of those boys are pretty green. I'm thinking of pairing each rookie with a veteran to help bring them up to speed."

Jack started to nod. "I like that idea. The rookies will have someone to look up to and each veteran will only have to worry about their rookie not screwing up. Let's get it done."

*****

All the dust from the movements of the army to get into position for Jack's plan must have alerted the enemy scouts. The men had just gotten into place when the first of the advance scouts reported movement in the enemy camp.

Jack could soon look out to see the entire camp of the enemy forming their lines, with the Swabian anvil in the center and backed by the Andalucian flanks. They weren't deviating from their original setup, and Jack could at least count that as going for them. Having to think of a new battle plan on the fly was stressful enough.

Since the enemy was lined up a good half mile from the front lines, Jack had time to visit the front ranks of theBurlada,Muthada, andNumratha even as the Swabians started to march. Their lines were thin in comparison to the marines, especially for the two less numerous clans. Jack had them arrayed in such a formation so that the front ranks kneeled while the second rank stood directly behind them. For Jack's plan, this pair of ranks formed one line in his plan. He had two other lines behind them set up in the same way, for a total of six ranks deep of each clan.

They had orders to fire their bows upon command, letting each of the two front ranks achieve a full volley before they would fall to the rear, allowing the third and fourth ranks to step forward to the front line while those that were previously on the front would draw their next arrow and prepare to notch it. In such a way, the six ranks would rotate through, allowing them to present a continuous line of fire until the Swabian rifles started to push into them. It was an awkward position for those kneeling to fire their bow but Jack needed the concentration of arrows to make this work effectively.

"I just need you to keep up a steady stream of arrows," said Jack as he walked along the front line. "When the pressure gets too much, I don't want you to be heroes. Fall back to the marines stationed in the rear and become their flanks. I just need you to kill as many of those bastards as possible before you do so."

One of the clans looked back to where the marine reserve was placed, a distance of a few hundred yards. "That's a good distance to retreat to, Your Majesty. Especially while we're being shot at."

Jack locked eyes with the tepid youth. "Make sure not to turn your back to the enemy. Just take measured steps back and keep firing if you're able. They'll be more likely to shoot you if they see your back."

The youth nodded, swallowed heavily, and turned back to face the approaching Swabians. Jack turned to look at the flanks, both of them heavily beefed up by the presence of two battalions each. They would make quick work of the Andalucian clans even as the Swabians pushed past them. It was his hope that they could stand firm to tighten the noose on the attackers once it was needed.

He would soon find out just how risky his gamble would be.

As the Swabians and enemy clans began to approach the front lines, they soon broke out into a headlong run against their position. It was at that point that Jack instructed his clans to notch their arrows and prepare for the first volley.

"Just wait a little longer," said Jack. "Most of them will stop to take that first shot. As soon as they do, I'll give the command."

Sure enough, the Swabians faltered once they were close enough, ringing out the first shots of battle as several of theBurlada men around Jack took hits, falling to the ground. It was just the signal he'd been waiting on.

"Fire now!" he roared as the steadytwang of arrows soon lifted from their bows and filled the skies with streaks of black. Jack watched as they soared overhead and soon dropped down on the unsuspecting Swabians, taking many of them to the ground.

"Rotate!"

The front ranks of the clans soon pushed back to the rear, only to be replaced by the second lines of the third and fourth ranks.

"Fire!"

More arrows filled the skies, causing the Swabians to shriek out in terror as the weapon hit its target. Around him, the chaos of the battlefield was starting to reign. It was the most bizarre sight to see attackers bearing rifles coming down on those with bows and arrows, while on his flanks, the opposite was true. Too soon, he heard the steady barking of the NT-12 as the enemy clans got into range of the marine battalions.

However, his clans in the center of the line were taking grievous casualties. Many of them were dropping like flies at this point, outgunned by the Swabians and having little cover. The lines were starting to falter and gaps were starting to appear.

"One more volley!" Jack yelled to those that were still capable of offering combat. "Give them one more volley and then pull back!"

The sound of arrows soon filled the air but a much lower quantity of Swabians hit the dust this time around. They were now close enough that Jack could make out their faces, and their firepower was turning into pure devastation on his lines.

"Pull back!" he yelled, tapping all of those still standing at the front. "Pull back your forces!"

Many of them didn't need told twice. As one body, they started to push backwards, struggling to retain a degree of space between them and the deadly rifles of the Swabians. Most of them tried to slip a few arrows out while they pulled back, however the results were poor to say the least. There were too many Swabians.

It was at that point that many of them turned their back to the enemy, sprinting headlong for the rear and threatening the integrity of the entire line.

"Don't turn your backs! Keep it orderly!" yelled Jack.

A good portion of the men had ceased to hear him, only concerned with getting away from the devastating weapons of the Swabian soldiers. Jack felt bullets whizzing around him, especially now that there was little to separate him from the Swabians, and he began to move faster as he struggled to reach the strategic reserve battalion.

Thankfully, he had positioned them in an area just behind a small crest of sand dunes near the middle of the field. Jack had instructed all of them to lie prone to the ground, hiding themselves from view so that their reveal on the battlefield would be that much more demoralizing to the Swabians. It wasn't until the Andalucians had made their way across those few hundred yards to the reserve that he instructed them to move to the flanks as the Javan marines rose up as one.

Jack hit the sand and looked back out to the battlefield. From this low rise, he could see just about all that was unfolding around him. On the flanks, his marines still engaged the tattered remnants of the clans, but as those flanks got closer to his center, they were starting to yield backwards. The men on the far ends of each flank stood firm, which had the habit of drawing the attacking forces into the center.

Directly in front of him, the Swabians appeared to be confused, many of them wondering what the hell the Andalucians were doing or why they were running away. Several of them thought to attack the flanks, but found a much more equal opponent in the marines.

That's when many of them got the first sight of the reserve battalion as they made their position known on the battlefield. A good portion of those Swabians stopped in their tracks as they tried to organize some semblance of a battle line but it was too late.

"Ready, boys?" roared Greg over the sound of battle. "Let's give these bastards some payback! Fire!"

The massed ranks of NT-12s opened up as one roar and annihilated the front ranks of Swabians. In return, many of the Swabians were able to get off shots, but the confusion had already set in—they hadn't expected to see the reserve standing strong in the rear.

Greg's men opened up fire again, destroying more of the Swabians as they were soon joined on the flanks by the tattered remnants of the enemy clans. The battle had put a distinct bow in the Javan lines but it also had the effect of surrounding the enemy force on three sides. As the flanks of the enemy clans were cleaned up, it enabled the marines on the extreme ends to close the gap, and very soon, nearly the entire force of Swabians and Andalucians was closed off on every side.

It was then that the battle, up until that point nearly an even affair, turned into an absolute bloodbath.

The enemy clans on the flanks were the first to figure out their predicament, being completely cut off from their camps and under heavy fire. Many of them tried to break out of the perimeter, but their weapons were no match for the marines, and they were soon cut down in scores.

All too soon, it was only the Swabians left standing in the middle, in a half-hearted semi-circle as they realized their odds. Jack wondered whether they would surrender or attempt to bargain for their lives but they just kept firing. Just like the cruiser they'd sunk out at sea, the Swabians didn't know when to give up. And they kept up the battle as the death grip around them tightened even further.

The last dramatic act of the battle was the sudden movement of about two platoons worth of Swabians as they tried to break out of the circle of death. They headed for the most sparsely-populated portion of the line—the part that closed off last, which also happened to be the straightest line back to their camp. They attacked it with such ferocity that, for a moment, Jack thought they might break through. Yet the marines held strong and defeated the attack, the last of the attackers falling into the sand no more than ten feet from the rest of the marines.

The rest of the attack was moped up from there. The last Swabians went down fighting, huddled together in a circle no more than fifteen feet across. As soon as they were down, all the firing stopped just as eerily as it began.

"Good god, Jack," said Greg as the man approached him after the last Swabian fell. "We've destroyed them."

He wasn't exaggerating. Almost the entire enemy force that had filled the opposite side of the battlefield that morning now laid dead on the field. Jack's gambit worked spectacularly, drawing the enemy into his own lines without breaking while he surrounded them on all sides. Cutting off their only escape route, the enemy forces could do nothing else but wait to die. In doing so, they were completely destroyed.

And once again, Jack was the undisputed master of Andalucia.

*****

"Seventeen marines," said Greg some hours after the battle. "That's the entire butcher's bill for this battle. Seventeen."

"We lost considerably more of the Andalucians but I fear we would've lost more of them with a more traditional battle," said Jack as they walked along the battlefield. It was early evening now, and the process of attending to the wounded and dying was already heavily underway.

"For the loss of seventeen marines and some more Andalucians, we defeated an army that outnumbered us by a quarter and had an equal number of rifles," said Greg. "Hell, not even defeated. You completely annihilated them, Jack."

"We did," he said while patting the man's back. "The boys did good today. They did an excellent job. I've never been prouder of the men."

"I think they'll sleep well tonight, Jack. I heard them all talking about this victory. This will be one for the history books. They should be teaching this one at the academies!"