920 920 Familiar Ground
[Do you want to hunt aliens?] Max’s message made Huntress Khan smile behind her smooth golden mask.
[Why, what a charming offer. What did you have in mind?] She replied happily, then read the data that Max had sent along with the message.
Max waited a few minutes while she read over his proposal, which was deliberately tailored to allow her to come along with some of her most trusted hunting companions. One group wouldn’t upset the balance by much, but the effort might be enough to lessen the burden on the camp, and Max intended to replace the units he was taking, so it was no real loss to their defensive abilities.
Finally, Khan finished reading the details and sent out the message to gather her hunting team for the mission.
[When do we set out?] She asked.
[If you can have everyone here in ten minutes, I can have the new Androids on the front lines and ready to defend by then. They’re already made and waiting for orders.]
The shuffle of the Command structure was no big deal to the Hunters, who were used to splitting off into smaller groups at a moment’s notice, and a similarly experienced Huntress stepped up to take Khan’s place as soon as she gave the order for her team to assemble. They were running across the camp within seconds, securing their masks and gear as they made their way back to their Hunter Suits with cheerful thoughts in their mind.
Once they were assembled, Max pulled up a map and addressed the group. “Welcome, everyone. As you likely know, I am Commander Keres Max of the Terminus Trading Company, and I will be your tour guide today.
Our drone bombers have identified several groups of potential targets for today’s hunt, starting with this one at grid C5. It’s not a long trip, but they are around a large water source, which is presumed to be a valuable resource to both sides of the conflict.”
Nico and the Hunters laughed at his tour guide routine, but the Androids were carefully calculating what orders they were likely to get in order to take that position. There was no need for the others to do that. They already knew all of the most probable tactics, and if Max intended to try something outlandish, he would have sent it to them in advance so they could analyze it.
They began to move out as soon as Max finished his spiel, headed for the small lake where the drones had detected a large group of Myceloid warriors gathering. They weren’t going to try to sneak up on them or anything. The plan was to find them, shoot at them and start charging.
It was exactly what the Myceloids did in their offensives against the Hunters camp, so Max was reasonably sure that it was their preferred combat style, and it should get them engaged in the battle instead of running away.
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That was about the usual for her, but the Huntress team wasn’t far behind her enthusiasm, and they were all eager to repay some of the insult that they had suffered by being trapped in their camp and forced back off the majority of the planet through their own misunderstanding of the nature of the enemy.
[Targets sighted. Six hundred metres ahead, just over the rise.] Nico reported, relaying the data from her Drone Bombers, who were still patrolling the area around the base in case of another attack.
The Android Army was right behind them, all five hundred units in five lines behind the five mortal piloted Mecha. They kept an easy pace until Nico crested the final hill between them and the enemy, and the Myceloids stopped their activities to prepare for an attack.
Nico sounded her war horn, and the keening wail of the modified loudspeaker echoed through the valley and across the river. It was an unmistakable challenge, and the Myceloids roared right back before starting a battle chant and charging toward the wall of Mecha.
[All units, fan out and fire at will. Maintain maximum firing rates until we reach the melee range.] Max ordered.
The line expanded, with Mecha moving to the sides to create a wedge-shaped spearpoint formation charging down the hill. The Myceloids showed no such organization, but they were happily firing every weapon that they had in the general direction of the Mecha as they ran with various blades and clubs in their hands.
A few of the Line Mecha fell to lucky shots, but more than half of the Myceloids were down before the first sounds of blade on blade rang out, and the bark of the Mass Drivers fell silent.
[Those serrated blades you have sure are effective against flesh.] Khan mused as Nico managed to finesse her blade through a wide arc to take three heads with one swing.
[We will show you how to make them later if you like. They have become a fan favourite with the followers of the close combat doctrines.] Nico replied with dignity.
Khan laughed over the intercom. [You could just say they’re your personal favourite. But those forearm blades aren’t bad, either. They’re very sharp. I think I might have to change the angle of my own defensive blades to try out that attack pattern.] Khan mused.
The melee scrum was a bloody clash of metal on overgrown flesh, and blood flew everywhere, mixed with some hydraulic fluid as the two sides met. The Mecha were slightly larger, and much heavier, which let them shield slam through the first rank of Myceloids, which they handily chopped apart after knocking them to the ground.
But the next rank put up a much better fight.
The Androids knew a lot of close combat theory, and they had some experience. But today, they were really putting it to the test. The fights were mostly one-on-one, with the Myceloid reinforcements still incoming, instead of the confused mass of bodies that the attack on the camp had been.