The city was overcast, as was most of the planet, the rain thick with uptake from the orbital bombardments, the atomic weaponry, the directed nuclear weapons, and, as always, the fires. It coated heat sinks, sensors, visors, armor, buildings, and the dead alike. The sun was barely visible, unable to warm up the landscape or the day despite it having been summer before it had all began.

In orbit the Precursor Autonomous War Machines had brought in reinforcements, obviously intending on dedicating the amount of metal needed to take the system away from the Lanaktallan Unified Council, the people who lived on it, and deny the Confederate military any semblance of victory.

The PAWM's had announced their next wave of reinforcements by simply Helljumping straight into the system and going guns clear.

With a hundred Goliath class Haverster vessels.

More than had been seen in any one place the entire war.

Their new tactic, of making directly for the planets, not bothering to secure control of the system first, was resulted in debris slowly spreading out from the system as the Confederate Space Force Naval Vessels had engaged them at ranges they could not answer.

Hundreds of millions had died already.

But there were billions left to fight for.

Vuxten was riding on the back of one of 3rd Armor's medium tanks. He had dialed down the psychic shielding until he could hear the screams again after the first two attempted ambushes. He could hear it, the steady screaming from up ahead and had jumped up on the back of Captain Lee's tank, a member of 8/68 "The Warsteel Dukes", to let her know that he could hear it. He was crouched down slightly, using the turret for cover while he knelt on the back of the medium tank.

Medium. It weighs nearly eight hundred tons, half of that is armor, Vuxten thought to himself. His visor gave a pop of sparks and the rain and debris cleared off.

"Drones out," Captain Lee said from where she was half out of the tank commander's hatch. She wasn't wearing her helmet and Vuxten kept having to restrain himself from yelling at her to put her helmet on.

He could see the three red rounded end bars stacked at the base of her skull.

The two tanks from 8/68 and the one from the Great Herd sat idling, the Terran tank's engines rumbling and the Lanaktallan tanks hoverfans howling.

Thankfully Vuxten's armor automatically edited out those sounds.

After a moment she put her hand on the datalink on her left temple and cursed. "Give me a spiral search pattern, let's see if that's a pattern."

"What?" Vuxten asked over the channel.

"Here, look. We've got a problem," Captain Lee said. She made a tossing motion and Vuxten 'caught' the data packet, opening it up and putting it on his visor with zero transparency.

The building was largely gutted, small and medium Precursor Autonomous War Machines inside. There was one of the big ones in there, heavy tracks and the armored surface covered with guns.

Strapped around the guns were civilians. Lanaktallan and neo-sapients both. Vuxten could see where the cabling had been run through their bodies, woven around them, then sloppily welded to the hull. Some of them were screaming, others were weakly crying out, still others were just slumped against the hull of the war machine.

He counted fifty total just on one side.

"Shit," he said.

--what-- 471 asked from where he was keeping an eye on Vuxten's heat.

"Look," Vuxten passed the data to his little green battle buddy.

--shit-- 471 agreed.

Captain Lee put her hand to her temple again and Vuxten could tell she was subvocalizing, talking to someone. After a minute she looked around.

"All non-Terran units are to pull out of the city," she said. She gave a heaving breath. "3rd Armor and 8th Infantry will be handling this," she turned and looked at Vuxten. "That includes First Telkan. Get your men out."

Vuxten frowned and opened his mouth to object then closed it.

The Battle Tactical Network was already updating.

"Let's go, men," Vuxten said, jumping down off the back deck.

"What, we're leaving?" Nultek asked.

"Yes, Lance Corporal, we're leaving," Vuxten said. He began jogging down the torn up asphalt road. Behind him he could hear the sound of the Lanaktallan hover tank turning around, the graviton generators howling as they balanced the weight. "Fall back to Log Base Tau."

----------------

Vuxten could tell everyone was angry. Non-Terran units had gone to the nearest Log Base, meaning 1/1 of 1st Armored Scout Division was present, all of Second Telkan Marine Division, and close to two hundred of the Lanaktallan hover tanks.

A lot of people wanted to know what was going on and even more were mad at the perceived slight of being pulled out of the city.

Colonel O'Malley, in charge of Vuxten's 1st Assault Regiment, was hurrying over to him, Lieutenant Colonel N'gatu right behind her. Vuxten altered direction to meet up with her between two of the five hundred ton Lanaktallan battle wagons.

"Your men out?" she asked.

"First Platoon's all accounted for, ma'am," Vuxten said. "All Telkan elements have fallen back to the log bases."

She turned her visor clear and nodded. "Trucker called everyone back who isn't 3rd Armor or 8th Infantry. He doesn't want any non-Terrans to clear that city."

"Why?" Vuxten asked, following her into the 'Main Gate' tunnel and moving through the ten meter thick wall.

"General Vandu wants to order First Telkan back into the city but General Ko'Draka overrode her," the Terran Colonel said. She paused when they left the tunnel, looking at the few blocky buildings that were more or less blocks of armor with a few doors cut into it to access the inner spaces. She reached out and touched Vuxten's helmet and he saw the "PRIVATE CHANNEL" icon flash.

"I'm bringing you because you're the highest ranking Telkan. If you survive, someday you'll take my place, so you need to see what kind of shit show you can walk into through no fault of your own," she said.

"Yes, ma'am," Vuxten said.

He suddenly wished he was anywhere else.

Preferably being shot at.

They moved into the bigger armored block, O'Malley moving down the center of the corridor. Troops in adaptive camouflage and light armor called out "Make way!" or "Make a hole!" as she approached and moved against the wall. The only exception was six enlisted carrying a long loop of armored fiber optic cable.

Vuxten and O'Malley both pressed against the wall to let the work detail get by.

Finally they reached the command center, or at least what was passing for one. Four days was a lot, especially when backed by nanoforges and troops who had decades or centuries of experience, but everything was pretty much ad-hoc still.

The holotank was pretty much just the tank itself, with enough of a flat surface around it to hold the datascreens for individual dataslates, the chairs were missing or had only the bases installed, and cabling still hung down from the walls, the plating that was supposed to cover it either missing completely or leaned against the affixed plate next to it.

Vuxten's armor immediately pinged the holograms and living beings in the room.

Colonel Kalnek, Commander of Log Base Tau was physically present, as was General Vandu. Trucker and Kilkatrikak were visible from the waist up. Vuxten saw Trucker spit as his arms and upper body shook and knew the big Terran was engaged in combat. Kilkatrikak had a cigarette in his mouth and obviously jogging. General Papatonis, in charge of combined armor operations, was present physically, his face tired looking and the blackish tinge of propellant residue on his face. Planetary Armor Great Most High A'armo'o was physically present, leaning against the wall and injecting a stim-cone into his forearm.

General Kilkatrikak's face and upper torso, armored all in black, suddenly lit up, reflecting rapid flashes. Around him little bubbles reading "DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA" floated up in the hologram.

"The Treana'ad Infantry Hordes are still engaged," O'Malley whispered.

General Ko'Draka and General Ullmunka were present virtually, Ko'Draka with a cigarette in his mandibles and Ullmunka sitting in a comfortable chair, her grayish-green hands folded over her adaptive camouflage covered knee.

"Colonel O'Malley, welcome," General Ko'Draka said, taking a drink from a plastic bottle. "This should be enough."

"Moment," Trucker's hologram said. "GODDAMN IT, FLE-" his hologram cut out speech.

"Just listen, Trucker," Ko'Draka said. "Pay attention to your fight. I'll 'tach you the transcript."

"Roger! TWO O'CLOCK, PANAMA PAM! YOUR OTHER TWO O'CLOCK, YOU MORON!" Trucker said.

Ko'Draka made a motion and the sound from Trucker was muted.

"All right, we're here to discuss my obviously unpopular decision," General Ko'Draka said, folding his hands and crossing his bladearms.

"You pulled a fifth of my power armor troops out of that city," General Vandu snarled. "They're needed to sweep the buildings."

Ko'Draka nodded slowly. "In normal circumstances, yes."

"You pulled 9th Warborg Division in to take their place, completely disrupting my war plan," Vandu added.

"You still have eighty percent of your power armor troops. 9th Warborg can easily fill the gap. They've got the most experience at city fighting against Precursor Autonomous War Machines out of every unit in Task Force Angry Duck," Ko'Draka said.

"Except First Telkan," she shot back.

Vuxten was tempted to tell her not to bring him into it.

"General, do you understand why I pulled all non Confederate forces out of that city?" General Ko'Draka asked.

She shook her head.

"I do," A'armo'o said, pushing himself off the wall and trotted up by the half-completed tactical holotank.

General Vandu turned, opening her mouth, then shut it.

"The Type Three Autonomous War Machines have attached civilians to their heavy armored vehicles in hopes that it will make any who face them pause for the critical milliseconds for them to get the upper hand," A'armo'o said. He shook out his arm he'd injected the stim-cone into. "Lanaktallan and neo-sapients obviously taken prisoner from the city's population that have not yet been placed into what is being called a 'screaming array' by the troops."

"The power armor troops can go in to free them," Vandu said.

A'armo'o laughed, a sound like a gorilla jumping up and down on bagpipes. "And when they rush in they can wave their magic wands and turn all of the Precursor machines into soap bubbles so that they don't have to fight against dozens, scores of Precursor machines and hope that the hostages don't get injured."

"How dare you!" Vandu started to say.

"He's right," O'Malley added. "Standard procedure for the big ones is to fire off their anti-personnel strips if power armor troops get close, which would turn those hostages into..."

"Did I ask for your opinion, Colonel?" Vandu asked, turning and glaring at the lower ranking woman.

O'Malley shut her mouth and stepped backwards to stand next to Vuxten.

"The fact that Lanaktallan troops are working next to Confederate troops is politically charged enough, but when, not if, when it got out that Lanaktallan troops took part in what is going to be a slaughter, there would be reprisals by allied species troops as well as civilians," A'armo'o said. He undid his canteen, a Space Force version, not a Lanaktallan one, and took a drink. "Recalling First Armored Scout Division as well as Telkan First Marine Division, that ensures that the only ones taking part in the fighting in the city are Confederate forces."

Vandu pointed at Vuxten. "His people are part of the Confederacy."

"His people were neo-sapients less than three years ago, deemed unsuited even for cannon fodder and not even trusted with weapons," A'armo'o said. He looked at Vuxten. "No offense."

"None taken," Vuxten said, blocking 471's profane emoji.

"All anyone will see, is rather than fight a difficult battle, the Confederacy sent in what the inhabitants of this planet will see as Unified Military Council forces if my own forces, General Ekert, or the Telkan Marines are sent in," A'armo'o said.

"So you're just going to force 3rd Armor and 8th Infantry to wade through gore?" Vandu asked.

A'armo'o shrugged. "I am unbothered by it either way. I have spent centuries inside a tank. I no longer even see what is in my gunsight beyond a target," he took another swallow off his canteen. "Tying hostages to equipment is standard procedure in the fights I have been part of."

He moved back to the wall and leaned against it. "Nothing convinces local guerillas not to shoot at your tanks like tying their mates and young to the hull."

"Space Force doesn't do that," General Ko'Draka said.

"Any more," A'armo'o shrugged. "You outgrew something that we still routinely practice. It is why I am comfortable following your orders."

There was an uncomfortable silence.

"So, it's OK to have the Terrans wade through blood," Vandu started again.

"General, compose yourself," Ko'Draka said, lighting another cigarette. "I realize that things are difficult with the SUDS issue, but attempt to comport yourself as an officer."

Vuxten managed to keep from snickering.

"And to answer your question, yes. It is acceptable for the Confederate Space Force to fight their way through even though there are civilians attached to the vehicles," Ko'Draka said. "Which is why I'm having 108th Military Intelligence pin-point the houses that ambushes are waiting and using artillery to destroy them and damage the ambushers. A high impulse thermobaric pulse round from a Poohawk Missile System should be acceptable to ensure those poor bastards don't feel any pain."

Vandu clenched her jaw.

"We can't send anyone in, the lesser machines will rip them up. We can't send forces against them, just firing the weapons near them will severely injure them or kill them," Ko'Draka leaned into his hologram. "They're already dead."

Vandu turned her head away.

-------------

TELKAN FORGE WORLDS

I've managed to get some of the records from Second Telkan untangled.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

AKLTAK FREE FLIGHT

What's wrong with the data?

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TELKAN FORGE WORLDS

The data's timestamps are messed up. Apparently there's temporal warfare going on out there. Looks like someone keeps making the forces out there relived the same events over and over, trying to change the outcomes.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TNVARU GRIPPING HANDS

Will that work? Keep refighting the same day over and over until you win?

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TERRASOLMIL

No.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TELKAN FORGE WORLDS

BAH! Where did you come from?

Ok, now I sound like Treana'ad.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TNVARU GRIPPING HANDS

Why doesn't it?

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TERRASOLMIL

Because Terrans don't do the same thing over and over. There's... anomalies. There is always anomalies. Someone who remembers each day, someone who does something different. It then causes a butterfly effect.

The best bet is to rewind the day for you so you have fresh troops, but leave the enemy troops still in same linear time stream, so they're damaged and have casualties.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

AKLTAK FREE FLIGHT

Except that won't work on Terrans. Nanoforges and clone banks mean you just rearm, refit, and reinforce.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TERRASOLMIL

That's one of the reasons we have those protocols.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TNVARU GRIPPING HANDS

Wait, could that be what's happening to the SUDS?

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TERRASOLMIL

Who knows.

The SUDS is a cludged together hodgepodge that's been half blown out a dozen times so far.

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TERRASOL

What ever happened to the SUDS is more than just temporal warfare. The SUDS system is built to handle that due to the Second Temporal War, so there has to be something else that effected the SUDS to cause it to red-dot.

////////

TELKAN FORGE WORLDS

The Second what?

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TERRASOL

What?

/////////

TELKAN FORGE WORLDS

What do you mean what?

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

TERRASOL

Sorry, time lag. Temporal resonance issues. Can't understand you.

////////

MANTID FREE WORLDS

You get used to that.