Preview

O'Kearny crouched behind the APC, using its bulk as protection. He pressed the receiver close to his left ear and covered his right against the staccato blast of mech cannons, the raucous hum of needlers and the incessant detonations of incoming ordinance. He listened three or four seconds.
"The answer is no. Keep the pressure on."
An amber stream of fire passed close overhead. O'Kearny ducked instinctively. He shook his head. "I know that, George. I'm telling you to push forward anyway."
A thunderous roar erupted on the slope behind them and the link died.
"Dammit!" O'Kearny swore. "Somebody kill that son of a --."
The Ravisher's Gatling howled immediately behind him. A brilliant flash illuminated the canyon below. The thunderclap arrived four seconds later.
"About time," he muttered. Devery ducked out from under the Ravisher's hatch. Bent over, the lieutenant scurried his way, hand on his helmet.
"Sir, Captain Michaels' on freq-four."
O'Kearny nodded. "Find Rice. I need his people on the right."
"Yes, sir." Devery hustled away.
O'Kearny switched channels. "Talk to me," he said. "How many? Okay, sit tight. Do not shift to the right. Yes, I know. But if you move mister, they'll come through the center and there'll be hell to pay."

One hundred and twenty meters to the right of the Ravisher, Devery discovered Captain Amos Rice peering into the canyon with his binoculars with one hand and a communicator plastered to his ear with the other. Rice glanced sideways as Devery dropped to cover beside him.
"Hang on a moment," he said. "What's up?"
"Colonel says it's time to move."
"Right flank?"
"Yessir."
"Thought he never get around to it." Rice passed the comm unit and binoculars to Devery. "At the bottom of that draw, there's a team of rangers working around behind that pair of Sentinels. Guide them in."
Devery assumed Rice's place while the captain loped toward the APC.
O'Kearny saw Rice move toward the Ravisher's hatch. He stood a moment and waved. The captain changed direction and joined him.
O'Kearny withdrew his field knife and scratched a diagram in the dirt. "The suits are making their push. Michaels says regiment strength. The tin is extending to the right, trying to flank him. But, Michaels must remain in his position to support our center."
"Yessir, I see it. We'll link with Michaels at the end of his line. Deploy uphill and refuse the right."
"Exactly. Send your people now and meet me at the can."
In a pair of canyons to the west, the volume of fire increased dramatically. O'Kearny switched channels again. "Maitland? O'Kearny. George…we're shifting right. Give us three minutes, no more or less, and then get your people out of there." The colonel shook his head as he spoke. "No, no. Don't come up here. Drop straight back through Helena. O'Kearny out."
He slapped the antenna closed and bolted for the APC. Rice tumbled in behind him as the hatch began to close. O'Kearny tossed his helmet in a corner and started for the turret. Devery scrambled across the deck and beat him to the steps.
At O'Kearny's frosty glance, Devery swallowed and said, "The vehicle commander's station, sir … unless you believe he's unqualified."
Several nearby rangers glanced toward them.
O'Kearny sighed and acquiesced. "Right wing, Lieutenant, and make it quick."
"Yes, sir! Chernov! Traverse right. Flank speed."
The Ravisher's turbine screamed at full throttle. O'Kearny grabbed a hand-strap as the vehicle slewed around and accelerated. He searched for a seat and, when Rice cleared the ranger out of the one near him, O'Kearny sat.
Rice peered at his disgruntled expression and leaned closer. "There were some advantages to wearing chevrons."
O'Kearny grunted. "I hate sitting here like so much baggage."
The APC braked hard and turned twenty degrees to starboard. It braked again and Chernov hollered, "Orofino Gulch!" The driver yanked the lever upward and the hatch unlocked. The din of battle flooded the APC as Rice and several rangers bailed out of the back.
The turbine wound upward again. The hatch closed and locked. The vehicle swayed and lurched. It dropped into a gully and surged over an adjacent ridge. Suddenly, Chernov shouted, "Contact! Bearing left-two-six!"
The turret spun and Devery replied, "Target identified. Engaging!"
As he had neglected to retrieve his helmet, O'Kearny slapped his hands over his ears. The Gatling howled and the Ravisher vibrated.
Several cannon shells struck the vehicle's armor and Devery shouted, "Back! Back! Traverse left!" He swung the turret to the right and the Gatling howled again. O'Kearny strapped on his helmet in time to hear Chernov say, "Cool shot, Lieutenant. You got them both."
Devery switched briefly to command channel and said, "Walkers," for O'Kearny's benefit.
The Gatling swung slowly from right to left, pouring destruction into the ranks of suits that spilled over the ridge. Suddenly, there were no more.
"They're falling back!" Chernov shouted.
O'Kearny toggled his comm unit to command channel and said, "High power, Lieutenant."
Devery snapped a switch. "High power, sir."
"This is O'Kearny. All units fall back! Repeat, fall back!" He glanced at Devery. "That means us as well, Lieutenant. You know what comes next."
"Yes, sir!" Devery said. "Chernov, take us 'round the mountain."

An hour later, someone slapped the hatch and, when Chernov raised it, Rice stepped inside. He dropped into a seat beside O'Kearny and doffed his helmet. He rubbed his scalp and said, "Never seen anything like that, colonel."
O'Kearny nodded. "Almost as bad as a nuke. The good news is the tin can't follow us. Half the damn mountain is slag. You get all your people clear?"
"Yes, sir. I hear Maitland didn't."
"I know. He fooled the dome into believing he was us. Cost him a platoon."
Rice stared at the floor. "Still, I think we hurt them worse."
O'Kearny started to reply when Devery interrupted. "3C on laser, Colonel."
O'Kearny toggled his comm. "O'Kearny," he said. He listened for several seconds, before replying, "The short story is we traded a platoon and Helena for a regiment of suits and a couple of days. No, sir. Wolf Creek. Once they push us out of there, things will happen in a hurry. Yes, sir. O'Kearny out." The colonel dropped his head against the back of his seat.
"Problems?" Rice asked.
"Weber hasn't called in. He should have reached Drummond Island two days ago."