Free Revolutionary (The Athena Lee Chronicles Book 4) by T S Paul

facility.
     
    “I’m sorry Captain. Our communications are down just like yours. I think only official Navy orders are getting through.”
     
    Shaking his head the was about to say something when the sonic boom of a star fighter echoed across the valley. The echo was followed by a very loud explosion.
     
    One of Captain Ridgeways ESS troops ran up to the group. “Sir, those fighters just took out the troopships. All thats left of them is bits and pieces.”
     
    “That’s it then. We are stuck here. Sergeant tell your men to start digging in. I suspect that we have not seen the last of the Militia today.”
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Sergeant Yannos was loving this. The area was nothing but rocks, hill, dark woods, and treacherous ravines. Basically fantasy land for Special Forces to play in. All they needed now was a few snakes and everything would be right with the world. When the war ended he and his unit had been cut loose. No place for spec-ops in the ‘New’ military they had been told. Too many years of working together had made all of them a close knit family. They took their discharge credits and by pooling it had enough to buy a small island out on the Lost Archipelago. The ocean currents and razor sharp reefs cut down on the number of visitors out there. It was nice and peaceful. A chance to put the uniform on and fight? Hell yeah! Now he and his group were creeping through the forest with evil intent. Awesomeness!
     
    Yannoss radio clicked twice. He froze. Up ahead was the outer perimeter of the manufacturing plant. His scouts had located some defensive or other point of interest. When the Colonel had suggested this mission Yannos had jumped at the chance. This was the proving ground that would get him and his group back in the war. He was not too old to fight. Signaling his group to get under cover, he slowly worked his way to his scouts position. The scout was perched in a tree overlooking the compound. She saw her sergeant and waved him over.
     
    “Boy these guys are dumb. They have their defense all wrong. I wish we had run into these ‘special forces’ in the war we would have won that one. They have left the rear almost undefended I guess they think that being next to a cliff they are safe from the rear. There is one lone sentry up on that tower,” She pointed to a water tower. “He’s not even really looking around. It looks to me like he’s reading or playing a vid.”
     
    Chuckling evilly to himself he thought “this should be fun.” Those troops down there have no frakking idea what was about to hit them.
     
     
    ___
     
     
    It had taken some coordination but Captain Ridgeway had finally gotten the defenses the way that both he and the Special forces wanted it. The only way they could be attacked was from the front. The ‘base’ already had anti-terrorism defensive measures like explosive barriers and blast shielding. His men had dug in some machine gun nests and put snipers up at key locations. The rear of the base was a sheer cliff with impassable ravines on all sides. There was no possible way for troops or vehicles to attack from that direction. His biggest worry was a frontal attack or an air assault.
     
    “Sir, our spotters on the road have detected a column of vehicles approaching. They should be within range of us in about an hour.” Thanking his troop the Captain went to the makeshift command center they had created. The map on the wall showed where the vehicles had been spotted. Thankfully the local militia only had small arms and fighter aircraft. Empire law forbid heavy weapons like artillery and tanks. He and his men should have no problems holding this spot until the station could send help.
     
    It was the explosion that changed that idea. A very large BOOM came from inside the compound. Rushing outside the Captain witnessed his two anti-aircraft batteries blowing up scattering flaming debris and live ammo everywhere.
     
    The Captain began yelling to his troops,