The squad leader answered, and Marn kept his attention on the optical feed while he reported the western settlement as the primary hostile position, with structures three through five the most likely concentration. He placed his confidence at seventy percent and identified the northern ridge as either a false indicator or secondary position.

Bulwark Actual pointed out that Marn's recommended southeast drainage route would expose the team for approximately forty meters and that the northern approach offered better cover.

"Yes" Marn replied. "It also has everything an enemy would want us to notice."

That earned several seconds of silence before Bulwark Actual accepted the recommendation.

The recon probe went back into the air once Bulwark began moving, positioned where it could watch both the drainage route and western structures. The team crossed the exposed section without incident and reached the settlement's eastern wall. For several seconds nothing happened, and Marn had just begun considering the possibility that he'd built an elaborate argument around an empty building when a weapon flashed from the second floor of structure four.

Three more firing positions opened almost immediately, sending energy fire across the drainage route and hammering the wall around Bulwark's lead element.

The western settlement had been the correct answer. His strength estimate hadn't.

Eight hostiles were firing from structures three through five.

"Prophet to Bulwark Actual. Western contact confirmed. Eight observed, structures three through five" Marn reported while shifting the probe south for a cleaner angle.

Bulwark Actual told him the team was pinned against the eastern wall. Almost simultaneously, the northern beacon reported two additional contacts leaving the ridge and moving toward the fight. Marn passed the warning, then looked back to the western buildings.

Bulwark could assault them. Given enough time they would probably win that fight too.

There was no good reason to make them.

Marn changed channels. "Prophet to Rooster. Request immediate air strike."

Rooster answered almost at once and told him to send the target information. Marn linked the probe feed into the tactical network and marked structures three through five. "Eight confirmed across the target area. Bulwark is east against the outer wall and inside danger-close limits."

Rooster acknowledged the danger-close condition and asked for the desired effect. Marn watched another burst of weapons fire strike around Bulwark's position before answering. "Complete destruction. Level all three buildings."

When Rooster asked what he wanted used, Marn checked the target area one more time. "Heavy demolition photons. Structures three through five. Collapse them."

Rooster read the request back, confirming the target area, demolition package and danger-close condition. Marn confirmed it, then verified that all Bulwark personnel remained east of the target line and that the two northern contacts were separate from the strike area.

Rooster gave him thirty seconds.

"Prophet to Bulwark Actual. Rooster inbound. Air strike danger close. Keep everyone against the east wall" Marn warned.

Bulwark Actual asked how close, and Marn glanced at the distance indicator. "Close enough that nobody needs a better view."

The squad held.

Calling in the air strike didn't end Marn's responsibility for it. Until Rooster committed, the target remained his problem. If Bulwark moved, if the hostiles abandoned the buildings or if anything unexpected entered the target area, the pilot needed to know.

Structure three remained occupied. Two firing positions were still active in four and movement continued through the surviving upper level of five.

The northern contacts were another matter. One moved carefully through cover while the other suddenly broke into the open without any tactical reason Marn could see. His first instinct was to find one. Maybe the man was drawing fire. Maybe another position was waiting for Bulwark to react.

Marn caught himself and stopped.

Maybe the man was simply doing something stupid.

"Prophet to Bulwark Actual. Northern contact two is exposed and moving fast. Don't assume he's bait" he warned.

Bulwark adjusted their fire and dropped the exposed hostile a few seconds later. No second team revealed itself, nobody used the distraction to maneuver and no hidden purpose emerged afterward. The man had simply made a bad decision.

By then Rooster's craft was building beyond the ridge. The pilot called for final confirmation, and Marn checked every feed again. Bulwark remained against the eastern wall, the northern contacts were outside the target area and weapons were still firing from the designated structures.

"Targets confirmed. Structures three through five" Marn said. "Level them."

Rooster acknowledged and committed.

Three violent flashes tore through the western settlement moments later. The concussion rolled across the valley hard enough to shake loose dirt from the ridge around Marn. Structure three folded inward almost immediately, four lost its upper level and most of the wall facing Bulwark, and five remained standing for another second before the center collapsed and dragged the rest down with it.