Dimensional Travels: World at War Chapter 187: Determination

Eric wrapped his body in mana, rembering the feeling from when he helped capture Hisha. He closed his eyes and concentrated. Benitez stood by, scanning for threats. It took a few monts, but Eric successfully did it. He felt the mana wrapping around him as well as the radio, and opened his eyes.

"Alright. I can probably only keep this up for a few minutes at a ti." He muttered as he looked at Benitez.

"Helios two, do you copy?"

There was no answer, and Eric narrowed his eyes. "Right. They don’t have a mana user. In the future I need to make sure every team has a mana user."

Then he tried Justin’s team. "Helios four, do you copy?"

Justin’s answer ca cleanly a few seconds later. "This is Helios four. We got you, Helios one, loud and clear."

"Roger. Link up with Helios two. Have Trephania join them. The convoy has moved on to a point near the Brishania mountains outside of Nedoria and near Brishan city. We will need a mana user on each team."

"What will we do about the convoy?" Justin asked.

Eric sighed, looking down at the ground. "Rely on the Air force again." He responded, a deep scowl marring his face. "We currently can’t bring massed forces over from Hood Hill because ISR confirms a large scouting presence on Esponia. We will need the air force to help because Dresken rotational units alone will not be enough to target the convoy."

"Roger."

Eric tapped the radio against his chest and chewed on his lip. "What am I forgetting?" He muttered as he looked out in the direction of Brishan city. The snow capped mountains near Nedoria glistened in the sun, almost causing Eric to feel like he needed sunglasses.

"Oh."

He tapped the radio against his head, and Benitez walked over, his eyes cast with shadows of worry. "Hey, you good?"

Eric looked up. "Yeah, I’m just beating so sense into myself for being an idiot."

"Helios four, this is Helios One."

Justin responded a few monts later, his voice laden with exasperation. "Go ahead Helios One."

"When you link up with Helios two, have them conduct a radio check. Then, standby with them and await further orders."

"Roger."

Benitez walked over. "Are you going to contact HQ now?"

He sat with Eric in the truck.

Eric nodded. "Since we have a clear targeting window, they should at least have a preliminary report."

"HQ, this is Helios one. Urgent and preliminary report."

There was a tense pause, as Benitez and Eric shared a glance. "Are we too far away?" Eric muttered. "Satcom should be up now."

The radio cackled, and a crisp voice responded. "Helios one, HQ. Go ahead."

Eric sighed in relief. "HQ, Helios strike team has discovered large enemy unit escorting unknown enemy equipnt with the Ark cores. Break."

He continued. "The unknown enemy equipnt has been assessed as mobile Brios/Llrathel hybrid. Last known position is between Nedoria and Brishian City near the Brishian Mountains. Convoy is currently stationary. Break."

"Enemy escort exceeds Helios strike capability. Request imdiate air support and guidance. End of report."

They waited a few minutes, and Eric heard Milano respond. "Helios one, command actual."

"Go ahead, command actual."

"Send grid, target description and friendly positions."

Eric sighed, looking at Benitez. "Well we can’t do that when one of our teams has lost radio contact." He grumbled before responding. "Hood actual, we have currently lost radio contact with Helios two due to mana interference. When Helios two is back online, will advise."

"Copy, Helios one. Will be standing by for full report."

Eric put the radio up, sighing. "Well, we should check in with Mia and see how the convoy is doing."

Benitez nodded as Eric grabbed the radio again. "Helios three. Status of the convoy?"

"Helios one, the convoy appears to have stopped completely. I can’t hear precisely what they are saying, but from the tone of the voices I am hearing, it sounds like sothing they weren’t expecting is happening."

Eric and Benitez shared a look. "Mia, you aren’t too close, are you? They won’t notice your mana signature?"

Eric heard the tail end of a sigh as Mia responded. "Eric..."

There was a pause.

"I’m a Neko."

Eric blinked. "Oh. Right. Helios one out."

"Helios three out."

After the radio transmission ended, Benitez roared with laughter. Eric glared at Benitez.

Benitez kept laughing, ignoring Eric’s antics. "Man, she really got you." The staff sergeant said, wiping his tears away. He held his belly, slowing his breathing so he could catch his breath.

"Yeah, yeah. I get it." Eric mumbled. "I’m probably gonna get in trouble for that when we get ho."

A few minutes later, Eric heard Michael’s voice over the net. "Helios one, Helios two. Radio check."

Eric sighed in relief, and a weight he felt hanging over his head seed to be released. "Helios two, Helios one. Comms are good."

"Copy. Standing by for guidance."

Eric looked over at Benitez. "So. We have four teams, and one convoy. I think spreading each team out on the mountains outside of the mountains will allow us max target coordination coverage."

Benitez looked at the map. "I agree, but we can’t get too close. Since each team now has a mana user, they may detect the usage of mana."

Eric nodded. "Good point. I say you and I set up North, Mia’s team goes to the south, Michael’s team goes west, and Justin’s team goes east. We tell each team to stay within a one and a half mile radius of the convoy."

Benitez tapped his fingers against the map. "One and a half miles is pretty close."

"That’s as far as we can realistically get."

Benitez frowned before rubbing his eyes. "I don’t like it. There are so many factors that can go wrong."

"I agree. But, we have no choice. That is why we brought so many mana capable people with us. If sothing goes wrong, we use combined mana and arms doctrine to make it out."

Eric then grabbed the radio. "Ti to make so more calls."

Benitez left the truck. "I’ll get the soldiers ready to move out."

Eric nodded. "All Helios stations, Helios one. Prepare for guidance. Helios two, Set up an OP on the west side of the convoy. Helios three, you take the south. Helios four, you take the east. I will take the north. Break."

"All Op’s will be approximately one and a half miles from the convoy. When you arrive, sa rules as before. No skylining and do not expose yourself. Report your grid locations when you arrive. Short mana bursts only. Do not use mana for too long. Break."

"When in position, I will confirm your location and conduct radio checks. Acknowledge."

After each team acknowledged his instructions, the soldiers of Eric’s elent got into the vehicles. They drove north. The drive was silent, each soldier had their weapons out the windows, and the turret whirled as the soldiers manning them scanned every direction. When they arrived at their location, the vehicles were parked at the bottom of a steep slope on the opposite side from where the convoy was last reported. "Four soldiers stay with the vehicles. The rest of you, with and Staff Sergeant Benitez. Wedge formation. Check your vectors of fire." Eric said quietly. "When we reach the ridge, three sixty security. Stay behind a ridgeline. Only Staff Sergeant Benitez and I will maintain visual on the convoy."

Fifteen minutes later, they approached a ridgeline that overlooked the valley. Eric had the soldiers spread out in the three sixty formation using hand motions. He motioned for Benitez to follow him, and both of them approached a small crest. They crawled to the top, looking over it, and both n frowned as they looked down into the valley.

The first ard convoy from yesterday had rged with the main convoy. After confirming the enemy was now visible, Eric and Benitez crouched behind the peak. Eric spit to the side.

"Fuck." He muttered softly. "This just went from bad to worse."

The radio crackled to life, and both n crept lower down the mountain. It was Mia. "Helios one, Helios three. In position at Brishian mountain 03Alpha."

Eric looked at the map, marking her location. "Copy, Helios three. Maintain visual on convoy."

"Roger."

After receiving the other reports from the rest of the Helios teams, Eric studied the map and tapped his fingers against it. "This doesn’t make sense." He muttered. "They know we can target large formations with ease. They aren’t using their mana shields to disperse smoke and dust anymore. It’s as if they want to lure us into targeting this convoy."

Benitez’s eyes widened.

He looked at the map with Eric, both n lost in thought. Eric grabbed the radio. A sheen of mana covered him and the radio as he called Mia. "Helios Three, Helios one."

"Go ahead Helios one."

"Any reasons why the convoy is no longer using smoke and dust dispersion?"

There was a brief pause, and Mia responded. "Either there is a limit on how long the device used to cause the dispersion can function."

There was a break in the report, but then her voice ca back clearly.

"Or, it’s a trap."