Chapter 215: Counterattack

Chapter 215: Counterattack

The Astragoths kept moving away from the goblin perimeter. Northern observers still saw scattered groups beyond the damaged center, but none were gathering for another immediate attack. East reported small groups farther from the slope, while west and south saw similar movement beyond their positions.

Noah stood beside the field map as the latest reports arrived. The Astragoths were still present in every direction, but the pressure near the perimeter had dropped enough for the sector commanders to reorganize their troops.

"Which enemy groups are close enough to attack us right now?" Noah asked.

The field commander checked the reports from the four sectors. "None are large enough to threaten a full sector. North still has the most Astragoths nearby, but they’re spread across several groups. East has fewer near the slope. West and south have scattered enemies farther out."

"And the larger formations?"

"Observers can see some of them farther back. They haven’t started moving toward us again."

Noah looked at the northern positions on the map. "Then I don’t want to wait until they gather."

The field commander understood immediately. "You want to move outside the perimeter?"

"With fresh formations. The soldiers holding the defenses stay where they are."

"That keeps the original line intact, but the formations outside won’t have the same protection. Once they move beyond the walls and the slope, they’ll have to cover their sides as well as the ground ahead."

"That’s why I don’t want the whole army moving," Noah replied. "North gets the largest force. East gets the next largest. West and south move with smaller formations. If the Astragoths turn back on them, we still have the perimeter behind us."

The field commander considered the routes available to the tanks. "I can keep tanks with the advance when the terrain is suitable. The machine-gun crews should stay behind the lead soldiers. They’ll need time to set up each time the formations move."

"Do that. Keep the supply vehicles behind the perimeter until the routes are secure. We can carry ammunition forward in smaller loads until then."

Orders went out to the four sectors. Fresh formations gathered behind the defenses while the soldiers already manning the original positions remained where they were.

The northern formations moved first. Soldiers passed through the damaged center and entered the lower ground where the previous Astragoth attacks had been stopped. Tanks followed through wider routes behind them, while machine-gun crews moved with the rear of the formations.

The first Astragoths they encountered were isolated survivors. Some turned and moved away when the goblins approached. Others stayed and fought, but there were too few to stop the advance.

East began moving shortly afterward. Goblin formations descended the slope in separate groups and continued onto the ground beyond it. West moved past the stone shelf, while south advanced more carefully across the open ground.

The first part of the counterattack moved quickly. Most of the Astragoths near the perimeter had already been weakened or separated from larger formations. The goblins pushed them farther away without needing to stop for long fights.

North gained ground fastest. Tanks fired at groups that stopped retreating, while artillery struck Astragoths farther ahead whenever observers provided a clear target.

A northern officer contacted his commander after his formation moved beyond the ground directly in front of the old center.

"We’ve cleared the nearest area. Most of the Astragoths ahead are still moving away, but I have two groups that stopped and turned toward us."

"Are they advancing?"

"Not yet. They’re watching us."

"Where are your machine guns?"

"One crew is set behind the center. The others are still moving up."

"Then hold your lead soldiers until those crews are ready."

The officer looked toward the two Astragoth groups. "They’re still outside effective range. I can hold here without giving up any ground."

"Good. Hold your position. Don’t advance while they remain inactive. If they turn back while the machine guns are still being carried forward, your soldiers will face the first charge without enough support."

"I’ll keep the formation where it is until the crews are set."

The northern advance paused. Once the machine guns were ready, the formations resumed moving after the two Astragoth groups withdrew again.

East also continued gaining ground. Several smaller enemy groups moved away before the goblins reached them. West eliminated isolated Astragoths beyond the shelf, while south advanced in shorter stages and stayed closer to its original positions.

The field commander updated the map as reports arrived.

"North has moved farthest. East is still advancing behind them. West and south are keeping more distance between each movement."

Noah checked the defensive positions behind them. "Has anyone taken soldiers from the original sectors?"

"No. The counterattack formations are still separate."

"Keep it that way. If somebody needs replacements, we send fresh troops from the rear. Nobody weakens the perimeter."

The easy advance ended in the north.

Several Astragoth groups stopped withdrawing and turned toward the goblins. One moved directly toward the center of the northern formation, while another shifted toward the left side.

The officer at the front contacted his commander.

"I have one group coming straight toward us and another moving toward the left. If I keep advancing, the left group will reach the side of the formation before the center of our formation is secured and able to support both directions."

"Stop where you are. Are both machine guns ready?"

"The center gun is set. The left crew is still moving."

"Then the soldiers stop until that crew finishes setting up. Move enough men left to protect them, but don’t strip the center."

"I can move one group left and keep them level with the center. That still leaves the middle covered."

"Do that. Let the Astragoths cross the ground between you. There’s no reason to move closer while your left side is still getting ready."

The northern formation stopped. Soldiers used shallow depressions, shell craters, and scattered stones for whatever cover they could find. The center tank fired at the group approaching from the front. Once the left machine gun was ready, its crew opened fire on the second group.

Several Astragoths fell, but others continued forward.

The difference from fighting inside the perimeter became clear immediately. There was no wall controlling the direction of the attack. The soldiers had to watch the front and both sides, and the machine-gun crews had to change their aim as the Astragoths moved.

East encountered the same problem after its formations moved farther beyond the slope. One Astragoth group approached from the front while another moved toward the right side.

A forward officer contacted the eastern commander. "I have enemies ahead and another group moving toward our right. One machine gun is ready. The second crew is still moving."

"How far is that right-side group from your soldiers?"

"Far enough that we can set up before they reach us, but not if I keep advancing."

"Then stop. Shift one soldier group right and protect that machine-gun crew until the weapon is ready."

"That leaves the center with two groups instead of three."

"Is anything close to the center right now?"

"No. The front group is still farther out."

"Then you can spare one group. Keep it on the right until that approach is clear, then decide whether it needs to move back."

The officer shifted one group toward the right and halted the rest of the formation. The second machine gun was set behind them before the Astragoths reached the position.

West also began meeting stronger resistance after moving beyond the stone shelf. The soldiers no longer had the height they had used during the defense. Several Astragoths reached the forward groups before being killed, and wounded goblins started moving back toward the shelf.

South remained more controlled because its formations had not advanced as far. Tanks could still support most of the front without moving repeatedly, and the original defenses remained close behind the advancing soldiers.

The four counterattacks were now moving at different speeds. North had advanced farthest and was facing the strongest resistance. East had stopped several times to cover attacks from the front and right. West continued forward in shorter movements, while south remained closer to the perimeter.

In the north, several Astragoths survived the tank and machine-gun fire and reached the soldiers. RPG teams moved closer because the tanks could no longer fire safely once the creatures were among the forward positions.

One Astragoth approached a machine-gun position from the left. The crew stopped firing when the creature came too close and moved behind nearby soldiers. Those soldiers concentrated their fire on it and killed it near the weapon. The crew returned to the gun, but the time spent dealing with the creature allowed another enemy group farther ahead to move closer.

The northern officer contacted his commander again.

"We’re holding the position, but I’m taking casualties now. The center has Astragoths close enough that the tank can’t fire at them. The left just had one reach the machine gun."

"How many soldiers do you still have on the right?"

"One full group. They haven’t been attacked yet."

"Leave them there."

"I can use some of them to reinforce the center. The center has already lost men."

"You can move a few from behind the center if you have them, but don’t empty the right. If another Astragoth group comes around that side, I don’t want you turning the entire formation to face it."

The officer checked his positions before answering. "I can move a smaller group from the rear of the center. That should be enough to replace the losses without weakening the right."

"Use that group first. Keep the right where it is unless something actually changes there."

East began reporting similar fighting. Several Astragoths reached the forward soldiers before the machine guns could shift onto them. One RPG team stopped a creature approaching the center, but another reached a temporary position and killed several goblins before nearby soldiers brought it down.

The eastern formations still held the ground they had taken, but every new movement now required time. Machine-gun crews had to carry their weapons forward, soldiers had to establish another line, and tanks needed clear space behind them before the formations could continue.

West began sending more wounded soldiers back toward the stone shelf. The formations there were still gaining ground, but each movement became shorter as Astragoths returned from the front and sides.

Noah received the first complete casualty reports from the counterattack.

"North is losing soldiers much faster now," he said.

The field commander checked the figures again. "They’ve pushed farther than the other sectors. Their formations have more ground to cover, and the machine-gun crews have to keep moving. More Astragoths are getting close enough that the soldiers have to stop them directly."

"What about east?"

"The same thing is beginning there. Their losses are lower than north, but they’re rising. West is also reporting more wounded. South still has the lowest casualties because they haven’t pushed as far."

Noah looked toward the northern route. Wounded goblins were returning in larger groups. Some could still walk with support. Others were being carried. Fresh soldiers moved past them in the opposite direction.

North resumed moving after destroying another Astragoth group. A tank struck the largest concentration directly ahead, and the soldiers advanced while the survivors withdrew. They gained more ground before another enemy group appeared from the left and forced them to stop again.

The northern officer did not wait for the new group to get close. He stopped the lead soldiers, moved a machine gun toward the left, and kept the center facing forward. The formation had learned that continuing to move while one side was exposed only gave the Astragoths a better chance to reach them.

East advanced again after clearing its right side, but several soldiers were killed before the next position was secured. West moved across another stretch of damaged ground and came under attack from two directions. South continued moving in shorter stages and still suffered fewer casualties than the other sectors.

The next casualty reports were worse.

Several northern groups had lost enough soldiers that nearby formations had to cover parts of their ground. East was already sending replacement troops directly into positions that were still fighting. West reported more dead and wounded beyond the shelf. South was also taking regular casualties, although its losses remained lower.

The field commander placed the newest reports in front of Noah.

"North is still advancing, but they’ve lost a lot of soldiers. East and west are starting to follow the same pattern. The farther they move, the more often the Astragoths reach them before the supporting weapons can stop everything."

Noah read the reports carefully. "Are the forward formations still able to keep moving?"

"Yes. None of them has lost control of its position. But they’re using replacements faster now, especially in the north."

Another group of wounded goblins passed the command position on the way to the rear. Fresh soldiers followed the same route in the opposite direction, carrying ammunition and moving toward the forward formations.

The counterattack had pushed the Astragoths farther from the perimeter, and the goblins were still gaining ground. Outside the prepared defenses, however, the formations had to cover several directions while tanks and machine-gun crews repeatedly changed positions to keep up.

The latest casualty reports showed that the counterattack was still succeeding, but the number of dead and wounded goblins had become significant.