Chapter 221: Retaking the Northern Front

Chapter 221: Retaking the Northern Front

The last rockets struck the northern positions, and the launchers stopped firing. Smoke covered the center of the northern front and much of the left side of the northern front. Fires burned around damaged weapons and ammunition crates, while several smaller explosions continued near the destroyed supply position. The northern commander waited for reports from the soldiers watching the strike area from farther south.

The first movement appeared near the western edge of the center. Several Astragoths were still alive, but they were moving separately instead of advancing together. An officer watching from the south contacted the northern commander.

"I can see several Astragoths near the western edge of the center. They’re moving away from the impact area. I haven’t seen another large group behind them yet, but the smoke is still blocking most of the middle."

"Can you see any goblins inside the old position?"

"Not clearly. The damaged tank appears whenever the smoke thins, but I haven’t seen anyone firing around it. I can’t confirm whether anyone there survived."

A second report came from the left side of the northern front. Soldiers there could see several Astragoths moving near the outer edge of the bombardment, but there was no organized gunfire from the former goblin positions.

The northern commander compared both reports before contacting Noah.

"The Astragoths inside the center and left have been scattered. The survivors we can see are moving along the edges of the strike area. If we leave those positions open, they’ll start moving back into them once the smoke clears."

Noah looked over the reports before answering. "Can you move soldiers into the center without sending them straight into another enemy group?"

"The southern approach is clear. I can send them forward behind tanks and stop whenever they meet resistance. I can’t tell you the whole position is empty, but waiting will give the Astragoths time to occupy it again."

"Then move now. Recover the center of the northern front first. Once that is secure, move into the left side of the northern front. Stop when the lost positions are back under our control. Nobody continues farther north."

The order went forward immediately.

Goblin soldiers advanced toward the center of the northern front. Machine-gun crews carried their weapons with them instead of setting them up behind the advance. RPG teams stayed close to the soldiers, while tanks followed far enough behind to fire whenever there was clear area between them and the enemy.

The first soldiers entered through the southern side of the center. Several old firing positions had collapsed, while others were buried under damaged equipment and loose earth. Bodies of goblins and Astragoths lay around destroyed weapons. The soldiers moved around them because the area ahead had not yet been cleared.

Several Astragoths appeared beside a damaged machine-gun position and moved toward the goblins.

A tank behind the advancing soldiers fired first. The shell struck among the creatures and killed several of them. The survivors kept coming.

The goblins at the front opened fire. One Astragoth fell before reaching them. Another reached the first group of soldiers and killed one goblin before several rifles brought it down.

The officer leading the advance waited until the immediate area was clear.

"Keep moving. Nobody stops to search bodies or check damaged equipment yet. We still have uncleared area in front of us. If something moves toward the formation, kill it and continue north."

The soldiers advanced again.

Another group of Astragoths appeared farther west. They were too close to the goblins for the nearest tank to fire safely, so the tank crew held its shot. The front group turned west and opened fire while an RPG team waited behind them.

One Astragoth separated from the others and crossed open area. The RPG team fired once it was clear of the goblin soldiers. The explosion killed it, and rifle fire brought down the rest of the group.

The goblins continued toward the area where the trapped tank had last been reported.

The vehicle was still there. Part of its hull had been torn open, the main weapon was damaged, and the tracks could no longer move. Bodies lay around the tank, but no organized goblin group remained beside it.

An officer inspected the vehicle briefly.

"The tank is finished. The weapon is damaged, and it can’t move. Mark the location and leave it. We can inspect it properly after this position is secure."

A soldier looked toward the bodies near the vehicle. "Do you want us to search around it for survivors?"

"Not while we still have uncleared area north of us. If anyone is alive there, we’ll find them when we come back through. Right now I need everyone watching the area ahead."

The soldiers moved past the wreck.

The center of the northern front was cleared one position at a time. Small groups of Astragoths appeared from behind damaged firing points or through the remaining smoke. Each time, the goblins stopped, killed them, checked the immediate area, and moved forward again.

Once the soldiers reached the northern side of the former position, the machine-gun crews began setting up. They chose area with clear views toward the northern approaches instead of trying to reuse every damaged emplacement.

The officer at the center contacted the northern commander.

"The center of the northern front is clear. I can still see scattered Astragoths farther north, but none are inside the position. The destroyed tank is unusable, and several of the old firing positions are gone."

"Stay where you are," the northern commander replied. "Do not follow the Astragoths north. Set the machine guns where they can cover the approaches and keep the tanks behind the soldiers. The left side of the northern front is still being cleared, and I want both sides connected before anyone moves again."

"We’ll hold here. I’ll keep the western side covered until the left reaches us."

The left side of the northern front took longer to recover.

The former ammunition position had suffered heavy damage. Broken crates, damaged equipment, and parts of the old firing positions blocked several direct paths. The goblins had to move around the wreckage instead of advancing straight through it.

More Astragoths had also survived near the outer edge of the rocket strike.

Two goblin groups advanced together. One moved toward the former ammunition position while the other covered the outer side of the left side of the northern front. A machine-gun crew followed each group and carried its weapon until the soldiers ahead stopped.

The first Astragoths appeared near the damaged ammunition position. The goblins opened fire before the creatures reached the wreckage. Several fell, but others moved in from the side, using the damaged equipment to cover part of their approach.

The officer leading the advance stopped the outer group.

"Hold where you are. The group beside the ammunition position is still clearing the wreckage. If you keep moving west, the gap between you will become too wide."

The officer on the outer side looked toward another group of Astragoths approaching from the west.

"I have more coming toward us. If we stay here, they’ll reach our position before the other group finishes clearing the ammunition site."

"Then fight them from where you are. Your machine gun has open area in front of it there. Once the ammunition position is clear, both groups move forward again."

"That gives us a better firing position than moving toward them. We’ll hold here."

The machine-gun crew set up and opened fire toward the west.

At the ammunition position, several Astragoths appeared from behind damaged equipment. The nearest machine gun could not fire because goblin soldiers were already too close to the targets.

The front soldiers used their rifles.

One Astragoth reached them and killed a goblin before fire from the side brought it down. Another tried to move around the wreckage but was hit repeatedly before reaching the formation.

The goblins continued through the damaged position until they reached its northern side.

The officer there contacted the commander of the advance.

"The ammunition position is clear. I still need a few soldiers to check behind the damaged crates, but there are no Astragoths between us and the northern edge."

"Leave enough men to finish checking the wreckage and bring the rest forward. The outer group is holding another attack to the west. Once both groups are level, move again."

The two groups resumed their advance.

The outer part of the left side of the northern front contained more survivors because it had been farther from the main rocket impacts. Several small Astragoth groups attacked as the goblins moved forward.

One group reached a machine-gun crew before the weapon was fully set up. The crew dropped the gun and switched to rifles. One goblin was killed before nearby soldiers cleared the attackers. Once the immediate threat was gone, the surviving crew picked up the machine gun and carried it forward again.

Farther inside the position, an RPG team prepared to fire at another Astragoth group crossing open area. The officer beside them checked the location of the goblin soldiers ahead.

"Hold your shot. Our front group is still too close."

The gunner kept the launcher aimed. "They’re moving farther west. If they continue, I’ll have a clear shot in a few seconds."

"Wait until you can see open area between them and our soldiers. Then fire."

The Astragoths continued moving. Once enough space opened, the RPG team fired. The explosion killed one creature and knocked another down. Rifle fire killed the rest.

The goblins continued toward the former RPG position.

Several Astragoths still occupied the area, but the area between them and the advancing soldiers was open enough for machine-gun fire. The goblins stopped, both machine guns opened fire, and the Astragoths were killed before reaching close range.

The officer on the left side contacted the northern commander.

"We have the old ammunition position and the RPG position. I can still see several Astragoths farther out on the left side of the northern front. They’re outside the area we’ve already cleared."

"Leave them alone unless they come back toward you," the northern commander replied. "Finish connecting your position to the center. I want the area we can actually defend. I don’t want soldiers scattered across the outer side chasing small groups."

"We’ll finish the connection and stop there."

While the northern positions were being retaken, the east side of the eastern front remained under pressure.

The machine gun there fired from the shortened position while soldiers watched both the northern approach and the area already lost to the east. Astragoths approached from both directions, forcing the defenders to divide their attention.

The center of the eastern front moved part of its position closer to the east side so the two areas remained connected.

The eastern commander contacted the officer there.

"Can you hold where you are, or are they forcing you farther inward?"

"We can hold this position for now. The machine gun still has a clear lane north, and the soldiers on the east side can see the Astragoths coming through the area we lost. What I can’t do is retake the old position without spreading everyone out."

"Then leave it. Keep your side connected to the center of the eastern front. If you spread out and the Astragoths get between the two positions, both sides will have enemies beside and behind them."

"We’ll stay on the shorter line. I’ll only move again if they force us inward."

The east side of the eastern front remained in place.

Back in the north, the goblins finished clearing the main positions on the left side of the northern front. The center was already secure, so the northern commander began arranging the remaining weapons across the recovered area.

He did not try to restore the old layout. Several firing positions had been destroyed, and some weapons were gone. Machine guns were placed where they could cover the northern approaches. Tanks remained behind the soldiers so they could fire before the enemy reached close range. RPG teams were positioned near damaged area where Astragoths could approach with less exposure.

The outer part of the left side of the northern front remained lightly occupied. The goblins watched it from positions closer to the main line instead of spreading soldiers across area they could not support.

Reports confirmed that the destroyed tank could not return to combat. Several machine guns were missing or unusable, and the ammunition position on the left side had been destroyed.

The northern commander contacted Noah after the center and left side were connected again.

"We have the center of the northern front and most of the left side of the northern front. The remaining Astragoths are outside the positions we’re holding. I’m stopping the advance here. If I send soldiers farther out, I’ll start opening gaps between the groups again."

"Stop there," Noah replied. "Keep the center connected to the left side and place the weapons where each position can support the next. Do not send anyone after Astragoths that are already moving away."

"The center is already set. I’m adjusting the left side now so its machine guns cover the approaches beside the center."

"Good. Hold the recovered area and prepare for another attack."

The surviving goblins reorganized across the recovered positions. Machine-gun crews checked the area ahead, tanks remained behind the soldiers, and RPG teams took positions where they could respond if Astragoths reached close range. Destroyed equipment remained where it had fallen while the soldiers secured the front.

Observers continued watching the area beyond the northern positions. Astragoths were still present farther north, but none of the visible groups were advancing together. The goblins controlled the center of the northern front and most of the left side of the northern front again, with the two positions connected and the remaining weapons placed to cover the approaches.