Counterfeit Hero

Chapter 17 - 17 Infiltration

”Fatty landing, coordinate position 1045.2207, safe. Latecomers move towards me.”

[Fatty] was Tian Xingjian’s well-deserved nickname. Originally, Rashid wanted to call him [Jerk], but Fatty vehemently refused. He said, ”Either call me a hero or just call me Fatty.”

There’s no hero as lousy as you; that medal of yours doesn’t prove anything. Everyone agreed, let’s just call him Fatty.

Generally, deputies are vanguards among reconnaissance soldiers. In a squad operation, the Deputy Squad Leader is at the forefront; in a platoon operation, the Deputy Platoon Leader is at the forefront. Of course, Deputy Battalion Commanders or higher are not included in this. In other words, the highest-ranking officer at the forefront during an operation would be the Deputy Company Commander.

Feeling quite annoyed, Fatty opened the hatch and spat hard. The air outside had a damp smell. The sky was buzzing with the sounds of mechas from the First Company. The boosters on the mechas were maximized, making roaring noises; the rapidly descending mechas appeared to be supported by an invisible hand about fifty meters from the ground, which was the thrust from the boosters acting on the ground.

These mechas were the best standard equipment of the Leray Federation. Due to the special nature of the Special Forces, almost all the weapons and mechas that could be mass-equipped were given priority to the Special Forces.

The mechas equipped by the First Company came in three models, the most common being the 7th generation Warrior Mechas. These were Single Soldier Mechas but possessed extremely high mobility and defense capabilities, enough to contend with the 6th Generation medium-sized mechas. Ordinary soldiers piloted the general model Warrior Pioneers, but Hillard piloted the same Leader model as Special Forces Camp Commander Grant, which he acquired from Nadal. Nadal used his Private Mecha, which had undergone professional modifications and had numerous personalized configurations, making its combat power superior to the standard mechas.

Another type was the two medium-sized anti-joint quadruped Beast-shaped Mechas used by the communications squad. These mechas, known as [Antenna] in the military, were primarily used to maintain contact with the rear and coordinate with the Air Force. In battle, their main function was electromagnetic interference, capable of severing enemy communications and attacking radars, mechanical computers, scanners, and locators, causing them to malfunction or become chaotic.

The final type was the Anger-class heavy fire support mechas, with four such mechas equipped in the First Company. The Anger was also a 7th generation mecha, a scaled-down version of the 6th generation heavy mechas. Despite the size reduction, its power increased. These five-person mechas were equipped with an indirect fire gun, three energy machine guns, a missile launcher, a body made of stronger alloys, extremely strong attached armor defenses, and a large energy shield, effectively making them a moving fortress with fierce firepower.

Fatty was initially assigned a Warrior-class Pioneer, but he resolutely refused it. Thus, the only Private Mecha in the company was Fatty’s ”Logic.” The soldiers of the First Company greatly admired their new Deputy Company Commander’s daredevil act of driving such a worn-out mecha onto the battlefield.

Fatty kept a close watch on Logic’s scanner and radar, showing no signs of enemy mechas around. However, this peaceful mountainous jungle would soon be swarmed by the incoming Gazalin Empire mechas. They had to evacuate this area within ten minutes.

The First Company’s parachute assembly was swift and silent. Each of these battle-hardened Special Reconnaissance Soldiers knew what to do and how to do it. The mechas with boosters turned off moved noiselessly through the jungle towards Tian Xingjian’s location, with only the larger mechas making some noise as they pushed through the dense foliage, creating sounds of branches breaking.

Two minutes after landing, Logic’s mechanical computer emitted a crisp notification sound. The two [Antenna] mechas, four [Anger] mechas, seventy-seven Warrior Pioneers, and one Warrior Leader of the First Company had all assembled.

Fatty transferred the command signal to Rashid through the mecha’s computer. With a wave of Rashid’s hand, the assembled mechas immediately dispersed, forming into pairs, one in front and one behind, in groups of three rows. The entire formation became a long snake that could coil into a ball at any moment, with vanguards responsible for protection at the front, rear, and flanks. The whole company rapidly marched towards the destination marked on the mechanical electronic map.

About fifty kilometers west of the drop point, there was a blind spot picked up by the hyperspace spy satellite. This pitch-black area on the satellite military map was certainly equipped with Anti-detection Interference Devices. The spot was located between two cities surrounded by the Empire, thirty kilometers to the north and south, with a road running past its side. It was most likely an enemy airbase.

Radar and electronic interference facilities are generally not set up near roads, and the Federation Air Force had long suspected that this location was established during the landing of an enemy giant transport ship, later converted into an anti-aircraft missile base. The missiles intercepted several times between the two cities to the north and south were launched from this direction. Thus, an initial analysis by the Federation military intelligence suggested that the blackspot was a mixed air force temporary airfield and missile base, enticing enough to send a Special Forces Company to attack it.

However, no matter how Fatty looked at it, this place seemed strange. If it were really an air force or missile base, no matter which, the airborne landing wouldn’t be this smooth. But if it wasn’t these, then what could it be?

The target was quickly approaching within ten kilometers. Third Platoon Leader Jason led his platoon left behind to provide support. Under Rashid’s orders, they immediately formed a circular defensive formation. The vanguard responsible for outer perimeter observation automatically took their positions five hundred meters out. Tian Xingjian had been observing these soldiers, whom he had only known for a few hours, since the operation began. Their performance assured him he was in a well-trained unit, with these battle-hardened warriors demonstrating silent determination, swift judgment, and standard yet flexible tactical maneuvers.

One [Antenna] and one [Anger] mecha detached to stay behind and cooperate with the defense, while the others continued forward almost without pause.

Entering the interference device’s range meant they could encounter patrolling enemies at any moment. Tian Xingjian and three Warrior Pioneers took the lead; they had to ensure the safety of the advancing team. Fatty chose a small hillside southeast of the base from which they could observe the entire base from a higher vantage point.

Two platoons of Special Reconnaissance Soldiers placed their full trust in Fatty’s choice. They activated their mechas’ stealth mode, following the broken mecha ahead in a winding path. Everyone found it very bizarre that this mecha, which smoked and clanked loudly during the daytime, now moved smoothly and silently through the jungle, like a cat approaching its prey. If they weren’t so close, they would have almost lost track of it, as it seemed to blend into the night-time jungle. This phenomenon made Fatty increasingly mysterious in their eyes.

Under Fatty’s lead, they had penetrated to within about a kilometer of the base. Along the way, the broken-down mecha at the forefront periodically fired concentrated heavy particles through hollow trees or ground holes, which invariably contained enemy sentries. These sentries were killed silently and swiftly, as the penetrating heavy particles instantly destroyed their organs, unprotected by armor.

But no one could have imagined a concentrated heavy particle machine gun appearing on a mecha’s hand.

The Special Reconnaissance Company soldiers following could not foresee this either; they just found the smooth progress unsettling. Under normal circumstances, five kilometers from the target would be their usual minimum strike distance.

Logic’s radar detected an enemy mecha patrol team—an Imperial Ice Man Type I Mecha with a squad of infantry, patrolling parallel along the base’s perimeter. In ten minutes, the slow-moving patrol unit would arrive at Fatty’s team’s position.

A kilometer away, the base remained silent in the night, with no sound of aircraft taking off or transport ships landing, which was uncharacteristic of a wartime airport. Whether to launch a full assault was Rashid’s decision to make.

Fatty stopped, Logic’s mechanical arm raised high, forming a fist.

Everyone took cover, and the signal was returned to Rashid.

A minute later.

The Leader mecha issued the full assault order.

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