Stargate SG-1: Steampunk

Chapter 17 - The Final Battle

Colonel O'Neill stands at the top of the path near the observation post. The siren on the observation post roof goes off for the second time. Over the radio he hears, "Colonel, incoming bogies!"

"Where?" he asks.

"West, northwest, across the river. Large signature, fast moving, they're not airships. Missiles more than likely. Estimate twenty seconds until contact."

O'Neill can see a mass of small dark dots highlighted by the setting sun. They must be from the missile airships that Carter had mentioned. Obviously, they had turned around and are now attacking. He wonders if this is a feint or a real attack.

He yells into the radio. "Incoming missiles, take cover." He quick walks to the foxhole dug in next to the path. It's large enough to hold several men and also holds one of the man-portable .30 caliber machine guns. The men saw him coming but are still surprised when he jumps over the sandbags and joins them.

"Colonel."

"Gentlemen. Looks like we're going to have visitors. Better keep your heads down."

One of the men moves the machine gun down into the foxhole. O'Neill sticks his head up just long enough to see that the missiles have gotten much closer. He curses mentally at the sheer number of them. He ducks and covers his head just as they arrive.

A roar sounds and the ground shakes as the missiles strike the bluff below his position. A few seconds later more explosions sound from the meadow behind the foxhole. Given the missiles' flat trajectory their damage will not be a great as if they were shells. Though he knows that will be coming soon enough. Sand, dirt, and rocks rain down on the men in the hole. O'Neill risks a quick look to see if any more incoming missiles. He doesn't see anything on the horizon.

"This is O'Neill. Look alive, that was probably just the warmup." He hears some calls for help. To the men in the foxhole he yells, "Take care, gentlemen."

He jumps up and runs toward the calls for help. Some of the missiles had struck the top part of the bluff and tore out big divots along its edge. A couple of fox holes too close to where those missiles hit are covered by dirt and sandbags. He yells out for the medic as he drags sandbags off the half-buried men. He carefully pulls one man out from under the collapsed side but leaves the others alone, just in case they've received serious injuries. As more help arrives he steps away and looks up at the observation post. A lower part of the exposed corner received some damage. Fortunately, the curve of the hills had blocked the missiles that might have hit the post. O'Neill grabs his radio.

"Bundy, do you read?"

"I hear you, Colonel."

"Status!"

"Radar still operational. Looks like one of the portable Stinger launchers was knocked over. They're looking at it. The Hellfire batteries are well protected. The Cessnas on the riverbed took some damage but there's not much left of Oscar Deuce Two up on the meadow. Overall, I think that we're maybe at eighty ... eighty-five percent."

"Okay. Check status on the weapon emplacements. Make sure they are operational. I doubt this will be a one-shot deal."

"I agree, Colonel. Will give you status ASAP."

O'Neill crosses the meadow and approaches the command bunker. Since the front of the bunker is perpendicular to the approaching missiles it took several direct hits. He counts four holes in the outer sandbag layers. The inner layers look unharmed. Good thing the engineers had the automated bagging machine. Each of the positions, including the bunker, has multiple layers of sandbags.