Carnifex

28/7/469 AC, Camp San Lorenzo, Jalala Province, Pashtia

No matter how closely or how much Carrera stared at the model of the Salafi base, he found no solution. It's logistically impossible. Impossible!

He tried picturing the attack under the most promising scenario developed to date. The Cazadors jump in by NA-32s—damn the broken ankles—and get by with nothing but air for fire support until the artillery is in range and ready. The helicopters move in the whole artillery cohort, except for the rocket launchers, which can move themselves, then go back for an infantry cohort. By the time they come back with an infantry cohort the enemy is completely ready. Any guests they may have—and Mustafa—are long gone. So we keep shuttling in the troops until we can reduce the place, get in a war with Kashmir, and after we take it we pull out, fight a border war while the diplo-shits try to patch up a peace . . . and do it all over again in a year or two.

Fuck! Fuck! FUCK! Maybe if I wasn't so fucking tired all the time . . .

All right . . . lets start at the beginning. What do I want for an end state? I want to kill or capture every Salafi in the area, and especially their leaders, destroy the base, and pull out before it becomes a Kashmir-Legion ground war. That means I need an infantry cohort in the center, two more plus the artillery to make a breach and peel the edges, and Cazadors and Pashtun scouts to seal it off.

Ok . . . the Pashtun scouts could go in over a period of days by air. Some might even just cross the border on horseback. Let's see . . . eighteen Crickets of which fifteen work at any given time. Each carries three Pashtun. Do it over a period of days? No . . . not a chance. The longer they're out there the more certain it tips my hand, alerts the enemy and warns Kashmir. And they could be there for fucking weeks before we get word that the leadership will be there. Skip that idea.

Again he glared down at the terrain model, willing it to provide answers. Obstinately, the model refused.

Make a major effort to clear the area up to the border before we strike? That way we could march most of the way and cut the amount of lift needed. But . . . no . . . that will tip off the Salafis and Kashmir just as much as a bunch of my Pashtun wandering in their territory will. If only the base was in Farsia there'd be no problem; they're an open and avowed enemy and I can cross their border at will. If only Kashmir wasn't so completely in the Salafis' pockets while pretending to be a part of the alliance against the Salafis . . .

Wandering in their territory? In their pockets? Pretending? And . . . . nukes. Carrera held the thought for a moment, searching for an answer that was almost at his fingertips. My God, could it be that simple?

His hand reached for the intercom. "Get me Subadar Masood and Tribune Cano from the Pashtun Scouts. And Jimenez . . . . and Fernandez."