When the Federation soldiers got close enough to the Luksano base a part of their troopers split of. Both of their wings set of 400 men to hide and wait for a future surprise attack.
Sani would talk with Sench via some sort of walkie talkie and he would give the signal when it was time.
So the right wing of which Bowin was a part of split apart and waited. Stanley and Seal were apart of it. Most of them could not even see what happened thanks to the snow, but as the SSL Sani had technology that could pick up what happened.
A telescope looking thing. She would pass it to Bowin sometimes, started asking his input on the proceedings of the battle. He would answer, sometimes he didn't. Both of them laid on their stomach to see the battle.
The battle started, very slowly and deliberately, both of the sides sticking on their half of the battle field. No one would make risky moves. Sench said that this would be the case, we need to give Lieutenant Halta some time to feel bored and confident before he would try to rush a attack. He said.
Sench was a good distance away, making his smaller force seem afraid for confrontation. That with their unwillingness to take risky attacks made them seem weak and afraid.
This slow battle was went on for six hours, minimal losses on both sides.
"Soon, he's about to do something reckless." It was Sench his voice from the comm. Sani nodded to Bowin, both of tensed up more.
A force of about a hundred Luksano soldiers split of from the bigger one and started creeping towards the Federation. The started slowly, but once they were in the middle of the blastfire they started running like their life depended on it, shooting recklessly and without aim.
Of course that hit some people but it wasn't effective. Then, their forces halved, they got close enough to take out 70 men of the Federation, before the group got wiped out. The part of the army that was attacked, scattered and made some bad stategic moves right after.
"Why are they acting like that?" Sani asked, she passed Bowin the telescope. He looked at the battlefield
"I think this on purpose, to make us look weak, incompetent. Sench wants Halta to make a mistake." He passed her the telescope back, she looked, then had a thoughtful expression.
"How did Sench know that Halta would send out troops in the first place." Bowin asked.
"He just does." Sani had her eyes on the battlefield, determined, faithful, "Ever since our first battle Sench had a knack of predicting the moves of the enemies."
She passed the telescope to Bowin, squinting her eyes to keep a good look on the battle herself. "I was wrong to dismiss you like that earlier."
"It's alright."
"No it's not, it's just. Howl was a good squad leader, a better friend, when I saw you I didn't want to believe that you took his spot."
She looked to the sky as if she was thinking, "Only a few days on the battlefield and this is your impact. Maybe you can take his spot?"
"If you want me to, I can."
Sani snorted to herself, "Your exactly like he said you would be."
Bowin's cheeks reddened, "What! Who said like I was what???!"
"Sench," she started, "back on the ship he said that you were smart, shy and also that you didn't want to dream."
She looked him dead in the eyes, his pupils would dart everywhere except to her. "What does that mean?"
"I don't know, you seem like an okay guy to me. It's just that the captain can figure people out, he does that. It's best to listen to his advice cause he just knows things you know."
And if she went into a tangent, praising Sench, telling him how he never needed anything, how smart he was, how complex and whatever. The man had made a huge impact on Sani.
"Now! You gotta move now!" It was Sench. The battlefield was moving, Halta had made his grand move. Both the left wing and right wing of the Luksano forces made a grand assault. They were trying to encapsulate the Federation and then pincer the middle.
It was time for a surprise attack. Sani got on her feet faster than Bowin did, barking orders and getting movement in the men. Bowin rallied his squad mates, all of them except Vander seeming ready for battle.
Soon they were on the move, 400 well rested men ready for battle. They hit the Luksano forces from the side they least expected it. The surprise attack on the left wing probably also attacked.
Halta's men didn't know what to do, like they were put in a meat grinder getting shredded from all sides.
Jace was the strongest fighter on the squad, agile and taking out tens of Luksano soldiers in the span of minutes, Rollo was a close follow up, his brute and opfront way of fighting made him a giant on the battlefield. Bowin held his own, at this point he could be considered average, picking his battles wisely and and hiding behind the stronger Jace and Rollo when needed.
Vander was a mess, running in the battlefield without any direction or strategy, it was a surprise that he didn't die in the first seconds of battle.
Bowin didn't know what to do with the boy, in a way he hoped that he would die so that this burden would be of him. But it wasn't what Howl did to him when he hid in that hole.
"Vander come here!" Bowin called in the midst of firing his laser gun. He had to do that twice before Vander eventually came to him. The boy ran to him and hid behind him. Bowin wanted to say something to encourage him like Howl did not so long ago but he simply didn't know what.
He let the boy hide behind him as the battle went on.
Soon the wings of the Luksano would collapse and the center was attacked head on by the full force of the federation. An hour of this and they would try to retreat, losing many in the process. At the end it seemed like Halta had managed to escape until one squad, that of Stanley managed to surprise them.
In which they managed to shoot and kill Lieutenant Halta. His remaining force of which only 1200 of the 3000 survived managed to escape alive.
The federation in return only lost 400 men in exchange.
Bowin, sat in the snow trying to catch his breath, Vander was beside him though they didn't speak at all.
In came Stanley, his rifle resting on his shoulder and a smirk on his face, "Still alive I see," he tilted his head slightly, "only barely." On Bowin's armour was a scratch of a laser shot that had just barely missed him.
Stanley stood broadly, a sort of pride in his stance and face, "Your plan was nice, might get you eyes of the higher ups" he said that reluctantly before regaining his confident composure, "but I killed Lieutenant Halta, killed their defense and probably their confidence. I'm guaranteed a promotion."
Bowin stared confused, he felt like he was expected to respond, so he did, "congratulations…"
That response soured Stanley's expression, he turned his head roughly and left the scene. What did I do wrong?
Sani came in to congratulate Stanley, so did Sench. After that they congratulated Bowin, as always he didn't know how to act
With the Luksano defense crushed their next attack would be taking the base and with that the planet. But that would have to wait for the next day, as it was simply to late.