There was a great wall around the compound. They’d land the ship in the courtyard of their target building, minimize their exposure during movement to the objective. They planned to enter at two different locations, then once inside the building, they’d disable the elevator and work their way up the stairs. The president was supposed to be on the top floor where his residence and office were located. Outside of that, they had more questions than answers.
According to Graham, they’d be outnumbered twenty to one, so the first interim objective related to sealing access points to prevent the arrival of reinforcements. The enemy had a number of possible ingress points. There were many uncertainties and Cain’s stomach churned.
“I think speed will be our friend. If we get into a slugfest with these guys, we’re going to lose. We get to their leader and once we have him, he can make the others stand down. Once we are on the planet, whoever has a clear approach takes it. Even you, Ascenti. If he lets you fly in through an upper window, you go. Secure him.”
“I could use a weapon,” the Hawkoid said, “something that will fit in my claw, preferably.” Cain looked him over.
“How about longer claws, made of metal, razor sharp?” Cain asked with a smile. The Hawkoid bobbed his head, preferring something like that over wrestling with a powered weapon. “Jolly, work with our Hawkoid friend to come up with claw extensions. He needs to be able to fly while wearing them,” Cain declared.
They continued their planning, but it was generic. By the end, Cain realized that once they landed, they’d be making it up as they went.
“Hot chow on the objective,” Cain added at the end, the new joke that wrapped up all their mission planning.
When the others had departed and it was only the major and his lieutenants, Cain asked them, “Are we going to win this one?”
“Of course,” Pickles replied. “Will we win it and return home intact, that’s the real question.”
“We’re not going to do this without killing some of them. Hell, we’re going to kill a lot of them. You saw what they were like last time. No one was willing to say no. The people were afraid and the officials were fanatical trying to prove themselves as loyal followers. All it will take is one of their security men to say the word, and they’ll come pouring down on us. Flash-bangs aren’t going to stop that.” Stinky’s vocalization device reflected the concern he felt about their impending mission.
“Then we’ll need to make sure that we get the president before they can gather their wits about them, get organized, and stand against us,” Cain said, looking at the deck. “We have to.”
The Marines Go Ashore
Cain and Brutus were the last two into the shuttle. They had to push against the mass of bodies to create enough space to close the hatch. The Marines were strapped to the sides of the shuttle in different ways based on body type and available space. ‘Cats were squeezed into remaining nooks and crannies, except for Tobiah who was too large and rated his own seat. Bull was up front in the pilot’s seat with Ascenti held tightly in his lap. Zisk was in the co-pilot’s seat with three ‘cats pressed in around him. Spence sat on the console between the two. Jolly would be doing the flying so Bull and Zisk understood they weren’t to touch anything.
Cain and Jo had two blasters each and would be the first out the door. They needed to make sure the area was clear so the others could disembark. The lightning spears were effective weapons, just not within the confines of the shuttle. Plus, Jo was by far the best marksman out of all his Marines, himself included. She was gifted at both seeing and hitting her targets. Cain wanted to identify her skill somehow, but hadn’t gotten around to it. He hoped that he wouldn’t regret his delay.
The hangar bay door opened and the shuttle was dragged mechanically along its track to the edge of space, then released. It hovered for an instant then dashed through the opening. The ship was still spinning, making the shuttle’s thrusters work to keep up until they were clear of the ship’s superstructure. The shuttle accelerated gently toward the planet. It was early evening, Concordia time. When the shuttle entered the atmosphere, leaving a flaming tail, it would be past midnight. By one in the morning, they’d drop into the compound. Cain was counting on the night vision of the Wolfoids and the Hillcats to help them compensate for the darkness, give them an advantage over the Concordians.
The shuttle’s speaker crackled to life. Jolly did that to signal a communication was imminent. The speakers didn’t need to crackle, but the AI liked some of the old technological traditions.
Commander Daksha’s vocalization device came through loud and clear as the shuttle descended silently through space. “I cannot emphasize how important this mission is. The peace of an entire planet depends on your success, but not the peace that the Concordian leadership offered, peace through servitude. We suggest they should live peacefully AND in freedom. You will carry that banner forward,” the Tortoid said, emphasizing each word. “You represent us, all of us—The Olive Branch, the SES, the Cygnus Marines, Cygnus VII as a whole. When you emerge from that shuttle under the Concordian sky, you are the instrument of peace. The Marines make war so others don’t have to. Eliminate the oppression. We were responsible for bringing the civil war closer, making it imminent, and we’re taking the responsibility for stopping it. You blessed few stand between an entire population and their tyrannical leaders. I wish you well for a successful and safe completion of your mission.” Daksha’s tone didn’t change throughout, but everyone felt the emotions surging within the mission commander.
“Captain Rand here. I want to second the commander’s words. You, the Cygnus Marines, the blessed few, you will change the course of history on this day. By the time the sun rises, all of our fates will be determined, our path to the future will be clear. Come back to us, please. All of you,” the captain said, trying to sound hopeful and failing miserably.
“OORAH!” Cain shouted. The other Marines picked up the chant. Hands slapped chests and harnesses. When they calmed down, Cain had each Marine run through the plan, while the entire time, Cain could do nothing other than think about the first few seconds after the shuttle hatch opened. He checked his ballistic vest and straightened his beret for the hundredth time. He put a hand on his three Space Stars and one Shooting Star. Jo stared at his hand.
“You and me, Jo. We open the way for everyone behind us.”
“One shot, one kill,” she said, parroting what she’d seen in one of the videos that Jolly played for the Marines. Cain didn’t correct her. The only way no Concordians would die when that hatch opened was if there weren’t any within sight. He resigned himself with that fact. He didn’t want to put any doubt in her mind as to what to do. If they killed when they shouldn’t, he’d carry that burden alone.
The ride through weightlessness wasn’t too bad. The ‘cats weren’t complaining, but the inside of the shuttle grew hot from all the bodies, mostly from the Wolfoids and their heavy fur. When they started skipping off the outer atmosphere, the inside heated to the point that Cain thought his head would explode. The ‘cats yowled incessantly, Brutus telling him that they couldn’t help it as the pain was too great. The bodies slammed against each other until the descent through the upper atmosphere transitioned into cooler air and the ship rocketed downward, free of the friction and fire. Something happened as the interior of the shuttle went from too hot to too cold in what felt like only a few heartbeats. The sweat running down Cain and Jo’s faces froze.
“Damn, Jolly! Environmental control isn’t doing us any favors. Is there anything you can do?” Cain yelled toward the speaker.
“Working on it,” Jolly replied happily. Cain shook his head as he hunched down, trying to put his face inside his shirt. He flexed his fingers to keep the circulation flowing. He didn’t think he could hold his blaster, let alone shoot it, in his current condition. The Wolfoids didn’t seem to be bothered. The ‘cats were happier cold than they were warm, although he saw some of them wedging themselves into the hairiest r
egions of the Wolfoids.
Temperatures stabilized while they were ten minutes out. Cain started rocking as the adrenaline surged through his body. The fight was coming. He set his teeth and twisted his mouth as his war face came to life on its own. Jo started bouncing in the limited space she occupied. The Wolfoids bobbed their heads and flexed their muscles. Spence was rocking too, the massive ‘cat next to him rocking in unison.
“Ascenti, up!” Cain yelled. They passed the Hawkoid hand over hand until he was pressed against Cain’s face. “You’re out first, Marine. Make us proud.” Ascenti screeched, his eyes narrowed and focused on the hatch.
Wouldn’t it be funny if I just fell out when this thing opens, he thought.
‘Yes, it would, but we have too much to do for you to be flopping around on the ground, so let’s just make sure you don’t do that,’ Brutus said sarcastically.
The shuttle had been inverted and was slowing quickly. Cain got a mouthful of feathers and a titanium claw hooked into his skin near his throat, which after a few terse words, the Hawkoid carefully removed. The entire contingent was buffeted and slammed one last time as the final maneuver oriented the shuttle upright and dropped it gently to the ground. The second it hit, the hatch popped open.
Incoming!
Cain threw Ascenti through the hatch and into the darkness beyond. The Hawkoid spread his wings and disappeared. Jo looked for targets, but saw nothing. Cain jumped out and raced down the ladder. Brutus clung precariously to his chest as he descended. The first blaster beam hit his pack, smoking the recharger he carried within. Cain jumped away from the ladder, hoping he was close to the ground.
He flexed his knees and prepared to hit. The ground was flat and he pancaked into it. He hit his chin and then rolled away, happy that he could feel his legs and there wasn’t any pain. Brutus landed more gracefully and darted toward the wall.
Blaster beams licked out from the hatchway as Jo found her target. The sound of a body hitting the ground suggested the first casualty of the return of the people from Cygnus, bringing the war that the Concordians demanded by attacking the party led by the peace-loving Tortoid.
‘Brutus, eyes!’ Cain “shouted” in his thought voice.
‘People coming onto the wall, maybe a dozen. You need to get up there. To your right there’s a stair leading up,’ Brutus answered over the mindlink, letting those still in the shuttle know what was ahead.
A Wolfoid worked past Jo as she maintained her aim, ready to shoot the first faces that appeared on the top of the wall. Cain was tentative in the dark. By the time he found the stairs and started climbing on all fours, Jo’s blaster was lighting up the area. A Wolfoid spear joined her, the lightning flashes allowing Cain to see his way. He jumped to his feet and took the stairs two at a time. He dove onto the landing and rolled to lay prone as he aimed his blaster toward the doorway where more people were emerging.
The Concordians were focused on the shuttle. Cain took the opportunity to get closer. Brutus was right behind him, guiding him in between the lightning flashes. He stopped and took a knee, then methodically picked off the remainder of the defenders. The door was mostly closed and they were taking pot shots at the shuttle as the Marines descended one by one, never putting more than one on the ladder at a time to reduce the target size.
From where the Concordians were shooting, they couldn’t see Cain as he worked his way along the top of the wall. He took a flash-bang from his vest, pulled the pin, and jammed the grenade through the opening, covering his ears and leaning aside. When it went off, he pulled both blasters and stormed into the room. The lights were on, but smoke filled the air.
“Brutus!?” he called. The people moaned as they rolled on the floor. “Drop your weapons!” he yelled, which was superfluous since they’d become separated from their weapons by the concussion from the grenade, but that wasn’t to last. At the same time Cain decided to collect the weapons, the first Concordian regained his senses sufficiently to scramble for the blaster near his hand. Brutus was on him in an instant, tearing up the man’s arm, then shredding his face. The man screamed in pain.
Cain couldn’t handle that many by himself, he backed out of the room, calling Brutus as he went. A blaster beam narrowly missed the ‘cat and Cain unleashed his fury into that small room, firing time and again. Dialing a wide flame for one last attack.
‘You got them,’ Brutus said gently into Cain’s mind as his pulse raced. He exhaled and pulled the door shut as he walked back along the wall, carefully picking his way among the dead bodies littering the walkway. Half the platoon was making their way along the wall from the direction of the stairs.
‘This way is blocked, but the enemy is neutralized. Original plan–through the courtyard. Bull in the lead,’ he told the Marines who were tagged to accompany him.
‘The way is clear at present,’ Ascenti reported from his perch on a nearby roof. The Marines turned and headed for the steps. Stinky was already at his breach point with his Marines and their contingent of ‘cats. Spence and Tobiah were right behind Stinky, followed by Grace, Zisk, Sandy, and Sergeant Stalker bringing up the rear.
‘If you’re ready, Lieutenant Leaper, go,’ Cain ordered.
Cain found himself groping along the top of the wall until he asked the nearest Wolfoid, Slayer, to wait for him. With a hand on his harness, they moved forward more quickly than Cain was able to on his own. Bull had already reached the door to the far right of the courtyard. Cain noted that the ladder had been retracted and the hatch closed on the shuttle.
‘Jolly, has Graham seen any warnings or alarms?’ Cain asked via his neural implant.
‘Yes, Major Cain. There has been some activity inside the main building. I suggest you hurry and disable the elevators to the basement where there are numerous escape routes.’
‘Stinky, disable the elevators, that is your new objective, then establish a blocking position against reinforcements coming from below,’ Cain directed over the mindlink.
‘You heard him, people! Right, left, there!’ Cain could hear a skirmish underway. The sound of a lightning bolt crackled through the doorway on the left side of the compound. Cain continued to the right where Bull stood by a closed door.
“As you please, Bull,’ Cain said calmly. His heart had settled and he felt no rage, no fear, no horror, no doubt. He was all business.
Bull tried the knob and it turned. He pushed hard against the door, hearing a grunt from the other side, and used his body weight and strength to drive the door against whoever was behind it. He punched through the opening, leading with his spear. A man was there in the dim light, trying to pull his blaster. Bull drove his lightning spear through the middle of the man’s chest, then lifted him from the floor and cast the body aside, already looking for his next target.
Blasters opened up from down the hallway. One beam hit Bull’s foreleg, making him drop his spear. He howled as the others tried to shoot around his huge form. He threw himself toward the enemy, dropping to all fours to charge them, but his injured leg betrayed him and he ended up in a heap. At least he was out of the way. Lightning bolts flashed over him, forcing him to cover his head with his good paw. Jo selected her targets and picked them off as the enemy showed themselves.
The Concordians had been setting up a hasty ambush when Bull broke through the door. Thanks to the ballistic cloak he wore, his injuries were far less than what they could have been. None of the Concordians wore any protective gear. They seemed half-dressed, which told Cain the Marines had caught them unaware.
Cain cast aside any doubt regarding killing versus using their nonlethal weapons.
“Charge!” Cain yelled and the Wolfoids barked as they jumped over Bull. The Concordians broke and ran. The first man got a spear thrust through his back as he was quickly run down. “Tasers!” Cain called. The Wolfoids understood the order, but weren’t in a position to use their Tasers. They improvised by beating the men using their spears as clubs and standing on them. Four captives.
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br /> “Zip ties,” he said. Jo went from one to another and tied their wrists together and then their ankles. She trussed them by connecting the wrists and ankles behind them. “Leave them,” Cain called as he pointed at the hallway that would take them to the stairways, assuming Graham’s building diagram was sound.
‘Elevators are secured. We have the doors blocked open, which prevents them from moving, just in case we need to use these ourselves at some point,’ Stinky reported.
‘Good call. Any injuries?’ Cain asked.
‘Nothing major. Gotta run,’ Stinky signed off.
Pickles took the lead as Cain checked on Bull. His arm was injured badly, half the wrist had been burned through. The major slapped numbweed onto it and wrapped a bandage around it. “I’m sorry, Bull, we can’t stop. We need to move. I hope you can fire left-handed.” Cain helped the large Wolfoid to his feet, then handed him his spear. Bull gritted his teeth and nodded. “Watch the rear,” Cain ordered as he ran up the winding stairway after his Marines.
He heard a lightning spear discharge and he vaulted forward, taking the steps three at a time. Jo was crouched ahead, leaning around a corner, but not firing. Slayer watched from the other side of the stairs, spear poised.
‘Pickles?’ Cain asked.
Cygnus Expanding: Humanity Fights for Freedom (Cygnus Space Opera Book 2) Page 31
