Marooned: Legacy War Book 4

by John Walker

  “Truth.” Dennis sighed. “Alright folks, let’s see what we can do about this first wave and prepare for the second. Engage.”

  ***

  Heat took the lead for the group as they headed south away from the Gnosis. They gave the marines a heads-up they were on the verge of departing the ship, allowing their allies to lay down some suppressive fire. Dropping a ramp, they hustled down and through the nearby treeline. Security personnel secured the ramp and locked the ship back up.

  Traveling downhill, they found themselves on a natural path barely large enough for them to go single file. The sounds of combat faded behind them, turning into a muffled noise off in the distance. Heat kept his weapon at the ready, head on a swivel. He got them moving west as soon as the area leveled out and picked up the pace to double time.

  Vincent and Cassie huffed behind him, clearly not used to such a trek. That didn’t surprise the grizzled marine but Gil Vaedra seemed to be fine. He carried on as if he tromped through the wilderness on a near daily basis. Gorman took up the rear and Heat could tell from his grunts he was annoyed by the others.

  They’re the ones who’ll do the heavy lifting when we get there, Heat reminded himself. We have to respect their strengths, especially when they’re showing their weaknesses.

  “I know these trees …” Cassie said between breaths. “They’re so familiar to me. I saw them on scans but in person … it’s amazing … This could be any national park back home.”

  “I know,” Vincent replied. “I was thinking the same thing. I feel like we need to grab a sample before we head back to the ship.”

  “We’re not equipped for samples,” Heat said. “And we don’t know what would happen if we start hacking into the foliage so let’s leave it alone, okay? The primary mission is the facility and that’s what we’re focusing on. Anything else is a distraction we can’t afford. Do you all agree?”

  “You would not learn anything anyway,” Gil added. “These trees … much like your Earth trees … like our Pahxin trees. They are for making the atmosphere livable. They make it so we can survive on different worlds.”

  “Who planted them?” Vincent asked. “You make it seem like one particular species did it.”

  “Perhaps. Perhaps a collective.” Gil hummed, shrugging his shoulders. “Part of my life’s work is finding out the answer to that question but I can tell you this much. A single culture visited many worlds throughout the cosmos and they had a profound impact on many of them. We believe they might’ve started at one world and built the others.”

  Cassie coughed a couple times before responding. “Do you mean like terraforming?”

  “Yes, something like that.” Gil chuckled. “I would not be at all surprised if you and I were siblings under the skin … ultimately from the same stock evolved through a slightly different ecosystem literally across the expanse of stars.”

  “Creepy,” Gorman muttered.

  “Do you truly think so?” Gil asked. “I find it … somewhat pleasant. It means we are predestined to help each other.”

  Heat grunted. “If it’s anything like our own planet, brothers and sisters sometimes end up killing each other. Wars between family members are not uncommon.”

  “I choose to focus on the positive,” Gil replied. “But I understand your point of view. As a soldier, this would be the natural way for you to think of such a thing. Our warriors are the same way. I’m sure you have met them at this point. They are severe and stern, disciplined and harsh. Much like you.”

  “Um … thanks?” Gorman quipped.

  Gil sighed. “I meant no disrespect. There are places for all people in society. The strong, the weak, the smart and the foolish. When we are able to put each person where they belong, they thrive. We complement each other’s abilities while bolstering our flaws. When a community acts together, they are literally unstoppable.”

  “Nice words,” Heat said. “But they aren’t overly realistic. You know that. Look at where we found you. Those thugs weren’t exactly helping you out.”

  “No,” Gil replied. “There are always villains in the world. But then we have heroes like you to trounce them … or at least intervene when they attempt to do something horrible.”

  “Lucky us.” Heat held up his hand for them to stop. He listened carefully, checking his computer for a quick scan. Nothing showed up and he continued on. “Time to be quiet everyone. I’ll let you know when we can speak again. Unless you see an enemy or fall down a hole, focus on breathing and moving forward. We’ve got a long way to go.”

  “Fabulous,” Cassie muttered. “And I thought we’d been walking for a while already.”

  “Not really,” Gorman said. “In fact, this rodeo just got started. Next stop, ancient alien facility, potential automated defenses and some kind of unknown that probably wants to murder us all. No pressure at all, folks. Seriously! We can probably all relax right now and have a freakin’ barbecue.”

  “Silence meant you too,” Heat barked. “Now shut it! I don’t need belly aching all the way there.”

  ***

  Desmond joined Salina at her station, leaning over to look at the scanner. He heard her confirm the intruder alert message and she directed security into position to repel them. Whether they were successful or not remained to be seen. Would three invaders be enough to cause real trouble?

  I guess we’re about to find out. Desmond returned to his station and hit his com, setting it to shipwide communications. “Gnosis, this is the captain speaking. We have three Tol’An soldiers aboard the ship. They have breached one of our entry points and are somewhere around deck seventeen. Security personnel is engaging but keep your eyes open.

  “Do not engage if you are unarmed. Call in sightings and ensure you remain safe.”

  The Tol’An heard the message but Desmond didn’t care. A single mistake would reveal their presence and give the hunters a chance to deal with them. Scans wouldn’t help, they were too physically similar to humans. However, if they attempted to tamper with a system or commit sabotage, security would be warned immediately.

  The elevator made a sound and Desmond spun to see who was coming. Two security personnel stepped off, each carrying firearms which they handed out. They locked the area down, ensuring the enemy would not make it to the bridge, not without explosives and climbing gear.

  Outside, the battle raged on. The Gnosis cameras couldn’t get a good view of the action but they occasionally saw power armor sail through the air, landing amidst blasts of beam weapons. Com chatter behind them gave a good indication of the action. As the body count increased, the big challenge remained with the men inside the ship.

  “They seem to be falling back,” Lieutenant Fielding said. “I think we’re getting a brief reprieve.”

  Salina replied, “I believe they are hoping to see what happens with the fighters. Fall back to the Gnosis and go on overwatch. We need to prevent any additional enemies breaching our defenses and getting aboard.”

  Desmond turned to his own computer and scanned through the various department reports, looking for anything that might indicate a sighting. Nothing showed up and he wondered what the Tol’An hoped to accomplish. Did they want a power cell? Were they planning on trying to take the entire ship with only three guys?

  This makes little sense but then again, they aren’t exactly in their right minds. Desmond rubbed his chin, eyes narrow. The hangar. The assets stored there might be of some value to their own ship. Resources for repair, tools and the means to transport them back, all in one convenient location.

  He sent a private message out to all department heads and the security personnel, letting them know his concern. Hangar control replied that they put men on every entrance and locked down the doors and maintenance access points. There were two but only one would allow them to launch anything thanks to the forest.

  We might slow them down with that but the Tol’An doesn’t know what we did. They might still go for the hangar … which could work to our adva
ntage. Desmond turned his attention to the repairs of the ship, noting that engineering continued to make good progress. If Vincent shuts the beam off, looks like we’ll be able to get out of here after all.

  The thought shouldn’t have felt pessimistic but somehow, it felt dark. Desmond’s crew operated with discipline and efficiency. Considering what happened, they didn’t have any reports of insubordination or even any real panic. Perhaps none of them recognized the severity of the situation … or what it might mean to be stuck there.

  We might easily turn into the Tol’An or those mercenaries. Desmond turned to Salina. “Have you been able to raise either side on the coms? Now that they’re withdrawing, maybe we can have a chat.”

  “I’ll try with the mercenaries again,” Salina replied. “They were ignoring my hails before but now that they’ve been given a bloody nose, they might feel more inclined to chat.”

  “I hope so.” Desmond sighed. “Lord, you’d think people who fight for money would be more inclined to communicate. It costs money to throw soldiers at a problem, to waste resources on a pointless assault. When and if they reply, let me know right away. I’ll see if I can talk some sense into them … or at least stave off the next assault.”

  ***

  Chief Engineer Nathaniel Webber noted Captain Bradford’s warning about intruders and rolled his eyes in frustration. If it’s not one thing, it’s another. He ensured the security personnel protecting his section knew the importance of their jobs before he threw himself back into his own. Technicians busied themselves all around him, working feverishly.

  I have to find a way to slow the power drain. Webber approached Thayne and tapped him on the soldier. The Pahxin didn’t look up from his terminal but merely made a grunt noise. “How’s it coming? Have you figured out what’s happening yet?”

  “As we expected, the beam is siphoning the energy and storing it somewhere in the facility.” Thayne pointed at his screen but the characters didn’t make any sense to Webber. “This is the ratio we’re losing energy. I’ve shielded several of the generators, which is helping to reduce the flow. I may have bought us thirty minutes and I’m working on more.”

  “Better than I anticipated.” Webber turned toward the hyperdrive module and sighed. “How badly is this impacting other systems? Is it causing any damage?”

  Thayne shook his head. “Not at all. In fact, had it not been for the speed of our crash, I don’t think we would’ve experienced any damage. This odd system was designed to pull us down with minimal damage. Why the power drain? I’m thinking it is meant to keep us here. Imprisonment of sorts.”

  “To what end?”

  Thayne turned to him, brows furrowed. “Study?”

  “Well, that’s just chilling.” Webber sighed. “Keep up the good work, Thayne. I’m going to be over here with people who don’t have the same experience you do with terrifying alien races.”

  “At least they don’t seem to be here anymore,” Thayne called after him. “Which means they can’t come in and kidnap us all when the lights go out.”

  Webber shook his head. I do not need that kind of terror while I’m trying to work. He thought back to the old fears concerning alien contact, when space travel involved orbiting the planet and a jaunt to the moon. People made up stories about little gray aliens that abducted humans for ghoulish experiments.

  Would they encounter such a thing on this planet?

  The Tol’An and those other jack asses aren’t being dissected somewhere so I think we’re probably safe.

  A gunshot in the hall made Webber jump and he rushed to the door, tapping on the panel to ensure it was locked. The screen beside it showed the hallway beyond. One of the guards was down and the other took cover near the corner. Shifting the viewing angle, Webber saw shapes approaching slowly.

  “What’s going on out there?” Webber called into the com. “What are you seeing?”

  The remaining guard pressed his finger to his lips and gestured toward the corner. The man glared at the camera for a moment before returning his attention to the approaching enemies. Shit! Webber changed the com channel and got on the security net. “Mayday. This is engineering. We have multiple intruders in this section approaching our door. Guard down.”

  “We’re reading you,” came a reply. “Hold tight. We’re on our way.”

  Hurry! Webber kept the comment to himself but he wanted to shout it. He watched as three individuals crept up toward the door. The Gnosis guard held his ground and the moment the first of the intruders revealed himself, he took a bullet to the side of the head. Blood splattered the wall as the body collapsed in a heap.

  The other two began shooting, firing beam weapons at the corner. They didn’t hit anything but the guard was forced to fall back. As he moved, one of the Tol’An dove forward, landing on his side. He took brief aim and fired, blasting the guard in the stomach. A second shot burnt his face and the man dropped to the ground dead.

  “They killed our guard!” Webber shouted into the com. “They’re trying to get in!”

  “We’re almost there.” The security man’s voice remained far too calm in Webber’s opinion. “Please relax and wait for our arrival. We will not let you down, sir. Keep the door locked and ensure no one tries to leave. You’re secure in there, especially if the last of our intruders are in your section.”

  Webber looked around and found every technician gathered around. Only Thayne continued to work. He thought about sending them back to their stations but he held his tongue. They wouldn’t be able to concentrate until the threat was eliminated so he let them watch on the viewscreen with him.

  The Tol’An soldiers approached the door and knocked a couple times before fiddling with the panel. Those bastards think they can hack their way in? There’s no way! Is there? Webber checked the security protocol and put in his own private code to keep it locked down. No one should’ve been able to access the room without his biometrics at that point.

  But that’s what hacking is all about! One of the Tol’An accessed his personal computer and began running a program that hit hundreds of passwords over the course of ten seconds. I’m glad that’s not how we secure this but damn it, security! Hurry your asses up! These guys might get lucky!

  A burst of gunfire made Webber wince and one of the Tol’An took several rounds to the side and head. His personal shield stopped the first couple bullets but three tossed him against the wall. He slid down, smearing the blood already painted on the metal. The other man darted off, leaving his companion to die. The hack stopped.

  Several Gnosis security appeared on the camera. One checked the downed guards, another examined the bodies of the Tol’An. “There’s one left!” Webber heard the words but he had no idea who said them. “He must’ve gone that way! Alpha, Bravo, get down the hall. Zeta will secure this area. Move out! Get this guy!”

  They began racing about and six men took their place in front of the engineering door. Webber let out a sigh of relief and turned to the others gathered around him. “Okay, there’s nothing left to see here. They took care of the immediate threat. I’ll put in a report to the captain but you guys get back to work.”

  The technicians filed away, looking concerned. Webber ran his hand over his head before dialing in Captain Bradford. The Tol’An likely felt they could take the whole ship by gaining control of engineering and it wasn’t a bad plan. They could’ve turned up the heat, shut down entire sections and made it difficult to communicate.

  If they wanted to hold the entire place hostage, that would’ve done the trick.

  ***

  Desmond listened to the report from Webber, scowling through it. Security put in a report as well, letting him know two of the intruders were dead and being taken to medical. The last one was still loose but he wouldn’t get too far. The entire ship was on high alert and someone would stop them soon enough.

  I swore they were going for the hangar but they genuinely thought they could take the whole ship. Desmond shook his head. I nee
d to stop underestimating their ambition and what they think they’re capable of.

  The security personnel stated they planned on locking down the medical bay where they stowed the bodies. It made sense to consider that the lone Tol’An may try to reach his dead companions, especially if they had something he could use to continue his mischief. Not that he had much of an opportunity anymore.

  “Captain,” Salina said, “our people are making good time to the facility but they still have a ways to go. Pilots are just about to engage the larger force as well. Marines report that the ground forces have fallen back so we’ve got some breathing room there. Lieutenant Fielding is making a recommendation to press the assault on the Tol’An.”

  Desmond considered the request. On one hand, it made sense to hit them hard. They’d be back for sure if not but there was a major risk in letting the marines leave the area. Without them outside, the Gnosis would be susceptible to another breach. Even with the different hatches locked down, it stood to reason more troops might get in.

  But if they didn’t take a chance, they’d be continually on the defensive. Of course, a little patience might give the pilots a chance to take out their opposition then hit the enemy ships with a few strafing runs and missiles. If the Gnosis held air superiority, they could suppress their attackers for as long as they still had power.

  Of course, a compromise might work out the best. The marines were highly maneuverable and they could at least give the Tol’An pause when it came to another attack. Desmond clicked on the com to address Lieutenant Fielding directly, to offer an assessment of their options.

  “I understand you want to press the attack,” Desmond said.

  “Yes, sir,” Fielding replied. “We can make them combat ineffective if we go after them right away.”

  “What if you hit them from afar but remain close to the Gnosis?” Desmond asked. “If you can do some damage from nearby, then you can also help our ground crew arrive at the facility. I think that might be the best use of your time and resources. Especially with the pilots overhead.”