A propelled explosive streaked over the platform and smashed into the enormous display.
Its supports shrieked as the structure fell forward onto the platform, sending up a cloud of dirt and dust.
The edge crashed into the platform just shy of their weapons.
"Our guns," he said, pointing at the spot about thirty feet away.
Ria nodded and they crouched as they made their way to their gear.
They kept low and used a fallen girder for cover as they rearmed themselves.
Ria clutched the Aknar egg case to her chest. "Let’s get out of here."
Taza nodded. He looked around for Skallig, wondering where he’d gone. "Slippery Quamat bastard."
Through the scattering crowd, Taza watched the Ushtaran guards escorting the news crew away.
"Eldi’s gone," Ria seethed, her eyes scanning the platform.
"His bodyguards must have extracted him. Skallig must have gone with them." He looked at the twisted remains of the display. "We need to get to Priodome Five and take out that weapon."
"The sooner the better. They’ll have gunships here any second."
Taza checked his vox and it crackled. "Your comms down too?"
Ria nodded before ducking under gunfire.
Taza saw a break in the Ushtaran line where the attacking rebels had whittled their numbers. Movement at the Spire’s entrance drew his eyes as squads of Ushtarans emerged.
He pointed to the opening in the line. "We need to make it through before those reinforcements close the gap."
As if in answer, six Chan appeared on the walkway, using fallen debris and supports as they lay down fire on the approaching Ushtarans. It wasn’t enough to turn the tide, but it was plenty to buy him and Ria some time.
Taza and Ria pushed through the smoke and dust, keeping low as flashes of light erupted around them.
They emerged from the mist at the back of the Ushtaran line.
The nearest Ushtaran guard turned, and Ria opened fire, a long series of plasma blasts bringing him down.
They slipped past the enemy line and rounded onto the primary skyway as they headed for Allora.
Smoke flowed from vents and outlets along the walkway as they went. "Where the hell is all that smoke coming from?"
“Priodome One runs on systems maintained by the Chan…including the environmental control systems. They’ve pumped the pipes full of smoke as a distraction."
Taza looked back and tried to get a read on the fight. "I hope the distraction helps. It looks like we’re still outnumbered."
"It’s better than nothing, and it allowed us to get away. Keep moving."
The gunfire intensified back the way they’d come. Either the Ushtaran or the Chan had received reinforcements. He couldn’t tell with all the smoke, but he suspected the former.
Ria looked back too, no doubt thinking about her people.
Tall shadows moved in the grey cloud before them and Taza pulled Ria behind a faux side-pillar just in time.
Plasma smashed into the structure, peppering them with specks of hot metal.
Taza returned fire, shooting blindly into the smokescreen. It didn’t just provide cover for the Chan.
He returned to cover and kneeled next to Ria.
The Ushtarans answered with a relentless barrage of fire.
"How many?" Ria said.
"Three. Maybe four. Could be others bringing up the rear."
She nodded. "They usually form squads of six."
The sounds of battle back on the Spire’s primary platform intensified. He checked his TEK’s systems and found his batteries near depleted.
"I don’t know if I can make it past six and it sounds like we’ll have some on our tail soon too."
Two Ushtaran heavies appeared at the walkway junction behind them and opened fire.
Taza and Ria crouched as they opened fire, taking the enemy down. A flashing message in his visor warned him about an armor plating malfunction.
"Shit. Not sure I can take another one of those. Any ideas?"
Ria gritted her teeth and stood upright as though ready to charge. "If we go, we take a few of them with us."
That wasn’t what Taza had in mind, but she had a point. They didn’t exactly have a ton of options.
Enemy fire from ahead ceased.
Taza fired three streams in random directions, hoping to slow their progress.
He pulled behind the support again as several green streams answered.
Taza’s heart leapt as six more Ushtarans arrived at the junction behind. But their attention was focused on something else.
The Ushtarans fired across the way as they fell back along the junction’s cross-section. A second later, a Chan mob carrying pistols and improvised weapons rushed across the junction after them.
"Looks like the broadcast backfired," Taza pointed out.
"It was the spark the Chan needed to rise up," Clio added.
"A pity the mob didn’t come this way."
The Ushtarans pinning them down suddenly cried out as lights flashed in the walkway mists.
A guard emerged from the wispy clouds, running in their direction, as though fleeing from something.
A blue bolt struck him in the back and smashed a hole through his chest plate, flinging him to the ground with a crash.
Taza and Ria squinted into the shifting white cloud trying to figure out what had happened.
A collection of shorter shadows appeared and Taza’s shoulders relaxed somewhat.
Seven or eight wiry figures emerged from the mists. The Chan in the lead looked familiar and it took Taza a moment to place him.
"Glad to see you two are okay," Qurpall said. "Thought we lost you back there. Leeroy would have had my balls."
Ria’s mouth hung open.
"Qurpall, what's going on?" Taza said.
"Leeroy had a team follow you here. He didn’t trust the lizard-man. He said Taza had every right to suspect that the Ushtarans were up to something."
"What about Priodome Five?"
"Leeroy and the others are on their way there. They hope to take control of the weapon long enough to set their charges. Comms are down all over Priodome One. Last I heard, our people had control of the gate rooms. No telling how long that will last now."
"We’ll have to make this up as we go along and hope for the best," Taza said.
Ria gulped. "I thought you and the clan didn’t want to help."
"Leeroy convinced me otherwise. Besides, you were right, Ria." The kid cast his eyes down in shame. "Nonna would have wanted it this way. Sorry about what I said before."
"It’s okay," Ria said embracing him.
"I was angry," Qurpall mumbled into her shoulder.
"Aren’t we all, kid," Taza said, thinking back to Skallig’s words. “I don’t mean to break up whatever’s going on here, but we need to get to my ship before this smoke clears. If they land transports on the walkway, we’re screwed.”
Qurpall eyed the egg-case Ria held to her bosom. "And Ria needs to reach the gate before they blow the place. Leeroy said so. Come."
He led them into the smoke, the other Chan taking up positions ahead as they watched for the enemy.
"Before we lost comms, we heard report of fights breaking out all over Priodome One. The revolution has begun.” Qurpall smiled at Ria. "Soon, the Chan in the other domes and those in the mines will follow suit."
"Not to be a downer, but your revolution won’t matter if we don’t take care of that weapon," Taza said.
"Have faith, old man. That weapon requires a lot more power than anything else the Ushtarans have ever built. It will take time to charge."
Silence fell as they emerged from cloud cover. They took a junction that turned onto the walkway directly ahead of Allora’s landing platform.
Gunfire broke out to their left.
A Chan went down.
Everyone scrambled for cover.
Several Chan returned fire.
"Two Ushtaran
units bearing down," a Chan closer to the front called back. "Heavy armor and weapons."
Qurpall looked between Ria and Taza. "We’ll hold them off while you guys make a run for your ship. Keep low. We'll make the bastards pay for everything they’ve put us through."
Taza nodded.
"Thank you," Ria said, butting helmets with him.
"Cover fire!" Qurpall shouted. "Lay it on hot!"
Taza and Ria didn’t need to be told twice.
They sprinted for the landing platforms, sweeping through streams of meandering mist as they went, all the while watching for trouble.
Taza kept a close eye on the sky.
If they landed so much as a single transport, they’d had it.
They broke through another section of fog and Taza was relieved to find the way ahead was clear. The sight of Allora in the distance caused him to speed up.
Engines roared overhead as a transport sped by.
He sighed in relief as it headed in the direction of the Spire.
Something smashed into his visor, and he hit the ground hard.
Ria’s head snapped from side to side, her expression looking as confused as Taza felt.
Keeping a wary eye on the walkway, she leaned down to help Taza back to his feet. As he reached up to accept her help, three wicked lines cut across her breast plate.
"It’s Skallig," Taza shouted, rolling out of the way as claws smashed into the space he’d occupied a second before. "He’s using cammo."
Taza rolled to his feet and switched to his thermal sensors.
The skyways and city took on a blue sheen. Two orange blobs danced back and forth, twisting and turning as they struck at each other.
Taza tried to get a clear shot at the Quamat as it wrestled with Ria.
Skallig slashed her again and she stumbled into the rail, her rifle spinning into the void beyond.
Taza fired a line of bolts. Two skimmed the Quamat as the others sailed off.
The lizard-like blob charged Ria.
She swung with the case, catching Skallig on the side of the face.
The Quamat snatched the case from her hand and tossed it over the edge.
Ria watched it arch through the air as it dropped below the walkway.
She jumped after it, disappearing over the rail.
"No!" Taza shouted, but it was too late.
He opened fire as he closed in on the Quamat, but the slinking lizard ducked and wove, dodging every shot.
Skallig coiled and sprang at Taza, striking at his weapon.
Still weak from the beating he’d taken earlier, he lost his grip on the cumbersome rifle, and it clattered onto the walkway.
Skallig swiped, tearing ribbons from Taza’s TEK.
Taza knocked a blow aside, but his limbs moved slower than he would have liked.
He threw a flurry of punches.
Only one landed, and it didn’t faze the Quamat at all. It didn’t help that the lizards had far fewer pain receptors than humans.
He leapt onto Taza, wrapping his legs and tail around his waist, and brought him to the ground.
Taza tried to pry the creature off, but it was no good.
Skallig beat down on Taza’s helmet with tooth and claw.
A crack forked across his visor.
Smash.
The crack grew wider.
With no small amount of horror, Taza realized what the Quamat was doing.
He tried to reach for his knife or blaster, but Skallig pinned his arms in place using his powerful thighs.
The Quamat struck again and his scaled hand tore through Taza’s visor, one claw cutting into his cheek.
Taza screamed as agony burned through his face, but as hard as he struggled, he couldn’t budge.
Skallig got a firm hold on his wrists and pulled his arms out of the way. He drew back his head and inhaled deeply, preparing to exhale a cloud of poison into Taza’s helmet.
Taza couldn’t think of a worse way to go. Choking on putrid Quamat breath as his organs melted like goo.
Skallig’s chest exploded, spraying Taza’s face with blood and chunks of half-cooked meat.
Green wisps puffed from the wound as Skallig loosened his grip. The heavy creature slumped to the side and Taza shoved him off.
Ria stood beyond, her chest heaving, Taza’s rifle on her shoulder and the egg-case on the ground between her feet.
Taza stood, his bones aching, warm blood running from the gash in his face.
"I thought you were dead," he muttered.
"As did I," Ria said, the look of shock on her face.
"What happened?"
"I caught the case as it fell and grabbed onto one of the maintenance lines. Thought I’d lost my arms."
Taza could see she struggled to use her right arm despite her TEK’s help.
He relieved her of the heavy rifle, noting that she still had her sidearm.
She leaned down and briefly checked the case. "It looks like we saved at least two eggs. Let’s get moving before we lose more."
As he followed, Taza noticed the fighting behind had died down. A bad sign.
She held the eggs close. "Two is not good enough. They’ve got a long journey ahead. We needed all three to increase the chances one of them would make it."
"Don't be so hard on yourself. There's nothing you can do about the one we lost. Let’s focus on getting out of here before more Ushtarans—"
Another transport thundered overhead in the direction of the Spire.
Taza was about to sigh in relief, but it banked hard.
It pulled a sharp loop and swooped over them, descending onto a landing platform not far from Allora.
36
Milling Giants
Clio bore Grimshaw in a fireman's carry as she crisscrossed and ducked and weaved among the milling giants.
"You're falling behind," Ishmarg boomed from ahead as he cleared a route. "This way."
She followed the closing line cut in his wake, picking her way between the forest of stomping limbs, slowly making progress towards the exit, thankful to avoid notice for the most part. Had she not been so small she would have struggled not to be crushed.
Her vox pinged in her helmet.
"Evans, where are you?" Commander Eline said. "Grimshaw isn't answering his comms."
"He got in a fight with a Kragak. He's currently unconscious."
Clio ducked under a line of sailing plasma.
"Is he okay?" The question was asked more out of duty than concern.
"He's lost a lot of blood. His life signs are unstable. We're on our way to a regeneration chamber."
"Evans, we don't have time for him to regenerate. Scanners have picked up an enemy fleet bearing down on our position. Reports show Kragak, Chimera, and Tal'Ri engine signatures."
"The Kragak in here have gone crazy.” Clio considered requesting reinforcements, but it would make matters more complicated. She sidestepped two fighting Kragak and drew a deep breath. "We're getting the Captain medical attention one way or another. Give us an hour. Shaman Ishmarg said regeneration won't take long."
"I don't know who Shaman Ishmarg is but tell him he better damn well hurry. You know as well as I do that Grimshaw would have us leave now if it meant saving the crew."
Clio couldn't argue with that. It sounded like the stupid kind of thing the Captain would do. "One hour is all I'm asking."
"We're still waiting for Agent Lamnon and the antivirus supplies. If an hour goes by and they show up before you do, we're leaving with or without you. Eline out."
Through a brief break in the mass of bodies, Clio caught sight of the tunnel, about a hundred feet away.
Almost there. The fury just needs to last a few more minutes.
Grimshaw suddenly felt heavier. She tapped her SIG, searching for additional power, but she'd almost depleted the Zaqaran battery and her suit's general supply.
Her leg servos creaked as she slowed further.
The weight suddenly eased as Shama
n Ishmarg hoisted Grimshaw over his shoulder with one hand. He shoved a row of Kragak aside with the long staff using the other.
"Grimshaw doesn't have long and our fleet will jump soon. Your friends are up ahead. Come on."
Clio didn't have to be told again, but she struggled to keep up even without Grimshaw’s weight.
The press closed behind Ishmarg.
Clio forced her way between two wrestling Kragak.
The Shaman was gone.
She looked around in alarm, but she couldn't see anyone she recognized. Had Ishmarg gone down? O'Donovan and Booster had been ahead, helping the Shaman to cut a path. Had they also been separated?
Her heart leapt at the thought of Booster getting lost in the mess. He had a new armored suit, but even that wouldn't last long among a battlefield full of fighting Kragak.
Concern turned to panic as the last threads of fury started slipping from her grasp. She ducked under a swinging arm and pulled a vial of fury serum from her security belt. She was about to press it into her TEK's injection port when a falling Kragak knocked her prone. The vial spun onto the chopped up arena floor. She jumped to her feet and reached for the serum, her fingertips brushing against the glass.
A Krag knee smashed into the side of her head, tossing her away.
Clio watched as an enormous boot smashed the vial.
She cried out, the sound swallowed by the roar of battle. Her breathing quickened and she fought to maintain her grip on reality.
She looked around for the exit and found she'd somehow made it deeper into the fighting pits. A raging sea of Kragak limbs surged between her and the tunnel.
The fury left, its dying embers fading to nothing.
Clio braced herself for the drain. She would fall unconscious. Then she would slip into the void or be trampled to mush under the milling giants.
She dodged a wild aimless swing from a Kragak and closed her eyes as ice spread through her body.
The clawing ice also faded.
The drain she expected didn't come.
Clio opened her eyes, breathing heavily, wondering what was happening. Had the ring given her control over the fury as Leeroy had claimed?
She dodged a charging giant, and her wobbly legs almost gave way. She had clearly paid a price, but it hadn't been as costly as before.
The Galactic Sentinel: Ultimate Edition: 4 Books with 2000+ Pages of Highly Entertaining Sci-Fi Space Adventure Page 107
