Fuck, but I’m not going to sew doubt amongst my friends. I’ll just have to manage without it.
Taylor was quickly on his feet. Babacan and Antos were already returning fire, and off to their side they could just make out another larger causeway running almost in parallel. A single Stalker fired at them, but well aimed shots pierced its armour, and it fell into the darkness of the chasm.
"There must be another way in," said Antos.
"No shit," replied Taylor, thinking what that could mean, "We'll sort that problem out when we get to it. Come on, we have to keep going!"
They passed through a large archway, and it opened out into the first and only structure they had seen since the security door that resembled Aranui technology. It was a vast hall with steel columns supporting the centre. It appeared completely empty, but there was an opening on the far side, and one to their left. The left entrance must have been where the Stalker was trying to make its way to. Taylor pointed to the far side entrance.
"That's got to be it!"
They continued at a quick pace and kept a keen eye on the side exit and everything around them.
* * *
"We've got power back online!" Nichols said excitedly.
The viewscreens fired up around them, and Song glared at the Morohta vessel burning beside them. It was still intact but disabled and severely damaged.
"Shall we board her? Who know what we might find."
Song shook her head at Nichols.
"No chance. The Morohta are not a people to be toyed with, Captain. We have won this battle. Let us not risk another soul. Target all weapon systems on that ship, and tear her apart."
Nichols relayed the orders, and they watched as every gun on the starboard side opened up and smashed into the stricken vessel. The third salvo finally punched right through the hull, and the crewmembers were sucked out into space. Some looked humanoid in shape, unlike others they had seen before. Song looked around at the crew, and many looked away in shame and despair.
"Don't you dare show any sympathy or remorse here!" she yelled, "If you learn anything from this mission, and from the Colonel, it is that there is no space for weakness in this war. The Morohta are like nothing any of us have ever experienced, an evil so awful that they are the things of nightmares. Celebrate this victory, and take pleasure in their demise."
They watched the Morohta ship tear apart for a few moments.
"What about our troops on the ground, Commander?" asked Capek.
Song shook her head.
"There is nothing more we can do for them right now. We need all hands on deck, and all marines on duty. The threat may not be over yet. Deploy shuttles to bring in any lifeboats you can recover from the Massri. It's time to lick our wounds."
Nichols was staring down at the planet now.
"So there is nothing more we can do for the Colonel?"
It was surprising to all to hear such concern coming from the Captain for the man he had grown to hate so vehemently, and yet it was clearly sincere.
"The Colonel can handle himself. If anyone can pull this off, it is him. Bring up a view of the landing zone."
The feed showed the three Stormers intact and alone. They could see no sign of the Morohta craft that had headed for the surface.
"How long do we give the Colonel?"
"As long as he needs, or as long as we can safely maintain this position."
* * *
A single Stalker appeared at the side entrance as they passed it. They all opened fire on the move and killed it before it was able get more than two shots off. One was absorbed by Alita's shield and the other passed overhead. They reached the entrance at the far side. It was a large chamber, and in the centre the remains of an Aranui warrior in full ceremonial attire. It looked just as the hologram of Tane Mahuta had.
"Think that's him?" asked Alita.
"Would make sense."
They looked around the bare room, but the only decoration was a depiction of an Aranui warrior. It appeared as if carved from marble and was set in stone from the floor. At the base it just said 'Rua'. Taylor remembered that name. The great warrior Irala had told him about.
"This must be some kind of shrine."
"It looks like it, but how does that help us?"
"If that is Irala's grandfather, then he must have been here for a reason, a guardian until the very end. We need to look around."
"For what?"
"Anything, Antos, any opening, doorway, just anything."
A pulse hit the entrance, and the burst sent hot energy over them. One of the fragments burnt into Antos' ear. He cried out in pain but spun around and opened fire on the Stalker that was approaching. Taylor rushed to his side to assist as the other two continued to look for any clues. They gunned down the creature and another that was behind it, when they lowered their rifles in horror at the creature which entered the hall where the others creatures had fallen.
"Oh, shit," said Taylor.
"I can't find anything," said Alita.
She stopped as she saw the two of them looking out of the archway in fear and awe. It was then that she spotted it and felt her heart sink.
"No, it can't be."
Taylor looked back at her with sadness and dread.
"We cannot beat that, and neither can you. But we can buy you some time. Keep looking. It has to be there. Antos, on me."
Taylor released the rifle strap from his armour and dropped the weapon to the floor. He knew it would be no use in this fight. He drew out the Morohta hammer from his back, and Antos drew his Assegai.
"Just stay alive as long as you can," whispered Taylor.
The Morohta Prince pranced through the hall arrogantly, appearing to have absolutely no concern at all. Taylor and Antos stepped out from the hallway and up to meet the creature halfway. Both sides stopped to eye one another up. Taylor held himself with supreme confidence, but it was all just an act. He knew how devastatingly powerful the Princes could be.
"Ganbaatar, I can't say I am glad to see you survived our last encounter."
"Ganbaatar? How do you know that name?" asked the creature.
"Guess you aren't him, then. Last time I clapped eyes on him he was falling to his death on Khar Els. That was before we blew it to hell."
The Prince looked confused and angry all at once.
"You lie."
Taylor shook his head and smiled.
"Guess you haven't been home in a while. I am Mitch Taylor from Earth, and I am here to end you, your brothers, and that bitch you call a mother."
He could see his attempts to rile up the Prince were working.
"I am Sarnai, Prince of Morohta, and I will be the last thing you see in this life, pathetic little Earthling."
The Prince threw its arm forward and a chain lashed out. Taylor got his shield up just in time, but the chain wrapped over his arm. He was pulled and launched through the air in the direction of the Prince, who cut at him with a single edged blade that pitched forward towards its tip. It clearly had massive cutting power. As he passed the Prince, he just managed to place the shaft of his hammer between them, and the cut was brushed off. But he hit the ground hard as the chain unravelled, and he rolled rather ungracefully to a stop, smashing into one of the support columns.
"This ain't gonna be fun," he gasped and quickly got back to his feet.
Antos rushed in to his aid. To Taylor's surprise the hulking marine managed to duck under the chain after seeing it being used against him. He thrust in for one of the Prince’s legs, but it was retracted, and the blade of his falchion like sword came crashing down, aimed at his head. Antos lifted his shield at the last moment, which took the blow, but the force pushed him down onto one knee.
"I just can't see anything!" Alita screamed in a panic.
She looked behind her for just a moment to see Antos kicked across the room and Taylor leap in for a second attempt. She forced herself to look back. She was running her hands up and down the lengths of each wall
, desperately trying to find any sign of a doorway or opening, and Babacan was frantically doing the same.
"There is nothing," Babacan said despairingly.
"Don’t stop! There must be something. There has to be. If there isn't, then we're all dead." She went back at it in a state of frenzy.
Taylor ran forward and swung with his hammer at the creature’s lead leg. He swung it about his head as he leapt in again for a second strike. The Prince was surprised by his speed and aggression, and the hammer struck his left shoulder. The power of the blow caused his shoulder to drop slightly, but he quickly recovered and cut with all his power. The blade slashed through the steel grip of the hammer and cut deeply into Taylor's armour at his stomach. He felt the blade just cut a few millimetres into his skin. Another cut came at him, and he brushed it off and spun out from yet another as he drew his Assegai.
Antos let out a war cry, in part to psych himself up, and partly to take some attention from Taylor. He rushed in and jumped up onto waist of the creature and tried to thrust for its guts. He was stopped dead. The Prince took hold of his arm and punched him at his core. The impact was so powerful that he was thrown through the open archway and across the room Alita was searching. He then crashed into the likeness of Rua.
Alita turned and watched in sheer terror to see him drop unconscious to the floor. She had no idea if he was still alive, but her attention turned to the stone depiction of Rua. It had shifted slightly from its place, and part of it had come out from the wall. She paced up to it and ran her hands along the edge. She could just see a small green light emanating from a small gap that had been created.
"That's it," she whispered.
Babacan had seen it happen and discreetly joined her.
"Come on, help me," she said quietly, hoping not to attract the Prince’s attention.
They hauled Antos out of the way without even checking if he were alive. They knew it didn't matter if they could not succeed in their mission. She went back to the stonework and held a grip before applying all her strength.
Taylor noticed what they were doing and smiled. He faced Sarnai with a grin on his face.
"You really believe in the myth of the Tamir?" Sarnai sneered.
He began to laugh.
"Clearly you do, or you wouldn't be here."
The Prince's face changed to a serious expression, and he knew he had hit a nerve. He rushed at Taylor with a series of uncontrolled attacks from his legs and sword. Taylor kept moving back, taking parry after parry until finally the chain was launched at his legs. He jumped over as it passed him and went forward with a quick lunge, thrusting in at one of the creature’s legs. The Assegai cut a little into the metal like skin but was brushed off. Sarnai grimaced. He had at last succeeded in hurting him, but not badly enough. The Prince smashed Taylor's shield down and swung the heavy chain into his face. He was knocked back, and blood spewed out from his face and nose. But Sarnai did not let up.
"Come on, Babacan!" Alita urged him.
They both grabbed as firm a grip as possible and gave it everything they could muster. After several attempts, they felt it give way and prise open. It revealed a small room lit by green beam lighting. At the centre was a small plinth. She stepped up to it expecting to see the weapon, but she had no such luck. There were only the mounts for it and an empty display.
"No, no way, it can't be," she said and fell to the floor exhausted.
Babacan appeared at her side.
"Look," he said. His hand traced a cut out on the top of the plinth and between the mounts. She could see what he meant immediately. It was the exact shape of the head of the Aranui staff they had found on Moana. She rushed to the archway. Taylor and Sarnia were facing off against one another. Taylor was bleeding from a wound in his shoulder where he had been cut deeply, as well as to the face.
"The staff!" she cried.
He knew exactly what she meant, even if he didn't know why she needed it. The urgency in her voice meant everything. He drew out the staff from his back and threw it towards her, but Sarnai saw what they were doing. He launched his chain to catch the staff as it flew through the air. Taylor threw his Assegai, and at the last moment it struck the chain and set it off course. The chain was wrenched from the Prince’s grip as the Assegai tore it away from him. The staff landed in Alita's hands, and she threw her own Assegai back across the room for Taylor.
"What's the matter, scared of what we might find? That thing that doesn't exist, the mythical weapon that can slay your kind?" Taylor asked.
Sarnai went forward in a rage now and swung with five heavy cuts against Taylor. He avoided all but the last. He pushed his shield up, but the force beat it down, and the blade buried into his collar and cut another deep wound. He let out a cry of pain but struggled back to his feet. Sarnai did not stop. He kicked at Taylor's legs, and he crashed to the ground.
The Morohta then turned to Alita and rushed at her, but Taylor painfully forced himself back up and picked up the chain. With all the strength he had left, he threw it at Sarnai's legs. It wrapped securely around them and stopped the creature in its tracks.
Alita pulled the head from the staff and placed it in the cut-out. It was a perfect fit, and light glowed from its core. They could hear mechanical mechanisms begin to turn. They looked back into the centre of the room. The Aranui’s body moved across as two hidden doors in centre of the floor opened. They watched in amazement as a gleaming golden asymmetrical blade arose before them. It was adorned with shining purple inscriptions so that the blade appeared to be moulded from fine crystals. A white steel shaft a metre long bore the blade and was similarly decorated with gleaming black Aranui inscriptions.
"It's real," Alita whispered, and tears rolled down her cheeks.
Taylor felt his neck almost snap as he was struck with the backhand of Sarnai. He had barely turned back when he felt his sword cut deeply into his chest. He raised his arm in defence, but it was no good. Sarnai cut down. The blade cleaved into his vambrace, which was all that stopped his arm from being severed. He felt the last of his energy reserves fade as Sarnai grasped his throat, lifted his feet off the ground, and plunged the tip of his sword into Taylor's torso. The thrust was so powerful that the blade exited through the backplate of his armour.
"No!" cried Alita as she turned to see the sword plunge through Taylor's body.
Sarnai stared at her as he drew the blade out of Taylor and tossed him aside.
"Come on, you son of a bitch," she whispered to herself.
He let out a shrill cry and rushed to the archway. Babacan charged forward to meet him, but with one heavy swing, he was smashed aside. The Prince, who was larger than the archway entrance, crashed through the architecture and leapt at Alita. His sword was held up for a crushing blow. As he descended towards her, she dropped down onto one knee and raised up the Pauri Tao. She wedged the butt into the side of her foot and pointed it right for the centre of the Prince’s chest. His face turned to fear, but he had no time to redirect.
The blade pierced his body and thrust through and out of his back. It stopped at two barbed horns on the shaft, and he came to a lifeless stop before he would crush her. Black blood that resembled oil poured out from the wound and from his mouth as he struggled to breath. She pushed with all her strength, toppled him over onto his back, and pulled out the spear. The alien Prince tried to speak but could only gasp. Alita held the spear up high. She drove it through his back and slashed to the side until it severed his head.
She dropped down to one knee and gasped in relief, marvelling at the beautiful blood drenched weapon in her hands.
Taylor, she thought and rushed to his aid.
She charged out through the archway. There were more than ten Stalkers beside Taylor's body. She stopped and raised the spear to show them their Prince’s blood dripping from the blade, and then lifted his head with her other hand. They looked for just a few seconds before running in terror.
* * *
Commander Song
stood at attention with half of her crew at the docking bay as they watched the three Stormers come in to land. They still didn't know what to expect. Dozens of marines waited there amongst them with their rifles at the ready.
"Think they really found it?" asked Nichols.
"Something went on down there. We must pray they did," replied Song.
The door to the first Stormer opened, and Jones and Babacan staggered out carrying Taylor across their shoulders. All were battered and wounded, but Taylor was not able to support his own weight, and he looked barely alive. A medical team rushed to their aid, and he was soon placed on a stretcher.
But the crew still waited in anticipation of the news. Alita stepped out next with several others of the Immortals. They appeared as if they had been fighting for weeks of brutal combat, and yet most were still standing on their own two feet. Everyone came to a standstill. Alita stepped up to the centre, and all eyes were on her.
"We went down there in search of a weapon that few of us ever truly believed in. Taylor believed, and he was willing to, and almost did, give everything to find it!"
As she spoke, Taylor fought off the medics giving him aid and tried to pull himself to his feet. He reached for Jones to support him, and with Babacan’s help he slowly made his way over to Alita, and she carried on.
"The Pauri Tao is real, and here is the proof!" she shouted. As she did so, she tossed the head of Sarnai into the centre of the room. It rolled to a halt as blood splattered across the deck in a gratuitous display.
She turned to Taylor as he reached her.
Battle Beyond Earth: Insurrection Page 20
