The Red Leopards of Zaxon B (Galaxies Collide Book 2)

by McGregor, Andrew

  Captain Mason was shouting in the confines of his passenger seat, his assault rifle firing at the Morgons attempting to mount the hover tanks in front. The muzzle flashes lit up the terrain as he fired controlled bursts, attempting to cut down the enemy surging in from the sides. The flashes of laser lights above poured across the black glinting figures, the headlights on full beam in an attempt to blind them. Steam filled the air as the desperate shouts for more ammunition or medics echoed around the inside of the carrier, the tracks grinding forward as the engines roared.

  The American grimaced as the weapon clicked empty, smoke pouring from the overheated laser overhead as the firing abruptly ceased. Black clad Morgon infantry clambered onto the tank in front, the four Blue Leopards sheltering in the hull battling against seven enemy infantry as one by one they were knocked or thrown from the rear of the armoured vehicle. Mason slammed the new magazine into his weapon, thrusting it forwards into the cupola as he pulled the trigger, the bullets sparking off the enemy armour as two toppled backwards into the snow.

  The remaining five jumped from the tank, the crew inside screaming in terror as they realised the inevitable. The tank lurched sideways, the explosive flash detonating over the engine as black smoke poured from the back of the vehicle, the steering crippled as it veered off to the left. Mason screamed in frustration, seeing the black armoured figures clambering aboard the stricken vehicle once more, smashing at the hatches with weapon butts as the crew inside primed grenades.

  The driver next to him accelerated as the explosive blast swept across the halftrack, the crippled tank erupting in flame as the crew took their own lives, resigned to their fate at the hands of the enemy. Mason fired continuously as the armoured carrier charged forward crunching against armoured bodies that were trying to run through the gap, to get to the weakly armoured jeeps.

  A wave of fire filled their viewing slits, the Morasat battery shells landing a short distance ahead and abruptly turning night into day. The silhouettes of body parts and debris tossed into the air filling their sight. Mason shouted, the driver accelerating further, ‘Now…before they fire again…break through!’

  The lead tank crashed against a wall of Morgon infantry, the three soldiers clinging to the back slipping and scrambling to stay aboard as the armoured hulk jolted violently. Enemy infantry surged over the vehicle as it slowed, smashing their rifles against the defenders as they fell from back of the tank. Shrieks of hatred echoed across the advancing vehicles as lasers swept the tank hull, tearing the Morgon bodies to pieces, the tank grinding on as explosions rocked the external armoured plate.

  Captain Mason ducked instinctively, the flash from a rocket sweeping over them as more smoke trails shot between the vehicles. The driver ducked down, pushing the burbling engine to the limit as the carrier attempted to catch the lead tank, to close the gap further.

  An explosion to the right, the second lead tank lurching sideways as its engine mounting cracked, the soldiers on the back jumping from the armour to valiantly charge into a mass of Morgon infantry, their muffle flashes disappearing under the weight of attacking black body armour as their bodies were beaten mercilessly to the ground.

  The carriers surged on, tracks crunching over limbs and torsos as bullets peppered the sides. Closing with the last remaining tank, the Morgon infantry surged through the gaps, many cut down as the mass of black armour overwhelmed the weakly armoured jeeps in the centre. The Herrakians and their allies were yanked from the small vehicles, their body armour cracking and finally smashed to bits beneath continuous blows as they succumbed one by one to the enemy infantry. Grenades detonated amongst the hand to hand fighting, the humans and their allies choosing to take some of the enemy with them in death as blast waves slapped against the sides of the remaining halftracks.

  Jozefina gasped as she stared through the armoured slit, seeing bodies torn to pieces under the explosive pressure, Morgons hacking at bodies beneath them as acrid smoke drifted across the scenes, the second tank now burning fiercely.

  A brief scream from above, the clatter of a body in the quad position as the upper gunner was killed caused her to spin round, Mekeert shouting across the cabin frantically, ‘Get on the quad!’ The soldier next to Jo slapped her shoulder, heaving himself towards the position and yanking the centre doors open as the dead gunner’s body slumped through the opening. Jo lunged forward, Rees whimpering as he pulled the corpse from the open hatch doors, blood splashing across the cabin floor as the Herrakian pushed himself into the gunner position.

  Jo grabbed Rees’s shoulders, pushing him towards the vacant spot next to her at the armoured slits, her voice a scream as the carrier shook again, ‘Fire at anything that moves Rees!’ the assault rifles cracked against the interior hull as they pulled the triggers in unison, the quad gun barking above as more laser light swept across the terrain, the halftracks bouncing violently on the rough ground.

  Explosions crumped behind as the jeeps and second tank exploded, the carriers surging onwards as Mason stared out. Bright lights flashed across the terrain, the Morasat gun battery explosions ripping across the ground behind them, the blast wave rumbling around the advancing halftracks as the last few surviving allies disappeared in a wall of flame with their enemy.

  The last tank rumbled on, the crew firing continuously as Morgon infantry attempted to clamber aboard, the bullets from the carriers behind sweeping the armoured hull that had lost all its riders, the Leopards lying bloodied and dead across the land to the rear.

  One of the rear halftracks slowed, its engine belching smoke as the oils burned. The driver desperately attempted to accelerate, hearing the screams of fear from the rear compartment as the occupants sensed the reduction in speed. The laser cannon above fired continuous blasts in defence, the gunner biting his lips as the temperature on the weapon rose dramatically. Steam and smoke began to pour from the quad, the guns overheating as the gunner whined in frustration…then the weapon ceased firing to cool. The carrier jolted forward, smoke pouring from the front engine compartment as the driver shouted frantically, seeing the carriers in front begin to disappear into the darkness ahead. Bullets poured from the sides as the soldiers in the cabin fired out desperately, the two remaining soldiers clinging to the roof toppling onto the ground below as they were hit multiple times.

  The clanks of armoured piercing grenades filled the cabin as Morgon engineers smacked the explosives to the outer hulls, retreating swiftly as the timers began to countdown. The troops in the cabin shouted and swore in frustration, the whimpering of the wounded at their feet drowned out by the gunfire as the engine died, the carrier lurching to a halt.

  The explosions ripped through the hull, tearing the bodies inside to pieces as the upper quad turret was blown into the air. Flames soared upwards as the power cells erupted, the carrier chassis burning fiercely as the last magnesium flares ignited, bathing the surrounding terrain in a surreal glow. The few remaining grenades erupted, several Morgons falling prey to the razor sharp shrapnel as the remainder charged forward, pursuing the last four carriers and lead tank.

  Chapter Eighteen: The Vipers rise from the ashes

  Flight Leader Anjara walked slowly along the line of four pilots, glancing at their grey flight uniforms, the curling snake of the Viper emblazoned across their chests. Stopping briefly at the end, he smiled grimly at one of his long term students, his face flushed with tiredness. The commander drew closer to the pilot, his scorched skin tensing as he took in the exhaustion on the man’s face, ‘How are you holding up Somas?’

  The pilot tensed instinctively, raising his fist sharply to his chest, his voice strained, ‘Ready when you are Sir!’ A brief smile swept across his lips, the pilot’s other arm bandaged beneath his flight suit as he winced.

  Anjara grinned, his tongue sweeping across his front teeth in admiration, ‘Are you fit to fly…?’ He indicated to the pilot’s other arm, ‘Is it very painful?’

  Somas’s brown eyes stared defiantly back, ‘I w
ill follow you into the heavens Sir….the Morgon fighters need to be beaten…’ The pilot glanced away, emotion filling his features as he swallowed.

  The flight leader placed his hand on the man’s shoulder, turning to the others and clearing his dry throat, ‘We have a mission over and above engaging the enemy.’ He hesitated, seeing the four pilots’ eyes widen in anticipation, ‘There has been heavy fighting to the east…our forces have advanced along a wide front and command wants an overall view…radio and radar information is unclear.’ He gritted his teeth, the pilots glancing at his burnt features, ‘We have lost contact with the Blue Leopards…it seems the enemy was far stronger than anticipated. We are to provide a picture of what is happening on the ground, then engage enemy fighters above and move to protect Alexion One…’ He patted the shoulder of Somas fondly, turning to face the man in front of him again, ‘You will return with the reports and then join us in the fight above…’ The pilot nodded his understanding, his flight suit excreting painkillers onto his arm and chest.

  Anjara stepped back, glancing along the short line again, his own suit marked with a variety of awards round the shoulder, ‘Those of you joining the Vipers today will know of our prowess in battle…we show no mercy to the enemy and they are fully aware of that. You shoot to kill, to kill the Morgon pilot and to destroy his craft so that it may not be used again against us…’ He shifted his stance, his body aching from extreme tiredness and several old nagging injuries, ‘Once the Morgons are aware we are airborne, they will target us…they will send craft and pilots in an attempt to destroy us…’ He stared at the pilots before him, seeking a weakness in their resolve. Smiling briefly as he saw none, he continued, ‘We stay together and fight together as a unit…no one breaks off to follow the enemy, the flight stays as one unless on my direct order…do you understand?’

  The boots clicked together, four voices raised in unison as fists crashed against chests, ‘Yes Sir!’

  The flight leader nodded in triumph, his voice nearly broken, ‘Good…let’s take to the heavens! No Mercy! Our time is now!’

  The four silver fighters rose vertically into the darkened sky, the dust swirling and blowing from the landing pads beneath as their engines glowed, thrusting upwards. Anjara glanced out of his cockpit on either side, seeing the several spotlights in bays below shining down on damaged and scorched craft, engineers working feverishly under the neon light to prepare the star fighters for battle.

  He grimaced, thinking of the four pilots he had already lost, hoping at least a couple were still alive somewhere, struggling back towards Morasat in the dark, ready to join him once more, to make use of one of the craft below. The short flight radio wave burbled in his ears, Somas’s voice clear and sharp, ‘Flight Leader…Systems check Viper wing…Number Two is experiencing limited power surges, but not critical…fit to proceed!’

  Anjara listened as the other three pilots reported in positively, their star fighters hovering over their flight decks as they ran through instrument and weapon checks. Finally satisfied, he bit his lip, clicking the microphone, ‘Follow me to the east…stay low and close. Keep alert and observe the ground…I want enemy positions and signs of our forces. Our report will decide future actions, so it needs to be accurate…anything suspicious, I want to know!’

  The radio clicked in his ears, the rest of the flight indicating their understanding, Flight Leader Anjara grinning as he felt his adrenalin surge. Swallowing in nervousness, his grip tensed on the stick before he pulled to the right, his silver craft banking sharply as the rest of the flight followed their leader.

  Engineers and mechanics glanced upwards, the light sparkling off the hulls of the five silver craft above as the first swept forward, engines glowing as the others followed after their leader, their eyes straining as the dust swept across the figures on the ground. The Morasat battery roared to the north causing the maintenance crews to tense, the two enormous guns firing shells out to the east once more.

  The five star fighters streamed across the dark sky, flying at low altitude, the pilots viewing their electronic displays and the terrain on the screens below. The Flight Leader checked the images before him, the buildings sweeping past on the ground beneath them as the craft shot across the sky, sentries glancing upwards instinctively as they heard the roar above.

  The terrain on the screens became darker as the fighters sped out past the outer buildings, Anjara seeing the green dots and gun emplacements on the high buffs as he thrust his stick forward, the sleek craft accelerating out above the low cliffs and into pitch darkness.

  The craft’s electronic voice startled him, the low warning preceded by a shrill beep, ‘Enemy ground forces ahead...adjust height, adjust height!’ He clicked his microphone, his voice firm, ‘Stay at current altitude…we are too low for the Morgons to react…increase speed to compensate!’

  The clicks reverberated in his ear as numerous red dots began to appear on his screen, the outline beginning to glow in warning. The red dots increased dramatically, the screen flashing as the colours merged, the ground ahead full of enemy troops. Anjara strained his eyes at the screen, trying to locate signs of friendly forces as tracers began to rise into the air behind the star fighters, the Morgons firing blindly upwards in response to the thrust of engines above.

  The Flight Leader tensed, the sheer number of enemy forces below unsettling him and causing concern as the fighters swept on, his hand flicking his microphone again, ‘Somas…these are target coordinates…we need artillery brought down on the land below.’ He sucked air, gasping at the sheer number of moving enemy infantry below, the gaps of black land not occupied by enemy troops few and far between.

  Then he tensed, seeing flickers of green amongst the red mass, the virtual circle of bodies lying in the depression, their armour transponders still transmitting, but in a lower shade…the soldiers lost. The burning hull of a hover tank, then another…destroyed jeeps and scattered shattered bodies lying across the terrain as his eyes widened, one of the finest Trevakian fighting units confirmed as destroyed before him.

  Moisture swept into his eyes, the realisation the elite fighting unit had been completely overwhelmed sweeping through his mind, the brave soldiers fighting for their lives and the existences of others as they fell selflessly. Then on the screen, a lone smouldering and smashed carrier, bodies lying around the contorted shape as he bit his lower lip. A charge of electricity swept up his spine, the hordes of red dotted infantry moving quickly across the terrain, the green indicator lights of four carriers and a tank ahead smashing through masses of red bodies. He rose in his seat, seeing the flashes below, the laser turrets pouring steam as blasts of high energy swept out into the masses of moving enemy, the ground itself seeming to surge against the lonely armoured vehicles.

  Tracers swept into the dark sky, the bright lights flashing across the five cockpits as computerised voices filled their ears, ‘Enemy ground fire increasing…evasive action advised…’

  Anjara’s hand clicked the microphone frantically, a croaking voice spreading across the earphones of the four pilots behind, ‘On my mark…Number Two and Three…climb and bank to 180…interdiction ground attack on enemy flanking infantry attacking our forces…watch your distance!’ Hearing two clicks, he continued, ‘Number Four and Five, bank left…I am going right. We pull a 360 and come up from behind once more…Number four…middle ground, tear up the pursuers, watch your fire on approach…Number five, follow my lead to port…we clear the ground ahead!’ He nodded comfortably as two more clicks filled his headphones, his adrenalin surging further.

  He glanced down, seeing the green lights fill the horizon of his screen, the villages in the distance only three clicks further ahead from the struggling halftracks…enticingly close. A faint smile spreading across his lips as he pushed himself up to briefly stare out of the cockpit, the cut off forces confirmed as still alive and in fighting shape, the flashes of laser guns spilling east and west as the defenders fired out against a determined
enemy.

  Flight Leader Anjara’s finger tentatively clicked the microphone button, raw courage stirring in his stomach as he pressed hard, his voice almost hoarse, ‘Let it happen! Our time is now!’

  Two star fighter engines roared as the jets swept upwards, the other three banking hard across the terrain as their engine wakes glowed. Tracer bullets soared upwards chasing the fighters as they accelerated across the dark sky, the flashes across the heavens startling the defending forces in the villages below as they glanced upwards before resuming concentrated fire out towards the attackers in the distance. The sky seemed to crackle, bursts of static surging across the laser guns under the wings as the pilots armed their weapons, their silver craft sweeping over the landscape as Morgon and trapped allied forces looked up, the engines above screaming across the terrain in ferocity.

  Anjara clicked his microphone once more, ‘Somas…complete sweep, then return to base…report survivors in the villages and an overwhelming enemy presence. We must stop these forces reaching the cliffs or the city will fall…all available artillery to target the terrain in between…’ He hesitated, ‘You must get the message back!’

  The radio burbled, the signal nearly out of range as his number two turned sharply in the upper atmosphere before hurtling back to earth, the voice strained but calm, ‘Understood Number One…message and coordinates will be conveyed as per your order…commencing sweep now…weapons hot, let’s tear them up!’

  The flight leader banked his star fighter sharply, red hot tracers whisking past his cockpit windows as he clicked the blast screens active, his attention moving to the screen below as the craft behind followed his lead. Accelerating to a parallel position, both pilots checked their instruments, the third fighter falling in behind to the centre as their altitude steadied. The headphones crackled, Anjara’s voice surging through static, ‘Fire at will!’