“If we do not destroy the queen and the eggs,” said Aurelius, “then these things will just keep coming.”
“Where are the survivors?” asked Densus.
“I have a bad feeling that they are in the hatchery,” replied Aurelius, “If you call that surviving. I have little doubt that we are already too late to save them.”
“Do we go after them?” asked Densus.
“I will,” replied Aurelius. “Take the rest of the men and destroy the queen.”
“No, Praefect,” replied Densus. “I will not leave you. We will achieve victory together or we shall bring this place down on all of us.”
Aurelius could not help but smile. Densus was the kind of soldier who would die before he left his side. He would make the perfect Praetorian Guard. Aurelius knew better than to argue with Densus. It would accomplish nothing. Better to attack swiftly and be prepared to fight their way clear once the queen was dead.
“We must destroy the eggs as well as the queen,” added Densus. “If we do not, then we run the risk of another queen hatching and the cycle never ending.”
“What we need is a massive incendiary device,” said Aurelius, “One large enough to purge the tunnels of these accursed creatures. Once that is accomplished, then we can concentrate on finishing off the creatures on the surface.”
“The armor’s power cell is a fusion core,” said Densus. “We could overload a suit and leave it to wipe out the colony. It would create a massive blast of energy that would easily destroy everything in the tunnels.”
“We can use my suit,” replied Aurelius. “It’s already damaged. There is significant damage to the chest and back armor. Primary systems are functioning at sixty percent.”
“That will leave you vulnerable, sir,” said Densus, frowning.
“What other choice do we have?” asked Aurelius. “I will not sacrifice one of my men. I will not ask of them something that I am not willing to do, myself.”
“Once you exit your armor,” began Densus, “you must stick close to us. The T’kri’t’ek will tear you to pieces if they catch you unarmored.”
“Of that, I have no doubt,” replied Aurelius. “I shall do my utmost to ensure I remain with you.”
Aurelius took quick stock of his men. They were battered and bleeding, but not broken. Of the three cohorts that had fought their way down into the tunnels, less than half had survived to make it to the main chamber.
“Fratres!” bellowed Aurelius. “Parati! Oppugnare!”
The remaining legionnaires let forth with a massive Barritus that reverberated down the tunnels, echoing into the distance. For just a moment, the T’kri’t’ek were stunned into immobility. They were not prepared for the crescendo that the Barritus reached. When the legionnaires surged forward, they engaged the Scutum systems and the energy shields crackled to life. With both the Scutum and Gladius in hand, the legion cut a bloody ribbon through the heart of the T’kri’t’ek.
Using the remaining fuel in the flame throwers, Aurelius and Densus fought their way into the hatchery. With a glance, Aurelius could see that the life readings he had registered were nothing more than nearly dead colonists that had been kept alive as food for the larvae. Little remained that was truly alive. The T’kri’t’ek had eaten most of their limbs and were using some strange technology to keep the victim’s bodies alive to preserve the remaining meat. Saving them would not be a mercy.
Activating the emergency escape mechanism built into the armor, Aurelius climbed out of the back of the suit and struggled to his feet. Opening the access panel beside the main charging port, he began overriding the safety protocols that would allow him to set the fusion core to critical.
“I need time to set this!” yelled Aurelius.
“You shall have it,” replied Densus, taking a defensive stance near the Praefect and laying down suppressive fire with the Arcus machine guns. Although the damage they caused was minimal, it did force the T’kri’t’ek to take cover to avoid the onslaught of lead that they were enduring.
“Sponte Iacite[19],” roared Densus.
Several of the legionnaires had taken up defensive positions around Densus and Aurelius, adding their weapons to the fray and buying the Praefect the precious time he needed to prepare the armor for detonation. Despite the withering fire that they were laying down, the T’kri’t’ek were starting to thin the numbers of the attacking legionnaires. They all knew and understood that if Aurelius’ plan did not work, then they were all going to die.
“Ready!” shouted Aurelius. “We have sixty seconds until detonation!”
“Sixty seconds!” roared Densus. “All cohorts, get clear of the area!”
“I’ve already plotted the fastest route to the surface,” shouted Valeris. “Form up and follow me! Cuneum formate!”
With that, the remaining legionnaires formed up into a wedge formation with Valeris at the vanguard. Densus stood behind Aurelius as he took up a position directly behind Valeris.
“Oppugnare!” shouted Aurelius with an upraised sword in his right hand.
Densus could see the massive wound in Aurelius’ right shoulder. The sealant foam was beginning to lose its integrity now that it had been removed from the medical systems of the armor. The edges were already beginning to seep blood. Densus knew that if the foam failed, then Aurelius would bleed out in a matter of minutes. They had to fight clear of the tunnel and get him to a doctor.
The wedge formation surged forward with all the unstoppable power of a juggernaut. They cut through the ragged ranks of the T’kri’t’ek and fought their way into a large tunnel that led due west. When they entered the tunnel, the rear guards folded ranks and closed the wedge, making a protective barrier around Aurelius.
Despite his wounds, Aurelius would surge forward and slash at any of the T’kri’t’ek that tried to fight their way over the line of the wedge. Several times, the creatures fell back with missing limbs that were spurting blood and more than a few died with well-placed thrusts of Aurelius’ blade. Despite the lack of armor, Aurelius was proving his capability with a sword.
“We have an opening that leads to the surface twenty yards ahead!” called Densus. “We’re sixty meters down.”
“We are going to have to override the safety systems on the jump thrusters,” shouted Aurelius. “It’s the only way we can jump that high in a single leap.”
“Release the safety overrides on the jump thrusters!” repeated Densus. “We’ve got to get clear of the tunnel!”
“Twenty seconds until power core detonation,” chimed the computer.
Leaping onto the back of Densus’ armor, Aurelius held on dearly as he continued to fight off T’kri’t’ek that were trying to overwhelm them from behind. He felt several times as the scythe-like appendages of the creatures scored deep gouges into the flesh of his legs and abdomen. Aurelius held on, fearing that he might pass out from blood loss before they reached the surface.
Aurelius wrapped his wounded arm through the locking ring on the back of the armor that allowed the drop systems to align the armor. That kept the Gladius in his good hand and allowed him to continue the fight. Even though he was beginning to see red at the edges of his vision, he knew that this fight was far from over. He couldn’t quit fighting, no matter what happened.
“Five seconds,” pealed the computer.
“Jump!” bellowed Valeris. “Jump or die!”
The massive backwash of the entire formation igniting their thrusters at the same time forced the T’kri’t’ek to fall back. The incendiary cloud of burning fuel filled the tunnel as the remaining members of the cohorts leaped for the top of the shaft. The front ranks of T’kri’t’ek were completely immolated in the fire and died shrieking as the armored meteors rocketed skyward.
Beneath them, the power cell of Aurelius’ armor went critical. In the micro-second before annihilation, the queen realized her peril and screamed a high-pitch wail that sent the surrounding T’kri’t’ek surging towards her in a futile
attempt to protect her. They swarmed around her to defend her with their own bodies. With the power of the detonating fusion core, they might as well have used tissue paper.
The emerald flames of the detonating fusion core filled the chamber and incinerated every living thing in the tunnel, searing the walls of the tunnel to glass as it rolled off down every corridor in every direction. The blast wave rolled throughout the miles of tunnels that had been dug. Wherever the flames touched, the T’kri’t’ek died. Nothing was left of the hatchery and the pitiful remains of the colonists were put out of their misery.
As remaining legionnaires of Cohorts I, II and IV landed beside the entrance of the tunnel, a fountain of green flame roared nearly one hundred feet into the sky. Of the nearly three thousand men who had entered the tunnels, less than sixty emerged. They wasted no time engaging their jump thrusters to land safely inside the nearest Orb Formation of the Legion.
Aurelius looked around and smiled, seeing his beloved Legion still holding the line and defending against the warrior bugs. There was disorientation throughout the T’kri’t’ek and they had ceased their attack. Clearly, the sudden loss of the queen had resulted in confusion as they struggled to find focus. Without the queen, there was no direction for them to follow.
Above them, the clouds lit up from within as the landing craft of the Felix Legion emerged. Although the battle was far from over, the worst was now behind them. With the help of the Felix Legion, they would rid this world of the T’kri’t’ek, once and for all.
That was the last conscious thought that Aurelius had. His vision narrowed, and he fell from the back of Densus’ armor. He lay there, staring at the sky with eyes that were slowing losing focus. The last thing he saw before the light faded was the familiar face of Casca leaning over him. The light from the heads-up display gave Casca’s features an unearthly glow through the faceplate on his helmet. Aurelius could see that he was saying something, but he heard no sound. Then all was darkness.
Chapter XI
Aftermath
“Victory is reserved for those who
are willing to pay its price.”
- Sun Tzu
Aurelius awoke to a blinding light that hurt his eyes. His mind raced with the possibilities, even wondering if he was now dead and the light was Elysium. Then he heard something that he could focus on. It was faint, but steady. Lingering at the edge of his hearing, it was something that he knew as well as he knew his own voice. It was the thrumming of the engines of a ship as heard through the hull-plates. He was on the Agamemnon.
“He’s awake,” said a familiar voice.
Opening his eyes, he could see the smiling face of Cassia as she leaned over him. Her eyes were puffy and red, as if she had been crying. Worry shone on her face, as well as relief. She was laughing, but it was the stress-relief laughter that conveyed no real humor; only release of tension.
“I’m alright,” Aurelius managed to say through a mouth that was dry and thick with the effects of the anesthetic.
“You most certainly are not alright,” replied the doctor that was standing behind Cassia.
For the moment, his name escaped Aurelius, but he recognized him as the chief surgeon on board the Agamemnon.
“When you arrived on the ship,” explained the doctor, “you were nearly dead. You had suffered massive blood loss and numerous deep tissue wounds. More than one of which should have been fatal on its own. Your survival is nothing short of miraculous.”
“I refuse to die until I know my men are safe,” said Aurelius, attempting to sit up.
“I wouldn’t do that, if I were you,” cautioned the doctor, gently pushing him back down onto his pillows. “The surgery to put you back together needs time to heal.”
Nodding assent, Aurelius settled for reaching out to take Cassia’s hand. She clasped it to her and kissed his scarred fingers.
“I am alive,” said Aurelius, trying to return her smile. “There is no need to worry.”
“I am grateful for the skill of the doctors and nurses,” replied Cassia. “You were almost too far gone, even for their skill.”
“How fares the legion?” asked Aurelius, his voice cracking with the effort to speak.
One of the nurses took him gently by the back of the head and gave him a small sip of water. Aurelius nodded his gratitude as he swallowed. The cold chill of the water burned like fire all the way down his throat. Despite the burning, he felt the moisture returning to his parched throat and mouth.
“Thank you,” whispered Aurelius.
Despite the gravelly tone of his voice, it was still better than it had been before. The nurse only smiled sweetly and faded back to stay out of the conversation.
“The Legio Ferrata took heavy losses,” said Cassia, sadly. “Of the nearly thirty thousand men who dropped onto Hadrian, less than fifteen thousand will be returning to the Agamemnon.”
“And what of the Legio Felix?” asked Aurelius, shaking his head sadly.
“They fared little better,” replied Cassia. “Even though you had already destroyed the queen and a large force of the others, there were still thousands of the warrior bugs on the surface. They didn’t fall without a fight.”
“They fought?” asked Aurelius, forcing himself up on his elbows.
“Easy,” cautioned the doctor.
Aurelius ignored him. He remembered that when the queen died, the warriors were directionless and lost. If they started fighting again, he couldn’t help but wonder if another queen emerged to lead them.
“They fought back,” confirmed Cassia. “Although Centurion Avilius reported that they were different after the explosion. They had no direction or organization. They still fought savagely, but there were no tactics to it. No planning. Just a merciless, rampaging attack.”
“What were the losses to the Felix Legion?” he asked, dreading the answer.
“They are estimating twenty five percent,” said Cassia, sadly. “Without our shield, they were more vulnerable. They fought hard, despite the lighter armor. Centurion Avilius was impressed.”
“That’s saying something,” said Aurelius. “He doesn’t impress easily.”
“They are preparing a burial for the fallen,” said Cassia. “They are using a field just outside the capitol, turning it into a battlefield graveyard.”
“What about the T’kri’t’ek?” he asked.
“They’re burning them,” she replied.
“Good,” said Aurelius, a note of venom in his voice. “Are they certain that they got them all?”
The Aquilinus Wing has been doing fly-overs since the battle ended,” explained Cassia, “searching for any sign. The Legion has sent out scouts with no contact in days. We’ve also been using the sensors from the fleet to locate any survivors. Nothing, so far.”
“Days?” asked Aurelius. “How long was I unconscious?”
“Nearly four days,” explained the doctor. “We’ve kept you sedated until you were clear of the fever. It was touch and go for the first few days.”
“Have they begun the funerals, yet?” asked Aurelius.
“No,” replied Cassia. “We knew that you would want to be there.”
“I want to do something special for Legatus Cyprianus,” whispered Aurelius.
“As do I,” said another voice as the door opened.
Aurelius looked up to see Praetorian Octavius enter the room and stand beside his bed.
“I trust you are feeling better, Marcus?” said the Praetorian.
“Ready for duty,” replied Aurelius.
“He most certainly is not,” interjected the doctor.
Octavius gave an amused chuckle and nodded at the doctor.
“How long before he can leave this bed?” asked Octavius.
“Tomorrow, at the earliest,” replied the doctor. “The healing matrix has to have time to complete the tissue regrowth. Rarely have I seen someone with this much damage survive, let alone return to duty in a short amount of time.”
�
�I have no intention of allowing Marcus to return to duty,” explained Octavius. “I wish for him to be on his feet to lead our men in celebration of our victory. I want him to stand before his men to receive his Legion of Honor from the Battle of Haakon Prime.”
Aurelius cocked his head to the side and looked at Octavius questioningly.
“Sir?” he said, confused.
“It was approved,” said Octavius. “Unanimously, I might add. And you will be receiving a second Legion of Honor for the Battle of Hadrian, also unanimously voted. Then, there will be a promotion ceremony.”
“Promotion ceremony?” said Aurelius. “Who is being promoted?”
“Why, you are,” said Octavius, smiling. “Congratulations, Legatus Legionis Aurelius.”
Aurelius was stunned into silence. There were no words to express what he was feeling.
“We shall discuss it more when you are stronger, Marcus,” said Octavius.
Before he could turn to walk away, Aurelius stopped him.
“Sir, if I may,” said Aurelius.
“Of course, Marcus,” said Octavius.
“I want to present honors to my men,” said Aurelius. “And select a few promotions, as well.”
“That is up to you, Legatus,” said Octavius. “I will be more than happy to approve your selections. We will discuss it when you have had a chance to rest. I will come back this evening, after my duty shift ends.”
“Yes, sir,” replied Aurelius.
“There is no need for that now, Marcus,” said Octavius, smiling. “Technically, we are equals. I command the ships, you command the legion. You may call me Claudius.”
“Of course, sir,” replied Aurelius.
“Old habits, eh Marcus?” chided Octavius. “You will get used to it, in time.”
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