War of the Exiles

by Michael G. Thomas

  He then rubbed at his beard as he contemplated the plan.

  "I want the Skiffs hidden and ready to get us out of here. The rest of us will deploy on the flanks, three hundred metres out from the tracks and wait."

  The Khreenk soldier snorted.

  "Why so far away? We cannot do enough damage that far back."

  Spartan nodded.

  "I know. But they will have scouts ahead of the column. I don't want to ambush them. I want the guns. We wait until they have moved past, and then blow the tracks and split off the guns from the rest of the convoy. Once stationary, we will hit them from behind."

  Syala seemed especially pleased with that idea and signalled to a fireteam of her Widows.

  "Set the charges here, here, and here."

  The small group grabbed equipment from the middle of the nearest Skiff and moved off at a jog towards where the maglev track system waited. Spartan paused for a second until they'd vanished from view. He knew they'd need to be careful moving into the open space near the tracks, but they were professional and did not need to be babysitted. Syala gave him a reassuring look, quickly confirming that his assessment was correct.

  "Good," said Spartan, "Hurry, they will be here within the hour."

  Spartan then turned to the small group of squad leaders from the rest of the team.

  "As for the rest of us, we have an hour to dig in. I want every one of us out of sight and inside the caves. Block off the entrances where possible, and wait."

  A hole appeared in the front of the Khreenk soldier's face, and he slumped forwards, already dead from the gunshot. Above him, and with its feet resting on top of the rocky outcrop, was a red coloured bipedal creature. The thing was similar to the elephant-sized monsters used by the Red Scars, yet this one was smaller, with thin plated armour hanging down its flanks. On its back were two Kolchan warriors, carrying long rifles that were pointed directly at him.

  "Scatter!"

  Spartan rolled to the right as the bullets struck the ground. Another Khreenk mercenary took a round, and again the bullet easily penetrated his armour, much to Spartan’s surprise. Once in position, he took aim and fired a single round from his XC1 carbine. The plasma punched through the underside of the monster and exploded deep into its flesh. The thing screeched in pain and then leapt down, snapping and hacking away with its long forearms.

  "Stay back!" Syala shouted.

  She used the thrusters on her pack to crash down in front of Spartan and opened fire with the weapons on both arms. A few of the others joined in, but the arrival of five more creatures of different heights and shapes completely threw them into confusion. Spartan jumped back up, fired twice more, and then rushed at the creature. The riders must have been taken back by Spartan's antics and hesitated. It wasn't much, but it was enough to get Spartan close.

  "My turn, beast!"

  Spartan ducked around its attacks and thrust the muzzle of his carbine at the creature’s neck. This time he squeezed the trigger repeatedly until finally the neck split in two, and the monster’s head lay shattered on the ground. Muscle memory kept the body flapping about, but the riders were face down in the ground, one already dead.

  "I have him!" cried out one of Syala's mercenaries.

  The Black Widow came down from a height of five metres and landed feet first onto the unfortunate soldier's back. He groaned in pain that was short lived. The Widow didn't hesitate and put a single aimed round into the back of his head before throwing a look to Spartan. Hidden behind the armour it was impossible to tell quite what this woman was trying to show him.

  "Look out!" said another of the Widows.

  Two more reptilian creatures were in amongst them, and while the warriors of the other two mercenary outfits stayed back and fired, the Widows did the opposite. Using the manoeuvrability of their packs, they were able to leap from boulder to boulder, firing as they went. The other creatures were felled, but with the element of surprise lost, Spartan knew they had already failed. A volley of thermal rifles killed the final creature, and for a second there was calm. A boost of rocket power announced the landing of Syala, and she deactivated her visor to speak with him.

  "More are coming from the North. We're encircled."

  Spartan knew what they needed to do without even thinking about it.

  "To the Skiffs, and then follow my lead!"

  They were on board the vehicles and powering up the engines when the next group of Sekieki creatures appeared. They were an odd mixture, most being bipedal. As Spartan gave the order to move out, a pair of much larger Sekieki came into view. These were massive, squat, four-legged, and in their own way looked less savage, apart from their size and armour plates fitted on their flanks. Their heads were larger, yet their jaws and teeth much smaller. More layers of armour covered most of the remaining features. Atop were three riders with two huddled around a weapon emplacement.

  "Move it!"

  The Skiffs accelerated away from boulders as the hardened metal slugs struck all around. Spartan turned back and raked one of the creatures with his carbine, and then they were gone. He turned back to check on the others and counted four more Skiffs, giving them five in total.

  "Syala, where is..."

  Spartan said no more as he spotted the sixth and final Skiff blast out from the boulders. Right behind it were two of the smaller animals, and they were moving fast. Spartan took aim, tagged the nearest, and opened fire. Plasma struck along its flank, but still it kept moving. The crew then both unleashed such a rattling volley that struck the Skiff from front to back.

  "No!" Syala screamed.

  The Widow joined in with the fire as the other Skiffs circled, doing their best to cover the crippled Skiff. Its engine system was shredded, and the rear caught fire as it dropped from the sky. With nothing but forward momentum keeping the thing moving, it lost height and hit the ground hard.

  Damn it!

  Spartan pointed to his fallen comrades.

  "All units beat them back. Skiff Charlie, pick up the wounded and do it fast."

  Three Skiffs rushed in at speed, their crews blasting away with their myriad of weapons. Thermal weapons punched holes in the armour of the creatures, and the high-energy weapons of the Khreenk exploded rock and flesh with equal ease. By the time the other two vehicles reached the crashed Skiff, there were but two survivors. The crew hauled them inside, while the gunfire from the circling commandos crashed about them, keeping the enemy away. Every second meant more time for additional creatures to arrive, and Spartan kept looking from left to right, half expecting to see their position completely surrounded. The depression might have offered useful cover, but it also left them hidden from view and unable to watch for signs of hidden enemy units.

  "That was...interesting," said Syala, "What now? Back to Melantias?"

  The formation of five Skiffs was wide, and each jinked from left to right, always making it difficult for any enemy to strike at them as they exited the rock formation to the South.

  "Uh, Spartan, that's not the way to Melantias."

  Spartan shook his head and replied through his teeth.

  "I know. There's one last thing to do."

  He turned and looked to her, his faceplate open and his expression stern.

  "Prepare the demolition charges. We'll perform a single run and take out those siege guns. Get ready."

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Some races are more pliable than others, both mentally and physically. The first Thegns were constructed from material harvested directly from the cadavers of the Helion and T'Kari people. Initially, they were shells to test new technologies, but when war broke out amongst our people, both sides attempted to construct more powerful warriors. Some were pure biological constructs, others moved in the direction of machinery and technology. In the end, both failed, with the very technology used to destroy from within.

  Taken from the accounts of Z'Kanthu, Warlord of The Twelve

  70Kms South of Melantias, Karnak

&n
bsp; Spartan held his breath as they moved cautiously along the track. The Skiffs were relatively silent, and at this speed left no tell-tale dust trail that could be followed. The creatures of the vanguard were now three kilometres away, and he knew this was their only chance.

  "Now!"

  The five hovering Skiffs slid sideways from the parallel track five hundred metres away from the Maglev line and pushed their engines to the maximum. A great roar engulfed them as the engines burned hot, and they lifted up higher from the ground. The occupants held on tightly for fear of being thrown out. The group immediately ran into a pair of small vehicles filled with clan warriors. The occupants of the Skiffs raked them with gunfire as they passed, leaving both riddled with bullet holes and burning. Then they were streaming off to the West and the advancing column of clan forces. Spartan turned his attention to the long column ahead and tagged the targets.

  "Accelerate to attack speed. Target their escorts and ready the charges. We get one chance at this."

  He looked back at the warriors in his own Skiff. The heavily armoured Human, Helion, and Khreenk mercenaries were quite a sight. Spartan barely knew some of them but could already see the great skills they brought to the fight.

  "One pass and then we head home, to Melantias."

  The Skiffs moved at their maximum speed as they hurled themselves at the flanks of the railcars. Spartan could feel his heart pounding as he looked out at the huge formation that included railcars as far as the eye could see. Crawlers separated from the formation to give chase, but it was too late.

  "Punch it, use everything we've got!"

  The Skiffs were so fast that few of the enemy gunshots came anywhere near them. Even so, the occasional hardened slug would strike the flanks and ricochet off into the distance. Two of the Helion soldiers were hit centre mass and thrown back to the rear of the Skiffs. One was killed instantly, the second badly injured. One round cut across Spartan's chest and left a gash in the outer skin.

  "You're hit," said Syala.

  Her voice registered concern, but not so much that she left her post. Spartan glanced down and shook his head.

  "The armour can take it. Give it an hour, and it'll be as good as new."

  The defensive fire from the railcars was incredible. At least a dozen defenders fired from each of them, and the view reminded Spartan of the many times he'd been brought into action inside a landing craft or dropship. Sparks rippled past the Skiffs as near hits left their marks, and then they were at the Maglev tracks. The railcars were connected together, presumably to help move the massive loads, and moving at nearly twenty kilometres per hour.

  "Break and attack!" Spartan gave the order.

  The five Skiffs moved between the railcars and used their lift engines to move up high enough to pass overhead. The crew threw out their demolition charges, and then they were through. Spartan glanced back over his shoulder and waved his arm at his comrades. All five Skiffs had made it and were now weaving through the escorts. The smaller scout vehicles did their best, but with so many friendlies in the area, it was too risky to take many shots for fear of hitting the valuable loads on the tracks.

  "Now!"

  The mercenaries activated their charges, and one by one they detonated. The Maglev lines were severed at two points, and Spartan noted with satisfaction that three of the ten railcars were burning. Ten seconds later one of them exploded, sending burning debris in all directions, and an entire series of secondary blasts followed. He counted the railcars in his head and almost choked.

  "Great job, people. We've bought our friends an hour, maybe two, and at least half of those guns are down."

  He turned back and looked to the North.

  "To Melantias."

  * * *

  Fortress of Melantias, Stone Teeth Hills, Karnak

  Khan and his entourage of Blood Pack warriors walked along the wall, stepping over debris and making notes on the condition of the defences. It was pitch-black now, and the wall was lit by hundreds of lamps fitted in the most bizarre of positions. Every hundred metres he found a squad on watch, and with each of them, he checked their status and weaponry. They all looked up at the Jötnar with awe. Each of the guard unit was covered from head to toe in the thick plating of the Blood Pack. The grey metal was now stained with the blood and carnage of battle, and as was normal for the Jötnar, left that way until the battle was over. A videostream request arrived on his visor, and he quickly accepted.

  Olik.

  "Khan. We've finished filling the breaches, and the Pack are in position. I've detached a single squad to watch the prisoners, but they are getting unruly. Governor Nak Sekieki is not happy about them, not at all. He wants the Red Scars locked away underground or shot."

  Khan grunted in answer, much to Olik's annoyance.

  "I don't give a damn what he wants. You know what Spartan would say."

  Khan heard a noise, something like the crunching of broken stone.

  "Oh, there's somebody you might want to speak with," said Olik.

  Another voice spoke, and for a second he thought it was in his earpiece.

  "Khan."

  He turned around and there was Spartan, resplendent in his M3B armour, with his XC1 carbine slung and his visor open. The reinforced metal collar had taken a number of hits, and one section had broken clean off. Khan walked to his friend and bear hugged him so tightly that both of their armour creaked from the strain.

  "Looking pretty as always."

  They separated, and Khan's expression changed from pleasure to irritation.

  "I didn't know you were back."

  Spartan seemed unfazed by Khan's displeasure.

  "I've been back nearly an hour."

  Khan's visor was up, and though only part of his face was visible, Spartan could tell he was not happy. Spartan tried to reconcile him with a disarming smile.

  "Friend. We took heavy losses in the attack, one Skiff gone and fifteen dead. Syala took a round to the hip. She's being operated on now. I promise you, she is seriously angry. I expect her back in action within a day, no more."

  Khan shook his head in annoyance.

  "More than a third gone in a single raid, even for you that is heavy losses."

  He was clearly unhappy, but his curiosity got the better of him.

  "What did you find out there?"

  Spartan turned to his right and looked out to the front of the wall. The bastion was already undergoing repair, and work crews were busily filling in gaps made to the ramparts. Small groups of soldiers were loading weapons and equipment into the long trench, and even more carried crates of ammunition to the forward mortar positions.

  "A lot. It's not good, my friend. I've arranged for Arana and the Governor to meet us in fifteen minutes to prepare the final plan. I need you with us. You can tell me about these Red Scars on the way."

  The two moved to the nearest set of steps and proceeded to work their way down. Even though they were wide, it took the Blood Pack a little longer, due to their great bulk and oversized feet. Spartan couldn't wait any longer and had to ask.

  "Tell me, what about you, Olik and the others? I heard the fighting was, heavy?"

  Khan grinned widely.

  "You missed one hell of a fight. They came at us like a wave, just like old times. Not much in the way of artillery, just wave attacks by the Red Scars. Our militia took losses, and some of the Red Scars broke past the trench, but none got through the wall."

  Spartan would have expected him to be a little happier but could see something unnerved him.

  "What is it?"

  Khan took three more steps before answering as he considered his words.

  "The Red Scars. They are animals, and we have no love for them. But the Spires were using them at meat shields, nothing more."

  He stopped and leaned in to Spartan.

  "When they were past us, they threw down their weapons and stopped fighting. I think the Spires have made them their slaves."

  They continued dow
n the steps, and Spartan shrugged as he thought about the odd turn of events.

  "Maybe this is to our advantage. The enemy of our enemy..."

  Khan laughed loudly, recalling this was exactly what he thought Spartan would say.

  "What?" Spartan asked, feigning insult.

  "Is my friend?"

  Spartan struck Khan's chest plate with his armoured fist.

  "Exactly."

  * * *

  It didn't seem that long ago that Spartan and the others had been underground. The position might be deep under the surface, but being so far from the others left Spartan with an uncomfortable feeling. He looked away from the group and towards his comrades. Kanjana was there, along with Arana and Khan. Spartan took in a single, long breath and then focussed his attention on Governor Nak Sekieki and his group of officers. They were in the middle of the heavily reinforced underground room, and on a raised plinth above the floor. All around them on long plinths and moveable arms were dozens of displays, some of which seemed as old and battered as the mining facility itself. On these screens were images of the defences used in the battle. There were static shots identifying the high-points of the battle, and the areas where the enemy had come close to penetrating the second layer of defences. There were also images of parts of the battle, plus scans taken directly from Spartan's commandos.

  "Those are the guns, huh?" Khan asked.

  Most of them were busy looking at the siege guns, and the Governor seemed especially nervous.

  The Byotai leader moved towards Spartan and Khan and shook his head. As before, Kanjana translated, doing her best to avoid imitating his clear exasperation.

  "The wall is ready and the defences finished as you requested."

  He turned and pointed at the screen showing the aftermath of Spartan's attack.

  "It seems you destroyed half the guns and damaged the tracks. They will still be here in the morning, and five of those guns could be enough to win this battle for them."