by Chris Fox
"Is that what you're worried about? The tattered remains of a broken fleet? Sooner or later, one of our spies will reveal their location, and we will destroy them. They are no threat." Azatok's laugh boomed around them. "You have the heart of an old woman, Utfa. Are you so far removed from your days as a warrior?
Utfa reached up, slowly removing his cowl.
Azatok flinched at the sight of Utfa's furless head. This was a common reaction; the Nameless Ones were slowly remaking his body in their image. It didn't bother Utfa--in fact, he reveled in the horror he saw on Azatok's face.
"Yes, you see now. Don't you? I have been touched directly by the Nameless Ones, Azatok. I am their instrument, the emissary of their will. I believe that you sometimes forget about our masters, that you dismiss our faith as some sort of empty religion, like the ka'tok believe. A story we tell ourselves, but not one that we will witness in our lifetimes. Tell me, Azatok--is your faith in need of...ministration?"
Azatok dropped his gaze. "No, emissary. What is their dark will?"
Another cruiser hummed by overhead, disgorging passengers onto the ring so they could enter the spire. There weren't nearly as many as they'd find below, but it was still too many for Utfa's liking. He didn't want his words overheard, but sometimes a loud, crowded place was the best place to convey secrets.
"The empress lives," Utfa growled, narrowing his eyes. He leaned closer to Azatok. "I suspect she has gone to ground somewhere on this world, attempting to take back her spire. You will find her, Azatok, or you will find that your past glories offer little protection from the gaze of our shared masters."
"What you ask...I am not certain it can be accomplished," Azatok said, still avoiding Utfa's gaze. He licked his lips. "This world is massive. Unless she does something to reveal her presence, she could live out her entire life and we might never find her. I do not wish to disappoint the Nameless Ones, but I do not know how to do what you are asking."
"You will begin by taking your face out of a tak horn, and focusing on the war. I hear many reports that all you do is feast and watch spire fights--stories that have elements of truth, if your injury is any indication. You allowed Takkar to wound you." Utfa's tone carried his displeasure, and Azatok winced. "You may seek your pleasures, but only after tending to the needs of our masters. Be vigilant, Azatok. I warn you, the Nameless Ones are not forgiving."
Azatok nodded, his fur ashen. Utfa waved the champion away and, smiling, watched as he scurried back into the spire.
25
NO LEGEND
Nolan walked his mech down the Demetrius's ramp, pausing to survey his surroundings. Ruined buildings lined what had once been a broad thoroughfare. Most had been spires, but judging from the debris Nolan assumed that they'd toppled over time. The place reminded him a good deal of Ganog 7, though it lacked the ever-present rust storms.
Instead, large trees grew among the remains of the buildings, turning them into a sort of forest. Many of the trees rose hundreds of feet into the air, easily obscuring the squad's position from anything short of full orbital scanning.
Not that such a scan would turn up anything, either. Nolan's mech was running the new stealth drive he'd picked up during the refit. It worked exactly the same way his stealth belt did, bending light around the mech. It wasn't perfect, but it would fool most enemy sensors, and almost all visual.
Sound, however, was another matter. Each lumbering step thudded down the ramp, until Nolan finally stood on the cracked stones that marked where the road had once been. He pivoted, facing his mech toward the ramp.
"Move, people," Hannan barked over the comm.
Annie started down in her linebacker class, with Nuchik following up in the new scout class they'd been given. It was considerably lighter than a linebacker, and lacked the boosters of a full aerial mech. It was small, sleek, and much faster than a larger mech.
"I can't wait to test this thing out," Nuchik purred. It was unsettling, coming from the usually stoic sniper. "Permission to range ahead, sir?"
Nolan glanced up the ramp again. Both Kokar and Hruk had shifted to great form, and were following Hannan down the ramp. "Go ahead, Nuchik. Get up high and let us know if you spot movement. Remember they might be friendlies."
"I can tell the difference between friend and foe," Nuchik chided.
"No, you can't," Hannan snapped over the comm. "Don't think we've forgotten Sissus. Keep it in your damned pants until the Captain gives the word, Private."
"Yes, sir," Nuchik said, with an edge of laughter in her voice.
"Ya'll best shut up and pay attention," Annie groused. "Maybe you ain't been keeping score but right now it's crazy bad guys one, us zip." Her mech fanned out to the left, while Hannan took the right.
Nolan waited for them to proceed up the road a bit, then urged his mech into a trot, kicking up puffs of dust with every step as he followed them. "Kokar," he asked, "why was this city abandoned? Looks like it could be prime real estate."
Kokar trotted a few meters behind Nolan, with Hruk just behind him. The trees swayed around them, purple leaves wriggling like fingers.
"It is a holy place," Kokar said. "Hruk could tell you more. He practices the old ways, and knows our oldest tales."
"You are the first non-Ganog to come here in many centuries, Captain Nolan," Hruk called. He leaned heavily on the longest spear Nolan had ever seen, a heavy pistol cradled in his other hand. "This is the city of Defiant, built by Nyar himself. It marks the place where he chose to make his stand, to fight back against the Nameless Ones. It was here that he met the terrible wyrm in battle, slaying the creature in single combat. The deed cost him his life, and his followers erected a tomb at the precise location where he'd felled the beast."
"It is because of this significance," Kokar interjected, "that survivors will gather here. There are warrens under the city, and the trees themselves screen the place quite effectively. Our people can survive here indefinitely. If we hope to restore some sort of government, it will be done here."
"Captain?" Nuchik whispered over a private channel.
"What's up, Private?" Nolan asked
"You're going to want to see this."
A video request popped up on Nolan's screen and he tapped accept.
"Holy crap," Nolan breathed. He studied the image, pinching out to enlarge the hologram. "That's an Omega, isn't it?"
"Pretty sure, sir."
The image showed an Omega almost identical to the three that had so thoroughly trashed the Nyar defenders. It was overgrown with trees; it's metal was tarnished and dull. A towering redwood grew from the knee joint, made tiny next to the Omega.
But that was an Omega.
"Kokar, Nuchik spotted something interesting a couple blocks from our current position. Is there anything you wanted to tell me? Like, say, that your clan has an Omega stashed away?"
Kokar turned to face Nolan's mech, his fur softening to yellow-brown. "I did not think to mention it. The Omega you speak of is the tomb of Nyar. His spirt lies within the guardian--or so the legend says."
"It is no legend," Hruk insisted. All four nostrils flared as he sucked in air. His eyes were tight with pain, but Nolan noted that the older Ganog hadn't complained about their pace. "Nyar did battle here, killing his opponent. Yet his own mighty planetstrider was badly injured during the confrontation. The leader died, and his vehicle died with him."
Nolan blinked. "You never thought to see if you could fix it?" He guided his mech into a full run, the heat in the cockpit spiking as the fusion reactor hummed to life.
"You must understand, Captain," Kokar explained. "We revere Nyar, almost as a god. He freed us from bondage to the Nameless Ones. His resting place is holy, and would never be disturbed. And even were it allowed, how would we attempt such a feat? Perhaps the techsmiths could repair it, but I seriously doubt it."
"Maybe they can't, but it's possible we could," Nolan pointed out. "Nuchik, any sign of trouble in the area?"
"Nothing yet, s
ir. Area's clean. No sign of anyone, friend or foe."
"That's because you're looking in the wrong direction," Annie drawled. "Look up, people."
Nolan called up an aerial feed, and felt his heart sinking. Half a dozen large black shapes had appeared in the sky.
Ganog dreadnoughts. Now that they controlled the space around the world, the Kthul fleet had turned their attention to Nyar itself.
"They will invade in earnest now," Kokar rumbled. "They'll send their elites to take slaves, and to claim tribute. It might be wise to return to the ship."
26
EXTRACTION
Nuchik slammed back into the command couch as her mech shot into the air. Not in the way she would in a booster mech, but just due to the inertia from the mech's powerful legs. She seized the crumbling edge of a broken spire, pulling her mech atop the eroded metal.
She hadn't engaged the cloak yet; that kind of power draw would cook the inside of her cockpit. It wasn't really needed--not yet, anyway. She was perched just below the tree line, which obscured her from anyone not directly below or above, as well as affording her an excellent view of the spire where the fighting was still taking place.
The Omegas had stopped stomping on the Ganog, and had returned to a rough triangle outside the city. There was a bright flash, then one disappeared.
"Captain, looks like the Omegas are warping out."
"Noted. Thanks, Private. I'm guessing they consider the planet pacified, and are relying on conventional forces to finish the job." The captain did that a lot--musing out loud--and it was something she'd never grow used to in an officer. Her former commanding officer, Major Reval, had played his cards close to the vest, never telling the men anything he didn't have to. He'd expected his men to follow him blindly, trusting that he was right. And she had trusted him.
She still trusted him, even now that he was gone.
"Sir, there's a cloud of cruisers and destroyers entering the upper atmosphere. Looks like those dreadnoughts have gotten closer as well." Nuchik appended her video feed so the captain could see the sky above her. "Looks like we weren't the only ones to notice. There are a good three dozen ships taking off from the spire. Almost all of them are heading toward your position."
"That is expected," Kokar broke in.
It bothered Nuchik that the captain had given out the comm frequency, but she supposed he needed to give the Ganog at least that much trust.
"The Nyar survivors are going to ground," he continued, "just as we are. They know that their best chance of survival lies within those woods."
Nuchik punched up the magnification. "Sir, they're getting hit hard from above. A lot of those smaller cruisers aren't built for that kind of punishment."
As if on cue, the cruiser she'd been watching burst into flames, engines going critical a moment later. It exploded in a giant fireball, streamers of flaming debris littering the ground beneath.
"We're not going to be able to protect them all," the captain said. "Kokar, if you had to save just one ship, which would it be?"
The comm was quiet for several moments, until Kokar finally spoke. "The cruiser with the red planetstrider emblazoned on the side. I've tagged it. It belongs to Bruth, one of my father's fiercest warriors and strongest supporters. If we can get her out alive, she will be able to rally many of the others."
"Then let's do it. Hannan, Annie, move into cover near the edge of the forest."
A ping showed up on Nuchik's mini-map, indicating where the captain wanted them to go.
"Nuchik, circle wide and start picking off anyone who takes an interest in our shuttle. Kokar--you, Hruk, and I will rush their position and try to assist."
Nuchik stopped listening. She had her orders. She pushed the stirrups, guiding the mech into motion. It slipped soundlessly from its perch, landing at the base of the spire with a heavy crunch. Nuchik moved to a sprint, darting around thick trees as she guided the mech into the forest.
The ship would enter the canopy about a half-click away. She needed to find a spot where she could pick off anyone who followed the same vector into the forest.
She finally found a mass of tree trunks that had grown together, where the wood was thick enough to support the enormous weight of her mech. She climbed atop the trunks, laying her mech flat against the tree to minimize her profile. The only thing visible to the enemy was the heavy Theta cannon the mech was equipped with. Even then, only the barrel and scope could be seen; the stock was tucked back under her mech's shoulder.
A cruiser roared into view, flames pouring from rents in the the aft side of the vessel. It tilted drunkenly, the result of engines producing uneven thrust. The pilot was good, expertly dodging a mass of trees--but there was simply nowhere to go. The vessel slammed into the side of a spire wall, the corroded metal giving way to the tremendous momentum.
The ship crashed to the ground, severely damaged. Nuchik zoomed in, scanning until she found an access port. Figures were already climbing out, and a black-armored Ganog helped the others out of the hatch.
"Captain, their vessel went down, but there are definitely survivors." Nuchik swiveled her sights, scanning the forest where the vessel had entered.
Sure enough, three cruisers entered the tree line. Instead of the black paint job the Nyar preferred, these vessels were a deep, unwholesome green.
"We've got serious enemy reinforcements inbound. Three bogeys approaching from nine o'clock, and they're dumping apes all around the crash site. If you don't get there quickly, there's not going to be anybody to rescue."
"Acknowledged. Nuchik, start picking off targets, but fall back if they respond. Hannan, Annie, see if you can get into sniper positions as well. Use every missile you've got. Kokar, unless you've got a ranged weapon hang back with Hruk." The captain's orders came clear and easy. "Yulo, are you monitoring?"
"Yes, Captain. How can I help you?"
"I'm going to try to convince Burke to do an aerial extraction. If he agrees, I'm relying on you to get the Nyar leadership aboard safely."
"Of course, Captain. I will offer them whatever aid I can."
Nuchik stopped paying attention again, sighting down the barrel. She waited until a Ganog's back filled her crosshairs, then stroked the trigger. Its chest exploded, and the corpse dropped to the ground before it even knew it was dead.
She fired again. Aim. Fire. Aim. Fire. There was a moment when she worried the Ganog might rush her position, then the captain led a charge from between two buildings.
He feathered his mech's boosters, shooting over the hail of plasma fire coming from the Ganog position. A swarm of piranha missiles erupted from his mech, breaking into many smaller swarms as they approached the Ganog. A flurry of detonations painted Nuchik's screen temporarily white, then faded to show gaps in the Ganog line. At least a third of their front rank had died.
Hannan and Annie popped out from the cover, using the trees to screen them as they picked off targets with their particle cannons. Occasionally, one of the mechs would belch a small volley of missiles, usually ending in the death of multiple elites.
Then Nolan's mech pierced the Ganog line. He was surrounded by elites, several of whom made the mistake of turning their backs.
Nuchik smiled, then began firing again. Aim. Fire. Kill. Aim. Fire. Kill.
27
FALL BACK
Nolan knocked away a vibro-axe, lunging with his mech's plasma blade. The glowing weapon piercing the Ganog's throat, and a quick knee to the groin lifted it into the air. Nolan seized the elite with both hands, dragging it into line between himself and the next pair of Ganog.
He hurled the dying elite at its companions, then brought his particle cannon to bear. He melted off the first Ganog's leg at the knee, then took a step back to aim at the second. It leapt the body of its companion, bringing a heavy chopping sword down at Nolan.
Nolan managed to block the blow with his plasma blade, but the force threw his mech to the ground in a spray of sparks. He rolled to his feet,
looking around for his particle cannon. It was behind his opponent, and several more Ganog were already charging in his direction.
"Die, human!" the Ganog roared, charging again. It was nearly upon him when its head exploded. Nolan knocked the corpse aside, sprinting forward to snatch up his cannon.
"Great shot, Nuchik." He thumbed the fire button, his particle cannon coring an elite through the chest.
"Thank you, sir." Nolan could hear the smile in her voice.
A thick black cruiser forced its way through the trees, branches snapping and raining leaves down on the combat. A pair of turrets spun in Nolan's direction, and pulses of scarlet energy stitched a line toward him.
He feathered the thrusters, hopping back several meters, managing to dodge most of the pulses. But some cratered the armor on his right side, and chunks of superheated tritainium were flung across the jungle around him. Nolan turned and ran, juking through trees. The barrage continued.
"Burke," Nolan gasped, as he pounded around another tree. The temperature spiked in the cockpit, boiling away the sweat. "If you're coming, you'd better do it soon. Our position is collapsing."
He spun around the corner of a ruined building, skidding to a halt, and extended his particle cannon through what had once been a window. Taking a moment to aim at the lead Ganog, he fired a shot that took it through the eye. The Ganog slumped to the ground.
The closest enemy cruiser had slowed, unable to pierce the dense canopy where Nolan had run--not that that bought him much time. He counted at least a dozen elites heading his way.
"Hannan, how is the package looking?"
"Your rush worked, sir. We're picking off the hostiles approaching the downed cruiser, and the Nyar are holding their own...for now at least. Looks like three more of those cruisers are coming, and one of them is the heavy kind. We need to bug out fast, sir." Her voice was tight, but she betrayed no other sign of the immense stress an officer always felt in combat.
