by John Walker
“Rhino, do you read?” Zach’s voice came through a great deal of static.“Can you hear me?”
“We’re here,” Nolan said.“You okay?”
“Damage reports are still coming through,” Zach replied,“but the target’s eliminated. Redirect and go after the original target. The platform has to go.”
“Understood. We’re on our way.” Nolan checked his scanner, noting that Charger was heavily involved in some pretty nasty dogfights. They were winning their fight but he noted that they had lost one of their number. I didn’t even hear the mayday. This damn battle is really hosing our coms!
“Jager, you guys have that or do you need help?”
“We’re okay,” Jagerreplied.“You’re on the way to the next target, right?”
“Affirmative, we’re being redirected to the platform but if you need us…”
“We don’t. If you continue your current course, you should be good all the way to the target. You’ll have to deal with the drones when you get closer though, so be ready. We’ll catch up when we can.”
“Thanks, Charger.” Nolan sighed. He kicked in his engines and changed course, directing the others to form up on him. The fight wasn’t remotely over and they had quite a few objectives to pull off before they could claim victory. Depending on the next several minutes, the battle might be won or utterly lost.
***
Salina rattled off an extensive but not insurmountable damage report. Desmond gritted his teeth as she went through the various systems that were having problems as a result of two heavy hits from the enemy. He turned to Cassie, drawing a deep breath before he asked his question. He didn’t need to be snappy.
“How close are you, Agent?”
Cassie tapped her screen and pressed an earpiece harder against her head.“I’m… I’m in!” She shouted the last word.“I made it! Their security protocols didn’t change and I’m able to access their com net.”
“Lower their shields and turn off their weapons,” Vincent said.
“I can’t impact their systems that way but I can use my application to provide the sort of interference required to stop their weapon.” She paused.“And I might be able to get coms too. It’s working on that now. As far as the other question you had about the drones, the platforms are controlling them. However…”
Desmond sighed.“Yes?”
“There’re other automated defenses on the planet’s surface and those are controlled by something else… something inside the facility the marines are heading to.” Cassie clicked her tongue.“Yes, the power’s coming from the place where the Orb is stored.”
“Protected, more like,” Vincent muttered.
A brilliant flash of light filled the screen, whitening it out. Desmond stood up.“What the hell was that?”
Zach tapped his console and scowled at it. A moment later he let out a cry, throwing a hand over his head.“Contact down! We got him! That capital ship is dust!”
“Confirmed,” Salina said in her typical calm tone.“The combination of bombs and alternate fire tore through the shields and finished them off.”
“Excellent.” Desmond felt a surge of relief fill his chest.“Good job everyone, but they’re all converging on us now, right?”
“Four left,” Cassie said.“And they’re definitely coming fast.”
Vincent leaned close.“If they have the same energy pile driver weapon, we might be in trouble, sir.”
“Recommendation?”
“Let’s fall back and move toward the planet. Give us some distance and lead them on a chase.”
“We don’t have the luxury of a prolonged chase.” Desmond rubbed his chin, glaring at the screen.“No, we’re going to attack. Cassie, when this fight starts, I want you to hit them with a burst of interference. Even if they don’t use their weapon, we might be able to disrupt their communications. Messing with their coordination should help.”
“Okay…” Cassie went to work.
“Get ready, Zach. Let them have everything we’ve got.” Desmond looked down at the report.“Give them our Starboard side. Armor’s holding better over there and I don’t want them hitting the fragile side of the hull. Salina, are any systems actually down?”
“No, sir. But there are several decks that aren’t safe to visit right now. Automated repair is still working to get the emergency fields online. Once they are, we can get in there and perform actual repairs.” Salina paused.“Three people are in a serious condition. Other injuries occurred from what happened to the crew quarters.”
Desmond sighed but nodded.“Understood. Engines are still one hundred percent and all weapons are online so we need to finish this up… but without losing so much that we can’t get home. Keep that in mind as we go forward, Zach. Set a course in case we have to pull away in a hurry. I’m willing to take a little risk but I want a back out plan.”
***
Heat watched the ground rapidly approach. They were in mountainous terrain, with sheer rock walls to the north and massive boulders littering the area. He was aiming for something of a clearing, a path that led up the mountain. At some point in the planet’s history, he might’ve been going for a road but the infrastructure was long since consumed by nature.
He ignited his retro rockets, slowing his descent. Five good bursts slowed him considerably but when he landed, he still sunk a good two feet into the dirt. The armor absorbed the impact. Energy blasts flew past his head and he returned fire, shooting at several targets up the path from him.
Are you serious? How? The enemy must’ve known where he’d land and rushed to meet him. He was hit in the shoulder before rushing to the left, moving toward a particularly large rock for cover.“Contact,” he spoke into his com.“At least three targets. I’m under fire and have taken cover. Positions?”
“Coms are linked,” Lieutenant Topper replied.“We’re a good hundred yards apart. Converge on Sergeant Heathrow’s position. Pinch the enemy as we go and we’ll advance on the target from there. Confirm.”
The rest of the men confirmed the order. Heat’s HUD showed the others were on their way but he didn’t have the luxury to wait. Moving to the edge of his cover, he aimed his weapon around, using the camera to get his bearings. Three enemies were exposed but he saw beams from at least two more positions.
So five… possibly six. I may not be able to get them all but those jack asses standing up… they’re done.
Heat dropped to a knee and leaned out just enough to brace his weapon before firing. He missed his first target and the man tried to get out of the way. Heat quickly redirected and caught the guy in the head, blowing him back several feet. The HUD indicated life signals winked out on the target.
One down.
The rock all around him started chipping away. They began firing directly at his position, tearing through it enough to make him move back from the edge. Some of them shouted in some unknown language, one his men reported hearing when they went to relieve Gamma Alpha.
“I’m in position on the western side,” Sergeant Gorman said.“Permission to engage.”
“Granted,” Topper said.“I’m in position to the east. Open fire.”
Supporting fire erupted from behind and either side of Heat. He used his rockets to hop up on the embankment to his left, keeping low. For the half a moment it took to cover the distance, he was exposed and one of the aliens took a pot shot at him. It barely missed, slipping past his leg. As he landed, he crouched behind new cover.
The low rocks between him and the enemy provided reasonable enough protection and he didn’t have to stand fully for a firing solution. Other marines converged on the area, pouring firepower into the alien position. Heat’s HUD indicated they were breaking formation and dashing behind rocks.
Heat popped up and took aim, catching one of them in the back as he ran. The shield flared and saved his life, giving him a chance to dive to the left behind cover. Topper accessed their computers, marking various targets. The small squares represented the aliens an
d the large triangle indicated their destination.
No automated defenses yet. Perfect.
“Search and destroy,” Topper said.“Kelly and Dorian, get angles and take point. We’re taking these pricks down. Anderson and Vine, you’re on rescue for the downed pilots. Sergeant Heathrow, I want you, Gilletand Gorman to move ahead and check on the facility. Get me some recon. Defenses, aliens and anything else of value. Camera shots and scans. Copy?”
“Copy, Lieutenant.” Heat motioned for his men to follow him.“You heard the man. Let’s make this happen.”
Wreckage from the destroyed shuttle was nearly six kilometers away. The pilots popped transponders so the marines wouldn’t have a hard time finding them. Luckily, the enemy was too occupied with their own activity to bother hunting down a couple of downed humans. If Topper’s force didn’t keep them pinned down, they might try to take the opportunity.
The mainstay of the marine force moved off while Heat and his men headed west.“We’ll go roundabout to remain clear of the battle. Avoid engagement. Follow my mark.”
They engaged their rockets, hopping over the uneven terrain and making good time. Weapons began firing to the east as the marines engaged the aliens. A small screen to the left of Heat’s HUD showed the action. The battle took place near what appeared to be a landed shuttle. The enemy likely hoped to use it for support against the power armor.
When their turret lit up and started carving massive pieces of rock, the ploy worked and the marines were forced to temporarily withdraw. Even with their weapons and maneuverability, they didn’t stand a chance against ship ordnance. Topper called for air support but Raptor reported the drones made an approach especially difficult.
They would have to turn to their own heavy ordnance, including small rockets and grenades. The good news was if the aliens were busy fighting the marines, they didn’t have the opportunity to break into the facility to steal the Orb. Heat and his crew could grab their intel in peace. He planned on making the suggestion they go ahead and secure the device.
Providing they didn’t encounter indigenous defense.
They cleared a rise and saw the facility for just a moment. A wide courtyard was covered by a rockslide and dust obscured all but the tallest structure. Sunlight gleamed off the exposed metal of the walls and a two story doorway sat atop a flight of destroyed stairs. They landed and crawled up to the top of the next hill, granting them a decent view of the area.
Heat’s scans found several gun emplacements, all live and active. They’d recently fired as well and he caught sight of a dead alien body near the base of the stairs.“Looks like they tried to make a straight run for it just to see what would happen.” There was a strong energy reading coming from inside and four turrets total. Each one had two barrels and were motionless.
“Tough approach,” Gilletsaid.“Even from the rear, you’d be exposed for a good five seconds before you’d have any cover. And those doors. How’re we going to get those open?”
“Help from the Gnosis,” Heat replied.“I believe we’ve got a certified Orb genius aboard. We can put them to work.”
Gorman gestured off to the left.“Sir, I’ve got movement over there. Looks like mobile defenses. Definitely not the aliens we’ve been fighting.”
Heat saw it as well though it was obscured by a wall of rocks. It moved slow and deliberate, easily navigating the difficult terrain. He initiated a scan and identified it as a treaded vehicle following a set path. It turned and moved directly in front of the ruined stairs, giving them a good look at it.
It was roughly eight feet tall and ten feet long. Wheels were surrounded in aged, cracking treads which chewed up the dust and rocks but wouldn’t last too much longer. Two gun barrels started near the back and hung over the front, putting them at probably eight feet each. A canister sat near the back, probably for missiles but it appeared to be empty.
The tank turned as it finished its pass in front of the building and disappeared behind the rocks. Though the marines and aliens were causing some real carnage not even two hundred yards away, this thing didn’t seem to care. Its programming must’ve required someone to attack the structure to become activated.
“Probably won’t be a problem with all of us,” Heat noted.“It hasn’t rearmed in a long time.”
“Must be solar powered.” Gorman gestured to the facility.“This place has been out of commission for a long time.”
Heat checked his HUD to see how the battle was going. From the lieutenant’s perspective, they were trying to get a good position to take care of the shuttle. Private Wheeler took some heavy damage to his armor and had to fall back. Private Bosh might’ve been dead. He hadn’t replied to coms and his armor’s sensors malfunctioned.
“I’m scoping a turret.” Gorman interrupted his thoughts.“Two of them in fact. On either side of those big doors.”
Heat squinted to see what he did and finally noticed the two boxes and something else: bodies. There were at least five alien bodies lying in the dirt nearby. A quick scan confirmed they were dead and that Gorman was correct in his assessment.“Good catch. They must still work. Do you see the corpses?”
“Wow… They went for it.” Gilletshook his head.“But did the turrets do them in? Or that tank thing? How would they have gotten past it?”
“Maybe it’s malfunctioning,” Gorman suggested.“God knows how long it’s been here… and how it’s all screwed up.”
“Sergeant Heathrow,” Topper’s voice crackled in his ear.“We need some support with this shuttle. Can you get here in a hurry?”
“We’re on our way.” Heat gestured with his head.“Follow me.”
They had a good half mile to cover to get to the alien’s position. Each man kicked in their rockets, hopping toward the destination. As they moved, Heat wondered about the single shuttle they were contending with. Unless the drones took down others, he didn’t think the aliens would only send one. There must be more out there.
It didn’t matter just then. The site came into view and at the apex of a bounce, he took a shot at the shuttle. His blast connected with the top but didn’t cause any appreciable damage. As for the next one, they were close enough to see other targets. Aliens held up in solid cover they’d erected with some kind of stationary shields.
“Take those guys out,” Heat said, firing the first shots. He connected with his target, a perfect headshot. Personal shields didn’t stop that blow and the body hit the ground, unmoving. His men began firing, tearing into their ranks. Their moment of surprise allowed them to take down four enemies before they could react.
That’s when Heat got an accurate count of their opposition.
Even with quite a few already killed from the battle, his scans indicated there were thirty more aliens to contend with. This was after the marines had fired rockets and used grenades on them and it didn’t count the turret on the shuttle tearing through the rocky cover. Heat’s computer stated that a direct hit from the cannon would be fatal.
Not a big surprise. It’s meant to take down fighters.
They landed in cover with their opponents hardly forty yards away on the other side. Shouts in their strange language could be heard echoing off the cliffs. Off in the distance, they heard the boom of a ship’s engines. Heat wondered if it might be their own air support or if the aliens finally got some assistance.
Anyone willing to fly around up there with those drones is insane or amazing. Heat risked a glance up but didn’t see anything immediately. That didn’t mean they weren’t out there, flying their patrols with the patience of machines. The people who lived on that planet must’ve learned a lot about renewable energy to keep them aloft for so long and have them start out with enough of a jolt to gather additional sun.
“We’re in position,” Heat announced to Topper.“Four down… but it looks like we’ve got thirty to go.”
“We’re at a stalemate for a moment,” Topper replied.“What did you learn about the facility?”
Heat filled
him in on the doors, the bodies, turrets and tank.“It’ll be a tough approach but we can manage. Providing we’re not being shot in the back by these idiots.”
“Understood. I’m still trying to get us some air support.”
The ground shook from an explosion, some kind of frag grenade going off not even ten feet beyond their cover. Heat frowned. If the aliens were able to take out their cover, the fight would get chaotic fast. He took a quick scan of the topography, marking their next destination in case they needed to move. Gillet and Gorman confirmed.
Vine pinged them all. They found the downed pilots and were securing the area for evac. The men weren’t in a good position to move so they were staying put. Topper confirmed their report but it was obvious he wasn’t happy. The current fight needed everyone they could get. The other shuttle had landed safely but takeoff would be a nightmare.
Going through the drones a second time seemed suicidal, even if they flew low to help out.
Vine continued,“Scan data from the pilots confirms four alien landing zones for a total of five shuttles down here somewhere. Two are damaged and cannot fly but the other three should be able to take off. However, they’re honestly just as stuck as we are with the drones.”
“Thank you,” Topper said.“I guess we can be grateful they’re spread out. I’m done playing with these guys. Let’s alternate attacks on that shuttle until we take it out. I’ve got visual. I’ll call when the weapon is facing away from your position so you can attack without risking that cannon. Everyone sound off when you’re ready.”
This is going to be rough.
***
Cassie rubbed her eyes after staring at the screen for nearly five minutes without blinking. Her application operated on the alien’s coding methodology so it should’ve been difficult to detect. After initiating the interference to disrupt their communication network, she kept a sharp eye on the application’s logs for any signs of discovery.
