War Zone (Star Crusades: Mercenaries Book 5)

by Thomas, Michael G.

  Spartan moved to the cave-in and then waved for two more to help their comrades.

  "Get them out of there."

  He passed the collapse, even as another small section of the roof came down. As the reverberation faded from the air attack, it seemed it might all be over. There was a short pause, followed by yet another crescendo as missiles, bombs, and rockets flattened what little remained of the great basilica that had stood for so long at the heart of Tanau, the old civic centre of the settlements to the South.

  Where are they now?

  Spartan double-checked his suit's scanners, cursing himself for not having the time to set up more sentry weapon systems to protect them. The tunnel was narrow and much colder than the surface, and so much easier to see the enemy. He'd located a parallel tunnel to the one being used by the Star Empire commando team, and he intended on shadowing them right to his predetermined chokepoint at the T-junction. There were at least a dozen of them, and right away, he could tell this was something different. He spoke quietly, making sure his external speakers were offline.

  "Watch your fields of fire. They're coming...trust me. Watch for friendlies, they have prisoners. Let them through. Do not fire when they are in range."

  Like all ten large settlements in the Southern Depression, the city of Tanau had suffered an almost continuous assault that left large parts of it a barren wasteland. With the central mountain district and the capital in the hands of the so-called Star Empire, many of the regions had surrendered, including the mighty fortress of the North, known as Melantias. This left just the South in revolt against the brutal occupation force, and the place where the future of the Karnak was to be decided. There was little chance of victory on the surface, though, and the fighting had spread underground where teams spread out, looking for resistance members as they moved methodically, killing or capturing any that tried to stop them.

  "Spartan. I've got contact. And you're right. They're bringing eight prisoners to the extraction point near the reactor complex," said Commander Knaro, "Their tunnel will connect with yours approximately seventy metres East of your position."

  Spartan nodded as he listened. He'd worried this team might have access to other tunnels, but this confirmed his original suspicions. They'd got it right, and that meant this time the rebels had the advantage. The Byotai commander had proven himself a dozen times already, but this time was different. This mission had to succeed if he was to save one of his oldest friends. He checked the data sent by Knaro and breathed slowly at seeing the imagery.

  "Good work, let's hope it works. I'm waiting for them."

  He moved ahead with his small team, keeping their weapons away from the walls to avoid making too much noise. Eighty metres away, and inside the parallel tunnel, a blast door tore apart with a loud crash. Followed by the whine of gunfire as the lightly armed penal units burst their way through, making the way to their landing ground. There were no soldiers to stop them, but Spartan had left a few surprises to thin out their numbers.

  That's it. Just a little further and we'll get them out of there.

  Spartan kept moving and smiled as he listened to the sounds coming from the other tunnel. The enemy moved fast, buoyed on by the Star Empire soldiers waiting behind them in their bone-coloured armour. They stayed back, but with their rifles raised and pointing at their backs. Imagery from a remote camera showed up as a grainy sequence in a separate stream in the corner of his visor. From his position in the next tunnel, he was able to see the first squad clambering over the broken doors.

  Hang in there, old friend. We're coming.

  The enemy squad moved with surprising speed over the wreckage, and Spartan's brow tightened in irritation. He didn't like the professionalism being shown here. In seconds, they were through, the wreckage serving only to slightly slow their progress. He then chuckled as they ran directly into the path of a massively damaged, yet still functional Khreenk sentry robot.

  Rush past that thing, if you will.

  Spartan smiled, watching the status indicators inside his suit from his position further back, and behind the relative safety of the partially collapsed sidewall.

  They know we're here, now. But it's too late. Time to suffer.

  Spartan stopped and looked back to check the rest of his unit was with him. Kanjana, his old friend from Taxxu was there. She moved silently, as her thin, lithe body drifted like a spirit through the tunnels. Knaro, the militia commander was far less elegant and his armour now covered in dirt and grime. Behind them was the remainder of the Byotai squad, as well as a pair of Helion mercenaries with their heavy armour. He lifted his hand to a fist and nodded to the wall.

  Wait for it.

  The robot was a marvel of Khreenk engineering, and one of many devices they'd brought with them. This small machine lay hidden behind a low wall of sandbags filled with rock dust to provide it with a modicum of protection. As its defensive suite activated, the single turret moved left and right, targeting the approaching figures. Once spotted, it then blasted the penal soldiers apart with no hesitation.

  Spartan nodded to himself, but he could tell the Byotai were appalled by the sounds they could hear.

  This is war, my friends. It's not nice, and it's not pretty.

  The robot's weapons were powerful and easily capable of killing an armoured marine, let alone the lightly protected penal soldiers. Some turned to run back and were soon cut down by a waiting officer with his rifle at his shoulder. Something flashed blue, and then the robotic sentry fell silent, its guns replaced with the screams of the wounded penal soldiers. Spartan seemed disappointed with the impact of the Khreenk machine.

  Okay, that ended quicker than expected.

  He spoke quietly; making sure only those on the communication network would hear him.

  "They are coming closer, be ready."

  The safeties clicking or sliding off was the only subtle sound any of them made. It was barely noticeable, but Spartan had heard it so often now that it felt like second nature.

  Here we go again.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Beneath Tanau, Southern Depression

  1 hour later

  Spartan glanced at the mapping data and then the timer. He'd expected contact some time ago, but for some reason this enemy was actually slowing down, and with every additional second, his doubts increased.

  What's going on out there?

  His tunnel led back into the labyrinth of small passages and shafts, but in the other direction was the T-junction. The right led back to the centre of the settlement, and the landing ground used by the kill teams. The left turn led towards the approaching enemy soldiers. A warning flashed on his helmet, and the internal defensive suite activated, sending a wall of white noise around him, temporarily obliterating all forms of communication.

  A high-pitched whine filled the tunnel, followed immediately by a single energy pulse that ripped through the tunnel system. Spartan watched via his visor overlay as it spread through the network until it dissipated. The pulse must have travelled a good hundred metres and penetrated every part of the underground system. If there were any electronic triggers, the pulse would set them off. These soldiers were being much more cautious, and that made him suspicious.

  They are taking their time. Smart.

  Spartan glanced backwards to the tunnel that led back the way they'd come. This was a good distance behind their own lines, but Spartan had insisted on travelling to this point for the mission, and none of them would dare argue. Another four militia scattered at hearing the warning and clung to the wall as they waited. Behind them was another unit carrying several wounded fighters. The ceiling crumbled once more, and three large sections of masonry dropped down, halving the width of the tunnel. A low groan of tortured metal then reverberated through the area. Spartan pointed to the militia at the rear of the unit.

  "Take them and the wounded back. We can't let them be trapped down here."

  Kanjana moved closer to him and placed a hand on his
shoulder.

  "Spartan. You can't save them all. We have to fall back before this entire section collapses. You can't go on. There will be no way back."

  He shook his head.

  "No chance. Scans show their extraction unit falling back this way. If they want to get out alive, they'll have to come through me."

  Kanjana deactivated her Helion-made visor and pleaded with him.

  "They knew the risks. You..."

  Spartan kept his expression firm.

  "No, this is not up for negotiation."

  He pointed to the next tunnel that led off to the side.

  "Take the wounded back and regroup with the others. I need to know you're all safe. This is something I have to do. It's something I cannot turn back from. They'd do the same for me. They have before."

  Kanjana nodded.

  "I understand. Olik is a friend."

  Spartan began to move his foot and stopped upon spotting three more heat signatures. There wasn't a great deal of space down there, and his instincts told him to withdraw before they were cut off. His internal sensors confirmed the presence of heat signatures ahead, and this time there were many of them. Blurred shapes came into view as the enemy unit moved closer. They were cautious and much more careful than the Red Scars had ever been. Spartan ran his armoured finger along the side of his carbine and scowled.

  It's different this time. They think they can take our wounded out of these tunnels without a fight.

  He pointed back into the tunnel, just as more dust dropped down.

  "Kanjana, go. Go now! I'll find another way out."

  Spartan rushed ahead and away from the fractured ceiling, even as additional cracks appeared. Commander Knaro followed right behind, his head pushed down low to avoid the falling chunks of rock. Kanjana paused, but not for long. She was more than a good friend to him now, the closest thing he had to a daughter in this savage part of space. She knew him well enough to know when he could be pushed, and this wasn't one of those days. She moved away and called to the others, making sure they headed back into the safety of the myriad of tunnels.

  No sooner were they away, when a distant proximity mine detonated without warning. The tunnel shook violently as the anti-personnel mine killed many more of the unfortunate penal troopers. More important, it provided the final push that brought down the ceiling, cutting off Spartan and his tiny unit from the rest of them.

  "Take cover!"

  Spartan's voice was loud, but before they could reply, a raging shockwave ripped through the tunnel, followed by a thick cloud of dust that would have choked anybody in the immediate vicinity. Luckily, Spartan and his comrades were all fully armoured from head to toe, and armed for combat. Spartan glanced over his shoulder to check his squad were intact. Dust covered them, giving each a fine dusting in white, yellow, and grey. He opened his mouth to speak, but a number of warning blips appeared on his overlay.

  Got 'em.

  He signalled for the others to advance behind him to the end of the junction.

  "I have readings ahead. They're coming."

  They moved one step at a time, but each checking for danger. Spartan might have been something of a legend when it came to combat, but his team were hardly the vanguard of the Alliance armed forces. Now he had to make use of whatever he had available to him. Finally, they could see the junction, and Spartan signalled for them to stop.

  "One unit stays here. Knaro in command. Wait for my signal."

  Knaro gave him a quick nod and began positioning the four members of the squad for the upcoming fight. They were close to the junction and partially shielded from view by an overturned storage car. Spartan leapt over it. Two militiamen and the two Helions joined him. They turned to the right and worked their way through the wider tunnel, past the debris littering the place as they headed towards the enemy extraction point. Only when they were another forty metres away did Spartan stop and turn around.

  "Okay, position yourselves, and be ready. They will be here soon."

  The group split up and moved in behind the many large sections of broken rock. The Byotai militia knelt down and rested their rifles in position. The Helions were not quite as agile, moving to the larger pieces of cover so that they could stand behind them. Spartan stayed with them and lifted his carbine up to his shoulder. The tunnel was dark, with just a little light coming from their suits, or the few still functioning lights hanging down from the low ceiling.

  "Incoming!" Commander Knaro whispered.

  Spartan smiled grimly upon hearing Knaro's words. He'd been waiting for so long, part of him wondered if the enemy had found another route back. It had taken him nearly eight hours to establish this one, but he was sure it was the best possible position to be in. He double-checked they were in position, noting even the two militiamen were doing as they'd been shown. The Byotai were a tough breed of miners, explorers, engineers, and settlers. They'd come within seconds of victory, then to have it all thrown away by the arrival of Tahkeome and his newly raised legions. The war should have ended that day, and the millions of surviving Byotai reduced to a life of servitude and indoctrination in this new regime.

  It is what it is.

  "Steady!"

  * * *

  Commander Knaro waited in silence as the first of the enemy moved in front of him. The T-Junction was fifteen or so metres away, yet it felt they were right on top of him. His eyes opened wide as the clan warriors slunk ahead, each bent down low to sniff the ground and check for signs of bombs or traps. Two peered in through the tunnel and then waited as more shuffled past.

  "Do not move," said Spartan over the network, "Let them pass."

  They moved through the passageway until the two clan warriors joined their comrades. Next in the group were the bone-clad soldiers, the regulars of the Star Empire. Commander Knaro gritted his teeth as he pulled back and concentrated on his hearing. These were the soldiers he detested the most on Karnak. Many of them had helped in the fighting over the last months, and then turned on the Byotai when it suited them. The sound started to fade, so he glanced around the corner only to find another four of the soldiers heading past.

  They are so quiet.

  The soldiers moved with poise and skill, unlike anything he'd seen so far, and that unnerved him greatly. Then he saw the shape of the great synthetic warrior, moving in chains and surrounded by another group of heavily armed troopers.

  He lives!

  Knaro had never met Olik before but knew of him from the way Spartan and Khan continued to revere him. All of the Jötnar were a close-knit family, but there was a small group of friends that Spartan kept close. Khan was one, and Olik most definitely another. Together they formed a kinship that Knaro found a little hard to fathom. He took a deep breath and watched them file past. He saw them pass his own passageway that connected to the primary shaft via the T-Junction.

  "Okay, Spartan. They're past the junction and coming your way. I'm moving into position."

  With a simple gesture, his unit moved from their hiding places and towards the junction. In seconds they were there, and then out into the passageway. Commander Knaro could see shadows as the group moved off into the distance, heading towards the ambush.

  "Dig in and wait."

  The small group separated, taking both sides of the passage and hunkering down. There was little cover, but there were maintenance gaps every twenty metres that offered the perfect hiding places. One by one, they dropped into position, Commander Knaro taking one on the right. He lifted his trusty Vorex VX-19 Rifle. The Vorex was a common enough weapon, but he'd made modifications, including cutting away most of the stock and even shortening the barrel to something closer to a carbine. He pulled the charging handle and loaded in a single 10mm metal slug.

  "Okay, don't..."

  A great ripple of gunfire immediately drowned his voice out. It wasn't one or two shots, but a blistering volley more like the staccato crackle of machine gun fire. The distant end of the tunnel flashed white and yellow,
followed by shouting and screams. A Byotai leaned out and took aim, but Commander Knaro pulled him back.

  "No, not yet. Let Spartan do his job."

  * * *

  The first wave of clan warriors advanced through the dust cloud, moving towards Spartan's unit. Four were cut down in the first volley before the others scattered, desperately looking for cover. Some tried to stand their ground, and Spartan concentrated his efforts on them. He bared his teeth as he emptied an entire power cell from his XC1-Carbine. The weapon shuddered as it unleashed the incredible power from its 6mm magnetically stabilised plasma shells.

  The projectiles crashed into the small detachment of resolute warriors. They must have been veterans, or at least front-line soldiers of the Spires Clan. Whatever they were, they fought and died in the same place, each shot ripping apart flesh and incinerating entire bodies with ease. Their skills and training meant little as the weapon did its job.

  "Keep up your fire, boys!"

  The others joined in, using a mixture of captured Vorex and Jezzail rifles. These paled into insignificance next to the awesome power of the Byotai Sparth cannon carried by a single Helion mercenary. The experienced soldier bore its weight on a gyro-stabilised mount of his own design, sending bolt after bolt into the enemy. The fused thermal bolts proved devastating at such close-range, the kinetic energy more than capable of destroying whatever it hit. They hissed and crackled as they embedded in metal armour or the crumbling masonry of the wide tunnel.