by John Walker
Christina backed away, as if to give herself some space to size up the situation. Gizan jumped at her, grabbing her about the waist and lifting her off the ground. She clasped her hands and slammed them down on his back three times before they hit the wall. His grip loosened and she shoved him away.
A punch to his face made him scream and he returned the blow, catching her on the cheek. This time, Christina dropped to the floor and she rolled over on her back.
“Come on, Major!” Reach shouted. “Don’t let this Tol’An trash take you!”
Christina scooted away as Gizan advanced. He wrung his hands into fists as he approached, smiling wickedly. “I will eat your heart, human. Devour your very essence and leave you to rot here on this miserable world. You have failed.”
Gizan lunged forward and Christina bent her knees, catching him with her feet. Shouting with the effort, she shoved him away and he stumbled backward into the wall. Reclaiming her feet, Christina advanced and kicked him in the groin then followed up with another blow to his face. Gizan lurched away and grabbed the door before slipping through.
“Did he just run?” Reach shouted. “That bastard is fleeing!”
“I’m not going after him,” Christina said, grabbing the rifle from the ground. She aimed at the door as she moved close to the chairs, drawing a set of keys out. “Let’s see if one of these will unlock those cuffs.”
Reach struggled a bit as he impatiently waited for her to free him. “Good work, by the way. I can’t believe you escaped.”
“I told you it just required some patience.” Christina paused as one of the keys worked. She handed them to him. “Please free yourself the rest of the way, I’m going to guard the door until we’re ready to get out of here.”
“Do you know what’s going on out there?” Reach asked, scrambling to get the other binding off.
“I came immediately to find you, so no.” Christina manned the door and peered out. “Whatever happened it gave us the chance to get out of here though so I’m not going to look it in the mouth.”
“Good plan.” Reach stood and moved over to Raeka. “Come on, pal. I’m not leaving without you.”
“Thank you …” Raeka nearly sobbed as the bonds came free. “Both of you, thank you.”
They joined Christina at the door. “We’re ready to move.”
“Okay …” Christina hummed. “I’m trying to decide the best course of action. I’m not in the mood for friendly fire, that’s for sure.”
Reach noted that her face was swelling up and she was bleeding from the knife cut to the chest. “Are you going to be okay, Major?”
“Believe it or not, I’ve had worse times.” Christina offered a grin. “Follow me, gentlemen. I’ll do my best to get us out of here. Let’s just hope whoever came along isn’t particularly trigger happy. This will be a real short escape attempt if so.”
***
Desmond stood as the destroyer closed the distance between them. The Gnosis was moving at full speed and still the enemy was gaining on them. Zach fired but they didn’t even try to avoid the attacks, instead soaking them with their defenses as they moved in for what would undoubtedly be the kill.
“Their weapon seems to be powered up,” Cassie said. “It’s ready to fire again.”
“Remember,” Salina said, “they get two shots with their weapon before it has to recharge. We cannot take them head on. The shields are too low and the generators can’t handle it. Advise we show them our aft.”
“Do it,” Desmond said. “Hurry, Zach. Redirect all weapon power to the engines. Buy us distance and give the fighters time to do their work.”
“Report from Raptor,” Vincent sighed. “It’s not good. The bombers were able to deploy a payload on us. Our people are trying to shoot them down before they get here.”
“Great … Will our turrets be able to help with those bombs?”
“I’m on it,” Salina said. “I’m going to have to leave them some power though. They’d be part of redirecting from weapons.”
“Keep them online and do whatever’s necessary to protect us against those bombs.”
Zach got them spun so that the destroyer was looking at their rear. The weapon fired again, cutting through their shields as before. The attack splashed on one of the engines, making the entire ship rattle violently. The ship lurched and they seemed to stop. An eerie silence fell over the bridge before all systems kicked back on.
“Report!” Desmond called. “What happened?”
“One of our engines is offline,” Salina said. “Shields are down.”
“I’ve got no maneuverability,” Zach added. “Helm seems to be offline.”
Vincent turned to his console and spoke harshly into the microphone, giving the pilots an update on their situation. He made it clear that the pilots were responsible for keeping them alive. The notion might’ve been a lot of pressure but he was ultimately right. If they weren’t able to harass that destroyer or take out those bombs, the Gnosis was done for.
The next few minutes and a bunch of fighters stood between them and oblivion.
***
Gizan made his way from the holding cell and down the hall. The fight with the human did not go at all as he intended. He had no idea they could be so formidable or well trained. Especially a woman. Why would they bother to give them such education? He underestimated her and paid the price for it.
I am lucky to be alive. The shame would rest on him for some time but he did not have time to wallow in his failure. He needed to escape the facility before the Pahxin and human forces took it over completely and he was captured. His incarceration or execution would be a huge blow to the Tol’An.
Several soldiers huddled near the stairs leading to the entrance. He stopped when he realized they were without a commander. “What are you men doing down here?” There must’ve been over two dozen of them, perhaps more. They were crammed into the rooms and corridors, looking uncertain and afraid.
“We are unsure of how to proceed.” One in the front said. “The enemy has surrounded the base.”
“Then drive them back!” Gizan shouted. “Get up there and slaughter every one of them to the man! This is our facility and you will not allow it to fall to filth! Go! Bring glory to the Tol’An!”
The speech wasn’t exactly his most rousing but it had the desired effect. He lit a fire under them and the men charged up the stairs, their guns leading the way. Any moment, they would enter another firefight and this time, it would distract the enemy long enough for Gizan to slip away.
I hope they repaired the ship enough for my departure. Gizan ran down the hall toward the underground hangar. He not only had to contend with departing the planet but he needed to set a course that would get him well away from the forces surrounding the system. They will likely be too busy with our defenders to give chase.
Two men waited near his ship as he emerged and they stood at attention when he arrived. “Get aboard,” he ordered. “We must flee here immediately and tell the master what happened. This facility is lost but we may still have victory if our lives are preserved.”
They powered up the engines and started off through the cave that would take them out of the area and some miles from the base. By the time their enemies knew where they went, they’d be long gone. A quick trip to orbit then we will hop to the next system and finally home. I will have much to answer for but not to these bastards.
Gizan leaned back in his seat and glared out the cockpit as they headed toward the bright, sunlit exit. He drew a deep breath and prepared himself for the trials to come. The master may judge me. Only him. All the rest will simply forget my name … which is all the better for the Tol’An cause.
***
Dennis watched the timer on his HUD countdown backward from six. The destroyer just unleashed fury upon the Gnosis and seemed to cause considerable damage to the engines. Mustang squadron needed to up their attack and drive the destroyer back if they wanted to have a home to return to.
/> The timer hit zero. He pulled the trigger, his energy beams striking the enemy shield the same time as several others. Scans showed the shields were definitely weakened, especially since the target chose to take the direct hit from the Gnosis. They would have two full volleys before having to reposition for another run.
Their target’s shields needed to drop down to at least sixty percent to make the bomber run worthwhile. Anything greater might be little more than a nuisance.
Turret fire tried to dissuade them, and one shot came close enough to Dennis to sizzle his shields. Still, they had found an ideal space to fly in, allowing them to avoid the majority of the defensive blasts. A second timer went down, this time from three. At zero, Dennis was only a thousand kilometers away.
He fired again and pulled up, banking away from the enemy and hitting his afterburners.
“Nolan,” Dennis spoke into the com, “are we good? What’re the shields at?”
“I hate to tell you this,” Nolan replied, “you’re going to have to make another run. You only got them down to seventy-eight percent. It’s climbing back but if you’re quick, you should have it.”
Dennis sighed. “We’re on it. You heard him, guys. Line up for a second attack run on my mark.”
He set the timer even faster than before, a countdown from three for the first attack. The others formed up and they sped toward the destroyer, through considerable turret fire since they didn’t have the chance to line up their attack as carefully. The timer hit zero and Dennis fired, his blasts striking the shields again.
On his second attack, he let loose two missiles at the very end and climbed. As the projectiles found their mark, he was nearly two thousand kilometers away, just out of range from the turrets.
“Damn it,” Shane said. “I got tagged back there pretty bad. Shields are down in the rear.”
“Are you still maneuverable?” Dennis asked.
“Yeah, but I can’t take another one of those.”
“If we have to go back in,” Alicia spoke up, “I can hit it a few times. I can make it out of there.”
“Shouldn’t be necessary,” Dennis said through gritted teeth. “Nolan, please tell me you guys are able to get in there now.”
“They’re at fifty-eight percent this time,” Nolan replied. “We’re deploying bombs now!” Twelve bombs in total were fired and they rocketed forward two at a time. Each successive hit would batter the moderately weakened shields and hopefully, take them down significantly enough to end the fight.
Dennis glanced over his shoulder to witness the first two hit. They crashed against the shields and lit up brightly, turning the entire area white. Before the light even faded, the next two hit and the next. By the third couple projectiles, orange flames joined the white. The Destroyer turned but it was too late to avoid the damage.
The enemy ship didn’t explode but it was no longer chasing the Gnosis. As it drifted off, sparks erupted around the damaged hull. The rest of the bombs found their mark, further amplifying the destruction. Pieces of the vessel cracked off and were launched into deep space. Scans showed the ship’s power was currently disabled.
“Mustang One to Gnosis,” Dennis called out. “Do you read? The destroyer seems to be down.”
“Good job,” Vincent said. “Fall back and do what you can to assist Raptor squadron. They’re chasing down some bombs that are incoming. We’re not out of this yet.”
Just when I thought we’d have a chance to relax for a second. “Roger that, Gnosis. We’re en route.” Dennis adjusted course and gunned the throttle. “You know what this means, folks. Frying pans … fires … We have to find a way to keep ourselves out of both and still get home alive. Throttle up and move out.”
***
Heat stared intently at the door, itching to get into the base and find their VIPs. The lieutenant was hanging around near the Pahxin commander, talking it out. Maybe they had a way of scanning the area to get a layout but it didn’t feel like they had time. Somewhere in that place was a spaceship and that meant another way out.
They could be flanking us right now for all we know. Heat looked at Gorman. “What do you think?”
“I think we’re sitting on our asses when we should be pounding dirt.”
Heat brought Fielding up on his com. “Sir, permission to—”
Before he could finish his statement, a group of screaming men burst forth from the doorway into the facility. They began firing as soon as they stepped outside, firing wildly in all directions. Some took cover and others charged as if they didn’t care what happened to them but even the computer was having a hard time putting their numbers on the screen.
Christ! Heat dropped lower to use the wall for better cover and fired his weapon, taking shots at anyone he could connect with. His HUD flashed a warning as an explosive flew by his head. A grenade landed less than five feet behind them. “Hop!” He shouted. “Frag! Go! Go! Go!”
The marines hit their jump packs just as the grenade went off. The concussion of the attack caught Heat from behind and sent him hurtling into the ground in the midst of several of the enemies. They opened up on him just as he initiated his personal shield. The first two shots were absorbed but the others struck his armor, causing the HUD to go red with a warning.
He hit the thrusters again but they didn’t work. Dashing forward, he put his shoulder in front of him and slammed into the nearest soldier. The man was lifted off the ground and carried until Heat slammed into a wall, busting through the concrete into the room itself. This bought him some cover.
His shoulders ached and a point in his back had a sharp pain. The armor indicated there were some serious points of damage and the power assistance threatened to seize up. He kept his weapon aimed on the hole he’d made and backed into the corner so he could watch the door. Gorman’s voice echoed in his helmet and he finally had a chance to acknowledge it.
“I’m alive, but I’m not sure how long I can count on that,” Heat replied. “Armor got seriously hosed in that attack. You okay?”
“We’re fine … Stay put. We’re coming to get you.”
A man burst in through the door and took a shot, narrowly missing Heat’s head and connecting with his shoulder instead. Heat returned fire, catching the target in the stomach and face, spraying blood everywhere. He crouched, waiting for another attack which came almost instantly.
Firing again, he killed three more before he knew he needed to get out of that position. If they come at me through the door and the hole, I’m done. I can’t defend it with my armor in this state anyway.
“I’ve gotta get out of here, guys,” Heat said. “If you’re coming, you need to hurry. Otherwise, I’m going through that hole and taking my chances.”
“You’re an impatient ass,” Gorman said. “I’m at the door to the house now. We’re locking the perimeter.”
Heat moved over to the hole in the wall and peaked out. The Pahxin had engaged and were storming the facility. Gunfire filled the air, mostly energy blasts that seemed to sizzle as they passed by. More than once, he was nearly caught in the face and he pulled back just as something connected with the wall beside him, sending chunks of debris over him.
Another shot caught Heat in the left arm and he spun into the room, taking cover again. “It’s insane out there!”
“That’s why we’re securing the perimeter,” Gorman said. “Hang tight and keep your head down. Something stirred these guys up and they’re not playing around anymore.”
Heat listened to the fighting, waiting for it to subside but it wasn’t slowing down. His HUD showed there were still plenty of enemy targets out there and they were really pushing hard. Several Pahxin suffered in the attack and the com traffic indicated they were nursing quite a few wounded.
His armor indicated he’d been hit too, a crack to the side of his back that was going to take some work from the doctor. The hit he took to the left shoulder might’ve dislocated it but it had already gone numb so he didn’t notice. As he took
stock of his situation, he heard a noise from the other room.
“Friendlies incoming!” Gorman shouted. “Do not fire, Heat! I swear to God, I’ll smack you!”
“It’s about damn time,” Heat replied. “How’re we doing this?”
“The Pahxin are almost done.” Gorman turned and fired. “We need to get into the facility. Can you move?”
“Well enough.” Heat didn’t genuinely believe it but he wasn’t going to sit back while the others went without him. “Lead the way.”
Heat followed Gorman through the door into a space with no walls and a partially caved in ceiling. He didn’t remember hearing any explosives go off but that was the only way the place could’ve been so devastated. Outside, four of their marines held the area, rapid firing in every direction.
Tol’An bodies littered the area and the moment Heat stepped outside, Gorman waved his arm for everyone to follow him. They dashed for the facility, blasting their way through a small squad of six before they arrived at the door and headed down a flight of stairs. Vine’s personal shield took a hit but kept him safe.
Those things aren’t useless after all. Wish they worked a little longer. I wouldn’t be so messed up.
Gorman held up his arm for them to stop and he paced into the hallway, aiming his weapon. “Who goes there?” He shouted. “You’re coming on some highly armed marines so if you can understand me, you’d better speak up!”
“Hold your fire,” a woman’s voice called back. “This is Major Dawson. I’ve got the ambassador and admiral with me now!”
“Any more guys down here?” Gorman asked.
“Not that we saw on our way out. Do you have a way out of here?”
“Soon as we mop up the forces up there, we sure do.” Gorman turned to Heat. “I guess we found our VIPs.”
“Seems they were more capable than we thought,” Heat replied. “We have to get them back to the shuttle. Now that we know where they are, we can get some air support in here and strafe those bastards.”
