by K. C. Carter
Grimshaw realized where he had heard it before. He remembered the training session from his days in Alliance Academy very clearly. It had left an impression. The instructor activated holographic images of a hideous looking creature. No one knew what it was really called, but it was dubbed the black dragon and intelligence on it was scarce. One soldier had claimed to survive an encounter with one. Grimshaw couldn’t recall his name, but he was the one who provided the audio recordings of that gut-churning sound. He also provided some broken video that the Alliance used to piece a rough model of the beast together. It was a long black serpent-like creature with bony armor, believed to be native to the krag home-world, somewhere in the Lidnall system. It had four bulbous eyes on each side of its pointed head and fangs said to contain a deadly venom. It was rumored that the krag used them as mounts, but no one knew for sure.
It appeared Grimshaw was about to find out. He heard it again. The sound was getting inside his head.
A red streak exploded from somewhere in the brush and smashed into a tree by Bradley. The private held onto his rifle tightly as he shook back and forth.
“Snap out of it Bradley,” Grimshaw called into the coms-link.
Bradley looked at him then made a break for it. A streak of red cut him down. Grimshaw swore.
The enemy was firing too fast for there to be only one. There were at least two out there. Another red streak exploded from the trees and made sure Bradley was down for good. Grimshaw leaned out and returned fire before the next one came. The sergeant drew up behind the tree next to him and started reloading his rifle. Grimshaw continued firing blindly; blue pulses traved in the direction the red streaks were coming from. He took cover just as another red beam streaked by.
"That data needs to get back to the Alliance, private. It could mean the difference between losing and winning the war!"
"Understood, sir. I'll cover you." He couldn't believe he had said it. Whoever stayed there wasn’t getting out alive. Grimshaw didn’t consider himself the courageous type, so he was surprised by how calm and collected he felt. He didn’t know what to expect but a wave of nerves and desperation wouldn’t have felt out of place. Maybe he had some balls in him, after all. At the end of the day, it was what he signed up for. Many had given their lives for humanity, especially since the first kragovorian encounter. Now it was his turn.
"No, Grimshaw. You’d be cut down in a heartbeat. My suit has heavier shields than yours. The batteries have recharged enough to give you time to get out of here."
"But, sir-"
"You heard me, Grimshaw.” He threw the data case and Grimshaw caught it. “Now go!"
A white aura appeared around the sergeant’s battle suit as he ramped up his shields. He charged from behind the tree, rifle blazing. A red streak punched into him, but his shields held, and he charged again.
Grimshaw slid the case into his pack, redirected all remaining power to aft shielding and made a run for the hill. He was surprised when he wasn’t instantly struck down. He scrambled up the incline. It was much steeper than it appeared from a distance. He stowed his rifle and clutched desperately for anything he could get a hold of—weeds, roots, rocks—and pulled himself up inch by inch. It seemed to take an age and all the while he expected to die on the side of a hill, on an uncharted enemy world, grasping the root of an alien tree. The sergeant’s plan was worked because he reached the top, hauled himself over the last stretch and rolled clear of the edge. The jump-ship was a short run away. He breathed hard, his chest plates heaved, and he mustered the will to get on his feet. He stumbled in the direction of the ship; his legs started to wobble with exhaustion.
Halfway there, enemy fire struck him on the shoulder, and he hit the dirt hard. Pain flared from his upper back as he rolled onto his side with one good arm. A twisted black beast of tusk and horn slithered its way towards him like a levitating snake. The black dragon was as fear inducing as the textbooks claimed. The krag on the dragon’s back levelled a long rifle at him. Grimshaw closed his eyes. There was a shot, but it didn’t come from any krag weapon. There was another quickly followed by a third. Grimshaw opened his eyes just in time to see black dragon retreat back over the edge of the hill. He tried to get up again but collapsed in a heap. The world became tangled muddy mess of broken sights and sounds. Something took hold of his arm. He wasn’t sure what. It dragged him across the ground and darkness came overtook him.
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