“They most certainly do, Lieutenant.”
Turan looked amazed, the only time either of them had seen him in such a state.
“What is it?” asked Sommer.
Turan shrugged. “I never thought I would see the day the Barbarlars stepped off their world to help anyone.”
“Yeah, well, there are still surprises left in this life, and not all are bad ones.”
“I guess that remains to be seen,” said Sommer.
“Hey, enough of those negative waves. It took a lot to get me back to where I am, and I didn’t do it by thinking like that.”
“How did you do it?”
Jones flashed back to the moment he saw General Greer and the words she spoke to him that changed everything. He wondered what had become of her. He wanted to ask, but it would only add complications. He needed everyone at the top of their game.
“So we’re going in blind on this one, then?”
Jones ushered them towards the ramp as he responded.
“We sure are, but we have plenty going for us.”
He dropped into his seat and smiled at Babacan. There was now hope, when there’d seemed to be none.
“Except any real truth,” stated Babacan.
“What do you mean?”
“He means we have no proof that Hagan was telling the truth,” added Turan.
“You think he wouldn’t have?”
“After the beating you gave him, Captain, I suppose he would be willing to tell you whatever you wanted to hear, whether it was true or not,” whispered Sommer.
“He’ll there. Trust me.”
“Why?”
“Because I have to believe there is hope. That is what Taylor says. There is always hope so long as we keep fighting. I forgot that for a while. My mind poisoned by the enemy, but I remember it now, as clear as the first time he told us. Keep fighting, keep trying, and never give up. Words to live by, and even die by if necessary.”
The engines fired up, and they were soon lifting off the Independence.
“We are coming back from this, right?”
She just wasn’t sure anymore. Jones was a different man to the one she and Taylor had known before. In the back of her mind, she feared he would make any suicidal run without care for anyone, but she couldn’t say it out loud.
“Of course we are coming back, but not without Taylor.”
That confirmed her suspicions. He didn’t care for anyone else’s lives, not even his own. It terrified her, but it made him a strong ally and the best hope they had. She became more and more anxious as they approached the Tusk. She didn’t want to make the jump. Despite not knowing what they would find on the other side, she knew well enough it would involve death and destruction on a scale that she didn’t know whether she could stand.
“You good for this?” Jones asked, noticing the worry on her face.
“Always, Sir, whatever it takes to get the Colonel back.”
“Whatever it takes, you really believe that?”
She agreed, but they both knew there was doubt in her mind, and her eyes betrayed her. They soon put down on the Tusk, but nobody moved from their seats. Jones brought up displays from outside the ship so that he could track what was going on before opening a channel to the entire fleet.
“This is Captain Jones. By now I doubt there is a single one among you who doesn’t know what we are about to do, and what we are embarking on. None of this would be possible without the support of the Barbarlars and Sarik, and let’s not forget them. The mission is simple. Get Colonel Taylor back, and kill any and all that stand in our way. Good luck.”
It was short and to the point. He didn’t see much point in going any further, considering how so many were primitive savages, even by Krys standards.
“Captain Minn, prepare to jump on my order.”
Sommer felt her stomach turn, dreading what they would find on the other side. She desperately held on to every second as if she didn’t want to go, but time had run out. Minn’s voice rang out as she counted down.
“Jumping in five…four…three…two…one, jump!”
The projected screens around Jones flashed, and seconds they later came back out on the far side. Sommer expected to be shot out of the sky, but it was quiet, almost peaceful. She studied the screens around Jones. They had come out almost in orbit of the planet. Just three Krys vessels stood in their way. Jones didn’t even have to give the order. The Barbarlar vessels descended on them, and the space lit up with gunfire. One of the friendly vessels was blown apart by a brutal salvo, but the remaining ships hit them with everything they had.
Cakir’s vessels didn’t last more than twenty seconds, ripped apart before Jones even considered giving an order to fire.
“They really hate them that much?” Sommer asked.
“Wouldn’t you?”
“They are your people, Babacan.”
But he shook his head.
“Plenty of hate between humanity has led to the same thing,” added Jones.
“That doesn’t mean it’s a good thing.”
Jones didn’t need to say anything to Minn. They were approaching the planet quickly, and the whole fleet was right by their side.
“I want to make it out of this.”
Jones was surprised at Sommer’s comment.
“You thought you wouldn’t?”
She didn’t need to answer. It was all over her face.
“We are coming back from this. We didn’t come here to die, nor to satisfy some need for blood. We came for Taylor, and the moment we have him, we are out of here.”
“I hope so, Captain.”
“I promise. Don’t confuse my treatment of the enemy with the treatment of my friends. I never led any man or woman to their death. It happens, and it’s unavoidable, but it is never my intent. It never will be.”
For a moment she saw a different side to him, the man he used to be. The guns of the Tusk opened fire and were soon joined by every major ship in the fleet as they pounded the surface of the planet. Sommer looked worried once again.
“It’s okay. It’s all going to plan. We’ll blow the lid right off this place, and then we’re gonna waltz right inside and make ourselves known.”
“I guess they’ll be more than a few fighters who have something to say about that.”
“There always are.”
He looked out to the Krys platoon and the squad led by Sergeant Ness.
“You know what Cakir looks like, yes?”
He heard many grunts of agreement from the Krys.
“If you see him, take your shot, and take him down. Don’t hesitate.”
“Sir, are we expected to find him down here?”
“Your guess is as good as mine, Sergeant, but if I had to speculate, I’d say yes. This Cakir bastard went through a whole lot of trouble to get his hands on Taylor. I’d be surprised if he is able to let him out of his sight.”
“You are cleared for take-off,” came the command from Minn.
“Get us in the air!” Jones shouted.
The engines fired up on the captured Krys vessel, and they were in the air in seconds.
“Not a bad piece of junk this,” said Jones.
“Don’t you pick on her, she’s a mighty fine lady,” snapped Dart.
They were soaring towards the planet of Izmir now. Jones had never felt so comfortable heading into a fight before. It was like he was building to this moment all his life. As they passed through the atmosphere, a wall of anti-aircraft fire hit them.
“Hold on!”
They ducked and weaved as well as the bulky ship could, but were still hit by a number of shots. Most glanced right off the thick armour, but one struck hard and forced them out into a spin. Somehow they stayed intact, but they were spiralling out of control as they descended rapidly towards the surface.
The g-force pushed them back against their seats as Dart wrestled for control. All of their lives were in his hands now. They seemed to fall for an age when they were hit by anot
her shot, and that snapped them back enough for Dart to get a hold of things. Sommer let out a sigh of relief, but Jones seemed to go on as if it were any other day.
There was a huge breach in the domed structure on the ground that they were heading for.
“Through there, take us in!”
“Inside, Captain? Are you crazy?”
“Probably, but no more than anyone else on this ship.”
The breach was large, but still little more than twice the diameter of their ship, and in the darkness of the shaft below, they could not see what was beyond it.
“Just don’t stop!”
They were still taking heavy fire, and it seemed as good as any option. Dart knew he couldn’t pull up and away. They couldn’t expose their engines and rear armour; the armour wasn’t strong enough to shrug off the enemy fire as their thick front armour was.
“This better be worth it,” declared Dart.
They stormed towards the breach at remarkable speed. If it wasn’t hollow on the other side, they’d crash and burn, but it seemed the only bet now. Sommer closed her eyes as they made their final approach. She couldn’t bare it anymore. Jones was pushing them all to the limits and beyond, and she was once more feeling sick because of it.
Nobody said a word as they reached the breach and zoomed inside. They struck some debris but smashed through it with little trouble. They went down deeper and deeper into the surface as if it were never going to stop, when finally the shaft opened up, and they saw the ground rapidly approaching. Dart pulled up as best he could, putting power down to try and lift the nose, but it was too late. They hit the deck and bounced twice. The engines cut out, and they slid to a halt. Sparks flew up all around them, and they smashed through two Krys shuttles before grinding to a halt. Sommer was snapped back and forth and felt her neck click so loudly she thought she’d broken it.
“Are you okay?”
Jones was asking after her. She couldn’t believe it.
Maybe his compassion is not all lost.
He was satisfied she was okay, but she was still a little stunned. Somehow Jones looked completely unaffected by it at all and headed to the door as if eager to get stuck into the fight. Sommer couldn’t tell if he was rushing to get to Taylor, or just wanted to get his pound of flesh as quickly as possible. The ramp smashed down, and he ran out firing.
Sommer struggled to her feet, but Babacan grabbed hold of her and pulled her out.
“Taylor is waiting. There’s no time to be idle,” he said.
Two Krys soldiers were dead in front of Jones, and he was already looking for his next victims. They were in a vast hangar several klicks long and with fifty or more Krys transports lined up. Sommer looked back to the tunnel in the ceiling, and more Barbarlar vessels were still pouring through.
“A lucky find,” said Babacan as he pointed to it.
They rushed to the nearest door of the hangar floor and found Jones engaging a whole squad of Krys. He ducked and weaved with his shield presented before him, closing the distance as if he fully intended to engage in hand-to-hand with the whole squad. She knew he wasn’t right. He was taking too large a risk, but perhaps he was what they needed in that moment in time. That is what she told herself to try and stay sane.
Sommer and Babacan laid down fire, cutting down a few more so that there were just three left by the time Jones reached them. He hadn’t even drawn his Assegai. He ducked under one and fired up into its body with his rifle, shot another in the face, and turned to the third. His rifle was empty as he tried to shoot at it, so he smacked the soldier across the head with the barrel. He took its weapon, forced it to its head, and squeezed the trigger. Blood spewed out over the wall, but Jones didn’t seem to notice and stood in the pool of blood, casually loading the next magazine into his rifle.
“Come on, let’s find the Colonel,” said Babacan.
They heard gunfire and manic cries echoing all around them as the Barbarlars rushed into the fight. They sounded excited to be getting stuck in, a sensation Sommer didn’t believe she would ever understand, but clearly Jones did. They desperately tried to keep up with him. He ran like a machine and no care for anything else.
At a bend up ahead they found two Krys bodyguards in the finer armour of those who protected Lords. It was unmistakeable. Jones fired at the first with three shots to the head, but the other ducked aside, sheltering behind a third Krys he’d pushed in through an open doorway to protect him. Jones was on the creature seconds later. He kept running at him, but the bodyguard took the barrel of his gun and snapped it clean in two, swinging it towards Jones’ face. A small blade glowed and flashed as if it were powered by some source.
Jones leapt back and pulled out his pistol, firing five shots into its chest. It knocked it back but failed to penetrate its exquisite armour. It lunged towards him once more, but Jones fired at the blade and knocked it from the creature’s hands. Babacan put his rifle against the Krys’ head and pulled the trigger. The heavier calibre round went right through its skull and sent blood gushing out over the doorway. They stepped inside together to find a Krys who didn’t look to be much of a fighter. The alien was dressed in fine clothes, but wore no armour and carried no weapons.
“Where is Taylor?” Jones demanded “Where!” he yelled, closing the distance.
Sommer ducked back out of the doorway so that she couldn’t see what was about to unfold. She couldn’t bear it anymore. Screams soon followed as Jones went to work. She only imagined what horrors were going on. Twenty seconds later Jones appeared at the doorway with blood-soaked hands and no sign of the Krys.
“Let’s go!”
“You know where he is?” Sommer asked.
“Yes!”
“He’s really here? Taylor is here?”
“Yes, come on!”
They passed through another door and were accosted by six more Krys soldiers, but none of them slowed. Jones lowered his shield and scooped it under the first before tossing it up and over. It landed flat on its back as he went on to the next. Sommer took aim with her rifle but hesitated as it lay helplessly on the ground.
She couldn’t bring herself to execute it, but her time ran out as it swept her leg out. She crashed down beside it, and the Krys arm smashed down towards her head. She rolled to one side and up onto one knee, her rifle targeted at its head. A single shot went through the faceplate of its helmet, but as it dropped back down to the ground, she rose up, firing shot after shot until she was certain it was dead.
“Sommer? Sommer!”
Jones was in front of her and banged on her helmet when she would not respond. The rest of the enemy were already dead.
“Come on, get your head in the game.”
A glimmer of movement to their flank caused them all to turn. A squad of Krys approached, and they raised their weapons to fire, but were pounced on by the Barbarlars. Sommer watched, mortified as their allies tore the creatures limb from limb. Jones ran onwards without a word. She realised he had gone and ran on after him.
They ran for what seemed like an age when they heard screams up ahead. They were well ahead of the Barbarlars, and that worried them all. Many of their units had split off and been left behind.
“Stay here, Sergeant Ness.”
Jones wanted to know he had someone covering the rear. There were blood trails on the floor. They followed them until they turned a bend into a vast grand hall to find a dozen bodies scattered around. Ahead was a viewing gallery, and they strode up to it.
They were horrified to see Taylor down below. He had a weapon in hand, and an alien Lord in there with him had a similar weapon. Taylor’s blade dripped with blood, and more of it stained his trousers and bare skin over old and new wounds. He looked like he’d just about survived the most horrendous of beatings, and yet he was still standing. It seemed all those bodies they had followed there were because of him.
“Taylor!” Jones shouted.
Faces turned up to gaze upon them. There was a tier below them fille
d with Krys.
“Stop!” Taylor roared.
Everyone froze and fell silent, and even Jones felt compelled to hold fire.
“This is between me, and him!” he yelled. He pointed to the Krys Lord in the arena with him, who was bleeding from a cut in his cheek and lip, and another on his left arm.
“Cakir,” spat Turan.
“That’s him?” Sommer asked, “We have to get Taylor out of there!”
“Winner takes all. I win, and I walk out of here with my life. You win, and my people will leave and never bother you again!”
Cakir smiled as though he had no intention of keeping to such a fair bargain. Doors opened all around the arena, and elite Krys soldiers stepped in to join their Lord.
“We have to do something,” said Sommer.
Before any of them could think, gunfire rang out. Babacan was hit in the back and knocked to the ground. Jones spun around and returned fire, and Sommer grabbed Babacan. She pulled him off into cover, and Jones soon followed. He peered back out. Dozens of Krys soldiers were approaching with a hail of gunfire.
“Ness, where the hell are you?” he asked over the comms.
“We’re taking heavy fire. We cannot reach you.”
All the while they heard the roars of Taylor letting out the most violent war cries, as he hacked from one side to another, desperately trying to survive. He cut one with a vicious cut down the collar and decapitated another, but a glaive slashed across his left shoulder and opened a deep wound. Cakir took his chance while Taylor was down and struck him in the face with the pommel of his weapon. It opened up a deep cut on his forehead, and he staggered back.
The alien Lord slashed him across the stomach as he tried to defend against another of his attackers. He couldn’t take on this many, especially in his weakened state. They were toying with him now. His cuts were getting wilder, and they slashed from one side to another. He had a dozen open wounds, and they were just what he had suffered in this latest fight.
Taylor felt a blade cut into his thigh. His knee gave out, and he dropped down onto it. He was weak and desperately trying to find more energy, more strength that just wasn’t there. His mind wanted to fight on, but his body was broken. He laughed, the only thing he could think to do in his final moments.
Battle Beyond Earth: Survival Page 21
