The Cull of Lions

by Mark Iles

  “Then the Forerunners left them to die instead of helping them, which would hack anyone off. Hang on a moment,” Selena replied. “The Manta are supposed to be our allies now. Do you think they might help us to cure the lenars?”

  “Wherever we find a cure, it’ll give us an extra edge,” Cox replied.

  “How’s that?”

  “Because we may well find there’s a template. If we can cure one of these diseases we might be do the same with another, which would give us a huge bargaining chip with the ForeRunners; but God knows what the Manta and Sken would think of us.”

  “It wasn’t the Manta that did this, it was the ForeRunners,” Roberts said. “I’m not sure how I know this but I do. After the Manta attack was beaten back in that ancient war the ForeRunners decided they wanted this world for themselves. They tried to destroy the lenars using a similar weapon to what the Manta had used against them, but as their own casualties mounted they had to leave anyway. The lenars attacked the Manta in the forest when we were there because they were trying to invade again, and they were protecting their world.”

  “Good grief,” Selena replied. “What a mess. But now the Manta know the lenars are helping us against the ForeRunners maybe they’ll help us cure them. Mr Cox, get to work and keep me updated. Lieutenant Roberts, I’d like six teams sent to Loreen and you’re to accompany them. See to it.”

  Roberts eyed her shrewdly. “Very well, Ma’am. Mr Cox, good luck with your research. I hope it goes well, because from what I can tell these thousand or so are the last of the lenars.”

  *****

  Van Pluy looked at Selena from the screen. “What news, Captain?”

  “I’ve done as you requested, Admiral. Lieutenant Roberts is on her way to Loreen with six search teams.”

  “Good, thank you Selena. How is everything else going on Capulet?”

  She bit back her frustration. “Fine, no problems at all, in fact it’s going brilliantly. I’ll be honest with you, it’s a bloody milk run and I’m getting bored. I’m not a desk jockey and you know it. I’ve got itchy feet.”

  Van Pluy hid a grin. “Well, as it happens your relief’s already enroute and he should be with you in a couple of days.”

  Selena felt relief wash over her. “Thank you, Sir. Where am I being posted?”

  “To Loreen, I have a mission for you Captain.” He looked at the expectant expression on her face. “The Sken and the Manta are going after the ForeRunners. Their troopships will be here shortly and we’re going with them. I want you to lead our own contingent and to take some of your search teams along. As soon as everyone’s ready they’ll be going down the rabbit holes. The Sken say they know where the ForeRunners are holed up. This is a seek-and-destroy mission, something right up your alley. Bring your team with you. I’m hoping to get this show off the ground within the week.”

  “What about men, Sir? I know we’re short.”

  Van Pluy laughed. “The members of the Assembly of Worlds emptied their gaols and sent all of them to us. We rejected a lot of course but a surprising amount got through basic training. A lot of people hate the Federation for what they did during the Manta war, abandoning them and their families to face the bugs alone. Revenge is a strong motive and these recruits have bags of it.”

  “I suppose the fact that the planets they came from will be saving considerable sums of money has nothing to do with it.”

  “Captain, you’re becoming a cynic. Now get yourself over here as quickly as you can. I have two thousand troops waiting for you.”

  *****

  Roberts and Kes met Selena at Loreen’s spaceport when she landed, and their skimmer took them straight to the hill that housed the rabbit hole. Van Pluy was waiting when they arrived and Selena couldn’t believe the change in the terrain around the establishment. Everywhere she looked there were weapon emplacements and troops from each race.

  “Captain,” Van Pluy began. “You’re here at last. I’ve had to hold back the Sken and the Manta, they’re raring to go. I’ve had their forces mass on this side of the tunnel. We don’t know what surveillance the ForeRunners may have in Eden and I’d hate to tip them off by massing the troops on that side. Our allies may be more advanced than us but on this world we’re in charge. Once you’re through those tunnels the Sken will take over and you’ll follow their commands.”

  “Very well. How many of our allies are there?” she inquired.

  “Lots of Sken but not so many Manta. It appears they’re still licking their wounds from your little party a few years ago. As for the Sken, well it’s hard to tell exact numbers. They flit in and out of those amoebic craft of theirs so damn fast it’s hard to judge, but there must be thousands of them to say the least.”

  The admiral looked at Selena and her team. “Be careful. Bring my troops back safely or at least as many of them as you can.”

  As the admiral walked away Selena was surprised to see a Manta lumbering up to them, followed by a Sken, its eyestalks writhing as it floated in mid-air.

  “We go now, yes?” the Sken enquired.

  “In a short while, I need to speak to my troops first.” She eyed the Manta. Big and black with a livid white scar down the right side of its face, there was something about it. Ska would be a good name for that beastie, she thought. To her surprise both aliens waited where they were and, after she’d met and briefed her officers, she told them she was ready and they could move out.

  Following the countless Sken soldiers and a multitude of their bizarre amoebic ships Selena led a long line of skimmers up and into the mountain. She was shocked when they arrived at the tunnels. Despite an obvious effort by the humans to clean up, debris from the battle was still around. There were scattered pieces of metal everywhere, along with evidence of explosions and horrible burn marks that made Selena shudder. Even the chamber inside the mountain was blackened, while the guards’ desks and chairs had vanished and the old auto guns were simply marks on the walls. Guards stood by the shattered gates watching the streams of allied troops marching and floating into the tunnel. As her skimmer passed they came smartly to attention and saluted.

  Selena watched the Sken ships split into smaller blobs and then elongate into long tubes of constantly changing colour that slid easily down the rabbit hole leading to Eden. Next came the Manta, maybe a thousand or so, marching after the Sken and finally the long lines of skimmers with their human cargo followed. Selena had to admit the sight was impressive. Then her craft joined the line and entered the tunnel, and she checked her weapons yet again.

  Moments later they were out of the tunnel and into the sunlight of Eden, where even more Sken waited to join them. The troops manning the defences at the far end came to attention and saluted her as the skimmer flew past. The tented base camp was flattened and the entire site looked like a still from a war movie.

  “I wonder why so many of the Sken and Manta are walking,” Singh muttered. “The Sken certainly have enough craft to give everyone a lift.”

  “Maybe those ships are full,” she replied. “Or it could be a status thing, or some kind of ritual.”

  “Singh, you can’t blame them about the Manta. Would you want something that ugly on your ship?” Kes asked.

  “Well, we’ve got Braxis with us,” Singh jibed. “Hopefully the bad guys will take one look at him and surrender.”

  “Hard de har, har,” Braxis growled. “You should be grateful I’m on your side.”

  They watched as some of the Sken craft merged, before landing to pick up those who’d been marching.

  “Guess that one’s answered,” Singh muttered.

  The armies craft rose from the ground and skimmed over the forests, gathering speed as they went. There was an occasionally spate of coughing as the Sken craft spat globs of black matter at a few caretakers who remained lurking amidst the trees. The spider-like machines stood no chance and the column didn’t even pause as it engaged the stragglers. Then they approached another familiar rabbit hole and the Manta u
nloaded from the Sken vessels. The column reformed and poured down the tunnel to Arcadia.

  When they exited Selena and the others were surprised to find the tent camp still there, even the patch of dirt by the blood trees where Braxis had incinerated the massive reptilian creature remained blackened and grass-free. They continued without stopping at the camp but finally took a pause a few hours later. All the races posted guards and Selena found herself watching the Manta, as their insect-like faces constantly scanned the forests. Selena had mixed feelings about them. They were a horrible sight but she was glad they were on her side. Each time she looked at them she fought the urge to slaughter as many of them as she could. Then she felt the soothing presence of shadow in her mind, letting her know it was all right, they were safe. She glanced at Singh, saying, “Are you okay? I know you were with Bryn when we counter invaded his home planet, Theta. It must have been hell, particularly when you guys found the remains of his parents and sister in the garden.”

  “I’m fine,” he replied. “Of course I think about it, breaking into the compound afterwards and killing the alien prisoners wasn’t the best plan in the world. But Bryn had lost it and I couldn’t let him go on his own, that’s what got us sentenced to penal servitude. When you tried to get us pulled from the Dutch Lady mission it drove him nuts. It was me who suggested he come and talk to you about it. He just wanted to kill every one of them he could. It’s kind of strange standing here besides them now, allies about to attack the ForeRunners. God knows what he would have thought about all this.”

  Selena had eventually come to love Bryn and God she wished he was here now. She knelt down and stroked Shadow, seeking comfort in his companionship.

  They continued onwards shortly, and at midday entered a set of rabbit holes they’d not come across before. It was then Selena picked up a sudden warning from Shadow as they neared the exit of the smooth, white slopping tunnels. Ahead of them the Manta and Sken soldiers spilled from the alien craft and stormed through the exit.

  “Prepare,” Selena ordered over the battle net.

  Even as she spoke the sound of fighting erupted from ahead. There were shouts and screams of pain, the high-pitched shriek and low hum of beam weapons and the crump of projectiles exploding. Then Selena and the others were out of the tunnels and into a world with an orange sky in which several moons of varying sizes roamed. Ahead of them stood an astonishingly tall silver city on a reddish sandy plain, beyond which lay a mirror-like ocean the colour of burnished gold. The city sparkled like a gem in the sunlight. Tall, needle-slim buildings stretched towards the heavens and between them ran lace-like gantries. Small craft, made bird-like by the distance, could be seen flitting between the buildings but as the army spread out a cloud of machines swept upwards from the city and raced towards them.

  “That can’t be good,” Singh growled. “I’ve not seen anything like those before.”

  “I don’t think any of us have,” Selena replied, before adding over the battle net. “Standby, we’ve got incoming.”

  A multitude of weapons jutted from the enemy’s half-moon shaped white craft and as they neared the vessels opened fire. For the first time Manta, Sken and human fought side by side. The ForeRunner beams slashed through their ranks and explosions flung bloodied and torn members of each race in all directions. Others simply burst into flame, screaming before dissolving into ash besides them. In return the Corps and Manta weapons hammered into the incoming ships and every hit the Sken made was a kill. Before long the combined assault began to take its toll on the ForeRunners.

  More of the Sken ships began to come together and merge while other of their craft dropped from the heavens and joined the battle. As even more ships merged and the globes swelled they began to fire larger and larger rounds up into the heavens at unseen targets, and at the mass of incoming craft. The black rounds smothered the enemy vessels and ate into their hulls. As the gelatinous material hit the enemy craft they staggered, before dropping like stones.

  “Spread out, lay down a suppressing fire,” Selena ordered and the skimmers raced to distance themselves from each other, making them harder to hit. The soldiers fired from the sides of the skimmers, creating chaos amongst the enemy ships.

  “Keep shooting,” she ordered, then cursed as she saw the carpet of caretakers rushing towards them over the rosy sand like a plague of spiders.

  As her men complied, the Sken changed tactics. Even while their vessels continued to merge countless thousands of Sken spilled out of the ships and joined their comrades in battle. Above them their craft bulged and fired huge blobs of goo at the city. As the buildings were splattered with the viscous liquid, it ran slowly down the walls like glutinous porridge, before turning into black dust and drifting away. The buildings were left with gaping holes, and many collapsed into the streets.

  Shells exploded overhead, raining some kind of acid onto the Sken craft and the soldiers beneath them. The vessels trembled as though alive and uttered horribly deafening screeches as they themselves melted away. Unimaginable screams came from the infantry caught in the fiery downfall. Selena tore her eyes away as she saw her troops on the skimmers rip at their clothing even as they too dissolved. Others popped and crackled as they burst into flame. It was a scene Selena knew would haunt her forever, but the mega city was doomed. Those once proud towers were tumbling into the streets with loud, thunderous crashes while countless fires were fanned by the dry gentle wind that bore the multi-coloured smoke over the ocean.

  “Gravpacks!” Selena bellowed and seconds later the humans leapt over the sides of the skimmers and floated towards the city like seeds on a stiff breeze. She breathed a sigh of relief when, a short while later, the power beams swatted many of the skimmers from the skies. Concerned for the safety of her men she ordered them to drop to the ground, where they ran alongside the Manta. The search teams released their lenars and they too bounded joyfully towards the enemy city, weaving in and out of the humans and aliens as they did so. The allied army washed over the torn and smoking city like a wave; ripping into screaming ForeRunner figures and leaving their bodies behind them.

  Smoke, dust, the smell of blood and death was everywhere. There were enemy bodies in the street. Some still grasped weapons, although most looked like civilians caught up in the bloodshed. Selena was thankfully there were no children. Everywhere she looked bodies seemed to be around the same age, between thirty and forty. Even so, she felt sickened at the slaughter and then Shadow grabbed her attention.

  “This way,” she said to Singh, Braxis and four others. Shadow led the way down a small side street and they hurried after him, weapons ready. Kes and Roberts continued onwards without them, disappearing into the burning rubble that had once been a jewel of a city.

  The doorway Shadow led them towards was filled with rubble and, shouting at everyone to get back Selena fired a grenade at a clear portion of wall next to it, ducking as chunks of the building flew in all directions. A darkened hole appeared through the clouds of dust and, surging forwards, they found themselves inside the building.

  A rail-less flight of silver-coloured stairs led upwards to other floors. A group of panicking people in bright, multi-coloured clothes with weapons in their hands rushed down it towards them. They stopped when they saw Selena and the others, then screamed and danced insanely as the assault rifle in her arms juddered. The bullets slammed into them, casting their bodies from the stairs like confetti. They hit the floor with sickening slaps and lay still, blood splashing over the white tiles shot with veins of gold, and now bright arterial red. The Penal Corps moved forwards, slowly, carefully, their eyes and weapons covering every angle. As they passed the bodies one of them moved slightly and, without pausing, Shadow moved his head to one side, his teeth slicing through the woman’s throat as if it were paper.

  With a rumble masonry collapsed all around them and they ran towards a tall lime-green open archway beckoning from behind where the stairs kissed the floor. There they found a woman lying
in a pile of debris, covered in white dust and a pistol of some kind in her hand. As the stunned-looking woman spotted them she managed to raise her weapon, but Selena fired a single shot from her assault rifle and watched as the woman’s hand simply exploded. Selena smiled coldly as the woman screamed and clutched the ruined limb to her chest with her good hand. Selena walked forward slowly until she stood over her, the barrel of the assault rifle pointing down at the woman’s eyes. Then she moved the barrel away and said, “Braxis, get her to a skimmer and then back to Loreen. I’m sure she’ll come in handy.”

  Leaving Braxis and the others to it, Singh and Selena exited the building with Shadow besides them and stared up at the smoke-filled heavens. Far overhead lace-like white contrails wove through the orange sky. Here and there popcorn-shaped puffs of brilliant light blossomed silently then quickly faded, as ships further out in the system engaged and died. Closer by others exploded noisily, trails of smoke following them down to the ground where they tore into the city, the desert surrounding it or the motionless sea.

  They could still hear the occasional rattle of guns, the whine and hiss of power beams, explosions and shrieks of agony. Using the battle net Selena asked her senior officers for a situation report and realised the battle was almost over. A short while later silence fell over the ruined city. Troops from the combined army appeared out of the ruins and began to walk through the streets. Occasionally there was a rapid burst of firing and then nothing, as small pockets of resistance were overcome. Selena’s eyes were drawn back to the tangerine heavens, where puffs of light blazed for a moment or two as the battle in space raged on.

  “The Sken took out some of the ForeRunners’ orbital platforms as they exited the tunnel,” Singh informed her. “Eliminating the ground defences and attacking the city allowed the Sken ships in the system to join the assault. Their losses would have been horrendous otherwise.”