by L. E. Thomas
“Yes, sir.”
“I’m serious.” Towers looked back at the drop ship. “I don’t know what they’re bringing down on that dropship, but it sure as hell ain’t good. These Zahlian Marines are the best-trained soldiers in the galaxy, but I hope they’re green. Pray they’re green as Harkas.”
“Harkas?”
“Don’t worry about it.” Towers sniffed. “If they’re not, these are the type of soldiers who will come at us hard, fire without mercy.” He glanced at the Wraith. “This might be the only reason we survive this. Without it, they would just destroy the entire canyon. So that’s why I’m telling you to get away as soon as you can and don’t look back. This canyon will be vaporized once this craft isn’t here anymore.”
“I understand.”
Towers pressed his fingers to his ear. He glanced at Austin. “Let’s get in position, Lieutenant. The rest of my men are where they need to be.”
Austin nodded, following Towers to the boulder in front of the Wraith. They pressed against the rocks, propping up on their elbows as they peered down into the canyon. Austin put the rifle on the rocks in front of him and stared at the incoming dropship. It slowed and hovered over the canyon for a moment. The two escorting Interceptors shot past, the engines blasting sound across the canyon. The drop ship lingered above. For a brief moment, it appeared the drop ship was going to move on. Austin tightened his grip on the rifle.
“What kind of ship is that, Captain?”
“It’s a MUD.”
“A MUD?”
“A Modular Utility Dropship.” Towers shook his head. “Common on the new Zahlian ARCs. We don’t actually know too much about them, but they have a module that can be outfitted for any mission. This MUD looks like it’s outfitted to be a troop carrier.”
Austin swallowed. “And how many troops could be on this module?”
Towers shrugged. “Fifty to one hundred. We’re not exactly sure. But they can drop the module and leave it here so the MUD can escape to safety.”
Austin stared back at the ship. “And what are they doing now?”
“They’re scanning, probably trying zero in on the exact location they saw us land and verify they are in the right location,” Towers whispered. “That’s one of the reasons we dropped in with the wingsuits and not just landing. They would have known exactly where you were.” He stared through the binoculars again. “They’re also probably trying to ascertain the location of the umbrellas and eliminate the sensor jamming.”
Austin exhaled, waiting for something to happen.
“Stay quiet, men,” Towers transmitted. “Let’s see if they come in. If we’re lucky, they might move on.”
The drop ship shuddered, the engines quieting and being replaced by a higher pitched sound. The drop ship banked to the left and stopped in midair. With a whine of a turbine, the drop ship started descending into the canyon.
“Our lucky day, men,” Towers whispered, a smile filling his face. “We get to scrap with the best in the galaxy and see what we’re made of.”
Austin looked at him, amazed at the Captain’s demeanor. Towers exuded confidence and somehow was able to transmit this to his men now sprinkled around the canyon.
Laser fire showered down from the drop ship. Lethal bolts of energy pounded into the river below, sending up gusts of steam. The laser fire blasted into the water and moved into the forest, splintering the trees and vaporizing the massive mushrooms. Austin flinched, lowering down behind the rocks. Towers gripped his shoulder and squeezed.
“Easy men,” he said. “They’re clearing the LZ. That’s not concentrated fire. Just sweeping the area. Let them land. Let them get nice and comfortable.”
The fire ceased, and the dropship lowered down to the smoking remains of the forest’s edge. Plumes of black smoke poured into the sky, swirling like a whirlpool in the air as the MUD descended to the surface. More laser fire shot into the forest, but the fire lessened as the ship hovered in place. Austin took his first good look at the MUD.
The MUD hovered like a bulky helicopter without rotors, a hefty box underneath the center of the vessel. The modular unit attached to the underside of the craft looked like a sleek gun nest complete with slits in the side for concealed fire. Austin thought he saw movement inside the module. As he strained for a better look, the module suddenly detached from the MUD and fell into the soft ground of the river’s shoreline. The MUD’s engines blasted the area with a gust of power. A mist of water and leaves shot through the area as the MUD lifted up. The craft shot horizontally across the canyon and tilted back, picking up altitude as it fled the area. Two Interceptors roared over the canyon, flying close as air support for the dropship. A moment later, the dropship was nothing more than a speck in the sky. The sound of spacecraft lowered to a rumble and then disappeared completely.
Austin turned his attention back on the troop carrier nestled at the base of the incline leading to their position. Between the Wraith and the Zahlian forces inside the troop carrier module, stood a forest and Towers’ men. He glanced to the rocks on either side of their position, saw Bostock and Miller hidden behind the rocks with their heavy repeaters pointed toward the troop carrier. Ethan and Clark lurked in the forest somewhere, awaiting Towers’ command.
Holding his breath, Austin stared through the binoculars. Even the forest seemed to stop moving for a moment, the breeze dying. Water rushed down the river behind the troop carrier. The sound of metal scraping against metal burst through the air like firecrackers, and two troop doors facing the forest opened. Austin inhaled sharply as Imperial Marines sprinted through the open doors, spilling out onto the shoreline, their red armor glistening in the sunlight. The first four Marines dropped to one knee, their black rifles trained on the forest. More Marines poured out onto the shore like a crimson river threatening to wash over the entire forest. The Marines spread out and rapidly filled the shore. There had to be fifty of them, maybe more, all poised to march through the forest and up their side of the canyon.
Austin glanced at Towers, who glared down at the scene unfolding in front of them. He looked at Austin, a crooked grin creeping across his face as he armed his laser rifle and checked the scope.
“This’ll be fun,” he said.
The sound of laser fire sizzled through the air a second after the flashes lit up the forest. Austin recoiled at the sound of the spitting laser rifles, remembering the last time he heard similar weapons at such close range. The laser rifles firing in the atmosphere, up close and personal, screeched in a way they did not in the vacuum of space. It sounded like the air itself ignited.
He looked back at the troop carrier nestled in at the edge of the river. A squad of Imperial Marines remained on guard. Austin could see more men moving around inside the troop carrier, probably to provide orders and cover fire to the men now engaged in the forest, battling the two hidden Serpents positioned down the canyon. The remaining Zahlian forces disappeared into the vegetation. Captain Towers had said the troop carrier could transport fifty to one hundred soldiers, and Austin guessed at least fifty had entered the area.
Austin sighed.
Fifty against two.
Although he had never spoken to the Serpents forming the team’s “skirmish line,” Austin knew Clark and Ethan had the same fearless appearance as their commanding officer. The laser fire paused, a few shots spitting into the woods. A small explosion shook the ground, sending the treetops swaying.
Towers touched his ear. “They’re displacing.”
Austin gripped his rifle. “What’s that mean?”
Towers squinted, peering through the woods. “It means they are moving closer, falling back toward our position. Stay ready.”
Clenching his teeth, Austin watched the woods in front of him. The laser fire continued in violent spurts. Screams echoed. Men barked orders. A cry from the wounded bellowed. A tall tree reaching out over the rest of the forest shuddered. Like a wounded animal, the tree howled as it lurched, strained at the loss of
its foundation, and toppled. The tree crashed to the forest floor with a thud, shaking the rocks nearby.
“Bostock, Miller,” Towers whispered, still touching his ear. “You guys get ready. If they blast through, wait until they are in the open, then unleash everything you’ve got on those people.”
Towers’ gaze lingered on the forest below for a second longer before he glared at Austin. “You fire only when necessary and then stay down. You hear me? Stay down.” He gestured back at the Wraith. “You’re the only one who can fly this thing out of here.”
Austin sighed.
Towers slapped him on the shoulder, a fire in his eyes. He left Austin at the edge of the cave, rushing back to the Wraith.
“How much longer?” Towers asked.
“Almost there, sir,” Adams yelled back.
“We needed this thing done five minutes ago,” Towers barked. “You need Tasell back here anymore?”
“Nah—take’em.”
When Austin turned around, Towers and Tasell hurried back to his position. Tasell landed on his stomach, his rifle facing the woods. Towers knelt on one knee behind them both; binoculars pressed to his face.
“Ethan, Clark,” he said. “Report.”
He paused.
“Report in.” Towers lowered his gaze. He jolted back, his eyes wide. “I copy. Keep moving! Lead them to the surprise we have waiting for them.”
Tasell turned around. “They’re alive?”
Towers snorted. “Of course. Ran into a world of hurt, but they’re on their way back.”
“What’s the surprise?” Austin asked.
Towers thrust his hands into his bag and yanked out a gadget about the size of a cell phone. It was black with red stripes and three buttons on the surface. Tasell smacked Austin’s shoulder, gesturing to the woods.
Two Serpents, one with the other’s arm over his shoulder, limped into the clearing. The wounded soldier’s right arm had been charred and burnt, looking like the leftover pieces of wood after a campfire. He had lost his helmet, his eyes bloodshot and blood running from his nose. The two soldiers gave a thumbs up before collapsing behind a small ridge made up of rocks and dead wood. The unharmed soldier jumped back to one knee, his focus on the woods. He thumped his chest and both men promptly disappeared, their shrouded outlines barely visible in the daylight.
“Serpents,” Towers said softly, “get ready. Bostock, Miller, take out anything thing moves.”
Tasell punched Austin’s shoulder, his tanned face smeared with oil and dirt. “Get ready,” he whispered.
With the device still in one hand and the binoculars in the other, Towers waited. “You two stay down,” he whispered, leaning against the rock. He pressed a badge on his chest, and he disappeared. “I am looking. Standby.”
Austin leaned against the rocks, the stone cold even through his flight suit. Laser fire burst, but abruptly ceased. The wind once again blew across the canyon, the cold air rushing around them. He held his breath, the silence overwhelming. Despite the temperature, his flight suit was drenched. A bead of sweat slinked down his forehead and rolled to the end of his nose. He raised his trembling hand and wiped it away. His heart hammered.
He waited for a blast, for laser fire of any kind, for shrieks and howls of battle. But there was…
Nothing.
He closed his eyes, trying to control his breathing.
Had the Zahlian forces retreated down the canyon? Had they given up?
“Steady,” Towers breathed, his voice nearly inaudible. “Come a little closer … that’s it. There we go.”
Austin braced himself, not knowing why.
The shockwave rumbled the ground a half second before Austin heard the blast. The wind howled into the canyon. Dirt and debris fell onto their position like a hailstorm. Austin’s ears sang with a high pitched ringing. He shook his head, his vision blurring. Laser fire, much closer this time, surrounding him and ignited the air.
“Got’em!” Towers yelled, his body materializing into the air. He raised his rifle. “All teams—fire at will! Repeat: all teams fire at will!”
Turning over on his stomach, he looked at Tasell firing down the canyon. Towers fired three short bursts. The counterattack covered the rocks with a shower of sparks. Austin risked a glance. His jaw dropped.
An entire line of the forest had vanished, replaced by smoke and fire. The “surprise” Towers mentioned must have been explosives they had planted before the Zahlian forces had landed. The ground had been ripped apart, strewn with vegetation and the armored bodies of fallen Zahlian Marines. Austin watched one of the Marines stumble into the open, his body swaying. The soldier looked into the sky, his face covered in blood. A moment later, laser fire from the Serpents dropped him. Legion fire descended on the area from all angles. Towers had set up his fields of fire perfectly.
The surviving Zahlian Marines fell back momentarily, slinking back into the forest and forming a line. A projectile appeared in the air, spiraling toward Ethan and Clark’s position. A grenade. Austin flinched. The explosion ripped through the air. Austin ducked behind the rock. When he looked back, the Serpents were gone.
“Bostock! Miller!” Towers shouted. “Displace!”
The two men with the repeaters on the high ground disappeared, their shrouds activating.
“Why aren’t they firing missiles?” Tasell asked. He reloaded. “They could take this position!”
Towers fired twice, ducked. He reloaded. “They don’t want to damage the fighter!”
“Got it.” Tasell got back on his knee. He fired until the rifle emptied.
Austin rolled over to fire a shot, but Towers stepped on him. “This isn’t your time, Lieutenant. Not yet. You’re not a foot soldier. We need you to fly that—you’re the only one who can!” Towers gestured back to the Wraith and disappeared again, his shroud recharged. “Stay down!”
Tasell fired, reloaded. Bostock and Miller appeared just before they rushed into the canyon.
“They’ve got some heavies coming in!” Bostock shouted, leaping over Austin’s position as he gasped.
“Mortars?” Towers asked.
“Yeah!”
Miller set up his repeater to Austin’s right. “Saw rockets, too. Maybe a flamethrower.”
Towers swore, slapping his fist into his hands. “They wouldn’t use rockets or mortars, but flamers? Yeah.” He cupped his hand around his mouth and yelled back to Miller over the cacophony of battle. “Target the flame troops first! You got that?”
“Yes, sir!” the remaining four Serpents yelled in unison.
Regaining their composure now, the line of Zahlian troops appeared out of the forest. From what Austin could see, the Marines moved with precision and calculation, covering one another as their comrades moved from position to position. The forest, blackened and burning, no longer provided the cover it once did. The Marines rushed into the rocks for protection. Austin glanced over his cover and guessed they were fifty yards from their position. A laser bolt hit the rocks, suggesting he should stay put.
“How we doing?” Austin asked.
“Good question,” Towers shot back. He reloaded and yelled without turning, “Adams? You plan on finishing this job today?”
“Replacing the seal,” Adams screamed. “Get ready to start preflight!”
Towers grabbed Austin with ferocity, yanking him to his feet. He got so close to Austin their noses almost touched. “Now’s your time! Get up there!” he shouted, spit spraying Austin’s face. “We got you covered!”
Before Austin could answer, Tasell turned around, his shoulder burning with the laser bolt.
“Another wave coming up, sir!” Tasell sat back, seemingly unaware of the sizzling wound burning into his skin. He reloaded.
“You okay, Tasell?” Towers yelled.
“Just fine, sir.”
Tower glared at Austin. “Go!”
Austin sprinted for the Wraith. Laser fire scattered around him. His forearm flashed with pain. A familiar
burn scorched his skin. He spun around, falling to one knee. The laser rifle he held tumbled to the cave floor. He rubbed his forearm, felt the charred flesh.
“Stone!” Adams shouted, leaping from the back of the Wraith. He thrust his hand under Austin’s armpit. “Come on! It’s just a scratch! Get up!”
“She ready to fly?” Austin asked, wincing as his skin burned. “I’ll be fine—I can walk!”
“You got it, sir.” Adams nodded, leading him to the ladder. “I’ll detach our fueling system while you start preflight!”
Austin climbed the ladder, his arm flashing with pain. He collapsed into the cockpit, the seat engulfing him. His hands moved across the dashboard automatically, his training taking over. The HUD flashed on, the power levels at twenty-one percent. The engines rumbled to life. His seat rattled.
The sounds of battle surrounded him. Austin risked a glance from his cockpit. Bostock collapsed, his body sliding down the rocks. A mark blackened his forehead. His lifeless eyes gazed into nothing. Miller fired like a wild man, unleashing a burst of lethal bolts down the side of the canyon. Towers tossed a grenade toward the Zahlian forces and stood next to Tasell, who remained on the ground, unmoving. The Captain fired his rifle and frantically glanced back toward Austin, giving a thumbs up.
Within a minute, the Wraith’s engines whined to life. The force from the engines caused a dust storm within the cave. Pebbles and sparks from missed laser shots kicked up around the fighter. Austin twisted his neck around, looking for Adams.
“Lieutenant!” Adams called from the rocks behind the fighter. “Good to go!”
Austin nodded, unable to pull his gaze from the Serpent. There had to be something he could do. He had just powered up the most advanced fighter in the known galaxy. Glancing at his weapons readout, he saw he still had four missiles, two stunners and a full spread of countermeasures. He could end this fight with one pass.
“Go!” Adams shouted. “Remember us, Stone!”
Austin saluted with two fingers and closed the canopy. He locked his helmet into place. He eased back on the stick, bringing the Wraith into the air in the cave. As he powered forward, the fighter passed over Towers and Miller as Adams rushed to their side. The three soldiers fired into the mass of Zahlian Marines rushing up the hill. The enemy fire shifted to Austin, bolts bouncing off the Wraith’s shields.
