by Jack Hunt
It was the only time that Reid had his doubts. He was placing his trust in Wakara and if he decided to change his mind, or if he had lied to Ayla and had already established a relationship with Draskan, they would soon find out.
As they approached the vast city of Trillium, the tree otherwise known as the Monument could clearly be seen in the distance rising up like a single finger pointing to the stars. It was a sight to behold. Large platforms carved out of the tree itself jutted out like overhanging cliffs. Most held hundreds of dome-shaped cabin structures, others simply served as balconies from which the chancellor could address his people and look out over his kingdom.
Hundreds of guards manned the exterior wall of trees that wrapped around Monument Square. The crowed pressed forward, a river of red flowing through a magnificent archway that displayed the crest of the Echobi people.
There was an intense energy to the people unlike anything Reid had felt before. Not even Earth’s greatest gathering could match it. It was if they all beat as one heart, like a stadium full of fans. The air pulsated with the thud of boots marching forward, and the occasional clash of a gong, and the steady beat of a deep drum.
“Lt. This is unreal.” Priest looked on with wide-eyed wonder, mesmerized by how a planet could gather together so many in one place, for one speech. It would have taken months, even years of planning to create such an event on Earth, and yet they could do it overnight. It spoke volumes of why they were a species to be reckoned with. Without the assistance of Wakara, there was no way they would have been able to finish the op. It would have been pure madness. A hint of fear, even worry permeated Reid’s being as he began to second-guess the decision. Ambassador Powers’ life meant a lot, but how many soldiers had lost their lives in service to the UEDF? She would be replaced, as were all soldiers and high-ranking officials.
And yet he knew this went far beyond Powers. If this army managed to bypass Earth’s defense they would slaughter Earth’s people in the blink of an eye.
“Wakara, have your people agreed to help?”
It seemed like an odd to question to ask now that they were in the thick of it but all Reid knew was that towns, villages and cities had received word.
“We’ll find out, I guess.”
“You guess?”
He shot him a glance knowing that his team’s lives and his own relied on the support of the Echobi people rising up against Draskan’s militia.
If Wakara replied, his answer was lost in the thump of the drum, and the hustle of people entering through the arch. Reid swallowed and nodded to the others to move into position.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Once inside they fanned out, and disappeared into the crowd of red cloaks. A hush came over the crowd and everyone came to an abrupt halt. From beneath his hood, Reid glanced up to a section of tree that jutted out high over the mass of people below. The chancellor appeared dressed in complete white. His clothing hugged his figure, the way an admiral’s uniform might. He stepped forward, beside him to the right stood Draskan, to the left was Kane but the ambassador was nowhere to be seen.
The chancellor spoke in his native tongue. Without Reid’s helmet on, he couldn’t understand what was being said, and yet whatever it was, invoked a roar from the crowd and they dropped to one knee. Reid was tugged down by Ayla, then after a short time she gently nudged him to stand. His eyes darted across the vast crowd to key areas around the perimeter that his team would be in. If they were there, he couldn’t see them.
A gong was struck several times and in another section that jutted out from the tree, the ambassador came into view. She stumbled forward looking as if she’d been beaten. Her face was bruised, her lip cut and they had shaved her hair off. All that covered her was a piece of cloth wrapped around her breasts, and then another between her legs. Reid balled his fists in anger and felt an urge to react. He turned his head to Wakara.
“Where are our weapons?”
Wakara stared at him for a second and then uttered something to one of his men who quickly disappeared. Within less than a few minutes he returned and slipped Reid his assault rifle. His eyes darted around and he saw movement and spotted Phantom being handed his. A guard passed by and for a second it looked as if he was going to question one of Wakara’s men but he continued walking. Wakara’s men surrounded Phantom to ensure that when the time came, he’d be protected.
In front of them Ambassador Powers was brought out and thick vines were strapped to her wrists, ankles, and one around her throat. Though she struggled, fighting them at every step of the way, it didn’t help. Within seconds she was hoisted up before the people like a petty criminal in a hangman’s noose. Had it not been for the vines around her wrists she would have surely been strangled. But that wasn’t their intention. Either side, large mechanical cogs shifted and turned over and then stopped. With the ambassador suspended in the air, they were going to tear the limbs from her body the way a child might pull wings off a fly.
As the chancellor begin to speak, Reid could see Kenji’s face on a large screen off to the right and left. The distress was visible and it was clear he was being forced to say things that were contrary to what he believed. Ayla began to interpret in whispers.
“Today my people I stand before you a broken man. I…” he stuttered as if second-guessing if he should continue. Draskan leaned into him and whispered something in his ear. A reminder? A challenge? A threat?
He continued, “Though I have decreed for us to stand in unity with Earth and to lay aside war against those who do not seek harm, today I have brought before you Earth’s ambassador. In doing so, you know what this means…”
Draskan appeared to mutter again, prompting him to give the order.
The chancellor struggled to speak the words as he glanced at the ambassador suspended ahead of him. Reid knew it was now or never. The moment he gave the command to kill her it would be all over. There would be no seconds to get her loose. He saw the machine tighten ever so slightly and a soldier waited for the word from Draskan.
For a brief second Reid shot a glance at Wakara and he nodded.
Phantom had been told that the moment Reid dropped his cloak, to fire. Reid lifted his hands and gripped the sides of his hood and pushed back, then pulled at the fine string that held it loosely around his shoulders. It slipped off his exo-suit like silk. Though it had taken only seconds, it felt like minutes before gunfire erupted.
A pulsing sound, once, twice, a third time, a fourth and then a final time shattered the peace as Phantom unloaded five plasma rounds to free the ambassador from her binds. She dropped to her knees and Draskan’s eyes flared in fury. A rush of adrenaline shot through Reid. He wasn’t even thinking about whether or not Wakara’s men would protect them, he’d already brought up his weapon to his shoulder and had it aimed it at Draskan.
Bulldog, Skinner, Viper all came into view like blips on a radar as they dropped their cloaks to reveal their exoskeleton armor.
A gasp came from the crowd as Draskan grabbed the chancellor to protect himself, and shuffled to the mic.
“Kill them!” he shouted over the speakers, expecting the people that surrounded his team to strike them down. When nothing was done. Shock, confusion and murmurs spread through the crowd. And for a few nervous seconds, Reid thought they would die as they looked upon them.
His fears were soon relieved as Wakara shouted something in his native tongue and raised his arm, holding one of the Echobi assault weapons. All over the crowd the people responded pulling out concealed weapons.
It was hard to see how many, as hundreds of militia soldiers pushed forward into the crowd presumably to go for his team. They didn’t get far as those who had responded to Wakara’s cry reacted as one and forced back the militia. Bulldog looked his way. Tension filled the square as Echobi people turned against their own. A smile broke on Reid’s face and for a brief moment he thought there would be no bloodshed.
That hope didn’t last.
A sing
le round rang out and Wakara lifted off the ground and fell backward seeping blood. A searing hole burned in his chest. Several of his men rushed to his aid but it was too late. He was gone. Reid looked up to see Draskan lowering his gun. Shock. Horror. Then a loud cry reverberated from the crowd as hundreds of Wakara’s men raised their weapons and fired at the militia.
Pure chaos erupted as militia returned fire at the command of Draskan. Those who had entered the square and had relinquished their weapons were plowed down in cold blood. Caught up in the gunfire, people scattered as women sought to protect their young, and fathers rushed to the aid of their wives. Reid elbowed his way through the crowd, and raised his weapon to fire at Draskan but he was gone.
Kane stood with a look of disbelief on his face for a few seconds before Reid fired upon him. Chunks of the ancient tree exploded, sending sharp pieces of wood in every direction.
Using a hand gesture he motioned to Sophie and Viper to cover him as he edged his way through the chaotic gathering that had turned into an all-out civil war. All around him bodies lay dead while others dropped. Reid moved in fast to protect a young mother carrying her child and was caught in the shoulder with a shot. He fell back into the mosh pit. A quick glance at the mother and child to make sure they were okay and he rose and pressed on, though groaning from the pain. His suit began administering fast-healing drugs to the wound.
Reid fired his rounds, and rushed forward as a black mist of Echobi blood filled the air and explosions erupted. Skinner unleashed several cluster grenades and globs of plasma tore into the militants.
Trying to push his way to the front was like a salmon trying to swim against a strong undercurrent. Reid’s leg caught on a dead body and he slammed against the ground. Struggling to rise to his feet after being knocked down a third time, he caught sight of Kane trying to make his way back to a ship.
“Kane!” he yelled but his voice was lost in the cries of the fallen. Reid turned and tried to get Phantom’s attention. He was covering for Sophie who was under attack from multiple directions. If it hadn’t been for Phantom, there was no doubt she would have been cut down in the heat of battle.
Bulldog slammed into militia from behind with a split kick that knocked two of them down. As he lurched forward to finish them with his heavy assault rifle, he let out a scream of agony as an explosion nearby sent shrapnel through his exoskeleton and tore into his flesh. He collapsed for a few seconds, then rolled over and continued to fire before attempting to rise again.
Skinner was cutting his way through a group with two plasma blades, making it clear how he got his name. His precision with a knife came in a close second to Viper’s ability with Rwings. Reid ran onward only to be blasted back by a fist to the throat. It was sudden and unexpected. He hit the ground hard. Darkness crept in, then light flashed several times and the next thing he knew was he was fighting for his life against an Echobi soldier who was trying to strangle him to death. As it loomed over him, holding him down by straddling his body, he slid his arms between his enemies’s and wrapped them around its neck, pulling it down. A sudden buck with his body and a twisting motion and he was now on top pummeling its face with strong blows. He finished it by plunging a plasma dagger into its throat. Black blood squirted in his face like an octopus shooting out its dark pigment. Tired, he staggered to his feet and looked out across the crowd. He reached down and scooped up his gun and pressed on towards Kane.
With two fingers he motioned to Phantom to fire in Kane’s direction. The last thing he wanted was for that asshole to get on that craft and escape. Phantom took a knee and coughed out shot after shot ahead of Kane, enough to cause him to seek cover in one of the dome-shaped enclosures. It was like wading through quicksand as thousands of people ran in front of Reid. All he could do was watch as Phantom kept Kane under constant fire. Then it stopped. Reid turned to see that an Echobi soldier had impaled Phantom with a plasma sword. Phantom dropped his rifle, cast his eyes towards Reid, and slipped off the blade into the mass of bodies.
“No!” Reid cried out, firing his gun multiple times at the soldier until it was cut down. He forced his way back through the crowd, turning to see Kane rushing for the craft. He had no chance of reaching him but he could at least make it to Phantom. Covered in black blood from head to toe, he fired in multiple directions until he made it to Phantom.
He lay on the ground clutching his left side, a gaping hole made it clear how this would end. Phantom’s armor wasn’t working and so no drugs were being pumped into his body. Reid dropped his weapon, pulled out a med kit and took out a device that was filled with white pill-shaped gauze. In ten seconds it could fill a wound and stop bleeding.
“Did I stop him?” Phantom croaked.
“Yeah, you stopped him,” Reid said, even though he’d seen Kane board the craft.
“I did good, right?”
Reid nodded. Blood crept out the corner of his mouth, and his eyes glazed over. Phantom gurgled then exhaled his last breath. Reid gritted his teeth and rage welled up inside him.
“I’ll be back for you, my friend.”
He scooped up his assault rifle and saw the craft slowly rising. He rushed towards an Echobi soldier and cut it down while keeping his eyes on the craft that was trying to navigate its way out. There was no way he was going to get to it in time. He watched it rise, and he knew in a matter of seconds it would zip up into the atmosphere and be gone for good.
Gunfire continued to erupt as he saw the craft tip slightly to one side. It shot forward, then came crashing down killing several hundred Echobi in the process. Whatever had caused it to lose control didn’t matter to Reid, he rushed towards the burning wreckage, as blackened smoke rose. Energy surges crackled around the front of the craft, the viewscreen was cracked and he could already see some of the dead or unconscious inside.
The rear bay door was open as Kane came rushing out. Reid was about to fire upon him when Bulldog came into view.
“Where’d he go?”
Reid’s brow knit together. “You brought it down?”
“Hell, yeah,” he said before catching sight of Kane and darting off in that direction. Reid fell in step, a task that was only made more difficult by the war that raged around them. Kane turned and fired multiple times. A young mother fell to the ground screaming in pain.
Viper and Sophie flanked them providing additional cover as they made their way to the Monument and entered the lower level. No sooner had they entered, when four militia came in from the other side wielding plasma blades.
“Go, I’ll deal with these assholes,” Bulldog said as he limbered up, cracking his head from side to side. Reid made his ascent up the winding staircase that led to the next level. Viper led the way and nearly took a shot to the face as she burst out onto the next level. A round came inches from her head. She tore off an Rwing and tossed it at the culprit. It hit its target, wound its way around the soldier and crushed its bones. From the next level Reid could see Skinner running and slicing the air, as multiple Echobi came at him.
“Viper!” Reid shouted pointing to Skinner. She gave a nod and leaped off the first level down onto the top of a Cataran vehicle and rolled off into the heat of battle. By the time they made it up three more levels, Reid had a better of view of the firefight taking place below. He gazed out at as the species known for its love of war tore into the militia with vengeance. There was no way the militia would survive. There were too many Echobis that had stood with Wakara. And yet the militia continued to fight. It was an overwhelming sight. A massacre of epic proportions.
Reid saw Skinner slice into one soldier only to be attacked from behind. He twisted and jammed his plasma blade into another but was cut down again. They were like wolves nipping at him from multiple sides. One by one tearing into his armor, and cracking it open to expose his most vulnerable areas. Viper was too busy fighting off others to get to him. Reid fired a few rounds over the side but he was too far away. All he could do was watch helplessly as they sliced off h
is arms, and then decapitated him. What was left of Skinner dropped to the ground only to be stomped on by the crowd. How many had he killed before they got him? He fought with more heart than in those he’d worked alongside for years.
“Dad,” Sophie grabbed at him. Reid was lost in the image of Skinner’s death. As he turned towards Sophie, Draskan came into view with Kane holding the chancellor.
“You just couldn’t let it go, could you, Reid?” Kane said.
“Take off the uniform. You’re a disgrace to the UEDF.”
“Fuck the UEDF. Once this is over, they won’t even exist.”
Draskan’s piercing black eyes gazed at him. “I’m glad you’re here,” he said to Sophie who stood off to Reid’s right. “You can watch your father die.” He then turned his attention back to Reid. “But don’t worry, I’ll be sure to kill her before I take your last breath.”
He let out a cry and rushed forward at Reid. Reid threw multiple blades at him but he swatted them out of his way as though they were nothing more than flies. Reid fired multiple times just before he plowed into him and they went over the edge down onto the platform below. The wind was knocked out of Reid as Draskan got up and slammed his foot down on Reid to hold him in place.
“I’m going to enjoy destroying your planet.”
With that said he reached down and grabbed Reid by the neck and hoisted him up to eye level, then slammed him down onto the floor. Next he dragged him across the ground like he weighed nothing. Reid reached for a plasma blade and slid it across Draskan’s armor. It cut in but not enough. Draskan let out a cry, and instinctively released his grip. Reid hauled himself up and drove the blade forward but before it could inflict damage, Draskan spun over the top of him and kicked him six feet across the ground. Holy fuck! Reid muttered, as he groaned in agony. It felt like a Mack truck had smashed into his rib cage.
Still with the blade in his hand and Draskan barreling towards him, he tossed it and it embedded in his armor. Burning through flesh, Draskan yanked it out, winced and then set his eyes on Reid.
