The Icarian Legacy Collected Edition: Brave Souls - First Strike (Volume 3)

by Kocho Trajchevski

  “People live all over the world, in cities numbering millions, in small towns even in villages. They live their lives doing their jobs, having a good life with their families, walking, driving, playing… Doing all the things you can imagine. It’s not a perfect world but it is a free world. It’s a life that is worth protecting.”

  “You’re right that is a life that is worth protecting Major.”

  Hasdrubal and Publius exchanged looks as Rivers seemed immersed in his memories. It was good to see the light in his eyes as he spoke of his home, a world untouched by the empire. It was good to hear about what real freedom looked like.

  “Major there was another reason we called you here. It is so that we can give you something, two things actually.”

  Rivers blinked as Publius spoke.

  “And what will that be?”

  As he asked Hasdrubal stood up and extracted two data storage devices from one of the shelves. He also took several large books.

  “Can I ask what is that you are giving me?”

  Hasdrubal looked at Publius and then at the Major.

  “One of the storage devices contains a short version of the history of our people since the first day our ancestors were sold in slavery by a race whose name we do not know. It is the history that is written on these books but I don’t think that you will be able to carry them.”

  As he finished Publius handed him the first datapad.

  “While the first one is closer to our hearts as people who fought the Dacarians I believe this is the one that is more important for you and for our home world.”

  As he finished he handed him the second datapad.

  “What is it?”

  Publius sighed and sat down.

  “It is the last gift from a race that we believe is no more. They called them self the Zerg. That datapad contains everything one of the few we managed to free almost seventy cycles ago could remember from the war. He was a captain of their ships, one who took part in many battles against them. He wrote down tactics, strategies, even the location of the worlds of his commonwealth, worlds that were rendered uninhabitable in the battles and that could still hold some weapons that we could use. He said that they owe us a debt and he hoped till his last dying breath that this would in small part pay it.”

  Rivers nodded and took the datapad.

  “Thank you.”

  Publius smiled.

  “There is no need to thank me. They were meant for you and the people that command you. I just hope that you will be able to use them. There is small translation in there but you will have to translate them before you could understand them. The Zerg were not a race any of the older races knew. From what we could understand before they died they had a large republic or something like that I don’t understand their government, and they fought against the empire for almost 160 cycles. It must have been a brutal war because according to him almost his entire race perished in it. And many dacarian legions and ships did as well. So i hope that there might be information’s on that disk that you could use.”

  Rivers smiled.

  “It will be up to the geeks back home to translate it and then will see. I hope that what you say is true. We could use all the help we can.”

  Hasdrubal and Publius nodded.

  “That is our hope as well Samuel.”

  Rivers looked at Hasdrubal and just nodded.

  “Is there anything more that you would like to tell me?”

  Publius smiled.

  “No major. We told you all we know, and all we have for now. The rest would be just mumbling of two old men who are too old to fight with their hands so we fight with our minds.”

  “It must be a hard battle then. Thank you again and I hope that I will see you again.”

  He stood and shook their hands.

  Before he went outside he turned and looked at them once again. They didn’t notice him and didn’t see his smile as they were already in discussion between themselves.

  It was a warm smile of a man whose respect they gained. In them he saw both warriors and leaders, people who still had a lot to give. He just hoped that they would still have time for that.

  As he came out he noticed a young soldier waiting for him. The soldier placed his hand on his chest as salute and then started heading towards one of the elevators. Rivers followed him.

  It was time to get back to the job they had.

  * * *

  Ellis watched in horror as he noticed the human slaves moving in the camp. They wore torn clothes, many wounds from beating, and some of the new prisoners had wounds that they received in the recent fighting. He could notice groups of other races moving as well carrying carts filled with rocks and strange looking materials. And he noticed the dead bodies that were carried away, many of them children.

  The group had to turn away and risk coming out of the jungle at this section to avoid being captured by the many forces moving in the battle with the rebels.

  “Bloody bastards, they are working them to death.”

  “I know John but there is nothing we can do about it. Not now. It’s not the time.”

  Ellis turned and looked at Kelley. They were friends and he could see the same shock he felt in his eyes as well.

  “You’re right James. Not now, but soon, soon they will pay.”

  Kelley just nodded.

  As they turned they noticed Arnes. They were both surprised by his presence and the fact they didn’t hear him come. He was watching them. It was obvious that he noticed their shock at seeing the slaves.

  “You didn’t know how they treat them did you?”

  Kelly looked back at the camp.

  “We knew that there were human slaves but we never came this close to any camp. Not in daylight.”

  “Many of these are new prisoners recently captured or recaptured. They are treated the worse. The Dacarians have some races that are more peaceful. Slaves that are already at peace with the fact that they will never be anything else and they operate the machines and the tools. These races you see here are races that are considered dangerous, rebellious. That is why they are treated like this. They want to break their spirit, their will. To make them feel nothing, and lose any hope. Its shame to say but sometimes they succeed, even with your people and with mine.”

  “It is nothing you should be ashamed Arnes. We all know that and have seen it first hand.”

  Arnes looked at Kelley as the human started walking away. Ellis followed him. In the distance he could hear the firing of the guns and he heard the booms as several kinetic strikes hit the surface. It was distant but he could still feel the tremor as the projectiles struck the target. He knew that that meant that the first line is probably broken. And as he turned he knew that the human was right to bypass it.

  The dacarian attack was simply to strong, to savage, it was far stronger than anything that their military leaders imagined and the first, even the second line of defense stood almost no chance of stopping it.

  He knew that the second line had far stronger defenses, defenses that could hold even against orbital bombardment but he knew that they could not hold against a prolonged one. And to man all those defenses they would need the people that were already lost. Almost every forward base was destroyed with massive casualties among its personal both the warriors and the command staff.

  It took them half an hour to reach the group that was moving forward.

  Kelly moved forward as Fly and Rabbit returned to share their information from their scouting.

  “There is an abandoned village forward about two hour’s walk from here. Most of the houses were destroyed my guess is from some advanced party the dacarians sent.”

  “Probably those shuttles we noticed the past few days.”

  Kelly looked at Rhodes.

  The three teams traveled together leading the group of survivors from the previous camps and villages.

  “You’re probably right. But we have to make camp soon and the nights are cold. The civilians w
ill be better of if they sleep in a house.”

  “Are there many bodies Fly?”

  “Yes sir, by guess I would say at least few hundred. But the houses at the northern side are clear my guess is they managed to escape since the attack came from the south. There should be enough space to place all of them inside. And we can take one of the smaller houses. It is also a good defensive position with the jungle so close.”

  Kelley though for a second then he looked at Rhodes.

  “Take your team and secure it, check the perimeter and everything in five clicks. Take Fly and Rabbit as well.”

  He turned to Atkins.

  “We will keep your team in the rear. Sanders and Mitchell will watch our tail.”

  Atkins just nodded.

  Ellis looked at the rest of the teams and at the civilians that stopped moving for a second.

  “All right people time to move. Soon we will rest.”

  The whole group started moving a minute later.

  The human soldiers moved in wide formation covering every side and protecting the small band of civilians.

  It took them almost two hours to reach the village. By that time Gamma team already secured their new home for the evening, cleaning the fallen bodies to close to the houses were they would stay for the night. It was the second time they stopped to rest for several hours. The soldiers hated it but the civilians with them had to rest.

  They managed to lose their pursuers several days before using the small swamp they passed.

  Delta then had the task to mislead them and it seems that they did a great job even managing to eliminate one forward scouting team.

  They all knew that it wouldn’t last. But it gave them a chance to rest a little. And according to the Illians they were just a few days away from another forward base in the near mountains that would take the civilians of their backs.

  After that it would be far easier to lose their pursuers.

  As the civilians settled in the houses, Kelley called Arnes and Morai. The two Illians looked tired but they still managed to hold the tempo he and his men set on this trip. It was taking a tall on them and he knew that they are almost to the end of their endurance but it was something they knew they had to do if they wanted to survive. It was hardest for the children. They were trying to keep up but they were carried most of the time even by him and the other soldiers.

  As they approached he noticed a small Illian girl entering the house behind them. Her name was Aya. He noticed her turning and looking at him. As she waved he smiled and waved back. He carried her several times during the last few days, and gave her few of his own chocolate bars. She was a small menace that was growing close to his heart in the last few days. And he knew that almost every human soldier had a child that was following him.

  As the two Illians noticed his smile they both exchanged views. They smiled as well.

  “Children can always find a way to make even the strongest men smile don’t they?”

  Kelly looked at Morai.

  “Yes they can. To bad that they have to grow in a world filled with hate and war.”

  “That is true but this is still better than what they would have as slaves to our enemies James…Far better.”

  Kelley didn’t say a word he just nodded.

  “Remember tell your people that they must not light fires. We rest for six hours then we move again. My men will come and give you some of our ration bars.”

  “We will tell them. They all know the risks. Our warriors will stand guard as well, so that your men can rest.”

  “Thank you Arnes it is a kind offer even if we don’t need it. This is something we do often and we have no trouble with it. It is a life we are used to. Tell them to stand guard here while my men will take the outer perimeter.”

  Arnes nodded and turned. Morai followed him but stopped for a moment.

  “Thank you. For everything you did so far human.”

  Kelley nodded and placed his hand on Morai’s shoulder.

  “We all do what we must Morai.”

  The Illian nodded and turned and entered in to the house. As he did Kelley noticed Aya standing at the door. Her mother was behind her calling at her to come back but she refused and looked at him.

  He smiled and took out one more of his own chocolates. He noticed her smile almost at once.

  She couldn’t speak his language just a few words but he noticed her giggle and as he started moving towards her she ran to him.

  He knelled and as she came to him he picked her up in his arms and raised her high. She screamed for just a second and then gave him a delighted smile. It was that smile that melted his armor the first time he noticed her. She touched his face with her hands and smiled again.

  He noticed her eyes drifting toward his pocket were he kept his chocolates. As he did he smiled and he noticed her looking at him.

  “Chocolate..”

  He smiled again and then gave her the chocolate.

  As he did she smiled even more and then hugged him and kissed him on the cheek.

  He noticed her mother waiting at the door. He noticed tears in her eyes.

  He took Aya to her.

  He put her down and looked at her eyes.

  “Go to your mom angel.”

  The girl watched him with eyes that showed she couldn’t understand his words.

  “Momma…”

  He smiled. She at least understood that word.

  “Yes momma.”

  He took her hand and took her to her mother. As he came closer she took Aya and took her inside.

  She stopped for a second and turned.

  “Thank you Lieutenant Kelley. Thank you.”

  He nodded.

  “There is no need to thank me. It is good to see her smile. Tell her that she will get one more tomorrow.”

  The Illian female nodded and turned.

  As she did he noticed the other children smiling and giggling. They all had chocolates and other sweets in their hands and were eating them with joy.

  “Yes it is a good thing to see them happy.”

  He felt relaxed and he knew that he had that little girl to thank for it. As he came out of the house he noticed Ellis watching him.

  He was smiling.

  “Don’t start John.”

  “Sure thing boss…It’s just, I think she has a new daddy.”

  Kelley turned and punched Ellis in the shoulder.

  “I think I can say the same about Osak for you. I think I saw your chocolate in his hand.”

  Ellis smiled at the reply. The small boy was his own follower.

  “Well we sure didn’t expect this when we came here did we Lt.”

  “It will be tough when we leave them.”

  “Yeah…But at least now we know what we are fighting for, don’t we?”

  Kelley looked at his XO. They both knew that this was already a huge breach in their orders and they knew that it probably won’t be the last.

  “We just have to deliver them to that base, make contact and then leave them and return to our mission.”

  Ellis nodded.

  “Is the perimeter covered?”

  “Yes. Rhodes and his team have first watch. We are next so we should get some rest.”

  Kelley nodded.

  They both took their sleeping bags and joined the other members of their team.

  Six hours later they started waking the mixed group of civilians. They took a quick breakfast eating some of the food rations they had and sharing with everyone while several of the Illians went through the houses picking up food for the rest of the journey.

  He noticed the Illians and the others looking at the bodies of the former residents of the village. There were mostly women and children. It was a sad sight. But they moved beside them just gently touching them and saying a prayer.

  They didn’t move the bodies knowing that that would pose a risk. As Kelley watched them he knew that this must be something that they are used to. He remembered seeing this si
ght back on Earth in villages in Africa and South America. It was something that made him angry and as he saw the others he knew that they felt it too. But there was nothing they could do.

  Not now.

  Half an hour later they were already on the move.

  They moved faster thanks to the rest. It was obvious that the civilians were refreshed from the rest. Delta was forward while Gamma covered the rear.

  They stopped several times and lay low as shuttles passed over head.

  Kelley knew that it was a small chance to be noticed in the jungle that covered them but he took every precaution he could.

  It was early afternoon when Mitchell returned. Kelley needed just one look to know that the news weren’t good.

  He didn’t ask just looked at Ellis and then they both moved forward. The rest of the group kept moving slowly behind them.

  It took them ten minutes to reach a small hill that overlooked a village placed in a small clearing. The village was covered by the jungle but there were several places that were in the open and it was these places that gave them up to the shuttles.

  The view showed something Kelley hoped would never witness again. It was a massacre.

  He could see groups of killed children, and he noticed many running while the legionaries followed them slowly taking their time. Small children were crying beside their dead parents and he winced as he noticed a legionary throw a small baby in to a burning house. Some of the villagers were trying to fight but they were cut down easy.

  He didn’t notice the group coming closer.

  He heard the shudder behind him as they saw what was unfolding and several even started crying.

  “Get the children in the rear Morai.”

  The words came from Arnes. Morai followed the order without question and so did the rest of the civilians. They all retreated. The humans stayed and watched

  Arnes joined them.

  He looked at the massacre that was unfolding in front of his eyes. His eyes were filled with tears. Miur and Hars fell to the ground and covered their eyes. He wished that he could do the same but he couldn't. He turned and looked at the humans standing around him. He could see that they were also disgusted by what they were seeing. But by the look in their eyes he knew that they have seen it before.