Anderson nodded. It was the right thing to do. And a good plan.
They both joined the rest of the team.
“We rest for four hours then we move once again.”
“Well I guess it’s time for Doc to take a nap. Come on baby time for your beauty sleep.”
“Only if you join me Jen…You know I hate to sleep alone”
The small exchange brought a small laugh.
“Maybe we should give you two a little privacy.”
“I think he wanted some privacy back in the base boss. I think our Jen has a weakness for a young roman nurse.”
Jenkins looked at Flint.
“Hah is that jealousy I hear in your voice F.”
Flint smiled.
“Well she does have a nice piece of ass, so yeah you could say that. Although I think I would love something with more experience.”
“Well F if I see her mother next time I will ask if she has any free friends. Since we are palls you know.”
The jokes continued for some time everyone sharing something. Half an hour later they were already resting. Half the team was taking a nap the others keeping watch.
Four hours later they were already moving.
It took them a little more than four days to reach the camp. They lost half a day by making a slight detour to avoid a small scouting party Jenkins noticed.
As they entered the small cave behind the waterfall they noticed that the camp was still well hidden. They found a note that indicated that in the past month Atkins and his team passed here and that they are heading to the randevy point.
Jenkins took watch outside while the others entered inside.
They moved deeper in the cave and came to the place where their equipment was hidden.
“Well it’s all here. It seems that Delta didn’t have much need for ammunition. They took some ration bars but that’s it.”
“Some? I don’t believe Jenkins would agree with you. Half the chocolate is gone.”
Doc smiled.
“Oh my now that is sweet. If they were here I would kiss them. “
Luis smiled.
“Well then you have the honor of telling him Doc.”
“Now cap like Jen said that would be a bit to cruel.”
“Yes and you would enjoy every bit of it.”
“You know all my secrets. Not fair. Not fair at all.”
Rivers and Anderson looked at each other and then burst smiling. A moment later the others joined them.
Gordon started checking the equipment and pulled the small radio dish.
He looked at Rivers for a moment and Rivers nodded.
Anderson went with him. They picked up the radio as they went outside.
Rivers joined them several minutes later.
They started distancing themselves from the camp and after two hours walk they started climbing.
It took them almost six hours to reach the peak.
As they did they first tried contacting the other teams. They got a reply from Morison, Blake and Davis. There was no contact at the start from Beta, Gamma and Delta, but ten minutes later they got the answer that they are together and heading this way.
Rivers looked at Anderson.
“It’s time for the big one sir, time to let Excelsior know that we have mail.”
Rivers nodded. He pulled the data pads and chose the one that contained all the information they had about the planet and about the resistance. It also contained personal messages from them.
He connected the datapad to the antenna and then started transmitting. They transmitted by piggybacking the dacarian system and bouncing like garbage information. It would be just a small noise one of the millions that were coming out of the planet in to outer space. But this would be information that would have a signal that the Excelsior would be expecting. The whole transfer took just ten minutes.
The job done they packed up and started climbing down, all the time on watch for any sign that their transmission was detected.
They reached back in the base camp late in the evening.
They were greeted by Doc about half a mile from the camp and continued inside.
When they got in they immediately went to the fire that was burning inside.
Most of the team was resting except Luis who was keeping watch inside and waiting for them.
He didn’t ask any questions just handed them their food and returned to watch.
Ten minutes later they were asleep.
The next morning they woke up early just as every day.
They gathered around the fire and took the coffee that Flint already made before taking his break.
Rivers looked at Doc and Jenkins.
“Any sign of troop movements outside?”
Doc was the first to answer.
“No. There was no movement at all. The only thing I can report is that we should get ready for winter. The nights are damn colder with every passing day. We better take our winter gear before we leave.”
“Damn right about that my ass froze when I took his place.”
Rivers looked at Flint. The blocky marine really looked miserable. He smiled.
“Lot’s of fat on you F. Wont be bad if you lose some.”
Flint smiled back.
“It goes both ways boss. I bet you looked just as miserable when you came back last night.”
Doc smiled at the comment.
“They looked like soaked mice’s F. Compared to them you were a beauty.”
The all laughed while Flint looked victorious smiling at them.
“Just keep it up and you will get you night watch in just shorts.”
“Boss you wouldn’t be that bad. Don’t forget cap me and this black boy here, we know you too long.”
“Yeah it’s been to long. Have to ask for reassignment when we finish this.”
“I’ll be the first one to say glad to get rid of you sir. No offense of course.”
Rivers looked at Jennings who made an innocent face. A moment later they all burst laughing.
“We will stay in this area in the next two weeks. Beta, Gamma and Delta are heading this way. And they are coming hot so we better be prepared.”
They all looked at him.
“What do you mean hot?”
“Ellis didn’t say much but it seems they picked up some stragglers along the way, just as we did.”
“Well good luck to them. Did they say were they are?”
Rivers pulled out a map and indicated the last position that Ellis reported.
“They are several days away from the second line. It seems that they plan to ditch their escort here at this base just before the second line and then head directly here. Any tail they have will run in to the rebels, no way to avoid them.”
”Let’s hope that they will have better luck than us.”
“Amen to that F.”
Rivers looked at the map of the surrounding area.
“We will split in two teams each checking one of the villages. Don’t make contact just scouting to see what we have. Anderson you will take team one and go to this site. I will take Doc, Flint and Gordon.”
Anderson nodded.
“We meet back here tonight. We move out in two hours. Flint you should take a break. You had the last watch.”
Flint nodded and headed back.
Two hours later they all moved out. They separated ten minutes later each team going to its destination.
Ellis looked at Kelley.
The face of the Lt. didn’t show anything but he knew that the news of Singer’s death would hurt him. Hell he felt the pain as well.
They both knew him a long time. He wondered how Luis would cope with his death. If he and James were close Luis and Sing were like brothers.
“We all knew that this is a mission from which we might not come back James.”
Kelley looked at his friend.
“Yeah… We did but it’s hard to think that he‘s gone.”
Before they noticed th
e other members of their team and of Gamma and Delta joined them.
Mitchell pulled out a small bottle of whiskey from his backpack.
“Have a safe journey Sing.”
They all took one swig.
Arnes watched them. It was obvious that the information they received disturbed them. He didn’t intrude and neither anyone else. They all knew that this was their private moment.
He turned and looked the large group of civilians that was resting. They picked up almost two hundred civilians from the village. Most of them were young about fifty were small children. They had additional thirty warriors that were just about to be executed when the humans attacked. They were acting as guards now keeping the civilians safe while the humans checked the perimeter. His biggest concern was the situation with the wounded. Many needed surgery that could be provided once they reached their lines but they were still at least three days away. And they already lost twenty one men and women the most critical cases despite the best efforts of the human doctors and the women who had experience in treating wounds. And he knew that at least ten more were close to death and would probably not survive for more than a day or two.
Kelley joined him several minutes later.
“We move in ten minutes.”
Arnes looked at him.
“We will lose more tonight.”
“I know Arnes but there is nothing we can do for them. The faster we reach that base of yours the faster they will get the proper medical care. My men are good but they are not familiar with you physiology.”
“I’m not blaming you. What you did so far… it is much more than anything we could do and trust me when I say that we are even more grateful than you think. I hope that the council will have the information’s you need.”
Kelley smiled.
“They do my friend. One of the other teams already made contact with your council. It seems that that team found several refugees from the same camp you were escaping. They took them to Ksamona. From what they said it is a lovely city.”
Arnes for a moment looked encased in his own thoughts.
“Yes it is. Even though it’s mostly a military base since the old days it is still a marvel. I hope one day you will have a chance to see it and see the images of what our own cities and the Ksand cities looked before the war.”
“I hope so too Arnes.”
Arnes nodded and left. As he did Kelley looked and noticed his people moving among the civilians giving encouragement and telling them that they have to go.
He noticed Flint holding the little Illian girl he saved in the village. Her name was Ksia. She was just four cycles old far too young to understand all but she saw the way the dacarians murdered her parents and her brother and sister. That left her traumatized beyond imagination. She clung to Flint all the time and it was obvious that he cared for her.
It was like he knew what she lost and how she feels. He constantly poked her and asked the female that was taking care of her about meaning of some things in their language. The little girl still didn’t open up but it was obvious that she trusted him. He was afraid of her reaction in few days. He knew that Flint will have to go and leave her. He just hoped that she will be able to bear that loss.
As he watched Flint gave her a piece of chocolate. Ksia’s eyes lit up when she took it.
Arnes smiled.
Several moments later the entire group started moving. The pace was slow but steady.
They had three more days to the line, a little more than a day until they reached the forward base.
A base he no longer felt sure will be there when they get there.
City of Grang
Arcadia
Kobark watched the strange creature that was standing across the table. To a human it would have looked like a two and half meter tall wolf. It had totally black skin and fur covered in gold like armor made of Hisium a metal that the Argara used to make their armor. He wore a red cape that covered the entire length of his body. The armor hid a strong muscled body. In physical strength the Argara were almost as strong as the dacarians. They were one of the ten free races that served as vassals of the empire from its forming.
“Ahura Sak I hope all your troops are in place?”
“Yes my lord. Five divisions are ready to attack the enemy lines. The last formations are taking their positions as we speak. We will do our duty.”
“I know you will. Your race has never failed us. You will have two legions that will support you in your attack as well as support from orbit if you need it.”
“I was already informed of that my lord. Before I came down from orbit Captain Lukhma shared that information with me.”
Kobark smiled as he heard the name of his wife. She was in orbit checking the status of the fleet and doing the test maneuvers with her new ship. It was her new command with a young crew and she needed the time to test both the ship and the crew.
In several months she would go on to a mission that would require a crew and a ship she could trust. The Lacarian front was a dangerous battleground. The Alliance was on its death bed but they were still dangerous. It was a front that saw vicious battles even more now that the dacarian fleets started closing in on the core worlds of the Alliance.
The Emperor and the Admiralty wanted a quick conclusion of the war. That was the reason for the increased number of ships of the Drukat Five Star base. It was a base that was responsible for everything in this sector of the empire, but the number of ships stationed there at this moment was staggering. And he knew that it will only increase in the next few months both the number of ships and troops.
That was one of the reasons he wanted to destroy all traces of rebellion on this planet.
The number of troops that would be placed here in the next few cycles was numbering tens of millions. They were already arriving.
And he would give them a world on which they could spend their next few months before deploying in peace.
This was most likely his last command and he wanted to leave his mark.
“Very well then, I trust you would want to lead from the front just like before.”
The Argara commander nodded.
“Yes my lord.”
“Very well Ahura Sak. Gorka will escort you to your shuttle. Good hunting commander.”
“I’m sure it will be my Lord.”
Ahura Sak turned and followed the legate outside of the chamber.
Kobark watched him go and then went to the communication console and sent a request to see his wife. He needed a distraction, and space would be a nice one.
Ahura Sac arrived at his command post one hour later. It was located deep in the jungle. He guessed that it was a day’s walk from the second defensive line of the rebels.
He was met by his officers. The commanders of the divisions were waiting for him in his tent. As he came out of the shuttle he watched the tall trees. His people loved the forests but this was a jungle far denser then the forests on his home world, or on any worlds that his race lived on. He knew that several trees had to be cut in order to create a clear landing site. He noticed several cells in which prisoners were kept. Most of them were Illians the creatures the empire encountered on this world the first time they attacked it. But he also noticed Sicarians and several races from the Alliance. They were worthy adversaries. As he watched he noticed a small group of humans. They were bloody and torn carrying many wounds.
He knew of the respect the dacarians had for these creatures. He often wondered of the reason for that. He knew some stories that were told of ancient times, times when the empire was young. And even before that, when the demonic Farsians ruled over his people. They spoke of the humans as great opponents, powerful enemies that almost destroyed the empire.
But as he watched them he only saw weak creatures. They were no match for his race in physical combat, nor were they good hunters. They were good warriors but his people exceeded them even in that. All they were good for was food. The dacarians might not be willing to
eat them but his race had no trouble doing that.
He noticed them looking back defiantly. He smiled.
“Slaughter them and prepare them for food.”
As he watched one young human looking at him he looked at one of the soldiers.
“Eat that one row and while he is alive. Let them know what they are good for. They are food nothing else.”
The soldier smiled and turned to several others. He gave the order and they went towards the prisoners.
The humans didn’t stand back and showed no fear as the soldiers entered. When they grabbed the young human he came without struggle.
When they dragged him outside six soldiers surrounded him.
Before he could understand what was happening they tore in to him with their claws and teeth and started tearing pieces of meat. The human screamed and tried to resist but he was powerless. In just moments all that he could hear was his constant screaming. And after several minutes even that stopped. He noticed the fear in the prisoners after this, and the anguish.
“Yes fear us, fear us because you’re only cattle for us.”
As that thought crossed his mind other soldiers started grabbing other humans and Illians and taking them away to be killed and prepared. This time they did try to resist but it was futile.
“Tonight we celebrate and feast. Tomorrow we go in to battle.”
The commanders of the five divisions were all inside. They stood up and saluted as he came in.
“General.”
He just nodded.
“Are the troops in position?”
“Yes general, they are all taking their final positions as we speak. I excluded one brigade of my troops to attack a forward base that is located about twenty five guraks from their line.”
He looked at the experienced commander who said that.
“Molok Sak, why is it that that has not been taken care of until now?”
“We only received information about it few hours ago. It seems that the legions bypassed it. It is located in a sector towards which they are still advancing. From what we were told they suffered serious casualties in attacks from some rebel commando unit.”
The Icarian Legacy Collected Edition: Brave Souls - First Strike (Volume 3) Page 68
