Bulldog plowed through the drift and surged into the open space.
Tomi felt fear like he'd never known. His eyes focused only on the open space and didn't take in any other detail except the route he was driving. If it would've helped, he'd have jumped out and pushed it faster.
A small group of units, the remnants of Bravo and Delta surged across the line and exploited a tiny gap in the Cion line. Rounds flared from both sides with the Cion tanks sending shots toward the encroaching armor. But at the same time the Vasilov units fired into the Cion line.
A round slammed into the side of Bulldog and Tomi yelled out. A second later alarms blared but he ignored them all. Bulldog was still moving and that was the only thing he cared about. His eyes were on the cover ahead, and through the swirling snows he could see buildings in the distance. Almost there.
Damnation blasted past and crashed into a burning Cion tank. She plowed it aside and used it as a shield to fire into the flank of the Cion units.
Tomi followed suit and did the same thing to a second Cion tank. His head slammed forward and he heard cries from the back. "Oops."
Bulldog's cannon was silent.
"Sergeant?" Tomi called. "TC?"
Sergeant Nikov coughed and hacked. "Oh fuck."
Then the main cannon opened fire. Bulldog rocked from side-to-side as the cannon swung and peppered out rounds down the slope. One Cion tank turned to run and took a shell in the ass. A second round blasted into a departing ammo carrier. A cascade of flames shot out of the side. The rest of Bravo and Delta came into position and fired nonstop.
The Cion line collapsed. Then the rest of the Vasilov armor raced across the three kilometer gap. A few Cion units fought on, but with their flank blown and a wave of armor incoming they fell quickly.
Tomi's heart hammered in his chest. "You okay, TC?"
"Fine, fine," she groaned.
"Move out!" Lieutenant Torori called. "Keep moving toward the goal, find that goddamn gate."
Tomi pushed the accelerator and surged out of cover. He drove down the slope and onto a flat plain. Half a minute later he climbed up another hill with Damnation on his flank. He stopped just when the crest of the tank peaked over the hill.
Winds swirled on the other side and then it broke. In the center of a complex of bunkers and storage facilities sat a massive stargate.
Tomi marked the position with shaking fingers. "Got it! Position marked!"
Colonel Clarke yelled. "Roll in! Wedge, left flank guns. They'll be coming with infantry from the main line. Dismount at the bunkers edge. Go go!"
Tomi hit it once again and raced down the slope after Damnation. Excitement surged and he knew this was it.
"Get ready to dismount!" Sergeant Nikov called. She coughed again and it sounded wet. "Cover the armor, we're going on your lead, Mick."
"Hoorah!"
Tomi grinned, hammered the throttle, and charged.
#
Chapter Forty-Eight
Lishun Delta – Behind Kadan Lines
Karl jammed the trench knife into a joint in the Kadan's armor and gave it a quick turn.
The alien struggled for a moment, then tumbled to the ground.
He didn't bother to wipe the bayonet clean and clamped it back onto his belt. The wind blasted into him and he tucked up against the wall of the bunker. He closed his eyes and waited for the wind to slow, just a bit.
He hated this. He hated the war, the Army, the Kadan, the cold. Just when it felt like things were looking up, they sent him out. Now he had to get close enough to get a shot of the stargate. The fucking Kadan stargate. The one and only focal point. Plus he had to find the goddamn thing.
The wind died and over the rasping of the snow came a rumble in the distance.
"Move up!" Karl called.
Private Sedan rushed up with three soldiers behind her. They all held trench shotguns and wore extra layers of winter clothing. "Can we stop, Sergeant?"
"Not yet, but shh, keep quiet, okay?" Karl said. He trudged through the snow a few steps and peeked at the other side of the bunker. "Where is everyone?"
More explosions sounded out.
"Artillery?" Sedan said.
Karl closed his eyes and listened. The booming sounded again, then again, then an explosion. "No." He'd heard that sound before. A memory came but he couldn't recall it.
Suddenly a troop transport appeared out of the snow and blasted past. The back was packed with Kadan troops.
Karl tucked himself close to the wall and held his breath.
More explosions rolled on the horizon. They seemed to be getting closer.
"Hey!" Sedan hissed and pulled on Karl's overcoat. He fell back onto the ground. A second later a convoy of Kadan transports rumbled past. Kadan infantry packed the vehicles with troopers hanging off every side.
"The hell is going on? The line is the other way," Karl said.
A close group of explosions sounded out. Then it came back to him. The Vasilov armored unit. "That's the convict armor."
"What?" Sedan said.
"C'mon! That's where we need to be!"
"But that's where the Kadan are going!" Sedan yelled.
Karl stepped out of cover and unslung his rifle. "You want a ride back, honey? Kadan gonna be swarming in no time. Now move!"
Sedan growled and rushed across the snow covered road.
Karl waved the other three past and followed just behind. He didn't know exactly where he was going, but he had a feeling it was wherever the explosions were coming from. Luckily they didn't seem to be stopping. Then he eyed up the Kadan corpse and stopped. "Hold on! I've got an idea."
#
Chapter Forty-Nine
Lishun Delta – Kadan Stargate Facility
Umi rode in the TC position of Apocalypse and watched as the dismounted infantry cleared the bunkers. He tracked the main cannon down the road while he locked each of the autocannons onto either side. He was cold, no doubt about it, but he pushed it out of his mind.
An infantry team blasted open a door to the next bunker and tossed in a pack of grenades. A moment later they detonated and they swept inside.
"More drones! Ain't no combat troopers here, Captain," Sergeant Paul called.
"Treat them all as troopers. You won't know until it's too late."
They rolled ahead slowly with the rest of Alpha company. The bunker complex was massive. All of the buildings were filled with supplies, mounds of weapons, heaps of ammunition, and strange looking foodstuffs.
"Armor! Driver stop!" Umi called out. He tracked the main cannon and punched off two rounds. Both missed as the Cion tank drove out of his view.
The infantry scattered into cover.
More tank fire sounded close by. "Got him!" someone called.
"Keep moving," Umi said. He watched the dismounted infantry move and missed his own Sigg troopers dearly. The Vasilov did well, but they were crude in execution, sloppy in movement, and brash in attacks. But, he thought, not bad for a bunch of convicts.
Apocalypse rolled up to the end of the row of bunkers and stopped. The infantry ran to the corner and peered around it. A soldier stood, walked out into the middle of the road and waved back. "There it is!"
Rounds burst out and the soldier fell.
"Get in cover!" Umi said angrily. Off all things to do, walk in the open? He couldn't believe it. "Driver, drive forward, we're going to retrieve that soldier."
Apocalypse rolled ahead. As they came around the corner, machine gun rounds pinged against the hull. The main cannon swung and fired a cluster of rounds. The Kadan position had already displaced.
"Get him inside!" Umi yelled.
A second later the infantry clambered into the back. "He's dead."
"Get out, stay in cover, and sweep this damn street!" Umi yelled. "Move out!"
Apocalypse bucked ahead and the tank rolled down the edge of the road. They turned one gentler corner and the tank stopped.
"Look at that," Umi whispered.
There, before them, was a wide open concrete pad ringed with lights and fully illuminated. At the center was a massive stargate. It was coal black with metal bandings, it looked large enough to drive four Sigg tanks wide right through the center and still have room on either side for troops. A line of Kadan troopers ran out of cover and fell as another tank hit them with autocannon fire.
"I've got eyes on the target, Jailbird," Umi called. He still felt strange calling his old friend Jailbird.
"Status?" Colonel Clarke said.
"Infantry, light resistance, mainly drones. Gate is not active."
"We're coming up to the gate now. We've got Kadan infantry incoming, can you secure that flank?"
"Roger," Umi replied. He snapped a quick glance at his map. "Driver, bring us around. Infantry, mount up. Alpha Company, on my lead. Load explosive, prepare to engage infantry."
Apocalypse rolled back down the snowy street and ordered the rest of his meager unit to spread out. They slid in to the edge and tucked themselves behind the nearest bunker.
Umi opened comms to Alpha Company. "Shoot the first thing you see. Call flanks. If they bunch up, mark it and we'll let Avalanche hit it with AP artillery. Fall back is next row of bunkers."
A single transport plowed through the snow and skidded to a halt in the middle of the road. Two Vasilov rounds detonated against the vehicle. Kadan troopers flew into the sky and those who survived dashed into the ditches.
Umi trained the autocannons on it and saw the rest of the transports. He released the autocannon, keyed up the main cannon, and opened fire.
Lances of flame shot out from the barrels of the Vasilov armor. Rounds exploded into transports filled with scrambling Kadan troops. What the tank rounds didn't get, the autocannons did. The next batch of troopers were a bit smarter and dismounted far in the distance and approached in cover.
"Contact! Right flank!"
"More, left flank!"
Rockets snaked out of the distance. They roared just inches above the snow directly toward the armor.
"Get into cover!" Umi yelled.
But it was too late and one of the rockets ran beneath the rocket intercept system and detonated beneath the hull of Avalanche. The Valkyrie model artillery tank exploded in a massive mushroom cloud.
Then the Kadan charged in a massive wave of thousands. Drones charged next to the Kadan troopers in a wave of flesh that threatened to overwhelm the line.
Autocannons fired nonstop with the main cannons stitching explosive rounds into the horde.
"Dismount!" Umi yelled. No matter how much fire he poured down it didn't seem to be enough to slow them.
The infantry rushed out the back and leveled more fire against the incoming wave. It wasn't enough. The line kept coming closer.
A shape blasted out of the snow. A tracked transport thundered ahead and tore right into the Kadan line. The vehicle turned and instead of racing straight at the Vasilov line turned and plowed through the wave of Kadan soldiers.
"The fuck is that?" Umi said.
The Kadan faltered as the massive vehicle tore through the line. They ran from the charging behemoth while others knelt and fired on it. Rounds pinged against the sides and it wobbled precariously before driving straight at the line of Kadan bunkers.
It halted a dozen meters away from Apocalypse and five soldiers in Vasilov uniforms rushed out. They sprinted ahead and found cover with the dismounted infantry.
It was enough to break the Kadan charge. Those still in sight raced away and flew back into the cover of the snow. The only things still charging ahead were the drones. It didn't take long to cut them all down.
"Hey!" a voice called up from inside of the crew compartment. "You guys better get ready, there's a whole lot more of them coming!"
"Thanks!" Umi yelled. "Who the hell are you?"
"Sergeant Karl Sigorski, and if you get my ass out of here, it'll be Lieutenant!"
Umi grinned and yelled back. "I owe you a drink!"
"Better make it two!"
"Jailbird, this is Apocalypse, we've got the line secured but there's more coming. We won't be able to hold."
"We're setting the charges now. A little bit longer."
Umi relayed the orders and stared out into the snow. Already the light of day was fading and the snow looked gray. "A little bit longer," he mumbled.
#
Chapter Fifty
Lishun Delta – Kadan Stargate Facility
Colonel Clarke heaved one side of the shaped charge and laid it against the body of the stargate. Warmth radiated off the carbon black ring. He stared up and watched snowflakes melt before they even hit it. "How long?"
"They need to bond to the carbon," the Engineer replied.
"But how long?" Colonel Clarke said.
The Engineer shrugged. "For a Vasilov gate, it's five minutes. I have no clue with a Kadan gate, sir."
Colonel Clarke ran back to his tank and crawled into his seat. Time was the one thing he didn't have. Umi had broken one charge, but could they hold against two? His heart was loud in his ears as he relayed orders for everyone to pull back to the gate. A little bit longer. Just a bit longer. He stepped back outside and surveyed the area.
Private Auroch stood with his mouth open staring up at the stargate.
Bulldog rumbled past and took position on the far edge of the stargate. One side was peppered with ricochet gouges with one particular gouge that was almost entirely through the armor. Baptism followed next with Bastard behind.
Colonel Clarke turned and looked around him. So this was it? The thing they'd fought for thirty five years to get to. It was more massive than any stargate he'd ever seen.
"An amazing sight," Private Cunningham muttered.
"Sir!" Major Bresov yelled. "Something's happening!"
Colonel Clarke looked to the Major then heard it.
A deep groaning, like the shifting of ancient stones, rolled through the air. There was a hiss, an electrical crackling then a spark of light formed in the center of the stargate. A roar echoed into the sky and an entirely different world appeared through the stargate.
An armored vehicle surged through the gate and stopped on the edge of the gate. It was sleek black, the width of two Sigg tanks, and only half the height. It wore a pair of turrets on the top with two massive bored cannons growing from each. Stubby weapon turrets hung vertically from the sides. An array of grenade launchers were on every quarter.
The new tank waited for a moment. The turrets tracked, the weapons on the sides of the tanks perked up, then it fired.
Colonel Clarke felt the heat as his command tank exploded. He flew through the air and tumbled to the ground. The shockwave knocked the breath out of him and he gasped for air.
The tank fired again and Bulldog rolled onto her side. Bulldog spun around and one track sailed through the air and disappeared into the snow.
The side mounted cannons on the incoming tank pulsed out a horrible roar and the Engineers on either side of the gate fell.
Vasilov armor fired at the tank and blue flashes erupted wherever rounds struck the hull. Two rockets surged out of the sky and hammered against the upper edge of the tank. One of its guns traversed nearly vertical and blasted the last Vasilov gunship out of the sky.
A Vasilov tank raced past and crashed right into the front of the tank and blocked its path.
Private Auroch knelt next to Colonel Clarke and fired from the hip. Private Cunningham ran up and knelt down next to Colonel Clarke.
Colonel Clarke rolled onto his stomach and struggled to stand. Too late. We're too late.
#
Chapter Fifty-One
Lishun Delta – Kadan Stargate Facility
Karl thought it was all over except the ride back. It wasn't until he heard the explosions that he thought otherwise. "The hell is going—"
"Alien tank! Dismount!" Umi yelled over the crew comms.
The rear hatch flew open and scraped against the ground. The tank was stil
l moving.
"Go! Set off the gate charges! Get the fuck out!" Umi yelled.
The infantry dismounted and tumbled into the snow. There was a massive roar and the outside was illuminated in a cloud of orange.
Karl stared at Sedan, stood, and followed after everyone else. He tumbled to the ground, rolled to a stop, and looked up at a massive alien tank. "Oh shit."
The first infantry out fell as the alien tank blasted out a barrage of close range grenades. The rest tumbled to the ground when the stubby cannons poured out a wave of projectiles. The bodies tumbled and danced as the cannons sang out. The alien tank struggled to drive over a Vasilov tank stuck just under the front edge of it.
Karl stood with Sedan and was paralyzed with fear. He saw the shaped charges locked onto the gate and realized he'd have to run past the massive alien tank. "Sedan..."
A Vasilov tank plowed past a smoldering hull and crashed against the side of the alien tank. It sheared off armor and crush the side mounted turrets.
The alien tank pivoted and tried to crush the Vasilov unit.
Karl sprinted past the Vasilov armor that was locked against the alien tank. Then he looked up and saw into the stargate and his heart dropped. Right behind the alien tank was a massive column of armor, all just like the unit that stood outside.
The Vasilov tank groaned under the force of the turning alien tank. One track sheared off and road wheels popped under the stress. The main cannon on the Vasilov tank spun to the side and sent off a stream of rounds that detonated one of the alien tank's cannons. Then a massive blue flash exploded. The Vasilov blew back a few meters.
Karl flew through the air and crashed against the body of the stargate. He groaned, rolled over, and felt something in his hand. The detonator. For a split second he recalled every frigid day, every shitty mission, every shitty situation, every shitty Officer.
Then he clamped down on the detonator with a smile.
#
Chapter Fifty-Two
Lishun Delta – Kadan Stargate Facility
Steel Breach Page 28
