“We equal now?” Lee asked.
“For the first time I saved your life, but what about the second?”
Lee smiled as he got back up. Two Prians were now on the ladder he’d climbed. He put both hands on the ladder, and with all his force pushed until it fell back, collapsing on the enemy who were lining up to get them. He turned back with a smile to see two mutinous Rhepoys carrying a large crate towards the door of the headquarters. Several lines of Prians sheltered their advance as many were cut down from fire from the walls.
“What the hell is that?”
“Explosives, they’re going to blow the door. Come on!” Lee leapt down and rushed forward. He spotted the Colonel on the walls and pointed at the box being lumbered towards the door.
“They’re gonna blow the door!”
The Colonel saw him and looked relieved to see he was alive, but couldn’t understand him over the deafening gunfire and cries of the enemy. Yet some of the Prian warriors certainly did and turned back to face him. He parried the blow of one and spun past him, leaving Nelson to deal with it as he rushed on, but another tackled him to the ground. He got his blade against his throat and slashed it open, but as he got to his feet, the box reached the door. It ignited a second later, blowing apart at least ten Prians.
The force of the blast launched him off his feet, throwing him two metres as the ground shook beneath them. He was stunned as the air filled with dust and sand, and he could barely see. It soon began to settle, and he could see a gaping hole where the doors had been. As bad as it was, he knew it was their opportunity. He helped Nelson up and dragged him on.
“Run!”
He cut at the neck of a Prian who was trying to get up. They ran on through the dead and dying. Sergeant Stone was at the breach yelling for them to come on. They made it to the breach when Nelson was hit in the back by a single shot. He staggered forward. Lee kept him upright long enough for them to get through the breach and past Stone. He collapsed down and turned Nelson over. His armour was badly burnt and his neck cut lightly.
“You’re a lucky bastard,” he said, propping him up against a wall.
Nelson smiled, but shook his head, for he didn’t agree. He looked winded and barely able to move or even speak. A war cry rang out, and Lee got up. More Prians were storming towards them. Sergeant Stone opened fire, but there were too many of them, and they closed the distance in no time. He rushed to the breach, and Bosque and Rusu joined the Sergeant, too. The enemy were in great number, but it was a narrow breach and bottleneck. Stone stabbed, cutting back and forth like a lion. Lee cut down at one who tried to strike the Sergeant, taking its arm clean off.
It was an exhausting melee, and they were all tired. They couldn’t keep it up forever. Stone was cut on the leg, and Rusu took a heavy blow to the head and went down. The Colonel rushed in to fill the breach, and the General was right by his side. They fired and thrust at every target they could see. Bodies amassed before them as the floor became awash with blood. There seemed no end to the slaughter.
There seemed no end in sight, but as Lee gave in to the realisation that this could be it, they heard the roar of engines. Beyond the horde they saw three recon Otters storm in through the gates, and their automatic cannons ran out like a glorious symphony. It was music to the Marines’ ears as the enemy were cut down before them, and Empire Marines rushed in after the vehicles to continue the pressure. Those before King began to flee.
“Push them!” Rossman yelled as they moved steadily forward.
They reached the breach and found the last of the Prians scattering over the walls or being shot down where they stood. Some charged right at the armoured vehicles only to be gunned down in a brutal slaughter. Finally, the guns ran silent. Lee looked to the Colonel in disbelief. They were all battered and bloody. The General himself was cut on the arm and face. Major Soto staggered out of the complex with his rifle held high in triumph, yet he was shaking from his injuries. He turned back to Rossman.
“A fine day, a fine day,” he said as he knees gave out, and he collapsed. Rossman rushed to his side to find he was already dead.
He looked up at the General and shook his head.
“Our work here is done, but at quite a price,” declared Clifton.
“This is a victory, Sir. We saved the garrison, and the Rhepoys here remained loyal.”
He looked out to those under Soto’s command who had stayed loyal even in the adversity they faced.
“The troops were silent as they looked to their officers for some words of encouragement. Before they could find any, a comms man rushed up to them.
“Sir, I’m receiving reports of full-scale mutinies at Tustra and Icknow,” declared the man loudly enough for plenty of them to hear.
“Then it is as we feared,” replied Stone.
Rossman looked to the General to address the troops, and he knew it was his time to step up and truly take command.
“I am General Clifton, and I’m now in charge of this operation. The death of Major Soto and all we lost here today is a tragedy, but they did not die in vain. We saved this garrison, but it is a garrison no more. The Delphi Field Force is moving on, and we will not stop until we have suppressed the rebellion and brought peace to this world once more. Those of you who served under Major Soto, I ask you now, will you join us, and serve us with the same devotion you served your Major?”
None of them replied, but they didn’t need to.
“They are all with you,” said Madan.
The General had no idea how he could be so confident, and yet Lee nodded in agreement, knowing he could take the word of the Rhepoy.
“We won a great victory here today. We’ll bury our dead, and at first light we march to war!”
Lee looked back. Nelson was on his feet and hobbling out from the debris of the doorway. As he turned back, the General was approaching him.
“This is the Marine Rossman believed you could be. My orders were to arrest you on arrival and have you returned to serve your sentence. I chose to give you a chance to prove what you could be. Today you proved to me you embody the Corps.”
Lee was taken aback.
“Sir? You aren’t going to send me back?”
“I wanted to judge you for myself, Corporal, and I won’t send you back to those wolves. The Corps will hear of what you did here today and everything you have done. You were born for this. Keep on like this, and there’ll be no case for your arrest.”
He patted him on the shoulder. He was relieved, and yet it was all so much to take in.
“You see, can you see now why I said you could be in charge of your own fate?” Rossman stepped up beside him.
“Yes, if fate doesn’t kill us first,” he replied with a smirk and looked at the piles of enemy dead all around them.
“We’re going to win this war, Corporal, and we’re going to be there to celebrate the day it happens. Now get some rest, because tomorrow the real hard work begins.”
“Yes, Sir!” He saluted with a smile.
Nelson stumbled over to a pile of debris that had been blown from the doorway and drew out something from a pocket. It was a hip flask. He opened it, took a sip, and held it up for Lee.
“Really? You brought that on an operation?”
“You wouldn’t?”
Lee shrugged as he took a sip.
“Don’t worry. There’s more in our vehicle.”
Lee began to laugh.
“This world is probably gonna be the end of us. Let’s have a little fun before it does, huh?”
Lee took a sip and held up his flask in salute.
THE END
e(100%); -ms-filter: grayscale(100%); filter: grayscale(100%); " class="sharethis-inline-share-buttons">share
The Last Empire Box Set Page 20
