Joined In Battle

by Toby Neighbors

  “We’re clear,” Harper announced.

  “Good job, platoon,” Dean said. “Chavez, Ghost, take point. Tallgrass, reload the Heavy Armor. Harper, Loggins, I want eyes inside that ship. Give me a sweep in both directions. We’ll get a lay of the land before we proceed.”

  “Are they all like that?” Loggins asked.

  “Like what?” Dean asked.

  “So ferocious?”

  “Yeah, I’m afraid so,” Dean said. “Follow orders and stay alert. The only way we survive this op is by sticking together.”

  “Yes, sir,” the Fast Attack private said.

  “Use your AAVs to scout, and set MSV’s at any strategic point of access you find.”

  “Captain, we’ve got one hatch in the middle of the room,” Chavez said as Dean climbed over the bodies of the aliens to get onto the Kroll ship. “It’s sealed. Looks like the only way in or out.”

  Dean made his way through the tunnel of goo, which was like rubber beneath his boots. No one knew how the Kroll controlled the slime, but Dean knew they extruded it orally, and that they used the goo as an adhesive as well as a barrier to seal out the hard vacuum of space. Somehow, the Kroll could change the consistency of the fluid from sticky goo that was a fast-acting adhesive to a membrane that allowed a person to pass through.

  In the room beyond, Dean felt almost as if he were revisiting a place he’d been before. It was a large, open room with a glass wall opposite from where the shuttle was held in place on the side of the Kroll ship. In the middle of the floor was a round hatch. Dean had seen other captives held in similar rooms. He’d even been in the maintenance tunnel beneath the rooms.

  “Let’s cut through the glass wall,” Dean said. “Landin, use thermite and make us a door. Owando, let’s move as many of those aliens as we can right here on this hatch. If something wants to come up from down there, they’ll have to deal with their dead first.”

  The platoon quickly went to work. Dean moved to the window wall, rubbing his hands on the dirty glass to peer through. The corridor beyond was empty and he felt a slight sense of relief, but he knew the Kroll liked to attack in small groups. He had no doubt there were more of the merciless aliens on board. His job was to find them and kill every last one of them.

  Chapter 32

  It took less than ten minutes to get the bodies of the aliens piled into the center of the holding cell, and even less to weaken the glass wall with thermite and shatter a large hole opposite the shuttle. No more aliens had arrived to fight Dean’s platoon—in fact, the ship was quiet, which made Dean nervous.

  “Form up,” Dean said. “Concave, Talon, Layer, Venom, Engage!”

  The Heavy Armor Specialists formed a curved wall with their rectangular shields facing the opening in the glass. Ghost, Chavez, Tallgrass, and Landin took positions just behind the HA line, their rifles held at the ready. A few paced behind the others, Dean stood just behind Harper and Loggins, who were busy piloting their AAVs through the long interior of the ship. They had passed several more glass-walled holding cells, all on the same side of the ship as the one Dean’s platoon was currently in, before finally coming to a large hatch in the opposite wall.

  “That’s it,” Dean said. “Mark that position. That’s where the nest will be.”

  “I’ve got what looks to be a tunnel,” Loggins spoke up. “Looks just like what we came aboard through.”

  “That’ll be the connection to the sister ship,” Dean said. “I’m betting there’s another one at the far end of this vessel connected to the big nest ship.”

  “How come they aren’t attacking us?” Adkins asked.

  Dean knew it was the question on everyone’s mind. It was certainly on his mind, but he had no answers. He didn’t want to rush into a trap, but he couldn’t deny that his intuition was screaming at him to attack the nest quickly and take control of the Kroll ship.

  “Don’t know,” Dean said. “Don’t have time to find out. We need to move, people. Out the opening and to our right. “Endcaps - I want Owando, Adkins, and Teller in the lead. The Triplets watch our six. Loggins, you keep an eye on that tunnel. I want to know if anything comes through.”

  “Roger that,” the FAS private said.

  “Let’s move,” Dean ordered.

  Dean was at the center of the platoon, with Loggins and Harper just behind the lead HA Specialists. Behind Dean was Tallgrass and Landin, with Wilson, Kliner, and Carter bringing up the rear. Chavez was to Dean’s right, Ghost to his left. They moved quickly through the alien ship, alert for any sign of the enemy, but the ship seemed to be deserted.

  “This is giving me the creeps,” Ghost said.

  “There should be more aliens,” Tallgrass agreed.

  “Maybe they’re all on one of the other ships,” Harper suggested.

  “Well, if they are, they’ll be coming here as soon as they realize they’re under attack,” Dean said.

  “I don’t get it,” Adkins complained. “Why would they only send a few of their cats and one guerrilla against us? It doesn’t make sense.”

  “Maybe they didn’t expect us to fight,” Wilson suggested.

  “We always fight,” Adkins said. “And we always kick their asses.”

  “They just defeated an entire flotilla of EsDef ships,” Chavez said. “They probably didn’t think a lone shuttle would be very dangerous.”

  “They thought wrong,” the Swede said.

  “Damn straight!” Kliner echoed.

  “Alright, keep it down,” Dean said as they came within sight of the large hatch.

  It looked like the door on a submarine, only much wider. It even had a spinning lock that looked nautical in nature. Dean moved to the door and inspected it. There didn’t seem to be any other locking device, and nothing that looked like it might hurt him if he opened the door. He took hold of the wheel and turned it. The device spun easily several times before the hatch popped open.

  “Too damn easy,” Adkins said.

  “Try not to scare the rookie,” Ghost said.

  “I’m not scared,” Loggins said.

  “Alright, listen up,” Dean said, after peering through the dark corridor. “We can’t all attack here; the tunnel isn’t wide enough. I want Owando, Adkins, and Teller with me, Ghost, and Chavez. The rest of you stay here in a defensive formation around this door.”

  “Sir, I don’t like you going in alone,” Harper said.

  “I’m not alone,” Dean replied. “Besides, our objective is to get to the nest as quickly as possible.”

  “My AAVs would do a better job,” she argued.

  “Yes, if our objective was to destroy the ship. But we need the ship intact. So stay here and keep an eye on things. If you see anything anywhere on this ship, alert me immediately.”

  “Yes, sir,” she responded.

  “Alright, let’s move,” Dean said.

  The squad moved quickly through the tunnel. Owando led the way, with Adkins and Teller bringing up the rear. Chavez went ahead of Dean, and Ghost was right behind him. They all switched from their utility rifles to the EMR weapons. The tunnel was dark, and Dean could see condensation on the metal walls. There was also evidence of creatures having passed through the space. There were scuff marks on the bulkheads and bits of strange-looking fur or hair wedged around bolts or stuck in the small bundles of pipes the squad passed periodically.

  “Another feed chute,” Chavez said quietly.

  “At least they’re predictable,” Dean said. “Switch to infrared. Once we reach the nest, we double-time it to the central structure. Chavez, stay with Owando. I’m with Adkins. Ghost, get up on top of something and keep us covered. Swede, stay with him just in case you run into trouble.”

  They came out of the tunnel into a long room that was much larger than anything else they’d been in on the alien ship. It ran hundreds of yards in both directions. Dean couldn’t be certain how big the room really was. There was no light in the big space, and their infrared vision on the battle helme
ts showed several glowing blobs that Dean guessed were rock formations. Not far away, down the long room to Dean’s right, was a much larger structure. It was oval-shaped and rose all the way up to the ceiling.

  “Let’s move!” Dean ordered.

  They ran toward the oval-shaped structure. The HA Specialists could only manage a fast jog in their battle armor. The ground felt spongy beneath Dean’s feet. They were halfway to the structure when three bright yellow blobs of light came soaring out of the top of the structure.

  “Bogies,” Ghost said.

  Dean didn’t hear the sniper’s rifle fire, but he heard the wail of the first Kroll hit by the EMR tungsten projectile. Dean took a knee, raising his rifle to take aim as Adkins stood beside him, his back turned to the approaching Kroll. The EMR rifle popped as soon as Dean pulled the trigger. He saw a flash of heat in the infrared vision from his TCU. His rifle glowed in his hands, and the projectile soared up like a spark. All three Kroll fell before reaching Dean or Chavez. Their avian bodies crashed into the spongy decking with sickening crunches. Dean kept his weapon trained on the nearest creature, but it didn’t move.

  “Alright,” Dean said, “that worked. Let’s find an entrance to the nest. Staff Sergeant,—you go left, I’ll go right.”

  “Meet you in the middle,” Chavez agreed.

  Dean hurried forward. He and Adkins gave the fallen Kroll a wide berth. It was tempting to stop and inspect the bodies. Dean didn’t like operating in infrared light, which didn’t pick up details as well as heat, but it was the best way to spot the Kroll in the darkness. When they reached the oval structure, Dean could tell immediately that it wasn’t made of metal. He ran a hand across the rough surface, which crumbled slightly under this touch.

  “What the hell is it?” Adkins asked.

  “Looks like mud,” Dean replied. “You watch the sky. I’m switching to night vision.”

  “You got it, Captain,” Adkins replied.

  They moved more slowly, and once again Dean wondered why there wasn’t more resistance. He had expected the Kroll to put up a much more difficult fight, but it seemed as if only a few of the aliens were even aboard their ship.

  “I got nothing, Jefe,” Chavez said. “No openings.”

  “Me either,” Dean replied as they met on the far side of the oval shaped structure. “They must just fly out the top.”

  “It’s not that tall,” the staff sergeant replied. “I’m game if you are.”

  “Alright—Owando, Adkins, I want you both back on the opposite side, but not too close to the Kroll we shot. They might not be dead, and we can’t risk anyone getting stuck in the goo they spit. Chavez and I are going up to see if we can get inside this structure. It has to be their control center.”

  “This is getting crazy,” Adkins replied. “Why don’t we just blast a hole in the side of this thing? It can’t be very tough.”

  “We might damage something vital if we use force,” Dean said. “Just get around to the other side and stay alert. Ghost, how is everything looking?”

  “Quiet,” the Sniper replied. “No movement on any spectrum.”

  “Alright,” Dean replied. “We’re going in.”

  The climb up the exterior of the structure wasn’t all that difficult. The substance was brittle on the exterior, but underneath the surface it was more solid. The uneven nature of the structure made it easy to find hand- and foot-holds. Dean was glad his weapons were magnetically held in place so they didn’t swing from straps or bang into his armor. He knew they were in a vulnerable position as they climbed the structure, but unless Dean was greatly mistaken, he knew they would have to get inside to take control of the ship.

  When they reached the top, they found a wide, dark opening, but there was room along the edge for the two men to sit. Dean took a chance and shined a light down into the structure.

  “Holy shit!” Chavez said. “It’s actually a nest.”

  “Lots of little baby Kroll,” Dean replied, shaking his head. “That’s a shame.”

  “Why aren’t those fat ones down there attacking?” Chavez pointed out.

  Dean looked at the plump creatures. They were covered in a thick, shaggy hide, but it was obvious their bodies were larger than any of the Kroll Dean had seen before. He wasn’t sure why they weren’t attacking him; they screeched and snapped whenever his light passed over them. And then he saw the answer.

  “They’re sitting on eggs,” Dean replied. “Look!”

  He aimed the light at the fat Kroll and pointed out the round nest of debris just under the creature. Chavez swore softly and Dean nodded. The only thing left to do was to kill the creatures. They were helpless, mostly just infants, but Dean knew he couldn’t let them live. They might be dangerous, and even if they weren’t yet, they could become dangerous at any time. Everything in him screamed to stop, but he raised his utility rifle and began firing. Chavez quickly followed suit, and the slaughter was over in a matter of minutes.

  “Harper, you copy?” Dean asked.

  “Yes, sir,” the Fast Attack sergeant said.

  “Meet me in the nest,” Dean replied. “I’ve found their gravity drive, but I have no idea how they work it.”

  “Yes, sir, but you might want to take a look at this first,” she replied.

  A vid feed suddenly appeared on Dean’s TCU face shield. He recognized the thick, dirty glass of a holding cell. On the opposite side was a face—a human face.

  “Is that a person?” Dean asked.

  “Looks like it, Captain,” Harper said. “Tallgrass has gone to investigate.”

  “You get in here. Ghost will help you in the nest,” Dean ordered. “I want to know how they’re flying these ships.”

  “Roger that,” Harper said.

  “Chavez, you stay here with the HA squad and keep an eye on things. I’ll check on the captives.”

  “Careful out there, sir,” Chavez said.

  “Yeah, I know—it’s too quiet.”

  “I’m just saying…”

  “I read you, Staff Sergeant. And I feel the same way.”

  Chapter 33

  Dean caught up to Sergeant Eleanor Tallgrass just as she fired the thermite she had outlined around the glass wall. The opening she was making was smaller than what Landin had cut in the holding cell they had broken through.

  “What’ve you got, Sergeant?” Dean asked.

  “Humans, that’s all I know for sure. The walls are soundproof, and these were so dirty it was hard to see through. We’ll know more in a second.”

  They stood back, waiting for the thermite to finish burning into the thick glass. The walls were so thick that the thermite only burned three quarters of the way into them. Dean used his EMR rifle to shatter the glass once the thermite had done its job. Once the glass was clear, Dean immediately saw nearly forty humans in the holding cell. He recognized their utility fatigues. Most were naval, but there were a few O&A personnel in the crowd. What he didn’t see were Recon Specialists.

  A tall man with ebony skin stepped to the hole and peered out. He looked tired and wary, his eyes quickly scanning Dean and Tallgrass.

  “This our rescue?” he asked.

  “After a fashion,” Dean said. “I’m Captain Blaze, OWFR.”

  “Yeah, it’s pretty obvious who you are, Captain. I’m Vice Admiral Dole, Commander of the Hastings.”

  “How many survivors, sir?” Dean asked.

  “Forty-two souls. Everyone except our Recon platoon.”

  “What happened to your specialists, if I may ask, Vice Admiral?”

  “I don’t know. Rear Admiral Chancy sent them in on their shuttles. We lost contact as soon as the ships made contact. Then we were attacked. Used our drones to fight them off, but there were too many and they were too damn fast. The Constantinople self-destructed, but it didn’t seem to damage the Kroll ship. Then we lost contact with the rear admiral. We were boarded, rounded up, and locked in here. I haven’t seen or heard anything else.”

  Dean
wanted to ask if Rear Admiral Chancy had actually ordered a capital ship to self-destruct, but he knew it wasn’t the time to question anyone’s orders. He wondered if the Recon platoons had all been destroyed; he couldn’t imagine them going out without taking a good number of the Kroll with them. Perhaps, he thought, that was why so few remained on the ship.

  “Where do you want us?” Vice Admiral Dole asked.

  “You aren’t going to like it,” Dean said. “But for now, it’s probably best if you stay here.”

  “I’d rather you escort my crew onto your ship, Captain,” the VA said irritably. “We’ve been stuck in this cell for days.”

  “We don’t have a ship, sir,” Dean replied. “We’re an insertion team. The brass has recalled all vessels to the Sol system. Our mission is to gain control of at least one of these vessels and either capture or destroy the other two.”

  “Captain, I hate to pull rank, but I don’t believe what you’re telling me.”

  “That’s the god’s honest truth, sir. My platoon is the only help coming. The ship isn’t completely secure. For now, staying put is the best course of action.”

  “You have weapons for us? Radios, emergency vacuum suits, anything?”

  “I’m sorry, Vice Admiral. We came in with only what we could carry. Stay here with Sergeant Tallgrass and we’ll do our best to get you help.”

  “Fine,” the naval officer said, his face pinched with anger. “But don’t forget about us, Captain.”

  “No sir, we won’t do that.”

  Dean was just about to walk away when Tallgrass motioned to him. Dean opened a private channel so they could talk without being overheard.

  “Sir, they have operators and engineers,” she said.

  “Yes, I know that,” Dean replied.

  “I was just thinking that perhaps they could help fly the ship, sir,” she said respectfully.