Final Conflict

by Raymond L. Weil

  Moments later the Destiny landed softly. Its energy turrets were still firing, taking out groups of Zaltule.

  “Hatches are open. Marines are exiting,” reported Ensign Reynolds from tactical. “Hover tanks are moving out of the main cargo bay.”

  On the viewscreens, Higgins could see the Marines spreading out and establishing their perimeter. Weapons fire was sporadic as most of the Zaltule had already been eliminated by the Destiny’s energy weapons.

  “Drop ships are beginning to enter the tunnel,” reported Lieutenant Braggs.

  -

  Thomas felt tense as the drop ship landed. As soon as the ship was stable the large back hatch swung up and the descent ramp lowered.

  “Let’s go,” yelled Corporal Haley. “Do you all want to live forever?” Grasping her assault rifle the corporal darted out of the hatch followed by her squad of Marines in Type Seven battlesuits.

  “Give her a minute to set up the perimeter,” said Sergeant Bixt. “Then the rest of us will go out.”

  Thomas nodded. For now he was willing to follow Sergeant Bixt’s advice since he had been on numerous combat missions.

  -

  In orbit, Rear Admiral Stinson grimaced as the Dauntless shook violently and then stabilized again. On the viewscreens, her fleet was being pummeled by the Zaltule who were moving in, attempting to destroy her ships.

  “We’re losing a lot of ships,” reported Commander Hill as he listened to reports coming in over his comm. “The Zaltule are closing with our fleet and we won’t be able to hold this position much longer.”

  “What about the landings?” asked Amelia as the Dauntless shook again and the lights dimmed briefly. She could see a number of red lights showing on the damage control console.

  “Another ten minutes and all the assault ships, drops ships, and cargo ships will have landed.”

  Amelia drew in a sharp breath as she saw the heavy battlecruiser Princeton explode on one of the viewscreens. The fighting was now so intense she knew they would not last another ten minutes. All Zaltule ships in the system had now joined the Zaltule disk formation, which was steadily advancing toward the battered Human and Alliance fleets.

  Amelia reached a decision. “We leave in two minutes. We can’t wait any longer.” If she waited any longer she risked losing her entire fleet.

  “We’ll have to fight our way through the Zaltule fleet again,” pointed out Commander Hill. “There’s too much energy being released to safely enter Fold Space from out current position. We’re also too close to the planet.”

  Amelia winced as she saw two more of her assault ships explode in bright fiery blasts from antimatter strikes. She just hoped the Marines succeeded in their mission though she was still at a loss as to how to get them off the planet.

  -

  War Overlord Tetus reeled in shock from the reports he was receiving. The Humans were attempting an actual armed invasion of the hives. They were going after the Queens!

  “I want all of our warriors on our ships in battlesuits and armed. As soon as we deal with these enemy ships we’ll be sending them down to the planet to kill the Human invaders.”

  To Tetus it was beyond belief that an inferior race would dare to attack the hives and harm the Queens. Fortunately the Queens were deep underground and there were hundreds of thousands of Zaltule in the hives. However, many of them were young and untrained. Most would not even be wearing battlesuits. His eyes returned to the viewscreens. He watched in silence as a Zaltule battlecruiser was ripped in two by several antimatter missiles. He had lost a lot of ships in his fleet but the Humans and the Alliance fleets had lost more. It would not be much longer before they were all destroyed and then he could deal with the invasions of the hives.

  -

  The battle between the two opposing fleets was intense. The space between them was full of exploding warheads and the flashes of energy beams. The firepower being used was so great that if an energy shield wavered or failed the ship beneath that shield died almost instantly.

  The heavy battlecruiser Titan was near the center of the fleet formation. Its energy shield was flickering and threatening to fail. The ship was already heavily damaged from a number of pulse fusion beams, which had cut deep swaths of destruction in the hull of the ship. Damage control teams were rushing through the vessel trying to contain the damage.

  In the Command Center Commander Singh felt his ship shuddering almost uncontrollably as more antimatter missiles and energy beams struck the shield.

  “The shield is starting to leak like a sieve,” reported the tactical officer. “Energy shield is down to 18 percent.”

  “Communications, inform the Dauntless we won’t last much longer.”

  “We’re supposed to be ready to depart in another few seconds,” reported the communication officer.

  “Back through the Zaltule fleet,” muttered Commander Singh, knowing his ship would never make it. “Stand by to move out and away from the planet.”

  “Signal from the Dauntless,” reported the communications officer. “It’s time to go.”

  The Titan began moving forward. Around her the other ships of the fleet were doing the same. As they neared the Zaltule fleet the firing grew more intense. The Titan shook violently and more red lights flared up on the damage control console.

  “Major hull breach near Engineering,” reported the damage control officer. “I’ve sealed the area off and damage control teams are on the way.”

  The Titan began passing through the Zaltule fleet. All of its remaining weapons were firing. Missiles were being launched nonstop as the ship attempted to escape to safety.

  More Zaltule pulse fusion beams struck the ship’s energy screen with several penetrating and blasting out more jagged and deep rents in the hull. Fires were now burning throughout the ship as the fire suppression system failed.

  Commander Singh winced as a massive explosion wracked the ship. Numerous red lights flared up on the damage control console.

  “We’re losing power,” reported the ship’s second officer.

  “Energy shield is down to 8 percent,” added the tactical officer. “We’re losing many of our weapon emplacements. Most of our missile tubes are nonfunctional.”

  “We’re losing speed,” reported the helm officer. “Sublight drive is only functional at 12 percent.”

  Commander Singh crossed his fingers. They were almost through the Zaltule fleet. Another few seconds and they could enter Fold Space where they would be safe.

  “We’re in the clear,” reported the sensor officer. “We can make the transition into Fold Space.

  Commander Singh felt relieved. They were going to survive after all. Just as he was about to give the order to activate the Fold Space drive another explosion shook the Titan. The lights died as the power failed.

  -

  “We just lost the Titan,” reported Lieutenant Jones. “She’s dead in space and Zaltule pulse fusion beams are tearing her apart.”

  Amelia looked at a viewscreen and saw the end of the valiant ship as it blew apart in a brutal explosion.

  “Take us into Fold Space,” she ordered.

  Looking at the tactical display, she saw fewer than two hundred ships were still with the Dauntless. She had lost 80 percent of her fleet getting the Marines down and into the hives. She hoped it was worth it. Several hundred thousand lives had just been lost. Amelia felt the Dauntless make the transition into Fold Space and safety. It would take them some time to figure out just what ships survived.

  As the shattered fleet left the Zaltule System, Amelia couldn’t help but wonder about those she was leaving behind in the hives. After the intense battle she had just fought she could not think of a single way to safely retrieve them. She was afraid the Marines she was leaving behind would die in the hives on the Zaltule homeworld. She just could not see any way they could escape.

  Chapter Twenty

  Thomas was out of the drop ship and meeting with Captain Adams.

  “
The fleet has pulled out so we’re on our own,” she informed him. “For the time being our position here is secure. All of our assault ships, drop ships, and cargo ships made it down. We’ve got a perimeter established and I’ve got Marines placing explosive charges in all the side tunnels in case the Zaltule try to come through them. We’re leaving four hover tanks and eighty Marines here to keep the Zaltule at bay. Along with the firepower from the assault ships that should be sufficient.”

  Thomas looked down the long, gently descending tunnel. At least it was lit by dim lighting. “When do we start?”

  Captain Adams looked down the tunnel. “There’s no point in delaying. We’ll send a couple of scouts ahead followed by two hover tanks and two squads of Marines in Type Seven battlesuits. The rest of us will follow with the rest of the hover tanks. We’ll only divide up when we reach a point where I feel it’s necessary.”

  A few minutes later the Marines were headed down the tunnel. The floor was littered with hundreds of dead Zaltule killed by the energy beams from the Destiny.

  -

  For ten minutes the Marines walked down the tunnel expecting to be attacked at any moment. Suddenly firing erupted in front of them and the two scouts came running back to the hover tanks. Both hover tanks began firing explosive rounds down the tunnel. Bright explosions shook the ground.

  In the distance, Thomas could see a large group of Zaltule moving toward them. He used the sensors in his suit to zoom in on them and noticed with surprise they were not wearing battlesuits and didn’t seem to be armed.

  “Why are they unarmed?” he asked Captain Adams.

  Captain Adams brought everyone to a halt as she used her sensors to peer down the tunnel. “I don’t know. It could be because they never dreamed we would dare attack one of their hives.”

  Even as Thomas watched the two hover tanks made quick work of the Zaltule.

  “Forward,” called out Captain Adams. “Scouts take the lead.”

  Thomas stopped to examine several of the dead Zaltule. “These Zaltule don’t look as large as they should be.”

  Captain Adams looked also and then spoke. “They may be juveniles and not fully developed. That might explain why they don’t have armor and are unarmed.”

  Thomas nodded and ordered his Marines to continue down the tunnel.

  They continued for a few more minutes and reached a fork in the tunnel. Two tunnels of equal size led off in different directions. Both seemed to slope downward.

  “I guess this is where we separate,” said Thomas as he stared down the tunnel on the left. He had hoped they would all be able to stay together longer.

  Captain Adams nodded. “I’ll take the right one. We’ll also each take one of the nukes.”

  “If either of us sets off a nuke down here it’s likely to kill all of us.”

  “That can’t be a concern,” Captain Adams replied. “Our job is to kill the Queen or Queens and we must not let anything prevent us from doing that.”

  Thomas felt his breath catch in his throat. “I know. I’ll do what’s necessary.”

  “I know you will,” replied Captain Adams. “That’s why I made you a lieutenant.”

  It took a few minutes to divide the Marines into two separate groups and then each group entered their assigned tunnel.

  “Damn it’s spooky in here,” said Brian as he stared at the dark tunnel walls.

  “It’s too quiet,” added Kinsley. “You would think we would have encountered more Zaltule by now.”

  “They’re up to something,” said Leah. “At any moment they’ll come swarming up the tunnel.”

  “If they do, we’ll kill them,” said Corporal Coyle.

  Thomas had two platoons of Type Seven battlesuits in the lead along with four hover tanks. The rest of the Marines and the remaining four hover tanks were about fifty meters behind.

  “Corporal Haley is reporting movement up ahead,” said Sergeant Bixt, who was walking next to Thomas. “She’s bringing everyone to a halt until she sees what’s going on.” Corporal Haley was inside a Type Seven battlesuit.

  There was silence for a few minutes and then Haley began moving forward again. She reported it had been a false alarm. For nearly ten minutes they advanced before they arrived in a massive chamber with a ceiling over a hundred meters high. From the chamber a dozen tunnels radiated out in different directions.

  “We have a major junction here,” Haley reported over the comm. “According to my sensors two continue to lead down.”

  “Hold your position until I get there,” ordered Thomas.

  It only took a few moments before Thomas was standing in the large chamber. According to his sensors, there were no hidden weapons or any Zaltule within range.

  “I don’t like this,” commented Sergeant Bixt. “We should have met more resistance by now or at least a few pop-ups.”

  Thomas had to agree. He couldn’t help but feel they were walking into a trap. “Leah, scan all of the tunnels and see which one offers the best chance of going toward the Queen’s chamber. Corporal Coyle, stay close to Leah with your squad.”

  Thomas watched as Leah approached each tunnel and used her sensors. Several times she entered the tunnels for a short distance followed by Corporal Coyle and her squad of Marines. Finally Leah returned to where Thomas was standing.

  “Two tunnels definitely go downward, however one seems to level out after several hundred meters. The other continues to go down for as far as I can scan.”

  “Can we get the hover tanks inside?” Thomas didn’t want to leave them behind because of the firepower they represented as well as the extra munitions they carried.

  Leah nodded. “The tunnel is wide enough. If it narrows farther down it could be a problem.”

  “Do we split our Marines and check both tunnels?” asked Sergeant Bixt.

  “No,” Thomas replied. “We need to stay together. Somewhere up ahead we could be facing thousands of Zaltule and we’ll need every Marine.”

  Sergeant Bixt looked around. “They could be behind us by now. I’m surprised we haven’t been attacked. Have you been able to contact Captain Adams?”

  Thomas had lost contact with the captain shortly after they separated. “No, not a word. I think there’s something in these tunnel walls which limits communication.”

  “I don’t like being cut off like that but I don’t see what we can do about it.”

  “Neither do I,” replied Thomas. “Let’s move out and check out that tunnel. The sooner we find the Queen’s chamber the sooner we can leave this place.”

  The Marines began moving into the tunnel expecting an attack at any moment.

  -

  Military Overlord Tetus was standing in the Command Center of the battlestation as numerous Zaltule craft carrying heavily armed warriors raced toward the surface. Reports from the hives indicated all three were under attack by Humans in battlesuits. At the moment the hives were preparing to counter attack with the warriors they had who were wearing battlesuits as well as a large number who were not. The younger warriors who were still going through training would be sacrificed to give the older warriors a chance to destroy the interlopers.

  “Are the hives in danger?” asked Overlord Vaxdol.

  “Possibly,” answered Tetus, folding his massive arms over his chest. “We never expected someone to physically invade one of the hives.”

  Tetus did not want to voice his deep concern for the Queens. The Humans had done something completely unexpected. The hives defenses had been designed to defend from an orbital attack, not from an actual invasion. Tetus was even now considering if there was any way to get a Queen safely out of a hive just in case the worst happened.

  -

  “We’ve found another large chamber,” reported Corporal Haley. “It’s full of crates and other supplies. There are also half a dozen tunnel entrances.” Corporal Haley was standing in the center of the large chamber. It was easily twice the size of the last one they had found. The sides of the chamb
er were lined with racks containing numerous boxes and crates.

  “Corporal, I’m detecting movement in several of the tunnels,” reported one of the scouts stepping back and aiming their assault rifle toward one of the tunnels.

  “We may be about to encounter some Zaltule,” Haley reported over the comm. She had no sooner said that than hundreds of Zaltule began swarming out of two of the tunnels. Both of her scouts were overrun as Zaltule hit them, knocking them down and beginning to tear at their battlesuits. “Fire!” ordered Corporal Haley as she began firing her assault rifle into the mass of Zaltule.

  She could hear shrieks and screams of rage from the Zaltule as they attacked the Marines. She flipped on her suit translator so she could understand what the Zaltule were saying. She could plainly hear the words die and kill being repeated over and over again. The number of Zaltule in the chamber was so large her squad was being forced back toward the tunnel they had just come out of. Just when she thought they were going to be overrun a platoon of Marines in Type Seven battlesuits appeared with their weapons firing. Armor penetrating rounds, energy beams, and explosive rounds tore into the mass of Zaltule.

  -

  Thomas and Sergeant Bixt reached the chamber to see hundreds of Zaltule being slaughtered. The floor was covered with their black blood and ripped apart bodies.

  “They’re not wearing battlesuits and they’re not armed,” pointed out Sergeant Bixt as he fired several armor piercing rounds into the head of a nearby Zaltule.

  “I’m detecting movement in the other tunnels,” yelled Leah over the comm.

  No sooner had she said that than more Zaltule swarmed out of the tunnels, only these were wearing battlesuits and were carrying weapons.

  The fighting instantly grew more intense. Some of the Zaltule were wielding energy lances while others were firing energy rifles. Marines started to fall as more Zaltule crowded into the chamber.

  “We’re going to have to use our lances,” grunted Sergeant Bixt. “We’re running out of room to fire our assault rifles.”