"Get behind us. We're expecting company."
Captain Sobiex marched up to Valentine.
"The General?"
Valentine nodded quickly.
"He's safe. Get behind us, Sir, now!"
The Byotai officer seemed taken aback by her order but didn't wait to argue the point. The Byotai soldiers separated and let them through. After the last of the group was safe, they reformed, and Nate could look back. There were actually six Byotai soldiers in full armour and three Alliance marines mixed in with them, plus Valentine. That was when he noticed a dead Byotai officer and two more soldiers. A pool of dark blood surrounded them.
They've been hit already!
For all of this, Valentine still managed to smile at Nate, but that expression quickly turned to a frown. Her attention moved back to the direction Nate had arrived from and the dark passage off into the distance. The sound of running figures returned, along with the whoop and howl so familiar to them all now.
"Here they come again!"
Without thinking, Nate checked his weapon and moved alongside Valentine on the gun line.
"Aim low!" she whispered.
Nate lowered the barrel of his carbine and waited, his finger on the trigger.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Byotai Imperial Battleship 'Furiosa'
Approaching Martos Rift, Serpentis System
24 December 2472
This wasn't the combat Nate had imagined when he signed up. The contest in the alien domain of the Byotai should have been every teenager's fantasy becoming real. It had been that way, but not for long. Fun and adventure had quickly turned to fear, terror, and the unknown. Even after he'd agreed to join the fledgling squadron on ANS Relentless, Nate hadn't expected to have to stand in the line, carrying a Marine's weapon, and fight in a deadly firefight.
It's not like I can strafe in this position, can I?
Nate had, of course, spent hours on ground combat simulations and first person shooters. But the reality was nothing like the game, nothing at all. With just his PDS Naval armour, he was barely protected at all, and in the battle if felt more like he was fighting without any protection at all. He looked down at the body of a Byotai soldier. The armour had gaps, but the projectile that had killed the soldier had breached a chest plate. The remnants of a thermal bolt still extended from the armour.
If that hits me, I'm gone.
Nate ran his hands along his chest and against the thin, form-fitting PDS gear. The clothing offered protection from the cold, as well as an inbuilt pressure suit mode. Ballistic protection was little more than adequate, though, and the test footage he'd seen showed that it was proof against shrapnel and a modicum of explosive energy. That reminded him of Ensign Fletcher. He looked over and found the uncomfortable looking pilot leaning against the wall, a carbine still in his hand.
"You okay?"
Fletcher grimaced.
"It's getting a bit better."
He could see Nate was concerned and did his best to smile.
"It could have been a hell of a lot worse, though."
True. You could have joined the others back there.
He remembered the time he and Rex had pulled the burning bolt from the chest plate of Valentine. That had been the first time he'd met her, and she still failed to disappoint, but that felt a lifetime ago compared to their predicament. He waited, his carbine to his shoulder and eyes locked directly ahead. The open corridor was well lit, but it was the darkened end piece that led into the bend that unnerved him. The distance was at least twenty metres, yet under the circumstances it felt as though the enemy could make it through with just a few steps.
"Hold!" said Valentine, "Do not fire until I give the order. I want fire discipline."
Nate looked at her with admiration. She was only a private, possibly the lowest ranked individual there, yet somehow she'd taken command of the small unit, and based on the number of bodies, she'd been defending here for some time. One of the Byotai held a portable computer out for her to see. She examined it and nodded.
"Okay, they are coming. Contact in sixty seconds. Stay frosty. We will stop them cold."
She looked to the worried looking Byotai while one of the junior soldiers translated for the others. They looked at least as nervous as Nate and his friends, perhaps more so.
"Every second we stand gives time for the General to reinforce his position. Byotai combat teams are coming. Let's give them the time they need."
Nate was surprised to hear that. Last he'd heard, the large number of enemy forces had taken the defenders by surprise, killed large numbers of crew, and now surrounded the medical, crew, and command decks. Effectively cutting them off from the rest of the ship. More importantly, they had cut the General and his immediate entourage from any help that might come. Nate leaned in closer to her side and spoke quietly.
"What about behind us?"
She glanced in the direction he was talking about.
"That leads up to the command deck. Honorius has fortified the area. If they get past us, they'll have to breach the double blast doors at the top of the ramp."
She then winked, and Nate was reminded of his first impression of the young Private.
"We've already reinforced that part of the ship."
"Why are you here, then?"
Again she smiled, and Nate found her face to be heart warming. Cassandra was often quite cold and calculating, but Valentine was much more down to Earth. He wondered if it might be because she was a couple of years older, or perhaps it was her career in the Marine Corps. Either way, he loved to hear her talk, even in the midst of what was happening.
"Because, sweetheart, we need to keep these dogs busy. You know we're not far from the Rift, right? If we go through and lose control of the ship, we'll be in serious trouble. Who knows what's on the other side."
She nodded towards the ceiling.
"Under no circumstances can they make it to the command or crew decks. All other routes have been sealed, apart from the route up from the medical deck."
"Yeah," said Nate, "The Sergeant has that covered. I've already spoken with her."
Valentine chuckled.
"She is a monster. An hour ago the medical deck was in a panic. This enemy had more than forty people down there and were about to breach the next deck. We heard they had convicts trying to strangle anybody they could find."
Valentine shook her head.
"They blame the Byotai and us for their treatment. They have been indoctrinated into thinking we are fighting for the Biomechs as their slaves. Or something like that. I don't really understand."
She then chuckled.
"Reminds me of the description of the Biomech shock troops back in the day. When they were not much more than twisted monsters made from the flesh of the dead."
Nate shuddered.
"Yeah, I remember. Except these are normal Anicinàbe and Byotai citizens, twisted by the preaching zealous leaders. They spout hate of machines and of ruling elites. They have been turned into living weapons."
Her eyes closed as though she was trying to shake the thoughts from her mind. When they opened, her expression had altered, and she grinned back at him.
"Then the Sergeant arrived, and boy did they regret it!"
Nate watched her, stunned at her transformation.
"Ten minutes later, the place was clear, and she was retaking compartment after compartment. I tell you, ten more like her and the ship would be ours already."
She looked to the line and then spoke in a calm and steady voice. If Nate hadn't known any better, he might have thought he was listening to a seasoned NCO.
"Thirty seconds, people," said Valentine, "Be ready."
As the words were translated, two of the soldiers began to waver. Nate could sense their fear, and as one took a step back, he well understood their nerves. A year ago these would all have been elite crew and warriors, but now many of them had been transferred from other ships. It was an elite vessel, crewed
by a motley collection of veterans, cadets, and volunteers. Shouting increased and immediately reminded Nate of his failure in the fire shaft.
You can do better than this.
He noticed Matilda looking at him, and he gave her a nod. She returned her gaze back into the hallway, even as another Byotai turned to leave.
"Come on, if we leave, the ship falls," said Billy, "You have to stand."
Once of the crewmen pushed past Billy and headed in the direction of the command deck. Then something happened that Nate never expected to see. Valentine spun around and pointed her weapon at the retreating crewman.
"Stop right there!"
Whether or not he understood the words, the tone was clear enough. He paused, looking back to see Valentine move to the front of the group and take aim towards the unseen enemy.
"If you won't protect your ship, then I'll have to. The Prince is relying upon you. Do your duty!"
Two of her marines grunted and then moved to her flanks, their armour pushed up against each other in a compact unit. The Byotai soldier waited, perhaps unsure whether to continue to leave. Captain Sobiex moved to join her and gave her a nod of acknowledgement before speaking. His tone was guttural, and a number of the Byotai were visibly shaken as he spoke. Another two Byotai stepped away, and soon the line began to crumble, just as the first of the shapes appeared from the darkness. The Captain grabbed one and dragged him back to the line as Private Valentine yelled out, "Fire!"
The clatter of small arms was deafening in such a confined area. There was little cover to be used, and the first five enemy soldiers were cut down where they stood. As the smoke and dust cleared, Nate could see the fallen and grinned at spotting the other Byotai moving back into formation. The sound of shuffling feet returned, and this time a metal object rolled ahead of them.
"Watch your eyes!"
Most of the Byotai activated their visors, at least those that wore helmets. The others looked away just as the flash bomb rolled into view. Nate joined them, but even with his eyes closed, he could still pick out the bright staccato rhythm of flashes. It was a strobe effect. And with the tenth and final flash, they came. This time it was a bloody and concerted assault.
"Fire!"
All manner of guns opened up as the crowd of enraged Byotai turncoats, agents, and ex-prisoners surged into the corridor. Many were cut down, but others picked up the wounded and pushed them in front as living shields.
"Give ground!" Valentine shouted.
The two ranks of warriors stepped back, slowly giving up ground to give them time to fight. One Byotai soldier fell down, and another spun backwards and collapsed to the floor. A gap opened in the line, and two prisoners attempted to leap through. Valdis and her comrades stepped into the breach and opened fire. One prisoner still made it and collapsed atop Dogg. A Byotai crewman yelled something and then turned to run. Several more followed him, and in that instant the line fell. Valentine kicked the prisoner off Dogg, blasted him, and then hurled a grenade into the horde. It exploded on contact and shook the ground.
"Everybody back to the ramp. Move it!"
The orderly retreat quickly disintegrated, with many of the Byotai panicking and fleeing from the fight. Valentine and her marines moved more slowly, working in pairs to cover the others as they fell back. It was still fairly quick, and as Nat moved, he was gladdened to find them close.
"Nate!"
He looked back and to the ramp. Billy and the others were already at the top, and the blast doors were half shut. Shadows marked the fleeing Byotai as they ran through the gap, leaving fewer and fewer to protect the passageway.
"Come on, they'll be here soon."
Cassandra and Matilda were next, and neither even looked back as they rushed through the gap.
"I'm coming."
He made it halfway up when he heard a loud cry, like the groan of some great beast.
"What the hell is that?"
He turned around and found a group of the largest Anicinàbe he'd ever seen. They were thickly muscled and easily twice the mass of even Captain Sobiex. Nate had no idea that the Anicinàbe could grow to even a fraction of this size. They wore no clothing, save for the odd pieces of armour scavenged from their various encounters. Each was covered in markings and tattoos, and he assumed they must have been some kind of violent convicts. Or at least, they had been previously. What skin was visible was plain white and gave them a strange, ethereal quality.
"Don't stop, get back," Valentine screamed.
All that stood between the top of the ramp was Nate, Valentine, and a handful of Marine and Byotai soldiers. It was a pathetic force to match again a countless horde that had little interest in living. Nate could not understand how a popular revolutionary movement had taken on such a strange and violent character. They would die for a cause, one he still didn't actually see as real. After all, the Alliance was no friend of the Biomechs, and even if they were, that ancient race was long gone. Now these archenemies had found a common factor, one that united them in the most bizarre of ways, nothing more than a simple hatred or perhaps fear of the technologically advanced.
We call them Technos, and with good reason. They hate us, and I still don't know why.
Two more rounded the corner, and between them they carried a large metallic device that pulsed with coloured lights. Nate had no idea what it was but suspected the unit was intended to cause harm.
A bomb, it has to be!
"Hell, no!" Nate shouted, "You're staying right there."
Without thinking of his own life, Nate stepped further down the ramp. Cassandra saw him go and called out after him, but Nate's mind was focused. As he saw the terrifying Anicinàbe rushing towards Valentine and her bodyguard, he had just one thing on his mind.
I have to help her!
He skidded to a halt near the bottom and took aim. For the first time since he'd stepped onto a warship, he actually felt like he knew what he was doing. The gun moved to his shoulder and slid into place. At the same time, the sights moved up to align with his eye. He remembered everything that had been drummed into him so far, and even the most recent words of Private Valentine.
Aim low, take your time...and pull.
This time he put the sights squarely on the device and squeezed the trigger. The L52 coilgun shuddered as it spat three metallic projectiles from the stubby barrels. All three struck the object in the centre, and it instantly vanished in a bright fireball. The initial blast was modest, but it was followed by a powerful shockwave that knocked every one of them to the ground. The two nearest Anicinàbe were killed outright, and everybody else either stunned or knocked out cold. Nate blinked twice and spotted the ceiling in front of him.
Uh...okay, that was...different.
He blinked again and then remembered the drooling and psychotic Anicinàbe that wanted to kill every one of them. Summoning all of his mental and physical strength, he rolled to the side and spotted Valentine climbing up as well. Her armour was burnt from the flank to the shoulder, but she seemed unharmed. Nate tried to join her and instead slid back to the floor. An arm grabbed him, and he tried to struggle before spotting Valdis and Billy.
"You came back," he muttered.
Billy's eyes drifted left. His carbine rose and fired twice.
"Of course we did. Now let's go."
Private Valentine moved up to them while barking orders to her comrades. Nate glanced back at the carnage inflicted by the prematurely detonated device. He thanked his luck that none of his comrades had received more than burns, while the enemy remained stunned and bloodied.
"Okay, I'll follow."
Billy moved off, but as Nate followed him, he heard a groan. Looking back over his shoulder, he watched two Anicinàbe lift up from the floor. Both dripped blood, and one carried one of the massive Byotai Sparth cannons.
Where did he find that?
Private Valentine thrust him hard against the wall just as the weapon fired. This was no carbine, and the triple block of burning hot
metal hissed past and blasted a massive chunk from the wall. His eyes moved to the right and at the face of Valentine.
"Shoot him!"
Nate didn't think and simply lifted his carbine and took aim at the pair of Sparth. Two shots were all it took, and the warrior was down. The second rushed ahead, but Valentine made short work of him. There were only four of them left now on the ramp, and as they moved, one of the younger marines fell to one knee. Another thermal bolt glanced off his shoulder and narrowly missed Nate before embedding in the wall. Nate rushed to help, keeping his carbine pointing to the enemy. As he moved, he pulled at the trigger, firing the weapon in short bursts. One of the muscular warriors took multiple hits, and Nate blasted away, certain that he'd hit the figure. The mortally wounded Anicinàbe staggered and then collapsed a metre from the injured Marine. Nate grabbed under his arm, and Valentine did the same.
"Come on!" she yelled.
The last of the marines worked their way up the ramp and pushed through the large blast doors. As Valentine came through last, they hissed shut with a loud crunching sound. No sooner were they shut, and a pair of Byotai technicians moved in with portable welders to fuse the two sections together. The gentle crackle of small arms served as a constant reminder that the battle was far from over. Valentine leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Not bad, Nate, not bad."
Nate noticed Valentine raising her eyebrows as Valdis moved in close, and he instinctively shuddered, confusing the Byotai pilot. She moved away to speak with the Captain, leaving Nate alone with his friends. He shook his head and gave the place a cursory glance. This part of the passageway was much larger than the others and formed into a crossroads. One part led further back into the ship and was protected by a hastily erected barricade, guarded by four Byotai soldiers. Many of the surviving Byotai moved through a gap in the barricade, those they had helped in the fire shaft heading through first. Valdis finished speaking and moved to the defensive position. Her comrades passed her by, Dogg being the last of the four to pass the barricade.
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