The roar of Va’rien Falls swallowed up all other noise until only the resounding cascade of water remained. According to Levian, there was a hidden path carved into cliffs behind the watery gate. This network would lead Echo and Alpha straight to the communications outpost at the top of the ravine.
After a few minutes of poking around in the dark at the base of the cliffs, a faint voice penetrated the din. Private Sevadi was waving his arms frantically by a rock outcrop. He had located the entrance.
Great clouds of mist engulfed the teams as they followed him up the mossy path skirting the edge of the plunge pool. When they slipped into the dank caves on the other side, they were soaked.
Every muscle in Knoble’s body ached. Damn, he thought. A measly fourteen-kilometer hike across the jungle and he was already burned out? Normally, neither he nor his teammates would have found such a short trek to be so exhausting. But they were all dehydrated, hungry, and some had slowed due to injuries from the crash.
Lieutenant Jenkinson leaned out of the opening and squinted up at the anti-air battery looming over the ravine. “We should be directly below the comms outpost. Parker, try the radio.”
Parker unclipped the battered device from his belt and slowly twisted the dial, head bowed in concentration as he listened to each channel. He switched to a different frequency and tried again, then shook his head. “Nothing yet.”
“How much further do we have to go?” Jhiral asked.
“Two kilometers—easy,” Alana answered, twisting her leg to check the dressing on her knee. “At this rate, it’s going to take us another hour just to cover one.”
Bennett eased Corporal West to the cold stone floor and knelt in front of her. Her cheeks were flushed, breaths shallow. She’d collapsed a few kilometers into their hike and had been slipping in out of consciousness ever since.
“How’s she doing?” Knoble asked.
“Not good.” Bennett pressed his palm to West’s forehead, then unzipped her suit to check her back. As he peeled the compress away, he covered his nose. The wounds had begun to fester. “Shite. That explains the fever.”
Knoble crouched beside them and held his canteen to West’s lips, urging her to drink. The water inside was warm, stagnant. But with the rain tainted by crytal vapor and no way to tell if Thei’legh’s rivers were potable, this was all they had.
West barely managed a sip. She couldn’t even muster the strength to open her eyes. She wasn’t going to last much longer like this. They had to get her out of here. ASAP.
“Hang in there, Ali. Don’t you quit on us yet.” Knoble gave her hand a squeeze, then turned to his teammates. “Alright, everyone, listen up. You’ve got ten minutes to recharge. Savor it while you can, because we’re not stopping again until we catch a ride off this goddamn planet.”
————
By the time they reached the top of the falls, the sun had started to rise. Rays of washed-out sunlight penetrated the clouds, illuminating a thin curtain of rain. It appeared the storm was moving on, despite the rolling thunder overhead.
Wet vines flopped to the ground, mercilessly chopped down by Lieutenant Carter. The severed clusters squirmed and curled into warped disc shapes, sinking their tendrils into the sodden dirt. He shook the writhing pieces from his combat knife and pressed onward.
When he slashed through the curtain at the end of the path, his shoulders slumped. “Well, that ain’t a good sign . . .” he murmured, slipping the now-blunt blade into its sheathe.
The communications outpost stood on the other side of the river. Its spires swayed in the wind, but no lights blinked at their peaks and wisps of smoke swirled in the opening from which they rose. As Bennett had predicted, the structure had sustained significant damage in the assault—and so had the anti-air battery next to it.
Bolts of electricity sparked within the shattered charging chamber. Its supports had taken a rather hefty beating as well. The metal was so deeply corroded by crytal vapor, it looked like it could give out at any moment.
Alana walked to the river’s edge and studied the current. Though swift, it didn’t seem strong enough to sweep anyone off their feet. “Current’s not too bad,” she said. “If we can get within range, the towers might give us a boost.”
Their suits’ integrated hyperlink comms could piggyback on the signal if the spires were still transmitting—provided the building’s power hadn’t been knocked out.
“Worth a shot,” Jenkinson agreed.
Bennett was first to brave the torrents. Hoisting an unconscious West higher on his back, he descended the bank with Knoble. West’s arms dangled limply over his shoulders as he waded through the thigh-high river.
The rest of the group followed, linking arms to help each other along.
As Alana clung to Parker for support, she couldn’t help but feel envious of Kenon and Jhiral. To them, this was nothing. The water barely came to their knees, and without shoes to restrict their movement, they could grip the riverbed with ease. Needless to say, they made it to the other side long before anyone else.
They scaled the opposite bank, turning to help their teammates up once they reached the top. Then they froze, exchanging a worried look. Both snapped out their weapons and ducked behind the bushes.
“Enemy forces detected,” Jhiral alerted. “I count four signatures—thirty meters ahead, southern side of the structure.”
“I see ‘em,” Carter said. “Bastards must be searching for us.”
Jenkinson leaned from side to side, trying to get eyes on the enemy. “Probably a patrol unit. There could be more further out. Stay sharp, Echo.”
Parker retrieved the radio and gave the dial a turn. This time, the static was accompanied by a high-pitched whine—indicating an active line just out of range. “We need to get closer,” he said. “I can’t pick up the signal from here.”
Knoble craned his neck to scope out the scene. “There’s a path leading up to the porch on the western side.” He swept his finger from right to left, motioning to a gravel trail that stretched from the anti-air battery to the comms outpost. “It’s a bit exposed, but if we keep our heads down, we should be able to sneak up without being detected.”
Jenkinson motioned onward. “Lead the way.”
Knoble armed his rifle and jogged across the yard, the rest of the team on his heels. Gravel crunched underfoot, the noise seemingly amplified by the tension in the air. They clambered onto the porch and made their way to the far end, putting as much distance between themselves and the enemy troops as possible.
While Parker tried the radio again, Alana hunkered down behind the barrier at the end of the porch. She peered over the top, hoping the gentle glow of dawn would show her that some part of Alqui had survived—that Caenlegh Castle and the southern gate had suffered the worst of the damage. But the morning only served to solidify the reality of their losses.
The ruins of Alqui still smoldered in the distance, no part left untouched. Even the outlying areas had been wiped out. All that remained was ash and dust, the crumbling skeleton of a once great city. At least the Nephera had gone, taken their crude warships and left the Leh’kin to pick up the pieces.
“Jesus,” Sevadi said. “There’s nothing left.”
Knoble frowned. “The Nephera must have had thousands of troops on the ground. There’s no way they could have extracted them all before they leveled the area. Why would they deliberately kill their own kind?”
“It wouldn’t be the first time,” Jenkinson put in. “Judging by what we’ve seen over the past couple of years, it seems they’re willing to blow through anything to get to their objective—even if that means slaughtering their own people.”
“Well, I’m not complaining.”
At an okay signal from Parker, Kenon tapped the side of his helmet to bring his comms system online. A vertical strip of light appeared at the bottom of the holo-screen in front of his left eye and wavered unsteadily, evidence that the outpost’s towers were still operational.
He tried to access a channel.
Static squealed over Echo’s headsets.
Jenkinson grimaced. “And that is exactly why I don’t like our comms being linked,” he hissed through gritted teeth. “A little warning would have been nice there, Valinquint.”
The channel’s information flashed on Alana’s heads-up display, a mishmash of colored pixels. I guess my gear’s not entirely dead after all, she thought. From the bits and pieces stuttering across her broken visor, she gathered they were on a public frequency.
Kenon cast his gaze to the Leh’kin ships stationed over Alqui. “Hail Thei’legh Fleet of Defense and the Knights of Oe’Nhervon,” he said over the radio. “This is Kenon Valinquint with the soldiers of Alpha and Echo Team. If anyone can hear this, we are in need of immediate extraction.”
“Kenon? By the spirits, you are alive!” Levian’s reply broke over the channel. “I tried to contact you. When I received no answer, I assumed you must have perished in the blast as well.”
“Our Falcon was shot down over Va’rien falls. The paths in the cliffs led us back to the top and we have taken shelter in the communications outpost, but there are Nepheran forces in the vicinity and we are running low on ammunition. If you could spare a dropship—”
“I will pick you up myself.”
“Are you sure?”
“I have made too many mistakes already and I shall be damned if I make any more.” There was a particular weight to Levian’s tone, a somber growl when his voice dropped low. “Stand by, warrior. I am on my way.”
“Thank you, Levian.” Kenon disconnected from the channel.
Alana let out a sigh of relief. The Legacy of Night could travel at speeds far greater than any dropship. It would arrive within five minutes rather than twenty—and the sooner they could leave this place, the better.
“Shit, I’ve got two contacts heading straight for us,” Parker said, shooting a nervous glance towards the opposite end of the porch. “They must have noticed the activity spike when we hopped on the outpost signal.”
Jhiral turned to Jenkinson, eager hands clutching her carbine. “Sir, permission to eliminate the targets?”
He shook his head. “Permission denied. We can’t risk drawing any more attention to ourselves. If we tip their friends off to our location, we could have a whole squadron bearing down on us.”
Alana leaned over the top of the barrier, searching for a place to hide. All she saw was the narrow overhang jutting out above the building’s entrance and a boulder that was barely large enough to conceal a couple of people.
Not like we have a whole lot of options.
“Hey guys, this way!” She hopped off the porch and led the group to the front of the building. Bennett took West behind one of the boulders while everyone else lined up under the overhang.
With bated breath, they waited—listening for the sounds of approaching legionnaires. And when the first taps of steel-toed feet landed upon the porch, both teams tensed.
The Drahkori warriors broke away from the group without warning. Kenon activated his energy blades while Jhiral drew her dagger, and they huddled beneath the barrier in wait. When the Nephera reached the end of the porch, they spun around and thrust their blades into the air.
Jhiral slashed one legionnaire’s throat as Kenon cut the other’s head clean off. The bodies toppled over the barrier in a shower of blood, and Kenon quickly dragged their twitching carcasses out of sight.
Alana could practically see the steam puffing out of Jenkinson’s ears. No doubt he would reprimand both warriors later.
“That was a close call,” Sevadi said.
Carter grunted. “Yeah, and hopefully the last. I’ve had plenty excitement for one day.”
A haunting cry seeped through the rain. The Legacy of Night descended from the waning storm clouds and soared over the desert, raising plumes of dust in its way.
“Hey, look at that. Wishes do come true.” Sevadi slung his rifle over his shoulder as the carrier slowed to a stop several meters from the outpost.
While the rest of the team hurried to the gravity lift, Knoble hung back with Alana. He wrapped his arm around her middle to help her along. Now that the pain medication was wearing off, the ache in her knee had returned and she was limping again.
“I don’t know how anyone can function like this,” she panted, clutching her stepfather’s arm. “I’ve seen soldiers burst into a full sprint with injuries worse than this, but I can’t even walk properly. How do they do it?”
“Usually by staying hopped-up on painkillers.”
“Isn’t that a bit . . . risky?”
Knoble chuckled. “Beats resting in the infirmary while everyone else is out having all the fun. So long as you’re not tripping over your own feet and dragging the rest of the team down, you should be good to go.”
“I think I’d rather savor my downtime, thank you very—” Alana paused mid-sentence, distracted by a flash of movement in her peripheral vision. Knoble halted and followed her gaze as she squinted towards the distant forest.
There was a peculiar shimmer against the trees, a disturbance in the air. It rucked their broad trunks, caused their leaves to shiver. And it was coming closer. The ripple effect traveled across the sand, gliding swiftly in their direction . . .
Camouflage.
As that realization crossed Alana, the legionnaire disengaged his cloaking device and whipped out a Thornbearer. Hefting the weapon onto his shoulder, he brought the weapon to aim at Alana’s head and squeezed the trigger. A stream of golden spikes exploded from the barrel.
“Get down!” Knoble shouted.
Before Alana could react, his hands slammed into her side. She hit the ground, twisted to look over her shoulder as he reached for his assault rifle.
The spikes were faster.
Knoble’s body jerked in sync with each metal thorn that crashed into his combat harness. One, two, three. They punched straight through his chest. Another sliced his neck. He swayed unsteadily on his feet, blood oozing from the holes in his suit.
“No!” Alana scrambled to her feet, almost oblivious to the gunfire nearby. She caught Knoble as his legs buckled and dropped to her knees, unable to bear his weight.
The legionnaire collapsed a few feet away.
“No, no, no . . . Lance, stay with me!”
His eyes darted around wildly for a moment, then settled on hers. He grasped her arm and managed to force a word out past the blood bubbling in his throat. “Go.”
“I am not leaving you here to die!” Alana clasped her hand over the gash in his neck, but it was no use. The wound was too deep. She couldn’t stop the bleeding. “We’re almost there, Lance. Just a little further.”
“No, sweetheart. I’m done.”
“Don’t say that! You can make it. You just have to get up!”
Despite the pain he must have been in, his lips curved upward. “We both know that’s not true.”
Heat pricked at Alana’s cheeks. How could he embrace death so easily when she couldn’t even bring herself to face the reality of what was happening? He was still here, still breathing. To her, that meant he could be saved. He had a chance. Why wouldn’t he take it?
“Please,” she begged. “I don’t want to lose you again.”
Knoble unzipped his suit collar and pulled out his dog tags. They were speckled with blood, singed by the thorns. He yanked them from his neck. The broken chain jangled over his harness.
He raised his pinky finger. “Promise me one last thing.”
Alana hooked her own pinky onto his. “Anything.”
“No matter how bad things gets, no matter how hopeless it seems, keep fighting. For me. For all of us. And remember, whatever happens . . .” His voice dropped to a whisper. “I’m proud of you.”
Knoble’s grip loosened after a moment. He sank into Alana’s lap, and his arm fell limp to the ground—leaving the dog tags in her hand.
“Lance? Lance, can you hear me?” She gave him a shake,
hoping to evoke some sort of response. But her prompts were met with silence.
He was gone.
A muffled whimper escaped her lips as she hugged his body close. She couldn’t bear to let him go again. There was no way he could come back this time.
Footsteps drew up beside her.
“Alana,” Kenon said, “we have to go.”
She buried her face in Knoble’s shoulder, refusing to move.
Kenon took her gently by the arm. “Leave him, Alana. Please. There are more Nephera on the way. We cannot stay here.”
Alana looked up to meet the warrior’s gaze, then reluctantly laid her stepfather’s body in the sand. She bent and pressed her lips against his forehead, her tears falling hot upon his cooling skin.
There was an emptiness growing inside her. That hollow pit at the bottom of her heart had opened once more. But as she got to her feet, she forcibly sealed it off—vowing never to let that feeling overcome her again.
She had made a promise.
No matter what, she would keep moving forward.
Chapter
——TWENTY-ONE——
0300 Hours, September 11, 2442 (Earth Calendar) / Shindar State, planet Dyre, Phoenix System
High winds buffeted the Leh’kin dropship, tugging it this way and that. Each time the craft lurched sideways, the pilot would attempt to correct his trajectory—only to be whipped off course by another strong gust.
For the better part of their journey, they had been flying through a sandstorm. Debris pelted the vessel’s flanks, hungrily stripping away the polish that coated its angular hull. Kenon could almost imagine the sting of the granules grazing by his skin.
While it would have been preferable to travel aboard the Legacy of Night, the Empress of Dyre had personally requested that the carrier remained in orbit for the duration of their visit, leaving them no option other than to take a dropship to the surface. Of course, that should not have come as a surprise. After the Royal Empire invaded the planet three years ago and occupied nearly half the states across the globe, who could blame them?
The Calypsis Project Boxed Set (Books 1-2 - The Echo-Alpha Duology) Page 47