Marooned: Legacy War Book 4

by John Walker

  “Perpetual energy …” Vincent rubbed his chin. “Like from an Orb?”

  “Maybe.” Webber gestured with his head toward the other side of the room. “But for now, we need to focus on getting these repairs done.”

  Vincent nodded, heading over to the other crew members. He wondered about the idea of shutting off such a device, perhaps even blowing it up. Was this another automated system left behind by an alien race or had they encountered a hostile group intent on holding them there? He wanted to get out there and find out but they were still in crisis mode.

  ***

  Cassie brought up her scan program and clapped her hands when it instantly launched without an error. She squinted at the screen as data came pouring in. A few graphics filled the left side, showing a topographical map of the area and several heat points, which indicated advanced technology.

  We’re not in a city or facility, Cassie thought. So they’ve put us on the surface. Now we just have to determine the source of that beam.

  Her scans of the advanced tech came back and she frowned at the results. They were other ships, showing signs of massive damage. The beam may not have been necessary to bring them down considering the magnitude of their injuries. One of them was so bad off, it took her a moment to find a similar silhouette and call it out as a Tol’An vessel.

  “The Tol’An crashed here,” Cassie called out. “The ship isn’t even two miles away.”

  “Maybe there’s something specific about this area,” Desmond suggested, “something that drew us close then pulled us down.”

  “I’ve got a facility nearby,” Salina said. “Roughly three miles away. Some kind of structure made of stone, I think … or a composite of stone and metal. My readings suggest it is over eighty-thousand years old and I may be off by a few thousand considering the state of our equipment.” She paused. “That may be the source of the beam.”

  “Let’s be sure,” Desmond said. “I don’t want to plan an expedition without having some concrete reason to leave the ship. Get Vaedra to look at your data.”

  “There are people!” Cassie called. She found numerous life forms around both ships. As she tried to determine who the other vessel belonged to, she caught their numbers and they seemed to be on the move. “From both ships! Some of them survived the crash … and they are definitely armed.”

  “Fantastic.” Desmond tapped the communicator and dialed in engineering. “Is Vincent down there?”

  “Captain.” Vincent’s voice sounded far clearer than Cassie expected. They must’ve made headway on cleaning up the interference. “We’re nearly done with the coms. What’s going on?”

  “We have hostiles and they might be incoming.” Desmond joined Salina at her station then looked at Cassie’s. “How long can we keep the shields up?”

  “We’re going to have to take them down soon if we want to finish the repairs on the engines,” Vincent said. “The emitters and generators took a beating anyway when we hit the ground. Chances are they’re going to drop and they weren’t prioritized since they weren’t keeping us alive at the time.”

  “Put them higher on the list,” Desmond said. “We need to keep those up. Are our turrets in a good position to defend the ship?”

  “The top ones won’t be much use,” Vincent replied, “but the bottom cannons are available. Their systems are somewhat sketchy though so I’m not sure I’d rely on them too heavily. How many are on approach?”

  “Unfortunately, we don’t have exact numbers right now.” Desmond frowned. “Let’s go with a lot until we get better data. What about launching fighters? Is it even possible? I see we’re surrounded by trees.”

  “Mostly deciduous,” Salina announced. “There are some fir trees … but it’s fascinating how much alike these are to Earth’s. I expected them to be far more alien, different colors at least but this is—”

  “Salina …” Desmond interrupted. “What about getting the fighters out?”

  Cassie cleared her throat before replying, “If we knock a few of the trees out of the way, we should be fine.”

  “Some of the pilots were injured,” Salina added. “I’ll get a roster of who we can scramble and get them ready.”

  “Air support would be good,” Desmond said, returning to his seat. “Our primary task needs to be getting the hell out of here.”

  “Gil is looking over my findings now,” Cassie replied. “He thinks he’ll have an update shortly.”

  “Good but he needs to hurry.”

  Salina cleared her throat.

  “What is it?” Desmond asked. Cassie glanced back and saw him scowling at the lieutenant. “You have an opinion.”

  “Even if he does hurry, sir, we have to enact whatever plan that research warrants.”

  “Yes?” Desmond prompted.

  “Well … it’s just that … it will likely take time. I sincerely doubt we will be so lucky as to have a power plant to blow up. I’m sure it will be more in depth.” Salina shrugged.

  “The longer it takes for us to start attempting our escape, the more time these hostiles have to shoot at us.” Desmond turned to look at the blank screen. “I’m of the opinion we need to make things happen quickly so we’re making progress toward that goal. Do you agree with that assessment?”

  “Yes, sir.” Salina returned to her station and started tapping away.

  Cassie recognized the need for expedience given the situation. She believed they would need to head into the facility she identified to get off the planet. Her scans showed enormous energy pouring out of some subterranean catacomb but she couldn’t tell if it was natural or not. The metal walls of the structure interfered with the scanner.

  If only we could just go out there and look, this would be a lot easier. My tablet could gather the data we need at point-blank range.

  “Captain,” Salina broke the temporary silence. “The approaching people are within communication range.”

  “Try to hail them,” Desmond said. “Maybe we’re jumping the gun thinking they’re coming to attack us. They might want some help. Considering the state of our ship, they might be under the impression we came down here of our own accord.”

  “Because the ship isn’t banged up?” Zach asked. “That makes sense.”

  Salina spoke into her microphone quietly, attempting to establish a connection. She stooped over the console for several moments when Cassie saw her straighten suddenly. She tapped away on the computer, moving swiftly before turning in her seat to address the captain. “I’ve picked up a message.”

  “What is it?”

  “The translator has revealed that one of the two groups are mercenaries. They’re speaking tactically about cover and how to breach the ship. They’re not friendlies.”

  “And the others?” Desmond asked.

  “Tol’An … and I only know that because the mercenaries talked about killing them to limit the competition for the Gnosis. I think they’re going to start shooting each other before they can fire at us.”

  “Convenient,” Cassie muttered. “If we have to leave the ship, they might be too distracted to stop us.”

  “Indeed.” Desmond hummed. “Vincent, get the marines ready. We have confirmed hostile contact. We’re still trying to get some intel on their weapons and you have a few minutes since there are two opposing forces out there but regardless, I want our defenses impregnable with the time we have at our disposal. Get to work.”

  ***

  Lieutenant Brent Fielding only joined the Gnosis during their last mission. He saw far more action than he anticipated with the crew, especially considering the diplomatic nature of their previous outing. It seemed exploring alien worlds and architecture would’ve been their primary duty but combat worked just as well for him.

  No one’s going to be bored on this ship.

  Fielding went over his roster the moment the ship settled, checking in on each of his people for injury. Captain Darren Gabriel took a good knock to the head and found himself in the medical b
ay but the boots on the ground were ready to go. After receiving authorization to make command decisions for the teams, he assembled the marines in the armory.

  They showed up in short order and Fielding could sense their apprehension, the worry brought on by the situation. He shared their concerns but didn’t show them outwardly. Anxiety didn’t help anyone and he had no intention of contributing negatively to the people under his command.

  Fielding put a foot on the bench and leaned on his knee. “Listen up, folks. We’re grounded for now and command is looking for a way to get us out of here. In the meantime, we have multiple problems.”

  “Isn’t that always how it is?” Gunnery Sergeant Geoff Heathrow threw out the comment. Everyone called him Heat for a variety of reasons. Stocky, dark haired and tough, he was a poster-perfect, hardened soldier.

  “We’ve gotta keep things interesting,” Fielding replied. “Problem number one involves a large group of hostiles moving on our position. We have three advantages: first, there seems to be two factions and they want each other’s blood. Second, the automated defenses should be able to drive them off, at least to some degree. And third, there’s us.”

  “What about the shields?” Sergeant Alex Gillet asked. “Won’t they keep them out?”

  “I’m told the generators aren’t stable right now.” Fielding shrugged. “So they won’t keep much out for long. That’s why we’re going to be suited up and ready. We’re dealing with some kind of mercenaries and the Tol’An. Hopefully, they do some serious damage to one another before we even get started.”

  “Why are they bothering us?” Sergeant Lawrence Gorman piped in. “We’re just as stranded as they are. What do they want? Supplies?”

  “According to scans,” Fielding explained, “their ships didn’t make it down here intact. They can’t get those tubs back into space but the Gnosis looks unscathed. I’m sure they’re under the impression it can fly again. Unfortunately, it’s not going anywhere until we get that beam off of us. Which leads us to the second big problem we’ve got.”

  Several of them groaned.

  “What’s all that?” Fielding asked. “Why the complaining before we even talked about that?”

  “Because,” Heat said, “we all know what that means. Someone’s going to have to blow something up.”

  “It might not be that simple, I’m afraid.” Fielding pushed away from the bench. “If it was, we’d send in a couple bombers and watch the action from here. There’s a nearby facility that we might have to penetrate. Those Pahxin doctors are looking into it now from what I understand and when they know for sure, we’ll have an expedition to escort.”

  “And then blow something up,” Heat added.

  “It might be a switch,” Fielding replied. “Don’t look at everything like it’s a nail. Sometimes, we can be subtle.”

  Gorman pointed to one of their suits of power armor lined up against the wall. “What’s subtle about that?”

  “The futuristic paint scheme,” Fielding answered. “Let’s suit up, gentlemen. We’ll worry about the facility when we’re given more data. Right now, we need to shoot at things. I think we can all agree on that being an easy sell. Can I get a hoorah?”

  The men shouted it back and moved to their suits. Fielding found his own, amused at the amount of personality his men possessed. They were definitely an elite unit with all the understanding of their accomplishments to go with it. He didn’t mind so much, his old crew acted much the same way.

  And they hadn’t come close to knocking out the crazy ass missions these men had already completed.

  A few minutes later, they were in the hangar, standing before the closed door. Each of them checked their weapons and reported themselves ready. Several pilots were boarding their vessels, prepared to provide air support once a few trees were knocked down. Commander Bowman tasked Fielding with clearing away the obstacles.

  Probably need to make some space before we get out of here too, Fielding thought. I’m shocked we didn’t cause a massive forest fire with our landing to be honest.

  Heat’s voice crackled in his speaker. “Scans are picking up gunfire outside. A lot of it.”

  “I’m seeing …” Gorman hummed. “Forty people on either side of the ship and slightly to the north. They’re fighting in the hills, away from the automated defenses.”

  “Smart move,” Fielding said. “Keep the amount of unpredictable fire down to a minimum. I’m thinking we should get on top of the Gnosis, take out our obstacles and let the pilots loose on them. Heat, Gorman and Gillet, you’re on hangar duty. You see any movement out there that isn’t us, kill it.”

  “Yes, sir.” Heat didn’t sound pleased at the prospect. Guard duty never appealed to anyone but Fielding trusted their aim better than some of the others.

  “The rest of you join me on the roof. Should be able to make it in a single bounce. On my lead.”

  The doors opened and Fielding leaped out, hitting his jump jets and spinning midair. He sailed above the Gnosis and landed roughly on the hull, dropping into a crouch. The others touched down around him, each pair of booted feet causing a loud clatter from metal on metal. He stepped over to the edge and looked over, surprised at their height.

  No idea why I thought this wouldn’t be tall but Jesus, this is one massive ship.

  Looking left and right, he realized just how massive the Gnosis was. It should’ve left a larger crater and had their pilot not performed some serious last second efforts, they probably would’ve all been dead. It didn’t surprise him that the other vessels were damaged beyond repair. If they were remotely as big, they were probably crumpled like a wad of paper.

  The trees in front of the hangar weren’t that tall and as he took aim with his rifle, he knew they could take the few down that were needed to provide a decent path. Fielding marked various targets for the others and they lit them up, tearing through the foliage. Cracking wood burst out, competing with distant gunfire.

  Fielding got on the com to Commander Bowman. “Pilots should be able to get out now. They might have to buzz some plants, but otherwise, we took care of the obstacles.”

  “Great,” Bowman replied. “Do you have contact with the enemy forces yet?”

  “Negative. They seem to be having their own party a little ways to the north. We could crash it if you want, but I’m thinking they’re more than welcome to limit their numbers without us.”

  “I’ll leave it to your discretion but the captain wants to ensure our defenses are solid. We’ve got time to build it up.”

  “I’ve got an idea.” Fielding added the other marines to the feed. “Gentlemen, do we have any gun emplacements on the ship? Turrets and the like?”

  “Negative,” Heat replied. “This is an exploration vessel, sir. We’ve got grenades and us.”

  “Hm. Okay.” Fielding made a note to requisition some more defensive measures when they got home. “I guess we’re it then. Okay, everyone on the hull of the Gnosis and get into position so you can see movement on all sides. We’re going to be on overwatch until they approach and when they do, call your contact.”

  “High ground,” Gillet said, “heavy armor and firepower … These guys don’t stand a chance.”

  “I wouldn’t get cocky.” Fielding checked his scanner again. “They seem to have some pretty decent equipment out there and I promise you one thing: your enemies have nothing to lose. If they fail to take the Gnosis, they’re stuck here forever. Remember that as you go forward. Desperation will make them reckless and that means unpredictable.”

  The marines made it into position. Fielding scanned the horizon and nearly jumped when someone shouted into their microphone. “Contact west!” They opened fire, laying into someone near the engine area.

  Fielding engaged his HUD to see from their camera’s perspective. “Stay here,” he ordered the men with him. “Keep watch.” He engaged his jump jet as he saw a squad of enemies charge the ship. One of them took a shot straight to the head, dropping to the
ground. The others took cover behind trees.

  “They’ve got cover,” Heat said. “Behind the trees. There are at least four more targets and they’re biding their time. I don’t think they know what direction my attack came from.”

  “They’ll know if we take pot shots,” Gorman said.

  Fielding landed behind them and crouched, approaching slowly. “I’m here,” he said. “Mark their locations on the HUD.”

  A moment later four red squares appeared, showing where the enemies had taken cover. Fielding reached the edge and aimed his weapon, zooming in the scope. He hoped to find some exposed portion of a target, anything at all he might take a shot at. He thought he made out a leg when a beam splashed against the shield not even twenty feet from his head.

  “They found us,” Gorman said. “They were probably scanning.”

  Heat grunted. “I can get down there and finish them off right now if you want. Just say the word.”

  “Settle down,” Fielding replied. “Fall back in case the shields drop and these pricks get lucky. No one needs to get popped in the face right now.”

  They took a few paces back. “What do they think they’re even doing?” Gorman asked. “They can’t get in here while the shields are up.”

  “Worry about what they think they can do,” Gillet said. “If they can scan for you, then they know there are shields there.”

  “Shit.” Fielding hummed. “Maybe you’re right, Heat. I’m just concerned about their weapons and what they could do to our armor.”

  “Standard Tol’An stuff it looks like,” Heat replied. “Give me the word and we can finish them off before they can … do whatever they’re going to do.”

  “What’re you going to do?”

  Heat chuckled. “Something reckless.”