by John Walker
“When the ships are done, they can support us,” Fielding agreed. “We’ll do what we can without departing too far. Are you okay with a little latitude on these instructions?”
“Go ahead, Lieutenant,” Desmond replied. “I’ll trust your judgement. Just keep the primary objective in mind: hold the Gnosis at all costs.”
“Understood. Fielding out.”
Desmond leaned back, hoping he made the right call. The young marine knew his tactics and understood the gravity but he was also hot for action. That might translate to something positive or it could backfire dramatically. If they lost any of the power armor out there, they’d be at a significant disadvantage during another attack.
And that’s exactly what I’m afraid of. But no risk no reward. This man knows his job. I need to let him do it.
Chapter 5
Dennis spun in place, climbing with his afterburners engaged. A series of energy blasts blew past him, despite his fancy maneuvers. The enemy remained all over him, even as he dodged and banked, pulling out every trick in his arsenal. He sensed the desperation in the assault, the need to survive through his death.
I’ve flown against plenty of Tol’An now but this is different. I wouldn’t call him elite so much as totally reckless.
“You’ve got quite a problem,” Flight Lieutenant Shane Goring spoke up. “I think I’ve got a solution.”
“I hope it’s good,” Dennis called out as his shields flared around him. Heat filled the cockpit as the generators kicked in to provide additional power to his defenses. “This guy has it out for me in a major way.”
“Almost like you owe him money,” Shane replied. “I’m nearly there.”
Dennis knew what his second was doing. He tried to give him a moment of levity to alleviate the stress of the situation, to keep him from thinking about the level of danger. The fact he was the object of the placating tone gnawed at his stomach. It meant Shane saw something he did not and that worried him.
Another series of shots caught Dennis’ shields and this time, they dropped down to ten percent. He dove, heading toward the ground in a maneuver he saw Alicia use once. He had to admit, she was a better flyer overall, but he figured all it would take was nerves and a steady hand to pull up at the last moment.
He closed in on the trees, the green growing all around him. His altimeter showed he was rapidly approaching the surface and at three hundred feet, he pulled up, hitting his boosters. Unfortunately, it didn’t work and his opponent took another shot at him, narrowly missing.
“I thought you were nearly here,” Dennis grunted. “Hurry up, Shane!”
“I am nearly there,” Shane replied. “And … bank left, please.”
Dennis wrenched his stick and banked as requested just as his wingman’s guns came to life. A couple volleys of mass driving cannons tore into the enemy ship and clipped its wing, sending it sailing off to the left. A little relief went a long way and Dennis leveled out before banking to find a firing solution on the pilot that nearly killed him.
“Mayday,” Lieutenant Hal Brown, Mustang Three, called out the message. “I cannot shake this guy!”
“I’ve got him,” Alicia spoke up and Dennis craned his neck just in time to see her blast one of the enemies in the side, blowing through his shields and cutting into the hull. The target began to dive, smoke billowing out of the tail just a moment before the ship exploded with a resounding pop.
“Yeah!” Hal shouted. “Great work! Thank you!”
“Don’t get too excited,” Alicia replied. “Another two of them are coming around.”
Dennis caught sight of his own target and tried to line up a shot but the bastard was bouncing around like he’d caught on fire. His targeting computer continued to struggle so he decided to eyeball it, pulling the trigger. Guns barked as he tried to lead the enemy but the maniac hit his top thrusters, casting his ship down and out of the way.
Wings visibly strained at the sudden motion against the wind, but the fighter held together.
Shane’s cannons lit up, bolts cutting through the air but once again, the enemy pilot spun and climbed, making a wild move that saved him.
Dennis struggled to keep his advantage but staying on the Tol’An’s tail was like holding a writhing snake. It required all his concentration and the computer simply could not get a lock. This won’t need one. He fired a missile, giving it some space to work. The projectile lurched forward and suddenly veered, going right for the thrusters of its target.
The Tol’An hit his afterburners, flying off to the north. Dennis checked the scanner and found three more fighters causing trouble nearer to the Gnosis. Following the lone ship felt like a bad idea, a distraction they couldn’t afford. He’d be back if the missile didn’t finish him off but he’d be up against overwhelming odds.
I suppose they do want to save their own skins sometimes. Dennis banked and headed back to the rest of his wing.
Shane followed his lead, but asked, “Why did we let him go?”
“He’s one guy,” Dennis said. “We have to clean up the mess back here.”
“You know he’ll be back though.”
“And when he returns,” Dennis replied, “He’ll find it a lot harder to dodge six to twelve fighters taking shots at him. Hurry. I don’t want lucky shots to cause trouble for the Gnosis.”
***
Desmond watched the battle over the ship with their fighters. He started out in that capacity, flying in a war that seemed a lifetime ago. Watching them struggle with the wily target made him yearn for his own time behind a flight stick. His skills had long since atrophied but knowing the stakes of this particular struggle brought out an urge he fought against.
I want to join them.
They chased it off and returned to the fray, laying into the other ships. Those enemy pilots did not have the skill of their cunning squad mate and though they performed well, they were no match for two-to-one odds. Even with a few lucky shots, they failed to take down any of the mustang pilots.
The first of the three took a full volley of gunfire from multiple sources, one near the thrusters and the other along the cockpit. Shields burst in a spectacular blue flash and the front burst into flames. It crashed into a hillside, smoke billowing a hundred feet into the sky. No one could’ve survived the explosion and Desmond didn’t see an ejection pod.
The next tried to ram one of the Gnosis pilots but a casual climb and roll saved them. Desmond identified the friendly as Mustang Five, Alicia Quinn. He’d been reading about her flying and recognized her as one that Squadron Leader Arden called reckless and incredibly talented.
She makes it look absolutely effortless, that’s for sure.
Mustang formed up to deal with the final ship as it tried to flee the area. Desmond checked and found nothing else on the scanners, no other vessels. They weren’t necessarily to be trusted after the strange glitches since arriving on the planet but for the moment, it seemed accurate.
Mustang One confirmed they had no other visual targets. The six of them barreled down upon their final target, harassing him with beam weapons and mass driver cannons. Despite some pretty fancy maneuvers, the Tol’An ship couldn’t survive the constant barrage from superior firing solutions.
A last ditch climb earned the pilot a full brunt of blaster fire to the top of the vessel, eliminating the shields and cutting the craft in half. One part spun off to the left and the front exploded in a spectacular orange cloud that quickly dissipated. Mustang reported the destruction and leveled out, returning to the skies closer to the Gnosis.
“Captain,” Salina said, “Mustang is requesting permission to attack the downed enemy vessels.”
“Have we still not been able to get the mercenaries on the com?” Desmond asked.
“Not as of yet.”
Desmond sighed, considering the options. Attacking the Tol’An didn’t bother him. They weren’t going to be reasonable regardless of the situation but the others might still come around. Fighting soldi
ers for hire felt wrong. The mercenaries only attacked the Gnosis because they were desperate and knew they were under a heavy time constraint.
Small devices seemed to survive the power drain so they aren’t without the means to survive at least. But even if they finished the repairs, they’d be stuck here. Much like we will be if the team doesn’t get into that facility soon and shut off this beam. Desmond wiped his forehead with the back of his sleeve, noting the rising temperature.
“What’s going on with the heat?” Desmond asked.
“Life support,” Salina replied. “I’ve cut it to minimum in an effort to conserve power. Basically, cutting off environmental control so we’re simply processing the air and ensuring purity there.”
“I hope it’s working,” Zach muttered. “Cause I’m sweating my ass off over here.”
“Stress isn’t helping,” Deacon added. “Considering all that’s going on.”
Desmond’s computer made a chime and he noted a new report from engineering. They managed to shield all the generators and slowed down the leaking process but could not stop it completely. I wonder if our enemies out there made a similar attempt. How many extra hours did they squeeze out before they found themselves in the dark?
Zach asked, “Do you think they attempted to go into the facility like we are?”
“You’re reading my mind,” Desmond replied. “I can’t imagine they didn’t try everything at their disposal in an attempt to escape this place. Of course, it depends on what sort of scientists they had on board. If they’re all soldiers, there’s a good chance they didn’t know how to go about searching for the source of what brought them here.”
“If you’re a hammer,” Deacon said, “every problem looks like a nail, right?”
“Pretty much.” Desmond stood up and approached the screen, looking out over the landscape. “Give Mustang the go order to attack the Tol’An. Maybe we can give those zealot bastards something else to worry about besides bothering us for a few hours. And double the patrols on the ship. Our intruder must be hiding somewhere. I want him found. Now.”
Before he finds a way to mess something up for real.
***
Heat heard the muffled sounds of distant explosions somewhere off to the west, somewhere beyond the facility. He saw smoke drifting in the air, much like the aircraft that had been shot down during the aerial battle. Gunfire slowed, giving the forest a temporarily tranquil feeling.
That won’t last long with so many soldiers running around out here. Heat hummed, glancing back at the others in his little party. Gorman and Gil were still the only ones who didn’t look like they’d been put through a ringer. The computer suggested the temperature pushed thirty degrees Celsius, which explained why everyone was so miserable.
Figures we’d land on a planet during the summer. Though I guess heat’s better than cold. Kind of. Heat paused. “Hydrate really fast then we’ll pick up the pace again. We don’t have time to slow down too much but we won’t do anyone good if we don’t take care of some basics.”
“Thank you,” Cassie spoke through heavy breaths. “I’ve done some serious marching in my time, I’ve even run in horrible weather but this … this is crazy.”
“The air,” Gil said, “it is not what you’re used to. Yes, it’s perfectly safe but I can see why you might be having a hard time.”
“You sure it ain’t just the heat?” Gorman asked. “Because I’m not suffering much.”
“Possibly,” Gil replied. “Though the scans do indicate this place is mildly different than Earth.”
Heat took a drink and stuffed his canteen back in his pack and motioned with his head. “That’s it for the break, let’s pick up the pace.”
Gnosis fighters passed by overhead, flying in a loose formation. Where the hell are you guys going? Heat figured they must be on their way to attack one of the two downed vessels. It seemed like a sound tactic but probably unnecessary. The marines would likely kill any other resources the two sides could throw at them.
They weren’t prepared for some real opposition. Heat frowned at the thought, unsure of why the mercenaries or Tol’An would underestimate the newcomer. Maybe each of them thought they could arrive in time to catch us while we were still off guard.
Another series of explosions erupted off to the west before the fighters came back. Whatever they set out to do, they must’ve accomplished. The sortie didn’t take long and they commenced with a scouting pattern around the Gnosis. If they truly did hit the Tol’An capital ship, then they had succeeded in one of two things.
Either they destroyed their ability to fight entirely or they stirred them up into such a desperate frenzy they would throw themselves at the Gnosis until they were dead to the last man. Intelligence showed the zealots would do anything it took to get a task done, up to and including sacrificing lives. This just gave them an excuse to do it quickly.
What about the other ship? Heat thought. Surely, it’s time to hit them and nullify their ability to fight too.
A sound caught his attention to the left, bringing his awareness back to the moment. He lifted his weapon and signaled for the others to stop. They didn’t halt immediately, a fact that made him scowl. Would’ve been nice if we could’ve just brought more marines. These others will probably get us killed if we have a real conflict.
Something moved and Heat lowered himself to a crouch, peering through his scope. The scanner didn’t pick anything up and it might’ve been an animal. Was it some kind of terrifying predator looking for lunch? If so, he hoped it would be alone and small enough to not take a man down with a single bound.
“What’s up?” Gorman’s voice startled Heat but he didn’t jump. His fellow marine moved so quietly, he missed his approach. “What did you see?”
“Movement,” Heat whispered. “To my left about twenty yards ahead.”
“Animal?”
“Don’t know.” Heat peered around the area, hoping for a sign that might reveal what they were dealing with. Another stick broke and he heard someone curse. “Definitely not an animal.”
“An idiot.” Gorman sighed. “I have a feeling we just encountered some Tol’An.”
Heat looked over his shoulder and rasped, “weapons ready. We’ve got contact just up ahead.” The others readied their guns and Heat shook his head. “Be sure not to shoot us, please. Aim away and only fire if you have a clear shot. I’m not interested in any friendly fire today and you sure as hell can’t afford to carry us back to the ship.”
“Understood,” Vincent rasped back. “Just…”
Before the commander could finish his phrase, someone darted out on the path and opened fire. The shot went high and Gorman was at the ready, pulling the trigger and perforating his target. As the body danced backward, blood splattered the trees and people started darting about in the bushes down the path.
“Take cover!” Heat shouted, moving to his own tree to hide behind. The others complied, though he didn’t necessarily know how safe they truly were. The HUD of his power armor would give him a good idea of the opposition they faced. As it was, he guessed there were no more than five out there beside the dead guy.
Beams slapped against trees to Heat’s left and right, catching fire to the foliage. They got my number. “Gorman!” He called. “You got anyone?”
“Working on it!”
“I do!” Cassie shouted. A weapon barked, a couple well timed three round bursts erupting from the bushes where the agent took cover.
Something made Heat’s cover vibrate and he smelled burning wood. Glancing up, he saw the flames climbing. It would take a couple minutes before the area wasn’t safe but they might not have that much time. Gorman returned fire as well then Vincent joined in. Gil dashed along the path and into another thick bunch of bushes, disappearing behind the leaves.
Okay, I can’t be the only one hiding here. Heat dropped down and crawled away from his cover, rolling off the path and stopping on his back. He leaned his head up, aiming his weapon
along his body and taking a couple suppressive shots. A potential target moved, making the leaves rustle around him.
Scowling, he didn’t know for sure that one of his own people hadn’t moved up there to do something heroic. He fired at the ground, casting dirt several feet into the air. A Tol’An operative stood, preparing to make a break for it. Heat fired, catching the man in the head, dropping the body in an instant.
Heat crawled to his feet and rushed over to another set of trees, aiming around the larger trunk. He had a good angle on their opponents but they were dug in deep in their cover. They brought along two grenades each but he hoped to keep them in reserve for when they entered the facility should they have needed them in there.
Won’t do us much good to save them if we’re delayed indefinitely here. Heat grabbed one of the explosives from his pack and cooked it for a moment before tossing it at the targets. He fired his weapon to mask the sound of it landing and it worked. The Tol’An did not leave their position, even when he shouted, “Fire in the hole!”
The grenade popped, causing splinters of wood to fly in all directions. People screamed and an arm flopped into the middle of the natural path Heat had been leading his party on a few moments before. One Tol’An stumbled into the open and turned away, dropping his weapon as he went.
Heat aimed then lowered his weapon. The man’s left arm was missing just below the elbow and his back was covered in gore. The zealot dropped to the ground a moment later and expired. Someone started screaming, a pitiful sound that went on and on. Heat found Gorman and made eye contact.
The two men nodded and moved up toward the sound. Heat led the way with his rifle, glancing to the left and right before they approached the site where the grenade went off. A pool of gore soaked the earth and two other dead Tol’An were sprawled there. The final one, a man missing half his face, screamed in agony.