A roar went up from the Confederacy soldiers and the battle joined.
Soldiers on both sides of the battle fired. Bolts of energy streamed through the air in both directions. When they made contact balls of flames and pieces of body flew across the room. Screams and gunfire filled the air.
"Spiderfall!" Tim yelled over the intercom.
The Hunters dropped low to the floor at the code word, their bellies pressed flat against it. The attacking Confederacy soldiers paused their onslaught, gazing down at the Hunters in confusion. Then the walls opened and streams of gunfire shot out at chest height. Every inch of air filled with slugs and twenty Confederacy soldiers collapsed, dead. The rest pushed and shoved their way out of the room until the gunfire fell silent and the Hunters jumped back to their feet, guns blazing.
Blasts of energy flew past. She ducked and weaved as her eyes locked firmly on the targets ahead of her. She lifted her gun and squeezed the trigger. A blue shot fired out, rolling through the air, past her companion Hunters and into the head of an attacker. He screamed and went down, his face burning away and leaving nothing but a charred and broken skull.
The trap gave the Hunters the edge. They pushed forward, guns blazing. Blast after blast careened into the attacking Confederacy soldiers and the navy blue uniforms burst into flames as the bodies within them collapsed to the ground.
Nova cheered as she pushed forward, Aart next to her. Tanguin stayed back, taking her time and shooting with extreme accuracy. Nova held down her trigger and a spray of blue energy shot out to engulf the Confederacy soldiers.
"Nova! Nova!" Aart tapped her shoulder; his voice panicked, and pulled her out of her blood-soaked rampage.
She glanced at her friend and followed his gaze over the heads of the Confederacy soldiers. The monstrosities loomed over the soldiers, their feet pounding against the metal floor of The Jagged Maw. They wore metal armour that covered most of their bodies, except their faces and hands, revealing lumpy green skin covered in boils. They towered twice the height of a normal human. Confederacy soldiers ran out of their way, fleeing to make room for the super-soldiers.
"Shit," Nova said.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
She lifted her gun and fired at the nearest giant. She aimed for the thing's head and held down her trigger. The blue blasts of energy slammed into the creature's face and it stumbled back a single pace. It brought both hands up and growled in pain but by the time its hands dropped back to its sides the skin had already knitted closed, leaving only a thin trickle of blood.
Nova kept firing at the advancing monstrosity.
"Come on, Aart!" she said through gritted teeth.
"I'm a little busy," Aart said.
Nova risked a glance to her left. Aart fired non-stop into the throng of Confederacy soldiers. They had reformed and advanced just behind the super-soldiers, cutting down Hunters.
Aart was one of the few Hunters firing at the foot soldiers, the others were too busy being killed by the monstrosities.
"I don't know how to kill them," Nova said.
She continued to shoot. The blue bolts burned away the creature's hands leaving charred bone beneath. But the thing didn't fall, or stop.
"Just die!!" Nova screamed, clutching her trigger tighter.
Click. Click. Click.
"Dammit!" Nova yelled, tossing the overheated gun into its holster. She pulled her second gun over her shoulder.
The brief respite gave the creature the time it needed. It lifted its hands and Nova's stomach clenched as its flesh reformed and knit back together. It was the same horrifying display she'd seen before.
The monstrosity turned towards her and pulled a massive gun from the metal holster at its waist. The gun was half as big as Nova, and just as wide. The barrel swung around to point at her; the black cavity gaped at her, threatening death.
She leaped away just in time, tossing her body to the side and sweeping Aart along with her. As her feet left the ground a white bolt of energy smashed into the metal floor. It left a black stain and nearby Hunters were sent sprawling.
They landed behind a tall support column.
"How the hell do we kill these things?" Nova said, gasping for air. Her heart raced and blood pumped hard through her veins.
"There's got to be a way. What did you do last time?" Aart said. He took the time to check his gun and let it cool down while other Hunters took their places and died under the onslaught.
They sat with their backs against the wall and watched death rain down all around them. The super-soldiers advanced, making the Maw shake. They had to duck to get through the entrance into the main hall.
"Cal noticed an anomaly last time. The thing had a hole in its head and when we fired into it, it collapsed." Nova closed her eyes and sweat dribbled down her forehead.
"And you thought you'd keep that to yourself!" Aart cried, jumping to his feet.
A chill swept through Nova's body. It was the only weakness she'd found on them and she hadn't thought to tell anyone. How many deaths lay on her hands?
Aart took a deep breath and looked down at her. "What does it do?"
"I don't know, but it went down as soon as we hit it."
"It's all we've got. We'll try to hit that one at the front."
"We'll need some height," Nova said. She had to yell to be heard over the screams and gunfire.
"Not if we trip it first."
Nova frowned and nodded.
"Okay, let's do this," said Aart.
They moved out of the shelter of the metal support column and stepped into the fray. With the help of the super-soldiers, the Confederacy forces pushed deeper into the entrance hall. The Hunters were being forced further back. It wouldn't be long before they were squeezed back into the network of tunnels and deeper into The Jagged Maw.
Aart pushed through the forces and looped a thick rope around the support column closest to the advancing creatures. He tossed the rest of the rope across the fighting crowd and Nova caught it, tying it as fast as her shaking hands allowed to another column, creating a trip wire in front of the closest super-soldier.
The monstrosity's head was too far above to see the rope at its feet and its massive metal leg pushed into the tight rope. The force of it made the support column groan but it held. The soldier stumbled and fell towards the Hunter troops.
The Hunters ran, desperate to get away from the falling soldier. The metal suit crashed to the ground and the super-soldier flailed its arms and legs. The limbs caught some Hunters off-guard and they flew through the air.
Nova didn't waste any time. As soon as the soldier fell, she dashed forward, leaping over fallen bodies and ducking under blasts of deadly energy.
She landed in a pool of blood and slipped along the metal floor. With waving arms she managed to keep her footing and kept running. She sped all the way to the flailing monstrosity and stood at its head, looking down.
The gaping hole moved in and out in time with the creature's breathing, wires trailed out of the hole and connected to the suit. From this close it was much easier to see that the thing was only partly human, if that. Growths and bumps dotted its face and discolouration marked most of the skin. The gaping hole at the top of its head was just one abnormality amongst many.
"Do it!" Aart yelled from his place at the creature's feet.
Nova lifted her rifle, aimed it at the hole, and squeezed the trigger. A bolt of energy shot out and disappeared into the creature's head.
Nothing happened.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
After what seemed like an eternity, the creature's head exploded with a loud bang that sent pieces of skull and brain flying across the room, leaving behind tattered shreds of its face. The metal fighting suit appeared untouched.
"Yeah!" Aart yelled, jumping into the air.
Nova grinned up at him but only for the few seconds it took for her eyes to lift higher and see the nine other monstrosities stomping towards them. At least the Confederacy foot sold
iers were falling back. Whether it was the staunch Hunter defence, or the sight of one of their creatures dying, the soldiers had stopped their advance.
"I believe Nova and Aart just earned themselves a week's worth of desert rations," Tim said through the speakers.
His joke lifted the spirits of the Hunters and they fought with new strength.
"Aim for the top of their heads!" Nova bellowed to her companions.
"You heard her," Tim said. "Shoot 'em in the head."
She slung her rifle over her shoulder and ran towards the door through which the enemy came. Three monstrosities were already inside the entrance hall and the others weren't far behind. A Confederacy soldier with a jagged knife sawed through the thick rope and it fell limp to the ground, useless.
Nova grabbed hold of a metal support column, using the side shielded from the Confederacy troops. It was made of crisscrossed metal bars, more for functionality than aesthetic appeal.
She put one hand in front of the other as she pulled herself up the column. The bars made a smooth ladder that she climbed with ease. It took her only a few seconds to get above the heads of her fellow Hunters. A few more seconds of climbing got her above the heads of the attacking super-soldiers.
Her back and arms ached but she wouldn't let that slow her. She took a steadying breath and let her mind focus, blocking out the sounds of her friends dying.
Of the two-hundred Hunters, already fifty lay dead or dying, mowed down by the massive creatures. Their colossal guns cut through the defensive lines in seconds and their armour shielded them from the Hunters' weapons.
Other Hunters grasped hold of the other support columns and hauled themselves up out of the fray. There were already four in position, including her. That was good, the more the better, in case she was shot down from her perch.
The people on the ground could do nothing aside from shoot and die. Nova's heart clenched as she watched another Hunter fall in a splatter of blood. Nausea rocked through her stomach and her eyes burned as she ripped her gaze away from the massacre.
She hooked her other arm around the column and held her body firmly against the cool metal. With her right hand she swivelled her rifle down and to her left so that it pointed at the closest beast.
Looking down the sight, she could see its vulnerable spot breathing in and out. It made no attempt to shield its head as it cut down the Hunters. It plodded along, each step shaking the ground and threatening to toss Nova from her post.
She took a deep breath, held the gun steady, and fired.
A blue bolt shot down, through the metal bars, and into the creature's head. It stopped dead, lifted one hand up and then collapsed; face forward, onto the ship's floor.
Hunters dived to either side to avoid it and cheered when it didn't get up. A few of them fired into the hole at the top of its head, just to be sure.
"I believe that's another set of rations for Nova. You see fellow Hunters; this is why she won the space-race. Makes the rest of you look like residents of The Happy Hunters!"
Nova chuckled, a sick kind of guffaw that caught in the back of her throat and came out as a choked sob. Tim's voice sounded strained, despite his jokes. Nova spotted him amongst the Hunters below, an oversized gun booming from his shoulder. An angry red gash split his right cheek and dribbled blood onto his shoulder.
She bit her lip as she checked her gun and lowered it to take another shot. Before she could bring the next creature into her view it exploded with a bright purple flash.
As the light faded, the creature collapsed to the ground.
Nova looked around in confusion and spotted Gus sitting in the support column opposite her, grinning from ear to ear. He caught Nova's eye and winked. Nova nodded back.
Gus's face fell and he yelled something over the din.
Nova frowned and turned just in time to see a bright ball of fire screaming towards her. She let go of the column with one hand and pushed back, swinging to the side. The plasma bolt slammed into the column, making it shake, and leaving a charred circle where Nova's head had been moments earlier.
She swallowed the lump in her throat and peaked out around the column.
Confederacy troops aimed their guns up the columns. Hunters hung like immobile targets as they took aim at the super-soldiers.
"What out below!" Nova screamed as a volley of shots slammed into the columns.
A Hunter screamed and fell like a rock. His body twisted in the air and slammed into the ground, limbs twisted and a hole smoking in his chest. Other Hunters scrambled down the columns back to the relative safety of the floor.
Nova and a handful of others stayed clinging to the columns. She stayed as far behind the column as she could while taking aim at the nearest super-soldier. Plasma blasts careened into the column and half-blinded her but through the onslaught she fired.
The creature's head exploded.
From there, bodies crumpled to the floor on both sides of the battle.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
A high pitched whistle echoed around the entrance hall and the Confederacy soldiers stepped backwards, away from the fight. The Hunters pushed forward, firing into the uniformed ranks and littering the floor with corpses.
A second whistle made the super-soldiers back away from the Hunters, through the main door and into the shipping bay along with the Confederacy foot soldiers. They didn't turn their backs until they reached their ships. They boarded, lifted into the air, and jetted away.
"What the—" Nova said as she loosened her grip on the column and allowed herself to slide a few rungs down, closer to the floor.
"They're running away!" cheered Aart, running to the base of the column and looking up at her.
"But why?" Nova said, frowning.
"Because they were scared of course," Aart said.
"I don't think that's it," Nova said. She slid the rest of the way to land with a thud on the ground beside Aart.
She looked around at the battered Hunters. They wouldn't have held out much longer, so many had died and those still alive looked like they wanted to be dead. Gaping wounds and blood covered most of them and deep shadows filled their eyes. Broken and overheated weapons dotted the floor and they'd been fighting in whatever clothing they'd been able to throw on.
In contrast, the Confederacy troops had been wearing crisp uniforms with some shielding capacity. They were well rested, and knew the fight was coming. Their weapons were the best that Confederacy money could buy and few of them ever overheated. More than that, they still had seven creatures to throw at the Hunters. They were in a winning position, or at least it looked like they were, so why would they leave?
"Nova, stop worrying about things. Just be glad they're gone," said Aart.
Nova looked into his eyes and then nodded, lifting the corner of her mouth.
"We'd better get these people sorted," he said, looking around at the carnage.
Nova smiled and relief flushed through her. "Look who made it."
Tanguin stumbled through the thick of fallen bodies to their side.
"Glad to see you survived," Aart said as she shuffled to a stop beside them.
"Me too," Tanguin said.
"Where's Lara? She's got the best medical training of any of us," Nova said.
"I'm here, I'm here, keep your pants on," Lara said from where she knelt next to a bleeding man.
"You're in charge. What do you need us to do?" Nova said.
"I need you to sort them. Those that can be saved and those that can't."
Nova nodded and strode through her fallen comrades. She knelt by each body, checking for a pulse, any sign of life. The ones that might be saved she left alone; the corpses she dragged towards the exit, creating a grim pile of bodies. Her stomach churned at each familiar face, the weight in her chest growing with each cold, lifeless corpse she dragged across the floor.
Aart and Tanguin did the same through the rest of the room and soon the other Hunters who were unharmed joined the grim search
for survivors. The pile of dead bodies grew.
Nova grabbed hold of a pair of grubby hands and pulled the body across the metal floor. The woman, Rackel, Nova thought her name was, had probably died at the start of the battle, she wouldn't have even had time to process what was happening.
Nova lay Rackel's body next to the others and turned back to the dark scene. Her thoughts locked on the battle. Why would the Confederacy go through all the effort of staging an attack, and suddenly leave? What was the point of it?
She'd heard them talking on Glod, they intended to wipe out all of The Jagged Maw. Surely leaving half of them still alive was the worst thing they could do. They'd made some solid enemies and let them live. Nova shook her head. It didn't add up.
If she was the Confederacy and she wanted to get rid of opposition then she'd want all of the Hunters dead. She wouldn't have attacked in person at all, there was too much risk. But then maybe whoever was in control wanted some bloodshed. Maybe they wanted to see the Hunters suffer. But even the most bloodthirsty general wouldn't sacrifice a victory for a few extra litres of blood.
So then what was the backup plan?
When the front-on assault failed, what would their plan B have been? What would they do next?
"A bomb," Nova whispered.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Her eyes widened and she looked up at her fellow Hunters as they held their wounds. The healthy tended to the dying while the wounded lay in a state of anguish somewhere in between.
"A bomb," she said louder. There were too many people talking, too many muttered conversations, no one could hear her. And even if they could hear her, what could they do? There were too many wounded to carry them all to the ships, and then what? No, she had to do something herself.
Nova ran through the entrance hall. She grabbed hold of Aart and Tanguin on her way and dragged them into the corridors beyond where the hum of voices lessened and she could hear herself think.
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