He completed his task and stood still as Griz looked him over.
“Did I forget anything?”
“Nope, you look fine,” Griz said.
Mirko nodded and turned to the rest of the group. “Alright, we're going to go over the plan one last time. If I miss anything then the boss will chime in. We're attacking the entrance to the objective in several waves. First, the Starlight will bombard the enemy positions.”
“We expect them to have shield generators,” Nina said. “We don't know for sure, but they'd be fools not to bring them along. If they didn't then this is going to be over quickly. But if not then we're going to have to do things the hard way.”
He continued. “We'll use the plasma cannons to avoid doing damage to the structure inside. I don't know how strong it is, but slinging around mass driver rounds isn't going to do it any favors. So once that ends we're going to send in a drone assault courtesy of IVIN.”
“Happy to oblige you,” the AI said.
“It's going to be aimed for the weakest point of the defenses, to put pressure on them and force them to send in reinforcements,” Mirko explained. “Once that has their attention we'll break through another point, aided by the gunships and whatever else the Starlight can do for us. Cheryl and Sasha will be taking care of things up here.”
“Lucky,” Gilroy said with a smile.
“I don't get full hazard pay for this, so I'll switch if you want,” Bradley said.
“Not an option,” Nina said. “And to be clear, everyone's getting full hazard pay. The ground team is getting extra on top of that because this is so dangerous. But I think we'll be fine. We'll have the element of surprise, and Eon Path doesn't seem to be the best trained soldiers. They'll panic when they get hit.”
“What can we expect inside the target?” Salim asked.
“Unknown.”
“Unknown?”
“There's not much we can tell from the outside,” Elsner said. “I've seen the scans, and I can't read anything. The outer shell of the structure is blocking out all signals. We have no clue about what's inside, other than the size of the object.”
“It's a sphere, about fifty miles by fifty miles. Who knows how much of that has passable tunnels, but it's still pretty sizable,” Nina said. “This might take a while. And we might have enemy troops following us, so keep that in mind.”
Nothing unusual for them, but it still could cause problems. They needed to map the tunnels as they went, otherwise they risked getting lost or running straight into an ambush. But if they were confused then it was a good bet the other side was dealing with the same problems.
“How are we getting back out?” Kei asked.
“Same way we're getting in. Only this time we should have reinforcements,” Nina said. “I sent an encrypted message and got a response. We'll have reinforcements within a week. But we still need to go down. We can't let them have the time to secure themselves, otherwise rooting them out is going to be tough.”
“Room to room clearing is never fun,” Mirko agreed.
“Neither is dropping straight into the middle of a battlezone,” Rappa said lightly.
Griz shrugged. “I don't see the problem with it. Welcome to my world, where you're the first one down and the first one to get shot at.”
Mirko wanted to smile, but he concealed it. The signs were good, though. Everyone seemed loose and collected, showing no signs of fear or concern. The banter reinforced that impression.
He glanced at Lauren. She seemed relatively collected given the circumstances, but who knew how she'd react to her first real taste of combat? A retreat like they had performed on Caleth was far different from the situation they were in now. Dropping straight into a combat zone, where the only route forward, constituted an entirely different animal.
As the rest of the squad continued to talk he took Kei aside.
“Stick close to Lauren if you can,” Mirko instructed. “I know that Nina will be with here as well, but she has other things to think about. Make sure she doesn't get herself in a dangerous situation. And keep yourself upright too. We need our medic.”
“Understood, chief.”
Mirko clapped him on the shoulder. “I'm glad to have you along. You make us a heck of a lot more versatile.”
“We're coming around the asteroid,” Cheryl said over the intercom. “We'll commence bombardment immediately. You'll deploy on the second pass.”
Bradley headed for the door. “I'd better get to my station.”
They didn't need her now, not with IVIN controlling the ship's guns, but once the drones deployed even an AI would need help to juggle everything.
“Last minute checks, and then let's get into the lander,” he said.
THE BATTLE RAGED BELOW.
Kei watched the plasma bolts and lasers zipping between the two sides, many missing, some finding their mark.
The initial bombardment wasn't strong enough to break through the shields, but it did force the defenders under cover and rattled them. The shields could only cover relatively small areas, leaving exploitable gaps in the line.
That gave them a perfect target for the drones. IVIN sent scores of small units to the surface of the asteroid, and they went to work assaulting the weakest part of the lines. Little more than a weapon and a control system encased in a dome of armor and propelled by a pair of treads, they were simple but demanded attention. Enough of them could swarm over an enemy position and overwhelm them with a combination of firepower and numbers.
From his position in the lander he could see them beginning to break through, gunning down enemy troops and forcing many to either take cover or retreat. A few of the drones had been destroyed, but there were simply too many for the enemy to deal with.
“Looks like their reinforcements are headed to the gap, just as expected,” Nina said. “Get ready to head in.”
Kei glanced up toward the huge hulk of the Starlight, using its engines to hold position and raining down destruction on the enemy with its plasma cannons. It couldn't break through the shields, but anyone that stepped outside of their protection faced certain death.
He wondered how the Eon Path troops on the ground were faring. Every time they moved to reinforce the weakened area they had to run out into the killzone, steeling themselves to possibly be vaporized by the ship hovering above them.
Still, some made it, hurrying into position and trying to shore up the line against the onslaught of drones. He couldn't doubt their courage, at least, even if their skills were relatively lacking. They could still prove very dangerous.
“We have a gap,” Bradley said. “I'm sending the drone pilot the coordinates now.”
Kei reached up and grabbed the strap hanging in front of him, more as a reflex than anything else. He was strapped into the seat and wouldn't be going anywhere.
The lander was barebones, just an engine, a housing for the pilot drone core and a double row of seats for the occupants. They had no protection from the elements, but out in the void of space that mattered little. They could skimp on the extra weight and protection in this case for an added measure of stealth.
They descended toward the surface. Kei closed his eyes for a moment, trying to focus. He hoped that none of the enemy would look up at the wrong time. The seconds ticked by, but no shots came their way. The enemy had their attention focused on the drone assault. A relatively minuscule speck in the void was beneath their notice.
That would change, though…
“Deploy in ten. Deploy in ten.”
Kei opened his eyes and gripped his plasma rifle, waiting for the restraints to disengage. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a pair of gunships swooping into view, acting as their escort on the way to the surface of the asteroid. They'd attract plenty of attention, but the tradeoff for extra firepower was worth it. Besides, they were already almost on the ground.
Their transport approached the asteroid and hovered about ten yards from the surface, then began speeding toward their
objective. A few plasma bolts streaked by them, but he saw one of the gunships turn to engage. A moment later the gunfire died out.
Kei looked at his HUD, counting down the distance until they reached their objective. A thousand. Eight hundred. Six hundred.
More and more plasma bolts began flashing by, but none came close to hitting. Combat in a low gravity environment was always extremely difficult. Sudden motion could throw a soldier wildly off-balance, and movement was always difficult. His squad had chosen to close in on the lander instead of on foot because of those difficulties. Making themselves a bigger target had been deemed an acceptable tradeoff for the extra speed.
Three hundred. Two hundred. One hundred.
“Let's get inside quickly,” Soko said.
As the lander slowed and the restraints disengaged Kei pushed himself out of his seat and brought his gun up to his shoulder. He glanced to his right to make sure Lauren had disembarked. Good enough.
He spotted a unit of enemy guards grouped around the entryway to the complex and opened fire. Plasma bolts streaked through the void and smacked into one of them, tearing through their suit and dropping them into the dusty soil.
The enemy tried to react, but his group had experience on their side. The seven of them cut the Eon troops down in a hail of fire, taking few shots in return. None of them hit their mark.
“Looks like we're clear,” Nina said. “Into the complex now.”
Kei hung back in the middle as Salim and Rappa took the lead, weapons at the ready. He got his first good look at the Ulic structure, a long trench made out of a blackish-grey metal that he couldn't identify. It was definitely artificial, and it seemed almost new. Maybe that was an exaggeration, but it didn't seem like the ravages of time had done much to the structure.
But at the end of the trench he noticed a light grey doorway, a modular type he had seen in so many installations across the galaxy. That definitely wasn't part of the original structure. Eon Path had probably installed it as part of an airlock leading into the complex. Did that mean it was pressurized?
He didn't have time to waste wondering about hypotheticals. Kei kept his rifle trained toward the rear as they advanced, keeping an eye out for anyone who might be following them.
“It's locked,” he heard Salim said.
“No surprise there,” Nina said. “IVIN?”
“Coming right up,” the AI said, and the hovering orb he was using to project himself in the field zoomed forward.
“Relatively simple password,” he said. “Miss Bradley could have handled it without my assistance. As it is...”
Kei saw the door slide open out of the corner of his eye, and the lead elements of the squad stormed inside.
“Clear,” Rappa said, and the rest of the unit hurried through.
As they closed the door behind them Kei got his first good look at the interior of the structure, made out of the same blackish-grey metal as the trench outside. A tunnel about ten feet high led to another doorway. And beyond that…
IVIN moved up to the control panel and went to work.
“The door will open on your signal,” he said. “By the way, the atmosphere inside this place appears to be breathable to humans.”
“Appears?” Nina said.
“I'm certain, but I'm not the one that's going to be testing it,” IVIN said. “So take it or leave it.”
“Understood. Are we ready?”
“Ready.”
“Go.”
The next door slid open and the lead pair charged through. Kei followed behind Elsner, expecting to find another hallway.
Instead, the structure opened up onto a balcony overlooking a vast, cavernous chamber. Stairways led down to the ground floor, about thirty feet lower or so. And below them…
“Contact, contact,” Salim warned over the radio link.
Kei had already moved up agains the edge of the balcony, a solid metallic wall that seemed sturdy enough to stand up to small-arms fire. He leaned out of cover and shot the first enemy through the chest with a pair of shots.
Chaos reigned as plasma bolts filled the air, and though it was faint, Kei could hear the distinctive sound of their zip through his helmet. Apparently there was an atmosphere in here after all.
He aimed at another foe, but his target suddenly exploded in a mist of blood. Another railgun victim. Kei shifted his aim and took out another Eon soldier, hitting him square in the neck with a single shot.
They had the advantage thanks to their superior height. Even when the enemy thought they were in cover his side could often still see them. Kei raked a pair of enemy troops trying to move to a better position with a burst of shots, grazing one and catching the other in the gut. As he fell kicking and clutching at his wound the other turned to help, but Kei shot him through the back.
No mercy, no hesitation. Unless they threw down their arms and surrendered the enemy would be given no quarter.
“Flanker. Flanker,” Soko ordered. “Griz, take Salim and Elsner. Head down the left stairwell. The rest of us will provide cover.”
“Copy that.”
Kei focused on the left side of the chamber and lined up a shot. He had to flinch back for a moment as a plasma bolt passed inches from his face, but he recovered and shot his assailant through the chest three times.
He moved to a new shooting spot as a precaution.
“How many do we have?” he asked over the radio link.
“Don't have time for an accurate count,” Gilroy said, “but I think about thirty or so.”
Kei leaned out of cover and opened fire again, though this time his shots went wide. His target flattened himself against the ground and hid behind a raised console in the floor.
“We're headed down,” Griz said.
“Got it,” Soko replied. “Suppressive fire!”
Kei shot at anyone who dared to show their face. None of his shots hit, but their combined efforts forced the enemy into cover and allowed the flanker unit to gain the ground floor. They began to roll up the enemy, catching them with a crossfire and devastating their ranks.
After about thirty seconds the guns fell silent.
“Clear.”
“Clear.”
“Clear.”
“Looks clear from up here,” Gilroy said.
“Stay up here,” Soko ordered. “The rest of you, let's sweep the rest of this place.”
LAUREN SAT BEHIND COVER, feeling her heart thumping. How long had the fight lasted? A minute? Maybe two at the most? Her escorts had been completely outnumbered, yet they had annihilated the enemy with no losses of their own.
And still, they showed no signs of fear or worry. As soon as the shooting stopped they resumed their advance. She felt so out of place at this point, completely out of her depth. Maybe she should have stayed aboard the ship.
But the wonder of this place called to her, and so far it hadn't disappointed. Lauren had seen similar structures in the past, but they all paled in comparison to the one she was standing in right now. Others might have been bigger, but they were dilapidated, broken down by the elements and the march of time.
This one was intact.
“ALL CLEAR,” Soko said through the radio link. “Almost.”
Nina frowned. “Almost? What's that supposed to mean?”
“There's one survivor. Unarmed, and he's not wearing a helmet, so I assume that there's breathable air in here.”
“Hm, I wonder who could have told you that before?” IVIN said.
“I'm coming down,” Nina said. “Hold him there for me.”
“Understood.”
“How's the battle outside going?” she asked IVIN as she descended the right staircase.
“Fairly well. We've lost about twenty drones so far, but the enemy has suffered significant casualties in return.”
“Pull them back whenever you think it's prudent.”
“Understood. Oh, and I took the liberty of changing the encryption on the entrance locks.”
Nina smiled inside her helmet. “Oh, I suppose I'll allow it.” It wouldn't stop Eon Path, but it would slow them down for a while.
But their prisoner occupied her attention at the moment. Nina thought there was something familiar about him, even though she could only see him from the back. He had short, greying hair and a slight frame, only a few inches taller than her. She knew someone like that.
As Soko turned the captive around to face her she stopped in her tracks. Nina recovered quickly, though, and she drew her pistol.
“Dr. Hammond,” she said aiming her weapon toward him. “Funny meeting you here.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Lauren did a double-take as she heard Nina's words. That was Dr. Rowen Hammond? How had he come here? And why was he in the company of Eon Path?
“Fancy meeting you here,” Hammond said, rubbing his beard. “A stroke of luck for me, I suppose.”
“You suppose?” Nina asked.
“The atmosphere is breathable in here,” he said. “You can take your helmet off.”
“Noted. Everyone, you can removed your headgear.”
Lauren took her helmet off and got her first taste of the Ulic air. It seemed no different from any of the planets or space stations she had visited during her lifetime.
“Now, where were we?” Nina said. “You realize what this looks like, don't you?”
“What this looks like? I'm sorry, you're going to have to elaborate on that.”
“Don't play dumb. You're telling me that you have no idea what influence your writing has on the affairs of the galaxy? Especially when we find you here in the company of the terrorist organization that used them as their inspiration.”
“I think it's overblown, and blame-shifting,” Hammond said. “Yes, they were inspired by my writings, though that was completely unintended. I write fiction. Am I responsible for those who would misuse my art? Because blaming me for that sounds an awful lot like the people who want to ban books for ridiculous reasons.”
“Be as that may, that's not really the issue here,” Nina said. “I'd find it believable that they were unintentionally inspired by your work. But now we walk into a middle of an Ulic ruin and find you here? Not only that, but find you being escorted by Eon Path?”
Eon Gate (The Eon Pentalogy Book 1) Page 17