Ronin

by Jan Domagala

  “I wanted you to suffer, to feel my pain, but I don’t have the time,” Stryder said as he watched him fall straight-legged to the floor.

  “Besides, I’m going to kill everyone else in this building and that’s gonna take some time,” he added as he stepped over the dead body and walked away down the corridor holding an assault rifle in one hand, a Sig P996 in his other and hate and rage in his heart. He intended to do harm to every man he saw who belonged to the Alliance.

  25

  “I can’t wait any longer. We have to do something,” Hawk said as he came back to the bridge of the starship.

  “Have you formulated a plan yet?” Storm asked as Hawk came to stand by him.

  “How good are you and your men at orbital jumping?” Hawk asked with a smile.

  “Cool, now we’re talking.” Private William (Hacker) Ives said. Although his speciality was computers, he was also somewhat of an adrenalin junkie.

  Storm and Wayne were standing there also, the only other members of the squad that had been picked to come along, and they looked at Hacker with a puzzled expression.

  “What?” Hacker said when he saw them. “It’s about time we did something positive instead of sitting on our asses up here like we have been doing.”

  “Commander Parks, will we be able to initiate an orbital drop from one of the hatches if you get us close enough?” asked Hawk.

  Parks spun around in the command chair and said, “You do realise we’ll have to drop our stealth shield to allow you to leave the ship?”

  “Of course, but with luck we’ll be gone and clear in less than a second, hopefully you won’t show up as more than an anomaly on any sensor screen that might be looking in our direction.” explained Hawk.

  “Okay then, I’ll get as close as we can without making it too easy to spot us when we drop the stealth shield. You get ready guys, we’ll wait on your call for pick up, although I have no idea how you intend to get back here,” Parks said.

  “Come on guys we need to suit up for the jump. Oh and Commander, about the return trip, I’ll let you know as soon as I figure it out,” Hawk said as he turned and led the way off the bridge.

  “How did I know he was going to say that?” Cowboy said.

  “Button it, Wayne,” Storm said with a slight smirk in his voice.

  “Commander, contact Stryder and let him know we’re coming,” Hawk said. Then he left the bridge.

  STRYDER HADN’T GONE far when the call came through to his NI on a combat frequency. “This is Commander Parks in orbit around the planet. Captains Hawk, Storm and two Recon Delta Marines from Captain Storm’s team are coming to help you and Miss Hardy off the planet.”

  “Hardy is dead. How are they coming and how long before they arrive?” Stryder asked quickly, wanting to know all the details.

  “They are making an orbital jump and should be there in moments, sir. They will contact you as soon as they get planet side.”

  “An orbital jump, that means they’ll need transport off this planet. What contingencies have they made to get off the planet?”

  “Captain Hawk will brief you on arrival, sir. Please stand by, Parks out.”

  Stryder was more determined than ever to destroy the place and everyone in it. If Col Sec were here to rescue him then Sinclair had plans for him, probably just as bad as those the Alliance had. He was not going to allow himself to be used or abused any longer. There was no way he would allow this team to take him with them which meant he would have to make plans to ensure they got off here safely but without him. His previous plan of destroying the place and remaining inside was now out of the question and thinking about it brought him to his senses a little. Why should he sacrifice himself just to prevent them making use of the serum inside him? He would just have to think of some other way of depriving them of it.

  He couldn’t let Storm and this Hawk die though as they had probably come to rescue him because he was a Recon Delta Marine same as them and the Delta lived by a code. One of the tenets stated was that they never left a soldier behind. If they had come to save him, then he would have to do what he could to ensure they got off the planet safely. Hardy’s death was already laying heavily on his mind. He might not be able to cope if his presence cost the lives of any more Delta Marines. That was something he might not be able to live with.

  Using his NI he linked into the main computer once more and after a quick search found what he wanted.

  “Okay guys, if you’re coming, the least I can do is prepare a welcome for you and arrange a way off this rock,” he said out loud to himself.

  NORSKY HAD ACCESSED the computer and had been listening in to any available comm chatter to see where Stryder and Hardy were.

  Explosions were going off around him as he made his way to Stryder’s last known destination. He was well aware that the facility was going to self-destruct soon. Somehow he had obtained that knowledge through his NI from the computer, and he also knew that General Solon was awaiting the arrival of Captain Anders’ team who had been sent to collect Stryder. He wasn’t sure how he had obtained all that information because surely any comm chatter between the two parties had been through closed, encrypted combat channels, unless his enhanced abilities had somehow enabled him to hack into the channels in question without him knowing. However, it had happened and he was not the type to look a gift horse in the mouth. He knew General Solon was waiting for him and it was commonsense to assume that he had transport ready and waiting to escort them away from the upcoming conflagration.

  It also made sense for him to make his way to the General’s location, take Stryder away from the Marines and hand him over to Solon personally and thereby regain his position with him.

  THE FOUR MARINES WERE suited up with the jumpsuits incorporating the Rapier battle helmet, full face visor with breather unit that attached to the jump suit’s main breather unit, which was in the back pack they all wore. It also held the combat parachute made from light, durable material, which would open when the release button was hit and on landing retract back into the backpack.

  Across their chest they each wore the Mk II Remm assault rifle and in a holster strapped under their left armpit they each had a Sig P996, both standard issue. Finally, in a sheath strapped to their left forearm was the Howell combat knife.

  Their NIs would interface into the battle helmet’s computer which would then give them a HUD display on the inside of the helmet visor showing all relevant data they would want to call up, such as weather conditions and battle group deployments. Comm channels would be connected using the small, integrated transmitter.

  Hawk gave the command and the stealth shield was dropped. The hatch opened and as one, they jumped. The hatch closed up immediately after their evacuation and the stealth shield was raised simultaneously.

  Quickly they fell, fanning out into a delta wing formation their heads angled forward, their arms at their sides and legs together to minimise their radar silhouette. It also cut down on any drag so they would plummet through the upper atmosphere at an alarming rate. The suit would prevent friction or the freezing temperatures from being that high up in the atmosphere being a problem, keeping their core temperatures at normal as the onboard computer in the Rapier battle helmet monitored their vital signs constantly and relayed the data to the heating unit inside the jumpsuit.

  Buffeted by the atmosphere, the four Marines fought to keep their silhouette stable and prevent themselves from going into a tumble. Should that happen at the speed they were travelling, the chances of them being able to regain control of their descent ranged from slim to none.

  Closer and closer their descent brought them to the surface of the planet. Through the upper atmosphere, through the clouds and out and down until the ground below came rushing towards them at a fantastic rate. Lesser men would have baulked at the idea of jumping out of a starship whilst still in a low orbit, but not these men. They knew this was the only way and they agreed to it without a second’s hesitation.
<
br />   The readout in the helmet counted down their altitude as they rushed towards the ground:

  20,000 feet

  Not yet,

  10,000 feet

  Just a little closer,

  5,000 feet

  Just a little more,

  3,000 feet

  2,000 feet

  1,000 feet

  Almost there

  900 feet

  Now!!

  Each chute was deployed and instantly snapped open catching the air in its canopy, dragging the wearer’s speed down from terminal velocity to almost nothing by comparison in the blink of an eye. It was at this point where most injuries occurred, due to the sudden deceleration.

  Literally within seconds they were down on the ground, rolling to the side to lessen the impact with the hard surface, their chutes automatically retracting inside their backpacks. Up on their knees they kept low, minimising their chances of being seen from any lookout post situated near the facility where they had targeted their landing.

  “We’re down! Will report back once our objective is in sight and has been achieved,” Hawk said through the comm link that had been established prior to their evacuation from the starship in orbit.

  Storm was at his side in a flash, “Okay, sir, it’s on you, what are your orders?” he asked.

  In the distance they could see the facility. They had come down close to it but on the opposite side of a small copse of trees, which they had used for cover. The facility was being wracked by explosions from the inside and they could see quite clearly chunks of debris being flung high into the air as each new blast destroyed more and more of it.

  “Whatever you decide, it had better be quick, while there’s still something of that place left for us to search,” Storm added.

  Hawk’s keen eyes then saw something and he pointed over to the far right.

  “There, it looks like a landing pad with a shuttle waiting. My guess is Stryder will make for that. So, first order of business is to take control of the pad and the vehicle on it to ensure that when Stryder finds us we have a way off this rock,” he said.

  “And what if he can’t get to us?” Storm asked.

  “Then we’ll have to find a way to get to him, but first things first, let’s capture that shuttle,” Hawk replied. He unhooked his Remm assault rifle, pulled the lever to prime the battery clip then turned to Storm and smiled, “Time to rock and roll,” he said.

  26

  Inside the rapidly self-destructing building, Stryder was dodging falling masonry and mini explosions that were erupting everywhere. They were becoming more frequent as time went on.

  The information from the computer about the location of key personnel inside the building told him where General Solon was.

  The lab had been destroyed along with any workable samples of the serum, so even if any of the lab techs survived this catastrophe the chances of them being able to recreate their findings here would be impossible. The key to all this was his blood. That only left General Solon; he was a danger to the Confederation and his drive to gain an ascendancy over them would push him to do anything. That was something he could not allow to happen. Enough lives had been lost to this experiment and it was about time it came to an end.

  It would end here, today, with the destruction of this facility and with the death of General Solon.

  THE WAIT FOR CAPTAIN Anders’ team to bring the damned Stryder to him was becoming interminable. Solon used his NI to access the computer to locate Anders but he refused or was unable to respond to his call. What the computer told him brought a chill to his blood. Apparently all Anders’ team were dead and the facility was just less than an hour away from the fusion reactors going critical and destroying not only the entire facility but the surrounding area up to a one hundred mile radius. At least the planet’s population would be spared but this facility would be totally destroyed. It would be a great loss to the Alliance, one they could ill afford.

  He staggered from the enormity of what his desire to gain an advantage over the Confederation was about to do to the lives of the people he had hoped to improve. He was about to cause a catastrophe that would rock the Alliance to its very core. The loss of life and this facility was bad enough, but for it to be caused by one of the top ranking Generals was just unacceptable.

  The worst thing was that he was powerless to prevent it.

  If Anders’ team were all dead then Stryder must be responsible, which also meant that by now he had figured out an escape route. The only way off here was in Solon’s shuttle. Stryder was coming to him.

  If he could capture him then perhaps he could lessen the loss of life here, perhaps swing the blame somehow onto him, if his honour would allow him to do that. Either way he needed to take measures to attempt Stryder’s capture.

  Using his NI he called all remaining guards and soldiers who were not helping to evacuate, to come to the landing pad immediately. He just hoped there would be enough left and they would get there on time to stop Stryder so they could get away from there before the entire region was blown to atoms.

  An idea formed in his mind and he contacted the nearest starship in orbit to inform them of the impending disaster and order them to send a troop carrier down to his location to start a full evacuation of the facility.

  HAWK BROUGHT UP HIS right hand with the closed fist sign that told his teammates to halt. Palm facing down he motioned for them to hit the dirt. They dropped to the ground as one, face first into the dirt. They all heard the roar of the engines as the troop carrier swooped down overhead towards the landing pad of the military base.

  Things had just got worse.

  “I love my job,” Cowboy said quietly, yet they all heard through the integral comm units in their battle helmets.

  They watched as the troop carrier hovered over the landing pad at the side of the building and then ropes fell out of an open hatchway in the side and Marines started to rappel down to the ground.

  “Things just got a little more interesting,” Hawk said as they all watched ten soldiers debark down and take up positions close to the shuttle.

  “We have to take them out,” he added and motioned them onwards. “We need to take control of the landing pad and shuttle. That part of the mission hasn’t changed, it’s just become harder but we’ll still carry it out,” he said. Then, crouched low to avoid detection, he led them slowly towards their objective.

  STRYDER SAW HIS OBJECTIVE getting closer; through his NI he had accessed detailed plans of the interior of the facility and without realising and almost subconsciously, he was plotting his way through the maze of corridors unerringly to his final destination.

  He had learned something else that brought him to a complete halt, something that chilled his blood. General Solon had issued an evacuation order to a starship in orbit. A troop carrier had arrived to drop off more troopers to aid with his capture, which made his escape almost impossible. It also made the danger to Hawk and his team that much more deadly.

  He was almost at his destination when he stopped to re-evaluate his situation. The only way out of the building was through the entrance to the spaceport landing pad that was close, but by this time well guarded by the new influx of troopers. He would have to get past them and find some form of transport away from there.

  That could be tricky.

  NORSKY HAD ANTICIPATED Stryder’s intentions and got there first. The hiding places were few and far between so he waited in plain sight for him to arrive. Because the serum was taking effect he found his hearing had increased and could hear his approach.

  He waited at the last corner of the corridor, behind him was the doorway to the spaceport landing pad.

  SOMETHING WAS NOT QUITE right. He felt a presence, heard a heartbeat not too far away from him.

  He was not alone.

  Someone was waiting just around the corner of the corridor he was in.

  His objective was around that corner so he had no choice but to follow his course and go
around it and face whatever challenge was waiting for him.

  HAWK ACCESSED A COMBAT channel via his NI and spoke to Stryder. “Where are you Captain? We have extra troopers in sight at the landing pad of the spaceport. If you’re planning on coming that way let us know when, so we can arrange some sort of diversion for you to slip past them,” he said.

  Hearing Hawk, Stryder stopped in his tracks before rounding the corner and replied, sub-vocalising so that no one close could overhear, “I’m close to the exit and am about to approach it. If you can either, engage the troops or give them something else to think about, then it’ll give me the opportunity to do as you suggest and slip past them.”

  “Will do, sir, just give us five minutes then make your move,” Hawk replied.

  “On my mark then Captain, and good luck,” Stryder said.

  “Good luck to you too, sir. We’ll be waiting for you to give you any assistance you may need.”

  “Thank you Captain and here we go. Mark,” Stryder said then the connection was ended, his internal clock would unerringly count down the time to make his move. Whatever was around the corner waiting for him, he had given himself five minutes to deal with it and get to the exit of the building. He was confident that it wouldn’t be a problem so he stepped around and saw...

  “Norsky!”

  “Hello Captain Stryder. My, my, you seem to have been in the wars as they say,” replied the Black Knight as he stood facing him, legs slightly apart with his hands folded across his broad chest. An air of confidence exuded from the man.

  The second Stryder laid eyes on him he knew he had been changed and the only way that was possible was if he had been given the serum.