“You have no ammunition at all?” Biondi asked. She looked terrified.
"No, we don’t." He was angry with himself more than anyone else. He had been so relieved that they made it out alive, he hadn’t thought to replenish what he had, but he wasn’t about to show that side to the Lieutenant.
“Don’t worry. These are better in close quarters, anyway. We’ll move quieter and faster like this.”
He knew it was bullshit, and so did Jones and the others. Even Lieutenant Biondi looked doubtful. Gunfire rang out ahead as Taylor looked back for the next direction, and she quickly pointed forward.
“That’s right where the action is. Is there another way down?”
“It’s a long way round.”
Taylor grimaced as he went onwards. They couldn’t spare the time.
“If we get to this thing, you’d better be able to make this work.”
“If it can be done, I will do it, Sir.”
They increased to a jogging pace again, but as they reached the last stretch to the elevator, they noticed two Morohtan warriors firing in one direction as they advanced. They went past into another room to the side, but muzzle flashes lit up on the other side where a third was following.
Taylor didn’t hesitate or slow down. In fact, he upped his pace and charged towards the opening. Under the cover of the gunfire his footsteps couldn’t be heard at all. He reached the intersection just as the warrior did. It turned in surprise, but was too late. His Assegai drove into its neck and out the back.
Taylor grabbed hold of its head and pulled the Assegai sideways so that the head was almost severed, and as the weight of its body sagged, it parted with the flesh still connected to the head. It was a gruesome sight, but it had silenced the creature without drawing attention.
He looked back to see them staring at him in shock, but he gestured towards the elevator as if nothing had happened. They leapt inside, and Lieutenant Biondi hit the switch. As the doors began to shut, a shot zipped through the doors and struck the Lieutenant on the shoulder. Two more shots rang out, but Jones jumped onto her and threw her to the ground. They hit the wall behind them, and the doors sealed shut.
“Are you okay?” Jones pulled her up into a seated position and propped her against the wall as the elevator gained speed.
Her left shoulder was smouldering where the hot energy had burnt through her uniform and into her flesh. She had lost a few millimetres of skin on the joint and looked in pain.
“That was a lucky escape,” said Taylor.
“Lucky?” she asked in amazement.
“It could have been your head.”
She stopped and thought about it for a moment. His words were enough of a distraction that she smiled for a moment before the pain set in once again.
“I don’t know why any of you do this, fight with your own body and hands.”
“Some poor bastard has to.”
“Don’t listen to the Colonel. He enjoys it,” added Jones.
“It has its moments,” he agreed.
“Really? Because all I see is death and destruction.”
“Not all days are so bad.”
“Really? Is that how you are gonna sell it, Sir?”
The elevator finally slowed, and they turned with shields up to be ready for anything. The doors opened into an empty hallway.
“Come on, everyone. There’s no time to waste,” said Taylor.
Jones helped Biondi to her feet, and they rushed out onto the floor.
“There, there it is, the weapons locker,” she said.
It was ten metres ahead of them on the left, but they were stopped dead as the last thing they had wanted to meet appeared at a similar distance the other side of the doorway. A Juggernaut.
“Ah, shit, shit, shit!” Taylor muttered under his breath.
Chapter 13
Irala strode through the corridors with urgency but as calm as could be. Crewmembers were rushing back and forth in a panic. He only had one thing on his mind. He hadn’t even considered going back to the bridge. He knew what had happened without even seeing it with his own eyes. It was obvious. He soon reached the docking bay where his shuttle was docked and a single Guardian stood guard. He headed for the ramp in the confident knowledge that his ship was still operational.
“Hey, Councillor, what the hell is going on?”
He stopped in his tracks. Alita was addressing him from beside her craft where she had been doing some repairs.
“I believe Bolormaa has returned, Lieutenant.”
“Returned? No, what the hell?”
Irala started to leave when she ran across and blocked his path.
“Whoa, where are you going?”
“I am leaving this ship. We are finished here.”
“Finished? What about the Alliance?”
“It is…broken.”
He tried to go around, but once again she stepped into his path.
“Step aside. I will not say it again.”
Before either of them could respond, they heard the roar of engines as something entered the docking bay, and the doors sealed behind them.
It was a Morohtan vessel.
“This is over,” said Irala.
“You are going to leave? After all we have done for you, after all Taylor has done for you? You should be ashamed of yourself!”
“This was not my doing,” he said, as he pushed past and boarded his ship. The Guardian followed suit.
“Irala!” she called out desperately.
There was no response, and the door to his shuttle closed shut as the enemy vessel put down. Marines rushed into position off to her flank, but they didn’t look ready and able to hold against anyone of note. None of her Regiment was to be seen. The ramp lowered from the enemy vessel, and two of the dreaded Juggernauts stepped out. The marines opened fire, but their guns did nothing but annoy the creatures running at them. Most of them ran, and only a few stayed. They were cut down as the creatures stormed past and carried on to chase the rest of them. Alita hadn’t moved a muscle. She knew she couldn’t outrun the creatures, and she had nothing but her pistol and Assegai about her body.
Her instinct was to run, but she wouldn’t get far, and she needed to do something to try and get Irala back on side. She watched and waited, already suspecting there were more aboard the enemy craft than she had seen. The ramp shook as though something heavy was stomping down it, and then it struck her. Her heart sank, and she felt sick, finally understanding what Taylor had meant.
“Bolormaa,” she whispered.
Irala’s shuttle fired up, and the engines began to gain power, but the Councillor looked in amazement when he saw Bolormaa; but what amazed him more was that Alita paced towards her, and then stopped to confront her. He couldn’t believe it. She was alone.
“I knew someday we would meet. I looked forward to it!” Alita yelled.
Bolormaa stopped ten metres short of Alita to square off against her. She was an imposing and terrifying sight, but Alita did everything she could to hide her fear. She told herself that there was no point in running now. She thought of the spear. The Tamir. She knew where it was, but she had no way of reaching it. She drew out her Assegai and activated her shield. She didn't believe the Queen could only be killed with the spear. She chose not to believe it, as if that were true, then she could not win, and that was not a possibility she was going to consider. She thought back to all of the accounts of Taylor and the great battles he had fought and won.
You can do it, she told herself.
"Why are you humans always so eager to die?" Bolormaa asked.
"We're not. We are eager to live."
Bolormaa withdrew her arms from behind her back. The hand that was severed had been replaced as if it had never been removed. The loss of a limb was the only advantage Alita was relying on. Bolormaa held out a small rod, and it shot out into a three-metre spear with a long winged blade. A spherical steel counter balance unfolded at the far end. She paced back and forth
as if toying with her prey.
"Where is Captain Jones?"
Alita refused to reply. She didn't actually know where he was, but she wouldn't have told her even she had. It did strike her as odd. She had always seemed to be after Taylor.
"I will find him soon enough."
"Not before you find my blade thrust deep in your stomach, you bitch," snapped Alita.
That angered Bolormaa, and she let out a howl before running at Alita. She thrust forward with a blow powerful enough that is could have skewed a Juggernaut. Alita ducked down and passed if off with her shield, but Bolormaa spun the blade quickly over her head and smashed it down onto her with both hands. The force of the blow caused her shield arm and her legs to give way, and she was driven onto the ground. She gasped as she tried to get air into her lungs. Bolormaa paced back and forth again as if enjoying every moment of it.
Alita struggled back onto her feet, but her knees ached from the blow. It felt like she'd been in a car wreck, but she put on the act even more than she felt. She hobbled towards Bolormaa like a wounded animal. The Queen spun the spear about her head as if to show off. Meanwhile, Alita's shield arm dropped as if she couldn't hold it up any longer. Bolormaa seized her moment and launched the spear with a single-handed thrust towards her head.
At the last moment Alita ducked aside, and it glanced off the shield she had raised before she spun and leapt across the distance to Bolormaa. The Queen hadn't even seen it coming, and she drove her Assegai into her stomach. It penetrated ten centimetres deep as the Queen screamed in pain before it came to a dead stop. She grabbed hold of Alita, striking her with a punch to the face.
It hit like a freight train, but if that wasn't enough, she tossed Alita across the room so that she crashed into the nose of her own craft. She blacked out on impact and dropped to the deck. Bolormaa strode towards her as if she meant to finish the Lieutenant, but she stopped as she heard a ramp hit the deck nearby. She turned just in time to see a flash of light and something strike her head. It caused her to stagger back. Irala stood before her.
"Ah, finally you have the nerve to show yourself," she said with glee, "You could never defeat me then, and you can't now. So why fight?"
"My people have run for long enough, Bolormaa. That young human there, she has more courage and belief in what she is doing than either of us ever had."
Alita raised her head up to see the two of them squaring off against one another, but as they clashed, her vision blurred, and once again she fell unconscious.
* * *
"Run!" Taylor shouted.
Blood was dripping from the side of his head where he had been struck and thrown by one of the Juggernauts. He ducked into a doorway as another one thundered past him. It slowed and turned to make another pass at him, but in that moment that it was static, Babacan rushed up from behind, leapt onto its back, and held on with a firm choke holt. The Juggernaut reared up and smashed him into the ceiling, but he held on.
Taylor rushed out towards them. As he neared, the creature’s front legs with sharpened steel tips thrashed out towards him. He struck one aside and leapt in. He thrust his Assegai up into its head so far that the blade almost came out the top of its helmet. It dropped dead instantly, and Babacan slumped over the body as they both partially collapsed on Taylor. Babacan dragged himself up and hauled the carcass off of him.
"Nice work. Now let's find that damn ammo."
He rushed back to where it had all begun and found Bailey was holding Biondi up. The Lieutenant's leg looked broken, and her head was bleeding profusely from a wound. She wasn't even wearing a helmet; let alone armour.
"I wasn't made for this," she squirmed.
"I'd not have brought you down here if it wasn't essential."
"That's not much of a relief, Sir," she joked.
"Will you still be able to do this?"
"With a little help, yes."
Taylor hit the door release to the weapons cache and stepped inside. It was almost empty.
"Ah, shit. Not again. Is it too much to ask that we get a break just once in a while?"
He broke open one of the last boxes. It had twelve magazines for their rifles, and Jones found another with a few left. They passed them out, but it wasn't going to go far. There was one with pistol ammunition that they divided out.
"I guess it's better than nothing," said Bailey.
Taylor certainly didn't look impressed.
They moved on as quickly as they could, with Biondi yelling commands as they took each turn. They soon found themselves face-to-face with the enemy, but they could not afford to stop. Eight drones lined the corridor. Taylor merely activated his shield and ran at them firing like a mad man. The first five dropped, and he smashed into the others as Babacan shot them as they passed through.
"This is it!" Biondi shouted.
Bailey helped her up beside the security pad where she put in a code, and the door slid open. It was nothing more than a small room filled with computers that meant nothing to Taylor.
"By there," said Biondi as she pointed.
Gunfire rang out behind them as Jones fired back at those coming at them.
"We can't hold them here," said Jones.
"Then go, both of you," he said to him and Babacan, "We can handle this. You keep clearing the way."
"Good luck, then." He rushed out into the corridor with Babacan and immediately opened fire.
"Will you help me?" Biondi asked.
Taylor nodded towards Bailey for her to do it, but she winced in pain when Biondi gave her a cable and asked her to pull. It was clear that her wounds were impairing her further. She couldn't concentrate.
"You watch the door, and I’ll take over here."
"This is going to be a mess, Sir, but it should work." Biondi ripped out two-dozen cables from behind a console. Taylor didn't have a clue what she was doing. All he could do was hold what she wanted him to and watch as she got to work.
* * *
Irala moved like lightning, and yet Bolormaa seemed equally as fast. He used a short spear, not unlike hers, just smaller and more agile. He thrust and cut, trying everything he could, but as he took one leap, she rushed forward and barged into him. Irala was tossed across the room. He crashed into the landing gear of a shuttle and hit the deck hard. He was soon on his feet, but both of them could see where it was going to end.
"Why do you even bother?" Bolormaa asked.
"Because good must fight evil."
Bolormaa laughed.
"That is what I always hated about your people. You are so sure of yourselves, so pious and righteous, but you are no better than the humans, Krys, or Cholans. You are just more arrogant. You are a relic of a bygone age, Irala."
"At least we do not seek to destroy all that is beautiful in this universe. Why do you even do it? What do you get out of it?"
"You always want everyone to explain themselves to you. You are not a higher power."
"And you are?"
"Yes. I am a God, and you should bow down to me."
"I would see my entire people burn before I did that."
"Then that is what you shall get."
She launched forward and cut down with the blade of her spear. Irala spun off to one side; the blade tracked his movement and slashed across his face. The wound was as much a surprise as it was painful, and he spun around and fell to the floor. It had been a long time since he had seen his own blood, and his hand shook as he felt it on his fingers.
"I am going to enjoy killing you. Earth will be mine, and anyone who stands in my way will suffer the same fate."
"And if it was left to you? Would you let us live?"
"No," she replied sadistically, "I would not stop waging war on you and the rest of your Alliance this time. I would hunt every last one of you until there was not a single life left, except those who serve me, of course."
Irala shook his head in anger.
"How can one so powerful become so despicable? You are no god, Bolormaa. Y
ou are a scourge on the universe, a virus, a plague, but you will not succeed, not while good people fight against you."
He let out a roar and charged at her once again, as though he had accepted his fate, but wanted to see her suffer before he died.
* * *
"Almost there," said Biondi.
"How much longer? Time is not something we have."
"And if you rush me, this won't work, Sir. I’m just about...there..."
Sparks flew and burnt into Taylor's cheek as he let go of the cabling. The two of them scrambled back across the floor. Even the emergency lighting had cut out.
"What have you done?" Taylor hollered.
She didn't say a word as she just waited and hoped. The sparks stopped, and lights flashed as the monitors came back on, and the main lights flickered on. Taylor couldn't believe it. Biondi pulled herself to the nearest screen and tapped a few keys. She looked at him.
"That's it. I did it, Sir," she said, sounding surprised, "All systems are up and running. All systems normal."
He pressed a button on his console to call the bridge directly. Fortier answered quickly but looked as surprised as they did.
"Colonel, whatever you have done, it has worked. We are operational once again."
Taylor was half expecting to see those on the bridge bloodied and battered from a fight, but they hadn't even broken into a sweat.
"Has the enemy made any attempt to seize the bridge?" he asked.
"No. We have had no contact."
"Where is Zaya?"
"I have no idea, Colonel."
"And Lieutenant Hariz?"
"I am sorry, Colonel, but our systems are still rebooting. We are trying to get a handle on it. We have fighting reported in five sectors, and our marines just aren't able to hold the enemy back."
* * *
Jones thrust his Assegai deep into a drone, and then spun around and fired a burst from his rifle at a second. The magazine ran empty, and that was the last he had. He let the gun drop onto its sling and drew out his pistol. He kept firing until the last of them was destroyed.
"What now?" Babacan asked.
Battle Beyond Earth Box Set Page 100