by Robert Byers
They exited the lift and began checking their corners with their rifles, keeping their eyes peeled for any possible danger. It looked like a back room in a department store. There were bins of rubbish thrown haphazardly throughout the room, wire racks held tools and safety gear. It really looked like the base had gone to shit once Rising Anvil took over. Along the walls were shadows, the lights either weren’t on or were broken and hadn’t been replaced, and even using the night vision filter on his visor Tiberius couldn’t see anyone there, but he could feel it.
Tiberius switched to a private comm channel with Quintus and said “I’m not seeing anyone, but something feels off.”
“I agree, somethings’ not right here.” He kept his eyes moving and stopped, shifting back to the spot they’d just been in. “What was that?”
“I got movement!” another shouted into the comms.
“Gods above.” Was all Captain Gallagher could get out before he had to dive behind one of the rubbish bins as weapons fire lit up the dark room. There was easily a half dozen of them, or there was a hundred dozen, none of them were sure and the bright burst from the gunfire had a strobe light effect on their eyes that even their visors didn’t fully protect against.
Tiberius fired at everything that wasn’t his men, hopefully they weren’t his men. It was difficult to tell with all of the movement and flashing light. He triggered the comm for their team channel and called out. “Drop now!” and chucked a flashbang at the ground where the most movement was.
Once the grenade left his hand he dove to his right and behind one of the bins, that along with his visor polarizing saved his vision, and the acoustics in his helmet kept the bang itself from causing too much damage. Luckily they had MK-8 armor where as the members of Rising Anvil seemed to be a couple makes behind them, if they were lucky enough to be wearing any that is.
He waited a second and pushed himself to his feet, swinging his rifle around he looked for any target and began firing. In quick succession three more of his teammates began firing at the enemies as well.
After the first couple of shots they got wise to the idea and tried to find cover until their eyes readjusted. Five of them were down and they didn’t have many reinforcements to count on. Tiberius noted that the ones they’d shot down were wearing older helmets, but newer body armor. It made sense why they had to fire so many rounds into each one to down them. The armor was absorbing most of the fire before it failed and let the rounds through, but the older model helmets weren’t made to protect them from the newer weaponry the Imperials had.
Across the room was another commercial grade lift and it’s door was making all sorts of noise, alerting them to more enemies incoming. Tiberius thought about it and commed the others “When those doors open hit it with a frag grenade.”
“Are you mad?” the Captain asked as he continued firing at the enemies that revealed themselves to him.
“Listen, if we go up in that lift we are going to be in the same situation. I don’t think we are going to make it if we’re in the open on a rooftop. But if we hit them with a frag we can set one to go off once the doors open again and we have a chance of it at least doing something to whoever is closest to the lift.”
“It is made of military grade steel, it should hold from a grenade.” Quintus said as he brained one enemy with a headshot.
The doors began their slow opening and Captain Gallagher groaned. “Frag out!” he yelled and whipped a small round grenade into the lifts’ opening.
They all heard the yelling just before the mini bomb went off and then everything went silent. In a small confined space such as the lift they were not only deadly, but they would leave most of its’ victims in pieces.
Quintus whooped and saw one of the enemies stand just a little to much and sent a round through his helmet and his brain. “There can’t be many of them left.” He said into his comm.
Everything was silent for a moment before the Captain said “That was the last of them. Check the bodies, they might have something useful.”
The group took a couple minutes to pull all of the ammunition from them, all of it was old school lead filled with gunpowder, and it gave Tiberius a plan.
“Listen I know what we can do to get rid of that array and not worry about risking our lives.” He explained his plan to them and they all began gathering the materials needed while he changed his armor and prayed to the gods he didn’t die doing what he was about to do.
Chapter 17
Aboard the Integrity Admiral Harcourt waited for the traitorous Captain Johnson to be brought in for his just desserts. He walked down the short corridor to the brig ready to speak to the false captain that was brought in just minutes ago by the security forces he’d sent out, he really had to remember to give them something extra for their excellent work. And to do a personal message to each of the families of the men who didn’t make it.
Just the thought of his lost men made his blood boil and his fists clench. He would enjoy making the traitors pay for their evils.
Entering the brig he saw two of the borders were dead, not that they were important, and sighed, he would have to space the bodies and do something to compensate the interrogator for the nightmares he would probably have after doing that. The rest were huddled together, crying and almost in a group fetal position in their cell, it brought a smile to his face that they couldn’t look at him.
Two loyalists stood by the cell that held the false captain, and they smiled as they saluted him. These were men who knew how to handle themselves, and how to handle the darkness that came with their jobs. It was nearly impossible to teach someone how to torture, it was something you either were born with, or you had to be broken to achieve.
“This way, Sir, he’s been talking all sorts of nonsense since he was brought in.” One of the men said as he moved to let the Admiral take his first look at the man in person.
He wasn’t impressed, the man was sitting on the cot with his hands cuffed in front of him, his head hung low and his eyes seemed watery from what the Admiral could see at this angle. And he noticed the man looked worse for the wear, his eyes looked sunken and he wasn’t sure if that was because the man was captured or if it was because he’d seen his men killed to get to him and it actually bothered him.
“So, you’re the terrorist scum that took over Sanctum?”
To his credit the captain didn’t smirk or even look up, he kept his eyes at the floor and said, “It wasn’t hard to do. They were eager to hand it over to us to save them from your tyrannic rule.”
Now that piece of information surprised him, he’d assumed that the terrorists had forced their way in, possibly even killed the real Imperial forces there and usurped their rule. But to know they’d just handed the base and colony over to them, it made him angry. “Well then I guess I’ll have to locate the man who was supposed to be running that place and have him hung for treason.” The Admiral said calmly.
“Good luck, Commander Markel fled the colony over a week ago, left us in charge and left strict orders for his men to listen to my orders, then left. Like the Imperial coward he is.”
“I don’t think he would have told the men to follow your orders Captain.” The Admiral began, and when the man’s head began to lift he continued, “Not when General Brager was in the Sanctum.”
The Captain’s head shot up at that comment and stared at the Admiral with a mix of fear and loathing.
“Yes, I know of the General, I know how intricate he is in the plans you have. But don’t worry when I’m finished with you then the Imperium will take care of the rest of your ilk.” He put his hands behind his back and smiled at him. “You’ll be court marshaled in two days time. Of course you’ll be found guilty of treason, but we have to show we’re a fair and just body of government don’t we? And once you’re found guilty you’ll be put to death. Just like that, over and done with and then your precious General will face the same fate.”
“You’ll never get away with this. The
people will find out how treasonous your government is, they’ll learn they don’t have to listen to your false Emperor.” He spat at the shield keeping him from escaping, and keeping the Admiral from wringing his neck.
“There’s no way you’re getting out of this scum. There’s not even enough room for you to kill yourself to escape. There’s no one coming to save you. There’s nothing you can do, but wait for the inevitable end to your life.” And with that he turned and walked away leaving the man sitting on his cot staring at him leave.
—
The lift rose to the roof and Tiberius thought back over his plan, hoping he didn’t make a mistake along the way, because if he did would be dead pretty quickly. In the lift around him were four rubbish bins, each one filled with as much dense material they could find, and one that had a special surprise on top. He just hoped he would get to use it and that they wouldn’t realize who he wasn’t.
Looking at his arm he thought about everyone he’d lost on this mission; Captain Sidonia, Walsh, so many of his battle brothers. And how he would get revenge. The door sounded and he kept his hands on the top of the bin with the surprise inside and waited. Once it was fully open he pushed the cart out slowly, dressed in their armor he hoped he could stay disguised long enough to get the job done.
He saw a group of them by the array, ten by his count, and another four walking towards him, worried the jig was up he nodded to them as they stopped a few feet from him. The roof was a typical base roof, there were exhaust vents, external ventilation ducts and the communications array smack dab in the middle. And gods was it a hideous abomination. It looked like a gigantic version of what they’d found in the engine room back aboard the Integrity, it made him remember his late captain and his blood began to boil, his vision starting to tint red and he took a few calming breaths, trying to remember what she’d told him in the brig. That he’d have to keep practicing the breathing exercises to calm his heart rate and his adrenaline, which would calm his berserker gene.
“Weller, what the hell are you doing up here?” one of the men asked.
The armor he hurriedly dressed in had that as the name on its chest. He shook his head and tapped the side of his helmet as if he couldn’t hear the man. Tiberius hoped the rouse worked a little bit longer as the man started walking towards him.
“Did you hit your head boy? I asked you a question!” he raised his rifle, showing how much of a bully he was. When Tiberius put his hands up the man laughed and called back over his shoulder “Look at the little boy? He’s about to piss his panties!”
They all roared with laughter and the man looked back at them as he belittled Tiberius more. Calling him a little bitch and talking about how he was going to piss himself so much it’d overflow his armor.
As he turned back Tiberius raised his pistol and fired a round through the man’s face, his head jerked back as he fell backwards. The others were stunned and Tiberius took that time to push the cart as hard as he could, sending it into the others and pulling the closest frag grenades’ pin as he dove behind the closest duct.
He heard screaming for just a second before the first explosion went off, followed by a dozen secondary explosions that tore the cart and the rebels into pieces. He kept his head down and clutched his pistol tightly. Waiting for another few heartbeats he lifted his head and saw the rebels were down, the array was at least partially damaged from the explosions. Part of the lower section was exposed and wires sparked even as two of the legs that kept it stable were blown to bits.
As he looked it over he called to his men below, “The rouse worked, the array is damaged.” The device fell sideways and he saw it slam into the roof with a sickening thud and knew the device was dead now. He started to feel lightheaded and looked down as someone responded to him. He couldn’t make it out as he dropped back to his knees. “I’m hit.” Was all he could get out as he tried not to freak out because he didn’t see blood, but he could feel pain as the adrenaline began subsiding.
He moved to the lift, hoping to make it back down to his men, he was woozy and couldn’t see right. As he stumbled into the lift he could feel his legs give out and he dropped against the cart closest to him. Reaching out he pressed the CLOSE DOOR button and let his arm drop to his side and put all of his energy into keeping his eyes open. He knew if he was seriously hurt and let himself drift there was a greater chance he would die in this lift.
As the lift began dropping to the floor below he felt his eyes close as he drifted off into the darkness.
—
Tiberius swam in the darkness, touching the veil between life and death. Looking around his inky surroundings he couldn’t see anyone around him. But he could hear them.
His friend Quintus was yelling at someone else to bring him back, but back from where? Where was he and why was everything so dark?
He heard the dark toned voice of Karst as he argued with someone else and he wondered what in the hell was happening.
Then he saw something, he saw his life, flashing before his eyes. Everyone he’d ever loved flashed there, his parents, his older sister, even his close friends Quintus and Walsh. The Captain.
There was another face that appeared there. It was a man’s face, covered in scars and he stared at Tiberius intently. Studying him as if he’d learn something. Then said, “Why does the Imperium deserve you?”
It was a strange question. He couldn’t think for a second and the man spoke again. His mouth was moving, but the voice seemed to be directly in Tiberius mind.
“Why does the Imperium deserve you? Why do you deserve to live?”
He was honest, he couldn’t think of any way to make his answer any better. “I was born to serve the Emperor, and to protect those loyal to him.”
The face stared at him and he felt pain. Pain unlike anything he had ever felt before.
White-hot, it lanced through his back and abdomen, burning a path across his entirety.
He bolted upright in a hospital bed, white walls all around him and the smell of antiseptic filling his nose.
“Thank the gods, he’s awake! Doc! He’s awake!”
Looking around the room Tiberius tried to figure out what the hell was going on. Quintus was yelling at the top of his lungs, there were two others in the room; Captain Gallagher was dozing when Quintus began yelling and nearly fell to his ass from being jerked fully awake, and Karst who didn’t look like he’d slept in a week, and still looked more alert than most soldiers with a full nights rest.
A man in a white lab coat and three women dressed in scrubs came running into the room and the man, he assumed he was the doctor judging by the coat and the arrogance he carried himself with, just looked him over and checked his pulse before looking at the machines. “By the gods, I can’t believe you’re awake.”
“Well, I am.” His tone hardened as did his eyes. Tiberius’ never met the man before, but from the brief encounter so far he wasn’t a fan.
“Tiberius, you shouldn’t be awake.” Quintus told him, his voice concerned for his safety.
“You were dead on and off for the trip back to the Integrity. If it wasn’t for your friend here you’d have woken in a coffin.” Karst told him harshly, it seemed that was the only way the man could talk.
“Dead?” He couldn’t process it, he was dead for that long? How had he come back?
“Yes Captain Vesper. You’ve been in a coma for the past three days and normally after the first twenty-four hours we pull the plug,” the doctor shot a nasty look at Karst, “But someone here wouldn’t let me follow protocol.”
Karst let out a growl and stood nose to forehead with the doctor, forcing him to look up to see his eyes. “Listen here you twit. If you would have pulled that plug he would have died. This man’s a fucking hero, you’re a dime a dozen.” The threat wasn’t even veiled as he made the man back up a step.
The doctor coughed into his hand, “Yes, well. We certainly are happy you’re back Captain.” He turned and left the room, left them all stan
ding there because they wouldn’t have listened otherwise.
“Well he’s a fucking ray of sunshine.” Quintus said as he took a seat next to Tiberius and smiled at his friend. “We all were worried about you. Even Admiral Harcourt was here visiting you.”
“He just bloody woke up! Give the lad a minute to get his bearings.” Karst said. He turned and looked at the wall monitor as it beeped. “Captain Vespers’ suite, how can I help you?” he asked pressing the answer button.
The screen changed and Admiral Harcourt’s face appeared on the screen staring at them. “Specialist Karst.” He paused just a moment and said “Doctor Rhul has informed me, after sputtering a good deal, that you threatened him and I assured him that could not be the case.”
“Of course not Admiral. I would never threaten the good doctor. I would promise to disembowel him and string his intestines for jump rope and make him play that old schoolyard game, but I would never threaten him.”
The Admiral chuckled a bit before saying, “Good. Now I was told Captain Vesper is awake, ah there he is.” He said as Karst moved out of the way. “I’m glad to see you’re awake son, you gave us quite a scare there.”
“Thank you sir, I’m sorry, I would stand, but I don’t feel like I can move well right now.”
“Don’t worry yourself Captain. Take some time, heal and then you’ll be back out there.” His face turned to the other three men and he nodded. “Men.” They saluted and the image was gone.
“Well he’s certainly cheery isn’t he?” Karst asked sarcastically.
“Why did he keep calling me ‘captain’?” Tiberius asked. “That was a battlefield promotion, I’m sure they can find someone else to lead Second Squad.”
“You don’t even remember what you did do you?” Quintus asked him. When he shook his head Quintus asked him, “What’s the last thing you remember?”