The Red Leopards of Zaxon B (Galaxies Collide Book 2)

by McGregor, Andrew

  The silver fighters tore forward, high powered lasers tearing up the ground as bodies were incinerated or tossed into the air with debris and rocks, the energy exploding across the ground.

  From the east, two star fighters’ lasers spewed energy at the concentrated enemy forces below, the bright explosions rising into the air as ammunition and the ground erupted. Tracers cracked past, the bright lights sweeping past the silver hulls as the craft accelerated, their guns pouring fire onto the enemy below.

  Flight Leader Anjara gasped as the two oncoming fighters swept past, his fighter buffeted by the wind distortion as he closed with the other craft to his side. The green vehicles below closed on his screen as he moved his finger again to the firing button, the targeting mechanism flashing red, then glowing green as he snapped his finger on the mechanism again. Lasers exploded on the ground below, broken and seared bodies tossed into the air from the high velocity explosions as the ground between the stricken convoy and villages lit up dramatically.

  The electronic voice broke sharply through the cockpit, ‘Allied forces ahead…check your fire in 3…2 …1…auto stabiliser engaged…firing prevented!’

  Anjara slipped his finger from the firing button, his microphone clicked once more, a determined voice spreading through the earphones of the other pilots, ‘Upwards to the battle…Vipers onwards! Regroup and stay close!’

  Chapter Nineteen: Breakthrough

  The halftracks smashed forward, their speed decreasing against the heavy number of enemy bodies. Armour clattered against the sides, the carriers behind attempting to sweep the hulls of the vehicles in front to clear enemy boarders. Desperation began to fill the minds of the surviving soldiers, their weapons now firing red hot out of the cupolas on the carrier sides, the ammunition levels depleting…and fast. The roof mounted laser quads fired short bursts, the guns overheated and unable to continually fire, steam pouring from the weapons.

  Captain Mason’s body jolted in surprise, his eyes staring wide as the explosions suddenly ripped across the terrain before them, the silver star fighters sweeping overhead, their engine wakes shaking the armoured halftrack hulls. The dark ground lit up as the tracks tore forward, grinding over bodies and armoured plate as the defenders fired out relentlessly. Body parts and debris clattered against the front armoured plate, the shrieks of anger and fury echoing around the vehicles as they surged onwards, bouncing violently over bodies and shattered limbs.

  Rees glanced round, screams filling the rear cabin as the firing intensified. A heavily wounded Herrakian, his right leg gone below the knee was scrambling across the injured bodies on the compartment floor, applying makeshift dressings to open seeping cuts and shattered armour, his own leg bleeding heavily as the makeshift bandages failed to stem the flow.

  On the opposite side, Lieutenant Kim shouted across the rear cabin behind the American as the walls shook once more, his voice drowned out by the shrieks outside, ‘Stay calm…keep firing!’ He glanced up as the laser quad fired out once more, the bursts becoming more sporadic as the guns overheated further, steam and vapour surging across the carrier’s roof. The roof gunners were resorting to throwing grenades and firing their own weapons, increasing their individual vulnerability as they ducked above and below the protective plate.

  Captain Mason fired out again, the muzzle flashes reflecting off his visor and armour as the muffled screams from behind intensified. The driver grimaced, his lips curling upwards in frustration as an explosion from the right rocked the halftrack, the flanking carrier succumbing to armoured piercing explosives clamped to the sides.

  The tracks whined, Rees biting his lips as he saw the two burning figures struggle from the crippled flanking carrier, their bodies overwhelmed and beaten to the ground by a mercilessly black clad enemy. His teeth clenched, his lips bleeding heavily as he targeted the Morgon attackers, two twisting and falling as his bullets hit home. Terror and hatred swept through his chest, the intensity of the sensation seeming to sear through his mind as he fired continuously, reloading with focus and resuming the firefight once more.

  The laser turret above swung round, attempting to dislodge the armoured figures clambering onto the roof, the remaining three carriers grinding forward after the hover tank. The heavy fighting hover vehicle swept onwards, enemy armoured infantry clinging to its sides as the guns belched, the acrid steam of the overheated silent front lasers sweeping across their black figures.

  Bullets clattered against the sides of the carrier, a Heathrow volunteer falling backwards as a round split his breastplate, the scream resounding round the inside of the hull. Rees moved to help the writhing figure, Jozefina thrusting his body back towards the firing slit, her voice a scream, ‘Keep firing…they are overwhelming us!’

  Crashes echoed round the inside of the tank hull, the crew feverishly reloading the guns as their eyes widened in terror, the turret weaving from side to side in attempts to dislodge the Morgons on the outer armoured plate. The driver swept sweat from his eyes, his helmet discarded as his viewing slot bounced up and down, his vision blurred as the engine coughed, the screaming power surging through the cabin as the enemy feverishly smashed their weapons against its protective plate.

  The tank surged forward once more, the driver shouting desperately through bloodied clenched teeth, ‘The power cells are almost gone…we will stop soon!’

  Lieutenant Kim screamed across the rear halftrack cabin from the left side, his eyes widened in terror as he stared out of the gunnery slit, ‘Enemy infantry charging…keep firing!’ The remaining South Korean Blue Dragon marines slammed fresh ammunition magazines into their rifles, pouring fire on the advancing black clad infantry as the black armour glistened, the laser guns above firing briefly once more before falling silent. Fierce blows smashed down on the upper gunner’s head, his body dropping back down into the enclosed cabin as his helmet shattered under the force.

  Rees and Jozefina fired out on the other side, their guns becoming hot in their hands as the bullets poured from the muzzles, glimpses of black armour and silhouetted figures filling their vision as the carrier clattered and bumped forward.

  The tank gunner fired out again, smoke filling his viewing periscope as it was cracked then smashed from repeated blows, the small shattered resin viewing slit showing flashes in the distance. He smashed his fist against the mechanism, shouting round the cabin, ‘I am blinded…heavy concentrated fire ahead!’

  The driver shrugged, his voice lowered in defeat, ‘We are done…there are just too many! Prime grenades and pull off to the side…the carriers can carry on…’

  He jumped as the forward laser gunner’s voice surged through the battle noise and smashes to the hull, the tone highly excited as the energy guns fired out again, ‘Those are our guns! The villages are ahead! Onwards to safety…our time is now!’ The young laser specialist turned from his position, his face soaked in perspiration, grinning widely, ‘We are near safety comrades!’

  Captain Mason’s eyes widened, the flares surging into the air some four hundred metres ahead, the pulsing light cascading through the snowflakes and illuminating the terrain below. His lips opened to grin, the allied flares followed by muzzle flashes and laser blasts across the ground, the defenders ahead attempting to clear a path for them.

  Shadows and lights swirled across the ground ahead, the thick snowfall swirling round the hover tank as the three halftracks accelerated further. Mason fired another burst, his breath catching as he glimpsed the black metal armoured helmets rising form the foxholes ahead, his mouth opening to shout, ‘Keep going! Allied positions ahead!’ The flashes of flame from the forward Morgon position rockets swept across the front of the carrier as he glanced desperately around, his eyes catching sight of the surge of fire from the right, ‘RPG!’

  The flash lit up the forward cabin, the explosion rocking the carrier as the shell hit home. Mason was flung to the left, his helmet cracking violently against the inside hull as his vision spun. His body slumped downwards
as blood and matter from the driver splattered across his uniform, the Trevakian killed instantly. Flames poured across the American’s vision, his combat uniform inflating as the blasts swept through the front seats.

  The halftrack rumbled forward with momentum, the vehicle shaking as flames swept from the front engine across the remains of the armoured front cabin. The passenger compartment filled with acrid smoke, screams of despair, bodies thrown from the sides and onto the wounded as another rockets crashed against the sides at an angle. Flames surged along the armoured plate as a track broke, the driverless carrier grinding on towards the Morgon trench as the occupants scrambled to rise.

  Lieutenant Kim swore loudly, thrusting his body upwards as the marines around him struggled to rise, their commander’s voice a scream, ‘Check the front compartment…we are hit. Once it comes to a halt, we bail out…run for the allied defences.’

  Jozefina grasped Rees’s arm roughly, dragging him determinedly to his knees as the carrier ground forward, the front lurching into a foxhole and stopping abruptly. The soldiers staggered, several screaming as explosions rocked the sides, the rear compartment plunged into darkness.

  Captain Mekeert kicked out at the back doors, a crack of metal as the bent and disfigured housings opened slightly. Another Blue Leopard crashed his shoulder desperately against the inside door, the opening widening slightly as he scrambled out, his rifle firing blindly as he tossed grenades around him. The shrieks of hatred got louder, other soldiers following the first, pushing roughly against the warped metal doors as bullets clanked against the armour plate, screams of blood lust sweeping through the darkness.

  Another carrier from behind swept past, crashing across the closing Morgon infantry, the upper quad spinning to fire defensively for the crippled vehicle. Rees glanced round desperately and broke free from Jo, scrambling towards the front of the carrier and heaving at the door to the front compartment, gunfire echoing around the compartment as the Blue Leopards and South Koreans fired out.

  Mekeert’s muffled voice swept through the opening at the rear, ‘Defensive screen…hold them back, then we run!’ The gunfire intensified, Rees tearing at the door frantically as it creaked open, the stench of burning flesh and explosive charge sweeping across his features. He gasped, his wide blue eyes glimpsing the right front side of the carrier torn open, the bloodied shattered body of the driver slumped in his seat. Shrieks of hatred echoed form outside as he glanced round, seeing the flashes through the flames, the defenders in the distance pouring fire onto the Morgons rising to engage and overwhelm the stricken vehicle.

  The body to the left moved slightly, Rees grasping the bloodied uniform and wrenching the body backwards, crashing through the opening and into the rear compartment as Jo grabbed him, her voice screaming frantically in his ears, ‘We need to get out…they are leaving!’ She stared briefly at the bloodied American, then grabbed his arms, a shriek of desperation coming from her clenched teeth as they pulled the body back towards the doors.

  Lieutenant Kim glanced back in to the rear of the crippled halftrack, checking for any remaining troops, his eyes widening as he saw the two figures struggling with the body, his teeth clenching as bullets clattered across the roof of the burning carrier, ‘He’s dead! Leave him!’

  Rees glanced up, his voice a scream of defiance, ‘No…he’s alive!’

  Kim shook his head in frustration, leaning forward and grabbing Rees’s arm, dragging him and the body towards the doors as Jozefina glanced down at Mason, blood dripping from his ears and mouth. They struggled out into the freezing air, the semi-circle of soldiers around the rear of the carrier rising to run. Flashes lit up the landscape, the defenders in the village firing rockets and flares at the advancing Morgons as the carrier in front poured laser fire over the roof. Rees jumped as mortar rounds crashed to earth, the thumps of high explosives tossing bodies and earth skywards as all the village guns were brought to bear as cover fire.

  They jogged, half-crouched across the broken earth, flares flashing above, the landscape surreally lit up as differing colours pulsed. Rees, Jozefina and Lieutenant Kim carried the wounded Captain Mason as bullets whisked past, flashes from explosions and pulsing lights disorientating them through the billowing snow and smoke. Their chests heaving, the Blue Leopards and Koreans dragged other wounded, a couple slumping or falling forward from stray fire behind.

  Rees stumbled on the uneven ground, thrusting his body forward with momentum and regaining his footing, pain searing through his legs and chest. A rocket swept past, the heat from the trail of fire in its wake casting heat across their lower faces as they struggled on, bullets whipping across the ground.

  Blinding tears, snow and smoke distorted the terrain, debris flying across them as grenades and rockets detonated to either side, their bodies stumbling across uneven frozen rubble and earth as they ran. The roar of halftrack engines filled their ears, one of the carriers moving in behind to offer cover, its rear doors ablaze with flames as the soldiers fired out frantically from inside.

  Rees stumbled again, gasping for air as he thrust his body onwards, Jo shouting breathlessly behind, ‘Keep going…’

  Smoke canisters rolled around them, the puffs excreting billowing cover across the torn ground. Kim grinned with adrenalin, his liking for the volunteers rising as bodies ran past on either side. His eyes widened under his helmet as he saw the silhouettes running towards them through the encroaching shroud, rough hands grasping the wounded and exhausted bodies, his vision catching the Yellow and blue and the black, red and yellow national flags on the shoulder armour as their bodies were dragged forward towards the villages ahead. German and Ukrainian troops were pulling them towards safety as a British voice shouted frantically nearby, ‘Bring them in…all in!’

  The gasping bodies half ran and were half carried past the forward foxholes and trenches outside the village, an English accented voice rising with adrenalin, ‘Royal Marines…open fire! Cut them down!’ Gunfire erupted behind as they were dragged past mortar pits and heavy machine guns, the flashes around them blurred as they gasped for breath. Above them on a building rooftop, a heavy machine gun rattled, the red hot tracers spewing out into the dark terrain, shrieks of hatred and gunfire returning as the Morgons fired back on the defenders.

  Jozefina stared at American shoulder flags, the two-man team moving forward and ducking into a foxhole as she jogged past, slowing to watch the soldiers, their heads re-emerging as one smacked the helmet of the other, ‘You’re good to go!’

  The long barrel rose upwards, then levelled and leaning on the other’s shoulder as his head slipped to the guidance system, the jet of flame surged outwards, the missile sweeping forward as Kim dragged her away, ‘Get into the buildings! The enemy is attacking…’ As she was dragged forward she watched the explosion rise in the distance, the specks and shadows of bodies thrown upwards as Kim shouted again, ‘It’s a Stinger missile…now keep going!’

  Chapter Twenty: Rangara villagers

  The twenty soldiers stood in two lines, their assault rifles slung over their shoulders as the snow fell to earth around them. Before the lines, the last of the boxes were unloaded from the halftracks, the troops heaving food and ammunition canisters towards the supply bunker, the sturdy low masonry and metal resin buildings reinforced and surrounded with dirt filled bags. A low light began to spread across the village and mountains, the snow billowing over the hamlet as the men and women braced their bodies against the cold. Uniforms inflated, every soldier had thick cloth wrapped across their lower faces as additional protection against the biting wind.

  Tregan walked slowly up and down the first line, inspecting uniforms and offering encouragement to each individual. Slowing as he neared Debra, Shino and Riaz at the end, his smile widening and voice rising, ‘We will now adopt garrison duties…as soon as the supplies are unloaded, we will relieve the sentries on the upper defences and supervise their departure.’ His voice lowered slightly, ‘It is important we demonstrate t
o the locals our strength and resolve…we are never sure who is watching. They need to believe that we cannot be attacked or messed with…do you understand?’

  He waved both hands encouragingly upwards, the soldiers’ boots crunching together on the iced snow as tired voices resounded through the outpost, ‘Yes Sir!’

  Riaz grimaced beneath his visor, Tregan nodding to him and Shino, ‘You two take the quad gun on the northern corner, Debra go with them…I want three soldiers on each corner as the convoy leaves.’ He turned on his heels as Captain Dugachard emerged from the sandbagged command bunker, the sides sloped and camouflaged, Tregan’s voice rising, ‘Commander on parade…attention!’

  Fists slammed against chest armour as the Captain approached across the snow, nodding her approval as she ran her eyes across the two lines of uniformed soldiers in front of her. Raising hands onto her hips, her head rose, ‘Tregan is second in command…we will commence first patrol as soon as the convoy has departed.’ She indicated to the three humans at the end of the line, ‘You will go with Tregan and three others whilst the rest man the walls and main gate. We are insufficient in number to place sentries at the two entrances to the village, so the upper walls and gate will be manned by seven soldiers in rotation, more between patrols.’ She glanced across the exhausted and demoralised faces seeking understanding, ‘We patrol the area four times a day…none at night. In darkness we will all remain in the outpost.

  Captain Dugachard smiled weakly, ‘You will be even more tired working here…sentries need to be posted night and day and the patrols will need to be alert…we are concerned that Silak sympathisers and spies are in the village. We need to deter them from becoming too ambitious.’ She glanced round as the first engine behind roared into life, soldiers beginning to clamber into the rear compartments of the halftracks, ‘It is time for the convoy to leave…assume your positions and always consider the enemy could be watching you!’