There was a cold hard determination on the faces of all around them. The same look worn by Krys warriors. The look of a fighter who had accepted death, and was ready to inflict it on the enemy no matter the cost. These were the elite, the few who had survived and made it through. Even the newest recruits among them had months of combat experience. He'd never seen such a hardened body of men and women. Krys and human stood beside one another as brothers, all looking to him to lead them. Roworth’s voice came over the speakers above them.
"Making final approach, we'll get you as close as we can. You've got two minutes. Good luck.”
Is that all? Two minutes?
It used to feel like they had all the time in the world, even when Bolormaa loomed over them, but now time was short. They all looked to him. Nobody wanted to face her without him. He had survived and beaten enemies none of them could ever imagine overcoming and surviving.
"They need you, now more than ever," said Rogers.
He looked to Jones for confirmation.
"It's true. The time has finally come. This is what you were born to do, and you know it."
"Enough of that prophecy shit."
"Call it what you like. You were made for this."
He nodded in agreement.
"If we are going to do this, then let's do it right."
Everyone had gathered around to hear what he had to say, but time was quickly running out.
"When we hit the deck, we keep moving. We keep fighting, win or lose. We get to Bolormaa, and we kill her. No matter who gets the shot, you take it. You don't wait for backup. You don't wait for me. Every one of you here is up to the task. Kill her, and we can end this. Kill her, and we can save what remains of our people. Don't fear death. Embrace it. Laugh at it. Let's kill this son of a bitch!"
They roared with excitement as the warning lights to the docking bay doors flashed. They all knew what that meant. They sealed their visors, and headed for the doors. The doors opened, and there it was, the Toghaimur. It didn't look like anything special, but it was still three times the size of the Attila. Roworth had brought them right up beside a small landing bay, and the ship’s weapon systems were pounding the shield generator until finally it failed, and the access to the docking bay was clear.
"Let's go!"
Taylor leapt from the edge of the Attila, using the boosters on his suit to surge forwards towards the enemy vessel. It was barely fifty metres away, but fire from ship guns rushed past them, and it felt like an awful lot more. One pulse hit two of the Krys behind Taylor, and they were killed instantly. He looked back for a moment, but he had to focus on the task at hand. They were approaching the small docking bay door at a rapid pace, too rapid. It was barely twenty metres wide. Large enough for fighters and small transports only. He rotated around to provide reverse thrust, but he could see a number of troops amassing as a welcome party.
They opened fire as they descended into the ship amongst heavy fire. Taylor hit the ground hard and rolled, crashing into an enemy soldier. He was on one knee and firing in no time. That was when he noticed several of them at a console near the entrance, and he knew exactly what they were doing. He took aim and fired. One was killed, but it was too late. Blast doors rapidly closed off the entrance after just thirty of the company had gotten through. They sealed shut, and he felt the weight of artificial gravity once more. He flung open his helmet and took aim at the others around the console, gunning them down. A scream rang out as a Morohtan blade ran one of their own through, and another cut down by a burst of gunfire.
He primed a grenade and launched it into the group that was firing on them, but he didn't wait for it to go off. He took aim at the enemy that had skewered his comrade and cut him down with a burst. Out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimmer of movement. He lifted his rifle, but it was cleaved in half by a broad blade build into a rifle as though it were a bayonet. His helmet stopped the blade, and his left knee buckled under the pressure of the blow. He grabbed at the weapon to control it, but the Morohtan warrior holding it was strong.
For a moment he had hoped someone would come to his aid, but so few had made it aboard the ship, and they had troubles of their own. He drew his pistol, but the creature kicked it from his grasp. He grabbed hold of the limb and leapt onto the upper section of it, snapping the lower limb upwards. The beast gave out a cry in agony as the leg was broken, but it was only one of four. A powerful kick struck his stomach, and he was thrown through the air and into a wall. Fortunately, he landed on his feet, as his enemy was already taking aim.
Taylor activated his shield just in time as a burst of fire came at him. He drew his Assegai and rushed forward, lunging with the extended blade, but the creature parried it off and brought down its weapon onto his shield. The impact was vicious and almost took his arm out of the socket. But he kept cool. He ducked low and swept the blade across the knee of the beast’s other front leg and severed it. Blood spewed out, but it came forward on its back legs, smashing him back into the wall he had recently been thrown against. His feet were dangling, and he was pinned to the wall. He'd lost grip of his Assegai, and he was powerless. The warrior's helmet retracted, and it drew in close as if smiling at him.
"You are a fool to think you could ever have defeated Bolormaa. My Queen is eternal."
But Taylor saw his opportunity and drew his combat knife. A small utility blade that could never have penetrated the enemy’s armour, and he stabbed it into the creature’s left eye. He was released immediately as the creature staggered back. He picked up his Assegai as the creature screamed, drawing out the blade, and casting it aside.
"You will never defeat Bolormaa," snapped the creature, blood pouring down its face.
Taylor reversed his grip on the Assegai and launched it like a javelin with all his strength. The blade struck the creature’s mouth and out the back of its neck. He strode up to the body and drew out the blade. Rogers, Jones, and most of one platoon had made it aboard the ship with him, but that was it. His rifle was a ruin, but he picked up his pistol.
"Not exactly a smooth landing," said Jones.
"We made it, what more do you want?"
"A nuclear weapon to ram down her throat?"
Taylor smiled. "Come on. Let's keep moving. She didn't know we were coming, but she will now."
The rumbling of something large was coming their way.
"What the hell is that?" Jones asked.
But before anyone could respond, three Juggernauts burst out from a doorway and into the middle of the hangar bay, one coming right for Taylor. He leapt aside, and it slid to a halt, turning around for a second pass. The others opened fire, but they could do little against the thick armour.
"Hold your fire!"
They soon followed Taylor’s orders.
"The only way to take these mothers down is with a blade," he said, holding up his Assegai. The blade could penetrate almost anything, its disadvantage being reach, but it had got him through some tough times. He circled the edge of the hangar bay as the Juggernauts moved to the centre. There was no outrunning them. They had to stand and fight.
Maloney looked over to him. "What are we doing here, Colonel?"
"Yeah, this is crazy," added Pitt.
"We've dealt with them before, and you know what to do."
"Sure, against one, but not three!"
"Stay calm, Maloney. Don't take them head on, and find those openings."
All three charged in different directions as if to cause maximum chaos. Taylor turned and slashed across the front of the one that came for him. His blade cut into its armour, not deeply enough, but it did disorientate the beast, and it crashed against the wall. He rushed forward to strike it while it was stunned, but he wasn't quick enough. The creature’s head struck him with full force, and he was thrown across the room. He crashed to a halt as he hit the landing gear of a small craft. It hurt like hell, but he knew he had to get back up.
The Juggernaut was coming for him, and its weapon arms o
pened fire. He activated his shield, but the impacts hit hard, and he couldn't gain any ground. Jones leapt in and thrust into one of the weapons on the creature. An explosion burst out as if he'd hit some kind of ammo or energy source. There was a flash of light, and he was thrown back. Whatever he had done, it had knocked out whatever firearms the creature had. Another of the beasts was being hit on all sides. Ten magazines of ammunition finally brought it down as a lucky few shots found their openings. But two of the platoon lay dead, and another wounded where the third creature had gone on the rampage.
Most of them turned to suppressing fire with their rifles of the one that had killed their friends, as others waited to pounce with their Assegais. Only a well-placed shot could penetrate the armour, and they couldn't get their shot. Taylor and Jones went at the one that was damaged. Taylor thrust forward with his Assegai, but to his astonishment the blow glanced off as it struck a sloped surface. He was knocked back, but Jones jumped onto its back and drove his blade in deep at the back of the neck, and it went down in one.
The last of them was rushing towards a gun line. It seemed unstoppable, killing one with a burst of its weapons and trampling another to death.
"Hey, you!" Taylor yelled.
The creature arched around and came for him, towards the ship he’d recently hit. He primed a grenade and dropped it down beside the front landing gear, holding out his shield to take the impacts as the beast fired at him. It was coming in hard and fast. He leapt aside at the last minute, but the creature still clipped him. He was thrown aside rather more violently than he had expected. He hit the ground hard and rolled several times. As he stopped, he heard the crash of the beast slamming into the craft, and seconds later the charge blew. The transport craft collapsed onto the Juggernaut and crushed it to the deck.
Rogers helped Taylor to his feet, while Jones' attention was on the trapped creature. It was not dead, but he didn’t wait for Taylor to do the deed. There was no tally of kills here, no ego. All that mattered was that they killed the enemy in abundance, and as quickly as possible. The fight had cost them dearly. Six dead, a broken arm for one, and another was limping.
"We need the rest of the company," said Rogers.
"This is what we've got. It'll have to do."
Less than twenty men in good shape, it was a sad state of affairs. Especially when they were going headlong towards the most dangerous and powerful being they'd ever met in the universe. Despite that, there was no fear in Taylor's heart anymore, and he sensed the rest of them felt the same way. This was inevitable. This was their destiny, and they could not fail.
He went over to the body of one their people and pried the rifle from his dead hands. He checked the magazine and chambered a round.
“Many more will have to die before this is over, but she is going to be among them. Let’s go.”
He rushed out into the belly of the ship, rifle in one hand and grenade in the other. It wasn’t long before they were facing more of the enemy, but this time they were human. They did not have the painted armour of those they had encountered previously, which was even more disconcerting, as they looked like friendlies. Taylor primed a grenade and launched it towards them as they took cover. The charge blew, and a scream rang out. Two were killed and two others wounded. He kept moving forward, firing on the move to keep the heads of the others down. One enemy fired blind. The automatic fire landed all around, some hitting Taylor’s shield. One ricocheted from a sidewall and cut across his cheek. He winced from the pain, but he didn’t slow down.
By the time he reached the one firing blind, his magazine had run empty. He reached for an Assegai to defend himself, but Taylor smashed the edge of his shield into his hand as it got purchase on the weapon, and then shot him in the face. He carried on to the next, smashed him against a wall, putting his rifle to his belly and firing a burst.
He was acting like a man possessed. Gone were the quibbles about hurting other human beings. He butchered them like they were any other enemy, and the others were starting to follow suit. A door opened, and two soldiers burst out. Rogers slashed one across the throat, and Jones fired a burst into the other. Nobody said a word. They didn’t want to think about what they had to do anymore. They just wanted to get on with it. They had to focus on the goal at the end of it all – Bolormaa. She was the prize they sought.
Gurvs poured into the corridors ahead of them like lambs to slaughter. Taylor sunk down deep behind the cover of his shield and opened fire. Their guns lit up the corridor, but could not penetrate his shield. Six of his team were able to lay down fire and cut them down. Magazine after magazine ran empty as they kept firing for several minutes, and bodies continued to mount. If there had been more space, the Gurvs could have engulfed them, but in the narrow confines of the corridors, they were bottlenecked. Taylor reached for his last magazine and slammed it in. He wished he had taken more. That was when he remembered the bag he had thrown over his shoulder. He reached for it, but in the heat of close quarter battle it had broken away.
“Shit,” he muttered.
* * *
“Come on, do it!” Turan roared over their comms.
He was impatiently waiting for two of his Krys marines to bring explosive charges from the Attila. They made the jump, and one was killed instantly as they made their approach. The other got half way when an out of control fighter that was belching smoke plunged into him and then vanished into the distance. Turan showed little emotion other than a quiet growl in frustration.
"Captain Roworth!"
"What can we do for you?"
Turan was looking up at the Attila, but pointing at the blast doors beside them.
"Put a hole, right there."
"What? That's crazy!"
"Do it!"
"Not without the Colonel's orders."
"Just do whatever he says!" Taylor's voice yelled over the sound of gunfire.
Turan waited and kept pointing at the door. The guns of the Attila finally opened up and smashed into the blast doors, blowing a three metre-wide hole.
* * *
Taylor was rocked by a violent impact and flew across the corridor, smashing head first into a girder support.
"What the hell was that?" he gasped.
"That was the fire support you just authorised!" Rogers shouted over to him.
"What is he trying to do, kill us?"
* * *
Turan rushed to the breach as the bodies of Taylor's team were sucked out through the opening. The oxygen was soon vented, and he leapt through the breach, using his boosters to power towards the deck. He hit the deck, and his boots clamped onto the floor.
"Let's move out. The Colonel needs us!"
He was leading a mixed Krys and human unit. He had almost reached the pressurised double door system when a gunshot struck the floor beside him. He looked up towards the breach they had just come through. Morohtan warriors were pouring through, and a wave of fire rained down on them. Turan activated his shield just in time, but two of the others were not so fortunate and were cut down by the salvo.
They could do nothing now but stay and fight, the only relief that these enemy reinforcements would not reach Taylor.
"Do not let them pass, not one!" Turan ordered.
* * *
Taylor staggered onwards, his head pounding from the impact. He didn't blame Turan for doing whatever he could, though. They were desperate times, and he would have done the same. They had to keep moving forward. Finally, they turned a bend, and he froze in shock. He was utterly flabbergasted. There she was, the Queen herself, standing between two Princes in full armour. She looked cool and calm as if she was expecting him. It sent a shiver down his spine, the thought that she had known he was coming all along. But he straightened up and calmed himself, realising she was almost certainly bullshitting them.
"Na, not again," he whispered.
"Take her out, one bullet in the head here and now," said Jones.
But Taylor shook his head, knowing it c
ouldn't be that easy. She made no attempt to defend herself, and the Princes had their weapons resting on their shoulders in a casual fashion. Taylor lowered his rifle and stepped out into the open.
"What are you doing?" Jones asked.
He didn't reply, and Rogers followed on after him.
"Goddamn it!" Jones knew he had no option but to follow them, but he gestured towards the rest of the platoon to stay put. The three officers went forward in a line. Cautiously, but as casually as they could make it look. They wanted to be seen as the ones in control of the situation, yet they felt anything but. They stopped fifteen metres short of Bolormaa and her Princes. He could see it now. The reason they were so relaxed. The shimmer of a shield that divided them, it was near completely translucent.
"There is no running from me. Wherever you go, I will find you," said Taylor.
She did not respond.
"All of this death and destruction, and for what? So that you could punish me for not letting you win?"
"You could never win, not through your cleverest tricks. You are nothing."
Taylor smiled. Despite her lack of emotion, he was getting to her.
"You want me so bad, come and get me. Prove you are up to the task!"
"Humanity is finished. Your previous Alliance is over, but I don't need to kill you to make you suffer for the rest of your wretched life."
"There is some enjoyment left to be had, like cutting your heart out."
"Even now you joke, when you have nothing left to fight for. Everything that was yours is now mine."
"You didn't take Earth. You destroyed it."
"But I do have one more thing. Something you treasure more than anything."
Taylor looked confused, but Bolormaa gestured with her hand, and a person stepped out from behind her.
"Alita," he said quietly, fighting back his anger.
She took up her position beside Bolormaa, Assegai in hand as if ready to fight.
Battle Beyond Earth - Box Set (Books 6-9) Page 67