Zaxon B: The Final Struggle (Galaxies Collide Book 4)

by Andrew McGregor

  The space station officer’s eyes widened, his tone still demanding, ‘Were those the additional craft we tracked you with? Who are these Fahimian’s and what have they given you? I have never heard of them…are they new allies?’

  David Bland turned slowly to point at the containers in the rear hold of the transport, a wry smile forming across his face as the officer’s gaze followed his outstretched arm, ‘I would say they are allies…and probably more valuable than we will ever know! Those boxes contain their new laser rifles…high powered and portable…’ He swallowed hard, staring back at the silver boxes, ‘They are also ready for deployment now!’

  The officer’s frame stiffened as he stared at the containers beyond the two men briefly. Then he spun round, the blue uniformed back facing them as a hand rose quickly to his ear, his voice shaking, ‘Secure transmission to Admiral Shadian immediately!’

  Chapter Twenty One: Incoming Rangara Reconnaissance

  Riaz stared out over the upper walls of the outpost, the Silakians slowly and carefully lowering their bodies to their knees as they raised their arms, his warning shots into the air having drawn the attention of the villagers, the shutters and barricades across the grimy windows and openings stirring.

  The Trevakian garrison troops pulled themselves up the ladder behind him, their boots squealing against the metal rungs as Riaz breathed heavily, his adrenalin soaring. His right eye lowered across the top of his rifle as they slipped passed him, two running to the quad guns and heaving the weighted tarpaulin from the barrels before grasping the controls and turning the heavy weapons on their mounts.

  Shino stared down the street, raising the binoculars to her eyes and scanning the deserted thoroughfare before turning to investigate the adjoining track. The automatic focussing moved across the terrain and buildings, the high powered lenses synchronising with her visor and failing to flash, the terrain beyond the low dwellings deserted. Lowering the field glasses, she called out, her voice rising with excitement, ‘Streets are clear! No sensor readings!’ She raised the binoculars once more, straining her eyes through the lenses.

  Debra glanced up, her eyes widening in surprise as the petit Philippine called out again, ‘No hostiles…outer area clear!’

  Captain Dugachard strode towards the gate, nodding for the Trevakian soldiers before her to open it, a smile sweeping across her face as she heard Shino above, ‘Open just one side…stay alert. Check the Silaks for weapons, then bring them inside…’ She spun round, indicating to Debra and Tregan, ‘Go with them…keep an eye out to either side whilst they are being searched, I don’t want any surprises!’ The two nodded obediently, both jogging after the four soldiers as they slipped through the narrow opening, another two nervous troopers preparing to close the gate behind.

  Dugachard glanced up, nodding her approval to Shino as the young Philippine grinned, the captain calling out, ‘Once they are inside, come down and help translate if they really do speak the language you said…’

  Shino raised her hand to her helmet, Riaz hissing next to her as he squinted along the sights of his assault rifle, ‘Quite the little soldier now, aren’t we?’

  Shino blew a low raspberry with her lips as she raised her snub barrelled assault weapon, squinting down the sight and staring into the street below, the Trevakian soldiers spreading across the thoroughfare with their rifles raised, inching forward nervously towards the kneeling Silakians.

  Debra was glancing cautiously back up the track towards the gate, her eyes squinting beyond the outpost to the edge of the village. Tregan dropped to one knee next to the corner of the streets, aiming his rifle into the distance as he drew breath against the freezing breeze.

  Shino jerked her rifle around, scrutinising the moving shutters and barriers that protected the residents from the elements as the startled inhabitants stared out in curiosity. Riaz gritting his teeth as the Silaks slowly rose upwards, the Trevakians circling their prisoners and urging them back towards the main gates, their eyes darting from side to side nervously.

  Shino’s eyes widened as she suddenly glimpsed and recognised the face of a young girl through the window opposite, the child waving eagerly as she smiled back, her rifle moving to point into the street below as the group passed by through the deepening snow.

  The reinforced gates creaked open, Captain Dugachard slipping an assault rifle from her shoulder and raising it cautiously as the two sentries stepped back from the opening, their own weapons rising. The Silakians slipping through warily, their hands on their heads as they glanced around, Dugachard indicating for them to proceed with an aggressive jerk of the rifle.

  As the gates slammed shut, the sentries drew the long bolts across, the grind of steel against steel squealing across the enclosure, the prisoners glancing round nervously to stare into rifle muzzles. Reaching the centre of the compound, the soldiers circled their captives, Captain Dugachard stepping forward and forcefully gesturing for them to lower to their knees with her rifle.

  Gradually the subdued Silakians dropped down, their eyes lowering as they feared the worst, Dugachard’s eyes narrowing as she spoke, ‘Do any of you understand me?’

  One Silakian glanced upwards, the man in his late twenties nodding uncomfortably, ‘A…a little English…’

  Riaz’s eyes widened as he stared down from the walkway above, nudging for Shino to join them, ‘Go and help…I want to know more…’

  The captain lowered her rifle, indicating for the others to do the same as the prisoner glanced round fearfully, his hands still on his head, ‘W-we come as free...’ He tapped his head with his palms, nodding furiously, ‘W-we free!’

  Dugachard shrugged, articulating that she did not understand as she looked across at Shino, the Philippine approaching from the ladder as the captain gestured, ‘Can you talk to them? I think we will be a long time otherwise…’

  Shino grinned as the prisoner turned his head to stare at her, his eyes blinking as he took in her petit frame before he stared up at Riaz, the man swallowing deeply as he spoke in awe, ‘Earth?’

  The Philippine nodded, smiling widely in encouragement as she struggled to recall her Russian, ‘Russkie?’

  The black haired man nodded, his eyes widening further as he patted his helmet, ‘We free now…control gone…you free us!’ The other prisoners glanced upwards, nodding in surprise and with relief.

  Shino translated her understanding to Captain Dugachard, the officer responding by nodding cheerfully, encouraging the prisoner to talk further as Shino asked how they had been made free.

  The man stared at her with deep brown eyes, speaking slowly as she smiled encouragingly, ‘Lights go…we free…we wake from control.’ He tapped his helmet again as if to indicate, Shino translating the words she understood, ‘Machine inside…lights control…now gone in caves!’

  Dugachard and Tregan’s eyes widened, Riaz calling down from above, ‘Those lights were strange…’

  Shino asked another question, the Silakian nodding his understanding of her broken Russian, his reply stammering as he shivered, the Philippine recounting the translated conversation to the others, ‘More lights across mountains and valley…Morgons control with lights…power too strong to resist…destroy lights we free and fight!’

  Dugachard raised her hand, turning to Tregan as she whispered, ‘We need to get these prisoners to the medical facility…have them examined inside and these ‘machines’ removed if they exist. Get two men and the halftrack…take three of the prisoners…we will interrogate this man and one of the others until you get back. Try and get another transport…I want to send one up to the pasture later, but it will need a quad gun.’

  Tregan nodded his understanding, ‘I will see what I can get…I will take Debra too if acceptable Sir…she could do with the experience…and the medical attention…’

  Dugachard grinned, her voice lowering further, ‘I think the experience is for both of you together, but I am happy for that to happen…just get back quickly, I will have t
o place all the soldiers on the walls.’

  Tregan nodded willingly, his face slightly flushed as he smiled deviously and turned to jog towards the halftrack, indicating for Debra to follow as he pointed to her arm grinning, ‘We are going to get your shoulder mended!’

  Shino had lowered to a crouch in front of the prisoner, her brown eyes staring into his as she spoke softly, ‘Where are you from?’

  The man glanced round, his eyes straining as the other captives looked at him nervously, ‘I was very young when I came here…but I remember the other planet, the factory and housing complex…we went there…we are all from Chernobyl.’

  The Philippine’s eyes glistened as she stared at the young man, his tattered uniform and dirt matted hair, her hand reaching out to his shoulder as a tear ran down her cheek, her voice emotionally breaking as she sucked air, ‘It’s time to rescue you…’

  Chapter Twenty Two: Drums of War in the East

  Captain Mason studied the mining maps on the large table before him, blue lights flickering in the base below as the jammed sensors attempted to form a picture of the terrain around the encircled village. A Trevakian intelligence officer lent across, marking dark red lines across the lines that indicated tunnels, his voice strained, ‘These have now been blown…there are no more survivors outside our defences unless some of the smallholdings are still fighting. Reports from the northern trench indicate they have fallen, there is no sound of gunfire in the distance.’

  The Trevakian commander shook his head, ‘What is the supply situation…how long can we hold out?’

  The officer rested his hands on the table edge, his tone despondent, ‘Over half our defending force is wounded, the medical facilities are overwhelmed and we have a limited supply of bandages left. The food will last perhaps three days…most was stored in the tunnels and Harg One, so is now in the hands of the enemy or lost.’ He drew breath, ‘Ammunition is now in short supply…all front line personnel have full stocks, but reserves are almost depleted.’ He glanced at Captain Mason, ‘Some of our human allies are reporting their supplies of missiles and rockets are at critical levels and our few hover tanks and halftracks are conserving their stocks, firing only at identified targets.’ Stepping back, he shook his head grimly, ‘We have over two thousand seven hundred personnel remaining against Morgon forces that we estimate at over six divisions…some twenty thousand plus infantry soldiers, specialist rocket units and walkers.’ The intelligence officer glanced round, allowing the information to sink in and seeing the startled reactions before continuing, ‘As for the next moves, we believe the enemy will now concentrate their forces…wear us down in aggressive probes over the next day, one of which will prove to be the major assault as has been their previous tactics. In summary, when they do launch their final offensive, we will simply be overwhelmed and slaughtered.’ He shrugged as he stared down at the map, ‘It will not be long now…’

  Captain Mason strained his eyes, looking blankly down at the waxed and worn parchment sitting atop the bright table, his injuries now beginning to cause him significant discomfort as the anaesthetic chemicals began to subside. He glanced up at the Trevakian commander, the basement in complete silence, his senses twitching as he spoke softly, ‘It seems to have gone quiet outside…the calm before the storm?’

  Jozefina Kapralova raised the binoculars to her eyes once more, an eerie silence descending across the scorched, smoke filled battlefield. Gritting her teeth as the glasses focussed on the bloodied heads, she panned round, the fires and billowing shrouds obscuring any sight, the sensors failing to pick up enemy soldiers through the murk.

  Captain Mekeert walked along the trench towards her, stepping over discarded ammunition magazines and abandoned empty ration boxes, the determined grim defenders staring out into the billowing smoke. Then she stiffened, hearing shouts from the south and north, a jab of energy sweeping up her spine as the distant crumps resounded across the torn landscape, her mouth opening to shout as she ran towards Jozefina, ‘Incoming artillery…take cover!’

  The Morgon artillery batteries fired round after round, the high explosive shells soaring upwards as smoke billowed from the long barrels, the thirty heavy guns having been dragged from the landing areas over the last few hours. Behind them, supply crews marched forward with additional shells, the battery commander indicating towards specialist boxes at the rear of the stockpile, the ordinance guarded by specialist sentries…the heavy calibre ammunition sealed in air tight boxes, the acid and nano shell crews running forward in unison to prepare their ordinance.

  The whistle of shells roared across the landscape, Mekeert lunging into Jozefina and knocking her upright frame sideways, the two crashing onto the floor of the trench roughly, the airport supervisor screaming in shock as her shoulder cracked against an ammunition canister.

  The explosions erupted through the village, bodies tossed upwards as buildings disintegrated and collapsed, the defenders sprinting into basements in terror. Soldiers pressed their faces into the snow packed earth of the trenches, the blast waves and flying shrapnel sweeping overhead, dust and earth falling onto their bodies as most opened their mouths and covered their ears.

  Rees and Anjara staggered down the stairs, smoke engulfing their frames and the building shuddered, the snipers on the roof receiving a direct hit from an incoming shell, masonry and wood collapsing into the room behind them as the dust poured over their shoulders. Rees coughed uncontrollably as Anjara forced him forward, his harsh shouts going unheard, ‘Keep moving…or we will die!’

  US Marines in a mortar pit fled and the debris showered down, a plume of fire and black smoke rising skywards from the southern edge of the defences as a small ammunition stock erupted. Explosions swept the streets clear, bodies tossed against walls and upwards as the blast waves tore through the buildings and trenches.

  Two large central structures collapsed, burying the basements under rubble as the rooms shook, the wounded screaming in terror as the eruptions tore at the entombing rubble overhead, propelling stones and shattered equipment across the village.

  Two of the remaining hover tanks were burning out of control, the surviving crew members running in a desperate search for safety as the halftrack crew sat shivering inside the rear compartment, the sides of the vehicle shaking and buffeted by blast waves.

  Jozefina was screaming beneath Mekeert, the Trevakian captain pushing her body downwards. The loud and intense explosions tossed dirt and earth into the emplacements and trenches as the defenders cowered in fear, many shaking uncontrollably from the continuous eruptions, tears flowing down their faces as shock wave after shock wave swept over them.

  Rees and Anjara reached the ground floor, wide cracks snaking across the walls as the Flight Officer shouted frantically, ‘Get out! The building is going to collapse!’

  Rees stared wide eyed at the darkening entrance, flashes lighting the smoke outside, his chest heaving as he staggered towards the doorway, Anjara grasping his shoulder armour and propelling him forward, the dust billowing around them as the building shook further, a low rumbling from above and the muffled screams of the wounded from below.

  Captain Mason was lying on the floor of the command centre, several of the Trevakian officers crouched around him as the walls shook, the blasts outside seeming to rise in intensity. Distant screams and cracks as ammunition ignited resounded down the stairs, the dust covered commanders staring at each other in disbelief as a muffled shout came from the floor above, ‘Incoming acid!’

  Chapter Twenty Three: Into the Freezing Mountains

  Lieutenant Malikkas of the Blue Leopards special operations unit struggled along the snow covered path, his chest wheezing in the poor high air of the mountain pass. Huddled in a group behind him, the SAS soldier and Trevakians trudged up the steep incline, their boots slipping on the iced path, clouds of exhaled condensed breath billowing around them.

  Having climbed the mountain paths for the last three to four hours, the group was becoming exha
usted, the lack of nourishing food and drink over the last couple of days weakening them considerably. After escaping the Morgon compound, they had jogged for some distance, the path weaving through high rock sides before rising steeply into the mountains. Shivering from the encroaching cold, the party had gradually drifted apart, Malikkas striding ahead whilst the others fell back, the British soldier drawing up the rear to observe the path behind.

  Distant shrieks had spurred them on, the Special Air Service trooper dropping back further to see if they were being followed. After a short time, he had caught the group up, his eyes wide with fear as he explained there were several Morgon soldiers following their tracks, the enemy soldiers carrying sniper and assault rifles.

  Malikkas had urged the group forward, his jaw tensing as he advised the Morgon soldiers would not pursue them for much longer, his experience of the enemy in previous campaigns contradicting the encouraging words. His mind drifted back to the snow bound freezing mountainous terrain of Persis where the Morgons had force marched for days without food to launch a surprise attack on the rear of the Trevakian positions, preceding the fall of the planet. He hoped the soldiers behind them did not possess such determination.

  Increasing their pace with the realisation of enemy troops hunting them, they had trudged on, the snowfall becoming thicker and the mountains more barren of vegetation, the cold biting into their worn uniforms. The shrieks behind had been joined by distant piercing howls ahead, the mountain animals warning of the new arrivals, several licking their lips in anticipation of warm fresh food.