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

by Andrew McGregor

  Lasers swept across the snow covered brush land below, detonations tearing through the Morgon units preparing to advance, armoured soldiers tossed into the air as the landscape disappeared in a wave of billowing flames and acrid black smoke.

  Hoarse cheers rose from the defensive trenches, the soldiers rising cautiously as fighter bombers and more fighters swept past above, sonic booms and a wave of noise engulfing the forward troops. The Trevakian artillery commanders ran from their battered and pitted trenches at the rear, their crews scrambling forward to man their batteries in response as excited shouts and orders rang out, the officers raising their arms in expectation as the crews frantically loaded their high calibre guns. Finally, they retreated, wide grins spreading across their faces as the gunners lunged forward, their commander’s arms dropping as the resounding shouts rang out, ‘Fire!’

  In the last surrounded village to the east, the barrage had just ended, screams and loud moans coming from the wounded and buried soldiers, nearly six hundred of the defenders killed and three hundred incapacitated.

  The village lay in ruins, most of the heavy weaponry destroyed or damaged as stunned soldiers struggled from their shattered defensive trenches and emplacements. Basements were buried under rubble, numerous groups of wounded and the defenders entombed in the only cover they could find or the makeshift hospitals.

  Jozefina Kapralova struggled upwards, the limp body of Captain Mekeert falling to one side as she stared round in horror, the officer’s back perforated numerous times with shrapnel as she protected the airport supervisor. Glancing round wide eyed, the dirt and debris fell from her shoulders as she straightened up, her eyes focusing on the collapsed trench line to the south and north and shattered buildings that lay behind.

  Her mind struggled to comprehend the sights as she took in the devastation, the smouldering terrain now resembling a lunar landscape rather than an outer mining and farming hamlet. Pain swept across her dirt smeared temples, her hands rising to her ears as she winced, eyes staring blankly down at the blood soaked fingers, both her eardrums perforated.

  Stunned dirt clad soldiers struggled to rise, several averting their eyes from the torn bodies and body parts around them, the earth scorched and stained crimson where their friends and comrades had been torn to pieces by explosions. Some wearily retrieved weapons and slumped against the trench walls, raising their rifles and staring resolutely out into the billowing acrid smoke.

  Distant shrieks filled the air, Jozefina sighing and bending down painfully to retrieve her rifle, her mind seeming to swim as she rose upright, the dull throbbing ache across her temples spreading through the rest of her head, a confused grin spreading across her lips as she vaguely considered she would not feel the pain for too much longer now.

  Sporadic shouts came from the village behind, surviving commanders attempting to motivate their disorientated troops, pushing them forward to the trenches past muffled shouts from buried soldiers, some of the survivors dropping into the defences wishing they could change places with their comrades.

  A sniper rifle cracked, startling some, the shrieks of hatred rising as the Morgons rose up to advance, the defenders biting their lips and lowering their faces along the sights of their rifles. Few comprehended the explosions to the west, the roar of engines as the fighter wings approached rapidly across the terrain, their laser fire tearing at the ground beneath.

  The red crimson fighters swept over the destroyed village, a few defenders glancing up in disbelief as the smoke plumes swirled in the wake of the high speed vessels, their frames jolting at the explosions ahead smashed through the Morgon infantry.

  Staring wide eyed, few stunned and shocked defenders could understand the sights before them, eruptions and detonations flashing through the smoke as the shrieks and screams intensified. Fighter bombers then roared above, their heavy payloads twisting and falling into the Morgon lines as the Fahimian pilots screamed in revenge, their lasers flashing once more as they banked and weaved over the enemy.

  Flares cascaded downwards, disrupting the anti-air fire that rose upwards, rockets soaring from the ground as a squadron of fighters swept towards the Morgon artillery and anti-aircraft guns. Several Fahimian vessels were hit, the small pilots reluctantly resigning themselves to their inevitable fate as they crashed deliberately into the enemy positions, knowing full well what would occur if they ejected and landed amongst the Morgon infantry.

  Jozefina slumped backwards, unable to hear the few cheers as she stared upwards, angular craft circling high above as small dots seemed to jump from the rear doors, the distant flashes of lights amusing her confused mind as the Fahimian commandoes ignited their jetpacks, the soldiers firing laser bursts out towards the Morgon positions as they slowly descended.

  Another transport circled in the centre, the pilot staring down onto the devastation below, glimpsing the splattered green patches as he grimaced, shattered bodies lying all across the village. The rear motors whined as the doors lowered, heavy packs thrown through the opening as parachutes opened, the Fahimian medical brigade launching with their own jetpacks to follow their equipment down into the carnage.

  Anjara’s eyes flickered open, his chest wheezing in the pitch darkness that surrounded him, his hands feeling across his flight suit for the miniature emergency torch and shaking it. The pin light swept through the darkness, his eyes staring into the beam as he searched for Rees, the space he was trapped in too small for another person. Grimacing, he realised he had fallen into the basement, the building above collapsing down onto the unfortunate beings now entombed. At the base of the staircase, he was trapped in a narrow opening, the walls above both falling inwards and wedged to prevent the rubble from above crushing him. Shaking his head, he hoped his young saviour from the previous day had survived, his eyes widening as the debris creaked and ground above, dust pouring through the cracks onto his upper body.

  Then he grinned, hearing the scraping at the earth to the upper left…his thoughts drifting back to the love of his life…flying and the irony of where he was now trapped by comparison.

  Chapter Twenty Seven: Aftermath; Twenty four hours later

  David Bland sat behind Admiral Shadian, looking out over the lines of Trevakian marines as they marched in lines across the gleaming landing deck of Battle Cruiser Serriax, the spotlights glinting across the polished dress helmets of the sixty soldiers as they formed upon either side of fourteen individuals ahead.

  On the left side of him, the captain of the Serriax was accompanied by intelligence officers and two smartly uniformed I.S. commanders, all seated before a silver lectern that the Admiral rested his hands nervously upon. Begum and three Fahimian emissaries sat to his right, the smaller figures swinging their legs underneath the chairs in rising excitement.

  On the wall opposite, the poster of an imposing female Trevakian marine stared down upon them, the slogan ‘Our Time is Now!’ emblazoned across the top, David’s eyes glistening with emotion as his eyes moved to the surviving fourteen Heathrow volunteers stood to attention, their newly provided uniforms and armour seeming to now sit comfortably on their shoulders. Behind them, representatives of all the earths nations that had fought stood upright, many of their comrades in the numerous hospital facilities on the planet’s surface and Space Station.

  The loud squeal of boots startled him, the Trevakian marines raising their weapons before their chests on either side, their camouflaged uniforms still transforming into lighter colours of grey and green, the black reflective visors down.

  The Admiral adjusted his immaculate uniform, clearing his throat before projecting his voice across the landing bay, ‘We have fought with great courage to defeat the Morgon invader on Zaxon B and although the battle is not yet over, we have the chance of victory on the planet below. The enemy orbiting vessels are departing and leaving their ground troops as they realise ships of our ninth and tenth fleet are rapidly approaching.’ He glanced round at David and Begum, ‘It is only with the assistance
of our new allies and our joint sacrifices that we have overcome such overwhelming odds and for that we will be eternally grateful.’

  The Admiral straightened in stature, raising his voice, ‘But the war goes on…we learn that earth itself is now under direct attack from this returning Battle Cruiser and we will respond to assist as you have done for us. Once the ninth and tenth fleets arrive, I have been tasked with forming a battle group to proceed to earth…sending Trevakian battleships to combat the new Morgon warships that threaten our existence with thousands of marines. The Fahimians have kindly offered five hundred commandoes for this task and they will depart with this vessel…to return to earth with you. The ships will depart in twelve hours.’

  He drew a nervous breath, ‘Further to this, I have been authorised to gift you this vessel as a token of our friendship and gratitude and in remembrance of the thousands of your soldiers that have died in the defence of the plant below and of our Space Station, Alexion One. This…your new ship…we have aptly named the ‘Galactic Freedom’ and her Trevakian crew with garrisoned marines will serve with earth’s forces until such a time your own trained personnel may take command.’

  David glanced across at Begum, the emissary nodding and smiling widely, producing a small ornate jewelled box from inside his cloak, flipping the lid as the airport manager raised his hand to hide a grin, the velvet interior housing eight ear translators for the petit Fahimian.

  Admiral Shadian continued, ‘Now for the decorations…I have been authorised to issue a highly ranked award and medal to all combatants that served with our forces. The Trevakian Galactic Medal is for recognised fighting service in assistance of our empire and is highly recognised on our planetary systems…’ He grinned, ‘Needless to say, it is unlikely you will have to ever pay for a drink or meal again in any part of the Empire!’

  The Admiral glanced down, tapping on the console before him, a wisp of smoke coming from the front and sides of the soldiers’ shoulder armour, David glancing down in surprise to see a gold star with red outline forming on his own.

  Admiral Shadian grimaced, ‘For fallen comrades, we will ensure adequate provision is provided for any dependants on earth and ensure full military funerals are completed. It is with regret that we meet in such a way and I hope our friendship will extend for many centuries to come…’

  Struggling through the narrow dark rock passageway, Lieutenant Malikkas of the Blue Leopards special operations unit grunted at the coughing behind, the dust filled air catching in the escapees’ throats. Having been underground for over a day, their progress was extremely slow, testing the strength of each loose foothold, their hands feeling blindly across the walls, the party now caked in dirt, their bodies weakened with confusion and disorientation rising in their minds from the lack of water and food.

  The Blue Leopard commander had forced them forward, allowing only minimal rest periods, knowing full well that individuals were less likely to rise the longer they dwelled, their faces now withdrawn and conversation reduced to simple one word observations and warnings.

  They struggled through scratching petrified roots and the heavy oxygen starved air, many of their minds now devoid of any thought or consideration to where they were going and what their eventual fate would be, a fear of the unknown long since subsided.

  The passageway began to slope downwards, the decline steep and treacherous as they slipped and slid between the jagged rocks, a number falling onto their backs and shuffling back and forth to avoid the steepest parts of the dust caked floor and walls as they tested footholds.

  Fear occasionally seeped through Malikkas’s frame, his training forcing the thoughts away as he concentrated on the battles he had experienced, the uncomfortable doubt that they would ever reach safety never straying far from his mind.

  Gradually the distance between himself and the others increased, his honed and fit physique able to withstand the drains on energy better than the rest of the party. Silence descended on his progress through the darkness, his body shuffling downwards and negotiating a bend in the tunnel, his eyes straining as his heart rate rose…a dull light filtering through the passageways from ahead.

  Increasing his pace in the darkness, his boots slipped and stumbled across rocks and stones, his bruised and scuffed hands clawing at the rock faces on either side, the light seeming to increase gradually as he pushed on. His swirling mind considered he could find a possible exit and then await the others or attempt to return for them, shouting encouragement and motivation to the survivors behind.

  Then he turned another bend, the dim light clear and air fresh ahead. He stumbled on, falling forwards and scrambling on his hands and knees, the light getting nearer, the air becoming fresher. He broke from the passageway, grinning incredulously at the light that engulfed his dirt and grime covered body, his frame rolling onto the snow in exhaustion, his chest heaving.

  After a short time of staring into the fluttering snowflakes that drifted down upon his face and tattered uniform, he rose to one elbow, glancing back into the dark void below his boots. Turning, he stared at the area around him, his eyes still adjusting to the dull light as he drew deep breaths.

  The rocks that surrounded him rose steeply upwards, a narrow track descending further from the small area to his right, his eyes straining to take in the snow covered scene. Frozen bushes and small trees lined the rocks, a smile crossing his face as he glimpsed a small furry animal staring at him cautiously.

  Shuffling in the tunnel made his smile widen, his eyes moving back to the darkness in expectation of the lead members of the party behind emerging. Then he stiffened, his eyes widening in horror as his ears heard the low chest growl, the shuffling in the darkness increasing as he struggled to his feet, lunging towards the path to the right as the small animal fled before him.

  Eyes stared out from the darkness, the cave lion turning on its haunches as razor sharp claws on large paws cracked against the stone beneath. The predator headed back up the incline towards the slow and weakened warm bodies isolated in the darkness, two other members of the pack closing on the party from behind, ravenous tongues running across the forward long incisors.

  David Bland stood before the medical bed, his eyes extending across the large room as he shook his head despondently, all the individual cabins full of casualties. Several more temporary beds had been added to the facility, with many more outside in the corridors. The wounds were severe, several cabins struggling to sustain the lives of their occupants as he drew breath, green lights sweeping back and forth across the torsos and limbs of the silent bodies as he winced, many missing arms or legs.

  Begum drew next to him, the small Fahimian sighing, ‘We have lost such numbers and more…were any of them your friends?’

  David Bland indicated to the bed before them, the casualty stirring painfully in his anaesthetic induced sleep, ‘This is Rees…an officer with Heathrow…there is another over there.’ He shook his head once more, ‘Many have been killed…too many…I could have stopped it…’

  Begum rubbed his lower arm with a small hand, ‘How? How would you have stopped it? It was their destiny…just as yours was to meet me!’ He grinned as David turned to stare at him wide eyed, the Fahimian winking reassuringly, ‘You brought us into the battle…all these and more would have died without that and the planet would be lost…yours too!’ He grinned playfully, ‘Come on…there are some soldiers for you to meet!’

  David slowly walked after the shuffling Fahimian, the doors to the corridor outside sweeping open as four Trevakian marines snapped to attention outside, their black reflectors lowered. His eyes narrowed in suspicion as he pointed towards one, his head lowering to an angle to scrutinise their uniforms, the soldiers’ shoulder armour emblazoned with the Trevakian Galactic Medal. His voice shaking, he spluttered, ‘You are too short to be a marine!’

  The smaller soldier turned, her lips pursed in irritation, ‘I told you he would recognise me!’

  The soldier next to her tapped h
is helmet, the visor rising, Riaz’s eyes sparkling as he grinned deviously, ‘There’s no mobile reception here Mr Bland!’

  David grinned as the other visors swept upwards, ‘There’s no radio either!’

  Begum shrugged in confusion, ‘You humans are funny…silly beings!’

  He giggled as Jozefina, Debra and Shino laughing out loud, Riaz nudging the smaller Philippine, ‘I told you to stand on a box!’

  Shino grimaced, ‘He will be like this all the way back to earth now…’ She nodded to David, grinning widely, ‘We missed the presentation…we have just arrived on a transport…would you believe it? We got delayed in Morasat due to an electrical storm! It’s just like being at work!’

  Debra smiled, stepping forward to hug the airport manager, a low whisper into his ear as she did so, ‘There is something else too…’

  David shrugged as they parted, Jozefina shaking her head in confusion, ‘What did you all say?’

  Shino pushed Riaz again playfully, grinning widely at David, ‘Just ignore Jo…she’s a bit deaf…best thing to do is just move your lips, she gets very confused then!’ The young Philippine indicate to her ears, mouthing the words ‘perforated drums’ and ‘concussion’. The manager smiled widely, then stopped, staring at the male officer intently.

  David Bland moved cautiously towards Riaz, his eyes straining in suspicion, ‘Why is your shoulder armour different from the others…they all have red piping and bubbled armour, but yours has silver lines on top…?’ He read the wording across the shoulders, ‘Galactic Freedom?’

  Riaz shuffled uncomfortably, a shrill demanding female voice coming from further down the corridor, ‘What’s the matter soldier…answer the junior officer!’ Captain Dugachard and Tregan strode towards them past the medical beds as the group turned, the officer mouthing ‘sorry’ to a clearly irritated medic.