Biting his lower lip in pain, he twisted his head to the sight again as the dust fell upon him, squeezing the trigger as more figures emerged from the rocks ahead, the carrier bouncing back onto the track as it lumbered forward. Glimpsing one figure drop to its knees, Riaz moved the sights, firing directly at the Morgon engineer, the lasers cutting through his body before he could fire the missile launcher.
The carrier swept forward, gaining speed as it approached the corner and smashing into three of the back armoured soldiers, their bodies propelled backwards onto the rocks. They lurched to a halt, Riaz’s gloved hands rising quickly to the hatch sides to prevent himself from being thrown forward. Its engines whirring as the driver depressed the right pedal in the armoured vehicle, the carrier swinging round as the one behind slowed. Riaz gritted his teeth as the loud shrieking swept over him, hearing the machine guns of the tank further up the track engage the enemy defenders. The cannons began to fire more rapidly behind him as he swung the cupola round towards the track, glimpsing three black exoskeleton figures leap out and run towards the tank ahead of them.
He jumped as he heard the desperate shouts from below, the driver frantically trying to warn him, ‘Cut them down, if they disable the tank we are stuck here!’ Bullets clattered against the side of the carrier, the dull thuds from acid projectiles hitting the front armoured plate.
Riaz pulled on the trigger, the barrel cracking and spewing red laser lights towards the running armoured figures. The bodies twisted as the red laser cut through them, the carrier lurching forward and clipping the side of the rocks. One armoured figured turned to face the oncoming carrier as the lasers shot towards them, the figure’s arm being cut from its body. As the carrier swept up the slope, the figure disappeared below the front of the armoured vehicle plate as Riaz grimaced, the crack as the armour plate smashed against the figure sickening him.
The tank fired again, its turret shuddering as flame shot outwards from its two high powered guns. Riaz felt the carrier shudder as it bounced over the bodies on the track, the quad guns behind him firing back down towards the corner as the second carrier approached. The tank crashed into the remainder of the barrier ahead, damaged rocks splintering and showering to the sides.
Riaz stared down the sights of the rifle, realising they were approaching the corner they had been ambushed at before. Squeezing the trigger, he fired short burst at the fleeing figures, hitting several as numerous explosions on the corner ahead spiralled flame into the air. The tank shuddered, smoke billowing from its rear as it started to turn slowly round the right bend.
The heat from the cannons behind swept over him again as he aimed into the bend, the laser fire preventing more enemy soldiers from rising above the rock cover. The black smoke got thicker as the straining tank engine began to heighten, the whirring now becoming burbled as the damaged vehicle began to slow.
The carrier clipped several snow tipped rocks as it approached the corner, grenades now bouncing onto the track around them. Riaz ducked down as the explosions shook the armoured vehicle, debris and dust falling around him as the carrier swept round the wider bend, drawing closer to the tank ahead. As the carrier lurched forward, the back of his shoulder armour cracked against the turret rim behind him, a squeal of pain uttered from his lips. As the carrier was buffeted with explosions either side, he tried to rise further, his shoulders scraping and bouncing against the inside of the turret, his teeth gritted in agony. Bullets pinged against the sides of the vehicle as it rose up the slope, the tank ahead now slowed to a minimal speed as its turret shuddered, the shells flying up the slope towards the final bend.
Riaz spun round in the hatch as explosions behind them were almost deafening. His heart sinking as he saw the flames pouring from the back of the second carrier. The vehicle engine seemed to cough, then rumbled onwards, the driver struggling round the corner and following them.
He spun back round, lowering his eye to the rifle sight to see the tank rumbling onwards, smoke now billowing from the back of the vehicle. The shout below him startling him once more, ‘Clear the way for the tank! Fire towards the corner!’
As he depressed the trigger, the tanks machine guns opened fire, the muzzle flashes reflecting off the rock walls on either side. Firing blindly through the blackening smoke, the red laser energy bounced off the rock faces beyond the tank, the damaged vehicle lumbering on as it fired again, the shells exploding on the rocks ahead. He fired short bursts, desperate to prevent the rifle from overheating.
Riaz’s heart was pounding as he stared at the stricken vehicle ahead, the tank crew feverishly working inside to keep the armoured beast moving. The engine coughed several times, the vehicle seeming to slow further as it approached the bend, the thick acrid smoke enveloping the two vehicles behind.
As the tank lumbered round the corner ahead, further shrieking echoed across them, the Morgon’s realising the heavily armoured vehicle may not make it to the crest of the hill ahead.
Riaz held his breath, the tankers pushing the damaged engine carefully, desperately attempting to prevent it breaking down. As the armoured hulk ahead lumbered slowly up the last slope, the shrieking became more intense, the cannons behind Riaz firing continuously to deter any further attackers. Sweat began to form on his temples as the heat from the guns behind became intense, his armour thinning in response to attempt to cool his body.
The final barricaded positions on the crest of the slope were blown away as the tanks guns fired again, the hulk shuddering as the flame leapt from the forward turret guns. Morgon infantry ran to either side as the machine guns fired towards the position, the distant sound of rifle bursts over the slope now becoming apparent.
The tank shuddered as the guns fired again, the crew wary of hitting any obstruction with the weakened engine. The remaining rock fragments and obstructions flew into the air as the high explosive shells blasted a clearing through the rubble. The tank lumbered on, its crew struggling with the last incline of the slope as the engine coughed again, more black smoke billowing across the track as lubricant began to spill onto the dirt road.
Mounting the brow of the slope, the tank lumbered forward as the track widened towards the opening before the mine. Riaz swung the cupola painfully round as he heard a hoarse cheer from beyond the crest, the armoured carrier slowing as it reached the top of the slope.
The carrier accelerated forward, moving to the left of the tank and slipping through the defensive barricades in front of the mine. Exhausted marines and miners banged on the side of the armoured plate as they passed, then turned and ran towards the second carrier lifting dirt and debris to throw on the burning rear hatches.
The carrier turned slowly as Riaz looked out over the cupola, the tank grinding to a halt in front of the mine entrance and slowly manoeuvring, the crew moving the turret to cover the entrance track. Placing the armoured carriers at angles in front of the tank, the guns moving to face outwards, Riaz slumped back in his open turret, his body aching and exhausted.
He closed his eyes momentarily, jumping as his lower legs were slapped, Shino’s raised emotional voice echoing across the cab, ‘Riaz, are you ok?’
He slowly and painfully lowered himself through the hatch and crawled wincing across the empty driver’s seat, Shino staring at him open eyed.
Four strong arms grasped his shoulders as he struggled towards the driver’s door, their grips lightening as he screamed out loud, the excruciating pain begin to sweep through his body from his shoulder. As he was gently lifted onto the ground, a mining medic knelt next to him beginning to run an electronic device across the wounded man’s chest as he examined his patient, the light from his helmet shining across Riaz’s upper body.
Shino dropped to her knees next to him, Debra behind her as an exhausted Tregan looked grimly down. Shino’s eyes filled with tears as she saw the dent across his upper body armour, Riaz’s face and upper body armour drenched in red and dark brown liquid. Her voice shaking as she gently laid a hand on his chest
, ‘Is he bleeding…will he be alright?
The medic glanced round to Tregan, his expression inquisitive, ‘Is this one of your marines?’
Tregan nodded solemnly, ‘What are the injuries?’
The medic smiled faintly, ‘It seems he has a dislocated shoulder, probably cracked ribs and perhaps a cracked collar bone according to the sensor. The head wound that caused the blood is just a scratch mostly…not serious. It’s human anatomy though…a little different from ours. If he had not been wearing the body armour, then his body may not have been strong enough to cope with the impacts…’ He turned back to look at Riaz as he extended a syringe towards the armour.
Riaz raised his hand in weak protest, ‘I don’t like needles…’
The medic grinned, ‘The suit will secrete the pain killers into your skin…the needle is only to boost what it has already done!’
Riaz’s eyes widened as he grimaced, ‘You mean I would be in more pain than this?’
The medic nodded, inserting the needle into a hole in the prone man’s shoulder armour, ‘Yes…probably, extensive bruising as well as the injuries. You seem to have been thrown around a bit.’ He grinned further as he saw Riaz’s pupils dilate rapidly, ‘See, there we go…the pain should not bother you too much now.’ Seeing Riaz nod up at him slowly, his eyes seeming to lack focus, ‘You will just be a little stiff. I will arrange for you to have a rest in the tunnel with the other wounded for a while. We will attend to your wounds there.’
Tregan turned as the medic indicated for a stretcher to approach, a burst of automatic fire coming from the barricades as the defenders cautiously glanced out. He glanced across the opening, seeing the captain speaking to the tank commander as his crew began working on their vehicle. Striding over, he saluted the captain formally, ‘We are here to get your unit down to the village, Sir.’
The captain nodded grimly, ‘Yes, we need to leave. The enemy is only becoming stronger…’ he indicated to the tank commander, ‘…I was just asking how the armoured brigade were doing and he has advised they are probably cut off. Quite simply, we are in a mess. No radio contact, the area filled with hostiles…how long before we can get the tank working properly?’ Distant shrieking swept across the clearing, the Morgon’s re-organising their forces.
The tank commander shook his head, glaring at the noise, ‘Maybe a couple of hours…it will be in daylight anyway. It is downhill all the way, so it will not be such a strain on the engines.’ He indicated across to the personnel carriers, ‘They will need some repairs too and we will have to move slower as there’s not enough room for all your men commander.’
The captain nodded solemnly, ‘We will have to stack the wounded inside, there are over thirty now. We have sixteen killed…they have been attacking from yesterday and throughout the night, we only have about fifty or sixty fit men to evacuate now.’
Tregan ground his teeth in frustration, ‘Right…I think we had better get ready to move anyway. The enemy seems to have more and more reinforcements…much longer and none of us will get out.’ He pointed into the darkness in the direction of the Armoured Brigade, ‘I hope they can hold on…they are buying us time. If the Morgons break through there, they will bring up their legions and heavy armour…that will be the end.’
The tanker nodded, turning to the captain as he indicated to the tank, ‘With your permission sir? May I request every engineer you have to assist in repairing the vehicles?’
The captain nodded, ‘Please proceed.’ Seeing the tanker draw his fist to his chest, he glanced at Tregan, ‘I will prise the scientists away from their work…we need to blow the tunnels before we leave.’ He sighed, ‘I think I know what the Morgons want…but they will have to do a lot of digging to get to it…and we will attempt to blow that too if there are enough explosives.’ He grimaced, shaking his head, seeing Tregan glance uneasily towards the track, ‘The time to repair gives the Morgons and their allies enough breathing space to set traps and ambushes all the way down the mountain…this is going to be very bloody! Trevakian marines facing Morgon infantry in open ground…I don’t like our chances much!’
Tregan pursed his lips in hatred as he turned to look at the captain, ‘We will give them as much as we can on the way down…we will make them remember this day!’
Chapter Twenty: Alexion One
Admiral Shadian stared out of the large viewing window on the bridge of the space station held in orbit above Zaxon B, shaking his head in despair at the flashes across the dark space before him. Behind him several operators ran their hands across their screen tables, bolstering defences and responding to messages from across the large station. The blue down lighting illuminated the bridge and control section, red and blue lights flashing across the screens indicating the progress of the air and land battles for Zaxon B.
The Admiral turned to his second in command, his expression grim, ‘I don’t know how much longer the ground forces can hold out without any reinforcements.’ His arm slowly rose as he pointed to the dots in the far distance, ‘Morgon ships are dropping troops to the surface at regular intervals…it could be only a matter of time before they are overwhelmed.’ His eyes narrowed, ‘Is there any communication from any of the fleets…surely one must be on its way?’
The younger first officer shook his head, ‘Their jamming is very effective…we have had little communication for days now. They must have received our urgent requests, Sir. Something must be coming our way.’
Admiral Shadian turned, glancing across the busy operators. In his mid-forties, he had served for six years as commander of the space station. His crew of over two thousand always immaculately presented and highly trained, he now feared for their safety. He had received word that Morgon vessels were heading towards the planet some fifteen days previously, his immediate reply to request support. He swept his hand across his temple, his greying hair swept neatly into his dark blue cap. He looked back at his first officer, ‘How are the shields holding up…the laser defences?’
The officer smiled, ‘Very well Sir, they are attacking with fighter bombers and fighters only…no match for our turrets and laser shield.’ He indicated to the operator nearest them, ‘I have instructed the ensign to direct two of our lower turrets to support our ground forces Sir, I hope you approve.’
The Admiral nodded, a brief grin crossing his face, ‘Good, that should shake the enemy up a bit…direct more turrets when we can…scare the hell out of them and blast their ‘walkers’ to bits…that will be good morale for the infantry too.’
The officer snapped his heels together, his fist rising across his chest, ‘Yes Sir!’ He spun round and walked stiffly to the operator, leaning over the console before him as he spoke in a low voice.
The Admiral stared back out of the window into deep space, seeing the small flashes on the planet’s surface, small dots skimming across the thin atmospheric line as the few Trevakian fighters engaged their Morgon opponents, thankful for the support of the space stations turrets.
As he watched, a section of enemy fighters swept down from above, crossing the screen to just below him before commencing their attack run, their forward guns blazing towards the laser shield as they came. He smiled to himself as his experienced turret gunners ignored to incoming fighters and lined the sights of their heavy laser cannons on the following fighter bombers. The laser shield flashed as it intercepted the fighters incoming rounds, the station trembling slightly as the massive turret guns fired bursts at the fighter bombers behind the forward fighters, the flashes of explosions and the subsequent actions of the Morgon pilots as they panicked and veered away, amusing him. ‘Another five enemy fighter bombers accounted for!’ He mused to himself.
The fighters and remaining bombers swept upwards across his vision, trying to evade the turrets and anti-aircraft fire, a flash of fire as another fighter exploded, the turrets traversing, chasing them across space.
Admiral Shadian slowly placed his hands behind his back, glancing over his shoulder to see his f
irst officer nod to him, ‘Lower turrets now supporting our ground troops Sir!’ He nodded in satisfaction, his head turning to stare back out from the viewing platform. He caught his breath and his body stiffened, the red light flashing across the screen before him. Turning his head to look at his first officer, he saw the warning lights beginning to spread across the bridge and control section, the operators glancing round at each other in nervous concern.
The Admiral indicated to his first officer, his expression demanding. The officer shrugging in response. The female electronic voice resounding across the station, ‘Warning…Warning…imminent space distortion detected. Warning…Warning…imminent space distortion detected.’ An alarm continued on the bridge, the electronic siren screeching in their ears.
Admiral Shadian spun round, indicting to the officer with his right hand, his voice rising nervously, ‘Get me scanning of all areas! Find out what is coming in…and where!’
The first officer nodded, the red lights flashing across his concerned features, ‘Yes Sir!’ Indicating to the operator next to him, ‘Scan the incoming distortion! Get me a location fast! Start with immediate vicinity and escalate outwards!’
The operator nodded warily, running his hands across the horizontal screen in front of him, the touch sensitive surface lighting up as the station began to scan across space. His head spun round, ‘Sensors indicate…’ He swallowed hard, ‘…Large vessels uncloaking near the Morgon transports and cruisers…unable to determine source, Sir.’
The officer looked round at the Admiral, the senior officer grabbing the space glasses from his console and running back to the viewing window. Raising them to his eyes, he stared out towards the Morgon vessels, adjusting the glasses penetration into the darkness as the electronic display swept across the darkened space.
The Last Marine in the Galaxy (Galaxies Collide Book 1) Page 20