Riaz started to struggle with the men holding him as he was half-carried towards the last carrier. The vehicle began to pull away slowly, the doors closing before him as he struggled. One marine bent his arm back, the young Asian man screaming as the pain overwhelmed the suits anaesthetic, the soldier swearing at him bitterly, ‘Stay between the carriers or we will throw you back in the tunnel! We need to leave now! We are not losing any more Trevakians saving you humans!’
Riaz half blacked out as they marched him down the side of the carrier, his senses reeling with the pain. Stumbling as they pushed him roughly amongst the marines and miners walking pensively between the two carriers. A couple of miners steadied him and prevented him falling as he struggled upright, glimpsing Debra looking back in concern from the forward group. He turned, seeing the two marines move in behind him, preventing his way back, one shouting at him menacingly, ‘Keep moving forward, it will keep you alive!’
Riaz stole a glance past the marine and down the side of the carrier as he felt the downward slope beneath his feet, seeing another three marines at the tunnel entrance, their weapons pointing menacingly into the darkness. As nausea rose within him, his eyes filling with tears as he called out, choking, ‘Shino!’
Tregan grabbed Shino’s shoulder roughly, pushing her back as bullets splattered against the wall behind them. Shino gasped at his force, her shock at the near miss sharpening her senses. He turned next to the bend in the tunnel to look at her in the darkness, her red and grey silhouette only just visible through his visor. He heard the scraping and shuffling round the bend as the Morgon infantry moved forward, hissing at her, ‘Move to the next bend…I will hold them, then run back…be ready to cover me!’
The young Philippine nodded in shock, backing away, her assault rifle rising as she lowered to a crouch. Her muscles tensed, she stepped back, the shuffling getting nearer, a shriek making her jump as she realised the source was very close, just round the bend. Stumbling away, she could just make out the dim light filtering through the tunnels from above at the bend further up the tunnel.
Tregan reached to his waist, slipping a grenade from his belt and flicking the pin with his thumb. Slowly backing from the corner, he counted three seconds to himself as he heard the scraping approaching the bend before him. Tossing the grenade forward at an angle, he spun round as it bounced round the corner, a shriek of anger filling the tunnel as he sprinted from the bend.
The flash lit up the walls, blinding the three Morgon Infiltrators momentarily. Tregan lunged towards Shino, her rifle lowered as she blinked at the flash, her free hand instinctively rising to her face. He pushed her backwards, half lifting her small body with his free arm as he pushed up the slope.
The explosion behind flashed through the tunnel, the blast throwing the three Morgons running from the corner onto their chests, their shrieks of pain filling the darkness. The blast wave swept round the bend, Tregan covering Shino’s face with his chest as the debris and dust engulfed them. Coughing and spluttering, they ran up the slope in the darkness, the shrieks of fury behind them ringing in their ears. Two short explosions in the darkness behind threw dust from the roof of the tunnel as they ran, the Morgons throwing acid grenades to clear any potential foe from their positions. Approaching the next bend in the darkness, the rays of light filtering through the dust and smoke. Tregan pushed Shino roughly to the right wall, preventing her from turning the corner. A scream of surprise coming from her lips as she fell to her knees, her hands scraping along the rock as her assault rifle clattered to the floor of the tunnel.
Shino’s head spun to look at him in shock as he lunged ahead of her into the bend, her emotions swimming as the terrified thought that he was sacrificing her filled her mind. She saw his body emerge into the dim rays of light, his arms raising as he shouted, ‘Trevakian and human coming up!’
Scrambling around in the gloom for her weapon, she flinched as she heard the muffled beeps from above, the Trevakian preventing her from being shot by the marines at the mouth of the tunnel. Tears filled her eyes in horror as she realised the potential outcome he had averted, the defenders at the top of the slope ready to fire on anything that emerged from the darkened depths.
Tregan shouted again in the gloom, his voice interrupted by the dust, he coughed, ‘Don’t shoot, human ally!’
Shino felt desperately around for her weapon, grasping a leg in the gloom and drawing away sharply, her realisation it was one of the body bags causing her to draw her hand away in terror. Feeling her gloves hit metal, she grasped the weapon, a shriek from behind her in the tunnel forcing her upwards as Tregan roughly grabbed her arm, pulling her forward.
She strained her eyes as she emerged into the shaft of light, her body running in response to Tregan’s force, her chest heaving as her stomach turned. Above them were three marines, their silhouettes outlined against the morning light, her eyes widening in horror as she saw one marine drop to his knees, his weapon rising, the rifle muzzle flashing.
Tears ran down Riaz’s face as he heard the loud shots behind them, his breath erratic as he thought of his friend Shino. With one armoured carrier behind, another in the middle and the tank leading the way, the marines and armed miners between them glanced round nervously, wary in fearful anticipation of an attack on their descent down the snaking mountain track. He stared forward, his vision cloudy as he saw the tank begin to turn the first bend below them on the track, its turret shuddering as both its heavy guns fired along the next part of the road.
Marines from behind the tank ran forward as the large armoured vehicle began to disappear behind the bend, its machine guns firing at Morgon positions behind rocks blocking the track. The armoured carrier in front moved forward, the men behind increasing their pace to keep up. Riaz swallowed hard, trying to quell the churning in his stomach, his shoulders jumping as he heard the muffled blast from further up the slope, the tunnel walls collapsing inwards. Dust and debris projected from the tunnel mouth in a large billowing cloud.
The screaming from either side of the track caused the remaining marines and miners to glance around sharply and erratically in fear, their weapons rising as they readied for the oncoming expected attack. Grenades bounced onto the dirt and snow, the men and women shouting in alarm as they started to run down the slope to escape the explosions. The blasts threw bodies to either side as those that hesitated were caught in the detonations. Riaz was pushed forward roughly by the two marines behind him, the soldiers virtually carrying him along as they ran. As they neared the bend, he looked back over his shoulder, seeing several bodies on the track as the armoured carrier’s forward turret spinning round, the Silakians mounting the rocks on either side of the track.
Several shots rang out from below as the marines swept forward with the tank, unaware of the battle commencing behind, the trap being sprung by the Morgons. The marine behind him pushed Riaz as he spun round, the force almost toppling him backwards. Then his heart leapt as he saw Tregan and Shino emerge over the crest of the slope at the top to the left of the armoured vehicle, their faces and uniforms covered in a heavy layer of dust from the tunnel. Flashes came from their assault rifles and the three marines with them as they cut some of the attackers down. He forced himself up from his knee, the marine stood over him menacingly as Riaz shouted at him desperately, ‘Behind us…they are alive!’
The soldier’s eyes widened as he spun round, his rifle rising as his visor slipped down. Riaz raised his weapon as the laser blasts from the carrier’s forward turret lashed out towards the rocks on the right. Riaz felt the butt of his weapon kick back into his shoulder as he fired to the left of the vehicle, the Silakians screaming as he hit two with one four bullet burst. Bullets clanked against the side of the carrier as the cannons spun round to face the rear, Shino and the four Trevakians now running down the track. Silakian soldiers leapt from the rocks, beginning to grapple with the few remaining upright defenders on the track, the attackers’ numbers overwhelming those that stood to fight. Se
veral of the wounded attempted to crawl or scramble away, their damaged bodies being beaten and stabbed by the attackers as they desperately tried to escape or defend themselves.
Riaz fired again as two Silakian soldiers emerged from behind some rocks, their bodies twisting as the bullets hit their upper legs. The hand to hand fighting on the upper track preventing any further shots for fear of hitting allies. The marine next to Riaz bolted forward to assist some of the struggling men, his weapon rising in his hands as he brought it down on the back of a nearby Silakian, the sickening crack breaking the enemy’s backbone. Riaz then moved his knees slightly, aiming high along the rocks, shooting at any heads that emerged.
Shino disappeared behind the back of the carrier as Riaz fired, her small frame using the vehicle as cover. Tregan marched forward with the others, firing at the enemy as they jumped from the rocks. As more emerged, he began to increase their pace, realising they would soon be overwhelmed.
As the few remaining miners and marines on the track fought with their assailants, the marine ran up the track, striking out at any enemy, trying to free any ally to escape. Several broke free, running down the track as the marine forced his way towards the carrier, now only able to nudge forward due to the fighting around it.
A large dull rumble echoed across the valley, the explosions in the ravine detonating as the Morgon legion infantry units began to sweep through the narrow opening.
As Riaz fired again, he caught his breath, seeing the armoured helmets begin to emerge from the beyond the crest of the hill, his heart pounding wildly. His voice almost shrieking he shouted with all his energy, ‘Morgons! Run!’ Raising the rifle to his eyes again, he fired at two shadows between the rocks, then spun the weapon across to aim at the top of the slope. He saw the marine before him freeze, his body turning to run as he too saw the several oncoming armoured infantry, then he twisted and fell as the Morgon bullet hit and entered the back of his helmet. The carrier’s cannons barked as they fired towards the top of the incline, the small shells sweeping into the dull sky, fired too high by the inexperienced gunner in her panic.
The Morgons ran to either side, opening fire with their light machine guns and rifles and they sought cover, felling a number of the fighting miners, marines and Silakians. Tregan and Shino sprinted alongside the carrier, their firing forgotten as they realised the threat from behind. Riaz fired towards the boulders at the top of the slope as more Silakians dropped from the rock sides onto the track.
A flash of flame came from the crest of the slope, the rocket flying towards the back of the carrier. The blast as it hit the rear doors throwing the rear of the vehicle upwards as Riaz fired another burst from his assault rifle. Flames shot into the air as the carrier crashed back onto the track, most of the wounded occupants killed in the explosion, the vehicle crippled. Tregan, Shino and the other survivors had been thrown forward with the blast, their bodies scrambling across the dirt track to escape. A projectile flew past Tregan, the green line of acid flowing behind it. The Trevakian grabbed Shino again, pulling her upwards as they ran through the last few entangled bodies fighting on the track, a couple breaking free to flee with them. Jumping still bodies and discarded weapons, they sprinted down the slope as Riaz fired again, the Morgon soldier ducking back behind a rock at the top of the slope with his acid rifle. Fleeing marines and miners ran past him as he kept firing short bursts, the weapon jolting in his hands.
Seeing the remaining fighters on the track being overwhelmed he rose from his knee to a crouch, backing towards the bend as Tregan and Shino sprinted past him, now running in terror with the few survivors. Riaz fired again as he reached the bend, the assault rifle clicking empty as he twisted his body and ran round the corner, an acid sniper bullet splattering against the rocks behind him on the corner.
Sprinting after the others, he felt the pain sweep through his chest, gritting his teeth against the agony from his bruised ribs and injured shoulder. He could just see the carrier at the end of the next track, negotiating the bend, hear the tank firing below them. A number of bodies lay in the dirt and crushed snow on the route as he pushed his legs, jumping over several. A small number of dead marines and miners lying before the Silakian bodies and a couple of half disintegrated Morgons by the broken barricade, their lives given for the ambush above. As he neared the sharp turn, he heard the high pitched shrieks back behind him, the inaccurate bullets beginning to whip past him as the Silakians reached the corner. Tregan and Shino’s helmets emerged at the bend with the three marines, covered by the rocks as he ran towards them. They fired back as he lunged forward, a searing, almost tearing pain through his chest from the exertion. He heard the distant and muffled screams from far behind him as some of the remaining wounded were butchered or simply shot as they lay.
As Riaz passed her, slipping in the dust and falling, Shino fired at the Morgons and Silakians rounding the far corner, the bullets bouncing off their body armour, sparks indicating their points of impact. Tregan leant out above her and fired a burst the Morgons and their Silakian allies ducking back behind the rocks at the end of the track.
Bullets whipped past them, a marine falling behind them as his face imploded from the high velocity round, shattering his visor. Riaz struggled to his feet, scrambling round the corner and pushing himself against the cold rocks. The two other marines fell back, beginning to run from the corner as smoke grenades puffed across the track about twenty metres in front of Shino. Hearing a muffled explosion below them, the tank and armoured carrier beginning to turn the next bend, Tregan slapped Shino’s shoulder, shouting, ‘Let’s get going, they are coming in force!’
Shrieks filled their ears as they spun round, running after the two marines with Riaz. An explosion behind them threw debris into the air as a rocket grenade hit the rocks where they had been. Further along the track they saw the last few marines turn the next corner, the unfamiliar shouts from the Silakians above spurring their soldiers on. Shino stiffened as she heard the voices, straining her ears in an attempt to hear the words. Grenades dropped to the sides of the track as they ran, Tregan pushing the young Philippine forward as explosions engulfing them in dust and dirt.
The two marines ahead of them stopped at the corner, turning to cover them. Riaz flicked the clip on his weapon as he ran, the spent ammunition cartridge dropping into the dust as he grabbed a fresh magazine from his belt pouch and slammed it into the chamber, his hands shaking.
Bullets whisked past them as the marines at the next corner opened fire, the projectiles impacting on the rocks they had left at the sharp bend, a Silakian soldier twisting and falling as a bullet clipped his shoulder. As they ran, their chests heaving, they could hear further shouts below them, the tanks guns firing again as it approached the bend beyond theirs. Reaching the turning, they slipped and slid across the track, the suits expanding slightly as they sensed their occupants lose their balance.
In the next track the Silakians were attacking from either side, the shafts of laser light bouncing off the rocks as the carrier drove forward, the cannon turrets pointing back at them. Pushing their tired bodies further, their chests wheezing in the thin air…they ran on, bullets splattering on the rocks behind as the two marines jumped up and ran after them. Sprinting between marines fighting hand to hand with Silakian infantry, they struck out at obvious targets, Tregan urging them forward as he fired short bursts at the rocks bordering the track.
The carrier stopped abruptly, the hover tank struggling round the next bend as its machine guns fired into the space before it. Shrieks and screams filled the air as the hand to hand fighting continued, the rear doors of the carrier bursting open as the wounded desperately attempted to pick off the Silakian attackers with single shots.
The first Morgons turned the corner behind them, the cannons on the carrier cracking as the gunner saw the first sights of her prey. The barrels flashed as they fired, the explosions mixing with the screams and shouts of those fighting as the cannon shells flew above the grappli
ng figures. Shells bounced off the rocks, some exploding other ricocheting into the air, the high velocity projectiles sparking and exploding across the terrain. Bullets began to fire back, the doors of the carrier being pulled too as Trevakian and Silakian soldiers fell from the bullet impacts.
Debra crouched by the side of the track before the carrier, the heat from the cannons sweeping across her face. She glanced round, seeing Riaz and Shino running towards the carrier, her emotions rising as she saw the hand to hand fighting on the track. Turning back, she froze, a Silakian trooper jumping onto the dust before her. He turned quickly, his grey armoured uniform only two metres away, his rifle rising. The hatred and frustration pulsed through her body as she screamed, forcing her body upwards and towards the turning soldier.
The Silakian’s eyes widened in surprise beneath his helmet and goggles as the body lunged upwards towards him, Debra’s rifle rising across her body as she crashed into the soldier. They fell to the dust, rolling into the narrow side ditch as the Silakian tried to defend himself. Debra’s rifle crunched into the soldier’s chest armour, the Silakian yelping in shock as the butt of the weapon ground against his ribs. As his own weapon clattered onto the track, he rose his gloved hands, grasping his assailant round the throat, his elbows against her chest. Debra screamed again, feeling the pressure on her ribs as they struggled, the grip around her throat tightening dramatically. Her rifle fell from her grasp as her hands rose instinctively to grab his wrists. Her face was only inches from the soldier’s as they struggled frantically, the fetid breath from the Silakian almost making her wretch.
As he applied more pressure, she felt her eyes bulge in her sockets as the hands gripped her, her own beating at his wrists frantically. Now wedged in the narrow ditch, her body on top of his, she pulled backwards, trying to break free, the gloved hands maintaining their vice like grip as the soldier sensed a weakness, his confidence rising. Pushing her hands onto his mid-drift in an attempt to break free, her consciousness felt the hard object at his waist as her hands brushed across it. Grabbing the handle of the knife, she pulled it from his belt, a gasp of shock coming from his lips as the grip lightened. She twisted the knife and thrust upwards, the blade cutting through the soldier’s uniform between his ribs and cutting deep into his chest, the blade at an angle scything beneath his ribcage. The scream startled her, the soldier’s hands dropping from her throat as the knife cut through his internal organs. Gasping for breath, she pushed herself upwards, the Silakian’s hands dropping to his sides as his body started to go limp. She rose slowly to her knees, the body below her seeming to shiver as the Silakian looked up at her. Their eyes met briefly, his face contorted in pain as he died, his body twitching. Slowly she pushed herself to her feet, tears in her eyes as she heard someone shout her name desperately from behind.
The Last Marine in the Galaxy (Galaxies Collide Book 1) Page 23