Shino and Riaz slipped down the side of the carrier, both gasping for air as Debra grasped their shoulders, her eyes wide with terror as she gasped, ‘We need to keep going!’ Shino stared down in horror at the body next to the rocks, the twitching becoming less, the red-brown blood seeping onto the snow below.
The tank ground against the rock ahead of them, the screech of metal as it finally freed itself and slipped round the next bend, its machine guns firing continuously. The carrier moved forward again, marines and miners now running down either side of it as panic and terror began to collectively overcome the group. Riaz and the others turning to run before the vehicle.
Acid bullets whipped past, splattering against the rocks on the bend, a number of Trevakians screaming as they were hit by the toxic liquid. Tregan emerged from the side of the armoured vehicle, his face and uniform covered in blood as he ran. Shino gasped as he saw him, his face stern as he shouted at her, ‘It’s Silakian!’
They rounded the next bend, seeing the tank shudder as it fired towards the final corner, the armoured helmets of the Morgons ducking back as the shells flew past them. The armoured beast accelerated towards the bend, bouncing over Silakian bodies as the tanker tried to get to the open ground beyond the next turning.
The carrier slowed, the wounded firing out from the half closed doors as the cannons above them cracked. The remaining survivors ran between the two vehicles, attempting to reach the next bend and the open ground beyond.
Sam stared through his binoculars towards the mountains as the shots and firing seemed to get nearer. The open track from the village to the entrance of the mountain track climb nearly fifteen hundred metres away. He swore to himself as he saw the grey armoured figures running into the opening from the right side, grasping his rifle and raising it quickly as he considered trying to fire at some. Raising the sight to his eye, he sucked in breath as he saw the black armoured Morgon infantry emerge from the rocks below the mountain pass, readying to intercept the survivors. The enemy ran across the terrain about a kilometre from the village, ducking behind rocks and broken walls to use as cover. Considering there were over one hundred infantry, he shouted desperately over the balcony wall into the square below, ‘The Morgons are readying to attack the people escaping! They will never get through!’
Captain Dugachard looked up from the square towards the tower above, her eyes narrowing as she saw Sam raise his rifle, the weapon shuddering as he fired. Glancing towards the other tower, she shouted, ‘Covering fire to the mountains!’
A helmeted head emerged, the wave of acknowledgement as the soldier ran to the other side of the balcony. She spun round as a soldier ran towards her, desperation on his face, ‘Heavy firing in the valley Ma’am…I think the Brigade is trying to break out!’
She nodded, her mind becoming overwhelmed as she quickly considered what to do. She slapped his shoulder, ‘All available personnel to the north and west defences…we need to cover both their escapes!’ The marine raised his fist to his chest, his eyes wide as he turned to shout frantically at the others in the square.
They ran along the last section of the mountain track, grenades bouncing down from the rocks above, the explosions wounding and killing more of the fleeing group behind them. Riaz and Shino ran in the middle of the dirt road, Tregan and Debra behind them as the tank in front of them approached the last turning.
As the armoured hover tank spun to the left, the dust and dirt from the track rising around it, it jolted to a halt, the driver seeing the Morgon reconnaissance infantry lying and crouching in wait to the sides of the open ground. He spun round in his seat, screaming at the commander of the vehicle, ‘We’re finished Sir…they have been driving us down here…into the Morgons!’
The tank commander glanced through his cupola in the turret, his eyes widening as he saw the black armoured infantry on the land before them moving into defensive positions across the open ground. He swallowed hard, adrenalin shooting through his body as he realised they would never make it across the fifteen hundred metre distance.
Bullets cracked against the front of the tank as the first Morgons opened fire. He heard a scream from next to his turret as a marine fell off the side, his life ended before he landed in the snowed dirt. Shaking his head in disbelief, he looked down at the driver momentarily, their eyes meeting as he sniffed, his jaw tightening. He looked across at the wounded machine gunner, the soldier glancing round painfully as he stared. Then he lifted himself up in his turret, grasping the machine gun, his voice rising as he heard another scream outside, the clatter of bullets against the hull, ‘Forward into hell!’ He squeezed the trigger on his weapon, the hot glowing bullets flying across the terrain as the tank lurched forward. Biting his lip, his voice a shriek, he bellowed, ‘Our time is now! Kill them all!’ The terrain in front of him lit up as the Morgon infantry opened fire, the flashes seeing to fill the landscape as the armoured vehicle swept forward.
Riaz pushed his arm out, preventing Shino from running into the bend. The two behind stopping as he shouted, ‘Incoming fire!’ Bullets whipped past them from the opening in the rocks, the Morgons concentrating their fire at the tank.
Two marines fell as they passed in front of them, their bodies jerking as hit multiple times by the rifle and machine gun fire as the tank fired its mighty guns in the open ground nearby. Riaz glanced round the rock, his eyes opening in horror as he saw the sight before him across the ground. A rocket glanced the side of the tank, Riaz jerking backwards as the shell exploded on the other side of the rocks, showering them in dust. Machine guns fired from behind as the remains of the group fired back at their pursuers. Tregan frantically trying to stop the remaining fleeing marines and miners in the track before they emerged into the open ground.
Piercing shrieks echoed across the rocks, the Morgon blood frenzy rising.
Chapter Twenty Four: Flight of the Operations Manager
David Bland stared at the terrain below them, his head turning to the pilot of the transport next to him, his voice demanding, ‘Where is this village you think Drop Ship 5 went to?’ Recalling the frantic conversation he had completed with one of the captains on the space station, the officer shaking his head in disbelief as he realised the four soldiers he had forced down to the planet had been telling the truth.
The pilot glanced furtively at the pip on David shoulder as he responded, ‘We are near, Sir…the landing strip should only be a short distance away…keep looking’ He hesitated, glancing at the pip on the man’s shoulder armour again, his voice nervous, ‘I need to ask again…on who’s authority is this retrieval mission? We are meant to be landing at the city to the south east!’
David gritted his teeth, glaring at the pilot, ‘I told you…I am under the personal orders of Admiral Karladen…now get me there fast!’
The pilot nodded grimly, turning back to his controls, ‘Very well, but if this unofficial…you will be shot…and so will I!’
David nodded stubbornly, his eyes strained against the light as the terrain swept beneath them, the blast screens in the cockpit lowered and disabled.
The pilot pointed ahead, ‘There is the landing strip, Sir.’ His voice hesitating as he strained his eyes, the transport ship sweeping towards the clearing between the rocks, ‘There is Drop Ship 5…it looks like a crashed landing as it’s at an angle.’ The small craft slowed as he descended towards the strip, ‘Let’s have a look…we can’t get too close in case the Morgons have the area.’
David nodded, rising in his seat to peer out of the cockpit windows, seeing the stricken craft half covered in snow. He glanced around desperately, ‘It’s deserted…where could they have gone?’
The pilot shrugged, ‘Not sure, Sir. I will circle over the village ahead and have a look…maybe there is somewhere else to land.’
The craft rose slightly as the pilot pulled back on the two handed controls, the small transport beginning to lift above the rocks. The pilot gasped as he saw the sight in the distance, the lone tank mo
ving forward in open ground, its guns firing against the Morgon defences ahead. He blinked as he saw a flame trail from a rocket sweep out towards the armoured vehicle, the explosion against the frontal armour jolting the tank. His eyes widening as he saw the flashes from the many Morgon rifles some two hundred metres from the tank.
He shook himself from his shock, glancing at the officer next to him and seeing him stare ahead in horror, ‘Engaging laser cannons Sir! Hold on! We have to help.’ His hand flicked a button on the console before him, an electrical whining coming from below the craft as the two defensive laser cannons dropped from the belly of the transport.
The small ship bucked as the pilot pushed the controls forward, the small transport banking as the pilot manoeuvred the aircraft to fly along the Morgon and Silakian positions. David stared as the pilot depressed the red buttons on the top of his hand controls, the lights inside the cockpit flickering as a proportion of the power was directed to the guns below.
Beneath the small craft, the crackling of charges swept into the laser cannons, the barrels filling with light as the transport accelerated downwards at an angle. David stared as the short blue shafts of laser light swept out from under the craft, tearing into the Morgon defensive positions. He moved forward, grasping the dashboard tightly before him as he saw some armoured bodies and dirt thrown into the air, many figures turning to run at the surprise from above.
The craft swept down, the cannons firing continuously as the small ship accelerated, the pilot pulling up on the controls to level out as they swept onwards over the valley. His eyes opened in awe as he saw the hundreds of Morgon troops moving forward between the rocks across the valley terrain, depressing the firing buttons again as the transport swept above the advancing enemy soldiers.
Pulling back on the stick, the craft began to rise as rocket trails from the ground below rose into the sky, the heat seeking missiles streaking through the air. David Bland sucked in air as red lights began to flash across the control panel in front of them, the pilot yanking the controls to the left as the craft soared into the sky, banking sharply in an attempt to escape. Both passengers rising from their seats as the craft spun to the side, heading west towards the mountains. The electronic voice resounding round the cockpit, ‘Enemy missiles! Enemy missiles! Evasive Action! Evasive Action!’
The six rockets flew after their prey, the smoke trails behind them streaking across the sky. The alarms in the cockpit were screaming as the pilots weaved the small craft towards the mountain range, spinning the transport and banking sharply back to the south as two missiles swept past, exploding on the rocks beyond. The electronic female voice seemed to rise in volume, ‘Proximity Alert! Take Evasive Action!’
David screamed as he saw another rocket sweep past the cockpit window, the projectile attempting to turn at a sharp angle and exploding into the mountain range behind them. The craft bounced on the shock wave, David grasping the front console desperately as the controls beeped in alarm, the three other missiles closing on their prey. The voice changing, ‘Missile Lock! Counter Measures Deployed!’ Flares ejected from below the small craft as it bounced on the turbulence, their flashes disrupting the targeting mechanisms on the missiles temporarily.
The pilot pulled hard on the controls again, the craft spinning right through two small peaks on the right, another rocket impacting on the rocks behind them. The electronic voice becoming irritatingly predictable, ‘Flying behaviour incompatible with craft design! Proximity Alert! Proximity Alert!’ David gasped as he heard the clunks of the rocks hitting the back of the small metal craft, the transport buffeting violently as it swept between the jagged rock faces.
The pilots pulled up on the controls, the transport sweeping upwards into the sky as another rocket exploded onto the rocks below. The warning lights continued to flash, David closing his eyes as he felt his stomach jump, the nausea sweeping through him in his terror.
The electronic voice echoed through the craft as tears began to run down his cheeks, ‘Sensors report enemy fighters closing…Evasive Action! Evasive Action!’ The pilots eyes widened in disbelief, his muscles tensed against the controls as the craft shot skywards.
The transport swept upwards, the two Morgon fighters sweeping across the terrain below, searching for the craft that had alerted their sensors. Their alert received from ground radio traffic.
The flashing lights in the cockpit continued as the craft bounced on turbulence, the pilot weaving the controls in attempts to confuse the remaining missile electronics. He gritted his teeth, the sweat pouring down his face as he swore aloud, ‘Entering atmospheric turbulence, hold on…this is a steep ascent.’
The blast screens shot down as David looked out through clenched eyes, his hands tightly gripping the dashboard in front of him. Lights flashed across the glass as the metal screens descended rapidly, the craft beginning to spin and bounce into the outer atmosphere.
Below them the remaining rocket’s engine flared, then died. The missile beginning to spin as it fell back towards the planet’s surface below.
The Morgon fighter swept upwards, the second fighter resuming their patrol of the nearby area. Seeing the dot in the distance as the flames and heat from the atmosphere scorched the sides of the transport, the Morgon pilot ran his tongue across his scaled lips as his craft accelerated forwards. Gaining on his prey, he realised the virtually defenceless aircraft was almost through the atmospheric ring around the planet. He sucked air in his helmet in frustration, seeing one of the engines on the small craft ahead of him flare as it burnt out. Smiling, he twisted the control stick before him, the craft banking as it headed out towards its prey.
The pilot swore next to David as he realised they were now flying on one engine, his hands still gripped tightly on the controls, ‘Engine burn out…we are emerging from the atmosphere back out into space!’ He glanced down as the craft slowly stopped buffeting, the transport now above the atmosphere, his eyes widening as he saw the numerous warning lights before him, his voice rising in frustration, ‘Morgon fighter closing, hold on!’
David closed his eyes again, the warning lights flashing continuously across the dashboard. He heard the startled voice of the pilot shout next to him, ‘Number One engine burn out! Pushing two to maximum power!’
The craft buffeted slightly as all power was moved to the remaining engine, the transport accelerating forward again.
The Morgon pilot flicked a switch on his controls, his laser targeting system flashing across the screen in front of him as the transport got larger through his windscreen. As the red dots flashed around the transport before him, targeting individual parts of the craft, he hesitated, considering another outcome from destroying the small craft. Smiling cunningly to himself, he waited for the red dots to continue around the small craft before freezing them on his decided target. Licking his lips again, he depressed the firing button once, seeing the red light flash from underneath his fighter.
The transport bounced as the shaft of laser light cracked against the side of the hull, the flashes and electrical burns scorching the metal exterior. The grinding echoed through the small cabin, David glancing at the pilot in concern.
The Trevakian struggled with the controls, drawing a sharp breath, ‘He has hit our stabilisers…on purpose!’
The small craft spun and twisted in space, David screaming as the pilot wrenching the controls and flicking some switches across the console in front of him. Slowly the transport swung round and started flying level, the engine coughing and dying, the ship continuing at high speed in the zero atmosphere.
‘We are out of fuel!’ The sound behind them dimming as the remaining murmurs from the engine died.
David’s head spun round, his moist eyes widening in horror again, ‘What does that mean?’
The pilot turned slowly to look at him, his face crestfallen, ‘We are heading out into deep space…and quickly…at maximum speed! I can’t turn the craft…the stabilisers are shot!’
The Morgon j
et black fighter swept past before them, the wings rolling in victory as the pilot directed his craft back towards the planet beneath, seeing the flashes in the far distance across space. Alexion One was now firing at the approaching Decimator Warships. As he turned the fighter completely, re-approaching the atmosphere, he transmitted his message, his voice clicking and burbling across the airwaves of the secure network, ‘Crippled enemy transport now outside defensive perimeter, retrieve when possible for examination and dissection.’
Chapter Twenty Five: Window of Opportunity
Riaz stared in awe as the small transport craft swept across the landscape from right to left, the blue lasers exploding amongst the Morgon positions. High smoke plumes rose into the air as he saw the armoured figures rise and run for cover, excitement shot through his body as he spun round, shouting, ‘Tregan, we have a chance!’
The Last Marine in the Galaxy (Galaxies Collide Book 1) Page 24