Hammer's Commandos (Hammer's War Book 4)

by James McEwan

  The Ralnai had taken cover behind the bodies of their fallen comrades and were momentarily blinded. When they could see again, they saw Thad standing in the middle of the hallway holding a force blade in each hand. He was pointing them at the ground. They shouldered their weapons and fired.

  Thad acted the second they moved. He ran straight for the wall and up he went running up the side of the wall in a kind of upward forward arc. They completely missed him. Unfortunately for them as he was on top of them before they could adjust their aim. Thad’s forced blades burned through their helmet’s, skin, and skulls. Thad pulled the blades from the Ralnai before their bodies could slump down dead.

  On the other side of the hallway the Ralnai who could see what was going on were stunned. They had never seen anything like it. However, their shock didn’t last long and neither did they. Thad waded through the room slicing and hacking up Ralnai, as if he was the blades on a massive blender that someone had filled with Ralnai and pressed the frappe’ button.

  Kára and the Commando watched as Thad disappeared down the hallway, then they heard weapons fire followed by a mass of Ralnai screams. Kára wasn’t about to let Thad have all the glory for himself so she ran down the hallway screaming an Eli battle cry!

  The remaining Commandos looked at each other and thought that Kára and Thad were completely and utterly mad. But they formed up and followed them moving in the professional manner in which they operated.

  Kára was able to shoot the Ralnai that were trying to burn through the thick stone walls with the slaver disintegrator. When the Commandos reached them the only thing left to shoot were badly wounded Ralnai that Thad had left in his wake. They dispatched them as more of an act a kindness then because they were any kind of threat now.

  Thad stood in the center of the room bodies and body parts lay all around him. The wounds he had received were healing and his chest was moving up and down as he was still breathing heavy. He calmed his breathing and looked around. His team was safe for now at least from these Ralnai.

  Pint size, who was still helping to carry Yiska, calmly said, “Now that is what I call a negotiation,” to which the other Commandoes laughed at. She then turn to Thad and said, “Sir remind me never to piss you off.”

  St. Claire was starting to wonder if he had bitten off more than he could chew. This lizard was the best swordsman he had ever come up against and it was clear he was going to lose this fight if he didn’t end it soon. The aggravating part was that every time he got close, Tor Tran-kor was able to fight his way to a position in which he could start attacking St. Claire. He knew that he was in trouble when Tor Tran-kor landed a hit. The blade slashed through his left shoulders motivator and his left arm when dead. He wasn’t injured, just couldn’t move his arm. It hung down and was as just as useless as if his arm had been sliced through.

  “Ah, fuck this!” St. Claire yelled. He rushed Tor Tran-Kor, who was a little off guard and tried to swing at him, but St. Claire parried the swing and knocked the blade sideways giving him an opening. St. Claire slammed the dead shoulder into Tor Tran-kor. Any professional hockey player would have been proud of the body check he gave the big lizard.

  Tor Tran-kor fell backward. The armored shoulder was like a battering ram. Tor Tran-kor was dazed and he lost his footing and fell to the ground. St. Claire pressed the attack, but missed his first swing. He lined up for a second one when the big lizard’s tail whipped around and smashed into the side of his right knee. The force of the blow was more than the armor’s stabilizers could handle and St. Claire toppled over sideways. The force sword bounced out of his hand and slid a couple of feet from him. St. Claire rolled over onto his front and using his good arm and leg he pushed and crawled his way toward the blade.

  His hand was just inches from the hilt when Tor Tran-Kor grabbed him by his feet and dragged him away from his weapon. St. Claire rolled on to his back in time to see Tor Tarn-kor lift his blade for the killing blow. “This lizard is not killing me, not today!” he thought and then he spotted it.

  The Ralnai’s genitals were not like human males and attached to the outside. Ralnai had a small slit that their penis would extend through for mating. This kept it safe from harm the rest of the time. So they never wore any kind of lower body armor or even pants for that matter.

  St. Claire figured that was his best shot so he struck. His foot landed a vicious kick right where he hoped Tor Tran-Kor balls would be. St. Claire either was lucky or he guessed right because it stopped the big lizard cold. Tor Tran-kor let out a soft whimper before dropping to his knees. The force sword stuck in the stone ground next to him.

  St Claire then grabbed his combat knife and flicked on the force blade. He tried to stick it in the big lizard’s side but Tor Tran-kor blocked his attempt with his left arm. He had recovered much quicker then St. Claire expected. Tor Tran-Kor followed up with a massive blow to the side of St. Claire’s helmet with his sword hand ringing St. Claire’s bell a bit. If St. Claire hadn’t been wearing his helmet his jaw would have been smashed into more pieces than he wanted to count. It was the second time today his helmet saved him from getting his melon cracked open.

  Tor Tran-kor brought his sword back towards St. Claire in a massive backhanded slice that was neck level. Seeing that his head was about to be separated from his body, St. Claire swung the combat knife with all the speed he could muster. His blade met Tor Tran-kor’s arm just below the elbow and took his right claw and forearm off. The claw and sword fell to the ground as Tor Tran-kor roared in pain. Tor Tran-Kor jumped to his feet clutching his stump with his remaining claw and he backed away from St. Claire.

  As history has a way of repeating its self it did today. St. Claire had cut off the claw of Tor Tran-kor in almost the exact spot that he had so many years ago to Tor Roc-kor. Tor Tran-kor turned and ran screaming as he went, “Kill them, kill them all!”

  St. Claire looked as a dozen Ralnai guns were pointed at him. He was ready. He could die knowing that he had fought the good fight and went out in a blaze of glory. But death didn’t come. He, like everyone else, looked up as the Eden screamed overhead. The Eden’s guns were blazing and tearing the Ralnai air cover to shreds.

  But that wasn’t the only thing everyone was looking at. They were transfixed on the little armored human that jumped from the Eden’s cargo door.

  Ruby didn’t use her anti-grav belt to slow her down because she didn’t need to. She lowered herself to the ground. The Ralnai opened fire on her, but every shot that came close to her was deflected into another direction as she held up her hands. She touched down and the Ralnai rushed her. This was the last mistake some of them ever make. She tossed them as easily has she had tossed her dolls aside. The Ralnai were flying every which way. Some of them were slammed into courtyard walls with enough force that reminded many of a ripe tomato hitting a backstop after being thrown by Nolan Ryan.

  One larger Ralnai ran up behind St. Claire and pushed the barrel of his weapon against the back of St. Claire's helmet. He stood there with his claws trembling as he watched the armored figure wade through a sea of Ralnai. She was cutting through them like the bow of a battle ship cuts through the ocean waters.

  As Ruby approached, the Ralnai called out to her, “Stop or I will kill him!”

  Ruby stopped. Then her helmet unlatched, floated off her head and down to her left arm. She grabbed it and tucked it up under her little arm. St. Claire laughed his knowing laugh, “Oh dude, you are so fucked now!”

  The Ralnai didn’t have time to do anything but die. Ruby never said anything but just raised her right hand and made a fist. The Ralnai exploded showering St. Claire in a mess of pink mist. It looked as if Ruby had been playing a prank on him and painted his armor completely pink, but it wasn’t paint.

  “Thanks sweetheart. I also think I’m in need of some new armor,” St. Claire said overlooking his damaged and goo covered armor.

  Having killed all the Ralnai he could find, Thad decided to see how St. Claire wa
s fairing. He led the rest of the team back to the courtyard where they were shocked to see all the Ralnai dead or dying. Some of them were slowly sliding down the courtyard walls. It was not a pretty sight. It looked more like a slaughterhouse yard then a battlefield.

  Ruby saw Thad before he saw her and she dropped her helmet and ran straight for him, “Daddy!” she yelled.

  One Ralnai was still alive. Too broken to move, he was able to raise his pistol, take aim, and fire at the back of her head. Everyone’s heart skipped a beat as time seemed to slow down. But the laser bolt didn’t hit her. It didn’t kill her. Either. It just stopped in midair as if someone had pushed the pause button.

  Ruby stopped running forward turned on her heels and then the laser bolt slowly began to move backward then it picked up more and more speed until it struck the pistol from which it was fired. The gun exploded taking off the Ralnai’s claw. It roared in pain. Ruby just looked at it and stomped one of her feet and the Ralnai exploded in a pink flash. The wall next to where he had propped himself up against looked like some kind of sick art piece.

  “Holy shit,” Thad finally said shocked at what his daughter could do. Ruby turned and continued to run to him.

  She slammed into him with the extra force of the armor which made him slide backward a few feet. “Daddy!” She said as she hugged him so tight he thought his bones were going to crack.

  “Ruby,” he managed to squeeze out of his quickly deflating lungs.

  “Oh, sorry daddy,” she said as she realized that she was crushing him with the strength of the armor. She relaxed and Thad could breathe again.

  He dropped to his knees partly to put himself on her level and partly because he needed a minute to recover from her hug, “Look at you. I’m gone two months and I swear you have grown four years.” He knew about her accelerated growth, but he still wasn’t used to seeing her change so fast.

  She smiled, “I did grow four years, and just think two more months and I will be able to drive!”

  “Oh lord, help us all,” He laughed and hugged her.

  They made their way over to St. Claire. Two of the Commandos had read his armor’s damage report and were on top of him with tools. They quickly unscrewed the damaged motivator in his left shoulder and reset the right knee stabilizer. He could now walk again and he could move the left arm. He wouldn’t have the speed and strength, but a least, with considerable effort, he could move it. He got to his feet and walked over to the severed claw of Tor Tran-kor and picked it up.

  Thad looked at him and asked, “and just what are you going to do with that?”

  St. Claire smiled, “I’m going to make it a back scratcher, and the pope isn’t getting this one!” Thad gave him a puzzled look as St. Claire walked away with his trophy in hand.

  Chapter 37

  Sabella led them through a series of passageways until they found themselves out side on the far side of the fortress. Once they were outside the thick stone walls Eve contacted the Eden and called for pickup. It wasn’t long before the Eden appeared on the horizon. A tear appeared in the corner of Fiona’s eye, “I have never been so happy to see a ship in my life,” she said as she watched as the Eden slowed down and hovered over the top of them.

  There was no place for the Eden to land so she just hung in the air and opened the cargo bay door. The Commandos each took one of the women and instructed them to hold on tight. The Commandos lifted each woman up so that their legs were straddling the Commando’s chest and their arms were wrapped around their helmet. Then one by one the Commandos, holding on to their passenger and with their anti grav belts turned up to max, squatted down and jumped. Without the effect of gravity, they floated right up to the Eden’s cargo ramp.

  “That was fun,” Lex said as she climbed down off the armored chest of one of the Commandos. Cotton Paw jumped down from the Commando that had held her, “Speak for yourself. I prefer to do my own jumping thank you very much.”

  “Uh, did the cat just speak?” The Commando asked in shock.

  “Yeah, she does that. Don’t let it spook you,” Freya remarked. “Now I don’t know about you all, but I could use a shower and some real food.”

  “Then I will whip up something special in honor of your return!” Carl announced as he entered the cargo hold.

  “Carl. Oh thank the Gods. What are you doing here?” Friona asked happy to see him.

  “After the attack on Isis, the Commandos were formed and assigned to the Eden. I thought the only right thing to do was stay on and cook for the greatest fighting force in the universe. Besides after you two went missing there was nothing that could stop me from helping to find you girls,” Carl said as he pulled each girl one under each of his large arms. He hugged them and they returned the hug.

  Then he noticed Sabella. “And who is this picture of beauty?” He let the twins go and walked right passed Lex as if she wasn’t even there. The others present simply stood as if time had frozen. Carl softly took Sabella’s hand and raised it to his mouth and gently kissed it. “Madam, I have to say you are the most beautiful woman these tired old eyes have ever seen. My name is Carl Koch and it would be my honor if you permit me to be so bold as to show you to your quarters.”

  Even with Sabella’s deep desert tanned skin everyone could see her blush. She had never been called beautiful before and she didn’t quite know what to say or do. The men in her life had not been kind and she was overwhelmed and tears began to stream down her face.

  “Ah fräulein,” Carl’s German heritage was coming out for the first time. “No need for tears, no one here is going to hurt you,” he said as he gently wiped a tear from her cheek. He didn’t understand they were not tears of fear, but of tears of happiness.

  It was Freya who broke the mood, “You speak German, Carl?”

  With Sabella’s hand, still in his, Carl turned to address Freya, “Ja, ich bin in Berlin aufgewachsen. Ich dachte, Sie hätten gewusst, dass ich von meinem Nachnamen Deutsch war,” he spoke in perfect German.

  “Say again?” Fiona asked.

  “I said ‘Yes, I grew up in Berlin amongst other things. I thought you would have known that I was German by my last name’,” he translated for them.

  “But, you don’t have even a hint of a German accent. Now that I think of it I don’t think in the whole time we have known you have we ever known your last name,” Freya added to the conversation.”

  “Oh. Well it’s Koch. It means cook and no, the irony is not lost on me. As far as the accent, I worked really hard to lose it years ago, I never liked the way I sounded when I spoke English so I went to a voice coach and learned how to speak with different accents. But I must admit that every now and then, when I get emotional, I slip back into my native language,” he explained.

  Freya walked over to Sabella and put her arm around her, “Honey, you are in for a real treat. Carl here is the best chef in at least two dozen star systems.”

  Sabella had yet to utter a word, as she was so far outside her frame of reference that she grabbed Carl’s arm and with both hands pulled him close. She needed something to hang on to before her knees gave way.

  Fiona asked, “So where are you going to put our guest?”

  “Because space is a premium on the Eden I thought she could have my room. I will bunk in the galley since I spend most of my time in there anyway.” Carl responded smiling brightly.

  “Oh no, I couldn’t. Please, I just need a little space somewhere I will be no trouble. Really you don’t need to leave your room for me. It wouldn’t be right,” Sabella finally spoke.

  Carl turned to face her, while she still held tight to his arm, “Madam, where I come from it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t offer my room to you. Also, where I come from, it is not polite to turn down a man’s hospitality. Besides, you would be doing me a great honor by taking my room. I don’t often get the chance to be this chivalrous with such a woman as you. So please, let’s have no more talk about it.”

  Sabella looked at Eve who
she had known the longest. Eve read her face, “It’s okay, you can trust him. You couldn’t have found a better man. Carl will do right by you I promise.”

  “Thank you, Eve,” Carl said. Then he patted her hands, “Now with that settled, let’s get you to your room where you can get cleaned up.”

  “Lead the way,” Sabella said.

  As he led her from the cargo hold they could over hear him saying, “Now do you like to cook?” Everyone got a good chuckle out of it.

  “I am heading for the shower,” Fiona announced.

  “Not so fast the missy, I called it first and besides good luck on beating me there with that foot of yours. Besides you should really go to the medical bay and start getting it repaired,” Freya said playfully as she ran for the door.

  “Why you little shit,” Fiona said towards her sister, “Broken foot or not I am still going to beat you to the shower!” She tried to run after her sister but only got a few steps before Eve grabbed her and stopped her cold.

  “And just where do you think you are going?” Eve asked sternly. Fiona tried to resist, but Eve was having none of it. “Either you go on your own to the medical bay or I am going to carry you there, kicking and screaming, if I have too.” Eve then looked at Lex’s head, “You too young woman. Let’s get that head taken care of.”

  Fiona and Lex exchanged looks and finally relented following Eve towards the medical bay.

  The Commandos thought the whole thing was funny as they went about rearming and checking gear. They may be out of the fight for now, but they knew that they were still deep in enemy space and couldn’t afford to be caught off guard or unprepared.

  In the courtyard, the medics had stabilized Yiska and prepared him for an ascension jump while Thad, St. Claire, and Kára were discussing their next move. Thad was made aware of the problems with the Eden’s space folding engines. “Eve what is the status of your stealth systems?”