by Kocho
“Use four grenades. Then we open fire. Shoot to kill.”
The order he gave was carried out immediately.
Alexander and three other members of the team took four grenades and threw them.
Susa and his men were moving fast. He knew that they must reach the next lock before the humans. They could hold them indefinitely there.
He had confidence in his mean. The fleet might have lost but he was sure that their personal armor would have no trouble with the weapons the humans would have.
They were close.
One of the legionaries in the front was the first one to notice that they were too late. He tried to warn the others but as he turned four grenades flew in to the ranks of the small group of legionaries. It didn’t take long for Susa and his men to notice the danger. They immediately tried to find cover. But they were already dead.
The M67 grenade had proven its value countless times before in the conflicts humans fought constantly between them and it proved itself against the aliens in the battle in the Mediterranean. It had a killing radius of five meters and a casualty radius of fifteen. The four grenades that fell among the legionaries exploded throwing hundreds of shrapnel’s that tore through their armor with ease, and even as they died from them Fillip and his team exited firing.
Susa had just enough time to see the first human coming out before the grenades exploded and the shrapnel’s tear him apart. The thirteen legionaries died within several seconds.
Fillip and his team didn’t stop to look at the bodies. They continued on looking for other targets and for the bridge of the vessel.
In several minutes several other teams reported contact.
“We have to find the bridge. By the way they are reacting and the fact that the group we just eliminated behaved like they were trying to protect someone we must be near.”
“I believe you are right sir. There are signs that a larger group past through here.”
Fillip looked at Goran. He was one of the best scouts and trackers he knew. If he felt that someone passed through here not long ago he was probably right.”
“Ok we move fast but careful. I fought one of the bastards hand to hand. They are tough bastards so don’t allow them to surprise you.”
“Yes sir.”
They all knew about his fight with the dacarian legionary and the fact that he eliminated an entire group of them by himself three years ago. His report about the fight was something that every soldier had to learn and read. It made him well known among the ranks. He hated it. He was used to working in secret not everyone knowing who or what he was. But at the same time he was happy that the report made every human soldier know how dangerous they truly were. He knew he was lucky that day, very lucky.
As they moved they heard the noise of someone trying to break something. The team stopped and spread out.
Fillip and Goran went ahead to examine the situation.
Goran moved first. As he tried to see around the corner a blade Fillip was well acquainted with pierced through his armor and in to his chest. The human soldier was dead before he fell to the floor. Fillip jumped away immediately as he noticed his team mate falling and fired in to the head of the first legionary that stepped up. Before he could fire again a second one the same one that killed Goran kicked his weapon from his hands and tried to stab him. He turned and immediately jumped to his feet at the same time pulling out his own combat knife. He heard the rest of his team reacting to the new situation but he knew that he doesn’t have time to wait for them. And the legionary didn’t want to wait as well. He stroke with his sword again. Fillip jumped away and used his knife to try to cut his opponent. The blade struck the armor plate but didn’t penetrate the armor.
“Fuck, their suits are armored as well.”
As he faced his opponent fur more legionaries stepped up they had guns but before they could shoot him two of them fell than as armor piercing rounds fired from the rest of his team struck them. The bullets made small wounds in the armor but they were deadly. The other two legionaries fired back and retreated. He heard his teammates shouting that they couldn’t get a clear shot. But he knew that he can’t move, not do that and stay alive.
He couldn’t really see the face of his opponent through his helmet but he knew that the head is his best chance. He knew that he will only have one chance at this. He waited for the legionary to make his move.
He didn’t have to wait for long. The legionary knew that he is alone and reacted fast. He was named Wainme. He had years of training in the legions and fought numerous battles on several planets. He even had a chance to fight human slaves. He knew they were dangerous. And as he watched his human opponent move he realized that he wasn’t the first dacarian the human fought.
He knew that this human was the leader of the enemy unit. The way the others watched him showed respect. This was a good fight.
As Fillip watched him he made his move. He fainted a stabbing for a second time and then suddenly slashed with the gladious upwards. But Fillip expected the stroke. He stepped to the side and away just in time. With his left hand he grabbed the wrist and pulled the dacarian forward.
As the legionary started to react he struck with all his force plunging the sword in to the visor of the helmet. The blade penetrated the plastic easy.
The legionary fell to the ground dead. The rest of his team came forward and started firing at the other legionaries that started to retreat through the hatch they just opened. Fillip picked up his rifle and gave the order to advance.
Gara watched as his legionaries tried to stop the advancing humans. He knew Susa failed when he didn’t answer his hail. He watched the short fight between the human and Wainme before retreating through the hatch.
He was impressed by the way the human fought. Wainme was one of the most experienced legionaries he knew, a soldier who fought in many campaigns. He was also stronger and bigger than his opponent. But the human killed him quick and with ease. He lost five legionaries before they managed to enter the bridge. He knew he and his men were dead. He tried to pull a plasma grenade but before he could do it the humans were at the door. His men started firing and killed three of them but the incoming fire was devastating. Gara felt four shots penetrating his armor. He tried to move but he couldn’t. The hand that reached toward the grenade fell to his side and he crumpled to the floor. He could feel the air escaping through the damaged suit and the hissing as the suit repaired itself and injected painkillers in to his body. But it was all for nothing as he noticed one of the human soldiers approaching him. His last view was of the gun that blew his head off.
Fillip looked at the dead legionaries. They were trying to destroy the bridge or better said what was left of it.
The upper decks were totally destroyed and the bridge was exposed to space. Judging by the damage he could see Fillip guessed that a MAC round hit the decks above it. He could clearly see the debris floating outside. The bodies of the dead were floating everywhere now joined by the bodies of the five legionaries and his three men.
“Search for any data crystals. And secure the bridge.”
“Yes sir.”
His men obeyed him without word and spread out four men searching for anything of value and the others taking positions both inside and outside in the hallway. He turned towards Zoran.
“Take care of the bodies of the dead. Take them to the hallway.”
The lieutenant obeyed him immediately. He called several men and they took the three floating bodies outside. Fillip keyed his mike.
“This is Alpha team to base. We have the bridge. I say again we have the bridge. Securing it and moving on.”
“Alpha this is base. Wait for the security and science teams. They’ll be there in three.”
“Copy that. You can approach through the top decks. The bridge is open to space.”
“Roger that. Base out.”
He turned to the men searching the bridge.
“Stop the search. We have a second tea
m coming and they have a science team with them. They will know what to look for.”
The soldiers stopped and left the bridge.
“This is Alpha to all teams report.”
“Beta here Sir, we located several survivors so far but they all had to be eliminated. I lost two men in the firefights. Continuing to Delta’s positions they seem to have located a larger group. Team’s Gamma and Theta are also heading there.”
“Copy that. Be careful we will join you in several minutes.”
“Yes sir we’ll be waiting.”
“Delta I want you to wait reinforcements and just keep them contained until I arrive. Try to block their exits.”
“Yes sir. We have a really large group here. I lost seven men when we encountered them we had to retreat. We are keeping them in place for now. But we will need assistance. I have a hundred plus in there.”
“Help is on the way. Just hand tight.”
“Yes sir.”
“This is Alpha to all teams advance to delta’s positions. I say again advance to Delta’s positions.”
He got confirmation from all of them, and the reports about their losses.
So far seventeen men were dead. Ten more were wounded. He expected that kind of losses. This was a battle on a rough turf. The Dacarians may have been badly beaten but they were professional soldiers and this was a ship they knew well. And with all the damage it had taken and the debris all around it offered many hiding places. He was lucky that the losses were such as they are.
Their replacement arrived several minutes later. It had forty men that were waiting outside at their starting point for this. Ten were scientists and as soon as they arrived they immediately started searching the bridge.
He gave his commands to the lieutenant leading the team and he and his men headed towards the position of Delta.
As they arrived he noticed that all teams were here. The dacarians were surrounded and blocked.
Kal Shar looked at the group of legionaries he had. With the people that arrived previously and with the ones he had his forces now had over hundred and thirty legionaries. He also had sixty three wounded. He didn’t know how many humans were outside but he knew that he was blocked. His men tried twice to break through and spread the fight in to other decks but they were stopped mercilessly. The humans lost seven men in the first shootout and several more after it but he lost thirty five.
Their weapons penetrated the armor the legionaries wore with ease. They used projectile weapons, a weapon that the legionaries weren’t used to fighting. Their armor could deflect energy weapons, and even light caliber projectile weapons but the humans were using armor piercing bullets that tore through armor and flesh like it was paper. He positioned his men in to covering positions. All he could do was sit and wait for the inevitable. It was sad that it ended like this. He was part of the Al Mach clan. Several of the legionaries were also. They all awaited the arrival in to this system and hoped to see their leader here. Ristarion was part of the scout force. But now he knew that his master was dead. That was a terrible blow for his clan. And thousands of legionaries that served Ristarion and his uncle were now dead as well. It filled him with anger as he remembered Guntar Al Mach. The older one was on a planet in the Arcadian system. He was the one that agreed to this plan and as he was superior to Ristarion the younger one had to agree even though he objected rigorously. And now he and everyone else were dead. He hoped that Gara managed to destroy the data chips on the bridge. These humans had to be stopped from knowing anything about the empire, at any cost.
He lost the contact with the centurion a long time ago but his last report was that he was entering the bridge.
The legionaries guarding the front showed that the humans just received more man and that they are preparing to move.
Fillip looked at his men. They were all ready. Hi gave the signal and smoke and stun grenades flew among the ranks of the legionaries. Several M67 grenades followed. They could all hear the screams of the alien soldiers as they were consumed by the shrapnel’s. As the grenades exploded he and his men advanced.
The smoke surprised Kal Shar and his men. And the grenades that exploded killed most of his legionaries that were guarding the entrances.
And those that survived the initial attack were cut down by the advancing humans. He was impressed. He and his men opened fire but considering the amount of smoke it was hard to see anything. And the smoke was making the breading harder as well.
He gave the order to retreat to the center of the hall were several desks and other items were arranged in barricade as a last line of defense. The wounded were placed there. But as they retreated he noticed that only a third of his men managed to get to the safety of the barricade. The rest were dead. Several humans lay among them but the number of dead legionaries was far greater.
The humans tried once to storm the barricade but they were repealed. Eleven of them lay dead as a result of that but nineteen of his people were dead as well, most falling victims to the grenades the humans threw before the assault. Many more were wounded. He knew that the next attack will break them. He was ready to die, and as he turned to his men he noticed that they were ready as well.
As the smoke cleared he could see the humans taking positions among the wreckage. They were wearing primitive armor space suites. He couldn’t see exactly how many they were but he was sure that they outnumber his forces at least three to one. Bodies were spread out everywhere most of them legionaries. He sighed and waited for the next attack.
Fillip watched the remaining legionaries. They were well hidden behind the barricade that they obviously designed on the other side of the room.
He knew that any attack will mean many casualties among his men. He already lost sixty men that were either killed or wounded. He thought for a moment.
“We should use our grenades all that we have. That should be enough to finally finish and break them.”
“We have orders to secure prisoners. There can’t be that many behind that barricade. Not ones that would be capable of fighting anyhow.”
“Then what do you plan to do sir?”
Fillip looked at the barricade again. And then he looked at the bodies of the dead aliens. They were laying everywhere. As he watched he noticed a symbol on the armor of several that looked familiar. He remembered the aliens he killed and the strange badge the last one gave him. He was still wearing it under his armor.
“I want to try something. I want everyone to remain calm and no one to fire. I will try to talk to them.”
“Talk to them? Sir sorry but have you lost your mind? They will kill you for sure.”
He looked at the lieutenant.
Zoran was his second in command and also his friend. He valued his advice but something deep inside him told him that he needs to do this.
“It will be ok lieutenant.”
“How do you plan to make them listen?”
Fillip started to take of his armor. As he did that he turned to Zoran.
“Remember the mountain and the dead aliens?”
Zoran looked at him with surprise. He stayed silent but Fillip knew he understood.
When he was finished he took a white scarf and waved with it for the Dacarians to be able to see it.
Kal Shar looked with surprise as the human waved the white flag. He didn’t know its meaning.
As he watched he noticed that the human waving it was out of his armor.
“I want to talk… I want to speak with a member of the AL Mach clan.”
Fillip spoke in Latin. He repeated his words two more times. And then he spoke in ancient Greek as well.
Kal Shar was shocked as he heard the name of his clan being spoken. So were the rest of the survivors. They were few, sixteen legionaries that weren’t wounded and twenty three wounded.
The human spoke again this time in a different language. Then he repeated the request in the language the dacarians knew as Latin a language that a great majority of the human slaves spoke.
He thought about a second and then he responded.
“How do you know that name?”
“Come out to speak and I will tell you. We will meet in the middle of the room.”
Kal Shar thought for a second. He turned to one of his legionaries.
“Don’t shoot. Not unless they open fire.”
He got nods from all of them. Most of them were members of the Al Mach clan and he could see the same questions he had in their eyes.
He left his gun and stepped out. As he did the human stepped out as well.
He was out of his armor. He was dressed in military fatigues. As he watched him he noticed that he was young. He had a well-developed body. And at the same time the human was watching him.
They met as they agreed. Fillip noticed that the dacarian was tall but not as tall as the one he fought three years ago. He still wore the medallion under his shirt. He remembered the last words of Ristarion.
Kal Shar spoke first.
“How do you know the name Al Mach human?”
Fillip watched him for a second looking for the sign of the clan as he noticed it he smiled. He was right.
“A long time ago someone gave me these as proof that honor exists even among enemies.”
At those words Fillip pooled out the medallion and handed it to the legionary.
Kal Shar stepped back as he noticed the medallion in the hands of the human. He felt a strange weakness overtaking him. And as he saw the human as he looked in to his eyes he felt that the human knew.
“How did he die?”
“The same way he lived. He died with honor. He was a legionary till the end.”
“He died by your hand?”
At these words he noticed the alien’s hand going towards the sword.
Several red dots appeared on his chest and head. The alien didn’t seem to notice them.
“He died by my hand yes. It …it was his last request. He told me to give this to his father if I ever see him, or to a member of his clan.”
He handed the medallion to the alien. He took it and looked at it. As Fillip watched the alien said some prayer. Fillip raised his hand to stop his men from shooting.