The Maraukians were being torn apart but the artillery couldn’t fall constantly, so some were still closing on them.
They finally reached the middle of the maze, where a heavily built building was waiting. This was a ship accelerator that would make it easier for shuttles to be shot up into the sky and break through the atmosphere.
Now it stood as their last defense.
The mergers fired back at the Maraukians as they retreated to the tower.
“Moving!” half of the mergers called out, all of them turning and running as one.
The other half covered them, spitting out rounds as they made the Maraukians bleed.
Explosions went off here and there as explosives and last defenses were activated.
The running mergers dropped to the ground and turned around, firing.
“Covering!” Mark yelled with them.
“Moving!” The second half turned and ran past their allies and into the building.
“Covering!”
“Moving!”
The mergers all finally made it into the building, behind some solid defenses as they tossed ammunition to one another.
They were all across the bottom layer of the tower, shooting back at the Maraukians.
In the distance, artillery fell on the Maraukians, softening up their rear.
Mark sent the final command to the lightning missile batteries. All of the remaining missiles were hurled up into the sky as they arced overhead, their target the area between Ducharev and Edani. With the Maraukians weakened, it would be easier for the trooper and legion forces to reach Edani.
The wounded were looking after their injuries as Ava rushed to check them over.
Nanites from other mergers were donated to improve their rate of recovery. It wouldn’t be long until they were combat capable.
Some were missing limbs; others were covered in silver scars as their armor tried to repair itself.
A massive blast shook Edani once again as one of the mergers, Queen, who hadn’t made it to the tower, blew their anti-matter core. The trenches and defenses were ripped apart in the area, but it killed tens of thousands of Maraukians nearby.
The force from VCF had landed just three hours ago. They were pushing toward Ducharev at their best speed but it would take them at least three more hours until they were able to reach the city.
Mark fired from his firing position and looked at the mergers. They were all finally grouped together. Rounds were coming through the windows, tearing the lobby apart and turning the building into nothing more than wreckage that continued to fall down on them. They were grim and determined as they fought on.
“If we stay down here much longer, the Maraukians will chew through the supports of the tower and it’ll come down on top of us!” Chyna yelled.
“Pull back the wounded to the first floor. Take as much ammunition as possible. Once on the second floor, grab shields!” Mark ordered. “Ava, you and your people pull the wounded out!”
“Sir!” Ava got her people organized as they gathered up the wounded and hauled them up to the first floor.
“By fire team partners, move!”
The contuberniums had been destroyed as the mergers had lost more and more of their people. They were down to just fifteen people now.
Another explosion went off. Most of the armor was too destroyed after the fight to fly anymore so the sets of armor, still linked to the other mergers, exploded when they saw it was advantageous.
The rumbling explosions threw the Maraukians, making it impossible for them to shoot accurately.
“Run, you bastards!” Mark yelled. He threw himself up and ran for the elevator banks in the middle of the tower.
The mergers rushed in. Using their anti-grav, they were hurled upward to the first floor.
They stepped out. Those who had already made it up there passed out shields and spears to everyone.
“Well, at least this thing doesn’t run out of rounds.” Andreas checked the weight of the spear.
“Move to the stairwells. We’ll have company soon enough,” Mark said.
Outside, artillery dropped, while Maraukians kept on firing wildly and advancing. It wasn’t long until they made it into the tower and started for the stairs.
“Shields!” Mark called out. The shields slammed together as M20s were jammed through the firing port in the middle of the shield.
The first M20s started firing, cutting down the leading Maraukians.
Mark fired in bursts, taking down the random forward Maraukians. Tracers tearing through the room catching the Maraukians, tossing them back or dropping them to the ground, sparking off of the walls and floor. It was chaos as the Maraukians pushed forwards and the Mergers rushed back from cover to cover, fighting for every meter that seemed to become smaller and smaller.
They didn’t have much more room to retreat.
Chapter 66
Ducharev
Indalia, Otarvi System
8/3555
Legate Quina watched as everything came together. There were clear defense lines now and for that, she was very happy. Ducharev had a chance if the Maraukians made it through Edani and the mergers.
Seeing the drop-ships and combat shuttles leave their cargo and troopers had filled her heart with hope. Her legionnaires hadn’t all died in vain; the people they protected now mattered.
“They’re looking good,” her new Tribunus Valez said next to her. He also watched their defensive lines with hope.
Yet when she looked at him, she saw his blatant worry. “They look more than good. They’ll do this—the mergers will get out of Edani.”
“Can you see that?” he asked.
She didn’t need to see it; she felt it, though she knew there were going to be many more losses than they could handle. They would deal with it afterward. Xiao’s loss had hurt her more than she’d ever thought possible. She had thought of him as much more than a confidant, a friend. Quina swallowed, pushing those thoughts away yet knowing they would need dealing with. She’d hidden too long from her true feelings. She vowed she never would again.
Displayed on her HUD, she saw the mergers’ colors, having changed them so she could easily pick them out. From their original numbers of nearly a century, they were down to fifteen. They had to get them out. There were no what-ifs here. Without them, she knew their future was dismal, that the legion would itself fall.
“We have Maraukians on the outer limits.” A comm came through for her. Quina turned to look in the direction. Artillery started up their retaliation and Quina waited for confirmation that they were all right. It came through a moment later. This assault was a test.
The fact was, though, something here was different. In all her war efforts, the Maraukians had brought more to Indalia than they had any other system. What made this one special? If she survived and so did most of her forces, Quina vowed she would find out.
Chapter 67
Edani to Ducharev
Indalia, Otarvi System
8/3555
Jerome was moving up with the troopers behind the Bellonas. The tanks’ secondary weapon systems were going full blast as they mowed down the Maraukians. The mountains around them had been sealed up for the time being. What they faced in front was all that was between them and Edani.
On the horizon, Jerome could see the remaining towers of the city.
Explosions broke up the distance between them as artillery rained down from above.
The last of the lightning missiles had landed some time ago. The mergers now didn’t have any protection close in for themselves.
The troopers were hit down but with the cover of the Bellonas, the combat shuttles would brave the wall and shoot over to grab the wounded, hauling them back behind the wall.
In the eyes of the legionnaires, they were insane, willing to charge right at the Maraukians with worse equipment and weapons.
Jerome fired a long burst at a Maraukian; the Maraukian cried out in anger and charged forward.
But under the concentrated fire of three troopers, the Maraukian was brought down. Tracers shot across the dust battlefield as troopers ran from tree to tree to the craters that the Bellonas disregarded, rolling forward as if unstoppable.
A Bellona near Jerome fired, the pressure wave from the round shaking him. He steadied himself in the crater he had found before he rushed forward.
He dropped into another crater. His body was tired. For four hours, they had been advancing.
All around him, troopers were bent low, firing their weapons and moving to new cover, advancing under the Maraukians’ fire.
Jerome pulled himself together and ran forward once more, firing as he went. His rounds hammered a Maraukian.
The creature dropped under the multiple rounds as Jerome’s weapon clicked empty. He threw the empty magazine away and pulled out a new one.
A quick touch of his mag pouches showed that he had three magazines left.
Jerome saw a Bellona nearby. Attached to its rear, someone had mag locked ammunition crates for people to pull from.
He was about to get up and run when a set of armor jumped into the crater with him.
“Need some ammo?” Ortiz yelled and threw Jerome a pack of ammunition.
“Shouldn’t you be commanding or something?” Jerome yelled, spitting to the side as he moved the chew around in his mouth and quickly started replacing his missing magazines and grenades.
“Seems we trained this group well enough!” Ortiz yelled back.
It was true: a commander’s job was to direct his subordinates. Since Nerva had broken things on and passed his orders to the rest, they had broken down into their groups and moved forward.
All of them were veterans of multiple battles and they had worked together at the yard for a long time.
Their coordination was easy; with their competency, there was little need for the commanders to do anything.
An explosion went off nearby as a missile that was headed for the troopers was detonated by a Bellona’s close-in defense system.
“These NIAIs are damn good—means you can get away from those aides!” Ortiz laughed.
“You’ve always been escaping from aides. How come you always find me?”
“Well, you always have the best chew!”
Jerome shook his head. Even when Ortiz had been some high-ranking officer well above him, he had escaped his aides to get to the front lines.
“This is becoming a habit!” Jerome checked his ammunition. Once again, he stood and ran forward, this time getting behind a busted-up vehicle that wouldn’t work again.
Ortiz came a few moments later, slamming into the wall of the vehicle. “We’re nearly there. Just an hour outside.”
“Yeah,” Jerome said.
“We’ll get them,” Ortiz yelled in Jerome’s ear, slapping his shoulder.
Jerome nodded. He knew that Ortiz couldn’t make that promise come true.
The two of them left from opposite sides of the truck, firing at Maraukians that appeared on their NIAIs, which was linked with their armor.
They took the Maraukians down and jumped behind a median barrier that had been blown apart.
“Fuck, I hate cardio!” Jerome complained.
“Don’t we all!”
Chapter 68
SLS Moby
Indalia Orbit, Otarvi System
8/3555
The Moby’s fabbers were working overtime. Once they had made it into the freighter, they’d been getting regular shipments of materials and churning out supplies around the clock.
He’d commed for Charles, but hadn’t been able to reach him and that worried Chen. Now he was thinking of making his way down to the lab to see the scientist for himself. He couldn’t leave his bridge, though; he might be called on at any time. Some of Charles’s crazy ideas lately were beyond what Chen had ever thought possible and he worried for the man.
Almost every man going had been drafted to work with their fabbers, their lines filling the bays as materials went in and ammunition came out.
Ships came in, took loads and then were off again, the flow of it so fast that even Chen wondered whether they’d ever get back into space. He wanted to, but he also knew that the Moby’s fabbers were the only ones capable of making certain things. The troopers on the ground were eating through their munitions quicker than the mergers. Keeping up with four hundred thousand men wasn’t going to be possible long-term and he knew it.
Francis turned his way as his thoughts for Charles subsided. “Captain Yu’s been re-tasked by VCF Osdal while we’re reloading, Captain.”
Chen paused as he looked through the net to locate where his men actually were. The joy of all the information at once. Overwhelming at first, but very useful for his station. “Keep them on your radar, Francis.”
Chapter 69
Ducharev
Indalia, Otarvi System
8/3555
There was no other way for the mergers to get out of Edani than for the Bellona and troopers to force a hole. McDougall could see it and so did his other tanker commanders. From their lines, they were blocking the Maraukian paths in toward Edani, and finally they were slowing.
Nerva’s calm voice came through his NIAI. “You’re the only one who can get them out of there. The others will back you up, but blast me a hole through that rear end.”
McDougall’s eyes flickered over all the incoming information and he knew where was best to aim his guns. “There’s a weak spot. If I can get closer, we may have a chance…”
“We’ll support, as needed,” came the reply from the other tanker commanders.
McDougall turned his trajectory slightly and started toward the one weak spot he could see. Toward the city’s ship accelerator. “Major Nerva, we have a line in, clear sights. We’re going to start strike out for evac purposes. All in, sir?”
He was asking, but he knew he didn’t need permission for this. They were there to save the mergers, to get their people out and push back this horde. If he led the way, the troopers behind him would make sure there was an escape tunnel. Everything would be held back; their sheer numbers now would save the day.
“Permission granted. Hit them with all you have.”
The grin spread from McDougall’s eyes to each corner of his mouth. There were no regrets here. He’d seen what Centurion Mark Victor had brought to this fight; he knew they needed him. Of course, in battle, comrades fell, but for good reason. The fact was, right now they had to take this stand. McDougall glanced to his comrades Chang, Robert, and Lackey. “You heard the man. We’re all in. I want every single piece of what we have aimed at that horde. Get me?”
“Aye, aye, Commander,” Chang said. “Pooling all guns now. Ready in three, two, one.”
McDougall watched as Robert’s eyes sparkled, watching his baby let loose with all its guns. Sighting the Maraukians through his zoom, McDougall noted as a few seconds later the enemy started to fall. And not only fall but not be replaced by a thousand more. The enemy ranks were thinning.
“Steady,” he called out. Then, through his comms to all behind him, “Forward.”
Through each channel he waited for the signal, waited for the Maraukians to fill up once more, then he called once again. “Fire!”
The process would be slow, but it was progress. “Forward!”
Each time they rolled, more hope filled them.
“Herd commander spotted!” Chang called out.
McDougall focused in and sure enough, in the mountains, he could just make out the larger bulk of what he knew to be a Maraukian leader. “Sight him if you can, Chang! If we get him, we’ll push them into chaos, at least for a while.”
Robert turned the Bellona slightly and McDougall knew they were all calculating the commander’s path. They flitted in and out, watching and ordering their horde to the best places for attack. But their patterns were predictable.
“Ready!” Chang called out. All the tanks in their line followed his trajectory, slight variations
so there would be no overlap. They’d blast that mile with everything they had, and hope to high heaven that they got the bastard.
“Fire!”
McDougall waited as the guns lit up the sky with missiles. The seconds ticked by till they were close to target and then they struck. If they got him, this could be the real break the mergers needed.
Chapter 70
In Transit from Edani to Ducharev
Indalia, Otarvi System
8/3555
Mark listened to the artillery fire behind them now, and heard all the chatter from the Bellonas and the troopers behind them. They were all making their way toward that last defensive position. His first thoughts were how fucking stupid they were, they shouldn’t be attempting this, but then he felt and saw it across the net as Ava took one more hit. Her already weakened body struggled to maintain any retreat. He swallowed and shouted, “Rachel, Dodger, with me. Evan, Ava, get the hell out of here. There will be a path for you, keep moving!”
Mark caught the impressions from Dodger as he moved to flank him. He wanted to reach out to engage the man with something, anything. But he also knew that the pain he felt was just the same that he did. Dodger, however, wasn’t dealing with it well. There were telltale signs of a mind that was breaking apart. Mark knew instantly that this would be his last battle. “Dodger, you with me?” he asked through the net, reacting still as he spun and weaved through the Maraukians before him.
Dodger nodded more out of habit, but replied. “Yes, sir.”
As pure rage filled Mark’s veins with adrenaline, his nanites and body fought even faster. Ava and the others needed them to protect, to win this. To give them time. It always came down to time.
The Maraukians around the three of them fell, armor-covered many times over, and the ground littered with corpse after corpse. Rachel called out as she was sliced through to her thigh bone. They all felt it, but she grimaced only the once and then carried on.
The Vanguard Emerges (Maraukian War Book 2) Page 30