Lost Systems: Legacy War Book 2

by John Walker

  “Hello, Gil!” Thayne called out in English. He paused and spoke again in Pahxin.

  “Greetings,” Gil replied, his words translated almost in real time. Pahxin must’ve been fairly common. He stumbled over to his friend and stood behind him, looking back at the attackers. “They were going to kill me.” The criminal who hit him rattled off a comment, glaring at Heat. He reached for his side.

  “He said he plans on killing us now too!” Thayne cried in English.

  Heat drew his pistol and pressed it against the man’s forehead. “You sure about that?”

  Gorman followed suit, aiming at one of the others.

  “We just want to leave,” Heat said. “No one has to die today. Just let us walk out of here. You can save your grudge for another day. Just chalk this up to bad luck, huh?”

  They waited for the translation, exchanging furtive looks with one another. It seemed they might actually take Heat up on the offer when a table toppled behind them and two men began to argue violently. One drew a pistol and shot the other in the chest. The body hit the ground and the moment it touched the floor, chaos reigned.

  Heat’s target battered his gun out of the way and tried to tackle him. His shoulder slammed into the marine’s gut but the man didn’t move. Instead, he brought the butt of his weapon down on the man’s back with enough force to crack bone. He crumpled to the ground as his companions went for their guns.

  Gorman shot one in the head. The other dove for cover. Cassie drew her weapon and motioned for Thayne and Gil to move. She herded them toward the door as a full brawl broke out. Weapons went off, people threw chairs and glass shattered. The waitstaff took cover behind the bar, seemingly prepared to wait out the violence.

  “Move!” Cassie shouted. “Hurry up!”

  A tall man grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. She punched him in the throat and as he loosened his grip, she writhed free and gave him a thrust kick to the stomach. He fell backwards onto a table and rolled off. When she turned back to her charges, they’d made it to the door. Cursing, she rushed to catch up.

  Heat and Gorman were a good ten feet behind, firing their weapons. The brawl escalated until no one fought hand to hand anymore. They were drawing rifles and other projectiles, shooting at each other as the entire place turned into a war zone with a dozen sides in the conflict.

  Thayne and Gil took a right as soon as they left, and Cassie caught up a moment later. She whacked Thayne. “You can’t leave me, you’re unarmed!”

  “You said to go!” Thayne protested. “So we went! Besides, I’m fairly sure Gil is armed.”

  “Lovely,” Cassie sighed. “It didn’t do him a lot of good!”

  Gil rattled something off and Thayne translated. “There are more of the Kalrawv after us. They’re just down the corridor.”

  “What?” Cassie glanced over her shoulder. “I don’t see—”

  A gunshot rang out, making the crowd immediately part. More weapons came out and people prepared for whatever violence was on the verge of breaking out. Heat caught up first, glancing over his shoulder. “What was that?”

  “The next part of this adventure,” Cassie replied. “We’ve got some kind of group after the archaeologist here and those guys in the bar must’ve called some friends.”

  Gorman nodded. “If we hurry, we can be back in the ship in ten minutes. Especially taking advantage of the clear halls.”

  “Let’s do it.” Heat grabbed Thayne’s arm. “You stick with us. Tell your buddy he’s with Cassie. We’re all getting out of here, but you have to stay close. Got it?”

  Thayne nodded. “We’re ready to go, Sergeant. Just lead the way.”

  “Always do,” Heat muttered. A shot hit the wall near his head and he sighed. “Come on, guys. Nothing’s ever easy.”

  Chapter 4

  Heat returned fire on their attackers, catching one in the chest. They’d started moving quickly but he let the scientists run ahead of him. Their pursuers, roughly ten of them, were proceeding with some level of caution for their own safety but they didn’t seem concerned with bystanders. Their rogue shots caught at least two civilians that Heat noticed.

  That’ll turn this station on them quick.

  “Front!” Gorman shouted, firing his weapon. A man dropped to the ground, his rifle skittering away from him. Heat didn’t have time to question the shot. They rounded a bend, giving themselves a brief reprieve from the Kalrawv or whatever they were called. He wondered briefly how an archaeologist ended up with a bunch of thugs.

  But the answer to that question really didn’t matter at that moment.

  Isn’t there some kind of station security? Thayne had described the place as seedy. Maybe people made their own law there. A spray of bullets nearly caught him in the chest and he had to take cover in a doorway. “Get them down!” Heat shouted, and Gorman brought the two VIPs to the floor. Cassie took cover across from him, meeting his eyes.

  “They might not have specifically been shooting at us,” Cassie yelled to him.

  “Doesn’t matter now,” Heat replied. “Watch our backs.”

  He glanced out and saw four men with rifles taking shots at different people, blasting those who weren’t quick enough to get to safety. They’re doing this for sport. The idea pissed him off, but he remained calm. They stood behind some waist high cover, what appeared to be some kind of vending machine. None of them crouched, giving him plenty to aim at.

  Heat fired at the one in the middle, catching him in the forehead. Gorman followed suit, shooting the one on the left. The third one dropped low behind his cover just as the Kalrawv agents came bursting around the corner.

  Cassie fired her weapons several times and Heat watched as one dropped and the others scurried to get behind anything. One grabbed a person who was covering on the ground, hoisting them up for a human shield. The others took positions in stores, their weapons aimed down the hall.

  “We can’t afford a standstill,” Heat shouted. “We have got to keep moving! The ship isn’t going to be able to send us any backup.”

  “Cover us,” Gorman shouted. “I’ll get these guys moving again if you lay down some fire.”

  “You ready?” Heat asked Cassie. She checked her magazine and nodded. “Go!”

  They leaned out and started firing, suppressing the enemies. The only one Heat worried about was the jerk who took a hostage. He aimed around his protection, ready to take a shot the moment the others became visible. Heat aimed and fired at his hand, grazing his wrist instead. The hostage elbowed him and ran.

  Cassie took the shot and finished him off before he could even nurse his injury.

  Gorman stood and got the VIPs moving. They started to run. The Kalrawv became bold and two of them stepped out, firing wildly at Cassie. She ducked back into her cover, but Heat was able to blast them both. He dislodged his magazine, crammed it into his pocket and loaded another.

  A bullet slammed into the wall beside him, grazing his jacket. The heat from the attack burned him but he knew he hadn’t actually been shot. The wound was superficial at best, but it still set off a warning in his head. He pressed himself further into the cover, contemplating their next move.

  Without the scanner from his power armor helmet, he didn’t know exactly how many men they faced. Furthermore, the Kalrawv weren’t the only threat, they just happened to be the overt one. Other station visitors got in on the action and even as he wondered what to do, he heard Gorman’s weapon barking down the hall. We have to catch up.

  Cassie leaned into her cover, using her computer. He wondered what she might be up to. They were standing in the doorways of closed-up shops. They didn’t have any windows to break so the only way to go was out into the hallway, which had turned into a shooting gallery. People on both sides fired at each other, and probably didn’t even know why.

  I’m sure someone got shot who was totally innocent in this, Heat thought. I’d probably take some shots too.

  Heat was leaning against his door when i
t suddenly opened, causing him to stumble into the shop. He looked back at Cassie and saw she’d entered her shop as well. Jesus, she really did unlock a door! She gestured in the direction of where Gorman and the others ran before disappearing deeper into the room.

  He obeyed, moving quickly through a place that seemed to sell clothes. The racks were all pressed against the walls and the middle was wide open. He found an ajar door and burst through, hurrying down a hallway to another door. Slapping the panel did nothing. It was locked and seemed to require a key.

  An alarm went off overhead. Great, they rigged this place and I probably just turned that thing on. Not that it matters. I doubt anyone’s going to notice over the gunfire and screams out in the hallway.

  The door slid open and Cassie was standing nearby, leaning against a pillar for cover. She waved at him three times and he took a quick look up and down the hall before rushing over to her. The fighting seemed to be behind them now, but Gorman’s weapon continued to discharge every few moments.

  “Clever,” Heat said. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  “I thought you might be,” Cassie replied. “We need to go but I checked the scans. There are a lot of hostiles up there and Gorman’s alone.”

  “How far is he to the ship?”

  “The guards have to be hearing what’s going on,” Cassie hummed. “Wait!” She got on the com. “Gnosis, please come in. We’re incoming with the VIPs and need the guards to meet us at the loading gate, over.”

  “This is the Gnosis.” Salina’s voice filled her ear. “I’ll let them know. Is everything okay?”

  “No, not really. Please hurry!” Cassie turned to Heat. “We’d better go too.”

  “They’ll be closing in behind us soon.” Heat broke into a run. “Keep up! This is going to be a serious dash!”

  ***

  Movement drew Gorman’s attention to the left as a man peered through a window, leveling a rifle in their direction. He snapped off a shot, crossbody and met his target in the left shoulder. The figure disappeared but the marine didn’t have time to enjoy the momentary victory.

  Shots fired from the right drove him and his VIPs to the opposite side of the corridor where they took cover in a closed shop’s doorway. Gorman risked a glance and saw three people advancing on them, guns aimed. What the hell do these guys want? He blind-fired three times and glanced again.

  The newcomers scattered but they continued to advance. Gorman prepared himself to go out there and confront them when automatic weapon-fire exploded from that direction. A massive firefight broke out between two sides and the noise subsided in a few seconds. Thayne’s wide eyes stared at him as he trembled in cover.

  “I know, buddy.” Gorman sighed, taking a look. The three men who had advanced on them were dead and a couple guys now hovered over the first body, looting him. That’s just amazing. They were armed with small weapons, but he knew they could throw out some serious firepower. He took aim and shot the first one in the side of the head.

  His buddy looked in their direction, but he didn’t have time to take a shot before Gorman finished him too. “Move!” Gorman shouted. “Go! Go! Go!”

  Thayne and Gil rushed out from the doorway with Gorman close behind. More shooting started behind him and he hoped that Cassie and Heat were doing alright. Without VIPs to worry about, they had a distinct advantage over him. Of course, they might be facing the brunt of the Kalrawv which meant a better organized bunch.

  Gil shouted, diving to the ground and taking Thayne with him. Gorman scanned the area to see what made him hit the deck, moving to the left at the same time. The sudden motion may well have saved his life as something connected just below the surface of his left arm and cleanly exited out the back.

  Dropping to his knee, Gorman lifted his weapon and saw his attacker. The man leaned against some kind of kiosk, desperately working the lever of his weapon. Gorman shot him three times, twice in the chest and once in the face.

  Glancing at his own wound, blood soaked his jacket and the surface of his skin went numb. “Come on,” he grumbled. “He’s down.” He saw the entry up ahead which led to the Gnosis. They were less than a hundred yards away. The once busy loading gate was totally vacant now.

  Gunfire really cleared an area.

  Heat shouted behind him, “Friendlies approaching!” Gorman glanced back to see his allies hurrying up on him. “And we’ve got company!”

  Cassie turned while running, firing a couple of shots behind her. Someone briefly appeared around the bend of the corridor and dashed backward to avoid being hit. They leaned out from their partial cover, firing several rounds at the fleeing humans. Gorman tried to lay down some cover fire but the enemies weren’t deterred.

  Thayne and Gil made it through the landing area and into the docking ring for the Gnosis. Heat, Cassie and Gorman were a short dash away. They picked up the pace, sprinting as their pursuers came after them. The enemies had a clear line of fire into their backs, but they didn’t seem to be taking advantage of it.

  They wanted to close the distance, to put them down for good.

  Gorman’s vision tunneled as he pushed himself hard. The door loomed ahead. Weapons started barking behind him. He readied himself for the inevitable burning, the shocking pain of being hit. He knew the sensation too well having been shot before. Part of him wanted to just turn and finish the fight facing the enemies.

  As he considered the possibility, four other marines burst through the door and opened fire. Cassie made it to them first, hurrying through to the next area and the safety of cover. Heat shoved Gorman hard, making him take the lead. He made it past his colleagues and spun, taking aim to help.

  Heat joined him, and they started blasting away at the Kalrawv troops still daring to exchange fire with them. Gorman counted nearly ten of them. Lord, I had no idea they were so hot for this guy! The marines made short work of their front lines, tearing through several of them before the remaining four fled.

  “Cease fire!” Heat shouted. “Get back to the Gnosis!”

  “Damn it!” One of the others cried out. “I was hit. Bastard got me in the arm.”

  “Get to medical,” Heat ordered. “Looks like you get to go too, Gorman.”

  “What about you?” Gorman asked. “You didn’t snag that coat during the run.”

  “Just a burn. I’ll be fine. You’re bleeding.”

  “Maybe we should all stop in at medical,” Cassie suggested. “Just to be sure. God knows what we potentially picked up in this place.”

  “You’re a barrel of hope,” Heat said. “But she’s not wrong. Alright, everyone. Let’s move out. This op’s complete though it definitely goes to show you shouldn’t think anything’s going to be easy.”

  “Nothing is,” Gorman muttered. “Nothing ever is.”

  ***

  Desmond expected a complaint from some sort of station administration after the incident at Rilla but none came. They weren’t even required to immediately leave. The verbal report he received from the marine guards stated there was a full-on shootout with the locals. Dozens were confirmed dead.

  And we didn’t hear anything about it from the control center. That seems damn peculiar.

  Thayne warned them of the place’s seedy reputation, but this went above and beyond. It truly was a frontier, the intergalactic wild west. Without actual authorities enforcing any laws, it shouldn’t have been surprising that such violence could occur without anyone really caring. They probably only bothered a ship with reparations if their crew damaged the structure.

  Bodies themselves are easy enough to recycle, I suppose.

  Desmond and Vincent headed down to the medical bay where they intended to speak with Thayne and his friend, Doctor Gil Vaedra. Hopefully, the man could tell them what they needed to know and wasn’t too traumatized from his experience. Somehow, it seemed likely he was used to being in trouble.

  Considering where they found the man, it seemed likely he ran afoul of bad people often. After all,
Thayne called him an adventurer. Those types rarely managed to get through life easily. With risk came reward … and often serious trouble.

  Desmond locked down the area leading to the ship and manned the airlock with a dozen guards. If anyone decided to assault the ship, they’d have to go down a narrow corridor without any cover, right into the direct fire of several armed men. It should give them time to question Gil and decide if he was coming with them or staying there.

  After he was grabbed by those criminals, something told Desmond the good archaeologist would like a chance to get out of the system for a while. The Gnosis represented a convenient escape route, a method for him to leave with a sufficiently potent force to keep him alive.

  The elevator door opened and Desmond led the way, pausing in front of the medical bay door. Two marines stood guard and they snapped to attention as he approached. “At ease,” he said. “Everything okay down here?”

  “Yes, sir,” the man on the right replied. “Everyone’s keeping cool.”

  “Excellent.” Desmond stepped in and several sets of eyes fell upon him. “Hello, everyone. Seems you all had a rather exciting time on our first visit to an alien facility.”

  “Sorry about that, sir,” Heat said. A nurse was tending to a wound on his arm. “Doctor Vaedra was being assaulted and we stepped in. The guys who wanted him were … determined to keep hold of him.”

  “I see.” Desmond hummed. He looked at Gorman. “How bad is your wound?”

  “Clean exit on the surface,” Gorman replied. “I’m still combat operational.”

  Doctor Holland stood nearby while Doctor Sandra Berg, his assistant, wrapped it with a bandage. He shook his head. “These men have a strange opinion on what is operational. That’s a pretty nasty cut and he’s damn lucky it wasn’t an inch closer. It would’ve done some real damage.”

  “What’s your prognosis?” Desmond asked. “Will he be off duty for a while?”