A hole appeared in the metal, a laser blast cutting through. Another came through, another caught him in the back, one to this leg made him stagger, but he kept cutting, he dropped his blade as he finished his cut, a laser cut his shoulder and burned across his chest, making him scream. He dropped his grenade, thankfully he hadn’t activated it, he grabbed it with his good arm, a blast getting his foot, but he got his grenade through the hole.
It went off with a muted thump, debris coming back through the hole.
Wesom didn’t wait, he’d made a large hole in the wall, so he tossed three grenades in at once.
The room on the other side went from red to green.
“Hell fire ready,” his armor informed him.
“Shit, cover me, need hellfire,” he said to a passing Commando.
The Commandos stopped, calling three more over, they watched as he laid on the ground.
“Activate hell fire,” Wesom said.
Pain lanced through his body, centering on the wounds across his body, pulling the skin back together and scabbing it immediately.
It felt like hot metal was burning into his skin. He’d used hell fire enough times to know that he should just try to hold his screams in, knowing it would be over soon.
As soon as the pain started it was gone, any pain left was barely noticeable after that ordeal, though the wounds did feel damned itchy now.
“Thanks,” Wesom said, feeling tired.
“We’ve got another room to move to, get some wake-up in you, stay third in our stack,” One said, slapping his arm.
“Yeah,” Wesom answered, he might be the third highest ranking commander here, but that didn’t matter much when in the thick of it, the Commando was just looking out for him.
Wesom took the wake-up it worked after a few seconds, however it did notify him how badly he needed a detox.
Right now he didn’t have time, he could hear weapons fire approaching the reinforcements working their way through the halls towards him.
“Kalu, front!” The lead Commando said, diving clean over to the other side of the corridor they reached, lasers followed them.
The second whipped grenades in the Kalu’s direction, just as Wesom was about to suggest it.
Wesom tapped their shoulder, telling him he was there and ready to back their play, they wouldn’t feel it in their armor but their sensors would relay it.
“High-low, three, two, one,” the front Commando said, turning the corner and taking a knee, Wesom took the corner, standing, above the first man, their guns fired as Kalu were haloed red. The fourth and first man prepped grenades. The fourth moving behind Wesom.
“Pull back!” The first yelled, throwing their grenade, the fourth did the same as Wesom grabbed the strap on the kneeling Commandos back, jumping back into cover and pulling them with him.
“Sorry, quickest way I could think of,” Wesom said, picking himself up as the grenades went off.
“No problem, thanks,” the Commando said, getting up, none the worse for wear.
Lasers kept coming down the hall.
“Fuck, we need a HAPA,” one of the Commandos said.
“One sec,” Wesom said, pulling up the HUD and looking for a likely candidate.
“Hey, need some support down here,” he said linking the HAPA pilot to the room that the Kalu were firing out of.
“On my way, I’ll be coming down the corridor to your rear. I’ll warn before I fire.” Wesom cut the channel.
“Incoming support from up the corridor, HAPA, will warn when in position,” Wesom rattled off.
Wesom got green thumbs, the fourth Commando took a hit to the helmet, Wesom checked them over, their red signs turning to black.
“Fuck,” Wesom whispered in a pissed off grunt as he took their place.
His rail gun bucked as he mainly tried to suppress the Kalu, unfortunately the fuckers were drawn to it like cats to catnip.
“Rolling thunder ready,” the HAPA reported.
“Pull back, incoming support,” Wesom said, getting back into cover and moving from the corridor. The first Commando did the same, holding their gun awkwardly.
Wesom’s HUD told him of the Commandos missing arm.
“Clear,” Wesom said to the HAPA. All friendlies out of the corridor.
Rounds ripped through the corridor, cracking through the speed of sound and whipping the dust around.
Wesom’s powered armor clamped down on the noise as two HAPA’s came into view, their Cannons up and firing as they moved through.
“Follow as support,” Wesom ordered, the other Commandos did so, following the HAPA’s into the armory.
Broken HAPA’s, cut open powered armor, parts and ammunition littered the place.
Wesom didn’t have time to take it all in as Kalu lasers lit up the air.
Wesom took a knee behind a fallen HAPA returning fire. Their supporting HAPA’ adding in their firepower as Kalu charged them.
“We’ll make our stand here!” Wesom said, killing a Kalu and switching to a new target.
The door started opening to the armory, Wesom felt his stomach drop.
Fear is the edge you need; it tempers caution into courage. Do not let it rule you, you must rule it. You may die but you will die a fucking Commandos god damnit Devon Malory Wesom! He fired, his magazine clicking empty, he jumped for cover and threw a grenade, his magazine coming out of his rail gun. He thudded to the ground, slapping a new magazine with machine-like precision, rising over a pile of parts and firing at any Kalu that moved.
Fire came from the opening doorway, but it wasn’t laser fire, rounds ripped into Kalu, making them turn. Flanked by Wesom and his people from the corridor and the incoming Commandos from the exterior corridors.
Wesom didn’t relax, he kept firing, a Kalu got him in the shoulder where he had no armor, he dropped, yelling at the pain, his armor numbed it and he pushed the alert from his shoulder out of the way, even with the numbing it felt like the side of his neck was on fire.
Nerve ports didn’t care about wounded limbs, as long as part of his spine was working he was operational. He swung around the other side of parts and continued firing. His gun jammed after the second target, he dropped down ripping on the charging handle until it cleared and went back to firing.
His finger rested on the trigger but he didn’t pull it, he scanned, looking for threats but he couldn’t find any. Reinforcements were spreading out into the corridors.
One bounded over to him as he looked to the party that had come in with him. One of the HAPA pilots was dead, the other badly wounded. Medics were scrambling over them and the lead Commando in his stack that had watched over him was hell firing himself.
They’re arm was screwed and they’d taken a nasty hit to the chest.
“Commander, the central command has been breached, Commander Esal requests you lead, you know this place better,” the Commando said.
“Give me two squads, HAPA and non, now,” Wesom barked, replacing his magazine, the lead Commandos helmet was off, revealing a female Chaleelian, clearly going into shock.
“Hey! Commando!” Wesom said, using his trainer voice, her eyes snapping to his helmet as his visor opened.
“You’re going to be fine. If I see that yellow to your skin tone, I’ll damned well come back here and kick your ass!” He barked.
“Yes Commander!” She said through gritted teeth.
He nodded to her and gave her a wink, shock killed ninety percent of people, if he could get her mind off of how her body was fucked up, then it would start fighting for her.
The mind was a powerful tool.
His two squads showed up.
“Follow me, HAPA’s up front, follow the path, shoot outside the command center, once we’re inside, use blades,” Wesom said, path plotted and his legs already carrying him down it as people moved to turn his commands into actions.
I’m coming Fal, hold on, he thought. The Commandos rushed along as fast as they could, using walls to slow
down, their legs wind milling to push them on quickly.
The HAPA’s guns announced when they’d reached the Kalu. Four HAPA’s fit across the hall, their massive firepower quickly cleared out the Kalu in the hall.
They got into the command center.
Ershue were jumping from the command tree, firing shotguns and cutting any Kalu that got close, non-Ershue hid in the upper reaches of the room and fired rail guns.
Kalu turned to face Wesom and his reinforcements.
“Commandos!” Wesom yelled his battle cry, pulling his blade free and rushing to meet the Kalu, his call was taken up as Ershue dropped to the lower limbs, plasmid blades appearing in their hands, burying them into the Kalu below.
The shooters that weren’t so inclined to swing from the command tree, simply dropped to the floor, their blades ready as their powered armor took the drop, before they added their voices to the battle cry and closed with the Kalu.
Wesom hacked, yelled, stabbed and did everything he could against the Kalu.
Only training driven into his muscles from hours of repetition kept him moving. He turned without thought, slashing as he’d done so for hundreds of hours.
It was vicious, bloody and over in seconds that seemed long enough to fit terrified lifetimes into.
Remind me to thank my trainers, Wesom thought, no longer thinking the plasmid weapon training had been the waste of time it appeared to be on Mars.
He let out a shuddering breath, he could feel a gash down the side of his armor, he coughed, liquid going on his HUD.
Shit.
He opened his visor, Fal slumped onto the floor, some nasty wounds on his armor, his own green blood coloring his dust-stained armor.
He gave Wesom a smile.
“What took you so long?” Fal said, Wesom slumped down onto the ground.
“Traffic,” Wesom replied, getting a weak laugh from Fal.
“Ow, you shit, don’t make me laugh, think they got my other friggin arm,” Wesom laughed, coming out in wet bursts.
“Medic!” Fal said, moving to Wesom. “Fuck, you did a number here.”
“I think I’m going to pass out,” Wesom said, realizing the signs.
“Medic! I’ve got a punctured lung at least! Going unconscious!” Fal said.
“Hell fire ready,” his helmet said.
Nooo, no no-no-no no! He thought with increasing anger, feeling himself dragged straight, his lead lined eyes opened, irritation filling him.
Can’t a man get some peace and quiet! He stared at Fal who was now bleeding on his armor after having pulled him vertical.
“Sorry mate,” Fal said, Wesom didn’t see Fal click the remote accept on his fingers.
By fuck did he feel it.
Pain lanced through him for the second time that day.
When this hell fire wears off, I swear to god Fal!
Thankfully for Fal and Wesom, Wesom passed out as soon as the pain drifted away, his body pushed past a point that most people didn’t even think possible of attaining.
Chapter Far from done
Monk was up and moving to his powered armor before he opened the alert message on his data pad.
So Ershue held, he thought, sending a silent pray out to the universe as his heart rate slowed.
He took a few moments to reflect, sending his thoughts out to those that had been lost and those that remained. He knew that the damage both physical and mental to those left would be immense.
He checked over the information on the supply ships that would be moving into the area, he changed a handful of missions, sending them to the supply stations in deep space, changing their cargoes of weapons and ammunition to supplies that would help Ershue, both the planet and the people get back on their feet.
He slotted the data pad into it’s place on his armor’s back before stepping into the machine. It closed around him and he brought his helmet onto his head.
Henry made noises in his crib, the little guy didn’t make sleep easy, but it was times like these when Henry’s vitality and utter disregard for the goings on of the universe melted Monk’s heart.
He was growing fast, already able to walk and run around in short steps. While he was just a few months old, he now had the body of a four-year-old.
Monk’s smile faltered for a few seconds, in just a few hours he would be parted from Henry. Cheerleader would be on the station, coming via a freighter instead of the Mondal. The Super Carrier was looking on the wrong side of broken. The yard Commander hadn’t given it the yes or no yet but he would in a few days.
In the meantime, everyone from Cheerleader’s fleet had grabbed a ride with freighters back to Parnmal.
Cheerleader would look over the management of Parnmal, her people preparing to take command of the ships coming out of Parnmal yards.
There were a few reasons to this, first, Cheerleader and her fleet needed time to decompress and clear their heads before anything, they would be with friends and comrades on Parnmal. They would also have psych’s to talk to, there was no stigma with talking to the head doctor in the Free Fleet, it was rather encouraged, like having a beer.
They didn’t work miracles but they served as another vent for the people that had been at the pointy end and seen some damned scary stuff.
Also, Monk was going to Earth, primarily because he was the commander of Parnmal, the majority of his Commandos were going to Earth.
It was easier to move them as one entire unit with him at their head and throw them into an operation than cutting and pasting them into new units.
The Avarians were keeping their Parnmal units for the foreseeable future but they didn’t need any more reinforcements until the other heavily contested areas were taken care of.
Hopefully by the time Monk and the rest of his people made it into Sol, the hostilities on Mars would be over.
The Kalu had fucked up by the numbers landing right on the Commando training ground.
The more discreet reason, was because Henry needed a minder and while Min Hae did quite a few rounds with the little guy, there were some meetings that the son of Salchar and Yasu couldn’t be in.
So with Cheerleader on-station, Henry would have an aunt to bug.
Henry must have heard Monk as he stretched and moved. Monk’s eyes moved over, seeing a cheeky smile and glistening eyes.
“You are definitely your father’s son,” Monk sighed, moving to the boys bed, he automatically reached up for Monk.
Monk smiled and grabbed his little nephew even in his full powered armor he had better control over his strength than most people had over their natural strength at times.
Henry squirmed on his shoulder in his miniature battle suit and settled in with his arms around Min Hae’s neck. He was still a bit tired.
Monk moved to his door, no less than Four Armored Commandos who were all Avarian, waited for him.
The majority of the Avarians in the Free Fleet were sworn to Salchar and Yasu. Not a damned thing was going to happen to their leader’s heir.
There would be no escaping Yasu’s fist or Salchar’s rail guns, though it wasn’t fear that drove them to their duty. They liked their leaders. The Avarians weren’t the only ones who wanted to look out over the toddler. Monk had been swarmed by requests to watch over the growing boy.
So a new duty roster was made up and there were always four Commandos on watch wherever Henry was, another squad of ten ready to roll if anything happened at all times.
They had one goal, keep Henry safe at all costs.
“Morning,” Monk said, greeting the four man’s leader who gave him a two-finger salute. Monk’s hands were currently occupied with Henry squirming for a more comfortable position on his shoulder.
“Where to sir?” The Commando asked.
“Command deck, with Ershue holding their position we can route some of their reinforcements to Daestramus and Sol. I have a feeling it’s going to be a rather busy day,” Monk said.
“Ershue held?” The Commando sputt
ered.
“Yes, seems that their reinforcements from Oolta were coming down. The Kalu took that as the signal to attack,” Monk said, setting off on a walk, the Commandos moved around him, he could feel all the eyes on him.
“Damn, how bad?” The Commando asked, their voice tight.
“Not good,” Monk said, sad that so many people had died, thankful that their sacrifice would keep so many innocents alive.
The rest of the walk was in silence. Monk couldn’t hear the Commandos talking in their suits unless they broadcasted it, but he knew it was happening. Before he got to the command center the entire station and most of the Union was getting word that Ershue had held.
Nothing passed faster than rumors, especially with a FTL relay network.
***
Evelyn read the latest message from Parnmal.
The message had been expensive to send, but well worth it.
“Something interesting?” Dean asked, they were walking through Hachiro, Dean in his powered armor acting as guide.
He and his squad had been fighting on Mars until the latest Chaleel tank reinforcements had been dropped in. Those tanks had double the firepower of a HAPA and a warship classed cannon.
Evelyn thought he was smitten with the damned machine.
“Oh, umm, I guess you’ll know soon. Ershue held,” Evelyn said, looking to Dean, neither of them were wearing their helmets which hung off of tethers on their backs.
She saw something pass over his features, hardening briefly as he looked away, he turned back with a neutral expression, something in his eyes.
“Something wrong?” She asked.
“No, umm, I’m sorry,” he said, clearing his throat and gritting his teeth, trying to beat his feelings into submission.
“Dean,” she said touching his arm, he didn’t feel it but he stopped, facing her.
“Had a good number of brothers and sisters on that rock,” he said, his eyes unfocusing as his lips worked.
She could see what was happening, she’d seen people try to hold their emotions in check. In a military unit where emotions were seen as a weakness people tried to hide that pain. Now she could see those barriers falling apart, he took a seat against the observation dome that had been re-opened, he tried to recollect his thoughts.
War's Reward (Free Fleet Book 6) Page 17