Fealgud seemed to perk up at that and walked over, placing a hand on Gokhead’s back.
Nodding, Blazer turned back towards the door.
Que-Dee linked in at that point.
While Gokhead worked on the computers, Trevis led a team to find transport. Their Gorvian pressure suits were no longer adequate camouflage. The others had made what repairs they could to the units, further cannibalizing Dosher’s, Telsh’s, Gavit’s, and what remained of Rudjick’s MeG-CEs. Though they’d had no deaths in their units, it had still left them down four. It also left Blazer wondering if any of the lost Marines were in fact alive and disabled out on the surface. He didn’t want to think about the lost marines being trapped there unable to communicate. He just hoped that the Marines had recovered the damaged units to repair them as they had done. He shook the thought off. Even if his first instinct was to rescue any downed troops, they had a mission to accomplish first.
Blazer considered the implications of that. If the Gorvians could get a hold of the Synthetic’s base code and adapt it to their systems it could prove disastrous. The pods, while kept in place once deployed, had molecular level self-destruct systems. Keeping a Synthetic on the move and copying portions of itself into various systems to cause havoc might be worth the risk.
Sector TSD-103
The external temperature gauge on Sergeant Laxe’s MeG-CE continued to climb. The heat level was such that if he dared leave his suit, or if he sprung a leak, it would immolate him. Despite the insulation of the MeG-CE and the Gorvian space suit his sweat gushed into the shock gel around him. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling.
The Marines had taken a far different insertion path from the Monstero Nach. Once they’d seen that portions of the missing hull contained thermal radiators they’d located the exposed coolant pipes. For over a hect they’d crawled through the relatively narrow conduits as liquid coolant flowed around them. As the temperature rose however so did the size of the pipes. The high pressure of the liquid’s flow propelled them along at a quick pace the whole time. They’d closed on their destination and were almost upon it: the cooling plant for the massive ship’s main reactor. Once they’d breached this area, it would take them less than a hect to reach the command sector and Gondral.
Sergeant Laxe looked about at the remnants of his task unit. Several had gathered around the large grate ahead, placing breaching charges. The rest waited behind him, clinging to the walls, weapons at the ready. In the heat of the coolant he could barely make out the IR identification patches applied to the head and chest of each unit. Beside him one of the younger Marines waited. Even through the mech and spacesuit he could see how nervous he was. The subtle twitches running through his movements, the way he kept flexing his rifle; they spoke volumes.
Less than a third of the remaining troops knew the full extent of their mission orders. Live or die, they would succeed, so long as a single computer core remained operational. If all went well, they would assassinate Gondral, cutting the head off the Gorvian war machine. Failing that, the navigational information in their MeG-CEs would send the Planet Slicer towards one of the traps the admiral and Synthetics had planted.
The marines at the grate broke free and jetted back towards the other, fighting against the current. The Lodran Sergeant took up position opposite Laxe and pulled his own rifle. “Charges are set. We have six techs on station and if the intel from those Spec Ops Honchos is still good there’ll be a shift change in five pulses.”
Laxe checked his thermal readings. His external sensors were already cycling to prevent thermal shutdown but they could hold out a little longer. “Kalitg, Nosh, Gaytaw. Take point and secure the room after shift change.”
Ready signals flashed back, and six pulses later Laxe gave the go code. He joined the trio and they let go of the wall. The rushing coolant threw them into the open processing tank. Once the lights of the bay penetrated they fired their jump jets. The four marines erupted from the tank to find the six techs at their stations, the previous crew having already gone. They fired on the six unsuspecting techs before jetting over to the deck. The four of them rushed towards the downed technicians, extended their monomolecular blades, and slashed away their brain tails. Their shots had been precise and only one tech was still alive; he didn’t stay that way for long.
Command Sector
This was no way to make an insertion in Blazer’s mind. Gorvians ran all around as they proceeded through the passageways in their captured secure transport. None had attempted to stop them. The shipboard security forces were far more concerned with the trail of dead Gorvians around the master cooling plant.
They had deployed two of their Synthetic interface pods already. One of the spheres lay embedded in the power conduit leading to the local shield generators. The second they’d inserted into a control node for one of the banks of slipstream drives. They still needed to access main communications and navigation.
Trevis held up a hand, his rifle up against the closed shooter’s port.
Turning to look out his own viewport, Porc began to extend his monomolecular blades.
Moving to get a better look, Blazer watched the troops come to a halt then head off in the opposite direction.
Que-Dee proved right and the passageway cleared ahead of them. Arion brought them to a halt outside of an otherwise non-descript door.
Blazer moved towards the hatch. He wasn’t about to walk into a trap, but didn’t want to attract too much attention by waiting. A quick scan out of the open hatch confirmed that they were alone. He waved his fire team forward and bounded for the door.
Blazer and Zithe stormed the room first. It was empty save for a series of conduits and terminals. Trevis and Porc took up positions by the door as Gokhead and Nash searched through the forest of conduits. They all looked identical to Blazer, but Gokhead seemed to run straight towards the conduit they needed and opened an access hatch.
A spherical orb emerged from the back of Gokhead’s MeG-CE and floated into the conduit. There it began to interface with the various cables running throughout the composite tube.
Blazer stepped up and stared at the screen connected to the conduit. His suit translated the alien language automatically; it didn’t help much. The symbols in their organization and construction still made little sense. It appeared to be a navigational chart with what might have been jump codes. They just didn’t match any format he knew.
Porc spun about at that and slammed a fist into one of the conduits.
Gokhead shook his head as Nash came up to look at the screen as well. He had at least kept his cool even though it was his homeworld as well.
Nash tapped a series of inputs into the screen.
Que-Dee’s artificial voice rang through the micomm link as if in response.
“Officer Vaughnt,” a panicked voice called over the secure tactical link. “We are being overrun. Need assistance. Transmitting location key…”
The ident code on the signal indicated that it belonged one of their lost marines, an E-3 named Glast. “Glast, this is Blade Lead. Signal received,” Blazer replied motioning towards the door. No further response came, the link going silent.
Everything fell into place. Their mission to insert these sabotage packages was secondary to the Marines’ assassination attempt. Blazer felt the electronic eyes of the others upon him. The Marines were on a suicide mission, but that wasn’t their way. The Blade Force’s mandate was rescue, and rescue these Marines they must. Their action however would force their timeline even more. Blazer had intended to find their means of escape later, or go to ground and wait until the Planet Slicer had exited hyperspace. Neither option was viable now. Blazer turned to Trevis.
Trevis brought his rifle up, signaling his team closer.
Blazer motioned towards the door.
Gondral’s Quarters
It had all fallen apart in only a few pulses: what should have been a simple assault assassination had turned into a complete disaster. According to the schedule the Blade Force had recovered on a previous operation, Gondral should have been resting in his room when they breached. Instead they found a pair of Gorvians standing watch over the medical pod. The Marines did their jobs as trained, downing the two Gorvians, but the prize wasn’t there. They took up positions around the chamber as Sergeant Laxe moved in to investigate the medical pod.
It matched the Blade Force’s earlier reports, too small for Gondral, but twice the size needed for a standard Gorvian. Even by Gorvian standards the creature within the clear silicasteel enclosure was a monstrosity. He stared at the headless creature, tubes running in and out of the neck stump, the massive engorged belly quivering. He could only guess what manner of horror grew within its expanded womb. His finger flexed on his trigger guard, whatever it was, destroying it and the body that carried it might the best for the whole galaxy.
Before he could do anything the door towards the bridge disappeared. Laxe twisted about; two Gorvians had entered the room. The first had been normal-sized for a Gorvian, with eight limbs, none of which appeared to belong together as it spoke through three different mouths. Behind it walked a Gorvian three times the other’s size, multiple brain tails extending from the top of its oversized, flat head. The marines fired on both targets immediately. They downed the smaller Gorvian before it had made three steps into the room. They were too quick to fire however, allowing Gondral to leapt back through the hatch. Laxe didn’t even have time to scream at his men about how badly they’d screwed up before the blast doors had slammed shut, sealing them in. “Noque. Find us an exit. Everyone else. Take defensive positions around the doors. Gorvian troops will be on us any cent.”
Within a pulse the lights in the room had strobed at the Marines. The bright, shifting frequency had dazzled their optics before plaser rounds perforated the wall above and to the sides of the medical couch. Several marines had fallen in the initial assault, their MeG-CEs disabled by the barrage. The rest dove for cover, Laxe scanning the walls for additional weak points. The doors slammed opened and several armored Gorvian stormed in.
Laxe leapt behind Gondral’s massive bed just as Glast’s call went out to Vaughnt. He moved to silence the young marine before a Gorvian did it for him. A plaser blast destroyed the head of the young marine’s MeG-CE. Deafened and blinded by the loss of his sensor and communications suite, he stumbled about for cover. Three plaser blasts caught his MeG-CE square in the chest. The liquefied remains of his body and shock gel splashed against Sgt Laxe’s suit before the MeG-CE fell to the deck.
“Shreg it all! Now Vaughnt will try something stupid like rescuing us.”
Noque jumped across the room, firing at the Gorvian troopers. One blast caught a Gorvian in the head, vaporizing the fleshy mass before the body slumped to the deck. “We still have a mission Sarge,” he countered, motioning towards the bridge. “I’d made my peace before this op. I say we make a hole and go for it.”
Laxe nodded and laid down covering fire whilst assessing the situation. A horde of Gorvians would fill the bridge. Despite that, Gondral would remain near the uppermost tier where most couldn’t reach. All he needed was an opening and he could lead a team in after the Gorvian leader. “Find me a hole. We go for the prize.”
Noque motioned towards the medical pod. “They’re being careful of that thing. Maybe use it as a shield?”
Before Laxe could respond two Gorvians had seized hold of the medical pod and began to wheel it away. He cursed their luck as he fired at them. The pod was their best armor, but other Gorvians moved in to take the hits. Their actions were without thought to their own safety, sacrificing themselves like pieces on a gameboard.
They marines were pinned in too well. With the medical pod gone, the gunners beyond the wall had begun shooting through it for their targets. All around him, more MeG-CEs fell, their cover dwindling under the unceasing barrage. Laxe lo
oked at what remained of his marines and executed a command override. Even if they died, they had to leave seeds for the admiral’s traps. The hyperspace intrusion packs attached to the MeG-CE’s detached. They clanged to the deck, memory cores still intact. There was no hope for escape at this point. The Synthetic-designed packs were one-time use units, the shields cores fried beyond repair. The only thing the Gorvians would glean from them would be the jump codes.
An explosion rocked the chamber. It silenced all weapons fire as a massive armored transport burst through the wall opposite the bridge corridor. Laxe felt his innards twist at the sight before the turret atop the vehicle angled away from the Marines and towards the door into the main passageway. It raked the wall with plaser fire before its side hatch retracted to reveal a quartet of MeG-CEs. All four rushed out and took positions at the front and rear of the vehicle to lay down suppressive fire. The IR tags all belonged to Vaughnt’s Blade Force.
* * *
The situation was worse than Blazer had expected as he rushed out, a Gorvian heavy repeating plaser in hand. The Gorvians had laid waste to the chamber in the hopes of killing off the marines. Nothing remained intact. A handful of Marine MeG-CEs huddled behind the remains of Gondral’s oversized, and apparently armored; desk, table, and bed. “Marines! We have you covered! Move!”
Most of the marines followed Blazer’s order. They limped their damaged MeG-CEs towards the transport, dragging downed units with them. Four however rushed towards the now cleared passageway towards the bridge; Laxe and the remaining senior NCOs. “Laxe! Get back here!”
The sergeant didn’t reply and continued on. He only changed stride once to pump a round into a downed, but still fighting, Gorvian in the passage.
Temptation to disable the rogue Marine’s MeG-CE filled Blazer. His hesitation allowed them to slip away, and he looked back at the others. His jaw clenched and he motioned towards the door.
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