War Zone (Star Crusades: Mercenaries Book 5)

by Thomas, Michael G.

  "Fire!" Arana ordered in a cool and collected voice.

  The Black Widows and members of the Blood Pack opened fire, moving ahead in a loose skirmish line. Their fire ripped into the enemy line, but they refused to back down, causing heavy losses in the front ranks of both sides. Red Scars soldiers fanned out to the flanks, looking to breach the second line and on to the final defensive position. At first, it looked like they might all simply rush into the centre of the city, but they were moving across open ground. The Star Empire legionaries continued falling back to prepared dugouts and slit trenches. Machine guns opened up from shallow pits, and soon the clan warriors were losing scores of warriors. Nakoma vanished from view as her unit penetrated the line, only for Star Empire soldiers to close in behind her.

  "We can't break through this!" Arana yelled.

  Two more large units, perhaps two hundred strong, lined up behind the trenches and lifted their rifles to their shoulders. Syala grabbed her sister, yanking her aside as a burst of fire raked their position. Two Widows were cut to pieces, and Syala took a round to her helmet that ripped off a large plate, burning her cheek and forehead. She yelled in pain and then aimed at her foe. The range was long, but she opened up with both machine pistols, one in each hand.

  "Get down!"

  Syala had no idea who was shouting, but she hit the ground instinctively. Arana joined her as a massive metallic object crashed into the ground just ahead of her. She looked up, shaking her head.

  "No...it can't be."

  The side of the massive construction opened up to reveal a trio of huge mechanical war machines. Each was the size of a heavy tank, but the weapon systems were held aloft on eight long legs, giving a mechanical spider like look. Their limbs moved with unnatural speed as they launched from the lander and directly into the enemy line. Shots bounced off their armour as they slashed at them with their limbs. Each impacted several bodies, removing heads and crushing limbs with ease.

  Tanis lifted Syala to her feet and pointed to the machines.

  "What are they?

  "Biomech assault walkers, Eques machines, I think."

  More of the units crashed into the ground, and when they looked up, every one of them was stunned to see the formation of ships had dropped down to perhaps thirty kilometres. They left terrible trails of flame and smoke behind them, but also continued to bombard the ground with more and more landers.

  "We can do this," said Syala.

  Arana grabbed her hand and squeezed it hard before picking up one of the heavy carbines from a fallen Star Empire soldier.

  "Hell, we can, come on!"

  They pushed on, with Tanis and his Blood Pack right beside them. The numbers were still against Nakoma and her odd assortment of allies, but as more of the Biomech landers hit the ground, the ratio started to change. More than a dozen of the terrifying machines clambered about, but many more were destroyed by accurate shooting that left them burning wrecks. Arana stopped and lifted her arm to point at a falling heavy lander. It was a big vessel and trailing thick smoke.

  "No...get back!"

  She pushed her sister down just as the lander came down, wreathed in flame. It crashed into the centre of Nakoma's forces, metres from where the clan chief had been screaming orders. Scores of clan warriors broke in panic as the remains of the lander exploded in an almighty fireball, killing hundreds in every direction.

  "Nakoma's gone, and with her half of her warriors," muttered Arana.

  "Who cares?" said Syala, jumping back up, "We end this...now."

  That was the moment the gunships swept in. The initial impact must have cleared the skies, but now they rushed in, raking the ground with guns and missiles, killing indiscriminately. Syala ducked back behind a wrecked Eques walker and watched the gunships pass over again, strafing targets at will. More clan warriors broke and fled, now leaderless and panicking.

  "Tanis!"

  The Jötnar heard her, but his blood was up. He was already just metres away from the enemy lines, and though outnumbered five to one, his unit kept on moving to the third and final partially complete defensive line. More troops rushed in to block them, but Tanis would not stop. Two large groups of Spires Clan warriors ran behind them, using the Jötnar as shields against the bullets. Round after round struck their armour, and then they were in close quarter combat. He vanished, along with the other Jötnar in the great melee.

  "What now?" Syala asked.

  She looked to her sister who appeared stunned by the slaughter. Their attack had faltered, and as more explosions rippled through the line, she could see they lacked the numbers and heavy equipment to get further. That was the moment she spotted the broken platform far off into the distance, lying in hundreds of pieces atop a partially flattened spacecraft hangar. Thousands of Star Empire soldiers stood between the prisoners and her. She opened her visor and held onto her sister's arm. Before she could say more, a formation of four Alliance Jackal assault landing craft rushed past with their turret guns blazing. They hammered the defending soldiers and then lifted up and away, but not before scores of projectiles blasted out from their undersides.

  "I'm going for Spartan."

  The shell like objects hammered into the ground, but Syala didn't wait. She ran between them even as more landed, throwing dirt over her. Arana screamed at her sister before chasing after her, the few remaining Black Widows hot on her tail. They made it to within ten metres of the broken wall when more than thirty Star Empire soldiers rose from where they'd been hiding. They placed their guns on top of the trench wall, disappearing as three platoons of CD-3 Grunts crashed through their line.

  "Keep moving!" Syala screamed.

  She leapt over the trench and turned back to fire at the defenders. The robotic Grunts blasted the soldiers apart at close-range, ignoring their own heavy casualties. It was a slaughter for both sides, but the sister knew these were expendable machines, and they'd done their job. Syala moved away from the trench and paused upon seeing the crowds surrounded the prisoners. The place was a ruin with broken buildings, shattered metal, and three burning starships to fill the space. Long lines of gunships waited with the engines running as Star Empire soldiers jumped out to join the battle.

  That was when she saw him, and her heart almost stopped.

  "There!"

  * * *

  The disc was shattered and the platform broken all around him. Spartan lay on his back, but he knew he was in trouble. Aircraft buzzed overhead, and the familiar sound of battle reverberated through Montu. This would be the last battle on Karnak, and as far as he was concerned, it sounded like they were about to lose, and badly.

  Screw this! I die on my feet!

  Spartan lifted himself from the ground and felt an immediate spasm in his leg. As he looked down, he spotted the two short, curved blades on the ground. He grabbed them and then straightened up. He'd already sustained a number of wounds in the underground fighting, and though they'd been patched up and sealed, they still slowed him down. He looked about his position to see a number of the prisoners broken and twisted. Scores of Star Legion soldiers moved in around them, but instead of shooting, they were using blades and bayonets to finish off the wounded. Smoke and dust surrounded this group, giving the impression of a small, separate event from everything else going on.

  "Khan?"

  Spartan blinked again, and then found a number of the soldiers moving away to make room for a large squad of the gold-coloured warriors. Their tall helmets and purple cloaks marked them out as an elite unit, perhaps even a bodyguard. They passed the nose of a burning transport ship and stopped in front of Spartan. Dust cleared a little, and he could see all manner of machines fighting on the horizon, as well as the familiar smoke trails of missiles and rockets.

  "Just like old times."

  He was not scared or even worried. That ship had passed years ago. But he did want to know where his friends were.

  "Khan!"

  Somebody grunted nearby, and then a decapitated head
flew past him from the right. He looked in the direction of the thrower and found Khan, Olik, Wictred, and four mercenaries fighting. All were bloodied from the fall, and they hacked away with some of the gold-coloured weapons that lay scattered on the floor. A Helion mercenary stumbled forwards and fell to the floor, with multiple puncture wounds to his chest.

  "Spartan. Every single citizen will see what carnage you brought here today."

  Right away Spartan knew it was Tenskwatawa speaking. He turned slowly to his right, facing off against the old, wizened leader and his entourage. There were easily fifty of them, all beautifully attired and armed with ancient-looking bladed weapons. To their flanks were two more conventional units, each double in size and pointing their rifles directly at the prisoners.

  "Surrender, and we end this, now."

  Spartan shook his head slowly, and then spun the blades in front of him. Khan moved alongside him, with Wictred and a limping Olik to his left. Each looked like some barbaric animal from a terrifying mythological tale. What remained of their clothes was filthy and ragged, while blood dripped from multiple wounds.

  "You are alone on this world. Your friends are outnumbered, and even now being annihilated from the sky. You have no..."

  A shape crashed down between the group; followed by another much bigger machine, sending a cloud of dust scattering all around them. As it cleared, the shape of a mighty JAS suit appeared, and it did not seem bothered about negotiating. The second shape straightened up to nearly twice the JAS suit and flexed its shoulder muscles.

  "A Biomech?" Spartan said, incredulously.

  Tenskwatawa and his unit stepped back, creating open space between them and Spartan's dwindling group. Some of the soldiers panicked and turned to run, only to find Tenskwatawa's honour guard pointing their guns at them. He barked orders, and his men opened fire, cutting down those that even considered fleeing. He then waved an arm and shouted something else. A great cheer rang out, and then out of the dust came the horde. With the dust, Spartan couldn't see them, but now hundreds upon hundreds of the Technophobes came at them.

  "Protect them!" said the Biomech.

  Mantlet plates extended out from the JAS suit, creating extra protection as they stood their ground. Advanced plasma cannons opened up, and a dozen soldiers tore apart. The Jötnar twisted left and right, blazing away with these guns. These were the latest model plasma weapons, much like those used by Spartan, and the results were truly horrific. Tenskwatawa shouted something in his own tongue, moving from view as hundred of ivory-coloured soldiers stepped in front of him to form a shield.

  The Technophobes hit like a wave crashing over the small group of fighters, and for a few seconds, it seemed as though all were lost. Then came the screams, and the blood as those that remained turned into something terrible, almost demonic. Tenskwatawa stopped and watched in horror as Spartan and the others hacked and slashed their foes apart in vast numbers. The new JAS armoured Jötnar cut down soldiers in groups, but it was the Biomech that truly filled them all with fear. It didn't use a single firearm, but emitted such a terrifying scream it almost melted the minds of those that heard it. It then stepped into the crowd, crushing those in its path, or swinging its powerful arms and cutting people apart with little effort. In less than a minute, more than three hundred Technophobes lay dead or wounded, and half that number of Star Empire soldiers soon joined them.

  Tenskwatawa called to his honour guard who formed around him and his bodyguard. They rallied in a compact unit and lifted small circular shields in front of them. They started to move backwards, one step at a time towards the nearest gunship. Spartan saw what they were doing and shouted out to any that would listen.

  "Stop Tenskwatawa!"

  A trio of honour guard soldiers rushed him, and one slashed Spartan's left arm with a razor sharp blade. It cut in deep, sending blood flying. Spartan grabbed the back of the blade, pulled it to his side, and then pushed back, catching the soldier in the throat with his own weapon. Another blade headed for his face, but Spartan was awake and filled with rage now. He hacked one arm off with a perfect slash, and then cut upwards so that he caught the next soldier in the chin. More blood sprayed across his body. No matter how many he killed, more took their place in front of him, buying time for Tenskwatawa to withdraw. He was already on the ramp leading up into the beautifully designed Ma'heen assault gunship.

  "Khan!"

  They pushed hard, and even managed to make it to the bottom of the ramp, but not before Tenskwatawa was already halfway up. Spartan was sure he could see the Governor of Melantias ahead of him and nearly inside. Two soldiers blocked Spartan's path, and for a moment he lost sight of Tenskwatawa. He took the head off the first, and then shoulder barged the second out of the way to find himself on the ramp, facing off against his hated foe.

  "Stay there!"

  Spartan paused, and then stopped at seeing the one thing that could slow him. A number of bodies lay on the ramp. Two wore Black Widows armour. In front of Tenskwatawa, and with a blade to her throat, was a wounded Syala. Spartan found himself frozen. He'd lost every woman he'd ever loved, and seeing her there left him paralyzed like never before.

  "One more step, and your female will..."

  A metal blade appeared in the middle of Tenskwatawa's forehead, and he slumped forward, crashing onto the ramp. Behind him stood Arana, her own armour now saturated in blood.

  "Well...I'll be damned," Spartan said quietly.

  A handful of the honour guard moved to attack them, but Khan and the others were already there, and made short work of them. Spartan signalled for Governor Nak Sekieki to be brought to him.

  "Send the signal to stop the fighting."

  The Byotai acted as though he didn't understand, but Syala was already there and placed a blade against his throat. She cut into the flesh, enough to draw blood, but no more.

  "Do it, or join Tenskwatawa!"

  Spartan grinned and walked up to the overweight Byotai. Spartan was the exact opposite, a muscular warrior, barely identifiable due to the amount of blood over his body. The old governor muttered something, and then reached for a communication device. He uttered just three words and dropped to his knees, pleading or begging. Spartan wasn't interested. Arana and Syala moved down the ramp, and each threw an arm around him. They continued down to the bottom where as the dust cleared more of the Star Empire soldiers and Technophobes got to see a Biomech for the first time. A few dozen threw down their weapons, and then the numbers turned to the hundreds.

  Spartan nodded his head towards the blood splattered mercenaries and Jötnar. He moved closer and stopped before the new arrival, resplendent in his advanced and oversized armour. The head plate slid open and revealed a face he'd not seen in a long, long time.

  "Gun, you lazy bastard. You finally made it here."

  Gun laughed loudly, and then braced himself as his Jötnar kin grabbed or struck him. He was more than just the most famous of all the Jötnar. He was something of a legend among his people. And now he'd fallen from the sky, like some avenging fury.

  "So, you came after all."

  Gun smiled happily; glad to be once more among friends. Wictred, Olik, and Khan each formed around him. The massive Biomech strode into view.

  "And I think you've met Z'Kanthu before."

  Spartan nearly choked.

  "What?"

  The machine paused alongside Gun, and then froze.

  "Greetings, Spartan. If it would be acceptable to you, do not kill me again."

  Spartan shook his head in sheer amazement.

  "It's damned good to see you again, old man."

  The dust had nearly completely cleared, and all around them were burning buildings, ships, and bodies. Clan warriors of Nakoma, plus the new arrivals moved through the city, looking for holdouts.

  "So, what happens to Karnak now?" Syala asked.

  Spartan shrugged, nodding towards the shadowy figure of Uktakki the Black who'd just materialised from the maelstrom of the bat
tle. He moved closer, removing his goggles and faceplate to show a scarred and burnt Byotai face.

  "Ask him," said Spartan.

  All eyes turned to the hardened and slightly confused warrior. And he spoke in his own language, Spartan looked to Khan, but he also shrugged. Z'Kanthu had little difficulty in understanding, though.

  "He wants to know what you asked him."

  "Ah," said Spartan, "My lovely friend here would like to know what happens to Karnak now? You have clearing up to do, and somehow have to integrate everybody that's left. Your people, the clan warriors, all of them."

  Uktakki listened to the machine as it translated, and then looked behind him at what little remained of the city. He looked back to Spartan and smiled for the first time ever. Explosions continued to ripple through the city, and before Uktakki could speak, one of the few remaining tall buildings came crashing down in a great booming thud. Uktakki laughed and pointed his customised rifle at Spartan.

  "Leave it to us, Spartan. Your work here is done."

  Spartan moved away, with his arms around Syala and Arana, while the sounds of battle continued behind them. Gun waited patiently, with his entourage of heavily armed warriors standing around him, and panting from the exertions of their battle. Spartan paused in front of his old friend and smiled. Gun looked at the two beautiful women on each of his arms and shook his head. Both were battered from the fighting, and blood still dripped from Syala's armour.

  "This is the only way the war for this planet could end, isn't it?"

  Syala feigned insult.

  "How so?"

  Gun nodded towards Spartan.

  "Thousands dead, the capital burning, and my friend Spartan here with a woman on each arm."

  Z'Kanthu moved with them, and even as the occasional shot whistled overhead he spoke as though out for a stroll in the garden.

  "The regional war is over. I have seen communications traffic from your High Command. They are not standing away from this fight anymore."

  "Really?" said Gun. "Like we can use their help now."