“Now!” cried Lieutenant Rossen.
The flanking fire from the two marines slammed into the four nearest Helions. Normally, the magnetized projectiles would slam their way through armor, but in this case, they ripped holes into the unprotected torsos of the enemy. A dozen rounds each pulverized the four before they hit the ground. Hunn threw his carbine at the first of the Helions who caught it as if merely as a reaction. The great warrior jumped at them, and they panicked. A Biomech was a terrifying foe to face, but Hunn was more than that, he was one of the greatest and more aggressive Jötnar. His left fist smashed the face of the first while the second vanished off the edge of the building from nothing more than a powerful shove.
“Stop!” cried one of the last two.
Thai Qiu-Li thrust her bayoneted carbine into his back, and he fell down onto his stomach, calling out in his own tongue. Now there was just one, and he dropped his weapon, facing the three marines with nothing but confusion showing on his face.
“You are to surrender to us,” he said firmly.
Rossen moved in front of him, lifting her carbine as if to stab him.
“Stop…”
With that, she slammed the butt of her carbine right into his chest. He staggered back a step, desperately trying to stay upright. This incensed her even more, and with another blow hit him under the chin. This time he slipped and fell to the ground unconscious.
“…using our language!”
The first group was out of action, but the flickering lights from inside showed more were coming up, and now they knew exactly where the marines were. Lieutenant Rossen wiped the sweat from her face and moved to the entrance.
“You ready?”
Thai Qiu-Li and Hunn both nodded quickly. Finally, the Lieutenant had found what she needed from deep inside. She took a short but deep breath and took her first step forward.
“Don’t stop till we hit the bottom.”
Her voice was calm and collected, as if on parade. She was the first to move. Hunn and Thai Qiu-Li were right behind her, all carrying their carbines low and in front of them. As the light rushed up, they were met with the screams of the marines and the stabbing of steel against flesh. It was the first time the Helions had fought the Alliance in battle, and the result was a resounding defeat for them. As the humans burst through their assailants, they continued onward and down into the building, chasing the fleeing and terrified Helions as they went.
CHAPTER NINE
The shape of the Alliance was something few could ever have guessed just a century ago. There were some in the twenty-first century that surmised Titan or perhaps Mars might be our final destination. Who could have even dreamt that humanity would explode from the exhausted worlds of the Solar System to Alpha Centauri, Epsilon Eridani, Gliese 876, and Procyon? The great prize of Helion and a billion worlds out in the far reaches of the Orion Nebula would shape the thoughts and dreams of humanity for millennia to come.
Musings on the Alliance
Jack waited at the open door on the lowest level and looked out into the street. The fog and dust had returned, leaving a thick and confused layer drifting at different heights around their building. Although it was located next to the one they’d started in, the lowest level covered an entire block, and the doorway was on the side furthest from that structure. He looked to his right and back in the direction of the crashed Alliance ship. At least he thought that was where it was because the mist had blocked off that part of the street. Only a few of the buildings to the right showed through the mist. He could see no further than a hundred meters, and it surprised him that he couldn’t see the ground but could spot the tops of tall buildings in just a few directions.
Which way did she say? he asked himself, forgetting Salene was behind him.
The trip down from the top floor had disorientated them all, and it wasn’t helped by the fact the debris and damaged buildings looked the same in every direction. Wictred sniffed the air and pointed off to their left.
“That way.”
Jack made to move as suggested by Wictred, but Salene stopped and touched his arm. He wanted to move, but her arm held him back.
“What?”
“How does he know?”
Wictred grinned, his large teeth gleaming at her. He pointed behind her. Jack said nothing and looked where he was pointing.
“That way smells of burned ship. We go in the opposite direction.”
The sound of more vehicles caught their attention as two eight-wheeled vehicles rushed past and toward where Lieutenant Rossen and the others were presumably still trapped. A third moved past the building and stopped between them both, blocking off any chance they might have to reach them. The motorized turrets moved left and right as the occupants searched for their quarry.
“What about the others?”
A burst of heavy weapons fire tore into the wall and continued until striking their open doorway. Jack and Salene threw themselves to the floor. Wictred ducked back inside to avoid the projectiles. Behind it came another group of the Animosh rushing down both sides of the street. The screech of Riders came from above them, and yet another of the heavy aircraft landed half a kilometer away to disgorge further warriors.
“They have us on the three sides. If we don’t break out to that habitation block, and fast, we’ll be trapped here.”
Wictred nodded in agreement from the shadows of the doorway.
“I agree. Hunn can look after them for now. If we turn back, we’ll be surrounded as well, and then we’ll be screwed. We can come back for them later.”
Wictred leaned out to look at the dark buildings in the distance. He scratched his head for the briefest of moments.
“Remember what the Lieutenant said, we have to get Salene to the habitation area. But why? Who is there?”
Salene might have kept quiet, but the stern looks from the two of them seemed to dissuade her from staying silent. She glanced and spoke quietly.
“The Zathee resistance is mobilizing for an assault on the capital. This information is needed by their leader.”
She held the small unit that had more in common with a chunk of Onyx than an electronic device. It was about the size of a chicken egg and could easily have been mistaken for a stone, if it were not the disc of glowing blue beads running around its widest point. They flickered, instantly betraying some form of power source from within.
“What is it?” asked Wictred. The light reflected in his eyes and caught the attention of Salene. Jack grabbed her, shaking her to get attention.
“We don’t have time for this. Another minute, and we’ll become a permanent part of this place.”
He leaned out and glanced to the left and then to the right.
“Okay, follow me and keep low!”
Jack didn’t even check they were with him but crept out of the doorway and rushed along the side street to the next building. This one was much smaller and looked almost intact. It was made from the same black stone material, and its windows appeared undamaged. He moved right past it and then turned left, toward the cover offered by some kind of engineering works. Gantries and metal walkways ran like a maze in every direction, and the site reached nearly five stories in height. Only then did he look over his shoulder to see the others right behind him.
Good, we might even make this!
He jumped over a metal fence and landed within the industrial site. In seconds, Jack was in amongst the rusted metal, covered in every direction with barriers and metal plating. Wictred’s steps were loud enough for him to hear, and he could only hope Salene was behind him. He moved on as fast as he could without crashing into the many obstructions in his way. As he pushed his way through, he began to notice the dark shapes of people moving through the cover.
Keep going!
He broke out into an opening just as a pair of Animosh Riders whooshed overhead. The ducted fans sent dust and grit in all directions. The sound at that distance was of a loud roar, created by the powerful powerplant loc
ated immediately beneath the Riders. Jack ignored them and leapt ahead to make it to the next section of the site. A gantry hung down low and he ran for it. A hand reached out and pulled him into the shadows. He tried to cry out, but the cold hand covered his mouth. His automatic reaction was to grab for his bayonet but another figure held his hands firmly.
“Keep still!” said Salene from a short distance behind him.
Jack exhaled through his teeth in frustration. He could hear Wictred snarling, but Salene was whispering to him, her voice quiet enough that he couldn’t hear her. The Riders remained above the opening and hovering nearly thirty meters off the ground. A yellow beam of light extended from below and stabbed into the shadows, revealing the cowering forms of Helions. The beam darted about before finally switching off. The first Rider powered up his engine and the second followed suit. They lifted up and above the clearing, accelerating away and back toward the crashed Alliance ship.
“Let me go,” Jack snapped. With a push, he forced himself away from whoever was holding him. He was surprised to see the dirt-covered face of two female Helions, both wrapped in worn and roughly patched clothing. Salene spoke with them gently, and they answered with even quieter voices. Another person moved out of the darkness. This time it was definitely a man, and he wore a tattered tunic with a gray bandolier running across his chest. Jack spotted the weapon in his arms, immediately grabbed his carbine, and aimed it directly at his chest.
“Back off!”
Salene stepped between them, interrupting both their lines of sight.
“Out of the way!” he snarled, but she refused to move.
Now Wictred stepped out toward Jack, lifting his left hand with the palm facing him. It was a simple gesture and easily understood.
“Stand down,” he said calmly.
Jack didn’t like it and lowered his carbine’s sight slowly and carefully. He made sure the weapon was ready to be used in case his friend was wrong.
I don’t trust any of them, he thought angrily.
Salene said a few more words and cast a knowing look at Jack.
“They are Zathee. News is spreading of our arrival.”
That caught him by surprise, and he finally lowered his weapon and stepped closer to the Helions.
“Our arrival? What do you mean?”
Salene pointed up to the sky.
“The state media has announced our deaths already. Zathee rebels killed us, and your people are helping hunt down those responsible. The Zathee resistance is going to ground.”
Wictred grabbed Jack’s arm.
“We have to get somewhere safe, or we’re dead.”
Salene nodded furiously.
“He’s right. The habitation block looks strong from here, and we might even be able to get a signal to command.”
The man with the weapon moved away from them and to the edge of the cover. He pulled out a device from his jacket, lifted it to his eyes, and scanned the horizon. It took nearly ten seconds before he stopped and called over to Salene. She spoke to Jack and Wictred.
“It’s clear. His name is Crussk, and he’ll take us to the block.”
Jack leaned back slightly.
“Who is he? Why do you think you can trust him?”
The Zathee obviously couldn’t understand what they were saying, but he did understand their concerns. He pulled his tunic down to show his neckline. There was a tattoo emblazoned on the side of his throat. Jack examined it and shrugged.
“So what?”
Salene spoke three words to him and then explained.
“This is the mark of the political prison deep under the capital buildings. No Helion should ever be seen outside of the prison with this mark. He is a rebel, and he can be trusted.”
Jack looked to Wictred who had nothing useful to add.
“Great,” said Jack.
He resigned himself to moving out of the shadows and looked in the direction they needed to go.
“Tell him to lead, and we’ll follow. If there’s any funny business…well.”
He lifted his carbine and tapped his left hand on the muzzle.
“You know what happens.”
* * *
Lieutenant Rossen slipped in another magazine and altered the shooting mode to full power. The vibration was slight but detectible through the polymer housing before it settled down. Now ready, she looked around their current position and for anything that could be used to their advantage. The ground floor of the building the marines had first entered was shattered in every conceivable way. Windows were gone and gashes visible on every wall. The open foyer led to a large hole where the entrance had once been. The staircase was the least damaged, but it still showed signs of the battle the marines had fought to reach this point. Bodies from two dozen Animosh lay broken about them, yet still they stood and controlled the lower levels.
“Right, that didn’t work now, did it?” said Lieutenant Rossen.
Thai Qiu-Li slipped in another magazine, checked her carbine, and moved to the wall on the right. She took aim with her weapon and waited patiently for the next phase of their fight. Hunn stood in the middle of the floor, just in front of the staircase where he had the best view of the entire level.
“Well, we’ve broken out of the building, but more of them will come. We can’t get out now,” he said with almost no emotion in his voice.
“Yes, I’m aware of that little revelation.”
Lieutenant Rossen kept low and moved to the hole where the entrance had once been. As soon as she reached the frame, a burst of thermal rounds slammed into the stone with a fearsome hissing sound. She jerked back to the safety inside.
“We need a new plan.”
“The General, we need to get a message to him somehow. We have to stop this fighting. The Helions can’t want a war with us? You’ve seen their warriors!” Thai Qiu-Li suggested, throwing a disparaging look at the fallen Animosh.
The Lieutenant sighed with frustration.
“If I could, I would.”
She threw the device over to Thai Qiu-Li. She only just caught if before it might have struck the far wall. The display showed a dozen objects in the sky that represented the Alliance dispositions prior to them dropping out of orbit. The small icon for each shipped showed up as a red error circle.
“See,” Lieutenant Rossen continued, “My signal has been completely jammed. All we have left is the line-of-sight laser system for reaching them in orbit. That will only work if we know exactly where our ships are, and I don’t. Hell, the Helions might have driven them all away by now, not that we can tell from down here.”
She pointed out to the brown colored haze covering the site.
“We can’t even see the sky from here.”
The three stayed silent, but Hunn spoke up.
“What about General Rivers, isn’t he on the surface with the commanders of the 17th for military demonstrations?”
Lieutenant Rossen smiled grimly.
“Yes, I know. The local and wide-band transceiver is completely blocked. All I can tell is that there is one hell of a major power source where those Animosh aircraft and vehicles are positioned.”
Thai Qiu-Li thought about it but only for a few seconds.
“So they brought jamming equipment here specifically to keep this area blocked off. You know what that means?”
Hunn laughed, “That we’re screwed?”
“Well, that,” replied Thai Qiu-Li, “Plus, don’t forget that even the Helions can’t block out all our communications. I bet General Rivers and the others are in contact with our ships. If we can reach them, they could contact our forces down here and do something to help. Maybe get them to pull back?”
Hunn actually seemed interested in this last part.
“Commander Gun is with him. When he learns of what’s going on, he’ll sack the entire city to find us. You haven’t seen him when he’s angry. Trust me, they will back down if they piss him off, unless they want to see Helios burn.”
&nbs
p; Lieutenant Rossen seemed less than enthralled at the prospect of some kind of total war, however. Though far less experienced in violent situations than Hunn, she knew well what the implications would be between Helios and the Alliance. They’d only just met, and it was the possibility of a resurgent Biomech enemy that was forcing them to create a rushed military pact of sorts.
Risk of violence! What exactly have we been doing for the last fifteen minutes? she laughed inwardly.
Thai Qiu-Li tossed the secpad back to the Lieutenant and checked outside from her position for signs of the enemy. With just three of them in there, it would be relatively easy to be surprised or overwhelmed if they were not completely ready for what was to come. As she looked out, she spotted something she hadn’t noticed before.
“LT, do you remember seeing those lights?”
Hunn moved ever so slowly from his position, leaned around the side of the wall and out of the shattered entrance towards the lights.
“Could be ships coming down low.”
Thai Qiu-Li shook her head.
“No, I don’t think so. Look at them.”
She was right. The red lights were completely stationary and only flickered and disappeared when sufficient dust, smoke, cloud, or fog got in the way. They continued watching until finally a dark shape could just about be made out. It was a tall structure, perhaps thirty or more stories high, and certainly the tallest building around them.
“Okay, it’s a building,” said Lieutenant Rossen.
“Yes, but not just a building. It’s the tallest thing around here, and look how close it is to the clouds. I bet if we could reach it and move to the higher levels above the cloud, we could get a burst transmission to the fleet.”
Lieutenant Rossen put her forehead into the palm of her right hand and closed her eyes. The stress and confusion of their situation was starting to wear her down. Hunn could see that and decided to continue on Thai Qiu-Li’s line of thought.
Star Crusades Nexus: Book 03 - Heroes of Helios Page 15