Triton: The Descendants War Book 1

by John Walker

  They were not even five minutes into the walk when blaster fire caught his attention. The energy weapons discharged from up the hill to their left, a steep incline that would’ve been hell to have to climb. The three of them moved into cover. Alon leaned out to get a look. The shots weren’t coming their way but rather some two hundred yards off.

  “We must’ve found the people we’re here for,” Tiller said. “Unless these guys really want an alien turkey.”

  “Stow that,” Vesper replied. “I’m picking up serious life readings but they’re garbled from all the particulates in the air. This place is seriously contaminated by radiation.”

  “Human?” Alon asked.

  “Besides the rest of our crew,” Vesper said, “looks like two more.”

  “Okay.” Alon reached out to Gunny. “I’m assuming you have them on scan?”

  “We’re converging now,” Gunny said. “Looking at your position, I want you to flank from your side. Move at… two eight three degrees north. That’ll take you up the hill and should give you a reasonable firing arc. Be sure you’ve got cover. These guys are going to shoot back. I guarantee it.”

  “Come on.” Alon directed the others to follow him as he stayed low, hustling up the hill. The soft ground gave way under every footfall, making him sink a good two inches. This slowed them down but not significantly. The others called they were in position ahead of them. Another fifteen seconds put them where they needed to be.

  A tree and a fair sized boulder provided them with some natural cover. It would have to do though the wood would likely go up as soon as it was hit by any sort of weapon fire. Won’t matter when we start throwing it back. He had a vision of the whole forest burning, a terrible fate considering how long it likely lasted without such destruction.

  At least from an unnatural source.

  “Take aim,” Alon said. “We’re in position, Gunny. Ready to go when you are.” The enemy continued shooting at someone, really laying down some heavy fire. From his vantage, he finally got a view of one of them as they made their way slowly down the steep decline. They managed to stay upright, planting every footstep deliberately.

  When they start taking fire, we’ll see if they don’t drop.

  Gunny reached out to the archaeologist, told him to get ready to run. That meant the action was about to begin. Alon took a deep breath, letting his HUD paint a reticle on the head of his target. After four seconds of observation, it provided a recommended firing pattern to lead the man, to improve his chances to score a hit.

  “I can’t believe this stuff!” Tiller muttered. “You see the information this helmet provides, Ves? Seriously, this is nuts!”

  “Stow it,” Alon grunted. “Stay focused. Pick a target and wait.”

  Five seconds more… they dragged on for too long, an eternity sitting there as the enemy continued firing at civilians. Alon’s finger itched. He drew a breath, steadying himself despite a growing desire to start the fight at that moment. They’ll do it soon enough. Relax. Gunny knows what he’s doing.

  Beams belched from the trees onto the hill, chipping away at the areas around the encroaching Kahl. Alon’s chest flared up with a tingle, a shock that it all happened so quickly. He opened fire, calling out for the others to do the same. The target he’d been tracking took the blow to the helmet, dropping him to his side.

  The man rolled several feet, slowing his descent by digging his hands into the dirt. Alon chased him with shots, finally catching him with two shots to the chest and side. Life signs in his HUD showed minimal. The target may not have died, but he was out of the fight for the moment.

  The enemy returned fire on the different positions blasting at them. Trees lit up, bursting into flames. Enough of them caught to cast an orange glow over the battlefield. Wood snapped in the fires, their crackles competing with the gunfire and muffled shouts from the various soldiers engaged in combat.

  “Got one!” Tiller shouted. “Nailed him!”

  Their opponents were out en force, at least a dozen of them on the hillside taking cover to compete in the shootout. Several bodies littered the ground, mostly from the Kahl who had ventured out into the open in pursuit of the archaeologists. Some writhed about, left there to suffer while others remained still, smoldering from their wounds.

  “Alon!” Gunny’s rough voice burst through the speakers in his helmet, making him wince. “Take your crew up the hill! Flush those sons of bitches out.”

  “Come on!” Alon nudged Tiller. “Both of you, on me!” He hustled up the hill, pushing to move fast. Sinking into the dirt along with the elevation made it hard. The armor compensated, enriching the oxygen in his helmet. That helped but after ten quick paces, his legs started complaining.

  “Contact!” Tiller shouted, firing to their right. Alon followed the flicker, watching dirt fly in the air, a tree catch, and one of the enemy dance away from his cover while shooting back. The random shots went high.

  Alon called for his people to get low as he blasted the target in the chest. That blow knocked the victim backward onto the hill. He maintained a hold on his weapon, planting his elbows to remain in one place.

  The Kahl took aim… Alon found himself practically staring at the barrel. He adjusted, preparing to finish the target off, when three beams splashed into the prone target, making him jerk before he went still.

  Vesper and Tiller rushed past him, moving up the hill as if they were mountain goats. They didn’t even slow down, casting shots to the right as they ran. Alon struggled to keep up. He hadn’t thought he was so out of shape but watching them made him feel positively ancient. They dug in behind a log, laying down a barrage of fire.

  As Alon joined them, he stared at a contingency of Kahl soldiers near the top of the hill. They stood far enough back to avoid being shot by the people at the very bottom. Blasting them isn’t exactly part of the plan. There was no point in saying so at that moment. The soldiers took cover after two went down but they weren’t being flushed into the open for the others.

  They directed their attention to the three people flanking them.

  “So…” Alon spoke for the whole team to hear, “there’s probably no one else on the hill to worry about but at the top, I made out twelve targets.” Their cover took a couple blasts. Fortunately, the log was wet so it didn’t ignite immediately. That wouldn’t last. The next two or three would tear it up.

  “Make a tactical withdrawal,” Gunny said. “We can’t support you, really, but we’ll lay down some fire up the hill.”

  Friendly fire tore up the lip of the drop. Alon swept his weapon from left to right, forcing the Kahl to shatter. “Move!” He shouted, gesturing down the hill. “Double-time it!” Vesper and Tiller rose, blasting away a couple times before proceeding. The log caught fire. The enemy started in on them again.

  Alon dove to the ground, crawling a good ten feet before reclaiming his feet. Moving down the hill proved treacherous, especially when attempting to do so quickly. He struggled not to take a tumble, grabbing trees as he passed them by to bolster his balance. The others didn’t seem to have any trouble.

  I can’t wait to find out where these kids grew up!

  Alon cursed as he tripped on a root, tumbling forward. His shoulder planted in the dirt, his feet went over his head as he lost control of his descent. A heavy blow struck him in the back. He couldn’t tell if it was a rock or a laser blast. Reading the HUD became impossible as his vision blurred.

  A strong hand steadied him. Vesper dragged him behind a rock, propping him against it. “You okay, sir?”

  “I’m good.” Alon shook off some dizziness, checking the integrity of his armor. The blow had been a blast from one the enemy, a solid blow. Damn it! It had been an incredible shot too since he’d been moving pretty fast. A quick scan of his weapon proved it was fine as well. “Gunny, we’re down.”

  “We’re on our way to you!” Gunny replied. “Be ready to move. We’re on our way to a solid LZ.”

  Providing Andrews
deals with the enemy shuttle, Alon thought. Leaving the area would prove much more exciting than Gunny made it sound. At least we have a fighting chance. That’s more than Krinden and the others had.

  ***

  Lysa cried out as someone grabbed her from behind. She struggled against them until she heard their words, soothing her… human words. Kyle had been secured to her left. They were ushered behind the armored soldiers, given some cover while the firefight continued, this time beam weapon to beam weapon.

  She made her way to Kyle, hugging him tightly. They remained behind a tall boulder, huddling together. “What the hell is going on?” She asked. “Who are these guys?”

  “You don’t recognize the armor?” Kyle asked. “It’s ours… but different.”

  “Newer,” Lysa added. “Holy crap… I can’t believe… this is how they made it in time? Advanced tech? But why waste it on saving us? Why… why come all the way out here?”

  “I’m not giving that gift horse a moment’s notice,” Kyle replied. “We’re going to make it! I know it now.”

  I hope, Lysa thought. The fight didn’t last long before two soldiers came around the way, grabbing them each by the arm.

  “Let’s move!” one shouted. “Get your asses running!” He gestured. “That way! Go! Go! Go!”

  Lysa picked up the pace, hustling with Kyle directly to her left. All the aches and pains in her body gave way to adrenaline. She knew if they were running, the fight was still on. The enemy remained in pursuit and if they didn’t hurry, they’d likely still be killed. Optimism hovered in the back of her mind, but she retained a touch of pessimism.

  We thought we got away once. This time, we need to make good our escape. There won’t be a third chance.

  Chapter 14

  Titus clung to his chair, watching the viewscreen intently as they raced away from the enemy. Drawing them off from the planet’s surface had been the first priority to save the others. The fact it turned into a chase didn’t surprise him but he needed a safe way to break it off, to get around and give them another shot from their main cannons.

  Renz’s pilot had proved capable. They showered blasts down on the Triton. Jane’s evasive maneuvers saved them from some of the attacks though several managed to get through. The blows ranged from tremors to solid enough to cause real tremors throughout the vessel but still their defenses held.

  Enough of these vessels and we can compete in this war.

  “Medical’s on the line,” Violet said, “Ronin’s physically unharmed, sir.”

  “Acknowledge and move on,” Titus replied. “Jane, we need some distance. Divert power from the weapons to the engines. I want a burst of speed sufficient enough to pull ahead.”

  I have to test these bastards. Make them push their systems to the limit. With them in pursuit, they had to keep up and constantly lay down fire.

  The combination should’ve put them at a disadvantage.

  “Okay,” Jane said, “here we go. I’m dumping power in three… two… one… now!” The ship lurched forward, thrusting Titus back into his seat. He strained against the suddenness of it as the artificial gravity caught up. The pressure eased as the HUD showed their distance increasing though only slightly.

  I can’t have us spin around or they might ram us. “Rhys, word from the surface yet?”

  “They’re engaged with the enemy,” Rhys said, “but making their way to an LZ extraction. The pilot’s involved in an altercation as well so things might be delayed somewhat. I’m pressuring them… however, they’re doing their best.”

  “Did they get the packages?”

  “Yes, the archaeologists are secure,” Rhys said. “They’re in one piece and moving of their own accord.”

  “Great news.” Titus checked their distance. “Jane, maneuvering thrusters. Spin us around. Allow momentum to carry us while we return fire.”

  “That’s… going to be pretty intense,” Jane warned. “Firing maneuvering thrusters now.”

  “Hold on,” Titus muttered.

  The ship complained, engines whining as the ship spun around entirely too fast. Titus’s head spun, his vision went dark for a moment before the maneuvering thrusters slowed them down. Suddenly, they were facing the enemy ship. Jane fired, discharging the main cannons into the enemy bow.

  A direct hit made them veer up and away, causing them to take another two volleys to the belly.

  “Enemy defenses down to forty percent after that,” Violet announced. “Even with our decreased weapon power. But they are really moving away!”

  “Get after them,” Titus ordered. “Are they on an exit course?”

  “They’re veering,” Violet said, “seemingly toward the planet, but… I don’t have a course heading quite yet.”

  The Triton turned, taking on a pursuit course. As they gave chase, bright lights appeared on the surface of their target, racing toward them. “Evasive!” He called. “Quick!” Two of the lights passed them by as two more slammed into their side. The resulting crash made the lights go down for a moment though the consoles all remained solid.

  “Report,” Rhys called, “what were those?”

  “Some kind of projectile,” Violet said. “Best description, an energy torpedo of some kind. Forward shields took the brunt. We’re down to forty percent there. Side and rear are at sixty percent. Recharge is not kicking on. I’ll find out why.”

  “Why’d they only pull those out now?” Rhys asked.

  Titus explained, “The first time a Kahl engages a new enemy, they use the bare minimum in an effort to show they dominated their opponent with ease. That’s what the database said.”

  “I guess we’ve got them worried,” Rhys muttered. “How do we fend those off?”

  “Maneuvers and shields,” Titus said. “They can’t rocket those things off too fast so we have a moment.”

  “What’s next?”

  Titus hummed. “Give us a quick hit on the rear maneuvering thrusters. When we line up, take a stab with main cannons then follow up with the mass drivers.” He turned to Rhys as he prepped for the maneuver. “I’m trying to reserve the ammunition for reducing their shields lower but I feel like it would be a wise decision to see how they react.”

  “Seems sound,” Rhys replied. “What’s the theory?”

  “That our secondary weapons are useless until we can get to the hull.” Titus tensed up as the ship’s rear moved, making it feel like they’d hit a patch of ice.

  Jane tapped the weapons, blasting the target. One of the main cannons hit followed but a steady burst of bullets. Sparks danced across the rear section of Renz’s ship, tiny dots along the shields. The HUD told them what they needed to know: those weapons had no effect, but that cannon hit… that gave them a good nudge.

  “They’re still ahead on defenses,” Violet said. “We’re having a hard time dishing out enough damage to close the deal.”

  Titus sighed. “Where the hell is the Brekka?” He waved his hand. “Don’t worry about that. Keep scanning the target. Jane, keep us on this course. We can…”

  “Sir!” Jane interrupted. “Look!”

  Renz’s vessel pulled a tight corner, swooping downward. Their weapons lit up as they came close. The Triton veered hard away in an effort to evade. A series of blasts hit them on the bottom, impacts big enough to make the vibrating deck painful on his feet. He gritted his teeth as they finished the pass.

  “What the hell…”

  “Damage to the lower section,” Violet said, “shields dropped to fifteen percent, meaning some of that impact went through. We’ve got a small breach. Force fields are in place. Engineering said they will have that sealed in five minutes or so. To be fair, we avoided a lot of their frontal assault. That was primarily turret fighter.”

  “That’s not good news.” Titus rubbed his eyes. “Okay. We need time for the people on the surface to get up here.” This is deja vu. “They won’t answer, but hail them, Violet.” He tapped his chin. This next bit will be tricky. I’ll have t
o phrase this very carefully. “Tell them we wish to discuss terms of surrender.”

  “You’re hoping they think we want to surrender?” Rhys asked. “That they’ll accept it?”

  “Actually, I’m going to give them a chance to do that,” Titus said, “but as long as they pick up the comm, I don’t care what they think. Distance to target?”

  “They’ve pulled just out of range,” Jane said. “I can close quickly enough.”

  “No,” Titus replied. “Give us a chance to do some recharging. I think we know what to do to finish this off. Be ready to ignite engines on my mark.” He leaned forward, waiting for Violet. Conversation won’t happen but at least we’ll try. Then we pop back in there for another round. Where are you, Griel? I swore you’d be here by now.

  ***

  Tiller took up the rear with Vesper and Alon. Their archaeologist VIPs made decent time despite all they’d been through. He figured they’d have to be carried off the planet. Despite all the shooting, neither of them acted particularly freaked out. That surprised him as well.

  I wonder what their deal is.

  They made their way along the stream toward a supposed clearing well ahead. Trees provided reasonable cover from a flanked assault, meaning the troops they saw earlier needed to come down the hill to get at them. It wouldn’t take them long if they were determined. As a result, Tiller had to keep a sharp eye behind them.

  Scans picked up though they remained shaky with the interference. He figured they worked better because they moved away from the site where the explosion went off. If the detonation happened underground, he had no idea how far it might spread on the surface but maybe they didn’t have too far to go to be out of its influence.

  “Where the hell is Andrews?” Hans called out. “We should at least hear him by now!”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Gunny replied. “Spread out more, men! You’re too tightly grouped!”

  Tiller gave himself a good eight feet from Vesper and slowed down to let the rest of their unit pull ahead of him. Scans showed several blips on fast approach. They were nearly to the bottom of that steep decline, less than twenty yards from the stream. He took cover behind a particularly large tree, taking aim.