"You guys are looking absolutely bad ass!" said Private Jackson.
"Watch your mouth, Private," snapped Sergeant Nál.
Jackson went silent, not even daring to open his mouth after that short dressing down by the Sergeant. Nobody messed with Nál, not unless they liked trouble. Private Valentine smiled to herself as she watched the Sergeant continue barking orders to the rest of the platoon. Prince Kratha meanwhile began to laugh, and soon his voice was filling the interior. Some of the marines chuckled, quickly forcing themselves to stop before suffering the wrath of Sergeant Nál.
Prince Kratha spoke directly to the marines via his encrypted communication system. Interoperability was something already being worked on with the Byotai before their crisis, but at least for now the sharing of equipment standards was bearing fruit.
"My kin are holding a ring perimeter on the middle two floors. We must make contact, and quickly."
Lieutenant Heiskell pointed to the side doors of the Mauler.
"Get ready! Vanguards will deploy first, then we will enter by squads. Are you ready?"
"Yes, Sir!"
"Very well. Keep this clean and watch your positions. Make me proud!"
Next came the last moment, that period of silence where each marine remained motionless, waiting patiently for the landing to be completed. The Mauler performed a quick, partial rotation to check the landing area was clear. The pad itself was attached to the top of a tall tower, with only a single width gangway leading from it to the arched entrance. A handful of bodies marked where the Mauler had cleared a path, and the shattered remains of the gun platform still smoked where it had been destroyed.
A massive cloud of dust filled the area as the engines released one last burst of power. It was just enough to cushion their landing on the hard metal surface. Then the metal skids made contact, the piston legs compressing under the spacecraft's own weight. Little happened inside until finally the spacecraft began to settle on the surface. Every one of the passengers shuddered, and then they were still, as though they'd never even left. Red warning lights blinked inside the Mauler. Lieutenant Heiskell detached his clamps and moved to the nearest side door.
"Okay, marines. Let's go!"
He slammed his armoured fist against the panel, and the door dropped down like a boarding plank. The motorised Vanguards were out first, and behind them the marines. The armour made whining sounds as they stomped ahead, the great lumps of metal leaving a dull thud with each step. The marines inside were well protected, but they were also very exposed as they moved in first. Private Valentine left with the first group and moved quickly to get away from the Mauler. She put one foot in front of the other and then joined the rest of her fireteam off to the right. A single Vanguard moved ahead of them, the marines keeping their heads down and weapons raised.
This is it, Private Valentine thought.
The landing platform narrowed as it moved to the boom extension leading to the station and the large arched entrance. Small platforms fanned out to each side, stopping at a series of smaller doorways, each blocked by a hexagonal airlock. Flashes of light marked the positions of the enemy as they attempted to hold the main entrance into the facility. As the marines advanced, they took care to watch their flanks, ever wary that the airlocks could open at any moment.
"Hostiles ahead. Advance!" Sergeant Nál ordered.
They moved out so fast that Private Valentine didn't notice that a single fireteam had stayed behind, along with General Honorius. A scattering of gunfire struck nearby, and numerous shots glanced off the Vanguards. Nothing stopped their progress, and they marched on as though it were little more than rain.
"Covering fire!"
The marines split apart into small units and took aim. There were few enemies ahead, but they were dug in and doing their best to stop them getting inside. Valentine lifted her carbine and took aim. The weapon was already set to standard automatic mode, and as she pulled the trigger, the triple barrels released their magnetised slugs. The coilguns were devastatingly powerful, and by cycling through the barrels the weapon could sustain an incredible high rate of fire, simultaneously keeping the barrels cooler.
One enemy warrior fell down, but the rest vanished as quickly as they'd arrived, leaving the marines in command of the landing area. Valentine moved a few paces ahead of Prince Kratha, careful to ensure the noble was well protected at all times.
"That wasn't so difficult now, was it?" Prince Kratha asked.
She looked at him and then scanned the space inside the station. It was a large area, easily big enough to fly multiple Maulers about without striking each other. Other marines did the same, using their scanners to check for movement or signs of heat blooms.
"This doesn't feel right, Sarge!" said Valentine.
"Yeah," she agreed, "Everybody stop. Watch your..."
The arched doorway at the far end flashed bright white. At first Private Valentine thought it was gunfire or another grenade exploding, but then she saw the massive, super-heavy motorised transporter. The device was tracked and designed for moving large weapon pallets through the ship. The front was angular and covered in thick metal plating that must have been added in the last few hours.
"Get down!" yelled the Lieutenant, "They've made a ram!"
The heavy machine rolled along the platform, its wheels and tracks squealing with the sound of tortured metal.
Marines opened fire, but even the concentrated fire of carbines and those of the Vanguards wasn't enough. Some tried to jump onto the thing, only to find it was crewed by a large group of heavily armed Byotai revolutionaries, all bearing firearms and blades. The first marines to clamber over the armour were blasted away, falling over the ledge and vanishing into the blackness.
"Get off the platform, use the side gantries!" Sergeant Nál yelled.
Holes appeared in the flooring as panels slid opened behind the machine, and dozens of cannibalistic looking Byotai leapt out to run behind the thing. They were filthy and savage, unlike anything the marines had seen before. What little remained of their clothing was a mess, and each bore bloodied scars and tattoos burnt directly onto their flesh. Some were armed with Byotai firearms, and just as many carried knives, clubs, and blades. In a matter of seconds, the Byotai militia had taken control of the platform and were heading for the landed Mauler. Valentine looked to Lieutenant Heiskell.
"Sir, we need to get the Prince out of here."
Prince Kratha grabbed her arm.
"No, not today. Follow me."
He stepped off the long gantry and down to a much more basic parallel walkway hanging a metre below it. As they arrived there, the machine reached them, and several of the occupants took aim.
"Blast them!" Lieutenant Heiskell ordered.
Private Valentine didn't need to be told. She fired repeatedly, quickly forcing the Byotai to duck down inside the machine as it rolled past with a sickening grinning sound. She looked back and saw the Mauler sitting on the platform, like a fattened cow waiting for the slaughter. Without thinking, she called out on the secure network.
"Nate, get out of there, now!"
* * *
"What is that thing?" Billy asked.
Nate's eye's widened as he looked at the large machine hurtling towards them. The marines opened fire, and many were forced to scatter to the sides of the long platform to avoid being run down. Even the powerful Vanguards were unable to stop the shear size and mass of the thing as it crushed anything in its path. Private Valentine's urgent appeal blasted out of the cockpit, and Nate immediately reached for the controls.
"Uh... that's not good...it's coming this way!"
Nate shook his head with astonishment.
"I know, Billy! Hold on!"
With the engines already swivelled to point at the ground, he was in position to take off. Normally, it took time to calibrate the system to ensure a smooth launch, but not this time. Without checking any of the settings, he simply hit the engine boost. Great gouts of flame roa
red from underneath, sending dust and smoke in all directions. They lifted up just as the tracked machine slid underneath and then disappeared over the edge, leaving screaming Byotai jumping from the crew section as it tumbled away. Billy tried to laugh, but his voice did little more than croak.
"Don't talk," said Nate, "Use your guns."
* * *
Lieutenant Heiskell nodded with pleasure as the machine vanished into the great pit, leaving the marines once more in control of that part of the platform. Only four of the Byotai had managed to leap to safety, but as they tried to move in on the marines, the turrets aboard the Mauler opened fire. Multiple automated guns made short work of them, and then turned to the rabble still trying to retake the middle of the platform.
"Vanguards, clear this platform!"
While the marines took careful aim or ducked to avoid fire, the three heavily armoured machines stepped out and stopped in the centre of the long platform leading to the arched section. They were struck by dozens of shells but ignored them, and instead pointed their arms at the targets and opened fire. Each Vanguard could unleash the equivalent firepower of an entire Marine squad, and they cleared the area in seconds.
"Good work, everybody."
The smoke and dust continued to whirl about inside the unusual environment of the station. It was made much worse by the howling gale created by the powerful engines attached to the Mauler. The Lieutenant looked back and watched the Mauler move off to his left in a half circle, keeping its forward turrets trained on the arched entrance. Other turrets fitted to the flanks and rear kept moving, looking for potential targets. It was noisy and reduced visibility, but Lieutenant Heiskell couldn't help but feel safer with such a floating arsenal at his back. As he looked back to his marines, he checked they were formed up ready to go.
"Now let's take this damned station!"
"Yeah!" yelled one of the corporals, before being quickly silenced by a stern look from the massive bulk of Sergeant Nál. She moved to the front and joined the Vanguards who waited for their next orders.
"Are you ready?"
He held up his carbine as he shouted.
"Sir, Yes, Sir!"
"Then let's do this! Vanguards, advance!"
The four massive armoured figures pushed ahead, showing nothing but contempt for the defensive gunfire. All four were of a similar height and build, and when they reached the arched entrance, they were instantly hit with a flurry of gunfire. One staggered backwards, but Sergeant Nál blocked its path, stabilised the machine, and then pushed it ahead. All four were now little more than silhouettes and busily blasting away; most of the other marines moved steadily behind them.
"Keep moving!" yelled the Lieutenant.
The marines were now spread out in teams and looking for signs of danger. The gunfire went on for only a few more seconds, and then Sergeant Nál reappeared and looked back at them.
"We've got a way in."
"Good," said Lieutenant Heiskell, "Take your squads inside, break through their defences, and link up with the Byotai defenders."
Sergeant Nál acknowledged and moved back to the breach. Two thirds of the marines broke ranks to move in behind her, leaving just the one squad with Lieutenant Heiskell and Prince Kratha on the landing platform, halfway from where they had started.
"Okay, then, Prince Kratha. Show us to this Cortex of yours."
The young Byotai twisted his head and nodded.
"This way."
He pointed with his left arm towards a ramp that led down from the landing platform. The passage was narrow and lacked safety barriers on either side, leaving nothing to protect them from a fall of nearly fifteen metres.
"Are you sure?"
Prince Kratha stepped onto the path and moved a dozen paces before answering.
"Yes, this is a standard layout."
A handful of the marines chased after him, remembering their mission briefing. Few might know much about the Byotai leaders, but they all understood that with him gone their mission was over, and the cause of the Byotai resistance would die with him.
To all of their surprise, a pair of Byotai dropped down from wherever they had been hiding. One carried a stolen Alliance carbine, and the other a two-handed mace. Neither wore military uniforms, but they did carry improvised armour attached or glued directly to the skin. The first fired, but the Prince was quick and leaned to the right, narrowly avoiding the fire.
"Daevles!"
The word was alien to the marines, but as they ran in, it was already too late. The second of the marauders landed hard and almost lost his balance.
"Help him!" Lieutenant Heiskell shouted.
Prince Kratha responded without thinking. His handgun appeared from his flank and barked twice. The first enemy spun around as the heavy slugs struck him in the torso. The Prince didn't hesitate as he continued to fire, each round striking with the force of a heavy hammer. The first enemy warrior dropped his carbine before he hit the ground. Prince Kratha spat words back at them as he altered his aim to fire at the second. It was too late, though, and the barbaric looking individual was already there, swinging an improvised two-handed mace at his face. Private Valentine could see this happening as she ran towards the last of the Byotai nobility.
The second managed to hit Kratha in the shoulder with the mace, and the impact hit so hard that the Prince staggered to the right. Had he been alone, he would have tumbled from the platform, possibly to his death. But Private Valentine threw herself against Kratha, and the two stumbled to the floor in a crash of armour and flesh.
Private Jackson ran right past the two and opened fire, emptying a dozen rounds into the mace-wielding assailant. The L52 carbine made short work of the muscled warrior, and the short duel was over as quickly as it had begun. More marines moved past, making sure the area was finally secure.
"Prince Kratha, are you hurt?" Lieutenant Heiskell asked.
The Byotai noble opened the front of his helmet and looked into the eyes of Valentine.
"Thank you, I owe you my life."
Valentine kept her visor sealed shut and pulled herself off the fallen Prince. Once on her feet, she grabbed his hands and pulled him up.
"Next time leave the ground combat to the professionals. You're supposed to lead, right?"
Prince Kratha chuckled and gave her a mock bow before reactivated his visor armour. He then looked back and bent down to examine the bodies. Lieutenant Heiskell and the rest of the squad passed him to secure the area.
"Prince, next time you must stay behind me."
The Byotai looked back to the officer and started to answer. He only managed a mumble before stopping and nodding.
"You are correct, of course, Lieutenant Heiskell."
CHAPTER TEN
Alliance Mauler 'ANS Mongoose', Eighth Quadrant Fleet Reserve Base
90 Minutes Later
Nate shook his head as he watched the screen. The frustration and boredom had set in over an hour ago, and still they were in the station and waiting on the platform. The mission briefing had been to stay there for thirty minutes, and not a second longer. As usual, the plan had not managed to survive past its first encounter with the enemy. The cameras fitted on the outside of the Mauler showed the starboard hull door remained open, and that two of the Alliance marines were waiting there, their carbines raised to their shoulders.
"They should be finished by now. What's taking them so long?" Billy asked.
Nate shrugged.
"Let's have a look."
It took a few presses to request access to the video feeds coming directly from the marines. A few seconds later it was authorised, and a crackling image from the armour of Lieutenant Heiskell.
"Lieutenant, is everything okay in there?"
The two teenagers watched the screen carefully, trying to access what was happening inside the station. The lighting was low-level and enhanced by the passive imaging technology built into the Marine PDS armour.
"Militia forces have secured th
e upper levels. We have them contained, but two squads broken away and are guarding the Cortex. ETA ten more minutes to the target. It's slow going."
Ahead of the Lieutenant were four more marines, and they advanced cautiously through the narrow passageway of the partially abandoned facility. The metal floor was made from corrugated sections of metal that allowed light to travel through it. The walls were a tangle of old metal, broken pipes, and cables. A marine stopped and lifted an arm.
"Here it comes," said Billy.
The marines dropped to their knees immediately, and less than a second later a volley of shots flashed towards them. One marine dropped just as his comrades opened fire, sending rapid bursts of carbine fire into the distance. Red outlines flickered as they tagged targets, making them easier to spot. Nate leaned in closer to try and identify them.
"More militia, and it looks like they've made themselves a barricade. Look."
Billy could already see the chair and debris that had been used to create an improvised barrier. Behind it were five or six Byotai protected by a strange mixture of clothing and amour. This time they all carried firearms and were more than happy to unleash everything they had at the advancing Alliance forces. As the marines scattered, a mixture of standard bullets and thermal bolts slammed into the corridor. Bright sparks indicated where projectiles clattered off metal surfaces or the curved surfaces of the PDS armour.
"Suppressing fire!"
As one, the unit unleashed a veritable broadside at the cover. High-velocity slugs punched through the metal, armour, and flesh with ease. Yet for all the shooting, the surviving Byotai refused to back down. More came from a doorway and shouted at the marines. One lifted a large weapon and placed it atop the barricade.
"Hit them with HE!" yelled the sergeant.
Operation Hellfire Page 13