True Cost: The Descendants War Book 5

by John Walker

  Orla hurried to her position, glancing out. The soldiers came out of the building. At least two of them seemed to know where they were. They fell back inside, despite the fact their sanctuary rapidly became an inferno. One body sprawled out in front of the entry. Another man returned fire from the ground, nursing a blackened leg.

  Beams struck the frame above their heads. Dampness hadn’t consumed that part of the wood. Small flames licked the awning just outside. With nothing to put them out, their refuge would go up momentarily as well.

  Another beacon of Kahl destruction, Orla thought, no one will even investigate. I bet they won’t give it a second glance.

  A blast came close enough to warm Orla’s cheeks. She jerked back, blinking furiously as white dots cast across her vision. She tripped, heard Klev cry out as she fell to the floor on her back. Desal shouted without moving, calling out to her but she sounded far away, as if through a tunnel.

  Have I been hit? Orla thought the beam had merely come close. There didn’t seem to be any pain beyond what came from the impact with the hardwood floor. That was just bad luck. Her eyes filled with tears as she continued to blink. Some of the dots went away. One in the center remained stubborn, making it hard to focus.

  “Get up!” Desal shouted. “Come on, I can’t do this alone!”

  “Are you okay?” Klev asked.

  “I… think so.” Orla shoved herself up to her feet, moving back to her position. Looking outside made her wince. Bright, natural light hurt, creating a corona around her vision like she’d been splashed with acid. She opened fire, hoping a couple shots might help her get her bearings. The enemy remained hiding in the burning building.

  How much longer can they stay in there? The injured one outside seemed to be dead, leaving the potential for three more. The fire above their head grew, now greedily consuming the roof. Coupled with small flames growing on the wall behind them, they didn’t have much time themselves.

  “Klev!” Orla called out, “get our stuff together! Move toward the back of the building! Stay low!”

  He didn’t say anything but complied, crawling toward the space where they slept the night before.

  “They can handle the smoke,” Desal said, “because they’ve got full armor. Good call about the back, but we still need to deal with these guys. They will pursue us.”

  One of the Kahl let loose a stream of automatic fire, driving both women back to cover. Several shots came right through the door, leaving black marks here and there while causing more fires in others. When it finally let up, Desal blind fired back. As she did, she motioned with her head.

  “Catch up with Klev. I’ll hold them here.”

  “You’re crazy,” Orla said, “there are three of them and you don’t have armor. What’re you going to do?”

  “I got two of them, didn’t I?” Desal smiled. “Besides, I have no intention of dying here today. Just head west. The civilian pickup will be over there. Remember, the Prytins are setting up two zones.” She stopped shooting. “Militia and security forces are holding the main invasion group at the military camp you fled. You’ve got time.”

  “I don’t want to go without you.” Orla took some shots of her own without looking. “It’s crazy! We can ambush them. You know the terrain better! Just… come with us.”

  “I’ll catch up. Now hurry!”

  Orla cursed, shoving away from the wall. She found Klev cramming their rations in a bag. He already had a coat on. They found supplies in the settlement, better clothes, food, and additional medical units. Until the morning, the place seemed safe. Why the Kahl had checked it out, she had no idea.

  Maybe they picked up some life scans. But did they really need to kill three people? Commit a squad to it? That seemed… ridiculous. Unnecessary. Insane! I think I summed up the Kahl empire in three words.

  Orla grabbed a bottle from her personal medical bag, splashing liquid in both her eyes. A few quick blinks cleared away the last of the white dots. If Desal’s staying, I have to be at the top of my game or we’re not making it out of here.

  “What about her?” Klev asked, as if reading her mind.

  “It’s just us right now,” Orla replied. He started to protest. She held up her hand. “She’ll catch up. Now we don’t have time to argue. Come on. Get out the back. Now.” They hustled through the structure and out the back door. Trees loomed ahead, less than fifty yards off. Then they’d be back in the hills.

  To safety, Orla thought. Don’t die here, Desal. We’ll be looking for you. She paused, looking back at the complex. They were just high enough to see over the building. A Kahl left the inferno, tossing his helmet off. She narrowed her eyes, taking note of his long dark hair, his two pistols holstered.

  A blast came close to him, tapping the ground a few inches from his foot. He drew his weapons, opening fire as he marched on their former position. Klev grabbed her arm, making her tense up.

  “Come on!” Klev insisted. “We have to go, remember?”

  “I want that guy,” Orla said. “I want to put him down.”

  “That lady’s taking care of it, remember? Move!”

  Orla grunted, turning to hurry after him. She figured the Kahl may have been a commander; one of their leaders. His arrogance, the strut as he advanced on Desal, made him out to be the type of man who burned many settlements to the ground. He had blood on his hands the likes of which the worst murderer in Rhulin history couldn’t compare to.

  And he’s right behind us. Orla pushed the thought from her mind. Survival. That’s what matters now. Getting out of here. Keeping Klev alive. Come on, Desal. You can’t lose to that pile of filth. You can’t.

  ***

  Rhys leaned into his seat as the safety straps bit through his clothes. He’d have bruises from that maneuver. Jane brought them around sharply to the flank of the Kahl battleship. The Brekka continued their frontal assault, exchanging blows even as the enemy backed away though not as quickly as they could’ve.

  They’re trying to draw us back toward their allies. The other Kahl vessels may not have faced them but their turrets blasted in all directions. Extra firepower may not turn the tide for that one ship, but he couldn’t say for sure. Not with how hard their blasters hit.

  The other vessels began to move, forming a better firing line. They coordinated their efforts while still maintaining a hard-hitting focus on the defensive vessels acting as a screen for the planet. Shuttles burst from the different Kahl ships, streaking toward the surface without any sort of cover.

  Those are distractions, Rhys thought. “You see what they’re doing?”

  Titus nodded. “Won’t matter too much. As far as I can tell, they’re throwing those soldiers away in the hopes they can turn on us for a minute.” He looked at his terminal for a moment. “Sam, target this section here.” He tapped his screen. “Scans show their emitters are weak at that point. Hold fire.”

  “Yes, sir,” Sam replied, “target ready.”

  “Violet,” Titus continued, “divert power from the shields to the weapons for one good push. Let us know so we can open up.”

  “And…” Violet paused. “Done, sir. That should be a good jolt.”

  “Go for it, Sam.”

  With the power diverted, the overhead lights dimmed momentarily as the main cannons went off. Rhys frowned, glancing at the ceiling before staring intently at the screen. A direct hit shattered the enemy shields, instantly melting the armor on that section of the ship. Emitters popped, sending sparks into space.

  Flames erupted from multiple points along the hull all over the Kahl bow. The Brekka took that moment to perform their attack, striking without opposition that time. When their attack connected, there were no defenses to hold it off, no protection whatsoever. The collective strike started a chain reaction.

  The Kahl hull bubbled all along the sides. Some burst, showing flames erupting. Their bridge section popped free with erupting parts and red blobs. Two larger explosions tore the thing into pieces, cracking it
in half. Some of the bigger parts, easily room-sized, were cast in different directions. They became projectiles.

  A couple burned as they struck the atmosphere of the planet. Others slammed into the shields of the other Kahl ships. One particularly large chunk careened directly down the middle of a militia vessel. The collision finished them in seconds, turning their hull to atoms. No one would’ve had a chance to escape it.

  “Holy shit…” Rhys muttered. “That was more intense than expected.”

  “Big craft,” Titus replied. “Dammit. They weren’t even particularly close.”

  More of the debris lingered, as if too stubborn to leave that specific point. It became rubble, an obstacle, something for them all to avoid. A closer look revealed it was one of the thrusters, which remained mostly intact, tumbling in place. The remaining Rhulin defense forces moved off, closing with the planet as they engaged the shuttles.

  Meanwhile, the Prytin battleships engaged with more verve, pressing the Kahl between themselves and the Brekka.

  “We’re getting a message,” Violet said, “it’s the Prytin commander.”

  “Oh boy.” Titus nodded. “Put them through.”

  A voice spoke only through the speakers. “Allied forces. We will be pressing our attack on the Kahl invaders. Hit them with everything you’ve got. Their destruction is the new objective. Do not hesitate nor hold back. Brekka and Triton, continue your mobile work from your position. We’ll press them in your direction.”

  “That was it,” Violet said. “Short and sweet, I guess.”

  “Was it just me,” Rhys added, “or did he sound pretty angry?”

  “Translator,” Titus replied. “Though you may not be wrong. In any case, we’ve got the standing orders. Jane, bring us around to the far side of this column. Away from their weapons. We’ll start at the flank. Violet, reach the Brekka and tell them we’ll meet them in the middle. Crossfire the center ships.”

  “That’ll be a tough flight,” Rhys said. “Lots of enemy fire to contend with along the way.”

  “I know.” Titus shrugged. “But if we keep moving, we should be fine. Shields are at near maximum, recharge is fine, and Huxley’s doing great work down there.” He drew a deep breath. “Only downside is going to be some of these maneuvers. And what they’ll do to my back.”

  Rhys huffed.

  “Reach out to the ground forces,” Titus ordered, “make sure they’re holding up. We might have to send some reinforcements if those enemy shuttles make it to the surface. Come on, Jane. Full thrust. Time to start the fight. The proper way.” With guns blazing and everyone on the same page.

  Even if we have a reprimand in the future for our actions.

  ***

  Gunny hit the dirt as a barrage of blasts cut through the sky. Dozens of shots came from the hills as the enemy closed on their position. Bearing and White provided support from their position while the emplacements carried on at a steady stream. They fell into an honest to God conflict, a toe-to-toe battle against an enemy force.

  Malta took the shuttle over the crew, lighting up the enemy columns. The Prytin vessel joined in as they took turns sweeping the area. Their efforts didn’t seem to slow the attacks nor reduce the amount of incoming fire coming down on the LZ. The Kahl never once fired at the ships attacking them, focusing intently on the ground forces.

  “Shore up the left corner!” Corso shouted. “Come on, men! Hold that area, they’re making progress!”

  Gunny took the other side, firing his weapon right alongside his men. He took one out, drove back two others to seek cover, then shifted his aim to join the others in suppressive fire. His weapon felt hot through his gloves. They needed a moment to breathe. He called out for the first two people on the far right to take cover.

  They dropped down. Their weapons only needed a few moments to cool. Gunny ducked, bringing a timer up on his HUD. Two minutes for each pair should’ve been plenty. He drew a breath, popping back up to help.

  “Gunny!” Corso shouted through the comm. “Look up!”

  Blazing streaks crossed the sky. Energy beams chased the closest ships. “Who the hell is that?”

  “Showing up as Kahl shuttles on scans,” Corso replied, “being chased by Rhulin defense forces.”

  “Great,” Gunny grumbled, returning his attention to the action, “they asked for help.”

  “The Prytin LZ is hosed,” Corso continued. “Flames and smoke coming up. We’ve got incoming support from the survivors. They should be here in a few minutes tops.”

  One of the soldiers in the middle took a shot to the chest. He dropped hard, rolling to his side. At least he survived the initial hit. A medic rushed to his side, getting to work.

  “Civilians are never getting out of here if they try to use this area!” Gunny shouted. “We have to figure something out, sir!”

  “I’m working on it!” Corso grunted. “Those bastards don’t even care about the shuttles! Why? Why are they so comfortable having that much fire rained upon them? I don’t get it! These Kahl are insane!”

  Determined, Gunny corrected in his head. “I have an idea. Have the ships land on our flanks. They can use their turrets to blast the enemy while acting as cover for the civilian ships to land. Then we can start loading them up. What do you say?”

  “Might as well,” Corso said. “Malta, uh… Prytin pilot, we need you to land at the following coordinates. Angle yourselves to provide cover for our soldiers and the civilians.” He continued, giving them specific information about where they should set up. “Triton, we need at least one more shuttle down here ASAP!”

  That thing’s never getting here, Gunny thought. Not with all the action they’ve got going on up there. Unless Barnes can break away from the fighting to provide sole support for our efforts down here. Why they decided to jump in, he wasn’t sure. It felt like someone’s ego got the better of them.

  Probably the Prytin commander… Griel. Gunny knew him from their refit. He came off as arrogant; a know-it-all really. The kind of man who did whatever he wanted regardless of the circumstances. And now we’re paying the price for it. Whatever drove him to be in that chair is probably why we’re struggling down here.

  “Switch!” Gunny shouted, giving the next two men a chance to cool their guns. He shot another Kahl in the head even as a group of shots caught his mobile cover inches from his face. The resulting heat from the metal pierced the armor. Though it didn’t hurt, it was uncomfortable enough to make him drop.

  “Left side!” Gunny called out, “focus your fire on the middle of their column. Two degrees further right!”

  Gun emplacements swiveled, chirping as they tore dirt and stone up, tossing it into the air. Kahl forces cried out though their screams had been fairly constant for the last half hour. Gunny looked out at the action, observing their situation. Bodies littered the ground in front of the hills, corpses piling up here and there.

  “Cease fire!” Gunny shouted. No more living Kahl moved about out there. A few stray shots came from the hills, but they seemed to be blind firing. The two shuttles landed, each coming in with a rush. They set down with a real clatter, their turrets spinning to face the direction of the enemy.

  “This is the calm before the storm,” Gunny said. “Keep low, stay in cover.” He moved toward Corso. “Sir! Where the hell are these civilians? They need to get their asses here now if they want to get out of here!”

  “I still don’t have an update about that,” Corso replied. “At least we’re locking this area down. I’ve asked for another ship to support us. Plus the transport ships are waiting.”

  “Well… good enough.” Gunny sighed. He checked his scanner, noting they still had at least two dozen enemy forces beyond the hill. The action in the sky continued on the horizon, the battle raging between vessels that had breached atmosphere. He turned away, moving to check on the other soldiers.

  They had wounded; at least four men down. Gunny directed soldiers to bring them to Malta’s shuttle for treatme
nt. Best to save the medics from the stress of having to contend with their fellows out in the open. He reached out to White for an update. “You see anything from your vantage?”

  “Got a column of people incoming,” White said, “two klicks off. Uh… they look like civilians. Getting a count… thirty. Total.”

  “Corso!” Gunny bellowed, “thirty civvies are incoming! We’re about to have a whole lot of people to care for!”

  The Prytins entered the camp, taking up position with the others. They looked rough, most covered with blood or blackened from burns on their armor. The action they saw had knocked them down from thirty troops to a handful. When the last of them arrived there were only ten in total.

  Their grand total forces went just north of thirty, not counting the wounded Triton soldiers. If the situation had been as they were told in the briefing, that should’ve been plenty. But with the enemy nursing a hard-on for the LZ, Gunny worried they may find themselves overwhelmed before too long.

  It all came down to how that aerial duel ended. Whoever came out on top might well decide whether the civilian security force lived or died.

  ***

  The combined force of the Prytin battleships brought down fury upon the Kahl opponents. Despite their insane amount of firepower, Titus felt like the two sides were evenly matched. That included the destruction of the first enemy craft brought on by the Brekka’s rash action of sweeping the rear.

  Defense forces entered the atmosphere to chase shuttles. They had to prevent the Kahl from reinforcing their invasion group. A massive battle took place near one of the larger settlements. That had been where the other battleships committed their people. The LZs used by the Triton and Brekka were supposed to be far enough away to be safe.

  However, a report from Lieutenant Corso made it clear they were under heavy fire. The Prytins took a serious beating, losing two-thirds of their forces. With the civilians on their way, they needed to gain control of the area swiftly if the transports had any hope of escape. Successfully getting those people out of there seemed like a grim prospect.