“Is he okay?” Harper asked.
“He’s alive,” Dean said, not sure how long the lanky sniper would last.
The Kroll’s talons had ripped across his body, puncturing the skin around the laminate metal pieces in his armor. The suit had done its job, sealing off the wounds to stanch the bleeding, but Dean’s TCU was pinging a warning that Ghost’s vital signs were dropping. He needed serious medical attention, but they had to get back to the Apache before that was a possibility.
“I can see the opening ahead,” Wilson called out.
The feline aliens had pulled back, but Dean was sure the Kroll had something waiting for them in the main corridor.
“Hold near the entrance,” Dean said. “Don’t leave this passage.”
“Roger that,” Carter said. “Holding.”
Dean lowered Ghost to the floor, and Landin stooped over him to see if he could help. Without even thinking Dean popped the magazine from his rifle and inserted a fresh one.
“Valosky, get an AAV out there,” Dean said waving at the main corridor. “We need to know what’s waiting for us.”
Dean brought up the vid feed from the drone, which swung out into the much wider space. There were dozens of the feline aliens converging on the smaller passageway, along with two of the large simian creatures, one of which grabbed the AAV as it was making its way down the corridor. Dean caught a glimpse of another mechanized fighter further down the wide corridor before the AAV blew up and the vid feed was lost. The explosion seemed to rock the entire ship, although Dean didn’t think that was even possible.
“Alright, we’ve got plenty of fighting in front of us,” Dean said.
“Wilson, Carter, you’re in the lead. Adkins, Owanto, take the rear. Valosky, have you got any ordinance left?”
“Just a few MSVs and my grenades,” she said.
“Save the grenades for the mech,” Dean said. “Hopefully there’s just one. Let’s move, platoon.”
The Heavy Armor Specialists once again led the charge. They ran out into the corridor before dropping into defensive positions, their shields forming a small barrier while their shoulder mounted cannons laid down a barrage of flechettes.
Dean and Harper grabbed Ghost, each supporting the sniper with one arm, and holding their rifles with the other. Dean struggled with the cumbersome weight of Ghost, who could no longer support himself or even try to walk. Chavez still carried Fanning, and made it look easy. He was thrilled to see that the AAV the big simian had captured took out a good portion of the aliens when it exploded, including both of the brutish simians. One was dead, the other wounded by the blast. The feline creatures were dashing back and forth across the corridor, up the walls and even along the ceiling. The explosion had also shattered the glass wall of the holding cell on the far side of the corridor and Dean saw several dazed and frightened looking Urgglatta peering out at him.
“Advance,” Dean shouted.
They moved toward the aliens, blasting away as they went. When they reached the shattered glass wall Dean waved for the Urgglatta to join his platoon. The bovine aliens hesitated for a moment, but then trotted into the fray.
The big lasers from the mech cut across the fleeing quadrupeds, slaying four of the Urgglatta, before taking aim at Dean’s platoon from long range.
“Valosky, can you get grenades out that far?” Dean asked.
“No, Captain,” she replied, as she popped up over the wall of HA shields to fire her rifle.
“We can’t hesitate,” Dean said. “Keep moving.”
The feline aliens were in disarray, falling back, running about in chaotic fashion. The mech moved backwards as well, moving carefully to keep its distance while the steady state lasers that hung from the T-shaped armor where its arms should have been, continued to fire at the advancing platoon.
“We’re taking too much heat,” Carter said.
“I still can’t hit the mech from this distance,” Valosky said. “Not with grenades.”
Dean made a split second decision. It wasn’t ideal, but he couldn’t let the mech continue to evade them.
“Adkins, Owanto, leave the alien and join the front line,” Dean ordered. “Use your plasma cannons on that mech.”
They continued forward, the shoulder mounted cannons roaring. Dean’s TCU began to beep a warning about Carter’s armor. The mech had concentrated both lasers onto the HA Specialist’s shield. Dean could see the heat billowing from the armor. Then, with a crack that sounded like a lightning strike, the titanium-hydrogen shield buckled and Carter screamed in pain as he dropped to the ground. The other HA Specialists stepped forward and slid together, reforming their shield wall and protecting their fallen comrade.
“Carter, you living?” Dean shouted.
The big Heavy Armor Specialist was squirming in a futile attempt to escape the raging heat of his armor. But there was no way to help him, the armor was too hot to be removed manually. Dean bent over the poor Specialist and shouted at him.
“Take it off, Carter. Get out of that armor!”
HA armor was itself mechanized. The big shield was supported by a harness that strapped over the Specialists shoulders and around his chest. There were struts and shocks built between the shield and the harness, which also hooked into mechanized leggings to help support the weight of the armor. Taking it off required each man to unstrap the harness and pull his legs from the weight bearing supports and boots.
Carter didn’t reply, but his own training kicked in and he flipped open the harness straps. Harper lowered Ghost to the floor, while Dean grabbed Carter’s arms and pulled him from the armor. He still had on the insulation suit that was skin-tight over the Specialist’s hulking body, but the alien mech’s steady state lasers had burned through the lining. Dean could see the blisters forming through the ragged gashes in the suit.
“We keep moving forward!” Dean shouted.
The plasma cannons were having an effect on the mech. One laser was destroyed from the barrage of pulse energy being fired at it. The other was hanging precariously from its support, and shooting into the metal wall.
“Valosky, clear the road!” Dean ordered.
The grenades sounded like Roman candles popping with a hollow sound as they were launched. Their explosions were much more violent, filling the corridor with fire and smoke.
“Wilson, you’ve got Carter,” Dean ordered. “Adkins, Owanto, get the Kroll. We are leaving people, no hesitation. Let’s move!”
Dean returned to Ghost, helping Harper drag the unconscious Sniper back down the passageway. The Urgglatta were bellowing as they trotted to keep up. Valosky was the only Specialist not carrying someone. She led the way, firing at anything that moved, but none of the aliens attacked. Most were dead already, but a few were just wounded and howling in pain. Dean was beginning to fear that they had gone the wrong way from the side tunnel that led to the aviary. If they had to circle the entire alien ship to get back to the Apache there was no way his platoon would survive, but all he could do was keep them moving, and hope they were going the right direction.
Chapter 38
“Tallgrass, do you read?” Dean asked over the platoon channel, between gasps for breath.
He was only carrying half of Ghost’s body weight, but his back muscles were burning from the exertion and he couldn’t seem to get enough air into his lungs.
“Loud and clear, Captain,” Eleanor Tallgrass replied.
“Tell me the charges are ready,” he demanded.
“They are and the passageway is clear,” she said.
“Excellent. Any word from the admiral?”
“Dean,” Parker’s voice broke through. “We’re ready to go, just get your platoon back here.”
“I’m trying,” Dean said. “And we’ve got a few extra passengers with us. We have casualties. We need help getting into the ship.”
“Alright, we’re coming,” Parker said.
Dean and Harper were behind Valosky. The passageway curved to Dean
’s left and he couldn’t see very far down the corridor. He knew help could be right around the corner, or another mech. If it were the latter, they would probably all die. The Heavy Armor Specialists were behind them, carrying the wounded and the prisoner.
Another wave of the feline aliens attacked suddenly. There were eight of the creatures, their lasers firing haphazardly in every direction as they charged toward Dean’s platoon.
“Incoming!” was all Valosky had time to say before the first alien pounced on her.
“No!” Dean screamed as he watched Valosky go down under the weight of the feline alien.
Dean’s rifle spit a three round burst that took the alien in the side, knocking it off the Fast Attack Corporal but not before its wide maw had ripped into her throat. As Dean’s platoon fired at the aliens all around them, Dean could hear Kathryn Valosky gurgling as she bled to death. Blood was spraying up from her ruined throat like a fountain, as her body twitched in agony.
The attack lasted perhaps fifteen seconds, but when it was over Valosky was dead.
Guilt, grief, and rage exploded inside Dean like a grenade. He hurried to Kathryn Valosky’s body, but his TCU had already told him she was dead. The blood around her was crimson, and the flesh just below her battle helmet was torn to ribbons. He wanted to scream, to kill every Kroll on the ship, but all he could do was regain his self control. Pushing the grief and fury down was difficult, but he managed it by numbing his soul and clenching his teeth.
“Bring her body,” Dean ordered Landin. “Keep moving!”
Demo Specialist Robb Landin and the diplomat Dwayne Butler carried Valosky’s body. Dean’s eyes were burning with tears. His HUD was showing three warning lights to let him know that he had Specialists with emergency medical needs. Then, like the sun breaking through the clouds after a terrible storm, Dean saw Tallgrass, Teller, Kliner, and Captain Parker dashing down the corridor toward them.
“How much father,” Dean asked.
“Half a klick, maybe,” Parker said. “You want help carrying the wounded?”
“No, just keep the damn aliens back,” Dean said.
The opening in the glass panel was finally in sight, when another wave of aliens attacked. This time the creatures were more disciplined. The four legged creatures came down the corridor six abreast, their lasers began firing in rapid succession.
“Fall back!” Dean shouted, as his platoon instinctively moved to the interior curve to avoid the laser fire. “Concave, Beak, Venom, Engage!”
The Heavy Armor Specialists were forced to leave the Kroll, and Private Carter to form the curving concave formation. Dean and Harper made sure Ghost was safely behind the big shields, then set him gently on the floor, before raising their rifles.
“If they get to the opening before we do, they could get to the ship,” Parker warned.
“Then we’ve got no choice,” Dean replied. “Platoon, advance!”
They moved back into the oncoming wave of aliens. The laser fire flashing onto the large shields of the Heavy Armor line. Just before the shoulder mounted cannons began to fire the second rank of feline aliens raised their forepaws onto the haunches of the front line, elevating their lasers and firing over the shield wall. Dean and the rest of his Specialists were forced to duck behind the big titanium-hydrogen alloy shields. Luckily, the HA cannons were still able to fire. Wilson and Kliner’s utility cannons swept the corridor with flechette rounds that tore into the aliens, but unlike every other attack, the more disciplined aliens stood their ground. When the creatures in front were slaughtered, those behind them used their bodies as cover, and continued firing their own lasers.
“We’ll run out of ammo before we push them back at this rate,” Landin said. “I’m almost out of flechettes.”
“Tallgrass,” Dean said.
“I don’t have the old ammunition, Captain,” she said.
“Damn, I forgot,” Dean replied. “What about the rocket launcher?”
“I have it,” Tallgrass said. “But a concussive blast this close to the charges around the hull of the Apache could set them off prematurely. Even if only a few are detonated, it would ruin our chance to break free.”
“Alright,” Dean said. “New plan. I want Tallgrass, Landin, Chavez, and Harper on the ground. Heavy Armor are going to lift their shields off the floor, to give you firing lanes.”
“But Dean, the aliens are using their fallen to block our fire,” Parker said.
“The bodies of those creatures will stop a flechette, but not the tungsten projectiles from the EMR rifles. Give them everything you’ve got,” Dean ordered.
It only took a few seconds for everyone to get into position. When the HA Specialists raised their shields the EMR rifles barked in a steady rhythm of automatic fire. The twenty-five round magazines emptied in a matter of seconds, then the shields dropped and Dean’s Specialists reloaded.
“It’s working,” Adkins said. “One more volley should do the trick.”
“Now,” Dean said.
The shields went up again, and the EMR rifles fired. The aliens retreated and Dean pulled Ghost up and stretched the sniper’s arm over his shoulders. Parker grabbed the Sniper’s other arm, and they ran for the opening in the glass wall. As soon as they were into the holding cell, Dean turned Ghost over to Harper, who helped get the wounded man back on the ship.
Dean toggled to the command frequency. “Command this is Wolfpack, over.”
“Everything is ready on this end, Captain. Get your people inside and blow those charges, over,” Admiral Masterson said.
“Let’s go,” Dean said, glancing back down the corridor as his platoon continued through the opening. Kliner was helping Wilson with Carter. Chavez got the diplomats back into the ship, as Tallgrass and Landin carried Valosky’s body into the holding cell.
The Urgglatta looked doubtful about following Dean’s platoon, but he waved them forward. One look down the corridor at the feline aliens and the Urgglatta made up their minds to go with the humans. Adkins, Owanto, and Teller were the last to make it back to the holding cell. The wounded Kroll was awake and thrashing, making it difficult for the two big Specialists to keep their grip on the creature’s legs.
“Somebody just shoot this piece of shit!” Adkins said.
“Keep moving, Corporal,” Dean ordered. “Get the Kroll onto the ship and secured. And keep it on its stomach, Adkins. Don’t let it roll over and start spiting its goo on everything.”
“Yes sir,” Adkins said. “I still think we should shoot it.”
Dean followed his men, looking at the carnage left in their wake. He hoped that the charges set around the Apache would break the ship free, but at the very least, his platoon had given the Kroll a taste of what conflict with humanity would cost them. All that was left was to make their escape, but Dean knew that was easier said than done. There were two more Kroll ships nearby, and if the Apache wasn’t fast enough, they could still all die in the cold empty void of space.
Dean crossed the newly repaired airlock. He was amazed at how quickly the maintenance crew had been able to rebuild the ruined entrance to the ship. There were still signs of the attack, but the double doors of the airlock looked brand new. It was the complete opposite of the cobbled together look of the Kroll ships.
“Blow it!” Dean ordered.
With a simple hand gesture, Demolitions Specialist Eleanor Tallgrass set off the charges she had arranged in the gooey substance that made up the outer wall of the alien ship. The Apache shook hard then everything was still. Dean was monitoring the command channel and heard the excited shouts on the bridge.
“We’re free!” the telemetry officer said. “The blast propelled us away-”
At that exact moment Dean’s stomach flipped inside him and he felt himself floating in zero gravity.
“Prepare to fire the gravity drive!” Masterson said.
“We’re ready, sir,” the chief engineer said.
“Now,” the admiral declared.
Unlike traditional FTL transition, the Apache didn’t leap to full speed. The gravity chain was formed and began to propel the EsDef vessel away from the Kroll ships.
“We have bogeys,” the radar officer announced.
Dean wanted to keep up with what was happening, but he had a job to do as well. And if the Kroll got back on the Apache he wanted his platoon ready and waiting.
“Landin, Chavez, Wilson, get our wounded to Charlie deck. The mess hall is our makeshift infirmary until we’re out of danger. Landin, stay with the wounded. Staff Sergeant, Private Wilson, rendezvous with the platoon in the hangar on Alpha deck.
“Yes sir,” the three men said in unison.
“Butler!” Dean shouted as the diplomat thrashed around in the sudden absence of gravity. “Get control of yourself.”
“I - I - I’ve got it!” he said, finally managing to wedge himself into a door frame.
“Get the Urgglatta up to the mess hall. Stay there with them and do your best to keep them calm. I’m sure the artificial gravity will be back on soon. Try to keep them oriented toward the floor.”
“Yes, Captain Blaze,” the diplomat said, flashing a dazzling grin. “Come with me, come with me.”
Surprisingly enough the bovine creatures followed Butler. They didn’t seem disconcerted by the lack of gravity, and while Dean didn’t think they could understand human speech, they seemed to understand the diplomat’s intent.
“Adkins, you have control of that piece of shit?” Dean asked.
“Yes sir,” the bit HA Specialist said. He had one hand against the wall, the other was propped against the ceiling, and his boots were pressed into the back of the Kroll’s head, pinning the big creature to the floor.
“I’ll send help,” Dean promised. “I want that creature secured, especially its mouth. Once you have it in hand, bring it down to the hangar.”
“Roger that, Captain,” Adkins replied.
“Teller, stay with him. Everyone else, get to the hangar.”
The rest of Dean’s platoon made their way through the ship easily enough. Even Owanto and Kliner in their heavy armor looked graceful in zero gravity. Unlike most ships, the Apache wasn’t made of metal, and the electro-magnets in their boots wouldn’t hold them in place. Instead, they used cargo straps to secure their armor to heavy load bearing hooks that were built into the hangar floor as they waited for the gravity to come back online. Dean knew the admiral was barking orders, but he preferred not to listen in on the chaos in the bridge. He sent Harper back to Adkins and Teller with cargo straps and industrial adhesive tape to secure their prisoner.
Embracing Oblivion: Wolfpack Book 3 Page 25