by J R Dahl
Meanwhile Lonan and his team free fell through the air toward the compound far below them. They opened compact parachutes, which nearly stopped their descent immediately. Small jet packs fired very quietly as they leveled themselves out and came in for very soft landings on the flat roof of the compound.
Telgrin pulled a small device from his pack that allowed him to see through the roof electronically. Lonan took a look also as four of his soldiers went to work quietly disassembling a part of the roof and disarming the security system. By using Telgrin’s device they were able to see the captives in the racks down below. Once the team had opened the roof they all quietly climbed down into the ceiling below.
Inside the building they found themselves in the rafters of an enormous slave compound. High up against the ceiling they tried to gather on very narrow catwalks.
The hole that they had crawled in through was very near to the outer wall. The rest of the building stretched on for a long distance. On the far end they could see two collection chambers nearly touching the ceiling. They glowed with a solid red. As they peered down below they could see thousands of people hanging upside down in the racks. Below them were red, glowing pits of lava. Just below the racks, but above the lava, a system of crisscrossing metal walkways covered the enter building. They seemed to pass in-between the racks in a way that would not impede the slaves from being lowered down.
Lonan whispered into the mouthpiece of his head set as he addressed his team. “Ok, team two, you’ve got your orders. Lock those drop mechanisms as a failsafe. Team one with me to the command center. I want one Seberian to cover each team.”
Team two was made up of six Helion soldiers and one Seberian. They spread out across the building, crawling like spiders through the webbing of the rafters. They went directly to the points where the massive rack systems attached to the ceiling. They immediately pulled tools from their packs and went to work.
Lonan and his team consisted of Telgrin, three other Helion soldiers, and one Seberian. They quietly made their way toward the center of the building where they could begin to see the control room down below them. It was a large room covered with glass on three sides. The remaining side had an elevator that went down several meters to the walkways and racks below. From the position of the control room the entire system of racks could be seen and monitored. Thousands of wires flowed up from the rack systems and all converged at the center of the building, where they went down into the ceiling of the command center.
“Wait, stop,” whispered one of the Seberians.
The rest of the team froze.
Just down below him a massive demon glided through the spaces between the racks. His head turned back and forth as he patrolled the room. Only the Seberian was able to see him. The rest of the men looked on in silence as they desperately wondered what he had seen. While he slowly scanned the rest of the room he warned the team. “There are demons here.”
“Great. How many?” asked Lonan.
“So far I’ve seen three.”
“Ok, keep them off us. That’s what you’re here for,” said Lonan. He turned and continued crawling toward the center of the building.
Down below Leviathan soldiers walked along the metal walkways on patrol. Lonan looked straight down below and saw nothing but lava and the very bottom of the rafter webbing to which he was clinging.
“Let’s get to the command center quick,” said Lonan as beads of sweat began to roll down his face.
Chapter 10
Back at the Helion base, Nemaron ground assault transports slowed their approach as they entered the planet’s atmosphere. Many had made it past the Helion fighters. As they neared the surface they extended landing gear and fired smaller hover mode engines. The transports landed in a large, open plain nearly five kilometers away from the foot of the mountain. More and more Nemaron transports poured in; the Helion fighters did the best they could to shut them down, but they were overrun by the multitude of ships.
The first wave Nemaron fighters that had set up a defensive perimeter around the planet now started to move in and attack the Helion spacecraft. The Nemaron fleet numbered over two hundred, while the Helion fleet dwindled down to just over half their size. The Nemaron ships were more heavily armored, but the Helion fighters were lighter, faster, and more agile.
They had been successful in shutting down many Nemaron ground assault transports. Nearly thirty of them had been disabled and were now drifting off into space. But many had made it past and were now landing all across the valley in front of the Helion base. Large cargo bay doors opened on the backs of the Nemaron transports, and hundreds of Leviathan soldiers poured out. As the soldiers exited the ships they lined up in formations facing the Helion base.
Overhead the air battle continued as the Nemaron fighters engaged the Helienders’ air defense. A few Helienders crashed into the side of the mountain in balls of flame as their fighters were shot down.
The rest of the Helion fleet still fought to keep as many of the Nemaron transports off the surface of the planet as possible while at the same time avoiding Nemaron fighters.
The Leviathan continued to pour out of the transports, but some of the heavier armored shuttles carried more than Leviathan. The larger Nemaron ships opened their bay doors to reveal tanks and artillery. The tanks rolled out and took positions just in front of the Leviathan infantry formations. The tanks stood nearly four meters tall and stretched six meters across. They had a quad track system that gave them increased turning ability and far greater overall agility. The turret mounted on top had dual cannons that fired 0.25 meter rounds. They also had smaller guns mounted on the sides that were designed for taking out infantry. The armor was extremely thick and could withstand very large caliber ammunition. Within moments nearly forty tanks had taken position and were taking aim at the Helion base.
The heavy Nemaron transports also carried long-range surface-to-surface field artillery. They were pulled out of the shuttles by six-wheeled solider transports and positioned far behind the tanks and Nemaron front line. Once in position they were stabilized by eight legs that folded down from the sides and pierced themselves into the ground. The canons were nearly seven meters long and immediately moved into correct position, ready to fire on the base.
Deep inside the mountain in the Helion command center, Kilgron and many of his commanders watched every movement of the invasion on the holographic imaging table. The rest of the soldiers in the command center were focused on giving directions to their fighters who were still trying desperately to stop the transports from landing.
“All squad leaders turn your attention to the heavy artillery that they’re unloading,” commanded Kilgron.
“Roger that,” the Helion fleet commander answered. “You heard him. Units one and two, you focus on the groups to the north. Units three and four to the south. Units five and six stay focused on intercepting the incoming shuttles.”
Units one and two flew away from the battlefield and to the north. They took on heavy fire from the Nemaron fighters as they moved away from the battle to regroup and set up formation. Each unit had eight fighters remaining. They collected themselves and formed a v-shaped configuration as they turned back toward the battlefield. The fleet commander piloted the fighter in the center of the formation.
“Unit one and two follow me,” ordered the fleet commander. “Unit two, give us cover fire. Unit one, you’re with me. Hit those artillery canons with all you’ve got. Switch over to destructive rounds. We’re just destroying equipment here.”
“Roger that,” answered the rest of the Helion pilots. They finished turning back to the battlefield and rapidly approached the Nemaron front lines. As they got closer the Nemaron soldiers turned their large-caliber surface-to-air guns on the approaching Helion fighters.
Rounds flew past the Helienders as they approached the lines. Unit two targeted the surface-to-air guns while unit one opened fire on the canons. As the two units took their first pass, they hit and d
estroyed three of the artillery canons but also took on some damage from the Nemaron guns.
The enemy’s line ran from north to south, so the Helion fighter units one and two focused their attack on the northern half while units three and four attacked the southern side of the line. Units three and four had executed a similar attack run. They, however, only took out two Nemaron canons and also lost one Helion fighter. It was shot down by surface-to-air guns and crashed into a heavy Nemaron transport that was just coming in for a landing. Both ships burst into flames and sent shrapnel flying across the battlefield.
Helion fighter units one through four continued their attacks on the Nemaron field artillery and took out several more, but Nemaron quickly pulled in more fighters to engage the Helienders in combat high above the battle field.
Deep inside the Helion command center, Kilgron turned to one of the soldiers. “Prepare all countermeasure cannons.”
“Yes, sir.”
Kilgron grabbed the intercom microphone. “Attention, all ground troop commanders!”
Hundreds of Helion soldiers ran around the main hangar as they worked to finish loading the AUVS while Kilgron’s voice boomed over the loudspeaker.
“The enemy forces have landed. Deploy all ground forces.”
The Helienders were loading the last of the electric rounds that Lonan and Telgrin had engineered. All the weapons had been ungraded to use this new type of non-lethal round. All the vehicles and equipment had also been changed over to hydro-cell power system, which meant that the enemy catalyst missiles would not have any effect on their power supply.
The infantry soldiers were dressed in their heavier body armor and helmets and began to line up in formations in the center of the hangars. The AUVS and Stingers were lined up nearer to the hanger doors and were ready to roll out. The last of the infantry soldiers loaded into the backs of the AUVS and the ramps pulled up into place and then locked and sealed.
Averine threw her last medic pack into her AUV as her fellow medics filed into the back of the transport. The AUVS had very heavy armor and the insides were lined with seats that backed up against the outer wall of the haul of the transport. Each of the medics also carried rifles as well as their medic packs.
As Averine strapped on her helmet she looked around the hangar to see her fellow Helienders finishing preparations. Her heart swelled with pride to see the precision of the soldiers and their equipment. She and these soldiers had been on countless rescue missions that had freed thousands of helpless people trapped in the Nemaron clutches. Many of the soldiers she saw standing in formation had been some of those who had been rescued. She looked inside the AUV at her fellow medics. Nearly half of them under her command in this unit had been rescued from Nemaron camps.
Her heart was filled with gratitude. She was honored to have been a part of their rescue and to now fight alongside these people to protect their home. And that thought brought her back to reality. The battle had come home and it was time to get to work. As she stepped into the back of the AUV she looked far across the hanger to see Cloin standing as the lone Seberian among an army of Helion soldiers.
Cloin had been ready for battle for some time. She stood beside a motorcycle transport that she would be driving out onto the field. Her blades had been sharpened and rested sheathed on her back. Her rifle had been upgraded to use both the electric rounds and demon heavenly armor rounds, which could easily penetrate the demon’s thick body armor.
She sat on the motorcycle and watched as the Helienders prepared, impressed with their order and precision. Her mind drifted back to the many rescue missions that she and her fellow Seberians had helped them to accomplish. She knew that the Helienders where noble and caring people, and she thought back to what God had told her back in the clearing in the mountain. He had told her that the time had come for more people to draw near to him and also become Seberians. Cloin wondered about the Helienders and what God might have in store for them.
Out on the battlefield hundreds more Leviathan unloaded from the transports while the Nemaron soldiers finished unloading their field artillery cannons and where taking aim at the Helion base.
One of the Nemaron commanders sat in the safety of a heavily fortified mobile command center that had been placed at the back to the Nemaron forces. From within this bunker the Nemaron commanders could see and manage all aspects of the battlefield and their forces.
“Sir, all canons are on line and ready to fire,” a soldier reported.
“Excellent,” the commander answered. “Target the base of the mountain and fire.”
Seconds later the massive cannons shook the ground as they fired their missiles at the Helion base. Immediately countermeasure missiles were launched from the mountain. Each of the Nemaron missiles were intercepted and neutralized by the Helion countermeasures. They fell to the ground as spheres and steamed as the explosion was neutralized. The blasts had been completely contained.
“Fire at will,” barked the Nemaron cannon commander.
Thirty missiles were fired at the base while at the same moment the Helion hangar doors slowly opened. All the Helion ground units rolled out on the landing pads and then down onto the field below the mountain base. The AUVS and Stingers advanced toward the Nemaron army and the now-thousands of Leviathan soldiers standing in formations beside the enormous four track tanks that made up the enemy front lines.
The Helion infantry ran in formation behind the AUVS as the Stingers accelerated and moved out to the front of Helion forces.
The Leviathan soldiers stood in their heavy armor with the red, boomerang-shaped amulet built into their chest plates growing intensely. The red light grew and reflected up onto the full face guards of their helmets. They shifted back and forth in anticipation of the battle to come. The evil demonic power within them had created a lust and thirst for death. They were eager to engage and could feel the moment coming.
The Helion infantry, armed with electric round rifles, continued to pour out of the hangar doors. Cloin also rolled out on her motorcycle and sat for a moment on the edge of the landing platform as the Helienders ran past. She looked up into the sky to see the Helion fighters engaging the Nemaron aircraft. She hoped to see her father’s ship coming in with reinforcements in the form of their fellow Seberians. She saw no sign of him. She looked down at the scanners on the console of the motorcycle and saw no indication of his shuttle.
“Okay, Father, any time now,” she said. She pulled on her gloves and tightened the wristbands. The whites of her eyes glowed with a piercing white light as she gazed across the wide valley below to see the Nemaron army’s front line. She smiled a little, twisted the throttle, and revved the engine. She popped the machine in gear, lifted her foot, and raced off toward the battlefield, weaving through the Helion infantry and past the AUVS toward the front of the Helion lines.
Inside the Nemaron command bunker several soldiers monitored the battle. “Sir, their ground forces have taken the field,” reported one of the soldiers.
“Send in our infantry,” ordered the commander.
Out on the Nemaron front lines the Leviathan infantry unit leaders received their orders and at the same moment yelled, “Attack!” All of the Leviathan soldiers who had been standing in formation now charged at the Helion forces that were riding out to meet them. The Leviathan ran across the battlefield at incredible speed while just meters over their heads more Helion countermeasures intercepted the fresh batch of Nemaron missiles. Most of the countermeasures did their job, but two of the enemy rockets made it through and hit the side of the mountain with an enormous force.
Everyone inside the command center braced themselves as the impact violently shook the entire Helion base. The lights flickered for a few minutes, then soldiers tried to assess the damage. Deeper in the mountain the women and children also felt the impact. The children screamed and cried as their mothers drew them near and tried to console them. The lights went out, and the mountain base shook violently.
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sp; Back out on the battlefield, another group of thirty Leviathan unloaded from a transport. They each had larger metal packs on their backs. As they unloaded they spread out across the northern end of the Nemaron front line. They each adjusted some controls built into arms of their body armor, which caused metal wings to unfold from their sides. Seconds later small jet engines lifted them off the ground. They all hovered for a few seconds and then in unison all took off toward the Helion base.
At the foot of the mountain the dust finally started to clear at the spot where the missiles had hit the base. The metal of the fortress wall was now fully exposed. It had been covered by a thick layer of dirt and vegetation but was now visible, charred and dented.
Chapter 11
Back at Lonan’s slave compound, Lonan and his team continued inching their ways along through the ceiling rafters until they stopped just above the command center. Without a sound they pulled ropes from their packs and attached them to the rafters. Once everyone was ready they all simultaneously repelled down onto the ceiling of the command center five meters below them.
The command center was a room built up above the racks, and its walls were made of glass on three sides. This allowed the soldiers inside to look out and monitor all activity in the racks. The fourth wall was made up of the elevator, which was the only way in or out of the center. Inside, the room was filled with control panels and eight Leviathan monitoring the systems.
Without any of the Leviathan noticing, one of the ceiling tiles pulled back and three small spheres hovered down to the floor. They spread out around the room silently and positioned themselves behind the unsuspecting Leviathan. Then they opened and sent out electrical current that knocked out all of the enemy soldiers. When each of them rolled over and hit the floor, Lonan and his men quickly repelled down through the ceiling.