Sacremon (Harmony War Series Book 1)

by Michael Chatfield

  Gupta reached the brothers, Mark nearly put a burst into him, both of them pointing weapons at one another for a few seconds. They had gone into the black hard.

  Gupta raised his left hand, Mark did the same and followed the Master Corporal falling in with the rest of the platoon which was now barely a section.

  They huddled into an elevator, Dolche and the repulsors letting their anger be known as their rounds ran like rivers between their legs, ripping into walls and anyone that dared to show themselves.

  They got into the elevator and Gupta hit the manual opening system, the doors slamming shut.

  “Looks like the people in the lobby are fighting it out. We're going to the fifth to get our wounded checked out and re-arm,” Gupta said, manually putting commands into the elevator.

  The command centre must be gone then. Mark put a fresh mag into his launcher and E-12. Others followed suit.

  “Stay still,” Gupta said, taking Mark's med pack and working on Tyler.

  “He's lost a lot of blood, and that explosive round fucked him up royally. He's out of it right now. I think we're going to have to cryo-him and get some kind of transport up to Reclaimer, I don't think that even the medics down here can help him,” Gupta said, doing what he could to Tyler who had fallen unconscious at some point.

  Mark used his implants to look at the planet, it was still declared NR as two-thirds of the troopers on Sacremon, close to six times the number of forces on the ground at this point, waited to descend on the planet.

  If the NR wasn't released somehow, Tyler would die. Cryo was only used if someone was about to die, to prolong the amount of time they needed until treatment. From Gupta's tone Tyler didn't have long.

  They got off on the fourth floor, they moved through, wounded moved through, the medics doing quick work to get them turned around and back downstairs. Even through five floors Mark could hear the repulsors firing.

  How long until they run out of rounds and the enemy gets in here or they descend from above us? Mark got looks as he pushed people out of the way.

  The fu...” A Master Corporal with a leg gash said, hobbling to regain their balance. Their words died as they looked at the ragged mess Mark was and the casualty on his back.

  Haggard medics and less wounded troopers helped get Tyler off of Mark's back and onto a desk table.

  Mark felt damned tired and sunk to the floor, using it as a rest.

  Medics went to work on Tyler before a portable pod was brought out.

  It was a simple plastic thing, looked like an accordion, except when it was pulled it opened up into something about coffin size instead of making noise. At the top it held a panel with numbers and readings. Mark watched them put Tyler into the pod as if he was in some kind of dream. A medic played with the settings on the top and Tyler's breathing went from slow and shallow to non-existence.

  Mark stirred, anger pushing him forward.

  “He's in cryo, don't worry about it,” the medic Darzi said as he pushed his shoulder back against the table.

  “Now your turn, up on the table and let me see that side of yours,” Darzi grunted, helping to pull Mark into standing.

  Mark was able to get his ass on the table, his legs wobbly from their exertion.

  “Good work Mark,” Gupta said, coming from wherever he'd been. Mark had been so focused on getting Tyler to a medic that he'd lost track of where the remainder of his section was.

  “If you hadn't cleared out those hallways...” Gupta trailed off.

  Mark saw the shadows under Gupta's eyes, his helmet was in his hand.

  “No worries, Sarge,” Mark said, seeing the new stripe on Gupta's arm. “Just doing what I'd want someone to do in my position,”

  “Well after this I owe you a beer. I'm taking the rest of the section that are capable and reinforcing those in the lobby, we're running low on repulsor ammo and the other towers have fallen, there's only us now.”

  “We'll win, got to,” Mark said determination fighting against sleep that pulled him down.

  “Sorry Sarge, I gave him a sedative, he's going to be out real quick. I have to pull shrapnel and parts of his own armor out of his side. He's not going to want to be awake for that,” Darzi said.

  “Do what you need to, the man's my good luck charm I want him up and ready to go as soon as possible.” Gupta's voice made it clear it was a priority.

  Mark let his eyes close, his body relaxing, muscles that he hadn't known had been clenched let go with almost euphoric release.

  Chapter 12

  Tower

  Earth, Sol system

  8/3169

  Not many of the troopers knew that their feeds were being relayed to their carrier and then beamed to any crazed adrenaline junkie CEO that paid a high enough price to see that footage.

  Tachyon transmission technology made the universe seem like a much smaller place.

  The consumers had flocked to the paid channel and the investment more than paid for the troopers extra training and tanks.

  People loved to watch violence, the rawer and bloodier, the higher the cost.

  He looked over the reports coming from his intelligence department who were acting as announcers, highlighting the most popular clips, throwing in information that Nivad or the viewers might find interesting. Such as the fact that the Troopers against a colonist revolution would be terrifying, bets were already being placed on the outcome of a battle between Reclaimer’s troopers and their next colonist uprising.

  More bets were being placed on casualty ratios and the outcomes of Guaranak.

  A message interrupted Nivad’s thoughts, the sound almost stunning him into inaction. No one called him unless it was of vital importance.

  “Go,” Nivad’s voice cool as he accepted the call.

  “There’s been a report out from Masoul. We believe that there is an underground religious network in play,” Dalia, Nivad’s assistant said, her voice level and emotionless. She had been in his service for five decades and more than earned her life-extending drugs. If Nivad came close to actually trusting a person, it was Dalia. She was certainly one of the few that he listened to and allowed to critique his plans.

  Which made her simple message turn away from his holographic imager in thought.

  “Go on,” he said.

  “We have had only one report, but the source has been reliable, even through all of their checks for the last thirty years. They are placed in the mining facilities and have taken a position as CEO living on Masoul prime. It was only through their closeness to the population that they picked up rumors of not only a religious taint, but a possible group. They have not been able to confirm or deny the information. Their position as CEO puts them at a disadvantage. They wish to go undercover for more subterfuge,” Dalia said in her analytical and cool voice.

  Neither Nivad nor Dalia ever said the name of informants or referenced which sex they belonged to. One never knew who was possibly listening in.

  “Very well give them clearance, take measures to ready other agents if needed,” Nivad said.

  “Yes sir,” Dalia answered, taking that as her cue to cut the channel.

  Nivad’s eyes slid over to the holographic images of the Reclaimer’s troopers.

  When Earth had started to colonize the stars they had initially expanded in the direction of Guaranak. Fifty years into exploration they had diverted their explorations to the other side of the sphere which became Earth’s colonies.

  For a hundred-and-fifty-years people had been sent to these planets. They had the largest population centers of humans other than Earth itself. If something was going wrong with them, or they incited a rebellion then Strike station in Masoul would go active.

  It was the only station the EMF held other than Resolute, EMF were rotated from operating between the two stations so that it didn’t take a long time for them to get to the heavily inhabited planets of the Sphere, the name given to the eleven or so systems within that surrounded Masoul.

&nbs
p; The fact there was a religious network growing in Masoul where the station was did not make Nivad turn the holographic imager back on. Instead he changed it to a holographic interface and started to look over his options if Masoul did fall into chaos. One never had enough plans and this was what Selvra lived for.

  Power games were interesting and all, but designing the demise of a solar system, there was nothing else quite like it.

  Chapter 13

  Growing City and surrounding area

  Sacremon Actual, Sacremon System

  8/3169

  Mark felt himself come awake, it was a pretty jarring experience to have someone checking his eyes out with a light while he remembered where he was, hearing the noises of battle which seemed a hell of a lot closer.

  He noticed that people were moving faster through the offices and people were coming in with a lot worse injuries than Mark had seen when he'd entered the room.

  “He's good,” the medic said.

  “Good, on your feet Mark Victor, the le—EMF isn't going to let you end your contract that easily,” Captain Nerva said, Mark turned, getting up and seeing the Captain was covered in signs of battle.

  “Yes captain,” Mark said, looking around for Tyler.

  “Your brother has been moved to another room with the other cryos. Right now he's going to need you on the front instead of sitting back here worrying about him,” Nerva said, giving Mark his rifle.

  Mark took it, checking it by response.

  “You'll make it far in the EMF yet,” Nerva said with approval. Mark slid off of the table and followed the Captain, finding that he was actually only a few inches taller than the Captain.

  The last time that you saw him he was behind a desk after all. Mark thought as he checked over his gear, moving to a pile of magazines, switching out his old with new. There was a large group of people going in the same direction as the Captain.

  They used the stairs to get to the third floor.

  Mark stuck to Nerva, by his armor he knew how to handle himself in a fight and having him go down would be bad for everyone left in the tower.

  They got to the front which was where the third floor had collapsed into a ramp, letting whoever wanted to run through the first and second floor to do so with relative ease since all that was left was some slanted stairs leading up to the third floor.

  Troopers were moving to different positions, there was little to no command as people fought for their lives.

  “We're not going to be able to hold them back for too much longer. I give it about a half day before the ones from the ground or the ones in the upper-levels get us,” Captain Nerva said.

  “Sir?” Mark said, wondering why the Captain was telling a lowly boot this information.

  “If I can get air support down here then I can have them rake the buildings around us, cut down the ones in the streets, or even pound the upper-levels of this building. We need support or we're going to die.” Now most men that delivered this kind of ultimatum might flinch from it. Nerva wasn't afraid to admit it and he didn't flinch in the slightest. Mark's opinion of the man rose a few notches.

  Nerva turned to Mark, “in two hours it's going to be dark, dark enough for you and others to sneak into the city.”

  And just why in the fuck would I want to get deeper into this hell-hole of a city?

  Nerva seemed to read his mind as he continued, not giving Mark time to voice his thoughts.

  “I have received information that the CEO of Sacremon didn't leave the planet, he's actually in Growing city, at the main tower. He's in a shelter, but it looks like the local population found out about his hiding spot and are trying to gain entry. It's only coming up now because they thought that he blasted off of the planet with the rest of the CEO's and his family.”

  “Why are you telling me this?”

  “Three reasons, we need to get support, if there is a CEO that needs to be protected, General Wai is going to jump all over herself to get him up there and in protection, including lifting this NR and giving us the support we need to deal with this city. Second you're not going to leave your brother behind, you'll fight until you die to try and save that CEO because he is the one person that can save your brother. Third, you’re a decent soldier and you know how to handle yourself. You're damned resilient and not even a few explosions have put you down.” Nerva's helmet was facing Mark's now. Neither of them could see the others face but they didn't need to, this was the only play they had that could get them out of this planet's gravity well.

  Mark should have probably felt honored that a Captain was looking into his personal file so much. Instead his thoughts were focused on keeping Tyler alive.

  “Tell me what you need me to do,” Mark said.

  Nerva sent him a file.

  “This is all the information on the growing tower the CEO is located in. He is hidden in the plantation and people have been seen moving through and looking for him. Get to the tower, lock it down and retrieve him. Get him to his penthouse and have him call for a ride,” Nerva's cool tone became a note deeper. “If they ask what our situation is, tell them how we need support or you won't be able to get the CEO to a safe location for retrieval. Send me a message and I will send you our most up-to-date targeting information.”

  “Understood sir,” Mark said.

  Not all the truth but enough of it to hopefully send something down here to help us out. Plus, being a low-rank it would make more sense for me to do it than anyone else.

  “You have one hour, take four people with you and you'll rappel out of the fifth story to go and find the CEO,” Nerva said.

  Mark felt his stomach do a few lurches, he hated heights, but his voice was as solid as cermite.

  “Yes Sir.” Mark looked on his HUD, searching for people he knew, there weren't many of them, he found Gupta, Pullo, Jerome, and Utkin. Dolche was on the front line with the other repulsors.

  “Sir, the Captain has given me a job, it's not going to be an easy one,” Mark told Pullo who he'd found in an office pod.

  Pullo's helmet was off, sweat drenching his light brown hair, his blue eyes fixed to Mark and his lips pressed together into a thin white line.

  “What is it?” He asked, Mark was a little shocked but he continued on.

  “There's a CEO hiding in one of the towers, if we grab them then Reclaimer will send down support, then we can get some help…” Mark was saying.

  “And get Tyler up to medical aid,” Pullo finished while leaning on a kitchen island covered in dust, rounds, and scratches from troopers.

  “Yes sir,” Mark said.

  Pullo kept looking at the surface before sighing and grabbing his helmet. “Alright Victor, who else is coming.”

  “I was going to ask Jerome from one section and Gupta,” Mark answered.

  “You grab Jerome, I'll get Gupta. How the hell are we getting past the bastards downstairs?”

  “Rappelling from the fifth floor,” Mark said.

  “Smart idea. We'll meet on the fifth floor in twenty minutes, I don't know about you but getting that support down here sooner rather than later sounds like a good idea to me,” Pullo said dryly.

  “Yes sir,” Mark said.

  Pullo grabbed his helmet and Mark went in search of Jerome.

  He found him the front lines and Mark had to crawl up to his firing position as he fired grenades and rounds down into the second floor. The colonists had pulled back their forces for now and a few EMF troopers were making sure they kept their heads down.

  “Jerome!”

  “What's up Mark?”

  “I wanted to see if you were interested on going on another adventure,” Mark said.

  Jerome actually looked away from the hole in the wall he was firing through to look at Mark.

  “Shit, you're serious.”

  “Yup.”

  “What's the plan?” Jerome asked.

  “We get the hell out of here, go rescue a CEO and get some damned support down here,” Mark admonis
hed.

  Jerome popped off a grenade, taking a few moments.

  “Don't the CEO's usually pay out a fee for being rescued too?” He asked.

  “I don't know, all I do know is that we either get that support or we die in this tower,” Mark said.

  “Well when you put it like that, count me in.” Jerome flicked off of the channel and someone to his left started firing and Jerome pushed backwards.

  They got back up to the fifth floor. Mark grabbed the silencer from Tyler's kit, Tyler’s face was still pink but his cryo's stats were not looking good at all.

  He tossed it to Jerome who paired it with his own E-12.

  “Lines are set up,” Pullo said over a private communications channel. Mark and Jerome quickly made their way over to Pullo and Gupta who were waiting at the edge of the tower, a missile had opened up the floors above, wind whistled through the rent in the towers side. Parts fell down or hung onto where they had settled.

  “Good luck,” Captain Nerva said, standing nearby.

  Fire opened up on the lower floors and he turned his head towards the noise.

  “Get that damned CEO and send the message.” With that he turned to go towards the fighting.

  Pullo and Gupta helped to get Jerome and Mark into the lines, there was a spool mounted to the wall and a thin cord that attached to the loop on the front of their armor around waist height.

  “Let's get this done,” Pullo said, edging out line with his implants so he was vertical.

  He jumped backwards, disappearing into the night as his line whirred out.

  Mark thought about not looking down, but as soon as he got himself vertical he did. A shiver that wasn't born from the cold air exposed to his side, ran through him.

  He took a second and then started walking down, using his feet to get himself through the remains of the floors around him.

  He got to the third floor and started jumping as Pullo had, getting to the ground quickly. By the time he was on the ground the quick rappelling had brought a small smile to himself.

  He pulled the line off of his belt, finding himself on the outside of the tower. Gupta had beat him down and Jerome took another few seconds to join them.