Prominence - Redemption
Page 12
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Del dived back behind the base of the antenna array on the roof of the skyscraper as a series of kinetic projectiles smashed into the roof and framework around him. Hizez caught some shrapnel from a ricochet and fell to the ground beside him howling in agony. About ten meters to his left he could see the two other members of his first team lying motionless in pools of their own yellow blood. They had both been cut down in the initial exchange with the remaining Orlak on the roof.
They had made it about halfway up the skyscraper methodically taking down sentries as they went each time using Alpha as bait. It was working quite well too. The Orlak did not seem to have any comprehension that one of their own may be lying to them. Unfortunately during one such take down another Orlak stumbled upon them as it came down the stairwell.
From that point onwards the operation was a race against time. They pushed hard in a close combat assault up the main stairwell using their full arsenal to keep the Orlak on the back foot and retreating. However, the remaining Orlak had quickly consolidated directly to the roof faster than he could push forward with his attack. So by the time Del and his team reached the roof they were ready and waiting.
Even though Del had anticipated this there was no way other than a direct full frontal assault to get onto that roof. It was bloody, but his commando’s were the best of the best and they had managed to get themselves onto the roof and into a defensible position.
Del poked his head up from behind cover and fired several plasma rounds at the remaining Orlak who were now hunkered down behind an air conditioning plant on the other side of the roof. Right smack bang between the two groups and in the middle of the crossfire, was the Orlak elder one. It stood motionless with its head facing towards to sun and its series of upper appendages spread wide and towards the sky. Its chest and the top of its head had split open to reveal fluorescent flower like structures inside. It was protected by a small shield generator and it appeared completely oblivious to the battle going on around it, even when projectiles and bolts of plasma smashed up against the shield causing it to shimmer.
Del ducked back down again as the Orlak returned fire. Hizez was still screaming in agony and writhing about besides him so he quickly pulled out his med-pack, found the relaxant needle and jabbed it into his neck. He quickly fired off a few more random shots in the hope of keeping the Orlak from breaking cover and rushing him.
Yellow blood oozed out from under Hizez’s nano armor so Del pushed the release on his chest plate and it fell away. He grabbed a self-sealing nano-fibre bandage from his med-pack and pushed it up against the entry wound. The bandage quickly turned from solid to liquid as the nanostructures rearranged themselves to seep through his clothes and bond to his skin. The entry wound sealed, but blood was still flowing from the exit wound.. He rolled Hizez onto his side to try and place another bandage, but stopped short, there was no way a field bandage was going to seal that. He gripped Hizez’s hand and squeezed as hard as he could, there was not much more he could do for him while under fire.
"I have three down on the roof! Where the hell are you Ceeda?" yelled Del into his neck communicator.
"Second team ready and in position sir. We will need covering fire to keep their heads down," replied corporal Ceeda who was leading his second team. While Del had lead his first team on a frontal assault he had sent his second team on a vertical flanking mission.
"Tinesh, what is your status?" asked Del urgently.
"Alpha is still safe in the stairwell with me and Borda."
"I need to you provide additional covering fire from your position as soon as you hear me firing again."
Dell looked down at Hizez and put on the most reassuring smile he could manage in the circumstances.
“Hang in there, Borda will be here to fix you up in a minute then next stop is one of those cushy medical ships.”
Hizez coughed up some blood before managing a strained half smile. Del slowly let his hand go and picked up his plasma pistol again.
Del started firing at the Orlak and was joined a moment later by Tinesh. They were not able to keep it up for long before having to dodge return fire, but it was long enough to distract the Orlak from noticing his second team climbing over the edge of the building behind them. By the time they realized what was going on it was too late and they were neutralized quickly.
"Borda get up here now Hizez has been hit!" he ordered the medic urgently. Both Borda and Tinesh dashed from the stairwell over to Hizez who was now quiet as a result of the relaxant, but also pale and still bleeding badly. Del raced back to the stairwell and called for Alpha to come out.
Alpha came out onto the roof slowly and surveyed the scene around him. He said nothing and ambulated slowly over to the elder one who was still in some type of trance like state inside the small shield dome. Del followed him.
"How do we get the elder out of there?"
"It is not possible, the unit is self-contained. Until the mind link with the eldest one is broken and the elder one awakes to shut down the shield."
"Tinesh we..." began Del as he turned back towards where Tinesh and Borda were working on Hizez only to find Tinesh already standing behind him, his arms covered in yellow blood right up to his elbows. Tinesh just stared back at him and silently shook his head. Del suppressed the raw emotions that swirled around inside him at the realization that his close comrade, fellow Hebran and friend was dead. There was no time for mourning and self-pity however. Fortunately his training quickly kicked in allowing him the mental fortitude to press on. He grabbed Tinesh and took him firmly by both shoulders and stood face to face.
"We still have a mission to complete Corporal. I need you to focus and hotwire that shield generator."
"The Vaslus should hurry. More Orlak will come here soon to rescue the elder one," he said suddenly.
“How do you know that?” demanded Del.
“The elder one will have called younger ones to come to his aid. When an elder is in this state they can connect to the minds of other Orlak to see what they see and speak directly into their thoughts.”
“Great no you are telling me Orlak are telepathic!”
“It is more complex than that,” replied Alpha.
"Ceeda, it looks like we are going to have company incoming. I want your team on perimeter duty. Nobody gets up here while you are still breathing. Understood?" he ordered.
"Yes sir," he replied grimly and started marshalling his team back down the stairwell.
"How long on that shield generator Tinesh?"
"I...I'm not sure sir, maybe twenty minutes" replied Tinesh still visibly shaken by the loss of his sergeant.
"You have ten."