The Icarian Legacy Collected Edition: Brave Souls - First Strike (Volume 3)

by Kocho Trajchevski

  The legionaries guarding the front showed that the humans just received more man and that they are preparing to move.

  Fillip looked at his men. They were all ready. Hi gave the signal and smoke and stun grenades flew among the ranks of the legionaries. Several M67 grenades followed. They could all hear the screams of the alien soldiers as they were consumed by the shrapnel’s. As the grenades exploded he and his men advanced.

  The smoke surprised Kal Shar and his men. And the grenades that exploded killed most of his legionaries that were guarding the entrances.

  And those that survived the initial attack were cut down by the advancing humans. He was impressed. He and his men opened fire but considering the amount of smoke it was hard to see anything. And the smoke was making the breading harder as well.

  He gave the order to retreat to the center of the hall were several desks and other items were arranged in barricade as a last line of defense. The wounded were placed there. But as they retreated he noticed that only a third of his men managed to get to the safety of the barricade. The rest were dead. Several humans lay among them but the number of dead legionaries was far greater.

  The humans tried once to storm the barricade but they were repealed. Eleven of them lay dead as a result of that but nineteen of his people were dead as well, most falling victims to the grenades the humans threw before the assault. Many more were wounded. He knew that the next attack will break them. He was ready to die, and as he turned to his men he noticed that they were ready as well.

  As the smoke cleared he could see the humans taking positions among the wreckage. They were wearing primitive armor space suites. He couldn’t see exactly how many they were but he was sure that they outnumber his forces at least three to one. Bodies were spread out everywhere most of them legionaries. He sighed and waited for the next attack.

  Fillip watched the remaining legionaries. They were well hidden behind the barricade that they obviously designed on the other side of the room.

  He knew that any attack will mean many casualties among his men. He already lost sixty men that were either killed or wounded. He thought for a moment.

  “We should use our grenades all that we have. That should be enough to finally finish and break them.”

  “We have orders to secure prisoners. There can’t be that many behind that barricade. Not ones that would be capable of fighting anyhow.”

  “Then what do you plan to do sir?”

  Fillip looked at the barricade again. And then he looked at the bodies of the dead aliens. They were laying everywhere. As he watched he noticed a symbol on the armor of several that looked familiar. He remembered the aliens he killed and the strange badge the last one gave him. He was still wearing it under his armor.

  “I want to try something. I want everyone to remain calm and no one to fire. I will try to talk to them.”

  “Talk to them? Sir sorry but have you lost your mind? They will kill you for sure.”

  He looked at the lieutenant.

  Zoran was his second in command and also his friend. He valued his advice but something deep inside him told him that he needs to do this.

  “It will be ok lieutenant.”

  “How do you plan to make them listen?”

  Fillip started to take of his armor. As he did that he turned to Zoran.

  “Remember the mountain and the dead aliens?”

  Zoran looked at him with surprise. He stayed silent but Fillip knew he understood.

  When he was finished he took a white scarf and waved with it for the Dacarians to be able to see it.

  Kal Shar looked with surprise as the human waved the white flag. He didn’t know its meaning.

  As he watched he noticed that the human waving it was out of his armor.

  “I want to talk… I want to speak with a member of the AL Mach clan.”

  Fillip spoke in Latin. He repeated his words two more times. And then he spoke in ancient Greek as well.

  Kal Shar was shocked as he heard the name of his clan being spoken. So were the rest of the survivors. They were few, sixteen legionaries that weren’t wounded and twenty three wounded.

  The human spoke again this time in a different language. Then he repeated the request in the language the dacarians knew as Latin a language that a great majority of the human slaves spoke.

  He thought about a second and then he responded.

  “How do you know that name?”

  “Come out to speak and I will tell you. We will meet in the middle of the room.”

  Kal Shar thought for a second. He turned to one of his legionaries.

  “Don’t shoot. Not unless they open fire.”

  He got nods from all of them. Most of them were members of the Al Mach clan and he could see the same questions he had in their eyes.

  He left his gun and stepped out. As he did the human stepped out as well.

  He was out of his armor. He was dressed in military fatigues. As he watched him he noticed that he was young. He had a well-developed body. And at the same time the human was watching him.

  They met as they agreed. Fillip noticed that the dacarian was tall but not as tall as the one he fought three years ago. He still wore the medallion under his shirt. He remembered the last words of Ristarion.

  Kal Shar spoke first.

  “How do you know the name Al Mach human?”

  Fillip watched him for a second looking for the sign of the clan as he noticed it he smiled. He was right.

  “A long time ago someone gave me these as proof that honor exists even among enemies.”

  At those words Fillip pooled out the medallion and handed it to the legionary.

  Kal Shar stepped back as he noticed the medallion in the hands of the human. He felt a strange weakness overtaking him. And as he saw the human as he looked in to his eyes he felt that the human knew.

  “How did he die?”

  “The same way he lived. He died with honor. He was a legionary till the end.”

  “He died by your hand?”

  At these words he noticed the alien’s hand going towards the sword.

  Several red dots appeared on his chest and head. The alien didn’t seem to notice them.

  “He died by my hand yes. It …it was his last request. He told me to give this to his father if I ever see him, or to a member of his clan.”

  He handed the medallion to the alien. He took it and looked at it. As Fillip watched the alien said some prayer. Fillip raised his hand to stop his men from shooting.

  “Did anyone survive?”

  “No. They all died fighting.”

  After this they both stayed quiet for a moment. Kal Shar looked in to the medallion and then he looked at the eyes of the human. The human looked back. He saw no fear and no hate in to those eyes. Instead what he saw was honor and respect. He handed the medallion to the human.

  “He gave it to you. You should keep it. Thank you for the truth human.”

  “My name is Fillip.”

  “I’m called Kal Shar. Kal Shar Al Mach.”

  Kal Shar looked at the human.

  “What do you want from me human?”

  “That you stop fighting and surrender. There is no need for you and your men to die.”

  “There is no honor in surrender.”

  “And there is none in dying like this. You know I’m a man of my word. This proves it.”

  He showed at the medallion.

  “Yes I know that. But we will break our oath if we surrender.”

  “This war…it might be over someday…it will be over someday…than you and your men will be allowed to go home.”

  “This war … this war Alteran has lasted since the first day our two races met on the battle field. You are an honorable race, a race we respect but a race that will always be our enemy.”

  Fillip sighed.

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “Don’t be. It will be an honor to die by your and by the hands of the men you command. All I ask
is that you give as several moments before you attack.”

  Kal Shar caught the hand of the human in a greeting that the human slaves showed. The human responded with a smile.

  “You will have them. The honor will be ours.

  After this they both turned and stepped back. As Kal Shar returned behind the barricade his men looked at him.

  “What did he want?”

  Kal Shar turned and looked at the humans.

  “To tell us that there is honor even among enemies.”

  The legionaries stayed quiet. As he turned towards the wounded there was no need of saying the order. They knew.

  They took out their kerasa swords and most with effort stood on their knees.

  “In the emperor’s name we die. In his name we give our lives.”

  “In his name we take them.”

  As the swords went down there were no screams. The lifeless bodies just slipped and fell to the floor. The legionaries that could fight returned to the barricade. Kal Shar raised his sword and shook it.

  He knew that the humans will know what it means.

  Fillip watched the move. He knew what was happening behind the barricade. So did his men.

  He turned to Zoran.

  “It is time. Go.”

  The soldiers attacked fast. There was no mercy and they took no risk. Grenades flew over the barricade. Kal Shar knew that this will come. As the grenades flew at their positions he and his men jumped and attacked. It was surreal.

  Sixteen legionaries attacked a group of almost two hundred men. As they jumped the humans watched them for a moment stunned and admiring. They knew that what they watched was a way of dying that had honor.

  A moment later they opened fire. A hail of bullets struck the dacarians. The firing stopped after a minute.

  The humans stepped forward to check the bodies. Fillip led them.

  Kal Shar looked as the humans advanced. They were moving slowly, checking the bodies. He could feel his body loosing strength. He received at least twenty wounds and he was bleeding heavily. He noticed the human who spoke to him approaching. He used his entire strength to raise his body and stand on his knees.

  Several humans turned to him but he noticed their leader stopping them.

  He approached him. Kal Shar took his kerasa out of his scabbard. He knew that the human will know the meaning.

  Fillip watched as the legionary rose and pulled his sword out. His body was riddled with bullet holes. It was a miracle that he was still alive.

  He approached him.

  Kal Shar raised his sword with his hands and looked at the human. As he watched the human pulled of his helmet and looked back.

  “It will be an honor to die by your hand.”

  Fillip kneeled and looked at the Dacarian. He could see the pain he felt on his face.

  “You can still live.”

  Kal Shar smiled. It took an effort.

  “No I can’t. Even if I wanted the wounds are too deep. I will be dead soon. But I would like to die the death of a legionary. The same way my master did and by the same hand.”

  “Do you have anything you would like to give me, anything you would like me to carry on?”

  Kal Shar struggled for breath. It was getting harder to breed.

  “I…I have a son and a family. Keep the kerasa for them.”

  He pulled a data pad from his belt and a small medallion.

  “It will be an honor.”

  He took them.

  “His name is Kaled, Kaled Shar al Mach.”

  “It was on honor knowing you.”

  “And you.”

  Fillip left the items before Kal Shar and stepped behind him. As he did Kal Shar rose and said his prayer all the time looking in to the data pad and the medallion. In his mind he was looking his home in to the face of his son. He closed his eyes, and as he did Fillip struck with the sword. The blade penetrated down the neck all the way up to the hilt. Kal Shar’s body twitched as the blade penetrated. A moment later he fell to the side dead. Fillip picked up the items, pulled out the sword and the scabbard.

  He placed the sword in to it and kneeled next to the body.

  “May the gods grant you a safe passage in to the afterlife and may they know you died with honor Kal Shar.”

  He closed his eyes and rose.

  “Call it in. Tell them that we had to eliminate everyone. “

  “Yes sir. And sir…”

  “Yes Zoran?”

  “You did good sir. I don’t know what he said but it was honorable.”

  “Yes it was.”

  The group slowly moved away. They picked up the bodies of their dead and started moving towards the shuttles. As they left the wreck other soldiers were arriving.

  Half an hour later Fillip and his unit were back on the Argus.

  Johnson looked at the reports. The rescue teams managed to find hundreds of survivors on the destroyed human ships. The teams that tried to take control of the several hulks that had survivors and prisoners also reported success. They suffered casualties. Ninety six men died and hundred and fifty were wounded. But they managed to capture about two hundred prisoners. Most of them were wounded and those that weren’t were found unconscious. Those that were found alive fought to the death and many wounded took their own lives. It was crazy but he expected something like that. From the talks he had with Anaya he knew that they always fought to the death. But the most important part of the mission was connected with the data chips that they managed to collect. He was sure that they will find valuable information’s from them.

  “Anaya send a report to Earth that the mission was a success. Tell them that we have the information’s that we wanted.”

  “Yes admiral.”

  “And set a course for home. We have the fleets under admiral’s Levin and Macintosh here to keep watch. The rescue operations will continue. There might be survivors there still.”

  “Yes admiral.”

  The battle was finally over. Johnson looked at the sight once more as the ship turned and started moving away. As he watched tears rolled on his cheeks. Humanity won but the price was high. Thousands of men died in the past day and millions more died on Earth. And he knew that this is only the start of the war. He hoped that those chips and the prisoners will reveal something. Because if humanity wanted to survive he knew that they will have to go somewhere out there, somewhere among the stars and find their enemy. To strike at their backs, strike hard. The war had to be fought as far away from Earth as possible.

  Earth and humanity managed to buy them self some time. Now it all depended on them.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  30 June 2019 12:30

  Earth Arlington National Cemetery

  Virginia United States of America

  Carter looked at the gathered soldiers and people. There were hundreds of thousands. And people were out on the streets all over America and the world. Today was the day that no human wanted to stay at home, when the happiness was mixed with pain and sorrow. Today was the day that humanity buried its heroes. Today was the day that they said their last goodbyes.

  The funerals had to wait because of the search that was conducted in this system and in Proxima Centaury.

  The battle was finally over. There were no more enemy ships coming. At least not right away. The initial fear after the disastrous bombing that took seventy million lives there was a constant fear that it might happen again. That was the reason for the search. But now three days later humanity finally could stop and rest.

  The battle was won. As he looked at the thousands coffins before him he remembered the last speech of his predecessor, the last speech of Unary Samba. He called the people of the fleet those few brave men.

  As he watched today he knew that they were much more than brave. They faced the enemy and they didn’t back away.

  Of the almost three hundred ships that went in to the battle half were lost. And all the others were damaged. Hundred and four thousand men and women entered in
to the battle. Eighty four thousand nine hundred and three gave their lives. They were people from all nations.

  Forty one thousand were Americans. And they were all here now.

  All over the world presidents were doing the same thing today. Billions were saying goodbye and paying their respects to these brave men.

  And he knew he felt sorrow as he watched, but he felt it not just for them but for the ones that will come as well. Mankind was at war. There may be peace now but everyone knew what the future will bring.

  He cleared his throat and stepped on the stage.

  “One hundred and fifty four years ago during one of our greatest tragedies and our proudest moments the Arlington Cemetery became the final resting home of our nations heroes. We all know them and we are all proud of them. Today … today after the greatest battle that we fought, after the battle and the events that united us as not one nation but as one civilization, a civilization of man, Arlington will become the final home for forty one thousand more of our sailors, pilots, soldiers … and marines. I know that they will have a proud company. They died not for our country, not for our proud nation, because we are that, but for our world, for our civilization, they gave their lives for our future.

  June 27 2019… a day that will always remembered, a day when hundred and four thousand men and women took upon them self the mantle, a day when they flew high in to the heavens, a day when they became our Spartans. That is the day when a new legend was born.

  Eighty four thousand, nine hundred and four of them died. Forty one thousands of them were ours… forty one thousands of them are here with us today.

  I know, I feel the pain that you their families feel, but I say to you, be proud, cry for them but feel joy in your heart…

  “Be proud my mother, be proud my father,

  Be proud my sister, my brother,

  Be proud my darling,

  Do not hide the tears when you say good bye,

  But do not stop the smile when you look in to the sky,

  Remember me with joy, light a candle every night,