Iron Five

by Seon O. Stronghold

  I’m making sure this bastard doesn’t come back.

  As my legs slam into the ground, the heat seekers trace an arc above the space between us and with a series of hollow booms and a vicious flash, the cyclone becomes nothing but a balloon of tumbling fire and bits and pieces of flying metal.

  “Bull…weather..?”

  “Clear and Sunny Alpha…”

  “Let’s get to them and when we do…” I’m already moving “…give me a defensive perimeter, and kill anything that shouldn’t be there!”

  “Copy that Cap…”

  I find the communications linkup and activate the frequency find “Kedar Booster Tank, this is Iron Five Commander, Richard Gant and we are non-hostile…repeat, non-hostile. Request pilot ident and escort to Dunan do you copy?”

  I wait a few seconds before he comes back “Captain Asan Aseid copies Iron Five request and will be ready for escort when you are.”

  “Copy that. You guys go get your pilot from that wreckage and we’ll keep eyes out for any more hostiles.”

  “Will do Commander…”

  I approach Mirana and the girl. They are scared but the Base Commander stands defiantly still. I physically crouch and the DAWG does the same. In my head I split the cockpit open and hear it depressurizing. The Brace lowers me to the dirt and the bright world outside my machine comes into literal view. With my feet on the desert floor, I remove my helmet and walk-run toward her. She is a mess. Her tight bun of hair is now loose and scattered across her shoulders. There is enough dirt on her skin to be noticeable even from this distance and her clothes are torn and ragged but I don’t care; she is alive.

  “Huski..?”

  I like the look in her eyes but she is as shocked as she is worn “Commander…” I salute and then nod to the young girl behind her.

  “What are you doing here..?”

  “I’ll explain later…” What in the Galaxy justifies me being here? “…right now, we need to get you to safety. We’re going to Dunan and when we get there, I’ll let you know what’s going on.”

  I turn my thoughts inward and find the Booster Tank then speak away from Mirana.

  “Hey Asan..?”

  “Yes…”

  “You got room in there for two more?”

  “We’ve got room in here for four more…”

  “Good, come get these two ladies when you’re done and then we’ll be heading out…”

  “…On our way”

  The Booster Tank whines as it turns, a quarter mile away and begins coming to us.

  “Captain…” She looks at me and even in our predicament, amazingly, they haven’t lost their intensity “What are those, and where are your MAV’s?”

  “Those are Dynamic Automated War Gear…”

  “Dogs..?” She utters with a smile.

  “Yeah, Dogs. But there’s no time for an explanation now. You two get in the Booster and we’ll take it from there.”

  I keep an eye on her as she hustles away and thank God she’s alive. I want to tell her what I am feeling but I can’t. It just doesn’t fit and I know somehow that it is better this way.

  FACT

  Bullets and missiles used in vacuum, all guided by Magnatech, explode and disintegrate on contact or once they have achieved their maximum flight time. Laser cannons on the other hand are relics of the past that very few ships still carry. Since the dawn of particle absorption and laser redirection technology, the laser cannons of yester-year have all been scrapped and or confined to laboratories and mining equipment.

  A few months earlier

  MIND GAMES

  Year: 878 TE

  System: Sol

  Planet: Neptune

  Location: Kona base - Proteus

  “Welcome Captain Andrews...”

  “Hello Amanda”

  A streamlined woman in a grey flight suit approached Terrier casually. They had met six months earlier, when he was first contacted by Earthfront command regarding their suspicions of Iron Five. She was the representative assigned to him when docked here, but that was bullshit…she was more like his handler than a rep and even though he knew it, the circumstantial intimacy between them made it easier to live with.

  She kissed him when she was sure that none of the few guards stationed throughout the facility were near and led the way to a briefing room two levels below the moon’s surface.

  “Welcome Mr. Andrews…sit…” A heavyset man in a black flight suit gestured him to a seat on the opposite end of a large triangular table.

  As Terrier sat, the man continued. “Let me get straight to the point. Iron Five has become a hindrance to our operation and must be discredited and destroyed...”

  Terri took a moment to comprehend what the man was saying and when it registered, he jumped from his seat but was shoved firmly back into place as the pain of a thick, white hot syringe burrowed stomach cramping fingers into his neck and shoulders, between which the needle had been inserted.

  “...this must be done quietly however and to keep it below radar, we will need your team to start the ball rolling. We will break Iron Five apart, from the inside...”

  Terrier coughed as the massive soldier holding him down released his grip “Why are you doing this?” His head swam and he knew without a doubt that he would be dead, or worse, unconscious in a few seconds.

  The man continued as though nothing had happened “Our cause is paramount and you, my friend, will be the man to lead our charge...”

  “I will die before I betray my brothers...” Terri’s voice did not sound as his own. He slurred the words and felt his tongue roll around in his mouth.

  “Don’t you worry, my friend...everything will come in its own time. I will see to it that you are handled with care. You will be wiped and reprogrammed to carry out the necessary orders and when you have run your course, you will be rewarded accordingly. In the mean time, Gemini, see to it that his processing goes as planned.”

  Terri lolled his head toward his recent lover and felt the chill of horror flood through his bones. Even now, in the haze of her betrayal she had the gall to smile at him.

  “By your orders sir...”

  And then the world around him faded to black.

 

 

  CHAPTER 13 - CROSSROADS

  Planet: Keden

  Location: Dunan City

  Time: 1030 Hours Dunan Local

  We leave the large, blue and grey metallic landing pad where our DAWGs sit idle and walk across an open-to-the-sky bridge. On my right is a small hangar with a few MAV’s being readied for action and to the left, is nothing. We are high above Dunan’s metropolitan core and from here, one can see the tops of every other Eversteel and glass building near and far, which, now that I am this close, are actually all a part of one very large complex. Connected at varying levels by way of enclosed passageways, they stand weather-beaten but proud. In every direction below, the buildings of steel, mostly stripped of their paint and painted symbols, reveal glints of their natural grey, giving the city an aged yet modern and otherworldly look.

  The wind is gusty where I walk but not a problem. I hope Mirana is already on the inside. After we had left the battle site, our Booster Tank allies contacted their superiors and relayed my request to meet with their leaders; the urgency of this message was met with surprising willingness to co-operate and we and the Booster Tank had parted ways after flying into Dunan about ten minutes ago.

  I look past the outer edges of the hazy city, and appearing as a blur on the horizon, is the edge of the Dune Desert. It is funny…as much as I hated it here, SysDef’s Base of Operations on Keden had unwittingly become my home and now, a sense of emptiness resides within, as though I have lost something dear to me.

  Our armed escorts, five heavy Kedar Soldiers and a few light guards, lead us through an opening made up of three sliding doors. Two of these doors slip off to either side of the opening while the third disappears into the metal wall above. Our boots echo
on the reflective floor and goose bumps ripple along my arms and neck as my combat suit filters the hot Kedenian air and cools my skin.

  We enter the building. The outer world vanishes and we are now in a fairly large room with a very high, richly decorated ceiling. I remove my helmet now that we are away from the harsh, dusty air outside and hear the clicks of the rest of the team doing the same. It’s chilly and I take a deep breath of it…smells like winter air…tastes like it too…reminds me of my cabin back home on a crispy winter’s night.

  We follow our escorts through another set of sliding doors where the ceiling is lower, and then into a wide, blue carpeted hallway. Along its white walls that are broken up by brown doors, paintings of Kedenian landscapes, dawns, daylights, sunsets and nights, hang.

  The artist must be phenomenal, because these images look more like still-shots.

  As we walk, it occurs to me that much thought had been put into the decorations here. The paintings, hanging near plants in large brown pots by every door, give the long passageway a welcoming and homey feel.

  Ten doors later, at the end of the corridor, through the only set of double doors I have seen thus far, we enter a large semicircular room. The circular wall is made entirely of Everglass while the straight edge, behind us now, is all reflective metal. This gives the illusion of a larger space. The guards, along with our escorts remain outside and the doors close.

  Unlike the rest of what I generally know when it comes to Kedenian Interior Design, this room is perfectly put together and reeks of high society and wealth. Thick, deep-red carpeting is wall to wall. Large and heavy drapes made of Kedenian Brocade hangs, pulled aside, at each end of the monstrous windows. Magnatech lamps hover several feet above the floor here-and-there and the massive semi-circular Earth Oak table sitting in the midst of all this, along with its million-Credit-a-piece, Oak chairs completes the portrait. I take another drag of the purified air. It’s a lot like the air in my suit.

  “Gentlemen…Lady…”

  I turn toward the rough but soft voice. A sleek, expensive looking woman in a black, full body pant suit and grey, high cut military boots is walking toward us. Her curvy hips and long legs move in unison. Her upper body bulges in the right places while her long, black-jeweled neck leads to a slender and hard face…Definitely not my type…with her short, cropped, dark-green hair that stays rigidly in place. We make eye contact, and like the hair, green, they stare into mine. There is great intelligence there, the gift of discernment. In them I see authority and the confidence of a good speaker.

  “Lady…”

  She acknowledges my response with a slight bow. It is a sign of great respect to refer to a woman here as “Lady” much like Ma’am back on Earth.

  “Please have your seats. We will be with you shortly.”

  Who is, we? But I simply acknowledge her words with a curt “Thank you.” And we all take our seats as she leaves the room.

  Akita breaks the silence “Well, Alpha, what do you think?”

  “She’s not my type…”

  He smiles “You know what I mean…”

  “I don’t know. We’re gonna have to play this by ear and see what happens.”

  The doors open and we all turn in that direction. Mirana O’Canon enters the room. Her tangle of red hair is now combed into a ponytail and she’s changed into a fresh combat suit.

  She eyes us all and just before sitting…

  “Iron Five…” She finds Maria; I see the question forming in her eyes and remember Terrier. I have been ignoring them but the mixed emotions are now back.

  “Commander…”

  She looks to me and I answer the unasked question.

  “Terrier is dead.” My own words sting and my stomach turns to knots but I keep it together as the expression on her face goes from questioning to understanding, to sorrow.

  “I’m sorry…”

  There is nothing more to say. Not now. I’ll explain it to her when the time is right.

  “Gentlemen…Ladies…”

  The streamlined woman is back and this time, there are two men with her. One of these men, a giant with a strong, chiseled face stands on her right. He is a fierce looking man with fierce looking eyes and bulging arms that might crush an Aircar. The other man, on her left, is more sophisticated and elegant. His eyes, even with his tranquil exterior, are deceptive. There’s an animalistic cunning in them. He is a calculator, no doubt the brain of the outfit. I take in the ensemble; the Muscle, the Ambassador and the Brain; this should be interesting.

  “Please…”

  The woman motions for us to sit again and as we do, the three strangers take their seats. The table is semi-circular, like the room. We sit along the straight edge of it while our hosts sit near the middle of the curve opposite us; the Brain, in the middle, is on the largest chair. These must be Keden’s royalty. It feels strange to be here with them but then again, under the current circumstances…

  The man in the middle speaks

  “SysDef Commander, Mirana O’Canon. Iron Five. Captain Richard Gant, Huski. Neil Valeno, the Akita. James McKee, Pitbull. Michael Reihgt, Dachshund. And. Miss Anna Maria Santina, what is your call-sign?”

  It is impolite to speak to a Kedenian official if they have not directly interacted with or asked a question of you; one of the many iffy little rules and regulations that give me the unwavering resolve to never live here.

  The man in the middle, with a flawless, full head of white hair hanging down his back, curves his thin lips into a smile and then Maria answers.

  “Dane…Great Dane…”

  He looks to me again “A shame what happened to Terrier?”

  “He’s dead, there’s nothing more to say about it. May I ask with whom do we speak?”

  They are a bit taken aback but not for long, and the man in the middle speaks again.

  “I am King, Al-Raadein Asaud Kedeni and this is my sister, Princess, Al-Shari and my brother…he puts a hand on the broad shoulder next to him…General Al-Jair…”

  “We are the Tri-rulers of Keden, direct descendants of Amir and Sharai Kedeni. Forgive us if we bypass the usual etiquette and get directly to business. As you know, at this moment, Raiku forces are at war with our defenses on the outer perimeter of our planet’s vacuum so time is of the essence…”

  He just launches into it. I like that…straight to the point

  “…Reinforcements are on their way but until then, we must hold off the invaders and prevent them from touching down planet side. After the events on Solace Five, you have proven yourselves friendly and willing to stand with us against our enemies. Along with recent intelligence reports we are now convinced that you are in no way allied with them, so I offer you a choice…”

  “Wait a minute…” I cut him off “How do you know about Solace Five?”

  “Mr. Gant…regardless of what you think you know…Sol is not the only system with a Galactic Spy Network. We know many things. Like the fact that Earth, just as Keden, is in danger of a hostile takeover. As a matter of fact, as we speak, Earth is now in full lock down and your esteemed brother-in-arms is at the helm of this treachery...”

  “Brother…but how? Terri’s dead.”

  “On the contrary Captain Gant, Terrier is alive…” He stops me from interrupting again with a raised palm and continues. “Hear us. Listen. You might learn something.”

  My instincts tell me that I need to shut up. So with a slight bow, I remain silent.

  “...Huski, you are here to rescue your people, and we are here to save ours…” The sleek woman cuts in “Normally, we would not have graced you with our presence…however…given the current state of affairs, there is little room for protocol...”

  Appalling

  It’s the only word I can think of. Like we needed or wanted more than anything else to be graced by their presence. But she continues without falter.

  “…We need your help…”

  I think carefully before answering
because this situation is as real as it gets.

  “Explain…”

  “It is as I said. We need you to help us in this fight…”

  “And how would the five of us make much of a difference?”

  Their leader joins in again “You have had firsthand experience with the Cyclones and you are very familiar with Earthfront technology and how it works.”

  What he is saying makes sense but it makes no difference either way. Iron Five has never set foot in a Cyclone and without Keden’s assistance, we might as well just kiss Earth goodbye.

  “We no longer have ties to Earthfront, which means that free access to their system no longer exists…” I shift my focus to the lady of the three “…If we are to remain here…to help Kedenian forces, we will most certainly need to be paid.”

  “Credits…Mr. Gant?” The Largest of them opens his mouth for the first time “…Surely you’ll need more than Credits to save your home world?”

  His words are a punch to the gut but I hold my ground

  “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. But for now, it’s either we get paid or you to fight your war on your own…”

  ”And how, Captain Gant, are you going to leave without a ship?”

  I give the muscle the best defiant look I can muster. It is obvious that he doesn’t think much of me but this is fine, because the feeling is mutual.

  “Five Earthfront soldiers and a Galactic Nine pilot…acquiring a ship will be the least of our challenges.”

  “We have strayed…gentlemen …” The Brain breaks the tension and activates a Holoscreen in the middle of the desk. General Hawk’s mean face appears.

  “Welcome, General Madison…”

  “Greetings, King Al-Raadein…Princess Al-Shari…General Al-Jair. Commander O’Canon, it’s good to see you alive and well. Iron Five...”