Star Crusades Nexus: Book 09 - The Black Rift (10 page)

Jack reached into the ammunition pouch on his utility belt and opened the lid. It wasn’t easy to feel inside with his armored gauntlet, but there was no way he was going to remove even a single piece of his protection. Finally, he pulled out the small metal container and tapped the button. The top opened up to reveal a small number of pills. He lifted it to his visor and activated the servos. The front flipped up, and in one carefully practiced movement, he popped two of them into his mouth.

“Jack, come on, we need to move,” said Jana.

He looked across to his friend, who even now was busy tightening a bandage on the arm of a wounded Zathee fighter. This one was older than normal, perhaps forty or even fifty years of age. His clothing was burned, but the thick long-coat he’d used had at least kept the worst of the fire away from him. Jack swallowed and felt the tablets immediately stick to his throat. In a single short movement, he twisted his neck and placed his mouth around the small, rubberized tube. A quick sip pulled tepid water into his mouth and helped wash them down into his stomach.

“I’m ready.”

A pair or shells came down just ahead of their position, and a Vanguard vanished in a bright yellow explosion. Two marines ran; both wreathed in flame, and with a dozen or more Thegns leaping at them with guns and blades. Part of the inner wall collapsed, and a trio of Jötnar crashed into the Thegns. The largest swung his arms and cast two Thegns to the ground before opening fire with a massive multi-barreled gun. Body parts flew in all directions as the three Jötnar blocked the route with their own bodies.

“Fall back!” yelled the largest of them.

“Gun,” Jack said quietly under his breath.

Another rocket whooshed by overhead but landed somewhere between the last Marine position and the bridges. A hundred, perhaps a thousand weapons fired up into the sky at six or seven large transports moving overhead. They were easy to hit at this distance, though few amongst the enemy would have the kind of firepower required to dent, let alone damage something so massive. Jack took aim at the crowd of approaching enemy soldiers, but Sergeant Stone leapt over the bodies of two fallen marines and landed alongside him.

“Son, we’re falling back. Move it!”

The Sergeant didn’t wait to see if he did and moved further into the shattered defenses to pass on the order. Bullets slammed into the ground all around him, but no matter where he moved, he seemed to avoid them. Jack shook his head in amazement as another marine; just a meter from the Sergeant, took three rounds to the chest while Sergeant Stone spoke to another.

“I wish I had his luck.”

Something struck the side of his face, and he twisted back to look right back into the face of Private Jenkell. Corporal Frewyn and Private Hardman had both survived the last assault and were dragging one of the emplaced heavy machine guns. Another rocket flew overhead and exploded off into the distance.

“Leave it, now go!”

Jack looked up at Gun and his entourage of Jötnar. They both recognized each other, but there was no time for conversation or any other niceties. Bullets clanged off his armor as he looked down to them.

“I said leave it!”

Corporal Frewyn released the gun and signaled for Jack, Jana, and Hardman to follow. They wasted no time in moving past the collapsed walls and the last remaining of the three towers of the fortification. Jack glanced at it and shook his head.

I thought those towers would never fall.

He looked over his shoulder and watched with a mixture of shock and awe, as all that remained behind the marines was Gun and his comrades. A handful of Vanguards had joined the synthetic warriors, and together they had formed a thin line of metal and flesh. Hundreds of rounds smashed into them, yet their return fire was devastating. Even the Thegns were forced to fall back and take cover or risk being cut apart.

“Eight o’clock!” called out somebody in front.

Jack spun about and lifted his carbine, just as a Thegn appeared from out of the dust. His visor had hundreds of other targets tagged, and no matter where he looked, there seemed to be enemy troops all around him.

They’ve broken through. We’re surrounded!

Jack pulled the trigger, and the gun spat out the last half of the magazine. He continued to hold down the trigger even though nothing came from the barrel. One Thegn jumped in front of him and swung a short, curved blade that struck him under the arm with a thud. Jana spotted the attack and put a round into its temple. As it dropped down, another two replaced it and put two rounds into her chest. Both bounced from the curved plates, but the impact was enough to knock her from her feet. She hit the ground hard, and then more of the Thegns were on them. Jack tried to lift his arm, but the blade had pushed in so deeply that it had wedged on the articulation point. An arm grabbed him and pulled him from the fight.

“Get up! You have to keep moving.”

More blades flashed about, but now there were a smattering of Helions with their improvised explosive weapons and even some Khreenk. Jack could feel his nerves returning and images of the last bloodbath spilled over to the front of his mind. He couldn’t see the bridges. There were just warriors of all types, and every one of them was fighting for their very lives. He reached down to the blade, grasped it in both hands, and yanked hard. Jack screamed in pain as the blade pulled from his armor, with dark red, almost black blood dripping from its serrated edge.

“Jack, what are you doing?” Jana complained.

The Private lowered her weapon and took the weight of Jack’s side on her shoulder. He moaned as she took some of his body weight, and then they were off. Marines ran by in front of them, but neither paid much attention. Jack couldn’t have used his carbine even if he’d wanted to, and so went straight for his sidearm. As he lifted it up, another Thegn rushed past him. He fired, but it was fast and disappeared over a ruined Bulldog armored vehicle. As soon as it vanished behind the burned metal, a triple burst from artillery fire completely destroyed the entire area.

“Look, the tower,” said Jana.

Jack lifted his eyes and watched the structure fall in on itself a short distance behind them. It quickly vanished into a massive cloud of dust. Then he heard a terrifying scream. He looked toward their destination and the vast chasm with its waiting bridges. He saw panicked groups of marines and Helions running for cover from the shape of five Eques walkers. It was like a massive pincer movement, and they had moved from the flanks to completely cut them off from relief.

We’re done.

Jack shook his head, angry at them and himself. He looked to his pistol and the ammunition indicator.

Six more bullets, is that how it all ends?

 
Two Jötnar pushed past him, almost knocking him to the floor and right into the path of the machines. As one the alien war machines opened fire, a withering rain of fire hit both Jötnar that slowed them to a standstill. One slumped to its knees and dropped forward onto its stomach; the second staggered, fell, and then lifted its arm to fire a rocket. The missile screeched ahead and caught the nearest walker between its front legs. With a great blast, it dropped to its haunches and collapsed. A hand grabbed Jack and pulled him forward. It was Sergeant Stone again.

“Son, what did I tell you? You have to keep moving!”

Jack tried to focus his eyes, but the mixture of painkillers and loss of blood was beginning to affect him adversely. He lifted his handgun and emptied it at the shape of the machine. Helion civilians surged forward like a great clan of rats. One by one, they were shot down, but a few made it close enough to stab their explosive-tipped spears into the machines. Jötnar followed them and even a few Vanguards.

“Take this,” said a Khreenk soldier.

Jack didn’t see exactly what it was, but the device was heavy, and he was forced to use both arms to take the weight. It was longer than a coilgun, and thick bulbous cylinders ran sideways along its length. He lifted it to his visor, but the sight showed an odd mixture of symbols and indicators.

What the hell?

Jack blinked twice and then took a number of quick breaths. His vision cleared a little, partially helped by the extra boost of painkillers and adrenalin. Jana opened the monitor panel on his arm and checked his vitals.

“You need sealing and a cycle of boosters. Hold on.”

She pressed a few buttons, and the suit felt as if it were inflating. In reality, it was quite the opposite. First of all, a special non-toxic sealant was spreading through the limbs and torso. As soon as it met the cool air from outside, it created a temporary, semi-elastic seal. Jana reached to her medical pack and took out a small metal cylinder. She pulled on a hatch and pushed in the device onto Jack’s thigh.

“This will help.”

Jack looked at it and nodded. It was no miracle cure, but a small drip containing a well-developed series of fluids designed to keep a marine in the field in just this kind of situation. He could feel some of the pain slipping away even though his arm felt partially numb.

“Get on the firing line and put these bastards down!” Sergeant Stone called out.

The invulnerable Sergeant was now in front of the marines and signaled them to rally around his position. They were just a hundred meters from the first and largest of the bridges, surrounded by wrecked vehicles from three different races. Two SAAR robots moved past him and then deployed in front of the marines.

“Come on, we have work to do,” said Corporal Frewyn.

The two marines helped walk Jack toward their sergeant. By the time they were halfway there, Jack was able to move under his own power. More and more marines appeared, the survivors of the fall of the Three Sisters. He counted at least a full platoon, perhaps more, with a smattering of Vanguards and Khreenk. They deployed into a loose line, using any cover they could find.

“Put them down!” repeated the Sergeant.

Of all of them, he was the only one standing up straight. Two gunshots struck his right leg, and both ricocheted off into a burned out Helion truck. Two Eques machines moved to face him, and a dozen turrets twisted about to take aim. The Sergeant ignored them and lifted his carbine. It flashed one, and then again as he discharged high-power rounds right into the front of the machines.

“Fire!” said a familiar voice.

Gun and his blood-splattered entourage staggered into view and unleashed every weapon they carried. More and more marines opened fire, and the two nearest Eques walkers were covered in sparks and flashes. The carbines blew off chunks the size of a hand, while the larger guns smashed guns and fractured the legs joints.

Here goes nothing.

Jack lifted the Khreenk weapon up and pointed at the head of the machine. He reached for the trigger and found two levers instead. He looked to Jana, but both she and the other marines were down on the ground and blasting anything they could see. The two Khreenk were too far away, and both were lifting a heavy double-barreled weapon onto a third’s shoulder.

“Screw this, let’s do it!”

He pulled the first lever and braced himself. Instead of a blast, the weapon began to hum. Lights in the sight flashed. At first, it was just one and then two in an increasing pattern inside. He gripped tightly but could feel a slight hum and vibration building even through the protection of his suit.

“Huh?”

There were now five flashing lights inside, and the vibration was becoming intolerable. He fumbled for the other lever and accidentally lowered the weapon as he found it. The front vanished in a bright green blast, and he tipped over backwards. Luckily, he was able to put out his hand to avoid impaling himself on a broken machine. Jana went to help him, but the drugs were working well. He lifted himself back and then looked at the Khreenk weapon.

“Holy crap, that was good.”

A green residue had formed around the muzzle, and the dirt hissed and bubbled where he’d left it on the ground for just a few seconds. He lifted it back up as one of the Khreenk warriors approached. Behind him, the one with the shoulder-mounted weapon, fired and a double streak of blue matter hit the Eques walker. It began burning its way through its torso. Marines cheered in excitement, but their joy was short lived as more and more Thegns blocked the route with their own bodies. The Khreenk spoke through its emotionless translator.

“Powerful weapon, no more than level three. Or risk death.”

The warrior tapped him on the shoulder and then moved back to the others.

“Level three? What does he mean?”

Jack looked at the weapon and then laughed.

“I think I might have just nearly killed myself. This thing is some crazy gear.”

Jana pulled another magazine from her armor and slid it into her coilgun.

“What level did you get to?”

“Uh, five or six I think.”

“You idiot.”

She raised her carbine and fired in short bursts. After the fifth, she threw him a withering look. It was one he wasn’t particular familiar with, but he could tell she wasn’t impressed.

“What?” he asked.

“I didn’t patch you up to stand there gawping. Use the damned weapon!”