Saint (Gateway Series Book 2) (24 page)

Chapter 18

Martin spent a restless night trying to come to grips with the possibilities of the shattered foundation that was her reality. She first wondered if she had been too quick to believe Rebecca’s tale. But she wasn’t one to ponder things to the point of paralysis. It was all about her gut. And despite what she had grown up believing, her feelings about the First Families and the Association made it believable. She just needed verification. And if it was true, what did that make her?

As the night slowly turned into dawn, she lay awake looking for something she could grasp as real. As her mind wondered, the Elite Guard Oath kept coming to her:

I will stand strong in the face of danger, for my comrades will do the same

She thought of her comrades in the Guard. Even though they had all been pawns in the First Families’ betrayal of her people, her fellow Guardsmen and their willingness to die for each other was real.

I will be unafraid of death for death comes but once and cowardice is forever

I will go close against the enemy, for my will is stronger than his

I will show courage, for it is the one possession that cannot be taken

Courage, she thought. Courage is real.

I will die with pride, for I am fighting for my lineage and my people

I will face death with joy, for I will become immortal-my shining glory never forgotten

A smile came to Martin’s face as she realized living her life according to the Oath had not been a waste. She had always fought for her people, not the leaders. All that had changed was the face of her enemy. As a wave of solace washed over her body, she began to drift off to sleep.

Her eyes had just closed as she was jarred awake by the sound of guards rushing down the passageway outside of her cell. Raising herself up, she saw two more guards run by. Martin stood and quickly made her way to the entrance. As she reached the cell door, she was met by Dan-Lee. She could see a controlled sense of urgency on his face.

“It’s happening,” he replied.

“Humani troops?” asked Martin as her heart began to beat faster with anticipation.

“Yes,” he answered as he unlocked the cell door. “Two battle groups just blasted through the security fleet and then jumped. No doubt toward here. Should be in orbit any minute.”

Martin snatched the assault rifle Dan-Lee offered and grabbed two additional clips of ammunition. A subconscious smile came to her face as she gripped the weapon. “Where is he?” she asked.

“Across the compound in his lower chambers surrounded by his best priests.”

“Let’s go,” she replied as she stepped out of the cell.

“We should wait until the attack—”

A metallic screech drowned out Dan-Lee.

“Down!” shouted Martin as she grabbed Dan-Lee and pulled him to the ground.

The screech grew louder until Martin felt as if it was coming from inside her head.

“What is that?” screamed Dan-Lee over ear-piercing noise.

Martin couldn’t hear him but read his lips.

“That,” she shouted, “is Astra Varus saying hello!”

The ground rumbled and Martin felt herself lifted off the floor as the plasma ball from a Humani capital ship slammed into the surface nearby. Holding her hands over her head, she felt small pieces of rubble fall onto her back.

“What the hell?” said a shocked Dan-Lee.

“Never been on the receiving end of planetary bombardment?” asked Martin.

“No. The Guard likes to kill up close.”

“We do,” Martin replied with a smile. Another salvo landed nearby, shaking the building to its foundation. “Don’t worry, it gets worse.” She smiled as she pulled herself to her feet. “I think the attack has started.”

“Follow me,” replied Dan-Lee as he stood.

“Wait! Don’t leave without me!” shouted Rebecca from her cell.

“Damn it!” said Martin as she threw her head back in frustration.

The ground rumbled from a far off impact of another plasma ball.

Martin looked at Dan-Lee. “I guess we need to take her too.”

“Why?”

“She’s important to the ProConsul…probably more money if you return her.”

“Fine!” shouted Dan-Lee as the screeching sound of another distant volley filled the air.

“Hurry!” shouted Martin and he walked to Rebecca’s cell and opened the door. Rushing out, she grabbed onto his arm.

“Thank you! Please get me out of here!”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” said Martin aloud as she walked over to Rebecca and pried her arms off of Dan-Lee. “Just stay behind us, keep your mouth shut, and do what you’re told.”

Rebecca nodded her head in agreement but shot Martin a scornful gaze.

“Look, bitch,” replied Martin to Rebecca’s gaze. “I’ll just leave you here.”

Another blast, this one closer, rocked the building and caused Rebecca to fall to her knees.

“Let’s go,” ordered Martin to Dan-Lee. “Lead the way.”

“Time to make some money,” he replied as he headed toward the exit.

“Best keep up, princess,” said Martin to Rebecca before she turned to follow Dan-Lee.

Martin, with Rebecca in tow, followed the spy as he rushed down the hallways of the prison toward the exit. In a few seconds Dan-Lee burst through the exit door and the bright light of morning and the sounds of chaos flooded Martin’s senses. Running into the common area outside the prison, Martin saw followers and priests running in all different directions. To her left she saw priests handing out weapons to followers from an armory. To her right, she saw people, some still burning, crawling out of the smoldering rubble of a building destroyed by a plasma ball. In front of her she saw a mounted antiaircraft gun firing into the sky. A few meters away, Dan-Lee had taken cover behind a partially destroyed wall. She looked back to see Rebecca cowering at the exit to the prison. Another salvo of plasma hit a target in the distance, causing the ground to rumble and Rebecca to curl into a ball.

“Damn it,” cursed Martin as she stopped to retrieve Rebecca.

As Martin ran toward Rebecca, two guards burst from the same exit, almost trampling the terrified woman. Martin took aim on the run and fired a burst from her rifle. The two guards tumbled to the ground just in front of Rebecca.

“Get up!” yelled Martin as she reached Rebecca.

Rebecca was frozen with fear and stared blankly at the two dead men in front her.

“Now!” shouted Martin as she pulled Rebecca to her feet.

“I can’t go out there!” she shouted as another far explosion caused her to jump unexpectedly.

Martin raised her hand and slapped Rebecca across her face. “You either move or I’m leaving you. And I won’t come back for you again.”

Still shaking, Rebecca nodded her head in acknowledgment.

“Now, pretty please, move your ass,” shouted Martin and she took off for Dan-Lee with Rebecca in tow.

Quickly covering the ground, Martin reached Dan-Lee and crouched down behind the wall next to him as Rebecca collapsed behind her. Shaking her head in frustration, she spoke. “Where next?”

“It’s about a kilometer that way,” shouted Dan-Lee over the chaos.

Suddenly the ground next to them exploded in rolling waves of earth and metal as a Humani attack craft strafed the common area.

Knocking the clumped dirt from her body, Martin looked to her right to see the anti-aircraft gun torn to pieces. She turned her gaze toward the sky to see it was dotted with inbound Humani attack and landing craft.

A Condor fighter soared overhead, its weapons rattling and spewing metal into a follower helo-craft hovering a few hundred meters off the ground. The helo exploded in a ball of flames and fell from the sky. The ground shook and a wave of heat from the secondary explosion passed over Martin as the helo slammed into the rubble of a nearby building.

“We should get moving then,” she said. “It’s gonna get hot down here real soon.”

“Okay, let’s go,” replied Dan-Lee.

“I can’t,” shouted Rebecca as Martin turned toward her.

“Damn it! Move!” yelled Martin as she grabbed for Rebecca.

Rebecca twisted away from her and scrambled to her feet as the thrusters from the initial wave of Humani landing craft began to overwhelm the other noises of battle.

“I…I just can’t. I don’t want to die out here. I’m going back inside and waiting,” rambled Rebecca, her voice barely audible over the roar of incoming landing craft.

“Don’t,” shouted Martin as Rebecca burst from her position and raced toward the prison entrance.

Running across the commons in her ragged dress, Rebecca tripped and fell to the ground. The deafening roar of the transport drew her attention and she looked upward and let out a scream that was cut short by the massive transport slamming into the ground, crushing her.

“Shit,” said Martin as she witnessed the sudden end to her annoying companion. “That is not dying the right way,” she said aloud, remembering their first conversation. As she contemplated the sudden and unheroic death of Rebecca Sterling, Martin saw a series of small metal portals fall in a circle around the landing craft.

“Move,” she shouted as she grabbed for Dan-Lee and jumped to the other side of the wall.

“What?” he shouted.

“Run!” she yelled as she turned and sprinted away from the landing craft.

As she ran, Martin heard the tell-tale popping of small charges launching long strings of antipersonnel explosives in all directions around the landing craft to clear the perimeter before the troops exited.

“What are we running from?” shouted Dan-Lee, running stride for stride with Martin.

“PLICs!” she yelled. The loud thud of the anchor hitting the ground behind her only pushed her harder.

“Faster!” she shouted. She knew the system well and started counting. “Five…four…three…two…Down!” she yelled as she knocked Dan-Lee to the ground and curled her body into a tight ball.

The pressure wave rocked Martin’s body, and the wave of heat and debris felt like hot coals pelting her body. Rolling onto her back, she fought to catch her breath and shake the cobwebs from her head as the pain from the searing heat slowly dissipated. After a deep breath, she rolled onto her knees and picked up her rifle.

Martin shook Dan-Lee. “Get up!”

“What was that?” he stammered, grabbing his rifle and slowly standing up.

“Personnel Clearing Line Charge,” she replied. “They just started using it for combat landings in close proximity to enemy troops. Pretty much levels everything within a hundred meters of the ship.” Martin looked toward the landing ship and surveyed the damage. The wall they had taken cover behind was gone. And so was the front half of the prison. To her right what was left of dozens of followers were strewn in all directions. “They’ll be coming now.”

Martin watched as the transport doors flew open and troops rushed from the compartment and quickly fanned out. A follower burst from behind the rubble of the prison entrance wielding a large blade. A Humani soldier opened fire and the follower fell. Then another emerged only to be cut down in a hail of bullets from three soldiers. Suddenly, a wave of followers led by a priest scrambled over the rubble toward the transport.

Gunfire echoed against the crumbled structures as the entire platoon opened fire. The wave of followers pushed forward as the Humani fire cut them down like wheat. Only a few reached the Humani positions and they were quickly dispatched, except for the priest. The priest, already wounded, drove his sword into a Humani soldier and dropped another one with his pistol before concentrated fire tore into his body, killing him.

The priest’s action had distracted the platoon, however, as Martin saw a single follower, probably no more than sixteen, rush behind the preoccupied soldiers and into the open doors of the transport. A second later, fire erupted from the personnel compartment and a Humani soldier ran from the inferno, his torso engulfed in flames. The soldier fell to his knees, screaming. Martin couldn’t let him suffer any longer. She quickly raised her rifle and fired a round into the soldier, ending his agony. “Let’s move,” she said as she turned toward Dan-Lee. “I’m following you.”

Martin held her rifle at the ready as she and Dan-Lee made their way through the chaotic scene of the Humani assault. Hugging the nearby buildings, they had traveled a few minutes when Dan-Lee suddenly halted.

“What is it?” asked Martin as they took cover at the corner of a large brick building.

Before he could answer, Martin felt the rumble and heard the high-pitched whine of a Humani hover tank quickly approaching. She, along with Dan-Lee, quickly moved backward and away from the corner as the massive tank drifted into the intersection. Suddenly an antitank round flashed down the street from behind Martin and slammed into the armored monster. An ear-piercing metallic
pang
echoed in Martin’s head as the round, slowed by magnetically repulsive coils embedded in the tank’s armor shell, impacted the triple overlayered armor.

“Get down!” she shouted, pulling Dan-Lee to the ground as the tank’s turret rapidly swung toward the street behind her. Martin looked up from the ground as two heavy gatling guns swung outward from the turret. A wall of fire and metal blanketed the street and buildings above and behind Martin as both guns opened fire. She felt the casings of expended rounds from the guns hitting her body as the rattling
thud-thud-thud
of the guns mixed with the piercing whine of the tank’s hover engines and the spinning of the gun’s carriages. Suddenly everything around her was enveloped in a wave of heat and noise as the tank’s 150mm main gun fired. Her hearing temporarily reduced to a tonal ringing, she looked back toward the tank to see a wave of followers pour over the tank from the opposite direction. As they did, the turret quickly swung 360 degrees at full turn speed, tearing many of the followers in half. Next, a massive electrical pulse from the coils on the tank, activated as an antiboarding tactic, electrocuted any left alive just before the tank quickly sped away.