Star Brigade: The Supremacy (SB3) (59 page)

“Crescendo, cover Marguliese, Khrome, and myself. We
end
this.” The menace in his order gave Taorr chills. The Cerc and the Junoesque female he called Marguliese vanished through a gap into the clearing.

The human called Vertex scanned for potential attackers, his gaze landing on Zojje and Taorr. “Luminal save, huh?”

His self-praise would have been off-putting if Taorr wasn’t so stunned. “Who ARE you?!”

“Star Brigade,” Vertex pointed at himself and his teammates with more self-importance, “here to save you.”

A bloodied Ghebrekh furiously launched himself at Vertex through a rim wall cleft. Vertex shoved at his attacker, despite standing ten feet away. The Ghebrekh was rocketed back into the rocky rim, headfirst…his vertebrae cracking like popcorn against unyielding stone.

Vertex smirked at Taorr’s stunned silence. “You’re
welcome
.” The human turned back to the battle beyond the wall.

“I told you.” Zojje palmed his shoulder.

Taorr opened his mouth, then closed it. Why refute the first flicker of hope he’d known in days?

Liliana tensed up as joy, anxiety, and anger whooshed through her veins. Months ago on her first assignment, this mishmash of sensations had been terrifying. Now she reveled in it. Hopefully her and Captain Nwosu’s combined strikes had killed that vile Ghuj’aega.

Somehow, I doubt that
. Lily’s fingers remained pointed gun-like at the prone terrorist. Better to focus on him than how Nwosu currently felt
. He’s angry, but I’ll explain after this is over.

Perched high on Akkabe’s rim wall, Lily saw the clearing’s misty sprawl. Her stomach roiled. The piles of Farooqua corpses strewn across its length were inescapable. But death came with the job, so she had to compartmentalize…eventually. Below, Nwosu and Marguliese jogged toward Ghuj’aega’s resting place; Khrome floated down to meet them. Qos’s colorless light gave the scene a pale, cold radiance.

Lily spied Fiyan and Byzlar positioned at the middle of the rim’s opposing sides. They took turns picking off random Farooqua trying to attack Captain Nwosu and Marguliese. Far behind, V’Korram and Tyris glided through the chaos. Thick curling steam hissed off bare parts of the Tanoeen’s ice crystalline body. The xenobiologist in Liliana wasn’t worried—not with the cryo-regulator in Tyris’s body allowing him to survive long periods in environments like these. But as his friend, she couldn’t help but worry.

“There.” V’Korram pointed a clawed finger at several Ghebrekh standing back to back.

The Tanoeen twirled his quarterstaff adroitly with one hand. “Ice abilities won’t work in this humidity,” he stated over wristcom. “We fight close-quarters—”

One Ghebrekh gestured a hand as if swatting at a fly. The earth shook, ripples of stone exploding up in jagged spikes—shredding a path toward Tyris and V’Korram.

The duo leaped away, just dodging being skewered. A female Ghebrekh raised an arm, drawing streams of water to her like metal to a magnet. She thrust outward, hurling out boiling spurts. V’Korram and Tyris scrambled behind a large chunk of debris. The jets seared rock, touching no one.

Byzlar and Fiyan retaliated with countless blistering rounds. But the Ghebrekh were prepared, two who flanked the group gesturing wildly. Curved walls exploded up from the earth, shielding the Ghebrekh in a partial stony cocoon. “Controlling earth and water, two elements of totality,”
Liliana marveled.

“Arcturus?” Nwosu spoke via wristcom. Liliana saw her field commander stop to face Tyris.

“Go,” the Tanoeen retorted. “Jakadda and I got this.” Liliana’s orders were to focus on Ghuj’aega—but her teammates needed her. She shifted aim toward their attackers.

V’Korram glanced in her direction, lifting a hand to stay her. “Brought their big guns,” he growled.

The Tanoeen watched his foes through narrowed eyes. “Me too.” Tyris hefted up a massive gunmetal-gray repeater slung over his shoulder. He got to a knee, firing a small, shiny, orange projectile.

The Ghebrekh smirked arrogantly and waved his hand, wielding the earth to raise a rocky barrier from what looked like a measly energy sphere. Liliana grinned, knowing better.

The projectile made contact, vaporizing the makeshift wall and any Ghebrekh nearby.

The doctor spotted a number of surviving Farooqua struggling to rise, only for Fiyan and Byzlar’s punctual photonic rounds to mow them back down.

“Hey!” Tyris snapped in annoyance. “Save some for us!”

Lily stifled a snort.
Typical Tyris.
He was probably in another contest with Khrome. But the Tanoeen looked all business striding forward. He switched his repeater rifle to shoot smaller automatic rounds. His pulse rifle’s photon volleys lit up the foggy clearing, ripping through the wiry bodies of any Farooqua in his line of fire.

V’Korram roared ferociously as he launched his massive self at four Farooqua trying to slink away. They whipped about to defend themselves, armed with crude spears they clutched like lifelines. These weren’t Ghebrekh by their lacking tattoos. Lily pitied them.

A brief, gory flurry of knife slashes ensued. The doctor gasped with suitable horror, yet drank in every grisly moment. Soon, the one-sided clash ended. Without another glance, an unscathed V’Korram dashed to his next target. Lily’s skin crawled as she turned back to Ghuj’aega…who wasn’t there.

The doctor instantly panicked. “Reign,” she addressed Nwosu on wristcom. “We have a problem.”

“I’m not blind, Crescendo,” Habraum snapped, already seeing what wasn’t in front of him.

Moments ago, Ghuj’aega lay at the edge of the rim wall. Habraum had the terrorist lined up for another biokinetic blast. Abruptly, Ghuj’aega vanished. Again.

Khrome, hovering just overhead, shook his head. Marguliese was more vocal, scanning their surroundings thoroughly. “He transmatted, but evidence of his energy signature remains around us.”

Rogguts
. Habraum craned around to study the battle with Ghuj’aega’s forces further off into the mist. Byzlar and Fiyan’s marksmanship paired with V’Korram and Tyris’s teamwork had dismantled any opposition. No sign of Ghuj’aega, though.

Qos’s pale light now blotted out Faroor’s pink sun completely. The Cerc sucked in deep breaths, turning to his two cybernetic subordinates. “Can you two sync with the satellites the way we did with the transport to find him?” Both nodded.

“Do that.” Habraum kept his glowing fist cocked.

A fork of zigzagging black lightning cut down from the colorless skies. Habraum and Marguliese whipped about as it struck Khrome’s chest.

“ARGGH!” The Thulican fell from the sky and landed hard, leaving spidery fissures in his wake. The nigh indestructible Khrome squirmed, clutching at his massive chest, a jarring sight for Habraum.

“I’m...f-fine.” Khrome waved off any concern as the Cerc rushed to his subordinate side. Habraum felt anger burning inside him as he continued searching across the hazy landscape. Akkabe Plateau was littered with Farooqua corpses as far as he saw, distorted shadows through the fog.

“Energy spike,” Marguliese warned from nearby.

Suddenly, everywhere shook.
Skyquake.
Habraum and the Cybernarr stumbled, trying not to fall.

SKREEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
The Cerc heard Liliana’s attack before seeing her familiar bright sound rings shoot past—striking Ghuj’aega’s torso. The terrorist howled as if in agony, sagging to his knees.

Before he fell completely, Habraum and Marguliese were on him. The Cerc pasted Ghuj’aega in the face with a thick crimson blast ten times stronger than a piston. The Ghebrekh’s head snapped back with sickening recoil. Marguliese darted in from behind, swiping her radiant energy blade down at the Ghebrekh’s head…only to slice through air and cracked earth.

“That’s getting old.” Khrome regained his footing, one hand covering the dark burn mark on his chest. “I’m turning that piece of jetsam into a pretzel!”

“Keep sharp,” Habraum advised, scanning the hazy clearing.

“Another energy spike,” Marguliese warned.

“Where?” Habraum asked, glowing fists cocked and ready to fire. He looked around, seeing nothing. His heart thudded at breakneck speed.

“Behind you!” Khrome shouted at Marguliese this time.

Ghuj’aega appeared at the Cybernarr’s right and grabbed her energy sword. The glowing construct shuddered and shattered in a cascade of light fragments. Marguliese expressed mild irritation before unleashing bright blue eye beams—at nothing. Ghuj’aega disappeared.

The Ghebrekh transmatted behind the Cybernarr so quickly that his swift knife almost plunged into her back. She countered in a blur of speed, swiping the thrust away easily.

Ghuj’aega vanished and reappeared in front of Marguliese, stabbing for her chest. She caught his knife between both hands…and he transmatted again.

This dance repeated over and over at insane speeds—Ghuj’aega reappearing and stabbing at Marguliese with his jagged knife. The Cybernarr always swatted away his attacks at the last moment.

Habraum swore, unable to get a clean shot. Khrome, hovering above, crossly awaited an opening also. Ghuj’aega reappeared at the Cybernarr’s right and stabbed forward again. This time, she didn’t stop him. The Ghebrekh’s knife plunged deep into her side. Habraum went wide-eyed.

Ghuj’aega looked even more surprised. Grimacing slightly, the Cybernarr grabbed his knife-wielding arm with both hands. Habraum took the hint and fired, drilling the Ghebrekh’s stomach. Ghuj’aega doubled over as Habraum crouched and fired off again. Struck in the jaw, Ghuj’aega was smacked clean off his feet. The Cerc bristled. Both biokinetic blasts should have punched straight through this sawed-off midget, yet somehow he was still standing.

A silvery streak shot past Habraum, ramming Ghuj’aega into the rim wall. The Cerc could have sworn he heard bones crack from that blow. Ghuj’aega’s rangy body shuddered as Khrome sank two uppercuts into the Ghebrekh’s stomach. Marguliese pulled the knife from her side with a faint wince. “I’m already repairing the wound,” she answered before Habraum could ask.

He nodded briskly as they ran toward Khrome and Ghuj’aega’s clash. The Thulican had ragdolled the terrorist to the ground, finally twisting his arm rather grotesquely from behind. “You’re a tough egg.” Khrome yanked the Ghebrekh upright. “Let’s keep hitting till you crack!”

SKREEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
 Cortes’s sonic rings cut through the air, striking the Ghebrekh directly in the chest. Ghuj’aega was shrieking and flailing, but Khrome’s grip was unbreakable. For some reason, Ghuj’aega didn’t transmat.
Almost as if he can’t.

Glad to finally see Ghuj’aega falter, Habraum didn’t savor the satisfaction
until the Ghebrekh was dead. “Up the intensity!” He took aim to assist Liliana’s attack.

Abruptly, her sonic rings ceased. Cortes’s startled yelp filled the comms—then nothing.

“Crescendo?” he called out, getting no response.

“Reign,” Byzlar answered on wristcom. The Cerc caught his worry. “I’m not seeing Crescendo in position anymore.”

Habraum’s heart stuttered. Before even realizing it, he began sprinting toward his medic’s location. The Cerc realized just as quickly he wouldn’t reach her in time, neither could V’Korram and Tyris. Khal, while closer, had to protect the hostages.

He turned to Khrome. “Crescendo.”

“On it!” The Thulican lifted Ghuj’aega up only to slam him back down. Stomping on the Ghebrekh’s chest for good measure, Khrome rocketed upward. Habraum returned his attention to Ghuj’aega, seeing a look of recognition on that thin tattooed face. With surprising quickness, Ghuj’aega slammed both hands into the earth, and then clawed down into it.

The ground rebelled against Habraum and Marguliese, dagger-like stone spikes blasting up at them. Habraum was thrown off his feet, and the Cybernarr barely somersaulted away as arches of rock protrusions barreled for her like a heat-seeking projectile.

Another “Element of Totality” at Ghuj’aega’s control
, Habraum realized.

The distraction gave Ghuj’aega time to clap both hands together. The harsh white skies responded, two pitch-black forks impaling Khrome through the back.

The Thulican spasmed as the dark lightning coiled around his burly physique. His scream—discordant, mechanized—sounded as if his innards were being shredded apart. To Habraum, those shrieks rang even worse than when Khrome had been tortured by Maelstrom months back.

Black lightning continued electrocuting his frame. A brilliant locus bright as a sun mushroomed from Khrome’s chest. The glow engulfed Khrome entirely, then collapsed inward.

Only curls of black smoke remained.

Tyris, Marguliese, and V’Korram stared in horror. Habraum slowly rose, gaping at what his mind couldn’t accept. “Khrome?” he whispered, voice cracking. But Khromulus Threedwok was gone.

From her perch on the rim wall, Liliana fired off a long concussive sonic wave at Ghuj’aega while Khrome held him steady. She didn’t hide her delight as the terrorist screamed. For some reason, her attacks were causing more damage than Captain Nwosu’s, Khrome’s, and Marguliese’s combined. Could the Particulate have been correct about her being the difference-maker? That oversized rodent had been right about everything else.

Liliana was considering this further when something whip-like snagged her around the waist. A hard yank pulled the doctor backward off her perch before she even realized what caught her. She had to cut off her sound waves and grab at something to stop her fall. But the water-soaked outcrop slipped from her grasping fingers.

The doctor felt momentarily weightless, arms and legs flailing. The ground rushed up with a hard smack to the back of her head that she heard and felt. Blunt pain seared down her spine. Liliana instinctively rolled to one side and clutched at the resultant sting.

The rope around her waist went slack, followed by a wet
slip-slap slip-slap
across the cracked earth: someone charging at her. Lily quickly rolled onto her back as a Ghebrekh with coal-black skin lunged for her, a jagged blade in hand.