The Red Leopards of Zaxon B (Galaxies Collide Book 2) (15 page)

Several soldiers approached breathlessly, their gasps perturbing, the first shouting with excitement and desperation, ‘Enemy troops moving towards the back of the depression…we are running out of time!’

Jozefina grabbed Rees, pushing him towards the open doors of one of the carriers, her voice a raised shout, ‘Heathrow Battalion to me…get into the vehicles now!’ The volunteers surged forward, several glancing over their shoulders in terror as the laser guns commenced whirring at the back of the slight depression, shrieks now filling the air from all sides.

The engines roared as the halftracks started to turn, the hover tanks ahead manoeuvring to lead the charge, Blue Leopards clinging to the rear of their hulls behind the turrets, their assault rifles firing out as sparks cracked against the armoured plate. Lasers light up the terrain as the last defenders ran towards the vehicles, the fire intensifying behind them as proximity grenades began exploding in the slight depression, some of the laser guns falling silent.

Rees stared wide eyed from the open back doors as the carrier lurched forward, jumping as the soldiers next to him fired out, his own weapon rising in instinctive response. Several Blue Leopards and South Koreans were at the edge of the depression, backing away as their rifles bucked, firing at the advancing Morgons, the rear-guard now dangerously exposed as the vehicles began to form up, the main attention to the east. The remaining stationary lasers filled the terrain with steam as one by one they were knocked out, explosions tearing through the depression as the black armoured bodies surging towards the vehicles.

Rees screamed in frustration as the enemy soldiers ran across the depression, the rear-guard troops overwhelmed as they were cut down. The halftrack jolted forward, the laser quad above turning to fire on the advancing Morgons as Rees watched the remaining defenders fall one by one, the black armoured infantry smashing their rifles butts down against the bodies as the armoured carriers accelerated. Blue laser light flew from above, several detonations in the distance as they lurched away, the last of the muzzle flashes dying away as the soldiers either side of him desperately slammed the rear doors.

Rees sank back onto his buttocks, tears filling his eyes as the rear compartment was plunged into darkness, the soldiers pushing past him to fire out from the side openings. Several wounded groaned painfully around him, his hands rose to his helmet in shock. The scenes of the last soldiers being butchered too much for his inexperienced mind as the muzzle flashes erupted once more, the screeches of hatred from outside echoing round the enclosed space.

The low one storey buildings lined the snow laden single track, several torches flickering on the outskirts as the small convoy approached through an intensifying blizzard. The five sentries beckoned them forward grimly, masks across their lower faces in protection against the cold, their visors complimented by pin lights at either side, the bright glows sweeping through the thick snowfall towards each soldier as they were inspected cautiously.

Captain Dugachard quizzed the lead sentry as the vehicles lumbered past, her eyes strained in confusion, ‘Why are you checking each soldier…they are all with me?’ Debra drew level, her lips clamped shut against the cold, her exhaled breath swirling with the falling snowflakes.

The sentry turned to stare at the captain, his breath forced through the cloth mask, ‘Enemy movements have been reported nearby and we are wary of infiltrators attempting to join the back of your column…we think they are only stragglers or sympathisers, but our duty is to protect the inhabitants and they are very nervous.’

The captain’s eyes widened in surprise, Debra shifting uncomfortably as the Dugachard’s tone became firmer, ‘I thought this outpost was secure?  We have very few soldiers…’

The lead sentry nodded grimly, his padded jacket covered in iced snow, ‘It is…well for now. We have suspicions of rebels nearby…rumours of us losing the war are rife…that always encourages the worst in some, ideas of challenging perhaps. We have had to investigate a number of incursions on the land outside the village and some equipment has gone missing.’ He shook his masked head, ‘Don’t worry…I have been told half the garrison is staying here with you. That should be enough deterrent. We have increased the strength and frequency of patrols and that seems to have had an impact…’ He indicated as Riaz passed by grimly, ‘The addition of more Red Leopards will help as well…’

Debra moved forward to speak, Captain Dugachard nudging her and interrupting, ‘Where is your commanding officer…I will require a briefing and an overview of our situation? When are you due to move out? I want my troops to have a couple of hours rest…’

The sentry glanced round, seeing Riaz and Shino reluctantly raise their hands against the lights shone directly into their faces, the Asian male officer gritting his teeth in irritation, ‘We will be leaving in a couple of hours…one patrol is still to return, they are overdue…probably lost in the snowfall. Once they are back, we will probably get ready.’ He turned, pointing down the one main street as the last soldiers and vehicle struggled and slipped past down the slope, ‘The commander will be in the main stockade…keep going and it will rise up on your left.’ He leant forward, his voice lowered, ‘What is the military situation like outside please?’

The captain glanced at him, her darkened visor giving nothing away as she pursed her lips, ‘Not great…but there is still always hope…’ She forced a smile and strode past the man, walking down the slope after the last carrier as Debra followed closely behind.

Debra caught the captain up, grasping her shoulder as she slipped in the snow, the officer grasping the supervisor’s uniform to prevent her falling. The airport supervisor’s voice was hissed, ‘There is insurgency here? What will we do?’

Captain Dugachard turned brusquely to her, hissing firmly in return, ‘You will act as soldiers…which you are now! We will hold this position and provide security for the locals…that is what you are good at is it not? Security?’

Debra nodded solemnly, surprised by the captain’s seeming outburst, her helmet turning away, ‘We will try…’

Captain Dugachard pulled the supervisor further towards her, her teeth gritted, ‘You will do more than try…I have lost virtually an entire command….from now on, you are Red Leopard infantry…nothing less, do you understand? Make sure the other two know!’

Debra’s face turned back, her emotions confused as she nodded in stunned silence, the captain releasing her and abruptly turning to trudge further down the track.

Shino’s eyes flickered open, the brief sleep dulling her senses. Struggling to a seating position, she glanced round the small barracks room, the low bunk beds almost full of slumbering soldiers still in their uniforms. Thinking back over the last couple of hours, she recalled the high alloy walls of the stockade, the quad gun batteries on either corner manned by silent sentries, their dull stares welcoming the small group to their new home.

They had trudged in silence along the single street, the dull single storey masonry dwellings on either side in darkness. As the snow laden track turned at a virtual right angle to the right, the entrance torches of the stockade flickered across the dull metal alloy finish on the walls, a sign over the main entrance indicating their arrival at the Rangara Outpost.

Entering through the two large reinforced gates, the low prefabricated building had lined the inside walls, dull metallic walls and roofs covered in a thick layer of snow. High mountains rose up sharply to the west and south, their jagged dark peaks just visible through the heavy snowfall.

She looked up as the door swung open, Tregan dusting the snow from his shoulder armour as he slowly removed his helmet, smiling grimly at her as he approached across the grooved floor. Running a hand through matted hair, he lowered himself to sit at the end of her bunk nodding a weary greeting, ‘You ok?’

Shino smiled, glancing across the other slumbering figures, ‘Seem to be…tired, but ready. What’s happening today?’

Tregan shook his head wearily, ‘It’s not good…’ His voice lowered as he sensed Riaz pushing himself up onto his elbow in the top bunk next door, his mouth opening in a wide yawn. The Trevakian winked at him, ‘Morning…’

Riaz nodded, rubbing his groggy eyes as his lips curled in dissatisfaction, ‘Morning already…great…feels like I haven’t been to sleep yet!’

Tregan glanced back to Shino, his eyes darkening, ‘The enemy seems to have broken through on the other side of Morasat…all available forces are being called to the capital to strengthen the defences…’

Shino’s eyes widened in concern, ‘What does that mean for us here…are we being moved up too?’

Tregan grinned, his expression mellowing, ‘No…not as yet. I have just been with Captain Dugachard and the outpost commander…they are stripping the defences here to provide more troops for the front as ordered.’ He sighed, pinching his nose with tiredness, ‘We will be left with two squads, a jeep and an armoured carrier…the rest are heading east in an hour. It will be a little lonely, but it is important to provide security for the locals. The Red Leopards have stabilised the line near Contax Base and we will hopefully sit out the campaign here.’

Riaz leant forward, wary of the others overhearing as he heard the movements around them, ‘What is it that’s here? A small village and some locals…why is it so important?’

Tregan sniffed, smiling widely, ‘You don’t miss much do you! This is the furthest enclave to the west, next to the mountains…’ He leant forward lowering his voice to a whisper and glancing round furtively, ‘This is between us only…there is a path through the mountains which apparently leads to another base…’

Shino shuffled towards him, her eyes sparkling with excitement, ‘Another base? What kind of base?’

Tregan shrugged, ‘I am not sure…special operations I think…that is why this outpost is here. The base is minimally manned apparently, but we guard the approach and police the area. The fortifications were positioned across the path entrance, the village mostly unaware of its existence over time.’ He glanced round, ensuring they were still not overheard, ‘The villagers are unaware…it seems the personnel for this
other
base come here as ordinary garrison troops before heading off into the mountains…’

Riaz pushed his body forward, the hairs on the back of his neck twitching, ‘Are we going to this base?’

Tregan shook his head, ‘No…we stay and police the area…provide a picture of normality to the locals…your Red Leopard uniforms will assist that.’ The Trevakian’s eyes darkened once more, ‘It is thought some of the village population are Silaks or at least informants for the enemy…so be careful. Don’t stray too far from the stockade or leave the designated patrol routes…you should not venture out on your own.’

Shino glanced grimly at Riaz, her nervousness rising, ‘It seems we have landed in it again!’

Riaz nodded, slumping back on his bunk and staring at the ceiling as he exhaled heavily in frustration, ‘I would do permanent early shifts to get out of this now!’ He grinned ironically, ‘I guess we have to realise life has changed now…the past is gone, probably never to return.’ He rose slowly again, indicating to the Trevakian, ‘This is my new best mate…we would be dead now without him I guess.’ He nodded his appreciation to Tregan, slowly lowering himself back onto his bunk, emotion rising into his throat.

Shino’s eyes widened, her head nodding towards the prone Riaz, the Trevakian smiling with embarrassment.

Tregan slowly pushed himself to his feet, lifting his assault rifle from the floor as he turned, clearing his throat and raising his voice as he addressed the room, ‘All outside in full combat gear for inspection. The garrison are leaving shortly and we need to show the locals our strength on the walls!’

Leading the ‘V’ formation, the hover tanks crashed forward, bullets peppering their armoured hulls as the crews feverishly reloaded their front two cannons. Laser blasts swept the terrain ahead, the gunners pouring in sweat as the enemy shrieks filled their cabins, Morgon soldiers disintegrating under the high powered energy bolts.

The quad guns of the armoured carriers on the sides poured fire into the enemy ranks, bullets flashing from the side openings as the troops inside fire continuously. One by one, the soldiers grasping hand rails on the roofs toppled from the vehicles, blood splattering against the quad gunners and defensive shields as the troops sheltering behind them were hit, the enemy swarming over the wounded and dying soldiers on the ground and butchering them where they fell.

The jeeps in the centre of the formation fired relentlessly to the rear, their gunners tensing leg muscles as the small vehicles bounced along, wounded clinging desperately to the side racks. Cutting down their pursuers, the Herrakians tensed nervously as the black armoured infantry surged after their prey, the high pitched shrieks of blood lust filling the terrain.

Captain Mason was shouting in the confines of his passenger seat, his assault rifle firing at the Morgons attempting to mount the hover tanks in front. The muzzle flashes lit up the terrain as he fired controlled bursts, attempting to cut down the enemy surging in from the sides. The flashes of laser lights above poured across the black glinting figures, the headlights on full beam in an attempt to blind them. Steam filled the air as the desperate shouts for more ammunition or medics echoed around the inside of the carrier, the tracks grinding forward as the engines roared.

The American grimaced as the weapon clicked empty, smoke pouring from the overheated laser overhead as the firing abruptly ceased. Black clad Morgon infantry clambered onto the tank in front, the four Blue Leopards sheltering in the hull battling against seven enemy infantry as one by one they were knocked or thrown from the rear of the armoured vehicle. Mason slammed the new magazine into his weapon, thrusting it forwards into the cupola as he pulled the trigger, the bullets sparking off the enemy armour as two toppled backwards into the snow.

The remaining five jumped from the tank, the crew inside screaming in terror as they realised the inevitable. The tank lurched sideways, the explosive flash detonating over the engine as black smoke poured from the back of the vehicle, the steering crippled as it veered off to the left. Mason screamed in frustration, seeing the black armoured figures clambering aboard the stricken vehicle once more, smashing at the hatches with weapon butts as the crew inside primed grenades.

The driver next to him accelerated as the explosive blast swept across the halftrack, the crippled tank erupting in flame as the crew took their own lives, resigned to their fate at the hands of the enemy. Mason fired continuously as the armoured carrier charged forward crunching against armoured bodies that were trying to run through the gap, to get to the weakly armoured jeeps.

A wave of fire filled their viewing slits, the Morasat battery shells landing a short distance ahead and abruptly turning night into day. The silhouettes of body parts and debris tossed into the air filling their sight. Mason shouted, the driver accelerating further, ‘Now…before they fire again…break through!’

The lead tank crashed against a wall of Morgon infantry, the three soldiers clinging to the back slipping and scrambling to stay aboard as the armoured hulk jolted violently. Enemy infantry surged over the vehicle as it slowed, smashing their rifles against the defenders as they fell from back of the tank. Shrieks of hatred echoed across the advancing vehicles as lasers swept the tank hull, tearing the Morgon bodies to pieces, the tank grinding on as explosions rocked the external armoured plate.

Captain Mason ducked instinctively, the flash from a rocket sweeping over them as more smoke trails shot between the vehicles. The driver ducked down, pushing the burbling engine to the limit as the carrier attempted to catch the lead tank, to close the gap further.

An explosion to the right, the second lead tank lurching sideways as its engine mounting cracked, the soldiers on the back jumping from the armour to valiantly charge into a mass of Morgon infantry, their muffle flashes disappearing under the weight of attacking black body armour as their bodies were beaten mercilessly to the ground.

The carriers surged on, tracks crunching over limbs and torsos as bullets peppered the sides. Closing with the last remaining tank, the Morgon infantry surged through the gaps, many cut down as the mass of black armour overwhelmed the weakly armoured jeeps in the centre. The Herrakians and their allies were yanked from the small vehicles, their body armour cracking and finally smashed to bits beneath continuous blows as they succumbed one by one to the enemy infantry. Grenades detonated amongst the hand to hand fighting, the humans and their allies choosing to take some of the enemy with them in death as blast waves slapped against the sides of the remaining halftracks.

Jozefina gasped as she stared through the armoured slit, seeing bodies torn to pieces under the explosive pressure, Morgons hacking at bodies beneath them as acrid smoke drifted across the scenes, the second tank now burning fiercely.

A brief scream from above, the clatter of a body in the quad position as the upper gunner was killed caused her to spin round, Mekeert shouting across the cabin frantically, ‘Get on the quad!’ The soldier next to Jo slapped her shoulder, heaving himself towards the position and yanking the centre doors open as the dead gunner’s body slumped through the opening. Jo lunged forward, Rees whimpering as he pulled the corpse from the open hatch doors, blood splashing across the cabin floor as the Herrakian pushed himself into the gunner position.

Jo grabbed Rees’s shoulders, pushing him towards the vacant spot next to her at the armoured slits, her voice a scream as the carrier shook again, ‘Fire at anything that moves Rees!’ the assault rifles cracked against the interior hull as they pulled the triggers in unison, the quad gun barking above as more laser light swept across the terrain, the halftracks bouncing violently on the rough ground.

Explosions crumped behind as the jeeps and second tank exploded, the carriers surging onwards as Mason stared out. Bright lights flashed across the terrain, the Morasat gun battery explosions ripping across the ground behind them, the blast wave rumbling around the advancing halftracks as the last few surviving allies disappeared in a wall of flame with their enemy.

The last tank rumbled on, the crew firing continuously as Morgon infantry attempted to clamber aboard, the bullets from the carriers behind sweeping the armoured hull that had lost all its riders, the Leopards lying bloodied and dead across the land to the rear.

One of the rear halftracks slowed, its engine belching smoke as the oils burned. The driver desperately attempted to accelerate, hearing the screams of fear from the rear compartment as the occupants sensed the reduction in speed. The laser cannon above fired continuous blasts in defence, the gunner biting his lips as the temperature on the weapon rose dramatically. Steam and smoke began to pour from the quad, the guns overheating as the gunner whined in frustration…then the weapon ceased firing to cool. The carrier jolted forward, smoke pouring from the front engine compartment as the driver shouted frantically, seeing the carriers in front begin to disappear into the darkness ahead. Bullets poured from the sides as the soldiers in the cabin fired out desperately, the two remaining soldiers clinging to the roof toppling onto the ground below as they were hit multiple times.

The clanks of armoured piercing grenades filled the cabin as Morgon engineers smacked the explosives to the outer hulls, retreating swiftly as the timers began to countdown. The troops in the cabin shouted and swore in frustration, the whimpering of the wounded at their feet drowned out by the gunfire as the engine died, the carrier lurching to a halt.

The explosions ripped through the hull, tearing the bodies inside to pieces as the upper quad turret was blown into the air. Flames soared upwards as the power cells erupted, the carrier chassis burning fiercely as the last magnesium flares ignited, bathing the surrounding terrain in a surreal glow. The few remaining grenades erupted, several Morgons falling prey to the razor sharp shrapnel as the remainder charged forward, pursuing the last four carriers and lead tank.