The Red Leopards of Zaxon B (Galaxies Collide Book 2) (17 page)

The twenty soldiers stood in two lines, their assault rifles slung over their shoulders as the snow fell to earth around them. Before the lines, the last of the boxes were unloaded from the halftracks, the troops heaving food and ammunition canisters towards the supply bunker, the sturdy low masonry and metal resin buildings reinforced and surrounded with dirt filled bags. A low light began to spread across the village and mountains, the snow billowing over the hamlet as the men and women braced their bodies against the cold. Uniforms inflated, every soldier had thick cloth wrapped across their lower faces as additional protection against the biting wind.

Tregan walked slowly up and down the first line, inspecting uniforms and offering encouragement to each individual. Slowing as he neared Debra, Shino and Riaz at the end, his smile widening and voice rising, ‘We will now adopt garrison duties…as soon as the supplies are unloaded, we will relieve the sentries on the upper defences and supervise their departure.’ His voice lowered slightly, ‘It is important we demonstrate to the locals our strength and resolve…we are never sure who is watching. They need to believe that we cannot be attacked or messed with…do you understand?’

He waved both hands encouragingly upwards, the soldiers’ boots crunching together on the iced snow as tired voices resounded through the outpost, ‘Yes Sir!’

Riaz grimaced beneath his visor, Tregan nodding to him and Shino, ‘You two take the quad gun on the northern corner, Debra go with them…I want three soldiers on each corner as the convoy leaves.’ He turned on his heels as Captain Dugachard emerged from the sandbagged command bunker, the sides sloped and camouflaged, Tregan’s voice rising, ‘Commander on parade…attention!’

Fists slammed against chest armour as the Captain approached across the snow, nodding her approval as she ran her eyes across the two lines of uniformed soldiers in front of her. Raising hands onto her hips, her head rose, ‘Tregan is second in command…we will commence first patrol as soon as the convoy has departed.’ She indicated to the three humans at the end of the line, ‘You will go with Tregan and three others whilst the rest man the walls and main gate. We are insufficient in number to place sentries at the two entrances to the village, so the upper walls and gate will be manned by seven soldiers in rotation, more between patrols.’ She glanced across the exhausted and demoralised faces seeking understanding, ‘We patrol the area four times a day…none at night. In darkness we will all remain in the outpost.

Captain Dugachard smiled weakly, ‘You will be even more tired working here…sentries need to be posted night and day and the patrols will need to be alert…we are concerned that Silak sympathisers and spies are in the village. We need to deter them from becoming too ambitious.’ She glanced round as the first engine behind roared into life, soldiers beginning to clamber into the rear compartments of the halftracks, ‘It is time for the convoy to leave…assume your positions and always consider the enemy could be watching you!’

Tregan turned, his raised voice barking as he pointed, ‘Parade dismissed…you four on the main gate, the rest on the walls!’ The soldiers turned to the right formally, then broke from formation, jogging to their pre-determined positions.

Shino stared past the quad gun’s defensive shield, the exposed platform they stood upon being swept by the cold breeze, snowflakes fluttering downwards around them. The low houses were mostly single storey, grim grey buildings with flat snow blanketed roofs extending for about a hundred metres along either street. Wisps of thick smoke rose from small chimneys, the petrified wood gathered locally providing minimal warmth for comfort. The small windows were mostly boarded up as protection against the elements, snow lining the narrow deserted street as the residents awoke from the night.

Riaz leant against the armoured plate, indicating down the ram shackled narrow street with a gloved hand as his rifle clanked against the alloy armour, ‘Would you come here on holiday then?’

Debra slapped his shoulder in irritation, ‘Show some respect…these people have been at war for a century!’

Riaz shrugged as Shino grinned beneath her scarf, ‘It’s hardly a resort, is it? I mean these poor people have no life surely!’

Debra leant forward between them in disgust, her exhaled air swirling, ‘How do you know…life seems simple here, perhaps they are very content…’

Riaz indicated to two lone bedraggled figures trudging through the snow, the woman and a smaller girl heading up towards the corner entrance to the outpost, ‘Not sure that walk is the indication of happiness…they look really miserable.’

The two main metal gates of the compound creaked open, Shino glancing back as the engines of the halftracks roared, their tracks spinning slightly before gaining traction and churning forward through the thickening snow. Single soldiers stood braced against the cold in the quad guns on the roof, glancing furtively around as the armoured vehicles ground forward, turning east along the main street on their way back towards the supply base. A small group of soldiers marched out behind the vehicles, padded jackets over their combat uniforms for warmth as they hunched their shoulders against the cold.

The three stared down as the woman and her son waited patiently by the gate in the biting cold for the vehicles to pass, the woman indicating to one of the sentries and conversing with him. Riaz stared down in curiosity as Tregan was summoned to the entrance, the woman speaking with some concern to the second in command before the Trevakian turned and strode back towards Captain Dugachard, the two talking for a brief time before Tregan beckoned Debra to them.

Riaz nudged Shino, the young Philippine glancing down into the outpost as Debra walked out towards the commanders, ‘I bet this will mean something for us to do!’ He shivered, ‘It’s getting damn cold now…when they said winter was coming, they weren’t joking…it seems to arrive on one day!’

Shino nodded, dusting snow from her shoulders as her exhaled breath hung in the air, ‘If this is what it’s like during the day…how much colder will it get at night?’ He eyes drifted back towards the main gate, then watching the conversation that had just commenced.

As Shino stared at the three talking in the centre of the garrisoned position, Riaz strained his eyes through his helmet visor towards the northern end of the street, glimpsing some distant dark figures against the snow, his body stiffening as the figures seemed to stop and stare towards them. Slowly, he reached for his rifle, nudging the shorter female next to him as his senses became more alert, glimpsing the flash of binoculars in one of the silhouettes hands in the distance, his voice hissing, ‘Silaks!’

Shino spun round, the hairs on the back of her neck twitching as her gaze followed the Asian male’s outstretched hand, glimpsing the three figures in the distance. Riaz whispered further, ‘They are watching us through binoculars!’

The Philippine glanced up at him, ‘How do you know they are Silaks? They may just be curious…you’re just spooked!’ She turned back to look at the retreating armoured vehicles with figures marching behind, the engines whining in the distance as they climbed the slope away from the village, ‘Just as our main force leaves…’

Riaz shouted across the outpost square, ‘Captain…three figures watching us!’ The commander turning to stare at him before lunging forward with Tregan, climbing the central steps two at a time, her voice rising, ‘Close the gate! Bring the woman and child inside!’

Breathless in the thin air and from the exertion, Captain Dugachard stared out over the alloy defensive wall, grasping her binoculars and raising them to her eyes as she strained to see through the falling snow.

Slowly she lowered the glasses, handing them to Tregan, her voice strained, ‘My bet is Silaks…or sympathisers. They are not even hiding!’

The male Trevakian drew breath next to her, ‘They must know our strength if they are not hiding…I will take out a patrol and see what is going on…sweep the area, see what we can find.’ He stiffened, indicating over his shoulder, ‘Can we trust the girl and her mother?’

Captain Dugachard shrugged, ‘The previous commander told me they come every day and ask for an escort to their animals up in the fields. The woman’s husband was apparently killed last year by the Silaks near Contax Base and we have helped them ever since…we will continue this tradition. He was of great help to our people, regularly running supplies from the base to here and Contax.’ She indicated to the centre of the base, ‘Get the patrol out with the woman and girl as normal, act as they expect, but keep alert…I will man the walls and gate, have another small patrol walk the main street within sight.’

Riaz stood impatiently by the main gates, admiring his shoulder armour as he slowly ran a hand over the bubbled resin, his fingers slipping into the red lined grooves that lined the reinforced protection. He raised his arm, glancing across the piped resin on the elbows and then down on the knees, the armour reinforced behind to protect his joints. The combat uniform seemed thicker than before, an inner lining adding more protection and insulation as he adjusted his newly issued white mottled camouflaged lower facial cover.

His helmet also had the same bubbled resin covering, the substance light sensitive as before, but seeming to form tighter against his skull, providing additional protection. The recessed pin lights on the side would react to poor light, enhancing the vision of his helmet visor.

He glanced across the compound yard as Tregan emerged from the command bunker, waving to indicate they would be joining him shortly. He sighed, slipping the assault rifle from his shoulder and checking the ammunition counter, the electronic display stating he had forty-two rounds left. Mentally checking the ammunition pouches on his new belt, he reassured himself apprehensively they were all full, five magazines in all.

Staring across the yard, the sentries were slowly trudging around the high gantries, their shoulders hunched against the freezing early morning temperature as they glanced out over the walls. The remaining halftrack and jeep were slowly becoming covered in a thin layer of snow, the vehicles parked beyond the command bunker and next to the barracks they had slept in along the left wall. The mountains rose up from virtually the back wall of the compound, his eyes training in attempt to see an opening or gap that would indicate the possible presence of the path to the secret base.

Turning again, Tregan, Shino and Debra were approaching, Riaz grimacing beneath his scarf as he felt the stubble rub against the fabric, his skin seeming to scratch roughly. He glanced at the weapon in Shino’s hand, indicating to it as three more soldiers emerged from the barracks, ‘New rifle?’

Tregan nodded, ‘It’s a more compact assault rifle, lighter in weight and shorter…we found some earlier in the armoury.’

The Asian male moved to say something, Shino glaring at him in jest, ‘Don’t say it Riaz…remember you need to sleep at nights!’

Debra’s eyes widened, attempting to hide her grin as Shino blushed a grimace, ‘I didn’t mean that! You people are just obsessed! Dirty little minds…’

Riaz smiled, ‘Don’t worry, I think we are both perfectly safe…strangely, people are really not very sexy when they are in the same uniform!’

Tregan grinned, his eyes dropping to his rifle in embarrassment, ‘I think we need to chat about some of the species in our empire…you would not believe some of the females on the other side of our galaxy.’ He swallowed nervously, seeing Debra and Shino glare at him, ‘…oh, and the males. There is an island on our home planet where all the most beautiful Trevakians seem to all live…I will take you there one day?’

Shino smiled politely, ‘We have the same on earth…it’s called the Philippines!’

Riaz rolled his eyes as Debra pushed her playfully, turning to the confused Tregan, ‘Don’t listen to her…give her a new weapon and she gets all excited!’

The Trevakian nodded warily, ‘I think I have a lot to learn about your humour.’ He indicated to the three approaching soldiers, ‘One of you ask Captain Dugachard for the civilians please, I think she is finding them some extra clothing in the stores!’

One of the soldiers nodded obediently, jogging back across the yard towards the furthest low building. Tregan glanced at Shino, ‘Can you personally accompany the civilians please, they will not speak your language, but you should get along…’

The Philippine nodded, smiling, ‘Sure, it will be a pleasure…’

Riaz giggled mischievously, ‘Is that because they are the same height?’

Debra scowled at him, shaking her finger, ‘That’s enough of your mischief young man…’ She glanced at the Trevakian as Shino glared at the Asian male, ‘Where do we go on this patrol? Is there anything we should look out for?’

The Trevakian nodded, ‘We follow one of the mountain tracks that leads up onto some fields, that’s where their animals are apparently. Mostly we are out and about to reassure the locals and deter any Silaks or sympathisers. Most have small plots or animals in the surrounding area and we are assured the Morgons cannot break through to here…the mountain ranges are too dense and have remote anti-air defences dug into the rocks.’

He indicted as the Captain emerged from the command bunker, the local woman and her daughter stepping out behind. Now dressed in some spare clothing, they seemed more relaxed, perhaps warmer as Shino stepped towards them, extending her hand towards the small girl, ‘Let’s go and see your animals then…’