The Red Leopards of Zaxon B (Galaxies Collide Book 2) (9 page)

Anjara grinned, the explosions running half the length of the warship, his hand clicking the microphone again as he shouted, ‘Good strike! Regroup on the far side…Morgon fighters incoming! They won’t be happy! Keep flying outwards and bank left…avoid the other warship!’

The reply was innocent and inexperienced, ‘Viper Three…Did we stop them Flight Leader?’ The tone rose in desperate response to an explosion off the fighter’s wing, ‘We have lost Viper Seven…she is going down…’

Flight Lieutenant Anjara shook his head in frustration, wincing as explosions from the upper warship guns began, ‘Viper Seven…return to the surface! Keep low!’ He pushed his stick further, accelerating the craft to maximum speed over the warship, the engine lights on his control panel surging red.

The return voice was full of emotion as the stricken fighter broke up below, ‘She’s gone Sir…Viper Seven is gone!’

Anjara gulped air, the emotion twisting his stomach as he struggled to contain his voice, ‘Keep focus Viper Flight! Regroup on the far side of the warship, bank left and rise, we will fly above them to return and defend Alexion One!’ He hesitated, then pressed his microphone button again, ‘Viper Three…we disabled one in four of their bays…keep sharp…our battle is just beginning!’

To the east of Morasat, the Blue Leopard armoured infantry charged towards the upper sides of the ravine, single manned gyrocopters sweeping above them to fire down on the stricken enemy. The piloted camouflaged craft were lightly armoured, concentrating on speed rather than durability, four cornered whirring blades above keeping the precision attack pieces airborne. Their pilots or sky troopers would lie face down in the craft, manoeuvring the vessel with their legs and feet and the four high powered laser weapons with their hands. Most of the craft were adaptable to carry a single explosive charge, required to be dropped quickly to ensure the small craft could maintain the highest speeds.

The explosive charge could also be replaced with supplies or even a soldier, establishing a mobile airborne unit if the machines were available in high enough numbers, though slower moving with the heavier payload. Should the craft sustain damage, the pilot could opt to eject downwards or be automatically released, the heavy body armour designed to protect the individual as much as possible and considering the vessel would be flying at reasonably low altitude…or soon would be if damaged. The small vessels could also adapt to other uses.

The blue piped uniform figures instinctively lowered and dropped to a crouch as they approached the scorched rock edge, the rising smoke and billowing dust obscuring their vision as the visors surged red. High pressure grenades fell all along the ravine walls onto any survivors below, the heavy assault rifle muzzles flashing at red dotted targets through the mirk.

The explosions shook the rock walls, blast waves tossing body parts and debris into the air as the Blue Leopards continued to fire out into the dust. Several rock falls continued along the damaged low cliffs, any surviving defenders below being either killed in the explosions or buried under heavy rock.

South Korean marines and the American soldiers joined their new allies, their lower powered rifles cracking in unison with the bursts from the higher powered weapons. The Blue Leopard commander raised his hand to his ear, shouting into his microphone to the gyro choppers above, ‘Give me a situation…what is below? Are the Morgon’s still in capable numbers?’

The seventeen choppers swept through the smoke, rising in altitude to avoid ground fire, their reconnaissance leader scanning the screen on the inside front fuselage as red dots flashed below, the smoke still obscuring his visual cameras. His voice tense, the lead sky trooper replied, ‘Numerous ground forces shown…they seem to be in full retreat…calling down one artillery salvo to clear you a path…’

Commander Malikkas of the Blue Leopards smiled briefly, hearing the artillery coordinates in his earpieces and indicating to the men around him as he raised his voice, ‘Wait for the salvo…then we move forward! Our time is now!’

The choppers swept round in a wide arc, the leader turning to examine the base of the rock face as others hovered, their lasers charging to fire on the enemy below as sporadic fire broke out, tracers beginning to rise blindly upwards in response to the sound of their whirring rotors. The leader’s eyes widened as the smoke cleared, broken walkers and shattered bodies covering all along the base of the low cliff walls. The smouldering destroyed machinery having collapsed on the accompanying Silak infantry, several bodies simply crushed then broken further by the numerous explosions.

Black Morgon armoured bodies lay along the track, the forward infantry unit decimated by artillery and the proximity mines. Many corpses were smouldering, a few wounded moving limply amongst the dead, their minds and injuries preventing many from comprehending what had happened. The occasional explosion rocked the bodies, ammunition detonating or individuals priming grenades for their own destruction as trained. Several flashes from rifle muzzles could be seen, lone soldiers shooting themselves or comrades as they realised the Trevakian victors were close, their broken frames unable to provide an adequate resistance.

Explosions rocked the terrain to the east, the artillery salvo falling amongst the fleeing Morgons and Silaks as the leader pulled his craft round, the small camouflaged flying vessel turning in the air as it hovered, puffs of smoke filling the terrain as grenades ignited, the enemy attempting to hide their numbers or retreat.

The gyro chopper leader flicked his microphone, ‘Blue Leopard One…move forward. Cautious advance, enemy employing smoke…it could be a trap!’

The Blue Leopard commander turned to his men, nodding to Lieutenant Kim of the South Korean Blue Marine Division next to him, ‘Advance…keep down…enemy is still ahead! Establish numbers and capability, then report…we need to break through!’

The armoured uniforms rose, several dropping ropes to scramble down the rock face, the foul stench of burning and dead flesh rising to meet them as they descended. Kim spun round, the remains of his unit behind him, several bloodied or bruised as he noticed Jozefina Kapralova approach, selecting English for her benefit, ‘Move up with the Leopards…’ He indicated to the Heathrow volunteer leader, ‘You with me…keep your men and women with my unit!’

Jozefina nodded obediently, turning to the escorting Trevakian with her, ‘Move them up…we advance behind our allies and do what they say at all times…no attempts at heroics!’

The Trevakian rose his fist to his chest, winking beneath his visor, ‘Our marine units are moving up too and on the flanks…we will drive them back!’

The female commander shrugged, grinning ironically, ‘Not sure we will…more like the heavily armoured troops will advance with us supporting behind…but let’s give it a go anyway!’

The gyro copters swept high across the terrain, dense smoke covering the landscape below as the pilots stared into their screens, the leader clicking his microphone again, ‘Blue Leopard One, visibility zero…sensors indicate enemy seems to be moving back, covering their retreat.’ His voice rose in excitement, ‘Move forward! Fighter reconnaissance will engage all defensive ground targets!’ The gyro copters swept across the smoke filled sky, lasers flickering and firing into the mirk below, their auto targeting cutting down any identified threats through the smoke, the intense power slicing through bodies as they darted back and forth across the terrain.

As the whirring blades above become more distant to the east, gunfire and explosions erupted to the north and south. The forward Trevakian marine units engaging an almost intact enemy with their infantry and hover tanks, the quad guns of the armoured cars blasting the Morgon and Silak defensive positions as the Trevakians charged forward.

Jozefina scrambled down the rope, her legs jarring against the rock face as she winced. Reaching the bottom, she stumbled to her knees amongst the bodies, her frame drawing back in terror as she saw the intertwined smouldering corpses along the track. Her visor flashed red, several dots appearing as the mortally wounded shuffled amongst their dead allies, gunfire ringing out as the Trevakians lowered rifles and shot their enemies at point blank range.

Body parts, shattered armour and weapons lay deep on either side, some of the corpses still twitching as the final signs of life ebbed from their bodies. Gunfire erupted to the east as Blue Leopard forward units made contact with the stubborn Morgons, assuming a fighting retreat as they lay in wait for the advancing enemy.

Lieutenant Kim reached down and pulled Jozefina upwards, his voice a hiss beneath the visor as he saw the horror on her face, ‘They are shooting the wounded because they never surrender…let them live and they will fire at us from behind, or detonate grenades as we pass…some of the North Koreans used to do the same.’

Jozefina spun round to stare at him, her voice shaking, ‘B-but its barbarism…killing wounded when they could be taken prisoner…’

Kim shook his head in disbelief as Rees struggled to the bottom of the rope behind them, ‘Prisoners to where? The Trevakians are struggling to hold the line, let alone spare troops to guard prisoners…especially prisoners that will use every opportunity presented to kill one of our allies…or us!’ The South Korean glanced round as Rees retched behind them, his sides shaking as he vomited at the stench and sight, Kim pointing to him, ‘Get your staf…soldiers, and let’s move forward…the Blue Leopards are ahead now…if we fall behind, they are unsupported.’ He turned, indicating to the soldiers stood in dumbfounded silence on the bloodied track, his voice rising, ‘Move up…stop staring and follow the Trevakians and Leopards…we need to demonstrate our support!’

Several South Koreans saluted, some Heathrow Battalion staff nodding silently and turning to jog east, the gunfire rising in the distance as weakened smoke swept over them. Jozefina grimaced obediently, her determination rising to suppress her emotional state as she strained her voice, ‘Heathrow Battalion to me…we move forward now!’

Commander Malikkas was running with the other Blue Leopards, his frame lowered and large assault rifle raised as they overcame each small isolated defensive position the Morgon commander had organised as a fighting retreat. Having already lost four soldiers, his anger was rising, his hand slapping against the side of his helmet, ‘Blue Leopard One to recon…where is my support? We are losing troops down here to their retreat tactics!’

The voice burbled through the earpiece, ‘Understood Blue Leopard One, returning to clear ground…we were sweeping your advance route…’

Malikkas gritted his teeth in frustration, ‘I don’t care…just clear the way…there are too many traps!’

Nine of the gyro copters peeled off on command, banking sharply to sweep the ground in front of the Blue Leopards. The lead flight operative stayed with his forward copters, hovering as their lasers blasted energy into the thick swirling smoke below, scything through armoured bodies as they scored direct hits.

The Blue Leopards surged forward, seeing the laser flashes through the thick smoke, their unit slowly becoming disorientated as the puffs of smoke mortar shells exploded to their front, the pace reducing in caution.

Commander Malikkas gritted his teeth, red dots swirling around his visor as the targeting system struggled to identify potential threats, the smoke seeming to thicken further. Sporadic fire broke out to either side as his armoured troops engaged potential foes, the soldiers around him tensed and lowered in anticipation. Further lasers flashed through the smoke, bright lights briefly illuminating the shroud as dots disappeared from his visor. Then he tensed, hearing the distant crumps of artillery from the east, his voice rising in intensity, ‘Enemy artillery! Take cover!’

His men dropped to the snow covered earth, pressing their helmets into the cold as they waited in apprehension. The gyro choppers swept above them, circling and firing on the targeted red dots below through the swirling shroud. The commander’s eyes opened widely as he lay there, smoke billowing around their prone bodies as the distant shrieks of hatred seemed to taunt them.

The explosions rocked the terrain, falling ahead of the Blue Leopards, their bodies shuddering as the dirt and debris fell and smashed to earth around them. The smoke darkened, dust filling the swirling air with particles to create further density. The propellers above whirred, the pilots circling in the gloom as they stared into their screens, attempting to identify further targets amongst the flashes of detonations.

Then the area fell eerily silent, smoke swirling around the prone figures as Commander Malikkas stared out into the mirk, the light beginning to fade. The earpiece burbled, ‘Blue Leopard One, limited enemy troop movement ahead…proceed with your unit Sir!’

The commander rose to his feet, indicating to the soldiers on either side, his voice rising in the failing light, ‘Forward! Our time is now!’

Jozefina had dropped to her knees as she heard the muffled explosions ahead, Lieutenant Kim doing the same and gathering the soldiers around them as they knelt before the wall of thick smoke, the tentacles seeming to reach out towards them. The visors all swept clear, light blue colours filling the vision of the soldiers as the white smoke began to sweep over their figures, sporadic gunfire breaking out further to the east as the Blue Leopards advanced. Distant rotor blades swirled the rising smoke, the gyro choppers circling to examine the terrain below.

Lieutenant Kim raised his arm, glancing round at the apprehensive surrounding soldiers as he shouted, ‘Blue Dragons forward…Heathrow volunteers behind!’

The soldiers rose in unison, gunfire breaking out to the distant north and south east as Trevakian marine forces encountered further enemy positions, the tanks blasting forward as the Morgons and their allies rose and ran back in defensive retreat.

The South Korean Blue Dragon marines and Heathrow volunteers ran forward, stumbling in the smoke and across the debris of war as they progressed, adrenalin and breathlessness rising as they clutched their weapons across their chests, the pace increasing as they spread out across the ground before them.

The forward gyro copters swept round and round, meticulously inspecting the smokeless terrain below and into the distant landscape to the east. Four hamlets lay some distance away, their inhabitants, defending Trevakian marines and human forces now cut off. Having formed defensive perimeters in the low one and two storey buildings, the soldiers awaited rescue, their radio communications severed as they sat in four separate small ‘hedgehog’ positions. The first circular position only six clicks east of the gyro copters.