Annals of the Keepers: War 267 (Book 1 in the Gashnee Saga) (15 page)

Data Cell 25

Kason spotted Alon’s
prone body lying on the ground next to the podium.

In an instant, Kason ran towards his fallen friend.

He set his retro-rockets to smoke and fired them from his arm launcher above Alon’s location. Kason followed the rounds with flash-bangs on either side of the podium to blind the Kryth that were firing from above.

Kason passed Shenta and Nevlen who were hunkered down below a half-wall where they had sat moments before.

The other Reavers and troopers ran to give what cover fire they could, as heavier assault weapons were not permitted in the conference by security details. They were limited to pistols.

Kason knew the micro-weapons of the Reavers would last only so long against much heavier fire power so they would need to obtain better armaments.

Kason made it to the center where the smoke now engulfed the speaker’s platform.

Without slowing, he grabbed Alon in his arms, swiping him up off the floor.

As Kason approached Parejas’ location, Nevlen and Parejas got up under cover fire from the team and moved down the aisle, using the Reavers as flanking shields. The Reavers returned what fire they could with their limited resources.

Kryth plasma fire impacted around body armor as the Reavers closed ranks to escort the men to a safer location.

They all made it to the back wall behind an overhang partition.

Kason called out enemy positions as he looked over his sensors for an escape route.

“Maddox and Keelen, cover our flanks. Markon and Danik, continue firing at the Kryth in the boxes,” Kason said to his Reaver team before turning to Nevlen’s troopers. “You two watch that door.”

Shenta Parejas was calling up to the
Orion’s Rage
for assistance as the green plasma bolts exploded against the metal barrier, sending dents throughout their side.

“Orion’s command, we need emergency evac. The conference is lost. I repeat, the conference is lost. On my location. . .” Shenta said, looking over to Kason.

Kason was scanning the area through the walls. “There is a raised landing pad on the third level, out the door and up a ramp. Coordinates are. . .”

Kason finished the details of the landing zone to the
Rage
.

Kason soon identified a mass of Kryth troops approaching from behind the door to their front.

“Incoming. . . Ten in total,” Kason shouted. He turned to Maddox. “I’m out of rounds. I’ll open the door and you send a ‘max-blast’ through.”

Kason approached the side of the door. He relayed the data code to open the door partway as they all moved back to surround the un-armored.

The door opened.

Maddox fired a salvo of launcher rounds through the half-opened doorway.

The explosion on the other side sent Kryth bodies flying in all directions as the fire whooshed and licked the door’s edges.

“Move through and up to the left. Grab all weapons as we go,” Kason ordered.

Kason, still carrying Alon over his shoulder, moved through the door as smoke and fire filled the hallway.

He spotted some Kryth screaming, their broken bodies crawling along the floor.

Kason bent down as he ran and scooped up a plasma rifle, peeling off the severed Kryth hand still attached.

He saw that more Kryth were coming down the ramp as they themselves ascended it.

“To our fronts. Reaver Two and Three, cover our flanks,” Kason called out.

The delegation moved up the ramp as human and Kryth engaged in a blinding firefight. Weapons’ fire impacted walls and floor. Some rounds flashed off the Reavers’ frontal armor while others zinged past, scorching the air. The hallway was ablaze with green and blue plasma bolts, smoke, and explosions.

The throng of bodies met as hand-to-hand combat followed.

Kason, Keelen, and Maddox began to stab and eviscerate the incoming Kryth soldiers while the two other Reavers and troopers fired behind their flanks at incoming Kryth.

Kason slashed one Kryth’s face.

Another leaped into the air at Kason’s turned back.

A hand flashed up and caught the Kryth in the throat in mid-flight towards Kason.

Shenta Parejas’ other hand grabbed the airborne Kryth, directing him into an adjacent wall behind.

Parejas put a chokehold around the Kryth soldier’s neck, pulling the Kryth’s head against his own chest; Parejas threw out his legs behind him, sending both bodies to the ground in an ‘A’ frame.

The leverage against the commander’s chest snapped the soldier’s neck as they hit the floor hard.

The short melee was over.

The group made it to the third floor intersection, pushing through the remaining few Kryth soldiers, hurdling and dodging their fallen corpses.

Kason approached a corner.

“We need to go to the right. The landing pad is fifty meters down and. . . .” Kason stopped.

His helmet scanners picked up a large mass approaching from the left connecting corridor.

Kason couldn’t see how many from the red triangles in his HUD, as they were massed together into a blob of blurred color.

The count came up... One hundred Kryth soldiers were bearing down on their location from the adjacent hallway.

“Keelen, get the door to our front closed. Everyone get to the pad. Now, move!” Kason commanded.

As the group progressed around the corner the Kryth approached from behind.

The mass of Kryth began to open fire on the fleeing humans.

Soon, plasma bolts enveloped the whole corridor, showering it in sparks and fire as explosive rounds impacted every available surface.

One of Nevlen’s troopers who returned fire was thrown into the wall as the incoming rounds ravaged his body, sending him crashing to the ground.

The group made it to the outside landing pad as they exited through the door, the dark evening sky awaiting them.

The landing pad’s illumination made seeing possible in the pitch-black surroundings.

The group moved to either side of the door as the Kryth weapons’ fire blazed through, nearly a continuous green rushing torrent of water against nightfall.

Kason yelled out to Keelen, “Close the door!”

Keelen ran to the panel to override it.

“This won’t keep them out for long. I’ll try to jam it,” Keelen said.

Kason knew time was against them. He calculated how long the door would hold and the arrival of the
Mercador
from the
Orion’s Rage
. Not enough time, he thought.

Kason signaled to the Reavers Markon and Danik.

Without speaking, the two Reavers nodded at Kason.

They removed their red regimental sashes and tossed them to Kason who caught them.

They both turned and re-entered the hallway as Keelen closed the door behind them.

Nevlen’s mouth dropped open as he realized what the Reavers had just done. They had bought more time. Nevlen was stunned.

There was neither conversation nor debate on the matter. It was as if they already had known what they had to do and had made the choice, Nevlen thought.

Kason moved past Nevlen and behind a metal blast shield, used for larger shuttle craft upon departing the pad area.

He placed Alon’s body down.

Nevlen followed behind and knelt down next to the Keeper. He placed his fingers to Alon’s neck.

Kason grabbed his arm and moved it away.

Nevlen looked up at Kason.

“He’s gone, Nevlen,” Kason said.

Nevlen’s expression went white as he slumped down next to the dead Keeper.

Kason’s eyes blazed at Nevlen and Nevlen could feel the anger of the Reaver go right through him.

Nevlen waited for Kason’s blade to meet his throat, a death he had earned, he thought; but, none came, as Kason already returned to his men and the fire fight for their lives.

∞∞∞

High above the planet, the
Orion’s Rage
remained docked to the Kryth station.

Droe Temin was in the command chair. “Kansec, open a line to Major Danchal,” she ordered.

“Connected to coms.”

“Major Danchal, you’re clear for evac.”

The sound of engines firing filled the hangar bay, but the constellation camouflage screen showed no signs of a ship ramping up as the
Mercador
approached the hangar shield cloaked and undetectable.

“Copy that. Heading to extraction point,” Major Danchal replied.

The
Mercador
headed out of the
Orion’s Rage
hangar, becoming visible for the briefest of moments, as the constellation camouflage passed through the bay shield before going back into her invisible shroud.

“The Kryth are threatening to open fire on us if we leave our position,” Kansec said from his bridge seat.

Droe smiled. “Let them take their best shots. Proceed to the planet. Shields at maximum.”

The
Orion’s Rage
undocked from the Kryth station.

The great ship moved past, heading towards the planet, as a barrage of gun turrets instantaneously opened fire on the humans’ departing vessel.

Soon the second station, off to the right of the ship, began opening a volley of intense bombardment towards the
Rage
.

Droe looked on as the space between the stations, flashed against the
Rage’s
shields.

The great ship continued at flank speed towards the planet, ignoring the mass of incoming turret bolts as the shields absorbed their destructive power.

Droe’s mind was on the rescue at hand and getting everyone off the planet’s surface.

The imagery flashed in her head of what could have happened down there during the conference.

Was it an ambush? How many casualties?

Though she was concerned with everyone’s safety, her mind was on one in particular, Kason. I hope he’s alright, she thought.

Data Cell 26

The human delegation
had entrenched themselves behind the large blast shield on the landing pad.

The pad door began to buckle as the group prepared for the assault from the horde of Kryth about to come pouring through.

The Kryth weapons’ fire was silenced for the briefest of moments behind the door before two massive explosions erupted, blowing the pad door outward, sending it over the landing pad side.

Fire raced through the opening before being sucked back into the hallway the Kryth were attempting to breach.

Kason’s men readied their weapons on the open door front.

Smoke billowed out along with the intermingled screams of dying Kryth soldiers.

Kason knew what had happened to the door. The two Reavers gave their lives, as the Kryth over-took them, by detonating themselves, now giving precious time for the group.

Kason had no time to grieve as new plasma bolts flashed down from above. Three levels up, on another landing pad, Kryth soldiers began raining down plasma.

Kason’s team returned fire up towards the platform. They now had two points of contact.

Commander Parejas and Nevlen fired at the door the Kryth were now starting to come through.

“Mercador, we have a hot landing zone. Prepare sweep, over,” Parejas radioed.

The response came quick from the ship. “Copy that. Evac zone hot, beginning sweep. Keep your butts in their positions,” Major Danchal replied.

Mass driver fire rained down from the
Mercador’s
twin rotary guns.

The upper platform of Kryth soldiers was shattered as the solid mass of rounds impacted.

The beautiful marble structure fell in smoke, pouring chunks along the building’s façade.

Another barrage of cannon fire came from the
Mercador
, blowing through and around the open door frame, shredding the entrance and riddling it with hundreds of fist-sized holes.

Shards of the building and Kryth soldiers splintered, showering the pad with fiery hot debris.

The
Mercador
came in, turning a hundred and eighty degrees with her rear ramp down, right above the pad.

Kason signaled to move as the group ran for the ramp.

Kason was last, with Alon’s body. He passed it to the other Reavers who were already onboard.

“Everyone is on! Get us out of here!” Commander Parejas ordered.

The
Mercador’s
engines roared as the assault craft left the pad just before four massive energy blasts impacted right where the ship had been.

“We have fighters coming in. Hold on!” Major Danchal said.

The
Mercador
streaked upward towards the clouds as four Kryth Tornkeen fighters gave chase.

“Orion’s command, breaking atmosphere in two,” the major said over coms.

Explosions rippled behind the
Mercador
as the Kryth fighters closed in. Another round impacted much closer, jarring the ship to its side.

The group was tossed around within, trying to strap themselves into their seat harnesses.

Another blast hit the side of the ship, sending Alon’s body rolling across the cargo hold as everyone braced from the impact.

Nevlen detached himself before Kason could approach. He stumbled to the body, lifted it, and strapped it in a seat.

Nevlen gave a brief nod to Kason, who turned away to find his own seat, ignoring him.

Nevlen looked at Alon’s lifeless body and blamed himself for the unfolding events. If he had just rescued the Reavers on
Mentabak 3
, Alon might still be alive, along with all the other men who lost their lives today.

Now empty inside, Nevlen strapped himself in. He wished it to all be over.

Several blasts hit the
Mercador
again.

The ship’s shields waned under the barrage.

“Shields are dropping fast. Down to fifteen percent, Orion command. Need a little help here!” Chion yelled.

The Kryth fighters drew ever closer, readying their next barrage.

The
Mercador
streaked upward, breaching cloud layer after cloud layer, struggling to break the atmosphere and be in the safety of the
Orion’s Rage
hangar bay.

The Kryth fighters fired their weapons; two struck the side engine, piercing through the last of the shields. Sparks and metal flew from the
Mercador’s
side trailing smoke and debris.             

The cloud bank in front of the
Mercador
glowed blue before turning into a blinding flash of light. A large energy beam pierced down, past the
Mercador
, enveloping the Kryth fighters in its wake.

The beamed impacted the Kryth fighters, incasing them in a massive fireball as the ships were incinerated on contact.

A voice came over coms. “Sorry for the coms delay, Mercador,” Droe said.

“That’s okay Orion’s Rage; we will take the delay for the support anytime,” Major Chion replied.

The
Mercador
broke the atmosphere and entered space leaving the glowing charged cloud bank behind.

“Landing bay is ready for your arrival,” Droe said.

The
Mercador
approached the rear of the great ship as the
Rage
turned back towards the stations, using her size as a barrier for the limping gun-ship and her crew.

The hangar bay approached as the
Mercador
entered the bay shield, touching down on the deck.

Major Chion radioed their arrival.

“We have them,” said Kansec.

“Plot course for the Mydian system. And take those turrets out . . . They’re beginning to annoy me,” Droe ordered.

She sat back in the command chair and prepared for their escape.

The
Orion’s Rage
moved at flank speed heading back between the two stations, which continued to fire at her. The barrage of hundreds of bolts impacted her shields as she passed.

“Outer shields are at eighty-seven percent. I’m preparing to engage enemy turrets,” Kansec replied.

Just as the
Rage
was between the stations, a strategic placement of ion bolts targeted and fired at each enemy turret.

Twenty shots blazed off from the
Rage’s
gun batteries.

The rounds were incased in an ion field. Upon making impact with the stations’ force fields, the Kryth shields absorbed the ion shielding but the rounds passed through unscathed.

Each round found its target. The turrets on each station bubbled in an explosion, marking each in a fiery pin-pointed blob of wreckage.

The
Orion’s Rage
moved past the stations, which now fell silent.

“Commander, we have two Kryth
Exendoth
destroyers approaching. They just jumped into the system and are closing fast,” Kansec yelled.

“Fire two ion waves, one per ship, followed by four Torcon torpedoes, two per ship,” Droe ordered.

“Yield type, Commander?”

“Cast nuclear. . . twenty percent. . . fire!”

Two massive ion beams left the front of the
Orion’s Rage
for their targets, followed by the four massive
Torcon
torpedoes coming out of their horizontal launch tubes.

The ion beams tagged each Kryth ship, causing the shields to collapse as the torpedoes streaked in from behind, leaving thin white contrails in their wake.

∞∞∞

The control bridge inside one of the
Exendoth
destroyers was flashing lights and warnings.

A Kryth officer seated near a forward-viewing window relayed the information to his captain.

“Shields have dropped but are recovering, now back to forty percent. Four inbound sub-light weapons on approach bearing 2-4-7. Impact in fifteen seconds. Orders, sir?”

The captain was engaged in the readouts in front of him.

“Have defense batteries engage all inbounds. Prepare to fire all forward cannons on the humans’ ship, on my mark,” the captain ordered to his crew.

“Orders received. Activating defenses, preparing cannons.”

The Kryth destroyer opened up with a barrage of defensive fire towards the incoming torpedoes from the humans’ ship.

Just as the weapons’ fire met the torpedoes, the torpedoes shattered apart into ten smaller projectiles, each zigzagging through space towards the destroyers.

The defense batteries couldn’t target the changing courses of the errant armaments.

It was too late.

Each missile found their objectives, impacting upon the Kryth destroyers. Dozens of massive circular explosions appeared over each destroyer’s hull.

The rippling of fire covered the entire length of each ship, as the shock waves tore apart one destroyer, sending crackling energy coursing through the two now drifting sections.

The second destroyer listed itself, as the inside of the ship flickered, one flash after the next before exploding and dispersing to the vacuum of space.

The
Orion’s Rage
raced past the debris of her targets. Her massive engines glowed bright and vanished as the great ship jumped out of the system.