Battleground Mars (20 page)

“I’ll do it.”

He dressed and they went out to the workshop. She showed him what had caused the air supply problem and more importantly, how to check that it couldn’t be done to him again. Then she took him off to bed.

“Look, I’m ok, Gabi. I need a few drinks with the men before we got out tomorrow.”

“And I need something too. Something that can only be done in private.”

“Oh.”

Their lovemaking was frantic, almost violent. They clung to each other like two lovers who’d come close to losing each other forever. Which they had. Like two lovers who face a future that is uncertain. Which it was. Like two lovers who were about to go out and face the ultimate life or death challenge of combat. Which they were. Rahm’s mind soared to new heights of giddy ecstasy as he entered her and he felt he warm, smooth skin, smelt the spicy scent of a woman aroused. They took their lovemaking to new lengths to put their passion on a totally new plane so that when they finished, more than an hour later, he was exhausted. As if her body had sucked as much life out of him as had the harsh Martian environment. But where Mars was a planet of cold death, she was warm life. He realized he loved her more than ever, for what she was, for what she’d done for him and for what she meant to him.

It was while he was dozing that she dropped the bombshell.

“I’m coming with you tomorrow.”

His mind reeled with horror, at the thought of her being injured or even killed.

“There’s no need. It’d be best if you stayed here and kept working on the technical stuff.”

She punched him playfully in the ribs. “Hey, caveman. If you think you’re going hunting while the little lady stays home and sweeps the floors you’ve got another think coming. I’ll be with you, there’s no argument. You’ll need me, believe it. We’re making good progress with the adaptations but it isn’t over yet. You’ll just have to accept it, I’m coming.”

They drove out in the morning. Damian was effectively running the base now that drilling operations were suspended. All that mattered was the success of the raids on the Taurons, for they had to have the breathing sets and the transports to power the dynamos. Or they would die. So far the adapted equipment was working well. The engineers had taken a huge dynamo and mounting equipment to the air scrubber cave. If they could manage to secure a transport it would be driven directly to the cave and in only a few hours they could have some limited function of the air scrubber. That would make life inside Mars Base more bearable for the next few months. Their target was a drilling operation known to be working in an unnamed valley between the Malea Plain and the Hellespont Mountains. It was a long journey, too long. But Damian had insisted that they hit the Taurons in an unexpected place again. It was impossible to know what they were thinking, as their minds did not work in the human way. Did they understand the theories of bluff and double bluff? Of establishing a pattern of attacks and then breaking it? Or did they just consider warfare a glorious endeavor, something to be feasted on and enjoyed, like fine wines. Who could tell, whatever they did would be a risk, this one perhaps offered the best chance of success.

* * *

Granat was stationed on the highest point of the rim of the Huygens Crater. He had a drilling operation running next to the adjacent Schiaparelli Crater, for his suspicion was that the humans would attack it. He would wait here, with forty of his warriors. When the humans carried out their attack he would fall on them and destroy them. If they wanted to make this conflict a series of guerilla attacks and ambushes he’d oblige them. He would also send them to their doom. He knew that he needed success, and needed it desperately. The attacks had eroded their operation on Mars so badly that he’d seen another communication from Tabor, Lord of Tauron. Why, he’d asked, had Granat not been able to deal with these humans? He’d told his Lord repeatedly how puny they were. And yet he still had not beaten them. Perhaps it was time to send a new commander with the next flight to replace him. There were plenty of opportunities nearer home for an officer with Granat’s abilities. Like overseeing the Pons Nebula on the outer reaches of the empire. A posting that most officers saw as little more than a sentence of death. The radiation alone caused extensive organ damage amongst the crews and the isolation caused many Taurons to stage frequent gladiatorial bouts, preferring death to continued service on the Pons Nebula. He wasn’t frightened of it. He’d go wherever he was ordered to go. What made him so angry was the thought that he might fail in his mission. That would be truly unforgivable, better to die in hand to hand combat, a glorious, bloody end than to go home with his head hung in shame, his career in ruins. He needed victory, a glorious victory, and one that would turn the tide and deal a mighty blow to these insolent weaklings that dared to challenge the power of the Taurons. Where were they, why wouldn’t they attack? He looked away to the west, towards Chryse Gulf, towards the enemy. But there was nothing, no movement, no dust from moving vehicles, nothing. He decided to make another three hundred and sixty degree sweep before he moved position. He worked the scanner around from point to point, making sure that he covered every inch of ground. He almost missed it, he swung the instrument back. There! So they weren’t coming for Huygens Crater. There was a group of vehicles heading for the Malea plain. The drilling operation in the shadow of the Hellespont Mountains would be the target. It would be perfect, except that he could see a curtain of dust sweeping down from the north. That would make things more difficult, but it would also make them more difficult for the enemy. He smiled with satisfaction, this day he would taste their blood. He would feast on their corpses and toss the bones out for the Martian storms to bleach white. He stood up, tall, proud, every inch the warrior. The terrible sound shattered the peace of the rugged, empty terrain.

* * *

The drive took them nearly four hours. They'd traveled a dangerous distance from Mars Base if they were recalled to deal with an enemy attack. Every one of them was relieved when the Hellespont Mountains loomed into view. One of the frequent Martian storms had started to whip up, making the going harder. They’d been traveling under a clear sky when it swept in, a sudden deluge of sand and dust that smashed into them. They had to slow to half speed, and everything was locked down and sealed against the pervasive dust and grit that clashed at them. They almost fell into a ravine at one point, only the vehicle’s warning sensors alerted them. It was a miracle that anything was still working in the thick, gritty soup that they were forced to wade through, but they pressed forward until a short gap in the storm exposed the Hellespont Mountains, they were almost there. They slowed the pace until they reached the narrow strip of land that lay between the mountains and the Malea Plain, and then they halted. Rahm got out and struggled across to Damian’s buggy and climbed in.

“Do you have any estimates on the Tauron drillhead?”

He nodded. “I’ve been updating our position by dead reckoning, so I estimate it should be about two miles south of here. If it wasn’t for the storm, they would have seen us. There’s no need to worry about sentries, we’ll drive straight in and roll over them. Make sure that your gunner is ready.”

Rahm thought of Brad Haakon clutching his favorite weapon, the heavy laser cannon.

“He’ll be ready. We’ll follow you in.”

He returned to his buggy and climbed in, ignoring the shouts to hurry up before they filled up with dust. Brad had little protection, the storm scoured at his suit, testing every single join and trying to find a way to seep through. He called up to him.

“We’re driving straight over the Tauron position, and we’ll start shooting as soon as they’re in sight. Are there any problems with using the gun in this storm?”

“Provided it keeps working we’ll be ok. The only problem could be sand in the mechanism. Hopefully it won’t come to that.”

“I hear you. Stand by.”

The other buggy started forward and he followed, they built up speed until they were racing blindly across the surface. He reflected that if they hit something at this speed they’d wreck the vehicles, but if they slowed, they’d lose the element of surprise. He concentrated on following Damian’s buggy, and then they were in the middle of the Tauron camp. Startled aliens looked up and then both gunners were firing their cannons. They jerked the buggies to a halt and leapt out with their rifles. The Taurons were too slow, Rahm fired repeatedly, flinging the monsters to the ground where they could be finished off with concentrated bursts of fire. Gabi had armed herself with her pistol, and was running with the troops, shooting down the Taurons, but the weapon was too light to do anything more than stun them. She hit one monster, he stopped and knelt as the painful shot smashed into him, but he got up almost immediately and reached forward for her weapon. She fired, and fired again, but the creature was determined to choke off the hated human that was intent on destroying it. It kept coming and Gabi started to back away. Rahm had been keeping an eye on her, as she shouldn’t have entered the camp on foot without a heavy weapon. He ran over, pointed his rifle at the monsters head and pulled the trigger three times. The head exploded and the monster crashed to the ground.

“I could have killed it, there was no need for you to do that,” she fumed.

“Gabi, you can’t kill these creatures with a sidearm, even a laser rifle will only do that job at very close range. Stay behind me.”

She started to reply but he pushed her behind him as another Tauron loomed out of the storm, it carried a jagged knife and was intent on gutting them. He whipped up his rifle and fired, fired again and again. The creature dropped and Gabi watched while he ran up to the still writhing monster, put the barrel of his rifle next to the head and fire three more shots into it. She nodded. “I see the problem now, I’m sorry. I’ll stay with you.”

Damian ran out of the murk. “We think we’ve accounted for all of them. They were using some sort of a signaling system to communicate with other Taurons. We knocked it out but we have no idea of whether or not they managed to call for help. Can you get your technicians to strip out the equipment they need and we’ll move off. The faster we can get away from here the better.”

“Have you posted pickets?”

The militia chief laughed. “For what it’s worth, yes. But the position is reversed now, because we were able to hit them unexpectedly under cover of the storm, now they can do the same to us. Tell them to hurry it up, as we need to get out of here fast.”

Gabi worked frantically to salvage as much of the Tauron equipment as they needed. He helped her strip it out and carry it to the vehicles, there was little else to do. Brad and Kaz were posted on the top of the buggy frame, trying to watch for the approach of any reinforcements. Damian was everywhere, posting sentries, checking that his guards were alert, and restlessly patrolling around their perimeter. Two of the militiamen climbed into the Tauron transport and familiarized themselves with the controls, and then they shouted across that it was similar to the others they’d seen. There was even a cargo hold half full with trevanium, which would make up for some of their lost production. Finally they were ready, Damian made a last sweep of the camp, but they’d done everything they’d set out to do. They formed up in a line, with the transport in the middle. Damian’s buggy took the point.

“Let’s move out. Gunners, keep a sharp eye out, there could be Tauron troops on the way, we don’t want to…”

His voice trailed off. In front of them, four Tauron transports had appeared, and they stopped when they saw the buggies in front of them. The door of the lead transport opened and a Tauron climbed out. Every crew member goggled at the size of him, for the Tauron was as big as a walking mountain. Some of them had seen him before. At a distance. Those who saw him close up didn’t live long enough to commit the giant to memory.

“Rahm, what’re we going to do?” Gabi whispered.

He noticed the trembled in her voice. He wished he had an answer for her, but before he could begin to think Damian’s vehicle started forward, straight for the giant.

They waited for the enormous creature to be run down. It moved with astonishing speed, just before the buggy struck it swerved to the side and incredibly, smashed a huge fist through the windshield. At first Rahm thought they were blinded but when the buggy started to swing around in a circle, he understood that the driver had been hit too. The buggy jerked to a stop, Damian had decided to do battle. His gunner tilted the cannon over at full depression, but the Tauron saw the danger and dropped to one knee to avoid the fusillade. Instead of climbing to its feet it gripped the buggy with its vast claws and started to push. With an enormous surge of power the creature stood and tipped the buggy over. Damian and his men charged in on the attack, but the Tauron transports were disgorging their troops now and the reinforcements started to blast through his militia, leaving only Damian to face the giant. He aimed his rifle but a blast from one of the Taurons melted it to scrap. The leader walked forward, took hold of the impertinent human and ripped the head from his shoulders. The watched horrified as the vast creature tossed the body parts to the dust. Then he glared at the remaining humans. Rahm felt the twin impulses of fighting to wreak revenge for the save deaths of the militia and saving the rest of the crew. It took a split second for him to realize that fighting would only have one end. They could deal with this monster, but on their terms, not his. He swung the body around.

“Let’s move out. We’re heading south. Gabi, is the transport turning?”