When the Stars Fade (The Gray Wars) (103 page)

             
“Come on
,”
Alexa shouted
.“
Move that fat ass
.
”

             
Dax dug deep, pulling out everything he could as he neared the edge of the landing. When he felt his legs simply stop moving, he jumped. He felt arms grab him at the shoulders and pull, dragging him into the hovering ship. They laid Josh down on the floor between the seats, holding him in place with their arms. Alexa and Pierre climbed back aboard just as the Valkyrie began to climb. A snarling creature grabbed onto to landing skids with its teeth, but Pierre planted his boot in its face and knocked it back to earth.

             
Liane held Dax in her arms, squeezing him through the armor. He barely had the strength to raise his hand and pat her back.

             
“Got any other stupid ideas yo
u’
d like to try out
?”
Cho asked.

             
Liane looked up
.“
The bomb
!
”

*              *              *              *              *

              Hathani was grateful to have been born a Flek. The insect-like species of a broken moon had never been considered warriors, even by their own standards. Conflict on his planet, before it was overtaken by the Boxti, had been solved by shouting and kicking dust and simply waiting for the other party to die of old age. It was a relief to be left aboard the Hive while other creatures were forced to fight.

             
He had managed to hide during the sudden excitement aboard his ship, when the black armored aliens had attacked his brothers and sisters. He did
n’
t feel anything for the fallen. To mourn would lead to anger and thoughts of vengeance, and that was just too exhausting to contemplate. No, it was better to let the monsters fly away in their shuttle and lead the mutations with them. At least the Druumatan compelled their thralls away from members of the Horde. Hathani had no interest in being ripped apart by some psychotic monster.

             
As he searched the wreckage for any interesting things to steal, Hathani saw a small metal box. It was no larger than a food storage container, though it looked unlike anything h
e’
d seen aboard the Hive. His stomachs rumbled, and he found himself hoping it was something edible, maybe even something from this strange new world. That would be a story he could tell once the others came back. Not that they would listen, not to a Flek, but it would give him something to say to them while cleaning their armor.

             
Hathani knelt down and picked at the metal casing, pinching it with his tiny fingers. It was cold, and seemed to be vibrating. He placed his head close to the side, listening for what could be in there. His heart raced when it started beeping. It was a beautiful sound. He could
n’
t wait any longer, the anticipation was too much. Hathani grabbed ahold of the box and raised it overhead, ready to smash it open. With a pitiful shout, he brought the case down onto a broken bit of hull as hard as he could.

             
It opened.

-                           
II                            -

              “Primus, this is Shadow one-one. Can anyone hear me
?”
Gabriel had been at the radio for the better part of an hour, shouting until his throat hurt. Tim had managed to get the transmitter back up and running, but they could
n’
t break the encryption on the channels. Every few minutes they would catch a word or phrase, but it could have been in Greek for all the good it did.

             
Zev paced the room, growing more frustrated by the second. Almost the entire squad held the entrance while an army of alien grunts poured fire into the building. As soon as that signal went out, the entire city emptied in their direction. Whatever the Boxti were up to, they did
n’
t like the idea of humans talking to each other. Mary and Tim huddled against the wall. The little girl played with her doll, oblivious to the world. Her father held his gun like a good luck charm.

             
Another grenade blast shook the room and dust fell down from the cracked ceiling. The main office was at the center of the tower, which afforded some protection from the attacks. It was still just luck keeping them alive. The aliens had yet to employ any more air attacks. A single bombing run would flatten the building, and all of them knew it.

             
“Anything
?”
Tim asked. He was scared, Zev could tell easily. Truth be told, they were all scared. They had no contact with any friendly forces. For all they knew, the world had abandoned them to die and jumped back to Earth.

             
The sergeant stopped by the lieutenant, cracking his knuckles on the desk
.“
How are we looking, sir
?
”

             
Gabriel kept his voice low
.“I’
ve got nothing, sergeant. This is fucked beyond fucked
.”
He looked over at the civilians
.“
W
e’
ve got to find a way out of this city
.
”

             
Zev nodded
.“
Shit, sir. We need a way off of this planet. New Eden is unsalvageable until we get a larger force
.”
He was about to say more when a private ran into the room, pale as a sheet. Zev remembered the young man from his first field exercise with the unit
.“
What is it, Reading
?
”

             
Private Readin
g’
s mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. He looked ready to collapse in a fit. Zev held his shoulder as the boy caught his breath in deep, body shaking gasps
.“
Sergeant. On the roof. You need to see
.”
Zev helped him sit in a chair and Tim handed him a bottle of water. The soldie
r’
s hands shook as he gulped down the clear liquid.

             
Gabriel shouted something, but Zev was already running toward the stairs. He took them two at a time, pumping his legs until he reached the roof three floors up. The door was already propped open and another private stood outside, staring at the sky in wonder. Zev had barely taken a step out when he saw it.

             
Above the city, blotting out the view in every direction, hung an impossibly big ship. Spires spread out in a flower petal formation from its central hull. Even at this distance, with the hazy atmosphere blurring its features, Zev could make out a black and green tint to the armor. Nothing else mattered at that moment. Not the enemy squads on the ground fighting their way in, nor the ominous clouds hanging over nearby Solus City. Zev fell back against the roof access door, his heart pounding drums in his ears. There was nothing he could do, no action to take against something that incredible.

             
Then something else snapped him away. A bright flash grew on the horizon, growing in size and intensity. Ze
v’
s gut made him move before the thought finished forming. He grabbed the lone private from the roof and dragged him back inside, racing down the stairs just in time to feel the building rock to the side as the massive explosion hit.

*              *              *              *              *

              They felt the blast before the saw it. The world around the Valkyrie spun, as though the planet had just been hit with a hammer. With a roar, the roof of the carrier exploded outward like a man-made volcano, sending a geyser of flaming metal spewing into the sky. The entire structure seemed to rise up a few feet into the air, hovering in place for the briefest of moments before crashing back down into a deep crater. With a horrible groan and the sound of beams snapping and cracking like twigs, the Hive sank down and down into the earth. 

             
Minor explosions ripped through the heavy plating of the alien vessel, breaking it down into chunks of glowing slag that arced through the sky and landed in fireballs all across the area. For miles around, Boxti and human alike watched the immense mushroom cloud grow higher and higher, marking the end of the alien fortress.

             
A wall of flame spread out in a ring around the fortress, vaporizing the pursuing creatures. The heat washed over the shuttle, baking the soldiers in their suits. Emergency coolant filled their armor and kept them alive, but barely. The flight fans burst into flames, tearing through the metal shrouds before sticking like darts through the passenger compartment. Cho barely managed to keep the craft aloft as they tumbled sideways through the air. He shouted over the radio amidst the heavy traffic and interference
.“
Mayday, mayday. This is a Federate vehicle in need of immediate assistance. Anybody read me
?
”

             
Static responded. Then a voice
.“
This is Torch one, vicinity November Tango 1-1-2-0. Wha
t’
s your situation
?”
They would have cheered but were too busy holding on for dear life
.“
Are you mobile
?
”

             
“Fuck no
,”
Cho screamed back
.“
W
e’
re crashing, transmitting coordinates. W
e’
ll need pickup
!”
He was about to reach over to the computer when Fares did it for him. Cho had to be grateful, as he did
n’
t think he could have one-armed the dying shuttle
.“
Got it
?
”

             
The pilot took a moment to answer
.“
Yo
u’
re right in the middle o
f—
shit, LOOK OUT
!
”

             
Cho would have said responded, but he chose that moment to crash.

-                           
III                            -

              Cameron could do nothing but watch as the shattered Valkyrie tumbled into the flight path of a maneuvering bomber. There was no time to react as the two flying objects smashed together in a spray of metal and sparks. The shuttle cartwheeled down to the ground, bowling over trees before settling on its side. The Seed, knocked senseless, raced toward a small hill just outside the battlefield.

             
“Kaileen
!”
Cameron called out. His Phoenix fought against the shockwaves from the incredible explosion at the Hive, shaking the pilot in his seat. He barely noticed. All his attention fell on the smoking trail that led from the air to a small crater a few kilometers away. The aliens must have followed the collision as well, as two Hornets immediately took off after Kailee
n’
s wreck.

             
Cameron gunned the engines, giving chase. He left his fellow wingmen to defend themselves as he rushed to save his fallen love. Sweat covered his face, but he ignored the salty stings in his eyes as he closed distance with the two Y-Fighters. On his right, keeping pace, Cameron could just make out the larger ace charging in for a strafing run. Alarms sounded inside the cockpit, accompanied by strobing lights and flashing signals.

             
Missiles arced away from the human fighter, catching the alien
s’
flanks and ripping into their hulls. One Hornet split near in half from the hit, fluttering to the ground in flaming strips. Another caught the warhead close to the trees and bucked off course, crashing into the sun-oaks and breaking apart.

             
Boxti forces on the ground took notice of the aerial battle and began firing up into the sky, trying to bring down Camero
n’
s fighter. He dodged the bright bolts of energy, narrowly avoiding bursts from the Pills while trying desperately to beat the enemy to Kaileen. H
e’
d lost sight of the crater as he dropped down below one hundred feet, but was closing in on the area.

             
“Kaileen
,”
he shouted
.“
Are you okay? Answer me
!
”

             
The radio crackled
.“I’
m here
.
”

             
Camero
n’
s heart soared. He caught a grazing hit from an enemy fighter but shrugged it off. His kinetic shields were holding for the moment, and he needed to focus on rescuing Kaileen. Another shot barely missed as he crested a ridge and saw the crash site. The Seed was mangled and bent, but it was clear there had been survivors. The canopy was open and the seats were empty.