Nick Thomas - Battle Earth V

They all knew the strategy was doubtful, but they also knew time was not on their side. They could not waste weeks gathering information before making a move. It was all or nothing for the 9 ^th Allied Army, as they had been designated.

“There is no doubt this mission is to test the water and find out if we really can end this in total victory, as we need to,” stated Chandra.

Captain Ryan’s voice came over the tannoy.

“Landing in three minutes!”

It was the signal for them to pull on their helmets in order to protect themselves from whatever conditions they were entering. It was certain they would fine little or no air to breathe where they were heading. Taylor fell into a daze as the video display of the approaching lands captivated him. The next few minutes passed before he knew it, and he snapped out of it only when he felt the tail of the ship dip as they made their final approach.

“This is it!” called Chandra. “Keep sharp, be ready for anything, and remember all the friends we lost to these bastards!”

Grunts of approval rang out down the line, but it was an odd sensation for many to hate the alien race when two stood among them. For many, they no longer saw Jafar and Tsengal as pure aliens but something in between. They had been humanised to the troops of Inter-Allied, whilst the rest of their race were still the faceless brutal killers they had come to know. Taylor looked around to see if the two of them were put out by Chandra’s sentiment, but they were as calm as ever.

The Deveron put down to a smooth and careful landing, despite the fast pace they had made during their descent. The main door prized opened and lowered to the ground as a ramp. The light bouncing off the red surface flooded into the ship, making them all feel a little sick. They could not smell the air or taste it, but the sight of the alien surface was enough to strike fear into them. None of them had ever stepped foot on a planet other than Earth. Chandra hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath, and jumped forward.

She landed on a dusty rock hard surface and kept moving forward, looking all around with her rifle at the ready. Taylor was quick to follow at her side. Gravity was lighter than on Earth. The two of them were first off the boat, but their ‘copters had already put down nearby. The surface was still eerily quiet. Deep caverns were up ahead, and several metallic structures protruded just half a metre above the ground.

Taylor wondered for a moment what they were doing there. They had not surveyed the ground. They had little understanding of what might beneath it. Before he could say a word, the Colonel drove forward towards the nearest structure, and the rest of them followed.

“I want a breach here, now,” Chandra ordered through the radios.

Taylor was surprised to hear her voice, as their comms had always been jammed in combat. The demo team leapt forward and laid down magnetic devices that clamped themselves on as they landed.

They all took a knee and awaited the team to do their job. As they waited, they heard another explosion ring out and looked around to see a German infantry unit rush through a breach and vanish below the surface.

“Fire in the hole!”

The explosion rang out, and several metres of the metalwork of the roof were ripped apart.

“Go, go, go!” shouted Chandra.

They rushed forward into the unknown with shields held before them. Taylor’s pulse was rushing, and he knew the others with him would be no different. Several of the unit managed to get to the breach ahead of the Colonel. It was likely she wanted to be through first, but light flashed through the breach, and they knew the first through had been hit.

Dust particles created a fog of the breach that only made it more terrifying. As Chandra passed through, she could see the bodies of three of their unit on the ground. Two of them were already dead. She knew she had to keep moving forward and leave the wounded soldier to the medics, as and when they could reach him.

A few pulses smashed into the wall in front of the Colonel, but the troops of Inter-Allied had already begun to overwhelm the enemy with a barrage of fire. Through the chaos, she caught sight of the first enemy that grabbed her attention and fired several aimed shots in quick succession.

Taylor quickly surveyed the scene as all around him lay down fire. They were in what appeared to be some kind of laboratory. Scattered instruments and machinery had little meaning to the Major. The room was thirty metres long by twenty metres wide. The ceilings were only just tall enough for Jafar to stand in who was at his side. The area could be described as nothing but clinical. It seemed that before their entrance nothing was out of place. There had not been a spec of dirt or dust in sight.

“Keep pushing forward!” Chandra ordered.

She looked around to realise that as usual, their comms were now being jammed.

“God damn, this is getting old!”

A pulse smashed into the top of her shield, and the force knocked her off balance and onto her back. She cursed at having been caught unawares and her clumsy tumble. Taylor let his rifle drop onto his sling and hoisted her to her feet. She quickly lifted up her rifle and gestured for the troops at their back to push forward.

“This stone age communication has to be resolved!” she shouted.

“Amen to that,” he replied.

She tried to regain her composure as Jones rushed past to join the fight. The troops were lining the room as the bottleneck left much of the Battalion waiting on the surface. Other units were putting down all around them, and they knew they could not expand out beyond the one breach.

“We’ve got them on the run!” Jones called out.

The speaker on his suit was transmitting just loud enough for Chandra to hear a few metres away. She pushed forward and joined the shuffle of troops trying to squeeze through the doorway of the room. They reached a ramp that was leading them deep below the surface. Jafar reached their side, but he had nothing to say.

“You must have some idea what this place is?” asked Taylor.

The alien shook his head.

“No, we have never experienced this place, but it is certainly not a colony.”

“Then what is it?” Chandra asked.

“A research facility by the looks of things,” replied Taylor.

Jafar nodded in agreement, but it was obvious he had no better idea than them. There were flashes up ahead, followed by the ripple of gunfire, but the column didn’t stop as they rushed down the ramp ten wide. They descended fifty metres and finally evened out into what was apparently a docking facility. Just two ships lay on the deck and were visibly in some state of repair.

The vast underground hangar was large enough for ten ships the size of the Deveron. Crates of ammunition lay stacked at the walls, but there was no sign of life. Chandra signalled for the troops to spread out as they were at last managing to get through the bottleneck.

“An underground hangar, why? What enemy were they guarding from?” asked Chandra.

“The Meteor showers. They are common on all our worlds.”

“So you all live underground?” Taylor asked.

“The higher classes, yes. Living on the surface means the weak do not survive.”

“No wonder they want Earth. It truly is a paradise compared to this shithole,” replied Taylor.

The silence was broken by the crack of several pulses rushing towards them.

“Cover!”

They rushed to any shelter they could find as the fire increased. Chandra and Taylor managed to get behind one of the two enemy ships nearby. They looked around to see that much of their unit were already returning fire with rapid bursts. Taylor peered around the nose of the ship to see several dozen Mechs flooding into the hangar from the opposite side. They were two hundred metres apart. The creatures seemed to come at them without fear, despite the odds.