parallel corridor Jones’ had taken. Chandra took a quick look around the corner to see that the sentry gun was engaged in firing at Jones and the others.
“Taylor, I reckon we’ll have a few seconds opportunity to lay down fire.”
He nodded in return and turned back to the others.
“You three, on the Colonel. When we get round that corner, we give it hell, got it?”
They readied their weapons and grimly agreed, having seen the Colonel almost killed by the fearsome defences.
“Go,” she whispered.
Chandra leapt to the far side of the other corridor, allowing them to get an angle on the device. She quickly opened fire, and the others joined in after she’d fired the first shot. A dozen rounds hit the sentry gun’s flank that got around the thick frontal shields, but it began to turn for them.
“Keep firing!” she screamed.
She continued to pour fire down the corridor in the hope it would be enough. But by the time the gun had rotated and trained on them, she could already see light building in the barrel. Just as the rounds were about to burst from the barrel, an explosion blasted out from behind the shield of the gun and twisted it into a wreck. Chandra breathed out deeply, knowing how close they had come to death.
“Let’s move!” she cried.
The two platoons rushed into the corridor at their backs, and the two officers led from the front at a quick pace. Using their helmet targeting devices, they continued to pour fire down the corridor. They could see Mechs rush to defend against Jones’ attack. Taylor had got to the forefront and burst out of the corridor into what was a bar and restaurant district. Light pulses and muzzle flashes lit up the vast space, and Mech bodies were scattered in front of him. He smiled at the sight and lifted his rifle to join in.
Chandra and the others rushed to his side and joined the firing squad. They outnumbered the Mechs in a vast way, but it didn’t make them feel any sympathy for the creatures. Over the gunfire, they could just about hear Monty and Blinker yelling insults at the tops of their voices as they gunned down the beasts.
Finally, when the gunfire subsided, they turned to see two of their dead amongst Jones’ troops. Chandra shook her head in sadness, but she knew it was only inevitable. She was only thankful they hadn’t lost more.
“We’re not far from the command centre, let’s move!”
They rushed down a corridor at the far side of the sector and reached the stairs as planned. Taylor was descending to the control point and was eager to get there first to deal out some more pain. He reached the semi transparent doors at the base of the stairway and could see that they were sealed shut. Without breaking stride, he fired three shots into the toughened glass and then leapt at it. His body weight ruptured through the fractured plastic, and he tumbled into a roll. Taylor nimbly landed on one knee and was quickly back to his feet.
Three creatures stood before him. One wore ornately inscribed armour that was reminiscent of Karadag’s, and his face was visible. The other two creatures displayed the painted red lines, clearly representing their importance as some form of guard to a senior officer or official. For a moment, the two groups looked at each other in amazement.
“Lower your weapons!” he shouted.
He surprised himself to even say it. He’d never met one of the creatures that he wouldn’t have shot on sight if he could. They hesitated, but he could see they knew there was little other choice beyond death.
“Lower them!”
The two guards looked to their master, who after a few seconds of thought, nodded for them to comply.
“You would let us live?” asked the enemy Commander.
“I’m here to win this war, not eradicate your race.”
Taylor could see the two guards look at each other as if surprised, but he could not see their faces beneath their armour. Gunfire rang out, and plastic shattered as Chandra breached the other entrance and rushed into the room with her rifle at the ready. Taylor held up his hand to stop her. She quickly came to a halt and looked on at the situation in shock.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“I believe these soldiers are surrendering to us.”
“Surrender? And what would you have us do with them?”
Taylor lowered his rifle and paced across the room, so he could talk more privately with the Colonel.
“These are soldiers just like us. Wouldn’t you want your foe to take mercy if you were cornered? We’re better than this, Chandra.”
She looked down and cursed. She knew he was right.
“Alright, alright. Find them somewhere secure, and I mean secure. They are to be kept under guard and watched at all times.”
“Alright,” he replied.
“Looks like we’ve got most of the station under control. They can’t have had more than a hundred or two guarding the whole place.”
“Maybe because it was the last thing they ever expected of us?” replied Taylor.
“Alright. Jones, send runners to find Commander Kelly, and notify him we have taken the HQ. 3 ^rd and 4 ^th platoon are to take up positions here. Jones, rally up with Jackson. You’re on sweep and clear.”
She turned and looked at the three aliens who were still stood waiting to hear of their fortune.
“Taylor, they’re your responsibility.”
Chapter 9
Taylor had found a temporary holding cell just a few metres from the command centre and had quickly acquired it for his new prisoners. He sat and watched them through a one way screen. Never before had he been able to so closely study one of the creatures while it was still living. He could tell the one creature was of great importance, and he was more than a little curious to understand how much so. The door beside him opened, and Chandra stepped through with Kelly at her side.
The Commander gasped as he saw the three creatures beyond the screen and just a few metres away. He froze for a moment and was clearly thinking of reaching for a weapon before he calmed himself.
“What the hell are they doing here?”
“They surrendered to me, Sir.”
“Surrendered? There is no surrender in this war, Major.”
Taylor stepped past the Commander and closed the door behind him before stepping back to his previous position.
“If I may, Sir?”
“Go on.”
“This creature is clearly of importance among our enemy. It poses no threat to us, and it makes sense to try and learn what we can while we have the opportunity. We are forever lacking information and understanding of these creatures. Would you not like some information on enemy strength, positions?”
Kelly turned and carefully studied the creature that sat against the wall. Its towering frame made the room look out of scale. The beast appeared humbled for having been captured but still proud.
“What makes you think anything it says will be truthful?”
“No idea, but it costs us nothing to talk.”
Kelly gritted his teeth, and Mitch could see the Commander hated their enemy more than any of them.
“Alright, but you handle this. I want proper security on these creatures at all times. If this goes sour, it’s on you.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
Kelly strode out of the room, leaving Chandra watching the creatures in amazement. She turned to Taylor.
“Don’t take any chances with them. They’d just as soon as rip your head from your body if they had the chance.”
