Vesper and Tiller rushed past him, moving up the hill as if they were mountain goats. They didn’t even slow down, casting shots to the right as they ran. Alon struggled to keep up. He hadn’t thought he was so out of shape but watching them made him feel positively ancient. They dug in behind a log, laying down a barrage of fire.
As Alon joined them, he stared at a contingency of Kahl soldiers near the top of the hill. They stood far enough back to avoid being shot by the people at the very bottom. Blasting them isn’t exactly part of the plan. There was no point in saying so at that moment. The soldiers took cover after two went down but they weren’t being flushed into the open for the others.
They directed their attention to the three people flanking them.
“So…” Alon spoke for the whole team to hear, “there’s probably no one else on the hill to worry about but at the top, I made out twelve targets.” Their cover took a couple blasts. Fortunately, the log was wet so it didn’t ignite immediately. That wouldn’t last. The next two or three would tear it up.
“Make a tactical withdrawal,” Gunny said. “We can’t support you, really, but we’ll lay down some fire up the hill.”
Friendly fire tore up the lip of the drop. Alon swept his weapon from left to right, forcing the Kahl to shatter. “Move!” He shouted, gesturing down the hill. “Double-time it!” Vesper and Tiller rose, blasting away a couple times before proceeding. The log caught fire. The enemy started in on them again.
Alon dove to the ground, crawling a good ten feet before reclaiming his feet. Moving down the hill proved treacherous, especially when attempting to do so quickly. He struggled not to take a tumble, grabbing trees as he passed them by to bolster his balance. The others didn’t seem to have any trouble.
I can’t wait to find out where these kids grew up!
Alon cursed as he tripped on a root, tumbling forward. His shoulder planted in the dirt, his feet went over his head as he lost control of his descent. A heavy blow struck him in the back. He couldn’t tell if it was a rock or a laser blast. Reading the HUD became impossible as his vision blurred.
A strong hand steadied him. Vesper dragged him behind a rock, propping him against it. “You okay, sir?”
“I’m good.” Alon shook off some dizziness, checking the integrity of his armor. The blow had been a blast from one the enemy, a solid blow. Damn it! It had been an incredible shot too since he’d been moving pretty fast. A quick scan of his weapon proved it was fine as well. “Gunny, we’re down.”
“We’re on our way to you!” Gunny replied. “Be ready to move. We’re on our way to a solid LZ.”
Providing Andrews deals with the enemy shuttle, Alon thought. Leaving the area would prove much more exciting than Gunny made it sound. At least we have a fighting chance. That’s more than Krinden and the others had.
***
Lysa cried out as someone grabbed her from behind. She struggled against them until she heard their words, soothing her… human words. Kyle had been secured to her left. They were ushered behind the armored soldiers, given some cover while the firefight continued, this time beam weapon to beam weapon.
She made her way to Kyle, hugging him tightly. They remained behind a tall boulder, huddling together. “What the hell is going on?” She asked. “Who are these guys?”
“You don’t recognize the armor?” Kyle asked. “It’s ours… but different.”
“Newer,” Lysa added. “Holy crap… I can’t believe… this is how they made it in time? Advanced tech? But why waste it on saving us? Why… why come all the way out here?”
“I’m not giving that gift horse a moment’s notice,” Kyle replied. “We’re going to make it! I know it now.”
I hope, Lysa thought. The fight didn’t last long before two soldiers came around the way, grabbing them each by the arm.
“Let’s move!” one shouted. “Get your asses running!” He gestured. “That way! Go! Go! Go!”
Lysa picked up the pace, hustling with Kyle directly to her left. All the aches and pains in her body gave way to adrenaline. She knew if they were running, the fight was still on. The enemy remained in pursuit and if they didn’t hurry, they’d likely still be killed. Optimism hovered in the back of her mind, but she retained a touch of pessimism.
We thought we got away once. This time, we need to make good our escape. There won’t be a third chance.
Chapter 14
Titus clung to his chair, watching the viewscreen intently as they raced away from the enemy. Drawing them off from the planet’s surface had been the first priority to save the others. The fact it turned into a chase didn’t surprise him but he needed a safe way to break it off, to get around and give them another shot from their main cannons.
Renz’s pilot had proved capable. They showered blasts down on the Triton. Jane’s evasive maneuvers saved them from some of the attacks though several managed to get through. The blows ranged from tremors to solid enough to cause real tremors throughout the vessel but still their defenses held.
Enough of these vessels and we can compete in this war.
“Medical’s on the line,” Violet said, “Ronin’s physically unharmed, sir.”
“Acknowledge and move on,” Titus replied. “Jane, we need some distance. Divert power from the weapons to the engines. I want a burst of speed sufficient enough to pull ahead.”
I have to test these bastards. Make them push their systems to the limit. With them in pursuit, they had
