“Okay,” said Kallias,“I’ve seen something like thisbefore.”
The walkway continued ahead, but there were massive circularopen spaces, joined together by beautifully carved metal bulkheadsthat could just as easily have been marble. Valentine reachedforward and touched one. It glistened, and as her metal fingermoved over it, she could see it was not at all metal.
“The diamond rock on the surface. Thisship is built around it. Look.”
Sergeant Jablonsky moved to her sideand ran a device over the carvings.
“You’re right. The internalsupports of this ship are composed of a diamondcomposite. But why?”
“Keep moving,” said CaptainOlik, “They’re not far away.”
The Novas were spread out in ashort column, with the marines mixed in between them as they travelled over a bridge hundreds of metresup from similar structures below. They were halfway across the widespan when a booming sound filled the interior. It was followed bythe sound of alien voices.
“Whatthe hell is going on?” Alexis asked.
There were more sounds, a rhythmic sound. Valentine moved to theedge and peered over the side.
“Holycrap!”
The others did the same andlooked down at the bridges and open spaces below. Even further downinside the ship were scores of the landing pods that had litteredalien soldiers on the planet below. As they watched, long columnsof people moved towards them.
“Hold on,” saidValentine.
She tapped her helmet, and theoptics adjusted for a longer telephotomode. She could see soldiers waiting on the lower deck, but otherswere being herded into the craft at rifle point.
“Slavesoldiers. Those poor bastards! They did it to our people at Mars,and they’ve been doing it before.”
“You’re right,” said LieutenantFletcher, “All of those pods are beingloaded with slaves. These Ski’ligs, their entire society is basedon it. I bet this ship moves from world to world doing thesame.”
He snorted with derision.
“There could be our own people downthere.”
“Lieutenant,” said Alexis,“There’s more.”
She pointed to four massiveplatforms further inside the ship. Eachwas the size of an Alliance corvette and surrounded by thousands ofSki’ligs who waited in large groups.
“We can’t beat them, and we can’tdestroy this ship. What can wedo?”
Captain Olik watched theenemy, and then indicated to the span they werecrossing.
“If those soldiers reach thesurface, we’ll lose the battle andperhaps the war. General Gun will be overwhelmed, and the Ski’ligswill continue this fight forever. We have to reach the General.Let’s go.”
They moved to the far end of thespan, and then directly into the bulkheads themselves. What hadbeen open and exposed now became cramped.Small open doorways and arches led into a myriad of storerooms andspace. A long flight of steps cut into the glistening rock, theonly light coming from pale blue patches on the walls. Other archedopenings led to more bridges that spanned the openspaces.
“Where now?” Kallias asked.
Valentine saw a flash from down below,and then a familiar sound.
“Listen…gunfire.”
The Novas stopped, and for a fewseconds there was nothing. But then came the familiar chatter ofAlliance weaponry.
“We godown!” Olik said.
The stormed down the steps andright into a small group of Ski’ligs.They wore drab clothing and carried firearms in their hands. Onetook aim, and Olik slammed his fist into its chest so hard the poorcreature vanished off to the bottom of the steps. They chased afterthe Ski’ligs and then out into a space not unlike the great hall ofsome medieval lord. Brightly coloured artworks hung down, and therewere chairs and curved tables that were overturned and broken. Andthere, in the middle were several dozen Navy crewmembers engaged inbattle against a host of enemies. Many were hiding behind whatevercover they could find as they fought a one-sided battle against themuch larger number of Ski’ligs.
“Help them!” Olik demanded.
“You heard him,” said Alexis, “To battle.”
Valentine leapt off the last stepand crashed down in the middle of a group of Ski’ligs. She couldtell right away that these were civilians. They lacked the armour,equipment, and weapons of the others.They also moved with less skill and efficiency. She hacked down twobefore they could react, and then they threw themselves at her. Onecarried a rifle, while the others used long knives that wereslightly curved, like swords. One struck her right hand and slashedoff a finger with ease. The assailant spat words at her, andValentine swung her rifle into its face.
“No time for talking, pal.”
Streams of gunfire crashed allaround them, and one of Olik’s Novas toreapart before her eyes. She stepped up to help, and more fireslammed into them.
“Heavies!” Kallias shouted.
Valentine looked to the left aspart of the wall opened, and in came anentire squad of the fearsome warriors. They looked so much biggerthan the civilians, with their thick external bones and guns thatcould cut marines in half. Colston and Tsarkov moved in from theleft and came under a mass barrage. Tsarkov lost an arm, andColston took multiple strikes to the face. Somehow, he remainedupright and opened fire as more shots lanced through his body. Hestaggered back, and three of the civilians leapt onto him. Onestabbed a blade in through his shoulder and another into histhroat.
“Bastards!” Valentine screamed.
She hurled herself at them. Ablade pierced her thigh, and she felt pain in herlower body. She grunted, and then swung themuzzle of her rifle back at them. The long, serrated bayonet swungout, and she decapitated the first. The second staggered back inhorror, and then vanished as she obliterated it with her XHECcannon. The last tried to run and took a shot to the back as themortally wounded Colston collapsed. Valentine kept vigil over hisbody with a shield arm raised and returned fire. But as it seemedthe enemy attack would succeed, a stream of marines raced in fromthe other openings. Two dropped down from the ceiling and openedfire at point-blank range. Precise carbine fire struck around theenemy, and they quickly gave ground. Valentine put in two bursts,followed by a stream of energy from her cannon.
“Clear!” shouted oneMarine, followed by another.
The fight was over as quickly asit had begun, but at a cost. Valentine could see crewmen,marines, and two Novas torn apart in thefighting. She bent down to Colston, but he struggled to speak. Shetried to get closer, but blood bubbled at his lips, and hesuccumbed to his injuries
