The ground shook violently, andthen the remaining Ski’ligs scattered like rats.Moving behind them was a single shape,one Valentine knew only too well. It was large, and black in thesmoke and fog of battle.
“Val, you seeing this?”Kallias asked.
“Yeah, there’s always one of these badboys.”
“No. Make that three.”
Valentine’s eyesopened wide as she watched them enter.Scores, perhaps hundreds of regular Ski’ligs remained at the back,waving their weapons and wailing as the elders approached. The onein the middle was significantly larger than the others, and carrieda long two-handed blade longer than a Human soldier. To the others’surprise, Valentine stepped forward and moved halfway down thesteps. She still carried the alien rifle, and due to it beingattached to the Ski’lig soldier, it dragged behind her.
“Val. We can’t end one ofthem on our own. Three isimpossible.”
The ship continued toshake, and now it became continuous.Something exploded, and then they looked back. The command centrebegan to fall apart. Olik was nowhere to be seen as beams andgantries collapsed down around them.
“Let’s burn ‘em!”Valentine said.
She pulled the trigger and hitthe first creature. The impact caused it to flash bright white. Thething screamed and wailed, and then brokein a slow run. The others followed even as the beams struck them,and Kallias showered them with shells. Valentine kept firing untilthe weapon ran dry. She then stamped on the power cables and heldup the weapon like a spear.
“Okay,” she said angrily,“Who dies first!”
Ski’lig warriors charged forwardbehind the towering elders, many firingas they went. Spikes struck Valentine, but she ignored them, andwaited like some great armoured sentinel. Kallias moved down to herside, and Sergeant Jablonsky did the same. The creatures were nowso close she could almost feel the heat.
Tex, give meeverything you’ve got to mylegs, I mean everything!
You have already sustained…
Not the time,Tex. Overload them. Maximumpower!
Warnings sounded in her head asthe reserve cells were drained to boost her motive function. Theother two Novas fired one more, butValentine waited until the last moment, and then leapt from thesteps. The extra power split her left leg open, but not before theactuators had thrown her high in the air. She rose up almost fourmetres in total, and as she reached the apex, she brought the spearlike weapon down towards the Ski’lig elder’s head. Taken completelyby surprise, she crashed down onto it and stabbed the weapon downinto its skull. The alien blade punched through, and she remainedthere atop the beast, even as it began to topple. The thing camedown hard, throwing her to the ground. The other two stopped theircharge and watched in amazement as Valentine climbed back up to herfeet and moved towards the fallen beast. Her leg was a ruin anddragging behind her, but in her hands was the alienweapon.
“Val!” Kallias screamed,“Get back!”
Shapes came swarmingpast her and towards the steps. The last twostanding Novas continued firing, moving back one step at a time.Valentine remained where she was, somehow ignored by the rampaginghorde. She stopped next the head of the elder and noticed it wasstill alive. The ship shook so badly she could barely remainupright. Fires roared far off to the right, and parts of the metalfabric of the ship split apart to reveal more fire.
“So, you’re their leader, right?”
She looked to the other two andsmiled.
“Well…Welcome to Hell!”
Sheswung the weapon over her head and down on the creature’s head. Atthe same time, the remaining two screeched in agony and came forher. As the blade met the beast’s neck, the hallway ripped apart ina massive implosion of broken metal, diamond rock, and blood. Firestore through the broken wreckage, but the battle was over. TheNovas had won, and the ship was a broken hulk, shattered upon theicy mountains of Ekati Alpha.
EPILOGUE
Ekati Alpha, The Ski’ligTerritories
General Rivers stepped off theramp of the Jackal dropship and moved out onto the brokenground. The burning remains of the shipwere so vast they covered two of the mountain peaks, with the bulkof its hull cracked and broken between them. He waited there andshook his head as General Gun moved to his side.
“They did it,” he saidhappily, “I knew they could.”
The two locked arms, and GeneralRivers then groaned, almost dropping toone knee. Gun held him there as two marines rushed to hisside.
“It’s okay,” he said, evidentlyin pain, “I’m really getting too old forthis.”
“Marines don’t get old,”said Gun.
“My friend, I wish that were true. Oneof these days…”
He then stopped andlifted his outer visor. Coming towardsthem from the fiery inferno of the ruined ship were a dozenwarriors. All but three were Novas, and they moved slowly. Leadingthem out of the ruins was a single tall warrior. A party of marineswere hastily erecting an Alliance flag to the right, and theywatched with satisfaction when it began to blow in the gentlebreeze.
“Olik,” said Gun as they movedcloser, “You crazy bastard.”
The column of bloodied andexhausted warriors moved closer, and the General’s entouragedid the same, meeting over the ruins of apartially destroyed Alliance fighter. General Rivers moved up ontoits wing and looked at the Novas.
“Captain Olik. Your warriors did theimpossible.”
“They did,” he answered. But all attention shifted towards one of theNovas. It was Valentine, and she dragged a shattered leg behind herwhile carrying a large object under her arm. She stopped in frontof the General and then tossed the decapitated head to the ground.It was as big a small boulder and rolled twice before stopping athis feet.
“What is that?”
They looked to Olik to answer, butinstead he turned to Valentine.
“It’s your kill.”
She laughed and thenstabbed the butt of her captured weapon into theground.
“That is the head of theircommander.”
“You killed their commander, in hand-to-hand combat?” asked asurprised General Gun.
“Yes,General. There were two others, both killed in the crash. Thisone…this one is mine.”
Lieutenant Fletcher moved to her sideand placed a hand on her spear.
“The Novas wentto hell and back, General. But this one,she tackled their commander head on,
