Star Crusades by Michael Thomas (whitelam books txt) 📗

theNovas were well prepared, and even the newcomers to the lanceinstinctively looked to the skies. And they were not to bedisappointed. The hunters came in fast, their rifles blasting awaywith great precision. The Novas’ interceptors proved highlyeffective this time, with more open ground and less chance ofhitting friendlies. IAB marines passed them and found whatevercover they could before returning fire. Streaks of energy joinedwith the gunfire from the Novas as they cut the enemy down indroves.

“That’s it!” Lieutenant Fletcherordered, “End them!”

Valentine tracked from left toright and then fired multiple bursts. Herarm-mounted machine pistol did its job, and she smiled as thebursts of fire hit two of the creatures. A third aimed at her, butas the shot came for her face, the interceptors shredded it,leaving the shattered shards to scatter around her body.

New targets!Tex said.

He tagged them,and Valentine turned her gaze towardsthem as they rushed out from cover to attack. It was a mixture ofthe large creatures, plus Ski’lig heavies. As they fired, theweight of shot broke through the interceptors, forcing her to takecover.

“Corporal!” Valentine yelled.

Alexis looked back and rolled to the side as the barrage of fire crashedaround them. An IAB fireteam advanced towards them and unleashedshort bursts of fire into them. It was effective, but the Ski’ligsreturned fire, punching holes in their lighter armour and severinglimbs with little effort. In seconds three were down and anothercrawled back to safety.

“Help them!” Alexis shouted.

Valentine stepped away from coveras yet more IAB marines continued to advance, with them taking moreof the landing ground and buildings. They fired on the move, andeven she found it hard to spot them astheir armour melted into the colour of the structures around them.She bent down and grabbed the arm of the wounded marine.

“Private!”

He turned his head and looked upto her. The visor was cracked but lookedintact. It wasn’t easy to see inside, but she could see he wasalive and in pain.

“Can you stand?”

He nodded, and then put weight onhis leg before tumbling forward.Valentine held him and lifted him up to full height.

“Your leg is gone.Hold on.”

The man looked down andthen gasped. There was nothing below theknee, save for the congealed blood that had already solidified onthe ground. Valentine reached to her side and pulled what lookedlike a machine pistol from her flank. She reached down to hisinjury and squirted the gel over the stump. The man was either intoo much shock to feel it, or more likely his nerve endings hadbeen burnt out or frozen due to exposure.

“There, that will hold you fornow.”

She turned to call forhelp just as one of the great beasts cameright at her. In the open it seemed that much taller, and with itsfacemask and long sharpened staff, it was like something from hernightmares. Hawkins blasted it, but it ignored the wounds andslammed its arm into his body, throwing him three metres away.Valentine lowered her arm and let off three rounds before itcrashed through her. Its lance narrowly missed her body and thenpunched into the chest of the marine.

“Val!” Kallias screamed as he lowered his aim and blazedaway.

“I’ve got it.”

The creaturetook hit after hit but kept on going. Itslammed into the advancing marines and knocked two down. She took astep in front of the injured marine and opened fire. Theshoulder-mounted cannon clipped its shoulder, causing terribledamage, but it still would not die. The thing pulled down anothertwo before it was killed. Valentine turned back and cried out asshe looked at the marine’s broken body.

“No…notanother.”

The lance was thick, and thediamonded edged head had forced its way through his chest plateand out through the back, exposing historso to the deadly elements.

“Poor bastard,”she muttered. She then turned back andfound herself facing another of the marines who was staring rightat her. For a second it seemed as though he might even attack her,but then he began to spasm and collapsed to the ground. Standingbehind him was one of the dreaded creatures she’d encounteredbefore. It was as big as Captain Olik, and its body glowed withwarmth.

“Novas, we’ve got trouble!”

The others nearby turned, and Colston cried out insurprise.

“What…the hell!”

The battle continued to rage allaround them, but for now Alexis, Kallias, Hawkins,Valentine, and Colston could see littleof note, save for the monstrous creature. It towered above all theothers on the battlefield, and it was impossible to tell where itshide ended and its armour began. The thing’s head was encased inarmour, and in its hands a bizarre fusion of blade and cannon. Itlifted it to strike as Valentine tensed her body.

“What do we do?” Alexisasked, “It’s too…”

“We kill it!” Colston laughed as he opened fire, “We blow itaway!”

Kallias joined in, and soon allof them other than Valentine were blasting away. The shots punchedinto the wingless Ski’lig, and each hit simply made its skin grow lighter and brighter. Two marinesdropped down next to it, as well as a Nova from2nd Platoon. Unlike the others, this one had elected for ashielded arm like Valentine, and a spiked demolition arm on theright. The Nova stepped up close and stabbed into the flank of thebeast. The hardened point moved like a pile driver, and as he heldhis arm in position, it thumped back and forth.

“Yeah!” Colstonlaughed, “You’re going down, youbig...”

He doesn’tunderstand,said Tex.

You don’t say…Now,how long till it blows?

Soon. Very soon.

“Everybody back!” she shouted.

Hawkins and Alexis began movingaway, but Colston and Kallias were caughtup in the fight. A swarm of Ski’ligs swept down to attack, and theysplit their fire between them and the burning hot beast.

“Now!” Valentine screamed.

Kallias finally responded, butColston remained where he was, and then after grunting infrustration, he charged forward. The other Novapulled back his close combat arm and swung it back in to attack,but now the Ski’lig turned on them. Its own weapon came in closeand cut down in a diagonal arc. The Nova easily evaded it, but twomarines behind him took the hit, and their armour seemed to explodewith the impact. The burnt and broken bodies flew backwards as itcontinued swinging the blade. This time it came backhorizontally.

“Colson, get back now. That’s anorder!” Tsarkov demanded as the rest ofhis lance