Blood War 1: Last Stand of the Legion: Rift (35 page)

"Ahhhhhh
," Hu screamed.

Over his own screams he heard Nani scream as she too was wounded. The alien was standing over them. Instead of finishing them off with
its rifle it stopped to draw its laser sword and raised it above its head for the killing blow. It was a blow that, if the sword were aimed just right, would kill them both with a single blow.

"Uhhhh
," Nani said.

She managed to raise her pistol
to get off a single shot that burst the aliens faceplate but did not kill it. The angle was wrong since she was firing from the ground. The alien staggered backward.

"Die you
kont se kind
!" Nani screamed as she fired again and again until a round finally found its way inside the aliens helmet. It dropped to the deck and was still.

"Don't move
," Nani said. "Play dead until the suits shoots us up with some go juice."

"Yeah, ahhhhh
," Hu said.

"Where
are you hit?"

"Left arm, left side
," Hu said.

"Both legs. I don't think I'm going to be able to walk
," Nani said.

The drugs began to flow through his system as his suits
’ medical system began to treat his wounds. He could feel tingling as the nanos began to work on his wounds.

Armor compromised. Damage cannot be fixed. Find an armorer. Find an armorer."

"Shut up," Hu said.

"What?" Nani said.

"My armor is telling me it's broke."

"Mine too."

They lay still with the battle still going on around them. Hu could see other bodies lying around on the huge deck. Off in the distance through the smoke and dust of the battle he could just see a three-story building. Hu glanced at his heads up it was the Alamo point.

"I can see the Alamo
," Hu said.

"How far?" Nani said with a groan.

"Not sure maybe three hundred yards."

"That is long fucking way when you can't walk
," Nani said.

"My legs are good but I've only got one good arm."

"If you can carry me, I can shoot." Nani said.

"Sounds like a plan."

Without moving Hu began to look around. They were tight up against a column that rose at least two hundred meters above them to the landing pad. He could see alien fire coming from behind the column aimed at the Alamo point and return fire from the Alamo. Glancing at his heads-up there were very few red triangles on their side of the column. He thought that there should be enough Legionnaires for the situational network display to be accurate about the number and position of the aliens. If he ran directly away from the column it would protect them from all the fire from the right. Then when he was even with Alamo he would cut across to the structure. It would also allow Nani to cover their backs at least.

"Nani
, you almost ready?"

"Yeah, the dope is doing me some good. What have you got?"

"If I run straight away from the column for as long as I can then make a right and head straight for the Alamo, that is probably our best bet."

"Yeah, sounds as good as any. Let me know when
to get ready. I'll grab your rail."

Hu lay there and thought about exactly how he would stand and grab Nani with his right arm and throw her over his shoulder. It
had to be one fast move. He increased his pain medication to the max to try and control his pain when he grabbed Nani.

"You about ready?" Hu said.

"Yeah. I just maxed my pain meds. I got my hand on your rail. This is gonna hurt like a bitch."

"No, shit."

Hu took three deep breaths and said,

"One, two, three."

On three Hu sprang up turned and reached for Nani. Nani was on her back so all he had to do was grab her harness and lift. He grabbed the harness and pulled with his one good arm, but Nani was in full armor she was heavier than he had expected. His armor was not functioning normally it had not magnified his strength as much as normal. He dropped her back to the deck.

"Ahhh. Fuck that hurt
," Nani said.

The second time he was ready for the weight and got his legs under him and threw her over his shoulder. Once she was on his shoulder he adjusted her weight until it was properly distributed. Then Hu began to run. Rounds exploded around them as the aliens saw the two Legionnaires. He could feel Nani firing the rail as he ran. He glanced at his heads up to get his bearings and saw that he was running directly toward a group of four red triangles. They were waiting for them to get close enough for an accurate shot.

Hu broke to his right toward the Alamo. He could see it clearly now. The four aliens were now firing furiously at them.

"Wardogs coming in! Need covering fire
," Hu said over the all hands frequency.

"Come on Wardogs
, we got you."

The fire from the Alamo switched to covering fire as they approached. Hu and Nani were almost to the Alamo
, no more than fifty meters as rounds began exploding closer and closer. Someone was getting their range. As Hu ran he was acutely aware of his own breathing, it was harsh and ragged now. His legs were jelly in spite of the suits help, just like they drilled into him in training - the suit  only magnified your strength. It is only as strong as you are. He could feel the concrete shards hitting his armor. A door opened in the Alamo. They were almost there. A round exploded just a meter behind them.

"Uh
," Nani said.

"Nani! Nani!" Hu said.

She did not answer and became totally limp over his shoulder, and he heard the rail hit the ground. Hu never stopped running; he forced himself to run faster, pushing his body. His legs were burning, every breath hurt. He ran on. His left arm that hung limply at his side shot  pain throughout his body with every step. He continued to run. All he could think of was Nani as he pushed through it all. The door grew larger with each step, and with each step the safety of the cover of the Alamo got closer until he finally lunged through it. They landed on the floor, Hu on top of Nani.

At first Hu could not move
, he was completely spent, he hinged his helmet back to be able to breathe more easily. Finally when his breath began to return to normal he had the strength to roll off Nani. He looked at her. Blood was leaking out of her helmet. Hu shook her but she did not respond. He hinged her helmet back. Her face was covered with blood.

"Nani,
Nani. No not now. Nani!"

LYTEN SYSTEM

RIFT

FLEET HEADQUARTERS

REACT 1

WOLF BUILDING

Elias had insisted on
being walking point for the team. Taro wasn't going to argue with her, she was damn good but he did say to her,

"Elias
, this cannot be about Padma. We all cared about her. You start making this about revenge and I will jerk off point and send you back to the Command Post. We clear?"

Elias stared at Taro before she said
,

"Got it."

"Good, because I need you on point."

They were moving quickly down the tunnel heading for Wolf. A stream of Legionnaires passed them headed for Sirius. They looked like they had been through hell. Every
one of them either was wounded to some extent or their armor showed signs of multiple hits by alien fire. Those that could were carrying wounded over their shoulders or between two of them using the evacuation handle built into their suits.

"Any more wounded?"

"Yeah, we almost got it but those fucks are attacking now."

"Where is Casualty Collection Point?"

"First floor, turn right. It is in  the cafeteria."

"Elias
, did you hear that?"

"Check."

"Pick up the pace. Let's get there."

Elias began to run, the rest of the React Team kept up. Taro could
hear the team checking their weapons as they moved. The tunnel was dimly lit by just readout panels and a few overhead lights. All kinds of cables and pipes crisscrossed the overhead. Taro noticed any cubbyholes or other types of cover that might be used if they had to fight their way back down the tunnel when they returned to Ceti.

They were close enough to begin to pick up the Company readout from the surviving members of the unit.  Taro glanced up at the readout.
There was a cluster of red and green arrows to the left in a firefight.

"Elias
, let’s go left and see if we can make a difference in that firefight."

"Roger that."

Elias came to the entrance to the building. It showed the firefight just to the left. It was hard to tell how it going on Elias's situational display, given the close proximity of the aliens and Legionnaires. It was a real melee. Elias peeked around the corner.

"It's gone to hand to hand. Pistols and axes."

Taro and the rest of the team swung their rifles and minis onto their backs and pulled their pistols and axes. Taro glanced down the line. They were all ready.

"Elias
, go. Go. Go."

The ten React Team members poured into the room. It was the reception area for the building. All the windows were out and they could see the aliens pouring into the building. Spike Light infantry mixed with their Armored troops. A Legionnaire went down in front of Elias. She pressed her pistol into the faceplate of the armored alien who had dropped the Legionnaire and fired three quick rounds.
Its head exploded. Taro moved past her to strike an alien fighting with a Legionnaire. Taro's axe split its helmet.  It penetrated to the alien’s skull and it dropped in mid swing. The rest of the team quickly spread out into the fight but the aliens were continuing to pour into the buildings. Aliens and Legionnaires were dropping as arms, legs or heads were separated from their bodies. The aliens could not get any covering fire from their troops behind them; the two sides were too mixed up to get good clear shots.

That is when Taro heard
the whir of a mini opening up behind him. It was Weening; he was standing on the reception desk, his mini firing into the aliens in the wave behind the ones in the building. Explosions began to surround him, then one caught him, knocking him off the reception desk. Basson jumped up to take his place. Again explosions began to surround her as she poured mini rounds into the aliens. Before they were able to knock her off the desk, Weening was back up next to her, his armor scorched by the explosion but he was firing his mini as fast as he could. Taro knew that he had picked the right experienced troops who could think for themselves.

Taro and Elias had formed a fighting pair and were fighting side by side. All of the other React team members had found someone to pair up with, the React reinforcements soon began to slow the attack. Then Wakiza and Hakan
, standing side by side in the center of the fighting line, holstered their pistols and axes and swung their rails around to begin firing. Between their rails and the mini's the attack was being repelled. Taro and Elias did the same and the Wolf Legionnaires followed suit. The aliens began to drop back.

"Enough. Tunnel entrance."

The React Team and the other Legionnaires all slowly walked backwards toward the tunnel continuing to fire as they did. Once they were at the entrance the aliens had pulled back.

"Wolf's
, assist with your wounded, we got this."

The Wolf Legionnaires turned and moved down the hall to the Casualty Collection Point.

"Who brought the toys?" Taro said.

"I got good stuff
," Stine said.

She moved forward and covered the floor with mini mines then slapped some fle
chette filled anti-personnel mines to the walls. While she worked Taro heard the cough of a sniper rifle. Basso had pulled her sniper rifle and was finding targets until they moved.

"Done
," Stine said.

"Masa
, check with the docs and see how close we are to being ready to move."

"Check."

Masa ran down the hall to the cafeteria. She reported on the comm.

"Taro
, the last of the wounded is headed down the tunnel now and the engineers have already planted the explosives so we can unass this place."

"Good
. Meet you and the engineers at the tunnel entrance."

"Roger that."

They all began moving back. Basso continued to fire until she was the last one to turn and head for the tunnel entrance. Masa was standing there with two engineers.

"You guys first
, we got a surprise for these kaks."

Taro and the others began to move down the tunnel. They had gone about fifty meters w
hen Weening who was Tail End Charlie said,

"The engineers are not following."

"Halt. Go make sure they are all right. ."

Weening
trotted back down the tunnel to see one of the Engineers standing by the tunnel entrance making himself as conspicuous as possible. He was beginning to draw fire.

"What the fuck..."
Weening said.

"That's right. Aliens come and get me," the engineer said.

Weening glanced at the readout that the engineer was seeing. Another wave of aliens was attacking. He was drawing them into the building.

"We got a big surprise for them. They will
be expecting be your anti -personnels but not a couple of stories coming down on them."

"Aren't we a little close?" Weening said.

"No, we are professionals. We both went to this school you see, we are the pros."

The red arrows were now entering the building.

"Three, two, one."

There was a huge explosion
, so large that a shock wave came down the tunnel and threw the three of them down even in all their armor.

"I told you it was too much. We just wanted the first two floors to come down," one of the engineers said.

"Well, it looks like you were right so I think we better hurry," the other engineer said.

"Why?" Weening said.

"I used even more on the tunnel."

"Kak."

The three sprang to their feet and raced down the tunnel.

"Run
, the tunnel is going to blow," Weening said to the rest of the team waiting for them at the end of the tunnel.

Taro and the React Team turned and ran down the tunnel, Weening and the two Engineers were right behind them. They just made it to a T in the tunnel and rounded the corner. Again the explosion was massive. The tunnel collapsed all the way to the T, if they had not run they would have been caught in the collapse.

The React Team stood there staring at the collapsed tunnel while the two Engineers turned and walked toward Sirius talking to each other.

"Next time
, let me do the calculations."

"Are you saying I didn't do my calculations?"

"Well other than almost killing us, yeah that is what I am saying."

Taro stood next to
Weening.

"What is with those two?" Taro said.

"I think they are crazier than we are."

"I
am not so sure. The Colonel has got another job for us."

"This could be a long day
," Weening said.