The Battle for the Ringed Planet (32 page)

“Faster, Torian!” Siiri was terrified while above them Starhawks raced to quell the enemy guns dumping, ordinance in the distance.

An artillery round blew up the road in front of them knocking a hover truck on its side and blocking Torian’s view flashing bright trajectories until the sturdy hover vehicle flew bumpily through the fiery crater.

They entered the city turning off the parkway on a ramp leading into the streets. A few rounds hit behind them but then the sky to the north lit up with huge purple mushroom shaped fireballs. The ground shook but Torian breathed a sigh of relief.

“What is that?” the blue-eyed girl stared in awe.

“You remember, we were on the receiving end of one.”

May leaned forward, “You guys got shot at by a City Smasher?”

“After Torian gave them the locations of all the enemy star ships.”

“Really? And they tried to take you out?”

“Yeah.” He replied.

“Well, those rebels are going to lose their eardrums after that barrage.” May stood back up with the turret canon and watched the rooftops. 

They were now under the infamous city shield that had killed soldiers on both sides, evident as they drove by the horrific sight of several bloated bodies from a marine patrol that had the misfortune of scouting inside the city.

“I’m sorry you have to go through this and see that.” Torian muttered loud enough for Siiri to hear.

“This will be the last time, won’t it? Then we can leave this planet?”

“I promise.” He thought of the SIS agent waiting for her on the Europa, they would not be as patient as Neil would.

Artillery burst above them on the roof of a store sending debris raining down on top of them, protected by the invisible shields.

“It went to 30 percent, that isn’t good, right?” Siiri stared at the flat panel on the dashboard of the MUV.

“It will regenerate, as long as …” May began but her words were drowned out by a buzzing explosion collapsing a wall to their right, while Torian instantly reacted veering to the left and swiping a parked grey hover sedan scrapping the side.

“Ten percent …”

“Screw this!” He shouted and then made a sudden turn when he spied a big blue ‘P’ and went into an underground parking garage speeding down the ramp that was fortunately empty of wrecked hover vehicles. Spinning around he raced down a couple of stories and then drove into a dark empty parking level with a couple of long abandoned cars. The lights from the MUV illuminated the underground area as they sat idling. The rumbling of artillery above shook the underground garage, but despite the shelling, it appeared solid.

The crackling voice of the intelligence major sounded through the com in his helmet, “Hunter One, sitrep, over.”

“Sierra Two, get rid of that arty, we won’t make it.”

“Roger Hunter One, sending everything we have.”

Torian ripped off his helmet and wiped the sweat from his forehead and glanced at the other two as another artillery shell hit above somewhere, “You two all right?”

The blonde girl removed her helmet too and touched his hand, “A little shaken.”

“That was getting a little hot.” May commented sitting down in the rear seat.

“Well, we’re going to wait right here for now.” Torian brought up a map of the city on the flat screen, and then switched it to holo, “10 blocks to the hospital, that’s a lot of real estate. Siiri, do you remember an entrance closer?”

“I’m sorry.”

 “They must be pretty hardened troops. I would go crazy with those cruisers blasting the shields.” May admitted.

 More rumbling from above and dust falling down caused Torian to sigh, “They don’t give up, either.” Then he checked his Con, “There is another entrance on the other side. May, let me put some things in your backpack, I’ll be carrying the EMP power pack.”

“What is that for?” Siiri asked.

“Shields, in case May can’t get through, and anything else in the way.”

May took a drink from her water bottle as they waited for a little longer. Soon the artillery stopped but to play it safe they still sat it out.

“Do you think any rebel soldiers are immune to the shield like us?” the girl with her long blonde hair tied up glanced at the others.

“The shield isn’t logical, it only picked May and I. There could be others.”

“I’m glad it let you through.” Siiri reached for his hand and he shot her a quick but warm smile.

A few moments later Torian pulled his helmet back on and spoke, “Sierra Two, this is Hunter One, how is arty, over?”

“Hunter One, we took out most of their shield, they are keeping their heads down, over.”

“Roger Sierra Two, we are going to make a run.”

“Good luck Hunter One.”

He drove the MUV up the exit ramp a couple of stories but then they came across a panel van that was over turned and blocking the way out on the other side. Fortunately, it easily slid as Torian pushed it up the ramp with the heavy bumper on the MUV. That was, until it was caught when the ramp tunnel narrowed and they were stuck.

“Some people and where they park …” Torian complained. He began to rev up the MUV sending dust and debris underneath the hover space. The engine whined as the vehicles locked, but the van was not going to budge.

“Um, Torian …” Siiri glanced underneath the military vehicle, “The air stuff coming out underneath is cracking up the concrete.”

“Yeah. Hold on.” He began to back up.

“Whoa whoa, Space Jockey, what are you going to do!” May called from the back seat.

“Bust through …”

“Seat belts, Siiri, strap up!” She leaned forward and helped the blonde girl with her shoulder strap, “You, too!” to Torian who did the same, “I don’t think this is a good idea!”

Firing up the thrusters underneath the hover vehicle he accelerated with a good amount of force slamming into the overturned van, punching a big dent into the roof, but still unable to dislodge it. All three were thrown forward and then back, shaken but uninjured.

Torian turned back grinning, “That was fun.”

May growled, “Officers!”

“It didn’t work.” Siiri poked her head out the side and assessed the damage, “And you damaged the vehicle.”

The brown eyed young man tried to back up the MUV but it barely moved, stuck onto the crumpled van dragging it back a few feet as small bits of concrete flew out from underneath while the engine groaned.

“Oh now you’ve done it.” The Dragon Marine sighed.   

“I’ll bet you don’t even have a driver’s license.” Torian replied.

“I’ll bet yours is suspended.”

“Ok, well on to the second option.”

“Oh no …”

“What?” Siiri glanced at them both while Torian grinned.

“No no no!” May shook her head.

“Shoot it, big Dragon.”

“You’re the most insane fleet grunt I’ve ever known!” the tall woman protested.

The handsome young man turned to the pretty girl slipping on his helmet, while she did the same, and pulled her down to duck.

 “This is going to hurt … probably me …” May clenched her teeth and opened up with the plasma canon firing a couple of rounds. Heat from the impact engulfed the MUV, but the shields kept them safe. The van turned into a melting blackened metal frame glowing red as Torian fired up the thrusters and began to plow through.

“Shields 80 percent.” Siiri called out as May ducked in the back.

With the engines on full the MUV broke through the burning steel carcass sending red-hot pieces flying over and around them. The shield did not deflect slow moving objects so May and Siiri, wearing combat issue gloves, scooped out the burning debris, protected by their fire resistance fatigues.

The side street where the underground parking exit was located was relatively clear so Torian sped like a sky demon charging down the side streets. Siiri held on but was not looking as green as she did before and was willing to sacrifice a little motion sickness to get to safety. She did have to admit that Torian was a very good driver, swerving around parked and abandoned vehicles with precision. And even while he was concentrating steering and accelerating, he still caught her watching him and gave her a quick wink through his visor.

“Hunter One, this is Sierra Two, be advised fleet is engaged in orbit, rebels are counter attacking.”

“Roger, Sierra Two.” Then he glanced back at May and then Siiri, “Almost there. May watch the sky, they could drop a cruiser into low orbit.”

“That would be unpleasant.” The marine grimaced.

“They know something is up and are trying everything to stop us.”

They rounded another corner and entered into a main boulevard that lead to the hospital, but unexpectedly, obstacles from a long dead traffic jam of hover vehicles blocked their way. Torian steered onto the overgrown island in the middle of the boulevard and managed to gain some ground. The large white four-story hospital with a single tower on one side was visible now.

“Torian …” Siiri peered nervously in the sky, “Fighters!”

Craning his neck back, sure enough, two Solvairs were streaking down from the sky still a few kilometers off. May whipped the turret around and readied the canon.

“But how?” The blue eyed girl held onto her helmet.

“Remote drones.” Torian sighed, “Not very effective since countermeasures can negate the controls, but we don’t have those. Let’s hope the boys at the base can do something.” He called on his Comm, “Sierra Two, this is Hunter One, we got drones, over.”

“Roger, Hunter One, on it.”

A steady stream of plasma bursts erupted from the anti-air gun emplacements on the base, and as the fighters got closer, May let loose. Pilotless, they would be less maneuverable, but still carried a deadly arsenal. They were meters away from the hospital parking garage, but vehicles were blocking everywhere and Torian had to be creative to find openings. The fighters were getting closer.

“Torian.” He knew by May’s tone that they had to do something quick.

“May, Siiri, grab your kit and get ready to jump out. Run to the parking garage!”

“I’m not leaving you!” Siiri called.

“They’re targeting the MUV! I’ll jump out after! Now go!”

The towering tan skinned marine grabbed Siiri by her webbing, “Let’s go girl!” and she jumped followed by the shorter female. Both landed on an overgrown grassy lawn dotted with large bushes and immediately began to sprint past rusted hover vehicles towards the multistoried parking lot. Torian drove the combat vehicle away from the hospital and locked the accelerator, then fearing to look in the sky to see how close the fighters were, jumped from the driver’s side. Almost immediately, as he hit the pavement with his boots he felt a rush of heat that sent him flying forward into the front seat of an old fancy sport coup convertible. Ducking for a moment, and feeling to see if his legs were still there, he took a quick peek to see the MUV, a melted blackened core, and thankfully, both fighters ascending. Then one took a hit from anti-aircraft fire and began to wobble with smoke pouring out of an engine.

He did not have time to cheer, and with the EMP backpack and rifle, there had been no time to grab his commando rifle, he hopped out of the convertible, though with a quick whistle of admiration at the classic blue and white sports car, then took off towards the hospital parking garage. Running fast, fearing artillery, he skirted jammed rusted cars and vans, with bones and skeletons in chaos, surrounding the large hospital in vain hope of medical reassurance in their last hours of desperation. Siiri and May peeked out from under the roof of the garage between a rusted red sporty sedan and a silver pick up truck. They anxiously waved him to hurry and Torian did not have to look back to know that one of the drone fighters was sweeping around. He hopped over the trunk of a downed hover car and then slipped between two more vehicles before reaching the half-high wall of the first floor parking garage.

Hands grabbed him as he climbed over and flew inside to the ground, then mostly May they hauled him up, “Run!” she yelled and all three tore through the ground level parking building as a fireball shot through and missed them by a few meters incinerating several vehicles in the path. Fortunately, they charged into a stairwell leading down just as another plasma canon bolt blew away more vehicles. Down underneath layers of concrete they were safe from the fighter drone circling overhead.

When they finally collapsed panting against an underground concrete wall in the lower levels of the parking lot Siiri wrapped her arms around Torian’s neck and he squeezed her waist despite the equipment she wore. May then joined in circling her long arms around both. No one spoke, just breathed in and out deeply in relief.

Their brief respite was interrupted by Torian’s helmet Comm, as a worried Neil anxiously called, “Hunter One, sitrep, over. What’s going on? Are you all right?”

“Sierra Two, the is Hunter One, lost our ride, but we’re underground.”

There was a pause on the other end, “Ok, Hunter One, we’re happy to hear that, over. And the drones are down now.”

“Thank you Sierra Two, we’ll report in when we’re in the tunnel.”

Chapter 24: Casualties of War

Meandering through the dark concrete with small tubular flashlights attached to the shoulder straps of their webbing the trio found stairs leading up to the main hospital. The wiry officer reached for Siiri’s gloved hand and she gladly accepted as they braced for the horrific pandemonium that had ensued a century ago. Bones littered the hallways blocked by cracked flat panel monitors and collapsed grav stretchers. Bony hands clutched skeletal necks and skulls lay crushed or scorched by blunt and ranged heat weapons.

“Poor souls.” Siiri grimly observed.

“Never liked hospitals,” The almond eyed marine mumbled.

A cracked panel map on the wall still displayed an outline of the floor plan and Torian ran his gloved fingers tracing possible tunnel entrance locations. The writing was English, Finish and German and showed several locations where stairs led down, but he pointed for the others.

“I’m guessing the nearest stairs are near the main pharmacy.” He glanced at Siiri who nodded. And he was right, recent activity was evident all around the rooms that contained the medicine and drugs; opened boxes, dried spilled liquids, and dirty footprints.