When the Stars Fade (The Gray Wars) (109 page)

             
“Yo
u’
re insane
,”
Alexander said. He wanted to mean it, but a part of him also understood the truth in Jona
h’
s words. That scared him.

             
The rebel shrugged
.“
Maybe, but that does
n’
t change the fact that
I’
m right. This is
n’
t a war over borders or resources. The Boxti do
n’
t care about religion or government. This war ca
n’
t be won by a politician, Alec
.
”

             
“Christ
.”
A vein stood out on Alexande
r’
s forehead, pulsing with his beating heart
.“
I will not forsake those people
.
”

             
Jonah smiled. He could tell he was starting to break down the High Chancello
r’
s defenses
.“
W
e’
ll see
.
”

-                           
XIII                            -

              It was the Boun who spotted them first. He had taken to walking as close to Eruk as possible. Even though the Warlord wanted the honor of the first shot, it still would
n’
t do to have their commander running point into an enemy defensive.

             
The humans were dug in well, with earthen barriers erected between them and the Boxti advance. It would take a strong attack to uproot their position. The Cthanul sneered, already tasting the blood in the air. His body writhed with anticipation, and the Druuma seemed to be getting into the fervor as well. He cherished the moment, savoring the thrill of the hunt, and raised one of his rifles. Eruk sighted the largest of the humans, a grotesque creature in oil black armor.

             
The Boun platoon leader could
n’
t make out his targets clearly, what with the brush in the way. He snuck around the back, to the left of the Warlord, looking for an easier shot. As he stepped over a fallen tree, he felt a small pressure on his ankle. It was nothing too strong, probably just a branch from the dying oak, but it caused him to look down. It was just a branch, but it seemed caught on a small gray plate near the stump of the tree. As he pushed forward, his eyes on the strange object, he heard a distinct snap and the clink of metal on metal.

             
The rock creatur
e’
s last thought was how strange that sound was, coming from such a small gray stone.

*              *              *              *              *

              Dax turned at the explosion in time to see a strange orange creature reduced to powder. A round snapped by his head and he dropped to the ground. There, hiding in the trees, stood a towering beast with four arms and two enormous rifles. Dax quickly returned fire, causing the alien to drop to the ground for cover.

             
“Flank, flank
!”
he shouted. Pierre and Fares appeared, firing as they took up positions. Pierre used a borrowed weapon from one of the tankers, a foldable carbine. H
e’
d had to rip out the trigger guard to fit his gloved fingers through, but it functioned well enough. Liane held back, firing her sniper rifle into the brush and taking the head off another of the rock things.

             
“Here they come
,”
Captain Grahams shouted. Dax could hear the tanks rumbling closer. The first of the Shiva rounds send a roll of thunder over head. Even that quickly drowned into a constant noise as the fire intensified. The alien weapons chewed through the huma
n’
s barricades, digging divots in their armor and splashing burnt dirt into the air with each miss.

             
Dax dove to the side to avoid another volley from the four-armed leader. He crawled deeper into the trees, trying to gain a better vantage. When he popped up, he was at an angle looking out at the enemy squad. He lifted his Ragnarok up onto a nearby boulder for support and laid down a withering barrage. Two of the smaller aliens were cut down, but his real target slipped away again.

             
“One tank down
!”
Grahams called out. Dax looked over and saw black smoke billowing toward the sky. One of the Shivas had been split in half by an enemy rocket.

             
“Cho
,”
Dax said over the radio
.“
Get our ride working now. Is Kaileen ready? We need to evac
.
”

             
“I
t’
s a little hot, do
n’
t you think
?
”

             
Dax could
n’
t argue
.“
Le
t’
s hope sh
e’
s paid well
.”
He charged off after the Boxti, pausing every few feet to stop and listen. It would
n’
t help anyone if he ran right into an ambush
.“
Alexa
?
”

             
She spoke in a soft voice h
e’
d never heard before, something so foreign to her usual exuberance. She sounded defeated
.“I’
m here
.
”

             
“Make sure Josh is on that shuttle
.
”

             
Alexa sucked in a breath, fighting to keep her voice straight
.“
I wo
n’
t leave without him. Or you
.
”

             
“I know
,”
Dax said
.“I’
ve just gotta kill something, then
I’
ll be back
.
”

             
Pierre laughed
.“
I
t’
s always the same with you Tallusites
.
”

*              *              *              *              *

              Camero
n’
s pulse pounded in his skull as he pulled a gut-wrenching 180. His vision darkened as the intense gravitational forces pulled blood from his brain. He leveled out just in time, feeling a wave of nausea wash over him. The Boxti Ace was still in close pursuit. It flew with incredible agility; he had
n’
t been able to shake it once. With the rest of his fighters engaged in their own games of cat and mouse, he was on his own.

             
“Kaileen, wha
t’
s the situation
?
”

             
There was a lot of noise on her end. From his position overhead, Cameron could see why. The Boxti advance had reached the friendly tanks, and now both were engaged in a heavy battle. Rockets flew on either side, and the ground erupted in a dozen small fireballs with each hit.

             
“Cameron
,”
she said
.“
I do
n’
t know if w
e’
re going to make it
.
”

             
He swore
.“
Do
n’
t say that.
I’
ve got your back. Just got that Val off the ground
.”
A blast lifted him out of his seat, but the Phoenix held together. Alarms sounded from every console. He could
n’
t take another hit
.“
W
e’
re running on fumes up here
.
”

             
Kaileen shouted something obscene
.“
W
e’
re not exactly playing with fucking dolls down here
.”
There were several gunshots and a guttural scream
.“
Liftoff in five
.
”

             
Cameron was about to answer when a blinding white light pierced the sky and hit the ground far off to his right. His eyes traced the beam to the source and his heart nearly stopped. The alien juggernaut was using its primary weapon. His Phoenix bucked hard, nearly dropping from the sky. Sparks danced across his console and spat from the various screens.

             
“God have mercy
,”
he said
.“
Kail, you do
n’
t have five. Get out of there now
!
”

-                           
XIV                            -

              Eruk ran as fast as he could, ducking incoming fire every few seconds. Branches whipped at his face and chest, leaving thin scratches that trickled beads of blood. The beast at his feet was faster than any human he had encountered. It was
n’
t fear that drove him away, only the need to gain better ground. In truth, Eruk was excited to have finally met a challenge. He emerged from the wood into a small clearing and turned to face his attacker, rifles at the ready. When the human emerged, the Warlord howled.

             
“Come
,”
Eruk shouted. He suddenly wished he could speak more of the alien language. Maybe that would be his next personal goal, to better taunt his foes
.“
Fight
,”
he said. The smell of dead grass and scorched wood filled his nostrils as he sucked in deep chestfuls of air. On his back, the Druuma quivered.

             
The human carried a large cannon in both arms, but dropped it to the ground in favor of a small black blade from his back. It was still a head shorter than the Cthanul, but bore an air of menace
.“
Le
t’
s go, motherfucker
!
”

             
Eruk smiled. Perhaps there was honor in these meat bags. He set down his rifles and drew a curved knife from his belt, easing into a fighting stance. The two warriors paused a moment, sizing the other up, and then charged.

             
The Cthanul was practiced with a blade, and had killed thousands of creatures in hand-to-hand combat, but he was unprepared for the ferocious and unrelenting attacks the human used. Each strike sent painful vibrations through the Warlor
d’
s joints, each parry matched with a sudden strike from a knee or elbow. It was violent in a way the Boxti had never known. And it was exhilarating. His three free hands snapped and grabbed at the armored man, always coming up empty. Each failed grapple was met with a sharp crack from an elbow or fist.

             
As they fought, the battle enclosed them. Scorpions and Shivas fired overhead, deafening explosions rocked the ground and smoke filled the field and obscured their sight. A body flew through the air, landing nearby with a cry of pain. The human grabbed ahold of Eru
k’
s shoulder to maintain contact. It was a mistake. The Warlord pivoted, pulling the alien forward, and used its momentum to hurl the armored creature head over feet. It landed with a splash of mud, leaving a deep imprint in the ground. Eruk dropped a knee on its chest, holding the blade at its throat.

             
“You fought well
,”
Eruk said in his own tongue. It did
n’
t matter if the human understood, this part was
n’
t for him
.“
You die honorably, warrior. Go to your paradise
.”
He raised the knife, preparing to strike. As he brought his arm down, a terrible pain split through his back and out of his chest. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he cried and screamed.

             
A tall and thin human, the one wh
o’
d landed at his feet, pushed a length of steel clean though the warlor
d’
s torso. Eruk fell away from his opponent, wrestling with the diminutive creature. The jagged pipe had pierced the Druuma and the parasite roared in agony.

             
“Go
,”
the small human shouted
.“
Get out while you still can
.
”