to return to offer Feldew the position of liaison. Things would be changing quickly for the Grell. This time Ashley insisted on going along. The converted transport had been readied, and we sat in the cargo hold with the troops.
I spoke. "Did you hear if the Tribuks got quarters?"
Ashley replied, "I did; they have them in Beta section. They all received the translator implant, and the captain got a new prosthetic hand. He was quite pleased with it."
I replied, "Yeah, I felt kind of bad about that afterward. I just wasn't sure at the time if he was fiercely loyal to the Colossuns or not. I think he was just a little too set in his ways."
The flight to Ponik was a quick ride. The transponder had been removed from the ore hauler and placed on our transport. The hope was that when we arrived at Ponik, the bay doors on the spaceport would be opened for us as we approached. After that, it would be all-out fighting.
As we began our descent, I turned to Ashley and spoke. "I want to say this is going to be a cakewalk, but a little voice in my head is saying ‘Watch out.’"
Ashley replied, "That's just a natural reaction when you are going into the unknown, Don. We won't know until those doors open if there are five Colossuns or five hundred waiting for us."
Ashley looked at the AK-47 that was slung over my shoulder. "I can't believe you brought that thing. How many rounds of ammo do you have for it? It can't be much."
Before I could answer, the captain of the transport came over the comm. "Looks like we have been given clearance to land. The port doors are opening, and we should be on the ground in less than a minute. Good luck out there!"
The transport came to a stop. The doors were soon open, and the battalion of Marines under the command of Colonel Rachel Calder streamed out in succession.
After each of the company commanders reported in, Colonel Calder spoke. "Once we go through those air locks, I want every compartment, closet, and container checked over. We do a clean sweep as we go, and we'll have no surprises coming at our backs after. We are the First Battalion of the Ninth Marines, and they don't call us the Walking Dead for nothing. Now let’s go kick some ass, you ragged-ass zombies!"
Grunting sounds could be heard across the comms as the Marines began their mission. As the first squads made their way into the air locks, the fighting began. Four heavy gravity pulsers came to life. The transport was taking heavy fire.
The Colonel yelled into the comm, "Bravo, company! Focus on those pulse cannons! If they take out that transport, we may be stuck here for an eternity! Alpha, push through that main lock!"
The blue sun of Ponik shone down with an eerie light. As we crouched against a wall, the transport began to lift out of the port bay. The pulse cannons were doing damage, but the transport was going to make it. As it rose just above the bay and began to move out of the line of sight of the pulse cannons, two ships appeared in the sky above it. In an instant, an intense beam of particles streamed out of each of the ships.
Bzzzzzzzzzrp! Bzzzzzrrrrp!
The beams ripped through the sides of the escaping transport, sending it crashing hard to the ground. The columns of smoke that followed told of the transport's demise.
I pointed towards a smaller air lock door as I spoke. "Let’s try through there!"
Ashley replied as we moved, "Those Colossun ships—why didn't we see them coming?"
I pulled on the door handle. It was locked. "They have a metal alloy that our sensors have trouble with. It's why we couldn't see the tunnels or this port with the harvester. They must use it on their ships as well. And I'm beginning to think they were expecting us!"
The pulse cannons were silenced by the Marines, but not without casualties. Twenty-six of our Marines had been taken out in a single blast as a cargo container they sought cover behind exploded. A pulse cannon shot had ignited its contents.
The Marines pushed hard at
I spoke. "Did you hear if the Tribuks got quarters?"
Ashley replied, "I did; they have them in Beta section. They all received the translator implant, and the captain got a new prosthetic hand. He was quite pleased with it."
I replied, "Yeah, I felt kind of bad about that afterward. I just wasn't sure at the time if he was fiercely loyal to the Colossuns or not. I think he was just a little too set in his ways."
The flight to Ponik was a quick ride. The transponder had been removed from the ore hauler and placed on our transport. The hope was that when we arrived at Ponik, the bay doors on the spaceport would be opened for us as we approached. After that, it would be all-out fighting.
As we began our descent, I turned to Ashley and spoke. "I want to say this is going to be a cakewalk, but a little voice in my head is saying ‘Watch out.’"
Ashley replied, "That's just a natural reaction when you are going into the unknown, Don. We won't know until those doors open if there are five Colossuns or five hundred waiting for us."
Ashley looked at the AK-47 that was slung over my shoulder. "I can't believe you brought that thing. How many rounds of ammo do you have for it? It can't be much."
Before I could answer, the captain of the transport came over the comm. "Looks like we have been given clearance to land. The port doors are opening, and we should be on the ground in less than a minute. Good luck out there!"
The transport came to a stop. The doors were soon open, and the battalion of Marines under the command of Colonel Rachel Calder streamed out in succession.
After each of the company commanders reported in, Colonel Calder spoke. "Once we go through those air locks, I want every compartment, closet, and container checked over. We do a clean sweep as we go, and we'll have no surprises coming at our backs after. We are the First Battalion of the Ninth Marines, and they don't call us the Walking Dead for nothing. Now let’s go kick some ass, you ragged-ass zombies!"
Grunting sounds could be heard across the comms as the Marines began their mission. As the first squads made their way into the air locks, the fighting began. Four heavy gravity pulsers came to life. The transport was taking heavy fire.
The Colonel yelled into the comm, "Bravo, company! Focus on those pulse cannons! If they take out that transport, we may be stuck here for an eternity! Alpha, push through that main lock!"
The blue sun of Ponik shone down with an eerie light. As we crouched against a wall, the transport began to lift out of the port bay. The pulse cannons were doing damage, but the transport was going to make it. As it rose just above the bay and began to move out of the line of sight of the pulse cannons, two ships appeared in the sky above it. In an instant, an intense beam of particles streamed out of each of the ships.
Bzzzzzzzzzrp! Bzzzzzrrrrp!
The beams ripped through the sides of the escaping transport, sending it crashing hard to the ground. The columns of smoke that followed told of the transport's demise.
I pointed towards a smaller air lock door as I spoke. "Let’s try through there!"
Ashley replied as we moved, "Those Colossun ships—why didn't we see them coming?"
I pulled on the door handle. It was locked. "They have a metal alloy that our sensors have trouble with. It's why we couldn't see the tunnels or this port with the harvester. They must use it on their ships as well. And I'm beginning to think they were expecting us!"
The pulse cannons were silenced by the Marines, but not without casualties. Twenty-six of our Marines had been taken out in a single blast as a cargo container they sought cover behind exploded. A pulse cannon shot had ignited its contents.
The Marines pushed hard at
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