Omega Page 15

  Deep in the bowels of the building Hawk, De Boer, his marines and Tanya Wilde were still with Sinclair when the call from Ops Centre came through.

  “Sir, the Nemesis has stopped firing.”

  “What’s happening up there?” Sinclair asked urgently.

  “Tiger squadron has scrambled and is engaging Nemesis but they are outnumbered, sir, by the fighters on board the carrier.”

  “Where’s our backup?”

  “Only the Justice and the Legend were within range, sir, and should arrive in five minutes.”

  “But they’re just light battle cruisers, they’ll be no match for the Nemesis,” Hawk said both shocked and angry at Col Sec’s complacent belief in its own invincibility that had left them so undefended against such a formidable enemy. One life lost was one too many and he dreaded to think how many would be lost before this day was done. He wondered if mankind ever truly learnt anything from mistakes made by former generations or were they fated to keep repeating the same ones ad infinitum.

  “All the more reason for you to get on board her and do whatever you can to stop this,” Sinclair said with finality in his voice, leaving them in no doubt what he meant by ‘whatever you can’.”

  “Sir, we have two incoming craft, Hurricane C230 troop carriers, headed straight for us, ETA ninety seconds,” Ops Centre reported.

  “This just keeps getting better and better,” commented Hawk sardonically.

  “Inform the garrison to expect incoming hostiles and to take whatever steps required to defend this building,” Sinclair ordered.

  “This is a new development,” observed De Boer. “Why send troops down here when they could blast us from orbit?” he added questioningly.

  “Does seem a bit like overkill to me,” agreed Hawk.

  “You’re not going to be able to leave by normal exits before they arrive so you’d better utilise the secondary emergency exit tunnels and you should go now,” Sinclair said.

  De Boer said, “We’re still waiting for the rest of my team to arrive so we can be equipped and then leave on the shuttle, sir.”

  “Contact them and order them to get their asses down here now,” Sinclair said angrily.

  THE GARRISON MARINES from Recon Delta Bravo Company mobilised the moment the attack began. All twenty of them were suited up in battle gear, including the Rapier Mk III battle tec helmet, and were armed with the Sig P996, standard issue sidearm and the Remm assault rifle.

  Hopelessly outnumbered against the approaching OMEGA shock troops they began to mount a defence.

  TIGER SQUADRON CAME at the Nemesis from all angles, swaying and twisting through intricate manoeuvres to outfox the defending Nova fighters.

  Firing their pulse cannons at both the attacking Nova fighters and the Nemesis when the opportunity presented itself, they fought a desperate dogfight against overwhelming odds, displaying bravery seldom equalled.

  The pilots, some of the best that Col Sec had to offer, showed their true worth by destroying ten of the Nova fighters in the first skirmish without even taking a hit, but then greater numbers began to take their toll and Tiger squadron began to lose numbers.

  Although they scored numerous hits against the Nemesis, their pulse cannons were no match for the battle carrier’s primary shields and again, although they reduced the Nova fighters numbers by over half they found themselves decimated within five minutes. Out of the twelve fighters who took off from the landing field next to Confederation HQ all but one was gone and he made a suicide run against the Nemesis. Taking out two more Nova fighters on his end run he smashed his craft into Nemesis’ shields just above the bridge.

  Wilde watched impassively as the last fighter came hurtling towards them aimed, so it seemed, directly at him. As the fighter died in the explosion of the collision against the primary shields he turned to ops and said, “Recall all remaining fighters and the moment our two troop carriers are within landing range of their target cease firing against the primary target. They’ll no doubt have recalled some starships, so keep long-range sensors on standby. The moment they arrive I want all weapons targeted on them ready to open fire on my command.”

  COLONEL DE BOER ASSEMBLED his team from Recon Delta marines who were already in the building; he had no other resources to call upon. There were twelve available, either in the training area or being debriefed, so he split them into two teams. He had six join him at Tec Division and ordered the remainder topside to help with the defence of whatever was left. They were to report to the officer in charge of the garrison on arrival.

  They were still en route via the express alternative escape tunnel when the C230 troop carriers came in to land.

  The garrison was equipped with a rotating M570 pulse cannon with missile launcher. The commander had it manned the second they were alerted. Two marines operated it, one to fire the pulse cannon from a seat he was strapped into directly behind the grips with which he would control the huge weapon. Above this control was a screen that he used to target the cannon using computer enhanced sensor sighting. He could lock onto a target in a variety of ways and be sure he would hit what he aimed at.

  The second marine sat below him and, using the same method, would target the missiles that were housed in racks below and on either side of the huge cannon.

  They started to fire the pulse cannon as soon as the first C230 was within range. The pulsed plasma bolts lanced through the dust-laden air towards the incoming troop carrier. The first salvo struck the portside engine housing as the two engines tilted into downward thrust position. The explosion rocked the transport and the pilot almost lost control as the starboard wing dipped drastically as the opposite wing, now minus the main engine, was thrown upwards by the force of the explosion.

  Sabre missiles, fired from the ground, streaked towards their target closing the gap almost quicker than the eye could blink.

  Seeing their transport was in danger, the Rover5s on board took the initiative and started descending to the ground over two hundred feet below on zip lines.

  The second C230 saw the danger awaiting them and opened fire on the ground-based pulse cannon/missile launcher with their own pulse cannons mounted above and below the pilot’s station.

  Pulsed plasma bolts raked the ground in a deadly trail leading to their target, destroying the plascrete before striking the weapon and destroying it in an explosion which ignited the Sabre missiles making its destructive force at least ten times more than it would’ve been.

  The blast killed the two marines manning the weapon, the six who had just arrived from the remains of the Headquarters building and at least four more who were nearby, but not before the Sabre missiles fired from beneath the cannon found their target.

  The C230 was blown clear out of the sky killing the crew and the twenty Rover5s who didn’t make it to the ground. The remaining C230 came in to hover so that its compliment of fifty Rover5s could descend to the ground. They were given covering fire from the turret pulse cannons and the thirty Rover5s who had exited the doomed first C230.

  The remaining fourteen Recon Delta marines stood little chance caught out in the open like that against such overwhelming odds and superior firepower. They were blasted to pieces in minutes hardly slowing the advance of the incoming force of Rover5s led by Tanis Rygar and his mercs.

  Within a few minutes of landing they were entering the ruined Headquarters.

  PURVIS HAD SUPPLIED Hawk, De Boer, his marines and Tanya with com. bugs as the six other marines arrived. They too were quickly given the com. bugs, instructed on their use and what the intended mission was.

  “Sir, the garrison topside has been completely overrun. We now have eighty hostiles en route to your location,” Ops Centre said. Ops Centre was situated on the first sub level so the Rover5s led by Tanis Rygar would reach them first. Being just one section on that sub-level, the people manning the centre had no idea what purpose the invading force had and so remained at their posts.

  “Understood, I suggest you
vacate your posts now, seek an exit route that is unoccupied and make your way to the surface,” Sinclair offered.

  “Not possible sir, the hostiles have split up into teams, they’re covering each and every exit tunnel. Seems they’ve done their homework, sir, and they’ve come prepared,” replied Ops Centre.

  “Then lock all the doors and barricade yourselves inside. I’m not sure what their intentions are but arm yourselves just in case. If they want to cripple us they will need to cut all communications with the outside world and beyond, so the defence of your section becomes paramount, at least until reinforcements get here to render assistance. I’m sorry to ask this of you, what’s your name son?”

  “Lieutenant William Severs, sir,” replied the young man, his voice firm and steady.

  “Okay Lieutenant, the continuation of Col Sec could hinge on your efforts here today and I know this is not what you and your people signed on for but you know what is needed here,” Sinclair said, trying to impart the seriousness of the situation to him and what was at stake here.

  “Sir, I’m Recon Delta, as was my father and his father, six generations in fact, so I won’t let you down, sir,” Severs said firmly, adding proudly, “and neither will my people, sir.”

  His voice almost catching, Sinclair said, “Good luck then.”

  “You too, sir. We’ll keep this link open for as long as possible and as secure as we can, for now Ops Centre out.”

  “How long before the Justice and Legend get here?” De Boer asked.

  “Three minutes and counting,” Sinclair replied after glancing at the chronometer on his wrist.

  “Not before the hostiles reach Ops Centre. Let’s hope Severs can hold out otherwise our communications will go out and so will our sensors. We won’t know where the hostiles are, what’s happening topside or be able to call for reinforcements when they get here, we’ll be deaf, dumb and blind,” Hawk said to hammer home the situation.

  “Is it too late to ask for a transfer to another unit Colonel?” asked the first marine.

  “Life in Recon Delta is more than a job marine, it’s an adventure, I thought you knew that,” De Boer replied with a half smile. He knew what these guys were like and he knew he could count on them. After serving with them for the past five years they were more than just his team, his men, they were family. They might bitch about it from time to time but he could count on them to get the job done.

  “Hell, yeah, sir,” both marines replied in unison to which the six new additions nodded their heads in agreement, smiling along with their two brothers in arms.

  “If they’re after a specific target then once they’ve reached it and completed their objective they’ll bug out, sir. On the other hand, if this is a cleaning exercise then we’re all in danger,” Hawk said, leaning in closer to Sinclair so the tec guys and Tanya wouldn’t hear.

  “Which do you think it is, Matt?” Sinclair asked in the same fashion.

  “Going by the systematic way they’ve destroyed everything so far I’d have to say the second option, sir. I think they’re under orders not to leave anyone alive. They want to cripple Col Sec, sir,” Hawk replied grimly.

  Sinclair nodded his head in agreement then contacted Lieutenant Severs at Ops Centre once more. “Contact the Justice and Legend and inform them of the situation. Tell them to send reinforcements down here the second they jump from hyperspace. Also contact any other craft en route here and tell them if they don’t arrive in five minutes or under there’ll be nothing to defend,” he said.

  “Aye, sir, the ‘mayday’ has been transmitting since we were under attack and I’ve been in contact with both the Legend and Justice supplying them with constant updates also,” replied Severs competently.

  “Good work, Lieutenant,” complimented Sinclair.

  De Boer stepped forward to speak. Whilst Sinclair had been talking to Hawk and Ops Centre he had been in conversation via his NI. “Sir I’ve been in contact with General Courtney of Bravo Company at Fort Bragg. He’s sending reinforcements as we speak. A flight of F260s will be here in minutes followed by troop carriers, that’s the best they can do at short notice for a rapid response.”

  “It’ll do for a start and might actually help if we can hold on long enough,” Sinclair said. “Good work, Colonel.”

  “Sir, we’re going to have to move, we don’t want to get trapped down here,” Hawk said. He turned to Purvis and asked, “What weapons have you got down here, Major?”

  “Just the usual side arms, nothing more than a few Sigs I’m afraid,” replied the head of Tec Division.

  “The test range isn’t far from here and only one floor up, so if we hurry we could get there before any of the hostiles reach the lower levels. We need as many weapons as we can get hold of if we want at least a chance of getting out of this alive,” suggested Hawk.

  “Okay, listen up people, we’re moving out now. Leave everything that’s not absolutely essential. Have no illusions people, this is going to be dangerous. We’re going up against an enemy determined to wipe us out so you must do whatever we say, when we say it. There will be no arguments, questions or discussions. If you want to survive then your lives are in these gentlemen’s experienced and very capable hands. Okay, enough talk, Matt and Colonel De Boer, over to you,” Sinclair said.

  Hawk looked at the Colonel and said, “Okay I’ll take point with you two,” pointing at the two marines who’d been part of their original team, then continued, “followed by you Colonel with three of the new recruits, then the General, Tanya, Major Purvis and his team with the final three marines protecting the rear. Hopefully we should be able to protect them and get past the hostiles.”

  “Which route do you intend to use, Matt?” asked Sinclair, confident in the abilities of his men.

  “Once we reach the test range and arm ourselves better we can take the nearest exit tunnel. Whichever we choose we’ll meet opposition and have to fight our way past, it goes without saying. I can’t see us being able to navigate around them and seeing as they have the same tec as us they’ll probably try to tap into our com. chatter via their NIs, so we could use that knowledge to our advantage and keep our real com. chatter private using the new com. bugs.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” agreed De Boer.

  “I concur,” added Sinclair who continued by saying, “Okay people the quicker we get going the sooner we can reach safety. Let’s go!”

  The marines checked the battery clips in their Sig P996s then they turned to Hawk, who it seemed had been delegated commander of this deadly situation, trusted to lead them all to safety.

  “You heard the man, let’s go,” he said.

  20

  Tanis Rygar marshalled the squad of Rover5s under his command at the ruins of the Confederation Headquarters. Visibility was down to a hundred feet or so due to the dust- saturated air from the destruction of the massive building. Holding up a small palm pad he accessed the Nemesis’ sensors via his NI and had the results displayed on the pad’s screen. The scans showed all fifteen emergency exit tunnels and, holding up his hand to gain the attention of his squad, Rygar said, “Split up into teams, one to each of the fifteen exit tunnels. Go down and clear each level as you come to it. I want Sinclair and Tanya Wilde alive, to be taken back to the Nemesis with us. Is that clear?” When he received affirmatives from everyone he added, “Okay people, you have your orders, carry them out.”

  The Rover5 who had been assigned to Rygar when they attacked Hawk and his team in the shuttle on Cordoba, stepped up to him and said, “Wouldn’t it be better to set charges at the entrances to all but one of the tunnels, blow and block them then all of us can go down the last tunnel? They’ll be trapped down there and we can just go in and kill them all.”

  Rygar looked at him thoughtfully, glanced at some of the other Rover5s, then asked, “Are you the one who was with us on Cordoba because I can’t tell you apart from the rest of them? Do you have a name?”

  “I am simply a Rover5.”

/>   “No, that won’t do, won’t do at all. From now on you’re Adam, okay? Yeah, you’re Adam. I don’t know what the rest of your brothers’ names are just yet, but you’re Adam and no, it wouldn’t be better to dam all the entrances up. All it would do is create work. Wilde wants us to kill everyone we come across. It’s much easier to sweep each floor as we go and each tunnel to each floor. If we block the entrance from up here they could hide in the blocked tunnels and we’d have to clear each floor then go back up the tunnel for stragglers; more work. No, we sweep as we go, is that clear Adam?”

  “But...”

  “No ‘buts’, do your job. I’m in command, so follow your orders,” snapped Rygar angrily, he hated having his authority questioned. He’d had problems like that when he was in the Elysium Alliance as a Black Knight, but since leaving and working for himself, then OMEGA, that problem hadn’t arisen. His men knew better than to question him and these Rover5s would just have to learn the same lesson.

  Adam looked hard at Rygar with the cold opaline eyes that they all had, giving away nothing. He was about to say something when Rygar drew his Sig P996 and shot him right between the eyes. Adam’s head was blown apart by the full power, pulsed plasma bolt at close range in a mist of blood and shredded brain matter.

  “I said no ‘buts’ didn’t I?” Rygar said coldly. Turning slowly to look at the other clones gathered around he asked, “Anyone else with any questions, suggestions, anything?”

  The clones all stared at him impassively, silently and Rygar holstered his Sig and said, “Thought not, now let’s go, we’ve got a job to do.” As they began to move off he added, “What a waste of a good name, now I can’t tell any of the bastards apart.”