Colossus (The Kurgan War Book 2) Read online

  Sheridan tugged and pulled at his bindings. “You’d better pray to your lord that I don’t get my hands free.”

  The Kurgan bent down. “And why would that be?”

  Sheridan looked deep into the Kurgan’s golden-colored eyes. “Because, Captain Kingen, I’m going to kill you and your lackey, that’s why.”

  The Kurgan chuckled and stepped back. “Captain Sheridan, your threats are amusing. You’re not getting out of that chair until I have you moved onto a shuttlecraft and flown from this planet.” With that, the Kurgan snapped his fingers and two Chosen warriors entered the room. “Guard him until I get back. Make sure absolutely no harm comes to this human.”

  “Yes, sir,” replied the men.

  Sheridan ground his teeth in anger. He knew his chances of escape were almost non-existent, yet he had to try. He would rather die than become a traitor.

  Chapter 49

  “Sir, the Ark Royal Task Force has ended its jump and is in orbit above Mors-4,” said Killam to Admiral Sheridan.

  The Admiral stopped his pacing and looked over at the tactical display. On it were the forty ships that made up the task force and in the middle of them all was the carrier Ark Royal. “Opposition?”

  “The Kurgans have less than a dozen ships in orbit above the planet. Most are frigates and support ships. The Ark Royal has already launched her fighters against them.”

  On the tactical screen, over one hundred blue icons appeared as the five squadrons based on the carrier flew toward the enemy. Admiral Sheridan knew that the fight would not last long. The enemy vessels would be quickly overwhelmed and destroyed before they could escape. “How long until the ground force arrives?”

  “Sir, it should be here in the next thirty-three minutes,” replied Killam.

  “If we can capture the mining facility intact, it’ll help with our own resource production issues.”

  “Yes, sir. The task force commander knows not to target any missiles at the mine itself, only at military targets.”

  On the tactical display, one by one the enemy ships vanished, destroyed in combat.

  “How long before the Kurgans can dispatch a suicide fighter?”

  Killam looked at the clock on the wall. “One hour, sir.”

  “And the earliest time for their fleet to get here?”

  “Six hours, sir.”

  “What is our time of flight from here to Mors-4?”

  “Six minutes, sir.” Killam knew that his commanding officer knew the answers to each and every question that he had posed. Sometimes hearing someone else say them reinforced in a leader’s mind that his people knew their jobs.

  “Have the fleet sound general quarters,” said Admiral Sheridan. “I want everyone ready to react the instant the enemy arrives.”

  “Aye, sir,” replied Killam before leaving to pass along the order.

  Admiral Sheridan once more placed his hands behind his back and began to pace. It was all working to plan. Now it was up to Colonel Wright’s squadron to destroy the Kurgan jump ship before it launched a ship capable of crippling the Ark Royal and jeopardizing the entire operation.

  Chapter 50

  Sheridan had almost fallen asleep in his chair when the alarms throughout the camp came to life. He sat straight up and looked around. The two Chosen soldiers in the room with him looked puzzled and scared. Sheridan knew it could only be one thing: the invasion fleet had arrived.

  A couple of seconds later, a sergeant threw open the door to the room and yelled at the two soldiers. “Grab the human scum and follow me.”

  One of the warriors drew his knife and cut Sheridan free from the chair. The other grabbed ahold of his shirt collar and pulled him up to his feet. “Try anything stupid and we’ll kill you. Got it, unbeliever?”

  Sheridan reached over and removed the IV from his arm before the Chosen with him could do it.

  “Let’s go,” said the sergeant.

  With two men holding him, Sheridan was pushed outside. His body seemed to ache everywhere. He thought to himself, if there had been painkillers in the IV, they had long worn off.

  Sheridan had lost track of time and was surprised to see that it was dark already. All of the camp’s lights had been turned off. Chosen soldiers ran for their positions surrounding the landing strip. Although the night sky was covered by dark clouds, Sheridan saw red streaks of light race across the heavens before punching through the clouds and striking the Kurgan air defense guns and missile installations, obliterating them.

  On the landing strip, the transport ship loaded with its precious cargo of ore tried to escape the bombardment. With its engines straining to take off with a full load, the vessel slowly rose up off the ground and began to climb up into the sky. It was just about to vanish into the low-hanging clouds when it was struck by a missile. In the blink of an eye, an orange and red fireball lit up the night as the ship laden with fuel blew apart. Flaming debris showered down on the Chosen soldiers trapped in the open, killing and maiming dozens.

  Sheridan felt the ground shake when the nose section of the transport vessel smashed down onto the landing strip. The Chosen soldiers with him screamed in anger at the massacre happening all around them and kicked Sheridan’s feet out from underneath him. He had not expected the move and landed hard on his back. The impact injured his already tender ribs. He saw stars before his eyes and gasped in pain.

  One of the Chosen turned his weapon and pointed it at Sheridan’s head. “This is all your fault. You did this!” hollered the soldier.

  “No!” yelled the sergeant. He went to pull out his pistol when he was cut in two by a piece of shrapnel thrown up by a nearby missile strike.

  “Now you die,” said the soldier as he placed his finger on the trigger of his rifle and began to take up the slack.

  A burst of automatic gunfire made Sheridan flinch. His heart skipped a beat. For a brief moment, he thought he had been shot. Instead, the two Chosen warriors staggered back on their feet for a couple of seconds before falling dead to the ground. He turned to look where the shots had come from and almost leaped for joy when he saw Alan Cole standing there with a rifle in his hands.

  Sheridan rolled over and got to his feet. His chest hurt like hell.

  Cole lowered his rifle and walked over. His face was covered in dried blood and bruises. His left eye was puffy and shut. He took Sheridan’s arm and led him behind a wall. They both dropped down and took cover.

  “You look like crap, Master Sergeant,” said Cole, never happier to see his friend. “What happened to you?”

  “A couple of lads decided to use me as a punching bag,” replied Cole. “I’ve gotten it worse before.”

  “How did you escape?”

  “When the missiles began to rain down, they stopped what they were doing and turned their heads to see what was happening outside. A foolish move that cost them both.” Sheridan did not need to be told that Cole had killed his tormentors before escaping.

  The sound of the bombardment was deafening as the ships in orbit switched targets from the landing strip onto the Kurgan vehicles parked outside of the mine. “We should expect a wave of fighter bombers the instant the missile barrage stops.”

  “The boys won’t be far behind the fighters,” added Cole.

  Sheridan remembered Berg. As they were all still dressed in Chosen uniforms, if she were still alive, he didn’t want her to be shot by accident. He got up on one knee and looked over the wall at the long rows of pre-fab shelters. His gut told him that she was in there somewhere. “Master Sergeant, Kruger was killed in the attack, but Berg is still alive and being held somewhere over there,” Sheridan said, pointing to the Chosen quarters.

  “What are we waiting for, sir? We’ve got to help her.”

  Both men stood up. Cole reached into a pocket and handed Sheridan a pistol he had taken from the men he had killed. Sheridan pulled back on the slide, loading a round in the chamber. Side by side they walked to the closest building. With all the bedlam going on
around them, no one paid them any heed. As far as anyone could tell, they were just another pair of injured warriors making their way to safety. With the thought of Berg being abused at the hands of the Chosen, Sheridan and Cole did not even bother to act cautiously when they arrived at the back door of the shelter. Cole yanked it open and walked straight in with his pistol at the ready.

  A wounded soldier lay in his bunk with his hands over a bloody wound in his stomach. When he saw the two men, he called out for water. His pleas fell on deaf ears as Sheridan and Cole kept moving. At the next shelter, it was the same thing, wounded Chosen begging for water or help. Kurgans did not believe in medics at the unit level. Whether a Kurgan lived or died was in the hands of the lord. Those that made it back to a field hospital were apparently chosen by the lord to live and those that did not, were not worthy.

  Outside, the world turned quiet as the barrage ceased. A couple of seconds later, a new noise filled the air as a squadron of fighter-bombers swooped down out of the clouds destroying everything that had been missed by the missiles.

  Sheridan and Cole ignored the mayhem being sown throughout the camp and pushed on. The only thought in their minds was finding Berg before it was too late. After walking through a couple more shelters, Sheridan was becoming desperate to find the missing Marine.

  A Chosen corporal ran over from a nearby building. “You two stop. We need everyone to return to their duty stations.”

  Sheridan brought up his pistol and shot the soldier dead.

  Cole was about to pick up the dead man’s ammunition when a terrified scream came from the next building. Sheridan took off running.

  Another scream pierced the air.

  Both men charged straight into the shelter, ready to kill anyone who got in their way. Inside they could see six men in a circle pushing Berg from side to side. Her uniform had been ripped open and her face was battered.

  “Hey, you!” yelled Sheridan in Kurgan.

  The men stopped what they were doing and turned their heads to see who had dared stop their fun. When they saw Sheridan and Cole standing there with murder in their eyes, they panicked and went for the weapons lying just out of reach on a nearby bed.

  “Berg, down!” hollered Cole as he and Sheridan opened up.

  It was a massacre. At near point-blank range, the two Marines fired until their weapons were empty and all of the Chosen lay dead or dying on the floor.

  Berg slowly raised her head and looked over at her saviors. For a second, she seemed to hesitate and then like a dam bursting, she let out a cry, jumped up to her feet and ran to Sheridan. She threw her arms around his neck and began to sob.

  “It’s all right,” said Sheridan, trying to soothe Berg’s shattered emotions. “It’s over. They’re all dead.”

  “They said that they were going to rape and then kill me,” sobbed Berg.

  “You’re safe. They’re not going to hurt anyone ever again.”

  Cole placed a hand on Sheridan’s shoulder. “Sir, we can’t stay here. Someone’s bound to investigate what just happened.”

  Sheridan let go of Berg and handed her to Cole. “Master Sergeant, get Private Berg away from here. Take refuge in the hills. When the ground force arrives, strip off your Chosen uniforms and surrender to them.”

  “Just a sec, sir, what the hell are you going to do?”

  Sheridan picked up one the Kurgan rifles from the bed. He looked his friend in the eyes. “There’s a Kurgan Captain and his willing accomplice who are responsible for all of this, and I’m going to kill them.”

  Cole could see the look of pure hatred in Sheridan’s eyes. He knew that there was no way he could persuade the young officer to come with him. “Take this,” said Cole as he handed Sheridan a Kurgan bayonet. “You may need this.”

  Sheridan took the blade and placed it in his belt. “I’ll see you in a little while.”

  “You had better, sir. I’m not breaking in another captain. I told you before, you’re it until the war is over.”

  Sheridan turned and walked away. He had no idea where Captain Kingen and Dalton could be, but his instincts told him that his foes were survivors. They would not be dead . . . at least, not yet.

  Chapter 51

  The timer on Tarina’s watch struck one hour. She sat up in her seat and looked out of the cockpit window as if expecting the Kurgan jump ship to appear right in front of her. Her fighter was floating just above the surface of a desolate and rocky moon. Colonel Wright’s ship was hidden behind an asteroid one hundred thousand kilometers away. With all but the essential life support and scanning systems turned off, the fighter had grown cold inside.

  “It’s bloody cold in here. If we have to do this one more time, I’m bringing a blanket with me,” groused Wendy.

  “Me, too,” replied Tarina. “Anything on the scanners?”

  “No. Not a thing.”

  There were sixteen fighters waiting to strike. The problem was that the enemy could show up anywhere and be gone before they could coordinate a hit on the ship.

  Tarina let out a resigned sigh and sat back in her chair. She found herself drawn to the timer on her console, counting down until they were due to make their return jump. Although far faster than a capital ship, their time on target was severely limited. After almost two agonizingly slow hours, Tarina was losing her patience when a voice boomed inside her helmet. It was Colonel Wright. “Target identified seventy-three thousand kilometers from my present location. Moving in to take a shot.”

  “Wendy?” said Tarina as she hurried to bring their ship’s systems back online.

  “Go it. It just appeared behind a small moon,” explained Wendy. “We’re closer!”

  “Distance and bearing to target?”

  “Twenty-seven thousand klicks on a bearing of one-nine-three.”

  Tarina applied power to her fighter’s engines. Within seconds, they were closing in on the target. “Alpha-One, this is Alpha-Two, we are closer to the target than you. Moving in to take a shot,” said Tarina in her mic.

  “Rodger that, I have you on my scope. Good hunting,” replied Wright.

  “I have missile lock,” said Wendy.

  Tarina could feel the tension building in her chest. “I want to get a little bit closer this time.”

  “Twenty thousand kilometers and closing.”

  Tarina moved her thumb over the top of the missile launch button on her joystick and took a deep breath.

  “Fifteen thousand,” announced Wendy. “Wait, I’ve got three new possible targets.”

  They had been briefed about the Kurgans bringing conventional fighters with them to protect the jump ship during launch. She glanced down at her tactical display and saw the ships. The middle one had to be the suicide craft getting ready to jump to Mors-4 in order to take out the Ark Royal.

  Wright’s voice filled Tarina’s helmet. “Stay on target. I’ve got the new targets on my screen. I’m going for the jump fighter.”

  “Tarina, we’re getting awfully close,” said Wendy.

  “Firing now,” announced Tarina as she pressed the button on her joystick. With a bright flash of light as the engine kicked in, the missile sped straight for the Kurgan ship. Tarina pushed her joystick hard over to the right, applied full power to the engine and flew away from the target as fast as she could.

  “Plotting our return jump,” Wendy said as she quickly rechecked her calculations.

  Tarina glanced at the tactical screen and saw their missile rapidly closing in on the Kurgan ship. She did not doubt that the vessel had countermeasures to confuse an incoming missile and steer it away from its intended target. However, their missile never veered off course. It flew through the cloud of superheated chaff and struck the ship’s engines. Although, she never saw the impact, Tarina knew that it was a mortal blow. A split second later, Colonel Wright’s missile hit the jump fighter just as it was about to make its escape. Blown into thousands of pieces, the debris struck the two accompanying fighters crippling both. />
  “Got you, you bastard,” said Tarina, grinning from ear to ear.

  “God damn it. The Kurgs got a missile off before they were destroyed.” yelled Wendy.

  “Who’s its target? Us or the CO?”

  “Us.”

  Tarina saw the incoming missile appear on her display. It was approaching at almost twice their speed. “Time to jump?”

  “Five seconds,” replied Wendy.

  “It’s going to be close.”

  “Three-two-one—now!” said Wendy.

  Even though it happened in the incredibly fast, the Kurgan missile exploded one kilometer back, showering the back of Tarina’s ship with debris just as the jump engine kicked in. Blackness enveloped the vessel as it was rocked by the impact from the wreckage. In her helmet, Tarina heard Wendy scream.

  With their jump destabilized their fighter dropped out of faster-than-light travel a few seconds later.

  Tarina saw stars fill her cockpit glass. Her heart was jackhammering away. “Wendy, are you oaky?”

  “Yeah, I’m okay. A little shaken up and scared out of my mind, but beyond that, I’m good to go.”

  “Any idea where we are?”

  Wendy checked her navigational computer. “We’ve barely moved at all. I’d say we’re no more than seven hundred thousand kilometers from where jumped.”

  “Any sign of enemy activity?”

  “Doesn’t look like it. Tarina, how long do you think it will it be before anyone notices us missing?”

  “An hour, maybe two.”

  Wendy checked their onboard systems. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but debris from that Kurgan missile must have perforated our air supply. We’re venting air out into space.”

  Tarina checked the readouts on her console and saw the oxygen level dropping. Within seconds, one of the two tanks was completely drained. “We have twelve hours in the secondary tank and twenty-four more in these suits,” said Tarina, trying her best to sound optimistic. “We’ll be home and having a nice hot shower long before we run out of oxygen.