Chapter 56

We were moving forwards very slowly. Even the use of floating observation platforms was not helping to speed up the process. Each location needed to be checked thoroughly as the aliens appeared to have a talent for concealment with their adaptive armour. Fortunately, Tillan appeared to be able to get in pretty much everywhere and so we weren’t breaking anything too badly, though the pace was definitely getting to us all.

“We have another,” the Senior Monitor yelled out, and the sound of polearms clashing and the bang of a pellet firer going off could be heard.

“This is taking forever,” Torun groused.

“Can’t be helped. They need to be cleared. We don’t want them getting behind us or some poor civilian finding one when they return home,” Flinn replied.

“I know, I know; and it’s not like we can rush this even with more bodies.”

“We’ll get there,” I answered as the ‘all clear’ was sounded.

“We have company,” Tillan broke in.

We all turned to spot the Royal Party and the security Group entering the area we’d just cleared. Amantil and the others had their helmets open and she was in her blonde disguise so I figured there must be newsies about.

“Serenissima,” I greeted Amantil, though the armour wouldn’t let me bow.

“Commander Kiria, no protocols please. There are aliens about,” Amantil replied. “How goes the hunt?”

“Slowly, Serenissima. The aliens are playing hard to find and can be quite a handful when we do,” I replied.

“So the reports reaching me tell me,” Amantil nodded. “My party is here to observe and record your actions and Teelae here will be doing a report on it in the evening news.”

“I take it there have been ... complaints, Serenissima?”

“Questions, not complaints. We were able to sweep aside the East and West incursions easily and some uninformed Court members want to know why we cannot do that here and have voiced those concerns to their pet newsies,” Amantil replied with a wry smile.

“So, I’d like to do an onsite interview with you, Kiria,” Teelae spoke up.

“Er...”

“I’d appreciate it, Kiria,” Amantil added.

“Yes, of course,” I replied, having been boxed in.

“Now, ignore us and carry on.”

“Yes, Serenissima.”

“Progress report?” I asked the Senior Monitor.

“Local block cleared. Twenty-five aliens, no bosses or heavies.”

“Move the second squad up; begin clearance of the right-hand corridors,” I ordered.

“Yes, sir!”

“Why the delays?” Teelae asked politely.

“We’re having to check each wing of the approach to Silcom. The aliens, for reasons best known to themselves, appear to have gone into ambush mode. That means we need to check each room on all the levels with access to our route. If we don’t, we could be attacked from behind or someone gets home to a really nasty surprise,” I explained, noting my Dad observing and smiling.

“So you’re being thorough?”

“Yes. If they’d come out and fight it would be easy. But we’re having to dig them out, blocking all accessible routes and making sure not one escapes.”

“Surely they are too big to hide?”

I brought up the various images we had of the aliens’ protective colouration, showing just how effectively they could actually hide in plain sight if they wanted to. I realised Teelae was only gathering evidence to shut the complainers up.

“Second squad are engaging a group of five,” the Senior Monitor broke in.

“Move the reserve squad up to assist them, if asked,” I ordered.

“Yes, sir!”

“Commander Kiria, you are Cure David’s daughter, are you not?” Teelae then asked.

“I am,” I replied, wondering where she was going with this.

“He’s mentioned you several times on my programme, but this is the first time the viewers will have actually seen your face.”

“He tried to keep us out of any media spotlight,” I replied cautiously.

“Successfully at that. However now you appear to be making a name for yourself in the Empire. Care to comment on any of your exploits?”

“I joined Ground Force to be a Healer. However, Ground Force expects their Officers to be able to lead the Troopers as well, so here I am,” I chuckled.

“You’ve appeared on various news outlets for some of your leadership exploits. To some you’re quite the hero.”

“I was lucky that in growing up I had good teachers. As for being a hero, I don’t see myself as one. I just try to do what’s right.”

“Aliens down. Moving to next residence,” the Senior Monitor informed me.

“Good. Have the reserves unblock the access back to Hrunesh and permit the local defenders to move up to the linking nub,” I replied.

“Yes, sir.”

“Methodical,” Teelae noted.

“It’s the only thing that will work here, otherwise we’d be risking lives,” I told her.

“Several in the media are claiming you’re too slow, especially after what happened on the East and West coasts; care to comment?”

“Different circumstances there, there was more open ground, fewer places to hide and more AI observation on the coasts,” I replied. “I do wonder that our lives are so meaningless to them, though it’s not like I’ve seen another newsie down here to ask. This is the lower level. It’s a warren of passageways and corridors giving lots of places to hide with limited AI cover. Believe me, we’ve discovered just how good at hiding these aliens are.”

“You must be channelling your inner Dad,” Teelae chuckled. “He doesn’t tolerate the vast majority of newsies either.”

“They have their job, I have mine,” I chuckled in return.

“Commander of the forces retaking these blocks,” Teelae nodded.

“No, a Healer. This is just a side-line.”

“Why did they put a Healer in charge?”

“I have the advanced combat qualifications,” I smiled. “So I’m not a rank amateur.”

“Oh, I see. The Ground Force ethos of the best person for a job gets it ... if qualified, no matter their specialisation?”

“That’s the one.”

“Thank you, Commander. I’ll cut and paste this together along with action shots and broadcast it soon. Don’t worry, it won’t make you look bad, your Dad would not be amused,” Teelae finished with a bright laugh.

She then went over to speak with my Dad who was with Amantil and far too close to the front for my liking. But, as Amantil is my Commander-in-Chief, there was no way I was going to say anything unless I thought she was actually in danger, though I did note Truvia frowning at her.

“Frowning won’t work,” I chuckled. “Feel free to say something to her.”

“She’s in better armour than me, it would be pointless.”

“So you’ll dress her down later, in private?”

“Oh yes.”

“She’s probably safe enough, though the ‘probably’ bit does bother me.”

“Me too, but I have to admire how you’re tackling this and not leaving anything to chance.”

“There are civilians behind us. Going in fast and hard would leave them exposed.”

“True, very true.”

“Second squad finished; third squad beginning their sweep,” the Senior Monitor reported.

“Move up to the next junction,” I ordered. “Watch out for that air well.”

“Yes, sir.”

It was as well I was cautious, three alien heavies dropped down out of the well, though not onto the Troopers, fortunately. They were, however, able to use their claw-like limbs to bat away the front rank, only to go under to the second rank’s polearms and be finished off by the third rank’s axe heads.

“Wonder where the hell the rest of them are?” I mused out loud.

“Probably turning Silcom into some sort of fortress,” Truvia answered with a shrug as Torun and Flinn dealt with our injured.

“Possibly, that or back to their ship,” I nodded.

“We’d just bomb that, so I think not.”

“True. We can’t bomb Silcom. It’s one of the four supporting structures of the Imperial tower,” I nodded after a moment’s thought.

“We definitely do not want to do that,” Truvia agreed.

“AI, any indications of where they are?” I asked.

“They are currently dismantling the scanners we used in Silcom block. But that is all. There are no indications of other damage or movement,” the AI replied.

“So, not trying to dig out then,” I chuckled.

“No indications on any of the ground tremor devices, no.”

The senior Master was gathered with the remaining Masters as they prepared plans to cost the prey as many of their worthless lives as possible.

‘The prey progress slowly and are checking everything in their advance,’ one of the Masters stated.

‘Yes, as we expected,’ the senior indicated agreement. ‘Our preparations here are almost complete and they will be forced to attack us as we defend behind fixed defences that not even their explosive devices will penetrate.’

‘Do you still intend to make a personal challenge?’

‘When the moment is right.’

‘Will they accept, or know what it is you are demanding?’

‘They will. We can translate their primitive mumblings and we know they have a history of using single combat to resolve disputes,’ the senior explained.

‘And, assuming they agree, what if you lose?’

‘Victory is never certain. This prey have proven that unpalatable fact for us many times.’

‘Indeed they have.’

‘Win or lose, I will demonstrate to this prey that we are mighty and glorious even as we slip into the long night.’

‘A worthy ambition.’

We finally linked up with one of the other advancing Regiments as the perimeter slowly closed around the alien infestation. Casualties had fortunately been low, but personal injuries quite high as this wasn’t an ideal environment for fighting beings who were generally stronger, faster and well armoured compared to the average Trooper, though the way we now used teamwork meant that the alien’s advantages were somewhat moot. Hence they ended up dead and the Trooper injured, often badly, but not dead.

I was now rather relieved that the Royal party had moved on to check on other groups, though Teelae had remained behind and used her floating tri-dee cams to observe pretty much everything I did along with the Troopers.

“Looks like they may be preparing a last stand,” I commented to Commander Gust.

“Does appear that way. They’ve nowhere else to go and the 33^rd are now within observation distance of their ship and are reporting no signs of movement,” he replied as we went over a few dispositions.

“We’ll carry on as before,” I nodded. “Sooner or later, we’ll find out what they are up to.”