sound of war assaulted our ears. We were on the east
side looking down and we could see the eight comrades holding back
a tide of ARC troopers who were dug in at the mouth of the valley.
Brand was on her belly and crawling into the bushes, edging up
towards the lip with her rifle in front. Phillips waved the other
two troopers either side, me further down towards the ARC
side.
"Any grenades left?" He asked. I
checked my belt and shook my head. "Only one." He passed the white
ball to me and I tore away the pin, hurling it down towards the
rear of the group. Then I threw myself down and readied the
shotgun.
The grenade detonated flinging an ARC
trooper up into the air. Brand's rifle cracked like lightning
taking off the head of the foremost soldier. My weapon jolted and
writhed under me as I emptied the stock, stopping only to reload.
Several of the enemy collapsed, limbs tearing apart by the downpour
of fresh fire. They were stunned, unable to see where the renewed
fire was coming from and began to break ranks, turning and running
back down the valley. Brand chose her targets well, picking off
anyone who didn't run in bursts of vapourised blood and flesh.
Phillips emptied his pistol, loaded a fresh magazine and grabbed my
shoulder.
"Let's give 'em the shit!" He cried
and the two of us charged down, firing from the hip. Slugs flew
past us, but the enemy was in retreat and firing blindly. I felt a
surge of adrenaline as we fell in amongst them, swinging our
weapons like clubs. Phillips had his knife out and was slashing
into anyone strong enough to hold his ground, most had already run.
I slung the shotgun across my shoulders and launched my fist into
the face of the first target delivering a crushing blow to a
pale-faced soldier who'd managed to fit a bayonet to his rifle. He
stumbled back as I drew my combat knife and lunged forwards and
down. He saw the glistening blade and side stepped out of my
strike, grabbing the knife hand and wheeling me round. Ready for
the move I slammed my knee into his chest rig and he lost balance
giving me time to find my footing just as he went down over a
corpse behind him. I followed with my full weight behind the blade
and it passed straight through into his upper torso with a jet of
blood spraying across my face.
As I rose up once more a passing Red
raised his rifle too close and I swung out my leg which crashed
into his knee cap. He went down hard but the bayonet fixed to the
end of his weapon sliced into my thigh and I screamed. Rolling away
from him I was able to draw my pistol and put two slugs into his
skull.
Pistols cracked in the darkness,
firing at incredibly close range; blades catching the muzzle flash
making them glitter in the night. Bodies swarmed around me and I
realised that it was Burns' unit coming in to finish the
job.
"Come on Shap, finish the job!" He
yelled, but my mind was mush. Warm fluid was trickling down my leg
and the whole scene just looked hellish. I was so dazed that I
hadn't noticed an ARC trooper rising with a blade creeping across
the dead towards me until his head burst open, splattering my face
with brain tissue. I turned and saw Brand still looking through the
scope.
"Gather weapons, ammunition, whatever
you can find and make for the rendezvous point," cried Burns who
was walking between the troops, urging them to dig deep and get as
much as they could carry.
"Thanks," I said as Brand came up
beside me. "I lost it there for a sec."
I slung the shotgun in favour of one
of the ARC automatic rifles simply because there were no shells to
be found and I was down to my last seven. I was able to grab four
sickle shaped magazines and two smoke grenades plus a number of
8.45mm rounds for Brand's rifle.
"The irony, using their own munitions
against them," she said, pocketing the heavy shells.
Then we were on the move again, now
down to ten men. Three had fallen in the vicious hand-to-hand
battle and Burns was counting the remainder. Sergeant Phillips
stood
side looking down and we could see the eight comrades holding back
a tide of ARC troopers who were dug in at the mouth of the valley.
Brand was on her belly and crawling into the bushes, edging up
towards the lip with her rifle in front. Phillips waved the other
two troopers either side, me further down towards the ARC
side.
"Any grenades left?" He asked. I
checked my belt and shook my head. "Only one." He passed the white
ball to me and I tore away the pin, hurling it down towards the
rear of the group. Then I threw myself down and readied the
shotgun.
The grenade detonated flinging an ARC
trooper up into the air. Brand's rifle cracked like lightning
taking off the head of the foremost soldier. My weapon jolted and
writhed under me as I emptied the stock, stopping only to reload.
Several of the enemy collapsed, limbs tearing apart by the downpour
of fresh fire. They were stunned, unable to see where the renewed
fire was coming from and began to break ranks, turning and running
back down the valley. Brand chose her targets well, picking off
anyone who didn't run in bursts of vapourised blood and flesh.
Phillips emptied his pistol, loaded a fresh magazine and grabbed my
shoulder.
"Let's give 'em the shit!" He cried
and the two of us charged down, firing from the hip. Slugs flew
past us, but the enemy was in retreat and firing blindly. I felt a
surge of adrenaline as we fell in amongst them, swinging our
weapons like clubs. Phillips had his knife out and was slashing
into anyone strong enough to hold his ground, most had already run.
I slung the shotgun across my shoulders and launched my fist into
the face of the first target delivering a crushing blow to a
pale-faced soldier who'd managed to fit a bayonet to his rifle. He
stumbled back as I drew my combat knife and lunged forwards and
down. He saw the glistening blade and side stepped out of my
strike, grabbing the knife hand and wheeling me round. Ready for
the move I slammed my knee into his chest rig and he lost balance
giving me time to find my footing just as he went down over a
corpse behind him. I followed with my full weight behind the blade
and it passed straight through into his upper torso with a jet of
blood spraying across my face.
As I rose up once more a passing Red
raised his rifle too close and I swung out my leg which crashed
into his knee cap. He went down hard but the bayonet fixed to the
end of his weapon sliced into my thigh and I screamed. Rolling away
from him I was able to draw my pistol and put two slugs into his
skull.
Pistols cracked in the darkness,
firing at incredibly close range; blades catching the muzzle flash
making them glitter in the night. Bodies swarmed around me and I
realised that it was Burns' unit coming in to finish the
job.
"Come on Shap, finish the job!" He
yelled, but my mind was mush. Warm fluid was trickling down my leg
and the whole scene just looked hellish. I was so dazed that I
hadn't noticed an ARC trooper rising with a blade creeping across
the dead towards me until his head burst open, splattering my face
with brain tissue. I turned and saw Brand still looking through the
scope.
"Gather weapons, ammunition, whatever
you can find and make for the rendezvous point," cried Burns who
was walking between the troops, urging them to dig deep and get as
much as they could carry.
"Thanks," I said as Brand came up
beside me. "I lost it there for a sec."
I slung the shotgun in favour of one
of the ARC automatic rifles simply because there were no shells to
be found and I was down to my last seven. I was able to grab four
sickle shaped magazines and two smoke grenades plus a number of
8.45mm rounds for Brand's rifle.
"The irony, using their own munitions
against them," she said, pocketing the heavy shells.
Then we were on the move again, now
down to ten men. Three had fallen in the vicious hand-to-hand
battle and Burns was counting the remainder. Sergeant Phillips
stood
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