Gnosis: Legacy War Book 1 Read online

  Mustang five and six called out their own adventure as they buzzed one of the orbital defenses, buying themselves some distance before spinning around and taking another ship out. Hal called a mayday but before they could even get a fix on his position, he shouted into the microphone.“I’ve been hit! Direct hit! Ejecting! Ejecting!”

  A massive explosion brightened Dennis’s cockpit to the left and he looked over just in time to see the bits of Hal’s ship go flying into nothingness.“Form up, people! Gnosis Control, where the hell is Raptor? This is crazy out here.”

  “They’re escorting drop shuttles,” Commander Bowman said.“Do your best until they get back.”

  “Escorting…” Dennis shook his head.“What for? Where?”

  “Enemy forces are attacking Gamma Alpha.” Dennis’s heart nearly stopped when he received the news.“We’re sending troops down to stop them.”

  “Understood.” Dennis sighed.“You heard that, everyone. We have to make this happen. Remain evasive and take shots as you can. Opportunities will present themselves but take risks sparingly. Our first mission should not be our last.”

  Another set of enemy ships took shots at them, smacking the shields hard. Dennis’s ship shook and an alarm went off. Automated repair systems kicked in and rerouted power as necessary. He spun to the right and fired blind, hoping a random act might make them break off. It seemed to work because another assault didn’t come.

  One of the orbital defenses exploded, adding to the overall chaos of the scene. All of Mustang reformed, staying far enough apart to avoid splash damage from an incoming attack. This presented the enemy with an opportunity Dennis hoped they’d take and as three ships came around to take on their tail, he ordered Mustang Four and Five to dive and attack.

  The two ships went down while the other three pulled up. They spun around and met the enemy as they attempted their own evasive maneuvers. More attacks filled space, a wild melee breaking out between all the ships. There was enough ordnance floating around to make standard visual almost impossible.

  Something blew nearby and Dennis prayed it wasn’t one of his people.

  “Target eliminated,” Flying Officer Alicia Quinn, Mustang Five, announced.“The other two are falling back and we’ve got three on Orbital Satellite Seven.”

  “Let’s get over there and drive them off,” Dennis said.“It’s more important we keep those alive than fighting these jerks.”

  They redirected their course, advancing to full speed. The magnetic inertial dampeners made the transition easy on the body but there was still enough gravitational pressure to make Dennis know they were really hauling ass. As they closed the distance, the satellite came into view and continued to grow as they approached.

  The stationary weapons fired wildly but continued to miss. The enemy proved too agile to take down. Dennis fired as soon as he was remotely in range and he nicked his target in the tail. This caused the opponent to redirect and fly straight toward him. Great, chicken time. Dennis fired the mass drivers even as his foe let loose with energy beams.

  They hit each other but the mass drivers won this round. The enemy shields faltered and the nose took a direct blow, shattering the metal and causing it to spin before the engines ignited and tore the entire hull apart. Dennis dove to avoid the debris but he didn’t quite escape every chunk. Some pieces burned up when tapping his shields.

  “Careful with risks, huh?” Shane chuckled.“That looked pretty damn risky to me.”

  “Yeah, I’m not smart,” Dennis replied.“So sue me. Get back in it.”

  Another ship went down as Kate blasted away, tearing through the side of the shields and taking it apart. A panel popped off the enemy and slammed into her underbelly, causing her to spin for a moment before she regained control.“I’m okay,” she announced.“Minimal concussion damage. Automated systems are correcting now. Real combat’s taking a bit to get used to.”

  Capital ships moved in their direction and Dennis knew if they had to engage those big guys, they’d be in a lot of trouble. The enemy had the advantage of defying their target locks. He doubted they suffered the same restriction.“We might need some bombers out here.”

  Shane took out the final of three ships that were attacking the orbital defense satellite.“Why? We’ve got the hard points here. They can repel those jerks.”

  “I kindadoubt it.” Dennis scowled, looking for their next targets.“Looks like we’ve got some fighters moving on the Gnosis. Home base has better things to do than play with a bunch of gnats so follow me and prepare to engage. I want to clear that up before we move on to anything else.”

  He sent a waypoint to the others and once again accelerated to full throttle. They needed to get back there quickly if they hoped to make any difference in that particular fight. Already, they’d managed to put a dent in the enemy’s assault. Providing they got Hal back with a search and rescue, they might even be able to call their battle successful.

  But they had a long way to go before they could call it won.

  ***

  Gunnery Sergeant Geoff Heathrow sat near the pilots in the shuttle as it made its way for Earth. Their escorts remained close enough to make out every detail of their frames just outside the window but they didn’t seem to be needed. The mainstay of the enemy force fought over the orbital defenses and the Gnosis kept the bigger ships busy.

  Getting there won’t be the problem. What will we find when we arrive?

  Communications with the surface were spotty due to some kind of powerful interference. The intelligence they had simply suggested an unknown force had attacked Gamma Alpha, where the Orb was kept. Orders came through suggesting surface security specifically requested a unit from the Gnosis should arrive and assist.

  Geoff had been in the military for the better part of fifteen years. He applied for a ride on the Gnosis as soon as the post opened up and looked forward to the crazy stuff they’d discover. He liked the idea of exploration and understood the need for security in such situations. It seemed like they’d put war behind them a long time ago.

  I guess someone had some other ideas about that. I hope this is an isolated incident.

  “Heat!” Sergeant Lawrence Gorman called out. When Geoff joined up, his drill instructor shortened his surname, creating a lifelong handle that followed him to every post.“I’m still not getting through the interference for scans. We’re going in blind here. Any thoughts on what we might expect?”

  The truth was simple. Heat had no idea what they were going to find down there other than a force large enough to drive back the security unit. If they were inside the base, automated defenses should’ve been slowing them down. He’d seen them in action, at least simulated, and no ground force should’ve been able to stand against them.

  “I’m worried about their technology,” Heat said.“But our stuff is pretty good too. I imagine we’re going to have a sweep and clear situation then go home.”

  “You think this might be an invasion?” Sergeant Alex Gilletasked.“An expeditionary force to test our defenses?”

  “Seems to me they’re after the Orb,” Heat replied.“And if that’s so, they didn’t bring enough people because we’re not letting them have it. We’re breaking up into groups of three. Me, Gilletand Anderson are Sentinel One. Gorman, Dorian and Wheeler are two. Vine, Bosh and Kelly are three. You got it?”

  The men all shouted out an affirmative and Heat returned to looking over his HUD, controlling it with the touch pad built into his glove. Their armor was power assisted, granting them the benefits of hydraulics for heavy lifting and even some pretty impressive jumps. Assisted by rocket packs, they could cover ground quickly, especially difficult terrain.

  They carried heavy weapons, easily capable of puncturing armored transports or offensive vehicles like tanks. Each man also packed a couple of small missiles for taking out air threats. If there were something on the planet they weren’t prepared for, the situation would prove far more dire than they could handle on their o
wn.

  Heat put in a request for Raptor to remain as air support should they need it. The squadron leader replied an affirmative and they committed to flying the perimeter, ensuring no other enemies came in to flank them. This would afford the soldiers a little breathing room and allow them to concentrate on the threat immediately in front of them.

  The shuttle hit the atmosphere hard, piercing their re-entry window and plunging toward the surface. Panels rattled around them and the seats bucked. The safety harness held him in place, clinging tightly to the armor. It held him in place but didn’t lessen the discomfort of the descent.

  Getting there will be half the fun in this case. At least all we have to deal with here is being shaken. Once we’re on the surface, the real fun begins and we get to test these fancy new weapons in a live combat exercise. I’d hoped for something more subtle for our first time out. Oh well.

  “Thirty seconds.” The pilot spoke in an even, bored tone over the com. He was referring to the time it would take to drop them off roughly two hundred feet above the ground. They would use their jump packs to safely land and approach the base. Each of them practiced the tactic hundreds of times but never while being shot at, not with live ammo at least.

  Gorman and Dorian stood and released the safety mechanisms holding the ramp in place. They counted out ten before popping the hatch. The wind made the straps dance around but Heat’s helmet cancelled out the noise. The rest of the men stood and prepared for the jump. Single file, they got the green light and started jumping.

  Heat took up the rear, hopping out after the others. The rest of the unit looked like gray dots against white clouds. His HUD showed his altitude and it plunged, the number spinning wildly as it counted down toward zero. He knew the cloud coverage should clear up in less than five seconds then they’d be getting rained on.

  The computer stated the storm would likely pass before the hour was up. Hopefully, we’ll be done with this mission by then.

  All at once the clouds were gone and he saw Gamma Alpha. The facility itself was not overly large on the outside. Just a set of cement walls, barracks, automated defenses and a command center. Most of it was beneath the ground and built into the mountain. People worked and lived inside, studying the Orb and protecting it.

  Heat saw orange-beam weapons firing from the Earth defenses as the enemy returned blue shots. His heartbeat picked up at the thought of combat, of getting into the action and taking them on. The coms cleared up a moment later and Gamma Alpha control sent out a wild mayday, the operator practically screaming.

  “We hear you,” Heat said.“We’re almost there. What’s the sitrep?”

  “We’re holding some of the invaders outside but at least three of them got through our defenses and are in the base. Our soldiers are struggling to push them back!”

  “So you don’t need us at the front gate,” Heat replied.“You want us inside ASAP?”

  “Yes, sir. Can you get through quickly?”

  “Absolutely and we’ve got enough to help outside. Your corridors are too tight for all of us anyway.” Some of his men landed already and took up positions. Heat hit his pack and he slowed immediately, his body jostled by the sudden thrust. He landed in a crouch, weapon aimed outward.

  They formed up and started toward the base and he gave them the briefing. He would lead Gillet and Anderson into the base. The others would tear through the remaining enemies outside. When he gave the order, the other six sprang into action, using their jets to cover the ground faster.

  The enemy combatants were humanoid, perhaps a trifle taller than the average human. They wore some type of armor, blue in color and it shimmered. Scans indicated some kind of personal shield, something which might afford them one or two shots before they had to rely solely on the physical protection.

  Sentinel Three plunged into the fight and started blasting away, firing their own beam weapons at the enemy from behind. The first one to take a hit stumbled forward, dropping to one knee. His shield saved his life but the next two shots, concentrated fire from multiple troops, cut through his armor and obliterated everything from the shoulders up.

  That caused the invaders to fight their battle on two fronts, half their contingent turning to battle Sentinel Two and Three. As Heat and his party jumped toward the entrance, he noted a number of bodies littering the ground. Twenty invaders mingled with perhaps forty humans. His scans indicated a few survived but they wouldn’t for long, not even with medical attention.

  What a mess.

  They landed with a resounding crash just before the entrance, the doors smashed and lying on the ground several feet inside. Small guns smoked nearby and the cameras were also down. Heat readied his weapon and headed within, relying on his HUD to collect some intelligence data.

  A few feet inside, a red light flashed in his helmet. He directed his attention to what could be causing it and found a system alert. The aliens were closing in on the final defenses of the Orb. Only three doors stood between them and the ultimate prize on Earth. Heat motioned for his men to double time it.

  Their armor clashed with the metal floor, making a massive racket. The enemy would hear them coming but they didn’t have time for stealth. Besides, calling Heat’s crew in meant someone wanted a loud solution to a pressing problem. As they rounded a corner and passed by the bodies of defenders and the debris of broken defenses, anger began to build.

  After the initial discovery of the Orb, several nations threatened to fight over what it represented and what it offered. Ultimately, the violence that nearly occurred brought them together. There was too much work for any one organization to accomplish alone. Collaboration advanced humanity by light years.

  And now someone’s coming to collect on a bill it seems.

  Heat’s HUD indicated violence up ahead. They paused at the corner and stacked up. When they stepped out into the hallway, they’d have full line of sight on five targets. Two of them were attempting to bypass the security with some kind of device. The others stood guard with their weapons held at the ready.

  “Ready on three.” Heat spoke into his com. Noise suppressors kept his voice from carrying and as he counted down, he saw the other two tense up for the fight. None of them knew precisely what would happen if they were shot by the enemy’s weapons. The unknown made the situation that much more intense.“Three… two… one.”

  The men darted out from their cover, leading with their weapons. Their targets were only startled for half a moment before the shooting began. Heat’s first shot struck one of the enemies in the leg, causing him to stumble backward. The alien’s attack went wide, striking the ceiling and causing sparks to rain down from a broken light fixture.

  Gillet took a shot to the chest. His armor held but the impact of the blow made him lose his balance. He dropped to one knee and fired his jump jet, a quick burst to keep him aloft. The gesture kept him from falling but he overshot and slammed into the ceiling, firing at the same time. The shot went wide but it grazed one of the aliens trying to get through the door.

  A moment of chaos broke out as the aliens tried to take evasive action, preserving themselves for another few moments in the midst of the violence. As the conflict continued, Heat took three more shots, one to the shoulder, another to the leg and a final blow to his chest. The HUD showed minimal damage, the technology proving its worth.

  “Incoming grenade!” Anderson shouted, firing his jets to hop backwards. Heat made a split second decision, realizing he’d very likely run into one of his allies if he followed suit. Dashing forward, he jammed the thrusters on and slammed into one of the aliens, taking him straight into the wall.

  The body collapsed beneath the weight and momentum of his armor and as he moved away, the broken corpse slid to the floor. The explosion made him drop to his knees and he spun in place, ready to fire again. Gillet caught one of the targets in the head and the final one threw up his arms in surrender, his gun flying through the air.

  “Station Two, this is Senti
nel One,” Heat said.“We’ve secured the area and have a prisoner, please respond.”

  “Sentinel One, this is two,” Gorman replied.“All enemies neutralized and mop up complete. We are policing the bodies and preparing for a post op. Over.”

  “Good work. Get in touch with Gamma Alpha control and let them know we’re ready to turn this place back over to them.” Heat paused.“And we’ll need some serious clean up down here.”

  “Affirmative, sir. Sentinel two out.”

  ***

  Chapter 2

  Desmond grabbed his chair to steady himself as enemy fire battered their shields. Salina called out that they had dropped down to thirty percent and started recharging. They’d been brawling with several of the enemies, exchanging shots and while the Gnosis proved to have a distinct advantage, the sheer number of vessels they stood against evened the odds.

  “We’ve got a massive power surge from the marked alien vessel,” Salina said.“I recommend a withdraw.”

  “Fall back,” Desmond ordered. Zach slapped his controls and the ship lurched as it moved away. A bright blue flash filled the screen, moving in a sphere around the target. It bathed several of the Earth ships. Sparks danced away from each craft the field touched and their shields flared in a rainbow of colors.

  When it touched the Gnosis, they were fairly far back. The ship lights dimmed briefly and came back firm. When the rumbling stopped, Desmond pointed at the screen.“Get us back in the action, Zach. Fire when ready but keep an eye on energy bursts. We’ll need to pull away quickly if that happens again. Salina, damage report.”

  Salina hummed.“Aft thrusters require minor repairs from electrical shorts. All other systems are holding firm. Shields blocked the energy wave but they were drained. We’re at thirty percent and charging fast. While we made it through with minimal impact, the fleet did not. I’m getting a com message about two of them abandoning ship.”

  “Damn.” Desmond checked his own screen to see the rest. More than twelve enemies started the fight and they were now down to four. Earth lost two of their own and reports came in about extensive damage from the assault. He frowned as he read through the information. He needed a confirmation.“Why didn’t the enemy take damage from their attack?”