“Man, I thought I was a goner,” said Kent, still breathing a little heavy. “Even football wouldn’t train your lungs for this. These helmets are brilliant.”

  “I barely feel better with my mask down,” said Nicole. “Never did like motorcycle helmets either.”

  “Well, as soon as the squads check in, let’s get off the top of this mountain,” Jacob said. In the low visibility he realized he couldn’t tell which form was Kent and which was Nicole.

  When the squads had all checked in, Jacob opened up his comms to the entire group. “Single file we are going to move south at a slow pace until we are off the snow field and out of this wind. Kent is going to lead. Look back every ten steps and make sure you still have someone right behind you. If not, tell us immediately. I will be the last one off the hill, and we won’t stop until we can breathe without the re-breathers.” He waited a moment in case anyone had a question. “Okay, Kent, let’s move out.”

  The snow field was not large and forty-five minutes later the path turned to a mixture of dirt and small rocks before wandering through a large avalanche field. The moons were out giving them enough light that they didn’t really need to use night vision. In another two hours, they reached the plateau that indicated the halfway mark down the mountain. And as soon as he’d confirmed their location on the map, Jacob raised his helmet’s mask and breathed in the fresh air.

  It was now almost 3 o’clock, but still more than an hour before the light of pre-dawn. A light coating of moisture clung to his armor, and the early morning held its chill. Compared to the frigid cold on the mountain’s summit though, it felt almost balmy and the oxygen level was comfortable. He radioed Kent to stop, called a rest and announced that everyone could put their visors up. When Nicole, who was standing near Jacob, yanked her helmet completely off, he noticed the beads of sweat on her upper lip and her damp-looking hair.

  “You all right?” he asked. He reached out to help pull a sweaty strand off her face.

  “I am now,” she said with a grin, but still breathing in heavily. “Just a little claustrophobic …”

  “Alright, everyone break out the rations and put them in your kit, drink some water and relax a few while I call command,” he said quickly.

  He then motioned for Nicole to follow him and moved away from the group. “Command, this is Captain Young of the Saje,” he said after inputting the security code for the channel into his communications unit.

  “Saje, this is Command, what is your status,” came the operator’s reply.

  “We are in good shape and halfway down the south side of the mountain. Requesting the most recent digital imaging of Rha’ket’gar positioning, please.” He wasn’t sure if the image would be helpful by the time they got there but it was worth a try.

  “Their positioning hasn’t changed since last image,” the operator said.

  Kent arrived just as Jacob was finishing up the call. “Requesting immediate notification if the Rha’ket’gar position changes, operator.”

  “Will do, Captain … Happy Hunting.” And with that, the channel disconnected.

  Taking off his helmet Jacob sat down on a nearby log. “Well, they’re still there,” he said, rubbing his hand through his hair.

  3

  Despite their current predicament, the Rha’ket’gar Infiltration Unit had to have felt pretty good about their situation.

  They’d been cut off from resupply and support for over a week now, and any attempt to move into the open was quickly stopped by the Khonian Close Support ships. They’d resorted to hiding in a long thin valley, its narrow twists offering them good cover from attacking ships. No one could reach them without exposing themselves to the Rha’ket’gar’s rounds.

  The Khonians had already lost 11 ships trying the risky maneuver through the valley’s curves, and that had been enough for Command. The Rha’ket’gar had dug in for the long haul hoping to hold out until support made it to them. They knew that the weak-willed Khonians would not likely risk losing thousands of soldiers to go in and root them out.

  Based on their initial estimates—from the body counts at Two Hills and weeks of air strikes—the Khonians believed the Rha’ket’gar’s strength had been reduced from 3,000 down to only 400 soldiers left in the valley. However, 400 Rha’ket’gar with nothing to lose was a deadly force. To flush them out, the Khonians would have to meet their enemies on an uneven playing field, where the Rha’ket’gar soldiers clearly held the advantage in close fighting and hand-to-hand combat. And with little room to maneuver, even 400 enemy soldiers could spell disaster for the 5,000 Khonian troops.

  Jacob sat down and opened his box of rations. He put all of it in his backpack except for a bag of water which he opened and took a swig. Even though there were nearly 200 people in close proximity it was quiet, the blue moons of Khonia shining brightly in the cool crisp air. Jacob took a mental snapshot … at that moment it was so beautiful, all was peaceful and serene.…

  … An image of Sarah flirted into his consciousness. It was from Halloween last year. She was dressed as an angel, in contrast with his devil costume. His costume would have upset her parents if they had seen it, but it was all in good fun. She was beautiful standing in the middle of the dance floor, twirling around.…

  He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, trying to dislodge the image. When that didn’t worked, he pictured Jenna’s face lying in the mud and blood, the deep gaping wound from her eye socket through her chin. With that terrible image firmly planted in his mind, his jaw tightened and his eyes narrowed. Now was not the time for beautiful things. Now was the time for retribution. Now was the time to stay alive.

  The harsh reality was that they were in this place, at this hour, to help kill 400 Rha’ket’gar soldiers, and any distraction from this task might mean another Saje would not leave this planet alive. He didn’t want to lose one more person as they moved another step closer to finishing the Khonians’ tasks and being returned to their homes. He would do everything he could to prevent it.

  He looked at the faces of Kent and Nicole, bathed in the blue moons' light. “Let’s get them ready to move out,” he said, with as much determination as he could muster.

  They made their way through the dark, stopping about a mile from the enemies’ last known location. This would be their final rest before they attacked, and they were still far enough away to not draw attention. Jacob called for squad leaders to meet up and then waited in stoic silence while they gathered.

  The plan was really quite simple.

  The Saje would separate into three platoons, positioning themselves along the foot of Mount Hevaatie and the valley that ran east to west. Jacob would take his group the farthest east, while the second and third platoons would fan out west of him, staying at least a quarter of a mile from the edge of the valley. Shaped like an hourglass, the narrow valley was only about a hundred feet at its widest, with winding cliffs on each side, and rose no more than 25 feet high except in several spots.

  At 5 a.m., Jacob’s platoon would drop down into the valley and slam into the easternmost group of Rha’ket’gar soldiers. They would then turn west using their newly acquired firepower to push the enemy down the valley to the west. The Medic squad would stay behind Jacob’s group to help with any wounded along the way.

  There were two choke points in the valley—places where the walls came within 20 to 30 feet of each other—the first being about a mile in. There, the Rha’ket’gar would be able to put up a staunch defense. Jacob’s platoon, still using rifles hopefully, would apply just enough pressure to make them think they had stopped them.

  This is where Kent and his group would slam into the valley behind the first choke point and its defenders, watching to the west and flanking the defenders on the east, pinching them in between the two groups. Once that threat had been eliminated, the two platoons would join together and push on to the second choke point.

  If they were stopped there, then Nicole, leading the last group, would follow the same course of action as Kent. Theoretically, this would allow them to clear the choke points and push the remaining Rha’ket’gar out of the valley and onto the flat prairie toward the river to the west. There, the Khonian soldiers would be waiting in defensive positions, and the Close Air Support ships would be much more effective.

  It was a gamble, but when they had last gone up against the light-armored Infiltrators they had been unprepared with weak, ill-fitting armor and only swords to fight with. This time they were armed with more knowledge, better armor and the more powerful compression rifles that the Khonians had previously only used on defense weapons. They also had working communications equipment and hopefully a whole lot of good old-fashioned surprise on their side.

  Jacob opened his comms so that he could talk with the entire company. He gave the order for everyone to break out the ammunition, making sure that they carefully loaded the remaining belts in their ammo containers. He then sat and did the same, making sure to loosen the clasp that held his sword tight in its sheath.

  “This is it, my friends,” he said, looking back at his lieutenants. Today we go on the offensive, and take a large step towards home.” He stood up and secured his rifle on the right forearm of his armor.

  Kent stood up next and turned towards him. The two went to shake hands but instead ended up in a bear hug. “Be careful man, err… mate,” Jacob said as he let out a nervous little laugh.

  “You too mate, you too. Nicole stay safe, see you soon.” Kent bowed his head, turned and hurried off to gather his squads.

  Nicole stood up with her back to him. Just for a moment, he thought he saw the glint of a tear roll down her face. But, when she turned, her hair brushed across her check and he saw nothing but a smile. He might have imagined it.

  “Remember Nicole, you don’t have to engage them if they don’t stop—”

  She cut him off. “Yeah, yeah … this is my fight too.” She turned to leave, then quickly turned back and surprised him with a light kiss on the check. “See you in thirty, Jacob,” she said. “Be careful, mate.” And then she quickly walked away.

  Jacob took in a deep breath and slowly let it out as he recalled the names of the six Saje who were killed by Rha’ket’gar at Two Hills. He went through a mental checklist, made sure his kit was secure, and then, squaring his shoulders, he walked over to find his platoon.

  CHAPTER 14

  1

  Jacob’s group was fanned out to his right as they slowly worked their way towards the lip of the cliffs. When they reached their position, he motioned for everyone to get down and wait. In a low crouch, he slowly inched his way ahead using a small outcrop of rocks for cover as he tried to get a better look at the murky valley floor. All was quiet, even the light wind had tapered off.

  He peered out from behind his cover and spotted a group of sentries. They were standing on the top of the cliffs across the valley’s floor about 50 yards away. He couldn’t tell their exact numbers; some low bushes kept them partially concealed. He started to creep to his left to get a better view when he heard a light grating noise. Jacob froze; fear caught his breath in his throat as he slowly turned his head towards the sound.

  There sitting on a smaller ledge just below the one he was on, a second group of sentries—three in all—were sitting and talking to each other, half-hidden just behind a small outcrop. Jacob was just 30 feet away.

  It was still seven minutes to five, the planned start time, but the light was gathering fast. He had no way of knowing if Kent and Nicole had their platoons in position yet, but if his group waited much longer there could be trouble. The brighter it got, he knew they would be easy to spot soon. If just one of the sentries stood and glanced to his right, the element of surprise Jacob was counting on would be over.

  He silently closed the mask of his helmet, hoping it would mute the sound of his voice. He looked to the right at his closest platoon members. Judging by the size of their eyes, he could see that they knew they were in serious danger.

  His mouth had gone dry as he forced himself to speak as quietly as he could. “The three of you closest to me, you have to take out the group to our left. The next four … you focus on the group across the valley. Everyone else, go directly to the ledge. If you have shots take them. If not, jump down and prepare to move west.”

  Jacob slowly turned his head to the left and raised his visor back up so he could see better in the changing light. Just as he did someone spoke into their comms. “Understood.”

  The word rang out of his helmet, slicing through the silent, dew-filled air. A sentry in the closest group jumped to his feet. Jacob froze, his breath stuck in his chest. Time seemed to slow way down; a second felt like an eternity. Maybe he won’t see us he thought desperately … right before he saw the dark, slanted eyes of the Rha’ket’gar widen with recognition.

  “Now!” he yelled into his comms swinging the barrel of his compression rifle forward and thought, “FIRE!”

  With a fear-powered roar, the Saje surged to their feet and ran full bore towards the valley. The standing sentry was hit by multiple rounds, pushing him off his feet and propelling him over the cliff’s edge. The two other sentries never fully made it to their feet; the quarter-sized rounds tore through their chest armor like it was cardboard. The group across the valley didn’t even have enough time to be surprised before the compression rifles’ deadly rounds found their targets, riddling their bodies with bullets.

  At the edge of the cliff, the platoon stopped, shocked at the sight of about a hundred freshly awakened Rha’ket’gar scurrying to rise and arm themselves. For a full three one-thousand count there was relative silence. Then, a Rha’ket’gar—still half-lying down—misfired a shot, hitting the rocks two feet from the top of the cliff. As Jacob ran to join his team on the cliff’s edge, they all dropped to their stomachs and opened fire.

  The surprise attack had the desired effect. Their bullets rained down hard and fast until each of the 100-round clips emptied. Caught out in the open and sensing their demise, the Rha’ket’gar grabbed what gear they could and ran east down the valley towards the first choke. This time, it was their soldiers that fired wildly behind them as they went.

  Almost as if choreographed, everyone ran out of ammunition almost at the same time. “Reload!” Jacob yelled down the line. Technically it wasn’t necessary, though, because everyone had already reached for their second belt of ammunition.

  Every Rha’ket’gar that had not made it around the corner to the choke was lying in the valley either dead or wounded. “Endure, Survive, let’s get home alive,” Jacob yelled. And he waved the group forward over the cliff’s side.

  2

  When they got to the valley floor the squad paused just long enough to remove any potential danger by throwing the Rha’ket’gar’s dropped weapons onto the tops of the valley’s cliffs, out of their reach. The Saje did not have time to waste.

  About a half-mile away was the first choke point and 200 yards before it there was a left-hand bend in the valley. If they didn’t keep the pressure on, the Rha’ket’gar would have an opportunity to set up a defense there that would keep the Saje from putting rounds on the choke point.

  Jacob fell to the rear of the group in order to radio ahead to Kent and Nicole. “Kent, we are moving to the first choke point, will let you know when we get resistance.”

  “Gotcha Jacob, we are ready when you need us,” he confirmed.

  Jacob threw a quick glance behind him and caught a glimpse of Jenna and the Medic squad jumping down into the valley. He was willing to bet that she was as happy as he was that so far there were no wounded to help with. They pushed on at a trot only easing up when they neared the bend.

  Giving the Saje a quick chance to regroup, Jacob climbed a few feet up on the rocks to try and get a better view around the bend. As he did, dust kicked up and bounced off his visor as a spray of bullets hit the rocks nearby, sending debris all over him; he quickly yanked his head back.

  He’d been able to catch a glimpse of 20 or so wounded Rha’ket’gar trying to make their way to the choke point. And who knew how many were already there. He ordered the platoon into covered firing positions, and after two minutes of exchanging fire he made the call to Kent.

  3

  Kent and Nicole had led their groups west together for a mile or so before they parted ways. Kent had managed to get his platoon into position ahead of schedule and, with no sentries in sight, had moved to about 100 yards from the cliff’s edge. He’d told his squads to relax and then tried to take deep slow breaths to ease his own built-up tension.

  He’d checked the time on his display so often that he had to forcibly tell himself to stop. Jacob would let him know before he and his team started their run. The morning had been so clear and peaceful that he nearly jumped straight up out of his armor when the first sounds of firing shattered the calm. “What time is it,” he’d hissed to the squad leader to his right.

  “Only 4:53 a.m., mate.”

  They must have started early for some reason, he’d thought to himself and tried not to imagine why.

  As the firing had intensified for the second time, he’d been about a half-second from ordering his platoon to charge early when Jacob’s voice came over the comms. It was almost time for their part in the plan to kick off.

  He looked at the line of Saje to his right and gave a weak smile and a nod. He tried to appear calm, but inside he felt a tension take over his entire body, unlike anything he’d ever experienced. He didn’t even have to look at the faces around him to know they mirrored his own. They had friends in harm’s way at that very moment.

  They were all ready and waiting when Jacob’s call came in the second time. They were so ready in fact that, before he was even halfway through telling Kent to move his platoon up, they were already running full bore towards the valley. They had lost friends; they didn’t want to lose more, and besides … it was payback time.

 

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