The Icarian Legacy Collected Edition: Brave Souls - First Strike (Volume 3) (53 page)

“Alpha this is base. Wait for the security and science teams. They’ll be there in three.”

“Copy that. You can approach through the top decks. The bridge is open to space.”

“Roger that. Base out.”

He turned to the men searching the bridge.

“Stop the search. We have a second team coming and they have a science team with them. They will know what to look for.”

The soldiers stopped and left the bridge.

“This is Alpha to all teams report.”

“Beta here Sir, we located several survivors so far but they all had to be eliminated. I lost two men in the firefights. Continuing to Delta’s positions they seem to have located a larger group. Team’s Gamma and Theta are also heading there.”

“Copy that. Be careful we will join you in several minutes.”

“Yes sir we’ll be waiting.”

“Delta I want you to wait reinforcements and just keep them contained until I arrive. Try to block their exits.”

“Yes sir. We have a really large group here. I lost seven men when we encountered them we had to retreat. We are keeping them in place for now. But we will need assistance. I have a hundred plus in there.”

“Help is on the way. Just hand tight.”

“Yes sir.”

“This is Alpha to all teams advance to delta’s positions. I say again advance to Delta’s positions.”

He got confirmation from all of them, and the reports about their losses.

So far seventeen men were dead. Ten more were wounded. He expected that kind of losses. This was a battle on a rough turf. The Dacarians may have been badly beaten but they were professional soldiers and this was a ship they knew well. And with all the damage it had taken and the debris all around it offered many hiding places. He was lucky that the losses were such as they are.

Their replacement arrived several minutes later. It had forty men that were waiting outside at their starting point for this. Ten were scientists and as soon as they arrived they immediately started searching the bridge.

He gave his commands to the lieutenant leading the team and he and his men headed towards the position of Delta.

As they arrived he noticed that all teams were here. The dacarians were surrounded and blocked.

Kal Shar looked at the group of legionaries he had. With the people that arrived previously and with the ones he had his forces now had over hundred and thirty legionaries. He also had sixty three wounded. He didn’t know how many humans were outside but he knew that he was blocked. His men tried twice to break through and spread the fight in to other decks but they were stopped mercilessly. The humans lost seven men in the first shootout and several more after it but he lost thirty five.

Their weapons penetrated the armor the legionaries wore with ease. They used projectile weapons, a weapon that the legionaries weren’t used to fighting. Their armor could deflect energy weapons, and even light caliber projectile weapons but the humans were using armor piercing bullets that tore through armor and flesh like it was paper. He positioned his men in to covering positions. All he could do was sit and wait for the inevitable. It was sad that it ended like this. He was part of the Al Mach clan. Several of the legionaries were also. They all awaited the arrival in to this system and hoped to see their leader here. Ristarion was part of the scout force. But now he knew that his master was dead. That was a terrible blow for his clan. And thousands of legionaries that served Ristarion and his uncle were now dead as well. It filled him with anger as he remembered Guntar Al Mach. The older one was on a planet in the Arcadian system. He was the one that agreed to this plan and as he was superior to Ristarion the younger one had to agree even though he objected rigorously. And now he and everyone else were dead. He hoped that Gara managed to destroy the data chips on the bridge. These humans had to be stopped from knowing anything about the empire, at any cost.

He lost the contact with the centurion a long time ago but his last report was that he was entering the bridge.

The legionaries guarding the front showed that the humans just received more man and that they are preparing to move.

Fillip looked at his men. They were all ready. Hi gave the signal and smoke and stun grenades flew among the ranks of the legionaries. Several M67 grenades followed. They could all hear the screams of the alien soldiers as they were consumed by the shrapnel’s. As the grenades exploded he and his men advanced.

The smoke surprised Kal Shar and his men. And the grenades that exploded killed most of his legionaries that were guarding the entrances.

And those that survived the initial attack were cut down by the advancing humans. He was impressed.  He and his men opened fire but considering the amount of smoke it was hard to see anything. And the smoke was making the breading harder as well.

He gave the order to retreat to the center of the hall were several desks and other items were arranged in barricade as a last line of defense. The wounded were placed there. But as they retreated he noticed that only a third of his men managed to get to the safety of the barricade.  The rest were dead. Several humans lay among them but the number of dead legionaries was far greater.

The humans tried once to storm the barricade but they were repealed.  Eleven of them lay dead as a result of that but nineteen of his people were dead as well, most falling victims to the grenades the humans threw before the assault. Many more were wounded. He knew that the next attack will break them. He was ready to die, and as he turned to his men he noticed that they were ready as well.

As the smoke cleared he could see the humans taking positions among the wreckage. They were wearing primitive armor space suites. He couldn’t see exactly how many they were but he was sure that they outnumber his forces at least three to one. Bodies were spread out everywhere most of them legionaries. He sighed and waited for the next attack.

Fillip watched the remaining legionaries. They were well hidden behind the barricade that they obviously designed on the other side of the room.

He knew that any attack will mean many casualties among his men. He already lost sixty men that were either killed or wounded. He thought for a moment.

“We should use our grenades all that we have. That should be enough to finally finish and break them.”

“We have orders to secure prisoners. There can’t be that many behind that barricade. Not ones that would be capable of fighting anyhow.”

“Then what do you plan to do sir?”

Fillip looked at the barricade again. And then he looked at the bodies of the dead aliens. They were laying everywhere. As he watched he noticed a symbol on the armor of several that looked familiar. He remembered the aliens he killed and the strange badge the last one gave him. He was still wearing it under his armor.

“I want to try something. I want everyone to remain calm and no one to fire. I will try to talk to them.”

“Talk to them? Sir sorry but have you lost your mind? They will kill you for sure.”

He looked at the lieutenant.

Zoran was his second in command and also his friend. He valued his advice but something deep inside him told him that he needs to do this.

“It will be ok lieutenant.”

“How do you plan to make them listen?”

Fillip started to take of his armor. As he did that he turned to Zoran.

“Remember the mountain and the dead aliens?”

Zoran looked at him with surprise. He stayed silent but Fillip knew he understood.

When he was finished he took a white scarf and waved with it for the Dacarians to be able to see it.

Kal Shar looked with surprise as the human waved the white flag. He didn’t know its meaning.

As he watched he noticed that the human waving it was out of his armor.

“I want to talk… I want to speak with a member of the AL Mach clan.”

Fillip spoke in Latin. He repeated his words two more times. And then he spoke in ancient Greek as well.

Kal Shar was shocked as he heard the name of his clan being spoken. So were the rest of the survivors. They were few, sixteen legionaries that weren’t wounded and twenty three wounded.

The human spoke again this time in a different language. Then he repeated the request in the language the dacarians knew as Latin a language that a great majority of the human slaves spoke.

He thought about a second and then he responded.

“How do you know that name?”

“Come out to speak and I will tell you. We will meet in the middle of the room.”

Kal Shar thought for a second. He turned to one of his legionaries.

“Don’t shoot. Not unless they open fire.”

He got nods from all of them. Most of them were members of the Al Mach clan and he could see the same questions he had in their eyes.

He left his gun and stepped out. As he did the human stepped out as well.

He was out of his armor. He was dressed in military fatigues. As he watched him he noticed that he was young. He had a well-developed body. And at the same time the human was watching him.

They met as they agreed. Fillip noticed that the dacarian was tall but not as tall as the one he fought three years ago. He still wore the medallion under his shirt. He remembered the last words of Ristarion.

Kal Shar spoke first.

“How do you know the name Al Mach human?”

Fillip watched him for a second looking for the sign of the clan as he noticed it he smiled. He was right.

“A long time ago someone gave me these as proof that honor exists even among enemies.”

At those words Fillip pooled out the medallion and handed it to the legionary.

Kal Shar stepped back as he noticed the medallion in the hands of the human. He felt a strange weakness overtaking him. And as he saw the human as he looked in to his eyes he felt that the human knew.

“How did he die?”

“The same way he lived. He died with honor. He was a legionary till the end.”

“He died by your hand?”

At these words he noticed the alien’s hand going towards the sword.

Several red dots appeared on his chest and head. The alien didn’t seem to notice them.

“He died by my hand yes. It …it was his last request. He told me to give this to his father if I ever see him, or to a member of his clan.”

He handed the medallion to the alien. He took it and looked at it. As Fillip watched the alien said some prayer. Fillip raised his hand to stop his men from shooting.

“Did anyone survive?”

“No. They all died fighting.”

After this they both stayed quiet for a moment. Kal Shar looked in to the medallion and then he looked at the eyes of the human. The human looked back. He saw no fear and no hate in to those eyes. Instead what he saw was honor and respect. He handed the medallion to the human.

“He gave it to you. You should keep it. Thank you for the truth human.”

“My name is Fillip.”

“I’m called Kal Shar. Kal Shar Al Mach.”

Kal Shar looked at the human.

“What do you want from me human?”

“That you stop fighting and surrender. There is no need for you and your men to die.”

“There is no honor in surrender.”

“And there is none in dying like this. You know I’m a man of my word. This proves it.”

He showed at the medallion.

“Yes I know that. But we will break our oath if we surrender.”

“This war…it might be over someday…it will be over someday…than you and your men will be allowed to go home.”

“This war … this war Alteran has lasted since the first day our two races met on the battle field. You are an honorable race, a race we respect but a race that will always be our enemy.”

Fillip sighed.

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Don’t be. It will be an honor to die by your and by the hands of the men you command. All I ask is that you give as several moments before you attack.”

Kal Shar caught the hand of the human in a greeting that the human slaves showed. The human responded with a smile.

“You will have them. The honor will be ours.

After this they both turned and stepped back. As Kal Shar returned behind the barricade his men looked at him.

“What did he want?”

Kal Shar turned and looked at the humans.

“To tell us that there is honor even among enemies.”

The legionaries stayed quiet. As he turned towards the wounded there was no need of saying the order. They knew.

They took out their kerasa swords and most with effort stood on their knees.

“In the emperor’s name we die. In his name we give our lives.”

“In his name we take them.”

As the swords went down there were no screams. The lifeless bodies just slipped and fell to the floor. The legionaries that could fight returned to the barricade.  Kal Shar raised his sword and shook it.

He knew that the humans will know what it means.