Barbarians

And if the music stops

There's only the sound of the rain

All the hope and glory

All the sacrifice in vain

And if love remains

Though everything is lost

We will pay the price

But we will not count the cost

Rush - “Bravado”

“...come on!” Taichist shouted at his sister, grabbing her arm and yanking her back to her feet as they raced down the tunnel. Her response was a burst from her weapon, dropping another machine in mid-leap coming from their rear. Within seconds of escaping from the ambush, the pair had discovered to their dismay they were hopelessly lost, cut off from the rest of the group. They had lost all communication with the others since the ambush, despite their frantic efforts. Going back wasn’t an option, the sounds of pursuit disposing them of that notion in a heartbeat.

“Where are we?” Chechla panted, as her brother slapped another magazine into his rifle.

“I don’t know!” he exclaimed, skidding to a halt as they came to a small chamber that sported three separate egresses. They stared at the openings in confusion before he turned to his sister. “Which one do we choose?”

The sound of metal scraping stone spurred them into action. “This one!” Chechla screamed, grabbing her brother’s arm and dragging him off towards the leftmost exit.

BOOM!

The explosion echoed like a thunderclap, coating them with smoke and rock dust as the tunnel collapsed behind them.

“That should slow them down,” Graybird scowled, as he readied another charge.

“They’ll work their way around us,” Musashi predicted, even as Tango scanned the tunnel ahead of them. “Do we look for a way out, or head deeper in?” he asked.

She’d been asking herself that same question and didn’t much care for the answer. “They’ve got the exits sealed by now,” she growled, “that was their plan all along.”

“So...down it is,” Musashi sighed, as he checked his ammo.

“If we can get to the power plant, we still have a shot of drawing them off,” Tango told them. “At least some will make it out.” She shook her head before glancing at the hacker. “How many more of those charges have you got?”

“...not enough,” he said quietly. “Somehow, I always knew it would end like this.”

“We’re not dead yet,” she snarled, as they pressed forward once more.

“Shit,” Admiral Otxoa cursed, as the machine fleet turned in unison and met her attack.

She hadn’t expected them to just remain passive in place and absorb her blows, but once again she had a sneaking suspicion this latest reaction of theirs had little to do with her. The timing made no sense for it to be a response to her charge into battle: had they reacted sooner they could have blunted her sortie, yet if they’d waited they might have lured her into an impromptu ambush. Reciprocating her efforts now bought them the worst of both worlds...too late to slow her assault, and far too early if they hoped to turn her flank.

Which led Adelais to suspect it wasn’t her efforts the enemy was responding to, but those of General Nassat and Dhyaksh Jiyazh Ghuuyaz. Again.

That pair’s aptitude for causing trouble knows no bounds, she thought to herself, even as she ordered the shields they’d salvaged further forward to blunt the machine’s counterattack. It didn’t give her anywhere near the coverage they’d enjoyed with Phalange, but she’d take every advantage she could beg, borrow, or steal.

There was no time for finesse. “This is Admiral Otxoa to all ships of the allied fleet,” she announced over the command frequency. “Target the lead elements of the enemy formation and fire!”

Khonhim missiles and Tetrarchy antimatter projectiles filled the empty space once more, as the enemy’s energy beams lashed out to meet them. Despite the ferocious power of the machine’s weapons, the allied fleet hammered their formation, blasting holes in the ranks as they began to give ground...though not without cost. Despite the protection of the shields, the beams tore great gouges through the fleet, but Adelais could feel the momentum shift. Just a little longer, and…

“Admiral!” her tactical officer shouted, “we’re getting new readings relayed from the planet! We’re seeing a massive buildup of energy, and…” The lieutenant froze as the numbers firmed up, his face going white.

“And what?” Otxoa demanded.

He struggled to meet her gaze. “Admiral...the readings seem to show a second fleet, getting ready to launch.”

The news rocked her back on her heels. “Dear God,” she whispered, “if that’s true…” She stared at the new projections, her mind spinning. If those figures were correct, the one thing they could not do was let that second fleet off the planet. She didn’t understand why they’d waited until now to spring their trap, but because they had she had a very narrow window of opportunity...and only one option left to her.

“Break off the attack and come about,” she ordered, “best speed to Gzuj. We have no choice but to prevent that second fleet’s launch.”

“Aye aye ma’am,” the lieutenant acknowledged. “At what point do we engage their vessels?”

“...before they ever reach orbit,” she said, as the officer gaped at her.

“But Admiral...our ground forces…” he began.

“Don’t you think I know that?” she snapped. “Our responsibility is to the entire Alliance...and if General Nassat and his team can’t stop them, then we must.” She rose to her feet as the bridge went silent.

“Under no circumstances do those ships make it off the surface,” she ordered, “even if we have to shatter the goddamn planet to prevent it.”

Weapon's fire seemed to fill the surrounding tunnels as they raced ahead. How many of the troops they’d brought underground were still alive was anyone’s guess, but if there was any silver lining at all to be found in this disaster, it was that splitting up their forces had obliged the enemy to do the same. They still held a massive numerical advantage, but if they could just keep moving, stay one step ahead…

“There!” Jiyazh shouted, pointing at a massive set of doors. “That must be it!” The trio plunged forward, bolting for the entrance, even as Whisper slapped a breaching charge on the locking mechanism and dove for cover, with Nassat and the Dhyaksh a split-second behind him.

The ordinance detonated with a thundering Crack, sending large chunks of the portal crashing to the ground, not to mention parts of the surrounding wall and ceiling. Not bothering to rest on their laurels they charged into the structure through the smoke and falling debris...only to come face to face with an enemy squad of machines blocking their path.

That the Khonhim had four upper limbs had its advantages with weapons, as Jiyazh pumped round after round from his heavy rifle while also firing his sidearm with one of his free hands helped keep the enemy at bay...even as the madman Whisper leapt into the middle of their defensive line, his ax flashing in the dim light. Nassat had lost his own slug thrower somewhere during the mad dash to escape, but he held his autopistol, a twin to the ones Tango carried, in both hands, firing one deliberate round after another into the enemy ranks.

The machines never stood a chance. Between their surprise appearance, the disorientation caused by the explosion, and the sheer ferocity of their attack, they smashed their way through the enemy like so many pins. One moment they faced a dozen enemy machines, and the next...broken metal chassis’ lay strewn about their feet.

The triad struggled to catch their breaths...none of them were young anymore...even as they searched their surroundings for new targets. “...nothing,” the Saurotaur pronounced, in between gasps.

“For the moment,” the Khonhim leader said, before facing the lone human. “Are you certain this is it?” he demanded.

“Oh yeah,” Whisper grinned, resting his ax on his shoulder. “I’ve been on enough of these excursions to recognize a power plant when I see one.”

“Then we must disable it quickly,” Nassat pronounced, “before the machines reinforce.”

Jiyazh let his eyes wander about the massive interior. “Easier said than done, I suspect.”

Whisper just threw back his head and laughed. “Trust me, there’s always at least one key component to something like this. You take that out, and boom!” he chortled.

“How will we find it?” Nassat asked. “None of us are engineers.”

“Oh, that’s easy,” the madman grinned, lifting his ax from his shoulder and using it as a pointer. “Just follow the conduits. They’ll always lead you to where they keep the good stuff.”

The other two shared a brief glance before shrugging in unison. “Then let us end this,” the Dhyaksh announced as they scurried deeper inside the complex.