Barbarians

When I woke up, the rain was pourin' down

There were people standing all around

Something warm runnin' in my eyes

But somehow I found my baby that night

I lifted her head, she looked at me and said

"Hold me darling, just a little while."

I held her close, I kissed her our last kiss

I found the love that I knew I would miss

But now she's gone, even though I hold her tight

I lost my love, my life, that night.

Pearl Jam - “Last Kiss”

No one had ever tried what Admiral Otxoa was now attempting, not under real-world conditions. They had received training on it over the years, but it had almost been perfunctory. They couldn’t imagine a scenario where it might prove useful...not until now. It was a gamble, but safe and sane had stopped being considerations days ago. Now it was all about survival.

Whatever the cost.

“Adjust your course to 032 by Mark 291,” she ordered the fleet, taking them even closer to the planet, as the machine fleet moved to close the distance. She smiled thinly, pleased that they weren’t backing off...and why would they? They were much less susceptible to gravity and other constraints than the biological life forms they were planning to wipe out. Perhaps they saw this as their best chance to end the battle, once and for all.

Time to show them otherwise, Adelais mused, as their lead ships began to glow, feeling the convective heating of Gzuj’s atmosphere. The battleships, cruisers, and destroyers screamed in protest as they clawed through the air, banking hard as they managed a much tighter turn than would have been possible in space. The Aerogravity Assist had been introduced to the Tetrarchy fleet by none other than Field Marshal Kwasi Antuma himself, and Otxoa was gratified she could honor the great man by using his tactic at last.

“Make that turn tighter, goddamn it!” she snarled, as the fleet fought for every spare newton of Delta-v the radical maneuver would allow, the sound of shrieking metal reverberating through the corridors of every vessel in the fleet. Some of her ships, already damaged during the long-running battle, disintegrated under the strain, exploding in balls of eye-searing plasma, but Admiral Otxoa held her course. Had anyone on the ground observed them, it would have been an incredible sight...hundreds of fire trails streaking across the sky, a continuous rolling wave of sonic booms as they blasted through the heavens.

The machine fleet had calculated their enemy’s flight path down to the last meter. They knew exactly when and where they would find their prey. The sudden appearance of Admiral Otxoa and her ships exploding out of the atmosphere showed them the error of their calculations.

The Alliance fleet howled in triumph as they tore into the machine’s flanks, shredding their formation to pieces.

Another reverberating thrum echoed through the tunnels as the team raced into the depths of the labyrinth, seeking the enemy ships they’d spotted prior to the ambush. Graybird’s instruments swore they were near, but…

They ground to a halt as they came out into a massive cavern, with hundreds of ships surrounding them in every direction. Yet another pulse sent shock waves through the air, spurring them forward, as Tango pointed to the craft nearest to them. “No time to be picky,” she growled, as they made a beeline for the enemy vessel. It only took a few moments to gain access...apparently the machines had a somewhat lax attitude for security...followed by several more minutes of forced idleness as Musashi and Graybird worked out the controls.

“Got it!” their pilot shouted, as the ship’s engines came to life. Musashi grabbed the controls and lifted the craft into the air, as Tango loomed over his shoulder.

“Find the power plant,” she ordered, even as they were buffeted by yet another seismic rumble. “They’re coming faster now,” she said, “which means we’re running out of time.”

“On it,” Musashi nodded, as Graybird brought navigation and weapons online. A quick scan of the schematics pointed them in the right direction, even as they spotted machines appearing from the tunnels, racing for the other craft.

“Scratch that...make a pass over the flight line first,” she snapped. “We can’t let them take to the sky.”

Musashi slewed the ship around as Graybird brought up the energy weapons. Aiming was almost a moot point...as tightly packed as the craft were a shot anywhere was bound to hit something. But they were professionals above all else and randomly spraying the machine aerodrome with fire offended them on an almost visceral level.

Which is why the almost razor-straight line of explosions they left in the wake was so gratifying.

“That should slow them down,” Tango grinned, as another of the cascading shock waves sent metallic vibrations through their teeth. Musashi threaded the ship through the cavern, with Graybird navigating him through the worst of it...bring them to the power plant just a handful of minutes later.

“Jesus,” Tango whispered, as they stared at the writhing mass of bodies, clawing to get it. It was like watching an army of ants devouring a carcass, and her features turned hard as she gave the order.

“...Light ‘em up.”

Jiyazh’s weapon barked again and again as the trio fought a tactical withdrawal. They’d blocked the entrances as best they could, but the trio had underestimated the sheer number of enemies hurling themselves at the walls, desperate to prevent the cascade failure from destroying all they’d built.

Nassat slapped in a fresh magazine, firing into the mass of machines coming at them, while Whisper’s ax cleaved, again and again, sending machine parts flying in every direction.

The Dhyaksh howled with the joy and rage of the berserkergang, while Whisper giggled and laughed with the manic glee of the insane. Nassat, however, remained silent, focusing instead on the task at hand, using what wits he still possessed to buy them enough time to finish the mission.

The great structure rumbled with yet another shockwave, triggered by Whisper’s bomb-induced cascade failure. They were coming faster now, and in greater strength and power, and only the massive edifice protected them from the worst of its effects...though as each wave struck the machines would screech and wobble, buying them much needed time to fall back. Nassat did not know why the machines were so affected, but he was glad for it.

It was the only reason they were still alive.

He reached for a fresh magazine and came up empty. “Jiyazh!” he shouted, who barely spared him a glance as he threw him his own pistol. The Saurotaur fumbled the catch, using up precious seconds before he gripped the unfamiliar weapon and began pulling the trigger once more. It was a stop-gap, for there was no way they could keep this up for much longer. And as for escape...that was no longer an option.

Nassat was still certain of that when the power plant was suddenly bathed with a white-hot flame.

“Faster!” Taichist screamed, all but dragging his sister through the tunnels as they began to shake and tremble. The strange rumbling had grown worse as they’d journeyed back to the surface, so much so he feared the maze they were scurrying through was in danger of collapse.

Chechla stumbled, gripping her brother’s arm for support as they ran for their lives. They hadn’t seen a machine since they’d begun their mad sprint to freedom...and thank the Creator for that...but she couldn’t help feeling their absence was an ominous sign in its own right.

The ground lurched beneath their feet, sending them sprawling, before they both staggered back to their feet and began running once again. She longed to stop and catch her breath, to drink from her water supply, but there was no time...no time for anything but the race to survive.

“There!” her brother shouted with elation, pointing at a dim glow far ahead. “We’re almost out!” Chechla squinted, almost afraid to believe Taichist spoke the truth, but as he twins drew nearer, she could see for herself they had made it, despite the long odds against them.

“...thank the Creator,” she whispered, her energy all but spent, as she struggled to keep up with her sibling’s gallop in the final stretch...as the ground suddenly gave way beneath her hooves.

Chechla screamed in terror, her stomach lurching as she fell...only to be yanked up short as Taichist grabbed her arm to stop her plunge. He gritted his teeth, his every muscle straining with the effort as he inched his way back from the precipice that had opened up, digging in his hooves to drag her to safety. Her arm felt as if it was being torn from its socket, the other flailing before it found purchase. Inch by inch he hauled her out of the chasm, gasping with the effort, even as the vibrations grew more violent around them.

“...come on,” he hissed, his body screaming in agony as he fought to save his sister’s life, even as the surrounding terrain continued to collapse. Pits and crevasses were appearing all around them as Chechla’s hooves found foothold once again. They stumbled and staggered, each dragging the other forward as the planet screamed and shook, before collapsing in exhaustion at the lip of the newly formed abyss.

A machine craft exploded from the soil a mere heartbeat after, sending a shower of rock and dirt in every direction. It hung in the air for the briefest of instants, before it came crashing back down, coming to rest a few dozen meters away. The pair stared at the sight and then held each other’s hands as they watched the hatch open. They’d lost their weapons during their escape, and when the machines piloting that craft came for them…

“...Tango?” Taichist said in disbelief, as the familiar face grinned back at them while she climbed out from the wreckage. “Tango!” he shouted in delight, as he and his sister staggered over to greet her. She grabbed them both in a massive hug, holding them tight, refusing to let go.

“God damn, it’s good to see you two,” she said, her voice filled with emotion.

“And you,” Chechla whispered, her eyes widening as she spotted other figures emerging from the ruined ship. “Father?” she asked, filled with sudden hope, as she looked up to her mentor.

But then Tango turned away and closed her eyes. “...sorry kid,” she whispered.

Chechla felt the ground collapse beneath her once more, though the seismic waves had ceased.

“FATHER!” she screamed, in grief and anguish.