Alien vs. Predator: Armageddon (The Rage War) by Tim Lebbon

Author:Tim Lebbon [Lebbon, Tim]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Titan
Published: 2016-09-27T00:00:00+00:00

15

LILIYA

Drophole Gamma 117

December 2692 AD

Satan’s Savior came out of warp half a million miles from the drophole, the crew ready for a fight, the Tanns strapped into their seats, Liliya still pierced with wires and tubes from the experiments they’d been performing on her.

Hashori was the first to speak, in her language of clicks and groans.

“She needs to access communications,” Liliya said. The big Yautja looked even larger, squeezed into a human seat, wearing her helmet and grasping her battle spear as if ready for a one-on-one confrontation.

“Drophole ahead,” Millard announced, bringing up various views on the bridge’s holo screens.

“Defenses?” Captain Ware asked.

“Scanning,” Hoot said. He worked his control station with fluid grace, never still. “Three ships.”

“I must have communications!” Hashori said via the android.

“Not now, big girl,” Ware said. “Can’t you see we’re—”

Before she could finish, Hashori was already unstrapped and drifting across to Robo’s communications station, expertly managing the zero-G.

“Hoot?” Ware prompted. Then she glanced back at Liliya.

“I don’t know what’s wrong,” Liliya said.

“Don’t recognize the ships’s traces,” Hoot said. “Assume they’re Rage. Gamma 117’s central control was on a close-orbit station. It looks like it’s powerless, and stuck in an irregular elliptical orbit.”

“It’s been blasted,” Millard said.

“Ships have seen us,” Hoot said. “They’re swinging around.”

“All yours,” Ware said.

Hoot opened up with everything the Satan’s Savior had. The plan had been to drop out of warp and attack the moment they confirmed that the drophole was guarded by Rage ships, using surprise to their advantage. It appeared to Liliya, however, that these ships did not seem very surprised.

Satan’s Savior shuddered as a range of weapons opened fire. Laser blasts streaked across the space between them and the huge drophole. A plasma spurt followed, and six drones carved their own random paths across space. Explosions appeared on the holo screens, smaller detonations marking the Rage ships’ countermeasures.

“Now!” Hashori said, looming over Robo.

“Okay,” Ware said, and the crew member surrendered her comms unit to the big Yautja once again.

Liliya glanced to her right, at the Tanns. The husband and wife sat side by side, but did not look afraid. She supposed their expressions might have been resignation.

“A hit!” Hoot exclaimed. “It’s damaged and venting, but still functioning. The other two ships are coming right at us.”

“No way it could survive impacts like that,” Ware said.

“They’re shielded,” Liliya said. “Most of your munitions will ricochet away from them.”

“Ricochet this,” Hoot said, and another shattering burst of fire erupted toward the enemy vessels.

Without sitting Hashori connected to the communications point, the forearm panel of her battle suit open and flickering. She tilted her head to one side.

“Damaged ship’s toast,” Hoot said.

“They’re opening fire,” Ware said.

“Initiating avoidance measures.” Millard sent the ship into a pre-programmed series of ducks and dives, and the view from the ports spun and streaked as distant stars danced. They shook as a detonation erupted nearby, and several warnings chimed.

Liliya’s eyes were on Hashori. She was almost ignoring the battle, and for a Yautja that was extremely unusual. Though

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.