The Nest; Shadow Raptors Volume III by Sławomir Nieściur

Author:Sławomir Nieściur
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Oumuamua, Epsilon Eridani, alien species, war flotilla, military space command, space ship, asteroid, space colony, space habitat
Publisher: Royal Hawaiian Press
Published: 2023-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

11

The wreck of Oumuamua

The Epsilon Eridani planetary system

At the sight of the massive hulls of the ultim emerging from the thick haze above the hill, Feher dove under the nearest truck, quickly crawled to the other side of the aggregate rampart, and rushed to the transport. Even though the dropship's loading ramp was still lowered, its launch engines were already idling, kicking up clouds of dust around the ship.

"Retreat! Retreat!" Townsend's panicked voice came from the headphones as Laszlo jumped up the ramp. "Everyone to the transporter! I repeat, everyone to the transport!"

He stopped at the threshold of the hold and looked back towards the rampart.

He couldn't see the plateau behind the landing site and the hillside, as they were obscured by the vertically raised cargo beds of the trucks, but he could see the enemy fighters perfectly: both Skunian machines were moving slowly towards the excavation, spitting down beams of plasma from the miniature artillery turrets placed radially on the round hulls. Geysers of molten rock shot up from the places where the plasma hit. From time to time, the guns mounted on their drive modules also came to life, sending long series of kinetic missiles into the fiery hell below.

"Faster! While they are still walking! If they go into maneuver mode, we'll be gone!" Townsend screamed. "Laszlo, can you hear me?"

"Yes, I hear that," he confirmed.

"What about yours?"

"They're taking the equipment to the pad."

"Tell them to go to hell and get to the transport! Immediately!"

"I don't have to, Jo, we're on an open channel," he explained. "Right, guys?" he asked a little louder.

"Yes, boss, we heard every word!" said the head of the mining brigade. "The machines are secured and prepared, we are already in the transporter. We're still waiting for the assembly people, they should be here any minute... Oh, they're here!" There was a growing hum in the headphones, followed by the familiar whistling sound of the maneuvering engines firing.

Feher leaned over the railing surrounding the ramp and looked at the southern end of the landing field. The transport rose, spewing jets of rocket fire from its powerful jets. Its twin artillery turrets located at the stern had their barrels turned towards the hill.

"First, report!" Townsend called the first team leader. "First, can you hear me?!" she repeated the question when no answer came. "Talk to me!"

From behind the barricade, suddenly, columns of dust, smoke and pieces of rock shot out from behind the barricade, at least thirty meters high. Before the fragments could fall on the landing pad, three soldiers in heat-smeared suits crawled out from between the vehicles and moved towards the transport.

"This is Second... They destroyed our positions..." a broken, male voice crackled in the headphones.

"Where's the rest?"

"They're dead."

"Run to the transport!"

"Yes... that's right..." gasped the soldier.

"Third, report!"

"Third is reporting, we are already at the ship," reported the commander of the last team.

"Losses?"

"No losses."

"Help those guys, we're leaving soon."

Only now did Feher notice the soldiers crouching behind the ship's wide skids. Several of

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