Planet Empire Chap 4
(Britain 8 years later)
Having successfully pushed the raptoric hoards from the south more invaded from the nothern regions. All communication from Europe lost with radios out from both allied and axis powers. Word from the legendary Captain Hayes, whom had taken over when Colt fell, had been lost years ago. The relcs had advanced in their technologies wearing plated armor and utilizing human weaponry to their designs.
Sullivan was more aware of surroundings. Having been given to share command of a joint force operation this unit was designed take out a Relc platoon. Having to put up with another commander, Fritz, Sullivan protested the move by Kaz. The stubborn general would not hear any of it. Something about there being ‘no whiners in war'.
Forced again to march at night this night seemed too similar to that of Colts demise. The force of three hundred in their ranks, though little in their size they'd at least know what they would be coming up against. A couple of tanks brought up the rear mounted with searchlight which could be turned on at a moments notice.
Another grassy hill. Sullivan hated these. They were the epitome of certain defeat. An officer had to practically guess as to how many to send over. Send too few and they'd fall quickly. Send too many and you leave yourself vulnerable from the sides.
The brigades came to a halt. A fuzzy noise came from the tall grass on the other side. "Quiet" he ordered.
"What is it sir?" a Corpal asked.
"They are close!" Sullivan responded.
"What?" the other ignorant commander annoyed, "Its just some damn coyote chowing down. Don't bull-"
"Then if you're so sure then you play scout." Sullivan challenged.
Fritz was not one to back down especially in front of his brigade. "Second brigade move out." He shouted. A line of sixty to seventy soldiers move of the hill. A general (humvee) with a mounted machine gun staked a position off to the side. Sullivan silently sent orders for the mortars to take the front of his lines. With bold determination Fritz walk ahead of his own infantry and approaches the brush. The noise ends abruptly. The advancing brigade stopped behind him about a hundred feet behind Fritz. Fritz looked back at Sullivan. "There's nothing-"
With a loud ear piercing shriek an armored raptor plows from behind and tearing through Fritz back. The commander disappeared in a haze of red. Forty other armored relcs rush out from the brush and descend upon the helpless brigade. The line disintegrated within a few seconds. Sullivan's brigades began to open fire as the hoards approached. Some fell but most reflected off the armor.
"Our guns are useless sir!
Sullivan thought quickly. "Aim mortars five degrees" The raptors approach closer. "Fire!" A barrage of artillery rounds shoot directly into the incoming assault. One unlucky Relc caught a round through its mouth while roaring its battle cry. The round exploded in its mid section sending pieces him everywhere. "Grenades." Sullivan yelled, "Throw all you've got now" A large black cloud of the small black explosives flew forward massing on the ground. The second wave of the assault were thrown upward from the bombardment and cascaded back down.
Another line of the fierce Relcs charges out from the brush.
"They just keep coming-" a soldier said despairingly.
"Ferret one are you in position?" Sullivan radioed.
The driver shifted the controls and lowered the cold barrel. "Ferret one is in position."
"Wait for my call." The brigade commander stepped out towards the advancing force.
The driver sang to himself, "Roasty toasty dinosaurs, gonna have some with burnt toast-"
"Fire!" came the order.
The tank fired its main turret unleashing a stream of flame. The long whip like stream stuck to everything it came in contact with. The raptors were instantly consumed by its raging intensity. Flesh boiled under the thick melting armor. The creatures wailed in agony, their skin and scaled melded into the metal. The inferno continued even after the tank had ceased spewing its hellish weapon.
Something shifted suddenly in front of Sullivan and leaped out of the blazing inferno. "Sul!" a figure yelled as it leaped across and intercepted the raptor in mid air. The creature fell headless. The figure moved into the shadows.
Sulivan recognized the voice a bit, "Colt is that you?"
"Don't come any closer." The deep voice growled back hidden in the darkness. The voice was deeper than what he had remembered but it was unmistakably Colts'.
"But your dead."
"I am dead so lets keep it that way."
"What happened?"
"I don't know." The deep voice said in a depressed tone.
"We can help-"
"I am not the one to be helped. You have an injured."
Sullivan looked up and watched as two soldiers approached the top of the hill. A raptor stood still in the spotlights from the ‘generals' (armored humvee). The animal snorted before staggering and collapsed. The commander looked back only to discover the dark former commander gone.