Alien Mine Ch. 24

Startled, Kiania looked up from the hologram as Rhys suddenly interjected his orders to Jessica. She had been ready to tell Jessica to pause her advance when Rhys had cut her off. "They are in danger, Rhys; we don't know what the Om have planned. We should pause until we can send reinforcements; you risk having them surrounded and cut off."

"I know, Kiania, but keep them advancing," he commanded. "It will draw more of the Om if they are surrounded and open them up to our attack. The further they advance, the more likely the Om are to concentrate their forces on them."

"Yes, 'One'," she replied, her body responding to his authoritative tone with the same reaction as Jessica's. Kiania swallowed her concern, reconfiguring her strategy while glancing again at Rhys. She had only seen him like this once before when he faced the alien monster in the chamber under the Om nest in Moscow. He hadn't shifted into the dragon-like form, but the shadow of it seemed to overlay him like a red and green aurora. Quickly looking around the shuttle control room, Kiania could see the other girls in the room felt it also.

Bugrov cursed and ducked as rounds hit the wall above his head while keeping track of Nelya. She had refused to stay back out of the battle, wielding the disrupter and cutting the Trangrods to pieces wherever they appeared. Nelya was leading her Empresses' guard in the fight like a king from mythical times, destroying everything that came at her. The weapon was devastating, and she used it to ruthlessly cut down the Om Trangrods whenever they appeared. He moved to cover her but caught the flicker of movement at the last second, jerking his head back to avoid having it taken off by the large forelegs of one of the new Trangrods. Pivoting to his left, Bugrov blocked the down sweep of the razor-sharp foreleg with his left arm, the force of the blow knocking him to his knees, but the reinforced armor kept it from taking his arm off. He let go of his BFW, and the Drans metal of his arm formed a sharp sword that stabbed into what he hoped was the CPU of the alien machine. It reared back, bringing its other razor-sharp leg down for a killing blow, but the Trangrod collapsed when Nelya cut it in half with a flick of her wrist.

"Fire Volume!" put fire on the targets," Bugrov shouted as he scrambled up, and the men in the Guard opened up with everything they had. Drones and missiles flew by him, and Trangrod bodies began to clog the hole they had opened up in the side of the tunnel. More fire poured in, but the new alien monsters were so quick and hard to kill. Even cut in half, the pieces were still dangerous, wigging and reaching for anything in sight until the brains had been destroyed.

Nelya stood amidst a pile of alien bodies, looking every bit like a warrior queen. If it was possible, the guards worshiped her even more. If they survived this, the stories would spread, and Bugrov felt his chest swell with pride that she was Russian and that he was here with her in the battle.

"Move your forces into the adjacent tunnels here, here, and this one as well. Descend two levels and hold," Kiania said. The corresponding areas in Nelya's tac-grid lit up, showing her the positions Kiania wanted her in. "Bugrov - do not get caught like that without armor; you risk being overrun."

"Yes, Admiral," he replied while formulating orders to carry out her commands. The orders would take them deeper into unknown territory in the nest, but they were getting more information now that drones had penetrated further into the surrounding tunnels. The ones that stopped sending information were even more valuable; they told him where the alien machines were. It was also the tunnels Kiania was sending them into.

Bugrov gave orders, reorganizing the guard around Nelya. Their job was to protect her, and they had failed. Only Nelya's weapon and fearless reaction had saved them from being overrun before reinforcements could be brought up. He had fought with Yaneta and considered her the deadliest warrior he could have imagined. However, Nelya was just as magnificent, and that weapon she wielded with such effectiveness had saved them from being overrun.

Bugrov cursed himself for letting them get in that position. Nelya was there to lead and ensure they had communications that the Om could not block, not to expose herself to combat. Bugrov reorganized the Guard; he had lost five men dead, three wounded. In this war, the destructiveness of the weapons and the ferocity of the aliens rarely left a soldier alive. Reinforcements arrived and began to deploy on his orders, pushing ahead into the positions the Admiral had ordered. Bugrov kept two tanks with them, as well as some of the heavy drones. One of the tanks he slaved to his tac-grid, the other to Nelya's. They were going to need more firepower as they descended into this hell. Now if he could just convince Nelya to lead from behind, she was too precious to risk, but it was like trying to convince a wolf to stay behind while the pack brought down a stag.

Rhys sat in the command chair in the control room of the shuttle, watching as the battle progressed. It had been twenty-seven hours since the attack had commenced, and Kiania had maneuvered Jessica's and Nelya's forces so that they looked like two arrows pointing down at the heart of the Om nest. She had activated the rest of the cicadas, giving them a reasonably accurate map of the Om tunnel system. It was by no means complete, but the general structure was evident now, as was the response by the Om to the attack. Casualties had been high but less than he expected.

"Nelya has lost seven percent of her forces and is in danger of being flanked from above through this system of tunnels here and from these on her left flank," Kiania said, highlighting two areas in red. "The cicadas are picking up movement in these corridors, and I predict they will strike in an hour or less. I want her to commit the reserves," Kiania added with a worried frown.

"No, not yet. Have her shift her forces to block the one coming from above; it is harder to fight when Trangrods are dropping out of the ceiling. Have her pull two companies out of her advance to block the flanking attack, but I want her to shift the main axis of her attack here," he said, indicating what appeared to be one of the main tunnels that led to a chamber approximately 500 meters below her current position.

"You risk getting her cut off, Rhys; the Om will swarm in behind her. Jessica doesn't have enough troops to hold what she has and still drive deeper," Kiania said in a worried voice.

"Exactly, the Om will see a chance to destroy her. They know there is a symbiont Drans warrior leading them. I want her to draw them in further before we launch the main strike. "

Kiania glanced worriedly at Rhys, then at Jack. She had never seen Rhys like this before. Usually, he trusted her to command the battle, staying in the background until he needed to lead an attack. Now, however, he overrode her commands whenever he thought they were too cautious, and worse, he didn't seem concerned about casualties. Kiania was worried that Jessica's forces would be surrounded and overrun, but Rhys seemed willing to let that happen if necessary.

"Jack, get the Marines ready. When the Om fully commits to destroying Jessica's forces, I want you to launch your attack,"

"Yes, Sir," Jack replied, but he shared Kiania's worry about the Israeli and African forces. Rhys was putting them in a precarious position. If they were overwhelmed, relief forces could never get there in time. However, Jack knew this was not the time for argument, and besides, Rhys had made up his mind. Jack was going in with the Marines; he wanted to be on the ground when they started the assault. This is what Marines trained for, and even though it wasn't a beach, the concept was the same. Strike hard and open a bridgehead, then soak up casualties holding it open. Jack had another entire army division of five thousand that he would push through the opening that the Marines would buy with their lives.

Kiania looked at Sandy, forgetting for a moment that she was no longer Rhys' second. In the past, the girls would turn to her for guidance at times like this, but that was no longer possible. "I will try," Sandy said.

Rhys felt the strands of Sandy's hair probe him gently. "What is it," he said abruptly, angry at the interruption. Sandy mentally quailed at the force of Rhys' reply. This wasn't the warrior Rhys going into battle; his typically cold and calculating mind was almost subsumed by rage, by a need to rip apart his enemies in hand-to-hand combat. Sandy was familiar with this Rhys; this was the one who had dominated her sexually, demanding her surrender, and forced her to become his slave. However, this was not the Rhys who was always in control of himself during battle, calm, focused, a killing machine.

Instead of answering, she looked at Hua for help, and the two bodies nodded and glided over to Rhys. "Rhys, let us help," Hua said gently into each ear as both pairs of hands began rubbing his shoulders. "You have not rested since the battle began; this is a good time to take a break." Hua let Rhys feel her need, her desire. "Please, we need you, Rhys. The others can manage the battle for a while, and Kiania will let you know if conditions change."

Rhys felt a wave of anger that spilled over into a red-hot rage and then flowed away as a fog lifted from his mind. Yes, I am tired, he thought, shaking himself to loosen the knots in his muscles. Two hands left his shoulders, one caressing his chest, the other brushed across the front of his pants. "Thanks, you're right," he said, letting Hua lead him away to their quarters.

One of Hua's bodies settled onto his cock, while the other massaged his head and shoulders, and Rhys felt the ominous presence of the 'One' recede, his mind becoming clearer as the fury and madness faded a bit. It was never completely gone anymore. He knew what was happening, but the girls were partly right; he had let his rage at what the aliens had done take control of his emotions. "That's better. Relax, Rhys, we need you at your best," Hua said softly in his ear. Part of his mind followed the battle over tac-grid, but the rest he let concentrate on Hua and what she was doing to his body.

"We can all feel the change in you; even Jack is aware, though he doesn't understand. Kiania is concerned that you are letting the 'One" control your decisions, becoming overly aggressive, and it is putting Nelya and Jessica at risk. However, Sandy and I are more sensitive to your emotions, and we think Kiania is wrong. When you think about Nelya and Jessica, we sense fear and guilt, coupled with an unbreakable resolve to win at any cost. Even the cost of their lives. We know that a Drans 'One' would not have those emotions."

Rhys put his hands on the body on top of him, running his fingers over the curves of her flesh before gripping her hips, guiding her as she rode him. "Kiania is right," he said. There is a danger that Jessica or Nelya could be surrounded and overrun, but I must take risks; we cannot lose this fight. The Om infestation on the Earth has to be destroyed so we can fight the next incursion. Kiania is brilliant, a tactical genius, but her confidence might be destroyed if she were responsible for the deaths of two women she loves deeply. Kiania never had a real family growing up, just an uncle who sexually abused her and was only interested in her for the money she could make with her body. We are that family she never had, and sending either of them to their deaths might destroy her. I want her to fight against any decision that endangers them. If it comes to that, it will be clear that it is my decision, my command, not hers."

Hua didn't answer, but the two of them were finely attuned, and Rhys felt the shift in her emotional state. Hua's emotions were a swirl of colors, the bright bands circling both bodies. When he focused on them, he could see the changing colors, each a reflection of the complex emotional state caused by the coalescing of two distinct personalities into one intelligence. There were still small distinct patterns of colors he could recognize as belonging to the two separate women he had known as Mei and Bao, but they were fading as the two personalities and minds continued to meld together. The interlace between them was almost complete, but not even the AI knew what the ultimate conclusion would look like.

Rhys saw the colors shift again before Hua spoke. "Also, you need to forgive Sandy," she said, still slowly riding him. "Her value as a warrior is diminished; she is uncertain and afraid to anger you. She can never be your second, and her rebellion is over forever. Sandy is still powerful, and if she is to regain her potential, you need to show that you still value her and make her confident again.

"You're right, of course," Rhys said after a pause. I am still angry that she betrayed me, all of us. I know the others have forgiven her. However, it was more personal between us. I agree it's time to put those feelings in the past now that there is no longer a possibility of the symbiont breaking free of the bonds. Thank you for reminding me what's important. Now, no more talking about this," Rhys said, pulling her down for a kiss. He enjoyed the way Hua moved her hips and gripped his cock, using her muscles to massage it. "good girl," he murmured as the other pair of lips kissed his neck, then traced the muscles of his chest. One part of his mind followed the battle on his tac-grid before he let himself completely focus on Hua. The fight progressed mostly according to his expectations; his role would come later. Rhys looked in his mind for the strange energy he had channeled before when fighting the Om. He felt it there, waiting for him, just as the AI had promised. Relaxing, he gave Hua his complete attention.

***

Rhys watched as the marine assault shuttles went in, meeting very little resistance. The constant attacks by the fighters and drones had taught the Om not to expose themselves, and the hundreds of drones loitering over the battlefield kept the surface clear. Jack landed in the second wave, the original group of mercenaries Rhys had hired, who were still acting as his Command Squad. "This should take the pressure off Nelya and Jessica," Kiania observed, still a little awed that she was commanding this many soldiers. The marines quickly disappeared from the surface, following the tanks Thea had designed down into the Om nest. Kiania briefly wondered how many would come back alive.

Marine Private Salazar fired his BFW, the recoil hammering his shoulder even with the armor he wore, the Trangrod taking damage before whipping back into the wall and disappearing. He was crouched against the spongy wall of a side tunnel along with his fire team. "Watch it; that thing can crawl along the ceiling," Corporal Dixon warned. "Baker, you and your drone take point; use missiles if you see it again; I'm tired of it shooting at us."

Private Baker squirmed forward, keeping close to the wall on his right as he followed the tunnel's curve. His drone was about three meters in front of him, body low to the ground, its weapon tracking back and forth. The drones could react quicker than any human, and he was glad to have it out front. Their fire team had the lead, and the rest of the platoon followed behind. But in this fucked up battle space, there was no real 'front' since the damn aliens could attack from anywhere - their flanks, the ceiling, even from underneath. Advancing down these passages was the worst; you never knew when you would see them or where they would attack from. So far, it had mainly been harassing attacks, making Baker even more anxious. They all knew the hammer would fall soon. Their initial attack appeared to have caught the Aliens by surprise, and their company had advanced almost a kilometer without meeting much resistance. Others were not so lucky; one of the battalions had taken severe casualties and had been pulled already.

"Fire team hold," Dixon said as he received orders from the CO. "From above," he shouted and fired his weapon on full auto into the ceiling above. Rory Cooper immediately began pumping grenades into the top of the tunnel, blowing holes in the material. His HUD suddenly showed numerous red dots as Trangrods ripped through the overhead. Private Sharp squatted down and lifted his chain gun, firing at anything he could see as he raked fire back and forth above his head. "Got you motherfucker" he shouted over and over, continuing to fire his weapon until it overheated.

Explosions filled the air with shrapnel, and Sharp felt his arm go numb, and he was thrown violently to the side. That saved his life as the wall of the tunnel exploded inward, knocking him to the other side. Even over the sound of firing and explosions, Sharp heard his buddy Salazar scream in horror and pain as one of the new centipede Trangrods came through the side of the tunnel, its mandible-like forearms puncturing the armor, going deep into Salazar's body. These were the deadliest, stronger than the originals, and Sharp struggled with the heavy weapon, slowly bringing it up. "Help me!" Salazar begged him, and Sharp cut loose, the chain gun sending waves of pain through his injured shoulder as he fired burst after burst. He knew It was too late to save his friend, so as a mercy, his first rounds took off Salazar's' head, and then the explosive rounds tore through the Trangrod. He didn't stop firing until the weapon was empty.

Then Private Ward cut loose with his autocannon, filling up the passage with pieces of Trangrods as his explosive rounds tore into them. Dixon shouted a warning, and the fire team turned their weapons down the tunnel. "Fuck me," Ward thought as he saw a giant centipede Trangrod moving down the tunnel. He immediately sent his drone forward while blasting everything in sight, but knowing there was nothing they could do to stop this monster about to crush them. Return fire came back from the Trangrod that passed over his head, exploding behind them and hitting fire team two. The shockwave from the explosion knocked men down, and Jamie Ward was sure he was going to die as the monster kept on coming, its multiple legs moving quickly toward him. Jamie got to a knee in front of it, determined to die firing, but was jerked to the side by Corporal Dixon and thrown to the ground.

Sergeant Hunt had always wanted to drive a tank, and he had enlisted in the Marines just for that reason. However, he never expected to be driving an armored vehicle covered in alien armor tech and beam weapons down into an alien nest inside the earth. The tank had a cannon designed to pierce alien armor, a laser beam that could cut Trangrods in half, and, for close-in defense, a disrupter. The armored vehicle was a beast with curved armor in front to deflect incoming fire, a shield of some kind that he didn't understand that partially reflected the Om energy beams and the disrupter for close-in defense. The main weapons rotated three sixty and could also be pointed straight up to defend against attacks from above.

The Sergeant and his two-man crew had chewed through several attacks already and had yet to encounter serious resistance. However, Hunt's feelings of invulnerability vanished as an explosion took out the fire team in front of him. Bodies had been thrown everywhere, and he steered the tank through them and around a curve. An explosion rocked him as something deflected off the left side of the heavily reinforced front armor, actually throwing the tank to the right. "God damn, that's a big mother fucker," Hunt said as the Centipede-like Trangrod came into view. There was no room to maneuver in the Om nest tunnels; all they could do was stand their ground and try to kill the monster that stood less than fifty meters away. That was point-blank range, no chance of a miss.