Three Square Meals Ch. 107

Ken glanced to his right and saw that tears were streaming down Val's cheeks, her expression one of profound loss. He reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, only for her to grip him tight as though clinging to him for dear life. The diamond engagement ring he'd bought her only yesterday dug into his hand, but he ignored the discomfort, knowing that his fiancée desperately needed his support. When Val looked his way, her eyes had softened, a very different emotion gently soothing her grief.

They stood through the rest of the service, heads bowed respectfully as the Fleet Admiral read out the names of all the ships lost in battle. Ken could feel Val's eagerness to leave in the tension of her grip, so when they were dismissed, he accompanied her without complaint as she immediately led him across the hall. To his surprise she turned away from the doors and walked directly towards a group of admirals clustered together with the Fleet Admiral. He was astonished and more than a little alarmed, wondering if Val was going to say something regrettable to Devereux while her emotions were up.

As they drew closer he finally realised what had drawn his fiancée to the group; Commodore Camilla Tovaskaya was standing forlorn as the men and women around her offered their condolences. Val walked straight past the senior officers and put her arms around the heartbroken young woman before anyone could react.

"I'm so very sorry," she said quietly, wrapping her in a comforting hug. "You were in love with Galen, weren't you?"

Camilla was startled for a moment, then slumped into her embrace, her shoulders shaking as she wept. "I miss him so much..."

"He saved so many lives... you all did," Val murmured, holding her tight. "We'll never forget the three of you."

Ken glanced apprehensively at the Fleet Admiral, but her expression was one of sympathy as she waved away his concern.

Pulling back from the embrace, Camilla gave Val a nod of appreciation. She glanced over her shoulder at Ken who was hovering protectively at his XO's side and her eyes were filled with understanding. Leaning forward, Camilla whispered something in Val's ear, then gave her a wistful smile tinged with regret. She turned away, into the waiting arms of a kindly-faced Rear Admiral who gave Val a look of gratitude.

"What did she say?" Ken quietly asked his fiancée, as he walked out of the doors at her side.

Val squeezed his hand and murmured, "Camilla said: 'Love him as if every day is your last'." She looked his way, a fierce intensity to her gaze. "I intend to."

***

"Let me take that, Tony," Perl insisted, sticking her small hand out expectantly.

He glanced down at the heavy backpack full of provisions in his hand, then at the slim blonde who had an identical canvas pack strapped to her back. "You're carryin' enough shit already."

Kelli placed a soothing her hand on his arm. "Just until we get away. You might need to fight..."

Even in the shadows, he could see the ugly bruise appearing on the brunette's cheek, a lingering reminder of the brutality of the miners. "Alright, but just until we get outta here."

He handed over the third pack to Perl, who took it without complaint, the slender young woman doing her best not to wince at the weight. They'd visited the canteen first, but aside from bottles of water, the cook didn't have much in the way of storable provisions. A quick trip to the mine's quartermaster had given them the opportunity to be price-gouged on blankets, jackets, torches, a couple of med-kits, and as many nutri-bars as they could fit inside those three well-stuffed backpacks.

Huddled in the darkness, they heard more raised voices from the direction where they'd left the four dead rapists. Their handiwork had been discovered only a couple of minutes after they'd crept away from the site of the massacre, torches flashing around in the subterranean gloom as the miners looked for the mystery killers. As they'd evaded capture so far, Tony could only guess that the mine owner never expected they would be so brazen as to calmly go shopping before attempting to flee the compound. From the commotion in the civilian bunkhouse, it appeared that the new arrivals were under suspicion, but it made him wonder if the thought of anyone actually attempting to leave the safety of the fort was incomprehensible to the miners and mercenaries. He had to admit, it seemed like a pretty dumb plan to him too, but he had no other choice.

"Alright, stay close," he whispered to the girls, before scuttling towards the wall.

The mine was dimly-lit by illumination strips along the wall and by lamps on poles that marked out a path from the gate to the truckstop. That meant the blockhouses were swathed in deep shadows, which Tony carefully used to cover their departure. As they got closer to the wall, it was easier to make out the crudely-built rock ramparts behind the ferrocrete battlements. There were at least a dozen mercenaries standing guard along the length of the wall, each of them equipped with a scoped assault rifle and wearing what looked like T-Fed surplus body armour.

"How're we going to get past the guards?" Perl whispered, her big eyes blinking owlishly.

That was a very good question and one that Tony didn't have a ready answer for. The main gates were now closed, so there was no way out through there and with the guards all vigilant for any signs of Kirrix, they weren't likely to be able sneak past. His plan was to return to the tunnel they'd arrived at, even though it was now a dead end, then hide there until the Kirrix threat was over one way or the other.

Tony pointed to a pile of rocks heaped up against the left edge of the cavern, which had been bulldozed into place for use in the interior wall. "Go hide over there... then keep an eye on me. When I wave, come runnin'..."

The two girls gave him curt nods, then hauled the packs over towards the rockpile as quietly as they could. He was surprised and impressed by how stoic they were in this situation; perhaps the idea of being anally raped by a huge bug, then chewed to death two weeks later didn't appeal much to them either. When he was satisfied that they were tucked away out of sight, Tony stepped out into the shadows and strolled towards the wall, keeping his hands tucked into the pockets of his long leather dustcoat.

"Hey, what's happenin'?" he drawled as he walked up the stony ramp.

The closest mercenary whirled around, assault rifle at the ready. It was easy to see that the man was on edge, his nerves fraught with stress. "What the fuck do you think you're doing sneaking up on me?! You nearly gave me a fucking heart attack!"

Tony raised his hands slowly. "Hey, chill out! I was told I'd be fightin' on the wall, so I just wanted to check it out."

Raising the barrel of his rifle, the mercenary stared at him for a moment, then shrugged. "Alright, but there's not much to see," he grumbled, turning around and staring out across the darkened cavern. "At least not yet..."

"You fought the bugs before?" Tony asked, not having to fake a shiver of fear.

"Me and the boys shot up a scout party a couple of days ago," the merc said, with a satisfied smile. "Just got to go for headshots, then they're not so bad."

"Good to know, I'll remember that. Name's Tony by the way," the ganger said, sticking out a hand.

The armoured man looked at the offered hand for a moment, then shook it. "Redhound, with the Clawhammer Company."

"Are all you guys from the same group?" Tony asked, making chit-chat while carefully weighing his options.

He definitely couldn't risk shooting the mercenary, as even a silenced gunshot would still carry along the wall and the next armoured guard was only 20 metres away. Likewise, trying to take the merc out silently in melee was another non-starter; Tony was quite handy in a fight, but he wasn't exactly a ninja.

"Yeah, been with them for a couple of years, they're a good bunch of guys. We've only been working for Mortimer for the last two months though," Redhound muttered, looking distracted as he glanced around. He suddenly leaned closer and continued, "Listen, I'm busting to take a dump, that stew didn't agree with me. Would you mind keeping guard for a minute? I won't be gone long..."

Tony blinked at him in surprise then smirked as he tried not to laugh. "Yeah, I guess. Is there anything special I'm meant to be doin'?"

"Watch out for bugs... then shoot them in the fucking face if they show up!" Redhound replied with a grin. He paused and gave Tony a look of apology. "Sorry I got pissed at you earlier. I hate waiting before a fight, I always get jittery... can't help it."

"Don't worry about it," Tony said, waving away his apology.

"I owe you one for this... cheers!" The mercenary strode down the rocky ramp, giving Tony a grateful nod before hurrying towards the blockhouses.

Tony watched him leave, then faced the rocks by the wall and beckoned the girls over. They moved quickly, walking along beside the cavern wall, then cutting back along the base of the rock plinth to where Tony stood on the battlements. To avoid them getting closer to the other guards, Tony squatted down by the edge and helped each of the girls up. They quickly ducked down by the ferrocrete fortifications, huddling close to the wall to stay out of sight.

After a quick glance to check no one was watching, Tony helped Perl over the edge, lowering her down until she only had to drop three feet to the ground. She landed with a stumble and quiet curse, then gave him a hasty thumbs up. He dropped the extra pack into her waiting arms, then swung Kelli over the wall next, Perl supporting her legs and helping her down to the ground. With a final furtive look to make sure he wasn't being observed, Tony slid over the edge, then hung by his fingertips before letting go.

Landing silently beside his petite companions, he grabbed the pack and slung it over one shoulder. "Alright, let's move," he said in a hushed voice.

They crept away, tracking back along the fortifications, then hugging the cavern wall. Tony could see the impenetrable darkness of a tunnel entrance up ahead, recognising it as the one they'd arrived from the previous night. He started towards it with an extra spring in his step, feeling like they might just manage to pull off this escape, when he felt an urgent tugging on his coat.

"Tony!" Perl hissed. "We can't go in there!"

"What?" he snapped, crouching down in the shadows and looking back at her in irritation. "Why not?"

"Because the boss saw us come out of that tunnel!" she explained, darting a nervous glance over her shoulder at the Mortimer mine. "If they come after us, that's the first place they'll look!"

He looked at her in surprise, realising she was right.

Kelli smiled at his startled expression. "Not just a couple of dumb whores, right?"

Tony chuckled and nodded. "Right... I keep forgett-"

The dull boom of a huge explosion shook the cavern floor and the trio looked at each other in fright. It was followed by another echoing thump a few seconds later, then a third shortly afterwards.

"Bugs must be blastin' their way in!" Tony hissed, his head whipping around to look across the cavern.

Rocks and debris had been shaken clear of the caved-in central tunnel, making it obvious where the Kirrix were attacking. A horrible grinding noise reached them next, the sound enough to set their teeth on edge.

"Over there!" Kelli said frantically, pointing over Tony's shoulder.

He followed the pale hand that poked out of the big sleeve of her oversized jacket, Kelli's finger pointing towards another tunnel entrance fifty metres away. Tony nodded then set off along the edge of the cavern wall, trying to ignore the bone-trembling rumbles that were shaking the ground. Ducking into the yawning hole, he dropped the pack from his shoulder and flipped up the flap at the top. Grabbing a torch, he turned it on, feeling that instinctive surge of relief when the bright beam fought back the oppressive darkness.

The girls skidded into the tunnel after him and he set off along the passage, noticing immediately that there was a sharp incline ahead. He walked at a brisk enough pace that the girls had to jog to keep up, but neither of them complained, they both knew what was at stake if they were captured. There was a curve to this tunnel as well, throwing off his sense of direction as it looped back on itself several times. All the while, they could hear that ominous grinding sound from behind them.

"Wait, Tony..." Kelli gasped, her breathing laboured.

He stopped and looked back at her, seeing that she was struggling. The brunette was slimmer and shorter than the blonde, so the heavy pack was even more difficult for her. Without a word, he reached over and slipped the straps from her shoulders.

She shook her head frantically. "No, listen!"

Tony cocked his head to one side and heard the high-pitched whine of neutron rifles being fired. "Fuck... it's started," he cursed, trying to tamp down his fear. With a frown, he listened again, then turned slightly to look up the tunnel. "What the hell?! It's comin' from up there too!"

Kelli pulled the pack on her shoulders again. "You need your hands free. I'll be alright..."

He nodded and drew his SMG, holding it in his right hand with the torch in his left. Moving with more caution now, he continued up the spiralling tunnel, completing the turn then pausing as he saw the split in the passageway. The sounds of fighting were obviously coming from the left fork, echoing eerily in the tight-confines of the bored-out tunnel.

As much as he wanted to flee to the right, his curiosity drew him inexorably to the left tunnel. A quick glance behind him revealed that the girls were still following, but they looked even more frightened now. He crept along, the sounds of assault rifles and high-calibre machine guns rattling in the air. Flashes of light up ahead alerted him that they had somehow doubled back to the Mortimer cavern and as he finished a final turn, he finally understood why. The spiralling tunnel had led them all the way up to the roof, the excavation machines having followed an ore vein until it was tapped out.

The tunnel opened out onto an upper gallery that was too high up to be clearly seen from ground level. From up here, they had a brilliant... and terrifying... view of the pitched battle being fought below. Squads of ochre-armoured Kirrix were marching out of the central tunnel, ugly-green bolts from their neutron rifles arcing out to slam into the fortifications. That fire was being returned by the wall of guns manning the battlements that protected the compound. Some of that shooting was wildly inaccurate, punching into insectoid soldiers but not showing much effect. For each haphazard burst, there were also careful well-aimed shots that were taking a heavy toll on the Kirrix.

Supporting the small arms fire, more mercs manning pintle-mounted machine guns atop trucks positioned at the wall were having a deadly effect. While their shooting wasn't accurate enough for headshots, the .50 rounds were powerful enough to dismember the Kirrix solders and were helping to slow their advance. The insect troops were receiving by far the worst of this exchange, dozens of ochre-armoured corpses piled up across the ground.

"They're kicking ass!" Perl exclaimed, her voice filled with a sense of hope that Tony hadn't heard since... well, the entire time he'd known her.

Tony watched enthralled as Kirrix soldiers were blown to bits by the belt-fed machine guns, segmented limbs skittering across the floor as they were torn from their bodies. Amongst the carnage, several insectoid soldiers just seemed to topple over, sprays of green ichor from their heads the only clue as to what had befallen them. At least thirty of the Bug troops had been killed so far and the Kirrix seemed to have run out of soldiers, because no more were appearing from the tunnel. That left approximately fifty of the brown-armoured insectoids to continue the battle.

He glanced back at the Mortimer compound, where Redhound and the other mercenaries from the Clawhammer Company were maintaining a steady volley of fire. Only one of them had been hit, a neutron bolt striking him in the shoulder and leaving him writhing on the ground behind the wall. Several of the miners had been hit too, but there were at least fifty still manning the battlements. Directing it all was the mine boss, who was urging civilians to bring more ammo crates to the wall, his cybernetic hand glinting as he waved them onwards.

"Yeah, they are," he agreed, impressed by the coordinated defence.

Tony couldn't help feeling a sharp pang of regret that Pitbull had refused his pleas to evacuate. They could have pulled back here and added the Diablos' firepower to that of the miners and mercenaries, making this an even more one-sided massacre for the Terran side.

"I warned Pitbull," he said morosely. "If that fuckin' retard had listened, everyone would've been alright... but now they're all some Bug's bitch."

"We saw, Tony," Perl said with sympathy. "You tried to tell him, but he wouldn't listen."

"Oh, shit! What the fuck is that?!" Kelli blurted out in panic.

Tony's gaze snapped back to the cavern entrance, and his eyes widened with fear when he saw the enormous black-plated monstrosity smashing through the tunnel. Rocks cartwheeled across the cavern as it battered its way clear, the Juggernaut ignoring the boulders that rained down from the cave-in and bounced harmlessly off its back. It raised itself up to its full height, towering over the remaining Kirrix soldiers as it stood at least twenty-feet-tall. It looked vaguely like a praying mantis, with four legs and two long-bladed claws, but it was a stocky, powerful creature, every inch of its hulking body covered by a glossy black carapace.

"Fuck me..." he muttered, having never seen anything so terrifying in his entire life.

There was a momentary lull in the firing, the stunned defenders staring at the Kirrix behemoth in horror. The mercenaries on the wall were the first to recover, firing short bursts with their assault rifles at the massive beast. Tony watched the sparks from ricochets as bullets bounced harmlessly off its incredibly resilient hide and he found himself holding his breath when he heard the bark of the machine guns as they opened up too. The sound of deflecting rounds intensified and he gaped at the colossal black insect as it scuttled towards the defenders, .50 calibre bullets pinging off its black armour.

"Oh God..." Perl murmured in horror. "Nothing's stopping that thing!"

Rather than slowing down as it approached the gates, the Juggernaut charged even faster, lowering its huge head as it rammed into the metal barrier. There was a booming crash as it burst through, crumpled doors spinning away from the tremendous impact. The machine gunners opened fire at almost point-blank range, but rather than stopping it, the hail of bullets seemed to enrage the beast. It lunged forward and stabbed its front claws into the cab of the six-wheeled truck, then heaved, it's body tensing as it flipped the 30 tonne vehicle upside down.

Yanking its claws free from the disembowelled driver in a spray of crimson, the Juggernaut advanced on the second truck as it tried to reverse, six wheels kicking up a storm of stones. The Kirrix monster pounced on the wildly fishtailing truck, skewering the merc manning the machine gun with one of its huge claws. It drove the other scythe-like blade through the roof of the cab in a series of sharp plunging stabs and the truck veered out of control, crashing into one of the blockhouses. The impact knocked the huge black insect clear, sending it skidding across the rocky ground on its back. The boss took one look at the sundered defences and fled. He sprinted away from the wall at an angle, avoiding the preoccupied Juggernaut which was scrabbling to right itself, its four legs flailing wildly in the air.