Three Square Meals Ch. 107

"Move it!" Pitbull roared, glaring at his frightened gang. "Everyone get in position!"

Pale-skinned men scrambled to follow his orders, hiding behind the barricades, manning the belt-fed machine guns, or running up the ramps to the barriers lining the upper levels. All the while, that steady pounding thumped away at the entrance to their base, with the relentless beat of a metronome. Suddenly, the pounding boom was followed by a ponderous crash, and every person there knew what that meant.

Just like in the tunnels outside, Tony heard the strange rustling of many feet approaching their position, long before he set eyes on one of the dreadful alien invaders. The sound made his skin crawl, setting off that instinctive sense of disquiet when in the presence of an otherworldly predator. The Kirrix announced their arrival with the shrill sound of a weapon being fired and a sickly green energy discharge blasted across the room, blowing a chunk out of the opposing wall.

"Eat this, motherfuckers!" Pitbull snarled, his scarred face twisting into a feral grin.

He stabbed his thumb down on the remote in his hand and a series of powerful explosions rocked the base, sending tremors through their feet. Four of the five tunnels belched out choking clouds of dust, followed an instant later by a storm of pebbles and even a few dismembered Kirrix limbs. That just left the central tunnel on the ground level, which led into the perfect killzone in front of the wall of Diablos guns.

The gang cheered and whooped, high-fiving each other as Pitbull blew the tunnels. Thousands of tons of rock had just flattened what must have been scores of Bugs, dealing a crippling blow to the invaders. Any Terran-led force would have immediately retreated to lick its wounds, but the Kirrix were another matter entirely. Their soldiers in the central tunnel didn't even flinch and continued marching onwards, more of them firing into the chamber.

"Open fire!" Pitbull yelled, initiating a lead tsunami.

Tony aimed his submachine-gun at one of the Kirrix soldiers marching towards them in the tunnel ahead. The alien soldier was wearing ochre body armour, and the red dot from his laser targeting scope flickered as it washed over the creature's torso. Squeezing the trigger he let fly a burst of caseless rounds, then watched in disbelief as they bounced harmlessly off the muddy-yellow carapace.

"Gimme Fed-killers!" he called out in a panic, ducking behind the barricade and ejecting his magazine of useless bullets.

A young initiate ganger hauled over an ammo crate with a big red X marked on the front, then dumped it on the ground next to Tony. He thumped the release button, unlocking the lid, then grabbed a handful of the SMG-sized magazines. Tony shoved a few in his jacket pocket, then slid the mag into his weapon.

Beside him, the 50 cal pintle-mounted machine guns opened up on the invading soldiers. High-calibre rounds punched holes through the insectoid soldiers in sprays of sticky green blood, leaving their ochre armour looking like mouldy Swiss Cheese. To Tony's mounting horror, those severely injured soldiers kept advancing, even when they'd had chitinous limbs blown off by the mounted machine guns. Although the Kirrix were marching in tightly-packed ranks, bullets that ploughed through the front ranks had been robbed of their force, so bounced harmlessly off the soldiers in the rear.

More of the Kirrix troops were fanning out into the room, the answering volleys of green bolts from their neutron rifles growing in volume. The initiate who had brought the crate of armour-piercing ammo was shot in the leg as he tried to run back for another crate, his strangled scream the opening stanza in a chorus of agony. The ganger operating one of the machine gun emplacements was hit in the shoulder, the man falling onto his back and thrashing on the floor. His face twisted in a rictus of pain as he clutched at the ugly wound, oblivious to all else except the jagged lances of agony shooting through his body.

Aiming at another insectoid soldier, Tony placed the laser sight over its inhuman face and pulled the trigger. This time bullets punched through the armoured faceplate and made a wet rattling noise as they ricocheted around inside the Kirrix soldier's skull. It topped over lifelessly, falling flat on its face, six limbs twitching as the insect spasmed in its death throes.

"Shoot them in the head!" he called out, quickly aiming at another.

The Diablos tried to adjust their aim, but the 50 cal machine guns weren't that accurate, and only the wealthiest of the gangers could afford laser scopes. Pitbull leapt over the barricade with a defiant bellow, his flamethrower held in a tight grip. He unleashed a torrent of flames over the Kirrix troops, swathing over a dozen in a sheet of fire. Normally that was the prelude to shrieks of agony and the smell of charred flesh, but the Bugs ignored the flames, switching to aim at the huge Diablo leader with their menacing weapons. Green neutron bolts blasted out, hitting him in the right arm and both legs, Pitbull's challenging cry turning to a warbling shriek of pain. He collapsed on the ground, vomiting violently as his body was overwhelmed with agony.

To see their unstoppable leader brought low sent a wave of panic through the rest of the Diablos. The four Steel-Wraiths went down in a flurry of green energy bolts, their tormented cries joining those of the red-jacketed gang members.

"Fuck this!" Tony yelped, feeling icy fingers of terror clawing at his heart. He lurched away, running from the barricade towards the tunnel at the rear of the room.

Emil's eyes widened as he saw his friend flee in fear. He half-rose to follow him and called out, "Tony! Wait for-" His startled cry twisted into a tortured scream as he was shot in the back, needles of pain dropping him to the floor beside the convulsing Wraithers.

As Fat Tony fled for his life, terrified screams rang in his ears... from men he'd known for most of his life that were closer than brothers. Tears of shame rolled down his cheeks as he abandoned them, but as much as he hated to flee like a coward, he knew that staying would only mean an agonising death sentence.

Bursting into the next room, Tony darted a fearful glance over his shoulder and saw the Kirrix had reached the barricades now, the defenders all but routed. The high-pitched sound of neutron blasts drowned out the sporadic bursts of submachine gun fire. He had just reached the tunnel opposite when Choppy Bob staggered into the room behind him, his pale face ghostly white as he clutched at his wounded arm.

"Help me, Tone..." he pleaded, stumbling forward on shaky legs.

Fat Tony skidded to a halt, racked with indecision as he glanced backwards. Loyalty to his blood-brother warred with his sense of self-preservation, but before he could make that choice his fellow ganger screamed as he was shot in the leg and sent sprawling to the floor.

"I'm sorry..." Fat Tony gasped, then ran for the tunnel.

He ran towards the cleaner section of the base that led to Pitbull's personal quarters. All his lieutenants knew about the emergency escape tunnel and when Tony rushed into Pitbull's dimly-lit bedroom, he was relieved to see the secret tunnel still lay undisturbed. As he stepped foot into the room, he was grabbed by pale hands, terrified faces looming out of the dark.

"Tony! Take me with you..." Kelli begged him, the pretty young brunette a member of Pitbull's personal harem.

Perl hung onto his left arm, her normally-immaculate blonde hair a dishevelled mop. "Please... I'll do anything you want!"

He stumbled as they clawed at him in their desperation. "Get the fuck offa' me!" he snarled, trying to shake them off.

"I don't wanna die!" Kelli screamed, her eyes like saucers.

"Alright, alright!" he snapped, finally tearing himself free. "The bolt hole... it's our only way outta here!"

The two women looked at each other in confusion, then watched him with wide eyes as he ran around the big bed to the corner of the room. He dashed up to the archaic machinery embedded in the wall, reaching for a concealed button behind a rusting brace of pipes. As soon as he pressed it, there was a hiss and the front panel of a large power-coupling cabinet popped open.

He waved the girls over. "In here... move your ass!"

They nodded, quickly following his orders and diving through the secret door into the narrow pitch-black tunnel beyond. Tony glanced across the bedroom at the door to Pitbull's private vault, feeling a pang of regret at leaving the small fortune in cash and precious metals he knew lay inside. He sharply reminded himself that it was better to be poor and alive than rich and dead, then followed the two girls into the tunnel. Carefully pulling the door shut behind him with a reassuring clunk, Tony found himself praying that concealment would prevent the Bugs catching them, where the reinforced entrance had spectacularly failed. The trio stumbled along in the darkness for a dozen metres, blindly feeling their way ahead with wavering hands.

"Wait! Wait a sec," Tony blurted out, turning on the small torch slung under the barrel of his SMG.

Two scared faces appeared in front of him as the light shone out, Kelli and Perl blinking owlishly as their eyes readjusted. He could see they were both barely keeping it together, trying to control their terror in their desperation to escape the Kirrix. Tony knew just what they were feeling, because he felt precisely the same way.

Shining the torch ahead of them he squinted into the gloom. "Lemme go first, it'll be faster."

His nubile companions nodded and pressed themselves back against the wall to make way for him. They were both exceptionally beautiful girls, amongst the prettiest on Karron, prizes that Pitbull had claimed in exchange for offering protection to one of the more reputable whorehouses. Up until today, Tony would have given his left nut for an hour with either of them, but now they'd offered to do anything he liked, sex was the absolute last thing on his mind. The irony didn't escape him and he chuckled as he squeezed past.

"What's funny?" Perl whispered anxiously, giving him a worried glance.

"Don't worry, I'm not losin' it..." He did his best to give her a reassuring smile. "I'll tell you later."

The tunnel curved back and forth, weaving around hard mineral deposits as it led away from the Diablos' breached base. Tony remembered cursing and swearing as he'd helped Pitbull dig this tunnel out, but now it was probably the most wonderful thing he'd ever seen in his 28 years on Karron. After covering roughly a hundred metres, they reached a dead end, further progress blocked by a metallic barrier. Tony fumbled around for a minute until he found the switch on the ceiling above the panel. There was a soft click and the door swung open a couple of inches.

"What's through there?" Kelli asked in a hushed voice.

Tony put his finger to his lips, then eased the metal panel open a bit further, listening for any sound. Satisfied it was deserted, he pushed the door open wider and crept out, shining his torch in either direction. There were iron rails embedded in the floor, which swept off into the impenetrable darkness. Long rusted with disuse, the rails had originally been used by mine carts, which had hauled valuable ores from Karron's deepest recesses towards the refineries near the spaceport. When this part of the asteroid had been scoured of precious metals, the tunnels had been sealed and abandoned - making them the perfect exit point for Pitbull's escape tunnel.

Perl clung to his arm and he could feel her shivering with fear. "Where do we go now, Tony?"

He shut the concealed door behind them, then nodded to the right. "I'm plannin' on headin' that way... leads to the deep mines."

Kelli shared an apprehensive glance with her fellow concubine, then stood on tiptoe and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. "Can we come with you?" she breathed, trying to sound seductive rather than petrified.

He chuckled and nodded. "I'm not a total asshole. I wouldn't leave anyone for the Bugs..."

Some of their tension evaporated and the girls gave him a grateful smile. He set out along the tunnel and they fell into step behind him, walking along in silence. Despite what he'd just said, Tony felt a crushing weight of guilt as he realised he'd done exactly that; abandoning close friends he'd known for most of his life to the Kirrix. He tried not to remember the look of terrified desperation on Choppy Bob's face as he pleaded for help.

"Tony, how far is it to the deep mines?" Perl asked in a barely audible whisper.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Tony brushed the moisture from his eyes as he replied, "A long-assed hike... 'bout five or six hours on foot."

The blonde let out a weary sigh. "At least that's a long way from the Bugs too..."

"Yeah, exactly..." he muttered, trudging onwards while trying to ignore the leaden weight in his chest.

***

The musical chime of an incoming call woke Lieutenant Commander Tom Walker from an extremely pleasant dream. He'd been lost in wonderful memories of his holiday at Zeloma beach, where he'd gone with Anna to celebrate their engagement. Although the scenery was spectacular on the picturesque atoll world, they'd spent most of that fortnight in bed together, a decision he never regretted for a moment. The lissom beauty had been incredibly passionate, their loving reaching new heights of sensuality as they celebrated the official beginning of their future together.

Tom had grown up with the gorgeous blonde, their parents already close friends before he was born. He could still remember how overjoyed their mothers had been when he started dating Anna, but that was eclipsed by their radiant smiles when the young couple announced their engagement. As his father often told him, life had a way of working out for the winners, you just had to seize every opportunity that came your way.

Through bleary eyes he glanced at the caller ID, then grinned as saw the flashing name: Lieutenant Commander Annabelle Newmont. He reached over to answer the call. "Hey, Baby, I was just thinking about you."

"Good things I hope?" Anna asked playfully.

Tom stretched as he sat up, sheets bunching around his waist. "Zeloma Beach... just remembering how much fun I had exploring new places."

The blonde blushed furiously, vividly remember how she'd given him her last virginity on that vacation. "Tommy, you're incorrigible!"

"The lady doth protest too much," he replied with a wink, remembering her enthusiastic encouragement once she got used to being taken that way for the first time.

Anna fanned herself with her hand, but it did nothing to lessen the bloom in her cheeks, her blue eyes roaming over his chiselled torso. "I miss you so much... I wish you were here."

He nodded, giving her a sympathetic smile. "I know, Baby. I'm afraid there's still no news on the compassionate shore leave, but I'll keep hassling the Admiral until he gives up."

"I spoke to Mace a few minutes ago," she said, a look of heartfelt gratitude on her lovely face. "Thank you so much for helping him through this... he said you've been amazing."

"He'd do the same for me," Tom said with a self-deprecating shrug. He looked at his fiancée with concern. "How about you? Are you doing okay?"

She nodded, her expression forlorn. "I miss my daddy... how he used to be when we were kids." Her eyes teared up as she continued, "I always hoped that when he finally retired, he might go back to the way he was... but now I'll never get that chance."

"I'm sorry, Anna," he said gently. "I can only imagine how tough this is for you."

The blonde brushed the back of her hand across her eyes, then gave him a brave smile. "I'm taking it one day at a time... just trying to help mom." She brightened then, her smile lifting. "Archie's been wonderful! He came around again yesterday and was so supportive... He actually managed to make my mom laugh!"

Tom tried to stop himself from grinding his teeth with irritation. "That sounds... nice."

Anna quirked an eyebrow and asked mischievously, "Tommy Walker, are you jealous?"

"No!" he quickly blurted out. When he saw her look of amusement, he reluctantly nodded. "Alright, yes a bit. You know I've never liked him sniffing around, he's been after you for years..."

"Archie's harmless, I can handle him. You've got nothing to worry about, my darling fiancé." Her gaze filled with love as she breathed, "You know you're my soulmate..."

"I really do," he said solemnly, caressing her holographic cheek. "Two weeks maximum, then I'll be returning to Terra."

"I'll be counting the days!" Anna blew him a kiss, then glanced at the clock and frowned. "Damn, I better get going. Admiral G-S called an inter-division meeting this morning... Looks like there's a massive reorg in the works."

Tom nodded. "Yeah, I heard Devereux's been making waves. I'm surprised Garbert-Smythe's going along with it though."

Anna smiled and stifled a giggle. "Not as surprised as some of the old guard here! It's actually refreshing to see everyone so motivated, even if it is just an exercise in self-preservation." She darted another quick glance at the clock, her frown deepening. "Sorry, Baby, I've got to run! I'm dying to hear what Captain Bexley thinks of your Tactical Treatise, I know you'll knock his socks off!"

"Fingers crossed," he replied, doing exactly that and holding them in the air.

She mimicked him, reaching out to touch her fingers to his. "Love you, Musketeer, speak to you tomorrow!"

He gave her a warm smile in return. "Love you too."

They ended the call and the winged sword of the Terran Federation appeared in the holographic display. Tom stared at it as his smile and the logo both faded away. He glanced out the window at the field of stars and let out a frustrated sigh. If it wasn't hard enough being stuck out here on the Brimorian border, hundreds of light years from his fiancée, now he had something new to worry about. He trusted Anna with his life, but he trusted Commander Archie Davenport as far as he could throw the sly bastard.

***

Edraele Valaden glanced through the loading manifest at Genthalas, noting with satisfaction that the vast haul of Trankaran metals had been successfully transferred from the Andresil Enkana. She looked out the window, her eyes settling on the golden-hulled battleship that had been manoeuvred into the shipyard's drydock, the mighty vessel now undergoing the latest round of refits. A smile crept onto her face as she imagined the devastation her tyrannical predecessor might have unleashed with such ships at her disposal. With access to upgraded engines, retro-thrusters, Tachyon drives, power cores, heat-sinks, and now potent new shields, the Maliri fleet was becoming quite formidable.

Her smile turned into a worried frown as she remembered the real enemy they were facing. While her ships might be able to utterly demolish the vessels from their neighbouring empires, against Thrall craft there would be an altogether different outcome. She was under no illusion just how devastating that kind of fleet battle would be for the Maliri... and for John.

*Don't lose hope, Edraele,* Alyssa said gently. *We've faced dire situations before and managed to fight our way out. Now we've started to uncover Thrall tech, it won't be long before we'll be churning out truly badass ships for the Maliri.*

*But we've still got so far to go,* Edraele murmured, rising from her chair and walking over to the window. *You're starting to upgrade the Invictus with variants of Thrall equipment, but that's just a single ship. How much can one battlecruiser do against goodness only knows how many hundreds or even thousands of similarly equipped vessels? Until we can mass-produce Thrall-quality ships, we stand no chance in a direct confrontation!*