Attack of Shadows (Galaxy's Edge Book 4) Read online

  Sergeant Gutierrez had done almost all there was to do in the Legion. He’d served in countless combat tours. Even spent some time with a kill team. But he’d never had command of anything beyond a squad.

  Still, he was ready.

  “I need to know what we’ve got for demolitions and engineering,” he said without missing a beat. “We’re protected well enough against blaster fire, but we need to get inside and take this fortress out of the hands of the Legion.”

  As his mind shifted from squad command to theater command, a series of small explosions began to ripple out among the shock troopers taking cover at the base of the wall. What was this?

  “Fraggers!” someone called out. “They’re dropping them on top of us!”

  Sket. This would be a serious disruption. And there was nothing they could do about it.

  First things first. Gutierrez needed a way to communicate with his shock troopers and then maybe beg for some air support from the fleet. He scanned through his bucket, toggling his search metrics in an attempt to see where the jamming was coming from. If he could find it and pull back out of its broadcast…

  Wait. That was unexpected. He could clearly see a Sigmar-A3 black box positioned at the top of the wall. Perhaps two hundred meters away.

  “Someone bring me an A-P launcher!” Gutierrez called out, amplifying his external speakers in the hopes that someone might hear through audio what they couldn’t through S-comm.

  A shock trooper brought forward the weapon. “Only two missiles left, Sergeant Major.”

  “I’ll only need one.” Gutierrez shouldered the weapon and switched off the automated targeting system. It would get spoofed by the jamming.

  “Wait,” a shock trooper protested, probably following Gutierrez’s aim through his HUD and seeing the impossibly small and distant target. “You’re trying to take that black box out on manual fire? There’s no way.”

  “You’re right,” Gutierrez answered. “Ain’t nobody good enough to make this shot… ’cept me.”

  The launcher fired, and the missile propelled away, leaving a laser-straight trail of white smoke. There was never any doubt. Never any need for the second missile. The black box erupted in an explosion of sparks that reminded shock troopers and legionnaires alike of a Founders’ Day celebration.

  The S-comms immediately came back online. It felt like hearing again after being in a sensory deprivation hood. Everyone began to talk at once.

  Sergeant Gutierrez used his command codes to mute every shock trooper but himself. “This is Command Sergeant Major Gutierrez. I want all shock troopers to pull away from the vehicle entry door. Let’s see if the featherheads have any more bombers to help us out. KTF, shock troopers. For the Legion.”

  Black Fleet

  Flagship Imperator

  0427 Local System Time

  “My Lord…” Admiral Rommal hesitated. How many more times would he be forced to bring dark tidings to Goth Sullus? “The assault on Tarrago Moon has stalled. We are scraping together the resources for air support, but it will require the assistance of Admiral Devers, who insists he needs all of his fighters for operations against the defense fleet.”

  Goth Sullus looked to his aide. “Prepare my shuttle.”

  Black Fleet

  Third Wing, Fourth Squadron, “Pit Vipers”

  Hangar Deck Three Aboard Terror

  Off Tarrago Moon

  0429 Local System Time

  Already on standby, Viper Twelve hurriedly jumped into his tri-fighter. Part of a reserve squad, he was being brought into the battle.

  Already.

  “What’s the mission, Ten?” he asked as he strapped himself in. “No time for briefing, huh?”

  “Escort duty for a bombing run on Tarrago Moon.”

  “Scuttlebutt was that we didn’t have any bombers left.” Viper Twelve looked around the hangar as his tri-fighter’s engines roared to life. “I don’t see any…”

  Vipers 10 and 11 lifted off on repulsors and formed up to leave the hangar. Vipers 12 and 13 were right behind them.

  “We’re flying to the Republic Third Fleet that defected,” Viper Ten said, continuing the briefing even as the tri-fighters exited the Terror’s hangar bay. “Stay alert and listen up. A squadron of Republic tri-bombers are launching from Third Fleet. We’re meeting up and providing escort down and back.”

  “Doesn’t Third Fleet have its own Raptors or tri-fighters to pull escort duty?” asked Viper Thirteen. “Why do we have to do it?”

  “Gee, I dunno, Thirteen,” Viper Ten answered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Why don’t I just call up the admirals and ask? Now shut up and do your job.”

  “Sorry, Ten.”

  The squadron flew in silence to the rendezvous coordinates.

  The thing is, Viper Ten thought, escort duty should have started at launch from Third Fleet. Had they lost all their fighter support in the battle with the defense fleet? Were things really going this poorly?

  “I’m picking up incoming tri-bombers on the scope,” called out Viper Eleven. “Only two? Should be ten, right?”

  The bombers roared toward Pit Viper Squadron, hailing them on the open comm. “Get these guys off our tails!”

  “I’m seeing three vampires in pursuit,” Viper Twelve announced.

  “Engage and reform when you’ve dusted them,” Viper Ten ordered.

  Viper Twelve acquired missile lock on the incoming Republic raptor. The fighter had been so intent on chasing down the last of the fleeing tri-bombers that it was taken completely by surprise. Viper Twelve hoped the same would be true of the other craft. He wanted to run this mission and get back to barracks. No one in Fourth Squadron ever claimed to be war heroes.

  “Missile away!” Viper Twelve pulled up hard to get away from the concussive blast of the warhead. His HUD showed it detonating a meter away from the raptor’s left wing, just as the enemy craft attempted to spin up in avoidance. The ship was shaken apart by the explosion. “Vampire down.”

  “Vampire Two down,” called out Viper Thirteen.

  That meant one left. Viper Twelve peered around his open cockpit to spot the enemy Raptor.

  “Vampire Three is on my tail,” Viper Eleven announced calmly. “Need someone to swing behind and pick him off.”

  “I’m dropping in, Eleven,” Viper Ten said before dropping his tri-fighter behind the raptor. “Juke hard starboard, I’m opening up blaster cannons.”

  Unlike First Squadron, the Fourth still had standard-issue blasters. Maybe Goth Sullus had run out of money…

  “He’s got missile lock!” Viper Eleven shouted, a bit of panic now in his voice.

  Viper Eleven rolled hard starboard as commanded. Viper Ten unleashed a salvo of blaster fire that tore the final Raptor to pieces. But through the extinguishing gases and debris, Viper Ten could see a seeker missile turning hard after Viper Eleven. “It’s after you, Eleven, deploy countermeasures!”

  A cloud of signal chaff dropped from behind Viper Eleven. The missile continued through it undeterred. “No good!” Viper Eleven cried out. “Deploying intercept-bot—Aahh!”

  The missile slammed hard into the tri-fighter and detonated.

  Viper Ten watched the explosion, then looked for the surviving bombers and tri-fighters on his scope. “Form up,” he ordered. “Twelve, you fly solo escort on the first bombing run. You’ll have a surprise advantage. Thirteen and I will escort the second run.”

  “Copy, Ten.”

  “Copy.”

  “Okay,” Viper Ten said, “let’s go visit the eastern wall.”

  Eastern Gun Bore

  Fortress Omicron

  0431 Local System Time

  The legionnaire captain struggled to his feet. That the wall was still standing was a testament to Republic engineering.

  Reports quickly came in regarding the damage to the vehicle access door. Another hit like that, and the dark legionnaires outside would have a way in. And there simply were not enough legionnaire
s on hand to overcome those odds.

  “Captain,” a comm systems officer said over L-comm. “We’re detecting a second run inbound. One tri-bomber escorted by a pair of unknown model tri-fighters.”

  “Get every available leej firing aero-precision rockets at the incoming bomber.”

  “Captain,” the comm systems officer said in a low voice. “By the time our A-P missiles are deployed… it will be too late.”

  “We still try, Leej,” the captain said, his face grim. “We still try.”

  “Captain!” another comm systems voice called out urgently. “Picking up another craft. Naseen-model light freighter. It’s broadcasting kill team credentials and flying a course that brings it within range of one of our advance anti-air launchers. Orders?”

  It was a split-second decision. There was so much deceit happening today. So much subterfuge. This freighter could easily be just another Republic asset being used against the Legion on Tarrago Prime.

  “Let them go,” the captain ordered. And may God help them.

  Black Fleet

  Third Wing, Fourth Squadron, “Pit Vipers”

  Tarrago Moon

  0440 Local System Time

  “Run one successful,” Viper Twelve called out as he banked away from the wall, keeping the now depleted tri-bomber in his field of vision.

  “Copy that,” Viper Ten answered. “We’re coming in on our attack vector now.”

  “Wait a minute,” Viper Thirteen called out. “I’m picking up a new ship, Naseen-model light freighter. Oba, it’s moving fast.”

  “Stay on target,” Viper Ten instructed.

  Viper Twelve positioned his craft to observe the attack run from high above. He saw the Black Fleet tri-fighters in tight formation, protecting the bomber. Farther back he saw a Naseen freighter skimming just above the trees, its speed almost unreal. “That thing could outrun us,” Viper Twelve murmured to himself.

  Without warning, the freighter jumped up, drew level with the attacking Pit Vipers, and spewed an unholy amount of rapid blaster fire at the tri-bomber. The craft and its ordnance erupted in a brilliant flash of light, and the massive fireball engulfed Vipers 10 and 13, snuffing all three ships out at once.

  And the second bombing run failed just like that.

  But it wasn’t over. The Naseen freighter rolled effortlessly and changed trajectories. Viper Twelve saw a missile streaking toward the bomber he was escorting.

  “I’m getting missile lock!” the bomber pilot screamed, but his sensors had picked up the warhead far, far too late. His voice died in a ball of flame as the Naseen freighter leveled itself, did a waggle as if to salute the lone remaining tri-fighter, and then rocketed away, buzzing the eastern wall.

  “Oh no you don’t,” Viper Twelve said, rolling down in pursuit and throttling all power to catch up. There was no way he was going to let this freighter get away with that.

  He began to make up ground. This thing wasn’t so fast after all.

  Almost there.

  Almost there.

  The devastating flurry of blaster fire from the freighter’s hidden tail cannons didn’t even register in Viper Twelve’s mind. They tore him apart inside his cockpit before he even knew what was happening, his thumb hovering impotently above his own fire control.

  Black Fleet Assault Force Scythe

  Tarrago Moon

  0446 Local System Time

  Sergeant Gutierrez observed the unexpected turn of events. Such was war. There wouldn’t be another bombing run. This battle would be decided by the troops on the ground.

  To me.

  Gutierrez hit the side of his bucket. Had he heard that correctly? Was someone goofing over the S-comm?

  To me.

  Gutierrez looked to the eastern wall. Goth Sullus stood atop it, throwing legionnaires over the side as if they were rag dolls. The entry doors began to tremble, then exploded outward as if propelled by a rush of water.

  “Shock troopers!” Gutierrez called over the S-comm. “Take the fortress!”

  A sea of black-armored troopers poured into the opening.

  Eastern Gun Bore

  Fortress Omicron

  0450 Local System Time

  The legionnaire captain fought back the rising terror in his throat. A monster in armor—something out of the history texts—was leading a cadre of dark legionnaires into his lines. It was like seeing a leej in MK1 Savage War armor, but made new again. Who was this?

  And the creature had emerged from inside Fortress Omicron. Meaning he had already overcome another wall and worked his way to this point. Were any of them still alive? Commander Yoon? Anyone? Were the captain and his men the last of this company?

  A sensation of dark despair rose with goose flesh across the captain’s skin, his leej armor unable to counteract this unnatural cold. The creature was lifting legionnaires off the ground—with nothing more than his will, it seemed—and using them as a barrier against the concentrated fire being sent in his direction. Even as the dark creature’s own legionnaires fell, he walked methodically along the top of the eastern wall. Toward the captain.

  There was a groaning, and a breach alarm flashed in the captain’s helmet. The vehicle access doors had been compromised, and his HUD showed scores of dark legionnaires pouring inside. But they paid a price for their every step. Enemy unit positions turned black as the captain’s men let loose consistent firepower. It wasn’t enough to stop the flow of men, however, and they were now making their way to the top of the wall.

  The dark walker, the monster in black, walked slowly toward the captain—as though the captain was the creature’s lone target. The captain fired at his enemy, but soon realized that any shots fired at the dark walker only found their way into the back of the captain’s own men somehow—so he quickly abandoned that tactic. He would not abide such a thing in his final moments. Instead he focused on the dark legionnaires flanking the monster.

  He took a step backward, tripped over the body of a fallen legionnaire, and landed hard on his tailbone. The beast walked nearer, and the captain scrambled his legs to move away. The monstrous thing in the MK1 armor was practically on top of him… and seemed to be taking a perverse pleasure in the captain’s fear.

  And then, all at once, the legionnaires around the man in black fell to the ground as one.

  The man in black appeared startled. He looked around as if utterly perplexed by this.

  The captain seized the opportunity. His hand felt a surge shotgun lying next to the deceased legionnaire who once wielded it. He wrapped his fingers around the pistol-style grip and lurched forward, pushing the barrel into the armored ribs of the man in black.

  “Die, you kelhorn—”

  The shotgun’s booming report drowned out the rest of the captain’s words. The man in black went spinning to the ground, landing hard on his back, black smoke rising from his armor.

  Then the captain felt a heel strike the small of his back, and his face was pushed into the ground. The surge rifle was kicked away, and his arms were secured behind his back. He was rolled over, and looked up to see a dark legionnaire pointing a blaster at his head.

  “Don’t be stupid,” the dark legionnaire said. “We’re all Legion here. Wire me your L-comm passkey so we can put a stop to this. No sense in so many leejes getting dusted now that it’s over.”

  The captain hesitated. Tactically he might be out of the fight, but his men could still make these dark leejes pay. But… for what? And for how long? They would continue to fight until there was no fight left. Until they were dead. And there was something about the way the dark legionnaire spoke that compelled him. We’re all Legion here.

  The captain made his decision. Omicron was lost.

  “Introduce me,” the dark legionnaire asked. “I’m Command Sergeant Gutierrez.”

  “This is Captain Arwen,” the captain said over L-comm. “I’ve surrendered the eastern wall to Command Sergeant Major Gutierrez.”

  The dark legionnaire took over fr
om there. “This is Command Sergeant Gutierrez of Shock Trooper Assault Force Scythe,” he said over the comm. “I know how it goes. KTF. Fight to the last man. I’m Legion, too. But if you’re honest with yourself, you know that the Legion has been under assault from the House of Reason, the Senate, and all those points out there that slept through school and got leejes killed. No more leejes need to die today. The salvation of the Legion begins now. Lay down your arms, and you will be treated fairly. Ooah.”

  Arwen spoke again. “I know some of you are thinking of holding out. If you need an order to surrender, this is it. If you want personal advice… the fight is lost. And I’m tired of seeing legionnaires get dusted.”

  The captain looked about, and saw his legionnaires begin to lay down their arms. And the sergeant major was true to his word. The leejes were treated with respect. The kill stopped. At least on the east wall, where it was hopeless. The captain knew that the rest of the company still had a chance, and they’d fight until that chance was completely denied.

  Sergeant Gutierrez grabbed the captain underneath the shoulder and helped the bound legionnaire to his feet. “I knew you weren’t a point after that trick with the main gun. You’d better get out of here. My men will take you to safety before the commander fully wakes.” He glanced back at the beast, who was stirring, his wound not fatal. “KTF, leej.”

  “KTF,” agreed the captain. He started off with his escort of dark legionnaires, then turned back. “Sergeant Major. When you were Legion… what was your call sign?”

  “Exo,” answered the shock trooper.

  08

  231st Gun Battery Assigned Orbital Defense Command

  Fortress Omicron

  0250 Local System Time

  Much of the base was still intact two hours before the shock troopers would storm it en masse. Despite the bomb damage across the surface structures, and the damage from air-to-ground attack by the enemy fighters, the lower levels were sealed. The blast doors across the facility had done their work.