Rebellion (Rebel Wars Book 1) Read online

  “Goddammit, move!” Hero shouted as he unloaded round after round into every part he could hit. The inquisitor acted like it didn’t even notice the shots hitting it, and for all Hero could tell; it didn’t. The medic rolled backwards and started crawling away as the pilot reloaded and Hero emptied his magazine into the beast. A bright blue lance of flame poured forth from the inquisitor’s arm and dragged across the ground, glassing the surface as it went. The screeching sound came quicker, like a chuckling a predator might do as it closes in on its helpless prey. The lance never reached as its target as Meagan made the creature aware of her opinion. The missile homed in straight for the lantern and self-destructed. The shockwave knocked the three remaining humans back and (if they weren’t already) onto their backsides. Hero never stopped squeezing the trigger to his weapon, praying that even a single slug penetrated the bulky creature’s armor.

  A dull but cool breeze blew the smoke away, and what was left of the inquisitor stood smoking in the vacant street. The missile had connected with the lantern and cracked its containment, making the weapon go super-nova, taking the armored hide with it. Hero’s remaining slugs slid home and connected with the soft tissue and bone beneath the armor. Blood rushed from the wounds that hadn’t been cauterized, and the smell of burning flesh caked itself in Hero’s nose. The screeching sound stopped, and the creature fell forward onto the glassed ground it had created painting it with its blood like a massacred stained-glass window. Hero picked himself up and reloaded his weapon, trembling fingers struggling to do his bidding. The pilot had calmly reloaded, the terror seemingly not penetrating his own tough exterior. The medic stayed on the ground, tears streaming from his face.

  “I…I…..screw this!” The medic shouted into the air and turned to run.

  “Wait, stop!” Hero turned to say before a shot rang out.

  The medic slumped forward and slid against the ground. The pilot turned a cold eye to Hero and spat on the ground. He cocked the mechanism to his rifle and dropped his hand to his pouches. Smoking was highly uncommon in this day and age, but lung cancer had all but been eradicated. A simple breathing treatment could restore the health of most any lungs, and it was ironic that as smoking became a non-threatening form of stress relief that it had all but faded. The pilot fished a cigarette out of his pouch and put to his lips and breathing into it. The breath ignited the tip of the smoke, and he inhaled. The smell of the smoke was slight compared to the smell of burning flesh and metal around him.

  “We don’t have time for this.” The pilot said, taking a puff and pulling the smoke from his mouth. Hero swallowed hard and nodded. He hated what he had just witnessed, all of it starting from about a minute ago. But what else was he to do? Everyone else in his squad save Meagen and the Pilot-Michael?- had been killed. That was an inquisitor? Hero couldn’t believe Alice was going to have to coerce one of those monsters to let them have access to the Library, which was going to be a nightmare!

  “Michael…right?” Hero said.

  “Yes, let’s keep moving. Are we keeping her as the bell ringer?” He asked through a mouthful of the potent smoke.

  “Yeah. But if we come across another one of those things, we may not make it.” Hero said, looking for a bit of comfort from Mike’s expression and none was given. Mike had curly blonde hair, short and hanging from his ears. An earpiece ran down the back of his neck and into the communications array that was tucked into his shirt. The pilot could double as a communications officer in a jam, and this was beginning to feel like a jam. The rest of his hair was hidden underneath an old-fashioned black baseball cap. Baseball wasn’t played much anymore, falling to the wayside for more interactive and entertaining games. The cap would never fully go out of style though, not like the cowboy hat did. People still wore the baseball cap because they said it reminded them of classic Earth, a simpler way of life. Mike simply acknowledge him with a nod, his clean shaved face shining slightly in the artificial sunlight. Hero tried to remember how this guy had wound up on his squad, and he didn’t recall selecting him. There was much he didn’t remember about the prep meetings though, and now he was starting to wish his mind hadn’t been filled so full of the elegant, youngest, Tillman sister.

  “Project! Inquisitor down. We have suffered three casualties. I have lost all but Meagen and Michael. How should I proceed?” He yelled into the mic, noticing a few people starting to peak out of windows with eyes aflame with hatred.

  “Relaying message.” Project said.

  “Continue forward, take the power plant at all cost. Leave Meagen in position to cover your advance.” Project said, only it didn’t sound like Project to Hero- it sounded like Alice.

  “Okay Alice, good luck.” He said, though tears were beginning to form in his eyes. He was hoping she’d given him leave to retreat, but it seemed like that just wasn’t going to happen today. He checked the ammunition on his rifle once more, content that it was full. They swept the blocks as they continued, arriving at the gate of the power plant which was nothing more than a wooden fence. Hero marveled at the organic wood, a rarity on the colonies.

  “Michael..why’d you kill our guy?” Hero asked, nervous.

  “Listen, you won’t get it, and that’s ok. But sometimes it’s better to lose a man than have a bloody panicked chicken around.” Michael’s voice was rough and devoid of any graceful words for their friend the medic.

  Hero said nothing as he motioned for Michael to take out the door. Michael’s gun spat a few rounds into the hinges and with little effort from their feet it came down. Inside the courtyard to the power plant, electrical signals buzzed all around them. Hazard signs warned them of the dangers of gunfire in the area or other careless moves. Pillars rose from the ground to the sky in a tangle of electrical wires and transformers. It wasn’t a very high-tech facility, but renewable energy was easier than ever for them to obtain on a colony world like that. The building that created the magic was dome shaped and azure like the banner for the Corporation thugs. The Corporation anthem played steadily over the paging system, ripping what nerves Hero had left out of him. He jumped and aimed his rifle every-which way looking for an enemy. Michael had lit another cigarette.

  “It’s just propaganda. Don’t listen to it. Ancient Earthlings used to use psychological warfare like that all the time. It worked, but only if they let it.” Michael said. Hero gave him a nod and wondered where the defenders were. Was it possible the only people inside were workers and electricians? They couldn’t be much of a threat, could they? He almost didn’t hear the shrill shrieking of an inquisitor materializing on the other side of the electrical posts. Almost.

  Michael dropped to his knees and focused his fire on the posts and cords, knocking loose transformers and electrical wiring. Sparks rained down on the inquisitor, convulsing his muscles and slowing him down. Hero imagined this is what it looked like if you hit slow-motion on a video recording and it effected a person. He wanted to smile but he was too busy trying to not piss his pants. He followed along suit, ducking to the ground and targeting the spark creating devices, one of the boxes dropping down and popping loudly as it connected with the inquisitor.

  Hero reloaded before providing cover for Michael as he did the same. Belches of plasma and swings of the lantern wildly shot out after them, though the constant course of electrical energy was doing the trick of keeping the creature stunned. Now they just had to figure out a way to crack the creature’s armor. A slug whizzed by Hero’s head, the sound of the anthem and the screeching of the creature had drowned out the sound of a helicopter (rarely used on anything but colonies) swinging by on a strafing run. Hero hadn’t even noticed it when a cracking sound ripped through the sky and swatted the helicopter down like an angry hornet getting put in check by a baseball bat. The copter was thrown forward and down, Hero lunged out of the way while Michael activated his servos and kicked straight up and over it, spraying the inquisitor with his rifle as he went. The helicopter sucked in electrical wires and tore down po
sts with its fall from grace and landed squarely on the inquisitor with a satisfying crunch that sprayed blood and ichor everywhere. There wasn’t an ignitable fuel source in the copter, so it lacked the explosion that Hero had hoped for, but it opened their way into the power plant.

  “Thanks Meagan.” Hero said, as the duo headed into the building. They synced their movements flawlessly, working as a cohesive unit despite the fact they’d never actually worked together before. They checked corners, tagging security guards and making Hero wish for the second-time they’d brought non-lethal rounds. The guilt dragged at him, but not enough to stop him from doing what he’d came to do. In moments they cleared the facility, remaining hostiles and workers surrendering and allowing themselves to be locked up in the facility’s basement. Michael went to work on the controls, shutting all of the power to the castle and communication arrays down.

  “Nice shooting Hero.” Michael said with a smirk, sucking down another cigarette.

  Fiora’s squad had broken through the gate in minutes, having no issue what-so-ever with the trained human guards. A few Corp men with their bulging eyes and laser arrays outfitting their bodies were swiftly dispatched in a hail of gunfire, magnetic rounds, and blades. She smirked with joy the first time her slender blade connected with the exposed flesh of a Corp man. Pure glee speed her heart rate as his vital fluids spilled over the blade and ran down the length to coat her arms. Her first kill, and it had satisfied her more than any man ever could. Screaming with delight she joined the fray, smashing the gate open with a single booted kick. The enhancement features of the armor increased her strength and made every motion effortless. How were they losing this war? Why were they rebels and not captors? It made no sense. The fear behind the Corp men was intoxicating as her squad mowed them down. She had never been into combat before, and yet she was killing seasoned soldiers. This made no sense to her, the spirit of the armor gave her unmatched motivation.

  Fiora watched as the men backed up onto the great stone staircase they were defending, hailing bullets, plasma, and laser-bolts down at them. The slugs would break through her armor, so she avoided them. The Plasma would melt her skin beneath the armor, so she avoided those. The lasers were harmless against her specially made suit. As soon as they focus fired on her, a magnetic propelled storm of projectiles cut them down from the side. If they shifted to focus on another Paladin, she broke stone steps as she kicked off of them and plunged her blade through the chest of the first man she came across. It was brutal, horrific, and the most fun she’d ever had in her life. Every single life she claimed felt like she was one step closer to either bringing Cal back to life or becoming him herself, she wasn’t sure which.

  The defense barricaded the doors at the top of the steps. She looked down at the rivulets of blood flowing the artisan steps and noticed not a single Paladin lay in his own blood. She’d brought five others beside herself, and she believed each one was worth 20 Corporation men. Without mercy, they brought themselves to the door and set the charges. Stepping to the side when the blast rocked the massive structure, they moved in through the crumbled ruins of the foyer and into the wide-open marble room. Inside the open room was a deep-red, velvet carpet that stretched the length of the room and stopped at another set of stairs etched from what must have been mountains. The single staircase stretched high and split into another three sets which all weaved their way into yet more staircases high towards the ceiling. Before she could begin to think of a way to address that problem, doors on either side of the staircase opened up and two men emerged from each one. These soldiers stood nearly seven feet tall and wore the pale-blue armor of Corporation Sergeants. Her heart quickened its pace in her chest to the point she thought it would explode from the pressure. Her men lined themselves up, three on the left and two on the right. She made her way to the squad on the right and positioned herself in the middle.

  “Sgt. Escan.” He stated, bowing his head between his well-protected shoulders. In one hand he held what appeared to be a glaive, a staff with a long curved blade starting halfway along the shaft and ending in a wicked, piercing tip. His other hand was empty but lined with emitters for the devilish lasers they had come prepared to combat. Her pride couldn’t have been any higher as she watched the other three Paladins engage the other sergeant, whom was armed in a similar fashion. She took off before the others, not bothering to give her name as her steel flashed back and forth.

  Like the wind Sgt. Escan moved with unbelievable grace and speed, dragging his staff as he evaded all of her attacks. She remembered training with Hero and wondered if this is what the opposite end of her mastery looked like? Escan’s boot was heavy and backed by the power of built-in motors, thus smashing into her like a rocket and throwing her backwards. He didn’t smile, offering no sense of satisfaction from having crushed her abdomen in such a fashion. Pain washed through her body as her head hit the ground with all the force of a gunshot. Her helmet absorbed most of the impact like a dreamcatcher sucking the worst of the dreams away, but she would remember it happened.

  They had come at the behest of the Demon and fought like one themselves. The sergeants executed their attack like hypnotic dancers exposing their bellies for a hot meal. The two Paladins that Fiora had brought with her swarmed their target and exchanged practiced blows with the man. This time Sgt. Escan grinned with satisfaction as they struck his armor and he struck theirs with his glaive. At this moment Fiora had was beginning to understand that her luck on the stairs must have been good only against novice soldiers and new Corporation soldiers. This sergeant was like a ballet-dancing executioner, starving for his share of blood and her own Paladins were keeping up with him. She had barely seen the foot coming, let alone in time to stop it. She crawled to her feet, her heart breaking with realization at her own weakness. She couldn’t do Cal proud like this.

  A cry of pain alerted her to the other skirmish where the sergeant’s glaive pierced the face mask of one of her Paladins and dropped him to the ground. Without missing a beat, he aimed the blunt end of the staff and swept another from his feet. The third Paladin landed his blade into the crook of the Corporation man’s shoulder and cut the tendons free from their fleshy prison. Blood ran down as he finished his swing and spun around only to have the sergeant’s free hand catch him in the chest, dropping him with one full forced punch. The Paladin that had taken the blow landed on his knees and spat up a mouthful of blood, grinning as the sergeant’s strength waned, and the second Paladin severed the tendons and muscles behind the Corp man’s knee. Together the two remaining Paladins plunged blade after blade into the sergeant’s armor and brought him low, finishing him off with a smashing boot to the sergeant’s face.

  She turned towards her own battle and choked back a tear as the glaive’s blade cut through the abdomen of her first Paladin and exposed his innards. Clutching desperately at the vital organs he lost his feet and landed on his stomach. The sight turned her stomach slightly, but the other Paladin dug in and brought his blade to bear against the sergeant’s neck. The free hand caught the wrist of the Paladin as he brought the glaive to bear. Fiora threw herself forward and brought her sword to glance the hand holding the glaive, severing the fingers as she finished her dive forward. The glaive clattered to the ground, and Sgt. Escan screamed in pain. The Paladin tore his wrist free from the injured man’s grasp and slid the blade cleanly through Escan’s neck, finishing him off with a merciful jab.

  Fiora regained her foot and found that her pride had taken a major hit, this wasn’t a game! She kicked the ground hard and cursed herself. She had been so out for blood, and had felt so powerful that she had never considered there would be someone better than her. She had underestimated the Corporation’s men and it had cost her two of her own. She shook her head with disappointment, jumping as a hand touched her back. It was one of her Paladins, a man named Rhett, she remembered.

  “It’s okay ma’m. We will lose people. Everyone does.” Rhett Said.

  She wanted t
o let loose the emotions inside of her though she knew that wouldn’t help her situation. She formed them up within her into a tight ball and hid them from the others, giving only a slight nod as she stared upwards. She was still in command, and she’d still need to figure out a way out of this.

  Chapter 14

  “All other squads have checked in. Casualties are limited, but we have lost a few people.” Project said through the communicator. Alice hesitated and let out a slow breath. She was afraid of that, but she had accepted the fact they were going to lose people. This mission wasn’t one that was going to be easy and her squad had lucked out that they hadn’t lost anyone yet. She looked from face to face as they made their way through the trap-filled maze and wondered which one of them would die first. She considered for a brief second that it could be here. She let the thought go and drifted her sight to Louis. So far he hadn’t done much to bring the group to success, but his time to shine had to be on the horizon. He had the deadliest arsenal and she knew that he would have to be the one to bring the inquisitors down to increase their odds of survival. She’d studied what little data Project had on them and if he was correct, they were terrifying. She hoped none of the other squads would have to deal with them but the odds weren’t any better than a scratch ticket lottery.

  Alice brought her group to the mouth of the dungeon, pausing for a gear check. It had taken the better part of an hour to make it this far and everyone but Louis had spent a few magazines and clips to get here. Nobody had suffered any injuries and that was the best it got. She checked her system’s power and found that it was well over 60%, no need to recharge it yet. She’d brought spare energy sources but didn’t feel the need to drain one of them. She moved over to the glass double-doors that served as the entry way into the castle and opened it. Leveling her hands at chest level and spreading her arms out as she advanced into the corridor, she raised them up when she was certain it was clear. Bryant and Mayberry snaked in beside her and looked her the corridors up and down. They accessed the map and found what they had been looking for, an elevator. Activating the switch, the doors rumbled and opened to reveal a platform. The group stepped inside and she fingered the top floor button, where she knew the access portal to the Library was stored. She prayed her intel was good, and took a deep breath to calm her nerves.