Night Sky (Part III)
by Fabio Fontana
Fert and Renen creeped back to the rest of the
squad to report the situation: they were outnumbered two to one and the
enemy was better armed and equipped. All around them death was
pouring down from the sky and it was impossible to tell how the assault was
going to end. Even if they wanted to retreat, they had to get past
the Protectors. The consultation was brief: while the sergeant, Kein
and Brunswick kept the attention drawn to them, Fert and Renen would
try to drop grenades into the middle of the enemy formation.
Following the plan, Fert and Renen started circling the REA carrier
again. When they reached the last bit of cover, they took out a fragmentation
grenade each and prepared to throw it. They leaned out
simultaneously, but met a Protector that was crawling towards them
just a short distance away. The Earthman must have been just as
surprised to see them, because he was not ready to shoot. Renen adjusted the
throw and cast the grenade on the ground right next to the enemy trooper, while Fert
threw it at the original target. They hastily dived back and broke
into a run for cover. Renen's grenade was too close
to their current positions to take chances. Two explosions shook the
earth causing them to stagger, but they kept on running.
A pile of crates provided them with the necessary
protection, so they took aim and waited there to see whether they were being
followed. Fert’s optics were getting fuzzier and fuzzier. In
the end he decided to just take them off and trust his own eyes,
perceiving the surroundings in the glow generated by the
burning wrecks. Double checking that the way ahead was clear, they started
to advance again. Not far away small arms fire could still be heard.
The sound was not that of their standard issue laser rifles, the
Protectors had not yet been defeated.
They peered at the Dragonfly: the
craters of the two explosions were clearly visible and the side of
the carrier was peppered with small holes as a testimony to
the effectiveness of the anti-infantry grenade. The force of the
explosion had almost blown out the fires, and the site had almost been plunged into
complete darkness. Three bodies lied scattered on the ground, and
to the far edge of the crater Fert could barely make out crouched men
firing in the direction where the rest of his squad was.
“We need to get closer,” whispered
Renen.
Fert nodded and made a move down the slope
which would lead them to the lacerated flank of the Dragonfly and
into the middle of the Protectors deployment zone. Hopefully they
would not be noticed. The metal of the transport was still warm from
the fires. Fert could feel the heat a good meter away. He
wondered whether the armours of the Protectors isolated them sufficiently from
the effects of the conflagration that must have engulfed their
vehicle. A glance inside the belly of the flyer revealed
only shadows, but twisted and awful shadows that hinted at the inferno
that must have developed inside from the hit to the crash. But the
Protectors were still fighting. Fert could feel some respect arousing
inside of him for such a determined enemy.
It was just a flicker in the eye. Fert spun
around and saw it fully, but it was too late: it was upon him. He
didn’t know where it had come from and Renen too had not seen
it. The Protector’s armour was charred and mangled, torn
visibly across the torso and bloodied. With a deaf cry, an
unintelligible grunt, it was upon them. The glint of a blade was all
Fert saw before it penetrated deeply into his chest. It didn’t
feel so bad at first. He swung the butt of his rifle and caught the
Earthman right on the helmet, making him falter.
Renen took the occasion and shot him at close
distance. He could not see the shots without the optics, only
small craters appear in the armour. One, two, the Protector spun
around and slammed his armoured fist right on Renen head, with an
ungraceful but effective gesture. Renen fell back stunned. In that
instant Fert had a chance to act, and only then he realized that he
could hardly move. He leaned against the hot metal of the Dragonfly,
the machine wounded just like he was.
The Protector brought a hand to his torso to
check the wound. Obviously the shots had not penetrated
deep enough into the armour. So determined, thought Fert.
The Protector stepped towards Fert, who was
staring at him open mouthed, grabbed the handle of the knife and
yanked it out of Fert’s body. This time it hurt badly. Fert
slid down on his back and was left sitting in front of the enemy
soldier.
He watched helpless the hand of the Protector
reach for his rifle and pull it away from his weak grasp. The
warm metal on his back was the best sensation he had felt in the last
weeks.
When Renen attempted to get up, the Protector
hit him again on the head with the rifle butt making the trooper drop again,
then raised his knife to finish him. Saving the shots,
thought Fert who was watching everything as if it was all a video
show.
“He is killing Renen,” said another
voice in his head.
“Do something!” ordered the voice.
“You have a gun!”
His arm reached for the slug-gun that once
belonged to the R-gun crewmember. In a dream, his right hand slowly
grabbed it, took off the safety and pulled it out. Every movement
produced jolts of pain.
“Kill him!” shouted the voice in his
head.
He squeezed the trigger convulsively; the
recoil hurt like a punch in the stomach. The Protector spun around.
Fert lowered his hand exhausted and waited for the soldier to finish
him. But death did not come, instead the Protector keeled over and
fell to the ground.
So, you can die as well, thought Fert
emotionlessly.
With a last, supreme effort, Fert stood up,
stepped closer to the Protector and planted a boot on his helmet,
forcing the head back so that the neck would be exposed. Then he shot.
What followed was a short rattle that Fert didn’t bother to
watch. He was looking around for Renen. His body was just a few
metres away but he couldn’t tell whether he was alive or not.
“Renen!” he tried to call out but
realized that he was just whispering, he tried to walk but only
staggered, finally he fell on his back, his chest was on fire and his
fatigues felt wet. Must be my blood. Fert attempted to
reach for the bandages, then remembered he had used them all on the
wounded R-gun crewman. Far away, the gunfire was dying. He wondered
if his companions would come to get him.
Fert stared up at the sky. Despite the aerial
battle, it was all strangely quiet, almost peaceful. He felt the
burning pain leave his body like water flowing off a rock. Somehow
everything around him felt unimportant: the battle, the Rightful
Earth Alliance, the Martian Liberation Front, the last
eight miserable months of his life … and his own death. He realized that he
wasn’t breathing anymore. Renen was kneeling next to him; he
saw his fellow comrade shake slowly his head and then move away, but
couldn’t follow him with his eyes. He couldn’t move a
muscle. All he could do was watch the firmament, lit silently by
drops of fiery rain. Never had it seemed so beautiful.
THE END
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