Galaxy of Heroes

“Alpha team,” Sergeant Major Rupa said. “Status report.”

“Alpha team is up,” Sgt. Shard, the alpha fire team leader, said.

“Bravo. Status,” Rupa said.

“Bravo’s up,” Sgt. Boke, the bravo fire team leader, said.

“Private Phleg, status report on Professor Mahlis,” Rupa said.

“I am well,” Professor Mahlis said.

“The professor is well,” Pvt. Phleg said.

The squad watched the broiling mushroom cloud expand and dissipate upward above the plain.

“Tactical nuke,” Rupa said. “Direct hit.”

“Did 2nd Battalion withstand the blast?” the professor asked.

“Negative,” Rupa said.

“Oh, dear,” the professor said.

The nuke had detonated above the center of the half bowl and had vaporized 2nd Battalion and flattened its defensive fortifications.

Three more missiles shot upward from Zander City and arced toward the Craaldan lines.

“Take cover,” Rupa said.

When the missiles zoomed over the Naos Rift, the Craaldan laser cannons up on the mountain peaks opened up and blasted at them with rapid pulses. The missiles were pulverized in great puffs of smoke and debris.

“Aerial defenses are back online,” bravo team leader Sgt. Boke said.

“Sergeant Major,” Sgt. Shard said. “Your three o’clock. Diocon ground-attack drones coming in low.”

“Copy. Stay down and stay tactical.”

Fifteen ground-attack drones skimmed above the plain at great velocity, throwing up spectacular columns of dust behind them. The large Diocon drones were the bane of the Craaldan infantry. Without aerial defenses, a handful of drones could easily dispatch an entire infantry battalion, and pinpoint and destroy sniper teams.

The drones shot over the Naos Rift and discharged a salvo of cluster bombs that impacted across the lunar surface and exploded with a powerful and rapid succession of shockwaves.

The shockwaves swept across the valley floor. The defensive mine fields on the Craaldan side of the rift detonated, throwing up an enormous wall of black dust. The glowing red river of lava disappeared behind the rising dust cloud.

As the ground attack aircraft raced forward, the Craaldan aerial defenses on the mountain peaks let loose a barrage of missiles and laser pulses, which smashed into the speeding Diocon drones—all fifteen of which were shattered to pieces in explosions of fire and metal. The debris hurtled and crashed to the surface, throwing up dust plumes and carving channels into the rock and ice as chunks of the drones careened and rolled across the plain.

“Aerial defense has neutralized the Diocon drones,” Rupa said. “Command and control is restored and combat effective.”

The wall of dust thrown up by the detonation of the mine field nearly obscured all of the Diocon side of the plain. Through the leading edge of the rising cloud, a horde of Diocon infantry burst through the dust and charged across the plain.

The Diocons sprinted out of the cloud at tremendous speeds, racing toward the half-bowl ingress to the Bleak Range.

From his vantage point up on the ridgeline, Spade counted an entire Diocon infantry battalion—900 soldiers strong—racing across the rock and ice that recently had been flattened and swept smooth by the nuclear blast.

It was the first time Spade had observed the Diocons this close up. Each Diocon soldier was steel gray and fifteen feet tall. They had glowing red eyes set into their bullet-shaped heads. They had spindly arms and legs. In their arms they carried large armonium cannons that fired high-explosive, armor-piercing rounds. The Diocons ran in tight squad formations at speeds almost as fast as the flying drones. Spade imagined the tragic futility of the Naos Lunar Militia when it opposed such a Diocon onslaught, which had so easily annihilated the human population here on Naos.

“No one is positioned to stop them from reaching the mountains,” Professor Mahlis observed. “They will overrun the aerial defenses and leave us open to further nuke strikes.”

The Diocon infantry raced unopposed across the half bowl and neared the cover of the Bleak Range where they could disappear into the crags and ravines.

Nine Craaldan battle tanks rolled over a low mountain ridgeline directly in front of the advancing Diocons. The reserve tank company had maneuvered through a pass in the mountains in an attempt to block the Diocon assault from reaching the aerial defenses positioned on the peaks above.

The battle tanks massed their fire and unleashed a barrage of rounds that smashed directly into the front of the rapidly advancing Diocon infantry.

The metal Diocon soldiers were tough, but not tough enough to withstand rounds at near point blank range from Craaldan battle tanks. The Diocons were ripped to pieces. They halted their advance and sought cover on the open ground behind chunks of rock and ice and debris from the destroyed drones.

Mechanized vehicles from two Craaldan infantry battalions that were dug in to the south rolled onto the battlefield, positioning themselves between the Naos Rift and the Diocon infantry, effectively cutting off a Diocon retreat. The vehicles halted and their rear hatches dropped open. Craaldan infantry rushed out of the hatches and took up fighting positions to the rear of the enemy infantry.

The Craaldans had the Diocon battalion surrounded with tanks to the front and infantry to the rear. The tanks blasted at the Diocons, while the two Craaldan infantry battalions unleashed a curtain of fire from the rear, advancing on them in a coordinated attack.

The Diocons attempted to return fire with their powerful cannons, but they were in exposed positions and their fire was disorganized amidst the exploding tank salvos and the onslaught of molten metal fired from the Craaldan infantry to their rear.

“This battle is over,” the sergeant major said. “The Diocon attack has been routed. This is a mopping up operation now.”

Spade watched below as the Craaldan infantry methodically advanced on the pinned down Diocons, flanking them and masterfully picking them off with grenades and coordinated bursts of fire. Accurate and well-coordinated volleys from the Craaldan CX-649s were cutting the Diocons to shreds.

Diocon soldiers managed to land a few direct hits on Craaldan vehicles and infantry positions, but theirs was a lost cause.

One squad of isolated Diocon soldiers rushed at a Craaldan squad, but the Diocons were lit up and cut down. One wounded Diocon managed to sprint up close to the Craaldan squad’s position. A Craaldan soldier stood up and popped a long bayonet from his armored fist. He sliced the Diocon in half with a mighty slash of his blade.

“Sorry you couldn’t stop your war, Professor,” Spade said. “Looks like our mission ended before it began.”

“What do you mean?” the professor asked. “This mission will continue. Sergeant Major, move your squad forward.”

“Roger that,” the sergeant major said. “Lock it up,” Rupa said to his squad. He raised his arm and signaled for the squad to move out.

The squad members rose to their feet and moved down the ridge in wedge formation toward the plain.

“Human!” the sergeant major barked. “You’re on point! Get up there!”