Lights flashed green and gold, my erratic heartbeat matching their flickering instability. The cockpit shook around me, sweat springing unbidden from my terrified body as my cooling jacket failed to keep any natural responses in check. Even my harness resisted its function as I was flung from side to side. I looked out of the shattered remains of my protection and waited for the oncoming dots to evolve into another barrage of missiles. Why oh why had I ever left my bed this morning?
“Charlie Foxtrot…I repeat, Charlie Foxtrot…â€
I laughed at the weak voice over the Lance’s private circuit. Even in death, Sid was playing the joker. To be sure, we were all in the same boat. Who the hell were these invaders and where had they come from? The garbled message received asking us to gamble with them on numbers and forces had been treated as a joke by our Commander. Even if she would have taken them seriously and then brought the whole Regiment, I doubt that the outcome would have been any different.
A blur of movement and piercing blue light streaked across my peripheral vision. They were fast…and hit us from distance with such power. I pulled reflexively on the triggers on my controls, but who was I kidding? The alarms wailing around me and the disembodied voice telling of my of imminent meltdown should have overrode the hope of fighting back, but the mind is such a funny thing.
“Punch out Ace!†screamed someone and I saw an almighty explosion nearby.
Ace, isn’t that me? Oh my God!
I grabbed at the ejection controls and felt the welcome kick beneath me as the rockets fired and I was catapulted free. The maelstrom and carnage flashed by as I soared through the air, but there was no respite as I now could see the distant city before me. Plumes of smoke rolled skywards. Where was my house? My family? My little girl!
Something hammered into my temporary safety net, catapulting me sideways and causing my pod to smash through some high-topped pine trees. More to burn, I thought, as I careened onwards, the welcoming blackness I hoped was of death rushing towards me. If the city was gone and my family too, why should I…
Pain. Almighty throbbing and gut wrenching agony. Where was I and why was the ground so close. My mouth was wooly and it was hard to speak. There was a combat boot in front of me and I tried to reach it with my right hand, but my feeble attempt was disdainfully knocked aside.
“Do not touch me, Freebirth!â€
Such a rough and snarling voice. Where was I? The boot kicked me over and I gasped in terror as I looked out at the vision before me. I was in the back of some type of transport, the streets before me recognisible by still-standing landmarks. My house was just around the…
“No! Please God, no!â€
The wail of terror was mine, the responding laughter not. Anger bubbled through me and I looked up into the leering and hawk-tattooed face beside me.
“Take a good look, Freebirth. This is what we do to those without honour…â€
Without honour? They had destroyed everything I lived for, stripped away my hold on humanity and left nothing but the skin of an animal behind. Rage overwhelmed me, pushing reason and self-preservation out of my rational brain. He was waiting for me to react, but not for how.
As he grabbed me I bit, taking a chunk out of his face, spitting blood and tattoo free. He screamed now, prick, and I had hardly started. The knife in his belt was mine, as was he. I wrenched it free, stabbing in a maddened frenzy, and screaming my rage. Others watched on in horror, but I cared not.
He was down, but it was not enough. I followed him, falling amongst other bodies, strength filling me as he bled. A movement to my right warned me, and I rolled free, reflexively raising my newly acquired blade. The yelp of pain, as an arm smashed down onto the naked blade made me grin. Another one!
“Shoot him!â€
“No!†A deep voice answered, “He is mine!â€
The area cleared and I saw a mountain of a man approach me, arms weaving in front as he waited. What did he think I was doing? Playing? I lunged forward, releasing the blade to fly towards his face and following through with a kick to the crotch. He yelped in surprise and then in pain but I did not care. The idiot with the gun was my objective.
Dropping low, I wrenched the bleeding arm of my second attacker round, propelling him towards the huge figure. He screamed at such rough treatment and the gun in his free hand wavered. The trigger pulling reflex seemed to be universal, and the issue from his weapon splattered across a snarling giant’s chest, causing more consternation than damage. No matter. I was not here for lengthy conversation, just killing.
Another knife drew my attention, and I pulled it free, advancing slowly forwards. Death is a-coming boys, take note…
Red light burst across my vision and pain, welcome pain, revisited me.
“Take him. I want this one to watch while those he loves die.â€
I laughed. They were already dead, idiot, and I spun, the knife scoring flesh. What had my instructor said about combat? Oh yes, Eyes, Throat and Balls. Well, one out of three so far. Scope was always such a good thing.
More light and even stars strobed across my eyes. Why could they just not do what I wanted? Kill me and be damned. I just…
The Elemental looked down at the feral Freebirth below him. What had they said about this planet? Nothing to worry about? Just a reserve world on which to practice?
Before this one, that had been more than true. He looked down as the animal stirred and hit him again with the butt of his pistol, and once more for good measure. The action hurt, as wounds opened. It had been close, this one having surprised them all. Maybe the Star Captain would like to meet with this piece of trash. He grinned as he thought of such a meeting, especially if the Freebirth was given a knife. Now that was an excellent idea.
