Existential Threat: Chapter 12 Part 6 of 8 (Patreon)

The deeper they went the more time the Adraxi had to calculate their flight path.

Heavy impactors, compressed metal sent on ballistic courses were thrown off by the buffeting wind and laser strikes from the ground.

“Down to thirty percent, first I-crackers firing engines.

The smaller engines kicked in, spread out by their entry vehicle their onboard systems ripped from missiles evaded and dodged, using randomized values as atmosphere no long fought their entry. to spread out and pile on speed as they got closer to the planet.

“They’re firing spitters.”

Lines of CIWS were illuminated on screens in the middle of space warfare. The spitters in atmosphere needed none of the rendering. Tens of thousands of spitters put out thousands of rounds each, filling the skies with millions of rounds reaching up into the skies.

Hundreds of the insertion systems had been destroyed, but each had released eighteen smaller impactors.

“Second salvo entering atmosphere. Firing third salvo.

“Foster and Ichika have adjusted insertion,” Ayambe said. Dana dragged over the new flight parameters.

“They are going to come over the northern pole of the planet, aiming for the plains harvester AO.”

“That’s where the stations are the thickest,” Dana said.

“Yes, but there are less missiles launching from that location.”

Dana grimaced, she couldn’t see any openings in the Adraxi defensive net.

“Launching second ground forces insertion wave,” Ayambe said.

“Crackers are entering final boost phase,” Leblanc said.

The engines accelerated as fast as they could, smashing through the sound barrier, heating up to the point their temperatures could be compared to the insertion vehicles when entering atmosphere.

Nuclear detonations went off the last several hundred meters, spitters and lasers, knocking them off course, the changes, tearing the small weapons apart.

Come on, reach them.

The harvesters and drop Carriers had a clear dome around them of protection, nothing made it within a kilometer and a half above them, or within thirty kilometers around them.

Impactors thrown off slammed into the ground, throwing up gysers of debris, scarring the planet. Others impacted the ground, slipping through like a diver through water, throwing up a puff of dust behind them as the ground rippled.

Several found their targets, disappearing remote firing stations, the debris from the station turning into shrapnel that cleared the areas around it for a dozen meters.

“Nuclear impactors entering,” Leblanc said.

The payload vehicles compressed the planet’s atmosphere ahead of them, like an ancient diesel engine, climbing to just over two thousand degrees before cooling off, the payload spinners, hurling their payload free.

Adraxi engaged them all the way down. The spread out rounds detonated with the force of their nuclear payloads, blinding Adraxi light gathering optics.

Seeking out the remote defensive stations impactors struck, overwhelming them with sheer numbers.

Detonations, visible from space ignted upon the plains of the super-continent.

“Ground forces are entering the atmosphere,” Ayambe said.

“Fourth salvo away,” Leblanc said.

“Keep us loaded and keep us firing,” Dana said as the salvos, hellcats and dropships rained down upon the planet.

Chaos ruled the skies as nuclear blasts met burning lines of light and ripping whips of tracers.

“Adraxi are launching aero-fighters,” Leblanc said.

“Warn the hellcats, tell them they’ve got company.”

***

Ken’lur’soo rose up, picking out a group of light-pricks aiming over them he fired and ducked back, rounds hammering at the raw compressed stone around him, sending painful chips everywhere.

The tell-tale noise of his explosive charge lost among the noise of weapon-fire.

He snapped open the barrel, a heavy-gauge piece of piping with a wide screw pattern down its sides, an old repair gooper holding a nail at the other end. It had been built in tunnels, in darkness of the swamps. Meant to bring the aer from their palace in the stars, their castle that they ruled over all the ‘lur’ castes from.

As they had risen to the stars to rule all those below. They had invited the wrath of the stars, brought down the enemy, the Adraxi that the Sphere World Spirit talked about. Creatures that poisoned the air, turned the cities sick, killed all but those who were around the mining facilities that tore apart their planet.

They had cheered, naively when they saw the metal moon torn apart, seen the aer flee. Then the not-stars appeared in the sky.

Burning streaks had cut across the skies, crashed into the ground. Fearful of the aer everyone stayed back, it was good as creatures, kra-spawn stepped forth, they hunted and killed any they could and with them came the poison.

“What about the purple clouds?”

Per’lur’soo, asked. Her fur was dirtied from mud and flame, gritty and grimey from the days long fighting, her eyes wide and her ears down, from fear and noise, fluttering with every explosion.

“They’re still far away, Gra and his clutch were right, the Aer offices stop the purple clouds from getting close,” He glanced over to the offices in the middle of the mining field. The miners still worked, drawing out materials, pushing them onto belts that dumped them into containers, or onto the ground where containers hadn’t been replaced.

Walls and towers stood around the buildings, the turrets that defended the Aer, now criss-crossed the sky with glowing rounds, striking down any of the Adraxi that showed their faces.

A missile hissed free, leaving a contrail over the miners, disappearing into the forests, flame and clouds rose from the distance, noise following afterwards.

The first few had been terrifying, now the sky was smoky from the missile’s passage.

And we’re running out of them.

The mining field had been burned into the natural forest, scraping away trees and dirt down to the stone and metals, the only thing the Aer cared about.

Ten square kilometers of automated miners, belts, cranes, heavy movers and space ports.

He’d never appreciated the fences around the mine before. Made from compressed rock they blocked off accessed to all but two roads that led to multiple settlements and two mining cities.

Movers and Containers were shoved into both openings.

The purple clouds, a fog that lay over the land, around the mine

Automated miners covered the space, heavy movers filled the roads and motor pools. mostly broken, containers spilled on the ground, the materials spilling out.

“Aaargh! Die you fucking kra-shits!” Dur’lur’sem yelled, his bandage green with blood, pushing his strip of rounds into his tube-construct, clenching the grabber trigger.

Ken snapped his tube locked, making sure it was secure.

“Dur, calm down! You’re wasting rounds!”

Ken snapped his head over to a section of wall exploding inwards, compressed blocks thrown across the road, slamming into miners, and containers. A miner sparked out.

Aer will be angry their miner isn’t working.

Another explosion widened the hole.

Other Lur were moving towards the hole.

If they lost the walls, all they’d have was the fortified mining offices.

The enemy’s rounds, leaving lines like the turrets over the mining offices cut down several Lur.

“Kra,” Ken brought up his weapon and pulled the gripper, with a metallic ting. Nothing happened as he yanked back on the nail taped rear, the whole back opening. He closed it all again, holding the foregrip and forcing the rear closed by pressing the glooper handle it hit one of the creatures head-on, killing it and wounding others.

They started turning as Ken lowered his gun, his stomach’s dropping out. They’re going to kill me. The thought rang out crystal clear.

Turret fire lanced through the creatures, tearing them to flying scrap, one second they were there, next there were parts coming back down.

“Oh Kra,” His entire body was pinpricks of lightning.

More sections of the wall were hit, killing the defenders shooting from cover.

The turrets lashed out with ribbons of light, no longer hunting targets in the sky, but those rushing in through the breaches.

He grabbed Dur and hauled the larger man with him.

“We gotta go!” He yelled to Per, catching a leg move through the smoke that covered the hole.

A long cannon, longer and bigger than the turrets, than the missile launcher’s came above it.

Another leg grabbed the other side of the hole and pulled forward, the creature climbing over the hole as Ken let go of Dur, Per was running too, towards the parts building back from the wall.

The beast rode on armored legs, connected to an armored shell, with another ontop, holding a large cannon that fired.

Ken ducked as a mover carrying wounded detonated, the wall behind him exploded, rocks peppering him as he fought to keep his feet and keep running.

Per pushed on the door into the parts building, hitting on the door, kicking it. She shoved her rifle against the lock and pulled the trigger, nearly falling over as she stumbled into the room beyond.

She turned back, eyes going wide as she raised her rifle, yelling something as she fired.

Ken ducked, trying to get as small as possible, wondering why she was shooting at him.

The round buzzed past, all the hairs sticking up across his body as it passed, feeling like it was just past his body.

He kept running, moving on an angle as she jerked the bolt back on her rifle and shoved it forward again. Rounds hit around the doorway, throwing up stone dust and chipping the compressed stone wall as she raised her rifle and fired again.