War Zone-Part Two: Commanding Force

by Seven


Disclaimer:  Earth: Final Conflict and its characters are copyrighted by Tribune Entertainment Company.  All rights reserved.



Author's Note:  This is just a gritty war story, not much of an underlying plot. Stella Lowes is named after the Stella around PSphere.



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Liam tore the side of the tent apart and found himself in the middle of a battleground. The Volunteers were fighting a Jaridian ambush party in their own camp. Nearby, a petite blond girl was fighting a Jaridian soldier, and clearly losing.

Liam chopped the Jaridian on the back of the neck, and he collapsed. Liam barely had time be relieved that the move worked before a rocky fist hit the side of his head. He skidded sideways, slamming into Sanchez. Sanchez slammed the butt of his rifle into Liam's shoulder to drive him back, and leapt toward a Jaridian foe with a fierce war cry.

Liam was momentarily stunned, disoriented by pain and his recent injury. He felt a hand on his shoulder, pulling him away and into a cleft in the rocks. It was Martin, her face shiny with sweat. "Stay off to the side," she commanded. Then she ran out, dropped to one knee and fired. Two Jaridians fell to the ground, groaning out their last breaths.

****

Liam looked forlornly at the two blasted bodies on the ground, their faces forever burned into masks of agony. Beside him Sanchez growled. "Finally finding out what the front lines are like?"

Liam didn't answer the intended insult. He didn't have the heart, after those two Volunteers had died. He turned on his heel and left.

"Pablo!" shouted Al from the side. "Leave Kincaid alone. He's hurt." "Big deal," sneered Sanchez. "So he got a few bumps and bruises. So what?" "He hasn't been here long," the blond girl Liam had rescued stated. "He's not used to the climate. And his leg is all infected."

Sanchez snorted. "So we're going to baby him?" he asked. "I vote we just drop him like a bad habit." Stella Lowes, the blond girl, scowled at Sanchez. "We can't drop him. Us humans have got to stick together if we're going to live." "Us humans have got to drop whatever's holding us back," Sanchez shouted. "Kincaid can barely walk, can't fight. He's a liability."

"Says the guy who spilled half the generator's fuel!" shouted Al, bristling. "Did we dump you on the rocks then?" As Sanchez whirled toward him, eyes blazing, he warned, "You hit me and I'll have your butt seared for mutiny."

For a long moment, Sanchez actually seemed to be considering it. Then he clenched his fists and walked away.

****

Stella entered the repaired medical tent. Liam was lying on his side, but turned over when he saw her. "Hi," he said, smiling.

Stella sat next to him. "You'll have to excuse Pablo. He's got a temper like a chili pepper and a mouth twice as jumpy. He just likes to argue, and he argues about everything."

Liam shrugged. "I've known one or two people like that," he commented.

Stella laughed, then sobered. "Poor Ross."

"Ross?"

"Stuart Ross. One of the guys who was killed by the Jaridians just recently." Liam paused for a moment, then asked, "How many people were there originally?"

"A hundred and twenty," Stella replied. "I've lived this long mainly because I'm a doctor. A medic, actually. We lost our doctor near the beginning, but I know how to fix the basic sorts of things you get in battle."

Liam looked shocked. "And now... you're down to twenty? You lost a hundred soldiers?"

Stella nodded, looking solemn. "Martin... she was our fourth in command. Now she gets command of us, a ragtag band soon to be wiped out by the Jaridians."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because we've been here for two months, and no one has made any effort to rescue us." Stella's voice began to crack and she bowed her head. "Martin and Al say that the Taelons care about human beings... but I'm beginning to wonder... if they left us here to die."

Liam couldn't think of anything truthful to say in response. He only touched Stella's hand and said, "We'll be found. Soon."

****

"It's right next door to the Jaridians," Lili stated, pointing at the map. "Liam crashed on a habitable--barely habitable--planet that hadn't been charted yet."

"I beg to differ," Da'an replied. "That planet has been charted. It is, however, classified."

"Classified?" Lili said, flabbergasted. "What? Why?"

Da'an sighed. "It is a base of operations for a Volunteer raiding party which was formed to collect data in Jaridian space. Unfortunately, their portal was destroyed to keep it out of Jaridian hands. Zo'or has shown no inclination to discover whether or not there are survivors."

Lili still looked shocked. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I have only just received this information," Da'an replied. "Now, we must ascertain whether Liam and the survivors are still alive..."

TO BE CONTINUED...