They had retreated into the tunnels as a last line of defence. Kelly was all too aware that they had nowhere left to run. Dozens of MDF soldiers rushed past him, their youthful legs carrying them at almost twice his speed. Explosions erupted in the distance as he heard the now familiar sound of their explosive rounds. Deep beneath the surface they were highly effective and perfectly safe from a breach of the atmosphere.
Kelly reached a crossroads and turned quickly down the tunnel towards the gunfire. The tunnels were more than twenty metres wide, intended for large cargo wagons to run through. He could see the battle up ahead long before he reached it. He rushed through the tunnel as light pulses flashed down it.
Moments later, the Commander caught sight of the enemy dropping into the tunnel up ahead. More than fifty soldiers were scattered amongst the rubble firing wildly, and many of their comrades lay dead as more rushed to join the fight.
Kelly lifted his launcher as he was running and trained it on the nearest targets. He stopped as he came into range and fired immediately. Two of his grenades struck a Mech and vaporised it. He jumped behind a large section of the collapsed tunnel roof beside another soldier who was cowering from the intense gunfire. The Commander looked at the man who was too scared to return fire. He slapped his helmet.
“Keep that up and we’ll all be dead! Get up there and shoot!”
The man looked at him with a lost expression, not sure whether to comply or not.
“What are you waiting for? Now!”
The soldier took a deep breath and lifted himself up to fire, but he was immediately struck by an enemy pulse which blew his shoulder off and broke his neck. The body slumped down behind the cover still smouldering. Kelly looked down at the fallen soldier. The smell of burning flesh was repugnant, and the taste glued to his tongue, burning his eyes.
Kelly got to his feet and ran across the open ground, jumping in behind another large section of cover where three soldiers were firing from.
“Who’s in charge here?” he shouted.
“Captain Jansen, Sir!”
“Where is he?”
The soldier turned and pointed.
Kelly turned to see a wounded officer trying to reload his weapon with his one good arm as he rested back against the cover of an old rail cart. Kelly turned back to the breach and looked out from behind the shelter. No matter how many Mechs they destroyed, more were dropping into the tunnel. He raised his launcher and fired off with a scattered grouping. There were so many of them that he no longer had to choose his targets.
Kelly leapt from the cover and rushed across the opening. He jumped in behind the rail cart as a pulse landed behind his feet. It blasted a crater in the floor, projecting him into the air and smashing him against the metalwork of the carriage.
“Sir, are you alright?” shouted Jansen.
Kelly rolled over onto his hands and knees, coughing and spluttering. The wind had been taken out of him, and he was breathing dust and grime into his lungs. He rolled up to a seated position beside the Captain.
“I’m still here, Captain. Give me an update!”
The cart at their backs rocked as it was struck by enemy fire.
“Just as it looks, Sir! One breach, they’ve not gained any ground yet, but they seem to have no end of Mechs to throw in!”
The Commander looked back down the tunnel where he’d come from. Martinez was running towards them at the head of his team that he’d quickly assembled. Kelly grinned at the sight of re-enforcements, but before they could reach the defence lines an energy bolt flew overhead and smashed into them. Three of the soldiers were thrown down and smashed into the walls.
“Come on! Keep moving!” shouted Kelly.
He watched as Martinez stumbled to his feet, clearly dazed.
“Run!”
He quickly came to his senses and staggered towards the defensive line as quickly as he could. Martinez dropped down in front of the Commander. Shrapnel littered his body armour and had punctured through in several places. Blood seeped from the wounds. Kelly wanted to enquire about his condition, but there was no time.
“We’re in deep shit here. This is a meat grinder.”
“We can’t let them get a hold underground, Sir!”
“The longer we stay here, the more people we lose!”
“Then what are your orders, Sir!” shouted Martinez.
The Commander lowered his head, looking up at the lines of dead and wounded. Their forces battled on bravely, but they were taking more losses than they could afford. He looked up at the other officers for answers.
“Sir, we could blow the tunnel,” said Jansen.
“And give up more ground?” Martinez asked.
“What else is there to do?” shouted Jansen.
“Sir, we can’t fall back!”
Kelly turned to Martinez, but he knew he no longer had a choice.
“This battle is over, so let’s not make it our last.”
He turned to the wounded Jansen.
“How can it be done?”
Light pulses still surged overhead as the soldiers battled on to a stalemate with the Mechs. The enemy never seemed to be able to push enough forces in to break the line, but they always sent enough to keep them on their toes.
“I have already rigged up explosives a hundred metres back down the tunnel!” shouted Jansen.
Kelly had never given such orders, but he could not bring himself to discipline a man who may well prove to be their saviour.
“What do you need to do to set them off?”
“There’s a control box on the sidewall marked with MDF warning signs. Just arm the three switches and hit the big red button. The fuse is set for thirty seconds.”
Kelly sighed as he looked back over the defences to see the mound of dead Mechs, and the fresh ones that continued forward. He could not believe they had to give yet more ground although there appeared to be little choice left. He turned back to the two officers who waited for his answer with baited breath.
“Sound the retreat and get everyone back. Last one of us to pass that box hits the button.”
Martinez nodded, and he leapt out and ran for the other cover to pass the word to the troops.
“This definitely going to work?” asked Kelly.
“Definitely, Sir, the charges are placed on a joining point for the tunnel. They’ll bring down enough ground to ensure our safety.”
“And the buildings above?”
“A school. The colony’s systems will section off the area.”
The Commander nodded. He liked the news less and less as it was laid out before him. He looked across for Martinez who was staring back at him and ready to move. Almost a hundred soldiers now defended the tunnel, many packed shoulder to shoulder. He looked around for one last moment, hoping to see some reduction in the enemy’s advance, but there was no such luck. He looked back to Martinez.
“Go!”
He knew that the officer would not hear him over the gunfire, but he could see well enough to understand the order. Martinez shouted and the message was passed along the line. The troops quickly took flight. For the soldiers whose sole purpose was to fight, fleeing the battle was welcome news. Kelly grabbed Jansen and hauled him up. Martinez rushed to his side, and they each took an arm each of the wounded officer.
The fleeing Moon defence colonists rushed across the crater and debris-strewn ground, occasionally turning to fire back. The Mechs were advancing slowly down the tunnel. Kelly winced in pain. It was hard enough work for him to run in armour, let alone having to help another. His knees buckled slightly with every few steps, and he thought every second that death would come.
The air in the tunnel was thick, and the lights reflected the clouds of dust particles they were charging through and that were clogging their lungs. Kelly could feel the acidic salt of his sweat dripping into his eyes and mouth. Mixed with the smell of death and destruction it was enough to make any man vomit, if they weren’t running for their lives.