“Move out the way,” Michael sighed as his sight slowly returned.
Levelling the Krenaran weapon he fired three quick blasts straight at the door; the first two buckled it, the third shot blasted a hole big enough to step through.
Vargev retrieved his laser and sprinted headlong towards the opening; he dove through it and executed a neat forward roll upon landing; coming up firing. One of the Krenarans turned in his elaborate white seat to face him and was greeted by two laser shots dead in the chest, the alien collapsed back down onto the seat and then fell limp; face first onto the floor. A split second later Vargev had trained his improvised weapon on a second Krenaran; the alien fell forward with two laser shots in the back, its body smashed into the console he was using sending a shower of sparks and glass across the command centre.
“I’m out!”
Michael burst into the room, and hefting his weapon he quickly blew a hole in the midsection of a third Krenaran preparing to rush Vargev.
The huge form of Axus came barrelling towards them; with a deep roar he shouted, “I will gut you Terran!”
He shoulder barged Michael; smashing him to the floor. Pain lanced across Michael’s back as he slammed hard onto the deck; his weapon clattered along the floor to the side of him.
The massive Krenaran commander smashed a chair out of the way and sprinted full pelt towards Vargev. The Russian desperately tried to dodge the onrushing behemoth; however Axus was simply too fast.
Vargev swung a right hook managing to connect; the Krenaran wasn’t even fazed by the puny blow. The monstrous alien simply unleashed a guttural roar and gripped the Majors throat; with a show of supreme strength he lifted Vargev clean into the air, holding him there, the aliens’ massive vice like grip clamped around the Russians throat.
Vargev coughed and spluttered; twisting this way and that looking like a tiny worm in the grip of a monster; desperately trying to break free from the huge aliens’ deadly grip; however Axus was simply too strong. The alien brought his other fist back; lining up a blow that if it hit, would surely snap Vargev’s neck. The desperate Russian was weakening rapidly as he struggled.
“I was under orders not to harm you, but I’m going to enjoy this!” Axus said mockingly.
On the far side of the command centre, Michael gradually came to. Slowly shaking his head, his vision cleared slightly; enough to see the Major locked in the huge Krenarans’ deadly grip.
Quickly picking up his weapon as he got back to his feet; he opened fire. The shot fizzed across the command centre and blasted off Axus’s arm, the force of the impact spinning the giant Krenaran warrior completely around and forcing him to drop Vargev. The aliens white blood spurted out from the damaged limb; as the Russian flopped onto the floor unconscious.
Axus screamed in pain and raw anger, the Krenaran rose and charged headlong towards Michael; who was still a little unsteady on his feet.
He desperately tried to bring his weapon up again; however it was too late, the one armed monstrosity simply swatted him away; sending Michael careering through the air and smashing into another console. The force of the impact smashed the glass on the screen; however Michael just about managed to keep hold of his weapon.
Weak; and with his back in agony from the impacts of the floor and the glass, he looked up to see the onrushing form of Axus racing towards him like a charging bull.
With all the strength he could muster he levelled the weapon and pressed the trigger; keeping it pressed, two, three, four shots slammed into Axus; on the fourth shot the mighty Krenaran staggered, his white lifeblood spraying out all over the damaged console and spluttered across Michaels’ face.
Finally the giant Krenaran fell backwards onto the floor with a wet thud; and moved no more.
Chapter 8
Gradually Vargev regained consciousness, and groggily got back to his feet. Michael was still lying atop the smashed console; barely conscious himself.
Vargev strode over to him seeing the bloodied lifeless form of Axus lying face up on the deck, and helped him back up onto his feet. In his usual Russian twang he said, “Now you have gained my respect comrade; you should be proud. It is not easy to gain the respect of a commando; harder still for a Major of them.”
Michael stood up groggily and tried to straighten himself with an agonising ‘click’. He looked down at the ruined body of Axus, “filthy Krenaran bastard.”
He turned his attention to the bridge; it was a long oval shaped room with several status consoles and chairs lining the perimeter. It was completely empty now, only Michael and Vargev still stood. Krenaran bodies were strewn across the floor; thick white blood stained the deck plates, and coated some of the smashed consoles.
“Think you can fly this thing, Navy boy?”
“I don’t know, I’ve never piloted an alien ship before.”
“Well; now’s your chance.”
“We need to secure the rest of the ship, see if you can find an environmental systems console around here.”
“Why environmental systems?”
“Listen, you may be in charge on the ground, but I am up here; besides I have a plan.”
Vargev sighed; and began looking for a console resembling something like an environmental systems monitor. Finally he came to a console in a far corner of the command centre. “Is this it?” he asked; pressing a button with a strange symbol imprinted upon it. Suddenly the command centre was plunged into darkness; only the console lights showed up, casting an eerie glow across the darkened bridge.
“You idiot, you’ve shut off main power!”
“Oops sorry,” he pressed the button again.
The lights quickly came back on, Michael walked over to where Vargev was stood. A loud banging noise could be heard from a second door over at the other side of the command centre.
“They are trying to break through!” An increasingly desperate Vargev shouted.
Michael studied the console in front of him, and found that on the display there were pictures of a deck plan. The banging sound continued to increase, and small dents could now be seen through the door. He studied the console some more. There were strange symbols next to each deck; one looked like the detention area.
The hammering on the door increased in its intensity; as more dents began to appear.
Michael pressed the corresponding symbol for each deck, except the command centre and detention facility. As he pressed each symbol one by one; the decks faded to a mid-grey colour. All except the command centre itself which glowed bright blue; and the detention area which glowed a bright red colour.
He left it like that for several minutes while he walked over to the elaborate looking chair, studying it closely. There was a small console in the middle of this chair; Michael had no idea why the chair was more elaborate than the others dotted around the command centre, but he was determined to find out.
The banging noises were slowly lessening in their intensity; fewer dents were appearing in the door, which by now was looking decidedly battered.
Vargev walked over to him, “what do you think it is?”
“I’ve no idea,” Michael replied looking puzzled, “only one way to find out.” He lowered himself down into the chair, its white leather felt soft and padded.
“It is comfortable though.”
Vargev shot him a look, “I don’t think it’s a sofa, comrade.”
Suddenly two metallic arms on the chair moved up from its sides almost silently and with mechanical precision, they clicked into place. The small console moved forward into position between his legs; and stopped within easy reach. At the ends of these two arms there were hand holes; and through these holes were grips containing a variety of red buttons. More strange symbols were imprinted upon them.