Back Into Action2001 short story by Jonathan Hicks Thirty-seven years after Episode IV – A New Hope The detonation of the warhead blew what was left of the Councillors Hall across the street. The high walls collapsed in on themselves, bringing the glass dome of the roof splintering and smashing to the ground. A plume of smoke and dust swept wave-like along the ground and covered Maanu and his small collection of troops with debris. Maanu covered his eyes and tucked his head down as splinters of flying plastcrete and glass flew over his head. He felt his helmet rock with the impact of the few pieces that fell from the sky and his shoulders sagged in resignation. “Gods damn it!” he cried, looking up over the low wall he was using as cover. “That was the command post!” One of Maanu’s troops leaned forward, the long-range comlink in his hand and stretched out for Maanu to take. “It’s the SDF field officer, sir,” the young alien said quickly, “he’s ordering a general retreat.” "Where to?" another soldier shouted. "We don't even know where we are! We don't even know what planet we're on!" “Setnin Defence Force, my eye!” Maanu growled. “Setnin Retreat Force, more like!” He stood as the last of the hall collapsed, the bombardment from the repulsortanks just outside the town intensifying with every hit. “Prime your weapons!” he shouted. “Follow the retreat signal and get back to the ship!” The purple sky of the planet that Maanu now fought on was streaked with long lines of smoke from parabolic weapons and screaming fighter-bombers. As the horizon began to brighten, spreading lines of orange across the ruined city he now fought in with his half-dozen men, Maanu welcomed the light. For fifteen hours he and his men had fought in darkness, lit only by explosions and weapons fire. But with the light came increased danger. Now Maanu could see the ruined city spread about him he realised that the continuous bombardment had left little cover for his group in the daylight. The once splendid crystal and glass spires of the capital were now nothing but glittering shards, sparkling like freshly fallen rain. His fears were made real as he heard his first officer’s shout. “Cover!” The group of soldiers turned to see two Ki-Ki fighters, one leading and the other following just behind and to the right, banking sharply and heading in their direction. Their long fuselages were streaked with carbon scoring and their stubby wings appeared useless but for the blaster cannons that jutted out of each one. They levelled off and began to dive. “Hit the deck!” Maanu cried. The beings scrambled either way, trying to find cover or simply get away from their fellows to minimise damage to the group. As they jumped behind walls or simply lay on the ground with their hands over their heads the fighters opened fire. Blaster bolts designed to cut through starship armour exploded into the ground, ripping up small craters and flinging destruction in all directions. The red lights ripped up a long length of ground as the fighters strafed the street. As they pulled up and started to rise the largest man of Maanu’s group got immediately to his feet, the big repeating blaster in his hands coming up and the green bolts of destruction the weapon spat started streaking ineffectively into the sky after the two vessels. “Come on!” he roared, frustration getting the better of his judgement. “Come on, you freckers!” “Ease off, soldier!” Maanu shouted, getting to his feet and running over to the firing trooper. You’ll only…” “Sir, they’re coming back!” “…tell them we’re alive!” “Cover!” The fighters banked again, turning sharply, diving steeply. Everyone tried for cover but this time the fighters marked their targets well. The red bolts ripped up the street and then one of Maanu’s men. Smoke and tears obscured Maanu’s eyes as the youngest member of his team was blown over the wall he was about to use as protection. The equipment he carried was blasted across the remains of the building along with the rest of his body. The fighters pulled up and, obviously wanting to be sure they had taken care of all their targets, started to turn again for another pass. Their engines screamed, the sound of the whining getting higher in tone as they dived in again, but as the group watched their weapons begin to fire something strange happened. The lead fighter exploded, the engines of the craft blossoming brightly as the fuselage ripped apart. The remains of the craft sailed over the stunned soldiers and crashed into the wreckage of a downed gunboat. The second Ki-Ki fighter pulled up and banked, as another ship appeared as if from nowhere, spitting green blaster bolts out at the suddenly defensive ship. “It’s one of ours!” Maanu cried with delight. A brightly painted, needle nosed Sunwing fighter blasted over the cheering group, the pilot rolling the craft to acknowledge the waves from the ground. More blaster bolts lanced out at the Ki-Ki vessel, scoring hits along its nose and underbelly. The Ki-Ki fighter weaved furiously, heavily damaged. To everyone’s amazement the Ki-Ki fighter suddenly levelled out, flying a straight course with no dodging or weaving. The Sunwing dropped onto its tail and matched its course, the pilot taking advantage of the enemy’s apparent control difficulty and lining up his shots. “No!” Maanu turned and watched as another one of his men suddenly started to wave his arms at the fighters as they passed overhead again. “No! They have rear guns!” As he called out this fact the back end of the Ki-Ki fighter flared outwards, thick heavy bolts of energy belching from concealed rear cannons, the weapons filling the air with smoke and the smell of ozone. The Sunwing took hits along its nose and then across its cockpit. As the engines started to bleed fire and smoke the Sunwing returned fire, the only working cannon scoring several hits that flipped the enemy fighter over. As the Sunwing pulled up and away the Ki-Ki fighter dropped from the sky, crashing into the rubble below. “He’s not gonna make it,” Maanu said with a downcast face as the Sunwings engine stopped and started, changing pitch and grinding noisily. The pilot was obviously fighting to get the ship higher but the vessel wouldn’t respond. The troops watched with shaking heads as the engine sound suddenly ceased and the ship began to drop. There was a sudden bang and the sealed cockpit section of the fighter separated from the rest of the fuselage. As the craft dropped to a fiery death in the ruins of the capital the ejected cockpit started to descend, retro thrusters and repulsor units straining to slow the descent. It disappeared in the smoke, far back where the group had come from. “Poor frecker,” said one of the troops. “He’ll be picked up by Ki-Ki forces.” “No, he won’t,” Maanu said with sudden realisation. “What do you mean, sir?” “Ki-Ki doesn’t take prisoners. I know.” There was a long moment of silence as the troops watched the Sunwing burn brightly. The sound of the descending cockpit had disappeared within the cacophony of noise that echoed throughout the city. The Setnin Defence Force was being pushed back to their landing craft by Ki-Ki forces. The last of the escape ships would be gone within half an hour. Maanu gritted his teeth. “That damned pilot saved our lives,” he said with determination. “We can’t let him get killed, not now, not after what he did. Rescue party. Who’s with me?” But the other troops looked at each other with concern. “Sir, the retreat signal.” “I’m not going to order you. I’m not going to reprimand you. We have our orders and that’s that, but I was on Nogard. We had orders to surrender and we were slaughtered. Hundreds of brave men massacred so that the Ki-Ki forces wouldn’t have to worry about them. I’m not going to let that happen to this pilot who saved my life. Now, if you want to go, then go. If you want to return the favour, the sacrifice he made for us, then come with me.” The large man with the repeating blaster stepped forward. Maanu looked over the other men who still looked at each other with indecision. “Well?” Maanu and the large man scrambled over the rubble, the two of them pushing in the direction they should not have been going. “I’m sure he came down here somewhere,” Maanu said, shaking his head and trying to get his bearings. “Try the emergency channel again.” “This is strike group three-zero-two calling downed Sunwing pilot on emergency channel. Do you copy?” The man held the bulky field comlink to his ear and listened intently. The speaker crackled and hissed. “Repeat, this is strike group three-zero-two calling downed Sunwing pilot on emergency channel. What is your situation, come in, over.” “Keep trying,” Maanu instructed and began to push forward again. Explosions lit the ruins as more energy weapons detonated in the distance, intended to keep the Setnin forces running and sowing confusion as groups of charges dropped in random areas. Maanu stopped atop a mound of rubble as he heard blaster fire near their position. Just to Maanu's left sat a soldier, clad in dirty and streaked battle armour. A few metres from the man was a tin into which he propelled stones and bits of debris, the items dropping into the can with a clank. Maanu watched him for a few seconds until the field comlink started to hiss loudly. “This is Sunwing four-bee, I’m getting your signal. Situation is extremely hostile!” Maanu jumped down from the mound and ran to where his soldier was standing. “Get a fix on that signal!” “Already got it, sir. Three hundred and twenty meters, that way!” The large man started off, dropping the comlink, which swung down to his waist on its shoulder strap, and swinging the repeating blaster around. Maanu checked the charge on his blaster rifle and the two men ran side by side. He glanced back at the soldier who had not taken any notice of their presence, his attention being totally on the tin. As Maanu turned to keep running he tried to force the image from his mind, as the soldier he had watched had been a member of the Ki-Ki invasion force. As they came closer to where the signal indicated the pilot to be the sounds of blaster fire Maanu had heard grew louder. Flashes of different coloured light illuminated the suddenly overcast scene as they clambered over a half-melted troop transport. The escape pod was jammed at ground level in the side of a surprisingly untouched building, sparks raining from it as its damaged systems shorted and burned. The pilot, from here Maanu could see that he was actually a she with a heavy-looking blue flight suit and a long dark hair, was using the pod as cover and re-loading her pistol. Across the ruined square that made this part of the capital a small recon group of armoured Ki-Ki soldiers started to push forward, weapons ready. Three already lay dead on the ground, the others were firing haphazardly in the pilot’s direction or activating their wrist-mounted energy shields, the shimmering circular energy extending from the unit. They began to push forward, one man with a shield up and another behind with weapon at the ready. They were obviously intent on getting the pilot – dead or otherwise. As they started to cross the square the pilot popped up and sprayed several shots in their direction, the bolts bouncing of the wrist shields. Maanu pointed to the lead men. He had counted seven men in total, not including the dead ones on the ground, one of which was an officer. “Blast ‘em,” he instructed and began to move towards the pilot’s position. The large man extended the bipod from under the barrel of his repeating blaster and rested the weapon on the melted transport, tucking the rifle into his shoulder and taking aim. As Maanu came out of cover and started to cross the open ground, he opened fire. The Ki-Ki soldiers went into disarray. They had seen Maanu and one of the soldiers started to point in his direction. He suddenly fell lifeless as the repeating blaster launched its volley with thumps of quick succession. The bolts exploded violently as the heavy weapon scored hit after hit, throwing the men to the ground or pushing them back. “Come on!” Maanu was shouting, waving at the stunned pilot who had levelled her blaster at him in confusion. She checked that she was no longer under threat of fire and then ran to his position, low and quick. He grabbed her shoulder and pulled her down, checking that the Ki-Ki threat was sufficiently distracted so they could get back to safety. Maanu motioned for her to follow and started to run. Those Ki-Ki troops who had survived the repeating blaster fired in their direction but their shots were wild and ill aimed. Maanu fired as he ran, his rifle flaring as he tried to keep the enemy’s heads down. As he ran past the large man he slapped him on the shoulder. “Go!” The blaster fired a quick volley to remind the Ki-Ki troops that a heavier weapon outclassed them and then the large man ran after his commanding officer and the pilot. He continually checked behind him to make sure they weren’t being followed but kept the pace. As it turned out, the men they had shot in the square were not alone. “The escape ships are waiting for everyone who can make it in time!” Maanu shouted over the sound of the repeating blaster keeping their pursuers back. “We’ve got to hurry!” “The second Ki-Ki ship I shot down!” the pilot shouted back. “Did it explode?” “What?” “Did it explode when it crashed?” Maanu was confused. “No, I didn’t see an explosion, why?” “Take me to it!” “Are you frecking nuts? We’ve been ordered to pull out!” The pilot grabbed Maanu’s arm and her face took on a pleading look. “It’s imperative that I get to that ship!” “Forget it! We’re out of time!” “I outrank you, lieutenant!” the pilot’s face of innocent pleading dropped to one of command, stern and hard. Maanu looked at her, a retort on his lips but not making it into articulate sound. “It’s getting hot here, boss!” shouted the large man. He was behind cover, pulling the empty blaster pack out of his huge weapon and reloading it quickly. Maanu looked at him and then back at the pilot. “Take me to the ship!” the pilot demanded. The Ki-Ki ship was on its side, having crashed through rubble and leaving a long trench in the ground. It had hit hard, the nose buckled upwards, one of the stubby wings shorn off and lying further back along the groove, the other in the air. Maanu and the large man jumped into the trench with the pilot in the lead. She appeared nervous, almost panicked, as she ran towards the vessel. The cockpit window had blown its escape latches but the seat hadn’t separated. Blaster fire lanced out of the smoke and fog. Ki-Ki troops pushed forward, trying to get past the deadly accurate fire of the large man’s repeating blaster. Maanu had his own weapon up, the setting on single fire, and pumped shot after shot into the approaching figures. He had one explosive left but he didn’t want to waste it – he knew that none of them would be taken prisoner and wanted to make sure that if he did go, he’d go with a bang. He dropped down behind the lip of the trench to reload and looked over at the pilot. She had her blaster out and was approaching the Ki-Ki vessel slowly. Inside the cockpit of the ship the Ki-Ki pilot was obviously badly hurt. He was slumped across his seat, the only thing holding him in was the thick acceleration strap, and he looked up with barely conscious eyes as the Sunwing pilot stood over him. Maanu's eyes widened with shock as the Sunwing pilot merely saluted and then held her hand out to the dying Ki-Ki pilot. The Ki-Ki man weakly saluted back, reached out and shook her hand, and then slumped, eyes closed. The Sunwing pilot nodded, her face a mask of what Maanu could only guess to be sadness, and then she headed back to where he and the large man were. "Let's go," she said simply. But Maanu grabbed her arm as she started to move off. "What the freck was all that about?" he shouted. "I've been chasing that fighter for the best part of this battle," she said indignantly, wrenching her arm free from Maanu's grip. "I had to pay my respects..." "Your respects!" Maanu roared. "You've dropped us in crud!" "I never asked you to come and get me, lieutenant!" the woman snapped back, and then started to move away. Her anger caused her to make one mistake. She stood higher than was safe, moving away from Maanu with a look at him as if he had made an indecent proposition. As she rose a blaster bolt screamed over the lip of the trench, taking her in the back and throwing her to the floor. She tried to scream but all that came out of her mouth was a strange, hiss-like cry. Maanu dived over and turned her over, reaching to his utility belt for a medpac but finding none. She looked at him, the shock and fear of the hit overwhelming her, and she grabbed his tunic. Maanu held her hand tightly. The shot had burned almost straight through to her sternum but he tried not to look at the horrendous wound. He looked at her with glazed eyes. "Thank you," he whispered. "Thank you for saving us." "Save... saving you?" she croaked. "When you hit the pilot. When we were being strafed on the ground." Her face became confused, distorted by the pain. "You... you were on the... the ground?" she whispered, and then went limp in Maanu's arms. Before Maanu had time to register that the pilot had not even known the Ki-Ki fighters were shooting at him and his men the large man grabbed him by the shoulder. "Too many! Let's get the hell out here!" Dazed, confused, staggering as the man pulled him along, Maanu tried to put the pieces together in his mind but they wouldn't fit in the turmoil. He was aware he had to survive, however, and when a heavy blaster bolt exploded right by his feet he snapped back to the present, hefting his rifle and running under his own volition. More blaster bolts screamed past them and every now and then they would turn, fire a short volley, and then continue. No one was more surprised than the driver of the troop transport as the two running men appeared in what was left of the road. The repulsorlift vehicle braked, gusts of air blowing from its underside, and settled on the rubble. The large group of fresh troops in the back of the vehicle cried out, shaking their fists at the driver and cursing him for his bad driving. Maanu stared with shock at the emblem of the Ki-Ki Sector that was emblazoned across the front of the vehicle. The troops, all dressed in the combat armour of the Ki-Ki invasion force, settled back into their seats as the driver told them what to do with themselves in a very unfriendly manner. As the large man stared with fear at the overwhelming force in the back of the transport and started to raise his weapon he was distracted by a cry from the passenger next to the driver. "Hey, buddy!" Maanu stared at the man who looked at him with an expression of impatience. "Me?" "Yeah, you. Do you know where..." he checked a datapad that shone brightly in the gloom, "...the Red Star Hotel is?" Maanu and the large man exchanged stares of disbelief and then turned back to the man. "Er... yeah, it's that way, I think, there's not much left of it. It's by the square where the burnt-out SDF troop dropship is." The soldier saluted. "Nice one." He turned to the driver. "Let’s go." The troop transport sped off, the soldiers in the back starting a strange tuneless song in the rear as they went. As they turned the far corner he heard a man shout something at the end of a verse and his fellows respond with a loud laugh. "What was...?" the large man began to say but Maanu had already sped off. He followed quickly, cresting the mound of rubble that was ahead of them. His heart leaped as he saw the escape ship, some men still clambering aboard and the engines starting to increase in pitch. "Hurry!" Maanu shouted. "Come on!" The two men ran as fast as their weary legs would permit them. The ship, rear ramp still down, began to rise and Maanu flung his arms in the air. "Wait! Wait!" The ship rose higher and then, over the noise of the engine, he heard a faint shouting. "Take her down! It's the lieutenant!" The ship seemed to pause for a few seconds and then slowly started to lower again. Arms reached out from the boarding ramp as the two men dived up the ramp, grabbed them and pulled them on board the ship. The vessel started to rise again. "Where have you been, sir?" One of the men shouted over the noise. "Where's the pilot?" Maanu looked out over the blasted city, the once hidden horizon now laid bare by the flattened constructs. Explosions flared here and there. Blaster bolts flew into the air and dissipated. Ships were taking off or landing, some crashing down in flames. It was carnage for as far as he could see. "It's too long a story, soldier," Maanu said. "It's always too long a story." Back Into Action2001 short story by Jonathan Hicks Thirty-seven
years after Episode IV – A New Hope Histories – The Ki-Ki/Setnin War continues, and soldier Maanu
Ejjapi sees first hand the high price
of war. Showing the horrors of battle
and the situation on the ground, this Jonathan Hicks story stars Ejjapi, previously seen in The Advisor
story.
Cast of Characters Maanu Ejjapi |