Part 64

"Solomon! Fall back to The Evergreen!" spat Kyril over the radio static and bickering voices of the other soldiers, screams and gunfire. The transports had already fired up their engines again the moment the creatures fell through the vents, their gunners had began firing into them with their heavy mounted weapons. Solomon ordered the retreat very willingly. He hated this place. The closet soldiers to the transports provided the perimeter, the encircled the craft , adding to the carnage of the heavy weapons, allowing the other soldiers further out a good chance to escape the clutches of the Banshee's. One shuttle took to the void, its belly full of soldiers. The gunfight increased with ferocity as more ground now opened up in to a clear view. Another shuttle escaped with it's full precious cargo. When the last Banshee had ceased to move, no longer twitching and its blood oozed onto the corrugated floor, Solomon glanced around the craft. "Is this it?" he asked sadly, seeing it wasn't even half full. All the other craft had gone amidst the fighting, Solomon sighed with grief as he saw the vacant faces of Lyra and Sandra sat bloodied in the corner of the trooper hold, breathing heavily. This conflict had clearly taken its toll on them both. Decius was missing. "OK. Let's make way..." said Solomon slowly, but stopped sealing the hatch as he heard a plea from the end of the corridor. "Wait!" called the blue and bloodied running figure of Decius as he ran as fast as he could to the ship, dragging the large beaten mass of Lucius behind him.

"Where the hell is the rest of Second company?" barked Solomon as the shaken soldier reached the hatch. Decius told Solomon of Lucius' men, he had found the remains of his squad a little further down the corridor. Torn to pieces, much like most of the Banshee's victims. Soon to re-awake. "All crew aboard The Infinity, This is Lieutenant Commander Solomon Gordon. If any survive within the holds of The Infinity, make way to the bridge and power the external lights, we will come for you!" he called into his radio, and his comms specialist set it to work on a loop to play forever within the confines of the butchers vessel.

And so, The men and women of the Human race retreated, tails between their legs, their faces bloodied, their bullets spent and their knives blunt. Kyril had witnessed much of the carnage from their armour cams. Confirming the dead.

"First Company has forty two, Second Company has six, Third Company was entirely gone. Seventh Company has twenty four." sighed Kyril has he slumped himself against the corner of his briefing room. Solomon had been the only Captain other than the wounded Lucius to survive the shit storm of the Infinity. The newly appointed Captain of the Seventh Company still held the blood upon her face and hands from the fighting, and only commanding the single platoon left out of the company.

Solomon didn't care to learn her name. He just grumbled a little and left with his casualty report. Nearly sixty percent casualties. Back on Merriden IV there was going to be many proxy funerals. The crew of The Evergreen had no idea of the slaughter of their fleet. They only knew of the slaughter of their own.

Solomon sat grieving at his command chair. No coffee. No smile. As Kyril walked limply into the room, thinner than ever. His eyes had sunken further into his skull, giving him a ghoulish gaunt feature, his cheek bones had become more pronounced and his skin sagged from his jowls. He whispered something to the tactical officer that caused the officer to stare with hesitation, moving his mouth soundlessly and then Kyril walked up to his command chair, placing his hand upon the smooth warm leather arm, he breathed heavily. "Nuke it." and nothing happened. Kyril turned slowly to the tactical officer who was still blinking stupidly at Kyril, still trying to process the order he had given him. "I said, Nuke that thing Ensign!" and just like that, he pressed some buttons and fired the nuclear warhead at The Infinity. A glorious chain reaction that tore the ship apart was viewed throughout the ship, no cheers and no drinks clinked edges and nobody celebrated, for The Evergreen had turned tail. Retreating, battered, bruised and bloodied. "Brilliant. First you start to look like that snake Winslow, and now, you're acting like him!" spat Solomon, Kyril slowly turned to meet his second in command's glare. Kyril will not underestimate the Banshee threat again. "Ok. What would you like to have done?" he rattled weakly, Solomon continued to stare at the withering man before him. He knew the infection rate was too severe to contain, everything on that vessel needed to be purged with nuclear fire. "Let's get back to doing our jobs. I will be in my room, doing bloody paper work." continued Kyril and scuttled off, his feet softened by the carpet.