Space Odyssey: Spectre

Chapter 647: First Horde

Jace watched as the mechs piled a stack of the crystal spikes to the side. He hummed and then looked around at the area they had cleared. It was not enough for all of their ships. But it was enough to land the mechs and the mining device. The transport crafts were still floating above them.

"The mining laser is operational." The captain of the Tailwind Squad informed him. Jace nodded. "We will need to-" He stopped and held up a hand to his helmet as he heard something through his comms.

He did not get a chance to speak again because Jace could hear what was going on. He pulled his wisp rifle off his back and aimed across the opening and fired a burst of bullets. A few of them hit the charging kitinol in the side and a few ricocheted off a crystal spike and hit another charging kitinol that he could not see.

"We have charging kitinol. Typically they have a horn or multiple horns and a tough front shell section. The sides and back of the creature are its weak points." Jace quickly announced over the open channel.

"Reorientating sensors now. Sorry, we did not see them. They snuck in through a blind spot." One of the pilots announced.

"It is not an issue." Jace informed them as he held his rifle to the side and let it cool off for a moment. "Captain Arclight, form up on the-" Jace frowned as he noticed there was no magnetic pole. "On the side the charging creatures came from. Captain Be’sala set up on the opposite side. Mechs, keep making space for our space craft. The sooner we get them landed the sooner we can set up temporary electro fences."

Jace looked at the mining machine as it hummed and began to bite into the ground. He crouched slightly before jumping and launching himself up onto an arm of the mining machine. Then he kicked off again, more softly this time so he would not break the machine and made his way further up the machine. Continuing until he arrived on the top of the machine where he stood on top of a larger container where the mined minerals were being stored.

"It looks like it was just those two kitinol. I am not seeing any more of them over here." Captain Arclight announced.

"We are not seeing any either." Captain Be’sala confirmed.

"Well we are seeing plenty up here." Shilla declared. "Kitinol asteroids and shells are being launched into space and toward us. We are fine for the moment. But eventually it is going to become too much for us."

"Then go ahead and fill up with mined resources and head back. Make a run and then return tomorrow morning. We are going to be stuck mining for at least that long. We have twice as much air and fuel prepared so we are all set. Go ahead and do what you need to." Jace ordered calmly. Before he was worried about large kitinol because it was supposed to be a massive open plain. But since it was a forest of crystal spikes it was less likely for large ones to appear.

"Then that is what I will do." Shilla quickly agreed.

"Just remember to have her screen all the materials you turn over." Jace reminded her before he aimed at something in the distance and switched to a different channel as he eyed a horde that was coming in their direction. The hive connected to those two kitinol he killed were sending more there way. "Arclight and Tailwind you have a horde coming to your side. I will assist from up here."

"Understood." Arclight answered.

"Sir do you want us, the mechs or transports to assist?" Captain Be’sala asked.

"Nope." Jace answered quickly as he turned up the power on his rifle and turned it to only fire one shot with each pull of the trigger. He took up a crouching position on the edge of the mining device as he watched the kitinol horde approached.

There were a few different subraces or categories that seemed to be fast enough to get to them. Although some of them kept running into crystals.

"We have those same chargers as before. Then there are the small swarm slug bugs." Jace began explaining. "They are the standard kitinol swarm. The size of a fist with several small legs. Antennae instead of eyes and a malleable outer shell. It probably has a bunch of teeth on the underbelly with an evolution like that. Small arms fire and light laser fire could take them out."

"Corporal, lay down a spread of laser fire!" The captain ordered and Jace could see through his visor as blue lasers flooded through the forest of crystal spikes. Traveling unimpeded through the spikes to start hitting and chipping away at the horde.

While they did that. Jace finished his quick analysis of this horde. There were two other species mixed in. A bipedal one with backwards knees, hunched backs, giant maws, and a single large eye. They had armor along its body but the spread of lasers was getting between the cracks. "Do not let the bipedal ones near, they are typically good at close combat and quick to dodge side to side if given the chance."

"Understood!" The captain acknowledged again. "Snipers and marksmen, focus on the ones with two legs that look like giant praying mantis."

Jace looked at the last one that was coming at the back of the pack. The smarter part of this horde. It was a group of four legged creatures with spiky tails. They had armored heads and backs. But their legs were weak and so were probably their sides. "The last type of this horde appears to be a smarter creature with a-" He cut himself off as they suddenly stopped and then launched their tails up in unison. When they did the spikes came off and flew through the air. "Incoming, ranged kitinol spikes, try not to get hit."

Jace took a moment to breathe and aimed as he turned down the power on his weapon again. He fired three bullets which ricocheted several kitinol spikes that would have reached the mining device.

The other spikes were either blocked by personal shielding devices, literal shields, and some bullets. The captain continued to bark out orders. "Looks like the last group of kitinol in the back are ranged attackers." Jace explained and turned his attention back toward them and saw the spikes already growing out of the tails again. "Looks like the tails are vulnerable to kinetic weapons. Let me test how vulnerable they are." Jace declared as he turned up the power on his rifle and then fired.

"We have giant bat-like non-kitinol up here." A pilot called out from overhead.

The tails of one of the spiky tailed kitinol exploded and gushed blood. The creature began screeching and flailing madly before collapsing. "Well it looks like the tail has a major organ in it." Jace chuckled. "Hit one and they move around like a headless chicken."

"Noted," the captain started. "But we can’t get an angle on them from down here. A slight bump in the hill. We won’t see their tail until they launch another volley." The captain admitted.

"Then I will start taking them out." Jace announced as he fired a shot every few seconds, leaving time for the rifle to breath. After the first few the rest began scattered around the edges. Moving towards locations where it would be more difficult for Jace to hit them from his current position. He was fortunate they had not had a chance to fire another volley.

He moved to a different position on the mining device and fired a few shots that took out a group of the spikers that went to the left. "Most of the spikers are dead. Captain Be’sala there should be the spikers at the edge of your radius coming up on the pile of crystal spikes. I am sure the mech that is over there can give you sensor data to help you find it." Jace explained as he looked over at the horde that was just about gone.

"We are seeing them." Be’sala announced and Jace could hear some gun fire followed by a confirmation that the spikers were all dead by the mech. "Should we continue to set up defenses?" Be’sala asked after a moment.

Jace took the moment of reprieve to swap out magazines and to begin refilling the empty magazine with new rounds. Which were just a solid piece of metal. "Swap out magazines and power storage cartridges while you have the chance." Jace told them and checked the mech’s progress. They were just moving crystal spikes but it was still quite critical for the moment. "Mech transport and mining device transport. Go ahead and land in the open spaces. Troop transports. Do a large search pattern overhead but be careful and do not go too far. If you get knocked out of the sky I want to be able to get to you easily enough."