GALAXY AT WAR - Book 1 - The Tranchillion Encounter

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - January 2172 - Anthera

Author's note :- With just this chapter, the next and the Epilogue to go I continue on in the hope that you'll be surprised, intrigued or both with my little reveal of things to come in the next book. Please enjoy the chapter. Thank you.

"They should have been back by now," said Colonel Twochelope, pacing the room.

"Have a little more faith in their abilities, Tchzor. The very nature of a stealth operation means that it could take a little longer than anticipated," replied General Zemorphoride.

"I think we should send someone else, sir."

"There has been no 'comm' chatter. If they'd been spotted or captured, we would have heard about it on the radio. Now, calm down and start acting like a colonel."

Colonel Twochelope sat and controlled his breathing; calming himself. Once he had control again, he opened his eyes and said, "Shouldn't Neil's people be here by now. Surely they've had long enough."

"Patience, Tchzor. Any day now they'll be back. I can feel it."

They heard running feet coming from the only corridor leading off the main room. The tranchillion slowed to a walking pace as he approached them. "They're back, sir."

"Okay, go and help," said General Zemorphoride. "See, colonel. The stealth mission was a success and the humans will help us."

They heard running again but this time the tranchillion burst into the room. "They've found us. I think the team's dead, sir."

Colonel Twochelope jumped up and gestured for two soldiers to join him as he ran towards the airlock. He looked through the glass and could see the rope still dangling over the side. The sentry was sitting with his back to the wall, one hand on his shoulder. The hand dropped as he lost strength and Colonel Twochelope saw the wound. The suit had re-sealed itself, but he could see that the sentry was in trouble.

"Can we close the outer door from here?" he asked the visibly shaken soldier.

"Yes, sir. But you need the code."

"Get the code as quick as you can. Go, run!" ordered Colonel Twochelope. If they get enough soldiers inside that airlock we could be in trouble, he thought.

A head appeared and one of Colonel Dowdneer's soldiers scrambled into the airlock. He knelt and pointed his rifle towards the colonel.

"Quick with those codes, there's one aboard already!" he shouted towards the main room. When he looked back the soldier had slung his rifle over his shoulder and was placing charges on the inner airlock door.

Oh no, they'll suck us all out, he thought.

The soldier returned and entered the code. The lights inside the airlock started flashing and the outer door began to close. Dowdneer's man inside the airlock was talking to someone on his radio. Suddenly he ran towards the closing outer airlock door.

Colonel Twochelope realised what was going to happen and started running towards the main room. "Come on, run – run for your lives!"

They all ran as fast as they could and dived through the doorway.

"Close it quickly! And lock it!" yelled the colonel in a panicked voice.

Just as the door closed, and the general typed in the code to lock it, there was an explosion and they could hear a whistling sound coming from the other side of the door.

It started creaking and dents appeared in the centre as the air was ripped out of the corridor. Then all fell silent. The outer airlock was sealed and the rope – severed. The soldier still on the rope fell from near the top. Although the fall was not as fast as it would have been on a planet with earth's gravity, it was still enough for him to be killed on impact.