IroFath Chpt 8

==Iron Father - Chapter 8 -==
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The Archangel approached the base of the mountain while the sun was coming up. Before them a gash was cut into the mountain that revealed a cave system that even a mech could enter. The explosion had destroyed what appeared to have been some kind of structure at the entrance and rubble was strewn about. Corden slowed down his mech as they made their way to the entrance taking careful steps as to not fall down.
"What do you guys think?"
"It has got to be something with the night haunts. I don't like the feeling I am getting and there is a strong musky smell coming from there." Deback chimed in.
"Beats me Corden, if your thinking of going in there then I would advise serious caution." Kendricke said.
Corden pushed forward and into the cave. His true sight combined with the sensors had a hard time adjusting to the near total darkness.
"Both of you. Activate your search lights and point them as best as you can."
The lights turned on and the Se'irim battle armors pivoted. Light flooded the cave and what greeted them were countless eyes looking back at them. Corden fired the Heavy PPC scouring a few night haunts and started to back up. The mass started to move at him and he fired the plasma rifle in a sweeping arc. Hot plasma rained down on the horde that was approaching holding it back temporarily. He needed to get out of the cave and quick.
"Kendicke, Deback! Keep them off my legs. They can not make it onto the torso or we are dead. When we get out of the cave I will jump jet out."
They opened fire with their recoilless rifles at any night haunts that made it to the archangels legs. It was a frantic fight as Corden concentrated on not falling all the while firing the plasma rifle to keep the brunt of the horde at bay. Then daylight hit them and the mech soared into sky. Ninety meters back he slammed down then fired them again. Landing beyond the rubble they saw much to their relief the horde remained in the cave. Corden could make out eyes staring back out at him.
"Corden to anyone at the handlers lair. Gather any material on night haunts, caves, and the mountains in this area that you can find. Be prepared for immediate extraction. Have the apprentices double up on the seats. We have a dire situation."
Corden pushed his 'mech to a sprinting speed. What was in that cave was a literal creeping death when night came. If he had other Manei Domini in force he could have easily cleared and cleansed it. Now he had only one option. The trip back to the towns was silence. When they arrived at Baltmare it was to cheering but when the news came then it was terror. The guides that were there held an emergency meeting and they determined they could consolidate the populations into the original towns and hunker down in the caves. It would provide choke points if the horde were to breach the walls. Corden on the other hand had another idea.
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"What are we going to do? We never anticipated night haunts running amok and the numbers that are down in that cave. Truly did the handlers actually keep that species in line? A necessary evil?" said Kendricke
"It doesn't matter no more. They are dead and gone. We do what we must next. Come with me."
Kendricke and Deback went to where Preta was parked and other items had been off loaded from the Dropship. One crate in particular Corden appoached and entered in a security code. The top opened and what was inside chilled Kendricke to the bone. "NO! Not this!" Went thru his mind. He didn't even think as his PTSD took over. He reacted. Lost in horrors and nightmares he remembered he drew his pistol and started firing upon Corden. Cybernetic reflexes saved Corden's face as he haunched over to bring up his dermal armor plating. Deback reacted by charging at Kendricke in the line of fire. Bullets entered his head and neck. Others entered one of his arms and chest. Deback fell to the ground dying and Corden came in at Kendricke. The first blow broke his right wrist into a 90 degree angle dropping the pistol. The next blow caved in his ribs. The last was a back hand that sent teeth flying from the Paladins mouth and into an unconscious lump. He looked to Deback.
He laid there bleeding out and breathing. Corden ducked down and picked up his body. He then turned to guards that were there absolutely stunned with what just happened.
"Send for any doctors or apothecarries now! Put the Paladin in chains. No one is to hurt him futhur but treat his wounds. Tell him when he awakes that if Adept Deback dies he does to."
Corden slammed shut the crate then took off as fast he could to another section with Deback. Deback might have saved his life now it was his to do in return. It only took a minute to get to the right crates at the rate his blessed true legs could take him. On the way he tried to look Deback over. His left eye was gone. His left arm might have to be amputated because of shattered bone. Any bleeding in his chest might be clean holes, but he wouldn't know till he probed them. Deback moaned and that was a good sign to Corden.
At the crates Corden opened them up seeking medical aide. Clotting agents, internal gauze, thread, stims, anything to save Deback's life. He started at the neck and went the way down checking the bullet holes. Thankfully they went clean thru and nothing major had been hit. Then he removed what remained of Deback's eye and sprayed artifical skin on the wound. The arm, the arm was shattered. There was nothing that could be done. Deback started to gain some semblance of coherentcy due to the stims.
"I have to take your left arm off Deback. I am sorry that I can do nothing more with what is on this planet. In another time and place, we could have pinned the bones and allowed..."
"Just... do... it..."
Corden pulled out the intruments he needed. Numbed the area with syringes and did the deed. It only took seconds to separate the arm just below the shoulder. That much was given for the technology he had. Carol the doctor and few others then showed up. They took to attending Deback at that point. Corden had only done what he could, but the resting and healing was not his forte.
"How is he?"
"I think he will live. He is in your hands now Carol as is Kendricke's. What of his condition?"
"He has major rib fractures from what we can tell. He will need some fake teeth. His wrist though. I am not sure if he will be able to use that hand effectively again.
"So he is in essence a cripple now. So be it."
Tim the guard then approached.
"What the hell was that about! The night haunts! Then this!"
"The paladin has displayed prejudice against the Word Tim. He let his past experiences catch up with him. He is to be isolated and away from anyone at this point. I once considered him an ally. Now an enemy? I do not know till I speak with him again, but there are other pressing matters that require our immediate attention as you know. Come Tim."
He opened the crate again and Tim just looked at what was in there.
"What is this, Corden?"
"This is Blake's and mankind's ultimate sanction. It will bring down the caves and seal the doom forever in the ground. This is a thermonuclear warhead. We walk in there, arm it, then pull out. This will do the rest."
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Aaron and the guides were working thru Corden's wreck first. The experience they gained would better themselves for Kendricke's. The repairs were relatively simple. Reconnect one terminal connection to the other. One wire to another. One inch or so apart. Double check the electrical flow behind the repair and then move on. It was tedious work though with the amount of separations, but the crew he put together worked well. Then they got word of what was going on down on Turbline. The handlers dead, apprentices freed, the horde, and then Kendricke's assault on Corden. It was almost too much to take in but Corden pressed that they were doing mankind a service and needed to complete it. If he failed then they would need to leave this system. The guides continued their work in the void.
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Corden approached the Preta and dismissed the guards there. Up the chain link ladder he ascended and into the cockpit. He sat in the pilot seat contemplating his next move on the cave. Deback wouldn't be with him and Kendricke's experience would be missed. There was a possibility that he might not come back with the lose of valued people. Corden reached into one of the small compartments of the mech and pulled paper and paper out. He scribbled out some notes and special details. Then he hid them. After that he hit a record button to speak into. With all contingencies he could think of set. He got out of the Preta and stood vigil at the feet of the medium mech. He stood guard for the next hours till a new set of guards arrived. He told them only Deback was allowed up into the cockpit from this point on.
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Contact with one of the towns was lost in a few days. Corden already had an idea what had happened and the guides started moving the populace as fast as they could. People and horses were moved in mass to better defended towns where people could hide in the underground caverns. Meanwhile Corden prepped the team for the assault on the cave. Five Se'irim suits were left after repairs and rearmament had been conducted. The archangels plasma rifle ammo was topped off and the nuke was given a hastly manufactured cradle that the left hand could carry. Those that were going were Tim, Tantan, Ralph, Irene, and Frank. Tim and Tantan whom Corden trusted 100%. The others were a hasty addition and he hope they would work. After they mounted his archangel they set out for the lair. They would take a detour though to the town that had lost contact with to double check on its condition.
When they arrived there was utter devastation. Ramparts had been breached, the gates flung wide open, and buildings torn apart. No one was left alive. Foot tracks were all around the outside and inside of the walls. There were a definite pattern to the way the tracks went. They came in from the direction of the cave and then went back to it. Night time activity was their highest activity, but they had learned something from the papers found at the lair. The night haunts at the cave for some reason only came out on moonless nights and the last few days had been absolute darkness. It gave them the ultimate edge against humanity, but technology tipped the scales.
It only took a day and a half to get to the cave without worrying about anyone getting hurt like at the assault of the lair. When they got there, the battle armor dismounted, and lined up.
"Ok, everyone one, we push into the cave until we find a place I feel will do the most damage. We arm the nuke on a timer then fight our way out. Then you all mount up and we get the frag out of this place. Blake be with us all!"
"Blake be with us all!" came over the comms.
All the Se-irim activated their search lights. Beady eyes appeared at the front of the entrance. Corden started firing the Heavy PPC at the groups and kept firing after each recharge. Man made lightning and particles ripped thru the outer horde and melted rocks. Eventually the horde backed away from the entrance and the battle line started to move in. As they made it into the entrance the battle armor let rip the recoilless rifles. Controlled bursts to kill anything that got close. They checked the ceilings, fissures, everywhere something might hide. It was a slow process, but they managed to push in. Corden with the mech scanners directed their fire and let loose the heavy PPC every chance he got. When they got in deeper is when the pressure got turned up.
A three way split appeared to them and Corden made the choice to move right. It would prevent a pincer attack from three sides on exiting and instead have two fronts. Also there was a chance the middle corridor had smaller interconnecting tunnels from the fork in the path. It was then the attack came from front and back. Corden fired up the plasma rifle and used it like hose, spraying the screeching creatures.
"Corden to Frank, fire your SRMs at the ceiling behind us."
Five SRMs streaked out and detonated on the ceiling. Instead of the usual high explosive they had been armed with infernos. Napalm ignited and a cascade of fire appeared behind them. Night haunts in the general vicinity caught fire and ran panicked spreading even more liquid fire. The line pushed forward into the cave. Recoilless Rifles firing, PPC thundering, and plasma boiling. They repeated the process and fired another volley of infernos behind them, pushing deeper into the cave. Then one of the ignited night haunts ran into Irene. It knocked her over slashing and biting in mad fury. Then it bit one of the inferno missiles and began a cascade event. Liquid fire engulfed the night haunt and Irene. She screamed over the comms as she was cooked alive. Corden directed the other Se-irim to get away from her and maintained cohesion. They were down a vital piece of the plan with a SRM rack out of the picture. Then something large came charging at the Archangel.
Corden tried to turn to face the beast but it was absolutely huge. Larger than the 'mech. "What was this thing?" thought Corden. What were the handlers doing with this cave? Was this some kind of breeder? It did not matter now. It was here and it was her to kill them. As it charged, it ran over Frank. On the comms the sound of a crunch came over before it was cut. Frank was dead. Corden fired the plasma rifle at the beast and it ran thru it as if it were just a snow shower. Skin sizzled and baked, but the creature was unphased and unaffected.
It swatted down on the mech and armor sheered away. Corden backed up but every time he did the night haunt was on him. So he pushed back. He dropped the nuke and punched the night haunt in the gut with the left arm. Ribs cracked as 100 tons of metal pushed into the beast. Then Corden activated the retractable blade. It shot out and pierced the beast in the chest. In response it slammed down on the blade. The claws severed the mechs weapon and inflicted more damage on itself. Entrails fell out of the wound but it continued to move in on him in sheer anger. Corden had to think quickly. The heavy PPC at this range wouldn't fire due to the particle inhibitors that prevent backwash from unleashing manmade lightning. So Corden took a gamble and over rode the inhibitors. Then the wait for the heavy PPC to recharge began. They danced too and fro all the while Corden punched the beast with the remains of his left arm.
Finally, an armed signal came to Corden's mind thru the VDNI. Corden prayed aloud and fired the Heavy PPC point blank. The blast ripped into the beast and one of its arms. The beast pushed on into the archangel in blind painful rage and grabbed his mech in blind fury. Corden was affixed on the spot as he punched and punched trying to get free. Yet the creature kept him in place and ripping armor off his mech. Corden had only one thing that he could think of that was a truly desparate move. He disabled all safeties on the PPC to allow it to over charge. Then the beast bit down on the cockpit. Armor and glass shattered. Blood started to appear on Corden from the spilling but he did not feel it due to the pain shunt. The beast had done a very bad move and Corden took advantage of it.
He fired the plasma rifle mounted on the head. Super heated plastic jetted into the mouth and the screeching creatures vocal cords were cut short. Its lower jaw sizzled, bubbled, and fell off. Then Corden took a step back as the beast let go due to the pain. The signal for the over charged heavy PPC came on and he allowed the advanced targeting computer to guide him. Then he fired. A powerful blast of lightning plowed thru the night haunt Vaporizing the heart and exiting out its back. The particle stream shot down the cave passage roasting other night haunts from the sheer contact heat before contacting a wall. Then the Heavy PPC failed and exploded internally. Arm armor peeled like a banana as inner structure ripped apart and blew into the side torso killing the targeting computer. Corden took a feedback hit from the explosion but the blessed pain shunt allowed him to function past the pain. He had vanquished the beast and went to retrieve the nuke.
Then something failed in the Archangel as Corden registered it thru the VDNI. One of the leg myomers had snapped from the strain back in the Battle of the Anchor and the battle with this beast. He couldn't arm the nuke and get out in time. Their path had been set.
"Everyone! My Archangel just suffered catostraphic damage. We are not leaving this cave alive."
"What!?" "How." "No, not like this!" Came over the comms.
"One of the leg myomers has snapped. I can not run without chancing a fall and I am too slow. We could never out pace the blast wave even walking. Instead we now embrace Blake's ultimate sanction."
Corden remotely armed the nuke allowing it to cycle up. Out in the moving mass of the night haunts, something caught his eye. The Master stood a top a boulder. He was looking directly at him and simply nodded. Corden did not know what to believe any more. Was this a ghost or another hallucination. Corden opened the comms channel hoping the Preta would catch it and for everyone to hear.
"This is Phantom Adept Tau Corden, Iron Father of Turbline. This is my last will and testament to all on this world. Deback, I would have sponsored you to enter the Manei Domini, you have proven yourself to walk truly in Blake's light. From now on you are part of that brotherhood and anyone who addresses you should as Phantom Adept Alpha Deback. Thank you for everything and look to the Preta Alpha Deback, Manei Domini, my right hand. Aaron, all the guides, complete the repairs, send Kendricke and anyone who wants to back to Terra. It is one way trip as there is no way to return without doom falling on any returning JumpShip. Those who walk in Blake's light. You are not safe out in the inner sphere. You have seen and heard what happened to me and Deback. You will be persecuted, for that I am sorry that you can not walk on Terra freely. This system is yours now, the stars are open to you, and you will now thrive here without fear."
The nuke showed armed.
"Corden, thank you for everything you have done for me. I now get to meet my wife again." said Tim
"It is the least I can do. Everyone, lets pray one last time." Corden fired the plasma rifle in a sweeping arc. More night haunts died as he fought to keep them at bay for a moment.
Then Corden began to chant. Later others would say another voice was also in the transmission besides the group.
"Blessed be those who follow Blake!" The figment of The Master also started to chant with them. "Let his wrath be unleashed on the abominations of this world! We bring Blake's final judgement and we do not find it wanting!" Corden hit the detonation button and white light engulfed him.
The last thing heard on the transmission was a voice that only one man would recognized. It said "Blake's will be done!"
The ground shook as 5 megatons flashed a mini sun into existence. Night haunts were vaporized and caves collapsed. Whatever unnatural evolution that existed below the surface was radiated. Evolution was cut short as mutagenic genes were spliced and diced by neutrons. The citizens of the twelve towns saw the rising fireball and new valleys forming from the earthquakes. The mushroom cloud ascended and drifted out towards the ocean. The final act of Corden had been enacted.
The Preta had picked up the transmission and had blared it over the external loud speakers. People cried out in despair at their loss of Corden. Others talked of joy and the sacrifice of the Iron Father. Deback was utterly numb that the person who was the closest to a father to him just died. Kendricke was still unconscious at this time. Five minutes later, the relayed transmission from the Preta reached the guides. Great sadness had hit them all. Aaron wanted to head back, but the others were committed to this work. The Iron Father had sacrificed himself for all and them. Completing the work up here would be the least they could do.
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Chapter 8