Chapter 13 Battle the Zzuragg part 3

The condition that the remaining members of the S.M. team find themselves in is an embarrassing one. Eight men with the best training, best weapons, and most modern armor the United Coalition can afford beaten back by a dozen 'bugs' with barely animal intelligence. Eight are now five, barred up in a cargo room.

Corman takes Elion's radio her voice replacing the other Lt. "Privet Dover, Turn your radio on to announcement mode then turn to face Privet Kauri" Dover follows instructions as he has been programmed to do "Mr. Kauri. By the power vested in me by the United Coalition Allegiances I, Lieutenant Hester Corman, hereby bestow upon you the title of standing Corporal, with all privilege and responsibility attached thereto. In the eyes of this court, and in the precincts of all those that hear my voice Corporal Emmit Dawg is labeled as missing in action and it will be your first priority to complete his final mission. On your safe return, and that of your team, you will be given this title officially and fully. Should any see why this order should not be carried out you may speak now."

Dover speaks out "The Hyena? He is next in the line of succession?"

Huston calls out "Lt. Corman, I believe that I hold the title of privet first class and have seniority."

Corman retorts "Negative, according to coalition official documentation although you do possess the most number of years of active service, in one tour and three years Kauri logged in 42,000 hours of extracurricular training, and both Dover and Maize have 17,000 hour of EX drills which is equivalent to 9 and 6 bonus years of service consecutively. If it is the feeling of this gathering that Kauri is not capable of performing all duties that may be required, then the job falls onto Dover next."

Dover needs only a second to think this over before he calls out "Let the hyena do the job."

Huston ask "what is your major Dover?"

"Rugbee"

Huston looks confused as he thinks about it "you play soccer? That is not a major."

"yeah by thee guys that work at the curriculum center don't seem to have picked up on that."

Chin approaches Kauri "give me your helmet."

"is that atmosphere stable in here?" Kauri ask

"If it isn't I'm sure you will find out soon." Chin yells out to the team "Everyone, Helmets here!" the team follows instructions discarding their helmets. Chin picks up the helmets one by one examining the visor and radio units searching for salvageable parts. With some work, she can disassemble four helmets and get two up and running again at full power. "looks like there are five of us and three working H.U.D.S." the coyote explains "unless one of you doesn't mind me cannibalizing your M.G. for a power relay coupling."

Kauri orders "Disregard that request. No one is trading a gun for a radio."

Dover looks Kauri up and down "By the way cprl. What happened to your rifle?"

Kauri looks to the boarded up door to the room "Dawg took it."

Maize holds her rifle out to Kauri "Take mine, I'm rubbish at 20'+ anyway."

"Thank you." Kauri excepts "Everyone count your round and call them. I want to know what we have for assets before we open that door."

The party quickly counts out their inventory Huston is the first to call out "3 stacks of 32 50/50's, 1 round of 76 plus six loaded."

Maize is next "2 50/50's, 4 76's, and two concussive, six shape chargers." She then hands the rifle rounds over to Kauri

Dover calls out "50/50 is dry, 4 76's, full stock of corrosion."

Kauri throws a clip of 50/50's at Dover "now you have 1, hold on to it."

Chin counts out her load "I have a box of 90 50/50's that is enough for two clips plus a remainder, 40 76's rounds and one welding torch empty."

Kauri counts up the ammo he has on himself then looks around the team "Pass them around, make sure everyone has at least two full racks of 50/50s. Load up, lock'em down. We are going back out there."

The team armors up and readies themselves to continue exploring the downed ship, Huston whispers with Dover "Soccer, that is your plan?"

Dover nods "I love soccer. What about you, when we get home what are you going to do?"

"I want to be a librarian."

The door opens, something has happened, the lights are flickering on and off, Chin remarks that the ship starting to 'come back online' but no one takes notice. The team finds a mess hall and an egg sack hanging from the ceiling and anchored to the floor twenty feet long and twelve feet high. The group walks around the mucus oozing mass. The mass seems to breathe swelling and shrinking every few seconds, light shining on them reveals the thin transparent skin of the eggs, showing off the manta ray shaped monsters growing inside. Hundreds of them, swimming around in the protoplasm iterated by the lights.

But eggs are not all that hide in the stillness of the room. Creeping like shadows a dozen of these monsters slides along the walls looking after their eggs, rotating them, shifting them, keeping them warm. But the intruders have them on edge; it takes the winged aliens some time to look over these strange new lifeforms.

One winged horror grows agitated and jumps off the wall starting a swarm, for crab like lags emerge from it's underside as it lands on Dover's chest, it wraps its wings over his head, and two spikes wiggle there way from the mantis abdomen. Dover brings one hand up and tries to hold the monster at arm's length as he cries for help.

Maize runs to Dover's aid, the two fangs of the monster sink into Dover's arm. Maize pulls a knife from her belt and hooks it around the monster for leverage. Maize pulls the beast to the ground. A second winged best comes to the aid of the first landing on Maize back, it grows out its stinger but is interrupted by being shot by Huston.

The air grows thick as more and more monsters fall in through the ceiling, Kauri gets back to back with Chin. The two of them start firing controlled burst into the air slowly picking away at the monsters.

Kauri looks peaks over his shoulder at Chin "you have that torch handy?"

Chin nods "so what?"

Kauri watches the ammo counter on his gun starting to drop, he drops out the empty cartridge and slaps in the next, the flying beast move in closer pushing the unit ever tighter together. "Set the room on fire!"