"Laruen!" Edward shouted from cover as a stunner stream flew over head. "Get Colonel Manning to snipe them!"
He fired a burst of bullets into the squad of wraith that were closing on them. John fell to the ground as he was hit in the chest.
He could see Lauren shouting into the radio. A wraith dropped dead then a loud bang went out around them. Two more wraith were killed in the same fashion.
"How far away is he?" Edward asked himself as another wraith dropped dead. Two 302s flew across the sky and ripped the remaining wraith to pieces with a thudding of bullets as they flashed by. "Where the hell is he?" Edward shouted to Lauren.
She ran from cover and dropped beside him. "Nearly four miles, he's using a Barrette fifty calibre sniper rifle."
"Duck!" The crackling of the radio shouted. They both ducked and a wraith jumped over them. A splash of blood went out then a loud 'bang'. "Damn thing looked dead." He continued. "The Daedalus decided to pick me up when I was cornered earlier.
"Teams: Four, five and six, follow Major Saunders!" Colonel Andrews shouted as the other teams popped up from cover. "One, two and three, you're with me!" He walked over to Edward and put a hand on his shoulder. "Keep them occupied until the Daedalus is finished up there. When she's down here, that base is going bye, bye!" He ran off and reloaded his Assault rifle.
"Alright, move in by cover of the forest, keep in contact and if you find trouble call for all of us." He pressed a button on his radio. "Daedalus, come in this is Major Saunders."
"This is Colonel Caldwell," Colonel Caldwell responded, "what do you need?"
"I'm putting a beacon on a stunned soldier," Edward said as he took a small black circular device from his pockets. "He took it right in the chest."
"Affirmative, good luck out there."
A new voice cut in. "Sir! Shields down to fifty percent! Ten hives just exited hyperspace!"
"What's going on?"
"Looks like the alliance is getting stronger." There was silence for a few seconds. "If we sustain serious damage, the Valarie will beam you all up and get you out of here."
John's body was beamed up as well as two other men who had been stunned.
Edward looked to the sky, he could only see the fighting a slightly, and it was hazy at that. Every now and again, a flash would go out and hit the planet. They always attacked on the night side of the planet. It was to give them cover from the wraith. It made the men feel safer, but there was no hiding sensors or good eye sight.
"Generator is on the way down." The pilot of the large transport said through the radio from orbit. A bright white flash went out as the large machine was teleported down. "Good luck down there."
"Have a safe journey home." Edward said. He looked at the large generator. "Smith! Get it running! The wraith offensive will be here any minute!"
"Yes sir!" Lauren ran over the slush of mud towards the generator. "Give me two minutes!"
A small beep went out from a consol in a tent. Edward walked over and looked at the screen. Three red dots were incoming to the planet. He looked at close range sensors. Seven green dots were in orbit, two of those left with a speeding flash.
"Two minutes?" He whispered to himself. He looked out of the tent and saw ten pilots run to five 302s. "Incoming! Three hives, battle stations! If darts get launched, get those rail guns firing!"
"Major Saunders, this is colonel Manning." The radio spluttered out. "The ground to space defence perimeter is not set up yet. Those hives could tear us apart. Get Caldwell to blow 'em before they blow us!"
"Yes sir!" He ran into the clear blue sky and looked around. Several people were working furiously while the alarm of attack started to flare. The 'wee', 'war' noise crept into ears like cold fingers.
A humming sounded. It became louder and louder. Like a swarm of bees, darts poured from the sky. The clattering of rail guns sounded. Lines of bullets flew into the sky to meet the animals above. They neared the ground nearly two kilometres away and unloaded an army of wraith with one pass.
Edward took out his radio. "302 squadrons!" He cried "Air support!"
Two 302s met a fiery fate as they neared the swarm. Six missiles flew out from the remaining three fighters in the squadron. They streaked across the sky and obliterated scores in their explosions. Rail gun fire started to massacre the army of wraith. The humming continued to knar at their ear drums.
The swarm was beginning to grow larger. More darts flew down to join the main attack group. The army Grew larger with each pass.
"The shield is up!" Lauren shouted from the large mechanical structure as a flash of light drove to the sky. The beam split up into different directions and spread a round shield over the base. "Colonel Manning, how's the ground-to-space artillery coming?"
"We won't be ready for days!" The reply shouted through the radio.
"Major Saunders!" A soldier shouted. "The shield won't keep them out for long if they bombard us from orbit!"
A bolt flew down from the sky and bashed into the shield. He waited for the next, but it did not come. Edward ran to the tent. He looked at the sensors. No hostiles were present in orbit. Two squadrons of ten 302s were now entering the atmosphere to deal with the remaining darts.
"Kamikazes!" Lauren shouted. "They're trying to break the shield with kamikaze runs!"
The rippling of the shield took the eyes of every soldier on the outpost. Then the rail guns lit up. Lines of bullets flew out of the shield and destroyed as many darts as they could. Even when the vessel was destroyed, its debris continued onward.
"Forty percent!" Lauren shouted.
The swarm was thinning. Still the fire of explosions smacked the shield.
"Thirty percent!"
The beating of rail guns started to overwhelm the engines.
"Twenty percent!"
A missile streaked into the army behind the darts. The 302s flew by and ripped wraith the pieces.
"Ten percent!
The darts ceased. Another run from the 302s ripped into the army of wraith turning into a blood fest.
"That was too close."