Chapter 21 (Zack Allan)
Crammed in a small transport, Zack glanced at his assault team who were doing their normal pre-prep operations before they boarded the Minbari vessel that was conveniently molested by the facilities Scavenger. What a perfect way to disable a ship! Zack thought.
One officer picked his nose -like he had got nothing better to do- while the others messed around with their weapons. One rookie appeared to have difficulty inserting the power pack into his weapon, which made Zack wonder why the higher ups had given him a virgin team. He wished Garibaldi had sent that transfer request a few months ago. At least I could be serving in Casabianca city.
"Everybody pay attention. We're about to enter a hostile environment. I've fought these people before. They're cunning, hard to kill and they will do everything to kill you." Zack stood up and walked down the centre of the confined transport. "They're using hand weapons that can kill a human instantly. There're no second chances."
Zack reached the end of the crew compartment and turned around, snappish. "I will be honest with you gentlemen. Some of you will die. But I will do everything in my power to keep the deaths to a minimum. If everybody follows my lead most of you might come out alive, but these are the Minbari and I guarantee nothing."
The transport had been under heavy acceleration for half an hour. Zack's pulse pounded. His mind sharpened as he turned his full attention to the job at hand. Finally. Time for some payback.
Last time he'd been faced with the Minbari, they'd skewered his eye with a small blade. Now he intended to repay that little debt.
Zack approached the cockpit and opened a COM channel to the rest of the ships in his makeshift invasion force. "All ships we are about to enter the enemy's firing range, if you see their gun ports warming up, break away immediately. Elvis has assured us the vessel is disabled." Although I don't trust that asshole as far as I can throw a comet.
Bursts of confirmation came back over the COM unit as the invasion force lined up for a direct penetration at the Minbari cruiser. A flurry of football sized asteroids ricocheted off the hull, prompting the redheaded pilot to make some hasty course corrections.
"Easy there, pilot, I want to get there in one piece." Zack said softly.
"Sorry sir, there's a lot of debris around here, it shouldn't happen again." Zack knew the pilot: a damn good pilot too, who managed to pass all the tests and skip his way up the ranks in just a few years. Whenever he needed a pilot for the most dangerous missions, Sappho was his man. Although he could not understand how the man had gotten the god ugly name anyway.
His invasion ships continued to close the gap as the Minbari vessel hung in the middle of space, completely dead. No power and no weapons. Nothing. Perfect, Zack thought.
Zack threaded his fingers together and looked out the port window. The docking bay was in sight and open, like an all round invitation to a state dinner. "All ships, we go in there."
Zack's teams finalized their preparations and stood beside the exit hatch. Everyone glanced around, looking at each other as the air began to fill with hot anticipation. The COM system chattered with calls of "Those Minbari won't know what hit them!" "Time to kick some ass!" and "Let's unleash the dogs of war!"
A final thump of the ship indicated that they had landed in the launch bay and the transport's doors opened into a ramp. The invisible storm only lasted a few seconds as the compartment depressurised; then, suited teams rushed out and took their positions.
Staring in awe, the suited teams gazed at the racks of Nial fighters and transports. They'd never seen anything like this up close and Zack saw this as a good opportunity for the gathering team to nick all the hardware. With luck, the humans on the asteroid complex might have a way to defend themselves if the Minbari ever returned. Use their own technology against them, he thought.
As they made their way to the airlock door at the end of the bay, Zack prepped everyone before they entered the long chamber that would allow them to enter the corridors of the main vessel.
His lips twitched. "Everyone stay frosty. Once this door opens, you can bet the Minbari will come gunning for us."
Quickly, the technicians hacked the Minbari locking mechanism and pressurised the inner chamber to the rest of the ship. Zack's team barged out into the corridors with pulse rifles hissing in their hands.
So far Zack did not see any Minbari. His teams fanned out in all directions taking defensive positions at each corridor intersection. Lights flashed and smoke poured from the damaged conduits. Delicate artwork and walls had fallen in, but Zack did not care about that. He relished the idea that the Minbari could be defeated, and defeated by something so simple as an industrial machine.
One of his officers turned towards him, calm and eager for some action.
"Sir, it looks cl…." His words cut off as a Minbari soldier appeared around a corner, firing a blast from his weapon.
In response, a hail of pulse blasts roared down the corridor as Zack's teams tried to defend themselves. With hissing weapons finally free to fire, it was every man for himself. After a short moment of frantic activity, the area was clear.
"Everyone stay in formation and don't get distracted," Zack shouted as they progressed further into the ship.
More teams scrambled through the airlock and spilled into the corridors, adding to the group of humans already inside the vessel. Zack quickly gave orders, reorganizing his team to cover more ground. So far, everything seems to be going according to plan.
Suddenly Minbari blasts erupted from a pool of darkness down one of the long corridors. Zack's pumped up team ran forward, ducking and dodging the blasts and finally firing their weapons at any Minbari that appeared. Other teams hid behind fallen bulkheads and fired their rounds. Zack felt a satisfying rush of emotions as he fired his pulse blaster at a rushing Minbari, sending him headfirst into the hard ground. One blast blew another into the next room. This was simple, payback's a bitch.
Zack's team continued to fire, moving with fluid grace through the passageways and delivering lethal blows to the enemy. But suddenly, as he turned a corner, Zack came face to face with an unarmed Minbari. He placed his weapon aside because Zack fancied a good old-fashioned fight.
The Minbari, all in black, growled. His boot tapped the steel floor before he leaped at Zack, catching him by surprise.
The attacking Minbari forced Zack into the wall and the instant impact caused a striking pain up his spine. Zack made fists with his hands and pounded the Minbari without thinking. The weapons fire that streaked past two men diminished as they fought with great strength. Attacking blows were beaten back as each man gave as much as they could. Despite the Minbari's greater strength, Zack could feel that he was holding his own, even winning. The rest of his team carried on. Some watched with cheers and mutters while others held weapons trained on the Minbari, ready if anything went wrong. Zack knew that once he was finished, this Minbari would die anyway.
Zack lunged forward striking a blow, then drew back, keeping his distance like a boxer in an arena, although he'd never used these skills in the past. The Minbari shuffled his feet and staggered around. Both men had given decisive blows and they had begun to bleed from the wounds. Soon both men began pouring sweat and clothing began to show signs of damage.
More blasts from the background made stray rounds of plasma shoot over the heads of the combatants. Zack felt the incandescent bolt near his ear. That was close, now time to finish this.
Both fighters stepped back, panting and dripping. Then they lunged forward for the final blow. By some miracle, the initial blow by the Minbari missed Zack's chest, and he tripped. Zack took the opportunity to add some force to his already-falling body and shoved him toward a chunk of jagged metal shrapnel sticking out of the floor. The Minbari fell on it, skewering himself through the chest.
The Minbari gasped, struggling to free himself. Zack decided to end the battle. Grinning, he stepped on his back, pushing the doomed Minbari closer to the rest of the razor sharp spikes. After a short resistance, and then soft crunches, the Minbari stopped moving and was dead.
Some of the men clapped their hands and whistled, but Zack directed them to stop. "Enough. Get on with the search."
The crew rushed through the passageways killing anything they saw fit. His team barged around the corner with Zack leading the way. He saw a group of Minbari huddling in the corner, and then something caught his eye.
Holy shit! Female Minbari.
His men raised their weapons preparing to take the shot, but Zack shouted orders. "Stop. Do not hurt these; take them back to the transports. We need to take some back…alive."
He walked closer to the two female Minbari. He'd never seen a female before and this was a treat. His men tied their hands together and stood them up. Zack gave them a perverted look. Yes, these are my new little playmates.
He wrinkled his noise at the nearest female. "What's your name?"
She did not answer.
"Tell me, Minbari, or I will have it forced out of you." Zack wedged his weapon under her chin.
She still did not answer.
Zack eyed the young Minbari and then focused his gaze on the furthest one. She was cuter, yes, far more. He strolled over to her and placed his face just inches, making sure that his nostrils flared; he wanted to be intimidating.
"Leave her alone!" the other Minbari said.
Zack snapped around, staring back at the first Minbari. But suddenly, one he was nearest to shouted, "No, Delenn!"
Got it. A name! Zack sneered at Delenn. "So, your name is Delenn?"
She remained quiet, only an eerie stare heightened Zack's erotic mood for the Minbari females.
Zack approached Delenn, deliberately hovering around her, taking in her scent. He finally spoke. "What's your friend's name?" He waited for an answer, but she never gave one. Zack continued. " I suppose it doesn't matter. I will call her Blossom."
Zack turned to his team. "Take these back to the transport and be careful, especially with 'Blossom'. I'm going to have fun with her later."
His team dragged the small group of captive Minbari away and Zack continued down the passageway, firing his weapon at anything that moved.