Touching the comms piece in my ear I opened the channel we had been using “Dominskev do you read me?”, in the carnage we had little time to converse let alone keep up to date on how each of us was doing.
“I read you Commissar”, I let out a sigh of relief, “I’m not hit too badly, their aim was lacking”, allowing myself a wry smile I thanked the Gods, the whole firefight was terrifying but couldn’t have lasted more than 5 minutes.
“Corporal are you there?”, I hoped against all odds we had managed to somehow get out of this unscathed. But I received no reply, static hissed in my ear as the silence carried on.
“Private do you have eyes on him?” Unwilling to take my eyes off the chamber and the hallways which branched off them.
“Commissar, He’s over here, not in good shape”, glancing behind me I looked for him, with the lights on I could see rather easily. Made for a nice change from the dark and the ominous red hue the emergency lights gave. I checked my pistol and pulled myself into a kneeling position, eager to keep my presence low as I scurried across the room towards them.
Passing a few dead rebels I could see he put up a hell of a fight to protect our backs. As I got to him I could see he wasn’t going to make it. A nasty blade wound had opened up a deep laceration across his shoulder and collarbone, blade was still stuck in there. Stemming the bleeding for now. Multiple bulletholes and cauterised holes were visible across his arms and legs all of which were bleeding profusely. His face was little better, bruises and cuts told a story of the punch-up, the swelling was starting over his left eye and his lip was cut.
His eye flickered open as I approached and I knelt beside him, careful to avoid the growing pool of blood around him. “You did a hell of a job back there”, my voice was hushed, trying to put him at ease. He allowed himself a weak smile in my direction.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
He managed to wheeze out “Guess I’ll have to pass on the tournament tomorrow, I knew the stakes were high but this is crazy.” He winced as he let out a raspy chuckle, having a sharp intake of breath as the pain surged through him once more. Shouting was coming from the corridor behind us, we exchanged a look and he nodded slightly finding solace in the moment of humour we shared amid the horror around us.
I put my hand on his chest as his eyes began to drift, a cocktail of exhaustion and understanding in his gaze, we shared a brief moment just kneeling like that. Acknowledging the sacrifice he had made so that we could carry on. The footsteps and shouting were becoming increasingly louder from the corridor and I rose to my feet, lifting him slightly so that he leaned against one of the many bodies around us. Placing his rifle in his hands I turned away, Dominskev glanced down at him and I moved off, nothing more needing to be said. Walking through the chamber was an unnerving feeling, bodies were strewn haphazardly around the room, leaning against crates and slumped against walls, rifles and pistols still gripped in their hands. We reached the doorway of the corridor leading to the right of the chamber and set off into the beyond, behind us gunfire rang out as Rahmam held them at bay. Rogue shots followed us down the hallway creating a symphony of deadly notes in the deafening silence
The weight of the moment lingered between myself and Dominskev, as we moved away from our fallen comrade. The corridor ahead of us stretched out before us, an unevenly lit tomb that I feared we may never escape. The feeling of dread followed me with every step, carrying the echoes of the sacrifice that was made. The rhythmic sound of gunfire ripped through the silence soon fading out as the Corporal lost the fight to stay alive. As we walked the walls pressed in on us, the air thick with tension. Upturned cargo carts littered the corridor ahead of us, mismatching barricades of a defensive line now broken, the cost of the defeat telling on either side of the corridor. Bodies were littering the path, each lifeless form telling a silent story of bravery and sacrifice.
A doorway off to the left caught my attention, making a decision I decided we needed a break. Exhaustion was beginning to flood my body and tiredness kicking in. Reaching the doorway I pressed myself against the door, keeping my pistol at the ready, rushing forth I swept the room making ready for any targets that may present themselves. The room was clear, I motioned for Dominskev to move into the room and I pushed the door shut behind him, dropping the metallic lock into place to prevent any entry from intruders