Wounds part 2

a military team answers a distress call from a cathedral world. What they find is more questions than answers, and no one to help.

The insertion team was ready. In the back of the flying transport 7 fully kitted operatives sat in their black armor and helmets. They didn't appear as men but as an instrument of precision. To one another they were known, but to the outside viewer they were faceless.

Lieutenant Hans led the team. He blended in with the rest of his men indistinguishable by any physical traits. Black helmets covered every man's head, but Hans could tell them apart.

The transport matched the color palette of its occupants. Twin jets rooted underneath a pair of short triangular wings. A light wine emitted from the thrusters as the transport flew through the night. A storm crashed around the small craft. Low visibility made the insertion team necessary to gather intelligence.

Hans looked again at the data pad once again with the mission briefing. A gentle green light illuminating his face in the dark transport bay.

An alert notification had been sent to the navy 2 days ago from Cathedral World of the Virtues. No further communication had been made with the Cathedral Since. Hans shook his head, odds were this was just a communication bug with the Cathedral. However, as per Navy protocol any loss of communication with settlements resulted in a military evaluation. Unfortunately for Hans the closest military vessel was the destroyer Andromica.

The Andromica was the special operations ship that held a complement of 4 insertion teams. The leaders of each had drawn straws for which team would complete the check up on the Cathedral. Hans had drawn the short straw.

Hans’s communication piece nestled in his ear cracked to life.

"We are approaching the Cathedral sir with no sign of life or inbound communication" called the pilot of the craft.

"copy" replied Hans.

The team was silent. Their equipment was prepped and ready, no last minute checks. That was for greens.

The comment crackled to life again from the pilot.

" sir you're going to want to see this." Hans furrowed his brow and unclipped himself from his seat heading for the cockpit. Stepping into the cockpit Hans looked through the reinforced windshield. The craft looked over the site of a dead battlefield.

Sitting atop a mountain surrounded by wooded forest, the Cathedral was a massive structure of white marble, reminiscent of a bygone age. A collection of immense pillars and domes decorated by etched murals and beautiful statues. It resembled a masterwork painting with a clean cut down the middle of the scene. Bodies littered the ground, sections of the building collapsed in smatters with trails of laser burns across the courtyard and domes.

"What in the hell happened here?" muttered Hans. Cathedral worlds were typically remote places where monks and clergy were trained in the Virtues faith. They took vows of poverty and rarely represented ample targets for pirates. Besides many had small garrisons of the church's Honor guard.

"Call into the Andromica inform the captain of the situation and request the remaining insertion squads on the ground immediately, and get us down there pilot"

The pilot replied with a simple "yes sir." His co-pilot began relaying to the Andromica as the craft descended towards the landing pad below. The landing craft connected With the landing pad sending a jolt through the insertion team. With a thud the bay doors opened. Like silent shadows the team exited the craft forming positions around the entrance scanning in all directions. Nothing.

Hans made a gesture with his hand motioning for the team to move up the Ramp to the main entrance to the Cathedral.

The cathedral had several landing pads that stuck out from the side of the mountain leading to a set of iron crafted gates. A marble wall encircled the entire campus. The team worked their way to the doors, which had been blown open, an explosive residue still sat in the air.

Entering into the courtyard, Hans threw up a fist, signaling his team to hold. Bodies littered the courtyard. Kneeling next to one Hans dropped to one knee pulling over a body to face him. An honor guard dressed in ornate armor bearing the mark of diligence and the church of virtue. The deceased man was covered in ornate alloy armor and bearing the gold and blue markings of the honor guard. next to him lay a laser rifle of superior quality also decorated. However, the masterly crafted design did not hide the fact this armor was advanced.

Sergeant Calus saddled up next to Hans, never peeling his eyes from his surroundings.

"This is advanced gear for an honor guard" commented Calus. The rain patering around the contingent of soldiers.

"I know" Hans replied. "Their armor is high specialist grade. Wonder how they managed to haggle that."

Calus's only reply was a light grunt.

Hans gestured forward and the squad followed around casing the surrounding area. They came to another body, a mess of bone, pink skin, and teeth. It was far from humanoid, its main body a mess of muscles and pink skin centered around a mouth of sharp teeth. Its legs no more than exposed muscle supported by sharp bone white limbs that seemed to double as blades.

"What are Razors doing this far in the sector?" Questioned Calus. looking at the body, one of its limbs blasted off by a laser burn. Hans didn't answer. The same question ran his mind but plaguing his team with unanswered questions wouldn't help their focus.

"keep moving" called out Hans. The team worked passed the collection of bodies that gathered around the marble steps. As the insertion ascended the steps a pair of anti-aircraft came into view, a small trail of smoke rising from both.

A pair of gargantuan forms lay prone on the ground resembling the pink razor forms but with metal fragments of armor grafted to their skin and a set of weapons added to their limbs. the pink forms had the semblance of a head and each limb was equipped with a cannon or blade. Calus sent Hans a worried look, he ignored it. Entering into the main hall the mayhem only continued. The battled seemed to have continued into the main body of the cathedral.

Out from the rain the smell of blood and ozone from laser rifles stung the air. the mess of slaughter only continued as they walked through the main hall. Stain glass and old tapestries decorated the walls with the dried blood that now ran along the floor.

They entered into a main room filled with pews and dias of the cathedral. A couple of the men made the sign of the virtues before receiving a few curses from Calus to keep their rifles up.

"find the comms room I want to find if there were any other messages sent out of here" Hans whispered to Calus, as his voice echoed through the room.

"Me and the rest of the men will check the remaining Cathedral."

The team broke up as 3 followed Calus while 2 others followed Hans deeper into the cathedral. the sounds of boots on stone echoed through the space.

Heading through another set of double doors Hans walked down another set of hallways as something caught his eye. One of the bodies didn't match. Zimmer and James, the remaining troops stopped with their team lead as one. The body was human and didn't have the garb of an Honor guard. He wore a simple space jumper worn by most space crews. His chest had been torn open with a red slash. A pistol lay next to him with several expended shells around him.

Hans running his hands through the mans pockets came across a small data comm. A small glass panel fitted with a black battery utilized for simple communication and storage. Hans let out an inquisitive grunt, pocketing the device.

"you're not supposed to be here," he muttered.

A loud roar shattered the silence from up ahead. All 3 rifles snapped up, pointing down the hall. All the rifles flashlights snapping on illuminating an empty hallway.

"I don't think we are alone here LT" commented Zimmer.

"Head on a swivel" was Hans's only reply

The trio entered a circular chamber, pitch blackness covered the space. Only their heavy breathing and footsteps could be heard. In the center circled the statues of the seven virtues. the women's heads were bowed. A pair of stone hands stood at the focus of their vision.

Hans approached the stone center piece. scanning the rest of the room, their rifle lights the piercing the darkness. Scanning the center piece there was nothing. A gurgling sound suddenly began at Hans feet. He brought the barrel of his rifle to a body laying at his feet. The body spat up blood, he wore the jump suit similar to the previous body.

"He's alive" spoke Hans lowering himself to the gurgling body.

The man's eyes opened. Sputtering blood he opened his mouth weekly. "It's here"

A roar ripped through the room and a scream came from James as he was flung across the room his body slamming into a stone column. Hans spun around with Zimmer, to see the massive form of a large Razor. The pink and metal form charged from across the room toward Hans. IT stood 8 feet tall, a massive brute of pink flesh and metallic spikes, and sheets of rudimentary armor no more than slates of steel.It lumbered on 4 appendages that resembled disfigured human limbs.

Both Hans and Zimmer's rifles cracked with automatic fire, at the lumbering form. Bullets ricocheted off the armor, while a few found their marks letting out a shower of blood. As the beast charged, Hans dove behind the statue of the Virtues. The razor collided with the marble figure sending a shower of marble pieces. Zimmer screaming let out a final burst from his rifle as it emitted a click signaling his magazine being empty.

The Razor had turned several of the statues into dust. Its metal talons reaching in mad strokes towards Hans laying prone on the ground. Rolling out of the way from the metal claws. Hans reaching for his sidearm came to the kneeling position bringing the barrel to the chest of the Razor.

CRACK! The plasma pistol jettisoned a blue bolt of energy leaving a fist sized hole in the chest of the razor. Red mist blasted into the air as the Razor collided with the ground shaking the ground.

Hans looked to Zimmer "check on James now!"

Zimmer sprinted next to the prone body of James. He lay next to a pillar having struck it. As Zimmer rolled James over he emitted a slight groan followed by several curses at Zimmer's mother.

"he's alright sir. But he needs medical"

Hans let out a sigh of relief. "Get him stable." Reaching for his earpiece comms device Hans spoke as the connection cracked to life.

"Calus be advised we have made contact with a giant Razor. James is in need of medical. Lets regroup and get our man out of here."

"Copy on our way."

Hans returned to the injured man laying next to the center few statues that remained. He was covered in marble dust, his chest rose slowly. He was still barely alive. He had several wounds similar to his dead compatriot. Hans grabbed the bio-gel from his belt and applied it to the larger wounds, sealing it off.

"You have some questions to answer my friend."

After several minutes the rest of Hans's squad filed into the room. They secured the area and applied medical treatment to the 2 injured. The pilot called in informing the other squads had landed. Soon the 3 other insertion squads were securing the building. James was put on transport with the other stabilized man and sent back to the Andromica

Taking the remaining set of his squad, Hans resumed casing the Cathedral. The structure was immense and filled with a maze of hallways. Room by room they Searched scanning each corner, the blackness interrupted by the beams of searching light.

Hans saddled up next to Calus.

"did you find the communication set up?"

"sure did. Thing was busted to hell. Main antenna taken out by some kind of missiles I assume."

Hans nodded.

"This doesn't sit right with me Calus. This entire Cathedral attack it's wrong." Calus grunted affirmation .

"Not a sign of a single monk in the cathedral, all dead honor guard, Razors. It’s strange."

"Not just any honor guard" commented Zimmer who had butted into the conversation. "They have top shelf gear."

"Damnit Zimmer haven't you ever heard of a private conversation" whispered Calus. Sending him a menacing gaze.

"Sarge, when's the last time you've seen AA guns in a cathedral? '' Zimmer asked, oblivious to Calus's gaze.

The group continued sweeping hallways and rooms. Some were dormitories, others were decorated prayer rooms, nearly all had some form of body or gore.

Hans thought on Zimmer's comment. He was right this place was more a cathedral turned fortress more than anything else. The very make of the building created natural funnel points, ideal for ensuring defense. It was obvious the guards had put up an incredible defense most of the dead forms were the pink muscled forms of the Razors.

"Calus did you check the comms records any other messages or communications sent?" Calus slowed his walk, taking a moment to check his surroundings so only the team could hear. "Sir there was nothing."

"Well if it was a surprise attack I don't think..."

"no sir there was no message at all no cry for help nothing." Silence filled the space all of Hans's team looked at each other stunned.

"Then how did we know we come here?" Asked Zimmer looking at Hans.

Hans shook his head. Between a mystery attack by Razors, a cathedral fortress, and the seemingly random presence of an out of place survivor, this op was crooked. Hans turned to his men attempting to mask his look of worry. He undid his visor allowing his men to see him illuminated by their flashlights.

"Lads, we will sort this all out when the time is right. Right now we sweep this place and get back to The Andromica. I don't want any of you looking like James or worse." They all nodded resolving themselves. Hans gestures with his hand and the team resumed their sweep.

Hans felt the thoughts begin to leak back into his head. The questions rattled around in his head. Worry pierced it all. He feared he had led his men into something more than one simple call for help.