Rebellion Ebook Full by B. V. Larson Page B

our own Nano tech to talk to theirs. It shouldn’t even be as hard as talking to the Macros was.”
    “Maybe,” Kwon said with a big frown. He was obviously skeptical, but I didn’t take it personally.
    I adjusted the communications box to scan for unencrypted transmissions. They were everywhere, showing that the Centaurs were indeed communicating via radio. I wasn’t getting a signal I could focus in on as the right one, however. I didn’t want to interrupt the equivalent of a cell phone call between civilians and try to make a deal with them.
    Finally, after about ten minutes of scanning, one firm signal showed itself on the scanner. It sang for less than a minute, blotting out other transmissions.
    “That sounds important,” said Lieutenant Marquis. She had edged her way into our position.
    I glanced at her, and noted the way she stood quite close to Kwon. I thought Kwon might get lucky after all. She didn’t seem to like being out of his orbit.
    “I’m going to try to talk to them on this frequency,” I told them.
    When I had it set up, I keyed the microphone in my suit and announced myself. “This is Colonel Kyle Riggs,” I said, as if they should know who I was. “We have invaded your habitat, but we oppose the Macros. Please respond.”
    Nothing came back for a while. Kwon waved to me. I could tell just looking at him it wasn’t good news.
    “Talk to me,” I said.
    “Large numbers of the enemy seem to be approaching,” he said. “Everyone on the ridge is reporting sightings.”
    Great , I thought. Had my signal served to trigger their attack? I started scanning again, but then a reply came in.
    “Apologies of the Herd,” said the communications box. I had it set for automatic translation into English. I wasn’t overly pleased with the results. “The Herd Honor of our ancestors lies broken.”
    “We wish to discuss peace,” I said. “Do not attack.”
    “The challenge has been made. It must be answered. Herd Honor must be recaptured.”
    That was all they said. I frowned at the communications box and tapped at the control screen.
    “That didn’t sound good,” Lieutenant Marquis said.
    “Sir,” Kwon said, lowering himself into a crouch. He had been communicating with his recon units. “They’re coming.”
    I didn’t have to ask what he meant. I heaved a sigh. I opened a general channel. “Fire at any armed combatant that comes near the line,” I said.
    Laser flashes burned the atmosphere almost immediately. I moved to the ridge on my belly and looked downslope. The land was dark with running Centaurs. There were thousands of them, all in a mass. They came on like a wave of furred flesh. Most didn’t even have laser packs, but those that did fired as they came. The rest had their horn-blades. When they got in close, I knew they would fight savagely with them, cutting open my men and their suits.
    “Fire at will!” I shouted over the rising roar of their hooves. “Shoot anything that comes at you!”
    Every marine on the line opened up. Many of the Centaurs staggered, blinded, burned or both. Smoke rose in a blue plume. We were cooking them as they came.
    But thousands more charged behind the first. There was no attempt made to flank us, or to sneak up upon us. They came in a single, charging mass. I looked down at them, and was immediately reminded of a vast herd of animals sweeping over an African plain. They churned up the slope, leaping over the bodies of the fallen. All along the ridge we were taking casualties too as their beams lanced into us. Were they using their own people as a shield for their soldiers?
    A moment later they hit our line, and it was chaos. Furred bodies, flashing horns and kicking hooves filled my vision. My men killed with their projectors and their knives, often with one in each hand. In turn, they were knocked down, gored and trampled. Piles of bodies blocked the charging herd in places and they had to go around. My line broke in a dozen spots, and the