was still active. Cort had never met the female operator of the suit, but knew she was the woman that Kay was giving her unborn child to. She was standing between the west entrance to the colony and eight enemy suits. As Cort watched she went down on her side. The left leg of her CONDOR was blown twenty meters behind her. It tumbled to a stop against the airlock of the terminal module. She was going to die just a moment too soon for Cort to help.
“I’ve got augmented visual,” Cort said, “I’m targeting now.”
“Mr. Addison, I’m Jan Mines.” Cort could hear the agony in woman’s voice. “I was going to adopt Miss Gaines’ baby. Please protect them, sir.”
“I know who you are, Jan. I’m sorry I got here too late.” The enemy were moving through the cloud of dust. They split up as they walked around Mines, ignoring her.
“Protect the baby, sir. Please. I’m overloading my suit.”
The explosion threw the eight invaders in all directions. One of them smashed into the terminal module and crushed its airlock. The other spread were killed just as instantly. Not even Cort’s CONDOR would have survived the overload of Mines’ power system at that range.
“Cort, the last four of them have entered the south terminal,” Rhodes said. “One down. The Claymores got him. The FALCONs are gathering there.”
“FALCONs, this is Addison. Use MATs. Charged rounds only. I’m coming in behind them.”
The voices of several FALCONs said, “Yes, sir.”
“Rhodes, if I come in through the west terminal is there any armor inside for me?”
“No. We couldn’t get another suit online.”
“Okay, my FALCON will have to do. I’ll grab Dave’s MAT on my way in. When this is over, I want more fixed railguns set up. I never dreamed they would launch an overland assault. We need guns protecting us from this too. Maybe the armory people can just change out the mounts.”
“I’ve been thinking the same thing,” Rhodes said.
A minute later Rhodes spoke again, “Cort, go in from the north. We need you inside. I’ve only got four FALCONs left.”
“Okay, stand by.” Cort squatted the HAWC suit down directly in front of the terminal airlock. After deactivating the system, he unjacked from it and jacked into his FALCON. He said, “Rhodes, you have to operate the airlocks for me. I have to cover my mouth and run. Otherwise Clare gets her wish. Open it five seconds from my mark. Close it in six. NOW!” Cort lifted the operator’s couch out of the way, popped the hatch, and did a somersault out of the HAWCs butt and into the open airlock. It closed behind him and filled with air. Oh shit. The Claymores. “Rhodes, the mines!”
“Damn! Stand by!” Rhodes said.
A minute later, the inner lock opened and Rick was waiting with tactical helmet and a fresh MAT. The helmet would give Cort a full HUD and comm system to track the battle. “Sorry about that, sir.”
“Not as sorry as I would have been. What’s the situation?”
“Twenty FALCONs down. Three left. Two of their suits are still active.”
Cort activated his system and said, “Rhodes, where are they?”
“My last man just went down, Cort. They are in section three, corridor two. One more suit down. Damn. My last FALCON is dead.”
Cort grabbed two of the Claymores from the corridor and began running toward the enemy. What is wrong with me that I run toward death instead of away from it? “I’m headed there now.”
“Cort,” Rhodes said, “he knows right where he’s going. He’s headed for Kay.”
--
Kay Gaines was in the Mines’ quarters and was listening to the comm system. Sköll was at her side and very alert. The Mines’ wolf pup was next to his human. Kay was armed only with a .45 automatic, but she knew where to aim it. The room rattled. A second blow shook the wall again. The door began to bend inwards with each blow of the
“I’ve got augmented visual,” Cort said, “I’m targeting now.”
“Mr. Addison, I’m Jan Mines.” Cort could hear the agony in woman’s voice. “I was going to adopt Miss Gaines’ baby. Please protect them, sir.”
“I know who you are, Jan. I’m sorry I got here too late.” The enemy were moving through the cloud of dust. They split up as they walked around Mines, ignoring her.
“Protect the baby, sir. Please. I’m overloading my suit.”
The explosion threw the eight invaders in all directions. One of them smashed into the terminal module and crushed its airlock. The other spread were killed just as instantly. Not even Cort’s CONDOR would have survived the overload of Mines’ power system at that range.
“Cort, the last four of them have entered the south terminal,” Rhodes said. “One down. The Claymores got him. The FALCONs are gathering there.”
“FALCONs, this is Addison. Use MATs. Charged rounds only. I’m coming in behind them.”
The voices of several FALCONs said, “Yes, sir.”
“Rhodes, if I come in through the west terminal is there any armor inside for me?”
“No. We couldn’t get another suit online.”
“Okay, my FALCON will have to do. I’ll grab Dave’s MAT on my way in. When this is over, I want more fixed railguns set up. I never dreamed they would launch an overland assault. We need guns protecting us from this too. Maybe the armory people can just change out the mounts.”
“I’ve been thinking the same thing,” Rhodes said.
A minute later Rhodes spoke again, “Cort, go in from the north. We need you inside. I’ve only got four FALCONs left.”
“Okay, stand by.” Cort squatted the HAWC suit down directly in front of the terminal airlock. After deactivating the system, he unjacked from it and jacked into his FALCON. He said, “Rhodes, you have to operate the airlocks for me. I have to cover my mouth and run. Otherwise Clare gets her wish. Open it five seconds from my mark. Close it in six. NOW!” Cort lifted the operator’s couch out of the way, popped the hatch, and did a somersault out of the HAWCs butt and into the open airlock. It closed behind him and filled with air. Oh shit. The Claymores. “Rhodes, the mines!”
“Damn! Stand by!” Rhodes said.
A minute later, the inner lock opened and Rick was waiting with tactical helmet and a fresh MAT. The helmet would give Cort a full HUD and comm system to track the battle. “Sorry about that, sir.”
“Not as sorry as I would have been. What’s the situation?”
“Twenty FALCONs down. Three left. Two of their suits are still active.”
Cort activated his system and said, “Rhodes, where are they?”
“My last man just went down, Cort. They are in section three, corridor two. One more suit down. Damn. My last FALCON is dead.”
Cort grabbed two of the Claymores from the corridor and began running toward the enemy. What is wrong with me that I run toward death instead of away from it? “I’m headed there now.”
“Cort,” Rhodes said, “he knows right where he’s going. He’s headed for Kay.”
--
Kay Gaines was in the Mines’ quarters and was listening to the comm system. Sköll was at her side and very alert. The Mines’ wolf pup was next to his human. Kay was armed only with a .45 automatic, but she knew where to aim it. The room rattled. A second blow shook the wall again. The door began to bend inwards with each blow of the
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