in shadow as the massive bulk of the Barracuda hove into view above the face of the vast cliff overhead. Seeing a million-tonner in space is one thing, seeing it hanging above us filling the entire sky was absolutely unbelievable. My mind reeled at the sheer size and impossibility of her hanging there, while one by one, dropships started to fall.
“Jane, look alive!” Yak called out , as the lock door started to cycle closed. I hauled down a portable light unit that was set up just past my position, and shoved it into the opening.
“Way to go Jane” he said, and I hoped this lock was as smart as the main one we exited earlier. If this one didn't have interlocks, we were going to blow pressure. Luckily, that didn't happen, and we both exhaled.
“Captain, Jane has the lock wedged, an d they can't pop the inner lock” Yak said on comms, while I took a bit of a lean on the inner door, just to make sure – we were facing the kind of people that fire handguns at a frigate, after all.
“ Kids, the Barracuda is dropping on our position now, please look lively.” the captain replied abruptly on comms.
“Sir we're holding position by the lock; Jane has it covered cold.”
“ Solid copy. Yak, I need you to meet the dropship, son.”
“ On my way, Captain,” he said, looking over at me. “Jane, you got this?”
“Good to go Yak ” I said as he kicked off towards the incoming dropship. I took an extra wrap on my sling, and hunkered down even lower in the opening. While I waited, I double-checked that my mimetics were lit and my clip was full. The last thing I did was unsnap a clip pouch on my belt and made sure the cartridge was free. If there’s one thing I don’t want, it’s to be fumbling around for more ammo.
Right then, the inner lock started to glow.
“Jane, I'm on my way back with a squad, hold tight”, Yak called on comms.
We didn’t have time. “Yak, they're cutting the inner lock, I have to clear this door!”
“Copy .” He knew as well as I did that if they popped the inner door they were going to space this section of the hab.
I hauled hard on the light unit I had wedged in the outer lock, but it was held fast by the pressure of the mechanism – I couldn't twist it free. In desperation, I started kicking at the thing trying to force it through the crack, spitting and cursing as every kick slid me back. Finally, right as I was starting to see blobs of hot metal spalling out of the white-hot glowing inner hatch, it popped through and the door closed in a snap.
“It's shut!” I said, picking myself up and slide-hopping back to a cover position away from the door. At that moment, Yak and a squad of assault troops came skipping across the dock towards me from their dropship on the far side of the Archaea.
“Good to go, Jane” Yak said as he rushed up and dove behind the crates next to me. He took an opposite lean on the stack, and we watched the door as the squad of Marines moved up to flanking positions by the numbers.
One of them pulled out a handheld unit that looked like a drill attached to a pressure tank, with a big ring around the bit. He held it to the door and the ring clicked on.
“Must be magnetic?” Yak said on comms.
“Or glue, maybe both… but what is it?” I replied. I haven't seen anything like it, but it looked pretty handy. Whatever it does, I want one. Now the bit was spinning and shavings were peeling up away from the bit as the man cranked a lever on the side upwards, pushing against the deck.
Suddenly it was through, and everyone around the door relaxed.
“What's that, devil dogs?” Yak called across on comms.
“Foam sir,” one of them men called over . “Nothing is coming in or out of this lock, it's sealed. We'll work from the other side and cut them out of there.”
“Outstanding two-five, c arry on”, Yak said.
"Sir, request call sign ."
Yack laughed. "At one time, I was Echo Six Oscar, or Warpath Five. But that was when I was a Magnificent
“Jane, look alive!” Yak called out , as the lock door started to cycle closed. I hauled down a portable light unit that was set up just past my position, and shoved it into the opening.
“Way to go Jane” he said, and I hoped this lock was as smart as the main one we exited earlier. If this one didn't have interlocks, we were going to blow pressure. Luckily, that didn't happen, and we both exhaled.
“Captain, Jane has the lock wedged, an d they can't pop the inner lock” Yak said on comms, while I took a bit of a lean on the inner door, just to make sure – we were facing the kind of people that fire handguns at a frigate, after all.
“ Kids, the Barracuda is dropping on our position now, please look lively.” the captain replied abruptly on comms.
“Sir we're holding position by the lock; Jane has it covered cold.”
“ Solid copy. Yak, I need you to meet the dropship, son.”
“ On my way, Captain,” he said, looking over at me. “Jane, you got this?”
“Good to go Yak ” I said as he kicked off towards the incoming dropship. I took an extra wrap on my sling, and hunkered down even lower in the opening. While I waited, I double-checked that my mimetics were lit and my clip was full. The last thing I did was unsnap a clip pouch on my belt and made sure the cartridge was free. If there’s one thing I don’t want, it’s to be fumbling around for more ammo.
Right then, the inner lock started to glow.
“Jane, I'm on my way back with a squad, hold tight”, Yak called on comms.
We didn’t have time. “Yak, they're cutting the inner lock, I have to clear this door!”
“Copy .” He knew as well as I did that if they popped the inner door they were going to space this section of the hab.
I hauled hard on the light unit I had wedged in the outer lock, but it was held fast by the pressure of the mechanism – I couldn't twist it free. In desperation, I started kicking at the thing trying to force it through the crack, spitting and cursing as every kick slid me back. Finally, right as I was starting to see blobs of hot metal spalling out of the white-hot glowing inner hatch, it popped through and the door closed in a snap.
“It's shut!” I said, picking myself up and slide-hopping back to a cover position away from the door. At that moment, Yak and a squad of assault troops came skipping across the dock towards me from their dropship on the far side of the Archaea.
“Good to go, Jane” Yak said as he rushed up and dove behind the crates next to me. He took an opposite lean on the stack, and we watched the door as the squad of Marines moved up to flanking positions by the numbers.
One of them pulled out a handheld unit that looked like a drill attached to a pressure tank, with a big ring around the bit. He held it to the door and the ring clicked on.
“Must be magnetic?” Yak said on comms.
“Or glue, maybe both… but what is it?” I replied. I haven't seen anything like it, but it looked pretty handy. Whatever it does, I want one. Now the bit was spinning and shavings were peeling up away from the bit as the man cranked a lever on the side upwards, pushing against the deck.
Suddenly it was through, and everyone around the door relaxed.
“What's that, devil dogs?” Yak called across on comms.
“Foam sir,” one of them men called over . “Nothing is coming in or out of this lock, it's sealed. We'll work from the other side and cut them out of there.”
“Outstanding two-five, c arry on”, Yak said.
"Sir, request call sign ."
Yack laughed. "At one time, I was Echo Six Oscar, or Warpath Five. But that was when I was a Magnificent
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