Read Online Edge of Solace (A Star Too Far) by Casey Calouette - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Casey Calouette
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and dispatched a drone. There was a gap coming in the center. He set the waypoint marker and passed through the industrial landscape to reach it.
They had a simulation of what the surface of Canaan looked like, as accurately as a full LIDAR scan was capable of. Rocks, hummocks, and even garbage dumpsters were all in the proper location s.
A shallow canal ran like a gash across the landscape. Gritty yellow weeds clung tenaciously to the edge with chunks of concrete stuck on the edge. The only cover was an old retaining wall sheathed in chain link and cobble.
“Where are they?” Craig asked.
Yamaguchi bit his lip and watched. The drones ranged over and around without sighting anything. The lone strider they had seen was, he assumed, smoked. The left flank dodged outwards and searched for whatever had taken Paco.
He rose up and peeked around the edge of the cobble wall and scanned past the canal. The squad on the left, barely 500 meters away, started moving back towards the objective. But now there was a gap, a nasty gap.
“Spread out the drones, we need to cover that gap.” He drew a line with his eyes on the map. Tiny diamonds fluttered across the tactical display and headed for the central zone.
He saw it just as it happened. The drones began to sweep when the hostiles lit up in the zone. Infantry squads emerged from cover and began to fire on their best defense against the slender striders.
“Craig, keep moving in, Sergeant Hoffman, start moving to my position.” Yamaguchi shifted and watched. The squads moved and adjusted. The drones were disappearing as fast as the enemy infantry.
He leaned around the edge and caught something moving. Something moving in the canal. He blinked and focused. The muddy water parted and eddied as if a fish was swimming beneath the surface. If they were using the canal they could slide in and catch the squad on the back side without drone support.
“They’re swimming in the canal! All drones to the canal, hover!” He licked his lips and watched the remaining icons shift and slide into a straight line. If they weren’t there he lost both his recon and his defenses. “Hoffman, hit the infantry.”
The blocky FN Herstal rifle unlocked from his left arm with a whine of charging capacitors. The camera display on the arm opened another window. He slid the barrel around the wall and scanned into the canal. Movement. Click. Fire.
The recoil pushed his arm back roughly as the charged slug exploded into the muddy water. The line of nanite propelled rounds impacted in geysers of brown and frothy white. He paused. Dimples and foam spread and lapped against the side of the canal. Was it a fish?
The Sa’Ami striders burst out of the water and clawed up the bank. In a flash they tumble d back down as the drones delivered a punishing wave of projectiles from above. They flailed back into the muddy water and lashed out with searing projectiles that felled the drone cover.
The FN resumed fire while the rear mounted launcher thudded projectiles into the water. He snapped a quick glance and saw the squads coming together. Like an iron claw they were closing on the trapped striders. Trapped between two walls of mud and a dirty river bottom.
A flash and a roar rocked his display. The dreaded heaviness returned. Something hit him, something hit him hard. The comms crackled and chaos reined. As before, he was left with an echo and roar in his ears.
He thrashed and pushed and screamed as loudly as he could. The cocoon of alloy and steel held him close. Not a single sound of rage was released. The sweat ran down his face past the fleece mops and into his eyes. This was it. Him, his platoon, his failure, his future. The CO was half a star system away and had entrusted him to hold. They were the tip of the lance.
To hell with the fresh armor suits. He preferred the old style. Heavy, but at least he could move right. These just felt wrong. Out of the labs, into the ships, and now towards a war.
They had a simulation of what the surface of Canaan looked like, as accurately as a full LIDAR scan was capable of. Rocks, hummocks, and even garbage dumpsters were all in the proper location s.
A shallow canal ran like a gash across the landscape. Gritty yellow weeds clung tenaciously to the edge with chunks of concrete stuck on the edge. The only cover was an old retaining wall sheathed in chain link and cobble.
“Where are they?” Craig asked.
Yamaguchi bit his lip and watched. The drones ranged over and around without sighting anything. The lone strider they had seen was, he assumed, smoked. The left flank dodged outwards and searched for whatever had taken Paco.
He rose up and peeked around the edge of the cobble wall and scanned past the canal. The squad on the left, barely 500 meters away, started moving back towards the objective. But now there was a gap, a nasty gap.
“Spread out the drones, we need to cover that gap.” He drew a line with his eyes on the map. Tiny diamonds fluttered across the tactical display and headed for the central zone.
He saw it just as it happened. The drones began to sweep when the hostiles lit up in the zone. Infantry squads emerged from cover and began to fire on their best defense against the slender striders.
“Craig, keep moving in, Sergeant Hoffman, start moving to my position.” Yamaguchi shifted and watched. The squads moved and adjusted. The drones were disappearing as fast as the enemy infantry.
He leaned around the edge and caught something moving. Something moving in the canal. He blinked and focused. The muddy water parted and eddied as if a fish was swimming beneath the surface. If they were using the canal they could slide in and catch the squad on the back side without drone support.
“They’re swimming in the canal! All drones to the canal, hover!” He licked his lips and watched the remaining icons shift and slide into a straight line. If they weren’t there he lost both his recon and his defenses. “Hoffman, hit the infantry.”
The blocky FN Herstal rifle unlocked from his left arm with a whine of charging capacitors. The camera display on the arm opened another window. He slid the barrel around the wall and scanned into the canal. Movement. Click. Fire.
The recoil pushed his arm back roughly as the charged slug exploded into the muddy water. The line of nanite propelled rounds impacted in geysers of brown and frothy white. He paused. Dimples and foam spread and lapped against the side of the canal. Was it a fish?
The Sa’Ami striders burst out of the water and clawed up the bank. In a flash they tumble d back down as the drones delivered a punishing wave of projectiles from above. They flailed back into the muddy water and lashed out with searing projectiles that felled the drone cover.
The FN resumed fire while the rear mounted launcher thudded projectiles into the water. He snapped a quick glance and saw the squads coming together. Like an iron claw they were closing on the trapped striders. Trapped between two walls of mud and a dirty river bottom.
A flash and a roar rocked his display. The dreaded heaviness returned. Something hit him, something hit him hard. The comms crackled and chaos reined. As before, he was left with an echo and roar in his ears.
He thrashed and pushed and screamed as loudly as he could. The cocoon of alloy and steel held him close. Not a single sound of rage was released. The sweat ran down his face past the fleece mops and into his eyes. This was it. Him, his platoon, his failure, his future. The CO was half a star system away and had entrusted him to hold. They were the tip of the lance.
To hell with the fresh armor suits. He preferred the old style. Heavy, but at least he could move right. These just felt wrong. Out of the labs, into the ships, and now towards a war.
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