Read Online Freedom Vs. Aliens (Aliens Series Book 3) by T. Jackson King - Free Book Online
Authors: T. Jackson King
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lander.”
“Fleet Captain!” called Hideyoshi. Jack switched from Ignacio’s face to focus on the man who had stood up to his former academy mentor.
“Yes?”
“The Bismarck crew includes a platoon of fifteen space marines. They are trained in special ops and covert insertions.” The man’s oval face showed the strain of his effort to assist in assaulting his former academy. “They know the terrain. They know the tunnels. And there are three thermoplastic skylights on the roof of that factory that can be broken through as they rappel down from your Lander. Pick them up before you head down. Please.”
Jack licked his lips. He had always admired Hideyoshi’s devotion to duty and the strength of character it had taken for the man to renounce his old Unity oath in favor of joining Jack’s anti-Alien crusade. The man had lost crewmates in their attack on the HikHikSot. Yet his loyalty to Jack and his Belter fleets had never wavered.
“Agreed. And thank you. Max, Maureen and I will board the Anneli Korhonen shortly, just after our antimatter strikes hit the academy buildings. We will dock at your midbody airlock. My ally, do you . . . do you wish to join us in our assault?”
The man’s stern look wavered, then became a pale smile. “Would like to. But cannot. When the fleet’s leader, you, is away from his ship, then my duty is to remain with the fleet and keep it safe from attack by others.” The man’s black eyes blinked slowly. “Your order, you recall. Right after we left the Nasen system.”
“Twenty seconds,” came Elaine’s shaky voice.
“Thank you. All fleet control is yours once I leave the Uhuru .” Jack unsnapped his seat restraint locks and stood up. He reached down and squeezed the vacsuited shoulder of Nikola, nodded to Elaine and Denise, then joined Max at the hatch entry to the Spine hallway. While Archibald had heard and watched everything silently from his rear cabin seat, Blodwen now showed tears in her pale green eyes as her lover went into danger with Jack. “Welsh lass, I’ll bring him back safe. I promise.”
The two of them stepped through the hatch and into the Spine hallway, heading for the Lander hold. “Max, let’s pick up our pistols, swords, vests and backpacks from our rooms. We can shed our vacsuits once we enter Earth’s air. There are enviro-suits and weather protective face masks with full-range EMF sensors in the lander airlock. You looking forward to arriving like a ninja from the stars?”
The man from Lodz chuckled. “Could be worse. It’s better than the red dotted underwear that Blodwen thinks is cute!”
Jack knew better than to say anything about the clothing tastes of the man’s partner. “You handle the engines on the lander. I’ll handle the NavTrack module. Maureen will co-pilot and handle the lander’s lasers. Even with fifteen marines on board, our lander can hover on its belly jets long enough for us to rappel down to the roof!”
Max patted his belly. “Good. I’ve got a few extra kilos that need to be shed. And this ground assault should help!”
Jack smiled. While he did not need to lose weight, he did look forward to visiting Earth. And its horrible weather. The vacuum of space was a reliable environment. You lost vacsuit integrity, you lost your air. Your blood boiled briefly. Your eyeballs bulged. Then your body froze solid almost before you could realize it.
On Earth, the weather did not kill. At first. It just made you suffer endlessly, wishing you were dead. Or so he had read in the accounts shared by his Belter friends who had visited Earth. Jack had never done so in his entire life. Now he would visit the planet of humanity’s birth. In the midst of a raging snow blizzard, hundred kilometer an hour winds and the smoking embers of buildings and laser mounts. So be it.
CHAPTER FIVE
The
“Fleet Captain!” called Hideyoshi. Jack switched from Ignacio’s face to focus on the man who had stood up to his former academy mentor.
“Yes?”
“The Bismarck crew includes a platoon of fifteen space marines. They are trained in special ops and covert insertions.” The man’s oval face showed the strain of his effort to assist in assaulting his former academy. “They know the terrain. They know the tunnels. And there are three thermoplastic skylights on the roof of that factory that can be broken through as they rappel down from your Lander. Pick them up before you head down. Please.”
Jack licked his lips. He had always admired Hideyoshi’s devotion to duty and the strength of character it had taken for the man to renounce his old Unity oath in favor of joining Jack’s anti-Alien crusade. The man had lost crewmates in their attack on the HikHikSot. Yet his loyalty to Jack and his Belter fleets had never wavered.
“Agreed. And thank you. Max, Maureen and I will board the Anneli Korhonen shortly, just after our antimatter strikes hit the academy buildings. We will dock at your midbody airlock. My ally, do you . . . do you wish to join us in our assault?”
The man’s stern look wavered, then became a pale smile. “Would like to. But cannot. When the fleet’s leader, you, is away from his ship, then my duty is to remain with the fleet and keep it safe from attack by others.” The man’s black eyes blinked slowly. “Your order, you recall. Right after we left the Nasen system.”
“Twenty seconds,” came Elaine’s shaky voice.
“Thank you. All fleet control is yours once I leave the Uhuru .” Jack unsnapped his seat restraint locks and stood up. He reached down and squeezed the vacsuited shoulder of Nikola, nodded to Elaine and Denise, then joined Max at the hatch entry to the Spine hallway. While Archibald had heard and watched everything silently from his rear cabin seat, Blodwen now showed tears in her pale green eyes as her lover went into danger with Jack. “Welsh lass, I’ll bring him back safe. I promise.”
The two of them stepped through the hatch and into the Spine hallway, heading for the Lander hold. “Max, let’s pick up our pistols, swords, vests and backpacks from our rooms. We can shed our vacsuits once we enter Earth’s air. There are enviro-suits and weather protective face masks with full-range EMF sensors in the lander airlock. You looking forward to arriving like a ninja from the stars?”
The man from Lodz chuckled. “Could be worse. It’s better than the red dotted underwear that Blodwen thinks is cute!”
Jack knew better than to say anything about the clothing tastes of the man’s partner. “You handle the engines on the lander. I’ll handle the NavTrack module. Maureen will co-pilot and handle the lander’s lasers. Even with fifteen marines on board, our lander can hover on its belly jets long enough for us to rappel down to the roof!”
Max patted his belly. “Good. I’ve got a few extra kilos that need to be shed. And this ground assault should help!”
Jack smiled. While he did not need to lose weight, he did look forward to visiting Earth. And its horrible weather. The vacuum of space was a reliable environment. You lost vacsuit integrity, you lost your air. Your blood boiled briefly. Your eyeballs bulged. Then your body froze solid almost before you could realize it.
On Earth, the weather did not kill. At first. It just made you suffer endlessly, wishing you were dead. Or so he had read in the accounts shared by his Belter friends who had visited Earth. Jack had never done so in his entire life. Now he would visit the planet of humanity’s birth. In the midst of a raging snow blizzard, hundred kilometer an hour winds and the smoking embers of buildings and laser mounts. So be it.
CHAPTER FIVE
The
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