representing his squad shaped and converged. He, Micah and Tyler made their way through the carnage Micah no longer noticed. Babble erupted from several others and their dots faded soon afterward. When they reached the edge of the hot zone Micah and Tyler stopped looking at the hud and started covering backsides: theirs and Sanders'.
They crouched in the remains of a building with plasma-scorched rubble around them. Armored meat had most of the squad pinned and the rest of the Caustik forces were out of position to help. Micah and Tyler clipped plasmas to their blasters. They advanced to where Sanders could see. He snapped an order. Micah and Tyler shouldered their weapons and fired.
Launching plasmas made the rifles kick like a farm dray; Micah bit off a curse. He and Tyler launched several more plasmas and Sanders ordered a move.
Micah spared a glance at his hud. The tactical situation worsened. He saw nothing but hostiles between the squad and any other Caustik forces. The number of hostiles didn't shrink, either.
Ambush!
Micah let the Flame kick in as enemy armor erupted from the debris around them. He thumbed his rifle to AP and started sniping. Return fire forced them back and away from their line.
A squad of light crunchies worked to emplace a semi. Micah lobbed a plasma and backed away as the armor advanced again.
Sanders barked more orders. More blips faded as reports of heavier armor came through. Just Micah's luck to intercept a major thrust with nothing but League meat to back them!
They lost Tyler to a half-squad of jump armor. Enemies behind meant certain disaster; Typer armed his plasmas, primed his blaster and jumped in the middle of the armor. Some of them might have survived the plasma but the building collapsing on them rendered that survival moot.
Too many! Micah found himself grounded and covered beside a fairly heavy wall with Sanders not far away. None of his fellows registered on the hud and Micah knew the equipment worked. They'd done a credible job holding back the meat but Micah knew it couldn't last.
“Sir,” said Micah, “Heavy power's coming.”
“W-what? Yes. Heavy power.”
Micah took a second to eyeball Sanders' position. The lieutenant crouched behind cover only snapping shots occasionally and certainly not aiming them.
“Sir! That's a tank or a can. We need to do something about it!”
“Yes, soldier. Quite.”
“Sir! Inform the League. We're almost back against their position!”
“Inform...”
Micah had no time to swear. Before Sanders finished his thought a massive tracked something knocked down the wall bottlenecking most of their opposition. Not, thought Micah, that it mattered now. Even as the thought crossed his mind a turret turned toward him. Micah threw his last plasma and triggered his myos to maximum. The explosion hurled him farther than the myos could jump and he hit hard. The saviorband triggered but Micah needed an extra edge. He popped another Flame and rolled to cover. The tank nosed toward Sanders' position followed by several columns of armored meat. They investigated the pile of stones that had been Micah's. Micah checked his myos. One good jump. All he needed.
Micah had two smites left. He thumbed them to automatic anti-personnel and scatter. He also had a pair of demo charges. He took one in each hand and sighted on the tank.
With the noise of battle around him Micah felt strangely calm. The Flame gave him an ethereal and airy view as he triggered his myos. At the peak of his jump the smites launched, each tracking the largest cluster of armor its primitive warhead detected. Beams and blasts sought Micah but missed as the meat ran for cover.
Micah landed short and not on the tank where he'd aimed. The turret tried to track him. Too late! Micah slapped both charges to the hull, over the fusion if he guessed right. Micah rolled for cover.
Several crunchies fired at Micah. He slapped a fresh clip into his rifle and opened fire. Near the edge of
They crouched in the remains of a building with plasma-scorched rubble around them. Armored meat had most of the squad pinned and the rest of the Caustik forces were out of position to help. Micah and Tyler clipped plasmas to their blasters. They advanced to where Sanders could see. He snapped an order. Micah and Tyler shouldered their weapons and fired.
Launching plasmas made the rifles kick like a farm dray; Micah bit off a curse. He and Tyler launched several more plasmas and Sanders ordered a move.
Micah spared a glance at his hud. The tactical situation worsened. He saw nothing but hostiles between the squad and any other Caustik forces. The number of hostiles didn't shrink, either.
Ambush!
Micah let the Flame kick in as enemy armor erupted from the debris around them. He thumbed his rifle to AP and started sniping. Return fire forced them back and away from their line.
A squad of light crunchies worked to emplace a semi. Micah lobbed a plasma and backed away as the armor advanced again.
Sanders barked more orders. More blips faded as reports of heavier armor came through. Just Micah's luck to intercept a major thrust with nothing but League meat to back them!
They lost Tyler to a half-squad of jump armor. Enemies behind meant certain disaster; Typer armed his plasmas, primed his blaster and jumped in the middle of the armor. Some of them might have survived the plasma but the building collapsing on them rendered that survival moot.
Too many! Micah found himself grounded and covered beside a fairly heavy wall with Sanders not far away. None of his fellows registered on the hud and Micah knew the equipment worked. They'd done a credible job holding back the meat but Micah knew it couldn't last.
“Sir,” said Micah, “Heavy power's coming.”
“W-what? Yes. Heavy power.”
Micah took a second to eyeball Sanders' position. The lieutenant crouched behind cover only snapping shots occasionally and certainly not aiming them.
“Sir! That's a tank or a can. We need to do something about it!”
“Yes, soldier. Quite.”
“Sir! Inform the League. We're almost back against their position!”
“Inform...”
Micah had no time to swear. Before Sanders finished his thought a massive tracked something knocked down the wall bottlenecking most of their opposition. Not, thought Micah, that it mattered now. Even as the thought crossed his mind a turret turned toward him. Micah threw his last plasma and triggered his myos to maximum. The explosion hurled him farther than the myos could jump and he hit hard. The saviorband triggered but Micah needed an extra edge. He popped another Flame and rolled to cover. The tank nosed toward Sanders' position followed by several columns of armored meat. They investigated the pile of stones that had been Micah's. Micah checked his myos. One good jump. All he needed.
Micah had two smites left. He thumbed them to automatic anti-personnel and scatter. He also had a pair of demo charges. He took one in each hand and sighted on the tank.
With the noise of battle around him Micah felt strangely calm. The Flame gave him an ethereal and airy view as he triggered his myos. At the peak of his jump the smites launched, each tracking the largest cluster of armor its primitive warhead detected. Beams and blasts sought Micah but missed as the meat ran for cover.
Micah landed short and not on the tank where he'd aimed. The turret tried to track him. Too late! Micah slapped both charges to the hull, over the fusion if he guessed right. Micah rolled for cover.
Several crunchies fired at Micah. He slapped a fresh clip into his rifle and opened fire. Near the edge of
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