Troopers - Book 1

Hard Drop

        “Ninety-three minutes, not bad. Marauders are onboard, ladies suit up we’ll be exiting on the run” Thorne said his black command power suit in place, his oversized prosthetic robotic forearm exposed with the suit sealing to it, gauntlets far too small. The unit filed into the slick streamlined Slingshot drop ship, just enough room inside for them all kitted out in full power suits, equipment of choice and the two marauders, Medb and Morrigan climbing in and beginning the start up sequence.

        “Ok, we’re cramped, we’re weighed down and we’re about entering a hot zone at extreme speed. We’re being followed by a second Slingshot, its carrying extra power units for the suits and marauders. Once we hit the ground Medb and Morrigan are to grab the crates and we move out find a place to dig in and then move from their in search of the prize.” Thorne spoke to them all through the Comm. “are you ready to kill some bugs?” He asked

        “Yes sir!” was the response in unison.

        “Get as comfortable as you can. Pilot, we’re in your hands” Thorne said

        “Understood sir. Updates as when” A new crisp voice said over the comm.

        “Sergeant” Thorne said over the comm. he’d flicked it to a secure channel to the sergeant with a few blinks of the eye.

         “Yes Sir” Oakham replied

        “I will defer to your judgement in the field as before if things get out of my remit, I admit I am not a combat officer, I am a researcher first and foremost but you and your unit are the best and it is the best that I need, are you with me Sergeant?” Thorne said in all seriousness

        “I’m with you Sir, combat experience is one thing but leadership is another. You lead I’ll direct Sir” Oakham replied, even with all his misgivings from when he first met Major, he could not help himself from liking the man and in some ways, feeling sorry for him. He heard his comm. click and he knew it was no longer secure to Major Thorne.

        “Alright you apes get a hold of something. Medb not with the marauder just lock the joints” Oakham said and the unit began bracing themselves.

    “FTL drop-out in five...” said the pilot “four...Launch sequence begun...two...one...FTL ceased...Launch” The rapid deceleration of FTL was felt by the unit; then gravity hit like a wall as their bodies were pinned to the vessel as it exited the launch bay at maximum velocity, the roar of the vessel shuddering the sides. The moment they were out everything went deathly silent the only noise was the whirr of the power suits and the occasional clink of metal against metal within the bay.

        “Heavy fire in bound, FTL engaged, Return to same co-ordinates in six minutes” A new voice echoed over the Comm. The unit realised they were not meant to hear that communication, The Dark Sword had left.

        “Brace! Brace! Brace!” screamed the pilot as it banked sharply to the port.

                                                                                        *

         Captain Decker thought the flight crew of Dark Sword was taking the piss. Heavy fire inbound was an understatement the space between him and the planet had turn blue, so many plasma shots he could hardly see the gaps between.

            “Brace! Brace! Brace!” he shouted over the comm. and yanked on the controls. Although they were in space centrifugal force still created high G-forces and the minimal gravity plating in the passenger compartment didn’t help.