Counterweight (36 page)

Though the Aussies weren’t available to him at the time, the
Kiwis were and they formed the original core of the unit, doing incredible
damage to the Axis forces for a group of their size and composition. Afrika
Corps Commander Rommel even acknowledged their effectiveness, indicating that
they gave him more difficulty than any other British unit of equal strength.

I needed a long-range, sneaky force to get Rick in and out
of hostile territory and, when I thought of the combat-shuttle program that had
originally been hosted aboard the
Guadalcanal
in the previous book, I
realised that a force similar to the LRDG would be a logical evolution in
Alliance tactics.

Small, distortion-capable shuttles make for an excellent
scouting force and it seemed the sort of thing that would appeal to the
restless nature of the Midgaard.

Rick and Freya have certainly punched above their weight in
this story, and they’ll be back in the next one.

If you’d like to get in touch, I can be reached through my
blog, my twitter account or through my email. Aside from that one guy who seems
to think I have an account at {random bank name here} that’s in urgent need of
attention, I welcome the chance to stop writing for a few minutes and chat (I’m
easily distracted).

^{Blog:
http://agclaymore.blogspot.com/}

^{[email protected]}

^@AGClaymore