Warrior Chronicles 2: Warrior's Blood (12 page)

“I know, Rick. But we have to do what we can. The CONDOR Twos are going to have their hands full as it is. This time, once there is too much dust in the air, override the targeting computers and fire into the dust cloud. We might get some lucky hits.” Rhodes was watching as the first railgun fired.

--

Dave Gaines had escorted his aunt Kay to Oxia Palus. When the crisis materialized, Rhodes had cleared him to take one of their CONDOR Twos. Once they realized an assault on the colony was imminent, it made sense to arm anyone who was qualified. Only four of the new suits were online at Oxia, and Dave had more time ‘in armor’ than any of the Oxia Palus security people. Now he was north of the colony waiting for the invaders. There was another CONDOR at each of the other compass points. Cort made sure Dave was the leader of the CONDOR squad. Right now, Dave was the only person at the colony who had taken human life.

The new CONDORs were identical to the original models except in their power system and how they were controlled. The power system was more robust and efficient than the previous model. Its power output was just slightly higher, but it recharged faster and lasted almost fifty percent longer. Cort’s own suit was being retrofitted with the new power system back at Argyre. Also, Cort’s version of the suit was controlled by the Atlas interface. An electronic port in the operator’s neck jacked him or her into the system and all movement was controlled through by the user’s own nervous system. Because the Atlas interface didn’t work for people with pre-injected synthetics, a new control system had to be devised for the suit to be useful to modern humans. The inside of the suits already inflated to conform to the user’s body by inflating a carbon nanotube liner around them. This allowed the suit to act as a shock absorber. The new suits used a ‘smart’ version of the same system. The fabric of the suit’s liner sensed the movement of the user, matching the exoskeleton powered armor’s movement to it. The system was only a fraction of a second slower than Cort’s own
interfaced
system, while offering all the same protections and sensor systems. With the MAT carbines, the suits were formidable. And with almost three dozen inbound transports, they would have to be.

Inside, civilians were locked in their quarters and all airlocks had been sealed. The corridors had been cleared to provide unobstructed lines of fire, and common areas had been cleared as well. Men and women in FALCON suits patrolled the corridors. Over the colony, the Oxia One Multi-Purpose Satellite tracked thirty-four targets. It began firing when the first column of targets was within visual range. It fired every twenty seconds for three minutes before it could no longer visually lock on targets because of the dust. Three more shots were fired manually into the cloud before column two was acquired. Four minutes later, the weapons tech shifted fire back to the original column of approaching armor. Five vehicles had emerged from the cloud. Three minutes later, the first column was completely destroyed.

“Target group three. The remnants of the second column are too close to the colony now,” Rhodes commanded.

“Yes, sir. Unless they try and join up with column two at the west end, they won’t ever be at range that’s safe for us to fire…” Rick said.

--

“Oh hell,” Dave said to no one in particular. He had destroyed the first two vehicles before the third one came to a stop. Ten men stepped out of it. They were all in suits similar to his own. “We have a problem. They have armor. It looks like ours.”

--

“Sir, we are at a standstill,” Dave said to Cort over the comm system. “As long as we have ammunition and they do not storm the colony, we are good. Their armor does not appear to be as good as ours, but they have numbers. All their vehicles have been destroyed. Right now, we estimate thirty targets still active. But only the railguns have been really effective. Rhodes has taken out nearly two hundred of their suits, but he cannot target the remainder because they have moved too close to the colony. The only one we have gotten was when we missed and hit a rock behind it. It was crushed. In the mean time, I have told the FALCONs to evacuate the outer modules and load them up with Claymores. It will not stop them if they get past us, but it might slow them down.”

“Okay, if their suits are like ours, the power source is on the back. That’s their primary weakness. Can you get behind them? Also, what kind of rounds are they firing?” Cort asked.

“Ballistic rounds. Nothing special. But we cannot get around them. It would leave a hole in our defenses. They can’t get around us either, though.”

“Don’t compromise your defenses,” Cort commanded. He thought about the CONDORs strengths and weaknesses. “Okay. Do you have double-coverage on any targets?”

“What do you mean?” Dave asked Cort.

“Are there any targets that two of you can see? Specifically, that two of you can hit.”

“Yes, sir. Maybe five or six.”

“Okay, show me. Send your tactical map to me. Rhodes, are you listening?”

“Yes, Cort.” Rhodes was at the console, where he had been for five hours, since the assault began.

“Look at the tactical map. Start firing railguns behind the bad guys. Push them to areas where there is double coverage. Try not to damage modules, but if you have to that’s okay. Dave, link your targeting computers. Then pick one target at a time and aim for the suit joints. Preferably where the legs meet the torso, but shoulders might work too. Try a charged round combined with an explosive round at the same joint. If that doesn’t work, double up on explosive rounds. The idea is to incapacitate the suits. When this is over, we need to come up with a grenade of some sort, but this is our best option for now. I’m two hours away. You have to hold on that long.”

“Yes, sir. Gaines out.”

“Dave, wait. Are you still there?” Cort asked.

“Yes, sir. I
am here.”

“Don’t forget. Our family is in there. You can overload your suit. Do you follow me?” Cort left his true meaning unspoken.

“Yes, sir. I understand.” There was silence for fifteen seconds before Dave Gaines spoke again. “If it comes to that, sir, well, it has been an honor.”

“The honor’s been mine, Dave. You’ve done me proud,” Cort said.

--

When Cort finally topped the last ridge, he was about two hundred meters from the nearest terminal module. The carnage outside the colony was incredible. The dust cloud was so thick Cort had to use his onboard sensors to discern what was going on. Terminal module three had imploded. Cort knew from the comms that no one had gotten in yet, but clearly it was about to happen.

Dave was already dead. The invaders had caught on to the new strategy and began employing it themselves. Only one CONDOR was still active. Cort had never met the female operator of the suit, but knew she was the woman that Kay was giving her unborn child to. She was standing between the west entrance to the colony and eight enemy suits. As Cort watched she went down on her side. The left leg of her CONDOR was blown twenty meters behind her. It tumbled to a stop against the airlock of the terminal module. She was going to die just a moment too soon for Cort to help.

“I’ve got augmented visual,” Cort said, “I’m targeting now.”

“Mr. Addison, I’m Jan Mines.” Cort could hear the agony in woman’s voice. “I was going to adopt Miss Gaines’ baby. Please protect them, sir.”

“I know who you are, Jan. I’m sorry I got here too late.” The enemy were moving through the cloud of dust. They split up as they walked around Mines, ignoring her.

“Protect the baby, sir. Please. I’m overloading my suit.”

The explosion threw the eight invaders in all directions. One of them smashed into the terminal module and crushed its airlock. The other spread were killed just as instantly. Not even Cort’s CONDOR would have survived the overload of Mines’ power system at that range.

“Cort, the last four of them have entered the south terminal,” Rhodes said. “One down. The Claymores got him. The FALCONs are gathering there.”

“FALCONs, this is Addison. Use MATs. Charged rounds only. I’m coming in behind them.”

The voices of several FALCONs said, “Yes, sir.”

“Rhodes, if I come in through the west terminal is there any armor inside for me?”

“No. We couldn’t get another suit online.”

“Okay, my FALCON will have to do. I’ll grab Dave’s MAT on my way in. When this is over, I want more fixed railguns set up. I never dreamed they would launch an overland assault. We need guns protecting us from this too. Maybe the armory people can just change out the mounts.”

“I’ve been thinking the same thing,” Rhodes said.

A minute later Rhodes spoke again, “Cort, go in from the north. We need you inside. I’ve only got four FALCONs left.”

“Okay, stand by.” Cort squatted the HAWC suit down directly in front of the terminal airlock. After deactivating the system, he unjacked from it and jacked into his FALCON. He said, “Rhodes, you have to operate the airlocks for me. I have to cover my mouth and run. Otherwise Clare gets her wish. Open it five seconds from my mark. Close it in six. NOW!” Cort lifted the operator’s couch out of the way, popped the hatch, and did a somersault out of the HAWCs butt and into the open airlock. It closed behind him and filled with air.
Oh shit. The Claymores.
“Rhodes, the mines!”

“Damn! Stand by!” Rhodes said.

A minute later, the inner lock opened and Rick was waiting with tactical helmet and a fresh MAT. The helmet would give Cort a full HUD and comm system to track the battle. “Sorry about that, sir.”

“Not as sorry as I would have been. What’s the situation?”

“Twenty FALCONs down. Three left. Two of their suits are still active.”

Cort activated his system and said, “Rhodes, where are they?”

“My last man just went down, Cort. They are in section three, corridor two. One more suit down. Damn. My last FALCON is dead.”

Cort grabbed two of the Claymores from the corridor and began running toward the enemy.
What is wrong with me that I run toward death instead of away from it?
“I’m headed there now.”

“Cort,” Rhodes said, “he knows right where he’s going. He’s headed for Kay.”

--

Kay Gaines was in the Mines’ quarters and was listening to the comm system. Sköll was at her side and very alert. The Mines’ wolf pup was next to his human. Kay was armed only with a .45 automatic, but she knew where to aim it. The room rattled. A second blow shook the wall again. The door began to bend inwards with each blow of the suit.
Our suits wouldn’t be having trouble with this. Either this one is compromised, or theirs aren’t as powerful. Can I use that?

--

Cort turned the corner and saw the enemy armor pounding the door to the quarters. None of the powered armor’s joints were visible. Cort dropped his MAT and rearmed both of the Claymores.

--

Kay saw one great hand reach into the door. It gripped and peeled the metal backward and the metal tore away from the frame before the man in the suit through it across the room, crushing Mike Mines and his wolf pup instantly. Sköll lunged at the suit, aware it was impervious to him, but at an instinctive level, he had to protect Kay. He was caught in mid air.

--

Cort saw the suit holding Sköll at arm’s length. As the two powered arms tore the head from the wolf’s body, Cort screamed.

--

Kay was in shock. Sköll was dead. It didn’t seem possible. She raised her .45 and began firing. The man in the armored suit raised his own sidearm and fired at her. Then she saw him disappear in a cloud of blood and metal fragments.

--

Cort saw Sköll’s body and head hit the ground as bullets began bouncing off the armor. Just seconds from the armored enemy, he held both Claymores at arm’s length and triggered them.