They had five minutes to report to the MBS hangar. Alex walked up to Ash and started pouring himself a drink.
“Eventful watch?” he said.
She nodded, her mouth full of food. “It’s going down,” she mumbled.
“Not without us,” Alex said.
He gulped down the sports drink and turned to the others. “You guys ready?”
“Sittin’ on go,” Sly replied.
“Always,” Newt replied.
It wasn’t lost on Alex that their confidence had grown over the past week. Moving from simulators to actual missions had been good for his team. They had no idea what to expect once they launched on the latest op, but they were all excited about it.
“Let’s stay that way,” Alex said. “Head on a swivel. We work together as a team.”
“Roger that,” Newt said.
“Man, I’m pumped,” Sly said.
“Ready,” Ash said, swallowing the last half-chewed mouthful of her hasty meal.
“All right, Titan team—let’s go,” Alex ordered.
He wasn’t their superior, but every team needed a leader. The four Titan operators were more than just colleagues; they had developed a tight bond and genuine friendships. Alex was excited to be working with them again, even if it was on a combat drop. This was what they had trained for and what they knew was coming. They all wanted to get their first fight out of the way, along with the crazy nervousness that came with it.
They walked to the MBS hangar together. There was a noticeable absence of battle suits, which Alex guessed Romeo Company had taken on their drop ship.
“How long was I asleep?” Alex asked.
“About an hour,” Newt said. “Romeo Company departed forty minutes ago.”
“Ash just got back,” Sly said.
“Just in time,” she replied.
“It’s good that you’re here,” Alex said as he climbed up into his FA Titan battle suit. “Everyss, will Ash’s suit have enough power?”
“We swapped out the power supply,” Everyss said as she made a few adjustments to his Titan, “and changed the munitions load on all your battle suits.”
“What are we carrying?” Alex asked.
“Air-to-ground missiles, along with laser and soft-alloy projectiles,” Everyss said. “Don’t wreck my tech, flyboy.”
“Yes, Corporal,” Alex said with a grin.
She gave him a thumbs-up. They were the same rank, and giving him orders wasn’t her job, but he knew it was her way of wishing him luck. He snapped off a quick salute, then activated his battle suit.
Hello, Alex.
“Hi, Nyx, what do you know?”
The same as you at this point. I don’t think the Zen Tech forces are poaching.
“What makes you say that?” Alex asked.
I took a stroll and eavesdropped on the other controllers. Sounds like they’re getting ready for a fight.
“Well, that’s what we’re here for, I guess.”
There was a pause. The harness that Alex was hanging in began to move toward the launch bay. Chief Landry’s voice came through the Titan’s communication system.
“Heads up, team, let’s have a comms check,” he ordered.
“Titan One, I read you.”
Newt was Titan Two, Sly Three, and Ash was Titan Four. They all checked in over the command channel. The harnesses released and the inner doors began to open, revealing space and the white gleam of Carthage Prime down below.
“We have a preliminary sit rep from the planet,” Landry began to explain. “Radiation readings indicate that at least some of the drop ships from the Zen Tech ship carried kamikazi drones.”
“Beautiful,” Ash said.
“They’re not attempting to drill or steal ore. This is an attack, but we don’t have good radar. The drop ship is circling the plateau where our people have set up camp. Your mission is to find those drones and take them out.”
“Air strikes, Chief?” Sly asked.
“Absolutely. Maybe we’ll get lucky and they’ll be bunched up. Those drones carry heavy warheads. You get one close to the others, and it could set off a chain reaction.”
“Wipe them all out,” Ash said. “Oh, yeah.”
“You have to find them first,” Landry said. “Be careful. The atmo on Carthage can be choppy.”
“Roger that, Chief,” Newt said.
“Keep one more thing in mind,” Landry said, his voice deadly serious. “If even one of those drones gets away, it could wipe out our entire operation down and odds are, there’s more than just the drones. Watch your six, but don’t let them get past you. Every employee on the ground, even the other operators, are counting on you.”
“We won’t let you down, sir,” Alex said.
“Good luck, Titan team. Launch is in thirty seconds.”
“Follow your controller’s instructions,” Alex said. “We’ll make our search from ten thousand meters. If you see any sign of the drones, you report it. Let’s be smart about this.”
The members of his team all agreed. The magnetic shield dropped, and the ship’s auto-launcher propelled him gently out of the bay, through the artificial gravity barrier, and into his first combat mission.
Chapter 23
Moving through space had its challenges, but dipping into the atmosphere of a planet felt to Alex like he was being shaken by a giant. Gravity had a firm grip on him, pulling him down, while the friction from the air battered him. The Titan battle suit absorbed the heat, converting it to usable power that fed into the suit’s already fully charged power cell. Alex had flown in atmosphere many times, but he’d never made planetary entry except on simulators. The difference was shocking. He had to trust the battle suit and wait for the repulsers to slow him enough that he could take charge again.
Approaching ten thousand meters.
“Thank you,” Alex said. “How far are we from the base camp?”
About two hundred kilometers southeast. You should be able to follow the mountains north straight to the camp if you need to.
“If the drones are in those mountains, they’ll be much harder to spot,” Alex said, before activating his team’s channel on the com-link. “Newt, if the kamis are in the mountains, we have to find them.”
“I had that thought myself,” Newt replied.
“Why don’t you and Sly do a careful recon of the mountains. Ash, you head east over the mountains and see what’s beyond them. I’ll search this side.”
“Copy,” Ash said.
He turned to his left and began scanning the ground far below for anything that might indicate movement. Somewhere across the vast, icy landscape, there were kamikaze drones and probably rival operators in Zen Tech battle suits. It seemed strange that his training hadn’t included a lot of information about other companies’ battle suits. Most of what he knew, including the devastating power of the kamis, was from simulations. He wouldn’t know what the Zen Tech operators were in or what their capabilities were until he saw them, and then only if he recognized the battle mechs they were in.
“Let’s make sure we maintain communications,” Alex said.
“We’ll let you know when we find them,” Sly said. “First sighting wins the prize.”
“What prize?” Newt asked.
“Free dinner,” Sly said. “Out, not in the chow hall. Don’t tease me like that.”
“I’m game,” Alex said.
“Sure, why not?” Ash added.
“Okay, but no cheating,” Newt said.
Once Alex leveled off, the air seemed much smoother, but there were still pockets of chop. Where the thermal updrafts came from, Alex had no idea. The ground far below was covered in white. The Titan’s visual feeds dimmed to keep the glare from overwhelming everything. It wasn’t easy to make out the details on the ground, but he had one advantage: the drones, which were the size of cattle, would be moving. They rode on cushions of air, which might or might not kick up the powdery snow on the surface of the planet’s sout
hern hemisphere. There weren’t many trees—just short, shrubby flora that could survive the harsh environment.
Alex was beginning to circle back, still looking for any signs of the corporate raiders or their drones, but he wasn’t having any luck. He wondered if he was too high. The Titan’s optics could zoom down and allow him to get a much closer view of the ground, but he feared that the drones might have some sort of camouflage.
“I’ve got movement,” Alex said.
I’m zooming in.
“I’m pretty sure it’s just some animals,” Alex said.
Better safe than sorry, Nyx replied. They’re heading straight for the mountains.
Alex knew that anything moving west was heading for the mountains, and that didn’t really indicate anything of substance for their search. Still, he agreed with Nyx that it was better to be cautious. This was his first mission, and the last thing he wanted was to make a careless mistake.
The optical feed zoomed down. To Alex it seemed like he had suddenly dropped down to just a hundred meters above the ground. The movement was indeed animals of some sort. Their shaggy, gray fur was covered with snow. They lumbered slowly across the tundra.
Looks like you called it.
“We still have a lot of ground to cover.”
He continued the search, but it wasn’t long before Ash made contact via their com-link.
“Alex, I have something.”
“You’ve spotted them?” Alex asked.
“Negative, but I have what looks like tracks,” Ash replied.
There are a lot of animals on Carthage Prime, Nyx reminded Alex.
“We just saw a herd of animals,” Alex said. “You sure they’re not just animal tracks?”
“These tracks are straight as an arrow,” Ash replied. “That’s not the problem.”
“What is?” Alex asked.
“The problem is that they’re headed north, not toward the base camp.”
That did seem odd. His first thought was that perhaps they were just maneuvering around the mountains. The Ahzco team had set up on a plateau at the northern tip of the mountain range.
“All right,” Alex said. “Ash, follow the tracks. I’m heading back your way.”
“Roger that—following the tracks north.”
Are we sure they’re moving north and not south?
“I don’t know,” Alex said. “Why don’t you search the terrain and identify where they might be headed on the far side of the mountains. I need to report to Chief Landry.”
Alex shifted com channels with a thought, the way one might glance from a device in their hands to another part of the room. Being synced to the powerful computer inside the Titan MBS gave him a feeling of strength and power unlike anything else. He wasn’t just connected to the suit; he had full control of its amazing capabilities.
“Chief Landry, this is Titan One,” Alex said.
“We read you, Titan One. Go ahead.”
The communications officer’s voice sounded slightly muted over the Titan’s internal speakers. Alex knew it wasn’t Chief Landry, but that didn’t matter. As long as the senior officers on the Republic were getting his message, he felt confident he was doing the right thing.
“Titan Four has found tracks heading north. We’re investigating the possibility that it is the Zen Tech forces.”
“We have her visuals and concur,” the communications officer replied. “You may proceed, Titan One.”
“Roger that. I’m moving to join Titan Four. Evans out.”
He was flying back toward the mountains, but he had a long way to go still.
“Nyx, how far out is Ash?”
Approximately eight hundred kilometers.
“All right, I’m increasing speed,” Alex said. “Are Newt and Sly still over the mountains?”
Affirmative, but south of your current trajectory.
“Good deal,” Alex said.
The Titan battle suit shifted slightly. The weapons, like arms on either side of the Titan’s body, recessed into the suit’s exterior armor. The result was reminiscent of a diver holding their arms tightly to their sides. Booster engines added thrust, and the suit gained speed, nearing the sound barrier.
Alex, I see no targets north or south.
“Maybe they’re angling around the mountains,” Alex suggested.
That doesn’t really make sense, either. The plateau stands above the surrounding ground to the north and west, but on the eastern side it’s a gradual descent.
“So maybe they’re going to turn north?”
According to Ash’s position, she’s already north of the mountain range.
It didn’t make sense. Alex knew Zen Tech might want to steal the valuable ore from the Ahzco miners, and perhaps even set up their own operations on the planet. The world was certainly big enough for multiple mining interests. Ahzco had a contract for the mineral rights on the southern hemisphere of Carthage Prime, but possession was nine tenths of the law. The only real way to get a rival off the planet would be to fight them off. But if Zen Tech merely planned to begin mining on Carthage Prime, why send kamikaze drones? It was obviously an attack force, but they were going the wrong way. It didn’t make sense.
Oh my god, Nyx said. There was a tone to her voice that caught Alex off guard.
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
They aren’t here for us.
“They’re not?”
No, Alex. They’re headed straight for the colony—Tunis.
Alex switched to his team channel without conscious thought. “Ash?”
“Yeah, I’m here,” she replied.
“Any sign of them?”
“Negative. Maybe I was wrong and they’re headed south.”
“I don’t think so,” Alex said. He felt a lump forming in his gut. He switched effortlessly to his link with Nyx. “How far are we to the colony?”
Checking...twenty-five hundred kilometers, Alex.
He knew the maximum speed of the Titan was fourteen hundred kilometers per hour. That put them ninety minutes from the city.
“How long have the Zen Tech forces been on the ground?”
Already calculating. Best estimate of their land speed would have them arriving in just over two hours.
“We can get there first,” Alex said. He switched back to his team channel. “Everyone, the raiders are headed for Tunis, not our mining operation,” Alex said. “Head north right now. Maximum speed.”
“Copy that, team leader,” Newt said.
“Wait a second,” Sly said. “Why would Zen Tech attack the colony? We probably only have a small presence there. It’s mostly settlers and merchants.”
Control, Nyx said. If they control the colony, they can cut off our supplies and make it nearly impossible to mine the ore on Carthage Prime.
“Strategy and Tactics,” Alex replied. “They’re cutting off our supply train, Sly. The environment is too harsh for our miners to survive without access to the city in the north.”
“But the people in Tunis aren’t employees of Ahzco,” Newt pointed out. “They’re innocent.”
“You think they care about that?” Ash said.
“They don’t need the settlers and merchants dead,” Alex pointed out. “As long as Zen Tech controls the city, Ahzco will be forced to pull out.”
“Maybe,” Sly said. “But they don’t have a force large enough to fight us off for long.”
“Not yet,” Alex said. “My guess is they have more coming very soon. And if we don’t stop the attack on the city, a lot of innocent people are going to die.”
Chapter 24
“We’ve come to the same conclusion,” Chief Landry said. “We’ve already sent the drop ship with Romeo Company north. Echo Company is in the city currently and will help defend it. Your job is to stop those drones.”
“Roger that, Chief,” Alex said. “We’re en route now. Maximum speed.”
“Watch yourselves,” Landry said. “Those drones are dangerous. Maintain
safe distances when you engage. If you get caught in their blast radius, it could damage your MBS.”
Alex felt a shiver of fear run down his back, but he set the fear aside, just as Master Sergeant Grossman had taught him. He was in superior battle armor with flight capabilities. There was no reason to fear the drones.
The Titan team all signaled their acceptance of Chief Landry’s warning. Alex could see Ash in the distance. Newt and Sly were following behind, each well-spaced but pushing ahead with all the power they could muster. Below them, the frozen ground was slowly giving way to softer areas. They crossed over a river that wasn’t completely frozen. It looked black, like a tiny capillary cutting across the snowy landscape. In places the ground was visible, and far to Alex’s left he could make out a large body of water.
Forty minutes and you’ll reach the city, Nyx said. You should catch sight of the Zen Tech operators soon.
Alex was about to respond, but Ash’s voice over their team channel spoke first.
“I see them,” she said.
“Winner, winner, we owe a free dinner,” Sly said in a sing-song voice.
“Looks like forty MBS’s or so. It’s hard to be certain,” Ash said. “They’re kicking up a snow cloud.”
“We have them in sight now,” Alex said to Nyx before switching channels. “Newt, you stay with the MBS’s. I want you well out of their range, but keep tabs on them.”
“You got it, team leader,” Newt said.
“Ash, any sign of the drones?” Alex asked.
“Not yet,” Ash said.
“Okay, we keep going straight toward Tunis until we spot them,” Alex said.
Alex could see the snow cloud. It was like the dust on Helena Prime, only white and heavier, and it didn’t stay in the air as long. Alex could make out the dark shapes of the ground-based MBS’s. They looked like Zen Tech Hunter-class battle suits, but it was impossible to tell from ten thousand meters up. He could have used the Titan’s optical zoom to get more details, but instead he continued scanning in search of the drones.
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