Epsilon Redux (Star League Assassins Book 4) by Jaxon Reed

Author:Jaxon Reed [Reed, Jaxon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-02-01T06:00:00+00:00

22

Capt. Kuroda remained in the same location, on a rooftop several blocks away. He watched three holo feeds now, including the one on his implant and two external ones. He scanned between them for different shots showing the action below.

His bots approached the hotel, now deep inside enemy territory. The new weapons that were ported down from the zodiac were no doubt formidable, but the opportunity to take on so many LEAF forces at once proved too tempting for the brass to pass up.

Bot scouts were soon spotted by the LEAF vanguard, and both sides traded shots. But the X99’s heavy rifles remained superior in range to the League’s lighter weapons. LEAF soldiers scrambled for cover, and the bots moved closer.

“Guys, watch out for those missiles. I’m seeing some heading your way.”

The bots clanked Kuroda a salute as they moved forward for better positions.

The first X99 casualty fell to the new missiles while running across an empty street. Two LEAF soldiers fired shoulder-mounted weapons from behind a parked truck. They hit the bot almost simultaneously. The twin explosions decimated the machine, knocking it down to the pavement.

It remained unresponsive to PLAIR, lying there next to its damaged weapon, blank face staring up at the sky.

The two LEAF soldiers who shot it high-fived one another.

In quick succession, each time a bot moved forward on a League-controlled street, someone shot a missile at it. Resupplied and unworried about running out, the LEAF soldiers even wasted ammo, knocking out walls behind the bots’ cover in attempts to bury them in rubble and other ill-considered shots.

Kuroda watched in consternation as E-squad’s numbers ticked down.

“Everybody pull back. We’re losing too many.”

The bots processed the order, clanked a salute, and retreated toward Republican streets. A few more missiles chased after them, but thankfully no more were hit.

He opened a comlink.

“Base, we lost well over ten percent in a matter of minutes.”

“Understood, Captain. PLAIR is porting a solution to your forward position. Stand by.”

One of the holos focused in on a spot near League territory, but still safely in PLAIR’s range. A handful of bots stood idle, waiting for orders. Others jogged in, metal feet clanking on cement and asphalt.

A yellow circle appeared above the street, and PLAIR’s counter to the missiles popped into existence.

Kuroda frowned and zoomed in the neat stacks of metal now lined up on the street.

“What are those, Base? Some kind of metal shell?”

“Those are shields,” a woman’s voice came back. “A special titanium alloy that is blaster and bomb resistant. Have your bots each pick up one. Use them to advance on the hotel.”

Kuroda raised his eyebrows.

That’s simple but maybe it’ll work, he thought.

“Roger that. E-squad, everyone grab a shield. Use it to protect yourself from those rocket launchers. Resume advancing on the enemy’s position.”

Several dozen metallic clanks greeted the order, and Kuroda watched from above as each bot jogged in, grabbed a shield, and jogged back to the battle site.

Kuroda estimated the makeshift shields stood two meters tall and one meter wide, more than enough to cover the bots from the force of an explosion.

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