SgtMaj Smith: A Glory Novella by Craig Martelle & Ira Heinichen

Author:Craig Martelle & Ira Heinichen [Martelle, Craig & Heinichen, Ira]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Craig Martelle, Inc
Published: 2024-12-31T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

Smith was first across the line of departure. He ran toward the far edge of his sector. He’d move into the scrub rather than expose himself in the open field where artillery had predesignated firing points. He didn’t want to go through that again.

He sent his drones skyward for a lazy walk through the scrub. It would take all night, but he had time. Twelve hours to cover the roughly sixty-kilometer frontage assigned to him and back.

Two hours into his route, the sky lit up with a fantastic meteor shower. Smith intuitively knew it wasn’t meteors. It looked like debris falling through the atmosphere, like one would see when a ship was destroyed in orbit.

His comm link from the base camp activated. “All hands, the Paragon have broken through the blockade. Landing is imminent. I say again, a Paragon landing is imminent.”

Smith wanted more information. Landing where? He figured a cruiser-sized ship would be visible using any or all of his systems. He paid more attention to the sky than he did the scrub while he continued along his sector. The drones kept him apprised of anything out of the ordinary. He clutched his plasma rifle across his chest, ready to employ it should Paragon troopers appear.

A single line of fire showed in the upper atmosphere. It moved slower than the earlier debris. Smith stopped to watch. A shuttle. Was it small, carrying a reconnaissance unit, or was it a troop transport, the vanguard of an invasion fleet?

The answer was obvious moments later as other streaks appeared in the sky. It was the vanguard, and it was heading directly for Smith. He recalled his drones and found a small depression in the scrub where he could reduce his exposure. He cooled his suit, idling systems to blend in with the environment so he couldn’t be seen on IR sensors. Even UV sensors might not pick him up. He became invisible to the enemy.

“Delta Seven to Echo Two and Sigma Six, move the edge of my sector. We’re going to have company.”

The two Ultra Marines rogered the order. Smith knew they’d be moving at the maximum rate. They wanted to see action. He would put them into the middle of it if the Paragon arrived with an eye toward wiping out the Fourth Division. How would Smith know that they were attacking? He trusted it would be clearer when he had more information.

The lead shuttle descended in the far wheat field but didn’t land. It continued overhead into the area within Marine artillery range. The ship was sleek, but still squarish. There were limited design factors when it came to carrying troops or cargo. Smith recalled that the Paragon suits suggested they were slightly larger than an average human, comparable in size to Smith himself. That meant they took up space, and the vessels carrying them had to be designed accordingly.

The shuttle landed a kilometer away from Smith and a rear ramp descended, another feature similar to Marine landing craft.

A whistle announced incoming artillery rounds.

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