Silent Storm by Troy Denning

Author:Troy Denning [Denning, Troy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Novela, Ciencia ficción
Publisher: ePubLibre
Published: 2018-08-31T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 14

0859 hours, March 19, 2526 (military calendar)

Exterior Maintenance Yard, Seoba Ice Quarry

Moon Seoba, Biko Planetary System, Kolaqoa System

John stepped out of the airlock into sublimation fog so thick he could barely see the end of his assault rifle. The clouds overhead were flashing bright with the constant arrival of plasma bolts, and it felt like walking into the heart of a thunderstorm. He led his squad of Spartans thirty meters forward, far enough from the quarry walls to escape the unending cascade of ice tumbling down from above, then stopped.

John opened the command channel. “Sierra-117 requesting waypoint to target location.”

If the rest of the task force was following standard rescue protocol—and John felt sure they would be—one of the surviving prowlers would be on station above Seoba, monitoring the surface situation via signal intercepts and tactical drones. They would know the locations of all twelve members of his squad from their Identification Friend-or-Foe codes. Most importantly, they would be able to guide the Spartans toward the Starry Night’s crash site.

Able, but possibly unwilling.

Crowther’s voice came over the channel. “What do you think you’re doing, so—er, Blue Leader?”

The colonel’s tone wasn’t entirely hostile, which John decided to take as a tacit authorization of his plan.

“We’re checking Starry Night’s status, sir. We seem to be the only unit available.”

John thought Avery Johnson would be proud of his tact. He was answering Crowther in a way that gave him plenty of cover—the Spartans were undertaking the assignment without asking for permission, so the colonel could easily deflect blame if something went wrong. Besides, there wasn’t any choice—the Spartans really were the only unit available.

John signaled his team leaders—Kurt-051 and Joshua-029—to deploy in a search line. That would create a hundred-meter-wide rank of Mjolnir-armored Spartans, with the four members of Green Team spaced every ten meters on the left flank and the four members of Gold Team spaced every ten meters on the right flank. Blue Team and its four members would remain in the center, gathered more tightly so he would have a ready reaction force.

When Crowther still hadn’t replied, John signaled the squad to advance at a trot, heading more or less away from the dockyards where Alpha Company had suffered so many casualties.

Over the command channel, he said, “We’ll take a look and report.”

“Affirmative.” Crowther sounded relieved. “But take action only if immediately warranted. Biko is responding to the plasma barrage in force. Commander Nyeto assures me the alien flotilla will be destroyed or in retreat within the hour.”

“More or less,” Nyeto added. “But don’t worry, Spartan. We’ve got your backs down there.”

“Acknowledged.” John hoped he sounded more impressed than he was. He liked Nyeto and truly appreciated his support—but in his experience so far, when the lieutenant commander told him not to worry, it was time to start thinking the opposite. Besides that, John knew humanity’s track record all too well: even if the local naval forces outnumbered the flotilla three-to-one, the alien ships were resilient and dangerous enough to nullify the advantage of superior numbers.

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