Book 4: Chapter 175: Light from Ertan

Book 4: Chapter 175: Light from Ertan

USD: Seconds after jumping out of Theas VTOL

Location: Meltisar, Groundside, 62km north of M-Prime

Air streamed past her suit as she fell like a rock, holding Thea against her suits armored chest. An altitude indicator appeared where there should definitely not be an altitude indicator, and Elis let out a curse as the ground quickly raced to meet them.

Let go, I can handle the fall myself. Thea shouted at her.

Elis looked down at the NAI and realized she was right. Shed been planning on doing her best to save the squishy human from being splattered on the ground or impaled by the trees below.

Sure. Elis shot back before letting go and shoving Thea away to figure out her own falling.

An aggravated Bitch! was lost in the airstream as Elis flipped her suit upright and pivoted to give her a quickly disappearing view of the compound. Her suit highlighted smoking towers where turrets had once been. Weapons fire continued to be exchanged by human guards hiding behind narrow window slits.

One of the drones Thea had brought carried a miniature railgun, because flashing lines of light continued to stab into the fortification where weapons were firing from. The defenders had damaged several drones in the air, forcing them into limping, smoking death spirals. They had done more than just flush their ride.

A chime erupted in her helmet, proceeding an excited sailors voice. Goldstrike One, Keystone One. Fire mission inbound to your vicinity. Repeat, orbital strike inbound. Megaton Equivalent. Seek maximum cover, deep shelter if available.

Keystone. The military had given her the callsign Keystone after Alex had made such a show of rescuing her. Elis clenched down a surge of panic. Thea! What the fuck is this?

There wasnt a response, but a gust of turbulence jostled Elis suit as she dipped lower through the air. Behind the target fortress - and that was the correct word for it, compound did not cut it close - a hundred-meter cutter rose out of the ground. Earth, rock, and trees poured from the vessel in small waterfalls as it rose higher on linear drive maneuvering jets.

A sliver of fear accosted her as she realized that if that ship lit off its linear drive here, deep in the atmosphere, it would be the equivalent of a large yield missile and certainly everything for miles would be utterly devastated and flattened, including her.

A pillar of light fell from the sky, engulfing the entire area around the vessel, including part of the fortress. It narrowed almost immediately into a narrow beam of fire, skewering the center of the ship and slicing into the earth below. Elis suit sensors suddenly whited out, erasing her optical view, leaving her nothing but instruments to go by. She didnt need visual to tell her what had happened, though. Lasers traveled at the speed of light and low orbit wasnt that far away.

She braced for impact, locking her suit joints and setting her impact gel for maximum cushion and dampening. Turbulence from the shockwave hit her first and threatened to send her into an uncontrolled spin, but a small puff from her suits anemic thrusters righted her quickly.

Yeah, well, ships dont just grow on trees. Elis complained. It got there somehow.

It might have actually been grown there, we dont know. Thea said.

Elis grunted, and they made their way up the bank of trees. As soon as they reached the crest, the full view of the fallout came into sight. A giant mushroom cloud floated up into the sky, and the skeleton of the ship lay broken in half, laying on its side and embedded into one of the lower wall segments. Embers from burnt material littered the forest and fields around the compound.

Drones continued to fire rockets into several turrets; that there was anything left of the fortress still standing was amazing, much less defenders still capable of firing toward the attacking drone units.

Thea, this qualifies as FUBAR. Elis said flatly.

Thea looked at her and frowned. Were still in one piece.

You called down an orbital laser strike on our position! Elis hissed.

A chime reached both of them at the same time. Tias face appeared. Are you both alright?

Were fine. Elis said.

I have the Admiral of the 1st Fleet on the line telling me you hijacked one of his battleships to las-lance the planet somewhere near the capital? Tia asked politely, but Elis couldnt miss the quiet tension in her voice.

Thea and Elis shared a look.

Were apprehending the rogue NAI. Thea explained.

They had a ship; it was about to light off its Linear drive. Elis continued.

Tia stared at them both, not buying what they were selling.

Elis felt a moment of relief when her favorite head of blue hair appeared, leaning over the Princess shoulders, excitement brimming in her eyes. Elis! Is that your new power armor? It looks so badass!