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Ma
‘You're right. Ma
At that moment, Naiku started back toward the battle. Loping along, he pointed at a smoldering Scorpion and the lone figure limping away from it
Toshira released Ma
Wanabe pushed out of the sand. ‘Lords of the House. They're perfect’
‘You are blinded by desire, woman.’ Ma
Flames belched front and rear, then the canopy flew off, followed by the reports from several small explosions. The 'Mech folded forward and fell into a burning heap.
‘See. It falls.’
‘No, the armor’
Toshira sensed something in Wanabe's voice. ‘Explain.’
‘No patches’ Wanabe gulped down dusty air. ‘ Maraudershave special armor no one knows how to make anymore. Any time one is hit, it must be repaired with lesser armor. These Mechs show no patches.’
Touching Toshira's arm, Ma
Toshira shook his head. ‘All your Mech studies pay off, eh, Miko?’
‘She dreams the impossible.’ Ma
Naiku and the Injured soldier, a woman nearly his height, approached.
Toshira broke cover, met them, and positioned himself under her free arm. ‘Lance Corporal Gudmansen. isn't it?’
‘Edith A.. Sergeant Toshira.’
‘Glad you could make it Let's move.’
They watched the fighting as they ran.
Only the three remaining Maraudersstill moved, and one hobbled with a damaged leg. All of the armored vehicles were stopped, abandoned, or destroyed.
Red and blue streams played over the previously untouched Scorpion. Its front end ruptured, the turret lifting off the body and gouging into the sand behind.
Naiku wiped sweat from he eyes. ‘We ca
‘It has been done before.’ Wanabe turned her head in time to watch a Marauderrake autoca
‘A lie,’ Ma
Gudmansen clenched her teeth. Wanabe just stared ahead.
‘Even Kuritans can learn the hard lesson. Ma
The station's outline finally appeared, a dark line that the fading sunlight could not reach. The line accented the base of the mountains that rose to become an expanse of black wall.
Naiku unslung his rifle. ‘Should I fire shots to get their attention?’
‘Wait’ Toshira resorted to binoculars. ‘That won't be necessary. The 'Mechs have already been there.’
They continued cautiously. As they approached, the scene became clearer. There was a breach in the six-meter high wall south of the gates. The front gates were twisted open, another broken Hunter just inside.
The remnants of the squad passed through the gates, greeted by concrete-gray debris scattered on concrete-gray streets.
‘This place would look dead even without the rubble.’ Gudmansen shrugged free of her support and hobbled over to the cold Hunter. She sat and examined her leg.
Toshira nodded. ‘Economics. The material for making the marking dyes was abundant, so the base was built here instead of having to haul the materials across the desert.’ He moved to the Hunter and leaned against a heavy tread. ‘And built cheaply.’
‘And ugly.’ Naiku pulled his camera free, and focused on a blown-out section of wall, but did not press the button.
‘And ugly.’ Toshira pulled out his field phone, wishing he had more advanced equipment. ‘Let me try this antique again. Keep your heads up.’
Wanabe pivoted and aimed binoculars through the gate.
Ma
‘Aragi.’ Toshira pointed up. ‘Check the base for movement.’
The lanky Recruit scaled the Hunter, sat, and sca
Keeping his own eyes to the east, Toshira squeezed the phone button. ‘Sibitsu Station. Sibitsu Station, replacement unit at— replacement unit inbound...Anyone at Sibitsu. reply please.’
Everyone waited quietly. The only noise was the crackle of static.
Then it changed The fuzzy sound became more intense, louder.
Toshira stood. ‘Aragi. look outward.’
Naiku swiveled a half-circle left, then swung back. ‘Incoming! From the south!’ He leaned for a better look. ‘One—no—two Marauders.I can just make them out’
Ma
Wanabe turned to Toshira. ‘They probably have support and reload down south.’
‘Makes sense. Judging from the hole in the wall, at least one of them came from the south the first time.’ Toshira tilted up his head. ‘Aragi, get down here. Time to move.’
‘Why?’ Ma
‘Toragi—’
‘No. No more talk. My father's told me stories of Steiner prisons. It's not the place for a soldier to die.’
Gudmansen hobbled in front of Toshira and shrugged ‘I've heard stories, too.’
Recruit Naiku landed in the sand beside them. ‘What can we do? We don't have the arms to stop them.’
‘We'll check the armory.’
Ma
‘Let me ask you something. Ma
‘five. Like everyone else But—’
The Sergeant gently pulled Wanabe around to face the others. ‘Miko. how many districts in the Draconis Combine?’
‘Five. Serg—’
‘How many Pillars, Ma
‘Five—’
‘Wanabe. virtues?’
‘Five.’ Wanabe nodded, smiling. ‘Gudmansen, the wi
She nodded. ‘Five.’
What?’
‘Five, Sergeant!’
The Sergeant swept his hands, palms up, inside the circle. ‘Aragi. how many soldiers here?’
The lanky Recruit's face stretched into another grin. ‘We are five, Sergeant.’
Toshira looked again at a thoughtful Ma
Toshira and Ma
The sprawling repair area was clear of vehicles, except for a functional industrial exoskeleton. Unable to put weight on the wounded leg, Gudmansen resorted to the machine for movement.
‘Too bad we don't have a tank,’ Gudmansen said, lifting a paint sprayer. ‘We've got enough chemicals to fix one.’
Toshira stepped back from a large pit used for working under armored vehicles. ‘Like what?’
‘Got it all here. Dozens of sprayers. Ther-mo-chem, softens armor with heat. Isotherm, cools and hardens It. Even acid to melt wreckage away.’
Toshira hurried to the workbench. ‘Show me.’ Over his shoulder, he called, ‘Miko, does this work on 'Mechs. too?’
‘Yes. Sergeant.’
Ma
Naiku ran through the opening. In his haste, he bumped into Ma