They made their way out of the thruster region as a group, treading across the thin plain, nothing attempted to resist them.

“Why don’t we go in through those thruster holes in the back?” asked Freidman, directing his communication to Nicholson. Squad leader Jensen intercepted it.

“All they’d have to do is fire the engines. That would end us all, moron.”

“I’m glad we don’t have dits like him in charge,” said Morgan, the third member of Jenson’s squad. “He’s a moron, a total idiot. He’s lucky his uncle instructs at the academy, or he’d a been sent to the ditch diggin’ brigades of some garrison. What a dope.”

Nicholson became annoyed. “Lighten up, Morgan.”

“Oh, big hero giving orders,” Jenson said, “You think because some mercenary captain thinks you’re a hot shot you can boss everybody around. Well, I’m still the leader of this squad. And I won’t stand for that. You’re goin’ nowhere fast Nick. I mean-”

Soel intercepted the communication, then jammed it briefly.

“Squad three, cut the chatter.”

Nicholson noticed a pattern in the hull formation, “Squad leader, I see rounded patterns on this hull, possibly weapon mounts.”

Jenson kept walking. Stretching the arms of his IEV as if giving a bored yawn. “You have a lot to learn about strategy. If those were laser mounts, they’d have opened fire already. That pattern is for wiring.”

“Yes, sir.”

“No more unnecessary chatter,” Jenson said.

Heavy energy beams from the central hull of the Neimun concentrated on the Imminent Destruction, which responded by dodging everything thrown at it. Its return volleys destroyed more enemy fighters instead of touching the Neimun. Freidman looked up and cheered, three others were caught in the spontaneity of the moment.

“Whooo hoo! Give it to ‘em mercenary!” they yelled.

Lieutenant Soel broke in with a general communication, said, “If we can’t find a personnel hatch soon we’ll have to cut our way through.”

They soon spotted a small a rear hatch with a rectangular viewing panel in the center, it created a slight hill amidst empty terrain.

“Get down and blend in,” Soel said, “I need three units to reconnoiter the area’s defenses before we try anything. Jensen, get out there.”

“Freidman, Nicholson, think you girls can handle it?” Jenson asked.

“More than you think,” Nicholson said.

“Sure, now get moving.”

Freidman and Nicholson crawled out, exploring around the hatch. It looked to be a repair access that possibly led to the interior. The red line in the center indicated it would open by shrinking inwards.

“Nothing here commander, but the others found something.”

“What did they find?”

“Wait, these circular panels are more prevalent here. They seem suspicious,” Nicholson said.

“Private,” Jenson said, “I already explained, they’re not firing around the hatch here, are they?”

“No, sir, but couldn’t they-”

“Why would anti-infantry laser be everywhere but the hatch, and why have they not opened fire?”

Lieutenant Soel’s picture appeared in Jenson’s helmet. “I have your communications reading on my screen, squad leader. What did Private Nicholson discover?”

“Nothing. Explaining the basics to the new recruits, commander, you know how it is.”

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“Well, is it safe or isn’t it?”

“No resistance, and no evidence of any possible resistance, sir,” Jenson said.

“Almost too quiet; there should be anti-personnel defenses. It’s possible they haven’t discovered our intent. I’m sending out three engineers to check those panels. Wouldn’t want to walk into an ambush. Stand guard, and remain cautious.”

“Yes, sir.”

The engineers confirmed Jenson’s opinion about the access panels before placing explosive packs with claws that penetrated and clamped over the panel’s seals. The timers were synchronized via computer on the IEV wrist so the engineers would have a minute to clear the area. They gave the signal to move out as Jenson’s squad kept guard.

As the engineering squad moved back toward the rear of the ship, gun posts surrounding the IEV squads spun up from their panels. A particle beam hit an explosive pack, destroying all three engineers and their IEV’s in the resulting explosion. The blast spread from the door, knocking Jenson side long and snapping two laser posts at their stems with his IEV. The remaining four IEV units formed a circular formation, returning fire to remove three additional laser mounts and particle gun. The surface of the Neimun suddenly burst with activity. Circular hatches opened from the hull to fire small silver canisters over the IEV units. They turned upside down to rain sharpened titanium shrapnel. The IEVs cowered under the deadly hail.

“Anti-personnel fire, get on your belly,” yelled Jenson.

Privates Freidman and Morgan dropped to the ground. Nicholson pulled out a rifle, turning the remaining canisters around with its beams so they spewed their shrapnel into space. New launchers appeared, surrounding their position. It poured titanium shards. Freidman took a shard to his thruster pack. Jenson desperately searched for cover and huddled his unit under Morgan’s. Lieutenant Soel took a shard to the mechanical portion of the arm while placing a grenade into one of his launchers; the blast spewed a straight stream of fire into the Neimun’s atmosphere, like a miniature volcano.

“Trust your mobile unit, they won’t let you down that easily,” Lieutenant Soel yelled over the announcement line, “Forgisom, Jobelsoni, take the lead, get grenades inside those launchers. They’ll fire forever if we don’t put them out. Nicholson and I will give you cover.”

Soel fired four times, turning two canisters. Nick turned five, which would have otherwise poured on Jenson and Morgan. Freidman rolled on his back, firing frantically at a canister that slowly fell toward his belly. He missed every time until it gently landed on his unit’s torso, doing nothing. While Freidman remained paralyzed; Nick dodged a downpour, then fired, taking out three more canisters and a few laser guns before pitching a spare grenade to the navigator.

“You can make better use of this.”

The rest of the group got their bearings together. They began knocking off canisters, pitching grenades into launchers, or taking on laser posts. The enemy fire slowed, then halted after Lieutenant Soel dispatched with the last launcher. It was impossible to see the blast marks from the grenades as they merged with the Neimun’s color.

“Is everybody OK? I want a status report.”

“One I.E.V. has been compromised sir. Sergeant Narcis has a leak in the lower left appendage. It’s the air recycler; he’s losing pressure fast,” Second Lieutenant Forgisom reported.

Sergeant Narcis clamped his leg with the suit’s powerful arms as air hissed from the gap. An engineer rushed over, the tip of his welding gun glowed a brilliant blue.

“I’ll close it, sir. But he’s going to run out of air, and soon. His thrusters have also been compromised, if he moves suddenly he’ll risk drifting from the ship.”

“I’ll be fine, Lieutenant,” Narcis said.

“We need that hatch open, now,” Soel yelled, “Get moving.”

Jenson kicked the dud canister off the torso of Freidman’s IEV.

“It’s a blank you idiot, now get up.”

The canister exploded behind them, spewing it’s shrapnel in the other direction. Freidman shook his IEV’s fist.

“I just saved your life, imagine if it would have exploded in front of your head,” Jenson said, “Strike that, no great loss for you.”

The outer door of the hatch had been partially compromised in the first explosion and was easily finished off with heat tools and rifle shots. They pushed the broken hatch door upwards with some effort not to detach it completely. The air lock was a wide-open cavern. Its bottom exposed the inner hatch. A computerized code machine by the entrance blinked red.

“Try the decoding card,” said an engineer, “If that doesn’t work, we’ll have to force our way in.”

Three engineers ventured inside, finding the locking panel. They placed the decoding card in a side slot; it beeped for a few minutes, then sent a destructive pulse into their key card. Soel’s voice came scratchy and metallic through Lieutenant Forgisom’s headset, a result more from the electron drive frequencies of the Neimun than enemy scrambling technology.

“Won’t open. Blast it.”

“The decoding card was damaged by some type of protection software, our remaining engineers are at a loss,” Forgisom said.

“Have them blast it open, idiot! We need to get inside. They can speed weld the hole after we’re in.”

There was a long pause before the engineers rushed out, taking cover amongst the men. One held a detonator. He flicked open the protective case and pushed the red button. The disabled airlock flew outward. Air sucked away with a fury, pushing, and turning the battered hatch. Five men in black uniforms flew out of the chasm, dying of exposure. The suction soon subsided, allowing three IEVs to jump inside.

The remaining crew members were grasping their necks. One by one they fainted, surrendering the air in their lungs. More IEVs entered the hole, spreading out as they went. The engineers pitched the bodies into space without a second thought to make room. Once everyone entered, they welded panels together to build an improvised hatch seal.

“Seems like they’re sealing our tomb,” Jobelsoni said.