“Target in sight,” said Sgt. Oliver adjusted his trajectory with micro bursts of monopropellant from his pack as he drifted towards the space station.

They’d been up in orbit for nearly a month looking for this goddamn thing. He didn’t know how they’d missed it. Honestly it was an ugly and an unnecessarily big thing in his opinion. Built around a cylinder it had rotating rings circling it. As he watched one moved down it slowly and then stopped. Hidden in the massive debris fields left after the 10 year war, the North American Union had hidden this station up here after the fact. If Oliver was honest he didn’t really care why it was up here, the only thing he cared about was what was in there. His thoughts were interrupted as Wilson started talking.

“You know I always told my mom and girlfriends I’d be an astronaut, and they said ‘you’re too dumb for that.’ Well look at me now,” said Lance Corporal Wilson.

“You’re not an astronaut,” came an annoyed voice, “and they were right you are too dumb.”

“Wilson, Juan shut the fuck up,” said Sgt. Oliver as they drifted closer to the station.

“Fire retro’s we don’t want to fucking smash intothis thing,” he said activating his in bursts until he eyeballed it was a reasonable speed to land at. He activated his mag boots to hold him in place and turned to see his squad landing and doing the same. A total team of 6 in dark green armor, the usually dark visors coated in the gold polarization required to protect them against Sol.

“Air lock should be 10 meters that way,” said Chauvez pointing towards the top of the ring they had landed on.

“Good man, tell the captain we’ll be in position in a few moments,” said Oliver as he disengaged his mag boots and propelled himself towards the air lock.

Chauvez sent the info via the Tac-pad on his wrist then followed.

“Are we not going to enjoy this view guys, or at least talk about how cool this is? We’re above earth! On a space station!” said Wilson as he followed.

“Eh,” said Lee as she got to the door.

She pulled out a long cord hidden in her vambrace and plugged it into a conveniently placed port on the outside, “My Dad made me go to space camp when I was a kid. So I’m kinda over it. I mean it looks like all the pictures I’ve seen and we’ve been up here for how many days?”

“28,” replied PFC. Zahn as he slid into the now opening airlock.

“It was cool for the first few days but I’d rather be on a beach with some cute girls and guys personally,” said Lee Shrugging as she followed Zahn.

“Have none of you dumbasses heard of keeping a military bearing,” said Sgt. Oliver followed with Chauvez in toe.

“The fuck does that mean?” joked Juan as he entered pulling Wilson in after him.

Lee pressed a button on her Tac-pad and the Airlock closed and started to recompress. The squad readied their guns. The Gladius, a 40 round small arms sub-machine gun perfect for ship board actions; with a rate of fire of around 600 rpm it wasn’t necessarily a fast firing gun by any means but it could be fired in all terrains. Even space.

“Wilson got an extra ap mag? I grabbed one of those new experimental mags.”

Wilson proceeded to toss Chauvez the mag.

“Remember if I'm not available to medic you put duct tape over it until I get to you, should seal up the suit in case the station gets breached, but it's only a temporary fix. I’ll apply patches to the suits after any engagements” said Lee, placing a roll of duct tape on a hook she’d welded to the armor for some reason.

“What are we virgins? We've run the drills,” said Juan.

“Airlock opening, have a fantastic day,” said a calm soothing voice playing over the intercom.

As the door opened Oliver breached right Juan left covering both directions.

“Clear, which way to the objective,” asked Oliver.

“No Idea, but it's a circle…. So your choice,” said Chauvez.

“Fair point,” admitted Oliver glancing over at Chauvez.

A scream drew his attention back to his front. A man had rounded the corner as he glanced back holding a clipboard. Oliver lunged forward tackling the man to the ground and punched him hard knocking him out.

“Duct tape,” he said referring to Lee.

She came forward as the squad followed, two watching their rear as they restrained the man.

“Let's get going,” said Oliver, taking point once again. The hallways were a nightmare, smooth white walls with just enough space for two abreast to pass. They hugged the two separate walls trying to keep a decent spacing but it almost didn’t seem worth it in the Conqueror suits. They came to an automated door which slid open easily, as they entered this new section the white walls and floor widened out into hall ways that eerily reminded him of a fancy hospital. In front of them milled men and women in lab coats talking, laughing, and generally oblivious to their presence.

One of the scientists glanced over at them, a small woman in her mid to late 20’s. She looked at them in horror. A scream tried to leave her lips but couldn’t, she was in shock, unable to move. One person saw her expression and looked at where she was gawking. He screamed, moving behind the woman on reflex.

“On the fucking ground,” said Oliver amplifying his voice in the helmet.

Grabbing the woman who had seen them first, Oliver waved his gun at the others in the area. The men and women of the station took a moment to process what was going on. Then panic broke out. Men and women screamed in panic, some ran away, others complied and others just curled up in the fetal position too scared to react in a rational way. The one who had screamed seemed to have realized he put the girl in danger now and got some courage after the fact and tried to make Oliver let go of her. Wilson seeing the man attempt stepped forward and jabbed the man hard in the chest with his smg, knocking him over.

“Be a good boy and stay on the ground,” mocked Wilson putting a boot on his chest.

“Where is subject M725,” asked Oliver, looking down at the woman.

The woman struggled against him, her auburn hair scattering about and getting in her face as she struggled.

The members of the squad fanned out checking corners and doorways looking for any threat.

“Just storage rooms and labs. They connect so on the opposite side to another part of the stations, but…,” said Lee as she knelt down her smg up as she covered an entrance behind them.

“Means enemies can come from anywhere,” said Zahn, finishing her thought.

“Just cover the angles and don’t let your guard down, you don’t get paid to think about possibilities,” said Chauvez stepping up as interim squad lead as Oliver questioned the woman.

“I don’t know,” she said the doctor trying to pry his hand off her arm.

“I don’t know isn’t an acceptable answer, where can I find out?” he said squeezing her arm to emphasize his point.

“I’d never tell you! Let me go,” she said glaring up at him with a combination of fear and anger in her voice as she stopped struggling.

She’s got bigger balls that most at least thought Oliver.

“You don’t seem to understand the situation here, miss,” he glanced at her name badge. “Dr. Kholod, let me enlighten you.”

“You took something that belongs to us, we want it back and we will do what ever it takes to get it back.” said Oliver calmly. “If we have to interrogate or execute every single one of your colleagues on this station to find it, we will. So if you don’t tell us well… we’ll have to make an example of you to help loosen the next person's tongue.”

“You’re a monster,” she said, renewing her struggle against him and tried to punch him.

Her hand hitting his helmet and she cried out in pain, her knuckles red.

“To you maybe,” he said simply, his men snickering.

“He’s a monster to us too,” said Wilson.

“Definitely inhuman,” agreed Lee glancing over at Oliver.

Everyone, but Oliver, laughed. As Lee looked away a man in an MP vest popped out from a doorway she’d been watching. He stepped forward and pushed his pistol into the side of Lee’s Helmet.

“Fucking mercenaries,” he yelled as he pulled the trigger repeatedly.

The first three shots ricocheted off her helmet, the fourth cracking her helmet and dropping her to the ground. Chauvez was the first to react, shooting the MP with his Gladius three times center mass, and once more in the head when he slumped to the ground. As he fired the door the MP had rushed out of opened up and several men in full riot gear stepped out carrying bullet resistant shields and stun batons. On the other end of the hall a squad of men with shotguns exited a door in similar gear.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

“Wilson get Lee to cover. Chauvez, Zahn deal with the immediate threats. Juan suppress that squad,” barked Oliver immediately. He pulled the woman behind him on instinct and drew his side arm and fired at the MPs pushing down the corridor with shotguns. Chauvez and Zahn charged the men closest to the squad. Their smg's firing on full auto at the riot shields. Their bullets doing little more than putting a spider web of cracks in the material of the shield that they hid behind. As they came into range of the MP’s batons they struck out. Zahn and Chauvez took the blows in stride and shrugged them off as if they had been hit by children. In unison they activated their boosters and rammed into the three men flinging them backwards. The men hit the wall behind them with a sicato of sickening thuds.

Zahn and Chauvez high fived forgetting for a moment that they were in combat. Until a slug flew at them Chauvez’s debris shield flickering to life with the crackle of energy and the slug crumpled as if it had hit steel and hit the ground. The pair moved into the cover of a doorway and reloaded their guns. The squad with shotguns spread out using discarded furniture for cover and concealment. Oliver fired his Desert Python at a man hiding behind a particularly thin table. The man's body crumpled and fell out of cover. Oliver's own shield flared to life as two of the MPs leaned out of cover and fired several slugs into him. A warning blaring in his head as his shields went critically low. He ducked against the wall using a structuall beam as cover.

Oliver looked over at Juan.

“Keep Their Heads down. Zahn, Chauvez advance as he fires,” said Oliver, switching to his internal radio.

Juan let a long burst of fire out his bullets spraying the cover and concealment. One unlucky soul who’d peaked out got shot in the head. Zahn and Chauvez sprinted up flanking the men, their smg’s firing in controlled burst as they got clear targets. Their fire much more precise and controlled in comparison to Juan’s seemingly wild fire. As the last MP fell Oliver took stock of the situation.

“Everyone but Wilson Security, and give me shield and ammo counts,” he said moving his gun to point at the man who’d tried to skulk away in all the chaos.

Several numbers ran down his screen showing him his squad ammo situation. Zahns shields were still only at half; he was the only one who’d have to change his battery.

“How’s Lee doing Wilson?” he asked, pulling the woman back in front of him.

The squad formed a perimeter using the furniture to barricade the doors they couldn’t watch easily.

“Helmets fucked and she's unconscious,” said Wilson, taking several pieces of duct tape from her hip and covering the cracks in her helmet with it.

“I really don't have time for this now,” said Oliver looking back at the woman now that things had been handled.

“Tell me,” he said, applying more pressure to her arm, his voice no longer controlled as adrenaline and anger coursed through his body.

“This your boyfriend?”

“Fuck no man, I don’t know the woman,”said the man nervously putting his hands up.

“Todd you bastard we’re fucking engaged!” said Dr. Kholodo.

“Yeah real strong relationship you got here,” snarked Oliver.

“Ugh… I haven’t been hit that hard since I got an F in english,” said Lee slowly sitting up.

“Wilson, don't you dare make a joke,” said Chauvez, cutting off Wilson before he could even open his mouth.

“You good to go?” Asked Oliver. They’d been stationary way too long. If there were more MP’s on board they’d probably have already had time to grab more potent weapons and be on their way. They had home field advantage and numerical superiority. Not an ideal situation and with Lee already injured he didn’t want to push their luck.

“Fuck you Todd,” said the Kholodo trying to reach out and attack Todd.

“I’ll let you kill him, after you tell me where it is.

“It has an M tag so its under the military part of the station. In otherwords in the main fucking station you dumbass!” She said, still trying to get at the man who was now backing away.

“Which ring is it?”

“Its not a ring its the giant fucking structure in the middle. Let me go!” Todd turned and ran away. Oliver let her go and watched as she ran after Todd as he holstered his pistol.

“Anyone else wonder who the fuck names their kid Todd?” Wilson asked after a moment laughing.

“Chauvez get the captain on the net, and informed him of the new developments,” said Oliver, turning. “We’re leaving, get ready to go.”

Sergeant Talbor waited impatiently for Laskey to finish placing the explosives. His men stood by circling the hangar doors, their feet maglocked to the station as they waited, all 11 of them wore their squads signature modified armor that housed double shield batteries in the back and had added armor welded on for protection. It wasn’t exactly standard protocol to do that, but his squad was always positioned to be in the hardest fights because of it.

They’d been tasked with searching the 2nd ring circling the strange structure. Due to their weight and the additional burns they needed to enact to get in position they’d been the slowest to get into position on their ring. Checking his hud for the time he saw they were 2 minutes behind schedule. The enemy would already be aware something was starting if they didn’t have an idiot in charge. Clearing his throat he opened his comms and started to speak.

“I won’t mince words gentlemen. We’re here for blood. We’re here to pay them back for being used as meat shields in the 5 years of fire, the abandonment in the Isle Conflicts and in their recent covert attacks. We’ve grinned and endured it at high command's request, but now it seems it's our time to strike back. We’re here for K2, stolen from us in one of these recent attacks. I’m happy to say gentlemen you’ll get to pay them back for everything here and now! We won’t be satisfied with just a pound of flesh anymore! We want their heads. Once this door opens we’ll be in the enemy's base. Right in the thick of it like we like it! Show them why the 3rd squad is the vanguard of the 14th!”

Laskey floated towards him slowly and came to a stop with several burst from his maneuver pack. His maneuver pack despite its size was straining to stop him it seemed. Clamping to the outer structure of the ring he handed Talbor the detonator.

Talbor held up the detonator; his carbine in his other hand.

“Come back with your armor, or die in it!” he said as he detonated the charges blowing the hangar doors.

An explosion of air, crates and several bodies flew out as the hangar explosively decompressed. Stepping forward he leaned over the edge of the giant hole they;d made and began to fire into the hangar. His hud auto cycling looking for enemies. Talbor continued into the breach leading the way firing into the back of the hangar where a makeshift barricade of strapped down crates and vehicles. Talbor got behind a shuttle and through. Through hand signs he gestured for the 3rd team to flank the enemy while everyone else laid down suppressive fire. Almost as if on cue everything went to shit. Warren and Tenla on his relative right were moving to get behind the shuttle adjacent to his when an NAU ranger stood up from behind the cover of the makeshift barricade and with assistance from his exo suit slammed down the .50 cal he was holding. Immediately he began to fire. His shots found his target and Warren's was sent flying back his chest plate shattered and sent him flying backwards. His mag boots held him in place as his upper body flew back and he went limp in and fell back in an awkward bridge. Warren wasn’t so lucky as the .50 round caught him as he disengaged his boots to use his maneuver pack. The bullet hit him on the side of his helmet, the bullet ricocheted off but it took half of the helmet with it. There was a scream of terror for the briefest of moments over the comm as Warren was sent flying backwards before there was nothing for his voice to carry through. Warren clawed at his helmet trying to repair the hole. Talbor roared in anger as he propelled himself forward from his cover. He had to deal with that .50 before the medi-tech could help his soldier. His Z-23 fired a burst at the man manning the .50 letting his suits systems assist his aim in this low gravity setting. His first shot hitting the top of the .50 in a glancing shot, his second shot finding the man in his upper chest sending him reeling back as his third shot hit him in the head as he fell.

Firing retros to slow himself down a bit too late Talbor slammed into a giant container with a grunt. Activating his mag boots he crouched behind it for cover and sent 7.62 rounds down range at the enemy’s barricade, trying to keep the hostels behind it suppressed. Seeing Talbors successful advance Anderson tried to get to move up but immediately ducked down as 6.5 rounds slammed into him. Thankfully the suit's shields caught it this time the bullets interia was stopped by the shield system and they floated away as Anderson ducked down avoiding the next shots that would have hit him.

Talbor reloaded and looked behind him to assess his squad's position. At the moment he was the most forward soldier, but as usual the Rangers were well trained and kept disciplined fire that was keeping his men down. He noticed that emergency shutters were starting to come down in an attempt to restore atmo to the hangar.

“Did we recover Warren?” he asked.

“Affirm, he has a trash bag on his head and duct tape holding it in place, but he’ll live. He’s out of the fight though,” said MT Granger in her dry voice.

Talbor always wondered how that woman managed to sound like a librarian even in the middle of a firefight, but quickly shrugged it off.

“Team 3, how’s the flank going?”

Almost as in reply there was a bright flash of flames filled the hanger. Talbor peaked around cover, surprised at the intense inferno. As abruptly as it had lit the fire died out.

“Dead,” said Laskey calmly as ever.

Laskey lazily floated forward with his team toward the barricade, their guns up in case anyone had survived the frag grenade. “What's our casualties look like?” ask Talbor as he looked at the squads status screen.

“1 wounded, 1 needing technical support,” said Granger without skipping a beat.

“Warren and Tenla?” he asked.

“Affirm,” said Granger gesturing to Medic Dran.

“Edgar, Wayne you’ll be staying behind and pulling security here for the medics. While you’re at it set up a parting gift, the explosive kind” said Talbor glancing at his ammo counter.

Deciding that 15 bullets left in his magazine were fine he turned to Laskey, “Take your team and push out of here and get us a better beach head. 2nd team weld the door on the right shut so we don’t get flanked by these fuckwits.”

Soldiers scrambled about to comply with his orders in what could only be called ordered chaos. Trusting the 2nd team’s leader to keep things organized and follow them in short order Talbor followed behind the 1st team eager to get into the thick of it. The doors were huge, obviously large enough to allow forklifts and other loading equipment to exit and enter the hangar. The team immediately split and stacked half and half on either side of the door. Laskey checked to see if the door was locked then flicked off the lock before taking his gun and hitting it with the butt of the gun breaking it open. Folding with the internals for a moment Taldor could see the body language that betrayed his annoyance before Laskey reached in and tore out the whole things internals.

“The fuck Cpl, how is that going to,” began one of his solider before with an audible his the door activated and slid open.

As soon as the doors opened bullets tore through the air at the entrance before stopping as the trigger happy soldier realized there was no one in the doorway. Laskey silently communicated with his squad using hand signs making the call to make them deploy impact smokes. Handy little grenades that exploded with smoke in a giant burst and had a bit of a concussive effect if they landed at someone's feet. Invaluable for anyone who needs to smoke a position or in emergencies as smoke grenades. The unit still prefered them for the use of concealment since the Impacts smoke was still susceptible to being blown away all at once outside. He’d heard R&D was working on some sort of weighted smoke that wouldn’t blow away so easy.

Asily drew two small balls from their hip pouch and rolled them in their hand until they found the triggers and pressed holding down for three seconds each. Then visibly psyching themself up leaned into the doorway and lobed them both down the hall. Talbor pulled them back as a beam of some sort shot down past Asily’s head.

Talbor groaned.

“Looks like the NAU supplied these guys with plasma or energy based weapons,” he said.

“Great, our shield barely fucking stop bullets, and they sure as hell can’t rob the inertia from a laser,” said a PFC.

“Stop whining, this is Death wish. This ain’t the first and it sure as hell won’t be the last time we face an uphill fight. So shut up and let's show them why we get first pick in the chow hall,” said Talbor over the comm.

Laskey nodded and signalled the breach to start.