Chapter 16

Time was critical. We organized our group as the prince's forces equipped themselves in the pirate’s gear that was still intact. The prince and the others in orange who were his bodyguards had apparently been held in a VIP section for ransoms after their liner had been raided. The prince had convinced the pirates his bodyguards were actually his servants and that he was a noble of middling station. They had managed to overpower their guards during the chaos caused by the first team landing, they came across a group of others being transported and ambushed the guards.

We split the group: the injured guard and my injured crewmen plus the majority of the freed prisoners including a veterinarian who volunteered to take care of the injured would make their way back to the shuttle. The Prince and his remaining guards plus a few volunteers with some military training chose to join our forces. I tried to convince the prince to remain behind but he was adamant in joining us. “ I am a member of the Prussian Monarchy and it would be dishonorable of me to not do everything in my power to rescue Prussian citizens being held captive. I will admit normally this means sending military forces to do the job but this time it means grabbing a rifle myself.”

I had no come back to that he was the forth prince not the first so could even make the succession argument. We moved out headed toward the engagement and we began to run into some more cross intersections. We began to take a leap frog approach. The first squad in line would move to cover the intersection while the second squad moved quickly past them towards the next section.

My team hit an intersection and we finally ran into trouble. Two pirates came sprinting around the corner. I fired a three round burst, catching the lead pirate in the chest and dropping him two doves for cover. I got off another burst before I too had to duck back as more pirates came around the corner. “Contact right” I called before popping out enough for another burst, catching a pirate moving between cover dropping him in the hall. “Squad four ready to Assault the corridor.

Team three keep their heads down!” the rest of my squad opened up on full Auto the FRL-39’s making there differences known as one of the suppressing rounds managed to penetrate one of the pirates cover causing him to stager out into the open, a quick shot from one of team fours members who was peeking the corner finished him off. By that point my grenade was out and ready and I tossed it into the middle of the pirates.

Team four was moving the moment the grenade exploded rushing the pirates position a few short bursts later and the pirates were dead. My squad reloaded “one your up push forward we should be getting close.” two intersections later and we could hear the ratta ta ta of a heavy weapon. This time someone in second squad threw the camera ball without being asked. Their throw was a little off missing the ceiling but sticking high enough up on the wall to be useful.

Looking at the feed I saw ten pirates behind a wall of boxes blocking the hallway, two with a fixed heavy machine gun the rest with a regular assortment of rifles and other weapons. I passed my tablet to Prince Fredrick so his team could see what we were up against. “Alpha this is Bravo in position. Captain Malcona’s response was quick. “ Alpha ready” a moment later the fire from in front of the barrier picked up and we rounded the corner.

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I was third around the corner and the last of the immediate shooters. Number four and five threw flash bangs into the group because our gear could filter out the effects without risking us getting caught up in the damage a fragmentation would cause. I double tapped the head gunner, he staggered but didn’t go down. frustrated I just kept pulling the tripper until he dropped. The rest of the team dropped the other pirates and a few moments later the main assault team leaped the barrier.

“Nice work captain ” Captain Malcona said as she slid over the barrier in her high end battle suit, heavy scattergun in her hands. She looked down at the pirate I shot and whistled “ that's some fancy armor I bet he is someone important. After a few moments she got the helmet off. She pulled out a tablet and scanned his face, “well then sometimes good deeds do provide rewards, Captain meet the former Mr. Ymirassal Ducanain wanted in fourteen systems with a cool quarter million credit bounty.”

That was a good 6 months of operating the paladin when I cut the crew in on shares since this was a combat operation this would be about four months worth of operating cost. “That’s a nice bonus…” I never finished my sentence from the side hallway across from where my team entered. I saw a man step out into the hall with a heavy long range rifle. The guard who was supposed to be watching that direction had gotten distracted and was watching the League Marines checking the area. I didn't have time to get around Captain Malcona and fire my weapon so I did what I could. I shouted” contact right” into the coms while I tackled Malcona out of the line of fire.

I was told later what had happened as I missed the first part. The Private who was distracted saw my reaction and realized his mistake. He stood up and spun back towards the pirate too late. He made a large obvious target and the pirate took advantage of it. The heavy rifle barked and a round slammed through the private’s face plate. He died before he hit the ground. His murderer didn’t outlast him by long the marines vectored in on the threat the pirate was out in the open and clearly not been expecting such a long group when he rounded the corner. A heavy return volley punched holes through him even as he was falling.

I rolled left off Captain Malcona who rolled right, both of us staying prone to avoid allied fields of fire while turning towards the threat before I heard the call out from a familiar voice. “clear” Ashley was standing over the dead pirate having just kicked his rifle away she spoke on the unit Comm channel and was clearly pissed “this is an active combat zone, we don’t have enough people to search this whole station so keep your head on a swivel until we are back onboard, Copy” a loud chorus of yes, Ma’ams came back.

“ good Alpha 3, you’re up, check that room he came out of!” a group of troops from the first boarding group rushed over and stacked up on the door in a textbook way the second man grabbed out a frag Ashley and I both called out at once “stop!” the second guy who had been reaching for the pin froze, Ashley laid into him before I could say anything “ what is the primary objective of this mission?!” the crewman paused then spoke sheepishly “rescue the hostages.” without anyone having to say anything else he slid the frag back into his vest and pulled out a flash. “Better” Ashley said as she joined the stack “when you're ready squad leader.”

The team leader nodded back then must have given the go signal. The door opened and the flash bang went in followed by the assault team by this point the Malcona and I had gotten open. The bark of rifles had us moving to the door Ashleys distinct rifle could be heard two more times right as we reached the door followed by her calling out “ All units Alpha 4-5 Jackpot I say again Jackpot.”