"Sergeant O'Connor, you're with Verlent and Jones," Major McNillan said.
"Sir, yes sir!" the Sergeant replied. He looked over to the two marines the Major had named. They were hunched over half a dozen weapon crates, choosing from the rifles and sidearms with in.
O'Connor marched over to them.
"Hey, Sarge!"Private First Class Verlent called as he saw him approaching. Corporal Verlent only muttered a barely audible greeting.
"So, what do we have here?" O'Connor loomed over the crates, peering at their contents.
"Three see-kyoo-arr's, four ey-emm-fourteen's, and six 'poons,"Verlent replied enthusiastically. The Sergeant reached into the first box and pulled out one of the CQR43 rifles. He shouldered it and peered down it's length, sighting and imaginary enemy.
"Take a see-kyo-arr and an ey-emm-fourteen each. Two harpoons too,"O'Connor muttered.
"Understood!"Verlent saluted.
* * *
"Alright, O'Connor's Alpha Team will board first and move directly to the engine compartment. Hages' Beta Team will move to the crew quarters and arrest anyone they encounter. I'll take Gamma Team to the bridge and secure it,"McNillan briefed the marines in the cargo bay of the Liberty Navy Gunboat Helios. "Any questions?"
No one raised their hand.
"Good."
"Hard-link to the transport in twenty seconds,"the Helios' captain announced over the speakers.
"Lock and load,"one of the marines murmured.
A pneumatic hiss reverberated through the bay as the gunboat attached to the transport. Slowly, the bay doors opened.
"Go, go, go!"O'Connor shouted and he and his men stormed into the blockade-running ship. Rifles shouldered, they ventured into the large cargo bay. The lights were out, so they activated the lamps on their helmets and guns. Behind them Beta and Gamma team moved towards the doors leading to the crew quarters and the bridge respectively.
"Kinda dark, Sarge,"Verlent muttered under his breath.
They reached the door that lead to the engine compartments and O'Connor pushed the button on the wall-pad beside it. There was a quiet beep but the door didn't open.
"Damn it..."he said.
He looked around quickly. Then he aimed his CQR43 at the pad and fired a burst of three shots. Bolts of blew energy tore into the computer, melting its circuits. The doors slid apart.
The three marines trooped down a long, unlit corridor. A distant hum drew them towards the transport's engines.
"I really don't like this... where is everyone?"Verlent muttered quietly. Nervously he looked over his shoulder.
"I prefer this over a bunch of gun-wielding maniacs who think they need to die for their chancellor,"O'Connor replied dryly.
A dim light flashed about twenty meters ahead.
O'Connor stopped in his tracks, raised his left hand, and formed a fist. Jones and Verlent stopped behind him, peeking over his shoulders.
The light flashed another time. The three men crouched down. Another flash. O'Conner aimed directly above the now dark source of the light. His right index finger hovered over his rifle's trigger. A fourth flash. He pulled the trigger and sent a single energy projectile on its way.
Ten meters ahead of them someone screamed in agony. A dull thump followed a second later.
"Nice shot,"Verlent commented.
Cautiously, O'Connor advanced toward the target. Sprawled on the deck lay a young man, a smoking hole punched into his chest.
"Move up,"he called back to his team mates. Suddenly, a small, glowing object whistled by his head.
"GET DOWN!"Jones cried out from behind. O'Connor let himself drop the the floor, firing his CQR ahead of him as fell. Behind him, Verlent and Jones opened fire, filling the corridor with blue energy. Sparks showered down over them as superheated metal projectiles impacted on the walls around them.
"Suppressing fire!"O'Connor barked. Then he got up and sprinted toward their yet invisible enemies.
A projectile impacted into his shoulder, but his light body armor deflected the round. In the cone of his helmet's light, the Sergeant could make out five figured in blue work-overalls crouching before him, firing heavy, rapid-fire projectile weapons. Two of the men turned toward him, aiming at his head. But O'Connor was quicker and two bursts from his rifle dropped the enemies to the deck.
The other three hostiles directed their attention at him. In the moment of distraction, Jones grabbed his AM14 precision rifle, shouldered it, and shot thrice. The three men dropped dead.
"Thanks,"O'Connor called over his shoulder. Jones and Verlent jogged up to him.
"That was weird,"Verlent stated. O'Connor snorted his approval. He knelt down beside one of the dead men, jabbing at his chest with his harpoon nailgun.
"They did their job,"Jones said.
Suddenly, a gargling sound came from Verlent.
"What the-"As O'Connor spun around, a hot, two-inch nail seared through his head, exploding bits of brain and bones against the steel wall behind him.
