Planetfall

[jammi]

The turret guns continued to stitch the skies with rounds, the three remaining drones keeping their distance. The convoy continued to roll onwards, swapping fire with the tiny metallic wasps whenever they ventured within range. The radio burst into life in a garble of static before clearing, allowing the Staff Sergeants voice to break through.

Captain, the perimeter is up! We have SHRIKEs incoming. Nole sighed a breath of relief, but a moment too soon. The three drones split up, circling the convoy so as to approach from separate angles. Suddenly darting forward they made for the central vehicle, their nose mounted weapons chattering.

There was a scream from the radio, followed by an ominous silence. The centre turret suddenly ceased its barrage. Then there was a series of roars and three missiles streaked overhead, having burst from the Piles cloaking smog clouds two soaring ahead and the third lagging behind. Two of the drones were hit by the forward missiles as they banked into a turn, twin fireballs flaring into existence, followed half a second later by the deafeningly loud roar of the explosion.

Debris rained down, white hot shrapnel from the decimated bodies of the two fallen drones. As the first two were annihilated, the final drone banked upwards, activating electronic countermeasures in an attempt to throw off its dogged pursuer. Anyone listening over a broad spectrum radio would have heard the fluctuating whine of interference as the jammer did its job.

The last SHRIKE succumbed to the jammers distraction, corkscrewing away towards the phantom drone it was convinced it could see. Reaching its destination it destructed in open air, the tiny drone victorious as it fled back to whence it had come.

Nole grimly watched the tiny spot of light rapidly shrinking to nothing. He shook his head - a bad omen of things to come. A light contact barely lasting three minutes and theyd sustained a casualty not a medal winning performance. Yanking open the hatch on the floor, he climbed back down into the troop compartment. Miller, youre up top. Move. Popping open the neck seal around his helmet, he lifted it off and placed it the bench that lined the wall. Sniffing the air he could smell the acrid sent of burnt cordite from the .40 cal that had wafted down as hed climbed back.

Pushing open the window to the drivers compartment he could see the Staff Sergeant hunched over the tanks controls. What happened to the central turret gunner? He enquired. The driver glanced around.

He took a round through the arm, sir. Theyve got him on morphine and dressed the wound, so hell be able to hold out until the missions complete. The Lieutenant leading the Engineers says they dont need a Med-Evac anyway. Nole nodded before sliding the panel shut again. Not as bad as it could have been.
What just happened, sir? That was Corporal Andrews.

Scouts, Nole growled. Drones I think. They hit the gunner on the Engineers vehicle. We got three of them, but the forth bugged out. A sullen silence fell after that. Most of the soldiers were thinking about the implications of that scout reaching enemy lines with the information it had gathered.

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