Chapter 8: Making a stand

I shook my head as I crawled out and moved to the flier. I went through the start up and lifted off smoothly in the dawns light. I banked sharply and headed towards the colony landing pads at full speed. I dropped to just above the treetops. It was not long before I dropped into the huge pad clearing and shut off the flier even before I landed and stopped.

I rolled off the flier and brought the rifle over my head. I switched on the sights as I aimed across the pads and started firing. I shot anything that moved as they began to react. So far only a few shoots came towards me but that would change. I engaged a group of armored Cariss as they rushed into the pad area from the direction of the colony.

One was a brightly decorated officer who was quick to duck behind cover. I fire at those exposed as well as the ones that tried to fire over their protection. I shifted at a distant sound that approached and fired into the cover the officer was hiding behind. When the shuttle flashed over and dropped to the far pad it startled me. Even as it started settling to the pad I fired into one of the engines.

It belched smoke and flame before exploding and tossing the shuttle sideway into the far trees. I shifted and shot three Cariss as they moved out from behind cover heading for the shuttle wreck. I fired at anything that moved and when they began to move at the same time, I concentrated on one at a time. The sudden roar of engines deafened everyone as the scout ship descended to a pad to my right.