Ep.#4 - "Freedom's Dawn" (The Frontiers Saga) by Ryk Brown Read Free Book Online

the rubble of what was once the largest market plaza in all of Aitkenna. Having taken several strikes from the Yamaro, it was now nothing more than a pile of concrete and steel—and the corpses of those caught in its sudden collapse—with thick columns of black smoke still billowing from the many fires burning under the remains.
    The five airships flew in two groups. The first group, with the gunship in the lead and the troop carriers following just behind, turned down the main causeway used by the delivery and service vehicles. Most of the citizens of Aitkenna used public transportation systems such as monorails and subways, but there were also service roadways routinely used by various delivery and public service vehicles. That was where they expected to find their target.
    “Entering engagement zone,” the lead gunship reported over the comms.
    “Pivot slightly to port so I can get a visual,” Andre ordered the pilot of his airship. The pilot responded immediately, pivoting the small airship slightly to the left as it continued on its flight path, skewed slightly sideways, so that Andre could see the convoy of vehicles on the roadway ahead. “Strike One, target the first and second overpasses directly ahead. As soon as the convoy passes under the first one, take both overpasses out. That’ll trap them inside the corridor.”
    “Strike One copies,” the gunship’s pilot reported.
    “Strike Two, put shooters on either side of the corridor as quickly as possible. As soon as the convoy comes to a stop, keep them pinned down inside their vehicles while we drop in behind them.”
    “Strike Two copies.”
    “Strikes Four and Five, hold back until we call you in for extraction.”
    The remaining two Kalibri’s configured as passenger ships that were following a half a kilometer behind them acknowledged their orders as Andre’s airship straightened back out, purposefully falling behind the gunship so as not to get caught in the backwash when he launched his weapons.
    “Ten seconds to target,” the gunship pilot reported.
    “Drop positions,” Andre called out. From the cockpit, the pilot switched the passenger restraint system to drop mode.
    All four men felt their restraints give slightly, indicating the pilot had initiated drop mode. Just enough cable was released to allow them all to slide off the edge of the decks in order to free hang under the small airship. One end of each high tension cable was connected to a winch built into the deck of the airship. The other end was connected to their harnesses at a balance point in the center of their backs. Just after they slid off the deck, their lines cinched up just enough to hold their backsides up against the bottom of the airship as it swooped in lower in preparation to hover over their drop zone.
    As he hung beneath the airship, Andre looked forward as four missiles left the gunship flying ahead of them and struck both overpasses simultaneously. He could feel the heat from the explosion of the overpass behind the convoy as they flew over the fireball and he saw the convoy of four armored troop carriers come to a screeching stop as the overpasses collapsed both in front and in back of them.
    Andre could see Strike Two dropping shooters on either side of the corridor. As his own ship descended into position about fifty meters behind the convoy, the shooters moved into position and opened fire on the convoy below as Corinairan security forces tried to exit their vehicles to take up defensive positions. His teams were well trained, however, and they cut down the Corinairan security forces before they had a chance to disperse and put up a proper defense.
    Andre’s airship came to a hover directly over their drop zone behind the convoy.
    “Drop-drop-drop,” the pilot announced in well rehearsed fashion as the ship came to a perfect hover ten meters above the roadway. The pilot activated the winches on all four of the passengers presently hanging under his airship.