Grendels by Zachary Deaderick Read Free Book Online Page B

up.”
    “Dave,” Davis says interrupting the end of the battle speech.
    Sanders focuses ahead and spots the MBT glide around the corner of the star port.
    “Oh, Shit!  Everybody out!  Thompson Miller, stay on the run and keep hitting it with the one fifty.”
    Sanders drops from the open door rolling free from the vehicle at more than forty kilometers per hour. 
    “Stay down!  Miller lure him out.  He’s going to need to get close to pin you down with that cannon.  If you can get him closer we can hit him with the anti-armor.”
    “Rog,” Miller says sounding busy.
    Sanders pulls the disposable missiles from his right shoulder blade, “Alright folks wait for my call and make them count.  You only get one shot and if we screw this we die. . .”
    Sanders watches as the MBT chases the Hunter out into the thicker ground slowing it slightly.  The team in the tank fire several rounds trying to hem Miller in but the experienced operator out maneuvers their simple traps.
    “Rip it!” Sanders yells.
    Three missiles explode across the hull of the tank.  A missile strike to the rear quarter sends the drives crashing and the tank pulling hard to the left dragging the turret off track and punching a hole harmlessly in the ground.  Before any of the soldiers can reach for the second missile the turret on the Hunter tears open the hull of the tank with the one fifty.  The ripping metal pops and hisses before the internals explode ripping the tank wide open.
    Sanders shakes his head at Davis, “That was way too close this early. . .”

8
    Leaning over the displays Sanders huffs before slowly blowing out the rest of the air in his lungs.
    “So many,” he says standing up and stretching out his back. 
    Around the room dozens of personnel swivel back and forth in their couches scanning through data and sending off messages to front line troops. 
    “Sanders,” Davis calls stepping into the room.
    Calling over his shoulder, “Yeah, go.”
    “Main just called.  They want a status report for this last holdout.  Estimates on recovery and losses.”
    “Tell them I’ll get it to them when it's not going to cost them a fortune,” Sanders snaps back irritably.
    On the holos hovering around the command dais Sanders tracks the movements of vehicles, air support and troops.  Each of the units is color coded and numbered to allow quick differentiation. 
    Two battalions of Grendels are moving quickly towards the last spaceport, hitching a ride on a couple of Hunters from the cavalry units.  Ahead a small remnant of track based MBTs rolls into a fighting position.  The massive MBTs fielded in the latter half of the war would have been game changers if they had been completed.  The massive anti-air rail guns mounted along the topside would have enabled the enemy to deny access to any and all drop zones.  It would have been an unwinnable standoff. 
    Moving more quickly towards the MBTs three ice creams cones flicker from green to red as they engage the targets from a few miles out.  The MBTs engage counter measures and the missiles become distracted before the ice cream cone shaped fighters turn on the radar and angle directly for the formation. 
    After just a moment of direct fire the tanks flicker to black marks on the holo.  More enemy ground units, light cavalry and possibly mechanized infantry fighting vehicles move to engage the Grendels. 
    Overhead drones provide a hundred camera angles that the computer molds into a full size live view of the battlefield. 
    Sanders watches as the much more heavily armed and armored Grendels sweep through the lines of regular infantry.  The high-powered rifles swinging between both hands rip metal armor away from the Grendels but the return fire drops the aggressors before they can capitalize on the vulnerability.
    In moments the cavalry sweep across the enemy line and into the space port itself.  The Grendels follow clearing away any remnants of resistance falling in