Naero's War: The Citation Series 2: The High Crusade by Mason Elliott Read Free Book Online

situation was different.
    At the next gigacity, the Ejjai were nearly in complete control, dug in and entrenched in all of the built-up areas. On top of that, they used captured civilians as not just hostages, but active human shields.
    Bravo again waited until nightfall, making their plans for another stealth assault. The city could be taken, yet there was no way to prevent hundreds of thousands–perhaps millions–of civilian deaths at the hands of their captors.
    Naero and Om had some ideas of their own, but to make them known, Shetanna could no longer remain silent.
    Miranda-Naero went to her commander for the last time in her disguise. “Leftenant Wilde, contact HQ and Major Luna immediately.”
    The Anaconda looked at her funny. “What is it this time, Brighteyes? Another hidden enemy minefield?”
    Naero hit her nano presets and morphed her stealth armor into her Intel variant, complete with her dark cloakcoat and Mystic battle mask. She undid her gleaming, long black hair and shook it free. Next she ignited her twin, blazing red Chaos katanas in both hands.
    Then she made her blades and all of herself go transparent, until she was nearly invisible. “I’m sorry to have deceived you,” she said. “Miranda Allen is but an alias.”
    Trevor Lakota stood by smiling slightly, not looking very surprised at all.
    “I see,” Wilde said. “Then I’m guessing that you are, in fact, our delayed Mystic Combat Liaison? How shall we know you, sir?”
    “I am Mystic Adept Naero Amashin Maeris, of Clan Maeris. And I hold the matching rank of Strike Fleet Captain. My battlefield codename is Shetanna.”
    Wilde saluted. “That rank is the Marine equivalent of a major, sir. I’ll bring you to the attention of HQ at once, and escort you there personally, if you so wish it.”
    “Please, out in the field and unless our superiors are around, let’s be on a name basis, first or last, you pick. That’s the way I run. Call me Naero, N, or Maeris.”
    “I’m Ana,” Wilde said. “I like that as well. Thanks, N. General Walker has spoken very highly of you and your service both during and after the Annexation War. And who has not heard of your illustrious parents? I thought you had that fighting style down a little too well.”
    Naero nodded. “My thanks once again, Ana. You honor me and my Clan.”
    “So, N. I assume that with this flamboyant entrance of yours, you have some Mystic tricks in mind to unleash on our new friends, in conjunction with our developing night operations?”
    “Indeed. Something quite radical, I would say.”
    The Anaconda showed her teeth. “Bravo specializes in stealth attacks, the radical, and the unexpected.”
    “First, I think we should send in everyone–even our reserves and any numbers that we can muster. And we do it quiet. They won’t expect us to overwhelm them one-on-one with knives, battle blades, and swords. We gut them all silently in the black with blades.”
    Ana raised both eyebrows. “Interesting. Daring. No military force has attempted such a thing on this scale in centuries, perhaps millennia. At the least, in a thousand years.”
    “And Bravo is the only force that can pull it off,” Naero said.
    “You are correct, N. It just might work, and they would never expect us to do such a thing. We can coordinate the attack with the assistance of all the other MCLs present in this battle zone.”
    Naero was called in to meet with Major Luna, who was still technically her commander. Everyone on the command staff for 36 introduced themselves to her, and she to them. Naero and Ana outlined the plan together.
    Then they contacted General Walker and Intel directly to gain approval.
    That night, a powerful thunderstorm unleashed its fury on invader and defender alike. The weather played into Bravo’s hands even further. Under the cover of that storm, waves of Marines moved through the shadows in a deadly sweep.
    By dawn the next day, tens of thousands of Ejjai invaders lay dead,