War for the Iron Planet

Chapter 1: Talon Squad

Raivyn dove behind a supply crate as a hailstorm of lead and lasers ripped through the air where she'd just been standing. The Ramshackle Collective had decided this world belonged to them, even though Raivyn's squad had landed about a week before, starting the hard work of settling the planet for the Griffon Republic. But pirates didn't often care about little things like the International Galactic Code.

Peering out around the ruined crate, Raivyn counted ten Collective troops. With their hulking, rusted bodies and crimson overcoats they were an intimidating force, but nothing she couldn't handle. She concentrated on the nearest robot, focusing in on the electronic network that served as its brain. Digital minds were much harder to control, but she was good at what she did.

Raivyn strained, reaching out with telepathic waves, also known as T-waves, to probe for weaknesses in the robot's mind. The brutal headache her efforts had earned her gave way to an endorphin rush as the psychic attack pierced the robot's mental defenses, granting her full control over her enemy's actions.

Turning to its fellow androids, the hypnotized robot unleashed an unexpected barrage on its comrades, wiping out three fellow soldiers in a brutally efficient sweep of laserfire. The remaining robots turned on their erstwhile companion in panic.

Taking advantage of the interruption, Vanbrook leapt over Raivyn's head, plunging his sword into the back of the hypnotized robot's neck, riding it to the ground, somersaulting to his feet, and scrapping one of the remaining robots with a well-aimed blast from his pistol, a high-caliber hand cannon of a revolver.

"I wasn't done with that one!" called Raivyn. Vanbrook smirked over his shoulder at her even as he activated an energy buckler to deflect an incoming ax.

Two robots heads' exploded in quick succession as D'Jarric fired a bolt of golden energy from each of his hands.

Vanbrook blocked another blow and countered with a sword strike that ended another Robot. He slammed a boot into the chest of one of the remaining pirates, causing them to stumble into their companion.

"Two left, who wants 'em?" Vanbrook growled.

Raivyn waited for the right moment, reaching out again with telepathic waves, this time to manipulate objects rather than minds. She focused the waves around the two remaining robot's bodies, where they hovered like claws ready to grasp their prey. When the moment came she grabbed the robots and pulled them together with her mind, lining up their heads from D'Jarric's vantage point. A well-placed beam tore through both. Vanbrook activated his buckler to avoid being showered in circuitry and motor oil.

"Ah, teamwork," he said, swinging his arm to shake the mess from his shield. "Nice."

Raivyn stood there staring at him, a fist on her hip and a scowl on her face. Her black hair was mostly pulled back in a military style bun, but a few locks always seemed to escape, hanging over her fair features and adding to that strange aura of danger Vanbrook always sensed about her. The swordsman chuckled.

"You really upset I took out the bot you were puppeteering?"

"So what if I am? I could have taken more out before you rushed in to take the glory." Raivyn stared at Vanbrook. Unabashed, he smiled back broadly, his dark eyes as full of mischief as ever. He was the perfect swordsman; broad, long limbed, cool as ice and sharp as a tack in combat. And he was the dumbest person she'd ever met.

"I thought I stole all the glory with my impeccable aim," declared D'Jarric, never one to be left out of some good banter. Vanbrook took the bait, like he always did.

"Yes, standing back and shooting the enemy from halfway across the camp. Truly heroic."

"Ah, not so!" retorted D'Jarric, "from halfway across the galaxy." His glowing golden face grinned wide.