Terra Forever

Chapter 2

The Praetorian's suits linked up with the Sparrow's computer, now allowing the crew, and the troops to access direct input from the ship's sensors. Images were displayed as holographic images inside the helmet and changed dynamically as they looked around.

This was the first time the Cohort used this feature of their suits outside of simulations. And Carter thought it was absolutely astounding. He was no longer blind, sitting in a tin can barreling twords a foreign planet. He could see the Terran Imperial Fleet in orbit around Mars. The Aries, a ground force carrier, had launched several other cargo flights from it's three other flight hangers. Each detachment heading to their own separate parts of the planet. The carrier itself spanning over 900 meters across.

Sparrow One and Two came up alongside one of the fleet's Cardinal class frigates. The ship seemed dwarfed at only 600 meters in length, but had an impressive arsenal of weaponry. Passing the ships midsection, the designation clearly displayed prominently on the side, "I.S.S. Valiant." Valiant indeed, thought Carter.

Sparrow flight then dipped under the ship just before the bow and rocketed towards the red, green, and blue planet. Carter glanced over at Tatian sitting next to him. He seemed just as entranced by the near miracle they had just witnessed.

The pilot chimed in bringing everyone back to focus. "Attention crew. Brace for re-entry in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1..." The ship jolted and shuddered as the friction on the hull picked up. This was the worst part in Carter's mind. So many things could go wrong. The pilot could enter at too steep an angle and the ship would lose control and spiral into who knows what part of the planet below. Or the pilot won't dip the nose enough, and the friction could bounce the ship back into space. Neither a good ending for his first assignment.

"Engaging stabilizers now. Re-entry successful. Welcome to your new home everyone. I hope you enjoyed your flight with Axios air..." The pilot cut off as alarms blared around the ship. What on Earth... Or Mars rather, was happening?

Carter focused on the ships sensor grid once more. According to the reading's, 4 surface to air missiles had just locked on to their shuttle. This can't be happening! The alarms switched tune and intensified. At a glance, Carter saw the missiles launch. They seemed to have come from a village well outside of Arcadia's walls.

"Sparrow flight to Arcadia tower, priority! We have missiles inbound. Call off the launch we are Praetorian transports!" The pilot all but screamed into the headset.

The communications emitted an awful pitch. A screech at an unbearable level. They must have been jamming the coms. Carter switched back to the sensors. The missiles were only 30 kilometres away now and closing fast. Hoping this pilot was as good at flying as he was at taking off, Carter watched as the missiles inched closer. 20 kilometres. 10.

"Sparrow flight, deploy flares and break off. Evasive maneuvers!"

Loud pops almost like gunshots erupted from the sides of the ship as flares were ejected in hopes of distracting the missile's sensors. The pilot turned hard to the right and dove for an impossible angle the missiles surely could not follow.

The 4 bogies split off, 2 for each transport. One climbed at an awkward angle and collided with a flare. Carter wanted to jump out of his seat, his armor, and his skin all at once.

Sparrow Two wasn't so lucky. Carter glanced at their location just as one of the surface to air missiles slammed through the front windshield and into the cockpit, erupting in a massive ball of flames. The entire front end of the sparrow now warped and torn to shreds, began plummeting to the planet. The second missile was caught in the blast and self-detonated.

Axios, the pilot of Sparrow One, and possibly Carter's savior, cut through the Chaos. "Arcadia. Sparrow two has been hit. They are going down. Location of impact will be somewhere west of the cliff ranges. Sending exact location via sensor ping."

Carter's sensor readings picked up 4 communication signals. There where some Praetorians still alive in the rear of the transport. Somehow they survived the initial blast. One of them was labeled as a Sergeant, like himself.

"Sergeant Harken, Delta squad, Praetorian Guard. All hands lost. Alpha, Bravo,Charlie, Delta, Echo squads, Signing off."

Carter felt his heart nearly fall through the bottom of his suit. He watched as the Sparrow rocketed into the side of the cliff face. Dust and dirt flew into the air. Soon after a concussion blast from the transports reactor going critical dispersed the dirt in all directions. There was barely a molten wreck left in the crater.

"BRACE FOR IMPACT" shouted Axios. One of the missiles smacked into the left propulsion engine, blowing the wing clear off.

The shuttle jerked violently. The gravity plating must have gone offline. Carter watched in horror as they began their free fall down into the Martian surface. Axios managed to get one final message out as the communication system was heavily damaged.

"Sparrow One to Arcadia. We are hit. Mayday. Crash trajectory puts us on the outskirts of a small village to the west outside the walls. Request immediate..." The com line went dead as the radio finally gave out. Carter tracked the trails of the missiles. As he expected, they came from the very village they were barreling towards.