Chromium

15.2

First draft

A red flash glittered in the dark cockpit while the assault shuttle descended into Aegis IV. When they landed, Dia looked out the window. She saw Omen and the mercs walking through the narrow corridor connecting the main section of the station to the inner ring.

She glanced at her HUD, ascertained that the exoskeleton's systems were fully functional, and made sure that her tri-laser rifle was charged. When she hopped off the shuttle Reyes was already giving orders.

"Addington, Copeland." He said. "Stay here and guard the shuttle."

He kept giving orders, but most of the pirates had no military experience and were like headless chickens.

"Magnetize." Dia said in the meanwhile, immediately feeling her boots sticking to the metal floor.

She took a step forward, expecting to move slowly, but her fears were mostly unfounded. The exoskeleton was almost weightless. Although it slowed her down a little, the perks of a power armor were substantial. Mainly made of compressed titanium, and specifically tailored to integrate with the wearer's nervous system, the Mark III Exoskeleton was the best the Empire had to offer. Its armor was designed to resist most of the incoming energy while the helmet contained advanced optical and auditory sensors. Dia glanced at the pirates scurrying out of the shuttle and realized that their exoskeletons were much older.

Ten minutes later, Reyes finally managed to get the situation under control, and they started moving. They were halfway through when Dia heard a long beep. Reyes had just switched to a private channel.

"Dia."

"What is it?" She asked.

"Slow down. Let them go ahead."

Dia frowned. "But..."

"They're expendable." He cut her off. "You're not."

Dia pressed her lips together, then slowly nodded, giving her assent. "Alright."

It took twenty minutes to reach the inner ring. The station was so big that it looked like a small city. When the road forked, the pirates slowed down, unsure of what to do.

"Mitchell? Where are we?" Reyes asked.

"Impossible to determine, captain." The pilot said. "The inner ring's layout is still unknown. According to the shape of the station, however, you should be close to the research center's atrium."

Reyes looked at the corridors and scowled. "Any suggestions?"

Dia stretched her neck slowly, one side, then the other. The corridors looked exactly the same.

"Captain." Omen interjected. "I have an idea."

"Hold on, Mitchell." Reyes turned toward Omen. "Yes, Omen?"

"The station is big. Maybe it's better if we split up." Omen suggested. "We'll cover more ground that way."

Dia and Rodriguez exchanged a glance. Then the merc gave her a slight nod.

"Good idea." Reyes promptly agreed. "Omen, go right. Take the mercs with you." Then he turned toward a pirate Dia didn't know. "Carson, the left corridor. The rest of you guys, come with me. Dia, you too."

The pirates slowly split up. About ten men followed Omen and Carson, but most of the pirates went with Reyes. They marched in a loose formation, their movements clumsily as if they weren't used to wearing an exoskeleton. Although they weren't tripping over each other, they couldn't hide the fact that they were amateurs.