The explosion's Shockwave tossed Justin back off the reviewing stand. He landed hard on his right hip, but rolled up into a crouch. We're under attack. That ship has to be crawling with Federated troops . . .
The screams of the spectators replaced the explosion-born ringing in his ears, and Justin suddenly realized something was very wrong. Candace! Where is she?He stood and tried to see through the heavy smoke, but all he could make out were splotches of people running madly back and forth. "Candace!" he shouted. "Candace! Where are you?"
* * *
The gas burned his throat, coating his mouth and tongue with a slick, sour taste. He had to find her. Though Candace's disappearance pushed him toward panic, years of combat training overrode his emotions. Stop it, Justin. Think clearly. If she's dead, she's dead. If she's alive, she'll head into the Palace. You know that's where you should be.
Justin took off in a low sprint for the Palace 'Mech bay. He heard the hideous snapping and crackling of PPC discharges. As he dodged the advance of a Liao Locust,he heard the whine of an autocannon. The Locustexploded in an argent plasma ball, producing a Shockwave that knocked him rolling to the 'Mech bay's personnel door. Shaking his head to clear it, Justin stood and opened the hangar door.
* * *
Morgan Hasek-Davion's voice echoed confidently through the radio speakers. "This is it, people. We drop at fifteen meters. It'll be confusing out there, so keep your heads on. Don't crush any civilians. You won't know the agent until you're given the countersign. Remember, it's 'Sic Semper Tyrannis.' That's old Terra Latin for 'Thus ever to tyrants.' You've all got it digitized into your computers to check in case you don't hear it right. It's more than just the countersign. It's our motto for this assault. Let's show this tyrant what the Lions of Davion are made of!"
The ground feed focused on the descending DropShip, then tightened in as the OverlordClass DropShip's LRM pods opened and launched scores of missiles. The missiles traveled only a short distance before they exploded, filling the air with a greasy green smoke. The live picture went black as the drop hatch below Andrew's Marauderopened up.
The heavy, birdlike 'Mech landed solidly on the ferrocrete. The ringing collision of feet on earth sent a shudder up through the 'Mech, but Andrew balanced himself and his war machine instantly. His right hand punched two buttons on his command console, shifting his sensors over to magscan. That'll cut through this gas.
The sensors painted him a picture of the action taking place within the verdant fog that drifted over the scene. The House Imarra 'Mechs, drawn as yellow skeletons on the display, had already begun to break ranks, but Andrew ignored them. Hitting another button on his console, he engaged a search routine he'd programmed into his battle computer earlier. The holographic images wavered, then a small circle surrounded what appeared to be an L-shaped metallic cylinder roughly 45 centimeters in length.
Andrew smiled. Got you! Your metal arm gives you away.Andrew's joy at having located Justin vanished along with the image his search program had created. Gone. Ducked back into the Palace barracks. Going for his 'Mech, I bet. All the better.
Swirling through the green mist, a Liao Crusadercharged at Andrew. In an instant he dropped the Marauder'stargeting crosshairs on the humanoid 'Mech's outline, then triggered both PPCs. Dancing forks of blue lightning rippled up and down the Crusader'sright arm. Glowing gobs of molten armor dripped from the 'Mech like liquid glass. Exposed by the PPC assault, myomer muscles, blacker and heavier than those familiar to Andrew, contracted to bring the arm-mounted laser into play.
Suddenly, the muscles began to smolder. An oily vapor rose from them as the Crusader'spilot struggled to make the limb respond, then the muscles burst into flame. Burning droplets of molten myomer splashed over the Crusader'sleg and streamed to the ferrocrete. The limb, engulfed in the fire of its own muscles, swung like a man hanging from a gibbet.
Andrew opened a radio frequency to Morgan. "It works. Exposed to the gas, the myomer they stole from Bethel ignites when they run power through it to make it contract!"
"Yes!" Morgan roared back triumphantly. "But take care anyway. Until the muscle hits this gas, it's very powerful."
As if he had overheard Morgan Hasek-Davion's warning, the Crusader'spilot continued his rush forward, left arm raised to club Andrew's 'Mech. Andrew immediately dropped the Marauderunder the blow, then lunged up and stabbed both arms into the Crusader'smidsection. The double-claw punch shattered the armor over the humanoid 'Mech's abdomen and lifted it three meters into the air.
The Crusaderlanded unsteadily on its feet and then, like a boxer with round heels, toppled ungracefully backward. Wary of the 'Mech's powerful legs, Andrew fired one PPC bolt into the ruin his punch had made of the Crusader'sstomach. The searing particle beam blasted away what little armor remained and exposed the Mech's inner workings to the battlefog.
As the pilot tried to force his 'Mech back upright, fire erupted in the Crusader'sbelly, but Andrew ignored it. A Liao Marauderstreaked past in front of him, its legs burning like torches. Finally, the last of the myomer melted away, sprawling the Marauderon its back. Sparks flew from beneath it as the 'Mech's armor ripped free on the ferrocrete deck.
* * *
Justin thrust the door shut behind him, then bent down to breathe the hangar's cleaner air. He wiped the tears from his eyes and inhaled deeply, soothing the burning in his chest and throat. The gas isn't meant for anti-personnel use or it would have done more than make my eyes water and torch my throat. They only brought anOverlord, which means they've got a battalion at best. They aren't here for the duration, so this must be a pick-up or quick raid.Then the truth dawned on him. Only Hanse Davion would dare be so bold in an effort to recover an agent. If it's an agent Davion wants, it's an agent he'll get.
Justin sprinted the length of a hallway, then shot down three flights of stairs. At the bottom, he hammered on the heavy security door until a slovenly guard opened it. "ShonsoXiang, what can I do for you?"
Justin brushed his way past the man into the small watch station. "There is an emergency. We need the prisoner. Tsen Shang sent me to get him." Justin studied the bank of holovid monitors lining the walls. Each revealed the interior of a high-security Maskirovka holding cell, but only one was occupied.
The guard frowned and glanced at the visiphone. "I've had no word."
Justin looked at him sternly. "I said emergency,you idiot. Do you want to explain the delay to Shang or the Chancellor?"
The guard shook his head. Pulling a magcard key from the wallet chained to his belt, he inserted it into the lockslot on the door. With a click, the mechanism opened and Justin wrenched the heavy door open. He dashed down the small corridor and stopped in front of Alexi's cell.
Justin waited for the guard to reach him. "Quick! Open it."
The little man's piggish eyes grew wide. "But Tsen Shang has taken the only keycard for this door . . ." Realizing what he'd said, the guard began to backpedal.
Dammit!Justin pounced on him like a leopard, carrying the man to the ground. Justin blocked a flailed punch with his right arm, then delivered a savage chop to the throat. The guard gurgled and died.