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Orbital

By Goliath Wildcat

The small featureless metal room shudders as the internal cooling system struggles to maintain a livable habitat against the vacuum outside. Four heavily armored figures with the visors of their helmets lifted sit on benches along the walls and deal with the stress of an orbital drop, each in their own individual ways, as they await the order they know is coming.

A lithe female cheetah, her armor covered in the traditional red digi-cam of the Mars Morph Corps, casually flips a mono-knife in one gauntleted hand. Her eyes never fall to the knife as the blade which can slice through most known materials dances in her fingers; instead they are constantly in motion watching those in the room with her and noticing their individual reactions to the mission. Each has their individual ways of preparing for the hell they are jumping into.

She turns her head to her left where a smaller male ferret, his armor's pattern matching the cheetah's, leans against the wall. The barrel of a rifle longer than he is tall gripped in his hands and the butt held securely on the floor. His eyes are closed while a single finger extends to wave back and forth in time with the classical music she can faintly hear coming from the ear buds stuck in his small furry ears. The pair of oversized handguns holstered on his armored hips and the twin heavy cannon swung back in their stowed position, muzzles pointing upward and heavy ammo canisters rotated into recesses in the power unit on his back, show that he knows how to reach out and touch someone when needed. 'Deadeye is certainly a musician with heavy weapons,' she reminds herself as she thinks about how the former security chief had come to earn the right to don one of the experimental suits.

Shifting her glance to her right she sees the newest member of their team, a young jackal in a mottled gray armor. Missing from it is the typical digi-cam pattern of the other two suits. He sits there, his eyes closed while he keeps an archaic looking sword sheathed in a midnight black scabbard clutched in his metal gauntlets. But she knows the simple scabbard conceals a blade as high tech as the marvels of technology they wear like second skins around them. Her ear flicks as she sees one of the jackal's hands fade into a translucent state before solidifying again with a shimmering effect. 'I wonder if he's doing that on purpose,' she wonders.

As the timer in the HUD projected onto the smart lenses in her eyes counts closer to zero she finally focuses on the last member of the team sitting across from the other three. The largest of the four, a male cougar encased in midnight black armor with no adornments or badges of rank, sits on his bench alone. His eyes are open, but his focus is not on the here and now. 'Goliath is communing with his personal ghosts from more than two years of war,' she thinks with such a soft mental tone as if he could hear her if she thought too loudly. 'Any gods out there know we all are haunted by the lives we've taken and the lives we've lost.' Her eyes flick to the cougar's left hand as it unconsciously grips and relaxes, a mono-molecular edged blade similar in design to her own slipping free of the housing on his forearm, while his right rests on a massive multi-barrel gatling-gun resting on the bench beside him. A pistol the size of a howitzer rests in a holster strapped to his left hip and the menacing bulges of hidden weapons cover the much heavier suit. She glances to the thick armored tail and can see the panels that cover the anti-personnel flechette launchers clicking open and closed as the thick appendage sways with the motion of the room. 'Something has him agitated,' she muses.

As the timer on her HUD reaches five minutes she can't remain silent anymore, "Sir, what is our mission?" The other two open their eyes and focus on the massive armored cougar. The Ferret pulls the ear buds from his ears and stores them in a small compartment while the jackal slips his sword's scabbard into its receptacle on his back.

The cougar's eyes snap to focus on the female and he responds with a slow nod, "It's close enough, I guess it is past time to tell you." He raises a heavy gauntlet and a panel flips up to reveal a command pad. All four see diagrams appear on their HUDs as the cougar's deep voice speaks, "You might have noticed this is a rougher landing than usual for Mars. That is because we are not dropping on Mars. We have been given a special mission to show the United Earth Force that the Mars Morph Corps means business about getting our freedom." The maps zoom in on a familiar building, "This is the Command center for all UEF operations. We are going to kick ass and Mars Command would like some names." He nods to the jackal, "Phantom, you will infiltrate to the datacenter and crash their systems with the virus you were given prior to boarding the transport. Be sure to get as much information as you can before you infect their systems."

The jackal nods without a word as he triggers his suit's system to plot him a route to his objectives, a blue line tracing through his HUD.

Goliath turns to look at the ferret. "Deadeye, hit the main power station for the complex on your way in. After we've grounded and deployed you will setup here," an icon flashes near the main gate. "You will be there to not only take the main gate, but also to prevent any reinforcements from arriving from the other bases in the area while Racer and I do a smash and grab. Use your best judgment to decide where to setup your shooting point, but deploy support turrets here and here to provide anti-air support just in case they are able to scramble some assets from either orbit or one of the remote airbases," two more icons appear and the ferret takes note of them with a nod. "Be sure self-destruct packages are armed, I don't want them to get any of our technology and I don't think we'll have time to extract the turrets. Ticonderoga is waiting in orbit if we need orbital fire support, but I'd rather they didn't have to expose themselves until we're burning for home."

The ferret nods with the tiniest of smirks, "Not a problem Goliath, you know I like to make things go boom."

"Don't get too cocky, our estimated time on ground is fifteen minutes. That is more than enough time for any ready forces to reach us; we're going to be counting on you to cover our backs."

The ferret smirks and taps an armored finger on the barrel of his rifle, "Not a problem boss. I got your backsides covered."

The cougar nods as he focuses on the cheetah, "Racer, our mission is to do a smash and grab. Stay clear of the datacenters, Phantom has those and we need the data he will be extracting while inserting our little surprise for them." Several areas of the map become color-coded to designate areas, "Stick to the orange areas and keep moving. Your armor is lighter than the rest of us; use your speed to your advantage. The green zones are no-go areas; they're either civilian, medical, or other non-military targets." He flags a building on the map, "This is a school. It appears to be a military school, but I want them left alone. We are not baby killers." He casts a hard glance at the others, "I want civilian casualties minimized. But if they're wearing a UEF uniform and fighting back, they're fair game. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," they all respond.

The timer on their HUDs flashes red as it reaches one minute left. Without a word they all stand and secure any weapons or equipment. The cougar settles his right arm onto the gatling-gun and magnetic clamps secure the heavy weapon to his armored limb while the suit's computer snakes the ammo guide into the weapon's breach. Racer snaps her knife back into its scabbard on her belt and checks the pair of machine pistols in her low slung holsters and does a test of the quick-load system. Deadeye takes his massive rifle and slips it into the recess for it on his back where the stock and barrel shift and shorten the weapon to only half its original size. Reaching under the bench he had been sitting on he pulls out a pair of bulky cases and lets them attach themselves to his torso armor. The shortest member of the team, he now resembles a hunchback with all the extra equipment and weapons clamped on. Phantom checks his sword a last time and then waits, his arms crossed over his chest and a SMG clipped at the small of his back.

"Close-up and prepare to drop," the cougar orders and all four suits seal as the armored visors snap down and seal vacuum tight. As the timer reaches ten seconds one end of the metal box opens into a ramp which shows a dark sky with the blue-green orb of the earth turning below as thin atmosphere creates a weak tornado in the room. The lights in the room go out as a red strobe starts to flash, when it goes solid and the counters on their HUD reach zero all four armored figures run and throw themselves into the void with the abandon of an eager lover into her true love's arms.

Small fins deploy from the armored suits and the figures guide themselves into a tight formation. At a nod from the largest suit they all straighten out and arrow towards the ground more than seventy-thousand meters below them.

Inside the suit Racer can only hear the rhythm of her own breathing and the beating of her own heart as they rocket towards the lit city far below them. Her head down and armored suit screaming through the high atmosphere, she watches her HUD and the rapidly changing numbers. The AGL indicator is spinning down almost too fast to track while the skin temperature of her armor steadily climbs. She checks her rear indicator, but the drop-ship is already out of sight, its stealth systems at maximum to keep it hidden from any radar or sensors that might be watching. 'I sure as hell hope Saber survives long enough to make pickup,' races through her mind as she focuses once more on the closing ground.

The radio comes alive as they cross the thirty-thousand meters point, "We're low enough to be picked up, spread out Horsemen. It's time for the apocalypse. Call out!"

At the order the four suits divert away from each other and focus on coming into their target from the four cardinal points. Racer watches the suits become points in the dark sky, their tight laser communication link the only thing allowing the falling soldiers to stay in communication. Racer hears Goliath call out, "War." Deadeye follows closely with an excited, "Death." The rookie Phantom responds with a calm voice, "Pestilence." Racer steadies her nerve to add in a calm voice but gets a slight squeak instead, "Famine."

"Radio silence until we land, engage thrusters at angels-2 and land where you can," Goliath orders as their suits slowly cool from their hypersonic entry. "See you on the ground."

***

The man seated at one of the air traffic control consoles notices a blip on his radar that wasn't there a moment before, "Sir, I have something."

The officer comes over and leans over the specialist's station, "What is it Watkins?"

The tech taps his screen, "Unknown. We have four small objects falling from orbital altitude, no IFF."

"Meteors, maybe some space debris," the officer dismisses. "I don't see anything to be worried about, probably break up before they hit the ground."

The tech taps the screen which is tracing the decent, "That was my thought at first, sir. But they're coming straight down, not on a standard re-entry angle. I don't think these are just random bits of flotsam." He taps a few keys on the console and frowns, "Computer says it resembles a HALO insertion, but doesn't agree with that analysis because the targets are giving off too much reflection to be jumpers." He hesitates as the next pass of the radar shows the unknown objects have disappeared, "Sir, I've lost them," he states as he starts adjusting the view to find them again.

The officer turns to another tech, "Thermal, do you have anything in sector 46H around angels-30?"

The tech at that station fiddles with his controls for a moment before his jaw drops, "Shit, they're cooling, but I got four objects falling. They're currently passing angels-ten and coming in fast. They must have come from high given the heat coming off them and their current speed. They're already at terminal velocity."

The officer turns, arm outstretched toward the defensive stations, "Cannons!"

The tech starts to rapidly type commands but shakes her head, "Sir, I can't track them. They're too small and fast for the auto system to lock onto them. The guns can't even move fast enough with how their jinking around."

The tech at the Thermal scanning station blinks as his screen goes blank, "Sir, I've lost sensors."

The officer looks up with his face going ashen, "Shit, hit the red alert!"

As the warbling alarm sounds through the base he grabs a red phone and waits for the other side to be answered. At the gruff response he reports, "Sir, this is CIC. We have four man sized object falling from orbit, they are at angels-two and closing. We've already lost thermal," he hesitates as he watches the radar screen in front of him go blank, "and radar. Could this be them?"

A shouted voice can be heard by others in the room, "I understand, sir. But I believe we are under attack..."

He is cut off by the floor rocking from an explosion and one of the techs monitoring cameras calls out, "Sir, main power station is gone. Estimate is small yield anti-matter round. Not a bomb, a rifle bullet or we wouldn't be here to argue the point."

The officer looks at the phone and the shouting voice coming from the other end before he hangs up, "Everyone, grab your rifles. They've finally come for us."

As the soldiers in the room rush for arms lockers to don ammo vests and grab assault rifles. The tech at the radar station hesitates at the pale face of the OIC, "Sir, who is it?"

"The Four Horsemen," he says in little more than a whisper. "The Mars Morph Corps has sent the Four Horsemen for us." He looks down at the tech but his eyes don't focus on them, "They've come to kill us all."

Several of the soldiers hesitate at his words and one dares to ask, "What's the Mars Morph Corps."

A half-dressed General barges into the CIC, "That's classified soldier!"

The OIC gives the General a distracted salute, "Sir, they've come for us."

The fat General rushes up and slaps the officer across his face, "Get yourself together man! You are a soldier of the UEF, are you afraid of some damn freaks?!"

The OIC stands up again, his pistol in his hand as he puts it to his temple, "I'll do my duty, I won't let them take me." Before anyone can stop him the General is splattered by red gore as the OIC blows his brains out.

In the silence of the CIC the soldiers all stare at the dead body and the blood splattered General. Written on all of their faces are only two questions, 'Who is coming and why was the OIC scared enough to blow his own brains out?'

***

Deadeye takes his eye from the scope of the heavy rifle as he watches the power station for the government building explode in a fireball as many of the lights in the compound flicker and die, only emergency lighting remains active. "War, this is Death. Power is taken out; they're going to be on emergency backups for a while."

Goliath responds, "Affirmative, touching down now." The ferret sees a bright flare to his right as the large black powered armor rockets to a soft landing. As the jet flares die he watches the electric blue glow as the gatling-gun attached to the big cougar's arm opens up with a stream of depleted uranium flechettes from the multi-barrel weapon.

Deadeye engages his own thrusters and touches down on top of the fortifications of the main gate to the compound and draws one of his pistols. With quick and precise shots he hits the two guards as they raise their assault rifles and pepper his suit with the .223 rounds that bounce off like rain. "Sorry boys," he mutters over his speaker, "nothing personal." He shakes his armored head as the bodies fall and he reaches for one of the bulky cases. Setting it down he flips it open and triggers the braces to fire into the steel reinforced concrete and secure the unfolding turret to its firing position. With a quick jet assisted leap he lands on a watchtower and puts two neat holes through the guard there before he can get even a single shot off.

With the same practiced ease of the first pack, he sets the second down and lets the system start deploying while he leaps for a higher tower to setup his sniping position. In mid-jump he feels a heavy impact against his leg and a fireball engulfs him. Damage screens on his HUD show only superficial damage to the limb from a lucky RPG hit. Without turning his head the ferret lets the suit's ballistic computer identify the origin of the rocket before he squeezes off two rounds which neatly pierce the heart of the young soldier who was standing in the open staring slack jawed at the humanoid target.

Landing on the tower he takes a knee and triggers the deploy for the twin back mounted cannon to swim up and into position, "This is Death, I'm in position and the gate is secure."

***

Phantom lands like a wraith, his natural ability allowing him to move at speed without being spotted despite the high alert of the three squads of soldiers running around in confusion near the main entrance. 'It is a shame to kill the unknowing, but they would gladly kill us without a second thought,' the unseen warrior thinks.

The jackal slips the sword free of its scabbard and with flash the blade severs two soldier's legs from under them as he runs by. As they fall screaming the backstroke takes the head from a third which sprays several companions with blood as it flies through the air to land with a wet thud on the pavement.

Several of the soldiers start to fire with wild abandon for their companions, and more than one soldier dies from friendly fire while Phantom waits behind a reinforced wall for the shooting to die down. In seconds the soldiers shooting wildly are subdued by their companions, and that is all he needs as they focus on the scared soldiers rather than their own backs. He holds the sword low as he runs, his metal shod footfalls ignored in the screams of pain from the wounded. With quick slashes he takes down three more of the soldiers, their kevlar vests useless against the mono-molecular edge of his sword.

He ducks into the main building as there is another flurry of shots into shadows as the soldier panic again from the unseen attacks. Slipping the sword back into the scabbard on his back he muses, 'Almost too easy.' Leaving the chaos behind him he quietly walks into the stairs and begins the descent to the computer rooms and his primary objective.

***

Racer can feel her heart racing as she runs through groups of disoriented soldiers at more than seventy miles per hour. Her machine pistols fire in short and perfectly controlled bursts as she cuts down the spinning soldiers trying to keep track of her armored suit as it zooms and skids through turns to loop back and take out a few more of the scared soldiers. 'These aren't soldiers, they're kids,' she thinks as she watches one soldier who looks too young to shave fall under a burst from his pistol.

One of the soldiers surprises her by dropping to the ground and trying to trip her. His attempt is only partly successful as she does stumble, but the soldier sprays blood from his mouth as her flashing leg impacts his ribs and shatters them like twigs under a booted foot. She falls and skids for more than forty feet before she rolls back to her feet and stands to blast the soldiers with both pistols. "Damnit," she screams over her speakers, "just run you idiots!"

A few do decide to take her advice, others empty magazines of .223 FMJ into her vicinity. Those that do hit deflect off the plates of armor that cover her from head to toe but she feels the impact through the feedback system and keeps a close eye on her HUD as Goliath's warning comes back to her. She snatches a micro-grenade from her belt and tosses it with a sidearm pitch into the nearest cluster of soldiers. They scatter as the flashing bomb lands amidst them and detonates in a flash of fire and metal shards.

Racer stands there for another moment and surveys the picture before her eyes, the quiet dead, the screaming of the dying, and the moaning of the maimed. She shakes her head slightly before she turns and takes off towards another building and bursts through the wooden door in a shower of splinters. Her guns continue to spit death at anyone who doesn't run fast enough.

***

Goliath lets the barrels of his gatling-gun spin down from full speed and surveys the destruction. The building in front of him has settled from being sawed in half by the tiny needles accelerated to a fraction of the speed of light. As his listens to the distant gunfire he smiles to himself. "It's too quiet," he brings up his Ipod menu in his HUD and flashes through the choices before settling on one with a grin. "Oh yeah," he keys the playlist labeled 'music breaking things' and pipes it to his exterior speakers as the opening bagpipes of 'March of Cambreadth' starts to wail.

Another squad of soldiers run into the open and takes cover behind a low steel wall and open up with their assault rifles at the huge black armor. Goliath smirks as the .223 bullets ping of his armor, his neural feedback system registering the hits like a tickle. His shoulder jerks backwards as an RPG impacts his suit without leaving a blemish. Goliath looks at his shoulder for a moment before looking back and wagging a finger at the soldier with the launcher. The man frantically reloads and fires again but the shaped charge is no match for the ultra-dense alloy of his main armor plates. As the rest of the soldiers double their efforts to drop him with rifle fire he lifts his right arm and lets the barrels spin up to full speed before pulling the trigger that extra bit to unleash hell.

The soldiers scatter, those who are too slow literally scatter, as the slivers of metal leave the muzzle at a tiny fraction of the speed of light and tear through anything in their path. The blue electrical arcs coming off the muzzles of the barrels light the dark courtyard like a scene from some blue hell. "Rrraaaaahhhh!" the big feline roars as he watches the line of glowing trails that resemble more a laser than a series of bullets. He turns and brings the firepower of the heavy gun to focus on an APC that enters the courtyard. The crewmen inside the light-armored vehicle don't even have time to scream as the thin armor is as protective as tissue paper under the onslaught. Small pieces of metal spawl from the inside of the crew compartment to aid the needles in turning the men inside to hamburger in less than a second. Burning bits find purchase in the ammo and fuel stores too quickly for the one still breathing man to react. Within seconds the vehicle explodes in flames and flying chunks of shattered armor.

Goliath lets off the trigger and watches the flames reach towards the sky. He closes his eyes for a moment and says a silent prayer before he returns to the fight. He flexes his left arm and a three foot mono-molecular blade extends from his forearm to cut down a soldier running at him with a bayonet. The high-tech blade slices cleanly through the soldier's gun, armor, and torso. The soldier looks down, his mouth open to scream but without the air to do so as his upper torso separates from the rest of his body.

Goliath looks at the blood splattered blade for a moment and growls, "It will never be enough."

***

Deadeye can hear Goliath's music blaring clear across the compound as he checks his suit's build in scanners. "War, we got an armored column coming up the main road. I can't engage them yet though, my A-M rounds will take out civilian homes in the area."

"Understood Death," Goliath's deep voice growls. "Wait until there is little to no chance for civilian casualties."

Deadeye frowns, "War, you're not going to believe this. Piping my video to you now," he says as he triggers the relay.

"Is that a white flag on a command car?"

"That's an affirmative. Orders?" the ferret asks.

"Hold your fire, I'm on my way. Racer, form up at the gate. Phantom, continue your operation, they probably don't know where you are or even what you are at this point."

Phantom acknowledges with a quiet click on his radio.

Two minutes later the three suits are standing on the wall and watching the unarmored staff car approaching, a white flag waving through the sunroof and a line of heavy tanks parked a half a click behind it. Goliath pulls his sidearm and with casual ease puts a round into the roadway a few meters in front of the command car, the heavy slug leaving a sizeable crater which the drive brakes hard to avoid. "That's far enough," the cougar orders over his speakers, the volume amplified to carry the hundred meters to the enemy vehicle.

A man in field uniform steps from the car still carrying the white flag in one hand while the other holds up a radio connected to the car's PA system, "I wish to speak to the leader of the aliens attacking us. I'm sure there can be peace."

All three of the morphs growl low in their throats at the insinuation they started this war. "Are you really that big of a fool, or are you just a lackey who they told nothing," Goliath asks the man that he can barely make out in the dim light and obscuring smoke. "We're not aliens, we're escaped experiments that the UEF has been trying to destroy at our base on Mars for two years."

"We've never seen such technology..." the Major standing in the street tries to explain and is cut off by the angered cougar.

"Of course not, we were testing it. So when we were tired of being denied our rights we took it and used it. After all, I was forced to join the military to test this prototype." He roars with an amplified scream, "I had my humanity stolen! My family doesn't even know I'm still alive because they lied and told everyone I died." He tries to regain control of himself as he looks to the oversized pistol still in his left hand, "But that wasn't enough for those in charge. They replaced all of the commanders who were sympathetic to our condition. They raped female soldiers of the UEF just because they weren't human anymore. We were treated as property, as salves! When they found out we could breed... They killed..." he is cut off as angry tears roll down his face and he fights to control his rage at the memory.

Racer and Deadeye cast sideways glances at the big cat while keeping their main focus on the force in front of them. They had known about the cub Tiara had carried for three months before the new human commander found out, but they never realized how much of that anguish the big cat kept inside and let out in his battle fervor that made him such a horrific enemy to face.

The big cat raises the sidearm and focuses down the barrel at the human with the flag, "They killed me unborn son... Shot my mate in the womb knowing it wouldn't kill her, but they considered it a quick way to abort the problem we had created with our love. A bullet is cheaper than an abortion it appears." He lets even ounce of hate and anger fill his voice as he screams, "Tell me why I shouldn't return the favor to every soldier who raises a weapon against me? At least I only kill those who can fight back rather than innocent fetuses in their mothers' wombs."

The Major bows his head to the angry feline, "I know the feeling of loss. My own son died some years ago, not in the military, but in a stupid accident. No parent should ever have to outlive their child."

Goliath scowls and in a calmer voice responds, "At least you got to name your son, and watch him grow up. I never got that privilege. That joy was stolen from me and my mate."

The Major stares at the black figure framed against the flames that rise into the sky from burning structures behind him. The flag in his hands forgotten as he asks the simplest of questions, "What are you?"

Goliath lowers the pistol and growls, "We are the Mars Morph Corps. Transformed and kept secret for years. I'd advise you to tell your commanders that we will be free, and tell your government they can't keep us restrained anymore. We will be free, or die trying." He looks up into the sky as a pair of spotlights focus on the two groups, one on the three armored suits, and the other on the command car. He smirks and nods his head to the drop-ship hovering over them. Looking back down at the Major he points a warning finger at him, "The next time we are attacked, there will be no quarter. The Four Horsemen will ride across this city and burn it to the ground."

"Stand down soldier!" a voice that tries to carry authority shouts from behind the armored figures.

Goliath turns to see the half-dressed fat General being marched along by an unseen force. Phantom lets his natural cloaking fall and reveals himself, one armored hand clamped forcefully on the back of the man's neck. "Look what I found," he says with a soft voice that carries little emotion.

The fat man tries to pretend he is still in command as he shouts at the armored figure, "I said stand down soldier and surrender to these loyal troops."

The cougar turns his back on the Major and leaps to the ground and lands in front of the shaking man. He tilts his head as he notices the front of the General's pants turn a shade darker. "You caused this," he hisses at the human.

"And I'd do it again," the man says defiantly, spittle spraying on the black armor. "You've shown how dangerous you are to us, your masters. We can't let you breed uncontrolled. You still have that piece of pussy you knocked up, you should be thankful we didn't cut your balls off for that you oversexed beast. Hell, you should be happy we haven't nuked your base yet."

Goliath presses the barrel of his pistol against the man's forehead, "You tried that remember. But you had given us that nice little light cruiser to experiment with. Remember what happened to your prized fleet? When it faced the A-M rounds you had us test? I'm almost sorry for their deaths, because they died ignorant of how you sent them to their deaths."

The man gulps as he tries to hold onto the shred of his courage, "You don't scare me."

Goliath pops the seal on his visor and it flips open to let him stare down at the fat man, "Yes, I do." He closes his eyes as he inhales a deep breath of air, "I can smell the fear radiating off of you through every pore in your body." He smirks as he opens his eyes to study the man, "You've not only pissed yourself, you've shit yourself too I smell."

"You are nothing but terrorists," the man retorts.

Goliath nods, "I'm sure some historians will say that, but we both know the victors are the ones who get to label who is a terrorist and who is a freedom fighter. I'm betting on you not living to see the end of this war, so I don't think you'll get to label anyone anything."

He lowers the pistol and returns it to the holster, "I wouldn't waste a bullet on this sack of shit. Death, break his knees and leave him. He's not even worth taking with us."

Goliath turns away, his visor sealing him off from the stench of the man as Phantom kicks the fat man in the side of his knees and he screams as he falls to the ground.

Addressing the Major where he still stands in the spotlight he growls, "Learn from this. We can strike anywhere, anytime, and we are not to be trifled with." He looks up and sees the ramp of the drop-ship open to expose the darkened interior. Leveling his gaze at the Major he gives him a sloppy salute, "Good day, Major."

All four suits engage their jump jets and fly into the waiting drop-ship. The pair of turrets left behind glow with an intense heat as they slag themselves into fused piles of metal. The spotlight snaps off as the drop-ship tilts upwards and makes for orbit, none of the soldiers below has the stomach to fire on the departing warriors despite the screams of the General to, "Shoot them!"

Major Adam Wildcat looks up at the departing drop-ship and reaches for his radio, "Stand down and search for survivors."

The General screams in rage, "I said shoot that ship down Major!"

The Major walks up to the bleeding man as others race past and into the hellish scene around them, "Two years, my son was in a horrific accident about two and a half years ago General, remember that? You came to our home and told my wife and I how he was horribly mutilated in the crash. The body was so horribly burned that you insisted we not look at it and the funeral be a closed casket."

The General stares wide eyed as the Major draws his sidearm and points it between his eyes. "I want to know if my son was used for your experiments," he says with as calm a voice as he can muster.

The General sputters, "I... He..."

The Major cocks the hammer, "I want the truth, and I've learned to tell the truth when the subject is under stress from those lovely interrogations you've had be conduct." The man pauses, "Last chance General, is my son alive?"

The General hangs his head and starts to cry, "You just met him. Please... please don't..."

Major Adam Wildcat's face grows hard as iron, "General, you are under arrest for treason, illegal experimentation, kidnapping, and murder." He turns to an aide who came running from the car just in time to hear the General's confession, "Lieutenant, get the MPs. I need to call the President."

***

In the belly of the drop-ship Goliath sits on one of the two benches, his gatling-gun discarded and his helmet completely removed. He holds his head in his hands as the tears flow silently down his cheeks. The other three armored figures stand around their leader, their visors raised as they cast worried glances back and forth, unsure of how to help the feline who has been instrumental in the war for freedom over the last two years. Deadeye sets his rifle down and kneels in front of the big cat, a hand resting on the black armored shoulder, "It'll be ok big fella."

Goliath shakes his head, "You don't understand." He looks up into the ferret's eyes, his blue eyes red from the tears, "That Major; that was my father. How could I tell him? How could I explain it all?"

A door into the main flight deck opens and an athletic tigress steps into the compartment with four canteens. She passes them out to the other three and they take the high calorie drink with somber thanks. Tiara opens the last canteen and kneels in front of Goliath, her golden eyes begging the big cat without the need for words. He takes the metal canteen and downs the drink in several long swallows.

She takes a small unit from a pouch on her thigh and triggers the readouts from their suits, "You all need to get out of those walking tin cans soon. The suits may provide some nutrient, but you need real food and we'll be docking at the Ticonderoga in twenty minutes. I've already called ahead to have the mess prepare high calorie, high protein foods."

She reaches a hand up to caress the tan cheek of her mate, "Especially you. You eat more than a regiment of normal troops on a good day without the stress of combat." She smiles as she wipes a few of his tears away and leans in close, "Besides, I have a secret for you, daddy."

He jerks back and gripping her shoulders studies her in shock, his lip quivering. "Daddy?" he asks uncertainly. His voice barely above a whisper.

With a smile she nods and the others start to clap the armored behemoth on his back as he pulls the tigress in for a gentle bear-hug. The tears are again flowing, but this time, with joy.

***

James 'Saber' Storm is © his player (RIP my friend), Phantom is © Sinuke. All other characters unless otherwise stated are the property of Christopher Gilman. Story © Copyright Christopher Gilman 2002 all rights reserved

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