I grew up doing stuff nobody else would do.\u00a0 Rules were meant for breaking.\u00a0 \u201cBecause that\u2019s the way we do it\u201d was never the right answer for me.\u00a0 I wanted to chart new ground.\u00a0 I wanted to make my mark and do things my way.\u00a0 I went to War the same way.\u00a0 I never gave up, no matter how stupid or crazy I was.\u00a0 It\u2019s what we all did.\u00a0 We Cowboys.\u00a0 We were crazy.\u00a0 But if it\u2019s crazy and it works, it isn\u2019t really crazy, is it?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve got a mech,\u201d Jasmine said in a resigned tone.<\/p>\n
Jack cocked his head and listened for the tell tale sound.\u00a0 There it was.\u00a0 Thud.\u00a0 Thud.\u00a0 Thud.\u00a0 Thud.\u00a0 Chinese mechs were big, bad, ugly, and heavy.\u00a0 Modern ones had gravplating so they could walk quietly at need, but the Chinese believed in psychological warfare.\u00a0 They often ran the mechs heavy just to terrify the guys on the other side.\u00a0 Mechs weren\u2019t really the best war machines out there of course.\u00a0 Jack would take a tank over a mech any day of the week, but the human shapes of most mechs combined with the inhuman scale to make some truly terrifying weapons of war.<\/p>\n
\u201cGreat,\u201d Jack growled as the ground shook.\u00a0 \u201cI think I\u2019ll just hide over here.\u00a0 Can you handle it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will be my pleasure,\u201d Jasmine said in a confident tone.<\/p>\n
Jack couldn\u2019t see anything down in the ditch, but he blinked out a fast rhythm and a display opened up on his helmet showing him her Cerberus from one of the many sensor drones they had up.\u00a0 It looked like the mad offspring of tank and an Xtreme Racing League car.\u00a0 It bristled with weapons of course.\u00a0 Two heavy lasers.\u00a0 Several machine guns.\u00a0 A couple missile launchers.\u00a0 It had the works.\u00a0 But the Cerberus was designed for military efficiency rather than looks.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t need to have large flat panels for racing promoting signage.\u00a0 And it didn\u2019t need to look sleek and sexy for the toy car industry.<\/p>\n
The Cerberus was a killing machine and the armor plates hanging all over it told that story well.\u00a0 The armor began to move as he watched.\u00a0 It shifted as the forward armored carapace folded down towards the ground.\u00a0 Fenders shifted out of the way and arms folded down out of them.\u00a0 They lifted the Cerberus off the ground and the rear section split into a pair of legs longer than Jack was tall.\u00a0 The Cerberus took a knee, then stood up tall and began moving towards the ridge with a fluid grace that made exactly zero sound.\u00a0 Jasmine was running the gravplating high enough to reduce her weight to near zero.\u00a0 The Chinese would never feel her coming.<\/p>\n
\u201cGo get \u2019em girl,\u201d Jack said, his voice proud as she moved up the artificial hill.<\/p>\n
The Chinese mech thumped up the other side and crested the hill before her, trusting in its terrifying size to send its enemies running.\u00a0 Jasmine\u2019s Cerberus stopped just below it and swung her massive battle fists.\u00a0 Her first attack reached up and ripped one arm off, sending it flying back over the hill.\u00a0 Then she brought her leg up and kicked a leg out from underneath it.\u00a0 She tore the other arm off with a second swing but saved it from flying away with a double-handed grasp.\u00a0 She shifted her grip and swung the makeshift bat around to hit the mech like she was a major league hitter.\u00a0 It was a home run.\u00a0 The Chinese mech flew back over the ridge and the sound of it rolling and crashing down the other side was easy to hear.<\/p>\n
Then a massive boom echoed over the field of battle from the other side and Jasmine\u2019s Cerberus flew back off the ridge.\u00a0 One of her arms disintegrated as Jack watched and she crashed into the ground hard enough to send shockwaves through his feet.\u00a0 Rock and metal screamed as the mech slid across the ground until it stopped on the edge of the drainage ditch Jack hid in.\u00a0 He saw the smoke billowing out of the Cerberus with his own eyes.\u00a0 Armor plates hung in tatters, and some fell off to tumble down the three-meter sides of the drainage ditch.\u00a0 One of them crashed to a stop at his feet and he swallowed.\u00a0 Jasmine had been hit real bad.<\/p>\n
\u201cOw,\u201d Jasmine whispered.\u00a0 \u201cThat hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jack looked back up to her in wonder.\u00a0 \u201cWhat was that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have a tank,\u201d Jasmine reported and her Cerberus began to roll, trying to stand up again.\u00a0 \u201cAnd that was the type of penetrator that blew out my braincase,\u201d Jasmine added.\u00a0 \u201cOh.\u00a0 And those were the hackers that took out the AI.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d Jack asked, but shook the question out of his mind.\u00a0 \u201cAPC loads,\u201d he ordered as he came to his feet and reached down to grab his revolvers.\u00a0 The automatic loading system popped the loaded rounds out, reloaded them with Armor Piercing Cybernetic rounds, and Jack pulled both pistols off his leg holsters.<\/p>\n
\u201cWait!\u201d Jasmine shouted, but Jack just didn\u2019t have time to debate this in a committee.<\/p>\n
Taurian Arms of Odessa, Texas had been the official small arms manufacturer for the Republic of Texas since their reformation.\u00a0 They built everything from small end pistols to Gatling Series belt-fed autocannons.\u00a0 Their Bull Series revolvers, with what the Society of Creative Anachronism still called a .50 caliber barrel, was the traditional backup weapon for the entire Texas Guard.<\/p>\n
Jack brought the SCA-termed ten inch barrels up towards Jasmine\u2019s Cerberus and began pulling the triggers as fast as he could.\u00a0 Gouts of flame exploded out the barrels, and even the best recoil suppressors couldn\u2019t stop them from kicking like an angry mule.\u00a0 Like a mule was ever anything other than angry.\u00a0 Even Jack\u2019s improved muscles had trouble keeping the revolvers on target long enough to finish emptying the cylinders into the Cerberus.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou shot me!\u201d Jasmine shouted in outrage.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust being helpful,\u201d Jack answered with a smile.\u00a0 The very expensive Armor Piercing Cybernetic rounds carried the fully aware shard of a cybernetic intelligence, capable of anything that needed doing once delivered to the target.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh.\u00a0 Right.\u00a0 Thank you,\u201d Jasmine said in a more sheepish tone as Betty\u2019s shards penetrated the mech\u2019s electronic systems and joined her in fighting the Chinese hacker AIs.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy pleasure.\u00a0 I\u2019ll always be here to shoot you when you need it,\u201d Jack answered and slapped the revolvers back against the holsters again.\u00a0 A very slight hum told him they were holding the revolvers again and he let go.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, me too,\u201d Jasmine promised, and Jack shuddered.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t sure he liked that promise.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo\u2026what shot you?\u201d he asked as he put his hands back on the tank that they were really going to need now.<\/p>\n
\u201cA Wang Chung Five,\u201d she spat out and Jack\u2019s heart dropped.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know what the Chinese called it, but the tank the Alliance called the Wang Chung Five was one of the best out there.\u00a0 They had the guns to fight other tanks, the armor to survive anything short of a HALO bombardment, and the secondary weapons to take infantry units apart.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should run now,\u201d Natalie ordered as she stepped up to the edge of drainage ditch.\u00a0 He could hear the sound of gravplating on the other side of the far ridge, slowly lifting the bulky tank up it.<\/p>\n
\u201cNah,\u201d Jack answered, shaking his head.\u00a0 \u201cIf they want us dead, we won\u2019t be able to outrun one of those things.\u00a0 Our best bet is to take it down right here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou and what army, Boss?\u201d Jesse asked, his voice sounding dubious.<\/p>\n
\u201cBetty?\u201d Jack asked in hopes of good news.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot yet,\u201d Betty answered and dashed his hopes.<\/p>\n
Jack scowled.\u00a0 \u201cWell then.\u00a0 If I know my Chinese, they\u2019re feeling awful confident at the moment.\u00a0 They\u2019re gonna come up that ridge, they\u2019re gonna come down that ridge, and then they\u2019re gonna kill us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou do a real good job of summing that up, Boss,\u201d Jesse said, clearing his throat.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a veritable poet of death,\u201d Katy agreed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThanks,\u201d Jack answered with a chuckle.\u00a0 \u201cBut you see, I intend to put a crimp in that plan.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI like that idea,\u201d Katy said with a wince.<\/p>\n
\u201cMe too,\u201d Jesse added.<\/p>\n
\u201cGirls, open up with everything you got when it comes over the ridge,\u201d Jack ordered, looking back and forth between Natalie and Jasmine.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was sorta my plan,\u201d Natalie returned as her shoulder-mounted autocannons whirred above her.\u00a0 She tested the smaller machineguns in her hands too, but shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cNot that I expect it to help much you understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAh, but when he comes over that ridge, he\u2019ll be revealing his soft underbelly to us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a Wang Chung Five<\/em>,\u201d Jasmine growled.\u00a0 \u201cThere is<\/em> no weak underbelly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cComparatively speaking,\u201d Jack said with a wince.\u00a0 \u201cJust do what you can.\u00a0 And don\u2019t get killed doing it.\u00a0 You hear me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI hear you,\u201d Natalie answered.\u00a0 Then she laid down with her feet hanging into the drainage ditch, aiming herself and her weapons at the nearby ridge.<\/p>\n \u201cLoud and clear,\u201d Jasmine said and finished bringing her Cerberus back up onto its feet.<\/p>\n \u201cJesse?\u201d<\/p>\n Jesse turned to look down at Jack.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, Boss?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack jerked his head towards the Barghest.\u00a0 \u201cGet down here and help us with this tank.\u201d<\/p>\n Jesse frowned and glanced at Jasmine\u2019s mech.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s got most of my nannies already,\u201d he said in a doubtful tone.<\/p>\n \u201cAny bit will help,\u201d Jack returned and motioned towards the tank again.<\/p>\n \u201cSure thing, Boss,\u201d Jesse finally said and scrambled down into the drainage ditch.\u00a0 He stepped over one of Jasmine\u2019s steaming armored plates and came over to the Barghest.\u00a0 Then he looked up towards the two cybers holding the edge of the ditch.\u00a0 \u201cSo what now?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack glanced at the revolvers on Jesse\u2019s and Katy\u2019s hips.\u00a0 \u201cWe load up on APC rounds.\u201d<\/p>\n Jasmine\u2019s hologram flickered beside him and she shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cA Wang Chung Five\u2019s armor is too thick for those rounds to penetrate.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack smiled towards her and then up to Natalie.\u00a0 \u201cWhich is why I need you to two to do as much damage as you can to that underbelly.\u201d<\/p>\n Jasmine blinked several times and then nodded.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s actually a good plan.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack frowned at her.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t have to sound so surprised, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m<\/em> surprised,\u201d Katy said.<\/p>\n Jacked aimed a finger at her.\u00a0 \u201cHush, you.\u201d<\/p>\n Katy returned fire with an innocent smile.<\/p>\n Jack anted up with a raised eyebrow.<\/p>\n Katy shrugged and looked away as if there wasn\u2019t a thing to be worried about.<\/p>\n Jack pursed his lips at her.\u00a0 Then he returned his gaze to Jasmine\u2019s holoform.\u00a0 \u201cStay alive.\u00a0 Do as much damage as you can.\u00a0 Delay that tank as long as you can.\u201d<\/p>\n Jasmine\u2019s holoform looked at the tank.\u00a0 \u201cAnd if we can\u2019t do all three?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack followed her gaze and sighed.\u00a0 He had to remind himself that he\u2019d put the cybers on the firing line for a reason.\u00a0 \u201cDelay.\u201d<\/p>\n Jasmine\u2019s holoform looked up at her Cerberus with a sad smile.\u00a0 She knew what he meant.\u00a0 \u201cI understand.\u201d<\/p>\n Natalie\u2019s robotic avatar didn\u2019t move, but a holoform flickered into existence beside Jasmine\u2019s.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t look pleased, but she nodded very slowly.\u00a0 \u201cI understand as well.\u00a0 We will delay them as long as possible.\u201d\u00a0 The holoform looked at each of the three Cowboys in turn.\u00a0 \u201cYou may need to run though.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack smiled at her.\u00a0 \u201cI have faith in you.\u201d<\/p>\n Natalie turned back to him and shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t.\u00a0 I failed Louis.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack let out a long breath at the depressing turn in the conversation.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t really want to think about Louis right now.\u00a0 The man was dead.\u00a0 Jack didn\u2019t intend to follow him.\u00a0 But he understood Natalie.\u00a0 It was hard to get over the loss of a loved one.\u00a0 It was pretty much impossible actually.\u00a0 He took one hand off the tank and placed it on her holoform\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cA wise man once said \u2018It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose.\u2019\u201d\u00a0 Jack squeezed her shoulder almost hard enough to push through the holoform.\u00a0 \u201cYou did not fail.\u00a0 It was life.\u201d\u00a0 Then he smiled once more.\u00a0 \u201cYou will not fail here either.\u00a0 No matter the outcome.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wish I could believe you,\u201d Natalie whispered.<\/p>\n Jack felt his smile waver.\u00a0 This was really a bad time for a heart to heart.\u00a0 \u201cDo you trust me?\u201d<\/p>\n Natalie blinked several times before nodding.\u00a0 \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood,\u201d Jack said in an effort to cover his sigh of relief.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t like how long it had taken her to say that.\u00a0 It had been a mistake to push her into battle so soon after Epsilon Reticuli.\u00a0 It had been his<\/em> mistake.\u00a0 But he couldn\u2019t take it back now.\u00a0 \u201cThen turn yourself around and shoot to kill.\u00a0 We\u2019ll be right behind you.\u201d<\/p>\n Natalie met his gaze and nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYes, Sir.\u201d\u00a0 Then her holoform flickered out.<\/p>\n Jack shifted his eyes up to her robotic avatar for a moment.\u00a0 She looked ready for battle, but he knew now the thread that readiness rested on.\u00a0 He\u2019d never seen a cyber break in battle.\u00a0 He very much hoped this wouldn\u2019t be the day he did.\u00a0 He shifted his gaze to Jasmine and she returned a worried look.\u00a0 He smiled and turned back to the tank.\u00a0 Katy and Jesse met his eyes and the same worry filled their faces.<\/p>\n \u201cYippie ki-yay,\u201d Jack whispered and placed his hand back on the tank.<\/p>\n \u201cYippie ki-yay,\u201d they echoed as his displays showed their nannies\u2019 progress.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t going fast enough.<\/p>\n The telltale thump of mortars came from the other side of the cliff and Jack turned to see over a dozen rounds go up into the air and begin arcing back down towards them.<\/p>\n \u201cAh, hell.\u201d<\/p>\n Jasmine\u2019s Cerberus began firing into the air, point defense systems picking them off one by one. Then a single small turret next to Jack jerked into action and fired as well.\u00a0 It picked off the final two mortars several meters out and Betty gave an audible sound of approval.\u00a0 \u201cThere.\u00a0 Got that one working at least.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy pleasure.\u201d<\/p>\n A single point defense gun wouldn\u2019t be enough though.\u00a0 They needed that main gun or the Wang Chung Five would rip them apart.\u00a0 They only had one choice.\u00a0 \u201cOK, boys and girls.\u00a0 When that tank comes over the ridge, we fill her belly full of everything we have.\u00a0 Then<\/em> we scatter and run like scared little girls.\u00a0 Maybe it won\u2019t be able to track that many targets going in divergent directions and we can give Betty time to fix this gun.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBoss?\u201d Jesse began with a raised hand.\u00a0 \u201cPermission to run like a scared little boy<\/em> if you don\u2019t mind.\u201d\u00a0 Jack just smiled at him.\u00a0 And then time was up.<\/p>\n The tank came over the ridge and Natalie and Jasmine opened up with machineguns, lasers, and missiles, covering the armored nose with explosions.\u00a0 The air filled with more lasers and streams of projectiles, and missiles streaked between the combatants.\u00a0 Stray rounds ricocheted off the tank\u2019s armor, flying off into the sky or burning into the dirt.<\/p>\n The tank\u2019s nose came over the ridge, it came down, and the guns began to return fire.\u00a0 Machineguns and lasers streaked back at the cybers and the drainage ditch\u2019s rim exploded.\u00a0 Dust and explosions filled the air and obscured vision.\u00a0 Even the Hellhound\u2019s sensors had trouble seeing into the manmade hell of that firestorm and Jack squinted, hoping to see something.<\/p>\n Then Natalie\u2019s body flew backwards and fell into the ditch.\u00a0 Smoke rose from a dozen holes in her arms and torso.\u00a0 Her head was just gone, sparks emanating from the shattered body.\u00a0 Jasmine\u2019s Cerberus followed a second later, and her landing shook the ground around them.\u00a0 Both her arms were gone now, and several holes went straight through the armored chest.\u00a0 Jack swallowed and nodded towards Jesse.\u00a0 It was just about time.<\/p>\n \u201cGentleman,\u201d Jack said as the tank\u2019s gravplating maneuvered it towards the drainage ditch.\u00a0 Betty and Jasmine\u2019s holoforms flickered and he nodded towards them as well.\u00a0 \u201cLadies.\u201d\u00a0 He smiled at Katy.\u00a0 \u201cIt has been an honor and a pleasure.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRoger that, Boss,\u201d Katy returned.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got your back, Boss,\u201d Jesse added.<\/p>\n Wind whipped the dust away and sensors picked up the tank again as it moved forward with effortless grace.<\/p>\n Natalie\u2019s robotic body shifted and a holographic head appeared atop it.\u00a0 \u201cThat hurt,\u201d Natalie growled and pointed her one last working machinegun up towards where the tank would appear.<\/p>\n Then Jasmine\u2019s Cerberus sat up to aim what was left of her weapons at the drainage ditch\u2019s rim as well.\u00a0 Her holoform gave Jack a wry smile.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s finish this.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack nodded and pulled his hands from the tank.\u00a0 He stood up and brought his revolvers around.\u00a0 He held his stance, waiting for the tank to come, and then he saw it with his own eyes.<\/p>\n It was large.\u00a0 It was far larger than the Barghest.\u00a0 Armor plates heavier than cars protected its flanks, its nose could withstand nuclear explosions, and its upper armor could take orbital bombardments.\u00a0 It was the largest and most powerful land based machine of war Jack had ever seen in action.\u00a0 And its nose came over the lip of the drainage ditch like a promise.\u00a0 It would crush everything before it.<\/p>\n \u201cYippie ki-yay!\u201d Jack screamed in defiance and began pulling the triggers as fast as he could put the barrels back on target.\u00a0 Thunder echoed off the sides of the drainage ditch and machinegun tracers bounced off the tank\u2019s armor in a steady stream of useless fire.\u00a0 A heavy laser beam struck the underside and burned into it.\u00a0 Missiles flashed up into the tank and overpressure from the explosions washed over Jack.\u00a0 If not for the Hellhound armor so many explosions at such short range probably would have knocked him out.\u00a0 A shockwave unlike any other roared through the drainage ditch and Jack\u2019s eyeballs vibrated in his skull.\u00a0 His eardrums rang and his teeth chattered.\u00a0 Tears flowed from his eyes.<\/p>\n Hammers locked back on empty cylinders and Jack, Katy, and Jesse didn\u2019t move a muscle as the wreckage between the Barghest and the Wang Chung Five erupted in flames and thunder.\u00a0 The tank\u2019s gravplating died, a gout of flame tore into the sky, and the tank fell hard, sliding down the side of the drainage ditch and creating a miniature avalanche of loose rock and dirt.\u00a0 It crashed into the ground in front of the Barghest and the ground rumbled around them.<\/p>\n \u201cYes!\u201d Natalie and Jasmine shouted in triumph.<\/p>\n \u201cNo!\u201d Betty shouted in distress and Jack turned to see the Barghest\u2019s main cannon smoking.\u00a0 \u201cNo, no, no, no, no!\u201d Betty repeated and Jack let out the first of many breaths he\u2019d thought he just might never have again.\u00a0 \u201cI burned out the capacitors with that shot.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack looked back and forth between the two tanks.\u00a0 If that Wang Chung Five started moving again, it wasn\u2019t going to be fun.\u00a0 \u201cCan you fix them?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot a chance.\u00a0 I\u2019m dead in the water now.\u00a0 Even gravplating is out.\u201d\u00a0 A bank of mortars shifted and rotated to face towards the Chinese tank.\u00a0 \u201cWell.\u00a0 Except for these.\u00a0 I can fire these until I run out of ammo.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack spared a moment to study the Chinese tank.\u00a0 He\u2019d never stood so close to a real one before, and now he understood why they were so feared.\u00a0 The main turret carried a barrel longer than he was tall, but it was ruined now, smoke pouring out of a hole riven through the turret.\u00a0 Dozens of smaller turrets hung off the sides and front of the tank, and he could see a canted missile battery on the rear of the tank.\u00a0 Mortar launchers on either side of it just added even more fun to the mix.<\/p>\n Nothing was moving.<\/p>\n \u201cBetty?\u201d<\/p>\n Betty\u2019s holoform walked up to him and smiled.\u00a0 \u201cIts dead.\u00a0 I got a shot off through the soft underbelly.\u00a0 Shock blew out most of the computer and power systems.\u00a0 APC rounds got penetration too.\u00a0 We\u2019ve got what remains locked up hard.\u201d\u00a0 Then several mortar launchers twitched.\u00a0 \u201cOooh.\u00a0 We\u2019ve got control,\u201d Betty said before he could jump out of his skin at the unexpected movement.\u00a0 \u201cMain guns are out, but I think we\u2019ve got missiles too.\u201d\u00a0 The missile doors opened.\u00a0 \u201cYup.\u00a0 Got missiles too.\u00a0 We can bring the pain.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHold that thought,\u201d Jack said as he saw Natalie standing back up.\u00a0 Her robotic avatar was riddled with holes, and her head was still just totally gone.\u00a0 Holofields did wonderful things to make her look closer to normal, but he could tell where reality and holo met.\u00a0 She smiled at him and he nodded back.\u00a0 Then he turned to Jesse and Katy.\u00a0 There was an important problem he had to take care of.\u00a0 \u201cFox?\u00a0 Cat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, Boss?\u201d Jesse and Katy answered in unison.<\/p>\n \u201cI distinctly remember ordering you two to run for it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSee, I sorta thought if I stayed behind to slow them down, you two might get away,\u201d Katy said, her tone chastened.<\/p>\n \u201cMe too,\u201d Jesse added in a matching tone.<\/p>\n \u201cRight,\u201d Jack growled, trying not to show just how much their loyalty meant to him.\u00a0 Even if it would have completely destroyed his<\/em> plan to slow the Chinese down for them.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll remember your insubordination in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDidn\u2019t figure you\u2019d forget, Boss,\u201d Katy whispered.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry, Boss,\u201d Jesse said in a tone that put the lie to his words.<\/p>\n \u201cRight.\u201d\u00a0 The sound of metal grinding on rock caught his attention and Jack turned to see Jasmine\u2019s Cerberus rolling over.\u00a0 She used her legs to rotate the mech to the tipping point, since her arms were gone, and then she began to transform.\u00a0 Gears ground, warped armor snapped and pinged off nearby wreckage.\u00a0 Jack ducked as a piece of shrapnel whizzed by overhead.\u00a0 And then the mech fell to the ground again as its chest rotated back up to form the craft\u2019s nose.\u00a0 Legs folded into the rear section, but huge gaps showed where the arms were supposed to be.\u00a0 The nose was savaged of course, and more holes shown clear through.\u00a0 But one laser cannon, a machinegun, and her missile launchers looked like they could still fire.<\/p>\n The Cerberus lay on the ground for several seconds as Jack watched, and then a slight gravitic hum set his teeth on edge.\u00a0 The gravplating was horribly out of tune but the Cerberus lifted off the ground and held position.\u00a0 Jasmine still had a working war machine.\u00a0 For certain values of working.<\/p>\n Jack shook his head and licked his lips.\u00a0 \u201cSo, now that we have two busted up tanks, one busted up mech, and one busted up robot, what are we going to do about the rest of the Chinese?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat was their last tank,\u201d Jasmine said.\u00a0 \u201cWe can take the rest of them.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack considered that for a moment.\u00a0 They had three working Hellhounds at least.\u00a0 Add the busted up stuff against everything the Chinese had left.\u00a0 Along with whatever else was still fighting out there.\u00a0 It was a real good thing Jack didn\u2019t believe in fair fights.\u00a0 \u201cDiamond formation.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll take point,\u201d Natalie stated with a determination that dared anyone to disagree.<\/p>\n Jack opened his mouth and she frowned at him.\u00a0 \u201cBut you\u2019re damaged!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I\u2019m still faster, stronger, and more damage resistant than you,\u201d Natalie said.<\/p>\n Jack raised both hands in surrender and nodded for her to begin.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter me,\u201d Natalie ordered and turned.<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u00a0 After me,\u201d Jasmine countered and began moving her damaged Cerberus towards the hill.<\/p>\n Jack smiled at Natalie, daring her to disagree.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t gloat,\u201d was her only answer as she turned to follow Jasmine.<\/p>\n \u201cContinuous fire, random vectors, all mortars, now,\u201d Jack ordered and stepped in behind her as Jesse and Katy held his flanks.<\/p>\n \u201cRoger that,\u201d the cybers echoed and mortars began flying into the air.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got you, Boss,\u201d Jesse said from his left.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll protect you, Boss,\u201d Katy added from his other side with a wry smile.<\/p>\n Jack chuckled and picked up his pace to keep up with the two cybers.<\/p>\n Mortar rounds filled the air and the Cerberus crested the ridge.\u00a0 Machineguns chattered, lasers hissed, and missiles screamed towards the Chinese as the mortars rained down.\u00a0 Explosions rocked the world and Jack followed Natalie over the ridge to look at a scene straight out of Hell.\u00a0 The vast plains were filled with the shattered hulks of tanks, jeeps, and other machines of war.\u00a0 Fire rained down, tracers bounced off armor or tore through flesh, and men stumbled between the wreckage as they tried to find cover.<\/p>\n Jack\u2019s shoulder-mounted machinegun came to life, searching out targets in the distance.\u00a0 He brought his arms up and swung their much smaller machineguns across the Chinese.\u00a0 The Cowboys echoed his motions and death walked through the Chinese ranks.\u00a0 More streams of death opened up from the north, west, and south as Jack\u2019s systems began to log status reports of other Alliance soldiers no longer hiding from that tank.\u00a0 Soon dozens of soldiers added their bullets, lasers, or mortars to the assault.\u00a0 Then hundreds.\u00a0 Then Jack\u2019s little force began to walk down into the manmade Hell, preceded by mortar and missile fire, and death began its reign.<\/p>\n It was a sight one Captain Jack Hart would never forget as long as he lived.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I grew up doing stuff nobody else would do.\u00a0 Rules were meant for breaking.\u00a0 \u201cBecause that\u2019s the way we do it\u201d was never the right answer for me.\u00a0 I wanted to chart new ground.\u00a0 I wanted to make my mark[…]↓ Read the rest of this 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