Sort of Legal Ch. 13

Alphabet jumped into the driver seat rocking the whole vehicle, "Ready?" he yelled.

"We're running?" Ginger asked.

"Yes, we fucking are!" Ronan said punching the Moggie out from the cammo net and heading towards the pod.

the other Moggie did likewise, both crested the rise as the headed towards the pod to pick up Mack and Ronan.

They pulled to a stop in a cloud of dust Mack and Ronan piling onto the back of the truck, as soon as they were on board Alphabet punched the moggie forward again.

"They're coming in on 2700!" Alphabet screamed.

Ginger slewed her gun to approximately the right direction and strained her eyes to try and spot the incoming drop ships.

Mack got into the gun ring beside her and tracked his gun in the same general direction. He nodded to Ginger as he scanned the sky.

"You got a destination?" Ronan screamed over the wind at Alphabet.

"Yeah, boss, five clicks, some rocks and shit, hopefully a cave," he yelled back urging the light weight truck to speed up.

"Incoming!" Mack yelled, readying his gun again.

"Yeah I see 'em" Ginger yelled spotting the small black flecks in the sky.

"Rodger that, hold fire, don't do anything to piss them off, they may just want the pod and run," Ronan yelled.

One of the flecks suddenly blossomed into flame and crashed into the desert, from behind another fleck pulled up heading out into space.

"Invincible says they are out of position to support, a lot of shit flying up there I think, we're on our own!" Alphabet said relaying the message from orbit.

"One just went down, I can't see how many there are," Mack yelled.

"OK keep cool, we'll be at the rocks soon, we'll abandon the moggie and find what cover we can and make a stand there," Ronan shouted.

"Copy that!" Ginger yelled tracking the black flecks as they grew larger.

The dust made it hard to see as Alphabet drove the moggie as fast as he could hoping to reach the rocks before the drop ships caught them. Mack and Ginger watched as the ugly squat drop ships grew larger shockingly fast.

"You think we're gonna make it?" She asked.

Mack raised his eyebrows and shrugged.

Bright bolts of laser fire slammed into the ground less that fifty meters from the other patrols moggie.

"Fuck!" Ginger yelled, she checked the sights again, they were still out of range, but the drop ships were closing fast.

"Yeah get ready," Mack said settling himself down behind his gun.

"Looks like they're landing, slow down a bit," Ronan said, Ginger looked over her shoulder to see him standing precariously looking back over Mack's shoulder with the binoculars.

"Fuck, blow it now, if one gets hurt them may just fuck off," Mack yelled.

"Yeah, good call," Ronan said.

Looking back the pod suddenly erupted into flame and smoke as the explosives were detonated.

"Fuck staying around to find out, punch it Alphabet," Rona yelled sitting back down in his seat.

The moggie surged forward again, Ginger risked a glance over her shoulder, she could see the rocks hey were heading for, the seemed so close and yet so far away.

"Crap, stay frosty! They're airborne!" Mack yelled, the two remaining drop ships took off, ominously they swivelled round till they were facing the retreating moggies, the noses dipped, and they rushed forwards in pursuit.

Ginger swallowed as the noses of the drop ships rose as the charge after the retreating moggies.

"Come on you bucket of shit!" Alphabet yelled, the Moggie bouncing over the rough terrain as he aimed for the outcrop of rocks.

"Ginger! Aim well above them, try to get them to fly into the rounds!" Mack yelled lifting the barrel of the machine gun and letting lose with a long burst.

Ginger watched as the rounds fell well short of the drop ships, suddenly she understood.

"Like fire an arc?" she yelled aiming her gun up into the sky.

"yeah, if we get it right we might hit something," Mack called back sending another steam of rounds back.

The drop ships let loose a torrent of laser fire, rounds creeping closer and closer to the retreating Moggies, Alphabet jinking the small truck from side to side kicking up more dust, hoping to delay the fatal shot.

"Concentrate on the left hand one!" Ginger screamed over the noise of the wind, Mack nodded and adjusted his aim slightly.

Taking turns to fire they sent rounds arcing through the air trying to time them right, not caring that they were burning through their ammunition at a frightening rate.

"Fuck yes!" Mack said as the saw some of the rounds finally hit the cockpit and knock some lumps off, they fluttered away like confetti, it didn't seem to effect the drop ship one bit as it continued its charge. Seconds later Ginger's rounds hit home too, more debris being knocked off the ship as it closed, they could see the cock pit window had been shattered buy their rounds, desperately they continued firing, India seven seven adding fire to the damaged ship. Despite the rounds they landed on target the ships continued to close the distance, the return fire coming closer and closer.

"Out! Out!" Ronan screamed before the Moggie had even stopped fully, Ginger grabbed her rifle and jumped over the side, rolling as she hit the floor, springing to her feet she raced for the rocks.

She ducked as the dropships destroyed the moggies, ammunition cooking off and explosives detonating.

"Here, too me!" Someone yelled, Ginger changing course towards the voice, more laser fire kicking up clouds of dust as she ran.

Sprinting as fast as she could she saw a head and shoulders poking above the ground the figure waved and started firing at the dropship. Pushing herself faster Ginger neared the figure, Alphabet was standing in a chest deep crevasse in the rocks, she dived for it and slid head first over the edge. Mack barrelling in on top of her.

"Fuck, get your asses up! Come on!' Alphabet yelled over the sound of gunfire, Ginger and mack untangled themselves, Ginger peaking over the lip of the crevasse, the drop ship roared overhead, Alphabet throwing himself down and out of the line of fire at the last moment. Ginger watches as it circled round the outcrop, lining up for another pass.

"Where's Ronana?" Mack yelled.

"Didn't see him since we jumped," Alphabet said.

"Me neither," Ginger said she watched the drop ship come around and line up with their position. She set her rifle on the edge and watched through the scope, the ship was the one they had damaged, the two pilots visible through the shattered windscreen their unmistakable Kintark faces clear through the scope as the started the run in.

Laser bolts chewed up the ground closing in towards their position. Ginger took a deep breath and looked through the scope, she shut everything else out as she took aim at one of the pilots, his scaled face filling her scope, the crosshairs right on the tip of his nose.

Ginger squeezed the trigger once, the rifle cycled through collecting the next round, more laser fire smashed into the ground in front of her, she pulled three more times rapidly.

"Get down!" Alphabet yelled from behind her pulling her back into the crevasse as the laser fire closed in on her.

Ginger looked up at the sky the dropship blotting the sky out as it raced overhead.

"Well did you hit him?" Alphabet asked.

"Fuck knows, but he'll need fresh underpants if I didn't!" she said.

"Shit, looks like Seven seven are taking it hard!" Mack said looking over the lip.

Ginger and Alphabet peaked over the edge, India seven seven hadn't been so lucky with the cover they found. They were clustered behind some rocks in a much more exposed position. The other drop ship was able to run in and they saw one body cartwheel through the air.

"Mother fuckers!" Mack swore.

"its coming for another pass, get ready!" Alphabet yelled.

They watched as the drop ship came in on a different angle, trying to fly along the crevasse, hoping to get a better angle.

"Wanna try again?" Mack asked as they took cover.

"Got nothing else to do," Ginger shrugged poking her head and rifle over the end of the crevasse scoping in the drop ship was easy, she peered into the cockpit, one of the pilots was slumped forward, she shifted aim to the other pilot, he was snarling his anger as he bored down on them.

"Cover me!" Ginger yelled, Mack and Alphabet opened up with their light machine guns at the drop ship, Ginger placed the crosshairs on his snarling mouth, she squeezed the trigger and grimaced in annoyance as she saw one of Mack or Alphabets rounds clip the pilots helmet a second before her round would have hit him. The drop ship pitched up clawing for altitude as the injured pilot decided what to do. Ginger hoped he'd bleed out quickly.

"Fuck! Seven seven are going to get over run, we gotta help!" Alphabet yelled.

Mack and Ginger shifted position, so they could see the other patrol, they were pulled back defensively, the remaining three, behind the rocks. The other drop ship had landed and already several Kintark troopers were advancing.

"Got a few already," Mack said, a couple of the Kintark soldiers were sprawled out on the ground already.

"OK we do what we can, Alphabet, see if you can get Invincible, let them know the score, and keep and eye on the other dropship. Ginger start tagging some of these cunts, we'll do what we can," Mack said grimly.

"Copy that," Alphabet said scanning their surroundings as he tried the radio.

"I'll hold fire, they may not hear you," Mack said setting the light machine gun up on the bipod.

"Copy that boss," Ginger said with a wink. She set her own rifle on the bipod and scoped one of the soldiers, he was moving to flank India Sven seven. His back exposed.

She squeezed the trigger, the lizard man sagged and slumped against the rock.

Shifing aim she spotted what looked to her like an officer, waving his arms and directing the troops.

"I love shooting officers," Ginger grinned squeezing the trigger sending the Kintark officer some bad news.

The officer jerked forward, Ginger smiled, before she shifted her aim the lizard man looked round at her position.

"Fuckers got armour!" Mack yelled, he opened fire with the light machine gun, the rounds slamming into the officer, more than enough of them cutting him down.

"They're still out of position to support," Alphabet said, "They don't know how long till they can help."

"Fucking hell," Mack screamed as the Kintark troops realised they were being fired on from the flank. They shifted so they had cover from India one nine as the closed-on India Sven sevens position.

Gingers rifle spat as she took down another of the attackers evening the odds as best she could.

"Anyone seen Ronan?" she asked not taking her eye from the scope.

"Nothing," Alphabet said looking around their position.

Laser fire crashed around their position from further up on the outcrop.

"Get down!" Mack yelled dragging Ginger with him.

"Fuckers must have landed on the peak or something," Alphabet said as the huddled in the crevasse.

"Yep, ok, we gotta move, they'll have for fend for themselves," Mack said. He began crawling up the crevasse towards the Kintark advance, the lips of the crevasse closed in till there was only a small gap overhead.

Alphabet and Ginger followed on, a few meters in Mack held his finger to his lips indicating they should be quiet. Looking up thought the gap the noticed a few fast-moving shadows flit past, more laser fire smashing into their former position.

"Move your asses, we're behind them!" Mack hissed urgently, the three of them ran as fast as they could the crevasse opening up more as the raced pell-mell through it.

The crump of grenades made them glance back, the Kintark troops assaulting the position Inda one nine had been sheltering in.

"Come, on, ain't gonna take them long to figure out we're gone," Mack urged.

They sprinted up the canyon as fast as they could, the sky a thin sliver above them as they twisted round the bends.

"Hold on!" Ginger hissed.

They stopped suddenly, quickly Ginger pulled out a grenade and set up with a trip wire.

"I like your style," Alphabet said setting another one.

With the grenades set they sprinted off, they set another one, this one with the wire at a different height.

"Save the rest," Mack said seeing Ginger pull another grenade out, she put it away again.

Hearing shouting echoing through the cavern they raced on hoping something would turn up, they twisted and turned as the followed the cavern.

"Man, this is a perfect killing ground we gotta get out before they trap us," Alphabet said.

"Yeah I hear you," Mack said.

An explosion and a scream of pain behind them gave them a moments pause.

"Hope that slows them down," Ginger grinned.

"Yeah but they know we're here now," Mack said grimly as they raced on.

The second grenade detonated, but no one screamed, the third detonated the retort booming through the canyon a blood curdling scream filling the small space for a few seconds before cutting off abruptly.

Bright sunlight filled the canyon ahead of them, the three slowed down till they could peak round the final bend, Mack crawling on his belly for a look.

"Fuck me, look at that," he said and pulled back.

"What is it?" Ginger asked, the sound of the pursuing Kintark troops could be heard a few minutes behind them.

"The drop ship, its landed, right there! Looks like they're fixing up the pilots," Mack said with a grin.

'We gotta fuck it up," Ginger said flatly.

"You are fucking psyco," Alpahbet said, "I like it."

Mack grinned devilishly, "Fuck it, up the middle death or glory," he said.

"Stop talking old man," Alphabet said stepping around the corner, the dropship was there the three remaining Kintark troopers applying first aid to the pilot, who was leaning against the side of the craft in the shade.

Alphabet, Ginger and Mack were on them on a second, the troops looked round in surprise reaching from rifles they were cut down in a hail of gunfire, the pilot catching a few ending his life on the dusty dry planet.

Each of them tossed a grenade into the back of the ship, they ducked back as they detonated, black smoke billowing from the open ramp.

Alphabet laughed as he tossed another into the cockpit.

"Well you gotta be sure," he said with a smile.

"Ok let's move, we got the advantage, lets get up the cliff a little we may be able to kill the rest of these assholes when they come out," Mack said pointing back the way they came. As fast as they could they pulled themselves up the hot rock face, hunting for a platform to attack, or maybe even some cover.

Mack motioned them to hold position, the clung to the surface as best they could and readied their weapons, seeing Mack pull out a grenade Ginger drew her two remaining ones and waited.

Shouting from below drew their attention, Kintark troops ran from the canyon mouth, towards the drop ship, Ginger dropped her grenades, one ran over one, the trooper following him taking the full force of the grenade sending his body tumbling away, fragments from the grenades peppering the remaining troops, Alphabet laying fire on the one standing in open ground cutting him down quickly.

"Go! Up!" Mack yelled, the three of them scrambling desperately to make it to the top and pull themselves over onto the top of the cliff.

"Come on, move!" Mack yelled pulling Alphabet over the edge, Ginger dashed to the edge of the crevasse and fired down on the troops below.

Seeing an outcrop of outcrops ahead she leapt over the gap, "This way!" she yelled not looking back.

Blasts of laser fire clipped the edge of the cliff hurrying them on further. Ginger led them to a higher outcrop of rocks, large jagged boulders with plenty of cover, a large flat-topped rock covering them from above. She skidded in and threw herself down facing back the way they'd come.

Mack and Alphabet leapt behind cover quickly the three marines established a defensive perimeter. They scanned out over the plateau.

"Alphabet, try Invincible again, tell them 'sundown'" Mack said giving them the code word for troops about to be over run.

"Fuck, never thought I'd hear that, ok give me a minute," Alphabet said ducking down and starting work on the radio.

Ginger took a deep breath and carried on scanning the surrounding ground for targets.

"That bad?" she asked Mack.

"Look at it this way, target rich environment, and complete freedom of fire," Mack said with a grin.

"True," she said.

"Got any coffee on you?" Mack asked.

"Yeah, course," Ginger said pulling out a can of the self-heating coffee.

"Now's as good a time as any," Mack said. Ginger popped the tab and they waited for it to heat.

"Invincible acknowledges and says hold tight, but nothing is actually inbound, yet," Alphabet said taking a swig of the coffee as they passed it round.

"Ok so we sit tight, I can see a way out from here, so we stay and fight, cool?" Mack said. Ginger and Alphabet nodded grimly.

"How long till they find us do you think?" Ginger asked.

"Well, if they're smart they'll sort themselves out and do a pass with the dropship, see if they can find us, then, I don't know, maybe ten fifteen minutes," Mack shrugged.

The three of them pulled back from the edge, sitting with their backs to the rocks handing round the last can of coffee as they waited.

None of them moved as the shadow of the drop ship circled round overhead ominously.

"Well here they are," Mack said a few minutes later when they could hear voices.

"Nothing from the big bird," Alphabet said after checking in with the Invincible again.

"Ah, fuck it, twenty years in the Marines was too long anyway," Ginger said.

"Yeah, fuck the pension," Mack said quickly checking his light machine gun.

"You assholes are too ugly for me to put up with anyway," Alphabet said checking his own gun.

The patrol shared a final fist bump and settled behind their weapons.

"Wait for me to open up," Mack said.

They waited, the kintark troops sweeping over the plateau looking for the patrol.

"Drop the officers if you can G, then support weapons," Mack whispered.

"Yeah I love shooting officers," Ginger whispered back.

The enemy troops closed in slowly, the outcrop was really the only serious cover for a good few hundred meters, sooner or later they would be discovered.

Ginger swept the troops looking for anyone who looked like he was in command. She found one, larger that the others waving his arms and shouting occasionally.

"I see you mother fucker," Ginger said softly taking the first pressure on the trigger, the cross hairs on his nostril.

"Take the cunt," Mack whispered. Without hesitation Ginger squeezed the trigger, the round punching straight up his nostril, blowing out the back of his head.

The troops shouted in confusion, the axis shifted and they started moving towards the patrol in controlled bounds.

"Got skills, I give them that," Alphabet acknowledged.

Ginger fired again and another lizard man dropped, blood and brains pooling around his prone body.

Withering fire began peppering the patrols position as her shot confirmed their position.

"Light 'em up!" Mack said sending short burst from his machine gun towards the attacking troops.

Alphabet joined in, short controlled burst co-ordinating his fire with Mack so a steady stream of fire was out down on the kintark troops.

Rapidly the lizard men advanced, Ginger taking single controlled shots most connecting with the targets, desperately she slammed another magazine home as she returned to scan the line.

"Where is that fucking drop ship?" Alphabet wondered.