Free Hybrid Saga 01 - Hybrid by S M Briscoe Page A

Orna up the ramp, remaining behind as cover for them.
    The patrol ships were still hovering over the outpost, taking shots at those fleeing the ground based troops inside the compound. Around the dock, he saw more ships attempting to lift off in the commotion. Outnumbering the few patrol ships, some were managing to escape.
    A nearby explosion shook the docking ring and Jarred leaned against his own rattling ship for support. He looked around to find the source of the explosion and saw a Sumarian trooper less than twenty meters away, firing magnetic mines at any ships attempting to lift off the deck. Being blown out of the sky by one of those wouldn’t help matters. Jarred turned from the ramp and stealthily made his way out towards the trooper.
    The Sumarian was taking aim on another ship, following it as it began to rise up off of the deck. He seemed to be laughing to himself as he readied for a shot. Jarred came up behind the trooper quickly, raising the launcher’s firing tube straight up and pulling the weapon off his shoulder as he used one foot to half kick, half shove him forward. Stunned, the Sumarian turned to at Jarred, a confused expression on his face. His eyes seemed to grow to twice their normal size when he saw that he was staring directly into the barrel of his own launcher. He managed to blink before Jarred pulled the trigger, launching him, along with the mine projectile, across the deck of the docking ring, sending him crashing into a group of Gnolith troops.
    Jarred watched as the troopers got themselves back on their feet, barking confused and angry questions at their fallen comrade. Amazingly, he’d survived the blast and the crash, probably due to his heavy body armor. The same armor he was now desperately trying to pry the magnetic mine from while barking a nonsensical explanation to his comrades. They seemed to catch on just in time for the mine’s spectacular detonation.
    Jarred turned around, raising the launcher to his shoulder, and taking aim on the closest patrol ship, he fired off another of the magnetic projectiles. The mine stuck to the hull of the patrol ship as it came about, firing on a group of unarmed civilians below. In a spectacular display, the ship exploded, sending wreckage out in all directions.
    Dropping the launcher, Jarred turned and ran back to his ship, striding up the ramp and sealing it behind him. Making his way to the flight deck, where the others were already waiting, he threw himself into the pilot’s seat, quickly running through the freighter’s startup and launching sequences. The engines whined in protest, slowly sputtering to life. Very slowly. Energy bolts passed back and forth through the front viewport from the fire fight still raging outside, a constant reminder of their need to make a speedy retreat.
    “Strap yourselves in,” Jarred ordered, once the engines had finally warmed to the point that he could manage dust off. “This won’t be a smooth exit.”
    Everyone did as he suggested, Ethan buckling himself into the seat closest to Jarred’s, grinning excitedly.
    Working the controls, Jarred raised the ship off of the deck, maneuvering it around. Almost immediately, the freighter was rocked by a number of incoming laser blasts. System alarms began wailing in protest as Jarred struggled to regain control of the lurching ship. They were rocked again by more blasts and he cursed to himself, putting the craft into a slow turn. Much slower than it was capable of. The ship lurched around in a circle, which Jarred hoped would give his attackers the impression that they were dead in the air.
    The attacking patrol ship seemed to take the bait, its attack ceasing as it lowered down into a position directly in front of the freighter.
    “Look!” Elora cried, pointing at it through the viewport.
    “I see it,” Jarred replied, calmly. He kept the ship steady, maintaining its look of helplessness. Keeping up the facade was a lot harder than it looked, the old