Free Freedom Vs. Aliens (Aliens Series Book 3) by T. Jackson King

mask looked to him as he arrived.
    “Captain Jack?” called Mabry, his tone anxious.
    “Yup. You folks ready to follow?”
    The man turned away from him to focus on the skylight. The thermoplastic pane had been cut loose and was being held by four marines until the signal to toss it aside for entry by them all. “Of course. We shoot anyone with a weapon, right?”
    “Right,” Jack said, moving up to the waist-high edge of the skylight. “You all have infrared images of my sister Cassie. She is as tall as you, Lieutenant. Comes from growing up in micro-gee. And she is quick as a bee. If you can take out her four guards, and laser cut her straps, she will hit the floor and slither away faster than you can blink.”
    “Good. Exit plan?”
    Jack felt the hands of Max and Ignacio grip his shoulders. “As discussed before we left Bismarck . Use the grenade launchers on your rifles to blow a hole in the hangar door of the middle bay. I’ll call our lander to come down just outside the hangar. There are dual laser mounts on the lander which I can voice direct if needed. Or Maureen can do it.”
    She snorted from the right of Jack. “I’ll take care of the lander lasers. You get that sister of yours and move her outside quick! While I expect Narváez’s marine guards to be distracted by the loss of lights and our lasers, they are trained as well as Lt. Mabry’s people. Try to keep students between you and any academy guard!”
    Jack gripped the skylight edge with one hand, reached up with the other gloved hand to pull on the lanyard and then hoisted himself to stand at the edge. Maureen’s enviro-suited form was already there, balancing on the edge, one hand holding onto her lanyard while the other already held her laser rifle pointed downward.
    “Now!” Jack yelled.
    The four marines tossed the skylight pane to one side.
    “Lights out!” Mabry called to his ground level marine.
    He stepped out and down just as the brightly lit factory went dark. Pulling his .45 revolver from its holster, he aimed it downward.
    Dozens of red people shapes glowed in the vision plate of the face mask. Most were placed randomly across the floor of the central bay. But off to one side were four red bioshapes. They surrounded a fifth bioshape that was smaller. Cassie!
    “Firing!” called Maureen from beside him as she reached halfway to the floor.
    The green beam of her laser streaked out and hit the head of one of the four guards. Two other laser beams shot down from above as Mabry’s marines followed Maureen’s example. He aimed his revolver at the fourth guard, setting the gun’s laser designator on the guard’s head.
    “ Boom! ” went the revolver.
    Other booms filled the bay area as Max and Ignacio shot at red bodyforms that also had a UV glow indicating a laser weapon.
    The four guards fell away from the seated heat glow of Cassie. Who now bent down, trying to keep below the level of laser and bullet fire. Smart girl!
    Jack’s feet hit the hard concrete. He snapped loose the waist latch and headed for his sister. Four people glows stood between him and Cassie. None of them were armed. He dodged around them, covering the ten meters to his sister nearly as fast as Maureen, whose heat image was to his right.
    “ Boom! Boom! Crack! ” sounded shots from the revolvers carried by Maureen, Max and Ignacio.
    Bodies fell twenty meters ahead, below the metal walkway that stood between their bay and the bay on the other side of Cassie. Purple glowing weapons fell to the floor.
    Green laser beams shot toward Jack and his people. Nearby screams said academy people had been hit. Fifty meters away in the far bay were six red bodyforms running toward him, Maureen, Cassie and his buddies. Each held a purple weapon. One shape lifted its laser rifle and shot toward Jack.
    Rather, toward Cassie.
    “Owww!” she screamed.
    Green laser beams filled the sky above him as three Mars marines shot down at the oncoming marines. Who clearly wore