Free Spacer Clans Adventure 2: Naero's Gambit by Mason Elliott Page A

this. Get back to the ship. Everyone load up on squad weapons, grenades, and shield units. When these ships go up, we’re taking these bastards down.
    No objections.
    Her people knew what was going to happen, and they were ready to fight.
    Already the Ejjai fought with each other over the kids, and especially any pregnant women or babies. While the rest of the troops began separating the adult males and females and the old.
    Agonizing seconds later, both the enemy meatship and the enemy domeships exploded, just as victims were being driven up the ramps.
    Multiple grenade strikes rocked the packed Ejjai forces, adding to the dismay and utter confusion.
    Naero and her fire team uncloaked, putting as many of the colonists behind them and their squad weapons as they could. Each of them unleashed a storm of point-blank automatic fire right into the teeth and face of the Ejjai, mowing them down.
    Civilians of any age who could pick up a fallen Ejjai weapon did so and joined the desperate fight, rallying around the Spacers.
    From a high, clear vantage point, Tarim remained cloaked , under Naero’s orders.
    He and his advanced, silent sniper rifle picked off enemy stragglers, officers, or any foes among the colonists who tried to pop up and attack.
    For the moment they had saved most of the remaining colonists and swept the field.
    But the remaining bulk of the enemy would quickly regroup.
    “Get the children and anyone who can ’t fight back into those tunnels!” Naero shouted. “Everyone who can fight, grab a weapon and hold the line. Help is on the way. We need to hold this position for as long as we can!”
    “Incoming armor on the scanners, converging on this position!” Pasaendra yelled. “Gravtanks and gunships. Get those shield generators online or we ’re dead.”
    The shields went up just before the first barrage hit them.
    Anything out in the open or outside of the shield perished in exploding fire.
    The enemy starships tried to launch.
    The Flying Dagger finally uncloaked, swinging and swerving in a wide, evasive circle, strafing the enemy ships still trapped on the ground.
    Pausing to concentrate fire on any ship trying to lift off until it fell burning back, to the surface.
    Two enemy vessels filled with ordnance and gear began to cook off.
    Then Enel and the crew came straight at the foe, strafing the packed lines of gravtanks and gunships converging on the tunnels.
    With its shields up, The Dagger even rammed into an entire wing of enemy gunships, and dipped down to gouge a bloody smear through the advancing enemy infantry hordes.
    Then it cloaked again.
    The enraged Ejjai went mad.
    They poured every type of fire at the area around the tunnel entrances.
    One by one, the defender’s shield generators disrupted and flared out.
    And layer after layer of their defenses withered and dissolved.
    The Dagger made two more attack runs, driving the enemy forces back.
    Then enemy fighters swarmed down out of the sky from the carriers in orbit and chased it off in hot pursuit.
    Naero looked at their last two generators.
    “Retreat back into the tunnels. We ’ll bring them down behind us!”
    Even as they fell back, one generator failed and burst into smoke and fire.
    The insane Ejjai swept toward them to try to cut them off, scores of them running into the teeth of their own fire.
    Naero turned at bay.
    They could not be overrun. Not now.
    “Stand and fight! "she commanded. “Hold this line!”
    Everyone who could still lift a weapon rallied around her and the last shield generator.
    Naero hurled every last grenade she carried.
    Her blaster rifle clicked empty.
    She flung it down and drew both blaster pistols. Emptying them rapid-fire into the swarming mass of Ejjai faces.
    When they were out, she drew her energy cutlass and battle blade.
    She took one step forward, screaming.
    “Come on, you Ejjai bitches !”
    For a second, the enemy horde hesitated.
    Then they looked up in wide-eyed fear and fell back.
    Waves