Rebellion Ebook Full by B. V. Larson Page A

almost screwed it up entirely and made the maneuver while the propulsion system was still active. If I had done it that way, I think I would have been thrown off my tiny, dish-like platform, nano straps or no. I remembered at the last second, however, and managed to switch it off, spin around, and then turn it on again.
    Due to my gross lack of competence, I realized I’d taken too long and was coming in too fast. I was passing the others now. When I’d bailed out of the assault ship I’d started off as one of the last of the pack. Now, I was streaking along while they braked around me. I shot through them, and it was only luck that I didn’t collide with some hapless marine who’d done his job right.
    I kicked up the power, until my legs were buckling. I had no idea how many Gs I was resisting standing lock-kneed like that. It had to be six, maybe more. I don’t think I could have remained upright without my nanite-empowered musculature and my exoskeletal armor. A normal man just couldn’t have done it. He would have folded up in a heap, probably pitching off the skateboard and going into a deadly spin. At this point, so close to the surface of the massive space station that filled space below me, the flying dish was absolutely required for survival. It was the only method I had to slow myself without a crushing impact.
    “Are you all right, sir?” Kwon called on my com-link.
    He must have been watching out for me. I don’t know how. I had no idea which marine was which in the capsules that went streaking by all around. My dish went from bucking to shuddering, finally smoothing out as I slowed it enough not to smash me to atoms when I hit the station.
    When I had my tiny platform under some kind of control I took the time to answer Kwon. “I’m fine. I just wanted to get ahead of the pack,” I lied.
    “You always lead from the front line,” Kwon said, with a scolding note in his voice. “Very dangerous, sir!”
    I smiled with half my mouth. He didn’t need to tell me that this time. A moment later, I touched down. It was more like a controlled crash, however. I hit the station sooner than I expected, a jarring blow that caught the edge of my dish. I realized in an instant I wasn’t all the way down to the surface. I’d hit one of those wildly projecting tubes of theirs. I was moving at a pretty good clip, about as fast as a hot-shot jumper with a parachute might dare to land. Hitting the structure set me to spinning, and when I did finally hit the flat surface of the station, I landed on my left shoulder. I bounced back off, regained control of my dish, and then glided down toward the metal skin of the station.
    For the first time, I was glad I had one of the heavy battle suits on. I didn’t think I’d broken anything, and I could still operate all my limbs, so I figured I was good to go. Grunting, I climbed off my tiny vehicle and began carrying my dish. I called up to Kwon. “Tell the men to remember to carry their dishes. They might be the only way off this Christmas ornament when we are finished. And tell them to watch out for those big metal wires or tubes, whatever they are.”
    “Will do, sir,” Kwon said, relaying my instructions.
    I looked up as the rest of them came in. We’d made it—at least, most of us had. I supposed it was partly due to surprise. It must have really freaked out the aliens inside the station. I could imagine them, wondering what these things were the cruiser was firing at them. Should they shoot them down, and thus risk starting a war? Maybe the Macros were only releasing their trash into space. Maybe it was all a big misunderstanding. Fear, hard choices. The answer, of course, was a nightmare. Better than fifteen hundred of my marines had made it through their defenses and now crawled over their hull, where the enemy didn’t appear to have any weaponry.
    More men were braking now, coming in nearby. Most of them landed better than I had. They were better-trained and