Sergeant (The United Federation Marine Corps Book 2) by Jonathan P. Brazee Page B

and HE down the passage. Third, you’re still the tip of the spear. I want you moving right on the ass of the HE rounds. Sgt Samu elson, you’re on Sergeant Lysander’s ass, and Sergeant Paul, you’re next. I’m moving with Third Squad, SSgt Phantawisangtong will be with First. I’m loading a movement plan on where to go once we hit the room, but as always, use your judgment.
    “This will be a very confined area, so watch your displays. I want no friendly fire casualties. Got it? ”
    The five Marines all acknowledged their orders, then split to bring their Marines up to speed. As Ryck was briefing his squad, two teams from Weapons came up with their heavy guns. Ryck raised a hand in a half salute to Sergeant Xander Kubasaki, the heavy guns section leader, who was a friend of his.
    Xander’s team set up two weapons just inside the start of the passage. The M232 was a small, multipurpose artillery piece. It fired a 70 mm shell and could be adjusted for mortar, artillery or direct fire. The P-996B was a self-contained pulse weapon. The gun itself was smaller than the M232, but with the powerpack attached, the system was bigger. It fired a two-joule EMP charge.
    With the players in place, the lieutenant signaled Kyle to detonate he charge. Kyle took out his Marine Corps-issue Samsung PA. This being the Corps, the PA was rather obsolete, and Ryck always thought it was funny when EOD initiated huge amounts of destruction and mayhem with a 30-year-old telephone. They might as well bring back semaphore to send messages, or light smoke signals.
    With a simple press of this thumb, Sgt Kyle set off the charges. There was a flash as the shape d charges, programmed for cutting, detonated. The explosion that reached the waiting Marines was subdued. Kyle was not trying to destroy the door, merely get it open.
    Ryck had recovered his dragonfly to his sleeve, where it was recharging in case it was needed again. But the weapon’s team had deployed another, and Ryck was slaved to it. For a moment, it looked as if Kyle had miscalculated. Then the door began to lean before falling back in a cloud of dust.
    Immediately, the M232 opened up with two rounds. Those rounds impacted on the wall another 15 or 20 meters beyond the now flat door. A simple curve in the passage had defeated a modern piece of artillery. From his schoolwork, Ryck knew that even castle-makers in medieval times understood this defense and built ogees like this, as they were termed, to slow down attacks.
    The P-996B had better luck. The pulse charge took off in a flash of blue, hit the far wall, and bounced past. Whether it reached the far compartment or not, Ryck didn’t know. Whether it did or didn’t, though, the assault was on.
    Ryck followed right on Keiji’s ass, two steps back and up against the left-had wall. That made five Marines forming an interlocking front as they rushed down the passage. The weapons team’s dragonfly preceded them, and Ryck tried to glance at its feed, but the Marines were already in assault mode. They passed the door, stepping on it as they ran. Moments later, they rounded the curve in the passage—and were immediately taken under fire.
    A PICS relied on its armor to protect the Marine inside, and that armor was pretty effective against kinetic weapons up to a certain size and velocity. For energy weapons, the armor helped deflect the waves, but the Marines relied on small, portable shields that both repelled and absorbed the energy thrown at them.
    Ryck’s shield took on the blue glow which indicated it was activated by incoming fire. With the dried blood still on his face shield, the light blue glow took on a darker more sinister tone.
    Ryck ’s display flashed with the warning, and the intake gauge began to rise. Whatever was being fired at them was pretty powerful, and he could see the numbers flash as he approached critical. If he redlined, he was done for. The suit, at best, would shut down. At worse, the situation would go