Troopers - Book 1

Plasma Tag

"You do realise I can hear you, and at the moment your eye looks very inviting" Aasith said.

"Easy girl I'm just joking and that was a compliment" The woman replied

"I know, and I am enjoying your walk Medb" Aasith said

"That's enough, Aasith, you're meant to be watching the front not the rear" Oakham cut in

"I am Sergeant. Aasith out" she replied solemnly

*

Less than a kilometre away from the research post Aasith spoke again.

"We've got bugs at the research post." She said of the comm.

"Type?" Replied Thorne

"Warriors but they're behaving strangely" She replied

"Watch and update, we're coming to you." Thorne stated, the unit increased their speed but kept their profile low, vibrations can tell the arachnids they were there. They found Aasith perched on top of a boulder where another hide her profile from view, the rest of the team spread out hiding their power suited forms. Major Thorne joined her and he used the magnification on his Visor to see what was going on.

Major Thorne saw the warrior bugs clambering over the research outpost bending struts back into place and trying to relocate wall sections to recreate the compound.

"Any idea why warriors are rebuilding the outpost?" Thorne asked to all

"Sir, they're not warriors, they're workers, the warriors are the ones standing in the corners and amongst the others, not actually doing anything, there are also hoppers keeping a low profile in the towers, you can just make out there wing tips. Apparently they're expecting us." Luk stated peering through the dropped visor

"How can you be sure of that?" Thorne asked turning to face him directly, this was the first trooper Thorne had looked at closely and he suddenly felt very small, not only was Luk a clear foot taller than him he was also nearly a foot wider and he it was all muscle. Thorne could see the bunched muscles through the skin tight body suit. The lighter armour left more of the bodysuit exposed as well as the face plate being clear, a solid square jaw, obviously badly set broken nose and the most electric blue penetrating eyes Thorne had ever seen in a non-psychic.

"Sir, there is a distinct difference in the thorax of the two, with the markings following a more broken aspect as well as the chitin taking a downward point on the worker in comparison to the warriors spiked. They are subtle differences in the movement also but these are harder to explain" Luk replied calmly using a gentle teachers voice to explain to a simple student.

"Thank you Private" Thorne replied turning and looking once more at the compound. Thorne looked at the compound and then at the team, he had two marauder drivers in the unit and he knew there were at least two Ape suits in the compound, but if they were functional was the question. The hoppers were a problem, there speed and agility in the air made them difficult to shoot and there was no idea of what was being hidden in the compound. "Lance Corporal would you be able to take out both the hoppers before they got into the air?" Thorne address Aasith

"Yes sir, but I'd need a clear shot, at the moment, it would be a glancing blow" She replied after a moment.

"Morrigan, Medb" Thorne said checking the names on his Heads-up-display "How quickly can you get a Marauder M-8 up and running?"

"Twenty-six hours, sir" they said in unison. Thorne winced inwardly, they were in cold storage it took twenty-six hours to get all Marauders up and running that was a basic fact and it was foolish for him to ask. He felt a light tap on his shoulder; he turned to look at Sgt. Oakham tapping the side on his helmet then point to his microphone and then to Thorne's own. Thorne switched his Comm. over to a single secure channel to Oakham.