The Cairo Saga, book 4: Operation Chindit
Part 4: Exit Strategies

Tharkad City
Tharkad
District of Donegal
Lyran Alliance

The VTOL cruised low over the city, Cairo sitting between a pair of MP's who could have passed as Elementals. Someone at the JAG office, most likely Élan Fraser, had insisted that he be escorted everywhere. And given that he was going to the spaceport, it was understandable that they where a little tetchy.

Smoke still hung low over the city after the last Word of Blake forces on the planet had made a suicide run on the Triad the day before. Cairo had watched it on TV, and had smiled every time a W.o.B Mech went down. He was epically happy that the unit credited with the last kill was the newly formed 1st ComStar Dragoons.

Patrick Clearwater had formed the new regiments out of the remnants of the 278th Division and the surviving members of the new disbanded Solaris Irregulars. It tore at Cairo's heart to know that the unit he had formed had been officially stricken from the ComGuards roles, their colours retired.

But the fighting in Costa Mesa, along with the recall of the Ghost Bears, had reduced the regiment to a little over a company of battle ready Mech's and pilots. The much needed DropShips and Warships had been reassigned to other units and combat zones. Cairo couldn't help but think that Davion was attempting to appease the Lyran Generals by scattering his people to the four winds.

The VTOL circled low over the spaceport before coming in to land next to a DropShip painted with the crest of Clan Ghost Bear. Two imposing figures stood at attention in front of the ship, standing guard over Sinade and their two children.

"Rix, Xander." Cairo nodded to the two Elementals as he approached, "I can not stress how much trust and faith I am placing in the two of you with this mission: these are my children. I care more about their safety than anything else in the universe. If anyone, and I mean anyone, tries to hurt them or take them, I want to two of you to shot first and leave the questions for someone who cares."

"We understand, sir." Rix nodded, "We will guard them with our lives."

"I want you to guard them with the lives of any son-of-a-bitch who tries to hurt them!" Cairo smiled, "Good luck old friend." He stepped past the Elementals and lifted his young daughter up into his arms, "Hey pumpkin."

"Why do we have to go away?" She asked, confused, "What did we do wrong?"

"You didn't do anything wrong." Cairo reassured her, "But it's not safe for you to stay here: some bad people want to hurt mummy and me, and they'd hurt you to get to us."

"Make them go away!"

"I will, but I need to know you're safe while I do. It's going to be a long time before we can see you again, so you have to look after your little brother. Can you do that?"

"Yes."

"Good girl." Cairo kissed her on her forehead, and then moved to where Sinade held his son and looked down at the sleeping baby, "Will I ever get to see my kids grow up?"

"One day, when this is over." Sinade smiled sadly, "But it's the life we chose for ourselves."

"Yeah, true." Cairo nodded, kissing his son before they handed their children over to the two Elementals and watched as they disappeared into the DropShip.

"You ready?" Cairo asked his wife.

"No, but let's get it over with." She sighed, and they turned back to face the guards, "Sorry guys, but this is not your day."

The two guards looked confused for a moment, but there was a blur of movement, and they collapsed onto the ground. A man dressed in black stood behind them, holding a high-powered stun gun in each hand.

More similarly dressed men appeared and dragged the two guards out of the way while Cairo and Sinade sprinted along the landing field until they came to a line of Leopard-class DropShips. Cairo started checking their names until he came to one marked Wildfire.

"This is the one!" Cairo sprinted for the hatch and reached it just as the first alarms started going off.

"Time to move, sir!" Kerry Slone was waiting for them as they jumped through the hatch and closed it behind them, "This way!"

The MechWarrior led the way to the small passenger lounge and the waiting acceleration couches. Cairo raised an eyebrow when he saw Sara Bradley already strapped in, but the DropShip started to move, knocking him into his own seat.

The Wildfire accelerated along the runway with its engines at maximum, pinning everyone into their seats as the G-forces grew. It lurched to one side as it took fire from a fixed weapons emplacement, but it clawed its way into the air, burring hard for orbit.

"Hey guys, this is your Captain speaking." A voice came over the PA system, "You might want to remain strapped in: we've got some fighter on our six, and they are giving out some serious negative waves if you know what I mean. But have no fear: Serv is here!"

"What the hell have I gotten myself into this time?" Cairo mutter under his breathe as the DropShip rolled and twisted in an attempt to shake the fighters. He managed to activate the small view screen built into the arm of his chair and selected a feed from the camera in the ship's nose.

A huge Warship filled the screen as the pilot curved around it to avoid a flight of missiles fired by the pursuing fighters. The room shook violently as the main-drive was cut, forcing the fighters to overshoot the mark.

Cairo was almost thrown from his chair as the smaller interplanetary drive in the bottom of the DropShip fired, sending them off at right angles to their previous heading.

"I think we lost them. Hey, and we're on coarse to meet up with the Spirit Sight! Groovy." The pilot sounded slightly deranged, "Fell free to leave your seat and use the restroom as needed. Our in-flight movie today is the classic Immortal Warrior 19: On the IlKhan's Secret Service. Headphone will be availably from the cabin crew shortly."

"Remind me to shot Clearwater next time I see him." Cairo closed his eyes and lay back in his seat.

TBC…