CHAPTER 5
Planet Sonja, Code LV-117
Location: Ark of Rebirth
The Tower
Rainer stepped into the armory, his armored boots clanking on the metal grating below; helmet in hand. He stopped right at the entryway and looked at the others, far on the other side of the room. The three armored Knights must not have heard him enter; their attention fully focused on preparing their gear. At the furthest end, Rainer watched Sergeant Blare, checking the chamber of his pulse rifle for any stray rounds; sitting relaxed on a bench. His helmet was off, exposing his short cropped blond hair. Rainer smiled to himself.
Mother, how that man hated his hair.
Rainer had been sent out on countless missions with Blare. The man was a true professional, never wavering from the task at hand. On a Op as important as this one, he was going to be needed. Even if the man did have horrible hair.
Next to Blare were Corporal Krigs and…Private Mason. Mason! Rainer thought. What the fuck is he doing here? I'm not going out on a mission this important with a greenhorn.
"Hey!" Rainer shouted across the armory. They all stopped what they were doing and turned toward him. "Mason, what the hell do you think you're doing?"
He seemed afraid, his eyes searching the floor for something to say, then turning up to look at Rainer. "I was hoping to go with, sir. I've never been on an Op like this. I was hoping—"
"You were hoping nothing!" Rainer barked. "You're staying here. Until you get some more experience, I'm not taking you anywhere. Understood?"
Krigs slapped Mason on the back, then turned his dark shaven head toward Rainer. "Sir, I said he could come. If you want to blame anyone, blame me."
"This mission is simply too important, son." Rainer walked further in, set his helmet aside on a bench and took a seat. "I can't afford to lose a new recruit this early in the game."
Mason's gaze turned back down to the floor, his eyes like that of a kicked puppy.
Sonofabitch! Rainer though. Great! Now I feel guilty. Rainer swore under his breath. It was hard to blame the private. Rainer, too, had once been an eager recruit, wanting to prove himself. He understood how bad the kid wanted to go out; be apart of the team. He's gonna get himself killed. Don't let him go, Rainer.
"Which is why you should come." Rainer didn't look up to see Mason, he knew the words had excited him. "You could use the experience."
Mason smiled from cheek to cheek. "Thank you, sir. I won't disappoint."
"Just keep your wits. It could get nasty out there, and I don't have the time to baby-sit your ass. Understood?" Rainer was regretting his decision already.
"Sir, yes, sir."
Krigs and Mason exchanged a few smiles, slapped each others shoulders, then both went back to examining their tactical smart guns.
The smart guns were large, heavy and unwieldy. Big enough so that one would have to wear a harness simply to carry the things. They pivoted on ball joints to a metal arm attacked to a belt at the hip, which was intended to provide extra support, but still required a great deal of upper strength from the user. One huge plus to the weapon, however, was the independently targeted rounds, which could be set to hit just about anything that gave off a heat or electrical signal. One shouldn't be fooled though, they still took a great deal of skill to use.
"Okay, men," Rainer shouted, picking up his helmet as he stood. "Let's finish gearing up and move out. I'll explain the details of the Op on our way there."
They quickly came to attention. "Yes, sir," they said in unison.
Blare strapped his helmet on, fastened it tight, then made his way past Rainer. Krigs and Mason soon followed. Rainer looked around the empty armory, his eyes gazing at all the weapons mounted on racks.
He couldn't help but grin. This was his favorite place in the world. Guns, guns and 'mo' guns! He'd always had a thing for firearms, all the way back to his youth. The memories were foggy, but he could remember his father giving him his first pistol.
He strolled over to one of the racks, put his helmet aside and pulled a pulse rifle from the shelf. Rainer pumped the grenade chamber open and reached for a few M40 grenades. They were small, no bigger than a finger, but carried one hell of a punch. He pushed a few through the under-hanging receiver, then pumped it close, putting one into the chamber.
Rainer wasn't sure what they were going to run into when they reached the crash site. They'd dealt with stray ships before, but something just wasn't right.
He hoped it was his nerves playing tricks on him. Rainer slung the pulse rifle over his shoulder, picked up his helmet and walked out, the door closing behind him.