Read Ep.#14 - "The Weak and the Innocent" (The Frontiers Saga) for Free Online Page A

get away.”
    “Command, Falcon Four. Confirm our rules of engagement?”
    “ Falcon Four! Weapons free! Maximum force! Collateral damage is not a concern! ”
    “Falcon Four copies, maximum force authorized.”
    “Uh, Loki?” Josh said, as the number of red dots floating in the air around him suddenly doubled. “Please tell me this is a glitch in the new display system?”
    “Oh shit,” Loki exclaimed. “Command, Falcon Four! My targets have just doubled! Correction! They’ve tripled! What the hell is going on down there?”
    “Command to all Falcons! ” The controller’s voice sounded more stressed than before. “ Multiple ground targets converging on our location! We need air support, now! ”

CHAPTER TWO
    “Brakar Two Four is reporting heavy fire from the northwest corner!” one of the communications technicians reported with urgency.
    Commander Telles glanced to the right, quickly assessing the position ofall his withdrawing units on the main tactical display in the command bunker. “Have One Seven move in from the southeast, and move Two Zero around to the Two Four’s north flank to distract.”
    Dozens of red icons moved about the tactical display in a bizarre, chaotic dance, as Jung fast-attack squads continued to appear out of nowhere. Just as soon as he moved his men into position to take the enemy squads out, they would disappear again.
    “Two Four is taking casualties,” the comm-tech added. “Brakars One Seven and Two Zero, report your ETA’s.”
    Telles turned to the flight control officer. “How long until the rest of the Falcons arrive?”
    “Three minutes,” the flight controller answered. “Three of them are on the other side of the planet, and the other two have damaged jump drives.”
    Commander Telles watched as Falcon Four’s icon moved over the icon representing Brakar Two Four. The two red symbols for the Jung fast-attack squads northeast of Brakar Two Four disappeared, after which Falcon Four’s icon turned to the left to circle back. Falcon Four blinked out of view a second later. Telles watched for a moment and noticed that Falcon Four reappeared on one of the other displays, six kilometers to the west. It turned around and vanished again, only to join in the same area of battle as before, on the main tactical display.
    “Falcon Four reports shoulder launched chasers, Commander.”
    “That explains their jump,” Master Sergeant Jahal muttered.
    A series of muffled explosions shook the command center.
    “Perimeter breach!” another comm-tech shouted. “Three squads! Two to the north, one to the east! They’re firing rockets!”
    “Bunker busters, no doubt.”
    “How many men do we still have out there?” Commander Telles asked, maintaining his composure with ease.
    “Twelve squads still on the ground,” the master sergeant replied. “One-fifty, give or take.”
    “Flight, how many jumpers can we expect in the next five minutes?”
    “Five troop jumpers, seven combat, and two boxcars, sir.”
    “Everyone east of us goes to rally point Jojo Seven,” the commander ordered. “Everyone west goes to Tongo Four. Two troop, two combat, and one Falcon to each rally point. The rest come here. Have the boxcars return. We’re burning all assets on our way out.”
    “Yes, sir,” the comm-tech acknowledged.
    Commander Telles noticed Falcon Four’s icon as it flew over one of the retreating Ghatazhak squads, causing more red icons to disappear. “Tell Falcon Four to concentrate their efforts on our location. Let them know we’ve got unfriendlies in our own perimeter.”
    “Yes, sir,” the flight controller replied.
    Master Sergeant leaned in closer to his commander, lowering his tone to a harsh whisper. “You do realize there is not enough space in those ships to carry one hundred and fifty men.”
    Commander Telles picked up his energy rifle from the side of the tactical display table and activated its charging circuit. “I doubt there will be a hundred and