Under A Different Sun

In the near future, massive empires rule the stars, and west of the Reach, they are battling for control of new systems. In the no-mans land between the front lines, Captain Nate Meric and the crew of the privateer Lexington fight for prize money, and loyalty to their ship and their friends. Beneath it all, though, runs a hidden dream. To see America restored, and take her rightful place among the stars. *This is the second edition of this book, revised and about 30% longer. It tells a more comprehensive and complete story. Will not update prior purchases. Chapter 20 Zlatcov listened to Schmeltzer's' transmissions and gritted her teeth. She slammed the throttles forward, pressing her into the seat, not caring about the damaged engine. The shuttle passed through the exhaust of the frigates engines, coming up on the blind side. Her view screen melted and crackled, but held. Up and over the top, slamming her against the straps holding her in the seat. This elicited excited shouts and yells from the assault bay. She spun the shuttle around and applied full thrusters, bringing them to a dead stop relative to the ship, two meters above the deck. The ramp slammed down and six figures dashed out. "BLOW IT, HOLMES!" yelled Knight. The young apprentice demo man placed a cratering charge against the windows over the ship's Bridge and they scrambled away from it. Before he stepped away, he could see the shocked expression through the windows of the French Captain and his bridge crew. Holding up his hand, counting down with his fingers. At two, every man in the squad dialed up the magnetic lock on their boots, holding them fast to the hull. At one, the charge erupted in a blinding flash, shattering the plastisteel armored windows. Air rushed out, followed by several bodies wearing the sky blue of the French Navy. They milled around for a few seconds as they flew out into space, then fell still, dying quickly from decompression. Bjorn Stenger grabbed the still hot, shattered window edges and swung himself into the Bridge, into the howling airstream. His right arm erupted, firing without discrimination at whatever figure was still moving in the disappearing air. Behind him the rest of the team swung in before metal shutters slammed downward, closing off the breech. "Shupe, get the engine controls. Shut this sonofabitch down. Cahr, Orr, you HOLD that passageway!" said Knight, pointing to an access way off to one side. "Do not let anyone through. Tank, main corridor, start clearing it. Yee, pull anything you can of Intel off their hard drive. Holmes, start placing demo charges at all stations, two minutes." Yee started banging on keyboards through his gloved fingers. "Just because I'm a frigging Asian doesn't mean I know computers, you know." Knight ignored his grumbling, stepping over to the fire control panel and shoving aside the dead body there. He programmed an overload into the main 2cm battery, charging it but giving it no firing coordinates. A flurry of shots sparked off a bulkhead, soundless in the airless compartment, and Tank came bounding back onto the Bridge. He spun, fired, and then fell heavily backward as something crashed into his suit and then exploded with a sharp CRACK. A shaped charge round, used to penetrate armor, had caught him in the leg, shattering it. He sat back up and fired three grenades down the hallway, then started cursing, dragging himself out of the line of fire. "Time to go, Gentlemen," said Knight, and they retreated back towards the metal shuttered windows where they had originally come in. Orr and Cahr fired even, measured shots designed to keep their opponent's heads down, sending ricochets around corners, while Yee and Shupe half hauled, half dragged the Heavy Suit soldier to the window. "Breaching! FIRE IN THE HOLE!" yelled Holmes, and another charge shattered and bent the steel shutters. They remained in place though, blocking their exit.


Genre: Science Fiction