Furnace (Hunter-Killer #1)

Chapter 08 - No More Martyrs

Ryke sank his steps forward one by one, powerful strides that drove the bulk of the Hunter-Killer mech forward with murderous intent. The gigantic feet slammed to the ground with force that could shatter bone, but he barely felt the vibrations, every inch of him cushioned by the impact gel and shock dispersal arrays. He moved as though born to it, the link-skin transferring the slightest motion of his fragile body to be instantly mimicked by the metal monster he was wrapped in.

With a deft flick of his thumb against the activation primer, the cannon on his right arm folded out beneath the wrist, its fat barrel jutting out two feet past the machine's hand. His eyes flickered to the status read-outs on the right side of the HUD – all glowing soft green. All systems nominal. He felt the low hum of the cannon's barrels spinning into readiness, the ammo hopper feeding shells into the firing chamber. He was ready.

"Green One to all units," Kazem's voice crackled over the comm. "We are cleared to engage. Hostile targets confirmed on heading 229˚."

Ryke nodded, his HUD flashing with the readout of the engagement area. A dozen red dots were scattered through the terrain a hundred meters ahead: Scraegan targets. He listened intently as Kazem snapped off commands.

"Greens Two and Six, give me a wide pincer – I don't want any stragglers getting out of the engagement zone. Nine and Ten, pull in behind us. Three and five flank to my right – seven and eight flank left. Scoop them into the firing arc for the heavies."

The members of the squad fired off acknowledgements concisely and in a matter of seconds the Hunter-Killers dispersed. The Bull's Head was the bread and butter attack formation employed by the Corps, utilising the speed of the Raptors and a bow shaped advance line to corral an enemy force into a central location where the massive guns of the Goliaths could pound them with impunity before the Riot mechs engaged.

Ryke thundered into position to the right of Kazem, taking up the far edge of the main semi-circular jaw that would soon be slamming shut against the Scraegan targets. As expected, the enemy force concentrated into a block as they tried to pull back away from the pincer movement.

"Open fire!" Kazem shouted.

Immense, muffled booms echoed through the air of the Stamm Basin training field as the two Goliaths opened up with their heavy ordnance, bombarding the enemy position with shock-shot rounds. From this distance there was no real chance of a kill shot, so instead the heavy mechs rained down shells that detonated with rupturing sonic and seismic force, aimed to disorient and destabilise the enemy force. Half a dozen volleys from Brigg and Amelia in the Goliaths landed before the rest of the squadron entered attack range.

"Green Squadron, weapons free!" Kazem shouted as they plunged headlong into the fray. "Hold your spacing and engage."

Needing no second bidding, Ryke surged forward.

The enemy position that had been created on the training concourse was a rocky, crag strewn expanse, broken up by bursts of hard-packed sand. On Ryke's HUD the simulated Scraegan troops glittered in sapphire, loping from cover to cover as the shock-shot rained down upon them. The Hunter-Killers were slightly outnumbered, but that didn't change their mission. He kept to his assigned path of their skirmish line, searching for targets.

The first Scraegan roared into view from behind one of the massive crags, and even in simulation the creature startled him for an instant. Standing as tall as the Hunter-Killer, the Scraegan was an armoured behemoth, with thick fur jutting out form between gaps in its slabs of protective plating. It roared... and charged.

The cannon at his right arm rumbled into life, the kickback shaking his whole limb as the blank shells fired. The Hunter-Killer's operating systems – linked up with the simulation programme – registered a flurry of hits across the onrushing Scraegan's upper left torso, knocking its charge slightly off centre. Ryke stepped to the side before twisting his body and surging forward, aiming the thick shoulder shield squarely at the Scraegan's head.