They Certainly Try

Joanna heard Inez?s voice over her connection. This mission was hell. There wasn?t enough light under the thick canopy to let the starlight scopes operate properly, the jungle was still too hot (and, the video from Inez?s teams helmet suggested, the aliens too cold) for thermals ?friendly too your left, falling back with losses.?

Inez?s section emerged from ahead, several short and several of the rest with various suit damage. Joanna felt a rush of relief that Inez herself had escaped. She wasn?t sure what she?d do without the corporal?s steady nerves.

?Command: We have been ambushed. We?re stumbling around blind out here? we need assistance over.? Joanna looked at the rest of her troops ?get into defensive positions.? The angels fanned out, firing off some short range flares. Not that those did much more than their all but useless light intensifiers in this perpetual green hell.

There was a pause ?Hang tight angels.? The Lieutenant paused for a moment, obviously talking to another line then cut back in ?Prepare for deep illumination now.?

There was a pause and then a loud boom as artillery weapons set up at the base turned and launched a Salvo towards the Angels position. The big guns had been silent up to now to avoid hitting any of the kidnapped colonists in the area, but now they were turned to other use.

The sky filled with light as a salvo of parachute flares bloomed above the forest, lighting it up like daylight.

Moves Like Shadows blinked and cringed slightly despite himself. He?d seen that these strange females had powerful tools, but now they seemed to have bought the sun to the night. Still, he was a warrior and knew he must not fear.

Braves carrying the bound females hurried back through the warband?s lines as the relatively noisy approach of the female warriors began. Moves Like Shadows frowned. On one level the armours noise was a real detriment to the females? on another, it shrugged off almost all attacks his people could throw at it.

Leaving worries about the female?s tools to one side, the alien prepared himself for the next confrontation.

Corporal Inez moved forward cautiously, Kelly Arnold moving along by her side. Six? she couldn?t believe she?d managed to lose six. The fit corporal had vowed she?d make the aliens pay for it though.

There was a hiss from ahead and a storm of alien projectiles were launched from ahead, bouncing off the Angel?s armour. Those with disabled suits had fallen back to the rear to set up a defensive position, it was fresh only now.

?Targets in the trees!? Inez called ?follow my tracer!? the canopy exploded in gunfire and Inez was rewarded by seeing at least one of the alien lizards flopping out of the branches.

The Angels began to move forward again, seeking to **** their way out of the alien ambush, the light allowing them to employ their heavier fire power accurately, when suddenly they ran head long into another line of traps.

Inez saw a flash of movement and Kelly Arnold was yanked upwards into the trees, a snare having closed around her power armoured boot ?aaah!? The young private yelled her armour had prevented her from being damaged, but now hanging high in the trees.

To Lopez?s left Joanna swung round as Kelly Arnold was yanked into the tree. She could see alien forms racing towards the stricken private, took a step forward and yelped as the ground gave way under her, sending her falling into a pit trap.