Neuromancer [M]

[Trixie]

They had to act fast. Jaxx was only going to be in the open briefly and the capture team was going to need cover so they could capture him. Nova needed Jaxx alive to prove...well a lot of things. While the Empire couldn’t trace anything from his personal communicator or his military issued ones the Intelligence Agency was looking in the wrong place. As the rain on Tier 1 continued to drench everything it touched Nova looked through the scope of her high powered rifle. A smile formed on her lips as she touched the cross hairs to the sealed entrance into Imperial Intelligence. She was nearly two miles away and with the rifle Luna had provided she was going to cover the grab team. Bardan Jaxx had lost his left arm years ago when he was still a rookie in the 9th Ranger Battalion. That is where the evidence was hidden as to his innocence. Luna’s virus had implanted itself into one of the data nodes on Jaxx’s artificial arm and disguised itself as a process that monitored functionality. It was a genius move on the artificer’s part. The Major was going to be absolutely pissed; and rightly so.

“Worm decryption at seventy-five percent. Two minutes to door knock.” A female voice spoke over Nova’s ear piece.

From her camouflaged position the blond tugged on the magnetic hood covering her face and scope. As she peered through the optical device the sniper could make out two approaching Ultramarine’s. Clenching her jaw, November reached beside her underneath the urban camo and removed a large four round clip for the rifle she was using. Each round was of special design by the sniper herself; a very large caliber and heavy hitting round made of Mandalorian iron was first in line. The job of this shot was to dent the armor so the next round had a place to land and adhere. The next shot was a hollowed out long range shell filled with plasticene thermite gel; a plastic compound that when heated burned uncontrollably. Nova had to be precise as to hit an area where the armor was thick enough to withstand being melted from the outside. The fact that their suit was melting should provide enough reason to take their eyes from Jaxx long enough for the drop ship to pick him up.

Luna had acquired a decommissioned Special Forces drop ship in her travels and had it completely repainted and repurposed. It was faster than any active duty drop ship and had an extremely advanced cloaking system that she designed herself. As soon as the Ultramarines were fired upon it would be seconds before they would realize what was happening. The plan was going to be to drop Jaxx with a stun round and get him into the drop ship amidst the chaos of the smoke and burning armor. The blow from the first shot was going to be enough to knock a marine off balance so she had to make it count. Nova was trained for this; she just hoped she could cycle the weapon fast enough.

There he is.

“Drop ship inbound…fifteen seconds.” A pilot spoke over her earpiece.

One. She loaded the clip into the rifle and pulled the bolt back, chambering the first round. Two. Narrowing her vision on the first marine she scoped out his body. Three. They stopped briefly as the immense drop ship roared overhead with its ear splitting repulsor engines. Four.

Five.

The first shot felt like her shoulder had been ripped from her socket, but Nova fought through it. Cycling the weapon, she ejected the spent cartridge and chambered the next shot. Focusing, her optics showed her the path to the marine who was now on one knee. The round had planted itself dead center on his chest. Firing again Nova bit down on her hair to keep from screaming as the recoil tore into her shoulder. The thermite landed on target and began melting its way into the Ultramarine’s armor. Pulling back on the bolt once again, hair still in her mouth, November chambered the second high-powered slug and aimed at the second marine who had moved to cover the prisoner.

No. Don’t fight!

With a second thunderous explosion the rifle unleashed the round onto the unsuspecting Ultramarine who stumbled backward away from Major Jaxx. He stood up with his cuffed hands in the air as the second thermite round landed on the temporarily stunned marine. Pulling the empty clip away from her rifle Nova loaded an entirely new one into the weapon. Releasing the bolt, she fired, hitting Jaxx square in the chest with a stun round. He collapsed onto his back just as smoke grenades landed at his feet. Switching to thermal optics Nova watched as two unknown figures dragged Jaxx onboard and jetted away.

“Dump the rifle and get back here. NOW!” Luna directed.

November got to her knees and slung the weapon over her good shoulder. Shoving her camouflage into her open rucksack as she ran, the blond leapt from the building edge and plummeted downward towards Tier 2. Now that Jaxx was in safe hands she could begin working solely on finding out who she really was. Pulling her rain slicker up from her wrist Nova pressed a series of buttons on her armband. The boots of her armor lit up with energy and coalesced into a hover board. Pulling her hood tightly over her face she skated further into Tier 2 and disappeared between two structures.