Battlecruiser Alamo: The Price of Admiralty by Richard Tongue Page A

looked around, out at the stars. "If you are trying to say something..."
    "Only that the only reason I know you are nervous is that I've been where you are. It doesn't show. Let that sergeant of yours do all the barking, that's what he's paid for. Just keep them all pointed in the right direction, and you'll be fine."
    Esposito looked over at the pilot with a slightly quizzical look, before nodding. "I'll remember that. Thanks."
    "We're coming into dock. Hold on."
    The shuttle spun around on the thrusters, spilling powdered aluminum liberally, then the engines briefly flared dull red before dimming as the craft slowed down to a crawl, the station getting dangerously close.
    A final tap on the thrusters – which yielded an interesting series of warning flashes that translated to 'are you sure you want to do this damn stupid thing' on Orlova's panel – and they dropped down a dozen levels to the airlock they were looking for. With a dangerously loud slam that rattled the entire ship, they docked.
    Hunter was out of his seat first, running towards the airlock. With a single movement he overrode the safeties and opened both doors at once, peering out into the corridor to see if anyone was about. He looked back at his officer, who curtly nodded, then stepped back from the door.
    "What the hell are you morons sitting about for! Tactical deployment by fire teams, get moving people!"
    Four of them quickly ran out into the corridor, taking advantage of whatever cover they could find, but no-one was in sight. The second team ran out, heading in the opposite direction. A few hand signals later, and Hunter made his way back into the shuttle, looking from side to side.
    "All clear, ma'am. Ready to move out."
    "Right, let's go. You got your scout picked out?"
    "Voldinski."
    "Get her moving, and we'll follow in thirty seconds."
    "Aye."
    Esposito turned to the pilot, waving a mock salute. "I guess this is where we part company ."
    "Something like that. I'll hang around for a few minutes in case you run into any trouble right off the mat." Orlova tossed the pad with the directions over to Esposito, who snatched it out of the air.
    "Thanks. See you around."
    The group made their way down the corridor, leaving Orlova alone in her shuttle. Nice kid, she thought, if a little out of her depth. Maggie sat back in her chair, looking out at the stars for a moment, then reached underneath her couch, carefully pushing it in two different places with an outstretched hand.
    With a pop, one of the hidden compartments opened out, and a pair of old pistols, heirlooms as much as anything else, spilled out under her chair. She flicked a magazine into each of them, and lay them down on her control console, just in case something went wrong.
    The troopers made their way down the corridor, following the instructions hastily scrawled by Orlova on the flight over. After the initial deployment, Hunter had them form into slightly less obvious clumps, in a bid to make them seem less like an armed raiding party.
    One corridor blended into another with a series of twists and turns, the flicker of the bio-luminescent lighting on the walls testifying to a failing series of systems, odd chemical tangs filling the air as they steadily marched towards their objective.
    Up ahead, Voldinski raised her arm in the traditional gesture of a forward scout to stand still; she made her way quietly back to the group, pulling a datapad out of her pocket, her fingers dancing across the keys.
    "Warehouse ahead. Two guards, one either side of door. Bored."
    Hunter nodded, turning to the officer for approval before pulling a long, smooth, bamboo pipe out of his pocket with one hand, a worn leather pouch with the other. Clarke likewise pulled another blowgun out of his pocket, and both of them slipped off their shoes and quietly made their way forward to the corridor junction.
    A confused look crossed Esposito's face; Lance-Corporal Riley gave her a cheeky thumbs-up and a smile in