ENGINEMASTERS: RETRIBUTION CHAPTER 00
Within the dimly lit confines of Doombringer’s cockpit, Akari Yoshida plummeted earthward. She glanced up through the tinted canopy, hoping for some distraction, but there was nothing to see beyond the gray metal interior of the drop pod. It enclosed her crouching engine like a steel eggshell protecting a chick—if chicks were twelve-meter-tall mechanical humanoids weighing sixty-five metric tons.
The drop pod rumbled and shook around her, buffeted by the atmosphere, and Akari struggled to remain calm. These last few moments of powerlessness just before battle were always the hardest to endure.
<Two minutes to landfall,> Lorna McVey said over the internal comm. She sat in front of Akari in her Engineer’s pit, her shoulders level with Akari’s knees. Control panels surrounded her, their orange glow illuminating her bulky olive-green combat suit and round carbon-fiber helmet. <We remain on target. All systems green.>
“Acknowledged, Engineer,” Akari replied, looking over her own instruments. Most systems remained dormant to avoid the risk of detection by any Mainlander sensors that might be pointed skyward. They didn’t want to reveal their approach until it was far too late for the enemy to coordinate an effective response.
Akari glanced at the altimeter dial, and her heart pounded as she watched it count down at an alarming rate. Beside it, the square navigation monitor displayed little data of value other than their coordinates; they were still too high to identify any topographical details. All it showed was a cluster of glowing icons, each identifying another Menuthi engine falling alongside theirs. Green dots represented Clan Shin—Akari and Lorna’s own battle clan—while blue represented their allies in Clan Tyto. Soon, the red dots of enemy engines would begin to appear—and disappear just as swiftly, Akari hoped, once they touched down and the wrecking began.
She itched to activate her comm and confirm the status of her fellow EngineMasters, but she resisted. It wasn’t worth the risk, and they were sworn to comm silence until landfall. Besides, Lorna was only permitting the barest trickle of powerflow from the reactor, and she didn’t want to upset that already delicate balancing act. Speaking of which …
“Engineer,” Akari said, “ready A/G projectors and prepare to bring us to full power. Light the shield and prep weapons the moment we touch down.”
<Aye, ma’am,> Lorna said gleefully, and Akari couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Her Engineer was far too excitable sometimes. Passionate, even. She wouldn’t be quite so cheerful once the fighting started. Assuming they even got that far and weren’t either shot down or crippled by the impact of landing. Even with A/G projectors at full power, a sixty-five-ton engine striking the ground at speed was unlikely to be painless. A Gen-IV like Doombringer should be more than robust enough to absorb such force, but Akari worried, nonetheless. When it came to engine performance in the field, theory seldom aligned with reality.
Lorna clearly sensed her anxiety. <Relax, Yoshida,> she said, twisting around in her seat and grinning up at her. A tinted visor hid the Engineer’s eyes, but not her earnest enthusiasm. <We can do this. We’ll gather the data we need and make Clan Shin proud.>
I hope so, Akari thought, giving Lorna a tight smile. On all counts. Lorna’s words reminded her that this engagement, while important in itself, was a vital trial run for Operation Mercury. And while skydrops were a difficult and dangerous maneuver, requiring perfect execution, Akari knew that she and Lorna could pull it off. As could the rest of Clan Shin. They hadn’t been chosen by Menuthias High Command to lead the attack for nothing.
<Sixty seconds to landfall,> Lorna said, turning back to her instruments. <Prepare for combat the moment we hit the ground.>
“Acknowledged,” Akari said, gripping her joysticks in her gloved hands. “Never forget.”
<Never forgive,> Lorna replied gravely, completing the Clan Shin motto.
Akari took a deep breath, forced her emotions to stillness, and smiled. With scant seconds remaining, she had at last rediscovered that elusive inner serenity that always served her so well in battle.
Soon, she promised herself, tightening her grip, preparations for Operation Mercury would be complete, and the Mainlanders would pay for all they had done during the Great Betrayal. Soon, justice would be served. And vengeance would be hers.