Truehearts & The Escape From Pirate Moon by Jake Macklem (ebook audio reader TXT) 📕

Some folks die and some folks fight to live. What do we do, kid?

“Let’s shank shit up and take as many of them with us as we can,” Ace answered out loud for her whole team to hear. “Glider wings!” She shouted, activating her wingsuit.

At 100 meters, small arms fire started whistling around them.

“Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh—” The headset went silent.

Ten. Ace swallowed. She was not sure who it was and she could not look back to find out. “Get as close to the fighters as you can and as low as you can before opening your chutes!” There was a scream and another STAR tumbled from the formation. Nine.

Ace spotted a roller flatbed pulling into a warehouse and changed her direction. When she was just fifteen meters above the ground, she informed her team, “Deploying chutes.” Moments later she hit and tumbled, rolling to her feet and pulling her pistol and combat knife.

The closest pirate looked down in shock at her blade sticking out of his chest. He was even more surprised when she grabbed the handle and spun him in front of her as his buddies opened fire, riddling him with bullets.

Ace dove to her left and rolled onto her knee, firing her pistol four times. Four pirates fell to the ground dead. There were no others in sight.

“I’m secure. Anyone have a visual?”

“I see you!” Smith answered. “We’re touching down. Didn’t get as far as you.”

People ran from the nearby warehouse, pointing and shouting—they did not have weapons, and their clothes were ragged tatters. Slaves! Many ran toward her, hoping for rescue. She knew that was now an impossibility. She pointed her pistol at them and they ran away in fear.

Ahead of her, she saw a STAR down and rushed over. Bones protruded from Clark’s legs, arms, and torso. She was struggling to breathe. She’s already dead. Not even a nanoshot can save her.

The woman stared up, unable to ask, but Ace knew what the STAR wanted. I know what I’d want. Ace knelt and held the STARs hand. “I will honor you,” she said and then pulled the trigger twice. Eight

“Hart, are you dead?” Smith asked.

Standing, Ace peered down the asphalt; the remaining STARs were regrouping, covering each other and getting their bearings. “Converge on my location. The warehouse has a roller. I’m going for it!” She sprinted straight into the warehouse.

The pirates were stunned; they expected the lone soldier to run from them, not at them. Ace shot first. And often. She did not give them time to grab their guns or ask for mercy. They were all enemies. Each movement she made caused someone to scream in agony—stabbed, shot, or left with broken bones. She did not bother to finish any of them. You haven’t earned death, you shanksticks! Live and suffer!

When no one else moved and no more shots were being fired, she ran and hopped inside the huge flatbed roller, broke open the steering column, and hotwired the vehicle. Over the dash, she saw Smith and the remaining STARs running across the tarmac toward her.

An armored car pulled out of an alley, firing a big automatic; two more STARs fell as the rest scattered. Five

“Where are you, Hart!” Smith demanded.

Pumping the gas and tapping the two wires together, Ace got the roller started. “I’m on my way in a big flatbed!” Ace peeled out of the warehouse and headed full speed toward the stopped armored vehicle and the pirates standing around it. She cranked the wheel and gunned the gas, slamming into the roller, knocking it on its side and crushing half the pirates. Mine’s bigger, you shanksticks! The STARs spent little time finishing the remaining pirates. Ace stuck her head out the window and yelled, “Let’s go hussies!” Only five of them left. They leaped onto the flatbed.

She gunned the gas again, taking fire as she crossed the runway and rolled up to the parked Warthogs. The last STARs ran to the fighter ships. The pirates raced after them in other rollers, opening fire on the closest Warthogs. Ace had just started moving when one of the Warthogs exploded. Four. The flaming debris crashed into its neighbor, causing another explosion. Three

The four remaining Warthogs took off in formation.

“Once we break orbit, we’ll be clear!” Smith shouted.

Ace’s mind raced. We may be off the moon, but we still need help making it home. “Command, do you read?”

“We’re being jammed,” Smith said. “I think we have been since we approached Ophelia!”

“Well, shit.” Ace scanned the cockpit instruments; an unknown ship was swinging around from the opposite side of the big moon. “They have a cruiser!” That’s what took us down! It was here the whole time. The cruiser’s energy level started to spike.

“Hart, they’re firing!” Smith’s voice cracked over the headset.

Ace barked, “Break on my mark.” Watching her instruments, she waited until the cruiser’s energy profile reached a critical level. “Mark!” Ace jammed her control stick to the right and Smith’s craft followed. The cruiser’s plasma beam disintegrated the two other Warthogs and a shockwave rocked her ship.

One. Just Smith now.

“They aren't going to let us get to the jump gate, Hart!” Smith’s voice betrayed her fear.

Watching her panels, Ace saw the cruiser was preparing to fire its mag cannons. “Scanning the gas giant.” It was a typical giant, with volatile plasma storms, fluctuating magnetic fields, and enormous gravity. Perfect.

“Stay on my ass, Smith.” Slipping her control stick forward, the fighter dove toward the huge green planet.

“What’s the plan, Hart?” Smith banked, following close behind Ace. “Ophelia will rip these Warthogs to shreds.”

“Who’s Ophelia?” Ace asked.

“The planet!”

“Whatever. That cruiser won’t fare any better.” Ace pointed the tip of her ship at the horizon, even though she knew the cruiser would get a shot off before they got