37 Book 3 - Chapter 95 (2/2)

Mace was down to one drone, and it was important she kept it well hidden to ensure they had enemy positional data. She considered its current location, while it was an obvious hiding spot, it was better than being out in the open. And M3IAS would have to take time to search the divet if they were going to find the drone.

Watching the HUD, there was a new barrage location marked by a purple haze with an orange dot in the centre. She fired off a grenade, from her cover location, timing it with Axelzero and Daedo.

Daedo: Mace advance. We need to engage with railguns. Axelzero continue to provide launcher support. We will rotate shortly.

Her HUD comprised of orange dots, which meant she was free to choose her target. Designate red dot targets were to coordinate tactical damage and control of maneuvers. In this scenario, she was to use her judgment on which was the best target based on what method and approach she decided to use.

Mace jumped up in the air, aiming her railgun, climbing quickly and as soon as the cadet came into her field of view, she fired before dropping down. She didn't wait long enough to ensure she hit, although the round travelled at speed faster than the sound it was an AR round and the impact was not noticeable in the split second before she completed a controlled fall back to the earth.

She had to change position, only an idiot would launch that type of attack twice in quick succession or a genius, but that trick only worked once. She scanned the area for drones, looking for a spot where she would hide a recon drone, after checking two, she began to attract fire from two M3IAS liberos.

Laurent and Paquet were both from Shu and both Liberos in Siderus' squad. It was important that Mace stay alive, if Daedo were to go down, she was to take over tactical command, and once she bit the dust, it would be left to Vannier.

After thirty seconds of agile movement and trading blows with the two liberos, something changed, one and then the second broke contact moving to the north.

It was Picard, she was in behind their line.

Mace smiled while she thought about Picard causing havoc to the long-range cover cadets.

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**Mace: press?

Daedo: yes press. Axelzero, Vannier, Kang come. It's time to damage them while Picard has them distracted. Red dots for focus fire, but if you can't reach LOS take an orange.

**Daedo: Cover - Release last of the drones.

Mace took over control of two drones from Kang and began to close on the red dot. It was Siderus, Daedo was shameless, he wanted to make M3IAS suffer, and if they were going to win, it would be hard fought.

The particle barrier was a surprise he kept just for this match, and while the cream of M3 would defeat Thoth squad zero on paper, they did not have the master tactician.

Mace's analysis of Daedo had his tactical ability as his main strength. The company, the research and direction of the squad, were all strategic moves on his part. His domination of the gauntlet had little to do with his skill in piloting and gunnery and everything to do with his tactical ability.

Most cadets overlooked this.

Most cadets also thought she was similar to Daedo due to academic and other results. Most cadets were wrong. Where Daedo was strategic, she was cunning. Daedo could be naïve, she merely remained silent with her thoughts, and no one was the wiser. While they were similar in academic outcomes, their personalities could not be more different.

It was time to hurt Siderus, Mace ran and jetted into position, the two new drones under her control quickly catching her.

The new rearguard M3IAS began to fire upon her, Siderus himself was at the front line while he sent his last two liberos to assist the long-range sniper, or cover, which was their new designation. Mace thought of him as a rearguard because Picard had turned the entire squad around.

She began to return fire as she brought the two drones swooping down from above either side of his position, but close enough for Siderus to be caught in the blast radius. Much to her displeasure, Siderus retreated, jumping backwards while firing up at the two drones.

Mace used this time to try and get some damage on the leader of the M3IAS. He was going to take out the drones, but he couldn't do that and fire at her at the same time.

As Siderus retreated over the hill after taking damage from Daedo and Mace, while Laurent and Paquet returned and began to engage.

Thoth squad zero had pushed up into the M3 combined squad. There was little cover and certainly none from all angles unless the cadets retreated. Remaining with Thoth was Mace, Daedo, Axelzero, Vannier and Kang. Their opposition also had five cadets remaining, and the all cadets on the field had sustained some damage.

It became a dance of skill, the three liberos from M3IAS and the two covers, as soon as Picard went down they were up against the same mix from Thoth squad zero.

Kang was the first to go down, then Bernard who Picard had almost taken out, with one shot from a railgun.

Siderus pushed up onto Vannier in an attempt to take her out, as Daedo and Axelzero kept the other two M3IAS engaged.

Mace wove her way through to Dupuis, the last long-range cadet from M3IAS. Not only did she use a railgun, but she lobbed grenades into the mix from her entrenched position. It was too late for Mace to return and assist Vannier, she was too committed to taking out Dupuis.

Dupuis was an excellent shot, and despite her maneuverability, Mace was taking hit after hit. A lobbed grenade from Daedo landed directly on Dupuis, she was unable due to being pinned down. Mace thanked him silently while lobbing one of her own.

**Daedo: drone

A drone was sent flying at Dupuis as Daedo released control to Mace. She could not take many more hits even in this improved exo, two more and she would be goners.

She directed the drone in, giving Dupuis a choice, fire on her or the drone. Mace's AI showed when the round was loaded, and she fired a smoke grenade in front of her position before strafing to the left. Moments later she lobbed another grenade at Dupuis.

Dupuis chose the drone as the grenade landed on her position. Mace received bad news during the thick of the battle; Vannier and Axelzero went down. It was just her and Daedo remaining. As soon as she exited the smoke she fired upon Dupuis with her railgun, it only took her a second to swap weapons while moving.

Mace was hit by Dupuis by a round at the same time. That M3 cadet had excellent prediction capability she had rightly guessed the area Mace would exit the smoke. But ultimately all the skill from the M3 cadet was defeated by another grenade from Daedo who wasn't even in this area and a railgun round to the head from Mace.

Mace wondered, how did he have the time to afford her a grenade when he was basically one versus three?

Then the answer came in the form of a message from the AR adjudicator.

Laurent railgun Daedo.

”Bah,” Mace scoffed. He had helped her when he should have been helping himself. She didn't know if it was an emotional decision or if he had calculated that she just needed that one extra grenade in order to win. Which didn't make sense, the flight time of the grenade from his position was over seven seconds. If it was anyone else, she would have thought it was not calculated, but with Daedo she was not so sure.

The cream of M3 descended upon Mace who only had enough armour for a single hit. She picked up Dupuis, who was deactivated by the AR adjudicator and lay her in front of the entrenchment. She also stole the long-range railgun. It came from Daedalus anyway.

As the three liberos spread, weaved and flew she fired with Dupuis' railgun. She was going to die, but she took an almost perverted pleasure in abusing the corpse and equipment of her opponent. Using the pretend corpse for cover was tactical, but nevertheless embarrassing for the victim.

”You'll never take me alive,” she said under her breath as she returned fire.