“In another moment or two,” Vorgens said, “the warriors from the Greater City will be flying here to help their friends.”
“I know!” Aikens snapped. “What do you think I’m trying to do here, organize a tea party? I’m setting up a lane of fire on both sides of the riverWe’ll cut down as many of ’em as possible before they can join the attack here.”
“What about our task unit from the Mobile Force?” Vorgens asked.
“They’re on their way.”
It was almost two hours more before the Terrans finally arrived.
The three companies of air-dropped Marines had been whittled down to a stubborn handful, fighting tenaciously at the steps of the warehouses they were defending. Shinarians—old men, boys, women among them—fought and died alongside the Imperial troops.
All along the river Komani warriors were darting wildly on their utterly maneuverable flyers, trying to avoid the withering fire coming up from both banks. Some of the flyers got through, and went on to join the attack on the warehouses. Most of the others had turned back though, and were blasting the buildings from which the Shinarians fired.
A squad of flying Komani warriors had fought its way to the roof of one warehouse when Vorgens saw the first
Terran troop carriers racing over the final row of hills before the city.
The Watchman turned to Aikens, and saw that the brigadier was still immersed in crackling out orders to his men. Beyond the brigadier’s shoulder, Vorgens could see more battle cruisers skimming over the harbor water, heading for the warehouses at top speed. Only then did he realize that the vehicles coming in from the hills carried Merdon’s men, not Marines.