The corporal hit the ground, skidding on his armored knees, and came to a stop by the fallen lieutenant, then automatically called up the medical information from Mackay’s suit.

“Telemetry from his vitals aren’t looking good!” he shouted, the suit already initiating defib.

Mackay jerked once, his back arching off the ground as the suit shunted a jolt through his body. His face mask cleared as the armor automatically shifted to medical mode, letting Deacon see Mackay’s eyes open wide from the shock, stare around unblinkingly, and settle back down.

“Still nothing!”

Deacon hit him again, jolting the soldier off the ground as his suit finished applying foam to the breach and the drab-green substance started to harden.

A series of beeps and symbols flashed across Deacon’s HUD and he let out a breath. “Got him back, Sarge, but he’s in a bad way!”

Steward didn’t answer as he finished his circuit and let his rifle drop from his shoulder as he shifted to the command emergency channel.

“Major, we’ve got a man down. I say again, man down.”

“Roger that,” Brinks replied tersely. “Am redirecting a chute for pickup. Stand by.”

Steward confirmed the transmission and signed off, leaving Brinks to do his job. He now had two seriously injured soldiers and no immediate evac point. He directed the chute to pick up Mackay after shifting his com-suite to locate Milla.

“Miss Chans,” he said after a moment.

“Yes, Major?” Milla paused, head cocked as she listened. She stopped mid-motion, not paying attention to the men escorting her to the command and control center, much to their annoyance.

They froze behind her, though the man in front moved on for a few steps before realizing that no one was following. He turned. “Ithan? What are you doing?”

She held up a hand. “One moment. Yes, Major, there are extremely good medical facilities in the city. Yes, Major, I am on my way to speak with the admiral in charge of systems defense. I will arrange it.”

“Arrange what?” the third man demanded.

“Medical treatment for injured soldiers,” she told him calmly. “There are two seriously injured men in need of medical attention.”

“Ithan, we have to get you to the admiral. You can deal with them once we arrive.”

“No, I will deal with it while we travel. You have a com, of course?”

“Of course, but—”

“Then contact the admiral,” she told him coolly, starting forward again as she motioned to him with one hand. “Now.”

Across the city, far from the heavier built-up sections where the majority of the fighting was currently contained, Lieutenant Savoy and his geek squad were moving toward a badly chewed-up piece of machinery that looked more like a fallen rock than the remnants of a lander craft.

“What kind of radiation are we getting off this, L.T.?” Burke asked, his weapon traversing the wreckage as they moved forward.

“It’s hot, but not smoking,” Savoy responded, eyeing the levels carefully.