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  Steel Apocalypse

  Paladin 05

  Book One

  Rodney W. Hartman

  DEDICATION

  ______________________________

  This book is dedicated to my father-in-law, Carl Leo Kelly. By his actions, he taught me how to be a loving husband and father as well as the leader of my family. I miss his wisdom and humor every single day.

  Copyright © 2019 by Rodney Wayne Hartman

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover Design by Streetlight Graphics

  Editing services by The Pro Book Editor

  ___________________________

  Other Books by Rodney Hartman

  Intergalactic Wizard Scout Chronicles

  Wizard Defiant Book One

  Wizard Cadet Book Two

  Wizard Scout Book Three

  Wizard Omega Book Four

  Wizard Rebellion Book Five

  Wizard Betrayed Book Six

  Wizard Redeemed Book Seven

  Wizard Defender Book Eight

  Wizard Gigantic Book Nine

  Wizard Scout Trinity Delgado Series

  Trinity Unleashed

  Last Stand on Talos Seven

  Table of Contents

  ______________________________

  DEDICATION

  Copyright

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1 – No Space Marine

  Chapter 2 – Bats

  Chapter 3 – Vulture

  Chapter 4 – Spaceport

  Chapter 5 – Friends

  Chapter 6 – Job Offer

  Chapter 7 – Invitation

  Chapter 8 – Analysis

  Chapter 9 – The Competition

  Chapter 10 – Two Pilots

  Chapter 11 – The Escort

  Chapter 12 – Maintenance

  Chapter 13 – Pirates

  Chapter 14 – Full Assault

  Chapter 15 – Impossible Repairs

  Chapter 16 – An Alliance

  Chapter 17 – Staging

  Chapter 18 – Grand Entrance

  Chapter 19 – History

  Chapter 20 – Confrontation

  Chapter 21 – Scorpion’s Den

  Chapter 22 – Battle Royale

  Chapter 23 – Factories and Warehouses

  Chapter 24 – Access Tunnels

  Chapter 25 – Damage Control

  Chapter 26 – Revelation

  Chapter 27 – Confessions

  Chapter 28 – Infantry

  Chapter 29 – Suicidal Plan

  Chapter 30 – Hostages

  Chapter 31 – Rules

  Chapter 32 – Heavy Firepower

  Chapter 33 – Gargantuan

  Chapter 34 – Reverse Tactic

  Chapter 35 – A Visitor

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Prologue

  ______________________________

  The roar of maneuvering-engines announced the interstellar transport’s arrival over the Striker homestead located on the mining planet of Aretillo. The starship’s powerful plasma engines slowed its descent to a mere crawl above the rocky terrain. Blasts of red energy threw ground debris into the air as the starship came to a hover. The transport settled onto a cleared space two hundred meters from the cluster of rusted metal huts and sheds that made up the homestead.

  Jake Striker stood just inside a large, dome-shaped field of shimmering energy surrounding the homestead’s buildings. The force field was often needed to protect the homestead from the frequent hurricane-force sandstorms that made life on Aretillo so difficult. On this day, the energy field served to keep the wave of stones and dust kicked up by the starship at bay.

  Twelve going on twenty, the hard life of a mining planet like Aretillo had made Jake older than his years. He glanced down at his six-year-old brother, Steve, and three-year-old sister, Cathy, then tightened his grip on his sister’s hand to make sure she stayed put. Satisfied she would, he looked at his mom standing near the force field’s access point.

  At thirty-two, his mother was still a handsome woman, or so he’d heard the older men in town say. Nevertheless, he could tell stress was starting to take its toll. Worry lines had been cropping up ever since they’d gotten the call over the tele-network six months ago informing them his dad had been killed in action.

  The transport’s engines shut down, drawing Jake’s attention back to the starship. The rear ramp of the ship began opening. As the wave of stones and sand stirred up by the landing settled to the ground, Jake’s mother stepped up to the arched metal framework marking the exit point for the homestead’s force field. After she touched something on her belt, the energy field within the archway dimmed and she stepped through the opening. Once on the other side, she touched her belt again. The energy field strengthened, and she began walking in the direction of the transport.

  Not without me, Jake thought. Dad’s gone. I’m the man of the family now. I’ve got to start acting like it. Releasing his sister’s hand, he took a step after his mom.

  Before he could take another, his mother turned and gave him one of her hard glares that meant “Don’t cross me.” She said, “No. Stay with Steve and Cathy. Make sure you keep your blaster handy just in case.”

  Jake shook his head. “They should’ve stayed in the house. I need to go with you to talk—”

  “I said stay,” snapped his mother. After pausing long enough to make sure he wasn’t going to argue, she continued toward the starship.

  The rear of the transport was now open with a ramp extending out the back. The roar of a vehicle’s engine echoed from within the ship’s dark cargo hold.

  “Daddy?” asked Cathy. “Is Daddy home?”

  “No,” Jake said. “Mom told you Dad won’t be coming home. He won’t ever be coming home.”

  His sister’s face scrunched up and turned red.

  A wave of shame washed over Jake. I shouldn’t have said that. She misses Dad as much as I do.

  Steve squatted next to the little girl and gave her a hug. “It’s all right, Cathy. I won’t leave you.” He looked up at Jake. “Why do you have to be so mean sometimes?”

  Another wave of shame washed over Jake, but he shoved it aside. “It’s a hard world, Steve. It’s going to get a lot harder. We better all get used to it.”

  Before Jake could say more, the glare of two headlights shining out of the dim cargo hold caught his eye. The lights were followed by a tracked dozer pulling a five-meter-high hunk of camouflaged metal sporting two legs and a single appendage resembling an arm on its right side. A stub of shattered metal was all that remained of the left gun pod of the Paladin Ultra-Heavy Ambulatory Assault Vehicle, or “cat” as it was called by their pilots. Soot and scorch marks covered most of the lower half of the armored vehicle, along with a fist-sized hole in the chest where the main engine was located. Most of the camouflage paint on the cat was peeling off, though the number 05 below the Paladin’s cockpit was clearly visible.

  As UHAAVs went, the Paladin model was neither large nor small, hovering somewhere between a light and medium cat, more toward the light side. But Jake knew the Paladin had been his dad’s pride and joy. A mercenary like Jake’s grandfather, his dad had taken the Paladin off planet to earn credits to support his family.

  “It’s Daddy!” said Cathy as she pointed i
n the direction of the dozer and the battered UHAAV.

  Jake wiped something from his eyes. “Stop it! Dad’s gone. That’s just his cat. And it’s as dead as he is.”

  Steve grabbed his sister’s hand and glared up at his brother. “Cathy and I are going in the house.”

  Jake almost apologized—almost. “So who’s stopping you?”

  Steve’s face turned a little red as he opened his mouth to speak. Apparently deciding not to waste his breath, he grabbed Cathy’s hand and led her back to the hut that served as their living quarters.

  Jake wiped his eyes again. It’s the dust, that’s all. I’m the man of the family now. I won’t cry. I’ll never cry.

  After he heard the hut’s door slam shut, Jake undid the flap of the holster on his hip, making sure his Deloris phase blaster was ready for action. Squaring his shoulders, he walked up to the exit point’s metal frame. Unlike smaller force fields such as those generated by UHAAVs that prevented energy beams and solid projectiles from entering while allowing most energy and objects to exit out, the class four shield surrounding the homestead required both energy and objects to be modulated to specific frequencies in order to pass through the barrier. Touching the activate switch on his belt’s Identify Friend or Foe transmitter, or IFF as it was called, Jake waited until the energy shield within the frame dimmed before stepping through the opening. When he was safely on the other side, he deactivated his IFF. The hairs on the back of his neck stiffened as the exit point’s energy returned to full strength.

  Following his mother’s path toward the transport, Jake took a closer look at what was left of his father’s cat. He remembered his dad proudly taking him on a tour of the Paladin after he’d had it freshly painted for his new assignment with the 57th Medium Mechanized Company. The two-leg, five-meter-tall, brerellium-steel Paladin had been impressive looking then. A 40mm autocannon had been gripped in the claw of its right-most arm. Its left gun appendage had supported a light chaingun suitable against personnel and lightly armored vehicles. Two rocket pods mounted on the Paladin’s shoulders combined with 30 megawatt plasma cannons attached to either side of the cockpit had made the cat look fierce indeed.

  That had been a year and a half ago. The Paladin no longer looked fierce. She looked as beat up and worn out as everything else on the homestead.

  Jake shook his head as he looked at the battered cat. I never did understand why Dad kept Granddad’s Paladin. It’s a crossover mech. It’s too big for a light cat and too small for a medium cat. The mechanics at the spaceport told me it’s been at least forty years since the last one was made. I know cats can last like a gazillion years if they’re maintained, but the Paladin’s still obsolete. Dad should’ve gotten a newer cat. The other mercs got sponsors to buy them new equipment before they left. Why didn’t Dad?

  By the time Jake reached the transport, the dozer had pulled the Paladin clear of the cargo hold and onto the red rock that made up most of Aretillo. A half dozen of the transport’s crew were busy removing cables and shipping bands from the damaged vehicle.

  They’re wasting no time getting it done. Guess they don’t want to stay here any longer than necessary.

  One of the upper cargo bands snapped free and the empty rocket pod on the Paladin’s right shoulder fell off and hit the ground with a loud thud.

  Jake shook his head and sighed. It figures. Just like I thought. She’s a piece of junk.

  Looking around, he spotted his mother talking to an older man in an officer’s uniform. He could just make out the name Onstott above the man’s breast pocket and the insignia of a mercenary commander on his collar. Jake recognized him from a hologram his dad had sent. He was the 57th mech’s leader, Commander Onstott. Jake remembered his dad once saying that while his commander might look mean, he was the best friend he had in the 57th.

  “Sorry about that,” the commander told Jake’s mother as he jerked a thumb at the fallen rocket pod. “She took a beating before those pirates killed Robert.”

  Jake noticed his mother’s shoulders quiver, but she didn’t cry. She never cried.

  Neither will I.

  She pointed at the cat. “What am I supposed to do with that, Commander? You’d have done me a favor if you’d sold it for spare parts back on Celon Three. What my family needs now is credits, not a pile of scrap metal.”

  The hard look on Commander Onstott’s face softened somewhat. “Believe me, Mrs. Striker, if I could’ve done that, I would’ve. The Conglomerate’s contract with Robert specified that in case of death, all proceeds from earnings or salvage would go to pay any advance loans. With my help, Robert sneaked a clause past the Conglomerate’s lawyers that his Paladin was a family heirloom and would be considered personal effects. As such, the Conglomerate was legally bound to pay for shipping and delivery to his next of kin. That’s you.”

  A half-smile crept over the commander’s face. “I can tell you the bean-counters at corporate were none too happy when they found out your husband pulled one over on them. The Paladin took up a lot of valuable cargo space in the transport. The ship’s captain would probably have faked an accident and jettisoned your husband’s cat out the airlock if given the chance. That’s why I decided to see to the delivery myself.” He held out an electronic pad to Jake’s mother. “Now if you’ll sign here, I think the transport’s captain is in a hurry to be on her way.”

  Jake’s mother shook her head and glared at the merc commander. “I’ll do no such thing. Robert had back pay coming. I’m not signing anything until I get it.”

  Commander Onstott glanced around the homestead before looking back at Jake’s mother. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Striker. Robert was my friend. I wish I could give you the credits you need, but he took out an advance loan on his share of the prize credits before we left for Celon Three. The raid failed. He owed the Conglomerate more than his share.” He nodded at the Paladin. “There’s nothing left but his cat.”

  The old mercenary glanced at the ground before looking back up. “Listen, I had the transport’s chief of maintenance charge the Paladin’s emergency battery enough for me to do an inventory. I know she’s an older Paladin model, and I’ll admit her outsides have taken a beating, but she’s got a good, solid chassis. Better than the cheap newer models they crank out nowadays. Also, her AI’s the best I’ve ever seen. Plus, some of the electronics are still in good shape. There’ll be a junker ship making its way to Aretillo in the next couple of months. My advice is to sell the cat to them for parts. If you’re good at haggling, you might be able to get three or four hundred thousand credits for her.”

  Mrs. Striker laughed. It wasn’t a happy laugh. Jake knew why. He’d sneaked into her office the night before. She’d forgotten to log out of her personal tele-network account, so he’d seen the family’s bookkeeping program.

  We owe the bank two million. They’re trying to take our home.

  His mother looked at the mercenary and sighed. “Just leave, Commander. I’ve got a family to worry about.” She turned and stared at Jake. Her eyes were red, but there were no tears. “I thought I told you to stay with Steve and Cathy.”

  Jake returned her stare. “I just wanted to help.”

  His mother opened her mouth but closed it before any words came out. She looked back at the transport. The ramp was already sliding into the cargo ship as it readied for takeoff.

  Commander Onstott shuffled his feet. “Look, I’ve got to go. I want to say how sorry I am. Robert died a hero. He saved the lives of over a thousand settlers. You should be—”

  Mrs. Striker snorted. “What? Proud? How far will that go toward feeding my family after we lose our home?”

  When the commander said nothing, Jake’s mother jerked the electronic pad out of his hand and signed the form. Shoving the pad back, she turned and headed for the house.

  The transport’s engines began to whine.

  Jake started to follow his mother.

  Commander Onstott placed a hand on his shoulder. “Jake, I’m sorr
y. Your dad mentioned you a lot. He was very proud of you.”

  The transport’s engines whined louder. A crewman in an orange jumpsuit near a small side door shouted something inaudible and waved his arms.

  “One more minute,” shouted Commander Onstott.

  The crewman entered the transport, but the side door remained open.

  “I’ve got to go, Jake, but if there’s anything I can ever do for you, look me up. If you grow up to be half the man Robert thought you’d be, we can always use you in the 57th.” Giving Jake’s shoulder a squeeze, the commander turned and ran toward the side door.

  Spinning on his heels, Jake ran in the direction of the entrance to the homestead’s force field as the transport’s thrusters roared to life. Once he passed through the opening, his mother returned the exit point’s energy to full strength just in time to prevent a wave of dust and loose stones from entering. He turned around and glanced up, but the starship was already out of sight.

  His mother took a final look at the battered UHAAV a hundred meters away before shaking her head. “Come on. I’ll get supper going. Your brother and you have school tomorrow.”

  “I’m not hungry,” Jake lied. “I’m gonna stay out here awhile. I’ve got some thinking to do.”

  His mother opened her mouth to speak, but seemed to think better of it. With a shrug, she headed toward the metal hut that was their home. “Suit yourself. Don’t stay up too late.”

  “I won’t.”

  Once his mother was inside, Jake turned to look at the derelict UHAAV. What a piece of junk. How are we supposed to save our home with that?

  Exiting the force field, he made his way to the Paladin. Scorch marks hid most of the paint on the legs and sides of the cat’s torso. The left side rocket pod was intact, but there were no missiles inside.

  Jake kicked one of the cat’s footpads. “You’re a piece of junk! Do you hear me? That’s all you’re good for. Junk. You couldn’t even save Dad.”

  A buzzing sound from the rear of the cat drew his attention. Walking around the Paladin’s left side, he noticed a green button lit up on the back of the cat’s leg.