First excerpt

The sound was deafening. I would have described it with some picturesque turn of phrase, were I still in classes on Victoria. Somewhat with the anger of heavens and thunder of unseen storms, but my school days seemed the farthest thing from my mind. Some of my unit’s trite and hackneyed expressions were colourful if not so picturesque. There is something that a professional soldier can do with some of the most vulgar words in the King’s English to adequately express his current displeasure with the mission, weather, commander or enemy. First Sergeant Lvov was no different, save that her voice was a pitch higher and somehow still as rough and gravelly as the first Dragoon or Lancer back on Fabled Earth. Currently “Lovely” Lvov was extolling the virtues and vices of our ARCS. There are several things that an Armoured Reconnaissance Craft - Skimmer is expected to do well. Taking artillery fire without being at least hull down is NOT one of those things. Personally, I did not disagree with Lvov's evaluation, but I also could not think how being outside the iridium armor would be any better. To add injury to insult, even Emma-Kae, with her comm suite five by five, could not tell whose artillery was currently raining on the top of our vehicles.