Felix's new blade cut beneath the Scorpion's raised claw. Nell fired high at the jaw, keeping the head turned away from the recovery crew.
At the crushed walker, a crew member dragged the pilot through the opened hatch. His partner backed with the cutting torch held clear of the man's legs.
"Behind the cannon carriage," Nell told them. "Keep him low."
The Scorpion pivoted toward the Second Division guns. Its stinger crossed the smoke and struck at the heavy gunner holding its flank.
A hexagonal shield flashed around him. A logistics sponsor's blue watermark spread across the impact as the field caught the point.
The rock beneath his boots collapsed.
He dropped into the crater with his gun across his knees. Two loaders caught his ammunition belt before it pulled him farther down. The shield dimmed, leaving him shouting for a hand while the gun's barrel rested against the broken rim.
Nell fired into the tail joint.
"Get him out before it comes back."
