220 Not So Gentle Landing

[Launch in T minus 10 minutes] The standardized announcement came and Max made an announcement of his own.

[Get your wagers in with Command, to the second. The closest bet to actual drop time gets this drop's prize. One Can of Comor's finest Apple Pie filling, and a carton of cigarettes.]

The Pilots all quickly sent in their messages, in case the Lander dropped much earlier than expected, but the mood became much less tense.

At seven minutes and forty-eight seconds, the Lander shuddered and then went into freefall, marking their official launch time. Max would check who was the official winner later since the satellite data had finally started to come in and he could see the situation on the planet.

The Klem had already landed, but from the looks of it, they hadn't had time to spread very much yet. He also got the targeting data for the Five Battalions arrivals. One on each flank of the Klem invasion, and one exactly in the center.