Sahri and I were racing across the waves, her claws sending a salt spray into the air as we flew towards the Amaroid base. On the ocean surface, nearly twenty soldiers rode the latest armament of GU technology, MSCV-Aq’s(Multi-Surface Combat Vehicle- Aquatic type), each craft piloted by a single soldier. They were brand new, only having begun to be manufactured earlier in the year, and we were the first big test case to see if they would last into long-term production. Hopefully, they would provide a strong edge in the battle outside the base, as the MSCV task force was in charge of dealing with the granite sharks that were patrolling the waters outside the base.
In the air surrounding my position were nearly a dozen aircraft, consisting of Boars and LTC’s, each craft tasked with a specific order for the melee. Inside one of the Boars, I knew Luke would be feverishly going over the spire’s schematics until he would be able to remember them for the rest of his life.
All in all, we were a force of exactly five-hundred and fifty men, hopefully enough to take on hostile forces with an unknown amount of armaments and numbers at their disposal. We would take them by surprise, but they could easily overwhelm our numbers if the ratio between forces was much greater than ours.
"All units, approaching target area, head to your starting positions!" I barked into comms, as Sahri sailed higher up into the atmosphere. Behind me, I saw the craft begin to disperse into separate points around the spire, each maintaining a two mile distance from our target. If we were to catch them off-guard, we needed to be sure not to awaken their defenses, if they had any.
"All units report in," I commanded.
"Units 0-4, checked in," was the first reply.
"Units 4-8, checked in."
"Units 9-12, checked in."
"A17E, checked in. We’re ready, Mark."
"Aquatic Unit, checked in."
"All units, wait for my signal, then approach to your assigned positions. Be advised, once troops have entered the spire, all pilots must cease fire on the structure. We can’t risk bringing the whole thing down," I ordered, and my Firehawk went into a sharp climb, racing into the skies high above the spire’s tip.
Our plan consisted of five goals: Apprehend Narius Givorki, seize control of enemy’s computer mainframe, destroy all of the Dark Energy crystals, destroy all the mutated granite sharks, and free the GU POW’s down in the lower levels. Our first goal was, as Matt would have said, "To blow the cap off the mountain." Each LTC would be aiming for a particular point on the structure’s peak to destroy the majority of the outer cap and create entry points for our troops to enter through, but not dealing enough damage to potentially collapse the structure.
All explosives, even grenades, had been taken from the soldiers, leaving only Luke, working with a demolition crew, with any explosives at all. Though Luke was far better with computers than I was, he and I had both agreed that his knowledge of the lower levels was critical for leading the demo team to the uncovered crates, where they would blast the crystals into oblivion. Once finished there, he would move on to the prison block and release the GU soldiers we had found in our earlier venture.
I was first to be providing air support for the Aquatic group, making sure the demolition crew made it through the waters safely. Eventually, that would leave me with taking the mainframe and Narius, who I knew(most unfortunately) was more necessary alive than dead to the GU. His leading position in the Merc military, and his access to the Amaroid King was invaluable information that the Union desperately needed. I didn’t like it much, but I knew we had to have him, especially if the computer mainframe was to be of any use. He alone held the keycard that would allow us to access the restricted files on the Amaroid homeworld.
Sahri eased her climb and took a hovering position high above the spire, and all around, our forces waited patiently for the signal, and then we would throw ourselves into the frenzy of war. Three...two...one... I thought to myself, and then the moment came. "Enter! I roared, and I gripped the controls with all my might as Sahri tore down into a perfect dive, aiming for the rock of the spire-
unbreakable metal met with solid rock in a shower of sparks as the Firehawk’s beak cut straight through, the force of the blow shattering a hole ten feet wide and into the upper levels of the base, catching atleast one Amaroid underneath the rubble and crushing it. Sahri gave a wicked screech and I fired the machine guns into the open hallway, scattering the stunned enemy forces that stood there and catching a few before they could reach safety-
at that moment, the LTC’s opened fire with all their might, their cannon rounds slamming into the thick walls of the spire and bursting right through, creating crooked, ragged holes appearing all across the structure until we had seven entry points all around the base-
the MSCV’s moved in to the frenzy of furious sharks that rose to the surface, their Amaroid masters beckoning them into the fight that was beginning to grow around the base, the mutated beasts trying to pluck the pilots from their craft and take them into the waters-
Sahri and I, having created our own designated entry point, dove over the waters with her claws outstretched, grabbing hold of a shark that had ventured too close to the surface and sinking in until the Firehawk’s power was able to tear right through the toughened hide of the creature and dig into its back, tossing the bleeding mass back into the seas with a Splash!-
out of the corner of my eye, I could see nearly a dozen figures drop from the open doors of a Boar into the churning water below, and I knew Luke was now braving the sharks to enter down through the sewer tunnels at the spire’s base and destroy the remaining crystals-
a shark lunged out of the water and sank its teeth into Sahri’s clawed foot, crunching down with all of it’s might. The Firehawk gave a cry of pain and tried to fly off into the air, but the weight of the massive creature was threatening to bring her under-
I slid down and grabbed hold of her neck with my right hand, while with the other I drew my sword and swung it across the shark’s upper body, aiming for the unprotected eye-
a spurt of blood and a thin scar was cut across the eye, tearing through the protective membrane. The shark released automatically, pain forcing its mouth open, and I barely held on as Sahri flew away, her blood dripping down her claws.
"N27E, this is CCPO-Alpha," a new voice crackling through comms. "Mark, the advance parties on the spire’s upper levels are being devastated by enemy fire, it’s hell up there."
"Where are the barricades? They should’ve been put in place already?" I demanded.
"The LTC’s entry points are unstable, they thought they wouldn’t be able to bear the weight of them. The barricades were thrust out of the way to trade off for an easy exfil," Bradgeson answered. "They need you up there ASAP."
"Copy, I’m heading there now," I said, and wheeled the Firehawk about, heading for the nearest entry point on the spire. I slowed our speed to a steady rate and then, timing my jump, leapt into the firefight within the structure, Sahri blasting off to settler her score with the sharks.
I rolled to shake off the heavy fall, tucking my sword away and trading off for my rifle, firing straight for a pair of advancing Amaroids, a pair of rounds streaking into the belly and shattering the first beast’s spine to bring it to the ground in a screech of pain-
the creature’s companion locked its gaze onto me in a heartbeat, unleashing a crocodilian snarl from its maw, aiming the muzzle of its weapon to fire-
another spurt of fire careened right through the filthy beast’s head, painting the rocky walls black with its blood, and taking the pressure off the soldiers nearby.
But we were nowhere close to securing the area yet. All around me, GU soldiers were firing everything they had, trying to fend off the hostile forces at the end of the hallway, using the many rooms and extra pathways as cover, while we, entering into the main hallway, had no cover at all.
"Bring the barricades out from the LTC!" I cried aloud, crushing the first Amaroid’s ribs underneath my feet to effectively end its life. "Get the f— moving!"
A trio of Amaroids came out of a nearby room, firing at will. Their rounds raced past me but struck a pair of Marines who had gone back to the LTC, cutting through their armor and into their legs-
I dropped to my knees and returned fire as fast as I could, striking one dead-center in the chest as the other two returned to the safety of their hideaway-
"Barricades out!" Someone yelled behind me, there was an ear-splitting noise as the barricade slid down the bay doors and a thunderous Crash! as it came to ground in the base. I made a quick visual scan of the barricade as it landed; sturdy, and with a gap where a turret could be stationed, and I hoped that there was one onboard-
an Amaroid Commander leapt out of cover, an RPG laid across his shoulder, and there was a puff of smoke as he fired-
I hit the dirt and fired back, dealing a crippling pair of rounds to his knees, but I was far too late, and the rocket whistled just above my body and slammed into the open hatch of the LTC-
a blast of fire, shrapnel, and busted metal burst out of the hatch and into the spire, killing several Marines and severely injuring others. The LTC began to fall into the waves and sink, while screams ripped through the air as soldiers tried to extinguish flames that licked at their flesh-
like predators that came alive at the scent blood, the Amaroids knew my soldier’s screams were a signal of weakness, and poured out of their hiding places, delivering volley after punishing volley of fire-
only those who were able to reach cover behind the barricade survived, the others slain by the enemy’s attack. Not including myself, that only left ten of us at our current position to face atleast thirty Amaroids that we could see, led by an unusually large Amaroid Commander behind their main line.
"Alright, listen to me!" I barked. "We’re going to push forward, bringing this barricade along with us. You push the barricade, I provide cover, let’s go!"
These young soldiers, surrounded by the scarred and bleeding remains of what were once their friends, grabbed hold of the metallic barricade and, with all their might, pushed forward into the base-
I heard the Amaroid Commander issue an order, and I knew atleast he had understood our maneuver, and was trying to stop us. I peeked above my moving cover and struck down an advancing Amaroid, the round going straight through his open jaw-
our group of fighters moved forward slowly but surely, the Amaroids unable to get close enough to cease our motion as I brought the bolder ones to the floor. About fifteen minutes into our slow-paced offensive, I could see the entrance to the room that house the computer mainframe looming just up ahead. If we just pushed a little further, we would be there and one phase of our mission would be over-
The Commander gave a short, sharp cry to someone from out of view, his focus off us for just a moment. It was a moment too long, as I took aim and struck a perfect trio of bullets into his throat, silencing him forever, and the creature fell to the ground as his open wounds spouted blood-
a new defensive line appeared, streaming from the mainframe room. Eight Spiderlings, accompanied by a pair of Mercs, stepped out and formed a barrier, cutting us off from the mainframe. The Mercs, well-armed with flamethrowers, released powerful jets of fire at us, barely missing me but scorching the barricade, which became white-hot to the touch, and we were forced to stop moving-
"Spiderlings up ahead!" I called out. "Aim for the neck and lower body, they’re sensitive along-"
a particularly brave young Private leaned out and fired straight for the lead Spiderling, his round striking the ground just at the creature’s feet and startling it into motion-
in one single, fluid reaction, all eight Spiderlings rushed our position, only a few staying on ground, while the others took to the walls and ceiling, their sharp, pointed legs boring straight into the rock and allowing them to walk across any surface.
I knew that many GU soldiers, because of their assumption that a size is a good measure for strength, took Spiderlings very lightly. Their spindly frame, their wiry and physically underwhelming bodies were unimpressive to the eye, and gave onlookers the impression that Spiderlings were rather weak. It’s true that they don’t have the brute force or terrifying size that their other brethren do, but it was no mistake that the King had chosen Spiderlings to be his personal guards. The reptilian insectoids were brilliant fighters, and had incredible speed when they needed it.
The Spiderlings that were racing along the walls fired as fast as they could, their dual-fire pistols spitting bullets so fast we seemed to be caught in a hailstorm of machine gun fire-
I dodged to avoid the worst of it, but I felt a round catch my heel and burned straight through, and I stumbled, rolling onto my back to watch as a Spiderling leapt from the ceiling, aiming his deadly, pointed appendages straight for my unprotected chest-
I slammed down my rifle’s trigger and fired, the bullets ripping open a wide gash, and the beast fell onto me as its final breath escaped its body-
A Marine, screaming aloud as he fired straight for his attacker, only grazing the Spiderling’s abdomen as it jumped him, its front legs piercing straight through his shoulders as it bit into his neck, stripping the flesh from his neck in deep red ribbons-
the other Marines fell back to avoid the same fate, though one fell to the speedy trigger of the Spiderlings. Rifles released streams of ammunition as the remaining aliens charged forth, trying to finish them off-
I rushed forward, ignoring the burning pain in my foot as I went to aid the dying Marine. I tore the Spiderling away from his ragged, crimson-streaked neck and threw it against the wall-
the Spiderling gave a snarl and pushed back, jabbing at me with its right front leg-
I drew my sword and hacked off the Amaroid’s front legs, and it fell to the ground with a long, drawn-out scream of agony, and I dealt the killing blow by sinking the blade straight through its back, slamming through the tough hide and finding the heart-
behind me, I could see two Spiderlings remained, though having left only three remaining Union soldiers to contend with them. Leaving the wounded Marine to draw his one last breath, I rushed back and tackled one of the Amaroids with all my strength, slamming it into the wall and stunning it. Throwing it to the ground, I dealt a wicked stomp to the head, feeling the skull shatter beneath my feet.
"Come on, we’re taking that mainframe!" I cried, and the four of us charged straight back to the now-open room, where our prize awaited us-
I had only a quick glance into the room and I saw the two Mercs inside, one kneeling beside the computers with his weapon in hand, while the other held a small, black detonator in his hand-
I stumbled to the ground as I leapt for cover, my wound bringing me to the ground, and it probably saved my life. The mainframe room was filled with a powerful explosion that shook the spire, bringing stones down from the unstable ceiling, missing us by mere inches.
"NO!" I roared, back on my feet in an instant and rushing into the burning room. As I feared, the computer mainframe was now nothing more than a burning hulk of wires and metal, all the data we had needed now up in smoke, leaving us with no reward for our effort. "S—, we were so close!"
"N27E, this is CCPO-Alpha," Bradgeson said. "Luke’s just called in, he said he’s destroyed the crates with the Dark Energy crystals. They’re finished."
I may have been still fuming with disappointment, but I was pleased to hear Luke had managed to finish off the vile things. "I copy, Bradgeson. Has he found the prisoners?"
"They’re being prepped for boarding," he answered. "Once we’ve cleared the spire, they’ll be taken to an orbiting Destroyer, where they can receive the best medical attention possible."
"Alright, sounds good," I said, surveying the few remaining troops I had left with me. One was wounded on the arm and was bleeding slowly onto the floor, while his buddy -though a wickedly painful burn had been slapped across his cheek- did what he could to stop the flow. I knew I would need more than this ragtag remnant to keep moving forward into the base. "Can you send an LTC to my position? I’m low on troops, we got hit pretty hard."
"Roger, LTC on your way now," Bradgeson replied. "By the way, pilots have been keeping an eye out for any escaping vessels, and haven’t seen a thing. Narius is still stuck in there somewhere."
My pulse quickened and I felt my blood heat up inside me. "Are they absolutely sure?" I asked quickly. "We cannot afford to let him escape, he is the number one target on our list."
"They’re positive. Just remember, we need him alive, Mark. Do the best you can to make it so."
I had issued the order myself, but Bradgeson also knew I had a grudge against the Merc, so the reminder was not unnecessary. Down at the beginning of the hallway, I could see an LTC float down, unloading a small company of Marines, as well as a fresh barricade. The sight was a welcome one, and now I was certain we could find Narius and bring him out alive-
there was a faint rumbling coming from somewhere out of sight, at the end of the hallway where it connected with the larger intersection. At first I thought there had been more explosives, but then I realized there was a rhythm to it, as if something very large was moving towards us.
"Private, scout ahead and see what’s coming," I ordered to the sole uninjured Marine. "Don’t leave cover, stay in our section of the hallway."
The young Private ran up to the intersection and peered down the right side, his head just peeking out to take a look-
a streamlined burst of energy struck the Marine right through the wall and evaporated him, the young man’s screams written on his face as it was burned away-
the explosive blast shook the ceiling and damaged it even further, raining small boulders on top us, crushing the pair of Marines beside me underneath their heavy weight.
I felt panic begin to stir within me. I recognized the energy burst, I knew what kind of weapon could deal that kind of damage. A Scorpion was inside the base, perhaps along with others, able to deal enough damage to wipe us out. We had no rocket launchers, no RPG’s, no explosives that could damage it.
And it was headed right towards us.
