[Internet borked, using a phone is gonna be incredibly difficult. Be patient, story is nearly over]
[QUOTE=Pezgod1;49316308]Damian's computer fucked up, hard disk probably died, and all he can do is browse via his WiiU, so I guess that he may not post often while he's getting his PC fixed, just to let you guys know.[/QUOTE]
[Great news, everyone. The computer is working. Dust probably got into the hard disk, causing Windows to crash and for the computer not to recognize the hard disk. Leaving it to rest for a day has allowed it to fix itself.]
[All praise the Creators/System Lords/Gods/Nine Divines!]
Mordecai looked at the Argos representatives in the camp. "I'm sure your plan might work, but maybe you could share it with the rest of us?"
[QUOTE=Sega Saturn;49304574]Virin had been lucky at first- while breaking contact with his last close-range opponent and scurrying toward cover, most of the inbound projectiles had missed him, allowing him time to reload and explain Yanim's task to one of the human soldiers nearby. He took a deep breath, standing again as he looked down his sights at the enemy. He hadn't considered their level of focus; they hadn't stopped watching his position after he disappeared behind cover, as he hadn't waited long enough. They waited for him to expose himself once more, and as his finger pulled back on the trigger, he felt multiple impacts in his chest, as if he had been hit by a train. He dropped his rifle and fell- warmth flooding the space between himself and the inadequate armor he was wearing over his clothing.
There was suddenly no strength in his body, his arms failed to catch him as he collapsed onto the gritty tan surface of the planet. He let out a groan and felt a lack of air within his lungs- pierced and deflated, and knew immediately what was going to happen. There was nothing anyone could do. He turned over in a desperate clinch and set his eyes on the mech in the distance. It wouldn't be long before darkness closed in, before the pain would disappear. The life he had always secretly wished for, the dreams he never had the chance to share, they would perish with him. So be it; he always knew, as a soldier, that something like this might happen. He only wished it wouldn't happen so soon.
Out there, the mech he wished to destroy still loomed over the battlefield. He was just one of thousands who would die in the effort to destroy it. As he silently faded, he hoped one last hope to witness its demise as well, bloodshed born of bloodshed, balanced in the end. His weak pulse ceased as he entered the moment of twilight between life and death.
Yanim saw her opportunity at that exact moment, entirely unaware of Virin's imminent demise. She plunged the ship, a hypersonic dagger, down onto the goliath below.[/QUOTE]
Mini Roll[7]: In a quick moment, the entire ship hauled its weight as the Daedalus spotted the ship. Ships coming together as a quick and final move against the war machine took place in the barren wasteland. The ship at it's peak collided against the top of the Daedalus, too slow to react to the remote controlled ship. The blast wave emitted several later feeling like hundreds of bombs exploding all at once. The Daedalus was overwhelmed by the devastating force produced, slowly knocked back. The machine's legs spiraled out of control, losing massive balance.
The Daedalus falling was akin to a massive tree getting chopped down, others watching it fall. The weight plummeted, causing a crack under the ground. The Daedalus, seemingly destroyed had one last thing up its sleeve. The Daedalus, emitted a slow yet intimidating noise every 3 seconds.
...
Harken Saw heard a message call out to him while his own base was taking on Zeruel's Judgement as many ships laid waste in its presence. He answered the call and narrowed his eyes. "Yes. What is it?"
"This is Colonel Kaspar Cross of the SDF ground forces. I have reports saying that HarkArk forces have broken basic ROE. I request for you to order your men to cease all hostile activity against civilians."
-----
As the squad moved alongside a street, they encountered a HarkArk NCO and his squad blindfiring around a corner.
"Officer! What's your status?"
Yanim opened her eyes knowing good and well that she had succeeded, even though the sound of the explosion would take some time to reach her. The chaos of battle all around seemed to quiet down for a moment, as soldiers from both sides noticed the flash and the massive column of smoke in the valley distance. Gawking at the success of the plan, Yanim absent-mindedly stood up before being yanked back down into cover by a human in allied colors.
"What are you doing? Do you want to get lit the fuck up?" he yelled.
Yanim stuttered for a moment before remembering her crew and the task at hand. She enquired about the other kanads.
"I've seen a few of them," the human replied. "Two behind those rocks over there, a medic and one wounded. There was another, too. That nutjob was killing just about all of the Crimson guys by himself until we showed up."
"There was one other, a serek. Did you see her?"
"I don't know about that. I've been busy; your comrade told me you were guiding some kind of weapon, and so I was supposed to look after you. What was that about, anyway?" The boom of the explosion finally arrived, although it had been weakened from the distance considerably. It sounded like thunder.
Yanim held up her finger and widened her eyes. The human vaguely understood the implication. A second human came over and tapped his friend on the shoulder. "We've got another casualty. DOA."
"Goddamn. Who was it?"
"Not one of ours," he grumbled before noticing Yanim's alertness. Turning to her, he clarified: "one of yours, I guess; the one with the saber."
"Where?"
"Over there, where the ground slopes away." Without waiting any further, Yanim quickly scrambled over to where Virin's body lay, his back propped up against the rock and his eyes open, still, and transfixed on the distant horizon where the smoke column still rose. She placed her hand on his chest and felt how motionless he was, his clothes dampened with blood.
Silently, she pulled his goggles forward and reached in, closing his eyes. When she was done, she pulled her rifle around, unable and unwilling to mourn him while the fight was still in progress. The humans had pushed the enemy back, but she would be sure to take a life herself in tribute to her fallen comrade. Setting up on a nearby rock, she stared down the scope, catching sight of her opponent in the reticule, and opened fire.
"Believe me Colonel, even if I wanted to those Privateers and Mercenaries have already began to run amuck. I'm already receiving reports the majority of them are fighting back." Harken Saw as he heard several explosions in the distance.
"Both sides will not stop until one side has completely killed off another."
"However, there's another solution to end this battle once and for all."
...
"Milita at our front, about two dozen."
The squad leader and his second in command followed Yanim and began scanning for targets.
The squad combat medic remained with Gataska, assisting her with Rask.
The two riflemen switched position and assisted the squad leader and Yanim.
-----
"Well it better be a damn good plan, Saw." Said Cross just as the Daedalus collapsed.
Some of the SDF soldiers 'wowed' in awe.
Kaspar whistled. "Get me some eyes on that area ASAP!"
-----
"Have you tried talking them down?" Asked Lion.
Saw rose from his chair and paced out of the view. "There's obviously a Supreme Commander who's leading the defensive. Maybe someone who might have planned the mess in the first place. Until that person is dead then this battle will go on until all sides have run out of ammunition."
Saw and Vara walked out and prepared for dispatch on the ground personally. "We kill that commander and those forces will surrender without leaders to take orders from. This is our only chance to rid the Crimson Son threat."
...
"They're shooting down everyone without question. They aren't going to get talked out of this one."
"Maybe if you tried not to shoot them, like you're supossed to." Mercury murmured under his breath. "Lion, we got gas grenades and flash bangs. We can probably clear a path that way."
---
Noble ordered his squad to get closer to the kanad position. He hurried over to Gatashka. "I hope that's not the captain. I got orders to escort you to safety."
With limited supplies but perfect focus, Gataska finally finished patching Rask's neck. She received help from the human combat medic, especially with actions which required a steady hand. Rask, having lost quite a sum of blood in the process, stared back at them with a tired expression. "[How are we doing?]" he asked.
"[I think we're winning,]" Gat replied. "[The ship hit its target, too. Can you stand?]"
"Keh, yakka. [I'm still awake, might as well get back into the shit show.]"
"[Good. On your feet, soldier,]" the medic said, lending a hand. Rask was reluctant to take it; his stance on humans largely unchanged since his time in the GKVR. After all, this despicable war was bought and fought by various human factions. Rask was only a hired gun, not a friend. Nonetheless, this particular human had helped save his life, and for that, he would momentarily dismiss his racial prejudice.
"Of course," Rask replied in English as he took the medic's hand. "Hand me that gun," he grumbled, pointing to his OBV, "that damned serek took my pistol; where'd the hell she run off to?"
"You speak English?"
"Yeah, I do. [I]Gun.[/I]"
The medic's lip curled at the kanad's rudeness after such a delicate operation. He shoved the weapon into Rask's hands as the latter finished standing up. At that moment, Noble arrived in a hurry to find Gataska gathering her medical supplies and Rask, bloody and pale, unsteadily priming his OBV for firing.
"I hope that's not the captain," he said, eliciting a hateful stare from Rask. "I got orders to escort you to safety." He was surprised to see the anemic kanad turn his rifle toward him, shaking as if frightened.
In truth, Noble appeared identical to his clone, Varn, and Rask was too lightheaded to realize they were two different people. "Get the fuck away from me!" he spat, breathing heavier and nearly collapsing again. "We don't want any more contact with the Archius, and I've got enough scars, you twisted motherfucker!"
Noble took a step backwards, but remained calm and in control. "Easy now, you've got me confused for someone else," he said. "It happens. We Boomes all look the same, you know, but my name is Noble, and I'm pretty damn sure I've never met you."
For a time, Rask stood still, practically panting as adrenaline flooded into his system. He remembered asking Yanim about the man who tortured him, Varn Merner, and learned through her that he was a Boome Marine. He began to rationalize. The notion that the Boomes were all clones began to click, and Rask realized his mistake. Nonetheless, a carbon copy of Varn must be just as capable of cruelty as the real thing, he reasoned, and he slowly limped backwards with his gun still centered on the mercenary before him. "Don't try anything..." he warned, cryptically before breaking away and staggering off. He raked his hands across the rocks in a balancing effort as he sought a vantage point to shoot at the enemy.
Gataska, confused at the confrontation, switched her translator on. "<What just happened?>" the tinny voice asked.
---
With great effort, Neasha had managed to clear the ridge onto the opposite slope without exposing herself to enemy fire, and was now in full view of the now-fallen mech. Staring through the eyepiece of the rocket launcher, she watched allied units closing in on the wreckage, and listened to the faint, but menacing echo of [I]something[/I] inside the hulk... She grimaced as turned back. A hunch told her that she needed to leave as soon as possible, whether or not the rest of her so-called crew would join her.
[QUOTE=Sega Saturn;49349615]Silently, she pulled his goggles forward and reached in, closing his eyes. When she was done, she pulled her rifle around, unable and unwilling to mourn him while the fight was still in progress. The humans had pushed the enemy back, but she would be sure to take a life herself in tribute to her fallen comrade. Setting up on a nearby rock, she stared down the scope, catching sight of her opponent in the reticule, and opened fire.[/QUOTE]
Mini Roll Critical Success[highlight][9][/highlight]: Yanim, stoic as ever but deep inside driven. Driven to make sure all in her path were killed. She spotted a Crimson Son soldier distracted as several blindfired. She fired in her sight at the head. The rest scattered away like roaches and retreated elsewhere.
...
"Screw it, we've tried everything. All units engage the enemy." A Privateer said as several militamen already killed several soldiers who attempted to talk out. The Privateers took position and opened fire at the crowd, wasting several people at the front. The path opened as the combatants fleed to the scene while Privateers ceased fire.
"Move out and randevu with the others." A Privateer said, pointing outwards. "Sir, we've heard a Crimson Son soldier whose currently disrupting the assault forces. Some say he's holding some kind of saber. What do you want to do?"
"We regroup and figure out a plan. Let's move." The privateers nodded and moved out of the street.
(a bit confused)
Every passing moment, the remaining Crimson soldiers were being driven back by allied fire. With their morale chipping away, they attempted a fighting retreat, leaving four men in their position while the others fell back. Even this gesture proved pointless- as soon as they began to fire back on the allied position, one of the troopers in the center had his head blown open by Yanim's YSV. The other three panicked, unable to identify the sniper's position before losing their nerves, dropping back, and joining the rest of their unit in a desperate retreat back down the side of the hill.
The skirmish seemed to be over, finally. Yanim felt sick inside. Virin was dead, and while she couldn't confront the fact at first, taking revenge on the enemy did nothing to alleviate the sense of guilt and inadequacy within her. She, like most of her race, was atheistic and lacked superstition. Virin's body was nothing more than a vessel for his intellect. Once perished, it held no significance; there was no difference between his corpse and the matter which comprised the life-bearing worlds abroad.
But looking down at him again, she felt an overwhelming urge to beg his forgiveness. It was stronger than anything she felt after Jeremy died, or John Riker, and with good reason- she was his commander, responsible for his life. And yet he had died watching over her.
Not far away, Neasha slid down the gravel slope toward cover. She met Yanim with a begrudged nod before speaking. "I just got a good look at the wreckage, Yanim. I think that mech still has something inside it. I think we ought to put some more distance between us and it before..."
As Neasha finally noticed Virin's body, she trailed off momentarily. Yanim met her with a judgmental gaze, apparently unconcerned with what she had to say. "Where were you?"
"I was just over the ridge," the serek calmly answered, subtly checking Yanim's tail for the sort of rage she demonstrated on Terra. The way it was moving, she couldn't tell. Nervously, she justified herself, "I don't know how to use most guns, boss. My fingers won't even fit through the trigger guard on this pistol; I'd have to use my claw... So I went up top to watch my ship, and see whether it'd finish off that mech-"
"That wasn't your job," Yanim interrupted, hanging her head and turning away briefly, clearly feeling loss. For a while she seemed ready to break down, before she lifted her chin again and spoke solemnly. "It's okay, serek. I'm glad you're okay. Let's find the others."
[QUOTE=liberalllama;49369237](a bit confused)[/QUOTE]
(What has you confused, friendo?)
Noble looked confused after Rask stagered off. He looked at Gataska. "I'll repeat myself. I hope that he isn't the one in charge. Listen I have a job to do and I'll do it, so save us the trouble and point us towards whoever is in charge."
Gataska blinked, vacantly, before turning toward Yanim's position. The latter and Neasha stepped out from behind cover into a flat space between the rocks where Virin had cut down so many enemy soldiers with his saber. "<Yanim, this human wants to talk to you!>"
Yanim looked at Noble with a distant expression before giving a quick and half-hearted kanad salute. "Spaska. A moment, teres."
"<What's wrong?>" Gat asked. Graveness quickly settled over her in the silence that followed. "[...where's Virin?]"
Yanim pointed over her shoulder roughly in the direction where his body lay. "[He's not coming,]" she said, coldly. Gataska gasped sharply before running off into the rocks to look for him. While Yanim continued over to Noble to speak with him directly, Neasha split off to retrieve Rask, whose shrill voice could be heard in the near distance shouting kanad slurs at the retreating Crimson soldiers.
"We thank you for your help," Yanim said to Noble with a lack of sincerity. "Now what do you want?"
The squad of SDF soldiers remained nearby. The squad leader and his second in command stood a small distance away from Yanim while the two other troopers were busy trying to make sure Rask wouldn't get shot.
The squad combat medic however had finished observing Virins body and covered it in a piece of gray cloth before planting a tiny GPS transmitter next to it marked for body retrieval.
He then stood up and did a quick salute before turning around just in time for Gataska to come running in full force.
The medic catched her and tried to keep her steady. "[He's gone, I'm sorry. There's nothing we could do.]"
Noble had a frustrated look on him, but he remained calm. He gave a salute as a show of respect. "You're in charge I presume. That was some good fighting back there." He noticed that Yanim wasn't in the mood for this, so he decided to cut straight to the chase. "I have orders to get you out of this hole. Commanders from several mercenary factions and the SDF are meeting over at the hill there. My boss wants to talk to you." He holstered his pistol. "Now, you can refuse and do whatever you want to do here and probably get more of your people killed in the process. Or you could come with us, a heavily armed escort, to a safer location away from that thing." He pointed towards the downed Daedalus.
Gataska had only known Virin briefly, but her heart ached for him, personally and professionally. Earlier that day, he had stood by Yanim under the pretense that no battle could be more intense than the one they were fighting. If they could somehow all survive the gauntlet, then they must be a crew worth serving. He believed in a future and he was willing to fight for it.
While the Belladonna began to take off after its repairs at Fort Blaze, Gat departed from the bridge to go clean her messy workspace, under the impression that she would continue her work there long after the battle was won. She gave Virin a hug as she did, and whispered in his ear, "[Come see me when this is over.]" Now he never would.
Could she have saved him? Was there something she have done that the humans couldn't? It was irrelevant; Rask needed her and she couldn't be in two places at once. Still, she agonized over unanswerable questions... But what she was certain of was that this death was preventable, if not through the use of medicine, then through proper planning and foresight, both of which were abandoned in this hastily-executed gambit. It was Rask's idea, and Yanim supported it. Virin informed Gat about the plan, telling her that he was fully opposed.
But he said nothing once the wheels were in motion, because he claimed that Yanim had forced his hand. Behind this plan was another, even more reckless plan which was certain to get the boss killed, and Virin wasn't willing to see her throw her life away simply because she couldn't see the value of preserving it. And when the enemy closed in, he was the first to put himself in the line of fire for their sakes. And for all his selflessness, all Yanim had to say was "[He isn't coming.]"
Did she feel nothing?
Once Gataska had calmed herself, the medic released her and she knelt at the side of his body. Gently pulling back the shroud, she cradled his head in her arms against her breast and sobbed, kissing him once on the forehead before releasing him. [I]"Auv-sha, Sekorega."[/I]
Goodbye, brave one.
---
"Now, you can refuse and do whatever you want to do here and probably get more of your people killed in the process. Or you could come with us, a heavily armed escort, to a safer location away from that thing"
As Noble finished speaking, Yanim shrugged. "There's nothing left here," she said, bleakly.
"Is that a yes?" Noble asked, clearly fed-up with the kanads' behavior. Yanim nodded in response. Rask and Neasha arrived with the former still spitting vile, slurring out insults at just about anyone who looked at him, especially Neasha, who had reluctantly returned the VRI pistol she had borrowed. As he neared his boss, he trailed off, silently taking a headcount of the group.
"...the sergeant get hit or something?"
"He's dead, Rask," Neasha mumbled after Yanim stayed silent. Rask's was horrified as he watched Gataska come back down the slope. Crestfallen, he searched his comrades' eyes for an explanation but he didn't receive any. No one had personally witnessed Virin's end; it was something that had just... happened. His damaged visage grew flush with anger and he turned away, running his hands through his hair and scraping his nails painfully against his own scalp.
"[Well... isn't that a damned shame,]" he remarked, looking down at the valley below, "[...you motherfucking cowards!]" he screamed at the now very distant Crimson troops. He nearly fainted, and was propped up by Neasha. He tugged his arm away and almost fell over, ashamed of himself and bitter of the whole situation. "I'm sorry. I... Shit, it's just that-"
"It's fine," Yanim interrupted in a monotone, "get it out before we go meet the brass."
"No, I'm okay. That was it," Rask replied. "That was it."
"Ma'am..." Begun the SDF squad leader. "... I'd like to offer my condolences. Also, I strongly suggest accepting the offer from our Boome colleagues. I don't know how long my squad will be able to hold this zone."
He did a vague nod towards the direction which the Crimus soldiers had retreated to.
The Crimus soldiers retreated to a safer position as several traces of weaponry from all directions. One soldier kneed down and saw several soldiers coming at their way.
"We lost our Decant. We're requesting backup over." The soldier placed against his helmet as his comrades suppressed fire in the thick area. The soldier shook his head as a blank signal went static. Great, he thought, he aimed close and tried to locate any targets at his view. Until a sudden tranmissioned voiced over in his comm.
"...fight?" A sly feminine voice asked. What. This shouldn't be happening who was there. The soldier once again pressed down against his helmet. "State your designation, who is this?" He said loudly in the midst of upcoming firepower.
Immediately two loud as thunder shots sprang, he almost flinched at the thick caliber going through the enemies like sand paper. He had no idea what was going on as bodies dropped on the moist ground, he was too hesitant to look at his surroundings if bullets came at his way.
Again several bullets waged war with the offense, seconds later fire ceased. "Hold your position hold your position!" The soldier exclaimed. The soldier shook his head as quietness seized the moment.
"You, what's your rank?" Now a masculine deep written voice sprang in his comm. The soldier figured he would at least answer in order to comply but he wondered if this was a potential enemy.
"1st Private. What's yours?!" He answered.
"...Classified..."
"Classified?! What the hell? Who are you?!"
"Relax, we're professionals. We're not exactly in the same branch but uh, we're still Crimus." The voice responded. "Fight over?" The female voice asked. The soldier gritted his teeth and attempted to find them.
"Prove it." Soldier called out aiming with his carbine. Within seconds two figures appeared, one with a slouched posture, hands behind the back, presumably female while another figure held a sniper rifle almost his size. The soldier narrowed his eyes, relieved they at least decloaked.
"Who's your officer?" The soldier asked the two as both turned to each other. The male figure turned back. "Classified."
"Damnit, okay then what are you doing here in the first place?" The soldier exclaimed to them.
the female raised a finger. "Killed Privateers. Lots and lots of them in Fort." She empathized as she nodded like a child. The male whistled looking above at the disasters.
"Well we've done our job, now it's time to leave and hope for another tomorrow."
"What?! You're leaving, we're fighting an enemy here, you can't just leave and think you're just done!" The soldier yelled out. Both stood in silence and went down to the ground.
"Well that's not our objective no more. Our plans have nothing to do with yours. Sorry bud. Look if you're feeling down and glum you can come with us if you like." The figure shrugged. The soldier was at a lost, to evade his position and come with them would compromise his entire reason for fighting. But deep down he didn't want to die like this.
"Fight another day you know." The female said. The male nodded in agreeance. "In case you're wondering we're leaving to the evacuation points. Catch some rides and hide in some cryopods or something." He half assed explained. That was very tempting, the soldier wondered if he should even go.
"You can't be serious." The soldier said but the female intervened "Very serious business." She nodded.
As the NCO rushed the streets Lion waved for the squad to follow as he sprinted alongside the privateers.
"Check those corners!"
The male figure gave a smirk underneath his helmet, walking forward. "What's your name?!" The soldier asked the two.
"Ah uh, tell me yours and I'll tell you mine." The male said raising his rifle up. The soldier was at a lost, this wiseass was asking to get shot at. The soldier sighed.
"25356-Havo-"
"Your first name, please." The male interrupted. The soldier tightened the grip on his carbine, the background noise was overwhelmed with gunfire and shells bombarding the area.
"Archer." He answered shortly after. The male chuckled. "Archer, my name is Deadeye. This is Storm. Storm Tornado." Deadeye gestured to Storm, who waved at Archer in attention.
"Those aren't your real names." Archer called out.
"Well, yeah. That's classified." Deadeye explained while Archer wanted to figure out these people. Codenames and top secret. That's highly unusual.
"Havoc, we need to move! Now!" Two of his comrades shouted at Archer. Archer turned and as soon as he attempted to open his mouth his buddies needed to retreat to a safe location. For fucks sake Archer stressed out.
Meanwhile the Daedalus's timer ticked out, unleashing devastation across the playing field. The people who attempted to close in on the war machine were consumed by the chain reaction of explosions that erupted. Causing another area desolated into ash and barren land. The considerable shockwave expanded enormously among the land.
Archer held his head down on the ground, sounds of destruction throughout the entire valley. The ground shook as the wave scattered out. Deadeye walked forwards towards Archer who was laying on his stomach.
"Unbelievable." Archer muttered under his helmet while a hand extended.
"Welcome to hell my friend. I ain't keen on seeing what else does it have in store for us." Deadeye wagered as Storm observed the war torn scenery. "Pretty." Storm said.
Archer without any options out of survival took Deadeye's hand and was hauled on his feet with clouds covering the skies.
"Catch up if you can. We'll be watching you." Deadeye said before he and Storm ran to the opposite direction of the once was Daedalus. Archer grabbed his carbine and followed pursuit.
...
The squads of Privateers stopped on a corner, seeing emptiness in a street. One squad leader checked a tall building facing from a far distance. In a quick flash his head was blown up straight away. "Hostiles!" A Privateer alerted to his allies as they spotted nothing on the radar.
Mariahlus, cloaked up spotted the squads of Privateers. She prepared herself mentally and physically for her Synergy and her rifle. Multi tasking was the utmost importance that determined life or death on her part.
"Also, I strongly suggest accepting the offer from our Boome colleagues. I don't know how long my squad will be able to hold this zone."
"Don't worry about it, she's already coming with us. I'll talk to the guys up there, see if I can get them to send you some reinforcements." Noble looked at Yanim. "Come on." They managed to travel some distance before the Daedalus exploded. The shockwave was enough to knock several men off their feet. Noble looked at the direction of the explosion. "Not good. That probably took out a large part of the front line. We got to move quick."
---
Up on the hill, the commanders were observing the devastation. Some looked worried, while others had no expression on their face. Mordecai was clapping like he just witnessed the end of a play. "A magnificent end to a titanic beast of that caliber of destruction. Marvelous!"
"Are you really clapping and cheering right now? That thing just took out several companies worth of troops with that explosion!"
"Seth, calm down my boy. The machine is dead in it's tracks now. Nothing but a husk of it's former self. Ripe for the picking. Excuse me for a minute." He turned on his wrist communicator."Vulture squads, I hope you witnessed that. It's time to pick that carcass clean of any and all meat that's left on it."
"Yes executor."
"And remember. Any and all surviving Crimson soldiers are to be questioned and then disposed of." Mordecai deactivated his comm."Now, what were we talking about?"
"Medic!" Yelled one of the SDF soldiers as he tried to stop the bleeding from one of his brothers in arms.
He looked up in despair and scanned the environment.
The shockwave had caught most of the frontline units off guard, the massive mech had exploded just as the SDF forces had been reorganizing their front.
Several units had been consumed in the blast.
A medic came rushing towards the soldier. "Help me keep him still."
The two soldiers managed to keep their fellow soldier still as the rest of the SDF forces rushed forward.
-----
"Deploy the auxiliary units! We need everyone down there stat!" Wu and Ramirez nodded as Kaspar went back to observing the current situation through a holographic map.
He looked at Seth and the other mercs. "You got any new intel from your guys and gals?"
((Sorry, playing catchup here.))
Noble looked at Yanim. "Come on."
Again, she nodded in response. Only a few steps away, however, she paused and looked back at the SDF personnel who had prepared Virin's body for recovery and signaled for their attention. "Make sure he isn't sent to Kannadys. We'll handle his arrangements once we've secured a ride out." Once she had been acknowledged, she turned away and the brief flicker of concern in her eyes disappeared again. The crew of the Belladonna trudged onward down the hill with their Boome escorts.
The final destruction of the Daedalus only knocked Rask from his feet, as he was by far the weakest of the remaining crew after his injury. No one bothered to help him up, but that was fine as far as he was concerned. It was finally beginning to dawn on him that the crew had achieved its aims, and could, with a cynic's mindset, claim victory. It was his own quick thinking which might have saved Yanim's life, but at the cost of Virin's, and it left him with a lingering worry. One day there might come a moment in which the boss will need Rask's life to continue on her aggressive path.
And he would [I]never[/I] give it.
Minutes later, the whole group neared the meeting place of the faction leaders. Yanim walked ahead of the others, apparently deep in her own thoughts. She was utterly ragged after days of nonstop violence. Her clothes were tattered and ruined, blood marked her mask and hands, and she didn't give a fuck about any of it. Professionalism didn't mean anything anymore.
Gataska and Neasha walked together in sympathetic silence, while Rask shadowed them, looking out over his shoulder at the burning wreckage of the once unstoppable mech. He couldn't even fathom how much money it must have cost to build. He wondered what sort of bounty they had just earned. Skada, having stayed hidden during the previous battle, nipped at his ankle playfully. Rask patted the robot on the head.
One of the SDF soldiers guarding the hillside perimeter looked at the kanads with a impressed look on his face.
"You were the guys who took down that mech? Glad to have you with us."
He turned to Noble. "How's it looking out there?"
Deadeye watched as a horde of invaders ravaged down. Reinforcements of the enemy approached to their position and lots of them. Deadeye raised his hand to his chin as he narrowed his eyes. "Storm. Make sure you're ready, we have several on our front. We're going to have to cut through." Deadeye explained while Storm turned to him.
"Cloak?" She asked. Deadeye shook his head. "Too many to sneak by, not enough distance. Besides you like a good fight don't you." Storm heard Deadeye's challenge, her head raised uphigh as she nodded. "Fight. Oh yes." She pulled out an elegant knife, with a press of a button glowed a bright red.
Archer moved up to them as the two noticed his presence. "I guess those cardio exercises worked out in the end for you Brigade soldiers." Deadeye mentioned towards Archer who stood ready at the horde of men and women who haven't noticed their presence.
"I see about dozens of hostiles in front of us and you're thinking about taking them on? You're fucking insane." Archer complained. Deadeye nodded but kept focus on the real problem at hand. "You gotta pave the way somehow." Deadeye remarked before holstering his sniper rifle for a hand cannon of some sort. "Once we get through that wave, we should be able to enter through the tunnels and find ourselves in the city." He pointed far away directly above the incoming waves of Privateers, Sol Marines, and Mercenaries.
"Are you sure?!" Archer asked him before checking the ammo for his carbine. Deadeye slowly turned towards him and nodded. "Postive." All three of them watched as the wave slowly marched their way, guns aiming to all directions. "Fight. Fight. Fight." Storm emphaized, readying her knife and Hell Cannon.
"Okay then, let's tango." Deadeye said. The trio then sprinted towards their enemies and spearheaded a blood fest.
...
"I want that Supreme Commander dead or else more innocent are going to die by dirty hands. He's either fighting or hiding beneath the surface. The CS would want to rethink their refusal to surrender." Harken Saw finished as he and Vara got on to a frigate. Harken Saw adjusted his tie and at least expected multiple people wanting answers. But he needed assets important to the CS destroyed until further notice.
"We're going in. I want you to know that there's a power source I can feel beneath that surface." Vara mentioned. Harken Saw turned and sighed. "Do you have some kind of power sense you didn't tell me about?" He asked. Vara ignored his question.
"That source, it's beyond this realm. That's all I can say." Vara concluded. Harken Saw clenched his fist. "Someday hiding that info from me is going to land you in a bad place." Harken Saw warned.
...
Mariahlus waited for the bait to come after shooting down another Privateer through the kneecap. Scum. She aimed down observing the squad, they were trapped in her web. They couldn't shoot at her from their distance even if they wanted to. This was the golden moment. Mariahlus clenched her hand as tendrils appeared by her side. She lowered herself onto the floor of the building and began to concentrate.
Yes
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