by Alex Guerra
One of the armored suits fired a barrage of missiles up into the sky, tracing the oncoming rounds that dotted a line straight for it. The missiles screamed up towards the canopy, passing rounds bursting by in the opposite direction. Some of the missiles exploded on impact with the thick branches overhead, while others continued through. The enemy rounds kept coming towards the mobile armor and landed a glancing blow, shredding one of its arms and sending it into a pirouette to the floor.
The missiles found their target, explosions sending more orange lights throughout the jungle. We continued our dash to safety, when the flaming husk of the aircraft punched through the green ceiling above, landing a few hundred feet in front of us in a huge wreck. Balls of flame rose from the aircraft as secondary explosions occurred. Our rover banked to one side quickly to dodge the wreckage.
I looked back at the armored suit that scored the kill, now falling behind in the distance. It was struggling to right itself once more before I lost track of it through the dense foliage. I'd hoped it was okay, despite our own dire situation.
"More contacts!" a voice came from within the rover.
Suddenly, there was the mechanical whirring of the large turret between me and the medic. The turret activated, going from its idle position and sliding back onto the roof before turning to face the rear. The turrets turned in the direction of dark colored vehicles bouncing over the terrain some distance behind us.
With my visor zooming in on them, their trucks appeared slightly bigger than our own. Accompanying them were smaller hoverbikes with up to two imperials on each.
“Dotty, mark those contacts for us,” I ordered.
Placing red chevrons over the larger trucks while using dots on the hoverbikes to differentiate the two, I counted five bikes and three trucks. I'd ask what else the empire wanted to throw at us, but I was afraid of rhetoric becoming reality.
The turret came to life and flung its large rounds in the direction of the enemy. More of its large shells bounced off the medic and me, some flying into the jungle while others landed and clanked around the bed of the rover. An advanced stabilizer was used, as the gimballed joint worked feverishly against the bumps we went over. Also highly accurate, it took one of the bikes out immediately, giving me a sense of relief.
Our other rover shot at the enemy as well, making short work of another bike before the enemy scattered. I thought about Seya, who was most likely in pain from her shattered arm combined with the rough ride.
She’ll be okay. She’s tough as nails and we’re holding our own for now, I thought.
"Kayton, how far until we reach our destination?" I asked.
"We have about six more miles before we reach the hidden entrance, then another three miles through the tunnels into the base," she answered. "We can't show these guys where we're going, so we have to lose or kill them first."
That wouldn't give us much time at our current pace.
The large anti-material rifle is of little use to me right now at this range, even with all the different stabilizers working in unison, I still won’t be able to pull a shot off that far. I'd kept it loaded and ready just in case, though. If one of the vehicles got close enough, I could start using it. I would need to rely on the rovers’ turrets and the remaining armor to do most of the fighting.
Lasers skimmed by just over our heads and incoming rounds blew apart trees, as we continued running from the imperials. The continuous strafing runs from up above was also a constant reminder that at least one more aircraft remained and would make short work of us now that they could use ground forces as spotters. It was clear that we would need to take out our pursuers as quickly as possible if we wanted a chance to get out alive.
I felt useless at the moment, just along for the ride. The turret was still spraying into the enemy, but it did not claim any additional victories. I zoomed my visor in on the enemy, watching their unrelenting pursuit.
The remaining armored suit stopped quickly behind a dense tree line, the enemy moving past it unaware. Once they were clear, I could see the suit moving into position behind the enemies. It launched a sneak attack on the nearest truck, hitting it in the rear with a few missiles and causing the back end to buck up into the air, crashing with a front flip. The armor skated up to the next truck and withdrew a large blade from within its shield. It slashed quickly into the front of the truck, killing the driver and passenger instantly. The truck slowed down, listing to one side before eventually ramming square into a tree.
Holy shit, I thought. That pilot's got skill.
By now, the final truck and bikes noticed their error and broke off at a swift pace, not wanting to give up any more kills to the skilled pilot.
Lost in awe, the close-range firing of an enemy hoverbike brought my attention back to my immediate situation. The passenger fired a laser weapon that melted the spots it peppered on the rover's body.
"Stay down!" I shouted at the medic, as I joined in with the turret's return fire, shooting my rifle at the duo.
They were not going to make this easy. The pilot was crafty and often used the terrain as cover, never giving me a clear shot. Shots I did manage to land, pinged off the bike's hull, only leaving small dents and scratches.
"Dammit!" I growled, trying my best to get a lucky shot in.
The turret spat round after round that never found their mark. Suddenly, the firing stopped. Thunderous booms of shelling were replaced with a click, click, click.
"Turret's done!" shouted the gunner.
It didn’t take long for the bike to notice before it repositioned itself and moved in for the kill. Inching forward, it shot streams of laser fire towards us, some missing us by a hair's breadth, and hitting the back of the cabin.
Ellia! I worried. These idiots were going to ruin everything. I was beginning to wonder if had they known the Darkkon princess was aboard, would they even stop?
The gunner and Kayton tried their best to lean out of the cabin and fire back, their aim even more hindered than my own from the angle.
Dotty, I could use some help here, I thought, firing off more rounds.
The anti-material rifle would be your best option.
I looked down at the large rifle that was clanking around the bed this entire time among the pile of discarded turret shells.
Screw it, I thought, running out of options.
I switched to the large weapon and shouldered it. Bracing myself between the turret and the side of the rover bed, I aimed carefully.
My first shot went wide, and a sudden jolt messing up my follow-up shot, putting the round right in the dirt between us.
Dotty, there's no way I am able to pull off that shot!
You may not be able to, but there’s a great probability that I can.
What do you mean?
You would have to allow me to use your body. If you calm yourself enough, allowing me to take over briefly, I can make the shot.
How the hell do I calm myself at a time like this? I clenched my teeth.
You have no other choice now, Arthur.
I let out a long, slow breath, thinking back to my meditation sessions with Seya. A laser bolt whizzed by my face, close enough to make my visor darken with its auto-shaders.
Not helping—I thought.
I powered through more deep breaths, staying as still and as calm as possible. Dotty adjusted the speakers of my helmet, the sounds of battle slowly fading away until everything was nearly silent. I closed my eyes briefly and concentrated.
A coolness spread from the crown of my head, making its way down my spine and turning my skin into gooseflesh. The sensation made its way further down my legs and into my arms. My fingers rubbed the grip of the rifle, although the sensation was dull in comparison to normal.
My arms started to move on their own, raising the rifle up again slightly. The weight of the weapon now lighter than I previously experienced. My legs pushed hard against my surroundings, the muscles strong and tense. I was now just a passenger with Dott
y entirely in control, and I had to trust it to perform.
I—we peered through the scope and lined up the shot, the bike dodging side to side in preparation for the attack. The rifle moved slightly, making micro-adjustments and corrections. The black and silver of the bike gleamed between the rays that penetrated the jungle. The holo-field of the bike's console visible in the reflection of the pilot's helmet. Time seemed to slow down as the details became enhanced. We took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
Then fired.
The round flew from the weapon with a dull thump. I barely felt the kick from the weapon this time. The blast cored the bike from nose to tail, exploding from underneath the duo and sending their bodies flying into the vegetation in a wave of fire.
I let the barrel of the rifle slump down and hit the rover bed as I doubled over and gasped for breath, my body shaking as the chill of the A.I. receded away from my limbs and back into my head.
"Yes!" The medic shouted, squeezing and shaking my arm.
I turned my head towards him and nodded a few times. I knew he couldn't see my face, but I was grinning from ear to ear.
"Great job, Art!" shouted Kayton, while pumping her fist.
Good job, Dotty. I wish you told me that you could do that sooner.
Thank you, Arthur. I have already been influencing your combat capabilities as you no doubt surmised; however, I can only control you in such a manner for a very limited time at the moment, and seldom without your permission, unless needed.
That was definitely something else. I'll keep that ability in mind, I thought.
"Kayton, how are we looking?" I transmitted over comms.
"We're around two miles out from the entrance," she replied.
By my count, there were two bikes, one truck, and an aircraft left flying above.
One of the bikes and the truck were pursuing the other rover, while another bike was making its way over towards us.
"Seya, how are you holding up?" I asked in a separate channel.
"Hang on—" she answered.
The enemy hoverbike got close to the rover when suddenly, it burst into flames and was lost in the dense jungle as the vehicles pushed on.
"Sorry...just one left," she replied, struggling.
I couldn't do anything to help her out, she was on her own for now. The remaining hoverbike headed directly for us, prompting me to heft the rifle again with a curse. I could feel that Dotty wasn't going to be able to help me again just yet, I was on my own.
The whine of the hoverbike grew closer before the armored suit promptly cut it down, its right arm missing.
They made it back, I thought.
The two armor suits regrouped and went to support Seya in the other rover.
We were nearly done. Almost back to base.
I looked out at the other rover as it splashed across a stream, the imperial truck still in hot pursuit. Their path was a difficult one to traverse and left very little options open to move about the jungle. A distinct tree line was to either side, affording a clear line of sight from the aircraft to the rover below. Their shots moved closer and closer, even placing their friendly imperial vehicle in danger with its haphazard shooting.
"I am picking up enemy reinforcements heading in our direction from the southeast," said Dotty over the open channel.
"Dammit!" Kayton shouted.
The two armored suits moved into position as quickly as they could, seeing the opening Seya's vehicle left. In unison, they released their remaining salvos of rockets, switching to the smaller rotary cannons. Throwing everything they had at the airborne enemy, they clipped one of its wings and a rear engine before the vehicle began to lose altitude. As it fell, it lined up one last shot at the rover and launched missiles in its direction.
The first missile struck the imperial vehicle dead-on, disintegrating it instantaneously. The following missile fell short of its target, striking near the rear of Seya's rover, throwing its rear into the air, tossing its two passengers into the sky. The vehicle tumbled end over end a few times before skidding to a halt, leaving a carved-out trail of metal and bodies.
"Seya!" I cried out.
"Commander, our other rover's been hit!" The gunner called out.
I frantically scanned the wreckage, zooming in as best as I could. "Seya! Seya do you read me? Dotty, what's their status?" I asked, not receiving a response.
"I read faint life signs from the cabin," the A.I. informed us all over comms.
"Is Seya alright?" I asked, quickly.
"I am unable to determine from this distance," it said.
"Kayton, we need to assist the other rover," I said.
"We can't risk it. Enemy reinforcements are on their way, we have the V.I.P. and no ammo left. I'm sorry, but if we stick around any longer, we won't be able to make it back to base," she said.
I slammed a fist against the rover. I knew she was right. We couldn't risk going back, not with more imperials right behind us. There was an explosion off in the distance to the north, marking the crash of the aircraft.
"What about the armor?" I asked. "Can they look for any survivors?"
There was a pause. "Armor units, do a quick sweep of the crash. You have one minute before you need to move out and continue back to base," the commander ordered.
The two pilots acknowledged. That was the last I saw of the scene before we proceeded down a hill, obscuring my view. I couldn't stop worrying about the crew, about Seya. We had a lot of close calls so far today, and I'd be damned to have made it this far just to lose her now.
"A few survivors here—very badly wounded," the voice of one of the pilots came over the comms. "The rover's been crushed—I can't access the cabin without cutting into it. It's going to take some time."
"Kayton..." I called her name, but she didn’t respond to me. "Tell them to get them out."
"Commander, your orders?" asked the pilot.
"No time, recover the easiest ones and return to base. We're out of time," she said.
"Yes, Commander," said the pilot.
"Kayton! You can't just leave Seya back there," I protested, smacking the roof of the rover. Looking at her through the rear window, she turned to me and shook her head.
"I'm sorry, Art. The mission comes first. I can't take the risk—I won't." She explained, pointing into the backseat.
I drew my eyes down to the princess, lying comatose in the back.
It was the right call, and I couldn't do anything about it. I turned back around, slumping into the bed. The two armor suits fell in line behind the rover, each carrying wounded troopers, neither of which were Seya.
"I'm sorry, partner," I muttered, hanging my head.
*****
We proceeded into the hidden path, like the one we went through when we first arrived. The artificial entrance covered our tracks as we passed through seemingly solid foliage.
We pushed our way through the snaking concrete tunnels. Dotty chimed into the channel for everyone to hear. "My models indicate that the enemy reinforcements will be at the crash site by now."
"What do you think they're going to do?" I asked, glancing at Kayton.
"Unknown. I can only speculate as to what the empire would do should they encounter any survivors," it said carefully.
"I don't want to think about it—it's out of our hands now," I said, retracting my helmet’s faceplate and tasting the sweet air of the base.
No one else spoke until we finished traversing the three miles of tunnels. We passed through a heavily armed checkpoint, a last line of defense in the event someone followed us. They let us through unimpeded, the driver bringing us to another large building built into the cavernous walls opposite of the building Seya and I had our meeting with the council.
Just outside, a medical team was waiting for us, Kayton calling in ahead of time to help the five injured people we had with us.
The medical teams loaded the injured up onto hovering gurneys, looking after Princess Ellia, closely. The staff
immediately started to triage and diagnosing with even more advanced looking versions of what the medic had used earlier. The herd of medics brought their patients into the mouth of a sterile, white building and through a pair of large, glass doors. "You did great out there, sir," came the voice of the medic I was riding in the back with, from behind me.
"Thanks. You handled yourself pretty well out there too. You can just call me Art." I extended my arm out to him, which he grabbed in the familiar spartan manner.
"Ellar Cartu." The younger looking Codari flashed a weary smile at me. "I'm sorry..." he said, leaving the apology hanging in the air between us. There was no right thing to say at that moment, but I still thanked him for the sentiment. He then took off into the medical building to check on his patient.
Kayton came around from the other side of the rover with her helmet tucked under her arm. "He's a dedicated one," she said, looking after the medic.
"Yeah, he is." I took my helmet off.
"Art, I'm—"
"You did the right thing," I said, putting my hand up, cutting her off.
Kayton pulled her lips into a thin line. "Still, I'm sorry. I don't want you to think it was an easy call, those were my troopers out there too."
"I would never think that," I said.
She walked up and gave me a hug, her head resting on my chest. I hadn’t expected the gesture and I didn't fight it. Nor would I admit—I needed it more than I thought.
SEVENTEEN
Kayton and I set off to meet with the council. She sent her squad to rest up and spend the next few hours readying themselves for new orders. She also debriefed High Commander Bran and her lieutenant on our current situation. The fighting slowed down significantly according to the lieutenant. I could see that Kayton wanted to get back out to her troops right away.
We walked across the courtyard, now devoid of any activity, save for a lonely attendant sprinting past us without a word to their destination, their task far more important than niceties. There was an understandable tension in the air that was palpable to everyone around. The conglomerate had just launched its first major open attack on Vallus at a large imperial base right on their doorstep. It was both personal and bold, and not something that they could overlook—especially now with the kidnapping of Princess Ellia. For that matter, the Vael and Darkkon Empires may not even know that the princess was alive still. The situation was volatile and ready to explode at any moment.
