The Phoenix Fallacy_Book III_Magnus

by Jon Sourbeer,

  Norm’s S.T.s had set-up a communication station several hundred meters back from the line. It was a small, simple affair, with little more than a few radios and a deployed component tent tucked inside an alley. An Infernus stood guard over the pathetic outpost. It struck Norm as a testament to how woefully unprepared Phoenix was for such an attack. An attack they had planned for months, years even, and yet they were still reduced to this in a matter of hours. Norm reminded himself that the Executors had sprung their trap early, against a foe that both he and Magnus had expressly warned them to avoid. He felt a surge of anger towards the Executors, if they ever show their faces. He paused, uncertain – what could he do?

  He shook his head as he stepped inside the tent.

  A Communications Commander manned the station. He wore specially modified S.T. armor, an elaborate suit with a multitude of antennae and a giant backpack, from which he pulled a parchment screen. He looked like a spider in middle of a web with all of the cords and screens emerging from his specialized suit.

  “You have a message for me?” Norm asked.

  “Yes, Overlord, sir. Executor Delacroix wishes to speak to you,” the S.T. did not wait for Norm’s approval and simply activated the screen.

  “Norman,” Magnus appeared, the dirty sky of the factory levels behind him. “Is your area secure?”

  “Mostly, although we are still picking up stragglers. Where are you?”

  “I’m in the North, I was trying to reach the Phoenix command suits.”

  “You look like you are still outside, something happen to your Communication Commander’s component tent?”

  “He got hit,” Magnus responded simply, “I’m accessing the communication network directly through my Executor link. It’s primitive, but effective enough, I suppose. I had to strap it on for safekeeping.”

  “Any luck with the command suits?” Norm responded.

  “No, they’re too deep in storage for remote activation,” Magnus said disappointingly. Norm silently breathed a sigh of relief and Magnus shifted topics, “The North is going well. We’re still taking heavy losses, but I’ve managed to staunch the flow a bit. I want to prepare a counterattack.”

  “Now?” Norm was surprised by the proposition.

  “Now is as good a time as any. I’ve already organized the other Overlords to handle our supplies, reserve Troopers, and manage the citizens flooding from the sections near the attack. I’ve got Overlord Undrege here with me to manage the line when the counterattack commences. The longer we wait, the more time the Mercs will have to adapt to the city or escape. We cannot allow any survivors, not if what we have seen of their abilities is any indication.”

  “I could not agree with you more on that,” Norm lowered his voice, “But should we not begin waking the troops? Could they not support us in the battle?”

  Magnus shook his head, “There isn’t enough time – it will take days to have them ready - and if we wake them now, everything we have worked for will be lost. No one has heard from the Executors – they are probably trying to lay low and decide how to blame us for this failure. More importantly, it means that only you or I could initiate the activation cycle, and I don’t think that either of us could take the time needed away from the battle. Even if we could, we don’t have the support in place to quickly ready them,” he grimaced, “No, I’m afraid we will have to survive this battle on our own.”

  Magnus did not wait for Norm to agree, and instead brought up a map on Norm’s screen, “We need to use our expertise of the city to our advantage to push the Mercs back – and then any caught on the edge of the city can be cut down by our Sirens. I want you to send a squad of snipers up to the next level. It will take time for you to round up any surviving members of our sniper teams and send them back to the lifts, but you can use that time to hash out your own battle plan. Use the snipers to scout and press the Mercs. They’ll be less effective at that height, but they can suppress the SHADE warriors and will be mostly safe from retaliation. Now that we have a solid battle line, we can move the rest of our troops forward. Do it slowly - don’t engage unless absolutely necessary. These SHADE Mercs fight like animals when cornered, so let’s not force them to. We will press them back as far as possible until they realize what we are doing – then it will get messy. Get as many Inferni with flamethrowers as you can.”

  Norm nodded, although his doubt remained.

  Magnus looked pensive for a moment. “I’ve gotten reports that not much has been happening in the South.”

  “My reports state the same. I have Irvings stationed down there to manage it, despite it being so quiet, although I sent an extra squad of Inferni to make sure it stays that way.”

  “Good,” Magnus said, “but I still find it troubling.”

  Norm agreed, “Why would the Mercs concentrate so heavily on the North and West and ignore the South? Their greatest strength is their maneuverability. There must be some method to this madness.”

  “True, but unfortunately, we don’t have time to worry about it right now. If the Adepts have some reasoning for it, we cannot do anything about it until Phoenix is secure. I want you to send all available Inferni to the South.”

  “Yes, but – why?” Norm was immediately confused.

  “If they are going to give us an opening, let us use their tactics against them. Our maneuverable Inferni can slip in behind them and hit hard from the back while the rest of our troops press the front. We will close in on them like a noose. I will give the signal for the Inferni to move, and then signal the advancement of the main strike force. Let me know as soon as your snipers and the Inferni are in position.”

  Norm nodded and the screen went black. He quickly ordered all Inferni to report to the Pyrus he had deployed to the South. He called over his newly appointed Lieutenant, who watched the Inferni jump away.

  “Do we have a plan of action, sir?” the Lieutenant asked.

  “Indeed we do, son. Have you had a chance to collect any troopers from our sniper teams?”

  “Not yet, although I saw a few viable replacements, sir, and I have no doubt I could locate a few more if given a chance to ask the Troops on the line.”

  Norm nodded, “Do it – and have at least a full platoon report to me, immediately.”

  “Absolutely, sir!” The Trooper ran off, quickly organizing a few select Troopers around him, and just as quickly dispersing them along the length of the defensive line. Norm watched him pensively.

  Another S.T. came running up. “Sir, Vulcanus Xylas wishes to speak to you. He has organized his Inferni into 12 squads awaiting your orders.”

  “Good. Tell him to hold until he receives word from Executor Delacroix.”

  An ominous boom sounded from deeper within the city. Norm’s head shot up in alarm, but it was impossible to discern the explosion’s location or distance. He turned to his communications officer, “Get Executor Delacroix on the line,” he said firmly.

  It took a few minutes, but Magnus finally appeared on-screen.

  “Magnus! Thank goodness! I was afraid you might have gotten hit!”

  “That would be doubtful. I am well secure,” Magnus replied confidently.

  “What was that? It must have been tremendous to be heard over the din of the battle!”

  “True, although I am less than concerned about it. My troops report to me that our key assets within the factory level remain secure, including the lifts, and that the SHADE Wraiths have been kept grounded by our Sirens. I suspect that a small Merc force broke through our defenses - they probably hit an old gas plant, nothing to worry about.”

  Norm was skeptical, we still don’t give them enough credit, but he kept his doubts to himself

  An S.T. ran up to Magnus and gave him a report, allowing Norm a moment to reflect on the battle.

  He was amazed that the Merc invaders hadn’t tried to sneak deeper into the city; that they were concentrating on their defensive lines. But they did seem to be making use of the city rather well. Repo
rts were filing in about surprise attacks from all over. Groups would lure S.T.s in, and then slaughter the hapless Troopers without mercy. Troopers who had survived reported Mercs wriggling from small pipes, sewers, and holes. They came from everywhere, and had no qualms about where they hid.

  Norm shuddered, thinking of the claustrophobic spaces.

  His new Lieutenant ran up to salute him. The Trooper pointed to a group of S.T.s in formation the level below the communication station, “As ordered, sir. Slightly larger than a full platoon of Troopers. All came recommended by their comrades and superiors.” Norm eyed the group. These Troopers appeared to be in much better shape, both mentally and physically, than most of their peers, although they were obviously nervous about what they might be ordered to do.

  “Excellent work, Lieutenant. I want you to lead this group back to the lifts and set-up sniper positions for all of them. When I give the word to advance, your squad will lead our charge from the higher levels, providing sniper support to our advancing forces. Eliminate any Mercs trying to slip by or escape, and force out the ones trying to elude our soldiers.”

  The Lieutenant saluted, “Yes, sir.” Palpable relief appeared on the faces of the snipers as the Lieutenant explained their duties.

  Norm looked back at the view screen to see Magnus eying him impatiently, “The Inferni are in position, Magnus, and the snipers are on their way.”

  Magnus nodded, “Good. Deploy the Inferni as soon as the snipers are ready. I want to launch our joint assault as soon as my Inferni have reached section 29.”

  Norm nodded, “Will we be jamming their communications?”

  “Yes, a blanket signal will be broadcast from towers all over the city. As soon as we finish here, the blanket will go into full effect. I’m passing the new frequencies over to your communications officer now. We’ll be on a two-minute cycle. I’m ordering that only officers use the proscribed frequencies as necessary. Otherwise, we will simply have too much chatter,” Magnus scowled, “and fortunately, the Executors won’t know the frequencies should they ever decide to join us in the battle.”

  “Magnus!” Norm exclaimed. The Comm. Commander shifted uneasily.

  “Silence, Norman! The Executors tried to have us killed, allowed thousands of valuable Troopers to be annihilated, and hopelessly botched our plans; you can be sure that there will be a reckoning come the end of this battle,” Magnus paused, “The S.T.s will know who stood with them and who abandoned them at the end of the day.”

  The Comm. Commander sitting next to Norm spoke up, “The snipers are in position, sir.”

  Magnus smiled, “Dispatch the Inferni and launch the attack. We will catch the Mercs off guard while they are still realizing their communications are gone.”

  Norm felt a pit in his stomach, like he was about to step over a precipitous drop, but he heard himself agree, “Yes, Magnus.” He turned to the communications officer, but he seemed helplessly far away as a distant voice murmured, “Launch the attack.”

  Norm did not know why he suddenly felt so detached, but a deep well of dread was spreading through his core. The lead Infernus supplied a video feed on a second screen, and Norm watched impassively as the Infernus leapt through the city. The video was poor, but it worked adequately. It was an odd sensation, hurtling through the factories without the sensation of actual movement. It was not him, but Norm felt as if he turned his own head, observing his Inferni as they jumped alongside him. Suddenly, a Pyrus to his left spiraled out of control, flopping wildly, the puff of his shattered visor creating a fine mist of plastic. For a moment, he gave the impression of a somersaulting child, puffing on a dandelion, and then he crashed painfully into the ground below. “Flamethrowers ready!” But it was not Norm’s voice, not really. He was only an observer. Suddenly, the scene was chaos, fire, and death.

  Norm turned the screen off, instead listening to Magnus issue orders, “Forward the full battalion, Major.” Magnus’ voice was confident and commanding, “Press forward. I want our snipers up above in front of the main assault force.”

  Norm nodded, waving a hand from his high position. Slowly, the giant war machine of Phoenix, the thousands upon thousands of S.T.s, received its order to advance, and the line moved forward.

  Chapter 7: Whispers of the Dead

  “I always wondered about the competency of the Phoenix commanders,” Praetor Jennings said. “I received reports from Wethers for a while, and I was also struck by how organized the defense of Phoenix seemed after such a botched assault. I had always assumed it was because they specialized in defense of their city and not attack, but I’m beginning to see why the Executors feared Magnus. He was leagues beyond them.”

  Norm nodded. “Magnus was always a brilliant commander. Not only could he read a battle well, but he was charismatic, and could adapt to changing conditions without letting his ego get in his way.” Norm paused, thoughtfully. “It’s ironic really. Magnus could always adapt to weaknesses he identified himself. He carried no ego about a failed attempt when he found a solution. It was only when others challenged him that he had trouble adapting.”

  Janus suddenly felt as if several pairs of eyes had flipped to him, but no one gave any indication as he looked around the Beacon’s war room.

  Norm rested his chin in his hands, “Everything went well at first.” He nodded apologetically to the Praetor, “If you’ll forgive me, Praetor.”

  “It seems as though this battle was no more your choice than mine,” the Praetor said. Norm shook his head sadly.

  ***

  Norm walked slowly behind the line, well away from any action or danger. It had made swift progress. The overwhelming number of S.T.s acting as a unified front forced the Adepts back. It became clear that the Mercs understood what was happening, and that the press was closing. They took potshots, acted like guerilla fighters, and did as much damage as they could, but the line moved forward relentlessly.

  The swift success of Magnus’s plan struck Norm when the pair reunited. Flanked by a squad of Inferni, Magnus looked even more impressive, for despite the intimidating size of the soldiers, he seemed larger and more invincible. Norm joined him, closer to the line.

  “The further they fall back, the more concentrated our forces become,” Magnus proclaimed. “They fight back more fiercely against our Infernus strike force, but we still hammer the Southern fringe. Soon, we’ll finish off the Southern forces and sweep in. Then there will be nothing SHADE can do but accept the inevitable.”

  Magnus paused – the sounds of the battle ensuing at the edge of the city were louder now, but the booms and bursts more infrequent. Magnus motioned towards the edge of the city, “I’ve halted the direct attack on the Fields until we reestablish control. We’ve lost a good portion of our Siren fighters without the ground support to back them up, and the Avalon is severely damaged. It may be irrecoverable.”

  “The Avalon still stands?” Norm asked, surprised.

  Magnus grimaced, “It’s trapped here like a wounded animal. We think it’s just keeping in the air. Most of its weapons have been destroyed, but it still has enough to repel borders and down incoming fighters. Our only consolation is that it looks like most the SHADE air force has been eradicated. When we pulled our forces back, the SHADE forces made a break for it – we believe only one wraith escaped.”

  “But it will only take the one to spread the word of our position!” Norm exclaimed.

  Disgust crossed Magnus’ face, “Fortunately, SHADE doesn’t know the full extent of the damage they have caused. They may be able to guess, but it won’t be enough for the other Corporations to act. Once we retake the city, SHADE will be destroyed post-haste before anything worse can happen.”

  Norm’s communication commander came rushing forward. He looked truly frantic. “Sir, you need to hear this –” He held up an ear piece for both Norm and Magnus.

  Norm listened, puzzled.

  “Is anyone reading this channel? This is Lieutenant Jennings.”

 
; He glanced at Magnus and was about to respond when Magnus raised a hand to stop him.

  The voice crackled over the radio, “I say again, this is Lieutenant Jennings, is anyone on this channel?”

  The Communications Commander whispered in his ear, “It’s our back-up channel, it isn’t supposed to be used unless our primary channel is compromised or lost.

  Another voice came over the line, “We’ve got you, Lieutenant. This is Major Holston. Good to hear from you.”

  “Major! I haven’t been able to raise Colonel Wethers.”

  “Sorry, Lieutenant, but communication within the Fields has been jammed. I’m using the comm. equipment I pulled off an S.T. to talk to you.”

  Mercs!

  The voices continued, “Can you reach the Colonel, Major?”

  “Probably, we are being pushed back towards The Fields now. If I can get back, I can personally deliver a message to her.”

  “Good, there isn’t much time. Inform the Colonel that the Phoenix Executors are dead.”

  Norm felt cold dread. Dead – is it possible?

  Major Holston seemed equally shocked, “All of them?”

  “Assuming they were all together at the time – except for the one we saw before the attack. I can’t be sure what happened to him. He may already be dead. It seems that he was not a favorite of the others,” she added.

  Norm and Magnus exchanged surprised looks.

  Lt. Jennings continued, “I managed to extract some information before their unfortunate expiry. Phoenix was planning on using our camp to launch a surprise attack against Titan. The young Executor was apparently too popular; he was going to be conveniently eliminated in this surprise attack. I didn’t have time to get much more than that, but I’m sending an audio capture and images to you. If we can get this information out to the other Corporations, they will tear Phoenix apart. A fitting end, don’t you think?”