by Tripp Ellis
A full-scale invasion usually wasn't necessary once the capital city, or most populated area, was decimated. Other areas surrendered, not wanting to meet with the same fate. Valdovar and the Star Legion were moving through the galaxy, slowly but surely taking territories away from the Republic. And the Republic was stretched far too thin to do much about it.
The dropship rumbled and quaked as it entered the the atmosphere. The bulkheads rattled from the turbulence. Most of the platoon seemed jovial, cracking jokes and bragging about previous conquests. They were venting nervous energy. As the ship drew closer to the target, an eerie silence fell over the cabin. Faces grew hard. The impending battle was close at hand.
17
The metal ships of death descended through the clouds, heading toward the Citadel. Smaller, more nimble gunships led the way.
The shiny Citadel lay ahead, embedded into the mountainside. The jagged snowcapped peaks offered the perfect natural protection. The verdant valley below led to the walls of the Citadel like a giant welcome mat. It was picturesque and serene, but it wasn't going to stay that way for long.
The dropships slowed, then hovered at a distance, waiting for the aerial assault of the gunships to begin. The gunships advanced, attempting to soften up the spell shield that surrounded the entire Citadel. As they got into range, giant cannons mounted on the Citadel walls opened fire. Blistering bolts of energy rocketed across the sky, defending against the invaders.
The gunships responded. A blistering flurry of energy bolts whizzed in both directions. The sky was alive with glowing spikes of death. The gunships pitched and rolled, avoiding the blasts as best they could. But a direct hit incinerated one of them, turning the mighty ship into a twisted, molten ball of flame.
The smoldering fuselage fell from the sky and crashed to the valley below. Shards of metal and debris sprayed in all directions. The impact caused a secondary explosion. Flames roared into the air, and black smoke billowed into the sky. The first wave of the Imperial attack was practically useless. The spell shield that protected the Citadel repelled everything the gunships threw at it.
The squadron of gunships pulled up, avoiding the peaks of the mountains as the rocketed over the Citadel and banked around for another pass. Heavy anti-aircraft cannons followed them, launching an almost continuous stream into the sky.
Nolan caught glimpses of the action through the front viewport of his dropship. It was pure chaos. It was easy to see how the previous attempt to take the Citadel had gone wrong. Gunships were dropping from the sky at an alarming rate.
From a low orbit around the planet, the dreadnought blasted its cannons, attempting to make pinpoint strikes from space. Powerful bolts of energy shot down through the atmosphere and slammed into the spell shield. With each impact, the normally invisible shield glowed blue, outlining its form.
The massive bursts from the dreadnought didn’t have precision and accuracy. Some of the impacts slammed into the valley or mountainside, erupting in huge geysers of rock, dirt, and debris.
The onslaught wasn't sustainable. Each blast from the dreadnought required a great deal of energy, and would require a considerable recharge time. The initial flurry of blasts lasted a few moments, then stopped.
Soon, both the cannons from the Citadel, and the gunships were drained of power. The spell shield was considerably weakened.
The dropships moved in, continuing to pummel the spell shield until they too ran out of power. Then the steel ships of doom landed in the green valley. Heat distorted under the massive thrusters as the heavy vehicles landed. Ramps lowered, and platoons of Soturi stormed out of the dropships and advanced across the battlefield.
A barrage of small arms fire from the Citadel rocketed toward the advancing Soturi, taking several of them out before they got more than a few steps.
"Move, move, move!" Captain Avar shouted as her platoon disembarked from the craft. They advanced to a nearby berm and took cover.
As soon as the last of the troops were clear of the vehicles, the dropships lifted back into the air. They were sitting ducks on the ground. Several had burst into flames as the last remaining heavy cannons from the Citadel pummeled them. The explosions showered shrapnel in all directions, slicing through countless Imperial Soturi. Bits of scalding metal punctured armor, tearing through flesh and bone. Screams of agony filled the battlefield. The sharp smell of blood, burning flesh, and the fumes of burning wreckage permeated the air. The once clear sky quickly grew thick with a murky haze.
Just as Captain Avar had said, this battle was going to be fought on the ground and in close combat. Legions of ground troops emerged from the Citadel to defend their territory. They were joined by giant beasts that towered 40 feet in the air. Gronks were giant, troll like creatures with hulking bodies, clad in armor. Large fangs protruded from their mouths, like saber-toothed tigers. They wielded shields and heavy broadswords. One strike could take out an entire platoon of Soturi.
Nolan's eyes widened at the sight of these beasts. He had never seen anything like them. The troops from the Citadel hovered behind the mammoth creatures as they charged into battle.
The Soturi rifleman focused all their attention on the big behemoths, pummeling them with their spell rifles. But the bolts of energy seemed to have little impact on the hulking creatures, proving to be nothing more than annoying bee stings.
Soon, all the spell rifles and cannons had been depleted. The two ground forces charged at each other. War-cries filled the battlefield. Swords were held high, ready to strike. Citadel warriors were in position to defend. The two armies collided like a freight train, hacking and slashing. It was madness. The big creatures kicked and swiped at the tiny humans, brushing them aside as if they were nothing. This was Nolan's first battle as an Imperial Soturi, and it was looking like it was going to be his last.
18
The glimmering blade slashed at Nolan. The damn thing had to be at least 15 feet long. It was so heavy, it would take several men to lift. The hulking beast wielded it with ease.
Nolan ducked, and the blade whooshed overhead. It sliced through the air and slammed into the ground, carving the dirt.
Nolan charged forward, running between the gronk’s legs. He stabbed an unprotected portion of the beast’s calf as he passed through.
The creature reacted, kicking Nolan. He was flung into the air and crashed to the ground several meters away. Nolan sprang to his feet, surrounded by several Citadel troopers. He hacked and slashed, clanking blades with his adversaries as they attacked.
Several other members of Nolan's platoon attacked the troll, occupying his attention, while Nolan fought off the attackers. The clanking and clamoring of swords filled the air.
One of the troopers hacked his heavy blade at Nolan. He blocked overhead, then sliced his blade across the enemy's torso. It caught the soldier just between the armor, and the razor-sharp blade cut through his abdomen. A torrent of crimson blood spilled from his belly, and the soldier dropped to his knees, clutching his stomach, trying to hold his guts in place as he toppled to the ground.
Nolan spun around and blocked another blow coming from behind. The two exchanged furious attacks while another soldier charged Nolan from the side. His blade slashed down at the unsuspecting warrior, ready to slice him in two. But the enemy’s blade was stayed at the last moment as Caleb blocked with his sword.
Caleb battled the trooper while Nolan continued to fight against his original adversary. He moved with speed and precision, and within moments had thrust his blade into the trooper’s armor. Nolan put his full weight behind the sword as it punctured the man's abdomen. Nolan used his boot to kick the man from the end of the sword. The sharp blade was dripping with blood. It rang out as he pulled it from the heavy armor. Nolan spun around to assist Caleb, hacking off the enemy soldier’s arm.
The two had a small moment to catch their breath amid the chaotic battlefield. Nolan's heart pounded, and his chest heaved for breath. Only a few moments into the fight
, and he was already drenched with sweat.
Nolan turned his attention back to the troll, who was making short work of the rest of the platoon. He charged toward the beast. Nolan had a plan, but he wasn’t sure it was going to work. At the last moment, he activated the thrusters in his boots and launched into the air. He was a little surprised he actually got them to work. Perhaps the heat of battle focused his attention.
The lift boots were only good for vertical ascension. There were no fine controls, and the thrusters offered no real directional mobility, only stabilized vertical lift. They acted like a springboard, catapulting Nolan up. He clasped onto the troll’s belt, and hung on for dear life as the big beast flailed and swatted at him. A mammoth hand brushed past Nolan, almost knocking him off.
Nolan managed to twist out of the way in the nick of time. He clung onto the beast’s backplate of armor and climbed up his spine. He grabbed hold of the gronk’s collar and hung on, dangling between the troll’s shoulder blades.
Thrasher platoon continued to attack the beast. With his attention split between them, and swatting at Nolan, his effectiveness was greatly decreased.
Nolan drew his sword and stabbed it into the back of the troll’s neck. He thrust with all his might, pushing the razor-sharp blade between layers of muscle and fascia. He wedged the sword in between the beast’s cervical vertebrae, severing the spinal cord. The hulking behemoth instantly collapsed, falling face forward onto the ground. The impact rumbled like an earthquake, shaking the ground beneath the feet of Thrasher platoon.
It was a long way to the ground, and Nolan felt like he had been dropped out of a four story window. All of the air rushed out of his lungs upon impact, and his whole body stung with pain.
The members of Thrasher platoon cheered as the mighty beast fell. Nolan pulled himself up, then yanked his sword from the creature's neck.
One down, three more to go.
19
Bodies lay strewn across the battlefield, seeping crimson blood into the soft green grass. Swords clanked and clamored as the battle raged on. Both sides had taken heavy casualties. It was easy to see why Valdovar's forces failed at taking the Citadel the first time. The defenders were skilled warriors and fought with the heart and determination only found in someone fighting for their survival.
Thrasher platoon had managed to slay another troll. But two remained, wreaking havoc on the invading forces. Right about now Nolan wished he had his crossbow and some spell arrows. The crossbow was slow to reload, but it had always been effective, and seemingly more reliable than a spell rifle.
Nolan and Caleb tried to flank the towering creature, but it kept shifting and pivoting, well aware of Nolan's tactic. The angry beast swatted at the invading Soturi, hacking and slashing with his sword. The mammoth blade sliced through armor like it were soft fruit, cutting Soturi in two. Each lumbering step the creature took shook the ground. If something didn't change quickly, this invasion attempt was going to fail as well.
Nolan's sheathed his sword and squared off against the creature.
Caleb watched with disbelief. "What are you doing?"
Nolan ducked as the giant troll slashed at him with his mammoth blade. The razor-sharp metal whooshed overhead. The blow from the troll’s blade could be devastating, but the weapon was slow and unwieldy due to its size and weight. By the time the gronk struck, Nolan could shift positions and be somewhere else. His constant zigging and zagging and dodging and weaving frustrated the creature. He growled at Nolan, bearing his rotten fangs. His foul breath hit Nolan in the face like a wet gust from a marshy swamp.
Nolan drew a dagger from his utility belt and gripped it by the blade. He took aim and heaved it at the creature. The blade tumbled end over end as it rocketed toward the troll. The sharp point embedded perfectly into the creature’s left eye.
The mammoth beast instantly dropped his sword and clutched his face. Blood trickled down between his fingers streaming down his cheek. The creature wailed in agony as it flailed about, half blind.
The rest of Thrasher platoon took this opportunity to attack the troll, stabbing its calves with their swords. With one hand still clutching his wounded eye, the troll tried to swipe at his attackers. But he was less effective than he had been. In a fit of frustration, the troll attempted to pull the dagger from his eye. In doing so he removed his eyeball which was skewered on the end of the blade. A horrible squeal emanated from the creature's massive lungs.
By this time, several members of Thrasher platoon had climbed onto the beast stabbing him with their swords.
The beast flailed and swatted for several minutes, finally succumbing to his wounds. Blood seeped from multiple punctures, and the loss of blood caused the lumbering creature to collapse. The ground rumbled as he slammed into the dirt.
Thrasher platoon roared with victory. But there was still one more of these creatures to go, and countless Citadel warriors.
The chaotic battlefield continued to rage. Nolan clashed swords with swarms of enemy soldiers as he fought near the fallen troll. The once green grass was now a reddish-brown muck of blood and guts. Grunts and groans and moans of agony filled the air. Out of the corner of his eye, Nolan saw the last gronk fall as Punisher platoon took the beast down.
The Imperial Soturi kept pushing forward, moving toward the Citadel walls. The valley had turned into a sea of corpses. The Imperial Soturi had carved their way through the enemy warriors and were about to storm the fortress itself. Though the spell shield had been considerably weakened, it was still functional. None of the aerial vehicles were able to penetrate the magical barrier. But the ground troops were able to advance on foot. Passing through the barrier was like moving through a membrane. It would resist hard impacts, but slow steady pressure allowed the Soturi to permeate the shield. The bigger the object, the more resistance encountered.
High atop the battlements, Citadel troopers fired spell arrows from crossbows. The blistering bolts pelted the oncoming Soturi mercilessly. They had to run out of arrows at some point, Nolan thought. But the barrage continued.
Seemingly out of nowhere, more Citadel warriors appeared, flanking the battalion of invading Soturi. Nolan clashed with his foes, blocking their strikes with his sword. Each blow sent a bone jarring rattle down his forearm. His hand ached. His arms were sore and tired. They felt like rubber. He was drenched in sweat, and his chest heaved for breath.
Nolan didn't see where the new attackers came from, but they had to have emerged from secret passageways within the mountainside. Nolan continued to defend against the flanking attack. With each strike, the blade of his sword seemed to grow heavier. He slashed, chopped, and stabbed his enemies. Thrasher platoon held the flanking Citadel forces at bay. But it didn't come without a heavy cost. Several members were skewered by enemy blades. Limbs were severed. Heads decapitated. What started out as a battalion of 500 men was down to no more than 250. But the Imperial losses paled in comparison to the number of Citadel forces that lay strewn across the battlefield.
It took some grit and determination, but the Soturi managed to stave off the flanking attacks. Their full attention was now on storming the walls of the fortress.
Soturi activated their lift boots. Thrusters in the soles of their boots launched them vertically up the towering walls of the Citadel. Several Soturi were taken out in mid-air by enchanted arrows. Others cleared the parapet and took the fight to the walkway atop the battlements. There was no telling how many troops were inside the Citadel.
Nolan watched as the Soturi swarmed the Citadel walls, rocketing up to engage the enemy.
“What are you waiting for,” Tanc yelled. “Get up there!"
Nolan hesitated. Not out of fear, but a frontal assault wasn't exactly advantageous. There had to be a better way into the Citadel, and Nolan wanted to find it.
20
Nolan charged up the foothills at the base of the mountain, searching for signs of the secret passageway. He heard Tanc’s gruff voice crackle in his comm link
. "Where the hell are you going? I gave you a direct order, Private Jamison. Storm the Citadel!”
"That's what I'm doing, Sergeant Krom.”
"It looks like you're running away like a coward to me." Tanc chased after him.
The incline grew steep, then became a challenge to ascend. Nolan slowed, and so did Sergeant Krom. Nolan finally reached the area where he suspected the Citadel forces had emerged. His eyes scanned the rocky terrain. He knew there had to be an entrance here somewhere. But it was completely obscured.
Caleb had followed the two up the hill.
Sergeant Krom tackled Nolan, grabbing him from behind. The two crashed to the dirt. In the blink of an eye, the tip of Tanc’s sword was at Nolan's throat, poking between the narrow space between his helmet and chest plate. "I should cut your throat right now," Tanc grumbled. "Get down there and fight with the rest of the platoon you pansy."
Nolan batted Tanc’s sword away with his blade, then he kicked the big oaf from atop him. Tanc tumbled aside and rolled back down the hill. He finally stopped his momentum, climbed to his feet, and charged back up the slope.
Nolan sprang to his feet, continuing to look for the entryway. His eyes caught sight of an unusually large stone slab. It fit in with the rest of the terrain, but somehow seemed different. Nolan raced to the slab and tried to heave it aside. The massive rock was more than any man could move. Caleb joined in, grunting and straining. It would take a dozen men to move this boulder an inch. From the corner of his eye, Nolan could see Tanc charging at him. Nolan was sure this was an entryway, but he was going to look like a fool if he couldn't get the slab to budge. There had to be some kind of mechanism to open it.
