"Unreliable". "A danger to the consolidated platoon formations". "Lunatic".
These were some of the words on the report that marked Fitzgerald's trasfert to a new outfit, a certain "Phantom Company", to continue his service to the Vanu Sovereignty.
Surely beats getting removed from the rebirthing databanks, something said to be done sometimes when the reconstruction process did not complete properly for some reason.
He was told (well actually he heard it from other soldiers in the field) that this particular outfit housed soldiers deemed too "crazy" to serve with Command's platoons or with other formations, so they were sent on other missions by themselves, until they had proven too instable, their genetic code deleted and then retired the old fashioned way, that is by some fool's bullets.
He heard that these guys were "seeing things", remebering things that they could not have experienced, before their first reconstruction.
If so, at least they might have something in common.
He didn't exactly remember of before his reconstruction by the tech of Vanu's legacy, but occasionally he had "flashes" of other places, previous times, even though he was aware of not actually being there at that moment: that was the reason behind the transfert.
Shaking his head, he stepped into the teleporter towards Amerish's VS warpgate: he would find soon enough what would happen next, one way or the other.
The warpgate wasn't actually very populated, at that time: most of VS's troops were locked on Indar, fighting the misguided of the New Conglomerate or Terran Republic's fanatic troops for every inch of desertic ground, so on Amerish the VS had lost most of its territories until the two enemies's troops seemed to have started to focus on each other, giving Vanu's followers some respite.
Fitzgerald stood for a little while in the middle of the grayish, austere main hall, seeing around only a handful of soldiers without any outfit tags passing around the gear requsition terminal to exit in the warpgate's plaza, likely towards one of the external barracks. Did that guy give him the evil eye?
-Fitzgerald?- a man in the purple-cyan nanite-woven VS armor called his attention, on his breast the markings of Phantom Company's Provost.
-Yessir?- he snapped at attention -Welcome to the outfit, I'm the Company's second-in-command Sam Danvers. You arrived just in time to join in with some small squad action we are about to have here. Get your equipment, and log in the outfit's platoon. I hope you will have some fun-
The officer headed out, issuing an order to the outfit's available units to gather at the warpgate's Galaxy landing area, just after the vehicle terminal strip.
Well, quite friendly for an outfit second-in-command. Things seemed to start well.
At the requisition terminal, the soldier requested his engineer custom loadout: Eidolon battle rifle, upgraded repair tool, tank mines, additional composite armor plates with dark aspen camo. It was Amerish, afer all.
The Provost, as platoon commander, was requesting other two Galaxies to be prepped, as the squads available were to be dropped both on the Auraxis Firearms Corporation facility and Wokuk Amp Station, both controlled by TR.
-I can get the third Galaxy- the new member said, turning on the squad comm system. He wanted to try the new Galaxy loadout he was granted access to, maybe not the best way to begin, but since it might have been his last chance to do so...
-Do it. Bravo will head to Auraxis Firearms while Alpha and the rest will drop on the Amp Station, it seems the TR are starting to mass there.-
The officer made a brief pause, while on each soldier's tactical map appeared their designated waypoints -We are to drop on the shields generators and overload them, then hold out until reinforcements arrive if we can't go for the control point by ourselves: we will hit them before they have gathered to full strenght.- the second part was told on squad comms.
The massive planes were constructed by nanites in seconds, after the requisition order was placed: quickly the soldiers embarkerd, all of them with Phantom Company's insignia, all of them looking rather serene even though they were going to be dropped in a battlezone in minutes.
None were known faces, and even though a little banter was exchanged Fitzgerald didn't join in the talks, getting past the troopers who already got to their seats towards the plane's cockpit.
Bravo team departed northward, while the other two Galaxies took flight west, the officer's ahead: it was faster than the new outfit's recruit one, surely because of the different airframe installed.
The two Galaxies flew for a brief within friendly territory while above the lush grasslands of Amerish and over a couple of the rocky mountains that broke off the plains, before reaching the lightly manned frontline, set between the Amp Station and its easternmost outpost, still controlled by the VS.
-All right guys, get ready to drop.- flak fire incoming from the spider-like installation's walls started to hit the first Galaxy, but the armored plane could take it: once it had reached its waypoint though, several red rockets flew from the ground towards its tail, just when the soldiers on board started to jump.
Some of them made it in time, but none dropped after the first rockets hit the plane's hatch.
-Drop controls not responding, and we have Mossies incoming- the officer's Galaxy started to make a turn, while still sustaining enemy fire.
After a brief while, the platoon commander opened on platoon comms: he did not sound agitated at all, even though his plane was getting chewed up by the TR's anti-air guns -High command is sending a full platoon to deal with the TR here, Alpha will head back and assist Bra-- he was cut off by the explosion of a Tomcat guided missile on his Galaxy's right wing engine, followed shortly after by another one on the back of the plane as it started to fall in the Amp Station square.
Fitzgerald pulled the controls of the remaining Galaxy while the anti-air fire was rerouted towards the surviving Galaxy, turning away from the deathtrap that was the TR controlled base; just seconds after the commander's plane crashed, a male soldier in the back of the plane spoke on the platoon channel -Asa here, taking control of the rest of Alpha squad. Heading to reinforce Bravo team.-
No one protested and no one made any comment on what just happened. Soldiers get used to seeing their comrades die, and knowing that they will be rebuilt helps a lot, but it can never be pleasant.
The pilod tried to turn around and see which one of the passengers were the new team leader, likely another of the outfit's officers, but he could not distinguish him from there now that no one spoke.
As he turned his attention back to the controls, Fitzgerald noticed a red spot closing in on his HUD -One of the Mossies is following us!- said, not bothering to turn on the squad comms since all of them were so near.
Aircraft chaingun bullets hit the plane's hull, while one of the passengers went to man the 20mm "Drake" machinegun on the back of the Galaxy to return fire, another on the tail-mounted one -Couple Scythes arriving, not our problem anymore- Asadasek relayed some good news, and truly enough two of the blade-winged fighter planes sped from the warpgate's direction, engaging the TR pursuer which hurriedly retreated.
-How are things over there, Bravo?- the squad leader requested an update as the plateau over which the weapon facility was built was coming in sight -Some of them got around us, they are holdin point A, while we have C and going for B- -Ok guys, we are dropping straight on A, regroup after we land. Keep the Gal in the air, Fitz.-
As the buildings became more clearly distinguishable, everyone started to prepare for the drop, which was to take place on the large hangar on the far side of the facility, which was used to massively manifacture weapons before the improvements of nanite technology.
Another Galaxy was in the air, Bravo team's transport, which stood still directly above the aircraft resupply pad and the semi-circular shaped building which housed the control cluster known as "C".
-Almost on A... Ok, drop!- opening the hatch, the passengers hopped down towards the unaware TR soldiers. The air was still clear of hostiles, and from the valley's sides no vehicle was approaching the large bridge that connected the plateau to a small hill south..
After a few seconds of tranquillity, platoon comm opened Point A captured, get ready for a counterattack.
Quiet again, apart from the hum of the engines in stationary flight.
It almost seemed wrong, this sort of silence.
A few steps on the metal steps of the dorsal gun stairs startled the pilot: it was one of Alpha team who did not drop, a rookie probably from the looks of him.
-What are you doing here? You were supposed to-- wait. Why did he see the warpgate outside the drop hatch now? Oh, crap, not again.
-Hold on for a moment, please...- Fitzgerald asked the soldier still in the plane. He knew he was not at the warpgate, it already happened, he knew that if he moved he would have moved inside that Galaxy above the firearms faciltity... but he did not want to risk hitting something he shouldn't if there wasn't an emergency.
His sight returned to normal, after a few seconds -Ok, you can drop now- hitting the controls to open the hatch; the soldier gave him a puzzled look, but jumped to join the team nonetheless.
More quiet, broken by the occasional squad comm chatter, either the team leader giving instructions or a little banter after a failed attack by the TR soldiers that teleported to the facility to replace the dead, while they were being rebuilt in larger installations.
A squad message popped on his HUD "Hey Fritz, can you get us some ammo down here?" a certain Diskriminator in Alpha squad sent it, maybe he had comm problems or preferred not to speak from where he stood.
Well, he could try it... had to get lower though, a battery packet wouldn't survive that fall.
Slowly the Galaxy started to descend towards the small clearing inside the weapons facility, steering clear from the few trees that sprouted some of the other small openings: getting close now, a few seconds more...
A greenish shimmer appeared on a large plate on the ground between the hangar and the shielded teleporter building, soldifying into a grey and red large form -They spawned a Prowler!- Fitzgerald opened the squad comms, while pulling the plane up, far from the heavy tank's twin cannons.
The tank started to move, trying to aim into the building which housed the control cluster that Alpha team captured: before it could fire two HEAT shells and shred anyone in the squad two bluish balls of plasma were shot from the sides of the hangar, and a third from the smaller structure housing control point B, towards the tank, melting its armor plating into a corroded, black form.
-Tank down- someone in the team reported. He should really try to memorize some of these names...
-Bravo, Alpha is pulling out, some NC rednecks are advancing from Onatha Bio Lab and our guys there are losing: good luck- -Alright guys, everyone on the Galaxy again, chop chop!.-
The team did not sustain losses, all the wounded had been patched up by the medics's regenerative nanite guns: good results for this engagement, let's hope the same for the next one.
Waypoint set, the flight would have taken more this time, but as Splitpeak Pass was still in VS hands flying over the large mountain formation would have been safe enough: hopefully, the Enlightened's disciples would have held the line long enough.
Travelling up high, Alpha arrived at the smallish attacked base, nested between a chain of mountains and a smaller rocky spike formation along the road across the Silver Valley where a handful of "lone wolves" were still trying to muster a defence against the NC blue-armored troopers -Alright, let's drop again on the control point, from there we will clear out the base, keep an eye for enemy Sundies.-
Of course, the heavy transport vehicle would have been hidden somewhere nearby, and with its spawn-teleport tube module it would have bolstered the NC forces, so taking it down was a priority: technolgy equals might, but if the fools drowned them in bodies...
The drop proceeded without any disturbance, Fitzgerald took the Galaxy lower, looking around for the enemy APC: as the plane approached the roof of the main building in the lookout outpost, bursts of flak and a couple of rockets reached the right side of the plane, shaking it and creating cracks in the hull.
-Under fire, it's the Sundy! Between those rocks on the right!- he did not pull up, the massive plane would still have been a target now, instead it flew sideways on the only direction it could, trying to find cover but finding itself face to face to the enemy vehicle and a cluster of infantry.
The plane won't make it, it has taken too much damage now.
Fitzgerald hit the controls for the fire suppression system, to buy a few seconds, and opened the drop hatch: before dropping himself though, he jumped to the controls of the "Bulldog" 60mm grenade launcher installed on the wings, firing a couple of rounds to the vehicle and surrounding infantry. That will keep them busy for a while.
Just after having dropped, the plane broke into flames after another rocket impact, then crashed to the ground: just a moment to gather his bearings, no time to lose, have to find cover. The trees won't do.
Fleeing from the wreckage behind the rock formation which had before hidden the NC Sunderer, the soldier managed to spot a clunky humanoid blue form advancing towards where he dropped a few seconds before: MAX unit, no chance to take it down alone.
Opening squad comms: -Galaxy down, but I have still a couple of tank mines: if you get this MAX off me i might make it to blow up the sundy- -Got it Fitz, team let's move it, draw those grunts!-
The gunfire drew closer and, unable to find any survivors from the crash immediately, the heavily armored MAX unit turned back to drive off the assault of Vanu's children.
Ok, here I go quickly running close to the rock formation, keeping in cover as much as possible, Fitzgerald got right in front of the enemy APC: an engineer was repairing it with its nanite projector tool, and some freshly teleported soldiers were getting their equipment to fend off the attack.
None seemed to notice the lone VS engineer diving beneath the vehicle from the opposite side, and dropping two triangular-shaped tank mines -Mines set, blow them up!-
He didn't think he would have had the time to make it far enough, or someone would have surely spotted him, but the cry -Grenade out!- from the VS ranks must have drawn their attention: one second later, the vehicle blew up in a ball of fire and rock dust, and the NC soldiers who survived the blast were quickly dispatched.
-Good job, thanks Fitzgerald- Asadasek opened once again squad comms -Patch up the wounded, then take a sundy. We will push to the Biolab, opening the way for incoming friendly forces.-
-I'll get it- having an engineer loadout, he wasn't too useful there in this moment, but he could prepare to move more quickly ahead.
After rapidly constructing the vehicle (blessed nanites), the team started to gather: they lost a couple of men, but they still were enough to press on, and they had some support from the lone wolves.
The vehicle had just been filled when a blue-colored gunship flew over -Liberator! Open fire!- someone shouted, and the 20mm and flak guns of the sunderer started filling the air with bullets.
Immediately, the unmistakable sound of the heavy shells fired by the Dalton 150mm cannon filled the air, blowing up a sizeable amount of ground straight ahead the APC: the vehicle was armored, but it couldn't last long against that weapon.
-Move on!- -Hold up and keep firing you two!- Fitzgerald started the APC, advancing for a few meters as another shell exploded right behind it. It seemed the gunner wasn't too experienced, luckily.
-Come on, move dammit!- -Wait!- the driver now pulled back, instead of driving forward: another shell missed, hitting once again right in front of the vehicle.
The two gunners on the Sunderer were more accurate, though.
-They are fleeing, chase them!- the Sunderer couldn't really keep up with the gunship, but the aircraft was already smoking from the holes punched in its armor.
The flak gun kept hitting, and the smoke soon turned to fire as the gunship fell off the air in the distance -Cool, I got it!- it was the squad leader who manned the flak cannon Alright, let's keep up, get near the grav-lifts and deploy the sundy.-
Fitzgerald was a little perplexed, but not in a bad manner: these guys definitley knew their trade, and were precise and coordinated, yet they were friendly and not uppitish. Too bad they... he had to remind himself that he was part of them now... were deemed "lunatics" by most, if the rest of the Vanu soldiers were like them they might have already won this war.
Well, unless there were darker sides that still remained hidden, but even so...
The speculations came to an end as the APC reached the colossal dome that housed the Biolab, lifted from the ground by three massive supports, and parked near the gravity lifts behind some rocks big enough to hide the vehicle from the landing pads of the dome.
-Alright guys, I want three of you to protect the Sundy, while the rest of us go up and secure the landing pad. The NC will probably get some numbers to defend this place, but we have reinforcements incoming.-
The team separated, a mixed group heading towards the grav-lifts, while he and a couple of Heavy Assault troopers kept guard.
Soon gunfire started up above and for a while things kept to a standstill: suddenly, a NC Light Assault trooper split from the main force and dropped from the edge of the dome, firing his jetpacks to reach unseen the rocks where he guessed a supply vehicle could be parked.
Before the defenders could react, the soldier mowed down the first of the HA troopers with a burst of his submachinegun, then ran behind the APC as the other heavily equipped soldier lifted his gun.
The NC didn't seem to notice the engineer standing in the corner, or had decided it was more important to try and place C4 bricks on the APC: reaching for his battle rifle, Fitzgerald shot a couple of rounds in the soldier's back before he could press the detonator, ripping his back armor plate open and taking him down.
-Close call...- the engineer took a breath of relief, but was cut short by the team leader -Guys, they are calling in reinforcements, we have to get to control point A and hold it while the rest of our friends take care of the rest, I want more heavy assault troopers up here.-
Punching in the supply terminal, he chose to grab the X-2 "Lasher" experimental heavy weapon: they had to hold the place, so to provide suppressive fire it was perfect with its capability for sustained explosive plasma fire.
In the meantime, the other survivor grabbed a medic tool and closed the wounds of the injured soldier, then the three ran up to the grav-lifts with a group of infantry who had just deployed: the landing pad greeted them with flying lead, as the last of the NC defendants tried to hold their ground.
That NC group didn't last much longer, and the Company's team gathered and pushed inside, passing under a rock arch in the bio-reserve and climbing a brief staircase in a nearby small data analysis building to the designated control cluster: a single enemy soldier tried peeking in after they took defensive positions, but retreated rapidly before the hail of plasma.
The team was stretched thin having to cover four doors and a balcony, but had to hold as long as it could: Fitzgerald thanked a friendly engineer dropping a battery pack nearby, and started shooting balls of plasma towards the front entrance, hoping to deter the enemy from entering.
He allowed himself a moment of pause while reloading, looking around: where did that soldier just go? He disappeared? And... oh no, not again. It never happened so quickly, it always...
Rounds fired from a NC Gauss SAW got him in the chest, before his vision could return to normal: falling, he kept seeing people appearing and disappearing, with different markings and camouflage, even from the other two factions...
A familiar, intense pain sprung from his wounds when a medic tried to prevent his death, dismantling the bullets inside his torso and re-knitting flesh and organs: while the soldier managed to get up and give his thanks, his sight still showed him pieces of a different battle, fought time ago, his hearing filled with the roar of the New Conglomerate's gauss guns and the discharge of Vanu's plasma weapons.
But, that ScatMAX doesn't seem-
Blackness.
Until the spawn tubes would have reconstructed him.