Chapter Two: The Gauntlet

I've talked to some of the people who saw what was going on. Collins was in deep. He was in the unfortunate position of knowing a great deal about something the Confederates wanted kept secret. And being just a little superfluous. And he knew it.

Maybe that was why he called Alpha Squadron. He probably hoped that if the secret got out Confederate black ops would think disappearing him too much effort.

-Liberty's report, volume I.


It was a cold silence which engulfed the bridge. Collins responded to Duke's transmission. The Magistrate smiled nervously and took off his hat and wiped sweat from his brow. 'Greetings again General Duke-'

'Start talking Collins.' snapped Duke. 'I don't like being kept in the dark.'

'I know you're anxious for some answers about those creatures.' said Collins, putting his hat back on. 'Suffice to say they are the current subject of high-level research. We had quarantined a number of them for study, but then all contact with the Flannum Institute was lost.'

'I'm guessing that's why Cerberus Squadron is dragging my boys halfway across the damn planet.' muttered Duke. 'How long have these things been on Chau Sara?'

'Um… about three months weeks, but they weren't much of a problem until a week ago. I've been ordered to not speak about it.' said Collins. 'The militia has been occupied fighting them. The Sons of Korhal moved in behind our backs.'

'Fine, I'm dispatching my army now.' said Duke.

'What?' said Collins.

'Whatever these things are, they're causing a ruckus.' growled Duke 'I'm going to show them a proper Alpha Squadron greeting. Send me all the data you have on them within the hour.' He cut the channel. 'Ensign, begin scanning the surface for the highest concentrations of these xenomorphs. Once you've done that, we'll send our boys in to crush them.'

'Yes sir.' said the Ensign.


All her life, at least as far as she could remember, Emily had been waiting for a chance like this. For her entire time in Alpha Squadron, she had been working against rebel and militia groups. Now, at last, she was involved in a highly important mission, one so important even Duke didn't know of it. And to top it off she was facing off against an alien menace, one that needed to be stopped no matter the cost.

She approached the Cerberus Commander as her forces stood waiting. 'Sir, my forces have been unloaded and are waiting for your orders.' She paused 'Where are we going?'

'There is a Confederate Installation to the north of here. It has been compromised by xenomorphs. Our preliminary scans indicate that the area is crawling with hostiles.' said the Cerberus Commander 'My Cerberus unit will handle the situation inside. However, we will require Alpha Squadron's assistance getting there.

Any other information is on a strict need to know basis.'

'Understood sir.' said Emily.

'Our priority is to annihilate the xenomorph presence around the Flannum Installation.' continued the Cerberus Commander. 'Scans indicate that there is a small hive to the northwest over the river. The hive must be destroyed to safeguard our flank.'

'Um…' Emily halted.

'Yes?' asked the Cerberus Commander.

'Do you have a name or-'

'My identity is irrelevant to the outcome of the mission.' he almost snarled. 'Follow orders and stop asking questions.'

Emily returned to her forces, feeling ashamed and bitter. This wasn't at all how she had imagined top secret missions to go. Theodore seemed to share her view as they made their way toward the first part of their mission.

'Ma'am, what is going on?' asked Theodore. 'Who are these guys? How do they know so much about these things?'

'I don't know.' admitted Emily. 'But they have the trust of the Confederacy, and so we must trust them as well. I'm sure they have a very good reason for keeping all this a secret. If word of what was happening here got out, there might be panic and chaos.

We'll carry out our orders. The Confederacy knows what is best for the sector.'

'Yes, ma'am.' His tone held a note of sarcasm.

Emily let it pass. Then something occurred to her. 'Theodore, why did you join Alpha Squadron?'

'Most of the people in it are brain-panned.' said Theodore with a shrug. 'Which means there is a shortage of intelligent officers. I figured if I joined it, I'd be on the fast track to promotion. What about you?'

'Oh me?' asked Emily 'I um… I joined normally.'

'Ah,' said Theodore, 'so who were you before you… uh…'

'I was a murderer.' said Emily. 'I killed innocent young men for pleasure after luring them in with promises of sex. I was caught, neurally resocialized and put in Alpha Squadron. I survived with most of my intelligence intact, so I was assigned as an officer.'

'You don't sound very ashamed.' noted Theodore.

'That wasn't who I was.' said Emily 'I mean, I might have the same name as her, but that Emily Swallow died on the operating table. I don't have any of her memories or emotional associations. I'm glad she got caught, this way I can do some good to make up for the bad she did.'

'Right.' said Theodore, before looking at her seriously. 'Do you actually believe that?'

'Of course, I do.' said Emily, confused as to why he would ask. 'Why wouldn't I?'

The rest of the journey took a few hours. They crossed over a bridge and into a dusty flatland. As they crossed over, they halted. For there was the xenomorph hive. The ground beneath it was covered in what appeared to be pulsing violet flesh. The structures themselves were orange and made of an organic material. A series of large creatures were busy digging into a mineral mine which looked to be manmade.

'So that is what their hives look like.' noted Emily, interested despite herself. 'It doesn't look very heavily defended.'

'Don't be fooled, Lieutenant.' said the Cerberus Commander. 'These xenomorphs are capable of burrowing underground and emerging very suddenly. There are likely far more of them out there than you can see.'

'Understood sir.' said Emily.

'I leave tactical command to you.' the Cerberus Commander said.

'Front Company form up! I want a dense battle line!' said Emily 'We'll advance gradually and mow down anything which attacks us! Come on me, let's get these xenos! For the Confederacy!' As her men responded to her calls, she looked to the Cerberus Commander. 'Commander, I believe it would be best if your forces took a position on the right flank. While we deal with the brunt of the enemy force, you can take them from the side.'

'The plan is sound.' admitted the Commander.

It went off very well indeed. Frontal Company moved forward very carefully. Sure enough, the xenomorph arose from the ground and charged. As before, their charge was slaughtered by a hail of gauss fire. Yet there were always more of them. Cerberus Squadron moved from their position and tore into the xenomorphs right flank. Their flamethrowers burned them to ash. Their goliaths mowed down whole lines of the creatures.

Emily was quite confident that victory would be theirs.

Then many snakelike creatures with scythe arms and mandibles appeared. They came from beyond the cliffs and slithered forward. They launched spines from their bodies into the ranks of the attackers. Several marines fell dead before they could respond. Emily turned her gun and opened fire, hitting one of the snake things with a barrage. After a moment of flailing the creature fell dead.

'Theodore, have your forces redirect fire on the snake things!' said Emily.

They obeyed, and soon the two sides were trading fire. However, the doglike creatures were soon wiped out. Cerberus Squadron and Frontal Company redirected their fire on the snake things. After, that the firefight ended quickly.

The xenomorphs had been annihilated, yet their buildings remained.

'Alright troops, well done.' said Emily. 'I want explosives set on all these structures. Move quickly. Remember we're on a timetable. Theodore, keep your men in reserve and watch for any more of these things.'

She stopped suddenly and realized she had almost walked into a pool of pulsing flesh. It looked like a swamp, but it glowed faintly. Many tiny creatures could be seen swimming around it, and many eggs were lying at the base of it. 'Also set some explosives inside that pool. Better safe than sorry.'

Over the next few minutes, Frontal Company obeyed her commands. It took a little while, and while they were working there was no sign of any kind of attack. Even so, it was nerve-racking. Emily was afraid that they might come under assault while otherwise occupied.

'We're done here, ma'am.' said a soldier. 'Explosives set.'

'Great,' said Emily, 'everyone lets move! We need a minimum safe distance! Go, go, go!'

As one Frontal Company ran from the hive and halted a large distance away from the edge of the violet goo. Raising the detonator, Emily flipped the safety. For a moment she hesitated, making a last glance to make sure no one had been left behind. Then she pushed the button.

For a moment nothing happened. Then there was a terrific explosion, and then the hive was destroyed in great plumes of white fire. Alpha Squadron cheered, and some fired their guns up on the air. The violet goo began to recede in moments.

Still, Emily didn't feel very good about it. They had taken their first casualties here, and if it hadn't been for this mission, all would have survived. 'Theodore, how many did we lose?

'Twelve, ma'am.' said Theodore.

'I see. Give me their names once we're done here.' said Emily. 'I'll be sure to write letters to their families, reminding them of what their sons died for. It was for the greater good of the Confederacy, after all.'

'Yeah, yeah.'

'This area is purged.' said the Cerberus Commander, appearing from nowhere. 'With our flanks secure we may now proceed with the operation proper. We will advance north across the wasteland and into the highlands above the river. Once we've neared the installation, we'll begin the assault on the second hive cluster. Be on the lookout for any sign of the xenomorphs; it is highly likely they will oppose us at every turn.'

They weren't given any time to rest. Frontal Company made its way over the river and across the wastes. As they did, they encounter more than a few xenomorphs. At first, the attacks were sporadic, only a few at a time who were easily mowed down. Yet soon enough they began to get smart. They appeared from underground when Alpha Squadron drew near.

Emily saw a man torn to shreds by a surprise attack before the creature responsible could be mowed down. Two were shot in the back by flurries of spines from the snake creatures. No matter how many they killed, there were always more.

This situation continued for six hours as they traveled on foot across the deserts. By the time they crossed the bridge, Emily was becoming very concerned. Theodore shared her concern.

'These things,' said Theodore after a particularly nasty engagement, 'there is no end to them, Emily. They just keep on coming no matter how many we kill. We've already lost twelve men to their ambushes, and we'll lose more if we don't stop for a bit. The men are starting to get sloppy.'

'I'll see what I can do.' said Emily, making her way to the front to where the Cerberus Commander was waiting. 'Sir, can I have a word?'

'Lieutenant?' asked the Commander.

'My men are tired.' said Emily. 'We've been fighting non stop all day through the wastelands. We're in no shape for an assault. If we could have just a few hours rest-'

'Unacceptable, our priority is the evacuation of the scientists.' said the Commander in a harsh voice. 'Additional casualties due to fatigue are well within what is considered acceptable losses. Keep them moving.'

Emily opened her mouth to object, then closed it. 'Yes, sir.'

She went back to Theodore.

'Well?' he asked.

'This mission is of the utmost importance.' said Emily. 'Every moment we delay could mean the deaths of the civilians we're trying to rescue. We'll have to go on, Theodore.'

'Wonderful,' said Theodore, 'nice to know our lives are considered valuable. I always knew our glorious Confederacy cared. Why the hell can't they just dropship us down there?'

The journey continued, as did the hit and run attacks by the xenomorphs. Five more men were killed on the journey through the highlands. Finally, as twilight was falling over the wastes, they came to a pass leading downwards. Near the center of it, Emily could see the gates of the Flannum Installation.

Yet the Cerberus Commander wasn't looking at that. He tapped her on the shoulder and directed her gaze to atop the cliffs. Above them loomed a massive hive, far larger than the last one. It was crawling with xenomorphs of both kinds. Many strange sunken buildings were visible in front of the main hive.

'That is the xenomorphs' primary hive cluster in this region.' said the Commander. 'Removing it will allow us to evacuate the scientists without molestation. Lieutenant, begin your assault.'

'That hill will be difficult to scale.' said Emily. 'What are those sunken things?'

'They are designated sunken colonies, a xenomorph defensive structure.' said the Commander. 'They will kill some of your men, but you have sufficient numbers to overwhelm it. My Cerberus Unit will remain behind.'

Emily felt very reluctant to order such an attack. However, she knew she had to follow orders. 'Yes, sir.'

She turned to her men. 'Men of the Confederacy! That hill must be taken for our mission to be complete! What I am asking you to do will task your courage and resolve to its highest, not all of you may survive the coming battle! Yet if we die, it will be for the glory of the Confederacy!' Cheers came from the troops, with the exception of Theodore. He remained stonily silent.

Odd, usually soldiers were motivated at the prospect of dying for the Confederacy. Then again Theodore hadn't been programmed, so maybe he was eccentric.

'Advance, for humanity!' cried Emily.

And Frontal Company advanced. As they scaled up the hill, they were immediately beset by a host of xenomorphs. They threw themselves bodily at them to halt them. These were gunned down, yet no sooner had they stepped over them and a new threat appeared. Red tentacles surged out of the ground to attack them. A marine was torn to shreds by one right next to swallow, and blood spattered over her faceplate.

More xenomorphs came to attack them, and some of them got into melee before they could form up. A few marines were gunned down by friendly fire. Behind them, the xenomorphs tried to flank them. But Cerberus Squadron stopped them in their tracks. And then, thank god, they were at the top.

'Form up!' cried Emily to her soldiers and they obeyed.

Though the tentacles killed nearly a dozen in those moments. Still, they formed into a line, and their guns were set forward to open fire on their enemies. The sound of all their guns firing in unison was like music to Emily, and she fired as well. Beneath the barrage of impaler rounds the sunken colonies shriveled and died.

The defense had been broken!

'Advance!' cried Emily 'Advance to victory!'

Many more xenomorphs came from all around. Yet nothing in that battle compared to those nightmarish colonies. Yet now that they were past it Frontal Company fought with renewed vigor. Their enemies fell like wheat, their casualties hardly mattered. Line after line of the xenomorphs was annihilated as the violet goo continued to recede. At last, there was nothing left to stop them!

Charges were set to the primary hive clusters, and they burned with a very satisfying color white.

The battle took six hours. When it was over Emily stood over the destroyed remnants of the hive, feeling very bitter. Theodore came up to her, looking rather grim.

'How many dead?' she asked.

'Seventy-five, ma'am.' said Theodore. 'The bottleneck tore us apart, and the xenomorphs killed a lot of us as well. We're nearly at half strength.'

'It's barely been a day.' said Emily. 'It is like the Guild Wars all over again.' She had not participated in the Guild Wars. But she'd read about some of the battles and spoke to some of those who lived through it. She looked to the bloodstained battlefield, wondering if this was a sign of things to come.

'Ma'am, are you alright?' asked Theodore.

'I'm fine. Get the men together, tell them to post watches on all the cliffs and scour the area for any more xenomorphs.' said Emily 'I don't want anything interfering with the operation we sacrificed so much for.'

'Yes, ma'am.'

She made her way to the edge of the cliff and looked down upon the entrance to the Flannum Installation from above. The charred corpses of some xenomorphs were lying around it. A team of Cerberus Firebats was approaching. As they halted there before it, a communication came over an open channel from them. 'Sir, tac team has reached the installation. You watch things out here. We'll take care of things inside.'

Emily breathed out in relief. It was over. The scientists would be evacuated, and her men would return to the Norad II victorious. No one else needed to die. That was what she told herself anyway.


Author's Note:

So I've been going through Rise of the Dominion and editing it. It isn't nearly as bad as some of my older fics. Which is good, because it means it is much easier to edit the damn thing.