Project: Lupus
Part 2: Rampage
It's been roughly a year since the acceleration of Project: Lupus and a year's worth of progress for the Militia.
A massive battle cruiser; spear heading the Militia fleet powers its way through the vacuum at a slow but steady pace in the direction of their and valuable target. With their growing ranks the Militia was getting bold, before them was the large garden world of Hydraxis.
This planet was a mix of thick jungle, mountains, swamps, rivers interspersed with long rolling plains and forests. It's also where the IMC had built one of their largest production plant of anything from titans to paint, it was more of a small city than a production plant and like most IMC instillations it was almost completely autonomous. The only organics were a complacent if large security detail comprised of the typical titan units and infantry.
Briggs was hell bent on this operation; the mission wasn't the destruction of the facility, but its capture. With the capture of Hydraxis the fleet wouldn't have to worry about supplies for decades, taking Production site D-353 would be another massive victory they needed, and a blow to the IMC.
Little did they know a lonesome stealth cruiser, a vessel lurking behind the planet's moon, watches them from a safe distance. This was the light frigate Gardon...and she was carrying one hell of a payload.
It the next few hours the fleet made orbit of the planet Hydraxis, and the entire vessel was a massive beehive of activity. Perfectly calm in the storm walks pilot Jack Cooper. He wore the same suit from his first mission, and still carries the helmet of his late mentor. He rounds a corner into the main hangar, each massive bay holds a Vanguard titan. Each bore a name and pilot who were all preparing for the assault, he finds his gaze lingering on the distinct bloody red Vanguard that was having its launchers loaded. His attention falters as he finally reaches his own.
That familiar seafoam green optic swivels to his person the moment he breaks a twenty foot radius. Jack waves lazily "Hey BT, you ready?"
The titan blinks as Marvin bots mill about him doing checks "Reactor: nominal, ammunition: full, all joints fully operable, shields at maximum". Another blink and the titan raises a hand to give his pilot a thumbs up. Cooper couldn't help but grin; those many months ago he thought his partner dead, only for the Ai to download his core programming into Jack's helmet in his final seconds. The pilot didn't dare think what he would've done if he'd actually lost BT.
Before he could think any further a blaring alarm sounds, red lights flash as crewman clear out the massive chamber. The elite pilots leap into their respective titans as final checks are made. Jack slips on his helmet "Welp, that's our cue". The cockpits opens and he leaps in settling down into the seat with a sigh. The voice of his commander sounds through the speakers.
Brigs still had her cockpit open "listen up, we're in for a long one here people, our target is the main control tower of the facility. If we can get to it fast enough we can cut off any reinforcements from hearing about the attack. Remember we'll be dropping within the ground of the facility so enemy attack could come from any direction so keep your wits about you, we launch one minute!" The red Vanguard shut its cockpit.
Seconds tick by as the pods slam together over the titans, sealing Cooper in darkness. He rolls his hands over the controls with a long calming breath. The timer hits zero and the world around Jack shook as the titan was fired down towards the planet along with six others. BT's voice sounds through the cockpit "At our current decent we will make landfall in next five seconds, brace for impact".
The young pilot holds tight as the pod breaks apart leaving them in free fall for a only a brief moment before they crash to the ground. Jack grunts as the impact shakes his bones, the rest of the squad hit the ground a second later, plumes of dust revealing Vanguards already on the move.
The red Vanguard is already on the move "Target's due north let's move people!" Weapons are drawn as they take off into the massive industrial complex. All around them for miles are piping and catwalks, dark and dreary service ways, massive open conveyor belts keep at work even with the coming attack. The bulk of the assault force was farther southwest at the main offloading station of the facility, hopefully the commotion of their attack would leave Jack's squad with little resistance.
The target was already in site, a looming structure in the distance that boasted three radio dishes pointing off to the sky. One vanguard near the front suddenly boosts left, an archer missile curves by smashing into a nearby wall. Several of the slow missiles flew down the long broad roadway, the security troops, armed with every anti titan weapon available, had taken post around the communication array. The Vanguard wilding a tracker cannon leans out of cover long enough to fire off a sonar pulse. In an instant the visual data is sent back, showing several squads hunkered down among the bunkers and catwalks.
"You have your targets, fire at will" Barks Briggs as she launches a few missiles of her own. Ducking another missile Jack shreds a bunker with rifle fire. A splitter rifle takes the lead, its wedge pattern fire sending the squads scrambling. They regain their previous pace, using a mix of speed and suppressive fire they easily power their way towards the communication array. Jack and BT are calm and methodical in their work, firing in controlled bursts into hostile positon. The display suddenly flashes a warning to his left, he turns; vortex shield flaring to catch three archer missiles. Jack couldn't stop his grimace at the near critical damage he almost received and sends the payload back to its owner.
They make it to the end of the service road in mere ten minutes. One Vanguard, lugging a predator cannon points to the dish "Ma'am the dishes are rotating!".
Her reply was rapid as she level her launches up the dish "fire cores, bring it down!"Under the combined power of seven cores being activated, the commutation dishes are shredded under volleys of rockets, bullets, and a single massive laser. Said laser slices through the mounting of the main dish. By the time the core burns out the massive dish is tipping over, the mounting oozing hot slag. With a horrible groan it falls over, the dish smashes into it small counterpart on the way down. Their combined weight crushes the station underneath to rubble.
The splitter rifle Vanguard turns to Briggs "what's the next course of action ma'am?"
"We take the main control center, this way pilots!"
...
Back on the Gardon, her captain watches the battle with growing concern. The bridge is a single large horseshoe shaped chamber with a long observation window. This was IMC captain Winslow, the man was revered among the IMC for his leadership and his loyalty. His commanding officer had approached him month ago with a top secret, Winslow was promised a promotion so refusal was out of the question.
Their 'cargo' was confined to the hangar for most of the four week voyage after its pickup at one of Vinson Dynamic's testing sites. The only description he was given was 'a miracle that will answer all their militia problems' and then it was loaded onto the ship in some special container along with a lone 'handler' scientist who insisted she go.
That was a month ago, and now Winslow stood with a holographic form of his CO; Naval Commander Fazio. The shimmering blue form of the aging man stood at his side watching the battle was far more patience. Winslow brushes a hand along his graying blonde hair "sir, that security detail has already lost half of their titan support, they will last, at the most, another hour..."
Fazio's brow wrinkles in thought at the magnified images of the battle watching the faltering IMC units get pushed farther back into the complex. The old man turns to the captain "Winslow you are to drop your payload along with your best pilots for support immediately, report back to me once the battle is over".
The hologram winks out leaving the captain alone "What in god's name is this war coming to..." Winslow mutters before speaking into his wrist mounted communicator "cargo and squad alpha zero are to report to hangar one for deployment!"
It didn't take for the hardy squad of pilot to make their way into the hangar where the dropship was sitting, bay open. They only counted four; a cloak named Francis. A particle wall specialist, a stocky woman named Ana. Third; a holo clone pilot and the youngest nicknamed Youngblood and lastly; Gary, with his sonar knives.
The squad jogs towards the ship as the engines spin. Their pace slows as they see the 'cargo' was already loaded in. With much more care than before, the four pilots move their way into the ship. They all take a knee as the bay door closes, the vessel lifts off. Whatever it was sat crossed legged on the other side of the ship looked like a pilot for the most part. It was a stealth kit, but it bore somewhat heavier plating in places. The synthetic fur cowl was dark, light eating black, it was thicker as well, bearing a bit more puff around the shoulders. And that's where all the similarities end, first it was roughly two point seven meters tall. This let its huge shoulders clear the view port behind it. Next were the claws both large hands ended in, they weren't carotene, but some sort of alloy that would ever so slightly catch the light. The helmet was long and triangular, four long optic strips go up the length of the helmet, giving of an almost soothing purple glow.
Sitting on its left thigh was a short, stout woman wearing a neatly pressed coat with a green and black delta symbol on the right shoulder and back. She couldn't be older than thirty five, her raven black hair was done up a neat bun. A small pair of glasses rest on her nose while she taps at a device that was connected to a port on its arm. She was so focused on the her work she didn't notice the ship warp, she lets out a small yelp, a gray armor plated hand shot out to gently catch her just as she tips over.
She gentle pats the side of its helmet "thankyou Lawrence".
That's when the squad leader; Francis opens his mouth "So that things got a name?". The creature, who name is now known as Lawrence didn't even react, but the woman looks his way with scorn.
She spins on her current seat to face him "yes he does pilot, he is the only reason any of us are here".
Ana slams the magazine home on her devotion LMG "Our officer only said to 'provide support', I could care less what the hell it is, as long as I get paid".
The vessel blasts back into normal space, racing towards the combat zone. The woman in the lab coat nods slowly "Speaking of pay I have a very special offer for you all".
She hops down and walks over to the bay door, Gary speaks up over the muffled sound of combat outside "what kind of offer?" She pulls the release as they pass over the outskirts of the facility.
"I'll tell you if you live through this". She looks to Lawrence "Remember sweetie, help white, and kill green, go play!" The hulking figure throws itself out the ship, followed by the squad of four. Cracks race across the concrete where Lawrence lands but he stands no worse for wear. He does a brief check of his weapons; clipped to his back were his particle carbine and short blade. The carbine had gone through rigorous testing and incorporated components from the L-star and volt weapons. The short blade was a nano composite weapon that bore a broad surface and single edge. On his back was the most cumbersome tool in his arsenal, and another experimental weapon. The AT-javelin was an anti-titan railgun that's been in the works for the past few years, funded by the IMC. It worked similar to the Northstar model but used titanium slugs instead of plasma. Lastly was his cloak, his suit was larger than the average pilot and made from the latest and greatest of Vinson Dynamics. His cloak was far more effective, rendering him much harder to discern and lasting far longer.
The squad hits the ground a moment later the lot of them taking position behind. He only turns to them slowly and speaks; the voice that thrums from the helmet is low and sonorous yet bears the signs of youth "just stay alive, and let me work"
Lawrence leaps to a wall bounding across it and around another corner, his cloak activates and he vanishes from sight.
Squad Alpha zero stands in silence for a moment, all of them looking where the creature was just a moments ago. Ana speaks up slowly "So we just do the usual?"
Francis would facepalm but he was wearing a helmet "yes Ana the usual, let's get moving!"
Lawrence meanwhile, was a shimmering blur that bounds across the roofs and along the chimney. He was already getting a solid idea of the situation at hand; the Militia had broken through the meager defensive lines that were made at their main entrance. It was clear by the large plumes of smoke rising from the far gates, now the Militia were simply pouring into the facility, seeking to capture it for their own use.
Lawrence leaps across another roof top and finds his first targets. A squad of grunts, about six; moving their way across a large catwalk. He licks his teeth, short sword hissing out of its scabbard.
The head of the squad is crushed underfoot as Lawrence lands, claws zip across the neck of the other before his hemlock could be raised. The remaining four are screaming and back pedaling the best they could but Lawrence is just too fast. He ducks under a blast of buckshot and lunges, spearing the man though his right lung.
The body provides enough cover for him to close the small distance to the next who emptied him magazine in his panic. The corpse bowls him over as Lawrence still powers forward. His boot come down on the face of the pinned grunt, his skull burst like a cherry; bone shards flying away and brain tissue oozing through the grate.
Lawrence yanks the trembling soldier's weapon from his hands while he tries to stumble backwards. The R-201 is swung into his face with enough force is to break the rifle apart along with the man's jaw, sending blood and teeth through the air. Before he could hit the ground Lawrence was already running along the side of the building towards his next target. He bounds off a roof and runs a chimney to find a pair of friendly titans in sorry shape. An Ion and Legion model, the Ion is far worse for wear, flames venting from her exhausts. The legion is only venting gray smoke and bears several dents and scars along the plating.
Around the corner came a pair of Militia Tones, the lead slid out; dropping a particle wall. The legion engages its own shield, opening up with its cannon. With his cloak still running, Lawrence hefts the railgun from his back he lets the weapon charge as Tone blasts away. Staring down the scope he fires a single high velocity round into the lead titan's firing hand.
The tracker cannon falls to the dirt just as the particle wall is broken. With a broken hand the Tone scoops up the weapon and beats a rapid retreat. The other is looking in every direction to find the shooter only to have a slug smash into its ankle joint, hobbling its moving.
Lawrence dives off the building as the Tone fires where the vapor trail of the slug came from. A hunk of shrapnel scratches the side of his helm as he rolls of the roof. His claws dig into the concrete wall as he slides down letting him drop safely into a murky alley between the larger structures. The other Militia titan, with its busted hand comes stomping by, back pedaling with the other still around the corner. The pilot ends up lining his titan up with the alley as the other starts his way. Lawrence leaps along both towering walls, building speed and elevation until he burst out the alley onto the Tone's back.
Lawrence rips the battery out with inhuman strength and was bounding away as several auxiliary system failed in that Tone from the power supply being ripped out so suddenly. The pilot tries to fire his way but with only one hand and systems recovering, his accuracy suffers greatly, with a battery under one arm Lawrence boosts his way back around the corner to find the other Tone limping to get away. A laser shot blows off its firing arm, leaving it to be shredded under the Legion's fire.
The experiment turns on his radio, his display letting him find the channel easily "battery!" he barks, holding it higher. The Legion's cannon spun to a halt but its posture remains hostile.
A female voice sounds out as the titan keeps its weapon raised. "We got a pilot he's...big, I need an ID".
A few seconds later the gruff voice of Francis sounds through. "That's uhh...specialist Lawrence, we're your support but hang back and let'em work"
The predator cannon lowers. "Copy". Lawrence leaps onto the titan's back and slides the battery home. The shields flare to power over the legion "thanks" grunts the pilot "anything you need sir?"
With a graceful leap, he lands on a rooftop. "Stay alive, you have more titan support incoming soon". He tears off back into the fray, his large grey form cloaking away among the chaos.
...
Jack pushes over the burning husk of a Ronin, this was his ninth titan kill so far. The Vanguards along with the bulk of their infantry were pushing towards the most fortified position in the facility. The main control center was barred behind a row of heavy defense cannons that guarded the large slope that it sat upon, but that was still a far distance away.
They were still stuck a huge security gate much like the one they first broke through. Several automated units had joined in the defense, they proved to be the most troublesome as reapers seem to leap of unseen assembly lines. A trio of Legion titans were standing firm despite showing a great deal of wear and damage. Their combined fire was more than enough to keep everyone mostly pinned down, other titan squads had been redirected to find an alternative route, but Briggs hasn't heard from them yet.
Jack fires another quick burst as before another stream of lead gnaws at their cover. That's when the radio blares, the male voice on the other end is wreathed in terror "Brigg, we got a problem!" Frantic tracker cannon fire and explosions could be heard.
The commander halts in her firing "Pilot, explain yourself"
"It's coming back around, focus fire!" There was a roar of titan weaponry, then the connection abruptly cut.
Another voice; female and furious. "Squad seven, we just caught glimpse of what took down squad three, its gone!"
The rear guard of squad seven suddenly screams "Contact left!". His fire only lasts for a moment before a heinous crash of metal.
"Contact above!"
"I can't get a lock!"
"Kaleb's down, it's too fast!"
Cooper's jaw slowly drops open at the utter mayhem sounding over the channel. But like the others it didn't last long. Only after a single minute of panic and gunfire, all of squad seven goes dark.
Jack looks to his commander. "Briggs, your orders?" Something or someone was butchering their pilots with ease, they only had about four more squads of normal titans on the ground, whatever was attacking was no doubt on its way to slaughter the rest.
That when one of the Legions holding the gate fell, a lucky missile catching its ammo drum. Briggs waves her titan's hand to the west "Squad five is only a klick away from seven, take half the squad and intercept Cooper"
BT marks the location on the display and breaks away from the battle with two more pilots in tow. Jack knew them both Higgins and Clancy; Higgins preferred his predator cannon over all else, and Clancy was comfortable with his quad missile launcher.
Higgins's voice calm but tense; sounds over the channel "Squad seven had about six titans in it..."
Clancy is quick to reply "Relax, it's some ace who got lucky, we got this". They round a corner, kicking up gravel and dirt. "Panicking will only make this harder alright?"
Higgins gives a huff "Yeah, we'll have a squad whole at our backs"
"This is squad five, need backup we've got an unknown!"
Cooper pushes BT's actuators to their limit pushing at maximum speed "This is Vanguard Pilot Cooper our ETA is one minute just hang on!"
"Hurry we're down to two!"
The combat was audible now; sporadic fire mixed with the sound of a weapon they couldn't recognize. The three Vanguards round the corner a minute too late, the last Ion of Squad five falls to the gravel, the cockpit a mess of molten metal.
A looming metal figure reloads its weapon in an almost lazy fashion as it turn to Cooper and his group. It's far taller than the average titan, a good ten feet at the most. It shared the same weight class as the Vanguard despite the height. Its legs bore and extra joint, giving it a higher digitigrade stance. The long arms ended in large clawed servos, a mechanism was built into the right arm but it was hard to tell what it was, but it did end in three barrels that were mounted vertically. This strange titan's torso was angular and aerodynamic, carrying some vague similarities to Ronin. Thrusters were mounted on its; six all of a rectangular shaping and folded tight to the back plating. The optics gleam with a rich purple glow; it bore three. The largest a vertical eye unit, a lone one sitting atop and one mounted on the upper right torso that moved in tandem with main optic.
A single medium sized launcher was mounted on the right shoulder, boasting eight small ports. The grey titan's speakers activate. "Good evening" Starts a low, heavy, sonorous voice. The optics do a quick up and down. "These must be the Vanguard class titans that I was warned about". He nudges the molten remains of a Tone "I hope you last longer than these, they were just so slow..."
BT speaks rapidly. "Cooper this titan is an unknown design, I am detecting systems far more advanced than our own. Proceed with extreme caution"
Jack swallows. "Alright BT, fire at will!" The looming grey titan jukes left, the thrusters letting it bound a long distance with ease. That's when the hull flickers, and the titan cloaks from sight, ducking away.
Lawrence watches through his cockpit view as his enemies cautiously follow where he was a moment ago. Hund, Lawrence's custom built titan, speaks patiently "The Vanguards are far better built than the average titan, they pose a greater threat, however the one wielding the predator cannon is far less mobile"
"Our first target..." Lawrence remark, pulling Hund's melee weapon choice from its place on his lower back.
The Vanguards move in a tight circle weapons poised in each direction. With a cloaked enemy vigilance was key, he wasn't invisible, just hard to see. There's a suddenly cacophonous crash, all three whip around to see a forklift on its side, a payload of pipes spilled across the ground.
Higgins turns back, and catches the giant shimmer a second too late. In the blur of knee jerk motion his weapon might as well have been still, the head of an axe slams into his titan's right side. Three batteries explode in their sockets, systems in chaos.
Higgins staggers backwards, cannon spinning as he curses and shouts. With a vicious swipe, a set of claws rake across the optics. Hund is immediately leaping away, his shields failing from a barrage of missiles and bullets. With a few dents, the large titan slides into cover just barely missing another set of missiles.
Jack empties his magazine in that direction as the other titan staggers into a sloppy stance. Smoke and flames plume from the vents of the titan, the optic was a mess, hanging limp in the mounting. Higgins's voice is ragged "Main optics is down, everything's in reboot from the batteries blowing".
"Contact four o'clock!" Clancy shouts opening up at the grey shape that ducks away from the stream of particle bolts.
"Higgins!" Shouts Cooper "get yourself to cover!" The other titan drags the cannon behind it before sluggishly hoisting it in hand. The power surge forced Higgins's titan to use reserve power.
Clancy began to frantic reload "I lost sight of him sir!". Clancy cast a frantic looks every which way. His anger boiled at how he was playing right into this guy's plan. It took a great deal of focus not to crush the splitter rifle in his hands.
Lawrence doubles back behind drainage pipe to the far left of his targets. The machine gun wielding Vanguard is obviously their leader waving down a service path that led to the cooling towers. The one with its heavy cannon was of course lagging behind, throwing sparks and smoke. The cloaked titan lurks along the parallel road, carefully watching the three titans as they move along trying to find a balance between keeping a good pace and watching their angles.
Deftly, Lawrence slides into step with the three titans but still stays a fair distance back. The pack of Vanguards make for a long and deserted road that heads the same way they came, Lawrence makes his move.
Higgins does another sweep through his damaged optics, patches of gravel start being torn up by something he can't see. He shouts over the radio, trying to spin up his Predator Cannon "Contact twe-" he's goes silent at the sound of rending metal. The Vanguard tips over onto its back, half gore splattered axe sprouting from the cockpit.
The grey titan decloaks, and fires a small salvo of rockets at Cooper. Clancy collides with him at full tilt before he could fully recover the axe, sending the weapon spinning into the air.
Warnings flare over Lawrence's vision as he rolls with the tackle, sending Clancy yards away with a two legged kick to the chassis. Righting himself he surges forward faster than any titan Cooper's seen.
For a few scant seconds the purple eyed titan bounds on all fours like some kind of beast before smashing into BT. They roll through the dark dirt and gravel, claws swipe at BT's back, catching one of his launchers and busting the mounting. The axe suddenly embeds itself in a waste pipe, blood like sludge oozes into the dirt as the titans detach.
Hund rights himself quicker and delivers a vicious drop kick to BT's chest. Cooper cries out as they sail through the air, catching the blur of a charging Clancy before smashing into the dirt. Jack shakes his head in the cockpit with a groan "Why is it so god damn fast...?".
"A valid question" .Starts BT as they stands up, one of missile launches hanging limp "Possible conclusion; superior servos. But the most likely explanation is a superior neural link. The question is how".
BT was a mess of claw marks and general hull damage, and this thing still had its main weapon mag-locked to its lower back. Clancy was seeing red, making his attacks wild and sloppy. The enraged pilot swung a wide right cross, Hund catches the arm and plunges his clawed fingers into the socket. In a mess of components and wires the arm goes flying off out of sight. The grey titan delivers its own punch but follows up with a leg sweep.
One foot pining the Vanguards arm, Lawrence drills a hand through the cockpit. A screaming Clancy is plucked from the wrecked titan. Lawrence speaks with finality "Disappointing..." He slams both hands together; the man's body popping like a balloon. Gore splatters across the front of the titan, striking against the grey metal.
A few missiles slam into Hund but the titan only stumbles. Hund whips up his right arm. The three barreled thing on the titan's appendage spews a barrages of energy accelerated rounds. A vortex shield blooms over BT's hand, catching the rounds as he scoops up his rifle. The returned rounds shotgun blast into Hund, busting one of his upper optics.
Jack throws a roundhouse but BT's leg stops short in the other titan's hands. Those claws lash out, slicing into the joint with crunch. BT fires his machine gun but Lawrence twists the appendage with all his might.
"Jack!" shouts BT, engaging his boosters in a desperate tackle that sends him and Hund flying forwards "you need to eject!".
Cooper works at the controls with everything he has, they slam into the already damaged waste pipe. "I'm not leaving BT, never again!". The axe is suddenly yanked from the pipe, allowing red waste to gush freely. The butt of the weapon slams into the side of Jack's cockpit. It followed by a barrage of mini rockets that sent them stumbling on their one good leg.
Another swing; this one striking BT's other knee. They fall backward Jack staring to the stormy sky "Impressive... but not enough" rumbles Lawrence as Hund looms over the crippled BT. The grey titan raises the axe high, Jack shuts his eyes, teeth clenching at his coming end.
"Lawrence dear!" the axe stops millimeters from splitting open BT's optic "you can come back now the Militia is in full retreat, come to this location for evac".
Hund stands fully up right as Lawrence speaks "Our work is done here" Clipping the axe back in place and Hund began to slowly walk backwards "Tell them what you saw..." All Jack sees are those purple optics glimmer before it completely cloaks, lurking away.
With their foe gone the haze of combat and adrenaline finally starts to wear off. Jack moans, finally starting to feel how much he got thrown around cockpit. He aches down to his bones, blood trickles down his head. His lids are suddenly heavy, the last thing he hears is BT saying something about backup before everything goes black.