Here you go, another installment to Empire Beneficiary. Just be glad I got this out, considering how my BMQ training has been pushed back AGAIN!
Review Responses:
At least that's where I would write them if I had gotten any reviews on the last chapter. C'mon guys.
Radio chatter. The noise was becoming a familiar sound for Commander Dimitri, Alyx, and the other rebels clustered in the storage area of Fort Hayes. The room was enormous, and, as Alyx looked around for the hundredth time, she realized it had to be. Rows upon row of crates had been piled inside, stockpiling everything from weapons to food. The rows had just enough of a gap for three people to stand side by side, their weapons primed and pointed towards the only door in the room.
Alyx sighed for the hundredth time since she had entered the storage room. She and the other rebels were about to make their last stand against the Combine, she felt fear gnaw away at her heart at the thought of not being able to see her family. Alyx quickly banished the thought from her mind, she knew that they had been able to send out a distress signal before the Combine destroyed their transmitter. Gordon would be on his way.
Focus on the mission Alyx, she reminded herself. She still had trouble believing that the Combine had been able to force them in here.
After setting off the proximity mines, Dimitri had ordered a retreat to the fort's storage area. It had taken fifteen minutes for the garrison force to safely move back to the storage area, several rebels had been lost on the way over. The Combine had kept up a ruthless pursuit, keeping up a steady stream of fire while others unleashed pulse bombs that ricocheted around corners and vaporized those unlucky enough to be in the way.
The appearance of Hunters in the corridor made the majority of the troops panic. Flachette volleys took out an entire file of troops, turning the retreat into a rout. Rebels sprinted to safety, with the line closest to the enemy turning to point their weapons at the advancing Hunters. A dozen rebel rifles opened up on the advancing Hunters, sending pulse capsules shredding through synth flesh, The small tripedal creatures let loose menacing growls and charged the rebel position, their three spindly legs enabling them to achieve great speed.
Rebel soldiers were bashed against the walls of the concrete corridors, leaving cracks in the once hardened infrastructure. The creatures continued their charge ramming full speed into several rebels, the creatures and their targets, fell to the floor as they collided in a massive entanglement of limbs.
Alyx was in the middle of the retreat, the sounds of screams and the pounding rhythm of discharging pulse-rifles was enough to produce a faint ringing sound in her ears. She stole a quick glance behind her, Overwatch soldiers started advancing as soon as the last Hunter corpse hit the ground. We're sitting ducks here, Alyx thought even as she continued running.
Alyx looked back again to see that the Combine soldiers were almost in range. Knowing that she had to act fast, Alyx immediately stopped sprinting. A few rebels collided into her, though luckily, they had been concentrating more on aiming their rifles than on running, so she was able to stay upright. Alyx unholstered her pistol, aimed at the nearest enemy soldier, and fired. The round tore through the target's head, killing him instantly. Alyx didn't even register the kill, she pointed at the Combine soldiers and shouted to the rebels, "Let 'em have it!"
"I heard that," one of the troops replied eagerly.
A storm of pulse fire erupted within the confines of the corridor, both Rebel and Combine. Two rebels fell when a cluster of enemy fire tore through their tac-vests and armour. The Combine, on the other hand, lost their front rank in the initial exchange of fire; with more being added in between bursts of rebel pulse rifles.
It wasn't until the Combine Elite entered the fray that Alyx order a retreat, she had no desire to play dodge ball with energy pulses. The spherical devices would vaporize any organic being on contact.
Alyx, and the rebels who had stopped to assist her, doubled back to the storage area. Alyx could see Dimitri and the rest of the rebels standing outside the entrance to the storage area. Alyx was forced to cut her observation short when the Combine Elite opened up on their retreating prey. Alyx glanced back to see the entire rear rank get hit by the barrage, their momentum sent them landing on their stomachs against the corridor. It was the last thing any of them ever felt. Alyx and the other rebels continued running, willing their muscles to carry them faster as they closed on the retreat point.
Dimitri crouched at the very centre of a defensive position, a position his soldiers had formed on his orders. His grip tightened around his pulse rifle when he noticed that the Combine were firing on Alyx and the others. Despite the sounds of automatic weapons fire, Alyx and her group continued to move forward. When they were only a few metres away from them, Dimitri ordered the others to make a hole. The formation split right down the centre, making just enough room for Alyx and the others to squeeze through in single-file.
As soon as the last rebel had ran through the gap, Dimitri and the others immediately reformed. As one, Dimitri and the others cocked their rifles, aimed at the charging Combine, and fired their weapons. The unexpected barrage was enough to kill the first line of enemy soldiers. The force of the projectiles knocking them to their feet, the last position the soldiers would ever experience.
Dimitri kept an eye on the number of soldiers in the corridor, as soon as it looked as though the entire attack force was going after them, he ordered the rear line to retreat back to Alyx's group while he and the rest continued firing.
Combine forces were relying on their vast numbers to puncture Dimitri's battle line, only the rebel's experience and discipline kept them from routing again. Though that didn't stop Dimitri's hands from shaking, he tried to steady his rifle and return fire.
The sound of the small engagement reverberated in his eardrums; the combined noise of discharging pulse capsules, empty rounds clattering to the floor, and the screams of wounded rebels and Combine was thunderous in the corridor. The noise was so great that Dimitri didn't hear the rebel over the COM.
"Sir?!" the panicked query made Dimitri snap on an active COM channel.
"Yes?" He shouted into the COM.
"Sir, we've set up a second defensive line. We're standing by for you to fall back."
"Acknowledged, be prepared to encounter heavy resistance. They're making a major push on us."
"Understood sir."
Dimitri quickly changed to an open COM channel, there was a chance the Combine could pick up the transmission but he didn't have time to encrypt the channel. "Everyone, we're falling back to the second line. Keep your weapons pointed downrange, move on my mark."
A flurry of replies came back to Dimitri, "Understood sir."
"Acknowledged Commander."
Dimitri aimed his rifle, waited a heartbeat, then fired a few rounds toward a squad of Combine Elite and shouted, "Move!"
On his orders, the rebels moved to a crouching position, they fired at the slowly advancing enemy while they backpedalled toward Alyx and her group, turning ninety degrees to their right to head down an adjoining hallway. Alyx had taken up a position just outside of the storage room, a room that was protected even more strongly than the main entrance into the fort.
A steel blast door was the first obstacle attackers would need to overcome. The door was held in place by four hydraulic locks, arranged on the corners of the door frame. The hydraulic pistons ensured for both a quick opening and a strong seal. A grid of auto turrets completed the room's protection. They had been set-up in the room on Dimitri's orders; he had taken the precaution as soon as Fort Hayes had been constructed. At the time, the Combine had had no knowledge of the installation, though Dimitri had been taught to always have a contingency plan.
"Commander," A rebel's shout cut Dimitri's observations short. The Combine were catching up to them now.
"Move back. I'll cover you," Dimitri told the others. He knew that his group was still too far away from Alyx for her group to protect them. The rebels in his group complied; they turned away from the Combine and sprinted toward the second defensive line.
The standard Combine soldiers were in the frontlines now, their desire to kill the remnants of the fort's garrison made them vulnerable to burst fire from Dimitri's rifle. Before the rest of the soldiers could react, Dimitri took out his last EMP grenade, primed it, and hurled it at the approaching Combine. The device landed in the centre of their formation, they let out panicked radio chatter as they attempt to pass the grenade back. But despite their best efforts, it went off three seconds later, emitting an EMP wave that neutralized the cybernetic systems of at least two enemy squads. The sound of flat lining bio-signs was followed by a command to fall back.
Knowing that there wasn't much time, Dimitri turned around and sprinted for Alyx's position. His muscles were twitching from excess adrenaline as he willed himself to move faster. Reaching the site in forty seconds, he immediately moved to the keypad and punched in the code that only he was aware off.
The light above the pad turned green, indicating that the proper sequence had been inputted. A metallic thud reverberated through the complex as the hydraulic pistons retracted from the blast door. The doors quickly parted, allowing the rebel garrison to move to safety.
Dimitri knew that moving to safety was often the most dangerous time for any soldier, most would be tempted to let their guard down in an attempt to move as fast as possible. With that in mind, he ordered his team to pull back in files.
"Eyes open, weapons primed!" Dimitri shouted the command, his left hand cocking his weapon.
"Understood," the general reply came from his troops.
A few tense minutes passed by, Dimitri eyes staring at a distant corner of the a hallway, the place where he expected a division of Combine forces to storm their position. When the last line was moving inside the safe zone, Dimitri knew that his soldiers had made it. Now all they had to do was defend this position and wait for reinforcements from Eagle Point.
"Commander!" The warning made Dimitri snap his head back into the hallway, he just had time to see a Combine soldier drop to his knees and fire a weapon Dimitri had never seen before.
The weapon's ammunition arced toward a rebel who was standing right in the middle of the doorway, a rebel Dimitri recognized as Desson. He shouted for Desson to move out of the way so he could close the door. Desson did just that, though he had taken only two steps when the mysterious ammunition exploded. The force of the blast was enough to blow the front rank backwards,
A bright yellow flare seemed to materialize from the explosion; through the confusion Dimitri was able to hit the door controls. The blast door sealed in a few seconds, though as Dimitri looked around, he could see that the damage had been done. Four rebels were dead.
Alyx shuddered at the memory, she guessed the weapon had fired some sort of proximity bomb, it had detonated only couple of metres away from the closest rebel. Sighing again to try to block out the memory, Alyx checked her pistol and waited inside the storage room. Combine radio chatter could be heard right outside the room, leaving Alyx to believe that another breach was inevitable.
Dimitri had no doubt that reinforcements were on the way, Alyx just hoped that Gordon and Barney could get here in time.
Its moving from person to person. I don't know about you but I think its gonna be awesome when they all finally intersect.