Part 11: Rise of a New Imperium
Pam sat back in one of the comfortable chairs in the Leviathan's cockpit as they marched back into their home base in Moscow. The city spread out before her, once dead, was now bustling with activity. New recruits had been coming in for the last few days, wanting to join the new primary forces of Earth, but they weren't allowed in unless they agreed to be tested. If they both passed and survived the test, they were allowed to join. If they didn't survive, they weren't worth keeping around anyway.
Those helicopters on the way back from the Chinese base had been annoying... but as she'd thought, her ultimate weapon had made quick, easy work of them. Nothing could stand up to the combined power of the Leviathan and the Ear Bleeder... or as she'd affectionately come to call it, the Siren. It seemed fitting... for despite the ugliness of the Leviathan, it was the most beautiful sight for those who fought alongside it. And death for those who heard its song.
The Siren marched into the city and stopped in a large field that had been cleared just for it. The spider-like legs lowered down to the ground so that the main body could come to a rest. Pam stood up from her chair and looked around. "You all did a fantastic job... the test was successful. All of you have my thanks, and my promise that this is only the beginning."
"Hurrah!" A chorus of cheers and exclamations rose from everyone else in the Siren's bridge except for Alison, who stood silent and stoic at Pam's side as she always did.
"Carry on!" Pam stated before turning to walk toward the elevator that led down to the exit. Alison never left her side. They emerged from the Siren to find the rest of the troops busily working on various projects that they would need to cleanse the world of the Zardexian menace. Nobody rested. There was no rest for a soldier until his enemies were dead.
"The Siren turned out to be more effective than I thought possible." Pam said as she walked through the city with her second-in-command. "If we're careful, it can carry us through this war."
"But we still have to be careful." Alison reminded her. "We haven't tested it against Zardexians that weren't trying to hide. We don't know how effective it'll be then."
"Yes, that is true." Pam nodded. "And if it fails, we haven't found any weapons besides the Siren that might be effective against them."
"Well... there is the Faustium." Alison pointed. Pam stopped walking and looked at her with a curious gaze. Alison turned to look back coolly, her face an emotionless mask.
"Faustium... the chemical that destroyed the Reverend." Pam mused. Alison nodded.
"There's more of it... hidden in a base in Antarctica." Alison told her. "If we could get our hands on it, we could try to modify it for other purposes... maybe as a power source or something for a new kind of weapon."
"Yes..." Pam nodded. "And if all else fails... the explosion made by a Faustium enhanced human is enough to take out several dozen Zardexians." Pam added. Alison nodded in agreement. "How do you know where it is, Commander?" Pam asked curiously.
"I've been around." Alison replied coolly. Pam waited for her to elaborate, but she didn't. She just stood at attention, staring into her eyes with her deep violet orbs.
"I see..." Pam replied. If she didn't trust Alison so completely, she might have been suspicious of her refusal to answer such a simple question. These were hard times, and everyone did things they regretted. Perhaps Alison had things in her past that she'd rather not share. Pam couldn't blame her for that. She'd done some bad things too under the influence of the Imperium of Christ.
The rest of the day passed with plans being made to go to Antarctica for the retrieval of the Faustium, and for the defense of the base in case of Zardexian attack. The defense part was pretty simple. The only real weapon they had against them was the Siren, so obviously it would have to remain there in case anyone popped up while Pam was gone. The mission to Antarctica was a bit more complicated, though it was made easier by the fact that Alison seemed to know it like the back of her hand.
By the time they hammered out a plan all involved were exhausted and the sun was rising the following day. "We'll move tonight, when we're least likely to be seen." Pam stated with a loud yawn.
"Yes, General. Please, get some sleep." One of her Commanders told her.
"Of course... I need to be at my best." Pam stood up. "You all get some rest too, we're all going on standby until the mission begins." She said. The Commanders nodded and got up to leave before Pam and Alice. They made their way back to the house the troops had fixed up for Pam, but had also become Alison's home since Pam didn't want to be apart from her too much.
They walked into the house and Pam immediately pulled her camouflage jacket off to toss it onto the couch. She let out a huge yawn. "How much longer can this war last?" She asked.
"As long as it takes." Alison replied simply. "But General... I've been thinking. Maybe you shouldn't go on the Antarctica mission." She suggested.
"I can't send my troops anywhere I'm not willing to go myself." Pam replied. "I need to be there."
"But if we both go, and we both fail, then the movement will die. And logic dictates that since I know the base better, then I should be the one to go." Alison pointed out.
"Logic? What are you, some kinda Vulcan?" Pam asked.
"Some kinda what?" Alison asked confusedly. Pam slapped herself in the forehead. It took an interstellar war, but apparently Star Trek had finally become unpopular enough for her not to know what a Vulcan was. She had been pretty young when the war began, and Star Trek was pretty old. God, Pam just now realized how old she was. Thirty-five years old. Why was she still alive and kicking?
"Anyway..." Alison shook her head clear. "You get what I'm saying."
"Yeah, I get it. And it makes sense." Pam replied. "But if I'm going to let you lead the Antarctica team... I want to know why you know the place so well." Pam stated. Alison stared at her with an almost hurt expression on her face. "It's not that I don't trust you... but I can't let my personal feelings interfere with my judgment." Pam told her.
Alison finally nodded. "I was hidden there for the first four years of the war... until the Imperium attacked and I was forced to run." She replied. Pam cocked her head to the side.
"You were hidden at a top-secret military base where they developed one of the most dangerous substances on Earth?" Pam asked. "You're no normal victim of the war are you...?" She asked softly.
Alison stared at her. "I am a normal victim just like everyone else... I just happened to be important before this all started." Alison replied. Her strangely purple hair glinted in the morning sunlight that filtered in through the window behind her.
"Of course..." Pam said softly, staring straight at her. "Okay... I'll let you lead the mission. But I want you to be careful... I don't wanna be responsible for sending you to your death." Pam told her.
"I'll watch out, I don't wanna die quite yet. Zardexians first I say." Alison smiled slightly for the first time since Pam had made her second-in-command. "Get some rest General, even if you're not traveling across the globe, you've been up a long time." Alison grabbed her shoulders and guided her into the master bedroom.
"I don't know what I'd do if I hadn't found you." Pam said. It was kind of a stupid statement. She didn't FIND her anywhere, she'd been there all along, she just NOTICED her. But the sentiment was true... she'd come to rely on her for support in the last two and a half weeks since they'd taken Moscow for their home base. Losing her for the sake of the mission would be rough.
"You'd still be leading us all to victory." Alison told her confidently, as if it was stupid even to ask. She tucked Pam into her bed like a frightened child. "I'll see you in the morning General." She nodded and turned to leave. Pam watched her go from under the blankets. She was not only the higher-ranking officer, but the older woman... why was it so comforting to be treated like a child by her? It was strange... but she wasn't about to stop it.
The day passed by as the base slept save for the guards they kept posted at all times in case of sneak attacks or intruders. The rest of the day was uneventful, but Pam found that she became more restless as the day began to wind down and the sun started to set. She awoke at 7:30, and readied herself to bid farewell to the troops going on the Antarctica mission.
She emerged from her house to find preparations already being made. It seemed Alison was pretty eager to prove herself on the field... a chance Pam now realized she hadn't yet given her second in command. What kind of a leader held back her officers like that? Well, she was rectifying that from now on. If Alison wanted to lead, Pam would let her.
"What are you doing?" Alison demanded as one of her officers put a small box in the helicopter they would be using.
"Um... grabbing weapons to defend ourselves?" The officer asked. Alison shook her head and reached into the box to pull out what looked like a normal weapon, but was actually one of the modified ones.
"Micro Ear-Bleeders? In snow-covered mountains? Do you WANT to be buried in an avalanche?" She asked. The officer looked at her, then down at the Ear-Bleeders as a blush spread across his face. Alison shoved the weapon back in the box and held it out to him. "Exchange this for a box of actual rifles. They're not guaranteed to be safe, but hopefully we won't have to use 'em anyway."
"Yes sir." The flustered officer nodded and rushed off to follow his orders, red-faced. Pam approached her second-in-command once the officer was gone.
"I think you have a knack for this leading thing." Pam commented.
"I've been watching the best." Alison replied. It was definitely a compliment, but somehow it didn't sound like one. It sounded more like a simple statement of fact than a personal opinion. Pam nodded in acceptance and stood back to watch Alison take command of her team, getting them geared up to go. She almost felt like a child watching her mother getting ready to go on a business trip.
When they were all ready Alison walked back to Pam and gave her a stiff salute. "We're ready to leave General."
"Good, good." Pam saluted back. "We need that Faustium as quickly as possible, but don't take any unnecessary risks." She told her violet-haired friend. "I want to see you back in one piece."
"No promises, but I'll try." Alison completed her salute and turned toward the helicopter they were taking. "Alright men, you heard the General, we need that Faustium soon!" She climbed into the transport helicopter and pulled the side door shut behind her. Pam stepped back as the helicopter blades revved up and lifted them into the air.
Pam looked around at the bulk of her troops that remained behind. She felt lost for a moment, until she shook her head clear and turned back toward them. "We're not resting on our laurels here people, get back to work. We have other preparations to make." She told them.
"Yes, sir!" The soldiers saluted quickly and rushed off to continue their work. Pam clasped her hands behind her back and moved to walk around the base, examining the work of various soldiers. The night had fallen, but nobody was tired. They'd rested through most of the day, which perhaps was best. They needed to be less alert during the day for sneak attacks and intruders. Operating at night gave them an edge.
Suddenly a call came over the communicator strapped to her belt. "General Reynolds, w... we caught something on radar." One of her soldiers stated.
"I'm on my way." Pam replied into the communicator as she took off across the base at a jog. She made it to the makeshift security center inside what had once been a corner store and approached the guards on duty. "What did you see? Is it a Zardexian ship?" She asked.
"Um... no... not 'a' Zardexian ship..." The guard replied, pointing to the screen. Pam growled deep in her throat when she saw half a dozen blips moving toward the base. "They're coming to attack us..." He muttered fearfully.
"Sound the alert, I want everyone in this base ready to fight within ten minutes." Pam turned to stomp out of the security control room. She saw the red-lights they'd set up around the city begin to flash, warning the soldiers around that something was amiss. They really needed more sophisticated means of doing all this, but time was never on their side.
"What's going on?" "Are we under attack?" "Who put this damn light here?" Pam could hear various soldiers muttering to themselves as she passed.
"Everyone, get ready for combat! Now! On the double!" Pam shouted. That got them moving, charging toward the small house that had become the weapons storage facility. Pam walked beyond them toward the Siren parking square, where she found her fifty ton steel beauty glinting serenely in the moonlight. "Time for a test in real combat..." She entered the Siren through the elevator and made her way up to the bridge.
The Siren lumbered to its feet as voices began to shout over the communicators, coordinating their preparation efforts. The Siren moved through the base in the direction of the incoming alien menace while far below it soldiers still scrambled to get ready for combat. "Where's the enemy!?" "Where's the general!?" "Where's my helmet!?" She heard. Pam frowned and shook her head. She'd been too soft on them so far... they weren't ready for real emergencies.
"Everyone shut up and listen to me." Pam ordered through the communicator built into the Siren. All of the chatter cut. "All units organize behind the Siren, equipped with automatic rifles and Sensible Soundproof Earplugs. The enemy will be here any minute and if you don't have those Earplugs don't come crying to me when you suddenly go deaf. Now MOVE!" Pam stated. The chatter cut, but far below her she could see the soldiers moving far more purposefully to get prepared.
In relatively short order the troops were lined up behind the Siren, with the Earplugs around their necks and their rifles held tightly in front of them. "Okay, move." Pam ordered. The Siren lumbered forward as the soldiers marched behind it, keeping mostly in formation with the exception of a few of the newer recruits.
They made it outside the city before Pam's short-range radar picked up the six blips that the security console had picked up. "Everyone stop and put on your Earplugs." Pam ordered. Almost instantly every soldier was wearing their earplugs. They knew the consequences if they didn't.
Pam charged up both the Ear Bleeder and the Leviathan's old lasers and watched the window in front of her for any sign that the Zardexian ships were within range. Her palm hovered over the Ear Bleeder's activation switch, but she didn't see anything in the night in front of her. It was fairly dark out here, but the blips on her radar were getting closer and closer.
In the darkness she saw a red light begin to shine, glowing brighter and brighter ever second. It was almost shockingly close. "Oh no you don't..." Pam growled and slammed her palm down on the Ear Bleeder's activation switch. She didn't hear anything, being inside the fully air and watertight Leviathan. The ships in front of her, however, began to sway back and forth in the air as electrical sparks ran along their hulls.
Pam slid over to the laser controls as they began to plummet from the sky. Piercing blue laser fire cut the night sky, illuminating the ships just before it tore straight through one. The ship exploded in a shower of sparks as it fell helplessly toward the ground. Another laser pierced a second ship, reducing it to little more than scrap.
"Yeah... die, bastards..." Pam growled as she oriented on the third ship. But before she could fire they hit the ground, and a sea of aliens swarmed out of the lifeless wreckage on the ground. Pam quickly turned off the Ear Bleeder and connected with the frequency of the Earplugs. "All troops, charge and open fire!" She shouted.
Beneath the Siren, the wave of troops charged forward with a hail of screams and shouts. Gunfire tore through the night, ripping into the bodies of the incoming Zardexian army. Pam turned the lasers toward the aliens, charging them up to full power as the two armies clashed. The rolling alien balls cut through the human front easily, tearing them apart with little more than flicks of their tentacles.
The Siren's laser cut through the battle, plowing through both human and Zardexian alike. Pam cut swaths through the battle, firing on any Zardexian she could see with the Siren's downward aiming spotlight. The soldiers fought valiantly, and outnumbered the Zardexians three to one, but still their attacks were useless... except the Siren's strikes.
"Die... die damnit!" Pam screamed as she cut another path through the battle, taking out seven Zardexians and at least five human soldiers. The Siren's lasers fired again and again, as Pam struggled to hit everyone she could. It was too hard to find Zardexians without humans around... her frustration built until she found herself firing at anything that moved.
"GENERAL! SIR!" A voice screamed over the radio at last. "They're all gone sir! We've won!" Pam blinked and stopped, panting heavily. She stared out the window, looking around to make sure it wasn't a trick. As promised, all of the Zardexians within range of the spotlight were in pieces, and the only movement on the battlefield were the remains of Pam's army. A few dozen, at most... but she didn't care about that. She was elated... her heart soared at the realization of what just happened.
The humans' first victory over the Zardexian threat. A historic moment... the point where the tides turned and humanity rose up to obliterate the alien menace once and for all. It was only a matter of time... and after Alison returned with the Faustium, they would be even MORE powerful. History would look back at this moment for the rest of the human race's existence.
Pam activated the communicator in the Siren's panel. "Good job, all of you." She told them with a grin. "Today, is the beginning of a new age on Earth. We're moving toward a world without oppression, without fear, without rampant death and destruction at the hands of ruthless enemies. Once word of today's events spreads... the world will come to our aid and all of us will stand together against this alien threat without hiding in caves and bunkers."
She heard the crowds starting to stir in excitement at her words, their spirits bolstered despite their heavy casualties. "So let's spread the word my troops... my brothers and sisters." Pam stood up from the chair, staring out the window down at the gathered soldiers. The siren's light flooded over them, illuminating their excited expressions. "The Zardexians will ultimately be no more... finally smashed under the heel of the Imperium of Humanity!" Pam shouted.
The surviving soldiers raised their weapons with a resounding "hurrah!" They shouted into the night, a battle cry and a call to arms for those who still cowered around the world. Pam knew they would come... the Imperium of Humanity would crush the alien threat... and any other threats that surfaced. They would do everything it took to make sure of that.
TO BE CONTINUED
Pam sat back in one of the comfortable chairs in the Leviathan's cockpit as they marched back into their home base in Moscow. The city spread out before her, once dead, was now bustling with activity. New recruits had been coming in for the last few days, wanting to join the new primary forces of Earth, but they weren't allowed in unless they agreed to be tested. If they both passed and survived the test, they were allowed to join. If they didn't survive, they weren't worth keeping around anyway.
Those helicopters on the way back from the Chinese base had been annoying... but as she'd thought, her ultimate weapon had made quick, easy work of them. Nothing could stand up to the combined power of the Leviathan and the Ear Bleeder... or as she'd affectionately come to call it, the Siren. It seemed fitting... for despite the ugliness of the Leviathan, it was the most beautiful sight for those who fought alongside it. And death for those who heard its song.
The Siren marched into the city and stopped in a large field that had been cleared just for it. The spider-like legs lowered down to the ground so that the main body could come to a rest. Pam stood up from her chair and looked around. "You all did a fantastic job... the test was successful. All of you have my thanks, and my promise that this is only the beginning."
"Hurrah!" A chorus of cheers and exclamations rose from everyone else in the Siren's bridge except for Alison, who stood silent and stoic at Pam's side as she always did.
"Carry on!" Pam stated before turning to walk toward the elevator that led down to the exit. Alison never left her side. They emerged from the Siren to find the rest of the troops busily working on various projects that they would need to cleanse the world of the Zardexian menace. Nobody rested. There was no rest for a soldier until his enemies were dead.
"The Siren turned out to be more effective than I thought possible." Pam said as she walked through the city with her second-in-command. "If we're careful, it can carry us through this war."
"But we still have to be careful." Alison reminded her. "We haven't tested it against Zardexians that weren't trying to hide. We don't know how effective it'll be then."
"Yes, that is true." Pam nodded. "And if it fails, we haven't found any weapons besides the Siren that might be effective against them."
"Well... there is the Faustium." Alison pointed. Pam stopped walking and looked at her with a curious gaze. Alison turned to look back coolly, her face an emotionless mask.
"Faustium... the chemical that destroyed the Reverend." Pam mused. Alison nodded.
"There's more of it... hidden in a base in Antarctica." Alison told her. "If we could get our hands on it, we could try to modify it for other purposes... maybe as a power source or something for a new kind of weapon."
"Yes..." Pam nodded. "And if all else fails... the explosion made by a Faustium enhanced human is enough to take out several dozen Zardexians." Pam added. Alison nodded in agreement. "How do you know where it is, Commander?" Pam asked curiously.
"I've been around." Alison replied coolly. Pam waited for her to elaborate, but she didn't. She just stood at attention, staring into her eyes with her deep violet orbs.
"I see..." Pam replied. If she didn't trust Alison so completely, she might have been suspicious of her refusal to answer such a simple question. These were hard times, and everyone did things they regretted. Perhaps Alison had things in her past that she'd rather not share. Pam couldn't blame her for that. She'd done some bad things too under the influence of the Imperium of Christ.
The rest of the day passed with plans being made to go to Antarctica for the retrieval of the Faustium, and for the defense of the base in case of Zardexian attack. The defense part was pretty simple. The only real weapon they had against them was the Siren, so obviously it would have to remain there in case anyone popped up while Pam was gone. The mission to Antarctica was a bit more complicated, though it was made easier by the fact that Alison seemed to know it like the back of her hand.
By the time they hammered out a plan all involved were exhausted and the sun was rising the following day. "We'll move tonight, when we're least likely to be seen." Pam stated with a loud yawn.
"Yes, General. Please, get some sleep." One of her Commanders told her.
"Of course... I need to be at my best." Pam stood up. "You all get some rest too, we're all going on standby until the mission begins." She said. The Commanders nodded and got up to leave before Pam and Alice. They made their way back to the house the troops had fixed up for Pam, but had also become Alison's home since Pam didn't want to be apart from her too much.
They walked into the house and Pam immediately pulled her camouflage jacket off to toss it onto the couch. She let out a huge yawn. "How much longer can this war last?" She asked.
"As long as it takes." Alison replied simply. "But General... I've been thinking. Maybe you shouldn't go on the Antarctica mission." She suggested.
"I can't send my troops anywhere I'm not willing to go myself." Pam replied. "I need to be there."
"But if we both go, and we both fail, then the movement will die. And logic dictates that since I know the base better, then I should be the one to go." Alison pointed out.
"Logic? What are you, some kinda Vulcan?" Pam asked.
"Some kinda what?" Alison asked confusedly. Pam slapped herself in the forehead. It took an interstellar war, but apparently Star Trek had finally become unpopular enough for her not to know what a Vulcan was. She had been pretty young when the war began, and Star Trek was pretty old. God, Pam just now realized how old she was. Thirty-five years old. Why was she still alive and kicking?
"Anyway..." Alison shook her head clear. "You get what I'm saying."
"Yeah, I get it. And it makes sense." Pam replied. "But if I'm going to let you lead the Antarctica team... I want to know why you know the place so well." Pam stated. Alison stared at her with an almost hurt expression on her face. "It's not that I don't trust you... but I can't let my personal feelings interfere with my judgment." Pam told her.
Alison finally nodded. "I was hidden there for the first four years of the war... until the Imperium attacked and I was forced to run." She replied. Pam cocked her head to the side.
"You were hidden at a top-secret military base where they developed one of the most dangerous substances on Earth?" Pam asked. "You're no normal victim of the war are you...?" She asked softly.
Alison stared at her. "I am a normal victim just like everyone else... I just happened to be important before this all started." Alison replied. Her strangely purple hair glinted in the morning sunlight that filtered in through the window behind her.
"Of course..." Pam said softly, staring straight at her. "Okay... I'll let you lead the mission. But I want you to be careful... I don't wanna be responsible for sending you to your death." Pam told her.
"I'll watch out, I don't wanna die quite yet. Zardexians first I say." Alison smiled slightly for the first time since Pam had made her second-in-command. "Get some rest General, even if you're not traveling across the globe, you've been up a long time." Alison grabbed her shoulders and guided her into the master bedroom.
"I don't know what I'd do if I hadn't found you." Pam said. It was kind of a stupid statement. She didn't FIND her anywhere, she'd been there all along, she just NOTICED her. But the sentiment was true... she'd come to rely on her for support in the last two and a half weeks since they'd taken Moscow for their home base. Losing her for the sake of the mission would be rough.
"You'd still be leading us all to victory." Alison told her confidently, as if it was stupid even to ask. She tucked Pam into her bed like a frightened child. "I'll see you in the morning General." She nodded and turned to leave. Pam watched her go from under the blankets. She was not only the higher-ranking officer, but the older woman... why was it so comforting to be treated like a child by her? It was strange... but she wasn't about to stop it.
The day passed by as the base slept save for the guards they kept posted at all times in case of sneak attacks or intruders. The rest of the day was uneventful, but Pam found that she became more restless as the day began to wind down and the sun started to set. She awoke at 7:30, and readied herself to bid farewell to the troops going on the Antarctica mission.
She emerged from her house to find preparations already being made. It seemed Alison was pretty eager to prove herself on the field... a chance Pam now realized she hadn't yet given her second in command. What kind of a leader held back her officers like that? Well, she was rectifying that from now on. If Alison wanted to lead, Pam would let her.
"What are you doing?" Alison demanded as one of her officers put a small box in the helicopter they would be using.
"Um... grabbing weapons to defend ourselves?" The officer asked. Alison shook her head and reached into the box to pull out what looked like a normal weapon, but was actually one of the modified ones.
"Micro Ear-Bleeders? In snow-covered mountains? Do you WANT to be buried in an avalanche?" She asked. The officer looked at her, then down at the Ear-Bleeders as a blush spread across his face. Alison shoved the weapon back in the box and held it out to him. "Exchange this for a box of actual rifles. They're not guaranteed to be safe, but hopefully we won't have to use 'em anyway."
"Yes sir." The flustered officer nodded and rushed off to follow his orders, red-faced. Pam approached her second-in-command once the officer was gone.
"I think you have a knack for this leading thing." Pam commented.
"I've been watching the best." Alison replied. It was definitely a compliment, but somehow it didn't sound like one. It sounded more like a simple statement of fact than a personal opinion. Pam nodded in acceptance and stood back to watch Alison take command of her team, getting them geared up to go. She almost felt like a child watching her mother getting ready to go on a business trip.
When they were all ready Alison walked back to Pam and gave her a stiff salute. "We're ready to leave General."
"Good, good." Pam saluted back. "We need that Faustium as quickly as possible, but don't take any unnecessary risks." She told her violet-haired friend. "I want to see you back in one piece."
"No promises, but I'll try." Alison completed her salute and turned toward the helicopter they were taking. "Alright men, you heard the General, we need that Faustium soon!" She climbed into the transport helicopter and pulled the side door shut behind her. Pam stepped back as the helicopter blades revved up and lifted them into the air.
Pam looked around at the bulk of her troops that remained behind. She felt lost for a moment, until she shook her head clear and turned back toward them. "We're not resting on our laurels here people, get back to work. We have other preparations to make." She told them.
"Yes, sir!" The soldiers saluted quickly and rushed off to continue their work. Pam clasped her hands behind her back and moved to walk around the base, examining the work of various soldiers. The night had fallen, but nobody was tired. They'd rested through most of the day, which perhaps was best. They needed to be less alert during the day for sneak attacks and intruders. Operating at night gave them an edge.
Suddenly a call came over the communicator strapped to her belt. "General Reynolds, w... we caught something on radar." One of her soldiers stated.
"I'm on my way." Pam replied into the communicator as she took off across the base at a jog. She made it to the makeshift security center inside what had once been a corner store and approached the guards on duty. "What did you see? Is it a Zardexian ship?" She asked.
"Um... no... not 'a' Zardexian ship..." The guard replied, pointing to the screen. Pam growled deep in her throat when she saw half a dozen blips moving toward the base. "They're coming to attack us..." He muttered fearfully.
"Sound the alert, I want everyone in this base ready to fight within ten minutes." Pam turned to stomp out of the security control room. She saw the red-lights they'd set up around the city begin to flash, warning the soldiers around that something was amiss. They really needed more sophisticated means of doing all this, but time was never on their side.
"What's going on?" "Are we under attack?" "Who put this damn light here?" Pam could hear various soldiers muttering to themselves as she passed.
"Everyone, get ready for combat! Now! On the double!" Pam shouted. That got them moving, charging toward the small house that had become the weapons storage facility. Pam walked beyond them toward the Siren parking square, where she found her fifty ton steel beauty glinting serenely in the moonlight. "Time for a test in real combat..." She entered the Siren through the elevator and made her way up to the bridge.
The Siren lumbered to its feet as voices began to shout over the communicators, coordinating their preparation efforts. The Siren moved through the base in the direction of the incoming alien menace while far below it soldiers still scrambled to get ready for combat. "Where's the enemy!?" "Where's the general!?" "Where's my helmet!?" She heard. Pam frowned and shook her head. She'd been too soft on them so far... they weren't ready for real emergencies.
"Everyone shut up and listen to me." Pam ordered through the communicator built into the Siren. All of the chatter cut. "All units organize behind the Siren, equipped with automatic rifles and Sensible Soundproof Earplugs. The enemy will be here any minute and if you don't have those Earplugs don't come crying to me when you suddenly go deaf. Now MOVE!" Pam stated. The chatter cut, but far below her she could see the soldiers moving far more purposefully to get prepared.
In relatively short order the troops were lined up behind the Siren, with the Earplugs around their necks and their rifles held tightly in front of them. "Okay, move." Pam ordered. The Siren lumbered forward as the soldiers marched behind it, keeping mostly in formation with the exception of a few of the newer recruits.
They made it outside the city before Pam's short-range radar picked up the six blips that the security console had picked up. "Everyone stop and put on your Earplugs." Pam ordered. Almost instantly every soldier was wearing their earplugs. They knew the consequences if they didn't.
Pam charged up both the Ear Bleeder and the Leviathan's old lasers and watched the window in front of her for any sign that the Zardexian ships were within range. Her palm hovered over the Ear Bleeder's activation switch, but she didn't see anything in the night in front of her. It was fairly dark out here, but the blips on her radar were getting closer and closer.
In the darkness she saw a red light begin to shine, glowing brighter and brighter ever second. It was almost shockingly close. "Oh no you don't..." Pam growled and slammed her palm down on the Ear Bleeder's activation switch. She didn't hear anything, being inside the fully air and watertight Leviathan. The ships in front of her, however, began to sway back and forth in the air as electrical sparks ran along their hulls.
Pam slid over to the laser controls as they began to plummet from the sky. Piercing blue laser fire cut the night sky, illuminating the ships just before it tore straight through one. The ship exploded in a shower of sparks as it fell helplessly toward the ground. Another laser pierced a second ship, reducing it to little more than scrap.
"Yeah... die, bastards..." Pam growled as she oriented on the third ship. But before she could fire they hit the ground, and a sea of aliens swarmed out of the lifeless wreckage on the ground. Pam quickly turned off the Ear Bleeder and connected with the frequency of the Earplugs. "All troops, charge and open fire!" She shouted.
Beneath the Siren, the wave of troops charged forward with a hail of screams and shouts. Gunfire tore through the night, ripping into the bodies of the incoming Zardexian army. Pam turned the lasers toward the aliens, charging them up to full power as the two armies clashed. The rolling alien balls cut through the human front easily, tearing them apart with little more than flicks of their tentacles.
The Siren's laser cut through the battle, plowing through both human and Zardexian alike. Pam cut swaths through the battle, firing on any Zardexian she could see with the Siren's downward aiming spotlight. The soldiers fought valiantly, and outnumbered the Zardexians three to one, but still their attacks were useless... except the Siren's strikes.
"Die... die damnit!" Pam screamed as she cut another path through the battle, taking out seven Zardexians and at least five human soldiers. The Siren's lasers fired again and again, as Pam struggled to hit everyone she could. It was too hard to find Zardexians without humans around... her frustration built until she found herself firing at anything that moved.
"GENERAL! SIR!" A voice screamed over the radio at last. "They're all gone sir! We've won!" Pam blinked and stopped, panting heavily. She stared out the window, looking around to make sure it wasn't a trick. As promised, all of the Zardexians within range of the spotlight were in pieces, and the only movement on the battlefield were the remains of Pam's army. A few dozen, at most... but she didn't care about that. She was elated... her heart soared at the realization of what just happened.
The humans' first victory over the Zardexian threat. A historic moment... the point where the tides turned and humanity rose up to obliterate the alien menace once and for all. It was only a matter of time... and after Alison returned with the Faustium, they would be even MORE powerful. History would look back at this moment for the rest of the human race's existence.
Pam activated the communicator in the Siren's panel. "Good job, all of you." She told them with a grin. "Today, is the beginning of a new age on Earth. We're moving toward a world without oppression, without fear, without rampant death and destruction at the hands of ruthless enemies. Once word of today's events spreads... the world will come to our aid and all of us will stand together against this alien threat without hiding in caves and bunkers."
She heard the crowds starting to stir in excitement at her words, their spirits bolstered despite their heavy casualties. "So let's spread the word my troops... my brothers and sisters." Pam stood up from the chair, staring out the window down at the gathered soldiers. The siren's light flooded over them, illuminating their excited expressions. "The Zardexians will ultimately be no more... finally smashed under the heel of the Imperium of Humanity!" Pam shouted.
The surviving soldiers raised their weapons with a resounding "hurrah!" They shouted into the night, a battle cry and a call to arms for those who still cowered around the world. Pam knew they would come... the Imperium of Humanity would crush the alien threat... and any other threats that surfaced. They would do everything it took to make sure of that.
TO BE CONTINUED