Chapter 9: Everything Goes to Hell:
Then as Sora sat strapped in his chair he could feel the drop ship slowly lift off the ground and as he saw the drop ships ramp door close he could feel like he had just bitten off more then he could chew, as he thought over why he accepted to go on this mission.
"Were not coming back are we?" the private next to Sora asked.
"Don't start thinking like that we will make it back alive if we keep are heads cool out there," Sora answered.
"Well that's good advice," the private said back.
"Okay, just keep cool and I will be fine," a lieutenant across from Sora said to himself.
Then some of the other soldiers were talking to each other and some were looking like that they were going to have a mental break down, since they were rocking back and forth a lot.
"We have just entered Yeronzo's atmosphere prepare for landing in 10 minutes," the pilot said through the intercom.
"Well here we go," Sora said quietly to himself.
Then when two minutes passed by it happened. At first it was just a slight rock, and then suddenly it became a hard turn to the left.
"What the hell was that?" one of the ensigns asked.
"Were we just shot?" another ensign asked as he began to rock back and forth too.
"I'll go and check," Sora said to everyone on board as he unseat belted himself from his seat and headed to the cockpit.
"What is going on here?" Sora asked the pilot.
"We are under heavy fire by anti-air weapons from the trenches, and the ion cannon," the pilot answered.
"What? Intelligence said there would be no weapons resistance on our landing asides from the ion cannon," Sora said to the pilot.
"Well it seems that intelligence didn't do there work so well," the pilot remarked as he tried to steer the ship out of the laser fire.
"Well do you think you can dodge the laser fire until we land?" Sora asked the pilot.
"Yeah I can, the ion cannons can only shoot up not down, while for the anti-air weapons, I don't know if I can dodge their weapons fire," the pilot told Sora.
"Fine, then keep doing what ever you can to try and not get us shot down," and Sora turned around to head back to the cabin of the drop ship. As he did he saw out of the cockpit window one of the drop ships get shot by the anti-air weapons 5 times and then blow up.
As Sora entered the ships cabin he saw all of the soldiers in the cabin look at him for comfort.
Sora lowered his head down to the ground and said, "Were under fire by anti-air weapons in the trenches"
When Sora finished everyone looked at him and each other in horror for now they new that this mission was a suicide mission after all. Then when Sora opened his now parched mouth to say something comforting, another shot hit the drop ship. This time it was from the ion cannon and it rock the ship right, hard. That's when Sora and the others heard something that they never wanted to hear through the intercom.
The pilot yelled through the intercom, "THE RIGHT ENGINE HAS BEEN HIT WERE GOING DOWN, REPEAT WERE GOING DOWN!"
Everyone in the cabin looked again at each other in horror as the ship began to tip downward and the speed began to increase. Sora hurriedly headed to his seat and strapped himself in, along with everyone else as he prepared for impact.
The drop ship began to fall along with several others (which were also shot) to the ground. Then there was a loud explosion as the ship crashed landed on the planet's forest grounds.
"Is everyone okay?" Sora asked as he unseat belted himself and got up.
"I'm okay," many of them said.
Others said, "Just a bruise or scratch here and there."
"What about the pilot?" Sora asked one of the ensigns near the cock pit.
The ensign opened the cockpit door, took a peak, and as he looked back at Sora with a grim look he said, "The pilot is dead, got thrown straight out the cockpit window during impact."
Sora looked back at everyone else in the cabin and said, "Get your weapons, equipments, and rations, there is nothing left for us here, lets go."
Everyone looked grimace and then said, "Got it"
Everyone got what they needed and then they opened the air lock door and exited the drop ship. As they looked around the forest terrain of the planet Sora could see the pilot's dead body, lying in its own blood, with the eyes still open. Sora slowly approached the body, got down on his knees, and used his hand to close the pilot's eyes.
"So, what do we do?" everyone asked Sora.
Sora slowly got up and he took out his little GPD (Global Positioning Device) which had a complete out line of the planet and all the terrain. As Sora put it on the ground, he pushed a button and on came a large map of the area the team was in.
"We will have to head north this way," as Sora pointed to an out line of several trenches surrounding the enemy base.
"The first attack group had probably taken out the soldiers in the trenches, so when we get there we will assist in what ever way we can, got it?" Sora asked everyone.
"Got it," everyone answered.
Then everyone headed north as Sora said and after a short walk for 1 hour they got to where they were heading to, since they could hear weapons fire far away. Everyone then began to break into a run and as they ran they all fell into the trenches. As they looked around they could see the other privates and lieutenants shooting the enemy and getting shot themselves.
"What is our status," Sora asked one of the privates shooting.
The private ducked down into the trench and said to Sora, "We have lost 20, have 5 wounded, and have killed most of the enemy on the base's defense towers and walls"
"Have anyone got even close enough to plant the bomb on the front gate?" Sora asked the ensign.
"Yeah, two demolition members, but they were taken out by a sniper and their cover fire were taken out as well by the defense towers," the private answered.
"Well that sucks," Sora remarked.
"I know," The private added.
"Well keep up the good work and", before Sora said another word a laser flew right over his head, then Sora finished by saying, "Just try to not get shot"
"Yeah that will be easy," the private remarked.
Then Sora began to crawl with his assault rifle against his chest to the only commanding officer nearby.
"Ensign Sora reporting in," Sora said to the commanding officer with a salute.
"At ease soldier," the officer said to Sora as he began to fire at one of the defense towers.
"Sir, what should I do?" Sora asked the officer.
"We have a group of demolition team members heading to gate door in two minutes, go to them and see what you can do to help," the officer said to Sora as he pointed to a small large area in the trench, where a group of soldiers were sitting.
Sora then began to crawl toward the group of soldiers who were getting ready to go onto the leveled ground.
"What can I do to help?" Sora asked them.
"What?" they asked Sora.
"I want to help, in anyway I can," Sora said to them.
"Well if you want to help then you can escort the demolition team onto the level ground while the rest of us give you cover fire," One of the ensigns said to Sora.
"Why do I have to escort the demolition team?" Sora asked.
"Well the reason is last time the demolition team went out with no escort they ended up with holes in them," an ensign said.
"Uh, huh and who are you?" Sora asked as he turned around and saw to his great surprise it was a young teen no younger then him by a month or so, with short blue hair. Kairi was a kind and nice girl, who sometimes acted like a tomboy, but she could lose her temper easily. (Of course Sora didn't know it yet)
"My name is Kairi and I am going to be one of the demolition members you will be protecting," Kairi said to Sora.
"What, what the hell, you're a girl?" Sora said.
"So?" Kairi said back.
"I heard there were no girls on this mission," Sora said.
"Well you heard wrong since I am the only woman who came along because I am the most qualified one to use the explosives we are using," Kairi answered.
"So, I have to protect you and the rest of the demolition team member's right?" Sora said to Kairi.
"Well just me actually because I'm the last of the demolition team members," Kairi said to Sora.
"WHAT?" Sora said.
"Stop talking and let's go," the sergeant in command said as he got Sora and Kairi up, but when he did he heard someone say, "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?"
That's when Sora and Kairi saw 2 turrets come up and they both had gauntlet machine guns on their sides. Then the sergeant yelled, "EVERYONE GET DOWN!" but when the sergeant finished the gauntlet machine guns went off and 200 laser rounds flew through the him and 5 other Earth Federation soldiers. Only Kairi and Sora survived the attack at their position since Kairi pushed Sora to the ground and landed on top of him, which was right out of the way of the laser rounds. (And also it was in an ackward position they were in)
"WHAT THE HELL?" Sora asked Kairi as he tried to get up.
"STAY DOWN YOU DUMB ASS, DO YOU WANT TO BE KILLED?" Kairi yelled at Sora.
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A DUMB ASS?" Sora asked angrily at Kairi.
"WELLYOU ARE IF YOU WANT TO STAND UP AND END UP LIKE THOSE MEN OVER THERE," Kairi yelled over the loud laser fire, as she pointed to some of the men who were shot by the gauntlet laser turrets.
"OKAY YOUR RIGHT!" Sora said with great depression of the fact that he was in fact acting like a dumb ass for trying to get up, right into a clear shot by the enemy.
"So, what do we do?" Sora asked Kairi as they slowly got off each other.
"WELL WHAT WE SHOULD DO NOW IS TAKE OUT THOSE TURRETS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE," Kairi answered loudly over the continuous laser fire.
"HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO THAT?" Sora asked Kairi loudly as well over the laser fire and screams of soldiers who were being shot.
"WELL DO YOU HAVE A GRENADE ON YOU?" Kairi yelled at Sora.
"NOPE I DON'T HAVE A GRENADE WITH ME!" Sora said back as he searched his pockets and found nothing, but he did hear another couple of screams from several other Earth Federation soldiers as they got shot multiple times by the turrets...
"VERY WELL THEN WE'LL HAVE TO SEARCH THE DEAD BODIES FOR THE GRENADES," Kairi suggested.
"WELL IF IT WILL HELP," Sora said as he looked in great disgust of the shot up bodies of the soldiers.
"HEY I FOUND TWO GRENADES!" Sora yelled over at Kairi.
"I FOUND TWO AS WELL!" Kairi yelled back.
"NOW WHAT DO WE DO?" Sora asked Kairi.
"JUST GIVE THEM TO ME AND I WILL THROW THEM AT THE TURRETS, WHILE YOU PROVIDE COVER FIRE," Kairi told Sora.
"GOTCHA," Sora answered.
"ALRIGHT, READY, GO!" Kairi yelled and Sora provided covering fire with his assault rifle, while Kairi armed the grenades and threw them at the two turrets. Then you could hear a loud explosion and when the two looked up they could see the soldiers in the turrets fly out and land with limbs everywhere on the ground.
"Now are you ready to help me with this bomb as I attach it to the front gate?" Kairi asked in her regular voice.
"Yeah I am when you are," Sora answered and the two of them got over the trenches and charged for the front gate, while all the remaining soldiers who were currently on the planet (237,946 soldiers, the rest were still on the carriers) provided cover fire.
The run was a very dangerous one, since along the way they often missed shots by snipers on the guard towers. The 2 of them ran passed the destroyed defense towers and they finally got right in front of the huge main gate. Kairi then took out several small portable Energy Plasma Bombs and placed them all over the gate, or as far as she could reach while Sora and the other soldiers provided cover fire. Then when she was done she set the bombs for a 10 second count down. After that both Kairi and Sora ran back to the trenches as fast as they could, ducked and cover as everyone prepared for the huge explosion. 10 seconds were up and the door exploded revealing the now vulnerable base and its ion cannon.
Then Sora could hear someone yell, "WERE IN BUSINESS!" and then both Sora and Kairi could see everyone charge for the gaping hole in the gate, while some were providing cover fire.
"So, are you coming or what?" Sora asked Kairi.
"Nah, I can't," Kairi answered.
"What, why can't you?" Sora asked as he got ready to charge for the gaping hole along with everyone else.
"You see I am not only a demolition specialist, but also I am the field nurse so I got to care for the wounded for now," Kairi answered Sora.
"Fine, but take care of yourself, okay cause these Rebels don't care if you are a threat or not, there just going to shot okay?" Sora told Kairi.
"Yeah, I'll take care of myself, and maybe we'll see each other again?" Kairi responded back to Sora as he got over the trenches and ran for the breach.
"It's a date!" Sora yelled back.
As Sora ran for the hole he could see the guard house covered with bullet holes and some bodies of the Rebels hanging over the ledge, or on the ground in their own blood. Sora finally got inside the base and was almost shot by a sniper again, but this time Sora shot the sniper in the head and got next to one of small Earth Federation battalion who were having a small skirmish with the enemy next to several cargo boxes.
"ENSIGN Sora REPORTING," Sora yelled to the commanding officer (who had his helmet's shadow covering his face) of the battalion.
"IT'S NICE TO SEE THAT YOU ARE ALIVE PRIVATE," Said a familiar voice.
Then at once Sora knew who it was and yelled to him, "RIKU, IS THAT YOU?"
Then the commander lifted his helmet to reveal a dirty faced Riku and yelled to Sora, "THAT'S SECOND LIEUTENANT, RIKU, TO YOU!"
"HA, HA, IT'S GREAT TO SEE THAT YOU MADE IT!" Sora yelled to Riku. The two of them shook hands, but they had to both yell in order to here each other over the loud bullet and laser rounds hitting soldiers or things in the base.
Then Riku yelled to his battalion (apparently), "KEEP FIRING AND DON'T STOP UNTIL YOU HIT EVER LAST ONE OF THEM!"
Riku then got down under cover of one of the cargo boxes and both Riku and Sora began to talk.
"So, what happen, I heard over the communications that your drop ship was one of the drop ships which went down," Sora said to Riku.
"Yeah we were, but my drop team and me were able to get out alive, the pilot died though while he was trying to bring the drop ship down safely," Sora told Riku.
"Yeah same thing happened to us," Sora told Riku.
"Wait what about Tidus, did you here anything about what happened to him?" Sora quickly asked Riku.
"I don't know, I didn't hear anything over the com (short for communications) about his ship going down, so maybe he made it to the ground alive," Riku said to Sora.
"Let's hope," Sora said slowly.
"Well no reason to feel sorrowful now we have to first take care of the enemy on top of ground before we can go underground to finish the rest," Riku said to Sora.
"Guess your right, I'll do what ever I can to help for now," Sora said to Riku.
"Then come on, let's kick some Rebel ass!" Riku yelled and the both of them got up and assisted in taking out some of the remaining top ground Rebel soldiers.