Chapter 10
"Nod forces are deploying a new generation of their iconic Obelisk of Light along front-line weapons. It appears that the Obelisk's functionality has been improved with additional serial-channel capacitors. Although the basic architecture of the design does not deviate greatly from earlier generations, the core of the laser weapon has been enhanced for increased firing duration when the power output is reduced. Evidently, the tower can now be set to sustained-fire mode when used against unarmored targets such as infantry and civilian vehicles. This allows the laser to fire the limited power in an arc, resulting in a cutting motion that can strike several infantry per emission.
The advanced capacitor also allows over-charging of the tower by Nod's long-range artillery platform, the beam cannon. When one or more beam cannons focus their laser weapons at a receptor on the base of the tower, it can fire over increased range by directly feeding the added energy into its mirror array. The limited targeting ability of the mirror array still suggests aircraft as the optimal answer for any Obelisks encountered on the field...
Source: GDI InOps Recon Team" -Intel Database: Obelisk of Light
Alexandria
Y-2
August 4th, 2047
1300
The Nod Dreadnought-class missile cruiser gave one final belch of flame and smoke before disappearing beneath the water. As the fleet's compliment of Assault-class destroyers moved to chase down the remnants of the Nod fleet, the GDS Ogun moved back into position to cover the Stravos.. With Nod's naval forces having been scattered, there was nothing preventing John from launching his invasion.
"Admiral Hofstadter? My forces are ready to deploy; just waiting for you to soften up the resistance." John stated.
"Very well, Commander Lancaster. Airstrikes are inbound. Deploy on my order." Admiral Hofstadter replied calmly.
John watched several squadrons of nimble Orca attack craft and bulky Orca bombers take off from the Stravos' flight deck. They surged towards the docks of Alexandria, where Nod had dug in. Numerous bunkers, automated defences, and occupied buildings lined the harbour, all preventing the GDI assault. There were also two Jericho-class battleships in port, but they seemed inactive for some reason.
The first squadron of Orcas fired their missiles into the battleships, tearing through their decks and causing explosions to ripple through the ships. More Orcas and their Bomber counterparts began hitting the docks, destroying Nod fortifications. It was a beautiful cacophony of destruction, and soon the entire dock was obscured by smoke and ash.
"Commander. My bombers have finished their runs, but you will still have close air support. You may begin your assault." Hoftstadter called.
"Understood, Admiral."
John turned to Athena and the rest of his officers, all eager for the order.
"Commence the attack! Launch all hovercraft, and begin deploying the air transports. Nod is going to recover quickly, so we need to get moving now!"
John's officers leapt into motion, and within minutes, Hovercraft were racing towards the Alexandria docks, where they began deploying heavy equipment like Predators, Wolverines, and even the Mammoth tanks. Ox and Orca transports also began touching down, and GDI soldiers immediately charged forward with weapons blazing. But the Brotherhood had recovered from the bombing runs, and now Nod infantry and tanks were filling in the gaps where defences had once stood.
"Colonel Miles, see if you can get Captain Barrowsmith to offer us some of his cruise missiles." John ordered.
"Yes, sir!"
"Deploy Gaul Company to secure this area, here. We need to clear it so our armour can move out of the harbour area." John barked at another officer.
"Affirmative, sir!"
"Commander! I have more movement from the enemy base. Looks like they are deploying Beam Cannons and more tanks." An officer reported.
"Get those Mammoths moved to the front! We can't afford to get bogged down."
The holographic display John was watching shifted rapidly as it tried to keep up with the ongoing battle. Tanks faded in and out of existence as, down below, they were destroyed by shell and rocket fire. Buildings flashed from red to blue as friendly troops cleared them out of hostiles. But despite all the advanced technology used to help John direct a battle, some things were still beyond his control.
"Sir! Hannibal 2-Delta is taking heavy fire!" Athena shouted.
John quickly surveyed the map and spotted the Mammoth tank taking direct laser fire to its hull. But he couldn't locate the source.
"Get some support over there, now! Find where those damn lasers are coming from and shut them down."
A Predator broke off from its two companions and moved towards the beleaguered Mammoth, supported by several squads of infantry. Elsewhere, a Titan was destroyed by several Scorpions, armed with powerful laser emitters instead of the standard 105mm cannon. A heavy weapons team, accompanied by a Wolverine, moved to engage the enemy tanks.
Despite the heavy bombing run, and the blitzkrieg strike, the Nod forces were keeping John's forces from advancing any further. More soldiers and tanks were still landing, but the enemy was stubbornly dug in. Not to mention that these Nod forces were much better armed than the army that attacked B-2. Which was something that struck John as odd. Why would Kane keep his best troops and gear back?
"Commander? I just received an update. Hannibal 2-Delta is secure and back in the fight." Athena reported, cutting through John's thoughts.
"Good. Have those units pull back. We need to hold our position and repel the Nod counterattack. At least until we can get the rest of our armour unloaded."
John glanced over the hologram of Alexandria, before highlighting a large area containing hundreds of shipping containers.
"Here. We will make this a central defensive point, and can funnel the Nod forces here. Between our Mammoths and our tanks and walkers, we should be able to easily break the Nod armored units." John stated.
"I agree, but I'm still concerned with those laser cannons." Athena added.
"Have Hoftstadter bring in her Orcas. Our ground troops can call in strikes on the Beam Cannons."
"We could also use this abandoned housing block to bring in additional unit via air. Shall I divert some platoons to secure it, sir?"
"Good thinking, Colonel. Have Actium Company handle it."
"Yes, sir."
Athena rushed off to carry out her orders, and John remained to watch his men die in battle, as represented by little motes of light. For a moment, John could almost hear the ghostly voice of his late father:
Those men and women joined to fight and die for GDI. It's your job to make sure those deaths serve a purpose.
Damned old man.
John hadn't been there when Mark Lancaster died alone in a hospital bed, he had only heard the news after his brother, Matthew, called him with details about the funeral. The great war hero and draconian father had died in pain and agony. The doctors never did find out what had actually claimed the great Mark Lancaster's life.
A flash of red light from the hologram brought John back to the here and now. A Predator had been reduced to slag by a duo of Scorpions, which were now trying to take down a Mammoth. The GDI force had cut a swath through the Nod lines, but the enemy was beginning to encircle them. John couldn't press his forces any further without risking them getting cut off from his reinforcements that continued to stream in to the docks.
"We need to start digging in. Get more heavy weapons teams and engineer squads deployed. We need to set up defences here, here, and here. Then we can set up medical and communication stations here." John barked, listing off commands. "Pull the Titans back here to form a firing line, give our tanks support as they move forward to take out key targets."
His officers moved to carry out his orders, but he was unexpectedly interrupted by EVA.
"Commander, income transmission from Lieutenant James."
"What is it, Lieutenant?" John asked without even looking up from the table.
"Priority message from Air Marshal Beauchamp, sir: he requests an update on Special Agent Hanley."
"Colonel Miles?"
"They're about twenty mikes out, sir." Athena quickly answered.
"Lieutenant James, inform the Air Marshal that I am currently in the middle of an engagement. I will have EVA notify you as soon as Agent Hanley and her team arrive."
John ended the call before James could say anything else, having already forgotten she had even called. He quickly issued an order to a Mammoth and two Predators to take out a battery of Tick tanks. Next, he ordered several squads of infantry to secure a cluster of Tiberium silos, as John could potentially use it as a refueling station for his vehicles.
"EVA, send a message to Admiral Hofstadter. Tell her I need some drones flying over the Nod base."
"Affirmative, Commander."
"Let's see if we can't highlight some potential targets for bombing runs." John muttered to himself.
Things seemed to be going well, all things considered. While Nod was preventing his forces from pushing any further, they could not dislodge him either. And John had the benefit of a constant flow of fresh troops pouring in, whereas there did not seem to be any response from the Nod base in Cairo yet. With any luck, Colonel Shen's marines would help divert Nod's attention further.
"Commander!"
John whirled around just as Athena came running over. She brushed past him and began frantically typing into the holographic table controls, zooming the map in closer towards an abandoned section of the city.
"What's going on, Colonel?" John asked.
"I just received an emergency transmission from the SAS team. They've been shot down and have crashed here." Athena said, indicating an area surrounding an old ion storm shelter. "They have multiple wounded and are being surrounded by Nod infantry."
"Damn it!" John cursed.
This was the last thing he needed, having troops stranded behind enemy lines. John regained his composure before pulling the map back out to encompass the entire AO.
"What troops do we have that can rescue them?" John asked.
"We can't deploy any of the units on the ground, there's just too much area to cover. But what about those Zone Troopers?" Athena asked.
John scratched at his chin as he considered that. He had two squads of the powered armor equipped heavy infantry onboard the Huron. He had been hoping to deploy them as shock troops when they were ready to assault the main base, but given the important information that the InOps agent and her team held, it was vital John used any resource he had to get them out.
"Get the Zone Troopers loaded up. Use one of the Ox to fly them in, then extract everyone." John ordered.
"Yes, sir."
Athena was already shouting into her tacpad as she walked away. John studied the map, now with blinking blue lights deep behind a sea of red.
… … …
"I can't get up Sarge!"
"Yes you can! Get to your fucking feet and help!"
Burke pulled West from his seat and pushed him towards the open door. West stumbled to the ground and quickly crawled out of the downed Hammerhead as bullets pinged off the hull. Burke moved to help the pilots, but stopped as both stumbled past her. She then hefted her rifle and followed them out, running towards her squad and the InOps spook.
Burke let out a haggard breath she hardly realized she had been holding. She took a glance back at the downed helicopters, still reeling from the abrupt crash landing and immediate firefight. Miraculously, they had only suffered a single fatality in the crash, a SAS sniper named Ryukyu. But Nod soldiers had been quick to pounce on them, and now they were surrounded.
"Any word on back up?" Staff Sergeant Baskova shouted.
"I got word to Commander Lancaster. Help is on the way." Special Agent Hanley answered back.
Burke was relieved to hear help was coming, but she just hoped it would come soon.
"Ramirez, Haley! Move over to that bus and help relieve the pressure on us." Burke ordered.
"Riley, go with 'em." Baskova quickly added.
The three quickly ran across the ruined street to the derelict bus, narrowly missing the bullets that nipped at their feet. Burke rose to her feet, alongside an SAS corporal named Liz, and fired off several bursts towards the Nod troops. As she pivoted to target another enemy, she spotted movement in the nearby building.
"Tangos in the building at my two o'clock! Second floor!" Burke shouted out.
"I see them!" Liz responded, as she aimed her rifle's grenade launcher.
Liz fired her grenade and Burke watched it arc through the air before exploding just beneath the second floor. The already ruined building crumbled under the blast, and the entire floor pancaked into the first floor. A cloud of dirt spilled out into the street, obscuring both sides' vision.
"It's starting to get real hairy out here. We need to stash Hanley somewhere safe!" Baskova remarked.
"'Starting'? I think we are far past that." Burke shot back.
"There! That building looks secure, assuming Corporal Hodgson doesn't demolish it too." Hanley stated.
"Good enough. Sergeant Burke, take Hanley and the pilots over there, keep 'em safe."
Burke nodded as she motioned for West and Yusseif to gather around her.
"Give us covering fire. Lady, run when I do." Burke ordered.
"I'm not some pencil pusher, Sergeant. I can handle myself." Hanley replied tersely.
Burke didn't reply. Instead, she gave the order to Yusseif and West who immediately stood to fire at the enemy. Burke then bolted for the building with Hanley and the four pilots just behind her. Four riflemen carrying the two dead bodies also came running with them. Burke busted into the front room, but thankfully found it empty. Hanley and the pilots took up position by the window, ready to fire on any enemy that got too close. Meanwhile, the riflemen placed the dead bodies in the back, before rushing back out to join the fight. Almost immediately after, Yusseif and West came running in.
"Agent, get back from the window. The whole point is to keep your pretty little head safe." Burke said.
Hanley silently moved to the back of the room, where she began typing into her tacpad. Burke just gave her a dirty look before surveying the battle outside. The joint infantry and SAS troops were keeping the Nod forces back, but more enemy soldiers seemed to keep pouring in. The dust had already settled from the building's collapse, and Nod seemed content to use the rubble for cover now.
"Where are those reinforcements you promised us?" Burke asked.
"ETA is five mikes." Hanley answered without glancing up from her tacpad.
"Great. Yusseif, you and West stay here."
Yusseif nodded and Burke ran back outside and over to Baskova, who was in the process of reloading his rifle. Burke snapped off a few quick shots, before kneeling down behind cover.
"Your spook says we got five minutes before the cavalry shows up." Burke said.
"At this point, I'm really hoping they're bringing a Wolverine. There's a lot of the fuckers out there." Baskova spat.
"At this point, I say we just glass the whole Yellow Zone."
"But that would make things too easy. And where's the fun in that?"
Burke and Baskova shared a quick smile before popping up to trade fire with the enemy. Burke liked this guy; a shame he couldn't stick around with her and her squad.
"Confessor! Eleven o'clock!" Liz abruptly called out.
Burke scanned the line of Nod troops until she spotted the conical helmet. She snapped up her rifle and fired a three round burst towards the warrior priest. Burke's rounds missed, but it did cause the man to jump into Baskova's line of sight, where he put a full burst through his chest, sending the Confessor sprawling to the ground. The death of the Confessor seemed to send the nearby Nod troops into a frenzy, as the volume of bullets increased, forcing Burke and the others back into cover.
"Corporal, lob another grenade at them." Baskova grunted.
Liz quickly loaded a grenade, and stood to fire, only to immediately collapse back down, writhing in pain.
"MOTHERFUCKER!"
Burke scooted over to Liz to try and stabilizer her, discovering she had taken two bullets to the chest.
"Stop moving Corporal!" Burke shouted as she tried to assess the damage.
Burke removed Liz's chest plate and checked underneath. Unfortunately, the armour had failed to stop the bullets from penetrating, and now blood was seeping out of the Corporal.
"Fuck, I need a medic!" Burke called out over the chaos.
"Sergeant, I need your help here!" Baskova roared.
Burke swore as she grabbed her rifle and left Liz on the ground. She stood and fired at the ever increasing number of Nod soldiers, killing one before ducking back down. Another SAS trooper slid into cover beside Burke, before beginning to work on Liz. But something clattered to the ground nearby, causing Burke to look down in terror.
"GRENADE!"
Burke and Baskova dove out of the way, but the SAS medic tried to grab the grenade and throw it back. Unfortunately he wasn't fast enough, and the grenade exploded, eviscerating both the medic and Liz. Burke scrambled over to both of them, checking over their ruined corpses, only to find both were dead. Burke felt anger course through her as she fired off the rest of her magazine at the encroaching enemy. Several fell to her angered volley, but she was again forced to dive for cover, least she join Liz and the other fallen.
Burke reloaded her rifle, feeling herself shake with anger, adrenaline, and fear. She managed to keep it under control, but wasn't sure how long they would last if those reinforcements didn't show up soon.
"Baskova! We've got a vehicle approaching!" Riley abruptly called out from across the street.
Burke tried to hear the sound of an approaching vehicle over the strum of gunfire. After a few moments, she could hear the telltale grumbling of an engine, and she began to hope reinforcements had finally arrived.
"Ramirez! Do you have eyes on?" Burke called.
In lieu of a reply, Ramirez slowly peered around her cover and brought her rifle's scope to her eye. She scanned down the street where the approaching vehicle was coming from, before abruptly pulling back and shouted,
"BUGGY!"
Burke cursed violently as she and Baskova darted over to Ramirez and the others. Nod soldiers surged forward as the Buggy came into view, its heavy machine gun immediately opening up on the GDI troops.
"Sergeant! I got a squad of Nod troops moving up behind us!" Yusseif warned over the radio.
Burke let out another string of curses as she glanced over to the building they had stashed Hanley in. But with that Buggy now suppressing the entire area, there was no way she could get to Yusseif to help.
"What do we do, Staff Sergeant?" Burke asked.
"Riley, who has the sonic grenade?" Baskova questioned.
"Uh, I think Doyle had them, didn't he?" Riley answered as he reloaded his rifle.
"Fuck. Okay, Sergeant Burke, hold this position. I'll go find Doyle and get the sonic grenade. If you can get me close, I can blow up that Buggy." Baskova quickly hashed out.
"That won't be easy, those Noddies are pushing hard."
"I know, but it's our only-"
Baskova stopped mid-sentence as everyone glanced skyward as the roar of an engine abruptly drowned out everything else. Burke could make out the underside of an Ox transport as it flew over the battle. Hope almost immediately turned to panic as the Ox made no attempt to land, and looked as though it would fly right past. But then she noticed man-sized shapes dropping out of the back of the Ox. Before she could fully process what she was seeing, eight power armored Zone Troopers slammed into the ground. Nod soldiers wasted no time and began shooting at the new threats, but their bullets merely bounced harmlessly off their armour.
One Zone Trooper raised a massive railgun and fired at the Buggy. The slug punched through the vehicle and tore it apart with ease. Another Zone Trooper shouldered a LMG and began hosing down Nod infantry, mowing them down in droves. Burke watched with grim satisfaction as she spotted a Nod soldier try to bring an RPG against the Zone Troopers, only to be turned into a red mist by a slug from a railgun.
The Zone Troopers caused the Nod soldiers to fall back to cover. But the other GDI infantry quickly rallied and helped push the Nod forces even further from the crash site. As more railguns tore through enemy armor and flesh with ease, the Nod attack finally broke, and Burke was able to see the pure carnage left behind. The once empty and dust strewn streets were now coated with blood and gore. However, while the Brotherhood had suffered heavy casualties from the attack, GDI now had twice as many wounded, and quite a few KIA.
"Where is Special Agent Lissette Hanley?" One of the Zone Troopers asked, as they stomped over to Burke and Baskova.
"That building over there: she's holed up with the Hammerhead pilots," Burke answered. "They were being flanked just as that Buggy showed up. Come on!"
Burke led Baskova and the Zone Troopers towards the building Yusseif and West were in. She could hear gunfire up ahead, but it was more sporadic than the fighting that had just ended. Burke charged through the open door, and immediately spotted Hanley tending to a wounded pilot who was clutching at a wound in their chest. She pushed past her and found her squadmates and the remaining pilots firing out of windows at Nod soldiers in the street. Burke immediately raised her rifle to add her fire, but stopped when an odd order came over the radio.
"Friendlies, hold fire! We got this."
Before Burke could even question what was going on, the Zone Troopers came crashing down onto the street. The power armored Troopers had leapt over the building with jump packs, and literally landed on the enemy. The street crackled with gunfire as railguns eviscerated enemy soldiers, and LMGs cut down any runners like a hot knife through butter. In seconds, silence settled over the area, and the Zone Troopers slowly walked around the building back to the front.
Burke gathered her men and the others and walked outside. Hanley was already there, waiting for the Troopers just as the Ox circled back around and began to descend into the square.
"I'm Special Agent Hanley. Thanks for the rescue."
"Lieutenant Wilkins, ma'am. Get on the transport, we will take you back to the Huron." The Zone Trooper leader said.
Hanley didn't reply, as she made her way over to the Ox as the ramp lowered, not even sparing a glance for Burke or Baskova. Burke just spat in her direction, before rounding up her squad.
"Everyone okay?" Burke asked as her squad formed up around her.
"Ready to get out of here, Sarge. Need a hot shower and a stress fuck." Ramirez answered.
"I'll gladly help with both." Haley chimed in.
"No offense, Private. But I'd rather screw West than you." Ramirez shot back.
Burke smiled at the exchange, as she led her men to the waiting transport. The wounded and KIA were already being loaded on, and Burke grimaced at seeing so many of her comrades so severely hurt.
"Go ahead Command." Lieutenant Wilkins said from behind Burke.
The Lieutenant moved to the side as he communicated with Command, just as Baskova came over to Burke, slapping her on the shoulder.
"Damned fine work, Sergeant. You ever consider joining a special forces unit? You'd do great in the Rangers, or say the SAS?"
"Thanks for the offer. But I never really planned on fighting a war. Just hoped to do my two years and go on with my life." Burke answered truthfully.
"Alright! Listen up!"
Burke whirled around at the Lieutenant's commanding tone. She had a sudden sinking feeling that her day was far from done.
"Command has given orders to take out some Nod Specter artillery a few klicks from here. All riflemen and SAS operators who can still walk and shoot a gun, you're with me. Everyone else get on that bird, now."
The LT walked away, and Burke could hear her men begin to grumble at having to do more fighting. She suppressed her own disappointment and summoned up her own commanding voice.
"Stow the bitching! We got a job to do, so let's do it."
Baskova delivered a similar message to his men, and within minutes the GDI infantry were making their way through the ruined streets of Alexandria. Burke quickly glanced back as the Ox lifted back up, and flew towards safety.
Burke and the other non power armored grunts had to jog to keep up with the Zone Troopers' powerful strides. She imagined it must be nice to be inside an air conditioned power suit, but she kept such opinions to herself. Unlike West and Haley.
"No way kid, you wouldn't last a week in ZOCOM." Haley was saying.
"Come on, what's in a Red Zone that could be worse than being in an active war zone? I mean, besides the environment, obviously. But Forgotten? Fiends and Floaters? They can't be that big a problem, especially if you got Zone armour on like they do." West retorted, as he pointed a finger at Lieutenant Wilkins.
"If you think it's so easy, then why didn't you enlist for it?"
"'Cause you need to serve at least one year in either the Army, Air Force, or Navy before you can apply."
"Still surprised you didn't try to join Space Force or Zone security or something easy."
"Well…my whole family are Army, so I guess I felt I had to."
"I joined up for the chicks. Chicks love a man in uniform, plus you can usually find hotties like Ramirez."
"You joined the Army…to pick up girls?" West asked incredulously.
"Sure, why not? You have to do mandatory service no matter what. Might as well get laid while doing it."
"Haley, you are a disgusting pig." Ramirez laughed.
"Contact front!"
Roughly fifteen weapons snapped up at the same time, all trained on a single target several meters in front of them. A single mutant woman pushing a shopping cart loaded with scrap metal stopped in the middle of the street and stared at the GDI soldiers pointing weapons at her. Wilkins signaled for everyone to lower their guns, and the woman then went on her business, as if nothing had happened.
"Fucking Shiners," Wilkins cursed. "Alright, let's keep moving. Targets are just up ahead. Keep it tight and keep it quiet."
The unit pressed forward, and any further conversation from Burke's squad ended. They trekked through the ruined roads of the abandoned section of the city. They could see flashes of distance explosions and trails of tracers fired from both sides in the distance, though none were directed in their direction. But despite the seeming calm, everyone remained on edge, knowing more Nod forces could be nearby, or other mutant scavengers who might be willing or desperate enough to take on a heavily armed GDI unit. But there was one sound that Burke could hear above the distant thunder of battle. She could make out the rhythmic thumping of artillery guns up ahead; no doubt the Specters they had been tasked to destroy.
Wilkins held up a massive fist to indicate for everyone to stop. Then he began pointing to different spots, before two Zone Troopers quickly jogged over to where he had indicated. They did it all silently, implying they had communicated through internal radios. Burke watched the two Troopers use their jump packs to leap onto a half collapsed building, where they stood as still as statues.
"What's going on, LT?" Baskova whispered.
"My men are scanning the Nod firebase. Seeing what nasty surprises the Tib' heads might have for us." Wilkins growled back.
"Your suits have stealth scanners? Wouldn't happen to have a box of cigars and a margarita mixer in there too, would yah?" Riley quipped.
Wilkins didn't reply. Instead, it appeared he was silently communicating with the rest of his own squad as, a moment later, the two scouts jumped back down to the street. As the two men jogged back to the GDI unit, Wilkins turned address Burke and Baskova.
"Three Specters, guarded by at least a platoon's worth of infantry, including heavy weapons. No vehicles or emplaced defences." Wilkins reported.
"How do you want to hit them, LT?" Baskova asked.
"These suits are tough, but not invincible. Those heavy guns can do damage to me and my Zone Troopers. You guys take down those guns, while we hit the artillery. Any objections?"
"Might I suggest letting me get some of my snipers set up? They can give us extra cover."
"Good thinking. Get it done."
"Riley, go grab Asher, you'll be his spotter." Baskova ordered.
"Got it boss." Riley said as he moved off to the other SAS trooper.
"Sergeant Burke. Take point." Wilkins commanded.
"On it." Burke replied.
She waved her squad forward, took a deep breath, and then cautiously made her way towards the Nod firebase. They clung to the ruined walls and piles of debris as they inched closer. The Specters continued to lob shells towards the GDI lines, and the thundering of their guns caused the ground to shake. Eventually Burke and her squad came into full view of the Specters, and she could see multiple enemy squads arrayed around sandbag barricades and hastily erected pillboxes made of scrap metal. Burke shouldered her rifle, as did the others, then she called out to Wilkins.
"Ready to go on your word."
"Execute!"
Burke and her squad opened fire, instantly catching a machine gun crew unawares and cutting them down. The other GDI infantry and SAS troopers opened up a split second later, blasting through the startled Nod troops. Before Burke even had time to locate another target, Wilkins and his Zone Troopers leapt into battle, railguns firing, leaving a faint blue trail in their wake. The hypervelocity slugs punched through the Specters and caused them to explode like overripe fruit.
Burke fired a burst into a Nod soldier trying to lob a grenade at the ZTs. Just when she thought this battle might be over just within a few seconds, two Nod soldiers came charging out of a previously unseen foxhole. Between the two of them, they carried a M307 ACSW. Burke snapped her rifle up to fire, but was tackled to the ground by Yusseif, just as bullets chewed up the ground she had just stood on. Ramirez came over and fired three shots, taking down the offending shooter. Burke got back up to find the ACSW team, but was too late. The team opened fire and immediately cut through the armour of one of the ZTs. The glass visor shattered, and the man stumbled backwards as chunks of metal and flesh were torn asunder.
Burke and Yusseif both fired at the same time, cutting down the Nod ASCW team. Burke scanned around for any further threats, but the area was clear. The Nod defenders were dead and scattered, and the howitzers were a flaming mess. Two Zone Troopers had been killed, their mangled frames looking like beer cans that had been shredded open. Lieutenant Wilkins was already placing thermite charges on their armour, presumably to prevent Nod from acquiring the high-tech suits. As the man worked, his voice abruptly sounded over the radio.
"Orders from Command. We are to rendezvous with friendlies a few klicks out. Let's roll."
The GDI unit quickly moved towards the fighting, leaving the carnage they had just made behind them. Burke heard the thermite charges ignite, and stole a glance to see the Zone armour slowly melt in the intense heat. Burke just let out a sigh. They had a long day ahead of them.
… … …
Six hours later
An Obelisk of Light fired a lance of red light, spearing a Predator and turning it to slag. In retaliation, a Mammoth tank fired two HE shells from its twin barrels and destroyed the Obelisk, causing it to collapse like a tower of bricks. A squadron of Orcas flew above the exchange, firing on multiple Scorpions that attempted to guard the breach into the Nod base. Meanwhile, another Predator rolled through the base, covering two squads of infantry as they readied to break into the port authority building.
After hours of urban warfare, the GDI forces had managed to break the Nod defences, and were now storming the base controlling Alexandria. But for some reason, enemy reinforcements from Cairo never arrived. In fact, based on what John had seen, added with reports from the Marines in the 11th MEU, Nod forces seemed to be concentrating its forces in the old city. Why would Nod seemingly let GDI gain a foothold? John began to suspect that he was perhaps being drawn into a trap, but if the Brotherhood was planning on using more WMDs, then it was a trap he would have to spring.
John was broken from his thoughts as the door to the bridge opened, and Lissette Hanley walked in. The InOps agent walked over to John, but he briefly turned to face Athena.
"Colonel, oversee the final stages of the operation. Once we control the port authority, begin setting up a permanent base of operations there." John ordered.
"Understood, Commander."
Athena saluted smartly as she took John's place at the holographic table. John then walked Hanley back towards the door before stopping and saying,
"Agent, I hope you appreciate the logistical nightmare you have created for me. By destroying that irrigation facility, I now have a humanitarian crises to deal with."
"Commander, you need to come with me. General Granger has called you for an emergency briefing." Hanley stated.
"About what you found in that lab? Very well Ms. Hanley, lead the way."
Hanley led John down through the corridors of the Huron to a conference room John used to hold meetings with his senior staff. Hanley had commandeered it upon her arrival onboard, as evidenced by the number of tablets and scattered piles of paper. They both sat down, facing a large screen which immediately lit up to display three faces: the first was General Granger, still in the TacOps room deep beneath the Pentagon. Second was the man John recognized as Air Marshal Beauchamp, whom had been the one to originally be in charge of the Cassabad mission before John was given command. The third and final man John did not recognize, but judging by the lab coat, he could assume the man was a Tiberium specialist.
"Commander Lancaster, how goes the operation?" Granger asked.
"Good, sir. We are wrapping things up here." John replied.
"Excellent, I look forward to reading your report. But right now, we have other pressing matters."
"That facility in Cassabad," Beauchamp began. "Was a treasure trove of information. Unfortunately, the situation is worse than we feared. Nod is building a liquid Tiberium weapon. Doctor Giraud from G-Tech is leading the analysis team. Doctor, what else can you tell us?"
John focused his attention on the civilian scientist, Giraud, as he began speaking.
"Nod has found a way to weaponize liquid Tiberiun, this much is certain. Our raw data is still preliminary, but we believe that a liquid Tiberium explosion would have a yield roughly ten times greater than a two hundred megaton thermonuclear bomb. Now, with a proper catalyst, such a blast may also create a self-sustaining exothermic reaction."
"You're talking about a chain reaction." Granger clarified.
"Precisely. Any proximate Tiberium deposits, liquid or crystal, would be instantly detonated." Giraud finished.
"My God. In a Yellow Zone, that could be thousands and thousands of acres. Thank you Doctor, keep us informed."
Giraud nodded before his screen went dark, leaving just Granger and Beauchamp. John was still trying to process the sheer amount of destructive force such a weapon could create.
"We still don't know how much material Nod was able to get out from Cassabad." Hanley suddenly spoke up. "But we did find crates here in Alexandria from the facility ready for shipment. If Nod was able to get something out, it's doubtful it would be enough to complete the weapon."
"Unfortunately, I think it is best to assume they do have enough material. This isn't the first time Kane has constructed some type of Tiberium based super weapon." Beauchamp stated.
"Could he be trying to build another WAM?" John asked.
"If Kane is building another World Altering Missile, then it would be at Cairo." Granger added.
"I think our course of action is clear then, General. I shall continue to work with InOps, see if we can't find out more about what Nod is up to. But I believe your priority now should be Cairo." Beauchamp said.
"I agree, Marshal. Commander, I need you to push on to Cairo as soon as possible. Regardless if Nod has nukes or WAMs, we need to destroy that facility." Granger ordered.
"Understood, sir."
"Then this briefing isconcluded." Beauchamp said as his screen blackened.
"Good luck, Lancaster." Granger said before he to ended the call.
John stood up and headed for the door, but stopped to quickly address Hanley.
"I'll have a transport take you back to B-5."
Then I'm going to bury Cairo for good.
… … …
Author's note: So the order of the Cassabad and Alexandria missions has been mixed up a bit. This is intentional, as I thought this made things a little more interesting. However this chapter, coupled with several guest reviews I have been receiving for Part two: Sun, has made it clear I need to clarify something.
This fanfiction series is my adaptation of the Command and Conquer games. That means it will not be 100% accurate to the games. I have added new units, changed events from missions, or cut out missions entirely. Either it was a stylistic choice, or the missions simply weren't interesting enough to add to the overall story. Also I'm not going to worry about game mechanics for a story I am trying to make as realistic as possible (while still maintaining some of C&C's charm we all love) so if a unit in game fires four rockets at once, but in story fires more or less, is that really something to nitpick over?
Project Genesis is my retelling of the story, my way of just having some fun and hope that other people enjoy it to. If some readers are genuinely annoyed that I don't follow the games beat for beat, then I'm sorry, but that's not what this story is.
Just thought I would clear that up. But next we head back to South America, and we are now 4 chapters away from the Battle of Sarajevo.
Until next time.