Hestia mall

1600 hours

21st march 2085

"Constable goody, how many men-at-arms do we have?" asked Inspector fowler.

"We have about forty officers, twenty GDI reserve corps members, three doctors and six firemen.

"Do the firemen have their hoses? We could ask them to keep the enemy back."

"No sir, they don't, but they are trying to help shore up the barricade. they are welding it together to make it more durable. Not to mention, they have an axe or two, and most of the civilians have armed themselves with cutlery and gardening tools."

"Get the rest of the folk to barricade the doors, set up three fallback points at the main doors, while the other entrances must be barricaded." said the commissioner, as he saw the emergency Tiberium protection system activate, alongside the mall's security system, which meant metal shutters began lowering down, and metal doors sealed off the front. How long it would last was another issue altogether though.

"Sir, we can disable the lifts to the basement. I suggest we send the civilians there when they have finished the barricades." said sergeant Erica, as she helped put down a table from the food court. The radio crackled, and the intelligence operative answered his radio. He spoke for a bit, before he looked up.

"Inspector fowler, the new Adana garrison is tasking a platoon from the New Adana garrison to help us." said the intelligence operative, as moments later, they heard thudding noises off hammerhead infantry gunships.

"Alright, the last defence line is ready. The other doors have been sealed and barricaded. Send the civilians downstairs." said Inspector fowler, as footsteps rang from behind them. The calvary was here.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Lieutenant Colonel Welkin, 7th Nordic regiment, reporting to help." said the blonde-haired lieutenant Colonel, as the inspector nodded.

"Deploy your men as you see fit, lieutenant colonel, we are yours to command, but we cannot let the terrorists into the basement, that is where most of the civilians are." said inspector Grimm, looking at the colonel, who nodded.

"Understood, snipers, to the roof, grenadiers, take up station in the higher levels, squad 1 to 3, take up station at the left side of the mall, squad 4 to 7, remain here, squad 8 to 10 since the right side is sealed shut, remain in reserve and bolster the barricades. squad 11 to 15, take up station on the second floor, same for the heavy gunners " said the lieutenant colonel, as most of the men and women began running to man their assigned stations.

"Engineer Markson, set up the last automated turret here, we will give them something to think about when they come!" Barked the lieutenant Colonel, as the engineer grabbed the briefcase with the core for the smaller guardian cannon, specifically known as the protector cannon.

"Sir, snipers can see their banners now, they will be here in a matter of fifteen minutes."

"Man your posts! We held the Nod bastards off at Gdansk, and we can damn well do it on a bunch of savages!" yelled Welkin, as the men and women at the first barricade gave a savage roar in agreement.

"Sir, they are coming. They're at the intersection."

"Second floor, lock and load." said the lieutenant colonel, as the men loaded their rifles and aimed at the door.

"Sir, they've ..stopped." said the sniper on the wall, suddenly, there were the sounds of metal on shields and raised voices yelling in rhythm.

"Sir, they are .. chanting?" asked a corporal

"Yeah… the chivalrous side of me wants to break out into a chant, but I can't be bothered. Snipers, pick targets and fire at will." said the Lieutenant Colonel, as the snipers took a deep breath, and fired on a man with a helmet plume.

Meanwhile, on the ground, centurion Maimus was chanting with his men. The march through the town had been very quiet, and it had been a pity that they were deprived of a chance to storm the capital of these… people. He definitely could not call them savages and more, having seen their works of construction, and possibly carts that required no horses ?. THeir sorcery would propel Sadera to much greater heights!

"Well, count, I would say the chanting has not worked, they don't seem willing to sally out to meet us."

"Centurion, I do not blame them, this fortress cannot be scaled, and in fact would make sense-BLAM" just like that, count Ersasius fell dead to the ground, brain matter spilling out on the floor.

"What the-" another centurion fell to the ground.

"Charge, break open the gate!" screamed Count Formal, as the demihumans charged, only for something to fall near them. Grenades.

"Wait, what-" said a centurion, as the demihumans and ogres suddenly roared in pain and anger, as metal fragments shredded the demihumans and ogres.

"Watch out! They must have some kind of explosion magic!" yelled Count Formal, as he ducked while a sniper took a shot at him.

"Bring up the battering ram, now!" screamed the centurion, as he was shot, the grenadiers swapped to their blowpipe grenade launchers to increase the range of their grenades, and now they were hitting the Romans hiding on the other side of the intersection. Some had brains and took cover behind the walls of nearby buildings, while others stupidly stayed in the open.

"Ah shit, they got a battering ram." said a rocket trooper, as they looked at it being wheeled up to the front door.

"Target marked, black blast clear, firing now! " said his partner, as she fired at it, causing the rocket to rebound.

"What the hell is that thing made out of!" yelled the rocket trooper, loading her rocket launcher

"Keep firing, we gotta break it!" yelled the rocket trooper, as a heavy gunner with a machine gun tried firing at it with his heavy machine gun, only to nearly get a bunch of arrows for his trouble.

The troops of the wall saw the rear of the battering ram raise, and a sniper grabbed his radio.

"First floor, brace for impact!" yelled the sniper, as he saw the door and shutters shudder from the impact of the battering ram.

B now, the heavy gunners were turning their guns onto the crowds of unprotected infantry. It spoke volumes of their discipline when they stood their ground and did not break as their comrades fell to the ground with holes in their heads while others flew backwards, bleeding from many wounds.

"This is New Adana air command, aircraft are now at your disposal, call it in as necessary." said the dispassionate voice of the air controller from the New Adana air command

"This is sniper team 7-1 on Hestia mall in Granger District. Requesting fire mission, hit grid coordinate 411, 326, 411 327, 411 328." said the sniper, as his spotter fed him the coordinates through his radio.

"Roger that, fast air from nearby Orcas are inbound."

"Keep your heads down, and one of you, get down there and warn the lower levels to expect company!" screamed the sniper, as a pair of rocket troopers ran downstairs to reinforce the group downstairs.

He looked up and saw another centurion trying to rally the men. He sighed, took aim, and fired, removing the centurion's head altogether. The men on the roof began to fire at the horde down below, who, for the most part, were allowing the orcs and ogres to take their place and die in their stead.

They looked up and saw three orcas speeding towards the intersection. But before they could release their deadly payloads of bombs-

"BOOM!" there was a mighty crash, and the shuttered doors came down, causing the Romans to flood into the mall all of whom were baying for blood at the unseen enemy...