1-1-2157, 0029 hours (Alliance standard time)
New Denver Outskirts
Shanxi
1st Allied platoon, Vengeance 1-4
January 1st, 2157. The Major endlessly stared at the date marked on his omni-tool with intense concentration. He briefly wondered if it was all a coincidence or if the events mirrored the ancestors' wishes. January 1st, 2157, the year of the fire dragon in the Chinese zodiac calendar.
The forest flashed by under the shuttle, a sea of green tossing by in the emergence of morning. Yao crouched next to the open panel, letting the wind pull on his frame. He was a large man, a powerful one; resisting the screaming wind was a simple matter. Movement beneath caught his eye, some sort of large herbivore, scared by their passage. He watched it leap through a clearing, legs a blur. The sight of something so normal was heartening. Perhaps, after this was over, people would call this place home again.
Kilometers ahead of them, the tips of New Denver's sky scrapers were beginning to expose themselves. With the mass destruction that had occurred, the structural gems were now barely visible in the horizon.
Below them, the flashing glow of the Enforcers strange energy weaponry vanished like the stars at dawn. General Williams and the united might of humanity's armies were gathering to deal with the batarian invaders there, leaving it up to the individual commanders to make distractions. His own mission was largely an individual effort, spearheaded by his own initiative and the desire of his squad to inflict raw damage on the batarians. Fortunately, the Raloi had requested attendance as well, sending one of their elite units with him.
Their target was a batarian outpost located outside the city's limits. After General Williams' retreat, the aliens had done their best to fortify New Denver in case of any counter-attack, this included emplacements of AA batteries, barricades, extensive minefields, and an enormous array of communication hubs to either warn of or delay any large counter-offensive long enough for the might of the batarian forces to respond. Simply put, it was imperative that they be taken offline.
He glanced behind, checking the readiness of his compatriots. On one half of the Falcon, the elite forces of the NCRA waited, swaying with the shuttle's movements. The other half of the shuttle held the comparative elite of the Raloi, the Shadows, if the translation was correct.
Vengeance squad, or the Amazons as the JSF had nicknamed them, consisted of hand selected members from the already elite NCRA forces. Each was capable of taking on an entire platoon by themselves; together, they were the match of a small army. Especially so, considering they had been hand-picked by General Chu, may he rest in peace. A deep pain clutched his heart as Yao remembered the circumstances of his promotion. Indeed, it seemed it would haunt him for the rest of his life.
The Shadows, on the other hand, he had never witnessed in person. He knew nothing of their training only that they moved like alpha predators amongst sheep. Their armor was darker than that of his Amazons, greens and browns mostly. Their greatest advantage, one that his squad had nearly been drooling over, was a form of cloaking technology, similar to the JSF's chameleon skin. Granted, it had a short duration, but many things could be done in the space of a few seconds.
"There." Yao pointed at the jungle ahead, a location fairly distant from New Denver, but close enough to do some good.
The Shadows rose, lining up at the shuttle exit. Yao looked them over; while they were all professionals, they were his responsibility as well. It was well known that General Williams had greatly respected General Chu's decisions; but even as the chosen successor of Chu, Yao was an unknown. Faulty armor or a limping soldier could get someone unnecessarily killed ... and would be avoided if possible.
The alien leader clutched at the overhead stabilizer, looking over his men, just as Yao did a few steps away. The four members facing him made a strange hand gesture, twisting a gauntlet in front of their right shoulder. With eerie symmetry, they turned to look at Yao expectantly. He gave them a half-bow.
"Captain Vak, your people ready?"
The Raloi'a faceplate slid open, exposing more teeth than a barracuda. One eye rolled across the armored figures filling the shuttle. "They're not pretty. In fact, they're ugly, malformed, hideous examples ... but they'll get the job done." The Raloi behind him chuffed, shifting eagerly.
Yao bared his teeth in return. "Rendezvous at Alpha point. Go."
Vak darted to one side, slapping a pauldron, bellowing names. Each soldier made a running leap into the open air. "Epip! Luwow! Fures! Qanou! Veces! Haldrin!" The last raloi soldier made a small forward roll, completely unnecessary, but indicative of high spirits.
The alien leader paused, looking slyly at Yao. "I suppose I should give your group the benefit of the doubt. My lads aren't that pretty either." The reptilian's slit-pupil eye winked at him, before the soldier dove out of the shuttle.
Yao watched the alien vanish into the tossing trees, losing his outline in the foliage. Heir to General Chu though he was, he didn't dare turn around. Laughter would be very bad under the circumstances; especially since the Amazons under his command took great care of their appearance. It was a task they took pride in; one of their duties was to escort high-level dignitaries, and they had to look attractive to fit the role. It got a little embarrassing when they competed to escort himself as if he needed one, but there were worse fates than having beautiful women around at all times. Which, in some ways, made the Raloi Captain's quip even worse.
Silence filled the open space behind him, but that meant nothing. It was more than possible his squad was using private comm channels for any discussion. Restraining the urge to sigh, Yao chose to focus on the mapping feature in his HUD. They were coming up on their secondary drop point soon.
"Beta target in two minutes." The pilot confirmed his suspicions.
Yao breathed a sigh of relief, not bothering to turn around. Vengeance squad didn't need his personal oversight on everything; they knew each other's movements almost before they performed them. Besides, the threat of combat always calmed him; better a thousand fights than dealing with miffed feelings.
A heavy weight rested on his shoulders, jolting him from his sense of safety with another pack added to his already large burden. "Your turn to carry Siegfried," Ki-Yun suggested teasingly, helping Captain Lin adjust the straps over Yao's armor. Her voice was poisonously sweet. "After we win this little fight, would you be a dear and leave a few of those reptiles alone with us for a few moments?"
Yao considered the request. He had no personal objection, and it would be good for the aliens to learn what wrath they had earned. Better than the alternative. For hell had no fury like a woman's scorn, especially from the women of Vengeance squad.
"Done." His tone was unemotional, a tribute to both his biological father and his adoptive one.
The weight settled, making the responsive plates flex a moment before returning to their normal positions. He smiled before forcing his face back to its neutral position. The squad was proud of his strength, and took advantage of every opportunity to show it off, just as he sought opportunities to demonstrate their own capabilities.
"Arriving in one. Looks fast and hard ladies and gentleman. I'll give them a little something to think about, see you at evac." The pilot was a member of the JSF. His sense of humor was strange but well-meant.
"Acknowledged." Yao held a closed fist by his right ear. The soldiers at his back made their final weapons checks, settling down to the stillness he'd come to expect.
"In five ... four ... three ..." Yao put the pilots' chatter out of his mind. The North Americans had many advantages, one of which was operating with such incredible stealth that it was breathtakingly deadly, but this wasn't a JSF operation.
Yao closed his eyes, playing the terrain through his mind's eye. He could almost feel the batarian encampment passing under the shuttle, the separate buildings flashing beneath his feet. Opening them again, he saw the soldiers beginning to run on the ground, some firing side-arms at the shuttle.
Ignoring the increasingly anxious calls emanating from the pilot, Yao concentrated on his perceptions. The ground made a twisting motion as the shuttle pulled around sharply; certainly, a courageous move back into the fire, Yao had to admit. Not that he had expected anything less.
Then he felt it, the twitch in the back of his mind. Without a thought he leaped forwards, trusting the squad at his back to follow.
Air rushed past his helmet, the HUD projecting rapidly decreasing numbers to his visor. The European AI, whose transceiver rested on his back, chirped a warning in his helmet, highlighting multiple targets on the ground. Yao spread his arms in response, feeling the air resistance push back at him. His fall steadied, slowing him to the same level as the later jumpers: Timing was everything.
Seconds passed, the ground grew larger, more definite shapes and colors. The gradual outlines of his squad mates grew, their more streamlined positions bring them closer. He watched the ground, feeling the tempo increase in his eardrums until the moment clicked. Then, he pushed himself into the chāorén position, arms sloping ahead of his body, streamlining his descent.
Siegfried, the Artificial Intelligence, chirped in Yao's helmet despite the hundreds of kilometers separating his blue box from their mission. That box was a secret of the E.F., a miracle of miniaturized transmission technology, somehow packaged into the precious cargo secured to Yao's back. Under the AI's direction, the red dots became squares, targets clicking to the rest of the Dragons.
There were a few moments of silence, and then the musical tones of multiple target-locks met Yao's ears. Securely hidden behind the faceplate, Yao allowed himself a snarling grin, one worthy of his sire.
Like wrath from an angry god, rockets hissed past his body. He no longer carried the launchers; his pauldrons were now devoted to supporting the weight of the incredibly expensive transceiver allowing Siegfried to journey with his team … if only in spirit. The speed of the rockets exceeded his descent, taking mere seconds to reach their targets. Explosions scattered the infantry below, creating dust clouds, hiding their landing.
"Dragons, shock and awe. Shuttle J-3 has covering fire." Captain Lin 's voice cut through the rushing wind. Her tone became more amused. "Let's show the JSF boys how yàmǎxùn fight!"
Yao chuckled once, deep in his chest. Yàmǎxùn was a rough translation for Amazon, fabled warrior women from European lore. It fit well enough but felt a little ... derogatory. Impolite.
Shaking his thoughts from their woolgathering, he drew his legs underneath himself, aided by the armor's servo-systems. Somewhere above, the shuttle pilot clicked acknowledgment, launching a smoking round directly beneath their feet.
"Siegfried, have you hacked their comm sets yet?" Yao questioned the AI unit. Unlike other models, Siegfried was the E.F's attempts to create a man-portable QEC transmitter capable of communicating with an AI kilometers away. Yao merely carried a prototype, but even then, its performance was excellent. His transceiver sparkled before a voice was heard over his radio.
"Certainly. Data mining in progress, do you have a specific request?" The E.F. AI was more arrogant than most soldiers, but it was good at what it did. Yao knew allowing it leeway might come back to bite him later, but he'd worked with prima donnas before.
"Audio disruption, pump heavy metal to their ears." Yao slammed into the ground, cutting off any further orders as he recovered. Piezo-electric converters worked overtime, changing the sudden shift in kinetic energy into electrical potential energy for his shield's capacitors. It was a bonus for aerial drops, extra powerful shields while the jumper recovered.
All around him the elite Dragon squad hit the ground, their mass totaling multiple metric tons of armed and angry warriors. The smoke covered their positions, but poorly aimed rounds spattered against their shields, like raindrops on windows.
"Hard points marked, high-value targets selected." Siegfried intoned. "Eardrum-buster ready to deploy. A little gift from the last century, heavy metal polka at three hundred decibels."
Yao flicked on his lens lights even as his team activated theirs. The effect from outside the cloaking dust cloud was as if demons had awoken, staring through the darkness at their souls. He felt his grin stretch, twisting into something bloodier.
'You'll pay for the General! All of you!'
"Weapons free," he spoke into the microphone as clearly as possible. "Make each shot count."
The squad around him opened fire, using the infrared modes to find targets through the dust. Ignoring his own order, Yao spun a slow circle, letting Siegfried get an accurate reading from his armor sensors. Ostensibly, they were omnidirectional, but no tool was perfect. Providing a full-360 scan improved accuracy by a few percentage points; not much, but when outnumbered locally, every bit counted.
"Scan complete. Proceed ahead thirty meters to the grain storage container, then take cover." The AI's words were accompanied by a blinking cerulean line overlay on the HUD, showing the way.
"Dragons forward! Suppress right, I want those squints screaming for their mothers!" Captain Lin bellowed from one side.
On the other, Ki-Yun echoed her orders, more profanely. The two led parts of the squad, but only he could hear both of them at once, save on unique channels. As the overall commander, Yao had been forced to delegate power, especially once Siegfried had offered to help out with Vengeance's missions.
Yao glanced at the markings and made a decision. "Siegfried, deploy the distraction. Ladies, give 'em hell."
As they emerged from the dust cloud, Yao could actually see multiple batarian clusters taking cover. Their expressions, from what he could see, were a mixture of rage and insult. A universal reaction. He pulled his own rifle off its holder, trusting his over-sized armor to take the hits for him; poor tactical planning, but he had knowledge the batarians did not.
His machine gun spat fire in an angry burst, stitching pockmarks over the alien cover. Nearly half a thousand rounds soared through the air, leaving small trails before slamming into enemy shields and armor. He angled the Typhon higher, waiting.
The reaction was better than he'd expected. An entire row of batarians shot up from cover, actually dropping their weapons to wrestle with their helmets. His light machine gun warmed up and ready, effortlessly burned through their shields. Two Dragons, wielding slower-firing Lancers made their more precise shots, picking off those he'd only damaged.
To the right, a building exploded, courtesy of Lin's squad. Something must have been inside; the explosion was well over what a standard grenade would have caused.
Yao checked left, noting Major Ki-Yun's accurate barrage keeping their foes at bay. The earpiece hacking helped tremendously, giving them easy kills, something they could never expect ... not that they were complaining.
The blue line ended in some sort of concrete hut, and Yao stepped inside. Given his immense stature, he had to crouch down to his knees; he was nearly seven feet tall in his armor, and this building was definitely not designed for him. The rest of his squad squeezed in close, hugging the walls as the batarians began recovering.
The rate of incoming fire became stronger, chipping away at their fortifications. His Dragons responded, returning fire with equal heat. It was evident their foes were embarrassed; being caught off guard was galling to anyone after all.
"Sir, I am detecting reports of an attack two kilometers west of your position. I would assume the Shadows squad is performing their portion of the mission." The AI spoke into Yao's ear, surprising him.
Yao paused, withdrawing into the intellectual calm he'd learned from his surrogate father. The situation was proceeding as he'd anticipated, although the Shadows were doing better than he'd hoped. Of course, that meant there would be a higher concentration on his own position ... all the better.
Gunfire boomed louder, making the inner walls of their sanctum quake. One of his Dragons reeled back from the door, cursing. Blood leaked from the underside of her left arm, giving it a formidable appearance. She stumbled back to the medic, who was already pulling out her pack.
He took her place, letting a constant stream of lead coat the area. Multiple squares of crimson-target red, courtesy of Siegfried, began springing up. Yao sent the targeting data once more, and his Dragons responded with another mini-rocket barrage. The tiny streaks shout through the door, spreading out to blast chaos into the enemy ranks.
But these were no neophyte shock troops; Yao had chosen this location for its importance tactically, and the resistance showed. Weapons above the normal caliber had been stored here, too deeply buried for conventional weaponry to destroy. Some of those weapons had obviously been dug out, making the walls shake as a heavy weapon took its toll. Cracks raced down the sides.
"Siegfried, ETA on fire mission?" Yao asked the AI.
"Ask and ye shall receive. Your support is here." The AI sounded smug.
Deafening explosions began rocking their position. Screams, rising over the explosions, started coming closer.
Yao backed up, and knelt to one knee. "Incoming hostiles." He muttered.
It was barely enough warning. Just as his squad was readying themselves, a swarm of batarians appeared in the doorway, fear in their eyes. Some of their armor was on fire, the result of liberal incendiary rounds from the Kodiak shuttle.
The Dragons opened fire, meeting the crazed attackers with a wall of death. Two of the Dragons wielded Typhons, light machine guns that turned their task from impossible to easily accomplishable. Seven people against over fifty would ordinarily be a problem, but the very premise of elite forces was to bring superior firepower in a minimal package.
"Grenade!" A yellow flashing circle darted across Yao's visor. He lunged for it, batting it back outside the opening. That one glimpse showed him the raging inferno on the other side. One Kodiak, reconfigured for assaults and fully armed with four pairs of 20mm fully automatic mass accelerated autocannons firing incendiary rounds, mowed through an entire enemy platoon in the span of ten seconds.
The sight distracted him from a second grenade, flung through the opening. But someone else had seen it. A piercing war cry smashed the air as Ki-Yun leapt fully on the explosive. Yao saw it happen in slow motion, her body pulling itself more tightly over the small innocuous device.
The blast threw her body against the ceiling, what concussive force not blocked by her armor spread sideways into the ranks. Yao stumbled under its energy. One single thought ran through his head: He wasn't General Chu, no matter how hard he tried; Chu had been cold as ice, and right now Yao felt the fury of a thousand ancestors stiffening his resolve.
Something heavy hit the ground by his feet. Yao didn't bother looking; he was too busy charging the crowded doorway. Metal darts pinged off the concrete walls, displaying the unconventional small arms carried by the batarians.
An interesting fact about Yao's upbringing floated behind the cold singing through the chaos: His biological father had been a martial artist, not overly famous, but renowned for his reflexes. He raised Yao by himself until his untimely death; Yao had been sixteen. General Chu had taken in the orphan and built on that foundation, adding training in tactics and strategy to the reflexive decision-making base.
One thing that had passed through his fathers' minds, both biological and surrogate, was how that training could be used against the JSF, the EF or heavens forbid, the SGB. Neither had anticipated him using that training against a race of aliens, completely unfamiliar to their methods of combat.
From Yao's perspective, the enemies before him were acting like partially trained civilians; although a few appeared to be competent enough. His blade, heavy reinforced metal composite manufactured in the heart of an element zero forge, spun in one hand. Its tip pierced through weak points like butter, sweeps of the length cut into the soft tissue under helmets as it had been designed to do by the original makers.
The batarian perspective, as would be proven later from camera recovery, the sight was something entirely different.
From the external chaos, the inside the erected outpost seemed filled with monsters, red eyes glaring outward furiously, immune to the fiercest of assaults. Overhead, a gunship rained hell on anything too far from shelter, somehow blasting through armored points before anti-air weaponry could be brought to bear. What was even worse though, was the demon with blue eyes. It was taller than a turian, wider than a krogan, and bore a blade like an asari sword maiden.
Two batarians had tried grappling it to the ground and were blasted into the floor by the demon's feet, limbs were broken, ribs shattered. Another three that had brought omni-blades into play were simply run through, their attacks dying with them.
It was an unwelcome realization that while guns were superior weapons overall, the intense close-quarters negated the necessary time needed to eject a heat sink. Swords, however, were designed for close quarters combat and had no need to reload.
Yao charged out the opening, killing with each stroke. His movement was fluid as it was graceful, displaying an art that took years to master. It was like the blade itself was an extension of his soul. The Dragons, equally enraged, boiled after him, guns blazing.
The rest of the fight was over within minutes. At that point.
Yao surveyed the scene, witnessing how the room was completely plastered with blood and gore. Chunks of meat and spills of blood colored the walls and stained the floors. The area more or less resembled a psycho's playroom. Sudden movement caught Yao's attention. A batarian was attempting to escape the scene, being forced to crawl due to his wounds. Yao merely shook his head in disappointment and disgust. The batarian didn't have the honor to accept his fate like a true soldier. Walking over, Yao was easily able to close the distance with the wounded batarian. He grabbed the alien by the straps of his armor and flipped him over with a single hand, a true display of his strength.
Pressing his foot, Yao leaned his weight on the batarian's chest. Around him, the Dragon squad was making itself busy, going over the bodies.
"What do you want, human?" The batarian coughed.
Yao pressed his knee deeper into the batarians chest. "The death of your species. But for now, I will settle for the name of your commander. Who brought you here?"
The batarian had enough energy to twist sideways, gasping under the weight. "Go to 'kalam,' human. You barbarians think you can beat the Hegemony? Not even the Council has the courage to take us on."
Deepening his voice, Yao gave a sinister chuckle. "'Barbarian,' says the slaver. Hah." He leaned closer, putting more of his three hundred pounds on the alien's chest. "I found out something, you have a book, the 'Pillars of Strength,' yes?"
"Yes ..." the batarian hissed, struggling now to push the knee higher.
"Most interesting reading." Yao snapped a knife from his belt. "Have you seen my squadmates? The ones with knives?"
He allowed the batarian enough slack to see. To one side, Captain Lin was on her knees before a body, working at its face with her blade. Her mask was open, but her face was emotionless.
"You see," Yao whispered, "You killed one of my people. That makes me irritated, good quality soldiers are hard to find. But for my squad ... it made them angry."
The batarian realized what was going on. "NO!" He slapped both hands against Yao's chest. "Not their eyes! They'll never go to-"
"I don't care." Yao slammed his helmet into the batarian's defenseless skull. "What is more useful to you, is that my people don't care. In fact, they want your soldiers to fall into the Pit. 'Kalam,' as you say."
He rocked a little as the terrified alien fought. The fear in the alien's expression was highlighted by the extra pair of eyes, showing a dual stereo quantity. He let it grow a bit more before striking the nerve clusters in both of the batarian's shoulders. "The name."
The batarian froze, trying to shrink into the earth without moving. "Lieutenant Commander Toren. He discovered this system, told the Hegemony we needed to attack. But even he has to answer to Admiral Ban, we all do. Look all I know is that we are preparing to leave … that's all I know, I swear!"
Yao let the pathetic creature spew information at him. Much of it was not pertinent for him, but Siegfried was listening, relaying anything new to the other leaders. Finally, the excuse of a soldier wound down, trembling under his grasp.
Yao lessened the pressure somewhat. "You are going to give your leaders a message. Tell them the blind don't seize greatness. Now, which is your gun hand?"
"Ah ..." the batarian twitched his right hand.
Yao made sure his smile carried through his voice. "Good. I'll be sending a half-blind, useless soldier. Just to get their attention ..." He raised his knife.
The screams under him garnered no sympathy from the Dragons. They were no SGB, but they had lost one of their family. Blood paid for blood.
Once he was done with unleashing his fury, Yao carefully wiped red blood from his knife, cleaning its length on a convenient rag. On his back, the transceiver hummed, transferring as much data as could be pulled from the strange computers the aliens used. The sensors whirred in a quiet duet, angling for the best angle as he worked.
Captain Lin walked up to him, faceplate still open. She saluted, conscious of the blood on his armor. "Sir, the place is clear."
"Good. Charges set?" Yao slid the small blade home under his forearm.
"Yes sir, the cache was right where the scans said they should be. Should we detonate?"
The transceiver squealed suddenly, pouring a flood of information across Yao's faceplate. He held up one hand, pausing the Captain.
"One moment …" he scanned the data, aided by the muttered audio from the AI. "Wait … are you certain, Siegfried?"
"'Certainly. I have a ninety point nine-five percent chance of accuracy. The convoy matches three observations from the SGB. I take it you are not going to follow their tactics?'"
"Indeed not. I prefer to rescue slaves, not leave them." Yao swung back to the woman in front. "Lin, contact the Raloi. Coordinate a new meeting point; we have approximately one hundred human hostages in a convoy, twenty kilometers southeast."
Her mouth curved upwards. "Aye, sir. Also?"
"Yes?" Yao turned back.
Lin smiled. "Ki-Yun should live. She'll be eating through a straw for a few weeks, but she'll be fine."
"Excellent." Yao realized his own faceplate was up when he saw Lin's eyes twinkle. He fought down the smile. "Is she stabilized?"
She nodded at the shuttle, settled on a former housing slab half-way across the clearing. "Just tucking her in before the pilot takes her back to base. General Williams has assured us she will receive the best care they have."
Yao checked the time, making a mental note to check in on his charge. Possibly recommend her for a medal, saving the squad at risk of her life "Very good. I will look into setting up an ambush. You see what the Raloi have to say. Clear?"
"Clear." Lin saluted before spinning on one heel.
SSV Nagasaki
Cruiser
Private Quarters
"Sir?" A voice in the darkness spoke. The sound of an alarm buzzing followed soon after, robbing him of any more rest.
Alone in his private quarters, Commander Hackett awoke with groggy disorientation as the lights slowly brightened. When he finally came to, he discovered that he was still in his uniform; apparently, he'd forgotten to shower off the grim stains of the previous day. Uncomfortable. He looked down; the data pad concerning the repair status of his ship was still held tightly in his hands.
"Ughhh!" Hackett groaned as he raised himself to sit on the edge of the bunk. He still felt a little nauseous and the room seemed to have a slight spin; the symptoms of sleep deprivation beginning to make themselves clear. Up to this point, he'd only allowed himself a measly two hours each day to rest, but his mind and body were starting to deteriorate.
With his senses partially regained, Hackett was aware of the continuous buzzing of the alarm. It only buzzed for a few more seconds before it was shut off.
"Thank you, Withers."
"Not a problem. Should I call for an onboard physician?" The ship's AI asked.
"No. I'll be fine." Hackett brushed off the synthetic's assistance, reaching instead for the discarded datapad. "What time is it?"
"0124 hours, Commander." The AI responded as he finally appeared on the nearby holo-tank.
Hackett still had to fight back the slight irritation at Withers' constant intrusions. The AI's holographic display showed a classic lawyer with clean shaved face and business wear that was common for individuals of that profession. It made interacting with the AI all the more difficult as the commander felt as if he was in a courtroom where everything he said could be used against him. When he'd questioned Withers on his choice of avatar, the AI merely replied he desired to appear as a professional.
"0124? That is three hours longer than what I had set the alarm for."
"Indeed, I am well aware. During your rest, I took the liberty of silencing the device. Analysis indicated you could use the additional rest; records indicate that five hours of extended rest can make a great difference."
Hackett unconsciously began grinding his teeth together, feeling a headache coming. For all the problems that Withers' avatar caused, it was his obsessive desire to be helpful that truly made him insufferable. Even when facing the most modest of problems, Hackett could always expect the AI popping up and asking how it could be of service. To make matters worse, it was the formal manner Withers' possessed that really irritated him. It was almost as if the AI was either doting or patronizing him, Hackett couldn't really tell which, causing even more annoyance.
In the back of his most conspiratorial recesses of his mind, Hackett briefly considered the possibility that Withers was purposefully annoying him for amusement. If it wasn't for how helpful the synthetic intelligence could be in the worst of scenarios, Hackett would have already disposed of the damn thing. A desire he had never kept secret.
"I set that alarm to 2330 for a good reason." Hackett laid out.
"I apologize for the change commander, but you need to take it easy. Physical scans indicate you are beginning to suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, coupled with sleep deprivation for induced nausea. If you aren't careful you can become greatly ill."
The moment the AI had mentioned nausea, Hackett felt himself nearly throwing him. Luckily, he was able to contain it but made a mental note to purge his mouth of the scent with mouthwash.
"I don't have time to be sick. There is still a lot of work that has to be done and I am not planning on sitting down until it's done." Hackett replied firmly.
"Well technically speaking you are sitting down, sir." Withers corrected. "In the interests of continuing, I have already downloaded your instructions from your pad last night and passed them down to the engineering detail."
Hackett had to bite down the urge to flick the AI off, instead sighing in frustration. It was too early for him to be dealing with this. Getting to his feet, Hackett headed straight for the bathroom. On the way there he placed the datapad in his hands on the desk nearby, deciding to take a good look at it once he finished with tending to himself. He took a brief shower and got dressed in another uniform before taking a seat in front of his desk.
Picking the data pad once again, he eyed the reports of his ship. A careful examination revealed that repairs were indeed far exceeding expectations and deadlines. The Nagasaki's FTL drive was finally operational and her engines were nearly back to full operation. The technicians were finishing off the last of the damaged internal relays on deck four and six as well as providing a full weapons diagnostic. The ship's armor was almost back to pristine condition, though the obvious signs of welding multiple slabs of salvaged ablative plates clearly showed on her hull.
The SSV Tampa was in better shape as well, with her main cannon ready for repair, and communicator back online. That last part had accelerated repair efforts exponentially, combining the networking capabilities of both vessels. It was beneficial as the Alliance AIs had been pressed to their limits in order to disguise the heat, movement, and signatures emitted from the repairs. Perhaps that was the reason why Withers had been annoying for the past few days.
Grudgingly, Hackett had to admit that Withers was maintaining the ship just fine without his supervision. Surprising, but good. For a brief moment, the Commander gave himself time to reminisce on the previous events. In all honesty, being constantly on the move, using an asteroid field to avoid an alien fleet was not how Hackett had dreamed his expedition would lead to.
It had been just over a week since the batarians had arrived in the system. Since then he had taken Command over the few surviving vessels and had been actively avoiding the routine patrols that were constantly searching the system.
Hackett looked anxiously at the small holographic projection in the center of his computer screen, built into the corner of his cabin's office. The feed from the small force of stealth spy drones kept constant track of batarian traffic around the system watching all the alien movements they could. Since cruisers didn't possess any reconnaissance drones or probes, the allied flotilla had to rely solely on the corvettes.
The small flotilla of Alliance and Confederate ships was silently following the corvettes, cruising in between the asteroid field, keeping as much of the field between them and the hunters as possible. After seven days of near misses and narrow escapes, even he was starting to get frustrated with waiting.
'What is taking them so long?' Hackett thought.
"Commander?" Withers' voice spoke once again from the holo-tank.
"What is it now, Withers?" Hackett responded. He hid the slight embarrassment of forgetting the AI had still been in the room.
"I have just received an encrypted message from the SSV Damascus."
Hackett nearly fell out of his seat. The Damascus? That was the ship Dain had escaped in. Was he trying to relay important information? Hackett hoped it contained good news but doubted it.
"Play it immediately!"
"I cannot."
"Why not?" Hackett was about to strangle the blasted AI.
"Because there is no audio. The message is in text only."
One of Hackett's eye began twitching, the irritation evident in his face. "Then open the file," he growled.
"Of course, sir." The AI complied, revealing the message's contents.
0200 hours, January 4th, 2157 (Alliance Military Calendar)
Origin: UNKNOWN/ Narrow-band point-to-point transmission/Quantum Entanglement Communication array/Level -5 Alliance item.
Priority Transmission XX27HOTEL-XX
Encryption Code: ALPHA
Public Access Key: N/A
From: SSV Damascus, tertiary adjunct system, file support: unimatrix-zero
To: SSV Nagasaki, secondary prime system, command-control operative
Subject: PROGRES UPDATE/ETA/Operation: Relieve the Alamo
Classification: TOP SECRET, AUTHORIZED EYES ONLY (Section 1, Zeta Directive)
/file extraction-reconstitution complete/
/start file/
Dubbed Operation Relieve the Alamo, the liberation of the besieged colony [data deleted] has commenced. High priority colonies have been secured with the QRF receiving all essential supplies for [data deleted]. Admirals Spencer and Drescher are to lead the operation. In the event of failure, all Alliance and Confederate ships will delete any data on other nearby colonies once they exited out of the [data deleted] Relay. Use of battleships has been approved as well as all existing weapons, nuclear or otherwise. ETA four days from arrival. This is the first and last authorized message into enemy-held territory. Any surviving vessels in the system prepare for Alliance counter-attack. Repeat: Counter-attack is imminent.
/end file/
/scrambled destruction process enabled/
Press ENTER to continue.
Hackett stared at the message, a chill running down his spine. Four days. Another ninety-six hours until relief arrived.
He let his head gently touch the desk's surface, an uncertain feeling making him weak for a moment.
"Sir? Is there a problem?" Wither's voice came from behind his shoulder.
"No. Everything is … good. Better than it's been in a long time." Hackett murmured.
He shook himself. "Withers, I need to make an announcement. Change the schedule, after my announcement, I want a fifty percent reduction in repair duties. I need my crew rested and ready for battle."
"Understood, sir. Schedule shift in progress."
"Good." Hackett rose to his feet. "Let's make what time we have left count."
New Denver Outskirts
Shanxi
1st Allied platoon, Vengeance 1-4
Yao waited, dark armor blending with the shadows. The team had been divided into two squads, now that one of the leaders was incapacitated, leaving Captain Lin in charge of the squad hidden in the ground.
"Siegfried, are the Raloi here?" Yao keyed the transceiver. He'd wanted to leave the communication device at the last stopping point, but had been overruled. Still, if it came down to either his life or the chunk of metal sitting on his back, he'd choose his life every time.
"Captain Vak assures me they are in position. Their commander also says that you stand out like a narthuk in a field of blumen." Siegfried's voice shifted slightly. "I have several innovative malware projects I could test on their security, if you like, sir."
He thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. "No thanks. I already promised the ladies they had first shot at them, and if there's one thing I've learned, it's to not tick off angry women trained to kill."
"Wise advice, although it is somewhat puzzling." Siegfried sounded intrigued.
"Why?" Yao asked. His gaze shifted over the ground, looking for the oncoming slavers.
"Which of the two genders is the more dangerous? According to my calculations, the average greater mass and stamina should prove superior, and yet you constantly disprove the point by allowing your subordinates to take actions you could do yourself quite easily. Why?"
Yao sighed. "That … is a complicated question. Better suited for a non-combat situation, if that's all right?"
"This is not a noncombat situation right now, however." The AI pointed out logically.
"True, but humans do not switch from philosophy to war in a heartbeat. Besides, they're close; I can sense it." Yao trained his Typhon forwards.
"Sense? That is ridiculous. I have all your sensors keyed into my hardware, and I detect nothing." Siegfried sounded almost insulted.
"Hush," Yao ordered, scanning again. He switched to the comm channels. "Vengeance squad, look sharp. Siegfried doesn't see anything, but they can't jam your eyes and ears. Use them."
Double clicks responded to his warning, assuaging his anxiety a little.
Relaxing slightly, he began to pay more attention to his surroundings. The trees were all deciduous, and the season was not late enough for them to have begun falling, which helped stealth somewhat. Their brown trunks were haphazardly arranged, a true forest by any definition.
Yao did a thermal scan, detecting only a few small rodents hiding just beneath the surface in their dens. As he watched, they faded from view, almost as if they too felt something coming. He gave the vanished animals a slow nod; they were survivors, and as such deserved respect.
A harsh scream sounded next to his ears, startling him into movement. He spun, whipping out the Typhon into an action-ready position. Then, he stopped, lowering the LMG.
There, resting on a branch not ten feet away, rested a hawk-like animal. Its fierce gaze watched him, reminiscent of how General Chu would give him a once-over after a wrong answer.
Yao smirked, returning to his vigil. Likewise, the hawk turned in a similar direction, brown and tan feathers helping it hide even more effectively than the raloi. Its head twitched suddenly, peering into the shrubs with laser-like intensity.
Following its gaze, Yao caught a glimpse of a bipedal form, crouching behind a bush. It faded back behind a tree, but he could follow its progress by dint of the faint sounds. "You see that Siegfried?" He asked.
'"See what? There's nothing there.'" Siegfried returned.
Yao focused his helmet on the spot, increasing the magnification. "There. Movement. Calculate for wind shifts, and do a thermal reading."
The sensors whirred for a moment. "I don't see anyone …" the AI said slowly.
"But …?" Yao prompted.
"But there is something large there, not on the thermal registers. Since there are no mammals, reptiles or arthropods with that form of masking capability, I would assume it is sentient."
"Raloi?" Yao eased his LMG up, the second finger joining the first on the trigger housing.
"Negative. All Raloi positions are accounted for. That is no ally."
Yao switched channels. "Stand by. Hostiles sighted, scouting party most likely."
The comm clicked open, from Captain Lin. "We haven't seen much for scouting so far, did they grow a brain stem?"
A hissing voice broke into the channel. "Philosssophy later. We wait for them to passss, and take them. Shadowssss will follow, return to kill. Vak out."
Grimacing, Yao checked his HUD. The Raloi had scattered and were slowly moving past his own position, evidently keeping up with something he couldn't see.
"Sir, I am now detecting the main flank coming this way, ten minutes estimated." Siegfried's voice came through once more. "Without the Raloi, I suggest waiting until a better position shows itself."
"No." Yao knew what his gut instincts were telling him. "We let them past this point, those humans will never see a human planet ever again."
Growls over the channel echoed his sentiment. He felt a sense of pride swell. "Xio, send up a drone."
A double-click responded before the whisper-soft noise of an aerial surveillance unit reached his ears. To one side, a gliding body-shape rose above the treetops, gaining altitude. He followed its progress, watching its pale underbelly fade into the sky. The noise followed suit, almost before he'd noticed its presence.
He waited, tensely checking and double checking everything. Practice made perfect, but no one was perfect, so he checked.
"Xio here. I have them, sir." Her voice came through clearly, rising nervously. "I see … over thirty guards. Two tanks at the front of the column, a hover tank at the tail end. More soldiers, we have nearly a hundred enemy soldiers and … sir. Drone's counting over two hundred prisoners."
Yao raised an eyebrow. "So, you're saying this could be difficult?" He deliberately used a deeper quality in his voice, one he normally reserved for calming panicking cadets.
He didn't have to use it often on his team, but needing assurance was understandable. They'd been fighting hard for two weeks now without rest. General Chu had fallen in the earliest days, taking thirty thousand of the enemy with him, but his loss to the NCRA was still deeply felt.
A throaty chuckle came back, in Captain Lin 's tones. "Careful there. Don't challenge a girl unless you're prepared for the consequences Major."
He recognized her tactic, flirting to reduce tension. "Consequences are something I always consider, Captain. Would you like a side bet for this one?"
Their reactions couldn't be seen, but Yao knew them well. Even before Chu had died, he had worked with Vengeance squad.
"Um, sirs, if we might make a suggestion?" That was Sergeant Zhao, one of the less vocal members of the squad, but highly in tune with the group dynamics.
"Go ahead, Zhao." He answered. This should be good.
"We had a vote, the last time you two had a bet running, and we have a proposal."
Captain Lin 's voice came back, accompanied by the distant sound of rumbling vehicles. "Time is running short, ladies. Make it quick."
Sergeant Zhao responded quickly. "Right. Captain Lin and Major Yao, the squad challenges you to a kill count. Losers treat the winners to a full dinner and entertainment."
Yao's eyes grew double in size, realizing if he were to lose the bet, he'd be essentially bankrupt.
"Agreed!" Captain Lin cut in before he could say anything. "May the best woman win!"
Rumbling prevented him from following up the statement. "Siegfried, positions?"
A distinctly amused AI responded. "Forwarding estimated position. And may I say, best wishes with your courting?"
"You may not," Yao growled. "Paint them."
The map in his HUD showed a long column of red dots proceeding down the open stretch. It wasn't a true road, just a series of openings inside a forest. Scouts could find the best route, and heavy tanks could plow through the terrain, making a roadway where none had been before. He suddenly noticed a harpoon quivering in the ground near him. Yao momentarily entertained the thought of using it for silent kills, but thought against it. The harpoon sniper rifles had proven to be too unreliable with only one shot available with a long reload time.
"Major!" Xio sounded panicked. "Sir! Miscalculation, major problem! The soldiers aren't guarding the prisoners; the prisoners are guarding the soldiers!"
Yao paused, confusion plastered all over his face. "Come again?"
The specialist's gulp for air was audible. "There aren't hundreds of prisoners; there are around forty prisoners all outside the soldier column! They're being used as meat shields!"
Yao froze in anger. "Change of plan. Shadows squad, do you copy?"
Captain Vak responded. "Yesss, good hunt." There was a wet sound, something Yao chose to ignore. "Their ssscouts are gone, no one the wissser."
"Good." Yao hurriedly checked the map. "We have hostages, thirty civilians around a batarian platoon. The prisoners are a sort of shield wall."
The alien understood immediately. "You wisssh usss to sssteal the prisssonersss? Done."
Yao thought a moment before he keyed the comm one more time. "Vak, how come your speech is … altered somewhat?"
A deep hissing came through the network, similar to a venomous snake before it struck. "It isss battle. With fightsss, we sssee things differently."
"Ah. Thank you." Yao clicked it off. That was one bit of information he'd wished the chain of command had seen fit to pass down. The hissing was harder to understand than normal speech, even with the aid of translation software.
Below, he could see the first batarian wheeled vehicle in his life. It was massive, trundling through the forest in a fashion more reminiscent of giant beetles than machinery. Its wheels crushed saplings, brutally forcing aside everything in its path. Its power made the stone ledge upon which Yao was crouched behind tremble, an interesting sensation.
"Yao here. Tank in sight, let it go. Shadow-lead, what's your ETA?"
The tank below growled, a blue field surrounding it briefly as a falling tree struck its armor. The shield hissed and snapped, scorching the wood, ultimately failing to deter the mass. The wheels spun in place, making the felled monarch of the forest shake as if in fury.
"Hold it," Yao watched the tank struggle. "We may have an opportunity. Watch for openings."
Somehow, he knew the Raloi were near, even though he couldn't see them. It was something in his training, passed on from his father. He couldn't explain it, and wouldn't try. Someday, he would have to pass it on to his own descendants, should he have them; teach them how to trust their instincts.
A clanging noise drew his attention, coming from the stopped vehicle. He couldn't see anything, but the second tank was grinding to a halt. After a moment, a squad of batarian soldiers, clad in a matte black armor that screamed 'special forces' ran forwards. They busied themselves cutting apart the tree, laughing and chattering in their harsh tongue. Siegfried provided a running translation, scripting the words across the bottom of his faceplate, so as to not interrupt his sense of hearing.
Screams, faint to his ears, came from further back the armored column. Yao shifted perspectives, clicking through the Amazon's helmet cameras. When he reached the view afforded by Sergeant Zhao, his blood ran cold.
A batarian soldier, branded in red armor, was manhandling a human woman and obviously enjoying it. The scene began to grow, alerting Yao to a potential problem.
"Stand down, Sergeant," he growled. "We aren't ready yet."
The scene stood still. "Sir, she's hurting!"
"So will we if this isn't done right." He snapped back. "She's been hurt before, look at her clothes. Wait a couple minutes."
A deeper level of violence began to enact on the screen. "Stay down. That's an order!"
The Sergeant snarled under her breath but obeyed. "All right, but that mother—"
Hissing laughter broke over the channel, interrupting the exchange. Yao shifted focus to what was actually in front him. "Right, the Shadows are on the hunt. Support and rescue, move it people!"
Below, a batarian shouted in surprise as he vanished into the undergrowth. The sound of rending metal came from the bushes, then the batarian's body flew into the air. It collided with the tank, falling face down.
Two of the batarian's comrades sprayed fire at the suspect shrubbery, cutting it down with lethal efficiency.
Yao, however, had kept his eyes on the downed batarian. It had rolled over slightly, revealing deep tear marks cutting clean through the chest armor plate, leaking a yellow fluid. The apparent batarian medic crouched at the fallen soldier's side, touching the ripped plating. The alien then clutched the side of his head, bellowing into the faceplate.
"That's our cue people, light 'em up!" Yao leaped off the ledge, rolling to dissipate the unneeded impact. He came to his feet, LMG ready; to one side, a raloi figure shimmered into view, disappearing a heartbeat later.
Yao pressed the Typhon's firing stud, forcing the batarian crews into cover. Two Dragons came up beside him, spitting more accurate fire at the tank.
Return fire spattered Yao's armor, scarring the plates with gray streaks. These batarians were better trained than their earlier counterparts, popping out of cover to snap off only a few shots before taking cover once more.
A red square, highlighting an incoming grenade appeared, floating towards Yao, but a raloi materialized out of nowhere, batting it away with a chortling snap. One of the Dragons shoulder-launchers popped into sight, launching a missile into the open hatch of the following tank.
There was just enough time for a single exclamation to emanate from the vehicle, then fire streamed out of the opening, imitating a lesser volcano.
Yao dove into cover, evading another quick burst that would have shortened his lifespan by a head. He studied the map for a moment, watching the dots shift. The thirty dots indicating the hostages were falling to the back of the line while the contingent seemed to be spreading sideways in a fluid envelopment maneuver. He shut it down with a grim smile. The next few minutes would prove whether or not he'd live long enough to enjoy winning that bet.
"Yao here, they took the bait. Shadows, you're clear to make a run, make it count. Vengeance squad, it's do-or-die time."
The forward tank rumbled to life, swiveling its main turret. Yao froze, hadn't it been trapped under the tree earlier?
He ducked as the first round whistled past his cover, rolling sideways to avoid the shrapnel. An answering rocket salvo barely dented the metal beast's armor, although it did draw its fire.
Yao swept a line of fire at the oncoming circle of soldiers, beginning to feel peeved at the world. "I thought we just left this party," he muttered. "Mental note, do not attempt any rescue missions for at least one week."
"Hear, hear." Captain Lin 's voice came through the comm. She had the squad's other Typhon and was using it to good effect, switching firing modes every few seconds. The bullet stream shifted from a line of fire created by incendiary rounds to soldiers staggering behind trees from her armor-piercing rounds before she switched back to incendiary, a deadly combination by any measure.
"We got something new, Major. New armor, looks female. "Sergeant Zhao's voice warned.
Yao looked up, spotting the figure with little trouble. It was a recognizable lithe figure, very obviously female among the blocky batarian armored forms. The deep blue armor, lighter on the gloves and helmet with its strange grooves, made it easier to detect, but that didn't set it apart; with very little effort it could have vanished into the mass of bodies. But it didn't; the batarians were very careful to give it a wide berth, save the ones in matte black armor.
He nodded to himself; the Special Forces were indeed present. "Siegfried, can you tell me what that is?"
The view zoomed closer, faint lines of code scrolling past the edges of his sight. "Non-batarian, as if you needed to know that. Hmm, very different weapon types if you're interested. She also has a large number of notches in her rifle, presumably a sniper? Bio-scans are showing a certain amount of respect or fear in the batarians. That's all I can tell you."
Scowling once more, Yao shifted his stance, putting as many rounds into the visible batarians. The rest had taken cover, sending volleys in his direction – a screamed warning hit his ears, forcing him to duck in automatic response.
Yao rolled, unable to get any farther down. Something powerful lanced through the fallen log he'd been using, shattering a small boulder that had been at his back. Looking up, he saw the female figure swinging the longest rifle he'd ever seen in his direction, tracking him. Vision enhancements caught a slight twitching of her finger, and the warning tone Siegfried used resounded through his helmet.
He dodged again, this time ducking flat to his front before rolling in the opposite direction. The bulky transceiver made the maneuver difficult, splinters from the bare miss slapped against his armor like shrapnel. Quickly, he made a decision. "Siegfried, I'm dropping the pack. Need the speed."
"Understood. I'll do what I can until it is destroyed … although the Federation will be displeased by the loss. It cost more than three cruisers, fully manned." Siegfried sounded amused, but then quickly resumed a colder tone." Be warned, I can't hack her channels, her hardware looks much more sophisticated than the batarian systems."
"Great, an intellectual." Yao hit the quick-release. The resulting speed boost allowed him to whip away from the female's next shot; she was targeting him!
A silent grin crossed his face. This time, he pulled the Predator from his side holster, breaking her concentration with a wild shot in her direction. To his astonishment, she vanished in a flash of blue, reappearing across the clearing with a clear shot at his back. Only the mapping hardware in his gear allowed him to detect her position before she took another shot.
"Warning! Malware attack, coming from multiple sources. I am tasked to capacity." Siegfried's calm voice interrupted, almost costing Yao once more.
"Keep them busy." Yao tossed a grenade at a covered batarian squad before ducking out of another sniper shot. "Ancestors! Why is she picking on me?"
"We're surrounded, Major. Looks like they have us where they want us." Came Captain Lin's sober assessment. "She's probably looking for a – watch it, Zhao, left flank! – probably looking for a disabling shot. Or killing shot, we might know as much as you do."
"Like hell!" Yao kicked up his performance a notch, narrowing his focus to ignore the batarians, centering on the woman trying to kill him. Instincts were trained for a reason, either you trusted them, or you didn't. Right now, there was no choice.
The next few minutes comprised of involuntary leaps, instinctual shooting and a great deal of breathing. He found himself drawing closer to the female shooter, despite her leaping retreats in blurs of incandescent fire.
"She's fast, but I'm getting closer." He panted into the mike. The lack of response should have worried him, but he trusted his team.
Finally, by dint of lobbing a grenade in her direction while tracking her motions, Yao managed to get close enough to squeeze a shot into her rifle. He'd meant to hit her face-plate, but the rifle had been too fast, following his movements with inhuman reflexes.
She closed the distance in an instant, blurring directly into his uniquely crafted ebony armor with the force of a pile driver. The impact threw the Predator from his hand, leaving him unarmed. Only decades of experience allowed him to deflect a lightning-quick follow-up strike aimed at his face. Yao sensed surprise emanating from his opponent and capitalized on it.
The female figure barely reached Yao's chest, but she was obviously highly trained, with gloriously fast reflexes. He had encountered three other people with a similar gift; each of them had gone on to achieve black belts and invitations to the NCRA Corps. He'd bested them all, but it had always been a near thing.
Yao locked himself into the fight, watching her moves the same way an alligator watched its prey float down a river. He found himself moving in the circular motions he'd drilled others for years, deflecting her blows off with the armored forearms of his armor. It was fortunate the protection was there; her strikes were becoming more powerful as if the fight were invigorating her.
Pulses of blue began accompanying her motions, subtly helping her evade his own counter-strikes. Two times he overextended and was forced to use his superior mass to recover.
He landed a blow on her shoulder, nearly spinning her back. His follow-up jab missed solely due to her slipping on the uneven terrain. In a flash, she was gone, thirty feet away. Yao growled in fury just as she vanished again, reappearing with the power of a freight train in his chest plate once more.
Yao flew backward, tumbling into a backward roll. He caught his footing just in time to deflect a knife strike, finally, finally, grasping her wrist in one hand. She fought back, contorting herself to the point of twisting a foot over her head to hit his helmet. More blue fields appeared, eating into his shields, causing sections of the armor to warp into a deformed mockery of its former self.
Catching her other wrist was easier, now that he had one arm already restrained. Yao brought his head back in his strongest head-butt, smashing his reinforced carbon-plate mask into the light blue headgear covering her face.
When her eyes rolled back, he realized that it wasn't headgear she was wearing, but her actual head. A blue woman.
Turning, he noticed the rest of Vengeance squad was silent, grouped into a tight circle, guns outward.
Batarians surrounded the entire group, Yao included, in a ring over twenty meters across. Many had weapons drawn, although many were holding what looked like omni-tools, like what the Ruins had gifted the NCRA. One gestured for him to join the squad, then barked something at him when he began carrying the blue lady.
Yao turned his back on the batarian, hauling the unconscious woman on one shoulder. He ached in places he hadn't felt since his boot camp days, but would never show it in public.
"Nice display, Major." Captain Lin commented as he drew near. "Thank you for joining us."
Yao dropped the unconscious body at her feet. "My apologies, Captain. I assume there will be no prisoners from us?"
The woman gave him a single look. "After Zhao's little display, what do you think?"
He bowed respectfully. "It has been my greatest privilege to serve with Vengeance squad."
She inclined her head slightly. "As was ours. A pity we were never able to have the victory party; you might have gotten lucky."
Yao picked up his Typhon. "Doubtful. Even I am not that fortunate."
Hissing laughter broke over their network. "Sssilly humansss, thisss isss no time for matesss … wait. I lie. Yesss it isss!"
"Vak? Are you there? Stay back, we're going to be down in a few minutes." Yao tensed. One of the batarians was making gestures at him, a clear motion to lower his weapon. Why they'd allowed him to remain near the Typhon instead of having it be thrown a considerable distance was beyond him, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
"Siegfried, please convey my apologies to the E.F. I underestimated my opponents, a mistake I will not have a chance to repeat."
The mocking laughter of a Raloi came clearly, not over radio waves. "Batarianssss, I bring giftsss!"
A barely visible blur smashed into a batarian, tossing his form to one side in an arcing fall. A second blur tackled it midair, sending it spinning into neighboring soldiers with inhuman force.
The first blur came to a stop, showing itself to be a raloi soldier, Fures, if Yao remembered correctly. It grinned a saw-toothed smile before vanishing once more. All around him, soldiers began falling, tears ripping into their armor from nothingness, falling in a lethal display of combined melee and invisibility. An echoing roar began to fill the air, probably the hover tank that had been in the rear.
Yao dropped to one knee, glad his shields had recharged. This would hurt. A lot. Glancing back, he shifted, concealing as many of his Amazons as physically possible. Their protests were expertly ignored as he'd grown used to doing. It wasn't as if they'd have time to bully him about it later. The truism he'd learned from General Chu floated to the forefront of his mind: A good leader puts his own people ahead of himself; it was a truth he'd lived by, and he would die by it.
The Raloi were moving in a virtuoso display he knew couldn't be matched by humans. They moved in perfect synchronization with one another. It was pack behavior, a form of combat that could only be mastered by those that had it.
It was beautiful to watch, what he could see of it. Between jolts, as tungsten slammed home against his armor, he watched the aliens execute beautiful moves, the pride of any Olympic team. One would distract a batarian with a slap or shot into the chest plate, only for a second raloi to make the finishing blow. They even used the trees, leaping into the lower branches to avoid fire, or redirect an attack.
Individually, he could see they were stronger than an average human, capable of withstanding a direct punch at maximum power. But as a pack, they were truly terrifying, slashing through the batarian ranks like a buzz saw. They were good, and with their cloaking capabilities, they were able to add a new dimension to the attack, vanishing and appearing in wraith-like attacks.
He smiled behind the safety of his helmet. Perhaps some of his squad would even escape this fight. Little did he know he would be proven correct in less than a second.
For what he hadn't expected was a contingent of Alliance armored vehicles blasting a hole out of the forest, laying waste to the batarian infantry with their turrets. Two Makos rolled to a stop in front of Yao's team, blocking incoming fire from their team. A side door sloped down, beckoning them to its safe darkness.
Yao lurched forwards, surprised when his feet refused to move. He crashed to the ground, narrowly missing the blue alien behind his feet. It took three Dragons to carry him to the Mako, one after two Alliance soldiers clambered out to help.
"Hey Major, my apologies for being late." A weak voice greeted him as he was carried inside.
Yao grinned; Major Ki-Yun waved weakly at him from a jury-rigged sling in the back. "Well met! What are you doing here?"
The bedridden woman managed to look insulted. "General Williams asked for volunteers of course. You think I would stay behind?"
A new voice, male this time, broke in. "I don't have your communication protocols, Major Yao." General Williams peered back from the co-pilot seat. "That's an issue we should rectify in the near future. Can't go around rescuing civilians with no hope of backup, can we?"
Grunting, Yao felt consciousness slipping. "No, I would say not. Could I trouble you for a medic? I believe I have taken some damage."
One of the Dragons settled by him. "I'm here, Major." A fierce look in her eye compelled him to keep awake. "And if you even think of doing something so stupid as to try covering us with damaged armor – impressive as it was – we will have a few words to say about it." Around her, the rest of the Dragons made noises of agreement.
Yao swallowed. "Table that discussion please, I believe I am about too …." He fled into the welcoming darkness gladly. He knew he'd be back on his feet soon, but for now … now he'd be glad to rest. For he had a feeling that he would need all his strength in the next few days.
A/N: Guest reviewer (Ch. 12) I am not sure if you a referring to the number of batarian or human soldiers, so I can't give you a proper response. The number of troops for both sides have already been given earlier in the story and both are sizeable enough for an operation this size. Also, the batarians are only focusing on major cities and suburbs and blasting everything else from orbit, thus maximizing the use of their numbers.
Now for population, two billion people spread over a world is not large, in fact, it's quite small in terms of numbers. Just imagine the entire population of India and China spread across the world with no one else in it, a large part of the world would remain untouched.
I hope I have addressed some of your questions.
Also, to all future guest reviewers, since me and my partners' pride in responding to every reviewer, it would be greatly appreciated if you can leave a pen name or other means to get back to you in order to relay information about the story or answer some questions you may have.
We are now down to the final two chapters of the Shanxi ground war and for all those of you who have been wishing to see the batarians exterminated; fear not for the next chapter will be the SGB chapter. Prepare for glory my friends because the Russians are about to get involved and when they do, the gloves are coming off.
Trivia:
1. Title is a direct reference to Bruce Lee's movie, and a good one at that.
2. This is the debut of the Raloi Shadows and we see how they truly live up to their name
3. Hackett's POV, much like Talal's in chapter 11, was added at the last second to assist with breaking away from the combat. We do enjoy reading your feedback after all!
4. The format of the message Hackett received was inspired many of those that have appeared in science fiction novels.
5. This chapter was solely written by V-cringetorix, so let us all give him an applause!
6. In the Chinese Zodiac calendar the Fire Dragon has ended with a year ending with a 7, both in 1977 and is predicted to do so again in 2037 so I figured why not have 2157 mark the fire dragon. Though there were some liberties taken as the Fire Dragon is marked between late Janurary to Mid-Feburary, not early Janurary.