Chapter 6
Baikonur Cosmodrome, Southern Kazakhstan
September 20th, 2011
1200
Hassan stepped out of the Technical and adjusted the mask covering his mouth and nose. The vehicle sped away, leaving him alone in the middle of the Tiberium infested train yard. Green crystals covered various buildings and train cars, and sprouted out from the tracks, slowly converting the metal to make more of itself. The field spread past the train yard and Hassan could see Harvesters greedily scooping up the crystals to be brought to refineries sitting at the edge of the field. Tiberium silos sat in neat rows, keeping the processed substance stored and ready to be used for production.
Hassan walked away from the decaying train yard and made his way towards the command centre. It was located in the middle of a large base built on the far edge of the old Soviet Cosmodrome. The building itself was a large complex, comprised of a communication building, officers' quarters, and the main command and control room. Juhziz had built this to be the seat of his new domain, as evidenced by the dozens of red and black Nod banners that hung along its walls, as well as the large green banner with the scorpion's tail insignia which was Juhziz's personal flag.
Hassan walked past two Hands of Nod, and nodded at the soldiers who were stationed outside. He quickly took in the scale of the base: warfactories were busy producing new vehicles. Power plants gave a low hum as they powered the more advanced defences that surrounded the base. Hassan also could see the entrances to the tunnel networks that crisscrossed just below the surface, allowing the Nod forces to move about quickly and unseen. Juhziz had clearly rallied all of his forces here, all committed to his cause.
Hassan stopped to gaze at the seemingly normal Harvester that was being carefully guarded by a squad of Juhziz's elite guard. The vehicle had been converted to safely carry the nuclear warhead that Hassan had stolen from Turkey. He still did not know the full extent of the General's plan, but whatever he intended to do was bound to only bring destruction upon the Brotherhood.
Hassan broke from his chain of thought and continued into the command building, passing by more guards. He quickly made his way through the halls, many still under construction as the interior had yet to be finished. He finally arrived at the main control room, and was pleasantly surprised to find it furnished with all the latest equipment; it was refreshing after having to rely on scrapped together material for so long.
Juhziz stood in the center, watching several screens that displayed pirated feeds from GDI satellites in orbit. A quick glance at one showed a large GDI base surrounding an old building, which Hassan guessed was the main control center for the Cosmodrome. Another screen displayed the main rocket yard, a large pit that had been dug out to accommodate the massive amounts of fire and smoke the missile would produce when launched. He could see two large scaffolds that could support the rockets, one of which was currently occupied by a rusted Suyez rocket, clearly decades old. The other was empty, and Hassan knew that the General intended to use the rocket yard to launch his nuclear missile. Hassan was busy thinking of potential targets as he waited for Juhziz to acknowledge his presence; the General seemed to enjoy his theatrics.
"Do you feel it Hassan?" Juhziz asked, sounding like he was in some kind of trance.
"Feel what sir?" Hassan tried to keep his concern out of his voice.
"The Spirit hand of Kane. He is with us today, victory will be ours with His blessing." Juhziz finally turned to Hassan, with a look of smug confidence.
"Kane lives in death." Hassan replied automatically.
He was careful to keep his doubts to himself. Juhziz may have brought a large force to bear, but GDI still greatly outmatched them. Looking back to the screens only helped reinforce those doubts. Airfields filled with Raptors and Orcas, entire rows of Crusader tanks, and more Humvees then Hassan cared to count. All Nod had to face against such force were Scorpion tanks, Rocket Buggies and Quad-cannons, and the new Marauder tanks. The Marauders were built primarily as tank destroyers: armed with heavy armour and a powerful cannon, they were effective at destroying GDI's superior tanks, but were expensive to produce. And this was all without the proposed plans to add drills to the tank, which would have allowed it to burrow into the ground and transform itself into an emplaced turret.
"Come Hassan. I want you to lead our forces today." Juhziz beckoned Hassan over to him.
Hassan obliged and walked up to stand beside the General. Juhziz then pointed out the rocket yard and control building, both well defended with Patriot batteries.
"Our first goal must be to take the main control building. Without it, we won't be able to take over the Cosmodrome. Second is obviously the missile launch facility itself. It shall be the tool upon which I visit terrible vengeance upon our enemies."
"Where do you intend to strike?" Hassan couldn't contain his curiosity any longer.
"London. The heart of the tyrants."
Hassan nodded to himself. Destroying London could very well throw GDI into chaos. It could cripple Europe and put the full weight of maintaining the Initiative on America. It could, in theory, be enough to break them.
"We shall lead a full frontal assault on the GDI stronghold. We must purge this place of their filth. It will be a daunting task, but thankfully we have allies coming to our aid." Juhziz turned away from the screens and walked towards a room built into the upper left corner of the room.
Inside there was exposed wiring and half-finished walls, but a large wooden table had been laid out in the middle of the room. Only a handful of chairs were in place, with the others still stored away somewhere. It was clear this room was intended to serve as a war room or conference area, no doubt to serve Juhziz's personal cabal when, or if, he took power. The General took a seat at the far end of the table, Hassan sat close by, pushing away a tool box.
"Who are these allies? Have you managed to recruit another cell?" Hassan asked.
"No. Prince Kassad has sent us what remains of Oslo's forces." A wide grin spread across Juhziz's face as Hassan stared at him in shock.
"Oslo is dead?" Hassan's voice was full of disbelief.
"General Oslo was killed when GDI raided Kosovo. The old bastard was too stubborn and thought he could win. He didn't count on the tyrants leveling the entire city of Pristina just to get to him."
Both men were silent as Hassan tried to process the information. With Oslo dead, that effectively made Juhziz the sole contender to be the ruler of the Brotherhood. If the General managed to pull off a nuclear strike on London, every Nod cell would rally to him.
"When will the reinforcements arrive?" Hassan finally asked after a moment.
"Within hours. Unfortunately we cannot wait for them as GDI is aware of our presence. We shall have to hope they arrive before the battle ends."
Hassan was careful to mask his emotions. Internally he was worried that Juhziz was relying too heavily on these men who hadn't even arrived.
"Do you think you can trust Kassad?"
"With Oslo gone, he wouldn't dare oppose me." Again Juhziz spoke with arrogance.
All Hassan could do was trust the man whom many had pinned their hopes on. Without a strong leader, the Brotherhood would collapse even further, and perhaps be utterly wiped out. Hassan squashed his dark thoughts and focused on the battle ahead. The General had rolled out an old map, made decades ago when the facility was still operational. It had markings of current positions and enemy strong points.
"We will need to cross the river bed here: that will bring us to an old refuelling station. Kell and his scouts report that it is only lightly occupied. From there we can attack the main base and take the control building. Kassad's forces are set to arrive from the east. Once the base is down, any remaining infidel forces should be easy to eliminate."
"What of the GDI force assaulting the capital? Are you not worried of a counter attack?"
GDI had steamrolled through the country and had quickly begun conquering city after city. Nod's crusade of liberation was being threatened, but Juhziz had still committed his forces to this operation. And when news that the infamous Mark Lancaster, the very man who had killed the Messiah, was here in Kazakhstan, many were terrified. And rightfully so; the man had been a huge thorn in Juhziz's side, yet the General seemed unfazed.
"I will deal with the demon when the time comes. I am well prepared for him." Juhziz's tone suggested an end to the conversation.
Hassan instead focused on the map and planned out the attack. It promised to be a blood bath, but if he focused on destroying the airfields, it may give him a slight advantage.
"There is one last thing. I have a new weapon for you to use, a weapon of divine vengeance. I think you will find it useful."
"I shall not fail you sir." Hassan tried to sound as confident as the General. He hoped it sounded convincing.
"I know you won't. After today, Hassan, we shall enter a new era. A new sun is rising."
Juhziz began discussing strategies, both for and after the battle. Hassan was swept up by the General's conviction, and was reminded as to why he followed him and his vision. But he still couldn't quell the doubt in his soul. He quickly prayed to God and to Kane, hoping that they would be watching over him.
… … …
Sergeant Allen Bradley took another drag from his cigarette as he leaned back in his chair. He kicked away empty MRE wrappers and placed his feet on the old desk in front of him. He and his squad were tasked with holding down the abandoned refuelling station, a job he was half convinced serve as some sort of punishment. He couldn't think of what he would be punished for. Surely it couldn't have been over those drunken remarks he had made last week. Sure, they may have been a bit racist towards Commander Xiang, but it wasn't Bradley's fault: he had been drunk after all. Unfortunately, that didn't completely vindicate him, and he had been assigned here. Supposedly he was task with guarding the building and to act as an early warning for the base in case Nod attacked. But the Brotherhood was such a joke that he didn't feel worried at all.
The rest of his squad was either playing a game of poker, or taking a nap. If anyone had seen them now, he was sure they would get thrown into lock up, they were on duty after all. But there was no chance that he or his men would get reported. The only other people in the building were Sergeant Dylan and his squad, who occupied the bottom floor. And Dylan was scared enough of Bradley that the man would do whatever he told him to do.
Bradley flicked his cigarette onto the dust strewn floor, then shifted in his seat to get more comfortable. One of the men playing poker, Corporal Monroe, looked up from the game.
"Hey Sergeant. You want in on the next game?"
"Nah I'm good. I'm still hungry." Bradley patted his rumbling stomach for emphasis.
"Still? Holy shit Sarge, you ate two MREs already."
"Fuck off Monroe. Someone go downstairs and get one from Dylan."
"Why do we have to do it?"
"Because I'm in charge and you do as I say."
Monroe just flipped him the bird and resumed his game. Bradley grumbled to himself and got off the chair, stretching his tired muscles. He was about to call Dylan but couldn't find his radio. He searched around the desk but found it a moment later when it crackled to life and Dylan's voice came through.
"Sergeant Bradley come in. We got a situation, over?" The kid sounded like he was going to shit his pants. How he ever made sergeant was beyond Bradley's understanding.
He finally found the radio under a pile of documents that he had thrown to the floor. He picked it up and quickly replied to the kid before he ruined his trousers.
"Yeah yeah I hear yah. What situation?"
"I spot three Nod vehicles approaching. Should we contact command?"
Bradley moved to the window, quickly wiping off the dust with his sleeve and then looked outside. He burst out laughing and nearly tripped over a discarded box as he backed away. The others looked at him like he was a mad man, but he paid them no mind. There were indeed three vehicles approaching them, but they were beaten down farm tractors with armour bolted onto them. He did noticed turrets mounted to the top, but the tractors were moving so slowly he guessed they wouldn't reach the GDI troops for another ten minutes. Curiosity finally compelled Monroe to have a look, and his reaction was more of confusion than amusement.
"Dylan you fucking idiot. You aren't seriously afraid of some shit together tractor? Grow a fucking pair man."
"But Sergeant, we've never seen something like this before. We should report it, maybe this is just the vanguard of an attack."
"If a bunch of tractors is what Nod is sending as the vanguard, then we don't have to worry about any kind of attack. Calm down, pull your panties out of your crotch, and bring me some damn food."
"But-"
"Dylan. Shut the fuck up." Bradley turned off the radio and tossed it onto the desk.
Monroe was still at the window when he said, "Maybe we should do something about them?"
Bradley just sighed, then moved to the back corner of the room where they had stored some heavier ordnance. Sniper rifles, rocket and grenade launchers, and even some heavy machine guns. All piled up in case command was serious about occupying the dusty old building. He picked up an AT4 launcher and tossed it to Monroe, then more carefully piled three more launchers by the window.
"Here, have fun."
Bradley returned to his seat and pulled out another cigarette, just as Monroe broke the glass window and took aim with the launcher. The others scrambled out of the way, not wanting to get blasted by the backblast. Bradley braced himself for the loud noise, but instead of a missile streaking away, he heard Monroe's concerned voice.
"Uh Sarge. Those things just got a lot faster. And…what the fuck? They got big ass water tanks strapped to them."
"What?"
Bradley got up and walked over to the window. Sure enough the three tractors were moving much faster, and they had large transparent holding tanks bolted to their frame. Tubes connected the tanks to the turret on top, but they weren't filled with water, instead they glowed green.
"Monroe, fucking shoot them!"
Monroe didn't wait for Bradley to get out of the way, instead he fired a rocket, filling the room with exhaust smoke. Outside the missile impacted one of the tractors, causing it to explode into a greenish black fire ball. That pretty much confirmed what Bradley had been afraid of. Those tractors were carrying Tiberium. He had heard of weapons that could spray refined Tiberium, and anyone unlucky to be caught in the stream would have their flesh melted clean off the bone.
"Fuck! Monroe what are you waiting for? Fire again!"
"Fuck off Sarge!" Monroe shouted as he fumbled with the second AT4; clearly he understood what was going on too.
The others had grabbed their weapons and moved to other windows to see what was going on. Bradley just stood there and watched as Monroe fired again, destroying the second tractor. The third kept coming towards them, moving as fast as it could. It was then that Bradley realized that no one from Dylan's squad was firing at the thing. He quickly grabbed his radio and turned it back on.
"Dylan what the fuck are you doing? Are you going to shoot the bastard or-"
"There's three more of them behind us! I've been trying to tell you that for ten fucking minutes! They're almost on top of us!"
Bradley ran to the other side of the room and looked out the adjacent window. His stomach dropped as he noted three more tractors roll past the burning remains of another two. They were almost at the edge of the building when all three unleashed a stream of green sludge. Bradley dropped the radio and stumbled backwards, hot piss running down his leg. Horrified and inhuman screams burst from the radio, as Dylan and his men were consumed by the weaponized Tiberium. He couldn't think, he couldn't move, he wanted to run and scream. But before he could do anything, a stream of green sludge broke through the window and slammed into him. At once, a pain so intense it was indescribable, surged right through him.
The only thing Sergeant Allen Bradly could do was simply scream, and scream, until the Tiberium finally consumed his lungs.
… … …
Hassan stood on top of a large pipe that used to feed water underneath a man-made dirt bridge. He watched as the Tiberium Tractors reduced the refuelling station to radioactive slag. They were crude recreations of the Messiah's designs, but they had proven effective.
He turned to face the rest of the force. Columns of Scorpion and Marauder tanks were idling, waiting for the order to move. Behind them were Technicals and Attack Buggies. Further behind them were Rocket Buggies, which would act as artillery. There were no APCs or other transports, so the infantry would have to ride in the Technicals or on top of the Marauders.
Hassan turned his gaze to the GDI base, just visible from his position. The main entrance was guarded by towers and Patriot batteries. He had been ordered to siege the base and reduce it to ruin, but he had devised his own strategy. Instead of rushing for the control building like the General wanted, he would instead focus down the airfields, to cripple GDI's air supremacy. For that he held his Quad-cannons in reserve, ready to move up should the Orcas or Raptors be deployed. There was no more time to waste, no more time to plan; all Hassan could do was hope reinforcements would arrive.
He quickly returned to his personal Technical. Jarmen Kell sat in the back, along with two elite guard. Juhziz's elites were armed with highly customized SCAR rifles. They were well trained, and had been ordered to keep him alive. Barely acknowledging the occupants of the vehicle, Hassan took his seat at the front. He noticed Kell giving him a snarl of annoyance, but Hassan ignored the assassin as the radio came to life, General Juhziz spoke to address the whole army.
"Brothers and Sisters! Today we fall upon our enemies with a great vengeance. We have come here to acquire the tools to exact justice. Justice for the murder of our Messiah! Victory today will mean the reunification of our Brotherhood. And we shall be its new rulers! Attack!"
The radio was filled with shouts of bloodlust or offered prayers for victory. But it was soon drowned out by a chorus of Peace through power. Hassan joined in, as did everyone else in the vehicle save Jarmen Kell. But deep down, doubt still gnawed at Hassan's soul. Would the Brotherhood truly survive Juhziz's ambitions? Would GDI really be afraid to retaliate? He just didn't know.
He pushed his thoughts down as the army surged forward. The Marauder tanks opened up with their heavy cannons, and fired on the defensive batteries ahead of them. Most of the shells fell short and kicked up large plumes of dirt. Rocket Buggies unleashed their salvos and Hassan watched the missiles fly over the Nod forces. The rockets found their mark, and Patriot batteries began exploding while guard towers were brought down. Flames started consuming the base's entrance and alarm sirens began to wail. Quad-cannons raised their anti-air guns in preparation of an air strike.
A few of the Patriot batteries had survived the first volley of tank and rocket fire, and fired a return salvo. Hassan watched as a Marauder tank exploded, and the squad of soldiers riding on its back were sent flying, dead long before their bodies hit the ground. More Technicals and Attack Buggies were destroyed, but still the Nod forces pressed on. The Rocket Buggies fired a second volley and the final defences were destroyed, and they surged into the GDI base like a flood. Marauders, Scorpions, and Buggies raced ahead, but immediately came upon a wall of Crusader tanks and even some wheeled B1 Centauro tanks.
The GDI forces opened fire and reaped a terrible harvest from the Nod attackers. The front of the base was quickly littered with burning hulks of Nod vehicles. Hassan's own Technical narrowly missed a shell fired from a B1 that shot past them. The Nod forces fought back however: soldiers quickly leaped off the Marauders and moved into the base, striking down the GDI infantry who were still stumbling out of their barracks. Quad-cannons moved away from the main attack force and made their way towards the small airfields where crews were scrambling to get their craft ready.
Hassan pointed the driver to a hangar where a Black Hawk helicopter was in a state of disassembly. The Technical weaved around the combating forces in an effort to find cover. The gunner on the back was firing at targets as they raced past, and even Kell was attempting to kill something with his sniper rifle. They eventually reached the hangar without any incident and Hassan and his guards got out. The hangar was empty and Hassan quickly moved to set it up as an impromptu rallying point. He began to call for the various infantry units scattered around the base when he heard the Quad-cannons open fire.
Outside GDI Orcas lifted into the air, only to be cut apart like cheap toys. Airmen and infantry both tried to take down the AA guns while crews attempted to get their Raptors or Orcas airborne. Hassan nodded approvingly. So long as they could keep GDI out of the air, they would have a chance of winning this. However GDI was well aware of this as well, and he spotted several Humvees and Crusader tanks racing towards the airfields.
"All call signs, this is Hierarch Actual! Rally to my position! We must keep the infidels from getting their air power off the ground. All call signs rally to me!" Hassan finished by rattling off the coordinates, then repeated the message once more.
Hassan looked to see his forces struggle to push through the GDI defenders, causing more and more burning wrecks to be added to the building scrapheap at the base's entrance. In the meantime, infantry fought their way towards the service hangars that Hassan and his guard had taken. Many outright ran for them while other were engaged in fighting retreats. The GDI soldiers had been slow to react but were quickly finding their footing. Hassan could see grenadier squads moving towards the Quad-cannons, as they continued to destroy enemy air units as they were still inside their hangars.
Kell had rested his rifle on the hood of the Technical, and was picking off enemy infantry one by one. There were already several spent magazines laying at his feet. The gunner was likewise picking out his targets and firing long burst of machine gun fire.
Nod may have made it inside the base, but it was clear that pushing to the control building would be near impossible. Hassan readied the radio again but stopped as a grenade exploded just outside the hangar. A squad of GDI infantry had somehow snuck up on them and was engaged with his guards. Kell dropped his sniper rifle and pulled out his sidearm, firing three quick bullets which caught a grenadier in the chest. The man fell backwards before he could get another shot off, but one of the soldiers quickly grabbed the weapon and retreated into cover, however Hassan was too busy keeping his head down to care as his guards exchanged fire with the enemy. Outside the Nod troops were rallying around the AA guns, trying to defend them while both Nod and GDI tanks continued their deadly dance.
Kell retreated into the hangar and took cover with Hassan behind the body of the Black Hawk. Outside the two guards and the gunner continued to battle against the enemy troops, until the Technical exploded in a brilliant flash. Jagged bits of metal pinged off the helicopter, and thick black smoke quickly filled the small service hangar. Only one guard survived the explosion, but was quickly shot dead before he could get back on his feet. Kell shouldered his sniper rifle and Hassan fumbled to bring his own weapon to bear. The GDI soldier with the grenade launcher literally jumped into the view and was about to pull the trigger, had Kell not been faster and blew half the man's face clean off.
The remaining three soldiers fired wildly into the hangar, and bullets ricocheted everywhere. Hassan managed to fire back and hit a soldier center mass. Kell finished off the other two, and both men were silent as they listened to the Technical burn. They heard more footsteps approaching but relaxed when soldiers in familiar black and red uniforms appeared.
"Commander Hassan, sir. Are you alright?" One trooper asked.
"Yes I'm fine." Hassan picked himself up and walked to the entrance.
In the brief firefight, things had gone from bad, to worse. Most of his armour had been destroyed, with only a handful of Marauders and perhaps twice as many Scorpions still actively fighting. All of his Rocket Buggies and light vehicles were scattered across the base, and what was left of his infantry were split between holding the service hangars, or defending the Quad-cannons. The only silver lining was that the GDI airfields were in ruins, and fires were rapidly consuming a couple powerplants. But the majority of the GDI base was intact, and he could see that the enemy was gearing up for a final counter push. Hassan quickly grabbed for his radio, cursing under his breath until the General finally answered.
"General, our forces are being overwhelmed! We need those reinforcements. Where the hell is Kassad?"
"They haven't arrived yet? Kassad just assured me his men were close by."
"Well they sure as hell aren't here helping! Tell that bastard to hurry up."
"Watch your tone with me boy. I…" General Juhziz fell silent for a moment.
Hassan wasn't sure what was going on. But he put the radio down for a moment to coordinate with his platoon leaders while quickly calling all of his remaining forces to concentrate on the service hangers. The half tracked Quad-cannons began to drive in reverse as they fled the ruined airfields, air crews still firing small arms fire at them. Meanwhile infantry ran ahead of what few tanks were left as they all converged together. Curiously, the GDI forces didn't pursue them and instead, they fell back to the smoking hangars where Raptors and Orcas had failed to take off. Hassan knew that the enemy was simply gathering their forces. He picked up the radio again and called for the General, unable to keep the impatience from his voice.
"General I need those extra troops now or we'll never take the-"
"Kassad isn't coming."
Hassan was stunned into silence. It took him a few seconds for him to comprehend what Juhziz was saying.
"What do you mean? What happened to those reinforcements?"
"The coward recalled his men back to Cairo! When I get my hands on that traitorous bastard I'll-"
"Sir! We need to fall back. We can't hold our position here, if we try we will be wiped out." Hassan regretted cutting the General off as he did not wish to evoke his wrath, but they were fighting a losing battle.
"No! I did not come this far only to be denied now! Hold your ground, we shall win even without Kassad's men."
"But-"
"No retreat."
Juhziz ended the call and the radio was filled with empty static. Hassan just stared at it, fuming with rage.
"What is happening?" Kell asked as he stepped over, sniper rifle cradled in his arms.
"Kassad has abandoned us. And Juhziz has ordered we hold our ground anyways." Hassan spat onto the ground.
"I don't get paid enough for this." Was all Kell said in response.
There was an odd moment of calm as both sides readied to fight again. Crusader tanks and Humvees gathered on the runways as infantry crowded around them. B1 tanks and more infantry gathered near the entrance, which was littered with burning wrecks. Meanwhile Hassan's last remaining Marauders took point ahead of the seventeen Scorpions he had left. His remaining companies of infantry and two Attack Buggies were arrayed around the service hangar, awaiting his commands. It was up to him now to save these men and try to salvage a victory. But only if the Spirit hand of Kane would grant them a miracle.
The GDI host surged forward, infantry running at a full sprint, while Crusader tanks fired wild shots. His Marauders responded in kind with most shells missing, but one made a direct hit and blew the turret of a Crusader clean off. Nod soldiers found what cover they could and hosed down the GDI troops trying to rout them out, while the Buggies tried to distract the Humvees.
As the chaos of battle raged around them, Kell was calm as stone. He only stopped firing his sniper rifle to reload. Hassan had placed his weapon off to the side as he tried to coordinate the battle, difficult as it was to do in the thick of the fighting. He yelled in his radio, his voice going hoarse. He directed the Marauders to take down the Crusaders so the Scorpions could focus down the lighter vehicles. It seemed like they were winning at first, but then the second group of GDI troops entered the fray. Two B1 tanks fired at once and pierced through a Marauder's chassis, the tank erupted into flames.
Hassan looked out in dismay at the carnage, all of which was the result of Juhziz's impatience and Kassad's cowardice. Hassan no longer concerned himself with trying to win the battle, and instead looked for a way to escape. He looked into the other service hangars arrayed in a semi-circle. Much like the one he was in, the others had vehicles in various states of repair, including an A-10 Warthog. From this distance Hassan couldn't tell what was wrong with the plane, but he could see that it was fully armed with rockets. Hassan gave a quick prayer of thanks to Kane, then turned to Kell.
"We need to get to that hangar!" He yelled over the bark of Kell's rifle.
Kell kept his sniper rifle shouldered, but followed Hassan's gaze to the Warthog hangar. He gave a wicked smile and nodded. They gathered a squad of infantry to come with them, and then Hassan ordered the other forces to cover them as they ran for the hanger. It wasn't a far run, but with the GDI troops quickly pushing through, it didn't grant them much time.
The tanks exchanged another volley of shells and the ground rumbled from the explosions. The roar of gunfire chased at Hassan and his entourage as they ran across the pavement. One soldier fell face forward as a bullet blew a hole in the back of his head, causing the others to stop and return fire. As soon as Hassan and Kell reached the hangar, the assassin immediately twirled around and began firing his heavy sniper rifle. Every time it gave a loud bark, a GDI soldier would find himself with more holes then needed.
Hassan scrambled into the cockpit of the fighter. He had no idea how to operate it, but all he needed to know was how to fire the weapons. He was pleasantly surprised to find the Warthog had recently been upgraded with the latest technology GDI had to offer. An on board EVA unit greeted him with a slightly feminine voice, before asking what systems he wanted to activate. Apparently they had yet to install any security measures yet, which worked well in his favour. He quickly called up the weapons systems and watched as streams of data quickly scrolled down the console before giving him a full list of weapons. Anti-tank rockets and armour piercing rounds were all loaded and ready to fire. Just in time too, as the GDI forces had broken through the Nod troops. A single Marauder and two Scorpions belched black smoke into the air from grievous wounds, with the other Nod tanks having retreated behind the hangars as the GDI armour simply rolled through. The infantry likewise were falling back to the A-10 hangar, being chased by GDI regulars and armed airmen.
Hassan quickly targeted the Crusader and Centauro tanks, the EVA unit confirming a positive lock. Without giving warning to Kell or the others, Hassan pressed down on the trigger. The hangar became engulfed in smoke as the rockets fired, flying only a few feet off the ground and narrowly missing the heads of Nod soldiers. As the rockets curved slightly to track their targets, one Crusader tank had moved slightly ahead of the others and was the first to be ripped apart by the rockets. Seconds later the other tanks were torn asunder and any infantry nearby were pelted with burning debris. A feral laugh escaped Hassan's mouth as he switched to the heavy rotary cannon. At this point the Nod soldiers knew well enough to get out of the way, as Hassan unleashed a stream of metal. GDI troops didn't die from the torrent, instead they simply stopped existing.
Silence fell over the base again as the Nod forces emerged from cover to survey the destruction. The GDI tanks lay in ruin, and enemy infantry beat a hasty retreat to the control building. Hassan heaved a sigh of relief and gave another quick prayer of thanks to Kane. He climbed out of the cockpit only to come face to face with Kell. The man looked him up and down, then simply gave an approving nod before walking off. Hassan could only guess that meant the man was impressed, Hassan on the other hand, couldn't believe his plan had worked. He took several deep breaths, then called Juhziz, watching his men re-establish defences in anticipation of another attack.
"Hassan? Have you taken the base yet?" The General sounded impatient, and that caused a surge of anger to course through Hassan.
"Negative. We have taken control over the southern half of the airfield. We have just repelled an enemy attack. I need extra troops if I am to take the base." Hassan said a little too hotly.
"I'll send you what I can. But you need to hurry up. Lancaster will doubtlessly be aware of our operation now and will come here soon. Don't fail me." The General cut the line again before Hassan could say anything.
With a frustrated sigh he turned to his troop commanders and quickly organized his forces. He had two Marauders and seven Scorpions left, plus just over a companies' worth of foot soldiers. It was a miracle that they had survived, but Hassan knew that these men would not be enough to take the rest of the base. Beyond the ruined airfield, there were still barracks, and warfactories to capture or destroy, as well as the control building. Not to mention whatever other defences GDI had scattered across the Cosmodorme.
Hassan and his forces waited for fifteen minutes for Juhziz's reinforcements. In that time they had not been attack, nor had they seen any activity from their enemy. Hassan was relieved when four Attack Buggies and ten Attack Bikes came racing towards them, and with three BTR-80s trailing behind them. It wasn't much, but it would be enough. Kell walked up to Hassan, along with a soldier that he recognized as the man from the Turkey mission.
"Commander Hassan." Korvich greeted respectfully, giving a slight bow.
"I suggest we divide our forces for the final attack." Kell began without preamble. "I will take the bulk of our troops and secure the base. You take Korvich and his men to secure the control building."
Hassan had learned not to take offence from the assassin giving him orders. But he still couldn't help but question the man's plan.
"Divide our forces? We are already severely diminished. To take the control building will be a daunting task all on its own."
"We just need the central command room. We take that, and the rest of the facility will follow." Kell said reassuringly, rather than his usual dismissive snarl.
"I have two squads of well-trained veterans, sir. We can secure the building." Korvich added.
Hassan mulled it over for a moment, looking between the haggard and worn features of Korvich, to the hardened and uncaring face of Jarmen Kell. Finally he nodded his head and spoke with a commanding tone.
"Very well. Kell, take our forces and route out the infidels. Brother Korvich, lead the way."
Korvich bowed again and began to move off towards a waiting group of Nod soldiers. Kell simply nodded and moved to address the rest of the force. Hassan noted that Korvich and his men were geared for close quarters combat, switching out SCAR or AK rifles for sub machine guns and shotguns. The arsenal ranged from P90s and Vectors, to MP5s and even single handed Uzis. Two men toted heavy duty pump action shotguns, and Hassan felt bad for anyone who would meet the business end of those weapons.
Hassan and the others fell in behind a single Attack Buggy as it slowly moved towards the control building. Kell meanwhile had taken position on the back of a Marauder and led the other Nod troops deeper into the base. Within moments the sound of gunfire erupted, closely followed by the sound of tanks firing. Hassan ignored it and focused on the task at hand, shifting his grip on his rifle.
The Buggy picked up speed and moved away from Hassan and his men. It opened fire on a cluster of GDI soldiers guarding the front entrance. The large calibre machine gun punching through sandbag barricades and shredding apart the enemy troops. Suddenly several second and third floor windows shattered as bullets rained down on the small force. The Buggy quickly shifted its aim as Hassan and others searched for cover. He found himself beside Korvich, hiding behind a rusted cargo truck that must have been left here by the previous occupants. The two men fired on the windows at random, hoping to drive back the defenders. Hassan did not want to get bogged down into a protracted firefight, but the enemy had been prepared for them. He fired another burst but fell back into cover when bullets pinged off the truck.
The Buggy began racking its machine gun back and forth across the front of the building. Hassan saw an opening and ordered his men to rush for the front door. They ran across the weed covered front lawn as the Buggy kept the enemy suppressed. Bits of earth were torn up around them as a few gunners managed to get a couple bursts off.
Hassan almost tripped over a dead GDI soldier, but quickly regained his footing and took position by the door, underneath the gunners above. Korvich kicked the doors open and they all entered into the front lobby. Hassan was taken back for a moment at how clean and modern the interior was, compared to the outside of the building which was borderline dilapidated. The inside was cleaned and polished, walls painted a dull grey. A large silver diving eagle was moulded to the wall adjacent to the door, the faint outlines of the hammer and sickle barely visible beneath it.
The lobby was empty, but Hassan could hear gunfire coming from down the hallways. He had no idea how many enemies could be inside the building, and it caused him to glance at every corner with suspicion.
"Where to Sergeant Korvich?" Hassan asked while clutching his rifle tighter.
"The main control room is located below us. Everything above is just administrative." Korvich stated simply.
The team made their way inside towards the back of the building. A row of elevators were situated on front of a large stairwell, but two of the four elevators were currently under repair. The team ignored them and took the stairs down. They continued to encounter no resistance. It was by the second floor that Hassan wondered how the fighting outside was going, hoping that Kell could handle things.
They reached the third and final floor and stacked up by the doors. One of Korvich's men slowly opened the door, MP5 held at the ready. As soon as he opened the door by a few centimeters bullets ripped through the thin wood and tore into his body. The man jerked around as blood splattered everything and everyone behind him. The bullets finally stopped and what was left of the man fell to the ground. Korvich and his men returned fire, firing blinding around the remains of the door.
Hassan stayed back as lethal bits of metal filled the space where the door was. Another Nod soldier fell to the ground, bullets having torn up his lungs. Another moved to toss a grenade but was killed before he could pull the pin. Korvich quickly snatched up the grenade and tossed it down the hall in one fluid motion. The grenade exploded with a dull thud, followed by agonized screams. The two shotgun wielding troopers then charged into the hallway and Hassan couldn't see what happened, but he heard three powerful blasts from the weapon before things fell silent. Korvich and his men pushed forward and Hassan followed. In the hall was ten GDI soldiers, some in combat dress, others in officer's uniforms. Three men lay dead with more than half their torsos missing which Hassan tried not to look at.
At the far end of the hall was a large steel door that doubtlessly led to the control room. Other than the four elevator doors, the hall was devoid of any other rooms or doors. The team moved slowly towards the control room, weapons shouldered. The two heavy troopers took point and opened the steel doors, quickly jerking backwards in anticipation of an attack. But when none came, they all moved inside.
The control room was empty, with no one manning the countless consoles or terminals. There were no guards or technicians, nor any officers. Korvich and his men fanned out, still cautious of a trap. Hassan simply moved to the center of the room and looked up at a massive screen that dominated a fair portion of the wall. It displayed live feeds from all over the Cosmodrome, including the base and the main rocket yard. It was then that Hassan could see the large amounts of construction equipment and heavy duty machinery arrayed around the rocket yard. GDI had been in the process of repairing and expanding it.
Hassan had heard that GDI had been aggressively expanding its space programs, creating more satellites and even building more of their dreaded Ion cannons. All of which would require more launch sites, such as the old Cosmodrome. Hassan smiled to himself, knowing that they could take the tools of oppression away from GDI and use it against them.
Korvich came up to Hassan and reported that the room was secured. Hassan tried to get a hold of Kell to see how the battle was going, keeping his eyes on the large view screen the entire time.
"Kell do you copy? Jarmen do you hear me?" Hassan flinched when he heard the bark of a familiar sniper rifle.
"Yes I hear you! I'm busy up here! The bastards have holed themselves inside the communications centre!" Kell shouted over the din of battle, making no attempts to hide his anger.
Hassan shifted his focus to another monitor, this one displaying a satellite view if the base. He could see Kell and his forces pinned down outside the Comms building as GDI made a desperate defence. GDI no longer had its Crusader tanks to rely on, instead they only had a handful of B1s and Humvees. However it was the column of Patriot batteries that were giving Kell the most problems, keeping his armour further back and unable to cover the infantry.
"Sergeant Korvich. Is there any way we can disable those batteries from here?" Hassan asked as he turned to face the man.
Korvich responded by gesturing for one of his men to come forward. The soldier carried a large backpack on top of his regular kit.
"Delmonte, see what you can do."
Delmonte nodded and pulled out a laptop from his bag. He quickly set it down and plugged it into a terminal, his fingers began typing faster than Hassan thought was possible. The others took up positions around the door, ready in case of an attack. Hassan watched Delmonte work, complex streams of numbers filled his laptop screen. After a few moments Delmonte smiled to himself and said,
"Too easy."
Hassan was about to ask what he had done but it became unnecessary when he looked back to the screen. The Patriot missile batteries had turned from targeting the Nod attackers, to instead targeting the GDI forces. They unleashed a salvo of missiles that slammed into the backs of the wheeled B1 tanks. The enemy defenders were caught completely by surprise. With the enemy distracted, Kell pushed his advantage and stormed the building. The assassin's cold voice cut through the radio.
"I'll assume that was your doing Hassan. Took you long enough."
Hassan merely ignored the man and moved to call Juhziz, smiling as he had done the impossible and claimed the Cosmodrome.
"General, the base is secured and the control building is ours. Kell is cleaning up the last stragglers as we speak." Hassan smiled towards Korvich, who simply stood by with an impassive expression.
"Well done Commander. But do not celebrate yet. We need to control the rocket yard or else this whole operation will be for nothing." Juhziz still sounded impatient.
"I'll get it done."
Hassan felt disappointed. How could the General not be thrilled at what Hassan had just achieved? He had done the impossible and given the man his prize, yet still he spoke to Hassan with impertinence.
He scoffed and shook his head, and was about to write it off and consider the mission complete, until he noticed a trio of Humvees drive into the construction yard by the launch pads. They were then joined by another five, each Humvee disgorging soldiers and general staff. More GDI personnel flooded into the rocket yard, coming from all over the facility. He had no idea what they were doing, but he intended to stop it.
"Kell what's your status?"
"Comms building is secure. There was no one here, almost like they abandoned it." Kell sounded almost disappointed at having been denied a fight.
"They did. GDI forces are clustered around the launch pads."
"Why?"
"Why don't you go ask them? I count seven Humvees and close to sixty foot targets. It should be easy enough for you."
Kell replied by giving a short laugh. The Nod forces scrambled out of the base and moved towards the rocket yard. The launch pads were connected to the base by a short road. It was perhaps a five minute drive, so it did not take long for the Buggies and Bikes to reach the rocket yard. Hassan watched through the screen as two Bikes fired their rockets and promptly destroyed a Humvee. The Humvees opened up with their heavy chain guns, easily tearing through the light armour. Two Scorpion tanks moved in to finish what the Bikes had started, but disappeared in a brilliant fireball. Hassan was dumbfounded for a moment, until he spotted two Orcas swoop into view. The fighters quickly dispatched the light vehicles and began to harass the infantry that were moving into the construction yard.
Moments later four Chinook helicopters came into view and touched down. Hassan expected to see more GDI soldiers come out, but instead was shocked to find the enemy pile inside of them. It became abundantly clear that the enemy was retreating, but without proper AA, there was nothing he could do to stop them. Hassan clenched his fists as he watched the Chinooks lift off and fly away. The Orcas fired off another volley of rockets before quickly following them, leaving behind destroyed Buggies and tanks.
Kell's angered voice raged over the radio but Hassan paid him no mind. He sunk into a chair and let the weight of the day fall off him. The battle was over, but he knew this victory would be short lived.
… … …
Several hours had past, and Nod forces were busy working on rebuilding the base around the control building, or setting up defences around the launch pads. The entire area was filled with activity, as more Nod forces arrived from other parts of the country. Juhziz had called back his troops from the capital, planning to make a last stand here. Stinger sites and turrets were built over GDI defences. Groundwork was laid out for tunnels connecting the Nod base and the control building.
Hassan watched it all through the large screen in the control room. It was now filled with Nod officers and technicians as they worked to get the Cosmodrome up and running. Kell sat to the side, cleaning his sniper rifle. Both men were waiting for General Juhziz to arrive, and they were not eager to face him. Despite the desperate victory, Juhziz was still angry at Kassad's betrayal, the General did not take such things lightly.
The man walked into the room like a storm and marched towards Hassan with the speed and determination of a lightning bolt. Hassan was about to bow to him but was stopped as the General launched into his tirade.
"I want that bastard's head. Kassad will not get away with crossing me." Juhziz was seething.
Hassan wanted to say that Kassad wasn't enough of a threat to warrant such a response, but he bit his tongue. Kell likewise remained silent as he met Juhziz's gaze.
"Hassan, you will go to Egypt and hunt the traitor down. Rally what forces are loyal to us and bring me his head. Is that clear?"
"Yes sir. I will bring the Prince to justice." Hassan bowed and hoped that would be the end of it. He was sadly mistaken.
"This has nothing to do with justice. This is purely vengeance. We are on the cusp of my greatest victory, and I will not let the likes of Kassad or Lancaster ruin it. Take Kell with you and don't come back until you've dealt with the bastard." Juhziz turned to face Kell directly. "Make it slow. And make it painful."
"Yes sir."
Both men hastily left the control room, leaving the General to stew in his anger. They made their way outside and walked briskly to the airfield, where Nod Apaches and Hinds now rested. They moved towards one such Hind that sat off to the side, its rotor blades starting to spin up. Korvich waited for them and ushered them onto the gunship, and within minutes they were in the air. The Cosmodorme sank away beneath them as they began their hunt. Hassan was silent. A great victory had been achieved today, yes, but somehow, that had yet to assuage his doubts.