Chapter Fifteen: Into the Howling Dark

Shepard swiped two fingers over a button on his collar to activate his radio, quickly returning his right hand to gripping the underside of his Revenant Machine Gun. With a swift hurdle he gripped the top of a pile of stones blocking the alleyway's exit and easily lifted himself over. To his left and right were his comrades, both just as armed and alert for any signs of enemies or danger. When they both emerged from the wrecked buildings on either side of the alley, they nodded to him, allowing Shepard to signal the Daedalus.

"Shepard to Daedalus Fleet Company, my team has reached the inner city and are awaiting further orders. Negative on any signs of enemy movement at this time."

"Daedalus to ground team, maintain radio contact to coordinate combat insertion." The reply came from someone who was not the Epistolary, indicating that he was most likely readying himself for battle.

"Understood, over." Shepard was just now gripping the situation at hand. He alone would be charged with getting an entire army of Space Marines into the fray. Calling in airstrikes as an Alliance Marine had not prepared him for this, hunting down Saren Arterius had not prepared him for this, but deep down Shepard had true confidence in himself.

"Shepard Commander, we have located the masked anti-air towers throughout the inner city. They are currently masked by false skyscraper roofs and decorative architecture on ground level. We are currently trying to discern the exact amount and location of all towers." Legion added.

"I'm ready for this…" Shepard thought, letting out a sigh as he walked, just before he began his task. "Roll in Strike Package Epsilon on target zone Alpha-Two-Seven. Drop Pods move too fast to be seriously damaged by the AA guns, use them to take out the gun towers with their landing impact. I authenticate Sierra Alpha at time 1400 hours. May you all carry the Emperor's judgment on swift wings."

"Attention Thunderhawks, this will be a danger-close troop insertion, those AA guns will rip you to shreds if you do not fly hard and fast, priority objective is troop insertion. Repeat, troop insertion is your primary objective." The com filled with layers upon layers of transmissions, reinforcing the chaos and peril of the situation.

"This is Captain Kagetono to Ground Team, I will lead my teams in the Drop Pod Assault, but we need you to mark the AA gun locations so we can take them out, do that and the Thunderhawks can drop their payloads without delay."

"Legion, I need the locations of those towers, now!" Shepard yelled.

"Long range LADAR tracking of all anti-air batteries is almost complete." Legion replied. "It would be preferable if the amount of towers was a known parameter!" Legion surrounded himself with floating hologram panels, searching every building for the anti-air towers. The soul chilling moans and screams of husks and abominations echoed throughout the city streets.

"Targets marked, we're reading seven towers. Are you sure the Drop Pods can take them out by landing on them?" Shepard yelled into the com, perplexed by the strategy but more focused on the enemy he could not see but hear all too well. He was now pointing his gun in every direction as the moans got louder and closer.

"We can, but we only have five Drop Pods onboard, we need ordnance closer to target guns one and four."

"Daedalus Command to Captain Kagetono, our techseers have seized control of the Storm Raven Gunship used by Shepard to land on the planet, it has the necessary firepower to take out the towers, it may cost us the gunship but it will work. Gunship ETA: two minutes."

"Shepard to Command, my team is danger-close to gun four. I recommend that my team disable the gun to limit the chance of harm to both the gunship and my comrades." He yelled this into the com moments after moving across the street and around the corner of a large row of buildings, where only yards away a huge gun battery poked out of the bottom of a gorgeous fountain. The gun's rate of fire was so fast the projectiles fired into the air with a deafening buzzing sound.

Legion pulled out his titanic sniper rifle and pointed it at the tower, immediately pulling the trigger. The gun tower was consumed in an instantaneous explosion that reduced it to a pile of ruined scrap and slag. "Gun tower four has been neutralized." Legion stated over the com.

"Techseers are altering gunship course to gun tower one, engaging in one minute."

"Attack direction northwest! Storm Raven, you're clear and hot!" The gunship roared by overhead, continuing to fly at an unimaginable speed until it was out of view just a second later.

"Drop Pods are go, taking out remaining towers and dropping squads, for the Emperor!" One by one, the Drop Pods landed directly on top of the anti-air batteries, flattening them on impact. For a fleeting moment they resembled shootings stars in the sky, and for that fleeting moment both Shepard and Miranda were so mystified that their gaze was transfixed on the cluster of Drop Pods.

"Ground Team to Command, we are out of visual range but can still take out tower one, is assistance required?"

"Negative! The gunship has retained minor damage, but will need to land until fuel tank is repaired. Tower one has been effectively neutralized!"

"Drop Pod teams one, two, and four have landed successfully and taken out their respective towers. Drop Pod five needed to take evasive action and landed in the outer city."

"Captain, Drop Pod four took out its tower, but exploded on impact. All Space Marines assumed lost."

"That leaves only one tower. I'll take it out myself." Kagetono's voice echoed over the radio, but Shepard assumed he was on one of the Drop Pods.

Moments later, a Thunderhawk Gunship soared towards the skyline from the southeast with a Land Raider Redeemer hanging from its underbelly. Just as the gunship was 50 meters above the tower, it dropped the Land Raider. The tank plunged through the fortified mechanical tower with unnatural ease, but as soon as it pierced through booster rockets on the four corners of the chassis began to burn a fiery blue color, cushioning the tank's fall to the ground. As soon as it landed, the Land Raider turned to face the last tower halfway between it and Shepard's position, and ended its existence with a spot-on shot from its Multi-Melta turret.

"Nice work, Shepard. You got us on the ground, now let me take it from here." The Captain asked in a posh and very gentlemanly tone. However, Shepard was too shocked to respond. "Commander Shepard?"

"How the fuck… How the… God… Damn…"

"Commander Shepard, respond."

"You've got to be kidding me! When the hell did you decide to drop tanks from 50 meters up and god knows what speed? Are you insane?"

"Ha ha! You're getting the hang of it now, Commander!" Shepard was even more confused by the Captain's reply, but felt comforted by having to address more pressing matters.

Black clouds began to encroach on the skyline above, causing a drizzle. This drizzle, mixed with the boiling hot city streets, which had been baking in the sun since early that morning, created a small but ominous fog. The husk screams were no longer muffled, the husks were everywhere.