CHAPTER 43
'I was beginning to think you were leaving them all for me!' Salvador complained when the group finally met up with him. It was early morning on Pandora, and Lillith was watching the first group through the scope of her Maliwan revolver.
'Doesn't look like it will be that great a challenge' She informed the others, who hung back next to their vehicles. They had fast traveled to Three Horns divide, then drove the rest of they way.
'If we take out these guys, it should give us a clear run to Ellies. If we can take that back from the Bandits it would make for a good place to set up camp for the night' Axton stepped forward towards Lillith.
'I like it' She said simply. 'Do we know how many hold Ellies Garage though?' She turned towards Mordecai and Brick, who had done previous scouting.
'Nah, was only a handful last time. They dont have much use for the place' Mordecai told the red-headed siren.
'Righto, Axton, you let everyone else know what's going on, I'm gonna climb up there for a better view Lillith ordered, and pointed towards a jagged outcrop of rocks not far from their current position. Mordecai followed her, and together they made the steep climb.
'You got a good enough line from here?' Lillith asked the sniper.
'Prime position' was all he said, when Axtons voice came over their ECHO.
'Ready when you are' His voice crackled over the device.
'Right, as soon as you see me appear, head on down' Lillith replied. 'Maya, make sure you give us a good headstart before heading in'
'Got it' The other siren replied.
'OK, I'm heading in' Mordecai covered his eyes as the haze of shining purple light surrounded Lillith. In a flash she was gone. He peered through his scope, watching the camp carefully. A blinding flash erupted in the centre of the outposts few makeshift buildings. Bandits and soldiers jumped up from seats, burst out of doorways, as Lillith appeared. The few that were already gathered, went flying back in various directions as Lilliths phase blast sent out a wave of energy. She sent out another blast, knocking all soldiers to the ground. As they clambered to regain position, Axton led the other vault hunters into action. As the team crossed the sand between their waiting position and the outpost, a few bandits ran out to fire at them.
Mordecai began picking these off, before the team reached the safety of cover just outside of the post. The huge metal gate blocking the posts entry, was blown from its hinges, as Willy threw a bundle of dynamite at it. Now that they had entry, they went help Lillith finish off the soldiers inside.
Maya was the only one who hadn't ran to the sirens aide, as was her orders. Lillith was crouched behind a stack of crates, firing her incendiary revolver at a toughened bruiser. It took her six shots to take the bulk of a man down. Another bandit tripped over the bruisers burning corpse, and she got him with a critical while he was down. Axton had led the team into the outposts main yard, and bandits were coming from every direction.
Axton set his turret as the others scrambled for cover. Lillith continued to phase blast the Hyperion men. This tactic worked best on the clustered groups. Mordecai took aim at a soldier standing on a balcony, right above the spot where Gaige and Zareb had taken cover. Just as the man leaned over to take a shot, Mordecai took him down in a single hit. The Hyperion garbed man toppled over the railing, landing on the crates that Gaige and Zareb had crouched behind. Mordecai chuckled to himself as he watched the dead mans' blood spurt over a disgusted Gaige. Her robot, Death Trap, burst forward, attacking an approaching bruiser. The vault hunters had cleared out the majority of the centre square, and Axton made a run
for the middle of the open space. Bandits and soldiers just stopped and watched in puzzlement, wondering why in the hell he would put himself in the open like he was.
'Now Maya!' Axton yelled into his headset, and moments later, she appeared beside him. He had braced himself, ready for the energy wave her phasing would cause. But the two midgets running towards him had not. One went catapulting into a nearby wall, knocking him out cold. The other became impaled on a signpost, gurgling horribly as he drowned in his own blood while it filled his lungs. Lillith made a run for the pair, Axtons turret providing cover. They were quickly joined by Gaige and Zareb, then Willy. Finally Salvador lumbered into the sirens range of protection, and the two women combined their energies to erect a perfectly domed phase-shield over the group. Brick had refused to join them, as he smashed through soldiers with his bare fists.
With the shield implemented, it didn't take them long to finish off the rest of the encampment. Brick lumbered towards them when the coast was clear, clapping his hands together slowly.
'Well done, Slabs!' He bellowed. As smoke and dust settled, they set about collecting loot and whatever other information they could find. It wasn't long before Gaige ran out to Lillith and Maya, holding an Echo recording in her hands.
'Well I am very glad to hear they were successful' Montayva was standing at the map, and Angel was giving her the troops progress report.
'They will move on to Ellies garage, attempt to take it back from the bandits that have run Ellie out, then set camp for the night.' Angel explained. Montayva nodded, and lifted her hand to cover her mouth as she yawned. 'Might I check your vitals before you retire?'
'Er, sure.' Montayva shrugged 'But I do feel like I am getting better' Montayva sat by a large bank of monitors, and strapped the strange looking ECG device to her lower arm. Various lights and buttons blinked on a control panel, indicating that the machine was functioning correctly. Montayva waited patiently as Angel took the reading. The image of Angels face on the screen began to frown.
'Well that's... strange'
