'Comms still out?' Hudson turned to see Figueroa approaching.
Hudson nodded. 'Swarm interference was getting screened but now it's on every frequency.'
'Didn't we have teams sweeping the towers?'

'It's a stalemate; we clear them off and another Flock zips though. Kills the Gears and turns the DeeBees unless they clear out fast,' Hudson shrugged.
Figueroa grunted, 'And if they come back, we have to keep going back and forth. Damn them, they'll have to run out of Leeches eventually right?'
'You remember big tongues and ugly? That thing was pumping out Leeches right until the end. Good news was most of the big groups got hit by the Hammer before the control system got crushed. But now it's smaller groups moving around screwing with us.'

'Better than having them thick enough that we would need waders,' Figueroa pointed out.
'That's a scary thought and here I planned to get some sleep once we're across the line,' Hudson shivered.
'Lines still a long way off, Hudson. How's the bot?' she gestured to the last DeeBee that was still standing after the battle.

Hudson waved his hand dismissively towards the machine. 'Bot's fine, I just wish I could get it loaded for Peacemaker rather than Peacekeeper.'
'Still good to see one of those things made it through the fight.'
'Yeah me and number two here are going to stick with the the Governor. See if we can stop any more near misses. You only get so many chances before something catches you.'

Back at the bar Emmerich had recovered somewhat. After a drink from a canteen and ration bar he was feeling better. Not great still but better. He walked out seeing Myers across the way.

'Lieutenant Myers.' Emmerich said. Walking over to stand next to Myers, Day still following close behind him. 'The hard copy of my briefing document was inside the Packhorse, should we attempt to recover it?'
Myers looked at where the destroyed Packhorse had come to a rest. Its side was blown out, and it wasn't on fire, so the danger of any secondary fire or explosion should have passed.
'We'll take a look.' He turned to Durham, giving her a nod. 'We'd better search the other vehicles for anything of use.'
Durham returned the nod before tapping on her own comm. 'Black-2-2 and 2-3 proceed to Bauxite's Packhorse. Sweep it for any documents that may have been lost during the engagement. Everyone else source material from the wrecks. Take what you can move with, munitions and medical get priority'

Two Onyx moved over to the wreck and searched it. Finding a scorched set of pages but little else as they returned and passed the documents to Myers. He glanced at them, no doubt the others had done so as well. A quick look, not too much detail, a slip of the eyes, something that could be forgiven.

It was a personnel listing for Emmerich. No doubt some office drone metal or flesh had placed it into the file by mistake given the rush they had been in. Still, he knew far too little about this young man who his people were under orders to die for. Whilst he was loyal to the COG, he could do better to know more about him.

The Control officer who gave them the mission had changed orders twice. Myers had advised them that if they changed it again, he would have to take the unit out to help defend the city. Rather then wait around by a gate for someone who would never show up.

The Control officer had switched to a private channel. The first one they planned to assign had died during the battle. Because of the confusion the death had not been recorded. The second had locked himself inside his apartment and had tried to shoot the DeeBee that came to fetch him. After a brief confrontation he was subdued and was taken to a hospital for evaluation.

Thinking back to how Emmerich had reported his training with a Snub. It now made more sense how that one got access to a weapon inside the city.
Which brought him to the man of the hour. Even with the damaged section, he still found a few useful things on the page. Most of it was the usual features and characteristics and what not.

There was the certification for Shock Snub usage too, good to see he hadn't been playing himself up. Myers froze when he reached prior assignments and duties. Junior Unitary Councillor Settlement 2 Sector 11. Why the hell was the Governor of a new settlement a junior admin? Was that all they could get at this point?

He called out to Emmerich, who was testing his now active Tac-Com HUD with Day's help. 'Governor. This is all we could recover from the wreckage.'
Emmerich took the shreds of burned paper that reported his history and qualifications. He looked solemn for a moment. 'I suppose you had a look?'
'I may have seen a small part when it was passed to me.' Myers said, keeping his voice level.
Emmerich stood in thought for a moment. 'Was there anything you might have wanted clarification on?'
'No, sir.' Myers said.

'Lieutenant, may I make a suggestion?' Day said stepping forward.
'Yes Private?'
'If it's fine with you sir. The Governor could do with getting his hands on something larger than a sidearm. Given we're now foot mobile.'
Myers thought for a moment. He looked at Emmerich, who nodded his agreement. With that settled, he returned his attention to Day. 'Find something he can use and help him with the basics. We'll be moving shortly so it will have to be a quick lesson.'

With that conversation done Myers set about reviewing routes to the Airfield. Every so often he would look about to make sure nothing needed his attention. But there was still a nagging at the back of his mind. Had he made the right call, was this the right mission for the unit? He looked over to the dead-end turned firing range that Emmerich and Day were using.

Now finished with the setup process of the HUD, she had opted to give him a crash course on how to use an Enforcer. No doubt picked up from one of the dead DeeBees. Thinking over the events so far he seemed to hold together. But more than a few people were suffering with the demons of the Settlement 2 evacuation. If the other two candidates were anything to go by, it was a near certainty he was too.

The kid had been through Hell though, and so far he had, with some prompting, shown a good enough head. If he kept doing what he had so far, they shouldn't have to worry too much.

Unfortunately for Myers' state of mind. Emmerich chose that moment to press the magazine eject on the Enforcer. Striking himself in the face with the empty magazine that was being used for his training.
Myers sighed and amended his last assessment. Day would keep him alive so long as he didn't fall into a Nest by himself.

'Ok you have the reticule now, right?'
Emmerich blinked as the glowing overlay settled in his vision. 'Um... Yes, I see it. The white circle?'
Day noted and directed him to keep aiming down the alley that had become an impromptu shooting range. 'That's it. Now move the weapon and the reticle will follow your line of fire. Keep it braced like that and short controlled bursts when you fire. You remember where the safety is?'
Emmerich tilted the gun so he could see the safety. 'Yes.'
'Good now try that poster over there. Aim, breath, squeeze.'
Emmerich took aim. His first burst struck high. Stitching rounds up the wall to the right. The next few bursts came down and further left as he got more use to the SMG.

Day watched his form. Whilst he wasn't ready for the force and direction that the magazine had ejected out at. She had to admit he at least had fair muzzle discipline, he hadn't looked off his line when speaking. He did seem to be favoring longer bursts though.

'Seems your getting used to the action. Not enough for you to start at the front line. But you should be able to keep most attackers at bay if you keep the rounds going at them.' Day said .
'I'm more than happy to learn what I can. It was… distressing seeing you..' Emmerich petered out.
'Nearly get my head ripped off?' Day responded.

'Yes... that.' Emmerich mumbled.
'Whilst I can give you the usual, it's the line of duty. You still seem a little shaky regarding that moment... Did you want to talk about it?'
Emmerich thought for a moment he felt a familiar sensation of his heart rate rising. He calmed himself with the breathing exercises from the drill. 'It's not a good point of conversation. Perhaps when we're somewhere safer?'

'Alright. I can tell it's getting you unsettled, so let's leave it there. For now, you remember how to reload?' Day asked with a tilt of her head.
Emmerich sighed, 'Keep the magazine eject pointed away from my face?'
Day nodded. 'Keep the magazine eject pointed away from your face.'

A short while later the humans and one remaining DeeBee moved off towards the Airfield. Behind them, the now deserted battle ground became still and quiet. A pair of orange eyes watched them leave.

The Hunter that had been observing them turned away. Moving further into the broken labyrinth of the underground. Any human trying to traverse this place would have been lost without a map. But the hunter knew her way following a path that led through the history of the city.

In one area it traveled down the once moving stairs of some large chamber. Within long metal beasts that the humans must have once ridden to move around their false hives. She crossed into caves dug by the Old Ones during their war with the humans led her around obstacles.

Each step led her to the half collapsed cistern that now acted as the Swarm's forward camp. Small groups of their number grouped here and there. Some brought new weapons scavenged from the field. Others carved meat from several sources to keep them fed. Without a proper Hive, they would need to eat for nourishment.

The hunter moved to kneel before the figure in the middle of the space. Even sitting its enormous form loomed over the smaller hunter. Clusters of crystals covered its skin. Thick plates of armor and a ragged black cape gave it and air of dread.

It would have struck fear into any human, it still struck fear into the Hunter. The Warden tracked her approach. The glowing slits of its helmet concealing its face. Its thoughts in the Hive-mind were shrouded from her.

She held out the small bundle of paper and card she had stolen from the wreckage of the human vehicle. Hunter hoped her prize would lighten whatever punishment she was due in the failing of her mission. Bowing her head in submission, she awaited the Hive leader's judgement.

It flicked through the pages with dexterity that would have surprised a human. Like other higher forms of the Swarm, the Warden could read most human scripts and whilst the information within the folder was... confusing in its arrangement, what it understood was more than enough to warrant deeper investigation.

It placed the pile of papers down and focused on the Hunter. Reaching into her mind, it probed at her memories, looking through her eyes at what had occurred since it had sent the pack out. Once it finished, its thoughts turned to the target that it had charged this Hunter with. That which had been suspected was now confirmed.

The Humans had chosen champions of their own to settle other lands. This one's destination was beyond the Swarm's reach, for now at least. Stopping its path to the Airfield may no longer be possible. Most of the remaining Swarm in the old city were already committed to harrying the humans. The rest were bellow ground.

Any he committed would have to expose themselves to stand a chance of reaching the path they would likely take in time. That would risk them being wasted when the Swarm was trying to rebuild its numbers for the war ahead. There were some that could be used.

The Warden had hoped to keep them hidden a little longer. Weighing up the possibilities, it turned looking off to a side tunnel filled with glowing red eyes. It would use them sooner or later. Better they try to kill this one now. If they failed they would still keep the Humans off balance and give the Swarm time to act against this new plan.

With a thought, it sent those in the tunnel to the surface. The sound of their metal feet striking the concrete and rock in sync with each other echoed through the tunnels.

With that done, it looked to the still bowed Hunter before it. This one had failed in its task. Reaching down, the Warden collected the maces from its sides and rose to its full height. It raised the maces above the Hunters' form and brought them down.

The maces touched the shoulders of the hunter lightly, not even enough to make the Hunter's bow any deeper. With the dubbing of the now confused hunter done, the Warden bid it to rise and receive its new task. Its hunt would continue, but no longer was it to seek the leader of this new human hive. It must seek their planned refuge out and see those who would refuse them be brought into the Swarm or ended.

The hunter bowed and moved away. Taking the paths to the outer hollow. Forgotten since the last war between the surface walkers and the Old Ones. The Swarm now used the caverns and tunnels to hide their own movements.

There a Burrower would convey her to a Hive nearer to the site of the human's new city. Whilst she was being moved her form would be adjusted for her new task. When she emerged from the pod in the creature's belly, the humans would regret not ending this one when they had the chance.

The thought brought a smirk to the Warden's face as it set about delaying the humans' attempts to recover and rebuild their means of reaching the outside world.