Chapter 3: Eternity War
July 25th, 2017
8:08 AM
Mediterranean Sea
USCC Oregon
Harvest: Approaching Meridian Prime, Admiral.
The USCC Oregon and the rest of the First Fleet were now upon arrival to the dreaded island of Meridian Prime. With other Chrysalis fleets sailing and banding together with the First Fleet to initiate their attack on the island. The shores of Meridian Prime had blockades of ConDef ships guarding the island from their attackers. The beaches of Meridian Prime had sandbags, trenches, turret stations, and barbwire fences fortified for infantry attacks. Like any battleground would.
Chrysalis harrier squadrons were now taking off from the flight decks of the Chrysalis ships from the manifesting fleets. The First Fleet included. Lieutenant Amanda Lynch was flying her harrier and leading her fighter squadron that was departing from the Oregon. All wings in the air were accounted for and initiated their attack positions. Both jet fighters and choppers from Chrysalis were in the air. The choppers were carrying troops to deploy on the island. Other troops were riding on boats departing from the ships. Including Valor 1 led by Major Captain Cage and Valor 2 led by Captain Commander Madsen. Captain Harvest on the Oregon's bridge was now road-calling all fleets reporting in for Admiral Penske.
Harvest: We're through the Meridian borders in thirty seconds.
The First Fleet was now surrounded by all Fleets from every division and branch of Chrysalis. North America, South America, Europe, North Asia, South Asia, Middle East, Far East, West Africa, East Africa, and Oceania. All culminating in a legion of triumphs.
Harvest: North American fleets reporting. South American fleets reporting. European fleets reporting. Northern and Southern Asian fleets reporting. Middle and Far Eastern fleets reporting. Western and Eastern African fleets reporting. Oceanian Fleets reporting. All fleets have reported in, Admiral. Ready to engage on your command.
The Oregon and the rest of the Chrysalis ships were now arming themselves with their anti-aircraft cannons as harriers and choppers were engaging as well. The ConDef ships in the blockades were now arming themselves with their AA defenses too. ConDef harriers and attack choppers were also departing from their ship to counter-attack the oncoming Chrysalis birds and ships approaching the island.
Lieutenant Lynch was taking point on her jet fighter while the other bird in Grey Squadron was flying behind. Prepared for a dog fight against the ConDef fighters.
Lynch: All wings report in.
Grey 10: Grey 10 standing by.
Grey 8: Grey 8 standing by.
Grey 7: Grey 7 standing by.
Grey 6: Grey 6 standing by.
Grey 3: Grey 3 standing by.
Grey 4: Grey 4 standing by.
Grey 2: Grey 2 standing by.
Grey 9: Grey 9 standing by.
Grey 5: Grey 5 standing by.
Lynch: Lock all flight functions in attack position.
It was time for Admiral Penske to make his call for the fleet to engage with their supporting fighters.
Penske: This is it, everyone. Be ready on my signal! Fire!
The Chrysalis fleets were now firing at will. Shooting their AA cannons at the enemy blockades. The ConDef ships took some hits and that's when the blockade began to fire back. At that moment, both friendly and enemy ships were engaging each other on both ends taking hits and misses on both sides.
Penske: Oregon to Grey Leader. On my command, engage the ConDef forces.
Lynch: Roger that. All fighters on me!
Grey Squadron was flying with other harrier squadrons. All speeding towards enemy ConDef harriers prepared to initiate their attack run, too.
Penske: (comms) Attack!
Lynch: Acknowledged.
The Chrysalis and ConDef fighters all began shooting at one another. All flying around past each and tailing each other left and right, backward and forwards like in a scene from Top Gun or Star Wars. All fighters had been engaging each other with standard bullet turrets and missiles on their payloads.
Lynch was tailing one ConDef harrier and attempting to get a lock on it for a missile kill. The fighter lieutenant tried her hardest to get a fix on her target with her scopes and sensors in the cockpit. Flying as accurately as she could while her target kept maneuvering. Eventually, her scope got a lock on and she fired her missile away. The ConDef harrier exploded instantly on missile impact and Lynch received an instant kill.
Back on the Oregon, Captain Harvest was growing concerned about Chronos's role in this fight as he had yet to have anything to show for it.
Harvest: Chronos said he'd have a diversion set up for us. Whatever he meant by that, he'd better do it quickly.
On the outskirts of where the battle on Meridian Prime was taking place, Ares had been standing near a cliffside with his Dark Order, Joanna, Alkaline, and the Chrono Dragon standing behind them. Overlooking their ConDef forces holding the line on the Meridian Shores. Watching the blockades from the north, south, east, and west ends of the island. The group had been watching the southern front of the island where the Chrysalis fleet, ground, and air forces were charging towards. They knew Maxine Caulfield would be leading the attack and knew when to strike back at her.
Alkaline: And away we go.
Apollo: The traveler has prepared her forces well, but her misguided confidence will soon be the end of her.
Ares: Leave that to me, Apollo. I will kill Caulfield on my terms. The rest of her forces will be dealt with by you and everyone else on this cliff.
Apollo: Yes, sire.
Ares: General, Lady Prescott, I assume your attack strategy will keep as many Chrysalis off this island as they can?
Alkaline: They'll never make it through the southern blockade, Lord Ares. Assuming they do find a way, the turrets on the beach will grind them like meat.
Ares: We shall see.
Nemesis: Look!
Nemesis pointed her finger toward the sky. A strange maelstrom began whirl winding through the clouds. There was lighting was striking and the green energy was illuminating. An anonymous figure descended from the clouds and it was none other than the time god Chronos himself. Levitating ten thousand feet above the southern ConDef blockade. Prepared to launch his diversion.
Thanatos: It's Chronos the betrayer.
Ares: Grandfather…
Chronos: Enemies of the traveler, lay down your arms or feel the wrath of Chronos! God of Time!
Alkaline: (radioing the blockade) All ships, fire on the figure above you! Now!
The ConDef ships redirected their cannons away from the Chrysalis fleets to target Chronos. Then, Chronos himself used his godly powers to freeze the canon fire in time and reverse the canon shells in time to fire back at the ship. The canonical projectiles simultaneously blasted the AA guns causing massive damage to the ships, exploding like a box of fireworks, and sinking down the bottom of the Meridian shores. Chronos' diversion was successful.
Max
July 25th, 2017
8:22 AM
Mediterranean Sea
Meridian Shores
I stayed strapped to my seat on the carrier boat as I watch massive booms on the southern ConDef blockade taken out single-handedly by Chronos himself. Who flew away from the scene to deal with other ConDef as part of his plan.
Heard: Whew, that Chronos guy knows how to make an entrance for people.
Cage: Alright, everyone, this is it! The point of no return! It must go without saying that just about half of you have never been on the battlefield before so pay attention. With that blockade cleared, we're gonna be landing on that beach and it'll be storming with bullets and they'll likely be aiming for the hatch when we dock. So, when we do, I need everyone to immediately get out of their seat and climb over the railing behind you to avoid enemy fire. Otherwise, it's a fish in a barrel for all of us. Everyone, say 'yes, sir' if I'm understood! Say it!
Everyone: Yes, sir!
Cage: Good! Now let's prepare ourselves!
Minutes later, our boat hits the sand and the hatch opens. When the bullets come raining on us and we hop out of our seats with our straps detached automatically.
Cage: Go, go, go!
I'm out of my seat with everyone else and climb over the railing of the LCVP as instructed and find myself diving through shallow water on the beachfront of Meridian Prime. I crawl out of the water with my hair and gear soaked in salty liquid. Then my team and I race towards the sandbags for cover as bullets from the ConDef turrets and ConDef infantry. Dozens of Chrysalis infantry had been exiting out of their boats too for support on the beach. All getting shot to death or finding cover successfully. Chloe and I hid behind some sandbags with Captain Cage and Lieutenant Heard. Frank, Rachel, Bryan, and Alex hid behind another wall of bags for cover. The exo-suit Frank was wearing was heavily armored making him entirely bulletproof except for his head which was exposed to enemy fire.
Heard: The place is a goddamn shooting gallery, Cagey! We're fucking target practice for those fucking turrets ahead of us! Any ideas?!
Cage: Caulfield, Price, stay down until we come up with something! (on comms) Bryan, how's your side holding up?!
Bryan: (comms) Loving the view here, Captain! Can't wait to get shot at already!
Cage: (on comms) Shut your damn mouth and keep your heads down until we have a plan! Madsen, do you read?! What's your position?!
David: (comms) We're still on our boat, Cage, but we're about the shores in ETA thirty seconds! Looks like turrets galore over there! Do you need help?!
Cage: (comms) We're gonna need all the help we can get down here, Madsen! We're not going anywhere until those turrets are gone! Caulfield, if you've got any ideas, I suggest spitting them out now!
I quickly thought up something and believe her shielding powers could protect them.
Max: I can use my power to protect you all!
Cage: You can use your what?!
Max: My power! My time powers! I can use a time shield to get us down on those trenches and find a way to take out those turrets!
Chloe: Max, you're crazy! You can't protect us with your power for long!
Max: Trust me, Chloe! Trust me too, Captain! You have to!
Cage: It's our funeral if it doesn't work, Caulfield! It had better!
Heard: I like the girl's idea! Fucked if we do! Fucked if we don't!
I stand out of cover and instantly project my time shield with the time shard on my gauntlet enhancing my powers. A time dome protects the four of us as turret bullets start stuttering in time and I yell at everyone to get a move on.
Max: Go! Now!
Everyone runs out of cover and I escort them down into the trench. Once the four of us are in the trench, I deactivate the shield and we all shoot some ConDef in the trenches with our auto weapons.
David
July 25th, 2017
8:25 AM
Meridian Prime
Meridian Shores
My team and I hop out of our LCVP and race for cover behind the sandbags before we're all cut down by 50-caliber turret bullets that would turn our bodies into Swiss cheese. Cayce, Kristin, Newblood, Logos, and I all hid behind the bags thinking as fast as we could about how to take down the ConDef turrets.
Cayce: One thing's for damn sure, Commander! We're not going anywhere else on this island until those turrets are decommissioned!
David: Can the obviousness, Corporal! Unless you have any bright ideas on how to get rid of them!
Newblood: Madsen, mate! Logos and I brought a Predator computer with us that we can use to link up another Predator Drone! If we can link one up, we can blow the lot of those turrets!
Kristine: How the hell are we gonna link one up when there's none in the air?!
Newblood: I call Captain Harvest from the Oregon to launch us a new one from his ship! Just like we did back in Seattle!
Cayce: The sky is too damn hot for drones! It'll never make it here in one piece!
Logos: Unless there's another idea in mind on how to take these ConDef cabrons out, it may be our only option! Commander?!
David: Fine! I'll call it in! (on comms) Commander Madsen to Oregon! Madsen to Oregon! Come in Oregon!
Harvest: (comms) This is Captain Harvest from Oregon. I read you.
David: Captain, there are turrets on the shores! We need a Predator Drone linked up to take them out ASAP!
Harvest: (comms) Negative, Captain. The air's severely hot for us to launch drones from here. We can call one up from a harrier though.
David: Do what you gotta do and call one up now!
Harvest: (comms) Wilco, Harvest out.
Alex
July 25th, 2017
8:27
Meridian Prime
Meridian Shores
Dad, Rachel, Frank, and I stayed in cover behind the sandbags. Separated from Max, Chloe, Captain Cage, and Lieutenant Heard. Keeping our heads down from the ConDef turret attempting to mow us down to bits.
Bryan: That is a 50-caliber manual turret up there! That'll chew the horn off of a rhino any day!
Alex: Thank you for stating the obvious, Daddy, but we need to take out that 50-caliber right now! Any ideas?!
Frank: Hey! I'm wearing an exo-suit! Heavily armored! This thing also comes equipped with a rocket gun! I can use that!
Rachel: You're head is exposed, Frank! They'll be aiming for it and you'll die headless!
Frank activated his nano-helmet equipped with the exo-suit to protect his head. His head was now protected by the bullet-proof helmet like a stormtrooper.
Frank: Not anymore!
Frank stood out of cover and fired a rocket out of his gauntlet. The rocket hit the turret tower and it came exploding into broken concrete. Killing the shooter and everyone else inside as well as disabling the turret for good. A crack shot went to the man in the armor.
Max
July 25th, 2017
8:29 AM
Meridian Prime
Meridian Shores
My team and I ran through the trench. Fighting past some ConDef troops and eventually taking out the gunner inside the turret tower. It seemed like a cakewalk at first but we knew our battle was far from over.
Cage: (on comms) HQ, this is Captain Major Cage. We took out a turret on the southern beachfront but we got multiple other turret towers on the beach that need to be neutralized before we send more men down here.
HQ: (comms) Affirmative, Captain. We're sending a Predator Drone your way to be deployed by one of our harriers. I'd advise you to find cover immediately.
Cage: (on comms) Who requested the drone?
HQ: (comms) Commander David Madsen, Captain. One of yours. HQ out.
Chloe: I guess we'll thank Step-Dad later.
Cage: Alright, girls. You heard HQ. Let's spread out before that Predator starts firing.
As my team and I spread out for cover, David launches the missiles from the Predator drone. Instead of firing a single missile for each tower, he fires multiple missiles at once targeting every turret tower simultaneously. The single missile fired in mid-air multiplies into more missiles to hit their locked-on targets. All the towers came exploding into a cascade of explosions like a scene from Apocalypse Now as the missiles hit the surface. Our objective was complete once all towers were accounted for. ConDef forces retreated into the jungle as our whole team formed up while more Chrysalis troops were cleared for deployment.
Meanwhile, Ares and his Dark Order along with Joanna and Alkaline had watched the explosions that crippled their southern turret defenses. The sinister leaders were disheartened but was only a minor casualty on their part.
Apollo: It appears our southern defenses have been crippled, sire. Chrysalis troops are likely to be reinforced on the southern front.
Ares: It matters not. They won't get far with our anti-aircraft artillery. Release the fallen. That too shall slow down their reinforcements.
Apollo: As you wish, Lord Ares.
Ares: The rest of you, return to base. I'll take the Chrono Dragon in the air to deal with our opposing force in flight. As for you, Lady Prescott; if you see your niece down there, family or the contrary, you do not hesitate.
Joanna: I won't.
Ares hopped on his dragon and rode it in the air to take out the air forces of Chrysalis. ConDef troops guarding cages filled with Fallen unlocked the cages and let the attack dogs out to kill some Chrysalis. Both Revenant and Brute variants were unleashed into the battlefield. Running across the jungle like a stampede of gazelles or wildebeests.
Cage: (on comms) Cage to HQ, all turret towers neutralized on the southern front. You're cleared for reinforcements.
HQ: (comms) Roger that Cage. Sending in more LCVPs and choppers on your way now.
Cage: Alright, Valor, let's haul ass and get our asses further into that island. The sooner we get to the recon base, the better.
Max: With respect, Captain; the sooner we get the ark, the better.
Cage: You have your orders, Caulfield. And that's final.
The fourteen of us march ourselves into the lushes of Meridian Prime where it was about to be guerrilla warfare for us. Our rifles loaded, our knives sheathed, and our grenades hanging from our belts. Keeping our guard up for an ambush or two. Maybe some traps or landmines ConDef laid out for us.
HQ: (comms) HQ to all Chrysalis troops on Meridian. We're picking up a lot of heat signatures in the lush areas. Watch for ambushes.
Cayce: ConDef had to be one step ahead of us, eventually. As long as none of us step on a landmine and implode ourselves to death either.
Cage: Watch for traps and ambush points, Valor. They're not giving up this island with a fair fight.
We suddenly hear noises from behind the trees. Sounds of echoed screams and roars from a distance not too far from us.
Kristine: What is that?
HQ: (on comms) HQ to all ground Chrysalis troops. The signatures have been identified as Fallen. I repeat they've been identified as Fallen.
That is when Fallen Revenants jumped out of the bushed and began their ambush.
Newblood: Oh, shite! They're here!
Cage: Open fire! Open fire!
My team and I started spraying bullets on the Revenants. Most of these Revenants were wearing ConDef gear on them. Was Ares resurrecting the enemy troops into his undead army?
Alex: (shooting at Revenants) Why the fuck do these zombies look like ConDef?!
Max: (shooting at Revenants) Ares must be reanimating dead ones to his advantage! That could be why!
Chloe: (shooting at Revenants) I haven't seen this much zombie action since Triple fucking 4!
Rachel: (shooting at Revenants) How 'bout less talking and more shooting!
As the team and I were fighting the Fallen, one Fallen Revenant pounced over on Newblood and Rachel killed the Revenant with her double-barrel shotgun. Rachel gave Newblood her hand and both got back in the fight. Frank was having the most of it.
Frank: Let's rock! (firing his LMG on Fallen)
Frank held down the trigger of his light machine gun killing multiple Revenants spontaneously. Even took down a couple with his bare hand and the strength of his exo-armor. Brutalizing one Revenant by bashing one's head in with his armored fist. Another by curb stomping on with his armored foot. It was getting too hot for all of us out here in the lushes and we all needed to make a run out of here.
Cage: Let's get away from these trees! We're too exposed here!
Heard: How's that armor treating ya, Franky boy?!
Frank: It saves a few lives! There's that!
Heard: The customer's always right!
HQ: (comms) HQ to ground forces. We have reports from our air units of AA artillery in the vicinity. Requesting any ground units available to intercept.
Cage: HQ, this is Cage from Valor Team. We're being attacked by Fallen but we've cleared ourselves enough to where we'll gladly intercept. Over.
HQ: Affirmative, Valor. Just get there ASAP or we'll lose my harriers and choppers airborne. HQ out.
Alex: Man, ConDef must've spent a fortune trying to destroy the world with AA artillery. It must've taken them years to prepare for a bloody battle like this one, too.
David: We had a bad experience with an AA back in Seattle. The difference is, it was one of ours that got hacked by ConDef.
Alex: You just had an AA gun sitting around in Seattle? Waiting to be hacked?
Cage: Let's can the chatter and hustle up to those AA guns on this island, Valor. We're not losing more birds at the end of this war.
On our way to the AA guns and out of the lush, we came to a ConDef encampment built over a clearing on the island. Exactly where the big AA turrets were built. The AA guns were huge. Built over a shelter that was at least thirty feet tall and twenty meters wide. Two in total. My team and I found cover behind concrete fences and began firing back at ConDef defending their base. We had to figure out how to take the big guns down.
Chloe: Damn, those AA guns are hella huge. They look like fucking Death Star tech!
Alex: Could have said it better myself. Minus the hella.
Cage: Alright, we need a plan to neutralize those AA towers. If anyone has any bright ideas, I'm open ears.
David: We've got an eight-pack load of C4 that can be enough to take down both those guns. Four for each tower even. I can take the girls, Kristine, Cayce, and Bryan with me to take one out. You can bring the others with you to take the other one out.
Rachel: I'm going with Frank. Whichever team he's on.
Cage: Alright, let's split the difference. Amber, Bowers, you're with me, Heard, Logos, and Newblood taking out the left gun. Madsen, you can take the Caulfield girls, Price, Foley, Prescott, and Bryan to get that right gun. Capiche?
David: As you were, Captain. No arguments are made here.
Cage: Okay, then. Let's take some C4, four in total for each team, and spread out to blow those guns into rubble. Break!
Our team is split once again. Chloe, Alex, Cayce, Kristine, Uncle Bryan, and I are on Team Madsen. Rachel, Frank, Heard, Logos, and Newblood were on Team Cage. I follow David and the others toward the right side of the ConDef base shooting at every ConDef I see. I even used my Power Gauntlet to free bullets and enemy troops in time to give our team the best advantage I had to offer. Frank had his exo-armor and LMG for the advantage of Captain Cage's team. While their team was out of sight and far fighting ConDef to reach the left AA tower, my team and I were fighting our way toward the right AA tower.
My team and I take out all the remaining ConDef near the AA tower and we breach inside the AA tower. David takes out the gunner in his seat by cutting his throat open with his army knife. Brutal even by David's standards. The seven of us plant the C4 charges on the pillars of the tower to knock it down. David contacts Cage to inform him of our status.
David: Madsen to Cage. We took out the gunner and we planted the C4. How's your end?
Cage: (comms) Same here, Madsen. Bowers' exo-suit did a number on everyone defending the tower. Already arming our charges now.
David: We'll be ready when you are, Captain. Let's get clear!
We all run out of the tower to get a distance from the blast radius. David has the C4 detonator in hand linked to the charges planted. Once we hide behind a concrete barrier, David triggers the detonator and the tower explodes like a firecracker. Crippling it into a garbage pile of rubble. The left tower is seen exploding, too. Meaning Team Cage's objective was complete as well.
David: That's all towers accounted for, Captain. Two for two.
Cage: (comms) Good work, Valor. Now let's radio some choppers available so we can get to the rendezvous quicker.
Before anyone could radio anybody, a roaring echo was heard from above. I knew that roar very well. It was Ares's Chrono Dragon flying a thousand feet air with Ares himself riding on his back. Ares gives me a cold stare from a thousand feet above. I stare back at him coldly from a thousand feet below. Then Ares ignites the Soul Shard from his gauntlet to not only signal the fallen ConDef back from the dead but to also summon fireballs from the clouds which were Revenant pods being dropped down from orbit. We now dealing with resurrected ConDef turned Revenant Fallen as well as Fallen deployed from Ares's airstrikes hitting the ground floor. That is when Ares flew away on his dragon and left us to fend off the summoned Fallen.
Alex: It just keeps getting better.
Team Madsen and Team Cage were now separated again by the horde of Fallen rampaging our way. Leaving us to fend them off with our ammunition.
David: Cage, I hope you can get those choppers towards us right now!
Cage: (comms) Cage to any available birds airborne, we need an evac at the southern ConDef outpost immediately! Please respond!
Dhaled: (comms) This is Colonel Dhaled or the Lebanon Resistance. I read you!
David: Dhaled, is that you? Where'd you come from?
Dhaled: (comms) I'm with the Middle Eastern Division in the middle of this fight. We've got at least two birds available for evac.
Cage: (comms) Then bring those birds over to our location, Dhaled. We got undead Fallen ready to maul our asses and don't have all the ammunition in the world to kill them all!
Dhaled: (comms) Captain, the area is way too hot for our birds. You're going to need to clear a path for us first before we can extract you. Dhaled out.
Cayce: So much for search and rescue.
Alex: Dhaled, wasn't he the same guy I was with when I was captured?
David: Newblood, tell me you still have that Predator online.
Newblood (comms) Sorry, David. It's inoperable for now and I sent it back to rearm itself. It'd be difficult to target and fire with all these Fallen charging at us like this anyway.
David: Fuck! Alright, everyone, contrate your fire on the fallen! We need to clear out this outpost before Dhaled arrives!
HQ: (comms) HQ to all ground forces. We've dispatched AC-130s in the air standing by for whatever air support is needed. Over.
Kristine: AC-130s, plural?! Hallelujah!
Cage: (comms) Valor Team to HQ, we'll be needing an AC-130 firing above the southern AA ConDef outpost! Please respond!
HQ: (comms) Affirmative, Valor. Sending the nearest bird your way now.
We were still neutralizing Fallen with all the bullets we had in our mags while waiting for an AC-130 to respond to our distress call.
Cayce: Let's hope that Ares A-Hole and his dragon lord don't fuck up those planes for us this time. Like back in Canyon Springs.
David: I agree.
Mighty Eagle: (comms) Valor Team, this is Mighty Eagle. Responding to your air support request. We need a flair signal to mark our targets. Over.
Cage: (comms) Roger that, Mighty Eagle! Tossing a flair now! Madsen, you know what to do!
David: On it!
Without thinking twice, David pulled out one of his flairs and flickered it into sparkling red smoke. Then tossed the stick where the Fallen were emerging and the targets were marked.
Mighty Eagle: (comms) Targets marked. Stand clear for payload.
Cage: (comms) Everyone find some cover now!
My team and I keep firing back at the Fallen a little more as we retreat for cover. And that is when the bullets and rockets from the attack plane come raining down hard at the Fallen like a heavy hail storm. Every Fallen hostile is blown away like a fish in a barrel caused by explosions. Both Revenants and Brutes included. As soon as all Fallen variants were neutralized and the plane ceased fire, the whole ConDef camp was a wreck. Littered with gore from Fallen bodies, blast marks from the heavy bullets, and fire burning up from the rocket fire on impact. Just the way we like.
Mighty Eagle: (comms) All targets eliminated. Happy to assist Valor.
Cage: (comms) Affirmative, Mighty Eagle. And not a minute too soon before choppers can extract us.
Mighty Eagle: (comms) Certainly. Mighty Eagle out.
Cage: (comms) Cage to Dhaled. Our hot area has turned ice cold. We're cleared for your birds. Standing by for pick up.
Dhaled: (comms) Roger, we're in the vicinity now. Prepare for extraction.
Two helicopters flew above us and landed near the destroyed AA towers. Team Cage got on their bird, and my team and I got on ours. We took our seats in the chopper and both choppers departed back in the air. Team Madsen and I were riding with Dhaled himself.
Dhaled: (talking to pilot) Get us out of here. (talking to Team Madsen) You okay?
David: We're alive.
Chloe: That we are, Step-Dad.
Dhaled: (turning to me) You must be our said girl with the time powers. The one Madsen himself spoke about. Caulfield, correct?
Max: You can call me Max. (shaking hands with Dhaled) I think we last saw each other briefly during our last stay here on this island.
Dhaled: As long as you're back here, you're sight for sore eyes.
David: How are we looking, Colonel? What're the other Chrysalis forces up to?
Dhaled: Now that the heavy air defenses are dealt with, we get AC-130 support.
Cayce: And not a moment too soon, I suppose.
Dhaled: What's left of the Chrysalis resistance is holding a Forward Operating Base is some kind of ruined colony we couldn't identify. But archives suggested it once belonged to the Heard of Whales.
Kristine: New Exodus.
Alex: She beat me by one second.
Dhaled: ConDef has bases too but they're well out of our reach. Only ConDef themselves along with the Fallen they seem to be working with are countering already. Once we regroup, it's gonna be up to your team to take up the fight.
David: It must've been brutal here for the recon battalions. Cut off from the rest of Chrysalis.
Dhaled: We've done our best to keep the fleets up to speed. But once we figured out ConDef was focusing on the major centers, it became easier to avoid direct contact. It's difficult to father how opposing human forces can bond with monstrous beings like the Fallen.
Max: The Fallen are symbiotically connected to Ares. Whoever else follows him, like ConDef, is allowed to follow with the Fallen as Ares commands them to. Make no mistake, Dhaled. This is the Eternity War. A war no one was prepared for.
Dhaled: Coming from you, Max, that's saying something.
David: I imagine it's been worse for you down here than it was back in Beirut?
Dhaled: No doubt about it. We held back as long as we could. Sending in recon teams. Lost a lot of good men planning this attack. But with soldiers like you, and knowing you'd bring us help, we held on.
David: Without you and your resistance, we'd be dead in the water.
Cayce: Yeah, and Max is being modest. She's the reason any of us are still alive.
Dhaled: Let's not start handing out medals just yet. This fight is just getting started. And you all better be ready for it.
Max: We didn't start out together, but we're ready to stand side by side and win this war.
Dhaled: Good, that's what it's going to take.
Max: We'll get it done, Dhaled.
David: I'm proud of you, Max. Somehow you've always made me proud even when you didn't.
Max: I know.
David: The entire Chrysalis Corps united. Too bad it took Ares to bring us together.
Chloe: Max is the one who brought them together.
David: That's exactly what I meant. I know we got off to a bad start back in Arcadia Bay, Max, but nobody could have accomplished what you've done.
Max: It's good to have you too, David.
Cayce: There's our FOB. (pointing at FOB)
Dhaled: Looks good. Pilot, find us the nearest drop zone.
Pilot: Yes, sir.