NINE MONTHS AFTER THE LOCUST CIVIL WAR BEGUN; THE NEXT MORNING AFTER THE DESTRUCTION OF THE SAVAGE AIR-BASE-
High General RAAM and General Azrák's forces were on the move, many of Korr's newly assigned Hunters had made their way as scouts in order to mark targets for the Gasbarges and Reavers when the battle begins; The sun was almost at it's peak, just a few more minutes before the morning would become noon, blazing these desolate sands in blinding heat. Among the Hunter scouts was one of RAAM's personal guard, a Theron clad in full black battle armor watching the savage through his sniper's scope, awaiting the rest of the assault force.
The Maw Fortress stands as a massive stronghold embedded into the rugged ridges of a desolate valley neighboring large jagged mountains, Its a formidable structure, shaped vaguely like an octagon with massive walls, fortifications and housing approximately 35,000 savage locusts of various sizes, weapons and levels of experience, including reavers and Skjall's Loyal enforcers.
The fortress's perimeter is encased in a massive, heavily reinforced stone wall, their surfaces are rough and scarred, bearing the marks of countless battles. Over two thrashball fields worth of land was covered in corpses upon pikes and mass graves full of the defenders that were killed when Skjall took the fort. Tall Guard towers punctuate the wall at regular intervals, each teeming with vigilant Savage Locusts snipers, their watchful eyes scanning the valley below for any signs of intruders. Catwalks crisscross the wall, allowing the Locusts to move swiftly between towers and to allow Boomers and mortar crews to join the tower guards if the need arise.
Inside this fortress, the atmosphere is chaotic, full of sporadic conversations, in-fighting and other activities that kept these locusts entertained; Three sprawling sections divided most of the fort into small village like formations of slum-like living quarters. Most of the taller buildings were linked by precarious rope bridges while the rest of these slums are crisscrossing with dirt paths, where drones patrolled. These sections kept buzzing with activity, where Savage Locusts scavenge, barter with one another and prepare for battles to come. Makeshift huts made of scrap materials and salvaged debris crowded in between many of these slums, their interiors dark and cluttered with weapons and grizzly trophies, even as many were crowded already; These tents kept exuding a musty odor mixed with the acrid scent of smoke from cooking fires and gore that they kept around to dry in the sun. The stone buildings that were made by the former owners of the fort were full of even more savages, ammunition and makeshift turret nests pointed to the sky.
The fortress was originally designed to be one massive staging-ground for locust to spread their Elite forces across as the badlands, to destroy all humans along their path of destruction and conquest of Sera; Fortified sniper towers were built high, their vantage points offering a strategic view of the valley, allowing them to see any form incoming force from miles away. Each tower is always brimming with Snipers, mortar crews and Savage Therons who passed Zamil Skjall's orders to the other savage locusts. Down in the dirt roads across the entire maw were full of Sandcrawlers, bloodmounts and squads of boomers patrolling, day and night.
In the far northeast corner of The Maw lies a deep depression, an ominous entrance to a labyrinth of underground tunnels originally created by the Loyalist Locusts when they began mining for resources. This dark underbelly of the fortress is where human prisoners of war are kept in hellish conditions, where the air is thick with pain and death, the walls echoing with the cries of those tortured, butchered and killed down here. Torture chambers are filled with corpses hung from chains and piles of flesh littered the corners of these rooms or sat in massive vats, rats and wretches prowl these godforsaken tunnels.
Scattered throughout the tunnels are storage rooms stocked with ransacked resources, random supplies and hundreds of pounds of weaponry and ammo, a grim bounty collected from raids, massacres and destruction on nearby settlements of both humans and locust alike. The damp, dimly lit corridors weave like veins through the fortress, connecting the heavily fortified surface above to the dark tunnels below; The Maw Fortress is more than just a stronghold that was taken from RAAM's forces but it is a living embodiment of the Savage Locusts' brutality and their barbaric nature, slightly tempered and controlled by Zamil Skjall.
Gasbarges full of Skjall's Personal vanguard, many of these are Savage Elite Grenadiers and Savage Hunters, as wells as many Boomers; Among these Gasbarges was the Zamil himself who was getting ready for the possible attack coming, since his Therons has let him know that the Air-base was hit the night prior, this information reaching him three hours ago, which led to this trip to the Maw so he can boost security in case of a new, bold attack by RAAM's forces. His face was twisted in subtle, silent rage and his mind was racing with hundreds of different ways to retaliate and hit RAAM hard. As the Gasbarge landed upon the docking tower and was getting secured, Zamil Skjall was looking over the horizon to the incoming sandstorm that would shroud the fort in darkness if it reaches them.
He walked from the docking tower across the rope bridge and immediately moves towards the depression, nearby to it there's a large building with one guard tower next to it, he enters and moves past many of his drones, arriving by a war-table with a drawn map of the entire region; He starts placing small objects in different spots on the map to identify settlements, camps and landmarks, his therons drop a few scrolls upon the table which they opened for the Zamil.
Zamil Skjall: [Send word to the drones to ready the defenses, we're expecting an attack soon.] -he says to one of the Therons who nods then leaves the room-
He then starts preparing a new scroll, writing down a plan of attack for an Elite outpost when a loud horn is blown and a Savage Grenadier barges into the room:
Savage Grenadier: ATTACK!... -He shouts into the room-... [We are getting attacked!]
Skjall barrels through the door and climbs up the nearest tower where he takes the sniper off the guard's hands, he points the weapon to the horizon where he can see sandcrawlers, siege-beasts and other ground vehicles charging towards The Maw, the sheer amount of vehicles moving towards the fort was creating a massive wall of sand, a sandstorm to follow them; Skjall growls as he barely sees dozens of reavers hiding inside the sandstorm as concealment, he guessed Gasbarges were coming too.
Zamil Skjall: [READY TO BATTLE!] -His roars echoes across the entire fort, booming over the chaos below-... [TRAITORS ARE COMING TO SUBJUGATE US, LET'S SHOW THEM OUR MIGHT, LET'S SEND THEM BACK TO THEIR TRAITOROUS GENERAL IN PIECES!] -he ordered them, all the savage who heard his call roared in unison, readying for the siege that was coming-... I know you're there RAAM, you wouldn't miss this opportunity in a million years, to kill all those who see your weakness clearly. -he says to himself before moving back inside where he retrieved his personal weapon, his Boomcannon, then moved towards the depression-
His Loyal Theron Guards flanked him as he reached the entrance to the subterranean section of the Fort, he then ordered the two therons to guard the tunnels, he ordered more savage locusts to go with the therons, ultimately sending thirty locusts to the tunnels; He moved towards the front of the fort, upon the wall where he watched the attack force approach, by his count they be upon The Maw in twenty minutes so he paced back and forth upon the wall, patiently awaiting the fight to come.
MEANWHILE WITH THE GEARS, SPEYER NEAR COG BLACKSITE CODENAME "RAPHAEL"-
Foxtrot was flanking right while Delta was flanking left, moving towards Camp Raphael were a large firefight was taking place by sounds of it; Three hours had passed since McKenzie spotted the locusts moving towards Raphael, now they were getting closer and closer to the objective. A few gears were left behind to guard the vehicles and the wounded while the Gears went to help "Prowler" out of Camp Raphael; The sounds of high caliber rounds firing nonstop was deafening, its one helluva fight for sure.
Jinx: Delta-1 if you can handle a direct attack, you're free to go for it, my boys are going to provide sniper fire but at your call we'll join and crush these fuckers, deal? -he says though the radio while they moved through the alleys and closer to the Camp-
Marcus: [RADIO: Wilco Foxtrot-1, If it goes south I'll let you know.] -he responds to Jinx-
Nestled within the remnants of the once-thriving urban center of Speyer, the surface appearance of Camp Raphael is camouflaged as a Old COG National Guard training camp and armory, the area is surrounded by a dilapidated chain-link fence, its barbed wire curling ominously at the top, giving the impression of a low-security facility. Overgrown weeds and cracked pavement hint at years of neglect, while faded signage promotes the ideals of community service and military preparedness, including Anti-UIR propaganda. The entire facade was split into three areas which were two buildings and a 1,200 square foot training area with a sand pit and few obstacles here and there. The main building was an office building with an adjacent smaller armory building connected by a destroyed hallway.
The locusts were taking cover across the street behind old cars, in alleyways and inside a nearby three story building taking fire by six high-tech automatic turrets that came out of circular hatches from the ground all around the camp, while small arms fire came from the defenders inside; Delta came from the side of the locusts and in few seconds they opened fire on the locusts, taking three of them out before the rest began retreating:
"Prowler": [RADIO: FRIENDLIES! FRIENDLIES!, Shift fire left!] -A voice shouted through the open radio frequency as Delta began to fire on the locusts-
Anya: [RADIO: Prowler, this is Delta squad, we're engaging locusts on your twelve a clock, how copy?] -she says before opening fire on a retreating drone, knocking him down and barely missing him as the drone scurried behind cover-... Baird to your right! -He and her turned just in time to kill a charging Grenadier Elite-
"Prowler": [RADIO: Lima-Charlie Delta, friendlies coming out to join the fun, over and out] -the voice responds before the automated turrets disengaged and pulled down back to the hatch below, seconds later six Heavily armored gears in commando uniforms join Delta, firing at the locusts right next to Delta-
As the Commandos and Delta were pushing the Locusts back Foxtrot began to pick off retreating locusts from the opposite side of the street till the Locusts were forced back inside the building across the National Guard Camp, Delta take cover and Clayton starts preparing a few grenades while the commandos were providing suppressing fire; One of the Commando rushes next to Clayton as he tosses the frags into the building, the explosions obliterate two grubs then the commando aims a small SMG like weapon then shoots it into the second story window, soon after a another explosion rocks the area and killing all the locusts on the second floor.
Commando #1: BOOM BITCH! -he shouts in victory as he reloads the grenade launcher, watching the building start being consumed by the fire-... Havoc-3, let that Thumper rip, building on the twelve, ASAP. -he says to another commando who nods and starts preparing what looks like a compact rocket launcher that he extends and loads afterwards shouts "READY!"-... TO VALHALLA!
Delta and Foxtrot saw as the commando shot a rocket from her shoulder mounted weapon and strike the building, the explosion completely annihilated the third floor; The Gears saw and heard the signs of the building's collapse so they ran back just as the three story building sunk upon itself, if the locusts inside were alive they wouldn't survive the structure falling upon them. The Commandos run back to Camp Raphael's entrance and urge Delta to follow, Foxtrot move across the street to enter but are fired upon by more locusts, forcing them to take cover:
"Prowler": [RADIO: All units, all units!... Enter Charlie-Romeo's perimeter now, you got thirty seconds before the automated defenses come back online!] -he says through the radio with urgency- [I say again, get inside before you're ripped apart by the outside guns, their targeting will fire indiscriminately at anything that moves!] -he warns-
Jackson: Prowler, we're a bit busy right now! -he responds before ducking his head down as a shotgun blast wipes out the car door next to him-... Nika, Dempsey and Travis push back to the building we're covering you! -he shouts as he returns fire with his retro-lancer, allowing three to retreat while Jinx ducks next to him, allowing the rest of Foxtrot to push back too-... Jinx let's go! -three more Foxtrot gears dash by them, leaving the duo along with SGT Bland and Corporal Connor-
Jinx: Bland and Connor, go! -he orders, both head out quickly barely missing incoming sniper fire-
Commando #2: TEN SECONDS, MOVE NOW! -he shouts, taking cover as more bullets whistle by his face-
Both Jinx and Jackson start a mad sprint back to the building as the last seconds trickled away, Jack trips but the older gear pulls him up in a split-second just as the Auto-cannons pop back up, the duo make it just as the bullets start mulching the charging locusts into ground meat; Jinx gasps as the auto-cannons fire these massive caliber rounds were milliseconds away from splitting him in half, he shakes off the shock then rushes in alongside with the Commandos, Delta and the rest of Foxtrot:
Commando #1: That was close... -he says with his modulated voice-... Welcome to Camp Raphael boys, the big guy has been shitting bullets and sweating oil while waiting on you. -he says while leading them across the office areas towards a big atrium in the back of the building, many improvised barriers serving as cover for more Commandos protecting the area-... Not gonna sugarcoat the situation, we've been bear-crawling up shit creek for the last three months but it got fucking worse in the last nine days.
Jinx: Sorry to hear that, got any casualties?
Commando #1: A few squaddies, they were patrolling and got bitch'd by a group of snipers, still capable of fighting but they sore as fuck. -he says to Jinx-... By the way, I'm Tank, pleasure to meet you Sir, callsign Havoc-1. -he says to Jinx as they reach the stage area of the Atrium where a massive hole in the ground had a heavily armored door sealed with high-powered magnets and a hand scanner-... Follow me... -he scans his hand then a second later the door unlocks and opens-... [RADIO: Prowler-Main, this is Havoc-1, our angels here, going down the shaft now, how~copy?] -he gestures for everyone in the room to down the armored bunker tunnel-
Prowler-Main: [RADIO: Havoc-1 Lima-Charlie, all units on this frequency initiate battle plan Sigma, confirmation code DELTA, NOVEMBER, CHARLIE, XULU ONE THREE SIX, Over and Out] -he says, he sounds excited by the sound of it-
The thirty plus gears follow Havoc-1 down a bright concrete hallway that leads directly to giant mag-lock door with a camera it, two auto-cannons next to the doors and a thick window on the side of the security checkpoint. The guard points at the scanner which Havoc-1 responds by flipping him off then steps on the highlighted area, allowing himself to get scanned, opening the door into a large rectangular room with two doors to the left, one larger door directly in front of them and a large shaft elevator to the right; From the first left door the Guard that got flipped-off came out and locked the door behind themself and headed towards the second door which led into a staircase going down.
Havoc-1: Officer and Squad-leaders through that secure door if you don't mind, everyone else down the stairs or on the elevator, we need all hands on deck for the Sigma plan. -he says before leading Jinx, Jackson, Marcus and Anya towards the secure door that he opens with a security card strapped to his forearm guard-
Baird: Keep us posted Marcus. -he says as he, some of foxtrot, Clayton and Sam head to the elevator with a few commandos-
Marcus nodded in response before entering the room, which is a impromptu command center where inside there's a bunch of commandos, Onyx guards and a few Elite looking gears messing with a large switchboard connected to a large monitor with the bunker's camera feeds on it; Jinx and Marcus quickly recognize the commanding officer of the bunker, who's wearing tight tactical commando armor without sleeves, armored pauldrons and heavily armored trousers with two bandoliers loaded with shotgun shells hanging off his hips like loose suspenders. On his hip there's a large knife, a large revolver and a few pouches full of different items.
Prowler-Main: Pleasure to finally meet you in person, I'm the Active commander of this Blacksite, Lieutenant Colonel Ivan Borysenko. -he shakes Jinx's hand then Marcus's before gesturing to the monitor-... Welcome to Camp Raphael Weapons Research facility, home of the Now-Declassified Project Gladius. -he says before removing his helmet, placing it on the nearest table-... Thanks for your assistance, now... We got some time to kill before we get to do some fun shit. -he says to the Gears-
Marcus: "As of now"? -he asked-
LT Colonel Borysenko: Technically letting you guys in and activating the Sigma Protocol means this bunker is compromised and soon be wiped from the face of Sera, so I'm allowed to speak about it with the appropriate personnel aka my saviors, which be you. -he says with a cheeky smile-
Jinx: What do you even do here? and what the hell is Project Gladius? -he asks-
Jackson: I was curious of your research here too now that my young friend brings it up. -he comments, pointing at the copious amounts of research notes and documents in boxes all over the room, decades worth of paperwork by the looks of it-
LT Colonel Borysenko: This research facility was established during the twilight years of the pendulum wars in order to develop infantry-based weaponry to battle the UIR in the scenario where they would've invaded the mainland and broken through to Ephyra however the events of Aspho Fields led to our entire operation to change to develop weapons in any worst case scenarios that Chairman Monroe could've came up with which then led us to E-Day. -he explains-... For years we've kept in contact with Azura as they kept tabs on our developments until they seize communications about a year ago. -he says to them-... Gladius is a project meant to create powerful electromagnetic and kinetic weapons that could turn the tide against the locust, all concepts either made in-house or sent from Azura by Professor Adam Fenix. -he looks at Marcus-
Anya: The Professor?! -she asked before turning to Marcus-... Has he contacted you recently?
LT Colonel Borysenko: His broadcasts stopped almost a year ago unfortunately... -he responds to the Lieutenant-... His broadcasts were encrypted and mostly nothing more than descriptive blueprints from his countless designs.
Marcus: Blueprints from my father, like what? -he asked-
LT Colonel Borysenko: Glad you asked Sargent Fenix. -he says while opening a weapon rack and retrieving a rifle then handing it to Marcus-... One of his projects that we tweaked due to lack of technological advancements, this is the NRA-23 "Paladin" Assault Rifle, a powerful bullpup burst-fire rifle with a tight spread and enough power to drop a fully armored drone with a single burst. -Marcus aims and feels the weapon on his hands, it's compact and sleek with a short-range marksman scope and a tactical side-grip-... when you put the paladin in semi-auto, the special mechanism inside super heats the round before firing it, slight two second delay after pulling the trigger to charge the micro-engine. -he points at the mechanism on the base of the weapon connected to the chamber-... we've used it to fuck up a Theron from sixty yards away.
Marcus: Sweet weapon, what's the caliber? -he asked while passing the weapon onto Jinx who begins inspecting it himself, The Paladin AR resembles the "FN F2000" Assault rifle, just slightly larger by a few inches and painted in a Onyx coat of paint-... Custom for it?
Havoc-1: No, we made it so it can fire the same ammunition as the UIR's GZ18 Markza, I'd say a better use for those munitions. -he adds-... There's a few more weapons around the bunker... -a loud and wicked explosion shook the bunker violently causing the lights of the bunker to flicker for a few seconds, Havoc nodded before looking at the group-... huh, right on time. [RADIO: All Havoc units on this frequency, locusts are shelling the bunker, gear up and let's rip them a new one, over and out!] -he says before gesturing to the group-... Let's have some fun folks.
LT Colonel Borysenko: I'll be your eyes and ears down there. -he says as he puts on a headset and microphone while working the camera switchboard-
Havoc-1, Jinx, Marcus, Anya and Jackson went down the stairs which led to common room like section of the bunker, moving through a kitchen area then into a small chow hall with tables now flipped over as cover where a few soldiers in NCOG Marine Uniforms holding modernized UIR light machine guns which after dapping up Havoc-1, they joined the group following Havoc-1, Delta-1 and Foxtrot-1 to their destination; The group (Jinx, Jackson, Marcus and Anya) looked around as they passed through a improvised barrack full of makeshift cots, hammocks and beds made of skinned animal skins, many of the men and women here were taking their time getting armored up and prepping their guns, casually talking even as explosions continue hitting the ground above their heads. As they got closer to the next stairwell they all could hear the echo of a gunfight moving closer and closer to them, Jinx saw a few rounds ricochet up the stairwell that they were approaching.
"Chaos-4": [RADIO: Havoc, this is Chaos fower, locust breach on the fourth level storage room, twenty-won pax holding the line, might need more guns 'ere, how-copy?] -he says through gunfire and shouts-
Havoc-1: [RADIO: Chaos-4, this is Havoc-1, Delta-1 and Foxtrot-1 are moving to lend a hand, do stay alive in the meantime, over and out], let's pick up the pace guys. -he says as he starts running towards the stairwell, he stopped and pointed at a few gun cases on the doorway that leads into the stairwell-... Load up on some firepower. -he heads down towards the fight below-
Jackson opened the gun-case, inside are two boltoks, an ammo box and a new weapon made here which he took immediately: A LMG that looks like a larger Lancer assault rifle but without the bayonet, on the side of the weapon there is "TL3R SENTINEL LIGHT MACHINE GUN" with a belt of 7.62x52mm connected from the box underneath, the same ammunition fired by the Pendulum-Era Lancer; The machine gun looks like the love-child between a skeleton stock style M60 LMG and the Peacemaker Carbine, a short barrel and holographic 1.5x sight. the weapon is about a foot wide and around 40 inches in length while surprisingly light, being exactly 17 pounds by Jackson's estimations.
Jackson: Oh lord I think I'm in love~ -he expresses in glee before rushing down the steps to join the chaos below, the other three close behind-
As the group comes into the fourth level they see another hallway that splits off into a small checkpoint, three elite grenadiers lay dead by a pair of Commando medics treating a few wounded gears, they continue forward following the blood and spent casing trail down a short flight of spiral stairs that open into a massive 80x80 feet warehouse full of tipped over shelves, two gun emplacements and three squads worth of the bunker's defenders shooting towards the opposite end of the warehouse which was destroyed by an explosion; The locusts poured out like rats from the large entry tunnel they made, using a line of Maulers as mobile cover as they pushed forward, a tug of war ensued where the locusts moved a few feet forward but ere then forced back by grenades and intense suppressive fire from the Gears.
Havoc-1 was laying prone by a Female Scout Commando's feet, aiming a longshot with large magazine and a bipod for stability, as Jinx and Jackson joined then returned fire, the Commando had scored a headshot on a Theron at the back of the room; When Marcus and Anya joined the fray, a few marines celebrated their backup arriving:
NCOG Gear #1: Fuck yeah, backup's here, Gary!... Gary, let's move dwag! -one marine says before taking off up the stairs, followed by presumably Gary, who was bleeding from his right arm and his chest-
Havoc-1: Chaos-1 got any firewater? -he asked as he rolled on the prone behind cover in order to reload safely-
Chaos-1: Ya, it's in me pack, give them daft bastards hell. -The scout quickly responds to Havoc-1, not looking away from the approaching Mauler line, her lancer's drum-mag half full while her muzzle was starting to heat up considerably; Easily around four-hundred empty rounds sat by her feet and kept coming with each calculated burst from her rifle-
Jackson's new weapon had a slow, hammerburst like fire-rate but it's impact was astonishing, it struck the boomshields like a sledgehammer and it easelessly tore through a few drones as they emerged from their tunnel, he did notice that similar to the retro-lancer it was best to shoot in controlled bursts in order to remain accurate but it made up for it in it's sheer raw power and ammo capacity; Marcus found the Paladin AR to be good and accurate weapon, the recoil was almost nonexistent yet it felt powerful all the same, specially as it had no trouble killing grubs, four by his count. Before Jinx was about to say something Havoc-1 tossed a molotov cocktail towards the Maulers, setting it and two drones behind it on fire, breaking their formation.
Havoc-1: Focus fire on that opening! -as his words left his lips, the gears had began to kill off the Maulers forcing the locusts to take cover or die where they stood-
Marcus: Havoc-1, do you something to seal that hole? -he asked him while reloading, catching a trio of Grinders lumbering out of the opening-
Unknown Havoc Commando: Fenix! -he caught Marcus's attention-... Here catch! -he tossed a grenade launcher like the one he saw being used earlier on the street-... I got tow shots left, target the support beams back there, might bring down the ceiling on them!
Marcus looked for the release quickly finding and opening the small launcher, the commando tosses the grenade which Marcus catches and loads in, then without skipping a beat he fire the grenade at a worn down column by the middle of the room, destroying it an causing a landslide of gravel and dirt to flood in, cracks began to form on the other column from the weight of the impending cave-in; When the commando was going to toss the last grenade a few rounds struck his forearm messing up his throw, sending the last grenade over Marcus's head and rolling over to the locust's side of the room:
Marcus: Fuck!, new plan, focus fire on that column! -he orders just as Boomers push in a decimate one of the gun-placements and it's gunner-... BOOMERS!
Chaos-1: -she looks around for something when smells something on the floor next to her then after some quick thinking she speaks up-... Retreat boys, Tank and new guys, help me here! -he ordered the defenders to retreat up while pushing a large shelf towards the locust side-... Hurry, this is bloody heavy! -Marcus, Jackson and Jinx began pushing this shelf over while Anya and Havoc-1 did their best to keep the locust at bay-... Volatile compounds, Big boom, ya follow?!
Jinx: Got it, PUSH! -He throws his entire weight alongside the others just enough were the bottles of noxious chemicals and flammable fluids began to tip over towards their goal; As they pushed, Marcus was shot in the chest but luckily it the armor saved him while Jinx wasn't as lucky as his exposed right bicep was grazed thrice times then as he they finally managed to tip the entire shelf over he got saved by Havoc-1 from a torque bow's arrow just missing his head; Hazy fumes rose up as the various chemicals began mixing and reacting with one another eventually enough fell off the shelves were it allowed the gears to knock it over with a loud crash then Chaos-1 told the others to run up and retreat as she grabbed her assault pack, pulled the pins on the sole grenade she had left then tossed the entire pack at the spilled over contents of the various barrels and bottles that were on that shelf.-
As the group arrived up to the previous floor were the defenders were awaiting with guns drawn Chaos-1 rushes past them just as her plan goes off, the explosion tossed most of them to the ground and knocked out the power the floor, a earthquake like sound indicated that the storeroom had collapsed, sealing the locust tunnel with rubble; Flames erupted out of the stairwell then a wave of dirt and debris swallowed the entire doorway and the stairs. Havoc helped the woman up to her feet then handed her a lancer:
Havoc-1: You alright you crazy Gorasni bitch? -he says playfully but with genuine worry-
Chaos-1: Doing a helluva better than you Tyran dog... -she responds back before turning to her radio-... To all Units on this frequency, Locust breach sealed on sector four, who needs a hand? -he broadcasts while leaning against the nearest wall, catching her breath-... Best job I've ever had~ -something that is echoed by all the commandos in the room-
Havoc-2: You can fuck later you two, now what? -he says while walking towards the duo-
Jinx: You alright Chaos-1? -he asked her as she wiped blood off her helmet's visor-
Chaos-1: Better than twenty seconds ago, thanks for asking and... -she offers a fist bump to him-... you are?
Jinx: Captain McKenzie, we came to rescue you guys but honestly I think the Locusts need rescuing... -he looks towards the storeroom doorway, now full of rubble and cinders-... where else do we need to fight more grubs? -he asked them before she looked towards the nearest camera-
Chaos-1: Boss, where to? -she asked through her TAC-COM-
LT Colonel Borysenko: [RADIO: On your floor, towards the elevator, Locusts are rushing up the service shaft trying to break into the lower levels, If you send one group down to the floor below you while another group uses the maintenance tunnels you'll stop their forces from ambushing our boys from behind; I suggest you pick up the pace, how~copy?] -he says through the radio-
Chaos-1: Got it, Delta and Havoc head to the tunnels, everyone else downstairs! -she charges off towards the stairwell after prying open the service hatch to the maintenance tunnels allowing Delta to go into the tunnels-... Let's kill these ugly fuckers!
Jinx: Good Luck Delta. -he says while splitting off and heading downstairs with Chaos Squad-
The two groups charge towards their respective targets, Marcus and Havoc-1 lead their group through the tight maintenance tunnels were only two men can only stand shoulder to shoulder until they arrive at large air-filtration substation then ducking behind cover as rounds start whistling by them; drones charged across the substation while ducking behind large pipes for cover, among them was three grenadiers and a Theron guard. One of the Grenadiers had a frag in hand, ready to toss it towards the large set of Purifiers in the middle of the room, one of Havoc's men shot the grenade on the locust's hand before he could've tossed it in. Havoc-2 shot another locust who tried tossing another frag, knocking it out of his grasp and forcing him to return to cover.
Havoc-2: Don't let those bastards sabotage the purifiers! -he shouts while returning fire-
Marcus wasted no time taking his Gnasher and rushing as close to the Locusts as he could before bashing a drone in the face, stabbing it in the face then using him as a meatshield, firing his shotgun at a duo of charging locusts before switching to the drone's own boltok and firing at them until the drone fell apart forcing him to take cover once more; He shoots through the pipes dropping a few locusts in quick succession, distracting them enough for the rest of the Gears to keep taking down the others.
A deafening explosion echoed in the substation, it rang out like a thunderclap right next to a charging Commando, launching the young man up into the air, what once was his legs staining the walls next to Marcus. Another Locust Drone popped up from behind a stack of maintenance crates, its bulky form silhouetted against the now flashing emergency lights. A Commando medic who was closest to the now dead gear rushed to cover after trying failing to drag his fallen comrade to safety, he peaked out to return fire yet didn't even have time to squeeze the trigger before the Locust's gunfire tore through the air towards his torso and neck, He was dead before he hit the floor, a fountain of vital fluids exploding across the wall.
Marcus: Damn it, move! -Marcus shouted, already sprinting into the next cover available, ducking underneath a set of low hanging heat pipes and taking position in an open maintenance shaft to his right-
Anya covered Jackson's flanking maneuver, crouching down and returning fire in a seamless motion, drawing their attention to her; The Lieutenant's Lancer fired in controlled bursts, the rounds tearing through the crates that the Locust had been hiding behind, three commandos joined her and focused on the duo of therons that now joined the fight. "Die Hominid!" The Locust screamed as it struck one the commandos next to Anya in the helmet, falling backward into the ground, seemingly dead on the spot.
Marcus on the right while Jackson moved from the left, both unleashed hell in a quick barrage forcing the locust to either be cut down or flee only to die to Anya and the other Gears' overwatch; In a few moments the two veteran sergeants killed at least a squad and wound various more, including one of the two Therons and a charging Grenadier. Both took cover and covered the approach of Anya and the others, the medics stayed back treating or dragging away the dead to safety.
But then as if sudden flood of Dread had filled the room, came more—so many more.
From the other end of the Substation, the rumbling growl of a Flame Boomer sounded, his Scorcher spitting fire along side two Grinders and few handful of drones. The wall of lead pushed the Gears back as they ducked into any piece of cover they could find; Grenadier threw a frag that went over Anya's head and landed next to set of pipes and machinery, before she could react she was dragged into one of the large vents by Havoc-2:
Commando Gear: GET DOWN! -She shouted just before jumping to the ground next to Anya-
Marcus and Jackson scrambled as fast as they could towards an opened maintenance shaft by where the locusts poured out from, rolling the dice in whether bullets or the explosion to come was going to be their deaths. The blast was catastrophic to say the least, A shockwave of heat and pressure tore through the bunker's interior, knocking the rest of Havoc-2's squad and many others across the bunker's floors to the ground. A wave of sound followed—metal creaking, alarms blaring, and the hiss of pressurized air escaping in violent spurts.
Havoc-2 groaned, half-buried beneath a twisted piece of bulkhead that had once been part of the bunker's reinforced walls, Anya clutched by his arms. His helmet was cracked, and his breathing was labored, the air was now thin and acrid in his lungs. He felt the sting of heat on his face as flames danced through the open access port above him, spilling in from the ruptured air-purification chamber, He groaned in pain before he pushed the heavy rubble off himself just enough to roll out of the way, then he helped Anya to get out. He helped her up to her feet before removing his helmet and tossing it side:
The Commando's face is angular with a strong jawline and high cheekbones but his features are softened by an innate calmness, even when he's on high alert. His eyes are a piercing dark brown, intense and calculating but there's a glimmer of warmth hidden beneath the hardened exterior, a trio of jagged scars decorated his left eyebrow all the way back to his temple, wounds caused by a shotgun blast glazing his face. His eyebrows are thick, furrowing slightly when he's in deep thought, and his hair is black, cropped short, and neatly maintained, though slightly tousled from frequent use of tactical gear or long hours wearing his helmet. Another faint scar crosses his right cheekbone—one of the many reminders of his military career, though it's hardly noticeable unless you're close. A Gorasni phrase is tattooed on his neck and a one inch deep cut bled down his lower lips down his jaw and eyebrows.
Havoc-2: Lieutenant you okay? -he checks on her face which has now large gash above her eyebrow, blood quickly covering her face-... Fuuck, that looks rough...
Anya: -the lieutenant's face was pale, blood trickling down from a gash across her forehead, but she remained alert. Her breath came in rough but after a few seconds of looking around to get her bearings she stabilized her breathing-... I'm banged up but still alive... -as she staggered to the side, holding her side where a shard of debris had punctured her armor, Havok-2 showed genuine concern as went to patch her up but Anya stopped him- I'm—I'm good, just…just a scratch. We need to move, now.
Sergeant Jackson was already on the move, his hand gripping the side of a nearby console, steadying himself while Marcus was just getting up. Both looked around as Commandos and locusts were trying to shake off the blasts' effects; Jackson drew a boltok out and in a nonchalant way shot a drone that was crawling away trying to keep it's guts within itself, then as he walked past the body he shot two more who were trying to get up. As he crawled then helped himself up Marcus drew out his knife then drove it up a Grenadier's jaw who was leaning against a bunch of debris, the tip of the knife poking out the top of it's skull.
The air in the bunker was already starting to feel different—heavier. The explosion had triggered the release valves for the oxygen storage, and now the atmosphere was unstable, thick with the fumes of fire and chemicals. Every breath felt like inhaling molten metal and ash, the stench of black smoke was quickly filling the room.
Havoc-2: -he pressed his TAC-COM and then took a breath before speaking-... Status report!... -he coughed before kneeling down-...Six down? How bad?
Jackson: Bad enough... -Jackson muttered under his breath, his eyes scanning the room. He turned his gaze to the rest of the commandos who were executing the surviving locusts-... Get the wounded out of here, everyone else we got to seal the locust tunnels before they get reinforcements.
The Bunker trembled again, its foundations groaning under the strain and damage from the multiple battles. Outside, the air-purification system's failure had caused all the back-up air purifiers to engage at once, struggling already to clean the smoke and contaminants out of the air. The emergency alarm started to blare then the internal hatches sealed immediately, locking them in the destroyed purifier room.
Havoc-2: I'm opening the transmission Colonel... -he was working on the TAC-COM then he turned to Marcus-... [RADIO: Delta's linked now to the call, sir...] -he paces around before looking around then focusing his attention on the purifier's damaged computer- [Sir, the computer is FUBAR'd... The oxygen reserves exploded thanks to a grenade going off next to them, locust sabotage...] -he continued then tried to check a side compartment for anything useful-
LT Colonel Borysenko: [RADIO: Fuck... That's not even the worst of it, The rupture's causing a pressure build-up on your floor, If we don't get those main vents offline, you'll be cooked alive in here then one single spark would send us all to hell.] -he spoke, the sounds of other people talking and moving could be heard in the background- [...And now the back-up air purifiers are failing, too much contaminants are being adsorbed too fast, Havok-2 take your team to the other end of your floor, I'll unseal the Maglocks to the floor below you, help Delta-2 while the eggheads prepare the evac plan, how~copy?] -he asks through the radio-
Havoc-1: [RADIO: Got it, Havok-Main, we're on route, over and out] -he responds before turning to Havoc-2-... Your helmet got fucked?
Havoc-2: Yeah sarge, glasses got cracked and it got fucked up over all... -he says to his superior who pats his back-... In the bright side, it's not coming out of my paycheck because I haven't gotten paid in months... -he laughs before turning towards the nearest wall, warped by the explosion and now groaning by the damage-
The sound of groaning metal echoed again from the air vents, followed by the crackling hiss of flames as they raced toward the central core. Sparks danced along the walls and the floor, illuminating the damage from the explosion. The force had torn through the air-purification station like a virus, tearing through the bunker's systems with cold precision. The entire emergency alarm system and speakers were ripped clean off the wall, now part of the rubble that was strewn about the floor.
Baird: [RADIO: Anyone on this frequency, this is delta-2, we need assistance on our floor ASAP, our defenses got fucked by that explosion, how cop- FUC-] -Transmission cuts off as another explosion rumbles from below, another tongue of hellish flames erupts from the vents followed by pitch black smoke-
Havoc-2: Every able body, move your asses we got ensure those men are leaving this shitshow walking, NOW MOVE! -he orders as he runs out of the room towards the Maglock door, he starts typing away at the keypad while Jackson, Marcus, Anya and Havoc-1 stacked behind him, the other troopers were watching the door waiting to blast anything that may come out; Havoc-2 confirms the code before checking on his Tac-Com- Bossman, you're up.
A few seconds later the keypad glowed green and the big security door began opening inwards, Havoc-2 speeds the door up by kicking it and pushing in, Delta right on him as they push in, locusts scatter into cover including a Elite Theron who was carrying a large crossbow on it's hands, he shouts in alert then leaps behind a large bookshelf; The group open fire then quickly duck into cover.
Havoc-1: Watch it! -he says as reloaded his rifle-... That black armored fucker has our CROSSBOW! -He shoots at the Elite grenadier who tried retreating back into cover-
The Theron jump and rolls away, some of the rounds bounced off his armor as he peaked out then shot his crossbow, the sound that weapon did sounded like metal wiring whipping violently forward then three metal clicks followed by a loud clank, then he peaked out and fired again, this second shot tore through the air and shredded into a commando's armor, exploding out his back with a massive splash of blood, he was thrown back like he struck by a shotgun blast. Commando fell to the floor, his left arm lay two feet behind him and the killing bolt was stuck on the wall behind him, dripping with blood and viscera.
Jackson: What the fuck?! -he says watching a third bolt rip through the armored box next to his face-... Jesus fucking Christ! -he moves away to another position, quickly mounting the LMG on the wall and opening fire-... COME AND GET ME! -He continues to pull the trigger, round after round flew and tore chunks off the walls, then tearing a drone into pieces who was taking cover behind a cheap metal bookshelf then focusing on the spot where the Theron was hiding, reloading the crossbow-
Marcus: Havoc one and two, with me! -he orders as he throws a grenade then quickly dispatches of three locusts with his new rifle and the explosion-... You want some of this!? -he boots a charging drone in the chest, knocking it flat on his ass then after curb-stomping his head to paste he struck the Elite theron thrice in the chest with the Paladin, dropping the locust leader quickly-
As Marcus moved forward and shot, Havoc-1 and Havoc-2 stood to his left and right respectively covering his advance, Anya and Jackson kept suppressing fire while the other Commandos pushed forward behind the three, cleaning the rest of the room, mopping up any locust attempting flanking maneuvers. In about three minutes the locusts were killed while the Elite Theron is severely wounded, bleeding out while trying to reach for it's secondary weapon, a sawed-off laying by a few feet away from his bleeding form. Jackson walks up to join Marcus, kicking the sawed-off away then after drawing his boltok then executes the Theron, firing twice before holstering the pistol and moving past the chaos and towards the next stairwell where a NCOG Medic was dragging a wounded Commando, the young man had a knife driven into his thigh.
Wounded Commando: Shiiii~... -he grabbed his face in pain-... Doc just dope me up, I can't... oh god, fuck... -he struggles to talk as the Medic drags the man to the best of his ability to safety-... Just hit me doc, God I can't handle this fucking pain! -he says as the medic swats his hands away as the commando tried yanking the knife out his leg-
NCOG Medic: I know it hurts kiddo, if I dope you up you'll go into shock... -he explains to the wounded man, eventually he sits him up on bunch of boxes-... Just don't pull that knife out, relax, I'll try to get you patched up quick, savvy? -he says while pulling some medical supplies out of his leg pouch-
The group then moves past them just as the intercom comes alive: "Camp Raphael, this is Havoc-Main, non-essential personnel move towards the main hangar in the basement level, take every weapon, ammo box and important documents that you can carry, SIGMA PROTOCOL is on effect. I SAY AGAIN, Sigma Protocol is on full effect; To the remaining personnel, let those Grubs have it, fuck them up. I'll provide as much assistance as possible until we take off." he takes a deep sigh then continues: "Chaos Operatives if able, move to the hangar and secure a path for the drivers and pilots, Havoc operatives and everyone else, give them some breathing room, Havoc-Main signing off for the last time as your commanding officer, if I'm going to live or die today, I'll kill as many of these scaly sons of bitches as I can..." he cuts off the transmission.
Marcus led the way down the stairwell into the largest room in the Bunker by far which was composed of six rooms, three hallways and three different catwalks; One of the largest room, the center room is the main weapon fabrication area for the entire bunker while four adjacent rooms were various workshops and warehouse like rooms, chalk full of weapons, ammo and various components from different weapons; The massive center room's space was mostly occupied by machinery which looks still operational, conveyer belts push firearm parts up into elevated platforms where autonomous machines weld and add extra pieces before dumping them in their own respective bins, were by the looks of it this would lead to humans putting them together by hand.
Just as the Commando's reinforcements arrive, a Grinder tackles and knocks over a cluster of heavy boxes with it's mulcher before it begins opening fire on the defenders who are taking shelter in the hallway to the right, a tipped over set of tables reinforced with sandbags and big ten foot tall machine like tube full of wires and electrical components; Among those who are taking shelter behind the massive machine include Carmine and Baird, both were pinned down by heavy fire from three directions, a few commandos laid dead across the area but there's a lot more locust corpses scattered about which also includes a bunch of viscera on the floor and walls.
Baird: About goddamn time you got here! -he says while bullets ricochet across the walls nearby-... Marcus they're coming from the eastern room from a tunnel and three other tunnels over there! -he gestures to the right of the foundry area, where two boomers marched out from while firing their massive weapons towards the commandos-
Carmine: What took you so long?! -he says while combat rolling away from a blast rocking the area he was taking cover from-
Havoc-1 ducked around a corner as a hailstorm of bullets nearly ripped him to mince-meat, he reloaded his revolver and pointed it at the nearest locusts who were flanking, cutting them off on the hallway, he fanned his Boltok's hammer quickly dropping three of them before ducking back behind cover, tossing his empty pistol aside and quickly switched to his Paladin rifle, he shot and took out two more locusts before he took a round to his chestplate.
Anya and Havoc-2 joined Carmine in pushing back some of the elite locusts, one of the commandos stood behind a toppled over workstation as he contacted Havoc-Main; There's easily over fifty commandos splitting the room right down the middle, opposite to the locusts who were nearly equal in number, among them were three grinders on the rear while two boomers were pushing the line forward.
Prowler-5: [RADIO: Havoc-Main, this is Prowler-5, over fifty tangos in Foxtrot section, requesting purge of the workshop!] -he broadcasts, next to him was three more of his squadmates who were covering him; A few bullets nearly clipped his arm which forced him to return fire with his semi-auto battle-rifle, seemingly another invention from their weapon foundry-... You wanna play grub? -he shouted as he fired his rifle at the nearest boomer, alongside his squad they dropped the massive locusts-... Suck my dick!
Jackson locked his LMG upon a section of his cover, he was joined by three more prowlers commandos, Marcus and Jinx took out another Boomer but as the slain locusts fired his weapon just as he collapsed to the ground, causing a large explosion to strike one of the columns, launching dust and debris across the area. Jinx saw the boomshot rolling across the ground by him, he quickly pulled it and left it by his side for the time being.
Marcus: Baird, you have an idea of how to seal these tunnels WITHOUT crippling the bunker further? -he asked from across the no-man-land in between them-
Baird: Hell no, these tunnels are already weakening the walls, I don't know if we can seal those tunnels and save the foundry. -he responded while he reloaded his rifle-
Havoc-2: Fuck the foundry, Prowler-5 called for a purge and if the boss approves it, all these grubs will be dead before you know it. -he added to this conversation just before a high-power bolt shot through the cover he was sitting by, the bolt struck his shoulder plate which threw him to the ground with a loud pained yell-... Goddammit!... aughh!... -he checks his shoulder with his bleeding but still attached-
Marcus: You okay Havoc?! -the commando scrambled back into cover, he shook his arm then lifted his rifle back up-
Havoc-2: I'm going to find whomever shot me and I'LL SKULLFUCK THEM! -he shouted in absolute anger, spotting locusts actively tearing open boxes and firing the weapons made in the foundry, a theron sentinel was wielding the Crossbow; He focused his rage at shooting that Theron exclusively, ducking into cover and using every little crack to peak and sneak a burst of bullets at the locust-
The Foundry's service lights flickered alive with yellow flashes, the entire room came alive as the conveyer belts started whirling and the main machine rumbled awake: "CLEAR THE FOUNDRY FLOOR, I SAY AGAIN, CLEAR THE FOUNDRY FLOOR, PURGE PROTOCOLS ENGAGED" began repeating as the commandos scrambled away from the machinery, Marcus and Anya slowly walked backwards while firing at the locusts, covering Carmine and Baird who then did the same in order to cover Jinx, Havoc-1, Jackson and Havoc-2. The locusts pushed forward just as additional corridors opened up and linked each room together except the main foundry which now was being closed up by Blast-doors.
Havoc-2: Keep those ugly sons of bitches in there, let them burn! -he ordered as everyone began to repel any locust who tried to escape the blast-doors' sealing-
A few locust managed to squeeze out the purge protocol but were killed quickly by the massive wall of Gears suppressing fire, those who were trapped inside the blast-doors were gassed with highly toxic flammable gas, just as the locusts were coughing and chocking the Foundry's main engine lit the gas and in blink of an eye all the locusts were swallowed by fire; The Commandos cheered, jeered and shouted as the locusts were burned alive by the enclosed firestorm within the room. Jinx saw the locusts scream and writhe in pain as their flesh boiled and melted off their flesh before his very eyes, the sight brought back the images of his comrades from Anvil Gate pilled up on a burn-pit, the screams of those he couldn't save blended in with the roar of the flames and the shrieks of death that erupted from the locust's throats.
Havoc-1: Burn you fucking monsters, suffer... -he says with venom in his voice-
Baird: Jesus... -he simply said as he turned away from the carnage-
Prowler-1: Hey Havoc... -he walks up to the group-... Thanks for the reinforcements, them bastards would've fucked us if you hadn't shown up. -he shakes hand with the soldier, the Squad leader nodded before taking off his helmet-... The evacuation is going well, the eggheads took off already and they're on the way to the rendezvous, everyone else is ready for our arrival, how about you Delta? -he suddenly turns to Marcus and Jinx, who is sweating and looks agitated-
Marcus: We have a convoy worth of vehicles up on the city, 'bout four clicks away. -he explained-... We left half our forces back there to guard the wounded and the vehicles, we'll link up on the city then start moving from there. -he says, soon they're joined by Anya and Carmine-
Havoc-1: I like the plan Fenix, when we get the fuck out of here we'll split off to link up with your convoy then move from there to the eggheads, afterwards your officer there can plan out our next move with Boss-man. -he says to the group before he looks to the side where a smaller group of NCOG Gears are trying to operate a service elevator-... Fenix and McKenzie, get your crew to the hangar, we'll provide cover from the upper hangar catwalks, everyone else start packing up what you can carry, anything you can't you'll burn. -he orders before forcing the service elevator shaft open then rappelling down the cable-... See you on the other side!
Marcus: You heard the man, let's move people. -he reiterates, Delta and Foxtrot take off towards yet another stairwell, this one labelled "Hangar/Motor-Pool"-... Come on, down the stairs.
Jackson: Fuck... Goddamn stairs, Who built this place?... -he says begrudgingly as he stares at the stairs-... A fucking Fitness Instructor?! -he whines a bit then scowls as McKenzie pats his shoulder-... What?
McKenzie: Try not to fall behind Old Man. -he jokes as he descends the stairs-
Jackson: Don't you give me lip, you little shit. -he retorts while following close behind him-... Once more into the Breach...
THE SIEGE OF THE MAW-
The cacophony of warfare was absolutely monstrous like the actors in play in both sides, The Savage locusts used their higher ground to quickly suppress the Elite's approach, forced to hunker down in trenches outside of the Maw, both side's artillery and siege beasts pelting each other with varying stages of success. RAAM's forces anchor their Gasbarges at safe distance, outside the range of The Maw's artillery, providing long range bombardments against any Savage Counter-offensives; Meanwhile RAAM's reavers continue to strafe-run the Fort's left and right flanks in order to keep them pinned within the fort.
RAAM's personal Gasbarge was slowly making it's approach to The Maw, Commander Táäl is directing the other gasbarges to corner the Savage within the fort meanwhile in the ground, Korr is leading a massive Hunter attack force towards the nearest wall to him, which has been weakened by mortar and siege beast bombardments. Korr and his Hunters push up, quickly taking out two squads of savages and take another defense position; The Veteran Locust wastes and misses not a single shell as he pushes his soldiers towards the savages, forcing them to retreat back to the last defensive position where three retro-lancer turrets awaits them.
Hunter Elite Krex: [Commander!] -the hunter leaps and rolls across an open area, using his armor to soak up three direct shots, he grimaces before shaking his arm a bit-... [What are your orders?] -he asks before Korr turns to him while blindly tossing the grenade towards the defensive line-
Krav Korr: [Orders are unchanged, kill them all and plant the Breach Charges on the base of that wall, now cover me!] -he runs out of cover before getting an answer from the Hunter, he roars loudly as he charges forward with his massive dagger on one hand and his custom Gnasher shotgun-
As he pushed forward Korr laughed in excitement however he's mind was getting ready to tear every single Savage in his way to shreds; He ducked into crater for cover where he spotted as damaged boomshield, he picked it up then used it to soak up all incoming turret fire as he charged with all his might towards the defensive line. He reached the closest turret in the defense like, then smashed the boomshield down onto the barrels disabling the entire fortification, he tossed the shield at the gunner's face then leapt into the defensive line like a rampaging ball of fury.
Like the embodiment of war's most primal fury, Korr burst through the fortified defense line with an unholy roar that shook the foundations of the Maw. His Hunter Elite forces—bloodied, savage, and wild—followed him trying to emulate their commander's might, their eyes burning with the same feral fire. The moment his boots landed upon the ground he turned and quickly dispatched of the three gunners with his shotgun, he splits a Savage Grenadier's face open with two quick strikes of his dagger then after ripping another throat's, he uses the gurgling savage like a shield while firing his shotgun till it runs dry; The Hunters leap into the line just in time as a Savage Drone stabs the Krav into the his shoulder, making him wince audibly however the drone's bayonet gets snapped off by Korr's bare hand. His monstrous eyes focus upon the Drone, he then proceeds to beat the unfortunate savage locust to death with his bare fists, splattering chunky blood across his armored chest and arms.
Korr: [SKJAAAAAAAL!] -he roars extremely loud which echoes across the entire battlefield-... [I'LL DESTROY ALL OF YOU!] -he continues before taking two of his three breaching charges, preps them and throws them at the weakened wall then retreats-... [Get away from the blast zone, run!] -he orders as the Hunters follow their leader away from the wall-
Korr stopped his run, he turned then took one last look at the wall—a towering monstrosity that had weathered so many storms. 'It would fall today' he though to himself a large grin in his blood soaked face, then with a nod to his Hunters, he continued his run till he took cover in a crater, over a hundred meters away.
With a deafening BOOM and a sudden flash of light, the first charge detonated.
The blast sent a violent shockwave rippling outward, its force so intense that the very ground beneath Korr's feet seemed to tremble as if the Maw itself were crying out in agony; The air was thick with the roar of the explosion, a guttural sound that reverberated through every stone in the fort and echoed far beyond, The second bomb detonated a fraction of a second later, its twin explosion amplifying the devastation even further launching thousands of pounds of dusts, burning debris and carnage all over the valley.
For a brief moment, time seemed to stretch as the shockwave tore through everything in its path, including the fortifications that stood in front of the now bombarded Maw wall; Korr's crater that he was using for cover was immediately in sand, dust, soot, rubble and burning chunks of stones, burying him and his three hunters who joined him in the crater, those who were not taking cover got ripped to shreds or crushed by debris from the blast.
The wall shuddered violently, the massive stone structure buckling as if the very bones of the fort were being cracked apart; The air vibrated with the deafening sound of the blast, the roar of the explosion filling every corner of the Maw and the nearby valley. The nearby airborne Reavers and gasbarges—distant but still within range—were thrown off course, their engines and pilots sputtering as they were rattled by the sheer force of the detonation. The thick iron plates that lined the wall were twisted up and bent under the pressure, and chunks of rock and debris rained down like hail for six long minutes.
The ground itself buckled under the impact, creating a massive crater in the earth—20 feet square, with jagged edges where the force of the blast had pulverized everything in its path, Dust and smoke choked the air, clouding the scene in a thick, oppressive fog. The shockwave sent loose rocks and fragments of the wall careening through the air, some flying with such velocity they shattered upon impact with nearby structures.
Hundred of Hunters, already a safe distance away, barely managed to stay on their feet as the blast threw them off balance, these also included Elite Therons and RAAM's Gasbarge, Táäl is nearly thrown off to the ground below, The shockwave was so powerful that even their hardened forms felt the force reverberate through their bodies, High General RAAM held his ground while digging his claws into the metal of the Gasbarge's port-side fence wall. The pilot struggled painfully to keep the Gasbarge but he succeeded in stabilizing the barge. RAAM laughs before ordering his gasbarge to move in till they're two hundred meters from the wall, he rappels down alongside Táäl who is carrying a torque bow and a lancer, The Uzil was carrying a massive modified Troika gun connected to a large backpack where all of RAAM's ammunition was stowed. He chuckles as he walks towards the massive line of Elite locusts that were heading towards the fort, he moves in front of the line and roars:
Uzil RAAM: [FOR THE QUEEN!] -he points at the Fort prompting the first lines of the entire attack force to rush towards the massive hole in the wall-... [KILL THEM ALL!]
The Hunter Elites roared their approval, The Therons victoriously shouted in unison and every elite began chanting 'DEATH TO THE SAVAGE' as the second attack force who were awaiting the signal to attack, begin to charge towards the Maw alongside RAAM's Personal Vanguard and the entire Hunter force. All the reavers now on cue charged in, landing inside the Maw and began to bombard the savage reinforcements, buying the attacking force time to push inside the fort. Uzil RAAM and Commander Táäl move towards the massive hole in the wall, the duo looks at the crater which had punched through entirely and collapsed dozens of many nearby buildings then look around trying to find Krav Korr, who's missing after the blast.
One of the Hunters shouted for the others to help dig up survivors trapped among the debris, Táäl seeing this ordered his personal therons to assist in the process as RAAM was inspecting the still burning hole in the Maw's wall, the Uzil seems to be laughing to himself while taking in the sheer devastation that a single soldier had cause, Krav Korr; He quiets down and silently regrets Korr's death. Táäl turns to the General, getting his attention:
Commander Táäl: [Krav Korr is missing, Uzil...] -he says, hiding his pain from the General-
Uzil RAAM: [Not among the Dead?] -he turns to the Theron-... [Good...]
Commander Táäl: ["Good"?] -he said taken aback-... [We've not found his body...] -he responded to the Uzil, his heart pounding harder as his rage was building-
Before the High General could respond a heavy hand gets planted upon Táäl's shoulder, he turns and his face meets with Korr's banged up face: His left eye was entire caked in blood and ash, shut entirely while a dozens of cuts decorate his face while a wide seven inch slash ran from his left eyebrow that criss-crosses with three deep jagged cuts on his cheekbone, jaw-line and neck, areas of his upper torso which were peppered by shrapnel. Táäl was flabbergasted as he saw that his oldest comrade was now wearing no chest armor, no armor on his arms but only his armored trousers remained in tatters, his boots seemed like they were crushed but functional. The Veteran Locust grinned as he walks passed him without saying a single word, staring at the hole he created.
Krav Korr: [My finest work yet...] -he says while turning to RAAM-... [My thanks to you Uzil, I never though my bombs would be this strong.] -he draws his shotgun, the butt-stock was missing and the trigger mechanism was mangled beyond repair, however that didn't stop the Grenadier from ordering the Hunters to keep flooding into the fort-... [Now, let's find and skin that Traitor alive...] -he says before joining his Hunter troops-
Commander Táäl: [If that explosion didn't kill Korr, nothing will...] -he says to himself loud enough that RAAM heard it and made him smirk-
Uzil RAAM: [If this is the power that one Ravager can do if motivated enough...] -he thinks before moving towards the inside of The Maw-... [An Idea for later but now, let's destroy these traitorous fools.] -he orders Táäl, gesturing him to take the east side of the Maw-
RAAM walked casually through the very center of the Maw, occasionally firing his massive machine gun in order to kill some severely wounded Savage who seem to crawl away or take a pot-shot before they could bleed out, the massive General reaches a bunch of destroyed fortifications covered with chunks and severed body parts from Savages, a few meters ahead he can see the Hunters were executing all wounded savages, shooting corpses and looting ammunition from the destroyed buildings and bloody piles.
In the chaos, there he was, Korr was an unstoppable force. His hulking figure, a towering presence of destruction, surged through the ruins, giving orders and killing any savages who were brave enough to charge the unbreakable line of Elite locusts. His massive serrated knife, as big as a short sword, cleaved through the air with each swing, hacking through flesh and bone. The blade's jagged edge tore apart anyone unlucky enough to come within reach, His custom Gnasher shotgun, always ready, was a machine of death that with each brutal crack, it sent explosive shells tearing into the ranks of the Savages, their bodies torn apart like ragdolls. The blasts radiated with deadly brutality sent enemies flying, their remains scattered across the walls and sandy ground.
"RAAM WILL HAVE THIS WORLD!" Korr bellowed, the battle cry drowning out the cries of the dying. He was like a god of slaughter, his rage amplifying with every step, every kill. The Savage Locusts, no matter how fierce they were, were no match for the absolute monster Korr had become. He was everywhere at once, the tip of the spear in RAAM's invasion, alongside his newly granted legion of Hunters. "KILL THEM ALL FOR THE GLORY OF THE QUEEN" He roared as he wiped the blood off his knife on his trousers, he quickly reloaded his shotgun before slam-firing the Gnasher into a charging trio of locusts, tearing them apart.
As Korr cut through the heart of the Savage forces, his Hunter Elite troops were right behind him, pushing forward with brutal efficiency; Empowered by their leader's bloodthirsty charge, they tore through the remnants of the defensive line with relentless violence. One Hunter Elite—a massive brute with a combat blade that seemed too large for any ordinary Locust—swung his weapon in wide arcs, severing limbs and cleaving skulls. Another, wielding dual pistols, sprayed a flurry of bullets that raked across a squad of Savages, shredding them in a hail of gunfire. RAAM made a mental note to bring all these odd/unique locusts together, these ones seem like veterans that he'd never seen before, capable and deadly unlike the rest.
The Savages were in disarray, their line of defense crumbling beneath the weight of the Elite's fury; They attempted to regroup, but the shock of his attack was too much, their morale shattered like glass under the weight of Korr's savage brutality and the magnitude of that initial explosion, any who stood their ground were quickly overwhelmed, their weapons ineffective against the Elite Ravager and his blood-soaked Hunters. The Elite Therons were taking the rooftops and fired arc shots with their torque bows, lobbing the explosive arrows to the Savage still-controlled areas of the fort.
Commander Táäl: [THERONS!] -He shouted to get their attentions-... [Focus fire on the towers, if we can't take them, sink them!]
RAAM reached the edge of the Hunter's forward line where they were being held back from continuing their assault by Savage Kantuses, Savage Hunters and Savage Boomers: Skjall's Vanguard, the strongest of his forces, the most loyal and committed to his orders; He looked at the Hunters take some savages prisoners, tie unloaded assault rifles with ropes then forcing to charge towards their own allies, giving them their "freedom" if they don't get killed by their own, the general knew that the Savages would run out of ammunition eventually, it was genius to make them unwillingly spend those last bullets on their own troops.
The sound of Korr's shotgun echoed across the battlefield, punctuated by the sickening squelch of his knife slicing through soft flesh. He moved like a beast, savage and unstoppable, each blow an extension of his hatred for the Savages that had dared to stand against RAAM's Forces and the Queen's will. RAAM took a dead mauler's shield and strapped it to his non-firing arm, poking the barrels of the heavy machine-gun across the side of the shield then he leapt over a barrier towards the savages which he began firing at them. East side of the Maw was been claimed by RAAM's Vanguard, the Center was currently getting cleared by RAAM himself and the Hunter attack force and finally the western side was been destroyed by Táäl and his elite theron troops, leaving carnage, corpses and/or prisoners on their wake as they made their way to the building next to the underground's entrance.
The General was shredding the savages like they were nothing but eventually the onslaught got too intense so he took cover behind a tall wall, he ordered the Hunters to flank then he ordered to Korr to cover him while he pushed through a building next to the Savage defense line, where he reached the nearest wall next to them then he uses his massive strength to collapse the wall, crushing six locusts as it fell. He opened fire from this flanking position, making quick work of several locusts before they had time to react to him. One of the Hunters moved past him and tossed a ink grenade into neighboring building, then gunned down all savage than ran out.
RAAM made his way towards the Headquarter building where he witnessed two Savage Gasbarges tried peeling out only to be taken out of the air by RAAM's siege beasts, some of the catapult shots that missed struck the headquarter building, collapsing a large section of it to the rear of it causing a fiery explosion to follow. Soon the Reaver squads flew by and landed on the destroyed rooftops, providing additional firepower with their rockets.
These Hunter Elites encouraged by their leader's savagery, were now fully unleashed upon the Savages who couldn't match their intelligence or precise brutality, which they used with ruthless efficiency, each strike a calculated butchery. The battlefield became a blur of violence, the Savage Locusts' screams drowned out by the relentless roar of Korr's Gnasher and the guttural bellows of his Hunters, from above Táäl and his Therons picked snipers and boomers out with their torque bows all while the Maw was getting reduced to burning ruins.
RAAM: [Korr!]... -he shouted, seconds later the Krav appeared next to the Uzil-... [Take your Hunters and clear these slums, Zamil Azrák's forces should join you momentarily, as soon as he arrives, inform him to meet me in the underground tunnels then gather your top warriors, join me as well.] -he orders before taking off-
Korr: [And Táäl?] -he asked while looking at the Theron in question, throwing a Savage Theron off a burning tower-
RAAM: [Bring him too, Skjall is hiding down their like a rodent, even I'm not foolish enough to assault those tunnels alone.] -he admits before taking off towards the underground's entrance where a massive stone staircase awaits-
With Skjall no where to be seen and the unknown that awaits him down in those tunnels, RAAM simply awaited for his most elite to arrive, even if with his weapon and all the dead savages all over, Skjall's defeat was assured but only if every avenue of approach was covered and all his opportunities to escape were completely cut off, which would be a tall order if these tunnels aren't secured in time. All RAAM could do is wait till his Zamil, Krav and Theron commander to come and join him.
TO BE CONTINUED...