Chapitre 71: Shard
...Terrence's PoV...
I take a deep breath and overlook the soldiers lined up in front of me. It's been two days since Prometheus left, and the preparations for purging the Shard are complete. Personally, I would have liked if he was here. But he's busy with another critical campaign so I won't bother him.
"Legionaries!" I shout as loudly as I can, the soldiers all look at me with determination. Even the newly recruited Ilffs are participating. Most of them volunteered.
It's nice to see that the Promethean Truth has spread to this backward civilization, and I'm glad that they didn't damn their souls by worshiping some false gods. The creation of the Inquisition wasn't something that I expected, but Prometheus handled it perfectly as usual. The new Inquisition already more than proved its worth. The public order in the Tunnels is impeccable, and the integration of the local population into our Order is going smoothly.
But now we have to focus on our first serious campaign since we found Prometheus.
"Our enemies call themselves the Green Ones! Their existence is an insult to Prometheus, and we must cleanse the world of their filth!" I declare, and an enthusiastic roar echoes into the camp. I've heard the stories that the Ilffs had about the Green Ones, and I can understand why Prometheus wants to annihilate those degenerates.
"It's time for the Legion to prove it's worth to Prometheus! We do not want to waste the gifts he has so generously given to us!" Another collective shout reaches my ears, and I suppress a smile.
*It's good that the troops have good morale, and I hope it'll stay that way.*
The Legion handled the Green Ones' expeditionary force well, but it was all thanks to Prometheus' foresight. Who knows what could've happened if we were caught by surprise? We wouldn't have suffered any casualties thanks to Prometheus' shield, but I prefer to never underestimate our enemies.
"You know your orders! Legionaries, go and cleanse the Shard!" the squads move in unison and leave the Tunnels with great coordination under the watchful eyes of the Inquisitors and the populace of the Tunnels who are spouting messages of encouragement.
I then enter a new large tent in the middle of the camp; it's going to act as a command center for our campaigns in the Shard. The few liaison officers responsible for the various fronts of the war salute me before sitting back down and observing the terminal in front of them.
Taanyth told me everything he knew about the Green Ones. Their main base of operation is a collapsed portion of underground tunnels in an isolated part of the Shard. Fighting an unknown enemy in close quarters is going to be tough, but we should manage if the Legion sticks to their orders.
Our plan of action consists of attacking the camp of the Green Ones from two fronts at once, so their sentries should be overwhelmed pretty quickly. We'll then encroach upon their main base. The resulting pincer attack should take care of any resisting force they send out, and then we'll have free access to their headquarters.
And we will turn them all into Swiss cheese!
...John's PoV...
"Come on, this is ridiculous..." I mutter as I slide my hand on the surface of the brand new weapon. The Fabricators named it the 'Barrier Breaker', and I can understand why. Not even the strongest barrier would last more than a second against the onslaught of such a terrifying weapon.
"Adapting the design to the MH Shells was a bit harder than I anticipated, but we somehow managed to make a working gun," Alan says while pointing towards the metallic monstrosity.
"I don't doubt it, that thing is beyond ridiculous." I glance at the testing range, or rather what's left of it.
The aptly named Barrier Breaker is an insane weapon. It's a minigun made to fire MH Shells.
The massive weapon is carted into the helicopter that has been modified to house the gun. The interior of the vehicle is cramped and has been stripped bare to accommodate the Barrier Breaker and its crates of ammunition, not to mention the Stealth Package that Phillip developed.
The Stealth Package isn't as imposing as the Barrier Breaker, but it's still a neat piece of technology. The main body is a rather mundane looking steel cube hooked to a tablet, but the real complexity lies into the large electrode-like devices glued to the hull of the helicopter.
According to the Fabricator, they are capable of creating a sort of local stealth field that will disturb the mana signatures to make them unrecognizable. The device can also make our position fuzzy for most mapping spells, but I was told to not rely on that feature too much. Good mapping spells and experienced mages will see right through the stealth field, but I can't blame Phillip for that.
It's already extraordinary that he designed and built something like the Stealth Package in such a short period.
But the Stealth Package's impressive list of features doesn't stop there; there's also a cloaking mode. It makes us almost invisible to the naked eye by distorting the light around the vehicle. It's nice to have, even if most of the Families should be able to see right through it. And last but not least, the Stealth package also includes a sound muffling mode. It's perfect for our helicopters since they make a lot of noise.
A fleet of four helicopters has been readied for this mission, and they are all equipped with the Stealth Package. The aircraft carrying the Barrier Breaker will be surrounded by the other three since its less mobile than its counterparts. However, two other helicopters are almost as sluggish since they have been equipped with two bomb droppers protruding through the sides in addition to the standard M2 machine gun.
These helicopters are filled to the brim with Carter Bombs. It's how the Chief Fabricator decided to name the MH Shell-based bombs he developed.
And I'll be riding in the last helicopter along with Mary and the rest of the troops. Each modified helicopter can only carry three soldiers, so the remaining five will be riding with us.
Yes, I'm planning to take on a Family with only fourteen soldiers, Mary and I not included.
It might sound insane, but I have no other choice since the rest must defend the camp. It wouldn't be funny if we came back to see that the rest of the Order has been massacred and our research stolen.
"So, are we expecting anything out of the ordinary?" I ask Phillip. The Family we are going to fight are not wealthy by Enforcer standards, and they have a small territory so their soldiers shouldn't be anything to worry about.
The Fabricator shakes his head, "No, they were inconsequential vassals of a branch Family of the Scalebound. But the Incident made them easy prey. Now they are, as far as I know, without allies."
Those fucking lizards always find a way to piss me off, even after their deaths.
"Got it, then I shouldn't worry too much..." I mutter before boarding the helicopter.
Being optimistic isn't something that I can afford, but I think I can at least relax a little and enjoy the light show. Speaking of a light show, Mary Rosewoods is sitting right next to me. She has been assigned to a special unit in the Legion which is supposed to be specialized in large-scale destruction.
"Are you nervous?" I ask the draconic hybrid. The woman nods and smile, revealing her pointy teeth.
"Of course not! I am really excited to finally strike back at the Enforcers!" she replies while clenching her fists. "And I bet I can kill more than your bombs!" Mary laughs while pointing towards the bombing helicopters.
I smirk and nudge her side, "You wish! Those Carter bombs will surpass anything you've ever seen, and I bet you're going to be more than impressed by what's coming!"
She licks her lips, "A bet? All right, I'll take you on! But what do I get if I win?"
*Making a bet with a time traveler? That's not a good decision!*
"I will make you a custom weapon if you win. But if I win, I expect you to agree to certain demands." I say after leaning back. This bet is the perfect opportunity to get a sample of draconic blood for experiments, and that way I won't have to force her to obey.
"Agree with certain demands? I see... Then it's a deal!" she nods with flushed cheeks.
This woman likes fighting a lot. It's a bit frightening.
But the guy whose soul split in two because of his insanity isn't one to talk when it comes to battle-frenzy.
"Are we ready?" I ask on the radio, and the pilots all answer positively. "All right, then let's begin the operation!"
"Yes! For Prometheus!" they shout in unison and the few cultists who are watching our departure saluting while yelling.
I'll be honest; their blind fanaticism is sometimes quite endearing.
"All right people, engage Stealth Mode!" I shout in the radio, and the Legionary near the device nods before fiddling with the tablet. The air around the helicopters starts to wobble and hum before stabilizing. The other helicopters disappear from my vision. The surroundings are a bit distorted; it's like I'm looking through a glass.
"Stealth Mode initialized." A synthetic voice followed by a single note informs us that the Stealth Package is engaged. I take a deep breath and sigh, the engines of the helicopters have been upgraded so we are way faster than what a regular chopper should be able to do, but it's still going to take some time to reach our destination.
...Terrence's PoV...
"Contact!" a voice echoes in one of the radios, and I grip the sides of my chair.
"Engage the enemy! Fire at will!" I shout to the liaison officer who relays my orders.
I glance at the aerial view of the battlefield which is provided by drones. Our pincer movement worked well, and the Legion was able to infiltrate the enemy camp with relative ease. What I see through the cameras of the flying devices makes my blood boil. Malnourished people bound by rusty chains covered in dried blood are shambling around, their lifeless eyes not registering the presence of the marching Legion.
*How can someone be so cruel?*
The Codex is pretty clear on this point. Needless cruelty isn't something endorsed by Prometheus, and it has been the cause of many conflicts back then.
'Being cruel to your enemies isn't the solution, it only helps to build resentment and motivates them even more. Killing them all is usually the best course of action.' I recall a certain passage of the holy book and sigh. Purging those sinners is one thing, but how many of these slaves will be of any use? They are beyond broken, and it's likely that it would take years to heal the scarred mind of the most severe cases.
And there's no guarantee that they'll serve any purpose after all the time and resources we would have wasted to save them.
The Order doesn't have the time nor the resources to heal them, so I'll have to sort through the victims once we are done. Better be merciful to the ones who are too far gone, and save our time for those that might be useful.
I hide a smirk. I'm glad for the creation of the Administration since I won't have to handle the cumbersome sorting myself. Being efficient with resources, be they human or material, is something that the Codex insists on. And as a member of the Order Of The First Flame, I have to uphold the value of the holy book.
"We breached the barracks!" An officer reports, so I focus on the battle displayed in front of my eyes. A group of Legionaries has entered a rather large concrete building.
"Good, begin clearing protocols!" I order and focus on the green creatures hiding in the large hole that is their base. They are unaware of the drones since they would have shot them down.
How pathetic.
A smile creeps on my face as the battle progress. The Green Ones are probably scared beyond measures, and the ones they force out to take a look at the battlefield are immediately shot through the head, causing even more panic to spread in their ranks. Bigger Green Ones wearing higher-quality equipment are trying to maintain order, but they are failing, and the panicked green creatures are unable to organize.
It's a good thing for us, especially considering that we are slowly encroaching towards the hole.
At first, I was worried about close quarter combat in an unknown building, but it looks like the majority of their forces had the brilliant idea to go outside to check on the commotion we are causing.
If you want to make my job easier, then I won't stop you!
A group of smaller than usual Green Ones chained together are forced outside the meager protection that the hole offers. They can barely hold their rusty swords which are too big for them, and I click my tongue as they are gunned down.
Are they seriously sending their children out to die?! How despicable!
I can't praise Prometheus enough to allow me to remove such filth!
The units are quickly approaching the objective. Not even ten minutes pass before they are all at their designated positions.
"All right! Load MH Shells!" I shout, "Take aim! Fire!" A burst of raw, untamed mana surges from the holy rifles of the Legionaries. The pained squeals of the Green Ones quickly vanish when they are erased from existence.
"There are still stragglers! Fire another burst!" Another volley tears through the fleeing ranks of the Greens Ones who are desperately retreating into the hole they call home.
"Good, now secure the perimeter!" I say. The battle is going well so far, but the enemy could be planning a counterattack right now.
We need to act quickly, for the sake of Prometheus!
"By the way, how are things going on the other front?" I ask a particular officer.
"Things are going well, although there are not a lot of movement at all. It seems like the locals are not going outside, which is a bit weird considering what we've seen so far," he replies.
I nod, it may be a coincidence, but I don't like the fact that our soldiers are moving around in empty streets. They'll stick out and be prime targets for the remnants. And from what we did to them, it wouldn't surprise me if they attempted something foolish. But we should be prepared, although I don't know what they might be hiding. The lost technology buried in the walls of the Shard is a big unknown. So we might be attacked with some unexpected firepower.
But I'm sure that Prometheus's shields will protect our men no matter what the gangs throw at us. After all, nothing could beat the works of a living divinity like Prometheus.
"Good, keep patrolling and stick to the perimeter. We don't want to provoke them until we're ready to wipe them out." I reply while focusing on the events unfolding on the large screen.
The Legionaries are setting up machine gun nests near the most traveled paths out of the hole in case the Green Ones attempt another offensive. In the meantime, the rest of the men are getting ready to breach the enemy base. They know that we are here, and they are probably setting up barricades. But I can deduce from the newest structures around the hole that their architectural capabilities are severely limited. The Green Ones are only able to stack remains of old buildings together in unsafe structures that could crumble at any moment.
For instance, the barracks we assaulted earlier was almost a bigger risk than the soldiers who were sleeping inside.
So I'm not too worried about not being able to progress into the hole, what worries me is how they know the layout of the area better than us. They could ambush us thanks to a hidden tunnel, or collapse the hallway that our men are exploring.
Either way, we have to go in and clean up the remaining Green Ones. I ordered the Legion to shoot on sight, even if it will mean that we'll kill the slaves. We can't risk our men for the lives of potentially useless people.
Prometheus needs soldiers, not leeches.
"Sir, the men are ready to breach!" an officer relay. I take a deep breath and look over the battlefield one last time. From now on, the drones will not be able to give me an overall view of the battlefield. It will be harder to coordinate the strikes, and we'll have to rely on the cameras that the soldiers are carrying to get a better grasp on the situation.
I've been the Commander of the Legion for a while, so I know that this type of warfare is one of the deadliest. But most of the men we sent on this particular assaults are veterans with many years of service under their belts, so they will know how to react in any situation.
But this is only true as long as we are not facing some world-ending threat. But I doubt we'll encounter anything of such a caliber, if the Green Ones had something like that then they would have already deployed it.
So the rest of the Green Ones shouldn't be hard to handle.
L’AVIS DES CRÉATEURS 
Onch
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État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone