To the South of Fortress Alpha, the Phasewalker and York convoy moved across the open field. In one of the Leopard APCs, a Security Trooper tapped his black Deflector Shield in boredom. His face shield was lifted up, revealing a young face.
The Deflector Shields was an addition made to the Regiment Security Platoon not long before Caity started her trip to Camp York. These were long rectangular, half a meter long shields made up of a special alloy in World Alpha. The Phasewalkers confiscated, though looted would be a better word choice, over two hundred of them from Fort Sentinel and took them back to Earth to be examined.
The studies yielded impressive results. These shields were even stronger than the Guardian IV armors, capable of withstanding a decent amount of punishment before breaking. Even better, it was lighter than most shields on Earth. But what really made them stand out was its ability of kinetic absorption: the ability to take in kinetic energy and change it to something else.
If you shoot a Gauss Rifle at the shield, the bullets would touch the shield, lose all energy, and then collapse on the ground. It wasn't perfect and a cannon round could easily snap it, but it was something impressive nonetheless.
A number of these Deflector Shields were left on Earth while 70 of them were handed out to the Regiment Security Platoon to be tested out in the field. If they proved practical against the Mutants, then Section X would devote more resources to studying the material and duplicating the shields.
"So, what are we even supposed to do with them?" He suddenly wondered out loud. "I mean...energy absorption is good and all, but it does no good if it's not in the proper spot."
"Then put it in the proper spot!" Another Security Trooper shrugged.
"Yeah? You're such a smart guy, aren't you?" The first trooper retaliated. "You try reacting to a Gauss bullet in time!"
"You don't have to react. Just put the shield in front of you and cover yourself."
"And keep my left arm occupied?" The Security Trooper lifted his Defender Rifle. "Have you tried shooting a Defender-II with one hand?"
"Well, use your brain, dumbass!" The second Security Trooper sighed before raising his left arm. The others in the APC could see that instead of gripping onto the Deflector Shield with a handle, that trooper used some cloth to strap the shield to his left forearm. This way, he could set his left arm out horizontally, hold his Defender Rifle with both hands, and still have his upper body protected by the Deflector Shield.
"The thing inside your skull? It's a good thing. Use it." The second trooper grinned.
Most of the Security Troopers in the APC just watched this bickering with a smile. In the end, they were just teenagers. Even in a vicious world with a hundred dangers coming from all sides, they could still find fun in the tiniest openings.
Suddenly, the APC came to a stop.
"It's the bathroom break, boys." The driver said through the mic. Well, at least they weren't under attack. The Security Troopers got out of the APC one by one. A few of them moved toward a set of bushes in the nearby area. They chose a distance not so far away that they would be ambushed without being seen, but not so close that things could get really awkward.
In the Humvee in the front, Caity got out of the car as well. She stepped toward one of the bushes. It wasn't exactly the best bathroom she has been to, but in the middle of nowhere, she didn't have too many choices.
Suddenly, Caity heard the ruffling sound of something moving. She snapped around immediately, a Defender-C Gauss handgun in her hand.
Defender-C. Sidearms designed for UEC officers and non-combatants. Small, but packs quite a punch.
"Identify yourself!" Caity demanded loudly. She was cautious, and rightfully so. God knew what horror might be lurking in the surrounding. Of course, her words served a greater purpose than it seemed. A distance away, the Security Troopers that heard her voice quickly approached with their weapons raised.
Suddenly, the bush moved, and two short figures walked out.
Caity frowned and lowered her weapon slightly. They were two girls. The older one couldn't be over 15 years old. The younger one was just 8 or 9. Both were in rag-tagged clothing. Their faces were pale. Their exposed arms and legs covered in cuts and bruises. Seeing Caity and the weapon in her hand, they held onto each other in fear. The older one, although also being terrified, stepped forward and shielded her sister from Caity's weapon.
The Security Troopers have arrived as well. Aside from 20 Troopers that stayed behind to cover the vehicles, the others were all here. Aryan and a few York Troopers also came over for a look.
"Sir?" Commissar Charlotte glanced at her Commander.
"Probably some random survivors." Caity frowned. The girls didn't feel like threats. She wasn't omniscient, but chances were the two girls were nothing more than members of the many survivors in this world.
"What should we do with them?"
"They're none of our business." The Colonel quietly made the decision. She was on a mission, and it wasn't rescuing the innocent.
Before Charlotte or the others could answer, the older girl took a step forward. Fear was on her face, but a fear greater than the one caused by Caity forced her to speak up.
"Please! You have to help us! We are being hunted!"
The girl knew nothing about this woman in a black suit, but she could still remember a time in the past. It was a time where there were justice and order. A time where if you did something wrong, hurt someone, or broke something, you would be punished. It wasn't too long ago, but somehow, everyone around her seemed to have forgotten about it.
And at that time, men and women in black suits and dark helmets, people like the woman in front of her, stood for justice and power.
Caity frowned.
"Sorry, Miss, but we can't help you. We just don't have the time. Look," She stood up and pointed at the North, where her convoy came from. "Keep walking down that direction, and you will find people like me. They will take you in and protect you."
Indeed. The Phasewalkers have encountered quite a few survivors. They took care of the hostile ones with bullets and grenades, but they also took care of the friendly ones in a much nicer fashion. The information these local survivors possessed, no matter how basic, was desperately needed for the Phasewalkers.
The girl looked in that direction before snapping back to Caity.
"We won't make it there! It's too far! Please! There are people after us...bad people! If they catch us…" She lifted up her shirt, revealing grey, beaten bruises all across her upper body and her breasts. "they will hurt us and kill us!"
Caity wasn't moved. She was well aware of what lawlessness could do to people. She could never forget the dungeon she saw in Kaneton, where innocent, ordinary townspeople decided to imprison their own mothers, sisters, and daughters for sexual pleasure. The poor girls in front of her must have gone through a similar thing.
If Caity was alone, she would be more than happy to carry out some swift justice with fire and fury, but she was equipped with a task. One look at the calm and unmoved expression on Aryan's face suggested he wouldn't be too happy with some deviation from the plan.
She turned back around and channeled the spirit of Ryan through her.
"Look, girl. What's your name?" She suddenly asked, realizing that if she wanted the girl to follow her instructions, she might as well know her name first.
What the girl said next made Caity freeze.
"Katherine. My name is Katherine."
All of a sudden, it was as if lightning struck Caity.
Katherine.
That was a name she could never forget.
It belonged to a girl who Caity rescued from her monstrous tormentors. It belonged to a girl who showed Caity she could be a bringer of hope and salvation. It belonged to a girl who stole Caity's kiss, and it was the same girl who was mauled to death by Mutated Wolves on the way back to Fortress Alpha, mere hours later.
Alone. Afraid. Helpless and in pain.
For more times than she could count, Caity cursed herself for not being there for the tormented girl. If only she decided to make the trip back too...if only she decided to lead an escort...but a thousand 'if's couldn't change the fact that she couldn't save a girl who loved and trusted her.
Now, another Katherine was here. Equally hurt. Equally tormented and equally scared. The only thing different was this time, Caity could actually save her.
Stand up. Walk away. Be strong! You are Colonel Caity Hunter, Commander of the 1st Phasewalker Regiment! Be strong! The good of the cause is greater than the life or death of one girl! An alliance with Camp York is so much more important than this! Do the smart thing! Damn you!
The Colonel inside her screamed for her body to move, but the woman, the human, inside her stopped her in her tracks.
"Colonel," On the side, Commissar Williams raised her voice. "we should get moving if we want to reach Camp York before it gets dark." She warned.
When Caity didn't answer, Charlotte sensed what was going on in her head.
"Colonel, this girl holds no value to us." She reminded Caity. "She's not even one of us!"
Not one of us. Not a member of their world. Not someone they were trained to protect.
Caity snapped back to Charlotte. Her eyes were cold.
"Stand by, Commissar. That's an order!"
"Colonel, I implore you to do what's best for the cause…"
"And I implore you to be quiet." Caity wasn't scared of Charlotte. Ryan Carlson had the power, the authority, and the will to threaten her position as the Commander, but it would take a lot more than a mere Platoon Commissar to do the same.
Charlotte backed off with her head lowered.
A few more moments passed. Katherine looked at Caity with hope in her eyes. She knew if Caity abandoned her, then she and her sister would be as good as dead, if not worse. Suddenly, the sound of motor engines across the field made her heart sink.
"It's them…" She whispered, knowing all too well that it was too late for her.
A distance away, six motorbikes approached. They came to a sharp stop in front of Caity and the others. Caity could see the bikers exchanging concerned looks before one of them dismounted and walked up with his hands raised.
All the bikers had weapons on them, but they had no intention of using it. Only fools would draw guns when it was 6 against 40 with the group of 40 having standard uniforms and better weapons.
"Howdy? We are just coming through! We mean no offense!" The man announced loudly before his eyes landed on the black uniforms. "Ah...brothers in arms, right? My boys and I were in the 391st Marine Regiment! Where were you all stationed?"
Oh...so these bikers were former UEC military? Not her problem. Caity took a step forward. "None of your business, now get lost!"
The biker leader gulped. It was obvious there was some anger on his face, but he pushed it down. It would be a shame to be blasted to pieces by Gauss Rifles just because he couldn't keep his head cool. Suddenly, just as he was about to leave, his eyes landed on two figures trying to cower behind a Security Trooper.
"Ummm…" He turned back to Caity. "actually, we were looking for someone. Two girls." He gestured at the pair. "If you can hand them to me, we will be very thankful."
Caity turned back and glanced at the girls before making her position clear.
"Fuck off."
"You bitch…"
One of the bikers stepped up and reached for his weapon, but the leader pushed him back, along with the rest of his curses, but it was too late. Immediately, all 30 Security Troopers had their weapons aimed at the bikers. Charlotte pointed her Defender-C right at the biker leader. She didn't quite agree with Caity, but as long as Caity was still in command and she wasn't a threat to the cause, Charlotte would still carry out her to the last dying breath.
The biker leader held his hands up in surrender as he made one last attempt.
"Please...those girls are the properties of the Colonel. Colonel Hendrick." He paused. "We've got over 200 men and twice that number of guns. If you are willing to return the girls to us, we will gladly pay for them in whatever resources you and your men may desire."
The girls turned to Caity. The younger one still had her eyes open in hope, but Katherine was already cursing herself for trying to talk to Caity. They should've run the very chance they got. At least then they would still have an opportunity of making it out. Now, this woman in black would surely sell them out, if not for the reward, then for the threat. In this day and age, 200 fully armed military veterans were a force to be reckoned with.
She shouldn't have followed her instincts.
"Pay for them?" Caity said quietly, not even looking at the girls. "Like they're some sort of commodity?"
Her voice was low, but the fury inside was undisguised.
The biker leader knew he said the wrong words and pushed the wrong buttons. Now, it wasn't about getting the girls. It was about leaving this place in one piece.
"I'm sorry, madame! We will leave at once!"
He turned around, but it was too late. Caity raised her Defender-C and opened a hole in the man's chest.
A single round of gunshots from the Security Troopers sent the other five bikers to the ground. Four of them never got up, but just as the Security Troopers turned their attention away, the fifth one suddenly jumped onto his bike and tried to make a run for it.
If he escaped, this Colonel Hendrick would surely retaliate! A few sharpshooters raised their Defender-III, but someone was quicker. An ice dagger flew across the sky and buried itself in the last biker's neck, almost beheading him.
The bike moved on for a few more seconds before collapsing.
Caity turned around to Aryan. After the brief moment of fury, she had to admit her decision likely wouldn't go well with the Fort York Mutant. If nothing else, it betrayed some information about her. Someone who has survived a full year in the apocalypse of World Alpha probably wouldn't be so emotional about things like this. She just hoped Aryan didn't catch onto that.
Aryan didn't seem annoyed by what Caity did. In fact, there might be a sense of intrigue in the man's eyes.
"I know where they're from." Aryan pointed at the bodies on the ground. "They were the Marines stationed on a Victory-class Destroyer in the UEC Space Fleet. When the ship was taken down, they were the only survivors. I'm fairly certain they ended up holding out in the wreckages of the starship, living off whatever supply they could salvage."
Caity frowned. "And the thing he said about there being 200 men, is that true?"
"I think so."
This sent the Colonel thinking. She only had 50 Security Troopers. Now, among the Phasewalkers, they were the best of the best, but she had no idea how they would fare against UEC Marines. These Marines were stationed aboard spaceships! They had to be highly trained, right? It would take a lot more than some half-trained teenagers with salvaged weapons and a lack of numbers to defeat them.
If she really wanted to handle them, she should send a message back to Fortress Alpha and deploy armor and artillery units, coupled with large groups of infantry. Even then, there would be risks and probably losses.
But if she had to ignore these UEC Marines, she wouldn't feel settled either. These Marines had no conscience or remorse. They would always be a threat.
That was when Aryan took a step forward.
"You know what? The day is getting kinda late and I don't think we can get back to Camp York today. We are in need of somewhere to rest anyways, so...what do you say we work together and take out that Marine settlement?"
Caity turned back to Aryan, slightly surprised by the offer. They did waste some time here, but it shouldn't be more than a few minutes. It wouldn't make that much of a difference, which meant...Aryan saw that she wanted to take out those UEC Marines, and he was willing to put aside his plan and lend her a hand!
But...why? After seeing the monsters the locals have turned into throughout the last year, Caity had a hard time believing Aryan was just a philanthropist.
But her doubts weren't a reason to deny the offer.
"Yeah, that sounds good." She said quietly before turning back to the Security Troopers. "Let's get back to the convoy and get ready for combat. Mr. Aryan, please tell me as much as you know about this settlement so we can devise a proper plan of attack."
"Yes sir!"
"Very well."
As Caity moved, she suddenly felt someone pulling her clothes. She turned around and found herself staring at Katherine.
"Yes?"
"Thank you, madame," Katherine said quietly to Caity, who couldn't be any more than a few years older than herself at most. "We owe you our lives, madame. We will make sure you don't regret it."
Caity sighed. "Yeah, don't mind it." She whispered before walking away.
Behind her, Katherine looked at her figure with nothing but admiration in her eyes.
When humanity reached the stars, the creation of the UEC intergalactic Navy became inevitable. The result was the UEC Space Fleet, an armada of over 50 capital starships and thousands upon thousands of starfighters.
Among the 50 capital ships, there were giant Supreme-Class Carriers capable of unleashing fleets of starfighters and storms of Gauss rounds, medium-sized Judicator Class Cruisers designed to provide heavy firepower, and relatively small Victory-Class Destroyers designed to protect the Carriers and Cruisers against enemy fighters and projectiles.
Unfortunately, the UEC Space Fleet didn't save the United Earth Confederation. Not many people knew what really happened, but it was likely a wave of Mutations inside the ship hulls that sent the entire UEC Space Fleet to its destruction.
Most of the starships were completely destroyed when the fleet fell, but one of the Victory-Class Destroyers was a bit more fortunate. The Marines on board the ship handled the Mutants, but the battle damaged the engines beyond repair. The Mutations and the resulting crash killed most of the 10,000 UEC personnel on the ship.
Even then, there were still over a thousand survivors. A number of them left the cruiser to aid the UEC forces on the ground. They never returned.
The rest, roughly 400 of them, stayed by the ship's wreckage under the command of Marine Colonel Hendrick. The ship held enough rations and weapons for them to last a long time, and they were able to produce some basic bunkers to defend any incoming attackers, Mutant or not.
At first, things were going on fine. The UEC Marines even took some survivors into their fold and offered them protection.
But as time passed and the corpse of the UEC grew colder and colder, the effect of lawlessness started to show. Yes. These were UEC soldiers sworn to protect the people, but their nation was gone. Most of their friends and families and the civilization they grew up in were wiped off the surface of the planet. At that point, despair grew, and many decided to just abandon whatever creed they had and live in the moment.
Finally, everything snapped. Colonel Hendrick led many of his fellow Marines on a bloody rampage against the survivors they took in. If they offered the survivors protection, the survivors should give something in return, right? When the survivors resisted, the Marines slaughtered all the men and boys and kept the women and girls captive for their pleasures.
Even the bodies of the dead weren't laid to rest. When the valve to violence was opened, no one could close it. A few Marines, either mad before or driven mad by the collapse of everything, decided that rather than letting the meat go to waste, it was better to feast on it. They weren't satisfied with doing that themselves, but they also took pleasure in watching the girls unsuspectingly devour the meat of their husbands, brothers, and sons.
The entire thing was just a train wreck.
A few Marines stayed true to their cause, but those that spoke up were immediately silenced in the most brutal way possible. With chaos all around, the voices of justice terminated, and despair and temptations encroaching, no one could keep their minds calm and their hands clean.
After a year, there were only 200 or so Marines left. The number of girls quickly reduced to 30 due to all kinds of horrifying and grotesque reasons.
But as the cause of all the atrocities, Colonel Hendrick wasn't punished even one bit. Instead, as an insult to Karma, the man was living more comfortably than anyone that stood up against him ever did. He occupied the nicest, safest room among the wreckages, with all the girls and all the food in the settlement available to him.
For example, right now, there were two girls serving him.
Hendrick ran his hand down the shirt of one of the girls and grinned when he felt the familiar softness. Some said constantly experiencing pleasure would make that pleasure die down. To that, Hendrick snickered. Those that said that must have never experienced the pleasure of utter freedom and complete chaos.
Speaking of girls...he turned around to the door.
"Has Buck returned yet?"
There was a man waiting outside the door. Hendrick didn't enjoy being watched by other men during sex, but he also didn't enjoy having to wait. As a result, his lieutenants had to wait outside. Hearing Hendrick's question, one of them immediately responded.
"No, Colonel."
"Shame." Hendrick complained, not because of the men, but rather because… "I really like the girls, especially the older one. What was her name again? Katy? Katherine? That strong, rebellious look in her eyes, hmmm…"
The Lieutenant was silent. Just because Colonel Hendrick mused on things like this by himself didn't mean others could join the party. Finally, the Colonel snapped back to the mortal realm.
"It is a bit weird, don't you think?" He asked thoughtfully. "Buck is one of the best scouts in the camp. It's not like he got lost or something." Deep in thoughts, he subconsciously squeezed his fingers, and a pained look appeared on the girl in his lap, not that Hendrick cared.
"Double the sentries! In a world like this, you can never be too safe."
With the order given and not even waiting for a response, Colonel Hendrick turned around and leaped onto the girl like he did countless times before.
Outside, the lieutenant frowned before passing down the orders.
---
The settlement was established around a part of the Destroyer's wreckage. Most of the Marines took shelter inside the remains of the starship, but they also had a staging ground in the open at the entrance of the wreckage. This was the only way they could get in or out of their shelter. This position was fortified by sandbags and gun turrets, and for the right reason. If someone managed to seal off this position with firepower, they could keep the Marine trapped in for as long as they wished.
The Marines were rotated for the position of sentries. Normally, there were only a dozen of them. Thanks to Hendrick's hunch, that number was doubled, and god were the sentries unhappy about it!
"I should be on my bed right now jerking off! Instead, I'm standing here in the middle of the night like a fool!" One of the Marines complained. His Defender-I Gauss Rifle casually laying on a sandbag beside his leg. "Why the fuck are we even here? Who's gonna attack us?"
"Mutated Animals?"
"Shut your face!" The Marine snapped. "How many times have we been attacked by Mutated Animals? Huh? How many times were those attacks during the night? We have hunted down every Mutant in the proximity that might be a threat! This is just plain stupid! If there are Mutants approaching we will hear them from a mile away!"
"If you have such strong feelings, you should bring it up to the Colonel." Another Marine commented.
That was more than enough to shut down the voices of dissent.
In an age where order collapsed, the command structure was dead in the water as well. No one would follow the orders of someone just because of their ranks. Colonel Hendrick didn't control the Marines because he was a Colonel. No. He did so because he was the meanest guy in town. The way he handled the dissenters made even the most ruthless Marine sick.
Only cruelty could rule cruelty.
Nonetheless, the first Marine was quite a talkative fellow. Within a few minutes of silence, he raised his voice again.
"I mean...we have, what? Four sentries in the woods? If something does go wrong, they'll be the first to sound the alarm. So what's keeping us from, you know, taking a quick nap or something?"
The other Marines ignored his words.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Charlotte pulled her blood-stained Army Knife out of the neck of one of the said Marine sentries.
You know...the tactical knowledge of these Marines was impeccable. There were dozens of sentries out in the open with shiny flashlights and big guns, but any respectable attacker could take them by surprise. What really put in the weight were the sentries in the shadows. These scouts were designed to hide in holes or behind trees or bushes. When unsuspecting attackers were focused on hiding from the sentries in the open, the hidden sentries would unleash their firepower, slowing down the aggression and notifying the settlement of the attack.
Good plan. Terrible execution. All of that was nullified when the hidden sentries literally fell asleep in their posts. Yep. All four of them.
It wasn't their fault! They have been out here for a year and no one has really threatened the camp during the night! No human faction would attack them, and no Mutated Animal could really take them by surprise. To these hidden sentries, their observer spots were just another place for them to take a nap.
The Phasewalkers didn't realize their presence either, at first. That was until one of the Security Troopers accidentally fell into a spotting hole. Seeing the asleep sentry, the Security Trooper acted before thinking and slit the man's throat. After that, it was just a matter of turning on heat vision goggles and carefully scanning the surroundings.
Soon, all four sentries were silenced by the kill team headed by Charlotte.
Caity quietly knelt down behind a tree a short distance away from the brief fortifications. There were 50 units on her side. Five Security Troopers and five York Troopers were left securing the convoy, but that still left over 45 Security Troopers and 10 York Troopers. They were at a disadvantage compared to the 200 former UEC Marines. Thankfully, Caity had the help of the big gun.
She turned and nodded at Aryan.
Aryan slowly took a step forward before closing his eyes.
At the fortifications, the chatty Marine suddenly wrapped his arms around his body. "Anyone else feeling a bit chilly?"
"You're a grown man, for god's sake! Are you really complaining about the cold?" Another Marine snickered.
"Well, not really…" The first Marine held his ground. "but you have to admit, it's oddly cold out here." Still complaining, he looked around. Nothing. But the feeling that something was terribly wrong still lingered in his heart.
Suddenly, a sound covered the field. It was the sound of something piercing the wind.
Beside him, the other Marine that was bickering with him was on the ground already. A white ice spike was half-buried into the man's black helmet and subsequently, his brain.
Across the field, dozens of bodies hit the ground at once. All of them with a similar cause of death.
"What…" The first Marine had no idea what in the world just happened. All he knew was he needed to run. Now. At once. Move your legs and get back into the wreckages where there were hundreds of comrades! But no matter how hard he tried, his legs refused to move. In fact, none of his body moved. The only thing he could feel was white frost extending itself across his body. Starting with his head.
"Oh…"
The Marine whispered before finally collapsing.
A similar ice dagger was in his brain.
He was dead already. He just didn't know it.
"That's impressive." Caity commented quietly. The Camp York Mutant literally created a field of ice spikes above the Marines and sent them flying down with all the might gravity had to offer. Didn't look so dangerous, but judging by how they pierced the black helmets like they were paper, Caity suspected the spikes held even more punch than her Defender-C Gauss handgun.
As she spoke, the Security Troopers behind her quickly proceeded according to the plan. They dashed out from behind their covers and got to where the sandbags were. Commissar Charlotte glanced at one of the dead Marines on the ground. His body was already covered with frost. The woman grinned before setting her Defender-C on a sandbag and raising her Deflector Shield to cover her upper body, leaving a small gap for her handgun.
Across the field, the Security Troopers did a similar thing. Shields up. Guns out.
As of the moment, no one was in sight, but that would change very soon. Four Phasewalkers moved to set up two mortars. Within just moments, two projectiles flew out of the mortars and flew straight into the wreckages.
That part of the wreckage was instantly covered in a dense cloud. Tear gas rounds. Projectiles capable of causing significant irritation to the eyes, designed for crowd control.
The Destroyer was big, but the part that was salvageable was a tiny portion, especially when talking about fitting two hundred or so people. While Colonel Hendrick was luxurious enough to occupy a giant room all for himself, most of the Marines had to settle with tightly crowded rooms closer to the entrance. When the tear gas crept in, no matter what they were doing, the Marines went straight out the door, gasping for clean air.
They were pushed right into the firing lines of the Security Troopers.
"Open fire! Leave no survivors!"
Charlotte ordered. Immediately, all the troops, Security Troopers and York Troopers alike, started shooting. Defender-I. Defender-II. Defender-III. Even Defender-C. The clicking gunshots of the Gauss Rifles were followed by agonizing screams from the Marines and then by the sound of bodies hitting the ground.
The Phasewalkers acted without hesitation. Throughout their time here, they have learned one thing. Hesitate on the battlefield, and you or your brothers and sisters in the arm would pay the price. Mercy to your enemies was cruelty to your friends.
If the Phasewalkers wasted some time taking down the sentries in front and these Marines got to reinforce the defensive position, then the Phasewalkers would be in deep trouble. But now, Aryan slaughtered all the sentries in moments, and the Phasewalkers were the ones taking advantage of the sandbags and defensive position.
Which meant this was no longer a battle. This was a massacre.
Dozens of brutally graphic deaths later, some of the Marines managed to suppress their urges to escape, but those behind them didn't. Those behind the Marines accidentally shoved the Marines in front out into the open, where they were then gunned down one by one.
By the time the Marines stopped moving, over 50 Marines laid dead in the field. Blood and gore covered the entrance.
Overall, over one-fourth of these former Marines were slaughtered in these brief minutes. Caity didn't lose a single man.
"Masks on! Move!" Charlotte waved her hand. Behind her, the Security Troopers reached into their side and pulled out gas masks. They raised the black face shields to put on the masks. The Phasewalkers were the ones that used the tear gas. It would be foolish of them to not prepare for it.
When that was done, the Security Troopers jumped out of their cover and moved toward the breach. Two Marines, sensing the movement, tried to resist. But before they, with their reddened eyes, could even see the Security Troopers, several Gauss bullets found a new home in their chest.
Two Security Troopers reached into their tactical belts and pulled out two shrapnel grenades. Pull the pin. Throw. Bang! Bang! Before the explosions even settled, the Security Troopers were already charging into the breach with their Defender rifles blasting.
The Marines who were forced to the opening by the tear gas immediately found themselves screwed. Those who survived the grenades didn't survive the rifles of the Phasewalkers. Completely caught by surprise and having lost the upper hand already, dozens more Marines fell without any real resistance.
As Charlotte went in, one of the Security Troopers walked up to her.
"Sir, these walls seem to be obstructing our thermal vision goggles."
"Shame." Charlotte was a bit disappointed. Thermal vision goggles were a deadly tool in close-quarter combat. It allowed the Phasewalkers to see the Marines much earlier than vice versa. Nonetheless, that wasn't a reason to falter. "Follow the plan. Advance in squads and clear out the rooms."
"Yes sir!"
All 45 Security Troopers quickly entered the starship's wreckage. Caity quickly followed them. Aryan, however, stayed behind at the gate with his York Troopers.
Colonel Hendrick's time was up.
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