Dagger-Two
Villore Joint Task Force
Villore Accords
134
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Posted - 2013.11.15 06:26:00 -
[1] - Quote
The dusty valley below echoed with the sounds of gunfire and explosives. Two groups of immortal soldiers fought, died, and then were reborn to fight again until one side could claim victory. Missiles streaked through the sky as they made their way to either sideGÇÖs Mobile Command Carrier.
At one of the Anti-MCC silos, she could see a small group of allied infantry desperately defending against a larger incoming group of hostiles supported by a Heavy Attack Vehicle. The scattered unit didnGÇÖt stand a chance, and soon their TACNET markers blinked off, signalling their violent deaths. A warning then flashed that the silo itself was being hacked.
Leveling her railgun toward the silo, she could just make out the head of the hostile soldier performing the electronic intrusion. She centered the reticule of the gun-cam on it, disengaged the weaponGÇÖs safety, and waited for a perfect shot. For just a moment, she thought about squeezing the trigger and sending the 6mm flechette through the manGÇÖs skull, buying her side precious moments to regroup.
The siloGÇÖs HUD marker flashed red, and she lowered the weapon. Despite the contract she signed, this was not her fight, and she could not afford to give away the vantage point she had taken. Unless she gave anyone reason to do a thorough search of the rocky hilltop, her suits stealth systems would hide her from passive scans.
Setting the rifle aside, the armoured figure turned her attention to a facility in the distance. Nestled at the far edge of an ancient crater, the complex was nearly two kilometers from the combat zone, and relatively safe from attack. That was, however, rapidly changing as the attacking force began to overwhelm the defenders. Once the ground here was secure, and the mercenaries recalled, Serpentis troops would no doubt come for their prize. Glancing at the constantly updating battle status, she guessed that their MCC had at most five more minutes before having to retreat, or succumbing to the armour-piercing missiles battering its hull.
Grabbing her rifle again, she set the optics to maximum magnification and looked toward the facility again. She could just barely make out a black-clad figure working their way through the white and green buildings.
An earpiece in her helmet squawked as a direct com-link was opened bewteen them.
GÇ£Two, do you copy? IGÇÖve swept the inside. Looks clear, no personnel present.
GÇ£I see youGÇ¥ she replied. GÇ£YouGÇÖd better hurry, the snakes seems to be winning this oneGÇ¥.
GÇ£DamnGÇ¥ the male voice replied, and then paused.
GǣOne, are you stillGǪ?Gǥ
GÇ£I donGÇÖt think IGÇÖll ever get used to that voiceGÇ¥ the man chuckled, GÇ£DoesnGÇÖt suit youGÇ¥. His words were punctuated by heavy breathing, meaning he had picked up his pace.
GÇ£This isnGÇÖt the time for jokes, OneGÇ¥
GÇ£You know, youGÇÖre pretty manly when youGÇÖre madGÇ¥ laughed the man between breaths.
GÇ£Oh shut upGÇ¥ she snapped, GÇ£IGÇÖm not exactly a fan of MorduGÇÖs androgynous clones, but I didnGÇÖt really have a choice at the timeGÇ¥, she smirked inside the dropsuit helmet. GÇ£By the way, 3 minutes and counting, smartassGÇ¥
GÇ£Frak"
GÇ£I thought so.GÇ¥
GÇ£Ok, no time to retrieve data logsGÇ¥ the man spoke with more urgency now. GÇ£IGÇÖve got a charge set on one of the four research reactors. Once they go off, the other reactors will go critical too. The whole place will be incineratedGÇ¥
GÇ£Only ONE of the reactors?GÇ¥ she replied in surprise.
GÇ£Well, it turns out they were better shielded than I thought, so I had to improvise.GÇ¥
She frantically checked the MCCGÇÖs status again. Just over a minute left. Her side held none of the silos and had been pushed back to the deployment zone.
GÇ£You realize weGÇÖre almost through hereGÇ¥. There was an undeniable shakiness in her voice. GÇ£How exactly did you improvise?GÇ¥
GǣI brought along a 125mm hybrid charge,Gǥ the man exclaimed. Her eyes went wide inside her helmet, GǣAntimatter. The explosives should breach the canister and cause it to annihilateGǪGǥ
GǣXavierGǪGǥ she cut him off.
GÇ£Call-signs only, weGÇÖve been over this sweetie.GÇ¥
GÇ£YouGÇÖre getting a kick out of this, arenGÇÖt you?!GÇ¥ she shouted over the com, sarcastically adding, GÇ£DAGGER-ONEGÇ¥
GÇ£Much better, two. Now, enjoy the light showGÇ¥ he said smugly.
Through the rifle sight, she could see her counterpart departing the facility on a Matari jetbike, away from her and the MCCGÇÖs.
Out of the corner of her right eye, she could make out the shape of the friendly MCC blossoming into multiple fireballs as internal explosions gutted the ship. Large sections fell to the ground, followed by the MCC itself as its propulsion finally failed. Before it could hit the ground, the internal reactors finally failed and ripped the massive ship apart.
A warning flashed on her HUD; GÇÿMCC Destroyed. Prepare for TACNET shutdown and emergency extractionGÇÖ
She smiled at the thought of the money the Serpentis had paid these mercenaries, all for nothing, then cringed at the thought of messages and inquiries she would receive regarding a poor performance with zero confirmed kills.
As the consciousness was ripped from her body, the last thing she saw was the research complex transform into a small, brilliant star. |