"Colonel Hackett, I am here to revise my recent report regarding the negotiations with Vagahm.

As reported, we negotiated with Tharnot, the Keeper of Vagahm, to continue our talks inside. However, the talks broke down multiple times throughout the conversation, and we were forced to leave after five hours. Luckily, we were given an indentation to continue tomorrow. However, I am no longer confident that we could come to terms.

During the negotiations, it became clear that they were not committed to any of the proposals I had been authorized to offer. The Wood Elf Varitan Yeldan, formal motuia political adviser of the previous Salva regime, believes that the dwarves seek to extract additional deals in exchange for the hostages. While I see Yeldan perspective, I have my doubts.

Regardless, we will continue negotiations tomorrow; however, that is not the main reason why I am reaching out. I am requesting additional security as the Verliance Aristocracy has discovered our presence, and I believe a show of force will also show that we are not messing around. - Major Smith

March, 13th, 2068 (Military Calendar)

Yuplenia Mountain Range Verliance Aristocracy

Nevali Region, Aldrida, Alagore

*****

Seeing that the convoy had suddenly stopped, Natilite leaped off the roof of the command JLTV and landed by the passageway's side door. She then turned toward the Comanche Captain, who was in his rightful place in the commanding seat. The Altaerrie man still looked beaten, and the black eye glared. Luckily, the sight was slowly healing.

"Why did we stop?"

Ryder leaned out the window and said, "We need to refuel before making the final push."

"Do we have time?" Natilite asked.

"Miller thinks so," Ryder said. "He and Webster think we shouldn't stop once we get to the other side of the mountain in case that the enemy spotted us before. If true, this will be our last chance."

"What do you think?" Natilite asked.

Ryder signed as he glanced away. "I have no idea. I didn't make the journey with you guys, so I am out of my depth. I am not a useful Captain right now."

"Do not state that," Natilite said. "You knew about the mountain port and delayed the Unity long enough to escape. You don't have to be the sword pointer in every situation."

Ryder stared at the Valkyrie and chuckled. "Sword pointer?"

Natilite stared at him with confusion and said, "Yeah. A man in the front of his forces provides direction with a sword. Do you people not have something similar?"

Ryder stared at the Templar before saying, "You made that up. Didn't you?"

The Templar glanced away before said, "No...."

"Right," Ryder said, finding the situation humorous. "Thank you."

The Captain noticed the team captains exiting their vehicles and removing the final fuel from the back of the Deuce. The Guardians, Minutemen, and RSC removed the containers from the back of the cargo UGVs. The prisoners jammed into the back of the three Deuce and two metal wagons.

The formal prisoners looked annoyed, exhausted, and frustrated, something Natilite could understand. While the Templar was impressed by how advanced the Altaerrie drones were, she could tell that they were not designed to transport this many people and were over capacity.

Noticing that Ryder placed his hand on his chest as he was closing the door, being where the deep cut he received.

"Are you okay?" Natilite said.

The question caught Ryder off guard, and he quickly regained his composure. "If you ask if I can do my job, the answer is yes."

"Of course, that is not what I mean, ...," Natilite thought as she crossed her arms. Before she could inquire, she saw Ryder move to the back door and lean into the window.

"Stay here, kiddo," Ryder said. "I'll be right back." He winked before heading off to meet with the other officers.

Seeing the Comanche Captain getting out of the vehicle, she stepped aside. To her disappointment, while he was hiding the pain, she could tell he was struggling. Acting normal, as the Templar understood, took a lot of strength and energy. As one of the officers, he had to project strength to maintain discipline and morale.

Watching the officer leave, Natilite couldn't help but smile. "What a tough guy."

"What is his deal?" Ar'lya asked as she approached.

Turning toward the Farian, Natilite replied, "It is okay. It is a male thing not to show weakness in front of others. I believe he is worried that he is a spare wheel among his comrades."

"This is why I stay alone," Ar'lya said. "I do not have to worry about such drama."

"And that is why you will be alone," Natilite said. "People put up an act because they care about their friends, even if it might be obvious or silly."

"You truly trust these people?" Ar'lya said.

"It is not that I trust them," Natilite said. "I am not foolish to blindly follow anyone. However, you cannot gain the trust of those you wish to follow by being standoffish."

The Templar walked past the Farian and approached the vehicle's rear passenger window. "If you wish to live in Salva, you must learn to be part of a greater fellowship."

"Joining a fellowship is not my thing," Ar'lya said. "I just want a ride there so I can make some money. Once I am rich, I will find a nice place by a lake."

"Those who wish to be alone die alone." Natilite leaned into the window and saw the dual-eyed girl. To her surprise, the girl was not scared or anxious but calm. "You seem very cheerful."

"He said everything would be okay," Assiaya said.

"Yes, he did," Natilite said. She then looked across and saw Fraeya sitting in the other passenger seat. Since losing her father a second time, the Templar could tell that it harmed the elf girl. "How are you feeling?"

Fraeya glanced over and said, "I just want to go home."

"We are almost there," Natilite said. "But it is okay if you are upset; if he did not stop you, you would also be a prisoner or worse."

"I do not care," Fraeya barked. "I lost the last chance I would ever see my father again. It is all his fault. We could have saved him if he let me go or aided me."

"Miss, Holiadon," Assiaya said.

Seeing the confused look in Fraeya's eyes, Natilite understood that the elf girl was not used to being addressed so formally. Assiaya was a slave servant for one of the most powerful men in the world, so the Templar understood the desire to be respectful. "Assiaya, you do not have to be so formal out here. It is appropriate to address someone close to you by their first name."

The dual-eye girl's facial expression showed that she initially struggled with the concept. It seemed as if she was not used to having people she could consider close. The girl then turned to the elf girl and said, "Miss Fraeya."

Natilite closed her eyes and shook her head, finding how Assiaya was trying to be friendly but not entirely understanding the concept.

"Yes?" Fraeya replied.

"I am sorry about your father," Assiaya said. "Please do not give up. I was with the Vampire Lord for six years after I was taken, but I never lost faith that I would be freed. Then, one day, someone came to Kallem's palace, and I was freed. Even my headmaid helped free me, so I am trying not to give up hope. Maybe we will find your father again."

Fraeya wiped a tear off her cheek and then hugged the girl. "I know."

"Fraeya," Natilite said. "You do know that it was not the boy's fault. Your father would not want you to risk your life like that. You would not have made it"

"I know," Fraeya ashamedly said, her ears lowering in disappointment.

Before Natilite could respond, she noticed a man approaching. It was Eger Wallace. Before she could inquire why the bulky soldier was there, she saw the Farian behind him, leaning in as she stared at the man from behind.

"Ma'am," Wallace said. "The Boss wants a word with you."

After a chuckle, Natilite replied, "I will be right there." She turned back toward the elf girl. "Just have faith. We will find him one day. As Assiaya said, do not give up."

"Thank you," Fraeya said.

Seeing the two girls hug, Natilite walked away from the vehicle and headed to where the three Altaerrie officers were gathered. The refueling process was almost complete. The Colonel they saved was aggressively disciplining a guardian and a scientist. While she missed the beginning of the argument, it seemed like one of Salva's prisoner's reactions to what one of the Americans said. From her lengthy experience as a Templar, she expected one of the Americans to vent his frustration against one of the natives for how recent events unfolded.

Up to this point, Robert handled all the prisoners with strict discipline. This lecture was not the first time he had to stop a growing threat in the convoy. He prevented issues so the three captains could focus on getting everyone back alive without worrying about internal matters.

"What can a Templar do for you, gentlemen," Natilite asked as she approached the three captains and their warrant officers.

"Are you up for a recon mission?" Ryder asked.

"Recon mission?" Natilite asked, confused. "I can, but why? Do you not have any more drones?"

"We have one left," Miller said. "Ours was destroyed when we flanked them, and Comanche battery is dead."

"Mine is close to depletion," Webster said. "I would prefer we hold off deploying it until we reach the other side of the mountains."

While the Unity was chasing them, Natilite understood the need to reserve resources for the future threat: the Verliance Aristocracy. Even if they could lose the Group chasing them with the mountain tunnel, they would still need to find a way to break through the Aristocracy's defensive lines.

"You don't need to go far," Ryder said. "We just need to know how close the Unity is behind us."

"I understand," Natilite said. "Mind if I have a pair of your binoculars?"

Rommel King reached into the vehicle and handed her a pair of bulky digital binoculars. He then explained their features, like how the zoom function worked.

"Simple enough," Natilite said.

The Valkryie then walked toward a small clearing and prepared herself for takeoff. She flexed her wings and then burst into the air. As she passed through the opening in the trees, the feeling of the air brushing against the Templar cheeks was smoothing. The hair flowed with the wind, with the tips dangling.

Gaining the needed attitude, Natilite stopped herself and hovered momentarily, catching the Father's sun rays warming her cheeks.

Seeing that she was stable, the Templar viewed through a pair of Altaerrie binoculars and scouted the area for any trace of the Unity.

"Okay," Natilie said. "Where are they?"

Scanning the landscape, Natilite notices the path they came on beforehand. While she couldn't see the goblin-infested mountain tunnel because of the judges and foliage, she could confirm they were close.

As the Valkyrie hovered, she saw movement within the forest, only a league away.

Discovering the enemy, Natilite began decanting but was forced to bank right, dodging a shroud. Most likely, an enemy sniper was on their recon mission and noticed her. Her first thought was Dredwig-someone with a dead wing. "Very ungentlemanlike."

Knowing the enemy knew her location, she flew close to the treeline and navigated toward the Altaerrie position.

Seeing her alien comrades' position, she landed next to one of the JLTVs where the officers were huddled.

"They are coming," Natilite said. "They are a league behind us, so we do not have much time."

"We are not going to make it," Miller said. "We are too slow with all these people."

"Are we not close?" Ryder asked.

"We are," Natilite said. "I saw the path to the tunnel. However, Unity will reach out to us beforehand. They must had a seeker following us."

"What about a two-stage delay tactic?" Webster proposed.

"What do you mean?" Ryder asked.

"I mean," Webster said. "While this spot isn't ideal, it's good enough for an ambush. But I do know there's a better defensive position at the base of the trail."

"I remember that," Natilite said.

"Then that is the plan," Ryder said. "Miller, take Ghost to the tunnel and start getting everyone through while Comanche and Redcoat will delay the enemy. We will follow up once you start going through it, and we will fall back."

They all agreed to the plan and left.

*****

Seeking cover, Comanche took position by a rock formation that they could use as cover against the approaching Unity forces. Based on the intensity of the sound of battle, their vanguard will only hold out for a while.

According to Higgins, the mountain tunnel was up the path, so this would be an excellent place to stand. The glaring issue was that they would have to somehow push through the goblin infestation while protecting the large group of freed prisoners. While most were armed, this was under pressure from Unity on their heels.

The Captain saw Barrett getting Comanche into position. At the same time, Ford, Bruno, and King moved boulders and created dirt bunkers with Frayea geomancy magic to beef up their defenses.

Ryder walked toward Colonel Robert. "The Tunnel should be in that direction. Ghost should be there by now securing the entrance."

"I have some volunteers who wish to assist," Robert said.

Ryder saw about a dozen men offloading from the Deuce UGV, armed with weapons they had picked up from Orlatus. Three were USSF security, while the others were from the Salva Militia. While the Captain didn't go through the tunnel the first time, he heard enough stories to know that Ghost would need every armed person he could get.

Still, Ryder couldn't pass up additional bodies for their defense. "I will take them. Tell them to report to Rommel."

Robert directed the additional to take positions. The JLTVs and UGVs drove away, heading to the tunnel. He then said, "I would prefer to stay here. Making a last stand."

"I cannot stop you, sir," Ryder said. "However, your leadership will be needed to keep everyone together through the infested tunnel."

The Colonel took a moment to respond, staring at the preparing defenders, most likely wishing to stay behind. Robert looked at the Captain and said, "Don't worry about us. I will get them through. Hold out as long as you can, Captain."

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

As the Colonel started walking away, the image of Assiaya appeared in the Captain's head. The girl was with the rest of the freed prisoners to make it through the tunnel. While that was the appropriate decision, Ryder was not thrilled with placing her protection under others. After everything they had been through, being separated and forced to rely on others to keep her safe frustrated him. Suppose anything happened to her while out of sight; he would never forgive himself and regret this operation.

"Colonel," Ryder saw that he had gotten his superior attention. "If anything happens to the kid."

"Careful, Captain," Robert said. He smiled and continued, "Focus on the here and now. I will make sure they get through."

The two saluted, and the Colonel walked away, entering the last vehicle before driving away. Ryder then turned and saw his team's final preparations.

"You do care about the girl?" Natilite said.

"Not now, Natilite," Ryder said.

"Just admit it. It does not make you less of a man or soldier."

"It's not that. I promised her that we would get to Salva."

The Comanche Captain glanced toward the Valkyrie and saw a 'yeah, sure' reaction as if she didn't believe what he said. Her eyes implied he was lying about his reason for caring about Assiaya.

Natilite replaced her reaction with a smile. "Whatever you say."

Hearing the echo battle over the hill, Ryder knew that it was Redcoats ambushing the Unity. From the intensity, he knew the British wouldn't hold out long and would retreat any minute. This meant they had little time to finish preparing, forcing the Captain to focus on the task.

Remembering that the Templar was skilled with the ranged weapon, Ryder said, "You were effective with the M77. Keep it. I want you to stay back and pick off any hostiles while they focus on us. Also, they might try to flank us, so protect our six."

"I can do that," Natilite said.

Ryder saw the British Royal Special Commandos or RSC approaching as the Templar walked away. The first group laid a wounded man who had a black crystal shroud on his side and penetrated his Itlian battlesuit. Another soldier was laid next to the injured man; however, he was dead. This man's battlesuit was scorched from staff blasts with another crystal through his armor.

"What happened?" Ryder asked.

"We were overwhelmed, sir," the Redcoat medic said.

When the rest of the Redcoats arrived, Ryder said, "You all gave them hell."

The last of the Redcoats reached the defensive line. Energy blasts from elecprobus staff weapons rang out as the RSC retreated. Seeing the incoming hostiles, Comanche opened fire to provide protection. The RSC didn't need orders, as they were already filling in the gaps within the defense line. Everyone knew they had to hold out to provide enough time for the freed prisoners to make it through the other side of the tunnel.

Seeing Webster, Ryder rushed over and took cover behind a boulder from which Fraeya rose. He then said, "What are we facing?"

"Unknown," Webster said. "They threw everything at us. We saw three walkers but were able to talk one out in the first strike."

Hearing that the Unity had heavy vehicles, Ryder knew they were in trouble. The two teams were already low on supplies, so they needed to be equipped to deal with such a threat. He then looked over to the dead British man and said, "I am sorry about your man."

"The enemy will be too," Webster said. "Be careful with those shrouds. Our plating can withstand a few rounds, but don't get careless."

"Noted," Ryder said.

Ryder then rushed over to his team. Rommel King left his position and grabbed their Captain, guiding him to nearby cover.

"Sir," King said. "Without your battlesuit, one hit, you're dead. Stay down."

Deciding not to protest as the Warrant Officer was correct, Ryder realized how useless he was. He could only stay behind cover and take potshots from a circiletum he stole from Orlatus.

The Unity came from the same path the British soldiers did. When they arrived, they struggled to find cover thanks to Fraeya's removal of crucial protection. It was a sloppy job as the elf girl was rushed; however, every detail mattered. With little natural cover beside the small hill in front of the Altaerrie position, the enemy infantry had to rely on their body armor and shields, allowing the Altaerrie to pick off the first wave.

As the intensity of the firefight grew, Ryder noticed three purple glowing sparks fly over the small hill and arc like a mortar and impact their lines, killing one of the Salva militiamen.

"What the hell was that?" Barrett asked.

"No idea," Ryder replied. He turned and saw both mages and gained an idea. "Keep focusing on what's in front of us."

The Sergeant First Class pulled him back down as Ryder attempted to stand. "Not without protection."

Feeling frustrated, Ryder quickly glanced around and saw a slightly shorter but bulky Nagal wearing stolen armor from the mountain port. More importantly, he had a shield on his back.

"Hey, Bigfoot!" Ryder yelled, getting the nagal attention. "Get over here!"

Seeing the nagal confusion from the language barrier, the Captain pointed to himself and the other side of their defensive line. Then, he pointed to the different human types, showing that he needed protection.

The Nagal rushed over, putting away his staff weapon, and switched with his shield. Ryder got to the human side, and the two ran through the lines, heading to the next natural barrier. While making the journey, the captain could feel the vibrations from an energy blast and a shroud breaking when impacting the shield.

Once on the other side, Ryder patted the Nagal as a thank-you gesture before seeking cover by a boulder. He saw everyone there staring at him before refocusing on the battle.

"Fraeya," Ryder said. "Can you collapse our side of the hill?"

"No," Fraeya said. "I do not have enough mana or skill for that."

Ryder closed his eyes for a moment as he considered. Then he opened them and said, "What about sections?"

"I think so," Fraeya replied.

"Then do that," Ryder ordered. "I just want to keep the enemy from uniting into a single formation. Keep them disjointed."

King leaned in and said, "Those purple mortars will shred us."

"I am working on it," Ryder said before turning to the other mage. The wood elf mage held his hand up, glowing bright white, before launching a small beam toward the enemy.

The Captain recalled seeing Aristocracy mages cast energy barriers to prevent their assault when they first arrived. This wood elf magic seemed similar, but he couldn't tell.

The Comanche Captain remembered what the elf mage explained when they arrived on Alagore. The Atomacy field of thaumaturgy utilizes raw mana to manipulate energy, where luxmancy, was related to controlling light. Most mages specialized in two fields, so he assumed this Salva mage studied these two so that the elf spells could complement each other.

"Like those barriers from before," Ryder said.

"Yes," the battle mage elf said.

"Like those barriers from before."

"As I said, yes."

Acknowledging the information, Ryder turned to the Nagal and said, "Bigfoot, cover me."

"As you command," Bigfoot said.

Shocked that they could understand each other, Ryder realized he was near Fraeya, who had her translation amulet on.

The two rushed toward the wood elf mage, with the nagal providing protection. When they reached the mage, the militiamen dropped the shield, now useless against enemy weapons from sustaining too much damage.

The elf was confused by their presence, but Ryder quickly began communicating with his hands. He signaled not to attack the approaching enemy and then pointed to the next, purple-sparked mortar.

The Wood Elf understood and held his orb staff into the air. The orb was clear and glowed white as the battle mage chanted.

A dozen light blue-white hexagons formed above them as the battle mage elf held his free hand and maneuvered as if he were giving commands to the forming energy barrier.

A large circle formed underneath the hexagon barrier, with many symbols along the edges, creating a barrier that hovered above the center of the Altaerrie defensive line. A second group of a dozen hexagons Appeared and slid left, with a third group sliding right. The three barriers stretched out to cover most of Comanche and Redcoats. The same purple sparks arced through the air and impacted the barrier, creating a mixture of the different magical colors reflecting off each other.

Thrilled that they were protected from enemy artillery, at least for now, Ryder rushed back to his teammates.

Looking past their rock formations, Ryder saw what remained of the hill that broke up the dirt road. Fraeya did a great job collapsing sections so the enemy couldn't use it as adequate cover. While the enemy could gain a foothold at the base of the hill, it was a struggle as they were mainly in the open.

"I think we will be able to hold them off," Higgins said.

The barrier above them deflected an additional strike from their mortar.

Suddenly, a powerful kinetic blast impacted the barrier, causing it to collapse. The battle mage casting the spell dropped to the ground as the attack consumed the elf's mana.

"New contact," Wallace said over the radio.

Ryder looked over his cover and saw a new type of walker crawling over the collapsed hill as if it were nothing. Unlike the ones he had seen before, this one was larger, like a scorpion. It had six legs and two arms that reached out with a sizeable octagon-shaped energy shield. It had a long tail with a small orb at the tip. The primary weapon was the sizeable circiletum weapon at its core.

"Looks like an oversized staff weapon," King said.

"But what the hell is that tail thing?" Higgins asked.

The tail-orb glowed bright red, and flame streamed out, impacting the rock formation and catching everyone on fire. The stream stopped, and the orb stopped glowing.

Ducking for cover from the extreme heat, the Captain noticed the large staff built within its hull, with a mighty mana battery behind it that powered the weapon. He realized that operating more than one weapon was taxing the platform, so it had to choose what to use. Like everything, even the Unity had to prioritize where the energy went.

As the large staff weapon fired, it impacted their stone barricade and destroyed it. A rocket from Redcoats impacted the right energy shield arm, absorbing the impact.

"What do we do, boss?" King asked. "We are going to be overrun quickly."

Before the Captain could respond, he saw an airship similar to the design they saw from Mount Orlatus. It was where the Unity representatives exited from, meaning it was an Orgat-type. From what he recalled, it was a troop transport, and with their barrier down, the enemy was trying to engulf them.

The Orgat lowered slightly behind their position. The central circle underneath the airship glowed and opened, projecting a whitish-blue light toward the ground. A slight distortion could be seen from the anti-gravity effects as enemy troops started lowering down. They were Orcs and Dark Elves. Most were armed with melee weapons, knowing they would get close.

Turning to see the new walker threat, the construct stepped forward to press its advantage. Ryder then focused on its legs, which were too many to take out; however, that was not what he was considering. "Bruno, get the Carl Gustaf and aim for that tail."

"On it," Bruno said as he switched to the recoilless rifle.

Ryder then turned toward Fraeya, spoke over the radio to Ford, and said, "Tell Fraeya that I want her to turn the ground around that Walker into mud. Now!"

The Elf Girl didn't hesitate as she focused her geomancy magic. The walker took another step as the construct prepared its tail orb for a second attack. The ground underneath turned wet as the constant forward left leg pressed against it. The machine leg sunken deep into the ground, and the flame-throwing spell missed everyone and sprayed across the battlefield.

"Bruno!" Ryder yelled.

The Sergeant fired his recoilless rifle. The walker attempted to raise its arm to deflect the rocket but missed. The rocket impacted the tail, exploding the orb on it.

Ryder then turned and fired his M31 against the enemy soldiers that dropped from the airship, killing the closest swordsmen.

Multiple incoming orcs charged forward with a glowing sword, holding a shield to absorb their fire. The first target dropped; however, the other one drew closer. The Nagal that the Captain labeled Bigfoot swung his war ax, forcing the Orc to stop and raise his shield to deflect the attack. With the Nagal aid, Ryder could focus on the other enemy soldiers.

As the Captain refocused his aim toward the other, the airship flew away as it finished offloading its passengers. Natilite appeared from the enemy flank, colliding with many of them and breaking their formation. With her orange energy shield and sword at the ready, she began dueling with multiple opponents, disjointing the Unity as they struggled to fight against a Templar agility and strength.

Regaining his firing position, he focused on mopping up the rear enemy while King focused on the enemy at the front. The enemy did not expect a Templar to capitalize on their process, so they were partly defenseless. This allowed the Captain and a few others to pick off the remaining, as none of the Unity swordsmen could get into proper formation.

"Boss," King said. "We got a new problem."

Ryder sat up, stared past their rocky protection, and saw the scorpion walker detaching its legs. The other two rebalanced, and the weapon platform regained the battle. However, that was different from what his Warrant Officer was referring to. Two additional walkers appeared over the collapsed hill. One was an amplifier, while the other was an accelerator with crystalized-based ammunition stored on its back.

Natilite emerged next to them, her sword bloodied with the death of Orc and Dark Elf blood. "Our Six is cleared."

"What about our twelve," King commented.

The giant scorpion-like Walker fired its energy weapon, blowing up the boulder protection and knocking Ford, Forest, and two former prisoners onto the ground. Others rushed to assist, while others spread out to new firing positions.

Now that their mana barrier was destroyed, the scorpion walker turned its large staff weapon, built within its structure, and aimed it at Ryder's position.

The mana from the Walker battery storage was drained and redirected into the large barrel within the superstructure and focused into the barrel; a bright flow appeared within the construct as it prepared to fire. The energy bolt was unleashed. Ryder and everyone else were knocked onto the ground from the near-miss shot.

Natilite rushed over and held her arm out, activating her energy shield to deflect a shroud while Barrett helped him back onto his feet.

As the Captain got back onto his feet, he saw the Walker preparing another assault. As the bolt formed within the inner chamber, the energy shield exploded before the rest of the inner skeleton hull of the contract turned into a white and blue ball of fire as it collapsed onto the ground.

Ryder glanced toward Barrett and Natilite. Both had the same confused reaction to the sudden death of the mighty Walker. He then looked and left toward the tunnel path, expecting to see Ghost. However, to his surprise, he saw an M33 Campbell light tank emerging from thick foliage onto the battlefield, flanking the enemy.

The other Unity walker turned to face Campbell and speedily walked sideways as it fired its staff-like energy weapon. The shroud projectile impacted the armor, causing a small explosion. The armor held firm, leaving a dent. The light tank then fired its 105mm smoothbore cannon in retaliation.

The tank round missed its target as the Unity walker speedily moved sideways. It fired again, and the large shroud impacted the ground next to the Campbell, missing the moving light tank. The walker's movement harmed its accuracy, which the light tank did not suffer.

The Campbell fired again, this time impacting the crystal-base accelerator walker. As the wreckage fell, the giant crystal on its back broke apart, causing an intense explosion and flames to consume the area around the construct.

The remaining walker started crawling backward, deploying a small energy field from the giant amplifier orb on its back. The Campbell fired again, and the field deflected its shell; however, the field flickered. A sudden missile attack from an unknown position impacted the barrier, this time knowing it. The light tank fired. However, the walker retreated successfully behind the hill.

Seeing the Campbell taking a position before the Comanche, Ryder turned as he heard additional vehicles appearing from behind. He saw a Buffalo, a tracked van-size UGV that fired its 30mm bushmaster toward the hostiles.

Behind the tracked drone, two eight-wheeled Lance armored personnel carriers stopped and fired on their bushmasters. Their rear ramps lowered, and infantrymen quickly stormed out of the APCs and joined Comanche and Redcoat defense.

With the sudden influx of American soldiers, the Unity forces stopped advancing their advance and sought cover. While not retreating, the enemy infantry took position over what remained of the hill and returned, focusing on regaining fire superiority over a direct assault. The new American soldiers could steal fire superiority thanks to the armored vehicles they brought, allowing them to secure the area and stabilize the line.

Ryder didn't have his helmet so that he couldn't access his identification, friend, or foe. Barett commented from his VISOR IFF that these soldiers were from the 4th Infantry Divison, "Ivy," 1 LBCT/4 BTN/BRAVO CO."

While Ivy troopers began caring for the wounded and replacing the Special Forces positions with their own, a man exited from a third Lance-a command variant-and walked toward the Captain. From the man's insignia, the Ivy was a Major. With that rank, the officer was most likely the XO of this battalion.

"You must be Captain Ryder," the Major said.

"That is correct," Ryder said. "You are a sight for sore eyes, Major."

It took all of Ryder's discipline to prevent himself from laughing with joy. He had lost track of how long he had been away from friendly lines, and now it was almost over. He would have to make a mental note to thank his mentor for sending help.

"I am glad that you all are alive. I am Major Torres, 4th Battalion. When CFT-4 reported losing contact with all Minutemen and RSC forces, Colonel Hackett ordered us to find and recover all missing Combat Fire Teams and return them home."

"Good to hear, but how did you find us?"

"CFT-4 notified us about this secret tunnel; however, we were surprised to encounter you this quickly. Which is good because that secret tunnel isn't so secret anymore."

"What do you mean?" Natilite asked. "According to Ar'lya, no one had used it for generations."

"I have no idea about that," Torres said. "The Aristocracy assaulted the tunnel, and we had to drive them away. Alpha Company with CFT-4 is currently engaging them. Charlie with Battalion HQ is dealing with those goblins infesting that god-forsaken mountain."

"I am not going to complain, sir," Ryder said.

"Alright," Torres said. "Gather everyone. We have three Deuces ready for your teams."

"Only three?"

"There are five more with the rest of the Battalion. They are transporting Ghost and the POWs through the tunnel as we speak. We were under the assumption that all your vehicles were destroyed, so we came prepared."

As Ryder was about to speak, a large energy bolt impacted one of the Lances, causing severe damage.

"Captain, get your teams to the Deuce while we hold them at bay."

The Comanche Captain turned toward the battle. The Unity and Ivy infantry were deep in combat. The Campbell hull steamed from energy and magical attacks but held the line. Additional purple sparks arced over the hill and impacted many Ivy soldiers' positions while 30mm rounds exploded at the enemy line.

Ryder wasted no time because they needed to retreat as quickly as possible. "Natilite, inform all the Militiamen."

"On it," Natilite said before running toward the Salva militia, using her wings to help guild through the air to gain momentum.

Ryder saw the Major stare at the Valkyrie in disbelief. Clearly, the Battalion XO had never seen someone move like that. The concept of a human with wings was only in storytelling, so seeing one in real life must have been shocking. The fantasy shock had worn off for the Captain after what he had seen and experienced.

"Greg," Ryder said. "Collect the remaining guardians and-."

"I got it," Barrett said as he dashed off.

Before Ryder left to meet his team, he turned to the Major and said, "Give them hell."

"Planning on it," Torres said. "Colonel Hackett gave us a secondary objective after finding his Minutemen. Give these suckers a proper American introduction after what they did to you guys at Indolass."

The two officers gave a respectful nod and left to perform their duties. Ryder ran across the battlefield, glancing toward the battle. Ivy medics were gathering the wounded to the Deuce while other soldiers collected the dead-both Altaerrie and Salva.

The Ivy infantry was in intense conflict as they thoroughly checked the enemy forces. The enlisted used what little cover remained while the NCOs provided direction, firing their M11 standard battle rifles as energy bolts and shrouds impacted all around.

One of the soldiers was impacted by a light, magical spell in the form of a star on the shoulder, causing him to fall backward. The medic rushed over after another dragged him to safety. The enlisted Itlian plating absorbed most of the damage, but the armor module was destroyed. While the Minutemen wore a superior version of the Itlian battlesuit known as Hercules, the Captain was thrilled that the baseline was still effective.

Finding the rest of Comanche, Ryder approached his Warrant Officer. He then said, "King, what is everyone's status?"

"Forest's robotic arm took a hit while shielding one of the prisoners," King said. "Barrios took a debrie hit in the chest, but his armor held. Outside that, everyone is accounted for."

Thrilled that no one was dead or seriously wounded, Ryder continued, "Gather everyone. We are pulling back to the Deuces. Now, let's go."

"Deuce?" Higgins asked. "There is not a lot of protection on them. Goblins will eat us alive."

"Charlie Company is holding them at bay," Ryder said. "But that won't last for long."

"Then let's get a move on," Ford said. "I want to get the hell out of here."

Noticing the Buffalo receive an impact from an accelerator ballista, the drone turret exploded off as the rest of the vehicle caught fire. Comanche rushed past the ruined vehicle, bypassing the rearguard as they protected and assisted everyone onto the large flatbed unmanned ground vehicle.

Ryder saw Redcoats loading up. Seeing that everyone was accounted for, including their one wounded and dead, he gave their captain a salute as a thank you for everything they had done for his time and for him, to which Webster returned the gesture.

Loading into the UGV transport, Ryder sat down. The command vehicle for these drones is a Lance. The three drones started driving up the pathway, heading to the goblin-infested tunnel.

Noticing that Natilite was not among them, Ryder started to inquire. He started looking until he saw Fraeya pointing to the sky. Looking up, the Captain saw the Valkyrie above them, slowly descending until she landed in the drone vehicle. Once she got close enough, he and Higgins assisted her in stabilizing on the bouncy drone until she sat down.

"Thank you, gentlemen," Natilite said.

Hearing Natilite thank him got on Ryder's nerves. For a moment, he couldn't understand why. He looked around and saw his entire team-not just his fellow Americans but the new additions from this world. They were relaxing, finally catching a breath, as now they were being protected by an American battalion. For the first time within a week, they were heading back to Salva so they could feel at peace.

"What is wrong?" Natilite asked. "You looked annoyed."

"You shouldn't have said thank you." Ryder could see the confusion in Valkyrie's face. The rest of his team was the same. "Thank you all for coming after me. I wouldn't have made it."

"All good, boss," Gonzales said.

"Does that mean when we get to earth," Barrios said.

"That you will buy a round of beer?" Wallace finished.

Ryder looked at the two, shaking his head. He never thought he would enjoy their sense of humor. "Both of you, I am a Captain of the Minutemen, one of the most elite units in the United States Army. I will buy each one of you a keg."

He saw everyone celebrating among the team and their typical good nature and high morale. For the Captain, he turned back to the battle behind them as Bravo Company was covering their retreat.