The air on Earth had a different taste to it and Gabriel was never sure if he liked it or not. He wouldn’t call it fresh, not with the amount of pollutants in the air, but it definitely wasn’t the same as the stale recycled air that was pumped through Nova.
It was the humidity that was the biggest change. The air in Nova was thin and dry, with maybe a hint of ammonia. Earth’s air was thick and wet. Moisture hung heavy in the air and it always made it hard for him to breath for a few hours until his lungs adjusted to the difference.
He leaned his forehead against the cool window and watched first rays of sunlight try to break through the thick grey clouds that crowded together over the horizon. Seated on the couch behind him Rachel looked up from her tablet.
“Ten minutes, Gabriel,” said Rachel. Gabriel nodded but remained where he was. Rachel almost asked if something was wrong, but it seemed like such a silly question.
Of course something was wrong.
“It’s going to rain,” Gabriel said quietly. The fingers on his right hand beat an unsteady rhythm against his thigh/
Rachel stood up and joined him at the window, looking out into the distance. The skies did look ominous, the clouds swirling angrily over the horizon. She looked down at Gabriel.
“You don’t like the rain?” Rachel said, noting his small frown.
“The plasma blades don’t work well in rain,” said Gabriel. “If the reactor gets wet it will fail. If the ground is wet it will reduce traction.”
Gabriel spoke the words lightly, but that he took the time to mention it at all sent a spike of doubt shooting through Rachel’s mind. She pushed the feeling of unease down.
“Will it cause any problems? If you need to readjust your strategy we can reschedule the battle. I can contact Luci–”
“No. It will be fine,” said Gabriel. He abruptly pushed off the glass and headed to the far side of the room where his helmet laid waiting. Lifting it up to his head he gave Rachel a final glance before sliding the helmet on and sealing it into place against his flight suit.
-
Rachel escorted him to the hanger, a single look from her sharp eyes more than enough to keep any soldiers they encountered from saying more than a soft word of encouragement to Gabriel as they marched by.
She cleared her throat as they entered the hanger. The transport pilot that would take Gabriel to the battle site was already waiting, an unlit cigarette hanging loosely from his lip. He gave a small nod to the pair before climbing into his VTOL and began warming up the engines. Rachel winced against the noise and turned to Gabriel who was staring up at his Kniv, focusing on the additions he had made. Rachel followed his gaze and stared at the metal cylinders that had been attached to the underside the Kniv’s arms. She was unsure how they would help, but she had gotten Gabriel what he had asked for. She gave him a small nod before retreating out of the hanger as the noise rose to unbearable levels.
Safe in his helmet Gabriel waited another moment before stepping up to his Kniv. The machine came to life with a rumbling growl and dropped down to one knee. Clambering into the Coffin, Gabriel locked himself into place and ran a quick diagnostic as his neural sync began.
“Archangel, reporting in. All systems nominal,” Gabriel announced as his link settled. He blinked and his vision switched to the Kniv’s HUD. “Sync secure at ninety-five percent.”
“Nova-two, confirming,” Rachel said, her image appearing in the corner of his HUD. Gabriel took a moment to be thankful for the fact that Sani, Nova-three, hadn’t insisted on being present as well. “Your pilot is Echo-Six. He will be taking you to the drop point.”
“This is Echo-Six, ready whenever you are!” The pilot’s voice cut into Gabriel’s COM channel. Gabriel heard him take what sounded like a long drag from his cigarette. Normally having a lit cigarette inside of the cockpit was without a doubt a violation of procedure, but this was far from a usual situation. Gabriel ambled his Kniv over to the VTOL and stepped into the open belly, his feet magnetically locking into place.
“Archangel, ready,” Gabriel said. He reached up and grabbed the handrail, keeping his other arm free to draw his weapon if the need arose. The VTOL was a massive beast that was able to easily hold six Knivs, along with at least thirty infantry soldiers, but it was not the most well armed vehicle in the Novan military by any stretch of the imagination. If the ELA were going to attempt a sneak attack, now would be the time to do it.
With Gabriel as the only passenger Echo-Six was able to quickly lift the bird into the air and begin the flight to the drop zone. Gabriel watched as another VTOL lifted off from the base, this one loaded down with a full squad of Kniv’s who would serve as his backup, or as the pallbearers for his Coffin. His HUD marked them as Wolf Squadron.
“Looks like a full set of cutlery is coming out!” Echo-Six said loudly.
“What?” said Gabriel, the words coming out as Michael’s through the voice filter.
“You know, Knivs? Like forks and Knivs?” Echo-Six explained.
“Keep communications to a minimum, Echo-Six,” Rachel said sharply.
“Sorry Nova-Two,” Echo-Six said quickly as he cut off the Com channel and silence returned. Safe behind his helmet Gabriel smiled and felt some of the tension he hadn’t even realized was weighing on his mind slip away.
Gabriel’s HUD suddenly lit up with a handful of red markers. He blinked and switched his vision to thermal. Seven Knivs were waiting, just under a quarter mile away.
“Archangel, targets have been confirmed. Designating David Goli as prime directive. Prepare for Drop,” said Rachel as six of the red markers faded to a duller shade, leaving only the center, and by far largest, Kniv completely highlighted in a bright red that easily cut through the gloomy day. Gabriel rolled the stiffness out his shoulders and flexed his joints as the VTOL began to slowly descend until it reached the designated altitude. The magnetic strips holding his feet in place disengaged.
“Archangel, Dropping.” Gabriel released the handhold and stepped off the side of the transport. Free fall tugged at his stomach as he dropped down to earth, his thrusters firing to slow his descent.
He landed in a crouch, the massive weight of his Kniv shaking the Earth from the impact. A series of similar thumps echoed behind him, informing him that the rest of his backup had landed. Rachel confirmed it a moment later.
“Good luck, Archangel,” Rachel said.
Gabriel nodded as he made his way over to where Goli was waiting. As he came to a stop a few meters away, a Com request blinked to life on his HUD. He accepted it was a small tilt of his head. There was a momentary crackle of static before a video box containing Goli face lit up beneath Rachel’s. Despite his status as a Pilot he wore no helmet, only a simple neural ring. It was a style Gabriel had only ever seen with civilians piloting non-combat Knivs.
Goli was older than Gabriel had realized. The dark lighting and low resolution of the challenge video had hidden the wrinkles at the edges of the man’s eyes and the harsh lines that cut across his forehead.
“Archangel,” Goli’s head dipped in greeting and his Kniv copied the action in step. “I was hoping we could speak for a moment, before we begin, seeing as it will be the last time one of us get a chance to do so.”
Gabriel’s eyes glanced down towards Rachel. Her brow was knotted in concentration, trying to determine what Goli’s angle was. She began to speak, but before she could advise the video feed abruptly cut out.
Goli’s hand slowly opened and a device rolled free from his fingers and crashed to the ground. Gabriel stared at the blinking lights of the communication scrambler for a moment before bringing his attention back to Goli.
“I was hoping our talk could be private, if only for a few minutes before your people manage to break through. Of course, I can’t stop you from recording this, but I’d rather if for now this was just between us. I hope you understand.”
Gabriel said nothing.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Goli let out a soft sigh. “You’re less armed than I expected.”
“I could say the same for you,” said Gabriel.
“I suppose that’s true.” Goli spread his empty arms out. “It seems fitting though, doesn’t it? This isn’t war. This is just a fight. Two men, settling their differences. Someone like that can’t be done from across a field. It needs to be up close. Personal. I think you might understand that.”
Gabriel nodded.
“Many don’t think you’re a man at all, you know. They think you’re a monster. A demon in a man’s skin. I can’t say I blame them. I’ve been watching you for a long time now. I’ve seen the way you speak so easily about those you’ve killed, about how much more death you’re prepared to bring.” Goli shook his head. “But that’s not you, is it?”
Gabriel’s fingers tightened over the controls but he did not respond.
“It’s a character. An act. A farce. It’s propaganda. Or maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think I am. I don’t just watch your videos. I’ve watched your battles. I’ve seen the real you. The way you move, the way you fight, the way you kill. You don’t shoot to wound, you shoot to kill. You’re precise and efficient. We both know you don’t have to be. You could cause more pain if you wanted to. That’s not to say you haven’t caused a lot, though am I really one to pass judgment?” Goli shook his head and lifted his head skywards “I’ve been fighting this war since I was ten years old. I don’t remember the first time I fired a gun, or even the first man I killed. It’s all blurred together one terrible memory after another. Two decades worth of them.” Goli let out a long breath and brought his eyes back down to Gabriel. “It’s funny how easy it is to say this to you. Maybe that’s because when you get down to it, we’re very much the same. I’ve killed so many. I have left children without parents and parents without children. And while I pity every man I’ve killed, I don’t regret my actions. I may hate it, despise it, it may make me sick to my very core, but I would do it all again because it was what needed to be done. But my time as a Pilot is coming to an end soon.”
Gabriel was silent, but Goli did not seem to expect an answer.
“We’re almost out of time, Archangel, but would you mind if I asked you a question? One final question.”
Gabriel slowly nodded his head. Goli smiled. An exhausted smile that dripped of loss and pain.
“Do you believe that one man can change the world?” Goli asked. He was staring straight ahead, no longer actually looking at Gabriel, but somewhere far beyond him. “My father used to tell me that all it took to change the world was a single man. For a long time I didn’t understand what that meant and wasn’t until recently that I finally began to figure it out.
“I have given everything to the ELA. I have no family, no home, nothing except this Kniv. Soon I won’t even be able to Pilot and I’ll be forced to pass her on to the next generation and I will truly have nothing. I don’t have much of a mind for strategy, to be honest. If I did I’m sure I would have come up with a better plan, but this is all I can do with what I have. So if it’s true that one man can change this world, why can’t it be one of us? Why can’t it be me?”
Static crackled through Gabriel’s ears as Rachel was finally able to break through the scrambler and reestablish connection.
“Archangel, status?”
“Functional,” Gabriel answered quietly.
“Ah,” Goli nodded his head and took a handful of steps back. “It seems our time is up, Archangel.”
The video cut out, but the COM line remained open. Gabriel let it be. The video would have been too much of a distraction on his HUD, but being able to hear Goli could prove to be advantageous. He was sure Goli was thinking the same.
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“Shall we change the world?” Goli asked as he lowered his stance. Gabriel pulled the rifle from his shoulder and flipped his finger against the safety.
“Pilot Archangel, beginning assault.”
Goli let out a roar and threw his Kniv forward, charging across the open plain. Gabriel lifted up his rifle and unleashed a steady stream of fire on David’s rapidly approaching form. The bullets pinged harmlessly off the kinetic shielding. David continued to gain momentum, his arms held tightly by his side. Gabriel ejected the spent mag from his rifle and loaded in a fresh one. Bringing the rifle back up he was able to empty another half mag before Goli reached him, but the shields refused to falter.
Goli lunged at him, the giant hands of the Rhino thrusting out to grab him.
The Rhino was larger and stronger than Gabriel’s Renegade, but it hadn’t been designed for mobility. As long as he could keep moving, he could out maneuver Goli. He fired his left thruster and slid to the side, keeping his rifle trained on Goli and firing off another spurt of shots that pinged harmlessly off the shields.
Goli came to a shockingly abrupt stop and pivoted, his thrusters burning a brilliant blue as they compensated his inertia. His hands swiped out and brushed against the barrel of Gabriel’s rifle. Gabriel tried to back up but wasn’t able to fully escape before Goli’s hand closed. The barrel of the rifle was crushed like tin. Gabriel released his grip on the weapon and jumped back, putting a touch of space between them.
“Don’t let the size fool you, she’s faster than she looks!” Goli closed the distance between them immediately, throwing a jab that Gabriel was only just able to block with his forearm. The force of the blow dented his armour in and he was sent skidding back a dozen meters.
David did not follow up as he began to circle around Gabriel with his fists up like a boxer. The Rhino was considerably more maneuverable than Gabriel had anticipated, but still, he could compensate for it. His Renegade still held the advantage in both speed and maneuverability. His plan remained the same. The loss of his rifle wasn’t crucial. He didn’t think it would have the power to punch through Goli’s shielding, let alone his armour, in the first place, but it had given him the information he needed.
Reaching back he drew the sword from across his lower back and brought it out in front of him, firing up the reactor. The plasma ignited a bloody crimson and spread along the edge of the blade, shining brilliantly in the dark morning.
Stepping forward Gabriel led with the blade, opening with a thrust aimed for Goli’s chest. It was a simple strike and one that David would easily dodge. When he did Gabriel would reverse into a horizontal slash and go low to cripple his legs.
Goli did not dodge.
As the blade approached his chest Goli swung his massive arm up to meet it. The sizzling blade sunk only an inch or two into the metal before stopping. Stepping forward Goli struck with his other arm, catching Gabriel hard in the chest. The force sent him stumbling to the ground.
Rolling back onto one knee, Gabriel barely dodged the following hammer strike, Goli’s giant fists slamming against the ground and sending up a plume of dust. He responded with a quick slash that Goli blocked with his forearms. The blade failed to penetrate and skittered across the surface, leaving Gabriel open to a kick to the side that sent him rolling across the ground.
Activating his thrusters Gabriel popped himself back up to his feet and drew his sidearm, firing off a quick salvo of bullets towards David’s head. They failed to penetrate his shield but succeeded in fending him off for long enough for Gabriel to regain his bearings.
Recovering, Goli bounced from foot to foot and brought his fists up again but did not initiate. Gabriel took the brief reprieve to focus on shallow wounds he had managed to leave on David’s arms. The metal was thick. Much thicker than Gabriel had seen in the combat videos, but even thickness shouldn’t have been able to stop his plasma blade completely.
“It must be some kind of coating,” Rachel said, reading Gabriel’s silent hesitation. “Possibly rhenium or some other heat resistant metal. Given a thick enough application it would be able to neutralize the effectiveness of the plasma.”
Gabriel nodded and readjusted his grip on his blade, his eyes scanning over David’s form. It was unlikely that David was protected from the blade anywhere else but his arms, otherwise he wouldn’t have tried to block. At the very least, his chest and his legs would be open to attack.
He readied himself for another attack when a large, fat raindrop landed directly in front of him. Through his Kniv’s magnified vision he watched as it shattered into a million shards against the Earth. He had just enough time to deactivate the plasma reactor before the heavens opened and rain came pouring down in thick sheets.
“It seems fate is not on your side today,” Goli said with a small chuckle before he slammed his hands together with a loud crack. Slowly Gabriel returned the sword to the sheath across his lower back. Without being able to use the plasma reactor the blade was all but useless against the Rhino’s heavy armour.
Now with the advantage, Goli charged.
“Initiating melee protocol,” Gabriel said softly as he dragged his hands along the controls. The cylinders attached to the undersides of his arms whirled to life and slid forward, coming to a rest just under his fist before locking into place. He wrapped his fingers tightly around the controls and lowered his stance as Goli came into range. “Engaging target.”
Stepping forward Gabriel thrust forward with a punch, meeting Goli’s own attack. Their fists connected with a horrible screech of metal on metal. Gabriel felt his arm grow numb as the sudden force jolted his Kniv, sliding him back a step, but the machine held. Letting out a soft breath he depressed his thumb against the controls. A deep thump emanated from the cylinder and Goli’s hand was blown back, his fingers crushed in and sparking.
Stepping forward, Gabriel grabbed onto David’s damaged fingers with his right hand. He tugged Goli forward and shot his left arm forward, slamming his fist again Goli head. There was another thump and Goli’s head was violently knocked back. He would have stumbled away had Gabriel not still had a firm grip on his damaged hand. Goli roared and went for a feral haymaker with his free arm, but Gabriel slid forward and slammed his shoulder into his chest before the punch could connect.
As Goli stumbled back Gabriel released him. Off balance, Goli crashed to the ground. As he sat up, Gabriel took a quick step back, avoiding a Goli’s furious swipes, and allowing him to return to his feet.
“How?” Goli said as he shook his broken hand, the fingers dangling uselessly.
Gabriel lifted up his arms and ejected the spent explosive charges from the backs of the cylinders with puffs of smoke as new ones loaded in. He rotated one arm, showing off the cylinder.
“Breakers. Miners use these to crush and crack through rock. They attach them to Knavs. The metal rods are extremely dense. Almost indestructible,” Gabriel said. The usual hydraulic system would have been too slow to damage Goli, but the propulsion system had been replaced with a shaped charge. The unit would inevitably break itself from use, but for the time being it would give his Renegade strength on par with the much larger Rhino without reducing his speed or maneuverability.
“Clever,” Goli said. “But it won’t matter!”
Gabriel met Goli’s charge, sliding past his punch and catching him hard in the chest with the Breaker. The Rhino’s chest plated dented in, but only slightly. Gabriel hit him again, deepening the dent, before sliding back as Goli swung his arms together to grab him.
As Goli stumbled forward Gabriel quickly grabbed onto his outstretched arm, boosting backwards and pulling with his full weight, forcing Goli off balance. As Goli’s damaged arm fully extended Gabriel came to an abrupt stop and swung his fist around, slamming against the back of Goli’s elbow. The Breaker boomed three times in quick succession as the metal rod crushed through the armor and destroyed the motors and circuitry within Goli’s elbow joint.
Goli swung his Kniv around and managed to land a glancing blow to Gabriel’s head, but Gabriel held fast. Tightening his grip against on Goli’s arm he activated the breaker one final time before and, with a grunt of effort, he wrenched his arm back and tore Goli’s arm off at the elbow.
Goli shouted in pain as the sudden loss of limb. He stepped away unsteadily and Gabriel pounced on him, striking him repeatedly in the chest and blocking his sloppy attempt to counterattack. Step by step Gabriel continued to force Goli back, the dent in his chest becoming more prominent with every strike.
Recovering slightly, Goli planted his feet and knocked away Gabriel’s next strike. In response Gabriel lashed out with his foot, catching Goli on the knee. The large Kniv buckled, but did not fall as Goli returned with a quick jab. Gabriel blocked the strike with both arms before going for Goli’s knee again, intent on grounding the damaged Kniv.
Goli read the movement and quickly pivoted away. Overcommitted to the attack, Gabriel stumbled.
“Got you!” Goli bellowed.
Gabriel raised his arm to block an expected strike from David’s remaining arm, only to see a thin blade driving straight towards his chest. Activating his thruster Gabriel managed to twist his body to the side. He avoided being impaled through the chest but the blade still slammed into his shoulder. His armour held for a moment before the blade pierced through. David wrenched the weapon down and blade sheared down and towards the cockpit before Gabriel was able to throw out his arms and catch David in the torso with both Breakers. The blow knocked them apart and the blade was ripped from Gabriel’s shoulder with a shrill scream.
Gabriel winced as he rotated his shoulder, testing it. The pain was manageable and hadn’t impacted his sync by more than a few points.
“It seems we both came with a few tricks,” Goli said as he stared at Gabriel from across the short distance.
Gabriel didn’t answer as he stared at the extra limb that had sprouted from Goli’s side. It was thin, more of a bone than an actual arm. It had swung out from just under his broken arm. Instead of a hand it had only a single blade. Gabriel rolled his injured shoulder and David swung the blade experimentally, his broken arm hanging limply at his side. Gabriel guessed he had rerouted neural control from the main arm to the back up.
“That’s a tremor sword,” Rachel informed Gabriel as David took a few steps forward, trying to bait Gabriel into moving first. “It was a precursor to the Plasma sword. It vibrates at an extremely high frequency, which allows it to cut through most materials. The blade is extremely sharp, but was considered too fragile for long term use.”
Considering the ease at which it had pierced through his Kniv’s armour Gabriel wasn’t sure how much he agreed with that assessment, but he remained silent as David finally broke and moved into striking distance. He led with his bladed arm; throwing out quick thrusts that Gabriel was forced to dodge.
“Let’s end this!” Goli yelled as Gabriel avoided another attack.
David threw a swing that Gabriel managed to duck under. He came up behind Goli landing a strike to his back that knocked him a step forward. Goli caught himself and swung his blade arm around. Gabriel caught the limb and held tight.
David didn’t allow him a chance to break this one, driving back and taking them both to the ground. Gabriel rolled and came up kneeling. Boosting forward he slammed into David’s side before the larger Kniv could fully recover. They went tumbling again and Goli managed to land a wild slash that sliced into the breaker on Gabriel’s left arm. As Gabriel rolled onto his feet an alarm on his HUD warmed him that the loading mechanism had been damaged.
It would only fire one more time.
Goli rose as well, not hesitating to continue his assault, attacking with an increased vigor. Surging forward he aimed a vicious swipe that Gabriel only just managed to dodge, but it left him open to Goli’s following fist. The blow spun him around and Goli slammed into his back, knocking him face first into the mud.
“Boost, now!” Rachel ordered.
Gabriel didn’t hesitate, activating his thrusts and sliding his Kniv a few meters forward through the mud.
The blade that would have pierced directly through his Coffin instead stabbed through his midsection, effectively staking him into the ground. His sync spiked as a burst of pain went through his abdomen and he doubled over in the cockpit. Gritting his teeth he started to push himself back up when Goli stomped on his back, forcing him into the Earth. Alarms screamed in on his HUD as the Rhino’s massive weight began to buckle the Renegades chassis.
With Gabriel firmly in place underfoot, Goli slowly drew the blade from his back before stabbing it back down through his right arm.
“I believe I owe you one,” Goli said as he reached down and grabbed Gabriel’s right hand before wrenching back.
Black spots exploded in Gabriel’s vision as his arm was pulled back further and further, the motors failing and the metal beginning to tear. Goli’s pressed his full weight against Gabriel’s back, crushing the metal beneath his foot. Gabriel’s HUD flashed another dazzlingly array of warnings, but he could barely see them as his right arm went numb and he fell against his restraints.
“Verbal command override,” Gabriel breathed as his hands fell away from the controls. “Activate neural sync release: Right Arm.”
Gabriel felt immediate relief as control of his right arm was disconnected from his neural link. Grasping the controls he swung up his Kniv’s left hand until the Breaker was lined up under his right shoulder.
“Fire.”
The Breaker slammed against the shoulder joint and Gabriel wrenched his body to the side. Metal screamed as his arm was forcibly removed and Goli stumbled back at the sudden lack of resistance.
With the weight removed from his back Gabriel scrambled forward, using his remaining arm to push himself back onto one knee before he released the lock on the Breaker. The superdense rod inside slid forward and into his waiting hand. Spinning around Gabriel hurled the rod straight at Goli just as he took a step forward. The makeshift projectile struck him in the head, denting the metal slightly and forcing him back a full step. Gabriel took the moment to return to his feet.
“Looks like you’re out of tricks, now. We both are.” Goli said as he threw down Gabriel’s severed limb. He brought up his bladed arm and held it out in front of him. Gabriel slowly drew his plasma blade and lowered into a crouch.
It was Goli who moved first, lunging forward with a primal cry. Gabriel stayed where he was, filling his lungs with one final breath before he activated the implant in his chest and released a flood of stimulant into his bloodstream. His vision enhanced drastically as his sync surged. Time slowed as he watched Goli’s blade move closer to him, water droplets pinging off the blade.
Gabriel waited.
David’s blade was only meters away.
Still he waited.
The Rhino’s massive body was fully committed to the charge.
Gabriel softly let out the breath he had been holding.
It was over.
Activating his thrusters he twisted his body to the side. Goli’s blade slammed against his chest and Gabriel’s Coffin exploded in a shower of sparks as the blade pierced through. His left eye closed against the pain as he slammed his own blade into the joint beneath Goli’s damaged arm.
Goli’s massive weight slid them back through the mud. Gabriel kept his grip tight on the sword, feeling as it slid, inch by inch, through Goli’s damaged armor until he felt the resistance of Goli’s Coffin.
Still locked together they came to a gradual stop. Metal creaked against metal as Goli’s entire weight rested against Gabriel. Neither made any attempt to move.
The battle was over.
“No water,” Gabriel said softly.
“I suppose I’m not the one to change this world,” Goli replied, just as soft. “Well fought.”
Gabriel hesitated, if only for a moment, before he activated the plasma reactor. Buried deep inside of the Rhino and safe from water, the plasma ignited and Gabriel’s connection to Goli abruptly terminated. A moment later the Rhino began to shudder as the neural link was forcibly terminated. Gabriel pulled the blade free, powering down the plasma reactor and returning the weapon to its sheathe across his back. Goli’s Kniv remained standing for only a moment longer before it tipped back and fell to the mud.
Gabriel stared down at the fallen champion of Earth, a slight tightness in his chest.
“Pilot Archangel, target has been eliminated.”