Cassie, Dante and Nadia all make their way out of the drill beam cart, escorting Kabela and Clint as the dust cloud of Krix approaches.
_DISTANCE: 4 km 465 m / Eta: 6 minutes
This isn't going to be easy, Cassie thinks to herself as the Krix approach. She glances to her left to see three units of heavy gunners and five units of light gunners joining the Drill beam trains convoy. If they can just keep moving and defend the drill beam, they’ll be alright. In her thought, she checks the time to the relocation site-
_NOTE: 46 hours to relocation site.
We might have to fight back and destroy that unit. The distance to the relocation site is still massive- and if the entire garrison stops then so does the countdown. As long as that number keeps getting smaller, they're doing their best.
“Dante, I want you to put the rest of your mana into a shield and protect the drill, Kabela and Clint,” She orders- “If a single laser hits the drill beam or one of them dies, I’ll have your head,”
“Yes, Heir,” Dante confirms, running off with Kabela and Clint before he conjures his shield.
_ID: DANTE FORST
_HP: 36 (-64)
_MANA: 0% REMAINING
_DETAILS: 0/230
_NOTES: Multiple broken ribs. Muscular damage from stab wound to leg.
_SHIELD STRENGTH: 100%
“Dante. Defence only,” She adds after taking a second glance at his lifeline, “Don't do anything stupid,”
“Copy that,” He responds over comms.
“He’ll probably get himself killed,” Nadia shrugs, looking out at the encroaching Krix, “If not now then eventually,”
“What makes you so sure?” Cassie raises an eyebrow.
“Ugh,” Nadia grunts, “He’s too emotional,”
Cassie doesn't say anything in response. A little emotion is a good thing, but it can definitely get you killed- Nadia is suffering from the opposite problem but she doesn't see it yet.
_HP: 87 (-13)
_MANA: 40% REMAINING
_DETAILS: 200/500
_ID: NADIA MEHDI
_HP: 57 (-43)
_MANA: 68% REMAINING
_DETAILS: 34/50
_NOTES: Multiple fractured bones and stab wounds.
“You and I are going to take the fight to them,” Cassie says, “Keep within a radius of one hundred meters of the train,”
“Yes Heir,” Nadia confirms.
_DISTANCE: 1 km 231 m / Eta: 1 minute
The storm of Krix barrel towards them and the gunner units open fire once the Krix are a kilometre out- the orange tracers blaze through the darkness of the night before vanishing amongst the dust.
She sends out an order to the gunners as they head out in front of the train, creating a barrier of laser fire to the encroaching Krix.
_OVERWATCH: ORDER FROM HEIR CASSIE
_DETAILS: Don't let them within 300m of the Drill beam train.
Nadia and Cassie will have to clean up any stragglers that get past the gunners. They should be well equipped to deal with most of the mess but Cassie worried they might be using bombers. And she wouldn't know if they ranged, diggers or mines set up on their path. The Krix have a way of toying with our strategies once they're in motion. Usually, they have the advantage of their plans being secretive, but right now it’s all telegraphed.
The Krix have got so much at their disposal.
“Contact!” Nadia yells, leaping off the train to an approaching tier-four Spider.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
A Wyrm bursts out of the ground, a few meters away from the train before charging straight at it.
_TARGET: A
_KRIX: WYRM (TIER FOUR)
_HP: 100
Cassie jumps to the ground and walks at the Wyrm, summoning an energy blade from her right arm.
“Drill bean is ready to move,” Captain Hammond says over comms.
“Get her moving,” Cassie says, with her eyes still fixed on the wyrm.
“Copy that,” He responds.
A moment later, the loud rumble of the Drill beam train’s engine roars to life, subtly rattling the ground around it.
As it slowly begins moving, the Wyrm spins to whip its tail at Cassie. By simply leaning back she evades the attack and then gently passes her blade through the wyrm's tail- slicing it clean off.
_TARGET: A
_KRIX: WYRM (TIER FOUR)
_HP: 36 (-64)
In a panic, it strikes its stubbed lower half at her, moving in closer to compensate for its reduced range, but Cassie doesn't budge. She stabs her blade straight through the wyrm and then splits it in half by dragging her blade down its centre.
_TARGET: A
_KRIX: WYRM (TIER FOUR)
_HP: 0 (-100)
Before she pulls her blade out, a hole erupts in the floor behind her- In a panic, she thinks it's going for the train and she yanks her blade from the Wyrms steel body.
_TARGET: B
_KRIX: ??? (TIER FOUR)
_HP: ???
Target B? She wonders, before seeing a spider coming at her from where the Wyrm just was.
_TARGET: A
_KRIX: SPIDER (TIER THREE)
_HP: 100
When did it get there? She glances over her shoulder, still wondering what Target B is.
Before it emerges, the Spider lunges at her backside. Prompting her to use her blade as defence- the strike crashes into her energy blade, briefly surprising her with the force it accumulated in its run-up.
She ricochets the blade at the end of the Spider's two legs and before she can counterattack, Target B emerges from the ground behind her.
_TARGET: B
_KRIX: HUMANOID (TIER THREE)
_HP: 100
Target B burst from the ground, in Cassie’s direction- with a fist trained at her rib cage.
It connects, and launches her into the dirt.
_HP: 62 (-38)
_MANA: 30% REMAINING
_DETAILS: 150/500
_NOTES: Multiple broken ribs. Ruptured Kidney.
The Spider follows up and gets above her before stomping multiple legs into the ground where she lies. But, she rolls out of the way in time.
“Heir Cassie,” The Humanoid says with its strange, inhuman voice.
“Fuckers,” She grunts, getting up to her feet and wipping a spot of blood from her lip.
“Your death is my current priority,” It says, “Your resilience has been quite the pain,”
“I'm flattered,” She says as she sparks both her blades, “You did all this for me?”
“Almost,” The humanoid says as its inhuman face shifts unnaturally with its expressions.
There's no face, or mouth that the words stem from, but there are a series of small, shifting metal plates that warp in an almost organic manner.
“And you're telling me this because? You want me to congratulate you on your long-term planning?” She grins.
“Hmph,” The mech grunts with its metallic chuckle before all the warping motions in its face stop, and shift into a blade-like formation with the edges of each small panel pointed outward. It raises its hand, then points it forward and the Spider dashes towards her.
_TARGET: C
_KRIX: SPIDER (TIER THREE)
_HP: 100
Shit, she notices another burst out of the ground beside Target A, forcing her to turn her back on the humanoid- Which stands in waiting behind her.
_TRACKING: Target B
Her Outer Wall System appears on her HUD with a few command lines- thank god for that, this tracking system will alert her the moment the humanoid moves to strike. Her perception would usually be enough to pick it up, but it seems the OWS doesn't want to take any chances with Cassie.
All first-tiers are too valuable for it to lose.
It isn't the first time the OWS has had to participate in what she’s doing. It doesn't happen often but the OWS will occasionally redraft or adjust strategies that she develops on the Overwatch consol- straightening out the kinks.
She shifts to the left to isolate the fight with the spider approaching from that side- and when it strikes, so does she. With a spin and a crouch, she manages to sever three of Target A’s legs.
_TARGET: A
_KRIX: SPIDER (TIER THREE)
_HP: 68 (-32)
Before she can strike again, she notices Target C lunging at her. She manages to dodge the strike to her head and takes a step away from the two spiders.
_PING: Target B
She turns to see another punch extending from the humanoid that is now right in front of her. She raises both her blades to cover her chest when the fist lands and a shockwave ripples from the impact.
The humanoid takes a step back and raises its hand again when the two Spiders prepare to attack.
“Bastard,” Cassie grunts.
The Humanoid shifts its arm to point at Cassie, and the two Spiders charge in her direction.