As Daisy and Carter saw Clive’s ship meet a fiery crash, Daisy pulled on Flaremane’s reigns, guiding him to the vessel.
"We have to help them!"
"Delay that, " Favian said over the communicator.
Daisy stopped Flaremane as she heard Favian.
"General Favian-"
"Damara, this is our last chance! If we don't destroy those generators now, that's it. This whole part of space falls to the enemy!" Favian interrupted.
“But Clive’s team was supposed to attack the third generator!”
“We’ll figure it out later. But now we must hit the other two before it’s too late!”
Daisy looked at the fiery wreckage of the ship with teary eyes. She turned her gaze to Carter, awaiting his response. And he gave it to her with a reluctant nod of acceptance.
Using all her willpower, she turned away from her comrades’ aid. "S-sir, yes, sir! We'll destroy our generator quickly and then cover Yara and Lieutenant Rogers'!"
Meanwhile, at the crash site, Clive punched open the fiery ship from within. As the haul burst, it revealed him with the others barely alive. And they dragged out as many of their injured comrades as they could.
"I hope we still have some working communicators. They need to know we're still alive," Clive said.
"Don't bother! Even if we died, it wouldn't affect General Favian. No matter what, mission first," Yara said.
"Wow, this guy sounds like a jerk!"
Yara growled like a feral beast, enraged."You know, rogers, I don't think I like you!"
"Well, now the feeling is mutual!"
"Both of you, stop it! We're in enemy territory and running low on time," Ros said.
Like lightning, a plasma bolt flew at Ros. But as it was about to hit her head, Clive pushed her out of the way. The team quickly spotted the source of the attack. An army of nemesis soldiers was fast approaching! And behind their enemies stood the power generator.
"No matter what, we need to get into that building!"
"Ros, are you okay with this? I mean, these guys are your people!"
"Of course not, Clive! But it's like what Damara said. We're here to fight for the dream!"
"Alright! Then let you and me put them down quickly and painlessly!"
With a nod of acceptance from Ros, she and Clive drew their weapons. Alongside her bo-staff, Clive's large mace was ready for battle. With them, the remaining United Planets soldiers prepared to meet their opponents. But as the two were about to lead the charge, Yara stopped them.
"Everybody hold it! I get first dibs on the enemy. It's been too long since I had a good fight!"
In the blink of an eye, Yara closed the distance between her and the nemesis. She tore into the enemy with beastly strength and speed! Unleashing a flurry of blows on them, punching and kicking dozens into submission.
Her comrades watched her battle in shock and amazement! But they soon regained their senses and hurried to join her. Clive and Ros led the charge as they cut through the nemesis army. The two bashed one enemy after the next as they made their way to the building. Battling with such skill and harmony of movement, it was as if they had been training together for years despite only knowing one another for little more than a day!
"Wow," Ros said.
"Thanks, I-"
Without warning, Ros threw her bo staff at a nemesis soldier, sneaking behind Clive. As it stabbed him in the shoulder, Clive looked at her with a smile of gratitude. But in return, she blushed red.
With immense effort, the United Planets soldiers subdued the remaining enemies. They smashed into the building, knocking down the doors. Inside, they met more opponents fiercely guarding the generator. But Yara rushed into the fray with her claws out. She slashed at the enemy left and right, more beast than a person in the heat of battle.
Suddenly, one of the enemies shot Yara in the shoulder, knocking her unconscious. But before they could finish her, Clive and Ros fought through their enemies with dire speed. Clive punched out a nemesis, training his gun on Yara. However, exhaustion and the enemy's superior numbers began to take their toll.
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The nemesis beat them mercilessly until they were bloody and bruised on the floor. However, with the last of his strength, Clive resolved to one final desperate action."Choke on this!" He jumped to his feet and tossed his mace at the power generator. And as it flew across the room, it smashed into it, causing a massive explosion!
Minutes later, Clive limped out of the building, carrying Ros and his other injured comrades.
"One down," Clive said.
Elsewhere, Favian's ship landed near the second power generator. The nemesis prepared to repel their enemies, forming a massive blockade around the building. The United Planets soldiers quickly exited the vessel for battle. And Sarah grew to a giant size to meet the challenge. However, as they were about to charge, Favian stopped them.
"Save your strength!"
He quickly marched to the vanguard, standing between his forces and the enemy, unphased by their threat. The nemesis prepared to fire on Favian, but still, he stood unphased. As the ground started to shake, everyone learned the cause of his confidence. Summoned by Favian, a massive deluge drawn from the fortress’s water supply raced to them, quickly capturing the nemesis in a colossal water bubble!
Sarah’s eyes widened with shock, seeing Favian’s power."Oh, my gods!"
"I’ll make this quick and painless!"
In the bubble, the nemesis struggled as they tried to escape. But Favian held them in place as water filled their lungs. Swiftly, the enemies stopped moving, and Favian burst his bubble. And they dropped to the ground dead!
"Half of you form a defensive perimeter while the rest of us go inside!"
"Sir, yes, sir!" The soldiers said in unison.
Hastily, the United Planets soldiers smashed into the building. The soldiers quickly shot down the nemesis as they tried to battle. And Sarah brought the fight to a swift end with one giant stomp on their skulls!
"Good work, Fortitudo," Favian said.
"Thanks, sir! Now, let's finish this quickly! There's someone with the med unit I want to get back to!"
Favian hurried over to the power generator. As he moved towards it, he stopped as the sounds of a massacre echoed from outside. But swiftly, everything became as quiet as a grave. Both his and Sarah's faces lost color from the deathly silence.
In a flash of light, Cyber troopers burst into the room! They shot down their enemies twice as fast as the United Planets. And Sarah and Favian shared a look of horror at Zola's creations!
"Not again!" Sarah and Favian shouted in unison.
Favian tried to dash to the power generator, but one of the troopers shot him twice in the back. He dropped to the ground, coughing blood, but he struggled back to his feet. And with all his remaining strength, he staggered to his target. The troopers prepared to finish him, but Sarah intervened. She grabbed them all in her giant hands, restraining them to the floor. But as before, they released an immense energy, trying to shock her away. However, even as her flesh burned and pain raced through her body, her grip was undeterred! Set like a boulder in her mind, she refused to relive what happened to Everton!
"Not again!" Sarah shouted.
Favian staggered closer and closer to the generator, coughing more blood. His vision became hazier with every step, but with tremendous willpower, he soldiered forward. Until he reached his target, and with one mighty stab of his trident, it exploded!
The building collapsed in a fiery explosion. But Sarah swiftly burst out of the rubble with Favian in her giant hands, barely alive! However, as her vision blurred and she fought to maintain consciousness, a realization came. She knew she was no longer fit for duty!
"It's all on you now, Damara!"
At the center of the fortress, Daisy flew through the air, trying to reach the final power generator. But a deadly opposition was in hot pursuit! Squadron after squadron of enemies covered the air in devotion to murdering Daisy!
Through the air, her pursuers relentlessly bombarded her and Carter. As a storm of plasma bolts rained on them, flaremane doubled his speed to evade the attack and reach their final destination, a colossal tower. But as the assault magnified, Carter drew his sword to clear a path."Take this!" An energy slash flew from his blade as he swung it through the air. It cleaved through the enemies, alleviating their assault enough for flaremane to make one final push to the tower.
With the path clear, Daisy was laser-focused on the tower even as the remaining enemies continued shooting. But inching closer to her destination, she witnessed Cymbeline on the tower. And faster than she could defend, he shot a colossal fireball at them.
"No!"
As the attack neared them, Carter spotted a window on the tower, making a grim choice."I'm sorry, red!" He quickly picked up Daisy, tossing her at the window. She cut through the air with remarkable speed, crashing through the window into the tower. And she evaded the shot as it hit Flaremane's wings, sending him and Carter crashing to the ground.
"C-Carter, Flaremane!"
Daisy looked at their crash site in horror, but she remembered Favian's words. And she forced herself to continue the mission, running down the corridor.
On the ground, Carter slowly regained consciousness in a pile of rubble. He sluggishly rose from it to be met with plasma fire from the enemy infantry. But as Carter dodged the attack, the general spotted flaremane pinned under a pile of rubble as the shots flew by him. And he ran to the stallion's aid.
Carter hurried to flaremane through the hail of plasma bolts. And as he freed flaremane, he made him look him in the eye with an angry gaze.
"Okay, horse, you don't like me, and I don't like you! But for Daisy’s sake, we need to work together!"
Flaremane returned Carter's angry gaze, but as the gears of his mind turned, he remembered Daisy's smiling face. With it, he gave Carter a nod of acceptance. And the stallion swiftly invited Carter onto his back to fly. Carter accepted his invitation, but as he climbed on, nemesis infantry neared. But as they prepared to shoot them, Carter swung his sword, blowing them away. And the two hastily flew through the storm of plasma bolts above from aerial troops!
"Faster, horse, faster!"
Flaremane heeded Carter's command, summoning his speed. But as they neared the tower, the enemies swarmed them from all angles, blocking them. However, flaremane spotted another window, and a solution appeared in his mind with a smug smile.
Carter saw Flaremane’s smile."Horse, what are you about to do?”
In a heartbeat, Flaremane gave Carter an answer. He flung him off his back to the window, smashing Carter into the tower. And alone, he kept the nemesis busy as he covered himself in fire. Carter got to his feet and saw him grabbing the aerial troops’ attention, blasting fire in every direction!
Carter cracked a small smile."Thanks, horse!"