Location: Terra Colony Andromeda
North Sector - Training Field Septa
Altitude: 2,000 Meters Above Sea Level
Time: 1412
January 31, 2050
[This is Group Gamma, Departing.]
[Group Beta here, heading out.]
[Acknowledged, flight paths clear.] Reported 00. [Encrypted Communication’s link established. Group Alpha, Prepare for descent.]
[Affirmative.] Said Alpha 1. He loaded a fresh magazine into his pistol and cocked it. Giving Amanda a pat on the shoulder, he asked, [Are you ready?]
[As ready as I’d ever be.] That was best she could manage before sighing in resignation. What they were about to do was going to be one of the many of her firsts, and not the enjoyable kind of firsts. She touched her earpiece to toggle Richard’s line. [I am feeling a little scared, how about you Richard?]
There was only a trembling silence on the other end of the comm. She turned to glance over their group amongst the clouded sky, finding Richard was close enough that she could see him clutching the harness that kept him tethered to his trainee partner. He was about as confident as she imagined.
Can’t blame him. We’re over 10 hours into this exercise and believe it or not we have yet another fight ahead of us. She watched as Alpha 1 patted himself down, probably securing his gear. There wasn’t a hint of exhaustion on his face, or from any of them. She looked around at all the other trainees, all of them young, and eager, unlike herself and the other first year students. She and the rest were more ready for this to end, or to fall unconscious so that they didn’t have to keep forcing themselves to stay awake.
The few breaks they had helped, and healing from Dahlia put injuries as a moot point. But constant fighting? From one to the next at every hour? No.. you needed to be trained to handle that stress. So, these guys must be crazy. Most of them are my age, but they’re smiling through all this. They must have guts, very brave guts.
Amanda admired that. She wondered just how old they began their training, and what it was like. The CDU and CAU were the military arm of the Terra Colony, meant to be the enforcers of security and peace, or that's what their promotional sites had said.
00’s voice abruptly buzzed in everyone's ear. [Storm 1 has engaged Target Sinder. Group Alpha, move into position.]
By Storm 1, the AI meant Itsuki. Alpha 1 pinged his acknowledgement, then, as flight leader of his group, he went in first. He leaned forward as his propulsion pack’s veiners articulated so that he began to the clouds with Amanda in tow. Behind him, the rest followed in close pursuit, tightening up their formation in a trained manner.
[Incoming Signal from Storm 1.] 00 brought up a screen on the right side of their HUDs, where usually the digital messaging system showed up. [Tactical Commands will be wirelessly sent to your HUDs. Standing orders are to support the elimination of Target Sinder. Note, caution is advised, the area is hot.. I repeat.. The area is hot.]
[Care to elaborate?] Amanda asked offhandedly.
She was hoping to take her mind off the new fear of heights she was developing. Jumping down from a dropship or a high-speed moving Mech was one thing since those were into safe landing zones. But flying down into a hot battle? That was beyond nerve racking.
[Agreed.] Alpha 1 added. [We could use some details.]
[There are no details.] 00 said matter of factly. [Follow the flight path as seen and use the clouds as cover. It is imperative that you surround and eliminate the target as fast as you can. Note, lethal force is not authorized on human opponents.]
Amanda scowled. Yeah, we know that. She was beginning to be somewhat irked by how blunt this AI was. There was no physical face she could put her frustration to, only an emotionless voice that droned on.
[Can you tell us anything else?] She asked. [Can’t you give us an update on what’s going on? Like what’s happening on the ground?]
[Affirmative.] 00 replied. [The main contingent of our forces has set up a defensive action to impede any enemy constructs from interfering with our area of operation. A total span of 900 meters diameter is clear of any new enemy contacts. Storm 2, 3, 4, and 5 are holding, except there is a 37% chance of rout taking place if.. ]
[I think she meant the target, 00.] Alpha 1 cut in. [She wasn’t asking for a summary, or all that.]
[Understood, but User Amanda was not specific. Please, input your responses correctly next time.] For a second, Amanda thought the AI was sassing her. Could they do that? [Concerning the target’s situation, the ongoing battle with Target Sinder has escalated to a level which may end in injury or death.]
Amanda paled. [Wait? What!] Before she could say another word, a red warning light flashed in the corner of her HUD.
[Warning.. Heat Signatures detected. Evade! Evade! Evade!]
Amanda felt it before even seeing it. Her face warmed up as a red hue dyed the white haze of clouds below her. Alpha 1 shifted to the left, narrowly avoiding a torrent of fire that roared into the sky. More warnings blared in her ears and the students cried out as their trainees made sudden and violent maneuvers to dodge.
[We’re going in hot, people!] Alpha 1 shouted. [Eyes up! Keep it together! And watch your heat sensors!] A trio of flames came flying in, and they were too fast.
Alpha 1 clicked his tongue. [Shit!]
[I got it!] Amanda conjured a barrier of ice, and a thud rang into her chest. She jolted with Alpha 1 from the shock of the impact, but the barrier held.. Barely. [That was too close.]
With how her barrier of ice flaked away in pieces, Amanda realized what 00 meant. She wasn’t sure if she would have survived after taking a hit like that head on. [Just what the heck are we flying into?]
[We’re about to find out.] As Alpha 1 spoke, they broke from the underbelly of the clouds. The scenery below opened up to vast green plains. Their HUDs marked a distant charred patch of land as their destination. [Target spotted, all members, prepare to land the students. Twenty of you break right and another twenty of you break left. I want 5 squads of 4 to cover the students. The rest of you, on my tail, we’re going in head on!]
[Yes, Sir!]
[I’m reading enemy constructs in the area of our LZ.] Reported one of the trainees. [Should we land the students further back?]
[Negative.] 00 said hurriedly. [User Itsuki has ordered that all of Group Alpha is to attack at once. A delay is not advised.]
[Understood.] Alpha 1 grunted. [You heard the AI, it’s coming from Itsuki himself. If we fuck up, then we can count our asses goodbye.]
A light chuckle passed between the trainees. Amanda wasn’t keen on the humor, though she picked up the admiration and real fear in their tones. But how they could get along with an asshole like Itsuki was something she hadn’t a clue about. Still, it spoke of their camaraderie.
[Heads up!] Alpha 1 accelerated, increasing the speed of his forward descent. [We got more incoming.]
Splitting up, the trainees banked through an oncoming of bright balls of bursting fire. Amanda looked ahead and saw a few figures shifting amongst all the rubble and charred earth.
[I see’em.] A trainee whistled in amazement. [Would you look at that, how many do you think there are?]
Amanda zoomed her view in with her HUD’s features, the destination was 500 meters out and closing. The radar in the top right pinged multiple shadowy contacts spread across the charred landscape. When the picture came into focus, she frowned.
Hellhounds, this isn’t going to be easy. Hard to pick out from the backdrop of all the black, these dark furred beasts were a hassle to fight. Before, they had jumped her group, and she hadn’t gotten over how she had to abandon so many trainees to them.
Alpha 1 picked up the pace, gunning his propulsion pack to close the last couple of hundred meters. Amanda felt her heart rate spiked, and it continued to rise when another warning signal blared in her ears. This time she saw it coming. With the ground was coming closer, balls of fire soared past, lighting up the air around her in blasts of smoke. The hellhounds had an incredible amount of range to their breath attacks, not accurate, but a nuisance.
The trainees entered evasive maneuvers, spreading out as to not be an easy target. Behind Amanda, she could hear the popping bursts of rifle fire. Those that didn’t have a student to carry were weapons free, unloading rounds in a suppressive fire. Students who could fire off bolts of energy joined in, letting off whatever clear shot they could on the bumpy approach. Amanda sent out a pair of ice arrows. They found marks in two hounds that spun back, then dissipated into particles.
The incoming lessened, and Amanda controlled her breathing. Alpha 1 raised his pistol as he came in for a landing with others. They all rocked back to slow down and Amanda saw her chance. Alpha 1 tapped her back and she pressed the releasing triggers on the harness at the sides of her hip. There was a moment of weightlessness, then she thudded down on her armored heels, sticking the 5-meter drop.
See! Easy! I’m fine. She patted herself on the back, glad to have her feet on the ground. Now onto the easy part. She thought sarcastically.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
[Open fire!] Alpha 1 ordered. [Weapon’s hot people! Give’em grenades, and give’em fast! We need to punch through!]
Amanda ran forward, materializing her sword and slashing out. A hound jumped back, barking as her blade glanced its face. Then, a blast of fire came in from her right. Amanda raised her sword to put up a half guard, lucky someone had her back.
Richard dashed between them, his arms up and bracing in a guard to protect his face. A shimmer of energy surrounded him as the fire hit head on, exploding over him into a shockwave and a puff of smoke.
He shook his arm, unharmed. “Phew!” He exhaled and leapt forward, materializing his own weapon to bring down its thin blade onto a hound.
Amanda was half expecting him to clam up, but Richard seemed to get his shit together when he needed to. At heart, he was more of an introvert, interested in reading rather than fighting. Though, these last few hours told her enough that there was a warrior buried inside him, behind all that brains, there was brawn.
“Seems you’re getting better at that,” Amanda said. “Thanks for the help.”
“No problem, but I don’t think I have the hang of my powers just yet.” Richard saddled up next to Amanda, covering her right as she covered his left. “I’m envious of how you’re a mystic.”
“Well, so are you. You just need time to get a hang of this.” Amanda gave him a grin. “We should practice together if we get through this.”
Richard laughed. “Yeah, that or we’ll be recovering in a hospital. Between you and me, I prefer my bed.”
Amanda smiled as pushed ahead. A pair of upperclassmen joined them, beating back a pack of hounds that made to move to get behind them. One of the upperclassmen, a taller and burly man who looked to be in his 20s, nodded to them.
[Good work you two. Let’s move, I’ll take point.]
Amanda had no issue with that, she preferred to follow, rather than lead this time.
[Cover the students!] Alpha 1 called out. He kept a low hover above them as he let off a grenade from his rifle’s underslung launcher. A trio of his trainees pumped out the same, dashing the hounds ahead with fragmentation shrapnel and scattering the would-be pack. [You’re clear, get in there!]
[On it!] Said the upperclassman.
At once, all the teams moved ahead, closing the distance from the front, left, and side of the target. With how the hounds coordinated with one another, it was a smart move to preemptively scatter them with explosives. They were tough, and not even rifle fire could take them down unless you got a lucky shot at their eyes or had enough bullets to punch through.
A couple of trainees behind Amanda’s group covered them, their bullets did at most to distract and stagger the hounds, but not take them out. Useless as it was, they maintained the enemy’s attention, making a point of hovering low to act as bait. When the hounds’ heads drew up to let off a breath attack, the students then made their move. Two upperclassmen leap in, stabbing and slashing with the manifested weapons. Amanda, backing them up, sending out a flurry of ice arrows to follow them in. Richard stayed at her side, intercepting as the ones that made a break for Amanda. The way was becoming clear, and the number of enemy contacts decreased.
[Wait? Where the hell are you going!] A continued shout from a trainee drew Alpha 1’s attention to the other teams. [Get back to your position!]
A student, with a thick accent, replied with a sneering tone. [As if I’d take orders from a grunt. Shut up and shoot. I’m getting out of here!]
Alpha 1 thought he had misheard and noticed as friendly icons on his map moved out of position. As he reloaded his rifle, he asked, [Do we have a problem? Right flank, why are some of your members moving off?]
[They aren’t.] A trainee said, scoffing. [Those bastards are running.]
[They’re what!? Who?]
[Some of the uppity first years, they’re not taking orders. Must be some of those foreigners from abroad.]
Alpha 1 clenched his fists, trying to keep his cool. [I understand, do what you can. I’m sending two squads.]
[Much appreciated.] The trainee stifled a growl. [I swear, I’m going to fuck those guys up after this.]
Alpha 1 had no comment, he said the feeling.
Overhearing in the thick of it, Amanda wondered how anyone could mutiny at a time like this. Whoever they were, they were also on her list of people to avoid, and to perhaps get back at. People who ran out on their buddies in a battle were the worst, and she had no mercy for the likes of them. It was understandable that the pressure might have gotten to them, and they weren’t soldiers like the trainees. Amanda wasn’t either, but she sure damn well knew how to act like one, and to suck it up.
Up ahead, an upperclassman waved Amanda and Richard over. He bent down, so they followed suit, and understood why. The next second, a boom echoed, then a shockwave threw the air in all directions. Amanda had to cover her eyes to keep the dust from getting in.
[What was that?] She asked, shouting over the howling wind.
[The target!] The upperclassman pointed in the direction of the explosion. [We’re about 100 meters out, but we can see the fight from here.]
Amanda raised her head to get a better view. A flicker of flames drew her attention, and she spotted Sinder. She was clutching her side as if injured with more of her hounds beside her. An assortment of circles dotted the ground as she waved her hand, then shouted something Amanda couldn’t hear because of how she was. The next moment, a new group of hellhounds emerged from plumes of smoke.
Amanda followed where they went and saw Itsuki. Somewhat to her dismay, he was bare chested, his shirt a tattered mess, as he wrestled each of the beasts that snapped at him. A new group of hounds charged right at him. He slammed one to the ground, then a second one lunged at him from behind. Turning, he jabbed his elbow into its neck. The beast went limp as he threw it over his shoulder without even a hint of exertion.
Jesus Christ. Amanda shuddered. Itsuki was like a savage beast. Compared to the literal snarling hellhounds attacking him, Amanda was sure she’d prefer to face the hounds. How Itsuki finished another one off without batting an eye made her recoil at the cruel effectiveness of his attacks. Just as he went for another, the remaining hounds jumped away. Then all they opened their maws. Amanda's eyes widened like saucers when they all roared out flames at once.
[Holy crap!] Richard gritted his teeth, ducking low as the flames collided and exploded sky high. [Is he going to be ok?]
Amanda almost didn’t hear him over the din and the ringing in her ears. The question answered itself when she looked up. As the hounds barked and growled at the clearing smoke, Itsuki emerged unscathed, and was already swinging his fist through the side of a hound. A slight amount of silver aura emanated from his hand as he let off a punch that echoed like thunder. Amanda recognized that what he was wearing looked like fingerless metallic gloves. If this was one of his tools or gadgets, then they must’ve leveled the play field, but her senses told her it was something else entirely.
Sinder, who seemed to have recovered, closed in on Itsuki when he was occupied by one of her hounds. Her claws swept in for his arm as his back was turned to her. Itsuki, as if already knowing she would do that, shifted on his heels and turned in one fluid step. Sinder’s claws cut past him by a hair. Itsuki lowered his shoulders to throw a fast uppercut. Sinder dodge, her agile form bending back to somersault and land in a crouched posture.
Amanda then sensed a surge of core energy. Sinder’s red tail wagged, the tip burning a brighter red. Her eyes focused with a predatory bloodlust. A red glow of energy collected around her lips, then she roared. Loud and sharp, a boom cut the air like paper. The hounds rushed away as a maw of fire roiled at Itsuki.
Staring blankly at the incoming annihilation, Itsuki didn’t move an inch. His clenched hands came up and they emanated particles of metallic white light. The flames hit with a deafen whoosh, yet they curved around him, as though a barrier deflected the fire like water hitting an umbrella. Itsuki stepped forward, and slowly, he began to sprint at Sinder through the fire.
Realizing that her flames had no effect, Sinder readied her claws. On all fours, she lunged, her form hazing through the air, moving so fast that Amanda couldn’t keep up. Itsuki matched her, shifting from foot to foot to dash one way and then another. The two of them traded blows that pounded in everyone’s ears and left after images burned in the air. The ground shook, and Richard was sure they could all feel it in their chests.
[Come on, let’s go!] The upperclassman got to his feet. [Let’s back him up.]
[You can’t be serious.] Amanda wanted to tell them that they were out of their league. [We can’t get between that! If we do, we might get in the way.]
She wanted to wait and see, and was about to suggest hanging back, but the upperclassmen were already moving up, as were the trainees and the others on their left flank. She let off huff and rose to her feet. Immediately on approach, a new group of hellhounds broke into their path. Sinder could so easily conjure an army. There didn’t seem to be a limit to how many constructs she could make, though there was an obvious downside that started to show.
Unlike the hounds attacking Itsuki, the ones that got in Amanda’s way were uncoordinated. It seemed that the ones further from Sinder had a decreased performance, they couldn’t manage their usual hit and run maneuvers and were instead easier to predict. Nevertheless, their numbers more than made up for their shortcomings and they were fast.
Of the 60 trainees and 20 students that dropped in, only 5 squads of trainees and 2 squads of students made it to the target, the rest were too injured or caught up in fights of their own. Not to mention that over half of the students had bailed on them. In total they had now 28, while the pack they faced numbered over 40, and rising.
[This isn’t going to work.] Said Alpha 1. He glanced over to the map, not liking the fact they were outnumbered no matter how many hounds they eliminated. This was turning into a stalemate. [00, any ideas?]
[Stand by.] 00 replied. [I will query with User Itsuki.]
[Well make it snappy!] Amanda called. [We’re getting surrounded out here and these things are fast. I can’t even get a clear shot on them with my ice arrows.] A hound swiped with its sizzling claw, and she blocked with her blade, then twisted her wrist to come in for a following strike that put the beast down. [Why hasn’t Itsuki given us any orders? He's supposed to be team leader, so what’s the hold up!]
[User Itsuki is currently unable to speak due to the activation of one of his abilities.] 00 explained. [It is difficult for him to coordinate in the state he is in.] The AI paused as though it were distracted, then said. [New orders have been received. Sending data to your HUDs.]
Alpha 1 dropped his altitude to hang back as his squad covered him. Two from his team fired grenades into a gathering of bogies, scattering them so that one of the squads of students could mop them up. He then motioned to two squads of trainees on his left.
[Break away and come around.] He ordered. [We’ll bait the packs of hounds in two directions!]
[Roger!]
Alpha 1 continued to call out orders, changing their formation in response to the hellhound's movement. Wondering what the orders were, Amanda took a moment to read the scrolling text on the right side of her HUD’s view.
Number of Enemy Constructs rising..
Advise pincering maneuver..
Storm 1 Requesting Support.. Unable to incapacitate target..
Analysis of Construct Emergence Complete..
Targeting Data Sent.. Weak Points Highlighted..
Note: Fire on my Position.. Target is Elusive..
The text went on and on, and it was overwhelming to take it all in. On accident, she selected one of the attached data packets and was startled by the number of windows it opened. It was a deluge of info; an overload Amanda couldn’t handle or even sort through right now. She quickly shut everything away to focus on the fight.
I really need to get a hang of this thing. The communications earpiece was a sophisticated piece of hardware, and it was a common device she’d have to master if she were to be an explorer. The only issue was that technology seemed to hate her. For now, she knew the basics. A ping came in from Alpha 1 as a line opened up.
[We’ve thinned the hounds somewhat, but we need to bring this fight to an end before our stock of grenades run out. Move to distract the constructs hounding Itsuki and see what you can do to help.]
There was no point in saying no, they were going. The upperclassmen sent their affirmation and led the way. Amanda and Richard trailed behind, breaking past the scattered encirclement the hounds failed to tighten.
Amanda groaned to herself. Looks like I’m in the thick of it.. Again. She was beginning to think trouble stuck to her like a habit.