… The Battle of Angels …
~
… Capital Tree of Hope …
“I’m sorry, but we need to leave –” Santiago pulled Monefi from her office chair. She let out a yelp of surprise. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”
Santiago had cybernetic body modifications and it often meant that he’d sometimes use too much on his poor girlfriend. However, she was about to lecture him when he let go of her. But instead, she was pushed ahead of him. She issued her complaints about being spirited out of her new office in Capital tree… Until she saw the fierce looks on the rest of her security team.
The aura they gave off was unlike anything she’d ever experienced from them. She turned to Santiago, and instead of that murderous look they had, his expression was full of fear.
“They’re here.” Leon hissed. “No questions, we have to move now!”
She froze, her mind trying to wrap her mind around the sudden shift in what had been just a normal morning. In fact, she’d been the happiest she had ever been the past two months since –
“The Bakri jumped into the system 10 minutes ago.” Santiago admitted before he grabbed her hand again, pulling her towards the newly added elevator. “We have to get you to the bunker.”
“Why aren’t we taking the aerodyne?!” Monefi asked as the polished metal doors closed. She stared in shock out the reinforced glass walls of the elevator as it zoomed down towards the ground floor. Her question went unheard.
Outside, her people were finishing winter’s last harvest as the sun was beginning to set. Bundles of long grains had been stacked on a large trailer. Humans had integrated their technology into their society, and while it’d been pushed back on at first, the humans had only pushed whatever they could to ease the burden on them. One of them being long trailers an EV truck would pull to the harvesting trees. Thus, allowing the Hi’ Ri to not have to fly with sacks back and forth.
The harvest field was bustling with human soldiers pushing her people towards the trees. Some fell over and arguments broke out. That was, until several distant explosions distracted all of them. The noise was foreign, strange and sent Monefi on edge. She gripped Santiago’s left forearm, and glanced at him. He only leaned forward to look upwards before mumbling “Reinforcements.”
A chime startled her and they funneled out onto a platform between the large roots, then down concrete steps that dropped them on the edge of the field. Several high-pitched whistles broke the air as tens of black pods crashed into the field that had just been cleared a minute prior.
“They broke through!” Leon cursed.
Monefi thought he meant strange objects. Only, their doors popped out into the dirt. Out jumped what Monefi had nicknamed Cloud Knights, as they dropped from the sky, but they were human “Paratroopers”. They quickly spread out, their voices carrying across to them.
“Set up AA!”
“Don’t worry about the fucking grain, get the Angels to the bunker!”
“Hi’ Ri children are in the AO!”
“This is why we should have given them all radios so we —”
She listened to them as they cut across the field. None of them paid them any heed, though they did acknowledge them with salutes and nods as they passed each other. The answer to her unasked question was answered immediately after. The Capital Tree – namely her office and the level on the trunk it resided – exploded in a haze of purple fire as a Bakri fighter roared past. A Human fighter in tow, its chain gun ripping the air ahead of it as it tried to take out its target.
Bits of flaming tree rained down around them, rooting the Hi’ Ri woman in place with terror. More trees around her exploded in purple fires as loud “TA-WOOOOOOSH- TA-WOOOOOOSH” sounded behind her. Two missiles roared over her head and gave chase to the Bakri second fighter, elegantly dancing around falling debris and the trees. One missile hit its mark as the fighter doubled back towards them, but the second one fell victim to a massive falling branch.
It was enough however as the fighter twirled. The rear of the craft in flames, it plummeted into the ground beyond the fields they were in. A plume of blue and purple flames rushed upward like a wave crashing on seaside rocks. And Monefi watched it all, waiting to wake up from the nightmare she now found herself in.
“Monny!” Santiago pulled her towards him, the familiar pain of his strength – while hurting her – was a comforting feeling. He was here. They were here. They would fix this. They had to fix this… “I can’t fight and pull you, Monny, ya’ have to run on your own!”
Chastised, she began running without his physical encouragement. She could do this. With the desire to spend more time with this man, she began to take part in his activities. His morning run. Eating meals together outside her office by this field – Her mind wandered back to the field. It was now marred with the crater of the drop pods. Bits of the Capital tree she had worked in since she’d been anointed as the Senator, if only because no one wanted to bother with that nonsense. Monefi had always been a more curious child for her race. Always curious about what laid beyond their home. Beyond their system. She just… She –
The cold ground met her cheek, she yelped and realized she’d lost herself in her thoughts. She hadn’t paid attention to her steps. Images of her mother began to appear. Mother had always warned her to pay more attention to where she stepped or flew, else she was liable to crash into something. Monefi made a mental note to fly to her home on the outskirts. She’d been so busy with… Her new affection, she hadn’t visited her in the last three months.
Monefi wondered if she’d enjoy the company of dogs. Santiago had introduced her to those wonderful creatures last —
“Monny!” Santiago shook her. “Eyes on me, babe! Stay with me. Fight it. Fight the thoughts. Breath. Like when we run. Just focus on each step.”
The senator felt like her chest was on the verge of exploding. Her tree. The Capital tree.. It was engulfed in purple and orange flames. A large silvery, elongated ship broke the canopy off to the right of her tree. Its outline reminded her of the pictures of whales from earth, but in an elegant way. Its six thrusters roared as it found an open spot. Gunfire erupted from the base of the Capital Tree, and it was then that she realized they’d sent up a defensive parameter there.
She was about to ask why they didn’t join them when two side panels opened up on the Bakri ship, two strange elongated oval-like things popped out with wires attached to them. Before she could even question their use, streams of pinkish plasma rounds ripped from them. They peppered the defenders, but seemed to miss their shots. The soldiers' fire only stopped for a few seconds as they repositioned and returned fire. Two missiles raced towards the ship, only to collide with a shield of sorts that rippled.
The belly of the ship opened up. Strange floating machines floated out, plasma erupting from weapons beneath them towards the defenders. Finally, after what seemed like minutes, two large hulking figures dropped down. They both ran behind the nearby pods for cover. Once out of the way, a large crate size of the two put together dropped. Its charges and load dropped, the ship took off, speeding over them before it erupted into three balls of orange flames.
It came out the side at an angle, its thrusters fought to right itself as its shields shimmered away. A human fighter screamed past a moment later. Another missile soared past the defenders this time. The thinner fin-like rear of the ship exploded on contact. A deep, hollow roar filled the air as its engine became exposed to the elements. It tilted back with only its front thrusters attached to its main body. This made it fly backwards before it slammed top first into the tree to its right.
The tree shuddered along with raining more embers upon the land as the ship slid down the side, leaving a flaming gash in its wake.
“Fuck, Archangel!” Leon screamed as he knelt and took timed shots at the Bakri warriors in the field. “We need a path!”
Santiago pulled Monefi away from the field and towards a large patch of thicket by the roots of the nearby tree. She clung to his arm for dear life. Her wings tucked tight to her back so much it hurt and she scrambled for the perceived safety of it once she realized where he wanted her to go.
“Put whatever solid you can find between us and you!” He ordered before he turned and jogged back to the edge of the field.
Monefi was about to argue when he threw himself to the ground. The large weapon he’d carried everyday aimed, and it barked something fierce.
“THADADADA—THADADADA—THADADADA—THADADADA—THADADADA—”
She clasped her hands over her ears to damp the gunshots. Though she was too late. Her ears rang and the world fell away into a sea of dull noises. A few stray rounds of plasma burned through the thicket and splattered against the top of the root she hid behind. Burn bits of wood made her kick at the ground to push herself further in. The chaos of noises and visuals made her mind skip and stutter.
Santiago’s face appeared suddenly. She was on her feet. His lips moved, but his words were distant. The only reaction she could give was one of dumbfoundedness. He then cursed, but it was a human curse. One she knew!
“Fuck…” She whispered as she stared at his lips, mimicking the word she often heard him curse out when something went wrong.
It brought a brief smile to his face. It made her smile back, and for a moment, they were back in a night-lit forest. A full moon high up. Its rays pierced the canopy in a way that illuminated his rough human features in a way that was… She dared to be romantic. He’d confused his affection for her. She accepted, and confirmed hers. Warmth swelled in her stomach. The night was —
The night moonlight sky was replaced with smoke and embers. Santiago was not professing his long like he’d done a few months ago. He was carrying her bridal style. Plasma shots cut the air around them. They were bounding through a small patch of forest between the fields. She still felt warm in her stomach…
“Fuck!” Jay yelled, clear as day.
He was in front of them. His rifle pointed up as he was in a full sprint. Damien was nowhere to be seen. Leon was gone as well. Jay was beside them.
“Any time now, Archangel!” Jay screamed while he pressed his finger to his ear. “Their fucking drones didn’t go down after we dropped the fucking Bakri!”
Two Bakri drones flew overhead, raining plasma on them in an easily dodgable pattern. Santiago sidestepped it flow without looking. She thought he looked… Dashing..
“Breathe, Monny!” Santiago speared her a quick chidding glance before he looked back up. “In. nose –” He dodged their returning strafe. “Out. Mouth. Slow!”
The drone came back around, and now she could feel her chest about to burst open. A scream - a warning – ANYTHING! She wanted to do something other than cower in Santiago’s arms, but she couldn’t. It was as if the world itself slowed around them. The drone came into focus. Its body, similar to the Bakri transport, was silvery with a streamlined body. Only three black ports were visible. One at its front where two rods with tips glowing from the heat of the plasma protruded. Two more holes where its side thruster protruded slightly. There was most likely a fourth for a rear thruster.
It lined up its shot as she felt their momentum shift. The drone attempted to predict their path this time. She watched in horror as its thrusters turned slightly, and its barrel was now pointed in their direction. Its insides glowed with a purple light that rushed forward at normal speed to her. The round spattered on the ground a few feet back, but the next round was already being pushed out as well.
Their momentum shifted again and Monefi found herself thrown backward. She rolled in the air instinctively to avoid landing on her wings. The sudden shift threw the world back into gear for her and she found herself short of breath. Her lungs burned, her nose was filled with the smell of ozone, and the air tasted of gunpowder. Her hearing came back as she heard Leon shouting for her.
“Move, Senator!” He had brought up their rear. His face was partially burned and he was missing his left ear. Blood stained his vest down to his left side and he looked like he’d rolled in the mud.
He opened fired on the drone that had been doing the strafe runs on them. Only a few shots managed to land on target as sparks flew off. It lowered itself and ducked low to the ground over what Monefi saw was the next large field. More fighting plagued the other side of this part, but none of them paid the group any heed. Maybe because the drone that’d been harassing them was circling back on a low pass.
It exploded just as it tried to gain altitude mid-circle, most likely attempting to fire from further back. Its burning wreckage turned before it crashed into the field and bounced a few times before it came to a stop in a rut. Replacing it in the sky were four human drones. Their boxed bodies were carried by four upturned propellers. Two of them wielded LMG turrets while the last two carried Smart-Rocket pods.
“Took your sweet time, Archangel.” Damien cursed.
More gunfire went off still at the other end, this time, a few more silver transports appeared and dropped off more invaders. Their attention on what looked to be a large human convoy that was giving them a major ass kick. One of the transports exploded as she saw the top of a tank aim for the moment its lower shield was down to drop off the reinforcements. Its explosion was a wave of purple fire, smoke, and debris that rushed upwards to their right. The now destroyed ship flipped from the moment and crashed into a heap on its roof.
Their field fell into a respite, aside from the intense fighting going on in different parts of the monolithic forest. Gunfire reports and explosions were a near constant, and at some points blurred together in their distant ghostly howls.
Santiago was at her side, his face caked with more sweat than she remembered him actually having when he ran. “Fuck, I’m sorry, Monny! Fucking broke the strap on the gun and it tripped me up. I swear! I wouldn’t throw you like that!” Jay knelt next to her, rifle pointed towards the commotion in the distance along with Damien who also looked worse for wear. Leon hubbled over to them cursing as he threw himself on his ass to catch his breath. While this happened, Santiago fretted over something about “Knowing avians have weaker bones”, and “I wouldn’t ever ruin your pretty feathers,”...
Monefi let out a small giggle and then felt it grow louder, then it quickly devolved into a messy sob. This caught all the men’s attention until she managed to finally find a sliver of sanity.
“C-C-Check on Leon… Please…” She managed to choke out as stretched out on her hands and knees.
Santiago hesitated for a second before he rushed over to Leon. Meanwhile, Monefi straightened her body to allow as much air to enter her body. She took slow, unsteady breaths as her body fought against her. It wanted to go a trillion miles an hour. Her heart hurt so much that it could’ve made her cry all on her own besides everything else that just happened. And she was failing miserably when Jay took the same position next to her.
“Just copy me, Mon.” Damien pronounced each world slowly and only when she’d looked over to him.
Their eyes met and she watched him take in slow deep breaths. At its end, he held his breath for two seconds before exhaling just as slow. He did this two times. Never once did he stop to say anything, only do the breathing exercise. On the third time, Monefi man managed to get her breathing under control. Her heart thanked her greatly by no longer beating at her chest.
“I.. I'm sorry…” Monefi said after a minute.
“Don’t be.” Damien said calmly as he got up. “It's the normal reaction to this stuff.”
“Yeah,” Leon hissed as Santiago finished attending to the officer by pressing a strange skin-colored bandage at the bottom of the man’s neck. A stray spray bottle with a white cross on it was discarded at their feet. “What just happened was FUBAR. I – fuck, bro, easy – I think you handle it quite well. We’ll make a marine out of you yet…”
Leon gave her a toothy grin that made Santiago scowl. “No, Monny is not a fighter.”
“She got over her panic attack a lot faster than half the 45ths first time.” Leon chuckled.
Jay chimed in. “Think it’s because she’s dating the biggest dumbass this side of the system. Soon enough, she’ll be slinging rocks and bumping back beers just like him. She’s already been a lot more assertive the last month or so.”
“I am not rubbing off on her!” Santiago quipped as he finally moved to Monefi. “Are you okay? Where —”
“Calmly.” Damien hissed at him just as he was about to help her up. The two men glared at each other as Monefi noticed Santiago’s hands were shaking.
“I’m fine… I… I just felt like my heart was about to burst…” She said, “I think I was starting to get light headed.”
Jay finally turned towards her, his expression unreadable. “Did you feel pressure where your heart was?”
Monefi nodded.
“And it was painful? Along with the lightheadedness?” Jay continued.
She nodded again.
“Fuck.” Jay cursed. “We gotta pick a safer route. The woman might have just scraped past a heart attack, or at least a really bad panic attack. We don’t have the meds to handle either and we can’t sedate her either….”
All eyes went to Santiago as he cursed for a moment, but took a breath before he looked to Leon. “How much further till the bunker, Sir?”
“A field over to the north-west.” Leon answered as he seemed to look up to the lip of his helmet, most likely looking into his Heads Up Display goggles. “Fuck, we gotta move fast. Bakri got the shipyard.”
The bit of information put all the men on edge.
“... Which shipyard…?” Monefi asked
Leon answered. “The new Union Shipyard – Up, we have to move. It’s a straight line from here if we follow the root paths.”
“Its a Union yard! How did it already get taken?!” Monefi protested as Santiago herded her through the thicket with urgency.
“We’re the only security in this sec–” Leon spoke, but was interrupted by the cannon fire of the nearby human vehicle.
TUH-TUH-TUH-TUH-TUH-TUH-TUH-TUH—- BOOM
“Bakri air!” Damien reported as he threw himself to the ground.
None of the others questioned him and followed suit. A “WuuuuUUBBBB” shook everything around them. A large black Bakri ship rounded the large trunk of the tree they were near. Its thrusted expelled intense heat down onto them for a few seconds – A few seconds that were enough to redden any exposed skin. Heavy rounds slammed into the ship but was intercepted by its shielding. A missile was launched from its large semi-fall oval haul and exited the shield where the ground fire could not enter through.
The missile itself popped out with enough force to pass nearly 30 meters into the air before its thrusters engaged. By then, the shielding covered its roof and most likely prevented the smoke from being trapped in its shielding. It propelled towards the faint shapes of the human convoy. A massive green explosion rattled all five of them. Monefi thought all of them were lost as a Bakri Transport brought up its flank.
Both of the ships took up positions near the downed transport ship and lowered themselves. The new transport expelled tens of Bakri while the oval ship lowered a large platform from its underside. On it was a large greenish crouched beetle with a large elongated rectangle canon running across its top . Its hull nearly doubled that of two human tanks on top of each other. Another one and a half once it rose to its full height on six thick mechanical legs.
The oval ship began to take off just as a large BOOM sounded, followed by its thrusters exploding outwards. The debris bounced around the flickering shield’s innards before it all dropped down and nearly crushed the Bakri beetle vehicle as it dropped in a ball of flames. Its sister ship returned fire into the smoke where the human convoy was as two scorched APCs rushed forward. Quickly following was a singular large tank.
Monefi didn’t get to see the end of that battle, despite it enrapturing her. Watching the invaders get knocked around tickled her sense of justice, something that would have been of great concern to her in normal times. But Santiago jerked her down into a small irrigation creek feet away just as the tip of the large cannon on the beetle began to emit a bright red light. A second later, the entire area was illuminated in a deep menacing crimson.
The creek’s outer bank, along with the thicket on top, blocked her vision. However, it did not stop the light from spilling over and illuminating the fearful expression Santiago gave her as he forced her to move. Several plasma rounds cut across overhead, spilling burning thicket down into the creek. Several tank rounds exploded on the tree roots that arched overhead. Splitters exploded down onto them. The most dangerous of them were thankfully absorbed by the tangle of baby roots that were shredded.
“Archangel is sending reinforcements!” Jay, who was middle of the pack, called out.
“He better not be pulling it from existing fights!” Leon growled.
“Foundry is still running!” Jay responded as a few more plasma shots crossed overhead. “ETA 70 seconds for Auto vics! It said the Bunker is still secured, but its closing the doors in 38 minutes!”
“Tell that fucking AI to make it 50!” Santiago roared as he let go of Monefi. “I don’t know if she can keep that pace!”
Jay reported back as they picked up speed. Surprisingly, Monefi was able to keep up. A moment of pride welled up in a sea of fire flowed through her body now.
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“No can do!” Jay said as they continued their run. “Bakri are jamming coms into orbit, can’t get an SOS out, so its assuming we lost —”
The report was interrupted as the tree above them groaned and cracked. All of them stopped and looked up. Above them, a massive human ship ripped through the canopy, its hull alight with purple, pink, and green fires as it cut south-eastward. Its hull ripped the tree’s top off towards the field. Tens of splitters larger than tanks began to fall towards them.
The fire in Monefi’s body distilled itself as Santiago ripped her forward and her body reacted by forcing her forward in a sprint. As if her body finally realized that death was hurling itself down at her. Laughing at her lover’s attempt to keep her useless life with them. Her eyes focused, the creek more detailed, and her legs responded to her desire to move.
She overtook Santiago who didn’t hesitate to pick up his own pace along with the rest of the team. In fact, she overtook them.
With distance on their side, they managed to make it most of the way to the roots of the next tree before the first real threat crashed down. The creek past them disappeared amongst a pile of sharp wood and falling leaves.
“Contact – Forward!” Leon yelled.
Monefi, confused, turned only to see Damien as he shouldered her to the ground. His marksmen rifle then barked several times, his face twisted in a fierce snarl. A second later, purple engulfed his expression. They crumbled to her feet. She stared in disbelief as the human she’d gotten to know remained unmoving. His ballistic helmet half melted. The dirt around him began to take on a sinister dark hue, as if the abyss grew around him.
His head the epicenter.
“H-Hey…” Monefi whispered, a shaky hand outstretched.
Santiago was on the edge of her vision, but all that filled her ears was the rush of her blood. It dulled the barks of their weapons. The sound of the Bakri blasters. All that existed was Damien. Her guard… Her… Friend…
“Get up…” She nudged him softly. His rifle laid across her thigh, thrown as the plasma fire had made his body to ragdoll. “Y-Y you need to get up…”
She stopped nudging him and held his rifle. A shot had ripped across next to it, but its proximity had burned away the strap he used. Its left face is slightly charred but intact. She knew how it worked. She’d used it before a few times. Damien had taught her how to use it until she could at least get all her shots in the large circle.
Damien named his newborn after her…
Damien – He needed to get back to his daughter — Damien needed to get back to his wife – She needed to get him to the bunker – no – Haven – they could fix him —- Rage burned in her. Her body burned as if a newly formed sun had taken residence. She gripped the rifle and fumbled it slightly into the way Damien taught her how to hold it. Its slim, yet bulky frame is warm. A small amount of blood stained the scope and the stock.
When looked up, she saw Santiago fighting a Bakri in hand to hand. Rather, he was being thrown around by the creature. The human was two-thirds the creature's height and half as bulky. It roared as it lifted Santiago by the back of his vest before tossing him into the outer bank opposite of her. The Bakri soldier grunted as he turned his back to her. Unlike its front, it wasn’t as armored. Rather, she noticed it only appeared to wear its armor on its front.
She shouldered the rifle, not bothering to take a breath as the reticle was center mass and began pulling the trigger. It barked and the muzzle jumped. She pulled the trigger again, not-quite back on target, but quickly caught her error before she pulled it back down. One – two – three — four — five — click. The invader was slumped in the creek, its blood flowing with the creek in the direction they needed to go.
Monefi looked to Santiago, but the man was already on his feet. He groaned in pain as he pulled his sidearm. He pointed it up and down the creek, but lowered it once he saw the fight was over.
“You got him…” Leon said as he put his hand on the rifle.
She’d been pulling the trigger over and over. It hadn’t made a sound or fired another shot. Its bolt was locked back.
“Fucker got my comms!” Jay roared from ahead of them as he struggled to his feet. Another dead Bakri at his side.
His metal pack sparked a few times and he shrugged it off into the water. They locked eyes. His eyes’ then slid down to the rifle. Then to the Bakri at her feet. Then to… Damien… His eyes went wide for a moment before he nodded and began to scoop up the Bakri’s rifle. He walked over to her, then pulled two magazines from Damien’s vest and handed it over to her.
“Ah…” Was all she could say.
“Reload and let’s move.” Leon said. “We lost time.”
As they said that, human drones began to hum overhead in the tens. A few floated down towards them, but only one stayed and took the lead. Monefi wanted to protest. She wanted to argue that they couldn’t leave Damien, but she saw the empty looks they shot back where he was. The desire fizzled out as the fire in her began to simmer and die, leaving her empty as well. The rifle in her hands reloaded, yet it felt far heavier than it should have…
The drones engaged targets in the fields around them. More Bakri ships glowed overhead.
There was no lack of fighting to be had. Rather, the only thing Monefi noted was the considerable lack of Hi’ Ri or humans to be found at this point. It wasn’t until they’d made the force-sprint to the bunker’s perimeter did her answer come.
Several dismembered Hi’ Ri bodies had been strewn around in a small cove in the creek along with a human. Bullet casings littered the ground. The human’s had taken several shots to the chest and lay crumpled against the cove's north entrance – facing the way they needed to go. From that point, they saw more dead humans and Hi’ Ri… And dead Bakri and their minions.
The area around the Bunker had been secured. From the looks of it, mainly by Archangel’s drones. Bakri Transport were still coming in, but the moment they tried to unload, the drones were focus-fire on the unloading troops. This they saw as they were forced to edge the top of the outer bank. With the ground becoming more level, the creek grew deeper and non transversable.
Despite this, they were in an open sprint along the path with clear markings towards “Bunker Beta”. Concrete barriers had been laid out, covered in charred thicket. Several dead soldiers were slumped here and there. And the ground was worriedly thick with brass scatterings as well as broken crates. Tens of drop pods stood tilted in every direction around them, their users nowhere in sight.
The path cut between two different fields and lay four trees away, or a little over 3 kilometers, from the Capital tree. A distance Monefi had already begun to kick herself over. The bunker was originally supposed to be under, or in the vicinity of the Capital tree. Her and her colleagues opposed this, as to bury something beneath the tree or its roots was sacrilegious. It was where their dead were to be buried. To become part of the tree, and forever remain with their descendants.
The actual bunker now resided beneath a dead tree. Its trunk long fallen to leave a large deadwood stump. In their eyes, the souls buried beneath would fall to the earth with the fallen trunk, and thus rejoin the cycle of souls once again. For a tree as long lived as theirs to die a natural death was a momentous event in their culture. The remains of the tree would become whatever their people wanted it to become. In this case, the tree had reached its span and fallen a year prior to the humans arrival.
And they hadn’t come up with a use for all that space, or wood, yet. It resulted in the trunk being harvested by, and for, the humans. Its remaining stump was then turned into a hub for human activity. A place for landing Aerodynes, house patrols, and a bunker beneath it all.
When they had finished their construction, they’d carved out rooms and reinforced its insides. They had also planted a plethora of plants across its wall. Young Hi’ Ri had come and painted childish paintings across the exposed sanded faces. It had quickly become a place where many of the said young and curious Hi’ Ri began to visit often…
And now?
The once beautiful, if heavily militaristic giant stump, was scorched. A large chunk had been taken out of its roof where the remains of a human dropship partially hung over the ledge. Blood splattered its cracked windshield. Several cut outs in the wood below looked heavily burned out where a human machinegun poked out. Its user burnt to a crisp still attached to it. Reaching the entrance, Leon called in “Friendlies entering!” as they picked their way past several dead Bakri amongst the heavily damaged barricades. “Friendlies inside!” returned through the entrance doors, once intricately carved by Hi’ Ri craftsmen, lay smoldering against the bent security gates inside.
Inside, several battered marines with heavily machine guns haphazardly whatever they could. Several scorched but working hound drones and aerial gun drones resided as back up.
“Fireteam Onyx, here with Senator Monefi.” Leon announced once they’d gotten through. “Is the bunker still operational?”
“SO Leon, we were expecting you. Careful, you’re going to have to climb over here – fuckin’ apes guys were decimating us until we threw everything we could infront of us to stop their shots.” A marine with a bloody sergeant patch center vest stood up over the barricades.
The office for the outpost was fifteen meters long. Half of which was a large flat driveway that led back to an elevator to the landing pad above. It was, like a reception area, barricaded with sandbags, crates, chairs, tables, and whatever else they could throw between them at the invading forces. Despite being an outpost, Monefi was surprised by how much furniture existed here. It had been enough to create a hazardous slope that reached out four feet at its shortest.
A few drones that burned with purple flames were piled in, as well as one Bakri soldier who’d tried to mantle the slope. Above it was an abandoned heavy machine gun that looked to have been half melted. Most likely hit by a lucky plasma round.
“I had informed the defenders that your team was inbound. You are currently 5 minutes late.” Archangel came over a radio that rested on a row of tables near the point the marines had them crawl over. “They refused to close the bunker at the designated time. This bunker is currently in jeopardy due to this breach of protocol.”
“Archangel, it's fine.” Leon retorted..
Monefi felt her stomach begin to burn at the thought the AI only cared about the bunker. They had lost Damien so close to the finish line, and this AI was about to leave them all out to dry while —
“I am currently operating at 100% processing power to assist with the defense.” The AI continued. “35% AutoForge functions, 25% to Repair functions, and 40% to Defense Management. I am currently losing defense weapon systems at a 67% rate higher than I am currently manufacturing new drones. Current expenditure will deplete all Forge resources by 2300 local time as a basic estimation.”
“Fuck, what time is it?” Leon looked at his watch but the AI answered.
“It is currently 1954. 67 minutes have elapsed since the start of engagement.” Archangel reported.
Leon took a seat next to the radio and pulled off his helmet to reveal a sweat covered forehead and matted hair. He looked back over the barricade and noticed, along with Monefi, that the surroundings were strangely quiet – aside from the hum of the drones and the fires crackling. No buzzing of thrusters, or gunshots. He sat back down, turning to the marine that let them in. “What’s the situation here at the bunker?”
“Us seven marines, plus four more on a supply run in the bunker,” The marine looked at his hand, as he counted off. “There’s also around five helljumpers that went off on a scouting mission to see if they could scrounge up more men… Then we got close to 30 wounded men in the bunker out of commission. Lastly, we got close to a hundred Angels in the bunker. Most of them are in pretty bad shape.”
Archangel chimed in as well. “Bakri have taken over the area around Angel-1. This includes boarding the Union Orbital Shipyard. Its safe to assume they have taken control of it. However, I have confirmed the NUH Nemesis was able to deploy from RnD Bay-3 with major malfunction codes logged. Currently,the remaining orbital sensor remaining is logging the Nemisis’s fighting 400% above simulated projections.”
The four marines mentioned earlier appeared with Hi’ Ri. Each carried boxes, set them down and went back down the hall and round a corner. Except the marines, they stayed and began to unpack fresh weapons, grenades, ammo, and replacement armor.
Archangel continued. “Gound situation is worse. The USS Haven is under heavy siege. Last report, 10 minutes ago, reported that the parameter has fallen and Bakri have taken the Haven’s airstrip. Breaches reported on the top and bottom levels as of 2 minutes ago. Heavy fighting reported in the crash area of the USS Dawn. The commander reported that it was a intentional scuttling due to Bakri air units shooting down drops – the ship has sustained minimal damage to its reinforced hull.”
“Did we managed to send out a beacon to the Union?” Monefi asked. Hearing the reports, it managed to put her at ease. Not the fights – hearing reports – she could stop and take herself out of the current now, and put herself back into where she was best, directing.
Archangel responded. “The Union Shipyard was unable to send their beacon out in time. As you are aware, Senator Monefi, humanity does not operate the shipyard in any capacity – outside of the Research and Development bays you required to be allocate to us. Our vessels detected Bakri warp signatures 2.4 minutes before physical manifestation. We alerted the Union in system that we detected, while also launching our own distress beacons.
Union Yard Superintendent Ma-Ya Gogi dismissed our alerts and ordered the yard as a whole not to prepare. Once the Bakri jumped into the system, it took 12.3 minutes for the yard to react while our vessels engaged the enemy fleet. The Bakri spearheaded through our vessels and got within range of the Shipyard. Once within range, our vessels could no longer engage with longe range firing, or any nuclear warheads. This allowed the Bakri time to disable the beacon the yard launched too late and then board the shipyard.”
Monefi found herself dumbfounded. To know that the Shipyard, a orbital platform that was supposed to be the union’s linch pin in the communication and shipping chain between the Hi’ Ri and the union as a whole, could fail in their basic duties to such a degree left her… Numb… Yes… It had always been there, at the back of her mind when she sent reports. When she communicated with the other representatives, or requested items… It just… The lack of agency in union officials…
No, she understood that she herself had been just as complacent. And her friends and people were dying because of it.
Her fingers gripped Damien’s rifle – a cruel reminder that the marksmen was dead. No more jokes, or “double-date” dinners with Santaigo, her, and Damien and his partner. He would only exist in the memories of those who survived…
“-- Recommended course of action —” Archangel was cut off as the radio whined.
“Humans and Hi’ Ri…” A scratchy, deep voice cut through the radio.
Monefi knew it was unexpected when she saw any marine with a earpiece rip it out in pain. A few others without earpieces reacted, so she suspected those were the ones with implants.
The voice continued as it let out a growlish breath of amusement. “This is Strike Chief Lago-Ra of the Bakri Outerrim–”
“Wait…” Leon committed. His, and the other soldiers, no longer in positions of rest. Each of them had hastily switched to defensive position on the barricades. He was, however, glaring at me as if I had left out some important information. “I thought the Bakri were the name of their race?”
“- We have captured the Union Shipyard. While your ships fought galliantly –” Monefi detected what she believed was… Respect? Admiration? “But we do not wish to fight you humans to the last one person. Nor do we wish to kill the Hi’ Ri as I suspect they are ignorant to our conflict with the Union. We come here to raid the planet of its supplies. I have suspended further units from entering the field as of ten local minutes ago. But be assured, we are amassing our forces and will push with all our might.” The Bakri Strikechief said.
The next voice on the radio was a human. One Monefi was intimately familiarly with. “This is Shipmaster Anise. Despite what a few in our ranks like to say, I already know you all have made me the de facto leader of humanity. It has taken me some time to come to terms with it. All that I shoulder – will eventually shoulder…”
Lago-Ra’s voice was heard faintly in the background. “Stick to your agreement, Shipmaster. Or all will burn.”
She continued after a long resigned sigh. “Yes… I’m getting there… Well… I’d like to preface what I’m about to do with an old earth poem… Is that okay with you?”
Five heavy suspenseful seconds of silence in the transmission passed before a soft “thank you” could be heard from the Shipmaster. Assumed towards the Strikechief before she continued. “It is a poem my farther used to read to new recruits on earth, and it was not until this last year did I come to understand it. I hope you will as well…
Do not go gentle into that goodnight… Old age should burn and rave at the close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
The wise men at their end know dark is right, because their words had forked no lightning – they do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright. Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay – Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wildmen who caught and sang the sun in flight, and learned, too late, they grieved it on its way – do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight, blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay – Rage, Rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height, curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray – Rage, rage against the dying of the light ....”
The radio went silent for a moment before she spoke again, her voice now hoarse– cracking with emotions Monefi was not too familiar with, but knew it was one the humans tried hard not to display to them. “ I apologise, Strike Chief, but we humans will not surrender. I only ask you spare the Hi’ Ri, for the blood is only between us… All stations, engage Order Omega Nightfall… Let the Angels retreat to Heaven, and us humans bring to bare our fangs in full.”
The radio went silent for a full four seconds before Lago-Ra spoke. “So you have chosen death… I agree to your terms, Human Shipmaster. Indeed it was us who destroyed your cradle world… Yes, I see your resolution for revenge. We too will bare to full our fangs on your people. We shall not bare ill towards the Hi’ Ri. Let this blood mark against our forces be resolved here, no matter the winner. Men, execute everyone here, starting with the union trash…”
Silence filled the bunker entrance as everyone processed what had just happened.
Monefi was in a state of frozen panic. She had never seen a battlefield. She had already thought this place had become a hellish landscape and both sides were already fighting with “full fangs”, but had they not? Were both sides holding back…? Why…?
… Was it because of us…?
“Yes.” Santiago answered as the radio blared to life again.
It was Archangel. “Order Omega Duskfall received. Any non-fighting personnel has 1 minute enter your nearest bunker before automatic lockdown — Repeat, all —”
Monefi was whisked off her feet as Santaigo picked her up, his SAW discarded on the barricade next to Leon. None of the marines reacted as Leon began to direct them in setting up fields of fire. His heavy footsteps echoed through the large concrete hall that bent down and to the right. Large illuminated signs detailed evacuation procedures. LMGs were mounted to the walls, ready for human use as well as another line of barricades. This one however, had a small clearing to allow back and forth from the open bunker ten feet behind it.
The Hi’ Ri from before were heading back, they all stopped and stood out of Santiago’s way.
“Drop it all right here and get inside.” He growled.
Without question, they all dropped the boxes and fled back into the bunker. A blinking yellow emergency light illuminated the bunker’s inner entrance. It was a short hallway with four large tracked mini-tank like drones with HMGs on top. The Hi’ Ri fled past them before stopping at the end of the hall. All four peaking out from like scared little children, but they were adults.
Santiago dropped her just past the threshold, but Monefi refused to let go. “Promise me you’ll come back.”
He looked conflicted yet gave her an amused grin. “Fuck, Monny, that’s a death flag right there..” His normally black irises glowed yellow, something she knew he was on a call right now using his implants.
“You’re going to throw my life away right now, and you’re not going to even give me your full attention?!” She hissed with anger she’d ever expressed. She felt her slip up in a snarl. Once she was aware she had done that, she became startled, stared up at the man she…
“I love you,” Santiago blurted out, his eyes wide, but still with that stupid smile on his face. “If I make it back, I have something I want to tell you.”
She couldn’t respond. The words were as if someone had punched her in her head. She would know. Monefi had tried human boxing once. It was not a feeling she ever wished to experience again. Yet, it was similar to this. Rather than rattling her brain and making her all her senses go heywire with pain, it went heywire with… joy.
Santiago… Loved her… He… Loved–
The bunker hatch was closing. Santiago’s back was to her as he stood a foot beyond the yellow warning line.
“I love you, too, Santiago!” Monefi screamed out with all her small frame could muster. And in that moment, she saw the human man she loved with all her being – the only thing beyond her parents she’d ever loved – disappear behind a thick metal door that closed shukt
“EMERGENCY LOCKDOWN ACTIVATED.” The automated system warned. “All personnel make your way deeper inside.”
It was then that Monefi also found something in her hands. It was Santiago’s sidearm in its holster.
*Scene goes to black*
----------------------------------------
The scene opened to a close up of the bunker’s entrance. Where once was the neat spartan concrete walls and furniture, now laid half buried in rubble, cinder, and the remains of the barricade. Piles of discarded brass casings littered the floor. Except for a single large path that had been cut directly through all of it to the open bunker door. Large dark spots clung to pieces of human armor and melted rifles on each side.
“The battle offically ended ten hours later, after Nemisis and a human scientist took out most of the Bakri invading fleet, allowing ground forces to reground and push back.” Monefi’s voice came over the scene. “The majority of the fighting taking place after the Omega Duskfall had been called. It had taken another two days for them to rescue everyone from the bunker…”
The scene once again changed.
It panned over the outside now. The once vibrate and occupied outpost was now blackened – pockmarked from plasma fire and whatever weaponry the Bakri had used. Contrasted it as sat on the threshold of two verdant fields. Red flowers grew abundantly as vines had once again began to creep up.
Pictures of a once pristine creek Fireteam Onyx transverses showed on screen slowly. Many of them had children Angels playing in them. The last half began to include human children, albeit, armored, amongst them. After thirty seconds, the pictures stoped, replaced with an ariel video of the creek. Craters all but ruined its banks, littered with discarded armor and cartridges from both sides. Near the capital tree field, a Human Fast Deployment Transport (FDT) laid on its side, mostly buried under a large fallen branch.
Its deployment ramp pockmarked from plasma fire.
“Being able to… Be… With Santiago… I had lulled myself into a sense of knowing…” Monefi spoke up again. “I thought I knew the lengths they would go to. The humans, all of them, had told me they would die fighting on many occasions… But I don’t think the implications of those words ever sank in until after I emerged from the bunker.”
Helmet camera footage of human reinforcements entering the outpost played from the . Most of the entrance had been blown apart. Tens of Bakri drones lay inert around it along with several of the large Bakri themselves, and several smaller ones that appeared to be a different race altogether.
They pushed through to discover the first barricade. It had been battered, burned, and pushed through by what looked to be a heavily armored Bakri soldier holding a spear. Said spear had skewered one defender. It had dozed through the barricade before it had been taken down by the defenders. But the opening and subsequent lack of return fire to deal with that one unit allowed the invaders to get their foot hold.
Monefi continued. “Omega… The last letter in a dead human laguage. While a letter, it also had a significant meaning in being the last letter. The end – the great end – to be the last. Duskfall, or Dusk, the transition between day and night. In human literature, the daylight was to Asignify good, while the night was evil, or the bad times…
Omega Duskfall, to our great end as the day slips away…”
Towards the end of the video, it showed the soldiers crawling through the rubble to get to the bunker door. One more heavily armored Bakri soldier lay amongst the last five marines and the remaining two members of Fireteam Onyx. Special Officer leon was crushed beneath the enemy’s large head, his knife jutted from a chink in the Bakri’s neck armor. Santiago, from the blood trail leading to the entry pad by the bunker door, had crawled away from the melee.
A bakri spear protruded from his lower abdomen. A detonator laid next to him. His left arm clung to a small blue felt box while his right hand held onto a small device. The recording soldier tested him for a pulse, then looked to another and shook his head. He took the box from his hand and opened it. There two gold rings sat – unmarred by the destruction around it. The soldier whispered an indiscipherable prayer before he placed the box down.
He turned to the bunker’s entry pad. Its face melted and caved in. Another soldier came forward and set a bag of tools down next to Santiago’s body. Two soldiers came over, bagged all the equipment with him before tying the bag to his vest. They then carried the body away and the soldier with the tools began to work on the keypad.
The footage skipped ahead to when the doors open. The soldier with the helmet camera was first through, capturing the turrets aimed, then deactivated. Behind them was Monefi. Her body covered in dried blood, soot, and her hair disheveled. Another skip, and they were bringing her out. Her pleas for them to find Santiago. That he had to be here, but the soldiers could only try and temper her expectations as they lead her to where the bodies were lined up. Her pleas only quieted once she stood before them.
They’d been lined sided by side behind a tracked IFV. A human soldier with a white cross on his helmet crouched beside each of them and took their tags. A xeno watched over, a Calrus – a humanoid with the body of a horse, while taking notes on a data pad. An Astral Union Steward. He saw Monefi and called out to her, striding over to meet her. She ignored him as she stood at the feet of Santiago. She faced away from the recording soldier, as such, her expression was hidden.
The scene became silent, aside from the Steward attempting to grab her attention. The recording soldier elbowed the steward. When he turned to the soldier with a rebuke, he seemed to notice something wrong and all the soldiers around him were glaring him down as if they were about to kill him. He then looked to Monefi.
“Hey…” Monefi could barely be heard. “My love, get up…”
It was then the Medic was about to pull his tag, but stopped and looked up to the senator. Then looked down to Santiago. “I’m sorry for you loss, but pardon me.” With hestiate hands, he went to pull his tags, but Monefi leapt at him once they were pulled.
“Stop! He needs those! Those are his!” She screeched. Her hands tried grabbed at the tags but the soldiers around her managed to catch her in time. “Stop! No! You can’t take his things!”
Her voice was becoming more shrill by the second. It took four humans to wrangle her to the floor beside Santiago’s body. The medic promised to give her the tags, but he would need to catalog it and to wait a moment. She didn’t stop until one of the soldiers took the tags and set them down in front of her. The medic then knelt there with a datapad and did the report right there where Monefi could keep the tag in reach.
It was then when the recording soldier came over and showed her the pouch. The cellular phone. The rings. She did not know what the rings meant until she put in the code to his phone. There waiting for her was an audio message. She stared at it for a moment, her face pale and stained with tears. It took her a few moments to hit the play button.
The audio cut out and the narrator cut in, “From here, the rest of the footage will be muted. Santiago’s last words will only be known in full by those present at the moment it was played out of respect. But one thing was made known – Santiago had planned to propose to Gardenmaster Monefi the night of the invasion. A traditional human ceremony that was to signify that the bond between two persons would continue on forever until parting – death.”
The scene changed to a verdant field with a header saying “Peace Fields – now New hope – Five weeks later.”
Monefi stood in a black dress holding flowers beside a podium that held a black urn. Ten marines, five on each side in dress uniforms, held rifles. Humans, Hi’ Ri and several Union officials were seated before the podium as Shipmaster Eric, son of Shipmaster Anise, read out some words. Once done, the officer called out “ready!”. Monefi shut her eyes tight, and the officer called out “Fire!”.
All ten marines readied and then fired their rifles into the sky. Ten times, this continued until everyone began to walk forward to speak with Monefi. It went on until the union officials came forward, and she turned them away in anger. The scene changed to the path leading into Haven. Its hull battered and burned from the assault, yet it stood defiantly above the now empty dirt fields around them. A convoy of human vehicles rode in, a shot capturing Monefi in one of them, heading into Haven.
The narrator spoke. “This footage was taken by a Union Reporter. Thus, what happened within Haven after this was not recorded as they are barred access. What we can tell is that Haven had become inhabitable after the heavy assault and thus, was retrofitted. It was now a Columbarium, a place to house cremated remains, and a Mausoleum, a place to honor those who died without bodies.
A scared place to humanity.”
The screen went black.
Text began to appear.
[Two months after the Battle of Angels, Shipmaster Eric announced Monefi as the Gardenmaster, marrying the two races together under one banner. He also announced that they would be officially recording Monefi has married to Santiago with the blessing of Santaigo’s mother, the last of his kin.]
Pictures and videos the couple recorded of themselves together began to appear. Each of them were smiling, the distance between them gradually dismissing with each shot. It wasn’t until the seventh short video that Monefi kissed him on the cheek. Santiago grinned ear to ear and a subtle blush appeared on his cheeks. From there, each picture of them was of them holding eachother in their arms in different locations. This went on for one minute until a single picture appeared.
Monefi was sitting at her desk. Santiago knelt next to her in full kit with the rest of Fireteam Onyx behind them.
“The two hardest things to say in life is hello for the first time, and goodbye for the last time” – A human saying
Once again, the screen went black, but instead of ending, another picture appeared. This time, it was of Monefi in the current day. She sat at the feet of a statue of Santaigo. A melancholic smile on her lips and in her arms, a baby.
[It was not announced at the time, but when she was announced as Gardenmaster, Monefi had found out she was pregnant with Santiago’s child. Generic tests have confirmed Santiago Jr is his child. Further testing showed near-perfect compatibility between the Hi’ Ri and Humans. Further testing is scheduled in the further to see what other species humans may be compatible with.]
*Ending music starts – Credits roll*