April 9, 2056

By the time we arrived, the sun had finally risen up, revealing the surrounding land. The coordinates S gave us were well past the city's limits and deep within the forest. Supposedly anyways. The intel matched up with recent Fed activity in the area, but there was no indication that the HVT would or was still there. For all we know this could just end up being a hike through the scenic woods.

Either way, we're grasping at straws, and this was the only lead we had so far. After dismounting and getting in our squads, we begin walking the rest of the way while a small team is left behind to guard the Vics. An hour later, we arrive at a hill overlooking the compound and establish positions to survey the area.

Peering through my binoculars, the base itself doesn't look too fortified. Other than some outer defenses like concrete walls and barbed wire, attacking the compound shouldn't pose any issues. The real concern is that the compound looks as if it's been abandoned.

"Anyone picking up any movement?" Macy turns to the shards beside her.

"Negative Captain."

"I got nothing ma'am."

"Looks like our friends were tipped off." Flash looks up from his binoculars, "Shouldn't have joined in on that betting pool, Frost. Now pay up."

"Like hell I am. They could be hiding within the buildings for all we know."

"Cut the chatter boys," Macy quickly shuts down the antics of the two, "You can distribute the winnings after we RTB. Abandoned or not, we're still going to treat it as a raid. Sergeant, would you mind taking point on this?"

"The pleasure will be ours," Nik answers before leaving to address the rest of his unit.

"On that note, Klemins, have your marksman team set up on overwatch here."

"Got it." The TL nods.

"Everyone else regroup back into your squads and get ready to move. With any luck, we'll get something out of this."

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Over the course of half an hour, we've slowly but steadily made our way closer to the compound. We're about a hundred meters from the outer perimeter and have yet to hear any sounds coming from within the compound. At this point, I'm starting to believe that the Feds really did high tail it out of here. Looking over at Frost, I can see his expression growing more strained even through his balaclava.

<<1-1 to Overwatch, any changes?>>

A few seconds pass before Macy gets a response back.

<>

With a sigh, she puts away her radio as Alice appears next to her.

"Cheer up, boss! Take this as a lesson to never negotiate with FDOS scum."

"I'm more concerned about the hole I burned into Atlis' pocket..." Macy laughs nervously.

"Oh... right. Well like Frost said, it's not our money, right? They probably won't even notice. What was the budget they gave you anyways?"

"Two-forty..."

"...Oh... And how much-"

"Five-sixty."

For once, even Alice is at a lost.

"Macy... really?" I join in now.

"It's not my fault! The guy talked in riddles. Every question I asked he-" She's cut off when the Sentinel's up ahead suddenly halt.

Following suit, we crouch down as a Sentinel turns back to us, gesturing with their hand.

'Beware. Mines. Ahead.'

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"Well, this just got interesting." Macy reaches for her radio once again.

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"What the..." Macy murmurs before turning to a nearby radio operator. " Are you getting static as well?"

"Yes ma'am. I can't hear a damn thing."

"Is it a technical issue?" Frost comes over now.

"No!" Macy abruptly shouts, panic in her voice. "We're being jammed!"

Without delay, she shoots out from the tree she was hiding behind just as a pair of Sentinels reach one of the mines.

"Ambush!"

It's too late; in the next moment, a column of dirt and rocks is hurled into the air as all the mines explode simultaneously. My ears are ringing but it's soon drowned out by the sudden eruption of gunfire and bullet impacts near me.

"Contact! Contact!"

A bullet pierces through a Shard's Protection Barrier next to me sending him to the ground. I pull him into cover as rounds begin flying overhead.

"Medic!" I yell out and a moment later one appears to tend to the shard's wound as I begin to shoot through the smoke.

"Prepare Cluster Enhancements! Eighty meters!" Macy orders as Shards line up next to her.

"Divine Cluster!" They shout in unison as golden auras soon appear from their palms. A moment later, dozens of small orbs shoot outwards aimed above the smoke where they fall back down and explode on the suspected enemy positions.

It must've been effective because there's a break in the gunfire which allows the Sentinels to get up and advance through the smoke.

"Let's back them up! Shards, on me!" She orders now and I get up from my cover and begin to sprint forward with the rest as bullets whizz past left and right.

Running through the smoke, I spot the remnants of some Fed soldiers that were hit by the cluster, but I'm caught off guard when one appears out of the smoke and tackles me. He slams me against a tree before pulling out a knife and driving it straight for my neck. I jerk my head in time and avoid the attack before kneeing him in the groin which allows me to grab my knife and return the gesture. He begins gagging on his own blood as I push him to the ground and finish him off with a shot to the head. With that out of the way I regroup with my team just outside the outer perimeter of the base.

"Everyone stack up, we're pushing into the compound! Shield Bearer get your ass up here!" Macy yells over the gunfire.

We stack around the corner as ordered and wait until a Shield Bearer makes their way upfront.

"Grant me protection against these projectiles. Divine Shield Wall!" Before long, a shimmering, translucent barrier radiating from the shield appears and, behind the Shield Bearer, we rush into the base and head for the nearest building. Rounds hit the barrier when we cross the opening but manage to get to cover without any casualties.

"Shield Bearer, take two with you and clear this building out!" Macy says as they acknowledge and enter inside.

"Captain, Command building twelve o'clock. It's likely our HVT is held up in there," A Shard cuts in.

I peek around the corner and spot the building, along with countless of Feds raining down bullets from its various windows.

"We're going to have a hard time getting through these guys, Macy," I say, coming back to cover.

"Tell me about it, and with that jammer up we're not getting any support."

"And when has that ever hampered us?" Frost replies back.

She looks over to him before laughing a little and adjusting her helmet. "Never." She smiles. "Sentinels, you up for a Search and Destroy mission?" She then calls out to Josh's Unit.

"Da! We're already on it!" They reply back and begin to push through the compound.

"As for the rest of us, we're going to do this the hard way. Building hopping one by one and clearing each one out. Let's move!" She finishes as I take the lead with a three-man team and cross the opening to the other building.

Without hesitation I kick though the door and shoot at the first Fed I see. He drops and I turn left into a room where two more Feds are focused outside. They don't react in time, and I fire first into the back of the first soldier. The second Fed turns to fire but misses as I dodge right and pull out my long blade before rushing forward and impaling the soldier beneath their ribcage. I pull it out and sheath it before going through the rest of building where my team has cleared the rest of floor.

Busting doors and making split second decisions... I haven't had to do something like this ever since Krosvic. It makes me grip my weapon tighter and breath harder the more buildings I go through. I hate thinking back to that campaign. The old me would probably be reveling at my current situation... but I'm not like that anymore. I won't be like that... Not again.

After an hour of fighting, the last batch of resistance fell as the gunfight dwindled down to nothing. Any Feds still left retreated into the command building. Bodies of Fed militants are littered everywhere, and the residue of Divinity stains the air around us. The Sentinels have taken down the Jammer as well and have met back up with us.

"All troops advance towards the command building and keep an eye on those windows." Frost gestures forward.

Shield Bearers lead the way forward while we slowly lurk behind them. We're halfway there when all of a sudden, the reinforced gate to the command building makes a loud clank. We all stop and aim at the giant door in a firing line. The door gives out another clank or two and starts opening horizontally.

"Drop your weapons!" A Shard orders.

"Сдавайтесь сейчас!" A Sentinel also commands.

When the doors fully retract, I immediately sense the change of Divinity in the air. It had multiplied. I can see a figure standing in the middle as some of the troops take a step back. They could feel it too. The worried looks on their faces said it all. The figure wears the same clothing as a Fed soldier. Urban digital style camouflage and tan helmets, except for one extra detail that waved overhead them. I've seen a few of these Divinity Users in my time, but they've always been on our side. Until now.

"FLAG BEARER!"