The Sellian forces surrounding the planet were engaged in a multitude of enemy encounters that ultimately ended in some form of a stalemate. However, now that most of the aerial element were dug-in within the cover of the numerous large ships, they began to reign fire on enemy locations and still operating anti-air emplacements.
The attack was going well, and reports came in from some cargo ships that had recently entered the system. Their presence still didn't sit right with him, but he did so for his people's economy. It was the only way that he felt would keep the Galactic Union at bay.
They were known for their advanced ground tactics, but Sellian might out matched many of their ships. At least that was what he was taught when he was but a Junior Chief. The Sellian secession succeed some twenty odd years before his service, and seeing the lack of Union ships overall helped reinforce his belief.
Torlak then received a hail from the leading cargo ship of three, “Ah, General!” The pudgy merchant said, his face and body stretched and sagged from years of over indulgence. “Kalorian Buma, of the Porter's Guild, is here and ready to retrieve the merchandise, General.”
“I'm sending you some coordinates now,” Torlak ordered one of the navigation specialists to deliver the location, “These were in a location separate from the major defenses so targeting them for subjugation was the more apt choice. The cargo is made up mostly of young offspring and their maternal counterparts,” he added.
“My, how gracious! We'll be on the ground shortly!” The fattened pilot said before cutting his transmission.
The haul would be light as he didn't have access to the bunkers in the city, but saw that the fighters and supporting corvettes and frigates were quickly making work of the defense; allowing a plethora of ground troops to flood the city streets. The defense there was the heaviest and with their depleting defense grid, troop advancement went nearly unmatched.
'Well, these beings certainly know their way around ground combat. They're on par or just above average compared to our infantry forces…' Torlak thought to himself.
In any engagement where forces were of equal number, the enemy would almost always come out on top, utilizing odd tactics unknown to him. When any single Sellian unit was entrenched, the enemy would fire upon them with utmost disregard for ammunition while another smaller force would engage on the flanks, promptly neutralizing them. While amid chaos, they made order. There were more instances where unorthodox means of enemy tactics overwhelmed their opposition, leading to sometimes a decisive victory for the enemy.
It was frustrating, but without an update to the training program, he opted that any force engaged in a toe to toe firefight, retreat until they were granted reinforcements. That's right, he simply opted to overwhelm the enemy with ground forces that Torlak had plenty of. Much of the fights after that returned to his favor, and the enemy forces were quickly diminishing. Soon he would have the planet.
He looked at the previous point of interest, a compound deep within the hills that was designated a prime location to nab data right from under their noses. Several thoughts came to him regarding his enemy. They had gone by two names: Terran and Human. Those were the official terms, but he refused to acknowledge them. To him, it would make them more sentient and less of a foe that needs to be put down. It wouldn't help recruitment if they found out the enemy was like us; homes, families…civilized. So, it was simple, Just label them the enemy and that they exist to take our borders and slaughter their sons, daughters, and wives. He found it kept their minds right.
'We need these worlds. The farther we are from the Union, the better. If not for the Council, perhaps things would have gone differently…' He thought once more, reflecting on the orders given to him by the War Council.
“What is the status of our conquest?” He ordered.
“We have control of 90% of the airspace, but the fighters are having a difficult time near the heart of the cities. We are picking up smaller signatures, but they fade as quickly as they appear. Beyond that, Chief-General, our forces are steadily gaining ground.” reported a simple crewman.
“Good, what about our forces near the gas giant? I was aware that there were some facilities present whose primary focus was research.”
“Their signals are clear, but the enemy stations are heavily defended with long-ranged anti-ship capabilities. Friendly forces are, however, also steadily improving their ground. They are nearing complete control of one of the stations.”
“That is pleasant to hear. There will be many accolades to go around once we return home,” Torlak said in triumph.
The crewman beside him voiced his growing concern, as his original understanding was that they were going straight to their home world, “There is much we do not know of the enemy. What we have seen today is a rough display of what looks to be conscripted forces. Look here.”
Torlak tapped a button on his command podium, and an image appeared in the center of the bridge. It was an image of several enemy soldiers side-by-side as they defended from his Sellian Troopers.
“They are non-uniform and wear bits and pieces of what I can only speculate to be from a complete set. Their gear is worn and battered, as is with many of their weapons.”
He directed attention to what seemed to be a leader, as they stayed in the rear granting orders to a small group, with many of them focused on the one in front of them. He wore a helmet whose design was nothing but foreign. A fabric mask that covered his face, save for a portion that revealed the eyes, and a chest-mounted rig with two marks from what looked to be plasma burns from their prototype plasma rifles. And his sleeves were rolled up to the middle of their forearm, revealing not an under armor layer, but pure skin.
“What purpose does it serve to wear such light clothing in combat?” Torlak mentioned, bringing up another photo of their ground unit for a side-by-side comparison, “Look. It makes sense for the infantry to be covered head to toe when in combat! The enemy does little to employ safety measures against the environment! Perhaps you were right, young one. Perhaps these are not the professionals of the Terran race,” Torlak stated, now turning the image to one of his own troopers.
They wore a thin black colored bodysuit with padding on the knees, thighs, and shoulders. Contoured and rounded armor was placed on the chest, shoulders, thighs, and knees, which were all colored gray, as was the color for all basic ground troops of the Sellian Army. A common addition, as well, was the red sash that was tied to the waist, indicating that these particular Ground Troopers were of the General Army.
“This here, this makes sense!” Torlak finished, winded from his rant. He didn't know he would get so heated from just comparing the two soldiers and the gear they wore.
“That's why, I don't think what we are fighting are the true forces of our enemy,” He said, comparing the photos once more.
“If our troopers are at a stalemate with an enemy of this class that can move effectively in combat, then I fear what their military can do.” The previous crewman said, gaining acknowledgment from his peers. The General's rant didn't help when it seemingly supported or recognized that a normal human put up so much of a fight that he opted to just outnumber them. While the crew engaged in casual conversation, a call rang out for the General.
“General!” It was Brallo.
“How goes the assault on the compound?” replied Torlak.
“It fares well, but they have dug in. They repelled the initial force and made their way in, locking us out. I have a team trying to breach the doors, but I fear the enemy may be planning a counterattack.”
“We are keeping an eye on sensors, and we'll notify you of any developments,” replied the Chief-General, when a memory regarding the earlier report came to mind, “That may very well be the case. We'll divert most resources your way. I need whatever is in that facility.”
Brallo bowed and cut the transmission. The resources diverted were corvettes and frigates that had completed their duty and escorted the cargo ships away. The skies over the compound were littered with layers of ships that stretched high into the lower atmosphere, his ship included.
Minor reports still came in from the units in the cities of their steady push, and they were making their rounds through the homes and offices, occasionally engaging in urban warfare. Something they were still not acquainted with. So, their advance drastically slowed to a crawl.
“Be ready to pull out the troops in the city. Once we breach the compound, we'll have little time to evacuate them all. Ensure none leave are left behind. I don’t want to think what they do to prisoners.”
“Yes, General,” replied the bridge crew.
The redirected forces made their way to the perimeter of the compound when they received numerous alarming reports. The enemy had launched a counter-offensive and many were held up down the road from the facility, trying to push through, with some accomplishing their objective.
The holo-map focused on the field and numerous indicators of the enemy flared in the surrounding area and their fight began. While the facility existed within the heart of the surrounding mountains, there were plenty of plateaus and forests starting at the base of the compound out into the wilderness.
“How did we not notice them? Where did the enemy come from?” Torlak commanded.
“We don't know, they just popped up from know where!” replied a lowly sensors officer.
“Send all available units, ensure they do not breach our perimeter!” replied the General.
The crew did as they ordered, and Torlak viewed the holo-map as it displayed the battle in real-time. Vehicles on four wheels raced the roadway and a gun on top fired into his forces. They caught them off guard, but they had previously placed mines all along the roadway. This deterred the quickly advancing enemy and kept them from advancing any closer.
He noticed more signatures from the air, and they showed to be almost negligent. They were small troop transports that operated with primitive rotary blades slapped onto an engine. They approached from many of the blind spots, but as soon as they entered the central courtyard, they were targets for the mobile anti-air turrets.
The initial clash was chaotic, but with the mix of weapon emplacements and their cover, Sellian forces were fending off the new attackers. They tried to rush toward the mains doors that Brallo and his group, but they were repelled by a wall of bullets and plasma. Their sudden advance had worried Torlak for a moment, but when they were effectively suppressed, his worry subsided. He had more numbers and firepower compared to the enemy, and they were now on the retreat, their forces slowly diminishing.
“General!” A call rang out from the open line.
“We have gained access to the building, beginning our sweep!” It was again Brallo.
“Hurry, we may not have long to gain access to that information,” Torlak responded to the report.
As they were close to eradicating the sudden attackers, alarms rang out and chaos overtook the bridge. The holo-display, now encompassing the planet, showed several friendly ships disappearing, and their signals ceased transmission. It was too sudden of a disappearance that it gave him pause. He tried to look for the assailant, but when they came into view, he expanded the map and found the enemy indicators to be on top of them. They rapidly descended through the atmosphere until of their ships matched the altitude of his own, which made alarm bells in his body to sound, but he couldn’t move a finger.
He felt stupefied by the sudden development, his words choked in his throat. Of the ships that remained, they were met with their likeness beside them. He zoomed on one particular pair of combatants. One was a medium-sized frigate, similar in size to the ship it was parallel with. He compared first, the ship of his fleet.
Its top hull sloped towards the sides, and the underbelly was a loose frame of decentralized compartments that housed a small hangar and some cannons. While on top of the hull, they had a series of dual-barrelled cannons big enough for a rubber kickball. There were a total of three sets, and they were placed on the spine of the ship, with the bridge placed near the front of the ship.
The enemy was the opposite. The ship was black with white markings that had a rectangular frame for the bow of the ship with rectangular compartments extending on the sides of the bow. Lined on them was a series of cannons, each cannon sporting three large barrels, with a total of five turrets on the top and bottom portion of the outcrop. The stern, by the engines, housed an armored hull that was angled both on top and bottom of the engines and each angled toward the other farthest edge. An insignia was placed on the most exposed portions of the hull, it was that of a wreath, a bird of prey, and a star. Near the bow, characters were painted on. It was scanned and promptly translated.
The translated words were given, but not their meaning. They could mean anything, whether it was subtle or overt.
'Like to fear the night? What kind of name is that?' he thought, but refocused on the battle before him, ordering that his ships target the new enemy.
The Sellian ships prioritized the engines, but their shots bounced off with a large deflection, eventually falling toward the planet. It was then that the enemy, and their wealth of ten massive cannons fired that cracked the very air that surrounded them in a brilliant display of smoke and fire. The shots were bright and from a distance, one's eye could easily track their intended destination, the entire broadside of a Sellian frigate. He thought the shields would hold, but it was actively releasing aircraft and for that, they would have to drop shields momentarily, a mistake that would cost them dearly. That was the moment the enemy attacked.
The hangar, sub-compartment of the engines, and their dorsal guns were destroyed and fires erupted from the exposed compartments, but the enemy ship continued to fire into the critically damaged Sellian ship. The result was a ship crashing towards the ground; smoke and fire alight. This occurred to a number of his ships almost simultaneously. Fear overcame his once composed figure.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
“Get us out of here now! And get Commander Brallo on the communicator!” He dictated.
The ship fled with a handful of escorts, but they stayed behind to try to halt chasing enemies. He subsequently ordered a regroup of the forces around the planet. While some were able to answer the call, there were many engaged with the enemy.
Troop transport ships made their route to the closest ships as the main fleet was departing, many ground units now stranded on an enemy planet.
“This is Brallo!” The call came through.
“What is your situation, do you have the information?” Torlak questioned desperately.
“I have,” Brallo said solemnly, “I apologize, but I was unable to pry any further. I have already sent what I could over a secure line. It's not much but consider it to be my final act. For Sellia.”
“Brallo, what-”
“Have you not seen the skies?” he said, prompting Torlak to view the compound one final time, “The skies have been forsaken here and soldiers in coffins of steel assault the earth and death assault my troops…”
What Brallo described was precisely what he and the bridge crew were witnessing as they quickly fled the planet. Hundreds of individualized pods in the shape of an aerodynamically machined metal tear were shot out from a multitude of enemy ships. A trail of white smoke trailed the metal tears, and some would change direction as if they were alive. When they reached a certain speed, he saw metal flaps extend from the singular craft and their descent would decrease drastically. It would detach when they slowed and, among the frantic soldiers of Sellia, they crashed into the earth and soldiers embodying death assaulted them with lead and discontent.
“This is…farewell.”
The visual and communication with Brallo vanished when the ship exited the planet, and the sequence to the Inter-System Gate was input into the ship's navigation computer. As soon as the engine was ready, the ship entered sub-light speed toward their exit. It only took several minutes, but when they arrived, Torlak inquired about the other ships in the system.
“No signal. The only ships still transmitting are the ones fighting on the planet, and even their signals fail to make it beyond the planet,” a solemn helmsman answered.
Torlak retired to his seat in defeat. It was swift and meticulous. And what's worse, it was precise. As much despair it brought him, he had to give credit to the one who organized the assault. He recomposed himself and ordered the opening of the IS Gate, and before they entered it, he received immediate notification from the comms specialist.
“Sir, we are receiving an audio message. Source unknown. Most likely from the enemy. It has been translated into Sellian common, shall I play it?”
Those words shook him. 'How did they access our network?'
“Do it.”
The audio was filled with static, and then it cleared with some fine-tuning by the communications specialist.
There was a momentary pause that grew deafeningly silent.
The message was said with a chill. Torlak readied what was left of his group and departed the system. The bright lights of the gate closed as the final ship entered. All that was left was the void…
… At the point of interest, Brallo had subdued the forces on his perimeter, forcing them at bay. This was also true for the aerial element that the enemy employed that had initially caught them off guard, but earlier anti-air emplacements made short work of enemy reinforcements. Now, all that remained were the enemy forces at the front of the compound. Before Brallo made it to the compound, the scouts prior were made victims to the sudden enemy attack force, and had proven difficult to tame, until now.
“Hmm, they truly are dug in. Good work,” The lone scout in question silently bowed and returned to his remaining brethren some feet away.
Brallo eyed the compound that was his target, designated by Chief-General Torlak. He was a mighty tactician, but he felt he was getting on in years.
The facility in question was built into a vast mountain range that allowed no such travel by foot unless your goal was to scale the sheer cliffs that were the mountain itself. Luckily for him and his band, they surrounded the plateaus that extended from the mountain that overlooked a large depression that was filled with auxiliary buildings.
There was a previous detachment of soldiers before he arrived, but upon his arrival, they were killed. As an urgent response, numerous warships of the fleet descended over the skies above. Emplacements were set up and a staging area for ground troops littered the area.
Most of the equipment used was older tech, should the enemy get hold of it. For all he knew, his enemy favored kinetic weaponry and showed no signs to evolve it, unlike his people who were just now fielding prototype plasma weaponry. They were essential in their formations, so a couple per squad were equipped with the new weapon, offering a new type of advantage in battle.
He scanned the main courtyard before the entrance to the facility, and it was barricaded with a shoddy put-together of wood, crates, and vehicle. However, the courtyard to it was open, and so began a systematic raid of dropping troops into the courtyard. He ordered it to be slow to gauge their defenses, to which he received a report from one of the returning pilots.
“We've managed to get an idea of what we're working with. They've already breached the facility and their number is few.” He reported, “Fighters destroyed the aircraft that transported them, so they are stuck. We can strike now, and I'm sure we'll find an opening.”
Brallo silently acknowledged the report and issued his next set of orders.
“Begin the assault. Ensure we have the main road covered and continually sweep the perimeter. The main force, begin the advance!”
Brallo issued his orders and thus the attack began. They cleared the poorly erected barrier to the facility's courtyard, and the enemy already began their defense. Shots were traded and the dug-in enemy provided more trouble than he thought, but it was as he expected any siege to go. Except this time, it was only a handful of soldiers they were up against and their ammunition supply had to be in short supply.
After several hours, his suspicion finally bore fruit and a right flank opened up. A wealth of Sellian fighters assaulted their right flank and swarmed the enemy. He initially expected them to go down effortlessly, but the enemy combatant was fierce in his defense. The weapon he had was turned into a club, and he began using it against the first wave. He closed the distance quickly, and they were caught off guard, spelling their gruesome defeat.
Not trying to shoot their brethren in the back, they hesitated, taking down the lone warrior on the right side. When his weapon was too bent to use, he quickly swapped it to a bladed armament.
“He has a knife! Back up!” Shouted a group of soldiers near the lone fighter. When they were finally clear, he tried to lunge, but was met by a wealth of bullets and plasma fire.
His fellow troopers advanced and a line of the defenders was present to them. Some took notice and fired at the advancing group, catching some, but the amount was too much. He ran out of ammo and, with little cover, was subsequently neutralized. The right flank quickly fell and one by one the enemy fell.
Soon the fighting ended, and now they were left with a set of sealed double doors.
“There were more on the last run when we came through.” Commented one of the soldiers.
“Must be dug in.” replied another.
“Silence! Begin the breaching process. We do not have much time.” The soldiers nodded and silently complied.
It took some time before they could get the equipment, but they proceeded with haste. The doors were of medium height and stood about half a torso higher than Brallo himself. He was fairly tall and found himself taller than some of the enemies he had fought against. Now he waited, the breaching team moving quickly in their process.
“Perimeter teams, status update.”
Each gave a bored 'All Clear' or 'Nothing new or unusual'. He was glad that was the case and hoped for it to remain as such.
Another set of minutes flew by, and the team was clear to finally open the doors. Using a moderate yield concussion device, a soldier placed it on the weak points of the breach and prepared to detonate it, prompting all within proximity to be clear.
A loud crack enveloped the air and a loud metallic clang could be heard, and the teams peered at the entry with caution. They entered when it was initially deemed clear, and they found themselves in a large reception hall. It extended high into the mountain with an open space in the center and planes of glass lined the sides. Paper's and electronic devices littered the floor and desks of the spaces above.
Brallo ordered a small team to digitally collect and analyze all documents found and prepared to send them to the General.
When it was deemed clear, the group relaxed and scoured more of the complex. Even after finding nothing more, he denied it and believed there to be another entry that led deeper into the complex. It was near the end of the main reception area down a long hallway that they found a series of doors, one leading deeper into the compound.
Brallo gathered his warriors and set off toward the newly found door and made their way inside. What they entered was a large room that resembled a warehouse. There were crates littered about and a glass door at the end that read 'ENTRY TO SUB-LVL'. A personal translator read to him the meaning and designated that at their next target.
The room was dimly lit, and they advanced further when a flash from his left brightened near a crate with a sharp crack and a nearby soldier yelled in pain; his body limp from the lethal shot to his upper chest cavity, just above his protective plating.
Chaos let loose and shots were exchanged on both sides. The shots from the plasma rifles lit up many parts of their end that provided an educated guess for a hail of fire into the silhouette. A cry rang out and a thud followed. This continued for several minutes before shots from the enemy ceased.
Brallo and his group advanced warily before noting that the six that fought here now perished, and they were free to proceed. As they went for the door, a panel opened beside it and a wall of text appeared on a blue-tinted monitor.
>For what purpose are you brought here?<
“For information, on your race,” Brallo answered.
>Could that not have been exchanged in a friendly diplomatic manner?<
“That is not my place to question my superiors. Now open up!”
There was a pause before it returned with a simple answer.
>No.<
“Blow the door. I will not waste my time with insolence such as this!”
The team hurried the explosives and readily blew the door apart. With forceful access, the rest of his party descended into the depths of the complex until they reached a room with a series of casings and electronics. The room's temperature dropped greatly, and the whirs of technology and blinking lights filled the dimly lit room.
“Alright, begin sifting through the data, now!” Brallo left his soldiers and left for the reception hall.
“Chief Commander Brallo,” called one of the soldiers over the radio, “We have what we could gather, but the data is actively being deleted on their system.”
“Good, compile the data before we send it to the General.” muffled booms we heard from the outside, but we waited for confirmation from the soldier he had left behind with the others.
“Yes, Commander-” A yell came over the comms, and cracks of fire were heard. “Commander! The enemy! They were hiding-” A blood-curdling cry came from the caller, and another series of rapid-fire came from the soldier.
He ran towards their last known position and when he entered, the once serene hum of the chilled room was now nothing but broken tech, and bodies of his fellows mixed with the enemy. He readied his weapon and scoured the room. Every inch. That was until he made his way to a hidden corner of the room. What he originally thought was a mirror was now a transparent plane of glass. Beyond it, he found a severely wounded enemy. A path of blood led from where he stood to where the enemy sat now, his back resting on a glowing podium.
Anger roused from Brallo, and he fired into the glass but was promptly deflected. His plasma round melted a small portion of the glass, but it looked like it actively froze over when he went to cool his weapon from overheating.
A low laugh grumbled from the injured being. “You're not going to break it with that, bud…” He coughed and blood stained more of his torn body.
“You-” Brallo thrashed at the reinforced glass to no avail.
“What'd you come here for? Intel? Where we live? Where to strike next?” The bloodied combatant choked. “Well, congrats, you got it. Now get the hell outta here before this place blows…”
He said, and a timer visualized on the glass: '00:04:59'. If what he said was true, then he had no time. As frustrated as he was at the shame of losing his, he couldn't risk it to self-destruct. He ran toward his fallen comrades and picked up the transmitter with the data, and made his way toward the entrance.
The closer he got, the sounds of war raged on compared to the relative silence when they assaulted the compound. When he stepped into the courtyard, he saw it. Many of his ships fell to earth in fire and smoke. As he gazed upon the sky, he received a call from the General. He was inquiring about the status of the data he had retrieved.
As he called, he noticed metal pods from ships he did not recognize rain down and land among his frantic comrades. Some were crushed and others were too far gone from their mind and fell to the brutal efficiency of the enemy.
His transmission was received and without wasting a moment, he spoke.
“I apologize, but I was unable to pry any further. I have already sent what I could over a secure line. It may not be much, but consider it to be my final act. For Sellia.”
The general tried to interrupt, but he continued, “Have you not seen the skies?” He said, prompting the general to view the compound one final time. “The skies have been forsaken here and soldiers in coffins of steel assault the earth and masters of death assault my troops…”
Before he could retort, he gave a farewell and cut the call. He sent the data before he could be captured and made his way to his brethren who fought in the depression with the previously mentioned auxiliary buildings. This was their last stand. He began firing towards the ever-encroaching enemy, all who donned black and gray. Many had on their shoulders white markings, led by those with red. This time around, as they fired, their shots did little. They either missed or, when they landed, only knocked them on their rear just for them to get back up again.
They were encircled, and his soldiers fell one by one until only he remained. What he thought to be a quick death was instead met with silence. He looked around and the soldiers that he fought were all trained on him in a half circle, now realizing his back was to the concrete wall that separated him from the inner courtyard.
Brallo checked his weapon and found it to be empty, he tossed aside his rifle and prepared his fists, hoping for an honorable beat down and televised execution. But that didn't come. They all stood watching, and a single man approached from the group.
His armor was worn much more than the others, and he wore gold on his shoulders. He had scar-like damage that ran down the left side of his helmet and rows of smiling sharpened teeth scratched onto his helmet with a pair of sinister eyes where a predator would have them.
Instead of facing him in what he hoped was an honorable bout of fists, it was anything but. The man before him pulled a side arm and consecutively fired two shots into his chest. Brallo collapsed, his breathing ragged and his vision rapidly fading. He searched for the man who shot him and found him standing over him. His translator picked up what it could in his fading consciousness.
“Well well well,” He said, “Quite a shame. If it were up to me, you'd be dead,” He pressed the sidearm against his head, “but we just might need information from you…”
He pressed his free hand against his helmet and spoke something indecipherable.
“Yes sir,” he said quietly before turning his attention to Brallo, “Turns out you already did that for us.” The man said, laughter apparent beneath his demon-like veil.
“Damn shame.”
A shot rang out and Brallo's consciousness was forever obscured in darkness.