The sun had risen to a significant height, and from outside, the group could hear loud sounds. They all flocked outside, and low and behold, multiple ships were descending from the atmosphere.

They immediately recognised them as belonging to House Voss. Among the ships were a few dropships and massive ships carrying large cargo holds.

Wein counted three of these cargo holds, they were carried by three pairs of ships slightly bigger than the dropships. Freight Shuttle is what Wein recalled reading about during his training. These were used to carry heavy machinery and other weapons into warzones.

The Freight Shuttles were rugged, heavy rectangular ships with wings that were wide and flat. Below were retractable thrusters for controlled descent and heavy-duty landing gear. Ahead on the centre was a strong hook that was connected to the cargo hold a rectangular grey metallic box object.

Derek fired a shot to the sky showing their location within the rubble of the base and a few dropships flew towards them.

“They are huge,” said Wein staring at the cargo holds carried by the Shuttles.

“Of cause they are, they have the equipment necessary to establish a base here” replied Mark.

From the view, they witnessed the three pairs separate heading in different directions. One was heading for the desert area between the forest and the base, the second near the mine on an opened area, and the last just across from the shed.

“Alright, everyone. Angela with me, the rest of you help the natives out of the base. Medics will arrive soon to treat them.”

Derek and Angela dispersed from the group, they went to the landing strip where some ships remained but dead enemies bodies where everywhere.

Up, a dropship was descending their way, the rest accompanying the Shuttles. The dropship violently landed before them, the air strong enough to blow them away, but the sergeants were strong and remained firm.

With the battle over and them having secured the base and the area, it was evident that a senior officer would expect a briefing and tell them their next task if not inform them of the situation with the other locations. That was what Derek expected.

The dropship finally touched down with a heavy thud, its landing gear screeching against the ground. A ramp lowered and from within a squad of House Voss Troopers, decked out in their signature suit armour rushed out weapons drawn and helmets on, eyes scanning for any threats.

“Sergeant Derek of Squad 5555 reporting in. The base has been secured and the Nol’vs are safe” spoke Derek as he saluted the incoming men.

From behind the new squad a man not wearing a helmet emerged strolling without a care for his safety. His authority and aura were great because he was the one Derek was saluting, the commanding officer of the squad and of Derek.

Angela, who was beside Derek, mimicked him but remained silent and just watched. She knew who that man was Lieutenant Kovac Miles, a 5-star Shock Trooper and the superior of Derek and other squads.

The commanding officer was way older than Derek, a man in his fifties, his grey hair showed, with his face mean yet handsome. He had a scar that ran over his left cheek from a claw-like attack of three marks that ran parallel.

He was fit and imposing with his aura more threatening than Derek, Mace, and Sienna combined.

“At ease Sergeant, Sergeant” spoke the man also replying to Angela. “You did great, we will have to secure our position right next to their main base before they can mount an attack and do anything about it.”

Behind him, a Trooper approached him whispering in his ear, he was informing the lieutenant of something. The news was satisfactory because Kovac smiled after hearing it, then he instructed his men.

“Scan through everything here and find anything valuable. Sergeant, have your men rest for a while, our job is not yet done.”

****

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Squad 5555 learned from the reinforcement that the multiple teams that were dispatched with them to infiltrate the many bases on Thalsaris were all mostly successful. They had taken over key locations and separated the insurgents from their main forces.

Particularly they had freed many Nol’vs all over the planet and taken positions that would buffer Voss’s main camp yet to be built from any enemy attacks.

In the case of Squad 5555, the enemy base they had taken over was far away from the main base but was important site because, within the forest behind, it was said some of the Nol’vs had escaped there to hide from the war.

They had been trapped there all that time and were only going to be freed now, the information came from the leaders of the Nol’vs who fled to request help from House Voss and other noble Houses of the empire and the free systems.

Among the Nol’vs it was said there was a bunker that could house millions in fact, there were many of these bunkers spread across the world.

So, while other Nol’vs were taken hostage and advantage of after the war by the insurgents, same went to the bunkers to wait it out and had remained there ever since.

The cargo holds were placed safely and the Shuttles went back to space to get more resources. Many tools would be needed to house the sick and homeless Nol’vs who were hungry and sick. To add to that the Troopers needed to place self-defence weapons around the military camp, which would limit the chances of the insurgents retaking the base.

Some tools would also be needed to track down the location of the bunker and rescue the citizens within them, thankfully among the Voss Troopers there were a few Nol’vs who would lead the soldiers to rescue their fellow brethren.

****

The new squad did as they were told by the Lieutenant and searched around the base, retrieving any data they could get and securing the places with proper security.

Among the cargo holds were makeshift medical centres that were placed and the Nol’vs were taken there for monitoring. The other had materials to help build the camp like fences and watch towers along with machinery that scanned the areas and shot down suspicious aircraft.

After being relieved Squad 5555 rested together as they watched the rest of the troops working by setting up the camp and helping the Nol’vs get treatment. Not long after there was a change in the environment, and progress was being made.

The second trip of the Shuttles came, and they dropped even more resources and flew back to space. Then the camp was cleaned with Troopers walking all over and dropships dropping more and more while leaving to get more.

…

Inside a makeshift camp tent, Derek and Angela were debriefing Kovac about their encounter along with the gains they found being the mine. It had a large untapped mineral core beneath the metal already being mined. The discovery would make the planet more valuable to House Voss than it already was.

Along with that, they were told about the situation at other sites, the squads of House Voss had secured key positions around the world and the main base that would use these positions for future battles was currently being built. It would serve as the main headquarters for the entire time House Voss was busy in Thalsaris.

“Besides that, we will be attacking the stronghold not too far from here, get your team ready. The captain has asked that you participate Sergeant” spoke Kovac to Derek beside him.

On the side was a wall with projections that showed the map and topography of Thalsaris more specially the area they were currently at.

Derek and Angela saluted Kovac and got up. They grabbed their helmets and walked out of the tent.

Outside lines of Troopers were marching and machinery was busy constructing with help of engineers. Along with mechanic weapons walking around with Troopers piloting them spread all over the camp.

“The captain must hate you” spoke Angela jokingly, they walked holding their helmets on hand, backpacks in hand through the base. “She is requesting for us when we have just finished our objective. She does not want us to rest.”

Derek was slightly bothered by it but remained professional.

“Captain O’Conner is our superior officer, we do what she instructs us.”

Angela burst into a chuckle at the words but followed him.

“Funny, not too long-ago Diana was your subordinate and now she is your superior. Man, how things change.”

Derek ignored her and they met up with the team who were resting in another tent that had just been built. They had removed their weapons and backpacks placing them aside and resting on the cool ground while listening to music.

Well, most of them, Kol was on a chair reading something from a pad, Mace was lifting weights and Sienna was by the side talking to another female Trooper flirtatiously.

“Gather your gear, everyone, our job is not done.”

“Ahh we can’t catch a break” complained Mark.

“Stop complaining, everyone be at the landing strip in 30 minutes” answered Angela.

…

The team assembled in front of a dropship and like before they entered and sat down. This time they were accompanied by the lieutenant and a few Troopers under him. In the landing strip were three additional dropships with other squads entering too.

Before long, the ships took to the sky and flew forward through the air in a V-formation. As the ships flew forward, the barren land that stretched below them was now marked by the presence of House Voss and its Troopers.

On the corner, there were many Troopers preparing to enter the forest with vehicles assistance. On the sides, the medical facilities were fully operational, along with many tents for proper productivity. There were also many lines of Nol’vs who now gathered to be fed by the workers under House Voss.

As the ships soared into the sky, the triangular structure of the new base was being completed.

It had become like that thanks to the work of Squad 5555. But now there was a new mission, to take out the enemy stronghold and liberate Thalsaris from the insurgents once and for all.

The dropships flew forward with the sun high up in the sky shining over them, their destination not visible through the barren land of that war-torn planet.