"The Zikonians appear to be gathering forces. Can you at least figure out what they are planning Swei?" said Rita over the comms. "Negative. It is densely crowded there. Our team isn't suited for infiltration." said Swei. Rita sighed and then said, "Copy, lead your team to the extraction point southeast of your position." ordered Rita to Swei. The mercenaries are relieved to know they can finally go back to safety. "Alright let's-" Swei is about to say something but something hit on their cover. A bullet shot. "Damn, we got spotted!" Markus shouted.
"Hyan! I'm passing my command to you! Get these people out of here!" ordered Swei then fights the Zikonians alone. "What the hell Swei! You can't just decide just like that!" Hyan shouted with anger. He is angry but he chose to lead the team to the extraction point while Swei is distracting the Zikonians. "Mark! Head over that building and provide an overwatch. We need to cross the streets!" ordered Hyan. Markus nodded and went straight to the said building.
He came across a group of Zikonians in the Building. Markus is swift and dexterous. He is able to shoot the Zikonians with his Rifle at point blank ranges as he swerves from left to right, jumping from covers to covers. "Frag out!" Markus loudly shouted as he throws a frag grenade over the cover of where the Zikonians were hiding. The explosion only stunned the Zikonians but gave Markus time to finish them off with few stabs with his Plasma Sword.
"Hyan! I'm in position! Where are you guys over!" asked Markus loudly in the comms. "Copy, we are from west of your position. Get ready to provide overwatch from there as we cross the street." said Hyan. Markus gives affirmation to Hyan and cools his assault rifle to use it again.
Meanwhile, Swei is currently fighting the swarms solo. He is wildly firing from all directions and throws grenades everywhere. He even tried to find the grenades of the Zikonians and figure out how they were used. He only got what appears to be a shotgun. Weirdly enough, the shotgun seems to be an identical model with Gluargh's M-600 Zweihander Shotgun. But this particular shotgun has grenades as it's mod. Swei begins to dual wield both the shotgun and his assault rifle to incite destruction.
The Zikonians right now were baffled of what was happening at their ports. That if they were under attacked by enemy human soldiers. The grenades destroyed the buildings one by one and the Zikonians trying to check what was going on were either bombed or shot to death. Swei's guns eventually overheated but he was never finished. He grab another strange assault rifle from the corpse of his enemies. And it seems to be a gun grafted from flesh modded with biotechnology. This gun shoots shrapnel. It is very fast yet inaccurate but can penetrate through the thick shells of the Zikonians. Swei had to figure out how to use this gun before going to gun blazing.
Hyan is fighting against Zikonians that block their way. The mercenaries are good with their shots but their morale is very low due to the fact that they are in the enemy territory. Markus is providing a covering fire inside a building. Thanks to his eyesight and calm mind, he is able to snipe the Zikonians with just his rifle, but only stunning these Zikonians because it seems that they were using Kinetic armor that reduces the bullet's impact. Hyan bravely does the run and gun tactic with his SMG and proceed to break the Zikonian armor with multishots.
They heard explosions in the distance. Swei is really making the Zikonians angry and come to his position. Thanks for that grandioso, the Zikonians weren't that interested in Hyan's group. Hyan lead his team to the extraction point safely. Markus fortunately catches up because he had to take a detour. Swei isn't coming as he is very busy keeping the Zikonians company. Hyan could only look down and pray. Only Markus held his head high.
After the team successfully escaped through an aircraft, Swei is heavily injured because the Zikonians were able to deal damage on him. Since he has been blowing up places, it left a huge open area so the Zikonians were able to see who is responsible for the attack. Swei's space suit armor is destroyed and he is currently bleeding from his stomach.
"Damn... So this is how it ends..." said Swei under his cold and heavy breathe. He had lived long in the war, fighting and surviving selfishly. It is the first time he ever wanted to not selfishly leave his team in order to survive.
He closed his eyes, accepting his fate. But in the midst of the battlefield, a figure showed up. The figure quickly patched Swei's wounds and carried him to the underworld, even shooting back with the Zikonians with only a one-handed firearm. It will be up to fate whether Swei can live longer or not.
4 hours later, near Mae River in Ibaraki, Japan...
"Over there!" Kaykaya shouted pointing over the bridge. Several Zikonians are shooting them from inside the buildings. Gluargh carries a makeshift grenade launcher created by japanese militias over his shoulder, aiming above his enemies' heads, then pulled the trigger to launch a improvised grenade bomb. The power of the grenade destroyed the buildings where the Zikonians were hiding, crushing them to death. "I feel bad for the people who owned that home Gluargh..." said Kaykaya with dismay.
Gluargh grunts and speaks to Kaykaya. "This is a battlefield. Sooner or later, our enemies will convert this place into wasteland, just like what happened to the place called Tokyo. We need to find out where these dastards are hiding, especially the patriarch, and finish as quick as possible." Kaykaya understands but there is something about Gluargh that makes her curious. His grudge with the Zikonians were very very personal. She saw what he always do.
Other than doing nothing but rest and killing, Gluargh will always rip the heart of the Zikonians and eating them. Like it may be for nutrition purposes, but him eating the hearts but not any part of the body of the slain enemies, Kaykaya is starting to think there must be some kind of symbolism of his action. Well she wanted to ask, but the brute just won't speak about that subject.
When she saw his true identity, she experienced fear that she never felt before. She was threatened and traumatized. Few weeks after that, she is starting to help Gluargh in his personal mission. Gluargh may not know this, but there are instances where he saved hundreds of survivors during his battle with the Zikonians. Those survivors eventually formed up their own organization and starts to fight the Zikonians with new motivation. Kaykaya is starting to believe that Gluargh is an ally of humanity.
"Kaykaya." Gluargh called Kaykaya. Kaykaya is surprised that Gluargh is taking the initiative to talk. "Kaykaya. You are far too young to be fighting in this war. You may have the skills, but you don't have the experience of killing thousands of enemies looking at you with gazes that slowly tears you apart. If you let the Argkl stares you down, you will be Kraunch... Or Die..." Such words from Gluargh made Kaykaya bewildered. A war maniac like Gluargh worrying someone like her, who joined the war for foolish reasons.
Kaykaya feels cheated for some reason. She is always with Gluargh, but he sees her as a burden. "Why do you always charge into dangers head-on without caring for your life then?! You always get surrounded by these freaks and I had to save you from them! Without me, they will tear you apart! Apart, you hear?!" shouted Kaykaya with strong emotion brewing in her words. Gluargh simply stares her down, menacingly. Kaykaya loss her words and begins to sweat. His garnet eyes are piercing through hers. She fell back on the ground and backs away.
"If you once again experience that feeling with other Argkl, there is no coming back alive. Mer khu Siph khurl Ghaah." said Gluargh, with the words translate to "May you value your life." Kaykaya is about to cry. But they were interrupted by Zikonians. Kaykaya got pissed and fires at the enemies to relieve stress. Gluargh made an Asari go crazy. He coughs then proceeds to help Kaykaya get rid of the enemies interrupting their conversation.
M'Sarri and M'Hundi finished their food before the conversation. It was typical of the Zikonians to focus on one task at a time, when it allowed. After the plates and dishes were taken away, M'Sarri began their discussion on the recent battle in Tokyo.
"M'Hundi, I'd like to hear your personal report of the battle. I have, of course, already received a report from General Akari, but given his... methods of victory, I'd like to hear the opinion of someone on the ground. I give you permission to speak to me as an equal for this." M'Sarri commented.
"Commander M'Sarri, General Akari's bombardment, while being what won us the day, was a poor use of troops, supplies, and the natural landscape of Tokyo. The bombardment was enough to drive the humans and their allies off, but if we simply raze every city to the ground, then we might as well annihilate the planet and move on to another. Our troops fought well enough, but the humans are hiring more skilled allies and mercenaries from the reaches of space. We do not exactly endear ourselves to other peoples. It is my belief that less lives could have been lost if we employed mercenaries of our own. In truth, we need to improve our dome. The humans continue to be able to land numerous forces because our space defenses are not as strong as they need to be." M'Hundi paused.
"I see. You believe it best to divert resources from breeding pits and war training to more... proactive forms of defense. Is that what I am to understand?" M'Sarri asked.
"I believe if we can keep human ships out of the atmosphere, or shoot them down before they can land troops, then we will have less enemies to fight and our people on this planet will prosper. It is only then that we can do as Zikonian tradition states and move on to another world." M'Hundi replied.
"I appreciate your thoughts and experiences in this matter. General Akari gives a detailed but, ultimately, shortsighted report. I want you and your men prepared to move out by the end of the week. I plan to place you at the head of a group of workers to begin this... dome you speak of. We have records and even some primitive human examples of this, and with you at the forefront, I expect quick and meaningful progress. I plan to have the first dome installed here, to protect my provinces and lands. If successful, I can bring this plan to the Zikonian Council and suggest its implementation across this world. Do not disappointment me, Commander." M'Sarri said. M'Hundi bowed as the commander left the room, leaving him alone with the slaves and servants.
"Sergeant Swallow. It is good to meet you sir." said three soldiers saluting to a Sergeant. These soldiers were the ones that were rescued during the battle in Tokyo which is fortunate for them before the bombardment happened. Sergeant Viegen nodded and introduces himself to the recruits.
"Good to meet you men. My name is Viegen Rodriguez. My rank is Sergeant and I am from Infantry Division. We are the spearheads for this war in our army. You three will be under my command. State your names and your Specialty, soldiers." said Sergeant Viegen with serious tone.
"Yes sir. I'm Eric Callahan. 23 years old. I am using the latest M8 Retaliator Assault Rifle. My GT score is 50 and I got assigned in this squad. I'll do my best to follow your leads Sir Rodriguez." said Eric with serious look in his eyes. Eric's soldier rank in the U.S.M is Private Second Class.
"Sir. My name is Farrish Haynes. 24 years old. I carry the M7 Reaper Sniper to pick off targets one by one. My aim may not be as good as others but I can kill those Ziks no problem just like what happened to Tokyo." said Farrish while waving his hand as he speaks. Farrish's soldier rank is also Private Second Class like Eric.
"I am Osborne Reeves. 28 years old. I use the M8 Avenger rifle. I also a grenadier and carry a grenade launcher. If you need demolition, you got a man for the job boss." said Osborne with a little smug smile. Osborne is rank Specialist.
Based on the introduction they told to Sergeant Viegen, Eric is suited as a combat soldier. He also will follow orders better than the two and most likely he will accomplish it with the best he got. Also suited as a courier. Farrish is obviously a sniper, so a ranger class is suited for Farrish. He is essential to missions like subjugation and defense. Osborne has the most experience in battle. He is the one that was keeping the Zikonians off bay during the battle in Tokyo, hence few of them managed to survive long enough to be rescued. He is already a grenadier trained to do demolition, so he knows what he must do in the field.
The reason for this squad assembly is because the previous captain of the group is out of commission and is required to rest in the medical quarters. Sergeant Viegen can only give instruction and training for these three soldiers before having another go in Earth, where they will have another battle with the Zikonians.
"Our squad will be Whiskey. Tomorrow we will go to the training center and enhance our athletic abilities. You knew the drill but it is good to relive the experience so our body is well-conditioned. Loud and clear?" said Sergeant Viegen. "Yes sir!" shouted the three with salute. Sergeant Viegen salutes back then dismisses the group until tomorrow for training.
Hyan Cebellan, Markus Everdale, and the rest of the mercenaries in the group returned safely to Mars, where the U.S.M base is located. Hyan feels a little bit sad but not that sad to the point he is depressed. Their mission was not that kind of successful but they learned that the Zikonians are gathering forces for something they can't think of. Swei Grunder never came with them and got reported with MIA, or Missing in Action.
Markus in the otherhand, believes that Swei is alive. These two aliens fought alongside with each other for a long time when they both enlisted as mercenaries. Killing a war veteran who is very experienced in art of war is very difficult, and that much is true for Swei. Just that him sacrificing himself for the group is out of his personality. Markus wondered what changed to Swei's behavior to have him act like that.
Hyan walks into the pub to grab a drink. There he met with Sergeant Viegen having a Soju for a drink. "Oh. Hyan." said Sergeant Viegen while twirling his glass of Soju. "Sergeant Viegen." said Hyan as he salutes. Sergeant Viegen raised his eyebrow and said, "You don't need to act like a soldier in the pub. The pub exists so that we can rest our weary souls and enjoy our fill with this leisure." Hyan nods in agreement then sits down.
"I heard about what happened to Swei. I'm sorry to hear that." said Sergeant Viegen. "Don't be. It is inevitable in missions like these." said Hyan with a sigh. Sergeant Viegen looks at Hyan's sad eyes. He takes a full shot of his Soju then said, "Don't try to hold it in. It will greatly weighs you down." Hyan looks at Sergeant Viegen who looks so composed. "May I ask why are you very calm like this?" asked Hyan.
Sergeant Viegen thinks deeply about his answer. "Truthfully, I am angry. But like you said it is inevitable that someone will die during their mission at war. But it is better to let it all go than keep it in yourself. Swei is a great soldier and someone who deserves respect. He may not be one of our kind but he willingly supported us for this quests of ours. I'm right here having a toast for my fallen comrades, including Swei Grunder." said Sergeant Viegen before ordering another glass of Soju.
"Is that the traditions of humans, Sergeant?" asked Hyan curiously. "Tradition? Hmm... It may be just me but there are others who do this out of goodwill or relieving their depression. I say I may have inherited the blood of my ancestors who did this a long time ago." said Sergeant Viegen in a friendly tone. A glass of alcohol is put down in front of Hyan. "I didn't order this." said Hyan to the bartender. "Your friend ordered it for you. No need to worry." said the bartender with a gentle smile.
Hyan looks at Sergeant Viegen then sees that he is raising his thumb up. Hyan nods then tastes the drink. "It's taste is similar to Guopping." said Hyan with wide eyes. "What's Guopping?" asked Sergeant Viegen wondering what that is. "I believe it is the same as the human fruit called Apple. It is delicious." said Hyan with a smile. "Glad you like it soldier." said Sergeant Viegen then raised his glass to toast with Hyan. The two soldiers hang with each other until they are satisfied.
LunaKimXo[2738137] · #66
{I'm not even going to go into details because its been too long so i'm just skipping ahead on the whole tokyo story. short version. Kira got out with the soldier. the HVT was dead when they got there & they managed to just about escape in a hostile Shuttle i'm just going to put in some dialogue then i'll skip it and go back to Sen and Vex}
"so... you never told me your name..." Kira rested on the seat
"Mitagoro... i was born here... tokyo i mean..." The soldier wasn't the best pilot but he made do with the unfamiliar shuttle they escaped in.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Vex i... the fact we got out of that is just... but those people... i should've been faster... damnit..." Sen slowly paced back and fourth reminding herself of the tokyo attack.
"Senna... listen to me. it is ok... those people gave their lives so that we could make a difference... so we have to show that thier deaths weren't in vain... ok?" Vex tried to reassure her that it was going to be fine
"uh... y-yeah..." Sen sighed, resting against the wall and looking out of the window.
Hyan Cebellan, a Ydragg Republic Soldier, is a Quintan who sings songs on the spot during his battles in wars. He has served as a Marine Support in the Ydragg Republic Army in his homeworld, supporting their allies in times of need. Hyan has fought a total of 6 wars before the war between Humans and Zikonians have started.
At the first war, Hyan was a Private and fought a war against the rebellion happening in his home planet. A civil war between two governments whose ideals are different. Hyan's family had ties with the Republic Emperor, so naturally, Hyan was on the side of the Republic. The Republic fought against the Democratic party simply because the people were not fond of how the Republic ruled. Regardless, the Republic Army are technologically advanced and have trained disciplined. They overpowered the underdeveloped Democracy. The surprising fact is that the casualties were not that as high as they expect it to be, since some soldiers were willing to surrender to the Republic's rule. That marks the birth of the Ydragg Republic Army.
The second war started when Hyan is now about 130 years old. This time, an invasion from another world. These aliens have appearance like a squid and they were conquering lands in Hyan's home planet. Some of Hyan's cousins died during this war. This sparked rage within Hyan and proceeded to fight the invaders. Because of the Army Resilience and Stubborness, the invading aliens were driven off the planet. But millions of Quintan died in this war. When Hyan attended in the funerals of his cousins, he couldn't help but sing the favorite songs of each of his cousins. Thus, that was how Hyan got the habit of singing.
The third war was far more worse for Hyan. Hyan was drafted to join an expedition to the other colony in another planet. It was then when Hyan and his team found that the space explorers that were drafted to investigate the galaxy were all killed by natives. Worst of all, one of the natives was a friend to Hyan. When Hyan and his team fought off an ambush in the middle of the woods. Hyan's gun was aimed to a masked soldier and the shot connected to the chest. When Hyan tried to investigate their identity, his expression turned grimm as he saw her lifeless eyes. She was still breathing but she whispered something to Hyan, saying she apologies for what happened. Hyan could only sing their favorite song until his friend peacefully slumbers.
The fourth war and the fifth war weren't that much of a problem when Hyan was 248 years old at that time. His rank rose to Sergeant First Class. His missions were supporting the allied forces from space. His first galactic war in the fourth war is a valuable experience for Hyan. He may had not command a team but his achievement in support and rescue shined when he single-handedly saved all injured soldiers in the battlefield without losing anyone. His medical skills improved as a Corpsman and earned the title of Guardian Medal from the Emperor. The fifth war however, proved more difficult since the Army fought a well armed soldiers who have more advantages than theirs. At that time, Hyan pleaded to change his station from Marine to Army.
His skills during the fifth war yet again exceeded everyone's expectation from him. His combat ability with his Submachine Gun and his communication skill helped the Army gain the upperhand against their foes. Hyan was able to boost the morale of his comrades and his experties as a field medic made a name for himself. A White Knight, or "Shinqu Bau" in their native language.
The sixth war was when the Quintain have allied with the Citadel Council, finally earning their seat. The Ydragg Republic Army had their Ace win the approvals of each Councilors. And no, it was not Hyan. Hyan was busy helping with the Council solving a problem when the Hannars simply got mad with their preachings and caused an internal dispute in the Citadel. Thankfully some of the Hannars were able to be reasoned with and help in the war against their mad kind who abused their preachings. Hyan dealt with so many shenanigans during this particular war. Just that there many poor souls that fell in this war all because the mad Hannars told them to do what they musn't do.
Since then, the Quintans were in charge with internal affairs, preventing anything dangerous happening in the Citadel. The Ydragg Republic Army are supporting their allies, especially the humans since the humans were the first to trust them. Hyan has been doing odd jobs during his free time until the humans had war with the invading Zikonians. The Quintans are prepared to help their allies. This are the wars that Hyan Cebellan have fought in his lifetime.
It is very warm but hard. There is also something dripping from above. It caused someone to open their eyes to find out what it is. A blurry vision. They could only see the flickers of flames nearby. It illuminated the area but not bright enough to see. A blurry vision of something the same color as rusted metal. Later then, the eyes closed on their own and darkness once again welcomed them with a cold embrace.
30 minutes later, they once again opened their eyes. This time because they bumped onto something even though they weren't moving. But something is moving them. They wanted to find out, but their body wouldn't listen to their demand. All they could establish is that they were moving without their will. The rough ride made them dizzy, making them close their eyes again.
2 hours later, they are fully rested but they were very hungry. Their stomach is rumbling from hunger. "Hr...Hrnuhu....hhn..." they said. It is illegible, but it is clear that they are hungry. They were aching for a moment, but they suddenly tasted something inside their mouth. This taste is described as something too salty. Normally this salty flavor makes anyone cough or thirst. But for this alien, they can handle it since they used to have it for rations.
15 minutes later, the alien in question is fully awake. "Bnbn Hurha...?" said the alien who looked like a horse. This is indeed Swei Grunder. The former Lumpurian war veteran who fought solo against the swarms of Zikonians in Busan, South Korea. He cannot believe that he lived through that battle. "How am I even alive?" is what Swei questioning himself. His body is still injured. It took a long time before Swei realized there is something wrong with him. His left side of his sight is all blurry and can't process what it sees. Simply put, Swei got blinded by his left eye. Just that it is not fully blinded seeing how it can still see something.
"You're awake, Argkl Khaagh" said by someone. Swei is surprised and begins to look who spoke. He saw a stranger he never seen before. But one thing for sure, Swei Grunder increased their guard. Because that someone is his enemy. A Zikonian.
The false Zik moved towards M'hundi, speaking with the same voice from his battle with the strange pirate at the radio tower, though in the Zikonian language.
"Hello again, Commander. You tried to kill me, and yet here I stand. But that isn't quite right, is it? I have a feeling that if you wanted me dead, I would be- so why is it you spared me? Curiosity, perhaps? You want to know what makes me tick? Or perhaps my offer intrigues you?
{these are fragments of memories over kira's life, just saying ps. she's dreaming / having a nightmare. whatever}
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"i'm setting you off to New York on earth..." Kira turned slightly.
"COME ON! WE NEED TO GO!" She shook.
"Trust me... it'll all be fi-" A bullet broke the air.
"stay with me..." Kira kneeled, trying to save the person who she loved for the past five years, the tears filled her eyes
"IF WE'RE TO LOSE IT ALL TONIGHT! THEN MAY I DIE TRYING TO STOP THIS INVASION!" A man dressed in a dirty scruffed suit held a detonator in one hand and a rifle in the other.
"There was an explosion... the whole... the damn building came down"
STOP!" Gunshots echoed through the streets...
"they think bloodshed will cleanse the streets, but it will just cause a rain of fire, with one side being completely obliterated..."
"stay alive... stay calm... we'll get through this..." You could tell her pain her horrors... The things she'd seen
"this is my life... i dont wanna throw it away!"
"think of it as a pause... a break..." she stopped, thought. then continued
"we cannot bring an end to what we dont know has started..."
"ITS A WARZONE DOWN THERE!!"
"just give me time..." Politics... politicians and suits arguing about what to do...
"she didn't even get a proper burial... she was just... left there... to rot, like... like a... a... f~ck... I loved her! she was my wife and i had her die in my arms..." The hardest moment for kira was fleeing from earth, watching her wife die and hearing the screams and cries in the streets "I... i mean... How come... i got to escape but... children... men and women... defenceless... they were slaughtered in the streets... and for what... a simple mindless act of domination from a species that has been... so closed off for the past thirty to fourty years to come knocking on our front door with f~king guns..."
"WE'VE ALL LOST FRIENDS, FAMILY, LOVED ONES... BUT THE MOMENT WE START AN ACT OF CRUELTY, WE LOSE OUR HUMANITY!"
"They are condemned to die"
"according to the rest of the universe... the zikonians are... they need to go..."
"DONT DO THIS!"
"FINISH IT!!!"
"war... its a fool's game..."
"the first non combatant... civilian... that dies on a battlefield... it marks the end of negotiations... the end of both civilisations..."
"war never changes... it just leads to another two sides fighting eachother... may it be sticks and stones... or pistols and rifles... war never... never changes..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kira woke from her sleep. "f~ck..." She stood and looked around the room. she was back in her little cabin at the mars F.O.B "kalahira... guide me..."
she stood up, grabbed her gear and put on her uniform and got ready for another hard hitting fight. it'd been a few weeks since the tokyo hit, so her wounds would've mostly healed by now...
She sighed and brushed her cheek and walked to the main hangar deck, most of the ships and soldiers were to be sent to L.A on another large scale offencive on the western front.
M'Hundi rose slowly and turned around. He'd had a feeling something was off as he entered the room, but he was focused on his conversation with M'Sarri. And what a conversation it was. Being promoted and placed in charge of a scientific project would do wonders for him and his men. It would show, as he thought, that they were every bit as intelligent and qualified as a pureblooded Zikonian. Of course, publically, M'Sarri would take the credit for any successes. However, privately, it would certainly have an impact.
"I must admit I do find your... kind curious. We picked up a few of your comrade's corpses on the battlefield and some of my more scientifically inclined friends are doing some tests. Even the commander was interested. However, now that I have a little more... breathing room as it were, your offer could provide a mutually beneficial one. Before I go ahead and present your offer to M'Sarri, perhaps a mutual gesture of good will? I'll leave a ship at the bay this evening, guarded by only a few grunts. Considering I personally saw you and your men carve through dozens I take it they won't be a problem. On board will be enough booze and trinkets to make this worth your wild. I'd like you to stall this attack in the West. On... how did they call it.... Laugh Anwgelos? Something of the sort. I don't expect you to singlehandedly repell the humans and their allies, but simply to delay them long enough for the Zikonain forces to be readied and prepared." M'Hundi commented.
-------------------------------------------
Tycho had spent the last two weeks nursing the wounded around him and preparing for another battle. Apparently the Brass were keen to retake the West Coast of the US. Tycho personally though they'd have better spent their energies trying to defend someplace in the north, like Iceland or Greenland, but he supposed it would all need to be retaken eventually.
Tycho wasn't quite aware, but he'd been selected to lead a commando squad on the last mission. Out of all the pilots that were flying, he'd made it the most missions without a crash. Sure, that skirmish in Tel Aviv had cost him a ship, but all the men made it out of the ship before it burned down in the hanger. Command on Mars was impressed, to say the least.
In addition, some were wondering at the wisdom of retaking Earth at all. Many thought it would be better to simply fortify Mars as a stronghold, so that the Zikonians could never feasibly take the World. However, there were too many survivors from Earth pulling strings for that to even be considered. However, mounting casualties would continue to play a key role in whether or not retaking the Earth was even possible.
LunaKimXo[2738137] · #72 · edited
"hey kira... come with me..." A C.O was walking by but stopped to take he to the 'secret'
"yes major..." She saluted then followed the C.O
"this is something only a few of the soldiers here know of. we have the whole salarian planet working on building this but... i'll say more in here..." The two reached a vault door. after a moment of putting the code in, the door swung open.
"well?" Kira asked, taking a seat at one of the empty desks.
"good... good..." The door closed behind the major. "so... recently we uncovered a... a super weapon...something that may shift out our ten year blues... something that will change the tide for good... its an EMP but its a virus. it can be tuned to target specific devices. so if we put it on a major system the Ziks own, that is thier own tech. we could take down thier... weapons, armours, vehicles, turrets... all of it. but... theres been a problem... Tokyo. those emplaced turrets in the grounds have presented a problem. plus our. Vampire pirate... whatever. he went off grid a little while back so you're going to want to watch out if you join the L.A attack. if they have him then there is no damn telling as to what the Ziks could do. and also. dont tell anyone about the virus right? dont know who would be listening huh?"
"yes sir..."
"alright... dismissed" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
{please just be reasonable. now that i've dropped that, yes it can be stopped but the ziks obv dont know about the thing. so please. dont have raiding parties just going to the salarian home world for no reason. thank you! so. i say again literally 1% of the Mars FOB's soldiers know of it. so please. just dont}
(still seems kinda cringe and not fun to drop a one shot move that literally nobody but you knows about.)
LunaKimXo[2738137] · #74 · edited
{ugh th. its called patience you fool. it'll become more clearer over time but at the moment its kept under the rug. so if you wait. it will be revealed nearer to when its done. thats when everyone will find out. but we're miles away from it because its the endgame plan. ugh}
Gluargh and Kaykaya find it strange that the number of Zikonians in Japan are getting fewer and fewer. Yes they did kill alot but according to Gluargh, this number were too few. The people near the ruins of Tokyo were both joyful that the Zikonians were eliminated and distraughtful when their capital was destroyed. Gluargh gazes over the horizon over the sea facing where the sun rises. Kaykaya sits down on a worn-out bench to contemplate.
Just then, a U.S.M soldier who was sent to survey the area managed to find Gluargh and recognizes him. "Hey! You were the mercenary the survivors were talking about!" shouted the U.S.M soldier. Gluargh does not respond to the soldier's words. Kaykaya stands up to talk to the soldier.
"Hello. I am Kaykaya. One of the mercenaries joined forces with you guys. Can you tell me what happened?" said Kaykaya as politely as she sounded. The soldier nods and said, "Greetings. I am one of the scouting parties that were tasked to look for our missing men. We received some news that a hundred of them were left stranded on the wasteland of Tokyo and was forced to survive on their own. Thanks to you guys, the Zikonians focused on you, giving us more time to find our men." Kaykaya just give him a firm nod and talks with him more about the current situation.
Gluargh is looking at his shotgun Labrok. It is definetely worn-out but well maintained. Gluargh is wearing a heavier set of armor since his previous armor was broken from the bombardment incident few weeks ago. His expression shows that he is calm but deep down in his heart, he feels a heavy burden. Not from the armor of course but the feeling that whatever he had done is never enough. He keeps killing and killing but more and more keep coming on his way. When he looks over the horizon, he feels angry.
He mumbles, "Grart Akari Khask" which tranlates, "Damn you, Akari."
"Mother? Why do people out there always fight each other?" asked by a young child. "Dear, it is best that you don't ask your mother about that." said by an adult man. The young child makes a pouty face which made the man giggle. "Well everyone has a different answer and none of them were right nor wrong." said the mother as she flips a page on the book she was holding.
"That doesn't seem sound right, mother." said the young child. "How do I say this... What your mother meant is that everyone is free to choose what they want. Like she does when she decided to read that book she is holding." said the man as he points out the book he mentioned. A book about biology of different species. The young child looks at the man's face with wonder.
"You and mother are friends even though you two were different? Why can't everyone else be like the two of you?" asked the young child with curiousity. The man scratched the back of his head and nervously looks around. The mother closed her book and said, "Me and that man only work together for business. We do not have that intimate relationship with one another, my child." The young child looks down with a sad face.
She always watched news from a inter-galactic channels which showed politics and wars from a young age. She wonders why do people with different species hate each other. When she sees her mother and the man work together without hate, she wonders why these two decided to work together. She looks at the stars outside her window. Alot of spaceships are passing by. She was living in a big spaceship that is as big as the sun star.
The man rings the bell behind her door and asked if he can come inside. The young child naturally agreed and let him in. "Sorry about that. I just thought that you were lonely since your mother was still busy with her research." said the man while slightly leaning. "That's ok." said the young child.
"Is there something you want to ask, dear?" asked the man to the young child. She thinks about it then asked, "What's your homeworld look like?" The man gives a small laugh and begins to describe his world in the past. Where it is technologically advanced and people living their life to the fullest. But that was because of the people sworn their life to protect their homeworld, such as the military who are fighting off invaders, police officers who are keeping order, researchers looking more solutions for the problems and so on.
The young child is very satisfied and very drowsy so she dozes off while sitting upright. The man gives a smile and carries the young child to her bed. "Someday, you will learn everything that comes in your way, whether you like it or not. Just make sure you choose the choices you think it's right, Kaykaya." said the man then pats the young child's forehead before saying goodnight and leaves the room quietly.
"So, you're alive, soldier." said Sergeant Viegen with a stern look, with his arm crossed. Gluargh is staring him down like an ant. Sergeant Viegen sighs and says that he is glad that both he and Kaykaya were alive. Gluargh and Kaykaya came with the U.S.M soldier returning to the base with the spaceship in tow. Kaykaya smiles in relief that she will see her comrades again. Gluargh in that day, never spoken another word. He is just silent.
Up till now at the U.S.M headquarters, Gluargh returned to his room and organizes his items. Meanwhile, Sergeant Viegen looks at Kaykaya, who seemed to be nervous of something. "Did something happened with you while you're in Japan, Kaykaya?" asked Sergeant Viegen. Kaykaya insists that there is nothing noteworthy happened other than the rampage Gluargh causes, which saved the lives of the survivors of the blast. Sergeant Viegen can't help but feel it. It was just a gist but he never was wrong. Something did happened while they were in Japan, but he stopped prying of what Kaykaya knows for now.
Kaykaya then visits the local pub and sees a familiar face. It is the small mercenary who is carrying a big acl of radio equipment who was with Gluargh the first time they met. "Wait a minute, is that you Kay?" shouted the small mercenary. "Doug! Glad you survived!" Kaykaya shouted joyfully. The two buddies had a drink at the 2nd table at the back facing the jukebox. Doug is a small alien called a Volus who just joined the war to prove the Volus mighty prowess. He is essentially a field radio operator with high pride who is easily intimidated by big hulk like the Krogans and Gluargh.
Doug is actually surprised to hear what Gluargh did back on earth. "Him? A hero? Oh please. He is just a mad brute killing his own kin." said Doug while feeling drunk. The word kin suddenly struck Kaykaya's nerve. "Doug!" she shouted. "Oh you didn't know the truth? Oh poor girl." said Doug. Kaykaya is panicking but realized something wrong. She realized Doug never drank alcohol but ate a nutrient paste. She is questioning how in the world did Doug get drunk of all the sudden. Surely enough before Doug said anything more, he simply passed out. Thankfully, the pub is noisy for the crowd to hear their private conversation.
Feeling concerned, Kaykaya carried the fat Volus and drag him to his dorm room, which ironically, is also Gluargh's room. Kaykaya's face says that it made sense that Doug knew Gluargh's identity from the start.
One day ago, in the underground of the former Busan,
Swei Grunder was healed up by an enemy combantant for a strange reason. The Zikonian's eyes glows in orange hue. Combat wise, Swei got the upperhand, but his abdomen itches whenever he moves. So he couldn't attack with his powerful horse kicks. The Zikonian is pointing his gun at Swei, and said that he is willing to end his life if he dared to resist. "Oh curses. You win." said Swei as he sits down with their hands behind their backs.
The Zikonian lifts their head then said, "Let's move." Swei Grunder is shocked. He never dreamed that he would follow a Zikonian. Had no choice at the matter, Swei follows the Zikonian compliantly. They go further down the underground network. There are paths that were easy to walk through, but the Zikonian chooses the narrow path. Had to make an effort to squeeze through. Swei finds it hard to get through due to their stature and their itching injury.
It took them one hour before they rest. Swei tries to ask for information to the Zikonian. The Zikonian remained silent and points his gun to him. The area they were in looked like some sort of ant burrows. It is hard to see in the dark but thanks to the weird glow of the armor that the Zikonian is wearing, Swei was able to follow. Few minutes later, the Zikonian begins to move.
Further walking down the tunnels, the two encounters pit beasts that were infesting the area. Swei can't fight in his condition. On the other hand, the Zikonian pummeled the pit beasts with such brute force and used their gun to blast their body. It is a bloody sight which reminded of a certain someone who is also brutal. The Zikonian raised and waved their hand forward, signaling Swei to follow him.
Few more minutes later, the Zikonian begins to walk to the upper levels of the tunnel, prompting Swei to know that there is a way out. He continues to follow the strange enemy until they reached the surface. He looks at Swei then said, "Act like a Slave if you want to be alive. The soldiers are patrolling this area."
A few days had passed in peace, or what M'Hundi considered peace, and his men found themselves on a wide plain fifty or sixty miles outside Elseyin. They had established a base of sorts, simply some earthen works to protect them from the wind and cold at night, a place where their fires and light would not be seen by anyone flying above. Already, M'Hundi had noticed that some work had already been prepared for them. Any and all human habitation in this area was clear. Over the years, the Zikonians had worked to wipe the human networks and hovels out. Some areas this was easy, but the more populated areas had layers and layers of tunnels, networks, and infrastructure, like layers of tunnels on an anthill. Luckily, this place had been devoid of any serious infrastructure and a simple march of pit beasts had leveled all structures.
The pit beasts themselves still milled in a large corral, the space of a baseball field. They had been given a half dozen to start with, but were assured more would be on the way. They would be also given ships for some vertical lifting if they needed, but for now, the groundwork had to be laid. M'Hundi stood by the entrance of one of the tunnels and looked over the information on his holopad.
The basis for this project was similar to something the humans themselves had developed, but on a much larger scale. There were to warring factions of the humans not too long ago, who lived right next to one another. The one would always launch missiles into the other, but the other had a complex system that would be used to defend the people. Of course, this technology was developed and strengthened over time, and was one of the reasons it had been challenging to invade that area. However, instead of defending against each other, this dome would be defending against humans from space.
M'Hundi already had his men improving and adapting this missile dome to be more capable than the human version. However, the project would include multiple steps. The first would be to build bunkers underground to house the missile silos, to protect against any human insurgents. Once those were built, they could install the missile systems and the munition depots to hold the arsenal of weapons. Finally, the last step would be to pair the system to the warning drones and ships that they already had stationed in space. Of course, the humans could shoot these down, but with how many there were, and with how well they blended in with the refuse of almost a hundred years of human space exploration, it was like finding a needle in a haystack.
"M'Hundi. Some of the troops are wondering how completing this project benefits us. Why the Council sends shock troopers like us to... well.. to be used like grunts." Re'Shavir asked from behind, coming to join M'Hundi.
"Re'Shavir.... do you believe there is a future for our people? Not the Zikonians, for they and I are sure of their future, but of us? Of the half-breeds?" M'Hundi asked. Re'Shavir paused for a moment before answering. Unlike the Zikonians, who demanded platitudes and politeness from their subordinates, all the offices under M'Hundi spoke their minds freely and honestly.
"I do hope so. Now that I have been given the privilege, I wish to.... continue my bloodline. To have warrior sons and wise daughters. To create progeny not as the Zikonians do, with machines, but with the raw power in my blood." Re'Shavir explained.
"I wish for this as well. For a station and place for people like us. We are the pinnacle of Zikonain interbreeding, the best cunning and wisdom of humanity coupled with the raw, physical strength of our Zikonian ancestors. If we complete this task, it will be like the first stone in... in a dam. A human analogy, I know, but one you are familiar with, I believe?" M'Hundi asked, turning to Re'Shavir. Re'Shavir nodded.
The pair had seen combat in the West and, at one point, saw a large facility meant to harness the raw power of the river itself. Both were impressed with the scale and ingenuity of the people they came from and currently fought with.
"Tomorrow we will begin the digging of the bunkers to house this dome. The pit beasts will do the heavy-lifting, but our men must guide the grunts on how to properly shore up the earthenworks. They have read the science of this, correct?" M'Hundi inquired.
"The men are prepared and divided, so that each stage may seamlessly progress to the next. With more grunts we may finish sooner, but at the moment, it is likely we will be finished within the month." Re'Shavir responeded.
"Good. I cannot express how deeply this project may affect us. The men must give their lives in its defense, if need be." M'Hundi said, before returning to the tunnels where the men bunked and slept.
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Tycho Brache looked at his cruiser. Not the one he would be piloting, but the one he was in command of. It was a small one, of course, a speck compared to the large dreadnaughts the humans had constantly rotating and defending Mars. It was large than a drop ship, capable of holding approximately 10 pilot crews, gunners and mechanics included. His ships main job was bombing runs. It would be dropped out of a larger cruiser, and he would fly in ahead of the dropships to try and neutralize any visible pockets of Zikonains or, more importantly, any anti-aircraft guns that could shoot down the dropships. It certainly wasn't a cushy job, and he knew he'd need to pray to whoever was the god of reliable forward shield deflectors, but he was excited.
It was the first day he'd be able to talk to his team. He walked on to the bridge and four individuals stood up at attention. He saluted back before asking them their names.
"First Sergeant Kia Artun. Communications officer." A lithe woman with a face respirator replied
"Officer Kyle O'Kieff. Mapping and Navigations officer." A burly man with red hair responded.
"Sssecond officer Ssalamay Oricho. Ssshield and maintenance ssspecialist." A snake-like creature hissed from off to his side. Tycho had to keep himself from jumping. He didn't mean to be offensive, but he had no clue if it was male or female...
"Petty Officer Helgi Starspeed. Gunner commander." Replied a woman built like a quantum reactor. That was, she was muscular, massive, and if she had claimed to move all the guns by hand, Tycho would have believed her. This was his first command, so he approached his chair.
"At ease... I am the Captain of this ship, Tycho Brache. I have successfully run at least 25 dropship runs in the last two years. Many of them under heavy fire, and I received this commendation after my runs at the First Battle of Tokyo. However, I cannot run this ship on my own. The lives of the soldiers on the ground and those in the crew rely on your good work and quick thinking. If you have advice, bring it to me. I am, by far, not an expert, and your knowledge in your fields will make us one of the best teams possible. Now... some news first. We will be participating on an assault on Los Angeles, in the USA. Command has been targeting the US recently because, just as Japan and Taiwan were key manufacturers of tech before the Zikonian invasion, the US was a key consumer. If we can liberate a city and recover some useful hardware at the same time, it will be a great victory for the Anti-Z alliance. We go to battle in a few days. However, before that, I would like to have a meal with all of you. Meet at the Sehesgar Canteen at... 18:00. Food and drinks on me." He said with a smile. A small chorus of "Yes, sirs" met his ears as he walked off the bridge.