The sound of the drop pod screaming through the atmosphere replaced the Heroic Music that normally played through the speakers during missions. Even though the Federation mandated it, it made it difficult to focus on the objective and overall survival behind enemy lines. After several drops, you begin to realize the distraction and find calm in the chaos around you. The lights flickered in the capsule monitoring any internal readings, external readings, incoming or outgoing communication frequencies. It just felt like a more well lit coffin than anything he could think of.
A normal drop. That’s all this is. Just a normal drop. The Captain kept thinking to himself, but within the depths of his mind and experience… this wasn’t a normal drop. Something had spooked Super Earth High Command to make this particular reclamation on Claorell feel like a siege, and the IHC responded. He cleared his voice ready to go over the comm frequency between his team and himself. Three other divers who he had dropped with before, all with their own talents, accompanied him as they screamed through the Heavens descending into Hell. The display lit up inside his capsule, “60 seconds until impact” and then began to count down.
He reached for the intercom and opened the channel to his team.
“Don’t bother calling in any supplies or material right away. We strike hard, fast, and work our way out. Once we’re out, we secure our SEAF, and rendezvous at this point in the city. Acknowledge.” He stated quickly trying to run over the plan one more time with his guys. The lights next to each initial letter and number displayed a green check mark for acknowledgment.
“First one to hit the ground wins.” D3 said quickly as they descended, followed by a quick acknowledgment from everyone else inside the channel.
D3 was a 5th Fleet Titan and one of the IHC’s best. A diver who was well versed in heavy enemy units and the weaponry to eliminate them.
“I looked at the loadouts before we launched. Save the thermites for the heavies and fabricators. Acknowledge.” D3 stated.
Even as a Lieutenant, he still never lost that light hearted humor that most Titans have with an unbreakable concentration the moment that his feet hit the ground. The Captain clicked the green check mark on the screen to acknowledge the statement. Normally for certain operations his loadouts and munitions were standard, to him at least for a 1st Fleet Minuteman. This would be one of the few times he agreed to step outside his comfort zone just for the sake of having a little more fire power.
“We’re in the enemies backyard. I’ll see you on the rock.” The Captain stated as he became aware of how much time was left.
No longer hearing the atmosphere burning around their windows anymore as they fell. Lasers filled the sky, as skyscrapers came into view of the window. Almost there. Eagle pilots screamed passed them in their craft continuing their strafing runs to assist with the ground assaults. The break flaps deployed, and the pod thrusters came to life, slowing the pod down the best it could. The controls to steer were unresponsive. What the hell? The Captain thought, fighting to have some control to direct himself to the proper target with no success.
“I’m flying dead stick!” Someone said.
“Piece of trash!” Another one of his squad mates yelled.
“We’re going in! Whoo hoo!!” D3 whooped with excitement.
SLAM!!!!
His drop pod buried itself into the planet. A soft hiss was the only thing that separated the silence of the capsule and the absolute chaos that the Captain rose up from his pod to greet.
Smoke, rubble, burning steel, oil and blood filled the air and landscape. The Captain looked around to get his bearings. He landed in the middle of a street. Feeling the asphalt under his boots, the parked and abandoned vehicles seeming like models in a children’s city model. He continued to scan around him seeing the giant, burning skyscrapers. A testament to humanity’s strength, but also the cost of war. The Captain crouched down, bringing his gauntlet up to his visor, flashing his location on his mini map to verify his location. Extremely off course. Next a marker displayed on his map from another member of his squad J4. J4 was a Pathfinder in the 2nd fleet being one of the few divers that migrated between fleets. His last fleet was the 7th, with their elemental expertise and praise of the “Divine.” What caused J4 to leave was still mysterious to everyone, but he seemed to be at home as a Pathfinder. If anyone knew how to navigate this madness, he would find a way. J4 tagged the rally point… and then it quickly disappeared on the map.
The Captain raised his head in a quick confusion coming to. The chaos of coordination across the communication channels was deafening, but so was the calm that surrounded him. Nothing. No laser fire. No metallic clanking. No automaton song to dampen the spirits. Nothing.
“COMING IN HOT!!!” A SEAF pilot yelled through the headset in his helmet. Two SEAF dropships arrived screaming through the air, drifting through the smoke, descending to make a landing.
Something was off. This was the middle of an occupied Mega city, there’s no way they wouldn’t have encountered complete calm. The original landing area was on top of a decently fortified outpost. Easy to clear and defend while the SEAF made their landing, allowing him and his team be to clear the area and call in equipment for their initial sweep. But now that they were all off course-
What was that?!
The Captain saw a silhouette move amongst the smoke. He raised his rifle in anticipation. Something’s not right…
The SEAF dropships landed in the middle of the open road. The back landing platforms unfolding to unload whomever was brave enough to follow the Captain and his team into this madness.
Oh no!
The Captain saw it quickly. The smoke and rubble began to glow a red. The soft whirl of gears and mechanical parts moving made the entire area come to life. The Captain yelled to the soldiers in the landing craft.
“GET DOWN!”
It was too late.
The moment the ramps touched the ground the air erupted in red laser fire directed towards the drop ship hanger bays. Blaster fire found their marks on the unaware SEAF soldiers. It wasn’t even a fight, it was a slaughter. Bodies fell or tried to remain upright in defiance to the oncoming laser fire. Those soldiers who were further inside the ship dropped to the floor as fast as humanly possible, holding their helmets to their head in hopes that they would make it out of the craft alive.
The Captain, seeing the trap, gasped at first and then started firing his rifle in hopes to distract the enemy if not lessen their numbers. As he continued to fire he kept yelling to anyone who was alive to listen.
“STAY DOWN! GET OUT OF THERE!” He yelled as he kept diving and firing, doing the best he could to give the soldiers a fighting chance of survival. Some crawled out onto the ramp bewildered, confused, and scared. He could clearly see that. A fear that comes when you’re met with the most harshest realization this galactic universe has to offer… everything, even life, is finite.
“HIT THE DECK!” A second SEAF pilot’s voice came screaming in over the comms as he whipped and rounded the landing craft around the area before touching down.
The ramp doors began lowering before the ship even touched the ground. Soldiers already hearing the impending doom over the broadcast began firing every caliber and size of bullet towards the enemy as the doors opened up, piling out to try and get some distance between each other. Everyone ran trying to find cover and help the wounded to the best of their abilities while trying to stay alive. The Captain dove behind some vehicles firing into the automaton ranks as he began to hear them sing their deadly verses.
“INCOMING!” A SEAF solider yelled in the direction of the Captain.
He turned only to see a rocket being fired at the car that he hid behind. Vehicles that once were a salvation of protection exploded on impacted tossing everyone left and right who sought refuge. His ears ringing, body aching, sweat stinging his eyes inside his helmet. He tasted blood, feeling his teeth loosen in his mouth. Remember your training. Remember your training. The Captain got to his knees disoriented, trying to lift his head. The ground felt uneasy, and the world spinning. Still everything muffled, ringing, and nothing coming into focus. Where is it? Where is it?! Where- GOT IT! His hands found the syringe. He quickly brought the tube under his helmet, stabbing himself into the neck to inject the fluids. A “normal” shock filled his body as it did hundreds of times before. He felt cold and alert. As if all his nerves got frozen at once forcing his lungs to take a deep breath. Once he exhaled a warmth washed over his body. He no longer tasted blood, the aches were gone, the ringing in his ears faded, and he was completely aware of what was going on around him. He looked up to see a see a SEAF soldier yelling at him. Fear and determination filled the soldiers face under their face mask.
“I SAID ‘WHAT THE HELL DO WE DO NOW’ SIR?!” The soldier shouted again.
Blood and rubble over his uniform. The Captain peered around. Chaos. Blood. Screams. Smoke. Lasers. Muzzle flashes. Everything seemed like a blur, all while being a chaotic dance that somehow found harmony. He looked around for something. Anything. Anywhere to save his soldiers. More SEAF dropships arrived to meet the same fate while some passengers crawled to freedom just to be met by the unfolding warfare.
“CAPTAIN! OVER HERE! CAPTAIN!” A familiar voice cut through the comms.
R2? It was! One of his divers made it through the Hell after impact. The Captain could see his red beret and skull covered mask as he was waving over to him from inside of an impact crater. SEAF soldiers moved in and around trying to survive the chaos jumping into the hole next to him or lying down on the ground to get as low as they can. R2 was a Roughneck in the 3rd Fleet. An absolute genius with Mechanized weaponry ranging from armored suits to automatic sentries. A rough around the edges type of diver, but loyal to a fault. More SEAF landing craft continued to occupy their position, all meeting the same fate as the ones before. Soldiers screamed in pain and yelled in frustration trying the best they could to win a situation they knew nothing about.
“SERGEANT?! MOVE YOUR TROOPS OUT OF THE STREETS! NOW!” The Captain yelled over the comms.
“YES SIR!” The Roughneck replied. He whipped around to anyone that was listening. “Alright you lot! You stay on my ass! Follow me in!” R2 climbed out of the crater moving towards the buildings firing his weapon in the direction of the enemy, shouting orders to any who would listen.
“CAPTAIN! WHERE’S THE RENDEZVOUS?” A soldier yelled from behind him.
“ANYWHERE BUT HERE!” He replied instinctively.
The Captain gathered himself and kept moving towards the direction R2 was heading. Hopefully the buildings would be able to provide some cover from whatever forces were beginning to converge on them. Then the unthinkable happened… civilians. People poured into the streets from the buildings, scared, running, trying to escape the unthink-
BOOM!!!
The Captain was blown backwards. Land mines. The smoke began to lift and the entire area was riddled with land mines outside a cold, steel wall. An Automaton Outpost. Sweet Liberty… No wonder why they were going through hell. They landed near one of the heavier fortified outposts that the limited intel stated was present in the city boundaries. However… the locations of these outposts was undisclosed. The Captain sat up feeling the strap on his rifle cutting into his neck under his armor, shaking off the ringing in his ears again.
“Up you get, Cap!” R2 said over the comms. “No one left behind Cap! Let’s go!”
The Captain heard a familiar sound of a Dominator rifle above him. Looking up he saw R2 standing next to him firing his rifle while directing soldiers into the buildings. Some SEAF soldiers and civilians stopped as they passed by to seek refuge, to engage in the heroic act trying to protect a Helldiver. Class B citizens picked up weapons and began to fight back. Other citizens tried to grab those wounded on the ground, dragging them to safety, all while becoming casualties of war.
“Come on Helldiver!! We still need you!” A citizen shook the Captain from behind frantically setting down a blood soaked rifle. “Are you still with us Diver?! SNAP OUT OF IT DIVER! THEY’RE COMING!”
The Captain stared through his visor still dazed from the explosion, gazing blankly around him. A familiar sensation for the second time on this mission hit him once again. He gasped for air feeling the warmth overtake his body, alert and sensitive to everything around him. A syringe stuck in his leg, held there by a dying citizen. The Captain processing everything that just occurred reached for his saviors hand. The woman who held the syringe let go, and smiled. Blood soaked her mouth, but her teeth remained visible. Reality began to settle. Fear washed over her face as her hand began to shake followed by her body slowly spasming. R2 looking down, noticing the event that was playing out before him and quickly smacked the Captain a few times in the helmet to get his attention. Instinctively the Captain swung his head up to face his squad mate. R2’s red beret was speckled with blood and oil while his red goggles remained endless red pools.
“SHE’S GONE, BOSS!” R2 yelled through his helmet.
He was right. The woman that once saved the Captain now lay there on the ground, succumbed to her injuries. The same fearful features carved into her face with now lifeless eyes. The world around him became alive again. Citizens and soldiers taking steps forward to control and contain what little ground they had only to take steps back.
“COVER THE BOSS! TWO OF YOU UP TOP! GIVE US BREATHING ROOM!” A SEAF Commander yelled pointing to two soldiers who joined the firefight.
Acknowledging the command with a stiff nod, they climbed the rubble to create more suppressing fire. SEAF soldiers moved forward towards the closest mines beginning to disable them while more soldiers retreated to buildings trying to pull their comrades to safety. It wasn’t just the exchanging fire fighting, explosions, chaotic orders, or singing cadences from the Automatons that filled the air… but screams of pain, frustration, and anguish. The machines just fell silently or exploded when they were defeated, but not the others. Across the existing battlefield there the initial drop ships smoldering and bloody. Smoke rose from the new craters and the shimmer of blood and oil made the street look like a flowing, living river. Shouts for parents, lovers, a savior, even Lady Liberty herself to bring an act of loving grace to help. Soldiers and citizens crawled instinctively forward away from the danger, others grabbing anything to get back in the fight to give their life meaning. A SEAF soldier bumped into R2 rushing forward. He grabbed him quickly by the arm.
“WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU GOING?” He yelled at the soldier.
“SEAF ENGINEERING SIR! HERE TO DISARM THE MINES AND MAKE ROOM FOR THE EXO SUITS!” The soldier shouted back over the chaos.
The Captain was confused. No mechanized suits were authorized for this drop. It was supposed to be “close quarters in and out.” The Captain now not only confused, but snapping out of his moment addressed the Engineer.
“ALL THE ARMOR IS HANGING IN ORBIT! NOTHING WAS AUTHORIZED FOR THIS MISSION!” The Captain yelled.
He could feel the anger radiating out of R2. Machines were this Diver’s life and at this moment, anything would be a step above floundering to try and survive.
“MY ORDERS SIR! YOU HAVE YOURS! I’M JUST DOING MINE!” The Engineer replied.
“FUCK THIS!” The Roughneck was livid, drawing his side arm, aiming at one of the mines near a few Automatons hugging the corner of the rubble to avoid getting hit.
One shot. All it took was one shot, and the mine exploded destroying everything around it. Flesh, steel, rock, and blood all received the same indiscriminate effect from the explosion flying everywhere.
“There!” R2 said in his helmet comms only for the Captain to hear. “I’m a fuckin’ Engineer.”
The SEAF Engineer looked horrified at the outcome of how the most recent mine was dealt with and froze, the worst mistake anyone could make. Laser fire opened up once more. A single shot hitting the Engineer in the head, blasting it clean off his shoulders while cauterizing the wound all in the same instance. The body slumped to the ground quickly. The Helldivers and anyone who had weapon opened fire once more in the direction of the attack. The Captain stepped up kneeling to control his weapon finding his marks easier now that he seemed to settle into the chaos. The SEAF dropships stopped arriving.
“FALL BACK TO THE BUILDINGS!” The Captain shouted for all to hear.
Slowly stepping back while keeping their weapons trained down range still firing. The sound of the guns became almost musical with the occasional explosion from a soldier who threw a grenade. Everyone moved in sync. Helldiver, soldier, and civilian all in a deadly dance eliminating the mechanical threat that slowly marched towards them.
The reason for the slow advance became clear as the blaster fire began to slow. Cries for mercy and anger began to disappear on the air to be replaced by methodical blaster fire and mechanical footsteps. The machines walked through the streets executing those who remained alive. Soldiers and civilians watched in horror from the refuge of the buildings anger rising. Shouts, cries, and insults from dry cracked voices echoed through the ruins of the city not changing any outcome.
“THEY’RE KILLING US! YOU FUCKIN’ TOASTER!” A civilian shouted running forward picking up a weapon firing wildly at the robots.
The Captain and R2 weren’t even fully back near the area and saw movement. Some citizens and soldiers emerged from the buildings, rallying and charging forward to try and make a difference to the situation they were witnessing. A single red flare sailed up into the sky making the smoke and haze glow the same sanitized red as before. Fuck…
“BOT DROP!” R2 yelled, sounding more and more frustrated trying to follow orders for a mission that seemed to be slipping through their fingers. So much for in and out.
“STRIDERS!” A soldier cried, and the Captain’s nerves went cold.
Frantically looking around for the two legged mechanized horror. Where? Where?! The sky filled with glowing red dots. Grenades. The War Striders who sent them stepped forward out of the smoke, menacingly. No emotion, no voices. Just steel, power, and a presence that could make the most skilled Veteran’s blood run cold. With in an instant the ground where everyone stood glowed with red orbs. Run. The orbs on the ground exploded individually. Everyone turned and ran towards the buildings. The controlled retreat turned into a sprint for survival. Those who ran forward in anger were caught between the advancing mechanical singing and the exploding ground that turned the rubble into shrapnel. The roar of Automaton Drop ship engines shook the air and buildings, loaded and ready to drop off the mechanized reinforcements. One ship. Two ships. Three ships. He lost count. Run! The Captain kept telling himself. Move. Move! Move! He grunted as he struggled to breathe in his helmet, he’s body on fire with adrenaline and exhaustion. He caught sight of the Sergeant who ran just ahead of him, reaching for a syringe and injecting it into his own neck to keep running away from the nightmare that was behind them. The ground glowed again, randomly exploding catching soldiers and citizens in their blasts. The injured and dying screamed for help as the survivors ran past. Outstretched hands hoping they’d grab something, someone, anyone in desperate attempts to be saved. SEAF Soldiers grabbing and dragging some of their comrades who couldn’t walk only to fall victim as well to the madness that encompassed them all.
The Captain and Sergeant dove into the alley way, hitting the concrete ground with a solid thud missing the explosions behind them which sent ruins and rock into the air.
“In and out, huh?” The Sergeant joked towards the Captain.
He strained to sit up, rifle pointed in the direction of the incoming threat. The Captain sat up and surveyed the alley quickly. Dead, dying, and surviving littered the ground. Those able to move kept moving forward further into the spaces between the buildings away from the glowing red haze that lay on the outside of the buildings. The screams and yells from those who were in the streets were silenced or slowly faded away.
“Hammer this is Actual! How copy?” The Captain said into his comms trying to get in contact with his Destroyer the SES Hammer of Justice.
The slight static in his helmet stopped and a recognizable voice came through the frequency.
“Loud and clear, Captain! Good to —“
“Status report Helldiver.” A firm, recognizable voice cut through the frequency.
Rockets and blaster fire flew overhead from the fog and smoke towards the Helldivers. Fuck! The impacts at the back of the alley sounded ten times worse echoing through the small area filling the air with screams of fear.
“Sir! We’re scattered pretty bad! The first landing was ineffective. We do not hold the city. Say again! We do not hold the city!” The Captain shouted into the comm link. No point in lying to the Democracy Officer. Not like he’s down here seeing this nonsense.
“Sorry Cap. But, I’m not dying today.” The Sergeant yelled over the gunfire of his rifle as he fired wildly down the alley into the red haze.
He reached to his belt and pulled a steel ball, pressing a button, bringing his gauntlet in front of his face rapidly tapping sequences tossing out a stratagem at the entrance of the alley and then two more right in front of him. Blue beacon lights shown bright and tall from the deployed balls, summoning whatever equipment the Helldiver called in. He’s absolutely right. I’m not dying today.
