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Prologue: Two years earlier...
"Sir? This is Ruby Delia reporting..."
The tech Knight raised an eyebrow and peered at the young Knight.
"You've been assigned to Iota Squad B-class, as team leader." He said in a bored tone, "A list of your team-mates' names are being sent to your Hard Drive, once you have gotten to your barracks, contact them and they will meet you there."
Then the Tech knight turned back to his monitor and started typing up a report, ignoring the girl. Ruby took in the news, and a feeling of glee spread through her. She's Squad leader! She trained as hard as she could to be selected as a team leader, and now she's done it. Immediately she left the arcade and walked towards the Garrison, trying not to let her excitement show. She entered the building, and doubt's wormed their way into her mind. What if your squad mates are complete jerks? What if they don't listen to anything you say? What if... Ruby shook her head. She can't make expectations before she meets them. She stopped at her locker, the combination lock was instinctive and the metal door squeaked open in seconds. She grabbed her Grand Flourish from its rack and slung the Spiralian Rifle over her shoulder. The act of heaving the backpack off the ground proved to be a little harder than she remembered, and after making three attempts, she got it off the ground and over her shoulder. She grabbed the lock and started off to her new bunk.
• • •
Colin fiddled with a piece of scrap as he lay on the bottom bunk of four beds. The room wasn't big, and the bunks were on either side, taking up most of the space, a carpet lay on the floor, and four desks sat on either side of the beds. All of the rooms are the same in the barracks. He briefly wondered who would walk in first when the doorknob creaked. He pretended not to hear it and looked up only when the person walked in. It was a girl. He sat up and she looked surprised to see someone in the room.
"W-what are you doing here? This is a room reserved for-" She started.
"Iota squad? I know that," Colin slid off the bed and stood up. "Name's Colin, I'm the squad guardian." He held out a hand.
The girl looked taken aback, "I'm Ruby, squad leader, I was told that no one else would be here yet." She shook his hand and continued, "How did you know to come here? I was told to tell everyone to come here. I didn't know any of you would be here yet."
Colin grinned a little guiltily and scratched the back of his head, "I um may have checked the database on future assignments and moved in a little early. He looked at the barrel of a gun poking out from over Ruby's shoulder. " Is that an Spiralian Rifle?" He said quickly, changing the subject.
She nodded, "Yes, it was a gift. Although I can't say its my favorite gun. If you'll excuse me, I need to call the others in." Ruby deposited her things on the bunk on top of his, and tapped out a quick message.
In a couple seconds the message icon popped up in a corner of Colin's HUD.
You are assigned to Iota squad B, please report to the barracks and move your personnel items to room E5.
Squad Leader Ruby Delia,
"Got it." He reported, "Have you heard what the Spiral HQ is doing next?"
"Next? What do you mean?" Came the reply.
"I heard that the HQ is planning a raid on the Gremlin responsible for Project R. " Colin elaborated. "He's known as Warmaster Seerus."
No response. Colin shrugged and went back to fiddling with his scrap metal.
• • •
*Knock* *knock*
Ruby slipped off her bunk and moved to greet the newcomer. She opened the door. Er, make that newcomers. Two knights waited outside the door.
One looked around, before breaking the ice, "Er, is this Iota Squad's barrack?"
Ruby smiled, "Yes, did you receive the letter?"
They nodded, and she stepped back to let them in. As they entered, Colin stood up to greet them. The one who spoke first introduced himself as Isaac, he would be recon. The latter introduced himself as Midnight.
"I'll be striker." He finished.
Ruby surveyed her team, Colin seemed like a good enough guardian. Isaac held himself with enough confidence that told her he would have no trouble in combat. Midnight seemed a little nervous still, but he looked like he could take care of himself
"Well, I think we'll make a great team!" She said, "Anyone up for some training? It will be good to get to know each other's fighting styles."
The others slowly nodded, but didn't move. Being a leader is going to be harder than I thought.
"Come on then! We're wasting daylight!" Ruby ordered, and disappeared out the door.
Galvanized into action, the rest of Iota squad hurried to grab their weapons and followed their new leader out the door.
Present Time
"Remember," came Carter's voice, "If he sees you, then its over but don't be too careful."
Ash rolled his eyes and ran forward, flattening himself against a crate. Furry feet made a quiet patter on the floor, the gremlin ran through the area. A letter seemed to be rolled up his hand. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a flicker of movement. That'll be Imca, he focused back on the gremlin. It was getting close to a sign of civilization.
Towering above the flat metal floor stood a wall. A small gate cut a hole in the seemingly heavily fortified obstruction. Ash heard someone catch their breath, the gremlin padded sup to the gate and chattered something at a small window. The gate slid open soundlessly, and the messenger disappeared inside. Ash almost stood up to run to the gate, then it was shut.
"Ebony, tell HQ about this thing. Do you think its the great colony itself?" Carter said sizing up the wall.
Ash looked skeptical, "I think this would be an outer city. The main capital would be more heavily fortified."
Imca looked sideways at him, "And this isn't?"
He shrugged, "It might look impressive, but I'm pretty sure its just a wall. Guards probably patrol the top. An aerial attack would be ineffective, unless of course you use a cloaking device."
"HQ says it probably is an outer city, and that we should scout it out a little. Their sending in Omega squad as well. " Ebony interrupted.
Imca held up a grapple, "Climbing?"
Carter nodded.
The wall might be big, but it was metal, and magnets stick to it quite nicely. The four quickly and quietly scaled the flat wall and formed up at the top. Ash held his Valiance out, once again wishing he had his rifle. Carter was leading the advance, Hail driver at the ready. Ebony and Imca covered their backs, Ebony searching for a target with his Umbra Driver, Imca doing the same with her Var. There was a shuffle of movement, and Carter fired the same time Ash did. The gremlin Thwacker lay in frozen pieces with a startled expression. They brushed the shards of ice aside and continued, a watchtower was nearing. Ash's eyes darted around, instantly taking in the inside of the tower.
The inside of the tower rumbled as the wind flowed through and past it. Light vibrations could be heard from marching soldiers below. Carter signaled, and they descended the staircase single file. Ash didn't like confined spaces, the stairs could be rigged. Almost as if on cue, Carter halted so quickly he almost bumped into the squad leader. Kneeling down, Carter uncovered a tripwire. He waved to Ebony, who came to inspect it. Ebony was their technical expert. The guardian got to work on the tripwire, and Ash got antsy.
"I'm going back up to see if the coast us clear. Imca cover them."
She nodded, and he tiptoed back up the steps. The interior widened and Ash stepped out into the Watchtowers main room once again. He looked down one way, no one. He looked the other way.
Not a sign of life.
Sweat lined his brow, this was going to well. Where are they. He scanned the room, and saw a light. He studied it. Was that a-
"The trap is disarmed. Come on." Imca's voice drifted up from the stairway.
"Just a sec, I need to check out something. Moving silently, he approached the round light stuck in the corner of the room almost like a... Ash stopped abruptly.
"The lights!" He hissed into his comlink.
"What?" Imca replied.
"They put security camera's in the lights! Get out of there!"
Suddenly Ghostmane stalkers materialized out of thin air, blocking each exit. The rest of Delta squad appeared in the stairway entrance, and immediately got into combat formation.
Carter's voice came through the comlink, "Move towards the south exit, the way we came in."
Ash shrugged his shield onto an arm. As did Ebony with his Crest of Almire. Barely audible, a humming sound wavered through the room. Everyone tensed until the atmosphere seemed like it was going to explode. Then the noise ended in a slight flash as Carter's Hail driver finished charging. One of the stalker's recognized the action and snarled. Ash locked eyes with a stalker, and fingered the trigger.
Carter squeezed the trigger and all Vog broke loose. The Alchemer shot collided with a stalker and froze it completely. Then the ricochets bounced off of random things and all of them exploded into action. Ash deflected a saw blades off of his shield and cloaked, rolling under another attack before emptying a Valiance clip into the side of a stalker's head. He parried a flying blade his the bayonet on his gun and returned the favor by firing back in the general direction. Ash glanced sideways Carter cut down a stalker and wave through Imca, he shouted at him and Ash ran forward. He ducked a saw blade and ran out the door. He switched to his Iron slug and turned back to the entrance. Ebony dashed past him and Carter followed. Ash leveled the slug and fired a shot over Carter's shoulder. It knocked back the three stalkers that were about to follow them.
The stalker chattered at its comrades, and looked up. The four knights were getting farther away. It flashed its teeth and pushed a button on a radio. More would be on the other side, those knights were trapped.
Ash and the others ran along the top of the wall. Then a hammer whirled out of the darkness. He held up the shield and slid to a stop, absorbing the shock that the hammer blow dealt. He felt some one bump into him, an glanced back. Carter and Imca were facing back, at the approaching Stalkers. Ebony readied his shield and hefted his Callahan. A gremlin Thwacker charged out of the fog and was immediately felled by a Callahan shot. More followed, presenting Darkfang shields as a wall. Ash switched to his Valiance, and shot at whatever hole he could see. A gray object clattered on the metal floor, a light blue gas billowed out of it.
"Guys! Sleep bomb! Turn... fil...ter...." Carter's voice stuttered to a halt. Ash clicked his filter on and glanced back. Carter was out cold, so was Ebony.
"Imca! Swap!" He shouted, and they slid past each other to engage their enemies. Ash fired clip after clip. Then a yellow object soared through the air. Ash raised his shield and it exploded against it. Everything went white and he hit the ground. A second later, another thump told him Imca was down too. Then the white turned to black