Armor agrees. “Not much else we can do. No time to scout or plan.”
The Titans change their order, sending Radar, Javelin, Mace, Whip, and Karambit up front with a few others. Atox, Brunt, Catalyst, and other heavier units remain behind to carry their offline brothers.
Light pours in from the end of the tunnel, following a horrid boom. Titans charge into a hangar, taking up squads that skirt open areas from behind pillars and cargo crates.
Solcrue in black armor and CSP soldiers in gray fire at them. But the Titans have only themselves as weapons. Armor’s shield spreads around the group, protecting them from gunfire.
Javelin is the first to leave the shelter at a sprint. He launches into the air, spins into a dart shape, and knocks down three Solcrue before tumbling to a stop and swinging his body behind a concrete pillar.
At the same time, Whip zigzags through the soldiers, stealing weapons and knocking several back before a warping pulse from a gun makes him duck and slide under a dune buggy for cover.
Karambit crawls up the walls, chewing up the concrete, and drops down on the roof of a large transport at the end. “No good! Severe hull damage! Still under repair!” He swivels around and dodges a shot from a CSP soldier. “But there’s another!”
Karambit launches off of the hull, away from us. “Back here!”
Three more Solcrue squads enter the battle from other rooms and hallways, firing from hangar doorways, one from the damaged ship’s dropped ramp.
“Merry-go-boom?” Mace offers a hand to Brunt, who takes it.
Brunt swings him in a loop and flings Mace out across the floor and toward the largest mass of gathered Solcrue. Mace cannonballs through them. When they turn to attack, his spikes flare in erratic patterns that match the incoming assaults as if he can sense them.
All I can do is stand in the doorway Carver has made, watching the battle. We built them to do what was necessary to save us and to preserve the minds of our best soldiers, to give them a second chance, a chance to be immortal. And we have made them into effective killing machines. But seeing them now, knowing what they put themselves through to protect us, I feel only shame we never gave them more respect and honor.
They deserve so much more.Humanity may be near extinction, but I pray we aren’t hopeless and that we can have a second chance, too, to do things right.
Armor encourages me through the facility as his brothers make a mess of the scene, killing Solcrue and raiding storage rooms. Behind the first ship is another, larger vessel.
Karambit tosses a limp human CSP soldier over the side as he lowers the ramp. “Traitor.”
Armor’s shield gives us a safe zone in the mayhem until a Solcrue dares enter the shield. Light swells in the barrel of his gun as he points it at me.
Armor steps between us as the blast goes off. He spreads his feet as the flames dissipate around his body.
“No!” I scramble to reach him.
“Ow?” Armor looks down at the male, grabs the Solcrue’s gun with a hand, jerks it free, then punches him so hard in the chestthat he flies out of the shield and smashes into a wall. The soldier slumps.
What the…
Armor must see the surprise on my face. “It takes a lot more than a standard bullet to damage my synthskin.”
Karambit climbs back up the ramp as Armor encourages me after him. “Still need a sweep.”
My gun shakes a little in my hand. I’ve been in smaller confrontations, never something this big. As we board, other Solcrue and CSP fire into the hallways. I react on instinct, even though Armor’s shield still extends around me. I take down a CSP soldier. He coughs and stills.
I don’t want to kill anyone. But at the same time, I know I have to do what’s necessary to end this war.
Titans load.
“Scan complete. No mines or traps that I can detect,” Radar remarks.
Firebolt stands by the ramp, throwing electric arcs at everyone who dares set foot near the ship as the engines warm.
Rooms smash around the hangar, and Carver comes out, leading Brunt and other Titans who carry crates of food, ammo, and medical supplies.
More soldiers appear at the far end of the outpost.
“Time to go!” Javelin says, righting a sniper rifle on his shoulder. He takes a shot from the ramp as it begins to close.
