Week of 2023/4/3 - SSFF - Chapter 26 - Chapter 28

Chapter 26: Readying for Battle

In the middle of the forest, Athena, Adrianna, and several Terran marines gathered around to discuss what they knew about the Decima forces and what their next course of action should be. Athena knew she had the final say, but she wanted to seek the counsel of the others before making the decision.

First, the Terran marines reported what they learned from the captives.

“What do we know about the defenses of this airfield?”

“The airfield designated Sigma is currently occupied by the 4th Mechanized Regiment. It is a standard Decima regiment, with 10 mechanized battalions and one standard drone detachment. It seems to be responsible for securing the nearby area and taking out small groups of Imperial forces that end up outside the main Imperial landing grounds. The first platoon that we destroyed belonged to this regiment.”

“That’s what I thought.” Athena nodded.

“It gets even better, sir.” The marine continued. “Most of these battalions are scattered throughout the area. The captives didn't know how many troops are left in the airfield, but it can’t be many. Furthermore, not long ago, three of the ten battalions left this area entirely. Apparently, they were called upon to reinforce the main Decima offensive against the Imperial position.”

“How would they know this? This should be classified information.” Adrianna interrupted. Why would a few soldiers in the platoon know the army movement of the regiment?

“One of the platoons was in a battalion scheduled to return to Airfield Sigma for a break, but it was suddenly assigned a number of other missions that previously belonged to another battalion. The members of the battalion complained about this to their commanding officer, and in an attempt to explain this change, the major in command, Major Stanz, informed his men about the unit movements. Multiple soldiers in the platoon reported the same thing after being interrogated separately. It is unlikely they are lying.”

“Oh, these idiots.” Adrianna scoffed, satisfied by the answer but also surprised by the incompetence of the Decima officer. Something like this would never happen in the Imperial Army. If you were told to go somewhere, you better do that. If you were told your R&R was canceled, you better be happy about it.

“And their firepower?” Athena asked.

“The 4th Regiment has several dozen Overwatch and a handful of Overlord class gunships. They also have armored personnel carriers and light tanks. Whether these vehicles and aircraft are still in the airfield is currently unknown.”

Athena nodded. She had encountered Overwatch gunships before, and she had learned about Overlord class gunships in the Imperial archives. Compared to the Overwatch class, the Overlord class traded troop-carrying capacity for additional firepower and a shield generator. They were also quite expensive to purchase and maintain.

As they were speaking, Athena reached into one of her armor's storage compartments and pulled out a paper map of the surroundings. These paper maps were issued to all sergeants and captains before the landing. Everyone had maps of the surrounding areas downloaded to their PEIs, but there was a chance the PEIs could be lost or damaged. The paper maps were meant as a backup.

Of course, many soldiers and officers had memorized the important locations before getting on the dropships. Athena knew where places like Landing Zone Lemma and Omega were, but she needed the map to see how far Airfield Sigma was.

For Athena, using her Imperial-issued PEI now could be dangerous. The GPS system wasn’t online when they first crash-landed, but the Imperial Navy ships could change that any second. She also wasn't too sure if the PEIs could be tracked if they were turned on. There was no need to risk it.

She looked down at the map and quickly found the spot labeled Airfield Sigma.

“This airfield is approximately 35 kilometers away from here if we take the quickest path.” She concluded. “However, 25 of these kilometers will be out on the open field. We can cover that on foot, but it will be dangerous. If they see us coming, this will give them time to recall units to defend or request reinforcements.”

As of now, Athena had three dozen marines. Her maximum supply was 130 after unlocking the Tech Lab. However, even if she made them all into marauders or reapers, it would only be around 50 of the two units combined. A powerful force, especially when going against an unsuspecting Decima regiment with most of its forces absent. However, their numbers were just too low to take on the entire regiment at once. They were Terran marines, not Astartes space marines.

Adrianna glanced at Athena. She had no idea what Athena was doing right now. It was obvious Athena wanted to go after this Airfield Sigma, but why? Even if they could somehow take the airfield with a few dozen men, how would that help them escape this planet? Still, for now she simply focused on advising Athena the best she could.

“We can go at night, Athena. Use the darkness as cover.” Adrianna explained before pointing at the sky. It was already getting dark. “A daily rotation of Sierra Prime is 15 standard hours. By the looks of it, things will be completely dark in 2 more hours.”

Athena nodded. It was a better idea than heading right for the airfield now. Decima satellites and gunship scanners could still see in the dark, but they weren’t the real threat to her. The Decima satellites, if they were still intact, could only take very detailed pictures of a small region. Gunship ground scanners also had limited range and often had trouble picking up individuals on the ground, and they were often too few in number to be everywhere at once. The main threat was that on the way to the airfield, they could run into Decima civilians or small groups of soldiers, who would then report their presence and bring gunships to them. Moving at night minimized this possibility.

Plus, she could further minimize her target by recalling all her Terran forces, arriving at Airfield Sigma alone, and then calling in her units. It would be a lot more difficult to detect one person than to detect two platoons of combatants.

When combined, these two measures should give her the greatest chance of success.

“Is it possible the fighting will stop by nightfall?” A Terran marine asked. If the fighting paused and everyone went home, then the airfield will be too well-defended for them to attack even if they could get there undetected.

“No, it won’t. If anything the fighting will get more fierce.” Athena answered before Adrianna could speak. She knew all too well the normal decisions made under these circumstances. “The Decima forces will likely push their attack so the Imperial troops on the ground won’t have time to rest and recover. The Imperial forces may also take advantage of the darkness to deploy additional landing forces. Neither side can afford to take a break. It is still possible the Decima position will be reinforced by other units by the time we get there, but that is a risk we have to take.”

Adrianna nodded quietly. Both sides could afford to throw as many bodies as necessary into the meat grinder. It wouldn’t really matter how many units either side lost. If the Imperium could establish a foothold on the ground, the hardest part would be over and they could gradually expand on that and start conquering the entire planet. The Kingdom of Decima couldn’t afford to back down either. If they retreated now, this war would be all but over.

The Terran marines nodded as well. This seemed to be the best option they had for taking the airfield.

“Very well. In that case, let’s all get some rest.” Athena said.

“One more thing, sir. What should we do with the POWs?” The first Terran marine suddenly interrupted.

Athena frowned. “What do they know about us?”

“Nothing the other Decima soldiers who we routed don’t know, sir,” The marine replied. During the second battle against the two Decima platoons, a lot of Decima survivors fled the battle and likely escaped the forest. Either way, their presence here in the forest was obviously well-known.

“How many survivors are there?”

“About half a dozen, sir.”

“I see.” Athena paused for a second before making her decision. “Keep them here for now. We will set them free when we leave for Airfield Sigma.”

At this point, she didn't really mind the resources a handful of human deaths would give her, especially not when she was going to launch an attack that would likely kill dozens, if not hundreds, on the field of battle. It wasn’t worth executing six unarmed and defeated POWs for.

The captives did know they were interrogated on Airfield Sigma, so letting them leave now might give them a chance to warn their commanders and increase the garrison of the airfield. That was why Athena wanted to wait until before they leave to release them. These prisoners no longer had their comms, nor did they have maps or armor. By the time they escape the forest on foot, the battle at the airfield would have started already. By then her objective would be obvious.

“Yes sir.”

As the Terran marines left, Adrianna turned back to Athena. Now that they were alone, she could start asking her questions.

“Why are we going after this airfield, Athena? A unit of Imperial Special Forces may seek to take the airfield and challenge Decima control in this region, but there is nothing we can gain from that. If we want to leave this area, we can just get out of our armor and pose as refugees. I doubt anyone will stop us.”

Since the Imperials obviously didn't announce where they were going to land in the Beta Regions, the area contained far more than just Imperial and Decima soldiers. It also had farms, villages, towns, and cities whose populations barely had any time to run before the shooting began. If Athena and Adrianna wanted to escape the fighting altogether, they could. Neither Decima nor Venya soldiers would be shooting unarmed civilians they came across. It was also much easier to get out of a suit of Guardian or Indominated class armor than to put them on. Removing their armor wouldn't be a problem.

There were still risks, but it was better than assaulting a Decima military base with a few dozen men.

“That is my backup plan,” Athena admitted. If she couldn’t unlock the Terran starport and secure her escape that way, she would do exactly that and move to other parts of the planet yet to be attacked. She would find a way to get a new identity and lurk among the populace. Once interplanetary transportation resumed, she would leave Sierra Prime that way. “However, if things go right, I may be able to find us a way out at the airfield.”

Adrianna nodded, but she still had another question. “Even if we can reach the airfield and even if it is barely defended, it will take more than three dozen men to break through.”

“I won’t be attacking the airfield with just three dozen men. We will have reinforcements by the time we get there,” Athena reassured her friend.

“Huh. I see.” Adrianna tapped her chin. “Either way, you’re the boss, Athena. It’s your call. As I said, I trust you.”

Despite what her frequent drinking might suggest, Adrianna was smart. She was smart enough to know Athena had a lot of secrets, and more often than not secrets weren’t something she wanted to know. Where did these troops come from? How would taking this airfield help Athena? Adrianna didn't know, and she didn't care.

Plus, after seeing what Athena’s troops could do, Adrianna knew she had no choice but to rely on Athena’s judgment. What else could she do? Leave? With the things she saw already, Adrianna wondered if Athena would just let her go right now if she asked. It was just a matter of self-preservation. She already knew enough to seriously threaten Athena.

The fate of the two of them was already tied. They prosper together, or they fall together.

“One more thing, Adrianna,” Athena said. “This trip to Airfield Sigma. I was thinking you should stay here in the forest. I will leave four of my men with you. They will keep you as safe as possible.”

Athena’s thoughts were simple. She herself had to go to summon the units at the airfield and reinforce them with new units as needed. That being said, there was little doubt this battle would be risky. There were so many things that could go wrong. She decided to take the risk because the potential gains was well worth it, but there was no need to bring Adrianna along.

Adrianna stood there for a second before tapping her rifle. “I appreciate it, but there is no need to look out for me. I am not a princess that needs to be protected, Athena. I am a soldier. I have killed more people than I can count, and I am ready to kill as many more as I need to.”

The two stared at each other for a while, and Athena was the one to back down. “Yeah, well…good talk. I’ll go check on the others. Uh…I’ll go see if they need anything else.”

As she walked toward the Terran marines, Athena could feel herself smile a little. She had to admit she was a little protective of Adrianna, not necessarily out of love or affection, but more so because Adrianna was the only person she was close to and could trust. She truly did want Adrianna to live a good life. That being said, Adrianna was right. She was hardly a damsel in distress, and to treat her as one would be insulting and wasteful.

“Sir.” As Athena approached, a number of Terran marines stood up and greeted her.

Athena nodded at them before asking a question she had been wondering for a while. “So…I don’t believe I ever got your names.”

The newly summoned Terran marines looked almost identical with their weapons and armor. Athena could tell them apart due to the nature of the system and she could use any of them as her avatar, but she didn't really have a way to address them.

“Apologies, sir.” The marine who introduced information about Airfield Sigma to Athena first nodded. “I am ME-0012.”

“I am ME-0013.” The marine who had trouble remembering names said.

“Serial numbers?”

“It’s more efficient, sir.”

Athena frowned. She wasn’t going to refer to these men by a number as if they were robots or simple tools. They might be tools, but they had their own sapience and intelligence. She might have to send them to die for her, but the least she could do was treat them as human beings.

“Well, here’s my new order. Choose a name for yourself. All of you.”

The marines nodded. There was little reaction from them that would indicate their thoughts about the order, but as always, they obeyed. One by one, they took their time and chose their new names. Interestingly, most of them didn't go with more traditional names, instead opting for the name of common objects.

ME-0012 chose the name Rum, mainly since that was his favorite alcohol. ME-0013, a little late on the draw, had to settle with Vodka, his second favorite drink. ME-0003 and ME-0009, two of the bodyguards that had been close to Athena, chose the names Click and Dash, respectively. The others got their own names as well.

Athena tried her best to remember the names, despite knowing many of these marines might die soon. It was the least she could do.

Chapter 27: Storming Airfield Sigma

After a chat with the marines, Athena examined the remains of all the Terran marines killed in the battle. To her surprise, she was able to salvage the weapons and armor of all these marines when she got close enough to them. The resources she received from this were negligible, but this would help her keep Terran technologies out of the hands of other factions.

After she salvaged the weapons and armor, the other marines dug graves and buried the remains of their comrades.

Half an hour after Athena decided to make a move on Airfield Sigma, a third Decima force entered the forest, this time composed of four platoons. This time, instead of bringing in marauders and reapers and engaging them head-on, Athena took a more indirect approach to feign weakness.

First, she avoided the Decima troops, forcing them to split up into platoons to cover more ground and look for her. Her Terran marines would then ambush individual platoons, do some damage in the brief skirmish, and then immediately retreat before the Decima forces could convene and surround them.

Eventually, after several skirmishes and dozens of casualties, the Decima forces turned and left the forest. Their time and lives were better spent elsewhere. As far as the Decima commander could see, after taking so many casualties, this group of Imperials was of little threat anymore. That would be why they decided to turn to a hit-and-run approach. If they left the forest, they would be easily terminated. And if they stayed in the forest, then they wouldn’t be a threat. More importantly, they were too slippery to hunt down, and there were other, more pressing threats as Imperial dropships continued to make planetfall.

As darkness consumed the surroundings, Athena knew it was time. She turned to Adrianna and nodded. Around them, most of the Terran marines disappeared into the nearby trees until only Click and Dash were left. They were Athena’s bodyguards, and they would stay by her at all times in case something happened before she could call in the other units.

“We will split up and regroup with the others at the airfield. It will be a smaller target.” Athena lied to Adrianna before readying her rifle and gesturing in the direction of the airfield. “Let’s go.”

It soon became clear that Athena was right in her assessment. The darkness didn't stop the fighting. If anything, the battle grew even more intense.

As the four of them exited the forest, they could see countless flashes in the night sky. The Decima anti-air guns and missiles were still being unleashed at airborne targets, likely Imperial transports and bombers. There were still nonstop explosions in the distance. Both sides were throwing everything they had at each other, and it would take more than nightfall to get them to take a break.

None of them could see the space battle, but more likely than not the fighting between the Imperial Navy and the Decima Royal Navy was as intense as the battle between the Imperial Army and the Decima Royal Legion on the ground.

“I hope the Decima Royal Navy can last longer,” Adrianna commented as they walked. “If the Imperial Navy crushes the Royal Navy in orbit, this planet will fall soon after. Unchallenged orbital bombardments will make any major counterattack by the Decima forces impossible.”

“Space warfare isn’t like ground combat. It usually lasts a while. The Royal Navy will not win, but by the time they lose we will be out of here.” Athena reassured Adrianna. This was only day 1 of the offensive. The Kingdom of Decima was still a powerful force in the Chaos Sectors. It should last at least a week...

The rest of the trip was mostly silent as the four of them tried to move as quickly as they could. There were a few close calls. Once, they almost ran into a squad of Imperial survivors. Another time, they were a few hundred meters away from a squad of Decima armored vehicles. Luckily, the cover of the darkness hid their presence well, and Athena's perimeter of underground roach scouts allowed her to navigate around these obstacles. The constant explosions and gunfire also masked the sound of their armor.

Finally, approximately two hours after leaving the forest, Athena and Adrianna found themselves a distance away from their target: Decima Airfield Sigma.

---

“Colonel, you should go get some rest. At least have some food.”

Colonel Decker shook his head and looked down at his empty coffee cup. He sighed and handed it to his lieutenant, who quickly headed out of the command room to refill it.

“Any news on our reinforcements?” He asked, exhausted after a long day of work and stress.

The answer was expected but disappointing.

“No, sir. As you instructed, I told High Command that our men are all exhausted and will not be able to effectively continue our duties at night, but High Command insisted that they have no resources to spare.”

A major, one by the name of Major Stanz, scoffed before Colonel Decker could reply. “No resources? How many Legions have arrived throughout the day? How many Auxiliary Legions? They can’t spare a single regiment to relieve us?“

“Priorities, sir.” The lieutenant replied quietly. “I believe High Command is moving all fresh Legions to the various Imperial landing areas. The objective is to overwhelm the exhausted Imperials in one swift push. If this works, the small groups of Imperial infiltrators will be easily purged. If this attack fails…”

“If this fails, we are finished.” Colonel Decker finished the lieutenant’s sentence. “Even if it works, the Imperials can simply regroup in orbit and launch another landing. It will waste their time and resources, but they have plenty of both to spare.”

There was silence in the command center. Colonel Decker sighed. He looked at his officers in the room, and all he saw was doubt and fear. The reality was that he was as afraid as them about how this war was going, but as the commanding officer, he couldn’t show doubt. If he showed doubt, how could he expect his men to do their duties? It was one of the many lessons his father had taught him.

“Look, gentlemen.” He drew a deep breath before speaking up. “I have sworn my oath to the Kingdom of Decima. As have all of you. Now, we have all heard rumors about our king and his brother. We have all heard the Imperial propaganda that justifies their invasion. Here is the truth. It doesn’t matter how our last king died. The reality is that Decimus I is invading his home with the might of the Venya Imperium at his back.“

“If we hold off the Imperium here, the Kingdom of Decima will maintain the freedom and independence it had ever since it was formed. If we fall, we will be at the mercy of the Imperium! it will only be a matter of time before the Kingdom becomes another province of Venya!”

“I don’t know about you all, but as a member of the Decima Royal Legion, I will not allow that!”

One by one, the officers in the command center nodded in agreement. This was a good point, not that it was new. What the Imperium hoped to achieve was quite easy to see. It was just that no one who had an incentive to stop the Imperium’s plan had the ability to. Not them. Not their king. Not even Decimus I.

The young colonel nodded. As one of his lieutenants returned with a fresh cup of coffee, the colonel turned back to the 3D map of the surroundings. That was when he heard it. Was that…explosions?

The explosions by themselves weren’t the problem. The problem was how close they sounded. Colonel Decker had heard so many explosions in the past few hours, but they had always been so far away. If they were this close, then that meant…

That was when one of the officers suddenly stood up, fear in his voice as he spoke.

“Colonel, we are under attack! We have hostiles at the main gate!”

“What? Who is it? Imperial Special Forces?” Colonel Decker snapped. It was common to send small groups of Special Forces troops to assault key military targets, but in most cases, the ISF was satisfied with attacking weaker targets like railroads or communication towers. Small units of ISF just couldn’t break through a heavily defended airfield, and large units were often too difficult to deploy or move around in secrecy.

“I am pulling up the surveillance footage now, sir.” The officer replied as he clicked on the console as quickly as he could, stumbling and cursing a few times in the process. Within seconds, the map in the middle of the room was replaced by the footage of the main gate. “They don’t look like Imperial Special Forces, sir.”

No shit. Colonel Decker thought to himself as he saw the intruders. There were two to three dozen of them, and it didn't take a genius to know they weren’t ISF. For one thing, their armor held no resemblance to the Praetorian class used by the ISF. Not the color. Not the design. That being said, it was obvious these armor were quite tough. Automated turrets fired upon these figures, but the armor easily deflected the shots.

And the weapons they used…rocket launchers? Grenade launchers? Either way, they were decimating the automated turrets. Colonel Decker watched as a single pair of grenades hit a turret, tore through its layers of armor, and reduced the steel guardian of the airfield to a pile of scrap metal. Standard Imperial or Decima rocket launchers usually needed three shots to neutralize a turret, and those rocket launchers were much more difficult to carry and use than the ones these figures had mounted to their armor.

There weren’t many of them. 30, at most. If the colonel had an entire regiment here, he wouldn’t be too concerned. Unfortunately, as of now his troops were extremely limited. He had just redeployed two battalions after some quick rest and recovery. As of now there was only a skeleton garrison in this base.

“Sir!” Major Stanz called out to his superior. “They have gone through the main gate! Our perimeter defenses barely slowed them down! How did they get so close to us without being detected?”

“Recall the two battalions back here at once! We cannot lose this position!” Colonel Decker immediately snapped to his men and split out a string of orders. “Mobilize the two reserve platoons and intercept the intruders now! Get all our gunships and drones into the air and engage the enemies! You! Inform High Command we are under attack! We need reinforcements at once! Any reinforcements! Now!”

---

Athena had always taken pride in being a cautious individual. After arriving at the airfield, Athena first sent in her roaches to do some scouting. It would be quite concerning if she assaulted the base only to find several fresh Decima regiments inside. Only when the roaches reported a pathetically tiny garrison did Athena call in the Terran and send in the attack.

The first units to go in were the 30 marauders, who immediately engaged and destroyed the automated gun turrets positioned around the perimeter of the airfield. They were followed by 15 reapers and Athena’s remaining marines.

These new marauders and reapers took up most of her Terran supply and cost her over 7,000 units of resources in total. A significant but absolutely necessary investment.

For a few minutes, the Terran forces encountered little resistance. The few sentries and patrol squads were mowed down by the duel gauss pistols of the rapid-moving reapers. A few snipers on sniper towers could only let loose a few shots before they were blown up by marauder rockets.

There were a number of Overwatch class gunships and even a pair of Overlord class gunships sitting on the landing pads near the main gate, and they were the first to fall victim to the Terrans. Marauders approached the gunships before blowing them to pieces. Even the tougher Overlord gunships didn't stand a chance when they were sitting on the ground with no shields and no pilots. Their armor was tougher relative to the Overwatch class, not that it mattered against the anti-armor weapons of the marauders.

To their credit, the two reserve platoons in the airfield reacted quite quickly. As soon as the order was given, these men who were already armored picked up their weapons and charged out of their barracks. They were able to intercept the Terran forces before they could reach the hangar and the rest of the gunships and drones there. Unfortunately, they were facing the combined force of the Terran infantry, and their rapid response only meant disaster would happen sooner.

Athena took over the body of one of the Terran marines just in time to see how the numerically inferior Terran force decimate the two Decima platoons.

Marauders formed a battle line and opened fire on the Decima lines, ripping Decima soldiers to shreds while grabbing their attention. Their armors were almost impervious to small-caliber bullets. Marines assisted with laying down suppressive fire on the Decima soldiers with their combat shields raised. With the marauders and marines distracting their enemies, reapers quickly approached the Decima infantry from the flanks, rapidly hopping from cover to cover with their jetpacks.

The Decima soldiers lost almost a third of their numbers almost as soon as they got out of their barracks and joined the fight. As the body of the dead and the screams of the wounded littered the battle line, the remaining troops rushed to return fire. When their rifles proved to be almost useless, the sergeants and corporals screamed for the men to go to the armory and return with heavier weapons. One sergeant snapped to his men and told them to head for the garage and bring the APCs and tanks into the battle. A few other soldiers rushed to man the fixed-point machine gun positions.

That was when the 15 reapers arrived. They were few in number, not that they let that stop them.

Unlike the Terran marines who could satisfy almost any purpose, reapers were good at one thing and one thing only. They were close-quarter combat experts. Everything about them was designed with that purpose in mind. Recruits for reapers were often those too aggressive to be marines. They were then given chemical stimulants to make them tougher, stronger, and more aggressive. Simply put, they were madmen, and these madmen were then given twin pistols and explosives designed to kill most effectively at close-range. They would be slaughtered in a middle or long-range firefight, but a situation like this? They were bred for it.

“Fear the reaper man!” One of the reapers screamed as he leaped into the air, the jetpack spitting fire behind him. Before the Decima soldiers knew what was going on, the reaper tossed a trio of grenades at the soldiers. “Kaboom baby!”

Two of the grenades exploded before they even hit the ground, injuring or killing several soldiers. The third grenade didn't explode as it was never primed, but before the two Decima soldiers standing near the grenade could let out a breath of relief, the reaper raised his handguns. Two gunshots later, the two soldiers collapsed with holes in their helmets.

Around him, the other reapers, after throwing a round of grenades at the Decima soldiers, quickly closed the little distance between them and the enemies with the help of their jetpacks. Within seconds, they were in the middle of the two Decima platoons.

This achieved two goals. First, it put the reapers right in their elements. Second, it really, really confused the Decima soldiers with a fighting style they had rarely seen before.

One reaper threw himself into the middle of a group of Decima soldiers and suddenly rotated his body, the fuel of his jetpack burning the armor and flesh of the Decima soldiers. Another reaper saw a Decima soldier with his back turned and grinned as a brilliant idea came to his head. Instead of shooting the man, the reaper pulled out a D-8 charge that was often used to demolish buildings, attached it to the Decima soldier's back, pushed the soldier toward a group of his comrades, and then triggered the demolition charge. A third reaper grabbed onto a Decima soldier's rifle, pointed it toward the sky, and let out a loud demonic chuckle before firing his gauss pistol twice into the terrified soldier's chest.

“What the…” A veteran Decima corporal suddenly had no idea what he should do. He had seen soldiers who enjoyed combat a little too much, but none were this insane. These jetpack troops didn't look like they were fighting. They looked like they were playing.

He raised his rifle to take aim at a reaper several steps away but hesitated when he saw his comrades behind the reaper. If he fired, he would likely hit his fellow soldiers. This moment of hesitance was all it took for the reaper to act. Within the blink of an eye, the reaper had charged into another Decima soldier. The reaper’s shoulder hit the power armor on the side with enough force to knock the armored Decima soldier to the ground. Strangely, the reaper didn't seem bothered by the blow at all. He quickly got back to his feet and put a bullet into the skull of the disoriented Decima soldier.

The corporal raised his rifle again, and this time he pulled the trigger with little concern for friendly fire. The reaper was hit several times and collapsed, alongside two other Decima soldiers beside him. Before the corporal could fire again, a series of gauss rifle rounds hit him from behind and tore him to shreds.

Previously, while the marauders and marines caught the attention of the Decima troops, the reapers rapidly flanked the enemies and closed the range. Now that the reapers were causing chaos, the marines and the marauders took the chance and rushed forward.

A minute later, the fighting was over. Both Decima platoons were destroyed at a cost of around a dozen Terran units, most of whom were reapers.

Chapter 28: The Colonel's Last Stand 

Airfield Sigma held several squadrons of gunships and hundreds of long-range surveillance, assault, and suicide drones. Most of these gunships and drones had been deployed on the field. The rest were mostly sitting in the hangar.

When the two reserve platoons engaged the Terran infantry forces, the remaining pilots in the airfield quickly rushed to their gunships. Drone operators in the control tower worked to activate the remaining combat drones and get them into the air.

Colonel Decker’s plan was for the two platoons to buy enough time for their gunships and drones to get into the air and repel the attack. It was a decent plan, but he had grossly overestimated how well his troops would do.

The two platoons fell much quicker than anticipated, and by the time the marauders and reapers breached the hangars, most of the gunships and drones were still going through the preparation procedure on the ground. Marauder grenades and reaper detonation charges quickly tore these aerial units to pieces, neutralizing their threat once and for all.

As the battle came to an end, Athena returned to her own body and turned to Adrianna. They had been staying outside the base when the fighting was still going. Now that the Terran forces have taken control it was safe for them to enter. “Let’s go.”

“Sir,” Inside the airfield, Rum turned to Athena. “Their reinforcements are likely on the way here. What are our orders now?”

“I have eyes around the perimeter. We still have some time.” Athena instructed before gesturing at the control tower not far away. “Send a squad of marauders and reapers and take that tower. The rest of you secure this airfield. Focus on the airfield and the garage.”

“Yes sir.”

“I can go with them, Athena,” Adrianna proposed.

Athena nodded. “Be careful. And keep your helmet closed. There will likely be a lot of cameras inside.”

Athena knew it would be impossible to hide the presence of her Terran forces. This wasn’t the remotely located Research Outpost Delta where all the surveillance footage was stored on a local database. This was a military airfield on the capital planet of an advanced kingdom. Most likely, surveillance footage taken here was automatically backed up in remote data centers. If the Imperials won the war, they would likely access those data centers. Athena just hoped she would be gone by the time either side had the time to wonder who the hell she was.

Right now she and Adrianna were still in their Imperial power armor, but they had physically removed any identifiable information from their armor. Their voices were also filtered through the microphone system built into the armor. Unless they showed their faces, it would be difficult to trace them to two of the countless Imperial soldiers missing in action.

As Adrianna and Rum turned and left, Athena shifted her attention back to the hangar. A group of her marines and reapers had already entered the building. Initially, there were a number of gunshots, but they soon died down as the last of the resistance was destroyed.

“Sir, the hangar is secured.” A marine whose voice Athena didn't recognize came out and reported. “We took around two dozen prisoners. What should we do with them?”

“Leave them for now. And the ships?”

“We are still exploring the entire hangar, sir. We destroyed maybe a dozen gunships on the ground that were trying to lift off.”

“Good.” Athena nodded. “Make sure to cover everything…”

“Human technologies detected in close proximity to units…”

“Analyzing technology…”

“Analysis complete. Technologies show resemblance to Terran engineering…”

“Terran structure Factory has been unlocked…”

“Well that’s neat...wait, factory?”

“It could be the garage, sir.” Dash reminded Athena. “The 4th Regiment is a mechanized regiment. It has a fair share of armored vehicles and light tanks. Most of these vehicles were still sitting in the garage when we broke through.”

Athena nodded. Regardless of how the unlock happened, the reality was that she could now build Terran mechanical units from the Factory. She quickly opened the game and noticed the Factory had given her an astounding 300 more supplies. On one hand, this meant she could build a lot more Terran units. On the other hand, Factory units likely cost a lot more supply than infantry units.

As her Terran units continued to scour the airfield and her Zerg roaches reported everything was all clear, Athena took the moment of freedom to enter the game and explore the new units the Factory allowed her to produce.

The Factory could produce some of the most powerful vehicles in the Terran arsenal, but like Athena expected, most of these needed other buildings like the Factory Tech Lab or the Armory. As of now, only two units were available.

The first was the hellion. Hellions were high-speed raiders designed for scouting and skirmishing roles in the terran forces. Their main role on the battlefield was to quickly close the distance with enemy light armored infantry, rain fire with their plasma fuel powered infernal flamethrowers, and then escape once things got too dangerous. They excelled at hit-and-run tactics and, due to their extremely light armor, tended to suffer in prolonged firefighting.

Hellions cost 100 resources and were worth 2 supplies each.

Widow mines were far more than just mines. Each widow mine was an automated weapons factory equipped with a miniature assembly line and an onboard AI. Standing around 1.5 meters tall and similarly wide, widow mines could dig themselves into the ground as ambushers or sentinels. Once they detect enemy units nearby, they would fire sentinel missiles that would hit the enemy units before detonating into a storm of shrapnels, killing the enemy units and everything nearby. They were infamous in the terran military for the numerous friendly fire incidents.

Window mines cost 200 resources and were worth 2 supplies each.

These two units weren’t too expensive in resource or supply. They had their strengths, but unlike the marines and marauders, they also had quite obvious weaknesses. If they were used well, they could easily be worth their price. If they were used poorly, Athena would get a rather low return on her investment.

Suddenly, Click tapped his helmet and turned to Athena.

“Sir, we have taken over the control tower and defeated the last of the Decima defenders. The command staff and officers of the 4th Mechanized Regiment have surrendered. Their leader is requesting an audience with you, sir. Would you like to go see them?”

Athena nodded. She took a few steps toward the control tower before sighing to herself. She closed her eyes and took over the body of one of her marines in the control tower.

Why walk all the way there when she could simply speak through someone else?

---

A few minutes ago, inside the command center, the officers and command staff of the 4th Mechanized Regiment watched in silence as their forces were wiped out far sooner than they had anticipated. As their gunships and drones burned, these men knew it was all over. It didn't take long before despair began to set in.

“Sir,” Major Stanz snapped to Colonel Decker. “We need to get out of here now!”

“Our reinforcements are on the way! We have several platoons that will be back here in minutes!” The colonel did his best to remain calm and stoic. “Sergeant Bree, take my security platoon and hold this tower at all costs! We are not losing it to the Imperials!”

“Yes sir!” Sergeant Bree nodded and rushed out of the room, followed by half a dozen sentinels in the command center.

“Sir, with all due respect, how long will a single platoon last?” Major Stanz was hardly convinced. Yes. The security platoon was made of the best in the regiment. Yes. The control tower’s environment would favor the defenders. So what? He had watched the intruders decimate their enemies via the security camera, and the reality was that he was terrified. He had seen the Decima Royal Guard in action. The Royal Guard was the best of the kingdom, but he doubted they were as good at killing as these troops.

“We are not abandoning a key military base to the Imperials!”

“Sir, if we stay here, the only thing we will do is add to the casualties!”

“It doesn’t matter either way.” Another major quietly raised his voice before gesturing at the main display which was now showing security footage inside the tower. “They’re already here.”

“We still have the emergency exits! We still have time!”

“I will not repeat this again!” Colonel Decker snapped once again before drawing his sidearm and slamming it on the desk. His eyes were red with anger. “If you want to desert from your post, Major Stanz, then you should be ready to face the consequences!”

Colonel Decker had no intention of leaving. Yes. His forces were stretched thin by factors outside of his control. Yes. His enemies were surprisingly powerful. None of that mattered. Whatever the reason behind this defeat was, the reality was that he had lost a major Decima position. If he fled, what would await him? Military trials. Maybe execution. What would people say about him? About his father? His family?

He was the son of a Legion Master. The son of a hero of Decima. The least he could do was die fighting at his post. The least he could do was be made a martyr.

Beside him, Major Stanz’s face turned red. He lowered his head and hid the anger in his eyes. The major knew what would happen to the colonel if he gave the order to run. As the commanding officer, the colonel would be finished, but the rest of them…they were just following orders. There was a good chance they would be spared. Their career might be finished, but they could leave with their lives. The colonel, in his foolish loyalty, took this option from him.

As the fighting continued, it soon became clear to the colonel that Major Stanz was right. The security platoon did its best to delay the intruders. They stopped the elevators and blew up key parts of the staircase. Automated defense turrets and explosives were put to use. Yet the enemies pushed forward.

Colonel Decker watched as the heavily armored enemies with grenade launchers blew their way through closed blast doors, defense turrets, and whatever cover the Decima soldiers used to shield themselves. He watched as enemies with jetpacks easily scaled several floors at once and decimated the defenders with explosives and handguns capable of blasting through the walls like they were paper. He watched as Sergeant Bree tried to ambush a small group of enemies, only for the tables to turn within seconds of his troops opening fire. The heavily armored enemy soldiers began shooting back without a moment of chaos or hesitance while the ones with jetpacks took cover behind their tougher comrades. None of them seemed too bothered by the ambush or the danger. The shooting ended quite quickly, and the sergeant himself was stabbed in the neck by an enemy soldier wearing a red Imperial Guardian class power armor.

The entire time, the colonel and most of the officers were too busy watching the surveillance footage or screaming at the returning platoons to move faster. None of them noticed Major Stanz and some of his colleagues having their own little conversation.

Soon, the entire security platoon had been wiped out, and the hostile forces were moving toward the command center. The officers knew the enemies would arrive in a few minutes at most, and if they resisted, their fate would be the same as that of the three platoons.

“Sir?” Major Stanz turned to his colonel, his voice low. “Orders?”

Colonel Decker sighed before reaching for his sidearm on the table. Regardless of how this war would turn out, he had done his duties.

“Prepare for combat…”

The next second, there was a gunshot.

“Sorry, sir.” Major Stanz whispered as Colonel Decker collapsed on the floor, dead. “It’s your choice if you want to throw your life away, but I am not going to die for a stupid war.”

“What have you done?”

Around the command center, several officers snapped at the major in fury, but before they could do anything, a number of other officers behind Stanz raised their sidearms as well and held the others at gunpoint.

Usually, there would be loyal soldiers of the security platoon inside the command center to quickly put down any type of mutiny. This was no longer the case after Sergeant Bree left with his men.

“Does any of you want to die?” Major Stanz pointed at the officers. “You! Lieutenant! Do you still want to see your fiance again? Yes? Then put down your weapon! You! Major Peterson! You want to die here? Or do you want to go home again? Do you have a wife? You don’t have a wife? Well, you’re not gonna get one if you die here! Put down your sidearm now!“

"This is treason!"

"Judging by how this war is going, it will be treason if you do your duties now!" Sergeant Stanz scoffed. "Treason? Treason is simply an excuse those in power use to discredit and punish their enemies. When the Imperials win, and they are winning, it is people like Colonel Decker who will be traitors! Put your weapons on the ground! I will not ask again!"

There was silence in the room before, one by one, the other officers gave in. It was always easy to promise to die for a cause or a king. When their lives were actually on the line, things become a little more...difficult.