On The Ground
“Advance!” The order rang across the comm.-net like a clarion call. The battle brethren surged forward without hesitation, guns roaring as their bullets battered at the Mercenary’s galaxy. Return fire from the Merc’s lashed out at the Pantalone army. Tracer fire and screaming shells filled the vast air, ricocheting of their armour plating and forcing them to struggle forward as if into the teeth of a storm. But the galaxy had to be captured, the Mercenary threat had to be silenced.
Brother Retyu was struck square in the chest. Flecks of his armour sprayed across his faceplate, as he struggled to keep himself upright. He failed and went down on one knee. Not two yards away brother Thanar fell with two fist-sized holes though his abdomen, his bright blood mixing with the dark earth. At that instant the heavy weapons of Bizman spoke with one voice and the perimeter buildings were rent by fiery explosions. Almost immediately the Merc’s firing slackened to sporadic bursts.
Retyu heaved himself upright, the armour grinding as it tried to keep up with his movements. He levelled his gun and blasted at a figure silhouetted in a ruined window. The body disappeared under the hail of explosive fire and Retyu boosted the power to his legs to lope forward and regain his place in the battle line.
His armour hadn’t been the same since he had to have replacement parts from another battle; his armour needed many repairs and replacement parts to be useable again.
Retyu caught up with brother Fordail and Brother MagicFlame as they prepared to assault the outer wall. Convivial’s armour was scarred in a dozen different places where he had been hit but he calmly slammed another clip into his gun as if at morning firing tires. MagicFlame gave the signal and they stormed through a break together. To their left and right more armoured brethren burst through the perimeter walls.
A number of Merc’s spilled out of the shattered building like a red tide, beyond them NOBODY unleashed another salvo of gimmos into the heart of the on-coming pantalones. At such close range it was devastating, fire and smoke exploded all about and Retyu felt his helm ring like a bell as red-hot shrapnel ricocheted off it. Convivial fell with a curse, his arm torn away at the elbow. Yells and gunshots filled the air as the Mercenary’s closed in on the battered Pantalone members. Retyu and the others took up firing stances and pumped shots into the oncoming red wave. Even Convivial manage to heft his gun in his remaining hand and open fire. Every shot punched another howling Mercenary off his feet but they raced forward oblivious to casualties, bloodlust twisting their bestial faces. The remaining brethren were so outnumbered that they would likely be swept away by their onslaught.
Then it happened. A section of wall collapsed inward and a massive hulking form crunched in over the rubble. He stood twice the height of a man and was so bulky that it looked more like a walking tank than an armoured man. Without breaking stride it raised the multi-barrelled cannon set into the angled armour plates of its arm and opened fire on the Merc’s. Explosions ripped through their ranks like a scythe. With joy Brother Retyu recognised the ancient heraldry that Bizman displayed, and charged forward into the heart of the Mercenary bulk.
