A 7OX Story ** Planetside 2: The Line ** There is only war on the planet of Auraxis.

Three factions battle in a long war in the goal of achieving dominance on the planet. Battles across the continents of Auraxis. Human blood had been shed thousands of times daily. Nature had been wrecked countless times only to be restored by the powerful nature of nanite technology.

A few days ago, the Terran Republic struck a technological find, discovering an alien artefact that initial analysis may prove to be a vital jumpstart in weapons technology. The 7OX platoons had cut through enemy lines and ensured the retrieval of the artefact from the excavation site far in the desert. The Terran Republic scientists were filled with joyful curiosity and begun examining it immediately.

Both New Conglomerate and Vanu Sovereignty understood the complications of the artefact and have sought to stop it. Conflict between the NC and VS had subsided to nothing and turned towards the TR. The Republic lines began to crumble under the unified attack. Few attempts by the Republic to bait the two forces to engage each other had met with failure. The republic military struggle as their scientists strived furiously to find the answers they seek before what all may be is lost.

**

Planet Auraxis Terran Republic Warp Gate Two days ago 1000 hours

Within a simple and small square building, a group of forty men and women stood and watched quietly in the far corners of the warp gate. Standing in military service uniforms, they stare blankly at the body of their friend, beloved or commanding officer. Blades was laid to rest on a marble platform, dressed with full his military honours. The priest beseeched from the crowd. We will now call Major Ham who will give the eulogy.

From the first line, Ham came forth to the podium of stone. He cast his gaze across the audience. They all watch him carefully as he began. Blades is not any ordinary man. He had survived throughout this war for six years without the use of the Rebirth system. That alone foretold of his immense skill and tenacity to survive.

Ham stepped off the podium to walk towards the platform. He is a true Seven Ox. He was a great commander. He cared for us all as though he isnt a commander but fellow brother and sister. He stopped at the side of his commander. I remember how much difficulty we had to get along the first time. However, he made his way to get through to us, to make sure that we do our best for the Republic.

He squeezed the shoulder of his former leader. His time is over but ours is not. We will continue to fight and ensure order to our world in his name. Ha let go and faced the audience as he ended his eulogy with a final call. All hail blades.

The members of the platoon chanted in return. All hail blades!

The priest moved on as Ham returned to his post. We will begin the Genesis process. You may wish to bid your last goodbyes. The few civilians, the wife and young child grieved one last time for their beloved husband and father. The silence felt sad and sickening to Ham whom responded with a tightened fist. The family and friends returned to their place after each placing a red rose onto Blades chest.

That gave the cue for Cobrate ordered. Platoon! Attention! Thirty boots clacked in synchrony. Present, arms! The 7OX platoon raised arms in a crisp salute to their former platoon leader. Several seconds later, Cobrate called once again. Return, arms! Swift and smooth, the salute is complete. The tech priest picked up a silver gun within an embroidered case. It had Vivant Et Republica styled in italics along its side.

The priest aimed it at the deceased and fired a green ray of light. The light shone around their platoon leader, nanites beginning to consume the body and will repurpose it accordingly to the needs of the Republic. The process was quick. Skin vanished before the remaining parts began to wither and disappear. In a moment, their platoon leader Blades is no more.

**

Feldspar Canyon Base Present Time 1337 hours

Mentler bit his lip as he felt recoil on his shoulder. His shoulder was starting to get sore from firing his LMG. He had been shooting from this perch of cover for several hours. Breaks were few in between the engagement. Bodies of men have been strewn onto the dusty roads. SOCA, JUGA and HMRR have been deployed to the Valley Storage Yard to hold back against the Vanu assault. The 107th Ravens have been deployed to the Arroyo Torre Station to hold back against a fighting armada of aircrafts.

These bases are the final defence line before the enemy would reach the Warp gate. If the enemy breaks through, the entire Terran Republic military chain of command would be annihilated and broken. Countless civilians within the warp gate facility would be massacred. The fate of the Terran Republic holds in the balance on this line.

Thank God these canyons make it difficult to bring in the full might of the enemy. Enemy air and armour have been choked down, making the line a lot more defensible. Even so, the pressure around the bases is tight. Terran armour could not reinforce from the warp gate as theres no room to manoeuvre, making the canyon a double edge sword.

Right now, Felspar base is being attacked from the west and the north by two NC platoons. A tank platoon of Prowlers are providing suppression and keeping the enemy tanks from getting close with a group of Sunderers providing ammunition supplies. The NC has established a small field outpost behind an outcrop of canyon rocks and within the small buildings to the left. The Republic still holds the cluster of buildings northwest of the main tower but the Conglomerate MAXes are making it difficult.

Valley Storage yard is under attack by three platoons of the Vanu. The three platoons are arranged in a concave from north to the west. They hold part of the high ground above the base and are shelling the base with their hover tanks. The Republic troops there are pinned down behind the cover of buildings and rocks. Terran armour has difficulty getting a favourable avenue of engagement especially against the high ground. The Vanu infantry had yet to begin the advance but there might not be anything left of the yard if the shelling keeps up.

In the air, its a bigger mess. Squadrons of all three factions are battling it out across the three regions. Mosquitoes, Reavers, Scythes are abundant with bomber Liberators providing armour suppression support. Bullets and missiles dart in the air as aircraft across the battlefield. Red Ridge

Communications is where these birds are the most intense of air combat. For now, that is not Mentlers problem.

Mentler cursed under his breath. Where are the 7OX platoons? They shouldve been here in the fighting.

Kevin Rudd, the commander of the Felspar Defence force answered as he popped behind cover of the first floor. Theyre moving to flank the NC.

Mentler grunted as he slapped a new drum into his machine gun. Wellthey better make it quick or were going to be plastered against this wall. He barely caught notice of several large blue frames entering the northwest storage buildings. He could already feel the deaths of those men in there.

Kevin pulled several magazines and dumped them on the floor. How are we on ammunition?

Mentler gestured to the nanite pipeline at the wall beside them. We dont need to worry about ammunition. What we need are more bloody men on the lines. As he said that, a combat engineer skidded under bullet fire into the spot beside him.

The engineer reported. Reinforcements from the other continents are on route as we speak. 7OX are launching right now.

Kevin nodded. Esamir and Amerish eh. They certainly got their priorities right. Lets hope those boys can do us some real good work.

**

Gate One, this is Freesky one. We are requesting clearance for take-off, over.

We read you Freesky one. All flight paths are open. You are cleared for take-off.

Coleman pulled gently on the yoke. Affirmative Gate one. 7OXes are launching. Four Galaxies lifted slowly from the air pad into the sky. The two bulky transports flew in duck formation with several fighters and liberators at the flanks. The two other Galaxies trailed behind the formation by a kilometre of room. They kept low along the ground, heading west towards the Red Ridge Communications.

Alan warned. I read the skies are heavy. 107th got most of them occupied but be careful for stragglers.

Coleman replied with a hint of sarcasm. How am I supposed to be careful? Im a big flying bucket of bolts. I cant be more obvious besides painting a Shoot me sign aint it? Several tracer bullets shot past their cockpit before several loud thuds indicated projectile penetration.

Alan grits his teeth. You and your bloody mouth. This is Freesky one, were taking fire! He grabbed control of the topside gun. He saw a Reaver to his right firing a barrage of bullets towards them. He fired back in response but the fighter proved more nimble in dodging the shots.

Were right on it. Cheese one called as he and his wing mate broke from formation towards the Reaver.

Alan yelled as he swung the yoke. Incoming friendlies break right! The formation was forced to spread out to avoid several friendly Liberators heading their way. Curses went out as the formation was thrown into disarray. Hardened pilot experience quickly rallied the force into formation as they entered no mans land.

Coleman cursed as he saw the battle of the birds. Oh boy, were diving right into a swarm of bees. Explosions peppered the sky as dozens of aircraft danced in symphony of war. Fighters of all factions darted across the open skies and within the canyons in their goal for air supremacy. The progress for all is quite difficult. The Galaxies guns started firing as they are the largest ones in the fight and most noticeable.

They were quickly queried by an aggravated voice. This is Fire Lead. Who the hell are you guys?!

Coleman responded. This is Freesky one of the 7OXes, were going in for a much needed flanking attack.

Fire Lead was mad. Theyre up for your blood now! Were holding them back! Get out of here quickly! Alan could spot several Liberators gunning towards them. Several Mosquitoes deterred them by firing a swarm of Coyote missiles in their general direction. Those Mosquitoes in turn were knocked out of the sky by several Hornet missiles. Go!

Alan gave their thanks as the air armada advanced under intense cover support from the 107th. The battle around them was intense. Guns barked in attempt to deter the enemy despite proving to be of little effect. Alan could feel the jumbo aircraft shaking from all the explosions around them. He called out to the formation. Weve reached Nav point one. All aircraft, change heading to three hundred. Seven aircraft banked to starboard in synchrony. Their course now took them away from Red Ridge and towards the Tawrich Tech Plant.

The obvious came in small exploding black clouds in the air around them. Were taking flak! Alan correlated the sensors and managed to spot several Skyguards holding position near the BlackShard Mine.

Alan practically yelled into the headset. Dive! Dive! Dive! The entire formation dove for ground, aiming to keep the canyon walls in between them and those Skyguards. Those tanks have to be dealt with before they can do proceed.

Coleman held tight against the shaking joysticks. Steady The shaking intensified as armour shattered and bullets penetrated through the hull. He heard a yell from the passenger compartment calling for a medic. Steady. The numbers on his monitor scrolled down rapidly. He yelled as they reached the second waypoint. All Galaxies! Hard right! The Galaxies banked hard, making a beeline towards Blackshard Mining in single file. The Liberators went right and up into the air.

Coleman slammed the button for the door. Prepare for drop! The door groaned as the air rushed into the cargo bay. A full squad of men stood up and ready as they see the red soil below. The Galaxy reached so low that its merely feet above the ground.

Go! Go! Go! Muffin yelled as his squad leapt out the door. He was the last to leap out and went into a roll before rising onto a knee with the NS Decimator ready on his shoulders. He is fifty meters away from the Skyguard. All he needed to aim is just a second. He fired, hitting the turret of the tank. Several other rockets shot forth, striking the same point. The Skyguard exploded from the direct hits. Muffin reported as he slung his rocket launcher. This is Muffin! Were on the ground and retaking the Blackshard Mine!

Kagi in the rear Galaxies responded. Roger that. Clear the zone for the big delivery. He changed channel to the pair of Galaxies behind them. Last comms check. You guys read us?

Their passenger reported. This is Knight. We read you loud and clear.

Kagi opened the door. Were approaching the LZ. Get ready. The second pair of Galaxies lined up for another drop run.

The response was brief. Copy. The door lid hit the floor and dragged a cloud of dust and sparks.

In the cargo bay, Shimmers banged the tank several times. Release! The Prowler reversed and slid out of the Galaxy. It hit solid ground but the suspension absorbed it just fine. It kept reversing as a second Prowler reversed out of the Galaxy. The Galaxy pulled up as its cargo door closed. Its brother Galaxy repeated the same only a hundred metres behind, bringing a full platoon of four tanks into the field.

Knight reported as he pushed his tank forward. This is Rival platoon. Weve on the ground and securing the LZ.

**

Meanwhile up above, the three Liberators are about to start their work. Onu checked his approach one last time as the Skyguards were cleared out. This is Hammer One. We are going for gun run.

Cheese One grunted as high gees dug him deeper into his seat. Copy that! Be careful, were still busy on this guy! Onu didnt reply as his gunner Kool took aim with the C150 Dalton. They soared over the Stronghold in a glide towards Felspar. Kool could see the glorious bunch of targets to fire at. Their calls were quiet before becoming a Banshees shriek. The three Liberators peppered deadly 150mm rounds onto the column below, destroying what infantry and armour it could in the span of seconds they have. The trio kept on going, under a bridge and back into the Republic safe zone.

Onu reported as his bomber flight turned up and right. We have good hits. We are coming round for another run.

Death one, defending prowler at Feldspar responded. We read you. Well take advantage of it. They began advancing a little in order to apply more pressure for the flanking force to reap more rewards. The NC stood their ground, firing back high calibre rounds tank rounds across.

Chrono, said as he fired the tailgun A30 Walker. Onu, we got bogies on our six!

Onu darted his eyes toward the rear camera. He has a squad of reavers on his tail, very eager to take a fat chunk of him. Lets split them up. Hammer Two and Three broke left and right respectively, pulling. That left him with four Reavers to deal with. Onu tightened his grip. Time to run the gauntlet.

He dove low as the Reavers began firing. He juked left and right however he could in the tiny pathway of the canyon. He felt the back of the Liberator being perforated with enemy rounds. If they get through into the ammunition cache, they are as good as gone.

Chrono kept the A30 firing to little avail. The pecking of metal kept on going. Armours down to 70%! That gave them about several dozen more hits at the same place before the nanite armour layer will fail and leave them exposed.

WARNING! LOCK ON!

Chrono yelled. Coyote Missiles! Hit the flares! Fiery yellow plumes shot forth from the back. Missiles darted away, blasting a cloud of smoke behind them. One missile shot through coming right for the tail. Missed one!

Hold on tight! Onu threw the Liberator into a barrel roll. The missile shot past, inches away from the belly. They kept the roll, making their profile more difficult to anticipate and attack. Onu and the others clenched their mouth tight not to lose their lunch. The Reavers hung back in more caution as they began to reassess the Liberator. Suddenly a Reaver took several rounds before exploding into flames. Kool threw a thanks to the friendly Skyguard below as they shot past Auraxium Mines.

Onu pulled a hard right towards Copper Ravine Station. He went extremely low towards the ground. He juked right as a friendly Mosquito joined the chase from behind. A quick lock on and a pair of missiles shot forth, taking out the rear most Reaver. In turn, the two Reavers started juking more as the four aircraft continued the chase.

The two Reavers quickly formed up on single file. The Mosquito held in place, eager to get the easy kill. Suddenly, the lead Reaver dove and pulled the brakes, sliding under and past the Mosquito. It hit the engines again, appearing behind the Mosquito. With a quick burst of its M30 Mustang, the Mosquito was destroyed. Onu cursed as they shot past Arroyo station. Several more bullets struck his back. Armours down to 50%. He pulled up and hit the afterburners. That gave him a valuable burst of speed. The Reavers hit the afterburners in pursuit.

Onu pulled the Liberator to the right, avoiding another long burst. A Mustang shot struck true, tearing a hole into the starboard wing. Smoke burned before the fire suppression activated. The Liberator buckled out of control before Onu wrestled it to submission. Alarms rang out before quickly silenced. The cockpit turned as the Liberator dived in a cockscrew over the Stronghold. A Reaver shot forward eager for the kill. Onu slammed the brakes and pulled up and hard to the right. That said Reaver shot under but his wingman wasnt so lucky.

BAM!

The bomber shook hard as the left wing smashed against the fighter. The two separated in an instant as the Reaver fell lazily from the sky. Onu worked the ailerons and rudder to regain control. By the time he stabilized, he saw a large canyon wall coming right towards him.

WARNING! PULL UP!

Onu flicked the switch to VTOL, slammed the thrusters to full and pulled hard against the yoke. All power to the engines! The afterburners ignited, adding more thrust. The entire Liberator pulled its frame upwards. It hugged the wall as its engines propelled the bomber upwards.

He cut thrust as he rolled the bomber. Spinning around, Kool had a good point blank shot.

DAM!

The 150mm tore through the belly, splitting the Reaver into two. They cheered as the Liberator levelled out. Suddenly he felt the entire cockpit rattle from impact. Alarms started ringing. He saw plasma bolts flying to his left. Onu caught smoke to his left as Kool reported. We lost engine two from that hit!

Onu shut off the alarm and grabbed the stick. He had to get rid of that Scythe. Then lets do this! He switched to VTOL, slammed all brakes and thrusters to zero and pulled hard against the stick. His legs jammed the rudders against the force of air. The bulky aircraft groaned in protest but he forced the aircraft to swing unwieldy around. As the Liberator turned halfway around, he slammed engines back to full including the afterburners. The entire Liberator shot backwards as it rose up in a reverse thrust manoeuvre.

The Tankbuster roared, sending heavy calibre rounds to the wide aircraft. The Scythe was shredded and consequently exploded into pieces. Onu checked his sensors. They were clear for the time being. He checked for IFF of his flight. They are still hanging out fine but likewise similarly damaged. Time to get some quick repairs.

**

This is Knight. Armour platoon is advancing! Four tanks advanced down the road in pairs. They will lead the assault. Up ahead, he could see the small group of infantry and tanks. His second pair of tanks went into anchor mode as the other two Prowlers advanced. They unleashed rapid barrage of fire into the rear armour of the Vanguards. Caught by surprise, they exploded extremely easily.

The two tanks advanced as more 7OX infantry moved side by side, trading fire with the infantry. Knight winced as a rocket shot by his turret. Cover us! We are vulnerable to your kind of boys! Well deal with the tanks! The Vanguards were caught in a bad spot. Hold position and be flanked in the rear by tanks or turn around and get their rear shot by rockets. Knight heard someone directing to him. We got rid of the shield but we need to take out that Vanguard fast!

Knight acknowledged as he went full throttle. The engine roared as the Prowler shot forward past the wreckage of tanks he made. Nearing the junction, he pulled the handbrake and turned left. The Prowler skid across the sand, throwing up dust as it trained its gun perfectly towards the Vanguard. He pulled the trigger, firing both rounds. The shot entered the barrel, cooking off the ammunition within. Knight cheered as the Vanguard blew up. Armour superiority has arrived!

**

Kevin could see the explosive handiwork to the west using his micro binoculars. Major, our reinforcements have arrived!

Kevin noticed a new update on the tactical map as Mentler reported. Enemy is setting up emplacements on the canyon above us! The rifleman questioned for orders. Shall we hold them back and let the 7OX take them out?

Kevin pointed at the canyon walls as he broadcasted to his unit. Were not going to let them steal the show! Jump troopers! Rally up on me! A squad of Light assault troopers rallied to his call. Follow me and charge the enemy! They sprinted across the air pad before shooting up into the sky. They reached the midpoint of the canyon and hung onto the rock face to allow the reaction mass in the jetpacks to recharge. Several seconds later, they jumped once again, reaching the peak of the canyon.

Up above, the NC were setting up anti infantry and anti-armour emplacements. The Light assaults engaged the enemy in close combat. SMGs and Shotguns went loud, blasting apart the combat engineers. Several other NC caught notice and fired back from their perch to the right. Several troops were hit as the NC sunderer trained its Basilisks at them. Kevin skid underneath a small rock as the man behind him was shredded into pieces of meat. He had already lost half of the squad but the damage was returned in kind.

Kevin fired a burst, peppering the medic and fellow engineer with bullets. They collapsed as Kevin reached into his pouch in mid sprint. The Sunderer trained its gun and fired, missing the Light assault by inches. He slid a present under the Sunderer as he sprinted past and jumped into the air as he detonated the C4. The Sunderer exploded into flames, throwing smoke, flames and chaos. Kevin didnt have time to admire the fireworks for he was smashed hard in the gut by another Light Assault trooper.

Kevin managed to catch the second blow to his face and kicked the man back. That made the trooper open to a big hit to the face. It didnt deter the man whom head butted Kevin. Their reaction mass exhausted, causing their jetpacks to fail. They grappled at each other as they spun out of control towards the tower. Kevin managed to spin in time to force the other trooper to take the impact. That broke the mans neck, an instant kill. He stood back up as an explosion rocked the canyon. Come on men! We dont have all day for this!

**

Several Heavy assault troopers and a MAX stacked up against the northwest building infested with NC. The lead man threw a flashbang. Breaching! They advanced quickly on detonation, clearing the lower room of NC. As they advanced the stairs, they were torn apart by high calibre shotgun rounds. The MAX came forth to meet against another MAX, armed with a pair of Hacksaws.

The NC MAX narrowed its eyes, recognizing the scarred armour plate in the chest. You

Shackle sneered. Youre back. I just got an upgrade. He gestured to the two Fractures on his forearms. Do you mind being on the receiving end?

The NC Max aimed its shotguns. Ill finish you this time! Shackle turned to the side in time to avoid the blast. Shackle knew he is in a bad spot and sought to rectify it.

SERVOMOTOR OUTPUT TO 200%

Shackle yelled as he charged with the might of a bull. Not in a million years! The charge caught the NC by surprise, reacting a second too slow. The wall was peppered with another round as Shackle darted past with a heavy fist striking the NCs chest. That punch threw the NC back against the wall as Shackle aimed his right arm. The micro missile shot forth with red plumes to shatter the NCs left shoulder cauldron.

The NC brought up the shield to protect himself as he recovered. Shackle surged forward, smashing the shield arm aside for another shot. The NC MAX reacted quickly, striking the other arm and deflected the shot to penetrate into the wall. The Conglomerate shot forth and rammed Shackle. They both rolled, smashing noisily in a clank of metal against the wall and floors. Shackle threw him off and stood back up. They both recovered simultaneously, ready to fire once again. The Hacksaw packed more certainty of scoring a hit. The Fracture had a bigger punch to it. It is now the quick of the draw who will decide the victor.

They both moved simultaneously, firing at each other at close range. Shackles shot struck along the left leg, shattering armour and scoring flesh. The Hacksaw shredded into the left Fracture and parts of the forearm. Shackle used the wrecked arm and struck a blow at the chest. The Fracture broke apart into pieces as the NC staggered back.

By the time the NC recovered, he saw a mass of red in the air. Shackle came from above with a leaping blow. It smashed hard against the Conglomerates face. It broke bits of armour off as Shackle pressed the barrel of his remaining weapon against the forehead. A quick pull of the trigger and blood and flesh splattered across the room. Shackle wiped the blood of his helmet and admired his new weapon. That felt more like it.

**

Ham slapped his commander map close as they achieved their first objective. The NC on one side of the attack had been routed. That left the NC north of Feldspar to deal with. That field outpost wont go down on its own! Move it people! Two squads of men charged forwards the field outpost. Several transports could be seen grouped around the bunch of tents.

Ham of first squad, first platoon ordered as bullets whizzed by. Take cover! The two squads split up, taking cover behind two large boulders along the road. Ham slapped open his commander map. Proximity recon scans from a Sunderer at Felspar reported him at least three tanks ahead. Watch out for those tanks! You definitely dont want to be on the other end of that!

Corporal Sky of second squad peeked out from his cover. Bullets peppered the rock face. Deploy smoke! Several canisters were spread out across the road, brewing a cloud of black smoke. He used his rifles thermal scope to peek through the smoke. He could see several anti-infantry turrets setup along the road. They got turrets setup!

Knight reported as he parked his tank beside the tower and engaged Anchor mode. Well suppress the tanks. You guys move in and take them out! Ham acknowledged as two Light assault troopers leapt over the boulder with jet assistance before being quickly cut down.

Ham warned his men. Theyve got thermal! We arent going to get through unscratched with just smoke! He started calculating for alternatives as the smoke started to billow away. The road is a straight path with high canyon grounds. Should he try to go for a fast jumpjet attack along the sides with a supported frontal assault? Or should he try to put everything in, throw up smoke and advance with tank suppressive fire? He noted several new arrivals, infiltrators. Perhaps he can use them to cloak and create an opening?

Several of the defender infiltrators reported. Darts out! The minimap was filled with new information. Red silhouettes appeared on the HUD. Everything became extremely clear to them.

Ham now knew what he needed. Knight! I need six shots towards the enemy AI positions! I need the best men to throw some grenades at these locations! He marked them along the far left and right side of the roads. Knight acknowledged, firing several rounds at the enemy turrets under cover of several boulders. It cracked into the rocks, breaking and forming a moving mess. Several Heavy assaults tossed their grenades towards that direction, exploding with a small cloud of dust.

Ham charged as he made the opening he needed. Advance! The two squads rushed towards the enemy. The NC recovered quickly, sending bullets down their way. A Vanguard sent a round in return of the greeting. It smashed just in front of the Prowler, spraying dirt and dust. Knight shot back as the two squads made through the suppression and slammed themselves across new set of cover. The combat distance between them is about a fifty meters. I need more grenades!

Ham noticed a familiar MAX returning to combat. About time youre back!

Shackle shrugged with the Mercy as his replacement. Needed to swap out a gun. Got it busted in a brawl.

Ham nodded before pointing towards the enemy. Well then. Get in there and show them whos boss. The MAX said nothing before marching forward with the whine of motors.

Ham heard something behind him and turned by reflex. He managed to deflect the Mag-Cutter that was aiming for his neck. It grazed him as he countered with a kick to the gut. The grey suit appeared in a stagger as it decloaked into view. Ham reached for his pistol as the infiltrator lunged again. He jumped back again and again to avoid the stabs and swipes of the deadly knife. Ham countered by grabbing the arm during mid-swing and slammed his elbow into the gut. He struck another two times with grunts of success before kicking the NC back. Sprawled on the ground, Ham grabbed his Commissioner and fired a headshot.

Ham yelled as he returned to his duties. Who are we?!

WE ARE SEVEN OXES!

Ham grabbed a grenade and tossed it. Orange smoke brewed in the middle of the road. WHO DO WE FIGHT FOR?!

FOR THE REPUBLIC!

Ham designated the two squads next target, right at the orange smoke. WHAT DO WE DO TO OUR ENEMIES?!

WE CHARGE AND CRUSH THEM!

ADVANCE! They charged again for the last stretch. They braved fire as smoke covered their approach. They are now on opposite sides of the boulder. Both sides threw grenades over the side, wreaking havoc with their shields. The fights are up close and bloody. Men fall as Sky darted forward from the right side. He held an Underboss in his hand as he vaulted over a rock at the side. He fired at an infiltrator as he slipped to the other side. His shot were noticed as he fired at a Medic. He leapt as he reached for his mini chain gun. He revved it up as he landed in front of four men whom were turning around.

BRRR!!!!!

The men were shredded by dozens of bullets in extreme close quarters. Sky mowed down several before a Heavy Assault bashed him in the sides. Collapsing to the ground, he reached out and caught the knife from striking his neck. He pulled the arm, making the knife strike into the sand and throwing the soldier against the rocks. He stood back up and quickly struck two blows before grabbing his knife and returning the stab into the mans neck.

Ham vaulted over the same rock as he used dual pistols to take out men with quick and precise shots. The several NC whom turned around started firing back but Sky activated his NMG shields, creating a red bubble around himself. Those NC were quickly taken out as Shackle advanced with his repaired kinetic armour. Shackle absorbed the bullets of a dozen men as several combat engineers used their Nano Armour Kit to replenish the nanite armour on the MAX.

With the bullet shield, the Republic advanced their troops, taking out scores of the Conglomerates with effective trade of fire. Within a moment, the field outpost was taken down with several chunks of C4. The enemy tanks now without infantry supported began a guns firing withdrawal. The defenders of Felspar raised their rifles in a cheer as Prowlers and Sunderers entered the field. Now its time for the counterattack!

**

The defenders of Blackshard are encountering new enemies to battle. The enemy NC managed to rally another platoon to reinforce the assault. The enemy were heavily infantry with slight support of vehicles. Cobrate cursed as his shields took a bullet. Theyre not giving up!

Muffin spammed a burst of his T9 Carv. We have to hold the line! The Oxes were holding up on the upper balconies with defensive infantry turrets.

The Blackshard defenders received new orders from Ham. Valley Storage Yard is faltering. They need immediate support on those canyon tanks. Im pulling a squad out to assist.

Muffin pointed towards the enemy. Well hold this place for a while. Get to them and give a hand.

Cobrate nodded as he rallied his squad. First squad, form up! Were redeploying to Valley Storage Yard! Make it quick! Acknowledgement lights appeared on his HUD in response.

Coleman was hard to hear from the static. This is going to be a hot pickup. All crew get on guns ready. The Galaxy came in from the east. They landed in between Blackshard and the Stronghold. Coleman in the cargo bay waved hurriedly as bullets started flying their way. Everyone in! Hurry! The M60 Bulldogs provided covering fire as the squad of men raced towards it. It did not deter the attackers whom fired back with zealous impunity.

Everyones on board. Lets go. The Galaxy lifted off as Basilisks peppered the armour of the jumbo transport. A rocket flew and struck its target along the left side of the hull, marking it red with scorching plasma. Coleman made an estimate. Preparing for second drop. ETA two minutes.

Ham reopened his command uplink. Whats the status on the infiltrators?

Red didnt have the answer. Last I heard, theyve drop podded in successfully and are preparing to attack. Theyve gone dark after that.

At Valley Storage Yard, the Vanu were heavily positioned for assault. A pair of Sunderers, several tanks and groups of infantry piled up on the edges of the high canyons, peppering lethal firepower downrange. To the west of this group, two pairs of eyes watched intently. This is Shadow, Infiltration team 2 in position.

Much closer to the northwest of the group, several silhouettes appeared before vanishing from sight. Copy Infil team 2, Infil team 1 is ready.

Shadow acknowledged as he took in a deep breath. Engaging. His sight set on a Combat Medic was already ready for a minute. He pulled the trigger, knocking a perfect headshot kill.

Target down. Shadow aimed at an engineer manning a portable infantry turret. He let his aim hang for a second before firing. He got sight of blood spatter onto the turrets green shielding as the engineers opened head plopped against the gun. His partner, Veloc made another shot as a target at the far left was killed using deactivated Chain-Blades.

Ufemia of team one noted. Clearing left. These Infiltrators armed with suppressed SMGs began engaging in close combat. A half dozen were wiped out without notice. His HUD kept track of his teammates, whom are already advancing quickly under the guise of cloaks. He saw targets fading off the HUD as they were killed one by one.

Ufemia leapt behind the Sunderer, reloading the empty SMG. Moving right. Shadow sent an acknowledgment light as their shot struck a soldier in a suspicious pause. The bodys collapse was enough to cause notice for several others which quickly raised the alarm.

Krill noted as he vanished in cloak. Weve been spotted. The Vanu began rallying around the Sunderer as they scanned their eyes for the signs of cloaking. The tanks paid no heed as the Sunderers guns began patrolling for targets.

Ufemia warned as her SMG took out another man. Dont get hit by EMP nades. We are outnumbered. Stealth is key.

Demond was shrill about that. Yes Mom. Team one split up into four directions. Hiding behind a small piece of rock, Ufemia tossed an EMP grenade at the Sunderer. Electronics fizzled out as Krill tossed a package of C4 onto the truck. With a click, it detonated, killing another half dozen.

Veloc warned as he silenced a turret. Enemy Infils, watch out.

Shadow barely caught a glint of shine on the barrel of his rifle. By reflex, he dived and was nearly stabbed by a Force blade. The shiny blade took a chink off the piece of rock. He countered by striking the mans precious treasure. The infiltrator staggered back as Shadow reached for his Chain blade and activated it. The tiny knife revved with eager claws. He charged and stabbed but his strike was parried. Shadow took the initiative, attacking with quick rapid strikes.

Shadow chose to grapple the arm and get a stab from there. The two infiltrators could only see each others cold metal helmets. The Vanu was slick like eel, pulling back as he tried to stab the neck. Shadow managed to twist his neck, only ripping a small tear of the nano suit. Shadow head butt the man followed with a kick. The infiltrator fell back as he grabbed his Repeater and fired. Three rounds struck and killed the man. Shadow turned and threw his knife, striking into the neck of another cloaked infiltrator.

Veloc turned to see the toppling corpse. That was close. Without a word, they vanished and began moving. Team one likewise began to vanish into the canyon. The canyon was now littered with bodies and little else.

A moment later, Shadow went live on the radio. We have them distracted. Your gate is open. I repeat. The gate is open.

Alan reported. Were coming in hot from above.

Two Galaxies came from the west of the canyon force. Coasting along the canyon floor, they pulled the airbrakes with a dive. Two Prowlers, deployed within the open cargo bay fired. High explosive rounds wreak havoc against the Vanu. That left the Magrider tanks on the canyon ground. The Vanu on the ground level responded quickly, firing Bursters and rockets toward the Galaxies.

Alan winced as plasma grazed along the cockpit. He yelled as he shut the bay door. Go! The two Galaxies pulled up and withdrew quickly, leaving it to the next phase. Two other Prowlers came in from the west with guns blazing.

Knight charged his tank towards the Magriders. He aimed his guns at the rear armour slightly to his left. His shots punctured through, blowing it up in a spectacle of plasma. He kept his speed as the Magrider in front of him rotated to face him. The Saron gun spat plasma towards his tank. Knight could feel the heat from the shots but his armour held.

The Magrider turned fully as his gun reloaded. On instinct, he fired a shot. Plasma shot forth from the main gun and was intercepted by the round, exploding in between them. Knight yelled as his tank charged through the explosive flames. His tank smashed hard against the Magrider, throwing it off the canyon. It fell onto the Sunderer below it, exploding grandiosely in blue plasma.

Knight reported as they withdrew to the south for another pickup. The canyon high ground is clear!

The Republic defender commander responded. Appreciate it. We can handle with these guys in Spandex. Alright men, lets show them how the Republic fights! Red infantry surged forth from cover with smoke deployed. Bullets and lasers traded places and crisscrossed across the facility.

Two other Galaxies came back, this time carrying forth infantry. Light Assault troopers leapt from their transports down into the battlefield. The Vanu at Valley Storage Yard were attacked from all sides. Bodies fell as the sheer number of bullets began to take down the man in Spandex one by one.

Herpington noticed something and yelled. Theyre pulling back!

Cobrate thrust a fist into the air. Weve did it! The Vanu were beaten and they knew it. They could only minimize their losses now and figure out a new plan. The NC would read this development and probably retreat as well.

Red, the outfit comms officer had good news to report. Second squad managed to hold out the NC at Blackshard. The NCs are retreating as well. Esamir and Amerish task groups have arrived and logistics are unloading their equipment as we speak. Theyll be launching the counterattack against the enemy.

Ham, in the outfits new command Sunderer nodded. Thats good to hear. Theyll keep the pressure off us until we can get the Indar strike forces back up to speed. He stepped out of the vehicle into the afternoon sun. Rally up the men.

Herpington gave a sigh of relief out loud on radio. Finally time for some R&R.

Ham snorted. Who said about R&R? Were going after them!

Knight voiced out from his scarred tank. I dont think thats advisable. Weve taken some damage and could use some repairs.

Ham retorted in turn. The enemy will not wait for us to be ready! The enemy will aim to kill us and bring down our Republic! We will not let them hurt the Republic! We will not let them hurt our loved ones! We will fight and WE WILL WIN THIS WAR!

Knight cracked a laugh. Looks like we aint gonna stop you about that. Were in!

Ham ordered on the outfit channel. All Seven Oxes, regroup at Feldspar Canyon base! We will take some time to eat. We will then resupply and rearm. After that, WE WILL MARCH FORWARD FOR THE REPUBLIC!

FOR THE REPUBLIC!

**