"Colonel Hackett, I am here to revise my recent report regarding the negotiations with Vagahm.
As reported, we negotiated with Tharnot, the Keeper of Vagahm, to continue our talks inside. However, the talks broke down multiple times throughout the conversation, and we were forced to leave after five hours. Luckily, we were given an extension to continue tomorrow. However, I am no longer confident that we could come to terms.
During the negotiations, it became clear that they were not committed to any of the proposals I had been authorized to offer. The Wood Elf Varitan Yeldan, a former motuia political adviser in the previous Salva regime, believes that the dwarves seek to secure additional deals in exchange for the hostages. While I see Yeldan's perspective, I have my doubts.
Regardless, we will continue negotiations tomorrow; however, that is not the main reason why I am reaching out. I am requesting additional security as the Verliance Aristocracy has discovered our presence, and I believe a show of force will also show that we are not messing around." - Major Smith
March 13th, 2069 (Military Calendar)
Yuplenia Mountain Range Verliance Aristocracy
Nevali Region, Aldrida, Alagore
*****
Seeing that the convoy had suddenly stopped, Natilite leaped off the roof of the command AMTV and landed by the passageway's side door. She then turned toward the Comanche Captain, who was in his rightful place in the commander's seat. The Altaerrie man still looked beaten, and the black eye glared. Luckily, the swelling was slowly healing.
"Why did we stop?"
Ryder leaned out the window and said, "We need to refuel before making the final push."
"Do we have time?" Natilite asked.
"Miller thinks so," Ryder said. "He and Webster think we shouldn't stop once we get to the other side of the mountain, in case the enemy spotted us before. If true, this will be our last chance."
"What do you think?"
Ryder sighed as he glanced away. "I have no idea. I didn't make the journey with you guys, so I am out of my depth. I am not a useful Captain right now."
"Do not state that," Natilite said. "You knew about the mountain port and delayed the Unity long enough to escape. You don't have to be the sword pointer in every situation."
Ryder stared at the Valkyrie and chuckled. "Sword pointer?"
She stared at him with confusion and said, "Yeah. A man in the front of his forces provides direction with a sword. Do you people not have something similar?"
Ryder stared at the Templar before saying, "You made that up. Didn't you?"
The Templar glanced away before saying, "No...."
"Right," Ryder said, finding the situation humorous. "Thank you."
The Captain noticed the team captains exiting their vehicles and removing the final fuel from the back of the Deuce. The Guardians, Minutemen, and RSC removed the containers from the back of the cargo UGVs. The prisoners were jammed into the backs of the three Deuces and two metal wagons.
The former prisoners looked annoyed, exhausted, and frustrated, something Natilite could understand. While the Templar was impressed by how advanced the Altaerrie drones were, she could tell that they were not designed to transport this many people and were over capacity.
Natilite noticed that Ryder placed his hand on his chest as he was closing the door, covering the area where he had received the deep cut.
"Are you okay?" she said.
The question caught Ryder off guard, and he quickly regained his composure. "If you ask if I can do my job, the answer is yes."
Of course, that is not what I mean... Natilite thought as she crossed her arms. Before she could inquire further, she saw Ryder move to the back door and lean into the window.
"Stay here, kiddo," Ryder said. "I'll be right back." He winked before heading off to meet with the other officers.
Seeing the Comanche Captain getting out of the vehicle, she stepped aside. To her disappointment, while he was hiding the pain, she could tell he was struggling. Acting normally, as the Templar understood, took a lot of strength and energy. As an officer, he had to project strength to maintain discipline and morale.
Watching the officer leave, Natilite couldn't help but smile. "What a tough guy."
"What is his deal?" Ar'lya asked as she approached.
Turning toward the Farian, she replied, "It is okay. It is a male thing not to show weakness in front of others. I believe he is worried that he is a spare wheel among his comrades."
"This is why I stay alone. I do not have to worry about such drama."
"And that is why you will be alone. People put up an act because they care about their friends, even if it might be obvious or silly."
"You truly trust these people?" Ar'lya said.
"It is not that I trust them," Natilite said. "I am not foolish enough to blindly follow anyone. However, you cannot gain the trust of those you wish to follow by being standoffish."
The Templar walked past the Farian and approached the vehicle's rear passenger window. "If you wish to live in Salva, you must learn to be part of a greater fellowship."
"Joining a fellowship is not my thing," Ar'lya said. "I just want a ride there so I can make some money. Once I am rich, I will find a nice place by a lake."
"Those who wish to be alone die alone."
Natilite leaned into the window and saw the dual-eyed girl. To her surprise, the girl was not scared or anxious but calm.
"You seem very cheerful."
"He said everything would be okay," Assiaya said.
"Yes, he did," Natilite said. She then looked across and saw the Elf Girl sitting in the other passenger seat. Since losing her father a second time, the Templar could tell that it had harmed the elf girl. "How are you feeling?"
Fraeya glanced over and said, "I just want to go home."
"We are almost there," Natilite said. "But it is okay if you are upset; if he did not stop you, you would also be a prisoner or worse."
"I do not care," Fraeya barked. "I lost the last chance I would ever have to see my father again. It is all his fault. We could have saved him if he had let me go or aided me."
"Miss Holiadon," Assiaya said.
Seeing the confused look in Fraeya's eyes, Natilite understood that the elf girl was not used to being addressed so formally. The girl was a slave servant for one of the most powerful men in the world, so the Templar understood the desire to be respectful.
"Assiaya, you do not have to be so formal out here. It is appropriate to address someone close to you by their first name."
The Dual-Eyed girl's facial expression showed that she initially struggled with the concept. It seemed as if she was not used to having people she could consider close. The girl then turned to the elf girl and said, "Miss Fraeya."
Natilite closed her eyes and shook her head, finding that the slave girl was trying to be friendly but not entirely understanding the concept.
"Yes?" Fraeya replied.
"I am sorry about your father," Assiaya said. "Please do not give up. I was with the Vampire Lord for six years after I was taken, but I never lost faith that I would be freed. Then, one day, someone came to Kallem's palace, and I was freed. Even my head maid helped free me, so I am trying not to lose hope. Maybe we will find your father again."
The Elf Girl wiped a tear off her cheek and then hugged the girl. "I know."
"Fraeya," Natilite said. "You do know that it was not the boy's fault. Your father would not want you to risk your life like that. You would not have made it."
"I know," she said shamefully, her ears lowering in disappointment.
Before Natilite could respond, she noticed a man approaching. It was Eger Wallace. Before she could inquire why the bulky soldier was there, she saw the Farian behind him, leaning in as she stared at the man from behind.
"Ma'am," Wallace said. "The Boss wants a word with you."
After a chuckle, Natilite replied, "I will be right there."
She turned back toward the elf girl. "Just have faith. We will find him one day. As Assiaya said, do not give up."
"Thank you," Fraeya said.
Seeing the two girls hugging, the Templar walked away from the vehicle and headed to where the three Altaerrie officers were gathered. The refueling process was almost complete. The Colonel they saved was aggressively disciplining a Guardian and a scientist. While she missed the beginning of the argument, it seemed like one of Salva's prisoners had reacted to something an American said. From her extensive experience as a Templar, she expected one of the Americans to vent his frustration at a native over how recent events had unfolded.
Up to this point, Robert had handled all the prisoners with strict discipline. This lecture was not the first time he had to stop a growing threat in the convoy. He prevented issues so the three captains could focus on getting everyone back alive without worrying about internal matters.
"What can a Templar do for you, gentlemen?" Natilite asked as she approached the three captains and their warrant officers.
"Are you up for a recon mission?" Ryder asked.
"Recon mission?" Natilite asked, confused. "I can, but why? Do you not have any more drones?"
"We have one left," Miller said. "Ours were destroyed when we flanked them, and Comanche's battery is dead."
"Mine is close to depletion," Webster said. "I would prefer we hold off deploying it until we reach the other side of the mountains."
While the Unity was chasing them, the Templar understood the need to reserve resources for the future threat posed by the Verliance Aristocracy. Even if they could lose the group chasing them through the mountain tunnel, they would still need to find a way to break through the Aristocracy's defensive lines.
"You don't need to go far," Ryder said. "We just need to know how close the Unity is behind us."
"I understand," Natilite said. "Mind if I have a pair of your binoculars?"
Rommel King reached into the vehicle and handed her a pair of bulky digital binoculars. He then explained their features, including how the zoom function worked.
"Simple enough," Natilite said.
The Valkyrie then walked toward a small clearing and prepared herself for takeoff. She flexed her wings and then burst into the air. As she passed through the opening in the trees, the feeling of the air brushing against the Templar's cheeks was soothing. Her hair flowed in the wind, its tips dangling behind her.
Gaining the needed altitude, the Angelic warrior stopped herself and hovered momentarily, catching the sun's rays warming her cheeks.
Seeing that she was stable, the Templar looked through the pair of Altaerrie binoculars and scouted the area for any trace of the Unity.
"Okay," Natilite said. "Where are they?"
Scanning the landscape, she noticed the path they had come along earlier. While she couldn't see the goblin-infested mountain tunnel because of the hedges and foliage, she could confirm they were close.
As the Valkyrie hovered, she saw movement within the forest, only a league away.
Discovering the enemy, the Templar began descending but was forced to bank right to dodge a shroud. Most likely, an enemy sniper on a recon mission had noticed her. Her first thought was Dredwig—someone with a dead wing. "Very ungentlemanlike."
Knowing the enemy knew her location, she flew close to the tree line and navigated toward the Altaerrie position.
Seeing her alien comrades' position, she landed next to one of the AMTVs where the officers were huddled.
"They are coming," Natilite said. "They are a league behind us, so we do not have much time."
"We are not going to make it," Miller said. "We are too slow with all these people."
"Are we not close?" Ryder asked.
"We are," Natilite said. "I saw the path to the tunnel. However, Unity will reach us beforehand. They must have had a seeker following us."
"What about a two-stage delay tactic?" Webster proposed.
"What do you mean?" Ryder asked.
"I mean," Webster said, "while this spot isn't ideal, it's good enough for an ambush. But I do know there's a better defensive position at the base of the trail."
"I remember that," Natilite said.
"Then that is the plan," Ryder said. "Miller, take Ghost to the tunnel and start getting everyone through, while Comanche and Redcoat will delay the enemy. We will follow up once you start going through it, and we will fall back."
They all agreed to the plan and left.
*****
Seeking cover, Comanche took up position behind a rock formation to shelter from the approaching Unity forces. Based on the intensity of the sounds of battle, their vanguard would only hold out for so long.
According to Higgins, the mountain tunnel was up the path, so this would be an excellent place to make a stand. The glaring issue was that they would have to somehow push through the goblin infestation while protecting the large group of freed prisoners. While most were armed, they were under pressure from the Unity, which was on their heels.
The Captain saw Barrett getting Comanche into position. At the same time, Ford, Bruno, and King moved boulders and created makeshift bunkers with Fraeya's geomancy magic to bolster their defenses.
Ryder walked toward Colonel Robert. "The tunnel should be in that direction. Ghost should be there by now, securing the entrance."
"I have some volunteers who wish to assist," Robert said.
Ryder saw about a dozen men disembarking from the Deuce UGV, armed with weapons they had picked up from Orlatus. Some were USSF security, while the others were from the Salva Militia. While the Captain hadn't gone through the tunnel the first time, he had heard enough stories to know that Ghost would need every armed person he could get.
Still, Ryder couldn't pass up the additional bodies for their defense. "I will take them. Tell them to report to Rommel."
Robert directed the additional personnel to take positions. The AMTVs and UGVs drove away, heading toward the tunnel. He then said, "I would prefer to stay here. Make a last stand."
"I cannot stop you, sir," Ryder said. "However, your leadership will be needed to keep everyone together through the infested tunnel."
The Colonel took a moment to respond, staring at the preparing defenders, most likely wishing to stay behind. Robert looked at the Captain and said, "Don't worry about us. I will get them through. Hold out as long as you can, Captain."
As the Colonel began to walk away, the image of Assiaya appeared in the Captain's mind. The girl was with the other freed prisoners, making her way through the tunnel. While that was the appropriate decision, Ryder was not thrilled about placing her protection in others' hands. After everything they had been through, being separated and forced to rely on others to keep her safe frustrated him. Suppose anything happened to her while she was out of his sight; he would never forgive himself and would regret this operation.
"Colonel." Ryder saw that he had gotten his superior's attention. "If anything happens to the kid—"
"Careful, Captain," Robert said. He smiled and continued, "Focus on the here and now. I will make sure they get through."
The two saluted, and the Colonel walked away, entering the last vehicle before driving away. Ryder then turned and saw his team's final preparations.
"So," Natilite said. "You do care about the girl?"
"Not now, Natilite," Ryder said, not in the mood for drama or casual chat.
"Just admit it. It does not make you less of a man or soldier."
"It's not that. I promised her that we would get to Salva."
The Comanche Captain glanced toward the Valkyrie and saw a yeah, sure reaction, as if she didn't believe what he said. Her eyes implied that he was lying about his reason for caring about Assiaya.
Natilite replaced her reaction with a smile. "Whatever you say."
Hearing the echoes of battle over the hill, Ryder knew that it was the Redcoats ambushing the Unity. From the intensity, he knew the British wouldn't hold out long and would retreat any minute. This meant they had little time to finish preparing, forcing the Comanche leader to focus on the task at hand.
Remembering that the Templar was skilled with the ranged weapon, Ryder said, "You were effective with the M77. Keep it. I want you to stay back and pick off any hostiles while they focus on us. Also, they might try to flank us, so protect our six."
"I can do that," Natilite said.
Ryder saw the British Royal Special Commandos, or RSC, approaching as the Templar walked away. The first group laid a wounded man down. He had a black crystal shroud on his side that had penetrated his Itlian battlesuit. Another soldier was lying next to the injured man; however, he was dead. This man's battlesuit was scorched from staff blasts, with another crystal embedded through his armor.
"What happened?" Ryder asked.
"We were overwhelmed, sir," the Redcoat medic said.
When the rest of the Redcoats arrived, Ryder said, "You all gave them hell."
The last of the Redcoats reached the defensive line. Energy blasts from elecprobus staff weapons rang out as the RSC retreated. Seeing the incoming hostiles, Comanche opened fire to provide protection. The RSC didn't need orders because they were already filling the gaps in the defense line. Everyone knew they had to hold out long enough to provide the freed prisoners with enough time to make it through the other side of the tunnel.
Seeing Webster, Ryder rushed over and took cover behind a boulder from which Fraeya rose. He then said, "What are we facing?"
"Unknown," Webster said. "They threw everything at us. We saw three walkers but were able to take one out in the first strike."
Hearing that the Unity had heavy vehicles, Ryder knew they were in trouble. The two teams were already low on supplies, so they needed to be equipped to deal with such a threat. He then looked over at the dead British man and said, "I am sorry about your man."
"The enemy will be too," Webster said. "Be careful with those shrouds. Our plating can withstand a few rounds, but don't get careless."
"Noted," Ryder said.
He then rushed over to his team. Rommel King left his position and grabbed their Captain, guiding him to a nearby cover.
"Sir," King said. "Without your battlesuit, one hit, you're dead. Stay down."
Deciding not to protest, as the Warrant Officer was correct, Ryder realized how useless he was without his battlesuit. He could only stay behind cover and take potshots with a circiletum he had stolen from Orlatus.
The Unity came from the same path as the British soldiers did. When they arrived, they struggled to find cover because of Fraeya's removal of crucial cover. It was a sloppy job as the elf girl was rushed; however, every detail mattered. With little natural cover beside the small hill in front of the Altaerrie position, the enemy infantry had to rely on their body armor and shields, allowing the humans to pick off the first wave.
As the intensity of the firefight grew, Ryder noticed three purple-glowing sparks fly over the small hill, arcing like mortar rounds before impacting their lines and killing one of the Salva militiamen.
"What the hell was that?" Barrett asked.
"No idea," Ryder replied. He turned and saw both mages, and an idea occurred to him. "Keep focusing on what's in front of us."
The Sergeant First Class pulled him back down as Ryder attempted to stand. "Not without protection."
Feeling frustrated, Ryder quickly glanced around and saw a slightly shorter but bulky Nagal wearing stolen armor from the mountain port. More importantly, he had a shield on his back.
"Hey, Bigfoot!" Ryder yelled, drawing Nagal's attention. "Get over here!"
Seeing the Nagal confusion caused by the language barrier, the Captain pointed to himself and to the other side of their defensive line. Then, he pointed to the different human types, showing that he needed protection.
The Nagal rushed over, putting away his staff weapon, and switched to his shield. Ryder got to the human side, and the two ran through the lines, heading to the next natural barrier. While on the journey, the captain felt vibrations from an energy blast and a shroud breaking as they struck the shield.
Once on the other side, Ryder patted the Nagal as a thank-you gesture before seeking cover behind a boulder. He saw everyone there staring at him before refocusing on the battle.
"Fraeya," Ryder said. "Can you collapse our side of the hill?"
"No," Fraeya said. "I do not have enough mana or skill for that."
Ryder closed his eyes for a moment as he considered. Then he opened them and said, "What about sections?"
"I think so," Fraeya replied.
"Then do that," Ryder ordered. "I just want to keep the enemy from uniting into a single formation. Keep them disjointed."
King leaned in and said, "Those purple mortars will shred us."
"I am working on it," Ryder said before turning to the other mage. The male Wood Elf mage held his hand up, glowing bright white, before launching a small beam toward the enemy.
The Captain recalled seeing Aristocracy mages cast energy barriers to prevent their assault when they first arrived. This wood elf's magic seemed similar, but he couldn't tell.
Ryder watched the three barriers position themselves with almost mechanical precision.
The Comanche Captain remembered what the elf mage had explained when they arrived on Alagore. Atomacy, a field of thaumaturgy, utilized raw mana to manipulate energy, while luxmancy was related to controlling light. Most mages specialized in two fields, so Ryder assumed this Salva mage had studied both, allowing his spells to complement each other.
"Like those barriers from before," Ryder said.
"Yes," the battle mage elf said.
"Like those barriers from before."
"As I said, yes."
Acknowledging the information, Ryder turned to the Nagal and said, "Bigfoot, cover me."
"As you command," Bigfoot said.
Shocked that they could understand each other, Ryder realized he was near Fraeya, who was wearing her translation amulet.
The two rushed toward the wood elf mage, with the nagal providing protection. When they reached the mage, the militiamen dropped the shield, now useless against enemy weapons, from sustaining too much damage.
The elf was confused by their presence, but Ryder quickly began communicating with his hands. He signaled not to attack the approaching enemy and then pointed to the next, purple-sparked mortar.
The Wood Elf understood and held his magical staff in the air. The orb was clear and glowed white as the battle mage chanted.
A dozen light blue-white hexagons formed above them as the battle mage elf held his free hand and maneuvered as if he were giving commands to the forming energy barrier.
A large circle formed beneath the hexagonal barrier, with many symbols along its edges, creating a barrier that hovered above the center of the Altaerrie defensive line. A second group of a dozen hexagons appeared and slid left, with a third group sliding right. The three barriers stretched out to cover most of Comanche and Redcoats. The same purple sparks arced through the air and struck the barrier, creating a mix of magical colors that reflected off one another.
Thrilled that they were protected from enemy artillery, at least for now, Ryder rushed back to his teammates.
Looking past their rock formations, Ryder saw what remained of the hill that broke up the dirt road. Fraeya did a great job collapsing sections so the enemy couldn't use them as adequate cover. While the enemy could gain a foothold at the base of the hill, it was a struggle as they were mainly in the open.
"I think we will be able to hold them off," Higgins said.
The barrier above them deflected an additional strike from their mortar.
Suddenly, a powerful kinetic blast impacted the barrier, causing it to collapse. The battle mage casting the spell dropped to the ground as the attack consumed the elf's mana.
"New contact," Wallace said over the radio.
Ryder looked over his cover and saw a new type of walker crawling over the collapsed hill as if it were nothing. Unlike the ones he had seen before, this one was larger, like a scorpion. It had six legs and two arms that extended to bear a sizeable octagonal energy shield. It had a long tail with a small orb at the tip. The primary weapon was the sizeable circiletum weapon at its core.
Ryder immediately recognized the problem. Its multiple legs gave it stability, while the shield protected its main body.
"Looks like an oversized staff weapon," King said.
"But what the hell is that tail thing?" Higgins asked.
The tail-orb glowed bright red, and flames streamed out, striking the rock formation and setting everything on fire. The stream stopped, and the orb stopped glowing.
Ducking for cover from the extreme heat, the Captain noticed the large staff built within its hull, with a mighty mana battery behind it that powered the weapon. He realized that operating more than one weapon was taxing the platform, so it had to choose what to use. Like everything else, even the Unity had to prioritize where energy went.
As the large staff weapon fired, it struck their stone barricade, destroying it. A rocket from the Redcoats impacted the right energy shield arm, absorbing the impact.
"What do we do, boss?" King asked. "We are going to be overrun quickly."
Before the Captain could respond, he saw an airship like the design they had seen from Mount Orlatus. It was where the Unity representatives exited from, meaning it was an Orgat-type. From what he recalled, it was a troop transport, and with their barrier down, the enemy was trying to engulf them.
The transport lowered slightly behind their position. The central circle underneath the airship glowed and opened, projecting a whitish-blue light toward the ground. A slight distortion was visible in the anti-gravity effects as enemy troops began to fall. They were Orcs and Dark Elves. Most were armed with melee weapons, knowing they would get close.
Turning to see the new walker threat, the construct stepped forward to press its advantage. Ryder then focused on its legs, which were too many to take out; however, that was not what he was considering. "Bruno, get the Carl Gustaf and aim for that tail."
"On it," Bruno said as he switched to the recoilless rifle.
Ryder then turned toward Fraeya, spoke over the radio to Ford, and said, "Tell Fraeya that I want her to turn the ground around that Walker into mud. Now!"
The Elf Girl didn't hesitate as she focused her geomancy magic. The walker took another step as the construct prepared its tail orb for a second attack. The ground beneath it turned wet as the construct's front-left leg pressed into it. The machine's leg sank deep into the ground and the flame-throwing spell missed everyone and sprayed across the battlefield.
"Bruno!" Ryder yelled.
The Sergeant fired his recoilless rifle. The walker attempted to raise his arm to deflect the rocket but missed. The rocket impacted the tail, exploding the orb on it.
Ryder then turned and fired his M31 against the enemy soldiers that dropped from the airship, killing the closest swordsmen.
Multiple incoming orcs charged forward with glowing swords, holding shields to absorb their fire. The first target dropped; however, the other one drew closer. The Nagal that the Captain labeled Bigfoot swung his war ax, forcing the Orc to stop and raise his shield to deflect the attack. With the nagal's aid, Ryder could focus on the other enemy soldiers.
As the Captain refocused his aim toward the other, the airship flew away as it finished offloading its passengers. Natilite appeared from the enemy flank, crashing into their formation and breaking it apart. With her blue energy shield that appeared from her wrist device and her magical sword that glowed a bright black as it was set to harden. Without hesitation, she dueled with multiple opponents, disjointing the Unity as they struggled to fight against a Templar's agility and strength.
Regaining his firing position, he focused on mopping up the rear enemy while King focused on the enemy at the front. The enemy did not expect a Templar to capitalize on their process, so they were partly defenseless. This allowed the Captain and a few others to pick off the remaining, as none of the Unity swordsmen could get into proper formation.
"Boss," King said. "We got a new problem."
Ryder sat up, stared past their rocky protection, and saw the scorpion walker detaching its legs. The other two rebalanced, and the weapon platform regained the battle. However, that was different from what his Warrant Officer was referring to. Two additional walkers appeared over the collapsed hill. One was an amplifier, while the other was an accelerator with crystallized-based ammunition stored on its back.
Natilite emerged next to them, her sword bloodied with the death of Orc and Dark Elf blood. "Our Six is cleared."
"What about our twelve?" King commented.
The giant scorpion-like Walker fired its large staff weapon, blowing apart the boulder protection, blowing up the boulder protection and knocking Ford, Forest, and two former prisoners onto the ground. Others rushed to assist, while others spread out to new firing positions.
Now that their mana barrier was destroyed, the scorpion walker turned its large staff weapon, built within its structure, and aimed it at Ryder's position.
The mana from the Walker battery storage was drained and redirected into the large barrel within the superstructure, then focused into it; a bright flow appeared within the construct as it prepared to fire. The energy bolt was unleashed. Ryder and everyone else were knocked onto the ground from the near-miss shot.
Natilite rushed over and held her arm out, activating her energy shield to deflect a shroud while Barrett helped him back onto his feet.
As the Captain got back onto his feet, he saw the Walker preparing another assault. As the bolt formed within the inner chamber, its energy shield suddenly exploded. The Walker's inner skeleton erupted into a white-and-blue ball of fire before the construct collapsed onto the ground.
Ryder glanced toward Barrett and Natilite. Both had the same confused reaction to the sudden destruction of the mighty walker. He then looked left toward the tunnel path, expecting to see Ghost. However, to his surprise, he saw an M33 Campbell light tank emerging from the thick foliage onto the battlefield, flanking the enemy. For the first time in what felt like hours, Ryder felt a surge of relief. They weren't alone anymore.
The other Unity walker turned to face the Campbell and quickly sidestepped as it fired its staff-like energy weapon. The shroud projectile impacted the armor, causing a small explosion. The armor held firm, leaving only a dent. The walker had struck first, but the Campbell answered with the thunderous report of its 105mm smoothbore cannon.
The tank round missed its target as the Unity walker moved sideways with surprising speed. It fired again, and the large shroud projectile struck the ground beside the Campbell, missing the moving light tank. The walker's frantic movement made its aim erratic, while the Campbell continued moving with deliberate precision.
The Campbell fired again, this time striking the crystal-based accelerator walker. As the wreckage fell, the giant crystal on its back shattered, triggering an intense explosion. Flames erupted and consumed the area around the construct.
The remaining walker started crawling backward, deploying a small energy field from the giant amplifier orb on its back. The Campbell fired again, but the field deflected its shell, flickering violently from the impact. A sudden missile attack from an unknown position struck the barrier, disrupting it for a moment. The light tank fired again, but the walker successfully retreated behind the hill.
Seeing the Campbell take up a position in front of the Comanche, Ryder turned as he heard additional vehicles approaching from behind. He saw a Buffalo, a tracked, van-sized UGV that fired its 30mm Bushmaster toward the hostiles.
Behind the tracked drone, two eight-wheeled Lance armored personnel carriers stopped and fired their cannons. Their rear ramps lowered, and infantrymen quickly stormed out of the APCs and joined the Comanche and Redcoat defenses.
With the sudden influx of American soldiers, the Unity forces halted their advance and sought cover. While not retreating, the enemy infantry took positions on what remained of the hill and returned fire, focusing on regaining fire superiority through a direct assault. The American reinforcements quickly seized fire superiority thanks to the armored vehicles they had brought, allowing them to secure the area and stabilize the line.
Ryder didn't have his helmet, so he couldn't identify friend or foe. Barrett commented from his VISOR IFF that these soldiers were from the 4th Infantry Division, 1st LBCT, 4th Battalion, Bravo Company.
While the troopers began caring for the wounded and replacing the Special Forces positions with their own, a man exited a third Lance—a command variant—and walked toward the Captain. From the man's insignia, Ryder identified him as a Major. With that rank, the officer was most likely the XO of this battalion.
"You must be Captain Ryder," the Major said.
"That is correct," Ryder said. "You are a sight for sore eyes, Major."
It took all of Ryder's discipline to prevent himself from laughing with joy. He had lost track of how long he had been away from friendly lines, and now it was finally almost over. He would have to make a mental note to thank his mentor for sending help.
"I am glad that you all are alive. I am Major Torres, 4th Battalion. When CFT-4 reported losing contact with all Minutemen and RSC forces, Colonel Hackett ordered us to find and recover all missing Combat Fire Teams and return them home."
"Good to hear, but how did you find us?"
"CFT-4 notified us about this secret tunnel. However, we were surprised to encounter you so quickly. Which is good, because that secret tunnel isn't so secret anymore."
"What do you mean?" Natilite asked. "According to Ar'lya, no one had used it for generations."
"I have no idea about that," Torres said. "The Aristocracy assaulted the tunnel, and we had to drive them away. Alpha Company with CFT-4 is currently engaging them. Charlie Company with Battalion HQ is dealing with those goblins infesting that god-forsaken mountain."
"I am not going to complain, sir," Ryder said.
"All right," Torres said. "Gather everyone. We have three Deuces ready for your teams."
"Only three?"
"There are five more with the rest of the battalion. They are transporting Ghost and the POWs through the tunnel as we speak. We were under the assumption that all your vehicles were destroyed, so we came prepared."
As Ryder was about to speak, a large energy bolt impacted one of the Lances, causing severe damage.
"Captain, get your teams to the Deuce while we hold them at bay."
The Comanche Captain turned toward the battle. The Unity and American infantry were deep in combat. The Campbell's hull steamed from energy and magical attacks but held the line, absorbing punishment that would have crippled a lesser vehicle. Additional purple sparks arced over the hill and impacted many soldiers' positions, while 30mm rounds exploded along the enemy line.
Ryder wasted no time. They needed to retreat as quickly as possible. "Natilite, inform all the militiamen."
"On it," she answered before running toward the Salva militia, using her wings to help guide her through the air and gain momentum.
Ryder saw the Major stare at the Valkyrie in disbelief. Clearly, the Battalion XO had never seen someone move like that. The concept of a winged human existed only in stories, so seeing one in real life must have been shocking. The fantasy had long since worn off for the Captain after everything he had seen and experienced.
"Greg," Ryder said. "Collect the remaining Guardians and—."
"I got it," Barrett said as he dashed off.
Before Ryder left to meet his team, he turned to the Major and said, "Give them hell."
"Planning on it," Torres said. "Colonel Hackett gave us a secondary objective after finding his Minutemen. Give these suckers a proper American introduction after what they did to you guys at Indolass."
The two officers gave a respectful nod and left to perform their duties. Ryder ran across the battlefield, glancing toward the fighting. Medics were gathering the wounded and loading them onto the Deuce, while other soldiers collected the dead, both Altaerrie and Salva.
The 4th Infantry troopers were in intense combat as they thoroughly checked the enemy forces. The enlisted soldiers used what little cover remained while the NCOs provided direction, firing their M11 standard battle rifles as energy bolts and shrouds impacted them from all around.
One of the soldiers was struck by a light magical spell in the form of a star on the shoulder, causing him to fall backward. The medic rushed over after another soldier dragged him to safety. The enlisted Itlian plating absorbed most of the damage, but the armor module was destroyed. While the Minutemen wore a superior version of the battlesuit known as Hercules, the Captain was thrilled that the baseline was still effective.
Finding the rest of Comanche, Ryder approached his Warrant Officer. He then said, "King, what's everyone's status?"
"Forest's robotic arm took a hit while shielding one of the prisoners," King said. "Barrios took a debris hit to the chest, but his armor held. Outside of that, everyone is accounted for."
Thrilled that no one was dead or seriously wounded, Ryder continued, "Gather everyone. We're pulling back to the Deuces. Now, let's go."
"Deuce?" Higgins asked. "There isn't a lot of protection on them. Goblins will eat us alive."
"Charlie Company is holding them at bay," Ryder said. "But that won't last for long."
"Then let's get a move on," Ford said. "I want to get the hell out of here."
Noticing that the Buffalo had received an impact from an accelerator ballista, Ryder watched as the drone turret exploded off the vehicle and the rest caught fire. Comanche rushed past the ruined vehicle, bypassing the rearguard as they protected and assisted everyone in getting onto the large, flatbed unmanned ground vehicle.
Ryder saw the Redcoats loading up. Seeing that everyone was accounted for, including their wounded and dead, he gave their captain a salute as a thank-you for everything they had done for him. Webster returned the gesture.
He sat down on the UGV transport. The three drones started driving up the pathway, heading toward the goblin-infested tunnel.
Noticing that Natilite was not among them, he started to look for her. He looked around until he saw the Elf Girl pointing to the sky. Looking up, the Captain saw the Valkyrie above them, slowly descending until she landed on the drone vehicle. Once she got close enough, he and Higgins helped her stabilize herself on the bouncing drone until she sat down.
"Thank you, gentlemen," Natilite said.
Hearing her thank him got on Ryder's nerves. For a moment, he couldn't understand why. He looked around and saw his entire team, not just his fellow Americans but the new additions from this world. They were finally catching their breath, now protected by an American battalion. For the first time in a week, they were heading back to Salva, where they could finally feel at peace.
"What is wrong?" Natilite asked. "You look annoyed."
"You shouldn't have said thank you." Ryder could see the confusion on the Valkyrie's face. The rest of his team looked the same. "Thank you all for coming after me. I wouldn't have made it without you."
"All good, boss," Gonzales said.
"Does that mean when we get to Earth," Barrios said.
"You will buy a round of beer?" Wallace finished.
Ryder looked at the two, shaking his head. He never thought he would enjoy their sense of humor. "Both of you, I am a Captain of the Minutemen, one of the most elite units in the United States Army. I will buy each one of you a keg."
He saw everyone celebrating as a team, their typical good nature and high morale returning despite everything that had happened. For the Captain, it was enough. He turned back to the battle behind them as Bravo Company covered their retreat.