Travis' container shot through a series of tunnels and eventually his half cylinder met with hers, forming a full cylinder. Then the glass partitions rose and allowed them to interact.
"They're fucking with us right?" Kiara asked "there's no way this is actually how we're getting there."
"This would be the most expensive prank in history. No I think they're about to turn us into ICBMs."
"So, knowing your luck we are getting shot down before we hit the ground right?"
"Oh for sure. Although I don't know if that would actually kill us or not."
Then the tube came to a halt, and Tay's voice came through the comm system. "1st squad, welcome to the cyber-soldier deployment cannon. This is going to be a rough ride and rougher landing, so hold on."
"Hold on? To what??" Victor asked.
"Each other i suppose."
"Yeah, no thanks." Justin interjected.
"Well then, good luck, and the person with the lowest amount of kills buys drinks when we get back. Your helmets will keep track so there's no funny business."
There was a boom so loud it was deafening even with the hearing protection in the helmet. Then the tubes started moving again. Over and over, BOOM, move up, BOOM, move up. Then it was Travis and Kiara's turn. The cannon shot them, and despite their best attempts to remain dignified, they got thrown around like rag dolls.
Eventually their flight stabilized and Kiara realized she was clinging to Travis. She pushed away, albeit not without effort. "Sorry Trav, didnt mean to cling like that."
"Haha, Well Tay did say to hold on. Besides I'm pretty sure you hit the walls a few times for me so don't sweat it."
○○○
After a couple minutes they started descending, and once again got thrown around as the air resistance made the flight erratic. This time Travis grabbed Kiara and held her
"There, now we're even."
"Thanks Trav, I don't know how you can be so calm about this."
"Oh trust me, I'm scared as-"
BOOM!
He was cut off as they slammed into the ground. Then one side of the tube slid open revealing what was once a lush green rainforest, but was now a charred wasteland covered in craters and death.
The two soldiers untangled themselves and exited their drop pod. The carnage went as far as the eye could see. Trees were fallen and burned. Soldiers lay dead, watering the earth with their blood. Gunfire and screams could be heard over the storm overhead.
Travis drew his glaive, and Kiara drew her war hammer. And they charged towards the enemy.
They hit the enemy lines like a freight train. Travis made a horizontal slash with his glaive, beheading 5 soldiers immediately. Kiara jumped over him and slammed her hammer into the ground with the force of a missile. Crating a deep crater and throwing 30 soldiers into the air. They drove deep into the enemy line, slashing and slamming everyone they came across. Travis ran into a group of 20 the cut diagonally from bottom right to top left cutting down 4. Then he slashed horizontally right, hitting 8 more. Then he jumped over the remaining soldiers heads, slashing in a circle and landing behind them. Letting their bodies hit the floor without looking back.
Kiara moved like a force of nature, throwing dozens of soldiers with each swing. One soldier had the misfortune of being directly in the hammers path as it headed to the ground. His skull caved and kiara forced it completely through his torso and then intonthe ground, where it turned into pink mist.
For hours they fought in perfect sync. Slashing and smashing as many soldiers as they could. Covering each other from the few soldiers who had the courage (or lack of braincells) to fight back. The gunfire bounced harmlessly off their shields. Grenades couldn't slow them down.
Occasionally kiara would shout "Up!" Snd Travis would throw her into the air and towards a large group, where she would become a grenade more deadly than anything that had been seen thus far.
One soldier shouted: "For the glory of the Emperors!" And charged Travis. He sliced his glaive upwards and bisected the man along the midline, before kicking his halves towards his comrades. They screamed for a moment, but the blade silenced them soon after.
Travis racked up 2,700 kills in 3 hours. Kiara hit 3,000 shortly after. The few troops who remained ran into the forest as fast as they could, and Kiara and Travis finally got a moment of peace.
"How'd you do?" She asked.
"2,700, you?"
"3,000. That means you're buying my drinks when we get back."
"I don't remember agreeing to that. Besides its not over yet, I can still beat you."
"Don't sweat the details." She said waving off his statement. "And i have 300 more than you, you're not catching up Trav."
"We'll see about that."
○○○
They hunted through the burned forest for another 3 hours, until Lance called and told them to bead to the nearest encampment where they would all meet up. They ended at 2,900 and 3,150 in Kiara's favor. As they walked, Republic soldiers charged past, keen to take as much ground as they could.
"I told you you wouldn't catch me." She teased
"I almost did though."
"Only because you can see where they are way better than I can, and you only got 50 more than me."
"Yeah yeah, so what do you drink?"
"Oh Trav, you sweet summer child. I drink everything. And a lot too. I hope you dont let me beat you in drinking too."
"Oh you're so on. I'll drink you under the table and then some."
They laughed and joked all the way back to the base, where the rest of the squad was waiting for them.