RP Liberation of Cheojin

[Andrew]

RP Date

361 QU (YE 45)

RP Location

Cazrix System

Cazrix System​

Yirune Arm, Chrystalis Unvorsum
Former Norian Continuum Space

U.N.N L'shal and U.N.N Keianatha​

Iausho-Class AEWS Destroyers
2nd Imperial Armada, 4th Expeditionary Fleet

"All looks quiet out here, L'shal proceeding to grid 04."
"Sounds good L'shal, Nothing but a tomb here. Just glad we're up here and not down there. Keianatha moving to grid 06."
"I second that, it's overrun. Those Iron Company Mercs got their job cut out for them."

The two small AEWS Destroyers continued their routine patrol in the Cazrix System. It's astonishing to think that less than twenty years ago, Esral III, the third planet in the system's jovian system, had nearly twenty billion inhabitants. Now, all that's left is the ruins of the super metropolis, Cheojin City, and the unfriendly Craethel species they left behind. Esral III has become a nightmarish world, with extreme hurricane-like storms and other inhospitable conditions due to damage to the planet's weather control satellites during the Craethel siege. The once towering skyscrapers of the capital, which used to house billions, are now overrun and infested. This is just one of many worlds that will need to be reclaimed.

"It won't just be the mercs, the Amelliaus apparently are sending a team in with them."
"I wonder what is down there that is important enough that they are mobilizing the Shadowguard. You'd think they'd send them to Laeyria."
"L'shal proceeding to grid 05, I hear that. Nothing more than a blood bath there though, government-sanctioned payback."
"They shouldn't have allied with the Craethel, well deserved payback if you ask me."

As the two destroyers continued their communication, another vessel emerged from void transit: the U.N.N Enachust, a Migothi-Class Cruiser operated by Amelliaus. This ship was launched shortly after the Narsho, its sister vessel. The cruiser's port forward armor bay door opened, and an illuminated blue field maintained the internal atmosphere. It had been modified for use by the Amelliaus Shadowguard, the honor guard of the Imperial throne. After positioning itself near Esral III, the ship's captain contacted the two AEWS vessels, saying, "System patrol vessels, please proceed to your next assigned waypoint. This system is now designated as an active operations zone." Within minutes, the two destroyers entered void transit and vanished from LUMEN's sensors.

U.N.N Enachust​

Port Lateral Bay

Jilae extended her arms as the automated system smoothly encased her in the Krysis v.10 Power Armor. The sleek black frame embraced her naked body snugly, sealing her within like a glove. This transformation was followed by the tall, black-haired Norian picking up her helmet from its storage and establishing a connection between her symbiote and the armor's mindhive. It was a seamless fusion of technology and machinery. Lux Aurora had recently unveiled the tenth edition of this armor, which incorporated many of the improvements suggested by their pilots during the Craethel War. The wing-like structures, equipped with feather drones, opened and securely locked against the armor's back, a design change from the bulkier fixed-wing structures of the v.9, which had proven less versatile in certain situations. "Let's move, Iron Company ships will be entering the system soon! Suit up!" she called out to her four fire team members. Once the Iron Company ships arrived, they would land and join the main group tasked with cleaning up Cheojin City.

Jilae carefully placed her helmet on the gantry ladder leaning against one of the Kehugota-Class Space Superiority Fighters. She took a moment to tie up her hair, ensuring it would fit comfortably under the helmet. As she did so, her second-in-command approached. "Captain, the team will be ready in a few minutes. Have you received any word from the cohort?" Lieutenant Tasamo inquired, casting a brief glance around to make sure none of the lower-ranking personnel were eavesdropping. "The briefing mentioned that the probes spotted a few Miathatha Dissents during their flyovers. We only have about twenty rounds of ababazine aldoride, so we'll need to be cautious and keep our team and the company's team back in case of any confrontations," he added in a hushed tone.

The Captain turned and retrieved her helmet once more. "They'll arrive; no need to worry. I'm surprised we have that many doses. Hopefully, one of the surface labs will have some in stock. If not, we should double-check that everyone has their IDEs up to date before we descend," she reassured him in hushed tones. "I suspect it's much worse than just a few Miathatha. I reviewed some of the drone footage myself last night," she continued. "There are these long scars along several streets in the old financial district. It looks like Nazachor markings, the kind they make when they're dragging things underground. I saw that on Lorenz during the war; they can pull a full-sized hover tank underground and devour it."

"I don't understand why they're deploying such a small force. You'd think they'd send in a couple of dropships," Lieutenant Tamaso pondered, then sighed. "But, I guess it wouldn't be a popular decision right now, with all the emphasis on bringing Norian citizens back and rebuilding cities," he added. "Well, Captain, we work with what we've got. I shouldn't complain."

Jilae chuckled softly. "No worries. Just because of who my father is, don't think I'm blind to the fact that a lot of resources are tied up in rebuilding and retaliating against the Laeyrians. I completely agree. Cheojin has become an overrun mess. Our mission is to get it done, fight alongside the mercenaries, and clean up this city. It's going to take months, but at least we're not stuck on Laeyria with everyone else." She donned her helmet and sealed it with a click. "Alright, everyone, helmets on... remember, keep an eye on your teammates. Don't engage in communication with anything, no matter how friendly it seems, until you've scanned it," she announced loudly to the entire team.

Spoiler: OOC

@Commissar Farzi

 

[Commissar Farzi]

Space is a vast place, majestic, beautiful, and ultimately deadly. It held many a mystery and wonder; just waiting for the next great band of explorers to stumble upon them to bring their magnificent splendor to the rest of the universe. This was lost on the band of morons that came hurtling through the wormholes that wound up scrambling the Norian's sensors. There were several near collisions-even with the vast improvements mindhive tech offered their Slamdrives it still suffered issues with random endpoint variables.

("Watch your Ancestor's Damned Spacing!")

("It's the Slamdrive! The damned thing nearly-")

The chatter was broken up by yet more vessels coming through-some looked recently constructed, while others had the look of junkers that had been cobbled together from whatever was on hand. Regardless of how or what they were constructed out of, they all shared several things in common: they had an industrial look about them, as if though they were little more than converted construction vessels; all sharp angles as best to deflect the kinetics that were in common use back in their home universe. The largest of these looked like a massive cargo hauler, and could be easily mistaken for such if not for the blistering arrays of particle and ballistic-based weaponry that was aligned along its hull, as well as the powerful fabrication and support equipment on board-meant to support any operation; terrestrial or otherwise.

Albert Steiner's massive form leaned back in the chair he had fabricated for the ship's bridge-the mechanoid eying the storm-covered planet on the monitor with distaste. Normally he wouldn't care, they'd fought in worse environments than this; but they were dealing with Voidics. They were already a nuisance, and fighting the planet on top of them would be more of a pain in the ass than usual. ("Grandmaster; Norian vessel sighted.") Ah, there was their contact. ("Hail it.") The yeoman nodded, and toggle the comm.

"Norian Vessel, this is ICS Dawn of Retribution; do you copy over?"

----

Morris was checking over his gear-Brigandine MKII, Machine Pistol, Combat Shield, War Hammer, Hunting Knife, Det Packs. Rations, Water-Ruck, Spare Magazines; oh, and a Nanite Infuser he'd 'Acquired' during his trip down to the armory. All and all enough firepower for a fun-filled evening of carnage- if one could consider fighting veilspawn fun.

They always had more than few tricks up their sleeves. Around him his fellow yeomen did the same-ensuring their equipment was in working order before they hit the ground.

 

[Andrew]

U.N.N Enachust​

"ICS Dawn of Retribution this is the U.N.N Enachust, Welcome to the party. We will be setting down at the following co-ordinates outside of Cheojin's South Industrial Sector. Sending you landing trajectories now. Watch yourselves on the way down, we've sighted two Orabotha fliers in the area," the Enachust's comm officer welcomed the Iron Company vessel.

​

The Enachust spacecraft took the lead as it descended through Esral III's thick, dark clouds, creating a fiery path. Below, the once-thriving supercity now lay in ruins. Its towering skyscrapers, now in disrepair, stretched towards the sky. Within their crumbling structures, thorn-covered vines and small plants had taken root, creating an eerie sight. This once-prized jewel of the Continuum had been abandoned and left desolate, just like many other worlds ravaged by the Craethel during the war.

As the ship's gravity drives engaged, it briefly ascended before descending again, heading towards the southern part of the city. An unsettling sensation of being watched settled over Jilae as she stood inside the ship's port lateral bay, surrounded by a blue field.

("Looks like a warm welcome,") Jilae remarked sarcastically through her comm, while she double-checked her ammunition supplies. Over the city, the Enachust released cargo pods that would serve as backup supply sources in case the expected supplies in the city fell short.

("Enachust, this is Captain Jilae Eitan. I'm switching to mission channel 003. Transmit the frequency information to the ICMs,") she requested. Within moments, the channel information was relayed to Steiner and his team.

The cruiser's landing stirred up dust and debris as it touched down on the main expressway, which connected the industrial zone in the south to a rural agricultural cooperative.

("This is 'Photon Leader.' When we exit the ship, clear a 100-meter radius to the southeast to make way for the departing vessels. We'll rendezvous there; I've marked it as the first waypoint,") Jilae announced over the mission channel. There was no way they would risk a ship on the ground in a place like this long.

("ZZZZtttt....Help me....Help me please....") the voice of a child came over the communications channel.

Jilae scoffed and remarked, ("Securing the frequency, it's not what it sounds like – but you guys already know that.") She swiftly added higher comm protocols to the mission channel to filter out the interference.

Once the Enachust had landed, its ramps extended from the lateral bay. Jilae led her team down the ramp in a single file, each member clad in their formidable Krysis Crixa v.10 armors. A thin layer of fog hung close to the ground, originating from the nearby canals that wound through the industrial zone. Their Yshana 'Prowler' APC rolled down the cargo ramp as they disembarked.

Eerie and haunting sounds emanated from the sprawling urban center in all directions – north, west, and east. Some of it was the result of the wind rustling through the shattered structures, while the rest consisted of sounds that none of them dared to dwell upon. A piercing, high-pitched roar resonated from the city center, as the "natural" elements within the city seemed to collectively make themselves heard in a cacophony of chirps and growls.

Waiting at the rendezvous point, Jilae commented over her comm, ("Tomaso, did you hear that? This place is teeming with something ominous.")

("I damn well heard it,") Tomaso replied, his frustration evident. ("I doubt I'll get a wink of sleep on this forsaken rock.")

 

[Commissar Farzi]

("Datapacket inbound.")

("Send it.")

The yeoman did so, and Steiner found him resisting the urge to sigh. Their landing site had of course put them too close to the Norians; they couldn't simply glass the landing zones from orbit and bring personnel down after as was standard procedure when dealing with the creatures of the void. No...no, they would have to do this the old-fashioned way. The mention of fliers was just the oilfruit on the pie. ("Launch Thuds ahead of the transports and conduct airstrikes on the landing zones,") He ordered as he reviewed the data, ("Arm them with a combination of missile and gravity bombs utilized; Nanophagic and Cluster warheads have Corsairs act as escorts for both-ensure they are adequately equipped for air-to-air combat.") The Yeoman relayed his orders as the Mechanoid continued monitoring the sensor and radio traffic. Steiner then opened a direct channel, his mechanical monotone filling the Enachust's comm officer's ears.

"Enachust, this is Grandmaster Steiner; we have airstrikes inbound; inform your people to stay away our landing zones till the bombers have completed their runs."

Down in one of the Dawn's launch bays, and a scene that played out across every vessel that had the capacity to launch such craft technicians were arming blocky, tri-engined aircraft; with a single large thruster on the back and two smaller ones mounted on the short, angular wings-the ends pointed straight upwards in the resting position. Several smiths could be seen affixing rocket pods under the wings and loading either missiles or bombs into the internal bays. Smaller version; clearly fighter craft were similarly equipped with a combination of rockets and missiles to supplement their autocannons for the vicious air-to-air combat that was sure to come.

As they were armed and fueled, the yeomen were rapidly boarding the troop transports or gunships as armored units boarded others. One by one as they filled, they took off. Morris had the misfortune of boarding a Universal and made sure to double-check the seals on his helmet. No point in dying pointlessly because he wound up sucking vacuum.

-----

On the ground, reentry flames could be seen as the Thud bombers with their escorts began their deadly work. As they neared their targets, they launched rockets from the wing-mounted pods or opened bay-doors and loosed their missiles. These didn't explode-at least not in the traditional sense; an eerie blue glow suddenly blanketed the area as a strange cloud snaked its way through the buildings and every nook and cranny. What seemed to be some kind of bio-luminescent material was something far more sinister; incased with a cloud of low-intensity plasma were countless trillions of nanomachines that dissolved anything organic. Any voidics who had the misfortune of being caught in the cloud seemed to dissolve into thin air. The secondary munitions were far more conventional-high powered cluster bombs that blanketed the area and brought death in a far more conventional manner. Explosions rocked the square as the gunships and landing craft came into view with their own fighter escorts. As they landed, the transports opened and disgorged their contents of man and machine.

Morris himself scrambled to get out of the gunship-the seals had held, but it didn't mean he wanted to be stuck in one if they got hit. He and his squad formed up with others and linked up with the PA units they'd be stuck with.

He wondered where the Norians were...and more importantly, where were the Veilspawn?

-----
("Forces have landed grandmaster-no resistance so far.") That'd likely change soon enough, ("Understood-keep me informed of any developments and have light kinetics on standby.")

They'd flatten the void-borne bastards from orbit if it came down to it-rules of engagement be damned. He was sorely looking forward to when he could land in person and give them a beating they'd soon not forget...

 

[Andrew]

Rendezvous​

("It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Mr. Steiner,") Captain Jilae remarked as she approached him. She noticed the assertive manner in which they had approached, commenting, ("You fellas sure know how to knock on a door.") She left the assembled column, now stationed near the Yshana 'Prowler' APC, accompanied by Lieutenant Tamaso.

("I'd extend a warm welcome to Cheojin, but there's not a damn thing welcoming on this rock,") she added, casting a brief scan across their surroundings.

("Ensure your units are aware that these entities can interfere with communications. They tend to mimic wounded soldiers, children—anything that lowers people's guard,") she explained. Despite the Iron Company having multiple landing zones, at the moment, only this small group accompanied her. She wasn't pleased with the limited support, but it seemed she had no choice. Reflecting on her decision to speak up, she acknowledged that if she hadn't, the Company would have been entirely on its own.

("Do you believe your men are prepared for a two-kilometer advance tonight? There's an old planetary guard post to the north that would serve as a suitable temporary base in our initial grid. We might even find some intact resources and munitions, and we can go over strategy and specifics there,") she inquired. Despite her eagerness to press forward, the decision ultimately rested with the Grandmaster. Considering the larger body of personnel and equipment under his command, the final call was his to make.

 

[Commissar Farzi]

Who the hell?

Morris turned and looked at her-she was the atypical norian; although clad in power armor she was typical of her race; lean, almost too thin even with her suit, though obviously female. Looking desperately around for a squire or even a knight-captain and seeing none, he sighed; may as well get the awkwardness out of the way now. "Sorry Ma'am," He replied, hefting his combat at shield as his squad took up position, "But I'm not the Grandmaster; he's still in orbit coordinating the-" The roar of re-entry cut him off as yet another wave of bombers and their escorts; more nanite bombs followed by the roaring of explosives could be heard as they hit yet another target ahead-though the flashes of the bombs were far brighter than normal.

Mirconukes perhaps? Norians were gonna be pissed about that.

"-Other landings." The big man finished lamely, "Not sure what I can tell you aside from our briefing is that once the offensive gets rolling, it's not stopping till the enemy's dead or we are." Valhallan Warfare One-Oh-One as a Kikyo would put it-start the offensive, don't stop for anything-pull damaged units off the line while bringing fresh ones in while they rest, re-arm, and if they couldn't be reconstituted; you fold them up into whatever understrength units were nearby and get them back into the fight. "Best bet is-" He was once again interrupted by several blasts of a whistle sounding, one long, then two in rapid succession; they were getting ready to move. ("Horace!") He barked as the assembled troops began their advance-he saw a glimpse of one of the knights-the silver trim of his armor briefly visible before disappearing, ("Get the word around on what she just told us; check radio and EKG units if you start hearing someone asking for help-if it ain't one of ours; paste them.") The yeoman nodded as Morris chambered a round in his machine pistol, ("Chances are the others will likely end up doing the same.") As they advanced, he looked to the Norian. "Gonna see if we can't find a knight and get that base set as our heading-otherwise we're likely going to be razing more than a few buildings around here." Motioning her and the rest of the squad to follow, he began his trek up the column-hoping to find one of their officers.

----

("First wave combat units advancing grandmaster-engineering and security cohorts are further fortifying landing zones-second wave are currently landing and aerospace assets are commencing bombing runs ahead of the advance-we have yet to encounter substantial enemy resistance in the air or land.") Steiner simply 'nodded' as he watched the data feed, ("Good.") With any luck, he'd be able to make planetside soon enough, ("Have artillery cohorts on standby to provide localized fire support in the event kinetic strikes are impractical.") As the yeoman transmitted his orders, the old man felt a surge of impatience overtake him-he longed for combat; to see the foe vaporized by plasma, or crushed beneath his armored feet.

Alas, the duties of his position came first; still, he had no intention of sitting this invasion out-not by a longshot-once the landing sites were secure and they could establish a forward base; the mechanoid would join the men on the ground, and then proceed to send the veilspawn back to the pit that spawned them...

 

[Andrew]

Captain Jilae expressed her frustration with a sigh, realizing they might have to endure a delay. Fortunately, she was already clad in her armor, a small comfort in the face of unexpected setbacks. It seemed that even the most meticulously laid plans could have unforeseen consequences.

("Are you telling me we're going to have to wait here?") she inquired, her tone tinged with irritation, directed towards the Vahallan who appeared oblivious to their location. The Norian Captain felt an urge to vent her frustration on someone for such unclear directives.

("Well then I suggest you get the Grandmaster on a comm and get him down here, we were told he would travel with the main unit which comprised of both of our groups,") she asserted, her patience wearing thin. Was this individual serious?

("Old planetary guard post, two klicks north, that is where we need to set up a forward base and we need to get moving, so we are either moving out with him or waiting, I need a choice, mister,") she emphasized, emphasizing her insistence on adhering to the original plan rather than vague orders about continuous movement. The upcoming operation promised months of arduous conditions and combat, and rushing into unsecured operational zones was the last thing they needed.

If only Morris could have seen her roll her eyes, she thought, as she switched her comm to Lieutenant Tamaso. ("Looks like we're going to stand here with our thumbs up our ass, their Grandmaster isn't even on the surface yet,") she informed him dryly. With her remark, the main engine of the Yshana 'Prowler' APC audibly shifted into idle, a tacit acknowledgment that there was no point in maintaining forward momentum. The entire unit held formation resigned to the enforced pause.

 

[Commissar Farzi]

During Morris's initial response to Tamaso

Knight Captain Pascal was looking over the maps they'd been provided from his own Defender in the center of the column; the area they were approaching was a convoluted mess of ruined warehouses, factories and ancestor's knew what else; while the Norians had likely been meticulous in their planning when it came to their cites given the ravages of time and neglect the results were obvious-rubble and debris choked streets. It would slow the pace of advance and would likely require engineering teams to clear.

Making them perfect targets for the Voidics. While he had little experience with them, having been recruited after that nonsense, he'd read the reports-a lot of what he read wasn't. Sudden ambushes-dimensional pockets suddenly opening up and spewing forth horrors-if they didn't just simply rush you, and all manner of magic and psionic strikes. It was starting to feel like home already. ("Knight Captian, landing sites have been secured and are being further fortified.") Pascal looked up at the squire, followed by a nod. ("Give the order for a general advance, armored fist formation; tanks up front, carriers in the rear-have spotters on standby incase we need artillery or air cover.") A nod, followed by the man pulling a specially designed whistle from his belt. As the man pulled himself out of the hatch to give the signal, the APC's engine began to rev up.

He felt it lurch forward as the mass of man and machine began their advance.

-----
Present

As he overheard the Lieutenant's complaints and her irritation, Morris sighed as he turned to the woman even as the cohorts began their steady advance. "That was the signal to move out." His tone was as calm and as professional as ever, but before he could continue a call of "Yeoman Sergeant!" Followed by the yeoman he'd sent out running up to him, "We're moving out-we need to mount up." Morris nodded to the man and signaled to the rest of the squad. "Right, let's go!"

As they moved towards the convoy he toggle his comm-speaking in his native Valhallan. ("Control-this is Havoc 1-1 made contact with Norian ground units, over!") He really didn't expect a response given that they were coordinating a massive ground invasion and was surprised response of ("Acknowledged, Havoc 1-1, report, over?") The big man looked back at Tamaso, for a moment and sighed. ("There about as friendly as ever; apparently they were expecting us to move out as soon as we hit dirt side along with the grandmaster being here front and center,") A pause as he recalled what she'd told him, ("Got some intel for you though there's a planetary guard post about 2 klicks north of here; they wanna use that for a forward base, over.") His voice maintained a direct, informative tone. ("Roger that Havoc 1-1, anything else to report, over?")

He thought for a moment and recalled the Lieutenant's previous comment. ("Is it possible at this time to establish a direct uplink with the Dawn?") He knew his inquiry had a voidwind's chance of being approved, but he still had to try, ("They're...kind of insistent, over.") A pause for a moment, and then a quick, terse response of. ("Requested granted, Yeoman Sergeant, patching you through-over.") The radio operator didn't sound thrilled, and Morris didn't blame him-this was above both their paygrades.

("This is Grandmaster Steiner-report-over!") As soon as he heard that, mechanical, droning voice the big man knew his day was going to get a whole lot more interesting...

------
("This is Grandmaster Steiner-report-over!") Not for the first time Steiner was glad for his warden-it hid his irritation well. Granted, he still technically had that body he could use-thank you Tacho-but at the moment he couldn't afford the distraction, not now. ("Grandmaster, this is Yeoman Sergeant Morris-we've made contact with the Norians and they are inquiring as to why you aren't dirtside yet," Came Morris's reply. (edited)

Despite the veneer of professionalism, Steiner knew that Morris was likely aggravated by the Norians, knowing how some of them tended to act towards aliens despite the reforms enacted by Tetsuya. ("The planetary invasion would have something to do with that as we are currently coordinating multiple legions, over.") A pause, followed by a response of ("Roger that-they've got an old planetary defense outpost they want to use as a forward operating base-what do you want me to tell them, over?") Without missing a beat, Steiner's response was quick, clipped and terse. ("Inform them that I will join as soon as able-the third wave landings are taking longer than expected-) The results of coordinating the necessary logistics of the landings of such a large force; (-and our first wave force will head towards the base-in the mean time I am assigning you as liaison between our forces until we arrive, do you copy, over?")

It was a snap decision, and likely one Morris wouldn't appreciate, but he was there and next to himself he was the least likely to cause a diplomatic incident. There was a long pause followed by a response of ("I copy, over and out.") With that Steiner turned his attention back to the landings while sending orders for both a drop pod to be prepared and their forces to advance towards the base.

----

Morris...was not happy with the developments, to say the least, but orders were orders. Outside of a few individuals like Tacho or Tetsuya, the majority of the Norians he'd met were not...pleasant, to say the least. Arrogant was a good word for them, thurok fuckers was an even better term. Resigned to his fate he looked back to the Lieutenant. "Just got the word from on high-third wave landings are taking longer than expected and he'll join as soon as able-first wave's to move out towards the outpost." The big man informed her. And now for the fun part, "I've been assigned as liaison between our forces until he arrives-comms channel to reach me is Oh-Four-Seven-One."

"Transport's here!" Morris Turned for a moment, expecting to see a defender-in front of him was what looked like a cargo truck-a stereotypical truck cab like what you'd see of most designs, and an open-topped bed in the back-what got his attention was the tank tracks in the back-and the truck wheels infront confirmed his fears. A crawler-an Ancestor's Damned crawler! While useful-the halftracks were considered deathtraps by those who rode in them-speed aside.

Well, at least they'd be able to bail out quickly when it inevitably got taken out...clambering aboard and doing a quick head count, he rapped the roof of the cab to let them know they were all aboard and the half-track revved its engine and began its steady trek with the rest of the combined forces. He made sure to keep an eye on the windows and sky.

Last thing he needed was someone getting grabbed because some opportunistic ugly decided that they were easy pickings...

 

[Andrew]

Captain Jilae's steps echoed softly on the abandoned expressway as she walked alongside Morris, her battle rifle cradled in her arms, ever-ready. The journey up the desolate road had been fraught with an unsettling silence, broken only by the distant hum of engines from the APC and Iron Company vehicles. As they neared the looming silhouette of the deserted Planetary Guard post, the air seemed to thicken with apprehension, and Jilae's senses heightened.

The derelict structures of the post stood like sentinels against the encroaching wilderness. Vines and foliage had reclaimed the once-military stronghold, weaving through cracks in the aged concrete and wrapping around rusted metal beams. The watchtower, once a bastion of vigilance, now stood as a weathered monument to neglect, its windows dark and foreboding against the backdrop of the overgrown landscape.

Beneath the elevated expressway, a murky canal flowed sluggishly, its depths shrouded in mystery. Half-sunken vessels littered its banks, relics of a bygone era now engulfed by nature's relentless advance. The water bubbled and churned, an unsettling reminder of unseen forces lurking beneath.

("This silence is unnatural,") Jilae remarked over the comm to Morris, her voice barely above a whisper, as if afraid to disturb the eerie stillness. ("Keep your men alert. We can't afford to let our guard down.")

As the column came to a halt at the apex of the bridge, Jilae surveyed their surroundings with a sense of unease. The plan to establish a base within the post seemed sound in theory, but the pervasive silence weighed heavily on her mind. Something felt off, like the calm before a storm.

("We'll secure the area first,") she announced to the group, her gaze sweeping over the dilapidated structures ahead. ("Then we'll reinforce the perimeter and make any necessary repairs. This will serve as our base of operations for now.")

Despite her attempts to maintain composure, Jilae couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. The oppressive atmosphere of the abandoned post seemed to press down on her, casting a shadow over their mission.

("Stay sharp,") she warned, her voice tinged with uncertainty. ("We don't know what we might find here.")

 

[Commissar Farzi]

'Like they don't already know we're here.' Morris thought but kept it to himself, instead toggling his comm. ("Knight Captain Pascal, this is Morris-do you read, over?") A pause, followed by Pascal's acknowledgment, ("What is it yeoman, over?") The big man chewed over his words for a moment before speaking; ("Leiutenant's worried things are getting a bit quiet over here, might be running into an ambush, over?") A pause, followed by ("Understood-stand by for further orders-over and out.") Morris looked at Jilae before sighing. "Pascal's got a plan, told me to stand by for orders." Sorely wishing for a drink at that moment, he instead contented himself with checking his gear.

----

Pascal sighed-they were exposed on the expressway, about to approach a seemingly abandoned base with little cover, and had yet to encounter any significant resistance outside of a few confirmed reports of a couple of lesser voidics near the landing site that had been pasted by mortar fire before they had become a problem. Reguarding his surroundings, he commed the fleet. ("This is Knight Captain Pascal, requesting full-spectrum sensor sweep on my position, over.") A pause followed by ("Roger, scan inbound.") The purpose of this was to sus out everything from critters milling about to dimensional pockets that might be hiding some of the nasty veilspawn...

 

[Andrew]

The Captain's heart pounded as they awaited the scan, their senses heightened in the eerie stillness. The low thrum of the APC and other engines seemed muffled, a stark contrast to the tension crackling in the air. The gentle creak of boats and the distant ding-dong of a buoy created an unsettling symphony of sound.

In an instant, everything changed. The scan returned, revealing a colossal creature lurking beneath the channel's surface. Before they could react, Lieutenant Tamaso was ensnared by a monstrous black tentacle, one of many rising from the depths. His anguished scream was cut short as the tentacle's crushing embrace tore him apart, leaving nothing but a gruesome slurry in its wake.

"Frack!" Jilae's voice echoed over the comm. "Take cover!" A massive tentacle swept overhead, ripping vehicles from their moorings with frightening force.

At each end of the bridge, power-armored figures emerged, their ominous presence sending a chill down the Captain's spine. "Unknowns approaching—brace yourselves!" Jilae warned. In an instant, their hostile intentions became clear as plasma rounds tore through the iron company's ranks. The column was under siege, caught between the horrors of the abyss and the onslaught of unknown assailants. As chaos engulfed them, the Captain's mind raced with questions. Who were these attackers, and how were they allied with the monstrous abominations lurking below? The bridge became a battleground, a nexus of danger and mystery.