Chapter 110

　　"Dammit, there`s no way we`re making it through that." Talha cursed.

　　They stood beneath a platform used for shuttle landings but had been shattered and ruined in the attack. It was the only cover in the cleared area around the bunker. Talha, Kal and a pair of Guards were scouting ahead while the others brought up the rear with the slower-moving survivors.

　　"Looks like Seraphs hit it. You can see the scorch marks. They came from multiple angles, there and there." A Guard pointed out, his extended finger marking where he believed the attackers had approached from.

　　The area holding the converted storage area turned Bunker was a pockmarked battlefield. The elevator to reach it was a mangled wreck of steal. No one would be entering it from the surface, and it was doubtful there were even survivors below.

　　Judging by the debris strewn across the area, someone had packed explosives in the breach after the Mechs went to work. The plan to reach safety had been a bust, and they were running out of options.

　　"Comms are silent. If anyone is alive, they`re being quiet." The other remarked, tapping on her wrist communication holo and seeing no signals from the area.

　　"What do we do now?" Talha asked, turning to Kal. The Baron was silent, staring at the ruined area for a moment.

　　"We won`t survive much longer out here. Without a safe shelter, we need to leave the city." Kal reaffirmed.

　　They had spotted at least a half dozen Seraphs on the way here and even saw Justice fighting against two Guard Thrones, quickly dispatching them. Clearly, the city`s defence was failing, and they would be pushing their luck without a plan if they idled much longer.

　　"Come on, I`ll think of something by the time we reach the others." Kal ordered, turning away from the devastation and returning to where the survivors would be waiting. The others followed, confident that he would have a plan.

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　　"Time?" One of the Exosuited soldiers asked, leaning against a large piece of concrete rubble.

　　"Stop asking. Shuttle`s late, but it`ll be here." Another replied, throwing a rock at his companion. It struck the black Exosuit with a loud ting` before falling to the ground.

　　"Better be. I don`t want to stick around any longer. Did you see what happened to Borealis Station? There won`t be anything left here when it goes off."

　　"Shut it. The shuttle will be here." His companion was cut off by the roar of a shuttle`s engines as it plummeted rapidly through the thick cloud of smoke hanging over the city. With most of the Guard dead or engaged, their transports had free reign over the skies, and they met no resistance.

　　Slowing down, it landed gently in the tiny landing area they had cleared, blasting away the rubble and debris.

　　"See? I told you it would be here." He stated, gesturing to the half dozen Exosuited Soldiers around him to board. Soon they would be in orbit and free of the damnable collar around their necks.

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　　"Anything?" Talha whispered as they rejoined the survivors. Without a plan, morale would plummet as the hope for rescue or shelter dwindled. Kal turned, about to answer her, when a loud roar echoed off the few remaining buildings surrounding them.

　　A shuttle was breaching the cloud cover, leaving twin vapour trails in its wake. Kal watched it for a moment before running forward.

　　"It`s landing nearby. Cid, you and Ty wait here with the survivors. Everyone else, with me!" He ordered, already running across the ruined pavement and leaping the gaps in the ground. Gripping the side of a building, he launched himself forward, tracing the trail the shuttle left as it descended.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author`s consent. Report any sightings.

　　They ran toward the transport`s landing site with all the speed they could muster.

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　　"Time?" The soldier asked, looking warily at the container resting on the ground behind them. The countdown was making steady beeps` as the remaining time until detonation approached.

　　"Three minutes. We wait until one. Then we`re gone."

　　"We should leave now. I don`t trust Quade`s timeline. One minute to orbit is cutting it close. No room for any error."

　　"We leave at one. I don`t want Jack on my case about this. If the Engine doesn`t kill us, he will."

　　"I`m just saying. We shouldn`t-"

　　"Contact!" A shout interrupted them while multiple streaks of Lasgun fire erupted from behind them. A group of Exosuited Guard were leaping over the debris barrier, firing into the soldiers with deadly accuracy.

　　Onboard the Shuttle. The Pilot was about to take off, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire, when an intruder boarded, rushing to the cockpit and knocking him unconscious.

　　In only a few seconds, the area was secured. Kal approached the transport as Talha appeared in the doorway, tossing the unconscious pilot on the ground.

　　"Are you sure you can fly this?" Kal asked.

　　"No problem, It`s an Imperial Guard model, but the Corporations based their design on it. I can fly it." Talha assured him.

　　"Umm, Kal? What is this?" Micah called out from the center of the clearing. He was standing next to a large container that was giving off a steady beep. A tarp half covered it, and Micah lifted it in curiosity.

　　Kal walked over to see what it was, joined by the others. He threw the tarp back and found a wooden container, one of its sides torn away to reveal a mechanical device. It was a metallic orb with wires connecting it to a small terminal. Kal could hear it whirling, something inside spinning rapidly, causing it to hum.

　　"It`s an Engine." Kal stated, recognizing it. The Guards with them nodded, knowing what it was. Only Micah and John hadn`t seen one before. They rarely went to the engineering section of the Starships they served on.

　　"Why is there an Engine on the surface of Terra?" Micah asked. Kal didn`t respond immediately, looking at the small terminal on its side. There was a timer, counting down from two and a half minutes. Kal drew in a breath.

　　"Emperor Forefend, they`re going to detonate another one!" Kal stated, and the Guard moved forward to confirm what he saw.

　　"That`s impossible. I thought you said Engines won`t work on Planets?" Micah replied in a panic.

　　"The Jump doesn`t work, but this doesn`t need to Jump. It just needs to try. They`re going to destroy half of Terra with this Engine!" Another Guard shouted.

　　"Then shut it down!" Micah shouted.

　　"They can`t. The Engine is spooling, and the energy inside is already building. We need to go now!" Kal said, pulling on Micah and Mare, who stood closest to him.

　　"Talha! Get this thing in the air! We need to pick up the others and break for orbit!" Kal shouted, leaping into the transport and hauling the others aboard, one at a time. Talha was already in the cockpit, pushing the lever for the thruster forward while pulling back on the flight control stick.

　　"We`re not going to make it, Kal. There isn`t enough time." Mare whispered, removing her helmet and staring at him.

　　"I know, but we have to try. If we can`t&.Atlas will buy you time." Kal replied, and Mare gripped his hand tightly in her own.

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　　The Shuttle burned across the sky above the destroyed resort town. No survivors were in sight, the Guard defenders had been eliminated, and the enemy forces were retreating. Kal could see a flight of Seraphs making for Orbit, guarding dozens of transports like their own.

　　"We`re going to land hard. Grab who you can and go!" Kal shouted to the others over the roar of the transport boosters. The metal floor beneath his feet vibrated from the strain as Talha pulled at whatever speed she could.

　　Only a few seconds after taking off, they were falling toward the surface, the shuttle`s door already open. Wind rushed past them, and they gripped the built-in handles along the side to keep steady.

　　When they were a few dozen feet above the ground, Kal leapt from the transport, his Exosuit falling swiftly to the ground. Rolling to absorb the momentum, he sped to where the survivors were waiting. He could see Cid standing in front of them, an injured Ty sitting beside her, resting his back against a building.

　　"Everyone, quick, we need to leave now!" Kal shouted, not slowing as he made it to Ty, roughly hauling his friend to his feet and slinging him across his shoulder. Grabbing Cid and another survivor, he dragged them to an open spot next to their hiding place as the others leapt from the shuttle, following his lead.

　　Talha didn`t even land, simply hovering momentarily as Kal and the others practically threw people into the shuttle. Once the last person was on board, crammed into the overcrowded transport, Talha pushed the thrust forward, taking off straight into the air.

　　The crowd inside screamed in confusion as they were pressed against each other. The force of their ascent was nearly unbearable.

　　"Time?" Kal asked.

　　"Fifteen seconds!" Mare replied, keeping track of the detonation of the Engine.

　　"Is that going to be enough time, Talha?!" Micah shouted, his voice amplified by his suit`s speakers.

　　"It`s going to have to be. Shut up and let me do this!"

　　The shuttle breached the cloud cover above the city, trailing fire and vapour behind it as the Overloaded Engine counted down. At zero, the whirling within stopped, and a ball of plasma hotter than the sun rose from the city, engulfing everything in its fires.

　　The forests burned, the ground crumbled, and the oceans boiled.