Space Odyssey: Spectre-Chapter 168: Assault on the Outpost

"Get set up in the middle level areas. We need transport but that is too much. Feel free to pick a few off Parrot." Jace ordered as he set down his equipment bag and then it began expanding and he set the Dragon’s Breath rotary gun. From his position he had some cover on one side against a column while aiming up towards one of the landing pad staircases.

Parrot grunted an affirmation as she moved up the stairs that Jace was pointing at. "I assume you just want me to shoot down a few of them?"

"Yes, we needed at least one to get to our destination." Jace explained as he hooked up the gun to the backpack emplacement. "Tako, cover our backs." Tako took position near the column as well. But he could see the other areas of the second floor and a visual on both stairs leading to the second floor.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

There were three shots they could hear from the upper area. "Two of the Choppers are down. They are taking evasive maneuvers. They are less than a minute out." Parrot declared from above before several more shots rang out.

"Jace, what is the plan when they land?" Tako asked as he moved a few more objects to make a barrier that he could use as cover.

"We will take out the ones that leave the chopper that lands on that landing pad." Jace nodded to the stairs that Parrot was slowly walking backwards down while she shot into the air. The Choppers roared overhead as they began landing. "After we take them out we will go up and seize the chopper. Then we will fly out of here."

"Sounds good to me. It looks like there are a bunch of them." Parrot turned around and quickly moved down the stairs. "I do not want to be here when they decide they are unable to retake the outpost, especially with the weapons attached to that space capable transport."

"Here they come." Jace called out as one of the first enemies came down the stairs. It was not like the blockheads or anything else he had seen so far. They were mostly normal humans, except their heads were edged metal circles. Like an octagonal container.

In their hands were weapons that he immediately recognized as Vexical Empire assault rifles. The Dragon’s Breath spun up making a hum before he began firing. Bolts of bluish purple energy shot out and smacked into the first one. Hitting the enemy in the torso.

The bolt melted the black jumpsuit it was wearing and seared the flesh but the central body was covered by a plate of metal. The metal began glowing red as it was heated up. On the second hit the metal turned molten and the insides were completely burned. The first one went limp and fell down the stairs.

The second one barely had a chance to raise its assault rifle before the first bolt hit its leg unbalancing it. Then as it fell the bolts went through its body. Completely tearing the second one in two.

While on the other side, Parrot was firing carefully. Aiming for joints on the blockhead biomechanical creatures that were coming down another staircase. They were creepily stopping when she killed them. Their odd blue blood leaking down the outside of the metal casing.

"The dead ones are acting like cover for the ones that are still living." Parrot pointed out.

Tako was firing his assault rifle in bursts. He was focusing on the ones that were landing closer and disembarking. He was hitting creatures similar to the more mobile ones that Jace was shooting. As soon as they reached the bottom of the stairs they were running up. Bullets bouncing off the column and embedding itself in the barrier he made.

"Some of these are new." Tako pointed out as he hit another new one that was running quickly towards them. It had a triangle metal head but it had legs that were a half moon curve shape. The design was springy as it propelled itself forward. But it was less armored as it tried to use its head to block the bullets that tore through its body.

Jace nodded in agreement as he tilted his head to the side as a bullet whizzed right by his head. Then he pulled out the battery that was in the Dragon’s Breath. As he switched out the battery with another that was in the backpack stand he decided to let the rotary machine gun rest for a moment as the barrels were glowing red while smoking.

Jace pulled out his assault rifle and fired back at the octagonal head that was peaking out of a gap in the stairs. Aiming for a point in its neck. The head whipped backwards for a moment before the body fell forwards and down the stairs. Landing in a pile of other bodies, they were the burning corpses that Jace had hit with his Dragon’s Breath.

Jace waited another moment and realized there were no more coming down. He then began disconnecting his Dragon’s Breath and had the backpack case close up so he could carry it again. "How is it looking on that side?" Jace asked as he stored the rest of his gear.

"Like we will be overrun. We are barely getting a chance to shoot back." Tako responded as he ducked back behind cover as a bullet bounced off his armor’s shields as they flickered yellow.

Jace finished preparing his equipment to move but the Dragon’s Breath needed more time to cool off. He glanced up the stairs again and confirmed that no more enemies were coming down.

He then stepped out of the cover he had from the column and raised his arm. A large tower shield made of blue hard light appeared in front of him. "I will take the hits. Grab your things and go up the stairs."

"The stairs? Okay." Tako scooted back and then moved behind Jace as the bullets kept flickering against his shield before bouncing and ricocheting in other directions. They were immediately changing their tactics as Parrot moved behind him as well.

Jace began backing up slowly. The bullets were still hitting the shield. He made sure to keep them covered up until they reached the pile of bodies. The enemy was moving up as they moved back. So they had to run up the stairs quickly.

Tako went first, his shield flickering again as bullets hit the armor. As soon as he was up they could hear assault rifle fire. Parrot followed behind him but she took a shot at one of the enemies that was running toward Jace.

"We are good up here. Who is flying?" Tako asked as Jace began backing up the stairs while the enemies fired at the shield.

"Tako, you are. Parrot will assist. Secure your equipment quickly." Jace instructed as he backed up to the top of the stairs and stopped. He looked around and saw that the three landing pads each had a chopper on it. But flying around the area he could see the weaponized transport that Parrot had mentioned before.

The chopper began humming to life. As it did he saw the transport quickly cut to the side as it changed its course. "It is on, now we just need to-"

"Do it quickly!" Jace instructed as he moved to the open door and jumped in. "We need to be in the air before that transport comes around for its strike." Jace turned off his tower shield, the indicator showing him that charge was half way through.

A large negative of the tower shield attachment was that it destroyed the battery. It burned out the battery power because of the constant hard light energy being distributed. The hard light was a drawback on their current battery and energy distribution designs.

Jace quickly secured himself on the edge and pointed his Dragon’s Breath out. Ready to fire on the enemy. He fired at the first enemy that made it up the stairs. Its body fell backwards down the stairs while the head bounced away. The other enemies were delayed by a second.

The chopper jolted upwards and backwards. But as it moved there was a loud noise followed by an explosion. The transport had fired a missile. The missile had hit the bottom of the landing platform. The platform shook as their chopper went into the air.

Then as more enemies were coming up the platform slid forward into the outpost. The outer wall began cracking and crumbling as a bout of fire shot out. A secondary explosion threw up a cloud of dust.

The chopper moved to the side as the transport flew right past them. "Where are we going now?" Tako asked from the front as Jace glanced at the back of the transport. It had three more visible missiles attached to the transport.

Jace sent Tako a package of info. "Follow this route, we need to keep in mind the transport is following us. I am going to need fire back at it. Parrot can come back and assist me if you have a handle on it up there."

This content is taken from fr(e)ewebn(o)vel.𝓬𝓸𝓶