The Start Of Something Great

The Mercs

Carver's POV: 0736, Jan. 4

The mud squelched under my boots as we moved through the dense forest of Kiter, a planet known for its vast forests. The air was thick with mist, and the ground beneath us was soft, boggy from days of rain. Buck led the way, with Red, Heavy, Ray, and then me following in formation. We were on the hunt for a mercenary base run by a group called Sentinel, notorious for taking contracts from the highest bidder. They were the same group that had been stationed at Erburus during Operation Dawn Break.

Buck held up a fist, signaling us to halt. He moved forward silently, binoculars in hand, scanning the area ahead. The rest of us stayed low, eyes flicking back and forth for any signs of movement. After a tense minute, Buck waved us forward, and we moved cautiously through the trees.

When we reached the edge of the treeline, Red took position, pulling out his Longbow DMR. He began scanning the base through the scope. The rest of us crouched, staying low behind cover.

"Alright, listen up," Buck said in a low voice, turning to face the squad. "This is just a scouting mission. We gather intel, find any weaknesses, and then we leave. No unnecessary risks." His words were clear, but the edge in his tone told us how important it was to be careful.

I unclipped the face mask of my helmet and clipped it to my belt, then pulled out my binoculars. I scanned the base from my vantage point, noting the large titan bay, guarded by at least seven riflemen. A few more buildings scattered around, and a big hangar that could easily house a ship large enough to carry titans. I kept my eyes on the base, my mind ticking through everything I was seeing.

Just as I was taking in the layout, the rain started to fall, light at first, then coming down in sheets. It wasn't long before Ray and Heavy moved to set up camp, seeking shelter from the downpour. The rain battered my helmet as I kept watching the base, but after a while, I noticed a control center atop a tower near the heart of the base. It seemed like a key structure—one that could hold important information.

Ray appeared beside me, tapping my shoulder. "Hey, the camp's set up. Let's get out of the rain."

I nodded, putting my binoculars back on my belt and following her back through the woods to the makeshift shelter.

Once we were all under cover, Buck spoke again. "I just talked to Arthur. He and Kaleb are working on a plan of attack. They want us to keep scouting, look for any weaknesses in their defenses." His voice was strained from the lack of rest.

We all nodded, each of us visibly exhausted. It had been three days of endless searching through the rain, and the weather was unrelenting. The heavy downpours had made everything feel worse, each day dragging on.

I had the first watch that night, and the rain didn't let up. I sat under a tarp we'd set up to keep dry, my helmet in my lap, tracing the Phoenix emblem on it over and over. It was a small comfort. I thought about the friends who had my back—Ray, Red, Heavy, Buck, Kaleb, and Arthur. They were the kind of people who wouldn't throw you to the wolves, not for any personal gain. We'd been through a lot together, and I was proud to stand with them.

Eventually, Ray came to relieve me of watch, sending me back to camp to get some rest. I stumbled back to my sleeping bag, fatigue weighing down on me, and finally managed to get a few hours of sleep.

By morning, it was still raining just as hard as it had the night before. I grabbed my helmet and put it back on, the wet metal cool against my head as I made my way toward Buck.

"Alright, copy that, sir," Buck said as he saw me approaching. "Tell everyone to get ready for combat. Arthur's got a plan of attack."

I nodded and moved to gather the squad. Red and Heavy weren't far—they had been scouting the base all morning. I found Ray cleaning her Flatline nearby, carefully wiping it down.

"Hey, Ray, time to head back to camp. Arthur's got a plan ready," I said, and she stood up, packing her cleaning supplies away.

"Finally," she said, grinning as she followed me. "I've been itching for some action."

When we reached the camp, Buck started briefing us on the plan. "Arthur and Kaleb will be here within the next hour with reinforcements to help launch the attack," he said, his voice a little more steady now. "We'll wait for their signal to begin. Once the attack starts, our job is to move in and hit the control center. We grab whatever data we can on the mercs and what they know about the jump drive tech."

Red raised an eyebrow. "What's the signal?"

Buck glared at him. "You'll know it when it happens."

With the plan set, we quickly broke down camp, grabbed our rifles, and started moving toward the base, staying at the edge of the treeline. We crouched low, waiting for the signal, tension rising as the minutes passed.

Then, the ground shook with the sound of incoming Titans. We looked up in surprise as four Titans descended from the sky, plummeting toward the planet. The massive metal forms hit the ground with a thunderous crash, and the base erupted into chaos. I spotted Arthur's Titan in the lead, with Jean and Atlas close behind. And then, I saw it—the unmistakable shape of a Legion Titan, painted in yellow, white, and black, with a Koi fish design on the hatch.

The battle was about to begin.