Ad Astra - The Alagore War

AA V1 Alagore, Chapter 11

"Space Command, this is Colonel Juliet from the NASA-USSF Research Facility; we are in a developing situation. I do not know how to report this, but the Bridge shut off. I repeat, the Bridge suddenly shut off.

This was not a planned closure of the Bridge. We were expecting the Bridge to shut off on its own in the next thirteen hours. This is not a concrete timer but an ETA based on energy decay data from the first time the Verliance Aristocracy came through and since our forces adventured to Alagore.

We are in the process of conducting every diagnostic program we have, and everything will show green before the shutdown. Power from the two small nuclear modules shows perfect levels, and we have yet to discover a power surge. Capacity was at expected levels.

I am making a point that the Bridge did not close on our end; it had to be their end. We were in the middle of receiving a research update from the NASA research team on the other side before everything went silent.

We have attempted three reconnects using the protocols that Fraeya Holiadon provided us. So far, nothing has succeeded. Previous reports did state that we were having trouble connecting our terminals with this alien interface. We are still investigating possible solutions; however, at this stage, the Special Operations Expedition needs to reconnect the Bridge to our side." Colonel Juliet

March, 5th, 2068 (military calendar)

Salva, the former Confederacy of Daru'uie

Nevali Region, Aldrida, Alagore

*****

Hearing the zooming sounds above enemy artillery, Captain Mathew Ryder rushed as hard as he could to the closest cover as impact rounds rained around them. Soldiers and the militia were scattering, seeking shelter, or firing their weapons at the incoming enemy storming the city.

Noticing an open door to a stone building, the Comanche Captain rushed inside for cover from the raining artillery shells. He struggled to stop them, running into the wall from the momentum. Once Ryder stabilized himself, he saw Sergeant First Class Gregory Barrett and Sergeant Bruno Barrios taking cover inside the building.

"Where the hell did that come from?" Barrios asked as he took position by a window with his M31.

"Clearly, they have artillery." Ryder checked his HUB and was hoping to connect with the rest of his team. However, the connection was weak due to some interference. While there was no network to secure, each Itlian Battle Suit had a built-in connection so teams could operate off the grid if needed. Soon enough, his suit got a signal from the rest of Comanche, and they acknowledged that they were still active. Now, he could focus on the task at hand.

"You say that, sir," Barrios said. "But does artillery lift the ground?"

Confused by Bruno Barrios's meaning, Ryder walked toward the window and looked outside. What he saw was where a shell had impacted. Usually, artillery rounds would leave a stain or small crater on the ground from the warehouse or kinetic force; however, this had the opposite effect. The ground was elevated to the height of a man.

That was not the only strange sight they saw. They witnessed one of the enemy artillery rounds forming a giant ice patch within the plaza. Another shell impacted a building. A small but bright light appeared from the impact as part of the building, leaving dark marks everywhere. Every artillery round seemed different. Some incendiary rounds left a dark red gel on whatever it touched.