Warfighter: Operation Shatterfall

Chapter 4: Engagement

Revolt City,
January 15th, 2624 AD
0915 hours Galactic Standard Time [0915 Euphorian time]

It was pitch black. The emergency lights were already dead and all I saw was the giant red line of text across the visor: "SYNC FAILURE".

Even the cameras were smashed too.

I tried recapping everything that had happened till this moment.

We were shot, went off course and-

Oh no.

A chill went down my spine as the thought of torture and execution terrified me. The PRF could show up any minute if we stayed in the pod. We could be overrun, and captured and tortured.

Hell, they might even be right outside, waiting for us. Ready to mow us down.

"Everyone alright?" Echo asked.

A mix of painful 'yeah' and 'I'm good' replied.

"You good? " I elbowed Midnight softly.

"I'm still alive, if that's what you're asking," he replied.

Suddenly, a loud thunk sounded by the door.

Then a moment of silence followed.

"Rubble," McCord said.

"You think they're out there?" Jackson asked.

"Probably," Lee answered his question.

"Get switched on, we're moving out," Echo ordered, "Jackson, the door."

His footsteps sounded across the pod, until his face was illuminated by the bluelight screen next to the door.

Jackson hit the emergency hatch panel, and the pod's door blew open. If someone was indeed 'knocking' the pod, he would be a pancake, crushed underneath the door's weight. The warm yellow glow of the sun blasted its way into the small cabin, filtering through the dusty air and illuminating the fellow soldiers trying to remove their fellow harnesses.

"Smoke dispensers out", Jackson announced as a soft plop punctuated his words followed by a smooth hiss. Outside, a thick mist of phosphorus pentoxide gathered.

For a moment, all eyes were on Jackson as he initiated exterior scanning. Everyone was silent, as if we were waiting for an answer from him.

The motion tracker beeped once.

And again.

And again.

Jackson kept his eye on the screen, until-

"Exterior's clear, sir," Jackson said to Echo.

A unified sigh sounded as he finished. Even Jackson himself showed signs of relief.

"Then lets move," he replied.

I pulled my painful body out from the wreckage and looked up. What I saw hit me with shock and awe.

Orange flames burrowed through the clouds, scorching the air like wildfire, consuming miles and miles of white and blue. Thousands upon thousands of explosions broke within orbit like firecrackers as more and more flashes of exploding enemy ships broke through the fractured morning sky. Silver and black wings trailed across the sickly span, splitting death as they twisted and turned elegantly in the air.

A distant boom dragged me back to the ground. The blistering popping and rattling of gunfire far away echoed through the labyrinth of skyscrapers and rubble strewn streets. Loud, deep thumps of explosives detonating sent ripples of ear-splitting sound waves into the Euphorian air.