Terra Forever

Chapter 7

The Optio was already on the move to the northern sector of the defenses, his helmet indicating that is where the transmission was coming from.

"This is Corporal Destiny, the sergeant is down! We need backup. There is heavy weapons fire coming from the houses."

Carter barreled through the hallways, bursting out onto the north west end of the wall. He immediately noticed the deep sounds of projectile weaponry. He picked up the pace. It took him only moments to reach the guard station that had come under attack. The Corporal could be seen directing the Legionnaires to take cover and return direct fire. The Sergeant lay unloving on the deck of the station. Carter's helmet read no life signs.

Without a second thought, as the situation demanded immediate control, Carter rattled off orders to get the men in line. They were clearly shaken. Only the 2 other Praetorians present seemed unphased.

"Listen up! You will only fire if you have a clear target, there are civilians down there. Corporal, send a message to Central command. Inform the Centurion and request immediate backup!"

The soldiers seemed to function more like a machine now, rather than a panicked armed mob. Unfortunately, the Legions did not provide the level of discipline without a chain of command present. The Corporal got on the long range comms and began his requests. Carter equipped one of the rifles in the stations storage compartment and joined the foray.

Shots raged on between the defenders and whoever was attacking them. Plasma rounds exchanged impacts. Men called out directions to concentrate fire, but it seemed never-ending.

Then, everything stopped. The grounds went silent.

"Hold your fire." Carter paused. "Something is very wrong here."

The men glanced at each other. A few more praetorians had shown up with a hand full of Legionnaires. The silence was deafening.

Then, out of the smoke of the polluted streets below, came industrial trucks that had seemed to be modified with armor plating. Whoever these guys were, they had the funding, and the know how to protect themselves.

Behind the trucks, barely visible were people moving in and out of cover seemingly at random, but getting closer to the wall.

Carter roared again. "Suppressing fire on those trucks! Make them fight for every foot of dirt!" And so begin the foray once more. But it was soon to be cut short.

The Corporal moved to the Optio. "Sir, backup is incoming now. Legion ground forces have already surrounded them and are pushing towards us."

Carter took a quick glance at the horizon. He could see several sparrows landed in the distance, and Imperial tanks moving through the streets. Taking up the central line was the command squad of the Praetorians, easily noticed by the deep purple Resurgent gunship hovering directly over their advance.

Almost immediately, the armored trucks pulled a u turn and began rushing in different directions.

Carter peaked over the ledge of the wall for a brief moment, and activated his helmets laser designator, and linked up with the Praetorian Gunship. Almost immediately, without a word, the Gunship shifted its thrusters and banked towards their direction.

Within moments, tremendous firepower was poured into the fleeing truck. Reducing it to a molten pile of scrap metal. No survivors.

The fight was over. Another Legionnaire had lost his life along with the praetorian sergeant in the opening moments. But they were avenged. The night was somber, a few shots rang out in the night as the Legion swarmed the northern district, busting in doors. With the new age of facial recognition, there was no hiding inside the city.

Carter couldn't manage to sleep much that night. But it wouldn't matter. A few hours later, the sun began to rise, shining threw his windows. There was a hard knock and several rings of the door bell.