Lexi had set up the turret on the railing next to the command center, securing it tightly to ensure stability amidst the chaos. The metallic hum of the turret resonated through the air as she made her final checks. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for the confrontation ahead, and pressed the trigger.
The turret fired stun shots in rapid succession, the pulsing rhythm of each round echoing like a drumbeat in the charged atmosphere. The attackers, caught off guard, were momentarily stunned as the rounds struck their targets, rendering the first line of foes incapacitated. In a mere ten seconds, over fifteen attackers collapsed to the ground, their confusion palpable.
"Get to cover!" one of the captains yelled frantically to his beleaguered teammates, desperation seeping into his voice.
"Can anyone see where the shots are coming from?" a soldier shouted, their eyes darting across the battlefield, trying to pinpoint the source of their misfortune.
"Sir, up there by the command center! It looks like it's Lexi on a turret!" another soldier exclaimed, pointing up towards the well-protected position.
"Damn," the captain grumbled to himself, weighing his options as he scanned the surroundings for an escape route. Panic was creeping into his strategy, and he could feel the tension rising.
Lexi, unfazed by the chaos unfolding below, ordered her team to flank the attackers. With a nod of determination, the Serdran kids—agile and spirited fighters—split into two groups, moving through the shadows of the debris-strewn battlefield. Their formation was precise, honed through countless drills, as they approached from both sides, forcing the pinned attackers into a dire predicament: surrender or risk annihilation.
Lexi paused firing to allow the turret to cool down, her heart racing, but her focus unwavering. She carefully surveyed the pinned position, waiting for the slightest movement that would signal desperation among the enemy ranks.
"Give up! This is your one chance to surrender. If not, don't blame us for taking you all out!" Her voice rang out clearly above the cacophony, a confident proclamation that carried an edge of finality.
Vhar'kar's captain, recognizing the precariousness of their situation, looked around at his beleaguered troops, their faces etched with uncertainty and fear. After a moment of tense deliberation, he made a decision.
Over the comms, he barked orders to his remaining forces, "Prepare smoke grenades!"
"You win, Lexi. We will withdraw," he yelled from his position behind a door, frustration lacing his voice.
"Throw down your weapons and one at a time, slowly walk away from the base," she commanded, her tone leaving no room for deception. Her mind was already calculating the possibilities of a breakout, knowing they wouldn't give up easily. She had deliberately ensured they had an escape route, aware that cornered animals fight with desperate ferocity.
As she kept her eyes trained on the enemy position, her senses sharpened. Just as she had anticipated, a diffuse cloud of smoke began to billow from the pinned positions, obscuring the area and creating a smokescreen. Within seconds, visibility diminished dramatically; the once-clear battlefield transformed into a swirling haze of grey.
"Everyone, get into cover and start blind firing!" she shouted, adrenaline pounding through her veins as she unleashed the turret's power once more. The air crackled with tension as the sound of gunfire erupted from both sides—a symphony of chaos as Lexi's team engaged the enemy. Hidden behind their barricades, the defenders began firing blindly into the fog, hoping to soften the enemy's retreat.
Chaos ensued as the attackers, desperate and disorganized, began running and firing blindly while they retreated. A few shots whizzed past Lexi, landing uncomfortably close as she stood her ground, determined and resolute. With acute focus, she mowed down as many shadowy figures as she could make out through the thick smoke.
After what felt like an eternity, the smoke began to clear, revealing the aftermath: at least ten more bodies of attackers sprawled on the ground. The sight brought joy to the defenders.
Out of 40 attackers, Lexi and her contingent of only 12 defenders had eliminated an impressive 25. It was a remarkable battle record, one that would not have been possible without the turret providing that crucial extra layer of firepower.
Meanwhile, the remaining attackers, realizing the futility of their efforts, regrouped outside the base. They made the strategic decision to retreat, hastily marching back to the bases. Their combined attack failed and led them to being on the defensive for the rest of the game.
As Lexi walked back into the command center, adrenaline still coursing through her veins, she took off her helmet and let out a deep sigh of relief. She noticed the dampness of her hair clinging to her neck and the beads of sweat running down her brow, an indication of the intensity of the battle she'd just fought.
Setting her helmet down on the table, she quickly called Rayden. She wanted to inform him of her success in repelling the attack from Vhar'kar and Drav'korr, a big victory in the grand scheme of the game.
"That is an impressive record, Lexi. I'm glad you were able to repel the attack. Still, since you were preoccupied, you don't know about the current events happening," Rayden said, his voice a mixture of congratulations and seriousness.
"What's going on?" she asked, standing a bit taller and drawing herself up straight, her heart racing as she sensed the gravity of the situation.
"Do you want the good news or the bad news first?"
Taken aback by the prospect of good news amidst the chaos, she opted for the positive first.
"The good news is that our pincer attack worked for the most part; we successfully split the Tov'ra defenders in half and cut their number in half well. We've taken control of the outer wall and pushed them back toward their flag room, creating an opportunity for us to advance."
"That's good to hear!" Lexi felt a surge of hope. "If we push now, we should be able to overwhelm them, right?"
"That was the plan," Rayden replied, his tone shifting to one of frustration, "but an unexpected situation has delayed our progression."
"What happened, Ray? Just tell me." Her voice edged with impatience; she could sense that something troubling was coming.
"Your team was ambushed from behind by a small group of Tov'ra that was coming back from capturing Drav'korr's flag. Given the impact from our earlier attack on the base, you only have ten members left out there."
"What!? What happened to the ambush team?" Lexi's heart sank at the thought of her comrades in peril.
"All but the captain were taken out. She managed to return to the base safely. Afterward, she raised the Drav'korr flag, which signifies that they are eliminated from contention and must withdraw all troops from the arena. So, while the situation was dire, some good news came out of it."
Rayden observed as Lexi began to pace back and forth in frustration. The earlier thrill of having repelled the attackers faded rapidly, replaced by a torrent of anxiety, anger, and helplessness.
Fighting off one attack had propelled her into a moment of triumph, but now she grappled with the reality that her troops were in a precarious situation. There was not much she could do, confined to the command center, unable to coordinate her forces during such a critical moment in the battle.
"Take a breath, Lexi. There was nothing you could do at the moment. What we need is to come up with a strategy to flush Tov'ra from the defenses to take their flag." Rayden tried to calm Lexi down
"Smoke Ray, we will smoke them out." She went on to explain that they would use smoke grenades and use the environment to create stink and smoke bombs to throw in and flush them out."
"Ok that the plan to deal with Tov'ra but what about Vhar'kar?"
"We don't have to worry too much with Vhar'kar; they're the only ones holding up defense at their base. From what I saw, only 8 of their troop left from here, so around 23 defender left at their base.
"Good with Drav'korr eliminated and Tov'ra about to be, we can join forces to take Vhar'kar flag before we come to the final battle between ourselves." Rayden agreed with her.
"Lets get to work then."
"Ladies first"
========
"We are surrounded by Knight and Serdran commander! What do we do?"
The female captain from the Tov'ra strike team asked, her voice steady even as her heart raced. Looking at her clan's flag hanging on the wall, the red banner with their clan's symbol was waving gently.
"Fight. That's all we can do," he responded, his voice heavy with a hint of melancholy as he surveyed their desperate situation. They were cornered in the flag room, making a final stand before they were eliminated. "We take out as many of them before they wipe us out and eliminate us."
The captain looked down, her eyes filled with the weight of impending elimination. "I guess that is our only option. After we are eliminated, Commander, do you want to grab a bite to eat?"
Surprised by her light-hearted request, the Commander lifted his gaze to meet her steady eyes. Joy replaced his frustration about their current situation. Spending time with her seemed far better than fighting a losing battle.
"Where do you want to eat?" he asked, a smile beginning to form.
"Well, the clan food competition is after this, so why don't we go and try a little of each dish the clans submit?" Her cheeks flushed slightly under the weight of vulnerability.
"Good, it's a date," he declared, a broad smile lighting up his face. Behind him, he could hear some of his teammates grumbling about his good fortune, teasing him about being a 'lucky bastard.'
Not my fault, I'm handsome and better than you guys, the Commander thought with a slight smirk, reveling in the momentary distraction from their precarious situation.
As the tension hung thick in the air, the sounds of their conversation faded, replaced by the sudden chaos of battle. A few objects were hurled into the room they were holed up in, causing panic to spike.
One of the random Tov'ra kids in the room was struck as he walked through the room carrying a box. He spun around, bewildered, his eyes widening as they landed on a gleaming metal ball at his feet. Realization hit just a moment too late. The next instant, he fell to the ground, stunned into unconsciousness.
"Take cover! They're attacking again!" The Commander's voice boomed with urgency as he rallied his team. "If we're gonna go down, we go down swinging. Take as many of these swamprats out as you can!" He dove behind a nearby crate, the captain following suit as they both began blind-firing into the haze beyond.
More objects flew into their makeshift shelter—a flurry of chaos—as smoke canisters erupted, flooding the room with a choking fog that blocked out all sight. Stun rounds whizzed overhead, their crackling energy filling the air with an electric tension, making the world outside seem both distant and hauntingly close.
The fighting escalated rapidly as both sides vied for victory.
After five minutes of back-and-forth shooting, the defenders could no longer hold their ground. Smoke clouded their vision and interfered with their helmet sensors, and to make matters worse, a terrible smell emanated from the smoke.
It turned out that a Serdran kid had discovered a plant that produced a rancid odor. They burned some of these plants and threw them into the room to flush the Tov'ra out.
The tactic worked wonders; the defenders could no longer tolerate the foul smell. A few of the kids started running out for fresh air. Naturally, they were hit and stunned as they fled, but at least they escaped the stench.
Some even had smiles on their faces as they rushed out of the room, only to be stunned on the ground.
When the battle concluded, Knight had 14 troops remaining, while Serdran had 9, proudly holding the Tov'ra flag as they made their way back to base to rest before preparing to take on Vhar'kar.
All the Tov'ra kids were stunned and would awaken shortly. In one corner, the Commander and captain lay unconscious, hugging each other.
Their parents watched, feeling both embarrassed and happy that their kids had formed a bond.