Lunar Defense

We went through the forest for some time, a rocky road back. Nobody tried to strike up a conversation, keeping silent in our way out of here.

"A rest would be nice when we get back." Thalia spoke.

"Gotta get ourselves checked out at the clinic first though, my legs soaked up so much shrapnel." Lennox replied.

"What do you think we'll get from this mission?"

"Probably some good rest and money again."

"Mhm."

Mary placed the papers on the ground, moving to one of the locked boxes on the truck.

"There might be something we can keep from here." Mary said, trying to get it open.

"Can you find some rope or something to tie with?" Lennox asked.

After a few seconds, Mary flipped the cover over, checking it's contents, she reached inside and threw something at Lennox. Some rope.

"Thanks." Lennox began tying up the hostage's arms and legs. Fastening up quickly.

Mary, after looking inside the box for some time, closed it. Moving to another one to open.

"That one's full of construction tools, need any?" Mary asked, chuckling a little after asking.

She continued unlocking box after box almost effortlessly, she really does have great skill in lockpicking.

"You sure you guys won't take stuff? They might help us in the future." Mary asked, concerned.

"I think it's better for us to just leave it, maybe pocket a few but leave the rest for the academy. I radioed them, said they'll give us additional money for it. Also what's in those crates Mary?"

"Ummm, from the ones i opened, construction materials, rifles and pistols along with some smgs, ammunition, yeah that's pretty much it."

"Wait there's weapons?" Lennox interjected, quickly moving to one of the unlocked boxes to check.

"Old Shaksha rifles, probably from the revolution years. Not mint condition but not horribly treated." Lennox pulled out a rifle from one of the boxes, examining it further.

"What about the pistols?" Nora asked.

"Pistols look to be from Lorkarf. Frosenkian company, during the Alliance-Empire war these babies saw the most use." Lennox started pocketing a few of the pistols, keeping them in empty pockets on him.

"Where's the smgs?" Nora asked, approaching Lennox.

"Over there." Mary pointed at one of the unlocked boxes. Nora promptly sat down in front of it, rummaging and checking inside.

"These ones look more pristine and mint." Nora joined Lennox in examining the contents on their boxes, pulling weapons out to inspect them further.

"Gralasian Night arms company. Known for their close quarter weaponry. Only 4 of em here though, guess they can't buy alot of it, shocked they can afford this." She grabbed the smgs, holding them under her arm.

The 2 continued their plundering, taking weapons and examining other unlocked boxes. Mary continued as well with opening any other crate and box on this truck.

"I was expecting more of a fight to be honest." Nora said, sighing after.

"For a supposedly high ranking hostage that wasn't just abandoned you'd think they would put up more resistance." Lennox replied.

"From the looks of the enemy, they don't seem that strong, probably some rotting insurgent group." Nora added.

"Dying or got purged because of us." Lennox laughed.

The road continued on, almost feeling like an hour or so had already passed. My mind slipped in and out of consciousness, the comfort of leaning on the crate gave me a feeling of relaxation.

"Uhhh, i think we got company." Marcel notified, confused.

After speaking, an object descended down, facing the interior of the truck, keeping speed with the truck.

"THAT'S NOT OURS, SHOOT IT!" Stephen shouted. Mary, almost in an instant opened fire on the drone, sending it crashing down in grey smoke, blowing up shortly after.

Multiple drones began descending down. Mary, Lennox, and Nora begin opening fire.

Outside, emerging from the grass, numerous bikes emerge. Curiously they didn't have any wheels, but a bright blue hue of flame under each of them, the 3 continued firing, Luna joining in the fight alongside Thalia.

I grabbed my spotter, preparing to fight, the others were crouched down, continuing to fire at the drones and the bikes.

After multiple drones fell, a rain of rounds hit us from drones and the bikes. Slamming into all parts of the truck.

"GET DOWN," Nora yelled. We all dropped down.

"USE THE CRATES AND BOXES FOR COVER! USE YOUR FLASHLIGHTS, MAYBE IT CAN BLIND THEM!" I ran behind the crate i was resting on just before, the others moved the boxes, facing front. Thalia and Lennox fall down, injured while Nora continued pushing. I aimed at one of the drones shooting, splinters passing by near my face. I squeezed the trigger, releasing a round into the drone. It moved back, before quickly combusting aflame and falling down.

The box barricade quickly became torn apart by gunfire, tools, magazines, among other things falling out on the ground or outside. Blood was present on the ground, smeared around the floor behind the torn up boxes. I continued firing, constantly changing positions. Sometimes missing my shots as the onslaught of drones continued.

As the fight continued on more magazines fell onto the ground but even with the amount of bullets were throwing at them, the number of drones almost felt constant, every dead drone that fell was replaced by another, or even 2 more. Peaking out of cover again, my body felt multiple strikes into the chest, arms and my legs, my body fell back hard, with the strength i had left, i crawled back to the large crate. Resting on it, looking at my wounds. There was no blood on my chest though, only on my legs and my lower forearms, after a few seconds i felt it. The piercing pain on my arms and legs, blood dripped down from the fabric. I gripped onto the rifle, feeling the pain worsen. Even with it i need to stop the attack. I stood up, forcing my legs to stand up despite the injury. It'll heal, it should be.

I peeked out from cover, leaning more onto the crate as i did. I continued firing back, shooting down drones.

"Does anyone have a shot on those bikes?" Nora asked in the fight.

"I can try to hit them" I replied.

"Then hit em!" She yelled back.

Turning my sights onto one of the bikers, i pulled the trigger. The bullet missed, hitting the side of the bike.

Noticing this, the bikes began moving around, continued their fire, stopping periodically to reload.

Adjusting my aim over and over, i hit one of them, the bike flipped onto the ground as the driver was thrown from it.

"Nice shot!" Nora exclaimed.

I continued firing, until, clicks, looking around. I failed to realize i expended all my spotter ammo, all being on the ground in a small pile. Leaning the rifle onto the crate, i pulled out my Shaksha, continuing to fire with the ammunition i still had.

The battle continued, our ammo grew thinner and thinner as the drones continued pouring down the bikers continued firing. Looking at the others, they were positioned near large crates as well, the hostage was still unconscious, being hid away behind one of the crates.

"Good, these things have ammo." Lennox said, racking the bolt of an old Shaksha rifle in his hand. Nora followed suit with an smg in her hand. Their main weapons on the ground and their pistols back into the holsters, our ammo is draining, and draining fast. During the fight, Nora and Lennox grabbed magazines of their new weapons scattered around the ground, trying their best to avoid getting shot as they emerge out of cover.

I shifted from target to target, from drone to bike and vice versa, going back to cover to reload. Bullet casings rain down onto the floor as more drones and bikes fall. In the fight, my leg felt a strike onto it, forcing me to kneel down.

Soon the number of drones and bikes dwindled, and so did our ammo. With what little remained, i continued firing with the Shaksha until my ammo was depleted. Pulling out my ap-8, i delivered the final blows to the remaining enemies. The gunfight became less and less violent, until the last bike fell, the last drone crashing down.

I holstered my pistol, kneeling now on both my legs. My head resting to the side of the damaged crate.

"Finally," Nora, panting and grunting, said with relief. The others rested as well, the floor was littered with casings, small chunks of wood, and magazines.

"Stephen, Marcel you two ok there?" Thalia asked.

"Yeah, got hit in the arm and felt a punch to my back but still feel able to drive. Marcel got hit in the back a few times, but he didn't get any injuries."

"Lucky bastard." Lennox laughed.

My eyes grew drowsy as i breathed heavily, slowly closing and slowly opening.

"Were around 10 minutes out from the new exit location." Marcel informed.

"We left quite a mess back there." Thalia commented.

"Quite a messy one, yeah." Mary replied

"You think those were the same drones from Shoravik?"

"Probably...Probably not, what matters though is that we won."

We continued on our trip in a more damaged state, the others checked their wounds as Alina started patching up wounds on Mary. Luna stood near the hostage, grabbing her left forearm tightly. Her legs had a few red spots of blood. We were all wounded, trying to calm down and relax after the fight. The wound on my forearm started healing, the blood around it drying up as the wound started healing.

My eyes slowly closed once more, but this time for good. My conscious now resting. The mission, completed.