Chapter 30 - Belly of the Beast

11.10 Hours, May 30th, 2187

Grid location: Proxima System, Planet Tethlis, Contested space.

The dropship's descent was turbulent, shuddering through layers of thick cloud cover into the stormy world below. Inside, the Helldivers' gear clanked and their harnesses creaked with the strain, the atmosphere thick with the electric scent of impending battle.

As the ground approached, visibility was nil—a perfect cover for the team but equally advantageous for ambushes. Alex checked his weapons, his movements deliberate, precise. "Visibility is zero. Keep your comms clear and your sectors covered. We land, we regroup, we hit them hard and fast."

Marcus, bristling with weapons, grinned fiercely at the prospect. "I love a good blind fight. Makes every surprise a party."

Elena rolled her eyes, her rifle snug against her shoulder. "Keep your party favors to yourself, Marcus. We're not here to dance."

The dropship lurched as it landed, the impact sending a jolt through the cabin. The ramp descended with a hiss, exposing them to the biting wind and pelting rain. Without hesitation, the team disembarked, their forms ghostly shadows against the swirling mists.

"Formation!" Alex's voice cut through the chaos, a grounding force amid the disorienting conditions.

They advanced, each step measured, the silence punctuated only by the squelch of mud underfoot and the intermittent communication checks. Ava, hanging back slightly, her eyes glued to a handheld scanner, whispered into the comms, "Signals are erratic, but I'm tracking the source. Thirty meters north-northwest."

The environment was alien, the facility's location chosen for its seclusion and defensibility. Massive, gnarled trees loomed like silent sentinels, their branches swaying ominously. The wind howled, a natural defense against intruders.

Jack, scanning the perimeter with enhanced optics, muttered, "Feels like we're walking into a trap."

"Every step on this dirt is a step into a trap," Alex replied, his voice low. "Stay sharp."

They moved with the precision of a well-oiled machine, covering angles, communicating silently with hand signals. Suddenly, a burst of gunfire erupted from the left—a staccato interruption to the oppressive silence.

"Contact!" Elena shouted, dropping to one knee and returning fire. Her shots were calculated bursts, the echoes smothering the initial enemy cries.

Marcus pivoted, unleashing a torrent of return fire. "Come and get it, tin cans!"

Alex moved with fluid grace, positioning himself to protect Ava as she zeroed in on the signal. "Ava, status?"

"Almost there!" she shouted over the din, her fingers flying over the device. "Just a bit—got it! I've locked the signal. It's coming from a structure due east!"

The firefight intensified, the enemy seemingly materializing from the mists. Automatons, their metallic bodies glinting faintly in the sparse light, advanced in unyielding waves.

"We break through on my lead! Push for the structure!" Alex commanded, his voice a rallying cry as he led the charge.

The team coalesced around him, breaking through the enemy lines with ruthless efficiency. Elena's sharpshooting took down two Automatons in quick succession, while Marcus used his heavy weaponry to create a necessary diversion.

The structure loomed ahead, a monolithic silhouette against the chaotic backdrop. They breached the perimeter, the door giving way under the combined force of Jack and Marcus.

Inside, the air was stale, the corridor ahead ominously quiet. "Lights," Alex commanded, and beams from their headlamps sliced through the darkness, revealing a corridor lined with wires and pulsating lights.

"This is it," Alex murmured, the weight of their mission settling in. "Whatever controls them, it's here. Let's end this war."

As they advanced, the sense of nearing a crucial confrontation was palpable. Each step took them deeper into the heart of darkness, into the nerve center of their enemy.