Chapter 178

Arriving above the planet's atmosphere, the MCU task force halted their advance. In front of them, the army of alien vessels was in their sight. Unlike a regular Ascendency fleet, MCU fleets were not riddled with the shouting of commands on the deck of the ship.

Since each MCU was connected and controlled by a singular central AI, communication was universal across the fleet. "Prepare for engagement," was the sole directive passed through all the MCU's onboard. The response was immediate, as each ship in the fleet began its pre-emptive calculations and prepared their weapon systems.

From his flagship, Axel watched the tactical feed from his desk. He could see the formation of alien ships ahead of their forces and knew that they were severely outnumbered. Yet, his faith in the MCU's was absolute, he did create them after all, so he knew all of their capabilities.

Inside one of the assault ships, Spartan Squad Leader Vincente sat in wait, ready to complete his mission alongside the rest of his squad which consisted of four other Spartans Saya (Sniper/Recon specialists), Tarkov (Medic), Zara (Tech Expert), and Rourke (Demolitions Expert).

They were veterans from the Human-Covenant war, having participated in hundreds of battles and special operations, alongside a handful of major battles.

In the next moments, the battle began with Cannons opening fire from the MCU fleet. The alien ships responded and the space between the two fleets were filled with the roar of battle as energy beams and missile barrages lit up the dark expanse.

The Ascendency task force moved with precision, coordinated through the MCU AI, as each ship responded to the changing tides of the battle with ruthless efficiency. The alien vessels, though numerous, were not prepared for the disciplined assault they now faced. Before they were going against a civilian ship, but now they faced a small task force of AI controlled ships who could respond to situations faster than any organic mind could.

Meanwhile the Dropship's carrying ground troops had made their way around the alien fleet towards the surface of the planet. Accompanying them were fighters whose mission was to counter any incoming enemy fighters.

The frigates carved through the enemy formation with precise strikes, the kinetic and energy rounds disintegrating enemy ships before they even had time to react. The enemy ships which were the size of what the Ascendency considered to be light cruisers, was finding it hard to penetrate the shield of the frigates.

The reason was simple, the shielding on a military vessel vs a civilian vessel was different to reduce the overall price and maintenance costs of civilian vessels. While for military vessels, they were designed to have high maintenance costs and overall price because they were used for war and needed the best systems, shields, and weaponry money could buy.

The dropships descended faster and faster towards the planet surface while the alien forces attempted to scramble interceptors. The Ascendency fighters were swift in engaging them, their superior maneuverability and advanced weapons making short work of the surprised alien pilots.

Onboard one of the dropships, her hull quaking from the turbulence caused by atmospheric entry, Vincente tightened his grip on the handhold above. His squad sat around him prepared for the battle, "Just like old times eh, Vincente" Rourke said, a hint of nostalgia in his voice as he checked his demolition pack. "You could say that" Vincente replied with a smile.

The dropship shook violently as the pilot dodged incoming fire from the ground. Alarms were blaring and lights were flashing, but through it all, the Spartan squad remained collected. They were no strangers to situations like these; having been thrown into countless similar scenarios throughout their service.

Zara worked quietly on her tech board, adjusting settings on her devices for combat on an unfamiliar planet. Tarkov was doing a final check on his medical supplies in case the survivors needed them, while Saya peered through the rear window, her sniper rifle situated next to her.

The dropship pilot's voice came through the intercom, "ETA five minutes to LZ. Buckle up."

High above them, the space battle raged on. The MCU task force had conducted a risky maneuver which lured two enemy ships out of formation, forcing an opening for their bombers to get in there and cause some damage. Unlike normal frigates, the ones that were docked in Axel's flagship had limited fighter/bomber capability for situations like these.

As the bombers hit their targets, the alien ships shattered under the relentless onslaught, their scattered debris and exploding ships lighting up the darkness of space.

Onboard their command ship, the alien commander in charge of the small fleet ordered the remaining ships to retreat. His eyes reflected the sight of his fleet's decimation, and a rage-filled snarl echoed throughout the command ship. He didn't know who this enemy was but when they came back, he would not be alone.

Back in the dropship, had finally broken through the atmosphere. The harsh turbulence subsided; now replaced with the jarring movements of evasive maneuvers to dodge incoming ground fire. "Hang on tight," came the warning from their dropship pilot as they swerved erratically to avoid being hit.

In the blink of an eye, they were out of the line of fire and hovering over the landing zone. After landing the ramp of the dropship opened revealing what lay ahead. "Alright, let's move!" Vincente called out as he was first to disembark from the dropship onto the unfamiliar terrain.

One by one, his squad followed him out, each member spreading out and keeping their guard up. Around them 2 more dropships landed, unloading a few squads of MCUs. Unlike the Spartans who took up a lot of space, MCUs could be packed into tight spaces allowing for a greater number of them to be transported at once.

Approaching Vincente, one of the MCUs who held the rank of commander had projected holographic map of the planet, "We're picking up beacons of survivors around these areas within the forests. Our task is to locate and secure them," the MCU commander explained, pointing at several blinking points on the holographic display.

Vincente nodded, studying the map carefully. "Which area has the most concentration of survivors?"

The holographic map shifted to zoom in on an area a few kilometers away from their landing zone. The blinking lights suggesting a large cluster of survivors huddled together in the dense forest. "This area." the MCU commander said, highlighting the spot.

"Estimated enemy activity?" Vincente asked, his eyes not leaving the map.

"We can expect heavy resistance," the MCU responded, overlaying a series of red dots over the area. "We have detected several enemy units converging towards the survivors."

"Very well," replied Vincente, his voice steady. He glanced at his squad who were listening intently, their expressions focused. "We follow standard procedure: Saya, you take point and scout ahead with Zara for any traps or ambushes. Rourke and Tarkov will stick with me as we move behind."

"Understood," they replied in unison, and immediately began preparing for their mission. In addition to them, individual MCU squads were assigned their own missions to rescue other pockets of survivors spread around the area. One particular area would be the small outpost which the original science ship had set up.

There were still some beacons popping up within the outpost meaning that they were either hiding or were prisoners of the enemy forces. As more dropships began to land, the MCU commander began to coordinate with them to start applying pressure to the enemy forces that remained on the planet.

Already the enemy fleet above had retreated, so all they needed to do was rescue the survivors before the alien fleet returned with reinforcements and their mission would be a success.