Firing Squad

Dageer was very proud of the current Hell Squad, but there was no time to show it off at the moment. Even with Brain's thermal detonators, the situation was still getting out of hand very quickly. The number of mon calamarians who invaded the base was well over a hundred, although it appeared that the last of them had already got out.

If Dageer had to analyze the battle, he would probably say that, although the clones were outnumbered four, maybe five to one, they still had a chance. There were two main reasons for that. The first and most obvious one was that they occupied defensive positions, which was always an advantage. The second, and not so obvious, was that their enemies were enraged.

That might not look as an advantage for some, and in some cases it really wasn't. But at this specific battle, or at least this moment of it, it made so that the mon calamarians were more likely to make mistakes.

Such as running forward without thinking. At least two dozen mon calamarians had to fell to clone lasers, and Brain grenades, until the rest learned that charging might not be the best tactic.

Nevertheless, the brave moves by the mon calamarians paid off. Meter by meter, clone by clone, they started to gain ground. The one leading them was especially eye-catching. He used the weird mon calamari blasters with ability and zero scruples.

Dageer aimed at him, knowing that if he took out the leader, the invasion would soon crumble. The DC-15S, however, wasn't accurate enough. Dageer shots passed right above the mon calamari head, and he ducked behind a crate.

"Fall back! Take position inside!"

Dageer saw that he didn't have enough clones to maintain their position. He ordered a retreat, but he himself stayed behind. Unconsciously or not, all of Hell Squad members had gathered with him.

Brain left his thermal detonators aside, changing them by a DC-15A. Tech and Three-four were side by side, Three-four helping Tech, who had a hole on his legs. Cell and Dab stayed a little behind, ready to cover their retreat. Metal took the chance to reload his Z-6 Rotary, a troublesome matter, impossible to be done if they didn't have that break. Dageer scrubbed the dust of his visor.

"Boys, we have no way out. Either we kill those fishes right here and right now, or we become seafood. On my mark, everyone gets up, fire what you had and run to inside the base. Cell, Dab, you cover us while we retreat. When we are past you, turn back and run. Brain, help Tech."

His men looked intensely at him. He and Metal would be at the most danger, covering their retreat, and being the last to leave. With a small nod, Dageer took a deep breath and got up.

In a synchronized movement, like a well-oiled machine, Hell Squad became an executioner squad. Almost ten mon calamarians in the front were cut down like jirriu being harvested. Following Dageer's orders, Tech, Brain, and Three-four turned and ran.

Dageer aimed and fired, and then aimed and fired, and then aimed and fired, and then aimed and fired...

When he thought that the others had enough time to retreat, he gave Metal a pat on his shoulder, and started walking backwards. The enemy blasters were getting more accurate, so Dageer ordered Metal to turn back and run. Now, only Dageer was left facing sixty or seventy enemies.

He ducked behind cover, and analyzed the situation at hand. There were fifteen meters of open ground between him and the base. Almost all clones were already there, Metal reaching it the moment he looked.

"Men! On two! One... Ahhrg!"

He didn't get the chance to count to two. One mon calamari had run very far forward, and somehow had managed to hide long enough to jump on Dageer.

They rolled on the ground, and the mon calamari grabbed Dageer's head and smashed it on the ground hard. Amidst his dizziness, Dageer took out his DC-17 and pressed the muzzle on the chest of the mon calamari. The eyes of his enemy enlarged, and he let Dageer go, but it was too late for him.

Dageer pushed the mon calamari off. His men inside the base sent volleys of laser fire, trying to fend off the incoming enemies and give Dageer some cover fire. But they were too close. Soon, his allies at the doorway had to hide from the laser fire of the mon calamarians, and Dageer was left alone, about to be engulfed by the enemies.