Chapter: 22 Eve of Invasion... (Federation side)

As Alexander Fleet and Bombers commenced Bombardment for easing up the landing

Anticipation was on the Faces of the men and women of the Federation, The blood of the innocence... Their hatred towards one species is rocketing as every second as they reached into Klendathu Orbit as "Plasma and lights" that Intelligence found were "Harmless" towards them.. And all avoided for good measure... Under Alexander Caution...

Countless of Landing Craft Flow out of the Corvettes Transports

Accompanied them is M.A.Rs Ground forces and their slender landing craft they called Valkyries, though it was a early established Branch and only they heard good things about the M.A.Rs fleet and their anti-piracy and early interception of the Bugs, saving countless of fringe worlds from disappearing from the Federation map... They hoped that the ground force is like the rumors they heard...

as the Valkyries head to another sector of the theater of war, they headed to their own designated drop-off point...

as they managed to land, the Dropoff point Pilots immediately release the Troop hold doors and let out all the illumination flares in their crafts inventory Illuminating the Area Around them, Countless of Men and Women in Armor armed with the Moritas rifles that were assured by the Scientists that is is fully capable to kill a bug... Flowed out from the Dropoff points, like a raging Tide ready to pounce anything that not walking on two legs...

Among them is Rico and His Squads as they spread out, searching for the Bugs that survive the explosive Bombardments and nuking Bug holes, while Rico Looked in amazement on how destructive Alexander Ships can do in what was a Vast white Sand is blackened by the Blast... he met Contact with the bugs, With Him giving orders his Squad Held, Until the Bugs outnumbered more than What they could shoot...

he lost Shujumi that disregarded his orders as Shujumi rushed ahead and shot whatever he find, until a Bug that was behind him, and Shujumi blocking his Squad Line of Fire, he was Stabbed and ripped into two..., They were given a General Retreat... Confused, They head back to the Dropoff point where a Group of 4 Tanker Bugs Arising up from the Ground at the Dropoff point, and a Flood of Arachnids came out from the hole like a leaking faucet, Destroying what Landing boats on the ground... While Some that was in the Process of Unloading their Troops, Immediately Leaving Some of the Soldiers in Dire Straits...

The Major that was overseeing this sector of the operation, He had a Nervous breakdown as he is staring at the jaws of death, Rico took Command Sending Soldiers in point to another... However each time, someone died from the Arachnids rush or fell into a Bug hole where they were dragged off to Somewhere... and Group of Tanker Bugs that arise from the Dropoff point, Burn whatever nearby, it destroying Whatever formation Rico Order..

Situation felt hopeless for Rico...

*Bang x12*

3 Tanker Bugs were Blasted into bits by flashes of light and Explosions blew parts of one still remaining...

As Rico saw in the distance were Group of Bipedal Walkers with their Barrels still smoking

"Head to Sector B-12, Salvation Awaits"

Is what the Loudspeakers on top of the Sentinels spread across the Battlefield,

Rather not asking time, he Immediately asked his radio operator to know where is "Sector B-12" turns out it, is past a Mountainous Pass just 2 clicks away where they are... Better taking this chance to head there, while these Walkers who is now Firing upon the Arachnids Buying time... and it became a Long Trek of Hell... with the Walkers now holding the line... As a rearguard...

"Everyone Rush B" (War thunder reference?)

"I become a Pious person if I lived"

"I don't want to die..."

Those words rang out from the Disorderly Soldiers as they headed toward hope... As they Stared at the Starry Skies night skies of the planet of Bugs, as they saw their Ships Going down by a Barrages of Plasma, as if the bugs is torturing their hope of survival, Going down in flames... While a group of Ships still up, as Flickers of Yellow shielding the ships, as if they been waiting for them... to come home.... As the Walkers Returned to the rear, Rico knew that despite how powerful they may be... Even the Walkers were unable to stem the tide... as the what's left of the Mobile Infantry Rushing in the Mountain pass, Roars of the Bugs are Rushing towards them... And panic ensues among the Crowd.... as they hurriedly Rushing towards what the Walkers are saying in their loudspeakers....

Salvation...

Streams of Light Flashing on the sides of the pass Flew Pass them and Hitting the Bugs, Rico barely sees the Figures on the side of the Pass, Firing at the horde behind them... As the Blue Lights glowing from their Guns, showing that they were humans.. And it was more than enough to Make Rico To Rally the Survivors to an Orderly Retreat...

Some soldiers couldn't make it, as the Bugs managed to make Bug Pits in the pass, Dragging Scores of People to their doom... While a Portion of the Mobile Troopers mowed down the Bugs from some of the Holes, and Rescuing them... Using the walkers as a handle For the Ropes... It was clearly not enough... to save all of them...

Rico and Kitten and half of his squad along with some Other Squads was Volunteered as a Rearguard, However...

They Held the Line for 15 Minutes as Long as Possible... But the Swarm is a Bit too Great... almost all the Mobile Infantry Rearguard is Either Incapacitated or Dead...

"Kitten noo"

"Sorry Rico... Couldn't make it..." As Kitten Used a Grenade and blew himself up with the Bug that was Swinging His Torso...

In Disbelief Rico Roared in Anger... Shooting alongside with The Walkers as they make a Fighting retreat, as if Fate Make a mockery to Rico, a Piece of a Arachnid Arm blown off by a Walker Shot flew toward his leg and impale him... Causing him to Wince in Pain Causing him to blacked out... as the Some of the Figures on the Cliff stopped their actions and Dragging him as he is Passed out onto a Taurox that contains What's left of the Rearguard... and Headed toward the base...

They Managed to reached to what the Walkers proclaimed as Salvation...

A Gigantic Fortress Appeared in the horizon... Walls armed to the Teeth and the walls themselves were a Bunker filled with Heavy Weapons.... and Infront of the Walls are Miles of Trenches, Bunkers and Barbed wires...

The Mobile Remnants Felt a Sigh of Relieved as they Carried their Wounded in Haste, Hoping they will find relief of their nerves fraying, and Transport to Leave this Cesspool of a Planet...

As they Passed By the Trenches, they See Soldiers Wearing Gas Mask, Standing Vigilant on the Trench lines, watching them Silently, as if urging the Group to Hurry up with Their Silence... While resuming observing the Mountain pass...

As they reach to the Gigantic Gate, They felt a sense of Human Civilization... As they See People, Human People Running About as they are doing Final Preparations for the Incoming Onslaught....

The Heavily Wounded were sent to the "Medicae" Centers To be Treated, until their condition were Stabilized, so that they can be shipped out... As Rico Were sent there... While those that were Still Healthy were sent to the Wall, More Specifically, inside the Wall as they could use the Stationary Heavy weapons there... Despite the protests, they soon agree when the Walkers Returned, more Battered than before.... and the Gunfire was heard from the first trench..

All the Remnants Manned the Heavy weapons... And As to much of a relief since they are in Cover and No Bugs will get them....

Loud Gunfire was heard, as The Cannons above them Roared and the Constant Firing of turrets, Vibrating the wall Structure a little, and a Lights show Began as Flashes of Red and Blue Light Aimed toward the Pass Lighting up and show the Flood of Flesh and Blade Flooding toward the only Hope, And Mortar Crews dropped one Shell after another as if they were like Robots to no end, the First wave was Stalled... and much of the Remnants Reprieve,

The Landing Zone was Constructed, and they were given a choice to Leave and head to Alexander Fleet to leave the Bug System or to stay here and Join the M.A.Rs as they fight against the bug, then they can leave the system, The Majority Agreed and Left, While Few people like Ace and Dizzy stayed behind at least until Rico was Recovered...

As Rico Was being stabilized, His Friends Fought like Mad, One after the other, They shot down Bugs, racking up the kill count to the Point, that the Pass was literally a wall broken flesh and Charcoal remains of the Bugs...

Rico Was Stabilized And Headed to a Medical Valkyrie... His friends and Remain of his Squad were informed, and they Rushed out to accompany him, they managed to get to the last Luna-class Transport that was left waiting for the Heavily wounded personnel and entered to the Warp, Leaving the Soldiers that stayed...

While Rico Left, the M.A.Rs Core Army Managed to Head to the Base with LasGuns and High Explosive Shells Make an Entrance Blasting the Corpse wall of Bugs with the Survivors they saved that were a bit too far from the Message to receive and unable to Make a Retreat... to Bolster the Defenses, as they gathered the Survivors in a Part of the Base to Recuperate and Await further Shipments to Pick them up...

Meanwhile....

The Mobile Remnants that stayed behind earned Respect from their M.A.Rs Peers for being brave enough to stand with them... Despite the choices they were given...

They held the ground not like any of the people that fled, or reasons why they are there... They Managed to hold out as long as they could, and their rewards are answered, Heavier Ordinances managed to come out from the Inner Rings, Thus Turning the Tide,

And with the Core Army Heading to the Base, Morale Soars as they Watched A group of Lemans Russ rushed Forward and Shot its Main Cannons and Blasted a Tanker bug that tried to Burn a Trench, while it's Side Guns make work of the Warrior Bugs as They were ripped through Shreds.... Only putting a few well-placed shots before doing another target... And Vultures and Valkyries Flew Up in the Air as they Provided the Air support, While a Marauder Wing Flew in High Altitude Dropping Illumination Flares around the base that Turned the Night into Morning with the Sheer Quantities of Flares Scattered all over the Base, As the Firefights Last Throughout the Night...

As the Two Suns in the Klendathu system Were Rising Up

And the Last Bug was Shot by a Sniper, as it Lain among the Bugs Corpses that littered among the Base.

A reprieve was almost certain, until a Tanker Bug Broke Open in the Center of the Trench Lines as If they are making a Last Attempt, though some were in Panic, moving away from the Afflicted Zone, a Group of Gas Masked Rushed Towards with LasGuns, Plasma and Melta Guns, as they Brought Down the Tanker Bug and Rushed towards the Bug Hole the Tanker had made and Caved in, by Throwing Kraks Grenades and Melta Charges... Caving the hole...

The Hooded Figures Managed to Operate a Machines that seem to Affect Gravity Around the Base... As they Saw a Bug Hole Was Opening, but the Bugs that Tried to Escape it was Crushed by Gravity... Causing the Bugs Holes to no longer Feasible for the Bugs to Rise up... and the only way is for the Bugs is to Go by Air...

Which almost all the Turret are aiming at the Skies where One Attempt was Made, and Almost All Sides of the Walls Opened Fire Blanketing the Skies with Flak And Tracers...

Only Safer Bet by going through the Mountain Pass? Where is the Artillery Pre-programed to shoot at?

Bug Artillery Bombardment? Void Shields Generator are Constructed Around the Base and Plasma Turrets now Being Constructed in the Outskirts to Shoot it down?

And By Infiltration By using a Dead Trooper? The Army Noted that they did save almost all of the Survivors in the Night, and there is no way that a single Lone Soldier managed to survived in the Night, Whoever that is walking to the Base Alone and Wearing M.I Armor are Met with A Sniper Fire, As the Dead remains entered in Stasis Cubes and covered are shipped off to the Local Enginseers who were Former Magos Biologis Genators that wanted to be stationed there to see the remains of the Bugs and they have Ample Samples to create a viral weaponry and conduct protocols to prevent the "Spies" Entering the Base...

The Bugs Were Unable to Bring the Base Down, and Left it Alone... However, the Base Constant Artillery Bombardments and Constant Aerial Bombing, Made the Bugs Rethink their Options and Everyday, they Swarm at the Mountain Pass, and Every day they were Repelled, and with the Occasion Bombardment from the Fleet in Orbit that was "Resupplying" the Base... Until the Giant Robots Rose from the Base Turning the Stalemate.... That is a Story for Another Time...