Chapter 18: The Assault of Fort Batrice Part 3

In the city of Uniapon, the remains of Force B were in dire trouble. Only two marines were all that were left, pursued down the long streets of the smaller drum city.

While some features of the city were similar to New Sydney, there were some noticeable differences. Many of the administrative buildings were not present, replaced with a smaller population and more beautiful infrastructure.

Sheldon, the Martian major in charge, had a bullet wound. His hip was bleeding, but the power armor had mostly sealed the injury. In his hand was his grenade launcher, carrying only a few rounds left. Meanwhile, another marine, a Paloran by his facial features, was not far behind. Relying on a PDW rifle, the large assault rifle he had previously had was all but broken and destroyed. The two had moved quickly, despite the repeated gunfire of the pursuing Batricians.

However, Sheldon was nearing the location. Well past a local monastery was a massive structure. A Plexiglas wall protected much of the facilities inside. Sheldon knew that he had made it. Overhead and to the right was a large balcony —an overhang that spanned the street —along with other structures that filled the scene. Sheldon could see it. There were large cylindrical tanks and a maintenance panel.

Without data feeds, the two marines were having a difficult time tracking who was attacking them. Only the splash of bullets against the armor provided any sense of threat.

“We made it,” Sheldon said. Without hesitation, the marine officer lifted his grenade launcher and fired two rounds into the wall, shattering the protective layer.

Suddenly, a railgun round went off, hitting the marine behind Sheldon. It was instant death as the armor had little that it could do to repel the round. The bearded marine turned up momentarily to see a lone sniper on the balcony; the black armored female commando with the large visor was in the process of cycling her bolt.

Sheldon knew that he was the last of the great marines. The longer he could distract the soldiers, the more time Shira and Javier could take New Sydney. Running through the destroyed plexiglass wall, the man reached the interior structure of Uniapon’s oxygen recyclers. CO2 was processed into fresh oxygen and expelled, along with the other.

The moment that Sheldon reached inside, alarms were going off. The laser targeting emitter was on him, but there was hesitation from the sniper. The lone marine knew that he was near something volatile. Even a misplaced shot could result in a catastrophic explosion.

It was this hesitation that Sheldon was going to use to his maximum extent. He used many of the large Oxygen containers as cover, moving himself closer to the panel. It didn’t take long before his armored boots reached the access terminal. With his free hand, the man tapped the screen on.

He set the containers to maximum pressure, shunting all the oxygen to their maximum limit while opening up the pipes to connect with the others. He also disabled the station’s fire suppression units. A warning confirmation appeared on the display, alerting to potential dangers. The officer slapped the panel, overriding the warning.

Suddenly, Sheldon saw it. The laser targeting system was on him. The sniper had moved to a new position to get a well-trained shot, hopefully making it clear of the containers. The marine officer turned just enough that the targeting laser was away from his head when the shot rang out.

The powerful railgun round slammed into Sheldon’s chest. He fell to the ground, knowing his left lung had taken a direct hit. There was little that could be done. Impacting the deck, the officer had two shots left in his grenade launcher.

“Redder than blood...,” Sheldon said.

Using the last of his strength, he pointed it at the container and fired.

BOOM ... What started as an explosion quickly became many. It all happened at once. The grenades easily penetrated the walls of the container, where the second explosion ignited the pressurized gases inside. Through the open pipes, the flames consumed the next container, and then the next. Even through the deck, the pipes lined through the closest filtration structures. It was little more than a chain reaction of events.

In less than a second, the combined force blew out and rocked the region of Uniapon. Fires went up into the ceiling as the concussive blast went out in all directions, killing or burning everything in its range. The blast traveled for a couple of city blocks and stopped, causing an enormous fire to break out. Even the balcony was hit by the flames, causing the sniper to recoil and fall to the chain grating from where she was shooting.

The pursuing Batrice soldiers were dead or burning alive. Others who weren’t consumed in the blast retreated and fled, hoping for the fire suppression systems to kick in. New city alarms were going off, warning of the accident and urging others to stay away until help arrived.

The Batrice commando slowly pushed herself up, picking up her railgun rifle, noticing that she was out of bullets. She tossed the rifle onto the balcony, frustrated that the UHN marines had managed to inflict such heavy damage to the area.

Just before she was about to call her supervisor, she saw something new. Through the black smoke of the fires, a lone individual came walking through. The man, dressed in his white overcoat, long white brimmed hat, and black tinted glasses, emerged, completely unfazed by what had just happened. Not far behind him was the familiar monastery, damaged, but still standing.

The female sniper paused and looked at the man below him, heading toward her, despite the fact that she was several stories above him.

Doctor English reached into his coat and pulled out a heavy-caliber pistol. Pointed at the deck below him, he was ready to shoot at the sniper if necessary. The woman almost reached behind her to retrieve her carbine, but the longer she stared down at English, the more she seemed to recognize him.

“Impossible...,” she said, causing the single red dot on her visor to glow.

English remained at the ready. A wall store’s damaged front lights went out, leaving the area somewhat dark, except for the distant fires and floodlights, which helped illuminate some of it. Occasionally, the lights would flicker on and off, but do little else. If anything, the burning fires served as a wall, enclosing the upper balcony and the area where English was standing.

Finally, the sniper, seemingly enraged, jumped from the balcony and shoved herself downward. Despite the speed at which she fell, she landed perfectly on the deck to face the doctor standing before her.

“Strange...,” the woman said, standing up, her robotic-like voice echoing from her visor. “I thought I felt a familiar presence ... I never thought I would see you again, ... Doctor English ... assuming you still keep that name...”

“It’s been a long time,” English calmly replied.

The woman looked around, taking in the damage and carnage of the scene before her. “Where’s the bitch?” she asked him, turning to look back at him.

“Empusa is not with me at the moment. She had something else she was taking care of.”

“ ... Shame...”

“So, this is where you’ve been hiding all this time...”

“For the most part...,” she continued. “Ever since the defeat of Star Fall, I escaped ... found refuge among others who would take me in. Eventually, Batrice became my new home.”

“And you used your powers against any who opposed it.”

“Powers? What powers are those? ... Being ‘New Olympian?’ ... is that what you call it now? Nah ... I can assure you that many of them still think of me as just ... human ... it remains our ultimate mistake...”

“And what was our mistake?” English asked her. “I still remember you ... how you turned on all of us ... all of it to serve Star Fall when she rose against the others ... what was that mistake, Teshi Yuki, assuming you still have that name?”

The woman slowly took her hands to her visor and tapped a few buttons near the neck. She removed her helmet, showing a woman of mixed former Japanese and North American descent. Her hair was long and black, with a blackened, drawn tear placed near her left eye. The beauty of her face masked the clear malicious intent she showed him. She tossed the helmet aside, letting it smack the wall beside her.

“It’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time,” Teshi replied, her voice clear of the robotic processor sound of her visor. “I went by many names before ... Now, it’s only Number 3.”

“Reduced to a number,” English replied to her. “How the mighty have fallen...”

She sneered at him. “And what do you know!? Back then, I remember when Star Fall defeated you in battle! The Son of Lilith lost to the wielder of light. You surrendered ... you lost...”

“I remember something quite differently,” English remarked, pushing his glasses back over his nose. “I delayed you, I delayed Star Fall, and your cohorts as my friends escaped ... I think it all worked out quite well, seeing that Star Fall ultimately lost ... all thanks to the distraction I played ... Now look at you. Your grandmother would be quite disappointed in you.”

“And what do you know of disappointment? I went on to serve ... there’s no need for us to remain in hiding as the humans expand the galaxy. Instead, you hide in a planet ... almost like prisoners...”

“And you’re the noble hero?” English’s brow lifted some.

“I’ve done more!” Teshi said, slapping her fist to her chest. “There was a time we were greater ... far greater than what we’ve been reduced to now! Even I remember the time your daughter fought with Aerondight ... as I recall, the Great Ones were quite upset she was breaking the rules ... yet, you did your best to cover her.”

“I can assure you that she still faced some form of retribution, regardless of her past actions ... whether it was grandiose or marginal ... much as your crimes have reached now.”

“No ... you have a vendetta with me ... that’s why you’re here, isn’t it? Why did you cover for her, English? Even you know it’s true ... what the humans were doing ... what they’ve reduced their society into ... their homes ... their environment. Star Fall was the means to save Earth...”

“You already know the answer to that ... why she had to be stopped. Our roles are to stay out of their business ... let their destiny play out ... just as mine has played out in finding you ... just as you fled like the coward you are, too afraid to face judgment from the Great Ones...”

She cringed her teeth and quickly unsheathed her katana. With a click of the button on the grip, the sharp edge of the blade glowed red-hot. The emitters on the sword produced so much heat that it could be seen fizzling the air around it.

“I’m no coward!” Teshi replied. “I found my peace here. Batrice is the future of humanity ... they’re not afraid of doing what needs to be done to eliminate their enemies. They’re not like the New Olympians ... people who know their own strengths and powers yet fail to use them. They’re not like the invaders in which New Olympia does nothing to stop it ... Batrice isn’t afraid...”

“And is that what you want me to tell your grandmother?” he asked her. “That you’ve become an assassin for Fleet Admiral Baxton?”

“My grandmother was dead the moment she stood against Star Fall, and what did they make her ... Fleet Admiral?” she gawked. “ ... a Fleet Admiral to what? New Olympia keeps its ships at home! She does nothing but babysit a gaggle of vessels. They only gave her that role so she can pretend to serve as the great defender ... the defender of nothing...”

“Hmmm...,” English commented. “When I spoke with her, she didn’t hesitate to tell me what I’m going to tell you. You have this one option: Return with me to New Olympia ... now, while you still have a chance...”

“And then what? I’m imprisoned? I’m executed? No ... I very much like what I have here ... the UHN will lose, and the damage will be repaired soon enough. Besides, they would only throw the harshest of punishments against me.”

“And what are those other crimes?”

She gave a sinister smile at him. “What needed to be done, Doctor ... I told them everything ... everything about us.”

“What do you mean?”

“More specifically, what the New Olympians truly are.”

“You revealed yourself to him?” The hint of concern could be briefly heard in English’s voice.

Teshi held her sword outward in a shrug. “One way or another,” she replied. “The humans will know about us, even if I have to force out the truth. I’ve only told Baxton so far, but he knows about us ... even the ways that he can kill us ... seeing that I was trustworthy enough, he made me one of his Death Commandos...”

“I see...”

With that, Doctor English seemed to make peace with his thoughts. As the woman stared at him, the man put his gun away, back into the coat from where it came. English took off his hat, revealing his short black hair. He punched the top of the hat and out the other way, showing the hat to be the exact shape, but now in red. He put it back on before reaching for his coat and taking it off, revealing an odd, leathery cuirass where his shirt would lie. Instead, the doctor flipped the coat inside out with the whip of his hand, revealing it to be red. He slapped it back on and grabbed the brim of his hat, looking upon her.

“I’m afraid that I’m going to have to kill you, Teshi,” English said to her. “Unlike the ancient past, I covered for my daughter, because she is my daughter. Her punishment was light because she was ready to face her crimes. However, you were nothing like her ... you’ve only betrayed us, turned on everything that made you who you are, while endangering us all. The humans are not ready for us ... not yet.”

“And you’re the one to determine all of this?” She questioned him.

“No, you’re family did. Fumi Yuki made it clear. She stopped forgiving you and gave me the simple order: If her granddaughter were to go rogue, then her life is forfeit. I’ll give you a chance ... no guns ... blades only...”

With that, the woman gave a determined, sinister look to English. She reached behind her back, grabbed her carbine rifle, and tossed it far, almost near the dying flames. Meanwhile, English reached into his coat and pulled out a small, dim blue, glowing samurai sword, most likely a wakizashi blade. The oddity was that the coat seemed to lack the means to harness the weapon at all. One-handed with his sword, English kept his other hand neatly tucked behind his back. Meanwhile, Teshi stepped closer to the wall, holding her sword in a rear grip.