“A sandstorm?” Jaxon asked, getting a nod from Genos. “Looks like we have gotten a bit of fortune on our side. Make sure to activate your helmet’s ventilation and seal your infuser. Don’t want that to get clogged.”
“Already on it,” his partner assured him but checked his infuser anyway.
The base was a lone rectangular building, gray and sand-covered with few windows. Jaxon glanced around quickly. A few droids walked around with a dozen or two mercs lounging in a disinterested huddle close to the main structure. Perhaps Genos would have an easier time than he’d thought. Which immediately made him believe that inside would potentially be filled with guards.
Then, as they drove around the corner of the building, Jaxon’s eyes widened as he saw a large tank hovering above the sands. The triangular-shaped vehicle carried one large cannon on the roof and two laser guns on the front.
Jaxon turned to Genos. “Will you be able to keep yourself safe from that?”
His partner looked at the tank and nodded enthusiastically. “Actually, I believe this could be fortuitous.”
“How so?” the ace Tsuna asked.
The engineer fished out his grenades and offered them to Jaxon. “Please, take these. I have a plan.”
“And what would that be?” Jaxon inquired, looking curiously between the tank and machinist as he took the grenades.
“I will explain, but first, may I borrow your knife?”
“We’ll be ready to patrol in five,” the tank operator called back to the two mercs in the carriage with him.
“Then I gotta take a leak. Can’t stand using the little porthole,” one of them grumbled, opening the top entrance and climbing out.
“We can just leave without him,” the other offered after the hatch closed.
“He’ll whine to the captain about us leaving him. Between you and me, the only reason they tossed him in here with us was so that he wasn’t walking around here bitchin’,” the operator growled.
“Next outpost they set up, they need to dump his ass over there.” The merc snickered.
“Maybe put him over by the sand drift line. Let him get hammered by the rebel mortars,” the operator agreed.
The hatch opened again, and the operator primed the tank. “You get it all out of ya?” he sneered.
He got no response. “So now you shut up,” he muttered to himself. “You ready to go, you whiny bas—” A knife dug into his skull, stopping him midsentence.
Genos tore the knife out of the operator’s head and thrust it into the other merc’s throat. He dragged the body behind him and took over the controls. “Jaxon, I’m ready.”
“I’m getting the hovercraft in position. Are we good to go?” Jaxon replied over the comms.
“Yes. Please check that the turrets are on auto-fire.”
“They are and will begin to fire once I leave the vehicle. You are sure that they will not fire at us?”
“Of course. I set them to attack anything that is not a Tsuna,” Genos answered.
Jaxon chuckled. “Clever use of our biology. I did not think that would be an advantage here.”
“I like to think rather uniquely,” Genos responded, taking the controls and moving the tank forward.
He already knew how to drive and use the tank, having spent over a month learning about the ground-based vehicles of Earth. He drove it to the right side of the building, aiming the cannon at the wall. “Viola, activate.”
“How can I be of service, Genos?” his EI asked, taking the form of a purple jellyfish on his visor.
“I will man the main cannon if you would please take control of the mounted lasers and deal with any hostiles that try to attack us.” Genos took the EI chip out of his helmet and placed it into a slot on the console.
Viola appeared on a screen at the top left. “Of course, Genos. Any other requests?”
“Get access to the venting and power core. I’ll need them in case this turns out to be a mistake.” He looked at the hovercraft as it glided behind the tank. “Are we set to begin?”
“On my mark.” Jaxon began counting down. Genos hovered his thumb over the cannon’s firing trigger. “Begin.”
He fired the cannon. It sounded like thunder, and a brief flash of light appeared as the wall shattered from the blast. Jaxon raced towards the newly formed entrance as the mounted lasers fired at the mercenaries, who were in disorder from the blast.
Genos could hear the guns on the hovercraft firing behind him. The defenders would be in shock for only a few moments before retaliating. But hopefully, more would rush out of the building and give Jaxon the space he would need to recover the cannon.
A green flash indicated the cannon was ready to use again. He aimed it at the front of the building. While his partner focused on one objective, he would begin the other.
Jaxon fired twice with his rifle, hitting a merc in the chest with both shots. He quickly fired a third round, catching another man in the side of the head. Cautious but swift, he made his way deeper into the base, feeling the foundation shake as Genos fired another shot from the tank’s cannon. He had to hand it to his kin, he was rather good with the large weapons.
As he continued down the hall, sand poured in from the storm behind him. He stopped at an intersection and looked around the corner when he heard the clanking of metal skittering along the floor. A group of guardian droids approached at a steady pace.
He mentally ticked off the models that Genos had told him the seeker grenades worked on: scarabs, swarmers, raiders, hellcats, and guardians. Swiftly, he took one of the grenades and activated it, then tossed it at the droids and heard it burst apart. He looked around the corner again to see the mechanicals had stopped in their tracks.
A trio of guards came around the corner down the hall. They stopped when they saw the droids standing idle, yelling at them to move. The droids turned and fired on the mercs. Jaxon nodded in approval as he continued to run through the building.
“Kin Jaxon, did you use one of my seekers?” Genos asked over the comms.
“I did. It worked quite well.” Jaxon reached a crossway and tried to make a fast decision.
“It granted me access to their database. I have a map of the building.”
“Send it to me.”
“Right away.”
The map appeared in the corner of his visor. He spied a room labeled “holding” and decided that was where he would start his search.
He ran right down the crossway, taking out another group of guards along his path. As he turned into the corridor leading to the holding room, he was stopped by a duo of havoc droids.
“Eliminate intruder,” one shouted as they turned to face the Tsuna. Jaxon grabbed a shock grenade, activated it, and threw it at the feet of the droids. Their guns began to spin. The grenade went off, and a surge of electricity enveloped them before their guns wound down. He raised his rifle and fired two shots through each of their heads, which immediately exploded. The bodies toppled to the floor.
He moved past their remains and opened the door to the room. A guard appeared from behind the door. Jaxon flipped his gun around quickly and smashed it into the man’s face. He recoiled in pain as the Tsuna took out his pistol and pumped several shots into his chest.
Jaxon stepped over the guard and raised his pistol when he saw a white droid with a green visor and a health sign walking towards him. “Good evening, sir. I am a Vita model health droid; do you require a medical exam or patch up?”
Jaxon lowered his pistol. “I am looking for a cannon.” Jaxon pressed his finger against the side of his visor. A light emanated from it, and a holographic image of the cannon appeared in the air. “Have you seen it?”
“Why, yes, it is right over there.” The droid pointed to a grey case in the corner. Jaxon walked over and opened it, revealing a slim white tube with a handle and trigger, a contorted orb sticking out of the end.
Jaxon was puzzled. It didn’t appear that powerful. He felt another tremor as a blast hit t
he opposite side of the building. Pushing his curiosity aside, he grabbed the weapon and strung it on his back. “Genos, I have the cannon. Are we clear to depart?”
“A moment, Kin Jaxon. I am dealing with…some trouble,” Genos stated as he strafed the defenders from out of the line of sight of two tanks that had appeared from the bay of the building.
“Where are you? I will help.”
“I will be fine. You get out of the building and rendezvous at the gate,” Genos instructed. “Viola, it is time.”
He turned the cannon toward the gate, firing one last shot and destroying it. He could feel the inside of the tank grow hotter, and a loud hum sounded from the core. With a measured motion, he removed the EI chip out from the console and slid it back into his helmet. He sent the tank charging forward and locked the command before running to the back of the vehicle and using the escape hatch to bail out.
The tank took a shot from one of the opposing tanks’ cannon, but it continued its charge, slamming into the two before exploding. Both crashed to their sides and erupted in flames.
Genos stood and grabbed his rifle. The sandstorm now raged at its full velocity, but his Tsuna eyes could see in a spectrum larger than a human’s, and he had no trouble eliminating a few guards on his way to the gate.
“Genos, are you at the gate yet?” Jaxon asked.
“Right here, kin Jaxon,” he shouted, waving at the ace as he ran up to him. “Did you get the cannon?”
“I did, but looking at it now, it does not seem to be much of a cannon.” Jaxon removed the weapon from his back and handed it to Genos.
He looked it over while Jaxon stepped forward, taking a look at the base. “The main base still stands, albeit barely. Let us see if we can find another tank or some explosives to—” Jaxon stopped as he saw Genos aiming the cannon at the building. “What are you doing?”
“Please step back for a moment, Jaxon,” he requested. The Tsuna obliged and stood behind his partner as he held the trigger down and continued to point at the building. After a few moments, Genos lowered the weapon and placed it on his back next to his machine gun.
“Did it not work?” Jaxon asked.
“It will work soon,” Genos replied, walking past him.
“What are you—” Jaxon looked back as he saw a brilliant light coming down onto the building, bright even through the sand.
“I suggest we run now—very fast,” Genos advised calmly. Jaxon nodded, and they took off, racing as fast as they could away from the building.
They reached the dune just outside the gate, and a loud explosion erupted behind them as the two dove to the ground. Jaxon looked back to see a laser coming down from the sky and crashing into the building, completely decimating it.
Jaxon looked over to Genos. “That cannon…it was…”
“A guidance system for the actual cannon.” Genos pointed up at the sky.
“A satellite cannon—” Jaxon looked up in surprise.
Genos nodded. “You were right that we should always listen to all objectives, kin. It would seem some prove quite useful.”
Jaxon smiled under his helmet as he stood. “You did well. Never question your place here,” he commanded, offering Genos a hand.
The engineer accepted the ace’s assistance. “I will be sure to never have those doubts again,” he promised as his partner pulled him up.
Jaxon saluted him before they made their way to the rendezvous point and victory.
Chapter Thirty-One
The Tsuna stood in front of the screen in their Animus hall, awaiting their final score.
“How do you think we fared, kin?” Genos asked.
Jaxon stood with his arms crossed, considering their mission. “We were in and out in just under an hour with little damage to ourselves and much destruction to our foes, and we completed the bonus objective. I think that all of that combined will grant us a rather favorable score.”
“Hey, Genos, Jaxon!” a voice called. They looked back to see Kaiden and their friends at the doorway of the hall, kept out by a pair of guards. “Y’all did a damn fine job. What’s the total?”
“We are awaiting our final score,” Genos called back. Kaiden nodded as he turned to the guards who kept shoving him back.
“Those who are not participating in the test cannot enter the halls,” Jaxon noted. “Doesn’t seem to have stopped Kaiden and the others from trying.”
“They seem quite enthusiastic,” Genos replied with a bubbly inflection. “That also bodes well for our judgment.”
“Agreed. Though it could be problematic for them if they have points deducted for breaking the rules. I’ll tell them to wait for us in the lobby.” As Jaxon began walking over to the group, he heard a loud ding and his partner grabbed his shoulder.
“Kin, our scores are being shown.”
He looked back to see the scoreboard on the monitor. It showed the twenty-five duos in the blue group and began at the bottom. The pair watched as different duos appeared and had their final score tallied, the bottom names barely securing a passing grade of thirty-four thousand.
The board continued to climb, reaching the top five positions, Genos and Jaxon had yet to appear.
Fifth Place: Andrew Crane and Olivia Green (Raider / Machinist): 103,400 points.
Jaxon saw a blond-haired man and a woman with long silver hair give each other a high five.
“Good for Olivia,” Genos said cheerfully.
“You know her?”
“We share a workshop together—Battle Engineering. She and I often vie for the top score in the class.”
“Then it appears you will surpass her for the time being.” Jaxon looked back at the screen as it changed to the fourth place bracket.
Fourth Place: Silva Zabka and Jade Valsina (Scout / Biologist): 107,600 points
“Valsina? That’s the human translation of one of our avian creatures back home, is it not?” Genos inquired.
“Unsurprising, considering that she is from Abisalo.” Jaxon pointed to a female Tsuna in the distance who was hugging a human girl.
“It appears we are not the only Tsuna doing well here,” Genos said with a proud smile.
“Hopefully, the Conclave will take note.”
Third Place: Roger MacClintock and Honor Harrington (Pilot / Navigator): 108,200 points.
“A wise combination,” Jaxon said.
“A bit boring though, wouldn’t you say?”
He looked at his partner with surprise. “I would have thought you would approve such a symbiotic pairing.”
“Well, it is certainly a smart combination, as you say…” Genos looked at his partner and smiled despite his mask blocking most of his mouth. “But an obvious pairing doesn’t mean one automatically gains the best results, as we have proven.”
“It appears so,” Jaxon agreed, tapping his fist against his chest before looking at the screen once more.
Second Place: Jaxon Cage and Genos Aronnax (Ace / Mechanist): 111,400 points
“Well done, kin!” Genos placed a hand on Jaxon’s shoulder.
“We did well, Genos,” he acknowledged. “Perhaps well enough to end up in the top ten groups overall?”
“Perhaps.” Genos nodded. “Even if we did not, this is much better than I would have dared to hope only a few weeks ago. I am exuberant.”
“As I am, though I may not show it,” the ace admitted. “Come, let us go and meet our friends before they set off for their own tests.”
“Do you not wish to see who took first?” Genos asked.
“That is their victory, whoever it is,” Jaxon stated as he turned from the screen. “We have our own to celebrate.”
The group now stood in the lobby of the Animus Center, crowding around the two Tsuna.
“Awesome job, Jax,” Luke bellowed, grasping the Tsuna’s hand in a firm shake. “Always gotta be showing off, huh?”
“You did very well, Genos,” Chiyo said sincerely. “You showed great strategic thinking throughout the test
. I am most impressed.”
“Also a knack for explosions,” Kaiden added. “I really liked those.”
“Thank you, everyone.” Jaxon expressed his pleasure with a slight bow. “Thank you for watching us during our mission.”
“You guys were amazing,” Marlo professed. “Might need to take a few more cues from you next time around.”
“I’d be happy to assist.” Jaxon held a hand out to Genos. “I’m sure Genos would also have a few tips he’d be willing to share.”
“Um, well, perhaps. I still think my abilities in battle could use some work. My expertise is in mechanics and modification,” Genos blustered, fidgeting his fingers as he clasped and unclasped them.
“Also explosions,” Kaiden reiterated.
“That works for me. I’m a demolitionist,” Marlo pointed out.
“Oh, then I probably do have a few things I can assist you with,” Genos chirped.
The group continued to talk excitedly amongst themselves as the screens around the center changed to reveal the Head Monitor. “Congratulations to the blue group. All twenty-five teams passed their tests.”
A small number of cheers erupted from the crowd. “It is now time for the silver group to begin their tests. If you are in this group, please make your way to halls four through eight to begin your test.”
“That’s us, then,” Flynn stated, looking at Amber.
“Pocket healer. That’s neat,” Kaiden commented cheekily.
Amber stared at him in annoyance. “I’m a battle-medic, remember? I do more than just spray people down with healing beams.”
“You look good while doing it?” Izzy asked.
Amber smiled as she cracked her knuckles. “That too, but it’s the battle part I was referring to.”
“You probably won’t have to do much healing since I’ll be sniping our targets from a plenty safe distance,” Flynn said cockily, making a shooting motion with his fingers.
“You still have the disk, right?” Amber asked.
“Oh, yeah, I sure do…” Flynn began rummaging through his different pockets. “Uh…somewhere, anyway.”
Animus series Boxed Set Page 57