by Alex Knight
Quest: Defend the Warden Corps Outpost on Andros
Expected difficulty: Master
Rewards: +12,000 EXP, +6 faction prestige
“Everyone was already stretched so thin,” Kaiden said, thinking back to the state of disarray the corps had been in. It was, after all, what had provided them the opportunity to personally pursue Jax. “This is not good.”
“You will be updated with specific orders once you arrive on Andros.” Captain Thorne was walking now, the camera gliding along with her as she moved through the hallways of her ship. “The Anakoni is currently on the far side of the system, suppressing hostilities in the Hyperion-Vega trade war, and will be unable to provide orbital support. However, I’ll be taking a shuttle to personally join the fight for Andros.”
“If the Captain herself is coming, this battle is going to be brutal,” Zelda said, following Titus’ lead and strapping herself into a seat.
“All wardens, unless otherwise instructed, are to fire engines to full burn toward Andros.
Let’s show these bugs what happens when they set foot in our system.” She arrived at the hangar of the Anakoni and paused, looking into the camera. “Godspeed, everyone. I’ll see you on the battlefield.” And with that, the consoles flickered back to displaying the status readouts for the Borrelly. A line of text was displayed above the rest of the information.
Plot course for Andros?
“We can’t disobey direct orders,” Kaiden said. “Not if we want to avoid suspicion. Looks like our assassin friend is going to have to wait. We’ve a date with the voidspawn first.” He selected ‘yes’ and the Borrelly lifted off the ground, turned its nose toward a faint point of light in the night sky above Nassau, and lurched forward.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Even from orbit, Andros looked like a war zone. A great plume of ash and smoke rose from the sphere, thrown all the way into space from, apparently, the collision of the voidspawn Leviathan with the planet.
The Borrelly dove down through the atmosphere, through the clouds, then through a wall of ash until finally the surface of Andros was visible to them. The planet’s surface – where it wasn’t obscured by the swarming voidspawn – was barren and rocky, all black volcanic soil and jutting gray boulders. Steam vents lay open in several places, spewing acrid fumes into the air.
In the distance, Kaiden could see the impact site of the Leviathan, a smoldering crater delving deep into the ground. At its center lay the Leviathan’s smashed and broken corpse. What it once looked like was all but a mystery now. The impact with Andros had reduced it to a great steaming heap of flesh and slime. Its cargo, however, appeared just fine.
A legion of voidspawn were pouring out of the Leviathan’s mangled body, surging over the rim of the crater in a sea of tentacles, eyes, and teeth, heading toward the warden outpost. The base itself was a simple construction: a communications tower and barracks surrounded by four walls. Not exactly built for an all-out war. While the defenders were holding for now, the bulk of the horde appeared to be massing on the southern side for a massive push.
Achievement Unlocked!
Baptism by Fire - 500 EXP!
You’ve joined your first World Raid event! These occur a few times a month within the universe of Nova Online and reward massive EXP for the survivors. Assuming there are any.
Kaiden disregarded the achievement’s less than encouraging message as the shuttle’s targeted landing zone was projected onto the cockpit’s screen.
“We’re going into the thick of it, landing right inside the outpost.”
“In there?” Zelda balked. “It’s chaos.”
“I don’t know, it looks fun,” Titus said from the back.
“You have a twisted idea of fun.”
There came a flash from the wall below, then an explosion of crackling blue energy. Inside the Borelly they could only hear a faint echo of the bang. Voidspawn swarmed up the walls, crawling over each other in a terrible race to crest the parapets. Atop the walls, wardens fought them back, clearing great swaths of the creatures with their explosive AOE abilities. Yet the enemy were so numerous, a never-ending writhing mass of pink-black terrors. Even as Kaiden watched, one of the voidspawn waves reached the top of the south wall, overrunning the defenders there.
Other shuttles were arriving around them, diving on the outpost. Most of them touched down for a moment, unloaded several squads of wardens, then headed back into the relative safety of the sky. A few others stayed, however, no pilots left inside to fly them. Without Lieutenant Ellenton here, Kaiden knew the Borrelly would do the same.
Landing sequence engaged.
“Here we go,” Kaiden said, heading to the rear of the shuttle.
The volcanic plains of the planet around them disappeared as they sunk behind the walls of the outpost, and then, with a thunk, they were on the ground. The rear ramp hissed, then opened.
A cacophony of noise rushed in; booming explosions, crackling laser blasts, screeches of voidspawn, and the thudding hammer blows of wardens fighting for their lives.
“Sounds like hell,” Zelda said.
“That the Borrelly, I see?” an all-too-familiar voice shouted over their comms. “About time the heroes of Mochinki Station showed up.”
Exiting down the ramp of their shuttle, Kaiden caught sight of Sergeant Dawson. He was covered in voidspawn blood, and his armor looked cracked and dented. He held a massive two-handed hammer and his shield was more of a small buckler on his left arm, just like Captain Thorne's.
He must be a power warden, too. It had been a while since Kaiden had inspected those power wardens during the rescue mission, and he wanted to see what new information his enhanced warden abilities could provide him. Kaiden locked his visor’s reticle onto Dawson and looked at his class details.
Power wardens like it best where the fighting is thickest. Their two-handed hammers deal +25% increased damage, though their shields are greatly reduced in size. A portion of their damage is converted into charge to compensate. They have no ranged attacks.
Interesting. His visor was able to show him the exact damage boost gained by power wardens, as well as their drawbacks - no ranged attacks and a much smaller shield. Useful information.
Something heavy pounded into the ground on Kaiden’s right and he returned his attention to the battle. A large egg-shaped pod covered in ooze and spikes had landed nearby. The pod shook powerfully, burst, and a dozen voidspawn scuttled forth, uttering shrill cries.
Kaiden’s growing instincts for battle kicked in. He raised his shield, moving lightly on his feet, ready to dodge an attack and build his Riposte damage multiplier. Titus thumped his huge shield into the ground; Zelda angled her hammer-gun through the slot in her own.
They needn’t have bothered.
Sergeant Dawson leapt over their heads, bringing his hammer crashing down in the middle of the voidspawn pack. A shockwave blew out, and Kaiden felt a tremor through his feet as limbs flew through the air. Then the entire group of voidspawn were dead, just like that. Jaw dropping, he placed his reticle back over Dawson to learn what move he had used.
Ability: Jump Smash
Warden will jump 8 feet high before smashing their hammer into the ground, doing base damage with AOE effect of 10 feet. Cost: 20 charge. Cooldown 2 minutes. Replaces Hammer Smash.
“Welcome to the party, ensigns,” Dawson said.
“Good to see you, sir,” Kaiden said. Around them, other newly arrived squads were dealing with voidspawn from other burst pods. “Quite the party you’ve thrown.”
“It’s a bit hectic, sure, but as long as the gates hold, we should be able to last long enough for reinforcements to arrive.” The sergeant turned to the south wall. “Though that could be a problem.”
Wardens to the south were fleeing a wave of the enemy that had crested the top of the wall and were descending inside the base.
“All new arrivals to me,” Dawson called across general comms. “We’ve some uninvited guests i
n the house. Why don’t we show them the door?”
A resounding chorus of, “Yes, sir!” answered him.
“Care to join us, heroes?” Sergeant Dawson asked, turning back to Kaiden, Titus, and Zelda.
“With pleasure,” Titus said, hefting his hammer.
“That’s what I like to hear.” Dawson turned to direct their troops. “Shielders to the front. I want a nice strong wall.”
Titus beat a path to join his fellow shield wardens, slotting in shoulder to shoulder to form a forty-strong line. Their shields flared brightly as energy surged at their edges. Then, with a decisive click, they all linked together into one interconnected shield wall. Moments later, voidspawn at the front of the swarm slammed into the conjoined shields, battering at it with their bodies. The wall held steady
That. Is. Awesome.
Kaiden hastily moved his reticle to get a look at this ability.
Ability: Shield Brother
Locking shields with another shield warden boosts absorption capacity of both your shields by +30%.
Nice! They’ll be able to absorb a ton more damage linked together like that.
“Blasters at max range,” Sergeant Dawson yelled. “Powers behind the wall, catch anything that leaps over. Enhanced to the sides, weave in as needed. I don’t want to see a single spawn anywhere near our blast wardens!”
“Stay alive, Kai,” Zelda said, before darting off to join the other blasters.
Kaiden’s "you too" died in his throat as he dashed to the flanks of the power wardens as instructed. The swarm on the other side of the shield wall was growing fast.
“Retaking the south wall is our objective,” Dawson bellowed. “We need to push those buggers back and reactivate the turret defenses.”
**Update – Parameters Changed **
Quest: Defend the Warden Corps Outpost on Andros
Part 1: Join your fellow wardens in retaking the southern wall and activating the defenses there.
Expected difficulty: Intermediate
Rewards: +3,000 EXP, +2 faction prestige
Dawson raised his hammer high. “For the corps!”
“For the corps!” Kaiden joined in the response, feeling his heart thunder from nerves and excitement.
He knew it was all just a game, that most of those around him were likely criminals, but right here, right now, every one of these wardens felt like brothers and sisters to him. He raised his hammer.
“Let’s soften them up,” Dawson said. “Blasters – Kinetic Grenades, now!”
Kaiden looked to the blast wardens and found Zelda amongst them. She switched her grip on her hammer, holding it aloft, and charged a ball of burning energy upon its head. Then, when the ball fully formed, she swung her hammer like a bat, launching the grenade high overhead toward the swarm. A score of others followed in its wake.
He couldn’t help but investigate it, quickly scanning the emerging text.
Ability: Kinetic Grenade
You throw a ball of energy from your hammer-gun. Explodes on impact. Radius 15 feet. Deals +250% base damage to targets within 1 foot and +150% for all others. Range 30 feet. Cost: 50 charge. Cooldown: 3 minutes.
Kaiden finished reading in time to see twenty pulsating blue orbs drop over the shield wall and explode upon the other side. The noise was incredible, and the raging blue flames felt hot even at a distance. Voidspawn fell in droves, bits of tentacles and teeth raining down around him. The flood of kills filled his combat text, but still so many remained. Already a fresh press began to build against the shield wall.
“Powers at the ready,” Dawson called. “Let’s ease that pressure again. Shield wall, split!”
At once, the shield wall cleaved in two, opening backward and funneling the voidspawn down the middle. Kaiden saw Titus back-pedaling, taking cues from the wardens on either side of him.
“Reform!”
The wall did, closing off the stream of voidspawn. Power wardens surged forward to meet the clustered spawn the shielders had let through, crashing together in a storm of swinging hammers. Voidspawn went flying, and wardens disappeared under a dozen smaller foes. As they gained charge, the power wardens leapt like hulking crickets around the battlefield, using Jump Smash to devastating effect.
Creatures started to break away from the melee. Kaiden clocked the closest one to him; it was a voidspawn like he’d never seen before, erect on two powerful chitinous legs, cleaving the space before it with two blade-like arms. Kaiden's visor told him what it was.
Void Flayer
Level: 6
Flayers are one of the deadliest voidspawn sub-species. They are quick on their feet and their pincers can pierce even the most advanced power armor.
It was fast and heading straight for the blast wardens.
Kaiden sprinted after it, praying his own increased speed would be quick enough. Homing in on the flayer from the side, he lunged the last step, aiming a low swipe at the creature’s knee joints. He connected with a rubbery thud, and the flayer collapsed in a mess of tangled limbs – a critical hit. Kaiden put it down with a second hammer strike to the head.
Critical Hit!
+50% damage (Headshot)
Void Flayer killed – 300 EXP gained!
Just like back on the Dalcinae. That feels like a long time ago now.
He hadn’t gained charge from the encounter, but no matter. Kaiden turned to face the battle, looking for more flayers, but other enhanced wardens were dealing with them. He wondered if one of them was Sola, but he couldn’t tell amidst this chaos. There weren’t many of his kind here in the battle; only four fellow enhanced wardens as far as he could see.
I really did pick an unpopular spec.
Dawson was yelling again. “Alright, time for a push. Everyone be ready to mop up the filth left behind.”
Kaiden hurried forward to stand amongst the power wardens.
“Push now,” Dawson called. “Shield Bash!”
As one, every member of the shield wall used their ability, stepping forward and stunning the front line of voidspawn in a gelatinous smack.
“Run ‘em down,” Dawson ordered, and together the shielders activated Shield Charge.
They hurtled forward, mowing down voidspawn like laser-cut grass. Spawn were hurled back or trampled underfoot, pressed into the mud by heavy boots. Those enemies left behind the shield wall were blown away by blasters or pummeled by powereds as they followed behind the front line.
As the Shield Charge faded, the shield wall slowed, but it had made significant progress toward the base of the southern wall.
“Flanks, close in,” Dawson cried. “Pen those beasts in against the wall.”
The shield wardens on the far left and right of the shield wall began to step forward, bending their formation into a giant U shape. The remaining voidspawn were trapped between them and the high wall of the base. Some attempted to scramble back up the wall, others threw themselves with renewed frenzy at the shield wall.
Kaiden approached the front line with the other wardens, ready for any spawn that jumped the shields, or for fresh orders from the sergeant. He was itching for a fight now. The other classes all had their role to play here; wouldn’t Dawson give the few enhanced wardens something more to do?
“Blasters,” Dawson barked. “Split up and take the spiraling ramps leading to the walls on either side. You’ll get clear shots on the swarm. You five powereds.” He swept his hammer to indicate the group he meant. “Go with them and keep them safe. There are some scum still up on the wall itself.”
Kaiden saw Zelda tear past him in a stream of fellow blasters. He watched her ascend the first turn on her ramp before tearing his gaze away, back toward the shield wall as it began to buckle somewhat under the strain. The compression of voidspawn between them and the southern wall was intense. They might as well have become one enormous mass of tentacles, teeth and terrifying extremities. They piled up so high that many were easily leaping over the shield wall itself.
Kaiden
needed no orders. He ran with the remaining power wardens, picking his target. He swung his hammer into the thick of the voidspawn's body and a power warden followed suit.
Voidspawn assisted kill – 75 EXP gained!
Kaiden barely registered the notification, already onto his next foe, another flayer. This time, he blocked its gnashing pincer-like arms on his shield, earning him forty charge. He grinned as he felt the energy flood into his implants.
About time!
He went for a Hammer Smash, injuring the flayer and two smaller voidspawn around it. He ducked the flayer’s sweeping blades – gaining Riposte – side-stepped a lashing tentacle – Riposte stacked – and cracked the next mob he saw in the back. It wasn’t a crit, but the extra fifty percent damage sent the little spawn back to the void. Those extra points Kaiden had put into strength might have done the trick.
Now in the thick of the fighting, Kaiden found himself surrounded; a number of voidspawn had managed to encircle him. For a moment he floundered, deep in the fray, but two power wardens hacked their way through to reinforce him. They cut a path with wide swipes of their hammers, leaving crumpled voidspawn in their wake.
Woah, what was that?
Ability: Hammer Sweep
The warden swings their hammer in a wide arc, doing 35% of base damage to enemies directly before them. Cost: 20 charge. Cooldown: 2 minutes.
Now that’s what I call backup.
Kaiden spun, finding the flayer he’d tangled with earlier still at large. It’d brought a friend with it, and both skewered an unlucky enhanced warden between them.