Frontline

by Z H Brown

  Even with the withering firepower of the most elite soldiers in the Empire arrayed against it, the horde of Renos kept coming. While the barrage had slowed down the initial assault, the sheer number of attackers meant that there was always another to take the place of a fallen comrade. Worse, the initial androids that had fallen were now beginning to repair and upgrade themselves.

  Some of the machines began firing with their own weapons. Thin lances of pink energy fired from the killbots’ fingers began to fly out of the tunnels. Most of the Imperials were able to avoid the blasts, but one or two were either too slow or unlucky to avoid them; Ansaria saw a Xenlongian tumble backwards, a smoking hole in his chest where a pair of beams had converged. To her left, one of Tread’s robotic companions exploded as the attacker’s powerful beams penetrated its armor and struck its power core.

  The massive mech piloted by the slug had a gun barrel extending from its chest. With every mighty blast of the weapon, an oblong mass of energy streaked into the tunnel. Every Reno that it struck vanished in a flash of bright red energy. Ansaria could see individual attackers suddenly frozen, their outlines a stark contrast to the brilliantly glowing energy, before they disappeared completely.

  Finally, the charging army had reached the mouths of the tunnels. Ansaria had time to only briefly glimpse some of the machines (some were still in their original forms and wearing the tatters of their green jumpsuits, others were now larger and more heavily armored) before the firing line in front of her parted to allow a trio of Xenlongians to pass through. The three seemed to move as a single being, never straying more than a few inches apart. As they stood at the tunnels opening, they all raised their right hands.

  The Renos, seeing targets in front of them, opened up with a barrage of energy beams. Ansaria watched, astonished, as the beams were redirected in midair. Some of them curved gently, while others were bent at stark angles. The attacks struck the solid stone walls and floor, creating small pockmarks and craters that were left black and sizzling. However, the trio wasn’t finished yet.

  Ansaria could feel the wave of displaced air as the three struck with their telekinesis. The Renos at the front of the tunnel were suddenly hurled back the way they had come, their red eyes tumbling through the dark tunnel. The sound of heavy metal striking and colliding together could just barely be heard through the sounds of battle. The sight of an army of the machine that had hounded her for so long being sent flying like leaves before a wind was so unexpected that Ansaria couldn’t help but laugh.

  With the pressure temporarily relieved on their front, Xandarius spoke to Fornost. “Have your troops shore up the left and right defenses, Colonel. I’ll handle the front.”

  “As you wish, my lord,” replied Fornost before issuing orders to the troops. The guards quickly moved to reinforce the other sides. Xandarius strode purposefully toward the tunnel, his face a mask of determination. Once again, since she hadn’t been told to go elsewhere, Ansaria remained by her Emperor’s side.

  The sound of clanking feet, some now larger than before once again filled the middle tunnel. More glowing, red eyes locked on to them as the Renos raced toward their targets. Xandarius raised his left hand as it began to glow with pink energy, while Ansaria took aim with her trusty plasma rifle.

  A mighty beam of energy erupted from Xandarius’ raised hand. The intense light was bright enough for Ansaria to see one Reno after another being consumed by the beam. The blast ripped through the oncoming androids, disintegrating and dismembering countless attackers. A reverberating ‘BOOM’ filled the cavern as Xandarius’ attack struck the curve in the tunnel, the blast sending Renos flying forward and backward.

  Ansaria opened fire with her own weapon. The smaller beams only allowed her to see a fraction of what Xandarius’ attack had, but she saw Renos fall, tumble and stagger under her barrage. One enemy she dropped fell and tripped up another Reno, which fell directly into the path of her attack, its head exploding as a purple bolt struck it.

  Just as Ansaria began to feel that not even an army of Renos could stand against the Empire, she realized that this was just the first wave. From out of the gloom came a larger, more hulking form of the android. It had developed heavy armor plating that shrugged off Ansaria’s blasts like they were rocks thrown by children. Even Xandarius’ attacks could only slow the new form, the pink energy showing each determined step the machine took. To her horror, Ansaria saw several nearly identical hulking Renos following the first, flanked by hordes of less-advanced androids.

  Just as the first of the massive machines reached the mouth of the tunnel, Ansaria suddenly felt Xandarius move next to her. The Emperor had activated his Silverskin, and was now hovering above the floor of the cavern. He took off like a shot, both hands glowing with pink energy, before colliding with the Reno unit and grappling with it.

  Seeing her Emperor dive into the fray ignited a patriotic pride within Ansaria. With a bold yell, she charged toward the fight. She slung her rifle and deployed her Thundersword, the mighty blade unfolding out, coursing with electricity while the simple keepsake from Eberius fluttered out from the hilt. As she drew closer to the cave, the less improved Reno units were emerging from behind their larger counterparts. They saw her charging towards them, and began firing their own pink energy.

  To Ansaria, it seemed like everything around her slowed to a crawl. She saw the Renos standing ahead of her, their cold, emotionless faces staring at her with the intensity of a programmed killing machine. Her many encounters with the original Reno came flooding into the forefront of her mind: their first fight in the sands of Oasis, its sudden appearance in the mountains of Myrthal, its unexpected interference in the fight with the Jukai, and its surprise attack on Epsilon- where it had wounded her and maimed her teammate.

  Ansaria had never done anything like the Trio had before, but in that moment, with her rage at once again being confronted by the merciless machine that had caused her so much grief, with her fear for her friends, and with the thrill of battle pumping through her veins, she felt compelled to push herself further than she ever had. She moved her Thundersword in front of her, so that the blade was in the middle of her vision. Then, she extended a telekinetic field in front of her, all the while charging at the combat bots.

  As they had been with the Trio, the Renos attacks aimed at Ansaria were redirected. It was nothing as impressive as the sudden, right-angle redirects, but every beam that lanced toward her was subtly curved away. Instead of striking the soldier, the Reno’s blasts struck the walls behind her; Ansaria was also being mindful of her comrades on either side.

  Finally, Ansaria came within striking distance of her first target. With another cry she swung her blade in a downward diagonal slash, bifurcating the Reno and stunning it with its electrical current. Ansaria’s momentum carried her forward, and with another slash she dismembered another Reno. She swung again, taking off the arms of two Renos and following it up with a telekinetic shove that sent them flying back. She spun her sword around, reversing her grip to impale a Reno that had been trying to attack her from behind. She threw herself backward, driving the blade deeper, and impaling another Reno. Using her telekinesis to hold the bots in place, Ansaria wrenched the blade up and out, causing the two to collapse in pieces.

  The tunnel around her was intermittently illuminated with flashes from Xandarius’ battle. The Emperor had managed to pulverize two of the larger Renos, and had briefly turned his attention to some of the smaller ones, vaporizing them on the spot with a burst of energy. The display was so strikingly incredible, that for a moment, Ansaria couldn’t believe that she was fighting side by side with the Emperor.

  And to think, less than two weeks ago she thought she'd never get off Oasis. Unfortunately, this momentary slip in concentration allowed one of the attackers to get the drop on her. She felt her arm being seized in a large, metal hand, before she was lifted off the floor and hurled back out of the tunnel.

  Ansaria landed hard, the air being dr
iven from her lungs. As she struggled to sit up, the Reno that had thrown her emerged from the tunnel. It was an upgraded unit, and looked not unlike the other Reno had when they fought on Myrthal; it stood a couple feet taller than Ansaria, with plates of dark gray metal on its torso and limbs. It had become twice as thick as a standard Reno, and was methodically advancing on her.

  Ansaria scrambled to her feet, and then charged her attacker, her Thundersword held before her. When she had closed with her target, she thrust the sword forward, intending to impale it through the chest. However, the machine’s armor proved tough, and the blade scrapped along the chest, leaving a scratch, but no real damage.

  The Reno took this opportunity to strike her in the chest, sending her flying back once more. Ansaria was sure that if she had been in her old, standard-issue armor, her breastplate would’ve been shattered. Instead, she was once again deprived of breath and sent falling to the hard, cavern floor.

  Ansaria fought past the pain to refill her lungs and get back on her feet. Her sword had been knocked from her hand and had been caught by the Reno; it held it up, almost in a saluting position. Ansaria reached out with her mind. She tried to pull the sword from the mechanical grasp, but the grip the Reno had on it was just too tight. Instead of the whole sword coming to her, only the memento from Eberius came, flying into her grasp like a cloth dart.

  Just as the strip of fabric reached her fingers, the Reno changed its grip on the sword. Before Ansaria could react or once again reach out, the machine held the Thundersword horizontally between its two hands, the handle in one palm, and the tip of the blade in another. Then, in a swift movement of mechanical strength, the massive Reno brought its hands together, crushing the blade. There was a small explosion, shrapnel flying outward and bolts of electricity firing out in random directions covering the bot’s hands. It opened its grasp, and a flattened, charred and sparking lump of metal dropped pitifully to the ground.

  For a moment, Ansaria’s gaze was locked on the sad remains of her sword; the blade she had carried since she became a sergeant, the weapon she had used to save the Empire she cared so deeply about. Ansaria tore her eyes away from the remnant of her weapon and locked them with the Reno. It regarded her with the same, hostile metallic look all its kind wore. With a snarl, Ansaria reached out with her left hand, and crushed the android’s head with her mind.

  The synthetic cranium, reduced to a fist-sized lump of metal, sparked briefly before exploding.

  Before the headless machine could do anything, its body was engulfed in a blob of bright red energy. The Reno was simply stunned for a brief moment, before it was disintegrated by another shot, leaving nothing but a pair of smoking shins and feet behind. Ansaria looked round, and saw that the fighting had come to stop. The slug mech still had its cannon pointed in her direction, its barrel smoking.

  Reno pieces scattered the caver floor. None of them were large enough to reconstitute themselves, but some of the Imperials were still destroying anything that looked like it still had some life in it. Ansaria could hear the sound of metal feet retreating down some of the tunnels; apparently some of the Renos had survived.

  They had lost six soldiers. Three Xenlongians, one of whom had had his head removed; a battlebot, a swine-faced Imperial with large tusks, and the Simirian; his Packmember comrade howling softly over his friend’s body. A few others had been wounded and were being tended to. Ansaria was relieved to see none of them were her friends.

  Xandarius strode out of the middle tunnel, looking a bit fatigued but none the worse for wear. Fornost was speaking into his comm. unit, and as Xandarius reached him, all the Imperials still standing and not tending to the wounded or guarding the tunnels drew closer to hear what the next phase of the plan was.

  Fornost finished his call and addressed Xandarius. “Your Majesty, Attack Force Two and Three both report success in driving off the enemy. All three invasion points are firmly in Imperial hands.” There was a general murmur of enthusiasm from the assembled guards and Fornost continued. “So far, our total casualties are sitting at an acceptable fifteen percent, and our preliminary reports indicate that we should be able to capture the control center of the asteroid without additional reinforcements.”

  “Excellent news, colonel. Any word from the admiral?”

  “Yes, sire…the admiral reports that her forces have encountered similar resistance but are pressing on. She expects to have captured the facility’s controls shortly.”

  “Tremendous, this operation is going better than I had hoped, especially given our adversaries. Here are my orders: A third of the guard shall remain here to protect our flank and tend to the wounded. Have Attack Force Two send some of their troops to help secure this position. As for the rest of us, we’re pressing on to our objective.”

  Fornost gave a small bow then proceeded to carry out his emperor’s orders. Xandarius turned back toward the middle tunnel and stood just outside of it, studying the dark depths within. Ansaria came over and stood a little ways behind him.

  “I’m sorry about your sword,” said Xandarius. It took Ansaria a moment to realize he was talking to her. “I know how a warrior forms a bond with a weapon like that; it’s more than just a tool, it’s an extension of you.”

  “Thank you for your condolences, sire,” said Ansaria, giving a small bow, though Xandarius still had his back to her. “You’re right, that blade and I had been through a lot together. It feels almost as though I've lost a member of my squad.”

  The two were silent for a few moments before Xandarius spoke again. “That fabric, it’s precious too you?”

  Ansaria looked down at the strip of cloth which she had tied tightly around her hand and wrist.

  “A parting gift... from a friend I’ll probably never see again.” That thought filled Ansaria with an unexpected sadness.

  Whatever Xandarius was going to say was interrupted by Fornost.

  “My lord, your orders have been carried out, and we are ready to advance.” Xandarius turned away from the tunnel, a slight smile on his face. His eyes were bright with excitement and hunger for battle.

  “Then let us get to the bottom of this mystery. Imperials, move out!”

  Chapter XXIII

  Belly of the Beast

  The RENO (Reactionary Evolving Nano-Organism) unit is sure to become the future of Imperial warfare. With an advanced intelligence programmed to never give up and a body that can repair and improve itself after every conflict, these machines will soon be able to hunt down and destroy any threat to the Empire, both within and without.

  --Promotional information recovered from the Siladon Industries facility

  The Imperial procession marched steadily through the tunnel. More of the metal-ensconced lights had been set into the walls intermittently, but the winding nature of the passage prevented each one from lighting up more than a single stretch.

  The slug-piloted mech was leading the way, its steady march setting a cautious pace for the group while its scanners and sensors probed for any enemies or traps. Fornost and a pair of Xenlongians followed close behind it, with Xandarius and Ansaria a short distance behind them. Ansaria saw Tread and his Ion Squad following close behind her, and Alvara, Slog and (hopefully, though she could not see him) Critter were closer to the rear.

  Ansaria’s senses strained to detect anything in the darkness ahead of them. The steady sound of heavy boot steps, barely audible over the metallic sounds of the slug mech, filled the captain’s ears, and combined with the echo playing havoc with her sense of direction, Ansaria was half-convinced there was an army of Renos waiting around every corner.

  Yet with every turn in the tunnel, they found nothing but another stretch of stony wall and another light. As they continued to march, thoughts of other dangers began to creep into her mind: secret openings that would allow poisonous gas to be silently pumped in or that opened into the vacuum of space, suffocating the soldiers if they weren’t simply blown out into the cold void. The captain began
to examine the floor as she moved, searching for pressure plates or low-set sensors.

  Finally, after minutes of silent walking, Ansaria’s comm. unit emitted a rapid series of clicks and the Imperial soldiers drew to a halt, as did Xandarius beside her. The tunnel they were standing in was barely illuminated by a light from the bend they had just passed. Fornost maintained his position behind the slug mech and spoke to everyone through their comm.:

  “We’re coming up on the last stretch; on the other side is the heart of the asteroid.”

  Ansaria nervously swallowed and tightened her grip on her rifle.

  “Everyone maintain the current pace, and stay on alert,” said Xandarius over the comm. “The enemy could have anything ready for us.”

  With that, Fornost gave another signal and the group started up again. As they drew closer to their destination, Ansaria expected to see more of the lights in the wall, or perhaps a glow from a well-lit command center drawing them toward it. Instead, the tunnel remained dark, without any more lights ahead of them except a barely discernible red illumination that seemed to grow only slightly brighter at every turn. Glad to find that they were not headed into total darkness, Ansaria’s eyes quickly adjusted to the red filter.

  Suddenly, Fornost broadcast a message to halt, and the group obeyed. From where Ansaria stood, she could see that whatever the red light was coming from was obscured by the last little bit of tunnel wall. As she waited in the semi-darkness for her orders from her emperor, a loud, deep voice that made her jump at its unexpected presence emerged from the room ahead:

  “Come forward, Xandarius of Xenlong; this meeting has been anticipated.”

  Ansaria looked up at Xandarius, whose barely-visible face was one of surprise. While the slug-mech continued its guard, Fornost was also looking intently at his emperor. Behind Xandarius, the other Imperials were craning their necks to see what the Conqueror intended to do.