Waves

Running. There was a loud explosion followed by the grunts of two guards being tossed violently into the air. Arc led the charge illuminating their way with subsequent explosions. Making the best of a bad situation, the remaining recon unit remained with The Destiny to provide the strike team cover. Using Arc’s maniacal laughter to guide them, Ace’s unit worked to secure the area. There weren’t many outside of the building and most of the guards had been injured or otherwise caught off guard by the first explosion leaving a perfect window to storm the base. Now inside, the team split in two with Midpoint, Arc and Blindside being left at the door to prevent unexpected arrivals. Ace’s new team split off from the entrance and began taking the complex. Without the fog to hide them, their only camouflage was the grey of their armour on the mostly slate surfaces. Checking each room, the unit spread throughout the building like warm butter on toast but the temperature soon dropped. Curves opened the council room doors and readied her sword. She managed to stop just shy of her would be victim’s throat as she realised their face was a friendly one.
“Lore? What are you doing here?” She stuck her head back into the corridor, signalling the rest of her unit to join them.
“Quickly, quickly.” Lore repeated awkwardly retreating to the rear of the room in a crouched, crablike motion.
As the last trooper entered the room, the doors snapped shut. Another Lore materialised behind them and put their finger to their lips.
“Shush. Come on.” They whispered as they too crab walked to the back wall.
“What is going on here? What’s the plan?” Ace got close enough to count the hairs in Lore’s ear but noticed something worrying. “Who are you?”
“Lore? What sort of a question is that?” The Lore gave a mocking stare.
“Whos’ Lore?” Ace pointed towards their fellow commander.
“Yours.” The Lore gave an ill-fitting smile. Ace tugged at their shirt then attempted to crack their neck. “No. I don’t think so.”
With that, the Lores fizzled from existence leaving the troops huddled at the back of the locked room.
“How did you know? Was it the smile?” Aloe whispered over.
“Lore’s got a scar on their shoulder. Mark from when they joined the inquisitors. That hologram was clean… And the smile…” Ace had started sounding smart but tipped their hand towards the end.
Bang. The lock shattered as the doors were tossed towards the centre table. Fourteen soldiers entered the room in a hail of plasma and smoke. Curves and Edge took to the front, spinning their blades in an attempt to absorb their foes attacks. As a temporary measure, it was effective, but it restricted the groups ability to fire back. Aloe took a deep breath, staring at Edge’s rapidly rotating blade. She fired. The perfectly timed bolt slipped through the propeller and soared through the shoulder of the first soldier and into the neck of the one behind them. The wounded fell, tripping the healthy around them which gave the clones a window to fire back. The first group were quickly replaced with a second as the injured were removed. The clones had managed to move away from the wall but the unmovable table that filled the room was proving to be a formidable obstacle. Curves and Edge were stood back to back in its centre as they fought off the incoming soldiers, slicing their weapons to pieces before sending them into retreat. Ace returned to their crouched position in the back of the room inspecting an updated map of the complex.
“Arrow, this is Ace, I’m sending you a target, we need your team to breach here and come join the fight.”
“Acknowledged. About time.”
The room soon began to fill with The Protectorate’s soldiers, pushing the clones back to their starting positions. The soldiers supremacy was short lived however.
“Ready?” Arrow strung their bow. At the arrow’s head, an intricate and bulky assembly.
“Ready.” Outlier replied, lowering their eye to the scope of their ridiculously sized rifle.
Arrow fired. The device embedded itself into the wall Ace marked as their entry point. They took a step back to admire the audacity of the shot, before firing a few shots to assist Midpoint’s group. Outlier was nearly firing blind, the thick fog of nebula gasses being the only thing visible through their scope. Then they saw it, Arrow’s reflector. They deactivated their rifles safeties and began to charge their shot. The rifle whirred and spluttered as it drew the fog in through it’s air intakes. The barrel opened up turning the somewhat sensible, if not large rifle into a caricature of a blunderbuss. Energy collected around the barrels rim as a charge fired from the collars centre. The bolt had a diameter of nearly a foot when it left the rifle but expanded to nearly thrice that as it hit the building. The golden light disintegrated all that bathed in its glow, reducing the wall and the soldiers pressed against it to dust. Arrow and their team began their race to regroup with their besieged comrades.
“Wow. We need to get one of those for Magpie.” Curves turned to Ace, offering them their hand.
“It’s hard enough asking Magpie to stop polishing his rifle before missions let alone to use something else.” Ace looked confused as Aloe and the remaining clones sniggered. “What?”
“Nothing.” Aloe smiled. “I’m pretty sure Outlier’s the same.”
“We’re here, where to?” Arrow said breathlessly.
Ace led the group through the complex. Now with nearly twice the firepower they felt confident enough to try and take The Slingshot. The courtyard would have been a test of their accuracy and restraint with potential civilians mixed with military personnel however, when they arrived only the scientists remained and they were no longer working. The clones stormed the room, weapons hot only to find an empty, large open space with a mile high monument and a corner full of cowering scientists. Ace sent a couple of the troops to reassure the labcoats that they would be safe and then proceeded to The Slingshot proper. After a short fight with the spiral staircase, Ace and Magpie made their way to the control room. Ace studied the console before Magpie slammed his hand on the biggest button he could find. The Nebula quickly dissipated. Ships that had been stuck like flies in amber quickly accelerated and stopped in Johned’s orbit. Defence.