Joe ran down the ramp with the squad, and they spread out after clearing the shuttle. The shuttle’s ramp soon closed, the engines revved up, and the shuttle took off to return to the Newgate.
The squad stood in a small clearing with several large trees around them. The air was mildly humid and warm as the sun shone brightly between the trees. The foliage was thick among the tops of the trees that stood several stories tall. Broken branches and dead leaves covered the forest floor with a variety of different bushes and grass.
“Heads up, everyone,” said Montes.
After looking to his left briefly, Joe’s head-up display turned on. He got a detailed compass showing him where the Birnstein outpost was a kilometer to the west. Joe also saw markers of where each member of the squad stood around him. The HUD was a valuable tool, but Joe could’ve gotten all of this information from his right eye, too.
Montes motioned as he started toward the west and raised his auto-rifle.
“To the west,” he said. “Let’s move.”
Joe fell in line close to the major as the others came up behind them. Each member had their auto-rifle pointed in a different direction as they each had a 45 degree angle of their view to monitor as they moved between the trees.
The squad moved well through the forest. While the canopy overhead was thick, the underside was sparse. Joe and the others had little trouble getting over fallen branches and weaving around other plants growing between the tree trunks.
Some wild animals scurried away as the squad tried to move quietly to their target. The scampering would draw everyone’s attention, causing them to turn their auto-rifles toward the movements. However, their HUDs showed these scared creatures were no threats.
After making good time through the forest, the squad got close to the Birnstein outpost. The sound of fighters flying overhead and turrets firing into the sky grew louder. The dogfights sounded like they were getting more intense, too.
With a few hundred meters left to cover, several signatures lit up on Joe’s HUD. With the assistance of his eye, Joe saw that another Human squad was approaching as the two groups moved in parallel with each other as they approached the Birnstein outpost.
“Newgate-Three to Charlotte-One, do you copy?” said Montes over everyone’s headset.
“We see you, Newgate-Three,” replied a voice. “We’ll watch your flank.”
“Copy that,” said Montes. “We’re nearly on them.”
“Filthy birds,” mumbled Beck for only the squad to hear.
A hundred meters of space had been cleared out around the Birnstein outpost to prevent anyone from sneaking up on its perimeter fence. Poles equal distance apart surrounded the outpost with energy flowing between them to form the fence. Only a few gates allowed entry through the fence and were highlighted by large towers with a turret on top of each. Birnstein guards stood ready for battle as they listened to the fighters fly and exchange fire overhead with the turrets.
Several small buildings stood inside the fence and had different symbols on them to designate their purpose. A small collection of identical buildings were the soldiers’ quarters, and a tall, thin tower next to an empty field was the control tower for the landing zone of all the fighters currently flying overhead.
Joe accompanied his squad to the edge of the forest where they took defensive positions behind trees. From his HUD, Joe saw several Birnstein soldiers standing near a gate as the turrets continued to fire into the sky. With his right eye, Joe saw the Birnsteins were equipped with thick armor plating that protected their torsos but kept their arms free for attacking in close quarters. Each carried a large auto-rifle that rivaled the ones the Humans carried in power.
One Birnstein on top of the gate near a turret made a loud cry and pointed across the clearing to Joe’s left. Joe looked over and saw some Human soldiers had started firing at the perimeter fence, concentrating on a single panel to overload it and cause it to fail.
The Birnsteins behind the gate got more restless and started chirping loudly as they wanted to fight. One of the turrets, though, turned toward the source of the Human’s attack and began firing. The trees exploded from the assault and burst into flames. Joe saw the Human soldiers flee into the trees, but he also saw a few fall under the turret’s barrage.
“Back. Back!” shouted Montes.
Joe turned back and saw the second turret lowering and sweeping the area close to where they were positioned. The light from the flames lit up the shadows of the forest and gave the Birnsteins a clearer view between the trees. Joe stood up and sprinted away with the rest of the squad as the second turret began to fire.
Trees exploded and fires broke out in the squad’s wake. Smoke filled the air, and Joe’s HUD activated a filter to keep his vision clear through the smoke. The squad ran for several moments until the turret fire ceased. Once hidden again, the squad looked back at the Birnstein base.
“Everyone here?” asked Montes.
Joe quickly looked around and saw everyone nearby on his HUD.
“Yes,” said Joe.
“We’re clear,” said Temitope.
“We just missed that,” added Mulloy.
Joe looked back at the Birnstein base and saw the turrets turn back up into the sky. Once they resumed firing at the Human fighters above, the gate opened and a couple Birnstein squads exited the outpost and started sprinting to the forest. One squad headed toward the burning trees where the other squad had started shooting from, while the other squad made their way in Joe’s direction.
“I see movement,” said Joe as he raised his auto-rifle toward the enemy.
“Got ’em,” said Meinhardt.
“Hold,” said Montes. “Wait for my order.”
As everyone readied their auto-rifles, Joe knew Montes wanted to lure the Birnsteins in before giving away their location. In the distance, Joe heard fire being exchanged between the other Human and Birnstein squads. Joe saw on his HUD the approaching Birnsteins stop as they also heard the firefight in the distance, but after a few moments, they continued toward Joe’s location.
The Birnstein soldiers swept the area in groups of three. Those three stayed close together as they moved closer to Joe’s location. Their pace remained cautious, which made Joe think they weren’t seeing well through the trees and smoke. A couple fighters roared overhead and drew the enemy soldier’s attention up. Joe saw an opening, and he soon learned the others had seen it, too.
“Now!” said Montes.
Joe and the others opened fire. The noise and lights startled the Birnsteins, causing them to cry out and chirp loudly. Joe shot one accurately through his chest plate. Even this far away, the Humans’ weapons could cut through the Birnsteins’ armor.
The other Birnsteins fired back as they hurried for cover behind the trees. The enemies fired randomly through the area as they shot blindly. Once they’d found cover, the Birnsteins slowed their fire as they took better aim.
Joe’s HUD had trouble locating some of the Birnsteins, so Joe activated his eye to see through the trees and find the Birnstein’s signatures. He saw two huddled together to the left and one more to the right. They were hidden well behind the trees, and when they did expose themselves to fire at Joe and the others, it was brief and too intense for Joe and the others to return fire.
But where were the others? Joe noted four Birnsteins deceased on the ground, but he couldn’t locate the others. Feeling ill, Joe quickly scanned the area and located the other three moving quickly through the trees together from the left just out of view.
“Left! Left!” shouted Joe as he turned his auto-rifle around.
The three Birnsteins got very close to Temitope and Abbot before they started firing at very close range. Temitope and Abbot had turned at Joe’s warning and saw the Birnsteins coming, but it wasn’t enough.
The Birnsteins attacked as a flock. All three had started firing at Temitope and Abbot, but when Abbot fell back to keep her distance, one Birnstein concentrated on her as the other two Birnsteins intensified their fire at Temitope. The two Birnsteins’ fire knocked Temitope down, and they didn’t stop there. They moved to stand right over her and continued firing down at her. Joe saw Temitope’s reading fade on his HUD.
Abbot cried out as she continued firing at the third Birnstein close to her. The other two Birnsteins soon joined the third as they attempted to overpower and knock Abbot down, but she stayed low in the bushes and kept weaving behind trees as she backed up.
Joe soon moved to support Abbot. He had all three Birnsteins marked on his HUD, and Joe was closing the gap fast. Rage fueled Joe’s actions with high adrenaline and sharp focus. He fired some shots at the Birnsteins to confuse them, but they stayed low and continued after Abbot. Joe then stopped firing and focused on getting to the Birnsteins.
Abbot got hit in the shoulder from a Birnstein, which knocked her down. The Birnsteins started to circle around her with their auto-rifles ready to fire.
Quickly, Joe emerged from the bushes to the right of one Birnstein. Even with the noise made from coming out of the bush, the Birnstein didn’t pay any attention to Joe. Joe easily took the energy blade he had in his hand and stabbed the Birnstein. With the Birnstein’s arm raised to hold his auto-rifle, part of his torso was exposed between the armor, and Joe’s blade slid in with little resistance. The Birnstein moved away and turned, but Joe let go of the blade to leave it in the Birnstein. With his auto-rifle in both hands, Joe fired a few concentrated blasts into the Birnstein’s chest.
Before the first Birnstein even hit the forest floor, Joe had his auto-rifle turned to the right at the second Birnstein. The second Birnstein stopped firing at Abbot and tried to fire at Joe. A few additional blasts from Joe’s auto-rifle hit the Birnstein in the chest and knocked her down, too.
Joe turned his rageful focus to the third Birnstein, who was moving away from Abbot and toward Joe. The Birnstein held his auto-rifle up but hadn’t started firing yet as he tried to surprise Joe. Joe didn’t hesitate and fired one shot into the Birnstein’s helmet. The Birnstein dropped his auto-rifle and collapsed onto the forest floor.
“Abbot,” said Joe loud enough to be heard over the firefight nearby.
Abbot was still on the ground but wasn’t moving. A quick look at his HUD showed Joe that Abbot’s reading had also faded with her death.
“Steel?” said Montes over Joe’s headset.
“Three more down,” said Joe. “I’m coming back.”