0720 Day Three Killrock

0720 hours Day Three Killrock

1. The Ruins

Basilus rejoined the other Scouts there in the tunnel. They numbered only fifty of them of different squads, and was awaiting the order to deploy the second phase.

"Leader, the battle have started, and we to move to the next phase." Basilus the comms that came through and told the other Rangers. Phase Two required them to harassed the flanks of the Draconian; searching out Command Center and other areas of strategic importance. The scouts split into group of ten members before deploying. Basilus had Landi and her Rangers as his squad.

"There is a reason for the Draconian to assemble such a force here. We will find out what." Basilus told his squad before they moved off to go further east into the actual city site. He remembered the words from Moss saying that Khun and Draconian shared some common wordings and they were carting away the crates of stones. So this place must mean something to them. The question was what , and where.

 

2. Northern Lines

Poppins paused on its movement to survey the battle lines. The tank have moved beyond the line and now need to moved south to rejoined with the others. He turned the cupola to see the Juggernaut at about one kilometer behind and still moving forth. There were three ATT by the Juggernaut acting as its watchout for any Draconian Troops.

"Move the tank south." Duncan gave the order and then he saw the Vampire with the bent barrel. It had landed into a steep crater and was unable to move. It would had if it had a driver inside.

"Gunner, ten o'clock. Put the tank into decommission." Duncan ordered the gunner who fired the Cochise at it. The projectile hit it on the top end of the turret and penetrated the thinner armor there. It blew up the Vampire tank on contact with the engine.

During that shootout, none of the crews saw the Draconian troops crawled next to the tank before they placed the explosives at the tracks. The gunner on the right sponson saw the Draconian and he fired the guns but it was too late; the explosives were laid inside the tracks.

"Fire in the tracks." The gunner warned just as the explosives went off. It also blew into the sponson killing the gunner. The fire spread on the explosion inside the tank, as the crew fought to clear the fire. The fire was spreading to the engine and the spare ammo. Duncan saw that threat and shouted out.

"Abandon the tank now!" The crews all grabbed their rifles and leave by the open hatches. Duncan sat in the cupola to lay cover fire while the crew bailed out. When he saw the last was out, he climbed out himself. He joined his crew in a dried out river bed at about ten metres away. Only six of his crew made it; three were shot while getting here.

"Let us move along the river bed. We need to get away." Duncan instructed them. Just as he complete his statement, 'Poppins' went up in flame. It was not his first 'Poppins' but this was the better of the three he had commanded.

"Let's go."

3. Southern Lines

Major Moshe hijacked the two Vampires and ten Tigers as armored for his Rangers. They had the vehicles waving a red streak from the power plant maintenance. It was to distinguish them from the other Draconian vehicles.

"Major, get your tanks to close up with mine. We would travel in a row and avoid being shot by friendly fire." Captain Morris of the Juggernaut advised the two Vampire to be on his side. "Abandon those Tigers when you hit the Draconian. They are too many to monitored."

They set off for the Draconian lines. The Rangers took whatever left behind explosives from the Draconian vehicles.

"Jones, can you fire the gun?" Major Moshe asked the Ranger manning the gun. Jones looked up and nodded.

"It looks like the one we had on the simulator." Jones grinned to the Major. "Let me test fire one shot."

Jones did it and missed the target by ten metres but he did fire the gun. The other Vampire gunner also did the same and made a better gunner than Jones by two metres.

"Vampires ahead!" There was two Vampires which climbed out of the crater and faced them at abut four hundred metres. The Juggernaut sounded the first volley and took off one Vampire. Major Moshe called the Juggernaut to halt while his gunners fake the next shot. Both Vampires shot at the same time and so did the Draconian Vampire. The shot by Jones hit the Vampire on its front hull, while the other shot hit the right track. The Draconian Vampire shot hit the Juggernaut but was undamaged.

"Fangs!" The Juggernaut commander called out as EM was shot off to counter the Fangs threat.The EM opened up a canopy to cover the three tanks, and dispersed the threat.

"Return fire!" The Vampires under the Ranger both returned fire with their own Fangs. The Draconian Vampire saw the new threat and tried to retreat, but the Fangs came in wide. The tank exploded when the mini bombs hit its hull and turret.

"Let's move." The Juggernaut Commander called in, as the Tigers hijacked by the Rangers sped ahead.

4. In the middle of the Ruins

Basilus halt the squad as they have made like five kilometres into the ruins now, and among some low walls and sunken chambers. They have to careful where they may stepped as it could be a fragile surface with drop depth of ten metres. The squad halted as they sighted a Tiger parked in front at thirty metres behind a low wall.

"Mira, recon left. Marc, right, and the rest stayed here. I am going forth." Basilus crawled ahead but Landi joined him in follow up. The duo made their way slowly to the low walls but stopped at about three metres when they heard the guttering of sound made by the Draconian.

"I am smaller in frame. I could go forth while you cover me." Landi told him as she over took his position. Basilus crouched behind some rocks while raising his rifle. He can see Landi making the short distance and then sat up against the wall. She moved the left side and removed her Helm. She she slowly peeked over the edge and then slink back on the wall. She motioned to Basilus in signals; one Tiger, one Vampire further back; hidden, twelve Draconian with four Senior Officers.

Landi took out the Toad grenade and was about to toss it when the shots came to their attention. It was the left side; Mira's position.

 

5. They are harder to die.

Mira crawled and half run in some paces. She saw the boulder which she can take position on and ran towards it. As she was to reached there, the Draconian Troop stepped out from behind it. Both of them paused on seeing each other before they raised their rifles. The Draconian shot first catching Mira on the right shoulder, and her shot hit the Draconian on the right waistline. He staggered but did not fall, and charged at her.

Mira shot again; this time hitting the Draconian on the left heart, and the trooper dropped on top of her. She struggled to kick it over but the Trooper was not done as yet. The Draconian despite its injuries grabbed Mira by the Helm with both hands. It was trying to twist the head off, but she pushed her rifle like a wedge under the neck and pushed hard. That loosen the hold on the Helm and the Draconian pulled itself off her. It reached for the mallet hung at the waist, and held it to swing at Mira.

Mira tried to fire her rifle but it won't fire. She used it like a club and swung it at the Draconian head. It was blocked by the mallet and bent the rifle.

"Damned!" Mira threw the rifle away and reached for her PH450 but it was not there. It must had fallen off from her holster so she pulled out her serrated blade.

"Come on, you fragging hunk." Mira cursed at the Draconian who came at her with the mallet swinging in from the right. She stepped back and let the mallet missed her by a fraction before she slashed down with the blade on the Draconian right wrist. Her sharp blade cut into the exposed flesh and the Draconian stepped back in pain. It was then Mira lunged forward and stabbed the blade up at the neckline into the back of the head. Her momentum also pushed the Draconian backwards against the boulder.

 

6. Shot at their heads.

Marc on hearing the shot at Mira's position; immediately reacted on his side. He got up into a half crouched firing position and aimed his rifle at the Draconian nearest to Mira's position. He shot the trooper on the back of the head and then moved to the next target; the one with the darker ribbon. The second shot took the officer down too with a head shot and then Marc had to ducked for cover as the other Draconian replied fire. In his jump for safety, he was shot at the right shin but he managed to drag himself to the nearest cover behind a small mound of sand.

He laid the rifle on the sand and aimed for his next target. It was then he saw the Toad being tossed in, but the damned grenade did not explode but sink into the sands.

"Damned!" Marc cursed and took his shot at the Draconian who were all in covers now. He kept on firing to keep their heads down and watched for anyone moving to Mira's position.

 

7. Basilus joined in with Landi..

Basilus also cursed when he did not hear the explosion. Damn Toad did not work; and there are shooting now. He did not wait but rushed forth to assist Landi at the wall. Landi had already taken up her rifle and started shooting over the wall. He had not worn her Helm back which made her vulnerable to being shot. Just as Basilus reached the wall, Landi fell back with a shot at her left eye.

"Damned!" Basilus took her position and laid fire on the Draconian. He saw the Toad still laying bottoms up in the sand. He fired at it and exploded the damned freaking grenade.

"Fire in Hell". The Toad dispersed off its gas but Basilus was still firing at the Draconian. Two Draconian tried to run but they were brought down by the snipers. The Vampire rev up its engine but it was too late to move, as the gas got into the tank.

After the gas had dispersed, the Rangers checked the Draconian officers. They found more information on the site and also for their visit.

They sent in the Scouts to checked on the mines sometime back and discovered the ruins by accident. Once the information was analyzed by their experts, they came here to reclaim their heritage. There was another troop carrier that came here; landing some distance nearer to the ruins after the first one. It must had been during the invasion; another division with armored backup. The Draconian knew the possible threat so they prepared themselves. They hid in the ruins underground chambers until recently. Now they are fighting the Rangers with their full strength.

"Pete, passed me the comms. The General need to know this." Basilus took the comms and asked for the General.

"Sir, we found the base Command. More to it, there was a hidden division here....." Basilus reported in.

"Lieutenant, I know. I am seeing them. We cannot retreat now. We can fight them and see them in Hell." General Manning replied when he saw the earlier intel was all wrong. They are more than he anticipated, and his Rangers are going to massacred if no reinforcement comes in. His half Division against a full Division of Draconian with ten Vampires. The Draconian had forced his hand to attack and now they are facing him in the open field with twice the number in troops and armored.

"Get me the Admiral" General Manning called for the comms but the officer replied that they been jammed.

The clock reads 0913hrs then.