Hakon
Hakon followed behind Second Companion Ragnor Ark and Guard Elmo Hogg of the second fire team, he was glad to have found members of his own retinue. The compound of the forward base surrounded the large fortified tower in the small town. It was the tallest and largest structure in the small town and rose several stories above the next tallest building. One of dozens of small towns across the world of Starcrown.
The ‘Axetooth’ was one of the four ships of the 113th legion that had deployed troops all across the world several weeks ago under the contract with the so called king of Barta as he tried to improve his grip on the Grobina Sector and expand the reach of his power. The other three ships from the legion did the same on other worlds spread across the sector.
Just under thirty-five hundred troops of the second regiment of the ‘Axetooth’ were all that were deployed to the minor world spread across towns and villages. It was the only combat regiment of the four regiments which crewed the ‘Axetooth’. Supported by the Fourth Regiment and their more than three hundred Starfighters and the ‘Axetooth’ itself.
The Second Regiment had been split into small units mostly of platoon strength like that of the fourth platoon of the fourth Company. Four retinues made up of thirteen troops had called the forward base for the company home for the last several weeks. There hadn’t been a shot throughout the planet until that day. He wondered how many of the fifty five that called the forward base home were dead.
Small arms fire continued in the distance but grew closer as they neared the main entrance to the forward base. The shelling had all but stopped but small explosions were still heard from time to time but sounded more like RPG hitting their targets or damaged buildings on fire exploding.
No further rebels were encountered as they reached the front gate to the forward base. The defenses and makeshift walls used to defend the compound were half destroyed and empty of life. Dozens of bodies lay scattered across the ground. Hakon could see civilians, members of the legion, and rebels alike. The rebel bodies were more fresh. Killed by rail gun and blaster fire while most of the civilians looked as though they had suffered from the results of the first shells.
Hakon saw the smoking ruin of several power armor shells which once stood on sentry duty. Twisted and ruined they had been hit by rpg fire and those inside were long dead. Intelligence reports had been wrong. Very wrong.
The three of them slowly made their way through the gate with their weapons ready. Ragnor grabbed a rifle from a dead member of the platoon. Hakon knew the man of the woman who had her body mangled from the explosion which ripped the power armor apart. He and his fellow brothers of the legion pushed forward towards the armory of the compound as more small arms fire went off in the distance.
Bodies littered the outside of the small five story building where members of the platoon had fought and died. There were three or four dead for every member of the legion which had fallen. Even surprised and outnumbered the Legions of the Jom were a fearsome foe.
“I am gaining access to more systems.” Echo told Hakon in his artificial ear that linked him with the A.I. on his right forearm. “I’ve linked in with several Echo’s inside. It’s still fuzzy,” Echo continued. “Top three floors have fallen. Fighting taking place on sub basement one.”
Hakon’s mechanical flickered as the Head Up Display slowly adjusted and several new green friendly indicators popped up underground and neon green outlines showed their locations through the ground and concrete walls. The serial number unique for each of them popped up above their head and he spotted Frea as one of those still alive and fighting to hold the armory.
“We got to get in there,” Hakon said quickly and started to move with his Sidearm at the ready. “They're still people alive in the basement.” He rushed past Ragnor and forced his way through the blown open spot where the main doors once stood and rebel bodies thick from heavy fighting.
The inside was badly damaged from small arms fire and small explosions. Blood and bodies were spewed about. Heavy fighting had taken place and was still going on below them. Rubble from several holes blown in the walls and the floor above them filled the room.
Hakon continued forward with his Imperial Sidearm at the ready. He could hear Ragnor and Elmo next to him, a few footsteps behind as the three of them pushed further into the dark room as dim emergency lights blinked on and off here and there from the damaged walls.
Hakon’s mechanical eye could make up for the darkness easily enough as it adjusted and slowly switched to night vision, but he knew that he was the only one with such an eye of the three of them. Ragnor nor Elmo had been caught just as unaware as he had. They lacked eye glasses or headsets or anything other than what their natural eye sight could show them. Their own Echo’s were gaining more functions and light came from their wraiths as well as their Imperial SideArm as they surveyed the damage inside.
Several rebels came into view on the main floor near where the stairs and lift met in the back. The dim lights from their Wraiths had not given them away as the three recon scouts slowly moved their way through the ruined building, rubble and bodies on the ground to gain positions on their enemy before they launched an attack.
The rebels attention was on the stairs leading down. Hakon knew they were fools for not having sentries on the door or the platoon was hit harder than he thought. He came so close to two of the rebels that he could smell the stink coming off them. He looked to Ragnor and Elmo who had each moved to their own position around the somewhat relaxed rebels.
With a nod and several hand signals from Ragnor Hakon and his companions opened fire with their SideArms. The seven rebels dropped dead to the floor in an instant as the three recon scouts did what they were trained to do. Two more rebels fell to blasts from Hakon and Elmo as they attempted to climb down the set of stairs from the second floor to the main floor where their comrades had died moments before.
Hakon secured the stairs looking to the second floor while Ragnor secured the stairs to the basement levels, and Elmo ensured that they were still clear behind them. They waited a moment before they moved and Hakon took point while Elmo fell in and kept rear guard to ensure no one could surprise them from behind.
They descended the stairs slowly as they tried not to make noise with their boots stepping on each step. Another three rebels appeared once Hakon reached the bottom to the first basement floor. They must have heard the fight but were to scared to help their comrades or they were smart enough to leave a rear guard but he doubted the last. A single blast from an old rail gun missed him and Ragnor before Hakon opened fire and dropped the two rebels before they could get a second shot.
The third rebel fell from a blast from behind before the man could react before the attack behind him. “Tombstone?” a familiar voice called out from behind the three dead rebels.
“It’s me Frea,” Hakon replied. “Ragnor and Elmo are here as well.”
Frea Dawn stepped forward from her position and several other members of the retinue joined her as well as members from the other three retinues of the platoon.
“Sitrep?” Ragnor asked as he stepped towards the ten members of the Platoon.
“We got trapped trying to access the armory. Base has been overrun,” Frea reported and Hakon noticed several wounded members. The armory was another three floors down.
“No fuck,” Ragnor said with sharply as small arms fire continued off in the distance. “Alright, I need to volunteer to remain with the wounded,” Ragnor said, taking the lead as it became clear he was the ranking member of the platoon present. “Rest fall in with us. Let's get down to the armory and get into the fight,” Ragnor continued before he turned to return the way they had come to the main staircase to access the bottom floors.
“You should remain here,” Hakon told Frea.
“Fuck that,” Frea replied quickly. “I don’t need a babysitter. You want to stay safe, stay,” she told him and pushed past to join Ragnor.
Hakon let out a sigh. She never made it easy to fulfill his oath, but he understood. He wouldn’t be left behind. He had been there at the death of the last true king of Highpass, he wouldn’t be there at the death of the rightful heir.
“Stay close,” Hakon told Frea as he joined the ten members of the Imperial Guard to reclaim the armory so they could kill the bastards that dared attack them.
Frea smirked at him. “You better keep up if you want me to stay close.”
Hakon let out another sigh as they made it to the stairs and started down them. Several had rifles, but most were armed with their SideArms. At least none were forced to rely on the limited charge of the small blast cannons that their Wraiths could produce to defend themselves.
Several more rebels fell on the second sub basement floor, and another three fell at the armory doors where they tried to gain access to the advanced weapons and armor inside. Clad in their power armor the rebels weapons would have limited effect but for rpg rounds but it appeared that they had their own limited supply of such weapons, and that the attack was designed to take advantage of that.
Ragnor gained access to the armory doors as Hakon stepped over dead bodies. Rows of weapons were lined up next to a limited number of power armor suits as well as lighter less fully automated armor such as Battle Armor.
Hakon wondered once again where his own multi million dollar family heirloom suit of power armor was and if it had survived. He took comfort in the knowledge that no one would be able to use it without his own dna.
It took Hakon and the other ten members less than a minute to climb into the spare power armor suits. Even without weapons the suits were well armed. They were one person tanks but Hakon and the others grabbed rifles from the racks. A mix of rail gun, laser, and plasma weapons depending on each person.
Hakon could hear Echo in his ear as the A.I. ran through the suit systems and confirmed the suit was in working order and glad to gain access to several more systems with the hardwired link into the suit.
Frea looked at Hakon in her matching suit of pale grey and faded old paint which was largely gone from the old suit of armor. “Lets fuck them up,” she said and Hakon could almost see the grin that her tone displayed behind her helmet which hide her face.
