Stepping into the Red Corsairs barracks felt odd. It'd been several months since I'd officially moved out of the unit. I'd thought I would miss it, but I quickly came to realise I was fine without the life and death encounters. I had a better workshop and still saw Zardelle and Katra whenever I wanted.
I bumped into Jeracks in the doorway. "How you doing? I hear you hit an impressive shot on your last op." I said, grinning.
His face lit up. "Yes. It was so cool! I paced my shots like you taught me and saw this guy trying to run. Sniped him in the back, over 1000 metres away and guess what? Turns out he was the gang leader!"
Nodding encouragingly to his story, we carried on talking as we walked inside. We were almost at the office door when I asked. "Which gang was it?"
Jeracks shrugged. "Fuck knows. Some small-time gang miles out. We didn't keep the territory, just stirred up trouble. Or that's what Iron Grace said anyway." I did a double-take when I heard Katra's handle. Maybe Jeracks was just more in tune with the rest of the gang or something, but ever since I had been mentoring him, I realised I had missed out on a large part of the culture of the gang.
Everyone's handles was the obvious one, but there were others, like the girls, that came with the status of being an elite of the gang. That and the drugs.
I had been furious when I heard he'd been doped up on a mission.
He hadn't done that since.
I couldn't say I was too sad about missing it all. I still found the nicknames a bit silly, and I still only heard them when talking to the recruits and soldiers. Drugs or alcohol, I had no interest in. Mostly from fear of losing control and saying something I really shouldn't.
"This is me." I said, clapping him on the shoulder. We stepped up to the door to the tiny office before saying goodbye, and I headed in. The office hadn't changed much, still the same stacks of paper and the cogitator in the corner.
Hunched up and looming over the cogitator in the corner was Katra.
She looked up as I entered and scowled. "Why did I let you talk me into this!" She said, waving her hand at the screen. "I should be training or fighting, not filling in this accursed paperwork!"
Smirking at her, "It's your ambition's fault; if you didn't try to usurp Zardelle, you could have stayed a lowly grunt." I said, knowing that was the furthest thing from what happened.
Giving me the finger, she stood up, rolling her shoulders. "You will be paying for that. It is time to get some revenge from last week." she said, grinning as we walked to the training room.
I smiled as I walked after her. "You wish. How was the mission?"
"Meh. Easy and boring. They were just a small-time gang, but they were a buffer for two other larger gangs that are now at each other's throats. How much longer do you think this peace will last?"
"No idea. To be honest, I'm amazed it's lasted the last 6 months. I was expecting it to spark ages ago. We've had some very close calls."
"I kind of wish it would just start; everyone's so tense." She wasn't wrong; even the recruits, who didn't know what was going on, could feel it. It was present everywhere, from the smallest dealer on corners to the guild master's high up in the hive. It had everyone on edge.
Entering the training room, we did our warmups and then moved over to pick our weapons. As I felt the familiar longsword's handle, I could feel the difference. It was starting to feel like an extension of my body.
I must have changed my mind a dozen times about spending a spark on sword fighting. Eventually, I gave in and spent it, partly to keep up with Katra and Zardelle and help them keep improving. They had far surpassed my second-hand knowledge from the other sparks.
I still felt it was a slight waste, but with my change in position, I couldn't guarantee I would be at the back of a squad of elite soldiers. I already had some incidents that were far closer than I ever wanted it to be. So I spent it to keep myself alive, which I considered a point well spent, even if I hoped to never use it.
It did confirm another thing: the knowledge fragments were built upon what was there before. For instance, when I chose Blade Master, apart from knocking myself flat with the amount of information, it had built upon all the training I had before, allowing the spark to go far further than it would have otherwise gone. It managed to push it straight to tier 2, what with a combination of my soldier and warrior sparks, as well as my hand-to-hand combat ones. These had also combined neatly with all the experience I had just from regular sparring with Zardelle and Katra.
Even with the spark being very broad. I had deliberately not limited it, so I got a barrage of information on all forms and formats of blade combat. From chainswords to knives. More than that, it had alien-specific knowledge in there as well, or at least I assumed so. I didn't know many 4-armed humans who learnt bladed combat. But I could be wrong.
It's still only the foundation, a solid one mind with years of practice and muscle memory, filling in many of the gaps in my knowledge. It instantly propelled me years ahead of where I was.
The sparks themselves were also changing, heavier, more solid. I could feel myself rapidly reaching the tipping point. I could also feel it when I meditated, strengthening myself. I was reaching the threshold the Akashic fragment mentioned. I could feel it, the tension building toward it. Judging by the speed, it was still a year or so off, but it was getting tantalisingly close.
Then I could start on my next cycle of explosive growth, getting several sparks a year. I was hoping to get upwards of four with all the work I had put into strengthening my soul, but I wouldn't know until it started.
I already knew what I would be using them on—foundational knowledge. It was high time to fill in some of the blanks. Physics, chemistry, biology, maths, and engineering. I wanted them all, but more than that, I wanted to make them broad. Why settle for the Imperium's or even Humanity's understanding of the universe, even at the height of their power, when I could learn even more than that? Go past where they reached and beyond.
It was a heady feeling, that anticipation.
But I wasn't there yet, I reminded myself, twisting the blade to deflect Katra's blow. Our physical prowess had closed over the years, and now, at twenty-two, I matched her. I did reach my 6 ft tall I wanted, if only just. Almost staggering under a blow, I reminded myself that I should be stronger than her. Her extensive augmetics (some of which I had improved) still gave her a huge amount of strength, once more reminding me of my lack of augments.
I was still hesitating. Partly, it was a lack of trust in the surgeon who would be doing it. Another reason, and not one I would ever voice, was pure vanity. They all looked hideous, and I didn't want one of the clunky bionics. I also didn't have the sparks to spend to make some that would be worth it. I could make some that were equal to what was there before, but nothing that was a large upgrade. That would change in the years to come, and I knew I would be spending a significant amount of sparks on it.
They were still just excuses, but they were enough for me for now.
I won more than I lost, but it was only by the slimmest of margins. A few more months, and she would no doubt have me beat once more, much like Zardelle. Who could reliably beat me. I could still challenge her, but as long as she made no mistakes, the results were not in question.
I wasn't too upset; it actually filled me with some pride knowing it was training with me that had pushed them to new heights. It was particularly satisfying watching Zardelle beat Lanto. His befuddled face would be forever seared into my memory.
He proceeded to dominate the next spar, but that was down to the disparity in strength, not skill.
Collapsing onto the benches, we caught our breath before Katra asked. "So what have you been working on recently? Anything cool?"
"Not as much as I would like. Most of my time has been spent on making the fully enclosed carapace armour."
"Still don't get why you don't train some gangers to do it for you." She muttered half under her breath.
Grunting, I stuck my tongue out at her, unwilling to get into the same argument we'd had a dozen times. There were loads of reasons I didn't, like not wanting to give up power or diminish my influence. But it mostly came down to trust. There was no way I would ever allow them near my fab, not in a million years. I had offloaded some of the work, particularly the maintenance, but the actual construction of the components? No way.
"Okay, okay. I won't ask again. What about that servitor you asked me to help capture? I was expecting something interesting to come from that."
"Naa, there wasn't much to see really. The bionics on it were worse than what you have now and the rest was useless." In the grand scheme of things, it had been a waste. At least for the bionics, the coding was slightly different. I mean, it was shit, and I saw dozens of ways to improve it, but it gave me a good understanding of servitors.
Which was kind of the point.
I did get access to the noosphere, as I had found out it was called. Where the name came from, I had no idea. And I didn't dare dive into it, but that didn't stop me from scraping data from it. Much of it was useless, but it did occasionally give me useful titbits.
We carried on chatting and joking for another few hours, moving into the study after we had rested, before we fell into a comfortable silence, both working on our own thing. We were just getting ready to leave, both of us quite peckish by that point, when our data slates lit up, messages pouring in.
One stood out from Selina. 'Aleric, meeting. It's starting.'
"You heard?" I asked Katra as I sprang up.
"I heard, no rest for the wicked."
"Keep safe!" I said, giving her a big hug before jogging for the meeting room.
"You too, remember you don't have someone to rein in your crazy ideas."
"Crazy ideas! They were great ideas, and you know it!"
"Right…"
Grinning to myself, I sent off some messages, making sure Skyla and the others were prepped.
---
Rolling my shoulders to get the armour to sit more comfortably, Snuffles and I wandered over to the gathering point. There were hundreds of gangers, most of them soldiers, and a few elite teams sprinkled in. I walked over to the officers I knew at the centre.
Jokh was in charge of this army. A stable, no-nonsense guy who was dependable. Nodding and clasping a few hands as I joined the circle, it widening to accommodate me.
"Aleric." Jokh said. "Are you taking over?" Noting my full wargear.
"No, not today. Just want to observe the other gang."
"Got it, so I don't need to make any changes?"
"No keep it as it was. Pretend I am not here."
Nodding to me, he turned back to his officers and gave them their orders. Zoning them out, I looked around the courtyard at the eager faces. I would have thought there would be fear or sadness at another war so soon after the other. But I think most people were just happy something was happening, and not the constant waiting.
We were also pushing through the smaller gangs with ease, stomping through one after another these last few weeks. Not that it was a surprise; we'd long had these plans in place. But the easy advances through the tunnels would soon be coming to an end. We'd reached the Sump Revenants' territory. One of the largest gangs in the hive, larger and stronger than us, at least on the surface anyway.
Where we used discipline, they use chems. Doped-up gangers that fought in an endless rage far past the time they should be dead. Their elites only got worse. Luckily, they were far from us. Emphasis on the 'were'. We had pushed hard to stop the many gangs turning on us, but that put us in their striking range.
Not that they would have stayed out, no matter how far away they were. They were sponsored by House Veyne, a powerful noble house from the nearby hive of Virelia. Its main export was pharmaceuticals, which is where the Sump Revenants got their endless supply of drugs.
I didn't have to wait too long before we got moving; the Court members slowly milling toward the gate leading to the rest of the hive. We had a long walk ahead of us. Speaking of that, I spotted the runner I sent to fetch me my supplies.
"Thanks kid." I said as I took the rucksack from him. "It have everything?"
"Yep, sorted by the quartermaster herself."
"Good on you, off you go." As he scurried away, I had a quick poke around to make sure I had everything I might need. It was mostly food. The huge amounts of water and other supplies were carried by the grunts or were transported by trucks.
My ammo was strapped to Snuffles' back, along with food for him and water for both of us. Just in case.
I stayed to one side as we moved, people clamming up if I came too near. It was something I had noticed: the higher up in the gang I got, the harder it was to just talk to people. They either agreed with everything I said, hoping to get brownie points or froze and said nothing.
I spotted Katra, but she was about to range ahead with her unit, and I didn't want to step on her toes, so I just sent her a good luck and followed along near the middle. I might make people uncomfortable being near me, but I wasn't going to put myself at risk needlessly by standing outside the army. Not that I expected any trouble.
We passed through the outskirts of the city and then entered the tunnels proper. Still, the huge vaulted ceiling and massing disused monorail running through the centre of it. But it was bare and dark, with little to no vegetation growing.
Just looming superstructures of collapsed blocks, from hubs to smelters. Now just piles of twisted steel and concrete. My sensor picked up the occasional movement out in the darkness, but they all moved quickly away from us.
---
We made good time; it only took us a few days to reach the front line. We could hear it well before we saw anything. Well, that wasn't strictly true for me; I had picked up the radio signals a long way back and had listened in to see if there was anything important.
There wasn't, just Lanto and his men giving calm orders.
The tunnel was still mostly the same but was a newer section of the hive. This meant many of the structures were still standing. The electricity and power were still down, so everything was in darkness, but we walked through the streets with buildings on either side. Branching off the main tunnel were hundreds of smaller ones, some still massive, able to fit skyscrapers in, while others were barely large enough for 2 men to walk abreast.
The other gangers filed into the various positions set up across both sides of the tunnel, with multiple scouts and checkpoints to make sure none circled around us by an unknown route, as unlikely as that was. Instead of following, I moved to the largest structure in the area. A half-collapsed forge, the great steel supports still hanging on, towering above the rest of the area.
A perfect place to watch from.
It was a bit too far to snipe, at least reliably, even for me, so it would be empty. I left Snuffles at the base of the tower and climbed my way up, forcing myself to go slow and keep calm. I was still uncomfortable with the huge heights. Not scared, just uncomfortable.
Finding a good ledge two-thirds of the way up I shrugged my rifle off and placed it to one side and settled down for a boring few hours.
My helmet zoom was good enough that I no longer needed the scope on my Monster for the most part. I still used it if I was firing, but I didn't need to use it as binoculars anymore. With a mental flick, my sight zoomed in on a particularly brutal fight.
The trail of bodies leading to the Court's barricades told the grim story. Drugged-up gangers charging endlessly into a hail of bullets, even if it meant certain death. But there were enough of them to overwhelm the Court, and once amongst them, they stood no chance and were slaughtered. Taking out the turret and dozens of men.
Overall, it might have even been a good win for them, but I could already see the massing of the Court members ready for the next push. And with the losses the Revenants were taking, I couldn't see them holding us here for long.
Far in the distance, just visible in the gloom, I could see Smogreach, the main territory of the Revenants and their labs. With the huge number of drugs coming through it, it was no surprise that one of their main credit sources was drugs. Spindlecrack was their best known and popular throughout the hive.
Lying flat, I propped my head up on my hand and carefully watched all the action. I didn't see any obvious weaknesses or gaps in the line. Not that I expected to, Lanto would have already taken advantage of them if there were any, but it was good to confirm.
I was more interested in the Revenants' tactics; we had received lots of reports and data from the front lines over the last few weeks, but nothing beat seeing it with your own eyes. And I had to once again thank the Big E about which gang I was a part of. I had little doubt I would be as well off as I was now if I joined another gang, wincing as I watched another group of Revenants gangers get slaughtered trying to reach the Courts' battle line.
Here and there, we weren't ready for their advances, and they could overwhelm us, but in most cases, their tried and tested tactics were failing. As they should, we planned and thought up enough countermeasures for them. Their tactics were simple but startlingly effective, at least against most gangs.
So much so, they have rarely been challenged in recent memory.
First, there was a wave of chaff, all high on some form of drugs. I didn't know enough to tell which, but if it was their normal, it would be Hexane Red. A nasty cocktail of drugs that removed all feeling of pain and filled the individual with an incredible strength and rage at the cost of their heart. This allowed them to storm through the hail of gunfire. They needed to be dead to stop them, which was normally not easy. Most gangs sprayed and prayed with their shots; rarely were they accurate enough to get killing blows efficiently, which allowed the Revenants to close the gap.
After them came actual members of the gang. Much better equipped and on a less unstable drug. In most cases, Onslaught, which heightened aggression, strength, and reaction time. With their better wargear, normally in the form of shields, they could close the gap with ease, and once they were amongst the enemy, it was over.
I was just making some mental notes on a few things I spotted when my target, and the main reason I had come, appeared. They swiftly moved to engage the Revenants. He had a core strength of champions, all left over from his gang before he surrendered it to the court. The rest of his one hundred-strong group were green recruits.
He was allowed to keep so much power because he came to us. Normally, gang leaders were rather hesitant to step down from their position and required some gentle persuasion. Not him; he even kept his autonomy for a time so we could hide the fact that we had control over the gang. With the war now started that was quickly fading.
I watched as his elites hung back, letting the recruits go forward. Taking the brunt of the firepower. Unsavoury, but nothing wrong with it. Hell, I might do the same in his position. Better unknowns than my men.
But it was how he was going about it.
Taken at the ground level, it might make sense, but from my view, I could see something else entirely. They were sent into the meat grinder for no reason. Not adhering to the strategy we had set up, which was to get dug in and advance slowly. There were no heroic charges, just a slow grind. This was going to be a long war, so we couldn't afford to throw men away.
Even that might have been excused, but I counted four or five times where the green recruits were getting overrun, and his veterans arrived just a few minutes too late. Or if they were there, they were barely fighting at all. Shooting only occasionally and from my angle, not trying very hard at all.
Not enough on its own, but there was definitely cause to investigate further. Something was up.
While I was up there, I also quickly checked the other gangs in a similar stage to him. Allies that were fighting with us, in various levels of under our control. But those I could see all looked above board. I could see them fighting as they should be, which was backed up by the reports we got about them.
No, it was just Flint and his men who were possible problems.
I stayed up there well after Flint and his men had retreated to rest, another squad replacing him. Only my rumbling tummy and the whimper across my secure vox from Snuffles eventually made me leave. Once back on the floor, I made my way to the forward camp a few kilometres from the bulk of the fighting.
---
A growl startled me away. Snapping up, adrenaline flowing through my system, I tensed, ready to spring to action, until I realised it was just Snuffles warning me over our vox that Flint was creeping out of his assigned barracks.
I'd left Snuffles nearby to keep a watch on them. With his auspex, he could be well out of sight but still keep a clear sight of him. Or sensor of him, as he had no need to rely on his eyes, even as good as they were. I had already placed my own auspex box near his room, a small dull grey cube packed with sensors. With it, I had been able to clearly hear their conversations inside the rooms and even see their movements. Which let me know his passcodes, very useful indeed.
It allowed me to sneak into his barracks when he and his men were out on the front line and gain access with relative ease. What I found was pretty damning. It had detailed plans, troop placements, movement orders, supply locations and much more. Not just for his units, although they were the most detailed, but for much of the front line as well.
Not impossible for him to have, but he would need a good reason. Particularly those that were not about his unit. That was a few days ago, but finally, he might give me the final piece of the puzzle, although it was pretty clear already.
Reaching out through my MIU, I connected to Snuffles sensors and braced as I was flooded by his sensors: heat, gravity, radio, radiation, sound and so much more, briefly disorientating me. It was so noisy, but with practised ease, I worked through it until I had the sensors I wanted.
Giving him a mental pat on the back, 'Let's see where Flint is going, shall we boy? Track!'
As Snuffles padded after him, I got up and dressed, following soon after just in case I was needed. Not that I would, we would be far away, so there was no way for him to notice us. And even if we were, there was little anyone could do to Snuffles by this point. Especially in the narrow winding passages around here.
We followed him for about 20 minutes, right up to a small, half-collapsed building. There he paused, looked around suspiciously, and when he thought it was clear, he ducked inside and quietly called out. Not that he needed to be quiet, there was no one nearby, well, apart from Snuffles and I of course. But even out here, firefights were going off in the background. So there was really no need to whisper.
From the other side of the building, a skinny, shifty-looking man wandered out. Glancing around jerkily, he shuffled over to Flint. Dipping into Snuffles sensors again to hear what they were saying, I couldn't help but smirk.
Got you.
The shifty-looking man spoke first, still looking around nervously. "Do you have it?"
"Relax, no one knows we are here. Yes. Take it." Flint said, throwing a small package over.
"Relax? Relax! How can you say that? We are dead if the Court finds out."
"They're not going to find out; their 'all-knowingness' has been blown well out of proportion."
"You don't know what you're talking about, man. There were a dozen of us in the gang. Now there are 3, and we are sure 2 of them are burnt."
"That's just fear; they are good, but no better than they have ever been. Now, when are we moving and where are my credits?"
"Believe what you want, but the last few years they have become all-seeing, I'm telling you. Here." The man said, still twitching and passed a small pouch of physical credits across. "As for when we move, a few more days, maybe a week. With these plans, we should be able to cripple the gang."
"And I still get my own seat at the table…"
Shrugging, he said, "No idea. Take that up with Spitefang when you see him."
Grunting, he turned around in disgust. "Well, this is the last time, the next time you contact me, better be when they are moving." Slipping out of the building, he headed back to the barracks. Rather than follow him, I decided to follow the spy.
We wove through the building and streets until we came across a small tunnel, too small for anything but a child to move through. Still looking around shiftily, he tossed the package in and hurried off. Making a snap decision, we kept following him. Which was the right call, as Snuffles could just make out a small child picking up the parcel and scurrying deeper into the tunnels.
We followed the man back to his barracks; it turns out he is part of the logistics team, mainly as a driver, which might be why we didn't find him until now. Regardless, I had everything I needed.
With snuffles in tow, I slowly made my way back to my temporary quarters. As I did, I voxed Peggi. 'Aleric, what have you got?'
I quickly explained what I had found. And my plans, both to off him and use the knowledge to try and plan a trap of our own.
Once I had finished, Peggi didn't reply for a while before humming. 'I agree, but let me run it by Selina and see what she wants to do. But for now, work on the assumption that we are going forward with your plan.'
As the vox cut off, I carried on walking to the base. I assumed she would, but even if she hadn't, I would still need to talk to Lanto. To keep him up to date if nothing else. I hadn't even reached the building before Peggi came back, confirming Selina agreed with us and to go ahead with my plan.
Nodding to the guards as they let me pass, I stepped into the small room, substituting for Lantos's office. It was a tiny room, with only enough space for a table and chairs, but it was private, which was enough. "Lanto."
"Aleric," he said, standing and clasping my hand. "What can I do for you?"
Sitting in a chair opposite him, I explained everything about Flint's betrayal, the tunnel, trap and our plans to counter-ambush him, as well as Peggi and Selina's agreement.
Nodding, he leaned back thoughtfully. "I thought something was wrong."
"Huh?"
Waving his hand at the map of the local area pinned to the wall. It was covered in pins and tags, representing troop checkpoints, points of interest and troop movements. I offered years ago to make something digital, but he was having none of it, being very used to and comfortable with his way.
"Their movements were all wrong. But if they are planning a big ambush, they suddenly do." He stood up and stared at the map, rubbing his chin in thought. I almost thought he had forgotten I was even in the room before he continued. "Good, leave this with me."
"Excellent. Thanks Lanto. Let me know if you need anything."
"Thanks Aleric."
With things set in motion, there wasn't much I could do, and my bed was calling me, so I headed back to catch what sleep I could. I knew from experience that when things got moving, I would get little to no sleep. With an apology and the promise of extra treats, I sent Snuffles to keep watch over Flint in case he did something stupid.
I wasn't expecting him to, but I had been wrong before.
I awoke far too early, but I had a whining in my ear, so with a sigh, I got up and called Snuffles back. Flint was on the front line, so we had time. With Snuffles fed, watered and having had his scratchys, I set about helping where I could. I'd finished the job I came here for, finding the leak and understanding the discrepancies. Now it was just putting a bow on it.
I could have gone with the simple option, killing him and his men and moving on, but I much preferred getting 2 or even 3 birds with one high-velocity round. It was only 3 days before Flint slipped out once more, having received the signal for the shifty man— Carlile Keel.
I had tracked down who he was, an unremarkable ganger, working in the logistics division as a trucker. Which was why we had never found him; he just did dead drops and pickups. So there was no trail, electronic or paper, for us to follow at either end.
I had watched him pick up new orders and drop off packages on his normal routes, shipping supplies around. Which was slightly worrying, as I thought we had mostly cleaned house. Clearly not, but Peggi was on that now. He had already given us a handful more people to look at, and he had shone some light on a blind spot we had.
Peggi had been vigorously checking for any others; I think it was a point of professional pride for her. So far, she had found two others but was expecting more. Flint's meeting was in a different location this time, a tight, claustrophobic alley.
Snuffles and I were still far away, so they had no chances of detecting us and we sat down to wait. Reaching through Snuffles senses once more, I listened in. Carlile was even more twitchy this time. As soon as Fint arrived, he demanded. "Were you followed?"
"No, now what is this about?"
"I've felt eyes watching me ever since we had our exchange."
"Get a grip. The court isn't that good; they are overblown. I betrayed them multiple times after all." Flint said smugly.
"Whatever man, it's going down in your next shift. Here are the plans." he said, tossing over a rolled-up parchment. Before Flint had even opened it, he was scurrying away, glancing around suspiciously all the way. It was a wonder he hadn't been caught; he was so suspicious-looking.
Sneering at the departing man, we watched as Flint turned and began to swagger back to his barracks and team. I stayed at a distance, but Snuffles silently and swiftly left my side, getting closer, stalking him. When I was sure he was far enough away, I gave Snuffles the go signal.
Getting a bark of joy over vox, I watched through mine and his sensors as he slipped into an alley off the street Flint was walking. Without warning, Snuffles leapt from the shadows, as silently as a ghost, his powerful jaws clamping around Flint's head. Before he could even cry out, his skull was crushed and being dragged into the shadows of the alley once more.
Strolling over, in no rush, I looked over his things. I ignored the splatted brain matter and searched his pockets—he didn't have much. The only thing of note was his instructions. Which pretty much boiled down to let the rookies forward and then get out of the way as the Revenants' elites stormed through.
Not a particularly inventive plan, but if it caught us by surprise, it would have been able to do some decent damage, especially if there were other prongs like Lanto thought there would be. Dragging him a few hundred metres, I chucked him into the Gap. It had narrowed slightly, only a dozen or so metres across, rather than hundreds like it was in some places. But it was just as deep, and for whatever reason, there was no Tidefall here. The fans and defences didn't change, so the area was always foggy. This fog and smoke had drifted into the tunnels above the rim, making it swirl about our feet.
It was particularly bad further along, shrouding the entire city in smoke and fog constantly, hence the name.
With him cleared, I jogged to pass the parchment to Lanto, whilst voxing him to let him know the timeline. I also made sure the trucker had a job out away from the front lines so he wouldn't be able to report anything, as unlikely as that was.
Peggi would deal with him.
With it passed over, it was time to get into position. I was already wearing all my wargear, so it was a simple matter of climbing a tower for a good vantage point. I wasn't needed, but I felt like getting into position just in case. Besides, Snuffles wanted to go out and play. It was rare that he got to really let loose. He had been in many fights, but none of his scale, so I wanted to see how he did while covering him as best I could.
Right on schedule, the plan started. The now deceased Flint's squad moved forward, the recruits at the front. Rolius, one of Lanto's trusted subordinates, along with his two bodyguards were leading them. I wasn't sure what excuse they had used, but it seemed to have worked. They moved cautiously—but still moved forward.
Unfortunately, we had to sacrifice the recruits to not give the game away, but their sacrifice would be worth it if things went anywhere near according to plan. It put them at ease, which is right where we wanted them because what they couldn't see, just around the corner out of sight, was a massing of some of our best units.
The Red Corsairs were there, along with the Sealed Host. A recently created unit that was exclusively made of gangers wearing my sealed heavy carapace armour. Making them juggernauts on the battlefield with little able to threaten them. Although I was sure the Red Corsairs could still crush them. They'd had my undivided attention for years, so they had the best of the best.
Having spent years with the unit, Snuffles trotted up to them, tail wagging. After getting the appropriate amount of worship from the team, he hovered around Katra, falling into his normal position. When Snuffles got particularly bored, I sometimes sent him off with her as backup and her guard.
So it killed two birds with one stone, both protecting her and also letting him burn off some steam.
From my vantage point I could watch it all unfold, like ants moving to an unseen beat. They sprang their ambush, overwhelming the recruits with ease, slaughtering them and then pushing forward. I didn't know how well-informed Flint's unit was and how much he had told them, some more than others by the looks of it, as half the unit flowed to one side, the other just looked confused.
Unfortunately, we couldn't spare any of them. When they had passed the point of no return and were fully committed, we launched our counteroffensive. Gun placements lighting up, tearing through the enemy and Flint team alike. Unfortunately, any still-standing recruits were caught in the crossfire, but the kill zone was too perfect to stop because of them.
In moments, the street was silent, nothing but a sea of the dead and dying. As the last body was falling, the elite units surged forward, smashing through the wavering line and creating a breach. The troops Lanto had kept in reserve poured in after them.
Before the Revenants could even get a footing, we had started taking streets and checkpoints, encircling many of their troops. I didn't really focus on targets, like I normally might, instead I was focusing on Katra and Snuffles.
Not that I had any doubt that he could look after himself, as I watched him tear through group after group of gangers, even hardened veterans, his paws cleaving through flesh and armour alike with ease.
Other times, he clamped limbs or heads in the vice-like grip of his jaw, crushing them. He even put his new upgrade to good use, as a streak of light erupted from his mouth as the hidden lasgun fired, striking one of the ganger on a turret. This stopped the suppressing fire he was putting down, letting Snuffles charge with confidence once more. Bounding forward, the occasional shot pinged off his armour, not even scratching the grey paintwork, not that you could see it, as covered in gore as he was.
By the time we had reached their fallback point, it was a massacre. I had no idea how many fell, but it must have been 1000s. If not more. It was a crushing blow. All up the line, many had routed when they realised they were getting encircled, but this only made it easier for them to be picked off.
Their secondary line was several kilometres further back, making it the largest amount of land claimed in one go since our war began. Even ignoring that, their catastrophic losses meant they were on their last legs. They might still be able to put up a fight, but our win was more or less assured.
I winced as I thought that. Hopefully I had not just jinxed myself.