- Oliver -
Lian's voice rang out one final ti. "Forward! Together, we will bring down the Empire!"
As his words reverberated, the massive tal gates groaned to life. Their rusted hinges protested as they peeled open, revealing the sprawling streets of Seoul beyond. A cold wind swept in, carrying with it the distant sounds of the NEA base, alarms blaring, chs whirring, and the hum of drones patrolling the skies.
An electric surge rippled through the crowd. One by one, voices rose, each person shouting their own battle cry into the night.
"Down with the Empire!"
"We'll bring them to their knees!"
"Destroy them all!"
The rallying cries lded into a thunderous roar, a tempest of defiance against the regi. Oliver stood amidst the crowd, his deanor calm amidst the fervor. Unlike the others who surged forward, he chose to walk, eyes fixed ahead as thousands thundered past him. They poured onto the main avenue that once led to the grand gates of the National University of Seoul, now repurposed as one of the myriad NEA military bases.
The scene before him was similar to Incheon. But instead of just so few trying to get into the base, this ti, the streets were filled with determined rebels facing off against the might of the Empire.
High above, watchtowers bristled with weaponry. Walls fortified with layers of steel and energy shields lood ominously. Reinforcents were stationed at every conceivable vantage point.
On one side advanced the rebels n, and won donned in makeshift armor pieced together. So wore battered chest plates bearing the marks of previous battles; others had exoskeletons rigged from industrial equipnt. Clutched in their hands were basic weapons: outdated rifles, modified plasma cutters, and an assortnt of handheld devices buzzing with unstable energy. But their greatest assets were their boons.
Opposing them stood the Empire's forces. Advanced assault rifles rested in their grips, and chs towered behind them. The soldiers moved with disciplined precision, a testant to their training.
"It's going to be a massacre," Oliver muttered under his breath, a knot forming in his stomach. The disparity was glaring. He could envision the impending slaughter, the streets running red under the inexorable advance of imperial might.
But the next few monts defied his grim expectations.
As the vanguard of the Children of the Past closed in on the fortified gate, the Empire's troops unleashed a torrent of gunfire. Bullets sliced through the air, a deadly hail aid to cut down the rebels before they could breach the periter. Muzzle flashes lit up the darkness, and the sharp retorts of gunfire echoed off the surrounding buildings.
Yet, the bullets from the rebels were special. Just before hitting their marks, they disappeared, and in their place appeared grenades. The sudden change caught even Oliver by surprise. Detonations rippled across the front lines of the imperial forces, flas blossoming as soldiers were thrown off their feet. Shrapnel tore through the air, and chaos erupted within the disciplined ranks.
The NEA troops cried out in shock and confusion. "What the hell?!" shouted a sergeant, scrambling for cover as another explosion rocked the ground nearby. The chs adjusted their targeting systems, attempting to anticipate the new threats, but the battlefield had transford into a maelstrom of unpredictability.
The rebels pressed their advantage. Boons flared across the battlefield in a dazzling display of power. One rebel thrust his hands forward, unleashing tendrils of kinetic energy that ripped through barriers and sent soldiers sprawling. Another drew symbols in the air, summoning a shield that shimred before solidifying into an opaque wall, deflecting incoming fire.
The area outside the base beca a pyrotechnic spectacle. Flas roared as incendiary devices ignited, smoke billowed in thick plus, and the air crackled with raw energy. Amidst the bombardnt, multicolored beams of light arced skyward, colliding with drones and causing them to spiral out of control.
Oliver ducked behind the crumbling facade of an old apartnt building. From his vantage point, he observed the unfolding pandemonium. The Empire's forces were reeling, unprepared for the unconventional tactics and sheer audacity of the assault.
‘This is far worse than facing Orks,’ Oliver thought, recalling the past battles. ‘At least with Orks, you rarely get blindsided by an unexpected boon.’
"Don't stay on the upper levels; follow the leader into the base." The urgent transmission crackled in Oliver's earpiece, the voice barely audible over the sounds of battle. Instinctively, he pressed a hand to his ear to muffle the overwhelming noise.
The Sixth Division had taken a trendous risk sending such a ssage. It could have easily compromised their positions. ‘They're determined to see this through at any cost,’ Oliver thought grimly.
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But amid the deafening roars of combat, it appeared that no one had noticed. The enemy was too consud by the imdiate chaos to intercept or decode their transmission.
"Advance!" a voice bellowed, cutting through the din.
At that mont, the massive steel gates of the NEA base crumbled under the assault, crashing down in a cloud of debris and dust. The first wave of insurgents surged forward, coming face to face with looming chs. Yet, despite the formidable opposition, the rebels showed no sign of fear. Their eyes burned with defiance as they charged headlong into the fray, weapons drawn and boons ignited.
Oliver sprinted forward, weaving through the ensuing mayhem. All around him, chaos reigned. He caught sight of hundreds of bodies strewn across the battlefield. So lay motionless, while others writhed in agony, crimson staining the ground beneath them. The wounded called out weakly for aid; their voices lost amidst the relentless barrage of gunfire and explosions.
"Damn it. I can't stop," Oliver muttered through clenched teeth. Every instinct scread at him to help, to tend to the fallen. The entrance to the colossal base lood ahead, a monolith of obsidian walls and opaque windows that betrayed nothing of what lay within.
"Teams, split up!" a commanding voice rang out over the tumult. "Those continuing the attack, move left! Those tasked with setting up the transmitter, use the area near the entrance! Everyone else, follow !"
Oliver recognized the leader's voice, though it was nearly impossible to spot him amidst the sea of fighters. The crowd began to fragnt, each group laser-focused on their designated objectives. Rebels darted in all directions, so engaging enemy soldiers, others lugging equipnt toward strategic points.
Scanning his surroundings, Oliver searched for a fallen officer whose access key he could commandeer. But before he could locate a suitable target, a thunderous boom erupted behind him.
The ground shook violently, nearly knocking him off balance. Whirling around, he saw a massive plu of smoke and fire billowing from the front of the building. Chunks of concrete and steel rained down as the central structure's facade crumbled under the force of the explosion.
‘Well, things do seem to get solved much faster when we can just blow things up,’ Oliver thought wryly. Subtlety was clearly not on the agenda tonight.
As Oliver stepped through the towering entrance of the facility, he was enveloped by a haunting sense of familiarity. The grand hall before him mirrored the one he'd navigated in the previous base.
However, subtle differences marked this place. Instead of the five elevators that punctuated the other base's hall, only two stood sentry here, their doors fashioned from aged steel bearing the scars of ti. Unlike the previous facility, there were no branching corridors leading to auxiliary areas like loading docks or storage bays.
Scattered throughout the hall were roughly thirty individuals. Most of their forces remained outside, either defending their position against NEA reinforcents or continuing the offensive to disable enemy transmitters.
"Twenty of you will stay here at the entrance to secure our position," Lian's voice rang out, commanding yet composed. Oliver's gaze shifted ahead, and he finally spotted him. He stood near the elevators, exuding a quiet authority that demanded attention.
"The rest will descend with to docunt the laboratories and the reproduction center," He continued.
Lian's gaze swept over the assembled rebels. "The NEA will undoubtedly dispatch troops to reclaim this facility. Do not, under any circumstances, allow them to retake this entrance. It is the only access point in and out of the laboratory."
As if to underscore his warning, a distant explosion thundered outside, causing the ground beneath them to tremble. Dust and small debris rained down from the high ceilings.
"Ti is against us," Lian urged, gesturing toward the elevators. "Let's move."
Oliver joined four others as they stepped into one of the elevators. The remaining mbers filed into the second elevator while those assigned to guard duty fanned out across the entrance, weapons at the ready and eyes scanning for any signs of the enemy.
Inside the elevator, Oliver was keenly aware of its antiquated state. The control panel was an array of worn-out buttons; their labels faded with age. The faint hum of machinery resonated through the confined space, accompanied by the occasional groan of gears protesting years of service.
‘For sothing that's likely been operational for nearly a century, it's held up remarkably well,’ Oliver mused silently.
He glanced around at his companions. Darius was absent. ‘He might have taken the other elevator or maybe stayed on guard,’ he thought.
Oliver considered using his [Protheus] ability to discreetly identify any fellow Rangers among them but decided against it. Activating his boon in such close quarters might draw unwanted attention, potentially compromising his cover. "I'll have a better opportunity to scope them out once we're exploring the base," he reasoned.
The elevator shuddered and began its descent with a jolt. The overhead lights flickered montarily before stabilizing.
Minutes crawled by, each second stretched by the weight of anticipation.
Abruptly, the elevator lurched to a halt, causing everyone to brace themselves against the sudden stop. The doors slid open with a grating noise, revealing the subterranean expanse beyond.
A collective gasp escaped the group as they stepped out into a vast chamber that defied comprehension. The facility sprawled before them. A colossal subterranean vault stretching both vertically and horizontally to the limits of sight.
Embedded within the ceiling were countless PODs. They dotted the landscape like stars in a night sky.
"Stay alert," Lian's firm and steady voice cut through the awe. He erged from the neighboring elevator, his gaze sharp. "There may be soldiers waiting for us. We proceed with caution."
The group nodded, snapping back to the imdiacy of their mission. Weapons were checked, and formations tightened as they moved forward into the heart of the facility.
As soon as they started walking, so people stayed behind as if waiting for sothing. It took Oliver a while to also consider the autonomous transport that existed in the facility.
"Don't wait for the transports," Lian stated. "They must have already shut them down."
As he finished speaking, the leader of the Children of the Past pointed to a group of rooms nearby.
"Besides, our objective at this mont is closer," he explained. "Our first objective is the original laboratory where the Naless were created."
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