E10: Freebuild: Battle at the East Gate! (Part 2) (December 13, 2014)

Welcome back to the special Triple Crossover Event(!!!) featuring Lieutenant Henry Codder (Indy Beetle), Aurelian soldier Mikal Layton (Quinn Beeson), and Captain Golrath, future associate of Max Power (me). This one is even slightly longer (somehow) than part one. I hope it's enjoyable and holds your attention...and here we go!

And now we take you to the command center of the besieged Weller Base, deep underground on the unforgiving planet of Zarus...

Technician: "Doctor, I think I've found something."

Dr. Medlab: "What is it?"

Technician: "A software worm is responsible for our loss of communication and hatch control systems."

Technician: "I believe that we can regain control if we shut all systems down, then bring them back up and re-initialize them one by one, but I don't know how long-"

Dr. Medlab: "Do it!"

Earlier, outside of the East Gate of Weller Base....

A handful of brave Aurelians brace themselves for the onslaught of the Galactic Imperium's siege forces.

Soon the GI forces arrive, bringing with them terrible weapons of war.

Even the Aurelians' large gun turrets can't make a dent in the towering Curfew Enforcer mech, or the monstrous Annihilator hover tank.

Enemy troops move in as the East Gate's turrets are taken down.

Although the Aurelians manage to take down a few ground troops...

...they know that their lives are forfeit...but given willingly.

Their last thoughts are prayers...prayers that the men and women behind the gate will fare better than they did.

Curfew Enforcer pilot: "Sir, this CE-11. I have begun deploying the Pewterdine. The gate is weakening as we speak."

The gate begins to emit a loud hissing sound as the foam solvent breaks down its chemical bonds. The strong metal becomes weak and brittle.

"Ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss"

Annihilator tank pilot: "Sir, this AT-3; the Pewterdine has reached maximum saturation. Requesting permission to fire."

"Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss"

Cpt Strycher: "Permission granted, AT-3. Fire at will."

With a loud KABOOM!!!!! the gate is blown open. The forces of Captain Gabriel Golrath, Lieutenant Henry Codder, and new recruit Mikal Layton are waiting on the other side.

Earlier...Hadley, Pipps, and Sergeant Chanuka have just departed from the "Garden Shed" in the untested mobile weapons platform known as "the Decider."

Hadley: "Well, I can't log into navcom, but other than that all operating systems seem to be a go. How 'bout you guys?"

Pipps: "Gattling systems are a go!"

Sgt Chanuka: "Auxiliary weapons systems are operational. Say Hadley, did you remember your helmet? Things are going to get rough."

Hadley: "Well, uh, you see..."

Hadley: "Sergeant I can feel you scowling at me! How do you do that?"

Sgt Chanuka: "Never mind. Lets get this thing moving towards the East Gate. Full speed."

Hadley: "Affirmative, Sergeant. Full speed."

A short time later...

Hadley: "We should be coming up on the outskirts of Als-Klebe'r. Not far now."

Pipps: "Holy crap! What happened to our com tower?"

Sgt Chanuka: "What do you think happened to it? Now stay focused, there might still be..."

Sgt Chanuka: "...some Imps around."

Hadley: "They're gonna wish they stayed inside."

Pipps: "Yeah I got something for 'em. Time to test this puppy out!"

Large Gatling Cannon: " Shuhm! Shuhm! Shuhm! Shuhm! Shuhm! Shuhm!”

Pipps: "Hoo-ee! Well this thing works real nice now, don't it!"

Hadley: "There's something coming over the horizon fast!"

Hadley: "We got three WASPS at two o'clock!"

Pipps: "They're out of range for the big gun! Sarge, you got something for 'em?"

Sgt Chanuka: "I believe these screaming demon tubes will suffice."

Pipps: "You know we call those things surface-to-air missiles, right?"

Sgt Chanuka: "I know what you call them, but there are unquiet spirits trapped within those metal cylinders."

Sgt Chanuka: "They race forth, eager to release their rage through a violent outburst of self-immolation..."

Sgt Chanuka: "...through which they find eternal peace."

Pipps: "That's deep, man."

Hadley: "Hey I hate to interrupt your poetry slam, Sergeant, but one's getting away."

Sgt Chanuka: "We can't risk him warning the invasion force that we're coming."

Sgt Chanuka: "FACE ME, WARIOR!!!"

Chanuka's Laser Pistol: "Pew! Pew! Pew!"

As if in a trance the WASP turns...

...and catches a laser bolt in the chest!

Pipps: "Man, how do you do that stuff Sarge?"

Sgt Chanuka: "Remind me to tell you sometime. But for now, let's get to the gate!"

Hadley: "Affirmative."

Inside the East Gate, the GI invasion force leader, Captain Strycher, has Golrath and company outflanked. Things look bad for the Aurelians...

Cpt. Golrath: "You're still a long way from victory Strycher. You'll have to get through miles of tunnels to reach Weller Base. It'll take you months to find it."

Strycher: "You don't understand. My command ship is waiting in the atmosphere. Once I return, we will move out of orbit so we can call the full military weight of the Imperium down on your heads! We'll have control of Weller Base in mere days! And in the meantime, aside from capturing a collection of your precious new laser weapons, I have captured three of the Imperium's most wanted men..."

Strycher: " 'Captain' Gabriel Golrath, a deserter and a traitor who cost us our hold on Fuyoria."

Cpt. Golrath: "Go to hell, Strycher."

Strycher: "Lieutenant Henry Codder, an accomplished Aurelian terrorist and rabble rouser. If you tell me what happened to the crate you stole from the undercover Imperium Intelligence freighter, I might grant you a quick death."

Lt. Codder: "What Golrath said."

Strycher: "And finally Mikal Layton. You are foolish if you think we don't know about all the trouble you caused during your stint in the Sons of Horace. Tell me, do your friends know where you are now? Or did you just turn your back on them after that catastrophe in Cairo?"

Mikal: "How do you know about...I mean [clears throat]... also what Golrath said!"

Strycher: "If the three of you surrender now and lead me to your command center, I promise to grant your friends a quick death. Otherwise it's off to the Bucket with the lot of you!"

Mikal: "Not a chance, Strycher!"

Cpt Golrath: "Jeez, Codder, this is almost as bad as the situation at the Ravines of Pith."

Lt. Codder: "Yeah, right... [speaking softly] Hey Frank, got a flashbang?"

Action Frank [softly]: "I got an EMP."

Lt. Codder [softly]: "Even better. Wait for my signal."

The sound of heavy gunfire is heard outside of the East Gate! Strycher's comlink crackles to life:

Voice: "Captain Strycher! We have a situation out here that requires your immediate attention sir!"

Strycher [to the Imperium Juggernauts]: \*sigh\*"Two of you stay here and watch over our 'friends.' I'll be back shortly.

Lt. Codder [softly]: "Get ready..."

Lt. Codder: "Action Frank, now!"

Action Frank tosses his EMP grenade into the midst of the GI robotroids. Oddly, it does not immediately shut them down, but it does seem to confuse them for a few short moments, which is all the Aurelians need.

Their commander is momentarily distracted.

Mikal: "Drop your weapons scumbag!"

A heretofore unseen figure, dressed as a samurai- but in Aurelian colors, emerges from a side tunnel and quickly dismantles the robotroids.

Golrath reclaims his sword from the body of Corporal Clegg.

Cpt Golrath: "Rush the juggernauts! Don't let them fire those heavy shotguns!"

The insectoid Aurelian repeatedly bashes one of the juggernauts with her heavy mace, quickly killing him. This species of insectoid is stronger than the Imperium realized.

Shaken by the sight, the remaining juggernaut surrenders soon after.

Cpt. Golrath: "Good job Aurelians. The entrance to the East Gate is secure, for now."

Lt. Codder: "Long live Aurelia, Captain."

Mikal: "Cool!"

Slightly earlier, outside the East Gate...

Pipps: "I see the gate! They've blown it open!"

Sgt Chanuka: "Shoot them down Pipps."

Pipps: "Like a hot knife through butter!"

Sgt. Chanuka: "Mmmm...milkfat is delicious."

Hadley: "What?"

GI field commander [speaking into his comlink]: "Captain Strycher! We have a situation out here that requires your immediate attention sir!"

Pipps: "Aw skrim! I don't remember those Annihilators being able to turn their turrets so quickly!"

Sgt. Chanuka: "Hadley, find us a target."

Hadley: "There, those armored heat exchangers! In this atmosphere that thing's graviton spitters have to be running super hot! The force field's probably dampened by the energy drain on the antigrav stabilizers."

Pipps: "Probably?"

Heavy Gatling cannon: " Shuhm! Shuhm! Shuhm! Shuhm! Shuhm! Shuhm! Shuhm!"

Sgt. Chanuka: "Nice work."

Pipps: "Ahh! That turret is still turning towards us!"

Hadley: "Well shoot it, dummy! The thing has no force field at all now!"

Just as the crippled Annihilator prepares to fire...

Heavy Gatling cannon: " Shuhm! Shuhm! Shuhm! Shuhm! Shuhm! Shuhm! Shuhm!"

Pipps: "Whew! Thank the gods that thing's down!"

Hadley: "You can say that again!"

A few moments later, inside the East Gate...

Golarath's U-Com beeps to life. It seems communications have been restored!

Pipps [over the U-com]: "...to Golrath! Decider to Golrath! Do you copy?!"

Cpt. Golrath: "Decider this is Golrath. Nice of you fellahs to join us."

Pipps: "Yeah yeah yeah. Look, we took out the Annihilator, but we can't hit this Curfew Enforcer for some reason... and it's spraying us down with that Pewterdine foam stuff. We're not gonna last long out here Captain!"

Cpt Golrath: "Copy that, Decider. Standby."

Pipps: "Oh standby he says! Great!"

Lt. Codder: "Those Curfew Enforcer mechs have light shields and relatively light armor. For the love of Mike, they were designed for urban pacification! Why can't our guys punch through?"

Cpt Golrath: "I almost forgot...Strycher's got one outfitted with a weak anti-grav emitter instead of a typical force field."

Lt. Codder: "So the faster something approaches it, the more it's slowed down?"

Cpt. Golrath: "Right. Bullets, shells, even missiles...all worthless against the thing."

Lt. Codder: "Say, that launcher and missile gives me an idea."

Cpt. Golrath: "What, that missile that somehow, miraculously, didn't explode during the firefight?"

Lt. Codder: "Right. If we took the cart and buggy and drove them underneath of that thing, real slow like..."

Cpt Golrath: "What, you're gonna drive the buggy out into that mess?"

Lt. Codder: "No. You're going to drive the buggy Captain. I'll be in the cart."

Cpt Golrath: "Aw skrim! All right Aurelians, Codder and I are going to do something very stupid. Now get ready to lay down some cover fire so we can make it out of the gate!"

Mikal: "You heard him people! Get that cannon mounted! Get into position! Move move move!

Pipps [over the U-Com]: "Any help out here would be great Captain!"

Cpt. Golrath: "Hang on boys, we're coming!"

Codder and Golrath: "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!"

Once inside the anti-gravity shell, Codder launches the missile into the Curfew Enforcer's main exhaust vent.

Missile launcher: "Fwoosh!!!"

Codder and Golrath: "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!"

After a slight shudder, the Curfew Enforcer is sundered into pieces in a glorious explosion... an explosion that also takes out most of the GI's remaining ground troops.

Fortunately, the buggy and cart shield Golrath and Codder from most of the impact.

Cpt. Golrath: "Good idea Codder. You'll make lieutenant for this."

Lt. Codder: "Very funny. You alright?"

Cpt. Golrath: "Yeah. You?"

Lt. Codder: "I'll be fine. Hey, there's Strycher! He's trying to slink away!"

Cpt. Golrath: "We'll see about that."

Lt. Codder: "Golrath, wait!"

Cpt Golrath: "Hey Strycher! I've got something for you, you weasel!"

Strycher: "I have something for you too, 'old friend.'"

Strycher's gun: "BANG!"

Golrath drops to the ground.

Mikal: "Golrath! No! Take this Strycher!"

Mikal's laser pistol: "Pew pew pew!"

Mikal shoot's Strycher's laser pistol out of his hand, melting it into a glob of steel.

Insectoid soldier: "Click clack reek reek click! [Good shooting kid!]"

Mikal: "Not really. I was aiming at his face."

Lt. Codder: "Medic! Man down! Golrath I told you not to go after him, you idiot!"

Cpt. Golrath [weakly]: "Forget me. We can't let Strycher's command ship leave the atmosphere. Scramble all fighters! Scramble all..."

Mikal: "I can fly a fighter! That's why I was recruited!"

Cpt Golrath: "Then you get up there kid...you get on up there..."

Lt. Codder: "Gods, he's losing a lot of blood. Hang in there Captain!"

As the medic arrives, Golrath slips into darkness...

Some time later, deep within Weller Base.

Golrath wakes up. Groggy... his right shoulder is on fire

Cpt. Golrath: "What happened?"

Dr. Medlab: "You almost died is what happened! Strycher's bullet passed right through a seam in your armor and ruptured your subclavian artery!"

Lt. Codder: "It was a lucky shot. But don't worry, he and his remaining men have all been rounded up. Weller Base is safe."

Cpt. Golrath: "Where's the kid? Is he..."

Lt. Codder: "He's fine. On assignment with Cure. I don't think we can call him a kid anymore though. He took down Strycher's command ship. Nearly single-handedly. There is some bad news though. You're being reprimanded for killing Corporal Clegg without a trial."

Cpt Golrath: "Clegg? Oh. I see. What is it? A demotion? Hard labor? Time in the clink?"

Lt Codder: "Nope. Eight to twelve weeks bed rest."

Cpt Golrath: "What?! Ow!"

Lt. Codder: "You'd better lay back, Golrath. You're going to tear your stitches."

Cpt. Golrath: "Eight to twelve weeks! But there's a war to be fought!"

Dr. Medlab: "Well, General Convo himself is coming to help run things here. And besides, soldier boy, the war will be waiting for you...in eight to twelve weeks! Now lie back down and start healing! And that's an order!"

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

And there it is, the stunningly long conclusion to my part of the epic three way crossover. Hope you enjoyed it. From here on out I'm going to concentrate on getting Max Power from the Bucket to Weller Base (it is supposed to be his story, after all). I won't be doing anything this long or elaborate for quite some time (almost bit off more than I could chew with this one). I still have quite a large mess to clean up! Thanks for reading!