Asteroid Blues

Following the devastating Combined Army assault on the Jiyuan operations hub, high command recognised the location as one that bore particular strategic importance and assigned an elite task force to aid in its defence.

Recently having lost their commanding officer, Captain Wu to the Avatar only hours earlier, Thylacine task force resupplied and regrouped inside one of the habitation decks of the Hub. The grim defenders drew up plans to hold the operations hub from anyone seeking to undermine the state empire.

Unlike the Combined assault earlier in the day, there was nothing subtle about the next assault they faced, an eerie silence, followed by an explosion that rocked the deck signalled the arrival of a Nomad taskforce, spearheaded by an Iguana that charged through the breach, its HMG firing wildly.

The Habitation deck vented its atmosphere out into the cold void of space as a determined Corregidor strike force took up positions to fight.

The Nomads decided to strike first whilst they had the initiative, the Yu Jing defenders taking up defensive positions and digging in to counter the enemy assault.

On the right flank, an aguilacil hacker, Mobile Brigada Lieutenant and two intruders, hidden in their deceptive camouflage formed up. The centre was held down by the mighty form of an Iguana, supported by Lupe Balboa and another aguilacil.

The left flank held a wildcat assault hacker and a final aguilacil, protecting the Nomad force from assault from the side.

It was uncommon for the nomads to run squads of less than 10 soldiers, so the Yu Jing command were wary of nomad trickery.

On the right flank, the imperial service deployed one of its Su Jian units, supported by a celestial guard with a smoke grenade launcher. Working together, there would be very few soldiers indeed who would be safe from the lightning fast assault of the mechanised warrior.

In the centre, the force was held by a Hsien and his imperial agent retinue, also with them was another celestial guard with smoke grenade launcher.

On the left side, a lone Kuang Shi and a second Su Jian prepared to rush the less defended nomad flank.

A ninja signalled that they were ready, their Thermal Optical camouflage rendering them all but invisible hiding amongst the storage containers in the centre of the AO. High above the battlefield, a Garuda Tacbot was already falling to earth, ready to sneak up on the less defended side of the nomad force.

The battle commenced by Lupe Balboa advancing and attempting to begin laying down a cover of smoke. The vortex special operations officer was frustrated to find that despite two attempts, the hopeless Yu Jing technicians had yet to seal the hull breach their entrance had caused and she cursed as she watched the smoke grenades she through immediately vent into space. This would require a different approach.

The Iguana strode forwards, its heavy steps causing the hull of the deck to vibrate as it moved into the jungle gardens of the habitation block. Lead on by the juggernaut, two aguilacils also moved up into the garden, taking up defensive positions. The mobile brigada and Iguana began laying down salvos of suppressive fire towards the Yu Jing battle line, as an aguilacil hacker worked to improve the navigation systems of a friendly hellcat.

The jump trooper landed quietly and moved just short of the corner, meaning to ambush the right su jian as it came running past.

In the far edge of the AO, the intruders manoeuvred to get a better view to begin terrorising the battlefield.

The battlefield was eerily quiet until the calm was disturbed by two muffled thuds followed by the agonised scream of an Aguilacil echoing over the Nomad commslink, The Garuda silenced the cries of the line trooper as it walked past, snapping the now unconscious trooper's neck with little effort. The bot silently moved to the corner of the building and peered into the garden, there it saw its next target. The Garuda mercilessly cutting down the Wildcat assault hacker with its boarding shotgun, expertly staying out of range of its hacking device. The edge of the building the only thing stopping the spray of shrapnel from hitting another aguilacil. The shower of sparks from the shot alerted the trooper that spun around to defend itself from this new threat.

With the nomad force distracted, the right flank su jian charged forwards, blasting two shots at the Hellcat that had landed only moments earlier, the shots hit home, but the nomad was somehow able to brush it off with his armour, he didn't have the courage to stand and face the mechanical beast however and scrambled further around the corner to escape. The Su JIan continued the hunt, this time noticing Lupe as well. The Su Jian split its fire. The hellcat desperately dived to the right, ending up behind the building. Lupe wasn't so lucky however and was cut down by a slug from the Su JIan's heavy shotgun.

The Garuda operator didn't know anything was wrong until the feed of the remote cut out, his avatar cut in half by a high calibre sniper round fired by the first intruder to reveal itself. Waiting patiently, the sniper had killed its prey without it even knowing that it was there.

The only remaining jump trooper left on the battlefield, the hellcat charged around the corner to strike back at the Su Jian, its first burst struck home, but was turned aside by the big cat's armour. He shot again, but this time the Su Jian was ready for him and scythed him down with a burst of red hot shrapnel from its heavy shotgun.

Utilising this distraction however, the second intruder crept forward and hit the Su Jian with a well placed blob of adhesive, the chemical restraint seizing the construct in place. The intruder tried again, this time using its combi-rifle, however even immobilised, the armour was too strong.

The Hsien's patience had run out, He barked an order to the Celestial guard attached to him in the centre of the battlefield to provide smoke cover. By now, technicians had repaired the hull breach and this time the smoke held fast.

The Hsien stood up and brought his HMG to bear, engaging both intruders at once with a defiant yell. when the flashes and gunshots stopped, and the smoke parted slightly, the Hsien stood standing, his immaculately polished yellow armour almost glowing in the light. He wasted no time, spinning and shooting another aguilacil dead. When the smoke parted, There were three nomads dead, and the Hsien had returned to hiding.

On the left flank, the Su JIan charged forward, climbing up the side of a building and murdering the last Aguilacil.

Undaunted by the death of his squad-mates, the Iguana operator turned his armoured suit to face the last known location of both the Su Jian and the Hsien, then entered into suppressive fire. The Hsien wasn't sure if it was ignorance or bravery that allowed the Nomad to stand firm against the might of the empire, but he smiled all the same.

The Su Jian sprinted to the side of the rooftop, overlooking the Iguana and opened fire. Caught off guard by the attack, the iguana stumbled to the side and fired a supressive burst of HMG fire at the construct. The pace of the combat was too fast and both fighters missed their shots. The SuJian transformed into its combat form and blasted again, this time hitting the Iguana twice, its thick sloped armour easily deflecting the slugs. It was the Iguanas turn, the next time the Su Jian activated, it copped three HMG rounds to the chest, although its armour turned two of them away. Twice more the Su Jian and Iguana exchanged fire, with no effect. Growing frustrated, The Su Jian fired again, this time hitting home with a slug that punched through the iguana's armour. Both fighteres wounded, they continued their fight to the death, this time the Iguana dowsing the construct in a wall of superheated flame. The Su Jian's armour shrugged it off, whilst it fired back with a panzerfaust. The shaped charge hit home, dealing a second wound on the Iguana, however the armour held protecting its precious cargo. The operator fired out of the TAG and landed behind the Su Jian. Not wanting to dishonour the empire, the Yu Jing force stood by idly and did not interfere.

The Su jian spun and fired its own flamethrower at the pilot, who took a single wound but held it together as his shot punched through the Su Jian's armour. Only the unnatural resilience of the construct kept it in the fight. The two hated enemies exchanging fire but unable to further injure each other until both of their magazines ran empty.

The Iguana pilot pulled out his knife and begun to run forwards but stopped when the booming voice of the Hsien told him to drop the weapon. Impressed by the courage and prowess of the pilot, the Yu Jing leader had decided to let him return to his people with a message.

Yu Jing were the shield of mankind and would always be there to stop the Nomads and their subversive plots. The Lieutenant confiscated the nomad weaponry and gave the operator a 15 minute head start to leave the operations hub before he would be hunted down.

The Iguana operator kept his word, making his way directly to the exit, looking over his shoulder with an unshakeable feeling of being watched. He hit the button on the elevator out of the facility with time to spare. As the doors slowly closed, a shimmering form revealed itself, its Thermal Optic camouflage giving way to reveal a smirking ninja.

The elevator departed for the surface and the disappointed operative turned back towards the victorious task force.