It’s a long fall. I close my eyes right before my descent boosters fire. I still hit the ground hard. Everything is hidden behind smoke and dust from my fall.
The booster pack disengages from my back.
“One boots.”
“Two boots.”
“Three boots.”
“Four boots.”
“Reaper 6-1 to Base. Planetfall.”
Our arrival has caused a pause in the fighting. But fire is picking up again. I slam the charging handle of my chaingun backwards.
They are everywhere…good thing we brought enough ammo.
“Good hunting, Reapers.”
I see the insect-like character aim its gun at me. It glows menacingly before it shoots a bright red ball of plasma at me. The projectile bounces off my armor. In turn I raise my chaingun and obliterate the creature with a 3 round burst.
Then hell breaks loose.
“Misfit 3, fall back! We got this.”
“Copy 6-1. You saved our asses.”
Yeah. But now we are up to our asses in Vanduul. One of them comes charging at me. I deflect its blow with the barrel of my weapon, grab the vanduul by the neck, throw it on the ground and crush its skull with my boot.
To my right I see Two clearing a destroyed storefront using her heavy flamer. Shooting out a bright white-blue flame into the ruined building. I could hear it. Even over the gunfire. The infernal scream of burning chemicals. A chorus of a thousand demons. Searing flame of cleansing. The vanduul are trying to escape the flames, their armor and flesh burning away. Their semblances of screams adding to the song of fire.
“BUUUUUUURN.”
To my left, One and Four with their matching laser gatlings. A deadly hailstorm of red projectiles cutting down the assaulting enemy. A brutal dance of suppression and precision. Their titan’s shields flickering in the incoming fire.
And me, in the middle. My suit is the one with the strongest armor and shields and I have the least cover. I don’t care, there are aliens to kill…good thing I brought enough ammo.