Codename: Freedom - Book 5 - Chapter 31

Lethal Accord and The Burden Bearers captured their first flags with little effort. They both had similar strategies even if they used different approaches. Thirty-one rank D users gave Lethal Accord the advantage in overall military might. They had several powerful squads with multiple rank D members a piece lined up along the path from their base to the central podium. As soon as their first flag was taken and captured, another person grabbed a flag and sprinted toward their base.

The Burden Bearers had a squad less in the rank D department, but it was still a strong enough force that Lethal Accord couldn’t just bully them. They gave the Real Major who had personally stationed himself by the central podiums a wide birth, but they too had runners grabbing their next flag as soon as one was returned.

The gas in the area was bad, but manageable. Psionic shielding made it bearable.

The unspoken ceasefire lasted until the second flag was secured. Neither battalion could afford to let the other capture as many flags as they were able. While the Real Major was positioned close to the podium, Ebrima Okoro’s lead squad was about fifty yards away securing their flags from a different angle. Facing off with one another in formation, they both knew it was time to act, but they had great respect for one another.

The two men shared a look, nodding to one another.

The Burden Bearers were the first to act. A volley of rank D psionic bolts flew.

Lethal Accord defended against the bolts with a shield wall only to return fire a moment later. It was rather neat and clean compared to what had been seen so far.

It was only when the Forefathers showed up, attacking anything that moved, that both squads pulled back to more tenable positions. Prodos, Lethal Accord, and The Burden Bearers were tied with two points by the time Brendon arrived. He still had two squads of rank D users and several elite rank E users with him. Even as they received fire, they quickly reached a podium and grabbed their first flag.

The positions of the major squads had Lethal Accord to the far north with The Burden Bearers to the east. That placed the Forefathers to the southwest and Prodos to the south.

So as their three biggest competitors tossed bolts back and forth, Lucius was securing the Manticore King Total Kill Bonus Point. It was more than that though. Soon the others would realize it when the clear path they had through the maze to their own battalions were soon quite filled with traffic from other battalions.

Within the first hour, the major four were the only to capture their flags except for one other battalion that only had two rank D users. The most impressive thing was that they hadn’t gotten into a single fight. How had they accomplished this you might asked? Stealth, of course. So a mostly unknown battalion called The Amplifiers were on the scoreboard with 1 Point. They did have some claim to fame. One of their most famous members was First Lieutenant Priscilla ‘the Fire Flower’ Torres. She was considered one of the best casters in Vanguard.

That made Prodos’s strategy for their third point difficult. Their stealth team had been suspiciously absent from the conflict up until now. That’s because they were spread out near the central array of podiums with three powerhouses facing off. The question in Hwan mind was if the other battalions had noticed. The event was set up where the moment they grabbed a flag it would be visible even if the person carrying it wasn’t. It was also possible that they missed their best window. The gas wasn’t as clear as it had been before.

Handshake sent a text-based message to the stealth platoon because even a whisper was too much. “I need volunteers. There’re too many eyes on the area to think we have a good chance of getting out of here without being seen. But with good timing, there’s still a chance. Who’d be willing to grab a flag and try and make it back to base on their own? The maze is clear, at least. For now.”

Hwan didn’t hesitate to volunteer. He wasn’t alone.

Someone suggested they should go in twos. That way in the person carrying the flag was attacked, the other person could wait for an opportunity to grab it and make a run for it.

In the end, they agreed. Even though going together might give them a better chance all at once, there was something they could do if a couple rank D users came after them. The moment the person carrying the flag was killed and another battalion touched it, one of two things would happen. First, if they didn’t have a flag in play then they’d be able to try and capture it. Secondly, if they did, it would disappear from that spot and reappear at the central array. So splitting up would give them several opportunities. It was a gamble, but if someone timed it right while the others were fighting for example, then it was possible. This also opened up the possibility for them to steal more than one flag this way. Even though they had to stay immobile to remain invisible, they had people in place.

As for the rest of Prodos? They were setting up their defenses. And if someone made it far enough, a team would be sent to help them make it the rest of the way.

Stealth combat was as much an art as a science. There were multiple technologies that allowed for invisibility and there were just as many to discover those using it. That why they weren’t just standing around but hiding behind the podiums.

A pair was chosen to go first. They didn’t wait. Grabbing a flag, one remained in stealth, while the man carrying it made a run for it toward the west where none of the major factions were had squads waiting.

He made it a quarter mile before there was a reaction from their opposition. The Forefathers sent a rank D user to give chase, but he wasn’t alone. Lethal Accord didn’t have a choice but to do the same. Now that the Forefathers had captured their first flag, their points total shot up to 3. Not only did they have the Bonus Point for most kills, but also the most officers killed.

Their man was chased down like dog. A bolt hit him in the back, causing him to drop the flag. Prodos’s man with him waited. Lethal Accord’s man didn’t go for the flag, but for Brendon Black’s man.

The speed at which they exchanged blows with their swords caused Hwan’s eye to twitch.

The man that remained hidden let their fight rage for a few more moments. Handshake even sent a message recommending him to withdraw.

The man had other plans. Seeing that the two rank D users were out for blood, he grabbed the flag and took off. He even made it within one hundred yards of the maze when they took off after him. There was a gap in speed that the man just couldn’t make up.

The Real Major’s man cut the flag carrier down, while Brendon’s man attacked the flag itself. As soon as his sword struck its shaft, the flag disappeared. An instant later, it appeared back above its pedestal undamaged.

The two faced off a couple more times before they retreated back to their squads. All the time Hwan was sure they’d come check the podium array for stealth users, but they never did.

It was then that Handshake sent him a personal message. “I want you to wait until after everyone has already tried. You have a knack for timing these things. Hopefully, we won’t need it, but you’re our last resort. So even if you have to wait until the very last hour of the event, don’t go until you know that you’re sure.”

“And if that time never comes?” he asked.

“Then you have my permission to grab a flag and just do what you can. This whole operation is a long shot. We’re playing the odds.”

“What about you?”

“You know me. I’ll probably try to kill someone far stronger than me and get myself killed.”

“You’re going after someone in the top ten?”

“The way things are going, I doubt I’ll get the chance. But a man can dream.”

And so they waited, using the podiums as barriers against stray bolts. About two hours into the event, a new battalion made a run toward the center array. The moment they did, three other battalions that had been waiting at the entrance of the maze decided they’d try and use the other groups as cover.

Their timing wasn’t terrible either. The Forefathers tried to forcibly take another flag when The Burden Bearers turned all their casting on them and Lethal Accord joined in. So even if Brendon Black had more men present, it was about even when their opposition joined together to suppress them.

When their play for another flag was stopped in its tracks, several rank D users with many rank E users in tow broke off from the Forefathers and headed for the closed group of newcomers.

It wasn’t the slaughter they anticipated, for the new group of about thirty had two rank D users that impeded most of their attack.

A few rank E users fell. The Forefathers took that as a win before veering off and heading toward the maze section that connected to their base.

When Lethal Accord and The Burden bearers took that opportunity to send a few men back toward their bases as well, Hwan knew that Lucius had been successful killing select Manticore Kings to pester their opponents.

Prodos’s stealth platoon shifted their positions to the other sides of the podiums. They were about to be in the thick of it as the encroaching battalions raced for their flags.

That wasn’t all. Two more guys from Prodos prepared to take advantage of the chaos and give it another shot. As soon as the first newcomer reached for a flag, mayhem.

***

Scoreboard

First Place – Forefathers – 3 Points

Second Place – Tie – 2 Points

Ø  Lethal Accord

Ø  The Burden Bearers

Ø  Prodos

Third Place – Tie – 1 Point

Ø  The Amplifiers

Ø  Survival Mode

Ø  Fatal Glory

Ø  Grin and Bear It

Ø  Humanity’s Forehead

Ø  Mockery

Ø  The Ugly Gentlemen

Ø  I Need a Nap

Countdown

40:19:47

I checked the scoreboard for probably the tenth time in the last minute. Eight hours after we’d captured the first flag and the battlefield had taken shape. The three largest battalions were forced to split their biggest hitters between the maze and the central array of flags. A few of the lesser battalions had been successful racing to the center and grabbing their flags. Most of them were hunkered down now with every intension of holding on until the end of the event. They all had one thing in common. They had a couple of rank D users capable of shrugging off rank D bolts with their shields.

Glancing at my Manticore King kill count, we’d racked up 47 kills. In that amount of time, it could’ve been more. Destiny reminded me constantly that this was as much an endurance event as a race. She also was confident that we’d defeated enough of them that we could move on to other things. The second-place battalion currently had 3 kills, and they’d stopped trying hours ago. It seemed getting a high kill count early had discouraged others from bothering.

That’s why I was here. High above another battalion’s outer layer tunnel, a large company of two hundred soldiers advanced. They had three ranked D users. Their goal was twofold. The base they were attacking held a captured flag they wanted to secure for themselves to bring their total up to two flags. Their secondary goal was the kill the defending battalions sole rank D user who just happened to also be in the top ten. If things went their way, they’d end up tied for first place.

My goal was simple. I would use the attacking battalion as a distraction and steal the points from under their noses.

Brendon Black would’ve loved to be here. It was exactly the kind of target he was looking for. The problem, if he moved from his current position in the central arena then Lethal Accord and The Burden Bearers would take advantage. They were the point leaders.

Instead, I was here in his place. No, I wasn’t bullying them with superior numbers of rank D users, but it made me feel just as dirty as if I was. Stealing a flag was one thing. Killing someone when they were distracted was another. That wouldn’t stop me. Honorable or not, I was here to win. I just knew that if I succeeded then the battlefield would change once again. None of the three top battalions could let a new point leader go unanswered.

I didn’t know how incredible base Prodos was until I’d had a look at some of the others. Few of them had the money to do what we had, but neither had they tried. At least this base had an actual wall. The irony was that this battalion’s name was Grin and Bear It. It was nice to know that they’d still be smiling after I was finished.

Since the flag had to be placed within the boundary of a base, but it couldn’t be secured in an actual building, theirs was resting smack dab in the middle of their motor pool. Their front gate wasn’t far away. As for vehicles, it looked like they couldn’t be parked close enough to hide the flag outright. They had surrounded it with them. More than that, each base was only allowed one functional deterrent rated as light artillery or less. The primary defense would be soldiers.

There were exceptions available for defending one’s flag, but not everyone had purchased E-Fields or psionic force fields, nor could everyone afford them. And even if they did, few battalions had the energy reactors that could supply them with enough power to repel rank D attacks. Perhaps that was Prodos’s greatest advantage. The money we’d acquired in large part due to our popularity earned during our time in Freedom.

I watched as two hundred psionic soldiers charged the twelve-foot wall. It had two guard towers with a whole squad of snipers in each. The top of the wall was covered in a variety of firearms including those that utilized a person’s psionics to the commonly issued rail-rifles. Their 105 mm rail-cannon was mounted directly above their front gate. Even if every other projectile weapon wasn’t fatal, the rail-cannon ignored rank E shielding entirely. Dozens died as they charged the front gate.

My expression darkened while watching it. How many people had died in real combat in this exact manner? Of course, this wasn’t ancient or modern combat for Earth. Psionics had been introduced. Nothing would ever be the same.

The soldiers that reached the wall summoned their aura and leaped, clearing it in a single stride. Once they were over the gate, the real battle began.

The defending battalion had numbers on their side. There were strategies Destiny had mentioned they could use to successfully defend their base. Grin and Bear It used none of them.

That doesn’t mean they didn’t defend themselves honorably. Their sole rank D user took position on the roof of the building closest to the motor pool. Instead of throwing himself into the fray, he tried to take out as many as possible with rank D bolts as he could. There were many people with him.

I made my way around the upper wall surrounding the base that was supposed to keep the bases separate. Getting into position, I waited until the inevitable happened.

The three rank D members of the invading battalion made it to the roof. A firefight followed where many rank E defenders died.

They had the man pinned. I chose that moment to jump. I didn’t need to get the first hit, but the last. The defending rank D user was wielding a shield and a short sword and the men attacking him weren’t Mel. He shrugged off even multiple bolts at a time. So they switched to melee.

It wasn’t a canyon tunnel I fell into this time. I dove off a wall into a wide-open space. For as long as I could, I used my body to control my fall instead of psionics. Then I used small pulses of push to stay on target.

With so much psionic energy churning in the air from so many different directions—nobody noticed.

I dove in behind the man who had taken position in the back corner of the building as his three opponents tried to flank him. Psionics were necessary to swoop in and reach him. I belly surfed against the wind as I came at him from behind. I was a little low to just drop my spears. If it didn’t do something, I collide with him from behind.

Spinning off and over the side of the building, I released both spears. Aim wasn’t a problem. It was too close for my liking.

I skirted down the side of the building until I reached its front end, then flew directly into the midst of the raging battle. My momentum was more than enough, but the vehicles around the flag were going to make it difficult to snag it and pull up. Especially considering there were defenders standing just opposite the flag, trying to keep it from defenders.

There was no other choice. With an arm outstretched, I fired off a psionic bolt at the men standing there. As they flew, they seemed to go in slow motion even if they flew faster than I was.

Catching one it the back, I watched him fall. Only the person next to him turned back. He saw me coming.

I cast psionic bolts at the man as rapidly as I could, but with never taking my eye off the prize. I don’t know what happened to the man.

My hand found the shaft of the flag. I desperately pulled it to my chest.

Knowing where the fallen man had been, I used push and full power to force my way through. As I did, I pulled up as best I could, knowing that a vehicle was not far away. I felt it with push before I saw it, causing me to redirect all my psionic strength into pushing against it to keep myself from running into it.

The moment I cleared it election filled me until I felt something flick my big toe. The pain came all at once. There was only one possibility. My toe had grazed the top of the vehicle. Why did such a small body part cause such blinding pain?

Great. After all that, I was about to die from getting distracted from stubbing my toe.

I found the front wall and sped toward it. Still lying parallel with the ground, I send a push from my chest to propel me over it.

Only then did I land feet first with push keeping me off the ground. It was quieter here off to one side of the watch towers. But the people up there could see me easily enough with a somewhat glowing flag in my hand. So I did the last thing they’d expected. I fled away from the escape tunnel in the opposite direction. Rounding the corner of their defensive wall, I kept it to my side to stay hidden from anyone inside the fort.

It worked surprisingly well except for my toe screaming in protest as I headed to the base’s back corner. From there, I used the wall’s ninety-degree angle to ascend.

I was halfway up when a rank D bolt flew at me from below. It was too far to easily hit a moving target, and I could feel the psionic energy coming without having to see it.

Glancing down as I bounded from one wall to wall, I almost wanted to fly down there and stab the guy with my flag. That was just the pain talking. Once I made it to the top, I sat down and began to heal my broken toe.

I dared them to try and chase after me. They might just be able to make it, but it would be interesting to see how they respond to getting pushed off. If they hadn’t unlocked push, then they wouldn’t have a chance.

The battalion I’d just stolen from was in the northwest, so it took me a good fifteen minutes of jumping from ledge to ledge to make it back to Prodos.

There was one significant problem this would cause for me since the flag’s glow was easy to see even from a distance. Anyone paying close enough attention would soon know what I’d been up to. It could make assassination attempts from above a little more difficult.

I approached from our main tunnel so that the others would see me coming. Of course, I’d reached out so that there were no major surprises.

As I landed and stepped into the opening, I saw Prodos’s city-sized green glowing dome towering over me. The green energy over the front gate flickered before shifting to the wall opposite the courtyard.

They didn’t bother opening the gate. A guy with a green aura jumped up from inside the gate to the top of the wall and waved.

I didn’t waste time, hovering forward and quickly ascending to join him.

Mel was waiting for me with his arms crossed. “Took you long enough,” he jibed.

“Hey. I broke my big toe kicking a truck. Give me some slack,” I countered.

“Lucius,” Victoria’s voice sounded loudly in my headset. “I’m terribly sorry that your toe suffered, but would you two mind getting off the wall so I can secure our flags with the barrier?”

“I suppose.”

Mel and I shared a laugh.

Our first flag that had been so costly was stuck in the ground in the middle of the yard just to the side of the main road that bridged both gate entrances. I placed this one on the other side of the road.

Only after it was in place and the psionic barrier had shifted back to the outer wall did the thousand men and women on the inner bulwark of the outer wall cry out in celebration. Prodos had taken the lead.

Suddenly dozens of people ran in our direction from their posts. The event wasn’t over. Not even close, but this was something to revel in. I might even have a meal and a bathroom break before getting back out there.

The reality of the event had changed. Now that someone else was on top, the major players would have to start taking chances. I feared what I’d just done would only waken sleeping giants.