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2559
1ST Squad's Location
"That's the last of the guns Sarge, ready to move out." Kimmel said with a crisp salute.
"Alright good work…is the perimeter secure?" Kendal replied.
"So far so good Chief." The other Marine answered.
Ryan nodded and strode to the sinister figure of Deramee.
"We're ready to go sir, awaiting orders." Ryan stated, standing at attention.
"Very good Sergeant, contact Lieutenant Dominic and coordinate an evacuation point."
"Right away." Kendal turned away and signaled to Kane to come forth. The young revolutionary nodded and jogged forward. Kendal turned the man around and grasped the receiver for the radio mounted on Kane's pack.
"Second squad Romeo, this is first squad, objective complete, requesting coordinates for extraction." Kendal said into the phone.
Static crackled across the connection in response. Kendal repeated the message and waited.
"No good…I'll try and reach them on the COM." Ryan said as he tapped Kane on the shoulder, signaling him back to his post. "Second squad, please respond, over."
Static once again washed over the COM. "Nothing Sir, orders?" Kendal asked.
"Hmm…it seems our comrades have been eliminated, we need to move to the plains and call for extraction there." Tyr said, his deep voice only slightly tinted with concern.
The squad barked an affirmative and headed for the main doorway that led out of the artillery complex. They froze as the blast door burst open and a platoon of Fourth Legion soldiers openly fired on them.
Kimmel's rifle came up a half second too late and his chest was torn apart by machine gun fire. Mahler and Hayes ducked into a service corridor while Kane and Kendal lay flat on their stomachs firing their M3s.
Three Fourth Legion troops collapsed to the ground before Kane took a burst of ammunition to the skull. Ryan rolled behind supplies crate and reloaded, cursing profusely.
A white clad figure flashed forward brandishing an ice blue energy sword. The terrified screams of the enemy troops followed closely. "The way is clear!" Deramee shouted. "More of them are sure to be close behind, I will cover your retreat, go!" Tyr ordered.
The Marines hesitated but reluctantly followed his command and dashed down the corridor. The crackle of gunfire erupted close behind them, followed by the screams of human soldiers.
Kendal burst through the doorway that led to the courtyard, which was littered with bodies from the earlier assault. Mahler and Hayes were close behind. Deramee's final wail resonated through the hallway behind them.
The trio raced towards the main gate, rifles up as they ran. A Brute and a Fourth Legion commando emerged at either side of the open gate, spraying the scene with weapon's fire. Mahler took three rounds of M3K ammunition to his thigh and crashed to the ground.
Kendal looked back to him, and then back to his assailants. He fired his rifle from his hip pinned down the nearest commando. Ryan then spun on his heel and heaved Mahler onto his shoulders.
Hayes covered them as best he could as they finally broke through the barricade at the gate and sprinted towards the fields.
Kendal accessed the emergency COM channel and shouted into it; "Eagle two! Eagle two! This is Romeo first squad; we need immediate evac one hundred meters from my location!"
"Negative Romeo, negative! We've got troubles of our own…I'll try and get to you but—Baxter to our left!" Static roared across the connection and Ryan watched forlornly as a flame engulfed Pelican fell from the sky and plunged into the icy waters of the Juan de Fuca.
"Keep going!" Ryan barked. "Head for the beach!" Hayes obeyed, but lagged behind to cover them.
The beach loomed ahead, as did two Fourth Legion sentries.
"They're guarding the RIBs. Hayes, take out the sentries, then frag the second boat, we'll take the first and hide out in the city until we can arrange pick up." Kendal said softly.
"I'm on it Sarge." Darren said as he shifted to level his SM2. The sniper practiced switching targets twice and pulled back on the trigger. The two soldiers fell limply into the snow and ceased to move. "Clear."
The trio trudged down the bank, Mahler supported by Kendal's shoulder. Ryan set Mahler in the first boat while Hayes unsheathed his knife and went about sabotaging the second.
The beleaguered troops stared blankly at the city ahead as the small boat skipped across the water. Mahler was doing well, the bullets hit nothing vital, but the mission had taken its toll on them all. Nearly two entire squads had been terminated on this mission…success came at a high price Kendal supposed.
"I have a contact in Victoria, and a place we'll be safe…once we're there, I'll arrange for someone to pick us and escort us to safety…"
"Behind you all the way Sarge…just promise me a hot meal, I think my stomach's frozen…" Mahler grumbled.
Ryan grinned and returned his gaze to the city that lay sprawled about the Canadian island ahead.
"Almost there…keep your eyes open in there; Victoria is crawling with the Fourth Legion." Kendal warned.
The boat ran aground moments later, the trio dismounted, then shoved the craft back into the surf. Two black Pelicans with red emblems splashed upon their wings soared overhead.
"Alright, the outskirts are only a few hundred yards away…that area is barely watched, we'll enter the city there and contact my friend Krueck…if he's still alive." Ryan said quietly.
"That's reassuring…" Mahler grumbled.
Most of Victoria hadn't changed, other than the fact that it had been six years since Kendal had been home. Though born in New York, he had lived in Victoria all of his civilian life. The buildings had gotten taller, and a Fourth Legion barracks stood threateningly at almost every city block.
"I have a house on Seventh Street; we'll hunker down there and then contact Krueck tomorrow morning."
"Sounds good to me Sarge…but how do you propose we get to Seventh Street
dressed as rebel troopers?" Hayes asked.
The Marines cautiously dashed from alley to alley, concealing themselves in the shadows as sentries patrolled the streets.
"I haven't seen one UNSC trooper yet…and Martial Law has been in effect since '52." Mahler commented.
"It looks as though Battings has pulled UNSC Marines away from every critical position and left it fully in the hands of the Fourth Legion…in Istanbul, I noticed their dropships, the small black ones armed to the teeth, coming in all morning on the day of my trial." Kendal replied.
"Istanbul got hit yesterday…Covenant strike, took out most of what's left of the UNSC hierarchy…no doubt Battings gave them the perfect opportunity." Hayes stated forlornly. "I always kind of hoped that once Battings was gone, we'd be able to restore the UNSC to its rightful state…now theres nothing left of it…" he finished.
Ryan agreed quietly and led them along a side street that dumped into Seventh. A large residential development lined the street, though no one stood outside.
"The second house to your left Hayes, make sure its clear…" Ryan cautioned.
"Two sentries on the far side of the street…not paying attention though." The sniper replied.
"Okay, let's move out." Kendal ordered.
Ryan slid to a stop before his house and placed his hand on the scanner to the right of the door. IDENTITY CONFIRMED flashed across the small screen and the door unlocked with a subtle click .
"Okay, Hayes get Mahler inside and make him comfortable…we're safe for now, get some rest for yourself as well."
The next few hours brought a sorely needed secure night's sleep for the three soldiers. Mahler was laid in a bedroom on the first floor, Hayes slept on the third, and Kendal had fallen asleep on the couch near the front door.
Ryan opened a bleary eye and looked at clock near the doorway. 4:13 it read in civilian time. He barely remembered the fact that at 0430, Fourth Legion soldiers inspected every household. When the thought jogged his memory he bolted upright.
"Hayes!" Kendal shouted groggily.
"Yeah?" Came the bored reply from the third floor.
"There's civilian clothes in the bedroom, hide your gear and change, quick. Then help Mahler!" Kendal raced to the second floor, which was a large loft between the first and third. He yanked open a dresser while shedding his fatigues.
He struggled into a pair of jeans and a tee shirt and threw on a light jacket. Hayes vaulted over the staircase and landed next to him, dressed in a similar fashion, and then raced down to help Mahler.
"Richie! Wake up!" He shouted as he ran. Hayes threw open the door to find Mahler sitting quietly in a pair of jeans sitting on the end of his bed.
"Morning." He grunted and buttoned up his shirt that he tugged on. Minutes later a harsh knock thudded against the door.
Hayes strode calmly to the door and opened it. Two Fourth Legion soldiers shouldered past him and into the house. They wore urban fatigues, with grey, white and black camouflage, with a red emblem on the shoulder. Their belts held holsters for their drawn pistols.
They said nothing; they simply checked each room and then met again in the foyer. One of them addressed Hayes.
"Strange…there were no residents here yesterday…" he said.
"Just came into town…this was my brother's house, he died back in '54…but I keep the house, for a place to stay when I need it." Kendal replied to the question entering the room.
"This house was registered to 'Ryan Kendal' it says…" The second soldier stated.
"Yes…my brother, I got a letter from the UNSC that he was killed in action on Jericho IV." Ryan replied.
"Hmm, interesting." The soldier began. "Now I may be wrong…but I did not receive the Gate's report of you and your compatriot's entry to the city last night."
"Now we would like to believe that you and your friends simply forgot to check in…so I'll call it in, but if your identities do not check out…" The first soldier finished threateningly.
"It won't be a problem I assure you." Ryan answered, almost immediately.
Hayes shot him a look but kept quiet. The soldier smiled, "Fine, go get your identity papers and bring them to me, then we'll be on our way."
Kendal nodded, turned and took the stairs up to the loft two at a time. Once he was sure and soldiers were out of view he opened the dresser and recovered three UNSC passports. Each was a small PDA-like device, modified for the Resistances use. He typed in the names of Mahler, Hayes and himself and it matched them with identities of people within the city that had similar attributes. Kendal smiled and went back down the stairs and handed the slender devices to the soldier.
The soldier looked them over skeptically, then spoke several words into his COM, then handed them back to Kendal. "Welcome back from Sweden Mr. Williams, I'm sorry we wasted your time." He said reluctantly and the pair turned and exited the house.
Hayes let out a noticeable sigh of relief and looked to Ryan. "Man, I thought we were cooked…how'd you pull that off?"
"Yeah Sarge, I mean, I was so close to blowing holes in those traitors…" Mahler added.
"Well it's a good thing you didn't my friend….I was curious about Battings' rise to power during my tour of duty at Jericho…so I contacted several secure sources and gave up my home for the Resistance to use as they see fit…its been key to our operations in Victoria…as I've been told." Kendal said without sign of pride.
"So they stocked it with fake IDs?" Mahler asked incredulously.
"…and weapons, explosives, security clearances, Legion uniforms and communications equipment." Kendal finished, "Of course I didn't have a clue that they would stock it so heavily…Andre Krueck is the director of Resistance Operations in Victoria…I'll get in contact with him today and arrange a pickup from the Seattle ."
Hayes let out a low whistle and a sigh. Kendal signaled to both of them to follow him upstairs to the loft. Hayes helped Mahler up the stairs and Ryan pushed the dresser out of the way and felt his way into a small gap between the wall panelings.
It submitted, and slid away, revealing a long metal table in a large hidden closet. On the left side of the table were stacks of folded urban fatigues, embroidered with the red emblem of the Fourth Legion. Behind the uniforms were sets of Legion armor. A rack of rifles was set upon the table and against the wall that ran down the remainder of the table, and it surface was covered with a combination of pistols, compact assault rifles, sub machine guns and COM equipment.
Kendal buckled a holster under his arm and chose a pistol from the table and tossed an identical one with a M3K to Hayes. Mahler began assembling the COM unit, and sweeping an arm full of pistol magazines into a bag he found downstairs. He felt their stares and looked up halfway through the chore: "What?" he asked.
Hayes shook his head and slid a magazine into the M3.
"Okay…Krueck isn't far from here; I'm meeting with him in the Square, stay here and I'll contact you when I know more." Kendal said seriously and strode out the front door.
Andre Krueck walked out into the crisp winter morning air of Victoria. The shop he had just left opened into the City Square, which was dominated by a large fountain at its center, and City Hall at its northern end. Legion troops patrolled the grounds, while others congregated before the pair of Scorpion tanks seated at City Hall's entrance, of course the tanks were armored in black and bore the insignia of the Fourth Legion.
Krueck glanced across the scene seriously, finally seeing a familiar face.
"What do I owe the pleasure of your visit Ryan?" He asked as Kendal approached.
Kendal smiled slightly and shook his hand. "Its good to see you Andre, but I'm afraid the nature of my visit is far from happy."
"Ha, as I had guessed my friend!" Krueck replied, his voice tinted with a faint German accent. "Come…I have a place we can talk."
Kendal returned his smile and followed him silently. Krueck stopped before the door of a small internet café, which was devoid of Fourth Legion surveillance. Ryan stepped inside just behind Andre, carefully looking over the interior of the building. The room was large…especially for a shop off of Main Street…behind the counter there was no one, several lounge chairs had been arranged in the room's centre, while smaller tables and wooden chairs clung to the walls. One man in a black leather jacket sat at a bar stool to the left of the duo, sipping a cup of coffee. Soft music played in the background…it seemed like any other coffee shop.
Andre pulled a chair away from a nearby table and motioned him to take the seat opposite of him. "So Ryan Kendal…how may I be of service to you?" He asked without lowering his voice in the slightest bit.
Kendal gave him a startled look. Krueck understood, "No worries Sergeant, that is Eric Bolen, one of my security operatives, he is no threat to our organization." Ryan relaxed and began to speak.
"I am here with two of my teammates, we were running an operation to spike the batteries that shelter Victoria…we succeeded, but both of our teams were terminated by Legion soldiers upon preparing for extraction….we're the only survivors. Hayes and Mahler are at my house…we need to arrange extraction without raising too much suspicion…the Resistance can't afford another bird going down in this sector."
Krueck was quiet for a moment and then raised his head. "I believe I can be of assistance…but as for a Pelican flying you out of here…that is highly improbable." He replied seriously, his jovial tone extinguished.
"Whatever you can give us would be help enough…" Ryan stated.
"Alright then…we need to get in touch with the Seattle immediately…a battalion of Fourth Legion troops have been mobilizing here for the last two months….and our reports show that four Legion Destroyers just pulled in to port in orbit." Krueck informed.
"So the Legion has a Navy?" Kendal asked.
"I am afraid so my friend…but we don't have a clue where they are coming from." Krueck added, "But that is a problem for another day, for now we need to focus on getting you back to the Resistance."
"Any ideas?" Kendal asked.
"A few, Ryan, a few." Andre began. "My first point is only that the Fourth Legion amassing troops in the city, as I said before…this can only mean the UNSC is loosing every grip it had on Earth and the Empire."
"I expected as much…with much of the UNSC's military hierarchy with the Resistance…and the others killed by Battings…it wasn't looking good from the start." Kendal replied with little emotion.
"Though this could work a little to our advantage…with the UNSC military nearly eradicated on the surface, the UNSC Navy won't be extremely loyal to their new commandants." Krueck stated.
"I see what you're getting at…who's in charge up stairs?" Ryan pondered.
"That would be Fleet Admiral Harper…."
"The Resistance will send him a diplomat, we haven't had many run-ins with the Navy, and he should comply."
"Good, with that out of the way, I may have a way to get you out of Victoria." Krueck said. "We'll need to wait until tonight, there's a Fourth Legion convoy moving out at midnight….did you find the uniforms at your house?"
"Yes, so once we're out of the city…."
"Explosives set in the vehicles go off; your squad cleans up the survivors, then move towards the extraction point and head back to the Seattle ."Krueck said in a in matter-of-fact tone.
"Sounds fine to me…any backup?"
"I'll send three of my operatives with you, to give you more of an edge on the enemy troops. But I can only guarantee that the Pelican will be there, anything beyond that…is up to you."
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