Wolfe woke up inside a white cot. His head ached and his right arm stung---he saw that he had several inject marks and an IV line. The designated Medical corpsman of that time entered the cot, Wolfe heard the medic call Knight Clara through the coms.

“Where am I?” The Lord Knight groaned.

“Forward Operating Base Geronimo Lord Wolfe.” The Medic answered not looking up from his clipboard. “Your respirator nanomites got fried when you got hit by the fire tails.”

“What?” Wolfe muttered dryly

“You inhaled Red 420’s atmosphere and might have experienced delusions,” The medic now went to check his IV, “We’ve replaced your damaged respirators with new ones.”

Wolfe then looked again at his right arm. So that’s why I have these.

Knight Clarahart entered the cot and smirked, “I guess you’ll be smelling armpits now.”

The Lord Knight forced a smile, “Speaking of smelly armpits, where’s Reid?”

“He is leading a patrol around the FOB perimeter,” She then consulted her holographic clipboard, “Sector Alpha two-four-four-six.”

Wolfe nodded, “So how long was I out?”

The female knight looked at the corpsman, beckoning him to answer Wolfe’s question, “Uhm, two planet Red 420 full cycles, fifteen hours, twenty two minutes---and six seconds.” He answered after double checking his notes and watch.

The Lord Knight took a deep breath then sank deeper into his medical bed covers. “So where was the second wave and third wave delegated Clara?”

The Corpsman and the Knight looked at each other, neither of them not wanting to bear the bad news.

Knight Clarahart sighed, “The fleet was also attacked Wolfe.”

Wolfe sat up from his bed, locking eyes with the female Knight. “What do you mean Clara?” His ribs ached but he ignored it.

“We have reason to suspect that---,” Clara’s lips pursed for a moment then finally uttered, “The Eleventh USTF squadron has been completely annihilated. We are on our own Wolfe.”

“Well, Shit.” The Lord Knight now sat at bed’s edge, holding his swollen ribs, “Logistics Clara.”

Clara once again turned on her virtual clipboard, “We have about a week of food, rationed. Two weeks of water. We’ve managed to save all medical transports ---- and fuel for every vehicle we have for another full tank each. We are running low on ammunition though, as expected…we’re especially low for our air support.”

Before Wolfe could ask about how many vehicles do they have left the Knight was already speaking.

“Eight Dims---we’re lucky to have that much since the GEOM’s tend to focus them, Twenty R-6 Dunes, Four Harpies, Seven Blackhawks and Five Atlas transports. Oh, and one of those assault drone packages.

Wolfe’s brows furrowed. The vehicles they have aren’t much help in defending an established point since they are low on fuel and ammunition. Thoughts of faces from his annihilated company suddenly poured into his mind. The soldier’s weary grins, Wolfe blinks---and their burnt corpses. The shout of do or die deafened him until Knight Clarahart’s voice snapped him out of his self –induced incubus.

“---Wolfe,” Clara snapped, walking closer to the Lord Knight, “Wolfe---are you alright?”

“—y-y—yeah,” He answered shaking his head then rubbing his eyes,” I think I’m still high from this atmosphere. So you were saying?”

Clara sighed, hands on her hips, “You sure?”

“Let’s get this over with.”

She glared at the Lord Knight for a moment then consulted her clipboard again, “Bravo Company has ninety-seven men, Charlie Company is one hundred twenty six men strong---“

The Knight was cut short mid-sentence as Lord Knight Wolfe fainted.

He was back on Sierra---kneeling down and cradling Jane’s lifeless body. The orbital bombardment of the GEOM infested Sierra Space Security fleet was increasing in intensity, every shot inching closer to where they were. The wave of heat enveloping his body, his skin shiny from sweat and the thuds and thumps of the glassing rounds was vertigo-inducing.

He stared at Jane’s peaceful face. He wept as the thought of never seeing her eyes open again came to him. They were slowly became covered by soot and dirt courtesy of each newly crater smashing at the ground around them. Wolfe stroked Jane’s stray hairs behind her ears and caressed her face---nothing else matters now. A bright ball was falling directly over them---its heat blistering Jane’s skin, Wolfe just hummed Jane’s favorite song as he waited for the bombarding round to hit them.

“…watching you leave and I --- couldn’t see you—go…”

The bright light became brighter and brighter—totally consuming the two.

Wolfe woke up drenched in sweat, he immediately shielded his eyes---The Bright light hasn’t receded yet.

The Medical cot was burning; the smoke was slowly choking him and caused his eyes to water. His IV bag was empty, its contents evaporated from the heat. Wolfe calculated that the cot was burning for around fifteen minutes. The lack of oxygen in Red 420’s atmosphere saved him from being burned to a crisp even with his energy absorption powers. He pulled off the cannula through the IV cord and limped towards the cot’s exit. When he got closer to the exit the resonant sounds of gunfire and shouts have overpowered the cindering hisses of the burning tent.

When he got outside, the Lord Knight realized that the planet was undergoing its night cycle. Plumes of flame erupted around the camps perimeter and streaks of tracer rounds lit Fire Base Geronimo. Wolfe saw the chaos as good news since the firefights are outside albeit near the base perimeters. A loud cracked sounded behind him and saw the Medic tent collapse behind him; the telltale Firefly GEOM-made crater just intersected one of the corners of the cot.

These goddamn things will be the death of me. Wolfe mused.

A Harpy attack helicopter passed over the Lord Knight; the helicopter’s rotors reverberated loudly, kicking up the red sand---Wolfe was forced to cover his face from the upstart of dirt. The Helicopter’s mechanic heartbeat slowly faded as it went south west of Fire Base Geronimo to provide air support; The sizzling sound of missiles launched was audible enough and within a few seconds explosions resounded. Wolfe suddenly fell to his knees, his vision swirled and a blaring sound filled his ears. The Lord Knight winced, he just caught sight the burning cot and that’s when he realized that he might have fried his nanomite respirators again.

He was careful not to take deep breaths so as not to inhale the planet’s hypnotic atmosphere and the sand that gets winded up. He was on all fours now, slowly fully collapsing. The buzzing of Hornet-GEOM wings and the bellows of Firefly-GEOM organic artillery became louder. His thoughts ran through the timeline of the GEOM infestation process of overrunning a UTSF base that was constantly repeated during his GEOM-nistics class back on the Knight Development covert program he was in back at stronghold planet Advent.

First Phase starts with GEOM’s forcing to breech the weakest point in a base’s defense --- using wave tactics and, now with a new line of infected organisms, bio-bombardment then widening the gap with full blown selfless---mindless---vigor. Because of the nature of this GEOM attack, the usage of ammunition was inefficient, expensive and became the main weakness of UTSF but the simplicity and ease of training of using firearms overlooks its weaknesses---especially when the GEOM advance are causing humanity to bring more people to arms on short notice. However, the High Command of the UTSF have hedged regarding this problem, the training of specialized and enhanced units that use weapons that would never ran out of ammunition.

A sudden explosion snapped the Lord Knight back to Fire Base Geronimo.

My Rapier!

Wolfe willed his legs to move, they strained in the effort. He was able to stand for a moment before collapsing face first on the red sand. He knew he had to do something before the FOB is breeched and the GEOM attack would turn to its Second Phase, which their stout drill instructor at GEOM-nistics would analogize as “Filling the Cup to the brim.”

Fortunately, Wolfe’s Left arm was not as badly burnt and injected as his right; he pulled himself, painfully and painfully slow, back towards the ash pile which was once his medical ward. The few meter distance felt like kilometers as the anxiety brought by ailing screams of helps and the familiar concord of GEOM wings and marching was becoming more evident. He was near enough the burnt tent to see the faded glint of his rapier’s hilt, now he just has to crawl over the searing cinders to get to the weapon.

He was about to crawl over the burning embers, the thought of being burned a third time amused him for a moment, when he felt strength coming back to his legs than to his arms. He stood up easily and looked at his healing burns and wounds.

“Get your Rapier and your fat ass on the South-West gate you bastard.” Clara shouted atop the gun turret of one of the Dunes that parked near him, a reinforcement detachment going towards the South-West perimeter. “They have been focusing that gate for some time now,” Her right arm reaching out to the face Lord Knight, “Chop Chop A-hole. Let’s go!”

The rancid-smelling wind blew fiercely atop the Dune as the column sped through the base in hopes to reinforce the ailing South-West gate. Wolfe saw Clara slightly retch before retaining form, the decaying smell of body parts was a good sign that the GEOM horde was being held off---if the GEOM’s were winning they wouldn’t allow any corpse to decompose.

The gunfire from the South-West went silent and the Harpy that went to provide cover fire earlier was starting to return back to the base Helipads, rearming or in retreat. After passing through the red gust the helicopter created, the badly beaten gate came into view; blackened sand, smoldering craters and body parts---both that of humans and GEOM-infects---were littered all over the immediate area.

Wolfe was more surprise on one of the units that were holding the South-West perimeter. Wearing red and silver unit colors and cladded with the ancient Roman-inspired Segmenteta armor was the Legionary force. The Legions were one of the Knight outfits that consisted of C to A rank “awakends”. Being Knights, the Legions were also independent from the USTF military main body, the difference they have from regular Knights is that they were trained as a unit and they have basic and common potentials. The Lord Knight counted that they were at least fifty of the legionnaires--- they all have the black raven insignia emblazoned on their armors indicating that the legion consisted of ocular-enhanced humans.

“Their Legion Battalion dropped out of the Consul destroyer, one of the ships from Formation two,” Clara said, instinctively answering the Lord Knight’s would be question,” Apparently The Captain of the Consul had the presence of mind to jettison the barracks as they were crashing into Red 420’s atmosphere...”

Wolfe remembered what he thought was a battleship beacon he saw before he first blacked out --- it turned out it was a destroyer burning up into pieces.

“..The barrack section landed near the FOB with all two hundred Black Ravens Legionnaires alive,” Clara continued and broke a smile so fast that if Wolfe blinked he would have missed it. “That’s one hell of a Captain.”

Wolfe pondered. The destroyer’s Captain still kept the mission in mind while they were crashing towards inevitable death, launching the Barrack section to a precise and safe drop path towards the nearest rendezvous point, one hell of a Captain indeed.

“They were to be part of the second wave of the invasion force,” Clara said, “Fortunately, they were quite well equipped.” Wolfe eyed their large rectangular shields and thrusting swords. It reminded him one of the knights he grew up with.

“Do we have anymore jettisoned troops salvaged?” Wolfe asked.

“We have gathered some marine survivors that landed using escape pods,” Clara answered as she shot a GEOM with her sidearm, “but most of the pods were so scattered out that it was too late when we got to them.”

Wolfe nodded, disembarked from the Dune and went towards one of the legionnaires,” Who’s your battalion commander?”

The Legionnaire Knight had solid black pupils, likely to be a side effect of his power. He gulped and answered “Knight Alexander Silvus sir.”

“Where is he?”

“He is at the North-West gate leading First and Second Company.”

“That gate is being held solely by Legionnaires Lord Knight Wolfe,” Clara added,” Charlie Company and Fourth Legion Company are at the North Eastern Gate and These are the Third Company Legionnaires with marines from Bravo Company.”

“I’ve noticed,” Wolfe answered, surveying the beaten part perimeter, “So where is he?”

“Oh Reid has being doing what he says he does best,” Clarahart said with contempt, “Raiding.”

As if by cue, the South-West gates opened and a group of marines led by a Lord Knight wearing a cocky grin entered.

“Good Morning Sleeping Beauty.” Reid said sheepishly, referring to the classic story of a princess cursed to sleep endlessly until she receives a kiss of true love.

Wolfe smiled, “Where’s my kiss you arrogant bastard.”

Reid reached from one of his pockets and manifested a one-finger salute, “I got it right here baby.”

Wolfe shook his head then his face went serious once more, “Sit-rep, two minutes.”

Reid nodded and went towards one of the makeshift storage bunkers. Clara was now directing their column of three Dunes into a defensive inner perimeter reinforcing the single remaining Dune and an immobilize Dim. Wolfe studied the defensive layout and capabilities they had remaining at the South-West gate---Forty eight Legion Knights, Eighty-Nine Marines, Four Dunes equipped with heavy anti-GEOM gun turrets, a badly damaged Dim, two dedicated mortar pit installations and scattered air support. The good news was that Reid is stationed here, if that was good news at all. He knew Reid relied too much on brute force and luck making him ineffective in defend and maneuver tactics.

Suddenly, Lord Knight Wolfe felt faint and was forced on one knee. Had Wolfe was wearing his full armor he would have collapsed and broke several bones since his enhanced Strength made him capable to carry much heavier armor so he could absorb more energy and ease the displacement of the absorbed energy. Reid and Clara hurried to lift him up.

“How many Clara?” the Lord Knight muttered weakly.

“Thirty-Two,” Clara uttered as they sat him down inside one of the Dune’s passenger seats

Wolfe looked at her with unnerving eyes and nodded. “That would be fine I think.”

With Hesitation, the female Knight raised her right hand in front of the ailing Lord Knight torso and channeled a sickly green-colored energy to him. After a couple of minutes the Lord Knight stood up like nothing happened.

“I’ll make sure all those marine lives would not be in vain.” Wolfe vowed.

Reid than proceeded to raise his right arm on Wolfe’s face, The Lord Knight gasped in surprise, in the process he had taken a whiff of his fellow Lord Knight’s armpit. Wolfe gagged while Reid laughed.

“You also promised that Wolfe,” he mused.

“We’re back full circle again Wolfe-san,” Reid said, mocking a Japanese accent, “every time we’re together they stop attacking for some reason-nu.”

Reid was now leaning on the wall’s makeshift battlements. “The Mole-GEOMs haven’t tried to dig under the wall since they have tripped some of the deep mines and sonar-blast traps we’ve set up around the perimeter. That boy Cairo concocted the scrap detection gear we’ve salvaged from the downed destroyer and made these traps that blow up them Moles’ eardrums, genius.”

Wolfe nodded, scanning the horizon, “I’m sure they’re massing. Make sure you stick to the simple plan you moron.”

“Hey the FOB is still standing right?” Reid Jested.

Wolfe broke a smile then one of the mines blew up, spraying red sand like a geyser---then another exploded, followed by another. Before long a whole section of the minefield had exploded creating a gap almost directly at the South-West gate.

“Moles going through the gap sir!” One of the Legionnaires at the rampart shouted, his red eyes glinting in the dark.

“How many?” Wolfe shouted back.

“About twenty Sir!” the legionnaire shouted, using his x-ray vision to monitor the incoming threat, “They’re going to trip the sonar traps!”

The sonar traps exploded creating a vertigo-inducing resonance that gave the defenders a slight headache but they knew the side effects to the GEOM Moles would be fatal.

“They’ve stopped sir!”

Wolfe was already scanning the horizon; the incapacitated moles were the last of their problems. The dark sky making it hard to detect the GEOMs until they were close, he became more grateful to the quick-minded Captain that provided them the ocular-enhanced battalion.

“Contacts ten-o-clock through two-o-clock!” The Legionnaire with the black pupils shouted, “Hundreds of them! They’re coming!”

Wolfe nodded to Reid. The latter jumped down the rampart and went towards the group of soldiers standing by behind the gate. Wolfe heard Reid saying Steady boys-su. Not letting up with his Japanese shenanigans.

The legionnaire with night-vision ran towards Wolfe shouting sir repeatedly. As he reached the lord Knight, gasping for air and double-taking at the darkness.

“Spit it out soldier!” Wolfe rasped.

“They have aboms sir!” He finally exclaimed, “I counted two hundred more or less---I bet its more.”

Wolfe gritted his teeth; abominations were the last thing they needed. Memories of a GEOM-nistics lecture raced his mind: Abominations are infected-humans that have mutated further, gaining size and strength after being infected by the GEOMs by too long, the human-host having inert potential or… Wolfe hesitated on thinking about the last option’s possibility.

He went towards the ramparts opposite end and called Reid’s attention. Before he could say anything about the presence of the Abominations he was already brandishing an okay gesture. Reid had heard the legionnaire’s report. Wolfe considered their options against the giant GEOMs. The mines would slow the Abominations down but they would have to step on them and Dims could take on multiple Abominations but the Dims had to be mobile to stand a chance in at least taking down two ---that poses a problem since they only have one disabled tank. He and Reid could take out multiple Abominations but his stamina is limited and it takes too long to take down one that other Aboms could go past him and Reid and attack anyone or anything else aside from them. The odds were against them, even having the Black hawk Legionnaires it was a long shot to hold the gate. The initial plan has to work more than perfect so they could postpone the GEOMs’ attempt to proceed to Second Phase for a day or so.

“They’re passing through the gap in the minefield sir!” A legion knight reported.

“Steady-yu.” Reid Shouted.

Wolfe could now make out the Abom figures running towards the FOB, a hundred Hornet variations flew over them and most ran flanking the brutes.

“Steady.” Reid said seriously.

As soon as the first of the GEOMs entered the choke point in the minefield Wolfe shouted, “Charge!”

The South-West gates opened and spilled the war-crying humans it held within. Reid led the first half of the Legionnaires and bee-lined towards the bottleneck. The Abominations ran and challenged the Lord Knight and his detachment of Legionnaires. Reid unsheathed his weapon and swept it across the legs of the leading Abomination severing its legs from the knee down; the Abominations behind it hopped over latter’s legless body, roared something incoherent then lashed at the Lord Knight with their mutated arms. Reid held the base of his sword and raised it block the pummeling strikes---he successfully blocked three of the arms and broke the fourth. The Lord Knight then ducked and used the momentum to do a downward slash to also sever the two Abominations. Though the slash did not cut thoroughly through the two Aboms’ legs but it sliced enough flesh that they collapsed face first akin to a tree being felled.

The flying Hornets tried to flank the forward party’s position by going over the minefield but were focused by the marines stationed at the wall and fire bases they have established outside the gate. They dropped on top of the mines but they didn’t explode, not until being triggered by a certain weight. The GEOM moles now tried to flank the forward party’s rear by following the burrowed tunnels below the gap, as the Moles emerge behind the advance party the other half of the legion company engaged headed by Lord Knight Wolfe---the oblivious GEOM Moles were felled simultaneously.

The first part of the defense was in play. They have been successful but Lord Knight Wolfe can’t help to think that it still wasn’t enough but there wasn’t a lull in combat long enough to dwell on the thought. Reid’s detachment was to hold the minefield bottleneck while the marines would hold their flanks and Wolfe’s group of legionnaires would hold their rear and the gate opening. The second part of the defense proceeded when the carcasses of the GEOMs formed a decomposing barricade around the entrance; The Marines moved their foxholes forward to relieve the fatigued Black Ravens Third Company. Lord Knight Reid was out of breath, he had strained his limits fending off the GEOM waves and slewing them precisely to build the wall of bodies. He rallied to Wolfe’s group, also fatigued from the fighting.

“Fuckin Aboms Wolfe, “Reid rasped, inhaling deeply after, “With this much thrown at us on the fourth day we got here makes me think that we hit the mother lode and Intel really fucked up.”

Wolfe nodded his hand on his knees, “I know what you’re thinking Reid and I agree.” A whistling sound became evident at the battle field and Wolfe knew what it was right away.

“Retreat to the base!” He ordered.

The marines ran up the ropes they had prepared at the walls while the Black Ravens and the remaining marines ran back through the gates. It became unbearably hot, Wolfe made sure he was the last man to enter the gates and just as he looked back a great blue ball of organic bolts exploded on where they were standing before. The ensuing explosion knocked the defenders back and disintegrated both GEOMs and humans alike; dirt flew and body parts splattered at the walls.

As Wolfe recovered, he saw the carnage the simultaneous Firefly GEOM barrage had dealt. Half torsos of marines decorated the battlements so did severed human arms, memoirs of men who had not made it in time. A black and red, ten-foot deep crater was what had remained of their forward position and part of what was left of their makeshift wall of body parts dropped inside the crater. Most of the defenders was still recovering or disoriented when a flying wave of Hornets continued the assault. The GEOM attack was answered by the machine gun barrage of the Dune turrets, decimating the nest of hornets. The lone Dim fired a trio of rounds to kill two Aboms trying to enter the gate.

“Close the goddamn gate.” Wolfe ordered, getting on his feet.

The gate closed painfully slow, The Dunes provided covering fire as the marines and Black Hawks regrouped. The mortar pits provided what little artillery support they could before running out of shells.

One of the Dune machine guns swirled empty.

Wolfe felt a hand on his shoulder, Reid did not bother looking him as he spoke, “I know what you’re thinking buddy, this is going to be different.”

Wolfe looked at his wearied defenders and can’t help to think about the Lion’s Streaks Alpha Company and the first battalion he was assigned to---twice he had been the lone survivor. Wolfe gripped his rapier tighter and thought of the men and women that gave their lives selflessly for honor or humanity or for the soldier beside them. He can’t help to think that he might fail another one of his promises.

Do or Die.

Every soldier now looked at Lord Knight Wolfe, each waiting for his orders. He stared at each one of them; there was only half of Bravo Company left, Forty Black Ravens are still combat ready with regards with the circumstances and two of the Dunes still have ammunition. He heard distinct explosions towards the North-Eastern gate where Clarahart is leading the defense.

He patted Reid’s shoulder as he straightened himself; the creeping side-effect of Clara’s power was slowly overcoming his body.

“I don’t know about you but I’m not going to die easily from these pathetic pieces of shits.” He exclaimed, “Do or die boys!”

The soldiers shouted three Hoorahs then preceded to their battle positions. The Marines on the ramparts had ran out of ammo and had retreated behind the Dunes and drew their sabers. The legionnaires formed a concave shield wall formation around the thumping gate; a second line of marines who still had ammo formed another concave line behind the shield wall in attempt to cover the knights from aerial attacks.

“Steady-yu!” Reid jested, trying to uplift morale. Wolfe knew that Reid had reached his limit.

Wolfe and Reid stood at the bisecting point of the concave; he nodded at his fellow Lord Knight.

“Steady-yu!” The two shouted in unison.

A burst of light erupted as the South-Western burst open.

Wolfe waited for the forthcoming silence he knew so well.