The vattaux mecha went from a slow walk to a stop. Alan got on the comms, “All groups report in if you are in your place.”

The channel was flooded with acknowledgments of eager Saru warriors. Alan listened and still felt a little off “being” a vattaux as apposed to his human self in a pilot seat. He had done this a few times and still it felt weird. Then there was his partner who controlled the thing with him. He could feel her presence in the machine, and not right next to him where her body was seated beside his which also felt weird, and good at the same time. It was confusing.

The mechanical beast closed it’s eyes and shook it’s head, in response to Alan’s thoughts.

“What’s wrong?” Sara asked.

“Nothing. I’m just still not used to piloting by being something I’m not.”

He could hear her laugh. “I kinda like it myself. There’s something primal about it. Gets me excited.”

The last straggling group finally reported as being in place. Alan got back on the comms, “Let’s get this party started just like we practiced. First group, send in the bait.”

Alan adjusted the map on his HUD to see the dots of movement. A large number of drones swarmed in from three directions towards the entrance of the mounded cave. He pulled up one of the sky camera drones that was circling to watch.

The small tank like drones rushed in like swarming insects. The dirt in the midst of where the outpost used to sit trembled. Just like they had seen before, a large turret thrust it’s way up from the ground. It was followed by three smaller turrets circled around the large one.

Blue weapons fire mixed with rockets from the drone tanks suddenly filled the area. The drones landed several hits that didn’t seem to do a lot.

Green laser fire also flooded the area in retaliation from the smaller turrets. The large turret spun and tracked one of the tank drones. Light grew in intensity from deep within the barrel before it discharged. The tank drone it hit exploded into small pieces that went flying.

The smaller turrets shot out rapid fire that didn’t hit near as hard. The large volley of hits made up for it as each turret pummeled each target. The Saru controlled drones were being lost left and right. The command was finally given, and tank drones attempted to pull back.

Alan watched the upgraded turrets eat through the drones. It wasn’t encouraging. “Bait was taken! Get those turrets.”

Alan heard what sounded like several thunders sound off. He watched as the heavy rounds hit the ground having been lobbed by the artillery. The turrets got pounded hard as dirt, sparks, and metal went flying. The two of the smaller turrets had stopped functioning. The large one was having issues with rotation. The other small turret was only firing sporadic shots as it twitched jarringly trying to track it’s target.

Some of the remaining drones had been hit too. Only about five drones remained of the hundred and twenty sent in. He had only figured to loose half of that.

“Another round!”

The thunder sounded again. Explosions erupted all around the turrets. They stopped firing. The remaining drones were still on the outskirts of range of the turrets. They slowed down and circled, waiting for more enemy fire. The majority of the dust settled revealing the turrets to be still.

“Send in the next round of bait drones.”

Alan accessed the camera of the lead drone that went charging in with reckless abandon. Alan communicated with Sara through the internal systems of the mecha, “You teach them to drive that way?”

“Har har, your very funny.”

The drone kicked up loose dirt as it spun left and right to dodge the multitude of small craters in the landscape. It got to the entrance of the artificial mound and slowed so the other drones could catch up.

Once the remaining four beat and battered drones were all at the entrance they moved in at a more controlled pace. They moved in through the artificial cave and then turned right at the end where a large ramp went downward. The ramp leveled out into a sort of vehicle bay.

Laser fire came at the drones from multiple directions. The drones returned fire. There wasn’t enough of them. One by one the drones went offline.

Alan considered what he saw. He thought for sure there would be more of the centipede and scorpion style vehicles in there. Not to mention the spider things. Perhaps they were hurting for more resources than he thought and they put what they had into those new turrets.

“Strike team, move in on either side of that mound. Drone team, deploy what you have left.”

“Alan, we only have fifty tank drones left! We practiced with at least a hundred!” the Saru drone leader said.

“I know. This is how battles go. Sometimes you have to improvise as you go.”

Alan moved the mecha vattaux through the forest towards the mound. Alan wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or not, that the tunnels had all been dug out more to accommodate the new Ungar which was slightly larger than a human.

If it were not for that, they wouldn’t be able to even fit into this place. It also meant there might be tunnels that only the Ustobo and Saru could fit in. Which could mean nasty surprises.

By the time Alan got their mecha parked, all the other Saru and what remained of the drones had arrived. The Saru piloting the ape like mecha disembarked as they were too big to enter. It was only the mini hover tanks and the saber cat mecha the could easily fit the scale of the tunnels.

Alan checked his weapons as Sara secured their mecha from intruders. Alan made his way towards the entrance. He also checked the readiness of his powered armor and made sure the small air tank that was equipped was topped off. Sara jogged to catch up as she checked over her armor and weapons as well.

When it looked like everyone around him was ready he have the hand signal to move in. The drones went first followed by the saber cat mecha. Alan and Sara went after them with the Saru spread out in small groups hot on their heels.

When they got to the entrance of the vehicle bay, the drone hover tanks spread out and engaged. The Saru warriors used the mini tanks as cover to assist, while Alan and Sara remained at the corner of the room taking shots from cover.

The room quickly filled with laser fire, explosions, and smoke. The fight barely lasted more than a minute. Alan watched and listened as the Saru moved in, executing any survivors with vengeance they could find. They seemed to be more aggressive than he remembered.

One of the Saru warriors lifted up a device to Alan as if asking. Alan nodded his head. The Saru went to one of the walls and attached the device to it. After hitting a small button, a tiny antenna emerged.

A saber cat along with a handful of Saru warriors got a large side door opened up. The saber cat leaped in and the Saru fired off their laser rifles into the room. Green bolts of energy occasionally came through the doorway, impacting on the walls and ceiling. Everyone in the vehicle bay instinctively ducked down and went for cover.

Alan growled. “HEY! You need to warn us before you breach another room! You could get someone out here killed by doing that!”

“Sorry boss,” an unfamiliar Saru voice giggled.

Other Saru moved in to help. As fast as it had started it was over. There too the Saru ran in and executed any survivors.

“Alan,” another excited Saru said, “we just found another small ramp that goes down from in this side room. It’s small, you won’t fit.”

“Does it have doors?”

“Yeah, metal ones.”

“Weld it shut. We don’t want them coming up from behind.”

“We do it!”

Alan heard the drone leader on the comms, “Alan, the relay is working. We are good to go!”

“Good to know. Hold on a moment.”

A couple of small groups of Saru warriors gathered at the only other entrance to the vehicle bay.

“Don’t open that door yet! We’re not ready!” Alan yelled.

A couple of the Saru looked back at Alan and gave him a thumbs up. Alan felt like a parent trying to corral kids in a arcade center.

Alan looked around the room. His eye caught one of the hover tanks had crashed into one of the Ustobo vehicles. The two metal frames mangled together and smoke drifted out of both of them.

On the other side of the room was another mini tank sitting motionless on the floor with a pool of oils forming under it. Heavy weapons fire had seared over a dozen holes in one side. The first five drones were also on the floor. It looked like the Ustobo had been making an attempt to drag them towards the side room which looked to serve as some sort of shop based on the tools he could see from where he stood.

Smoke from both sides of the room drifted up to the ceiling and migrated slowly up the ramp to the mound above. The sound of sizzling metal and flashing light from the welding that was taking place in the side room was coupled with the antsy movement of Saru warriors wanting to press on into battle they knew was coming.

“Door is welded shut!” a Saru hollered.

“Everyone gather up. We all move to the next area together.”

All of the remaining tank drones gathered in front of the doors with the saber cats behind them. The formations would be mostly the same. The hallway between the vehicle bay and what served as the barracks was only wide enough for the tanks to pair up in twos.

Alan could only imagine what was waiting for them on the other side of those double doors. Alan and the Saru warriors pressed up against the wall on either side of the heavy steel double doors.

Alan nodded at the giddy Saru that was practically shaking with excitement, waiting to activate the switch to the door. The Saru warrior slapped the button and then pulled up it’s small rifle to the ready position.

The pistons of the door hissed as compressed gas was released and the door began to split apart to the left and right. Red laser fire poured like heavy rain against the door as soon as the sound was heard. It felt like an eternity to all that were waiting for the doors to open enough to return fire, let alone move in.

Blue laser fire blazed through the air, the rockets being held off unless necessary. The hover tanks began to move forward as soon as there was enough clearance.

Alan glanced around the corner over the top of the mini tanks. Ustobo were scattered at what looked like random throughout the corridor. The mini tank cannons where working on blowing apart the makeshift mini walls the Ustobo had put up to take cover behind. From somewhere in the back, an anti-vehicle weapon fired off on the first tank on the left in the lineup.

The armor ruptured and the power generator exploded. The once floating tank dropped to the floor like a stone. The mini hover tank behind it attempted to climb over the downed tank. The nose of the tank pulled up and the thrusters maxed out to push it forward.

Another anti-vehicle shot fired off from someplace different. The explosive projectile hit the unarmored bottom. The power capacitor exploded unleashing raw power and shrapnel all around it. The tank tumbled forward and toward the middle of the corridor.

Another anti-vehicle shot went for the front tank on the right. It struck the downed tank in the middle of the corridor instead, further ripping open the metal as it exploded inside.

“Pull the tanks back!” Alan yelled. “We need to take out these Ustobo on foot before they plug up the corridor!”

The warrior Saru didn’t even wait for the tanks to completely pull out before rushing in. They used the downed tanks and what remained of the Ustobo barriers as cover and advanced forward. Alan followed and got prone as the mini tanks were not quite big enough to hide behind squatting down. Sara was using the doorway as cover to take as many shots as she could.

After several long minutes, the weapons fire died down. The corridor was filled with smoke. The occasional rifle blast could be heard as the Saru went around and executed any survivors. A third tank had been destroyed before it could get clear of the doors.

“We got them all!” a Saru called out.

“Sara, it looks like there are vents in the ceiling. Any chance you can get the smoke cleared out of here?”

“Already at a terminal working on it. Looks like they intentionally shutdown the ventilation system.”

“Figures,” Alan said as he surveyed the massive amount of debris scattered around the corridor. Four dead Saru had been picked up and taken back to the vehicle bay. Six seriously wounded were being helped out with them. “Saber cats, pull these destroyed tanks out of the corridor, and out of our way. Everyone else, get ready for the next room.”

Alan watched the last seriously wounded Saru warrior get carried out of the corridor. Doubts attempted to creep in as he wondered how many more would die because of his decisions. “Sara, go ahead and call for the first medical sled.”

One of the saber cat mecha had bitten down on the mini tank along the left wall and was tugging backwards, dragging it out.

The lights embedded in the steel beams the arched around the corridor cut out. Alan’s heart skipped a beat as he raised his weapon toward the unopened double door. The other Saru dived for cover, apparently thinking the same thing he was.

“Oops... wrong wire,” Sara said. The lights came back on. A low rumble then sounded and the smoke began to drift down to the floor where it was sucked up by exhaust vents, replaced by fresh air from the ceiling vents. “I think I got it!”

Alan looked back and saw Sara’s armored form peek around the wall. Alan nodded.

He looked at the second double door that lead to the Ustobo barracks. What images they get in the weeks before the assault showed it could house several hundreds of Ustobo creatures. Opening those doors might just kick the hornets nest of this whole place. He hoped that opening those doors wouldn’t turn out to be the end of them all.