Inside the ship, we stood still inside our mechs, encased in iron gripping our large rifles. Other men like me stood awaiting our command.
"The soldiers are having issues breaching the front, despite having armored support and aerial support the enemy defenses are too fortified. From hastily made barricades, mg nests, artillery, anti air. Every single piece of equipment the military and leftover civilians managed to get to this final stronghold. The civilians in other cities fought back, no doubt the civilians here will fight till their last breath." Our commander explained. "Instead of an assault we have been ordered to be sent behind enemy lines, not only to distract but to weaken defenses from.....Another side, we expect them to notice our presence. With this in mind, our attempts at seeking negotiations of surrender have failed. We gave them a chance and they bastardized it, it's time to wipe out this planet for it's rejection of a better future. Now it will be a planet for us to mine, or one to form into a planetary stronghold for neighboring systems." We stood, understanding the plan he unfolded.
"Were here just for temporary support, which is why I'm discussing to all of you in here and not in an orbital dropship." The officer added.
The drop ramp descended down, revealing the brown wasteland down below. Beams of red to yellow ran across the battlefield, the defenders. Their fortifications, just a large black line on the dirt, behind them were clouds of smoke some getting more and more dark, artillery? most likely i thought to myself.
"The mechless down below are counting on us to break the deadlock, once we destroy this fierce resistance they will advance and we will escort them. Until either we reach the remaining cities or they finally surrender."
The battle down below raged on, our mechless brothers and sisters exchanged gunfire with the the enemy, the battlefield in the middle riddled with craters and corpses of both sides. We were far high up, a drop from here would most likely take a minute or two even with this heavy armor on. The horizon slowly moved, now directly below us is the back of the defense. After a few seconds of witnessing the chaos down below, my vision was hit with a flurry of bullets. Hitting the ship as well, causing me to move back from the ramp.
"Well guess they found us, were behind the defense line anyway. Team prepare to launch." Lumbering forward, our feet stomping on the ground in this ship, rounds kept hitting the ship doing little to no damage to it.
"May the fire of Ares burn inside of us, NOW!" We leapt out, hearing the wind as i fell. Going down to the ground.
"What is that?" A voice in the comms asked, looking down. A large vehicle moved until it was directly below us. It's cannon raised up, a small shockwave of dust surrounded the vehicle, it fired. Next to me a mech just like me, the head piece suddenly burst into flames as a ball of flame spawned from it, sending shrapnel everywhere and at me.
"DESCEND FASTER WE NEED TO TAKE IT OUT." Our officer in the comms shouted, it's a risky tactic, but thrusters may make me descend faster. The mech that was just next to me is now on fire, the head piece is now gone, and possibly the pilot is dead as well. The cannon fired another round, a large orb of light shot into the sky, approaching me, it missed. Grazing my left arm part. Looking behind though, it wasn't aimed for me, but another mech, it's pilot possibly having a similar fate befall him. Sky now littered with with shrapnel of the dead mechs, bullets flying high doing little damage accompany the shots of my cannons, i can barely see a thing from here.
"Were passing landing altitude, change positions." From my head facing the ground I shifted my legs to take the slam, my thrusters now slowing the descent. The cannon didn't stop it's bombardment, hitting the unlucky ones who jumped out too late.
This is it, any second now the ground will hit my feet, rifle now clenched tightly in hand I prepared to destroy that thing, to stop it's merciless firing. Free from the smoky cloudy sky, I'm now on the ground. Encircled by scattered crates, small camps, vehicles, artillery batteries, as well as soldiers. All stopped, shocked at my presence.
"MECH, SHOOT IT!" An enemy soldier screamed, following my landing, the surviving mechs just like me landed as well, wasting no time shooting around, hitting the miniscule sized soldiers. From instinct, i joined cutting them down, some charged directly at the vehicle, it's cannon slowly aiming down. I hope they reach it, soldiers lining up on all sides, their bodies became eviscerated, disappearing with just one shot from my rifle. A puddle of blood with chunks of flesh left in their place. Any who went too close, i stomped on them, making puddles of blood on the ground they once stood on. So many soldiers, killed in different range, by guns or our mechanical legs and arms.
"We got confirmation, it seems the enemy is now distracted by us. In a minute or two expect the stationed Phobos division to advance to this line, but by that time, our mission is not yet done for this planet."
Through the external audio processors, i can hear faint screams of many soldiers in the distance, getting ever more loud.
"They moved fast, this is only the start of our time on this planet, no doubt the remaining civilians will arm themselves at the city. The final city of this planet. The rest of our team is deploying while we speak." Our officer commented.
"Kill the remaining defenders." He ordered. I turn to the quickly made barricades, soldiers either fighting or staring at us in horror. Frozen in their spots. In a pull of a trigger, i turned their bodies into puddles. Puddle after puddle of blood, we reduced them into nothing, surviving soldiers fired hopelessly at me, one lf them fired an explosive projectile at me, causing no damage to my armor.
Just like that, a defense that held for hours to days or weeks. Destroyed in only a few seconds. Just in time, soldiers leapt over the barricades above, slowing their momentum realizing the barren defenses.
"Seems you cleared em out fast, we made decent progress with other areas but these defenders were more fierce. Now the city lies there." A soldier on the ground, dwarfed by the height of my mech, presumably the officer points in the distance. Far beyond destruction and broken roads or small military camps, a faint glimpse of the city's high rise buildings.
"We'll send in more reinforcements, units of Phobos legion check the camps for any survivors. Rummage and take any weapons, tech, or food you find." The officer ordered, putting a finger to his ear. Speaking into the comm link to his men.
"New orders from command, we are to move to the city, pick off any hidden defenses. The Phobos will follow behind us once they have taken everything in this camp." Our mech officer said. The battle wasn't yet over. We have one more order, march to the city to kill any defenders scattered from the defense line, maybe soak up damage from mines laid around on the path about to be taken.
Us mechs, after just minutes of quick rapid slaughter, marched by ourselves, alone, mechanical step making large foot prints on the asphalt and dirt.
"Carrier ships are deploying CAS and fighter hunters into the planet. Headed for the final stronghold, we need to get there faster." Our officer advised us.
It's been about 10 minutes of marching in a disorganized formation, overhead multiple spearhead fighters flew in the air, whirling around the sky above.
"Phobos contact again, they're finished taking whatever supplies left, perhaps take it to R&D for our soldiers. And of course, us Deimos legion. Right now they're heading to us on armored vehicles, we expect them in 5 minutes." He continued.
That final city is now closer than before, no longer sealed by the dusty wind of the atmosphere.
The distant revs of the engines behind our marching detachment, marking their presence behind us. At the back, lines of armored trucks and armored vehicles moved. Why didn't we just bring in more armored support like that? Then we wouldn't need to be here. Though that defense line however hastily created was quite sturdy, for defense.
Now the invading army is complete, mechanized support along with armored support moving behind.
What task do we do after this one I ponder. Invasion? defense? Whatever it is, I'll fight regardless for the emperor and my homeworld.
Closer we were to the city, its buildings getting higher and higher as we moved closer. This is it, their futile final stand. The consequence for refusing help by us. This world would have been more prosperous if they just accepted our help.