The hum of the UOP battle ship's engines was the only sound Rae could hear as she stood in the cockpit of her small mech, preparing for deployment. Her hands gripped the control sticks, the interface coming to life as the systems blinked on one by one. She could feel the familiar pulse of her armor as it locked into place, the cool metal against her skin almost reassuring in its solidity. It was a comfort that would have to be enough.
Around her, the rest of the squad was readying their mechs, each one a hulking machine of destruction. The new stealth models were sleek and deadly, designed to blend into the darkness of space, giving them a chance to strike before being detected. Rae's own mech was no different—compact but deadly, built for both speed and power.
She glanced over at Jenna, who was busy running checks on her own unit. The air between them was thick with unspoken words. Both of them knew that this mission would not be like the others. This wasn't just a fight for territory or resources; this was about survival. The fate of the entire UOP fleet could hinge on what happened in the next few hours.
"Ready, Malik?" Jenna's voice crackled over the comms, her tone as calm as always.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Rae replied, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Good," Jenna responded. "Stick with the squad. Stay in formation. If we're lucky, we'll be able to sneak past the CMC's defenses. If not... well, we'll deal with that when it happens."
Rae's mech began to move, the hydraulics groaning slightly as it stepped forward. They were preparing to jump into the heart of enemy territory, a battlefield where every decision could mean life or death. The UOP had planned for the stealth advantage, but the CMC was no fool. They would have countermeasures, and the battle would quickly devolve into chaos.
The overhead lights dimmed as the ship's jump drives began to power up. Rae felt her body press against the seat as the ship accelerated into the void. The starlight outside the window blurred, turning into streaks of white as they broke the light barrier.
The comms crackled again, and General Armitage's voice filled the channel.
"Squads, prepare for deployment. We have one shot at this. Once we're out there, we engage on sight. There's no turning back."
Rae's breath caught in her throat as the countdown to their jump began. The ship's artificial gravity was shut off, and she felt the sensation of weightlessness take over for a moment. The anticipation was almost unbearable. She couldn't help but think about the cost of failure—too many good men and women had already fallen in this war. If she didn't make it out of this fight, it would be one less person to carry the weight.
"Five... four... three..." The countdown continued in her helmet's comms system, and Rae's grip tightened on the controls.
"Two... one... drop."
The world outside the cockpit exploded into chaos as the UOP battle fleet dropped out of warp and straight into the heart of CMC's territory. The battlefield was vast and void-like, filled with asteroid fields, broken wrecks from past skirmishes, and an almost eerie silence before all hell broke loose.
Explosions lit up the void as CMC ships and mechs began to react. Rae's squad was immediately launched into the thick of the fray, their stealth systems activated, blending them into the shadows of space. Her sensors picked up movement—hundreds of CMC mechs, much larger and more advanced than anything the UOP had at their disposal. They had the advantage in numbers and firepower, but Rae's heart beat faster. It was time to prove herself.
"Engage!" General Armitage's voice thundered through the comms, and Rae didn't hesitate. She shot forward, her mech rocketing through the battlefield as she locked onto a distant enemy target. Her systems lit up with enemy contacts, and the quiet, calculating side of her mind took over. Each move had to be precise. Each shot had to count.
The first CMC mech fell before it could even react, a clean shot to its power core disabling it completely. Rae's mech darted between the wreckage of exploded ships, using debris as cover as her squad continued their advance.
But the CMC wasn't backing down. Rae's sensors blared as enemy fire rained down. She twisted the control stick, narrowly dodging a salvo of missiles aimed at her position. The mechs around her were taking hits, but the new UOP stealth tech was working—most of the incoming fire was missing, though not all of it.
"Stay close, Malik!" Jenna's voice cut through the chaos, her own mech slicing through enemy lines with deadly precision.
Rae gritted her teeth, focusing on the fight. The CMC forces were starting to regroup, and she could see the edge of their superior numbers closing in. If they weren't careful, they would be overwhelmed. A massive CMC titan-class mech broke through the cloud of explosions, its colossal frame dwarfing everything in sight.
It locked eyes with Rae's mech.
"Brace for impact," Rae muttered to herself, even as her heart pounded in her chest. The titan-class mech raised its weapons, a deadly storm of firepower ready to be unleashed.
"Move!" Rae yelled into the comms, as she shot forward, hoping to close the distance before the massive mech could fire. She felt a surge of adrenaline as her engines roared, propelling her forward faster than ever before.
The battle had only just begun.