A few months later, after the planned assassination of the Legion general, the Legion Commandos massively invaded several locations on different planets. The United Terran Republic struggled to maintain the constant barrage. The Greywolves, pushed out to the major conflicts to repel the attacks.
Several hundred innocent civilians lives were lost, among the UTR Marines trying to save as many people as possible. The Legion Commandos wanted blood – to avenge their fallen.
And the Greywolves were on top of their list.
And the Greywolves responded in kind.
Planet: Osiris VII – a massive UTR repair, supply, and logistics facility was based on this sunny arid planet. The Legion Commandos launched a major offensive to destroy UTR territory, hoping to draw out the Greywolves and their allies…
B-443 grasped the minigun off the ground from the destroyed armored personnel carrier, and activated the barrel warm up rotation switch, as the barrels whirled around the rotating wheel.
And then B-443 disengaged the safety device and pulled the trigger, unleashing a high rate of fire out of the six spinning barrels, the bullets flying into the oncoming assault of Legion Commandos.
“I am buying you time, Major Winters. I recommend a retreat protocol. I will stay.” B-443 spoke as he laid down extensive heavy fire onto the large assault force coming down on top of the Greywolves and the UTR Marines.
Major Winters was taking cover from a nearby damaged tank, her rifle in her hands.
“I’m not leaving you here, B!” she yelled.
Dozens of Legion Commandos were firing back at B-443, pelting his armor with laser and bullet nicks. B-443 never faltered or even took a step back as it kept firing the mini gun.
The minigun barrels became a bright orange color from the excessive heat being left behind, and was in danger of melting the barrels.
They were slowly being surrounded by the Legion.
3 and 4, the assault duo, popped up from the other destroyed personnel carrier. 4 mounted the .50 caliber machine gun and rocked the charging handle back to prepare to fire.
“Suppressive fire!” 4 yelled as he pushed on the butterfly trigger with both his thumbs as he grasped the handles of the weapon in both hands, rocking the heavy machine gun to fire upon the armored vehicles converging onto their position.
UTR Marines were engaging the Legion Commandos with what was left of their armored vehicles and heavy weapon systems. They were targeting the Legion’s armored vehicles to slow their advance.
“Spearhead 4 to Greywolf Actual, we have another armored squad coming up. We have armor piercing rounds onboard. We are prepared to make our last stand here. How copy, ma’am?”
Major Winters aimed down the sights of her rifle, pulling the trigger at anything that moved.
“Good copy Spearhead.” She yelled in reply as bullets whizzed by over her head.
“One hell of a fight, Winters.” Staff Sergeant Allyn was next to her, taking pop shots from behind cover.
“No shit.” Winters squatted down to reload her rifle.
One of the UTR fighter jets flew over, doing a strafe run with its Vulcan cannon spewing hot lead at a high rate.
“Nice run Raven 2, send it again.” 12 the communications specialist spoke into his headset.
“Roger Greywolf 12. Coming back around. Still have payload to deliver. How copy?” the pilot on the fighter jet requested.
“Drop the spicy Christmas presents off on the armor, we can handle the foot soldiers.” 12 replied back.
“Wilco. Take cover.” The pilot replied.
“Take fucking cover!” 12 yelled as he dove into the damaged armored personnel carrier.
B-443 stopped firing the melted mini gun and dropped it. Grabbing automatic pistols in each hand, B-443 continued to pelt as many Commandos as possible.
“B! Take cover!” Winters yelled over the cover she was behind.
“No need ma’am.” B-443 was focused on firing.
8, the chemical trooper was being treated for multiple wounds by 9, the medical specialist. The two of them were in what was left of a UTR barracks that were once full of UTR Marines.
The UTR fighter jet whizzed by with a blink of an eye, dropping two fuel bombs on top of the Legion armor and surrounding troops.
“Payload out, fire for effect Greywolf 12.” The pilot spoke.
“Waiting for splash.” 12 replied.
“It’s gonna get fucking hot!” Winters stayed down.
Then the bright flash of fire, following up with the heavy rumble from the ordnance that was dropped, started to incinerate the trees and grass that surrounded the area.
“Shazbot!” B-443 yelled as it dove to the ground in the dirt. “I always wanted to know what life was like from the perspective as an insect. Just not in this manner.”
The screams of burning Legion troops could be heard from their position.
“Splash, Raven 2. Thanks for the assist, keep the strafe runs up.” 12 replied.
“Good copy. Stay alive.” The pilot circled around and continued to lay down Vulcan cannon fire.
9 came out from the barracks, rifle in hand, hustled up to Staff Sergeant Allyn.
“Doc, what’s 8’s status?” Allyn looked.
“8 is KIA. He’s gone.” As 9 took cover with Staff Sergeant Allyn.
“Winters, did you catch that?” Allyn yelled.
“Negative.” Winters replied.
“8 is KIA.”
“Fuck! We need to get the fuck off this planet!”
“Shazbot!” B-443 yelled as a round hit dead center of the armored chest plate.
UTR Air Force took the skies, flying in their fighter jets to claim the air space. Busy dealing with enemy air assets as the ground force was being handled. The sounds of cannon fire and missiles being launched from their wings to terminate their targets could be heard as the battle raged on.
Raven 2, rolled left and pushed his thrusters on full blast, feeling minimal drag from his aircraft. Breaking the sound barrier, he armed his two fuel bombs.
“Take cover Greywolf Actual. I’m dropping more payload before I have to refuel and rearm.” Raven 2 spoke to 12, as his bomber aircraft thrusted over the crystal blue sunny skies as the fuel bombs unlatched themselves with the trigger of his throttle stick and flew past them at a high rate of speed.
The bombs fell at a fast rate of speed as they tumbled to the arid surface, baking the sand almost into glass shards as the heat incinerated enemy positions and personnel that were out in the open.
“Good copy Raven 2, come back asap!” Winters replied as she reloaded another magazine into her rifle after she dropped two more Legion Commandos.
“Wilco Greywolf, sit tight!” Raven 2 was out of the air space and went back to be properly refueled and rearmed.
“Okay people, we lost our Close Air Support, hold these assholes back!” Staff Sergeant Allyn yelled on the open channel with the UTR Marines and the Greywolves.
The UTR Marines were heavily engaging the armored carriers with their armor piercing rounds leaving a hot barre of their 25mm automatic weapon systems, plus a squad of Marines were mounted behind a couple functioning .50 Caliber Heavy Machine Gun nests.
“I need a fucking ammo can, 3!” 4 yelled louder than the bullets to 3, who dropped his rifle and grabbed olive drab green canisters full of .50 ammo, and hustled over to 4’s position.
Bullets whizzed by 3, ducking and diving to the ground to avoid becoming a casualty. He made his way to 4’s position and handed 4 the ammo cans to reload the massively hot .50 machine gun.
“Hot barrel change!” 3 grabbed the steaming hot barrel with his protective gloves and unscrewed it with speed and efficiency, as 4 covered for him with his automatic rifle to give him time.
After 3 slammed the barrel home, “4, you’re good! Keep up the pressure!” He hopped down off the carrier and picked up his rifle.
B-443 advanced forward into a squad of Legion Commandos. Dropping the automatic pistols that it carried, it resorted to close combat. B-443 was grabbing any Legion Warrior by their armor and tossing them like rag doll toys away from their position.
Punching and swinging with its heavy salvo gears and actuators, it whirred with violence and strength. One Warrior wasn’t as lucky to meet a quick death, as B-443 grabbed him and used him as a shield against a grenade that flew over. Throwing the Warrior on top of the grenade, and B-443 laid its heavy chassis on top, holding the Warrior in place as the grenade’s concussive blast absorbed flesh.
“B! Are you alright?” Winters advanced forward as the UTR Marines came up to provide hard cover with their vehicles.
“I have received damage, Major.” B-443.
The internal infrastructure had taken some damage.
B-443 tried to get up off of what was left of the Legion trooper and was unable to move the left leg attached to the hip actuators.
“I cannot lie, Major. My left hip and left leg actuator is damaged. Diagnostics are showing my tertiary power supply is also damaged and the fusion power cell is slowly becoming unstable.” B-443 crawled back on its belly behind the UTR Marine vehicle as the rounds continued to fire from the hot barrels.
Winters knelt down as the attack slowed and the UTR was gaining victory.
“Shit. Allyn, I need you.” Winters yelled as Allyn showed up.
“Help me pick him up.” Winters scrambled to pick B-443 up and get it to sit against the treads of the armored carrier. Allyn and Winters were successful in getting B-443 sitting up safely behind cover.
“I am not a male, Major. I have no robotic penis.” B-443 stated as Allyn smirked.
“Even in the face of death, B, you can still joke.” Allyn looked at the damage.
B-443 opened the chest chassis and reached in with the right hand, ripping out the fusion power cell that was damaged. Yanking it out with a few electrical pops along the way, it held it in the robotic fingers.
“This power cell will become unstable, causing a catastrophic explosion that can potentially eliminate all of us. I cannot allow this to happen. I estimate ten minutes before death.” B-443 stated.
“Fuck. What do we do?” Winters asked.
B-443 looked down at the fusion cell in its hand, looking at Winters and Allyn, and then back at its hand.
“We do not have much time. Help me get into a vehicle. I will drive far away with this, to minimize casualties to us, and maximize casualty to the Legion. This is the only way.” B-443 stated as a couple of sparks zapped out from the open chest chassis.
“That is a suicide mission that I don’t authorize, B!” Winters yelled as she looked into B-443’s electronic eyes.
“My protocol states to protect the Greywolves. I cannot fail.” B-443 looked.
“Fuck. There has to be another way. Can’t you just toss it and drive away fast enough?” Allyn asked.
“The moment it makes impact, I estimate not much time until the unstable matter accelerates and explodes. Please, get me to a vehicle.” B-443 stated.
“3, I need your help to get me up.” B-443 said as 3 heard the entire conversation over the internal communication channel.
3 helped up B-443 along with Staff Sergeant Allyn to put B-443 into the driver seat of an unarmored four wheeled jeep.
“Do you even know how to drive?” 3 asked.
“Of course. I am a robot. And my right leg and right hip can activate the accelerator and brakes.”
B-443 reached over and buckled the seatbelt.
“A seatbelt? Really B?” Allyn asked.
“Safety first.” B-443 replied with a slight robotic chuckle.
“So this is goodbye then, B?” Winters asked.
“Yes. I am afraid so. With luck, I may survive the blast. You will not. I must ensure your survival.” And B-443 immediately drove off across the desert, driving past craters from explosions, the bodies of UTR Marines, and Legion Commandos that were retreating or re engaging in the battle.
“The bravest son of a bitch in this hemisphere.” Staff Sergeant Allyn said as he watched the jeep bounce around and avoid being slowed by Legion Commandos.
“We need to hold this place a little bit longer, they are slowing their advance. Let’s keep it that way. And hopefully, we survive this…” Winters said as they re took their defensive positions behind armored vehicles.
* * *
B-443 swerved and dodged surprised Legion warriors firing on the jeep as the windshield was spider webbed.
Gripping the unstable fusion power cell in the right robotic hand, and holding the steering wheel with the left hand, pushing on the accelerator with the right foot.
The jeeps suspension absorbing the terrain with slight bounces as the tires spun on full speed, traversing through retreating waves of Commandos. The engine roared on all cylinders, like an unstoppable freight train down an unknown railroad. Plowing through running Commandos, not stopping nor slowing down.
There was a aircraft with its ramp down and door open, loading up Legion troops in the distance for a full scale retreat. Pushing the accelerator all the way down as mechanically possible, the jeep soared and closed the distance rapidly.
“Might be a good place to park.” B-443 saw the fusion cell in its hand began to leak, as it started to damage the metals around the fingers.
“Secondary Power is failing.” B-443 saw a diagnostic alert flash over its eyes.
“Almost there…..”
The view of the ramp was in front of B-443 as the wheels bounced up onto the ramp and into the cargo hold. The Commandos were firing on the jeep, not knowing what was about to happen.
As B-443 pulled the emergency brake, taking laser and bullet fire, “Mission completed.” B-443 said into the internal communication channel and started to squeeze the fusion power cell in its hand.
* * *
“Take cover! Get in the building! Now!!” Allyn yelled as the Greywolves and the remaining UTR Marines hustled down the stairs to get away from the fusion blast, and hurried down further into the basement levels.
The aircraft took off just after B-443’s jeep rode the ramp, and during its rapid and sharp acceleration to the blue skies, a quick white flash and a heavy whoosh was heard right before the aircraft exploded, sending waves of concussion from the fusion power cell exploding.
Story Time 