Durgama Takeover

The battle was joined in earnest once forward units had confirmed the arrival of the EI aspect and its retinue. The techno-organic supersoldier in question was quickly identified as a Charontid, the equivalent of a command center and small tank rolled into one deadly package. Even worse, this particular version sported a sinister-looking plasma rifle, glowing with eldritch power, and a Voodootech visor that could detect and identify hidden enemy units in a fraction of a second. He was flanked by a Kaitok bodyguard that began to indiscriminately fire a breaker rifle, no doubt laying down a thick layer of suppressive fire to cover their advance. Deep in the bowls of a cargo bay, a Tyrok hunter began to stalk its way towards the Kosmoflot position.

Perhaps no-one had warned Corporal Uxia McNeil of the Charontid's reputation, or perhaps she just didn't care about it. Either way, the lunatic had managed to burst of out hiding within arm's length of the Charontid, deep into enemy territory, without being found out. Letting out a battle cry, the Caledonian nimbly somersaulted past the Charontid, fixing an explosive charge to its chest while twirling through midair, landing back in a crouching run. The enemy commander disappeared a moment later in a gout of flame, jet-black fragments of alien armor careering through the air. The mission was off to a great start.

The explosion propelled her forward, building her momentum as she moved like a guided missile. Uxia ran to her next target - the Kaitok, and charged directly for it. The Morat attempted to turn a moment too slow, and was rewarded with a twin pair of detonated explosive charges for his efforts.

Across the station, the Unknown Ranger and his Varangians began to pick their way through the station's corridors, searching for enemy infiltrators. As they opened the first door, a Rokot holding a shotgun waited inside. He beckoned them into the room, asking for covering fire to advance into the next hold. The Ranger pointed his weapon square at the soldier, barking out the friend-or-foe code phrase they had been taught to defend against Shasvastii impersonators.

"WHAT DOES THE FOX SAY?"

The Rokot stammered for a second, nervously eyeing the Molotok-pattern spitfire leveled at his chest. "Uh, it uh, it says 'Outside there are two wolves.'" The Ranger paused, then gave a curt nod and approached the doorway. A Varangian walked into the room first, eyeing the Rokot up and down, chain rifle held with an air of feigned carelessness. He addressed him in a thick Caledonian accent.

"Ach, an' you're Grigor then? Fuckin' hell ye look like shite!" he began, walking closer to the Rokot, "-especially since ah know he's been dead fer two bloody hours!" The Varangian snarled, loosing a blast of his chain rifle at the friendly soldier. The Rokot's face, frozen in fear, split into four fleshy tendrils that swung laterally from the center of his face, peeling open like a xenoform flower. The Speculo beneath scowled at the Varangian with hate, diving sideways while unloading a spray of shotgun flechettes in return. The Ariadnan's chest blossomed with fresh wounds from the hit, almost certainly fatally. The berzerker, kept alive for moments through force of will and hatred, loosed a primal yell as he brandished a Tesium-treated axe, charging the Shasvastii and chopping madly at its torso. He hacked halfway into the alien's side as the last of his strength gave out, falling down to the floor dead.

The alien counterattack began suddenly and brutally. Outside the station, the moonwalking Bearpode stopped outside a door and sniffed at the air. Smelling only the inside of his respirator, the Bearpode was caught completely unaware when the shimmering air in front of him produced the lithe form of a Sphinx. It materialized before the Ariadnan beast, strafing backwards in Zero-G while firing a long burst from its spitfire. The Bearpode died immediately, the impact of the attack pushing his body away from the station and into the blackness of space. Things had just become substantially more complicated.

Mirage-5 parachuted to support, landing to either side of the Sphinx to attack it from both ends. Margot, her aim faltering just slightly, fired at the back of the TAG she had flanked but missed every shot. It spun around instantly, critically wounding her in return with another burst of the spitfire. Duroc managed to crash into the Sphinx a moment later, hacking at it with his massive blade. Duroc managed to land a solid blow to the TAG, his sword embedding in the robot's shoulder. In return, it raised its weapon and enveloped Duroc in a gout of flame, burning him severely.

The once-downed Speculo, his flesh knitting back together silently on the ground, burst back to its feet and broke into a sprint. Newly alive thanks to its regenerative physiology, the alien dove and slid across the hold while dodging the combined fire of the Unknown Ranger and the remaining Varangian. While landing from a mad dive to cover, a Varangian's chain rifle finally caught him in a fiery-red web that brought it down for good. Without a word, the Ranger and Varangian continued their advance to the cargo holds.

Just on the other side of the bulkhead, the Tyrok hunter crashed into an SAS operative. The two briefly scuffled before the Morat hunter swung his trench-hammer in a quick arc, the force of the impact blowing the human's torso apart in a single strike. At that same time, a nearby door hissed open to admit the Ranger. He loosed a shot at the Tyrok, landing a solid hit but not outright killing it. Rather than return fire, the Morat instead turned and began to charge towards the airlock. On his singleminded sprint to the door, the Tyrok managed to collide with an unlucky Rokot that had stumbled into his path. Howling with savage fury, the ape killed the man in the same spectacular fashion as he had the SAS. Continuing his cry, the Tyrok opened the door and dove into the blackness of space. His short journey brought him directly into Duroc's back, where he clung to the Dog-Warrior in a death grip.

The Tyrok drew a wicked blade from a ceremonial sheath, and plunged it into Duroc's neck. The two dying beasts, entangled together, were pushed carelessly away by the Sphinx. The TAG took up a position outside the airlock, clinging to the station with clawlike feet and scanning the void for approaching threats.

Inside the station, the Polaris Team sprung into action. The remaining Bearpode, guided by his handler, took off in a bounding run towards the enemy lines. He climbed a building in front of him, vaulting over the edge and firing two blasts of chain rifle into a nearby Zerat. He shrugged off the flamethrower that was fired in return, completely unharmed. Turning sharply left, the Bearpode then broke out in a dead sprint towards the airlock. The monstrous were-soldier hurled himself out into the void, trench-hammer held in both hands.

He swung madly at the Sphinx, landing a deadly blow with his hammer that obliterated the TAG where it stood.

As soon as it had all started, it was done. The station had held, and the enemy advance had been completely annihilated. Nadya breathed a shaky sigh of relief, processing the carnage of the moment, before beaming at a job well done.