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51. Pandoran War, Aerial Battle
🕑 Added 2023-06-27 14:19:43 +0000 UTCFlying high within the giant floating rocks formation of the Hallelujah mountains were dozens upon dozens of aircraft, of which all armed to the teeth with the only exception of a spaceship used as a cargo ship.
It was the RDA force.
Their formation was spread out and ordered as they rapidly approached their destination, a massive Tree of Souls growing from a cradle of twisted stones structure as if those were the ribs cage of a since long dead behemoth of a creature. since long.
The entire area outside of the sound of rotor blades and motors was utterly silent too silent even. Not even a single living creature could be seen.
'Where are you hiding…', Colonel Quaritch wondered, his eyes surveying the outside, looking for any would-be Na'vi.
All from the security of the reinforced glass that his Dragon Assault Ship, of course. Nothing short of several moderately powerful rockets could hope to damage the glass, which was more of a type of transparent metal.
"This is Papa Dragon. I want this mission high and thighs. I want to be home for dinner.", Quaritch said through the intercom, his voice reaching everyone, even an individual not under him whose face was hidden by a metallic helmet painted with what appeared to be a white skull.
The entire formation lowered itself and the Colonel ordered the suits team, the ones piloting AMP suits, to go down and as well the infantry.
And that is what they did, the two biggest vehicles the one he was in and the Valkyrie discharged nearly the entirety of their land force while the rest was discharged by the Samson and Scorpion Gunship.
On the grounds men and women ran in formation, each with their personal exopack, an assault rifle, and the regular SecOps equipment with the few more original ones that had different types of firearms.
With them were giants of metals piloted by men and women, SecOps and civilians all armed to the teeth from big semi-automatic rifles rivaling and beating in power anti-tank rifles to oversized miniguns, blades, and chainsaws rivaling grown men in size.
Their heavy footsteps were felt and the sound of their hydraulic in their metallic limbs was heard by all close by, giving both a sense of security and danger.
Unknown to them a red tetrapteron was observing, it blinked as it received affirmation from 'Father'. The small metallic oval object in its armored claws was held higher, a creation of 'Father' named Micro Arachtek V1.0.
The bird then jumped off taking flight, in two seconds it arrived right in front of the closing trapdoor of the spaceship, the Valkyrie, a mastodon of metal capable of going in and out of orbit with ease all the while capable of moving thirty-five metric tons worth of cargo and all the while at speed rivaling and surpassing the fastest aircraft of the early 21st century.
It wasn't a machine of war, possessing no turrets or any weapons but it was still repurposed as such here, to carry tons and tons of explosives. Enough explosive to equate a nuclear warhead in sheer power.
The red tetrapteron stopped mid-air and let go of the hold it had on the metallic object, throwing it within the closing multiton metallic door as it landed with a soft clank within going noticed by none.
The bird then flew away but always kept its eyes on the ground force. None having seen the tetrapteron had suspected anything. After all, it's a regular alien bird, why pay more attention to it than necessary?
None even knew what it exactly was and even less that it looked weird compared to the norm of its species. So they didn't think much of it at all.
In the Valkyrie, six articulated metallic legs unfolded from the object thrown, and a small triangular head in possession of two low-quality cameras looked around, the Arachtek, it was small and looked like the native critters.
Its legs waved in the air before it flipped itself upright and rapidly crept toward the wall, a designated direction chosen.
Nobody in the ordered chaos of the Valkyrie took off and noticed the arthropod-like drone as it skittered with haste behind a control panel. A long articulated tail with a titanium drill head at the end of its body hidden until now came out and it did what it must do, it drilled a small hole within the alloy of the spaceship.
The drilling sound was muted by the ones coming off the motors as the drill went deep and it was enough that it literally popped off, taking a part of the tail with it.
But it revealed three silvery metallic tendrils that then entered into contact with the panel's internal system as it transferred a small influx of data in bursts before the battery ultimately ran out and the Arachtek shut down, its job was done and the one behind that controlled it smiled.
All of this took but forty seconds.
"Gun crews keep your head on a swivel, make no mistakes, people. They're out there.", the Colonel's calm and confident voice was heard by every one under him, even the ones on land.
He was patiently waiting for the moment he would be able to rain bullets and rockets down and above the native.
"All right people target's in sight. Range four clicks (4km or ~2.5 mi), Valkyrie-1-6 get your payload ready.", he ordered and got a positive response from the two pilots of the spaceship.
But a few seconds of silence later he got something from one of the two pilots that made him frown.
"The ramp refuses to open… Are you certain?", he asked for confirmation that the computer of the ship refused to let the ramp open, one of the few reasons for this would be if they were in the void of space and even then this was overruled with relative ease.
And his guts told him something was very, very, very wrong. What he didn't know precisely but something was.
They did several checkups before taking off, no technical problems should have happened, none like this. None of such importance. This wasn't normal but it was too late now and he realized this much.
"Break formation! Fire on sight at hostiles! We are getting attacked!", Quaritch barked orders in the microphone, surprising the pilot of the Dragon Assault Ship in front of him.
Yet all of the ones under him heard but up to the 's' of sight as if the entire radio was cut off but that was all.
The holoscreen switched from what they were to light blue hexagons and an elegant metallic lozenge with swirling energy in its middle, almost as if it was a well of gravity.
Confusion washed over everyone and it only increased as the communication system was forcefully taken over and none could communicate anymore.
And it only increased as a voice never heard before echoed within the ears of every RDA personnel in possession or close proximity of a radio.
"For all the ones listening. You have chosen your fate, bear the consequences of your own choices and actions.", the voice was deep, threatening, anger could be felt, no, not simple anger. It was cold with a modicum of hate and a great amount of disdain and disappointment added.
This blossomed even more confusion in all but the Colonel whose face twisted in both comprehension and incomprehension but was soon overtaken by fury.
"Who. And. What. The. Fuck. Are. You?", Quaritch asked in an authoritative tone, each word punctuated, he knew whatever caused this was listening and he was proven right the next instant.
"A stranded alien if you will... As for my name, I deem it irrelevant to tell you. You can thank Dr. Max Patel and your actions for your current predicament. You wished for blood and death and that is precisely what you will obtain.", the voice said frigidly but before the Colonel had the time to process what was said his eyes locked above.
Several hundred Na'vi, each riding banshee, were diving at them with fervor; their battle cry would have been heard for kilometers around if not for the overpowering sound of motors at work, each armed with a bow and arrow.
A fact that amused the Colonel but another creature stood out, similar in body shape as the banshee but massive and of a flamboyant red. The one riding it, known to him.
But that amusement vanished as a Na'vi shot and the rotor blades of the Samson at the lead exploded, the first shot of many, this caused the aircraft to spiral uncontrollably downward until it slammed against a floating boulder and exploded with every missile it had, creating a vast blast and shockwave. Killing the crew inside.
The militias were brought back from their stupors at that, and what followed was chaos. The RDA force, even as currently disorganized as they were, their only method of communication cut off, and with no possession of where and how many enemies they are, were for most experienced war veterans and as such came back to their senses.
A male Na'vi on his banshee dived with the hundreds of others, the Toruk Makto at his side giving him strength and courage. It was he who shot the first metal bird, he was a warrior of the Omatikaya.
He exclaimed his war cry loud and clear adding to the chorus, eyes wild he took another arrow, this time as normal as the Lost Child could but give a few to the aptest at bowmanship but before he could even take a firing position a missile moving at the speed of sound flew right through the head of his banshee.
The Na'vi brains didn't have the time to process the death of the creature it was intimately connected to as it was shredded apart by the same missile whose course ended forty meters above as it exploded and caused the death of five more in a fiery explosion.
All felt their skin, eyes, and more burns with that of their mounts before nothingness call them, they died but in an instant while their Souls and Minds were collected by the Tree of Souls in the farther distance.
It was but the beginning, and only the aerial part of it.
Rockets, bullets, arrows, and explosive arrows started to be exchanged between both sides bringing death to both, but one side had a clear advantage.
Regular arrows bounced off without harming the aircraft, be it their windshield and or metallic armor, banshee and their riders were killed, blood, limbs, organs, and more raining down if shot down or became charred fragmented bones if lucky when blown away by missiles.
But the RDA wasn't unscathed either, dozens of their lighter aircraft had been blown off, gun crews atop the Valkyrie and Dragon Assault Ship having no small amount of their number, their body impaled and if not killed instantly.
The slinth venom imbued on the arrowhead did the rest, paralyzing the skeletal muscles such as the diaphragm and giving the impression of having boiling water in your veins, it promised and gave an agonizing death.
The Toruk Makto, Jake ordered his mount to fly down, the beast used its lower legs and outstretched claws to grab the tail of a Scorpion Gunship.
Using its momentum the Toruk threw the comparatively diminutive aircraft at a Samson as if it was a mere toy, causing both to explode on impact, killing whoever was inside in the process to then only repeat to the next aircraft.
But doing this didn't come without a price, even if it was expected.
"Fuck!", Jake cursed, pain from his mount traveling through his own brain with their link, the Great Leonopteryx was not faster than bullets, its massive body of similar color to flame making it a large and obvious target aside from the threat it represented.
Its great agility and speed in the air with Jake at the rein were enough for them to anticipate and dodge missiles but not much more, the Great Leonopteryx's body was as such riddled with small bullet holes, all minor wounds but they accumulated. Each causes Jake to either hiss in pain or curse.
He locked eyes with his mate, Neytiri, and both nodded at one another, he moved toward the Dragon Assault Ship while she gracefully flew up shooting one of the two last explosive arrows at two Scorpion Gunships too close to one another, the explosion destroys ones the left one rotor that then swayed and crashed on the others, dooming both.
She dipped down, then flew high and barellroled, avoiding a constant salvo of bullets from a woman at the turret of a Samson, Neytiri switched for a normal arrow, and while still in air action fired, there was half a second were the arrow flew in the air before it hit true.
It speared the human woman's head and continued with still as much kinetic energy toward the gunner on the other side. The arrow embedded itself with his shoulder, going almost completely threw, and damaging the rope that was here to keep them from falling in the process.
He cried in shock, terror, and agony as he was shoved forward in the air, he fell until the rope came in help and he hung above the void like a broken pinata by a few threads that were holding for all their worth.
The body of the woman pressed on him, causing the wound to twist and bleed while the blood, skull fragment, and brain matter of the civilian minor dripped on his head.
The venom had already taken effect and only wheeze escaped his mouth as the earlier words from the unknown individual he scoffed at from the radio was all he could think of with the abject horror of his imminent demise.
This man wasn't a unique case, far from it but alas it was too late, way too late for any sort of second chance. Only regret, though if that regret is toward their actions or something different is up to the individuals. Not that their opinion or feeling mattered.
The sound of wings beating, clicking, sheltering, and high-pitched squealing resonated in the hundreds of hectares around, overpowering even explosions in their cacophony.
Then the lights of the two suns disappeared over several hectares of the battlefield and it for one moment paused, a strange presence infiltrating the air, a presence that had brought different reactions.
From all sides in the earlier blue sky came long black trails of kilometers in length, they moved toward a spiraling and rapidly approaching and growing cloud above them.
"A thunderstorm…", the pilot of the Dragon Assault Ship mumbled in an almost trance-like state, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end.
"No son, it isn't. Listen to the sound from the mics outside. It's a swarm of those bats… A big one.", Quaritch said, trying to keep his composure, trying to keep the rage and excitement down.
The fact that death was a possibility didn't faze him, he was old and in a few more years he would become a completely useless bedridden bag of skins and bones. And dying in such a way was something he refused.
He was going to kill the man who is responsible for this, be it Jake or the mysterious individual. Either way, he was going to go down in his AMP suit.
Comments
THE SAVAGE KITTY
i dont think thats gonna happen he only hacked the air crafts not the mech suits as those use a mostly isolated system. hence why they didnt have the footage of quaritches death until navi quaritch found the mech suit
Spirit Stones
It would be funny if he got in his suit, dropped down and then oxygen equipment failed, ty for chapter, more pls
THE SAVAGE KITTY
Ok i know i shouldn't be excited for a war but i cant wait for Liam to kick ass. Liam is going to kick quarichtes ass and im here for it.
