Launch Base Zone - Infiltration

[Gail Strafer]

The SWATbot piloting the aircraft held off its fire so it wouldn't hit its brethren by mistake. However, it quickly relayed a radio command to the bots down below as it rotated to get a clear shot.

"Attention, intruders flying above you. Fire at will."

A small group broke off from focusing on Chadin's bulldozer to engage Ji and Anu. The pair would soon find more laser blasts flashing through the air around them, this time coming from the SWATbots on the ground. It wouldn't be as accurate since they were only using small arms, but a lucky shot might take them down if they didn't take cover.

A SWATbot off in the distance emerged from the factory ship holding what looked like a big shoulder mounted rocket launcher. However, since the weapon was rather heavy, it would take a little time to get into position.

---

Gail exited the building at the other side, now considerably closer to the factory ship versus where he'd started. The wolf scanned the side of the massive structure for a way inside. The front boarding ramp was obviously out. But he thought he saw some ventilation ducts on the bottom to let fresh air in. Maybe he could jump up to get into one. That is...assuming he was up for jumping. This leg felt better but a jump might be pretty painful.

Before making his move, he decided to take one last look at how Chadin was doing before going inside. It wasn't hard to find the bulldozer again since it was such a big thing.

[Chadin]

My hands fell away from the controls in abject shock at those words. I couldn't believe it. But I didn't have time to dwell on it, because before I knew it, the chaos being covering my body began to spread. It slithered up my neck, slowly but methodically spreading across my face, down my muzzle and over my mouth and nose. It didn't bother spreading any higher. It didn't need to, it was told to drown me, and it had me right where it wanted me.

My eyes narrowed in fright, and I gagged on the water as it enveloped my mouth. I thrashed frantically at the water covering my face, but it was no use. Any water slapped off was just replaced by additional water. My frantic flailing was rapidly expending my oxygen. I couldn't breath. I can't even begin to describe how terrifying I felt. I was alone, and completely at the mercy of a creature utterly lacking in it. Only one other time had I felt so helpless and scared.

But in my panic and desperation, I never noticed my scars beginning to glow, and the Chaos Emerald shard within my pack begin to glow in answer.

I fell to the floor thrashing madly at an enemy I couldn't fight even as the darkness began to creep in. The controls of the large bulldozer were completely unattended. It was on a collision course with several of the delivery ships.

[Jijeka-Te]

(Anu) "That's enough! We've got to take cover, NOW!"

There was no way Anu was going to let himself and the Queen hang out in harm's way any longer. He grabbed Ji's arm and literally pulled her out of their position, heading for the nearest source of cover-- which happened to be Chadin's bulldozer. They didn't even notice yet that the deer was inside.

[Gail Strafer]

Pretty brazen move there...

Chadin looked like he was about to simply plow the bulldozers straight through all of those shuttles. But wouldn't that get him in the middle of the lake of fire now torching all those ships? Gail couldn't help but think something was wrong. It looked like Chadin was simply going in a straight line instead of strategically trying to hit anything.

Better go back and check.

Sighing, he turned back around, this time rushing back through the building the way he'd came to catch up to his friend.

[Chadin]

My lungs felt like they were on fire, my head spinning. It was becoming difficult, more like impossible to think clearly. In fact the only sensation I can distinctly say was becoming more and more heightened was my sense of fear and desperation. My scars started glow with even greater fervour than before, almost as if responding to my panic.

I just wanted out. I wanted to a breath of fresh air. I wanted to live... I didn't want to die. Just as my eyes started to flutter closed, something inside me... some primal urge surged forward. My eyes snapped open, but my pupils were invisible against the hellish blue-white light beaming out of them. My scars flashed to a bright glow; so bright in fact that they could even be faintly seen through my clothes. The glow would be visible even outside the bulldozer's cab.

Somehow I found the strength to rise to my hooves, my hands lifted high above. I couldn't hear my voice through the Chaos, but I somehow had enough strength in me scream defiantly at my opponent as electricity began to arch between the tines of my antlers. A huge surge of electricity poured out of my body while simultaneously a powerful gale erupted around me, trying to blow my watery opponent off of my body. Even the bulldozer itself began to spark with visible electricity.

[Jijeka-Te]

At first Anu was planning to take cover inside the driver's cabin of Chadin's bulldozer, but the MASSIVE burst of light that was coming from it all of a sudden made him change his mind. He maneuvered behind the cabin to take shelter instead. With any luck, whatever was causing that light (they didn't know it was Chadin) would make it impossible for anybody to take aim at them.

Ji had at some point pulled free, but still followed.

[Gail Strafer]

Gail leaned against the rough brick wall, as he watched an unusual sight. The cabin of the bulldozer glowed bright white, and even the metal around it appeared to crackle with a little electricity.

"What's going on in there?!"

However, the glow felt somewhat familiar. Gail wasn't sure, but during the last battle on the beach he thought he'd seen a few instances where the deer's scars had glowed the same color. Was this what happened if he let whatever power that was run free?

He clearly saw Ji and Anu on the vehicle and taking cover behind the cab. But they weren't doing anything to help. That caused the wolf to growl in frustration as he watched them just sit there. Their friend was in danger. They had to do something!

"JI! ANU! Get in there and help Chadin! The light is coming from him! Help him!"

Screaming out though earned him the attention of the SWATbots though, and they started opening fire on the building he was hiding in. He rapidly dived back into the building, going prone as laser blasts started pockmarking the walls all around him. Dust from the impacts quickly filled the air and made it hard to see, as he crawled into a crouching position beside him.

He still had that torn off SWATbot arm, so he gently leaned around the corner and started putting the two firing wires together to shoot off his own laser blasts. Two SWATbots went down, but the rest were descending upon him pretty rapidly.

[Chadin]

The Chaos being had no way to avoid the surge of electricity pouring out of my body, while the wind whipped around the inside of the cabin, blowing the Chaos off me like rain drops. It was an effective double whammy that left the Chaos in state of unconsciousness for such a creature.

Just as suddenly as the outburst occurred, I collapsed to the floor, coughing up water from my lungs. I felt like I'd run several marathons on a single breath, but I was breathing again; and boy did it feel good! Every muscle ached from excretion and from the after effects of the electricity. I could barely will my body to move. If Jii or Anu were to check inside the cabin they'd find me collapsed on the floor in a pool of water.

Unfortunately, the bulldozer, still driving along unattended had entered the burning pools of fuel. The burning fuel, mixed with soil had clung to the bulldozer's tracks, so now the tracks were burning. The track's greased bearings were starting to catch fire themselves, and the fire showed no sign of ceasing to spread from there.

[Jijeka-Te]

"Huh?!"

Neither Ji nor Anu had any idea what to think when Gail called to them. The light was coming from Chadin? How did that make sense?

Ji steeled herself and glided over the bulldozer's burning tracks to the driver's cabin, holding her breath so the gases wouldn't get to her. Anu followed.

They both landed on the bulldozer's hood, from where they could see in through the windshield.

(Ji) "Well. He was right."
(Anu) "We should get that deer out of there. Now."

[Gail Strafer]

Gail didn't realize it, but while he'd been battling the SWATbots he was also being flanked.

"Subject is hiding in the ruined building. Approach from behind and we can trap him from both sides."

"Acknowledged. Moving into position now."

On the other side of the ruined building, SWATbots started walking into the hole nearest the factory ship. In the meantime, the SWATbots right in front of the wolf continued to fire but made no real attempt to advance. They were just waiting for their comrades to get behind Gail.