Leading a squad of eleven Kumihos is no easy task, but Mandi relished the responsibility of carrying that firepower.
“Captain, we see drop pods incoming, avoid them!” shouted Bautista over the radio.
The drop pods never seemed to end and worse, they not only revealed infantry and tanks, but also Griffin and Lancelot mech suits of all forms.
“This is not a special operation! This is a goddamn invasion! Fire at will!”
Everyone was just shooting at the sky, trying to prevent their enemies to get a drop site. However, precise missile strikes from the gray drop ships neutralized the air defenses one by one.
Mandi’s face started to lose its color as he saw the green shield blips disappearing from his HUD display.
“Keep on firing! Do not falter comrades!”
However, despite their best efforts, the drop pods were able to come in significant numbers, creating two dropsites in the north and the south of the base. He knew that they would be able to expand soon at the rate that they were reinforcing their troops.
After a while, Mandi noticed the markings of the robots on his camera.
“XO, could you please find out the markings through AEGIS?”
“Very good, sir.”
AEGIS is an electronic database that allows soldiers like Mandi and Bautista to determine the order of battle in an engagement.
“This is going to be one hot fight, sir!” exclaimed Lieutenant 2nd Class Rogelio Cuevas, who was a part of Mandi’s team.
“Yes, Cuevas, it is indeed. Now focus on hitting those drop pods!”
“Affirmative, sir!”
The Lancelot is a beast with a gray façade, supported by lines of red and black. Some of them had military camo plating, while others were equipped with reactive armor, in addition to their existing armor plate and energy shields. While it was slow, its firepower ensured that its enemies would turn into heaps of scrap, ready for sale to the junk shop before long.
Meanwhile, the Griffin was a sleek, brown mech suit with two medium and light hardpoints made sure that it would be able to wipe out its opposite numbers in record time. Its scarred features indicate that it was a veteran of numerous battles.
“Gentlemen, everyone knows their role here. Target the Griffins first!”
The Griffin is known to be a glass cannon due to its soft armor and low durability in comparison to other heavy robots in the field. However, it is also the most advanced robot that the Trans-Atlantic Federation’s arsenal.
“Markings confirmed, Captain! It’s the elite 115th Independent Mobile Strike Force of the Federation!”
“I’ll be damned!”
“That’s correct, sir.”
“Very well, we should hold the complex at all costs!”
A group of four Griffins quickly took positions above them, carrying Pins and Tulumbas.
“Ridiculous! Advance towards them!”
Mandi’s squad was mostly equipped with Orkans, which were designed for distances up to 300 meters. The Pins and Tulumbas could hit them from 500 meters and although they had less damage, they could hit hard thanks to their airburst firing systems.
“Let’s take the fight to them!”
With their dashes, they came into range. However, the Griffins jumped back.
Mandi looked at his right and saw three Tarancilots shooting plasma projectiles at them.
“Fall back!”
One Kumiho exploded, creating a fireball of yellow, orange and red. It felt as if the sun was angry and burst out of its room.
“Gentlemen! Fall back!”
While his pilot was safe, the Kumiho was gone…and Mandi knew how expensive the robot was.
Still, they kept on fighting even as their enemy expanded their drop zones.
