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The assault on the port was already underway, the fighting confined to the interior. As Dante theorized, Fallen Sky needed the port in one piece, but for just another outpost this was excessive. Thirty crew ships had forcibly docked all around, so the Albatross flew into its own private dock and sealed the area, “Alright. Two teams, Titus leads the ground assault, Jean leads the flank assault. Use the ducts and hidden walkways.”

“Where are you heading?” Titus was wearing a new prototype armor infused with Sere's own reflector shields. His shotgun was at the ready, his helmet on tight, and his stance would make any common soldier tremble.”

Dante was strapping on new gadgets to his boots, testing the bolts, and when he was satisfied he picked up his own SBR-024 and loaded a cartridge while Sere's Penetrator was fully repaired and loaded with piercing ammunition, “First, sorry about the days to come. Not what I want to happen.”

Miss Star shrugged, “Hey, you live or you die in this world. I'd prefer to be on the living side.”

Dante took in a lot of air through his nose and slowly exhaled through his mouth, “I'm going to kill a lot of Fallen Sky elites, maybe even Wendy. Angel, you keep in touch with the others, monitor the situation. Sere, be ready for repairs and alternate scenarios. The rest of you, move out.” Dante led Zero Unit into the main docking port for captains, and immediately took down four very surprised Fallen Sky soldiers. Communication was lax between their ships and soldiers, or more likely, “Sere, get in touch with Penteroth and Zed. Use their protocols while increasing our own security. Have them patch us in.”

A door, which looked much more like a safe vault, stood at the far end of the docks, “That's my goal. The rest of you keep a level head and think.” Dante ran off.

Titus pointed to a small duct, still large enough to fit a small adult and reachable through some acrobatic maneuvers, just above the exit into the main hall. Beyond the main hall gunfire was constant and loud, “Jean, you, Star, Jill, and Ratchet get up there. I'll take Chey, Cratis, and Victoria. We'll hold the front lines, you get into position as quietly as possible.”

Victoria took one last look at Dante, who easily opened the vault door and locked it behind himself, “On you, lieutenant.”

Titus took the lead and charged full speed, “Lieutenant Titus, Penteroth. I've informed our people that you've arrived. Hang a left up ahead and slide into cover. We've held back the brunt of their attack, but our people aren't trained fighters like you. We can't hold out much longer.”

“Got it. Send Jean a map of the ducts and if possible a path to a good flanking location. Everyone down!” Titus slid feet-first behind a metal barrier. As the Central Pavilion was the largest area, the builders used scrap to cut costs. The flooring just happened to be from a destroyed dreadnought's exterior, with steel plates meant to raise and reduce velocity. Bullet proof as well, “You! Who's leading the defense!” The frightened otter pointed a shaky hand at Dorset, the deer commander.

“Titus?! Where's Dante?! We need him right now!”

“Busy! What's the situation?!”

Dorset fired off suppressing fire, “Not great! Some injured, no dead yet. Runnin' low on ammo and Fallen Sky isn't!”

“Gaffer! Where are you?!”

The simple weasel chimed in over the radio, “Just waitin' in my ship, yeah? Got ta be ready for evac, yeah?”

“No, you and Zed's men are gonna storm a ship. We need ammunition bad! Get on in, they're crew ships.”

Penteroth spoke up, “The ship latched to sector 4 is the best target. It's the least occupied right now and most of the troops are on the port.”

“Chey! Explosives!”

She smirked behind her helmet, “I know, right?” She grabbed a rope, turned a knob of the black ball on the other end, and chucked it towards the Fallen Sky fortifications, “Boom fuckers!” A blue flame engulfed the soldiers as the modified explosive threw any person within twenty feet against the wall. The magnitized core held them in place making the survivors easy targets.

Gaffer sounded less confidant than ever, “Y-yeah... we'll get right on that... yeah...”

“Gaffer, do it or I revoke privileges for you and your sister. We're all in this together!”

Titus opened fire with slug rounds, “Where's Zed?! She'll listen!”

Dorcet fired a few more times, “Injured, got shot defending a few people. She'll pull through, but she's out of commission for now. Melissa is tending the wounded. We're short all around.”

Victoria focused on lobbing Chey's limitless explosives towards the enemy, “Titus, look at their formation.”

Titus took two quick peeks, “Fuck, they're not pressing the attack. Just holding. Look.”

Dorcet peered through a crack in the steel plating, “They haven't advanced past the center line.”

“What's on the other side?”

“Some residential, shops, and...” Dorcet went quiet.

“The core.” Penteroth sounded morbid, “If they're defending the core, that means they have a team down there already!”

“What's the core?!”

Dorcet emptied his magazine and reloaded, “Life support, gravity, thrusters, all of it.”

“I got a blip on the radar. Dante is down between the core and the hazard zone. He gave me an... unusual request. Told me not to repeat. Still, one man isn't enough. We have an... oh dear. The new Zero Unit is moving in.”

“Titus. In position.” Jean whispered.

Titus took stock, “Alright, on my mark, open fire until not moves. That goes for everyone on this channel. Ready? Light em' up!”

…........................................

“Garland, any word on communications being repaired?” Wendy asked her subordinate, “We need a sit rep.”

Garland shook his head, “No good. Every channel is blocked with static. We should be near the final checkpoint though. Keep your guns up.” The final corridor was approximately 100 yards in length and filled with pipes and wiring. A utility tunnel at best, especially when you know what lies at the very end.

“See the final room. Moving into position.” Six members of Zero Unit, in addition to Wendy, stormed the room. Large, rectangular, but otherwise blended in well. A few metal crates littered the room, “We seem to be in good shape.” The man with the minigun whispered.

“Alright, let's... oh god...”

The one-eyed human, Captain of the Albatross, most feared man in the galaxy and beyond, and Wendy's former commander. Dante stood at the other end of the room in casual clothing, combat boots, two holsters on his belt each with a common pistol, and a lollipop in his mouth.

Zero Unit scrambled for cover, “What's he doing here?! There isn't another access point!”

Garland nodded and attempted to hide his panic, “He wasn't here before us! The intel was good!”

“What is he even doing here?!” Wendy checked her rifle a few times over, “Everyone, no direct fire. His shielding will reflect your shots.” She ducked her head when Dante opened fire. He was hitting something, but her team was safe and sound, “What the fuck is he doing?!”

“Wendy! The fuel lines!”

Most ports were run with a central core that must always be powered for life support. However, other resources such as gas heating, afterburners, and general electrical needs were not a part of the functions. Therefore, ports would choose between two primary (more importantly, common and easy to obtain) auxiliary power sources. The first was solar. This was only possible in specific locations and often times couldn't sustain a large port. Usually just a few residents and a refueling station for merchant ships. The second was a fuel known for it's viscosity, heat, and burn time. Minimal refining and easy storage made it the best choice. A majority of civilian and merchant ships use the same fuel for general travel and power needs.

Dante fired a few more rounds, and the fuel which had poured into the room and the corridor behind Zero Unit ignited. The blue and white flames rapidly spiked the temperature of the room, “Everyone! Keep an eye on the target and your position! Argh!” Wendy's boot caught on fire and she was forced to put it out. The rubber melted instantly, “Call out!”

“Lost visual!” Garland was the first to contact.

“Get a visual immediately! Report in!” Five tones beeped into her radio, “Jenkins! Jenkins come in!” A helmet rolled just beyond the metal box Wendy was using, “Everyone! Fire at will! Any shadow! Any movement!” The command wasn't necessary, gunfire started from every direction. Dante was faster than he looked, but he wasn't that fast, “Make your shots count! We don't have long!”

The diversion up above aside, the flames were increasing the heat at a steady rate. Armor was designed to resist extreme temperatures, but even now the inside of Wendy's suit was well over 100 degrees. Another five minutes and it would be unbearable. Given the fact that their exit path was lined completely with flames instead of just pockets like Zero Unit's current position, another minute was all they could afford, , “Oh shit!”

“Garland? What is it-” Wendy didn't need an answer. The heat was one thing, but oxygen was burning rapidly. The armor they wore wasn't designed for low-oxygen conditions and as such held no reserve air. The plan was to gain control of the core THEN get oxygen before the shutdown. A minute was now a luxury.

“Gargh!”

Instincts took over, everyone poked their head out to see one of their comrades standing limp, a hand holding his rifle sticking out through the stomach. Before anyone could get over the shock, the rifle fired the remaining fifteen rounds into another Zero Unit member and then Dante, as impossible as it would seem, tossed the man up and kicked him hard enough to launch a metal box and Wendy's teammate against a flame-soaked wall. His screams of agony were enough to make Garland and Wendy want to retreat.

“Everyone! Fall back!” A third teammate tried to leave, but Dante was already on top of him. Wendy and Garland couldn't watch whatever this invulnerable monster was going to do to their friends. They ran as fast as they could through the 100 yards of hell stretched out before them.

Garland fell first, Wendy looked back just in time to see his armor finally melt away. He was the first friend Wendy made on her own, and now he was nothing. Her desire to escape was still greater than her desire to surrender, so she pushed on as fast as she could. Her boots melted away, her armor was nearly depleted, and her oxygen supply was nearing zero. Still, another few feet and she would be home free.

Whether or not she would survive past that was another story. That was up to the remaining crew on her ship.

…............................................

Dante stepped back towards the core, “Penteroth, cut the fuel lines. The core is safe. Six elites confirmed dead. One may have escaped.”

“Was she important? We have some fighters in that area that could hunt them down.”

“No. If she can survive, she's earned it. How is the fighting upstairs?”

“Well. The ambush and added firepower from your people was enough to break their defenses. Gaffer grew a pair and took two ships. We're just cleaning up.”

“Understood. I'll be up there shortly. Maintain watch on any movement in restricted areas. He retrieved his equipment and walked up through the hidden shaft. He left through the vault door and made his way to the Central Pavilion. His team was standing around while the residents made sure that no Fallen Sky soldier was left unaccounted for. After all, this was their home. They had a right to vengeance.

“Dante! You made it!” Ratchet was incredibly happy.

“There wasn't a doubt I wouldn't. Report.”

Dorset saluted, “Captured ten, the rest either fled or died here. We had a few casualties ourselves, but mostly injuries. No main hulls were damaged and nothing of significance to the functioning of the port was damaged.”

Ten Fallen Sky soldiers, helmets removed, were bound and kneeling in a row. Dante pulled his main pistol and walked the line, “Which one of you knows something of value.” He stopped on the far end, “Not you. Too green.” He took aim and shot the young man in the head. The other soldiers panicked at this point. They shouted and pleaded for mercy at the same time.

Dante walked a bit more and stopped behind one of the soldiers, “You're too tight lipped. Or maybe just too dumb.” He put one in that soldier's head as well.

“Captain Dante, these men might know something.” Dorset was practically pleading for his enemy's sake.

“I know something! I swear! Please don't kill me! Those freaks, the pointed ear smooth skins! They took Mira! Looking for someone! I swear, that's all we know!”

“Looking for me I bet. Good, I have a date with them. Unfortunately for you, there isn't any contact information. They'd find me sooner or later, so why keep you around?”

“Please! I'm supporting my family! I have a kid! A wife! My sister is sick! My mother has cancer!”

The begging fell on deaf ears, “I've heard it a million times. You chose this path, and you will see it through to the end. Consider this a favor.” He shot the man in the head, then the others in random order, “Dorcet, tend to the wounded and take stock. If we have two more ships, I want to know what they can do or what we can scrap.”

“What should we do?” Titus was clearly uneasy about Dante's actions, as were the other members of the Albatross.

“Tend to the wounded, take a moment to breathe. We're heading into hell soon enough, no need to rush. Be back on the Albatross in two days.” He pulled another lollipop from his pocket and started to eat it as Zero Unit dispersed.

Jill hung back for a moment, “Dante, we are here too, ya know? Don't try to take everything and everyone on yourself.”

“Appreciate the concern, but sometimes a leader has to make a mark.” He moved the candy around in his mouth, “You keep Chey safe, alright? Don't worry about me for a while.”

Jill turned and sighed, “I swear, you're more of a child than she is. I'm not letting you do anything stupid by yourself. So when you plan on doing something, you have to let me know too. I'll be sure to help out.”

“Fine. Now go and relax some.” Dante waited until the cat was out of earshot, “Sorry, Jill. Not making that promise.”

“Why not?” Melissa, the brightly colored yet nearly silent parrot, was behind Dante.

“You wouldn't understand. The galaxy needs a boogeyman, that's gonna be me. I'd rather not let my crew get themselves killed.”

She furrowed her brow, attempting to look angry but instead just looking adorable, “That's mean, I'm sure you can't be doing anything that bad.”

Dante chomped down on the lollipop, “I know what I'm going to be doing, drop the issue.”

“My job is gathering knowledge, I'd like to know.”

“Not saying.”

She huffed, “Well, at least you can help clean up.”

“Already did. Not to mention I'm the only reason anyone on this junk heap is alive. Now go and mind your own business.” Dante sounded angry, even if he didn't mean it. Melissa couldn't tell and nearly freaked out in public. She nodded quickly and speed walked away.

Dante pulled another lollipop from his pocket, “Something never before seen. I guess if anyone was gonna end all the conflict, it would be a psycho like me, the one-eyed human. Heh.” He looked at the bloody carnage all around him, “Gonna be fun.”