Survivors Ch.3: Lockdown

Table of Contents https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/229522482/0/0 The City Guard was formed shortly after the creation of the Council, when it was decided that our defenses needed more structure. We are tasked with protecting the Tower and the Consensus, as well as organizing and overseeing the other soldiers' patrols inside and outside the City and sentry rotations on the Wall. Our symbol is the image of a shield with a sword standing behind it, printed in white on every member's chest-plate and shoulders. Incorporating the Eliksni's military titles, members of the City Guard are known as Captains. The title of Commander is given to the selected leader of the City Guard, who is currently Avery-20. The Commander has a special symbol printed on their armor, of a phoenix with its wings curled upward around the City Guard's emblem, all in red. The second and third in command, currently Noel and me, respectively, have the City Guard's emblem printed in red. Together, the top three City Guard members make up the Vanguard. The Eliksni half-jokingly refer to Noel and I as Barons, though Avery retains her title of Commander among them. With some exceptions in emergencies, only the third Vanguard member is normally allowed to go into combat. That's why I'm currently in the Cosmodrome, tramping over stones and shrubs, while Noel and Avery are in the Tower directing the lockdown. Dozens of Skiffs patrol the sky above us as we creep over the rocky landscape. We're all tense, checking behind every rock and in every cave. Some of the others have already encountered the Hive, and the rest of us are closing in on their territory. A day after my return, the Council agreed that pinning down the Hive would be our best strategy, and preparations began immediately. House Devils had already dug into the Cosmodrome, and they've been more or less keeping the infestation controlled. Now, the second day after my return, a ring has been formed from the Plaguelands to the Cosmodrome Wall. We've been steadily shrinking the circle, squeezing the Hive into one point and strengthening our ranks. The circle is made up of hundreds of crews of soldiers, each led by a Captain. Barons, Baronesses, and some of the more trusted Captains lead six crews apiece. I am leading six crews. I carry a scout rifle, with a rapier at my waist and a broadsword on my back. After befriending the Eliksni, humanity rediscovered the utility of swords. Rapiers were mass produced and distributed to all non-Eliksni soldiers. I got the broadsword from a Warlord in the early years of the City Age. Two Skiffs a short distance ahead of us drop out of line, disappearing behind a ridge. Two more break away and follow them as the sound of their cannons firing booms through the air. "That's about two hundred meters away," the Exo Captain next to me observes, "Should we send someone ahead?" I nod and answer, "Call up your crew. I'll lead." The Exo runs to the side and starts shouting for his crew's attention. I turn to the other five Captains and order, "Spread your crews out further. When you catch up to us, flank around my sides." The Captains disperse to their groups, and I move to the Exo's crew, who are condensing and speeding up. I meet the Exo in front of them and we set the pace to a brisk jog. Within a minute, we come over a crest and look down to see the fight. Hive are pouring out of a tunnel in the side of a hill to our left, swarming into the rocky area. Most of them are Thrall, but some Acolytes and Knights can be seen among them. The four Skiffs are keeping their distance, circling and fencing in the writhing mass. "Keep snipers on this ridge," I tell the Exo, "Everyone else move down and find cover. Swords in front." I bound down the rise, hearing others following close behind me. When I reach the bottom, I stop. Vandals and other blade-wielding warriors spread out to my sides as we find rocks and other barriers to hide behind. More soldiers scatter into cover behind us. "Tell them to fire at will," I call to the Exo, who is waiting nearby. He repeats my instructions on his comms, and bullets and Arc bolts begin soaring overhead. Dozens of the nearest Hive crumple and dissolve into ash before they have time to react. Then they turn their attention from the Skiffs to us and a spray of Void bolts answers our volley. Thrall madly dash towards us, fearless even as we mow them down in droves. But there are too many of them, and the mass of vile limbs is steadily getting closer. I aim at the Thrall that are closest, and Acolytes further away turn to ash as the snipers pick them off. One of the Skiffs darts over us. When its shadow passes over the Hive, shock mines drop on them, exploding and tearing holes in the horde. When the Thrall are mere meters away, I fasten the scout rifle onto my back with a click and unsheathe my rapier. As the first Thrall reach the base of the slope, I leap out from my cover along with the other sword bearers and cut down the leading Thrall. Their wall of claws meets our wall of steel, and piles of ash drop to our feet. I slash left and right, slicing through any of the twisted frames that come close. Projectiles shoot past me, killing enough Thrall to stop us from being overwhelmed. A few of the others get scratched, and some fall under the onslaught, but we stand our ground and the line doesn't break. A Knight lumbers into the Vandal on my left, beheading him with a swing from its massive blade. Bullets pepper its bony armor uselessly as it roars victoriously. The two closest soldiers, a Vandal and human, dive at it and hack at its armor. While it's distracted, I lunge forward and stab its left arm. It knocks me back and I crash into a Thrall. The Thrall claws at me and I spin, punching down into its head. By the time it hits the ground, I'm back behind the Knight, kicking the inside of its knee. The beast barely notices and cleaves down at the human. The human ducks to the side and the Vandal jumps at the Knight, stabbing through its throat. The Vandal tumbles down with the ashes and armor of the Knight, and I return my attention to the rest of the Hive. There are far less Thrall now, and most of them are getting shot before they make it to our line. Some Acolytes are still hiding and blasting at us, but the flow of bodies from the tunnel has stopped. I turn to take in my soldiers. The Thrall did some damage, and there are some dead, but almost everyone is alright. As I look up to the ridge, a crew led by an Eliksni Captain begins pouring over it and around our right flank. They run down, guns blazing, and start curving their path towards the tunnel. Looking to my right, I see the Exo Captain taking cover behind a rock. "Captain!" I instruct, getting his attention, "Tell the sword line to advance!" He gives me a thumbs up and repeats my orders to his crew. The line surges forward, plowing through the remaining Thrall and into the rocks just as the second crew crashes into the Hive's flank. Both groups quickly tear through the Hive, killing the last of them in seconds. I stay where I am and watch the spectacle, already planning what we'll do next. When everyone stops, having run out of enemies, I approach the Exo. "Leave half a crew and a Skiff here," I direct, "Get everyone else back in line with the circle. We can't fall behind." The Exo nods, then walks away with a sigh, "This is gonna be a long day..." I study the battlefield as the crews separate into their groups. Almost two dozen of our soldiers lay dead among the scattered ash and bone, a small but sad loss. This was just a short skirmish between small forces. The number of Hive will increase as we travel farther. My comms crackle to life, and Noel's voice chides, "I'm watching your camera feed, Keis. You better not be sleeping on the job." "You know I wouldn't do that," I reply, sheathing my rapier and striding to the crews' Captains. "Good," Noel chuckles, "That fight was way too short for you to be gettin' sleepy. All joking aside, the Hive are givin' us a lot of trouble. We've hit some problems near Skywatch and the surrounding area, so we've changed the plan. We can't plug up all the holes their coming out of, so we're gonna contain them in a bigger area than planned. I'll get you a list of the new borderlines. Any questions?" "No," I answer. "Happy hunting, then," Noel dismisses, "Give one of those Thrall a good hug for me, would ya?"