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Chapter 16: Risk We Had to Take – Part 7
Final Battle
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Sergeant Randy and his team finally reached the radio station, where Sergeant Elsie Lee and the remaining royal guards had been protecting Princess Aurora. The old building was damaged from years of abandonment, its walls cracked and power barely functioning, but for the moment it had kept them alive. Elsie lowered her rifle slightly as Randy entered the room with Ghost, Kevin, Kayla, and Wolf behind him.
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“Thank you for helping us,” Sergeant Elsie Lee said with relief in her voice.
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“You’re welcome,” Randy replied before turning toward Kayla. “Kayla, check on the princess.”
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“Copy that,” Kayla answered as she moved toward Aurora, activating her medic drone to scan for injuries.
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Randy looked back at Elsie. “So what’s the next plan to get out of here?”
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Elsie motioned toward a young man surrounded by holographic screens projected from a glowing gauntlet attached to his arm. Sparks flickered across the interface while cables connected to the station’s dead systems. “Michael,” she called out, “need you over here.”
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Michael stepped closer, his fingers moving rapidly across the floating controls. Through rerouted power and improvised wiring, he had somehow restored portions of the station’s systems, enough to bring security cameras and city maps online again.
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“This is Michael,” Elsie explained. “He’s the one using the gauntlet.”
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Randy nodded. “So what’s your plan to get us out?”
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Michael expanded a holographic map of the city. “We’ve got three options. Option one: the old factory district. Problem is, it’s two miles away. We don’t have enough time to reach it before getting surrounded. Option two: the Empire State Building. Plenty of room, but too many open flanks. We don’t have enough people to defend all sides.” He zoomed in on another section of the city. “Option three: the block. Liquor store, bail bonds office, central apartment complex, and surrounding houses. Tight streets. Limited flank routes. Better defensive position.”
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Randy studied the map carefully before nodding. “That means we can box them in and force them to attack us head-on.”
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Kevin smirked. “And once we get there, we set traps.”
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“Good idea,” Randy replied. He turned toward Elsie. “Get the princess and the rest of your people together. We move now.”
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“Understood,” Elsie answered.
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Far across the ruined city, Demarion Walker stood inside his command post, staring at the silence on his tactical display. No reports. No communication from the battalions stationed around the radio station. Something felt wrong.
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Demarion narrowed his eyes. “Prepare a squad. We move out.”
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Minutes later, he and Zalen Daronte arrived at Broken Structures Street. Dead battalion troopers littered the road, their armor shattered by precision attacks. Demarion slowly looked toward the radio station in the distance.
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“Something’s wrong, sir,” Zalen muttered.
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“The Division was here,” Demarion growled. “Give me the map.”
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Zalen handed him a holographic display.
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Demarion scanned possible routes. “Not the docks… not the factory…” His eyes widened slightly. “Wait. The block.” He looked directly at Zalen. “That’s where they’re going.”
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“What are your orders, sir?”
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“I want five battalions and heavy weapon support sent to that location immediately.”
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“Yes, sir.”
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Demarion clenched his fist tightly. He knew this was his final opportunity to capture Princess Aurora.
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The block was silent when Randy’s forces arrived. Broken storefronts and abandoned apartments surrounded narrow streets that created natural choke points. It was exactly the kind of battlefield Randy wanted.
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“Kevin and Wolf, set traps around the area,” Randy ordered. “Kayla, keep your medic drone close. Ghost, assist Sergeant Elsie’s team.”
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“Copy,” they answered together.
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Elsie turned toward her soldiers. “Johnny Austin, stay with Princess Aurora.”
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“Copy that,” Johnny replied, positioning himself beside the princess.
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“Me and Kevin finished setting all the traps,” Wolf reported a few minutes later.
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“Good,” Randy answered. “Wolf, set up your light machine gun overlooking the main street. If they push forward, gun them down.”
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“Copy.”
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“Kevin, Kayla, with me. We’ll take position in that house.”
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Elsie checked her own squad. “Nicholas, Michael, ready?”
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“Yes,” they answered firmly.
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Randy activated his comms. “Command Center, this is Sergeant Randy. We have Princess Aurora and surviving royal guards secure. Requesting extraction.”
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Commander Thorne’s voice came through the static. “Copy that. Battleship is on standby. ETA seven minutes.”
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“Copy.”
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Randy looked at Elsie. “Extraction arrives in seven minutes.”
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Elsie took a deep breath and loaded her rifle. “Then we hold for seven minutes.”
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Outside the block, Demarion Walker and Zalen Daronte observed the area from behind ruined vehicles.
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“You see them?” Zalen asked.
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“No,” Demarion replied coldly. “But they’re there somewhere. Let’s draw them out.” He raised his hand. “Send in the first wave.”
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Battalion troopers charged into the streets fearlessly—
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Then explosions erupted beneath them.
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Trap after trap detonated, throwing armored soldiers through the air. Before the survivors could recover, a storm of gunfire ripped through the smoke-filled streets. The first wave was slaughtered within seconds.
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“The first wave is gone!” a trooper shouted in panic.
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Demarion’s eyes narrowed. “Second wave. Move.”
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This time the battalion advanced more carefully, but thick smoke suddenly covered Randy’s defensive positions. Troopers fired blindly while more hidden explosives detonated around them. Several soldiers managed to breach one of the houses, only for another trap to explode inside the doorway, killing two instantly and stunning the others.
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Ghost emerged from the darkness like a phantom and eliminated the remaining troopers before disappearing again.
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“The second wave is down,” Zalen reported uneasily.
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Demarion growled. “They prepared more traps than expected… and they’re using smoke to hide firing positions.” He pointed toward the battlefield. “Find another flank route.”
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“Yes, sir.”
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Heavy armored vehicles soon rolled into the streets, shielding advancing battalions behind reinforced plating.
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“Stay behind the armor!” commanders shouted.
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The third wave advanced under vehicle protection—
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Then massive explosions erupted beneath the armored carriers, destroying them and killing dozens of troops. Burning wreckage blocked the streets while survivors stumbled forward into another storm of bullets.
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“Sergeant Randy,” Kevin called out, “we only have two smoke grenades left. Once they clear, they’ll see our positions.”
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“Then prepare the Deployable Magshield.”
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“Copy.”
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Commander Thorne contacted them again. “Battleship arrival in five minutes.”
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“Understood.”
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Inside the defensive line, Johnny Austin crouched beside Princess Aurora. “Stay low, Princess. You’re gonna be okay.”
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Aurora nodded nervously. “Okay…”
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As enemy gunfire intensified, Kevin slammed his gadget into the ground. A glowing blue Magshield expanded outward, blocking incoming fire while Randy and Elsie’s forces shot safely through the barrier.
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Troopers continued charging endlessly.
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Kevin fired a concussive blast into a crowd of enemies, sending soldiers crashing into walls and pavement. Wolf unleashed armor-piercing rounds from his light machine gun, shredding armored battalion troops as they tried to advance.
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Randy suddenly spotted six enemy troopers attempting to flank their right side. He fired a Push Banshee launcher, the sonic blast disorienting them long enough for him to eliminate all six.
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“Regroup together!” Randy shouted to Elsie.
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The two teams combined positions and concentrated their firepower into the narrow streets.
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Then Johnny Austin spotted another enemy force moving around the apartments.
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“They’re flanking us!”
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Before the enemies could attack—
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Missiles rained down from the sky.
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Explosions tore through the advancing battalions as a massive battleship descended through the smoke-filled battlefield.
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“The battleship!” Kayla shouted.
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Randy immediately activated his comms. “Everyone to the ship! Move now!”
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Sergeant Elsie Lee’s team escorted Princess Aurora aboard first while Randy’s squad provided covering fire. Ghost disappeared into the smoke one final time before reappearing inside the battleship seconds later.
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As the last soldiers boarded, the massive ship lifted off the ground and blasted into the dark sky.
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Below them, Demarion Walker stood among the burning ruins of the battlefield, fury burning in his eyes as the battleship escaped with Princess Aurora.
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His final chance was gone.
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End of Chapter 16
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