Back at the palace the rest of the team has now equipped and regrouped by the Empress

General Churchill says “The Dragoons and Lancers will provide cover and distraction while you get her Majesty to safety. They will also setup a defensive perimeter at the extraction area.”

Gunner says “Understood General.”

Anastasia says “I’m going to get Amber.”

Gunner replies “Out of the question, it’s 24 clicks due east, even if you push your jump jets to their limit you will not get there on time.”

To which General Churchill responds “We have a drop team going there now, she can link up with them and get there sooner.”

Anastasia says “Thank you General, I am going to help my squad mate commander.”

Gunner nods and says “Stay safe and both of you get back here alive, extraction zone is here, 14 clicks east of our current location, you have 4 hours.”

Anastasia nods in agreement and says “Understood.”

Lucia walks up and says in with her translator turned off in Volgan “Udači (Good luck)”

Anastasia looks at her in surprise and says “Spasibo (Thank you) when did you learn to…?”

Lucia responds “I can say a few phrases. Not fluent though.”

Smiling Anastasia salutes her and runs toward the dropship that just landed, getting onboard it takes off and flies toward Ambers location.

Gunner then keys the comm “Ok people, eyes up, Onyria is reporting that we have a small armoured column on its way here, route is being loaded now, it will clear us of most of the heavy fighting in the city, Angel take point, I’ll bring up the rear, Lucia and Evelyn I want you 2 attached to the Empress at all times, keep her safe no matter the cost.”

They all salute and get in formation, as they start moving a priority message from the Hannibal comes through on the squad wide channel “Attention ground team, Hannibal is forced to withdraw, extraction has been called back, Rhine has assaulted Bretonian space with overwhelming force, recon suggests their entire Third fleet has been committed to this campaign, in summary 150 vessels consisting of 75 frigates, 50 destroyers and 25 battlecruisers, we will be back. Keep up the fight.”

Gunner then says “No change, we get to the extraction point and we hold it until extraction arrives, move out”

Angel takes the lead with Lucia in front of Empress Catherine and Evelyn behind, staggering to the back Gunner has his shotgun at the ready. The sound of combat all around them as the planetary defense guns keep firing and the orbital bombardment not letting up.

They continue moving as fast as they can, stopping in abandoned bomb shelters each chance they get to allow the Empress to catch her breath, fortunately combat has been light on their route due to them taking a path that is nowhere near any important infrastructure. As they prepare to move again Angel holding up her hand to stop, signalling four with hand, she takes Mistral Destiny from her back, Gunner moves up and takes Evelyn’s position next to the Empress as Evelyn moves into position by Angel, a dagger in one hand and a pistol in the other. The next 10 minutes being tense as they wait but fortunately nothing happening.

After 3 hours they make it to the extraction point, the Empress exhausted is taken to a bunker that was prepared by the engineers, taking stock of the situation this is a very defensible spot, natural terrain covering their flanks and rear the enemy will only be able to come from one direction on the ground and via the air, Gunner and what is left his team reporting to the leader of the troops and take up defensive positions. All they can do now is wait for their extraction to arrive. Gunner sets up, engaging his armors entrenching system and prepares the big gun for a fight, a sense of dread and finality in the air, he settles in feeling some form of comfort with the heft of the massive Retribution aimed down range. No sooner had he done this when his motion sensor goes berserk, his comm crackling to life with the frantic calls of enemy contact advancing on their position.

As he and his team start firing at the incoming hordes of Rhine troopers, he remembers the reason their armor is not very powerful, Rhine uses vat grown troops to supply them with masses of expendable cannon fodder, their elite troops held in reserve for when the fight is all but assured when the enemy is worn out by days of constant fighting. Diverting all available power to his shields and the cooling system the big gun, he fires into the largest concentration of troopers.

Lucia unleashes a massive wave of aetherised fire on the advancing troops after they have been frozen in place by Angel. Evelyn taking shots whenever she can, her armor not designed for heavy combat like this. Wave after wave of the near automaton troops, the numbers not letting up. This will be a fight for their lives.

5 kilometers from the Blackburn estate the dropship on which Anastasia was travelling gets hit and crash lands in the streets, waking up after being knocked out from the force of the impact, Anastasia looks around, the crew had already evacuated, having thought her dead they left her behind, double checking that her gear was still intact she starts moving. She sends out a quick encrypted message which returns with a response from Amber, she’s still alive and safe for now, she had to deal with a group of Rhine troopers that attacked her.

Anastasia then readies her rifle, engaging maximum magnification she scouts the road ahead, it was quiet, too quiet, she catches something moving in the corner of her right eye, she aims right and sees 2 snipers taking up position, she shifts position and lines up a shot so that both will be hit one round, exhaling she squeezes the trigger, her targets never even hearing the shot that killed them as the 20mm round tears through their helmets, after taking the shot, she starts moving having readied her Matryoshka assault rifle instead, configuring it with a suppressor and reflex sight. She moves sliently taking time for her armors auto camo system to adjust and avoid sky lining herself as she moves.

As she gets to the Blackburn estate she sees the remains of a massive fight. As she is moves in slowly she can feel her heart racing, checking her corners as she enters the house, carefully scrutinizing every detail to ensure she does not miss a hidden foe. She activates her comm “Alpha 3, this is Alpha 4, status?”

Amber responds “Alpha 4, damn good to hear your voice, where is everyone else?”

Anastasia responds “Only me, the rest are off doing something else. Moving toward you now, at the entrance to the substructure.”

Amber then says “We are coming out just cover us please.”

Anastasia asks “We?”

Moments later Amber exits the door with Valeria just behind her.

Anastasia observing asks “Who is this?”

Before Amber could reply she aims and fires at another group of Rhine troopers that arrived, Anastasia also opening fire, using the momentary lull in the fighting to reload her sniper rifle and resuming firing with her assault rifle, she says into the comm “Too many. Take your sister and hold onto something.”

She channels her power and generates a massive tornado that touches down amongst the enemy, scattering them around, one trooper hurled through the thick walls, after she makes the tornado dissipate she switches to her sniper rifle and take aim next column of troops arriving, firing into them, Amber joining her and unleashing one final lightning storm on the enemy, once the fighting dies down she checks on her sister again, she’s passed out due to the exhaustion.

Taking a few moments she ensures she is stable and then says to Anastasia “Sorry about that, this is my sister Valeria, I’ll explain everything once we get off planet.”

Anastasia then says “This complicates things, I had hoped it was only you, then we could move a lot faster, we’ll need transport now.”

Amber says “we should be able to use that dropship over there, let’s go see if it is useable.”

Picking up Valeria and carrying her over to the dropship, once on the inside after Anastasia gave the all clear she lays Valeria down on one of the emergency stretchers, checking her wound, satisfied the dressing is still good, she closes the ramp and goes to the cockpit and asks “Anya, will this crate fly?”

Anastasia then replies “It’ll get us 3 quarters of the way to the evac site, we’ll need to fly low.”

Amber then says “Let’s do it.”

The engines whine as they power up, taking off they fly extremely low, too low for Anastasia's liking but they have to in order to avoid all the air defences.

Amber sits still, just observing her sister sleep, for the first time since this has happened she has time to think about all that has happened but instead she just drifts off to sleep.