After beating John in his Eradicator Mk II, the Ark began repairing and fixing all the damage from Xenon's attack.
Snow White lowered the massive barrel of Seven Dwarves VI, the heavy weapon venting heat into the cool air.
"Clear," Rapi reported, her assault rifle held at high ready as she scanned the perimeter. "No more hostile signals detected."
"Phew... that was way too close!" Neon wiped soot from her visor, leaning against her shotgun. "Did you see those miniguns? That was almost negative firepower for us!"
"Thou didst handle thyself with valor, Neon," Scarlet said smoothly, sheathing her blade with a crisp click. "Yet... something weighs upon my mind."
The Commander walked up to the crater where the machine had stood. In previous encounters with those robots, they didn't require a pilot so why this time?
"Mihara," the Commander called out. "Was that pilot actually inside?"
Mihara shook her head, stepping around the scorched earth. "I don't know."
"Doctor Xenon..." the Commander muttered, his expression darkening. "John said her name right before the line cut."
"Whoever she is, she has a military that rivals the Ark," Snow White stated grimly, kneeling to pick up a warped piece of titanium plating stamped with a sharp 'X' logo. "And if she's letting amateurs pilot machines this heavily armed, she's testing our combat abilities."
Before the squad could continue, a low rumble shook the ground not from beneath them, but from the sky above.
"Commander! Look up!" Anis pointed toward the clouds.
The sky, previously clear, began to warp. Massive atmospheric displacement clouds parted, revealing dark, angular shapes breaching Earth's upper atmosphere. Dozens of heavy orbital freighters and battlecruisers, all bearing the glowing emblem of Xenon, were ascending in formation, completely ignoring the surface battles below.
"They have spaceships..." Rapi said, her eyes widening as her visual sensors zoomed in on the vector paths.
Meanwhile, on the bridge of Xenon's capital ship, Doctor Xenon stood at the edge of the observation deck, her hands folded neatly behind her back as hundreds of ships moved into position. A holographic transmission displaying her image began broadcasting across multiple channels.
"I have an announcement! I am Doctor Xenon, the greatest mind to ever live!" she declared. "This world is broken I am its savior! With my army, I will defeat the Raptures and anyone else who decides to oppose me!"
She paused, letting the statement sink in.
"However, those who wish to join will be welcomed into my ranks! Make sure you choose wisely. Xenon out."
With the broadcast ended, the main fleet accelerated out of the atmosphere, bound for lunar orbit. However, several detachment vessels remained behind, dropping entry pods directly down to the surface.
"Doctor, are you sure about leaving the TB Division to handle the Ark and the other factions?" General Leyla asked, stepping up behind her.
"Flynn can handle them with his forces," Doctor Xenon replied calmly. "With the ZED and the War Machine Factory I provided, he has more than enough firepower to hold off whatever the Ark throws at them."
"Understood, Doctor Xenon," she nodded.
"For now, our focus remains on securing the Moon and stopping the Raptures landing on the planet. Only then will we direct our full efforts into retaking the surface," Xenon instructed.
"Understood, Doctor. But what about the Rapture Queen?" Leyla inquired.
"Don't worry, I have already dispatched Eradicator Mk III with a small strike force to handle her."
"Mk III? Why not send the Emperor?" Leyla asked, tilting her head slightly.
"I am saving the Emperor for far greater threats. Currently, the Emperor remains at base. Should something unexpected happen like the Queen defeating the Mk III the Emperor will step in. As for why I didn't send it out first? I have no desire to deploy my absolute best against an unknown thing. You could say the Mk III is my guinea pig," Xenon explained.
"I understand, Doctor Xenon."
"Good. Prepare yourself we will be reaching the Moon shortly."
"Understood."
Two weeks after the Xenon fleet departed for lunar orbit, the remaining terrestrial forces left on Earth continued their proxy war against both the Raptures and Ark forces.
"Damn..." a scout cursed softly behind a crumbling concrete wall. Peeking out from cover, he watched as a Nikke snapped a Rail Trooper's neck in a single motion.
Reacting quickly, the scout pulled a flare gun from his belt and aimed high.
BANG!
The bright trail ignited the sky. Immediately spinning around, he raised his weapon at the approaching Nikke squad, but they were already locked onto his position. A volley of high-caliber rounds tore through his position before he could pull the trigger.
"Tsk, that scout managed to call in reinforcements," Crow muttered, stepping over the body.
"Mica! Get your rocket launcher ready!" Delta ordered, taking cover behind a thick slab of debris.
Above them, the rhythmic chop of heavy engines filled the air as three V-Osprey dropships hovered into view, heading straight for the flare's coordinates.
"Enemy forces might be nearby, stay on high guard," a Ranger radioed to his squad inside the troop compartment.
"Shit! Incoming!" the pilot screamed over the comms a second later.
A heavy rocket slammed directly into the V-Osprey's right wing, blowing the engine apart.
"Eject! Eject! Eje—"
The pilot's warning was cut short as the transport crashed into the concrete below in a fireball.
The remaining two V-Ospreys halted their advance, immediately opening their side doors to drop fireteams to the ground.
"Nice shot, Mica!" Crow smirked.
"V-Osprey 14-2 is down! Requesting immediate reinforcements!" the pilot of the lead transport shouted into his headset.
"Copy that, 14-2. Abort current drop and return to base," an officer responded through the commlink.
"Copy."
The remaining two V-Ospreys pulled back into the clouds, leaving the deployed infantry on the ground. The dropped squad immediately began moving toward the crash site of the fallen transport.
"We need a medic over here!" a Ranger shouted, pulling wounded men from the wreckage.
A medic rushed over, deploying his medigun to stabilize the survivors.
Heavy gunfire erupted nearby. While one squad secured the crash site, the forward element advanced down the street, engaging the Nikke squad in a fierce firefight.
"Product 12! Give us covering fire!" Delta commanded.
"Copy!" Product 12 posted behind low cover, deploying her heavy machine gun and laying down a continuous barrage on the advancing infantry.
Unbeknownst to them, high above on an adjacent rooftop, a Pathfinder sniper aligned his high-powered optics directly with Delta's head.
BANG!
A single high-velocity round echoed through the valley. The high-caliber projectile struck Delta directly in the head, killing her instantly.
"Damn it!" Crow barked, immediately scanning the surrounding structures for the muzzle flash. Her eyes locked onto a high-rise down the street. "Mica! Level that building!"
"Ah... got it!" Mica loaded her launcher and fired three consecutive rockets toward the sniper's nest.
"Shi—" the Pathfinder sniper cursed, abandoning his rifle and sprinting for the stairwell just as the rockets impacted, blowing the top floor apart in a shower of concrete and steel.
"Weapon overheating! We have to retreat!" Product 12 reported as her heavy barrel glowed bright red.
"Tsk, we're done here anyway. Let's move!" Crow ordered, grabbing Delta's headless body by the tactical vest. "Mica, smoke!"
Mica tossed a series of smoke canisters onto the street, creating a dense screen that completely obscured their retreat.
Meanwhile, deep inside a fortified bunker, the TB Division were monitoring battlefield intelligence across the sector.
"Commander! We have picked up chatterbox signatures!" an officer reported, turning from his console.
The Commanding Officer stood up from his seat, adjusting his coat as his eyes narrowed on the display map.
"Good. Prepare my strike team... I am handling this myself."
"Yes, sir!"