"Thought so. You'd argue. Unnecessary casualties."
"Hm... I don't know." Letting out a tired sigh, I stand up from the table, walking to the unglazed window that offered a view of the plaza, where Assassins, militiamen, and other fortune seekers were saddling banthas, buggies, and speeders, preparing to set off on their little war. "Part of me wants to help them. They're being sent into a trap where they'll likely die, and it would be right to save their lives..."
"And? Leave it all? Or help?"
"Yes... No, I don't know yet. Too often, by trying to save everything and fix it for the better, I've only made things worse. An altruist and a diplomat won't help when the sides pull out guns... What's needed here is a soldier who will do the job right." Clenching my left palm into a fist, I wrap my right hand around the wrist. "Besides, I realize this plan carries minimum risks. And I haven't figured out how to help those poor souls yet..."
"Retreat. After the bandits arrive?"
"It's worth a try; for now, it's basically the only option."
Only I had a hard time imagining how to carry out that option. These were ordinary people, not professional soldiers, but former moisture farmers, miners, Assassins, and other strays who had been lured by easy money.
And when the desert dwellers squeeze them from one side, and the raiders fall on them from the other...
It will be a slaughter. Caught between the hammer and the anvil, these sentients will be terrified and give in to panic, and then they'll be slaughtered like a herd of eopies. And there will be no way to help.
Initially, I had hoped we could move out quickly as soon as we lured the bandits into the trap, but...
As Kaoru said. In fact, Junko and the other team had also been—just like us—tyrannizing the desert dwellers this whole time, raiding their shrines, holy sites, and other important objects.
And while we lead the raiders into the trap, they will lead the desert people there. Calculating the timing exactly won't work; who knows how long and how effectively we'll be pursued. Therefore, it's better to leave some cannon fodder there so they take up enough of one side's time until the other arrives. After all, we had to ensure the battle between the bandits and the desert dwellers for certain.
A cruel plan. Effective. Just the way Super Earth liked it.
Because of that, my Helldiver essence is calm and sees no problem at all. And no solution is in sight either.
Unless I contact Junko directly and bring the nomads and bandits head-to-head. A lightbulb practically went off over my head. Why didn't I think of that right away? After all, Somnia's and her brothers' helmets have transmitters! Before, they would have sooner told us to go to hell, but now, we can try to talk them into it.
"Sometimes things are simpler than they seem." Smacking my fist into my palm, in a state of euphoria from the idea, I scooped up the Shorty, who squealed indignantly, drumming her little hands against my chest. "There's a plan. It's stupid, relies on luck, and is likely barely feasible."
"Perfect for Helldivers."
"Exactly!"
***
"No. That's stupid and dangerous," Nat... Somnia cut me off immediately. I still can't get used to it. The girl sat in the shade of a building, having taken off her helmet and dousing herself with murky water. Her bandana was soaked through, and she looked unwell, as if torn by internal contradictions, but her voice didn't waver during the answer. "We'd have to constantly be on the knife's edge, in sight and within firing range. I won't risk the plan and the entire operation like that, and certainly not my own brothers..."
"Then just give the helmet to me."
"What?" She was clearly surprised, and for a moment something unreadable flashed in her eyes, but quickly looking away, the girl began muttering to herself. Barely audible, almost beyond the reach of my ear. "And there it is... Risking it? Hero... Damn it."
-I will make an arrangement with Natsuki or send my junior to her. And you and I will do everything ourselves," I said, ignoring her grumbling as I knelt on one knee, gently taking the woman's hand. "Somnia... Natsuki. Please. You said yourself that you wanted to make Tatooine better. But is it worth starting to build something new using the old methods?"
Yes, I was playing dirty, pressing on the girl's conscience, and my own as well. And as sad as it was to admit, it worked.
"It's not fair to say that... You read my diary." Squeezing my hand tighter, the girl hung her head, a few stray locks of hair hiding her eyes. "We already had to do many terrible things to make this happen. And now, when all the bandits from the area have united, we can finish them with one blow..."
"And you agree to that?"
"I..."
I think if someone else had asked her this, someone who hadn't known her since childhood, she probably would have just ignored their words. But she listened to me, and after a couple of minutes of silence, Somnia released my hand, squaring her shoulders.
"Fine. All right... You're right." As if shaking herself off, she returned that mischievous and light gaze she had bestowed upon me, her cheeks flushing amusingly. "I will help you... And we will save these people. Together."
"Excellent."
I was gladder than ever. Positive emotions were bursting out, so I hugged Somnia, lifting her to her feet and standing her in front of me.
"Thank you. You have no idea how important this is to me."
"Of course." Smiling, she closed her eyes, awkwardly turning away. "Then let's not delay. It's starting soon, so..."
"Right, let's get this over with quickly and start a new life, for everyone."
Then came the running around. First, finding Seth, then hiding from the crowds of extra eyes, finding a secluded spot where we couldn't be overheard or discovered.
Well, after that were the long negotiations with that spiteful bitch Natsuki.
That nasty brat demanded a rather impressive sum from us for her help, which we were supposed to leave in the safe of the cantina belonging to Kaoru. The whole team had to chip in, and while Einz, Zwei, and Seth went along easily, Kanto resisted for a long time and, on the contrary, threatened to go and report everything to Kaoru.
But in the end, we managed to convince him... And I had to give him half of the future reward for the help. Greedy little prick.
On a wave of inspiration, I didn't even pay attention to Natsuki's signature snide tone. Let the little brat have her fun and profit at our expense. After the victory, when we start changing Tatooine for the better, we'll see how she sings then.
Our preparations took two hours, and about the same amount was spent getting ready for the last, most important, and dangerous mission.
Kaoru provided the transport, and this time the old man was being very stingy, not understanding why he should issue six large Speeders to the team, but the intervention of Somnia and Natsuki helped persuade the greedy tycoon, and everything was finally ready. The funniest thing was that no one felt any doubt about deceiving this nasty old man who disposed of others' lives so easily.
Though there were fears that he might not pay us at the end of the contract... But I think with nearly a hundred guns saved from death at our backs, we'll be able to get what was promised.
Two teams. Six Speeders. A most dangerous mission. And only a couple of hours before Kaoru suspects something.
***
When I sat down on my Speeder, the sensation of the whistling wind in my ears brought back familiar flashbacks. Kanto took the wheel; he claimed to be a magnificent driver, which could generally be halved to be safe, but even so—it wasn't bad.
The Tatooine landscape slipped by, where yellow sand blended with the blurred shadows of rocks, and the sun burned brighter than ever. Our team of mercenaries, every soul full of adrenaline, raced across the lifeless expanses, firing back at a crazed gang that was ready to do anything to skin us alive.
We brazenly drove right into their main camp, putting on a parody of yet another raid. Tossing grenades, shooting up everything we could, we floored the gas, leaving that stinking and eerie place at full speed.
And not even a couple of minutes passed before the bandits' flying ships started up after us. Fifteen vessels, each five or six times larger than our Speeders.
Contacting Natsuki, confirming that she had also started her part of the plan and easily lured a whole horde of Tuskens, we headed for the intended rendezvous point.
There were too many raiders, far more than Kaoru's scouts had reported, but there was no time to discuss that now, as our lives were at stake, and I doubt the argument "But we were told there were fewer of you" would save us.
The smell of heating engines mixed with scorching sandstorms reminded me that this wasn't just a race—it was a fight for Tatooine. I gripped the handrail tightly so as not to fly out on a turn, feeling how much I missed the friction of the ground under my feet.
It wasn't like flying on a starship or a Kodiak Shuttle; it was more like a mix between a capsule and a ride on the back of a bile titan. The first time it's scary enough to wet your pants, and then, when the roof starts to slide—it's fun.
Every press on the gas made the Speeder growl like a living creature ready to burst forward. Blaster shots thundered behind us, and I heard one of the bolts whistle past my ear, leaving tears in the air.
Besides the blasters, the bandits had a powerful heavy machine gun that plowed the ground next to us. The heavy bullets kicked up fountains of sand, scaring me far more than the bright blaster fires.
"Don't look back!" I shouted to Kanto, trying to drown out the sound of the desperate guns. My younger brother was swearing and occasionally screaming like a stuck pig when another shot flew past. "Maneuver, pilot, damn you!"
We knew for sure we couldn't pull too far away, and the bandits, like hungry Jackals, followed us, not giving up their attempts to catch us. They spewed curses and screams, tearing through the tranquility of the desert.
I concentrated on the direction, choosing the narrowest passage between the rocks that could lead us to our trap. We had studied these places perfectly, and now it was time to deceive our pursuers.
The speed increased, and the wind whistled in my ears so loudly that I could barely make out my comrades' words.
With every meter, my heart pounded faster, as if wanting to burst out of my chest. I kept my eyes on the road but constantly turned back to goad the bandits—crazed by constant attacks and finally approaching revenge—with return fire.
The landscape around was merciless, and one careless maneuver could lead to catastrophe. Deafening sounds echoed behind us: the rumbling of the bandits' engines, replaced by the crackle of blasters and their drunken shouts into the megaphone.
"Left!" I shouted to Kanto, pointing to a narrow passage between two dangerous-looking rock formations.
He jerked the Speeder left, and at that same moment, a powerful shot knocked one of ours off course.
A lucky hit on the machine with the Zabrak brothers caused a wave of delight and hooting among the pursuers, but they soon fell silent in disappointment just as quickly.
Their Speeder wavered but stayed afloat; smoking and soot-stained, it nevertheless raced alongside us as an equal. I felt a surge of panic ignite in my chest. We had to work as a single unit, or all our efforts would be in vain.
We drove into the canyons of the Sand People and saw the bandits, caught up in the hunt, begin to accelerate after us, ignoring the danger.
I knew it was now or never; we had to lure them into the trap and turn this race in our favor. I waved to the team, signaling that it was time to prepare the final maneuver.
"Get ready!" My voice was almost drowned out in that mess of noise. But through the dust surrounding the Speeders on all sides, I saw them begin to quickly adjust their best weapons for maximum effect.
Because it was only going to get hotter from here.
My hands were wet with sweat. The repetitive, terrifying sounds of gunfire drew closer—dozens of bandit ships were not falling behind our Speeders.
Suddenly, I noticed a large, wide area opening up ahead, cluttered with small rocks—our approximate location, the ideal trap. A real labyrinth where it was easy to bring two armies out without them noticing each other. Patting Kanto on the shoulder, I showed him the signal from the PDA Somnia had given me.
Natsuki was also nearby.
Encouraged, my brother floored the gas to the limit, making the engine roar like a wild beast. While the Speeder stayed on the ground, I glanced back and saw the mercenaries, changing their positions, shifting behind us, ready to gun us down at point-blank range.
"Go!" My cry scattered across the area, and we slammed into the clearing like a storm. I held onto the hope that the bandits, accelerating at such speed, wouldn't be able to dodge and would follow us into these narrow and dangerous corridors. In that moment, as the Speeders surged forward, I felt the adrenaline boiling in my veins.
Soon, just a little more, and we'll make it.
Swinging around another turn, Kanto barely managed to jerk the wheel to the side, taking us out of the line of fire. The Zabraks following us, and Somnia with her brother, darted in other directions, avoiding laser fire from a hundred barrels.
"No..." Whispering to myself, I watched in slow motion as the people recruited alongside us bristled. From where? How? Why? The answer came quickly. From the side, behind a large rock, Natsuki's Speeder emerged; standing at full height, the girl managed to find my eyes in this chaos and salute me with her right hand, after which, pressing her wrist PDA, she soared into the sky on a jetpack, while her Speeder slammed at full speed into the parking area for the animals and transport of the other mercenaries who had taken positions here. "Bitch!"
An explosion rocked the surroundings. Frightened banthas and rontos, those that survived, scattered in all directions, ramming people, Speeders, and bandit ships.
Chaos erupted all around.
And that was only the beginning.
The raiders' ships crowded in here like sardines in a tin. The clumsy behemoths fired at everyone and everything, occasionally colliding with each other.
And then, from the same place Natsuki had come out, a horde of Tuskens fell upon us. Wild, disorderly cries, howls, and screams full of hatred. Like a stream of carnivorous ants, they collapsed on everyone at once, killing indiscriminately, brandishing their primitive weapons.
Memories piled up like a mountain. Explosions, screams, groans... In the glow of the fires, mutilated bodies, torn to pieces by wild beasts... This battle blended in my head with others, and the feeling of rage layered onto what I had felt toward Super Earth itself at the end, and all the enemies of democracy.
"We need to get out of here!"
Somnia's Speeder pulled up to us, carrying the battered Einz and Zwei, while Seth kept up constant suppressive fire, not letting anyone get close.
"Sam! Do you hear me?! We have to leave!"
"Yes... We're leaving." My voice was quiet, but in that moment, I felt as if the fragile dam of the new life I had been building for eight long years was cracking at the seams. I wanted to bolt from the spot and, shouting about freedom and democracy, start killing everyone around who didn't wear a familiar crest. "Kanto, turn around. We're leaving. Kanto?"
But I wasn't the only one experiencing personal problems. Accustomed to working with Natsuki, even if she occasionally left him for a fool, my brother was still staring at the point where she had disappeared. I couldn't see his face under the helmet, but a rather negative and sad aura was forming around the poor guy.
"We'll deal with this later, but right now we need to leave. Do you hear me, Helldiver?" Fumbling for words, I shook my younger brother with one hand like a rag doll. "Kanto!"
"Yes, yes..."
***
Read early on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Granulan