File 9.10 - Carefully Laid Traps

Across the ocean, the transports carrying the Njord and Skadi arrived in the outskirts of West Bollen. They dropped out of range of the enemy detected in the city. But the situation felt strange to Ansgar. Only a single enemy machine was attacking the city and none of the other forces had been seen. He finished the last system check and connected to Air. “Keep an eye out to your flanks, Air. The enemy may have set up a trap for us here knowing that they can’t take us on directly.”

The Skadi leapt forward on the thrusts to get in range of the enemy machine. “The other machines may be too damaged to enter into combat.”

“Maybe, but they’ve been silent for a week. They could have repaired them. Just be careful.”

“They won’t be able to destroy the Skadi.” She worked on getting a targeting lock on the enemy machine that fought the security drones unaware of her advance. “Target locked, preparing to fire.” However, the machine suddenly moved towards the city, halting her firing. “Unable to fire, no safe solution.”

Ansgar watched the transfer targeting feed from the Skadi as he moved in. ‘They’re moving almost like they know where Air is positioned. Can they see us?’ Running over the open field he knew he had to be picked up by the enemy machine by now. “I’ll draw them away from the city, Air. You be ready to fire.”

“Yes, sir!”

As he charged closer, he expected to find an ambush somewhere from the other machines. It was almost too quiet. He had no choice, but to keep moving. He didn’t know what was going on, but he couldn’t keep the city in danger longer on his hesitation. “Alright, look at me…” The Njord still had some distance to reach the enemy Ormt, however before he reached it an explosion came from his right side completely undetected.

He halted trying to find the enemy location. No heat sources were detected though. It was as though it came from nowhere. Then another explosion from his left. The Njord finished the analysis explaining that one of the drones hit him. “One of our own?” Another came flying at him and he lifted his shield to absorb the impact.

The Ormt snuck off into the city no longer keeping to the edge. Air wouldn’t be able to get any sort of shot on it. ‘I have to go after it, but inside the city…It hasn’t been evacuated…’ The Njord carefully marched into the city with everyone below already running away from the Ormt. As he went further inside, a warning of an energy build up alerted him, the target the Skadi. “Air!” He looked up towards the source and suddenly started putting it together. “They’ve hijacked the city's security and are using it against us while holding it as a hostage to keep the Skadi from attacking. Damnit! How are we supposed to fight back?!”