“We have to hit them hard. Now!” Kaiden shouted, but there was no way they could. Their own blast wardens could fire back, but they wouldn’t be enough. The other ranged classes could help, but it was going to take concentrated assault to interrupt all the charging Inferno Shots. There was no way they could get a force back there in time.
“Ah, there it is,” Dawson said suddenly through comms. “I was wondering when they’d go for the knockout punch.”
“Why do you sound so happy about it?” Thorne shouted at him, but even as she did, a notification appeared in her vision.
Lieutenant Sola has joined the comm channel.
“Looks like you all are taking something of a beating over there,” a familiar voice said.
Lieutenant Sola. Thorne hadn’t even known she was in the battle, which meant... she was fighting for the Warden Corps. Thorne’s heart sank at that. But who’d added her to their comm channel?
“Well, it’s a mighty fine fighting force you’ve got,” Dawson said. “My compliments to whoever trained it.”
“Are you complimenting yourself again, Sergeant?” Sola asked.
“Might be,” Dawson said. “Either way, those blast wardens have lined themselves up all pretty like, just like we knew they would. Once they’re all in position, think you might be able to do something about that?”
“Already on it,” Sola said.
“The hell is that about?” PlayaSlaya asked, shock plastered across his features. Kaiden looked about the same.
“What?” Dawson asked him. “You didn’t think I was just recruiting free wardens, did you?”
Thorne felt a smile stretch across her face.
“It’s a pleasure to have you with us, Lieutenant Sola,” she said.
“Well, when you all defected and took Ellenton with you, that was just about the last straw,” she said. “Tell her hey from me. Now, enjoy the fireworks.”
Thorne looked back to the line of blast wardens. They were all in Sniper Mode now and charging Inferno Shots. Some were charged and just waiting for the order to fire. All were still, except for two. They suddenly stood, one on either end of the line. They already had fully charged Inferno Shots on the ends of their hammer-guns, having only feigned entering Sniper Mode. As one, they turned inward, placing the entire line of blast wardens in their sights, and fired.
The dual Inferno Shots tore through the line of squishy, low-HP blast wardens, then met in the middle with a blinding explosion that sent every warden within ten paces tumbling to the ground.
“Inferno Shot hurts enemies and allies alike…” Kaiden said, his eyes fixed on the aftermath. Nearly the entire line of blast wardens was dead. Those that still stood were just about one stiff breeze from dying as well.
“I think it’s safe to say we can count Sola an ally,” Thorne said as chaos erupted in the ranks of the Warden Corps army.
Five or so more blast wardens turned on their companions and began firing. Then, a few of the shielders in the front broke rank and Improved Shield Charged into their own force. A group of power wardens turned next, and as their hammers started swinging, scores of the still Party-loyal wardens were tossed into the air.
And then there was Sola. Nothing more than a blur, but a blur Thorne recognized. A blur that was tearing through the warden army and landing critical hits left and right.
“Ain’t that a beautiful sight?” Dawson said. He made to wipe a fake tear from his face but his hand only clunked against the faceplate of his helmet.
“They had us in the first half, not gonna lie,” Titus said with something approaching a laugh.
“But it’s not over yet,” Thorne said. “It’s time for a knockout blow of our own.” She looked to Kaiden. “Care to do the honors?”
He smiled.
“All battlegroups, push ahead. Tear through the center of their force and blow us a hole right through to that gate.”
A list of names appeared in Thorne’s vision – a file from Sola detailing those wardens who were working with her.
“And don’t kill our new allies,” Kaiden said. He must’ve added the file to his command module because a moment later Thorne saw a good fifty friendly markers appear within the chaos of the warden lines.
“Now let’s get to that gate!” Kaiden sent out the ‘all forces charge’ order and The Syndicate army surged forward with renewed vigor. The surviving free wardens led the charge, and all along the front, The Syndicate army began to flow in, driven as if by an unstoppable current.
Even back in the center of the army, Thorne found herself and the rest of the bomb team sucked forward. The Warden Corps’ line was breached and now it was time to make the most of it.
Abilities fired off on all sides and Thorne found herself ducking behind her buckler shield, knowing it wouldn’t do much good but unable to resist the instinct. This was a different fight than she was used to. The rest of the army was focused on fighting, on taking down any Warden Corps soldiers in front of them, but the bomb team had a singular objective: reach the gate and get through it.
Titus knew that, and along with the free shield warden next to him they pushed through the chaos of the battle. It’d devolved into an all-out scrum now, lines breaking apart as if they’d never even been there as combatants from both sides intermingled and had at it.
The Maximus elite and free power wardens who’d vaulted the enemy front line had softened the mid-section of the warden army enough that pushing through that part was relatively easy. Only a few enemies stepped in front of the bomb team as they surged forward, and
