Colonel Tarsin spun and fired a Scatter Shot full into Thorne’s chest. She moved her shield to block as much of it as possible. Lasers exploded against her, draining her health bar, but those that hit her shield filled her charge bar as well.
Another attack from the blast warden landed, and Thorne watched her health bar drain even further at the impact. Not much, though; Tarsin was several levels below her.
She doubled down on her attack, trying to throw off her opponent's aim. That was the key to beating blast wardens – you had to stay right up on them. Their attacks were all long-ranged and they usually took a moment to fire. In comparison, swinging a hammer took no time at all. And for whatever reason, this Colonel Tarsin was only level twenty-one. That didn’t make any sense, but it did make him an easy opponent to kill.
Sergeant Dawson was surrounded by his own wardens now, taking attacks from all sides. He was getting buried under a barrage of Scatter Shots and Improved Chain Furies. Lasers exploded around him and hammers fell in a constant stream of damage. Dawson’s armor was crackling with energy and his own attacks lashed back at his numerous assailants in a frenzied blur.
He’s activated Through the Breach, Thorne figured. Doubles movement speed and reduces damage taken by thirty percent for ten seconds.
Even still, that wouldn’t be enough. No one could survive the onslaught he was facing.
The shuttles were exchanging fire, but not for much longer by the looks of it. The one that had attacked first still had its shield active while the other was missing large chunks of its hull. What was still attached looked like swiss cheese.
Throne glanced down to her charge bar. Fifty-four percent.
Plenty for Heroic Leap. Time to book a ride out of here. She looked up to the shuttle which had attacked first and began to line up her jump.
An explosion shook the hangar as the damaged shuttle hit zero percent hull integrity. It fell out of the air and slammed into the deck, then exploded in a crackling blue ball of energy as its core detonated. Thorne flinched away from the blinding light as splash damage tickled her health bar. The rest of the wardens had been closer to the blast, though, and took fifteen to twenty percent damage each.
“Now the rest of ‘em, El!” Sergeant Dawson shouted.
El? Thorne paused at that. Who’s El?
Sergeant Dawson leapt into the air and raised his hammer high. Heroic Leap, Thorne thought at first, then recognized the collection of energy crackling in his hammer.
No. She smiled. Much better. Earth Shatter.
Sergeant Dawson came down like a meteor and his hammer with him. When it struck the ground a shockwave burst outward, sweeping over the wardens surrounding him. They took no damage, but the attack knocked them to the ground.
“My turn,” she said, then called to mind what was sure to be a devastating ability when used against stunned foes.
Ability: Improved Chain Fury
Your combat prowess allows you to chain attacks together. For the next 5 seconds, each attack deals an additional 20% damage for every successful attack before it.
Cost: 50 charge
Cooldown: 2 minutes
Thorne activated the ability and her hammer began to shimmer as energy manifested around it in the form of glowing chains.
“No!” Sergeant Dawson rushed toward her.
She took aim at him on instinct, but he slid into place beside her then raised his shield toward the stunned wardens.
“What’re you—”
“Hit ‘em, El!” Sergeant Dawson shouted.
The still-flying shuttle turned its guns on the wardens – who were trying to climb back to their feet – and let loose. The hangar resounded with screaming lasers as the twin six-barreled guns mounted under the wings of the shuttle held nothing back.
The health bars of the stunned wardens plummeted in unison as metal and smoke was blasted into the air. The floor of the hangar itself buckled and groaned as it started to glow a molten red.
Blast Warden Tarsin assisted kill - 2,000 EXP gained!
The message flashed on Thorne’s screen as the health bar of the colonel dropped to zero. At the same time, the others died as well. Thorne hadn’t actually engaged them so the game didn’t give her credit for the kills, but six more death notifications trickled in across her screen.
When the last of the wardens went down, the shuttle let off its guns. Their spinning barrels slowed, then stopped.
“Ha! Now that was a thing of beauty!” Sergeant Dawson cheered, pumping a fist in the air.
The shuttle spun around, then lowered to the deck and opened its rear door. A moment later, a figure stepped into view.
Ellenton
Warden Lieutenant
Class: Blast Warden
Faction: Warden Corps
Level: 29
“Enjoy the show, Captain?” she said, a smirk stretched across her face. “Took you long enough to log back in. We were starting to wonder if you ever would.”
Thorne lowered her hammer, frowning at the lieutenant. She looked at Dawson next and started to piece things together.
“Why help me?” she finally managed, asking the first of the many questions swirling in her mind.
“Things have gotten... weird around here lately,” Lieutenant Ellenton said.
“We’ll explain on the Borrelly,” Sergeant Dawson said. “Best get moving before reinforcements show up.”
Chapter Nine
“I suppose I should say thanks,” Thorne said as the Borrelly rocketed into the abyss of space. “But you realize what you’ve done, right? Turning on the Corps like that, killing a colonel?” She shook her head. “There’s no going back from this.”
“We’re well aware,” said Sergeant Dawson. Or was he just Dawson now? He produced a sleek black shard from his inventory and inserted it into the collar all wardens wore around their neck as part of their armor. He turned the key with a click and the collar fell away. As it did, his character’s status updated.
Dawson
Free Warden
Class: Power Warden
Faction: Unaffiliated
Level: 32
Dawson looked down at the collar lying on the floor.
“Never thought I’d do that.
