The noise of their charge caused the Marines to jump from their cots, dressing hurridly and prepping their weapons. As the Spongin horde approached, they ran right into the two hundred Bahlaki shock troopers that had hidden themselves along the camp's perimeter. The Bahlaki, forbidden by their sacred texts from taking a human life, were, nonetheless, prepared.
The day before, they had switched their traditional vibrocannons with a new Williams/Dorshimer innovation in crowd control. Small devices shot from the barrels of shoulder mounted pnuematic cannons, to strike the Spongin dead on. As each device anchored itself to their clothes, the B'Harnii worshippers disappeared through a momentary transportal.
Seeing their comrades vanish, those now in the front tried to retreat, only to be thrown to the earth and trodden over by those behind them. The Bahlaki continued to fire Transportal Actuators into the now confused and milling crowd of Spongin, as the Blood Jihad Marine forces mpved into place. When all was set, the aliens fell back, and the Marines gunned down the remaining B'harnians.
"This 'Hell Wyrm' does indeed have much to answer for." Ghrasth K'strahl growled into his voice decoder. "Were It here, I should be consumed with rage."
The huge felinoid turned away from the carnage, and stalked back into the camp, UpLink following minutes later.
Kho'tok was not pleased with the news. That the Jihaddi had wiped out half of Spongin under his command left the city vulnerable. Considering his options, the Fifth Circle Mage inquired as to the creatures that had been sighted aiding the humans.
"They are, regretably, Bahlaki."
This nearly brought Kho'tok to his feet, but he supressed the urge to strike his subordinate. The assimalition of the Saethrians had not gone unnoticed by the other races in this universe, and several had come to their aid, one of those races had been the Bahlaki. Their ferocity was not forgetten. Calming himself he heard the rest of the report.
"Our scouts have a lead as to the possible cause of the interference disrupting our magicks. They belive the... felinoids may have brought some new technological device that disrupts our energies. The Bahlaki have made many allies and advanced considerably since we deterred them from... offering sancturary to our Saethrian slaves."
"Continue the search, and if possible, send one of our agents to infiltrate their camp. And make it someone competent."
With that, the subordinate bowed, and left the room. Rising from where he sat, Kho'tok went to the huge window, and took in the cityscape before him.
"This world will fall!" he swore to himself. "And the Bahlaki will be driven back to their world again, no matter the cost!"
At 1350 hours the Valaruses ran into the first signs of opposition. This came in the form of numerous Spongin manning heavy armoured units, old Russian T-80s. Openning up on the Russian-made main battle tanks with their hard mounted Reasons, the Valaruses managed to cripple many of the tanks, their treads shredded. Radioing back to the Badlands, the Valaruses called for concentrated fire on each tank position. By 1420 hours, the first wave of Jihaddi were passed the outer perimeter defences.
Soon the city was ablaze with firefights. Badlands cleared fire escapes, windows and doors of snipers with pin-point accuracy, while the infantry and armoured units fought their way deeper into the city. The streets were soon filled with Spongin, Loved Ones, and Jihaddi locked in Mortal Kombat.
UpLink, in his Pittsburg Special Armour, was surrounded by several enhanced Loved Ones. Extending the Armour's thruster/wing assembly, he shot straight up as the horde crowded in on his position, and rained laserfire down upon them. Checking the timer he had set in his helmet's tactical display, he noted that the time had come for departure.
"UpLink to all units! Initiate Spiral! Now!"
Throughout the city, every Jihaddi activated a small Transportal Actuator hidden in their gear. The streets were soon left filled in a confused silence. Casting about for their enemies, the Barnians failed to notice a small Cessna fly over, and drop a cannister directly into the city proper.
Landing with a soft thud on the park lawn, the cannister aerosoled several pounds worth of a potent nerve gas into the air.
By 1530 hours the streets were devoid any living thing.
Seconds before the cannister had unleased its' deadly payload, the Lyrans had caught the unmistakable breath of doom, and erected mystical barriers around their command centers. Lyrans were now crowded in their shelters, keeping vigilance in case the Jihaddi decided to send in robotic combat units or their Badlands to wipe up anything that might have survived.
"Good," UpLink responded. "Just another two hours, and those Lyrans'll learn why you don't pick on Earth."
Going into a momentary trance, he sent to his subordinants to be on guard for traps that may have been left. The order sent, he looked at the city map that he had left up on the south wall when he had taken possession of this pitiful human settlement. Scanning it, he was certain something had gone unnoticed.
"Good." the Blood Jihad Navy/Marines Fleet Admiral replied. "Prepare the troops for mop up duty. The radiation level should be within tolerance in the next three hours. I want those pits dug and burning before sunrise."
Afterward, UpLink went off to a hilltop by himself. Using that nerve gas was a difficult decision, and he was sure to catch flak from Arsenal for it. But there really hadn't been any other realistic option if heavy casualties were to be avoided. Just as he was turning back to head into the camp, he realized that he was surrounded.
"Jihaddi, you will pay dearly for interfering with the Master's plans!"
Slapping his helmet back on, he barely missed having his face visciously clawed be three rushing Loved Ones. Activating his weapons array, he burned them down in rapid succession. Casting about, he saw that he was being flanked by several large forms. Running the images through the tactical computer the forms were identified as Barneyknockers!
Lighting off his thrusters he found he was unable to get air-bourne, as one of the Loved ones had done significant damage to them. As the 'Knockers closed in the Mages controlling them suddenly found their control of them faultering, then dying altogether. The 'Knockers rushed forward and began pounding mercilessly on the Armoured Jihaddi.
His weapons nearly useless at such close range, UpLink attempted to activate an experimental stealth unit he had incorporated into his Armour. Similar to Ghostling's stealthsuit, it should have made him intangible. Instead it blew out every one of his Armour's systems. His defences gone, UpLink folded quickly under the assault.
"NO! Destroy them if you can not control them!" an Lyran shouted. "Master Kho'tok wants the Jihaddi commander alive!"
Leaving UpLink's inert form, the Barneyknockers turned toward the sound of the Lyran's voice, and attacked him. There magicks useless this close to the source of the interferance, the Lyrans raised the weapons they had brought with them, and decimated their mindless slaves with several bursts from three tri-pod mounted variable frequency laser cannon. The cannon bore the Williams/Dorshimer corporate logo, having been among the equipment raided from several W/D warehouses.
"Bring him. Kho'tok will be at least somewhat appeased with his capture."
Stripping away the bulk of his Armour, the Lyrans carried UpLink to a simple horse-drawn wagon, and carted him off, heading south.