The Regime

The searing noise from Jakabi's blow torch blew as he repaired Broad Dog's circular saw wound suffered from the Refugee ELU.

It had been several hours since Dune-sprinter left. Everyone within the fort already had most of their stuff packed by now; now the refugees were searching the buildings for anything of value. They didn't have much to their names to begin with, and anything extra was welcome.

As Jakabi finished his welding job, he turned his tool off and removed his goggles to look up on the fortress walls. Sprawler was standing watch; his engines were the quietest and produced the least smog. He stomped with clunky movements across the rocky ramparts as he held an ELU-sized machine gun; keeping watch over the horizon as he made his rounds.

Job-khon piloted Tail-ripper back into the fort over the rockslide; Yef-bi's ELU on his back.

He dropped the damaged ELU on the ground close to the entrance; it's intact arm and leg sprawling out haphazardly with rusted creaks and crashes. It was named Howl-Song. Finjac approached it and Jakabi watched from his perch as he and some other Boltjacks removed what was left of the mangled Yef-bi and his Boltjacks and buried them inside one of the scrap buildings.

As they did so, Job-khon piloted Tail-ripper beside Broad Dog and powered down.

Afterwards Job-khon popped out of the access hatch.

"Hey, Jakabi!" he called.

"Yeah?"

"You done with Broad Dog's repairs?"

Jakabi did a quick once over and gave a thumbs up.

"Good. Come help me strip Howl-Song."

"Aye."

They both climbed down and started for the derelict ELU. Howl-Song was beyond repair; the hull at least. Most of the Sensor Net probably was intact, as well as a portion of the data chips and boards and some of the secondary systems.

The two went to work together. Job-khon climbed on top and Jakabi started with the arm.

As Jakabi worked on separating some of the Sensor Nodes from the arm, he couldn't shake a peculiar feeling.

It felt as though they weren't disassembling a machine. It felt akin to carrion birds picking a part a corpse. No, no not exactly that. Jakabi felt like he was dissecting a body for undamaged organs; untarnished flesh.

Howl-Song didn't feel like a deactivated machine to him. It felt more like a dead body.

"Hey, Jak!"

Jakabi came back to the moment. Job-khon was calling from atop the ELU. He put up his welding mask to better be heard.

"Are you good?"

"Yeah-yeah. I'm ok." Jakabi lied.

"Alright. We still gotta get the rest of the intact bits. Don't quit on me now."

Jakabi nodded and went back to work. Satisfied, Job-khon flipped his welding mask back down and continued cutting out a piece of hardware with a laser cutter.

After Finjac and his crew were done, they came and helped with Howl-Song.

"Master Protector!" came Weylion's voice from his grainy intercom.

Finjac looked to the wall; his hand shielding his eyes from the sun.

Sprawler was waving his hand to gain his attention, and motioned for him to come up.

"I have movement on the horizon!"

Finjac looked to those around him. "Be ready. Howl-Song can wait. I want you Boltjacks to start directing people to some of the more secure buildings farthest from where we are gonna be, like we discussed. Go."

"Aye Master Protector." With that they were off.

Finjac made his way to the top of the wall by means of a nearby staircase. He stood beside Sprawler. The heavy metal arm pointed out to the eastern horizon. Finjac saw an indeterminate amount of shapes moving across the scrap-dunes. No, they were getting closer.

Sprawler powered down and Weylion popped out of the hatch; his aged facial definitions catching shadows in the sun.

"I estimate no more than five ELUs" Weylion said.

"Aye," Finjac said with his eyes still on the horizon from the natural rock wall, "we have to assume the worst. I want you to go into your fuel reserves. I'll order Job to do the same. I'm going on watch now in Broad Dog. I'll greet them. I want you powered down waiting in that side battlement on the wall. Count your ammo. Don't come out until I give the signal."

"Aye." Weylion climbed back into Sprawler and moved under the cover of one of the scrap battlements built atop the wall.

Finjac went back down into the fort. He ordered Job-khon to wait in another battlement. Boltjacks ran around refuelling and climbing into their respective ELUs.

Tail-ripper and Broad Dog climbed onto one of the lift platforms. A refugee pulled the lever to activate it and let the ELUs ascend the wall atop the jerky, sparking spewing lift.

Once everyone was in position, Broad Dog powered down. The fort was quiet.

In addition to Jakabi, Kallium sat inside Broad Dog in Keppian's old seat, leaving Jakabi with an empty, confused feeling at the fact.

Jakabi leaned forward and asked "what's the plan for dealing with them?"

Finjac said "dealing with them. If they want to talk, that's why we have a translator. If they don't, that's why I have Job and Wey on stand by."

Kallium said "I don't know what they will say, or if they would say anything."

"You're saying they might shoot first?"

"Yes, but that isn't me saying I don't want to be here; I volunteered. I'm letting you know what to expect. These people know only what is theirs, and what isn't yet theirs. They don't recognize boundaries or the property of others."

Finjac chuckled. "We've dealt with the like before. How a lot of people survive in the Scrap-dunes."

The rest of the wait was in silence. An hour later, with the sun closer to the horizon line, Finjac powered up Broad Dog with the loud start-up roar of the engines.

"It's time" Finjac said, "Kallium, come closer. You're going to be speaking through my intercom a lot and interpreting whatever they say."

Kallium nodded and squatted by Finjac. They both looked out of the view port.

The Regime stood their ground as did Finjac; each side studying the other.

Four, eight foot tall powered suits, surrounding a thirteen foot ELU, which in place of arms had shoulder-mounted heavy weapons platforms.

Their carapaces were highly refined; finely smelted curved plating over the limb units that complimented the natural movements of the joints.

The helmets of the powered suits had circular red lenses over the eyes and a triangular breathing port. Various breathing tubes stuck from ports on either side of the helmet, linked to unseen canisters. Power cables were hooked to the suit from a back-mounted power-pack. They all held large, sleek guns; fed by curved clips mounted on their side.

The large weapons platform had an off-centre cockpit beside a manned gun mount. The legs were large; digitigrade with anchored feet. The body had various handholds, railings and access hatches either for entry or to allow those within an extra firing port. The hip mounts were beneath the body, contrasting the side mounts of the Protectors' ELUs.

All of their ELUs were a bronze colour; the uniformity of which differed greatly from the Protectors' mismatched rust, steel, bronze and random assortment of colour. Chain-hung metal banners were attached to various parts of the ELUs, such as their Pauldrons or as a loincloth, painted intricately in oranges and greys denoting presumably name and rank in their written language, as well as iconography depicting a man, arms spread with a cog for his head.

Kallium spoke, a tinge of fear in his voice;

"Those are Nutes; they're the foot soldiers of the Regime, and that there is a Commander; the Nutes watch over the human workers in their camps, and the Commander and some Nutes watched over the ELU Ops."

Finjac didn't respond. He hadn't seen ELUs this... refined. It troubled him. He waited for them to make the first move. He hadn't even unhitched Broad Dog's Heavy Slugger.

The Nutes stood motionless. They stomped their right foot and stood at attention; perfect unison. The Commander straightened up and on a cleaner intercom addressed the ELU atop the wall in a deep robotic tone;

"We come for our stolen hardware and software systems. You have one hour to produce them. Failure to comply results in termination."

Finjac looked back at his passengers; a look of mock on his face at the rigid technicality of their speech. Kallium sat down; he obviously no longer needed to translate.

The Commander repeated itself; "Failure to comply results in termination."

Finjac paused, weighing his words. He grabbed his hand piece.

"Hello, my name is Finjac. What exactly are you looking for?"

The commander responded "We come for nine missing Enhanced Labour Units and their accompanying systems as well as the slaves who stole them, Finjac. We do not want to waste our time with bloodshed. We will resort to that if necessary."

"I don't have either of those. Sorry."

"Negative. We tracked them to this location. You have them here in the fort."

"Well you're tracking methods seem to have failed you. I don't have anymore ELUs than what you see here, or anyone besides my Boltjack."

"Then you cannot resist if we entered the fort to find them."

The Commander sent out an order in a foreign language, and the Nutes around it went to circle the fort.

"Woah woah woah! What are you doing?" Finjac said, Broad Dog straightening up.

"Searching through the fort."

"I didn't consent to that whatsoever!"

"Compliance is not required."

"Listen here, dipshit, things are going to get really ugly really quickly if you don't call off your dogs!"

The Commander aimed his massive weapon platforms at Broad Dog. Finjac did not flinch. Even if the refugees weren't actually here, he could tell that he would not be able to stand these people either way if they came knocking.

The Commander spoke again; "your actions now will dictate your fate, Finjac. Choose cautiously."

The Nutes had just found the collapsed entrance. Finjac hoped lying would get them to leave; trying to make it seem as if he had nothing of value. Finjac sighed, knowing what was to come.

"Now!" Finjac screamed into his hand piece.

Sprawler and Tail-ripper emerged from their hideaways as Broad Dog unhitched his heavy slugger and rained shells on the

Commander.

Sprawler aimed his automatic rifle down at the four Nutes in the fort. The shots rang out through the dunes as Tail-ripper shot his Bolt Launcher down at the Commander; aiming the massive metal rod straight for the cockpit.

The Commander's massive body tilted far down; the rod barely piercing the top of its plating.

Massive drumming beats from the fort as the Nutes fired back from within the courtyard.

Sprawler took hits; the metal of his arm creaking with brand new holes and dents. It took the brunt of the fire as he took cover. Weylion yelled over his intercom; "APR! Armour piercing rounds!"

"Aye!" Finjac and Job-khon yelled.

Finjac couldn't keep his eyes off the Commander but he needed the Nutes dealt with. Maybe if they retreated into the fort?

The Commander reared back as the slug rounds scratched and ricocheted off its thick plating. It's massive artillery aimed for the top of the wall with mechanical whirs and cranks.

"Job! Wey! Off the wall!"

They jumped as the massive ordnance made dust of the natural rock at their feet with a deafening explosion.

Tail-ripper's suspension systems absorbed much of the landing. Sprawler's size allowed him to do a tactical roll once a scrap building broke his landing alongside Broad Dog; Kallium and Jakabi holding onto their seats for dear life as Finjac desperately pulled levers and flipped switches to keep the near over-exerted systems from giving out. Debris blasted all over from the explosion.

The Nutes took cover throughout the fort; within taller buildings and behind the ELU wrecks as Broad Dog unleashed his rain of steel in heavy clashes of his heavy slugger's bullet chamber. Luckily the refugees were hidden away in the buildings off to the side; they'd have to watch their fire nonetheless.

Sprawler's arm was severely damaged; he could no longer use his rifle however his shoulder mounted sub machine gun still functioned. He unsheathed an ELU combat knife and charged for the nearest Nute.

Tail-ripper followed suit having lost his bolt launcher; charging with cacophonous mechanical stomps as he unsheathed his ELU broad sword.

The Nutes came from their cover ready to fire however two met the fury of Sprawler and Tail-ripper as the others were pinned by Broad Dog's intense fire.

Sprawler pounced upon the Nute; body checking the enemy with sparks and the screech of metal-on-metal; sending them both to the ground with Sprawler on top.

Tail-ripper met the enemy with an overhand swing; the Nute only managing to sidestep part of the way and taking the heavy sword to its shoulder; blood and electrical sparks spewing forth.

[AMMUNITION STATUS: LOW]

[9/300 ROUNDS REMAIN]

The green light of Broad Dog's screens showed the distress of Finjac's face.

"Running low!" he yelled over his intercom.

Broad Dog quickly hitched his firearm to his right side and pulled his combat knife; charging with his shoulder-mounted shield aimed forward.

As soon as the firing from him stopped the previously pinned Nutes opened fire upon the towering ELU.

The rounds from their guns pierced deep into the shield's plating; holes formed as the constant peppering noise sounded and reverberated through Broad Dog in its entirety. He bashed his shield against the first Nute on the left; it flew backward several feet into the air in a horrid clash as the other Nute, mid-motion, opened fire on the exposed body of Broad Dog from his right. Bullets flew through the cockpit with thuds, clinks and whistles as Finjac expertly piloted his ELU. Jakabi and Kallium attempted to shrink themselves as much as possible as to avoid the bullet spray as Broad Dog flipped the combat knife in his right hand and followed the bashing move with an overhand stab upon the head of the Nute to his right; splattering blood and breathing gases from the ruptured tubes.

Sprawler brawled with the Nute beneath him; their sizes comparable. They tumbled as each threw punches, jabs and tried to wrench open the other's viewport or helmet.

When the Nute was pinned down beneath Sprawler's one operational arm and his legs, Sprawler's access hatch opened and a Boltjack crawled out. The enemy resisted and attempted to throw him off but Sprawler thrusted him down once more causing the Boltjack to stumble as he crawled down Sprawler's arm and onto the power armoured warrior. It watched helplessly as the Boltjack sat on its chest and began ripping and cutting the breathing tubes and power cables within reach using some of the tools he carried on his belt; a shrill howl sounded from within the helmet as the grey breathing gas hissed from the spasming tubes and sparks flew from the exposed cabling.

The Boltjack climbed up the front of Sprawler when his handiwork was done, closing the hatch behind him. Weylion aimed his shoulder-mounted SMG straight at the twitching head and opened sustained, bright fire.

Tail-ripper pulled the Nute he struck closer to him by his broadsword and saw the dangling, painted metal banners hung from his shoulder plate and ripped them off with his free hand. That oughta piss them off.

The Nute growled in rage and with new found adrenaline grabbed Tail-ripper with both hands and began tearing into his front plating.

Job-khon pushed it off; it stumbled back.

"Why you little-" he grumbled; Tail-ripper threw a punch utilizing his joint piston to add increased force to his punch. The Nute fell quickly after gaining its footing with a caved helmet. A Boltjack quickly exited and began working on doing what they could on the damaged front of Tail-ripper; the other Boltjack holding them upside down by the ankles.

One Nute was left; however it was unconscious and damaged severely from Broad Dog's impact. Jakabi went to work reinforcing Broad Dog's hole-ridden hull from inside with Kallium's help as Finjac continued piloting. He didn't plan on killing this Nute yet.

Thunderous, crushing footsteps sounded. The three ELUs, their Boltjacks hanging on them and making sparse repairs, looked to the caved entrance as the Commander's slow, towering frame came into view. It stopped with massive hissing noises as it anchored itself and ceased moving its joints.

It's robotic voice echoed throughout the stone fort;

"I sentence you to oblivion."