Ch 30: Charge

The convoy slowed to a crawl as it approached the outskirts of the target—a heavily fortified Consortium outpost nestled in a canyon. The narrow pass leading to the base was lined with rock walls, giving the defenders a natural advantage. Automated turrets swiveled back and forth on the perimeter, their cold optics scanning for intruders. Above, drones hovered in lazy, overlapping patterns, an impenetrable aerial net of surveillance.

Kael groaned as he wrestled with a heavy box in the back of his crawler. "A little help here! This thing weighs a ton."

Mira strolled over, arms crossed. "You know, you really should stop building things you can't lift."

Cullen chuckled as he joined her, watching Kael struggle. "Does this happen often?"

"Not usually," Mira said with a smirk. "But there was that one time he nearly buried himself under an armor plate while salvaging."

Kael gritted his teeth, finally managing to tip the box onto a dolly. "That armor plate saved you from an explosive, remember?"

"Fair enough," Mira said, stepping forward to examine the container. "But what the hell is this monstrosity?"

Kael wiped sweat from his brow, straightening up. "It's a big EMP device. Since we're attacking a Consortium base, I figured we'd need a way to neutralize their drones and turrets. Thought it'd come in handy."

Cullen crouched down, running his hand over the sleek metal casing. "Impressive. But Mira's got a point. This thing looks way too big to launch with anything we've got."

Kael tapped the top of the box, grinning. "You don't launch it. You plant it."

The convoy parked farther back, just out of range of the outpost's scanners. Kael, Mira, and Cullen gathered around a hastily drawn map of the base, spread across the hood of a truck.

"Here's the plan," Kael began, pointing to a section of the canyon wall near the base. "We'll plant the EMP right here, close enough to disable their electronics but far enough to keep us from getting caught in the pulse. Once it goes off, their turrets, drones, and comms will be down for at least a few minutes."

"And in those few minutes?" Cullen asked.

"We hit them hard," Kael replied. "I'll focus on the automated systems, Mira can lead a team to breach their perimeter, and you handle the heavy assault."

Cullen frowned, his gaze shifting to the map. "What about reinforcements? You know they'll send backup the moment they lose contact with the outpost."

Kael nodded. "That's why we'll set charges on their main supply depot and make our exit as soon as the job's done. Quick in, quick out."

Mira leaned against the truck, arms crossed. "Sounds great on paper, but how are you planning to get the EMP close enough to the base without getting us all killed?"

Kael's grin widened. "That's where this comes in." He motioned to a remote-controlled vehicle he'd been working on during their downtime—a small, rugged crawler outfitted with camouflage plating and reinforced wheels. "Meet 'Little Beast.' It'll carry the EMP right to the target and detonate it remotely."

Mira raised an eyebrow. "You named it?"

"Of course I did," Kael replied, clearly offended. "You name things you care about."

Cullen laughed, shaking his head. "All right, genius. Let's see if your Little Beast can deliver."

As night fell, the group put the plan into motion. The convoy stayed hidden while Kael piloted Little Beast from the safety of his crawler. The small vehicle crept along the rocky canyon floor, its camo plating blending seamlessly with the terrain.

Mira watched the screen inside Kael's crawler, her brow furrowed. "You sure this thing can handle the terrain? Those rocks look like they'd shred its wheels."

Kael didn't take his eyes off the controls. "I built it to handle worse. Just watch."

The Little Beast deftly navigated the uneven ground, slipping past boulders and cracks with ease. It stopped just short of the outpost's perimeter, nestling into a crevice beneath a ridge.

Kael took a deep breath, his finger hovering over a button on the remote. "This is it. Once I activate it, we've got about two minutes to make our move."

"Do it," Cullen said, already signaling his team to prepare for the assault.

Kael pressed the button. A low hum emanated from the screen as the EMP device powered up. Seconds later, a bright blue pulse exploded outward, lighting up the canyon like a flash of lightning.

Inside the outpost, chaos erupted. Turrets froze mid-scan, their red targeting lights flickering out. Drones dropped from the sky like dead insects, their rotors sputtering to a halt. Guards shouted orders, scrambling to understand what had just happened.

"Go, go, go!" Cullen barked, leading his team toward the outpost.

Mira grabbed her rifle and followed, her sharp eyes scanning for any remaining threats.

Kael stayed behind, monitoring the chaos through a handheld device. He watched as Cullen's team breached the perimeter, their assault quick and precise. Explosions rocked the supply depot, sending plumes of smoke and fire into the night sky.

"Beautiful," Kael muttered to himself, already prepping the convoy for their getaway.

Within minutes, the team regrouped, piling into their vehicles and speeding away from the burning outpost.

As they drove through the dark canyon, Kael glanced in the rearview mirror, watching the smoke rise against the stars.

"One less thorn in our side," Mira said, her voice tinged with exhaustion.

Kael nodded. "And one step closer to leveling the playing field."