"What the hell's happened over here!" Marcus yelled as he and the team watched over a enormous hole that once held the city.
It was a giant void and jack readings found very few survivors.
As they managed to rescue them. They were asked what just happened.
"I dunno... It felt like the largest earthquake and the next thing I knew, I found my home and my city being swallow by something."
"Can you tell me more than that?" Marcus queried.
"Sorry man... I.. need to find my family." The rescued man spoke as he aimlessly wander in the pit of what left of the city.
The patrol of Montevado and Tollen by Delta Team had gave a grim future ahead of them.
Two entire cities being wiped out and disappeared into the depths. And each of them is getting close to Jacinto.
The news spread across the cog government and now the they are more scared, fearful that such a weapon made by the locust sent towards them..
Almost everyone that lived above ground had a order.
"Retreat to Jacinto."
Countless civilians that Alexander or Prescott that is unable to evacuate in time is forced to march towards the now fortress city, that is hastily building up it's defenses.
It was the only city that have a certain amount of defense at the foundation to not allowed the Locust to burst open. A granite foundation.
But the journey is not so simple, raids of Locust have attacked the evacuation convoys of the civilians, their tactics changed from total genocide to capturing the people of Sera for nefarious purposes.
"Retreat!" A cog soldier yelled out as he tried to make a fighting retreat, to the distant Jacinto.
People around him were screaming for help.
Cries of pain erupted in the mass of people that is being trampled on.
The tracers rained across on both sides.
"Get back here private!" His leader yelled behind cover.
The soldier hip fire his way across his squad location.
"Mortars!" One screamed as the soldier looked up as a trails of light descended upon their location, splitting into several lights as it rained explosives.
Blood and entrails erupted as they died in gory fashion.
A child doll broken by the blast is covered by spot as it was trampled on by the locust.
The screams unceasingly continued as the Locust began their march towards Jacinto.
Some of them is more malicious to torment the civilians by strapping their naked bodies across the Brumaks and reavers like a necklaces to taunt the soldiers to destroy them.
The soldiers that survived watched in grim faced as they are losing people and civilians.
And before them is a horde of locust that fire at them back. They are more vicious and cruel as they gain upgrades that even the veteran of the cog soldier feared the most.
Armoured plating skulls that can block longshots, it took a squad concentrated fire to even take one down. Integrated cybernetics that allowed the locust to command and control locally.
What determine or grit that Cog had, is slowly running on fumes as the locust is evolving. And humans is running out of time.
One day... A man appeared before them with a solution... A decision that they desperately needed. A man called Alexander Tyrus stood before them with a plan.
The Requisition of the Armed forces of the Church's of the God Emperor.
The Cog leadership that barely survive was hesitant. Because they want nothing to do with the growing fanaticism that is growing in their population, especially the stranded that willingly follow the God Emperor light.
Alexander stood before the council with their gaze coldy staring at him.
"I stand before you, as a representative of the Church's leadership, not as General Alexander Tyrus or Major Alexander Tyrus, we stand here at the precipice of total annihilation.
We have to allow the Church to fight alongside with the cog. Time is running out.
Something sank the two cities and we should stand united against the horors of the locust! They have the technology, manpower and resources for our continued survival!
The locust have changed for the worse!"
"What guarantee that they will fight against us when the locust are done?" One skeptical queried.
"No, we don't trust you because you have our markings, doesn't mean that you are one of us."
"Are you the Agent of the church or are you the general of cog?"
As more voiced their displeasure, Alexander stood before them with a saddened look.
Even in the chance of victory, the governmental heads before him refused to let his forces take the front.
As dissenting voices grew louder, a hand held out to silence them.
Chairman Prescott halted their disagreements.
"Then we should give the Church a chance. Alexander, are you aquianted with the leadership of the church?" He asked.
"Yes, And they will do as you asked except they will do things on their own."
"Absurd! They need to be under Cog!"
Alexander looked at the man that spoke at the issue.
"They learn military tactics that is different from us, meshing their logistics with ours will cause confusion to the front, especially the very same front that is a few hundred miles away from Jacinto!"
Those words were like a thorn on their side, it was a known fact that cog is desperate needed manpower, and weapons. And almost all the stranded is aligned with the Church, or at least leaning to it.
After a three days of discussion... They begrudgingly agreed as they let the Imperial entered combat. But only for maintaining the defending towards Jacinto. For the moment.
A military parade was formed for the Ecclesiachy of the God Emperor to showcase the people of what they are dealing with here.
Soldiers after soldiers, walking in tandem in synchronization as they saluted at the balcony that held the cog military.
Tanks and planes swept by to showcase their might. That they were not to be triffle with.
Alexander and Delta team watched from the distance. Pondering of the fact that they followed Alexander so willingly.
"Wow, Major are these the reinforcements that you called for?" Anthony watched as the numerous soldiers swept by the main street of Jacinto.
"Yes, Anthony... Yes."
"Speaking of which, I heard that my brother is coming to Delta team soon, his name's Benjamin and we will be reinforced soon." Anthony scratched his head.
"Then, teach him how to handle the ropes okay? Carmines stick together."
"Alright Major, Carmines stick together."
Alexander smiled as a part of his plan is now completed ...
He gaze upon the direction of Mt Kadar and he spoke in a whisper...
"I coming for you... You will die... By my hands. No amount of the abomination would keep you safe...not even that false queen can protect you." His murderous aura startled the team. And Alexander simply waved it off.
"I can't imagine how many Grubs that I willing to rip their spine apart " he smiled.
The siege of Jacinto is now grow evercloser...
The locust shadows looms over the city that stayed defiance against the Locust.
The cog made attemptsbto stall the march, hit and run, night raids, and even frontal assault that caused more body bags than the locust had ever done.
A group of sappers was in the south of Jacinto, it held the food producing sectors that supply the city, but with the ever closing threat of the locust as they began taking over the frontlines, the supply trucks that commuted the shipments is destroyed or ransacked.
Cog command sent sappers to gather and stripped all the necessary components of their survival, Hydroponics, Vat capable to grow Algae, Machinery, anything to provide the city some respite of the locust attacks.
They placed the parts to a Apc that is a makeshift trucks.
"This is Sapper Zero-Six we got all the priority equipment and spare parts over."
The soldiers breathed a sighed of relief.
Until one yelled out.
"Locust!" Those words echoes in his squad as they pointed out at the locust now surrounding, they grinned as they smelled the fear from the figures before them.
"Shit, Locust! Control, we got locust! At the north gate agricultural depot!" The soldier panicked.
Many felt confused.
Allies? Are they from the UIR or someone defunct country?
A Apc convoys rushed past them and immediately opened fire at the locust with blazing fire. Some even let out stream of unending flames that scorched the locust.
From the troop hatches of these machines, flooded out soldiers that made the cog soldiers think it was a clown car...
A colorfully dressed officer with a fancy hat stepped out and yelled to his men.
"Alright maggots! Time to earn your keep and find that the Emperor see your service wanting!"
Each soldiers strategically took position for a crossfire. Despite the hails of bullets that sent on their way, the church soldiers didn't faltered.
Each took aim and fire.
Each guns left a gold beam of light taking down the locust, leaving behind a steaming trail of mist from their barrels, what had taken numerous bullets send with one to hell. The tough skin that is almost bulletproof is not effective as the beams of light snapped the locust into two.
The cog soldiers stood in awe until their commander yelled at them.
"Get going! We got a timeframe!" Making the soldiers woke up in their stupor and clambered into their Apc.
"Their armor covered in olive green, covered in armor and tools, ready for a prolonged combat. They are more lanky than our soldiers, shorter even, but those guns... They bite hard.
Shot a grub and it snapped their bodies in half...
I dunno about what the cog higher ups is thinking, but they allowed us to get away...
I hoped they will not aim their guns at us." - Unknown soldier, Presumably one of them at the North gate.
The Evacuation of North Gate, was the start of the major influence with the Church forces. And the beginning of the Siege of Jacinto.
Reinforcements became more common and more heavier ordinances is being seen at the battlefield .
Sentinels began to immediately scouted the vicinity and Leman Russ now began to deployed at the defenses at the gates leading into the city. Their high profile gave the defenders some sense of comfort.
But that didn't help the people at ease, since the Locust already took the hydroelectric dam nearby to cut off the supply, and managed to go as far as the outer rims of Jacinto.
Operation: Hollow Storm is enacted
This is a gambit for Cog to invade the hollows and send people to rip their enemies out. A devastating gambit indeed. But if not for the fact that they were given weapons to handle the newly made locust by the Chuch, their plans would have not been attempted.
Reinforcements began to flow into Jacinto from space and recruitment centers for the believers that voluntarily joined.
A man stood before the church doors, Infront of him was filled with devotees.
He shrugged as he heard that joining this army have more than just getting his family some healthcare, he assured that he get paid and get groceries... And lots of incentives. His wife survived with his twin daughters that born just a few winters ago.
He felt grateful of the church that came to their outpost when the government left the survivors to fend for themselves.
Had the relief forces didn't arrive and also fend off their outpost from the locust they would be slaughtered. He had his first time with a rifle... Though his aim is questionable his action is useful to alert the church forces to assist them. And managed to evacuate them.
"Your name?" The man before him asked.
"Name's Dizzy, Dizzy Wallin, I heard that you folks need a helping hand."
"What are you good at?"
"Well, I pretty good at handing and fixing machines. Is that a plus?"
"All are welcome, seem... Like there's a opening, you know how to man a drill rig?"
"Of course. I darn know how to drive them."
"Okay, there is a Cog drill name's Betty. You are tasked to that vehicles, there's the local tech priest as your copilot... Just don't mind that man eccentric personality."
Dizzy shrugged as he ventured towards the vehicle he was assigned to.
He walked to the enormous rigs that is being retrofited to hold makeshift drills to send soldiers to the heart of the enemy.
Turrets and armor platings were being welded and Dizzy noticed a Mortar at the side.
"*Whistle* Dayum that's some firepower."
He met a strange robed man with metal tentacles busy scanning the vehicle.
"Are ya my partner?" He froze a bit as the tech priest switched at his location at a fast pace.
"Ah, the Machine god have allowed a acolyte to ride this blessed machine?"
Dizzy shrugged.
"Uhh, yeah... Want my moonshine?" He held out a jug of freshly brewed beer.
The tentacles of the man before him grabbed the jug and scanned the contents.
"Ethanol content... 90% that is acceptable." The man smiled as he produced a cup beneath his robes and poured the content and simply drank it in a single gulp.
"Seemed like we could be best of friends." Dizzy thought to himself.
Chairman Richard Prescott.
He was the highest in the leadership in Cog, he was guarded by Onyx Guards and the church soldiers as the made his way to the gathering point of the joint Army.
He was given a script but he tore it apart as he stepped on the stairs that lead to the halls of power.
His speech spread across all across sera. From the fringe stranded Outpost and to the frontlines where it was a contested hellhole, all hear his words as they listen to the chairman.
"Humans are no stranger to war.
After all, we've been fighting for as long as we can remember."
Many civilians sat around the radio tampering to see if they can hear more of the message. Many of the children were born in this terrible nightmare as they huddle close together.
"War is all we know. In the past, we fought for imulsion. We fought for country. We fought for freedom.
But all that changed after E-Day."
King Ravens and Valkyries swept by the staging ground, and heading to the frontlines
Whipping up the storm of winds.
In one of the Helicopter, Delta team sat as they listen to the radio, Dominic checked his pocket to see a faded image of a woman and a younger version of himself. Carlos patted him.
"It will be alright brother. We will find her soon."
"For 15 years, we've been fighting for our very survival against inhuman... genocidal monsters, but it is a fight we cannot continue. Humanity faces extinction, unless we end this war, now."
"We had hoped the light mass bombings would decimate the Locust Horde, but they survived, and have returned stronger than ever.
They brought with them a force that can sink entire cities. Even Jacinto, our last beacon of hope through all these dark days, is now at risk. Soon, we'll have nothing left to defend, and that means we have only one option. Attack. Gears, what I ask of you now is not an easy thing. But, it is necessary. If we are to survive, if we are to live long enough to see the seasons pass, our children grow, and experience a time of peace that we have never known, we must now take this fight to the Locust."
Several soldiers that was in the trenches of the frontlines roared out as they fired upon the incoming hordes of locust. One soldier smack the nearest one with a Chainsword and his hatred manifested that it brought fear to the drone.
"We will go to where they live and where they breed, and we will destroy them. This is the day we take the battle to the heart of the enemy. This is the day that we correct the course of human history! This is the day we ensure our survival as a species! Soldiers of the C.O.G., my fellow Gears, go forth, and bring back the hope of humanity!"
Roars of morale echo throughout the city, many of those despondent, now raised their arms to the air, transports awaited for their arrival as they moved out of the city.
Land, Air and possibly the space itself troops are amassing for a assault like no one seen in Sera for years.
As the transports began to distance themselves from the cities, they arrived at the Church's defensive line.
Cog soldiers watched as the faithful at the trenches gave them the Aquila symbol not as a sign of mockery, but a sign of respect to the soldiers of cog that vowed to enter the depths of hell.
They even got armed escort to their destination.
Many of the people, both cog soldier that stayed behind and the citizens watched as they disappeared in the horizon, but war is not kept waiting, they do what they can to fortify the city.
With more heavier ordinances and supplies being gathered from space, it allowed the city to consolidate the resources to make more guns.
And they can outlast the siege as long as the docks and the airport nearby is safe.
Landown, a Church controlled town was the prime location of letting the drills safety dropped into the locust tunnels . They can't drill safely from Jacinto, due to it being large amounts of Imulsion deposits that is below the granite foundation.
Delta team landed near the loading site.
"Damm, this people work fast." Marcus spoke as he saw these church followers readied themselves and assisted the diagnosis of the machines.
A cowboy wearing civilian approached them
"Welp, welcome boys and name's Dizzy and my ride's here Betty. Are you tha squad that assign to my rig?"
"Yes, Seemed like these churches like to go all out."
"Welp, lad, there's a sayin in them Church's tenants, There's no such thang as overkill. It's a long ride to Landown and I heard there's fightin there is fierce. I heard Major Alexander is doing gods work defending that town.
"Yeah, but with this amount of hardware..." Carlos muttered.
"What are you waiting for! Climb aboard!"
As Marcus, Dominic and Carlos climb aboard they met several of the Church soldiers defending the side of the drill rig.
Marcus and the rest ignored it as the giant machine began to roared to life, it made the trek towards a chance of hope.... Along the might of humanity, many hope this war would come to a end.
But hope....
Is the first step to disappoinment.