3. The Grunts Attack!
Kael gripped his plasma blade tightly, the joints of his powered armour responding to his genetically modified frame. The glowing edge of the sword humming faintly as the battlefield erupted into chaos. The horde of Grunts surged forward again, their guttural cries echoing across the rocky plateau. For every Grunt that fell, two more seemed to take their place, their savage momentum threatening to break the Star Marine line.
Kael’s voice cut through the comms, sharp and commanding. “You are the blade of humanity, when the wave crashes against us, we stand as the rock. Push them back! Do not give ground!”
The Marines responded instantly, their rifles spitting precise bursts of plasma into the advancing horde. Turrets swivelled and fired in tandem, cutting wide swathes through the enemy ranks. Despite their overwhelming numbers, the Grunts faltered under the unyielding discipline of the Star Marines. But Kael could see it—small cracks forming in the line. Fatigue was setting in, and the Grunts’ ferocity was beginning to take its toll.
Velasquez’s voice broke through the comms, urgent and strained. “Alpha, the right flank’s holding, but we’re losing ground on the left! Their big ones are breaking through!”
Kael turned, his eyes scanning the battlefield. These larger monstrosities stood out against the green wave at least 2 or 3 feet taller than the normal grunts. At the far end of the line, the larger Grunts—hulking brutes with jagged armour and massive clubs—were smashing through barricades, scattering Marines in their path. Kael had fought them before I knew that close quarters combat without the support of heavy fire was folie. Kael sprinted toward the left flank, his blade slicing through any enemy foolish enough to get in his way.
As he reached the embattled line, Kael leapt onto a shattered barricade, his voice booming through the comms. “Focus fire on the brutes! Heavy gunners, pin them down! Velasquez, flank their position and cut them off!”
Kael’s only hope now is to pin the Grunts with deepening fire and get into the thick of the horde. He would show them the power of the Star Marines.
Velasquez’s reply was immediate. “On it, Alpha!” Then in the background he heard her voice cut through the noise “bring the cannons about and put sustained fire on the big ones.”
Kael felt the cannon fire rain down around him as he charged into the fray, his blade glowing fiercely as he met one of the massive Grunts head-on. The creature roared, swinging its club with enough force to shatter stone. Kael sidestepped the blow, his blade slashing across the Grunt’s exposed side. The creature howled in pain but didn’t fall. Kael ducked under another swing and drove his blade into its chest, the weapon’s plasma edge searing through thick armour and flesh. The Grunt collapsed with a heavy thud.
Thankfully, the cannons’ targeting systems were driven by AI and it would always spare the Marines, such was the incredible accuracy of digitally enhanced weaponry. Around him, the Marines regrouped, their confidence bolstered by Kael’s presence.
Velasquez and her squad moved swiftly, flanking the remaining brutes and cutting them down with coordinated precision. Within minutes, the left flank was secure, the horde forced to retreat.
Kael stood amidst the wreckage, his chest heaving as he surveyed the battlefield. The Grunts were regrouping, their war cries growing louder as their leader, Gorvak, rallied them from the rear. Kael could see him in the distance—a towering figure clad in jagged armour, his massive axe gleaming in the moonlight.
“Alpha”, Velasquez said, stepping up beside him. “They’re not finished. Gorvak’s just getting started.”
Kael nodded. “And neither we, they felt nothing of our vigour yet.”