"Hu-ha!"
After hearing Soap's speech, the comms channel resounded with the organized battle cries of each unit.
David, already somewhat emotionally charged, joined in naturally.
18:00.
After Soap's pre-battle declaration, it was now precisely the time for the plan to commence.
The pilot operating the Luna II transport shuttle promptly announced over the cabin intercom to David, Qiang, and the others, "Gentlemen, we'll arrive at SkyNet's headquarters, located in the former northern United States, in 20 minutes. Please prepare."
As the announcement ended, everyone felt a slight jolt through the shuttle, indicating that the Luna II was retracting its landing gear and ascending to a low-earth orbit around 100 kilometers above the ground.
David turned his head and looked out through the sealed porthole—
Outside, he saw hundreds of Pelican, Silver Gull, and Luna transport shuttles also taking off one by one from their vertical takeoff platforms. Alongside these transports were ten or so Vulture and Phantom gunships, as well as Ghost, Longsword, and Shortsword attack fighters for escort.
Although Soap's forces only comprised "merely" over ten thousand armed personnel, Atlas currently had no shortage of all sorts of vehicles. Transport ships and attack fighters were available in large numbers and could be mass-produced whenever necessary. For example, after acquiring the UNSC's Shortsword fighter blueprints, Atlas's research division improved and refined them, leading to production capabilities at the Akra facility.
Fighter jets were indeed costly, but the real value lay in the pilots. Fortunately, Atlas's years of research into artificial intelligence, incorporating basic AI throughout its operations, had drastically reduced the training time and expenses needed to produce skilled pilots.
Even the crews responsible for operating the frigates and destroyers in space had AI support.
As a result, over three thousand pilots, gunners, and other relevant personnel were participating in the mission to exterminate SkyNet.
In total, Atlas's Terminator frontline base had a combined workforce of over sixty thousand, including employees and soldiers. Only about ten thousand of them were assigned to the offensive combat units.
David looked out at the scenes through the porthole, unable to contain his excitement.
This was his first real operation since joining the company.
Back in Night City, he had dreamed of making a name for himself, becoming a living legend. Thinking about it now, he realized how naive he had been. What could be more "glorious" than fighting alongside comrades to free humanity from its suffering?
Having this goal gave David a profound sense of purpose. It was far more fulfilling than the old ambitions of simply earning more money, gaining higher status, or reaching the top of Night City.
The Luna II shuttle carrying them soon reached a low orbit of about 100 kilometers above the ground and accelerated northward.
David used his electronic eyes to observe the tactical radar, noting that over 400 vehicles were beginning to disperse toward different target areas.
Before long, the Luna II they were on, along with four other Luna II shuttles, twenty-plus Pelicans, two Vultures, and a single Phantom, formed a convoy.
Then, as David felt the shuttle start to decrease altitude and prepare to re-enter the atmosphere, he noticed a scattered "meteor shower" appear ahead.
David was briefly confused but quickly realized that these were individual drop pods for ODST and Sangheili Assault Teams, along with medium drop pods carrying Brutes and Cyclops exosuits, all generating flames as they broke through the atmosphere.
Despite the fact that the ODST and Sangheili Assault Team numbered only about five hundred, they had the essential role of establishing an initial foothold, second only to the Astartes in opening the battlefield.
Satisfied, David closed his eyes, mirroring Lucy's calm demeanor, and prepared mentally for the imminent battle.
Meanwhile, from a bird's-eye view, the dimly lit ground below revealed a ruined landscape. Cities and nearby villages had been reduced to rubble, with hardly any patches of green forest in sight. Only sparse weeds, "tenaciously" clinging to life, remained in the arid terrain.
Amid the ruins, however, lights flickered, and the sound of engines roared, dispelling any illusion of lifelessness.
Countless figures carrying rotary machine guns patrolled the wrecked streets. These "people" performed guard and patrol duties, ensuring that large construction machinery could operate unimpeded.
The massive machinery, resembling bulldozers and excavators but significantly larger, was digging deep pits on the outskirts of the city.
Unmanned trucks arrived at these pits, where they stopped and lifted their beds to unload piles of human corpses.
These bodies, often naked and missing skin, limbs, or eyes, were evidence of the horrific experiments and tortures inflicted on them in life. Some corpses, with faces intact, bore expressions of anger and despair.
Once the trucks finished dumping, unmanned bulldozers began covering the bodies in earth.
These patrolling guards were not human but T-600 Terminators with metal skeletons. Although most T-600s were still armed with old rotary machine guns and carried large ammo boxes on their backs, a third of them were equipped with more advanced plasma rifles.
As this was the central hub of SkyNet, the T-600s tasked with security were the first to receive upgraded weaponry.
Looking toward the heart of the city, one could see a massive pyramid structure towering above. Its top reached a height of around 500 meters, with numerous searchlights and lighting fixtures illuminating the core area like daylight.
Conventional stealth tactics, like sneaking under cover of darkness or advancing slowly behind cover, were simply ineffective here.
Moreover, the pyramid was surrounded by high walls, with Hunter-model turrets positioned every thirty meters, prepared to eliminate any intruders.
Even if a Terminator or Hunter from the same faction entered the area, they would be bombarded by the turrets if they lacked SkyNet's authorization.
This defensive setup made it impossible for the human resistance to use reprogrammed Terminators or Hunters to infiltrate SkyNet's central hub.
Currently, SkyNet's overall strength was nearly overwhelming the human resistance. However, with John Connor providing more countermeasures against Terminators and Hunters and the resistance acquiring advanced weaponry from SkyNet itself, the tide had begun to turn.
Once humanity launched a full-scale counteroffensive, SkyNet's rigid mechanical forces would struggle to contain them. SkyNet's defeat was inevitable.
But for now, SkyNet's central hub was still heavily fortified, far from the vulnerable state depicted in the Terminator films.
Outside the pyramid structure alone, the ruins were populated with over sixty thousand T-600 and T-800 Terminators, alongside numerous non-humanoid Hunters, with SkyNet's mechanical forces exceeding one hundred thousand.
If the human resistance attempted a direct assault at this point, it would be a suicidal mission.
Suddenly, one of the turret-style Hunters guarding SkyNet's core seemed to detect something, immediately deploying its missile pods.
However, before the turret Terminators and fixed anti-air systems could launch interception missiles, a barrage of plasma blasts rained down, swiftly neutralizing a third of SkyNet's anti-air defenses.
Simultaneously, a brilliant blue electromagnetic railgun projectile shot through the night sky, striking the fusion reactor facility.
A massive explosion illuminated the entire ruined city.
The explosion quickly faded, but the electromagnetic railgun had triggered a ground-shaking shockwave filled with rubble and steel debris.
Many T-600, T-800, and various Hunters could not withstand the impact of this shockwave.
Meanwhile, ODST, Sangheili Assault Teams, Brutes, and Cyclops exosuits continued to descend from above, merging with the darkness.
In response, hundreds of interception missiles rose, accelerating multiple times as they reached a designated height.
The fusion reactor had been destroyed, and SkyNet's defenses had taken heavy damage from the Paris-class artillery barrage. However, a backup power supply remained.
In the instant the shockwave subsided, the remaining Hunter turrets and anti-air defenses locked onto the descending drop pods, preparing to intercept with missiles.
The ODST and Sangheili, upon realizing they were targeted, quickly deployed hundreds of decoy drones.
A display of "fireworks" erupted in the sky, signifying that the interception missiles had successfully detonated on target.
Fortunately, the drop pods emerged unscathed from the explosion radius, descending even faster toward the ground.
Since decoys far outnumbered the interception missiles, SkyNet's defenses could do little to stop the drop pods.
As a result, the pods began to land near the eastern edge of the pyramid structure.
With a loud thud, the drop pods opened, releasing the ODST and Sangheili Assault Team members, who let out resounding battle cries.
In seconds, red energy beams and blue plasma blasts flashed around the landing zone as the ODST and Sangheili veterans began suppressing the remaining T-600s, T-800s, and Hunters.
Heavy-armored Brutes wielding Gauss miniguns and plasma cannons, alongside a Cyclops exosuit, spearheaded the assault.
The Terminators and Hunters that could easily decimate human resistance forces wielding conventional firearms found themselves outmatched against the ODST and Sangheili, whose ranks included crazed warriors and combat veterans equipped with high-tech Gauss, plasma, and hard light weapons.
Before long, the landing zone expanded sixfold under the assault of the orbital troops.
Though the machines felt no fear, they began adapting to the ODST and Sangheili's combat rhythm, counterattacking effectively.
At this point, several ODST energy shields on their left arms failed, exposing them to the firepower of the rotary guns.
Thanks to their titanium armor, most ODST troops managed
to deflect fatal shots and find cover, but some were less fortunate. Their helmets were pierced, and despite their injected Inquisitor serum giving them regenerative capabilities beyond ordinary humans, they couldn't survive the brain damage.
The Sangheili also faced fierce resistance from the T-800s. SkyNet's newly developed plasma rifles rivaled the Sangheili's standard weapons, quickly breaking their shields.
Only the heavily armored Brutes and the Cyclops exosuit held their ground.
As tanks, aerial units, and more Hunters arrived, the pressure on the assault forces surged.
Nonetheless, they had achieved their primary objective: carving out a secure landing zone and drawing the attention of SkyNet's forces to create a "green" landing area for the main forces.
As the assault forces struggled under increasing pressure, the Phantom, Shortsword, and Longsword squadrons began bombing the machine army without restraint.
Meanwhile, the Vulture and Phantom gunships unleashed supporting fire at a safe distance from the assault force.
Finally, the Luna II and Pelican transports arrived in the vicinity, ready to land in the designated zone.
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