Cinder

31 - Clockwork

"Blue-Team, you are cleared for departure."

"Copy that," Tobias replied, switching his comm channel to an open broadcast. "This is Blue-1, we're green for takeoff! Go, go!"

As one, the many Goblin dropships belonging to Blue-Team began to rise into the air of the hangar. With the shield doors lowered, they boosted out into space and set their sights on Regis, the large planet now looming before them in much closer proximity thanks to the efforts of Red-Team.

New Humanity cruisers and frigates were still putting up a heavy fight to keep Embers ships from getting through- thankfully, the civilian ships were occupying most of their attention to keep fire off of the main fleet. Small ships- like the Goblins they now were riding in on- seemed to be ignored in favor of large scale targets.

"Approaching atmosphere now, sir," called the pilot up front, turning her head slightly behind to help her voice carry to the drop-bay. "You might want to hang onto something!"

True to her word, the metallic sides of the dropship began to rattle as they battled with the growing resistance that a firmament provided. He glanced around the room at KT and the other soldiers that made up the squad of Blue-1; three riflemen and a Pilot. Kay's aptly colored visor noticed the movement and matched it to meet his gaze.

"Been a while since we lead a task force, huh?"

He gave her an anxious grin, the most it seemed his face was willing to provide. "I only remember one of us doing any leading."

She shrugged. "As a Titan, my body was your body. Therefore, I helped lead."

He raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Can't exactly argue with that logic ..."

She hummed playfully. "I'm sure you'd still find some way to try-"

A loud boom suddenly rang out seemingly next to the ship, and a thorough shaking of the dropship immediately followed it. As it quickly became too unstable to stand properly, his hand shot out and grabbed one of the safety handles hanging from the roof as the grunts followed suit. Kay, for her part, seemed to actually be balancing rather well without the need for a handhold, though she darted her gaze around nervously just as much as they did.

"What the hell was that?" cried out one of the riflemen, looking to the pilot up front for answers.

"AA fire, we're getting hammered hard!" she yelled, yanking the stick sharply to avoid getting hit from another barrage. "It's getting worse the closer we get to those production sites!"

"Blue-16 just took a nosedive! They just-"

A resounding explosion echoed throughout the area as a massive pyre of flames blossomed from the wreckage of what was presumably Blue-16 after it had crashed into the thick forest below them.

Tobias grimaced, but he called out to the pilot all the same, "We're too far to turn back now- keep going!"

"Yes, sir!"

He opened up his comlink again. "Blue-1 to all ships, continue to advance! Green Team's depending on our arrival!"

"Copy that!"

"Understood. Pressing forward-"

"Holy shit, INCOMING! EVASIVE MANEUV-"

The sky lit up as dozens of missiles tore through the ranks of the dropships simultaneously. Tobias looked out the side-window in horror as he watched two, then three, then four ships crumple in mid-air from the impacts and begin to fall towards the-