The hivemind is conquering for me?-Chapter 744: Last Stand

"Apollo, a word?" Nerissa asked and walked off to the side. I then followed her away from the group. Once we were isolated she planted her spear into a dead Drakoshi and put her hands on her hips.

"So, how was your first combat with the Drakoshi?" She then began to walk around me, inspecting me. "No blows to your body, only range damage. Good."

I followed her with my eyes as she wheeled around me and I replied. "Oh, it was... Interesting. I didn’t mean to get so pulled ahead though, I will be working on that. But, somethings weird. With all those muscles, they felt a little-"

"-Slow?" Nerissa finished off my sentence and I nodded. She then explained. "Yes, they were. Clan Emoth tend to be a little slower than the others, but also these were almost all fresh clones. With the unarmoured being untested. What we just fought was their vanguards vanguard. Meant to weaken the enemy with their own lives."

I was shocked to hear that. There were thousands of dead bodies around us. "This was just... But the Phalanx were practically on the verge of being overrun when we arrived."

Nerissa laughed softly hearing that before patting me on the shoulder. "I think you underestimate your own strength. The strength of all those in this squad compared to a normal human. But that is a good quality to have. Never underestimate your enemy. Like I said, this was just a vanguard of a vanguard. The weakest troops. Be prepared for more difficult fights as the campaign progresses. As the more fighting a Drakoshi does, the stronger they become."

I nodded resolutely. "Don’t worry Nerissa, I taught myself a long time ago to never underestimate an enemy. You don’t know what cards they might hold."

Nerissa gave me a nod and let go of my shoulder as we heard from the drop pod. "Apollo, Praetorian! Bubble got communications up!" Vine shouted and the two of us made our way back.

Once we were back, I heard Skaja through the com. "Things are secure over here. A few injured, but none dead. Thankfully. Looks like you are about five kilometres east from us. We will regroup in-"

The communicator suddenly cut out and another voice spoke up. "-Change of plans." An authoritative woman spoke in place of Skaja. "This is commander Serena Hyllus. I require two of your strongest to branch from your current squad and redirect into Drakoshi territory. I have an elite squad that has been assaulted for two days straight. They need reinforcements asap. Who do you have for me?"

Skaja wasted no time. "Our strongest... I’m not sure about the strongest, but Apollo Lambdason does have a Pretorian follower. And we cannot order praetorians to do anything."

There was a slight pause on the communicator before Serena spoke again. "Is Lambdason there?"

"I am!" I declared my presence.

Serena then spoke. "So, my sister has told me you hold your own in a pankration? Is that true? Do you think you can beat her?"

I shook my head even though it was only a verbal communication before speaking. "No, but I can break a few of her bones if that’s anything to go for."

"That... Really? Well that qualifies you enough. Very well. You and the Praetorian make your way to the coordinates I am sending to your communication specialist. And double time it. They are almost out of ammunition!"

Nerissa, hearing that, began to push a sequence on her gems on her armour and a moment later, she spoke. "Coordinates acquired. We can get there at full pace in thirty minutes with no disturbances on the way. Apollo, let’s move."

Nerissa then turned to run and I didn’t wait and followed her. Sithrik also slithered with us and kept speed surprisingly well. Though I didn’t know how fast none Psionic snakes could move. I was just being leg superior and assumed beings with no legs would be slower.

On our way, we suddenly encountered a problem. The Drakoshi defensive line. Massive guns. Massive Drakoshi and ’A massive mech suit? I want one of those!’

Before we were spotted in the small woodland we were in, Nerissa began to tap her gems again before whispering. "Stay close. They won’t have counter tech to my suit, but we have to be very quiet. We cannot risk being seen and being delayed longer."

I nodded my head and got prepared to try and run even faster once we were through, these minutes could be the difference between life and death for whoever we have been sent to help.

...

Thirty minutes later:

"Keep formation! We hold this ground! We do not surrender our lives to these Drakoshi scum!" A female modulated voice yelled out.

"No Surrender!"

The formation in question was a group of twenty. Three of which were knights. They were positioned on an elevated ridge. The terrain while having the high ground was also favourable as the gravity around the ridge was nearly ten times stronger than where they were due to the planet’s lack of Hydrostatic equilibrium.

As a result, The Drakoshi who had not stopped charging at them became like slugs when approaching. Easy targets.

The problem was not the ability to hit the targets though, but the volume. Wave after wave after wave of Drakoshi came. From grunts to warriors. Even weaker war lads had begun to answer the call and she knew why.

Looking over for a fraction of a second, before she resumed firing on the ever encroaching line were three clan commanders. All ten feet tall and all adorned with a silver pauldron on their left shoulder.

These were war heroes of the Drakoshi and her squad had pissed them off big time.

As long as those three stayed alive behind their generator shields, out of harm’s way of her heavy squads dwindling heavy weapons, they could continue to order more and more bastards towards her position.

"Reloading!" She yelled and looked at the crate next to her. A few more waves and she would be out, but even worse.

"Commander." A knight declared as it dropped its autocannon. "Out of heavy rounds, engaging close quarters."

The knight then pulled from its back slot a sword hilt and a moment later it ignited, revealing a reclaimed Plipit plasma war razor, before it charged to the edge of the defence position, putting its chassis on the line against the Drakoshi.

One by one her knights expended their heavy ammunition, the ammunition that could kill stronger Drakoshi, and it was then the three pussies finally began to advance.

Her squad noticed this, but kept fighting with zeal. If this was their last day, so be it.

The leader had the same thought, but... She looked to her left, her closest ally and best friend. If she was to go out, she would want it to be her. "Lieutenant! It’s time! Use your power!"

Her lieutenant looked at her through her own helmet. She could feel her shock before acceptance. The others around also heard the order. Most must have agreed it was a better way to go as they began to fight like men and women possessed. THis was their final moment, it would be a glorious one.

The lieutenant sighed before she began to amass her power. In order for it to work against the Drakoshi, it had to be powerful enough that it would override her protective bypasses. Everyone would be killed, but her. In the past, this would have wrecked her, but thanks to her gift...

She began to expand her aura to its maximum. Not far, just to where the gravity spikes. Her allies had to keep her alive until that point.

"AAaggh" She heard through her comms. One of the knights just had his chassis ripped open. Her friend had perished.

The Drakoshi leaders were taking their time, walking slowly. Savouring their ’prey’ But she was no prey, she was the hunter.

As she watched them grow ever closer. An image of her man lingered in her head. ’Goodbye, my love. I am sorry we never got to enjoy each other’s flesh.’

The Drakoshi clan commanders finally began to pick up the pace, having seen a knight now die and were encroaching on the kill zone at an accelerated rate. At any moment everyone and everything in the zone would be dead and she would be all that was left for the scavengers outside the zone to pick off.

She took a deep breath, had the word on the tip of her tongue. One of the leaders was about to step through the zone when

"GRRAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

A man donned in armour, descended from the sky and plunged his sword deep into the Drakoshi clan leader’s skull. He then jumped off the first one and deflected a blow in time that sent him flying as the second one retaliated.

She became stunned, her aura dissipated in a moment as she felt her heart begin to beat fast. Her hand cupped to her chest as she watched him arrive before her like a miracle. She couldn’t believe it. She knew that armour, remembered that scent even across the battlefield. It was him. It was...

’Apollo?’