The rock behind me shook as I opened the link to Command.

“We need immediate reinforcement, repeat immediate reinforcement. We’re pinned down in grid co-ordinates 9091 by 3415, four klicks north of the sensor post. Negative, we’re under heavy fire. Cannot reach the objective.”

I looked around the corner of the boulder quickly. My second-in-command was manning a mounted gun up front.

“Alright, roger that. Boys, we have an airstrike inbound. Hold them off.”
“Copy that, team leader. Here they are – let them have it!”

The concentrated firepower of my section tore up the air in a solid wall of gunfire. I pulled the stock into my shoulder and looked down the sights at the mechanised walker with all its heavy weaponry. It was cutting through my men with ease. I prayed the hypersonic missile drone wouldn’t take too long and pulled the trigger of the laser designator hard.

Amid the thunder and lightning-flash of the slaughter, an earth-shaking sonic shockwave announced the answer to my prayers.