At Rex’smand, the room lit up with hundreds of golden eyes, each belonging to an Aegis Unit. They hummed to life, their metallic forms gleaming in the dim bay, ready to be unleashed on the Hive. It was as if a sleeping army had just awoken, each sentinel hungry for battle.


    As the bay doors slid open, Rex took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the moment settle on him. The cold air whipped in, and he stared down at the endless swarm of Khryssari below, covering the’s surface in a dark, writhing mass.


    "This is it, folks," he said, his voice steady with anticipation. "Time to make these bugs regret ever messing with us." And with that, Rex leapt from the gunboat, diving headfirst into the chaos, with Ys on his back and the Aegis Sentinels close behind. It was time to bring the wrath of the stars down on the Hive.


    As Rex and his team were near the ground, theirnding props roared to life, creating a storm of dust and debris. For a moment, everything was obscured by the thick cloud they’d kicked up.


    Then, like thunder from a storm, golden sma bolts erupted from within the dust cloud,ncing out toward the Khryssari warriors. The alien creatures screamed as the searing sma struck their bodies.


    But the Khryssari adapted quickly. After the initial volley, they began dodging, their swift, insectoid bodies weaving around the slower-moving sma bolts. Their sheer numbers made them a relentless tide, closing in from all sides like a swarm of angry hos.


    Up above, Cleo was locked in her own battle. She was supposed to be providing fire support from the gunship, but a wave of Khryssari Skydancers had her fully upied. The alien fighters dove at her from all angles, forcing her to maneuver the gunship far away from her ground troops.


    Even with the assistance of the four Wraith-ss fighters, it was all she could do to keep them at bay. Ground support would have to wait.


    Meanwhile, back on the ground, Carlos was holding his own in the chaos. With a wild grin, he stood atop the body of a Khryssari warrior he’d just ttened with his hammer.


    "This area’s VIP only! Show me your pass, please!" he called out, taunting the oing swarm.


    But his moment of bravado was cut short as a barrage of green sma bolts streaked toward him. "W-What! That’s cheating!" Carlos yelped, diving behind the fallen Khryssari for cover as sma scorched the air around him.


    Through hismunicator, Rex’sughter crackled into his helmet. "What the hell were you thinking, baldy? Only an idiot brings a hammer to a gunfight!"


    "Then what the hell am I supposed to do, Rex?!" Carlos yelled back; the frustration was clear in his voice. "This hammer’s all I got!"


    Rex chuckled, looking up at the sky. "Chill out, Baldy, the airdrops are on their way. Cleo’s been cooking up some new toys for us; all those months in theb weren’t for nothing."


    Carlos’s eyes lit up as he scanned the sky. "Oh hell yeah, about time! Alright, everyone fall back!" he called out, rallying with a renewed spark of hope.


    As the team regrouped, the Aegis Units sprang into action. Hundreds ofbat drones deployed from their ranks, their golden eyes shing as they dove into the fray. The drones fought fiercely, matching the Khryssari in brutality. They had no fear, no hesitation, just relentless, calcting aggression, surging forward to hold the line.


    But even an AI can be overwhelmed. For every Khryssari warrior that fell, two more took its ce. The drones and Aegis Units were holding the line, but the numbers were starting to tell. Shields flickered and failed, limbs were torn off by the Khryssari’s organic sma weapons, and several Aegis units copsed, sparking and broken beyond repair.


    Rex gritted his teeth as he watched the Aegis Units falter. His fingers clenched around the hilt of his ymore sword. "Hang in there, guys," he muttered. "We just need a little more time."


    And then, with a loud whoosh, the sky above opened up, and a cluster of silver and blue pods descended, leaving trails of light in their wake. The airdrops had arrived.


    Each podnded with a thunderous impact, scattering the Khryssari nearby. As the pods opened, they revealed racks of new weapons and armor, shining with Cleo’stest tech enhancements. Among them was a massive sma cannon and a sleek, ck exosuit designed to enhance strength and speed.


    Carlos’s eyes widened as he grabbed the sma cannon, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "Now this is what I’m talking about!" He nced over at Rex, his hammer long forgotten. "Looks like I’ve finally got a gun for this gunfight!"


    Rex smirked, grabbing his own upgraded exosuit and locking it into ce with a satisfying click. "Let’s show these bugs they picked the wrong to mess with."


    Ys hopped off Rex’s back and grabbed a pair of sma daggers from one of the pods, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. "These are mine now! theyre pretty."


    The team regrouped, each member now decked out in cutting-edge gear, standing tall as the Aegis Units rallied behind them. The Khryssari swarm was closing in, sensing a final push.


    Rex raised his ymore sword, its golden edge glowing fiercely. "Alright, everyone! Let’s light them up!"


    The battle turned in an instant. sma bolts tore through the Khryssari ranks, Carlos’s new cannon sting holes in their lines as Ys weaved through, her daggers a blur of light and fury. Rex led the charge, carving a path with every swing of his de, while the Aegis Units andbat drones pushed forward, regaining ground.


    From above, Cleo finally got a break as the Skydancers fell back, giving her a chance to unleash the gunship’s full firepower. Lasers and missiles rained down, tearing through the Khryssari forces like paper.


    As the dust settled and the smoke cleared, the ground was littered with fallen. The Khryssari forces were decimated, their numbers broken and scattered. Rex, Carlos, Ys, and Cleo stood tall amidst the wreckage, bruised but victorious.


    Rex looked around at his team, a smirk on his face. "Not bad for some office workers, huh?"


    Carlosughed, wiping alien goo off his new cannon. "Damn right. Now, who’s ready to get back to the ship and celebrate?"


    Ys turned to Carlos, giving him a look that could only mean You absolute idiot.


    "Do you seriously think it’s that easy to beat the Khryssari?"


    Carlos, oblivious, shrugged. "What? I don’t see any more of them! It’s clear we won this area, no?"


    As the words left his mouth, the ground beneath them began to crack, deep fissures snaking out in every direction.


    "RUN!" Ys screamed, bolting away at full speed. The Aegis Units also started to run behind her without a second thought.


    Rex and Carlos exchanged a quick, confused nce, but instinct kicked in, and they turned to flee. Unfortunately, it was already toote. With a deafening roar, a monstrous pair of jaws burst from beneath the ground, swallowing Rex and Carlos whole.


    The creature that emerged was massive, its scale dwarfing even Cleo’s gunship. Its skin was dark and ridged, a hide that looked as tough as starship armor. It reared back, opening its gaping maw to let out a thunderous roar, and as it did, a fresh swarm of Khryssari skydancers and K. warriors spilled out from its mouth like a gue.


    Cleo’s voice crackled over themunicator, calm butmanding. "All units, retreat at least ten kilometers from the worm. The area is lost."


    She turned her attention to Ys, who was watching the chaos with an unreadable expression. "And you too, Khryssari girl. Don’t worry, they’ll be fine."


    Ys scoffed, crossing her arms. "Worried? Please. The only thing on my mind right now is where to find some water, since my darling’s going toe out smelling like worm guts." She nced around as if genuinely considering where to find water. Even Cleo, normally unppable, was momentarily speechless.


    As the Aegis Units fell back, Cleo brought the gunship around and unleashed everything she had on the worm. Lasers, missiles, and sma rounds hammered into the creature’s tough hide. Then she deployed the hive missiles, dozens at a time, each one spiraling through the air before exploding against the worm with blinding shes.


    It was the same weapon she’d used to level entire bandit camps before, but even this wasn’t enough to bring down the monster.


    In the meantime, deep inside the worm, Rex had already activated his bionics overdrive mode. He was carrying Carlos over his shoulder, flying through the creature’s winding, organic tunnels as Carlos sted away at the swarming Skydancers that followed close behind.


    "Can’t you fly faster?" Carlos yelled, squeezing off another shot that vaporized a Skydancer’s head.


    "If your bald ass wasn’t so heavy, we’d be out of here already!" Rex snapped back, dodging another Skydancer that swooped dangerously close.


    Just then, Rex spotted a faint glimmer of daylight up ahead. "Look, Carlos! I can see the exit!" he shouted, pointing forward. Out of habit, his other hand started crafting a ymore sword out of habit, right as he forgot he was holding onto Carlos.


    There was a split second of realization before Carlos’s eyes widened in horror. "Oh, hell no."


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "A, crap," Rex muttered as his grip slipped.


    Carlos plummeted back down into the depths of the worm, his voice echoing, "AHHHHHHH! Fcckk yoooiiiu, Reeeexxxx!" His middle finger was still extended toward Rex as he vanished from sight.


    Outside, Cleo saw Rex finally burst out of the worm’s mouth, holding Carlos from his legs, who had somehow managed to grab onto a Skydancer that was nowtched onto his arm, trying to bite through his armor.


    Carlos yanked his hammer off his back and smashed it down on the Skydancer’s head with a sickening crunch. "I swear, one of these days, I’m going to kill you, Rex," he growled, swatting another Skydancer out of the air.


    Rexughed, not the least bit fazed. "Come on, Baldy, admit it, that was funny as hell!"


    Carlos just red, swinging his hammer at anything that moved. "Next time you drop me in a worm, I’m going to smash your head open, pretty boy."


    Rex chuckled and steered them back to the gunboat. As they docked, Cleo already had the engines primed, ready to get them clear of the immediate danger. Once they were safely aboard, they regrouped with Ys to figure out their next move.