Chapter 604: Bloody Front Gate Battle.

Back at the Muster Ground gate, the area had turned into a full-fledged war.

What had once been the main entrance to one of Suncrest City’s most important military bases now lay buried beneath smoke, fire, shattered concrete.

Bodies of soldiers who had fallen during the desperate scramble to escape scattered everywhere.

Energy weapons flashed continuously across the battlefield, bright streaks cutting through the smoke before slamming into armored vehicles, walls, and men.

Screams echoed whenever someone was caught in the crossfire.

The four Generals who had tried to flee were now facing the officers still loyal to the Federation and, more importantly, still under the Governor’s control.

The battle had shattered whatever order once held the base together.

Soldiers who’d stood side by side under the same command were now firing at each other, neither side willing to lower their weapons.

Some hid behind vehicles, loosing bursts of energy toward the opposing line; others darted between barriers and buildings, hunting for better ground.

The arrival of the tanks had changed everything.

The treacherous Generals had initially held the gate with their men, using the convoy vehicles as cover while trying to blast the entrance open.

However, the moment several tanks rolled toward them with dozens of soldiers had forced them to change their location.

"Fall back!"

"Get behind the building!"

"Don’t let them surround us!"

Orders flew from every direction as the Generals and their men retreated. Several vehicles reversed at speed, tires screaming against the pavement as they raced toward the nearest building.

Soldiers running alongside them and laying down enough fire to keep the Federation troops pinned.

Boom!

A tank shell struck one of the vehicles, the explosion hurling burning metal through the air and throwing several soldiers off their feet.

One convoy vehicle was slammed sideways by the blast and crashed into a concrete barrier.

"Keep moving!"

The four Generals reached the building and took up defensive positions behind their remaining vehicles.

Heavily outnumbered as they were, they hadn’t come unprepared.

Before making their move, they’d stripped the base of nearly every advanced weapon they could get their hands on.

High-powered thermal weapons, explosive launchers, heavy energy rifles, and other equipment no ordinary soldier was authorized to touch.

And that firepower gave them an edge.

Every time the Federation forces tried to advance, a storm of energy fire drove them back.

Boom! Boom!

An energy cannon struck the front of the building, shaking the entire structure and raining dust from the ceiling.

Soldiers ducked behind overturned vehicles as another barrage swept across the position.

One General risked raising his head, face streaked with dirt and sweat, and fired his thermal weapon.

A concentrated blast tore through the battlefield, catching several advancing Federation soldiers and throwing their bodies backward.

He dropped back into cover as dozens of shots slammed into the wall above him.

"Our only option is to force our way out of the gate!" another General shouted, blood leaking from his lip.

"The gate can’t hold us back anymore. If we’re willing to pay the price, we can still get out."

The other two fell silent, listening to the explosions around them, watching their soldiers strain to hold the line.

Neither answered right away as their expressions conflicted.

Whether they regretted betraying the Federation, feared what waited outside, or simply understood they had already passed the point of no return, nobody could tell.

But then, another explosion rocked the building.

The General who’d stayed quiet finally raised his head and looked toward the distant gate.

"We don’t have much time." His voice was firm. "Let’s do it."

The last General studied him for a moment before nodding. "Agreed."

The decision was made and all four General began shouting orders at once.

"Prepare the vehicles!"

"Load everything!"

"Don’t waste ammunition!"

"Once we move, nobody stops!"

Their soldiers scrambled into motion, some rushing for the remaining vehicles, others checking weapons and ammunition while men climbed into armored transports.

Ready for a bloody battle that was about to happen.

The Generals knew they couldn’t simply walk to the gate. They needed overwhelming force to break through before the tanks could suppress them.

One General climbed onto the side of an armored vehicle and raised his weapon.

"All units!" His voice thundered across the field. "We are breaking through!"

The soldiers responded instantly.

Engines roared to life.

The vehicles surged forward, and at nearly the same moment, every gun opened fire.

The battlefield erupted, thunder rolling through the air as countless weapons discharged at once.

Thermal beams punched through reinforced armor while explosives launched toward the Federation lines.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The first rank of Federation soldiers was forced to fall back.

The convoy accelerated, soldiers firing from the sides of the moving vehicles, laying down a continuous barrage against the tanks and defenses blocking their path.

A tank fired.

Boom!

The shell struck one of the armored vehicles, but rather than stopping, it kept rolling forward, flames pouring from its side.

"Keep moving!" the General shouted.

Another vehicle plowed straight through, concrete shattering beneath its weight while the soldiers behind it following through the gap.

The four Generals were committing everything they had. They knew this was their only chance. If they failed to reach the other side now, they’d be trapped inside the Muster Ground.

And once the Governor’s personal forces arrived, escape would become impossible.

On the other side of the battlefield, the officers loyal to the Federation stared in disbelief as the four Generals made their run for the gate.

"They’re escaping!" one officer shouted.

Another raised his weapon at once. "Stop them! Don’t let them escape!"

The order rippled across the battlefield, and the Federation soldiers poured on even heavier fire.

Boom! Boom!

"Ahhh!"

"Ahhh!"

Suppressive fire filled the air as thermal weapons cut through the armor vehicle defenses, striking it its weakest points and forcing several vehicles to detonate from the inside.

One tank stopped abruptly, a bright glow flaring beneath its armor.

Then, BOOM!

The entire tank burst apart, flames pouring from every opening as metal shrapnel scattered outward, throwing the soldiers around it off their feet.

Another tank fired toward the convoy, but a concentrated blast struck its barrel before it could get the shot off.

It weapon ruptured, filling the crew’s compartment with smoke as they screamed inside.

RPGs whistled through the air.

One struck the side of a vehicle.

BOOM!

The armored transport flipped violently, crushing several soldiers beneath it.

Still the convoy didn’t stop.

The four Generals kept pushing forward, already halfway to the gate, their soldiers carving a path through the defense while they personally tore apart anything standing in their way with their own weapons.

They paved the their escape with blood and sweats.

Soldiers fell like dry leaves with each seconds.

Smoke choked the air.

Fire spread across the ground. Bodies lay scattered among the wreckage of destroyed vehicles.

And ahead of them, they saw the massive gate.

Freedom was within reach.

Suddenly, the four Generals noticed movement above the wall. Two figures dropped from the top of the Muster Ground’s outer wall, landing directly in their path.

The soldiers surrounding the Generals immediately raised their weapons. One of them stared at the newcomers with a deep frown and asked.

"Who are they?"