At Rex’s command, 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 planet’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, their landing 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 plasma bolts erupted from within the dust cloud, lancing out toward the Khryssari warriors. The alien creatures screamed as the searing plasma struck their bodies.

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

    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 occupied. 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-Class 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 flattened with his hammer.

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

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

    Through his communicator, Rex’s laughter 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 the lab 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 of combat drones deployed from their ranks, their golden eyes flashing as they dove into the fray. The drones fought fiercely, matching the Khryssari in brutality. They had no fear, no hesitation, just relentless, calculating aggression, surging forward to hold the line.

    But even an AI can be overwhelmed. For every Khryssari warrior that fell, two more took its place. 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 plasma weapons, and several Aegis units collapsed, sparking and broken beyond repair.

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

    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 plague.

    Cleo’s voice crackled over the communicator, calm but commanding. "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 to come out smelling like worm guts." She glanced around as if genuinely considering where to find water. Even Cleo, normally unflappable, 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 plasma 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 flashes.

    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 blasted 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 Claymore 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."

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

    Carlos plummeted back down into the depths of the worm, his voice echoing, "AHHHHHHH! Fucccckk 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 now latched 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.

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

    Carlos just glared, 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.