The remaining two broke and ran in separate directions, not bothering to return fire. One ran south, and Enders quickly lost sight of him so, instead, he tracked the other as they ran through the trees. It took five rounds to get a clean shot through the foliage, but when he finally scored a hit, it was a shot at the base of the target's neck, dropping them instantly.

"Echo Two-Two has engaged hostiles in arboretum, eight killed, one escaped."

"Secure the site, Two-Two. Help is almost there. Good work, Marine."

"Acknowledged."

Enders quickly made his way down to the floor of the cavernous room just in time to hear a smattering of small arms fire. A moment later, Marines from 3^rd Squad walked through the archway into the arboretum.

"Enders," Sergeant Walker nodded to him before motioning his Marines to begin clearing the area. "I heard Hann bought it."

"Took a round in the face," Enders said, looking off. "Never saw it coming."

"We got your runner. Facial recognition says she came on base with one of the latest production crew rotations," Walker said. "We'll check the rest."

"Why isn't the main computer tracking them if there are facial recognition scans?" Enders asked.

"All tactical and defensive systems are down," Walker said. "We're using handheld scanners loaded with the last database updates. The real action is happening up in Complex A. We're to sweep the rest of C, and then get our asses back up there. Whoever these fucks are, they've managed to take over most of the command center and lock us out of the computers. Rumor is there are five warships sitting in the system so we're trying to find a way to signal them for assistance."

"Who the hell is doing this? The Alliance?"

"Safe bet," Walker said. "So, you smoked eight of these assholes by yourself?"

"They weren't fighters," Enders said. "They got a lucky shot that took out Hann, and then practically lined up for me to kill them. Took out five in the ladderwell with a couple grenades."

"Cool."

"Popped the rest from a second vantage on the catwalk. Dumbasses were still staring at the last place they'd seen me instead of scanning the area."

Walker dutifully chuckled and shook his head, but otherwise remained silent.

"Should we check the crates they were carrying?" Enders gestured to the haphazardly scattered black cases.

"Fleet engineers are on their way down." Walker shook his head. "LT thinks it could be a bomb so she doesn't want us banging on it with a rock or anything."

"Smart," Enders said. They stood in silence for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts. The moment was fleeting, however, because at the north end of the enclosure, all hell broke loose. Fleet-issue weapons chugging away at full-auto accompanied frenzied shouts and the high-pitched staccato of the weapons the enemy was carrying.

"Shit!" Walker said, breaking into a run towards where his squad was engaged. Enders was hit with a moment of indecision before turning to follow. Nobody had expressly ordered him to guard the cases until the engineers arrived, and he would be of better use giving Walker's squad an extra gun. He rechecked his weapons and took off after Walker at a dead run as the sounds of fighting near the north entrance intensified.