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OK I got chapter six done...it took me a sec. this one is a little more detailed then the others I think so please let me know what you think. I thought this one over for several days longer then the others before I wrote it. It may seem a little boring at the start but it gets better at the end...the next chapter will be a tough one. (Fixed some typos)

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The Darwin brought down several HT-14's; heavy transports capable of defending themselves with energy and solid round weapons, carrying one hundred people and also several mech suits each. Inside the HT that Echo was in they also brought in the XA-Terra and XB-Nova.

******************

The XA-Terra is the newest experimental LM model with improved speed, ammo capacity, a new exoskeleton design and a new weapon that resembled a sword called the XS; a sword that has plasma energy around the edged sides of the weapon when active that is capable of cutting through starship hull.

The Terra is also small, in fact it is the smallest LM model out there; it resembles a power suit that all solders wear but thicker and stronger. It makes whoever wears it a little over a foot taller...so in this case it was about six and a half feet tall where as the normal LM is ten feet tall.

When Lliam was practicing his LM pilot skills, they were recorded and sent back to command and thus sent to the R&D department. Lliam was the perfect candidate for the XA-Terra test trials. Since the Terra had to be made to fit the user, Lliam's height, weight, muscle and fat mass, even brainwaves, and all things relating to his physical condition were also sent to them so they could make it to his size.

The Terra has a unique system installed into it. This system uses brainwaves to help perfect the pilots skills as well as his or hers action and reaction time. The pilot does not need to be Psychic, Telepathic or Telekinetic for this system to work, thus Lliam was the best LM pilot they could use.

The XB-Nova is the newest experimental AM (Average Mech) model with improved defense, stronger weapons with better ammo capacity, smaller size, and twin XS swords; per request of the pilot. The Nova is the newest AM type mech and is being piloted by the best AM pilot out there.

Chris Wolf is the Nova's pilot; which makes it easier for the R&D department to get combat results from both the Terra and the Nova, since both Lliam and Chris are on the same team and both see equal amounts of combat.

The Nova is of a regular design only smaller and made with more lightweight yet stronger materials. If the Nova passes all the test that are set on it, the Nova will be the slandered issue AM and all AM pilots will pilot it.

****************

All of Echo Squad would be participating in the ground mission. They would split into two groups once they entered the enemy controlled complex; what the research facility was apart of...only deep underneath it. Each team would have a mech and a mech pilot with them for defensive purposes.

Rrahkarr, James, Albert, Chris, and Neal would be Echo Squad Team One. While Tina, Lliam, Nate and Dan, would be Echo Squad Team Two. Tommy Dar and Vincent Fox are joining Echo's Team Two; also they are now assigned to the Echo unit as Echo Ten and Echo Eleven. Both teams which would be known as the Harbingers for this op, would split up and be assigned different objectives.

Team One's objective is to secure the high ranking officers and to collect any enemy Intel inside the complex while Team Two's objectives are to secure all scientists and researchers inside the lab area of the complex. Freelancer Delta would be leading the primary assault against the enemies main force; hopefully drawing most of the enemy towards them allowing the Harbingers easy access to the complex.

Now that everyone knew what their missions were, all they had to do was wait till they arrived at the operation area. The members of Team One were getting their gear and the weapons they would be using from the armory while Team Two was already done with that and in the lounge besides Lliam; who was down in the HT's mech hanger.

Lliam was being shown the specs of the Terra and thanks to Chris he knew how to check the status of all the systems. He went through his checklist and concluded that the Terra was ready for combat. Chris came down and looked over the Nova then checked the Terra just in case and agreed with Lliam that it was all in working order.

After that, they both took a seat and waited for the others to get ready. For once both Chris and Lliam were doing the same thing, being impatient. They were both antsy to pilot the experimental mech's and kept sighing.

"Man I wish they would hurry up." Chris said for the hundredth time.

And to answer him for the hundredth time Lliam said "I doesn't matter how fast they go but how fast this damn HT can go."

Chris let out a sigh again and said "I know but I like being a hundred percent ready before we get to the operation area."

"No you just want to pilot that AM!" Lliam said and laughed at the face Chris put on.

"Yeah that's apart of it...a big part too. It's not everyday you get to pilot an experimental piece of equipment you know." Chris said and turned to look at both the Nova and Terra, as did Lliam.

"I still can't believe that little LM is ten feet smaller then your AM, and that it packs a punch just as hard." Lliam said in awe.

"They may be just as strong but, I'm the one they'll see and hear first." Chris replied.

"Hey, just think of yours as a distraction while mine sneaks up and shoots the hell out of their backsides." Lliam said and laughed as the HT came to a sudden halt; throwing Chris and Lliam off their seats and then started to shake, tilt a little and slide but then stopped.

"What the hell was that?!" Chris yelled.

Dan came running towards them from one of the stairwells after the shaking stopped but tripped and skidded to a halt as the HT started to shake again and slide some more. Lliam got up first and ran over to Dan and helped him get up once things settled down.

"You ok Dan?" Lliam asked.

"Yeah...something just attacked us. It leaped from the forest and hit the side of the HT pushing us off course; which made us slide down the side of the hill we were on, and then disappeared back into the forest."

"Crap! That's probably the bio-weapon that was created at the research facility." Chris said after he got up and stumbled over to them.

Dan just looked at him then let out a scared laugh then said "If that thing can push a damn HT then we're in trouble if we have to fight that thing."

"Where are the others?" Lliam asked.

"In the lounge." Dan replied.

"Then let's get goin guys." Chris said as they quickly headed off.

***************

The HT began it's now longer journey towards the drop off point inside the operation area as Chris, Lliam and Dan entered the lounge and heard "What the FUCK was that thing?!"

James was the one who had stated that comment and was answered by Rrahkarr with "How am I suppose to know?! All I know is that damn thing's a Bio-weapon!"

"Calm down you two, this isn't helping at all." Tina said but wasn't heard by James or Rrahkarr.

They just kept yelling at one another ignoring her. This went on for about two more minuets until she breathed in deep and roared out "SHUT THE FUCK UP!" which silenced both of them immediately.

All the others let out a sigh as she continued in a calmer voice "All this yelling isn't getting us anywhere. We need to think of what to do if we should be attacked again by that thing."

Both James and Rrahkarr let out a deep sigh of frustration. Both of them apologized to her then to each other before Rrahkarr said "You're right Tina and again I'm sorry. Hey Neal, got any ideas?"

"Not a one Captain. Hell we haven't even got a good look at what it actually is. I might be able to come up with something if we find some notes or reports about it at the research facility." Neal answered.

"So in the mean time...we tempt death itself huh?" Chris said as the others looked at the three of them.

"When did you get here?" Nate asked.

"A little while before Tina roared at James and Rrahkarr." Chris said and smile at Tina then said "I guess you can really roar when you want."

"You've never made me mad enough to do so." She answered plainly.

"And I never intend too, but back to business." He said.

"Right, we're still two hours from where we have to be, but..." Tina started as the comm in the room went off.

James was closest to it and answered it. After a few moments he turned it off and said "The driver spotted a little something that he thinks will take us right into the facility."

**************

The HT had stopped near a hole in the ground which wasn't unusual but the fact that inside the hole was a man made tunnel changed things. Echo was investigating what it was and were all around the hole; which was about twelve feet wide all the way around.

"I can't see anything in there." Vincent said as Neal pulled out a flare, lit it and threw it in.

"Can you see anything now?" Neal asked.

"Yeah...about a fifty foot drop and what looks like rails...maybe a monorail of some sort." He answered.

"What direction is it going?" Albert asked in a deep tone in is voice.

Both Vincent and Neal checked which way it was going. Both came to the conclusion at the same time but Vincent spoke first. "It's running from the south to the north."

Albert took a second to think then turned to Rrahkarr and asked "Isn't there a storage facility south of the complex sir?"

Rrahkarr took a sec to think of the geography of the planet and where the major buildings were before he answered "Yes there is but...it's about two hundred and eighty miles south of here."

"Even if they had a train it would take forever for them to get supplies from there to the complex right?" Dan asked just as a strange sound came from the tunnel.

They all looked down and in that moment an extremely fast tram car went rushing through the tunnel followed by several more all going about three hundred miles per hour or so, but were slowing down; if the sparks of the brakes weren't a sign of that but also the sound they made.

"Well then that answered that question." Chris said.

"It also answers another question. The facility is only seven miles away from here; we can sneak into the facility through this tunnel." Rrahkarr said

*************

Rrahkarr made the call to the Darwin and got permission to use the tunnel and after some careful adjustments Echo was in the tunnel. The rest of the HT convoy was on its way to the front to aid Freelancer Delta shortly after Lliam and Chris got the Terra and Nova into the tunnel.

Echo proceeded slowly to avoid any detection from passing tram cars over head. They made it to the end of the tunnel rather quickly; before the op would begin, thanks to dog piling onto the Nova as the Terra carried a couple on its shoulders.

They sat and waited at the end of the tunnel until they got word that the operation had begun. Chris and Lliam were in there mech's but had them open so they could freely talk to whom they wanted to.

"I've been thinking, why did this tunnel have a hole in the first place?" Tommy asked.

"Maybe it happened because it was a weak spot." James said.

"No it looked like something exited the tunnel there. Like something broke out." Nate said as he looked at his watch and added "The op should begin in about twenty minuets."

There was a brief period of time where no one talked but that silence was broken when Lliam asked "This tunnel connects with the Research lab right?"

"Yeah that's what the documents on the facility say...why do you ask?" Chris asked from inside the Nova.

"Well I've been thinking, the hole looks like something broke out from inside the tunnel and we have a wild Bio-weapon running loose..." Lliam trailed off.

"I just hope that there's not more of em now." Tina said.

More time passed by and Echo got the call letting them know that the operation had started and a lot of the enemy forces were attacking their allied forces being led by Delta. With that they were able to open a huge bulkhead door and entered the facility.

**************

Lucky for Echo there were no guards posted near the bulkhead and the entered unnoticed. They quickly came to a cargo lift that could take them to the upper levels of the facility. Team One decided to use it to gain access to their objectives quicker, while Team Two went in search of the labs.

"Ok Tina you're in charge of Team Two now, if you find anything problematic or you find anything important let me know ok." Rrahkarr said.

"Yes sir!" Tina said as the lift was activated and took Team One to the upper levels.

"You heard him, let's get going." Tina said as they continued down the corridor.

Team Two quickly and efficiently moved through the corridors; checking all rooms they passed, until they came to a busted down bulkhead and several dead guards with coagulated blood around them.

"Well I think I know why we haven't seen any guards." Dan said.

"We all do." Nate said to his brother as he kneeled down and started to check them with a scanner.

"Well, how long have they been dead?" Tina asked.

"A few days at least, and by the gashes and claw marks on them and the walls here...I think that bio-weapon did this." Nate answered.

"The bio-weapon?" Vincent said in alarm.

"Relax, this happened some time ago...maybe this happened when it escaped the lab?" Lliam suggested.

"That would be the best guess...let's go down this corridor and see where it leads to." Tina said as she started to walk away before she stopped.

"What is it Tina?" Nate said as he walked up next to her and stopped as well.

"You smell it too?" She asked.

"Yeah...what a horrid smell." Nate said.

"I don't think we're going to like what we find this way." She said then turned to face the others. "Don't breathe in through your noses much and this might be bearable."

They did as she said and continued onward. When they came to the end of the corridor the found a bloodbath, the room was filled with dead solders and scientist; some partially eaten, others completely disemboweled. The room itself was one of the labs, but the computers were destroyed by the gun fight that had taken place inside.

"This is horrible." Tina said as she walked around fallen bodies.

"Yeah." Agreed Tommy.

Tina looked around the room and noticed several doors connected to the room. She headed towards one as she said "Check the adjoining rooms."

They did as she said and split off into pairs. Dan and Nate, Tommy and Vincent, and Lliam got out of the Terra and headed over to Tina. In the room Dan and Nate checked it was similar to the main room, same with the room that Tina and Lliam checked. When Tommy and Vincent opened the door they went to they found a half dead male human scientist.

The scientist opened his eyes when he heard the door open and saw Tommy and Vincent then weakly said "Don't kill me." As he tried his best to move away from them.

"We aren't going to hurt you." Tommy said.

Vincent turned and yelled over to the others "Hey we have a survivor over here, and he's hurt."

They all rushed over to them with Nate in front pulling out his med kit. After about twenty minuets Nate had the scientist wrapped up and in a stable condition; well at least as good as the environment would allow. He had the scientist sitting on the bed that was in that room so that they could ask him some questions.

"Is he good enough to talk?" Tina asked.

"Yeah, he might dose off but that's from blood loss." Nate told her.

"Good, I'm going to ask him some questions so everyone else besides Nate clear out of this room and see if you can access a computer or something that's not destroyed." She said as the others left and the door closed.

Dan, Lliam, Tommy and Vincent all set out to look for anything useful. Tommy found a computer that wasn't destroyed and started rigging up a power supply for it from the other computers. Lliam found an undamaged monitor and at Tommy request brought it over to him.

Dan and Vincent started guarding the two doors that led out of the room as Lliam helped Tommy. They both looked at them when they heard a loud sound come from where they were. What they heard was the computer starting up.

When the monitor was lit up it asked for a password, Tommy; being a computer specialist, always had a portable computer that he used to hack into enemy systems and such. So he easily got passed the computers protective programs and gained access to the files on it.

He was going through the files on it when Tina and Nate exited the adjoining room with the scientist in tow wearing cuffs.

"What's going on?" Lliam asked.

"It seems that this scientist works for the I.F.H.W and so do all the others. This whole facility belongs to the I.F.H.W!" Tina said in an angry voice.

"Yeah, and not only that but they are all working on all kinds of bio-weapons in this lab. First it starts at biological warheads for missiles with bacteria and whatnot, to the thing that escaped here a few days ago." Tommy said as he continued to read through the files on the computer.

"Is that so?!" Tina yelled towards the scientist. He looked at her with a disgusting look but nodded, then looked over at Tommy who was still going through the files.

"Hmm...I keep finding a certain name connected to most of these files. Ah here it is...George Field, no Director George Field." Tommy said as he finished with the files then started downloading them onto his portable.

"Nate, would you be so kind as to invade this mans mind and see if you can find anything on this Director of theirs?" Tina said in a playful yet evil sounding voice.

"Yes ma'am." Nate said, and then to increase his connectivity with the scientist he put both his hands on the sides of his head.

A few minuets later Nate said "Director George Field is the Director of the entire facility and supposedly today he's meeting with..." Nate let go the scientist and looked at Tina with a smile on his face before he continued. "This is the jackpot; one of the leaders of the I.F.H.W is here, and in the main part of the facility!"

"If that's so we need to let the Captain know of this, hang on." Tina said then pulled out her comm and started to call Rrahkarr.

A few minuets later he answered and in the background gunshots could be heard "I hope this is good, we're a little busy at the moment."

"It is, we just found out that everyone in the facility works for the I.F.H.W and one of the leaders of the I.F.H.W is here meeting with the Director of the facility." Tina informed him.

"That's great news, now we know why they are fighting so damn hard...we had just ran into the Director, some other person and their guards when we exited the cargo lift. They went running into a dead end but there might be a secret passage back there." Rrahkarr said as an explosion was heard in the background.

"Sir are you OK?!" Tina yelled into the comm.

"Shit...yeah I'm ok. Damn rat bastards used a plasma grenade. I guess that there's no point to the mission anymore, see if you can contact the Darwin and let them know what you found." Rrahkarr said when another explosion was heard and this time the comm went dead.

"Captain...Captain answer! Damn no use." Tina said and let out a sigh and then contacted the Darwin.

"This is Admiral Keeton, what have you found Team Two?" The Admiral asked.

"Sir, it seems that the entire base belongs to the I.F.H.W including all personal working here. They've been working on multiple kinds of biological weapons; also we have found out that one of the leaders of the I.F.H.W is here as well. Team One is in pursuit of target but is under fierce attack. We're going back to assist them." Tina answered.

"Negative Team Two, I have a new mission for you. The Darwin will teleport down high grade explosives that I want you to set at key points in the lab area, additionally if you find any information on the escaped bio-weapon I want you to acquire it understood?" The Admiral said.

"Yes sir, awaiting shipment." Tina replied as several boxes with explosives in them materialized in front of them. "Shipment received." She added before she disconnected.

"What're the orders?" Vincent asked.

"Do you think you could find key location to set up explosives?" Tina asked him.

"Yeah, and we passed a couple on the way here." Vincent told her.

"Good because it looks like were gunna blow this place sky high." She said as a smile made its way onto his face.

"Hey Dan, looks like we get play with fire again." He said to Dan as a grin split his muzzle.

**************

Close to an hour later, Dan and Vincent had placed six of the eight bombs that were sent down. Luckily it seemed that there were no guards or solders down here...alive at least. They were in the middle of setting the seventh bomb when they got a call on the comm.

Tina answered it and was relived to hear Rrahkarr's voice on the other end "How are things goin over there?"

"Good, we got new orders to set up explosives. Since this facility belongs to the I.F.H.W the Admiral wants it gone. How are things over there?" Tina said as Dan set the bomb.

"Ok...Neal took a hit in the shoulder but he's good for now. We cornered the so called Director and that I.F.H.W leader, and they just surrendered." Rrahkarr said as other voices in the background were yelling.

"That's great news...have you heard anything from Freelancer Delta?" Tina asked.

"Yeah, apparently we all caught them with there pants down because they were able to take control of the forward outpost already and are even attacking outside right now." Rrahkarr said then added "I need to contact the Darwin; we'll talk later...oh and if you find any survivors keep them alive and arrest them."

"Roger that." Tina said before they disconnected.

They headed to the next area to set up the last bomb and along the way they found several survivors...only they weren't scientists or researchers. Inside this room there were prison cells, with furs and humans in them; men, women and even children. Most of them looked like they were underfed and half dead.

Some of the women were crying while others clutched at there dead children. Lliam got out of the Terra and went with dan. Some of the children were separated from the rest of the group for some reason and when Lliam and Dan went to check on them...they found out the hard way why there were separated.

One of the...children had seen Lliam get closer and when he was close enough it leapt at him. He barely managed to pull himself away before a huge claw like arm could take his head off.

"What the hell was that?!" Lliam yelled as he fell backwards.

"Look at that kids arm! Is that genetic alteration?" Dan said as the child was in the light.

The others ran over to them to see what had happened and stopped when they saw the child. It was of a feline breed although you could hardly tell by looking at it. It still had fur but also had an armor like hide that covered parts of its body. The left arm had mutated into a claw of sorts; similar to what a praying mantis has, and the legs were changing as well...becoming more like a wild animals; digigrade rather then plantigrade. Its fangs had grown too large for its mouth and were razor sharp.

"Dear god...what have these people done?" Tina said as tears started to flow out of her eyes.

"Th-this is...this is...why..." Nate was trying to say ‘this is horrible, why would someone do this' but couldn't form the words.

Lliam saw this as he sat on the ground. He looked down and closed his eyes and took a deep breath and let out a sigh, then got up and said "Can we save the others Tina?"

His question grabbed hold of her attention and she looked at him; tears freely flowing from here eyes "I think so...but I think they should be transported out of here, I don't think they would survive walking out of here." She said as her voice cracked.

"Fine...give me the comm I'll make the call."

Several minuets later, the captives who were of no danger or had not been genetically altered disappeared in a flash of light. The others... the ones who were mutated were shot and put out of there misery. After that Vincent placed the last bomb and gave a thumbs up to signal that it was ready when an eerie howl came from somewhere in the lab area that sent shivers down everyone's necks.

"What the hell?" Dan started.

"Was that?" Nate finished.

"Hey this place has security cameras right?" Vincent asked.

"Yeah." Tina said.

"Tommy boy...can you hack into the security system and see what the hell made that sound?" Vincent asked him.

"Yeah...give me a sec." Tommy said as he went over to one of the computers and hacked into the security system and brought up the surveillance monitors.

They checked every area but didn't find anything until they checked the camera that watched over the bulkhead doors they entered through. What they saw was similar to that feline kid but was a hell of a lot more mutated then the kid, and stood on four legs.

Its head looked similar to wolf's head and all the teeth looked like fangs but the head was the right size and they fit it. It still had fur but was mostly covered by the same armor like hide with spikes on its shoulders. It was fifteen feet long and eight feet tall when it stood on all fours. The hands or paws had deadly claws on them that looked metallic. It had spikes growing out above the elbows and knees and even by the wrists.

This creature was the escaped bio-weapon that had managed to push one of the HT off track by pure force. It stopped and looked right at the camera that was watching it. It then stood on its hind legs almost as if it could walk on only them and destroyed the camera...but not before they saw what looked like a smile on its face.