"We've been ambushed by Militech!"
The Arasaka convoy chasing Maine and David was caught completely off guard as rockets suddenly rained down from a Militech strike force.
They'd assumed this was another small-scale Militech raid. They thought Maine and David were the entire enemy team. It had never crossed their minds that those two were just bait—and that the real trap had been set for them, the ones who believed they were doing the ambushing.
Now, with Militech's convoy charging in—clearly numbering more than double their own—the Arasaka counterintel officer, who moments ago had been confidently urging his troops to capture the enemy, stood frozen in disbelief.
"Damn Militech... a double-layered trap?!"
In the wide-open Badlands, escape was impossible. All he could do now was rally his men and prepare for battle.
Militech wasn't even trying to hide it anymore—they were out for blood. The only hope left was that reinforcements would arrive in time and that his troops could hold out until then.
The one small advantage was that earlier, in an effort to surround and capture Maine and David, he had split the convoy into three groups. Thanks to that, the initial rocket volley hadn't decimated them entirely. At least they hadn't walked into a "Tora! Tora! Tora!" level disaster.
"Counterattack! Counterattack now!"
He wasn't much of a battlefield commander, and he had no plans to micromanage. After ordering his squad leaders to fight back, he focused on something he could do—call for backup.
Leadership didn't require hands-on combat—it required knowing who to call when things hit the fan. And when it came to clashing with Militech, he had someone in mind who could deliver.
Due to their location—and the fact that Militech had planned this as a quick, overwhelming strike—comms hadn't yet been jammed. As explosions shook his armored vehicle, the officer's emergency call successfully went through.
Before his superior could even ask why he was calling, the officer launched into a "refined" version of events:
"Militech! A major Militech force has appeared! We engaged bravely and wiped out an equal-sized unit, but reinforcements have arrived—four times our number! Though we remain resolute and confident, we request tactical support to secure a decisive victory."
The man had once served in Arasaka's naval forces, and his old-school combat reporting style hadn't faded. His superior, though never in the navy himself, understood the subtext perfectly:
"We need help. There are a lot of Militech troops. Big rewards on the table."
Any irritation he'd felt at being called vanished immediately.
Punishing incompetence could wait. What mattered now was grabbing the glory before someone else did.
"Location," the superior asked curtly.
The officer reported their coordinates.
"Stand by."
The call ended.
The officer let out a deep breath. His superior had taken the bait.
As long as backup arrived, it didn't matter what happened next. Even if they didn't take many prisoners, he could just report the bodies and cash in the credit.
Of course, he hadn't forgotten the two mercs who had lured them into this mess.
"Don't let those two Militech decoys get away. I saw them jump off a cliff—they must have found a defensible position down there. That's why their own people bombarded them without hesitation. There must be some kind of cave or cover. Send a squad after them. Kill them. We'll take over their hiding spot and hold until support arrives!"
"Yes, sir!"
Militech hadn't forgotten about Maine and David either.
"Send troops to clean up those two mercs. They're no longer useful. Arasaka won't be escaping this."
"Yes, Commander."
Both sides dispatched elite units. Arasaka and Militech each sent part of their tactical teams—fifteen soldiers total. More than enough, in their view.
Meanwhile, Maine and David had just reached the cave beneath the cliff.
"Why's this place scorched and shot up? And those collapsed rocks… was there a battle here before?"
David eyed the ruined cave warily. Could this place really hold out against a siege?
"Keep moving. Don't let the collapse fool you—there's more room inside," Maine said. "I found this place by accident while doing a job for a Badlands fixer—Dakota Smith. Came here to recover some data and found out a Militech engineer had been locked in a room deep inside. The Wraiths had him building weapons in there."
He surveyed the cave's structure and quickly located a passage deeper in. He began clearing debris.
David blinked in realization. "Wait… was that the job I missed 'cause of exams?"
"Yeah. I said it was just a data recovery job. Took Pilar with me and wrapped it up."
"Got it."
Pilar was their team's tech expert. No combat expected—just a clean op. Two people were more than enough.
As they cleared the rubble—mostly thanks to Maine's strength—they uncovered a narrow path leading deeper.
But just then, they heard it.
Boots crunching on gravel outside.
They were here.
David and Maine locked eyes.
And went silent.
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🔥 Cyberpunk: The Relentless
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