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The desert had come alive with the screams of the dead and forgotten, but instead of flesh, it was steel. The comms flared to life with activity. Any illusion that this was just another rock had quickly faded. The Pandora had just given them permission to engage, now that the prospects of a peaceful First Contact scenario had passed. It was time to fight.

And so they did.

<<[color=#239C89]Copy that, Pandora. Firing salvo.[/color]>>

Firing solutions popped up on the Orbital's HUD, allowing for a great degree of multi-tasking. The shoulder-mounted missile battery let loose a barrage of Akon-- long-range rockets that flew like the javelins of old. On impact, they left craters in the desert sand, turning the ground to glass. The Hephaestus Assault Gun in the Ajax's arms roared with fury as it spat out round after round of explosive ordnance. Holden was uncertain about whether or not the alien machines used similar alloys to the ones they use back home, but he was certain that it would punch straight through all the same.

As the Hypervelocity Driver charged, Castle surveyed the scene. The hostiles were focused on Gypsy Soul and Aurora. The Odysseus and the Casket were assisting with the defense on the ground, while the Bedwyr was providing air support. Although the shuttle was flying away and was largely ignored by the enemies, it still needed proper protection. The Casket would have been the ideal candidate in that regard, as it would fit its role, but with all hands full, the Ajax's pilot decided to take things into his own hands.

<<[color=#239C89]This is Castle Two-One to Explorer One. I'll cover your retreat as you go-- don't stay too long.[/color]>>

With that, nearly eighty metric tons of mass began maneuvering across the sand, making its way to intercept the shuttle's escape path. As one of the more armored Orbitals of the ground team, the Ajax was well-suited to the role of backline-defender. With its artillery, it could easily stay in the back, protect what was necessary, and still lay down suitable fire support, all from a distance. With all the other Orbitals providing him with more than adequate information to create firing solutions, there was no problem, for the most part.

Of course, an Orbital capable of flight would've been a better option to play babysitter, but you make do with what you have. As much as it pained him to say it, this was what he was good at. This battle was as transient as the shifting sands of the desert, and yet, Castle felt [i]alive[/i]. There was no time to stop and smell the flowers, though.

It was time to get to work.