From cannon fodder to sweeping across thousands of stars.

Chapter 778: Brandon's Death

Coleman immediately ordered: "All engineering vehicles, hurry to that location! I want to see the underground entrance within two minutes!"

The engineering vehicles accompanying the team quickly assembled, and Coleman couldn't help but reveal a complacent smile as he watched these vehicles quickly clear the ruins.

He was glad that he had brought these units with him before setting off, which were completely a burden in the first half of the battle. At this moment, he finally made a contribution.
Soon, thanks to the efforts of the engineering machinery, a deformed but still recognizable metal hatch was exposed to the sunlight.

The underground bunker area of ​​the Presidential Palace is mainly a shelter and temporary command center. It does not have the ability to park large mechas, so this will be an indoor close-range combat.

"Special operations team, get ready!"

Coleman shouted the order, jumped off the armored command vehicle, and walked over quickly.

"I want you to ensure that the first group of people to enter the fortress are ours! We must not let other troops get there first!"

"Yes, sir!"

More than ten seconds later, dozens of special forces with better individual combat equipment quickly assembled. They were wearing the latest model of light combat exoskeleton. In addition to some conventional individual weapons, they were also equipped with the latest individual plasma cannons "launched" by the Atlas Group.
Captain Smith saluted Colonel Coleman: "The special operations team is ready, sir!"

"Remember!" Coleman said seriously, "Keep anyone alive if possible, especially high-ranking federal officials! President Brandon and Secretary of Defense Miller have the highest priority, followed by others."

Smith nodded. "Understood, sir! But what if they resist?"

Coleman sneered: "Then make sure their bodies are intact."

The special forces members exchanged glances, without showing any fear on their faces. On the contrary, their eyes were shining with excitement.

For these grassroots soldiers, being the first to attack the underground bunker and control the federal president would be an honor worthy of being engraved on their tombstones.

Just as they were about to enter the underground bunker, a roar was heard in the distance - several Restoration Alliance troops were gathering towards the Presidential Palace from different directions.

Coleman suddenly became anxious: "Hurry, hurry, hurry! Act now! Don't wait!"

After urging Smith to lead the team into action, Colonel Coleman called his adjutant.

"Let the outer troops stop the others and have them go in other directions. Don't interfere with our operations!"

"Yes, Colonel!"

On the other side, Coleman's special operations team also moved quickly towards the entrance of the underground bunker with a group of supporting infantry. The engineers forced open the deformed hatch in just a few minutes, and a dark passage appeared before their eyes, with silence inside.

Smith put down his tactical visor and said, "Turn on thermal imaging and vital signs scanning. Stay alert. This is likely a trap."

Under his command, the special operations team entered the passage according to the standard CQB procedures, working in groups of two, taking turns to provide cover as they advanced.

The resistance in the underground bunker was far more intense than Smith had imagined. They had only advanced less than half the distance when they encountered fierce resistance from Federal Secret Service agents and garrison troops in many places.

Fortunately, due to the advantages in numbers and equipment, the resistance was quickly suppressed.

"Don't go easy on these Federation lackeys," Smith whispered into the comms channel. "Remember how they treated our people in the Outer Rim Systems."

"Yes, sir!"

"Don't worry, I won't show mercy. I've been waiting for this day for a long time."

Responses from other people rang out on the communication channel, and most of them had relatives or friends who had been persecuted by the federal government, or had suffered because of the government's oppression and inaction.

This is also one of the selection criteria for the special operations team in the Renaissance Alliance's ground forces. Basically, those who are selected have a blood feud with the federal government.

As Smith and his team continued to move deeper into the underground fortress, the resistance they encountered became increasingly fierce.

In front of a room similar to a conference room, they encountered a defense team consisting of Federal Secret Service agents and a small garrison.

Fierce gunfire broke out between the two sides. High-speed steel needles shuttled back and forth in the narrow space, hitting the walls and bunkers, producing bursts of sparks and crisp sounds.

Although Smith's special operations team had the advantage in equipment and firepower, the federal defenders were obviously familiar with the terrain and used various shelters to launch effective counterattacks.

"Damn it, they're guarding too tightly!" A special forces soldier under his command shouted on the communication channel. Just as Smith was about to say something, a series of steel needles swept over his head. If he hadn't subconsciously fallen back to the ground, his head would have been smashed at this moment.

"Fuck! Use the individual plasma cannons and blast them!"

Hearing his order, a member wearing power armor from the back of the team quickly stepped forward, with a translucent gun barrel extending from behind his right shoulder.

"cover me!"

"Flash bomb ready!"

"Dong dong dong dong!"

The special forces in the front quickly used the shoulder multi-function launcher to fire several flash bombs set as "air burst". Due to the narrow space in the room, the defenders had no time to intercept these "small toys" thrown out by electromagnetic acceleration. With the explosion of several flash bombs, even the federal defenders with tactical face armor temporarily lost their vision and sense of direction.

Although it was only a second or two, it was enough.

The special forces soldier carrying a personal plasma cannon seized this opportunity and suddenly appeared from behind the cover. Then the translucent gun barrel on his shoulder flashed, and then a ball of lightning-like substance exploded in the room where the federal defenders were in the blink of an eye.

The special forces soldier fired three consecutive shots and even directly demolished the outer wall of the conference room. When the smoke and dust cleared, all the federal defenders had been knocked down and the passage to the conference room was finally opened.

"Keep going! The president is just ahead! Brothers, it's time to make achievements!"

Smith shouted to encourage the team, even though the exoskeleton of his left arm was damaged in the crossfire and could not be used normally. Even the combat uniform and arm inside were torn by shrapnel, and blood was dripping from his elbow.

As the special operations team went deeper into the underground fortress, the infantrymen who cooperated with them to clean up various areas also sent back news one after another: the defenders in most areas had been wiped out, but President Brandon and others had not been found yet.

This discovery made Smith certain that the top federal leaders must be in the deepest command room.

Under his leadership, the special operations team quickened their pace and soon broke through the last line of defense. However, a heavy explosion-proof door blocked their way.

"Fernandez! Come up and take a look! Can you crack this?" Smith turned to the electronic warfare expert in the team.

The young soldier named Fernandez stepped forward quickly, checked the control panel, and then pulled out the data cable from his arm and connected it for a while. Finally, he shook his head with difficulty:

"This is a top-level security system, sir. It requires multiple biometric authentication and a password. I'm sure it's the same one the president uses. I can try, but there's no guarantee it will work, especially if I'm running out of time."

"Then don't waste this time!"

Smith naturally didn't have that much time to crack it. Although he knew that his superior, Colonel Coleman, would definitely find a way to stop other friendly forces, who knew what accidents might happen? These uneven friendly forces were not all easy to deal with.
"Attention, blasting team! Prepare the explosive device, we're going to blow it up!"

The blasting team in the team quickly stepped forward, and after scanning for a while using the unique equipment on their exoskeletons, they set up a multi-point thermal cutting device. It was obvious that this heavy explosion-proof door could not be opened by explosion alone.

"Ready, everyone retreat to a safe distance!"

Not long after, the demolition team retreated and reported loudly.

Smith also led his team to retreat to the corner. He took a deep breath and ordered: "Start the operation!"

“Squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak.”

A sharp burning sound, accompanied by flashes of fire and smoke, completely enveloped the area where the explosion-proof door was located.

When the burning sound gradually ended, it was followed by a sudden explosion. The explosion was amplified several times in the enclosed space and was deafening.

A scorching air wave mixed with debris rushed in all directions. Even the special forces members who were hiding in the corners felt the impact.

When the smoke and dust cleared a little, they immediately saw that a large hole had been blown in the blast-proof door, and cracks and collapses appeared in the surrounding walls.

Smith did not hesitate. He first emptied the grenades in the multi-function launcher, and then rushed in while firing the electromagnetic rifle in one hand.

"Surrender! Hand over your weapons and you won't be killed!"

Smith shouted as he quickly knocked down several defenders who were knocked over by the explosion and were trying to raise their weapons again to fight back.

In the command room, Brandon and Miller, wearing combat exoskeletons, also recovered from the explosion. They were now standing among a group of similarly armed agents. When they saw the Renaissance Alliance soldiers rushing in, they raised their weapons without hesitation.

"surrender?"

Brandon sneered and shouted in an angry voice:
"You lackeys of the Renaissance Alliance, do you think I will bow to traitors like you?!"

Before he finished speaking, Brandon opened fire first, and a series of steel needles were swept towards the defense line of the Renaissance Alliance soldiers. The sudden attack caught the special forces members off guard, and two or three of them were knocked down immediately.

"CNMD! Fire!"

Smith roared, and the special operations team immediately responded with overwhelming firepower.

The final exchange of fire lasted only a few seconds.
Although Brandon and Miller were wearing combat exoskeletons, they lacked combat experience and were no match for professional soldiers in a head-on gunfight. Brandon's "result" just now was purely because he caught the opponent off guard.

After several rounds of shooting between the two sides, these two figures who once stood at the top of the federal power pyramid both fell in a pool of blood.

With the deaths of Brandon and Miller, the remaining federal soldiers and surviving officers completely lost the will to resist, and they laid down their weapons and raised their hands.

Smith walked over to Brandon's body and confirmed he was dead.

The federal president's eyes were still open, with anger, unwillingness, and a hint of imperceptible sadness in his eyes.

"Notify Colonel Coleman," Smith reported through the communication channel, "The underground bunker of the presidential palace has been controlled, but Brandon and Miller died in the crossfire."

(End of this chapter)