The skies over Typhon burned with tracer fire and stormlight as the MCS JamesMCallen descended into low orbit, escorting the 9th Militia Fleet’s push to liberate the planet from IMC control. Following the successes on Harmony, the Militia had hoped Typhon would be the final blow against IMC dominance in the sector. But the Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation had prepared for this assault. Hidden deep within Typhon’s atmospheric folds, a full complement of IMC warships, including the Draconis and a battalion of Apex-class interceptors, lay in wait. The JamesMCallen, a key support carrier, was among the first targeted in the ambush.

IMC Spectre boarding craft and arc missiles struck the JamesMCallen moments after its shields dropped to engage orbit-to-ground uplinks. The hull breached in multiple sectors, cutting power to key defensive systems. Captain Meryn Voss tried to reroute energy to the ventral batteries, but before the cannons could fire, an IMC capital ship pierced the Militia formation, delivering a railgun broadside that split the JamesMCallen across its spine. Debris and escape pods spiraled into Typhon’s gravity well as the vessel exploded in a plume of fire and shattered alloy—another Militia loss in a battle that was spiraling out of control.

The MCS Malta, a frontline cruiser and mobile command center for the operation, was next in the crosshairs. As it moved to protect the remaining dropships, it came under concentrated fire from the Draconis and a squadron of IMC Vulture fighters. The Malta’s shields collapsed under sustained bombardment, and its port engine was torn open by a salvo of arc missiles. Fires raged across the command deck while its automated turrets desperately tried to push back the IMC assault. Inside, Commander Sarah Briggs rallied the crew, directing counterattacks and deploying the remaining Titans to the surface—but the damage was done. The ship was critically impaired, barely holding together.

With the JamesMCallen gone and the Malta falling from the sky, the 9th Fleet’s offensive crumbled. Dropships were forced to scatter, and pilots like Jack Cooper were left to complete ground operations with little support. The IMC had laid a perfect trap, and Typhon had become a deathtrap instead of a stepping stone. What followed was a desperate guerrilla fight on the planet’s surface—one that would culminate in the revelation of the Fold Weapon, and a final stand that would define the future of the Frontier. Would you like to continue this into the ground battle phase from Cooper’s perspective?