It wasn’t long before Axton was contacted by his acquaintance among the Council of Admirals and essentially ordered to go along with their plan. This was ultimately something that he approved of, as he himself did not wish to have Donovan and his comrades stuck on the same world he was based on. He took up the offer/ order given to him, and he informed Thomas of the changes to the plan as well. They had a roughly 10 in-game months to prepare, but that was all the time that they needed.

Axton, Thomas and Sally were transported to a desolate and remote planet in an equally desolate and remote system. There was but one planet in that system, but there were more asteroids than you could shake a stick at, which was ideal for the various pirate fleets that had joined in on this endeavor. Lots of places to hide meant that more ships could be hidden and wait for the perfect moment to strike. If the incursion was as small as was to be expected, then this wouldn’t be a battle, but a one-sided slaughter.

The oligarchical Players who were not affiliated with Donovan spent more than a few thousand real-world modern dollars each to arm the angry masses with cheap weapons and ammo as well as ferry them to the eventual site of the battle. From there, the labor was divvied up based on desires and Classes. Tacticians set traps and buffed other Players while ditches were dug and kill zones were created. Knowing what they did about the Andromedan Empire’s combat tactics, it was as much a necessity to fortify against outside assault as it was to prepare against foes appearing in the middle of the fortifications themselves.

As a result, the myriad foxholes and dugouts were not centralized and were instead spread out like an uneven checkerboard with each one about to at least partially cover anywhere from two to three others in overlapping angles of attack. During this time, a not so small group of Players approached Axton and asked the question that they had wanted to for many real-world months by now.

Axton answered their questions and led them in what was to be the effort that would hurt Donovan and his lackeys’ pride the most. Many hands make for light work, and soon the Spider-Can was repaired and ready for its true pilot and another ten or so War Suits were beginning to take shape.

…

Meanwhile, there was a small nomad fleet on an intercept course with the barren rock that Axton and the rest of the less well-off Players were busy fortifying. The fleet was mostly unarmed, was filled mostly with non-combatants, and was helmed by an NPC who had come to repay the generosity that had been shown to him and his many in-game years ago. The slow ships trudged along through the void, passing through the massive asteroid belt that surrounded both the system’s star and its lone planet.

The pirates and mercs of The Revelry let them pass. These nomads had helped the criminal empire on more than one occasion in the past few in-game years, and they were valued for their ability to procure uncommon weapons, ammo and equipment and their willingness to sell them to just about anyone. As the ships began to breach the atmosphere, their leader sent out a communique to a certain highly valued comrade.

As the Players ran about like headless chickens, there was one who stayed calm and tried to calm everyone down. As stated before, many hands made for light work, and Axton’s gamble during the Beta was about to pay off yet again.

…

A familiar face walked among the Players and approached the one of them who had the most experience with in-game War Suit combat. It was a reunion that was long overdue, and one that both parties had long been looking forward to.

“Axton, you madman, I didn’t expect that you’d build an army of other immortals just to screw over our mutual enemy.”

“And I didn’t expect that you would bring an army of your own to help me prepare for the eventual battle to come.”

Axton and Daxter looked at each other with smiles on their faces. The NPCs that had come along with Daxter’s nomad fleet were mostly non-combat oriented, but the weapons and parts that they brought along were a welcome addition to the effort as well. With this new influx of men and material, the ground where the fighting would take place began to transform into a deathtrap all the more quickly.

Plus, there were now more parts, albeit entirely random ones that were of Common rarity, that could be fashioned into War Suits. Add in the fact that more potent emplaced weaponry that was not only being dropped off but also installed and Donovan’s predicted total forces began to look far, far too small to make even a dent.

Most of what was dropped off was of Common rarity and was not at all very impressive, but enough papercuts can kill a human and enough 7.62mm rifle rounds can knock out a Humvee if the gunner is persistent enough. And, given the difference in stat blocks, numbers and the overlapping fields of fire, there would be shots hitting drop troops from every angle and direction. Well, most of them, anyway.

Daxter had also brought a thousand decently trained mercenaries that, due to Daxter being their employer, were there effectively for free. Not that paying for them would have been as costly as normal. Daxter’s fleet was filled to the brim with people who had their own axe to grind with the Empire. Kicking in the teeth of a few Outworlders who were so highly valued by the Empire was a dream come true for them, to be sure.

With more trained troops now among the Players, the defenses began to take on an even more potent form. There were only a few months to go until the enemy arrived, and already the odds were looking to be heavily in the favor of those who wanted to fight the power.