Sharline – The Skeptic

Sharline glared at Teo as she processed the man's words. She knew that all the original recruits were aware of the analysts' unique mission – her speech had been purely for the new members' benefit. The private's blatantly crass language also seemed like a kick in Isaiah's face after his stern address on discipline, too. Stirring up shit... Sharline had a bad taste in her mouth. Asswipe.

“–Private Dalakis, I normally wouldn't respond to such a question...but that vulgar observation actually holds merit,” the woman's soprano voice was uncharacteristically sharp. “You are right. All of the junior analysts are familiar with the SIREN apparatus, and have basic military training, but we've never been on a battlefield. For all intents and purposes–” she thought back to the sprawling Celsius chess board. The brunette had tried to display a certain level of decorum for the new men, especially after Isaiah's stern performance, but now she wanted to repay Teo's bluntness in kind. “–We're fodder. Bottom of the totem pole," her eyes narrowed as the words hung in the air. “Anyone who was a junior analyst during SIREN Development and Testing – S-DAT – has been deemed expendable for Epsilon's purposes.”

A chill crept down her spine, but imminent doom was becoming a more and more familiar thought. “As hard as it is to imagine, there are several situations that cannot be measured by an automated computer hard drive. A human being's ease of movement in battle...how they utilize their firearms, and react to contingencies – like an ambush – these are all behaviors that can't be expressed numerically,” Sharline's brow had eased up, but she still looked unusually irate. “Moreover, an analyst's SIREN is equipped with a unique microphone inside the helmet, and a camera, too. We can dictate observations to the SIREN's word processor, and record selected visuals on the HUD... I'm sure you would have a hard time taking that kind of notation during a firefight.”

Sharline's rancor trailed off as she talked, leaving behind a tired feeling in its wake. It had already been a stressful day, and this challenge from Teo wasn't helping. She glanced up to the chrome clock on the wall. 8:30...are you kidding. The young woman turned to Isaiah, her expression dreary. “Please excuse the outburst, Sarge. That's all I have to say.”

_________________

"Lets be fair to her Dalakis" Richard piped up, uncrossing his fingers from the interlocked position he had held them during the brief exchange. "Despite her not being military, im sure she has a lot more experience and knowledge with these 'SIREN'S'-" He actually did the finger quotes in the air, "-Than we ever probably will have. This puts her in a position better than even us old military guys when we are on the field with them currently, Like putting a Pilot in a tank and expecting him to know which button is shoot."

Richard finished his coffee before he continued his point, sliding the empty mug back to the tray "And Civie's in the field ain't as rare as you'd make out, how do you think the news gets back?" He stretched, looking at Sharline "And if those Spineless excuses of people can surivive out there, in a shoddy piece of armour with no gun i'm sure Miss McGovern here can in the best tech suit the military has to offer.

Isaiah Cole ~ Putting Them in Their Place

Isaiah sat by silently while Sharline attempted to put the squad's minds' at ease in regards to her involvement with the mission. Teo's disrespectful nature was nothing new, though it couldn't have come at a worse time. "Looks like someone wants a little extra attention...." Isaiah pondered the most appropriate punishment for Teo whilst Sharline worked out her rather well spoken rebuttal. Her comment about them being expendable made his stomach churn. Did Sharline really think herself that worthless in the eyes of the company? Even if it was true it seemed like there was a more deep seated lack of self worth coming from the analyst.

Before Isaiah could finally get in his own two cents, Richard chimed in. Isaiah shot the man a somewhat cold glare, almost begging him to shutup. It wasn't that he disagreed with what Richard had to say but rather that he simply didn't approve of the timing for it. "That's enough. All you need to know is she's coming with us and if anything happens to her, it's your a**." Isaiah stated in a slightly firmer tone. "That's all for now. All of you report to the firing range for weapons training. You're not to leave until you've hit the bullseye 50 times with at least four different guns." Isaiah rose from his seat, indicating to the others to do the same. "Except you Dalakis.....Report to the CQC ring. You're with Petrov until I say otherwise. Dismissed."

---

Training Day

Isaiah lived up to his promise of making the squad's lives' much more difficult. As the month went on days began starting earlier and ending later. Not only that but Isaiah had recently taken to pairing members of the squad with teammates they were far from being on good terms with. Most notable of this perhaps was his decision to pair Melani and Ren in almost every training exercise, save for a few. Isaiah didn't excuse himself from this practice either. He too made sure he was paired with Teo on more than one occasion. He even went as far as to pair himself with that over-talkative Bauer fellow, no matter how much he got on his nerves.

Before long the squad had made great strides in their ranking, something Isaiah was truly proud of (though he never showed it in front of the squad). They were a long shot from matching Alvarez and his band of goonies but they'd at least put a sizable gap between themselves and the bottom rankings. Even Petrov commented to Isaiah on the side that 'they weren't a complete disappointment anymore.' Isaiah tried not to let this get to his head. Still; the Lieutenant's approval carried some weight with him.

---

The Drop

The day had finally come. Months of training all adding up to this day. The squad hovered above the Maldovan landscape in their D-7 Stealth Chopper. One could practically stick their hand out and brush the top of the trees. They had to fly low to stay under the radar. Still, it didn't do much for Isaiah's nerves to know that one false move by the pilot spelled instant death for all of them. The chopper came to rest in a secure LZ approximately four kilometers from the Maldovan base

"You've got approximately two hours to infiltrate the base and retrieve the package. Remember, if the enemy has developed a prototype you are to destroy or capture it at all costs. All enemy personnel is expendable. Leave no survivors if possible," the voice of the pilot crackled over their coms.

"Roger. Move out." Isaiah radioed in before departing from the chopper. he landed with an audible thunk against the hard ground, turning around only to make sure the rest of his squad departed safely. "Slavik, take Williams, Bauer, Zahari, and McGovern to the north perimeter. On my mark, shell the base from the high ground. Slavik, be prepared to provide cover for our retreat. Makarov, you're covering our entrance from the east. If you're compromised, rally with Slavik's group and provide cover. Engleton, Ishii, and Dalakis, you're with me. Let's move." Isaiah disconnected from the group link before opening a private channel to Mel's suit. "Mel, we're going to be counting on you here. I'm worried the others might get overconfident in their suits and do something stupid. If that happens it's going to be up to you to get them out of the way of fire. I'll do what I can but I need you on this. Understood?"

-Williams- Sound of thunder

The monstrous form of FENRIS made its less than graceful exit from the chopper, The thud from its landing leaving large holes which Richard piloted the suit out of. ”FENRIS, full system check” The mech obeyed wordlessly, Richard had told his suits AI to only talk when it needed to as its metal voice was slightly unsettling to him. Outside the grey metal giants pistons hissed loudly. All its joints rotating and spinning completely until they were back in their starting positions, its DART cycled through the limited weapon choices that he had on board and ensured they were being replicated correctly. ”FENRIS check out Sarge, will wait for the others and begin moving” He opened his audio channels, testing the connections. ”We got any Intel of what’s on the ground yet?” FENRIS made its way to one side, out of the way of the drop zone, nearer to Isaiah.

Bauer ~ Professional Calm

Drake had been gearing up and preparing fairly quietly all morning. Fairly comfortable in his SIREN, he coaxed himself out of relaxed daydream as the radio chimed in. After a brief wait for Williams to clear the drop space, he eased the GARNET out of the chopper, dropping to the ground with a similar impact. Quickly pulling himself to even footing, Drake ran through the GARNET HUD and reviewed some routine checks.

"Garnet, load TROPHY defense for travel. Cut additional displays." After running through a few other fairly arbitrary preferences, Drake turned aside, and turned down the volume on reception from Isaiah's units.

"Seargant Slavik, if you'll be proceeding ahead, I'll just update you every few minutes. If you find somewhere to survey the facility, I'll request a video feed." While Drake's tendency to not properly address his superiors had been adequately snuffed by Isaiah in the past month, he still treated the less hot-headed of the group more as co-workers, Slavik included. He was forward in asking what he needed with the second in command rather than only listening for orders, and was fairly relieved to be out of Isaiah's direct unit for today.

((Such awesome group music, Bubs ^^ Let's get puuumped!))

Sharline – Concentration
Theme: “Impatience” by Atsushi Kitajoh

Sharline was behind Richard and Drake in line, and watched as the Fenris and Garnet vaulted out of the chopper and onto the steep, grassy incline. She clicked the heel of her boot against the metal floor of the landing, before rotating her neck, limbs, and waist. Here goes. The tall, hourglass figure of the Sepia leapt from the antechamber, planting into the soil with a light hiss.

Standing on the foreign land was almost surreal. So much had happened in the last month...so much in preparation for this. Faces flashed through her mind; Dustin, Myra, Eckhart. Sharline winced and shook her head. “You ready, Sepia?” she breathed in. “Yes, Sharline. Let us begin.”

The analyst bit her tongue, then nodded. “Alright,” she murmured, extending her left arm parallel to her abdomen. “Keyboard.” A holographic keypad projected several inches from her wrist. Grouping. A – Cole, Dalakis, Engleton, Ishii. B – Bauer, self, Slavik, Williams, Zahari. The fingertips of her right hand fluttered while her palm remained in place; the gesture was vaguely reminiscent of a children's puppeteer. Cole first from chopper, followed by Williams and Bauer. Self fourth. She hesitated, glancing around for any relevant minutiae, such as the next person to descend or a quirk someone was displaying in their SIREN's bearing.

_________________

Teo Dalakis - Hind's Crimson Star

'I can't believe this is happening.' Teo was in a state of disbelief. Disbelief that their unit was no longer the worst, disbelief that it was Isiah who was able to improve them, and disbelief that they were now suddenly here on enemy grounds. Teo sighed to himself as he exited the chopper behind Sharline. Just because they were here didn't mean they would be successful, Teo figured someone on their squad was going to get killed or seriously injured. 'No point in relying on people.' However, despite his constant pessimistic thoughts he kept them to himself, not voicing them to the others who might be apprehensive about their first mission, such as Sharline. The R Leporis passed by the Sepia and the Garnet, stopping by the Avalon to await further instructions from Isiah. Teo had complete confidence in himself that he could handle anything thrown his way and as he waited he looked back at the others who had yet to descend from the chopper, none of which he considered to be as good as himself. "R.L. run a system check." he ordered the siren, mostly to pass the time.

Ren - Dropping the hammer

The month after the briefing was an interesting one, to say the least. As if Ren's punishment hadn't been cruel enough, Isaiah apparently thought it would be funny to assign Mel and Ren as training partners until the date of the mission.

Ren had obviously been reluctant at first, after all, what did the princess know about combat? As it turned out, very little. Of course Ren being Ren, which entailed a lot of insults, she wasn't exactly nice to the girl the first few days. When the princess finally snapped at her for being so mean, she simply told the girl that she didn't like working with someone as inexperienced as her. But to Ren's surprise, what she lacked in combat knowledge, she made more than up in her expertise fields. The little princess had blown Ren right out of the water with her knowledge regarding medical procedures and mechanical problems. It shut Ren right up.

Over the following weeks, Ren actually grew a sort of respect for the girl. She was eager to learn, she had to give her that. And to be fair, everybody started out as a rookie at some point. She helped the girl train with firearms, giving her tips and pointers as well as helping her improve on her hand-to-hand combat. To Ren's surprise, she wasn't even that bad of a fighter.

During one of their days, for some reason, Ren led slip that she and Isaiah had spend a night together. A dick move by Ren, since she was vaguely aware of Mel's feelings towards Isaiah. It was sad to see how Mel did her best to try and show that she didn't care, even though she did. So when Mel asked her if she had any feelings towards Isaiah, she figured it might be best to lie and say no, even promising that the little fling between her and Isaiah was only a one time thing.

At the end of the month Ren could safely say that Mel had gained some respect in her books. They weren't best buddies, but Ren would ease up on her perhaps even stand up for her if the others decided to take a piss on her.

***

"Leave no survivors." Oh this mission was going to be fun. Ren thought as she descended from the chopper, onto the hard Maldovan ground with a heavy thump. The helmet with the white skull still proudly painted on it turned around, taking in the view. Ren realized that this was the first time she had been outside, since the signed on with Celsius. "Fucking Maldova." She hissed as she took in the scenery, which clearly wasn't to her liking. But in Maldova's defense, even if the land was a carbon copy of Eden, Ren still wouldn't have liked it, simply because it was Maldova.

"Vindictus, do a quick systems check." She said as she took her combat rifle, making sure everything was okay. A few windows opened up in her HUD and different visor modes flashed by as Vindictus did the system check, until finally her vision returned to normal. "All systems working at optimal performance." came the synthesized woman's voice. It was all up to Ren now.

_________________

As Jens dropped, he immediately bolted eastward through the forest. It felt exhilarating, using the SIREN in an actual mission, back on the familiar earthen steps he had tread over so long ago. He quickly broke off from the others and sped to a comfortable outcropping on the mountain peak. From here he began to look out toward the surroundings, hoping to get a clear fix on a nice sniping point. He needed a secluded area that would be hard to discern and reach by anyone else. Maldovan soil felt as natural as any other battleground to Jens, as he had spent his entire career straddling the two countries. Jens felt a small rush but quickly quelled it as he focused on the task at hand. He kept his channels open to listen to any of his other teammates, though he decided to largely keep silent, preferring to be uninterrupted in his duties and to primarily work alone.

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These are a few of my favorite things

ZZ : The Final Countdown :

As the coffee hit ZZ’s stomach, her face paled listening to the debriefing. ‘What were they thinking?’ She stole a glance at her friends Sharline and Mel, knowing they hadn’t had much time to prepare themselves for the task at hand. ‘With only a month no less!’ ZZ thought angrily. She didn’t agree with the news and she didn’t care for the fact that her only friends were going into combat with them. She kept her tongue, too sick to even think of a question that wasn’t covered.
--
The next month of training did ease ZZ’s thoughts and concerns as she watched Sharline and Mel succeed in their training. She was proud of everyone’s efforts and strides toward their ranking. She was also proud of herself and her focus. Although when they weren’t training, she had a tendency to think about it… sort of. Slavik, in particular. ‘I have got to get him out of my head…’ she thought the night before they were to deploy for their mission. She didn’t need her feelings to get in the way of the mission.
--
Taking after everyone in front of her, ZZ dropped from the chopper and pulled off to where her other squadmates in her group were. While waiting, ZZ bean to make her adjustments as necessary in preparation for the mission. “Zroya, run a system check and analysis on vital signs.” A series of noises began to sound as the SIREN began its check. “Certainly.” As Zroya checked off that her systems were normal, ZZ began fixing her screen for optimal viewing. “Now checking vital signs...” chimed in Zroya, just as ZZ finished her own tasks. “Blood pressure, 138 over 92, slight elevation from normal. Pulse rate, 94. Higher than average. Oxygen at 95%.” ZZ tried to take a couple of deep breaths to calm down her pulse rate. With the stress of the last month, her anxiety has grown from a non-issue to something she has to take time and calm down her nerves. “Anything else?” ZZ opened her eyes as Zroya asked the question. “No, that’s it. Wait for orders.” ZZ took the chance to glance around to see if her group was ready to move out yet.

_________________

Isaiah Cole ~ Move Up

Isaiah gave a brief nod to Slavik before leading his team away from the landing zone. Following in Jens' footsteps, Isaiah led the assault team towards the east side of the base. At first Isaiah was worried the Avalon might have difficulty moving through the uneven terrain. These fears were put to rest as the unit effortlessly glided through the dense trees, heavy brush, and slick gravel that dotted the mountain top. The assault team halted at the edge of the tree line whilst Isaiah took note of the guard towers. There were six in total. Three on the north side, three on the south, each roughly 50 yards apart. At the center of the base was a compound. That was their target and their entry point. Intel had produced no alternatives for either entering or exiting the base.

"Avalon to Spectre. Target the watch towers and ground forces. Do NOT target the compound. On my mark. Three....two.....one....mark!" As soon as Isaiah gave his signal the Avalon's thrusters burst to life, launching him at full speed towards the front of the base. Isaiah lifted the empty frame of his DART as the familiar shape of a grenade launcher began to form around him. Once the weapon had finished assembling itself he fired a single explosive shot towards the nearest southern tower, destroying it and killing its occupant in the process. Machine gun fire followed soon after as the Avalon zipped towards the rubble, taking cover behind the wreckage. "Move!!"

Sharline – Anticipation

Sharline's cobalt eyes darted left and right behind her visor, scanning the entire unit's behavior with hawk-like interest. Ishii, particular hostility for Maldovan location. Makarov very eager, broke into sprint immediately after departing antechamber. Sharline smiled as she regarded Isaiah. He looked so vital, so brave – the sight of the sergeant in the dense Maldovan wilderness was a relief in itself. Cole, particularly high morale.

Isaiah nodded to Group B's leader, Slavik, before leading the rest of his own squadron into the forest. Sharline waved as the group broke away. “Good luck, Sarge! Everyone!” She turned to Slavik, who was close by. Her eyes were intense in their anticipation – more likely a response to the gravity of the situation, rather than genuine excitement for it. She glanced briefly to ZZ, Drake, and Richard. Slavik, slight hesitation. “Sir. Awaiting direction.”

_________________

Slavik, Begin.

The world around operative Spectre was silent, even the established communications link seemed dull as they drew near to the battlefield. A few months ago, Slavik had requested to be subjected to a bombardment of information, as the second in command and one of the 'scout' units in the team he had to handle both what he experienced as well as handle information given to him by the team. From reports to live feeds, Slavik had to rearrange how he recognized threats, targets of importance and what would end up being collateral damage.

The signal was given that they were ready to begin and Slavik once more welcomed the cold logic that was bred into him, even as Cole spoke and gave their orders. Spectre looked beyond the group to find a location more suitable for his role in the upcoming battle, one of the trees would do.
Sharline's voice came from the silence for a moment, they required direction, "Move into position and open direct-feeds, I shall mark targets for each individual unit, strand-by. Upon primary bombardment keep your eyes open on where you aim, we cannot risk damage to the entrance. Alert me if there are unforeseen events with the bombardment. "

With that Spectre moved away, whereas the majority of the others 'wore' heavy suits, Spectre was incredibly light compared to the others, he still weighed a fair amount but he was still light enough to climb one of the more sturdier trees. From his perch Slavik could see that the compound was understandably well defended, patrols moved around though it seemed not all were thoroughly professional, probably thinking that this was a dull assignment... most likely for many it would be their last.

"Uploading direct-feed. Stand-by team. Marking targets." Slavik whispered into the communication's link, activating the third lens in his helmet, barracks, guard towers, vehicles and other housing were now in view and shortly afterwards the AI marked each of these targets with individual operative names.

"On my mark fire at these locations until assault team is within the building. Once that is achieved. Wipe out any and all enemy threats to the mission."

Slavik activated his sniper rifle, technology, how far it's come yet at the end of the day he was still the executioner. He steadied himself as the world became silent once more, distantly he could hear various commands being given from Cole, he could see the movements of dead men a head of him even as he put his sights on his first set of targets. It appeared that they weren't please, perhaps they lost a game of sorts? Who knows. Slavik wouldn't be asking them any time soon.

Distantly he heard Cole give the command, even as Avalon charged forward, Slavik could see the slightest hint of confusion as his target heard the southern tower explode. "Fire." Came the voice of Slavik as he pulled the trigger, his target looked ready to fight but whatever they might've said was lost to their comrades. The back of the target's head erupted, Kill confirmed, Slavik sighted his next target, Adjust for wind shift, hold, the target turned his head slightly as they died, the bullet had entered through the right eye causing the others to look desperately for cover. Spectre marked their location for an artillery strike.

It was strange, Slavik couldn't feel the recoil of his rifle, he couldn't hear it's distinct muffled sound nor see it's flash. He only felt the familiarity of death. It mattered little. He now had to focus on any potential target that tried to locate the unit. Snipers were always interesting sport.

~Williams – Bring the rain~

”Targets acquired, received sir.”

FENRIS’s monstrous form had planted itself on top of a small hill to Slaviks right, with two wet thuds its rear foot stabilisers sunk into the mud in preparation for the strike. Richard was already in the zone ”FENRIS, Deploy Thunderhammer and wait for mark”. The half weapon in his suits claw glowed and began to form the gigantic 105mm Howitzer . The suit rotated on its waist hinge slightly to bring its weapon to bear, the first shell sliding into place and for a moment the world was once again silent. The loud blast punctured the air as the first of the assault team moved in.

The shell hit before the occupants of the build knew it was even on its way, it connected with the side of the building before detonating in a huge concussive blast which ripped the top of the tower clean away from its base. The showers of debris, both biological and not, made a ploom reaching into the sky. FENRIS was already aiming again, small chips of concrete raining down even as far away as he was. ”One tower left south side…”

Ren - Coup de grâce

Ren felt the excitement burn inside her, this was what they were building towards for months! Even longer if you considered basic training as well. The first time had failed, but this time was different. They where the ones getting ambushed this time. They were the ones being outgunned. They were the ones who were going to die today. Today was a day for revenge.

Ren kept close to Isaiah. While her excitement was great, she knew her place, she wouldn't compromise the missions merely for the act of revenge. The way things were looking, she'd get more than her share of that. A grin appeared on her face as the action began, explosions, gunfire and screaming. And this time, it wasn't her squad that was doing the screaming.

And Vindictus did an excellent job, highlighting threats and providing target support for the combat rifle's Flechette Ordinance rounds. Ren merely had to pop out the gun over her cover, blind firing, and let the bullet's build in guidance system do all the hard work. It wasn't particularly accurate this way, but it provided them with enough covering fire to suppress those machine gunners.

Vindictus highlighted several new targets exiting from a small building, on the south side of the compound. Possibly a guardhouse. Ren tapped Isaiah on the shoulder and sped off as a hail of gunfire erupted around her. The thrusters and her erratic movement made her a difficult target, but Ren was certain that the armor plating could take a few shots, though wasn't keen on testing that out. She quickly swapped her combat rifle for her Linebacker, and fired a grenade towards the group exiting the small building, hitting the wall behind them and showering them in shrapnel. Ren couldn't help but smile at seeing the destruction, and quickly fired a second grenade into one of the nearby guard towers, clearing it with a single shot.

However, Vindictus still had a target near the guard house she thought she had cleared. With the south side now clear of guard houses, Ren turned off the thrusters and took a quick gander at the now destroyed building. Thermal imaging showed a soldier still alive between the rubble, wounded, but slowly crawling away. Ren switched to her trusty shotgun and approached the soldier, ready to finish him off at the first sign of hostility. But she was surprised to see that the man was barely a man at all, he was just a boy, looking barely old enough to even hold a weapon. He was severely hurt, his arm appeared to be broken and he had several shrapnel wounds across his back. It seemed like his former friends took the majority of the blast for him.

He panicked as he noticed Ren approaching him, trying to crawl away even faster, muttering words in his native tongue. You didn't need to be a linguist to understand what he was saying, he was crying, praying to whatever god he believed in and wanted to go home. It was easy for Ren to catch up to him, looking at his wounds. If he got immediate medical attention, he was sure to make it. he might not even need prosthetics. Ren gently kicked him in the side, flipping him over onto his back. His face was filthy with dust, tears and blood, most of it probably from his former colleagues. He held up his arms, shielding his face as if it that could stop a bullet. But no such thing happened, instead Ren squatted next to him and placed her shotgun on the ground. His expression almost immediately changed to suspicion and then relieve. In his shock filled mind, he believed that this person was going to save him. He didn't care if it meant he'd be a prisoner, as long as he was still alive.

His assumptions seemed to become a reality as the strangely armored soldier placed a hand behind his head and lifted him up. "T-thank you..." he muttered in broken English, noticing the Anatolian insignia, not even hearing himself as his ears had popped thanks to the blast. Things suddenly went really fast, as the armored soldier did not carry him to safety, nor did he offer him any form of medical attention. Instead, there was the barrel of a rather large revolver shoved into his mouth. His eyes shot wide as realization set in.

Ren didn't care how old the boy was, he was a Maldovan, and a soldier at that. Given the chance he'd shoot her and the rest of the team. His face was pleading, begging her to save him, but instead she pulled the trigger. The effects of shooting a large caliber gun like this so close became all too apparent. The boy's entire skull seemed to bloom like some grotesque flower, opening up and the back and splattering its contents all over the ground. Ren let go of the body, which fell limply to the ground, and cleaned her revolver on the boy's pants, before picking up her shotgun and returning to Isaiah. There was still the north side to clear.

_________________

Though Makarov had only engaged in several actual operations where a clear goal was in mind during his tenure with the military, and though he had long since actually fired a rifle at a person, the feeling came to him immediately as he pressed the trigger. He began taking pot shots in a similar manner to Slavik, calling out his hits as he did so. "Remind me, what's the plan when we clear things up out here?" He asked over the channel, he was much more equipped to stay outside, and was hoping that he wouldn't be asked to follow the others inside if Isaiah decided that that was where they were intended to move.

_________________
These are a few of my favorite things

Teo Dalakis - Third Strike

'That's two.' Teo noted as the second tower fell. The R Leporis took cover behind the wreckage of the first one beside the Avalon as the enemy returned fire. "R.L., grenade launcher." Teo commanded. Immediately a CIS 40 AGL materialized in the hands of the siren. Enemy fire died down for a brief moment, opening a window for Teo to fire off a few shots. He took little notice of the Maldovan soldiers that exploded in wondrous spectacles. Bullets continued whizzing by, a few making contact but none that mattered. Some soldiers chose to retreat, seeking refuge in the southwest tower but the R Leporis continued its assault, eliminating some of them before they could reach the it. Some managed to get out of range.

Teo caught a glimpse of Ren as she executed a young soldier in a grotesque manner. She seemed like she had a handle on things. Teo awaited an opportunity to move forward and as more Maldovans fell, the chance came. The R Leporis effortlessly darted ahead, stopping to take cover behind another pile of rubble from one of the destroyed towers. Now with the southwest tower in range, the R Leporis unleashed a barrage of grenades, destroying the tower and those inside.

"R.L., assault rifle," Teo spoke as stones and limbs rained down. With the FAMAS G2 equipped, Teo remained where he was and provided fire cover for Isaiah and Ren until further instructions were given.

Sharline – The Onslaught

As Slavik opened fire, all of Team B moved into life. Richard's hulking Fenris jogged to a nearby hill, and had begun its assault on a distant watch tower. Sharline glanced around for Drake and ZZ, before turning back to her team leader. The Sepia lept lithely into the air, perching on a sturdy branch several feet below Slavik's. Sharline's cobalt irises glanced toward the corner of her HUD. Engagement began at 1:03 AM. The woman's vision darted back and forth across the field. Through the nightvision visor, the inky, indecipherable landscape had been brought to surreal life. Hapless Maldovan soldiers were ripped and blown asunder by the god-like machines.

Sharline faltered for a moment. She swallowed, drawing on extra reserves. This is the assignment. You're ready for this. She nodded to herself. “Enhance vision by 65%...” she muttered into the helmet. At the new magnification, the analyst was able to clearly see the SIRENs and the soldiers, but their enemies' expressions were mercifully hazy. Sharline's fingers never stopped moving as she recorded minutiae, every so often adjusting the magnification on her HUD, as it was also functioning as the transmission for the video feed she was sending back to Celsius. Initial impression – prototype extremely effective.

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