Roland eyed the scene carefully as the loud pop of the sniper rifle caused a sensation in the squad of troops below who turned to look up at the sniper's nest. Pointing across the street to the nearby house the soldiers below followed his finger to see where the sniper round had penetrated the second story window that the bazooka toting Dollet soldier was about to open. A nod from below signaled they understood followed by a motion to move out. ” Looks like they want us to get a move on, figures. ” Roland mumbled as he shrugged his shoulders in relation to Lyner's question and started towards the stairs. ” We do all the heavy lifting and these bastards are going to take the glory, damn. ” He continued to complain as he moved cautiously down the stairs, navigating debris and making sure to be careful about his footing. Reaching the bottom Roland found the three remaining troops in their squad and without even acknowledging the new squad of twelve that could be seen out the open front door he simply walked into the kitchen, through the small laundry room, and out into the back alleyway where he waited for the others.
— OOC Talk: —
5:40 am July 2, 2014
sanarian
Member
posts 108
42
Post edited 12:40 pm – July 2, 2014 by sanarian
It was nearly a perfect shot. Lyner had fired a shot through the second story window, shattering the glass and killing his target instantly. A wave of relief washed over him, and he took a moment to relax before they continued on with the mission. Even if they didn't acknowledge it the main force was in their debt; without them they wouldn't have made it across the bridge, nor would they have survived the lone soldier's ambush. Lyner slowly moved to his feet and stretched while listening to Roland mumble about the treatment their squad was given. Lyner sympathized with him, even agreed with him to an extent, but there was nothing they could do for it save to continue to show outstanding performance. All the same it was extremely frustrating to be forced to take on the most dangerous missions while receiving little to no recognition for it. As they came to the bottom of the stairs he waved at the remaining members of their squad, and came to a stop to speak with one of them. “Make sure they station a squad here before you follow,” Lyner started to say. “if they regain this position we'll be cut off without reinforcements.” Once he was finished Lyner followed after Roland, moving through the kitchen, into the small laundry room, and out into the alleyway around back. Roland was waiting for the rest of the squad there, apparently still frustrated over the treatment given to their squad. “At least the hard part's over,” Lyner joked loudly, approaching his friend and placing a hand on his shoulder. “don't worry about it Roland. Dollet isn't ours yet, so there'll be plenty of chances for you to show them what you're made of.”
Roland felt comforted by the kind words Lyner had spoke, but the anger inside still persisted, he did not want their accomplishments taken by another squad. Roland made eye contact with his mentor, nodding in understandment, but his mind was racing, trying to figure out a way they could out move the second squad and steal the glory back. Behind him the other three squad members exited into the back alley, one motioning to Lyner that he had called in a smaller group to hold the bridge while they moved forward. ” Let's get a move on then guys, at the end of the alley we should be able to cross a side street where we may have to lay down some cover fire for the second squad. ” Roland said as he pointed far in the distance, at least one hundred and fifty yards where the alleyway ended at a gate. The alleyway was narrow, each house only having a small back stoop and perhaps four or five feet of space before reaching the small alleyway path whichg was about six feet wide. In the distance the path ended at a wooden gate that would lead out onto the small crossing street where they would lay down cover as the first squad moved past. Looking at the others Roland started towards the gate, picking up the pace to a light jog, they would need to reach the street first.
— OOC Talk: —
1:14 pm March 7, 2015
sanarian
Member
posts 108
44
Lyner offered a grateful smile to the soldier that had called in a smaller group to hold the bridge, and then beamed a grin at Roland when his protégé took charge and gave the squad their orders. If he were to continue to show this kind of initiative Lyner knew the brass would eventually be forced to take notice of the young man, and to give him the credit he was rightfully due. Once they started down the narrow alleyway Lyner moved closed toward Roland to offer his friend a few choice words of praise. “That’s what I’m talking about, Roland, take charge and force them to see that you’re made of sterner stuff.” Lyner said with an encouraging smile before he moved ahead of the others, opening the wooden gate and slowing his pace. Cautiously he leaned his back against the wall to his side, and peered around the corner for any sign of the enemy. It was too risky to just assume they would be able to set up in the area when they lacked any real control over this section of the city.
Roland moved quickly forward through the back alley, passing the other soldiers in order to take the lead. He knew they had little time to get into position to cover the intersection before the second squad of Galbadian troops arrived. Directly ahead the alleyway ended at a small gate which would open up onto the intersecting road just meters to the west of the main thoroughfare, which the Galbadian military would use to head south into the heart of Dollet. Roland instinctively knew that the intersecting road would be a perfect spot to ambush their second squad, flanking them from both directions, either killing them or pushing them back towards the bridge. ” Everyone wait for my signal and find some place with a good vantage point. ” Roland said, turning upwards to the corner building which stood to his left. ” This building, we should be able to get a good view of every point of the intersection from here! ” He said with excitement, realizing that if they could get to the upper floors they would be able to lay down cover fire in both directions. The back entrance to the building was vert similar to that of the house they had exited just moments before, a small set of stairs led up to a stoop which framed the back door, closed. The thought dawned on him that Dollet soldiers could have had the same idea. He grimaced at the idea of taking another house by force.
— OOC Talk: —
6:57 pm March 10, 2015
sanarian
Member
posts 108
46
Lyner hadn't caught sight of anybody when he had peered around the corner, but it would've been foolish to assume that nobody was there just because he hadn't caught sight of them. At the suggestion they use the building he simply nodded in agreement and backed away from the corner that lead into the street, following after his friend into the house. Once they stepped inside it became glaringly obvious that the layout was very similar to that of the last, which only made him more uncomfortable. They had been very lucky to come out of that encounter in one piece, and the thought of pressing their luck any further made his stomach twist. As they moved further into the building he caught sight of a set of stairs that lead up to a stoop and the back door, which was closed. Lyner slowly reached out and placed his left hand upon Roland's shoulder, and then moved past his protege to take the lead. As he stepped past his friend he met eyes with him momentarily, as if to tell him that he would take the lead from here. Lyner had no intention of letting his friend, and protege, take on yet another risk if he could help it. Without waiting for a response, or an attempt to stop him, he slowly ascended the stairs and started toward the back door.
A small tug upon his should pulled Roland back as Lyner passed, grasping the handle to the corner building's back entrance and proceeding to open the door before Roland could say or do anything to stop it. Roland knew there was nothing he could do and turning back to the three others motioned with his hands silently, bringing his index and ring finger to his eyes then thrusting them out, letting the others know to watch their backs. The door opened silently, the musty smell of the old house hitting them in the face as they entered the back room, much like the laundry room in the house they had captured just before. The room opened into a long hallway with a open door frame leading to the left into a large kitchen. It was quiet, the house appeared deserted. ” Let's find the stairs. ” Roland said in a very low voice, pointing to the hallways end where light from the front windows entered the hall and danced. Roland moved quietly behind Lyner as they entered a large foyer, looking out a massive bay window into the war wreaked main street that lead into Dollet city. Smoke rolled through the street but movement from the direction of the bridge was clear, the second unit was close. They had no time to be careful. To the right of the foyer stairs led upwards.
— OOC Talk: —
7:55 pm March 17, 2015
sanarian
Member
posts 108
48
When Lyner went inside the house the musty smell of the building immediately assaulted his nose. As unpleasant as the smell was he paid it little heed, instead pressing further into the building with Roland just a few steps behind him. The room opened into a lengthy hallway, with an open door to the left which lead into a large kitchen. It seemed as if the building was deserted, but he couldn’t relax just yet—he wouldn’t risk the lives of their team on guesswork. A moment later Roland suggested that they find the stairs, and pointed toward the end of the hallway where light from the front windows filtered in. Lyner nodded his head in agreement before he started down the hallway. When they came into a large foyer, with a massive bay window overlooking the war torn streets, Lyner found his attention focused upon the bridge. From what movement he could make out it appeared that the second unit was close. Without a second thought he moved toward the right of the foyer, toward the stairs, and started up them with his pistol in hand. Lyner moved quickly while trying to be quiet as he could, but he knew if anyone was up there they would hear him coming.
Roland burst up the stairs, edging past Lyner as he took the steps two by two, a sense of responsibility to the second unit overtaking his own sense of self preservation. The pop of gunfire startled him as he reached the top, his head searching for the source, as more and more bursts of sound entered his ears. Stopping he looked back, realizing that the shots were coming from outside. Roland composed himself and made a quick left at the top of the stairs turning back towards the street and a large front window. ” Shit! Shit! ” He was uttering, completely unaware he was vocalizing his inner distress as he made haste dashing towards the window. Roland slide low, his body smacking against the low wall under the window. He lifted his head peeking out at the intersection. gunfire echoed all around, the second unit seemed to have anchored quickly behind a parked car, unaware of where the gunfire was coming from. Roland searched the streets his ears following the sounds. Across the intersection from the low windows of the corner shop two Dollet soldiers were laying down fire. Roland released his breath, his eyes catching sight of more movement from the intersecting road, six more Dollet soldiers moving towards the corner of the building directly across the street, out of sight of the second unit. He shifted his gaze back to Lyner as if to call for his expertise.
— OOC Talk: —
12:58 pm July 19, 2015
sanarian
Member
posts 108
50
Post edited 7:58 pm – July 19, 2015 by sanarian Post edited 7:59 pm – July 19, 2015 by sanarian
Lyner was suddenly pushed aside as Roland burst up the stairs, taking them two at a time. With a grunt of frustration he followed after his friend, following the set example and taking them two by two. While it was admirable that Roland was so willing to put aside his well-being for the sake of the mission, but someone had to be concerned about their personal safety too. As he reached the top of the stairs a chorus of gunfire rung out, and for a moment Lyner thought the worst–until he saw his friend half-panicked, trying to discern the source of the noise. A moment passed before it became obvious that the sound was coming from outside. Lyner crouched low and swiftly moved toward the wall, on the end opposite Roland. Slowly he began to stand upright, back firmly pressed against the wall, and then he peered outside the window to get a grasp on the situation. Currently the second unit was under fire, and had taken cover behind a parked car, seemingly unaware of their attacker's location. From here it wasn't hard to discern where they were, but Lyner was more concerned about the squad of six who were fast approaching the corner of the building across the street. They were in the second unit's blind spot, and if they were allowed to advance the second unit would probably be wiped out. “Now's about the time I regret my poor throwing arm.” Lyner complained as he fiddled with one of the pockets on his satchel, before he finally managed to open it and pull a flare free. As he did so one of their squad finally came up the stairs, and Lyner beckoned him over. “I want you to tell the others to do whatever they can inside the building to secure an advantage in a firefight, and prepare for incoming hostiles. Go, now.” “Fire wildly at the squad across the street on my mark, Roland. We're the bait.” At that Lyner took a few steps away from the window, deftly holstered his pistol, and removed the cap from his flare. Then he struck the scratch surface on the cap across the flare's igniter, and it sparked to life. Lyner drew his right arm and the flare back, before he threw it out the window. The flare sailed out the window, a shining beacon for all to see. It soared over the intersection before finally it met with the pavement. The base of the flare hit the street at an angle and bounced a few feet into the air once more, moving several feet closer toward its intended target until it finally landed once more, this time upon its side. For a short distance it rolled, until at last it came to a stop roughly half a dozen feet in front of the shop, and the pair laying down fire upon the second unit. Luck seemed to favor them today, as it had chanced close enough that it would surely attract attention to the two in the shop despite his poor throw. “Fire!” Lyner hissed as he reached for his pistols once more, drawing the pair and preparing to join his friend in grabbing the attention of the larger group.
It took a moment for Roland's mind to grasp Lyner's plan of action, watching as his friend struck and heaved, rather poorly he thought, a flare from the window before them into the intersection below. Lyner's word's brought the plan full circle, and he realized that if they could draw fire from the six Dollet soldiers in approach that their own troops pinned down below would be aware of their presence at least. Nodding to Lyner as he began to open fire Roland freed his own pistol from it's holster and taking cover at the left side of the large window that looked over the intersection he started to fire at the soldiers below. ” This shit just might work, or it might get us killed. ” He tried to make light of the situation as he unloaded a full clip at the soldiers below. There seemed to be confusion among the Dollet infantry, a brief pause in fire as they searched for the source of the flare and fire, the eye of the storm. The gunfire would return, as raucous as ever, splintering the wooden window frame around them as the Dollet soldiers returned fire. Roland could not see what was happening below, but he made out the screams of his own men, shouting about incoming soldiers, and sighed in relief. ” Got any grenades on you.. wait nevermind. ” Roland said in jest as he reloaded.
— OOC Talk: —
8:33 am July 23, 2015
sanarian
Member
posts 108
52
Lyner barely managed a quiet, hafl-hearted chuckle at the remark. It was almost impossible to manage a laugh when the joke stated the truth so bluntly. There was no doubt that, when it boiled down to it, the plan he had come up with was absolutely insane. Even if it was their best and only option to assist the second unit from their current position. On the opposite end of the window from Roland he also let loose a spray of gunfire, firing until both clips were empty, and then moved back out of sight and crouched low. Lyner quickly holstered his spare (and now empty) pistol, before proceeding to reload his main firearm. All the while a chorus of gunfire rang out, utterly destroying the window frame and occassionally punching through the wall overhead. Just barely audible through all the noise Lyner made out their own men yelling about incoming soldiers. If he had heard correctly everything was moving according to plan so far. “You're insane! If I had any grenades I wouldn't have any hands!” Lyner retorted with a hearty laugh just as he was sliding a fresh magazine into his pistol. “I'm thinking we should move away from the wall before they smarten up, what do you think?”
Roland heard the unmistakable roar of a rocket being launched from a handheld launcher just as Lyner had uttered his final sentence. His mind didn't have time to comprehend the irony of it all, he simply acted. Moving as fast as he could Roland left the wall behind him and thrusting with a kick from his legs he sent himself flying though the air, colliding with Lyner's midsection, sending them both moving away from the window. The rocket struck milliseconds later with a thundering explosion that splintered and shattered the wood and sent it all in an inward eruption that caught the moving Galbadian infantry men and thrust them even faster. Roland lost all sense of time and direction as the concussion propelled them inward, sending the two crashing through a small end table before the hit the hard wood floor with a heavy thud. Roland lay from a moment, feeling Lyner's heart racing as debris rained around them and smoke covered them in a thick haze. His hearing was shot, a loud ringing bellowing in his ears. ” Holy shit. ” He said matter of factly, unable to hear himself talk.
— OOC Talk: —
1:51 pm July 27, 2015
sanarian
Member
posts 108
54
Just as Lyner had finished speaking a sudden roar caught his attention, a vaguely familiar sound that strangely made him think of a handheld rocket launcher. It was too late when he finally realized that was exactly what it was, and they were in deep shit. Immediately thoughts of Roland hit him and just as he was about to move, to use his body as a shield to protect his friend, something suddenly crashed into his midsection, knocking the wind out of him and sending them flying away from the window. Milliseconds afterward an explosion tore through the room, splintering wood and propelling him–and whatever had collided with him–further into the room. Something hard crashed into his back, or was it that he had crashed into something? When everything was said and done he lay there in pain, his eyes shut tight in an attempt to hold back tears, only vaguely aware of something heavy lying on top of him. It hardly mattered, between the deafening ring echoing in his ears, and the fact that he had just failed to save his best friend, he hardly cared. If he'd known it would cost Roland his life he would have just left the second unit to their fate….
Roland simply lay still for several moments, the ringing in his ears steady but lowering in pitch as the seconds ticked by. His mind was dazed, jarred by the concussion, blurring everything around him. The thought that perhaps he was dead crossed his mind, but the pain he felt in his back didn't seem to agree, but what did he know about being dead? Suddenly his mind came alight and he looked on Lyner, pushing with his arms to lift himself off his friend. He looked down, grasping Lyner with his right hand, and began to shake. ” Lyner, LYNER! ” He started, unable to hear himself at first but finding that if he yelled he could make out his own words, he assumed this meant he hadn't ruptured his eardrums. ” ARE YOU HURT?! ” He shouted even louder, unable to tell if his friend was unconscious or in a delirium from the shock of the blast. Outside the gunfire masked screams and yells from both sides, the battle continued around them even as they lay in a pile of debris. The sounds of combat slowly filtered their way back into Roland's ears, but he could not concentrate on them, not with Lyner possibly hurt.
— OOC Talk: —
10:08 am August 7, 2015
sanarian
Member
posts 108
56
Lyner could feel as the weight upon his chest was lifted, and then someone was desperately shaking him. When he opened his eyes to see who it was he saw Roland, alive and well, if not a bit worse for the wear. If he hadn't been so quick to give up, to let his emotions best him, he would have known that. Mentally he cursed his own stupidity and moved to sit up straight. After the blast there was no viable cover left in the room, everything was in shambles, and it was a miracle the both of them were even alive. Just barely audible over the ringing in his ears he could hear the sounds of gunfire masking both shouts and screams. They had to rejoin the fight quickly. Lyner used his left hand as leverage to get to his feet, and unholstered his spare pistol–the other had been lost in the explosion. Lyner released the empty clip, threw it aside, and replaced it with a fresh one before pointing toward the stairway and starting toward it. There was no need for words, they had to rejoin the fight quickly.
Roland felt his weight shifting as Lyner began to move and moved with the older man, sliding from a position over him to a restful knee at his side. Lyner moved with focus, as he assessed the situation and damage to the room, his hand going to his side-arm from reflex. Roland turned to look back, seeing the gaping hole that overlooked the scene below and seemed wholey unaware as Lyner began to lay down cover fire. Roland's gaze shifted to the stairs, his mind slowing, coming to a point. ” No, no they'll be expecting that. ” He spoke, though he was only addressing himself as he stood, his own weapon now in hand. Roland moved fast, kicking through the doorway to his right, a small bedroom with a single window which looked down on the intersecting road, perpendicular to the road which the blown window and wall overlooked where the squad of Galbadian forces was hunkered down and returning fire. Without stopping Roland lunged directly through the glass taking a moment to adjust to falling. Everything was a blur as he crashed into a parked car below, rolling backwards behind it for cover narrowly avoiding the rain of gunfire from across the intersection, but he knew that for that few seconds he had drawn the fire away.
— OOC Talk: —
3:30 pm September 18, 2015
sanarian
Member
posts 108
58
While only able to hear a vague crash over the ring in his ears, and the dim chorus of gunfire, it was enough to catch his attention all the same. Just as Lyner turned to identify the source of the noise he caught sight of Roland's crazy stunt through the doorway. A hundred curses ran through his mind in that one moment, but he voiced none of them and instead turned about and flew out of the gaping hole in the wall as his partner drew their fire. As he hurtled through the air Lyner experienced a brief moment of absolute clarity. In that singular moment he let loose a barrage of shots toward one of the squad members firing upon his friend, then he hit the ground and tucked into a roll to minimize the damage from the fall. Without skipping a beat he wildly stumbled to his feet and made a mad dash for the nearest cover he could while keeping low to avoid the inevitable return fire.
Post edited 7:13 pm – September 19, 2015 by dystopia Post edited 7:14 pm – September 19, 2015 by dystopia
Chapter 1: The Invasion
Roland panted and grasped for air as he crouched behind the parked car, his body aching with pain all over from the fall that had caved in the vehicle's roof and shattered or cracked most of the windows. Gunfire roared all around him but he became vaguely aware that the fire he had drawn his way had shifted or stopped all together. Sliding his body slowly, his back against the cool steel of the car he moved as far as the cover would allow him, poking his head for the briefest moments to find half of the ambushing squad dead or wounded in the street and the others backing behind cover of their own. I would not dawn on him until later how Lyner had followed him, though into the other intersecting road, and wounded three men in the process. ” This is it. ” He said to himself, realizing that he was now in position to flank if he dared. Roland pushed off, a jolt of pain leaping up his legs as he exited the cover. His gun was pointed forward, waiting for the exact moment to open fire. He watched closely across the intersection where five Dollet troops were taking and returning fire now with the remains of the second squad. Roland opened fire, his first shot striking one of the five in the thigh, he second in the chest. He was moving fast, crossing the street, rolling against the pavement as he lunged behind a mailbox.
— OOC Talk: —
2:49 pm September 19, 2015
sanarian
Member
posts 108
60
A parked car not too far from the enemy squad served as Lyner's sole source of cover in the immediate area, effectively leaving him pinned down unless someone were to draw their fire away from him. Lyner crouched against the vehicle's rear end as he tried to decide on the best course of action. Gunfire still screamed throughout the vicinity, but he couldn't be sure at this point how much was being directed at him. As if that wasn't enough he had foolishly emptied his last clip during his previous stunt. “I'm counting on you, partner.” Lyner thought out loud with a whisper, half-hoping and half-praying that his friend was in a position to strike at the enemy given his own poor predicament. Lyner took a moment to bend over and peer beneath the car. It didn't afford him a perfect view of the enemy, but it was just enough to allow him a solid mental image of their positioning and formation. With that information in-hand he immediately knew the best way to approach the situation, but couldn't make his move unless the flow of battle turned in his favor. Only a few moments after he heard a break in the chaotic din, several shots that didn't quite fit in with the rest of the chorus. Not even daring a moment to think it over he burst out from behind the car, crouched low as he could to minimize his chance of being hit. As Lyner dashed forward he would shift his approach with a random zig-zag motion every few feet until at last he reached the first (and nearest) target precisely as Roland was ducking behind cover after having drawn their fire. With his free hand he tore a combat knife free of its holster on his hip and thrust it toward the man's throat. In that same motion he let his empty pistol fall to the ground and tore the machine gun from the man's arms. Without delay he kicked the man's body violently toward one of his squadmates, while turning on the third man and letting loose a hail of bullets toward the other as he dashed for cover.
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