Another little technicality: When I said M'gann was nearing her thirteenth, I was working on the assumption that one Mars year is equal to three Earth years. So, by the time she comes to Earth, she's been in the special forces for around nine or ten Earth years. I don't know if you guys care, but it was bothering me.
"Hold fire until you see the groundsmen make their move." Macl'nn said over the communicator. Since mind-communications were easy to intercept, both the White and Green forces had resorted to more Earth-based technology for warfare. M'gann was lying flat on her stomach, gun at her side. J'ronn, who was lying a few yards away from her at his own watch point, slid the binoculars over to her. She raised the Earth contraptions to her eyes and focused on the village below. There was a slight threat of civilian interference in the mission, which was most likely why the Green army had chosen this place for their safe house. M'gann watched as the civilians milled about their town, closing up shop for the coming night. However, she could also see the Green soldiers setting up for a night watch. There were bound to be more of them inside the buildings, waiting for any sign of enemy contact.
Boy, were they about to get it.
A flash of light signaled the preparation of the groundsmen. M'gann passed the binoculars back to J'ronn, who quickly pocketed them before setting up his gun. M'gann did the same, and fixed a guard in her sight. Not a moment later, the village was barraged by the soldiers. Those positioned on the cliffs opened fire, not holding back as they rained bullets on the opposing forces below. As the groundworkers advanced through the village, so did the sharpshooters. No sooner had the last man cleared one section of the village, when the snipers grabbed their guns and moved to the next point. Soon, all immediate threats were neutralized, and the groundsmen set to work searching the houses.
M'gann and those on the cliffs waited for information that would determine what the next move would be. It wasn't long before they received the exact information they were waiting for.
"He's not here!" Captain Fip, who was working with the groundworkers, radioed the entire group. "We've searched every house in the lower and middle sections, and we're working on the upper section. We're not going to be able to clear all of the houses alone. We need the sharpshooters to scout the uppermost houses. And hurry! They've called in reinforcements!" Fip's voice cut out of the transmission.
Macl'nn stood and called his team to attention. "Split into groups! We need a team on each house above the upper line." Everyone split off. Macl'nn heard the roar of incoming air-ships and made an unprofessional and emotional decision. "M'orzz! I want you to stick with me." M'gann nodded and joined her captain. Macl'nn stole a quick glance to the lower sectors of the village, noting how the Green forces were literally tearing the place apart. It wouldn't be long before they collided with the ground forces. The small group of groundsmen wouldn't stand a chance.
Macl'nn sighed, dread settling over his mind. He had known Fip most of his service, and knew what the other captain would want Macl'nn to do in case of Fip's… unplanned retirement.
"J'ronn! We'll need your help. Stick with me!" Macl'nn tried to ignore what this decision implied. Though he looked confused, J'ronn obeyed Macl'nn's orders. The sharpshooters quickly made their way to the upper end and descended the cliffs, spreading throughout the upper ring.
The first house they hit was occupied, by both soldiers and civilians. The family ran quickly, but the five soldiers held their ground. Macl'nn pulled up immediately upon entering and put two bullets through two soldiers' heads. M'gann stole into the kitchen, crouching by a table. Two more soldiers were there, loading their weapons. She stood quickly, shooting one in the chest. The other soldier already had his gun loaded, and fired. Thankfully, the bullet only nicked M'gann in the wrist, but a nerve was struck, and she found she couldn't hold her gun. It clattered to the floor, and she jumped out of the way as the soldier fired again. The soldier cornered her, holding her down by jamming his foot into her stomach. He raised his gun, ready to fire, when a bullet pierced his chest from behind. Immediately, the solder's lungs filled with blood, and he fell. Behind him stood J'ronn, gun still aimed. He lowered his weapon and walked over to help M'gann up, grabbing her by her uninjured wrist. "Be careful." J'ronn said as he turned to search some of the house. She went in the other direction, checking the rooms on the first floor, when a noise behind her reminded her that there were five soldiers when they entered the house. A quick scan showed only four bodies. She ran to where the noise came from to find a Green soldier, his back to her, leveling his aim at J'ronn's back as the latter crept up the stairs. An instant later, the Green soldier fell, two bullets slicing through his neck. M'gann turned and saw Macl'nn standing to her right, his gun raised as well as her own. A crisis averted, the searching of the house went by quickly. No sign of the lieutenant.
To everyone's relief and disappointment, the next three houses were completely empty. When they approached one of the last houses, Macl'nn signaled for the other two to proceed with caution. The captain slowly slinked to the window and stole a glance inside. When he learned all he needed to learn, he joined the others in an alley not too far away.
"Eight soldiers. They wouldn't put that much guard on a house unless they had something worth guarding."
"Eight?" M'gann hissed. Macl'nn raised a hand to silence her.
"Yes. We'll each take a window, but be careful not to shoot each other. Try to get as many as you can with the element of surprise. Hopefully, there won't be too many left by the time they catch on." J'ronn and M'gann nodded and took places at the windows.
Concealed by shadows, the three raised guns and took aim. "On me." Macl'nn whispered over the communicator. There was a long, tense moment as everyone waited for the captain to take the first shot. When the first soldier went down, everyone opened fire.
By the time the smoke cleared, there were only two of the eight left standing. Neither of them had quite come to grips, and Macl'nn took care of each of them quickly and quietly.
"Fan out! Quickly! Green reinforcements have most likely already taken the middle and lower sections."
A search of the first level of the house proved fruitless. However, when they made it to the second level, Macl'nn's earlier statement proved true. J'ronn opened a closet to find the missing lieutenant, bound, gagged, and unconscious on the floor. Macl'nn pushed the man out of the way, picking up G'ro'gnn over his shoulder. "We need to radio the others! Everyone needs to regroup at the air-lifts." J'ronn said. Macl'nn, though worried over the possibility that there may not be any others, nodded. However, Captain Fip beat them to the punch.
"Macl'nn! Come in!" his voice crackled over the communicator. Macl'nn, grateful to hear his friend's voice, answered. "Yes, Fip! What is it?"
The next word left them frozen in shock.
"Bombs!" After a pause, in which Fip probably had to dodge an immediate disaster, he continued. "They've sent in air-raids! Lower section's already toast! Get out of th-"
Static.
Macl'nn and J'ronn rushed to the balcony. Sure enough, the entire lower and middle sections were alight with flame. Even some of the upper section had caught fire.
No one could survive that.
The only thing that the two men could do was watch as their forces, their families for the past years, burned. M'gann stood there, the light burning her eyes, when she caught sight of dark shapes moving through the sky. More air-ships.
"We need to go!" She said, grabbing the two by the wrists and dragging them inside. Once the explosions were out of their immediate line of vision, they snapped out of their trance.
"We need to make it to the outskirts of the upper section! Get out of their way!" Macl'nn ordered, but his voice held a sort of lost, desperate tone. With G'ro'gnn slung over his shoulder, he led the other two through the house and streets, until they could see the line where the buildings end, and the ground descended to a ravine below.
They barely made it to the top of the ravine when the last building in the upper section exploded.
Longer chapter. Yay.
By the way, everyone except for M'gann, G'ro'gnn, Macl'nn, and J'ronn is dead.
Fip is not still alive. Laan is not still alive. All of the nameless characters that you assume are in the story, but are never actually mentioned, are dead. Just wanted to make that clear.