Life Is Strange Eternity War Episode 4 Paradise Lost

by WickDaLine

After the truth about Max's quest is broken to Chloe, conflict rises for Max and Alex traveling to Meridian Prime. Between trusting an old foe and fighting anew in the race to the ark. David and Cayce enter the war in Beirut to help resistance fighters against ConDef where an old ally has the key to what their adversaries need. The stakes of the war will be higher than ever.

6. War Has Changed

Chapter 6 War Has Changed

David
July 22nd, 2017
2:52 PM
Beirut, Lebanon
Al Zarif Station

Before returning to the central hub where the fighting was occurring, Cage arrived with the rest of the team in a hurry to find us in the security rooms. It would seem the rest of Valor Team's timing was just a hair off.

"Madsen, there you are!" Cage called out.

"Cage, where have you been?!" I asked.

"We got ambushed on the way in here is where. ConDef's trying to break it in."

"You must be Captain Cage," said Dhaled. "I'm Colonel Dhaled. Sorry to meet under these circumstances."

"Sorry, we're late to the party, Colonel. But it looks like we're just in time."

"What's happening out there? Any casualties?"

"ConDef opened fired out of nowhere as soon as our truck came to a stop," explained Mason. "Minimal casualties, but it looks like they got new toys out there to increase them."

"We got no time to lose," I said. "If ConDef wants a fight, they've got one."

I kick the door open to suddenly find a resistance soldier running from sphere-shaped object rolling around like a beach ball embedded with shrapnel spikes. The spiked sphere hit the soldier in the back. Severely injuring him and bumping into me. Must be the new toys ConDef's acquired that Mason had spoken of.

I held onto the injured soldier and until the sphere shot out its shrapnel. Finishing off the injured man, rendering him deceased, and one of the spikes hit me through the arm. As painful as it was, I pulled it out and got back into the fight. I was gonna bleed but will have to fix it when we weren't fighting.

"It's go-time, Valor!" Cage shouted. "Form a perimeter and protect the hub!"

"You heard the Captain!" Dhaled shouted. "Keep ConDef away from the civvies at all cost!"

Dhaled, the team, and I find a position to take cover and the firefight begins. The resistance was fighting head-on against their oppressors and so were we. There were civilian and resistance bodies already marked for casualties, but it seems most of the civvies made it out in time before the fighting started. Kristine noticed my mind in the middle of the fight.

"Commander, you're bleeding!" Kristine shouted.

"Can it, Lieutenant!" I ordered. "You can patch me when we're done here!"

We cleared the perimeter and the hub of ConDef and then ceased fired. The fight was far from done, but we withdrew our rifles for the moment.

"All clear," said Cayce. "That's the last of them."

"Hear, patch us into Lebanese Resistance Command," ordered Cage.

"On it," replied Heard.

As soon as Heard patched our comms into the resistance command frequency, we heard a voice through the radio in a middle-eastern accent. Providing our orders in the next phase of the fight.

"Valor Team, this is Resistance Command. Priority Target in ConDef convoy moving on eastern checkpoint! ETA one minute. Request all emergency defense units move to reinforce the position."

"This is Colonel Dhaled. I'm with Valor and we copy. But we'll need a VTOL transport if we're going to get the trucks to the checkpoint in time!"

"Confirmed. VTOL transport inbound."

The team and I march to the exit blocked by rubble. Cayce and I removed the rubble to together and we all step outside to see a massacre. A downed VTOL was totaled and burning by the bulkhead doors of the base and bodies of resistance and ConDef were left astray on the sandy ground. This was the greatest time as any for Penske to bring out the reinforcements besides Valor Team.

"We have to hurry," said Dhaled.

The convoy of trucks Dhaled had sent for us arrived and we all ran to our vehicles to hop on. Heard rode with Newblood, Logos, and Flint on one truck. Cage, Cayce, Kristine, Mason, and I rode on the other. Riding on the trunks of our trucks, the convoy was taking us to the mobile wall the resistance had built to keep ConDef out of the Al Zarif territory. Dhaled debriefed us on our next move to the wall.

"Where we going, Colonel?" Cage asked. "What's our next move?"

"We're headed to the mobile wall we built to divide this territory," said Dhaled. "Key strategic positions, including the old metro tunnels beneath the checkpoint, are rigged to blow. Detonation is our last resort."

"If there are walls built around this territory," I said. "Then how did ConDef get through?"

"The eastern post is the only area we've managed to fortify. The only area that'll imminently be under siege."

"We're not here just to fight your war, Colonel," said Cayce. "We just want our doctor."

"If we lose the eastern checkpoint, you won't have a doctor!"

Cayce
July 22nd, 2017
3:08 PM
Beirut, Lebanon
Raoucheh Eastern Mobile Wall

The convoy raced towards the eastern wall on approach. A VTOL carrying a Predator until was flying ahead of us. The Predator would be used as our eye in the sky to support our assault at the wall. Only as soon as the wall was ahead of us, the VTOL was shot down by RPG fire and crashed itself in front of us. Going down with the predator and instantaneously forcing the convoy to jerk to a stop since the aircraft crashed in the road. We had no air support now that the predator was destroyed with the VTOL.

"Dammit!" David snapped.

"So what was your plan, boy-scout?!" I patronized.

"The spike launchers were used to demolish buildings," explained Dhaled.

"We planned to use it to weaken the tunnel supports and we also were gonna use the predator for air support. But that damn VTOL went down with it!"

"Ladies!" Cage interrupted. "For once, I say stick to plan A."

I grabbed a heavy spike launcher from the truck and we all hop out to join the fight. The other half of Valor Team hop out as well. All of Valor and Dhaled's resistance gather towards the wall to defend the checkpoint. I was going to need this launcher to weaken the underground supports as Dhaled said. Resistance troops from the other side of the wall were retreating our side before they could get picked down by ConDef hostiles.

"I want men in the position now!" Dhaled ordered his men. "Get men on that wall laying down suppressing fire! Keep on them! Don't give them a chance to breathe! Move! Move! Move!"

"Heard, search the city archives," ordered Cage. "Give me the locations of those support columns."

"You got to give me time," said Heard. "Key systems are down. I'm doing this by eye!"

"We don't have time!"

Heard pulled out her tablet that mapped Beirut's archives to search for the columns. The lieutenant major herself found them on her tablet more instantly than she figured.

"Okay," she said. "I've located the southbound tunnel supports!"

"Foley, Logos," said Cage. "Take those spike launchers to plug up those supports now!"

"Affirmative!" I replied.

"You got it, Capitan!" Logos replied.

David, Kristine, Cage, and the rest of Valor positioned themselves on the platform on top of the wall to cover Logos and I. While the team covered the two of us on the other side of the wall, I use thermal vision to mark the targeted supports underneath the asphalt and find my first target to nail down. While being under fire by ConDef infantry but covered by resistance and my team behind me, I nail down the support with the launcher and the spike was ready to blow.

"Target nailed!" I alert the team.

"Blow that fucker!" Cage ordered.

I move a certain distance before the support could go ka-boom and I detonate the target. Blowing a chunk of asphalt in the process.

"Detonation confirmed," I said.

"Two more in the north line," said Heard. "Sending your way."

"Copy that," I replied. "David, cover us!"

"I got the next one!" Logos shouted. "You cover our asses, David!"

"Your good!" David responded. "Go!"

"Cayce watch my ass while I get this one!" Logos ordered.

"You know it!" I replied.

Logos maneuvered near the buildings to keep himself distant from hostiles. I shot a couple of hostiles approaching him as Logos was approaching his target. Logos made it to the support column beneath him and plugged an explosive spike on target. The staff sergeant himself ran a distance from his target so he could detonate the spike.

"Spike set," he said. "Ready to blow!"

"Blow it now, Logos!" I ordered.

Logos detonated the spike on my command and the support exploded into a hole in the road. Now for the next one.

"Nice detonating, text!" Newblood complimented.

"I got the next one," I said. "Cover me!"

"ConDef reinforcements five minutes out!" The LRC warned on the channel.

I ran towards the other support in the north line with covering fire, plug it up with a spike, run a distance, and fire in the whole. Then the support goes boom. Another hole in the road.

"Last two," said Heard. "The centerline."

"Logos, let's blow those last supports together," I said. "Take the one on the left center! I got the other!"

"Si," said Logos. "Your call, Cayce!"

"Let's go! Now!"

Logos and I run toward our targets at the same and nail down the spikes for the final blow. Time was running out and more ConDef would arrive in less than a minute now.

"ConDef reinforcements inbound," warned LRC. "ETA one minute."

"You got this, Cayce," said Kristine. "Blow those last supports to bits!"

"Fire in the hole!" I shouted.

Together, Logos and I detonate the spike and our targets explode with the press of a button. All support columns neutralized.

"That's it!" Cage shouted. "We got 'em all! Fall back to the wall! Go! Go! Go!"

"We have to blow the street!" Dhaled alerted. "Get back here now!"

"Brace for impact!" Mason warned. "Javelin missiles inbound!"

"Incoming, Logos!" I shouted. "Let's fall back to the wall!"

"Rapido!" Logos shouted back.

All resistance troops, as well as Logos and I, raced back to the wall to take cover from the missile strikes. As soon as we were all safe behind the wall, the missiles to be launched via detonator. A resistance soldier on the platform had the detonator and Dhaled gave him the order to launch the missiles.

"Blow it!" Dhaled yelled.

Unfortunately, the soldier was sniped to death by a ConDef sniper. It was up to one of us now to launch the missiles.

"Get up there, Cayce," said David. "I'll cover you!"

I climbed the ladder to the platform and reach for the detonator. As soon as the detonator was in my hands, it didn't seem to be functioning properly.

"There's a problem!" I shouted.

"What now?!" David muttered.

Then I realized the safety was on and I switched it off.

"I got it!" I shouted back.

"Detonate now!" David ordered.

And finally, I pressed the trigger of the detonator and bombs away. The missile strike hit the street in front of us and combusted into a massive seismic explosion on impact. Cacophonously turning the asphalt road into a sinkhole. The victory was ours. For now.
I regrouped with Valor Team off the wall to speak with Dhaled after winning another battle against ConDef. The colonel was gratefully in our debt.

"Thank you," said Dhaled. "I will never forget this."

"You're welcome," I said. "Can we get back to Dr. Hendricks now?"

Before we could even think about returning to Hendricks, another explosion was heard from across the city. Which was a sign the fight was over yet?

"We need reinforcements to Sassine Square!" LRC requested. "Heavy ConDef artillery has broken through!"

"I guess not," I said.

"Ziade Palace," said Dhaled. "They're looking for another way into Al Zarif."

"Secure the area, Colonel," said Cage. "We'll rendezvous at the square."

"Understood."

"Madsen, take Foley, Prescott, Wheeler, and Mason with you to the square. Me, Dhaled, Heard, Newblood, and Logos will part ways and meet you at Sassine. Prescott, we're still watching you."

"Noted, Captain," said Kristine. "I'm still making it up to you."

David
July 22nd, 2017
3:23 PM
Beirut, Lebanon
Ziade Palace

I take the often team I'm assigned with, alongside Mason who's not always with me, into the Ziade Palace toward our route to Sassine Square. Here's hoping that Cage, Dhaled, and the others can get through the woods as we possibly could. As well as Hendricks still safe and sound away from ConDef.

"David," said Cayce. "It feels a lot like they're trying to keep us away from the station. Why would that be?"

"I think we know exactly why that would be, Cayce," I replied rhetorically.

"Ambush!" LRC yelled on comm. "We have a breach at Al Zarif Station!"

"Dr. Hendricks no doubt," said Kristine. "While she's still at the station, we're leaving behind lambs to the slaughter."

"Captain Cage, Commander Madsen," said Hendricks on the channel. "Does anyone read?!"

"Dr. Hendricks!" I responded. "Is that you?! What's happening?! What's your status?!"

"Because of me, ConDef just breached the compound. The resistance is relocating me off station and I'm going to need more protection soon!"

"We're headed to Sassine Square to help Dhaled's men over there right now, Doc. We can't help you at the moment."

"Funny, that's where I'm heading too."

"Then hang tight. We'll be sure to clear the vicinity before your arrival. You hear that, Captain? Al Zarif has been overrun and Hendricks in coming to our rendezvous point as well."

"Loud and clear, Commander," said Cage. "Our objective stands. Just get to the square so we can all clear the way for the doctor."

"Wilco, Madsen out. Let's move it, Valor! On me!"

The five of us marched through the palace and into the slums and alleys of Beirut with our weapons ready. Three hostiles were in the hallway of the palace we marched through and I tossed a frag grenade between them to eliminate them all at once. Eventually, we made our exit out of the palace and found ourselves an all-out assault in the courtyard between the slums and the palace.

Resistance fighters and ConDef were shooting rifles at one another in the typical warzone they were in. It didn't help but to bring back yet even more bad memories of the warzones Becker and I once fought on back in Afghan. Concentrated on the objective and not memory lane, the team and I take cover and shoot back with the rest of the resistance. Even more of those spike balls we had seen earlier emerged into the scene to cut down more resistance soldier apart. Lucky for us, they were easy to take out with just a few bullets until they exploded into scrap metal.

Once the hostiles were wasted, I take the team into more dilapidated buildings to stay on course. The building alone looked as if some aircraft had just crashed through and recently as well. To confirm the theory, the building was burning fire and a downed VTOL was dangling on the edge of the building.

"Commander," said Mason. "We have a downed VTOL on our twelve."

"Let's check for survivors," I said.

Screaming was heard from inside the air vehicle. Confirming someone
was in trouble.

"Sounds like a survivor to me," said Kristine.

"Cayce, give me a hand with this."

Cayce and I help each with the damaged door used for the ramp/hatch for the rear of the VTOL and use our muscles doing so. As soon as the broken hatch was open, there certainly were men still breathing in here. A surviving resistance trooper wearily was walking out of the VTOL.

"Hey, buddy," I said to the resistance soldier. "Anybody else alive in there?"

The soldier pointed to where there were more survivors. Inside the cockpit.

"Friendlies, coming in!" I warned the surviving crew.

"Watch your step in there," said Cayce. "This bucket's hanging by a thread."

As I gradually tiptoe my way inside, the pilot in the cockpit turned his head toward me and aimed a pistol in my direction. Alarmed of who was coming in. Certainly, didn't get my warning.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" I shouted. "Hold your fire! Friendly. Chrysalis."

The pilot lowered his gun and turned away. When I got inside the cockpit, the pilot's co-pilot was dead. When I confronted the pilot himself, the man was impaled by a stick of rebar. Bleeding out from his abdomen and his throat. The pilot needed severe medical attention.

"Help me…please," the pilot choked.

"Damn," I said. "Kristine, the pilot's injured! Alright, I'm gonna move you-"

Suddenly, the cockpit of the VTOL shook and was beginning to detach itself from the rest of the interior before I could help the pilot out and Kristine could treat him. At first instinct, I was going to jump out. But not before the cockpit snapped off the rest of the aircraft and I went down with it.

"Get out of there!" Cayce shouted.

When going down with the cockpit, it collapsed to the ground and totaled on impact. The pilot had also succumbed to his injuries and bleed completely out before we could help. Thus, killed in the crash. I had seen a truck fumble and total next to the torn cockpit as soon as I was making my way out. Cayce the others got out of the building the VTOL crashed in to help me.

"Pilot didn't make it," I said.

"No shit," said Cayce. "Come on, we gotta move."

By some coincidence, it would appear that we have arrived at Sassine square. Where a full-scale battleground was taking place. Enemy infantry, spike-balls, and even APC tanks stealing the action. The resistance was being overwhelmed by the numbers and losing this war the stronger ConDef had gotten. Lucky for us, Cage and the rest of Valor had arrived at the square before we did. They had caught our attention at first glance when they did.

"Madsen, there you are!" Cage called. "Where've you been this whole time?!"

"Fighting the ConDef you missed, Cage," I replied. "Dhaled, what's the situation here?"

"It's bad, Madsen," said Dhaled. "Bad as bad can be between my men getting slaughtered like pigs and those tanks ready to overrun the safehouse at the square! We don't have the manpower nor the combat capacity to hold them back!"

"Lebanese Resistance Command, this is Chrysalis HQ of the North American Branch. Admiral Penske is sending all available ground troops and aircraft at your disposal. Our reinforcements can provide any assistance needed in all territories in Beirut."

"We copy, Chrysalis HQ. Just what we needed. Be advised, ConDef has upgraded since the fighting began."

"Well that's a relief now Penske is bringing out the army this resistance needs," said Flint.

"Indeed," said Dhaled. "And where was Chrysalis when the rest of our fighters were in peril over the last year?!"

"Do you have RPGs or C4 or whatever we can use to neutralize those tanks, Colonel?" I asked.

"If we had RPGs or such, Commander, those tanks would've been neutralized already!"

"Valor Team, this SCRATCH leader. Our harriers can provide a bombing strike for whatever air support you need."

"Speak of the devil," said Cayce.

"SCRATCH leader, this is Captain Cage. Valor could use your assistance at Sassine Square. Over."

"Roger that, Captain. Mark your targets with a flare and our bomb squadron will be at your service."

"Madsen, throw a flare at those tanks so we can end those motherfuckers!"

"With pleasure," I said.

I take one of my flares, light it up, and toss it in the middle of the roundabout at the square. Right where the tanks were circling. With the flare lit with red smoke on the ground, SCRATCH Squadron was inbound.

"We have eyes on the target. Bombing is a go."

"Everyone, fan out!" Dhaled ordered his men. "Bombs are incoming!"

The team and I as well as every resistance fighter fell back a distance for the bombs to drop on the targets I marked. Then finally, the harrier bombers flew into action, released the bombs, and rained hellfire made of napalm on the ConDef tanks and infantry. Destroying the armored vehicles with easy explosions and burning down hostile infantry into charred flesh and bones.

The resistance forces chanted. Waving their rifles in the air and cheering into a battle cry as if they just won the war. When we've only won the battle with the smell of burning napalm as the smell of victorious.

"Madsen, Cage, are you there?" Hendricks spoke on comm. "Come in."

"Hendricks, we just cleared square," I responded. "What's up?"

"My transport is approaching the square now. Were those harriers and bombs I saw and heard coming?"

"Yes, they were. We barely managed to protect the safehouse if it weren't for Penske's reinforcements. We'll meet you when your transport stops."

As soon as the square and safe house were secure, Chrysalis soldiers were now entering the scene in trucks and other armored vehicles in order to secure the vicinity for the resistance. This should at least give Dhaled's army all the backup we could get out of this war.

Hendrick's truck had arrived and the team and I went there to meet the doctor again. Hendricks stepped out of the trunk of her transport and was greeted by us.

"Dr. Kara Hendricks," said Cage. "We meet again at last."

"I see you've brought the whole gang back together, Captain," said Hendricks. "Sniff, sniff, ugh. The smell of a warzone."

"The smell of napalm, Doc," said Cayce. "A reminder of how much hell we're going through just to protect you."

"Doctor," said Dhaled. "Were there any survivors before we lost Al Zarif? Did any of my men or refugees make it?"

"Not that I could tell, Colonel," said Hendricks. "But it looks like only a handful of soldiers and refugees escaped alive. Many others were massacred in a matter of minutes."

Dhaled sighed.

"And you're bringing reinforcements just now," he said. "You said you would help us. Instead, we've lost Al Zarif and soon the rest of Beirut!"

"Dhaled," I said. "It's not too late. We can have Penske send in some aircraft to pick up any surviving refugees. The people who did this are more than just Alkaline. ConDef has another mysterious leader waging war in this country and he's going to continue to help the enemy. We need to fight back."

"Whoever this mysterious leader is, you don't even know where he is."

"In the meantime, Colonel," said Cage. "We still have that black project Dr. Hendrick has been working on to go to. We'll be sure to have Admiral Penske send in air transportation for civilians to be shipped out of the city and transferred to the fleet that can provide sanctuary for them. You have my word."

"I hope I'm right to trust you," said Dhaled. "Do what you have to with Dr. Hendricks while I go make arrangements with Admiral Penske. Meet at us at Mar Mitr Station just down the road when you're done."

Dhaled left us to make the arrangements with the Admiral and we were now on our own. Cage gave us our orders for our next move.

"Well you all heard the Colonel, Valor," said Cage. "Madsen, take Prescott and Foley with you so Hendricks can present her project. The rest of you, come with me to the station Dhaled mentioned."

And so, Cage and the other left us with Hendricks to travel with Dhaled to the other base in Beirut. It was just the three of us now with the doctor.

"I'm still having second thoughts about Kristine," said Cayce. "Meanwhile, we're watching this city get torn apart for nothing. And to believe Alkaline isn't the only man responsible. Why David? Just why?"

"War has changed, Cayce," I answered. "War has changed."