12-26-2156, 1329 hours (Alliance standard time)

New Denver

Shanxi

Battlegroup 753 (Assault), 83rd Enforcers

Smoke clouds bloomed overhead, chasing flares of light all across the horizon. Ripples were torn through the gray shroud, testifying where enemy and allied spacecraft had been moments before. Streams of tracer fire from AA guns dotted the sky as they sought to gun down enemy bombers. Every few minutes there was a tremendous surge of fire and a dull rumbling explosion further to the north, signs of the raging battle for the city, yet the power of the hurricane's downpour of rain and heavy winds silenced their noise. Causalities were mounting exponentially for both sides and this was merely the beginning.

Four Puma AFVs and AMZ-Badgers were in the lead of an Enforcer column, their sensor arrays sweeping their route for possible ambushes or incoming aircraft. A few squadrons of UCAVVs circled overhead, scouting for targets as best they could in the heavy rain. Further back rolled another platoon of Badgers supplemented by Panther 1A3s, with the Battlegroup's artillery platforms and Charlemagne command vehicle traveling with them. The majority of transport trucks were located in the center of the formation, along with six ambulances – themselves outfitted with a light variant of the Electro-Magnetic Acceleration (EMA) Railgun normally installed on the Enforcer's AFVs.

While the sole function of the converted civilian vehicles was to transport and treat wounded soldiers or civilians the battlegroup happened to come upon, the Enforcers had decided it best for everything to be armed; for this conflict lacked the mercy to spare the innocent. They were protected by the rest of the Pumas rolling close beside them. Overhead flew sixteen Cheetah gunships, their firepower giving the column some air cover while forced to fly at suboptimal speeds due to the strong winds. The rest of the Badgers and Panthers were located in the rear with the sole purpose of ensuring no flanking maneuver would befall the column.

Within every vehicle, Enforcer troops stood warily at the gun ports or in the opened backs of transport trucks, scanning their surroundings for any threats their sensors failed to pick up. In the urban sprawl being pounded by the massive hurricane that was now a war zone, caution was advised, even the main bulk of the troops kept their eyes glued to the north, the direction they were now racing towards at top speeds.

Inside the Charlemagne command vehicle, General Bando viewed the coming battle zone with a growing sense of dread. He'd soon be putting his own battalion against an army that had smashed through an entire Alliance armored company with seven supporting infantry platoons. He knew, even without looking at the predicted numbers, that many of the men and women under his command wouldn't be coming back alive from the battle.

'How many have died already?' Bando wondered, seeing the growing list of casualties on his screen. The actual number must've been higher, with civilian deaths contributing to the majority percentage.

New Denver

Shanxi

Battlegroup 387 (Airborne), 83rd Enforcers

Colonel Antony Perez stood on top the rooftop of Dubar, beside a pair of Kommando snipers, searching for targets over the western approach to the building complexes, and frowned. He scanned the horizon with his binoculars and checked the data feeds from his Eagleflies that were circling the perimeter. Everything he saw only worsened the mood. The severe storm greatly hampered their visibility and while their famed advanced technology did mitigate the disadvantages, he feared it may not be enough.

Battlegroup 387 had mobilized the instant General Bando had sent the general alert order. Faster than anyone could think was conceivable; the 387th had deployed and established a perimeter around the command site. Prearranged gun emplacements had been set up all along the walls, interspersed by the two Panther platoons he had available. Being a primarily airborne battle group, the 387th lacked a good load of combat vehicles. What little he did have, Perez had positioned them as best he could. His Marksmen artillery was placed at the rear of the compound with a platoon of Wolverines for air cover, though any high altitude bombers or warships would easily tear through them. The rest had been scattered along the base and were constantly in motion, hunting for batarian gunships or low-flying attack aircraft. The only vehicles that were positioned on the frontlines along with his infantry were his Panthers and Pumas, and knowing the enemy's tactics thus far they will certainly need every bit of firepower.

'Batarians, the official name of the invaders', Perez sourly thought. The hostile, barbaric race stood against everything the Enforcers, and by extension, the European Federation believed in. The intel on their government and culture had spread quickly, thanks in part to Williams' central command link, connecting crucial communication centers. From the information gathered it was easily understood the batarians were here for one thing only: slaves. The word sickened Perez as it did to all Enforcers. Freedom was the birthright of every being and the Enforcers believed it to their core. The batarian's primitive mindset, values, and culture only motivated every Enforcer to hold their ground that much longer, to fight that much harder, to defy the heinous monster that dared to call itself a civilization that much more.

But even with their high morale, the battlegroup still lacked the necessary strength to win. Unfortunately, Dubar base was huge and it only had five hundred and twelve Enforcers to secure it. That number was more than sufficient enough to patrol the area and guard the roads during peacetime where constant vigilance was not required. Now, it was barely enough men to guard all the gates and barriers. To make matters worse, he had to divert some of his troops to escort the civilians that had sought refuge within the base. The Enforcer's moral code prevented him from turning them down, but he wondered if he had done them any favors. An Alliance marine company was scheduled to arrive within the hour, but Perez didn't know if they had that much time.

The good news was that a few civilians, as well as the base's security guards, had volunteered to assist in the defense of the compound. A few dozen or so Rainbow Six squads had also answered the call of duty, contributing their experience and knowledge to the cause. At the very least, his troops had good lines of sight to their north and in all directions out to six hundred meters past the gates and walls. He thanked God for that. However, to their direct west was a series of apartment complexes that had been built for the base's workers to ease their commute, a generous move that now benefited the enemy. While he did not know what the exact range of the enemy's guns were, the area would no doubt provide vital cover for their spotters. He was reluctant to fire upon the buildings, or burn them to deny the enemy an advantage; mostly in fear of possibly killing civilians that may be still cowering in them, however, he had a platoon of Enforcer Grenadiers rig the apartment complexes' support beams with charges nearly an hour ago. He could ill afford to take any chances.

Luckily, their situation to the east was much better. He had the Adorjan River, the body of water that ran through the center of New Denver, to act as a natural barrier. Anyone who dared to cross it would have to pass Shenzen Bridge, which he was more than willing to destroy if the enemy decided to use it. Anti-tank mines had been laid on the bridge in case the batarians decided to flank his position from that direction. Tactic wise, the base was more or less defensible and Perez acknowledged that. While Dubar wasn't in the best of locations, it certainly wasn't in the worst. The main weakness of the base was a lack of dedicated high altitude AA defense systems, leaving the Enforcers and everyone else vulnerable to a massive aerial attack. He prayed the enemy wouldn't realize this and instead commit to a frontal push with infantry and armor, ignoring the weak anti-air defenses.

Perez headed back down to ground level, circulating amongst the men as he did so. Their blue colored armor blended with the base's color schemes, but only barely. Perez hoped that the slight camouflage was enough to count as an advantage, of course with the heavy downpour of rain decreasing visibility he surmised the Kommandos and Grenadiers were as camouflaged as the JSF's infantry were when under their projectors. He rechecked their positions and emplacements with immense scrutiny, trying to find any flaw. Satisfied with his observations he made his way south towards a line of vehicles being loaded with civilians. He could see the last platoon of regular army European soldiers loading up into their Badgers while a good number of civilians boarded the transport trucks.

"Lieutenant Simons, is the convoy ready to roll?" He asked, forced to yell to be heard over the raging storm, the officer in command, standing next to the lead Puma. The young officer was rather large, having a bulky figure and standing nearly two meters tall. He even towered over the Colonel who wasn't short by any definition. His helmet was tucked underneath his armpit as he surveyed the evacuation.

"Yes, sir. All loaded, just waiting for the signal."

"You know your destination right?" The Colonel asked, his cautious attitude becoming apparent. The Lieutenant merely gave a nod.

"Maps are uploaded and destination is set," Simons replied. "Though, you know I'd much rather prefer to stay and fight."

Perez patted the young man on the shoulder. He remembered back when the officer had first joined the battalion over five years ago and now stood as his second in command. "Simons, you know staying here isn't where you can do the most good. Our mission right now is to evac the civilians and I trust you to get it done." He clasped Simons' hand in respect.

Simons straightened, obviously encouraged. "I understand, sir. I won't fail you."

Perez then watched as Simons turned and boarded the Puma once the combined civilian and soldier loads were onboard. Perez hammered the side of the vehicle and with a gesture of luck, gave the thumbs up for the convoy to roll. The southern gate of the base opened, allowing the line of vehicles to roll out.

The Colonel moved back toward the perimeter as the first and quite possibly the last wave of trucks began moving out of the gate, carrying over two hundred nonessential personal, mostly women and children, away from the oncoming slaughter that would be called a battle. Perez took comfort that at the very least he was able to give the children onboard the convoy a future and not be condemned by this war.

'Two hundred down, about a half a thousand left to go,' Perez thought. 'Where the hell is that Alliance Company?'

"Broadsword to Hand's guard," Perez's radio murmured. He pressed a finger in his ear to get better quality. "We have figures on apartment rooftops. Possible enemy spotters. Have no visual on range-finding or scanning equipment, but our sensors are picking up electrical transmissions from the apartment complexes. Permission to engage?"

"Cleared, Broadsword," Perez replied and a couple of seconds later the rolling boom of a JO-2 12.7mm railgun sniper rifle firing was just barely heard above the heavy storm.

"Hand's guard, spotter eliminated," Broadsword reported.

"Good work," Perez said. Even before hearing the confirmation, he was already confident the spotter was down thanks to the JO-2's Exacto ammunition. The rounds were a miracle of modern warfare, self-guiding and capable of locking onto an enemy combatant; if necessary, the rounds were even capable of adjusting their path in mid-flight. Such precision came at a price though, driving the production cost of such ammunition to astronomical levels and therefore it was only given to snipers.

Perez smirked in pride. 'The JSF's arsenal may have longer range, but the Enforcers are unrivaled in precision.' Bringing out the battalion radio frequencies, Perez selected all the snipers under his command.

"Hand's guard to all sniper teams, you have clearance to engage any batarian units you encounter, including possible enemy spotters." He heard a chorus of acknowledgments and a question a second later.

"Sir, what about civilians?" One of the snipers asked.

A deep grimace appeared on the Colonel's face as a deep silence enveloped the radios. Unlike the Spetsnaz, the Enforcers held a moral code, one that they took immense pride in. Perez thought long and hard before coming up with a decision. "If its civilians merely incapacitate, I doubt a wounded spotter would be a good one. Otherwise, shoot to kill."

"Understood, sir." Dagger piped up. "Stand by," A couple of seconds later, another loud boom echoed from atop of Dubar.

"Tango is KIA," Dagger's spotter confirmed.

Perez gave a silent nod as he moved across an uplink, designated as Lima, between the southern gate and local power plants. "Keep an eye out," he ordered to a nearby guard. "Four eyes probably have more-"

One of the emplaced guns suddenly disappeared in a cloud of dust and blood, and Perez was hurled off of his feet by the shockwave. A momentary wave of dizziness swept over him as he tried to regain his footing. He could feel the rumble of more impacts all around the perimeter, hurling men and debris through the air. The wounded cried out in pain as the Enforcers tried to rescue as many of their own as they could.

"Artillery! Perez yelled. "Everyone get to cover!" Two grenadiers were vaporized as he dove underneath one of the bunkers lining the perimeter. "Mortars, do you have their position?" he screamed over the radio.

"Triangulating now," replied one of his officers. "Based on the arc and radar signatures, they're about four kilos north on an overpass."

"Damn," the Colonel hissed. The enemy had gotten artillery that close already? If so, it meant the enemy was merely testing their defenses and softening them up before committing their forces. Perez had to begrudgingly admit it was a good tactic. "Do you have visual on any nearby AA defenses?" he asked the mortar teams.

"Getting Eagleflies into position now, standby …," The momentary silence gave Perez the chance to hear how rapid his heart was beating. "Feed from drones show no signs of enemy AA guns, but it is possible they may have rocket troopers hidden nearby."

Even with that caveat, Perez had no choice but to respond to the artillery fire. "Take care of them then." He ordered. "Have the Marksmen assist you." Once he received acknowledgments, the Colonel keyed his frequency to one of his Cheetah gunship squadrons.

"Hand's guard to Titanium-lead, we have enemy artillery positioned on an overpass to our north. I want your squadron to take them out if you can, but fall back if things get too dicey." He ordered. By now he could hear the loud booming of his Marksmen firing, seemingly challenging the enemy artillery to a long-range medieval duel. Perez had no doubts his Marksmen would be victorious in such a battle, but he needed them to be free to deal with the enemy's armor, which based on his portable command computer, were less than three kilometers out with infantry not far behind. It wouldn't be long now.

"Titanium-lead here. Don't worry Colonel we'll take those guns out." Perez heard on his radio. The Cheetahs may not have the most extensive survival systems like a Howler, but their superior speed, maneuverability, electronic counter-measures, and superior shields gave them an advantage in reconnaissance. Their speed combined with their low acoustic and electronic signature meant the batarians wouldn't see or hear their approach. Their armament was nothing to scoff at either. The Cheetahs' laser-guided missiles displayed their emphasis in precision and peace-keeping roots. Add in their highly advanced electronic warning and warfare systems into the equation and you had a gunship, or rather gunships, ideal for hit and run attacks.

Yet the gunships would still take time, as fast as they were, and already Perez could see the effect of the enemy's artillery. Their fire had already struck a couple of uplinks, but thankfully they weren't too badly damaged. His troops were in a worse position, the artillery hammering First Company's position relentlessly while his Panthers had fallen back outside of the enemy's range. Perez cursed at the situation he was in. He needed his troops in a proper formation to counter the enemy's attack, which was easy enough to do, but the enemy artillery was getting in his way. Hopefully, it wouldn't take much longer for his Cheetah squadron to take them out.

"Sir, we have an update!" One of the comm. sergeants shouted.

"What is it?"

"Allied battle group coming in from the south."

"Can you give me more details," Perez asked. He adjusted his own computer, noticing a Charlemagne was among the column and that was one hell of an advantage they were packing.

"Hold one," responded the comm. sergeant. She tapped a few commands, trying to establish a connection with the command vehicle. Within a few seconds, she was able to get a line with the officer in command. Immediately she clasped a hand over her jaw as all the color in her face dropped.

The sight was worrisome for Perez, taking it as bad news. "Sergeant, what is it!?"

She turned to face him with the same expression. "Sir, it's … it's Battlegroup 783."

Subconsciously, Perez breathed a sigh of relief. He was familiar with the force. 783 was an assault battle group with an equal amount of tanks, IFVs, infantry, gunships, and artillery. They were amongst the best battle groups they had on the planet, with a majority of their force having extensive combat experience. While they were far from being a quarter of what Battlegroup 1- the Federation's elite Special Operations - was, 783's numbers and force composition would be a great asset in defending the site. But he was still unsure why the sergeant had such a shocked expression. Sure, the 783 were held in high regards among the Enforcers on the planet, mostly due to beating General William's men during exercises, but that alone wasn't enough to cause someone to be shocked into silence.

"Who is in command of the unit?" He asked.

"General Bando," the sergeant whispered.

Outwardly, Perez remained calm and composed, but on the inside, he was screaming like a teenage cheerleader. The implications were astronomical. General Bando arriving would be a superb morale booster, ignoring the additional force he was bringing. Within a snap, Perez got on the comm. frequency of every unit in the compound.

"To all units, this is Colonel Perez. Be advised we have an allied Battle Group arriving on our south under the command of General Bando himself. So let's make sure there's a base for the good General arrive to, Aye?"

A deafening response returned on the radio. Perez smiled for the first time that day. 'Perhaps not all is lost.'

New Denver

Shanxi

Battlegroup 753 (Assault), 83rd Enforcers

General Bando stared at the screen, showing a long line of smoke and fire, data being transmitted from one of the Eagleflys. Tense radio messages came and went over the battlegroup network. Looking over the images, he checked his force's position on the GPS and highlighted the members he had selected to guide the civilian convoy they had come across a few minutes earlier.

"Tiber-lead, update on your status," he ordered.

"Sir, we've encountered some minor resistance, but are advancing largely undisturbed. We'll make it out of the city."

'Good,' Bando thought. 'The loss in manpower may have a negative effect on the mission, but it is for a good cause.' He watched as his battlegroup rolled into the gates of Dubar, walls rising all around them as soldiers waved at them from fortified emplacements. Smoke and fire filled the air while the shudder of artillery and mortar fire drowned out any noise. He parked his Charlemagne next to the base's Alpha uplink while his forces were directed to other positions where they were needed most.

"Copy Tiber-lead. Over and out." Bringing up the battlegroup radio, he began issuing new orders as the ramp to his command vehicle lowered.

Clambering out the ramp, General Bando was greeted by a barrage of rain followed by a whiff of hot air, the scent of burnt metal, and the thunder of exploding artillery shells three hundred meters away. Accompanied by a squad of his own soldiers, Bando ducked and hurried across the compound towards the main command center. Heavy machine gun emplacements guarded the entrance and Bando saw a full platoon had been tasked with protecting it.

Stepping into the lobby, Bando could see it had been converted into a forward communications base. It was a big risk putting the officers so close to the entrance, but Dubar was so large that establishing a more centralized command further inward would only lead to communication delays. Besides if the enemy managed to breach the entrance of the building then the battle was already lost by that point. Everywhere Bando looked he could see data analysts wiping out every bit of classified information from the base's terminals. While the Enforcers had no intention of surrendering the base to the enemy they took every precaution necessary to ensure whatever gains the enemy made they would be minuscule at best.

Approaching the General was an officer in a classic Enforcer blue uniform with a ballistic vest placed over it. He had a full set of gray hair with a shorter, more slender frame then Bando. The General could see the relief in the Colonel eyes shining through his expression.

"General," Perez said, straighten tall and giving a formal salute. Bando returned the ceremonial gesture. Even in a war zone, the Enforcers never abandoned their traditions.

"Colonel Perez," Bando replied in kind.

"I wish I could have been informed of your arrival," the Colonel said. "It would have given me a bit of time to tidy the place up."

"Do not worry, Colonel. The condition of the base is understandable given the circumstances. I am merely glad you have not forfeited it to the enemy."

"And I am truly honored by your presence, General," Perez said in genuine respect. Indicating to the tac-screen, he pointed to the positions highlighted in blue dots. "As you can see sir, we've established defensive positions here, here, and here. A few of my Grenadier platoons have managed to place mines on the bridge to our east and fifty meters outside the base walls, though the majority of those are anti-personal."

"What of General Williams' reinforcements? Have they not arrived?"

Perez grimly shook his head. "Last I heard from them, they were fifty kilos out engaging enemy armor, haven't heard from them since then." He murmured. "We've also had contact with enemy spotters on top of apartments to our west. Chances are the enemy will hit us from three separate locations."

Bando reviewed the data, frowning as he did so. They had at most a company-sized batarian force circling to their east, both delaying reinforcements and presenting a constant flanking threat to the base.

'This must've been why the Colonel placed the mines,' he thought, silently agreeing with the decision.

If the colonel was correct in the enemy's strategy, then the batarians would hit their western flank, most likely with low experience soldiers, but in large quantities to distract them from covering other areas. But the main thrust was still to their north. At least a dozen artillery emplacements were already firing upon the base with two or three batarian armored battalions in support and that wasn't even counting infantry strength or air assets.

"Colonel, what supports do we have online?" Bando asked, wanting to mentally take inventory of all assets he had available.

"Well we have multiple EMP missile strikes ready for deployment and we have a squadron of Hailstorms with a guided high energy bomb each," Perez said, bringing up a new display. Icons blinked, confirming his words with dispassionate strength.

"Excellent," Bando replied, incredibly relieved. He was most thankful for the EMP missiles, which would affect any electronics in the immediate vicinity without a friendly IFF tag. Since Enforcers were naturally experts at electronic warfare, Bando knew this would allow them to use their strength against the enemy. What pleased him more was how susceptible eezo-technology was to high-intensity electromagnetic pulses, technology that made up the entirety of the batarian's arsenal. While the missiles themselves were initially meant to be used against the New Chinese Republic if hostilities broke out, they would prove equally as useful against the Enforcer's new enemy.

"Sir," Perez began, bringing the General out of his thoughts. "I've been meaning to ask, but since you've come from the south I was wondering if by any chance-"

Bando gave him a brief smile. "Do not worry Colonel, we came across the civilian convoy you had dispatched and I personally lent some of my force to make sure they got out of the city safely."

"Thank you, sir," Perez said, shoulders relaxing. "That was a big favor."

Bando clasped a hand on Perez's shoulder. "No need to thank me for doing my job."

"Of course, General."

"Colonel, what can you tell me about the civilians?" Bando asked.

"Well, we still have a total of five hundred innocent souls. When they came to the base and asked for protection, I couldn't simply turn them away. I realize it has drained some of my forces which could have been put to better use –" Bando silenced Perez's attempt to justify his actions with a hand.

"Do not worry, Colonel," Bando reassured. "That is what any Enforcer is expected to do." He then turned his attention to the squad of Enforcers that had accompanied him. "Lieutenant, why don't you take your squad and check on the civilians. I'll call you if we need your men on the frontlines."

The officer in question gave a nod before giving a very confident salute. "Yes, sir. Saber on me." The Lieutenant led his squad to the where the civilians were being held, leaving the two senior officers to their planning.

New Denver

Shanxi

Battlegroup 753 (Assault), 83rd Enforcers

At merely twenty years of age, Lieutenant Amadou de Bankole was already a highly experienced Kommando within the Enforcer Corps. He had participated in a few operations against local terrorist groups and had shown to be a capable leader. Within a short period of time, Bankole had gathered the respect and gratitude of multiple forces, some even from foreign armies. He was often held in high regard and it wasn't too hard to see why.

His clean-shaven beard and short hair were in accordance with Enforcer hygienic standards. His dark skin complemented his caramel brown eyes that seemed to hold the wisdom of Europe's finest generals. While French, Bankole was of West African descent and still carried an accent from his native country, yet no one questioned his loyalty to the Federation. In fact, he was among the most patriotic officers in the corps, multiple times referring to European territories as 'sacred ground'. He personally believed any occupation of European territory by a foreign power to be a permanent shame to his honor and, as a result, had taken the news of the invasion the hardest, but was also the most determined to defeat the batarians. Despite his fierce loyalty, Bankole was far from nationalistic, having a nuanced view of his government and of others. His personal code of honor, ability to motivate his troops, and being able to seize the initiative wherever and whenever possible made Bankole a treasured soldier and these qualities would be tested in the upcoming battle.

The moment Bankole walked into the bunker that housed the civilians Colonel Perez had given refuge to, his heart was filled with sadness.

'So many families, so many people, so many innocents displaced by the invaders.' He thought, seeing the effects of the war first hand.

Hundreds of innocents were placed in the bunker as if they were cattle, barely having enough space to lay a mattress for an entire family to sleep on. A few unlucky souls simply lacked anything but received help from others. There was a heavy mixture of different nationalities, Northern American, European, Asian, and many more, yet the people here didn't seem to be bothered by it. There was no division based on race, ethnic group, or government, just pure unity. People exchanged cultures and personal history with each other as they gathered in complete harmony. At least, during a war against an alien race, they had unity.

Just by observing them, he could tell that despite being cramped in the bunker, everyone did their best to give others their fair share of space. Adults took inventory and handed out rations while the children socialized with each other. None of them had a large abundance of personal goods or supplies, making him guess they only took what mattered most in the little short time they had to evacuate. All of them had dirt, ash, and grime on their faces that seemed to highlight the hardships they faced to simply get here. He could see several stains on the clothes of many, yet they were just happy to be alive. He didn't know how many of the families here had lost a loved one, but he could see they tried their best to comfort and protect each other.

"This is simply not right," Staff Sergeant Illaria Cimino said, seeing how much the war had torn these people's lives. She was Italian and one of the oldest members in the squad. For a woman, Cimino had very short hair, but it was still larger than Bankole's. Her crystal blue eyes gave her a piercing look that was masked only by the dust and grime of war. While normally preferring stealth operations and intelligence gathering, she was immensely committed to protecting these people.

"Well then, that just means we have another reason to beat the batarians out of the colony," Corporal Antonio Maldini put in, checking to ensure his beloved HAR Light Machine Gun was fully loaded. Like Cimino, he was Italian and twenty-three years old. Unlike her, Maldini had a history of being deployed into hot spots, possibly due to receiving training under the JSF's Rainbow Six teams during a soldier-exchange program between the Federation and UNAS. His hair was noticeably messier than what Enforcer regulations permitted with a suave mustache on his lips.

"Que injusticia," Santiago Arnavisca said in deep guilt. He sub-consciously reverted to his native language when stating his thoughts on the injustice the civilians had endured. As a Warrant Officer, Arnavisca was both the second highest ranking and only grenadier in the squad. Coming from Spain, Arnavisca was also the squad's translator, speaking fluently in English, German, Italian, as well as his native tongue Spanish. In a multi-national force, translators were critical when communicating with another force or civilians within the Federation. He had a military buzz-cut hairstyle with a much thicker mustache than Maldini; however, it was blocked from view by his gray balaclava placed underneath a Graphene plated helmet that featured an air filter, interproof antenna, and a connection to nearby Archer combat drones. Maldini and Cimino also wielded an Enforcer helmet, minus the face-covering mask, which seemed to resemble the headgear of traditional Japanese Samurais.

"I am guessing this is the new normal on the colony now, huh lieutenant?" The rest of the squad was a bit surprised to hear the normally reserved German Sergeant Major speak. He looked faintly similar to Arnavisca, minus the mustache. He was also the only one sporting a blue cap rather than a helmet. Being a man of few words, when Alexis Matz spoke it had a tendency of capturing attention.

When the sergeant major first joined the squad, Bankole managed to have a chance to review his file and was stunned at the listings. He was shocked to learn that Matz had participated in several clandestine operations prior to joining the Enforcer Corp. Being Special Forces trained; Matz had more combat experience than the rest of the squad combined. The soft-spoken German was arguably the deadliest man in the squad, though you wouldn't know if you looked at him. Indeed, Bankole had been fairly suspicious of the man's loyalties and the reasons for his unusually low rank, until events had proven him beyond a doubt that Matz was never one to betray others, much less his own squad.

"It appears so, Sergeant Major," Bankole replied. "Officer Arnavisca, see if the people need anything. Perhaps we can hand them some of our excess supply. Maldini, go with him." He ordered.

"Of course, sir," Maldini answered, following Arnavisca as they both tried to figure out who needed what.

"Lieutenant, would you like me to check the structure's uplinks?" Cimino asked.

"Yes."

Cimino gave a nod before walking over to an engineer. "You there, are you familiar with the base's uplink systems?" She asked a technician. Once he gave a nod, she dragged him off as she went into great detail of the many systems she had experienced with and which she presumed were used in the building.

"Now Matz, uh … hmmm," Bankole struggled to find a task for the Kommando. It wasn't that the man was incapable, but rather his silent demeanor tended to push people away. Add in his calculating stare that never seemed to end, Matz was never Bankole's first choice when it came to communicating with civilians. "Why don't you just keep an eye out and keep me informed if anything changes?"

Matz gave a thumbs-up before walking over to a secluded corner and with his arms crossed continued glancing at passersby's and everyone else in the building. Leaning on the wall with his right shoulder, Matz took out a coin and began flipping it repeatedly. His eyes never left the crowd as he flicked the coin up each time it landed on his thumb. His expression seemed to unease some other Kommados in the room as they kept sneaking glances at him only for him to return it suddenly, causing them to put a good amount of distance from the man.

Bankole gave a sigh. Matz wasn't anti-social, just hard to approach. He would be the first to admit, he himself had pre-judged the man before getting to know him. Once he did, he'd found Matz to be a calm, rather polite, and hardworking soldier. Out of everyone in the squad, he held Matz in the high-most respect as the man never seemed to compromise the Enforcer code.

"Hey, you! Are you really a knight?" A voice said, bringing Bankole out of his thoughts. He felt a tug on his pants and looked down to see a young boy, no more than twelve-years-old staring back with a smile on his face. He had dark blue eyes with dark brown hair and a light tan.

Bankole gave a light-laugh before kneeling to face the young-boy at eye-level. "Ha! No little one, I am not a knight just an Enforcer." He explained, sensing great admiration coming from the boy.

"Well, they say that you guys are like knights! Fighting evil, being completely brave, and having no fears!" The kid exclaimed.

Bankole smiled at the kid's still-intact innocence. "No little-one, Enforcers aren't fearless we simply have the courage to face our fears. That is true bravery." He ruffled the child's hair. "Tell me what is your name?"

"Eric, but my friends call me Rickey," The boy said, pointing over to a few boys and girls. All of them were about the same age and height as the boy. "They were too afraid to talk to you, but not me! I told them that you were here to save us, but they didn't want to believe me."

Bankole glanced at the group of kids, all of whom were still reluctant to approach, before returning his attention to the child. "You are correct, Eric. So long as I draw breath, the invaders will not touch you or your friends." He stated

"I knew it, I knew it," Eric exclaimed. "When I grow up I'm going to be one of you!" He declared proudly, clutching his hands into fists in awe.

Bankole was taken aback by Eric's declaration before feeling a proud smile stretch itself across his face. "Well Eric, becoming a part of the Enforcer Corps is long and difficult, but if you are determined enough you can achieve greatness." He watched as Eric's awe grew. Deciding to reward the boy for his courage, Bankole reached into his armor and unclipped the Federation's insignia, a gold star with two lightning bolts on each side with a picture of the Federation in the background. On top rested the name of the Corps while on the bottom was the Enforcer motto, Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum. Translated into English it read: If you want peace, prepare for war. "When faced with struggles, let this guide you through them and may you be stronger for it."

Bankole easily clipped the insignia onto the boy's shirt as his face showed gratitude and respect. "Awesome!" The boy shouted in amazement, drawing the attention of some bystanders. "Look what I got guys," he said, turning around to show his friends. Bankole noticed they had drawn nearer, but still maintained a respectable distance.

The Lieutenant suddenly noticed that the groups of kids were unsupervised. "Eric, tell me where are your parents?" He asked.

Eric turned around to face Bankole, his face still maintaining a sense of awe. "My mom went with others to gather some supplies just a few moments ago. She should be back anytime now. As for my dad, he is working with some other people to help maintain the things that run this place."

Before Bankole could say anything else, a shockwave shook the building. An alarm suddenly began ringing, warning the people to get to safety. The Enforcers responsible for guarding the shelter began urging civilians outside to get inside.

"Saber-lead! Come in Saber-lead," The sound of General Bando's voice captured Bankole's absolute attention.

"Saber-lead here, what is going on General?"

"Lieutenant, we have contact with enemy hostiles! They just fired a large salvo of rockets into the base. So far we only have minor casualties, but right now we have enemy infantry to our east and north. I need your squad on the frontline!"

"Yes, General," Bankole replied before cutting the link.

"Who was that?"

Bankole looked around before mentally remembering that the young lad was still in front of him. "That was General Bando, my commanding officer." Standing up, Bankole guided Eric to his friends, all of whom had expressions of horror and dread. "I need to go, young one, but remember what I have told you here today and stay safe." He said before turning to his squad, who were waiting on him near the exit.

"Don't worry I will never forget you!" The boy hollered, giving Bankole a cheery wave.

Bankole happily returned it before jogging to meet his squad. With one final look back, Bankole swore no one, alien or otherwise would extinguish the boy's fierce flame.

"Are you ready, Lieutenant?" Cimino asked.

"Yes. Now let's get to the frontlines, Saber." He proudly stated, leading his squad into the raging storm with absolute confidence.

Trivia:

1. The title is a tribute to the Enforcers, more specifically their motto.

2. If you noticed thus far, Admiral Ban, General Bando, and Lieutenant Bankole all share the same pre-fix Ban. This was unintentional and a coincidence, however, it shows the different personality between the batarians and Enforcers. They are basically the polar opposites of each other.

3. The Exacto ammo is a tribute to Ghost Recon Future Soldier and is currently in research by DARPA. It was given to the Enforcers since it aligned with their doctrine.

4. There was also a tribute to Rainbow Six, which is more obvious than the one for Ghost Recon.

5. Unlike other chapters, this one shows the effects war has on the civilian population and the struggles to wage a battle critical to a nation while providing humanitarian aid.

6. The chapter was inspired in by Peptuck's Tiberium Wars fic, specifically Chapter 13: Dusk.