The First Contact War

by 1Ragnarok1

In 2621 a Galactic Republic vessel is found in the Orion Arm, this springboards the United Earth Government into a galaxy at the start of the Clone Wars. A war that will test the 2nd UEG Expeditionary Force as well as the UEG finding out where it fits in this new galaxy, and their new neighbours.

24. Counter Attack

The First Contact War

Chapter 24

Counter Attack

"I am a Soldier, I fight where I am told, I win where I fight."

General George Patton Jr.

O.A.G. article on what were the Separatists' motivations to leave the Republic,

It is pretty much the problems that Queen Amidala faced during the occupation of Naboo. Her planet suffered from Trade Federation tax rise. Her planet suffered a blockade and a invasion/occupation.
She recured to the Senate for a solution and she only found bureaucracy, corruption, politics and no actual action to solve the problem of Naboo, which is part of the Republic.
In the end, she gave up on getting help from the Republic and went back to Naboo to engage in the war, but she could just as well have joined the Separatists.
I am sure that many other planets went through the same scenario and got a proposal from Count Dooku to join the Separatists, which probably offered more independency, more support, less bureaucracy, a modern state, etc.
There are examples of planets which are part of the CIS (Confederacy of Independent Systems), but are happy to be part of it, when comparing to the struggles they suffered when part of the Republic. Like Onderon, they grew tired of the Senate and its corruption and felt the only way the deal with the corruption was to secede.

2623 May 28th Earth Standard Calendar, Entrallia, CDR. Luke Sparrow.

A pair of SA10C Thunderbolts soared overhead, their giant afterburner engines buzzing. Luke watched them pass overhead. He had one week before he was transferred over to the new Taskforce 242.

Turning right onto a highway, Diego accelerated into the traffic of military vehicles streaming out towards the peak of the East Coast and the ocean. Looking out the window, Luke saw the green grass gently flowing in the wind as military vehicles filled every street within the area. Civilians were evacuated weeks ago to shelters protected by the planets PDF and Republic garrison. With limited manpower, the O.A.G. Marines were going to make the impossible happen. Lost in thought, a Hyena bomber droid flew overhead. Two small, black teardrops dropped from its fuselage and accelerated towards the ground getting bigger by the second.

"INCOMING!" Luke yelled as Sergeant Burns looked out his window.

"Get this fucking thing off the road!" Sergeant Burns ordered as Diego jerked the JLTV left and down onto the dirt, accelerating down the hill.

The two bombs exploded a second later. A bright flash of orange and yellow blinded Luke as the shockwave drove shrapnel and the JLTV into a tumble off the road. He heard pings and cracks as small pieces of metal impacted the steel skin of the JLTV. Luke felt the JLTV bounce, his body taken along for the ride as it flipped rolling in mid-air. He didn't know what happened but they were right side up again, the JLTV skidding to a stop as his stomach lurched. Opening the door, he puked onto the grass staining it with a mixture of colours from the meal he just ate a few hours ago.

"Everyone okay?" Tiang asked as everyone affirmed except Luke.

"Sparrow?" He asked as Luke gave him a thumbs-up and finished his small puke.

"Sergeant, we're good to go." Tiang reported as Luke closed the door and pulled out a small canteen to wash his face and drink.

"Rawhide Two-Three, Rawhide Two-Three, Rawhide Actual." The radio sparked to life in Luke's ear as he rested his head against the metal, exhausted.

"Rawhide Two-Three, send over." Sergeant Burns stated as Diego attempted to start the engine.

"Rawhide Two-Three, mission incoming, wait out for details over." The command of our company stated as Diego was still at it.

"Roger that Rawhide Actual, over." Sergeant Burns responded as Luke looked over to Diego.

"Get this thing started, I don't want to be a sitting duck for some fucking ship passing by." Sergeant Burns grumbled as Diego got out of the JLTV.

"Sarge, the engine's been punctured." Diego stated as the whole team got out except for York who was manning the GAU-90 30mm Autocannon mounted on the top of the JLTV.

"By what?" Sergeant Burns asked as Diego pointed behind them.

"That." He stated ominously as Luke looked back at the result of the bomb.

A giant crater was made in the centre of the MSR. Two AT-TE walkers, a Trojan and a new T-740 Hover Tank were taken out, their wreckage still on the highway, broken. Men and women were lying down in the dirt and asphalt bleeding out. Some were luckier than others, only having shrapnel caught in their vest while others had legs blown off or limbs. Those that lived would survive to become handicaps in the world of tomorrow. The sounds of moaning were never soothing to the ear as medics attended as best as they can to the injured. The men and women in battle fatigues with Red Cross on their arms running from patient to patient as Luke heard a ping behind him.

"Sniper!" Diego yelled as Luke ducked, running behind the JLTV for cover.

"York, get off that GAU!" Luke yelled as he threw his sniper rifle ahead of him and then proceeded to somersault face first into the ground.

"Ow, it played out better in my head." He grunted as another shot struck the JLTV.

"Anyone see muzzle flash?" Turner asked as Luke looked through the passenger window of the JLTV.

"Negative." Diego whispered as Luke saw a flash of yellow, before the bullet cracked the ballistic glass.

"Three hundred meters on the road leading into the highway, the sniper's using the bottom slot of the rails to gain the advantage over us." Luke whispered to York as he skirted to the back of the JLTV, pressing his left hand against the JLTV and the rifle.

"I need a dope on the wind." York whispered as his breathing slowing down as Luke pulled out his binoculars looking for any indication of flag.

"Got something, estimated windage around four knots from right to left." Luke reported as York exhaled slowly, the sniper firing another round at them.

"Rawhide Two-Three, this is Rawhide Actual, over." The radio squawked as Luke heard a crack from York's rifle and the sparks come off the sniper's body.

"Hit." Luke stated, stowing away the binoculars and pulling out the new standard issue M60-AR.

"Rawhide Two-Three, send over." Sergeant Burns stated as Tiang went to the front of the JLTV and popped open the hood.

"Mission details are as followed; you are to assault vehicle depot northwest of our position. We believe that the Droids have rounded civilians who have refused to leave their homes and prisoners from the lead unit striking the tip of the east coast, over." Rawhide Actual explained as Luke looked at the guys.

"Interrogative, do we have any support, over?" Sergeant Burns asked as a pair of Hyena Bombers soared overhead.

"Affirmative, we have two supporting Marine assault squads enroute to the AO, Callsign Papa Bear Six-Three and Kilo Nine-One. A squad of Trojans are on stand-by five hundred meters from the area to provide supporting fire and extraction for the personnel and civilians, over." Rawhide Actual continued as another bomb went off in the distance, Luke's body flinching from reflex.

"Interrogative, do we have any air, over?" Sergeant Burns asked as his voice got tense.

"Negative Rawhide Two-Three, no air support as of this time, over." Rawhide Actual replied after a brief pause.

"Roger that, Rawhide Actual. Rawhide Two-Three, out." Sergeant Burns finished as they gathered around him.

"Alright, listen up." Sergeant Burns stated as he pulled out a plastic map, placing it on the ground as Tiang worked on the JLTV engine.

"This is us right here." Sergeant Burns explained as his fingers circled a patch of green right of the highway.

"This is our objective, one klick away from us. We have to assault this place by…" Sergeant Burns paused, pulling his shirt sleeve and looking at this watch.

"…0600 Hours, which is thirty minutes from now. We need to cover one klick with or without the JLTV. Think you dickless motherfuckers are going to make it?" Sergeant Burns asked as they chuckled.

"We're Marines, Sarge. We make the impossible happen." Luke stated as Sergeant Burns grinned, standing up and folding his map.

"That's the best fucking thing I heard out of your mouth today. You assholes think we can make this deadline?" Sergeant Burns asked the other guys as they chuckled once more.

"Hoorah! We're fucking Marines, we make the impossible happen!" They yelled back as Sergeant Burns nodded, satisfied.

"We might graduate from latrine cleaners and spineless creatures to Marines yet, Tiang that thing able to work?" Sergeant Burns asked as the medic pulled out his oil filled hands from the engine compartment.

"Sarge, if it was able to work at this rate would be like trying to resurrect a dead body." Tiang replied defeated as Sergeant Burns turned to Diego.

"Diego, got any ideas?" He asked as Diego shrugged.

"If Tiang says it's dead, it is Sarge." Diego replied as Sergeant Burns nodded.

"We're humping it then. Grab your gear and move out in formation. Combat spread, five meters apart and speed is a priority, kill?" Sergeant Burns asked as Luke grabbed his assault pack full of ammo and supplies from the JLTV.

"Copy that, Staff Sergeant." Luke replied as everyone shrugged on their packs, crouched behind the JLTV.

"Well okay then, let's move out." Sergeant Burns said as he ran out from the JLTV, setting the pace for us to follow.

Luke brought up Sergeant Burns' right as Diego flanked Luke's right. Their boots impacting the ground covered with grass as Attack VTOLs and aircraft soared overhead, battling it out in the skies. Sergeant Burns sprinted for the forest ahead of us as Droid troops took aim, firing their blasters at their feet. Plasma peppered the ground as adrenaline filled Luke's system, carrying him further and farther than he expected with twenty kilograms worth of gear on his back and arms. Entering the embrace of the forest occupied by pine like trees obscuring the opposition from them as they settled into the gruelling pace set by the Staff Sergeant as night turned into day. The sun poking through the horizon as the first rays of light lit up the forest. This was going to be one long day.

"Team, halt." Sergeant Burns ordered as they came to a stop at the edge of the tree line, multiple buildings with gates surrounding the area just a few hundred meters from thier position.

"York, I need you up in that tree." Burns whispered as the giant man nodded and grabbed onto the thick branches.

"Sparrow, Tiang, Diego, check your fucking gear. I don't want it to jam when we start assaulting." Sergeant Burns ordered as Luke opened the grenade chamber of the EGLM, slipping out a High-Explosive round, checking it and slamming it back in.

Still winded from the run, Luke pulled out the magazine to find the blue lighting down the side of the magazine showing how much power it had left before slapping it back into the gun. Slamming the charging handle down, the bolt slid forward priming the gun with a clack as he waited in his desert digital battle dress uniform for York to report in.

"I'm up, Sergeant." York reported.

"What can you see?" Sergeant Burns asked as the sun was up, light spilling in from the forest tree line and onto our faces.

"I see, foot mobiles mixed with the prisoners in the middle of the vehicle depot. There are about…four guarding the southern gate from our perspective and another four guarding the eastern gate. I can't verify the western or northern, it's obscured Sarge." York stated as Sergeant Knox nodded.

"Alright, get down here and prep for an assault." Sergeant Burns ordered as he got on the radio.

"Rawhide Two-Three, to Kilo Nine-One and Papa Bear Six-Three, over." Sergeant Burns stated in his gruff voice as York slowly climbed down the branches.

"Roger that Rawhide Two-Three, send over." One of the squad leaders responded as Sergeant Burns pulled out his map.

"Kilo Nine-One, Papa Bear Six-Three, I need your position in correlation to the vehicle depot, over." Sergeant Burns requested as there were screams from the inside of the vehicle depot.

"Copy that, Kilo Nine-One is two hundred meters west of the vehicle depot. We're hunkered down at the highway and so far, no contacts, over." Kilo Nine-One reported as Sergeant Burns pinpointed their unit.

"Copy that last, Kilo Nine-One." Sergeant Burns replied as Luke set down his rifle, taking the weight off his arms for a short while.

"Papa Bear Six-Three here, we are five hundred meters east of the vehicle depot. We're inside a house closest to the vehicle depot, how copy?" Papa Bear Six-Three reported as Sergeant Burns circled their position on the map.

"Rawhide Two-Three, Papa Bear Six-Three, anyway you can move closer to the target over?" Sergeant Knox asked as a pair of droid guships sailed overhead and flew inland, their engines buzzing.

"Negative, unless you want our asses shot of at three hundred meters, over." Papa Bear Six-Three replied as Sergeant Burns nodded understanding.

"Rawhide Actual, Rawhide Two-Three, Interrogative, do we have artillery support?" Sergeant Burns asked pausing for a moment, waiting for a reply.

"Roger that Rawhide Two-Three, we have three Havoc artillery units cleared for your use, over." Rawhide Actual replied as Sergeant Burns nodded, satisfied.

"Alright, listen up." Sergeant Burns stated addressing Kilo Nine-One, Papa Bear Six-Three and our team, Rawhide Two-Three.

"We are to assault the vehicle depot when smoke drops from the artillery. After that smoke hits the ground and obscures the enemy, rush in fangs out. I do not want one fucking tinni staring at me or at anyone in that depot. I want them all dead. Kilo Nine-One you guys are attack from your position to eliminate all opposition with extreme prejudice. Same goes for you Papa Six-Three, you guys are going to have to book it if you want to join the party. After we are inside the base, we will extradite north and clear out the north gate before calling in the Trojans, how copy?" Sergeant Burns asked everyone as the sounds of birds chirping and insects buzzing filled the silence.

"Copy that, Rawhide Two-Three." Two voices replied in unison as Sergeant Burns curled in hand into a fist in the air, pumping his hand up and down giving us the signal too ready up.

"Artillery, Rawhide Two-Three." Sergeant Burns spoke into the radio as he pulled out his binoculars but a built in range finder.

"Copy that Rawhide Two-Three, send over." The Artillery Coordinator responded as Sergeant Burns jotted down notes on the map.

"I need harassing artillery, smoke non-white prosperous at designated grids Delta Echo Niner Six Eight Five Three Zero. Three barrages of smoke at ranges fifty meters north of depot, fifty meters west of depot, fifty meters east of depot and fifty meters south of depot, how copy?" Sergeant Burns requested as there was short pause.

"Roger that Rawhide Two-Three, rounds out." The Artillery Coordinator replied as Sergeant Burns tucked away his binoculars and pulled out his XM8-AR, waiting for the artillery.

"Go." Sergeant Burns ordered as the whistle of artillery rounds decelerating to deploy smoke into the ground below.

Pushing through the branches with his rifle in front, the artillery shells exploded mid-air. White smoke started to thicken as the contents reacted to the air as more artillery shells landed a few hundred meters in front of them. Activating the polarisation on his HUD, Luke crossed the two-hundred-meter mark. The smoke consumed them as they were walking in a pure white mist. The smoke tasted like stale milk from the lactose content mixed with the potassium chlorate used to create the smoke screen. Still running, Luke's visual range was only a few meters in front of him with Sergeant Burns running just a few meters in front partially obscured by the white fog. He heard the droids trying to work out what was happening as Sergeant Burns came to a slow walk, his weapon raised and finger in the trigger. Luke followed in suite, the M60-AR up as he looked through the holo-sights scanning the horizon of white smoke.

"Contact!" Luke heard someone yell as red blaster rounds flew past him, illuminating the white fog.

How someone saw that droid was beyond him as he walked right up to a droid, its blaster aimed in the wrong direction. Without remorse, Luke flicked the safety off and fired off a shot. The bullet slammed into the droid's neck. Sergeant Burns rifle went off as a trio of 7.62 plasma bullet rounds struck the droid's plate carrier, the plasma rounds punching through the droid's metal plate and into its body. Looking up two droids crouched about to engage as a staccato of machine gun fire exploded out from behind the Marines. Tiang's LMG-5 laid down a wall of plasma, effectively silencing the Separatist soldiers standing guard at the gates of the vehicle depot. Sweeping his weapon right, he made sure that the area obscured still with smoke had no hostiles in the area except for the occasional dead droid soldier.

"Right clear." Luke reported slowly walking up to a building wall with Sergeant Burns leading the formation.

"Left clear." Diego reported as he brought up his rear.

"All teams report, over." Sergeant Burns ordered with a whisper.

"Kilo Nine-One, in position in from the west gate." Kilo Nine-One reported with as whisper as Luke waited for the Sergeant's command.

"Papa Bear Six-Three, in position from the east gate." Papa Bear Six-Three reported as Sergeant Burns looked back nodding.

"Execute, Execute, Execute." Sergeant Burns ordered into the radio as Luke readied my weapon, flicking the safety off.

Sergeant Burns turned the corner as Luke followed, weapon up and looking through the Holo-sight. There were six B1 droid soldiers from where Luke was standing as the smoke started to let up. The visual range was still within ten meters. Luke lined up his first shot. Squeezing the trigger twice and felt the rifle kick him twice in the shoulder. The Plasma bullet impacted the Droid in the chest as gun fire erupted from all direction. The civilians were crouched hands protecting their ear from the loud gun shots. The military personnel meanwhile stayed put, not wanting to risk their lives through friendly fire stayed near the civilians. A staccato of gun fire came from Sergeant Burns and Tiang. Their weapons either automatic or burst fire was controllable. Two of the six original soldiers were remaining from the assault, one now killed by a shotgun blast from Diego's M90.

"Stop! I command you to stop!" The last Droid standing yelled as he lifted some female military personnel up, a blaster pressed to her head.

"Do you have clear shot?" Sergeant Burns asked as a wall of negatives came back.

"Fuck." He grunted as he saw an opportunity.

As Kilo Nine-One's squad lead slowly inched closer to the two, the Separatist soldier was forced to turn to its closet target. Its gun now away from the female hostage, Luke had a clear shot to his head. It was tricky but he had to seize the opportunity. Holding his breath and stabilizing the swaying Holo-sights, he squeezed the trigger. The crack of the rifle round going supersonic echoed through the vehicle depot. Time slowed as adrenaline surged through his body from the risky shot. Luke saw the Droid's head split open, circuitry and oil like fluid splattering the people around it. The female Marine was hit the worse, the oily fluid staining her black hair and her uniform. The back of her vest and neck filled with the oily substance as the droid, now dead pulled her down with it. With the final enemy dead, they had to go towards the uncleared gate with the smoke thinning.

"Everyone okay?" Sergeant Burns asked as Luke helped the female Marine up from her captor.

"You alright?" Luke asked pulling out a canteen from his utility belt.

"Y-yeah." She stuttered from shock.

"Tiang, York and Papa Bear Six-Three, you guys stay with the hostages. Everyone else, on me!" Sergeant Burns ordered as Luke fell in line behind him.

Rushing to the parking garage, they stopped just short of the entrance leading out of the depot. Sergeant Burns waved Diego up to take point. With his left hand on Sergeant Burns' shoulder, Luke was ready to assault. They had split up into two teams with one of Kilo Nine-One's shooter joining them. Looking to the right, Kilo Nine-One's squad lead gave Burns an okay sign. Nodding, Burns slapped Diego's shoulder twice. He raised his shotgun, looking through the sights as he rushed forward and turned the corner left. Luke heard a shotgun blast as he followed shortly behind. Turning the corner, Luke found one Droid dead, and no one else to be found. A volley of gun fire erupted from behind as Kilo Nine-One cleared the area.

"Clear left." Diego reported as he kept his shotgun raised.

"Clear right." Kilo Nine-One reported as Sergeant Burns checked the dead body.

"Anything of use, Sergeant?" Luke asked as he shook his head.

"Nothing other than clips of ammo." Sergeant Burns replied as we lowered their weapons.

"Scout the area. I want it clean when the Bradleys come in." Sergeant Burns ordered as Luke nodded, jogging back towards the courtyard.

"York!" Luke yelled as he stood up.

"What?" He asked as he strode towards Luke with his sniper rifle.

"We need to scout the area, let's get up on the roof of that garage." Luke suggested as York nodded, agreeing to the idea.

"Excuse me, um…" The female Marine said as Luke turned to her.

"Commander, Luke Sparrow, Bravo Company." Luke stated as she nodded.

"…Luke, thanks for your canteen." She said as Luke nodded.

"No problem." Luke replied as he clipped the canteen to my web belt.

"And you are?" Luke asked her as she took off her helmet, letting the rest of her hair flow down from her head.

"Private Racheal Smith from 1st Marines, Motor Transport." She replied answering my question.

"Nice to meet you, I hope we meet in more favourable terms next time." Luke stated as she nodded.

"What the fuck is taking so long?" York screamed as he climbed the ladder onto the concrete roof of the vehicle depot.

"I've got to go. See you around." Luke said to her, taking a few steps back before turning and jogging to the parking garage still full of vehicles.

"What took you so long?" York asked again as Luke climbed up the ladder onto the roof.

"I had to get my canteen." Luke replied as he chuckled, looking through the scope of his F211 heavy sniper rifle.

"Yeah right, I bet you used it as an excuse to talk to that girl." York stated as Luke slapped his helmet with his hand.

"Shut up and scan your sector." Luke grunted as a bullet whizzed overhead.

"Muzzle flash?" Luke asked York as he flicked his safety off.

"Nah, I got him." York replied, his rifle firing off a round.

"Looks like the last guy from the North gate, am I right?" He asked as Luke pulled out his binoculars to check the dead aggressor.

"Yup, that's him alright." Luke muttered as something else caught his eyes in the distance.

"Oh shit." Luke muttered looking at the scene in the distance.

"Look at that." Luke stated with York adjusted his aim.

"Dear god." He muttered shocked, the same expression on his face.

In the suburban area ahead, the skies were filled out droid gunships and spacecraft duelling it out with the O.A.G. Longswords, Broadswords, Sabres and Army SA10Cs. As the aircraft took to the skies above, anti-air fire from the ground negated their ability to fight. Patriot missiles sailed to the skies from behind targeting the Droid fighters as more were showing up on scene. Droid Gunships strafed the ground with both bombs and guns raining hell onto the troops down below while the SA10Cs did the same. Both sides were equally matched in terms of firepower and motivation, but the Marines were well trained. It was apparent as the frontlines were pushed towards the end of the suburbs, the enemy losing ground to the Marines.

"It looks like the fourth of July." York stated as spacecraft and VTOLs constantly exploded into a spectacular orange with the mix of green tracers from O.A.G. Anti-Air platforms.

"Sure does." Luke replied as he looked left, the assault carrying on all fronts of the East Coast.

"Rawhide Two-Three, Rawhide Actual, missions accomplished. Send in the Trojans to extract the civilians and military personnel, how copy?" Sergeant Burns stated on the radio as the two of them continued to watch the battle unfold.

"Roger that Rawhide Two-Three, orders incoming, wait out." Rawhide Actual stated as Diego manned the west gate outpost.

"Sarge, there's still nothing here." Diego complained on the radio, bored.

"Shut your fucking cock hole Private and watch you sector." Sergeant Burns barked silencing him.

"Rawhide Two-Three, this is Rawhide Actual. Orders are as followed. Defend the vehicle depot with Kilo Nine-One and Papa Bear Six-Three, over." Rawhide Actual reported as Luke heard Sergeant Burns' discontent grumble.

"Rawhide Actual, with all due respect, we should be on the frontlines." Sergeant Burns' replied with disappointment as we were trained to fight on the frontlines.

"Rawhide Two-Three, orders come down from the top. We have over eight tanks in that depot and six IFVs. If we were to lose that depot it would affect the company's combat efficiency, how copy?" Rawhide Actual replied as Sergeant Burns sighed.

"Roger that, Rawhide Two-Three out." Sergeant Burns acknowledged as Luke settled into his post.

"This is going to be one shitty mission." Luke grunted as York chuckled.

"Roger that." York replied as we watched the battle in the distance.

Day soon became night as they were forced to sit tight inside the vehicle depot. With Motor Transport and supporting units moving into the area, the dead Droid 'shock troops' were long forgotten. Sitting inside the administration building just opposite of the vehicle garage, Luke slowly picked at his less than pleasing Meals Ready to Eat. With cheese and crackers thrown inside the green plastic bag, it tasted more of decent porridge sludge than vomit in a bag. York was sleeping with his head slumped against the wall. Around his arms and in his embrace was his trustworthy F211 sniper rifle. Tiang sat near York with his machine gun set next to him, the bi-pods holding the whole ten-kilogram light machine gun up. Tiang sat silently as he had a book open, reading silently. Sergeant Burns had his helmet off and placed on his chest as his assault pack was his pillow. The Veteran wore a crew-cut hairstyle that already started too white, his rifle propped up against the wall. Diego slept next to and air condition duct spewing cold air in an attempt to thwart off the summer heat. He curled up with his M90 shotgun using the barrel as a pillow. Tiang and Luke were the only ones up as they sat in a dark room with the lights turned off as Kilo Nine-One was on watch.

"Enemy foot mobiles in civilian suburbs section three." The radio squawked in my ear as Luke sat with his rifle on my lap.

"Everything silent so far." The Marines in the frontlines reported as Luke decided to clean his rifle.

Pushing out the pins on the M60-AR, Luke split the upper and lower receiver apart. Pulling out the barrel from the upper receiver, he broke out the Cleaner Lubricant Preservative or CLP. Dripping some down the barrel of the rifle, he ran the cleaning rod through the barrel all the while listening to the chatter on the radio as action was sparse at night. For now, there were no skirmishes made by the droids and only O.A.G. fighters and close air support aircraft dominated the skies. Sighing, Luke returned the rifle to normal conditions and got up. Tiang followed his actions as he read his scientific novel.

"Going somewhere Sparrow?" Turner asked as Luke stretched out his legs, yawning.

"Just a walk around camp, I'm bored to shit right now." Luke grumbled a reply as Luke walked out of the carpet room and into the still hot world.

The world looked peacefully tonight as the full moon slowly rose out from the red sky. The last rays of light disappearing before the shroud of darkness blanketed the region. Standing still, Luke watched the light disappear. His eyes starting to adjust to the void as the stars shined above him. The whole East Coast was in darkness from the attack. Electricity was still working but light and noise discipline was in effect. Surprise was the name of the game when it came to darkness. As the Marines always say, Adapt, Improvise, and Overcome.

"Looking at the stars Commander?" A voice asked in a low tone beside me as Luke turned to the source.

"Yeah, it's been a while since I could look at a star filled sky." Luke whispered to Racheal as she smiled in the darkness.

"Are you temporarily based here?" Luke asked as she nodded.

"We're repairing vehicles at this depot and sending out spares to units who need them. The whole division is a bit under equipped since the main force is off world." Racheal explained as Luke nodded.

"Private get your butt back here, there's work to do!" One of her bosses yelled as she waved goodbye.

"See you around, Commander." She stated waltzing off into the darkness as Luke walked around the giant depot.

In the noon, Motor Transport started to pour in and so did artillery. Six M88A2 howitzers were dropped in by six Pelicans to provide forward fire support to troops closer to the bay area we were trying to take back. The Navy and their ships were still days away from arriving as they were coming up from an exercise down near the System edge and they were approaching at full speed. For now, the airborne division of the Marine Corps and the Army would have to hold their own against the invading Separatists. Occasional bursts of tracers from ground anti-air lit up the sky as Luke walked back into the room his squad was holed up in. Placing his rifle next to his assault pack, Luke took off his helmet and dumped it behind the rifle. Lying down on top of the pack, he closed his eyes to get some much needed sleep.

"Back from your walk?" Tiang asked as Luke cracked open his right eye.

"Yeah." Luke grunted a response as Tiang placed his book inside his uniform pouch.

"Anything interesting?" He kept asking as Luke gave him the middle finger.

"Alright, alright you win." He muttered as they all went to sleep, saving up energy for the day of tomorrow.

2623 May 29th Earth Standard Calendar, Entrallia, CDR. Luke Sparrow.

A few hours later, Luke felt someone slapping his cheek trying to wake him. Groggily, he got up finding his helmet and strapping it tight to his chin. Shrugging on the backpack on, Luke saw Diego leading him outside the admin building and towards Sergeant Burns who was standing and speaking with their command officer. Captain Mei Mikoto, former MARSOC and Force Reconnaissance Marine she was one to be respected even by the badass. She and Sergeant Burns were in a heated discussion as the team assembled in the middle of the night.

"So this is your team. Are you men the ones who took down the Droids holding the prisoners?" She asked as she even held her own M60-AR rifle.

"Sir, yes sir." The team replied as the Captain nodded.

"Looks like you run a tight unit, Burns." The Captain praised as Burns smiled.

"Tight as a drum and mad as a devil dog, sir." Sergeant Burns replied as Captain Mikoto chuckled.

"I've got a mission for you, Staff Sergeant. I think you're going to like this one." Captain Mikoto stated as they walked to her JLTV, inside a display with the area map inside.

"So far the OAMC has taken the rest of the mainland back, but this is our problem." Captain Mikoto explained tapping an area isolated from the rest of the land, a small island with an airfield.

"That Airfield is now being held by droids, our aircraft and heck even the anti-air equipment is still there. The worst part of it is they're using it against us. Your team is going to be part of a battalion sized assault with three thousand Marines landing on that airbase by HALO and helicopter insertion. You think your team can do that, Staff Sergeant?" Captain Mikoto asked as a smile drew on Sergeant Burns' face.

"Sir, yes sir." Sergeant Burns replied as Captain Mikoto nodded, confident.

"After reclaiming the airfield you will push south and drive the Droids from the larger southern island filled with urban buildings and off this god forsaken land, kill?" Captain Mikoto asked as they looked at each other, gleeful for a combat mission.

"Hoorah!" They yelled as they acknowledged, Papa Bear Six-Three and Kilo Nine-One would be joining us in the fight.

"Pelicans will be here at Zero-Dark Thirty, dust off five mikes after that. Get your team ready and be ready to assault the airbase. Don't disappoint me Staff Sergeant." Captain Mikoto stated as she opened the door of the JLTV.

"Don't intend to sir." Sergeant Burns stated as he got inside.

"Squad, Attention!" Sergeant Burns ordered as they snapped a salute, the Captain driving off back towards base.

"You bag-fucking-tastic pieces of shit know what to do, or do I have to drill it into your ears again?" Sergeant Burns asked as they walked back into the admin building.

"Check your weapons, clean your rifles and make sure they don't jam on my mission. I do not want you pieces of shit screwing my mission and I will not have you die on command until I order you to." They chanted as Sergeant Burns nodded, satisfied.

"That's fucking right. Hey Sparrow, merry fucking Christmas." Sergeant Burns stated as he threw Luke a box weighing close to eleven ounces.

"It's a one of the new holographic sights, thanks Sarge." Luke said joyful as he pulled out a holographic sight with a small moveable magnifier attached at the tail.

"Where'd you get this?" Luke asked placing the sights on M60-AR's picatinny rail and tightened the sight on with his multi-tool.

"I had a spare back in the day." He replied as he shrugged of his pack and took off his helmet.

"Back in the day?" Tiang asked interested in Staff Sergeant's old war stories.

"Yeah, Operation Falleen Freedom. I was green just like you two maggots are right now, Lance Corporal fresh right out of boot camp. I knew I was going to war so I ordered a Trijicon ACOG scope. Next thing I knew, I arrived in system and there was my Staff Sergeant giving me an old Eotech II. I took it just in case I needed it, never did until I gave it to you." Sergeant Burns explained as Luke nodded understanding, powering the sight on.

"So it's like a family heirloom?" Diego asked as Sergeant Burns shrugged.

"I guess so. It's passed down from Sergeant Hector Williams that's what it is." Sergeant Burns stated as York laid down on his assault pack.

"Where's Sergeant Williams now?" York asked tired as we all took to bed, laying down and listening to Sergeant Knox.

"Dead, shot to the head in Operation Falleen Freedom a few weeks in. It must have been a tradition." Sergeant Burns said with a hint of pessimism in his voice.

"Tradition, Sergeant?" Luke asked curiously with his weapon draped across his body.

"That's how I got command of this squad. Sergeant Williams appointed me pointman before he died and his squad leader before that." Sergeant Knox explained as Luke looked at the empty ceiling.

"You're not afraid of death in command?" Tiang asked as Sergeant Burns shrugged.

"What's left to fear? I'm forty-nine, have three kids and a wife. Instead of being with them, I have to babysit you bastard children until my retirement at the end of this week." Sergeant Burns grunted as an explosion went off in the distance.

"Who's going to be your successor, Sergeant?" Luke asked with curiously.

"Don't know yet." He stated bluntly as Luke sat up.

"Really, Sarge?" Luke asked surprised.

"Yeah, you might all be puddle of filth now but you've got potential. I'll whip you into a badass Marines like me, you just wait." Sergeant Burns replied as Luke slumped down onto his pack, not knowing what to think.

"Alright, shut the fuck up. Story time is over, get some shut eye before you all become Zombies in the morning." Sergeant Burns ordered as Luke sighed, closing his eyes.

"Goodnight, Tiang." Diego muttered with exhaustion.

"Night, York. You too, Sparrow." Turner replied as the sky flashed white for a split second, a bomb going off.

"Goodnight, Tiang and you also Sparrow." York stated continued with the squad shenanigans.

"What the fuck did I just say? Shut the fuck up and let me get some shut eye!" Sergeant Burns yelled silencing the squad.

"Fucking bastard kids." Sergeant Burns muttered as that last comment placed the squad in a void of darkness, sleeping until an hour before dawn.

2623 May 30th Earth Standard Calendar, Entrallia, CDR. Luke Sparrow.

Dawn was just thirty minutes away, the squad rushed to get things in order as Luke finished sighting in the new holographic aiming aid. Squaring away his rifle, he cleaned it one last time before walking over to the courtyard of the vehicle depot. Enjoying a notorious, puke flavoured breakfast of Sloppy Joe with cheese and crackers sprinkled over the top meal inside of the green plastic bag. Standing against the wall and devouring a much-needed meal before going to battle was a routine in my daily life in combat.

"Excuse me, do you have a moment?" A voice asked as Luke turned his head to see Racheal peeking out of the vehicle garage doorway.

"Sure, I'm just eating." Luke replied eating another bite of the meat mixed with crackers and cheese.

"I just wanted to give you something before you go. I have a feeling we're noting going to be seeing each other for a while." Racheal explained as Luke nodded, understanding.

"With the invasion and war going the way that it is, I'm being transferred to Taskforce 242." Luke stated as Racheal nodded in understanding.

"Here." She said holding out a pair of dog tags.

"Yours?" Luke asked as she nodded.

"I can't accept that; you know that we have to wear them all the time." Luke stated as she pulled the collar of her uniform showing another pair hanging around her neck.

"These are the original copies of my dog tags, these aren't." Racheal explained as Luke nodded pulling them over his head. The dog tags where the same ball chain necklace with a metal dog tag with the screen showing a picture of the person on it with all the relevant information.

"Thanks." Luke replied finishing the rest of the MREs as the first light of dawn shined, the rays of light streaking across the sky.

"The least I could do for you since you saved my life." Racheal stated as Luke smiled, pushing himself off the wall.

"It's my job, I'm a Marine after all." Luke replied as she giggled.

"I'm sure it is." She stated as the sounds of the Pelican's engines whrring up the air in the distance grew louder and closer.

"Sparrow, get your scrawny ass over here!" Sergeant Burns yelled from a field a few meters just outside the vehicle depot.

"I have to go. I'll see you later, if we get to see each other that is." Luke said waving her goodbye and turning towards the field, jogging.

"Count on it!" Racheal yelled as Luke ran out the gates meeting the three squads preparing to board the chopper.

"Alright, ready up!" Sergeant Burns ordered yelling over the sounds of the loud engines as the two Pelicans touched down.

"Ghost Rider Three-One and Three-Two, here to pick up the kids and send them to school, over." The radio squawked Luke's my ear as the dust and grass were picked up into a torrent of wind generated by the Pelicans engines.

"Mount up!" Sergeant Burns yelled his voice barely audible as they climbed onto the metal deck of the Pelican, securing themselves to the cloth seat.

"Kilo Nine-One, everyone is here and accounted for." Kilo Nine-One's squad leader reported, sitting in front of me as Luke leaned over to look at the other Blackhawk.

"Papa Bear Six-Three, ready to move out." Papa Bear Six-Three stated as Sergeant Burns slapped the metal skin of the Pelican twice.

"Let's get her up in the air!" Sergeant Burns yelled as pitch and volume of the Pelicans engines increased, the VTOL shuddering while it ascended.

"Ghost Rider to Leroy, kids are in the school bus and are Oscar Mike to RV Lobo." The pilot reported to General Maddox, commander of the entire 1st Marines who personally came to spearhead the operation himself.

"Roger that Ghost Rider, what is your ETA to RV Lobo?" One of the General's aide asked as the Pelican pitched down increasing speed and hugging the Earth.

"We are two mikes away from RV Lobo, how copy?" The pilot responded as they joined larger formation of Pelican Utility VTOLs, Warbird VTOLs and drafted LAAT gunships.

"Last unit has been picked up. Artillery, send prototype EMP rounds, airburst into the airfield. I want six barrages before the VTOLs go in." The General ordered as Luke looked at the immersive force of the entire Marine Corps division.

It was like a bee hive attacking an aggressor. This was exactly like that, except more ferocious. Looking outside the Pelicans passenger bay, Luke felt the torrent of wind buffet his body as they ascended to one thousand feet. A cloud of grey, olive drab and brown buzzed towards the airfield a few miles away. Attack VTOLs and aircraft spearheaded the assault, taking care of anti-aircraft ground units set up along the highway and bridge leading to the airbase. Luke heard the whistle of the prototype EMP rounds as they sailed through the air, too close for comfort. The shell fell towards the Earth with such speed, Luke saw faint vapor trail as it one of the cloud formations. Suddenly, a hail of missiles and anti-aircraft shells were flung at the invading hail of helicopters. To his left and right VTOLs exploded into a brilliant fireball of orange and debris. Luke saw a cloud of black flak explode just behind of the Pelican peppering him and the Pelican with shrapnel. Luke was still in shock as the shells were still in service, even by Droid means, or they must have captured some of the Marine AA guns.

"Arghh, I've been tagged!" Luke heard someone as he turned to the source.

"We have a man down; squad lead's been hit!" One of Kilo Nine-One's shooter yelled out as blood dripped from his left arm and leg.

"Put pressure on that wound!" Tiang yelled as the Pelicans right engine sparked, spewing smoke.

"I've lost hydraulic pressure and the right engine is down to fifty percent power. Hang on this is going to be a bumpy ride!" The pilot reported as Tiang attended to the yelling Sergeant.

The Pelican shuddered, slightly yawing side to side as the artillery shells exploded mid-air over the base. An electrical buzz was heard and a pulse of blue electricity expanded over the airfields' entirety shorting out all electrical equipment. The sun was rising rapidly as the VTOLs used the sun to their advantage, swooping in low and fast with the sun against their backs. Tiang did all he could and kept the Sergeant stable as he jabbed a syringe full of morphine into his left leg. His moan's stopped as another shell exploded near the helicopter taking out the right engine as it burst into flames. Luke felt wet, warm and viscous liquid running down my face as the flames were extinguished by an internal fire suppression system.

"Hey Sparrow!" Tiang yelled as Luke turned to him.

"What?" Luke yelled back as he unstrapped Luke's helmet and pulled out an alcohol drenched swab.

"You're bleeding and you've got shrapnel in your face!" Turner yelled as Luke touched his forehead, wincing from pain and seeing blood on his fingers.

Luke felt him pull out a piece of shrapnel the size of a penny from his forehead and quickly dabbed it with alcohol. It stung like fire being poured onto his face and letting it burn for a few minutes. There were smaller, less threatening wounds that were healed by Tiang's tweezers as the Pelican oscillated, pitching down to join the formation of inbound VTOLs landing troops in the midst of heavy anti-air fire. With his face all patched up, Luke looked down at his uniform to find it ripped and shredded in places by the shrapnel. Blood dripped slowly from the oozing wound as it throbbed throughout his arm and legs, luckily most of the shrapnel to the torso was protected by my body armour. Kilo Nine-One's Sergeant had by now fell unconscious as the medic of the team elected to stay behind. We came in hard and fast as Luke unclipped himself from the seat.

"Prepare to dismount!" Sergeant Burns yelled as black clouds of flak exploded as we descended.

"Ten feet." The pilot grunted as the Pelican's shuddering got worse almost tearing itself apart.

"Five!" The pilot constantly reported as Luke brought his XM8 to arms, aiming down the newly integrated holographic sights.

"Suppressive fire!" Sergeant Burns yelled as Tiang brought his LMG-5 right next to his body, firing off nine hundred fifty rounds a minute.

"Touchdown, go, go ,go!" The pilot yelled as Luke dismounted the aircraft, landing in the worst possible place: the middle of the runway.

"Let's go, get off the fucking helo!" Sergeant Burns yelled as men hopped onto the concrete, running towards wreckages of the downed helicopters that failed to return to base.

"RPG!" Diego yelled as it sailed overhead, impacting the Pelican they just rode on and killing two of Kilo Nine-One's squad members.

"Sergeant!" One of his men yelled in agony as they turned around running head first into battle.

"Get the fuck back here, Kilo Nine-One!" Sergeant Burns yelled a moment too late as enemy machine gun fire slaughtered the team of three.

"Shit." Sergeant Burns muttered after the loss of Kilo Nine-One.

"Papa Bear Three-Six, come in Papa Bear Three-Six." Sergeant Burns yelled into the radio trying to raise Papa Bear.

"Sergeant, they were gone when the first few flak shells hit." York explained as lasers pinged off of the burning helicopter wreckage they were hiding behind.

It felt like a D-day rush of the beach as some units had the success of raiding the hangars and the auxiliary buildings in the airfield. Meanwhile hundreds of other Marines were pinned down by heavy machine gun fire. Some dying from their rage of their deceased commanders and friends, as for them, they waited for Sergeant Burns to decide on a course of action. While they waited, more VTOLs started to go down as medics roamed the battlefield tending to the injured relying on luck to save them from a shot to the brain. The groaning of men was disturbing but the slaughtering of their Marine Corps brothers was even worse.

"We're assaulting the airfield, directly." Sergeant Burns finally spoke up as Luke furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Sarge?" Luke asked as he peeked out from the wrecked passenger bay.

"Run from cover to cover, do not shoot. I want to get to that concrete barricade as fast as we can, kill?" Sergeant Burns asked as Luke leaned over the Pelican's aircraft tail.

"Hoorah!" They yelled as Sergeant Burns readied himself for the run.

"Go." He ordered as Luke sprinted out from the aircraft wreckage with VTOLs falling around him, the sound of destruction everywhere.

Plasma zipped around his body and peppered the concrete at his feet, threatening to ricochet back at his body as plasma illuminated the opposition's shots. Luke felt his legs start to sore with lactic acid building up as he crouched behind the next cover in form of a deactivated Droid Gunship with York and Diego arriving shortly after. The Sergeant was near the nose with Tiang and Luke was with Diego and York at the tail section. Spying the next piece of cover across the runway and into the grass was a sinking Droid Tri-fighter. The grass was wet and that was bad as it did not provide the traction Luke would like to save his own life running through the muck.

"Ready?" Sergeant Burns asked on the radio as we nodded.

"Go." Sergeant Burns ordered as Luke got up sprinting around the tail of the Gunship, running towards the next piece of cover.

Luke felt his feet pound the concrete as the bullets whizzed so close to his face, he could feel the heat and the shockwaves from the plasma traveling faster than the speed of sound. Panting, his lungs started to burn as oxygen didn't circulate fast enough to replace the carbon dioxide. His arms were already sore from carrying the heavy XM8 after days of fighting with marginal rest, never mind the RPGs flying everywhere. Luke felt his boots impact something wet and slippery: the grass and mud. He slipped falling head over heels as mud plastered my face, vest and shredded battle uniform. Half blind, Luke dug his hands into the mud trying to stand up in the midst of heavy fire. Standing up and running, Luke tried as best as he could to find his squad a midst the chaos. Luke felt someone grab him by the collar, dragging him behind a wrecked helicopter. Relieved he found out it was the gentle giant, Tiang.

"Fucking A, you scared the shit out of me." Luke muttered getting up as Tiang pulled out his canteen, pouring it over my face.

"You looked like hammer shit." Tiang replied as Luke wiped the mud away from his face.

"Cut the chatter, looks like the Force Reconnaissance is here." Sergeant Burns stated as Luke looked up, paratroopers flying in right over the hangars and facilities.

"Rawhide Two-Three to all units, move the fuck up! Use this chance to move up towards the barricades!" Sergeant Burns ordered as hundreds of Marines poured out from behind burning wreckages of helicopters and aircraft while more dropped in on utility VTOLs.

"Marines near the frontlines. Open up and provide suppressive fire for those behind you!" Sergeant Know yelled coordinating the Marines into a cohesive fighting force, the wall of plasma going unchallenged as it caught the Droids by surprised.

"Alright move out." Sergeant Burns ordered as he walked out from behind the aircraft, weapon raised.

Luke looked through the holographic sight, the reticule of the EOtech swaying as he found his first target. It was holding an sniper rifle, calming picking out targets from the safety of a concrete barricade. Luke flicked the rifle's selector switch to semi-automatic. Squeezing the trigger, Luke let loose a shot into the sniper's head. His head jerked back. Luke heard a crack from my side. York was apparently a moving sniper platform, constantly engaging targets with precision. Tiang was doing what he did best, sporadic bursts of machine gun fire from his LMG-5 kept the enemy at bay as Sergeant Burns and Luke picked off the rest. Chris had his M11 pistol out. Even though he was limited to short range with his M90 shotgun, he was a practiced pistol marksmen and could hit targets fifty meters away. Looking up at the roof of the hangar, a Recon Marine landed on an unsuspecting droid soldier carrying an RPG. Unfortunately for them, when he attacked the RPG was launched directly at them. The rocket blazed towards Luke in slow motion as he tackled Diego, taking him into the dirt.

"What the-" Diego started as the RPG went off kicking up dirt in all directions.

"…fuck?" Diego finished his sentence as Luke pulled him up from the ground.

"Thanks." Diego stated as Luke nodded.

"No problem, now if you were to look-" Luke started to speak but was cut off as a sniper round smashed through Deigo's left calve, blood splattering onto my torso and legs. There were still some off the old solid metal bullet firing weaponry still in use.

"Ah, fuck!" Deigo cursed, falling into the dirt as Luke turned to find the sniper crouched over the administration office's roof.

"You fucking Tin Can!" Luke yelled filled with rage as he lifted his rifle, firing until he was empty but the droid was already dead with the first shot.

"My leg, my leg!" Deigo screamed in agony as Tiang dragged him behind a wrecked Pelican.

"Stay calm, breathe!" Tiang commanded as Diego grunted, trying to deal with his pain.

"Diego, Diego! Look at me." Luke stated slapping his face as his eyes locked onto mine.

"You're going to be fine, it's a small ass wound. You've endured worse, you understand?" Luke asked as he nodded, gritting his teeth.

"How does it look?" Diego grunted as Tiang pulled out a few rolls of bandages.

"It's okay, everything's fine." Luke replied looking at Diego's fractured leg, a small piece of bone poking through the skin and leaking blood.

"How's Diego?" Sergeant Burns asked on the radio as Tiang stretched the bandage out.

"Uh…not good." Luke replied as Tiang wrapped the bandage around Diego's wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

"What the fuck do you mean by not good?" Sergeant Burns asked as Tiang finished the dressing, a few blobs of blood expanding.

"What he means is that the bullet fractured Horn's leg so he cannot walk. But he can shoot." Tiang replied as Sergeant Burns grumbled in annoyance.

"Tiang stay with Diego, Sparrow back on me. We have a base to take back." Sergeant Burns stated as Luke nodded running back to join him at the barricades amidst battle.

"What's the plan, Sergeant?" Luke asked crouched behind a barricade.

"We need to wait until there are more Marines up here." Sergeant Burns replied as more Marines moved up.

"You Rawhide Two-Three Actual?" A Marine asked as he slammed into the concrete barricade.

"Yeah and you are?" Sergeant Burns asked as Luke winced, plasma smashing into the barricade.

"Lieutenant Cole, Charlie Company." The man introduced himself as Sergeant Burns nodded and returned fire.

"How many men have you got under your command?" Sergeant Burns asked, reloading his rifle.

"Thirty nine men, twenty four now since I've got some injured and are get treated by medics." Lieutenant Cole replied as Sergeant Burns nodded.

"Alright Lieutenant, I want your team to push up into the hangar to my left. Wait first to muster enough Marines to assault. I'll be here waiting for more troops." Sergeant Burns replied as he nodded, slowly creeping down the line of barricades.

"We got a few platoons incoming." York reported as Luke looked back seeing over fifty Marines pinned down by enemy fire.

"Let's give them some motivated covering fire." Sergeant Burns suggested with a grin.

"Roger that." Luke replied racking his XM8.

"Suppressing fire!" Sergeant Burns ordered as we popped up from cover.

Luke strategically picked targets as the three became instant bullet magnets. Picking out the ones with machine guns first, Luke knew that suppression would be slowed if they were either dead or keep their heads down as more Marines moved up. York kept the snipers off their backs as Sergeant Burns and Luke kept up the fire on the targets. Squeezing the trigger, he heard the rifle click empty. Crouching down and keeping his head well below the waist high barricade, he dumped the empty magazine out and slapped in a fresh clip. Pressing on the bolt release, he stood up and resumed fire as the first few squads of Marines hit the barricade.

"Sparrow, put a fucking grenade round into that truck!" Sergeant Burns ordered as Luke flipped up the grenade's sight and angled the weapon.

Luke pulled the trigger. The grenade launcher jumped in his hands and launched the forty millimetre towards a two and a half ton truck. The high explosive grenade warhead detonated as it touched the truck, making it burst into a glowing orange fireball. Four Separatist soldiers wielding blasters and a machine gun died instantly from the blast and flames as the truck floated in the air before impacting the ground, squishing the bodies. Crouching behind the wall, Luke slid forward the grenade launcher's firing chamber and popped another round into it. Sliding the breech back, he popped out of cover firing at the enemy.

"Are you Rawhide Three-Two?" One of the newly arrived Marines asked Sergeant Burns.

"Yeah, how many men do you have?" Sergeant Burns asked as he continued to fire his XM8.

"Eighty, the last time I counted!" He yelled as Sergeant Burns nodded crouching behind cover.

"Split your men to the right side of me and assault that hangar right next to the admin building! Start the assault on my command." Sergeant Burns stated as the man stated.

"Let's go forty men to the right. Fucking do it now, you dick fucks!" The man who turned out to be a Captain yelled as he got into position next to York.

"Is everyone ready?" Sergeant Burns asked on the radio as they kept up the fire.

"Ready on the left." One Marine reported as I crouched down to reload.

"Ready on the right." Another Marine reported as Luke nodded to the Sergeant.

"Everyone pull out a smoke and pull the pin." Sergeant Burns ordered, drawing his own smart grenade from his pouch and setting it for smoke.

"Throw it." He continued as lobbed the grenade over Luke's head.

Waiting as the smoke developed, Luke activated his polarisation again, it helped to outline things in low visibility conditions. Checking his weapon was ready, Luke popped up and continued suppressing fire as the smoke slowly blocked his vision. The combination of colours from different grenades made on hell of a distracting rainbow with white being thrown into the mix. With the wind blowing towards the enemy, it was both a blessing and a curse as it provided cover for them but also made them unable to see. As smoke completely consumed the enemy, Sergeant Burns stood up readying his weapon as I reloaded mine.

"Execute!" Sergeant Burns yelled as the whole Marine Division screamed out a devastating war cry, that was so loud the whole vicinity within three miles could hear it.

"What is our motto?" Sergeant Burns asked the Marine Division, motivating the assaulters.

"Ready to fight!" The Marines yelled, running towards their enemy.

The charging four hundred and more Marines climbed over the barricade, assaulting the hangars and the space between them. A few meters from entering the smoke, Luke opened fire with the rest of the division letting lose a wall of Plasma. Plasma sailed into the smoke, the shining and illuminating inside the screen of rainbow mist. Entering the rainbow fog, visual range was shortened to a meter or two. Walking straight into the now extinguished truck he just blew up, Luke smacked his face on the metal roof as York pulled him in the right direction. Taking a step after him, his boot came down on something soft. Looking down he saw a blown off arm lying on the concrete. Taking a step back he stowed away the disturbing sight and rotting smell, moving forward with York around the truck. Incoming Plasma were still flying into the smog as they threatened blue on blue friendly fire incidents.

"Contact!" York yelled as Luke turned towards the source.

York drew his M11 and engaged the target hiding behind a sand bag barricade as its friend popped up blaster swinging around his armour. Snapping his weapon up, Luke pulled the trigger twice putting two rounds into its chest. The Plasma sliced through its armour plates and drilled a hole into his torso before exiting out the back with a handful of oil spilling onto the concrete. York's pistol cracked thrice, three rounds the size of Luke's thumb exiting the barrel and slamming into the droid's chest. Pushing forward, Luke found Himself next to the hangar door with York giving him cover. Sergeant Burns was nowhere in sight as he decided to assault the hangar.

"York." Luke called, walking up the door.

"What?" He asked, staying a step or two behind him.

"Try to raise Sergeant Burns." Luke stated as he nodded.

"Rawhide Two-Three Actual, Rawhide Two-Three Actual, come in over." York spoke into the radio as Luke kept his weapon shouldered, watching the smoke-filled doorway.

"Anything?" Luke asked, looking back.

"Nothing." York replied as Luke sighed nodding.

"We'll take the hangar and then assault the admin building." Luke stated as York turned around, reloading his pistol.

"Copy that, ready when you are Sparrow." York reported, lowering his pistol and getting into position.

"Alright…" Luke muttered, pulling out his magazine and checking the ammo count before slapping it back in.

"Go." Luke ordered walking into the hangar, his rifle scanning the area with his eyes.

With his eyes darting around to catch any whiff of droids and his body constantly moving, he was in an aggressive stance. Noticing there was no one shooting or firing he wondered why. Looking to his left, he understood the answer as there were only incoming plasma. They completely flanked the droids as they moved their troops closer to the entrance to counterattack the assaulting Marines. Luke took aim at the back of a super battle droid and unleashed a round into its back. The It fell without a sound behind a crate as York aimed further at two droids behind cover. The shots immediately alerted the enemy to their position as we took cover as the Marines moved up, the sounds of M60-AR gunfire getting closer.

"York, I'll give you suppressing fire and you terminate, good?" Luke asked as York nodded understanding.

"Mark." Luke stated, popping up from cover and thumbing the trigger.

Luke kept the droids at bay as friendly fire was becoming more excessive, the plasma getting too close for comfort as York steamrolled the opposition with his pistol. With York reloading, Luke kept up the fire and emptied his rifle. Noticing the audible click, Luke pulled out his own service pistol and flicked off the safe. The smoke slowly dissipated as more shadows became pronounced in the distance. With my pistol empty, Luke crouched down as York stood up resuming his fire. Reloading both weapon systems Luke heard York grunt as he fell to the ground, a small puff of white smoke coming from his right chest. Luke stood up seeing a Marine with his XM8 aimed at where York was.

"Friendly fire!" Luke yelled angrily and moving to York, ripping off his armoured vest.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? Can't you tell the difference between a droid and a god damn Marine?" Luke asked, yelling as York groaned, no mark of penetration from his armour.

"Be glad the bullet didn't go through." Luke continued as a Sergeant walked up to his subordinate.

"Stand down, Private. I told you to keep your eyes scanning." The Sergeant explained as he pushed the weapon from the Marine, pointing the muzzle at the floor.

"Your man okay?" The Sergeant asked as Luke nodded.

"Yeah, but it's going to bruise." Luke replied, helping York reattach his armoured vest.

"How are you doing?" Luke asked York, pulling him up from the concrete deck.

"I feel like I just died and got resurrected." York replied with a smile as Luke chuckled.

"Always with your theatrics." Luke stated as the Sergeant walked up to them.

"Whose command are you under?" The Sergeant asked.

"Staff Sergeant Samuel D. Burns, Bravo Company, Alpha Squad." Luke replied as the Sergeant laughed.

"Sergeant Burns, fucking A. I knew he'd be running this squad, almost getting you guys killed by blue-on-blue. Just like the old times." The Sergeant explained as York and Luke looked at each other.

"Just like the old times?" York asked his voice still pained by the bullet.

"Yeah. Wait, I didn't introduce myself yet. First Sergeant Thomas Grey, Delta Company, Bravo Squad and formerly Bravo Company, Alpha Squad designated Marksmen. I was there with Burns when Sergeant William was killed and command transferred to him." Sergeant Grey explained as Sergeant Burns came on the COMs.

"Sparrow, York, where the fuck are you maggots?" Sergeant Burns asked as Luke tapped his index and middle finger to his radio, fitted on his left ear.

"We're in the second hangar with Sergeant Thomas Grey's unit." Luke replied, looking at the now smoke cleared hangar.

"Roger that, I'm Oscar Mike to you now." Sergeant Burns reported as Luke sat on the crate, assessing his gear.

"Three hundred and fifty round magazines, two seventy round pistol magazines, three smart grenades and four EGLM forty mike-mike grenades, nice." Luke muttered out loud checking his gear as York chuckled.

"Be blessed you have magazines, I have five rounds and like a billion magazines." York joked as Sergeant Burns walked through the hangar door we used to assault.

"There you are, you fucking maggots." Sergeant Burns yelled as they pushed themselves off the crate.

"Burns, fucking great to see you." Sergeant Grey greeted walking to say hello to his old friend.

"Grey, Jesus it's been a long time." Sergeant Burns replied to his friend, shaking his hand as we shrugged to each other.

"I'm sure these dicks would have gotten you killed." Sergeant Burns stated with a small laugh.

"Yeah right, you run a tight crew. Even though there were only two guys, they got my squad from getting killed." Sergeant Grey praised as Sergeant Burns turned to us.

"Well I'll be damned. You dickless bastard children are actually shaping up to become something." Sergeant Burns commented as the both of them grinned widely.

"Wipe that motherfucking grin off of your faces. We still got the admin building to clear. Gear the fuck up and move out." Sergeant Burns ordered as York and Luke got to work, falling in line with Sergeant Burns.

"It's just one mission after another isn't it?" Luke asked York as he replied with a small chuckle.

"That's Burns for you, always keeping himself busy." Sergeant Grey explained as we bypassed the third hangar and stopped at the West wing of the admin building.

"Alright, here's the plan. We split up into smaller elements, to assault the building. Sergeant Grey and his team will run straight for the corridors and split up to cover the northern wing. Sparrow, you take the southern rooms and assault the hallway until you reach the main corridor. York and I will be right behind you, we'll clear all the rooms in the west wing before you reach the main corridor. We'll link up with you there, copy?" Sergeant Burns asked as everyone nodded.

"Check your gear and make sure you have a full magazine. We go in on my mark." Sergeant Burns ordered as Luke pulled out a full magazine from his pouch to replace a half empty one.

"Ready?" Sergeant Burns asked reloading his own rifle, getting a node from everyone as an answer.

"Okay, mark." Sergeant Burns stated as he walked into the corridor, three shots reverberating from the room.

Luke walked in afterwards, his weapon up and moving left into a room full of computers. Pacing his steps he spotted three enemies, their weapons pointed towards the windows showing a small view of the burning city on the coast. Tapping his weapon twice for each soldier, he placed rounds within the area of the chest. Killing the enemy and paralyzing them as he moved onto the next room. Pushing his rifle through the doorway, he felt his forearms burst into pain as a butt of a blaster smashed down into his arms. Dropping the weapon, the droid turned around the corner as Luke charged it. He felt his body transferred energy into the droid as his rifle went off. They both crashed onto a wooden table, the combined weight of the two splitting it in half. Luke winced as splinters pierced his skin and hands but not his eyes luckily from the ballistic visor. Looking up he saw the droid moan as he raised his right arm striking the droid twice in the face. The soldier stirred while he reached for his combat knife strapped to his left shoulder vest strap. Pulling out the sixteen-inch long Kukri Blade, he jabbed the blade in towards the side. The droid came around fast enough to stop his arm as the blade sliced through its metal arm. Fighting for the both of their lives, he head butted it in face. The attack stunned the droid, allowing the knife to plunge into its neck, not killing it. Pulling the combat knife out, Luke slid the blade back into its scabbard. Drawing his sidearm from the thigh holster, he raised the pistol and fired a round into its head. Wiping his face off, he walked back to pick up his fallen rifle as York and Sergeant Burns rushed in from the door adjacent to him.

"The fuck happened to you?" York asked as Luke looked at the droid dead on top of a wooden work desk with oil spilling onto the grey carpet below.

"He happened, and almost killed me with an blaster too if I hadn't taken him to the ground." Luke replied looking at his oil stained hands.

"Forget the body, its dead. We need to move on." Sergeant Burns stated as we moved towards the room at the end of the office room.

"Can you break in?" Sergeant Burns asked as he shook his head.

"Not without alerting them." York replied as Sergeant Burns cursed.

"I have an idea." Luke stated sliding the grenade launcher's firing chamber up to check if he had a round in it.

"Dude, General Maddox is going to be pissed if you destroyed the room." York warned as Luke slid the firing chamber back down and locked it in place.

"I already broke the desk." Luke replied as Sergeant Burns agreed.

"I'd be pissed if I had a bullet in my body before I retire at the end of this week!" Sergeant Burns yelled as he flipped up the sights.

"Stand back." Luke warned aiming the rifle at the door.

"I hope like hell this doesn't kill us all." York grumbled as Luke fired the grenade, the forty millimetre round shattering the door and the wall.

"It didn't." Luke said smiling as the small room was covered in dust and smoke.

"Whatever you did, you killed them in the process." Sergeant Burns remarked as he saw two dead B1 droids covered by rubble and bleeding.

"I guess they were in cover against the door, waiting for us to breach." York stated as we walked past them.

"Then I guess it's a good thing Sparrow blew up the room." Sergeant Burns replied as they took the door South.

"Open." York declared as we stacked up next to the door.

"On my command." Sergeant Burns ordered as he stood in front of the door with York and Luke on either side.

"Mark." Sergeant Burns whispered as he kicked the door down and stepped to the side.

York rushed in, his pistol going off instantly as Luke followed quickly behind. His weapon up, he saw six droids doing the same thing and raising their weapons. It was a wide office room with plenty of cover. Luke fired two shots and slid behind a wooden desk as lasers smashed through the wood, the splinters exploding all over him. Luke slowly crawled along the three connected desks, stopping just short of the corner. Looking to York who was pinned down along with Sergeant Burns by the door, he pulled out an smart grenade and set it to Fragmentation. Pulling the pin, he counted to two and threw it along the floor. The grenade exploded with a loud bang. Shrapnel cutting through wood and metal, ripping his uniform in places on the left side as yelps were heard. Standing up, he checked the room seeing three of four droids down. Whipping his gun around, he saw the last man aiming his blaster at him. It was too slow as a plasma bullet sliced into its head taking it straight into the ground. Luke looked over to see Sergeant Burns, his M60-AR barrel smoking.

"Clear." Sergeant Burns reported as Luke sighed.

"Thanks Sarge." Luke stated he walked towards the hallway.

"Friendlies coming through!" A voice yelled as a squad of Marines broke through.

"Is the airfield secure?" Sergeant Burns asked as the Marine Sergeant nodded.

"Orders from General Maddox are to rearm and rest up. Assault on the city begins at 0435 Hours tomorrow. Bunks are where ever you can place your head on, good luck." The Sergeant stated as he walked away with Sergeant Burns turning around to us.

"I want everyone to rearm and meet me back here in the West wing in two hours. I don't care what the fuck you do but you have to be back here, kill?" Sergeant Burns asked.

"Yes Sarge." They replied as Sergeant Burns left the room.

"Alright, let's rearm and give Tiang and Diego a visit." York suggested as he nodded in agreement.

The walk to the armoury was short and bittersweet as Luke loaded up his vest with magazines that weighed more than five kilograms. Grenades added to the weight, but he was trained for it. Lugging around a giant backpack full of spare clothes, hygiene equipment, food and ammunition was bad enough. The armoured vest with pouches full of ammo didn't help. Walking into a hangar cleared for use as an infirmary, he spotted Tiang sitting next to Diego in the midst of the crowd of groaning patients and female Marine nurses running around. Walking over to him, Tiang had his helmet off with his blonde crew-cut hair glimmering with droplets of sweat on his head.

"Diego doing okay?" Luke asked as Tiang snapped out of trance, looking at his injured friends.

"Yeah, it's just that…he's lost a lot of blood." Tiang replied a bit distracted, concerning the both of them.

"You holding up okay?" York asked as Tiang kept rubbing his palms together, they hand a hint of dried blood on them.

"There was this Marine I was trying to save and…too much blood was just coming out of his wounds. He died staring at me, it's unnerving." Tiang replied as York walked over to him, grabbing his arm and lifting him up.

"You need to get some rest, go wash up and meet us back in the admin building." York ordered as Tiang walked off, his LMG-5 resting next to Diego's bed.

"Poor guy. Got his leg shot and now he's going to be in this bed for a month or two." Luke commented as York lifted Tiang's machine gun and turned to him.

"Come on let's go back." York stated, gesturing towards the building as a Nurse came over to check up on Diego.

"Take care of him will you nurse?" Luke asked the female as she nodded.

Back at the admin building, they made dinner as Sergeant Burns slept once again underneath a desk. Artillery shelling continued throughout the night as they bombarded the city relentlessly. Tiang slept but without signs of struggle and nightmares creeping up on him. Sitting down with York around a chem light, they silently ate their MREs occasionally talking and exchanging items.

"I'll trade you my power drink for that coffee." York offered lifting up a brown packet.

"Sure, I need the energy anyway." Luke replied taking his packet and giving him mine.

"This is one fucked up day, huh. First taste of combat out of boot camp and we're already down a man." York stated as Luke chuckled, taking a bite of my freeze dried beef patty.

"Every day is fucked up in the Marines, something you learn after a few years of service. Or maybe its just the Sergeants fault." Luke replied as York laughed eating a spoonful of Beef Ravioli.

"I heard that you maggot." Sergeant Burns murmured as Luke finished his meal and drowned the water from his canteen, keeping the hydro bladder only for use in the battlefield.

"Alright let's get some sleep. We have a shit filled day tomorrow." York suggested as Luke yawned nodding and looking at his watch, which read: 2130 Hours.

"Yeah, true." Luke grunted taking off his helmet and placing it next to his rifle.

"Night." York stated as Luke placed his head on the assault pack.

"Night." Luke murmured, falling asleep.

2623 May 30th Earth Standard Calendar, Entrallia, CDR. Luke Sparrow.

Sitting around in a circle eating their breakfast, Sergeant Burns was peacefully eating his MRE as a man stepped into the room. That man with gray crew-cut hair and a battle scarred face was General Maddox himself, commander of the 1st Marine Division. Sergeant Burns immediately dumped his food, standing up with his body rigid and saluted the General.

"Squad, attention!" Sergeant Burns yelled as Luke dropped his spoon and MRE, saluting the General with the rest of the team.

"At ease." General Maddox replied his voice deep and raspy.

"I am here today to give you an assignment before you moving into the city that is occupied by the Separatist. I am giving you this assignment personally because the MARSOC and Force Recon battalions have been recommitted to the southern front. We'll follow them as soon as we are done here. Now, onto the mission, this is Brigadier General Azid or Queen of Hearts. Our intelligence believe that he is the one commanding the invasion of the East Coast." General Maddox explained pulling out a card from a deck.

"Do you have a map Sergeant?" General Maddox asked as Sergeant Burns pulled out a Datapad.

"Intel points to this building." General Maddox stated placing his hand on a tall hotel.

"A Hotel?" Sergeant Burns asked confused as General Maddox placed the map on the floor, his flashlight emitting a beam of red on the map.

"We believe that he is currently using this place as his temporary command centre. I personally think that he set up there because it's one of the most luxurious hotels on world. I have UAVs flying around in that area for the past 48 Hours and know for a fact that he is residing in the penthouse…alone." General Maddox explained before pausing and looking at each one of us.

"Any buildings overlooking the penthouse with a clear line of fire?" York asked as General Maddox nodded.

"Three buildings but I ruled out one since it's useless with a view of the elevator. These two provide a clear line of fire but to different rooms. This building here, a business building overlooks the bedroom while this one, a hotel overlooks the living room. It's between you and your team on how to deal with the General. After you kill the General, re-join the assault force and push into the beach. There we will drive out the Separatists, understood?" General Maddox asked, standing up as they mirrored his movements.

"Yes sir, crystal clear sir." Sergeant Burns stated as General Maddox nodded walking out of the small office room.

"Alright, Sparrow, York go retrieve the gear. You two are designated marksmen for this mission. Sight the rifle in at two hundred meters and return to me at 0430. We ride out in JLTVs at 0435 Hours, kill?" Sergeant Burns asked as they nodded silently.

"Dismissed." Sergeant Burns ordered as they stepped out of the room and walked toward the makeshift armoury setup at one of the hangars.

"Finally an F-211A2, I've been waiting for this thing all my life!" York stated happily as he held onto his F-211 sniper rifle with a tight grip.

"I still can't believe I got chosen as one of the marksmen." Luke replied as York grinned, the largest grin I've seen ever from him.

"I'm going to miss her." York murmured, stroking his F-211 affectionately.

"People are going to think you're Psycho if you keep doing that." Luke pointed out as York gave me a laugh in reply.

"What, missing Cali? You've got to be mad. She sniped over a hundred of people in the last operation." York explained as Luke laughed, entering the armoury hangar with people looking on.

"You gave your weapon a name?" Luke asked, still laughing as York pushed me towards the quartermaster.

"You two are?" Asked the bored Sergeant as he sat idly at his desk.

"Lance Corporal James York and Commander Luke Sparrow, we're here to pick up sniping equipment." York explained as he nodded, sighing to go pick up four large weapon cases.

"These two are F-211A2 and these two contains a spotting scope, ballistics calculator, laser rangefinder and a portable atmosphere measurement tool. Just sign here and you can be on your way." The Quartermaster explained producing a clipboard for us to sign.

"Thanks." Luke stated as he shooed them away.

The half an hour was spent calibrating the sniper rifle itself and zeroing in the sights. Cleaning the rifle until it can't be cleaned anymore. Lubricating all the moving parts and barrel to make sure that it was in top condition when fired, such is a life of a Marine. They met Sergeant Burns while using the airfield's shooting range who taught Tiang how to use the spotting equipment. York gave Luke a quick explanation of how to use the Nightforce NXS scope. Parallax, range and wind information was absorbed within a gruelling twenty minutes as it neared time to meet up with the JLTV convoy unit. With time short, we packed up the gear and moved to the Humvee. Opening the trunk, they dumped the gear inside and mounted up with me being the turret gunner.

"Echo One Charlie ready to move out." The convoy leader reported to operational command as Luke checked the GAU-90 30mm Autocannon.

"Echo One Charlie, Headhunter, roll out as planned. Good luck and god bless you, Headhunter out." The officer replied as the JLTVs engines roared, rolling out of the airfield.

It was a long bridge between the airfield and the burning city. As they left the gate, the JLTVs started to swerve left and right dodging wreckages of civilian vehicles, JLTVs and burning AATs. Flicking a switch welded onto the turret of the JLTVs, Luke felt the turret turn to the right. We were the second vehicle in the convoy of five heading towards the frontlines. Small units sent in groups formed up at the back of the frontlines before the assault began. They were one of the last to leave the airfield as aircraft were being rerouted into the newly reclaimed airfield. Riding over the bridge was the vast expanse of the fresh water lake, glimmering in the first rays of dawn. The skies were painted red as the sun slowly poked through the horizon at 0445 Hours. It was a good twenty minutes before we reached the city driving carefully and cautiously.

"Assault beings in five mikes, start scanning." Echo One Charlie reported as Luke felt bare without the turret shields flanking his sides.

"Alright Sparrow, stay frosty." Sergeant Burns ordered as York drove the Humvee onto the street.

With the route splitting off into five roads, sandbags bunkers were set up to defend the routes. Barb wire ran through the front of the barricade as they stopped short of the sandbags. Looking around him, he saw tall buildings, financial and hotels. It was as close to a sprawling metropolis as you can get with low lying buildings frequent and in between. Today, the streets were deserted, once occupied by over a million of people. Looking at the watch strapped onto his left forearm, he saw the large hand tick to twelve.

"All units, Irene, I repeat Irene. Operation: Road Rage has commenced." General Maddox reported as the sounds of hundreds of T-740 Main Battle Hover Tanks, Trojans and JLTVs thundered into the empty city.

The sounds of engines reverberated throughout the metropolis as Luke carefully watched the buildings. Shadows dashed past him as the sun rose into the sky, light spilling into the colourless city. Keeping both of his thumbs on the GAU-90 30mm Autocannon's trigger, the JLTV column sailed past an intersection. Everything was quiet, too quiet. Luke had a bad feeling in his stomach as the rumble of the JLTVs made the feeling three times as worse. Turning his head left, he saw a wrecked speeder and a knocked over trash can. He felt his head tingle in anticipation as the lead JLTV drove past the pile of debris. There was a large bang, a flash of light and an ear-splitting explosion. Flinching, Luke saw the flames envelope the JLTV, everyone inside probably dead. Shots zipped past his ears from both sides, the building in front of him a stone apartment complex had muzzle flare flashing in its windows.

"IED, IED!" A Marine yelled on the radio as Luke pressed down on the trigger, the GAU-90 30mm Autocannon rattling and recoiling.

"Echo One Charlie is down. I repeat Echo One Charlie is down!" The team leader reported on the radio as Luke thumbed the trigger, the GAU-90 30mm Autocannon spitting out bullets in bursts.

"Get this column moving!" Sergeant Burns yelled at York as Luke saw his bullets producing puffs of smoke on the stone apartment's walls as well as taking out chunks.

Looking to his right as he fired the GAU-90 he saw a Marine manning another GAU-90. Behind him, he saw the lasers fly out and touch their Humvee riddling it with burn marks. Flicking the switch, the motor turned the turret to face the four-story building. He knew it was too late as he resumed fire, he saw the Marine writhe as laser penetrated his armour and his body. A shot to the head made him fall back onto the JLTV roof. Driving away from the column, he saw the third JLTV's windshield explode into a splatter glass. The driver and passengers killed from the blaster fire.

"Sergeant!" Luke yelled slapping the roof of the JLTV as lasers peppered all around him.

"What?" Sergeant Burns screamed replying to him.

"We've lost the JLTV column!" Luke reported before manning the GAU-90.

"Shit! York, get us to that fucking hotel ricky-tick!" Sergeant Burns ordered as York stepped on the gas accelerating the Humvee.

Enemy fire kept coming from all sides as Luke turned the turret to face forward, suppressing those trying to kill them from the front. Luckily, there were no RPGs or rockets stalking us while we were on route. Bursting open into a big square surrounded by buildings, they drove in front of an abandoned hotel. Getting out of the JLTV, Luke went to the trunk to retrieve his gear. With one hand occupied by the heavy twenty-kilogram weapons case and the other with a M60-AR, he ran inside with renewed vigour as enemy fire peppered the wall around me with Sergeant Burns right behind me.

"We'll see you in this square after the shot!" Sergeant Burns yelled before walking to the elevator.

"Get in!" Sergeant Burns hissed as Luke quickly walked into the elevator.

The elevator was carpeted with red rugs and the walls mirroring the inside. The back was problematic as it was glass overlooking the lake behind us with buildings between the lake and us. Ascending the fifty-floor building, enemy fire cracked the glass as Luke ducked pulling out his M60-AR. Sergeant Burns was already returning fire as Luke flicked the rifle to automatic. Pulling the trigger, the rifle continuously kicked his shoulder like a jackhammer as rounds were pumped out. The lasers either cracked the glass above them or below them, never into the elevator as it ascended. Reaching their floor, the elevator dinged, the doors sliding open. Walking out into the corridor, Luke saw that this place was well decorated. Red matching carpets and walls adorned with gems. The oak like door with a polish golden door knob, which was brass underneath was pushed open by Sergeant Burns. Walking in, Sergeant Burns immediately went to the window closing the blinds and curtains before smashing one of the windows in the living room. He then proceeded to close all the lights as Luke placed the weapon case near the cracked window.

"Sergeant, help me pull this." Luke stated lifting a heavy wooden table the length of a truck.

Placing the large table in front of the window, he pulled the curtain back just a few centimetres showing me the Penthouse General Azid was in. Opening the weapons case, Luke pulled out the body of the F211A2 sniper rifle and placed it on the table with its bi-pods extended. he split the receiver open and grabbed the barrel, snapping it onto the groove before slamming it close. Pushing the pin back in, Luke attached the scope and pulled the weapon's butt stand down so that it was angled towards the penthouse aiming just above the windows. Taking out a suppressor, Luke screwed the can onto the rifle and pulled the bolt back before helping Sergeant set up his gear. Working in complete silence and with speed, Sergeant Burns and Luke set up the gear in less than two minutes with a small portable atmosphere measurement tool sitting just in front of the window, unseen.

"Alright, let's get to work." Sergeant Burns suggested, looking through the spotting scope.

"Temperature: Eighty six Fahrenheit, Wind: blowing towards us, ten knots, distance to target: eight hundred meters. MOA should be about two to four depending on the glass." Sergeant Burns murmured as Luke pulled out a magazine.

"Roger that, setting up for ten knots wind blowing towards us and eight hundred meters." Luke repeated the order, slapping in a magazine and pushing forward the bolt, cycling a round.

"Alright, tell me what you see." Sergeant Burns stated as Luke zoomed into the penthouse, turning knobs to adjust my shot.

"I see…two couches aligned perpendicular to each other, a TV placed on top of a table in front of the couches, a door behind those couches along with three more stands positioned around the room with flowers on them. No General yet of this moment Sergeant." Luke replied looking at Sergeant Burns.

"Rawhide Two-Three-Three, how are things looking on your end?" Sergeant Burns spoke into his radio raising York.

"No sight of the General yet, our unit's somewhere in this town at the West side. Captain Mikoto is in it deep right now Rawhide Two-Three Actual." York reported as Luke looked back into the scope, seeing the door open.

"I've got activity on the door." Luke reported to Sergeant Burns.

"Nothing over here." York replied, as two men entered the room, neither of them the General.

"Two unknowns, definitely hostile but not the General." Luke reported as Sergeant Burns grunted, acknowledging.

"Looks like his personal bodyguards, special insignia and shoulder guard." Sergeant Burns explained as Luke zoomed in closer noticing their special attire.

"Where the fuck is this General, we're going to be too late to help the assault." Luke muttered, scanning the room.

"Patience Sparrow, we'll get this guy yet." Sergeant Burns assured as the two guards walked out and then came the General.

"We've got eyes on the target." Sergeant Burns reported as Luke placed his finger into the trigger guard.

"Red." York reported, unable to see the General at all.

"Wait until he's not mobile." Sergeant Burns coached as Luke controlled his breathing, flicking the safety off.

"Yellow." York reported again, able to see the General but unsure of the shot.

"Green." Luke replied, able to see him and clearly take the shot as the General moved towards the bed room.

"Yellow, yellow, red." Luke reported, moving his finger off the trigger guard as the General disappeared out of the living room.

"Green." York replied as Luke sighed, closing my eyes.

"Yellow." York reported again as the General appeared into the living room, sitting down on the couch.

"I've got his head and a bit of his arm but I'm not sure I can shoot him." York reported to Sergeant Burns as I placed my finger once again on the trigger.

"Fire on my command, all of you." Sergeant Burns ordered as Luke started the trigger pull, the double action trigger light at first until it hardened.

"Send it." Sergeant Burns gave the command as Luke finished the trigger pull, another hair and the bullet was sent on its way.

Luke felt the gun kick him as the rifle coughed, the bullet traveling out of the barrel and towards the General. Luckily, there was no vapor trail as he saw the bullet cracked the window. Glass exploded into the room as two rounds of .408 CheyTac travelled one thousand meters per second. Although slower than his XM8's ammunition, its accuracy was almost second to none. Both bullets reached the target at the same time, the General's head exploded into brain matter and blood. The blue life force splattered the room with bits of gray like graffiti, his arm still placed on the hand rest and body still in the same position. He never felt a thing or never saw it coming.

"Pack it up and let's get the fuck out of dodge." Sergeant Burns ordered as Luke disassembled the rifle.

The whole building went on alert as Luke quickly placed the parts back in the weapons case, leaving it in the hotel room for after the assault was finished. They would come back for it, but for now, he feared for his life a lot more. Running to the door, he pulled the door slightly ajar and looked out into the hallway. Nothing was there, safe he stepped outside the room with Sergeant Burns following closely behind. Reaching the elevator, they took it straight to the first floor with assault units rolling in from all streets. Tanks were on the scene and so were air support. Fighters and bombers sailed out into the sea dropping bombs and anti-ship missiles, denying the enemy any transport home. They were going to end them here or die trying.

"We're Oscar Mike to your position Sergeant. I just hope you are fucking ready." York grunted as Luke heard bolts pinging off metal in the background.

"What the fuck does that mean?" Sergeant Burns asked the elevator doors slid open.

"We're getting chased down by commandos." Tiang replied as they marched out the double automatic doors into the courtyard of the hotel.

"Sparrow, get a grenade ready." Sergeant Burns ordered as they crouched behind cover, a wall containing a fountain.

"Ready." Luke reported flipping the grenade sights on his M60-AR up.

"Here they come." Sergeant Burns muttered, the sounds of battle drawing closer.

Peeking, Luke saw the khaki painted JLTV barrelling down towards us with a white speeder car following closely behind. On the back was a mounted heavy machine gun, the big bolts cutting through metal easily. Stepping out from cover, Luke placed the sights just in front of the speeder along with angling it slightly to compensate for the curvature of the round and pulled the trigger. The gun jumped in his hand with a thump as the grenade took to the air curving down towards the speeder. The speeder's hood exploded into a mass of flying debris, the engine torn to shreds along with the driver and passenger. The droid manning the machine gun was thrown clear of the truck. Landing a few meters from the wrecked vehicle as York pulled up in front of us.

"Ride's here." York stated opening the door for Sergeant Burns as Luke climbed into the gunner's seat.

"Just in time York." Luke replied.

"Well let's just hope we're in time for the assault with Rawhide." Sergeant Burns stated as York gunned the JLTV.

"Rawhide Actual, Rawhide Two-Three, we are enroute to join the assault. What is your position, over?" Sergeant Burns asked Captain Mikoto on the radio as Luke returned to firing the machine gun.

"We are at 4th and 7th intersection, where have you been Rawhide Two-Three? You were supposed to be in my unit when we assaulted." Captain Mikoto said as sounds of war rattled in the background amidst crackling of the radio.

"Side mission from the General, we're enroute to you now. ETA about one minute, Rawhide Two-Three, out." Sergeant Burns replied as York turned the corner, the JLTV threatening to rollover.

"Keep on that accelerator York. Tiang, get ready to dismount as soon as this tin can stops! We are inbound to a hot fucking zone. Sparrow, keep on that gun and punch out rounds as we get out. Let's do this!" Sergeant Burns yelled giving them orders as Luke stopped firing the machine gun.

Being in the wake of a rolling armoured assault, streets were cleared one block at a time. Tanks brought up the back of the assault as Trojans and JLTVs were at the front clearing out each building meticulously. Tanks had no trouble standing up to a few rocket hits, courtesy of the Beskar-Chobham Armor. Beskar-Chobham Armor incorporated composite materials being encased within metal with several layers of elastic layers to provide flexibility to the ceramic tiles welded upon. Almost immediately, York turned right and then left delivering them directly to where Rawhide was. In the furious wake of bullets, rockets and grenades, Luke opened up the mounted HMG-3 suppressing incoming fire as the rest of the team got out.

"Get the fuck out! Dismount!" Sergeant Burns screamed as blaster bolts punctured the metal skin of the JLTV.

"Empty!" Luke yelled, the HMG-5 firing with a click.

"Suppressive fire!" Sergeant Burns ordered as a volley of bullets from his team mates surged out into the buildings.

Luke stood up, grabbing his rifle and got ready to climb down. Then, Luke felt something punch into his stomach. Luke blacked out, falling onto the roof of the JLTV and felt a sharp piercing pain. He had his eyes closed tightly and my breathing erratic as someone pulled him down from the roof, his right hand holding on to the rifle. Luke opened his eyes as the vision was blurry. Everything looked like a blob of colour splashed onto an empty canvas. He heard ringing as someone patted his face. Their mouths were moving but no sound was coming to his ears except for the fucking ringing.

"Sparrow! Can you hear me?" Tiang yelled slapping my face as he shoved his hand away.

"Stop stroking my face." Luke grunted sitting up, my vest ripped open.

"Glad you're back with us." Tiang smiled, laughing as Luke strapped my his back together.

"You're level four plate stopped the bolt. Without it you'd be dead." Tiang explained as the rest of the team fired into the windows.

"Cut the fucking chatter and shoot!" Sergeant Burns yelled as Tiang picked up his LMG-5 and started to hammer the opposition.

"Burns!" Captain Mikoto yelled as she slid into cover next to them.

"Yes sir?" Sergeant Burns asked in reply as Luke fired his rifle off in short single shots, trying to conserve ammo.

"I want you to take your squad up that building with Charlie to clear out these fuckers as we move up! Delta and Alpha will be moving and mopping up the left side alongside you, can you do that?" Captain Mikoto asked as Luke ducked, bolts striking the JLTV and the ground behind him.

"Yes sir!" Sergeant Burns replied as she nodded, moving back to her position at the lead JLTV.

"Alright, everyone on me!" Sergeant Burns yelled as they nodded forming up behind the Sergeant.

"On three we will move across the line, covered by JLTVs. Charlie will meet us at the building entrance. We are going to clear one building and Charlie will clear the one ahead of us so we get the job done before nightfall. Condition One those weapons and stay frosty, kill?" Sergeant Burns asked as they gripped our weapons tightly.

"Hoorah!" We yelled back as Sergeant Burns sprinted across the line of JLTVs barricading the intersection.

Luke sprinted out from behind cover, plasma flying perpendicular to them but never at them. His heartbeat felt like it was going a million miles a minute, his vision crystal clear. The alley on the other side seemed so far away, with Sergeant Burns traveling down the same path riddled with death. The constant firing of the twenty five millimetre chain gun was hypnotizing, the Trojans spitting out the giant rounds with a rhythmic thump. The forearm sized rounds ripped into buildings like a rock slamming into an egg. Luke felt a shockwave drive him into the ground, the T-740 Hover tank firing its one hundred twenty-millimetre cannon. The giant tank round flew close to his helmet, the shockwave it created knocking him into the ground. Luke stood up sluggishly, trying to find his rifle as York picked him up and pushed his rife into his chest. Grabbing the rifle and running, Luke made it to the other side in one piece albeit shaken and stomach uneasy. Luke leaned against the wall, bent down and heaved. Barfing onto the sidewalk, York and Tiang stood guard as Luke wiped the bile from his mouth. Sipping from a tube connected to his hydro bladder strapped to the back of his vest, he cleaned out his mouth and throat from the stinging stomach acid.

"You Alpha?" Someone asked as Luke straightened up and took hold of his rifle.

"Yeah, you must be Charlie!" Sergeant Burns yelled over the sound of gun fire.

"Sergeant Ricardo Antonio, Charlie Squad!" The squad leader introduced himself as Sergeant Burns nodded.

"You must be new! Where's Kurt?" Sergeant Burns asked inquiring about the old Charlie Squad Leader.

"He's been reassigned to a unit on Ord Mantell and promoted to Sergeant Major!" Sergeant Antonio replied as Sergeant Burns nodded understanding his reply.

"Let's get to work! I'll take this building and you take the one at the corner! Let's move up this line one block at a time!" Sergeant Burns stated as Sergeant Antonio nodded, wincing while another volley of tank cannons went off.

"Stack up!" Sergeant Burns ordered as they hugged the wall next to a wooden door.

"Breach on my go!" Sergeant Burns stated as he stepped to the front of the door, kicking it in.

"Go!" Sergeant Burns yelled rushing into the door as they followed closely behind.

It was a nice complex, a restaurant with living quarters in the second, third and fourth floors. Luke was right behind Sergeant Burns as he cleared the hallway occupied with hiding droids. They were not ready for an assaulting Marine squad. Aiming his rifle at the right wall, Luke scanned the rooms for any sign of an enemy. Soon they came into the main area of the restaurant, a wide lobby full of droids buzzing around for ammo and cover. The corridor they encountered was the restroom and area leading to the kitchen. What was once, beautiful red velvet covered walls, a chandelier, oak tables and crystal wine glasses were now covered with plasma burns, wrecked furniture and broken glass. Luke looked at the beehive of droids with an open mouth as Sergeant Burns raised his M60-AR.

"Open fire!" He yelled as they stepped forward, spacing out horizontally to achieve maximum lethality.

Plasma from their weapons surged forward into the room filled with fifteen droids, slaughtering all of them in one magazine. The unsuspecting soldiers were slaughtered. It was a massacre as Luke stopped the reload, the droids dead on the velvet. There was still gunfire coming from the upper floor of the building. Sergeant Burns doubled back with them right behind him towards the back door. Taking a left, they found a set of stairs leading to the upper floor. Sergeant Burns leaned on the stairway wall, his rifle lowered.

"Alright, we got hostiles in these corridors. Keep your eyes open and mouths close, they'll be concentrated on the armour." Sergeant Burns warned as we nodded, raising our weapons.

"On my go." Sergeant Burns stated, pulling out a grenade from his front pouch and pulled the pin.

"Go." Sergeant Burns ordered as he slammed the grenade into the corridor.

The grenade exploded with a few yelps of shock from the droids. Rushing into the room, Sergeant Burns had already dropped two guys at the far end of the hall. There were four rooms in the corridor, with the stairway at the far end leading towards the third and fourth floor. The floors were a crème colour carpet. The ceilings had normal fluorescent lighting and the walls were painted white. Cheap wooden doors were bolted to their frames most likely containing normal quarters. We split up to take the rooms individually, covering area much faster than assault the rooms in a group.

"Breach." Sergeant Burns ordered as Luke kicked the wooden door in, the slim sheet of lumber shattering on impact.

There was no one in the room but man was it messed up. It was clearly a room for someone as there was a single bed, the mattress flipped over and the frame left behind. A work desk was placed in front of the window, also flipped over with a long dead body. He had a burn in his throat and two in his torso, his blaster was gone. Someone was either here or his weapon was taken away by his comrades. Luke was about to leave when he heard a noise coming from the closed closet. Two pairs of dried dirt led into the closet. Luke pulled out his M1911, grabbing the closet handle. It was the sliding type so Luke had the necessary speed to fire out a shot if he needed to. Luke slammed the closet door back and took a step back. He saw a woman along with a male child next to her, the blaster from the body fired out a shot. Luckily, the plasma bolt hit the ceiling as Luke stepped back just in time.

"Lady, stop firing!" Luke yelled at the blonde woman.

She looked young, younger than him. Green eyes and blonde hair tied in a messy bun. She had a normal white T-shirt on and jeans. She had bear feet suggesting she didn't have time to get dressed. Next to her was a young boy probably the age of six to eight, buzz-cut hair, a black T-shirt, knee-length cargo pants and basketball sneakers. Luke quickly stepped in and yanked the blaster away from the woman before she did any more harm.

"Sparrow, report!" Sergeant Burns barked as Luke tapped my ear.

"I got two civilians. I don't know how the hell they got back into the city." Luke reported slinging the blaster over his shoulders.

"You okay?" Luke asked holding out two hands for the boy and the woman.

"I'm alright…" She sighed grabbing hold of his hand.

"Mister are you a Marine?" The boy asked as Luke nodded.

"Yes I am. My name is Commander Luke Sparrow, 1st Marines, Bravo Company, Alpha Squad. Might I ask you why you were hiding in that closet with an blaster?" Luke asked the woman as she leaned back against the wall, rubbing her face.

"My younger brother, Jake and I were coming back to get some of our things. Computer, clothes and valuables he forgot. We came here two days and ago when we saw the tanks coming into the city. Then the bombing started, the glass broke so I got Jake into the closet. We hid there until the first few batch of droids came in. Some droid flipped over the table and mattress before getting shot. I sneaked out of the closet, grabbed his gun and there I am hiding in the closet until you found me." She explained as Tiang and York entered the room.

"We heard the gunshot." York quickly stated out of breath as Luke threw him the blaster.

"Didn't you hear the radio?" Luke asked York as he shook his head.

"We were…busy." Tiang replied wiping his bloody knife on his uniform before sheathing it.

"I won't ask." Luke said smiling.

"May we have a look at your ID?" Luke asked as she gave me a Social Security Card.

"Alice Keller, age 19, do your parents know you're here?" Luke asked her handing back the card.

"I don't think so, they were at the shelter a few days ago when we snuck back in." Alice replied as Luke nodded.

"Sergeant, we got a runaway by the name of Alice Keller. Can you notify command?" Luke asked Sergeant Burns as he didn't show up in the room.

"Roger that." Sergeant Burns answered as Tiang and York tended to the two.

"Where are you Sergeant?" Luke asked walking towards the windows in the corridors, the firefight had died down and the column was moving up towards the intersection.

"Up on the rooftop, checking out the southern side of the city." Sergeant Burns replied as I nodded.

"What do we do with these two?" He asked Sergeant Burns.

"I'll get someone up here to take care of them, the rest of you regroup up on the rooftop. The final push it about to start." Sergeant Burns ordered as Luke nodded, looking over to York and Tiang.

"Sergeant wants us up on the rooftop." Luke said relaying the message to the two Marines.

"Marines will be sent up to escort you two out of the city." Luke stated as York and Tiang stood up and grabbed their weapons walking towards me.

"Stay safe kid." York said with a smile as the boy waved goodbye to us.

Walking up the stairs to the rooftop, they heard constant gun fire and explosions all over the city. This place was a warzone, never more did it look worse than it is now. Sergeant Burns was leaning against the small wall that acted as a safety between him and four stories of fall. Luke looked out into the southern part of the city filled with personal housing. The beach was full of craters from bombs and mortars alike. The one and two floored houses were filled with nothing except of useless furniture. The sky was filled with SA10C Thunderbolts and Sabres, providing air support from above. Beyond in the distance was the droid fleet poised to attack as waves of fresh infantry landed on the beaches. In the midst of all this destruction were Sergeant Burns and his small tight group of Marines. Sighing, Luke shook the thought away as we walked to the Sergeant.

"Sarge?" Luke asked snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Beautiful isn't it?" The Sergeant asked as Luke shrugged.

"Depends on what you call beauty." Luke said to the old Sergeant as He scoffed.

"Bullet holes in the walls, craters on the beach, dead bodies lying on the sidewalk. I can't ask more of the OAGMC. I just wish it wasn't on allied soil." Sergeant Burns stated, unimpressed.

"Any new orders from the brass, Sarge?" York asked as Luke pulled up his shirt sleeve look at the watch, it was 1255 Hours.

"Orders are to stand-by on this rooftop until further noticed. Get some food and water in you before we move out." Sergeant Burns ordered as we nodded.

"Yes Sarge." They replied as he walked downstairs, presumably to go wash his face after the days of countless work.

"Never could catch a break, I feel sorry for Sarge." Tiang said with sympathy in his voice.

"Sarge has been in longer than any of us. He's due for retirement this week, I want to make sure he gets through it and alive." Luke stated, pulling out an MRE from his backpack.

"Ditto." York agreed, pulling out his own brown MRE package as we sat in a circle closest to the wall.

They sat in silence as the day went on. The sun was high in the sky and Luke started to sweat. Didn't matter, training made up for it as Luke ripped open the brown package dumping the contents onto the floor. Luke got a beef patty as a main dish, a chocolate chip cookie, cheese spread, powdered milk, wheat snack bread, flameless heater and an assortment of crap he didn't need. He pulled out his combat knife and cut the green heater bag open. Pouring water into the green bag in the right amount, he slipped in the brown cardboard package containing the beef patty and set it against the wall. While waiting for our food to heat up, he sat quietly to collect my thoughts.

"I have a Hoorah! bar, anyone want one?" Tiang asked holding up a giant energy back equivalent to two Snickers.

"Give it. I'll trade you for an oatmeal cookie." York replied as Tiang threw him the giant energy bar.

"You've been awfully quiet." Tiang commented as Luke turned to him, his helmet restricting some movement.

"Just thinking, you know about the command tradition." Luke explained as Tiang ripped his instant coffee open and poured it into his canteen.

"What about the change of command when the squad leader dies?" York asked as Luke nodded.

"You guys believe it will happen?" Luke asked, ripping open the powered milk package as York shrugged.

"If it happens it happens. I don't want it to though. Sergeant Burns is a great man. Hell, he's one fucking badass of a squad leader." York replied with a smile as we shared a small chuckle.

"Yeah, it would suck to lose a man like him." Tiang stated solemnly, drinking the coffee from his canteen.

"Whatever the outcome is, I'm proud to have served with you guys." Luke said raising my canteen, now filled with powdered milk.

"1st Marines, Ready to Fight." They said all at once, tapping their canteens together and taking a long swig.

A few minutes passed by as Luke the beef patty was finished and ready to be eaten. With a grumble from his stomach, he sliced open the cheese spread and smeared it over the patty. Placing the wheat bread on top of the combination, he ate them all at once savouring the taste. Slowly, bit by bit he wolfed down the giant patty before shoving the soft cookie into his mouth. Suddenly, the rooftop door burst open with Sergeant Burns storming in, his hands gripping his rifle.

"Alright ladies! Get off your fucking asses and come with me! We got a city to take back." Sergeant Burns yelled as Luke shoved everything back inside the brown plastic container the MRE came in.

Shrugging their packs and gear back on, we ran after Sergeant Burns. He was like a mad bull rushing down the stairs as Luke looked out the window getting a brief glimpse of the scene below. The JLTVs had established a roadblock at the front of the intersection with Trojan IFVs and T-740 tanks behind them. And taking cover behind those was Captain Mikoto with Alpha, Charlie, Delta and Foxtrot squad leaders while the men formed a defensive perimeter around them. Rushing outside the back door and onto the street they assaulted from, Luke spied their JLTV still parked sideways behind the convoy.

"Captain, Alpha squad reporting for duty sir." Sergeant Burns stated as the squad leaders along with Captain Mikoto looked up from their map.

"Alright take a knee." Captain Mikoto ordered as the rest of the team and Luke fanned out.

"Here's the plan for today and today only. General Maddox wants this mission done by today, no buts. Bravo, Charlie, Delta and Foxtrot will be spreading through here. Olive Street and Holloway Street in a twenty meter radius, I want you to hold that intersection. No one comes in and no one goes out." Captain Mikoto explained the plan as enemy fire frequently pinged of the armour of the tanks and JLTVs.

"Alpha, I have a special mission for you since you have been performing above excellence. Sergeant Burns I want you to-" Captain Mikoto started as she was cut off by a sniper bullet pinging off the tank they were hiding behind.

"Someone fucking get rid of that jackass! War Pig, put a round into him. That'll make him listen." Captain Mikoto yelled into the radio as the T-740's turret rotated with an electrical buzz and a whirl.

The tank aimed his barrel at a tall business building full of broken windows. The tank loaded a high explosive round into the chamber. Another flash from the building, the bullet pinged off the tank's hull as that was the final straw. The tank aimed at the muzzle flash, and then hell's fury just happened in a split second. The ground shook as if a magnitude ten earthquake just hit the city. The turret fired off the eighteen-kilogram high explosive tank round with an ear shattering thump right into the building. The shell sailed into the air curving as it hit the fifty-floored complex. The HE round exploded in an orange fireball, the shockwave shattering the metal beams holding up the floor. With a crack of metal and the shattering of glass, the building came down on itself destroying anything near it. That was going to hurt the financial sector of the city.

"As I was saying. I want you to go to this building here, a grocery store nearest to the frontlines. Enemies will be two buildings away from you. Your objective is to designate the area for a bomb strike, five hundred pounds. It'll probably kick up a lot of dust and maybe degrade your hearing but it won't kill you. Can you do that Sergeant?" Captain Mikoto asked as Luke looked back seeing Sergeant Burns smile.

"Hoorah, sir." Sergeant Burns replied as Captain Mikoto folded the map.

"Then let's kick start this retaliation and make these bastards run home to their god! We will not have another enemy set foot in this fucking planet, do you understand?" Captain Mikoto yelled enticing the Marines as we stood up facing me.

"Hoorah, First Marines! Ready to Fight!" They yelled back as Captain Mikoto nodded, walking back towards her own JLTV command vehicle.

"Alright squad, mount up." Sergeant Burns ordered as they nodded, running towards our JLTV.

York, Tiang and Sergeant Burns climbed into the JLTV as Luke hopped onto the roof. Dropping down into the turret, he opened the cover of the GAU autocannon and tore out the empty magazine box. Crouching down into the passenger area of JLTV, he reached into the trunk and pulled out another magazine box. Tiang hugged his massive machine gun in the backseat as Luke returned to the turret. He clipped the metal box onto the machine gun itself and dragged the chain linked bullets into the chamber, pushing the first palm sized bullet into a small slot. Flipping down the metal cover, he smashed the top just for good measure and racked the bolt.

"You ready?" York asked as Luke looked down at the driver.

"Let's do this." Luke replied as York nodded starting up the Humvee.

"Rawhide Actual, Rawhide Two-Three ready to move out." Sergeant Burns reported on the radio as York accelerated the utility vehicle to the front of the column.

"Copy that Rawhide Two-Three. Alright men listen up, today is the day we make our stand. I want this soil clean of these fucking droids. Our dead brothers will be avenged; do you hear me? May your aim be true and your body move with purpose. God bless you all and if anything happens to me. I will say this: it was a pleasure to serve with a platoon of heroes." Captain Mikoto stated on her radio, giving us one final speech before riding into battle.

"Hoorah!" They yelled into the air.

"To all units this is General Maddox, let the final phase of Operation: Road Rage begin. Godspeed." The General said, giving us the go order.

"Rawhide, move out!" Captain Mikoto ordered as her vehicle charged forward, the turret operator firing out forty-millimetre grenade rounds.

They each fell in line behind one another, the JLTVs riding into battle as gunfire started anew. Luke felt the rounds whizz close to his face and arms. Flicking the turret switch, Luke turned the turret to the right and fired off the autocannon in bursts. The giant bullets smashed into the brick wall of houses tearing giant holes in the wall. Some even dared to jump out from the houses firing into the side of the JLTVs. The bolts cut through the thin skin of the unarmoured JLTV as Luke placed two rounds into the daring droid. It shook twice, bullet holes the size of his fist appearing in its body. Luke heard yell from inside as he stopped firing and looked down.

"I'm hit!" Tiang yelled in pain.

"Where were you hit?" Luke yelled back asking him as his right hand came off from his vest. The droids must have been using some slug throwers.

"Shit…"Luke mumbled as an explosion lit up the front of the JLTV.

"Rawhide One-Two is down, I repeat Lieutenant Ambrose is down!" The radio crackled to life as Luke pried off the vest.

"Alright, take some alcohol and gauze from my medi-kit." Tiang instructed as Luke pulled out a bottle of blue liquid and a large cotton gauze square.

"Pour the alcohol into the wound." Tiang grunted as Luke screwed off the cap from the plastic bottle and poured it onto his wound with Tiang wincing in pain.

"York, drive around that fucking vehicle!" Sergeant Burns ordered as York quickly swerved to the left, making me fall onto Tiang.

"Fuck!" Tiang yelled in pain as Luke felt blood on my face.

"Drive more carefully!" Luke screamed at York, too concentrated on saving his comrades life rather than blood currently on his face.

"I'm sorry!" York yelled back.

Screwing the cap back on, Luke placed the plastic bottle onto the JLTV floor. Luke ripped open his uniform to cover up the wound. It was a giant hole the size of a quarter, the shot slicing from one side and out the other. Luke grimaced as he placed the gauze over his wound and pulled the tape covering off. The white cloth quickly darkened with blood as he turned him over, taking out the alcohol and drenching the other side in alcohol before tearing the cloth open. This wound was slightly larger as he placed the gauze on his bloodied side. Luke checked his pulse as Tiang's eyes became hazy. Sergeant Burns looked back, worried as Luke jumped back onto the GAU-80.

"Sarge, he's slipping!" Luke yelled as Tiang groaned.

"Sarge, stick the morphine in." Tiang mumbled tiredly as Sergeant Burns pulled out a small syringe.

"You aren't stabilized yet." Sergeant Burns murmured as blood speed into the seats, the floor and just everywhere.

"Please Sergeant, just do it." Tiang begged as Luke fired off another burst into the suburban housing, suppressing the enemy.

"I'm not letting you die on my maggot." Sergeant Burns grumbled and jabbed the needle into Tiang's thigh.

Luke paused as they reached an intersection the JLTV column stopping a dismounting. York pulled up alongside a Trojan that was attached to their platoon painted with a red cross on its side. Luke jumped out from the turret and went immediately to the left side of the JLTV. Opening the door, Tiang slumped from the seat. Slinging his XM8 across the back, Luke pulled Tiang up and draped his arm over his neck with help from York. Moving across the street with enemy fire coming from all directions, Luke was not about to let his friend die for nothing.

"Medic!" York yelled slamming his fist into the back of the Trojan.

"What?" A female Army medic yelled in our faces as the ramp came down.

"We need to get him the fuck out of here!" Luke screamed at her as she looked at Tiang, whose blood was now seeping from his bandage and onto my vest.

"Place him on the stretcher." The medic ordered, pulling out a stretcher from the Trojan's wall as he gently placed Tiang onto the cloth.

"You got to live. You've got to live." York murmured with tears falling out from his eyes, unable to help.

"We'll take care of him alright Marine?" The medic assured placing her gloved hands over his.

"What's your name?" She asked as Luke looked over at my friend laying lifelessly on the stretcher as two male medics tended to him.

"Corporal James York, First Marines, Bravo Company, Alpha Squad." York quickly replied, choking on his own words as she smiled.

"Well Corporal York, I'll find you when this is over okay? I'm Sergeant Michelle O'Donnell." She replied as he nodded.

"Take care of my friend." He stated swallowing his sadness and pushed the thought of Tiang getting hurt to the side of his mind, they have a mission to complete.

"Kid come over here." Sergeant Burns called York over by the JLTV, Luke following.

"Yes Sarge?" York asked as he grabbed his helmet and placed it against him in a huddle.

"Can I trust you with my life?" Sergeant Burns asked.

"Yes." York answered sniffling.

"Can I fucking trust you with my life Marine?" Sergeant Burns yelled loudly, his voice carrying over the gunfire.

"Yes Sarge, yes you can!" York yelled back equally as loud, looking into his brown dimmed pupils.

"Good, mount up and let's fucking get this over. We're doing this for Diego and Tiang." Sergeant Burns grunted as York and Luke nodded climbing back into the JLTV.

York started the engine back up and drove over the sidewalk into the two lane street. Houses flanked them on both sides and well ahead of them, the beach where droids were inserting from. Sorrow turned to rage as Luke turned the turret to face the front. Luke fired in bursts into the windows of the houses suppressing enemy troops as they attempted to shoot at them. Fifty calibre bullets silenced them as they looked out the window. He fired relentlessly as York maneuvered them around empty speeders and trucks. Something caught his eye, the dark earth skin of a metal beast. It was a AAT tank, and its main cannon was aimed at us.

"Tank!" Luke yelled as York swerved the JLTV to the left.

Luke heard a loud thump from the tank's cannon and the heat of the round passing his right ear. He winced and blacked out. He heard breathing and felt something warm dripped down from my face. There was a ringing in my ears and his torso ached. His eyes fluttered open to see himself facing a white ceiling of someone's house. He turned his head to the left to see a blurry blob of khaki, his vision blurred. He closed his eyes collecting his thoughts and summoning the strength to move. He pushed himself up from the ground as the ringing stopped to be replaced by the sound of gunfire. Snapping his eyes open, he saw the JLTV embedded into the house wall. The furniture ruined and a couple of droids beneath the rubble and the wheels of the JLTV. Luke felt sore but nothing was damaged. Walking towards the JLTV, he drew his rifle still slung across his back. He racked the bolt and aimed at a still moving droid. He fired a round off and it slumped back into the ground. The rifle was still working and anyone of these bastards could get up and kill another Marine, it wasn't going to happen on his watch. He grabbed the JLTVs door handle, pushing it open. York's face was resting on the steering wheel, his mouth bleeding but everything else seemed fine. He pulled him out from the driver's seat checking his pulse. Strong and steady. Luke looked up to see Sergeant Burns slowly regaining consciousness. His eyes snapped open. His hands went to his rifle and aimed towards me.

"Oh it's you." Sergeant Burns grumbled leaning back against the head rest.

"What the fuck happened?" Sergeant Burns asked as he slapped on York's dirtied cheek.

"Tank round, Sarge." Luke answered looking back at the hole in the house's wall.

Brick came loose and so did the wiring from a sizeable wall carved from the JLTV's crash. Just a few meters from the house's perimeter was a giant crater from the shell. York groaned as he came around, the giant sniper waking up. He shook his head as he held out a hand. He grabbed my hand as he pulled him up on his feet.

"That was a rough ride." York grumbled as he looked at me, handing Luke his handkerchief.

"You look like some European football nut with that red blood running down half of your face, clean it up before some Chelsea fan strikes you down or something." York said jokingly as Luke chuckled, taking off my helmet.

"Does it look that bad?" Luke asked as York retrieved Cali, his F211 Sniper Rifle from the JLTV.

"You looked like hammered shit." York replied with a smile as he walked over with Sergeant Burns.

"You have a cut on your scalp, but it's okay. You'll live." York continued with a grin as Luke took out my canteen, pouring water onto the cloth.

"Alright you fuckers, stop getting all lovey-dovey. We got fucking robots to kill and an airstrike to call down upon these motherfuckers." Sergeant Burns stated as Luke dabbed the right side of his face with the khaki handkerchief.

"Where are we right now?" York asked as Luke looked out the window.

"We're at the intersection." Luke replied as he nodded.

"We're one block west of the store." York mumbled as he stepped over the rubble towards the backdoor of the house.

"There's the building. But to get there we have to go through this path." York stated pointing us to a dirt path with high wooden fences surrounding the houses.

"That looks safe." Luke commented as Sergeant Burns stepped behind York.

"It is safe, only problem is that our rifles can only point forwards and backwards. So if anyone jumps us, we're toast." Sergeant Burns remarked.

"Alright, check gear and weapons. We're this close to the objective." Sergeant Burns murmured as Luke pulled out my magazine counting eighty rounds before slapping it back in.

"On my go." Sergeant Burns stated as Luke formed the last man in the column formation.

"Go." Sergeant Burns ordered as they moved into the backyard, opening the already unlocked wooden fence gate.

It was if the bastard designers of the houses that they are designed this only for kids. It was a small path with eight feet tall fences. Their shoulders rubbed against the lumber as we moved, the cloth produced a grinding noise as it did. Luke was facing the back and acted as a rear guard for the team as we moved almost two hundred meters. The only thing that worried him was the open side entrance into the alley. That fear was reconfirmed when a droid ran after a moving JLTV stopping to shout. Luke prayed that he didn't turn to us but that too came unanswered. He turned a weapon in one hand and with wide eyes Luke squeezed the trigger, the EoTech's reticule hover over his head. The droid was less than a hundred meters away, a plasma bullet smashed into the middle of its eyes. It dropped to the pavement and died before it even reached the concrete. Closing his eyes Luke kept moving, just to open them again. It was minutes before they got to the store. It was a normal one story store selling anything they could from food to tools. They exited the alley into a parking area which surrounded the store. Turning around, Luke quickly jogged with the team to the store's glass window. Enemy fire picked up as the bolts shattered glass and dented steel.

"York, fuck the window up!" Sergeant Burns yelled as York pulled out his sidearm and fired two bullets into the glass window.

"Move it!" Sergeant Burns screamed as York took a few steps back from the window and sprinted into the steel racks, toppling them with his weight.

Sergeant Burns was next as Luke fired two rounds into the general direction of the enemy. He sprinted and jumped through the gap as York suppressed the enemy with his F211. It was Luke's turn. He jogged a few meters away from the window and sprinted forward. The rifle weighed heavily in his arms as his legs sagged slightly from the weight of his armour. Luke jumped, pushing off the ground and into the air. He felt his stomach wretch as he flew over the glass and landed onto the granite floor with a thud. Grunting, he got up and aimed his weapon. Firing, he waved Sergeant Burns and York back towards the staff area of the store. Giving suppressive fire, he backed into the door as York slammed it shut and locked it with an anti-personnel mine. Sergeant Burns opened the trapdoor at the top of a steel ladder placed near the right wall. Climbing onto the top, York was next as Luke waited.

"Come on let's get it done." York grunted as Luke grabbed the metal rungs.

On top of the store was a large flat area with a two-foot safety wall between us and the enemy. York crouched as he approached the wall, stopping just a foot away from the edge. Raising his rifle his fired off a shot, taking out an enemy as Sergeant Burns unfolded a map. Luke crawled towards him and took a knee as Sergeant Burns read the map, giving Luke a radio-phone.

"Switch to UHF 332.15 and contact Lightning One-Eight." Sergeant Burns ordered as he pulled out his binocular, laser designator combo.

"Lightning One-Eight, Rawhide Two-Three, come in over." Luke yelled into the radio as enemy fire threatened to take out both of them.

"Lightning One-Eight to Rawhide Two-Three, send over." The pilot replied as Sergeant Burns handed him a sheet.

"Send info Lightning One-Eight, over!" Luke yelled into the radio-phone reading the sheet labelled: Close Air Support.

"We are two SA10Cs, playtime plus thirty at angels two. We are two miles east of IP Nero bearing nine eight zero. We have, six AGM-66Ks, two LAU-141s with fourteen Hydra 470 rockets, two GBU-51s and one thousand three hundred thirty millimetre combat mix rounds." Lightening One-Eight reported back as Luke placed the radio-phone into his helmet which held it right next to his right ear.

"Sergeant, they only have two thousand pound bombs!" Luke yelled as Sergeant Burns looked away from the laser designator.

"Let them give it to them!" Sergeant Burns yelled back before looking back into the binoculars.

"IP: Nero, Heading: One Three Eight magnetic, Distance: Two point Three Eight miles! Target location: Kilo Uniform Eight Nine Three Five Seven Zero, Target Elevation: Zero Feet, Target Description: All the fucking houses in front of us! Friendly Location: One store surrounded by parking spaces, south of enemy houses and north of friendlies about five hundred meters, friendlies marked by IR Strobe! Targets marked by laser! Egress: west following main street after two streets take the west path and follow in towards the store, break!" Luke yelled the close air support request as per procedure into the radio glued to his ear.

"Roger that, Rawhide Three-Two we have you on scope. Contact, houses in the vicinity. Tally enemy targets firing from the houses." The pilot replied as Luke looked back seeing two low flying SA10Cs.

"Requesting four GBU-51s, on houses two blocks to our North. Final attack heading zero-zero-nine, bombs spacing for effect is one hundred feet how copy?" Luke asked as the SA10Cs banked right, lining up for an attack run.

"Copy that Rawhide Two-Three." The pilot replied as a bullet ricocheted off the wall in front of me making me wince.

"In, zero-zero-nine, wings level." The SA10C pilot reported as Luke heard a grunt.

"Sniper!" Luke yelled as Sergeant Burns was shot in the gut, blood pooling from his back.

"Aw fuck." Sergeant Burns grunted as he laid on the ground.

"Sergeant!" Luke screamed as he panted and groaned in pain.

"Listen to me kid." Sergeant Burns ordered as Luke nodded leaning close to him.

"Finish the job, drop those bombs on the fuckers. Don't make me disappointed." Sergeant Burns grunted pushing something into his chest.

"Yes Sarge." Luke mumbled as he looked to York and grabbed the binoculars.

"York." Luke stated as he nodded, bending over the Sergeant and covering him with his body.

"Lightning One-Eight, remarks: danger close, fifty meters." Luke declared the final sentence of the nine-liners.

"What? Reconfirm two thousand pounder bomb drop." The pilot replied bewildered as Luke stood up, not afraid of being shot.

"Confirm bomb drop. Lightning One-Eight, cleared hot." Luke stated, pressing the laser on button.

"Roger that. Have to hand it to you. You Marines are either brave as shit or crazy as fuck." The pilot remarked as Luke placed the laser designator on the wall and moved to cover Sergeant Burns as blood started to expand.

Luke bent over his body, his breathing erratic as the SA10Cs buzzed past. One moment it was silent the next was hell. Luke heard an ear-splitting bang as the two thousand bombs detonated. The shockwave hit them as the store windows exploded from the wall of pressure. Luke gripped Sergeant Burns' arm tightly as debris smashed into the vest and smoke quickly expanded from the blast. Coughing Luke stood up, seeing nothing but white smoke and the smell of dirt and blood. York propped Sergeant Burns against the wall, ripping off his vest as Luke got on the radio.

"Rawhide Two-Three to all units, I have one severely injured. I need a med-evac bird on scene asap!" Luke yelled into the radio and then proceeded to do as training taught me.

"Location: Uniform Eight Nine Three Five Seven Two, Unit Callsign: Rawhide Two-Three, Frequency: UHF 342.41/ FM 103.45! LZ Marking: IR Strobe, Wind direction: West two knots! Elevation: Fifteen feet, Obstacles: Nil, Friendly positions: North/Two feet. Last Fire Received: Just now! Personnel/Equipment: One Sergeant/ Breathing equipment, bandages! Remarks: We need you here now, he is bleeding out!" Luke yelled into the radio looking at Sergeant Burns.

"Roger that Rawhide Two-Three, Pelican on your way. Callsign Kilo Three-Six." The radio replied as Luke moved to the Sergeant who had a milky and unfocused stare.

"Come on Sergeant, you've got to live." York grunted as he wrapped a thick bandage around his back and laid him on his back.

"Come on Sarge." Luke murmured, taking off his backpack and elevating his feet to protect him from shock.

"Come here. The both of you." Sergeant Burns murmured, blinking slowly and groaning with pain.

"You did a great job, from today on. You will remember me as you squad leader no more. I will be just another soldier who trained you in the path of life you are on." Sergeant Burns murmured deliriously as Luke took off his helmet.

"No Sarge, you were our mentor. Like our father, like my father who I never had." York replied as tears dropped from his eyes, his hands bloodied as he pressed on the bandage over the Sergeant's wound.

"Yeah right you maggot." Sergeant chuckled, coughing up blood.

"Where the fuck is that bird?" Luke yelled as he gripped the Sergeant's hand.

"James, take on my squad. Lead them like I led you. You did a good job kid…" Sergeant Burns whispered, his strength ebbing away as his eyes fluttered close.

"Shit we're losing him!" York grunted as Luke checked his pulse.

The Sergeant's pulse was weak and faint as Luke placed my hands on his bandage, York placing his hands on Sergeant's chest. He pumped his chest thirty times before placing his lips onto the Sergeants trying to revive him. Luke heard the faint whisper of the engines from a Pelican. Luke looked back to see the Pelican skimming the rooftops towards them. Luke stood up, waving the Pelican as they flared to slow. The engines kicked up a storm as Luke looked up into the dark sky filled with smoke. A crack of light shown through as he pressed his lips together. He felt the heat bath him in a warm glow as he closed his eyes feeling the thousands of dead Marines beside him and Sergeant Burns wasn't there. He was still alive he had to be.

2623 June 1st Earth Standard Calendar, Entrallia, CDR. Luke Sparrow.

It was normal day today. One day after the short flashpoint against the droids. They lost in total seven hundred and eight five men and women. Seven hundred eight five souls that were sent home in a casket, seven hundred and eight five souls that were missed by their friends and family. He sat inside the barracks with York silently as they contemplated the few days in the short skirmish. Chris was chasing around nurses in the hospital like his usual self and Tiang was having his leg healed in a military hospital not far from base. Sergeant Burns. Sergeant Burns was one hell of a hardass, he was in the ICU but stable. The medic that was told she would visit York didn't come, guess she knew he found out his my own after battle. Sighing, he stood up and shrugged on his vest. He heard someone step into the room behind him, the steel door closing. Turning around, He saw a woman who attire suggested she worked for ONI.

"Commander Sparrow, I need you to come with me."

"Yes ma'am." Luke replied as he followed her out the room. She led him through the base to the ONI section, where he was lead to an office on the right. Opening the door, it revealed a Spartan room with only a desk, computer, two chairs and a lamp. The walls, ceiling and floor where all dull grey. It seemed as though it belonged in a cliché spy film. On the chair behind the desk sat a man in his late forties with greying brown hair. He was a tall lanky man who didn't seem like much of a threat at first glance but then again he worked for ONI, that took some ruthlessness.

"Ah, you must be Commander Sparrow or Lieutenant Sparrow considering your next posting. Officer Smith, ONI." Smith said offering his hand.

"That is correct Sir." Luke said shaking his hand.

"Take a seat. I assume you can guess why you're here?"

"Taskforce 242, correct."

"Indeed. I know you know the rules about the sharing of classified information with foreign forces so I won't go over that. Instead I'm going to be briefing you on your new squad. You'll be part of Unit Callsign: Guardian. As you know this new taskforce will include Jedi, Clones, Mandalorians, Marines, Soldiers, Rangers and so on. You will be the O.A.G. member of course, Tracinya Vizla will be the Mandalorian member, she is a CQC expert and a master of hand to hand combat, extremely patriotic. Then you have Jedi Master Torak and his apprentice Padawan Tarkin, both heavily believe in the Republic and Jedi and their ideals."

"What kind of missions should I expect then, seeing as we're a four-man unit and not some traditional special forces unit? Recon? Hostage rescue? We will all be using different methods of combat, blaster and lightsabre, conventional tactics would be difficult to employ."

"You won't be doing much front line combat as you are used to. You will be more of a diplomatic unit that acts as the Jedi used to, assisting indigenous forces, force recon with some conventional warfare. You'll also be seeing less consistent action than your used to. Any other questions?"

"I assume that some of what you've told me is stuff we're not supposed to know considering ONI's desire to know everything?" Luke asked, not really expecting an answer. Smith simply smiled in a way that confirmed Luke's question.

"You ship out in five hours for Coruscant. Your handler will brief you on your first assignment with the rest of your unit. I suggest that you say your goodbyes and pack your bags. Dismissed."

"Sir." Luke said snapping a salute before turning and leaving.

O.A.G. Times article, Why was the Republic so adamant about fighting the Separatists? If they wanted to secede, they should be allowed to, right?

I know it is said that it is all controlled by Count Dooku, but I felt the Confederacy's issues were legitimate, and they'd have seceded with or without Dooku's involvement.

If they felt the Republic was corrupt, and systems wanted to leave it, then they should be allowed too. Forcing them to stay seems wrong.

Republics are not the same as international treaties. International treaties are agreements among sovereigns. States that join a republic give up some of their sovereignty to do so.

I know, I know. You're asking, "But do they give up so much of their sovereignty that joining is a one-way street?" That is the sort of legal question that tends to be answered not with legal reasoning but with wars (e.g., the American Civil War). Is it morally wrong to compel a state that wants to leave your republic to stay, through military force? Well, plenty of people have thought so in our own history. Let me ask you this: why can't the Republic do morally wrong things? Why can't the Jedi be party to morally wrong acts?

If you pooh-pooh the fact that the prequels to this war are about taxation and trade routes, as some are going to do, then you're going to miss this. This is the so-called "Separatist Council."

Notice something about it? Who's represented there? The Trade Federation, the InterGalactic Banking Clan, the Corporate Alliance, the Techno Union, the Hyper-Communications Cartel, the Commerce Guild (also the Quarren Isolation League, but they aren't important for present purposes). Mega-corporations. Classic dystopian sci-fi mega-corporations, complete with world-class private militaries.

Now, why would mega-corporations be interested in supporting a secessionist movement?

First, pause for a moment and recognize that the Republic even has mega-corporations. Mega-corporations with the military power to conquer entire planets. Mega-corporations so powerful that they can defy the Galactic Senate. Mega-corporations with their own senators. You remember this guy, right? Lott Dod, senator of the Trade Federation. You remember what he was objecting to? As Senator Palpatine put it, "We have become caught in a dispute you're all well aware of, which began right here with the taxation of trade routes …". The Republic is pushing back against the power of the mega-corporations, and they don't like it. They really don't like it.

Like, just think about that. Imagine if Microsoft had objected to the government's antitrust suit against it back in the 1990s by taking over the entire state of Washington. And imagine if the feds' answer was to do nothing.

One might suspect, in that circumstance, that the American republic was slightly dysfunctional.

This is all about establishing that the Senate simply does not work. Even its staunchest supporters (like Padme Amidala) agree that it doesn't work; they simply think that it can be fixed from the inside. We see this theme repeated over and over again as well: a planet calls to the Republic for help, the Senate either can't or won't provide it; the desperate planet turns to the Separatists, who actually can provide the help necessary. The Republic eventually intercedes, the CIS gets all evil strongman, no-you-can't-change-sides about it, the CIS looks like the bad guy to the kids while the adults go, "Well, actually, you did pick sides in a war …"

We don't know exactly what economic impact the CIS systems seceding would have had on the Republic, but we can guess it wouldn't be pretty. Dooku apparently said on Geonosis that he is confident that "another ten thousand systems will rally to our cause." Another ten thousand. We don't know precisely how many systems the Republic has, but another ten thousand sounds like the CIS comprised a very significant chunk of the Republic, and a state whose commerce was already in thrall to mega-corporations probably doesn't have a lot of ability to absorb economic losses. Simply letting the CIS go probably would have meant phenomenal economic disruption to the Republic.

On top of that, the CIS gave the mega-corporations another state to deal with. If the Republic is the only game in town, there's a natural limit to just how much they can squeeze it. If the CIS succeeded, though, those mega-corporations could go "overseas," as it were. Now remember that these are corporations that the Republic is desperately tied up with, to the point that the Trade Federation can conquer an entire planet and the Republic's response is "Well, now, let's not be rash; we don't want to antagonize them …"

In other words, even if the Republic could afford to let the CIS systems go (which it probably couldn't, not really), it absolutely could not afford to let the mega-corporations that kept it afloat go overseas. We see that the mega-corporations are quite willing to take advantage of the war to squeeze the Republic, to the point that senators like Amidala and Bail Organa warn that they will literally bankrupt the federal government.

And so attempting to reconquer the worlds of the CIS makes hard economic sense. Underlying the war is a story of a society's failure to keep its government sufficiently independent of its corporations.

Codex Update

M60-AR: The M60-AR has a range of 1200 meters and a rate of fire of 1200 rounds per minute. It has a low recoil and good stopping power.

Specifications

Designer: Atlas Corporation

Weight: 7.1 lbs (with 30 rounds)

Barrel length: 18.2 inches

Cartridge: 7.62mm plasma bullet

It was part of the Z-plan to modernize the O.A.G. military to combat new threats from the discovery of the Republic.

( b690/f/2010/293/d/5/bullpup_battlerifle_by_ link to image of rifle)

F211 Heavy Sniper Rifle: The F211, standardized by the O.A.G. Military, is a recoil-operated, semi-automaticsniper rifle developed by the American Barrett Firearms Manufacturing company. It is used by many units and armies around the world. Despite its designation as an anti-materiel rifle, it is used by some armed forces as an anti-personnel sniper rifle. It is also called the Light Fifty for its .50 BMGchambering and significantly lighter weight compared to previous applications. The weapon is found in two variants, the original F211A1 (and A3) and the bullpup F211A2. The F211A2 is no longer manufactured. This weapon system is recommended for military and law enforcement only as several rifles have failed with fatal results. It earned the nickname the Widowmaker.

It was part of the Z-plan to modernize the O.A.G. military to combat new threats from the discovery of the Republic.

( 5/4116/4871007899_c0c9061a59_ image of the sniper rifle)

T-740 Titan Hover Tank: The T-740 was significantly more advanced than the normal T-600 "Titans" that were used in service by the O.A.G. The primary innovation was a series of heavy-lift turboengines against a generator that kept the vehicle afloat, allowing for much more mobility as well as strafing and tactical options.

The cabin of the T-740 was much more spacious than conventional due to it's larger turret. It had room for 4 seats, comfortably spread apart. The commander sat at the controls of the tank in the middle of the turret, while other crew members sat beside him/her.

As for weaponry, the T-740 was equipped with dual rocket pods mounted on either sides of the cockpit which launched homing rockets capable of targeting multiple groups of infantry; this is complemented by a smooth-bore main gun. Below the main gun is a separate EMP cannon capable of taking down aircraft with a singe shot. Also, a Trophy System provided defense from incoming projectiles such as missiles and cannon fire.

It was part of the Z-plan to modernize the O.A.G. military to combat new threats from the discovery of the Republic.

M309A1 'Havoc' Self-propelled Artillery: The Havoc Self Propelled Artillery serves as a mobile heavy artillery weapons platform with flight capability. Its large structure is lifted by dual fan blades imbedded in a fixed wing design and several turbine nozzles mounted to the undercarriage. The Havoc is capable of short "hops" to optimal tactical locations for combat as well as to evade enemies. The Havoc can launch an assortment of short-range missiles or artillery shells at enemy targets while keeping a low profile on the battlefield.

It was part of the Z-plan to modernize the O.A.G. military to combat new threats from the discovery of the Republic.

M88A2 howitzers: The M777howitzer is a towed 255mm artillery piece. It is light enough to be carried by Pelican to prime locations. It is the maim artillery piece used by the O.A.G.

It was part of the Z-plan to modernize the O.A.G. military to combat new threats from the discovery of the Republic.

Longsword: The inside of the Longsword presents a small corridor leading to the rear, stairs, and a higher corridor to the cockpit. In the two corridors, there are several equipment lockers, along with two secondary crew stations. The cockpit consists of two pilots' chairs and two auxiliary crew stations. With a total crew complement of four, along with the equipment and weapon lockers, the ship presents itself as less of a fighter-bomber and more of a dedicated bomber and close support craft.

The Longsword's main weapons are 110mm rotary cannons, as well as 120mm ventral guns, for dog-fighting Seraph fighters in space and are great for strafing ground targets when the need arises. This versatile fighter can be armed with an assortment of secondary weapons systems including ASGM-10 Missiles, bombs, Moray space mines, Scorpion missiles, and can even heft a single Shiva-class Nuclear Missile. Later it carried EMP bombs designed to knock out entire cities.

It was part of the Z-plan to modernize the O.A.G. military to combat new threats from the discovery of the Republic.

Broadsword: The F-41 Exoatmospheric Multirole Strike Fighter, also known as the Broadsword, is a versatile and well armed A/X strike fighter typically used to engage space craft of equal or superior weapon capabilities and evasive flight capabilities in low to zero gravity conditions. As its kind has few equals within the O.A.G.'s arsenal, the Broadsword was designed to address the incredible firepower and speed displayed by the fighters of the Republic such as the the new ARC-170 and Separatist Vulture droids. The Broadswords shielding was influenced by the Sabre that covers the entire fighter and designed to withstand a direct hit from a pulse laser. Armed with Air to Air Missiles and one nose mounted cannon and two cannons mounted on each wing.

It was part of the Z-plan to modernize the O.A.G. military to combat new threats from the discovery of the Republic.

Sabre: The YSS-1000 is a space superiority fighter, which can be launched vertically from a terrestrial launch platform using a system of detachable multi-stage rockets to propel itself out of a planet's gravitational pull and atmosphere. The Sabre's speed is similar to the V-19 Torrents and also has an afterburner ability which increases speed for a short duration of time. The Sabre is also capable of performing complex barrel rolls, Split S maneuvers, and Immelmann turns.

The fighter's armament includes twin 30mm autocannon, as well as linked "Medusa"-type missile pods that can lock onto enemy ships. The Sabre also possesses energy shielding technology, and its targeting computer can identify enemy contacts from a long distance, as well as showing the distance to a selected target.

It was part of the Z-plan to modernize the O.A.G. military to combat new threats from the discovery of the Republic.