Darkness approaches and takes root in the star covered sky, yet unlike the sinister nights of the wasteland, this night feels soothing, restful, relaxing. These twelve stare in awe at the sight, as it had never once been witnessed by any of them. They ponder how such things could be seen, twinkling lights of stars pushing through the countless layers of atmosphere. The light in this darkness would prove to be vital, as it would pave the way for their endeavor. The Darkness that would come as a result of it however, would provide no such luxury..........................................................................
It had been four hours since nightfall had cast its shadow upon this world, and with it came a surprising star-filled spectacle. As the gradual fade to darkness came about, constellations of bright stars and faint hues of auroras mixed with the presence of a crescent moon made the sight one to behold. Everyone could only look at what was once only told through stories by those fortunate enough to have lived in the pre-war days, back when the nights held more than just the eerie and ominous black. While it was quite the eye-catcher, Andrew wasn't completely ensnared by its visual appeal. He had to stress more than once for everyone remain vigilant of their surroundings, and reminding them that the mission could begin at any minute, if the natives would go to bed anytime soon that was.
A few hours prior, Andrew and Viktor had both agreed to wait for the ideal opportunity to proceed, which would ultimately come about when the majority of the village inhabitants were mostly asleep. Nate had finished scouting the settlement, and upon his completion, Andrew ordered to have him use the RARD to provide a bird's eye view of the entire town, getting a perfect sense of when the opportune time to make their approach would come. The drone's resolution made it easy to see light peering out of every window in sight, but things had been rather slow for some time. The first two hours saw no change in activity, quite the opposite in fact when they saw that street lanterns had been lit up for passer-by's to go to and fro as they pleased. However, another hour had past and the activity dropped slightly, as some of the larger buildings at the center of town, followed by a few upon the outskirts had shut their lights off. He also noted a significant decrease in street activity, with less and less ponies taking to the streets, instead opting to go inside to no doubt retire for the day.
Andrew wouldn't have time to wait the entire night to oversee what the activity situation was, as just after four hours had passed, both he and Viktor were relieved of first watch by Harris and Lewis. That had been two hours ago, and the short time he had available for some rest went by unused. The constant reflection of his current situation and the discussion he had with Bradford had kept him awake.
He recalled some the more refined details of the exchange. Bradford went outright ecstatic, letting his inner curiosity burst into the form of about a million different questions. Andrew did his best to divert the conversation back to the subject of the mission, only to have it derail onto one of many questions his scientific counterpart had for him. He answered what questions he could, as Bradford no doubt took notes on everything that was discovered, down to the minute details. Once that was done Andrew conveyed what his team's course of action would be. When that subject came around Bradford was hesitant to give the green light, as he still realized just how precarious the situation would be should Andrew and his team be spotted, or worse, caught. But he would have to just pray that wouldn't happen, as he ultimately supported Andrew's COA, giving the rescue team the proper clearance to proceed.
Now all that was left was carrying the task out without the worst possible scenario playing out. And with each passing minute the anxiety of it all only grew. Whether he wished it or not, this mission would play a factor in determining humanity's fate. He could only pray it could play out without a conflict. The last thing mankind needed was another war, something every human being could and most likely would agree to. It might have been twenty years since the end of the Conflict, but the scars and the impact it left had never gone away. The Earth had been torn apart, scorched, and rendered uninhabitable by the fires of nuclear war, and as a result they transformed its once lush surface into a crumbling, desolate, and irradiated hellhole. Entire species of plants and animals had been either wiped out or warped into viscous monsters. In the fact the only two remaining pre-war species were man and the cockroach, both prevailing simply from their stubbornness.
That stubbornness would thrive here. It had been brought up before multiple times by some of the men and Bradford, but the beauty of this world was something he could scarce describe. No doubt Berfield felt the same way when he came here. This was not only a world man could rebuild and prosper, but it was world he wished for his family, more specifically, his child grow up and be raised in. Nothing would please him more than the prospect of sparing Jake and the future generations from the harsh wasteland.
Thoughts of Jake's face when he would set his first sights upon this place made Andrew smile. With that in mind, Andrew's anxiety was temporarily replaced with joyous excitement, something he hadn't felt in years. And this was real excitement, not just the one he felt when Jess promised to "relieve stress" when he returned home, this was excitement, nay, eagerness for what the future would bring. Jake knew only the world as it was, a land of danger, a world of suffering where one had to give it all he got to survive. He wa still very young, and although he knew that humanity was responsible for the destruction, Andrew awaited the day he would have to tell his boy that he had a hand in it with bitter sorrow. It would no doubt mark an end to his son's innocence, and open his eyes to the mistakes of his forefathers. But this was a world Jake deserved to grow up in, one that offered a brighter future for both him and the generations to come, without paying the price of what he and the generations before him had inflicted upon the Earth.
Andrew was beginning to think how his wife, Jessica would react to this place. She'd either burst into a state of joy, tears, or both upon seeing this place, she had always been one for the dramatics of life, in her words it kept things interesting. But thoughts of her reaction to this world soon changed to her reaction to when she found out what he had done to discover it. Anticipation of a well-heated scolding would await him upon his return, and when Jess got angry, she became a force to be reckoned with. Hell hath no fury compared to a woman's scorn as they say. It had happened several times through the entirety their relationship, and he knew the process by heart at this point. First she'd blow up at him holding nothing back, berate him, shun him for an extended period of time until he apologized, she'd give him the cold shoulder, but eventually get over it. However recently, he noticed how she had managed to hold herself back from the usual method of backlash, around the time when Jake was born.
Despite knowing what was in store for him, he would go into it knowing he had at least secured mankind's future, in some way, shape, or form. The concerns of his domestic life would have to come second, well after this mission reached its conclusion. For now, Andrew's primary concern was his method for proceeding. Once the town fell silent, or silent enough for a stealthy approach, they'd first make their way to the large structure at the center of town, where he would have Asami and Ahab infiltrate the building and make their way to the top to provide overwatch. Another set of eyes would help, as he could have Nate focus on directing them in and out while the two snipers could call out any targets they see. Once those two got into position, he'd take both teams and direct them to the primary AO, the large castle structure on the western side of the settlement. Nate would stay behind and provide aerial surveillance while they were inside, with Jelani staying behind to watch his six. Andrew was certain that he was a capable soldier, but to quote what Viktor had mentioned when coming up with the plan, Jelani is the worst choice for anything stealth related.
Thoughts soon turned to their main objective. If Berfield was there like those two natives suggested, Andrew would want him extracted quickly and quietly. If everyone did their job right, they could be in and out before these things knew they were there. Deep thought slowly died away in Andrew's mind, as sleep overtook his body. The Star-filled night gave way to pitch darkness, as his eyelids overcame with the heavy sense of rest that had grown over the long haul of today's journey.
A swirling consciousness of thoughts floated perspectives around in an oblivious nature. No structure, no from. These things that would once be attributed to such moments is to be expected, if not routine in this state between realities. But somehow, it was different. He felt tired, exhausted, exerted, out of breath, and in pain. Around him swirling vortexes of grey and black flowed around in a dizzy and disoriented nature. Occasional streaks of fiery red and orange would strike out at them, just missing his body by a margin of inches. All that can be heard is the low-pitched hum. But suddenly, certain words become audible, but not those that come of a natural source. They were ghostly, as if a spirit had murmured them with the passing of the wind. Though they seemed to lack a source, they are as clear as daylight.
"What did you do exactly?" A feminine voice asks.
Suddenly into fruition, his voice answers, without his mouth moving so much as an inch.
"I don't want to speak about it. It's best it stay that way."
The query as to how this was happening was suddenly replaced by the startling nature of what began to transpire around him. The once disfigured vortexes become less and less prominent, slowly winding down and forming distinct shapes. He suddenly felt a sense of connection with the body, which laid in a kneeling state over the slain.
His vision is hazed, blurry, disoriented, and cloudy. But it didn't take an unnatural clarity to know that whatever substance that soaked his hands sent an overwhelming shock of horror within. He desperately searches for the source. He finds himself in an equally frightening, if not morally conflicted state. Laying beneath him, lay the soul that brutally had the life taken from him. His dark contorted face bent in ways that were perceived as unnatural and mutilated.
All around, the ferocity of what had to be battle continued its relentless blow upon the Earth. He began to panic, as he was unable to distinguish friend or foe from the shadowy figures that charged at one another. They lashed out at one another, some resorting to the brutality of melee, others casting the fiery red streaks that killed in an instant. Is this real? He asked himself. Is this reality? Are we dead? Is this God's punishment for us? Was it truly worth it? Did it have to be this way? The voices prior return, blotting out the monotonous hum that echoed from all around.
"Andrew, it's okay, it's over, we can talk it about it."
"I said no Jess. I know you've had your share of suffering, we all have. But you don't know what it's like to cause it."
Suddenly, he felt the sudden urge to turn around, as yet another figure charged directly towards him. He acted quickly, disposing of his attacker with such an unnatural lag to his movements, as if time had slowed down. The shade did not bleed, not at first, and as soon as his attacker dropped to the ash covered ground, two more appeared on the hill above him. He determined they were too far to dispose in the same manner as the one prior, and searched for an alternative solution. Time slowed once again. Taking advantage of the moment, his hand grasped something that felt familiar to the hand as the touch of another. He released it from its anchor, and in doing so, made him capable of neutralizing his foes. The two fell as the first. And suddenly, he felt the need to direct his attention elsewhere.
"Andrew.............."
"You don't need to worry yourself about it, okay. It's in the past, I promise."
Time gained traction, as events began to speed up. The shadows were essentially blurs now, rushing past him with such speed, charging headlong to their awaiting demise. He felt the need to follow suit. As he began to take his steps forward he found himself as one of the many rushing towards a universal goal, now standing a short distance away from the only towering structure left standing. Was that why they were here? They sent us here, for what? They sent us to die!?
"The one thing you said when we started out was that we need to learn to trust each other. Do you not trust me enough? Are you afraid of what I'll think? Whatever you did in the past doesn't have any hold on the man you are now and regardless of what it is Andy, I promise it won't change my feelings toward you."
"....................Maybe one day Jess......................just not today."
Anger, betrayal, fear, these were the emotions that spread through his soul. He shouted at the others, begging, pleading them to turn around. To no avail, they either refused to listen or were too entrenched in the moment to do so. At the same time, turning around would earn him death from his allies. One body, one motive.
"Well........................................if you feel more comfortable that way, fine. Just promise me there's no more secrets."
"I promise...................I love you."
The voices of two lovers echoed for the last time before a new, dreadful sound became all the more apparent. As if caused by an avalanche, death began to rain from the sky, its source, no doubt what lied ahead of them. What lied ahead could only bring death and misfortune. Perhaps it was better this way. Yes. Perhaps, the end would make it all meaningless. What was the point? Revenge? Getting even? Settling the score? What was the point if the world had nothing to fall back to? His existence was meaningless in the end. They would never be able to break this constant state of conflict. The world had died, perhaps it was time he did too. Any means of fighting were abandoned, and he simply stood in place, awaiting for the end to descend upon him. It then all stopped, as if time had simply paused. All around the shadows took human forms. Black figures with no face, no identity, but his did.
All was quiet, until a faint yet eerily noticeable sound emanated behind him. He turned around, and what shocked him most wasn't the fact that time had froze, but that the figure whose state could easily be described as both sorrow and fear combined, differed from anything he had seen so far. He couldn't peer out any detail, other than the almost harmonious night blue hue that surrounded it. This specter was.................crying? Suddenly the reality surrounding him began to fade, giving way to darkness as conciseness returned to his mind. Before he slipped from his slumbering state, he heard last word that came from the mouth of a woman utterly unknown to him.
"..................Liar..................."
Andrew woke up in shock, with his heart pounding non-stop in his chest. His mind was scrambling for answers as to what just happened. He looked around, and found himself against a tree on the edge of the forest, with most of his team still asleep. The events preceding this point of the mission instantly resurfaced in his head, and he found minor comfort in knowing that he was back in the real world. He pondered on what he just experienced, and was convinced that that couldn't have been a dream. The place, the event, it struck him as familiar, but he couldn't quite place what it was.
After about a minute or two of recollecting his thoughts, he began to come around. Maybe it was just a dream, albeit one he had never experienced in such vague interpretation. Andrew slowly but assuredly recuperated from the experience, just barely managing to brush it aside once he realized that the events within it held no meaningful sway.
Finally managing to not think about it any longer, he took another gander around. He suddenly overheard Harris, Nate, and Humphrey exchange words in hushed tones over by the terminal. Andrew had a feeling he knew what was up. Once Lewis began to walk over towards him Andrew wasted no time in meeting him halfway.
"Sir." Lewis addressed.
"What do you have, Wolf 6?" Andrew asked.
"Town's all quiet, sir. Last light went out about five minutes ago. Place is completely dark."
"Even the street lights."
"Yes, sir. Everything."
Andrew walked up to the terminal to see for himself. He looked at the monitor, and sure enough, the town rested in complete darkness like Lewis had informed. Now was the time. and there was no time to lose, he knew they'd need every minute. Andrew immediately went to work having Harris and Lewis make the rounds to wake everyone up. Time was given beforehand to prep, and thus everyone was fully prepared to move out hours prior.
Despite this, Andrew felt the need to go over the procedure one last time before they set out. The group was beckoned to form a huddle as Andrew went over the details.
"Okay here's how we're gonna do this. Wolf 4, you'll stay behind and use the RARD to lead us through the village. Wolf 5, you're in charge of watching his back."
Jelani wasn't too happy that he'd was being ordered to stay behind, but understood why. Stealth really wasn't his forte, and the weapons and equipment he brought along would only prove to complicate a stealth role. Andrew continued.
"Everyone else is gonna follow behind me, 2-3 meter spacing. Once we reach the outskirts, everyone fall in, keep close, and stay away from open areas. Stick the sides of buildings if you have to. Our first objective is the structure at the center of town. From there, we'll assess the situation and proceed onto the primary structure to the west. Wolf 3, Osaka 4, if able, we may need you two to provide overwatch on the top of that cylindrical structure."
"I'm guessing we'll be using that center structure as our sniper's nest?" Asami asked.
"Precisely. Other than our primary location of interest, it towers over everything in town, giving you two the best view possible."
"Alright, but that may be an issue if there's occupants inside." she said.
"That may be." Andrew stated. "But considering how everything else in town went quiet it's a safe guess that whoever was in there did as well. If not, well, we'll just have to think of something else."
"Climb a roof maybe?" Ahab suggested.
"Maybe." Asami conceded.
"Back on track people." Andrew said bringing the conversation back to how they were to proceed. "Like pretty much everything up to this point, we can only speculate how much time we have left till the sun rises. So we need to work fast. Clear?"
The group gave affirmative replies, and at that moment, Andrew clicked the call button on his HUD-set to give Gateway the update.
"Gateway, this is Osaka 1."
"*This is Gateway, go ahead Osaka 1.*"
"Gateway, the settlement has gone dark. Break. Visual on any native subjects has ceased over the last hour. Fireteams Wolfpack and Osaka are on standby, ready to move in to extract the target. Permission to proceed? Over."
"*Affirmative, Osaka 1, you have the green light to proceed. Primary objective remains the same, locate and extract target Bravo and bring him back to your point of entry. Exercise extreme caution, take any steps necessary to stay out of sight. Gateway out.*"
"Copy, Osaka 1, out."
Andrew turned to the men, switching the safety off on his gun. This encouraged the others to do the same. With one quick look and a slight smug smile, he voiced one last sentence before beginning their approach.
"Showtime folks."
The blissful night sky did its job in covering their approach, although by this point, many in the company were almost certain that the natives would have little to no reason to be out here this late to begin with. Regardless the cover was welcomed. The darkness did very little to deter their sense of direction as the Night-Vision display on everyone's HUD-set made every detail of the grassy plain clear-as-day.
Both fireteams had maintained a solid box formation during their approach, one proceeding the other as they made their way forward. The time it took to reach the outskirts of the settlement was about twenty minutes, with no hiccups or obstacles of any sort impeding their progress.
The town was quiet as could be, and Andrew preferred it stay that way. Andrew gave a series of hand signals for both Fireteams to stack up and take cover at the closest structure, which happened to be small gazebo. They now stood just less than twenty yards away from the eastern outskirts. Andrew wasn't fond of staying in this spot for too long, as the gazebo did little to conceal themselves. He quickly got in contact with Nate so he could hurry things along.
"*Wolf 4, this is Osaka 1, do you read, over.*" Andrew said in a hushed tone.
"*Coming in Loud and clear, sir.*" Nate replied.
"*Is the RARD in position?*"
All of a sudden the RARD appeared out of stealth mode five feet from where Andrew was standing, hovering at about eye-level.
"*Standing by and awaiting your orders, sir.* Nate replied.
"*You wanna take that kind of risk, leaving it out of stealth mode like that?*" Andrew asked.
"*The night alone should be able to mask its movements. Besides, the stealth mode drains the battery. We've got about 6 more hours of use without it.*"
"*And with it on?*"
"*About 2.*"
"*I see. Anyways, I need you adjust the RARD to an overhead elevation of 25 ft and guide us towards the large cylindrical structure at the town's center. Open a secondary feed and set it to thermal, warn us of any approaching threats entering our AO. Over.*"
"*Copy that, Commander. Increasing elevation to 25 ft.*" Nate relayed, sending the RARD up in the air to the desired point. "*Secondary thermal feed is now active.*"
"*Any signatures?*" Andrew asked.
"*Negative. I'm getting a few faint readings from the lampposts that went out, but other than that the drone's not picking anything up. Coast looks clear, Osaka 1.*"
"*Copy, Wolf 4, Lead us through.*"
"*Roger that.*"
Andrew motioned for the men to follow, and they swiftly, yet cautiously approached the outskirts of town. They filed out from behind the gazebo in a tight knit staggered column, with Ahab, Lamond, and Harris watching the rear, Achmed and Lewis, covering the left side, while Sarah and Asami covered the right. Viktor, Hale, and Andrew led the group forward, watching for any signs of movement through the green filter of their NV setting. They soon found themselves on the side of a street, or whatever counted as the equivalent to one in this world. Passing the first structure to their right, Nate came back on the comms to provide their route.
"*Coming up on the first turn Osaka 1.*" Nate informed. "*You'll want to take a turn at the very end of the third building to your left. See it?*"
Andrew looked in an attempt to find it, and with little to no effort he did. The third building down to left was one of many that stretched in a slightly curved direction forward.
"*Copy Wolf 4, I see it.*"
"*There's an alleyway right along the right edge of the building, you'll need to take your team down it for about three quarters of a click. I'll direct you further once you've trekked that distance.*"
"*Copy.*"
Gun at the ready, he approached the entry point, stopping just before the structure ended, giving yield to the entry-point. He leaned out from his cover spot of the building, aiming his MTAR down the long narrow alleyway that stretched for quite some distance. Seeing there were no targets and no signs of movement, Andrew went back over the comms.
"*Wolf 4, where's this route take us?*" Andrew asked.
"*According to the map, this alley takes you at least halfway towards the center of town. It bypasses a lot of open street area, while still getting you to where ya need to go. But I need to warn ya to be careful. My guess is that these buildings might serve as housing units for the natives. Last thing ya need to do is go waking the neighbors.*"
"*Copy, Wolf 4, proceeding onward. Osaka 1, out.*"
Andrew lowered his weapon and gestured for the group to follow as he issued another command.
"*Single file. No sound. I'll take point.*"
The men stacked up behind him as instructed, and one by one, the group filed into through the alleyway in a single-file column. Though they were told to exercise caution, the team still managed to keep a steady pace, quick enough for it to be time-efficient but not so sporadic that it would give their position away in a heartbeat. The path ever-so-slightly curved to the right, and they ever-so-slowly found themselves curving inwards towards the settlement's center. They passed house after house, and after a while, many began to notice the luxuries each one could afford. Almost as if time had been rewound, the backyards held a variety of different oddities that drew parallels with the pre-war days. Patio furniture, personal flower gardens, and recreational constructions like pools and trampolines all but alluded that these natives had a life of comfort. Compared to humanity, they essentially had it easy. Some like Achmed and Asami, gazed upon these sights with slight optimism. Others, not so much, instead feeling slight traces of either envy or jealously.
Their trek towards the settlement's center was making decent time. But that all came to a screeching halt when a loud creaking noise penetrated the quiet nighttime sounds. To make matters worse, it was close by, less than ten meters at least. The Commander, quick as a whip, silently but quickly gave the order to hit the deck. Andrew dropped to a prone stance using a picket fence to the right as a means of cover. The boards of the fence were spaced a few inches from each other, giving Andrew a limited view of the yard next to him. Once again the silence was broken, this time by a transmission over the local comms.
"*Commander, I have eyes on a target coming out of the building to your immediate right, remain out of sight. RARD has locked on and standing by/*" Nate informed over the comm.
Andrew wasn't willing to risk giving his position away by replying back, knowing the target was so close. Suddenly the yard was lit into view, as an orange hue enveloped a radius around it. Everyone diverted more effort to be better concealed from that angle. Andrew was beginning to wonder if something had spotted them through one of the windows of the homes they passed. He adjusted himself to get a better view. Directing his eyes to the source of the light through one of the gaps in the fence, Andrew could see that a large shadow was cast along the home's exterior wall, indicating something was in close proximity to the source. Tracing back with his eye, he spotted the perpetrator. What he saw immediately confirmed Asami's theory about some of the natives having the ability to fly.
Hovering next to the lantern was what appeared to be a Pegasus, with a coat of light yellow coinciding with a much more vibrant mane of the same color. The pegasus however differed from the regular natives significantly, mainly due to its size. This one was small, just a little under a foot tall in height, leading many to speculate that this particular native either suffered from a rare case of dwarfism, or the more likely scenario that she was a child. She shook her head, effectively extinguishing the match in her mouth that she used to light the lantern with and spat it out into some sort of glass tray by the windowsill. She flew down and landed on the ground, approaching the central area of the backyard and closer to their position.
Everyone remained as still and motionless as a corpse. The lantern wasn't bright enough to completely give their position away but the slightest movement could highlight their position to the young filly. So they remained hidden and still, and could only hope to wait it out. Why this young one was up and about this late by herself was what Andrew was wondering, but furthering more, the fact that it looked like she wasn't going to go back inside anytime soon fueled his anxiety. Andrew watched with impatience as she paced back and forth at the center of the yard, with her eyes looking up towards the sky, almost as if she were trying to spot something out.
Andrew was beginning to get just the slight bit curious as to what exactly she was doing when the door leading to the back of her home opened again, and another small equine stepped out. This one had no horn and no wings, stood about 1/2 a foot taller, had a much more angular head structure, with a brown coat of fur and darker brown mane. It stormed over towards her with a glaring look on his face.
"Sunny! What are you doing out here!" The brown colt growled in a boyish voice.
"Carver, the tooth breezie came! She just left, I wanted to see if I could see her!" Sunny defended with giddy excitement.
The colt seemed perturbed and too tired to care about any wild fascinations his younger sibling was claiming.
"Sunny, it's late, it's dark, and mom's gonna ground you if she finds out you're out here by yourself at night."
"C'mon Carver, I promise I'll be back inside in a sec, I know she's out here."
This Carver seemed to growl angrily, but suddenly, he raised an eyebrow. Soon a devilish grin stretched across his face.
"Okay, fine, stay out here." He said in a uncaring tone. "But don't come crying when the boogeymare comes and gets you."
Sunny's sudden happy-go-lucky attitude began to show signs of withering. She turned around towards him.
"The...boogeymare?" she asked timidly.
"That's right. Stories say that she likes to come out on dark nights like tonight, preying upon little fillies and clots who make the mistake of going outside at night." he said in a spooky tone with the same devilish grin.
Sunny defiantly tried put on a brave face, but body language said it all, she was falling for his fear tactics.
"I'm not scared." she claimed.
"You should be." Carver said sarcastically. "I hear she prefers to nab little fillies who wander out at night to chase the tooth breezie."
Andrew could see that they had to be siblings, and the older brother was using his superior wit to scare his sister back into the house. That was fine by him, but the faster he could accomplish this goal the sooner they could continue.
"You..........you're lying." She claimed defiantly.
Andrew grew impatient of this hold-up and sought to move it along. Ever so slightly, he unsheathed his knife, and slowly began to make loud scratches against the fence post next to him, audible enough for the two young equines to hear while still easily capable of being dismissed as something else. Viktor and the others looked at him precariously, wondering what he was up to.
The young filly jumped back around in panic at the sound of something scratching along the fence-line to their backyard. She slowly began to walk backwards towards the house, cowering behind her brother.
"Wha.....what was that?" Sunny whimpered.
The young colt wasn't sure what made that sound, but whatever it was seemed to spook his sister into coming back into the house, which was fine by him. He figured it was probably a raccoon or something. Regardless, he snared his sister hook, line, and stinker, and sought to reap the reward of being able to go back to bed.
"Come on Sunny, let's go back to sleep." Carver said in a nurturing tone.
The young filly seemed too frightened to speak, opting to simply nod in agreement and went back inside with her older brother. The brother quickly climbed atop the windowsill and blew out the candle in the lantern. When that was finished the two returned inside and out of sight. And just like that, it was all quiet again. Everyone slowly slid out of their hiding spots, with Andrew getting Nate on the line.
"*Wolf 4. Target is no longer in sight. Continuing mission.*"
"*I saw. Reminds me of the pranks I used pull on my wee brother as a lad......................Anyways, proceed down the alley. Wolf 4, out.*"
When the transmission ended, Andrew gestured for all to follow, and they did so accordingly, and the group was on its way again. They continued down the alley for another five minutes when Nate came back over the radio.
"*Osaka 1, you're about twenty meters away from your next change in route, slow speed and await further instruction.*"
Andrew slowed his approach, calculating the distance ahead to get a feel for when they needed to stop. Up ahead, he could see that the alleyway they had been following had started to space out significantly, but to their upcoming right, an opening showed that yet another row of houses resting back to back formed yet another concealed alleyway. Just before coming up alongside it, he gave the order to halt, just two feet away upon the new route's entry.
"*I'm guessing you see it?*" Nate asked.
"*Yeah I see it.*" Andrew replied.
He stepped forward and began inspecting it. He took aim down the alley. All clear. He gestured for the rest to follow. Nate managed to lead them through town effectively. Over the course of half an hour, Nate led the team through alley after alley, until eventually leading them through a large clearing, filled with small stands and tents.
As they exited the last alley, the group spread out across this area, using the various amounts of cover the surrounding provided them to mask their approach. Straight ahead, the top of the carousel building poked over the top of a rather decorative building. Judging from the vast amounts of sweets they saw behind its windows as they passed it by had the general consensus guessing it was some sort of ration station, or whatever the peacetime equivalent to one was. Regardless, the group managed to slip past it unnoticed.
Another five minutes of traversing the town and the team had finally accomplished their first objective. They had been using one of the outer walls of one of many structures that dotted the current environment when they set their sights upon the central cylindrical structure. Andrew was hesitant to make a direct approach right then in there, and ordered the team to stand by as he contacted Nate.
"*Wolf 4, I need you to perform a sweep of the central structure. Scan for thermal sigs and report back.*"
"*Copy, Osaka 1, Beginning sweep.*"
It was evidently clear that the sweep would take a little time. The Commander had ordered absolute silence, so everyone would most likely spend this time indulging in some internal thinking.
Achmed was having trouble keeping himself together, as he had never been on a mission with so much on the line. The load of what was at stake felt burdening, and unbeknownst to everyone, that run-in with the two native children nearly gave him a heart attack, as he was under the initial impression that they had been spotted. It took all the nerve he had to keep it together back there. He wasn't entirely sure if that made him cowardly or brave.
He was just glad that he managed to keep it together. If the elder sibling hadn't managed to spook his sister into going back to bed, they could have been hiding there for God knows how long. He suddenly decided to add his own perspective on that little stunt. If those two had been human children they would've had been severely punished for even thinking about going outside that late at night, regardless of what the reasoning was. But then Achmed found himself staring face-to-face with some outside perspective and the one key flaw of his argument. They weren't human, and this wasn't Earth. The nights no doubt had its dangers here, but not as severe as the ones on Earth.
This started a chain reaction of thought, as something that started as a simple outside judgement slowly began to build into an overarching question concerning his species creating a foundation on this world. If humanity was to start again, perhaps they too one day could live out the remainder of their lives at this level of prosperity, but how to do it was the question. Achmed began to wonder if mankind would ever return back to a point like this, where comfort could almost be seen as a normal commodity. After all that happened, the suffering, the tales of those who lived through the war, and the scars it left behind. This world was untouched by the faults of mankind, and although man may safeguard it like his own child upon his initial embark upon it its surface, it would only take a few generations for man's memory to become ignorant of the past. Maybe those of his generation could leave a lasting impression, those who didn't die from the fighting or radiation had effectively been hardened by the trials presented to them, in state of mind as well as physically. Hell, those didn't fry from the lingering radiation had built a resistance to it, evolution seemed to kick in even when man had effectively killed nature.
But how was an entire generation of hardened folks supposed to cope and adapt with this newfound prosperity. Some might not be willing to say it, but some people knew nothing but the trials of the wasteland and war. How were they going to deal with such a drastic change?
Suddenly the RARD approached from above. As everyone focused in on it, Achmed did the same, rounding up the rest of his thoughts for another time. Shortly afterwards, they received another comm call from Nate.
"*Osaka 1, full scan of the structure turned up no results. Cross section scans show it to be clear of any substantial heat signatures. You’re clear to proceed. Over.*"
"*Copy Wolf 4, we're Oscar Mike. Osaka 1 out.*"
Andrew turned to his two scouts.
"*Wolf 3, Osaka 4, you two know what to do. Radio in once you’re in position.*"
The two gave a confirming nod, and the duo discreetly made their way towards the front of the building. Both the duo and the remaining Fireteams kept a watchful eye on their surroundings while Ahab and Asami were out in the open. The two were finally able to focus on infiltrating the structure once they made it to the front steps of the entrance. The door itself was about 5 feet tall, no problem for a pony, but required a bit of head-ducking for a human. The two took their positions by the door. Ahab pointed to himself and then to the door, indicating he would take point.
Asami nodded, and with rifle at the ready, Ahab proceeded inside by slowly opening the door. Once he was completely inside, he immediately checked every angle. Despite Nate's assurance's the building was empty, Ahab was willing to be safe than sorry. Once deeming it safe for entry Ahab turned to Asami and beckoned for her to follow. She stepped inside and found the interior to be quite spacious. It seemed as if the of the structure was built like one large atrium, and a vibrant one at that. Large windows circled the building up towards the center, revealing the vibrant night sky behind the clear panels. Banners, both beautiful and eloquent in their design hung from the ceiling. Several balconies and walkways circled the interior, meaning that the way up would most likely reside towards either the back or the outer edges of the room. With a quick look around she spotted an open doorway towards the back, preceded by some sort of stage with stairs leading up to it.
She motioned for her counterpart to follow, and the two began their ascent to the top. Back outside, the others waited, wary of their surroundings. Viktor was crouched next to Andrew and leaned in over to whisper something.
"*You sure we'll need overwatch on this one?*" Viktor asked. "*I'm not too fond of splitting up in a place like this. Besides, we have the drone.*"
"*The drone's going to lead us through town, Vik.*" Andrew explained. "*Overwatch's job is to watch our 6 once we exfiltrate. They'll be covering our escape route.*"
"*Fair enough, but I still think splitting up is a bad idea. Higher chance one of us gets compromised if we run into trouble.*"
"*True. But, it also gives us the added bonus of discretion. If just one of us gets caught doesn't mean we all get caught.*"
Viktor was trying to get a feel of what Andrew was aiming for, when suddenly he realized exactly what it was. He shot Andrew a disapproving look.
"*You're trying to pull that same stunt you attempted in Istanbul, aren't you? The one where I got cornered by Raiders, and while they were preoccupied with me you snuck a satchel into their power grid?*"
Andrew's expression said it all, pretty much answering Viktor's question.
"*Chert. Andrew.*" Viktor cursed.
"*Hey, It worked didn't it?*"
"*By some miracle. I doubt a stunt like that will work a second time. Don't tell me that's what you had planned when we reach our primary AO?*"
"*Well, I don't know if you noticed, but our AO is the largest damn building in town. We'll need to split the team to cover more ground. Besides, Wolf 4's got the map to guide us through, so we shouldn't have to worry about anybody getting lost.*"
Viktor's unconvinced expression said he still wasn't on board with the idea. He'd seen the face multiple times. In the old days, Andrew would make sure both Viktor and himself would be on the same page before proceeding. But considering Viktor's cautious nature, particularly when one of Andrew's strategies were involved, his friend needed convincing.
"*Hey, have a little faith, old friend.*" Andrew assured in a smug tone. "*The odds are actually in our favor this time.*"
"*How so?*"
"*Well assuming your lumbering ass doesn't get caught for a second time, they don't know we're coming, or that we're even here. Things have played out well so far, so I'd say luck is on our side. There's five more of us than last time so there's a little more room for error. And I don't mean to compliment those pieces of shits, but these natives don't seem quite as attent as those raiders. So as long as nobody does anything stupid, we can be in and out in less than twenty minutes.*"
Viktor would have added further protest, but he knew Andrew made a fair point. Their current status wasn't as drastic as it had been back then. And so far, despite the small setback from earlier, the ride had been pretty smooth so far, giving them the upper hand.
"*I suppose you're right.*" Viktor sighed in concession. "*But God help us if shit hits the fan.*"
Andrew didn't respond, as the thought of things going south brought some unneeded stress as the "what-if" situation played out in his head. Meanwhile inside, Asami and Ahab managed to work their way up to the third floor, both the highest and smallest of them all. Asami looked around to investigate. The ceiling stood about as tall as that first doorway, thus the two of them were hunched over as they walked inside. This area in particular didn't look like it saw a whole a lot of use. All around, the room was nothing but wood brown, with no windows or adornments of any sort to add any sense of deign direction to the room, just dust and cobwebs. And with all the boxes, crates and empty file bins that littered the room, she determined this must have served as a storage room of sorts. She and Ahab started looking around for any means to get out onto the roof. Two seconds had passed when Ahab suddenly spoke out.
"*Psst! Hey.*" He said quietly.
Asami turned over to him. She saw that he was pointing towards the back corner of the ceiling, where a small hatch rested above their heads, along with a collapsible ladder. She gave him a nod, and the two made their way over to it. She was the closest to it and thus found that it was up to her to get it open. Unlocking the hatch that kept it sealed, she slowly swung it open while simultaneously releasing the ladder down as quietly as she could. Quiet wasn't quite the word that could be used to describe the process, as the hinges of both the hatch and the ladder could have used a good oiling as creaked. She mentally cursed, but it was ultimately no big deal considering the place was empty.
Once opened, Asami climbed the ladder and up to the roof. The crawl section of the hatch was about 1x1ft, and thus she had to throw her pack and rifle up first before climbing up herself. She elegantly slid her slender frame through. She was now back outside, this time overlooking the entire town. The space she had to work with almost reminded her of a lookout tower. It was small, but capable for the two of them to provide overwatch.
She was about to pull the spotter scope from her backpack when the sounds of Ahab cursing under his breath instantly tipped her off that the grunt must have run into difficulties with the hatch. Sure enough, there were. The first thing she saw when she turned around was Ahab stuck around his belly, indicating his bigger frame didn't cope well in the small confines of the hatch.
"*You got to be shitting me.*" she irritably cursed quietly under her breath.
Asami quickly walked over to Ahab. She noticed that he thankfully managed to follow in her footsteps, and had thrown his backpack up ahead of time, meaning he himself was the only thing that was proving difficult for him to squeeze through. His arms and upper torso was all that was poking through the top. In an attempt to get him out of there, Asami grabbed him by the hands.
"*On three.*" she announced. "*one, two, three.*"
With all the force the two could muster, Ahab slowly began to slide out from the opening. After about ten seconds, Ahab felt the tension around his waist let go, and found himself free to move forward. At that moment, Asami let go, and the two proceeded to get a sense of the area they would be responsible for covering. The spot was suitable, as the view provided a clear line of sight of everything preceding the large structure to the west. A few blind spots here and there, but nothing too detrimental to their task. Asami proceeded to take out the spotter scope from her pack, and handed it to Ahab.
"*Here, spot targets for me as soon as they appear.*" She ordered.
"*Got it.*" Ahab replied.
As he took the scope from her hands, she set her RFB battle rifle down on the floor next to her and pulled out her Bolt-action Howa. The surface area of the rooftop balcony was too small for her and her spotter to go prone, and the railing would definitely do further hindrance to her performance if she decided to do that anyway. The railing itself was about 2 feet tall making it more optimal for her and her partner to sit down and shoot. She did just that, taking a seat while simultaneously unfolding the bipod to her rifle and resting it upon the top of the railing. Ahab had done the same with the spotter scope he had been given. After a bit of tweaking with their magnification and sighting, the two were set. Ahab went over the comms to give the update.
"*Osaka 1, this is Osaka 4, Wolf 3 and I are in position, awaiting orders, over.*"
Down below, Andrew looked up to the very top of the structure. Sure enough, he spotted the outlines of two human-beings, sniper and spotter, taking up their position on the top balcony.
"*Copy that. Proceeding to primary AO. Wolf 4 will continue aerial surveillance, your job is to call out any targets you see during our approach. Do the same once we exfiltrate. We'll rendezvous at this position. Until then, watch our six. Osaka 1 out.*"
Andrew, saw that the drone was still hovering above them, and switched the call in order to get in contact with Nate.
"*Wolf 4, we're ready to proceed.*"
"*I read you, Osaka 1. Take the team and make a straight shot to the line of buildings to the west of the building where Overwatch's positioned. Once there, you'll want to continue down that path for about another 300 meters. The structures seem to have an abundance of foliage towards the front. If you can use it to your advantage, it's a straight shot to your primary objective. If not, I'll provide an alternative route when necessary.*"
"*Copy, Wolf 4, think we'll take the direct route. We're Oscar Mike. Osaka 1, out*"
And once again, the team was on the move yet again. Following Nate's recommended route, they made their way around to the western side of the central building and ran along the row of homes that laid across from it. About 15 minutes passed, and so far their approach was going smoothly as they made their way from house to house. Andrew hoped it would stay that way, but despite the lack of updates from both Nate and the overwatch team, anything could happen at any moment, so he remained vigilant. Another five minutes passed, and after he and his team bypassed the last house on the row, they found themselves face to face with their destination.
The sight left just a trace of envy in Andrew's heart, as it had probably been the most pristine building he had ever lain eyes on. The building was gargantuan, and had a quality of upkeep that hadn't been seen since the pre-war era. A grand staircase led to a pair of large gold doors embroidered with two large amethyst gems. Upon the closer inspection, the building seemed to be in the shape of some sort of tree, only instead of wood and bark, its exterior was composed entirely out of some crystalline material. A series of spires jutted out from the top of the tree, with walls of royal violet complimented by roofs of gold, and to top it off, the building's highest point symmetrically branched off, forming pointed ends into a shape that resembled a star. Andrew gazed at it in awe, wholeheartedly impressed with how such architecture could have been pulled off. Her had to fight the urge to delve deeper into how humanity could one create such works as these. Suddenly, Overwatch came over the radio, with Ahab on the line.
"*Osaka 1, 5 here, Wolf 3 and I have a visual on two targets guarding the main doorway of the structure. Over*"
Andrew ordered the group to take cover while he made an assessment. Pulling out a pair of binoculars from one of his vest pouches, he began to scout the entrance of the building. Sure enough, he spotted two natives, much brawnier than any of the ones they encountered so far. They both wore what looked to be armor made of gold or perhaps some sort of foreign metal indigenous to this world, covered from head to toe, or hoof in their case. The design and layout of it looked ancient, reminiscent of the few ancient civilizations man still had knowledge of. Their weapons only bolstered this assumption, as they looked to be made of no more than a sharpened slab of iron or steel fastened onto the shaft of a spear.
"*Copy on that Osaka 5, we see them. Note, Targets seem to be heavily armored, but armed with basic weaponry, do not engage. Wolf 4, how's it looking in the inside? Over.*"
Unbeknownst to the ponies that currently occupied the building, Nate's RARD had performed a detailed sweep of the castle's interior, giving him an entire multi-level map grid to lead them through. Every door, passage, and room was displayed on his terminal. However, in order to get a number of how many guards there were, he'd have to perform another thermal sweep of the building's interior.
"*Wolf 4 here, I'll have the drone perform another sweep. Will report back as soon as possible. Over.*"
"*Copy, begin sweep and report back. Osaka 1, out.*"
With that, the drone entered stealth mode and proceeded to infiltrate the structure. Andrew did his best to scope out the front as Viktor took a crouched position next to Andrew.
"*How many do you think we'll find inside?*" Viktor asked.
"*A building of this size would take at least a platoon's worth to keep secured, maybe two.*"
"*Well, this was a difficulty we were expecting, I just didn't think they'd be so........*"
"*Primitive?*"
"*Exactly.*" Viktor conceded. "*You'd think a species with the ability to build a structure like this would've had to divert more research in their defense capabilities. I mean, if this is a fortress they sure left it pretty vulnerable.*"
"*Well we can't be certain on what their capabilities just yet, for all we know they could be ceremonial guards. But you’re right about the places' vulnerability on a strategic standpoint. No walls, no outer defenses other than two guards. Hell there's not even a moat. It seems all, decorative*"
"*Huh, guess they'd have a purpose for that kind of thing, wouldn't they?*" Viktor said. "*Well, good news for us I suppose. If we do get into trouble, we'll have no problem getting ourselves out.*"
"*That's a goddamn understatement. If their entire military's like this it means we have both a technological and strategic superiority.*" Andrew said stunned, facing the possibility of that being the case.
"*Wipe the floor scenario? Huh? With that in mind, should we instead go in guns blazing?*" Viktor asked sarcastically.
Andrew rolled his eyes, then all of a sudden the comms went live, but it wasn't Wolf 4 that was on the line, it was Bradford.
"*Osaka 1, this is Gateway, what's your status, over?*" Bradford relayed.
Andrew was quick to reply back.
"*Gateway, we've managed to reach our primary destination undetected. Break. Osaka 4 and Wolf 3 are currently providing overwatch inside the settlement's central-most structure. Over*"
"*Copy that, what's the current update on your entry? Over.*"
"*We've verified a visual on two targets placed at the main entrance, which leads us to believe there's more inside. Wolf 4 is currently sweeping the structure's interior for targets with the RARD. Once he's finished they should pop up on the map he made earlier.*"
"*How many of the men are with you as of right now?*"
Andrew turned around to count real quick. Other than Ahab, all of Fireteam Osaka was still following behind. Half of Wolfpack was currently positioned elsewhere, leaving Hale, Lewis, and of course, Viktor acting as the remaining members of Wolfpack that would aid in their joint infiltration.
"*Currently, eight.*"
"*Were you planning to take all them inside with you?*" Bradford asked.
"*That was the plan. Once inside we'll split into groups of two.*"
"*Aren't you afraid you'll get caught?*" Bradford asked him in a sincere tone.
Viktor gave a gesture that essentially said, "You see", as Bradford's argument was essentially coincided with, or was flat-out the same as his. Andrew now had to explain for a second time, but in terms that could convince Bradford.
"*I believe the men with me are quite capable of infiltrating a structure as large as this one unnoticed, and depending on when Wolf 4 relays the presence inside, we'll act accordingly.*"
"*If you think that's best, I won't argue. You're the one with more experience on these sort of matters. But I assume you've had a fair share of observations to discuss, and we can do so in detail once your mission has concluded, but if you could summarize, what new details can you tell us about the natives?*"
Andrew had already described them in physical appearance and behavior, but had not relayed the complexity of their construction or the irony in their lack of more sophisticated technology.
"*The natives seemed to be skilled architects, but as of right now, the only armed presence we've seen are the guards by the front door, who seemed to be clad in gold armor and armed with spears.*"
"*Seriously?*" Bradford asked shockingly amused.
"*Yes, but even so, it may just be a ceremonial guard detail. We have yet to know what the case will be once we're inside.*"
"*Well, regardless of their capabilities, confrontation is to be taken as a last resort option. Anyways I have some good news.*"
"*What is it?*"
"*I've been working with my fellow scientists concerning the portal's projection point. It seems to work on a grid-point system of its own making. Each point seems to be spaced about an estimated mile apart. We're still working out the exact calculations of your route in comparison to this grid, but we may be able to give you a quicker extraction by opening it closer to your operational area.*"
"*If you have the means to extract us somewhere in the vicinity of Wolf 4's current location it'd be invaluable. The quicker we can extract Berfield the better.*"
"*Copy on that. I'll let you know of any updates we make. In the meantime inform us when you've managed to extract Berfield. Gateway, out.*"
Just as Andrew was about to hang up, the RARD suddenly reappeared a few feet away from him, with Nate broadcasting across the comms shortly afterward.
"*Cross-section scans are complete, Commander. I count a total of forty plus foot-mobiles currently within the structure. They seem to be mainly concentrated on the second and third floors.*"
"*What's the status on the ground floor?*" Andrew asked.
"*They have about three guards performing single-man patrols. The ground floor spans into several hallways with about two dozen different rooms along with two large atrium areas, so they should be pretty easy to avoid. At this point, it's the best starting point.*"
Andrew began to decipher what situation unfolded from the information he was given. If Berfield was here, the heightened security presence could have possibly been a response to something drastic he did. If that were the case, the prisoner theory from earlier may not have come into play, deceiving him with honest intentions until they had him surrounded. But at the same time the fact that they had reserved so much security for one guy didn't make a whole lot of sense, and began wondering if there was something else that they were guarding. In any case, the first floor seemed the most ideal method of entry, and it was now the time to act.
"*Did you find us a way in?*" Andrew asked Nate over the comms.
"*Negative on that. That door unfortunately seems to be the only way in and out.*"
"*Dammit.*" Andrew cursed off-comms. "*Copy that Wolf 4. Guess we're doing this the hard way. Osaka 1, out.*"
The members of both Fireteams gave exchanging glances of perplexity and confusion before Achmed spoke up.
"*Uhm, Commander, sir. Just what is "the hard way" exactly?*" he asked.
Andrew turned to him to answer.
"*We're about to find out. Vik, with me, the rest of you stay put. We'll signal you to approach once the entrance is clear.*"
As Andrew began to walk away towards the left of where they were hiding out and motioned for Viktor to take the right. Before setting out, Viktor pointed to his second-in-command.
"*2, see to it everyone stays here.*" he ordered, effectively putting Hale in charge until they got back.
"*You got it, alpha.*" Hale replied back.
The two walked between the two homes to their immediate left and right, heading towards the opposite edges of the large crystalline structure.
"*Vik I need you to work your way to the right of that staircase, just behind the edge of it. I'll take the left, radio in once you’re in position, we'll need to knock both of them out at the same time.*" Andrew relayed over the comms.
"*Copy.*"
Before he could see to his task, Andrew felt the need to reiterate the obvious.
"*Remember, we're knocking them out, that means don't kill them. And do it quietly. The armor they're wearing looks pretty damn heavy, dragging them down the stairs is bound to make noise, so we'll have to do this carefully.*"
"*Affirmative. Mom.*" he affirmed in an annoyed.
No doubt that earned a few snickers from the rest of the group, but his primary focus was to sneak his way up to that staircase undetected. Once he cleared the alley between the houses he saw that other than the front door, none of the castle's exterior was guarded whatsoever. Viktor began to question whether these things knew of that they were leaving countless opportunities for intruders to get inside wide open. He quickened his pace to get up against the exterior structure. He did so with no trouble and slowly inched his way towards the stairway leading to the front entrance. This feat would prove difficult to do so undetected, as there was virtually no cover to be found to mask his approach, he could only pray the darkness of night would be able to pull it off for him.
On the other end, Andrew was finding himself in the same predicament. He began to think these things were smarter than they thought, leaving the area surrounding the place completely wide open, but these thoughts lost ground when he noticed the lack of illumination. Even in times of ancient Greece, fortresses would be littered with torch scones to brighten their surroundings. No such light was found anywhere other than the main entrance itself. The gilded nature of both the staircase and the gold armor of those natives guarding it let the torchlight brilliantly reflect off of both surfaces, but luckily the light seem seemed incapable of breaching the lower edge of the outer walls of the staircase.
Viktor began to notice this the closed the distance between him and the unsuspecting guards. He slowed his pace down and lowered his profile. Andrew began to do the same. The two gradually made their way closer and closer, until they found themselves standing right beneath, ready to climb up and quickly knock out the guards. Judging how the guards' behavior hadn't changed, their approach had to have gone by unnoticed. In a voice as quiet as an empty void, Viktor managed to radio in.
"*Andrew, I'm in position.*"
On the other side, Andrew was quick to relay back with the next steps.
"*Copy, Get ready to commence on my mark.*"
Both Andrew and Viktor slung their weapons to the side, and prepared themselves to jump up to wear targets stood. Andrew's voice came over the comms.
"*Three, two, one, mark!*"
Viktor quickly jumped up and caught the guard closest to him in a choke-hold aimed to render his target unconscious. In doing so, the guard dropped his weapon and struggled desperately to escape his attacker while simultaneously catch his breath, both with increased difficulty as each second passed. The other guard jumped back in surprise immediately after seeing a large figure latch onto and immobilize his friend. Quickly realizing the threat, he made a move to help his counterpart. However, before he could even so much as make a step forward he heard something move in behind him. Turning around he was greeted by Andrew, who immediately delivered a kick to the guard's knee, more specifically, the leg holding the spear. The pain sent shockwaves through his body as he felt bone break, forcing him to drop the weapon he was holding. Just as quick as the initial strike had been, he soon found himself into a guillotine choke. Andrew threw himself and the guard to the ground, immobilizing the guard. Seconds passed as he felt his struggling gradually make an attempt to escape. However several more seconds passed, and he felt the guard's movement decline, until the body eventually went limp. Judging that his tactic had done its work, Andrew released his grip, stood up and dusted himself off. The guard laid there motionless, but still breathing. He turned to see Viktor had accomplished in rendering his target unconscious, crouched next to the guard he knocked out. Viktor looked up to Andrew.
"*Nice work.*" Viktor said. "*I see age hasn't slowed you down.*"
Andrew rolled his eyes as he simply disregarded his friend's comment. Viktor saw that and cracked a small grin, only for it to then disappear once he took another glance at the guards.
"*Okay, jokes aside, where are we going hide them?*" Viktor asked, concerned about just leaving them here in the open for someone to come across.
Andrew did some quick thinking and came up with a solution once he spotted a small patch of bushes and trees 40 yards to the west, resting beside of the homes.
"*There, over by those trees. We nestle them in there good and we shouldn't have any problems.*" Andrew said. "*You grab that one and I'll take the other. Grab their weapons too.*"
Viktor nodded, grabbing one of the guards and carrying him over his shoulder. Andrew quickly followed suit. They made their way over and managed to hide the bodies unseen. Once the bodies were out of sight, they made their way back, with Viktor contacting the rest of the team over the comms shortly afterwards.
"*Fireteams, this is Wolf 1, the path is clear, rendezvous at the structure's entrance. Wolf 1, out.*"
A minute had passed, and once Andrew and Viktor returned to the structure's entrance they saw the rest of the group led by Hale making their forward. Andrew proceeded to extinguish the light by the doorway and then silently gave out command gestures to stack up by the doorway. The team did as instructed, and took up their positions behind him. Andrew gave the silent command for Lewis to take point. He nodded in compliance, raising his SCAR to eye level with one hand and using the other to inch his way inside as he opened the door. He creaked the door open at about half-way's length with no so much as a hint of anything on the other side taking notice. He then slowly swung the door completely open and proceeded inside. Viktor immediately had his 6, and similarly took aim. The two looked around in all directions for the slightest signs of trouble. The foyer room was quite large but quite empty at the same time. Thankfully it seemed as if their entry went by unnoticed, continuing the consecutive stealth streak they had racked up since they entered the settlement.
Once Osaka and the remainder of Wolfpack got the all-clear from the two, everyone made their way through the door, closing it shut behind them. They were in. Andrew radioed in to get a sitrep from everyone else.
"*All call-signs, this is Osaka 1, we've infiltrated the structure, I want sitreps all around. What's everyone's status? Over.*" Andrew relayed.
"*This is Wolf 3, Osaka 4 and I are still positioned within the center structure. Awaiting further orders. Over.*"
"*Wolf 4 here, Wolf 5 and I are a-okay out here. The RARD is currently en route to your location. Over.*"
"*Copy that, Wolf 3, Osaka 4, stay put, watch the area surrounding the structure for targets, notify me of any increased activity. Wolf 4, give me a visual of the drone once you'-*"
"*here?*" Nate asked as the drone exited out of stealth mode 3 feet away from where Andrew was standing.
Andrew really had to commend Nate on his skill with the thing, as that little stunt got the drop on him. Andrew did nothing to encourage or demean his behavior, instead deciding to simply get on with their mission. Andrew raised his gun up a little and proceeded forward with everyone else following behind. The RARD revved forward in the same direction and up towards the ceiling.
"*Everyone stay frosty.*" Andrew announced to everyone. "*Check your corners, call out anything you see.*"
The foyer room itself was massive, essentially blending hallways, a staircase and two upper-level balconies into one large- open space. Like the exterior, the color pallet inside stayed the same, but the decor was something to behold. Ornate crystal columns in forms reminiscent to trees served as both a means the room's support as well as having several aesthetic qualities. Upon every one of the walls were large painted murals, depicting scenes of what looked like the native's surrounding environment in a serene violet finish. Hanging from the walls and ceiling were banners of gold and lavender, accompanied by threads of glowing crystals in colors of gold and green. The building was lavish to say the least, and it elicited a variety of reactions from each human that set foot within its halls, though none were foolish enough to voice them.
Despite the serene and almost calming nature of the interior, they all knew that getting caught now would be hell to pay. Nobody, not even Andrew would be speaking unless absolutely necessary. At the moment it didn't look like anyone was home, but that no doubt had to do with how the majority of the guard presence resided upstairs. The only thing they had to worry about were those patrols Nate had mentioned earlier. Things had been going smoothly, until Andrew took a more detailed look into what laid in front of them. The room split into three directions, one hall to the left, one hall to the right, and one path straight ahead that lead to a set of stairs. Considering the path ahead led directly to the thick of security presence, Andrew deemed it unwise for them to head there just yet. This left the two remaining hallways. Now would mark the starting point of Andrew's overall strategy of handling the situation. They'd have to split up.