Dissidents

Craig stopped moving for a second as he heard Hati's order " Clear " he answered, then moved. If these guys keeps me away from the real fight, I am gonna run to the enemy and start a goddamn massacre by myself!. He shouted internally.

After he too analyzed the ST map, he tried to guess the position of the other crimson attackers, with the only suggestions the sniper nest Q found and the sound of shootings directed to the LZ's survivors. He started to move faster, everytime putting his foot over a rock, over grass or a large superficial roots. His movements as always smooth and silent as a snake. And so the mercenary finally reached the proximities of the location marked by Hati.

With an annoyed grin, he raised the rifle and started to look at the perimeter from behind a log before actually stepping in.

"Charlie Strike Team confirming Crimson contact." Spark called out over the comms, immediately requesting two medevac shuttles on her own gunship. "Heavies to the door, you're with me. Soon as we have jump clearance, I want a hole punched in the canopy with Starfire, firing solution for total area bombardment from the shuttles, followed by shock drops from Charlie Strike team and perimeter from the other fireteams. No quarter."

Her team responded with a hull shuddering roar, "NO QUARTER!"

"Doc, I want you and the medevacs containing and evacuating unknown and friendly wounded. After that, I need two recon and recovery shuttles for collection of gear. Take Crimson POWs if you can. Otherwise, ensure they can't get up no matter what they're infected with. Can I get a hooah?"

"HOOAH!" Seven voices roared as Spark's armor put together a visual strike plan and sent it off to be approved.

"Can I get a double tap?" Boots slammed against the hull plating twice, before voices roared in repetition. She felt the shuttle make a slight turn, knowing that they had engaged ECS in case of hostile air support.

"Charlie strike team, again, requesting to engage confirmed Crimson contacts."

ASSAULT FORCE
"No need to even ask twice. Let em rip boys, concentrate fire on the Crimson units, and leave none left standing." Talos commanded after acknowledging Jacky's request. He took aim at the nearest nest and opened up with his chaingun and both shoulder mounted storm rifles. The bolts of plasma from the EM barrels of his RCG streaked towards their mark as the howl of his storm rifle flechettes wailed through the air. If not for the PA those around him wore, they would have been deafened by the shear volume of roaring the three heavy arms created, the very air around him vibrating from the power unleashed.

RECON FORCE
[Another nest spotted.] Nora messaged before a sniper nest some distance further suddenly found a short woman in only combat armor ground pound into their nest. The loud thump of her landing quickly proceeded by the sounds of breaking bones and cries of pain cut short as she made quick work of the two women. A head that had been torn free from it's host was tossed aside as she strode from the improvised sniper's nest. [Returning to overwatch.]

"Fuck," Lynn cried out again as she flinched at the bullet that chipped her rock. She flicked out her combat knife, inching a bit closer to the edge of the rock. Flipping the knife around, she pushed the handle from behind cover. A particular shot rung through and the knife was ripped from her hand, the handle exploding under the duress of the bullet. "Yeah - this asswipe got a hankering for me," she concluded as she ducked a bit deeper in her cover again. Shaking her hand profusely to get the numbness out. "And the tale of shotgun vs sniper's as old as time. Shotgun dies." Lynn glanced at Jacky and swallowed thickly, before thumping the back of her helmet against the rock. Fuck, soon they'd expect her to actually do something. Besides standing there and basically saying - "yup, that's a sniper."

Then again. The mental image of a particular one of those survivors that took direct fire, yet remained standing haunted her. What if these guys were hostile as well?

If anything, she needed to get in there. If they were just defending themselves, they could use the help. Though the time for thinking was over and it was time to act, the bombarding of Talos' armaments pulling her back to the here and now. No time for what-ifs. Giving the status of her thrusters a quick one over, she glanced over at her twin sister and nodded. "You're too kind, Tal," she chimed, before turning on her feet. A quick jet boost caused her to go flying over the boulder she hunkered behind, breaking a thruster augmented sprint to reach the edge of the clearing. Peppered with a several bullets of the enemy sniper. Though Q's DMR rang out, allowing the Jane clone a bit of breathing room before she basically crashed into her cover.

"Enemy sniper down," Q reported to Hati, before turning on her feet to offer closer overwatch. Making sure there weren't any nasty surprises waiting in ambush. "No hostiles coming our way yet. Continuing watch."

Nora gave Crimson the treatment they deserved - swift and brutal. As she was trained. Q surpressed a small chuckle before she resumed her overwatch. "Hostile movement head on," she warned. Holding her breath as the soldiers drummed up. Though they didn't seem to open fire. "They might not know we're here. Both nests had no time to report in - do I take the shot?" She questioned.

As Craig stepped into his designated position, he could make out some movement, the same soldiers Q warned about. Marching and stomping through the jungle in a jog. It seemed the aliens were too few in number to watch their own flank and this was Crimson's retort to that. A small flanking force of a dozen of soldiers that were moving right in the scout force's direction. Several rifles, light machine guns and two rocket launchers in tow. Though both Craig and Nora spotted how three of the soldiers broke off and headed right for Nora's location.

While they were steadfast, the Tsumi were no immortals. While they believed themselves to be, or uncaring for their actual mortality at this point, they still died. Their armour had limits and their shields had durability. Affin felt the all too familiar sting of pain rippling through her chest repeatedly. Fractured ribs, a perforated lung-section that had filled with blood caused her breathing to be shallow. She still had 3/4th of the original capacity. Another bullet slammed against her lower shoulderjoint, ripping through flesh and smacking against bone. More pain flooded her system as she let out a desperate gasp for air. Lowering herself behind the shield wall. Glancing at only the handful of riflemen that had found cover behind the shieldwall alongside her.

"Roger, Talos, Charlie Strike team ETA fiver Sierra, Medevac, two, ETA tree Mike. BRRF dispatching, ETA one-fiver Mike, with fire suppression on board." Spark spoke quickly into her comms on receiving positions of larger concentrations of Crimson troops.

Turning her comms back to her troops, she gave a roar of unbridled, blood curdling aggression, "GREEN LIGHT!" followed by her slamming her armored fist against the door release. The fireteam responded, almost drowning out the roar of their shuttle's rotary cannon. Their plan had changed, and as the shuttle was busy laying waste to the upper layers of canopy covering a heavily armed Crimson detatchment, the Fireteam dropped in a slightly different point.

Power armor boots slammed against the floor as Spark hurled herself out, bringing her main weapon to bear, her two heavies behind her as they dropped trees on the enemy in nuclear fire accelerated burning splinters and shrapnel. The other five followed simultaneously, dropping the few hundred feet to the earth with jarring impacts that threw dust and debris, the fireteam pushing forward hard as air support covered the flank and rear, even as they landed in the center of a Crimson detatchment and dispatched anything that moved with overwhelming point blank fire.

"Craig to recon team, twelve contacts, crimson infantry. Two Rpgs, several rifles and light machineguns, they are flanking the advancing survivors." Craig warned the group as he stealthly moved away from the area,since it was too much openly exposed for an engagement. He moved stealthly reaching the enemy's back, passin between a trees after trees like a shadow. As the enemy split in two groups he didn't waste time "Three tangos are detaching from the main formation, they are directed to your position Nora, I'll leave them to you".

The mercenary now was just few meters from the unaware crimson rearguard. He put back the assault rifle and swing out his loyal sword Time for you baby. Then took a little rock and throw it on his left, falling a dozen meters away with a splash as it hit a puddle. Old school distractions always worked and this time was of no difference. Craig used it to make his first move. As the enemy stopped and split even more, moving in direction of the sound. Holding in one hand his sword and in another an already activating plasma grenade, he runned to the two soldiers on the rear and in a rotated swing cut both their heads. He knew too well how much time was needed to the nade for actually explode, and that time was enough to deal the blow. He Then jumped with the thrusters and throw the grenade in direction of the soldiers holding the rpgs before vanishing in the jungle.

The power armor improved strength made possible for the explosive to reach like a projectile the center of the group and explode instantly. A cold and malevolent snigger was all what was heard through the commlinks.

Hati huffed from his elevated position, the clearly annoyed sound rumbling over comms as two of the people he had told to hold their fire decided to rush in and ignore that order~ it probably wasn't because he was younger, but that was one reason that rolled through the wolf's head as he spoke, "Yeah sure why not, Q, open fire and watch the other two for me," he grumped into the helmet's mic before sliding down from the elevated position, still cloaked as boots silently hit the dirt behind some crimson members.

The wolf had stowed his LMG before descending and swapped it out for one of his favourite push-knives which was held firm between his fingers as Hati approached the first victim, grabbing her trigger hand and pulling it out to the side much to her surprise before a splash of crimson liquid spurted out her armpit and then throat - the faint gurgle catching the attention of the rest of her squad but too late as Hati's cloaked figure closed the gap to the next enemy with one swift stride, ramming the ARTC reinforced Aegium blade repeatedly through the visor of this individual's helmet and quickly claiming their life too as the third woman began raising her rifle at whatever kind of beast was ripping through the ranks of Crimson.

The wolf was careful with this next show of a killer's instinct, gripping the third woman's rifle and pulling it to his side to get her close enough for his bloodied blade to make one quick rip through her neck scarf and the fragile vocal cords hidden beneath, not quite a killing blow but enough to keep her from getting in the way as the wolf drew his silent sidearm and crouched down low - decloaking long enough for her to see him there above the gurgling pile of dying woman, a faint "shhhh~" rolled through comms as he crouched there for a moment, watching her squirm to do something with the body that was growing weaker by the second as the bloody pool on the ground grew.

Hati moved the pistol away from his mouth and pressed it into the open wound squeezing the trigger once to send a subsonic round through the woman's spine before cloaking again and casually swapping back to the LMG as if the wolf hadn't just toyed with a dying woman - c-clamp gripping his weapon as Hati stalked closer to the source of this all in the clearing, trusting Q or the others would take out any more crimson they came across before he halted behind a bush.

"Nora and Craig form up on me, we're going to push Crimson's flank on my mark and keep firing at the unknown forces if we need to, understood?," he made sure to emphasize that part about waiting for his signal.

Jacky's approach was a little more coordinated than her twin sister's as the taller girl vaulted over cover right behind Lynn, similarly boosting her already impressive running speed with a burst from her thrusters before dropping to one knee and sliding into cover, taking a few pot-shots with her carbine back at crimson before coming to a halt next to Lynn, "Cheers Tal~" Jacky squeaked over comms as she looked over Lynn, ensuring her sister was still in one piece with a sigh of relief before speaking again.

"I"m going to push up again... see if I can get an angle on them, maybe link up with Spark if I can~" she explained while letting her suit's thrusters rest for a moment, gripping Lynn's pauldron reassuringly before finally releasing and taking a few steps towards the edge of their cover. Having spent a bit more time with Spark recently the girl's figure had bulked out noticeably, granted she was less a wall of muscle and more built for equal bits speed and strength but it was nothing to laugh about, so when she took off sprinting out of cover the small shockwave that came off her would have easily been mistaken for the pressure wave from a nearby explosion - loud and bright thrusters not exactly helping convince otherwise as the tall Jane began firing off controlled bursts from the carbine locked at her side, aiming to slide into cover behind another hunk of rock though this one was closer to the action.

It wasn't the same as last time, her head wasn't full of anger and pain~ she was cool, calm and collected despite the tense situation and the high blood-pressure her suit was reading - or at least Jacky was trying to remain level headed.

FRONTLINE
The rest of the heavies joined form a two stage firing line as Talos fell back to the second line to reload. A cavalcade of thunderous fire that would have been deafening to anyone without a helmet rose up in resistance to the staggered rattle of Crimson weapons. Empty ammo drums were dropped into the ever growing flurry of disturbed foliage and kicked up dirt. A clank as they were popped from their mounts, and again as new ones were slammed home. "All heavies, centurion formation achieved. Continue advance and fire protocol. Forward team, advance and intercept. Charlie, flank and divide. Hammer 2-3, assume hover position over unknown LZ and cover. Recon team, continue support operation, comm line will be cut to you, so you're on your own." Talos ordered over the radio as he did all this, his blood racing as the battle brought his mind and body to a natural flow. "My brothers and sisters! Show no mercy, show them we will defend our home!"

SIDELINE
Nora actually smiled as she laid down in the small crater that was the Crimson nest before, the dirt now muddied and soaked in blood that flowed from broken lifeless bodies. Pulling them closer to let it flow into the crater, she began to get covered in the muck and bodily life fluid. The blood and mud made her gear indistinguishable from that of the three bodies around her. There she lay and waited.....soon she heard the brush of leaves and crunch of boots in the dirt.

"....what the fuck?!"
"Did the wildlife get them? Wait I heard an explosion over there."
"Orders were to stay here, so lets move them out of the fucking way and take position already. We've seen worse."

The feeling of bodies being suddenly moved was what brought her inner black widow out, knowing her prey had fallen for her trap. "Wait, weren't there only three sent he-?"

Their question was cut short as Nora rose from her gore pit and took hold of the handle for her sword, the large blade suddenly swung in a wide arc through three fresh targets. More bodies were added to the pit, giving the woman in light combat armor a nightmarish appearance. Taking the STAR still slung in her free hand, she dragged herself from the crater like a revenant from some unholy hell. "Targets dispatched, returning to your location uncle."

Behind enemy lines - Charlie Strike Team
To say Crimson didn't know what hit them was an understatement. "Enemy hind!" One shouted, before being ripped apart by Sparks and the Fenrir Charlie team. While they pumped eachother up in the shuttle, now there was silence and cold blooded determination. They needn't do the talking, their armaments would. And so they did, Charlie was naught but death and destruction for the Crimson force. Who were suddenly forced to fight on two fronts, whilst being peppered by the shuttle that dropped Charlie in for starters.

Like shooting fish in a barrel, the Crimson force was torn apart by the strike, though they rallied. Disengaging from the Tsumi to now focus on Charlie team and find new cover. Answering Charlie's team initial assualt with a barrage of gunfire. While it pinned Sparks and her team down, it gave the aliens breathing room at least. Though one of Spark's heavies chimed up. "They're splitting for the flank!" he called up, before the rattling of his LMG resounded, claiming another two lives of Crimson. "They'll take heavy damage if we don't thin 'em out!"

Sideline
The soldiers that split up due to Craig's diversion glanced around at their fellow company. Seeing the flash of Craig's figure after hearing the gurgle and the sound of two bodies hitting the ground. And while his grenade impacted properly, it was not before two of them opened fire on the trail of his boosters, before exploding. Several bullets hammering up against his form, before the explosion rung through the forest. If the details were fuzzy for Crimson before, now they knew for certain the flank was guarded.

"Look alive, boys, you made way too much noise. Reinforcements," Q answered as her DMR whistled through the treetops. "Let's see if they care about one another," she hummed, unloading a bullet in the stomach of one of the aforementioned reinforcements. Crippling the soldier long enough for him to be crying out in agony. Alternating targets between the wounded soldier and his comrades that hunkered behind trucks and rocks. More and more of Crimson pushing into the flank Hati's team was holding. More than just a dozen, it seemed they were intent on capturing the flank as several hues of the trademark red armour was spotted through the trees. The clattering of gunfire resounding from a distance, hammering against the ridge Q was ontop of. Small stone shrapnel smacking against her visor. The woman cowered backwards. "Taking fire," she added, before rolling to the side, before pushing up her DMR again. Answering with a volley of her own to knock down several of her assailants. Though her snappy target acquisition wasn't enough to compensate for the amount of Crimson troops flooding in to the sideline and soon enough, her voice chimed over comms. "I'm pinned down over here." Her ammo wasn't unlimited either, having counted bullets, she only had two left. One in the chamber, one in her magazine. Gritting her teeth, she managed to make out a form scrambling for the soldier she had previously incapacitated, but left alive. Gritting her teeth, she popped her rifle up momentarily, a final thump resounding as the sprinting soldier dropped dead with a hole through his helmet. One in the chamber, a stray bullet smacking against her pauldron was enough of a sign that remaining her was ill-advised.

Frontline
Lynn nodded at Jacky's explanation, before scraping her throat. "Well, y'know. I've got the boomstick here," she shouted. "So I'm right behind you!" She shouted at Jacky's departing form. Then she glanced over at Talos and the other heavies that laid down a hail of bullets on enemy ranks, before giving a thumbs up, before pushing herself up, sprinting over to Jacky's position, slipping into cover near her. "About as useful as a sauna on an ass-crack sweating hot day, here." She called at Jacky, before glancing from behind her cover. Just several meters away from the clearing, where these aliens still fought for their survival. "They can't hold much longer."

Tsumi clearing
Be it by sheer luck, or divine intervention, but the heat seemed to clear up. Affin managed to gasp in a deep breath as she propped herself up again. Ears ringing due to the constant, deafening rattling of her and her soldier's Warmakers. Her breath came in wheezes as she swallowed thickly, glancing over at the shieldwall that was still holding. A moment to recover. Just that, before glancing at her fellow soldiers, then the shieldwall, which seemed to be faltering slightly. "Steel yourselves!" She roared, able to use the moment of reprieve they had gotten. Thanks to the odd shuttle above them, that laid down covering fire on the treeline. A guess that whoever they were fighting, had an enemy as well. It warmed her heart to know that the principle of 'the enemy of my enemy' was present for their unknown allies. "There are allies here! Saweya has not forsaken us!"

Hati let out a little huff as he stood there cloaked, hearing the concern creep into Q's voice and gripping the heat shroud of his LMG contemplatively as the wolf began to run possible plans through his mind but in the end the easiest one seemed like the most effective, so another little huff was masked by his helmet before Hati announced his intentions, "Right, scrap that, you two deal with this and I'll go draw heat away from Q over there - be safe now," he informed them with a slight grin before stalking off to the side where their shady sniper's assailants were located.

It started as a low stalk, long yet silent strides from the wolf that slowly picked up speed until he was full-blown sprinting yet still the footfalls of his armour were barely audible above the cacophonous gunfire - so the wolf held his momentum and leveled his LMG at the group of enemies before squeezing the trigger in a few quick bursts, recoil dampened by his armour's synthetic muscles before Hati dropped into a slide that spat up mud and caked his armour in it, making the layer of stealth significantly less effective but the lupine was moving that fast and laying that much lead that it shouldn't really matter...

Jacky nodded at her sister's words, ducking back behind cover as a round soared past her head and slammed into a wall but before making the next push she checked her magazine to find it half full and took out another one to hold in her hand though didn't replace the partially used one yet - Jacky simple prepared to once this one was out and clunked one hand against Lynn's shoulder, "Just... stick behind me, alright~ we're going to push up with the others," she informed the smaller girl with a concerned voice before looking back to where all the other red and black Revenants were pushing up, calves underneath her armour seen tensing up as Miss J prepared herself to charge,

A breath was brought in and she shot off with the rest of their side, carbine locked down at Jacky's hip once more during her charge with more bursts sprayed towards the enemy and as her HUD read there was one round left in the chamber her other hand quickly shot forwards - using the fresh magazine to bump the mag release and drop the dry one out before slotting the new one in to continue spraying down fire upon Crimson's forces, longer strides pulling her towards the front of the pack before Jacky slowed down a little to stick near Lynn.

"Right" Spark called over the comms, her Storm Rifle unleashing another burst before she dropped behind cover. "Thorn units! Prime grenades, pop them over to the flanking detatchment, heavies cover them. Doc, on my six!"

With a call of acknowledgement, the plan could be executed. Spark knew the Thorn clones had excellent throws, and could put those grenades pretty much wherever they liked. Hopefully enough to give the aliens time and scatter the Crimson forces a bit more. But Spark had no time for that. She was splitting off, her Storm Rifle barking as she chased the grenades with a medic by her side.

TALOS
They were creating a hell of a bullet storm, as walls pf bullets and flying blades tore into the forest and bodies before them. Those in the front of the enemy line were quite literally mulched, or dismembered, the advancing SSAF forces now marching through blood and gore infused mud. The stuff coated their armored legs, splattering the rest with nearby detonations and impacts. A few of the cultist women tried to simply charge through the storm, throwing themselves at the armored titans of men. One drew up near Talos as she raised a grenade wielding arm with a war cry. The armored clone drawing his knife with a free hand to slice at the arm before shoulder slamming the woman into a nearby tree. Quickly sheathing the knife with such a motion, he took hold of the grips of his RCG and rammed the ends of it's rotary barrels into her chest. Thumbing the manual spin trigger, it tore into her with grim effectiveness. Stepping back from the mess he had made, his gore covered self rejoined the battle.

NORA
Focusing on the task at hand, the young woman took a arced path just to the side of the approaching group. And with a great swing, sent the sword spinning in the air to slice through several of those up front, cutting them down without mercy. She then tossed a plasma grenade after sliding in behind a tree to raise her STAR, unleashing controlled burst at the rest.

Behind Enemy lines - Charlie Strike Team
Charlie was swift - bringing naught but death and ruin to the Crimson forces. Swift and precise execution caused the troops to fall apart more easily. Calling for a hasty retreat and hoping to make it past Charlie. Which was in and of itself a detrimental attempt for them. A screeching roar pierced the woods - reminiscent to one of the massive predators home to Sirris VI, but the sound in and of itself was alien, seemingly not native to Sirris VI's wilderness as far as anyone knew.

It was then that Charlie team would realize what it was. Twice the size of a mere man, though moving in a blur. Enemies falling- ripped apart by odd skeletal spikes, one soldier suddenly split in two with only a blurred, shadowy figure around, before it moved swiftly past Spark and company. Ignoring them completely.

Sideline
Craig was nowhere to be found - whether he was hurt somewhere in the sideline by the enemy fire that did hit him, or if he was just missing in action, remained to be seen.

Though with the swift uptake of both Nora and Hati, the line seemed to be held. With the assistance of the primed grenades Charlie threw in and their flanking manouver to out-manouver the crimson forces seemed to make sure the sideline was properly guarded now. Only a handful of soldiers remained at this point. And with the breathing room afforded for Q, these were swiftly dispatched as well. Causing the mercenary to seep into comms; "Sideline seems clear enough, resuming overwatch."

Frontline
Lynn licked her lips momentarily, before swallowing thickly. "They should know," she murmured, glancing over at the Tsumi once more, before back at Jacky. "I'm gonna make sure these aliens see us, should be able to with Tal's cover." She exhaled briefly. After all, she was tired of doing nothing and just running behind Jacky. Strapping her shotgun to her back, the clone pushed herself up. Glancing over at Talos, before at Jacky. Gauging exactly where bullets were flying before exhuming a faint breath. "Alright-... Alright alright alright, no big deal," she muttered to herself. Before putting a hand of the side, she positively pulled herself into motion, jet boosters making sure she was swift enough to make the open crossing. Several bullets smacking into her armour - though low enough caliber that both shields and plating could compensate for it - for now. Several of the Tsumi turned to her, raising rifles. Though taking note of how the figure was approaching them without a brandished weapon, caused only a few of them to hold their rifles trimmed - yet hold fire.

Main clearing - Tsumi encampment
Affin glanced over at the odd figure that came sprinting over, turning to her as she came crashing down behind the shieldwall. Clad in black armour, the Tsumi pulled her blade and stomped a foot down on Lynn's helmet, keeping her down. Gauging for a moment, before exhaling a soft breath and lifting her boot again. Causing the clone to get to her feet and raise her hands, before pointing over at the frontline which was still raining down hell on the now scattering Crimson forces - before giving a thumbs up. Hoping her message would be clear.

And clear it was. Affin pulled Lynn to her feet again with a massive amount of strength, before clasping her shoulder once more. "Allies - black!" She cried out loudly. Causing the shieldwall to slam their shields against eachother's. "Allies - black!" Came the repeated chant.

Though the chant was interrupted by an ear-splitting roar. Though the Tsumi didn't seem to cower or be scared of it - they knew exactly what happened. They cheered it on, for them, this meant the battle was won. Those on the sideline would be able to notice what exactly had made such ear-shattering roar. A cloaked figure that seemed inconspicuous at first - though now, had slammed four arms in the ground. Spikes on it's back growing as the cloak was shredded to bits and maw unhinging as it made such noise. It seemed like a regular Tsumi at first - though flesh and bone warped it into a being of predatorial nightmare. And within the blink of an eye, it was gone, seen sprinting across the field on all six, before disappearing into the woods.