The Puppeteer

The Puppeteer

Chapter 1
Hostile Negotiations

?It is without an end,? the powerful man scratched at his stubble before kicking a rock fragment that lay before him. He had made an effort to show renewed support on a prior occasion, but if all that he had done was still not enough, then Andrago would have no more of it. ?I resign,? he said flatly, ?this is pathetic, repetitive and a waste of my time.?
The older man that walked alongside Andrago shook his head and muttered something inaudible under his breath; most probably cursing, he had heard this from too many of his finest soldiers already and he would hear no more of it. ?Ever since Khan?s departure, things have been a little? shall we say? hard??
Andrago chuckled lightly, looking at his superior officer, ?That?s not the half of it Commander,? he said firmly, ?When Khan betrayed the squad and left us for dead? I swore then and there that the war had taken too much from us. I was firm in my resolve? not to continue with this war; you naturally talked me back into it. You have a way with words Commander, and I respect that, for it is what you need in your position? but I will have no more of your words. Khan?s departure left a wound that cannot be healed; the few friends I had left after that mission fell within the next battles; they weren?t particularly gruelling fights, but then again? my men weren?t the same. To lose the second in command to the opposing force, and then to lose almost the rest of the battalion to his rifle severed the cord.?
Commander Vern looked at Andrago; he knew quite well the pain that he was going through. The visible pain in the battalion leader?s eyes overwhelmed the Commander himself and he was forced to divert his gaze. ?I know that you trusted Khan with your life. For him to betray your battalion and wipe out two of the three squads completely was horrible; especially considering one of those squads was full of men that he?d been in charge of and led through battle on numerous occasions. Your squad being killed in battle little by little for the months that followed must have been icing on a horrible cake.?
?Again,? Andrago said calmly, and much more so than he intended, ?I?ve had enough with these words? stop trying to convince me I?m needed for a war that just refuses to end.?
?This war is still within our grasp??
??Enough with your words!? Andrago kicked yet another piece of rock that lay before him on the footpath, only this time it was sent flying into a nearby building and smashed into hundreds of pieces. ?This war has no end! I destroy their warships, I take out as many of their key facilities as I can, I kill their high-ranking personnel? all while being assured that doing so will catapult this war into another phase; I should read the fine print next time? the ?next phase? is nothing but code for further war.?
?I? we can?t lose you Andrago. Your country needs you!? The Commander ran a hand over his head; his absence of hair attributed to the stress he?d endured in his position. Andrago merely shook his head and turned to head back to the barracks where his cruiser was docked; all he wanted at this moment was to go home and relax.
?Melissa is on the team I want you assigned to,? Commander Vern said swiftly, noticing that nothing else would work.
Almost instantly Andrago had stopped. He cursed under his breath and nodded to Commander Vern knowingly. ?I?ll? see you tomorrow?? the words almost choked Andrago as he said them; he knew there was no point arguing any further.
?You?ll be with a new squad, no battalion this time.? Andrago turned to face his Commander at this.
?You mean I?m running a seven?? Andrago asked with interest, ??Special Ops??
Commander Vern nodded in reply, a smug smile spreading across his face. A battalion was made from three squads of seven, and were typically the driving force in a battle, seeing as a battalion consisted of twenty-one soldiers, ?running a seven? was a phrase commonly used to describe one-squad units. These one-squad units were never made for anything less than special operations, and soldiers assigned to them were instantly considered war veterans.
?You?ll be running the seven? your six will be Melissa obviously.? Andrago let out a sigh upon hearing this, Melissa had no doubt orchestrated this herself. Melissa had been a high ranking officer in the Arian National Guard when Andrago had just been recruited. While the two of them shared the same age, Melissa earned her position on account of being the daughter of one of the Guard?s top Generals this had been met with spite initially, but in time she had proven herself. Andrago?s squad had been unbreakable and had quickly risen through the ranks on account of the heroics shown by the men; Andrago and Khan specifically. Melissa had met Andrago during a presentation where he was awarded a medal for his bravery, they?d been married four years now and she?d constantly tried to be assigned to his squad; regardless of the painful loss involved, this was her chance to have her dream fulfilled. Melissa was an ?Operator? for the Arian National Guard. One operator was assigned to each six man squad and gave directions and support from back at the Guard?s headquarters; the three Operators in Andrago?s former battalion had quit after Khans betrayal.
Andrago frowned, ?I don?t want Melissa as my six,? he stated flatly, ?She?ll be more of a hazard than a help considering the nature of our relationship, overprotective you see; messes with her judgement.? All members of a squad were assigned a number from one to seven. One was always the squad leader, with seven the squad?s pilot or driver, depending on which transportation was used by a squad. The sixth squad member was the Operator, numbered so because of the nature of them looking out for the squad and seeing the bigger picture through the use of cameras and other equipment; they were able to watch the squad?s back and were numbered six because of this. Squad members two through to four consisted of other squad soldiers with varying degrees of weapon proficiency, and the fifth member was always trained primarily as a medic.
?I?ve got a gift for you, as if running a seven wasn?t enough,? Commander Vern called out to a member of the Guard that had been trailing behind them as instructed. The Soldier nodded and ran towards the two men, handing Andrago a rifle before departing. Andrago surveyed the weapon with interest. ?It?s the latest in the A-32 Range, took me awhile to get my hands on one, but I figured you deserved it.?
Andrago shook the Commander?s hand. ?The latest FGB you say? Awesome.? Andrago lifted the weapon; knowing full to well his Commander was fond of loading weapons and released a round at a nearby rock, shredding it into a hundred pieces. ?FGB? was a colloquial term for the A-32 Range. While the standard issue, rapid-fire rifle was always a recent model from the A-20 Range, many soldiers preferred to carry an A-32. The FGB had similar range to the A-20 range but was not a rapid-fire rifle. Soldier?s preferred it for its powerful force, capable of shattering a man?s head from any as close as several meters away; it was named the ?Face go boom? or ?FGB? because of this deadly power.
Andrago took a look around the headquarters surrounding him before noticing something he had yet to notice; members of the Arian National Guard were out in full force, something massive was happening.
Commander Vern?s eyes followed Andrago?s and he noticed his concerns, ?The Arian Council and the Head Chair are in session today.? The Arian Council served as the government of Aria and had long been trying to end the war with Vandar; the Head Chair was the leader of the Council as elected by its members and held superiority over them to an extent.
?They?re meant to be meeting next week? aren?t they??
Commander Vern nodded, ?Vandarian envoys are in the Council Chambers, peace talks? apparently.?
Andrago shook his head, ?We may well lose our council? you know as well as I do that their weapons are extremely hard to detect??
?Oh, we can?t count them out just yet Andrago; this may well be the end of the war as you?ve always wanted.?
Andrago shook his head, ?I?m going up there for a closer look,? he stated, running towards the building.
?You know full well you can?t get up there! Only Generals or myself are allowed to interrupt things we haven?t been assigned to!?
?So either promote me a rank higher or come with me,? Andrago brushed his Commander off and ran towards the building, making his way through the Grand Hall and into the elevator, holding it open a few extra seconds for his Commander. The doors closed and Andrago chose floor fifty where the Council Chambers were located.
?This is ridiculous?? Commander Vern was cut short by the sound of a loud explosion and the elevator shut itself off, opening the doors at floor thirty-one; it had been instructed to lock down in such an emergency.
?As you were saying?? Andrago ran for the stairs, reaching for his rifle as he did so.
Commander Vern ran alongside Andrago, now holding his own rifle from the A-20 range. ?We can?t just go running up nineteen floors without a plan Andrago!? his Commander shouted as they arrived on floor forty-three.
?Already considered that,? Andrago shouted, over the sound of gunfire above.
Commander Vern followed Andrago up two more flights of stairs before being confronted with a squad of Vandarian Soldiers. The two men jumped for cover behind a large desk as the squad opened fire. Commander Vern arose, spraying his A-20 rifle?s contents into the squad?s chest and downing the six of them.
?You haven?t lost your touch I see,? Andrago muttered, getting up.
?Ok, so what?s your plan??
?Plan?? Andrago asked absently, heading for the next flight of stairs.
?Yes, I said we?d need a plan and you said you?d already thought of that.?
Andrago let out a chuckle, ?Yeah, I thought about it. I realised I didn?t have a plan.?
Commander Vern let out a sigh, following Andrago up four more floors without incident. The two men stopped running half-way up the stairs to The Council Chambers.
?Let?s hope they haven?t wiped the floor with the Council?s protection yet, or we?re officially in hot water,? Commander Vern stated, rushing up the stairs with Andrago in tow.
Commander Vern threw open the two oak doors granting access into the chamber and found The Head Chair hiding behind his bench, rifle in hand; locked in a fire-fight with eighteen heavily armed Soldiers; the rest of the council and their assigned security lay bloodied on the floor.
Commander Vern caught the men by surprise, taking out an entire squad before both he and Andrago were forced back into the corridor to hide from the retaliation. The Head Chair arose from behind his bench and let loose several rounds, killing three soldiers before he hid behind it once again to protect himself from the gunfire. Andrago let out a sigh and rolled into the Chambers, sending three rounds out at the Vandarian soldiers, one round was unfortunate enough to miss, but the other two connected with Vandarian skull and ripped through it in a stunning display of gore that was accustomed to the A-32 range. The remaining seven men sent gunfire in all directions and Andrago ducked for cover behind another bench, Commander Vern rolled across the floor to join him. The two men sprung forth in tandem and cut down the remaining six they could see, but one had disappeared. It did not take long before he made himself known.
?Put your weapons down,? he stated, holding his pistol to the Head Chair?s skull; the two men obliged.
?Now what I want is?? The soldier was cut short, the Head Chair elbowed him in the face before commandeering his pistol and letting a round loose into the man?s temple.
Commander Vern and Andrago picked up their weapons and rushed forward. ?Harken are you alright?? Commander Vern inquired.
?Better than the rest of the council, I?d say,? Harken forced a smile.
?What will we do without a council?? Andrago asked, looking around at the dead bodies before him.
?Don?t worry about that, I?ll take care of it, find a new council. You however, are Andrago Kilmet are you not?? Andrago nodded.
?Commander Vern, instate this man as General of Squadron Commanders, he?s earned it? that and your old one is dead over there.? Harken pointed towards the other side of the Chamber and Commander Vern let out a slight sigh.
?Two promotions in one day? Well I?ll be?? Andrago muttered under his breath.
??We?ll need to send out a counterattack,? Harken stated firmly as the elevators opened and many high-ranking soldiers came rushing forward.
?Are you ok Mr. Dorisan?? asked one of the men.
?Yes, quite... Commander Vern and General Kilmet here came to my aid.? The soldiers bowed at the three men standing in the chambers.
?Now? about this counterattack sir?? Commander Vern muttered.
??Tomorrow,? Harken stated, wiping the sweat from his brow and dismissing the men with a hand signal, ?Get some rest.?


« Last edited by TestVirus101 on Dec 23rd 2007 »

Good start Testvirus. Good description with the weaponry and such. Only noticed one typo, but nothng too major. Keep it up.

Thanks for commenting Cervy, I'm glad someone has =/

"Face go boom"? Epic name for a gun.

Pretty decent start. Congrats on recycling some old names, and I look forward to seeing more. Do you plan on finishing this one at all?

its a great fan fic

Andrago lifted the weapon; knowing full to well his Commander was fond of loading weapons and released a round at a nearby rock, shredding it into a hundred pieces.

The way it is worded confuses me a bit. It made me think you were saying that the commander liked to load guns and shoot rocks. I assume you meant he knew his commander liked to load guns so he figured it was already loaded and just shot. In that case, I think a slight edit is in order.

Andrago lifted the weapon, knowing full too well his Commander was fond of loading weapons, and released a round at a nearby rock, shredding it into a hundred pieces.

Other than that, I'm loving it so far. Granted, I've already read some of it, but it's good. The weapon description is fairly good, you've got some good emotional detail in, and I really want to shoot someone in the head with a Face Go Boom. :p

Nice work, keep it up. I'm looking forward to more.

« Last edited by Seos san Nekros on Aug 28th 2007 »

Chapter 2
Ace Pilot

?So? Samantha you say?? The young pilot surveyed the woman with his eyes, grinning. ?I do hope you?re single.?
Samantha looked to say something, but a large man standing behind the pilot was first to react, ?She?s not,? the large man stated forcefully, picking up the pilot by his collar and throwing him into the wall.
?Oh damn Kaver? gotten yourself into another mess,? the young pilot got up and brushed himself off, the whole bar?s eyes were on the two men now.
?What makes you think you can hit on my girl?? The rough man cracked his knuckles and stared at Kaver with malice.
??Oh come now, it?s a common mistake, the only way to tell she?s not single is with a ring on her finger? obviously you haven?t quite reached that stage yet.? The boyfriend would have none of it and advanced on Kaver.
Kaver ducked under a powerful punch and kneed the man in the stomach, sending him to his knees. Kaver sent a second kick to the man?s face, before picking him by the collar of his leather jacket and ramming his bald head into the same wall he?d thrown Kaver at. The thick head connected, breaking through the wall and Kaver left him on his knees with his head through the wall, grabbing his drink and his jacket from the chair next to Samantha and heading for the door.
?Don?t think you?re so tough punk!? The large man got to his feet and glared at Kaver, his face red with embarrassment.
?Arian National Guard; Special Operations, Kaver Knakuno? are you ready for round two?? The Bald man stared at him for a few seconds in disbelief before realising his mistake and getting down onto his knees and returning his head into the cavity he?d created on the wall. The bar applauded Kaver. ?Good,? Kaver stated simply, throwing his jacket on, and finishing his drink before slamming the door shut behind him as he left the modest drinking hole.

Kaver stood for a moment, looking himself over in the hallway mirror and making sure he was looking his best. He pushed opened the door and found himself in a circular room with eight other people present. He recognised Commander Vern and Harken Dorisan, the Head Chair, so the other six were no doubt his new squad. He bowed slightly before smiling and walking towards the group assembled in Commander Vern?s small office; catching the end of an idle conversation.
?So Harken? got a council together?? Commander Vern inquired, noticing Kaver entering shortly after.
Harken nodded, ?Yes, a rather fresh council however, I wouldn?t be surprised if the oldest of them haven?t even been working in politics for many years.?
The two men turned to Kaver and gave him a nod, he was only young, fresh out of the academy and Harken eyed him with interest, they?d promoted him already?
?Good evening,? Kaver stated, taking a step back under the gaze of all others in the room, ?Sorry I?m late? I got into a? confrontation; swear I thought she was single? honest.?
Andrago chuckled under his breath as Commander Vern approached the pilot, ?Nice to finally have you here Kaver; you?re fifteen minutes late.?
?My apologies.?
Andrago stepped forward, ?A freshman? Honestly? I?m not putting my life in the hands of a freshman; I?ve had much more experienced pilots shredded easily.?
Commander Vern turned to Andrago and shook his head, ?With all due respect General Kilmet?? A few people muttered under their breath, the official announcement had yet to be made; Melissa was the most surprised. ?You didn?t think those pilots were good enough either? you?re expectations are far too high. You?ve got a reputation as a paratrooper? going in, barking orders, getting the pilot killed and bailing ship as it goes down; granted the mission?s then a success but try to keep Kaver alive will you??
Kaver frowned, ?I am here you know.?
?He speaks out of turn,? Andrago stated with interest, ?Might just be his beer talking, but I like it; got a whole lot more flavour than most of the other pilots I go through.?
Melissa stepped forward and put a hand on her husband?s shoulder, ?Kaver is a member of your squad? not a disposable tool??
Andrago nodded, ?I know? just never have any luck with them; they just can?t do what I need them to do.?
Commander Vern stepped forward, ?Enough. Time for introductions. General Andrago Kilmet, squad leader; Melissa Kilmet, squad Operator; Kaver Knakuno, squad Pilot, the three of you have all made your presence known. Now? for the others, please introduce yourself.?
The four remaining squad members looked each other over before two men stepped forward; they were identical.
?Zereth Rayjin, I wear the blue hat,? Zereth stated, pointing to the blue beret on top of his head, ?I am your go-to-guy when it comes to anything technical and I handle the supplies; need on the go aircraft repairs? Consider it done? Need more ammo? I?m your guy.? Zereth took a step back and fell into line.
?Knows how to sell himself,? Andrago muttered, ?and you? the twin with the red beret? you are??
?Sevvy Rayjin,? Sevvy responded, ?I work as a scout, I?m also a nice shot with an A-63, sir.? Sevvy fell back into line next to his older brother and watched as the woman beside them stepped forward.
?Another freshmen,? Andrago observed, shaking his head in disapproval, ?I do hope you?re not some sort of co-pilot or something.?
The woman ran a hand through her short, messy pink hair, ?Cassandra Lios, sir. I?m the medic.?
Andrago smiled, ?Let?s hope you?re not overworked.?
The final man stepped forward, ?Xarook Syddraz? I work with bombs and explosives? Heavy weapons.?
?Time to suit up,? Commander Vern smiled, pressing a button on his desk which revealed a hidden crevice in the wall. The Commander tossed headsets and weaponry to all but Melissa, the Operator who would remain back at base with her own communications equipment. Sevvy carried an A-10 short range pistol along with his A-63 Long range rifle. Zereth, Cassandra and Kaver mulled over their A-20 rifles while Andrago smirked as he held the A-32 rifle in his hands, a weapon that had proved its worth to him yesterday. Xarook grabbed his A-46 Chain gun with little effort; his large biceps handling the strain with ease.
Commander Vern motioned for the squad to follow him into a room across the hallway; the squad obliged and Harken followed them in tow. Commander Vern shut the door behind the eight of them and pressed a button on a computer terminal; bringing the screen in the room to life. Images flashed before those present of a large fortress on the coast of Vandar being raided with battleships heading towards the docks. Andrago soon remembered that this was an ongoing battle, he?d heard about it three days ago, when this part of the film had been going on.
?We sent a massive naval fleet to the fortress of Snic?arus. We knew that a straight out aerial attack would be futile. Our soldiers managed to take down quite a few of their anti-air turrets; but now they?ve been there for three days and have only managed to secure a foothold in the large city. We can?t risk going any further at the moment without losing our fleet, so we?re going to need their numbers thinned a little. That?s where you guys come in; you?ll be one of three Special Operations squads sent in behind the enemy front. You?ll follow Operator instructions that should weaken their defensive position and allow us to take the city without losing the fleet.? Commander Vern pressed the same button on the terminal and the screen went blank, a second button was then pressed and lights flickered on in the room.
?So when do we start?? Kaver asked, looking at the Commander.
Commander Vern pointed to the loaded weapons and the equipment the soldier?s had with them, ?Guess,? he replied simply, walking past the group with Harken, ?I?ll meet you guys down in hangar three in five minutes.?

The doors at the far end of the hangar slid open as Commander Vern arrived, accompanied by two guards. The three squads saluted him in unison as he walked down a flight of stairs and positioned himself in front of them.
There was an eerie silence, with the Commander surveying all of the soldiers before him, ??Success in this mission is by no means a fatal blow to the Vandarian forces,? The Commander stated, looking at General Kilmet as he said this, ?However? if we manage to take the fortified coastal city of Snic?arus, we will do what neither side has done since the war began? establish a base of operations in enemy territory. From Snic?arus we can further branch out into other parts of Vandar? slowly, but efficiently. You stand before me in an unorthodox manner? while normally only one Special Operations unit would be required to take the fight behind enemy lines, due to the nature of the assignment, all three of you will be going; for this is by no means an easy task, if one of the squads are to falter, the others must keep going. Squad leaders? step forward.? Andrago and two other men stepped forward, saluting the Commander.
?General Kilmet, Squad Commander Raven and Squad Commander Cesslik,? The Commander looked over the three of them in turn, ?Ensure your squad?s safety and the success of the mission above all else; every squad looks out for themselves before assisting the other squads? understood?? The three men nodded and Commander Vern waved them back into line.
Three Transport battleships flew into the hangar and landed; the pilots assigned to deliver them getting out of the battleships and heading out of the hangar and back to their respective posts.
?Good luck? and try to stay in one piece,? The Commander smiled and headed out of the hangar, it was time to depart; the squads all boarded their own Nega Battleship.
Kaver fired up the engines and awaited for the other two ships to take off, as his was in the middle, and the hangar was by no means generously spacious.
?Damn? this is nice,? Kaver mused as he looked around the ship as the other two squads took off. ?Nega Battleships are a fine piece of work, their firepower is quite comparable to actual fighter aircraft? but as an added bonus, they make good transport vehicles; not as fast as the fighters? but not slow by any means either.?
?Stop drooling and let?s get going,? Cassandra barked, obviously nervous about the mission. Kaver glanced at Andrago and the General nodded. Kaver turned lifted the aircraft off the ground and pushed forward a lever, sending the ship roaring through the air towards Snic?arus. It was fortunate for the Arians that their main headquarters was situated not far inland from the coast and that Snic?arus resided on the southern tip of the Vandarian continent, relatively far from other heavily guarded military establishments; the Nega Battleships had more than enough fuel to do the lengthy trip several times; the speed of the aircraft so fast that it would only take a few hours to arrive.

?Not long now,? Kaver observed the Vandarian fortress of Snic?arus on the horizon.
Andrago looked up at Kaver, ?I?ve never had to contend with a fortress like Snic?arus? it?s one of the most heavily fortified fortresses there is when it comes to anti-air defence. I?ve had close calls with pilots getting shot down in fortresses with rather pathetic anti-air resistance in comparison; you better be the best damn pilot there is Kaver.?
Kaver chuckled, ?Oh, but I am, but I am.?
Zereth and Sevvy grinned in tandem, and even Xarook, who had been lost in thought for the entire trip thus far let out a smirk.
Cassandra was less than impressed, ?I swear, if you?re some little ?hot-shot? pilot like some of the ones I?ve met before? and you get us shot down and make me work overtime? I?m going to be annoyed.?
Andrago let out a dry grunt, ?If he gets us shot down? we won?t survive. These sorts of anti-air turrets will shred a Nega Battleship into a thousand pieces with one well placed shot.?
Kaver shook his head, ?Way to show some faith in the pilot.?
Melissa?s voice flickered on as Kaver slowed down the aircraft to avoid flying straight over the fortress and getting ripped to pieces. ?Right, ok? now what we?re going to need to do is fly overhead and you?ll need to get right into the heart of their garrison. Do you see a large tower in the centre of the city??
Andrago was about to nod before remembering his wife was back at the headquarters, regardless of the camera attached to his headset; she couldn?t see his head from it. ?Yes, I can see it,? Andrago replied, noting the fortified tower in the middle of the city; anti-air turrets littered around its base.
?Well you?re going to need to get into that tower and take out their Commanders inside it. You can get in from the roof of the building. Good luck.?
Andrago motioned to repeat the order, but Kaver nodded, he had been listening clearly to Melissa on his headset.
The three Nega Battleships soared past the naval fleet that had taken over the port. Kaver and the other two pilots skilfully dodged the first round of anti-air missiles with a simple roll of the aircraft. A second load of missiles were released and the pilots repeated the same technique, dodging the enemy fire once again.
?Easy,? Squad Commander Raven?s pilot noted over the aircraft radio.
Kaver was about to reply with a comment of his own when he noticed some of the streets on the ground opening up and firing heat-seeking missiles. ?Watch out!? Kaver barked, ?Fire from below!? Kaver and Squad Commander Cesslik?s pilot pressed a button on the dashboard and red spray was released from the two Nega Battleships, drawing the missiles to the spray and blowing them up pointlessly. Squad Commander Raven?s pilot panicked and did not react in time, the missiles found their target and the entire squad went up in a massive explosion; with fragments of Nega Battleship raining down from the sky onto the city floor.
?Christ!? Kaver shouted over the radio, ?What an idiot??
Andrago put a hand to his forehead and wiped the sweat from his brow, ?Poor guy,? he muttered, remembering how he and Raven had once taken out three Vandarian battalions without assistance years before.
?Cesslik, you there?? Andrago enquired, ?You?ve got a good pilot.?
?Helios isn?t half bad,? Cesslik replied over the radio, ?Good thing your pilot picked up on those missiles.?
?Yeah,? Andrago agreed, ??Kaver isn?t half bad either.?
Kaver smiled proudly, taking a dive with the aircraft to avoid enemy bombardment. ?Hold onto your hats,? he muttered, turning the ship on its side and flying through a narrow street to avoid enemy fire; the anti-air turrets were programmed to avoid destroying anything of their own. Kaver turned it back off its side as he exited the narrow street and pulled back on the wheel forcefully, sending the aircraft racing up the side of the tower, circling around it as it flew towards the top; the anti-air turrets fired blast after blast, Kaver and Helios skilfully dodging them and allowing them to shatter parts of the tower; allowing for an easier task once the two squads were inside.
?Ok, I can hover for a few seconds, that?s it?? Kaver stated, pressed a button on the terminal in front of him and the doors at the back of the ship opened. Kaver levelled the aircraft and however on top of the tower, alongside Cesslik?s Nega Battleship. The two squads promptly unbuckled themselves from their seats and jumped from their ships and onto the roof. Andrago nodded and Kaver closed the doors, flying away to shake off missiles that had been sent flying towards the battleship. Helios? aircraft stalled and he quickly unbuckled himself, running towards the end of the airship, jumping out just in time as missiles collided with the Nega Battleship; tearing it to shreds.
Helios cursed under his breath, ?It just had to stall?? he muttered.
Cesslik motioned for Helios to join the two squads as Xarook blasted the doors open with explosives. ?Don?t worry, Kaver can still get us out of here.?
Andrago nodded as Helios turned to look at him, ?We could use some extra firepower, now let?s get going.? The two squads rushed moved the heavy doors away from the entrance and checked that their equipment was fine.
Andrago stepped into the building, ?Right? let?s do this.?


« Last edited by TestVirus101 on Sep 3rd 2007 »

"?With all do respect General Kilmet?? "

It's actually 'due' in that case. 'With all due respect'.

"'Sevvy Rayjin,? Xarook responded, ?I work as a scout, I?m also a nice shot with an A-63, sir.? Xarook fell back into line next to his older brother and watched as the woman beside them stepped forward."

... I beg your pardon? First, he says his name is Sevvy and then you immediately refer to him as Xarook. Twice. Second, I thought Zereth and Sevvy were identical twins. And you said older.

Anyway, the chapter was very good. Some decent character development and good descriptions of combat while the Nega ships are avoiding anti-aircraft missiles. I look forward to seeing how the mission gores, so keep it up.

Plus, of course, can't count out the fight at the beginning. Man kneels down and puts his head in a wall to avoid further beatings... fairly priceless.

« Last edited by Seos san Nekros on Sep 2nd 2007 »

Ah damn, well you see, Xarook wasn't added UNTIL I remember I was one short, and I changed Sevvy into the scout, must have forgotten to correct that part. Will also fix the "due" part, an oversight on my part. Thanks.

EDIT: Yes, Sevvy is the younger brother, they are identical twins. One has to come out first, Jaffa.

« Last edited by TestVirus101 on Sep 2nd 2007 »

No worries. I was just... well, more than a little confused there, so I thought I'd point it out.

EDIT: Oh, I see. I always feel weird referring to one twin as older on account of the fact that they are usually only 'older' by like... minutes. But fair enough.

« Last edited by Seos san Nekros on Sep 2nd 2007 »

"If he gets shot us shot down..."

What.

Good chapter. Character development ftw, and good job reusing some familiar names.

Thanks for that Panda. Fixed.

Bumping ftw:

Chapter 3
The siege of Snic?arus

The Arian soldiers charged down the staircase, gunning down the unsuspecting Vandarian soldiers, and coming to a halt as they approached the bottom floor of the tower.
?Once you get outside, you?ll be separated,? Melissa stated over the headset, ?Cesslik?s squad will proceed to take down the main gate. If they can get that open, most of our forces can push through and we can put pressure on the Vandarians; you?ll have an equally important task Andrago. You and the rest of the squad will need to make your way to the town hall. Next to the town hall, there?s a heavily fortified building that controls the entire city?s automated defence systems? demolish it. Following this, raid the town hall and take out the Vandarian Generals in charge of defending Snic?arus; the Commander of the Snic?arus defence is also likely to be there, taking him out is an added bonus, not necessary, but sure to make all of our jobs easier.
?Got it,? Andrago replied, jumping over the railing bypassing the remaining flight of stairs. He rolled to the side and hid behind a wall as bullets erupted, tearing into the wall behind where he had just been standing. Andrago poked his head out and saw a higher ranking soldier motioning frantically, ordering his subordinates into tactical positions. ?Damn, he?ll have to go, Sevvy? the man in charge?s all yours.? Andrago ordered over the communications line.
?Understood,? Sevvy crouched down, pulling his A-63 rifle off his back and aiming it through a gap in the stairs railing. He aimed carefully, and ensured he was not too exposed as to alert the enemy of his presence. His crosshairs closed over the enemy commander?s head and with the pull of a trigger, the Vandarian official was down and out. ?Target eliminated.?
The Vandarian soldiers were not fazed however, the man had done his job, and there were far too many men huddled in a central group for Andrago to take on himself. Sevvy rushed back up the stairs to avoid the hail of gunfire that came several seconds after the enemy had registered what had just happened.
?Strength in numbers. Xarook, your time to shine.? The titanic man smiled, grabbing his A-46 and rushing down the stairs, he gripped hard on the trigger and the colossal gun began pouring hundreds of rounds into the enemy mob. Xarook had little to fear with his body armour, however, these soldiers were far better trained than the Arian?s had expected; they focused their fire on a single weak part of the armour, Xarook?s right arm. Xarook grunted in agony as a part of the armour finally gave in and a bullet hit him in the middle of his right arm. He dropped the A-46, but he had done his job adequately, Andrago emerged from behind the corner and pointed his FGB at the men, sending powerful blasts at the few remaining soldiers; killing them.
?Is it bad?? Andrago asked passively, cautiously patrolling the room to make sure he had eliminated the remaining soldiers.
?No, not really, clipped me; bleeding quite a bit though.? Cassandra needed no order and ran down from her position on the upper part of the stairwell, reaching into her backpack and pulling out a bandage, wrapping it around Xarook?s wound.
?That?ll do,? Cassandra stated, getting up and putting the rest of the bandage roll back into her backpack.
?Thanks,? Xarook replied, getting up and lifting his heavy A-46 chain gun over his shoulder. ?I can manage with the wound.?
?I didn?t doubt it,? Cassandra stated passively, ?I?d be extremely disappointed if what I just saw was all you were good for.?
?That?s enough,? Andrago boomed, ?We?ve all got equally important jobs Cassandra, now either you keep rolling bandages onto people?s wounds or you?re walking home when this is through.? Cassandra sunk her head in shame as her cheeks went the same shade as her hair; the rest of the squad chuckled.
Andrago noticed a bloodied soldier crawling across the floor and didn?t react fast enough; the man slammed a button underneath a desk before Andrago finished him off. An alarm sounded and the front doors exiting the building slammed shut across the hall, Andrago swore under his breath. He turned around to motion for Zereth, but the twin was already half-way there.
Zereth grabbed a crowbar from his own backpack and smashed it against the button the soldier had pushed, ripping it off and revealing the circuitry behind it. Zereth smiled, appreciating the effective tool before returning it. He began to fiddle with the wires, examining them and studying them inquisitively.
?Not the best,? he stated, ?I?ve seen the Vandarians do better.? Zereth reached his hand inside; looking for a switch amongst the many wires as he had done several times before. His fingers met with the switch and he pressed down on it; the lockdown process was reverted and the squad was free to leave the building once more.
Melissa?s voice was present once more, as Cesslik and his men came rushing down the stairs; having been side-tracked holding back a swarm of enemy soldiers as Andrago?s squad pushed further down the tower. ?Well, it would seem you still haven?t made any progress,? she droned.
Andrago was about to say something, but decided against it. He ran forward and motioned for his squad to follow suit. Cesslik smiled cheerfully at Andrago before rushing towards the direction of the gate he was tasked to destroy; many blocks away, his squad followed diligently.
Andrago ran in the opposite direction; the direction of the town hall. It wasn?t a difficult task, knowing where to go, despite having never been in the city before. Not only was Melissa reading him directions from a map, but the building itself stood out in the distance; a majestic building with very few floors that reacted splendidly with the sunlight, a marvellous display of sparkling light drew Andrago?s attention. It would be a shame to destroy such a wonderful work of architecture. Andrago was brought back to the real world with the sudden sound of a large explosion. The General turned to see the wall of a home collapsing across the street; Andrago glanced into the distance and noticed a formidable number of enemy soldiers. The sheer number of them was so large in fact; one might have thought that Andrago was leading several battalions of soldiers, as opposed to a single squad.
?How do we get out of this one?? Sevvy inquired, grabbing his A-63, followed rather quickly by the other members of the squad.
?No, don?t worry;? Andrago assured his team, ?I?ve got a plan. Kaver, do you hear me??

?How is Snic?arus?? The bald man tilted his neck from side to side in an effort to release some of the strain.
?My Lord, when I last spoke to you of the attack, we held considerable control over the engagement. I?m afraid I cannot say the same this time.? The messenger took a step back, but regained the lost ground when the bald man ushered him forwards.
?What is the problem??
?Special Operations units descended on the city a few hours ago, my Lord. Three to be exact, one was shot down however? no survivors,? the bald man found comfort in this, and motioned for his messenger to continue.
?Two units did however make it to the tower in the centre of the city, it holds little more than the financial dealings of the city? but, from what I?ve been informed, one squad is headed towards the main gate, the other towards the town hall.?
?I am not worried,? the bald man replied calmly, ?I have my strongest General tasked with defending the city. You are dismissed, help yourself to a drink on the way out; your information was useful.? The messenger nodded without saying a word. He turned to leave, but remembered that he had been offered a gift for his services, and promptly spun to meet his Lord once more; bowing before turning and departing hastily from the room.
The bald man chuckled, pressing a button on the side of his chair; initiating a communications link. ?Get me linked to the town hall in the city of Snic?arus. Make it quick too.?
?Understood.?
The messenger drank his reward cheerfully outside the bald man?s chambers; it was an expensive delinquency. One of his friends approached.
?Heard you had a run in with the Puppeteer,? his friend stated, ?how?d it go??
?Gave me a drink as a reward,? the messenger replied.
?Splendid then. He isn?t half bad in a good mood.?
The Puppeteer stared at his General on the monitor in front of him, ?I hear there?s a Special Operations unit heading your way,? he remarked, ?what?s the plan??
?I?ve got five battalions facing them as we speak, and many more if they somehow survive that encounter,? the General replied.
The Puppeteer stared at his subordinate for several moments, ?And if these battalions are to fall??
?Well, I?m here, you?ve got all your problems solved right there,? the General replied smugly.
?I can only hope,? The Puppeteer groaned and severed the link between the General and himself.

?Finished already?? Kaver asked, yawning, ?You guys work fast; I?ve only done a few laps around the city.?
?No, we are not finished you idiot,? Cassandra barked, ?we?re sustaining heavy enemy fire; HEAVY enemy fire.?
?Kaver, we need you to fly overhead and bomb the enemy troops in our way, can you do that? We?re rather close to them??
?Yeah, so long as you guys don?t get surrounded or anything I should be able to drop the bombs on them, and you guys should be fine.?
Kaver turned the Nega around, and sent it hurtling towards Andrago?s location.
Sevvy sent yet another well placed shot into the enemy mob, taking out a man operating a turret; this proved fruitless however, as another man took his place.
?I?m almost there,? stated Kaver, ?I?ll fly overhead once and see what the situation?s like.? Kaver flew above the wipe street, noticing a large assembly of soldiers gathering on the opposite side of his squad, ?Ok, they?ve flanked you??
?****!? Andrago swore, looking behind him and ducking to avoid a hail of gunfire.
?They?re still a fair distance away, can you get them without hitting us?? Zereth inquired. The other members of the squad looked at him oddly.
?Well I could, but I?m warning you, it?s not taught in the academy, it?s a risk.?
?Do it.? Xarook stated firmly, spraying bullets amongst the approaching soldiers and bringing them down, ?We can?t hold them all.?
Kaver muttered something inaudible and swung the Nega Battleship around, flying back towards his squad. As Kaver approached, he took a sharp nose dive, sending a light missile hurtling into the middle of the enemies flanking the rear, before forcing the aircraft up before it faced its untimely destruction. Kaver took a second nosedive, sending another missile into a concentrated group of enemy soldiers, this time to the north of Andrago and the others. Kaver fired later than he?d wanted to and the nose of the aircraft was left singed as he pulled it back up to level height. He proceeded to barrel roll away from a volley of incoming rockets from survivors on the ground, flying off into the distance.
?Great job,? Andrago congratulated his pilot, ?Never seen anything like that before.? Andrago motioned for Xarook and Zereth to take the survivors to their rear, before pointing forward and looking at Cassandra. ?Sevvy, you stay put, help any group suffering.? The scout nodded and the squad split up, charging for the survivors of the aerial assault. Andrago and Cassandra disposed of the shaken northern flank quickly, as they?d still not recovered from what had just happened. Sevvy turned to assist Xarook and Zereth however, taking out any soldier who looked half a threat as the south flank provided significantly more resistance. Regardless, the southern flank fell shortly after and the squad reassembled where Sevvy was standing.
?Right, let?s do this?? Andrago rushed towards the town?s centre, his squad in tow; with Xarook covering the rear, not by choice.
The group was met with yet another significant amount of soldiers, however this time it was not so severe to require Kaver?s assistance.
?Xarook, you go first, I?ll watch your six? Sevvy stay back and take out those that you deem to be the biggest threats,? Andrago turned to Cassandra and Zereth ?Zereth, help me back up Xarook, Cassandra, you stay a decent distance away from the three of us, but move forward as we do, we might need you.?

?Helios, behind you!? Cesslik shouted, sending a round into a Vandarian soldier, ?Be more careful,?
?Gotcha,? Helios muttered in reply, ?I?m not used to land combat? sorry.?
?It?s fine,? Cesslik stated, ?Just try and learn to adapt? you can?t always be up in the clouds, sometimes we?ll need you down here? or like today; you?ll have no choice but to be with us.?
Cesslik pointed towards a terminal and ordered his technician to open the gate, ?Skully get that damned thing open,? Cesslik ordered, noting the reinforcements pouring through the doors behind them as he ripped through them.
?The name?s Steve,? Skully groaned, tapping into the terminal and deciphering the code as if he?d grown up with it all his life.
?It doesn?t matter, take it as a compliment!? Cesslik and the remainder of the squad crouched behind various objects in the room and concentrated their fire on the soldiers pouring through the door. Cesslik?s only priority was keeping Skully alive.
Skully finished bypassing the terminal?s defences and successfully opened the gate. The noise of gunfire was drowned out by shouting and celebration from the Arian forces as they pushed through and obliterated the unprepared defence situated behind the newly opened gate.

Cassandra smiled as she gave Xarook yet another bandage to cover a light wound, ?You?ll look like a mummy by the time we?re done,? she commented, laughing. Xarook grinned, his expression one of malice.
Andrago kicked at the door to the building containing the automated defence systems, it fell easily; obviously Snic?arus was not equipped to deal with the enemy getting so deep into its walls. Zereth and Cassandra sprayed their rifles? contents into the room, making sure that nobody was guarding the mainframe. Several engineers dropped to the floor, and two soldiers, but it would appear the building wasn?t too heavily fortified; as if most of the city?s defences had been relocated.
The squad made their way to the uppermost floor of the building, the security presence had increased as they progressed, but clearing the building had been an easy task. Zereth got to work on the mainframe, he noticed that the main gate was open and smiled before proceeding to try and hack into the system. The program used was amazingly high tech, exempt from outside entry, and indeed from any hacking technique Zereth knew. Zereth had one simple solution however, while hacking from an outside terminal would prove fruitless, being in the room itself was a blessing. This was not only the building controlling the city?s automated defence, but it was also the city?s central power grid. Zereth kicked in a locked door carved into the wall and proceeded to shoot the entire circuit board, shutting down all but the back-up generators; of which only one building was equipped with, the town hall.
?Well, I could?ve done that,? Andrago muttered, ?Not sure how you made special ops.?
The rest of the squad laughed at this and patted Zereth on the back.
?Well, that?s the city's power down? now to finish the mission.?


« Last edited by TestVirus101 on Sep 19th 2007 »

Technician kicking down a wall and shooting a circuit board = WIN. Great chapter.

I do come bearing typos, though.

?I?ve got five battalions facing them as we speak, and many more if they someone survive that encounter,? the General replied.

Someone = somehow, no?

?Strength in numbers. Xarook, you?re time to shine.?

Your.

Other than that, the chapter was impressive. Some great description, there. Keep it up.

Another chapter? Surely not!

Good work there, and like Seos said, the method of taking down the auto-defence system was brillient. Aside from that, I hope you continue to write this one. It's really good.

These problems have been fixed. Thanks. Glad you liked the chapter ;]

A shorter chapter this time; just some backstory.



?First of all, I personally would like to congratulate you,? General Vern?s voice echoed throughout the crowded function hall, carried along by the microphone he was speaking into. ?As many of you are aware? we have been at war with the Vandarians for some time now? seven years to be exact. Many have told you that you?ll die in the Arian army; I stand before you now to refute their claims. If you keep your head down and do your job to the best of your ability, you?ll only ever get killed by someone doing it better; make sure that doesn?t happen.? General Vern chuckled and the crowd of recent graduates applauded as he left the stage.
Commander Cesslik approached the podium, ?I am proud to welcome you to the Arian National Guard. I had my son go through the same process as you two years ago and I?m also very pleased to see the name of my nephew on the list. So, congratulations Andrago and all the other graduates and I look forward to seeing you on the battlefield.? The crowd erupted in applause yet again as the Cesslik bowed and exited. The band began playing, for many of the new recruits, this would be the last time they enjoyed such festivities; a fresh recruit on average lasted only a few months.
Andrago grabbed his drink, sipping at it and watching a woman from afar. General Gregory?s daughter, Melissa. While everyone knew her for the nature in which she had received her high ranking position so quickly, she was equally as famous for being one of the most beautiful women in Aria. Andrago put his drink down and began to head over to where she was standing; he was cut short as a rather staunch man stepped in front of him, smilingly cheerfully.
?You?re Andrago right?? the man asked, ?The name?s Khan Vidia, I?ve heard some great things about you? top of your class at the academy; they?re assigning me to the same squad as you, or so I hear.?
?Pleasure to meet you Khan,? Andrago diverted his gaze and scanned the room for Melissa; she was nowhere to be found. ?So, do you always carry a weapon?? Andrago asked, noticing the two A-10 short range pistols holstered down by Khan?s ankles.
?Naturally,? Khan replied firmly, ?I?m always on my guard. Very few people are actually carrying guns here, apart from myself, probably only Commander Cesslik and General Vern? it?s quite worrying.?
Andrago shook his head and laughed, ?No, what?s worrying is how you?ve managed to sneak your firearms past security, they?re in plain sight and would easily set off the detectors.? Andrago moved aside as the two men in charge of security rolled next to him, punching at each other in what appeared to be a dispute over a woman. ?No wait? I take that back.?
?What do you think of the band?? Khan enquired, tapping his foot along with the fast paced music.
?Not bad. Heard they?re Vandarian born; surprising to see them here? refugees apparently. Aria always was the better country in my opinion. I don?t blame them.?
?I?m just surprised they?ve got such a big orchestra, really. Nice sound though.? The two men observed the orchestra as it played. ?We?ll be assigned to Squad Commander Cesslik?s squad. Your cousin right??
Andrago nodded and grabbed his drink from where he had left it, not too far away. ?Yeah, been living in his shadow my entire life. Working in his squad will be a bit awkward, but you know, what can you do? He?s a good guy, we get along well? he?s just respected more, and his achievements are noticed. He was top of his class in the academy as well, so when I received the same honour, it was all the old news that they?d heard before.?
Khan frowned, ?That?s got to suck. My parents are real proud, I mean, you?d think that because I?m twenty, they wouldn?t care too much anymore? felt like I was a little kid when I graduated and they were all hugging me and stuff. I mean, you?d think they would be angry that I?ve signed up to kill and risk being killed. I guess, my family is just odd.?
Andrago nodded, smiling, ?You?re a pretty cool guy Khan, its nice to see that I?ll be working with some good people.? The music stopped abruptly as Andrago shook hands with Khan. The two men looked up to the stage and ducked for cover along with most other people in the hall as the Vandarian orchestra withdrew hidden guns and began raining bullets down on the Arian soldiers, in particular Commander Cesslik and General Vern.
?It?s a trap!? Khan shouted, withdrawing his pistols and throwing one of them to Andrago, ?let?s waste these fools? you take the violinists, I?ll handle the guys with the saxophones.? Khan chuckled as he said this and began shooting at the Vandarian soldiers, killing several of them.
Andrago saw a gun point at him, he knew from his training to duck, but he was frozen in place and couldn?t bring himself to do anything. Khan crash tackled him, bringing him to the floor and saving him from a fatal headshot.
?Sorry,? Andrago murmured, ?It?s? different; much different to the academy. These are my enemies? I have to? kill? for real this time.?
?Well duh,? Khan grunted, ?You can?t tell me you?ve never considered the amount of death you?d be causing??
?I have? it?s just, different. I guess.?
?You guess? God damn it Andrago, they aren?t hesitating to shoot you, don?t flinch!?
Andrago nodded, ?You?re right?? He picked himself up and stood staring at the Vandarians.
?Uh, Andrago? I think you should get down.? Khan muttered.
Andrago shook his head, ?That?d be fail.? Andrago held the pistol firmly and sent a several shots into the crowd of enemy soldiers, felling a few. He rushed forward, diving for one of the recently deceased soldier?s rifles. It had all happened in an instant, as the Vandarian soldiers diverted their gaze to Andrago, Commander Cesslik and General Vern appeared from behind an overturned dinner table. Andrago, Cesslik and Vern began ploughing through the Vandarian orchestra, with Khan soon joining in. The other new recruits in the room sprang forward, grabbing any gun they could find, shredding through the Vandarians.
Cesslik dropped his spent rifle and turned to Andrago and Khan as they went for a high-five. ?Nice work you two. Andrago are you and your friend in the same squad?? Andrago nodded. ?Good, Laj?s squad right?? Cesslik smiled as they confirmed they were in his son?s squadron.
?Right, I?ll have you guys assigned to the defence of the northern front. I?ll be in the battle, and expect to be working with the best. You guys fit the bill.?
Andrago and Khan bowed as Commander Cesslik patted them on the back and began ushering the other recruits out of the hall.
?Alright guys, everyone out, parties over,? General Vern stated simply, noticing several dead bodies on the floor and sighing.
?Who?s going to pay for this tux?? asked one recruit, pointing to his ruined clothes; the result of an overturned punch bowl in all the commotion.
?I don?t think you realise the seriousness of what just happened soldier.? General Vern replied, ?We were infiltrated and quite a few of us were killed tonight.?
?Yeah? Well I hope the guy who?s going to pay for this rented suit is still alive.?
?It would seem that you indeed still are alive sir, now get the hell out,? General Vern ordered the drunken man.
?No? YOU get the hell out!? the drunken man barked
General Vern kneed the man below the waist and threw him out onto the pavement, he ushered over a soldier with a clipboard, ?Find that man?s name and discharge him immediately,? the soldier nodded and began searching the drunken man?s pockets for some sort of identification.

Andrago and Khan shuffled along the pavement, heading nowhere in particular, bonding. Andrago could count the people he got along with on his left hand, and even then considered none of these people close friends. Khan was indeed an exception to this rule thus far.
?What do you want to do with your life?? Khan asked, looking up towards the sky.
Andrago pondered for a moment, ?I want to be a part of something. I want to aid people? when this war is all done and finished, I want to be able to stand tall and know I helped.?
?You?re confident you?ll live that long??
?Quietly confident,? Andrago corrected him.
?Really? You don?t sound so quietly confident to me,? Khan grinned.
?I suppose I don?t,? Andrago admitted, rather serious, ?But, I?ve trained my entire life? if there?s a battle I can?t handle, I?ll be disappointed. So, how about you??
Khan smiled, ?I was waiting for you to ask that,? he stated, ?I want to be powerful? respected. I don?t want to be a simple soldier? I want to lead.?
?You aim much higher than I do.?
?Yeah,? Khan replied, ?But then again? we both end up with the same goal in the long run. If you make a significant contribution like you want to, then you?ll be rewarded accordingly.?
?So? squad leader? Battalion leader? Special Ops??
Khan shook his head, ?Commander Vidia of the Arian National Guard.?
?Well, that is certainly high.?
?Doesn?t get any higher.?
?I couldn?t imagine myself in a leadership position,? Andrago replied, ?I mean, hell? I don?t see myself making it past ever being a squad leader; providing I got that far.?
?It?s true that not everyone gets promoted? but? you?re top of the class, I don?t see why you don?t expect good things ahead of you.?
?Books? Bullets? all different. I could tell you right now the best way to clean your firearm and list the many types of guns available. Hell, I can tell you how to make a crude bomb from mechanical debris? but, I don?t think that counts for too much out there.?
Khan shook his head, ?Hell yeah it does,? he protested, ?Next time we take down a battleship, I?ll get you to make me a bomb. With that bomb we can blow down some walls and bust up some Vandarians. It?s all good man; all good.?
Andrago chuckled, ?Yeah, guess so.?
?Either way, whether you?re promotion worthy or not; I?ll be glad to have you watching my back on the battlefield,? Khan stated.
Andrago nodded, ?Likewise. Night probably couldn?t have turned out better? actually, could have turned out much better. Could?ve talked to Melissa? and the whole Vandarian band going ape and shooting at us certainly wasn?t welcome; the night was good all the same.?
Khan laughed, ?Sorry if I interrupted you then,? he commented, ?but, regardless, Melissa?s taken.?
?She is??
Khan nodded, ?Yeah, she?s got a boyfriend. He?s a squad leader.?
?Who is it? Anyone I know?? Khan nodded as Andrago finished the sentence. Andrago looked at Khan, longing for an answer, ?Who then??
?Laj Cesslik.?
Andrago swore loudly and kicked down a small metal garbage bin that was next to him; its contents spilled out across the road. ?Like I said? I?m always in his shadow. Never had this happen before though; was always academic, he?s stepping up his game.?
Khan lifted an eyebrow in disbelief, ?You think he?s competing with you? You?ve never even talked to Melissa? have you??
?No?? Andrago smiled, ?I get what you?re saying and I know; I?m out of line. He just always seems to get everything good happening to him. He might be my cousin, but our families were close growing up; he?s annoying older brother to me. You know the feeling??
?I?m an only child,? Khan admitted.
?Lucky,? Andrago responded, ?I wish I was an only child.?
?You are an only child??
??Doesn?t feel like it sometimes.?


« Last edited by TestVirus101 on Sep 28th 2007 »

Lucky,? Andrago responded, ?I wish I was an only child.?
?You are an only child?? - lol

Another chapter! Just one question about this actually... Isn't it dangerous to have a flashback while you're in the middle of taking over a city? Just a little? Anyway, great chapter, and I especially liked the way they devided the enemies into Violinists and Saxophonists. Keep up the good fic!

On 28-Sep-2007 Sotek said:

Lucky,? Andrago responded, ?I wish I was an only child.?
?You are an only child?? - lol

Another chapter! Just one question about this actually... Isn't it dangerous to have a flashback while you're in the middle of taking over a city? Just a little? Anyway, great chapter, and I especially liked the way they devided the enemies into Violinists and Saxophonists. Keep up the good fic!

There were more than Violinists and Saxophonists obviously, but yeah, they were the first to fall.

And nah, it's not really dangerous. I mean, flashbacks happen all the time. In fact, once I write the next chapter, it'll all make sense. In fact, the flashback will make it all the more meaningful. ;]

The drunk guy with the wrecked tux ftw. And I'm glad to see Laj back in action after a long absence.

Good chapter. Don't know what you meant by short, it seemed okay to me.