The Puppeteer

On 30-Sep-2007 Pandaemonium said:

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.

Shoter than the others I guess. And yeah, when I was thinking of a first name to distinguish the two Cessliks, figured I'd go with Laj ;]

Glad you liked it.

I really can't think of a whole lot to say. It was an awesome chapter, but it's hard to make helpful comments on flashback. Some good character development, and the following bit is win:

"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.?

Chapter 5
Traitor

?You?ll have to act fast Andrago,? Melissa instructed over the radio. ?The army is clearing the city as we speak, but resistance is well organised. We need you to deliver that extra edge??
?Yeah? sure,? Andrago was hesitant; taking the town hall down with just one squad would be risky; but necessary.
?Sir, my gun?s out of ammo? Zereth doesn?t carry ammo its size either,? Xarook stated, tossing his gun to the ground.
Andrago glanced at the gun, it was rather marvellous technology; a few years ago it would have been a massive waste to abandon the weapon, however they were much easier to come by now, it didn?t matter much at all anymore. ?No that?s fine, but I don?t have any spare weapons??
Xarook smiled, opening a hidden compartment down the side of his legging armour. Xarook?s armour was far heavier than the rest of the squad and designed to take severe punishment. He revealed a small rod that had been tucked away in there before sealing the compartment once more.
?What?s that going to do?? Sevvy inquired, ?You going to throw it in their direction and yell fetch or something??
Xarook grinned, putting the visor down on his helmet and holding a button down on the side of the small rod for several seconds. Both ends of the rod opened and extended, revealing metallic spear tips on either end; the tips began to flicker with electricity. ?A-28 Close Combat Electric Spear,? Xarook explained, ?I never leave home without it.?
?That worries me?? Sevvy commented absently, forgetting his past insult of the weapon.
?Ok, that?ll work fine, now let?s get going,? Andrago interjected, heading for the staircase with his squad in tow.

??They approach General,? a Vandarian soldier mumbled.
?Let them come? any news on who they are??
?Freshly formed Special Operations unit, led by General Kilmet of the Arian National Guard,? a technician responded, pointing to his screen; neither side?s information was confidential anymore. Security measures were not taken with squad details, mostly so that the enemy could read up on talented squads and fear what was coming for them.
??General? Kilmet?? The Vandarian General mumbled, quickly pulling himself together, ?Very well. Are all of our defences in order??
?Yes.?
?Good, let none survive, take no hostages,? The Vandarian General glanced once more at the image of Andrago staring at him from across the room. ?General hmm? Didn?t expect that...?

?On three?? Zereth instructed, ?Ok, are we ready??
?Three!? Xarook shouted impatiently, kicking the small side entrance open. Zereth shook his head and joined the squad in rushing in, quickly diving to avoid fire.
Andrago revealed a grenade he had been saving, tossing it idly over his shoulder and mouthing a small countdown before a large explosion erupted across the room.
Sevvy shot at a chain holding a light from the ceiling, breaking it and sending it down into the middle of the enemy stockade; disorganising them as they scrambled for cover.
The remainder of the squad pushed the advantage they had been given as Sevvy reloaded. Xarook jumped over a ledge as if it were a hurdle on a running track and swung his spear around; the electric tips striking at the Vandarian soldiers and killing them.
Andrago fired his gun at a soldier running to push a nearby alarm, ripping through his body with the A-32?s powerful blast. Zereth and Cassandra followed suit, firing into the garrison of Vandarian soldiers and making quick work of them. Andrago pointed towards the door at the other end of the room, leading into a hallway. ?Sevvy, you?re a ?scout? right?? Sevvy nodded. ?Well then, mind finding out what?s in that hallway? Relay it to us through the headset.?
?Scout?s honour,? Sevvy replied, slowly making his way to the hallway. ?Nobody in the hallway,? he commented. ?There?s no other doors? it?s a one way trip.?
?Right, on our way,? stated Andrago, moving towards Sevvy at the far end of the hall with the squad in tow.
?Andrago, we?ve figured out where their central intelligence is!? Melissa stated happily over the communications line, ?its at the far end of the town hall on the second floor? problem is that we?ve figured out why defences seem a little thin in the city??
?And why?s that?? Andrago replied, looking around the entrance hall for signs of life.
?The town hall is loaded with soldiers??
Andrago muttered something under his breath before the light in the reception hall flickered on. Soldiers appeared, having hidden in every location imaginable. The squad was soon under heavy fire.
?Retreat! Back into the hall!? Andrago rolled back into the hall, narrowly dodging several rounds.
?We can?t take this many sir?? Cassandra commented. Zereth nodded grimly.
?Kaver, you there??
?Hell yes, what do you need?? asked the pilot
?Bomb the town hall, primarily the reception hall, but feel free to go dropping bombs as you need them??
?You?re ordering an air strike over our heads?? Sevvy asked, taking yet another soldier down with a well placed blast, ?Can?t we just hold the hall and slowly push out??
?Can?t,? Andrago replied, ?They?re slowly moving towards us if you haven?t noticed? we can?t take this much longer.?
?I?m in position?? Kaver interrupted.
?Oh, you don?t seem so worried that you might hit us with your bombs?? Cassandra groaned, ?Shows your team spirit.?
Kaver chuckled, ?Don?t worry, wouldn?t want to hit that pretty face of yours.? He flew overhead, drifting towards the right side of the reception hall as to have a greater chance of not hitting his team members. The bottom of the Nega opened up and let loose several bombs, he continued on his path, dropping bombs on varying parts of the town hall, undoubtedly killing many of the Commanders and strategists that had been leading the defence from the building.
Andrago ran further back into the hall, the squad following his example as explosions ripped through the reception hall. It was finished quickly, but the damage it caused was noticeable immediately.
?Move out, we don?t know how many have survived,? Andrago ordered, ?Melissa, got any overhead images you can ping to Zereth??
?Sure,? Melissa replied, she could be heard tapping away at her keyboard. Zereth removed a small portable screen from inside of his utility bag and watched as the overhead images appeared.
Most of the roof in the latter part of the building had been torn away, with the sunlight blaring in, Andrago could notice a large force assembling and pushing towards their direction.
?Should we get Kaver to go for another round?? Melissa asked, ?I can relay the order if you need me to.?
Andrago shook his head, ?No, won?t be necessary,? he replied, spotting someone in the crowd; apparently the leader. ?I have a feeling I?m going to need to see these people for myself??
??Your call.?
Andrago stood up and faced the direction they were coming from. He looked at his squad one by one, nobody moved. ??Well, take cover.? Everyone nodded frantically and scrambled for some sort of debris to shield themselves with. Andrago stood tall, waiting for them to come.
Vandarian soldiers came bursting through the doors, pointing their rifles at Andrago?s head; he was the only member of the squad still visible.
?Hold your fire,? came the voice of their leader, ?I wish to speak to? General Kilmet.? Andrago waited in anticipation; he had immediately identified him when Zereth had shown him the aerial images.
The General stepped forward, ?How are you Andrago??
?Great, thanks. How about you? Khan??
Khan smiled smugly, ?I see you?re as sharp as ever,? he commented absently, removing a helmet he had been wearing and revealing his face. Melissa gasped, observing him through the small camera in Andrago?s headset.
?So you?re the one in charge of defending Snic?arus?? Andrago enquired.
Khan smiled and nodded shortly after, ?And you?re the one in charge of laying siege to it? funny how things are different now, isn?t it??
?Why?d you do it Khan??
?The Puppeteer,? Khan replied, ?He made me realise that I was but a puppet of the Arian government.?
?So? you?ve gone and become a puppet of the Vandarians??
?The Puppeteer is very persuasive. I happen to have fulfilled my life long dream.?
?So that?s what they call the leader of Vandar, the Puppeteer?? Khan nodded. ?He?s made you the leader of the Vandarian army, hasn?t he??
?Oh, you?re no fun? always one step ahead, can?t keep anything from you. Like that surprise party? do you remember it??
Andrago stared at his best friend with a blank expression, ?Why did you do it Khan? Why not stay and work your way up through Aria?s ranks??
Khan was noticeably less friendly now, ?Nothing against anyone,? he remarked, ?I left you and your squad alive because we were all friends. I?ve since heard they?re dead? correct?? Andrago took a deep breath before affirming this. ?It isn?t your fault? you just were too promotable? you know? Turned down Special Operations because I wouldn?t be coming with you. They were only ever interested in you? how could I get promoted living in your shadow? When you became a Battalion leader the year after Cesslik was assigned his own Battalion? you only did it when they agreed to put me in your squad. Hell, the only reason I was in charge of the second squad in the Battalion was because you put me there. You?re an excellent soldier Andrago, and you have the family history to boot? so many accomplished servicemen and women in your family tree. I just couldn?t compete. I did the only reasonable thing? I joined the team that would promote me, that wouldn?t compare me to your performance.?
?You?re an excellent soldier Khan? the fact that you?d defect because of my success? it?s a kick in the guts.?
?I am an excellent soldier?? Khan replied, ?Only? you were classed as better? and I couldn?t compete. Hell, let?s settle this.? Khan tossed his rifle aside, cracking his knuckles and front flipping down from the balcony overhead and landing in front of Andrago.
?I?ve got a clear shot,? Sevvy mumbled across the headset, ??Do I take it??
?Of course not,? Andrago muttered in reply, ?this is my fight, stay out? all of you.?
Khan caught wind of the last few words and smiled, turning to his soldiers. ?Leave General Kilmet alone, but feel free to engage the remainder of his squad wherever they are? find and kill them all.?
Andrago cursed under his breath and ran forward, throwing a punch at Khan. It connected, knocking him to the floor.
?Nice,? the Vandarian Supreme Commander remarked, getting up and wiping blood from his lip, ?Caught me off guard though? don?t expect it to be that easy. I do hope you?ve been practicing hand-to-hand combat like Commander Vern taught us way back when? I certainly have.? Khan rushed at Andrago, jumping into the air and sending a kick towards his face. The move could be easily blocked, and Andrago formed a cross in front of his chest with his arms. Khan spun in mind air, forcing himself to the floor and landing on his two hands; his legs remained airborne and he performed a flawless leg sweep, catching Andrago unaware and sending the Arian General to the floor. Khan picked him up by the collar and began pounding into him.
The Vandarian soldiers pushed forward, Xarook emerged from his hiding place and charged at them; swing his spear as he approached and ploughing through the pack. Zereth and Cassandra emerged shortly after, pouring bullets into the enemy crowd as they frantically tried to kill Xarook who was flawlessly defending against them. Sevvy focused; watching for any particular soldier who proved a threat to Xarook and promptly disposed of them.
?There?s so many of them,? Xarook huffed over the radio, he was growing tired. ?Can?t you guys take them down any faster??
Kaver threw aside a rock and picked up his A-20 rifle, rushing into the building and began shooting at the Vandarian soldiers along with his team mates.
?What did you do with the Nega?? Cassandra barked, ?Shouldn?t you be in it??
?Oh, don?t want any help? Fine then?? Kaver stopped shooting and turned his back.
Cassandra groaned, ?Sorry,? she stated simply. ?We need all the help we can get.?
Kaver chuckled, turning back around and began shooting at the Vandarian forces as if nothing had happened. This infuriated Cassandra, but she decided against making this known to him.
?It?s parked outside.?
?What is?? Cassandra enquired.
?The Nega.?
?Oh? right.?
Andrago thrust a knee into Khan?s stomach, forcing him to release Andrago and stagger back. Andrago regained his composure, wiping the blood streaming down his face. The two men ran at each other, sending punches and kicks in the other?s direction, but they were both flawless; with both men sustaining no injuries as each attacked was blocked and the fight continued on.
?You know, you were the best at virtually everything that we did in the Academy and quite frequently on the battlefield you proved it,? Khan stated, ?But? there was always one thing I knew I could beat you at.?
?A fight without weapons,? Andrago replied, ?I know.?
The two men battled on, Andrago focusing completely on the fight; ignoring the battle his squad was fighting around him, he needed to be completely focused on Khan, otherwise he?d fall to his former friend?s skill.
?We can?t take this much more,? Cassandra stated, reloading her weapon yet again as Xarook pushed his way out of the mob of Vandarians and joined his squad behind a pile of rocks. The Arian Special Operations unit was skilled; but they weren?t superhuman. The sheer number of Vandarians was overwhelming them; Zereth could not keep up with the supply of ammunition and found his own back-up supply running short.
Andrago found himself growing tired; but Khan was flawless. The Vandarian Commander noticed the fatigue Andrago was developing and grinned, jumping backwards out of the reach of Andrago?s attacks. Andrago stared at him for a moment before rushing forward. Khan paced himself and jumped as his opponent halved the gap between them. He spun in the air and performed a roundhouse kick, sending Andrago sliding across the floor.
Khan clasped his hands together and bowed. ?Nice try,? he gloated, ?I remain the better of us however.? Khan reached for a pistol concealed at his waist; pointing it at his former best friend and frowning.
?You know I hate to do this? but, we work for different sides; I can?t avoid it.?
Cesslik and his squad rushed through the shattered front entrance, ?Damn, late again!? he cried, as his squad rushed over to join Andrago?s in fighting the Vandarian troops.
?Better late than never,? Khan replied, lapsing in concentration for a moment as he looked at Laj.
Andrago kicked the pistol from his hand as more and more of the Arian army began pouring in through the front entrance.
?I admit defeat,? Khan stated simply, pressing a button on his wrist guard as Cesslik and other soldiers began firing at him. A large shield appeared around Khan and the bullets bounced off it as they hit. Khan glanced around before deciding he?d need to take a hostage as compensation for his loss. He rushed forward, noting Andrago having already made his way back to Cesslik. Khan sent a knee flying into Cassandra?s stomach and hoisting her over his shoulder because she was the lightest. He rushed back up the stairs, leading further into the town hall. Kaver pursued the Vandarian Commander, shooting at his subordinates as he cleared a path towards the staircase. Kaver rushed up and saw an aircraft the size of the Naga rip through the floor, having been hidden in the town hall for escape purposes. Khan noticed the pilot and rushed forward, Kaver?s bullets deflecting off his shield. Khan elbowed the pilot in the face and grabbed him, taking both he and Cassandra onto the ship and lifting off; heading for another Vandarian fortress.
?Christ!? Shouted Andrago as he rushed into the hall followed by Cesslik and the remainder of both of their squads. They watched as the aircraft disappeared into the horizon; carrying with it two of Andrago?s squad.


« Last edited by TestVirus101 on Oct 4th 2007 »

?What?s that going to do?? Sevvy inquired, ?You going to throw it in their direction and yell fetch or something??

For some reason, I rofl'd. That shouldn't have been as funny as it was. But I laughed, anyway, so nice quote.

And great chapter. Only complaint is that you used the word "flawless" a lot. Kinda sounded a bit repetitive in that respect. Other than that, the plot twist was uber. And, of course, the need for flashback now makes perfect sense. Keep it up.

ctrl+f's Flawless.

4 times =D the word Flawless owns.

In fact, you could say that your use of it was... flawless.

Nice chapter, and it does indeed explain the need for the history chapter. Other than that, I hope that they manage to rescue the medic, or they could be in trouble when one of them gets a splinter.

Xarook's in deep crap if they don't get her back ;]

Bump because this thread is win.

EDIT:
Three words are censored by SC. Not to avoid the censors for illegal purposes, but for clear reading they are, in order of appearance:
1# B.astard
2# B.astard
3# B.itch
If this language offends you; I ask that you take into account the setting of the fic. I try not to be to excessive.



?Why do you think they?re keeping us alive?? Cassandra asked nervously, still pacing around the small cell. ?Do you think they expect us to join them? Are they going to torture us? Interrogate us? Kill us??
?Oh shut up,? Kaver responded, growing tired of Cassandra?s constantly worrying. ?We don?t have any information to give? they?re playing with us. We?re bait for Andrago to follow. They say General Kilmet?s a proud one. ?Leave no man behind? and all that? he?ll come after us, with or without the support of the army. That?s what Khan wants; to get Andrago, to make up for losing Snic?arus.?
Cassandra sighed and slumped against the wall; her back sliding down the cold brick until she was sitting on the rough floor. ?I don?t want to die in here you know??
??Really?? Kaver mocked, ?Here I was thinking you were having loads of fun in here. What a surprise.?
?You?re cold you know that??
?No, I?m not. The two things that are cold are you and this floor. You?re constantly berating people? to be honest, the only reason I sound rude is because I?m speaking the truth. You?re like my mother in a respect; you just don?t listen when told. You constantly revisit the subject.?
Cassandra groaned angrily, ?You?re just an arrogant *******.?
?I?m not a *******.?
Cassandra grinned slightly, ?Oh well, at least you admit something.?
?You seem to think I?m some sort of guy who rubs his success in people?s faces. I?m not. Nor am I a rookie pilot like everyone?s making me out to be. Age doesn?t matter at all? soldiers die young; judging a soldier based on their age is ridiculous.?
??I see your point,? Cassandra admitted, ?you?re referring to me and General Kilmet? right? For being overly-critical of you??
Kaver nodded. ?Andrago has an excuse; he?s seen a lot and been through many pilots in his time. I don?t see why you have to touch on it; hell, you?re my age and fresh out of the academy yourself.?
Cassandra frowned, ?You?re right,? she stated, ?Sorry for being such a ***** earlier on? I just don?t trust anyone, that?s all.?
?Well, learn to trust me? and the rest of the squad.?
Cassandra twirled a finger through her vibrant pink hair and grinned, ?I?m working on it? any pilots better than you in the academy??
??I received equal first,? Kaver replied. ?Tied with Helios.?
?Ah, Cesslik?s pilot?? Kaver nodded as she said this. ?I was third in my class.?
?Are the other two in Special Operations squads as well?? Kaver asked, tossing a small rock at the wall and watching it collide and shatter.
Cassandra shook her head, ?Oh no? they?re dead.?
Kaver avoided the subject further; the two were both aware that the average lifespan of a new recruit was a few months. ?You know? the fact they used stones to form this cell is all a ploy right??
?What do you mean?? Cassandra asked tapping at the stone they were sitting on.
?There?s steel underneath this stone? it?s to give prisoners hope. To make them think they could probably tunnel out or something. Not like anyone?s ever lived long enough to tunnel out of here, but you know? it?s all in good fun.?
?Good fun? It?s terrible!? Cassandra responded angrily.
?What? Arian cells do the same. Don?t get so worked up over it.?
?You know? for a ?rookie? you know a hell of a lot.? Cassandra observed, leaning back against the wall and looking up at the ceiling.
?I read a lot of books.?
?Is that meant to impress me?? Cassandra inquired; receiving a sly nod from Kaver. Cassandra grinned, ?Wow, you read. Never have guessed that,? she mocked.
?Speaking of which? are you bored in here? There?s absolutely nothing to do.? Kaver muttered in reply.
?You can talk to me, I?m always happy to chat,? Cassandra admitted, ?I can talk for hours.?
?Is that meant to impress me?? Kaver asked chuckling as he did so.
Cassandra joined in with Kaver and the two smiled. ?You?re not so bad. I should hold judgement until I get to know people from now on.?
?Sweet,? Kaver replied, ?Sounds like a start.?
The cell door slid open and Khan stepped in along with two other Vandarian soldiers.
?Having fun in here?? Khan inquired, ?Don?t think of escaping, beyond this stone there?s??
?Steel, we know,? Cassandra interrupted.
Khan swore under his breath and punched at the wall, ?Damn you people? has Andrago passed his extra-sensory abilities onto you too??
Kaver stared at him blankly, ?Why are you here??
?To reveal my master plan of course. You see, the reason we?re keeping you here??
?Bait for Andrago,? Kaver stated, ?You want him to lead a non-authorised retrieval mission to come get us.?
?God damn you people!? Khan shouted, ?Can?t I do anything without you people knowing??
?No, of course not,? Kaver replied. ?I know what you did last summer.?
Khan shook his head, frustrated. He reached for the pistol concealed at his waist and pointed it towards Kaver?s face, ?Want to die??
?I thought we just discussed that you?re going to keep us as bait?? Kaver asked calmly.
Khan released his grip on his weapon and returned it to its position at his waist. He grinned and signalled for the two guards to grab them. ?We?re going to rough you up a little??
?Sounds fun,? Kaver replied, spitting at Khan who promptly slapped him.
?Get them out of here. Torture them. Just for the fun of it.? The two guards swung the butt of their rifles at Cassandra and Kaver?s head and knocked the two out. Each of them grabbed one of the two of them and followed Khan as he left the cell; walking down the hallway towards the torture room.
Khan shackled the two of them to a pole that was connected to a bare wall. The Vandarian Supreme Commander revealed a metal pole that began shooting sparks of electricity. ?Non fatal voltage,? he remarked, ?Unless you go overboard of course. You can be sure that it?s going to hurt like hell though. If you?ve got any information you?d like to reveal to make me stop or ease the torture; feel free to tell me.?
Khan thrust the pole at Kaver?s stomach; sending shockwaves through the young pilot?s body.
?Christ!? Kaver cried out in pain, groaning as Khan finally stopped. Cassandra looked at Khan, disgusted. She sent saliva towards the back of her throat and sent it forward; spitting in Khan?s face.
?*****!? Khan screamed, dropping the metal pole and dropping it on his foot. He yelped in agony and moved away from the pole as it lay motionless on the floor; sparks still flying from it. Khan signalled for one of the two guards to come over. He grabbed the guard?s shirt and wiped his face with it.
?You?re going to pay for that missy,? Khan stated. ?You?ve got my undivided attention.?
Kaver watched as Cassandra screamed under the pressure of the electricity; Khan giving her a few seconds to breathe before sending the electricity through her body once more. Repeating the process, Khan gave her another few seconds rest before sending it into her body again. Cassandra?s screaming was unbearable; more painful than anything Kaver had heard before. He could see her bleeding from the mouth and her tears were freely flowing down her cheeks. He couldn?t stand it any longer.
Kaver slid his cuffs further along the pole and positioned himself next to Cassandra. He stepped in front of her and took the full brunt of the force.
?Back off,? Khan stated, ?you can have your turn later.?
Kaver shook his head; apparently unaffected by the electricity attacking his body. ?You will NOT touch her!? Khan continued to send electricity flowing through Kaver?s body; not stopping to give him a few seconds breath as he had did with Cassandra. The Pilot held firm and did not make any protest. He felt his knees growing weak and his head was getting light. The room was spinning all around him and everything became blurry before he blacked out. His body still held still however; and did not slide to the floor in its state of unconsciousness. Cassandra watched as Kaver?s body held its place in front of her and received all the punishment that had been intended for her.
Khan pulled the weapon away from Kaver and stood wide-eyed in shock as Kaver?s body remained as it was when he was conscious. He remained upright and in front of Cassandra; shielding her. ?Even I can?t stand to do any more than what?s already been done,? Khan remarked; lifting Kaver?s shirt to reveal a massive black bruise. The pilot was bleeding from the mouth and also where he had been shocked in the stomach. ?You guys don?t have any information anyway. Guards; back to the cell with them.?
The two guards nodded diligently and followed their instructions; unchaining the two and heading down towards their cell.
?Crazy,? remarked Khan. ?Only ever seen one other man do that. Same reason? it truly is powerful. More powerful than any weapon.?

Kaver?s eyes opened slightly and he noticed the ceiling of his cold, damp cell. He was cradled in Cassandra?s arms and noticed her looking down at him. Her dark pink hair was mixed with a little red from the torture.
?I can?t even begin to thank you for what you did Kaver??
??Did he throw me aside and target you??
?No,? Cassandra assured him, ?He returned us to the cell when your body refused to go down even after you lost consciousness.?
?Good. Glad you?re safe. There was no way you could have taken that much longer.? Kaver chuckled a little, but it was evident he was extremely weak.
?Makes me feel like a real jerk now,? Cassandra admitted, ?All the things I?ve said about you. Criticising you.?
?Don?t think twice about it,? Kaver assured her, ?I?m fine. At least you think differently now.?
??Much differently,? Cassandra replied; her lips drawing closer to his?

?Well?? Andrago asked, ?Do we know where he?s got them??
Cesslik let out a sigh, ?The Vandarians themselves have informed us via a message delivered to Commander Vern through video. They?ve got the two of them holed up in the Citadel of Haragon.?
?Damn!? Andrago replied, ?That?s one of the best prisons the Vandarians have.?
?Correction. It IS the best prison they have,? Zereth stated, with Skully?s approval shown with a nod.
Andrago looked around at the two combined squads. ?They want me to come alone; they know Commander Vern has no intention of launching at attack on Haragon. It?s too far away to make defending it worthwhile at the moment.?
?I?m with you one hundred percent; and I?ve got my squad behind me,? Cesslik assured me, ?If you want to go after them; count us in.?
?Melissa, you there?? Andrago asked, turning on his radio.
?Yeah. Going after Kaver and Cassandra right??
Andrago grinned, ?Got any blueprints of Haragon??
?A few. Mostly based on crude maps drawn by prisoners of war who were returned to us in exchange for some of our own prisoners of war. And of course we?ve got the outside mapped from aerial shots we?ve taken. Enough for me to be an efficient Operator? you need me??
?Definitely.?
?I?m behind you,? Melissa stated.
?I authorise it,? Commander Vern?s voice interjected over the line, ?I realise what members of your squad mean to you Andrago. I know you don?t want to lose them to Khan like you did the others. Cesslik?s squad is going with you? I can spare a small force if you really need it. But, they?d be reinforcements if you?re in a jam? I?m not sending them out to start the retrieval mission with you.?
?No, I understand. I?ll hold you to the offer. Thanks,? Andrago replied, turning off his radio, needing time to think for himself. ?Helios? the Citadel of Haragon is due north west. Top speed, please.?
Helios nodded, ?You?ve got it. We?ll get them back. I?ll lose my competition if Kaver?s gone. Can?t have that; throws me off my game.? Helios pushed a lever forward and the Nega battleship Kaver had previously been piloting roared into life and lifted off.
?Khan?? muttered Andrago, ??Why??


« Last edited by TestVirus101 on Oct 18th 2007 »

Khan seems a bit more stupid than he did in flashback. Holding an excruciatingly painful weapon and then gets spit on and drops it on his foots? Pwned.

?God damn you people!? Khan shouted, ?Can?t I do anything without you people knowing??
?No, of course not,? Kaver replied. ?I know what you did last summer.?

Win.

Anyway, great chapter. I can't think of too much to improve on, though. Couple bits could have been worded better, but other than that, I'm just looking forward to more.

On 18-Oct-2007 Seos san Nekros said:

Khan seems a bit more stupid than he did in flashback. Holding an excruciatingly painful weapon and then gets spit on and drops it on his foots? Pwned.

?God damn you people!? Khan shouted, ?Can?t I do anything without you people knowing??
?No, of course not,? Kaver replied. ?I know what you did last summer.?

Win.

Anyway, great chapter. I can't think of too much to improve on, though. Couple bits could have been worded better, but other than that, I'm just looking forward to more.

Ah he's not so stupid. It's just; Andrago has a tendency to analyse things REALLY well and knows what to expect. Kaver also seems to do it. Khan just can't get a word in. And I mean; the spitting thing; if you got spat at, and it smacked you in the eye... well, If it were me, I'd have dropped it out of shock and need to wipe the spit.

Thanks so much for the review.

As you wish, so shall it be done.

Good chapter. I especially liked this bit:

?To reveal my master plan of course. You see, the reason we?re keeping you here??
?Bait for Andrago,? Kaver stated, ?You want him to lead a non-authorised retrieval mission to come get us.?
?God damn you people!? Khan shouted, ?Can?t I do anything without you people knowing??

It made me roffle. Aside from that, I think that the next chapter will be a covert infiltration, which will fail and turn into a non-covert assault. Should be fun, count me in!

Thanks for the revieq ;] Glad you liked it.

K caught up, reviewing as requested.

?God damn you people!? Khan shouted, ?Can?t I do anything without you people knowing??
?No, of course not,? Kaver replied. ?I know what you did last summer.?

LOL!

Loving the sort of army humour you're injecting in to this, makes it seem all that more proper. Can't think of anything else that hasn't been said already, so I'l just leave it at that and wait for the next chapter.

Alright, exact same thing Cervy said, including the caught up bit... Good job, military humor FTW... It's refreshing to read a semi-present times fic. Several typos that I already pointed out to you on msn... Other than that, hurry up with chapter 7.

?About time you?re here.?
?You?re holding her here, aren?t you?? the Vandarian general asked Khan, glaring at him.
?Yes. I hope there won?t be any? personal difficulties with this one?? Khan inquired.
??No, of course not. I will serve my country. Something she?s neglected to do.? The Vandarian general placed his hand over his heart, ?I swear it.?
Khan nodded contently. ?Good. The Puppeteer has requested I leave immediately, to accompany him somewhere. I would like to be around to thwart Andrago?s rescue mission? but you?ll have to do.?
?I won?t fail you, Commander Khan.?
?Good? because if you do, the repercussions will not favour you, Ice.?
Ice nodded, ?I can handle a few Arian Soldiers. You?re fine leaving me in charge, sir.?

?Approaching,? Helios muttered, ?enemy airships detected.?
?Bring them down,? Cesslik ordered.
Helios tilted the ship slightly, rolling it soon after to avoid enemy fire. He charged up the lasers on the Nega and ripped through an enemy aircraft directly ahead. He sent the aircraft nosediving afterwards; creating a hellish downward spiral.
?What the hell are you doing?? Andrago questioned, the motion sickening him.
??Watch,? Helios assured him, activating the thrust and pulling up; using the boosters to fly back to the height they had been previously. The ship took aim and sent homing missiles flying down towards where they had just flown from; a mass of enemy ships now in the area. The explosion was immense; the Arian soldiers had to shield their eyes from the immense light.
?Nice one?? Zereth remarked as the explosions began to fade.
Helios manoeuvred the ship, landing it on the northern wall. The hatches opened and all members of the two squads got out.
?Melissa, location please,? Andrago ordered. He began glancing around for any sign of hostiles.
?Northern wall, if you take the stairs to your right; you?ll end up on the eighth floor; the high security prison cells are also located on this floor. It should be a simple snatch and grab, fleeing back to the Nega and all that.?
??Yeah, right.? Xarook responded sarcastically as the group approached the door leading into the eighth floor.
?Oh come now, be a little optimistic,? Skully requested, ?we can get it easy for once.? At this moment one of the enemy aircraft Helios had neglected to shoot down appeared; sending a rocket hurtling into the north wall and shredding the Nega as well as a good part of the wall itself.
?Damn Skully; that one?s coming out of your pay check!? Cesslik barked.
?Those things are bloody expensive with my salary!? Skully protested, ?What did I do??
?You had to go and jinx everything,? Zereth groaned.
Helios stood gawking at the crumbled Nega, ??Christ.?

?This is the cell?? a Vandarian guard remarked, saluting his superior and heading back to his post. A loud explosion could be heard. ?Wait? what the hell was that??
?A wall exploding by the sounds of it? our friends are here. Go deal with them.?
?Right away sir!? the guard remarked, turning around. He took a few steps forward before falling to the ground in a pool of his own blood.
Ice shook his head, ?They can?t be covert about anything.? The Vandarian general slid his key card through a slot on the cell door and it slid open. Ice looked around cell and found the two of then curled up in the corner.
?Time to get up!? Ice cried, kicking Kaver in the back and waking him up.
??Who the hell are you?? Kaver asked, sitting up and glaring at Ice.
Ice looked over at Cassandra and back at Kaver, ?Might be your future brother in law,? he replied, ?wake my sister up will you??
Kaver gawked for a minute, taking a second look at the Vandarian uniform Ice was wearing before placing his hand on Cassandra?s shoulder and shaking her.
?W-What is it?? Cassandra asked, groaning and getting up. She turned around, and yelped as she saw her brother.
?What the hell are you doing here?? Cassandra barked.
??Helping General Kilmet get you out of here,? Ice assured her, ?don?t expect me to do this for you again though? I can?t be saving you all the time. Consider the debt I owe you for busting up your car paid.?
Ice ran outside of the room for a minute; opening a room on the opposite side of the hall and revealing two dead Vandarian soldiers, one female and the other male. ?The two of you can change into their clothes?? he stated simply. ?Their weapons are in there as well. I?ll give you a few minutes, but we need to move fast.?
Kaver and Cassandra looked at each other blankly for a minute before nodding and heading into the other cell; quickly changing into Vandarian uniforms. The two emerged and Ice pointed down the hall.
?Head down that way and you?ll eventually come across your friends. Watch it though; those uniforms are for getting past the guards? the Arians might shoot at you so make your presence known. Oh and don?t tell them I helped you. Like I said a one time thing.?
??Why?? Kaver asked, dumbfounded.
?The Puppeteer demoted me to a mere General in order to make Khan the Commander so that he?d defect. This is just to get Khan ****** off. Don?t take it as a sign of kindness. I still hate it that you fight for the Arians sis??
Cassandra looked at him and smiled, ?Thanks?? she replied, ?and don?t worry, I won?t hesitate to shoot at you next time either.? Cassandra waved at her brother and ran down the hall with Kaver following her.
?So you?re Vandarian?? Kaver asked.
?Yeah,? Cassandra replied, ?but my family traces back to Aria originally, back before the war. My brother and I were orphaned in Vandar; our parents had moved there and were shot dead protesting against some weapons research. This was back before the Puppeteer led Vandar; he was just the Commander of their army back then. The guy he killed to get the leadership was far worse, the Puppeteer doesn?t sound like a bad guy at all to be honest. That?s politics for you though? Aria hears about a military coup and retaliates for no particular reason. When the war was just beginning I left Vandar to go and train in Aria to defend my true home? but my brother, Ice? he felt some sort of allegiance to Vandar for whatever reason.?
The sound of gunfire could be heard down the hall and Kaver stopped running, coming to a halt and letting out a sigh. Cassandra turned to look at him, puzzled.
?Listen? about what happened. I don?t want that to get in the way of our teamwork. I?d feel like crap after losing a member of the squad? but if that squad member was also the girl I was with? look, I can?t handle that. So? I think? last night should be a one time thing,? Kaver looked over at Cassandra who began to turn a light shade of red.
?I? feel so used,? Cassandra replied, slapping Kaver in the face before running down the hall once more.
Kaver rubbed at his cheek before pausing for a second and cursing under his breath; this time he slapped himself. Kaver shook his head and let out a sigh before chasing after Cassandra.

?Melissa, I don?t think you mentioned that we?d have to shoot down this many of them!? Andrago cried through the headset.
?Yeah, well, when you go and get a wall shot down, people come to see what happens!? Melissa barked, ?Just get moving and save Kaver and Cassandra!?
?Hey, I didn?t get the wall shot down!? Andrago barked, ?That was all Skully?s fault!?
Skully looked up, ?My fault?? he asked, irritated. ?How was it my fault??
?All of you shut the hell up!? Cesslik groaned, ?Let?s just focus on getting the hell out of here.?
?Melissa, radio for the back up Commander Vern said he?d provide. We?ll need it. Make sure that he has enough spare room in his airship for twelve.?
?Affirmative,? Melissa responded, ?Don?t get yourselves killed out there.?
?We?ll try not to,? Cesslik replied, getting up from his cover position and gunning down the last of the Vandarian soldiers in sight.
Zereth breathed a sign of relief, but quickly raised his gun as he noticed two Vandarian soldiers running down the hall. He fired at them, but they dodged the assault by rolling to opposite sides of the hall. The two soldiers grabbed at their helmets and through them to the floor, revealing the faces of Kaver and Cassandra.
?How did you guys escape?? Xarook asked, rushing forward to greet them.
?My brother, Ice,? Cassandra stated, ?He?s a Vandarian general, but was just turning in a favour he owed me.? Everyone looked around at each other and began to mutter things in confusion.
?Well, that?s good,? Andrago stated firmly, ?Now let?s get the hell out of here. Melissa, which way??
?To get out of the main building, simply go down the stairs to your left and just keep going down the stairwell until you hit ground level. Getting through the courtyard could prove to be a hazard though; you may want to wait for those reinforcements I ordered before trying that.?
?Will do,? Andrago reloaded his FGB and rushed down the stairs with the two squads following closely behind. The group was met with no resistance as they descended to the bottom floor and stood looking at the heavy metal door that led outside.
?I think we should just go for it,? stated a man in heavy armour; the heavy weapons specialist of Cesslik?s squad.
?Shut the hell up Rufus,? remarked a young woman standing behind him, clutching her weapon and some medical equipment.
Cesslik looked at the both of them and frowned, ?Rufus, Julie? I?d prefer if you both kept your mouths shut.?
?I can go and scout ahead if you like, Commander,? stated a woman standing alongside Skully.
?Not necessary Rebecca. We?ll move once we get the all clear from Melissa.?
?And you have that,? Melissa stated happily, ?Reinforcements inbound. Move at will.?
Cesslik and Andrago exchanged glances before nodding. Andrago placed his hand over the doorhandle and pulled. The door moved very little and made a violent noise.
?Locked?? Kaver asked, checking to make sure his gun was fully loaded.
?Indeed. But this thing looks pretty old? I think we can get through it.?
Cesslik smiled and looked at Andrago, ?you were the thinking the same thing then??
Andrago nodded. ?Rufus, Xarook, get over here and bust this thing down.?
The two large men ran at the door and shoulder-charged it. A large snap could be heard, but the door remained in its place.
?Move aside,? Kaver stated confidently, readying his shoulder. The group began to murmur and Cassandra chuckled as Kaver ran at the door.
Kaver?s shoulder collided, and the door came crashing down; having been barely standing after the last hit. Kaver fell with the door, but there was no time to laugh, as everyone except Kaver dived for cover when the bullets came pouring in. Kaver quickly got to his feet and took cover along with the rest of his squad.
Andrago took a quick look around the corner and gunned down some Vandarian soldiers out in the open, before quickly going into hiding once more. Rebecca and Sevvy ran towards the back of the hall, shrouded in darkness where the Vandarians could not see them. Now with a clear shot, the two aimed their A-63 long ranged rifles and shot down any who dared advance on the prison compound.
?How many of them are there?? Andrago called out.
?Hell if I can be bothered counting all of them,? Sevvy replied, ?We?ll just call it a crap load of them.?
Andrago grabbed a grenade from his belt and unclipped it, tossing it outside and causing a massive explosion, killing a few soldiers. ?Everybody out while we have the chance, Find better cover!?
The two squads frantically got up from their hiding places and charged out, running towards anything they could use as a shield.
?Ok, are we all loaded?? Andrago asked over the headset, ?We?re going to make our stand soon. I don?t think we have a good chance of getting out without at least some casualties. But we have to try.?
?Forgotten about that backup already?? Melissa chimed in, ?Oh ye of little faith.?
?Well, we don?t have much time left before they just charge forward and slaughter us, so yeah? not really caring about the reinforcements who?re going to get here five hours late.?
?You owe me an apology when you get home Andrago,? Melissa replied calmly.
?What the hell for??
Arian Nega drop ships came into view overhead and began unloading Arian soldiers into the courtyard.
Andrago smiled, ?I guess I will have to apologise then,? he muttered, ordering everyone to abandon cover and take advantage of the nervous and disorganised Vandarian troops.
Andrago began shooting down Vandarian soldiers, when Commander Vern?s voice came out of his headset.
?No need for you guys to fight. We?ll take care of it, we?ve prepared a ship to take Cesslik?s squad and your squad back to Aria for a little rest and relaxation.?
Andrago let out a faint smile, he was tired of fighting. ?Everyone pull back,? he stated, noticing that Cesslik had also gotten the message and was heading for the designated Nega with his squad.
?Why are we pulling out?? Xarook asked, spearing an enemy soldier in the back.
?They?ll handle the rest from here and secure the prison for our own use. We?ve been instructed to head home for a little break after all the work we?ve done.?
??Sounds good to me,? Kaver stated, running towards the Nega along with the rest of the squad behind him.
Andrago ran towards the Nega and jumped onto it. The ship closed its doors and lifted into the air, turning around and heading for Aria.

Andrago looked out over the sea and noticed the northern tip of Aria. A giant wall protected this coastline, but much of it was in ruins, and the fortress that accompanied the wall had long been forgotten. He remember back to his graduation party, as he had done during the battle at Snic?arus.
?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.?
?The northern front,? Andrago muttered to himself, ?That one didn?t go so well??

Nice fic TV, humor is in good moderation, good story line. Some minor typos but we can live with that.

On 22-Dec-2007 Baseballfreak28 said:

Nice fic TV, humor is in good moderation, good story line. Some minor typos but we can live with that.

Thanks! I'm glad you're liking it so far.

I read the whole thing last night ;)

Just finished reading all of these, and I have to say that I'm thoroughly enjoying it so far. The story is, twisty, and the action is both well written and well paced. I've never found myself growing bored over one situation because the moment anything begins to drag on slightly something else happens. A few events are ever so slightly expected (Orchestra attacking party) but that does nothing to deduct from my overall opinion.

I'm also glad to see that things change, and that most of the fic isn't pure killing and swearing. The moments of humour are enjoyable and the character focus is balanced out in a decent manner. I've seen too many fics where the secondary characters mean nothing and the protagonist gets all the attention.

Seven chapters, and already there has been party bashing, much death, torture scenes, a little bit o' lovin', more death, betrayal, unexpected plot twists and a few other things I can't really remember. I know this review doesn't help in any way, but I didn't plan on helping. My only intention was to express how much I have liked reading this so far.

Another three months until the next chapter?

Let's hope not. Good, I didn't notice any typos. Funny, and action packed... Like a Jackie Chan movie, only less cheesy.

?I? feel so used,? Cassandra replied, slapping Kaver in the face before running down the hall once more. XD Lol.

?Hell if I can be bothered counting all of them,? Sevvy replied, ?We?ll just call it a crap load of them.? Read above comment.

Good job.