[IC] Valkyria Chronicles: Lions of the South

[Raven_Operative]

Being the first in formation behind the Sergeant, Lilly had ended up scrambling onto the same side of the street as him when the impromptu firefight broke out. The sudden volley of bullets that sprayed the corner caused her to shriek again in surprise, cowering behind Harald and clutching her S1 in a death grip. A sudden flurry of motion caught her attention as she saw her Sergeant making frantic hand signals before hurling an old, rusty grenade around the corner. The explosion caused her to shriek again and she probably would have been left behind, had her sergeant not grabbed her and dragged her after him when the rest of the group sprinted back down the street.

During the run, Lilly had managed to get her balance back and was following just behind Harald. Her nervousness had started to die down just enough for her to notice that she could often see brief glimpses of Imperial troopers through the alleys, no doubt running down other streets. "S-Sergeant! Imperials!" She tried to alert him to them by pointing as they ran, but the Sergeant seemed much more concerned with getting away from the previously encountered group as quickly as possible - a notion that Lilly wholeheartedly agreed with. Though she was shaking too much to accuratly fire her rifle, she tried to help by calling where she spotted enemies. At least then, Harald would get a better idea of what was chasing them.

[Lennon79]

Running blind up the street, Harald realised that he didn't have a plan where to go next. They were heading back toward the square, which was undoubtedly overrun by now and were being pursued by Valk knew how many Imperials. A voice snapped him out of it, the Private from before; she was right too. He could see flashes of Imperials running parallel to them in other roads, caught glimpses of helmets bobbing along behind low walls; they were surrounded... Pulling up fast, Harald waved the others into an open door to take cover and give him a chance to think. Outside the footsteps faded, replaced by gunfire and increasingly distant explosions; the front line must have moved past them, which could only mean bad news for Rinneheim. Fairly confident that they were at the moment safe, Harald took a knee and turned to his squad. '... I don't think there's much that we can do here, so... We'll wait five minutes, then sneak back up the way we were going to the armoury. Once kitted up, we'll pick up Krauss and Varrot, then head north to link up with any other survivors.' The frustration he felt was clear to see; he wanted to do his part but Squad Four simply was not combat effective right now. 'There's a camp twenty odd miles north that we were going to stay at tonight, during the march to Randgriz. The rest of the company will likely be there.'

In the ensuing silence, his wireless crackled to life once more. 'Roger that Varrot, change of plans. Support whatever friendly forces you can from there, then meet us at the grain silo just out of town to the north. Try to get away quiet if you can. Good luck.' Clipping the wireless back to hs webbing, Harald sighed deeply as he reloaded his freshly fired revolver; only twelve rounds left. '... If you guys have any input, I'd be glad to hear it. Running away doesn't sit right with me, but neither does a suicide mission.' They were probably safe here for the moment, so he tried to coax a few words from the at least.

Things weren't going so well for the Captain. After holding their position against a determined infantry assault, his squad had run afoul of an Imperial tank. The result was unsurprising and Meulemann found himself staggering down a side alley, carrying the last unconscious member of his unit. Pausing at the entrance, Tarquin silently cursed the Gallian Army and their ineptitude; the Milita had chosen Rinneheim as a mustering point because the Army had deemed it safe. He needed to escape as soon as possible, rally the survivors and make for Randgriz; Hell would freeze over before a Meulemann let the incompetence of another derail his enlistment parade! The gunfire had faded somewhat now, bar the occasional crack of a rifle. Snipers then. Outstanding...

[Skepic]

A steady stream of well placed rounds came from the towns clock tower as Krauss attempted to cover his squad. He watched as the Empire's forces scattered as one of their sergeants or specialists went down. He would shift from one side of the tower to the other, laying down fire as he went. Thanks to their better cover and vantage point, the pair could keep watch in case they are flanked or surrounded. Though as the battle progressed, the situation began to deteriorate further. Krauss looked again down his scope, this time assessing how many Imps were entering the town. What he saw made him go even paler. Medium and light armor was now making its way into town to support the infantry. His vision rested on a Imp medium tank, and found himself staring down the barrel of the tank's gun.

"We got a get going Private! MOVE MOVE!" he yelled, bursting through the door and practically flying down the stairs with Varrot in close pursuit. Suddenly the tower shook and a loud explosion was heard, raining splinters of wood and bits of debris down on the pair. They hurried towards a nearby home with Varrot taking the lead. Kicking open the door, the pair rushed inside and took positions. "Tell Sarg to watch out about that armor moving in. After that, follow me. We got to get out this town." With that they stood up and ran back outside into the ally. The pair slowed their pace until they now quietly walked through the narrow stone passages, constantly alert for signs of the enemy. Rounding the corner, Krauss and Varrot came face to face with Captain Meulemann, the man who gave a speech earlier that morning.

Krauss gave a quick salute then rushed over to help the man carry the unconscious soldier. "Sir, I'm Corporal Krauss of squad 4 and this is Pfc. Varrot. We got enemy armor and at least a whole other company of Imperials making their way into town.... We're trying to fall back and meet up with our squad at a silo just north of town. Is there anyone else sir?"

[Raven_Operative]

Lilly scrambled after Harald, nearly diving through the doorway he was waving the rest of the squad into. Once inside, she nearly jumped at a shadow she thought was an imperial trooper, but fortunately realized her mistake before embarrassing herself further. As the rest of the squad filed in, she sat down in a corner clutching her rifle against her, shivering, and frantically trying to get a hold of herself. Once everyone was inside, the Sergeant closed and locked the door before waiting a few minutes, listening. After a short while, the sounds of gunfire and explosions became more distant, and he turned to address the group. Lilly nodded along as he detailed his plans, eager to get as far away from front line combat as possible. They only had three weapons, not nearly enough to equip the squad. ... And by the time they were equipped, she didn't think they would be able to do anything. Rocking back and fourth in her corner, Lilly spoke up when Harald asked for opinions. "T-theres too many of them. We can't fight and army with a pair of rifles... We-We need to get out of here."

Lilly's voice was shaky as she spoke, clearly telling of her nervousness. She didn't know what to do, just that they needed to get out of here. She took a few deep breaths and tried to calm down as the squad waited for Harald's signal to get moving again. Thankfully this break gave her enough respite from the stress to get some of her focus back. Over the course of the break, her hands became less shaky and once she got her mindset back of focusing on everything in a systematic manner, she felt like she was calm enough to actually make use of the rifle she had picked up. Cursing herself for her uselessness before, she steeled her resolve to not be caught in a panic like that again. She was terrified, shaking, and unsure of herself, but the one thing she resolved to do is be able to actually fire her rifle when the time came. When the 5 minutes were almost over, she stood up, gripping her rifle tightly. She might not survive, she might be scared, but she refused to be useless any longer.

[Spade]

Varrot and Krauss were in full swing at the top of the clock tower. The young private spotted well and his Corporal continued racking up the kills, the two shifted positions constantly, covering their squad as well as other friendlies. After a while it became apparent they were supporting units in retreat, blue uniforms routed through the debris stricken roads of Rinneheim. Damien stood up and surveyed their situation from their perch, only to have his Corporal break his focus with exhilarating news of armor entering the city. The scout's eyes widened as he picked up his rifle and made his way down the ladder, jumping off and taking a short fall rather than stepping all the way down. As small bits of brick and wood chips peppered them from above, the ground shook and Damien grabbed the ZM Kar from the dead scout, slinging it across his back before gripping his X-1 tight and using the butt of his rifle to bust the door open. The ground shook and the sound of squeaking treads along with chugging motors began to approach. Damien led the way down the block to a nearby home as he shoulder bashed a door open, checking the room and listening for any occupants, the place was clear. Damien gave his Corporal a nod and got on one knee, grabbing the radio from his pocket.

"Varrot to Sarge, we're making our way out of town but we've got Imperian armor in the area, medium and light, watch yourselves out there, we'll see you at the silo."

Getting up after catching their breath, the pair ran back out into the streets, trying to stay quiet as they hustled around piles of rubble and blown over vehicles. The ZM Kar's added weight made running only a slight more difficult, but it wasn't long until they had slowed their pace to navigate the small walking streets and alleyways that would eventually lead them out of the city. Varrot was watching their rear when they bumped into Captain Meulemann, quickly standing at attention and giving him a quick salute before hugging the corner at the entrance of the alley way and keeping an eye out for anything Imperian. Keeping an ear on their conversation, Damien hit the wall next to him in frustration as he realized that this was the second city he had to abandon. There was no honor in it, but his pride would have to be set aside, he had his orders after all.

"Things seem to have quieted down in this part of town Corporal, if we're gonna make it to the silo, now's a good a chance as any." he spoke, checking his weapon and walking over to his Corporal and Captain Meulemann, "Captain, I've got some ragnaid here for you."

[Slypheed]

A random collection of misfits...A random collection of misfits...the only thing she could think of as a way to describe the squad she was in. The squad leader was doing ok so far in terms of orders, but that wouldn't be enough to make her trustworthy and loyal. A good impression though. She looked around at everyone, the startled girl in a corner. Her physical appearance looked the part, but her personality was a mismatch. Then there's me. The girl who barely speaks up, and avoids socializing like it's an illness. I'm no better, but at the same time, I'm no worse.

Brenna turned her attention to her squad leader. "Best chance is guerrilla warfare" She said. Brenna felt that the squad would want to liberate the small town, but would also want to live another day. And doing a guerrilla warfare tactic, where they were to ambush then retreat, would allow them to get out of town while also putting some holes into the imperial invaders "Getting out of this town is the only option, standing our ground will be suicidal" she reminded the squad leader.

[Lennon79]

It was with some hidden relief that Meulemann greeted the two militamen; snipers aside, if he had run into any Imperial soldiers the game would have been up. 'Outstanding Corporal. I'm afraid that Bons and I are the last survivors of Squad 1; damn shame. We shall follow your lead for the moment.' He took a knee, resting Bons' unconscious form against a wall to catch his breath. Returning Varrot's salute with an attentive, if tired air, he waved the soldier's arm away. 'I am fine, my boy. Would that Bons were more... conscious, I suspect that he would have partaken gladly.' After a minutes' breather, the Captain filled and lit his pipe, slung the unconscious soldier over his shoulder and gave Krauss an affirmative nod. 'After you, Corporal.'

Elsewhere in the city, Harald's squad were starting to perk up. Two of them had remained silent since the beginning, had barely made a sound during the firefight; he wasn't sure if they were well disciplined or of they had flaked out. Either way, it made his life more difficult. Fortunately the others were more forthcoming. The more nervous of the two, also one of the only ones in full kit, spoke up first. Harald sat in silence for a moment before replying, noticing the state of her nerves for the first time. Despite her obvious fear, she had alerted the squad to enemy forces when spotted. Whether this was a testament to her training or a sign of untapped mental fortitude was unclear. '... True. Even if we met the enemy prepared, there are too many here for us to take on.' That in itself was a humbling realisation. When the second girl soon added her piece, bringing up an interesting idea. 'Guerilla warfare...? That could work.' He still didn't know her name, but Harald mentally noted the girl's stoic attitude and recalled her actions in the alleyway. Perhaps the unloaded SMG hanging from her back was some indication, but she clearly had the calmness required of a shocktrooper; he could use that. 'Alright... Right, yes. I have a plan.'

Using a collection of items taken from around the room, the Sergeant was able to mock up a basic map of the area just north-east of town. Judging by observed Imperial movements and a dose of common sense, this was likely where the enemy commander was. The plan was quite simple really; sneak around behind the enemy lines, quietly eliminate the enemy commander if present, then secure a vehicle for extraction. 'For this, we'll be splitting into two teams. Brenna and Lily will flank right as we leave the town and hunt down that commander. I'll take the others, rendezvous with Krauss and Varrot, then secure some transport.' Harald was inwardly glad that he had guessed their names correctly; he had the paperwork but nothing to indicate which was which. 'Well... Any questions? Otherwise, you two; good luck.'

[Raven_Operative]

Lilly observed Sergeant Harald as he mapped out their plan. Her nervousness was somewhat present, despite her attempts to will it away. She took solace in the fact that her sergeant seemed surprisingly competent... for a Darcsen that was. She shivered involuntarily when they were told that Brenna and herself were going to split off and try to assassinate someone. They were going to be split away from their squad and without support, while trying to kill an enemy commander. Lilly did not like this plan one bit. She wasn't experienced in combat. She froze up when the bullets started flying last time. She would be useless. Her partner might die relying on her, when she could not back her up. ... But this was the duty that had been handed to her, and it was her job to do it as well as she possibly could. She spoke up in a shaky voice "Y-yes, sir. I understand, sir."

Before the nervousness coming back could immobilize her, she nodded to her antisocial partner, before slowly opening the back door to the house they were in, and creeping out into the back alley. Clutching her rifle in shaking hands, she surveyed the area before waving for Brenna to follow. The street was eerily quiet, with only the occasional sound of gunshots or explosions coming from far behind them. As they crept up the side of the street, darting from alley to door frame to alley, Lilly mumbled something as her partner took a position beside her. "... Sorry if I'm useless, but I will try my best." Before she could hear Brenna's reply (if she replied at all, that was), she darted to the other side of the street, following the path that the Sergeant had laid out for them. Alley, Street, Roof, Street, Lilly kept shifting her eyes in a similar manner to what she had been doing before, hoping to spot any enemies before they spotted her. This was insane. She was not suited for this. ...But it was her duty, and she would see it through. She spearheaded the journey as she and Brenna crept through the town. At least this way, if she did seize up, her body would serve as a warning for her more competent partner behind her. That was all she was guaranteed to be able to do.

It didn't take long for them to arrive at one of the larger, main roads that they needed to cross. During the journey, the lack of soldiers they encountered calmed Lilly's nerves somewhat, but they were getting closer to where the commander would probably be. There would probably be enemies nearby, guarding him, so they needed to be extra careful. Creeping to the edge of the alley, Lilly crouched by the entrance and peered around the corner. It was quiet in this street too, with no enemies to be seen. She was hesitant to dart across it, however. The street was large and exposed, and she had a feeling that anyone she had not spotted could make short work of her, should they notice her during her crossing. Paying extra attention to the buildings, Lilly made note of their surroundings. "... empty ... empty... wait.. empty..." Sure enough, all the buildings she looked at seemed to be deserted. This calmed her. It seemed to be safe, and she stopped trembling as much. She was just about to wave the all clear, when she noticed a glint in one of the upper story windows of a house. That was odd. It looked like a piece of metal had shifted there slightly. A piece of metal? What could have caused that to mov-A RIFLE! Lilly came tumbling to that realization not a millisecond too soon, a sniper bullet slamming into the wood frame of the wall opposite to her, as she frantically pulled herself back from the edge to narrowly dodge the deadly projectile. Falling flat on her rear and nearly soiling her self from the shock of her near death experience, she clutched her rifle in shaking hands. Looking up at her partner, she voiced what they both already knew. "S-s-sniper."

[Lennon79]

The gunfire had grown distant now, bar the occasional crack of a sniper's rifle. Harald had been lucky, shepherding his charges through the warzone his home had become without crossing paths with the Imperial Army. A good thing too, since he was down to only twelve rounds for his revolver and honestly doubted its effectiveness against the thick steel armour of Imperial regulars. He didn't even try to use the rifle he had procured from the armoury, not in this tight urban environment, although that was about to change. The three of them eventually reached the outskirts of the town, breaking out into the patchwork of hedgerows and arable land that made up Gallia's southern plains. Visibility was tight and even a seasoned soldier could easily get lost in the maze of identical fields, but locals like Harald knew the place like the backs of their hands. Reaching the rendezvous site would be easy. As the three of them settled into a ditch to catch their breath, Harald's wireless crackled to life once more. Expecting Varrot's voice on the other end, the speaker's thick Imperial accent chilled his blood a little, before the Sergeant reminded himself that both his Captain and Corporal were both Imperial expatriates. 'Sergeant Harald, yes? This is Captain Meulemann, hereafter designated as Company Command. I am commandeering your men for the time being and will meet you at the predetermined position once my objective has been achieved. Be a good chap and borrow some transport, will you? Company Command out.' Before the Sergeant even had a chance to confirm, the connection was severed. He hadn't been privy to any information about their commanding officer bar what could be gleaned from the brief introduction that morning, but knew better than to ask questions. Harald turned to his two subordinates with a sardonic grin. '... Well kids, you heard the man. Let's nick us some wheels.' The most logical place for the Imperials to park their transports would be the nearby agricultural exchange; they would try there first. Elsewhere in the city, Meulemann handed the wireless back to Varrot with an affirmative nod. The three of them had discovered the location of an Imperial command post, marked on the map of one of the snipers that had plagued them. In all likelihood the commanding officer of the attacking force would be there, along with his general staff. With two snipers and a keen-eyed scout, they were in an ideal position to eliminate the officer and deal a crippling blow to the Empire's command structure in this region. The three of them set out toward the command post, unaware that two other members of Squad 4 were already enroute to the same objective...

[Slypheed]

Brenna stood there in a bit of a shock. This girl was hysterical. She just glad that the girl had taken out the only enemy soldier in the building. And when the girl fainted, Brenna enjoyed the silence for a minute before walking over, moving her away from any obstacles that might cause harm to the girl when Brenna shakes her awake. Then, with a firm grip in the collar, she shook the girl awake, and not releasing till she was able to hold herself up. Once she had regained her senses, Brenna motioned her head in the direction of a back door. Then opened the door and checked the alley it lead to. Confirming that it was clear with a nod, then moved into it. Lilly following now doubt. And after some time of maneuvering through the alley, Brenna came to a sudden halt, stopping Lilly if she needed to. "We're close. A lot of sound nearby." she said in a whisper, not wanting to give their position away. Their foot steps would go unheard, with all of the soldiers that were moving around, but their voices wouldn't.

[The Silver Paladin]

Aaron stood up. He started dashing, his footsteps started echoing on the cobblestones. He closed his eyes and just ran forward. That's when he heard the *Ping* of a bullet hitting his armor. Aaron ducked his head and kept running. He finally decided to turn around. He had an imperial scout on his tail. Aaron pulled the rack of his gun backwards. He could hear the imperial laughing under his helmet. Aaron closed his eyes and pulled the trigger. He heard the bullets make contact with the Imperial, and he heard a cry of shock from him. This was Aaron's first kill. he heard the man mutter. Aaron ran over to him. "Oh my God, Oh my God, what the hell have I done?" Aaron muttered under his breath. He pulled some Ragnaid from his pack. "It will be ok, I'm sorry, it was self defense!" "It's ok, you did what you had to." He heard the imperial say. Aaron took off his helmet. The Imperial was no more than 20, No more than a boy. Aaron couldn't let this kid die! "Please, tell my Fiancee I love her!" ((Cliche, I know, I just think a dying soldier needs this.)) Aaron nodded. "tell her yourself, you're gonna pull through." Aaron watched the boy smile. " Let's hope we can both make it through this war." The Imperial stood up. "Me too, by the way, what's your name? My names Nikolai." "Aaron, and I hope I meet you again, Nikolai." Aaron shouted to the soldier. Nikolai smiled, put on his helmet and walked off. Aaron turned around him to see a Gallian tank and three Gallian troops headed for him, a sight for sore eyes.

[Raven_Operative]

Lilly's brief relief from the horror and terror of war was suddenly cut short when she was shaken awake and pulled to her feet by Brenna. Her legs still jittering from her start, she needed to be held up by her for a moment before she managed to regain her footing. "T-thank you..." Her antisocial companion only replied by nodding her head towards the back door and heading out of the house, leaving Lilly to creep through the alleys behind her. It took a while from all the sneaking and hiding, but eventually they made it to the edge of the imperial staging base. Brenna came to a stop at the edge of the alley, forcibly stopped Lilly by pushing at her, before stating that they were close. Lilly nodded and crouched, laying her rifle on the ground and peering around the corner. It quickly became apparent that 'staging base' was far too generous of a term for the encampment they had stumbled upon. There were two tanks being refueled from their externally carried canisters, but aside from that, there were only a few munitions crates and barrels lying around. It certainly looked like this 'base' was only temporary, set up quickly as a safe area to refuel the tanks and resupply critical ammunition, but not much else. Fortunately that meant that aside from a dozen or so engineers milling about, there were very few proper soldiers in the base. Reporting this to Brenna, Lilly picked up her rifle and, in a shaky voice, said "I-I couldn't see the o-officer. I need t-to get closer." Not waiting for a reply, she crept as quickly as she dared to from the alley to a burnt out civilian car parked along the main road. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice her, and her new position gave her much better view. Timidly poking her head around the side of the car, she searched again for the commander. This time she was not disappointed. Walking out of a house, came a tall and imposing man dressed in rusty red armor. He was flanked by two soldiers armed with rifles, and he quickly walked over to one of the barrels, unfurled a map onto it, and started to point out positions, locations, etc. on it as he briefed the two scouts he was no doubt about to dispatch. Lilly dropped to the ground behind the car when one of the tanks being refueled started up and drove down the street past her, heading towards the front line. After the coast was clear again, she looked back up at the officer and noticed something she hadn't before. On the barrel that the three were crowding around was written a warning symbol and the name of it's contents: Ragnoline. Despite her terrified state, even Lilly understood what an opportunity this was. She hurriedly scrambled back to Brenna and reported this to her. Ragnoline was highly explosive.

[caliban22]

Paul was exhausted. The ringing of Rounds as they impacted on the stone and wood of the store made Paul flinch. Slowly he moved away from the window as more and more rounds poured through the window. "Mom...Dad..." he leaned against a wall as he waited for the Imperials to get close enough for him to unload on them. "Watch over me..." he muttered as a grenade came flying in only to land at Paul's feet. "Damn!" He muttered as he scrambled for it. After Paul grabbed the grenade he tossed it outside the window. The moment the grenade passed the window it exploded. Two of the soldiers outside screamed, either as result of the flash of the deadly hail of shrapnel that the explosion created. The blast back knocked Paul onto his back. As he got up he heard a sound that was different then the sounds of shooting, it was the sound Tracks. A sense of despair came over Paul. " I am alone,I am out numbered, I am running low on ammo,I don't think I will make it out of this... He thought as he realized that the only shooting was concentrated on his position, and he could no longer hear the sounds of return fire. As he thought Paul moved to the opposite wall where there was a strong wooden counter made from solid oak. After Paul moved behind the counter and trained his weapon at the window. Thankfully the Door was blocked by rubble so no imperials could get through. " wont stop a tanks...but maybe I can take a few of the grunts out there with me before they get me... As Paul waited a sad smile crossed his face. He had known his squad mates for only a short time, but he was proud to have fought with them. Paul had known a few since they were from the same town, many of the familiar ones he had gone to high school with. To Paul it was like losing a piece of his very soul, each death destroyed a memory of what he was fighting for.

[The Silver Paladin]

Aaron stood there until the tank reached him. A scout pointed a rifle at him. "You are under arrest by order of the Gallian Crown for aiding an enemy." A bearded soldier with a buzzcut smoking a cigar said. "By Valkyria! Now you're saying Humanitarian aid is aiding the enemy?" Aaron retorted "That is the biggest bunch of Bullcrap I've ever heard!" "What you've done there done is assisted an enemy! That man there was an Impy!" A soldier who was losing some of his teeth said. "The army really sent the lowest of the low soldiers. Soldiers who had volunteered for the army, but could still be considered 'Militia Rabble' by the higher soldiers." Aaron thought. "Do you think I don't know he wasn't an Imperial! I just felt remorse after my first hit! didn't you guys after yours?" "well, er, we never actually done gotten to kill anybody yet." The soldier who was losing his teeth said. "We just joined." " Oh God, so, you guys can't say this stuff!" Aaron shouted so it echoed off of the buildings. "If you could hear the rabble coming out of your mouths!" Aaron drew his pistol. "Don't think I wouldn't use this! Talk to soldiers who have killed! They would all say they wished they hadn't killed!" "Look boy, I don't care. Were taking you into custody!" The Bearded soldier put a hand on Aaron's wrist. Just then an explosion happened. Aaron's ears rang, and A bright light flashed. The men groaned, and Aaron began to run back down the street. When his vision cleared up, Aaron looked behind him to see Nikolai and a Tank Lancer up on a hill. Aaron ran until he stopped in front of a house.

[Lennon79]

'T-those tanks, sir...' It was a relief that Bons had finally awoken, although Meulemann hadn't told him of his squad's fate. The four of the lay prone on the second floor of a bombed out house, gazing down through the rubble at the Imperial command post and trying to come up with a plan of attack. The enemy officer, a Colonel by the looks of him, was in plain sight and would fall easily to either sniper; the problem lay with the dozen logistical soldiers running back and forth and more pressingly those two tanks. Even if they didn't immediately spot where the shot came from, they could just blast every possible building until they got lucky; the Captain doubted his men would escape unharmed. Even when one of the tanks rolled off toward the front lines, Tarquin held fire. The risks were just too great at the moment... Give me an opening, anything... A few miles to the north, Sergeant Harald's group was setting up for their own attack. The three of them crawled slowly along a ditch toward a small enemy position, taking care to remain unseen. Harald could hardly believe his luck; they had somehow stumbled upon an artillery spotting team, two men complete with their own APC. If they could get close enough to kill the Imps in one volley... They might even be able to fool the enemy into shelling their own troops. The three of them continued on slowly, the pounding of their hearts growing ever louder as nerves took hold.