[b]'Did you see those airships fly over?'[/b] A pair of soldiers were standing guard by the substation door, one chainsmoking nervously. [b]'Yeah, what's up with that? Dollet counter attack or somethin'? I thought we fragged all their birds.'[/b] The calmer of the two frowned, trying to dispel a sense of foreboding; if it wasn't Dollet, then who else could have been flying those airships..? A buzzing sound distracted him and he cast about in irritation, looking for it's source. [b]'Be right back, gonna get some Raid for that goddamn mosquito.'[/b] His compatriot nodded shakily and checked his remaining supply of cigarettes. Not nearly enough. As the soldier walked off toward the main camp, his radio begun to crackle. At first it was quiet, a gentle susurrus that grew into a static roar. Confused, he twiddled with the settings, trying to find the source of the transmission. His confusion slowly turned to horror as the familiar notes of an [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v6BtJaBQmo]infamous piece[/url] begun; the music played before every major appearance of a Galbadian soldier's worst nightmare. --- A line of explosions rocked the beachhead and a young Dollet soldier huddled in his foxhole, staring out to sea. Since they had retreated to this point, the Galbadians had attacked relentlessly. [i]And why wouldn't they?[/i] he thought grimly. [i]Here we are, sitting in the most open area in the entire city, with no cover and nowhere to run. Our generals are fucking geniuses.[/i] Maybe he could just... lie down and pretend he had been hit. Maybe when the Galbadians finally broke their lines he could just surrender. Out of food, ammo and morale, the remnants of Dollet's army was at the breaking point. A new sound jogged him from his fugue, a heavy reverberating beat, quickly joined by another and another. The Galbadian fire slowed, then stopped entirely. The young soldier stared, uncomprehending as a line of torpedo-like shapes pierced the seawall, spouting fire from mounted turrets; they beached themselves just behind the Dollet lines and when the hulls opened and uniformed figures spilled out, he finally released who they were. SeeD had come to liberate the city. --- [i]Shit, shit, shit![/i] The Galbadian soldier ran, stumbling through the undergrowth back toward the substation tower, but the buzzing behind him grew ever louder. He had reached the command point, hoping to relay the information about SeeD but.. the officers had all been killed, as if a spear had been thrust though their throats. Whoever did it had been thorough; each body had a bullet hole in the forehead, as if to make completely certain. It had to be SeeD, no-one else could take down four experienced soldiers without making a sound! The buzzing was very close now, he could almost feel it rattling in his teeth. He had to make it back to his post, get his squad mate to help him fight off this monster. He broke into the clearing, dropping to the floor and scrabbling toward the building. His friend was there, slouching against a low wall. [b]'H-hey wake the hell up man! There's a fucking monster a-and SeeD man, SeeD! Wake up![/b] But the guy didn't answer, just sat very still on his wall. The soldier stopped as he noticed the pool of blood at his buddy's feet. In the end he didn't even have time for pain as a hot lance impaled his neck, severing his spine and poking inches from his throat; no pain, only shock. [b]'Good lad. Now come by.'[/b] Duncan rose from behind the wall, moving as fast as he dared for fear of exposure. It took a few seconds for Vinzer to detach from the poor soldier's neck, but the bitebug soon flew over to clamp on his master's back. Duncan had taken his time so far, stealthily eliminating as many soldiers is he could. But now that the beach landings had begun in earnest, he needed to get a move on. After taking once last look around the area, he thumbed the door control and headed down into the substation to plant the explosives.