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. [b]'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.'[/b] 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. [b]'... Well kids, you heard the man. Let's nick us some wheels.'[/b] 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...