[center][H1][b]James & Alex III[/b][/H1][/center]


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	What had moments ago been a dusty hellscape of broken rubble, fire, smoke and ash had now turned into an almost opaque scene. A cloud of fine dust lingered in the air, veiling the streets, parking lot and cityscape around the Salient landing zone like a morning fog. The impact of two dozen drop pods almost simultaneously impacting the concrete had shaken the city like a colossal earthquake. Buildings shook, windows shattered, alarms blared, and no one without a helmet with a filtration system would be able to see or breathe until the dust and soot settled. Then the orchestra of gunfire reached a deafening staccato as the drop troops burst from their pods and formed a perimeter around their landing zone.

“[B]Sierra One secured,[/B]” said Alex-317 as the battle reached its culmination. After less than two or three minutes the area immediately surrounding the Salients’ landing zone was secured. By the time the orbital shock drops had landed, the Salients had dispatched dozens of the invading aliens. Whether on the ground in front of them, or in the windows of the burning towerscape surrounding them, the Salient teams had systematically eliminated whatever threat was envisaged on their optical display, and they did so with a superhuman speed which would have astounded even the special forces who were due to follow them; men who were trained to be deployed alongside Salients and who were consciously aware of their abilities. 
	“[B]Copy, Sierra One secured,[/B]” said Alex’s subcommander, Master Sergeant Lyra-192. “Hostiles dispatched, landing zone clear,” she added. She was stood atop a wrecked vehicle which looked like it may have been a utility vehicle in times of peace. Her subdued maroon armour reflected little of the firelight emitted by the battle wreckage. 
	“[B]Captain Cross,[/B]” began 317 reaching for his emitter as his team efficiently combed through the wreckages of vehicles, destroyed buildings and dead bodies. MSgt. Lyra directed the rest of the team to split in to pairs and begin searching the buildings immediately surrounding them for signs of alien life. By now the shock troops had all emerged from their pods and were beginning to surge forward to their pre-designated positions. Few of them had to fire a shot, and those that did only picked off stragglers and wounded combatants. The first skirmish was over. “[B]Landing zone is secured and the perimeter is safe for landing. Blue team is in position to oversee, over.[/B]”

“[B]Copy, Commander, expand your perimeter as you see fit. Disembarkment of troops and materiel will begin shortly. Our orbital scans still show an extremely built up presence of enemy forces in your vicinity. The OSN Drop Troops supporting you have been tasked with clearing them out while you make your way to the package. Do what you can to assist on your way, but nothing is to slow your advance. Forward with all haste, Commander. Support will be landing soon. They have their objective, you and your team have yours’. Get to it. Out.[/B]” Captain Cross, aboard the OSN Galahad’s Glare, was overseeing the disembarkation of thousands of troops and hundreds of thousands of tons of materiel to the ground. While the main fleet was engaged with the enemy, the supporting fleet was to unload their cargo with as much haste as they could muster before they were beset upon. The battleships and cruisers would hold the enemy for as long as they could, but according to the audio on the command channel it seemed to Cross that it would be a holding action from the very beginning. They could hit hard, but they wouldn’t be able to be hit back much in return before they began to crumble. The ground forces would have to find their quarry soon. More than they realised would depend upon it.

Alex nodded in response to Cross, reloading his rifle while in the cover of a wrecked vehicle. Another Salient knelt near him, keeping track of the icons on his visual map to see where the recently landed troops had advanced to. Only a few minutes had passed since the initial assault, but already a few hundred metres of ground had been cleared. The shock troops were consummate professionals and ruthlessly efficient in clearing buildings and roads. The rest of the Blue Team had been accompanying them. The Salients didn’t have time to check individual buildings, and directed their subordinate troops to check and clear while they head towards their objective with singular purpose.