Carl whistled down through the air sticking up and to the left of Ross well up and high from Jenny just in case. He watched the Blue Sword soldiers below them jockeying in and out,  finding safe positions. He checked his altimeter, flashing a thumbs up, signalling they were on target, if coming in a little hot.

Above them he didn’t see Victor or Natalie leave the plane. So he never got to see that incredibly delicate and dramatic fall that Natalie pulled off. Victor did. And the twinkle in his eyes said everything. Watching his beautiful fiancée twist then fall free of the plane. He took a step, then with a spinning and flipping twist followed her out of the plane. Some would say that there is no way that someone as big or heavy as Victor could be as limber and acrobatic as he looked as he pulled off a full 1080 degree spin with a double black flip through the air before righting himself and falling in beside Natalie. Just no way. He’d have proved them wrong with that twist and flip he pulled off falling out of the plane. Soon he’s level with Natalie. The pair fell a great deal faster then their smaller companions.

Carl twisted into the air, the warning signal on his altimeter going off. He grabbed the ripcord and pulled hard. The chute bag opening, unfurling and catching the air. He grunted as the chute snapped open and slowed his descent. He floated down steadily through the air. Scanning their landing sight as he came down. A stretch of road just outside the base. They’d still need to slog up the road to get to the front gate. And even as they touched down and the Blue Sword soldiers were getting into cover points to provide base of fire, he could see the first of the enemy come out to join them. First responders. Rifles, shotguns and pistols. He didn’t see anything larger then an RPK among them at the moment. But that would change. He touched down, skipping and being pulled by his chute. Fumbling abit with the release.

A ways behind them Nolan spat out the piece of scrub he’d been chewing on. “And here comes the main line.” He checked his range card, “Furthest distance 1090 at the top of that back tower. Watch your lines of sight. Ground pounders can switch positions without notice.” He smiles, working the bolt of his Tac50 forward, chambering one of those big .50 rounds. He settled his cheek against the cheek rest and began to get his breathing rate and heart beat into sync again, “Force multiplier right? IF what they have up there is already 100%...what do we add. Another one hundred?” He chuckled, licking his lips, “Let’s see now…” He sighted through his scope. Right over Carl’s shoulder, a man with a BREN smg running out screaming in some native dialect. He squeezed.

Up above Victor and Natalie were just landing. He heard his fiancée already starting shit. That stunning brrrrrtttt of her minigun cutting the air. He blink locked several rocket locations as he fell. When he landed, and cut the three chutes free and catching them, stowing them to retrieve later. He turned fully. And braced. It was a roar of flame and smoke. He emptied his rocket pods on his shoulders. The semi-smart rockets roaring up, changing angle, locking in on the targets before streaking down and slamming into the walls of the base, and the great steel gate as well. Holes appearing in the walls, and the gate denting heavily inwards. He watched the Blue Sword soldiers start to move forward. And stopped a moment to admire the work of Natalie as she drew that sword and waded into the enemy. He could only grin, “In a mood love? You look it. Let’s go. We have things to do.” He strode forward, drawing a shotgun in one hand and a tomahawk in the other.

Carl let out a yelp as a large round sailed right over his shoulder, drifted right past Natalie’s cleaving sword, and punched a target right in the chest. He flew back a good 4 feet and lay still in front of the gate. There’d be no way he’d get up from that. He turned to look over his shoulder, he couldn’t see the glint of scope light or even the dust cloud that the shot had kicked up. Which made him all the more glad that Nolan and Andrew were out there.

Nolan just smiled, “And you’re quite welcome Mister Cardinal.” He whispered softly. He switched his target. A man just above the gate who was trying to set up a heavier gun.

From the point of view of the snipers everything looked like it was going smoothly. But then they couldn’t feel the bullets whizzing by them like Carl could. Carl slammed his armored form against a hunk of iron at the side of the road. And made motions at the top of the wall where a .30 cal HMG was barking down at them. Victor smiled, “As you wish.” He raised his GMG, aimed and started to hammer the lip of the wall leaving big craters in the edge of the wall, making the men up there duck to get out of the way of the grenade rounds peppering their positions. They wouldn’t hear it at first. But Victor had turned on the speaker on the outside of his suit. So they could hear every roaring laugh he made as fired at the wall. A deep bass growling laugh. The giants are truly here for them this time.