[color=00a651][b]"The plan,"[/b][/color] Silas began as he looked up at Lito, elevated by his own battle suit and regarded Sergey's opinion into the matter as well, [color=00a651][b]"is to await Cyne and Ducaelia's signal. They're hitting the enemy's surveillance and communications now. Once that it out of picture, the defenders around the towers won't be able to coordinate."[/b][/color] Silas stepped away briefly and looked over battle in motion. The resistance was still holding the encirclement, but just barely. He was growing impatient but also worried. He didn't doubt the skill of his infiltrators but he had his reservations about the freedom fighters around him. Many were not former military and were doing what they can to not only survive, but to carry out his demanding strategy. He then turned back to Lito. [color=00a651][b]"Once that occurs, we'll have a portion of the resistance's encirclement briefly intensify fire on the Defender's position and then fall back at the same time the return fire comes. With other groups intentionally collapsing the line and if all goes according to plan, the Lasminee's thugs will take the bait and hopefully overstretch their support. That's when we and everyone else launches an all-out assault on the tower fortifications. Sven will join us in a Chrimera we captured awhile go. With from Cyne and Ducaelia causing havoc behind enemy lines, we can anticipate weakened resistance from the enemy."[/b][/color] Just then, a stray screamed by from what direction, Silas couldn't ascertain. The projectiles whined all the way until tearing a chuck of concrete from the collapsed exterior of a nearby building. Silas looked back from where the bulled could have originated from but no others came. Cleary, it was a harmless stray with no one as it's indented victim. Hardly a close call but an encounter that never the less elevated Silas's concerns with the mission. [color=00a651][b]"Though at the moment, there isn't much to do than taking flak..."[/b][/color] It was then he got Cyne's comm message. --- Cyne maintained over watch as Ducaelia went to work compromising the enemy's comm setup. Thus far, no patrols came and their occupied floor to check with the now deceased spotter team below his feet. The thought nagged at him though as it failed to meet any of expectations of what how a military force would behave with such an asset exposed as it is. He however had to remind himself constantly that Lasminee's goons weren't professionals, simply killers and weirdos with guns. And apparently backed by powered suits and tanks whom likely looked down upon them as well. But as long as the defenders were oblivious, that's all that mattered to him. With his rifle now established on the edge of the balcony, he scanned the surrounding's below him and Ducaelia. Trenches, makeshift barricades mixed in with legit designs provided by Deval and many gun emplaces made of the fortifications that protected the towers from any infantry opposition. Of course, armored troopers and a couple of tanks bolstered the already sturdy defenses but if everything went as it should, they would become less of a problem. Cyne trained his sights on several machine gunners but held his fire. He knew better than to spook his prey and instead he simply counted the heads he would need to make roll. If the turret emplacements were unmanned, he would then shift focus on the suit's afterwards, reducing the enemy's mobility considerably if he could manage it. During his moment of focus, it was then Ducaelia had reported all clear. Now was the time to proceed with the op... --- Several minutes after Cyne's transmission, Ducaelia's soon followed, verifying that the enemy defending the towers had unknowingly become deft. It was now time proceed with the operation. With a simple gesture from Silas, several of the commanding officers nodded and hurryingly went their separate ways. It only took a few moment later when things really heated up. As planned a quadrant of the resistance's encirclement went active and fully engaged the one of the tower's defended flanks. Gunfire sharply intensified and echoed into the smoke-filled night. One could possibly mistake the loud rattling as a fireworks display, just without the colorful and fiery displays though would illuminate the darkness overhead. While it was faint, Silas could then make out heavier weapons now discharging, resonating closely. The resistance now had the defender's undivided attention. Perfect. As planned, Silas dialed a command into his comm device and continued to watch the action unfold. Per his strategy, the resistance fighter's quickly broke away from their fake assault committed into a full retreat. Like a series of falling dominos, other quadrants within the encirclement also peeled off, ensuring their movements were apparent to the defender's as he had requested. Silas almost felt bad for having them do that. Almost. But now was not the times fro emotional thoughts of regret, now was the time for praying and hoping that Lasminee's thugs took the bait. The shooting quickly died down just at it had started moments ago and eventually there was silences. Silas gulped; he didn't like drawn out circumstances of inactivity. And then, cheers and roars echoed from the towers, from the defenders now climbing out of their trenches and emerging from their barricades as they charged across the field. They were taking the bait and perusing the fleeing rebels. Silas watch as dozens of thugs leapt out, hooting and hollering and guns blazing away. Silas admitted he didn't intend to get them riled up like that but still, it served his goals regardless. Trailing behind the hyped thugs were, oddly enough, the armored troops and a Chimera. It wasn't initially evident by Silas surmised that the more professional of the defending - now attacking - unit were apprehensive about charging after the rebels, perhaps as they knew something was amiss but could do little as their hooligan comrades gave chase. With practically more than have the defenders removed from play and unable to communicate with those still entrenched, it was now time to lay siege to the towers. Silas swung around and rallied his team and opened up a channel with Sven whom was already firing up his Chimera. Silas could already here shouting and whistle cries as the rebels were preparing to make the big push. This has to quick. Any inch of ground denied from the rebels, and in association, Silas's ragtag team, would give time for the Lasminee's assaulting thugs to learn of their error and quickly return. [color=00a651][b]"Alright, here's what we're doing,"[/b][/color] Silas started, clearly sounding rushed, [color=00a651][b]"Sven, get your heap out of cover, I want you to advance but ensure you vector aligns with ours. Your priority target is the Lasminee's own Chimera stationed at the base of the tower. Keep it fixated on you. Gerad, Lito, and Sergey; you're with me. Sven is going to get all of attention and not just by the tank over there. More of those armored troops will undoubtedly attempt to swarm him and the remaining point defenses on our Chimera will not be enough to hold them off. Ducaelia and Cyne; do what you can to take as many guns off as you can. The more the merrier, please."[/b][/color] [color=fff200][b]"I don't know If I should be ecstatic and absolutely terrified,"[/b][/color] Sven nervously chimed in, apparently overcome by excitement with the prospect of going up against another armored vehicle. [color=00a651][b]"Keep your ego in check, rust bucket, and focus on the mission."[/b][/color] Silas retorted. [color=fff200][b]"H-hey!"[/b][/color] [color=00a651][b]"And your mouth. We're grouping with you now. Lets go fellas!"[/b][/color] --- It was on now. Just as a large half of Lasminee's thugs recklessly gave chase to Silas' feint, a large swath of regrouped rebels suddenly made a power play against the tower fortifications. Cyne could here the thugs below panicking and desperately trying to call back the unit that had left them. But it was to no avail. Ducaelia's handiwork had isolated them and they were on their own. Clumsy bodies scrambled and shouted at one another has they braced to their defenses, unknown to them that there were two killers close by waiting to strike. Cyne leveled is rifle and took aim but before he could pick off an unsuspecting machine gunner, the elevator they took to get here made a pinging sound and its doors swung open, revealing a large squad of thugs. It was likely the smarter of the bunch whom were quick to realize that they couldn't communicate to anyone. Cyne grimaced as the thugs stormed the communications center, forcing him to temporarily abandon his rifle and charged to meet the interlopers, shotgun in hand. [color=00746b]"Contact!"[/color] yelled Cyne, alerting Ducaelia to the new threat before them. [@Dealdric] The squad of ten hooligans made their moves quickly and rushed in guns blazing away. While four focused their attention on Cyne, the other six made a beeline toward Ducaelia. As part of their vanguard, two of the attackers were larger and broader than their compatriots. They were clearly more armored but it was not mechanically assisted by the power armor troops. Both of them wore some kind of bucklers in their left hands but in their right, they wielded large one-handed axes. The bladed section of each weapon actually bore rotating teeth as if they were meant to bite and saw though flesh and material alike. As the two charging brutes made their way to Ducaelia, the four other thugs behind them provided covering fire. --- As Silas expected, the defenders' response was aggressive and desperate. Silas already donned his Shade's Skin and rode on the hull of Sven's advancing Chimera tank. Defensive fire from the tower fortifications leapt out but dispersed easily against the tank's barriers. Soon enough however, the power armor troopers were back and in greater numbers. [color=00a651][b]"Remember, keep these guys off of Sven!"[/b][/color] Silas reminded his team. In total, Silas could make out two dozen troopers screaming in, looking to overwhelm Sven's chimera and everyone covering it. [@Arthanus] Seeing Lito's battle armor as the greater obstacle, seven suits broke from the main body and vectored into an attack run. The group assumed an arrowhead formation and charged forward. The first three in the formation opened up with heavy machine guns. Slugs filled the air and roared in Lito's direction. The accumulated fire was inaccurate given their hasty movements but the impacts would certainly add up. The other four in the formation stayed back but it was evident that they were charging their suits' plasma projectors, as indicated by the glowing purplish hues emanated by each platform. [@Athol] Five of the total oncoming suits shifted their focus to the Gerad and vectored in. They approached hard and fast machine guns firing away. However, the pilots appeared appraised by the Garudin's defenses and his lethal weaponry. The troopers opted to disperse and time each others attacks. One suit would close in on Gerad while the other followed suit from another trooper attacking from another flank. The other would emulate the same pattern and attempt to break away the moment they caught the Garudin taking aim at any of them. [@Jamesyco] A duo of armored troopers set their sights on Sergey and the fighters around him as they rushed in. Assuming him to be the weaker of the guard element that covered Sven, the engaged him with a casual mind set. One of the suits peeled off and took a wide approach around Sergey's flank while the other made a more aggressive charge toward him. Like the other, their guns also firing wildly. Given the velocity of the trooper's assault, it appeared the suit's pilot attempted to run Sergey down in a solid ram attack, seemingly to challenge the durability of Sergey's shield.