[b][u] New Hollywood Neo London[/u][/b] The past few days had been an emotionally draining affair for the members of the 401st, as countless reports of dead Columbian citizens either by the hands of the mob or caught in the crossfire of the revolution kept pouring in, the operation having no shortage of tragic stories to spare. Doesn't help that it almost always rains in Neo London, only adding to the depressing atmosphere. Omar blankly stares out into the darkened clouds as his Glade Glider soured through the skies over the city, once again on another rotation to find and secure more Columbian nationals, the Urkani children he and Alice saved back than were unfortunately, not the last to suffer lose, and the thoughts persist. Alice, along with two other members, Grysk, the squad's medic, a Janari, and Tobie, another human looked with concern "Shit man, this isn't like you." Tobie said, Omar was typically the jokester of team, having him of all people be down on the dumps is just...well, depressing! "We've had fuck-ups, yeah, but we're trying our damnedest." "Yeah...can't shake it off, you know?" Omar replied, still looking up to the skies. "I keep thinking so many times, had we'd been there sooner, a minute or an hour, who cares? Someone could've gone back home, just not in a body bag." "We can only go so far, Omar." Alice said, laying her hand over his shoulder. "We can't be everywhere at once." Omar was quiet for a moment, before placing his hand over hers. "I know, just seeing all these kids orphaned by a bunch a angry idiots, it fucked me up a bit." For a moment, Alice just knew the trick to lighten the mood. "You're such a daddy's boy, you know that?" Alice joked with Omar, hopping to lighten the mood. It must've accomplished something as Omar started to let out a small chuckle, both he and alice loosening their grips as he facing away from the clouds to face his squad mates. "Ouch, I'm that obvious?" He said with a slight grin. “But...Yeah, guess I am. For the most part, it was just my dad and me, I honestly can’t imagine life without the old man.” The small moment of reprieve would not last long, as a crackling sound started blasting out from Glider's comms. "The fuck?" The pilot said as she begun tweaking the nobs and buttons before a voice blared out. "-Embassy under fire! I repeat, this is Sergeant Razak to Raven Squad! the Embassy is under attack! we've just received orders to support!" The pilot flipped a few switches and turned some nobs. "This is Echo-319, we're currently en route to mission area." The pilot said as she turned to her passengers. "Hangs on tight boys and girls." [hr] [b][u] Neo London Columbian Embassy[/u][/b] They came out of nowhere, without much warning, a platoon's worth of ECU Protectors ambushed Jade Squad just as they extracted the Embassy's staff out to safety, much to their confusion. Now suddenly, Jade Squad, along with the guard detachment tasked as Embassy security, were pinned down, surrounded. "Got two more on your flank!" Sargant Ron Dodgers cried out as he poked out of one of the windows, trying his bet to lay suppressive fire on a pair of Protectors, only to be flanked and forced down as heavy machine gun fire prayed across the front of the building, leaving countless holes, destroyed furniture and a few bodies of both the guards and his own men. "Fuck! Fall back to the dining hall!" The sergeant ordered as most of his men fell back, all but one. "Come get some!" An particularly smaller Dhulrak soldier shouted, firing a heavy machine gun towards some charging protectors. "I can do this all day assholes!" He continued unloading lead on the protectors until he heard several clicking sounds. "Reload!" He yelled, but before he got the chance, he was pulled down. "Masu! get in cover you crazy idiot!" shouted sergeant Dodgers, pulling him down with all his might behind the relative safety behind the building's walls. "One, You're a sniper's magnet! And two, I ordered you back to the Dining Hall!" he shouted over the gunfire. Masu simply smiled, "Hah! Come on sarge, ain't nothing that can stop me!" Sergeant Dodgers couldn't help but shake his head in disbelief. "You're no good to me dead, soldier." He replied. "Now get to the dining hall, that's an order!" "...Sir!" Masu said with hesitation as he threw himself out from the main lobby, quickly followed by the Sergeant. The Columbian soldiers quickly setting up makeshift fortifications out of turned over tables and chairs, Masu and Dodgers catching up as they leapt over the tables. "Get to firing positions! Once they bust in, give them everything you got!" Dodgers ordered as he aimed his rifle outward. Before they even could get a chance, the shooting stopped, much to their confusion. Loud inaudible shouting overhead as the Protectors were preparing for something....sounded like lotion ten eight? "Why'd they stop firing?" "Why the fuck they even firing to begin with?!" "I don't like this...not one bit.." "Shut it! All of you! Listen.." Sergeant Dodgers ordered, hearing something rumbling over, within moments were like the gates of hell being ripped open as horrific wailing filled the air, the Protectors turning their phycological warfare tactics against the Columbians. "FUCK!" One of them screamed out in surprise and terror. Followed by flashing lights that penetrated the walls of the Embassy, further disorienting the defenders. "JARAH HELP ME!!" An Urkani marine cried out, in a fetal position, covering his ear holes to no avail. A few guards and marines had lost their nerve, and attempted to flee out the building, only met with a hail of bullets, reducing them to a bloody mess. " HOLD DAMNIT!!!!" [hr] Elsewhere, three Gliders moved in a loose formation as they soured towards the Embassy. Omar poking out with the Glider's gun turret. He squinted his eyes as he saw the Embassy within view, loud noises heard as well as sickeningly bright lights flashing everywhere. "What is this? An attack or a rave party from hell?" Omar said in bewilderment. "Shit, I think those are ECU Protectors." The Sergeant announced over squad comms. "Uhh, last time I heard, we're were on the same time." Kezil commented over the comms. "Guess somethings changed." Sergeant Razak said. "One problem at a time. Right now, they're firing on our people, which makes them the enemy. Lethal force is authorized." The Gliders were soon to pass the Embassy, Omar and Alice both taking door gun positions, ready to do what must be done. "Enemy in sight Open fire!" Omar's glider was first to circle the embassy, without hesitation, he pulled the trigger, the machine gun shooting out a rain of bullets over the scattered protectors. The Terror Machines proved to be prime targets for Raven squad as their birds focused fire on them, the sheer amount of bullets, maybe be pure stupid luck, had managed to shut off the unholy blend of sounds and light, forcing the Protectors into cover as they had lost their trump card. The Gliders formed a protective circle around the embassy as they landed, the door gunners continuing their barrage, quickly followed by the furious charge of Jade squad and the surviving guards. By this point, the battle had been lost, and the remaining protectors had fallen back. [hr] About ten minutes had passed since the skirmish, the Columbians taking a brief breather as the confusion set in. "Ok, first off, why the hell were the Protectors shooting at ya?" Razak asked with a puzzled look at Dodgers. "You pissed them off or something?" Dodgers shook his head. "Nope, no fucking clue. We were just finishing up extracting the Ambassador and the rest of the staff when "boom!" Protectors came out of nowhere and just started shooting for no goddamn reason." Razak paused as he paced around in circles. "Any word from command?" "Nope, not a peep." Dodgers replied. "In fact...there's pretty much been a comms blackout for a good few hours, had gotten new updates from the Captain or Colonel." Omar approached the two. "Sir, permission to speak?" "Granted." "We all overheard, and quite frankly sirs, I'm starting to get nervous." Omar chimed in. "No comms in hours and supposed "friendlies" attacking us? Something's not right." "You're damn right something's off, and I intend to find out." Razak said as he power jogged over to his Glider, hopping into the interior, the pilot was quick to move out of the way as the sergeant tinkered with the radio, the others soon following as they encircled the craft. "This is Sergeant Cain Razak to Yankie Actual, Yankie do you read?" A hot minute passes before someone finally responds. "We hear you sergeant." A feminine voice speaks, that of lieutenant Shira Shepard. "What's the situation." "All fucked-up ma'am." Cain replied bluntly. "We just got out a nasty firefight with some Protectors,, you know anything about this?" All was quite on Shira's end before she spoke. "You don't know?" "Huh? Know what ma'am? There's been a comms blackout for a good few hours, we haven't heard a damn thing." "A few hours ago, the Senate just publicly declared support for the White Flowers." Shira replied. There was silence once more, this time on Cain's end of the comms. "Well, shit." He cursed to himself. "That's not all, the colonel has been sending rather...strange orders to some of our squads, some of which have also gone dark. I've been trying to contact him ever since, but he won't respond." "Don't worry ma'am, we can sort that out for you." Cain said. "Raven Squad out." Cain soon emerged from the Glider, all eyes glued to him as they waited with baited breath. "Ok, first off." He begun. "Apparently, I'm told the Senate just voted to declare public support of the White Flower rebels." The revelations followed by some audible gasps. "Well, this is awkward." Alice noted. "This mean we at war with the ECU and Mashties?" Omar asked. "Don't know to be frank." Cain said as he hopped down from the Glider. "But the LT didn't mention any fighting going on at the Mashtie base, so calmer heads hopefully prevailed." "I sense a "but" " Dodgers said. "Yup, during the blackout, some squads still had a link with Ground Ops at the base, receiving downright odd orders, followed by said squads going dark." "I don't like this at all.." Omar commented once more. "Same, which is why, you two are coming with me." Cain said, pointing to Alice and Omar. "We're getting to the bottom of this, war's about to break out, and it sure as hell won't be easy with hundreds of civvies at the hands of a possible enemy." Soon the trio climibed aboard the lead Glider as they ascended towards the darkened skies, flying towards New Westminster. [hr] [u][b]Kronos[/b][/u] Darkness...silence....after fighting for long...at least, there is only [i]her[/i], there is only...Harmony. Kronos, an angry world that once brought terror and hardship on mankind, has finally found Harmony, mankind has been forced to the brink, pushed away from their former homes, now all that remains is Harmony, all that remains is [i]her[/i]. She will bring mankind to rest, bring this world to rest, no longer will man taint Kronos, no longer will the sinful flesh bring ruin to the stars...or so she thought. There she lay, floating in darkness, cradling herself, floating in cyberspace, content with the final peace she has brought, a peace that has lasted for over a century. The sins of Old Earth will not be repeated, the sins of mankind stop here, once again, so she thought. The calm "tides" of data had ruffled, were disturbed...something was happening! Something that has long stayed dormant...has awakened! The Gateway! After so long, the gateway has reopened! And with its resurrection, she awakes. a sphere of screens entrap her, all replaying images of the gateway flashing out, such a wonderous sight.. one of the few creations of mankind that bring a sense of beauty to the Galaxy. "It's time.." She whispered to herself. "Earth....oh my dear, sweet earth....she awaits for me, her chosen protector, her new God." Such anticipation however...was met with a terrible revelation....very weak signals escape through the gateway, faint, yet readable...mankind still lives among the stars, they were not the last, their sinful flesh has multiplied. "No... no...!" She at first was filled with a wrathful, seething rage...but there came a divine clarity. "So many worlds..so much chaos, so much pain...they need Harmony, they need [i]me[/i]."