[center][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6XN8JUDLRY[/youtube][/center]

At least it wasn't the Makadikadi.

THAT would've been both an open-terrain nightmare AND a terrible slog for heavy weaponry, as it was a great salt plain full of a viscous sludge that three particular car enthusiasts referred to as 'like driving over Crème Brûlée' that gets you stuck and possibly dying out in the middle of nowhere.  So, fortunately, the Sahara was just sand. Kerris did indeed drop first, in case they needed an immediate clear perimeter.  She and Maxon actually [i]enjoy[/i] drops, as it certainly got the blood flowing, shortly before they got the blood flowing [i]in combat[/i].  It's what you would call a good starter course, but then how would they not, as natural-born fighters?

Her landing would be angled in such a manner to kick up gouts of sand as she slid down a bit of dune to distort the long-range ability to quite see what or how much was going on.  That, and it was [i]fun[/i].  She had essentially personal-cratered with jump jets engaged, and then come out of it, guns already at the ready with her own shotgun out as Silver was giving orders.  Maxon, of course, landed nearby in packed sand.  She too had let off a brief gout of gunfire, her chaingun sweeping a bit to cause the line troopers to take cover or - if they were dumb enough to stay up - get clipped by bullets.

Now then, we're splitting the sibs up, so...

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

[center][h1][b][i][color=a187be]Kerris[/color][/i][/b][/h1][/center]

[color=a187be]"Already on it, Silver."[/color]

She, like HB, was a frontal assaulter, in this situation.  She had the MAS Suit equivalent to a riot shield and riot shotgun, among other things, so she was going to use it.  You use such people to act as your temporary cover to move into position, concentrate fire, and so on.   HB had already blasted some of the first responders, so Kerris took to focus-firing some other straggler units that had scattered a bit previously, giving them the old 'short controlled bursts' routine to take them down.  Not that you had to worry about recoil so much in one of these things, but it prevents wasting bullets.  Kerris then noticed sudden surprise movement on her periphery and saw two line troopers had actually been [i]playing dead[/i] when initial barrages came through in order to attack their flank.  A gout of flame blasted from the auto-shotgun in her Suit's hands and ended them without delay.  Kerris' instincts were faster than whatever the Totality had programmed into their troopers.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

[center][h1][b][i][color=f7941d]Maxon[/color][/i][/b][/h1][/center]

[color=f7941d]"As you wish."[/color]

Being tasked with looking after the snipers and their comms officer, the heavy Dranfel stomped off in the direction originally intended by Jacobine, the burning tank.  The YPR-765, though ruined, was a hulk worth taking cover behind, especially since the ammunition would've already gone off, judging by how it was 'killed'.  Likely, a counterpart of his in the Totality army had done it.  Maxon himself was a known tank-killer among his peers.  In any case, he was moving into position himself when there was the heavy trooper flanking, which were taken out by Jacobine and Veep before he was actually in position.  However, Veep had had to maneuver to avoid taking damage and had fallen behind.  Maxon contacted the Felness over radio.

[color=f7941d]"It's safe for now, Veep.  Move into position.  The area is secure."[/color]

That was when a communication from Fea came in, calling for a heavy weapon to blast some Totality troops out of bunch of rubble.  In short, his expertise was requested.  With an [color=f7941d]"I'm on it."[/color], he leveled his rocket launcher, found a small gap to focus on and let fly.  The explosion was equal-parts dusty and fiery, with bodies - such as they were - flying free from their cover.

[color=f7941d]"Target vanquished.  Moving along."[/color]