(OOC: Waiting for the signal from Afyon's group. This is all i can do for now)

Giovanni set his rifle down and sat near a scorch mark on the wall.  "Any news from Afyon's group?", asked Gio. He unholstered a small canteen and unscrewed the top. He drank the amber contents and tossed the canteen aside.

"Last I heard from them, they were still making their way to the top... Lets give 'em some more time," responded Kairo.

"What about the new LCPL? Squall, i think his name was."

"He should be on his way via Shuttle," responded Kairo once again. "Though i dont see how any craft could get past all that AA fire..." He showed concern.

Giovanni nodded. "I think we should rest up. Who knows what the next few hours might hold for us."


 
-----------------------
*DarkDragoons*

*Lance Corporal Giovanni A. Bryden*

TRP/LCPL Giovanni Bryden/2SQD/2PLT/1COM/1BAT/1RGT/VEA/VE/[LoR]

"How can we be so sure something Is worth Living, If we are not Willing to Die for it?"

Squall spotted who he though to be Kairo and the rest of the Squad.  Afyon and his group came from the other tower.  The resistance soldiers were giving the new republic soldiers hell as they marched into the base.  The objective for the dragoons now, get to the floor with the command center. Kairo signalled with a quick hand signal to move with him.  They would have to make it back through the base to the turbolift that was over by the hanger.

The backtracking was easy since the dragoons had already been into the base, but there were still some kancks and crannys that they didn't know about.  Kairo pulled up a map, and the squad stopped to check it out.

They were about 100 feet between the security areas.  They had about 10 guards at each, and whatever other ones who were patrolling.  One checkpoint was in the tunnel, the other just outside of it by the turbolift.

After putting the map away, everone fanned out, and made their way to the tubolift.  Squall followed Kairo and Arrowcaan as they turned another corner.  After entering the tunnel, Arrowcaan pulled out his binoculars.  He spotted a turret and the guards standing at the checkpoint.  Someone needed to slice the terminal nearby and shut down the turret, or else the Dragoons would be disenigrated on the spot.

Squall was new to the squad, and gave his skills a try.  He walked over to the terminal, popped off the back panel.  After cutting a few wires, the whole system went down.  Both turrets at the checkpoints had been disabled.  There was a power conduit nearby the 1st checkpoint.  Squall programmed the terminal to overload the power conduit, frying the soldiers at the checkpoint.

From the binoculars Arrow watched the enemy guards being electrified from the electrical current that came out of the power conduit.  It was a beautiful site to the trooper.  He had never seen something so amazing.

A few more guards rushed into the other end of the tunnel to see what happened to their mates.  After realizing what happened, a few of them started rushing towards the Dragoons.  The Dragoons opened fire into the enemy guards, dropping the three of them instantly.

The Dragoons rushed into the next checkpoint.  Squall lobbed a grenade into the area, taking a few of the guards out.  The rest retreated back to the turbo-lift, along with the forces that were already stationed there.

They quickly started firing at the Dragoons.  Kairo popped a grenade at them, and then they took cover.  An explosion was heard, and also the yelp of a few soldiers.  The dragoons whipped around the corner, and started advancing for the tubolift.  Kairo opened fire into the tubolift bay, hoping to scorch anyone that was still waiting to ambush the Dragoons as they made their way up the facility.

Dead bodies laid all over the entrance to the turbolift.  Kairo and Sam kicked them out of the way, as Aarow started the turbo-lift.  Everyone got in, and ducked beside the walls of the lift, so that when they got to the fourth floor, it would look like no one was in the lift.  Sam and Afyon got up on top of the lift so that they could swing down once the rest of the troopers killed the enemy guards.  After swinging down, they would find the next turbolift, and then take that to the 5th floor.

The doors shut, and the lift began to rise.  Everyone got to their places, and got ready to ambush the new republic soldiers.
 
-----------------------
Squall Lionheart
Lance Corporal
*DarkDragoons*
+ Advance Recon Commandos {ARC} +
----------------------
TRP/LCPL Squall/2SQD/1PLT/1COMP/1BAT/1RGT/VEA/VE [LoR] [EWI]

  As the doors slid open, blaster fire emediately started to come through the widening hole. Since the DarkDragoons were pressed against the walls though, none of the first shots got anywhere close. Kairo signalled for Arrow and Yillis to blindly shoot through the almost open door. Kairo and Squall each pulled out another grenade. They each through them through the now open door and pressed themselves against the wall. Yillis and Arrow quickly drew back their hands. A loud explosion ripped through the hall and the shockwave jarred the trubolift slightly. "Go." Kairo ordered, running out of the elevator. He moved to his left as soon as he cleared the doorway and ran through the rest of the dissipating smoke. Opening up fire as he exited the cloud, Kairo saw three stangering soldiers, four dead on the floor, and two retreating as they fired behind them. Arrow and Sam quickly shot the dazed gaurds while the rest of the squad shot at the retreating soldiers. One of the gaurds was hit easily, but the other almost made it around a corner before he was hit. By the time Afyon and Sam had dropped down from ontop of the elevator, it was finished.

  "We don't have to clear out this whole floor. Some of Acotyne's forces will take care of anyone we miss. We just have to reach the next turbolift. Let's get going and stay alert. Sam and Gio, your infront. Squall and Afyon bring up the rear. Yillis and Arrow, stay with me." Kairo ordered, putting his E-11 away and pulling out his two blasters again. Moving down the first hall, the group came upon the first intersection where the fallen gaurd lay prone on the ground. Sam and Gio stopped and looked back at Kairo. Kairo motioned for them to continue forward.

  "Do you know where to go?" Squall asked quietly

  "Because, Arrow was able to download a map earlier and I studied it as we were leaving the main gate control room. It just didn't say what kind of defenses are on this level." Kairo whispered, glancing down a hall that ajoined the one they were moving through. A few minutes later, they had gone down several different paths and had not run into any trouble. 'Not good. They must have something planned.' Kairo thought, tightening his grip on his blasters. "We're coming up on the turbolift. Stay sharp. I am expecting heavy resistance, since we haven't run into anyone on this floor yet."

  The squad prepared themsleves. Gio pulled out a grenade and checked his gun. Sam looked at his weapon and decided to put it away and take out a fullly charged one. Squall pulled out a thermal and grapsed his weapon. Afyon primed his E-11 and checked behing for any sign of an ambush. Yillis and Arrow followed suit from the rest of the squad: checking their weapon's energy level and replaced it if it was low. Kairo also checked his weapons reserves and decided to change out the ones energy cartridge. As the squad finished their adjustments, Kairo signalled them to come to a stop at another intersection. Moving to the front, he glanced around the corner.

  Fifteen New Republic soldiers had set up temporary fortifications around the last turbolift. They had moved whatever crates and other large objects to form a small semi-circle around the door. They had also set up a deadly e-web.

  Silently cursing to himslelf, Kairo turned to the squad. "This doesn't look good." He quickly explained the fortifications and stated, "I'm all out of ideas on this one. I'll take any suggestions."
 
-----------------------
Senior Sergeant Kairo
Squad Leader
*DarkDragoons*

SL/SR.SGT Kairo/2SQD/1PLT/1COMP/1BAT/1RGT/VEA/VE [CDS][BoA][CoR]

  Turning off the comlink, Kairo thought, 'Only a few more minutes Acotyne. That's all we need.' As the turbolift approached the top floor, Kairo moved to the front of the car and waited next to the door. Pulling out a stun grenade, Kairo heard Yillis ask, "Why didn't we use that before now?"

  "I waited until now, becuase we don't want to kill the people on this floor except for the gaurds. I'm expecting them to mostly be technicians and a few gaurds. Plus the commander of this base. We need him allive, in order for him to call a surrender." Kairo explained, turning his attention back to the door. "Kill anyone that shoots at you or isn't stunned, but try not to kill any techs. Even though they are the New Republics."

  The turbolift started to slow down. As it came to a stop, Kairo activated the stun grenade. 'Ten, nine, eight.' The doors started to slide open and Kairo threw it as far away from the lift as he could. 'Hope it got far enough. Wouldn't want to stun us.' Kairo thought as he pressed as himself against the wall so the incoming blaster fire wouldn't hit him. 'Three, two, one.' As the stun grenade went off, Kairo heard a few solid thumps from the impacts of the imobilized bodies. Running out of the open door, Kairo took aim at a gaurd across the room who had escaped the blast radius. As he took the opposite gaurd down, a blaster shot went past his head. Realising that a gaurd next to the turbolift hadn't been stunned, he dropped to one knee and rolled forward. Coming out of his roll, Kairo saw Sam take out the gaurd that had been tracking him. Taking a quick look around the room, Kairo tried to find a body with a commanders idenitification on.

  It was a circular shaped room with a technician pit in the middle. On the walls surrounding the room, there were large screens displaying many different images. Across the room, a door led to an ajoining room that Kairo guessed to be the commanders office. "DarkDragoons, round up the stunned techs. Sam and Gio, I want you to gaurd them. Afyon, take a look at those control panels in the pit. Arrow gaurd the turbolift. Squall and Yillis, come with me." Moving around the left side of the cylindar shaped room, Kairo moved up to the door. Pulling out his other blaster, he nodded at Squall to push open the door.

  Deftly swinging around the corner, Yillis twisted to his right, but the gaurd had already had time to fire once. Yillis grunted as shot nicked his shoulder, but was still able to take down the gaurd with a well placed shot. Following closely behind Yillis, Squall also moved into the room and looked to his left. A gaurd, who had been taking aim at Yillis, tried to swing his blaster at Squall, but was to late in the action. Moving into the room, Kairo moved forward and saw a commander in full uniform postitioned behind his desk with blaster raised. Dodging to the left, Kairo lunged forward. The shot went wide and Kairo was able to knock the blaster out of the commanders hands before he got off another shot.

  Pushing the commander into his chair, Kairo said, "I am from the Vast Empire. We are here to bring this planet's battle to a close, I demand for you to surrender."

  "And if I don't? My forces far outnumber yours. Once they have taken care of the trouble downstairs they will come up here and get rid of you." the commander responded.

  'Damn, he wants to play games. Fine we'll play games,' Kairo thought. "Squall, take Yillis out of here and look at his shoulder."

  "Yes, Sir." Helping Yillis to his feet, Squall moved him through the door.

  Turning back to the commander, Kairo pulled off his helmet and said, "Now that my wounded man is being taken care of we can talk. If you don't comply with my demands, a full platton of stormtroopers will arrive on this planet and wipe out all of the remaining forces in this base. They will then join forces with the remaining rebels and either destroy or take captive all your remaining troops on this planet. And if a platoon isn't enough, I can bring in a whole company. We can hold out up here a very long time, until our reinforcements arrive. I'll make this easy on you. Just call a cease fire. Then our ambasadors can come in take care of all the negotiations. Think of how much trouble the media could cause if they found out the peaceful New Republic refused to negotiate, and caused the unnessasary bloodshed of innocents. This fight is over, but if people find out about this fight, more planets might decide to revolt. Just call off your troops and we'll call off ours. You and I are only meant for combat. This fight is over. Let our ambasadors take care of the negotiation."

  There was a long pause. Kairo and the commander exchanged stares. Neither one blinking. Finally, the commander gave in to Kairo's demands. "I can see we have lost this round. We'll let the negotiations be handled with out all this bloodshed. Take me to a com-station." Getting up from his desk he walked out the door, closely followed by Kairo. Yillis was sitting on the ground, with Squall next to him.

  "He'll be fine sir. Just a flesh wound." Squall said as Kairo walked by. At one of the stations in the control pit, Afyon was looking at a viewing screen.

  "Open a channel through the base, Afyon." Kairo said.

  "What channel?" Afyon asked, turning to a different station. Kairo looked at the commander.

  "Let me do it." the commander replied, walking over to the com-station and opening up a channel. "All New Republic forces are to stand down. Repeat stand down. We have enacted a cease fire for the time being. Negotiations will follow shortly."

  Kairo opened up his comlink. "Did you get the Acotyne?"
 
  "Yes we did. Good work. We're in your debt. You just saved countless lives. We're standing down also. We're sending a squad up there to gaurd the commander." The channel broke.

  "Well our job is done here," Kairo stated, turning to the commander. "I will relay a transmission asking for an ambasador. Thank you for your cooperation."

  "Like I had a choice," the commander retorted. The trubolift opened and Kairo glanced at the ocupants. A squad of rebels moved into the room.

  The lead soldier said, "We'll take it from here sir."

  "Very well. DarkDragoons. Pack up and move out. Gio and Arrow help Yillis. Let's get back to HQ. We're not needed here anymore."

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . A Few Hours Later .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .

  The DarkDragoons had exited the base. Kairo had gotten in contact with his superiors and had asked for an ambassador and a transport. Yillis had received some mild medical attention for his wound. The squad was waiting on the field to be picked up. In the distance a starship could be seen approaching. As it set down a man who must have been the Vast Empires represetnative stepped out. He moved over to Atocyne and his men. "Time to head out squad." Moving up the ramp, Kairo walked to the cockpit. "Take us out of here," he said to the pilot.

  "Sure thing, sir." the pilot responded.

  Moving into the back compartment, Kairo saw the rest of his squad sit down and take off their helmets, wiping at the sweat and removing their packs. Sitting down on the bench, Kairo also set down his pack and helmet. Yillis started to doze off, with a bandage on his shoulder. Arrow seemed to be restless, thinking about his first mission. Sam and Gio were talking to eachother. Afyon was going through his supplies and pulled out a ration bar. Squall was checking his weapons. 'Not a bad group,' Kairo thought. 'This squad really came together in their first mission with eachother. Even if some of them came in a little late, they performed admirably. Time for some rest.' As Kairo started to close his eyes, he felt the craft exit the atmosphere. Turning his head, he looked out the window. A few minutes later, the familiar look of elongating stars could be seen.
 
-----------------------
Senior Sergeant Kairo
Squad Leader
*DarkDragoons*

SL/SR.SGT Kairo/2SQD/1PLT/1COMP/1BAT/1RGT/VEA/VE [CDS][BoA][CoR]