20/Kryo/2467 R.S. 13:10:47

A quiet and lonely pavement road stretches across the pale yellow terrain, to the right of it a steep ridge that slowly descends into ground level, and sharing the canvas with the great Caloris Jungle, Twenty Square Miles of uncharted territory, also known as "The Caloris Deadzone". Suddenly a black Pick-up Truck interrupts the silence by speeding into view, two Millitant Soldiers sitting inside the backseat desperately spray automatic gunfire into the large dark grey Dropship chasing them from above, some bullets fly into the clear blue sky, some bullets found their way to the target, eventually crashing into the Sanity's hull. Jack presses down his eyebrows with anger as he pushed the button to open fire towards the escaping Truck. The autocannons fire continuous rounds down at the Truck, nailing a couple of shots but missing the majority due to the dust being kicked up by the truck confusing the targeting systems. "Damn these Millitants, they're leading us right into their den!" He yells in frustration.On the opposite side of the Sanity, with his MTR locked and loaded stands 51 alongside 20 with her HBS-12 (Heavy Buck & Slug) high-velocity shotgun. As the Squad's Demolitionists, Vera had to learn how to craft explosives out of the most basic materials, therefore she has a bag full of exclusive gadgets and grenade variants, all put together by Vera.

09: "You made the right choice, X."

Ankiros assures Michael that leaving the Dam's Rip-Line situation on the EOD Unit's hands was the right thing to do, however, for Michael it feels high-risk high reward.

51: "Not until I get my answers."

09: "That you will, you've got my word."

Back on the Dam Ankiros finally got to convince Michael, but not without him setting down his conditions, 1. Capture the Millitants. 2. Extract any information on the reason behind the "Dam Matter". And 3. Let Mike Talk, also known to the squad as LMT.Ultimately, Ankiros had no choice but to give his word that the Millitants will answer for their terrorist attempt in the dam.The Sanity's ICC turns on and with it comes a wave of static followed by three beeps, each having a specific tone, the first one sounds like a blunt clack, the second one a high pitch beep, and finally a very low pitch beep. The orange light from the ICC illuminates Jade's visor as she is sitting in the "ComVis" seat, or the communications and visualizations operator seat, behind the Pilot/Gunner seat currently occupied by Jack.

The "International Communications Channel" or (ICC) is used to alert Trooper Outfits of disturbances within their proximity, each Trooper Squad has a predetermined State and/or Territory which they have to personally defend in case of any kind of emergency, in Sigma's case they are to protect two of these territories; The Centralian Capital City is also known as "The Triple C", and they also protect "The Inoan Commonwealth" alongside the Mikundrian Trooper Squad, Lambda.

A loud, blaring alarm emits through the old ICC speakers throughout the Sanity's interiors, then a male voice commences to talk, it says: "Attention, all MT Squadrons alerted by this ICC transmission: Caloris-Ino border sensors have picked up some unusual consecutive seismic spikes, we also have footage of what seems to be an explosion triggered by a flying gunship. As always, you will be rewarded for your efforts to maintain peace in the region. Dispatch out."

Jade turns to her head to the right and looks through the open cockpit door into the cargo/passenger area of the Dropship.

12: "Ank! What's going on?"

09: "We are, expect a possible MT deployment, Mike whatever you want to do you better think of it fast."

Michael glances over to the closed back hatch of the Sanity and begins to formulate a plan. He sees Vera's bag is full of newly crafted explosives that she had started experimenting on the last time they saw each other. So he pops up the question."Vera, what new devices you got for me to use?"

She turns to him, simultaneously reaching for her bag. She smiles behind her black visor as she unzips the bag finally pulling out a grey metallic circle with a set of rings running throughout the circle, the first being a blue oscillator that glows periodically. The second is a golden induction ring that keeps the energy created by the oscillator concentrated inside. She shows it to Michael who picks it up from her hands as she begins to explain what the object does.

20: "This is a Magnetically Attracted Grenade, yes, I know "MAG"."

51: "Sounds good, but how do I use it?"

20: "Easy, so you press the inner blue ring, and then you throw it to whatever you want to blow up, as an added bonus if the target has any metallic features; surprise! It sticks."

Michael smirks while holding the MAG grenade as ideas overflow his head. Until finally, ding! He has decided on what to do, he asks for three more of the devices, but sadly Vera only built two, so he takes the remaining one and slides both MAGs in his waist strap.

51: "Follow my lead, V."

20: "What are we doing?"

He walks over to the back hatch and punches down the green "open hatch" button. This instantly alerts Ankiros, pushing him to interrupt.

09: "Hey-Hey-Hey!" He says in rapid succession as he hastily walks toward 51. He continues: " What are you doing?". To which 51 turns to him, as the hatch opens a bright horizontal line shines off Michael's visor and replies to Ankiros; "My plan." He continues: "Jack, put us in front of them!"

The Sanity accelerates and passes over the pick-up truck, the soldiers below continue to fire at them, 49 is beginning to grow worried as he is taking too much small arms fire on the hull of the Dropship. Passing over them and now matching their target's speed in front of them, the Sanity's back hatch opens revealing two Troopers prepared to engage in combat. The bullets begin to focus the open hatch, crashing with the active Barrier Systems of the Troopers, seeing how ineffective small arms fire is, a Soldier standing on the back of the pick-up truck stops firing his Heavy Carbine and reaches for a Rocket Propelled Grenade launcher given to him from the back window. Vera's eyes target the RPG and searches for it in her TDA, not matching anything in her Database she makes a new placeholder file for the new weapon as she turns to Michael she reveals this discovery: "We've got an unknown explosive weapon."

51: "So much for non-lethal, Vera what's the delay on these mags?"

20: "Three fast seconds, time them right for best results."

The truck rocks up and down as the Soldier with the rocket launcher attempts to load in the rockets.Michael throws the MAG in front of the truck's path and it sticks under, he checks his ammo one last time as the grenade detonates from under the truck splitting it in half and launching it airborne. Michael jumps down from the hatch and unto the raised truck, upon landing on its roof he grabs onto the broken window frames on the sides to gain balance. The Sanity continues off without him, with great force the truck crashes with the ground kicking up a cloud of sand and dust into the sky mixed with the dark smoke caused by the explosion.He hops off the roof of the truck and with his left hand he rips off the driver's seat door revealing a ruined man covered in blood and burnt skin, 51 aims his MTR against the man's head and pokes the barrel against his head, the inanimate head swings from left to right. Michael grabs the dead Soldier from their ferrite chest plate and pulls him from the vehicle, his body falls to the ground. A blue light comes online on the side of 51's helmet and Jack SatComs in: "Mike we're going to pass over you to drop Vera, how's everything down there?"

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51: "Negative, most Millitants are dead, passenger seems to be a second Shock Millitant, pretty beat up but he's alive."

Michael reaches into the pickup truck and clicks off the passenger's seatbelt. He walks in front of the truck over to the other side while aiming down towards the Shock Millitant through the now-broken windshield. Back on the Sanity another situation suddenly begins to unravel. Sitting on the ComVis seat, Jade notices a bogey on the radar. She alerts the crew and begins to flip on components of the Dropship, enabling long-range sensors and the Heavy Capacitor of the Dropship which activates the Sanity's Barrier.

12: "We got a signature, eleven o'clock, Jack confirm."

Jack turns his head to the left and squints his eyes as he spots a metallic red Dropship with a bloody shine to it, passing so close to the ground that it throws the dirt and the pale sand upwards. His eyes grow wide and he punches the accelerator, speeding towards 51.

49: "Sigma be advised we've got a possible MT Dropship in the area."

09: "Shit's about to get real, hold on tight squad!"

Michael is completely focused on the task at hand as he steadily approaches the partly destroyed passenger door, aware of Jack's SatCom warning he continues with caution. The Millitant's face is covered in blood and burn marks from the explosion, his integrated mechanical legs crushed by the explosion, therefore, rendered useless, slowly he starts to regain consciousness but is too weak to resist as Michael begins to pull him out of the wreckage. In the distance, the Sanity's turbines intensify as it approaches, farther away a dim red shine glimmers off of Michael's Visor, he puts his hand up signaling the Squadron that the target has been acquired.

51: "I've got him, come get me."

He tells the squad as he stands next to the smoke cloud awaiting pick up, a wounded Soldier emerges from the other half of the truck, panting for air the weakened man struggles to remain on his feet, in his left hand he holds what seems to be a small black rectangular case.51 turns around to face the Soldier but does not take any chances and bolts to the truck's wreckage for cover, he peeks above the charred metal with his MTR and takes aim towards the Soldier. The ground begins to rumble and vibrate, the Sanity arrives in a cloud of dust and high-velocity particles that clash against 51's barrier, he quickly stands up and drags the crippled Shock Millitant backward towards the Sanity, but remains aiming at the Soldier with the small case on his hand. Vera stands on the open back hatch providing overwatch for Michael but suddenly a second wave of powerful pale sand catches him off guard from behind, making him turn around on high alert, in front of him the blood-red Dropship towers above the scene and a sideways hatch opens from its starboard side, revealing a Denim Blue Trooper which takes a single shot at the Soldier behind 51, the bullet soars past and punctures into the Soldiers hand carrying the case, shattering it along with the hand. The man screams in pain as he falls to the ground, grasping his now devastated hand. Vera rapidly reacts and jumps off the ship and takes aim at the Red Dropship.The Trooper taps on his helmet signaling 51 to enable InterCom. He proceeds, instantly the Trooper begins to talk.

210: "Well, well, well, I should've guessed it was Xentenas and his band of misfits."

51: "And I should've known that creating a mess would be the easiest way to attract you vultures."

210: "What the hell are you doin' in my region, Sigma?"

51: "Coincidentally I was on my way to Caloris just for you."

210: "Just for me, eh?"

Unaware of the conversation going on between the two, Vera asks:"Everything okay?" To which 51 turns his head towards her and nods.

51: "Listen Lornel, Dovyo sent me to recover that Data Pad you found."

210 moves his hand up and down signaling A.P. (11), their Squadron's pilot, and the Red Dropship descends, Wolfgang Lornel (210) jumps out of it, followed by a forest green Trooper with a bright yellow visor also known as Xander Hughes (19), a renowned veteran in hand to hand combat, just like the majority of Troopers he is a survivor of the Centralian Uprisings of 2459 but not without receiving a horrible wound on his throat, thought to be a mortal wound Xander pulled through but was rendered speechless and continues to fight alongside Epsilon Squadron to this day. The Dropship pulls away from the ground and the cockpit faces the four Troopers as they stand in front of each other, Vera remains with her HBS-12 aimed at 210 while Michael lowers his MTR as he sees that both Wolfgang and Xander approach unarmed.

210: "If what you want is the datapad, why are you wreaking havoc near the Dam?"

51: "Millitant incursion. We've stopped them good, you're welcome."

20: "Now hand over the Data Pad and we'll be on our way."

210: "So they were fuckin' with my Dam, and this guy's responsible? Huh..."

Wolfgang kneels in front of the crippled Shock Millitant and grabs him by the jaw with extreme pressure, the man moans in pain as he is coming back into consciousness due to the manhandling.Seeing this, Vera steps in and interrupts Wolfgang by pushing him away from the downed Shock Millitant. This alerts 210's wingman 19, he hurries in and stands between the two, blocking them off he clenches his fists.

210: "Tell you what, you give me this poor excuse of a Soldier and I'll gladly give you the Data Pad." At this moment his dark yellow visor fades into clear glass and a grin shines through. His suggestion, while strictly illegal, also goes against 51's morals, evidently this sparks an argument.

51: "Wipe that damn grin off your face, I'm not trading anything for anything, hand over the Data Pad, unless you want me to take it from you."

Tensions begin to rise between the Trooper Squadrons and 19 shifts his attention from Vera to Michael, the fibers of his gloves squeak as he completely tightens his fists.Wolfgang steps back and slowly walks backwards to his Red Dropship before unleashing his hound.

210: "Oh, 51, always so dramatic, only you won't be facing me for it, Xander, he's all yours."

19: "Hmmn..."

51: "Listen 19, the order came from Dovyo himself, think about what you're about to do-"

A muffled but clear chuckle flows out of the inside of 19's helmet, clearly indicating that he wants to get up close and personal with 51, Vera grabs the Shock Millitant from his chest plate and picks him up, carrying him on her back, she leaves the two Troopers to begin their showdown.The Sanity descends allowing Vera entry as she sets the bodied Shock Millitant down. Ankiros stands next to the open hatch and with his arms crossed he watches.

09: "Damn Epsilon Squad."

20: "They don't know what they're doing, big mistake."

09: "Hopefully one they'll learn from."

20: "They will, Jade connect me with General Dovyo."

Michael drops his MTR to his left as he prepares to physically engage the opposing Trooper, "Too late to back out now, Xander." he assures 19 while cracking his knuckles. The two dropships hover above the Troopers facing one another, throwing dust and sand around them, consequently scattering it all over the place creating a kind of dust bowl in which they are trapped inside of until either the Sanity or the Ichor pull away from their fixed positions.19 begins to walk sideways around 51 but without straying his vision away from Mike,Will the battle-hardened Michael surpass Close Quarters Combat Veteran Xander? The Showdown will commence.