Sarah looked out over the city, now a field of rubble. Only a few familiar landmarks, like the mosque, still stood. A mix of sadness and anger clouded her face. She'd seen war's destruction before, but this was different. echoes of gunfire and the occasional wail of a siren. a drone robot then lifting the debris trying find the casualties

As she surveyed the devastation, Sarah noticed the remnants of homes, their walls crumbling and windows shattered. Children’s toys lay abandoned in the debris. The air was thick with dust and the acrid smell of smoke and chemical, a contrast to the vibrant green eco community that had thrived here just months ago.

Nearby, a group of civilians sifted through the wreckage, searching for anything salvageable. there was a quiet resilience in their movements. They worked together, sharing what little they had,

This wasn't some isolated fight in a wasteland; this was the heart of a city, torn apart. The sounds of gunfire and explosions echoed around her, strengthening her resolve. She made a promise to herself: the Red Army would be pushed back, no matter what it took.

“Ready, girl?” Baker asked, breaking her focus.

“I was born ready,” Sarah shot back, her eyes blazing with fierce determination.

They began surrounding Milad Tower, now infested with enemy snipers. Sarah scanned the area, spotting one. With a steady breath, she raised her rifle and pulled the trigger. The enemy sniper fell, and Baker quickly issued new orders.

“New objective! Cover the ground forces as they breach the lobby. Priority: any soldier with anti-tank weapons!”

Sarah nodded, her focus sharpening. She spotted an enemy soldier with an anti-tank weapon and took him out with a precise shot.

“Good job! First phase complete. Let’s relocate to give them more cover,” Baker said.

As they moved, disaster struck. One by one, the sniper team began to fall, shot by an unknown sniper. Sarah’s determination morphed into rage as she dropped low behind cover, scanning for the source of the gunfire.

“Get down!” Baker shouted, drawing his periscope to locate the enemy sniper. The team deployed decoys to draw attention.

“Come on, take the bait!” Sarah muttered, holding her breath.

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But the red sniper was too smart. “He’s not taking the bait,” Baker grumbled.

“Great, just great,” Sarah gritted her teeth, feeling powerless.

“I’ll call in an artillery strike,” Baker decided. “We’ll flush him out.”

After the bombardment, the sniper team relocated, searching for the red sniper. Sarah’s heart raced as she spotted a flash among the rubble.

“Baker is down!” came the radio call.

Sarah’s vision narrowed. Baker is down. The thought was a cold spike of pain, but her training kicked in instantly. There was no time for anything else. Her hands, steady despite the sudden surge of adrenaline, adjusted her scope.

The enemy sniper’s position was pinpointed; a glint of reflected light off their scope lens, a fleeting shadow against the debris. It was enough. She exhaled slowly, focusing on the crosshairs, and squeezed the trigger. The recoil was a familiar jolt against her shoulder.

After a tense half-hour, the sniper team confirmed, “I think we got him.”

Relief washed over Sarah as she realized they had taken out the enemy sniper without casualties on their side. But then came the grim news: Baker was dead. Shocked, she accepted the reality and took command, determined to honor his sacrifice.

“Sniper team, we’re heading to the upper area of the tower. We’ll use a decoy to lure out any remaining snipers,” she ordered, her voice steady.

They prepared to take the glass elevator, using the decoy to draw fire. As the elevator ascended, flashes erupted around them, and the sniper team picked off as many targets as they could.

“Stay sharp!” Sarah commanded as they formed a perimeter around the elevator, ready for anything.

In the chaos of war, Sarah felt the weight of her choices, but she was resolute. They would reclaim the tower, and she would ensure Baker’s sacrifice was not in vain.

From their vantage point, Sarah's team became the allied forces' eyes in the sky. One by one, they eliminated key enemy positions: a machine gun nest pinning down a squad of infantry, a rocket launcher team preparing to fire on an armored vehicle, a medic attempting to reach fallen comrades. With each precise shot, the allied advance gained momentum, the enemy's resistance crumbling under the sniper team's relentless pressure.

This allowed the allied forces to advance with less resistance, and Sarah couldn't help but feel a surge of pride. The restaurant, museum, and recreational areas were being cleared, meaning no more hidden snipers lurking in the tower's interior.

With the tower secured, the remaining snipers, aided by a squad of Emerald League soldiers equipped with powered exoskeletons, hoisted a massive tri-color flag of the Emerald League—green, white, and gold—to the top of the Milad Tower. The flag snapped in the wind, a bold statement meant to boost morale. Sarah smiled as she watched the flag flutter in the wind, knowing it would serve as a rallying point for their troops.

But just as they began to celebrate, a swarm of IED drones from the Red Army aimed for the tower. “Take those drones out!” came the command.

Sarah's heart raced as she realized the danger. She quickly ordered her sniper team to target the drones, swapping their rifles for machine guns to increase their firepower. The drones were nimble, making them tough targets, but the change in tactics allowed for rapid-fire output, giving them a fighting chance.

While a few drones managed to strike the tower, causing minor casualties, the smoke rising from the blasts raised concerns. Sarah scanned the area, relieved to see that the intensity of the battle had decreased, indicating that the allied forces were gaining the upper hand.

However, before sunset, another enemy artillery barrage hit the tower, followed by a red mist that filled the air. Soldiers rushed to put on their masks, but some were too slow and went berserk, turning their weapons on their comrades. “Take those soldiers out!” the command barked.

Sarah recognized the red mist as a gas deployed by the Red Army, and she approved of the order to neutralize the berserk soldiers. The aftermath was chaotic, with the allied forces suffering casualties. Command announced that half their men were lost and that a feast would be held the next day to mourn the fallen.

On New Year’s night, soldiers distributed cake and chicken fillet, even to the sniper team still taking cover. “We actually celebrate New Year in March,” one soldier joked, lightening the mood amidst the devastation.

Sarah accepted her share with gratitude, reflecting on the fallen comrades who wouldn’t be able to enjoy the celebration. As command honored the sacrifices of the brave soldiers, Sarah raised her glass in a silent toast to Baker, vowing to continue fighting for justice and freedom in his memory.