Marco Domici: Azure Fall, New Tactics

[Day 7: 19:41 Local Time - Operation Azure Fall - Camp M]

“Raiders, secure the area. Officers, see to your units. Command meeting in three mikes.” Marco said.

Around him those who were carrying or aiding wounded hustled into the infirmary where field medics were doing triage and treatments that would dizzy the average general practitioner. Jozu sensed Marco's helmet was his safety zone; it prevented anyone else from seeing how much pain the young man felt.

"Tala is a hero." Jozu quietly thought to his friend. "She took a grazing wound that's already fixed up, but she used her own body as a shield for the mine-sweeper. When no one else could do it, Tala cleared almost half the path herself, while being shot at."

"Thanks." Marco thought. He breathed deeply. "I don't know the limits of your abilities, but I'm planning on using you as best I can. Right now there are clumps of guards on the tops of buildings, hiding behind the wall. Locate the clumps and show me." Marco clipped his lacar off, dialed his armor to look like everyone else's cloth, and picked up one of the grenade launchers and some rounds from a wounded soldier.

"Now." Marco let Jozu's thoughts guide his; Marco could not see the guards and could not get a straight shot in. However, dropping in a grenade would certainly do the trick.

The officers began to assemble near the command car while Marco seemed to randomly lob grenades on top of buildings. One by one they noticed the sporadic sniping from the buildings die down. "I have got to get me some of the tech fourteen gear!" Derek exclaimed. "He must be tracking radiant heat signatures!"

At the three minute mark Marco handed the grenade launcher off and began to brief everyone. "First platoon second squad is chewed up badly. We're hitting more experienced guards than a normal prison camp, and they are armed well. This calls for a change in tactics."

"Quite right!" Swanson said. "A bloody good fight."

Marco caught a glimpse of Tala hanging outside the huddle. "Torsten, move in with us." As SGT Ehn moved to sideways to make room, Marco added. "It makes you less of a target."

"The only good fight is the one you win." Marco breathed deeply. "We are going to win this one. Derek, patch Rasmus in to the prison loudspeakers. Rasums, tell the guards to surrender and they will live. Tell the prisoners to remain in their cells. Everyone, we will abide by that. If a guard surrenders they are strip searched, secured, and protected."

"Bohr, while Derek is doing that, search their systems for any place that could regain control of the prison guns. That's our first priority. Second, Mattias." He chuckled. "I am not going back to Ingalil empty handed." Others smiled. "Patrick, your team isolates Mattias and hands him off to Verner. As soon as the guards are cleared out of a building, you're first in. Derek and Bohr will feed you info."

No one said anything to that. They all knew what Patrick's real job was. Everyone agreed it needed to be done. Everyone agreed they were happy someone else was doing it.

"The new routine is simple; it's called follow the leader. So far their weapons can't penetrate my armor, but the rest of you are not so lucky. I'll requisition real Raider armor for the unit, as soon as I can. Until then, we rotate a squad with me for any area where the guards don't surrender. That squad armors up and loads up, and stays behind me." His helmet bobbed from one Guide member to another. "Behind means 'not running screaming in front of', got it? I'm happy to have members of the Guide on this raid. I'd like at least one or two of them to live; otherwise it really hurts recruiting efforts."

Baltazar snorted. After a moment he nodded.

"Questions? If not, Rasmus, you're up. First Platoon, first squad will be on me. We go in five mike. Second platoon, first squad will rotate in after them. Johanna, anyone in a rotated out squad can help with the wounded, or guard duty. I want to finish this job before they have a chance to recover."

As everyone split up to do their work, Marco said. "Torsten, on me." He took off a glove, and added. "How's that wound?" His hand felt around the bandaged area on her right shoulder and he let his fingers rest on the skin of her bicep.

Tala started to taste his hurt, she started to pull it off him.

"No." she felt, as he strangled his emotions and started stuffing them back into place. "This is not the time for that."

Tala pulled anyway, and gasped as he flooded her with fear. He jerked his hand back but she was stronger and faster. She held him tight.

"Stop!" She felt him say. "I love you." She replied, crying. Consumed.

He managed to regain control of his emotions and she let go of his hand.

"Forgive me." She whispered as he put his glove back on.

He stood close. Tala let her body stand like the guard she had watched. Next to him. "Tala, I'm not good enough for you." The electronic filter buzzed almost sub-vocally.

Ervin Puckett and a small group came up. "First platoon, first squad reporting, sir." He looked around. "There are only six of us, sir. Sorry. The gate guards were heavily armed. Forstrom and Singleton might not make it, Vega is going to hobble for a while."

"Six of you is better than twenty of them, Sergeant. That means you're out of uniform, by the way." The others clapped Ervin on the shoulder and congratulated him. "Let's see if any guards want to live, and if Bohr has found us a hot spot."

[Day 7: 19:50 Local Time - Operation Azure Fall - Camp M]

He turned to go, then looked at Tala. He paused, and loud enough for the others to hear, his electronic verberations intoned those three words many woman long for.

"Good job, Marine!"