text: [Themes: sci-fi, serious]
  
  You decide to attack the forest between hills 3 and 4. This is the weakest area of the UG line. Your troops move down from hill 4, leaving the wounded to be carried to the rear by the 486th squad. This forest is vital, if a breakthrough occurs here, the Taktat troopers could cut off the retreat of anyone, or attack the United Guns' HQ and the vital hover destablizer.
  
  The 501st moves into the trees, leaving the shields behind. You take a hit to the knee as shots come out of the trees, losing 2 health, and plunge into the forest. It is dense, thick and you have no allies to watch your back. It is a stark contrast to the open battle and shootout on Hill 4.
  
  You hear shots and see plasma. You dive to the ground and look around. Your squadmates are around you, backing you up. You order to advance in a skirmish line, to avoid being outflanked. 'We've got company!', a voice over the radio. shots are fired, and you see through the trees a few of your soldiers taking potshots at distant figures. The figures realise where you and advance, blasting the forest indescriminantly. Fortunately this forest has seen rain and is quite damp, preventing bushfire. You open up with your weapon, joining the small skirmish.
  
  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you have a Plasma Carbine, add 3 to it. If you are a Sharpshooter, add 2 to it.
  
  > If the number is 8-15
  You open up on the figures, nailing them with ease with your squadmates. The enemy team lays down a barrage, then gets up and charges. You sneak around them and come at them from all directions, surrounding them. They raise their hands. You knock them out and take a total of 10 credits off them. If you want you can take a Plasma Carbine and 5 Plasma Rifle Cartridges. The enemies are injected with a strong sedative to keep them quiet, then you move on into the forest, knowing that each downed enemy is one less for your squadmates.
  
  > A second skirmish
  You go on through the forest, meeting up with more squadmates. You have penetrated deep in the forest when you stumble upon a group of Taktat troopers. They are facing another way, completely unaware you are sneaking up on them...
  
  Take a number from the random number table. If you are a Special Forces member, add 3.
  
  > If you are an Engineer
  You motion for the squad to stop, then pull out your workshop chest. You motion to your soldier to cover their ears before getting out your modified radio. You quickly find their frequency and, changing your voice with your Vocoder, say: 'UG troops dead ahead, fire!'
  
  The poor suckers open fire, distracting them while you sneak around to the rear. You move in, and get very close, but you step on a stick. CRACK!
  
  The Taktats turn around, and start drawing their pistols. Your squad has no choice but to quickly go in with knives. After the bloody work is done, your squad takes their dogtags (It is only possible to takes these from dead soldiers, they are anchored into the neck.) You find one, which says: Squad Ldr. "Nightstalker" You can take this if you want (mark it as 'dogtag, Squad Ldr. "Nightstalker").
  
  You move ahead to find another fight. It is getting lighter.
  
  > Third Skirmish
  You walk through the forest, looking for a fight, armed and dangerous. A plasma beam lances out of the trees and barely misses you. You drop to the ground and look for your enemy. You overhear one shouting 'Gearhead! Are you alright?' You finally see them; 10 figures in a cluster. It is tough to tell at a distance, but they seem to be some kind of elite, special forces, maybe? This could be a tough fight.
  
  What do you do?
  
  > open fire on them
  You fire several shots at them and they respond. You take potshots at each other until you get hit twice in sucession. (lose 5 health) Deciding you can't win, you sneak away with your tail between your legs.
  
  > The clash
  You meet up with the rest of the squad, and the squad is whole again, except for the wounded. Just as the 501st comes together, a group of dark shapes can be seen through the trees in the distance.
  
  The opposing sides watch and wait... watch and wait... Then, the two squads simultaneously leap up and charge screaming into the fray. Nemo yells his rallying cry 'Forward the Frontier!' and blasts away at the figures. You charge in with adrenaline coursing through your veins, popping off shots before drawing your combat knife and leaping into the melee. You face an enemy trooper, catch his knife with yours, force it downward and while his attention is occupied blast him with your pistol in your other hand at point blank range. You turn to the side and see Gambler on the ground with a trooper standing over him. You bury your blade between his shoulderblades before helping Gambler up and lashing out at a trooper in your peripheral vision with your boot...
  
  The swirling melee continues, with snipers and supporters pouring shots into the battle. The melee hinges on a precipice...
  
  > If you won at least 2 skirmishes in the forest
  The melee continues, and the 501st's superior training shows as they force their way through the press of enemies. A wedge of troops led by Nemo splits the enemy force in half, and the UG forces move to surround the dwindling troopers. They run, routed out of the forest, leaving more than half their number behind.
  
  Your radio squawks: 'Sentinel! You've done all you can. Fall back to the Tel-Ignato road with the 486th squad and get into your hover transports. Head for the fortress at Tel-Nadr. Out.'
  
  > Retreat
  The 501st squad marches back to hill 4, where they find the 486th squad. The 501st and 486th pick up their casualties and head back, past the HQ, past the AA guns to the depot. The 501st and 486th salute each other, climb into their squad transports and drive off with the sun rising, leaving the battlefield that has claimed Hawk and Blue's lives, with many needing treatment, and leaving pretty much all the squad with a scar or five...
  
  The main strength of UG troops and guns is forced back, but they never give way and run. All the way to the depot, the UG troops are a cohesive force. Taktat troopers capture the HQ and shut off the Hover-destabiliser, bringing up fast attack vehicles, but the United Guns 3rd Composite Division is already away, making the pursuit futile. They have escaped to fight another day, preventing an easy, quick, unstoppable suprise invasion. The enemy will find out it is not that easy to catch the United Guns napping...
  
  -First Strike ends here-