<strong>G.S. Danko – 3rd Squad, entering the colony compound</strong><br/><hr/><br/><em>Marcus snorted as he fired one final burst at the still unseen hostiles. “They probably had someone sitting out there for days, waiting for someone to come along.” He replied simply, a grudging respect evident in his tone.</em><br/><br/>Riska shook her head.  Jones’ explanation was possible, but something about the situation just wasn’t sitting right with her.<br/><br/><em> “Gotta admit, they’re patient bastards. Though it seems to me to be a little overkill for your garden variety case of corporate espionage. Plus all that planning just to fuck it up at the last second? Wierd...”</em><br/><br/>“More than weird,” Danko corrected as she stilled her gun, eyes scanning the terrain for any sign of movement.  “Stupid.  Damn, fucking<em>stupid</em>.”<br/><br/><em>"Cease Fire, if you haven't hit it yet you won't now, don't paint a target on your head!"</em><br/><br/>Riska instantly pulled her finger away from the trigger of the huge gun in her hands.  She’d obey orders, even if she didn’t like it.  There was no point in wasting ammo on something she wasn’t even sure she’d seen.<br/><br/><em>“Man operates well with a hole in his shoulder, eh?” He muttered to Riska.</em><br/><br/>Danko heard the undercurrent of respect that colored Jones’ voice and silently agreed.  “Anyone with armor in that condition has seen his fair share of hurt,” she remarked.  Though she hadn’t paid much attention to the new L.T. when they defrosted, she would’ve laid down good money that he had his fair share of scars – and several interesting stories to go with them.<br/><br/><em>”Jones, Riska cover my ass, I don't need any more holes in me today!”</em><br/><br/>“Affirmative,” Danko called out over the comm. system, settling into formation beside Marcus as Mengsk climbed into the APC and slowly drove it forward into the colony compound.  She followed along with the smart gun held easily in her hands, at the ready, despite the orders to hang fire.  She heard Mathias call out his warning as he sprayed the garage with fire.  Riska barely had time to note the way the welcome committee was dressed, covered head to toe in what looked like chemical suits behind a glass barrier before they opened fire on the squad again.<br/><br/>One round hit Mathias, who let out a burst of fiery payback as Jones dropped to his knee and opened fire.  Danko moved to take up a peripheral position at his nine to keep the squad from bunching up, raising her gun join her firepower to that of her teammates.  Then the shot came.<br/><br/>Normally, a shotgun blast should have been stopped by the heavy armor she wore.  Reinforced and stronger than the average grunt’s combat chestplate, it protected her from the brunt of the heavy fire she received as the squad’s heavy hitter.  This, however, was far from normal fire.  Several projectiles exploded from the modified weapon in the hands of one of the suited men, in a tight formation and illuminated with a blue glow as they shot across the open space.  Weighed down by the M56 and the harness she wore to carry it, Riska was only able to murmur two words before they hit home.<br/><br/>“Oh,<em>fuck</em>.”<br/><br/>The rounds hit her square in the chest, knocking her off her feet and tossing her back several feet to land on her back in the dirt.  Danko grit her teeth against the pain of the impact, glancing down as she hissed a harsh breath through her teeth.  The goddamn things had gone through her chestplate as if it was nothing, leaving the high-density polymer riddled with holes.  “Christ on a fucking<em>bike</em>,” she rumbled, tentatively taking a deeper breath and moving her upper body to check for damage.  Aside from feeling like she’d been kicked in the chest, and if the lack of wet warmth running down her body were any indication, she didn’t seem to be any worse for wear.<br/><br/><em>“You’re gunna pay for that one, you son of a bitch.” Marcus vowed, as he got into a crouch and moved forward to cover the Gunnery Sergeant’s position, firing the whole time.</em><br/><br/>Though she appreciated Jones’ chivalry, Danko could fight her own battles.  Later, she'd remind him of that fact, maybe even thank him for covering her ass.  Maybe.  If she was feeling generous.  But first, she'd show him just what she could<em>really </em>do. Very,<em>very </em>slowly. So he wouldn't forget.<br/><br/>“Is that<em>it</em>?” she called out, swiveling the smart gun down into the supine firing position and then shifting over on her back to get Marcus out of her line of sight.  “Is that the<em>best </em>you fuckers can do?<em>Bengesko gadje</em>,” Danko sneered.<br/><br/>Setting her finger on the trigger, Riska took aim as a fierce grin spread across her face.  “<em>My </em>turn,” she growled, and then sprayed the area above the wall with a wash of fire from one side to the next to catch any of the enemy that was standing before lowering her aim and doing the same to glass wall that protected them, going back the way she’d come and adding her own brand of hurt to the grenade that the Sergeant had tossed into the mix.<br/><hr/><em>Bengesko gadje</em>- cursed non-rom, basically, 'fucking *insert your favorite derogatory ephithet here*'<br/><br/><br/><br/>