Thar is strong language here. Ye have been warned.

======================
Date: 14-9-91
Location: Ivarr Six – Firstfall Star Port outer perimeter – Zurian compound.
Local Time: 1641

Aestivalis inspected his equipment one last time, making micrometer adjustments to the targeting system on his M74. Satisfied with the adjustments, he shouldered the weapon and hefted it silently, staring through the iron sights along the top of the rifle. He grunted with satisfaction at the preperations, the final step was to slide a magazine into the receiver.

The digital ammo counter on the side lit up in red, a prominent forty five blazed into existance. A slight metallic sliding sound whispered to Aestivalis as the counter weights pulled to the end of the barrel. He grinned as the rifle made a click noise. Putting the rifle on safety, he set the rifle down.

“Hey, Savelin, you done making love to your rifle or what? The guys at the checkpoint wanna come home and jack off already.” Aest's squad leader called into the armory while sticking her head in.

“Yeah yeah, I'm ready. Lemme just double check my ammo rack, and I'm good.” The Zurian replied as he looked at what appeared to be a dispenser. He looked over it, and double checked all fifteen magazines for his rifle. Said rack went onto his back, and all he had to do was reach back, at waist level, and slide a magazine free. Simple system, it was. No pockets to fiddle around with.

“Locked and Loaded, Kira.” He said as he hefted the rack onto his back, secured it to his armor, and swept up his rifle and helmet. The egg shaped helmet responded to his touch, and he saw the HUDs flicker on inside.

“Hopefully, this'll be quiet like last night.” He said to himself as he slid his helmet on.

“Yeah, you wish.”

===================

Date: 14-9-91
Location: Ivarr Six – Firstfall Commercial District Checkpoint #3.
Local Time: 1718


“Look, I'm sorry ma'am but we have to check your vehicle. I know its an annoyance and inconvenience but its current policy.” Aest's squad leader droned on to an irate female in a vehicle. Aestivalis sighed and looked at the column of traffic. There was a disturbance in the way back, involving what appeared to be a truck? The Private zoomed in on it with his HUD, and saw the tanker truck barreling through traffic, heedless of the warning signs.

“We got a runner!” He called out on the local tactical net and readied his rifle. The MBT that was next to him swung its turret in line with the onrushing truck, while over loud speakers, a warning was blasted. The truck paid it no heed and the squad collectively cussed out the tactical net.

He swung his rifle in line with the cab of the vehicle after clambering aboard the tread of the tank. The targeting laser activated and he adjusted his aim with the driver's side. “Hey, Kira. I'm taking the shots.” he called out to his squad leader.

“Take that b*****d out!” came the response. He feathered the trigger, letting the recoil of the rifle track across the windshield, the rifle bucking in his hands as its throaty reports bellowed death.
The ammo in the magazine counted down to 0, and the windshield hadn't cracked under the thirty or so rounds on target. “s**t! THAT b*****d IS ARMORED!” Aest bellowed. Ejecting the magazine and sliding a new one in, he didn't have time to fire off another burst like that as the truck smashed into the barricade. The next five seconds played out in slow motion.

The truck seemed to expand, and then explode. Pieces of metal scythed through the area, with the blast picking Aestivalis up and throwing him off the tank, and into a restaurant's window. His armored form passed through it effortlessly, and he barreled through furniture and diners, before seemingly disappearing into the floor.

=================================

Kira landed a good twenty meters from the blast, the diamond armor having protected the soldier from the worst of it. The corporal groaned and shook her head before sitting up and staring at the burning checkpoint. “Status?”

“Talir, Blue.”

“Varasey, Blue.”

“Arrghha... My ********' arm!”

“That would be Siri.” Kira remarked to herself. “Varasey, get on Siri, get her arm treated.” Kira ordered. He looked around “Savelin, status?” She questioned the comm net.

“...This ain't a date, yah know that, right Varasey? Keep yer goddamn womanizing hands WHERE THEY BELONG!” Siri snarled into the communication network as the medic peeled her armor off and began splinting the broken bone.

“This is AFV three. He was on us when the truck-bomb exploded. Dunno where he went.”

Kira swore and limped, getting used to the new bruises, to the other side of AFV 3. The Tank commander was unbuttoned, and was manning the blazer, a high powered energy weapon on his cupola. She peered into the chaotic dining hall, and into the catastrophe. Aest's exodus away from the blast site had propelled the poor infantryman into the diner, which, already having gotten its fill of quite poor quality shrapnel, found its fill in the form of a meaty one hundred fifty kilogram armored soldier. Kira could see where the man plowed into the semi-packed restaurant and winced. The Private was a cruise missile. Broken bodies and screaming diners filled the air. Her squad leader HUD reported no emergency beacons, or his beacon for that matter.

The Corporal sighed “HQ, this is checkpoint three. Send immediate medical and fire personnel. We had a truck bomb go off. Mark one Aestivalis Savelin as MIA. Status, unknown. It's like he disappeared.”

=======================

Aestivalis fell through the portal, admist a spray of random shrapnel, and rolled to a stop in the center of the room. He lay there, unmoving before starting to get to his feet, all the while shaking his head to get the ringing out of his ears. The Private rubbed his side before tapping his helmet. “Savelin, Blue.” he instinctively reported.