EP 13 (The Calm before the Storm)
Corridor — Lardes vs Jackson
We pick up exactly where we left off.
Both men in cover.
Both armed.
Neither moving.
The tension hangs heavy in the corridor.
Then Jackson breaks it.
“So… you’re the one who took out Sagton, I’m guessing.”
Lardes frowns.
Sagton?
Then says out loud:
“You mean Sagoya?”
Jackson shrugs from behind cover.
“Sure.”
Lardes raises his voice.
“Who the hell are you?”
Jackson glances down at the name tag on the uniform.
“Hans Repior.”
Lardes thinks.
Wasn’t that the guy picked before me?
Something feels wrong.
Could this be the guy who took Andreas out?
But Sagoya was the traitor…
No… Sagoya was with us…
His thoughts spiral.
Then he stops.
“What happened to Andreas?” Lardes asks.
Jackson answers casually.
“He got taken out.”
A beat.
Then Jackson speaks again.
“Can we stop playing hide and seek and just come out and talk?”
Lardes replies:
“Why aren’t you with Jawson’s group?”
Jackson answers calmly.
“I was told to get you.”
Something clicks.
Lardes narrows his eyes.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
“Why would Jawson send someone for me?”
“I wasn’t even with their group.”
“How would he know I’m gone?”
Jackson pauses.
Then answers.
“Jeff told him to send someone.”
“Jawson sent me.”
Lardes speaks again.
“You should know my name then, right?”
Jackson pauses.
He thinks to himself.
This shit is getting boring.
“Look,” he says flatly.
“Jawson didn't tell me your name.”
“He just said a Red cadet went off running and I should check up on him.”
A beat.
“That's it.”
Lardes doesn't move.
Lardes says.
“I don't know. Still not buying it.”
Jackson thinks to himself.
This dude is really pissing me off.
“Look man," Jackson says. "You coming out or not because I'm done talking. There's no time left. Jeff needs us.”
Lardes thinks to himself.
Wouldn't Jeff have told me he was sending someone to get me?
But then again… he was already deep in battle.
Lardes responds.
“Nah. If you were Hans you would've known my name. I've talked to him. We exchanged names.”
Jackson smirks.
“…You got me.”
His voice drops back to normal.
“So what does that bring you?”
Lardes slowly slings his AR behind his back.
Pulls out his pistol.
“Time to think.”
Jackson hears movement.
He peeks—
Then suddenly—
Lardes screams at the top of his lungs.
Jackson freezes for a second.
Confused.
Then sees Lardes sprint past the corridor opening.
Jackson fires instantly.
Lardes throws his pistol into the stream of bullets—
The gun deflects shots just long enough—
Lardes sprints past.
Jackson vaults over his cover and chases.
He reaches the corridor—
Two Green cadets open fire instantly.
They heard Lardes screaming and came to investigate.
Jackson dives back into cover.
“…Shit,” he mutters.
He retreats back the opposite direction down the hall.
Lardes — Escape
Lardes keeps running.
Turns a corner.
Stops.
Catches his breath.
Then starts walking slowly.
Thinking.
So that’s the guy who took Andreas out.
I might be wrong…
But I doubt it.
He said he’s wearing Hans Repior’s uniform.
Control Room — Jeff’s POV
Jeff watches Tobi tear through Red cadets.
Tobi charges Jawson’s squad like a monster.
Jeff wants to step out and stop him—
Gunfire erupts toward Jeff.
Blue squad.
The same ones who blew the hole in the wall earlier.
Jeff ducks back.
Signals Jason and Vale.
Jason has a better angle near the explosion breach.
Jason fires.
Three Blue cadets freeze.
Red loses two.
Jeff peeks again.
Sees Tobi drop two more of his men.
Before Jeff can line up a shot—
Green cadets covering Tobi fire at him.
Jeff ducks back again.
“For fuck’s sake,” Jeff mutters.
“Can’t get a second to do anything here.”
Then he gets an idea.
Jeff starts heading back the way he came.
While running, he passes Vale.
“You’re in charge now,” Jeff says.
“Hold the flag at all costs.”
“We need this win.”
“I’m going back to help Jawson.”
Vale nods.
“Good luck.”
Jeff runs.
Maximus Spots Jeff
Maximus sees Jeff leaving the room.
He signals his cadets.
“Keep firing.”
Then breaks off himself.
Runs down another corridor.
Turns right.
Sees Jeff far ahead turning another corner.
Maximus accelerates.
He reaches the right entrance to the control room.
Two Red cadets stand there.
Two quick shots.
Both freeze.
Maximus continues running.
Jeff reaches Jawson’s group.
“Push the control room from the left entrance,” Jeff orders.
“I’ll take care of Tobi.”
Jawson nods and moves his squad.
Tobi’s Charge
Tobi barrels through Red cadets.
Three more freeze before he reaches Jeff.
One Red cadet runs past Tobi, turns, and tries to shoot him in the back—
A Green cadet freezes that Red soldier instantly.
Green is still pushing forward.
Jawson and several Red cadets manage to enter the control room.
Tobi stops in front of Jeff.
Looks him over.
“So,” Tobi says.
“You’re the leader here.”
Jeff nods.
Tobi raises his hand.
“This fight is mine.”
Green cadets shift their fire toward the control room again.
Trying to reclaim it.
Before either man moves—
A shot cracks between them.
Both turn.
Maximus.
Standing at the end of the corridor.
Three-way standoff.
Jeff.
Tobi.
Maximus.
No one moves.
Elsewhere — Jackson
Jackson moves through another corridor.
The sounds of battle grow louder ahead.
Then—
A voice echoes.
“So…”
Jackson stops.
Turns his head.
Lardes stands down the hall.
Watching him.
Then says in a Mocking tone.
“What’s the plan?”
“…Hans.”
Jackson Smirks.
