08:30 Hours

Dog White sector

Carving through rough waves towards enemy heavy territory with only a few inches of iron
in between wasn't exactly what Dusk had been expecting when he first signed up with the Squirrel High Command.
Clutching his rifle to his grey fur and soaked uniform he considered why he had made such a choice, something
about a General with fancy medals and his country being indebted to him. Now that he was rushing towards
his impeding doom any previous reasons seemed meaningless and all he could do was prepare for the landing.

He looked around at the unfamiliar faces of his fellow soldiers, their grim forms crouched and their fur matted.
What could they be thinking about? What where his friends thinking about just now? What about his Parents?

"20 yards till we hit shore!", cried the U-boat driver "once we land clear those murder holes, keep your-".
Dusk turned to find the driver dead, sniped mid sentence.
There was a sudden eruption next to them and the boat was shocked with turbulence.

"Sea mines!" shouted one Squirrel and a quick glance confirmed that they were running right towards them!

The Squirrels sat there paralyzed with fear until Dusk decided to do something. He screamed.
Thankfully this made their Captain spring into action. "Abandon ship" he shouted and with that the soldiers
flung themselves over the edge, the Captain grabbed Dusk and hauled him overboard.
Half a moment later the boat was disintegrated in an explosion that rocked Dusks' senses.

Dusk plunged into the sea still screaming and was rewarded with a mouthful of icy cold water.
Bullets zipped through the blue, already there was a few bodies floating. Dusk had lost hold of his
rifle in the momentum and desperately lunged out a paw for help. A strong paw grasped his and together he
and the Captain made it towards the shore. Wading out of the water brought them into a scene of chaos.

Bodies lay stricken across the sand crimsoning it with their blood. Small bands of Squirrels had taken
cover behind any object they could find as they were suppressed by heavy enemy fire. Others lay
screaming, their bodies dismembered from the lethal mortar strikes and mines. "Here lad" said the Captain as
he thrusted a rifle into Dusks paws and then dragged him to cover, Dusk grasped the weapon loosely as he
stared agape at the Tediz defences, Two massive stone walls with only a narrow gap in between served as pillboxes
whilst a barbed wire fence ran along the beach. From up there enemy gunners had a clear view of the beach.
Amazingly it seemed some Squirrel engineers had managed to cut a gap through the fencing before meeting their demise.

Dusk crouched behind an upturned U-boat along with the Captain and a small group of Squirrels.

"Greyfur here Captain, what are we gonna do?" a big burly Squirrel asked the Captain

"Where are the rest of the platoon?" said the Captain as bullets whined past.

"You're standing on them sir!" Greyfur exasperated with a grimace, his fur now no longer grey, rather being somewhat bloodied.

"Oh God we're gonna die!" shrieked a Squirrel with madness. The Captain growled authoritatively

"Get your shite together boy! We aren't going to die 'cause that'll be giving these bastards what they want!"

"It's hopeless under this rain of death, hopeless" cried the Squirrel again

"What's your name son?" endeared the Captain

"Nutt sir" came the reply

"Nutt huh? Shut up!", the Captain shouted "now, all we have to do is get up this beach, through that
fencing, into the bunker and take out those turrets!" he finished smugly at his grand plan.

Dusk on the other hand trembled with fear at the thought of the Captains seemingly insurmountable task,
instead he stared at the plating of the boat hull.

"Now, has anyone got any ideas?" asked the Captain.

Blank stares met the Captain for a moment.

"I do sir." squeaked Dusk.

Over the top, under the cover

3,2,1, lift! The Squirrels grunted as they pulled the U-boat over their heads.
Using its small porthole to guide them they moved up the beach like some bizarre crustacean.
Machine gun bullets rattled harmlessly off its iron roof and mortar shells exploded safely off target.

"Ha-harr, great idea Dusk" congratulated Greyfur.

"Yeah great idea until we get shattered by mortar strikes" said Nutt

"Shut it Nutt, we need to focus if we're going to get past this bit alive" the Captains voice echoed through the boat.

The iron shell was heavy and it was hot inside, the constant noise of gunfire played a rhythm Dusk could almost have danced to.
"We just passed the fencing!" said the Captain.

Rat-a-tat-tat-tat beat the bullets.

"Hee-Hee shoot all you want stuff-heads, we're still coming!" cackled Nutt, an explosion was heard nearby and the ground shook

"What did I tell you Nutt?" the Captain growled. The band moved on picking up the pace, none of the
soldiers wanted Nutts predicament to become reality. Gunfire seemed to die down and then all of a sudden it stopped.
We made it" sighed Dusk before collapsing with fatigue.

Out of the frying pan, into the inferno

To Dusk those last five minutes had taken hours under the heat and pressure but they had finally reached
the bunker entrance, or should that be entrances! Two steel doors loomed, impregnable.
The Squirrels had tried to barge open one door but had no success, even with Greyfurs strength.

"What now Captain?" he asked flopping on to the floor.

"Now? Now we batter Nutts' head against the door until one or the other opens" jested the Captain
much to the scowls of Nutt "any more ideas Dusk?".

Dusk stared at a confusing myriad of buttons and levers on the doors control panel.

"Get Rodent to do it" started some of the others "Yeah, go on Rodent at least you'll be able to do something!" they jeered.
Dusk watched the aforementioned Squirrel stumble forwards gazing intently at the ground between his feet with thick spectacles.

"Soldier, where's your uniform?" said the Captain who was taken aback at Rodents appearance, he wasn't
wearing the usual attire, he looked more like an iron clad turtle to Dusk than anything.

"Erm- it's a p-prototype armour" he replied nervously clutching his paws.

The Captain scratched his head "Oh, okay I guess"

"Well are you gonna open this door or not!" queried Nutt urgently

"Erm, I'll try, maybe if I pull this lever I aggh!-" Rodent was knocked over as the doors blew open and a multitude of
Tediz swarmed out. Some grabbed Rodent while others opened fire upon the Squirrels.

One Squirrel went down as the others ducked for cover "Tediz bastards!" bellowed Greyfur.
He fired into the enemy ranks, Dusk shot frantically with his eyes wide at the snarling, vicious Tediz.
Nutt laughed maniacally as he emptied a round "Ha-ha eat lead stuff heads!" The remaining Tediz were soon outnumbered
and killed but Private Rodent was missing and one Squirrel was hollering over a dead comrade.
"They killed Acorn, me and him was like brothers!" he was shouting. The Captain tried to console the Squirrel
C'mon Fir, we have to get a move on, let him be Fir" but it was in vain as the Squirrel clung to the limp body.

"Leave me alone I've seen enough death just let me be I don't care no more" he said.
Greyfur winked to Dusk, hit Fir over the head with his rifle butt and slung him over his shoulder.

"Damn, one down, one unconscious and one in enemy hands", said the Captain "shall we press on?" .

"Shh… he's coming around, rise and shine cupcake" Fir awakened to find Greyfur grinning in front of him.

"Oh my head, what happened?" groaned Fir as he groggily arose.

"Shh, you must've passed out with grief there little buddy but try to be quiet, there's a bunch of Tediz
over there at that radio post." said Greyfur sweetly with a big fake smile on his face.

"From what we've overheard other groups of Squirrels have managed to set up resistance on all parts of the island Fir!" whispered Dusk

"So you better buck up your ideas sonny, we have a war to fight" said the Captain.

Fir clenched his fists. "Acorn… I'll avenge you Acorn even if I have to kill every Tediz Bastard on this verdamned island!" proclaimed Fir
as he jumped to his feet.

'Snarl!'

"A bit to loud sonny but at least you've got spirit" cheered the Captain even though Tediz had been alerted to their presence.

"Someone take out that radio before they contact reinforcements" shouted the Captain.

Dusk fired dead on right through the operator Tediz skull splattering it's mechanical brains all over the radio equipment.

"Where's Nutt?" cried Greyfur as he dispatched of another enemy. "Timberrrr!" came the reply and with a huge creaking noise
the radio post came toppling down upon the last and most unfortunate Tediz. Nutt Stood waving an oversized chainsaw with a
frenzied look in his eyes "That should slow them down some" he said

"I hate those Tediz" said Fir.

Dusk tried in vain to suppress a chuckle as Greyfur growled angrily at Nutt

"Nutt you crazy son-of-a-bitch get over here so I can kill you! Getting me worried over you like that, how dare you!" he lumbered after him.

"Settle down boys we've still gotta take out those turrets to give our friends on the beach a chance " said the Captain
"and Dusk, that's quite some aim you've got there." Dusk beamed.

The Inferno rages

Boom!

Tediz were shocked as the door smashed open and a troupe of warriors rushed through.
Guns blazed until the air was thick with stinging bullet wasps. Dusk and his fellow Squirrels soon found
themselves pinned down by torrential fire.

A Tediz threw a frag. Greyfur threw it back.

"Fire in the Hole!" the grenade exploded spraying Tediz guts everywhere.
Unfortunately more snarling and snuffling could be heard as Tediz ascended the stairs they had just come up by.

"Man the turrets!" said the Captain

"Greyfur just blew them up!" wailed Fir. Dusk ran over to the elevators at the other end of the chamber and
began repeatedly jamming the button "C'mon, c'mon". Meanwhile the Tediz sounded closer and closer and closer.

Nutt looked about steadily, he saw Greyfur grimacing, knowing what was going to happen next, he saw the
Captain ducked for cover with concern on his face but most of all he could see
the fear in the younger Squirrels eyes as they furiously pressed for the elevator.

Behind him he could hear the Tediz bloodlust cries as they closed in on their prey.

"Captain, guys, it was nice knowing you" he spoke gravely

"What are you talking about Nutt?" Fir said worriedly.

"We'll always remember you Nutt for all eternity " spoke Greyfur softly

"Good luck sonny, give 'em hell and we'll see you again someday" said the Captain as he and Greyfur
ushered the others into the elevator.

"What about Nutt? Nutt!" lamented Fir as the elevator began to descend.

"Come and get some stuff-heads! Ha-ha-ha come and get some of crazy old Nutt!" and with that Nutt ran to
face the vile demons on the stairs, sacrificing himself in order to buy his new friends some time.

"Goodbye Nutt" said Dusk and Greyfur wept.

Tanks for that!

The elevator and its sombre crew came to a halt at ground floor. The doors slid open to reveal an
enemy encampment to which the morbid troupe filed out. Before Dusk could get their exact positioning they
had to duck into nearby entrenchments to avoid being spotted by enemy patrols.

"Psst … hey.. up here, help me" came whispers out of the darkness.
Looking up Dusk could make out a paratrooper who's parachute had become tangled in the pylons.

"Hurry up and get me down" he whispered urgently. Dusk climbed the mast with Greyfurs knife between his teeth
and cut him loose, then they climbed down the mast back into the trench.

"Ahh, much better, Sir Copperleaf of the 56th Flying Squirrel Squadron reporting for duty,
and who do I have the pleasure of owing my rescue to?" he enquired

"I'm Dusk, this is Fir, the big one is Greyfur and that's our Captain." answered Dusk.

"How did you end up around here soldier?" the Captain asked.

Sir Copperleaf rose regally and began to speak "As my squadron flew in we were assailed by the
Anti-Aircraft Artillery in this area, luckily we managed to jump our plane before it was destroyed but I ended up
nefariously tangled in that pylon, that's when you arrived my boy" he explained.

"Anti-air guns, this is going to cause some trouble, the bombing runs are going to start soon" the Captain said.

"Yes ,well as I was floating down I spotted an MK4 Tank in this camp, I suggest we commandeer it and
destroy the AA tower so the bombers can carry on through."

"Lead on, it's been a while since I've worked with a Mark 4"said the Captain eagerly.

A lone Tediz stood guard outside the bay door, scowling and angry that he didn't get to go and have
fun shooting squirrels on the beach. What was the point of this guarding, the enemy would never make it here anyway.
He was numb with cold and tried to wriggle about to bring some warmth back into his limbs.
Shifting a bit he realised that a Squirrel had appeared beside him that had not been there before.

"Hello old chum" Sir Copperleaf said before putting a bullet through the surprised Tediz head.

"That was amazing!" said Fir awestruck "how did you?"

"Regional master of camouflage and stealth my boy" answered Sir Copperleaf with austerity "and here she is Captain"

"She's beautiful" said the Captain starry eyed. Even Dusk had to admit that the 65 tonnes worth of
iron death on wheels did have its own special charms.

"I'll drive and the Captain can take the main cannon, you're a bit of a big fellow Greyfur so you're going to have to ride
the jump-seat, do you think you can handle this?" asked Copperleaf as he hefted a weapon to Greyfur.

"Why thank you!" he grinned lifting the rocket launcher easily, "care to join me Dusk?"

Dusk needed no further encouragement and hopped on to the adjourning jump-seat.

"Hey, what about me?" cried Fir

"You come and help the Captain with the reloading sonny" said the Captain "now, about that Anti-Air gun…"

The tank rolled into view of the tower "There it is" Sir Copperleaf exclaimed "fire at will!".
The iron beast unleashed hell upon the dark obelisk as it rumbled along menacingly, but the Tediz weren't going to make this easy.
Dusk fired shot after shot as Tediz bristling with deadly macabre weapons tried to rush the tank, others hung back but were
similarly punished by Greyfurs rocket power (much to the pleasure of Greyfur). Angry Tediz snarls filled the night
when Dusk and his team mates obliterated the AA tower bringing it crumbling towards the ground in flames.
Cheers rang out from the warrior Squirrels.

"We're not out of it yet, look lads" the Captain warned as red alert sirens sounded, the Tediz had activated the islands self-destruct system!

The island's about to self destruct you know!

"Quickly now men we have to get to the airfield". The tank engine roared into life and it steamed through the debris of the war zone.
All around them chaos had ensued the Tediz forces but that didn't stop them trying to surmount an attack against Dusk and his friends.
Meanwhile more and more Squirrels were arriving on scene.

"Follow us!" Dusk called out to his Squirrels in arms "follow us to escape!".

Soon a considerable force of Squirrels were following the tank as it sped towards the airfield crushing any
enemy resistance along the way. Sir Copperleaf smashed through the gateway and pulled up the tank
"We'll take the Tediz experimental craft, the Steed"

Dusk and the rest of the crew boarded the strange aircraft along with the Squirrels that had joined them.
"Let's go, go, go!" cried Fir as they took off.

"Dusk, you're a sharp shot, man the bombing scope and take out the enemies planes to cut off their escape" Sir Copperleaf urged.

Manning the station Dusk let loose a hail of destruction that scarred the airfield vaporising both aircraft and Tediz caught up in the blast,

"That was for Acorn and Rodent and Nutt you Tediz bastards" cried Fir.

"Faster man, faster!" willed Sir Copperleaf.

The end….

A most tremendous explosion met Dusks' eyes and ears in a cacophony of noise and fire deafening him in its magnificence.

"That's it then, it's over" said the Captain amidst cheering from the Squirrels, "but I think we should have a
moment in silence to remember our brothers in arms who did not return from the battle field today…"

Secret transmission from the SHC

It seems that our assault on the stronghold was not fully effective, several bands of Tediz managed to escape the
island and have regrouped to form a threatening force, the whereabouts of the Professor is still unconfirmed
though our new King has reputably said that the leader of the Tediz status is K.I.A.

More importantly our new King and leader has issued an order to have an elite squad of troops created
to finish this battle once and for all and as our newly appointed Sergeant we would like you to
recommend likely candidates for the job, with greatest confidence,
the SHC.

To my good ally and friend Dusk, as you can see from the message above, all is not at rest in the kingdom.
I strongly recommend you to reconsider joining the SHC for one last mission, we could use
a soldier like you for the job, yours gratefully, the Sarge (previously known as the Captain)

P.S. Sorry to here about the incident with Greyfur, never thought I'd see the day when a big fella like that would
end up teaching at the local primary school! At least the children there like him.

P.P.S. Did you hear, that Rodent squirrel survived! I guess miracles do happen.

The End