1. Early Spring - Ground Party

Charles' lips tightened a bit as they roamed through the streets. He seemed unhurried, despite the threat, but there was a tension in his step. The empty streets and boarded up residences put an unease in his gut, the sense that things were out of place somewhat dizzying.

Once behind the gate of the farm, he turned, as if some of his lancemates might have vanished. Unconsciously, he put a hand on McBride's casket, its glossy surface anchoring him in the familiar. The scent, which he had found enthralling, was becoming overwhelming, but he refused the impulse to mask back up.

"I have to say, this... this seems..." Charles trailed off, not quite sure how to finish his thought about the grim atmosphere. "How long has it been like this?"

"I am."

It's hard to judge what Saria is thinking behind her helmet. No one in the Lance has ever heard many good things about the range of the emotions of the woman. Weird was almost a compliment. Not she wasn't good as the onboard medical officer. Quite the contrary. There was just something unnerving about Saria. Most of it boiled down to how the transhuman woman treated her patients: calm, yes, and collected too, but a bit too cold for the tastes of her patients.

Maybe some of it may have boiled down to soldiers' talk, but there had been at least one instance when Saria resettled broken bones with a little bit too much expediency.

Still, there was almost a calm tone when she uttered those two words. Saria was sounding almost... Compassionate. It was hard to tell through the filters, and the helmet, but the quick response revealed that, seemingly, Saria had a beating heart, and that she was capable of understanding the suffering of the people.

When she shot cracked in the air, the woman immediately grabbed her energy rifle. Saria would have returned fire, but they were too exposed, and she had no idea from where the shot came. Saria silently cursed the militiamen for such sloppiness, before resorting to a softer understating that the situation.

Crouching, she followed the group.

When the Lance finally arrived in the muddy maze that was the city, Saria stood out with striking contrast, her white armor already showing mud stains. Seemingly, the medic didn't bother. She crouched and followed.

The medic didn't speak again until the group was safe, and only then, Saria removed her helmet, releasing her high bun.

"No. My fellow Lancers can update me on the situation." Saria was firm, in this, and her voice came icy.

"I will attend your wounded first."

---

Chris actively seeks opportunities to establish rapport with individuals in the vicinity, be they locals, military personnel, or service staff. He only engages in these interactions when it doesn't impede the progress of their ongoing mission, as he recognizes the importance of not missing out on any valuable intelligence that may arise during their endeavors.

Anita has a smoke grenade out and ready the moment the shot is fired. It's standard practice to cover the squad under sniper fire, and that's something her family had made sure she knew from day one. The lack of immediate panic stilled her hand though, and she deferred to the superior officers for better or worse. As they moved off she slipped the grenade back into her tactical webbing and made a mental note to make sure the everyone in the lance had one.

She listens to the information while hanging around near the back of the group. While she walks she keeps an eye out for any structural damage she can assist with. As someone who likes to keep herself active so she doesn't overthink things, any opportunity to keep moving and working is welcome.

When they stop in the compound, she does have a question on her mind. It seems to obvious that she feels silly asking, but does anyway. "If the sniper has streets they favour, has anyone used that against them to find their vantage points?"

As they are all moved through the city, McBRIDE feels uncomfortable. Its coffin is sturdy and shouldn't be at too much risk of getting destroyed, but there is always a chance. And it would prefer not to lose its entire squad to a sniper, especially on the first day of what is bound to be a long stay.
It stays quiet so as to not distract anyone into potentially making a fatal mistake.