[b]The battle for argus three[/b] The seventh army group, pride of the Volga sector had been deployed on peacekeeping detail. That's when the damn Rebels turned the peaceful population into a army. That's when the men of the Volga sector showed the Rebels who the better fighters were. As fierce and devoted as they were, the rebels had no heavy armor or air support. The fighting was brutal, hand to hand in some cases, the local loyalist militias had the worst of the fed causalities. Armed with last gen assault rifles and armor they were on even footing with the rebels. There were just more rebels than loyalists. The fighting had destroyed the major cities by the third week. By the third month any civvies had been evacuated or were dead. Despite all their bluster and talk about saving the people, the Feds were the only ones to attempt an evac, which was targeted by the rebels. [b]The following is from the journal of Pavel volkov, captain of bravo company 3rd battalion, 9th Guards rifles division. [/b] [i]I used to think this backwater world was peaceful, that the people here enjoyed the protections of the fed. Now, I know different. We are currently camped out inside the remains of a children's hospital, one that was thankfully evacuated early on, yet I cannot shake the feeling this place gives me. I stepped on a child's bear, it was worn and dusty from the fighting but it reminds me that this used to be a place for innocent children to get better. Now it's a fortified military position. We lost ten men storming this place, took down thirty. Two prisoners, one a young man, barely old enough to hold the rifle we took from his shaking hands, the other a woman, thirtyish, still thinks we're going to -blam!- her. That has only happened once under my command and the man who did it payed very dearly for that. At any rate the two are being held by Ivanov in the server room. I will write more later.[/i] Volkov placed his journal back where he kept it stashed and picked up his rifle. His helmet's HUD illuminated the darkened hospital, allowing him to see. His men were busy fortifying what was left of this accused place, the armor had been called away to help in another fight, so they were on their own. Penal troops were enroute to relieve his men so that the much more experienced and valuable guards troops could get rest and relaxation. For now he would hold on. He got out his tac pad and went through his mail, something to do at any rate. In another fifteen minutes his shift would begin again and the current group of soldiers would rest like his shift was. [spoiler]open I guess[/spoiler]