We have crossed into enemy territory. The vast expanse of desert is a far cry from the lush, tree-lined hills of Tarakia. The mid-day sun beats down on us as the temperature climbs well into the triple digits. The searing heat seems to come from above and below as the sand reflects all the burning energy radiating from the sun. The heat visibly shimmers around each of the Tarakian Hounds. We were supposed to cross this plain before noon to avoid these very conditions, but the sand has made for slow going.

No army in the history of Sal Kar has ever successfully crossed this desert expanse. If this gambit works, then surprise will be on the side of the Tarakians. There are no guarantees for success though, -- the column of Hounds has had to shed some armor in favor of speed and add extra cooling systems just for this mission. This leaves us more exposed than we'd like to admit.

What is this mission that brings the squad so far behind enemy lines? In military speak it's: "the elimination of a high value target pivotal to enemy actions in the theatre of operations." To this journalist, it sounds like an assassination of someone who's been a thorn in their side.

"Assassination or decisive military action are terms I'll let the historians and politicians figure out. I like to keep things simple. I take the shot, make the kill, and we all go home." says Sergeant Pat Jansen. Sergeant Jansen is the squad's Sniper Hound pilot, and at the age of 27 he is one of the top three Snipers in the armed forces. The other two are serving near Morskoj so out here, right now, that makes him the best.

"You learn to take the emotional element out of it. I've often zoomed in close enough to see the beads of sweat on the pilot sitting in his cockpit To me they are just a target; I fire and move on to the next one. There's no time or use for a morbid fascination over the shot I just took. I got my team depending on me to fight with a clear head...and a clear conscience," he adds matter-of-factly.

His Hound is reverse-legged with light armor for maneuverability. A triple setup of medium-range sniper cannons are arranged on the right side cockpit and another triple set of long range sniper cannons sit on the left. Like Jansen, the Hound appears lean and coldly efficient.

The Hound column begins to slow as it reaches more rocky terrain and a shallow canyon comes into view. We have reached our destination. Aside from some minor overheating and a slower than expected pace, the Hounds were able to cross the Sal Kar desert expanse.

"We have about an hour to cool down and then regroup for the next phase. Our target is a Sal Kari General named Mubas. He has been directing the main raiding force in Southern Tarakia and today I'll be the last Tarakian he gets to deal with," says Sergeant Jansen.

Tarakian intel pinpointed his location to a village at the foot of the canyon. This village has apparently been turned over for military operations judging by the gun emplacements and troop buildings. Jansen, in his Sniper Hound, begins to make very delicate movements towards a high ridge.

"In position. This should be short," he reports.

The Hound squad quickly makes their way down into the canyon and charge the village. The frontal assault throws the base into chaos. This was the diversion the Tarakian's wanted. Over my head-set I can hear Sergeant Jansen's breathing begin to slow. A convoy of ATVs makes a bee-line down a back road away from the base.

"Leadership convoy escaping...I count 5 vehicles," the Sergeant relays.

"Do you have eyes on target?" asks the Tactics Commander, Lt. Lauren.

"Yes Lieutenant. he's sitting in the rear seat of vehicle 3. He's got two stars on each shoulder. Looks a little upset," Jansen responds.

I have to admit my own heart was pounding as I listened in on the radio chatter. Sergeant Jansen's coolness was a little creepy. He truly has taken the emotional element out of his game.

And then Lt. Lauren's order comes through: "Take out the target and then the rest of the convoy."

Jansen responds, "Roger that."

Immediately I could hear the distinctive sounds of Sniper cannons charging and firing. With my lens I could see vehicle 3 erupt into a ball of fire, quickly followed by energy blasts ripping apart the remaining vehicles.

"Target eliminated. Remaining convoy destroyed," Sergeant Jansen reports.

"Mission accomplished. We're pulling out! Sergeant, cover the withdrawal; you are weapons free to engage all targets of opportunity," Lt. Lauren commands.

Sergeant Jansen does exactly that. Any enemy units getting near the squad are vaporized and any units seen trying to flee are destroyed just as quickly. By the time the Squad withdraws and Sergeant Jansen follows, the base has been heavily damaged and all their communications knocked out. The Tarakians can't risk having enemy forces chasing after them.

This is Tarakia's boldest move in this conflict against the Kingdom of Sal Kar. Sergeant Jansen and his Sniper Hound have struck a potentially crippling blow to Sal Kari operations along the Southern Tarakian border. We'll see what dividends it pays off in the coming weeks.