Mission 00X: Leaving the Nest – Take it for a spin-Pt. Two-Two
by Commander Marcus Klans & Major Jonathan Keyes & 1st Lieutenant Tyra Hunter & Master Chief Warrant Officer Jensen Ganbos
Post Details
ON
Keyes stared out the rear of the Firefly at the bleak landscape flashing past beneath them. He stood up and snapped his rifle off the magnetic clips on his back. Behind him he heard a platoon sergeant roaring at his men.
"Remember, this asteroid has some gravity but not much air. So you'll bounce around a bit, but otherwise movement should be fairly easy. But if you take your helmets off, or remove any component keeping your suit airtight, you will last about thirty seconds before you die, even with your suits automated tri-ox injectors."
Keyes checked his magazines and ammo packs. Moving forward to the cockpit he tapped the pilot on the shoulder. "Set us down at the top of that ridge."
"Aye sir," the Fireflies shook a little as they penetrated the asteroids thin layer of atmosphere, then steadied. They came to a soft halt at the top of a ridge overlooking a hill. Bunkers, walls and other obstacles dotted the hill. At the top was a command post, this would be Alpha Companie's objective. To fight up a slope, penetrate a command bunker and abduct the enemy commander was an old favourite among tactical drillmasters. Keyes knew that if anyone could pull it off it was Hunter. He had ten minutes to set up his pieces and prepare for Hunter's attack, that would only end when either Hunter and her men were 'dead', or when he was knocked out, tied up and tossed in the back of a Firefly.
"Lieutenant Remy, I want your first rifle platoon covering that landing zone, half of your heavy weapons platoon covering the first slope with grenade launchers along with your second rifle platoon. The other half of weapons platoon will deploy with Gallinear R8 Anti-Air Phaser Rifles and SPNKr rocket launchers and cover the second slope and provide anti-air support against the gunships. Assign a squad from HQ Platoon for rifle support. Send both your snipers along the ridge, tell them to cam up and prepare various positions, each with good lines of fire down that slope."
"Roger that sir," Remy turned to the radio man and issued the orders. Bravo company moved quickly to their duties. They had always taken a backseat to Alpha company when it came to primary deployments, they were eager to demonstrate their abilities.
The heavy thrum of the Gunship's engines as Laderoute powered the heavily armed vessel over the gap of space towards the asteroid. He was to hold position outside sensor range to allow Bravo Company to prep. Then he would escort the Fireflies in as the touched down, and keep any fire off them. True they had their own punch, but not enough if the Company touching down now was smart. Turning around, he nodded to his gunners, and looked back. Setting a Distant Geo-Synchronous orbit, he waited for the other teams to arrive. "Check safeties," he said to the cabin. No one liked bloody training exercises. Especially the Commander, who was watching from Mission Ops.
Sergeant Major Laderoute had served with Klans before as a pilot for the Marines on the Kittyhawk. It was probably the reason he had been brought on board. But he knew the man was meticulous about training, holding true to the motto; "Training was like bloodless combat, and combat was bloody training." He had always pushed the pilots under his command to their lengths, and then kept pushing. In fact, he was surprised not to see the man in the air with them. After all, he did have that personal shuttle thing...
=^=This is GREYHOUND(Keyes) calling BRAVEHEART(Hunter),=^= Jonathan's callsign had been altered once he reached Colonel, there was little point to changing it back now. =^=If you want to come on down, we're waiting for you!=^=
=^=GREYHOUND, BRAVEHEART copies.... let's play...BRAVEHEART out.=^= Tyra Hunter looked at her NCOs and nodded. They threw her a salute she returned.
A couple minutes later the assault complement were rushing to the assault shuttles with Gunnery Sergeant Bass yelling - "Saddle up! Saddle up!"
Moments later the assault shuttles launched towards their destination. Final weapon and equipment checks sounded off in the hold of each of the shuttles. Hunter tapped the in-shuttle comlink to the pilot after looking at her chrono. "Commence plan Omega."
There was a momentary pause as the voice of the pilot returned in her helmet. =^=Plan Omega has been initiated.=^=
On the scanner screens of the base unit the blips would appear, Tyra knew the window was small as she tapped the comlink button again. "Fire." She knew that the blips would be telling the scanners of incoming fire though simulated. She looked over at the Marines crammed in the hold with her through her helmeted and visored visage then activated the assault com to link her to all of the assault Marine and pilots. "Mission Commanche Blade has commenced, you all know your duties... hit them hard then hit them again... Stay alert - stay alive!" The Oorahs that answered her made her smile ferally. "Let's play."
Training rockets and phasers blasts dotted the landscape. If a Marine was caught in the killzone, his armour would freeze up and drop him to the ground. The same would apply to ground engagments.
Keyes grasped the table as the bunker took a direct hit. "Temper, temper Hunter," he murmured as he looked at the tactical display's that his HQ team had brought in. =^=All units, looks like she's softening us up with the gunships before she commits her infantry. Weps platoon, get your gear pointing skyward, take out those gunships, the rest of you, get real small in your holes, wait out the storm.=^=
Corporal Lang waited for the first gunship to fly overhead, then, with a nod to his reloader, whipped the camouflage netting away from the mouth of his foxhole and lifted his SPNKr rocket launcher up onto his shoulder and gazed into the sight, locked onto the tail of the Wyvern and fired his payload. The rocket leapt after the Wyvern and swatted it on the tail, breaking up on contact with the shields, but designating the gunship badly damaged.
Tyra Hunter listened as the first one was hit. She looked back and nodded to Bass. She activated assault comm channel - "Ok the hand has been played.... decoy has been tagged beam assault units planetside, you know your positions... craft exfil while unloading covering fire... Move out!" It was a designated call-sign and all the Marines were beamed down to different positions.
Watching the Gunship designated as Dragon One-Two disappear off his HUD, Laderoute knew what was going on. "Dragon Two-One to Mission Lead, we are pulling out, we have ground fire. Repeat, Dragon's on Pull out." The large gunship pulled up and away from the ranged SPNKr rockets. Tailing around, the large bird's phaser fired a quick burst, that had the setting been real, would've disintegrated the rocks around the Marines, and killed a few. A couple of those blips appeared on his scanners. The other two Wyvern's followed suit as the 'damaged' ship returned to the Apocalypse.
"Lucky shot..." came the snarl from one of Payden's gunners.
"Aye," returned the Sergeant Major. "Lead, be advised, we are going to move for long range deployment. Until you clear the AA, we're no good to you. If you want my advice, I think you should watch out. With AA afoot, there is probably sniper's waiting for you too. If you paint them, we'll take them out for you."
Gunnery Sergeant Bass looked at his commanding officer Marine Tyra Hunter. "You should have cleared this with the big bosses." Tyra looked back at him and shrugged. "We have all we need so far, didn't have time to run this through a committee." She watched as plunging fire from assault shuttles hit the target. She knew the Recon Marines had already breached Keyes perimeter. "Lets move it."
-Bravo Company CP-
Lieutenant Remy removed his headphones and turned back to Keyes. "First Platoon has been hit bad, Hunter's using her Recon squad to punch a hole deep in our lines. We have about thirty seconds before the rest of Alpha Company lands and fills that hole."
"Pull First Platoon back and strengthen the line. Sniper Team Alpha is to pick his targets and engage. Sniper Team Bravo is to wait until Hunter's got her boots on the ground. She and Bass are priority targets to be removed with extreme prejudice," Keyes brought up the digital map on the display, his keen eyes examining the realtime footage being fed to him by the helmet cameras of his men.
-Alpha Company
Gunnery Sergeant Charlie Bass looked up at Lt. Tyra Hunter. "Lt. Ross is down." Tyra shrugged with a small grim smile. She was a battle tested officer and knew that sometimes Marines had to be put in harms way.
"Counter sniper 4..." Tyra spoke quietly. Distantly a couple of shots were triggered. Then the Marines moved off.
A cold female voice answered her. =^=Enemy Sniper team eliminated, moving to new position.=^=
Tyra and the units had kept moving. "Fire Support teams... shoot and scoot... Bravo-Gamma-One protocols... let Bravo chew some dirt boys and girls... Recon move to your Primary..."
=^=2nd Platoon has set charges on primary infiltrating secondary.=^=
Soon motars were being launched with teams shooting and scooting to new positions from several locations.
Staff Sergeant Jess "Boom Boom" Muscat gazed down the Oracle scope of her SRC-190 Rifle. She selected a marine giving field signals to his men. Her spotter quietly spoke the wind speed, atmospheric conditions and distance to target. It took her three seconds to adjust her sights, bring the rifle tight into her shoulder and gently sqeeze the trigger. She saw her concussion round slam into her target's chest and sit him on his ass. =^=The recon's are short a lieutenant=^= she radioed the Company CP. =^=Displacing to position Zulu=^=
=Careful Jesscat, we've already lost Sniper Team Alpha=^=Keyes closed the comm.
Laderoute shook his head as he watched the Marines drop. There was silence in the gunship, save for the roar of her powerful engines on stand-by. Nodding, the Sergent Major began to imput commands. "Dragon Two-One to mission Lead. We have locks on the sniper's positions. We could use our rockets to blast them out for ya. Just give me the go ahead. We'll put them down for ya, and it'll keep more of your marines with their boots firmly on the ground." As he was finishing up, the gunship's engines pushed her off the ground to a low hover. The other two birds did the same. "Heck ma'am, you put out those AA, and we'll do ya the pleasure of a few heavy rounds right up their arses."
-Alpha Company-
Tyra Hunter watched in the distance as the Marines pull back the downed Platoon Leader already the Platoon Sergeant who acted as the Assistant Platoon Leader was moving. She spoke into Assault com-link.
"Hey we're in a war zone boys and girls... douse the ranks and keep signaling movements to a minimum. Leaders act like you give a damn about your lives and that way you can blend in with your troops." That was answered with sporadic 'hu'ahs' and some chuckles. "Third platoon how goes it?" The Marines moved towards their objectives stoically, carefully, methodically and grimly.
=^=Braveheart Lead, this is Braveheart Three... last one is set now, awaiting activation.=^=
"Copy that. Initiate plan Skyraider."
=^=Initiating Skyraider... ok flight let loose.=^= Assault ship staying in the safe zone just out of the atmosphere moved down into the stratosphere and let loose some modules that were attached to the hull. Soon the ships were climbing back into the standoff zone. =^=Drones are on the way, you have the control.=^=
Tyra Hunter watched as the drone operators moved them to their zone. "Third Platoon Activate Plan Killzone." Her voice cold and professional.
=^=Kill zone activate Braveheart Lead.=^=
Invisible sensor array pylon around the hill activated as the drones coming from different approaches fired upon the hill. The sensors ringed the area and would pinpoint enemy fire for both Marines and the drones. Tyra Hunter gave a cold smile.
"2nd Platoon... fire in the hole." She spoke as she thought of Keyes.
An explosion rocked the area... a very hard core simulant. Tyra glanced at Charlie and with shocked looks. The Gunnery Sergeant shook his head. "The Fleeters checked and packed the simulants. We weren't even allowed to check..." Tyra Hunter placed a hand over her visor.
"Everyone quick check in... did the explosives get anyone?" Tyra sighed but all units reported no casualties except for one Marine’s that called out that his underwear was one.
-Bravo Company-
=^=Jess is down, and my left leg's gone,=^= Lance Corporal "Snaky" Jones sounded calm, despite the fact that Alpha Companies counter snipers had hit him in the leg with a concussion shot. His leg wouldn't move for an hour, and would be numb for days. =^=I'll take the rifle, and get to the next LUP. See if I can do some damge anyway.=^=
=^=Good luck Snake,=^= Keyes turned back to the display. Hunter had pulled the op off perfectly. Counter-snipers had been deployed fast enough to nail any rifleman brave enough for long range operations. Gunships would return a soon as her infantry could eliminate his launchers. A perfect storming operation, one that the Corps had used many times and that he had personally trained her to carry out. He couldn't fault her technique, but in the technique was the flaw. It had taken him a long time to figure out the perfect counter to the maneuvre, and it would test Hunter to figure out a way around it.
=^=First Platoon, fall back from your positions, pull back to the second slope. Second Platoon and weapons will provide cover.=^=
-First Platoon-
"You heard him Marines, fall back now," Lieutenant D'Tol stood up and blazed away with his assault rifle down the slope. He had lost seven men to the gunships and twelve more to Alpha Companies relentless assault. With only thirteen riflemen left, he intended to inflict as much damage as possible on Alpha. His platoon scrambled out of their holes, their training kicking in as two dropped to their knees to provide covering fire for their friends as they withdrew.
D'Tol practically fell into the hole next to Lieutenant Simmons and Lieutenant Brady, the commanders of second and Weapons platoon respectively. "You have the dets?" D'Tol asked Brady.
"Gottem', just waiting for Alpha to advance," Brady tossed D'Tol one of three handheld detonators.
"I'll take what's left of my platoon and cover the left flank, we gotta keep the AA screen up," D'Tol took the detonator and sprinted down the firing line.
-Alpha Company-
Tyra Hunter grumbled about Fleeters mispack. The explosive packs had been color coded blue meaning simulated but were live, they confirmed it by checking some of the unused charges. "Lets continue, but we check everything."
The Gunnery Sergeant chuckled. "Just like in real combat. Well L-T Bravo is pulling back with an attitude."
Tyra winked. "Third Platoon continue Plan Apocalypse." She thought to herself - 'Keyes your gonna love this... or maybe not.'
-Bravo Company-
=^=Command, six of our charges just went dark=^= D'Tol sqeezed off two shots and then ducked back into cover. =^=Requesting permission to detonate the rest before they clear the blast zones.=^=
=^=Permission granted=^=Keyes smiled as he saw the heatmap. =^=Heat signatures say that A/1 and A/2/B and C are firmly in the killzone.=^=
=^=Acknowleged, SKYVIAN out=^= D'Tol nodded to Gant who bared her teeth in a savage grin before she activated her detonator.
Along Alpha Companies firing line, puffs of blue smoke appeared as the simulated charges detonated, catching most of Alpha's first platoon and seven men from the second platoon in the killzone, locking up their armour and removing them from the fight.
A ragged cheer went up from Bravo Company, Alpha had discovered the trap but had been too slow to completely neutralize it. Keyes' trap had robbed Hunter of a quarter of her forces.
=^=Allright grunts=^= Keyes didn't want to celebrate just yet. =^=We've got Alpha reeling, DORCHESTER(Second Platoon) get your men over the top and down that hill. Beat Alpha back down that hill and recover First Platoon's firing positions. SKYVIAN, keep your men watching our flanks. Stay frosty.=^=
"OK, you heard the man, let's move it," Simmons fixed his bayonet to the tip of his phaser rifle. "CHARGE!"
With a roar, thirty marines leapt up and charged through the smoke toward the hazy figures of Alpha Company.
-Alpha Company-
Tyra winced as she saw the losses.
"Initiate Apocalypse, now!"
Then she saw the counterattack and the drones came in at Bravo raking the lines with fire as assault shuttles painted white came in low and fast beaming up the wounded. Then followed by grey assault shuttles that beamed up Alpha Company's remnants.
Tyra Hunter took a few shots as she and Charlie Bass were beamed up last. She activated the last charges with the words. "Bravo goes boom." In the deep shaft created by the charges six simulated photon torpedoes explode along the cavern created accidentally on purpose blazed out a blue light that soon showed on Tyra visor map as the entire hilltop now a molten crater. "Good bye Bravo." She spoke cooly at the hill that was not truly damaged.
Gunnery Sergeant Charlie Bass shook his head. "Seems like the easy way out L-T."
Tyra shrugged. "They wanted real combat conditions... truthfully I would have launched the photon torps and glassed the hill. Besides we gave them some targets." She rolled her eyes at the results, most of the 'deaths' were from stupid newbie actions but those could be trained out. "Hell I nearly had a heart attack when the explosives actually blew."
"Well ma'am at least we now that 3rd Platoon does its sapper duties correct." He shrugged. "It would have been great to take on that charge." Tyra shrugged in her suit again.
"It was already decided Charlie... Bravo Company was dead it was only a matter of how many Alpha troops had to die." Tyra looked over at him. Charlie frowned then his eyes widened. Tyra nodded. "Hey the defensive line could have chewed up three or more companies, but if i could get them to come out then..." Tyra shrugged.
"Plan Killzone?" Charlie shook his head. "Cold."
"I never intended to die to the last Marine, its the waste of man power, but equipment is easily replaced. Bravo concentrated on killing our Marines, so the kill zone was left almost totally intact with more than enough power." She looked at her chrono as the simulated molten hill was just starting to cool then sensor arrays now swept the area inside and outside the hill with a blue light that simulated plasma firestorms that would have scoured the area clean of life if it had been real. "Now we wait to see if our battle plan gets me charged with anything." Tyra smiled coldly.
The three active Dragons had powered off when the 'simulated torps' had fired. Already the three pilots were gossiping amongst each other. Laderoute was shaking his head and sighing. Dragon One-One, the pilot being Warrant Officer Second Class Tyson La Blanc was already in full swing about 'wasted resources' With a chuckle, Payden cut him off. "La Blanc, you have an issue with the plan, then you bitch to the head lady. She made the shots. I agree, using the Apoc was a bit of a waste, but in the end, she kept Bravo from getting men hillside. No body alive, no need for men to land. Not to mention, with that AA wall up, we were sitting ducks if we got close, so all we could've done is a long range missile attack. We might as well have been birds in the air." Shaking his head, he lined the Wyvern up to follow the shuttles. "Dragon Two-One to Tower, we are on our approach, contact soon, set up for main hanger."
-Bravo Company-
Keyes pulled himself from the rubble. The simulated effects from the torpedoes had killed every single marine below the command center and had activated the CP's destruct mode, burying Keyes and his command team. The only reason Keyes had stayed alive was because Remy and Dug had both fallen on top of him.
He looked at his left arm and noticed that his armour had been breached. A jagged piece of metal was sticking out of the armour joint along the forearm. Yanking it out he was glad that his suit's automatic lockouts had saved him from losing his air supply.
Jonathan eased himself up onto one knee. His armour had registered hits to his left arm and right leg and had locked out his armour according to his 'injuries'. Looking up he saw a Wyvern flying overhead. The Hopper came in to a smooth landing in front of him. Hunter and Bass stepped out of the hatch.
Tyra Hunter and Charlie Bass loped off, her weapon at ready. Her eyes narrowed as she stepped towards her boss. Gunnery Sergeant Bass moved slightly behind his L-T glancing back from time to time his carbine was slung on his shoulder as he played tossed a ball up and down in his hand.
"Well done," Keyes removed his TR-110 from it's holster and tossed it at Hunter's feet. "Fooled me completely. Come to gloat have you?"
Tyra kicked the TR-110 back to his feet. "Naw, besides if I had rushed my company up the hill Alpha would have been wiped out. I'll take a three to one superiority before trying to actually take a hill. Much more simpler to take the hill out of the equation. You shouldn't treat your weaponry so poorly Major."
"Well, you know what they say XO," Keyes lifted his hand. "It's not over till the last sniper's dead."
There was a sharp click from Jon's armoured fingers, then over the whine of the Hopper's engines came the sound of two sharp gunshots, simultaneously, Hunter was bowled over as two cuncussion shots hit her in her shoulder and back. Keyes snatched his sidearm from the ground and shot Bass twice in the chest. The ball dropped from Charlie Bass' hand as the man crumpled.
=^=Good shot Snake=^=Keyes commed the wounded sniper. =^=You had me worried for a second.=^=
=^=I wouldn't have let you down sir=^= Snaky pushed the empty rifle away and nursed his leg. =^=That probably makes it a draw.=^=
=^=Probably=^= Keyes pulled a padd from his webbing. The ball blinked and then the blinking stopped. He typed in his personal code and selected END EXERCISE just as a simulated explosion ripped through the area. The ball had been a grenade with a dead man's switch. Hunter had been one step of her commander till the end.
OFF
by Commander Marcus Klans & Major Jonathan Keyes & 1st Lieutenant Tyra Hunter & Master Chief Warrant Officer Jensen Ganbos
Post Details
| Title | Take it for a spin-Pt. Two-Two | |
| Mission | Mission 00X: Leaving the Nest | |
| Author(s) | Commander Marcus Klans & Major Jonathan Keyes & 1st Lieutenant Tyra Hunter & Master Chief Warrant Officer Jensen Ganbos | |
| Posted | Wed Jun 30, 2010 @ 7:44pm | |
| Location | Small asteriod, edge of fighter training area | |
| Timeline | April 30th, 2387 (MD 10 1500Hrs) |
Keyes stared out the rear of the Firefly at the bleak landscape flashing past beneath them. He stood up and snapped his rifle off the magnetic clips on his back. Behind him he heard a platoon sergeant roaring at his men.
"Remember, this asteroid has some gravity but not much air. So you'll bounce around a bit, but otherwise movement should be fairly easy. But if you take your helmets off, or remove any component keeping your suit airtight, you will last about thirty seconds before you die, even with your suits automated tri-ox injectors."
Keyes checked his magazines and ammo packs. Moving forward to the cockpit he tapped the pilot on the shoulder. "Set us down at the top of that ridge."
"Aye sir," the Fireflies shook a little as they penetrated the asteroids thin layer of atmosphere, then steadied. They came to a soft halt at the top of a ridge overlooking a hill. Bunkers, walls and other obstacles dotted the hill. At the top was a command post, this would be Alpha Companie's objective. To fight up a slope, penetrate a command bunker and abduct the enemy commander was an old favourite among tactical drillmasters. Keyes knew that if anyone could pull it off it was Hunter. He had ten minutes to set up his pieces and prepare for Hunter's attack, that would only end when either Hunter and her men were 'dead', or when he was knocked out, tied up and tossed in the back of a Firefly.
"Lieutenant Remy, I want your first rifle platoon covering that landing zone, half of your heavy weapons platoon covering the first slope with grenade launchers along with your second rifle platoon. The other half of weapons platoon will deploy with Gallinear R8 Anti-Air Phaser Rifles and SPNKr rocket launchers and cover the second slope and provide anti-air support against the gunships. Assign a squad from HQ Platoon for rifle support. Send both your snipers along the ridge, tell them to cam up and prepare various positions, each with good lines of fire down that slope."
"Roger that sir," Remy turned to the radio man and issued the orders. Bravo company moved quickly to their duties. They had always taken a backseat to Alpha company when it came to primary deployments, they were eager to demonstrate their abilities.
The heavy thrum of the Gunship's engines as Laderoute powered the heavily armed vessel over the gap of space towards the asteroid. He was to hold position outside sensor range to allow Bravo Company to prep. Then he would escort the Fireflies in as the touched down, and keep any fire off them. True they had their own punch, but not enough if the Company touching down now was smart. Turning around, he nodded to his gunners, and looked back. Setting a Distant Geo-Synchronous orbit, he waited for the other teams to arrive. "Check safeties," he said to the cabin. No one liked bloody training exercises. Especially the Commander, who was watching from Mission Ops.
Sergeant Major Laderoute had served with Klans before as a pilot for the Marines on the Kittyhawk. It was probably the reason he had been brought on board. But he knew the man was meticulous about training, holding true to the motto; "Training was like bloodless combat, and combat was bloody training." He had always pushed the pilots under his command to their lengths, and then kept pushing. In fact, he was surprised not to see the man in the air with them. After all, he did have that personal shuttle thing...
=^=This is GREYHOUND(Keyes) calling BRAVEHEART(Hunter),=^= Jonathan's callsign had been altered once he reached Colonel, there was little point to changing it back now. =^=If you want to come on down, we're waiting for you!=^=
=^=GREYHOUND, BRAVEHEART copies.... let's play...BRAVEHEART out.=^= Tyra Hunter looked at her NCOs and nodded. They threw her a salute she returned.
A couple minutes later the assault complement were rushing to the assault shuttles with Gunnery Sergeant Bass yelling - "Saddle up! Saddle up!"
Moments later the assault shuttles launched towards their destination. Final weapon and equipment checks sounded off in the hold of each of the shuttles. Hunter tapped the in-shuttle comlink to the pilot after looking at her chrono. "Commence plan Omega."
There was a momentary pause as the voice of the pilot returned in her helmet. =^=Plan Omega has been initiated.=^=
On the scanner screens of the base unit the blips would appear, Tyra knew the window was small as she tapped the comlink button again. "Fire." She knew that the blips would be telling the scanners of incoming fire though simulated. She looked over at the Marines crammed in the hold with her through her helmeted and visored visage then activated the assault com to link her to all of the assault Marine and pilots. "Mission Commanche Blade has commenced, you all know your duties... hit them hard then hit them again... Stay alert - stay alive!" The Oorahs that answered her made her smile ferally. "Let's play."
Training rockets and phasers blasts dotted the landscape. If a Marine was caught in the killzone, his armour would freeze up and drop him to the ground. The same would apply to ground engagments.
Keyes grasped the table as the bunker took a direct hit. "Temper, temper Hunter," he murmured as he looked at the tactical display's that his HQ team had brought in. =^=All units, looks like she's softening us up with the gunships before she commits her infantry. Weps platoon, get your gear pointing skyward, take out those gunships, the rest of you, get real small in your holes, wait out the storm.=^=
Corporal Lang waited for the first gunship to fly overhead, then, with a nod to his reloader, whipped the camouflage netting away from the mouth of his foxhole and lifted his SPNKr rocket launcher up onto his shoulder and gazed into the sight, locked onto the tail of the Wyvern and fired his payload. The rocket leapt after the Wyvern and swatted it on the tail, breaking up on contact with the shields, but designating the gunship badly damaged.
Tyra Hunter listened as the first one was hit. She looked back and nodded to Bass. She activated assault comm channel - "Ok the hand has been played.... decoy has been tagged beam assault units planetside, you know your positions... craft exfil while unloading covering fire... Move out!" It was a designated call-sign and all the Marines were beamed down to different positions.
Watching the Gunship designated as Dragon One-Two disappear off his HUD, Laderoute knew what was going on. "Dragon Two-One to Mission Lead, we are pulling out, we have ground fire. Repeat, Dragon's on Pull out." The large gunship pulled up and away from the ranged SPNKr rockets. Tailing around, the large bird's phaser fired a quick burst, that had the setting been real, would've disintegrated the rocks around the Marines, and killed a few. A couple of those blips appeared on his scanners. The other two Wyvern's followed suit as the 'damaged' ship returned to the Apocalypse.
"Lucky shot..." came the snarl from one of Payden's gunners.
"Aye," returned the Sergeant Major. "Lead, be advised, we are going to move for long range deployment. Until you clear the AA, we're no good to you. If you want my advice, I think you should watch out. With AA afoot, there is probably sniper's waiting for you too. If you paint them, we'll take them out for you."
Gunnery Sergeant Bass looked at his commanding officer Marine Tyra Hunter. "You should have cleared this with the big bosses." Tyra looked back at him and shrugged. "We have all we need so far, didn't have time to run this through a committee." She watched as plunging fire from assault shuttles hit the target. She knew the Recon Marines had already breached Keyes perimeter. "Lets move it."
-Bravo Company CP-
Lieutenant Remy removed his headphones and turned back to Keyes. "First Platoon has been hit bad, Hunter's using her Recon squad to punch a hole deep in our lines. We have about thirty seconds before the rest of Alpha Company lands and fills that hole."
"Pull First Platoon back and strengthen the line. Sniper Team Alpha is to pick his targets and engage. Sniper Team Bravo is to wait until Hunter's got her boots on the ground. She and Bass are priority targets to be removed with extreme prejudice," Keyes brought up the digital map on the display, his keen eyes examining the realtime footage being fed to him by the helmet cameras of his men.
-Alpha Company
Gunnery Sergeant Charlie Bass looked up at Lt. Tyra Hunter. "Lt. Ross is down." Tyra shrugged with a small grim smile. She was a battle tested officer and knew that sometimes Marines had to be put in harms way.
"Counter sniper 4..." Tyra spoke quietly. Distantly a couple of shots were triggered. Then the Marines moved off.
A cold female voice answered her. =^=Enemy Sniper team eliminated, moving to new position.=^=
Tyra and the units had kept moving. "Fire Support teams... shoot and scoot... Bravo-Gamma-One protocols... let Bravo chew some dirt boys and girls... Recon move to your Primary..."
=^=2nd Platoon has set charges on primary infiltrating secondary.=^=
Soon motars were being launched with teams shooting and scooting to new positions from several locations.
Staff Sergeant Jess "Boom Boom" Muscat gazed down the Oracle scope of her SRC-190 Rifle. She selected a marine giving field signals to his men. Her spotter quietly spoke the wind speed, atmospheric conditions and distance to target. It took her three seconds to adjust her sights, bring the rifle tight into her shoulder and gently sqeeze the trigger. She saw her concussion round slam into her target's chest and sit him on his ass. =^=The recon's are short a lieutenant=^= she radioed the Company CP. =^=Displacing to position Zulu=^=
=Careful Jesscat, we've already lost Sniper Team Alpha=^=Keyes closed the comm.
Laderoute shook his head as he watched the Marines drop. There was silence in the gunship, save for the roar of her powerful engines on stand-by. Nodding, the Sergent Major began to imput commands. "Dragon Two-One to mission Lead. We have locks on the sniper's positions. We could use our rockets to blast them out for ya. Just give me the go ahead. We'll put them down for ya, and it'll keep more of your marines with their boots firmly on the ground." As he was finishing up, the gunship's engines pushed her off the ground to a low hover. The other two birds did the same. "Heck ma'am, you put out those AA, and we'll do ya the pleasure of a few heavy rounds right up their arses."
-Alpha Company-
Tyra Hunter watched in the distance as the Marines pull back the downed Platoon Leader already the Platoon Sergeant who acted as the Assistant Platoon Leader was moving. She spoke into Assault com-link.
"Hey we're in a war zone boys and girls... douse the ranks and keep signaling movements to a minimum. Leaders act like you give a damn about your lives and that way you can blend in with your troops." That was answered with sporadic 'hu'ahs' and some chuckles. "Third platoon how goes it?" The Marines moved towards their objectives stoically, carefully, methodically and grimly.
=^=Braveheart Lead, this is Braveheart Three... last one is set now, awaiting activation.=^=
"Copy that. Initiate plan Skyraider."
=^=Initiating Skyraider... ok flight let loose.=^= Assault ship staying in the safe zone just out of the atmosphere moved down into the stratosphere and let loose some modules that were attached to the hull. Soon the ships were climbing back into the standoff zone. =^=Drones are on the way, you have the control.=^=
Tyra Hunter watched as the drone operators moved them to their zone. "Third Platoon Activate Plan Killzone." Her voice cold and professional.
=^=Kill zone activate Braveheart Lead.=^=
Invisible sensor array pylon around the hill activated as the drones coming from different approaches fired upon the hill. The sensors ringed the area and would pinpoint enemy fire for both Marines and the drones. Tyra Hunter gave a cold smile.
"2nd Platoon... fire in the hole." She spoke as she thought of Keyes.
An explosion rocked the area... a very hard core simulant. Tyra glanced at Charlie and with shocked looks. The Gunnery Sergeant shook his head. "The Fleeters checked and packed the simulants. We weren't even allowed to check..." Tyra Hunter placed a hand over her visor.
"Everyone quick check in... did the explosives get anyone?" Tyra sighed but all units reported no casualties except for one Marine’s that called out that his underwear was one.
-Bravo Company-
=^=Jess is down, and my left leg's gone,=^= Lance Corporal "Snaky" Jones sounded calm, despite the fact that Alpha Companies counter snipers had hit him in the leg with a concussion shot. His leg wouldn't move for an hour, and would be numb for days. =^=I'll take the rifle, and get to the next LUP. See if I can do some damge anyway.=^=
=^=Good luck Snake,=^= Keyes turned back to the display. Hunter had pulled the op off perfectly. Counter-snipers had been deployed fast enough to nail any rifleman brave enough for long range operations. Gunships would return a soon as her infantry could eliminate his launchers. A perfect storming operation, one that the Corps had used many times and that he had personally trained her to carry out. He couldn't fault her technique, but in the technique was the flaw. It had taken him a long time to figure out the perfect counter to the maneuvre, and it would test Hunter to figure out a way around it.
=^=First Platoon, fall back from your positions, pull back to the second slope. Second Platoon and weapons will provide cover.=^=
-First Platoon-
"You heard him Marines, fall back now," Lieutenant D'Tol stood up and blazed away with his assault rifle down the slope. He had lost seven men to the gunships and twelve more to Alpha Companies relentless assault. With only thirteen riflemen left, he intended to inflict as much damage as possible on Alpha. His platoon scrambled out of their holes, their training kicking in as two dropped to their knees to provide covering fire for their friends as they withdrew.
D'Tol practically fell into the hole next to Lieutenant Simmons and Lieutenant Brady, the commanders of second and Weapons platoon respectively. "You have the dets?" D'Tol asked Brady.
"Gottem', just waiting for Alpha to advance," Brady tossed D'Tol one of three handheld detonators.
"I'll take what's left of my platoon and cover the left flank, we gotta keep the AA screen up," D'Tol took the detonator and sprinted down the firing line.
-Alpha Company-
Tyra Hunter grumbled about Fleeters mispack. The explosive packs had been color coded blue meaning simulated but were live, they confirmed it by checking some of the unused charges. "Lets continue, but we check everything."
The Gunnery Sergeant chuckled. "Just like in real combat. Well L-T Bravo is pulling back with an attitude."
Tyra winked. "Third Platoon continue Plan Apocalypse." She thought to herself - 'Keyes your gonna love this... or maybe not.'
-Bravo Company-
=^=Command, six of our charges just went dark=^= D'Tol sqeezed off two shots and then ducked back into cover. =^=Requesting permission to detonate the rest before they clear the blast zones.=^=
=^=Permission granted=^=Keyes smiled as he saw the heatmap. =^=Heat signatures say that A/1 and A/2/B and C are firmly in the killzone.=^=
=^=Acknowleged, SKYVIAN out=^= D'Tol nodded to Gant who bared her teeth in a savage grin before she activated her detonator.
Along Alpha Companies firing line, puffs of blue smoke appeared as the simulated charges detonated, catching most of Alpha's first platoon and seven men from the second platoon in the killzone, locking up their armour and removing them from the fight.
A ragged cheer went up from Bravo Company, Alpha had discovered the trap but had been too slow to completely neutralize it. Keyes' trap had robbed Hunter of a quarter of her forces.
=^=Allright grunts=^= Keyes didn't want to celebrate just yet. =^=We've got Alpha reeling, DORCHESTER(Second Platoon) get your men over the top and down that hill. Beat Alpha back down that hill and recover First Platoon's firing positions. SKYVIAN, keep your men watching our flanks. Stay frosty.=^=
"OK, you heard the man, let's move it," Simmons fixed his bayonet to the tip of his phaser rifle. "CHARGE!"
With a roar, thirty marines leapt up and charged through the smoke toward the hazy figures of Alpha Company.
-Alpha Company-
Tyra winced as she saw the losses.
"Initiate Apocalypse, now!"
Then she saw the counterattack and the drones came in at Bravo raking the lines with fire as assault shuttles painted white came in low and fast beaming up the wounded. Then followed by grey assault shuttles that beamed up Alpha Company's remnants.
Tyra Hunter took a few shots as she and Charlie Bass were beamed up last. She activated the last charges with the words. "Bravo goes boom." In the deep shaft created by the charges six simulated photon torpedoes explode along the cavern created accidentally on purpose blazed out a blue light that soon showed on Tyra visor map as the entire hilltop now a molten crater. "Good bye Bravo." She spoke cooly at the hill that was not truly damaged.
Gunnery Sergeant Charlie Bass shook his head. "Seems like the easy way out L-T."
Tyra shrugged. "They wanted real combat conditions... truthfully I would have launched the photon torps and glassed the hill. Besides we gave them some targets." She rolled her eyes at the results, most of the 'deaths' were from stupid newbie actions but those could be trained out. "Hell I nearly had a heart attack when the explosives actually blew."
"Well ma'am at least we now that 3rd Platoon does its sapper duties correct." He shrugged. "It would have been great to take on that charge." Tyra shrugged in her suit again.
"It was already decided Charlie... Bravo Company was dead it was only a matter of how many Alpha troops had to die." Tyra looked over at him. Charlie frowned then his eyes widened. Tyra nodded. "Hey the defensive line could have chewed up three or more companies, but if i could get them to come out then..." Tyra shrugged.
"Plan Killzone?" Charlie shook his head. "Cold."
"I never intended to die to the last Marine, its the waste of man power, but equipment is easily replaced. Bravo concentrated on killing our Marines, so the kill zone was left almost totally intact with more than enough power." She looked at her chrono as the simulated molten hill was just starting to cool then sensor arrays now swept the area inside and outside the hill with a blue light that simulated plasma firestorms that would have scoured the area clean of life if it had been real. "Now we wait to see if our battle plan gets me charged with anything." Tyra smiled coldly.
The three active Dragons had powered off when the 'simulated torps' had fired. Already the three pilots were gossiping amongst each other. Laderoute was shaking his head and sighing. Dragon One-One, the pilot being Warrant Officer Second Class Tyson La Blanc was already in full swing about 'wasted resources' With a chuckle, Payden cut him off. "La Blanc, you have an issue with the plan, then you bitch to the head lady. She made the shots. I agree, using the Apoc was a bit of a waste, but in the end, she kept Bravo from getting men hillside. No body alive, no need for men to land. Not to mention, with that AA wall up, we were sitting ducks if we got close, so all we could've done is a long range missile attack. We might as well have been birds in the air." Shaking his head, he lined the Wyvern up to follow the shuttles. "Dragon Two-One to Tower, we are on our approach, contact soon, set up for main hanger."
-Bravo Company-
Keyes pulled himself from the rubble. The simulated effects from the torpedoes had killed every single marine below the command center and had activated the CP's destruct mode, burying Keyes and his command team. The only reason Keyes had stayed alive was because Remy and Dug had both fallen on top of him.
He looked at his left arm and noticed that his armour had been breached. A jagged piece of metal was sticking out of the armour joint along the forearm. Yanking it out he was glad that his suit's automatic lockouts had saved him from losing his air supply.
Jonathan eased himself up onto one knee. His armour had registered hits to his left arm and right leg and had locked out his armour according to his 'injuries'. Looking up he saw a Wyvern flying overhead. The Hopper came in to a smooth landing in front of him. Hunter and Bass stepped out of the hatch.
Tyra Hunter and Charlie Bass loped off, her weapon at ready. Her eyes narrowed as she stepped towards her boss. Gunnery Sergeant Bass moved slightly behind his L-T glancing back from time to time his carbine was slung on his shoulder as he played tossed a ball up and down in his hand.
"Well done," Keyes removed his TR-110 from it's holster and tossed it at Hunter's feet. "Fooled me completely. Come to gloat have you?"
Tyra kicked the TR-110 back to his feet. "Naw, besides if I had rushed my company up the hill Alpha would have been wiped out. I'll take a three to one superiority before trying to actually take a hill. Much more simpler to take the hill out of the equation. You shouldn't treat your weaponry so poorly Major."
"Well, you know what they say XO," Keyes lifted his hand. "It's not over till the last sniper's dead."
There was a sharp click from Jon's armoured fingers, then over the whine of the Hopper's engines came the sound of two sharp gunshots, simultaneously, Hunter was bowled over as two cuncussion shots hit her in her shoulder and back. Keyes snatched his sidearm from the ground and shot Bass twice in the chest. The ball dropped from Charlie Bass' hand as the man crumpled.
=^=Good shot Snake=^=Keyes commed the wounded sniper. =^=You had me worried for a second.=^=
=^=I wouldn't have let you down sir=^= Snaky pushed the empty rifle away and nursed his leg. =^=That probably makes it a draw.=^=
=^=Probably=^= Keyes pulled a padd from his webbing. The ball blinked and then the blinking stopped. He typed in his personal code and selected END EXERCISE just as a simulated explosion ripped through the area. The ball had been a grenade with a dead man's switch. Hunter had been one step of her commander till the end.
OFF