Semper Fi usque ad mortem
"A Grand ol' Time"
2nd Lieutenant Michael Middleton
USS New Essex flat deck
Skadi was looking over the railing with Michael. The 2 weren't doing or saying much. The former's blunt speech was still present.
The Marines were mulling over not celebrating Christmas, but considering they weren't on Earth's time in all technicality, they had to obey the timeline of this planet.
Well at least they were going to get a second Christmas technically. That was a nice prospect for them.
Gladiia hung back to watch the 2 interact, while Specter was off terrorizing Irene through the halls. Ulpianus also watching with a keen eye.
The 2 Ægirian captains were not entirely impressed with the USMC in terms of technology. However they are a great deal more advanced than Iberia in its current state, so that's something.
Earlier, a much larger cargo ship hull design - a VLCS Class design - was quickly put together and turned into something the marines call an Aircraft Carrier.
They did not know what it, but judging from the excited looks on some of the squad leaders and officers onboard, it was good news.
Sal Viento was now essentially a USMC Port City, it's shipyard restored and becoming the basis for Marine shipbuilding. Robotic construction workers kept efficiency at an all time high, and made sure that that an effective fleet was being deployed and maintained right on Terra.
They were about 1.1 kilometers off the coast of Gran Faro now.
Earlier a deployment of MARSOC Marines was sent out in order to scout out and be the prelimineray vanguard for the invasion to come. Their Super Hueys left early in the morning.
Skadi, Specter, Ulpianus, and Gladiia were conversing with Smokton on the plan. Irene joined them, due to the fact she has the legal power to bring the Abyssal Hunters into the town without problems.
They were on the deck of New Essex, where CH-55s and Defiants were being prepped and readied. "Okay so here's the deal," Smokton begins, placing a projector onto the table.
It activated and it shot out a tactical map of Gran Faro. There was markers, points, and even moving emblems representing the MARSOC Raiders which were sent out early.
"Our unit is engaging with a faction known as the Church of the Deep," she looks up at Gladiia who hummed. She stepped forward.
"We're familiar with the church," Smokton turned her attention to her, "This church is a dangerous organization, they continuously fight for the will of the Seaborn... and they are near cultic in all of their methods."
"Good... to know..." Smokton felt a slight headache, causing her to look down and mentally repeat Semper Fi till her head got light and she felt better. "Ohh boy, alright."
That was strange to watch for the Abyssal Hunters and Irene.
The aforementioned inquisitor came forward, with a little tablet. "I've talked with fellow high inquisitors, they are going to try and meet up with your Mar-Sock friends in Gran Faro with an inquisitor assault force. There is going to be a few high inquisitors who are supposed to group up with a band known as 'Alive until Sunset.'"
"Alive until sunset..." Smokton repeated, Michael coming up with his grenade launcher, and making sure to load a magazine in and set the mode to 'Safety'. She wanted to raise some questions about this band, especially since apparently something akin to a Military Task Force is trying to meet up with them with several high ranking officials.
However, she didn't get the opportunity, as suddenly her goggle began to download something while chirping loudly. Looking at the front of it, she sees the file that was just put in and smirks.
Gran_Faro_INV_File_USMC_CC
"That's our cue folks," she announced, followed by the speaker system of the ship playing a noise, a sort of musical rock jingle before reverberating throughout the sea. She looks at the Abyssal Hunters, "Ma. Skadi and Ms. Specter, with permission from Gladiia and Ulpianus," she begins, "We wish for you 2 to join us in the assault."
"Fine," Gladiia responds, quick, "But we are coming with you." Irene gulps, looking at the aircraft firing up. Smokton chuckled and began to usher her group, the Abyssal Hunters, and Irene with the inquisitors from Sal Viento to a Defiant which was still freshly starting up.
Skadi and Michael were first ones in, followed by the rest. Smokton got in, holding onto some sort of brief case.
Irene was looking out one of the windows as slowly, each aircraft was all stocked up with marines. She looked at her weapons and then looked at the others weapons.
Next to her, the Squad's LAT kits were ensuring their M919 IAMs were ready to go and turn some lucky Seaborne into dinner as well as some fleshy, coral confetti.
She looks to Michael, who was loading his M25 Precision Grenade Launcher and his M320. For an actual fire arm, he made sure his MP7 was ready to go.
She looks at her Handcannon and made sure it was loaded, and checked her blade, her fellow inquisition doing the same with their own weapons.
Skadi checked her long sword, and Specter's saw blade mace was also ready. Gladiia and Ulpianus also readied their spear and sword respectively.
Smokton settled into her seat near the left side gun on the helicopter and saw the 2 ready, "Raring to go aren't you all?"
The helicopter lurched, Irene gripping the seat tightly. Specter, who was sitting next to Irene, looked amusingly at the inquisitor not liking the movement.
AAVs and LAVs opening their backs for marines, and crew members getting into their vehicles. The speaker of the ship began to bark, "All Marines, Push out, secure the objective areas!"
And at that the helicopters began to fly. Skadi looked out and watched as several squadrons of amphibious vehicles began to touch the water. Floating and sailing towards Gran Faro.
The MARSOC Marines had been marking bell towers, landing zones, and as much enemies as they can. There is apparently significantly more types of Seaborne that was causing problems for them.
These bell towers, which appear to have the ability to revitalize the Marines and stop the paralyzation that hostile Seaborne give them.
They are the main objective points to hold.
The soft hum of the helicopter engine was like a lullaby for the marines.
A smaller, helicopter drone, an MQ-9 Firescout, flew ahead. It's operator was onboard the Defiant.
Smokton had the briefcase open, and it was clear that she was piloting the thing.
As her drone began to approach the coastline, her eyes began to widen at the state of the coastline that the invasion force was approaching. She tapped her helmet and spoke into the headset, "We got hostile Seaborne long the coastline," she spoke, "I'm requesting the Missile Feeder Ships start sending it, laser designating the targets now." She pulled the trigger on the side of the brief case and set the thing down.
Soon, a voice responded.
"Received, we are preparing the missile pods to fire. We are cleared hit..."
Behind them, the smaller cargo ships with HIMAR's salvaged launch platforms began to turn and aim towards the coastline. With the opening of the front, a salvo missiles began to fly. "Missiles are loose, standby for splash."
There was 4 containers on each of those Missile Feeders, but per command's orders, and because of the fact that the USMC doesn't want to waste valuable resources, those weapons are only to be used if a serious combatant or group is present.
The Seaborne on the beach was busy feeding some of the sacrifices that they were given. The noises in the distance not a concern for them for them now. Church members were busy making sure the sacrifices got fed the Seaborne cells.
A rumble was heard in the air and that made everybody pause.
One Seaborne creature turned to start looking back toward the water.
And when it did, GMLRS missiles crashed into the beach, throwing up the sand and turning a lot of the enemies into paste, alongside some of the sacrifices.
Once the explosions went up, many of the would-be sacrifices began to run back toward the town, Church of the Deep members trying to after them.
The sound of helicopters stopped that from happening. Much of them turning around to face the incoming aircraft,
For many of them, that was their last action.
Michael looked out the window, just as the LAVs below began to fire their 25mm bushmasters and the commander's CROWS .50 cal opening up. Swiftly, they were joined by the MPFs firing their 20mm CROWS guns. The beach was then alight with the sounds of 40mm grenades landing and exploding.
Church members were becoming vaporized on the beaches, and so were the Seaborne that they hailed and bowed down to.
Specter looked out at the carnage that was occurring on the beaches with some level of hidden delight.
There was floating shapes coming out of the town and the surrounding waters, something that was unnerving to the Marines.
Irene looked outside and pointed it out, "Floaters!" She said, causing the Marines to also look out the window.
"Oh what the fuck?!" The corpsman onboard began, looking halfway to livid, "Those pieces of seaweed shit can Fly?!" She goes onto the right side gun and starts opening fire. The .50 Cal began to fly out, as guns below in the landing craft diverted to try and tell the floaters to fuck off with as much bullets as possible.
Soon, the amphibious craft got in the beach. Tracks and wheels touching Terran sand, and the burnt, scattered remains of Seaborne.
An MPF opened fire on a Sea Crawler, which promptly let out a roar of pain before dying. The vehicle crews moved themselves to the edge of the beach and they began to drive up to the town's outer streets. The helicopters, and especially Smokton's, began to deploy further in the city.
The craft with infantry began to have people dismount, the ramps in the back throwing open and whatever hatches on the side exist. Squads emptied out as quick as they can, while starting to open fire on any gathering of Seaborne.
A marine sergeant stepped out of one of them and issued an all-comms warning, "Check fire, we have innocent civilians and the Inquisition in the area!"
Smokton relayed that personally, "You heard him, watch for civvies, and watch for friendly forces." The helicopter lurched again, Irene gripping the seat and a bit of Specter's uniform as the craft performed a J-Hook and landed in a Plaza area.
The doors opened and the marines began to crawl out of the craft and secure the center area of the plaza. Skadi and Michael got out, and the 2 had their weapons drawn out, Michael aiming his more compact MP7 and Skadi holding her sword, pointing it down a street, ready to go.
Irene stepped out with her inquisitors and readied her handcannon, just as Specter stepped out with her Pizza cutter of a weapon. Gladiia and Ulpianus looked at Smokton, who had her M5 charged and ready to go.
"Move out!" Smokton barked, "Follow your Fire Team Leaders and follow your markers!"
Michael looked over at Skadi, "Skadi! You and Specter is with me!"
When he yelled the order, doing an ushering movement, he had to quickly turn and open fire on a Seaborn Slider, 5.7mm rounds flying forward and slamming into it, killing it. "Let's go!" He began to run, Skadi, following him.
Specter didn't know why she was following him, but if Skadi was going, she was going. The 2 Abyssal Hunters began to follow him, while Ulpanius and Gladiia stayed behind with Smokton, who was still barking.
Michael with his fireteam and the 2 operators moved through the town, flagging civilians and cultists. Drones tried to enter the airspace to start generating a tactical map, but due to the presence of the Floaters, the drones were having a bit more of a tough time marking who is friendly and who is not from far above, especially near the Nethersea infected bits of Gran Faro.
The first Belltower is being secured and captured by a far off platoon of MPFs and LAVs. Their guns hammering throughout the city. "Contact!" One of Michael's squad mates yelled out, Specter and Skadi moving to rush the offending seaborne. The 6.8mm rounds also flew alongside them. Civilians began to rush into their homes.
Although the weapons were silenced, the sight of a LOT of fire arms and armored vehicles probably isn't good. An RoE was going to get set up at this rate.
Skadi and Specter ensured that the monster was dead by slashing it further apart.
Michael let out a sigh of relief, checking his goggles, looking for the way point.
He almost got hit by the projectile of a floater, making him duck, and swiftly pull his M25 out. His fellow marines began to open fire, adding to the orchestra of suppressed gunfire and the weapons of any of the Marine Vehicles.
Skadi wasn't about to let them just go and have their gunfire fun, but it's not like she can stop them.
Specter had no weaknesses, neither did Irene's squad of Inquisitors and herself who decided to follow Michael because they were getting near the location of where a large number of the Iberian Forces are as well as Alive Until Sunset are in the town.
Using a building to propel herself, she flew upwards, making every Marine stop firing in order to not hit her as she manages to cut some Floaters down to Earth, the saw on her weapon tainted with Seaborne blood as it lightly spun.
The Fireteam's Automatic Rifleman just whistled and checked his M250, "Remind me to never piss her off..." he goes backt o opening fire on some floaters, the fire team plus the inquisitor squad moving down the street, bound for a USMC generated Objective point.
Another Bell tower, which over the squad communications, was being referred to as the Safe Churches. Michael looked over at Skadi and Specter who was wondering if the Marines were telepathic from how he and his team was just speaking and receiving information. "Uhhh," he lets out, before going into his backpack and producing 2 spare Walkie-Talkies, set to the Common Tactical Frequency of the Marines here.
Skadi grabbed it and observed it, blinking as voices began to come out of it, "Communicator..." she remarked, putting it onto her uniform. Specter doing the same, gripping her weapon tightly before suddenly taking off to attack a Crawler that had wandered into the street.
Michael aimed his M25 up towards a group of floaters, set the ammunition to Proximity, and opened fire, sending a 40mm Grenade up towards them, before detonating once it got close enough to the group.
Their bodies fell to the ground spectacularly, Skadi liking the explosion just a little, while Irene looked at her own hand cannon and then at the M25. A Marine Rifleman next to her looked at her pistol and she raised an eyebrow while reloading the weapon, "Where did you get a Desert Eagle?"
Irene blinked, "A what?"
"No time for that!" Michael called out, as Specter was pretty much heading forward, "Just get over to the Bell Tower!"
At the order, the group began to move, Irene slightly moving ahead of Michael as she began to see some high ranking Inquisitor and the Alive Until Sunset Group up ahead. Michael got his whistle and began to blow it.
Irene still had her weapon ready, which was good because a Seaborne creature, a Slider, poked its face around the alleyway of a building. Without missing a beat, she turned, and fired 2 accurate shots to the Slider, ending its existence.
The group finally approached the Bell Tower, which began to ring. All of the Marines of Michael's Fireteam feeling revitalized. Irene approached the High inquisitor and the Band, nodding respectfully to the former. "Saint Carmen," Irene names, the High Inquisitor humming.
"This is the organization that you told us about?" he acknowledged the presence of Skadi and Specter with a nod. Michael was putting his M25 away as he approached. His little emblem on his helmet shining a little brightly under the sun. Michael turns to Saint Carmen and Alive Until Sunset, who was getting ready to leave.
Turning to Irene, Saint Carmen produces a little object, "They have given this to us for the Abyssal Hunters to take," he explains, looking at Skadi and Specter who turned to face him at the mention of their group's name. He starts heading over, Smokton and the rest of Michael's Squad coming in.
The gunfire still raged, as Helicopters with big red pluses, medical crosses, began to fly in, and commenced CASEVACs on paralyzed Marines. AAVs began to diverge on this meeting point, all of them loaded up with Marines who need to spend time at the Bell Tower. An MPF rolled onto the scene, its hull covered in the guts and blood of Seaborne and Church Cultists.
A Visceral sight for anybody there.
The Alive Until Sunset band began to leave, seeing this objective point was close to the exit to the town. However, one of the members Aya, turned to the Inquisitors and waved at them, "Good luck, on your mission to reclaim that old Dreadnaught!" and with that, she left, leaving the Marines, Inquisitors, and Abyssal Hunters to stare down each other.
Which was a bit unintentional, but considering 1 of the groups here doesn't know the actual intentions of the inquisitors are and as to what that object was, they were slightly on edge.
An AAV opened its ramp, and medics began to rush paralyzed Marines to the Bell Tower, its affects coming down nicely and helping those paralyzed marines.
Smokton went up to Saint Carmen, her M5 slung back over her shoulder, "Sergeant Smokton, United States Marines Corps," she introduces herself. Saint Carmen turning to her, slightly towering over the Marine Sergeant, before taking her hand and lightly shaking it.
"I am Saint Carmen, the leader of the Iberian Inquisition," the MPF slowly rolls up behind them all, watching down the street. He decides to be cordial, for now, considering that this Marine Corps is occupying Sal Viento and is now currently displaying a level of fire power that is greater than the Lateranans.
Michael turns to face Skadi, who was somewhat behind him. Irene starts talking with other high inquisitors that were arriving at the Bell tower. For Smokton, all she did was turn up the speakers in her helmet, hearing the New Essex Base Command speak.
"Mission Accomplished Marines, all objective areas for now have been secured successfully with minimal casualties and minimal civilian casualties."
Soft chewing was heard. Everybody in the square looking over at a Marine HAT who was chewing on a Seaborne Sandwich he had quickly tossed together from whatever napalm-cooked rations he had on him.
Saint Carmen and the other High Inquisitors looked appalled.
Irene, her inquisitors, and the Abyssal Hunters, even though they spent little time with the Marines, just shrugged. "You..." Saint Carmen began, pointing at the Marine.
He was oblivious to the thoughts of the Iberian Inquisition, and thus, comically, he held the sandwich out.
"Want a bite?"