The dropship roared through the arid moons atmosphere, the heat shielding taking the strain so that the mobile infantry inside were safe.
"Remember your training and you'll get through this alive" the Lieutenant shouted, the troopers rolled their eyes; every lieutenant said that during a drop. "Believe in me and I will see you through this, I have not lost a trooper yet and I don't plan to now!" It was true, the lieutenant was known to be lucky and that all his men returned, they didn't all survive their wounds but they did return. "One more time, saturation bombing has not removed the arachnid threat, the bugs have tunnelled underground deeper and under rocks that will protect them, M.I. are going in to kill 'em all, working together slow progress but no bugs will live once the mission is finished!".
"Landing hot" came over the comm. from the cockpit.
"All right men unlock and brace." The sergeant shouted over the noise of the drop. The sergeant ran through his orders, the real mission he was explained. He double checked his sidearm; a round was ready in the chamber.
The dropship landed and the boarding ramp dropped into a cloud of red dust, the troopers ran out fanning into a covering arc scanning the horizon looking for attack. The Lieutenant ran out and stood in the centre of the semi circle with the dropship to his back. He saw nothing, no combat, no arachnid presence; he could hear the sound of war faintly in the background, as the dust continued to settle he could see that other dropships were streaming a few hundred kilometres further.
"Pilot you've drop us in the wrong place!" The Lieutenant shouted
"No he hasn't, we've been brought here due to your court-martial" The Sergeant walked casually down the ramp towards him.
"Sergeant Oakham explain yourself, what court-martial?" the lieutenant was confused but didn't let it show on his face.
"Due to your celebrity in the media, the court-martial according to your conduct unbecoming of an officer and gross misconduct was done behind closed doors..." Oakham started
"That is illegal I must be present at a court-martial to defend myself!"
"Lieutenant Wesley, please contain yourself in a manner that is becoming of an officer and if you were present the amount of evidence against you would have silenced you. The punishment for you crimes is public execution but due to your service and popularity, your execution is to be carried out on the battlefield so that your luck can run out and you become a martyr for the war." Oakham continued calmly.
"I would face death at the hands of the bugs there is no need for this" Wesley continued, a pleading whine entering his voice
"The orders came from General Archibold and Major Thorne directly; the risk could not be taken that your luck would hold. I hereby discharge you from duty." Oakham began to raise his Brunham TW-102-s, the Sergeant knew to aim at the neck joint of the armour, it was weaker than the face plate, and he wanted the first shot from the 'Peacemaker' to count.
"Troopers shoot this man!" Wesley shouted but not a single infantryman flinched. "I'll kill you myself" Wesley snapped his rifle to his shoulder and pulled the trigger, the muzzle flashed and the note of the gunshot echoed in the dry air. Sergeant Oakham stood still with his pistol aimed.
"A real trooper, officer or not always loads their own weapon. The men loaded yours with blanks. Welcome to Martyrdom." Oakham didn't flinch as he pulled the trigger twice in quick succession, the armour shattered around the neck and arteriole blood and bone fragments sprayed out. Wesley stood for a moment a blank and mildly confused expression on his face and then he collapsed straight down as the muscles released their hold. He slumped at the sergeants feet and blood poured from the throat turning the dusky red stone to a deep scarlet.
"Well done Sergeant but you were told to just execute him." A man called out as they climbed down from the cockpit. He was wearing a full command power suit in comparison to the rest of the M.I. troopers who were wearing the light 'Stryker' armour, but not only was their suits a different pattern but also different colour, the new comers was all matte black whereas theirs was the standard issue green.
"Sir" Oakham replied, standing to attention, he'd seen the three triangle pips on the uniform.
"At ease sergeant, I came to make sure the orders were carried out without issue and you performed admirably. Are you ready to move out?" Major Thorne said
"Yes sir" Oakham replied; he did not like the fact that they were now being commanded into hostile territory by Military Intelligence, a contradiction in terms according to Oakham. "Distance and are we on the bounce Sir?" He asked
"Five kilometres south-east, there's a compound but we need to keep a low profile in this area, there have been reports of Hoppers and Ripplers in the area, I'll use the comm.'s to give details on route. Sergeant do what you need to" Thorne said calmly
"Yes Sir" Oakham turned and addressed the troopers "You heard the Major, on your feet, get those boots moving, watch the skies as well, Aasith you're on point, spot it, target it and comm. if you can." Oakham said quickly. The troopers stood, a female trooper with a Morita TW-202-L, the sniper moved off before the rest at a light run, she preferred to work alone and ahead of the main unit and Oakham knew it, he knew the units ways and preferences, Aasith was nearly always on point unless she was staying behind for covering fire. He waited for a few moments. "Alright, stop the mothers meeting and move out!" The remaining seven troopers, the sergeant and Major fell into line and proceeded on a course south-east heading down into dry dusty plains and canyons.
*
After the first kilometre was covered and they'd seen the dropship blast away the Major began to speak once they reached the second kilometre.
"We're heading to a research outpost to complete the secondary mission. They were tasked to locate a nearby brood of plasma bugs, and then tag them if able. They located them but were unable to tag them with the transponders. Our job is to locate the plasma bugs and tag them and then get out before we're noticed." The Major instructed them "Any questions?"
"What caused the research team to fail?" A gruff voice came over the comm.
"The same thing that makes all researchers fail, Luk" A younger male voice replied
"Bugs!" The troopers all said in unsion
"Correct." The major said, he flicked the comm. channel on his command suit to a private line to Sergeant Oakham "Are they always insubordinate?"
"That wasn't being insubordinate sir; that is M.I. Trooper repartee, you'll get used to it quickly and when a trooper is insubordinate it usually begins and ends with violence...sir." Oakham replied
"Banter, I have to regulate banter?" Thorne said out loud thinking he was speaking to himself.
"Yes sir, basically stop it when it gets rowdy." Oakham replied
"Thank you Sergeant" Thorne said
"You're welcome sir." Oakham replied as Thorne switched t to wide band, the troopers were still in discussion over researchers hunting bugs.
"Maybe M.I. should undertake the research" The gruff voice Thorne identified as Luk said
"Can you really see Aasith doing research, she'd watch the bug from a kilometre away get bored once she'd recognised a brief movement pattern and shoot it, generally through the eye" another woman said.
"You do realise I can hear you, and at the moment your eye looks very inviting" Aasith said.
"Easy girl I'm just joking and that was a compliment" The woman replied
"I know, and I am enjoying your walk Medb" Aasith said
"That's enough, Aasith, you're meant to be watching the front not the rear" Oakham cut in
"I am Sergeant. Aasith out" she replied solemnly
*
Less than a kilometre away from the research post Aasith spoke again.
"We've got bugs at the research post." She said of the comm.
"Type?" Replied Thorne
"Warriors but they're behaving strangely" She replied
"Watch and update, we're coming to you." Thorne stated, the unit increased their speed but kept their profile low, vibrations can tell the arachnids they were there. They found Aasith perched on top of a boulder where another hide her profile from view, the rest of the team spread out hiding their power suited forms. Major Thorne joined her and he used the magnification on his Visor to see what was going on.
Major Thorne saw the warrior bugs clambering over the research outpost bending struts back into place and trying to relocate wall sections to recreate the compound.
"Any idea why warriors are rebuilding the outpost?" Thorne asked to all
"Sir, they're not warriors, they're workers, the warriors are the ones standing in the corners and amongst the others, not actually doing anything, there are also hoppers keeping a low profile in the towers, you can just make out there wing tips. Apparently they're expecting us." Luk stated peering through the dropped visor
"How can you be sure of that?" Thorne asked turning to face him directly, this was the first trooper Thorne had looked at closely and he suddenly felt very small, not only was Luk a clear foot taller than him he was also nearly a foot wider and he it was all muscle. Thorne could see the bunched muscles through the skin tight body suit. The lighter armour left more of the bodysuit exposed as well as the face plate being clear, a solid square jaw, obviously badly set broken nose and the most electric blue penetrating eyes Thorne had ever seen in a non-psychic.
"Sir, there is a distinct difference in the thorax of the two, with the markings following a more broken aspect as well as the chitin taking a downward point on the worker in comparison to the warriors spiked. They are subtle differences in the movement also but these are harder to explain" Luk replied calmly using a gentle teachers voice to explain to a simple student.
"Thank you Private" Thorne replied turning and looking once more at the compound. Thorne looked at the compound and then at the team, he had two marauder drivers in the unit and he knew there were at least two Ape suits in the compound, but if they were functional was the question. The hoppers were a problem, there speed and agility in the air made them difficult to shoot and there was no idea of what was being hidden in the compound. "Lance Corporal would you be able to take out both the hoppers before they got into the air?" Thorne address Aasith
"Yes sir, but I'd need a clear shot, at the moment, it would be a glancing blow" She replied after a moment.
"Morrigan, Medb" Thorne said checking the names on his Heads-up-display "How quickly can you get a Marauder M-8 up and running?"
"Twenty-six hours, sir" they said in unison. Thorne winced inwardly, they were in cold storage it took twenty-six hours to get all Marauders up and running that was a basic fact and it was foolish for him to ask. He felt a light tap on his shoulder; he turned to look at Sgt. Oakham tapping the side on his helmet then point to his microphone and then to Thorne's own. Thorne switched his Comm. over to a single secure channel to Oakham.
"Banter is good, too many questions shows your lack of combat experience, sir. I take you were heading up the research here or at least part of it, for whatever reason you were not here when they encountered the bugs." Oakham said the moment he heard the secure line blip
"Very intuitive" Thorne replied, things were not going to plan. His carefully crafted facade was failing.
"Sir, You're not the first non-combatant to lead me into battle and I doubt you'll be my last. I respect your rank but to be honest I would prefer it if that was earned in the field. Now Shall we take a brief walk and discuss options?" Oakham asked.
"That would be very helpful sergeant." Thorne said.
"Make it an order over the main comm. sir, stating that I know the units abilities better, something along those lines." Oakham gave a brief smile and a wink as he heard the comm. flip over. He felt sorry of the Major, although his rank allowed him the power to control an entire battalion he'd never been in combat his gifts made him too valuable. Oakham knew too well what happened to sergeants that let Military Intelligence Special Agents die in the field, there next mission had a zero percent chance of survival.
"Sergeant Oakham, I have a tactical resolution to this situation please join me to discuss the capabilities of the team." Thorne said over the comm. Not bad Oakham thought, his facade was coming back. Oakham moved off following the Major to behind another large rock. The major sat down and took off his helmet off, Oakham looked at the young officer, his jet black hair already beginning to be flecked with grey, it was shaved close to his head giving his boyish face some age but it was the misty grey eyes that told the real story Oakham thought, these were old eyes, ones showing someone who'd seen more than they wanted to. Oakham sat down next to him but didn't remove his helmet.
"So, what is your plan?" Thorne asked, all the energy had drained out of him and confidence Oakham had seen in the past was gone. Something had changed in him and Oakham planned to find out but not know.
"The plan is quite simple. Aasith gives covering fire at a location of her choice, the rest of the team move forward and either you hand just hand Luk a set of tracers or the two of you mark targets for us to aim for. We concentrate fire on that target, hopefully all the warriors will die and the workers will back away." Oakham said, stretching his legs, he was a career soldier; he didn't want any higher rank than he was, it would take him from the men but some of the scars were starting to ache more and more.
"Sounds good, I'll tell the troops. Hopefully I can earn your respect once more." Thorne said almost mournfully
"You will sir just as we are about to earn yours" Oakham replied getting up. Thorne put his helmet back into place and reactivated the comm. "Troops, here's the plan. Aasith pick a preferred point to give covering fire. Luk, you and I will use tracer ammunition to mark targets, you can spot workers from warriors and so can I from your explanation. The rest of you concentrate your fire on our targets and take them out one or two at a time. Do you get me?" Major Thorne remembered his training instructor saying that at the end of all long orders
"We get you sir!" came back over the comm. in unison
Aasith disappeared, almost literally, into the dusty landscape moving forwards and choosing her point for covering fire. The rest of the unit spread out into a loose line and approached cautiously but not slowly, they were four hundred meters away before the first hopper jumped up within a tower and rapidly fell back down as part of the head exploded from the rounds impact.
The heavy thud from the tower alerted the warrior bugs at ground level, they looked over at the approaching unit; they erupted in a chitterling scream and came forwards. Ten warriors from the front of the compound, another two hoppers leapt into the air from the rear towers; one fell straight down into the compound as the eye socket exploded, the report of the rifle echoing.
"Watch my tracer!" Thorne shouted as he took aim with his Morita TW 203-a; and opened fire with a short burst. Every third round was a tracer, the bright glow streamed through the air, it clipped the warrior in the leg, a second later the rest of the rifles opened fire and the warrior fell. Morrigan traced the movements of the bugs but waited for orders before firing her Fedcom SW-402 grenade launcher, Medb was following suit, holding her Fedcom SW-403 rocket launcher on her shoulder waiting for a specific order.
Two more tracers streaked through the air and two more warriors fell, a hopper began a low approach towards the unit aiming to decapitate with its razor sharp wings, tracer rounds flashed by and more rounds followed clipping the fast moving bug, it bounced over the oncoming warriors skimming the ground low and moving from side to side to avoid the shots. Suddenly it's lower jaw exploded of as a round ripped through the back of the throat, the troopers continued fire dropped it so it smashed into the ground a slid to a halt in front of them.
"Move around or use the bug to brace, Morrigan fire at will!" Major Thorne shouted, they moved through the dust cloud caused by the hopper bugs death. Thorne targeted the closest warrior and fired, sporadic fire joined him and it fell. The muffled triple thud of the Morrigan's SW-402 'Triple GL' sounded and then the triple concussive blast sounded as the three grenades exploded within the warrior's ranks, blood and chitin flew through the air, a single warrior limped forward out of the blast, by the time the two tracer rounds from Luk and Thorne hit, the eye had already exploded from a round from the Aasith's rifle.
"Sir" Aasith said over the comm.
"Yes" Thorne replied, the unit had all snapped their visors down and cycle through the optical sensors to pick a preferred vision while the dust settled
"I only shot three hoppers, the fourth disappeared low past the outpost." Aasith said, she kept her eye locked onto the scope scanning the area for movement.
"Understood" Thorne replied "any movement?" he asked to all as he scanned the area himself. A chorus of resounding negatives came through. "Aasith, stay sharp we're going in. I'll take lead, Luk switch to standard rounds." They both switched to standard ammunition as the light from tracer rounds could blind the other troopers using the infrared spectrum.
They moved forwards Thorne at the front leading, he still had only his pistol drawn in his right hand but now he walked forward with his left hand up palm flat with his eyes half closed.
They moved cautiously through the fall of dust, trusting all their senses and sensors to give them any warning of what's to come. As they exited the dust and flicked sensors back to standard they looked upon the outpost and it now seemed abandoned, within the short space of the battle no hoppers were left on the watch towers, and the surrounding throng of workers and warriors were no more. Thorne called a halt with a raised closed fist and went down on one knee. He placed his hand on the ground and closed his eyes, his forehead began to crease, beads of sweat formed and then his eyes shot open wide almost showing the entire circle of the eye.
"To the Outpost, move! Move! Move! Aasith take cover we're about to receive incoming fire!" Thorne shouted over the comm. None of the troopers hesitated and all engaged the jump jets on their suits and began a swift bounce manoeuvre to the outpost, jumping with the jet assistance ninety feet in the air in a steady parabolic curve. They closed the distance in moments and looked at the repairs of the outpost, the metal forced back into place.
"On your six, three bounces back." Aasith said over the comm. as the rest of the unit engaged the jump jets for an almost vertical jump up and over the wall, Thorne's actions showing them they had no time to lose.
"Pick up the pace soldier!" Thorne shouted through the comm. The unit landed in the middle of the compound desiccated human remains were surrounded by that of warrior, chariot, worker, hopper and a single tanker bug. The research outpost had fought hard before they'd succumbed. The evidence was all over the walls.
"Plasma blast in bound, look for stable cover" Thorne insisted. The unit broke up into pairs and began to look at the partially bug repaired outpost and materials.
"Bug hole sir, behind this tanker, best bet if we can move quickly." A trooper shouted from his standing point on top of the tanker bug,' Thoth' was blazoned across his chest.
"Down the hole!" Thorne shouted in to the comm. Thoth jumped down behind the tanker bug, his jump jets automatically kicking in as he fell beyond the armours safe limits for receiving an impact. Thoth flicked his helmet lamp on using the Heads UP Display (HUD) on his visor, a quick scan and he switched it off, flicking the visor to night vision and moved forwards down the tunnel as he heard the rest of the unit drop down the hole.
Aasith boosted into the compound and as she reached the pinnacle of the jump she could see the blue light of the plasma burst come arcing over the mountains heading for the compound, as she began the decent she saw two more shots following the first on the same trajectory.
She landed heavy and glanced over the compound looking for the bug hole. The tanker bug was in front of her, she leapt forward engaging the jump on her boots for extra momentum. She slammed into the tanker, and stumbled round to the rear, her vision blurred from the impact, she fell into the hole landing heavy on her side.
"Run!" Aasith shouted at the troopers just in front of her, blue light was increasing as the plasma was streaming down to the compound. The unit looked back at her and saw the increasing light, Medb and Oakham were closest and ran to her side, they both grabbed a strap or piece of armour.
The light was turning brilliant white tinge with electric blue
"Boost" Oakham shouted, they engaged their jump jets and started to move forward pulling Aasith.
The plasma landed.
Bright white light flashed, shearing metal sounded, heated air blasted down the tunnel, stone exploded, rubble fell and they all entered darkness.