Operation Wackamole III
Posted on Tue Aug 18th, 2020 @ 10:17am by Chief Petty Officer Leslie Calhoun & Gunnery Sergeant Flarn & Gunnery Sergeant Gaagii & Staff Sergeant Shayla Kunadt & Major Cornelius Tremble & Sergeant Azure Thompson & Corporal Tyrigus Fry & Corporal Rairror Thoran
Edited on on Wed Aug 19th, 2020 @ 2:56am
3,721 words; about a 19 minute read
Mission:
Episode 10 - New Home, Same Pioneers
Location: Planet Designate Ahemait C310100-B
Timeline: MD005 2015 hrs
Shayla sat in her seat and began to slightly shiver as the lack of life support began to take hold. She knew from her own wrist mounted indicator that she had about another 30 minutes and then she would have to put her suit on just to survive. God damn it Cap get the information already I am freezing. She thought, and then as if on cue her the passive sensors went off. The indicated something that needed her attention. When she looked her normally tan face blanched pale white. It seemed that she read weapons fire. "Frak what the Frak is this sh$t." She worked hard to both get a hold of Tremble and a fix on the weapons fire.
The high speed insertion hadn’t made anyone particularly sick. The Hawkeye’s internal dampeners had taken most of the queasy feeling of your lungs beating your brain rapidly from their abrupt, albeit brief, relocation as the drop ship dropped through orbit, before Shayla jerked it onto a course and the payload ramp at the back opened. When the individual (red, green, yellow) lights had flicked on, the Cure had deployed.
First, the RECON platoon had jumped from the speeding drop ship, followed by first and second fire teams. The Command team had last, with Ameri and Billy attached by papoose to he and Azure’s battle armor.
Command team’s landing had went well enough. No one had died and the two Fleet personnel had detached and stepped down from the mounts as the Marines spread out, checked the LZ while Neil dropped the communication puck. The puck bounced once then went to hover 100 meters in the air and would follow them as they went, giving their scanners more of a read.
The surface of Ahemait was a craggy, dusty landscape as promised, bathed in the slightly off-putting blue light from the system’s sun. Neil let his eyes roam, looking for movement or something that might occur to be out of the ordinary.
Azure looked around. "What a great spot." She said. "Bumer, I didn't bring my holocam. She turned to Etah. "What do you think, Petty Officer?" The Corpsman asked.
Gaagii and the RECON Team landed with little to no incident. The Navajo man immediately disappeared with his team into the brush. They were snipers and pathfinders. As such they will be seldom seen and seldom heard. They proceeded through a small forest and into the crags of a mountain range. Within a couple of hours Gaagii found a set of boot prints. The only thing he could recognize was that they were left by environmental suits. Using hand signals he told his team to follow the prints and maintain radio silence.
"Ameri, you all have a minute to crack your way in or we'll blow that hatch. Let's move up, Azure!”
"We're on it!" Ameri turned and looked at the Petty Officer. "Let's do this!" She said with determination and headed over to get to work.
Billy followed her over and quickly unpacked the equipment. "I think the first thing we should do is attach the translation circuit. Hacking this thing is going to be a lot easier if we know what the screen says."
Neil was wondering when the other shoe would drop when he heard a crackling noise and the com puck dropped from the air, bouncing as it hit the ground. It’s boosting of the team’s com and sensors dropped as well, but his HUD picked up three rapidly moving objects heading for them.
Each was round, about the size of a basketball and as his weapon’s systems picked it up, auto-targeting kicked in and his shoulder mounted phaser fired a lingering beam which caught and tracked the lead globe. The ball began to glow as the phaser’s dwell time grew, chewing at it’s shields while Neil brought up his pulse rifle and began firing.
“Azure, cover the Fleet.” He changed from the team channel to the detachment net and saw repeater information coming in from Rifle Team 2 at the same time he saw PO3 Etah reach the door as a phaser strike from one of the drones struck , the Intel specialist, causing him to crumble.
Swearing in Klingon, Neil keyed the detachment net. “All Teams, this is Lead. HQ and Team two are under fire!” He continued to track the drone with rapid blasts from his pulse phaser until the overwhelming energy finally blew the first orb apart. “HQ is dealing with drones as we enter what looks like the main LP. Proceed with due caution and stun first, ask questions later.”
As his suit’s point defense engaged a second ball and it began firing at him in return, he called. “Lead to Hawkeye, go hot and call in the Cavalry. We may need some backup and likely a medivac. Break . All Fire Teams, Report In.”
Azure had extended her suit's shields to protect the fleeters, as she used her unique weapons to target the third drone. She'd released her plant based drones to engage it.
"Corporal if you can keep them off my back for five minutes I will have what we came for and this will not all be for naught." Calhoun called over his shoulder as he began to type furiously on the control panel in front of him. Beads of sweat began to form on his brow. For the moment his thoughts were split between the mission at hand and whether or not he would see his fiance again. He directed his attention toward Ameri. "Lieutenant if you wouldn't mind connect the ODN nodule to the data input on this thing. Let's hope we don't get fried in the process."
“On it,” Ameri called and went to work as Calhoun had instructed. It should have been simple but it was one of those times where nothing seemed to go easy. She finally got the ODN Nodule connected. Sitting back she called out.l to Calhoun. “I am done, so far so good.”
Billy could see that the data began to flow. They had broken through the bulk of the security protocols. His own reflexive algorithm had never failed not in all these hundreds of years. However, there was one last layer of security that he could not seem to get through. It was probably hiding the most valuable information. "Lieutenant, do you think you can get through this last wall. I can't seem to make heads or tails of it." He said and then the ground shook as another volley of weapons fire came through. "Damn it just a few minutes more..."
"You concentrate on your work, Chief, I'll deal with the unfriendlies." Azure said as the enemy drone imploded under the pressure of her own drones. A laser turret burst from the ground and began to fire.
Azure returned fire with her main weapon, reducing it to slag in a matter of seconds.
Ameri didn’t say a word she just went to work. They needed the information and come hell or high water she would find a way past their security. She could see the problem Billy had had, it wouldn’t be easy but she was determined to succeed. After several attempts and a bit of frustration, Ameri took a deep breath and cleared her head, shutting out everything around her and within moments she had gained access. “I’m through!” Ameri called out. She was relieved to have been able to get past it.
"Ah gotcha red handed you slimy sons a b...." Billy called out as a few more explosions went off behind him and Ameri. It seemed that they had gotten into the communications network and learned that the Breen had been here and were trying to get a foothold. "Thanks ma'am..." He said to Ameri had got the rest of the data uploaded to his terminal. There was no time to suss it out now. However, Billy knew that there would be plenty of time for that back on the Pioneer and hours of analyzing coming his way. He laughed as he put the finishing touches on a virus that was now in enemy system. "Whenever someone tries to use this system now an image of me will come up and say ah ah ah you didn't say the magic word. Well I think our work here is done. What do you say Lieutenant? Corporal?"
“I agree,” Ameri replied with a smile. “Mission accomplished!” She was pleased they had gotten all the data. She was one of those people that demanded a hundred percent of herself.
"Thompson to Skipper, were done here." Azure reported over comms.
Neil stood over the remains of the last enemy drone, watching as Azure's own drones picked apart the corpse. His suit was going through a reboot and he was dumping the heat sinks. At Azure's report, he said "Roger that. Good work. We're clear out here."
Switching channels, he said, "Hawkeye, this is Lead. Dust off and sick the Cavalry on that ship. Come get us then we'll dust off Team 3. Break. Team 2, continue your pursuit but be prepared to Dust off within twenty mikes."
Neil went silent and really wanted to be out of the suit all of a sudden. He had marines down and a job to do...
Corporal Tyrigus Fry had covered approximately half the distance when his suit's indicator's went bright red with a terrain warning.
Unfortunately, it was seconds too late as he landed on the ground and one leg, then the rest of him disappeared below the surface into a roughly two meter crater.
Flarn watched on his HUD as the Corporal made his way as ordered. A Tellarite cuss word was heard escaping his lips as he saw Fry fall into a crater. "Pearce stick tight we have to go see what happened there. Fry check in. Are you in the green?"
Fry lay on his face, trying to determine exactly what he did wrong when Flarn’s voice kicked in as his com reset. Pushing himself up, causing a cascade of rubble to displace from his suit, Corporal Fry got his bearings as his suit’s lights came on. “Roger that, Sarge. I’m alright, the suit took the brunt of it.”
A tunnel looking like it had formed naturally led off in two directions.
And of course, upwards in the newly made Fry hole.
“Looks like we have a tunnel down here Sarge. Sensor’s seem to think it goes in the direction we want, and further. I’m picking up a rather extensive tunnel system from when this rock had active water on the surface.”
"Good work Corporal, stand back for the moment." Flarn said as he looked over the readout that Fry had obtained. A few quick taps from the Tellarite on the wrist mounted control panel of the suit and then he extended his right arm. The arm was pointed at the ground right where Fry had indicated. A small concentrated beam of phaser energy emitted from his wrist and a hole began to form in the ground. Within moments a sturdy shaft had formed. "Very well down we go." He ordered his team and then opened a channel. "Flarn to HQ. Be advised we are heading underground. A series of tunnels has been discovered and it is on our mission. I am uploading the new data to you now. We will advise as we progress. Flarn out."
Over their Coms, Neil's voice chimed. "Roger that, Sergeant. You're current location is flagged. Take a look around, but watch your six. Team two is under attack."
Down below, Fry peered around the area he was in and began sifting through different vision in his helmet. He paused as his inferred picked up what looked like..."Footprints, Sergeant Flarn. Senator's are picking up heat signatures. Looks like someone was running up one of these tunnels recently. "
The corporal's sensor's jugged the spaces between the glowing prints and said, "Computer thinks it was maybe two minutes ago?"
"This could be how the enemy found Team 2. Go weapons hot, do not fire without the order or in defense. I would like to see where these people are coming from and perhaps cut off their reinforcements." Flarn ordered. He knew the mission was not going according to plan, but they had a job to do and he had a mind to do it.
Corporal Fry acknowledged and trotted down the corridor, following the footprints at a terrain eating pace, the muscle assisted legs of the MARVEL-EAS pushing him fast. Concentrating on not bouncing off the cavern walls like a pinball, Gus saw Pearce and Flarn's indicator's moving behind him.
Then he saw movement ahead and a phaser burst crumbled rock in front of him. His shock gun came up automatically and he feathered the grenade launcher, sending smoke and shock grenades into the tunnel ahead. Then he keyed his comm as he waded forward, "Point to Flarn. Engaged. Sensor's show three tangos."
Flarn caught up to Fry in a few moments. It took the Tellarite a moment as he was still a little out of shape from the coma incident. However, when he arrived he found Fry with his weapons raised in a smokey corridor. When the smoke cleared he found two humanoids laying on the ground, presumably incapacitated. The third opened fire and Flarn ducked behind an out cropping for some cover. He returned fire... "Take him down..." he ordered.
A burst of energy fire impacted around Fry and past him, with a couple of stray blasts hitting the suit. His armor held but he twisted away as the heat sinks rapidly over charged and ablative coating began to cook off.
Try's grenade launcher chuffed again and more micro-charges went off.With that, the incoming fire halted and he edged forward, confirming what his sensors told him..which he then vocalized.
"Tango's down," he reported, moving forward to start securing the unconscious attackers. He was placing binders on the first when the other two bodies disappeared in a shimmer of transporter beams.
Swearing, he looked over his shoulder at Flarn, "Damn it Sarge. Looks like I was too slow...the binder's blocked this one's signature, but the others were grabbed."
Sergeant Eubilex paused at Thoran's report and opened his mouth to say something when flashes appeared above the rim of the deepening, rocky canyon they'd been following. His HUD picked up incoming ordained and he opened his mouth to call out but the round landed among Rifle Team Two's position before he had the chance.
What sensor’s read as a mini-photon grenade cluster caused PO2 Samuel Renfroe to be blown backwards, his suit taking most of the blast and impact as the former blew him down a low grade, where he lay unmoving.
Eubilex was further from the impact point, the blast bouncing him off of the rock wall he’d been near. Most of the force was absorbed by his suit, but then secondary impacts from the rounds caused electricity to play over his suit, shorting out all of the power.
Then the boulder jarred loose from the explosion toppled from the wall above, falling approximately 8 meters before a jagged outcrop pierced the Edosian’s suit.
Rairror took up a defensive position to allow the rest of the Fire Team to take cover. Using his HUD to scan the rim. He picked up some unfriendlies and fired his main weapon. Part of the cliff atomised and the shooters fled.
The Orion took the time as the enemy regrouped, to check on his team.
Approaching the Sergeant, he didn't need his sensors to tell him the Edosian was dead. He said a silent prayer and then went to check on the corpsman.
Renfroe's suit was intact and was keeping him alive for the moment.
"Thoran to HQ, request medvac, one deceased, one injured." Rairror reported.
Over Thoran's suit com, Neil's voice came over. "Roger that, Corporal. Dust off on the way. I'm having Shayla pick us up so Azure can get their soonest. Secure an LZ."
"Roger, Skipper." Thoran replied and got to work. He flattened an area large enough to accommodate the Hawkeye and then placed three nav. beacons in a triangle shape around the area. The Orion the activated each one, before going to check on the Corpman.
Shayla sat in her seat and began to slightly shiver as the lack of life support began to take hold. She knew from her own wrist mounted indicator that she had about another 30 minutes and then she would have to put her suit on just to survive. God damn it Cap get the information already I am freezing. She thought, and then as if on cue her the passive sensors went off. The indicated something that needed her attention. When she looked her normally tan face blanched pale white. It seemed that she read weapons fire. "Frak what the Frak is this sh$t." She worked hard to both get a hold of Tremble and a fix on the weapons fire.
Her team was taking fire and she was adrift in space, it was the worst recipe possible for Shayla. She sat and watched the passive readout for what seemed like an eternity. Her orders were to stay put until the recall order was given. If things got hot she was to bug out. "FRAAAAAAAAKKKKKK!" She screamed as she contemplated disobeying the orders and getting the Cure out of there. "Computer begin reboot sequence authorization Kunadt-charlie-charlie-347" The computer acknowledged the order and the Hawkeye began to come to life albeit slowly. The light in the cockpit dimmed and a moment later Shayla realized that it was not the computer that dimmed the lights. She looked up and a ship had blocked some of the starlight... "Oh Crap..." she muttered as she saw the markings.
"Hawkeye, this is Lead," Tremble's voice came over the shuttles con. "Dust off. Call in the Cavalry and tell em to come in hot, then take an Elevator ride down here."
"Come on... Come on..." Shayla screamed at her console as it came to life. Just after it finished the boot up cycle she heard Tremble's voice. "Lead Hawkeye here. We are hot and I am mobile. Be advised I am not alone here. A large ship bearing no markings has entered the system. I say again no transceiver. I am heading for the extraction point. Recommend getting the hell out of here sir..." Shayla set her course and manuevered using the impulse drive. She raised the shields and armed the Hawkeye's weapons. "Damn I really hope I don't have to fight these things. I am too pretty to die."
Neil dialed up the tactical overview into his HUD and then activated the Hawkeye's comm suite and said, "Cowboy. Cowboy, this is the Cure. We have an unknown starship in orbit. Hawkeye is moving in for Dustoff."
The Marine CO didn't need to say more as a low, tinny bugle call sounded and three flights of Valkyries from the RDF went active on the sensors and a voice called out, "Stand by Cure. We are inbound, ETA four minutes."
Neil switched to the team net and said, "Ok people, we've got cover inbound in four minutes. Let's get packed up and ready to exfill."
The Hawkeye shook from weapons fire. She heard the RDF was inbound as was relieved for that. However, at the moment she was the only thing for the enemy to fire at. She watched the HUD to make sure that everyone was ready. She was going to keep the shields up for as long as possible, then lower them and get the teams up. With the enemy this close she could not risk landing for she may not get airborne again. "Lead this is Hawkeye. This party is getting rough let's blow this pop stand." A few seconds later Tremble signaled that she should get them up. Moments after that The Cure was all present and accounted for including the injured and dead.
Without even stopping or looking at the team she set a course for the Pioneer and engaged at maximum warp. Out in open space the Hawkeye broke orbit and began to create it's warp bubble. The small ship swerved in evasive as the enemy erupted a hail of fire. When the barrage finished The Cure could see multiple flashes of light through their viewports as the RDF arrived and opened fire. One last flash and the Hawkeye was at warp safely heading back to the Pioneer.
A Joint Post By
Captain Cornelius Tremble
Marine Commanding Officer/Second Officer, USS Pioneer
Lance Corporal Rairror Thoran
Munitions Specialist, FT 2, USS Pioneer
Chief Petty Officer Leslie Calhoun
Data Systems Analyst, USS Pioneer
Staff Sergeant Flarn
Rifle Fire Team 1 Leader, USS Pioneer
Lance Corporal Shayla Kunadt
EVAC Specialist, USS Pioneer
Sergeant Gaagii
RECONN Fire Team Leader, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Ameri Ó Flannagáin
Chief Operations Officer, USS Pioneer
Corporal Azure Thompson
Corpsman Command Fire Team, USS Pioneer
Corporal Tyrigus Fry
Rifleman RFT 1, USS Pioneer
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