Searching High, Running Low, part 1

Posted on Tue Nov 23rd, 2010 @ 7:28am by 1st Lieutenant Kara Melo & Major Leroy Mangalia & Private 1st Class Trent Kushner

1,260 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Peace, or Something Like It
Location: Planetside
Timeline: Current

ON:

Leo looked at the three fire teams that would be running down to the planet with them. The dropship was currently sending out the fleeters and the Marines they would have with them. He had picked his fire team from Charlie Company, letting them prove to him what they could do. "Marines, form up!" Looking around as they did so he sighed.

"This won't be fun boys and girls, and it wont be pretty. But when has that ever stopped a Marine before?" Looking at all of them, he slightly smiled. "If anyone, and I mean anyone wants to back out, the time would be now. You aren't going to get in trouble, you're not going to to spend time in the brig..." Leo looked mostly to his own fire team as he said this. They looked weak, and undisciplined, and he often wondered what they were thinking. "Alright, then I believe the Major has a few words for us," he said looking behind him.

No one sat there, waiting to talk. "Evidently I was wrong. Does anyone have any questions before we go down?"

Kara sat in the back with her team. She'd selected three of her best to accompany her to the planet. The four of them sat quietly, waiting to get under way.

Trent shifted his weight in the seat but said nothing. He had looked over the building blueprints, to the extent of the information at hand, and was ready to get his feet on the ground.

The Private had selected members from Charlie Company's first and also second platoon. Of the three, two of men were members of Trent's own fire team. He knew there were marines with perhaps better track records or more experience with tactical insertion, however, he had seen these men in a fight and knew how they operated. Trent trusted their instincts and knew they would respond well, In his mind that fact was of far surpassing value than a paper trail.

He sat quietly and checked over his weapons one last time. His hand brushed over his TR-110 as it unclasped the tether. He brought the weapon up and looked it over before his finger released the cartridge which dropped into his other waiting hand. He tapped the clip a couple times on the metal bench before slamming it back home. Satisfied, Trent pulled back on the slide which freed a fresh round into the chamber eliciting a very audible loud snap in the crowded compartment. After double checking that the safety was in the right position, he dropped the firearm back into its holster.

Trent looked around at the other Marines he had chosen and made sure to make eye contact with every one of them. Each one of them nodded in return, signifying that they were ready. He knew they wouldn't question his orders inside despite the fact that he was only a Private. This was Charlie Company after all, they knew their business.

Leo looked at both and said nothing, but turned around as the drop ship came back, and started to land. "Everyone gear up, and lets move out. No reason to let the fleeters think we are gonna go easy on em!" Leo grabbed his gear, and waved his six man team forward. He had decided to send an extra person with both Trent and Kara, a heavy weapons specialist. If he was going to stay back, he wanted nothing but light arms with him. The two teams that would be sweeping forward would need the extra heavy weapon with them, keeping the attacking hordes at bay, at least for the time that they were needed.

The drop ship pilot looked back from his seat and shook his head. "Alright, call out when you're ready to go." Leo looked to his two team leaders and nodded to the pilot, who started the vessel off the deck. "Hold on boys and girls, it's a pretty smooth ride, until the anti space craft fire starts."

----

The drop ship landed without incident, "Everyone out," Kara told her team. "Grab your gear and form up outside." She grabbed her rifle and her gear and headed outside.

Leo looked up at Kara with an amused grin and shook his head. "You know the rules, no firing, unless fired upon," he said simply, standing and waiting his turn. It always seemed to be a shuffle when they were getting out of a drop ship, so Leo began tapping his foot to a song that randomly popped into his head. His team were the last to leave as Kara and Trent's fire teams took up positions. "Alright guys, I want that front door, no casualties, and no shooting first," he said looking at what looked like a building, guarded by only a handful of people. "Up to you if it's a high stun or kill setting."

"That's why I brought a phaser rifle," Kara said, holding her weapon up for the XO to see. "No worries here. I know better than to shoot first anyway."

Nodding, he began setting his own weapon up. "Alright, I want that door taken without too much loss of life, and a holding point set up. If you want, we can sit back here and cover you in case the alarm is called. Its your call Sergeants."

"I want two recon to do a visual of the building. I want to know what we're looking at before we go in," Kara said.


Leo looked at two of his men and nodded towards the complex. They nodded back, silent, and took off at a high speed. "I should have ordered ARGO's down here," he lamented mostly to himself. Shrugging away the self doubt, he looked back. "They'll get us the intel we need. That and I want to check something." Tapping his chest, he heard the comm channel open. -^-Lieutenant Mangalia to Major Raine, can I get a detailed scan of the complex to my twelve? What are the energy signatures and forces inside the base?-^-

Damon looked over to the tactical officer on the bridge and the man knew to start feeding tactical information to the chair the Marine sat in. After a moment all of the pertenant data was at hand.

-^-Unclear Leo. The natural shielding is creating as much of a blind spot as the artificial. We have tagged twelve people coming and goin over the last six hours, not to say there isn't far more inside. To be honest, we still don't even know how many levels this building goes down.-^- Damon shook his head, it wasn't good Intel to move on but they had little choice. This building was still their prime target. -^-Do what you can, best bet is still the silent approach.-^-

Leo nodded and looked down. It was going to be a rough day if everything went wrong. Looking back up, the two scouts were running back, as if the hounds of hell were on their heels. "Get ready for incoming," he said simply, raising his weapon and wishing that his two best sharp shooters were in the field with him. As the two scouts slid to a stop before, and to the right, or Leo, they looked behind them, but nothing was moving.

(To be continued...)

Major Damon Raine
Marine CO/Acting CO
USS Calypso

1st Lieutenant Leroy Mangalia
Marine XO
USS Calypso

Sergeant Kara Melo (PNPC)
Platoon Leader
USS Calypso

Private Tent Kushner (PNPC)
Marine
USS Calypso

 

RSS Feed