M1T3

[Nick]

2179 AD 25th August
Location: CSC Sector, Crysalis, Camp Castaway

21.10 hours local time

The gunfire to the north seemed to calm down a little. The sky was pitch black now, prickled by the white stars, but with the ominous red glow from the burning colony to the north west. With the disappearance of the sun the cold crept inside the clothes, flesh and gnawed at the very bones it seemed. It was deathly cold and white plumes flashed in front of the marines faces as they worked with entrenching the base. Lt Andersons paced nervously back and forth outside the make-shift APC HQ she had placed next to the destroyed building. She nervously watched her watch and craned her neck towards the black sky.

Then suddenly a soft murmur was heard, the murmur grew rapidly to a humm and then the sound of engines could be clearly heard. From the west three dark shadows rushed towards the compound with breakneck speed. The sound from M577 turbines reached the tense Marines through the dark. The APCs were running fast and only a few hundred meters out they dared turning on their headlights. The remains of the 9th Marine Expeditionary Force was arriving.

The six APCs were in varying condition. The first one was dusty but seemed relatively unharmed. The other five were ranging from shot up to a complete write off - The last APC missed one of its rear tires completely and the rear axle pointed out like a bone from a carcass.

A Marine Captain jumped off the first APC. He ignored the lame salute offered by Lt Anderson. "We have wounded aboard, we need medivac for these right away" The Captain turned around and shouted something inaudible to the Marines that had started to appear from the APCs.

He turned back to Lt Anderson.

"You better start thinking about hauling that pretty ass of Yours out of here if You want to keep it" Lt Anderson tried to take on an offended look. Completely oblivious the Captain continued his bantering "The whole fucking revolutionary guard is on our heels! They jumped us out at Koeper hills. Firing HIMATs, grenades and all kind of Chinese shit at us. We took a few casualties...Morgenthal and Lathams crews took a direct hit....instant brewup. No one of those guys came out alive" It was evident that the Captain was suffering some kind of post traumatic stress from the way he talked.

>

OOC: Please note the two attached maps. Right click and save them for easier viewing.

[Dirk Pitt]

Dirk watched the procetion of APCs moving in. Some more banged up than others. He felt something, not fear exactly, but antisapation. He was ready for this battle to start or to get the fuck out of here.

Seeing that Monks and Posey were ready he ran over to the APC and put his M-41A back into its rack, drawing a M42A Scope Rifle instead. He was checked out as a sniper and there wasn't anyone else that had the weapon ready to go. He then walked to the tents they had set up and using his K-bar he cut a large flap off, big enough to get under so the material would mask his heat signature.

Walking to the small hill by the northren fence line he got into a prone fireing position and covered himself with the tent material. He looked through the scope at the west to the north west in a sweeping motion, cycleing through all the optics the scope had.

[exowolf]

Conrad turned to Windrider; "Hey, Marion- give me your rifle and get up in the tower, you'll climb faster without it. Have a look, and come down pronto, bro."

He nods quietly back to Conrad.  Taking his bowie knife out of his holster he swiflty places the blade between his teeth and grips the ladder to climb.  The cold steel reminds him of the many belly crawls he has done in his past with just a knife in his mouth and the prey ahead of him.

Windrider begins the ascent like a spider climbing the web it weaved.  Constantly focussed ahead and plotting his next grip looking and seeing what he can find.

>

[Nick]

Part from the occasional burst of distant gunfire the two Marines failed to detect anything of particular interest. All they could see were the softly rolling outline of the Koeper hills - backlit by the red glow of the burning colony.

[pants]

Octavius's mind was awhirl with information as he stood waiting for Sergeant Bennett or Corporal Silvanus to issue him orders.  His face was a mask while his mind worked frantically to try and outline the bigger picture.

The enemy Revolutionary Guard were on their way towards the base from the north, where the colony had been before someone had set fire to it and also where the marine force had got jumped in the hills, and most likely the west, which was where the main road entered the base and allowed for easier movement for vehicles and troops.

Whatever the marine captains name was, who had led the ambushed marines back to the base, hadn't given an accurate count of the enemies encountered so they had little information to go on about the numbers they were facing.  The Bandits current orders were to defend the base, but if a significant enemy force was on the way then that could change to evacuating all marine and civilian personnal.

With the forces they now had in the base, including the Bandits and the ambushed expedition, they could conduct a decent defence depending on what opposition they faced.

Of course Private Mongo was really low on the totem pole, so he kept his mouth shut and waited for orders like a good marine should.

[Kurosaki, Ichigo]

A Marine Captain jumped off the first APC. He ignored the lame salute offered by Lt Anderson. "We have wounded aboard, we need medivac for these right away" The Captain turned around and shouted something inaudible to the Marines that had started to appear from the APCs.

He turned back to Lt Anderson.

"You better start thinking about hauling that pretty ass of Yours out of here if You want to keep it" Lt Anderson tried to take on an offended look. Completely oblivious the Captain continued his bantering "The whole fucking revolutionary guard is on our heels! They jumped us out at Koeper hills. Firing HIMATs, grenades and all kind of Chinese shit at us."

Kurosaki stared at the men who had been in hell. When the marine Captain said Chinese shit, Kurosaki felt... something towards the Captain. The son of a bitch probably couldn't even tell the different between a Japanese and Chinese person. A reason to stay away from the Captain.

"Stalker Nine, this is India Kilo. We have wounded men here. Stand by"



Kurosaki turned to Dugan.
"Sir, what do you think about the situation? Should we have the dropship land, or should we have it bomb the enemy?"



Kurosaki got on the local comm system.

"Quinn, I do not know if you have been paying any attention, but we have wounded. You should help them."

[AstroBoy]

OOC: I'm assuming the main building has already been sandbagged.

Jones scratched his chin upon hearing the news. The compound wasn't set up very well but at least they had a decent building to fall back to.

Jones talked to Lieutenant Anderson, the Captain and Sergeants Bennett and Simovic. "OK, here's the plan. We're tasked with holding this compound until further orders but we need a medivac for the wounded.

Captain, you can take all your men if you want, of course it's up to you. I wouldn't mind the company if you wanted to stay. If you're staying, you can stay in this building.

All sections will sandbag the small hill as fast as possible and once it's done, Section 1 will hold it. Section 2 will hold the building. Use the windows to fire out of. Simovic, if your section looks like it could be overrun, fall back to the building.

We'll be waiting for the dropships to take the wounded and we hold the compound until we're told not to Clear?"



Kurosaki, tell them to report what they see north of the compound before they land.

[Nick]

There was no contact with the dropship - a rapidly pulsating static was all that could be heard. The signature signal of someone using active jamming.

Several hundred meters out a green flare rose rapidly from the edge of Koeper hills, ascended in a wide arch to softly slow down once its miniature parachute deployed. The flare hung there, illuminating the ground below it with a sick green hue. The bobbing of the flare made saw toothed shadows on the ground that rocked gently back and forth.

[Quinn]

Quinn by this time had the situation of the wounded already in hand. He'd gone to each APC to tell the men within to get the wounded into the ruined building and under cover. There was probably going to be mortar fire soon enough, and while the APCs were armored, the mention of HIMATs were enough to make them in Quinn's mind big fat targets.

"EVERYONE OF YOU MOVE YOUR WOUNDED INTO THE BUILDING!!! YES, YOU TOO SERGEANT!! NO, I DON'T CARE IF YOU WANT TO FIGHT OR NOT, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HELP WITH ONLY ONE ARM!!! OY, YOU THREE, GIVE ME A HAND HERE!! ON THE COUNT OF THREE, ONE, TWO, THREE!!" Quinn was shouting at the top of his voice to get people moving into the building, and there was already a stream of walking wounded heading inside the building, and those who couldn't were being carried in on folding stretchers.

As Quinn passed the Captain, he tossed off as a throwaway "Captain, I'm taking control of your medics for the time being. Thanks Cap."

[StConstantine]

"SQUAD THREE, EVERY ONE TO ME" Silas yelled over the sound of gun fire. "GRAB ANYTHING YOU CAN START FORTIFYING THAT HILL. GRAB ANYTHING YOU CAN FIND AND FOLLOW ME".



Silas quickly looked around, spotting an upturned desk he grabbed it and began running for the hill motioning for his squad to follow.

[S. Collins]

Collins lured into the black night which was sprinkled by glowing stars high above. Ready in reserve with the punching power of a locked and loaded M56 crossed over his lap Sean waited within the destroyed main building, close to the bursted wall. Rubble and shattered boulders of concrete covered the ground. This additional 'entrance' led directly into the shelter of the improvised base hospital. Quinn was arranging the health care of the wounded in haste, shouting around like a maniac. Sean stood up and stepped over to the totally wound up medic, tapping him on the shoulder to gain his attention for a moment.
"Quinn! Calm down, will ya? You're just making everyone more nervous then they already are... give those boys some quietness."
Sean had no intention to tell Quinn how he had to do his job, but he sure could do it and spare everyone's already tense nerves if he would work more calmly and less hectical. Sean smiled lightly eventhough his nerves were strained by the tense atmosphere of a awaited combat. The time before a enemy attack was worse than the actual combat itself. It was a mind-thing.
[tag Pvt. Quinn]
Sean turned his head back towards the wrecked eastside of the building louring into the darkness, tainted by a glinting spooky green light. The most appeasing feeling was the trusted weight of his gun resting in his hands and on his waist. The flip-down display infront of his right eye luminated the gloom with night-vision. Sean was glad to be sitting in the rearguard on one side... wanted to assist his comrades shoulder to shoulder fighting on the other. With that stray thought upon his mind his hands double-checked the settings of his M56.

[roll for awareness].
>>Collins' current position<< Click me!

[Quinn]

Collins lured into the black night which was sprinkled by glowing stars high above. Ready in reserve with the punching power of a locked and loaded M56 crossed over his lap Sean waited within the destroyed main building, close to the bursted wall. Rubble and shattered boulders of concrete covered the ground. This additional 'entrance' led directly into the shelter of the improvised base hospital. Quinn was arranging the health care of the wounded in haste, shouting around like a maniac. Sean stood up and stepped over to the totally wound up medic, tapping him on the shoulder to gain his attention for a moment.
"Quinn! Calm down, will ya? You're just making everyone more nervous then they already are... give those boys some quietness."
Sean had no intention to tell Quinn how he had to do his job, but he sure could do it and spare everyone's already tense nerves if he would work more calmly and less hectical. Sean smiled lightly eventhough his nerves were strained by the tense atmosphere of a awaited combat. The time before a enemy attack was worse than the actual combat itself. It was a mind-thing.
[tag Pvt. Quinn]
Sean turned his head back towards the wrecked eastside of the building louring into the darkness, tainted by a glinting spooky green light. The most appeasing feeling was the trusted weight of his gun resting in his hands and on his waist. The flip-down display infront of his right eye luminated the gloom with night-vision. Sean was glad to be sitting in the rearguard on one side... wanted to assist his comrades shoulder to shoulder fighting on the other. With that stray thought upon his mind his hands double-checked the settings of his M56.

[roll for awareness].
>>Collins' current position<< Click me!

Quinn stopped, took a deep breath and nodded.

"Thanks Collins. But getting all these guys to listen to you is like trying to herd cats." Quinn gestured to the mass of men, with the medics of various squads tending to the wounded. Looking to the APCs, Quinn muttered to Collins. "Hey, could you do a raid on the storage lockers of the APCs and see if they have any heavy hardware? Like maybe some mortars or RPGs? Because the guns on the APCs are good, but they're awful large targets."

[AstroBoy]

"Was anyone listening? Fortify that hill!"

[Pale Rider]

Bennett, jumped up and began bagging the hill he looked at his mean curious as to why no one was listening to orders and everyone was doing their own dang thing. If anybody survived they would get a size 12 boot lodged sideways in their keesters! "Marines, you heard the LT, get your butts in gear. If you want to die then sit on your thumbs otherwise grab a sandbag and drop it into place!"

[Dirk Pitt]

Dirk heard the order, Damn he thought. Sandbags draw fire, but orders are orders. He rolled up his Tent/cover and helped with the sandbags, lighting a cigaret and smokeing it as he did.

"Monks, Posey. Give us a hand over here. Dirk yelled to his squad.

Once done, he ran quickly and climbed to the top of the building. Covering the tent part with dust and rock he got under it and resuned sweeping the area for movement and any tergets.