M1T9

[Nick]

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

21.37 hours local time

Squad 1 guarded the hill while Squad 2 leap frogged into position near the runway, meaning that one Marine covered the other as they advanced. Squad 3 and Squad 4 guarded the central building.


When Squad 2 neared the dropship pad they saw that the other Marines had not fared as well as they had. Perhaps that was the explanation to why the Bandits had managed through the battle virtually unscathed. Perhaps the rebels had been shooting at the Marines behind them? But it was hard to judge how many had been injured in this engagement compared to how many had already been shot up as they entered the base. One thing was evident, there was a lot of causalties amongst them - Almost everyone of them had bandages and first aid kits applied. Next to an APC - Lined in a grisly row - The outline of four vaguely human shapes could be seen covered by a plastic sheet and weighed down with rocks. This final firefight had added another straw to the camels back for the expeditionary Marines and You could read in their sooty faces and their distant eyes that they had gotten about enough action for one day.

The Bandits on the other hand felt evigorated and the thrill of battle had given them some action after months and months in transit or training. Finally. The Marines of 4th and 3rd Squad quickly took up positions around the drop ship pad. A sandbagged foxhole was dug in each corner and the two squads spread out over them equally, propping their Smartguns in the two most northern foxholes. Peering carefully over the edge towards Koeper hills.

Within seconds of the Marines entering the foxholes there was a rushing sound, reminding about the sound of a freight train, moments later several detonations could be seen on the hill where the rebels had been. More outgoing rounds passed high over their heads and detonating in gushes of black dust on the hillside. Huge plumes of black dust drifted lazily in the winds. After the first measuring rounds the barrage increased in intensity. In comparison the mortar attack suffered earlier was a like a drop in the ocean. The whole hill was enveloped in violent explosions, it almost seemed to boil. The resounding thumps and muffled explosions filled into each other in an orchestra of doom and fieary death for anyone unfortunate enough to be under it.

After a minute or so the last explosion rung out and the sound of outgoing artillery was replaced by the distant, but familiar whining of turbojets. From the south four dropships approached, low over ground, at breaknek speed.

>

[Quinn]

"INCOMING!!!!" Quinn yelled, covering the patient he was currently working on with his own body to protect him from the shrapnel that would inevitably wheel across the base like messengers of death. The sounds of the wounded around him, the screaming and men crying for their mothers were drowned out by the dropship's weapons. Taking a quick sigh of relief that it wasn't enemy fire, he quickly worked on the rest of the man who looked up at him with a simple request in his eyes.

"Don't worry son, that's the cavalry arriving. You'll be outta here and home in no time. Be seeing your family and laying your girlfriend before the rest of us even get outta here. You are one lucky sunuvabitch." Quinn grinned at the man, wrapping gauze around the sutured wound. Looking at his arm that was dislocated, Quinn wished he could give the man another shot of morphine, but that would lower his heart rate to the point of failing. But what he could do was take out a special piece of leather tied with ropes, and put it into the man's mouth.

"Bite down on that son, it'll help." he said as he positioned his leg against the man's elbow and took the arm into his hands. "On the count of three, one..." and Quinn snapped the arm back into the socket with the practiced ease of a veteran. The young Marine screamed from the pain, the sound muffled by him biting down on the bit of leather. But it went into instant relief as Quinn began to splint the arm.

"The android on the ship will be able to do a much more thorough job, but this patch job will keep you going until then. Relax now Marine, we're all gettin the hell outta here."

[Dirk Pitt]

Dirk hopped in the foxhole a moment before the first morter was fired. He looked over at his squad, but before he could speak the sky fell.

"Incoming! Get in the fox holes and stay down!' Dirk shouted as the first morter fell.

As the morter rounds fell around his foxhole, the only thing Dirk could think about was the fourth of July. The fire works of his youth came to mind as he watched one of the most massive displays of firepower he had ever seen. Explosion after explosion until the rounds stopped.

The sounds of explosions was replaced by the sounds of men in pain. This brought Dirk back to here and now. Leaning up he put the scope of his sniper rifle to his eye and looked for a target.

"Stand by for contact Marines. They might be useing the morters to cover an advance!" Dirk shouted over the comm and he looked for a target

(OOC Roll for finding movment or advancing targets)

[Quinn]

(Uh Dirk, those aren't mortar rounds, and nothing's hitting the base. It's just allied air support pounding the hills where the rebels retreated to.)

[Dugan]

Simovic watched the fireworks through the front window of the APC, he could just make out the explosions on the Koeper Hills. After the arty strike he heard the familiar sound of dropships overhead. He jumped on the APC's command post and tried hailing them through the long range comms "This is Sgt. Simovic of Byron's Bandits we need immediate medevac from Camp Castaway, can you offer any assistance over?".



Simovic realised they had the rebels on the back foot and a strike at the Koeper Hills once the injured had been evacuated would be their best bet to secure the area. He clicked his comms to the command channel "Jones we could get one of the dropships to deploy the platoon at the rear of the hillside and then try and outflank the remaining rebels it'd give us a hell of an advantage and who knows they may even surrender?"

[Nick]

OOC: I confused squad movements. Please re-view and correct Your posts according to this information.

Oh and LOL at Dirk...the poor bastard seems to have a nervous breakdown. 

//N

[Nick]

"This is Sgt. Simovic of Byron's Bandits we need immediate medevac from Camp Castaway, can you offer any assistance over?".

"This is Striker Five Six, to Sergeant Simovic, affirmative. We are sending down two ships while two stay on station. Keep You eyes peeled and prepare to give covering fire if we get shot at, over"

[pants]

The exertion from the firefight had raised Octavius breathing slightly but the marine was still struggling with the adrenalin high from the brief engagement.  Holding the central building with the rest of third and fourth squad, Octavius popped up and rested his smartgun on the top of the sandbags facing towards where he thought any enemy remaining were likely to strike from.

Scanning for any sign of enemy activity a sudden thought occured to Private Mongo.  It was an interesting thought one that he felt he should pass on to his corporal.

"Corporal Silvanus, did anyone check to make sure that our fellow marines are actually marines?  Or am I being to paranoid?" asked Private Mongo.



EDITED

[Apachetear]

Jacob whistled in awe as he saw the artillery strike.

Hearing Dugan's idea, his eyes sparkled.

Lighting a cigarette he started to formulate a little plan...

"Simovic, what if we loaded into the APCs and got dropped in amongst them, take 'em by surprise when they're reeling? Get a foothold then disembark the APCs and eliminate...high risk high reward - we assault from the back they'll be so deep in foxholes after that barrage it'll turn into a protracted firefight...just an idea!"



squatting down he tapped the ash and stared at the wounded. Giving them a small salute he couldn't help but inwardly repeat the mantra "rather you than me"

[Dugan]

"This is Sgt. Simovic of Byron's Bandits we need immediate medevac from Camp Castaway, can you offer any assistance over?".

"This is Striker Five Six, to Sergeant Simovic, affirmative. We are sending down two ships while two stay on station. Keep You eyes peeled and prepare to give covering fire if we get shot at, over"

"Ok I read you Striker Five Six will have the wounded ready ASAP, over". Simovic clicked the platoon channel of his comms "OK we have two dropships on route to the landing pad 2nd Squad get the injured up and ready to board".



Simovic left the confins of the APC and made his way to the landing pad to aid with the evac, when Honeysetts message came through the comms.

"Simovic, what if we loaded into the APCs and got dropped in amongst them, take 'em by surprise when they're reeling? Get a foothold then disembark the APCs and eliminate...high risk high reward - we assault from the back they'll be so deep in foxholes after that barrage it'll turn into a protracted firefight...just an idea!"

"Yeah sounds like a good plan Honeysett, we just need to make sure the L T is sweet on it"

[Quinn]

Over the unit's radio, Quinn decided to put forth an idea of his own.

"Sarge, I don't think the Lieutenant is stable at the moment. She just pointed a gun at you during the thick of things. I don't think she's ever been in combat before. Just my opinion on that. However, we do have a Captain you can ask. He's with the Expeditionary Force, so you can reach him through their net."

[eyeball]

patch kept low and in cover, quickly popping up to look out at the enemies position every now and then, never in the same place twice and only very quickly. he also checked the motion scanner making sure no sob was trying to sneak up on the hill position.

some how the troops that had just been routed by this handful of marines had wiped the floor with the expeditionary force, something was not right here not right here at all.

[Dugan]

Over the unit's radio, Quinn decided to put forth an idea of his own.

"Sarge, I don't think the Lieutenant is stable at the moment. She just pointed a gun at you during the thick of things. I don't think she's ever been in combat before. Just my opinion on that. However, we do have a Captain you can ask. He's with the Expeditionary Force, so you can reach him through their net."

"Don't worry Quinn I woudn't trust her to lead a dog on a leash. I mean our Lt, Jones".



[O.O.C Astroboys character is the platoons C.O]

[AstroBoy]

"Jones we could get one of the dropships to deploy the platoon at the rear of the hillside and then try and outflank the remaining rebels it'd give us a hell of an advantage and who knows they may even surrender?"
...
Simovic, what if we loaded into the APCs and got dropped in amongst them, take 'em by surprise when they're reeling? Get a foothold then disembark the APCs and eliminate...high risk high reward - we assault from the back they'll be so deep in foxholes after that barrage it'll turn into a protracted firefight...just an idea!"

Jones replied to the chatter between his sergeants, "Our orders are to hold this base until new ones arise. It's too risky dropping behind them. Any man behind their lines would be cut off."

Jones could see that the plan had merit, but with a medevac to be completed, splitting his platoon was not something he wanted to do just yet.



"Dugan, ask the dropships what they can see of the rebels movements and locations."



He wanted more recon before sending his marines in.

[Apachetear]

"Sure thing sir" Jacob smiled lazily "it means not risking our life for a few more hours, and that suits me fine!"

turning to his Squads, Jacob filled his lungs "Guys, you aren't looking defensive enough, I want the rebels to look over here and see an impenetrable base. make it happen!"

Lighting another cigarette, Jacob moved over to where his squads lay and squatted down

"Anyone wanna smoke?" he asked, proffering around his pack of cigs