Final Mission Report - Operation Acheron

[Pale Rider]

C L A S S I F I E D
Galaxy Top Secret
Final Mission Report - Operation Acheron From:
United States Colonial Marines Corps
USS Alonquin
3rd Regiment, 2nd Battalion, 1st Company, 8th Platoon
Brevet 2nd Lieutenant Danny Sykes

To:
United States Colonial Marines Corps
Gateway HQ
Colonel Cadence Layla Novak

Date: Tuesday August 31, 2179, 2150 UTC
Location: Bordino Sector, Planet LV-426
Mission Time: 44:00:00
Mission Status: Completed

Personnel Status and Updates:

KIA
Lieutenant Hayden Knutson
Sergeant Tora Jonsson
Private Nicole Grayham
Private Cassiopaja Caleija

MIA
None

Active
Brevet 2nd Lieutenant Danny Sykes

1st Squad:
Brevet LCpl. Samantha Hall - Squadleader
Pvt. Noah Farmer - Smartgunner
Pvt. Clint McKenna - Medic
Pvt. Uhtred Ragnarson - Rifleman

2nd Squad:
LCpl. Juan Perez - Squadleader/Smartgunner
Pvt. Jacob Honeysett - Rifleman
Pvt. Sarah Wang -ComTech - WIA
Pvt. Vanessa Sanger - Rifleman

3rd Squad:
LCpl. Thomas Colson - Squadleader
Pvt. Bailey Mitchell - Smartgunner
Pvt. Allen Morse - Rifleman

Support:
J. Priest, ECA
Senior Aeroman Erland Costanzo, Navigator
Aeroman First Class Kalyani Niusha Carter, Engineer

Mission Report

Mission Start
Date:Tuesday August 29, 2179, 1200 UTC
Location: Bordino Sector, Orbit of Acheron (LV-426)
Mission Time Index: 0:00:00

After the awakening of the troops, ECA Priest informed about the failure to establish communication with the colony Hadley’s Hope. Colonie’s orbital satellite relay was checked and functional. No signs of the missing troop transport vessel USS Sulaco or the missing USCM unit.

Upon dropping to the surface of LV-426 the reason for the comm blackout was detected immediately. The site of the former Atmosphere Processing Unit near the colony showed clear signs of a thermonuclear explosion. The colony itself seemed to be damaged, but not completely destroyed at first sight.

After dispersal of troops a crashed USCM Cheyenne Dropship and a seemingly abandoned standard USCM Armored Personnel Carrier were detected near the APU. Investigation of both was ordered immediately. Both items could be verified to the former USCM unit sent to investigate the loss of contact.

The soldiers investigating the APC were ambushed by three species of an unknown biological and hostile lifeform. The way of the ambush’s execution stands to reason, that the lifeform is somewhat intelligent, because the ambush is best described as a “trap”. One of them was hiding in the interior of the APC itself, where upon detection two of them attacked from opposite directions. All three threats were neutralized and an import feature of this species was detected: a high potent acid for blood. The unknown species is best described as a human-sized quadrupedal ambush predator with a scorpion-like tail.

After the ambush, Lieutenant Knutson ordered to regroup at the Hadley’s Hope colony complex. A search through the colony showed clear signs of severe struggle and fights, both between the unknown species and the colonists and between the unknown species and the first marines rescue team. But there were no bodies found, neither human nor non-human. An important finding was made at the medical lab. There were stasis containers, which detained another unknown life-form, which is best described as a spider-like creature with the approximate size of a human hand or slightly bigger.

An investigation of the APU crash site led to the disappearance of Sergeant Jonsson and the discovery of an underground tunnel system. Unbeknownst the Sergeant was abducted by the first unknown species and brought to a place, which is best described as “nest”. The troopers followed Jonsson’s trace and tried to rescue her. They discovered a larger chamber, containing egg-like ovoid objects, containing species alike those discovered in the medlab before. The troopers closed in and rescued Jonsson, who was held captive by being sticked to a wall covered by a resin-like glue, which is also part of this organisms features. In the process, the spider-like things came out of the ovoid objects and attacked the troopers.

It stands to reason, that the two different species are part of a life-cycle, the spider-like thing being a laval form of the scorpion-like thing. The laval-form attaches to the face of a human and lays a kind of “egg” inside. Humans are used as hosts for reproduction purpose. After quite a while the scorpion-thing hatches from the human body, killing the host in the process. The hatched embryo grows quickly into the human-sized form.

After recovering Sergeant Jonsson the platoon took up a defensive perimeter inside the remains of Hadley’s Hope, trying to cure her and trying to find out, what happened by searching through the colonies administration computer log. According to the records of Al Simpson, Colony Administrator and employee of Weyland-Yutani, a family of Wildcatters were sent to investigate coordinates in the Ilium Range. Russell, Anne, Timmy, and Rebecca Jordan discovered something out there. The report also mentioned that the orders had come from someone named Burke to investigate in Sector 15. After this entry in the computer log the next one mentions something about several members of the colony and the marines stationed in the colony returned to the location and were brought back with facehuggers attached. Chestbursters had come out of them and were rounded up by Scientists to study. The entries ended three days prior to the last contact with Colony.

The platoon went out to check those coordinates and discovered an alien derelict spacecraft of unknown origin. The platoon entered the spacecraft and discovered a very large scorpion-like creature, much larger than the previous encountered life-forms, in addition to a large number of ovoid objects and normal-size scorpion creatures. The creatures were neutralized, the objects could not be neutralized.

No bodies of missing colonist or missing marines from the USS Sulaco were found. It stands to reason, that they fell victim to the unknown life-form and served as hosts for breeding purpose.

LV-426 is declared as a “biohazard containment zone” and the full contingent of the USS Aloqins guard-sentry asteroids were placed in orbit to enforce quarantine. Neutralization of any potential remaining creature is requested.

Mission End
Date: Tuesday August 30, 2179, 0800 UTC
Mission Time Index: 44:00:00