After the failed invasion of Klendathu, the federation felt it necessary to invade Pluto. In fact it was more then just a necessity, it became a mission. It was recently discovered the bugs had invaded Pluto and began to wipe out the research systems there. The whole thing was organized for the bugs to launch a sneak attack to Earth. The asteroid had ruined that. They had come so close, or had they? The federation were now leaving Klendathu to do some clean up on the planets the bugs had inhabited. Pluto was one of them. Dizzy, Rico, and Goku were now to be a part of the Roughnecks. They met their fellow squad members. Doc LeCroy, Sergeant Francis Brutto, and Jeff Gossard. Dizzy rubbed her hands together. Another chance at some action, but there was a problem. Goku. As long as he was here she was sure she'd never see the end of her troubles. She found herself looking after him on Klendathu, nearly getting herself killed. Now, after what she'd seen him do, he could look after himself. A man with a camera came forward filming everything he could. Robert Higgins was his name. He joined up because he wanted to be a reporter. But as everyone knows, "you got to be a citizen for that." Also, the federation decided it would be best if he were with the Roughnecks so he'd cover the campaign. Vegeta walked up to Goku and eyed everybody. He then turned his attention back to Goku.
"Not coming with us?" Goku asked.
"No, Special Ops. I'll be in a squad called Andrew's Aces," Vegeta said with a wide smirk.
"Then we won't see each other for a while then huh?"
"No Kakarotto, we won't. Take care of yourself," Vegeta said before walking off. Goku gave him a thumbs up as he watched the Prince disappear into the crowd. Rico patted Goku on the shoulder, causing Goku to turn and smile at him.
"Well Goku, you ready?"
"Yep! Let's go!"
They all entered the ship and sat down. All except for Rico, who now had his eye on a woman in the pilot seat of another ship, Carmen Ibanez. He daydreamed about her often. Her soft brown hair, tender lips, nice slender body. She'd be his one day, and he knew it. He didn't feel the tap on his shoulder, nor the call of his name. She finally waved a hand in his view.
"Earth to Rico, come in please. It's time to go."
"Oh I'm sorry what?" said Rico as he turned in surprise to see Dizzy standing there. Dizzy, annoyed, walked inside the ship. An announcement came on the screen. It was the Admiral, giving his speech on the war.
"Troopers of the Valley Forge. I am aware of the loss we suffered on Klendathu and you have my condolences. However we must remain strong and brave. We must meet this threat with courage and strength. Secure in the knowledge that we will emerge victorious! In the name of the Strategically Integrated Coalition Of Nations!"
The screen then turned black. Rico walked inside the ship and watched Carmen as the doors closed them in. The ship then jetted out into space over Pluto. Higgins slowly moved as he filmed every detail with the camera. He turned to Brutto and asked, "Sergeant Brutto, you've seen the enemy back there on Klendathu. We can we expect here on Pluto?"
Brutto turned to Higgins.
"Expect ugly, like nothing you've ever seen."
"Give the man a mirror," Dizzy said with annoyance. Brutto ignored her and continued.
"in fact, some got big red eyes, just like you. Maybe you're one of them. We just might have to squash you."
"Sergeant!" came a familiar voice from the back.
"Lieutenant!"
The doors opened up and Razak stepped through, eyeing the troopers as they raised up like statues, all expect Goku, who merely looked at Razak with a happy smile. Dizzy however, felt a bit overwhelmed by this turn of events. First Goku would be nearly forever near, now she learned that Razak, the one who flunked her was now her commanding officer. Things just couldn't get any worse. Razak yelled as he barked out orders.
"Heads up troopers, you will be dropped at 0800 hours! You will follow your POA! You will engage the bugs until all civilians are safely evacuated! Do you get me Roughnecks!?"
"Sir! We get you sir!" they yelled in unison as they stood in salute position. Razak noticed Goku sitting down smiling. He was glad to see Razak. He wasted no time in speaking in his merry, happy tone.
"It's great to see you again Mr. Razak! How've ya been? Ha, ha."
Razak shook his head in annoyance, knowing that Goku still did not know when to salute a higher up as he walked up and down, surveying his troopers. Rico gently nudged Goku on the arm with his free arm, and noticed Goku quickly rised his body and arms in salute. Razak also noticed this and was quick to respond to the action.
"Make sure you do that each and every time you see me, you get me private?!"
"Yes sir, I got it!" Goku yelled with a laugh.
"See that you do, you're not in high school anymore so drop the happy act private."
"Happy act?" Goku asked quizzically as he rubbed his head. Higgins who had been filming the whole affair, wondered if there was another way to solve the bug war. He didn't sign up fight a war, he signed up to be a reporter, which required citizenship. Citizenship, obtainable only through service for SICON. After all sat back down, he asked Razak his big question.
"Sir,"
"What is it paperboy?" Razak asked, not in the mood to answer questions.
"Uh, have we tried to negotiate with the bugs?"
Laughter filled the room. Razak shot at glare, which earned immediate silence. He walked around some more.
"Bugs can smell human blood from a kilometer away, through skin, through suits, through steel. They feel no pain, and have no emotions. Their only desire is to kill you. They are not life as we know it, " he put a hard finger on the boy, "is that clear?"
"Crystal, sir," Higgins said sadly.
He walked away from the squad and attached a mechanized hand on his right arm. He leered at the Roughnecks as he did so, looking like a wounded general giving his final orders.
"You can't negotiate with something that has no soul!" he said as he finished attaching his metal hand. He then turned his back to the Roughnecks. Rico was at Higgins side, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"You blew it man, should've got that on film."
Doc did a quick check up before he put the clipboard on the table.
"LT, we're missing a grunt!"
Razak merely looked over his shoulder.
"Jenkins, special ops."
He yelled for him. He walked through the door and was met with surprise from Rico, Goku, and Dizzy. He saluted Razak as he walked through. Rico and Dizzy gasped at the turn of events. They were glad to see their friend again. Rico wasted no time in shaking Carl's hand.
"Hey buddy. How on earth did you get here?!" he asked happily.
"Special Ops. SICON feels it necessary that I get in some MI, to put my "talents" to good use," he said smiling to his friends. "I see we have Goku with as well."
Goku gave a wide smile and nodded. Dizzy rolled her eyes in annoyance as she heard him speak. She quickly turned her attention back to Carl.
"So that's where ya been all this time. You messed out on Big K my man."
"Yeah I heard, it was a major loss indeed."
Razak yelled unannounced at the squad.
"Soldiers, suit up! We drop in five!"
The roughnecks hurried to the drop zones. Goku ran to his suit and leered at it confused.
"What is this thing?"
Rico hurried over to explain to him. It was a suit ejection pod built to drop troopers from the ships down to planets individually, different from the drop pods used to carry full squads.
"You then get in and they drop you downward," Rico explained solemnly.
"OK, I think I get it now."
"If you have energy to talk you can stay to do mop up duty privates!" Razak yelled as the other troopers got in the drop pods. Rico and Goku hurried inside the drop pods not wanting to do mop up duty. The pods closed around them and were soon ejected downward toward Pluto. On the way down they saw the bugs wasted no time in defending the planet. Already plasma bugs were firing into space. Goku saw on the way down, one blast completely destroy a drop ship, killing all who were on board and ejecting some unsuited troopers into space. Their bodies imploded and burst into blood red segments as they gasped for air. Goku clinched a fist in his suit.
"Do not use your strength, no matter what happens."
Goku quieted his anger once more. He didn't know how long he'd hold back, there was only so much of this he could take. He felt the heat of the atmosphere through the pod. They were nearing touchdown. He smiled to himself. Soon, the fun would start all over again.