AN: FINALLY THE NASTY ONE HAS COME BACK TO FANFICTION!
Welcome back everybody to the second chapter of this Xenonauts story. Last chapter we saw the first ground action of our brave soldiers and saw the death of our first soldier in action, Cpl. Benjamin Muller from Brazil. In addition, Cpl. Rodrigues was wounded by plasma to his side and he'll miss at least a week of action. Who will fill the open spots on the roster? Where will the next attack occur? And what will happen back at the base in the downtime? All will be answered shortly, without further ado let's jump right into it!
Chapter 2: Jungle Ambush
== Back at Sandtrap (September 7, 1979 Evening Hours) ==
The return flight had been a somber one as the team processed the fact they were one less in number than they were yesterday morning (mind you thirty two hour flight back home). The arrival at base was minimal as the majority of the base crew had turned in for the evening. The squad was left to their own devices not even recognizing the two new hangars that were fully constructed just before their operation had started. Rodrigues separated from the group to rest on his cot, his injuries were not fatal or crippling, but he was still out of action for eight days due to the injury. A proper Medical Center would reduce down time in the future, but for now he was shit outta luck. The rest of the team found their bunks very inviting and turned in for the evening as well unaware of the events that awaited them tomorrow.
== Flashback (Three Hours Earlier) ==
All was quiet at the base, but that quiet wouldn't last too much longer. The Commander was up in his office when the phone rang and it was once again Radar on the other side of the line.
"Sir, we've got contact coming in on the radar array!" exclaimed the young soldier and the Commander paused at that statement.
'How is that possible?! The alarms haven't sounded in the base yet.' he thought to himself before answering.
"On my way son." he said to the younger soldier as he hung up the phone and hurried down to the radar array facility. He arrived to see everyone relaxing sans Radar who was intently staring at the screen that had yet to show any contact signals.
"Are you sure about this Radar? Nothing's up on the screen yet soldier." said the Commander slightly annoyed at having to come down here for nothing.
"Positive sir, look." he said pointing over the Northern part of Africa. Not two seconds later, a red dot appeared on the screen and the alarm sounded in the base.
CONTACT! SCRAMBLE FIGHTERS!
Everyone just look dumbfounded at the young technician as he shrugged his shoulders.
"Family secret." he explained simply as the time of contact was recorded by the Commander as 2123 hours on September 7, 1979. The gathered group watched as one of the two fighters, Condor 1, piloted by callsign Spitfire chased after the ship.
== Twenty Three Minutes Later ==
The dogfight was over; Spitfire had successfully caught and shot down his prey after a skirmish over the jungles to the northeast of Lagos, Nigeria. It was a small sized UFO similar to the one that had been shot down in Alaska a few days earlier. The Commander relished slightly in the small victory before thinking about the situation.
His team was still in transport from Alaska and would be dead tired upon their arrival, plus something in his gut told him a night mission would be disastrous. He decided to send a team first thing in the morning hours to ensure a daylight assault; little did he know this decision would be a death sentence to those on that mission.
== Flashback Ends (Present Day September 8, 1979) ==
The team was awakened just after 0800 hours and told to depart immediately to the jungle terrain of Central Africa to assault a second crashed UFO. Still tired from the mission yesterday, the team just nodded along and departed after a short meal.
On board the short six hour flight, the team was introduced to the two new members of the squad replacing the injured Rodrigues and deceased Muller. They were both actually friends of Bhabra who'd served with her in Afghanistan as part of her Punjab Rangers unit. The first member was Cpl. Moheem Kurd a 31 year old Pakistan national standing a 6' 1'' tall and sporting a thick black moustache and beard and tanned skin. What stuck out about him are his nearly fanatical religious beliefs, and the blue turban he wore covering his head instead of the standard issue helmet. He wore this due to his belief that he would be protected thanks to his rigorous belief in the gods of Hinduism and they wouldn't let him die. The other soldier was Cpl. Zee Loharani a 21 year old Pakistan national standing at 5' 8'' tall with lightly tanned skin, long flowing black hair that rested at her shoulder blades, and a dark black dot over the location of the third eye according to Buddhist followers. She was by far the youngest member of the team and was used to fighting for her freedom having joined the Punjab Rangers underage at only 16 years old. She was a fighter at heart and had the skills to back it up.
Leon saw the UFO crash site in the distance and started the descent as he was setting the squad just down to the North of the site.
"Command this is Big Sky, crash site is in site preparing to land." said Barnes over the radio as the transmission was received back at base.
"Roger that Big Sky, Strike One is cleared to engage." replied the Commander as the landing sequence was completed and the team disembarked. Nobody knew it yet, but not everyone was coming back.
== On the Ground (September 8, 1979 4:46 PM in Greece, 2:46 PM in Nigeria) ==
The team was greeted to some thick jungle foliage encasing them for the most part, but also spotted a wall of flames to the East of their position indicating the UFO's location. Despite how close it was to the Chinook, it would still be tough going as they would need to cut through some thick foliage to get near the UFO. Vidrai split them up into four teams and personally led teams four and three to the North to secure the border around the UFO, while teams one and two would encircle the UFO from both sides and hopefully secure it.
== With Teams Three and Four ==
The two support teams were trudging slowly through the dense foliage as they were primarily focused on securing the flank around the UFO before pulling in to support the attack. The teams were on high alert, but had so far not made any contact. That would soon change though as Loharani put up a hand and told them to stop. She then pointed to the northeast of their position as the three men behind her came up to her position.
In front of them was a humanoid individual dressed in a red shirt and dark gray pants. Holding a small plasma pistol in one appendage, the other had what appeared to be a small data reader as though it was researching the area around it. The creature looked like a human to the untrained eye, but they had extremely gray skin and huge eyes with a round head giving them away as extraterrestrial in nature. The four paused a moment wondering what these creatures were doing out here, but shook those thoughts away as they prepared to open fire. Loharani got it started with her M16 as she fired a shot.
BANG! *GROAN*
A groan escaped from the alien creature as it turned towards them while tucking the data reader away. Before it could raise its pistol another shot rang out.
BANG! *SHRIEK*
A terrible shriek escaped the creature's lips as it fell lifelessly to the ground after another shot to the chest courtesy of Santos' M16. The four looked at each other and were immediately worried about the yell.
"I've got a bad feeling about this sergeant. I think that was a warning yell." said Fujita rather unnerved about the whole situation.
"Ah relax old man, you're just tired and stressed." said Vidrai as his laid back Australian roots shined through.
"Everything is alright…" he was cut off rather quickly by multiple plasma rounds being fired off in the distance and sound unmistakably known to them as a fallen comrade.
BZZT! BZZT! BZZT! BZZT! *DEATH RATTLE MOAN*
"Soldier down! Soldier down!" yelled a voice through the radio as mere moments later another voice was heard.
"We're under fire! Find cover behind that tree trunk!" said the second voice as the four quickly rushed towards the dead alien and turned to the East as they headed deeper into the jungle in a hurry hoping they weren't too late to save the rest of their standing members.
== Moments Earlier with Teams One and Two ==
Team One had departed the Chinook from the right exit door and were heading in a straight Eastern direction from the craft as they were responsible for securing the left flank of the UFO before breaching with Team Two who would secure the craft's right flank. Calvo was leading the squad out front with a machete as Meier and Mattila were following slightly behind. Despite their closeness to the craft, the three were awfully calm as they scanned their surroundings for any threats.
BZZT! BZZT! *DEATH RATTLE MOAN*
Without warning Calvo was struck by two plasma rounds in the chest and she fell to the jungle floor in a heap and remained unmoving while her machete clanged off a tree root and landed next to her on the grassy floor.
"Soldier down! Soldier down!" shouted Meier over the radio as he and Mattila frantically searched for the unseen threat as Calvo was beyond saving. The two ducked down and hid behind some bushes looking for the sniper.
With team two, they had heard the shots and were preparing to move forward quickly to their objective, but were met with shots from their left flank deeper in the jungle.
"We're under fire! Find cover behind that tree trunk!" shouted Lefebvre over the radio as Kurd and Bhabra wasted little time sliding forward behind a thick tree trunk and she slid into the spot to Kurd's left behind a thick root. Kurd himself was behind the trunk and Bhabra was behind him. Ahead of them Kurd pointed out the creature that had shot at them. It was also a grey humanoid but it was wearing a light blue shirt similar to their uniform color, and grey pants. It was holding a plasma rifle and appeared to be staring right at them from several hundred yards away.
"Those things must have perfect eyesight!" said Lefebvre in realization as Kurd drew up his M16.
"Allah guide me and my aim shall remain true." he spoke as he fired a shot.
BANG!
The shot soared wildly overhead as the creature was unfazed by the fire.
BANG! *GROAN*
A shot from Bhabra found the mark as it hit the creature in the chest. As it started bleeding purple blood and backed away from the fight disappearing to the right.
"Wonder why it didn't stick around?" asked Bhabra in confusion.
BZZT! BZZT! *OW!*
Their question was answered by shots from their left and slightly behind them as Bhabra was struck in her left side dropping her gun.
"Screw this I'm out of here!" she exclaimed as she fled behind them.
"Get back here!" exclaimed Lefebvre as she dove and tackled her to the ground. She held her still and patched up the wound as Kurd moved to their left looking for the threat.
== Back with Team One ==
Mattila had poked his head over some underbrush to try and get a bead on where the hidden enemy was.
BZZT! *GRUNT*
He received a bolt of plasma to his gut as his reward. Ignoring the wound he pressed up to a hedge in front of him as Meier flanked his left. The two were reconnoitering their next plan of action when more plasma came their way.
BZZT! BZZT! BZZT! *DEATH MOAN RATTLE*
The first shot had destroyed their cover revealing the wounded alien from earlier, but more plasma flew in from behind the alien's right side and hit Mattila dead on in the chest as he feebly fell over and bled out on the jungle floor. Seeing red Meier repositions behind a tree to the right of Mattila's body and fires a burst towards the wounded alien.
BANGBANGBANG! *SHRIEK*
The first two shots felled the blue shirted alien as it fell lifelessly to the ground in a pool of purple, but it revealed another blue shirted alien with a plasma rifle. No doubt it was the same enemy that had felled Mattila.
== Back with Team Two ==
Things were not going well for the team as Bhabra had taken another wound and was patched up by Lefebvre who ran out of medical supplies, and Kurd had slid into cover behind a rock as he spotted the sniper giving the team trouble. He opened fired from his M16 at the exposed blue shirted creature.
BANG! *MOAN*
The creature took the shot to the arm like a champ but moved to fire on his squad once again.
BANG! *MOAN*
The creature was struck from behind by a round out of nowhere as Fujita appeared out of the underbrush revealing himself and the other members of teams three and four. Still the alien fired off one more defiant shot towards the females of team two as Kurd desperately fired once more.
BANG! *SHRIEK*
BZZT! *DEATH RATTLE MOAN*
Kurd's shot to the neck finally felled the alien sniper, but Bhabra was shot a third time, this one nicked her heart and finally sent her to the jungle floor as she remained unmoving as Lefebvre could only look on in shock. Kurd ran over to the body of his fallen countrywoman and said a prayer to Allah as he asked her be watched over on her way to paradise. He was joined by Loharani as the two mourned their friend together. The moment of sorrow over, the three teams pressed onwards to the UFO.
== UFO Location (All surviving members) ==
BZZT! BZZT!
Meier was slowly advancing his way to the left side of the UFO door but was under constant fire. He was able to spot two more blue shirted creatures inside of the UFO along with a dead one in the wreckage indicating that no more were outside of the craft. He ducked and dodged and made his way to the UFO door and slid it down with his hands revealing the two creatures. One was cowering immediately inside the right hand side of the door, while the other was at the very back of the craft's right side firing from behind the UFO's power source/engine.
Meier looked ahead and saw the other teams advancing from the forest and knew he'd have fire support.
BZZT!
While distracted he took a shot to the gut, but was able to remain standing despite the pain.
BANG! BANG! *MOAN*
Two shots impacted the cowering alien that had shot Meier, as Fujita and Vidrai both struck the creature's side but it remained crouched against the hull as the door slid closed on its own. Lefebvre, Kurd, Loharani and Santos arrived on the right side of the UFO craft and Lefebvre slid the door down.
BANG! *SHRIEK*
Meier opened fire on the wounded alien and finished him off with a shot to the head in retaliation for the wound as he swore at the creature in German.
BZZT! *DEATH RATTLE MOAN* BZZT! BZZT! *OW!*
The surviving alien opened fire on the charging soldiers striking Kurd in the forehead killing him instantly due to his lack of a helmet and striking Loharani once in the chest but she remained standing.
BANG! *MOAN* BANG! *CLANG!*
Loharani returned fire striking the creature in the chest, but it remained up as Santos' shot hit the wall next to the alien's head.
SLAM! BZZT! CLANG!
Lefebvre wisely closed the door as the reaction shot from the alien struck the inside of the door right where Loharani would've been standing had it remained open. Lefebvre opened it once more and Loharani aimed one more time at the creature.
BANG! *SHRIEK*
The M16 round found its mark in the creature's forehead as it fell lifelessly against the rear wall of the ship and dropped its weapon. No more sound greeted the soldiers as they glanced around at the destruction and mourned their fallen comrades. It'd been an ambush that they'd walked right into. Had they not waited then maybe they could've gotten through it without as many casualties.
The anger was felt radiating off the surviving soldiers as they returned to the Chinook with the secured equipment and four body bags filled with the remains of what used to be their former friends and squadmates.
'Somebody's going to get an earful from the look of things.' thought Leon to himself as he lifted off the ground and headed back on the six and a half hour flight to Sandtrap. Unfortunately for them, there was another situation waiting for them upon their return. A situation so important, that their complaints would have to be addressed at a later date.
== Mission Two Summary ==
Alien Combatants Killed: 5/5
Civilians Saved: 0/0
Xenonauts KIA: 4/10 (Cpl. Delfina Calvo, Cpl. Rameen Bhabra, Cpl. Konsta Mattila, and Cpl. Moheem Kurd)
Xenonauts WIA: 2/10 (Cpl. Zee Loharani and Cpl. Jens Meier)
Kill Tally (Active Soldiers Only): Cpl. Meier (2), Cpl. Fujita (2 from first mission), Cpl. Santos (2, one from first mission), Sgt. Vidrai (1), and Cpl. Loharani (1)
Promotions:
Sgt. Alten Vidrai promoted to Lieutenant (Lt.)
Cpl. Jens Meier promoted to Sgt.
Cpl. Masao Fujita promoted to Sgt.
Cpl. Fernando Santos promoted to Sgt.
Active Roster:
Lt. Alten Vidrai
Sgt. Masao Fujita
Sgt. Fernando Santos
Cpl. Claire Lefebvre
Three other soldiers not revealed.
Out of Action Roster:
Cpl. Joaquim Rodrigues (1 Week)
Sgt. Jens Meier (Out 2 Weeks)
Cpl. Zee Loharani (Out 3 Weeks)
Memorial Wall:
Cpl. Benjamin Muller (KIA on mission one)
Cpl. Delfina Calvo (KIA on mission two)
Cpl. Konsta Mattila (KIA on mission two)
Cpl. Rameen Bhabra (KIA on mission two)
Cpl. Moheem Kurd (KIA on mission two)
AN: And that's a wrap on this chapter as the squad fell into a dangerous jungle ambush that ultimately claimed the lives of four more brave souls. Now down to only seven uninjured active soldiers, what situation do you think awaits our brave Xenonauts upon their return to Sandtrap? Let me know in a review your thoughts on that and also how you felt the chapter went. Until next time, this is "The Nasty One" signing off!
PRAK #TheNastyOne