Chapter 1 - Distress
Mars 2503-05-15, 07:15 Main Military complex, northern hemisphere
General Kixx had just finished reading the reports on the distress calls that had been picked up by the communications station in Earths orbit. He couldn't believe it; he had four reports, one about a scavenger ship being attacked by a large unidentified ship, two from outer border outposts that were nothing more than listening posts that had been totally destroyed, and one from a military base that wasn't on any records what so ever, and was heavily equipped with what had been the latest technology 25 years ago, and still it had been destroyed.
He just didn't know what to make of it. The Terran Confederate Marine Corps was taking control of the matter and was sending in a Magistrate to deal with the problem over at the Mar Sara base. They seemed to be keeping a tight lid on everything. Well orders were orders, and they'd told him to forget everything. But first he wanted to tell an old friend. Then he'd forget.
Somewhere in space. 2503-05-15, 07:34 Battleship Lightning
"Commander Fisher!" Jason turned around, to see a young private running up to him. "What do you want, and make it snappy man." The private slid to a halt and saluted him. "An incoming message from General Kixx for you sir, it's got a high priory status, sir." Jason looked at the private for a minute and then started heading to the bridge at a fast walk leaving the private behind without dismissing him. The private watched him go round a corner and then bolted it back to the comms room. Jason walked onto the bridge and everyone stood to attention. "At ease men." He said as he walked past them into the briefing room at the back. The briefing room was round with a large communications device in the middle of the room. One chair sat in front of it, while there was a display screen for messages, and five video screens to allow for real time conversations. He sat in the chair and activated the adjutant. "Adjutant online. Good morning Commander. You had one new message from an unknown source that arrived ten minutes ago. Playing message."
"Hey Fisher, long time no see. I've got some information that may interest you, which has the highest security level, which is why I'm sending you a message instead of speaking to you face to face. Three bases and a civilian ship have been destroyed by what is either one or even two different alien races. Attached to this message are the coordinates to a secret military base that even I knew nothing about. Good luck old friend." As he finished watching the message he clicked on the attached coordinates and sent them to helm control with orders to head to this destination.
Jason wondered what he was getting into. Two possible alien races, appearing about the same time, and him, with no backup, but the latest and best technology that the Terran Confederate Marine Corps has to offer. The new Goliath units offer great land and air combat abilities and the new ghost soldiers where superior to anything else that the Terran Confederate Marine Corps had to offer. Still he had to wonder, will we survive or will we die at the hands of these aliens that are most likely more advanced than us. Fear was normal for any human, but for a soldier who has survived many battles even against the odds, it was almost a new sensation, and Jason didn't like it one bit.
Hizzan system 2503-05-18, 02:41 Battleship Lightning
"Sir, sensors pick up unidentified objects closing fast. They do not answer our hails. Eta 5 minutes" Jason was wondering if they would get a welcoming committee from the aliens. "What do sensors tell us about them?" "That's a negative sir. Sensors pick up no engine trails, or electrical signals from there computers." Jason sat down, he wasn't sure if his legs would be able to support him right now. What sort of things can create a fighter without and engine or any computer systems? Looking up he ordered, "Launch all wraiths. Lets give the bastards a taste of our weapons!" "Wraiths are a go, eta 60 seconds until contact."
Jason sat and watched as his wraiths engaged the enemy, whoever they were. "Commander, pilots report that the enemy seems to be organic in nature, and fires some sort of acid based weapon from their mouths!" Oh god, what are they. No living creature could survive in space and yet here are some right now. "How are our men doing out there?" The guy at the sensor controls started reading the data that was coming though. "Looks like we've just won sir." A smile spreading across the comms face. Jason just looked at him and said "and our losses?" in a stern voice that quickly wiped the smile of the comms face. "We lost three craft, and they lost all seven, sir." Jason was wondering whether that was all the aliens had, or just a small taste of what to come. And then if that was all, where were the alien transports, or did the ground troops that destroyed a heavily armed base also travel though space. Sweat was starting to form on his forehead. "Ok, get the wraiths to dock, and set us into high orbit over Hizzan 6, NOW." Once in high orbit, Jason started to go over his battle plan again. He'd decided to send six dropships down, one with a squad of six SCV's, three with a squad of eight marines each, and the other two would carry two goliaths each. The goliaths would provide heavy support if they were attack while trying to establish a base.
Hizzan 6 2503-05-22, 12:11 Sector 7-3-1
The SCV's had established a command center and a barracks to house the troops who weren't on duty and a few supply depot to supply food and water, and were now collecting the necessary resources from near by to supply the base and so that a defence perimeter could be built. Jason was sitting in the command center watching what was going on via a satellite picture. The satellite had been released as soon as the Lightning placed herself into orbit to allow Jason to pick a desirable location to land. So far they'd been on the plant for four days and there hadn't been a single sign of any aliens anywhere. Jason was beginning to wonder if he'd been sent on a wild goose chase, but couldn't think why his old friend Kixx would do this to him.
His scouts came back later that day, and reported that there was no other sign of life on this planet although they had found the remains of the base Alpha-663. Jason decided that the aliens must of left and his only problem was that where had they gone? Jason decided to see what the adjutant at the alpha-663 base had been able to record on the aliens. It was a long shot as the command center over at base alpha-663 had be damage during the attack. Still he activated the adjutant that his command center housed. "Adjutant online. Good afternoon commander. How may I help you?" "I want you to access the adjutants data banks over at base-663, and see what you can tell me about the aliens that attacked them."
The adjutant when silent for a couple of minutes and then responded, "I'm sorry commander. The data banks are not accessible from here. You'll need to bring the data banks here to access them, sir." Jason looked out of a near by window. Well the scouts said that we were alone on this planet, so I'll take a small squad and go get the data banks myself. A grin spread across his face. It'll be nice to stretch the old legs he thought to himself. "Adjutant signal squad beta-5, their taking me for a little walk."
Jason's battle armour was painted green to designate him as an officer of high rank. It also was made from a slightly more advantaged armour that would take a better beating in battle. His custom-made gauss rifle was designed to fire armour-piecing rounds, which made him a formidable foe in battle. Beta-5 squad consisted of four marines, 2 firebats and a goliath, for heavy support. Now Jason knew that his scouts could be trusted, but he also knew never to trust the enemy, and the scouts hadn't checked base alpha-663, so the squad was for protection if any aliens decided to pop up out of the blue to kill him.
Hizzan 6 2503-05-22, 17:37 Base alpha-663
Base alpha-663 looked at what could have been best described as a ghost town. Everything was quiet and Jason and beta-5 squad were slowly preceding though the remains of the base, trying to get to the command center at the centre of the base. The wind was picking up dust and blowing it around reducing normal vision, so Jason had ordered the squad to switch to infrared. After a few more minutes he could see the outline of the command center. It looked rather spooky in a deep shade of red from this distance. "Commander, we're now only 34 meters from the command center." The captain of beta-5 said. "Shall we still proceed with caution or shall we pick up the pace a little and get inside the command center before night fall?" Jason looked at him; he knew the men were afraid. And the dark would provide less protection. "Lets get moving, captain."
Mars 2503-05-15, 07:15 Main Military complex, northern hemisphere
General Kixx had just finished reading the reports on the distress calls that had been picked up by the communications station in Earths orbit. He couldn't believe it; he had four reports, one about a scavenger ship being attacked by a large unidentified ship, two from outer border outposts that were nothing more than listening posts that had been totally destroyed, and one from a military base that wasn't on any records what so ever, and was heavily equipped with what had been the latest technology 25 years ago, and still it had been destroyed.
He just didn't know what to make of it. The Terran Confederate Marine Corps was taking control of the matter and was sending in a Magistrate to deal with the problem over at the Mar Sara base. They seemed to be keeping a tight lid on everything. Well orders were orders, and they'd told him to forget everything. But first he wanted to tell an old friend. Then he'd forget.
Somewhere in space. 2503-05-15, 07:34 Battleship Lightning
"Commander Fisher!" Jason turned around, to see a young private running up to him. "What do you want, and make it snappy man." The private slid to a halt and saluted him. "An incoming message from General Kixx for you sir, it's got a high priory status, sir." Jason looked at the private for a minute and then started heading to the bridge at a fast walk leaving the private behind without dismissing him. The private watched him go round a corner and then bolted it back to the comms room. Jason walked onto the bridge and everyone stood to attention. "At ease men." He said as he walked past them into the briefing room at the back. The briefing room was round with a large communications device in the middle of the room. One chair sat in front of it, while there was a display screen for messages, and five video screens to allow for real time conversations. He sat in the chair and activated the adjutant. "Adjutant online. Good morning Commander. You had one new message from an unknown source that arrived ten minutes ago. Playing message."
"Hey Fisher, long time no see. I've got some information that may interest you, which has the highest security level, which is why I'm sending you a message instead of speaking to you face to face. Three bases and a civilian ship have been destroyed by what is either one or even two different alien races. Attached to this message are the coordinates to a secret military base that even I knew nothing about. Good luck old friend." As he finished watching the message he clicked on the attached coordinates and sent them to helm control with orders to head to this destination.
Jason wondered what he was getting into. Two possible alien races, appearing about the same time, and him, with no backup, but the latest and best technology that the Terran Confederate Marine Corps has to offer. The new Goliath units offer great land and air combat abilities and the new ghost soldiers where superior to anything else that the Terran Confederate Marine Corps had to offer. Still he had to wonder, will we survive or will we die at the hands of these aliens that are most likely more advanced than us. Fear was normal for any human, but for a soldier who has survived many battles even against the odds, it was almost a new sensation, and Jason didn't like it one bit.
Hizzan system 2503-05-18, 02:41 Battleship Lightning
"Sir, sensors pick up unidentified objects closing fast. They do not answer our hails. Eta 5 minutes" Jason was wondering if they would get a welcoming committee from the aliens. "What do sensors tell us about them?" "That's a negative sir. Sensors pick up no engine trails, or electrical signals from there computers." Jason sat down, he wasn't sure if his legs would be able to support him right now. What sort of things can create a fighter without and engine or any computer systems? Looking up he ordered, "Launch all wraiths. Lets give the bastards a taste of our weapons!" "Wraiths are a go, eta 60 seconds until contact."
Jason sat and watched as his wraiths engaged the enemy, whoever they were. "Commander, pilots report that the enemy seems to be organic in nature, and fires some sort of acid based weapon from their mouths!" Oh god, what are they. No living creature could survive in space and yet here are some right now. "How are our men doing out there?" The guy at the sensor controls started reading the data that was coming though. "Looks like we've just won sir." A smile spreading across the comms face. Jason just looked at him and said "and our losses?" in a stern voice that quickly wiped the smile of the comms face. "We lost three craft, and they lost all seven, sir." Jason was wondering whether that was all the aliens had, or just a small taste of what to come. And then if that was all, where were the alien transports, or did the ground troops that destroyed a heavily armed base also travel though space. Sweat was starting to form on his forehead. "Ok, get the wraiths to dock, and set us into high orbit over Hizzan 6, NOW." Once in high orbit, Jason started to go over his battle plan again. He'd decided to send six dropships down, one with a squad of six SCV's, three with a squad of eight marines each, and the other two would carry two goliaths each. The goliaths would provide heavy support if they were attack while trying to establish a base.
Hizzan 6 2503-05-22, 12:11 Sector 7-3-1
The SCV's had established a command center and a barracks to house the troops who weren't on duty and a few supply depot to supply food and water, and were now collecting the necessary resources from near by to supply the base and so that a defence perimeter could be built. Jason was sitting in the command center watching what was going on via a satellite picture. The satellite had been released as soon as the Lightning placed herself into orbit to allow Jason to pick a desirable location to land. So far they'd been on the plant for four days and there hadn't been a single sign of any aliens anywhere. Jason was beginning to wonder if he'd been sent on a wild goose chase, but couldn't think why his old friend Kixx would do this to him.
His scouts came back later that day, and reported that there was no other sign of life on this planet although they had found the remains of the base Alpha-663. Jason decided that the aliens must of left and his only problem was that where had they gone? Jason decided to see what the adjutant at the alpha-663 base had been able to record on the aliens. It was a long shot as the command center over at base alpha-663 had be damage during the attack. Still he activated the adjutant that his command center housed. "Adjutant online. Good afternoon commander. How may I help you?" "I want you to access the adjutants data banks over at base-663, and see what you can tell me about the aliens that attacked them."
The adjutant when silent for a couple of minutes and then responded, "I'm sorry commander. The data banks are not accessible from here. You'll need to bring the data banks here to access them, sir." Jason looked out of a near by window. Well the scouts said that we were alone on this planet, so I'll take a small squad and go get the data banks myself. A grin spread across his face. It'll be nice to stretch the old legs he thought to himself. "Adjutant signal squad beta-5, their taking me for a little walk."
Jason's battle armour was painted green to designate him as an officer of high rank. It also was made from a slightly more advantaged armour that would take a better beating in battle. His custom-made gauss rifle was designed to fire armour-piecing rounds, which made him a formidable foe in battle. Beta-5 squad consisted of four marines, 2 firebats and a goliath, for heavy support. Now Jason knew that his scouts could be trusted, but he also knew never to trust the enemy, and the scouts hadn't checked base alpha-663, so the squad was for protection if any aliens decided to pop up out of the blue to kill him.
Hizzan 6 2503-05-22, 17:37 Base alpha-663
Base alpha-663 looked at what could have been best described as a ghost town. Everything was quiet and Jason and beta-5 squad were slowly preceding though the remains of the base, trying to get to the command center at the centre of the base. The wind was picking up dust and blowing it around reducing normal vision, so Jason had ordered the squad to switch to infrared. After a few more minutes he could see the outline of the command center. It looked rather spooky in a deep shade of red from this distance. "Commander, we're now only 34 meters from the command center." The captain of beta-5 said. "Shall we still proceed with caution or shall we pick up the pace a little and get inside the command center before night fall?" Jason looked at him; he knew the men were afraid. And the dark would provide less protection. "Lets get moving, captain."