OK, note, don't you hate these?
It's not really Christmas anymore, like we're talking summer here, but I
don't wanna just stop writing this so. . .
Ooooh! And I betcha thought I forgot T'phai!
DIZZY
"T'phai! Long time no see!" I exclaimed cheerfully as he joined us in the change rooms, already fully suited up, as always.
"How's the family?" Rico asked.
After we had been given the 72 hours of R 'n R SICON had permitted T'phai to go stateside -er, well, HIS stateside- for a little while.
"I was only home long enough to breath outside of my suite," T'phai replied, trying not to look downcast. "I was retrieved almost immediately."
"Oh," Rico murmured apologetically. "Sorry."
T'phai nodded his head acceptingly, "it is alright."
"Don't worry, you'll get to see them soon," I patted his shoulder sympathetically. "Hey, either you can finish R 'n R there, OR we'll finish this whole damn war and you'll see them whenever you want!"
"Maybe even both," Gossard added.
"Something I will be looking forward to." T'phai made the skinny equivalent of a smile.
"Something we'll ALL be looking forward to," Rico replied.
"I'll second that," Doc agreed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Higgins, with his camera, as always, another limb eternally attached to his eye spun around to take in the full extent of the scenery. On the other hand, this time, I couldn't really blame him. We were ALL surveying the scenery in a type of awe as the ship that had dropped us off disappeared into the clouds.
"THIS place is infested?" Higgins gaped.
"Lucky you aren't doing the Christmas report," Rico replied. "People would never believe it. . .I don't believe it."
The place wasn't huge and you could probably find somewhere a bit more beautiful, but everything was so serene . . . tranquil . . . and I had my doubts about a more beautiful place because of the blanket of snow that had drifted over everything. It was like completely still water in the middle of a heat wave (though without the heat) and you just know that if you can bear to break that calmness and plunge in it would be a nice, cool refuge and would fully refresh you. But the bugs had made that first ripple and suddenly the water didn't seem quite so refreshing anymore and a huge battle wasn't exactly going to calm that ripple down and turn it back into a cool refuge. But hell, I'm not exactly the calm-down-type anyway.
RICO:
"Gossard, Doc, status?" I said, forcing myself to be the first to snap out of the trance we all seemed to be under.
"What the - "
"What?!" I snapped, suddenly focused and less interested in our surroundings.
"We're. . .surrounded," Gossard replied hollowly. "But, there's activity right on top of us, too."
"Tunnels?" Dizzy suggested.
"Trees?" Max asked, looking around, more than a little frantic.
On instinct ¾ of us looked up at the trees around us, ready to grab our weapons at any sign of movement. Nothing.
'Think fast, think fast,' I ordered myself, but my mind was completely blank. 'Shit.'
"It must be tunnels," T'phai said, easing out of his tense stance slowly.
"It could be an aerial assault," I argued. "But that would be here by now," I glanced quickly at the sky anyway. "If we just rip open the ground and they're there then we've got a full scale attack on our hands." 'Way to state the obvious, genius,' I chided. "So what's the PLAN?" Max demanded.
Every instinct in me wanted to yell: I'M WORKING ON IT! But I bit my tongue, partly because I was developing a new instinct and partly because I'd caught Dizzy's eye and seen the same reaction in her, but somehow, for some reason, SHE had kept HER mouth shut. As I looked around at the - MY squad's faces I could see the same reactions there as well.
"Two groups," I announced. "Zim you take Gossard, Max and T'phai, the rest of you are with me. Scout for any signs of bugs, specifically, cave entrances and nests. Radio silence until a find, or mandatory, understand?"
"Sir, yes, sir!" They all chimed.
"Good. Sarge. Your group heads inwards, we'll work outwards." I searched his face carefully for some sign of approval. "If you find anyTHING or anyBODY be extremely cautious! Remember: on top of everything else, Intel. suspects new tactics. Move out."
Ooooh! And I betcha thought I forgot T'phai!
DIZZY
"T'phai! Long time no see!" I exclaimed cheerfully as he joined us in the change rooms, already fully suited up, as always.
"How's the family?" Rico asked.
After we had been given the 72 hours of R 'n R SICON had permitted T'phai to go stateside -er, well, HIS stateside- for a little while.
"I was only home long enough to breath outside of my suite," T'phai replied, trying not to look downcast. "I was retrieved almost immediately."
"Oh," Rico murmured apologetically. "Sorry."
T'phai nodded his head acceptingly, "it is alright."
"Don't worry, you'll get to see them soon," I patted his shoulder sympathetically. "Hey, either you can finish R 'n R there, OR we'll finish this whole damn war and you'll see them whenever you want!"
"Maybe even both," Gossard added.
"Something I will be looking forward to." T'phai made the skinny equivalent of a smile.
"Something we'll ALL be looking forward to," Rico replied.
"I'll second that," Doc agreed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Higgins, with his camera, as always, another limb eternally attached to his eye spun around to take in the full extent of the scenery. On the other hand, this time, I couldn't really blame him. We were ALL surveying the scenery in a type of awe as the ship that had dropped us off disappeared into the clouds.
"THIS place is infested?" Higgins gaped.
"Lucky you aren't doing the Christmas report," Rico replied. "People would never believe it. . .I don't believe it."
The place wasn't huge and you could probably find somewhere a bit more beautiful, but everything was so serene . . . tranquil . . . and I had my doubts about a more beautiful place because of the blanket of snow that had drifted over everything. It was like completely still water in the middle of a heat wave (though without the heat) and you just know that if you can bear to break that calmness and plunge in it would be a nice, cool refuge and would fully refresh you. But the bugs had made that first ripple and suddenly the water didn't seem quite so refreshing anymore and a huge battle wasn't exactly going to calm that ripple down and turn it back into a cool refuge. But hell, I'm not exactly the calm-down-type anyway.
RICO:
"Gossard, Doc, status?" I said, forcing myself to be the first to snap out of the trance we all seemed to be under.
"What the - "
"What?!" I snapped, suddenly focused and less interested in our surroundings.
"We're. . .surrounded," Gossard replied hollowly. "But, there's activity right on top of us, too."
"Tunnels?" Dizzy suggested.
"Trees?" Max asked, looking around, more than a little frantic.
On instinct ¾ of us looked up at the trees around us, ready to grab our weapons at any sign of movement. Nothing.
'Think fast, think fast,' I ordered myself, but my mind was completely blank. 'Shit.'
"It must be tunnels," T'phai said, easing out of his tense stance slowly.
"It could be an aerial assault," I argued. "But that would be here by now," I glanced quickly at the sky anyway. "If we just rip open the ground and they're there then we've got a full scale attack on our hands." 'Way to state the obvious, genius,' I chided. "So what's the PLAN?" Max demanded.
Every instinct in me wanted to yell: I'M WORKING ON IT! But I bit my tongue, partly because I was developing a new instinct and partly because I'd caught Dizzy's eye and seen the same reaction in her, but somehow, for some reason, SHE had kept HER mouth shut. As I looked around at the - MY squad's faces I could see the same reactions there as well.
"Two groups," I announced. "Zim you take Gossard, Max and T'phai, the rest of you are with me. Scout for any signs of bugs, specifically, cave entrances and nests. Radio silence until a find, or mandatory, understand?"
"Sir, yes, sir!" They all chimed.
"Good. Sarge. Your group heads inwards, we'll work outwards." I searched his face carefully for some sign of approval. "If you find anyTHING or anyBODY be extremely cautious! Remember: on top of everything else, Intel. suspects new tactics. Move out."