Chapter 2: Rescue
"This is a rescue mission boys and girls," Ratzack announced. "Our troopers are deep in the grinder so we get to have a little airborne assistance. The dropship will open its hatch here and we will blow a hole in the bug formation. Use whatever munitions are left at your disposal. I will drop down with Bruno, Jones, Waltkins and Martin. Remember, no trooper gets left behind and they already have had to wait for the second pickup." We sat in silence, while this was indeed the first drop for many of us, the Roughnecks were full of veterans from the first bug war. Doc, a former college football running back turned field medic. His hair was cut into a high top fade, a style I haven't seen in years but who was I to judge with the messy cornrows I sported? Gossard, another meathead, bodybuilder, tech head turned trooper. He was taller than Doc by at least half a foot. His green eyes gave Doc a quick wink before being covered by the visor of his mask. Then there was the man all cadets thought was a myth back in basic. Sergeant Bruno, the only man insane enough to run down a bug hole and drag three troopers out and live to tell the story.
"Hatch opening in three lieutenant!" The pilot yelled.
"On your feet apes!" Bruno shouted. It was the first time I heard him speak yet his voice rivaled Ratzack's. The dropship slowed down before hovering.
"Moore, Doc, Wong, Rivers suppressing fire!" Hearing my name come from Bruno's mouth was unexpected but lit a fire in me like no other. It was our job to keep them covered and to give them an exit hole through the bug defenses. The remaining troopers were stuck on a small hill with a cliff overhang. The bug bodies piled up behind them. While it's only been ten minutes since the first recall, these guys have been stuck in the grinder for the entirety. We took our firing positions. I took a quick glance at my munitions count on my HUD before unloading round after round into the growing mountain of bugs.
"On the bounce!" Ratzack called out. Ratzack along with Bruno, Jones, Waltkins and Martin jumped from the drop ship. They landed on the ledge one by one before joining the ranks of the men. My visor read off their signatures as Zeta Platoon.
"Plasma inbound, brace for impact!" The pilot yelled to us. We had no time to react as the sky flashed a bright blue. The thing about plasma blasts from the bug batteries wasn't just the accuracy. If by chance the plasma blast missed you it explodes, creating a powerful shockwave that can throw a drop ship like a fastball. The shockwave hit from our left and sent each of u into the right side wall. The drop ship fought to stay afloat.
"Brace for impact!" The pilot called back. He kept us steady, I've heard a drop ship spinning out will disorient a trooper and the last thing you need is to crash in bug territory with your head spinning. The hatch began to close to keep any of us from being thrown from the ship.
"Boot magnets now!" Houston ordered. His quick thinking saved a lot of us. Being stable in this situation was key to survival. Even with a power suit on, being thrown into a corner of the ship hard enough will shatter bones. We hit hard, I could hear the whales of the Arachnid. Did we crash into a horse? I kept my thoughts to myself for the betterment of the platoon. If we hit a swarm we would need to be focused and not in fear of the swarm. The ship slammed into a rock face. We dropped our stabilizers as the pilot ran from his chair, Marita in hand.
"You apes alive?" Houston asked. I took a quick look around, the hatch was about half closed but the shifting shadows were easy to see. The sounds of Arachnid legs ticking on the roof of the ship caused us all to pause for only a second before raising our rifles.
"Status report," Ratzack called to us on the coms. To think a man deep in the grinder was worried about his own men.
"We have a hostile situation," Houston called back. He motioned for four men to cover the hatch. They took up lead positions as the rest of us formed small firing squads, over twenty rifles trained on the hatch door. We inched closer, the silence unbearable. Just as a trooper reached the door, he was snatched from the confines of the drop ship, his screams cut short as the Arachnid used its powerful jaws to snap his body in half at the waist. "Fire, fire at will!" Houston's order came out just a split second before I pulled the trigger. Our combined firepower put the big down in seconds. A shame to think Georg bought it the second time on this rock.
"Hatch opening," the pilot called. His chest read Abrams. He rushed to take a firing position beside me. The moment the hatch opened, an Arachnid opened its jaws, howling. Abrams squeezed his trigger and I followed suit. Rounds penetrated the creature and its body flopped to the ground. Two troopers named Hop and Kal ran to the front followed by Wong. The three of them took point as the rest of us crept from the confines of the dropship.
"Form up!" Houston called as our indicators flashed red. Bugs from all over were converging on our position. "Eliminate the threat quickly troopers, we have a job to do!" Houston barked into our coms. I took a position between Abrams and Connors. We shouldered our rifles as the enemy forces crept closer. Their howls echoed in the open sky. I took a quick glance to the bottom left corner of my HUD. Ratzack and the others were only a click south of us with a force of twenty three. We had to get to them if they had any hope of getting out of here alive.
"Contact, contact everywhere!" Hop yelled out before squeezing off a few rounds. He was correct, the bugs were in range and would stop at nothing to rip us apart. I took a knee as Abrams and Connors opened fire. I picked my targets carefully, firing a round only when the nerve stem was an open target. Makes me wish I hadn't failed the marksman test by just five points or I would be holding an MKX sniper rifle. A beautiful monster of a weapon that can cleave a bug in two if you hit it at the right angle. Can't think about that now, breathe and fire.
"Movement underground," Kal called out but before anyone could react, the sand beneath his feet opened up. He fell into the jaws of an Arachnid. We had no time to even break ranks before he was dragged into the sands.
"Shit, we have to move," Hop said. Alex took a step closer to him, now standing at his side while he fired round after round.
"Moore, exit plan," Houston called to me. I stood to my feet and scanned the area. Indicators in my helmet showed the bugs had us pinned with our backs to the rocky cliffs and to reach Ratzack we would have to push forward.
"Not looking good sir," I called back. I could feel my body tensing up. My hands even began to shake but I couldn't let it show. If the men depending on me to find a way out saw me worried, we would all crumble. "Wong, you still got ordinance?"
"Enough to level a small hill," Wong called back.
"Sending fire coordinates to your HUD, we have to blow a hole in their ranks and run like hell through it if we have any hopes of getting to Ratzack sir!" I yelled as I continued to fire. Another dead bug, this time its body dropping at my feet.
"Is that the only way?" Houston called back, his voice full of worry.
"It's do or die sir," I called back. The bugs continued their advance as we struggled to repel them.
"Wong, fire mission," Houston called.
"Sir," Wong called back before taking a knee. A heavy metal canister slung over his shoulder as he took aim. "Fire in the hole!" Wong yelled as the nukes shot from the canister. They rose high into the sky as the bugs continued to draw closer. Seconds later the smoke trails faded as the nukes fell back to the ground. "Brace for impact!"
"Oh shit!" Hop called out as he dropped into a prone position, still firing as the nukes slammed into the sands of Klendathu, sending limbs of bugs into every direction.
"Move!" Houston called out. Without a response we made a rush for the hole. The bugs wouldn't need much time to recover from the small explosion and would definitely reform their ranks if we stood and attempted a defense. We surged forward, mentally, I thanked the power suits for adding speed and agility. They didn't combat much of the feeling of fatigue, although training took care of that. We were drawing closer to our leader but behind us was a horde.
"We have a massive bug problem sir," Houston called back. "Swarm inbound!"
"Get your asses over here, double time it troopers!" Bruno's voice blared into our ears. I could feel my legs stomp my heavy boots into the ground one step after the other. It felt as if each meter took eons to clear as we ran, mindful not to jump in case we needed to make space and fast.
"Moore, Cheng, Rogers cover the rear, everyone else over the bug wall!" Huston's orders were clear but my gut sank as I took up a firing position. My HUD display fed me information vital to both the mission at hand and survival. It estimated a total of just over three thousand warrior bugs rushing our way. I could feel my heartbeat in the palms of my hands. The howls drew closer with each passing second. I looked to Cheng who took a knee. His SAW began to whine. Rogers was to my opposite flank, shifting his attention between the climbing troopers and the impending doom we would all meet.
"Up and over apes," Huston called. I could feel my pulse lower as we rushed for the wall. The climb took seconds but it seemed like that was all the time the bugs needed.
"Moore, Rogers!" Cheng yelled out. I turned to see him clinging to the mandible of a dead Arachnid while his foot was caught in the clutches of a live one.
"Cheng!" I yelled back as I ripped my Marita from my back in one hand, squeezing the trigger. My targeting systems helped ensure I aimed just past Cheng to cause him no harm but the damn bug wouldn't let up. They are as tenacious as they are deadly. It ripped at his leg, causing an audible scream from Cheng. More bugs swarmed behind, only seconds away. I continued to fire until Cheng reached for his grenade belt.
"Moore, get clear," Cheng said.
"Not without,"
"Dammit this isn't up for debate!" He shut down my rebuttal. He thumbed the detonation button, "for the Federation," he said as he let go of his grip. Allowing the bug to pull him backwards. I climbed to the top of the mound of dead bugs to meet the rest of the troopers who were keeping the bugs charging up the slope at bay. The explosion sounded the moment I stepped down. Bugs howled in pain as their bodies were ripped to pieces by the shrapnel. Red flashed across my HUD. It was Cheng's full name as a chill ran down my back. I was paralized, feeling as if my body was stone.
"Contact west!" Rogers yelled as he took up a firing position resting his rifle just above the mandible of a dead Arachnid.
"Moore, get your head in the game!" Brun yelled, snapping my mind back into the present.
"Evening troopers, need a lift?" A soft voice rang in our ears. It was the voice of a female as the HUD read "Fleet" flashing just above my sweating brow.
'Michelle, Waltkins, Moore, Rogers and Thomas get your asses positioned on our flank. Doc and Wong get your asses over as the second line and blow any bug that gets past them to hell." Ratzack barked orders. "Fleet Command, this is Roughneck 2-0 requesting dust off pick up. We have Zeta platoon and need immediate evak!" Ratzack turned to me and although I couldn't see his face, I could feel the reassurance in his look and the nod that followed.
"Copy that M.I. I will commence dust off in five minutes." The pilot calmly spoke back.
"No way we last five minutes," Wong whispered. Ratzack didn't seem to make any physical response to the remark so I assume Wong muted his com link and said the words more so to himself. The bugs closed in. Seconds of standing gave them the opportunity to limb the mound and take fire from whatever we had left. They crawled and crawled, jaws wide and snapping at anything they could get their mandibles on.
"This is gonna be a long five minutes," Wong said as an Arachnid climbed over the mound of bodies and snatched a trooper, throwing his body over the edge. It hadn't even taken seconds for his name to flash across my HUD. I put ten rounds into the bug only four of which hit the nerve stem. Its body flailed down the pile, knocking other bugs down along with it. We poured everything we had into the bugs but they continued to press forward. No matter how many of them fell it was always as if more were closer. Seconds ticked in my mind as if an old clock were implanted in my brain.
"Left flank!" Rodgers yelled. I snapped my head to the left, seeing a trooper impaled by the claw of an Arachnid. Its jaws opened as it howled before throwing her body aside as the life drained from her body leaving a mist of glistening crimson. I turned my rifle towards the oncoming insectoid, squeezing the trigger. Two rounds struck the Arachnid, pushing it backwards. Rodger stood beside me, his SAW ripping holes into the creature.
"Some support would be nice here." I said as my brow twitched as an Arachnid closed the distance. It's body dripping of its emerald lifeforce and it took step after step. I couldn't get a clear shot of the nerve cluster. Its dying body continued its forward rush, smashing the top of its jaw into the chassis of my power suit just as the bottom of the jaw was blown away. My back burned as it slammed into a wall, doubling me over as the pain shot up my spine. My eyes tightened as the pain spread.
"On your feet," Doc barked as he grabbed under my arm, ripping my body from the ground. "How bad was it?"
"I'll live but I'm gonna complain for the next week or two." I snorted between breaths. "Shit," I ripped Doc out of the way using what little strength I had left to keep my arm steady as twelve rounds dropped the bug.
"Hell of a shot," Doc said as he dropped to a knee besides me. I could hear a faint wine of ion engines in the distance. It only took seconds for the wine to turn into the massive hum followed by the sweet chime of the recall bells.
"Form up!" Ratzack ordered. "Get all Zeta platoon members in the back ranks and form a shield wall!" Shield wall, it was a formation I heard was used in the ancient times. Soldiers with shields and spears would come into a tight formation of impenetrable soldiers. Doc, myself and Rodgers kept a steady fire between ourselves, keeping the bugs at bay.
"Hatch opened up, hop in boys," her sing-song voice was an irritation. Zeta platoon members began to bounce their way into the dropship, their rocket packs carrying them into the cabin.
"Prepare to disengage!" Ratzack yelled. "Disengage!" On the order we each activated our jump jets and launched into the opened cabin.
"Alright fly girl get us the hell out of here!" Bruno said as Rodgers was the last to jump onto the dropship."
"Mind if I leave the bugs a little present?" She said with a hint of joy in her voice. I could hear the undercabin open, dropping heavy ordinance on the mound of bugs as she took off climbing to hyper speed. Troopers crammed to the walls, looking for anything to grip as the turbulence began to build as we climbed into the atmosphere. Escaping the pot was one thing but after today, I felt we would only be jumping directly into the fire.