Klendathu Campaign 1

[January/6/2322] Fleet Battlestation Ticonderoga

Petty Officer First Class Jake Silva woke up confused as to where he was…. Last thing he remembered he was with a fly girl he been dating for a few mouths Annette Strong and…. Looking to his right he saw her peacefully asleep next to him, with a smile he made a move to wake her when he noticed something, looked over her shoulder and saw what time it was. He slipped out of bed carefully, got himself dressed, grabbed a piece of paper and wrote a note to her.

"Sorry I didn't wake you love but you looked too peaceful to wake, plus I was never really any good at goodbyes. I didn't say anything but I've been reassigned from the Ticonderoga to one of the ships in the invasion fleet. I'll be off making fortifications on Klendathu for the Apes in the Mobile Infantry for the next few months or so but as soon as that's up I will hopefully be reassigned back here. I'll see when the bugs are dead and gone my love and that is a promise.

With love Silva

Being careful not to wake her Jake put the note where he had been sleeping and left the room happy with the way his life had turned out considering where he had been few years before.

[July/17/2319] New Philippines, Manila, district Court house

Silva was hauled in through the side door of the court house by a couple of former MI and pushed into his seat, the defense seat to be more precise. "Hey, take it easy already. I haven't attacked you since I was arrested. Do you really think I'm going to start now?" He asked as one of the older troopers roughed him up.

"Snot nosed kid." The trooper said before standing at attention as Judge Norin entered from the his chambers and took his seat.

"Jake Silva, you have been found guilty of manslaughter of the first degree, of… the disembowelment of Private Jakens of the Mobile Infantry… do you admit your guilt?" The Judge said looking at him.

"Yes Sir, I admit my guilt in killing Mister Jenkins but to be fair he attacked me first over the fact I was dating his sister."

"That doesn't warrant slicing a man's stomach open, with his own combat knife"

"I agree, that was an accident my arm slipped in the fight."

"… You have an answer for everything, don't you?" The judge said seeming annoyed by Silva's "honesty".

"No sir, I'm just telling the truth."

"Sure you are…" The judge said looking down at his notes. "Son, you have two options, spend the next 15 years on a penal colony working your hands to the bone… or join the military and learn some self restraint which will it be?"

"I'll take the military, sir." Jake said, glad he was on a backwater world when this happened to him. Anywhere else he probably would be dead or on the way to a penal colony by now.

The judge nodded and said. "Sergeant, take the man down to the recruitment center. I'll clean up his record so he can get in."

Edge of Klendathu system [February /1/2322] T-minus 5 days till KI day, CC-34 Valley Forge

Jake sat near the back of the meeting room waiting for the Cap trooper commander to give his speech and get on with telling them what they would be doing down on the surface of Klendathu. The guy by the holographic projector had been talking for the last 15 minutes about all the breeds of bugs they would most likely encounter on the world, from workers and warriors to hoppers and blisters, and it was getting boring. He just wanted to yell out that they got it there was going to be some nasty ass critter down there. But he kept his tongue in check. This would be over soon enough and then he could find out what they would be doing on Big K.

"Now that you are aware of what you will be seeing on Klendathu, we move on to your jobs." Jake muttered, "finally" as the commander continued. "Klendathus atmosphere has a slightly thinner oxygen content, nothing too dangerous in the short term, but in the long term out of breath soldiers are not a way to win the Campaign. In addition to the oxygen masks that will be provided to the Troopers, you Engineers will be landing in Redhawk Cargo vessels at what we are calling the Rocky Ring." An image of a mountain range in a ring around a deep water lake. "There you will set up fortifications, water cleaners. and air purifiers provided in the Redhawks so our troopers will have a planetary supply and won't have to depend on the fleet supplies. Your group will be providing supplies for 6th division. When you first land Willy's Wildcats will be keeping the bugs at bay during the first wave and Rasczak's Roughnecks will be reinforcing them during the second wave." As he spoke the holograph showed waves of Vikings landing in a ring around the mountain range, "Once we have secured the area of operation the third wave will land with more troopers from Barnie's Redcoats and push out and hook up with some of the other supply depots. Any questions?"

One of the other engineers asked. "Sir, will there be any anti-aircraft fire from the surface?"

"Yes, but it's believed that it will be limited. In the past the bugs have used their plasma bugs as artillery so they will most likely turn those guns to the sky and hope they get lucky. But it is unlikely they will hit much with it and since plasma bugs do not grow big enough for their shots to leave the atmosphere. They will have a very limited time to do any damage." The commander said looking for the next questioner…

Klendathu system [February /6/2322] T-minus 30 minutes till KI day, CC-34 Valley Forge

Jake regretted everything as he had been up all night drinking what little fear he had away. Which of course had led had to a headache to end all headaches. He couldn't say a damned thing about it either; otherwise he would get in trouble with his commanding officer and with his luck get a dishonorable discharge.

Trying to keep himself steady, he walked into the armory and started to get ready for the drop. Once they arrived in orbit the Redhawks were going to dropped fast and he really doubted they'd stop for the one guy who drank too much. He pulled on his Raider armor and grabbed his Morita shotgun and pack. Then headed for the landing bays. He got there just as the boarding began. He looked over the Redhawk in order to get a feel for her. The Redhawk in question, Valley Forge 3, was about as wide as a Viking but three times as long allowing her to bring more material with her. She was one of the few craft to carry a Cherenkov Drive giving her a lot more range then most landing craft. But due to the way this battle was planned, it shouldn't be needed. Jake stepped up the ramp, into the craft, and headed for his seat next to a friend of his, Chief Petty Officer Terry O'Connor, who spoke up when he saw him. "Hey Jake, you look like shit."

"Thanks I feel like it too." Jake said bring the harness down on to his shoulders.

"Drink too much again?"

"Of course not, just didn't drink enough." He joked as the doors began to close.

Klendathu system [February /6/2322] T-minus Zero, CC-34 Valley Forge

Lieutenant Junior Grade Anita Bastos watched outside the window as the Valley Forge and the rest of the fleet came into orbit around Big K. Anita went to work sending the order to the waiting transports to begin landing.

"Lieutenant Anita have we begun landing operation?" Commodore Marlowasked from his captain chair.

"Yes captain." Anita said as the first craft began leaving the ship, joining the other landing craft from the rest of the fleet coming down in a swarm and heading for their designated regions planetside. But as she watched pillars of blue plasma rose from the planet to the great fleet.

"Hmm here are the "bug lights" command warned of." Marlow said as the first few lights went by without hitting anything. Then a ship just in front of the Valley Forge was hit. The blue plasma burning right through the center of the ship and breaking it in half. "That's not right." Marlow said and Anita silently agreed as the commander had theorized that the Plasma would not have the strength to burn through the ship armor after leaving the atmosphere. As she watched more unprepared ships were hit and destroyed and random plasma seem to focus in on the fleet with every downed ship.

"Pull us out of this orbit and tell all ships in our squadron to follow our lead." Marlow said to the communication officer. Anita looked out the window seem most of the fleet beginning to do the same trying to minimize damage from the planet. But as the ship began to pull out a dozen or so large colony ships about 600 meter long came out from behind the planet nearby moon and made good time toward the fleet.

"Incoming." Someone called as the bug ships began to launch plasma at the fleet trying to force it back toward the planet. The federation ships open up with their laser but the carapace of the bug ships held up under the first few hits and the ships were moving too fast. They were soon getting in and among the federation ship causing friendly fire.

"Order from the Admiral Sir. We are to pull out and head for the for the rendezvous point at the edge of the system. The second wave will be moving in soon."

Commodore Marlow looked over to the communications officer and asked. "Is the admiral even aware the first wave is under heavy fire and fighting bug ships with actual damn weapon systems in the orbit of Klendathu? If things have gotten this bad in orbit the first wave should stay here to provide cover for the second and the troops already down on the planet surface." The communication officer made a move to actually ask the admiral but the Commodore stopped him. "That was a rhetorical Lieutenant Junior Grade Williamson." Looking to the pilots he said. "We have our orders. Start pulling out of orbit and head for the rendezvous point near the edge of the system."

Klendathu system, Rocky Ring [January /10/2206] KI day, T-plus 15 minutes

Jake was begging for it to end. The Redhawk was coming in hot and was hitting horrible turbulence or maybe it was just light. All he knew was that he was regretting stepping on this death trap. Then he heard something screeching and the pilot called back over the loud speaker. "Hold on guys we just got burned by the anti-aircraft fire and were not coming in… oh…" The Redhawk leaned as the wall in front of Jake was ripped away by the side of the mountain along with a few Engineers who had been sitting across from him.

"Son of-" Terry didn't finish his thought as the Redhawk started leaning them towards the newly made hole in the wall and he became too busy holding on to the harness. Then the craft crashed. First just providing a bumpy ride but then the Redhawk split in half. The front half Containing the supplies and the flight crew ended up rolling half way down the mountain. While the back half containing what was left of the engineers smashed down into the rocky ground and flipping end over end before coming to rest between two boulders, upside down.

Jake released the harness and fell to the roof of the craft and began puking his guts out. "That's it I'm giving up heavy drinking. Your message is heard loud and clear." he said looking up to the sky or floor…

Terry fell down next him followed by most of the other engineers the other either unconscious or dead from the shrapnel that had been the wall "Wh.. where's the commanding officer? " he asked.

"I think he was over there" Jake said pointing towards the front of the craft and the beginning of the hole.

"Crap then who's in command?"

"You are. At least until we see if any officers survived in the front." Jake said looking though the hole, down the mountain at the remains of the Redhawk.

"…fuck."

Klendathu system, Rocky Ring [January /10/2206] KI day, T-plus 20 minutes

Terry took charge of the engineers quickly. "Alright, get those guys off the roof. Anyone who can't move leave here and activate the emergency pick up beacon. Put them at the other end of the ship with enough weapons and ammo to hold out till pick up." Terry pointed to about 20 engineers. "You guys will start construction on those instant walls around this rust bucket. Just in case any bugs show up."

"The rest of us will head down the mountain and hook up with any survivors at the front of the ship and start setting up the equipment for water and air reclamation. Hopefully the mobile infantry will be here soon to help us get this impromptu base built and defended. But in case they don't, we will need the water and air to hold out. Oh and Jake, you're drunk stay here."

"Aye, aye captain." He said leaning against the wall.

Terry sighed and rolled his eyes.

Klendathu system, Rocky Ring [January /10/2206] KI day, T-plus 30 minutes

Terry led 15 of the 35 engineers that were conscious, out of the Redhawks hull and headed over the dark grey stones of the mountain towards the remnants of the front of the craft which appeared to have ejected the side engines. Most likely the craft detected damage to the two massive power houses and detached them so if they exploded they wouldn't kill those aboard the craft. Which was both good and bad. Good if they didn't explode they were still power generators that could be salvage. Bad that they needed to find them first.

After a seven minute hike, they were three fourths of the way there. But they stopped when they heard two sounds that sent a chill though their bones. The first was the screeching roaring sound the bugs used to speak or call to each other coming from further down the hill past the hunk of metal that was their objective. They all knew this sound thanks to audio tapes they had been given in order to give them a way to identify the sounds they would hear. The other, though not as frightening as knowing the bugs were coming was even more frightening for what it meant. It was the low rumbling under the ground as if something was burrowing underneath them. They all cast their eyes to the ground waiting to see if whatever was there would come up or move on. No one moved afraid that their steps would alert the critter beneath them. Their luck was not with them today though and a large mouth full of sharp teeth burst from the ground to take an engineer inside of it whole. They heard the poor soul scream as he was ripped apart by the thousands of teeth inside the burrower's maws. Before it lowered its head and the rest of the body on to its clawed like feet letting the blood, shreds of metal and uniform pour out onto the ground. Before anyone could react, it charged at the nearest engineer and nearly swallowed him too if he hadn't jumped out of the way. This broke their stunned state and they began shooting the burrower trying to stay to the side and behind him. As Terry was about to reload his rifle he heard screeching coming from the hole the burrower had come from, it was not alone.

To be continued