DAY 4 OF OPERATION ON PLUTO
Bold font and *""* – radio talk, Italic font and ** – thoughts, underline font and "" – TV or news reports, "" – normal speck, '' – whispering, and I own nothing in this story it's just an idea I had years ago
Nicky sat in her section of trench line alpha of base Gamma thinking about the past few days since arriving back on Pluto after Operation Pest Control and the worried messages she would get from her sister Erika she knew that her other sisters were also worried but knew she would be ok, although up to date both Erika, Hannah and Zoe still didn't know what unit they were going to be put in mainly from Hannah's and Erika's old unit being scraped due to the shock of this operation and the Bugs being back
plus the combat that allowed the SICON forces to place the seven bases that now cover Pluto with base Gamma being the newest and while the other bases had walls and defence towers that could defend the base very well this one had to settle for trenches while they got the base up and running not that it helped the troopers in them from the constant attacks but warriors and worker Arachnids how mostly just either ran around or straight into the trench's, so far over the two days the Roughnecks had been posted to the base defence of Gamma base they had to defend against twenty attacks with fifteen troop's paying for it with their lives and another fifty being wounded today a squadron of Marauders have been added to the squads to help defend the area even now she could hear the zipper noise of the mini guns from the marauder guns fighting at the bugs
She then turned to her right and saw the soldier just a few feet from her stand to look what was going on only to raise his morita rifle and yell "One got throw" and then a warrior arachnid appeared knocking him down and stabbing him in the chest with one of its front legs making him cry out in pain Nicky was up and was about to fire when someone else opened fire hitting and killing the bug Nicky looked to her left and saw it had been Razak and next to him was Doc, Rico and Jenkins he turned to them and said "Perimeter defence on the double."
They quickly say "SIR YES SIR" and head off to the main line trench while he was giving the order to them Nicky had rushed to the downed trooper and cut off the leg that was in the body of the trooper to keep it as air tight as possible while she tried to stable him to be moved just then two other troopers rushed to her carrying a stretcher to help take him back to the base Razak walked up to her and said "How is he private?"
Nicky replied as he was being placed onto the stretcher by the others "Don't know sir it'll be touch and go till he gets back to base" as he was then picked up and taken back Razak turned to her and said "Head back with him and get me a report and file one on what happened too." Nicky nodded and saluted him as she followed the stretcher bearers back
Arriving back at the Gamma headquarters main building she entered the air sealed base and then headed to the main admin area to fill out a report and then headed to one of the many bathrooms on base and quickly washed off the blood that was on her hands and then she started to take calming breaths to calm herself down she then said to herself after getting it all off and drying her hands "Stupid sodding phobia every time I really need to get over this phobia"
"I agree sis you do need to get over your fear." replied someone stood behind Nicky not that she needed to turn and see how it was "Mental blocks don't work and remember only you can get in my head egghead and even then even you have said it was head getting in."
Hannah looked at her sister and asked "same images?" Nicky replied sarcastically while still not turning round "Yar different types of arachnids dressed in tutu's doing the caramindancen dance."
Hannah growled in annoyance and went to speak only for Nicky to interrupt and said "I know you don't have to say anything I'm fine ... do you know what unit you are being assigned to yet?" as she finally turned to face her sister looking at her five foot tall the smallest of the family wearing military uniform with corporal rankings on her shoulders and collar leading up to her freckle covered face with a large deep scar going across her face from the bottom of her left cheek near her jaw straight across it then up to her left blue eye then along her nose to her right red eye then up to her black coloured hair
"Not yet I do know that me and Erika will be in the same squad again" replied Hannah as Nicky started to walk to leave the room Hannah put her hand on Nicky's shoulder and stopped her and said "You need to let go sis you have punished yourself enough as it is everyone else knows you all did your best and the families and them you recued know it and so do we sis why can't you let it go?"
Nicky pulled out her dog tags one pair had the Roughnecks logo on it while the other pair had a eagle on it and it said ^Screaming Eagles^ on it "If these didn't remind me of the cost." She then reached into her pocket and to out the dog tags and held them in her robotic arm "my arm, leg and these sure do, my squad, our dad and the whole battalion all for some bug Intel wanted and leaving us high and dry." And then she added as she left "I have a debt to repay and nothing anyone says will ever make me forget till it's paid."
Hannah turned as Nicky left and said "I thought I told you it don't matter surviving is your debt being paid your my sister you don't owe me nothing" but Nicky left then headed to check up on the injured trooper that was brought in then she headed back out to head to the main trench line to report to Razak
Ten minutes later
Nicky arrived back at the frontline and saw Razak talking to the others in the Roughnecks as another unit was taking up there firing positions she walked up to him and saluted and said "Sir filled in a report and the trooper was stable in medic bay when I left but it's unclear how long it's going to be before he can re-join his unit." Razak nodded and replied "Thanks for the update private now get your gear ready and more ammo we have a mission to start" Nicky nodded then quickly headed towards her post only to be stopped by Higgins how held up her bag, she took it off him and quickly checked it before saying "Thanks paperboy guess I just need to get more ammo" she quickly went to a nearby ammo case and collected what ammo magazines she needed then she rejoined the squad
Razak then turned and said "ok Roughnecks we have been ordered to sector seven quad seventeen for a little bug hunt Intel believe that there's a pass not too far from here where the bugs form up into their raiding party's to attack Gamma base we are being sent with Ape platoon to clear it Doc regression a Ape marauder we leave in five." everyone quickly said "SIR YES SIR." and moved out.
LATER
After arriving in the sector and quad they had been assigned to the Roughnecks gathered around Razak for orders he then said "split off into groups with a Ape platoon squad, Gossard, Rico Higgins and Nicky head east with squad one and make a fire line between the ledges there and kill anything with more than two legs, Doc and Jenkins link up with squad's two and three and head to the right myself, Brutto and Dizzy and with squad four we will head left and we'll flush the bugs towards the rest of you." they all replied "SIR YES SIR." and they all split into their groups and joined the squads they was told to join
As the other squads left to their positions as they formed a line in between two ledges with a small cliff on their right as Nicky, Gossard and Rico got into a line along with the squad members of first squad with Higgins stood behind them with his camera up to record the coming battle as everyone spread out slightly to keep an eye out for the incoming bugs Higgins then turned to Nicky how he was near and asked "I know we have met the enemy but what have you seen them do?"
Nicky turned to look at Higgins and said "I've seen them build quite a few things but while it may be amazing but the amount of people these dam creatures have killed do's not mean what they make matter to all the men and women, friends." Nicky had to pause then added "... and relatives that they have killed ever since the first time we first met them."
As Higgins went to say something only to hear the scream of an arachnid as everyone got into their battle line the and soon saw a pack of twenty warriors charging towards their position the sergeant of Ape squad one yelled out "Get ready Ape's and get ready to kill all these pests!" "OH!" shouted out everyone Nicky looked around and saw everyone was ready when she then quickly said "Sarge if everyone aims for the centre nerve stem of the warriors we'll kill them quicker."
The sergeant nodded and said "You heard her Ape's!" as they all aimed and as the warriors got to within one hundred meters of them and then the sergeant yelled out "FIRE!" and five warriors collapsed Gossard then took a grenade off his belt pulled the pin then throw it into a large group heading the left where the explosion killed another three he was soon followed by Rico and Nicky how did the same and also where able to kill another three each and with the other troops killed the last six by gunning them down
Gossard then got on his radio to call it in as everyone spread out to check the dead bugs the Ape squad troopers headed a bit away from their battle line as a retrieval ship while they did that Higgins how was filming everything panned his camera to the small cliff near to the right ledge as he did so a wounded warrior appeared and screamed at him as it jumped at him he was tackled out of the way by Rico getting both of them out of the way allowing Nicky and Gossard to gun it down ending its life
Rico turned to Higgins and asked "You whole?" Higgins nodded as he said "Yar." Then he turned to where Gossard and Nicky where stood and asked "And wasn't you cutting it a little to close?" to which Gossard replied "I could of taken it earlier but I thought you would of wanted a close up for the Fednet nightly news" Nicky shook her head as she then put her hand to her helmet radio and radioed Razak *"LT area cleaned all bugs killed with no casualties at all"*
Razak replied *"Acknowledged Doc has radioed that they are also clean and are heading to your position our area is also clean so we'll be regrouping there"* Nicky replied *"Sir"*
Nicky then checked her ammo counter on her morita and saw she only had half a clip left so she unloaded and placed it in her back ammo pouch and got a full clip from her right leg pouch, she then saw Ape squads two and three arrived and then Jenkins and Doc in his marauder as they joined Nicky and the others Carl went and talked to Rico while Doc got out of his marauder and Nicky saw damage to its armour as well as bug blood all over it Nicky then said "Hey Doc decided to just use your suit in melee combat instead of using the mini guns on your suit."
Doc smirked at her and replied "True but there was quite a few more in our area and we had to improvise."
"Well at least you was able to improvise Doc" said Nicky
Just then she heard "Hey guys!" she turned and saw Dizzy slid down the left ledge and joined them standing next to Rico and Carl and they all noticed her power suit was covered from head to toe in bug blood and guts Gossard walked up to them and after seeing Dizzy then said "Nothing like a bug hunt to get your juices flowing."
Gossard then said while shaking his head "Man what do you do to relax Flores? Bunge jump without the cord" Dizzy chuckled as she said "Hey no guts no glory" to which Rico replied "No brains." And Carl added "No kidding." Dizzy shook her head as they said that with a smile
Razak then walked towards them and said "Heads up Roughnecks new orders from command, we are to head to the south-western quadrant check your rig's." as everyone started to check there gear Nicky chuckled and said "Oh goodie another bug hunt." Carl then said "Hope you brought sun cream it's a bomby one thousand nine hundred and fifty degrees below down south."
Rico was about to say something to Carl when all their radios went off *"This is Lieutenant Carmen Ibanez of the Federal fleet this is an emergency."* "Hur?" said Nicky, Rico then said "Carmen?" Dizzy then said "What's the prom queen doing in bug country." Razak then replied *"we read you Lieutenant Ibanez."* there was a pause then another voice was heard *"This is Major Zander Barkalow my ship was downed by enemy fire our position is the Mc Henry outpost in sector seven in quad eighteen, two military personal and seven civilians warriors guard the perimeter we request immediate evac."*
Dizzy then said to Carl and Rico quietly 'oh great what are the odds the prom queen hanging out with the football hero' Razak then replied *"affirmative Major Barklow alpha team have your position locked and are responding."* but what was replied from the fleet pilot shocked the Roughnecks but not Nicky *"Thank you Lieutenant Razak but my call is for an evac by a Fleet retrieval ship not an MI ground squad please relay message."* came the arrogant reply from Barklow *it never changes the arrogance of Fleet pilot's to the MI trooper life's same as dam Intel personal.* thought Nicky as she had a sour look on her face which was slightly noticed by Razak
But then Razak then replied *"As of 09:00 that sector has been designated a hot zone no ship is allowed to enter that quad till father notice do you read?"* Barklow then arrogantly replied *"Thank you lieutenant but fleet will respond for one of their premium pilot's."*
Nicky after hearing that turned to Doc and Gossard how was next to her and chuckled as she whispered 'Yar a premium arsshole. Ha Ha.' then they all heard Razak say "Premium horses behind." then he got back on the radio and replied *"We will relay message over and out."* He then turned to Brutto and said "Brutto call it in to fleet command and relay message." Brutto folded his arms and said "Why should we LT he thinks fleet can do it, let him wait" Rico how was just behind him was not happy about what he said Nicky then said "Sir seeing as we're not far from the Mc Henry outpost we could go have a look see what is in the area and assist if need be" Razak smirked at that and said "very true private Doc bring the marauder with us"
20 minutes later
As they reached a cliff a mile from the outpost they could see the building and quite a lot of warriors walking around the area Gossard and Nicky how where knelt on the cliff edge watching it all, Gossard then flicked down his visitor scanner and used it to get a more detailed look around the area then after a minute he flicked it back up and turned to Razak how was stood behind them both and said "Place crawls sir." Razak nodded at Gossard's replied he then heard Brutto say after getting of the radio "Here's a big surprise fleet can't because of mucho bug activity sir." but what surprised them all Rico then said "We can take them sir."
Dizzy looked at Rico in disbelief and said "Wow Rico how made you a hero?" Carl also looked at Rico in knowing why Rico said what he has Razak turned as he heard Nicky say quietly to herself 'Fleet does the flying and MI does the dying same as three years ago.' she then said loudly to Razak "LT we should see if there's any plasma bugs in the area as they are the only things that could be stopping them from coming and rescuing the civilians and fleet pilots sir." just after she had said that they all heard a thud sound and a rushing noise making everyone look up into the air as they saw three giant balls of plasma flying into the air coming from a mountain just a few feet behind them
Razak after seeing this said "All right Roughnecks our first priority is to make a corridor for fleet." Rico then said "We have to get the civilians out sir." Razak turned to Rico and angrily stared at him then said to Carl "Do you séance anything?" Carl then got a faraway look on his face then he said "The loading dock is not full secure sir." Nicky then said "Well sir we now have a time limit to work to and I find we ape's do our best under pressure."
They then quickly headed to the foot of the mountain from where the plasma balls came from Doc powered down the marauder suit and got out of it then stood next to Dizzy Razak then looked at them all and said "Our objective is to clear out the plasmas surprise is the key so stay off the radio's com links only" everyone nodded Dizzy turned and looked at the mountain and said with a smile on her face "Piece of cake." Doc chuckled at that and said "Well you can have my slice."
Razak walked up to them and stood behind them to which Doc noticed and said "Well what's life without a few tiny challenges." As Nicky laughed at what Doc had said and replied "You sound just like my sister Zoe, she's always enjoy a good challenge." she then saw Brutto walk up to Carl and Rico and said "Rico and Jenkins it's your lucky day, you two greenery's get to hall this baby upstairs." pointing at the ape marauder suit Gossard and Doc started to chuckle as they walked away
Everyone got out their lizard line guns from their side pockets and aimed at a ledge half way up and fired the drill ends which lucky hit just on the tips of the ledge they was aiming for as Nicky started to go up she saw Rico press some buttons on his gauntlet and a control panel popped up and raised itself to his waist high due to him and Carl standing on the shoulders of the ape marauder suit it then fired two hooks into the rock to help them get up the cliff, as they headed up the cliff Nicky saw Gossard in front of her then she saw Dizzy pass her and stop near Gossard and say "What's up Gossard your getting to slow." Gossard chuckled and replied "Ha ha that's what every rookie say's."
Nicky chuckled at that then she heard loud thuds and scraping noise's from just behind her, she turned and saw it was the marauder suit catching the odd sticking out of the cliff she then heard Brutto how was just below her yell "Rico watch it that suit cost's more then you and your freaky pal put together stay forecast or the damage is coming out of your pay."
As Rico and Carl pasted her she heard him say to Carl "Nothing for nothing leaves nothing." Nicky tried not to laugh but Brutto then said as they passed "What was that?" to which Rico quickly said "Nothing." Making her burst out laughing.
A few minutes later
Higgins, Dizzy, Doc, Gossard, and Nicky soon got to the ledge and climbed up and they was just waiting on Rico, Carl and the marauder to get up as well as Razak and Brutto how where just in front of them, while they waited they kept an eye on the area to make sure they are not attacked by any patrolling warrior or worker bugs just then they all heard there radio's go off again *"Fleet command this is Mc Henry outpost come in Fleet command this is an emergency."* Nicky then thought *It sucks we cannot call them back because it'll give away our position.* but then her radio went off and saw went "oh no." *"Mc Henry outpost ... Carman do you read!"* Nicky shook her head and said "Dam it Rico." then she heard *"Get out of that room, bug behind you."*
She then saw Razak, Brutto and Rico clime up but then Razak turned to Rico and angrily said "I said to stay off the radio bug's have antennae if they picked up that transmission no one is coming out of that compound alive." As Nicky passed them to see how far Carl and the marauder where from the top, when they all heard a clank and then a hiss
Nicky saw Higgins how was already looking down at Carl and then he stood up and said "What is it?" probably replying to something Carl had said only then to hear Doc yell out "BUGS!" everyone turned and saw baby tankers coming out of the mountain and down from up higher up from their position and everyone opened fire killing many of them right away
As they continued to fire Nicky turned to her left only to see Higgins using his camera to record everything as she went to say something to him she heard Rico yell out "Carl!" from behind her but before she could go help she saw Gossard go down with a baby tanker on his leg biting it she turned to her right and pulled out her dagger from its shoulder holder and then throw it hitting the bug on Gossard's leg in the head killing it, then she saw Dizzy shoot a baby tanker in the head with her lizard line gun killing it as the screw of the gun drilled into it making Dizzy say "Ewww that's gotta hurt."
Just as the last few bugs where killed Nicky then heard an explosion coming from the cliff edge and then thought *I think that was the marauder.* she then turned and ran to the edge only to see Carl and Rico clime up she stood there and said "Hey you two need any help?" before they could answer an angry Brutto stomped over to them and yelled "You two was charged with getting that marauder here to clear the bugs!"
Rico then said "I thought it was ..." but Brutto interrupted him saying "You don't think private you follow orders!" only for Razak how had been walking up to them while that was going on and said "Wrong sergeant." Brutto turned in shock as Razak then continued "Private Rico made a tactical assessment ... this time it was the right one."
Brutto was a bit angry but dropped it as he and Razak walked away leaving a confused Rico behind to which Nicky then said "Radioing the outpost while it was for a good thing to warn them on the bug inside the base you giveaway our position leading to us being attacked, but shooting the wire to the marauder just below Carl there by getting rid of it saving Carl's life was the right thing." Rico nodded to what Nicky had said
Nicky then walked to where Gossard was sat while Doc treated his leg with a sealing gel she then heard Doc say "reconvicted surgery is the only option." Gossard then said in worry "Leg's that bad?" only for Doc to chuckle and say "No I was talking about your face." Making Nicky laugh while Gossard did not look impressed
After a few minutes they continued up the mountain and once they reached the top they saw a lip of the cliff edge and when they looked over it they saw a few feet of flat ground then it dropped into the mountain they slowly keeping low to the ground went to the edge that dropped into the mountain they saw three plasma bugs and a group two groups of five warriors patrolling them, Razak turned to Gossard and said "Gossard tactical assessment?"
Gossard then said "Small toad charge planted under one of them I'm good to go sir" but Razak said while shaking his head "Not with that leg." Pointing to his leg that had the sealant on then Rico said "I'll do it I'm the fastest guy you've got" Razak then turned to Dizzy and said "Flories prep our evac plan, Gossard prep the charge while I and Revell cover Rico from here" and everyone said "SIR YES SIR"
Dizzy got everyone's lizard lines prepped within a few minutes while Gossard had prepped the toad charge and handed it to Rico how after getting the go ahead he ran down the edge of the mountain into it while the other roughnecks headed to the other edge and headed to the other edge to head back the way they had come while they did that Rico got half way there and then stopped at a small ledge a few feet from the plasma bugs and then throw the now activated toad charge and it soon landed under the middle plasma bug but then he heard a scream and saw one of the two patrolling bug packs charge towards him he stood and opened fire killing three of the five charging towards him before he turned and ran back the way he came from
As he did so what he didn't see was a worker bug drop down from another ledge until it knocked him off his feet before it could do anything else it was gunned down by Razak and Nicky, Rico quickly got up and ran up and over the ledge joining Razak and Nicky only to kill the last two from the first group only for the other group to spot them and then charge towards them but Razak, Rico and Nicky ran to where Dizzy had left there lizard line guns where left, when they reached the guns they heard the toad charge go off and they saw the wall of fire coming out of the hole of the mountain and then along the flat top heading towards them
Nicky then said "Time to go!" and they picked up their guns and then ran and jumped of the top and held on tight of their lizard line guns till the wire became tight stopping there fall around the same level as where the other roughnecks where hanging, Nicky looked up then to her left and saw Dizzy next to her and said "Well we cooked them ... think fleet will use our bonfire as a marker?" to her right she heard Razak say over the radio *"Blue leader air space is clear send in retrieval"*
The roughnecks soon went back down to the ledge where they fought the baby tankers then pressed a button to unhook the drill from where it had drilled in and retrieved it and then did it again to get to the bottom of the mountain once they did Nicky saw the destroyed carcass of the ape marauder suit then she looked ahead and saw a retrieval ship come in and hover over the top of the outpost as the civilians and the two pilots as warriors started to climb up the walls and pushing themselves through doorways to the roof but everyone quickly got onboard the ship but there was thousands and thousands all around the Mc Henry outpost
Nicky saw this throw her visor she raised it back up then turned to Razak and said "Well LT at least we saved them sir but seeing all them bugs makes me think we're not even making a dent into their forces." Razak calmly replied "Don't worry private it may not look it right here but we are." Nicky nodded and she turned as she saw the other roughnecks watching the rescued ship head back into space as another ship came in to pick them up Razak then yelled "what do you think this is troopers R&R move out!" As they headed to the retrieval ship Razak then saw another MI trooper onboard as the roughnecks got to the ship the MI trooper walked up to them and said "Lieutenant Razak you along with the roughnecks are to join three other regiments at sector five quad thirty to help push the bugs out of that sector and the neighing quads."
Razak nodded and then turned to the roughnecks and said "You heard the Captain collect any ammo needed while on here and prepare to get back into it." To which everyone yelled out "SIR YES SIR."