Sunday, November 25, 2007

The Day of Infamy

Landing Zone Outpost, Foreas, 19:45 hours

At least forty men and women of various military operational specialties and backgrounds were gathered outside the ramparts near Foreas' Landing Zone Outpost. Not all soldiers wore the unit patch of the Mandalorians, named after the unit’s squad leader, but it did not matter. Weeks earlier SGT Gaius Mandalore shared an encrypted frequency to call upon other units if any outpost had an emergency. Those that answered the call arrived from a variety of backgrounds. Some were young. Some were old. Some were new to battle, and the faces of many veterans belied the enthusiasm of the young. Several squads waited at parade rest listening to instructions from their team leaders. Other individuals without clan or organization listened from a distance, eager to prove themselves or to simply stem the tide of destruction. The word was out. The alarms were sent.

The Bane was on the move, and invigorated enemy forces were marshalling on this wilderness continent of Foreas. Close to two years ago the Bane blazed a trail of destruction across the Earth claiming to be threatened by the Terrans’ discovery of Logos. Their presumed birthright was to conquer every world in their path and seize that knowledge for their own intentions. Led by the Neph Samael, it was believed that the Eloh were decimated by the Bane on their homeworld many centuries ago. Scattered but not extinct, the Eloh have left Logos scattered across numerous worlds; we know of Foreas, Arieki, and Mycon. The survivors of Earth have formed the Allied Free Sentients (the AFS). New allies are joining us, and we have discovered many Logos-sensitive among our own. Time is running short, and our gifted ones are scrambling to learn as fast as they can.

"I am very pleased to see so many troops gathering at this remote location," Ranger Gaius Mandalore mentioned. "Putting aside your differences at this critical hour is a credit to your families, your clans, and your countries. Evidence gathered by recon teams in the Pravus Research Facility has indicated that the Bane are no longer content to merely sit on their haunches guarding the known Logos Shrines. Concentrated troop movements and captured encrypted transmissions have led us to believe that the Bane are preparing for a new offensive. We cannot allow the Bane to take Foreas. Our Forean allies do not have the firepower to repel them. When the Bane move, no one is safe, and established laws do not apply to them. We have to stop them."

"What is your plan?" posed Specialist al-Saladin, a leader from the Anubis Platoon, a unit formerly of the Egyptian Army. "We have two full squads formed and are ready to move out on your orders."

"Under the guise of our routine patrols into the Crater Lake Research Facility, we will enter the facility en masse with at least five full squads. The minions of the Bane should not be expecting an insertion of this size, and we should meet minimal resistance. We will sweep through draw, valley, and encampment, identifying and destroying their cache of weapons and constructs scattered throughout the region. We will identify and seize any research or plans indicating any future movements or targets. We will deplete their troop strength with all due prejudice. We can not leave this Bane Expeditionary Force the ability to marshal a presence on this or any other world."

SGT O’Reilly of the Chaos Platoon interjected, "So in short, our orders are to destroy anything that moves... I like it!"

"And gather all Intelligence that we find. We need to know where other cells of the Bane are staging from," added Medic Monroe of the Mandalorians.

"This should work as long as we keep it simple and follow instructions," mentioned Specialist Atkins of the TechnoRiot Detachment.

Gaius Mandalore continued, "Our enemy has a regiment of at least a hundred Bane shock troops, in addition to defiled Machina of various races and various models of robotic constructs."

O'Ryan of the Chaos Platoon fired off his rifle to get everyone's attention. "Clear the deck. Unidentified incoming dropship coming in fast. I'm not picking up an identification transponder. Weapons are cold though." Troops moved to the fringe of the landing deck as an older model Hedgehog with strangely familiar markings settled to the ground. "It couldn't be..."

The hatch opened on the vessel, and a ramp extended to the deck. The chatter amongst the assembled troops dropped to a murmer and soon to complete silence as the gathering quickly realized who had just arrived. Another warrior in a form-fitting black stealth suit strode up amongst them. The soldiers took a step back to clear a path up to SGT Mandalore. After walking nearly halfway through the crowd, the soldier made a summoning gesture to Gaius Mandalore. “Need a hand?” inquired SFC Sarah Morrison, one of the most famous Ranger Snipers in the AFS. Few had ever met Morrison. She appeared too young to be known for her many victories over the Bane. Gaius walked over to meet her. “General British thought you may need some help,” Sarah suggested “Every soldier counts, Ma’am,” Gaius replied. “That better be the last ‘Ma’am’ I hear out of your mouth; I work for a living.”

“General British appreciates your zeal in investigating Bane movements,” Sarah soon added. “Your repeated incursions into the Pravus Research Facility has obviously gotten the Regional Bane Overlord’s attention. Your Intelligence about Crustie’s activities on this continent has been very valuable. Investigate, record, understand. Intelligence saves your life, sooner or later. Other agents have led us to believe that your assembled company is the next target of a full-force Bane assault. I hoped to get here in time to assist. I barely made it. As I was coming in, my sensors picked up Bane forces moving up on your position through the draws from the north, west, and east. Follow me..." Sarah Morrison started to run north up the hill from the Landing Zone Outpost toward what the Foreans call the Memory Tree. Many of the assembled troops rallied behind her running up out of the outpost securing firepoints along the way.

"You heard her, maggots. Move out!!! The party has come to us," echoed Gaius Mandalore. Gathering the remaining troops, Meth led them east into the rocks. “Use cover and concealment. Morrison will draw their attention. We will flank them in a Pincer movement, so they cannot escape.” As the forces redeployed to firing positions outside the outpost, the first enemies came into sight from the north. "Let's give them a warm welcome," Sarah yelled from the front line opening up with her Torqueshell Rifle. Several large Kael and Forean Machina drop-deployed no more than forty meters in front of SFC Morrison. Sarah called upon a display of Logos lightning like no one here had ever seen before. The ground beneath everyone’s feet shook and a concussive blast shocked the enemy centering on the Kael and everything else within thirty meters. The Kael dropped as a charred mess and the surrounding Bane and Machina were thrown in various directions around them. Only the Forean Machina, somewhat blackened from the experience, regained their footing and continued to stumble forward. Her reputation was well deserved. A cheer arose amid the soldiers surrounding her which was soon followed with a volley of gunfire from the assembled soldiers. Taken aback, the Bane seemed to hesitate for a moment then pressed forward, as if something were driving them from the rear, as well. At the same time, Howlers, Hunters, Technicians, and more Bane soldiers fell upon the assembled regiment from the hills to the west. All hell broke loose.

As troopers began to fall, Medic Sanchez of the Alamo Platoon announced on short-range comms, "Doctor Ojy, Franklin, Stevens, and I are setting up a triage at the LZ Base. The generators are powered up and Healing Discs and Pain Killers are deployed in the tents. Bring the wounded back to us and cover our position. We will do what we can to keep our men in the fight. I repeat, keep the enemy forces off our back, and we will keep you alive. Sanchez, out..."

An imposing Bane Officer singled out Commando Ben Rowling of the Mandalorians in the foothills west of the LZ. “Your incursions into our Research Facilities will no longer be tolerated stinking human. Your kind will be exterminated or forced to serve us. Drop your weapons and surrender, we may show mercy,” the Bane commanded angrily from within his powered armor. Other Bane soldiers circled Ben from either side of their officer.

"I don't think so," answered Rowling, his shotgun at the ready. “Bring it on!”

"Not bloody likely," bellowed Dingoe, a survivor of the Australian Special Forces, as he full body tackled the Bane soldiers on Ben's left flank, rolling into position back-to-back with Rowling. Both warriors opened fire with weapons in relentless metallic harmony.

An eirie calm settled on the battlefield as the last of the Bane fell around the encampment. Snipers and Riflemen from the east hills nailed their deadly marks. This calm was to be shortlived as another larger wave of Bane and Mechanoids could be seen and heard marching in toward the outpost from the west fields of Gellman Meadow. Shield Drones were deflecting electric, laser, and EMP ammunition. The remaining defenders fell back to the west flank determined to hold the line behind sandbags and fallen trees. With energy cells primed and full clips loaded in kinetic weapons, the soldiers grimly prepared for the inevitable.

Aviation Coordinator Wagner successfully broke through the Bane jamming frequencies to reinforcements from Imperial Valley. "Launch the dropships. Use the waypoint. This is no routine attack. SFC Morrison was here to warn us. We are surrounded at the Landing Zone Outpost. All hell broke loose. There are dozens of mechs marching in upon us from the west, and Bane soldiers with Shield Drone support are approaching from the north and west. It's chaos..." Signal lost... "Did I get through?" Wagner worried.

Embankments and earth began to explode all around the defenders, Foreans and Humans alike. The Logos-sensitive that remained used Logos to return the chaos to the attackers as they could, but it was too much. "Fire at will," SGT Mandalore ordered.

"What did Will do?" PFC Jenkins retorted, with a smile on his lips and a smirk on his face.

SGT Mandalore lost his concentration for half a second, openly laughing; getting hit by an energy blast from his right flank knocked him to his knees and back to his senses. "You are sooo funny Jenkins. Now, stow it and focus!" Gaius got back up to his feet, unslinging his Chaingun in the process. "Now, I am getting mad..." Mandalore fired bursts randomly several times into the tide of steel and crimson flesh, sending metal and shrapnel into the Bane in a cone of destruction. Several Howlers and Hunters slipped or tumbled, rolling back over fallen trees, comrades, and shrubbery causing new obstacles for the approaching swarm.

At the same time, screams and gunfire could be heard from the east side of the outpost, again. Another wave of Bane Soldiers were scaling down the rock face to the east of the LZ making their way for the nearly unmanned eastern parapets. The Bane Soldiers were followed by another full squad of Hunters and Howlers. These Bane were even bigger than their northern and western comrades and regular ammunition was not making an impression. SFC Morrison and several other Guardians were futilely swatting at the forces with filament blades and energy staves barely leaving burn marks. "Company fall back and reinforce the east flank," Gaius ordered. "Anubis Squads, hold this line!" Al-Saladin and his brothers-in-arms dug in throwing everything they had at the encroaching enemy. Weapons were beginning to glow red from overheating. Weapon jams were becoming more common. The detachment from Chaos Platoon fell in to reinforce the line, their carbines and rifles glowing from the exertion. “Alternate weapons with your pistols,” al-Saladin instructed. The TechnoRiot and Mandalorian Squads rushed in to reinforce the east flank. The soldiers were outnumbered three-to-one holding the west and north lines. Dirt, metal and mortar were raining down from the heavens; ozone was burning the nostrils of those without helmet filters.

“I will enjoy making you grovel before I end your miserable life,” another Bane Officer roared in a sadistic tone, as he held a heavy pistol to Morrison's head after knocking her to the ground. “These are the best troops you can muster against us. We will own this world by nightfall.” Sarah lost not a moment. Throwing her weight back onto her arms, she swung her legs together in a 360 degree arc cutting the Bane's legs out from under him. Before he could hit the ground, Sarah's right foot secured solid earth resulting in an upward thrust with her left foot solidly connecting to the Bane's lower torso. The Officer's body went flying several yards over the edge of the rampart wall tumbling head-over-heels into his approaching soldiers.

"Against toads like you, who needs troops?" Sarah answered in reply, as she hustled to reform her squad.

Again, the blasts slowed and abated. A sense of dread settled on the encampment, like the eye of a storm in the middle of a savage maelstrom. At first softly then gradually increasing in volume, the marching of steel feet could again be heard in a rising din. This time the approach was from the northeast, marching down the road from the Lower Eloh Creek. Several ranks of Stalkers, supported by a flight of Predators, marched toward the LZ followed by a squad of Caretakers and Technicians reviving fallen enemy as they approached. A squad of Linkers and Light Benders now controlled the high ground in the rocks east of the LZ sniping at the defenders. “Our backs are up against a wall. We cannot allow them to take the waypoint network. They could infiltrate all the AFS Encampments in the Wilderness Region before the transport codes could be changed,” Mandalore advised. “They could even take the Dropship Pad at Twin Pillars if their timing was fast enough. We have to fight with our bare hands, if necessary. Evacuate the wounded and incapacitated through the waypoint, and lay a defensive perimeter around it in the Outpost.” A universal sigh could be felt from the entrenched defenders as the weight of resignation fell upon them. Now, it was either kill or be killed. Our options were quickly dwindling.

A self-righteous declaration could be heard in broken guttural English over the weight of the silence. “The Thrax are the true masters of this world, and anyone who attempts to resist us will suffer the same fate as you. Surrender while you can,” announced an immense Bane Officer carrying a huge bloody axe, apparently an officer of some importance as other Bane cleared the path in front of him. The Officer stood arrogantly before the company of steel abominations. The heads of the Bane could be seen rising behind the trees to the west and north. For the third time today, we would have to defend the bloody mud beneath our feet.

"As long as one man stands, we will not bow before you. Any victory will be earned in blood, and you have yet to take it from us," SGT Mandalore roared defiantly. "The battle to control the cosmos begins here." Gaius dropped his empty chaingun, pulling an old samurai sword from its sheath beneath his pack. Gaius cut a line in the sand before him in defiance of the Bane.

At the Human’s words, the Officer lost all sense of his smug demeanor. "Attack! Attack! Attack!" the Officer declared as he charged headlong at Mandalore, axe in hand. When the imposing Bane reached the Ranger, Gaius' hands grabbed the beast’s shoulders falling backwards with the Officer's momentum. Planting his boot firmly in the Bane's abdomen, Gaius rolled backwards sending the snarling behemoth flying haphazzardly in the direction of the troops located to Mandalore's rear. Caught by surprise, the beast was fired upon by several AFS soldiers and quickly dispatched. Gaius readied his sword, a recreation of questionable strength, and charged at the approaching Bane soldiers. Limbs were separated from bodies and weapons knocked loose from enemy hands. The battle was joined and total chaos erupted again as both armies clashed in mutual hatred.

Several AFS dropships from nearby Outposts descended upon the conflagration. Wagner's message had gotten through. One landed in the LZ deploying troops and recovering wounded. Another found a clearing just north of the Outpost Barrier Gate. The last was hit by mortar fire crash-landing in the woods west of the Outpost. An Anubis Squad led by al-Saladin secured the crash zone, rescuing the personnel on board before the Hedgehog fully caught fire. Carrying the wounded pilot, Anubis Squad led the survivors back to the relative safety of the LZ. Meanwhile, other reinforcements flanked the slowly approaching mechs catching the Bane forces in a crossfire.

A huge Bane Hunter in mechanized armor deployed from a fast-moving Bane dropship into the middle of the fray. Flanked by a larger variety of what looked like Howlers, this combatant was a fury unleashed. Holding huge energy weapons in each hand, the mountain of a soldier swept the battlefield clear in a 360 degree circle around him. The Bane stepped back in deference to him. From the markings on his armor, this enemy appeared to be the new regional Bane Overlord. “Who is the Infidel who claims the land I walk upon? I want his scalp for my trophy. I will stretch his entrails on my pike as a standard, and his head will crown it as a warning to others with delusions of grandeur.”

Gaius Mandalore stepped forward holding his sword across his body, patting the blade against his open left gloved hand with blood and oil dripping from its surface. "I am the leader, and you are no threat. What makes you think that you may succeed where all your predecessors have failed?"

Gaius was not short by Human standards, standing a full six and a half feet tall. Despite his stature, he still stood a full three feet shorter than the giant before him. "Little human, make peace with your gods for today you will join them..." The Overlord threw his weapons to a Technician to his right, and turned to catch a huge double-bladed polearm from the Bane Officer to his left. The battle quieted and soon all eyes were on this mismatched pair as soldiers from both sides stepped back to further clear a circle to battle within.

The Overlord began to spin his polearm hand-over-hand back and forth across his body. The weapon itself was as long as the warrior was tall, and each blade appeared to be a three and a half foot spade. The first thrust came so fast that it sliced through Mandalore's armor chestplate as if it were made out of grease. The bite was not deep enough to reach skin, but Gaius would not misjudge the speed of this beast again.

Gaius leaned back in a defensive stance sword drawn in front of him, blade pointing straight down to the ground from his fist, his off-hand swept out behind him in a delicate balance. Gaius did not move. Gaius did not run. This inaction caught the Overlord by surprise. All past opponents tried to keep their distance, but this human must be a fool... The Overlord rushed Gaius, swinging wide to cut the Ranger in half in one stroke. With the Overlord’s forward momentum, Gaius took one step forward and to his left bringing his sword defensively to bear with both hands to his left guard. The strength of the Overlord's swing and clash with the Gaius' katana sliced the polearm clean in half between the spades. The upper severed blade went flying out of the circle, through another Bane soldier, and two and a half feet into the cliffside. The Overlord roared in rage, grasping the remaining spade as a broadsword wielded with two hands. Parry. Thrust. Feint. Steel rang out against steel. Gaius held his ground though both warriors were at a stalemate each failing to gain ground.

"Enough," bellowed the giant. With a nod of his head, two Bane Hunters shot SGT Mandalore from behind with Lightning Rifles, bringing Gaius to his knees, his sword still held up before him in both hands in a last futile act of defiance. The Overlord brought his weapon straight down to cleave Gaius Mandalore from forehead to abdomen.

A Magnesium Flash erupted between the Overlord and the stunned Ranger before him. A nearby Bane Soldier polymorphed into a young woman in tight black stealth armor wielding a filament blade. SFC Sarah Morrison deflected the falling blow saving Mandalore’s life. She followed this strike with a roundhouse kick to the Overlord’s abdomen, forcing him to double him over and fall several steps back. "If you can't play fair, then play with me," Sarah declared.

"Who do you think you are interrupting me?" the Overlord declared. "I'll break you in half, and then I will take this leader's head for my trophy." The Overlord rushed the much smaller soldier with both arms completely outstretched.

With a flick of her waist, Sarah spun her braced blade with her body. The Overlord's momentum pulled him directly into her. Morrison swung her sword upward in a crescent swing, ducking under the Overlords left outstretched arm. The giant grabbed at his own midsection attempting to hold in his own intestines as he bent forward in a lurch. With a second step, Sarah had her arm around the Overlord's neck. With a quick twist and snap, the battle was over. The Overlord's body crumbled before the stunned onlookers and a roar rose amid the AFS Defenders. Those Bane that remained immediately fell back in full retreat. The automated Predators and Stalkers began firing randomly into the crowd again. Only the Forean Machina continued to press forward after repeatedly rising from the ground. Several Specialists began demonstrating how to remove their Machina chips to keep them from rising again. Before long, even the Machina ceased to rise again.

Sarah Morrison half-smiled at the retreating Bane forces. Swapping her filament blade for her torqueshell rifle again, Sarah crouched and started to pick off the fleeing Bane from a distance. “You can flee… But you can’t escape.”

The battle collapsed into small pockets of resistance as the remaining constructs began to fall. Before long, only several Stalkers remained. Equipped with some type of heavier armor, these mechs were difficult to bring down, requiring multiple squads of our strongest soldiers to defeat them. Coordinated attacks with EMS weapons seemed to finally do the trick.

SFC Sarah Morrison addressed the remaining defenders. She paused briefly as the battered soldiers stepped forward. "Good work. Your efforts are much appreciated. I will report to General British the events of this afternoon. We shall see if we can rotate some of you out for R&R to Alia Das or perhaps Foreas Base.” Sarah stopped speaking for another moment, pacing a few steps. "I may have special assignments for you in the future..." SFC Morrison paced back another several steps, considering her words. "For now, press the counterattack. Follow the Bane to their nest and hit them hard while they are licking their wounds. Good Hunting!!!”

As the crowd dispersed, Sarah turned and walked back to where the medics were treating Gaius’ wounds. “You have some ability with a sword, but you need more training. See the Special Operations Trainers at either Fort Defiance or Outpost Intrepid. Good work.” Moments later, Sarah boarded the Hedgehog back in the LZ and departed for her next mission. She only mentioned that it was classified and involved morale for the troops.

Now is the time to care for the living. The Bane will be back. Today was a victory, but it was earned in blood. By attacking the Landing Zone Outpost and the Foreans directly, the Bane have awakened a sleeping giant. The AFS are called upon to do what they do best: to make war... The Bane will reap the whirlwind...

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