Thursday, November 29, 2007

Divide Patrol

"The worst part of marching through a deciduous forest like those found here on Foreas, is that there is never a 'good' Pub around after a day's patrol," Wiley muttered irritably.

"Quiet down back there, Wiley", First ordered.

"Nothing is going on out here Top. This region has been quiet, since we beat back the Bane three days ago. They didn't even show at the Thanksgiving Celebration as our Intel suggested."

"Your missing the point," Angel echoed.

First interrupted, "Good Call Angel... Maybe you'll shut up if you have no one left to talk to. Wiley, On Point. You know the route, about 100m out. Local Helm Comm only... Rubin, fall back to tail. Keep your ears open, and mouths shut people."

"SGT Mandalore asked us to check out this sector. His sources indicated that the Bane are still out there. There is still too much signal traffic out there for his comfort level." Angel added.

Wiley retorted, "Mandalore this .. Mandalore that.. With as much as you talk about him, why don't you just ask him out..."

"Mind your own business, Wiley. Now you’re just being disrespectful..."

"You don't have a chance, that's why. Haley has been following him around for years and he has never shown her any attention either."

"He is a busy man... He lost his family... When he is ready, he will open up."

"He's an ice cube... He's cold... Just like those rations we have been lugging around... What makes you think that he will notice a little girl like you, when he has a vixen like Haley waiting on him… Hey Top, did you see those new 'uniforms' that Haley and her staff are wearing now back at The Swamp in Foreas Base?".

"Uniforms? Yeah, uniforms...heh..." First mumbled.

"Was that emotion Top? Hell really has frozen over," Wiley laughed. "If Haley can cause the Old Man to thaw, you are out of your league Angel... You're only 18, barely legal."

"What’s that supposed to mean? I can outfight you anytime."

"Whenever you are ready. I won't even wear my Armor."

"Don't flatter yourself, Shorty. And keep your armor on, I don't think my eyes could take the reflection."

"Ouch.."

"Your skin is so pasty that I heard that you were recommended for Arctic duty... Natural camoflague and all.."

"I must have really hit a nerve to get her all riled up like that. I'll make a note for future reference," Wiley smirked.

Rubin stopped. "Has the Great White Hunter found something?" Wiley asked.

"Rubin has good instincts. You could learn something Wiley. Shut up and listen," First corrected. "You should have been up there by now..."

"He's too cautious... I've almost caught up to his position, but I don't see him. I'll be up there in a tic," retorted Wiley.

"That's because he knows how to do his job, Wiley," mocked Angel.

"Focus people. You two argue like siblings. We'll have to separate you on the next patrol."

"zzztttt... There will not be a next patrol..." a mechanical voice interjected on their comms.

The dusk air soon opened up in flashes of electric light. Helmet filters indicated the ozone level of the surrounding atmosphere instantly spiked by over 650%. An explosion and fireball of light cut off the trail ahead of them. Sensors indicate about 95 meters ahead.

"Nooooooo!!!!!!!" Wiley screamed, as his body flew past First and nearly into Angel, smashing into a nearby Conifer. His armor was charred, as opposed to the green and brown camoflague dictated by the environment.

"Angel, clear a path..." First ordered.. This was almost unnecessary, as her training made her as deadly as any Mandalorian Commando. Her Heavy Cannon ripped through the branches and underbrush like electricity through water... The trail soon opened up into a road wide enough for a personnel carrier. "I knew the 'Little Girl' could handle that gun..." First smirked. First's carbine rapped a consistent three-shot burst at any motion that popped up... and back down...

Angel's cannon dropped silent as she rolled forward, the barrel bent in a U... Behind her a Bane Hunter of unusual size stood with both arms outstretched holding huge pistols aimed directly at Angel. The Hunter immediately began to be consumed in flame and glow a bright red, then yellow, falling to its knees and then forward.

"Don't forget about me you big ugly mutha..." Wiley growled as the fuel in his propellant cannon expired. Wiley pulled off his shattered helmet as he leaned his body up against the tree that he struck in mid-air. Blood was dripping out of his right ear and the corner of his mouth, as he recovered his rifle. As another large Howler crashed through the treeline, a grenade erupted from Wiley's rifle-mounted launcher throwing the beast back into the woodline in a glowing fireball.

"That was my favorite cannon" Angel howled as she finished her roll back onto her feet freeing her carbine from her pack-mounted harness in one free-flowing motion. "Thanks for the save..." as she dropped three Bane Soldiers in a focused burst.

"Cough..cough... cough.." spitting blood... "Okay, Angel's pissed.. Get out of her way Top." Wiley warned...

"Comms being jammed. Can't notify Forward HQ." First reported, as a blue-green directed energy blast hit him squarely in the side, sending him tumbling over a nearby piece of forest debris. Fires were now spreading all around the squad. A large Kael crashed through the tree line, throwing whatever large objects that were within reach: logs, rocks, branches, or bodies.

Pffzzttt... as a wire solidly connected high into a nearby tree... A large camoflagued form immediately followed smashing feet-first into the monstrous terror, sending it falling backward feet up in the air. With size often misleading his dangerous speed, Rubin was a force to be reckoned with when enraged. Rubin tore off a Forean Mechina’s arm and bludgeoned it into a bloody heap with it. Trees began exploding around him as he climbed up a nearby conifer with the speed of a jungle cat on level terrain. Finding a heavy branch with some degree of cover, Rubin's rifle swung into his arms as if it had a mind of its own. Bane began to fall in rapid succession as blue bolts rained down from above.

"Angel get back to forward HQ and report." First declared crawling back over a log into a prone firing position, carbine dropping smaller Bane in strange harmony with the rifle above.

"I won't leave my squad, Sir!"

"Did it sound like I was making a request? Get this intel back to base, so command can prepare a briefing for the rest of the AFS. These new Bane are dangerous. They are not the garden variety that we usually run into, and your helm recorder should be able to replay the battle for analysis."

"But you and Wiley are hurt. I don't want to leave my brothers behind."

"We'll catch up.. We'll hold them until you can get a head start and then we will follow. Now Go!!!"

"Sir, Yes Sir!!! Angel opened up her Carbine on Full Auto, dropping every Bane within eyeshot. With Motor Assist Armor on full-activation, Angel raced through the ambush directly toward allied lines. Setting her direction toward the Foreas Base, Angel declared, "I'll be back Sir, and I'll bring friends..." Racing quickly out of range, Angel hoped her squad-mates received her last message. She resented leaving her brothers-in-arms... This info may be worth the lives of three good friends... Angel would not fail...

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