Chapter 23: Investigation of Planet P
Rico and His Roughnecks Landed in Planet to search and investigate the distress call with the a Company of M.A.Rs Forces stayed behind the landing Zone and Began to Build a Base there...
As they were Accompanied by a Squad of Chimeras and Two Hydra AA, and a Engineer Chimera Courtesy from Commander Alexander, Which Rico is grateful for their help... The Mountain Terrains were Fuzzy at Best, as the Radios were Unable to Contact the Silent Mobile infantry Base...
There was Movements on the Cliffs as Rico Alerted the Hydras to Aim at Both Sides of the ridge, as His Cautious was rewarded, when his sergeant was heading to Higher Ground trying to Get better Signal, and a Flying Bug was about to impaled him, the Hydras Attacked it crashing it to the other side of the pass...
Rico Told them To hurry up and enter the Chimeras to reach their destination...
As they reached the Base, Rico Ordered his Men to Mine the field Outside the Base For Good measure, Ace along with few Others stayed out of the base and had Fun Using the Mines from the Engineer Chimera provided By M.A.Rs as a Frisbee, and the moment those mines touch the ground, it immediately drilled below only the Top of the head is seen...
While the Chimeras Were Being Entrenched outside the Base as a Temporary Turrets
The Base is Similar to Cannon as General Owen is one of the Detractors of Alexander, that believe that Relying on M.A.Rs is too detrimental and requested that his base is to the old Standard of Federation Buildings and the phased out Morita Rifles given to him...
Rico along with the rest of the Roughnecks that the Base is Offering a gruesome sight as Limbs and corpse Scattered over the floor, Rico order Mark to Police the bodies and Dizzy to Man the Radio Room, He heard Pounding in the Kitchen Pantry... Rico along with the Three of his men Aimed at the Pantry As One of his men Opened the door
(???): *coughing* Thank you Troopers, You are Heroes to the Federation Each And Everyone of You, Where is the Rescue Boat coming?
(Rico): General Owens.... We are here to Investigate the Radio Silence....
(Gen. Owens): Investigate? Did you see what they did to Poor Farley at the Radio Room? They made him called the Signal, then they suck his Brains out... This is a Trap!!
The General is beginning to Hyperventilate and his eyes turn Paranoid, Crazed...
(Rico): Calm down sir... We have Support from a M.A.Rs base nearby...
Upon hearing that name... General Owens Calmed down... Looking Dejected...
(Gen. Owen): M.A.Rs... Hahaha... Even Now they will save the day?
(Ace): Sir! Bug Contact! Coming In Hot!
(Rico): Received, Retreat to the Walls and Make the Ammo Count, Dizzy Sitrep on the Radio..
(Dizzy): Managed to Contact the Fleet Sir! They Said, There Will be No Support, Since they said Planet P Is Clear...
(Rico): Tell them that It is Infested! and Send a Pilot to Pick the General up, Even if It's a Crazy One will have to do! and Contact M.A.Rs for Support!
(Dizzy): Received a Message "We are Under Attack!!" since Hopper Bugs are Swarming their Base Causing them to Focused Defense on their side, And they are Under Barrage of Plasma Balls, Armored support is Unavailable at the moment... But They Can Support through Artillery as Much as they can... They need Coordinates....
(Rico): Call it, we need all help that we can Get...
As Rico Walked to the Walls, and looked out the horizon, he see all the bugs are Swarming to him and some of them are not even known in the Federation Database.. Tanker Bugs, Plasma Bugs, And Hoppers Bugs and a Swarming mass of Warrior Bugs are heading to their Direction.. He Looked at his men as they checked their Rifles and Looked eager for Combat..
Not bothered by the Absurdity amount of the Bugs that were Tossed at them... Waiting for him to Give Command...
(Rico): Roughnecks Open Fire!!
as the Bugs reached to the Minefield that Ace along with the few others, Railgun Shots opened Fire and Pierced the First wave stopping them in their tracks until the Bugs number overwhelmed the number of bullets as the Bug Marched, as Bugs Stepped on the First Land Mines, A Burst Of Flames erupted from the Ground, Scorching the Bugs spreading to others like a Plague of Flames, as it provided a Temporary Wall of Flames, as the Bugs Somehow Knew to Isolate the Burning Bugs From the Rest and a More variety of Explosions burst form the ground to deter the bugs... But that didn't stop the Bug from Charging at them... Hoppers joined the Assault, Making some of the Roughnecks to Focused on the Air... While the Chimeras were Dropping Stubber rounds and Lasers To the Crowd and Hydra AAs Shot in the Air Turning the Skies in Flak and Puff of Black Smoke, causing some of the Hopper Bugs to Retreat..
Dizzy Managed to Send the Coordinates to the Now Embattled M.A.Rs Base, A Series of Thunderous Sound was heard from the Mountain Range, and Mixture of High Explosives and Canister Shots Were Drop in front of the Base turning the Bugs into Shredded Pieces of Green And Orange Goo, as the Battle goes on, Battle Fatigue set in Among the Roughnecks, as they are Running low of Ammunition... Rico Made the Call to Retreat to the Center of the Base and the Crews in the Chimeras took note of the Situation and Grabbed their LasGuns and Retreated to the Center of the Base, Locking the Gate Behind them...
A Last Stand was staged and Dizzy Reported that The M.A.Rs Base Went Radio Silent...
Causing uneasiness to Rico as the artillery shells no longer being Dropped in the Swarm of Bugs...
The Fight Continue on, and one of the Tanker Bugs broke down the Gate, Situation seems hopeless Until a Trio Of Valkyries swept down from Orbit and Launched Missiles at the Plasma Bugs and Tanker Bugs Providing Fire support, and a Valkyrie and a M.I Landing boat appeared and in one of them Xander Appear and Called them to Enter the Landing boat, as the Valkyrie have already evacuated the Crew of the Chimeras along with General Owen that was ecstatic to head back to High Command despite his Object of hatred still Save him,
When he get back, he would be a Advocate to Let M.A.Rs to do the Base Buildings in the Near Future after seeing that the Old Building Standard was insufficient...
Dizzy Rushed out of the Radio Room heading to the Valkyrie... as the Ground Open up and and a Tanker Bug rose up Causing one of the Valkyrie to Focused Fire on it, Collapsing the Tunnels, a Warrior Bug appears Behind her and Was About to Stabbed her, A Yellow Beam Appeared and Obliterated the Bug...
Rico grabbed Shell Shocked Dizzy into the Evacuation craft and Looked around and Saw a Humanoid Figure in the Distance and it Disappear from his sight.. He got a Inkling that Even Now Alexander Did Looked out for him... as He Held a Shocked Dizzy in his Arms... and As the Landing boat headed into Orbit toward the Fleet, He went to the Cockpit and Requested that Fleet was to go initiate a Complete Bombardment, but was rejected due to his low rank, Much to his Frustration that he nearly lost his men... and He Saw that the Pilot was Carmen... Time Did Stopped between the two..
Carmen was Shocked that Rico was Alive... But Saddened that He looks so different now...
It was Silence on the Trip as they Reached to Fleet, now Replenished from the losses thanks to the Immediate Manufacturing from Mars Orbital Shipyards... They Fielded More Ships than they Lost in the Klendathu Campaign...
In John A. Warden Hall
Rico and Dizzy is Clutching hands as they are almost lost each other..
As Rico is Comforting Dizzy, from Her being near Death, he was Greeted By Carl now a Colonel and Carmen...
(Carl): Hello Rico How your day?
(Rico): Doing Fine Carl, nearly Lost My Men, Why Did Fleet did not Commence the Bombing run?
(Carl): It would seem that there is a Bug that we never seen before is located in Planet P a leader of sorts and the Federation would like to "Procure" it..
(Rico): I seen Plenty Of Bugs Down there, some that is not registered in the Federation data banks... You can check our Memory chip in our Helmets
(Carl): Really? I would send a few platoon to search at that battlefield, as we need more samples... and the Battlefield data and you saving the General, would be enough contribution... Dizzy you okay?
(Dizzy): Doing Fine Carl... Just nearly got munched by a Bug... If it wasn't for that Beam....
(Rico): Anyway, Carl what happened to the M.ARs troops that Accompanied with us? why are they doing there? They went Radio Silent during the Heat of the Battle...
(Carl): They Were tasked to Mapped out the Labyrinths beneath Planet P, that much is all I Can Know From My Position....
Seem like You and Them did poke The Bugs nest... They Are still there, and it seems that they Managed to retain a Foothold on the Planet and Now Currently expanding.. to accommodate the Landing force...
(Rico): I already thought they are Dead, since they provided so much support...
(Carl): Never Underestimate them Rico, Former Sky Marshall Dienes had a Reason why He allowed Commander Alexander to Build his Organization, and Many times they proven a Beneficial Allies, and Worse Enemies if facing them...
'Although I didn't know that Alexander answered one of My favors...in a Absurd way'
(Rico): Carl ... you Okay?
(Carl): I am Fine Lieutenant, Seems like You having a Two Rank promotion by High command due to your contributions, "Major Rico" it would seems congratulations are in Order... Dizzy you better Head to Medbay for a Check-up
After Carl left with Dizzy accompanied with a Group of Officers that is waiting for him, Carmen approach the Two ....
(Carmen): Hello Rico... Are you okay? I thought you were dead...
(Rico): Doing Fine.... Carmen..
Silence was Between the two....
(???): What's all the doom and Gloom?
As the Two Looked at a Familiar Redhead, They were stunned as He Smirked as always...
(Alexander): Why the Solemn Atmosphere? Rico know that you Can be Married two people, in My organization?
(Rico): *Coughing* What the Hell Alex! We are Monogamous society...
(Alexander): FINALLY, the First time that you Called me Properly than Sir, But seriously You can get Married two People from "Different" Branches...
Since I heard, that the License to have Children has Been Revoked, And Manpower is more than needed... For this upcoming War...
(Rico): Really? how is that so?
(Carmen): Really Now? My ship is my life... And we are just Friends...
(Alexander): We are Creating Portals to Create long distances, so that lovers can be connected one way .. So no matter the distance you can find them... Besides I noticed that you Worried about Rico, when he is KIA.... and that is not the look of a "Friend"
(Carmen): How Did you know? I was with Xander....
(Alexander): That is Classified information...
anyway, I see you On the Ground Rico, Seem like High Command Asked me to be Commanding my Soldiers on the field... Keep it in mind, about my offer...
As Alexander About to leave....
(Rico): Alex.... Did... Were you the One that Saved Dizzy?
(Alexander): That information is Classified... See ya Champ...
Leaving the Two Stunned People in the Corridors as Later They both chuckle the Absurdity... As Carmen did had a Interest to Join M.A.Rs, Perhaps she could be together with Rico... Though Dizzy is her next issues...