The Ghosts of Exeter

Posted on Mon Dec 13th, 2010 @ 10:20am by Major Erwin Reynolds [John] & Colonel Wilhelm Baron von Hackleberg & Sergeant Major Shran van-Zee [von Hackleburg] & Staff Sergeant Otto Krupp [Wilhelm] & Master Warrant Officer Charles Willey [Wilhelm]

2,169 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Liberation Of A World
Location: Sector Two, City of Aurora, planet Exeter
Timeline: Early Morning

::ON::

All units were on the line, it was a clear morning with a light breeze. I would be a a warm day.. Reynolds had taked to Jerry on the secure line to make sure he was ready. The "Anvil" was never a good place to be as you just had to survive while destroying as many of the enemy before they destroyed you. it would be starting very soon..

Master Warrant Officer Charles 'Chuck' Willey, walked up to the his assigned area of the line. "This is going to be one hell of a furball..." Chuck said as he checked his medic supplies for the thousandth time. Chuck briefly noticed his hands were still stained a little red from pulling a klingon dagger from the stomach of a kid that called himself a marine. "Sure I get pulled to the line for the big push." One of the other medics looked over at him and said, "You need a little cheese with that whiiinneee Chief?" The medic says with a chuckle. "Damn kids.." Chuck mutters.

Otto looked out across the field in front of his position. "It's gonna be a hot one today." He says then puts a fresh power pack into his phaser rifle.

Wilhelm briefly watched the sunrise and then turned to his COMM tech. " Order all units to stand to and prepare to advance. Deploy skirmishers on the flanks. Kickoff in minus five."

Jerry felt a tap on the back of his helmet, The Marine held out his right hand letting him know it was going down in five minutes.

Reynolds gave the signal to move out his skirmshers. He knew it wouldn't be long now. Erwin was hoping most of those people would see the futility of their situation and surrender..

Wilhelm looked up and down his line and marvelled at how each and every Marine assembled here knew their job and how tough this was going to be. He knew each and every Marine was also feeling the mixed sensation of excitement and dread, in fact, more then a few loved the feeling including himself and some, he knew, will come to love it. In this feeling he knew this was the proper moment and looked behind him at a small group of marines. "Unfurl the Colors." Wilhelm ordered. With this two of the marines unrolled two large flags, one the sky blue of the Federation, the other the dark green of the Regimental Battle Standard. "Sergeant Major! FIX bayonets!" Wilhelm ordered and van-Zhee repeated in his parade ground voice. "Flank units to advance." Wilhelm said and seen his the flank companies start their attack. "Ten meters..."Wilhelm said to himself as he waited for the flanks to get to 200.

Several Marines went down slightly wounded from a anti personnel grenade, The commandos were out there and just as ready to due damage as the Marines advancing were. A Small band of Ten or Twenty tossed explosives and made a rush trying to break out.. Marines destroyed them in seconds and finished the rest with the bayonet. The Line advanced.

"200." Wilhelm said as the marines reached their momentary goal. "Move out." Wilhelm said and started to trot. Within a minute Wilhelm caught up to a small firefight that ended as soon as it started and seen one Commando break cover and run. Several marines took shots at him and missed some by close margins. Then he suddenly dropped with a burn in his back. Wilhelm looked up over his sights, "One down." He muttered then said, "Keep moving lads, long ways to go!"

Parino heard the advance begin. Commando snipers had the left of his lines pinned down for a few minutes until a call for a few artillary rounds came down. Now the fire was steady. He passed the word to conserve as much ammo as they could, as it was just getting started. A few commandos did try to get through but were taken out as soon as they broke out of cover.

Otto looked at the sporadic Commandos trying to cross the open area and looked briefly looked at the detonator switches beside him. "No. Not time yet." Otto muttered and took a shot at a merc breaking cover.

"Get under cover!" Chuck yelled as he ran up to a medic trying to pull a wounded marine out a street. Chuck ran up and helped the medic and the marine started struggling while missing an arm. Chuck took out a hypo and doped him quick. As the marine stopped struggling Willey and the medic pulled the marine into a little shop. "He's still bleeding bad!" The medic said as Willey took out a cauterizing tool and started zinging veins in the marines stump. With that done Chuck ran out looking for someone else to help.

"Keep up your fire!" Wilhelm shouted to the marines in front of him as they hit an organized merc platoon trying to stop them. Wilhelm and his own rifle fire to the mix and ordered into the COMM, "Third Squad swing around to their right and put them in a cross fire!" Wilhelm said then took a grenade off his webbing and threw it into a window across the street where some enemy fire was coming from.

Sergeant Major Varnic jumped into the ditch beside major Reynolds. "Those zips are holding their ground today Sir." Renolds looked over the edge and could see his two Comanies stretched out getting what cover they could. The sound of weapons constant now. A large multi storied compex was the source of commando fire, puffs of smoke could be seen at most of the windows from there older powered rifles. Marines had a healthy respect for them. Erwin could see civians running everywhere just trying to find a safe place to hide, so bombardment was out of the question.. One biulding he might get a squad into and set up a good base of fire and clear a few streets. "Varnic, call the CO and breif him of the situation and tell himm not to shell that housing area."

"Yes Sir" Varnic grabbed the com man as Reynolds called a crusty Staff sergeant named Gerber, "One squad follow me." And they made a dash for the First building. Just as they jumpped off a heavy machine gun lit them up. By the time they made the sprint to the main floor Erwin was Three marines short. He saw the gun manned by a crew of Three, they unfortunatley saw him too and opened fire. What was left of the squad retreated up a flight of stairs into an open area full of commandos taking turns at the windows. Six straight minutes of small arms and hand to hand cleared the area and a few grenades down the stairs cleared the Machinegun nest. The cost was high.

Willey ran through the complex going from body to body checking for life. "Got one here!" Chuck yelled to a nearby medic. Chuck took out a hypo and injected the marine with some meds. "Ohh what a mess you are kid..."

Wilhelm looked around a corner and seen a 20 story building with fire being shot out of it. Checking his HUD quick, Wilhelm seen the building was definately not in friendly hands. "Anyone happen to see any civvies around here?" Wilhelm said since he did not want to clear out that building in hand to hand. Wilhelm did a quick in-depth scan of the structure and seen every inhabitant was near a window shooting. "Big Ranger fire mission. Laser-designated rounds." Wilhelm heard an acknowledgment. "Any civies in the area? Confirm." Wilhelm said into a Company combat net. "All right, lase that building and take cover. Big Ranger give me ten rounds." Wilhelm heard a shriek in the air and ducked for cover. After a very brief bombardment WIlhelm looked through a dust cloud at a pile of rubble. "Wish they were all that easy...." Wilhelm said then broke cover and came to an apartment complex filled with civies and mercs. "Great..."Wilhelm said then charged forward. "B Company get me some flanking fire on that complex. HQ Company. We're gonna get some close fighting."

Major Reynolds opened the link to the Colonel right after a large building was brought down by Big Ranger, "Sir I have to stop for ten to get my wounded clear and reform, we are also removing quite a few fuel cell trps from buildings as we go. I'm down 31 marines at the moment and calling for resupply now"

"Very well Major. Our losses are similar over here. We'll all hunker down for ten minutes then resume. We need to maintain our momentum or we'll start getting into some serios trouble." Wilhelm said then took a shot a merc at over 200 meters and drilled him then had to duck as someone returned fire.

"Got it Sir", Reynolds didn't have much time to gather his thoughts after that as a heavy firefight broke out ass Two dug in squads took out a large truck bomb that took the front off several stores and flipped abandoned vehicles through houses for a block... The commandos behind the truck took cover and were forcing the assault. His Marines had a good position and would hold but it got close as Two mercs actually jumpped over rewins cover surprised to be in the middle of the Marine firing line. Reynolds nailed them both with his pistol and checked thier bodies.

Major Jerry Parino wasn't happy as the commando fire had built all morning but they had not rushed his position yet. he new from scans there were several thousand of them to his front, possibly more. His casulties were light and suppy secure. He was talking with Sergeant Vanic about the situation to thier front as the Air Raid alert sounded in his helmet. dropping as two disrupter beams struck down the line.. The Breen assault fighter flew passed them at an incredible speed. "Kohr Thans" Varnic shouted. "This is going to get very nasty now. Better call the CO and let him know we're gonna need some Air support."

Wilhelm rifled down a quick sandwich and looked across his line, "Parino report."

"Just had a visit from Two Breen fighters Sir, had a few wounded and scans are fried for today. Line holding but no big rush yet."

"Good. Keep hunkered down. They'll be coming. We've still got another two miles to go and its block by block to get there. Be ready. Out." Wilhelm finished. Then Wilhelm seen a PFC run up to him. "Sir..." The marine said a little winded, "You gotta see this sir." Wilhelm nodded and ran with the marine ducking weapon's fire as they went then into a multi-story office building going up several floors. At one of the mid-levels Wilhelm seen a squad taking pot shots at what looked like a crude fort. Bringing up his binoculars Wilhelm zeroed in on the fort with a crude metal gate with wrecked vehicles and transports for walls. "Ohh my..." Wilhelm muttered then seen a brief flash and Wilhelm hit the deck. The unmistakable sizzle of a Breen disruptor blast hit the wall right were he was standing. Creeping up to the a nearby window Wilhelm looked at the fort more closely. He seen a cluster of what could only be civilians clustered under guard in the center with Commandos running around taking shots through firing slits. As Wilhelm scanned the site he caught a brief glimpse of a unmistakable green light on a helmet. "Was that a..." Wilhelm caught the figure giving orders to a couple Commandos, "....Breen." Wilhelm said and hit the record button on his binoculars. "Major Reynolds and Parino." Wilhelm said talking into his COMM, "Breen presence confirmed, and LZ Zulu where the hell is that air support."

Major Reynolds had heard the colonel but was reloading his pistol after a short gunfight in an alley. "Sir we have a few ground support units flying CAP Sir, call sign is Bulldog One. I saw a few Razors go after those Breen fighters so I know there around"

Jerry was helping spot some arty on a woodline group of Mercs. "Copy Breen forces Sir, If they come this way they won't like it at all"

"Good at least the air is around instead of sitting on their collective rears on a recliner watching the tube." Wilhelm said with a chuckle, "We ready to resume this advance?"

Reynolds was in the midst of another gunfight, "Lets Roll"

""Bring those targets in, we're getting sleepy" Parino could barely be heard over the explosions....

::END::

Colonel Wilhelm Baron von Hackleberg
CO, 21st Marine

Staff Sergeant Otto Krupp
32 Squad, 181st Raiders Regiment
Attached to 21st Marines

Master Warrant Officer "Chuck" Willey
Chief Combat Medic, 21st Marines

Major Erwin Reynolds
1st Battalion, 21st Marines

Major Jerry Parino
3rd Battalion, 21st Marines

Sgt. Major Rick Knight
21st Marines

Sgt Major Varnic
21sts Marines

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