Touchdown

Posted on Wed Apr 27th, 2011 @ 4:54am by Lieutenant Commander Tara Neniphim & Colonel Wilhelm Baron von Hackleberg

1,623 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Liberation Of A World
Location: Exeter, Forward Operating Base
Timeline: Current

ON:

Tara and a small bad of her fighters popped out of warp. Half of the crew veered to the right, heading to the Gladius, while she angled in for the planetary body. "Come on boys, lets go help our men," she signalled back to the small wing behind her.

A sensor officer looked over to the Colonel, "Sir we have ships coming out of warp! Federation IFF." Wilhelm walked over to the sensor station "Verify from Gladius?" Wilhelm asked "Confirmed sir. A wing of Federation fighters and bombers." Wilhelm then keyed the COMM, "Marine One to new Arrivals please identify and state intentions."

"This is Neniphim Actual, Marine One. We are the fighters and bombers you asked for a couple of days ago. I also have the repair parts and a couple of new toys for you."

"Good to see you Actual. Relaying landing coordinates. Local spaceport is still in enemy hands coordinates are near out established Firebase."

"Acknowledged Marine One. We'll do a once over of the area and see what needs to be seen with you're permission."

"Very well Actual. Watch out for opposition then land at the Firebase."

She led her small wing over the Industrial section and flew back quickly, finding the landing spots that were marked out for her and her men. Powering down the Federation style fighter, she opened the hatch. "Flight Alpha, lets see what we can do to help here."

Wilhelm looked up and could hear a scream of incoming fighters. "Targets will be painted momentarily." Wilhelm nodded to a COMM officer who relayed targets of several buildings, roadblocks, and light vehicles.

Giving the Colonel a bland look, she closed the hatch and started her power up sequences. "You're lucky you outrank me," she muttered before ordering her flight back into the sky, then rocketing outward. Her scans of the ground showed nothing, except the targets that had been painted for her. "Alpha, come with me, Bravo, find the Anti Aircraft and take them out too. I don't need to find out what kind of taste the dirt has." Several chuckles reach her ears as a small group broke off and started a wider scan of the area.

Her own scans showed nothing, except for a small amount of Mercs rushing for the buildings. "Pull up and come at them from the sky,"she ordered, dragging her shuttles nose into the air, and going straight up. -^-Neniphim Actual to Marine One. You've giving me the easy jobs aren't you?-^- Smiling to her self, she cut off her impulse engines and angled the nose of her fighter to the ground, at a direct ninety degrees of where her bomb was going to drop. "Silent drop men, release, pull up, and get back to landing."

Wilhelm heard blasts in the distance then the scream of the returning craft. Watching them land Wilhelm went up to the lead bird. As he seen Tara climb down oout of her fighter Wilhelm said, "Sorry about that. Had some targets of opportunity that needed pounding. If you'll follow me to the command building I'll direct the ground crew to show your men to their quarters, privy, and mess." Wilhelm looked over at a tech and gave the orders and seen men run up to the pilots to greet them and then start to ready the craft again for another assignment. Looking at Tara he said, "Ohh by the way, welcome to Exeter. This is our primary Firebase on the planet for now..." Wilhelm was cutoff by the sound of artillery firing a couple blocks away. "...How was the flight in?"

"Uneventful," Tara said holding the velvet rabbit to her. "No one even had the balls to shoot at us." Shrugging she looked over the camp. "So the FOB is temporary right? We'll be driving the little bastards ahead of us here once this city is taken completely?"

"Well this is developing into our main supply point anyways, and we will be moving on once this city is secured. It is a big planet."

"I saw the scans Colonel. You took a beating right after I got on the Starbase. Then you turned around and took the area right back. My boys are here, and with the Marine vessel on stand by." Looking over as two Marines scurried past, she looked closely. They were locals. "And I see that you're training the locals too. Any interested in flying?"

"Well it's kinda interesting you mentioned that." Wilhelm said with a grin. "See, we've found this old, 80 plus year old bunker loaded with all sorts of gear in a mountain about 20 klicks out of the city that way." Wilhelm said pointing to the west. "Among a bunch of storage bays at the top of the mountain is a concealed hangar filled with a Wing's worth of 80 year old fighters and bombers, plus support facilities including ordance, parts, and simulators. I'll let you do whatever you want with that Wing. The whole bunker was filled with a preservative nitrogen atmosphere and it did a...fairly... good job. If you want to go sort it out go right ahead and I'll see if I can get you any candidates. If early reports from Master Sergeant Deal and Staff Sergeant Krupp are even half true the Exeter Defence Force needs some serious work." Wilhelm said as the came to the Command building.

"I'll need to meet them and the recruits in question," Tara said in all seriousness. "I have my standards, and I'm sure your men have theirs, and I'm almost possitive they differ." Looking in the Command Center she looked around. Non combative Marines were rushing this way and that bringing data and scans to others, going over readings together, and some seemed to be leaning against a water cooler. "And I see your standards are a little lax."

Wilhelm looked around the room quick in surprise and then fire burned in his eyes. "Excuse me for a second Commander. SERGEANT OF THE GUARD!" Wilhelm ordered. A sergeant came running over and stood at attention. "Yes sir?" The sergeant said and Wilhelm responded. "Sergeant those...EDF troops," Wilhelm seen their unit patches, "...By the water cooler over there are to be kitted up and sent out to the front units for immediate action. If you see anyone else, EDF or Starfleet, loafing around they are to be assigned to the next combat mission readily available. Do you get me?!" The Sergeant nodded "CRYSTAL CLEAR SIR!" Wilhelm watched as the Exeter troops were escorted out of HQ building and noticed a very perceptible increase in activity. Wilhelm went back to Tara. "Sorry about that. These...homegrowns get a little under motivated most of the time. However getting back to what we were talking about. Your best bet at finding recruits would be up at the training camp we established at the base of the mountain the Old Bunker is in."

"I'll have to check it out. While I go that way, I'll leave the rest of my Squadron here for your use. If you've got someone to bomb, my boys are the best." Watching the activity she smiled, thinking of the way her men would loaf around until they realised that she was near them. "And it's not always the home growns that act that way. Keep my boys busy, I don't need them getting fat and lazy while I'm weeding out the flyers from the ground troops. Who's in charge over there any how?"

"For the next..." Wilhelm looked at his watch, "...60 hours. Master Sergeant Deal, and he is hating every second of it!" Wilhelm chuckled and shrugged, "We got to do, what we got to do.." Wilhelm quoted.

"Too true. I'll be taking my shuttle over there here in a few minutes. Is there anything in the area I should be worried about before hand? Any troops that are going to try and blow me out of the sky?"

"Out on that vector? No. It's the EDF's supply line for weapons and equipment. Plus there is roving patrols all along our perimeter. So no worries unless you fly over the city center, the industrial sector and the partially controlled warehouse district. Also before you go, the EDF is starting their own offensive with almost a full regiment to kick out the mercs in the latter two areas in 60 hours. All Starfleet forces will be in a supportive role unless things go bad. So alert your pilots of the push along with regular duties. Any questions, concerns?"

"None Colonel, keep ym boys busy, they have some flight time under them, but all surface to air and vice versa is all simulated for them. Make sure they get to know what these baby's can and can't do." Nodding to the man, and giving him a half salute, Tara moved out of the tent and made her way back to her fighter. "Men! You're going to be listening to the good Colonel now! I want every strike he orders done with percission. DO NOT LET ME DOWN!"

"Yes Ma'am!" they called back as one, and scurried to the tent. Tara just shook her head and climbed in the cockpit for the short flight over to where she was going to hopefully find some local pilots."

Wilhelm looked at the group of pilots and said, "Alright you Fleeties..." Wilhelm said the word in a positive way, "We have a number of assignments that will be active. I can just feel all the alpha's out there vying for the air superiority patrol..." Wilhelm said with a smile and recieved a chuckle....

OFF:

Colonel Wilhelm Baron von Hackleberg
CO, 21st Marines

Lieutenant Commander Tara Neniphim
Flight Commander

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