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Retaliation: Part One (Revised)
Posted By: Blue Jaguar<fluffysh33p@gmail.com>
Date: 16 March 2005, 11:24 PM
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Terran Royal Marine Corps
From: ATLAS Special Operations Command (ASCOM)
To: 489th Marine Reconnaissance Battalion
Message originated: 9:20:05:0932
The 489th has been assigned to strike targets designated inside this package. All info necessary to complete this mission is enclosed. The 219th Archer Battalion will be transferred to the command of Major Reina Ketechi, who is hereby promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
END OF MESSAGE
Reina pulled more papers out from the package until she found a pair of silver eagles. She was only 2 ranks from being a senior officer in the corps, not bad for a 27 year old, she thought. Of course, rapid rank promotions like this happened in times of war.
She glanced through the material; they were going to strike a Brotherhood installation on Kyralis Alpha. Ki Alp as it was more commonly known, had once been an important stronghold in the Royal Hegemony. The planet was lost several years back in a massive battle with the Brotherhood. Since then its importance had decreased, but it was still a vital hub and the massive drydocks in orbit over Ki Alp 3 could make quick repairs on damaged ships.
Ki Alp was currently weakly guarded; with about 8 Division sized infantry units and 3 orbiting frigates for space defense. Something alarmed Reina though, and that was the small Spartan garrison at an outpost near the main Brotherhood installation on the 2nd moon. She despised the Spartans but that didn't mean she lacked respect or fear for them. Hundreds of her comrades had been killed by those monsters, she would make them pay.
Reina read further into the orders.
Her two battalions under her command, the 489th Recon Battalion and 219th Archer Battalion, would be assigned to take out separate targets. The Archers, carrying heavier equipment and being more able to take out hardened targets, would be the main combat force on the moon. They would be responsible for taking out the Spartans as well as holding off two Regiments of infantry on the moon while the Recon battalion stole some vital intel from a Brotherhood installation nearby. Under the right circumstances, the mission would be quick in and out, but the added variables made it a little more difficult. The Spartan III's wouldn't be the only issue working against the strike force. The lack of preparation before the strike meant that a lot of improv would be needed among the officers, and the two units had never worked before.
And of course they picked me over a seasoned officer to do this. Reina skimmed over the remaining information then sent it through the shredder.
October 31, 2705 (1000 Hours)/Fort Hood, ATLAS
"I have good news, but bad news as well." Ketechi announced.
"Well shoot, no point in delaying." Major Jin Hueng, new commander of the 327th replied.
"The good news, is we finally have been assigned to a mission, and we'll be working with the 219th Archer Battalion on this one. The bad news, we will be departing in two hours."
"TWO HOURS!" Hueng stammered.
"I'd protest, but command hasn't really given time for that. We'll have to take what we got and go with it." Reina turned towards Major Samson, the 219th commander, who had been silent since he arrived. "Major Samson, when we reach our objective, we'll be departing ahead of you by about half an hour, we'll clear an LZ and then you can bring in the heavy guns and take care of any enemy forces we encounter."
"Just what kind of forces would that be?" Samson inquired.
"We have confirmed reports of two full regiments on the planet, standard Brotherhood infantry regiments. That isn't what we are worried about though." Reina was about to continue, but she was cut short.
"They have Spartans?" Samson asked.
"Yes, about a dozen that we know of."
"Any other surprises?" Hueng piped up.
"Well I guess I'd better tell you where we are striking." Ketechi pulled out a hologram projector. A map of the galaxy projected up, and quickly zoomed in towards the Orion Arm, and then again even further towards a single star. The name of the star appeared on the screen, and various information appeared below it.
"Kyralis Alpha?" Hueng asked, flabbergasted.
"We'll be hitting the 2nd moon, so they won't be able to pull in forces very quickly. But we'll be staying in system indefinitely." Ketechi replied.
"In otherwords, we're launching a preliminary strike and waiting until a main force comes to relieve us?" Samson asked.
He must know about the upcoming offensive, or maybe he's just been in the service for a hell of a long time.
"That would be classified, but I doubt any of you are Brotherhood spies, so yeah that is the general idea."
"This couldn't get any worse could it?" Hueng complained.
"No, I think this is about as close to hell as we can get."
November 1, 2705 (1600 Hours-Local Time)/Nova Laikais Drydocks, Kyralis Alpha
Ensign James Letrent, BHHP Defense Forces, glanced down at his sensors screen. He could have sworn that several targets had just appeared on the screen. He was nearing the end of his watch, and was quite tired, but none the less he was sure he'd seen something. He stared intensely at the screen for a few minutes, then took action.
He flipped open the com channel for fighter command.
"Nova Laikais Drydocks to Cobra One." He said into the microphone.
"This is Cobra One, go ahead." A voice replied.
"Contacts identified in Sector Three-dash One Two, lost contact two minutes ago, please investigate."
"Roger, Cobra Flight is heading there now."
Letrent looked back at the sensor screen. Cobra flight had changed course and was now rapidly heading on an outbound course towards the last known position of the contacts. Within three minutes they had arrived in the sector and the five craft began patrolling the 2nd moon of Kyralis Alpha, looking for anything suspicious.
"Cobra One to Nova Laikais, no targets spotted yet, we are entering the moon's atmosphere, will be out of contact shortly." The voice said again through the channel.
"Affirmative Echo One, Nova Laikais out." Letrent responded.
Cobra Flight faded off the sensor screen as it entered the atmosphere of the moon. A few seconds later two targets clearly identified as "hostile" appeared just aft of the Flights last known position on the sensor screen.
"Cobra One, Cobra One contact at 6 O'clock!" Letrent yelled into the microphone. Alas, it was too late and Cobra Flight was already burning through the moon's atmosphere.
"Nova Laikais Drydocks, we have an emergency, enemy craft have entered the system and engaged Brotherhood fighters in sector Three-Dash One-Five." Letrent sent through the emergency communications channel.
Immediately chatter began filling the channel. Letrent looked back down at his sensor screen. A pair of frigates and two squadrons of fighters had already departed the dockyards and were heading for the moon.
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