Kapitel 179: Starship troopers: Traitors of Mars Part 1 (Mobile Infantry)
A group of power armor soldiers was waiting for their deployment in the battlezone, Rico now tasked to lead them, moved back and forth to hear the soldiers.
"Today, we are dealing a mid sized bug colony and wipe it out, Intel estimate infestation is level II, that means there are a hundred thousand active defenders waiting for us below."
A private named Baba nervously chuckled.
"Right, Kill them all right?"
"Or we could gas them right?"
Rico sighed and he relay the rest of the squad their orders.
"Alright, Geo, you be the point man, Komacho follow me and 101 assist Geo and Dutch be wary of the surroundings, Baba keep your mind in the game as you carry the missiles. We are descending now!" Rico barked orders.
Valkyrie they are on began its descent on a war torn city and several arachnids roars in the distant. Explosion and sounds of tracer fire echoes in the desolate city.
Several soldiers in power armor began to unload. As they take defensive positions around the aircraft.
"Left side, Check"
"Right side check"
Their training was decent but still lacked the foundation of a good squad.
"We got boogies at 7'clock! Bug bastards got Plasma Grenadiers!" Shouted Dutch.
The squad looked at the direction and immediately open fire at the general direction...
A arachnid managed to evaded their senses and grab Dutch and shook him around.
"Fuck! Why is it always me!" Dutch screamed as he was ragdoll around like a chew toy.
A series of bolter rounds managed to kill the bug, as Dutch was heaving on the ground, he was lifted up by Rico.
"Keep your awareness in the general vicinity, Dutch!" He bellowed as he aimed his bolter gun at a nearby bug...
"Time to gas the suckers!" 101 readied his missile launcher...
101 accidentally released his gas missiles and it envelope the squad... Many was confused and they fired blindly into the gas, and some even hit their own teammates.
"Pull back, back to back troopers!"
"I can't see!"
"Then use your Infrared and keep your head down, Baba!"
"Okay, okay... IR... iR... Here is it!" The private check his power extensive option and he accidentally unleashed a nuke in their general vicinity....
"That's not your Infrared lieutenant." Rico facepalm.
"Oops?" Was the last word as the group was engulfed in nuclear hellfire.
<<<HOLOSUITE COMBAT SIMULATOR ENDED>>>
The surroundings slowly dissipated and the squad found themselves in a vast expanse as if the battery they fought never existed.
Rico looked at the group with disapproval...
"Well that is just outstanding..."
"Well sir-"
"Why do I always get bitten first?" Cried Dutch
"Either the Bugs got your number, big Man. Or you are too sexy to ignore." 101 joked.
"No one told us it was a trap Sir..."
"A piece of advise for you rookie, Wars is always a trap!"
"Seem like today is a unlucky day... We will do this simulation tomorrow."
Baba interrupted him...
"Sir, tomorrow is Air Day."
"Air Day?" Rico eyes frowned...
"Yes Sir, We take our Terra forming business, and a Martian always appreciate a good clean air. We were about to ask for leave and see the Weapons Expo." Baba nervously explain to Rico.
"There are no Martian In my Mobile infantry, only Troopers who take charge and fight. We shall do the training tomorrow. Dismiss..."
There was a collective groan as Rico left the Holosuite.
(Communication room)
Rico often goes to this place after training the recruits... Sometimes he was grateful that it helps relief some stress.
"Yo, Dizzy" Rico smiled softly.
Facing him is Dizzy that aged a bit.. and a daughter that was lying on her lap.
"Rico... It's been a while... The children misses their father." She smiled as she softly patted the sleeping child.
"I wish I could be there... Spending some time with you and the kids."
"Rico... whatever happened in that incident... It's not your fault... I could tell... It's been burdening your mind..."
"I will keep that in mind. And thanks Dizzy, Where's Carmen?"
"Oh, that Girl is getting ready for a sortie, she never have time to spend with her son, that sometimes he consider me as the real one... Please tell Carmen to spend time with him okay? Bye and Take Care Rico. And your kids miss their daddy."
"Take care Dizzy..." Rico eyes soften a bit.
As the call ended. He found Ratazz smiling at the doorstep.
"Yo, Rico want to get a Recaff?"
Rico nodded as they walked along
"Sometimes, I wonder why they didn't managed to make my life worse? Considering I was the only commanding commander that allow a arachnid queen and a risk of infestation in Earth." Rico wondered.
"Don't blame yourself, if you pull that trigger then we all be dead including your wife Carmen, You could ask your Director friend... He seemed to be the bullet sponge to protect you from the critics and managed to keep your rank as Major."
"Even now he still thinks of me as a friend...thanks Ratazz."
As they entered the Mess hall they could see the Lost patrol bantering about.
"There are no Martians in the Mobile Infantry, only troopers who follows orders" Dutch make a poor attempt of copying Rico voice.
"Real troopers don't celebrate Air day, Real Troopers don't need air!" Baba join in... Causing the soldiers to laugh.
Rico rolled his eyes as he went to the Coffee dispenser...
Komacho noticed Rico and Ratazz, she elbowed the clowns and pointed at the duo that is staring at them with a steaming cup of coffee.
Ratazz wanted to berate them but Rico held him back..
A Armada of ships flew past the Starbase orbiting Mars, numbered in the Thousands... And they readied the warp jump.
"Hey look?"
"Where the Armada going?"
"They are going to the AQZ."
"What's the matter Rico? Can't stand sitting this one out?"
"I'm infantry, we like to fight on the ground." He swirl his cup as he gulped it down.
*Federation Theme Song*
"There is a distinctly different in the air to air Day this year."
"In the usual productive Martian society, Many of them is beginning to get war exhaustion. Recent surveys that of one out of ten is grown distant from the war effort. And a startling 69 percent rather defend their homes than fighting in the frontlines, and the remainder would farm, Martian independence groups wanted to break away from the some failed policies from the previous sky marshall that affected Mars."
"Its nice to defend your home but it is useless against the bugs."
"We take you to the youngest Sky Marshall in history, Amy Snapps on her thought about Mars and thoughts about her rivals that is vying for candidacy for the Sky Marshall."
"It looks like I have a decent rival to the sky marshall and in this day and age, we must be ready for unity."
""At 26, she isn't just the youngest Sky marshall, Scientist consider her the smartest woman who ever lived."
"In war you are part of the fight or you are the problem."
"So you think that the independence from Mars would affect the outer colonies?"
"No, mars is a special case, despite it is one of the foundation of the Federation, however we will not tolerate dissent."
"One last question for the young viewers Sky Marshall, Have you ever been wrong about anything?" The interviewer asked.
"This is my curse." Amy smiled at the camera.
"Would you like to know more?"
"In a bold move in the AQZ, the Sky marshall Snapps have rallied the fleet for a surprise attack on the bugs, this mark the 20th anniversary against the bugs, and this time, this will not be a failure."
(Luna)
Carl Jenkins arrive on one of the transport bays as he headed to a destination and it was populated by tourist and off duty officers that travel parts of the Federation. He glanced around as he hidden behind a pillar, he placed his finger to his forehead to contact someone.
"Carmen, Carmen... Carmen"
(AQZ Zone)
Carmen sat in her new ship as she was part of the deployment fleet. She could sense Carl voice in her head.
"Carl?" She looked around causing the crew to look at her. She motion her crew to continue the operations.
"Carmen, it's Carl, Everything I about to say to you is classified, don't talk."
"If you can read my thoughts, I am a little busy right now Carl." Carmen spoke as she watched several bug plasma now firing from orbit. Hitting several ships.
"You only one that could help right now Carmen. I need you to bring a message to Johnny."
"Jonny is on Mars right, and you are closest to him."
"He is hard to enter."
"Johnny's got a thick head."
"Why not Dizzy or Alexander? Surely they could help?"
"She is preoccupied raising the kids, and Alexander is somewhat tied down and he is even more harder to enter his mind. Shit hold on." Carl shook his head.. and he saw several FIb Agent beginning to search the passengers for someone. He dodged several of their surveillance.
"So you are telling me to abandon AQZ and head to Mars now?"
"Sooner the better."
"Are you bother not going to tell me why?"
"You better off not knowing." Carl noticed the Agents is flooding at the entrance to a hallway.
"Of course not, You are still the same asshole. You never change."
"No, I am not planning to."
"Look I need you to find Johnny, Amy is not happy about Mars and especially about Alexander Solair and his position of taking her position, You know how petty she could be." He pass by a checkpoint and smiled at the attendant that attending it. Not knowing the attendant eyes sharpen after he left.
"You are not being concrete Carl."
"Yes, I know, If the truth comes out of Mars, this would destroy the foundation of the Federation."
"Is that truth really that bad?"
"I'm afraid it is." Carl stopped as the barricade prevented him from moving to his destination. Several FIB agents armed with tazer guns, flooded his location.
"Freeze! You are now under arrest!" Said the leader of the group. As they aimed their guns at him.
"Anyway, good luck." Carl Smirked.
"Good luck that's it?" Carmen was apprehensive of his message.
"You going to need it." Carl halted his connection and unleashed his psionic powers. Most of them aimed their tazer guns at their crotch at the maximum settings.
"He's, he's in my head!" Screamed one of them as Many of the soldiers scream along as they forcibly tazed themselves.
"So you are in, right?"
"Where would I find him?"
"In the Martian Outback. somewhere along the Azuli Pass, near one of Alexander Weather projects." He stopped as he felt a presence behind him, as he turned around and found a flight attendant waiting for him.
"PSI asshole!" She shot him with one of the tazers gun.
He barely gain consciousness as he saw several Federal Intelligence Bureau agents apprehended him.
"Carl, Carl! What's happening?!"Carmen tried to call him...
"Damm you Amy, you don't know what you are doing..." Carl last thoughts as they incapacitated him.
On the Air Day, another simulation was a failure...
Rico sighed as he watched the squad heaving on the ground.
As he pointed out their weaknesses, he heard a familiar sound echoing outside and the Star fort rumble slightly...
"Bug Plasma..." He muttered.
He turned to the Lost patrol and ordered them to get ready.
"This is still a simulation right?" Baba asked.
"No, you are in the real world and we are under attack! Get suited up for combat and this is not a drill!"
Rico headed towards the Command Deck and found that it was constantly busy, many tried to search for orders... He found Ratazz assisting one of the officers...
"Ratazz what the hell happened!" Rico asked.
Ratazz turned around and spoke grimly.
"There been a bug infestation, Level V, and we lost communication with both M.A.Rs and Mobile infantry on the ground. Last communication on the ground was that a Battalion of Mobile infantry is heading towards the infested region to purge it..."
"Level V, do you know what does that mean?" Rico was alarmed.
It was a psuedo Klendathu number of Bugs... And now who actually allow such infestation to occur? Rico know that Alexander have a hatred towards the bugs and he would definitely extermination any known planet, but he would not endangered his people for political power...
There was a series of explosion on the surface of Mars away from the infested region and several Bug Plasma hit the Dockyards orbiting mars causing debris crashing down on the surface. Rico took notice of it.
"Officer, magnify New Texas."
The officer nodded and what was on the screen is that soldiers and mech is fighting against each other. And several buildings are in ruins. And a glimpse of a mech opening fire at the population centers. And the Scholar Progenium was in flames.
"Use this communication node to M.a.rs and communicate with Director Alexander we need to find what the hell is going on here.."
The screen suddenly received a com links.
"No need Major Rico... Sigh... "
"What the hells going on?!"
"Fuckin hell, if I know, there is a rebel cell that called themselves as True Federation took advantage of our celebration and crippled our defeses... And we are currently containing the threat, and I want you to take whatever you have and head to the infested zone and clear those bug bastards out, especially those Plasma Bugs that is raining hell upon us while we are doing cleanup, we can't risk a two way war on the ground, not with the civilians that we are evacuating." Director Alexander spoke.
"What about my family? And my kids? Alexander."
"They already been evacuated, but Dizzy is doing her part to contain the rebels. Hurry up before she does something rash. My guess is that the rebels want my head. So you will get some reinforcements hopefully soon. Alexander Out."
Another explosion occured on the Ramillies Starfort.
"Sir, we have received explosion in our Hangars, they are destroyed, our fleet tht is being docked have been sabotaged... Hull integrity is 69%, we are activating the Backup shield generators. There are intruders in block d, We are currently containing them."
'Somebody sabotaged the hangars, wanted me here...' Rico thought to himself.
"Are the drop pods intact in Level 7?"
"They are not damaged by the saboteurs, and all systems are green."
"Alright, Ratazz, about time to take the rookies to helldive." Rico grinned.
"Alright Rico."
"I do not have training for this!" Baba yelled as he was standing on a Drop pod.
"This is the only way to the surface of Mars, private, And she need your help troopers! If we don't take out the Plasma Bugs, then you don't have a home! Make sure your suits is magnetized or else you be turned to sloppy pile of meat!" Rico gave a commanding speech.
Their body suddenly felt the friction of being launched from the Star Fort.
Their drop pods is avoiding the debris as they made planet fall.
The bugs realize something was wrong and attempted to shoot them down.
"Sir, we are 15 thousand feet from the air, are we sure that this is safe?!"
"We already made sure that it is now eight percent fatality rates compared to before..."
"What about the one when we reached on the ground?"
"37% casualty rate." Rico said nonchalantly.
The drop pods used micro thrusters to redirect the landing point of the soldiers and as soon as they reached five thousand feet, the drop pods boosters accelerated to the point that the Plasma balls was just barely touched their drop pods.
"We are now in 500 meters before landfall, the pods will now begin to descent, activate the exit hatch."
"Why sir?"
"Take a look below, unless you wanna be a bug dinner on a metal tomb." Rico punched the door causing it to blown away and he immediately opened fire on the incoming horde of bugs waiting for them alone.
The lost patrol copy his movement and immediately opened fire on the enemies around them.
"Shit, I need to reload."
"No, me I outta ammo! Oh shit!"
Two of the rookies ran out of ammunition and they panicked as they saw a bug about to chase after them.. Bolter fire rain on the bug and they saw Ratazz providing cover fire.
"Get your heads in the game troopers, reload now while we have the chance!" He bellowed breaking the rookies out of their frozen stance and they began to reload under the cover fire from Ratazz.
The scattered squad managed to regrouped together and upon peeking from a hill they saw a vast army of bugs and along with it is their objectives...
"Alright, Get your nukes ready, we have one shot at this." Rico ordered.
Several of them aimed their missile launchers and unleashed their nuclear payload towards the unending horde of bugs.
"This one for Mars." 101 grunted as they saw the missile flew in the distance.
Rico saw this and order them to fall back; "On the bounce troopers! Unless you wanna stick around and have radiation sickness as a excuse to go to the Medbay!"
Their inbuilt thrusters in their power suits came to life as they made their escape in the air.
The bugs continue their march unimpeded, until a flash of light eradicated them, burning their chitin armor cooking their flesh from the inside.
The plasma bugs got it worse as their fleshy rear also evaporated into pieces...
"Whoo! Scratch a couple of plasma bugs!" 101 cheered as they saw the fruits of their labor.
"But now we have to reach to safety. The bugs is bloodthirsty this night" Rico watched as he heard the roars of a deranged insects howling in the distance...
After they make a certain distance.
Rico comms came to life... Revealing a holographic Alexander.
"Rico you safe?"
"Alexander, could you tell me what the hell just happened that there is practically a Klendathu next to Terra!? What the hell's going on!?" Rico yelled out. Causing the Lost patrol listening intently at the conversation.
"Somehow, the Bugs got our Teleportation nexus and now flooding through it. The Rebels took out the Comms systems and making this planet isolated from Federal communication, wreaking havoc and crippling our defenses, the only reason why I am able to contact you, is that your suit is registered to my own forces."
"So you telling me that this attack was deliberately simultaneously launched?"
"Yeah, when Sky Marshall Snapps launched her Gambit of Tossing most of our fleets towards the Arachnid Quarantine Zone... They also made a counter invasion... Vast Arachnid Fleets is now encroaching our outer colonies and my forces is spread thin, handling the situation... And it is taking longer than expected, and make matters worse, fleets that we thought was missing for years now, have turned rogue and attacking our Xenos Allies and one such fleets is heading directly towards Mars... And right now, my hands are tied. At the most I would prevent the Rebels from chasing after you and Lost Patrol by being as bait... I will send a Valkyrie to transport your troopers out, but stay hidden, not all of the Mechs you see on the ground is a ally."
"Is Carmen aware of this?"
"Carl already inform her... Hopefully, her ship would stem the tide of traitors, they spilled so much blood of the innocent...And what's good news about it is that your son is a hero today... He save many lives at the scholar Progenium and currently defending the evacuees... And I would inform you about that." Alexander gave him a piece of good news in a flood of depression... Rico smiled a bit.
"Godspeed Alexander may you win..."
"And you too Rico, I wouldn't want to see two angry widows chasing me to the end of time because I failed to keep their husband alive." Alexander laughed as he turned off the comms.
Baba eyes widen.
"You are friends with Director Alexander? The Myth of M.a.rs?" The private eyes sparkled as if he met a celebrity in real life.
"Yes" Rico was baffle how much they hold his friend with reverence.
"Dayum, my luck been going steady since following you sir." Dutch smiled.
As the night faded and the sounds of war still echoes in the distance, even the darkest night shone a bright light of explosion... The Lost Patrol without light source revealing their location, spend time telling story how and why they appreciate Alexander...
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein