Frontier 11 - Forward Unto Dawn
From the completely off-the-record and unofficial notes of Sergeant Arius Numitor
Bastion Eos, 24th to 26th of April 240
Damn satisfying. That is how I'd describe my last few weeks. Coordinating the off-world building crew and integrating them with our own local engineering corps has been an absolute delight. The upgrades are on track, on schedule and on budget. There was even time to assemble and test the new shuttle as the bays were being constructed around it. Long live Aquilan Standard Modularity and Pendzal Rapid Deployment Colonies.
That, and the fact that everyone here worked their collective asses off. Even those that could not contribute engineering knowledge did grunt work in moving things around, aiding the Corps Diplomatique outreach missions or making sure that critical functions remained up throughout the construction.
As duties allowed a lot of them took personal leave as well for a few days. The quiet would not last, so starting the new Bastion with an alert and refreshed population stood to reason. I am looking at taking some myself, after this job is done. Not like I can relax until I see Beacon's system monitoring board light up all green.
Now to tell the Apatar and Lieutenant that the CiC can be moved up to its permanent location. They'll be happy to be out of the hydroponics bay, despite the fact that they are now both properly hydrated...
---------------------
The plan is going well enough - Lieutenant Andronicus may have committed the Venatores a bit too early but everyone is eager to get stuck into the fight so no complaints here. We screen the wide flank where there is a lot of open ground between us and the entrance. A good killing ground, but that goes both ways. The LT coordinates while he orders Estella to show DZ-3 where the generator is located. Rather impressed by his continuing patience. Most Clannies make poor soldiers despite being formidable warriors. We make due.
A few minutes later the generator is down and we push collectively with at least four military units. That pretty much clears the grounds and we take the entrance. Met Maati at the door for our usual 'good-to-see-you-while-others-shoot-at-us'. It is a comforting call-and-answer routine. Estel joins us while sweeping the inside, snagging a fresh drumclip from our supply backpack. Her munitions tally registers at least three confirmed kills, her resource-to-kill ratio remaining the highest in the unit. Forward Operating Base Wyvern is secure quickly after, with Lira and our scientists puzzling over a shielded room that we found. I'll read that report later.
Still rather annoyed about my grenade fumble. I owe Marcas a drink. Done is definitely better than perfect, though.
---------------------
As we Jericho and I touch down we already hear the gunfire bursts. I carry a pair of powerful strategic explosives to bring the FoB down if the enemy threatens to re-take it, and Jericho knows just where to place them to get it done. Just in time for some impromptu defensive actions.
I see Cassius and Estella flitting out of the main entrance to the corner of the FoB, and realize that is Victus' OP group pushing to the other side of the building to outflank. I go into a dead run from the landingfield and catch up with them as they complete the move - adding my gunfire to theirs. The Squibs were focused on DZ-3 with their backs toward us, and we prosecute them hard. The fight is over in moments.
SGM Quartus, who led the defense, dubs the move "The Octavius Reach-Around". I am sure it will be quite the page-turner at the academy.
I clap Cassius on the back. Our fresh-from-the-core-worlds Biochemist keeps up admirably with the combat patrols, and has taken a liking to our doctrine of rapid mobility and overwhelming force. Altum, our fresh Legio Rapax marine, saunters up from the other side reloading his experimental combat shotgun with the ease of a proven veteran. Yes, the Legions sent us solid reinforcements.
Imperative; locate threat and engage.
---------------------
Initially it is to help Sasha. He did not expect it to be quite this much fun, tho. A lot of the colonists dressed up as Pendzal Clan Fennik members in order to validate their existence to the counting commission. Sounded illegal, but Sasha ensured him that it was good fun.
And not only him. A whole bunch of colonists had taken to the challenge to dress up and register their name. So now Ilyan Dobvanfleski, Geo-Technical Engineer, was part of honorable Clan Fennik.
A fun Pendzal Clan tradition, indeed!
---------------------
I get them. I really do. And it is bloody hard to stay on your assigned mission when your friends are screaming for reinforcements. 'They have their job, I have mine' becomes very, very tricky. Days that I wish there was a second unit of Venatores on the planet. The shuttleride back seemed to take forever, and the comm-traffic kept coming.
Still, getting shouted at now we are here is damaging my calm. Donated blood to Marcus and de-facto coordinated defense of the FoB while the higher ups sorted themselves out. Medea aka Eagle 1-1 is our unflappable Operations Officer and calmly asks me direct questions about the FoB status she she can build the tactical picture. Honestly wondering what the rest of the military units was doing. But that is most definitively not my job.
Had a talk with the LT. He liked my suggestion for the FoB defenders. I think they will like it, too.
---------------------
Lira gears up, off on a mission with the other acolytes to support our Prisci. She brass-check her trusty Primitus Mk. V as I load a drum-magazine for her. She grins at the 36-round capacity monster and we joke that reloading is for saps.
Later that night I hear that they were tested on their mission, forced to fight enemies without their melee weapons. I hope our Prisci thanked Maïr for my sister, who is an absolute hellion in close combat and thought to bring a hi-cap magazine for her shotgun.
---------------------
Nimuel walks in to the Common Area at a brisk pace as most of us are in relaxing. It was a long, long day at the FoB, but Delta Company (“f-ing reservists”) has taken garrison duties, which means we can R&R. He hesitates for a moment, perhaps gauging if I am still sober ( I am ), but then asks if we can track our shuttles in any way. Arkady Vukov stole the Mouse - our scout ship - in order to go into the wilds to die there. He's been setting his affairs all day, apparently he is terminally ill. I curse his dramatic gesture - the Right to Self-Determination is sacred in the Republic, but it is known as the Directive of Dumb Decisions for a reason...
"So, is this a rescue mission or an asset recovery?"
I’ve never really liked Arkady. Too much of a joker. Plus, I am pretty sure we exchanged ship-to-ship fire in the Ziamlian Exclusion Zone as part of CMXCI pirate suppression duties. Still, he did his thing and did Clan morale wonders. I know he will be missed. But dragging an unwilling colonist back to the Bastion is unethical at best, bloody dangerous at worst.
The Apatar seems to process similar thoughts, and bluntly states "Asset recovery".
Good enough for me. I ask and receive his permission to take Louisa, grab a few volunteer pilots from the common area and we are airborne minutes later. We quickly brief and make a plan while tracking the Mouse beacon - stationary for now - with Fareed and me dashing to the Mouse upon landing, and Jinn, Yelena and Mayumi flying Louisa back.
We land, dash out, and find the Mouse blessedly uncloaked and idling in a clearing. We climb in, get ready for take off, and find out Arkady engaged the parking brake with the engines running. One last 'fuck you' to standard procedure - typical. I smile, disengage the brakes and boost up. Fareed proves pleasant company on the way back and pilots skillfully as I navigate. We land both shuttles practically simultaneously, and I make sure that all craft are secure for the night. I may no longer be Chief Shuttles, but I am still rather fond of our aerospace wing. The Apatar is relieved too, and we share a quick drink before retiring for the night. Not the optimal outcome, but losses were kept to a necessary minimum.
Imperative; determine what you need and acquire those things.
---------------------
I like Captain Volkov. Was somewhat sceptical, but he is more like the coreworld Pendzal that I was used to working together with doing border security. Clear, forthright, practical.
I will miss Sasha, but I am glad that the replacement worked out.
He signs off the sheet for the rescheduled mission "Panem et Circenses", and off we go.
---------------------
So far, so good.
Halina, Rowena, Pavel and the rest of the CD did their job with extraordinary diligence, and separated the refugees and the captain. Called us in, with the Lt. and me serving as distraction, and the Estel/Victus snatch team taking down the captain just like we practiced half a dozen times. The guards grumble but accept the validity of the arrest warrant. The security team is scrupulously sticking to the zero violence protocol, only having to apply threat posture once against the guards. Just get the captain in the shuttle, make sure the refugees are in good hands and deport the detainee to Nadz. Almost there. We got this.
Then it happens. Some pulse of emotion ripples through the refugees, a flicker of hurt, the collective outcry of pain. They charge.
My adrenaline surges, and time stops.
For a moment it is all like the Battle for Eos again, with the Kadu grenade suicide attacks. Back when they were all still under mental control of the godling Ink’Nakal. My eyes meet the Sergeant Major’s, and he sees it as well. The security team falls into the practiced drill of a skirmish line in preparation to repel the charge. In the next two seconds their training will tell them to raise their weapons and open fire.
“Hold! Keep your weapons down”. I am surprised to hear it is my own voice. I twice resist the urge to drop my hand to my sidearm. Vitus keeps his Nx down through sheer force of will. Lira's posture telegraphs combat-ready but the combat shotgun never leaves her backplate. We will not fire on the refugees.
Then the CD physically interposes themselves between us and the refugees. Those few refugees that get through are not met with gunfire but with gentle hands and soothing words.
The crisis passes. Time resumes. I exchange glances with the CD, checking if they are okay. I gently guide a refugee back to the group, re-assuring her that Captain Balendin will face justice.
Today’s difficulty was not shooting at things. I am impressed, I am grateful and I am proud. This mission team performed above and beyond.
But holy fuckballs, I need a stiff drink.
Primary Imperative; the mission is all.
---------------------
Oh, dear Pandac. This "Documentation is Dishonor" thing will come back to haunt you. But at the very least the Imperium will run their 'lotus operations' on the up and up now, instead of skirting Bastion Procedures. If they actually are ‘training missions’.
Because the last ‘training mission’ brought the attention of the seriously insane Krall to Eos Colonia. That fucker is deranged enough to mess with the Imperial Family, and he will not blink or hesitate to glass this colony if he can't get what he wants. And that is if we are lucky.
Don't get me wrong, I trust Halina, Pandac and Kodama with my life. It is just that this Krally McKrallTits is a foe that seems... beyond us.
---------------------
Got the signal. Octavia and Quintus are in position, and Sasha is underway. Operation Serpens in Horto is a go, we gate in thirty.
Imperative; move.
Bastion Eos, 24th to 26th of April 240
Damn satisfying. That is how I'd describe my last few weeks. Coordinating the off-world building crew and integrating them with our own local engineering corps has been an absolute delight. The upgrades are on track, on schedule and on budget. There was even time to assemble and test the new shuttle as the bays were being constructed around it. Long live Aquilan Standard Modularity and Pendzal Rapid Deployment Colonies.
That, and the fact that everyone here worked their collective asses off. Even those that could not contribute engineering knowledge did grunt work in moving things around, aiding the Corps Diplomatique outreach missions or making sure that critical functions remained up throughout the construction.
As duties allowed a lot of them took personal leave as well for a few days. The quiet would not last, so starting the new Bastion with an alert and refreshed population stood to reason. I am looking at taking some myself, after this job is done. Not like I can relax until I see Beacon's system monitoring board light up all green.
Now to tell the Apatar and Lieutenant that the CiC can be moved up to its permanent location. They'll be happy to be out of the hydroponics bay, despite the fact that they are now both properly hydrated...
---------------------
The plan is going well enough - Lieutenant Andronicus may have committed the Venatores a bit too early but everyone is eager to get stuck into the fight so no complaints here. We screen the wide flank where there is a lot of open ground between us and the entrance. A good killing ground, but that goes both ways. The LT coordinates while he orders Estella to show DZ-3 where the generator is located. Rather impressed by his continuing patience. Most Clannies make poor soldiers despite being formidable warriors. We make due.
A few minutes later the generator is down and we push collectively with at least four military units. That pretty much clears the grounds and we take the entrance. Met Maati at the door for our usual 'good-to-see-you-while-others-shoot-at-us'. It is a comforting call-and-answer routine. Estel joins us while sweeping the inside, snagging a fresh drumclip from our supply backpack. Her munitions tally registers at least three confirmed kills, her resource-to-kill ratio remaining the highest in the unit. Forward Operating Base Wyvern is secure quickly after, with Lira and our scientists puzzling over a shielded room that we found. I'll read that report later.
Still rather annoyed about my grenade fumble. I owe Marcas a drink. Done is definitely better than perfect, though.
---------------------
As we Jericho and I touch down we already hear the gunfire bursts. I carry a pair of powerful strategic explosives to bring the FoB down if the enemy threatens to re-take it, and Jericho knows just where to place them to get it done. Just in time for some impromptu defensive actions.
I see Cassius and Estella flitting out of the main entrance to the corner of the FoB, and realize that is Victus' OP group pushing to the other side of the building to outflank. I go into a dead run from the landingfield and catch up with them as they complete the move - adding my gunfire to theirs. The Squibs were focused on DZ-3 with their backs toward us, and we prosecute them hard. The fight is over in moments.
SGM Quartus, who led the defense, dubs the move "The Octavius Reach-Around". I am sure it will be quite the page-turner at the academy.
I clap Cassius on the back. Our fresh-from-the-core-worlds Biochemist keeps up admirably with the combat patrols, and has taken a liking to our doctrine of rapid mobility and overwhelming force. Altum, our fresh Legio Rapax marine, saunters up from the other side reloading his experimental combat shotgun with the ease of a proven veteran. Yes, the Legions sent us solid reinforcements.
Imperative; locate threat and engage.
---------------------
Initially it is to help Sasha. He did not expect it to be quite this much fun, tho. A lot of the colonists dressed up as Pendzal Clan Fennik members in order to validate their existence to the counting commission. Sounded illegal, but Sasha ensured him that it was good fun.
And not only him. A whole bunch of colonists had taken to the challenge to dress up and register their name. So now Ilyan Dobvanfleski, Geo-Technical Engineer, was part of honorable Clan Fennik.
A fun Pendzal Clan tradition, indeed!
---------------------
I get them. I really do. And it is bloody hard to stay on your assigned mission when your friends are screaming for reinforcements. 'They have their job, I have mine' becomes very, very tricky. Days that I wish there was a second unit of Venatores on the planet. The shuttleride back seemed to take forever, and the comm-traffic kept coming.
Still, getting shouted at now we are here is damaging my calm. Donated blood to Marcus and de-facto coordinated defense of the FoB while the higher ups sorted themselves out. Medea aka Eagle 1-1 is our unflappable Operations Officer and calmly asks me direct questions about the FoB status she she can build the tactical picture. Honestly wondering what the rest of the military units was doing. But that is most definitively not my job.
Had a talk with the LT. He liked my suggestion for the FoB defenders. I think they will like it, too.
---------------------
Lira gears up, off on a mission with the other acolytes to support our Prisci. She brass-check her trusty Primitus Mk. V as I load a drum-magazine for her. She grins at the 36-round capacity monster and we joke that reloading is for saps.
Later that night I hear that they were tested on their mission, forced to fight enemies without their melee weapons. I hope our Prisci thanked Maïr for my sister, who is an absolute hellion in close combat and thought to bring a hi-cap magazine for her shotgun.
---------------------
Nimuel walks in to the Common Area at a brisk pace as most of us are in relaxing. It was a long, long day at the FoB, but Delta Company (“f-ing reservists”) has taken garrison duties, which means we can R&R. He hesitates for a moment, perhaps gauging if I am still sober ( I am ), but then asks if we can track our shuttles in any way. Arkady Vukov stole the Mouse - our scout ship - in order to go into the wilds to die there. He's been setting his affairs all day, apparently he is terminally ill. I curse his dramatic gesture - the Right to Self-Determination is sacred in the Republic, but it is known as the Directive of Dumb Decisions for a reason...
"So, is this a rescue mission or an asset recovery?"
I’ve never really liked Arkady. Too much of a joker. Plus, I am pretty sure we exchanged ship-to-ship fire in the Ziamlian Exclusion Zone as part of CMXCI pirate suppression duties. Still, he did his thing and did Clan morale wonders. I know he will be missed. But dragging an unwilling colonist back to the Bastion is unethical at best, bloody dangerous at worst.
The Apatar seems to process similar thoughts, and bluntly states "Asset recovery".
Good enough for me. I ask and receive his permission to take Louisa, grab a few volunteer pilots from the common area and we are airborne minutes later. We quickly brief and make a plan while tracking the Mouse beacon - stationary for now - with Fareed and me dashing to the Mouse upon landing, and Jinn, Yelena and Mayumi flying Louisa back.
We land, dash out, and find the Mouse blessedly uncloaked and idling in a clearing. We climb in, get ready for take off, and find out Arkady engaged the parking brake with the engines running. One last 'fuck you' to standard procedure - typical. I smile, disengage the brakes and boost up. Fareed proves pleasant company on the way back and pilots skillfully as I navigate. We land both shuttles practically simultaneously, and I make sure that all craft are secure for the night. I may no longer be Chief Shuttles, but I am still rather fond of our aerospace wing. The Apatar is relieved too, and we share a quick drink before retiring for the night. Not the optimal outcome, but losses were kept to a necessary minimum.
Imperative; determine what you need and acquire those things.
---------------------
I like Captain Volkov. Was somewhat sceptical, but he is more like the coreworld Pendzal that I was used to working together with doing border security. Clear, forthright, practical.
I will miss Sasha, but I am glad that the replacement worked out.
He signs off the sheet for the rescheduled mission "Panem et Circenses", and off we go.
---------------------
So far, so good.
Halina, Rowena, Pavel and the rest of the CD did their job with extraordinary diligence, and separated the refugees and the captain. Called us in, with the Lt. and me serving as distraction, and the Estel/Victus snatch team taking down the captain just like we practiced half a dozen times. The guards grumble but accept the validity of the arrest warrant. The security team is scrupulously sticking to the zero violence protocol, only having to apply threat posture once against the guards. Just get the captain in the shuttle, make sure the refugees are in good hands and deport the detainee to Nadz. Almost there. We got this.
Then it happens. Some pulse of emotion ripples through the refugees, a flicker of hurt, the collective outcry of pain. They charge.
My adrenaline surges, and time stops.
For a moment it is all like the Battle for Eos again, with the Kadu grenade suicide attacks. Back when they were all still under mental control of the godling Ink’Nakal. My eyes meet the Sergeant Major’s, and he sees it as well. The security team falls into the practiced drill of a skirmish line in preparation to repel the charge. In the next two seconds their training will tell them to raise their weapons and open fire.
“Hold! Keep your weapons down”. I am surprised to hear it is my own voice. I twice resist the urge to drop my hand to my sidearm. Vitus keeps his Nx down through sheer force of will. Lira's posture telegraphs combat-ready but the combat shotgun never leaves her backplate. We will not fire on the refugees.
Then the CD physically interposes themselves between us and the refugees. Those few refugees that get through are not met with gunfire but with gentle hands and soothing words.
The crisis passes. Time resumes. I exchange glances with the CD, checking if they are okay. I gently guide a refugee back to the group, re-assuring her that Captain Balendin will face justice.
Today’s difficulty was not shooting at things. I am impressed, I am grateful and I am proud. This mission team performed above and beyond.
But holy fuckballs, I need a stiff drink.
Primary Imperative; the mission is all.
---------------------
Oh, dear Pandac. This "Documentation is Dishonor" thing will come back to haunt you. But at the very least the Imperium will run their 'lotus operations' on the up and up now, instead of skirting Bastion Procedures. If they actually are ‘training missions’.
Because the last ‘training mission’ brought the attention of the seriously insane Krall to Eos Colonia. That fucker is deranged enough to mess with the Imperial Family, and he will not blink or hesitate to glass this colony if he can't get what he wants. And that is if we are lucky.
Don't get me wrong, I trust Halina, Pandac and Kodama with my life. It is just that this Krally McKrallTits is a foe that seems... beyond us.
---------------------
Got the signal. Octavia and Quintus are in position, and Sasha is underway. Operation Serpens in Horto is a go, we gate in thirty.
Imperative; move.