The last assault: Part I
Posted: 2003-07-30 12:12am
November 29, 0103 PR, the date of the invasion of Krath, the single bloodiest day in human history. 200 Destroyers, thousands of cruisers in orbit. Over two billion men hit the ground that day, 900 million never stood up again.
Lt. Shane Anderson closed his eyes, trying to fight the nausea from the constant shaking of the cramped landing carrier. This was his third combat drop, he’d done two over Canamar against the UDP occupation force, but Krath was different. On Canamar everything was terraformed, the grass was green and the sky was always blue, infact aside from being constantly shot at it was a rather nice place. Krath however was a red copper rock world with unbreathable air and heavy atmosphere spotted with lakes and pools, it was always hot. Shane looked down at his suit, it was an old J8, one of the cheapest suits still used by the Federation, gray steel silk and newly repainted metal. He looked at all of the equipment strapped to him; ammo clips, comm. equipment, grenades, flares, a couple of RATs, on his back he felt the air tanks and food compartments, it was odd because the extra bulk was there, but the super light materials and servos made everything strapped to his back feel near weightless.
In his deep train of thought Shane was startled when people began yelling and standing up, it seemed too soon for them to already be dropping, though he was used to drops in Canamar’s atmosphere.
“One check”
“One good”
“Two check”
“Two good”
“Three check”
“Three good”
“Four check”
“Four good”
“Five check”
“Five good”, Shane yelled out. He felt the man behind him pull on his suit to check him. The checks continued to the last man. After the final check men began moving up to the open side door and jumping out. When Huds, the man in front of Shane had just walked to the edge of the door there was a gigantic white fireball behind the door. Huds half jumped, half fell out of the carrier. Shane jumped out right afterward as the sides of the carrier begin coming off and the interior bursting into flames. On the way down Shane saw the man behind him, he’d caught a chestful of shrapnel and was depressurized and convoluting in midair. Shane looked away, he had to stay focused on getting on the ground. He fell, looking down at domes and stretches of red hills. He finally opened his parachute, which partially slowed him down. When he was just under a hundred feet from the surface he activated he back-mounted jump thrusters. He hit the ground with a crash, “FUCK, that hurts!”
Lt. Shane Anderson closed his eyes, trying to fight the nausea from the constant shaking of the cramped landing carrier. This was his third combat drop, he’d done two over Canamar against the UDP occupation force, but Krath was different. On Canamar everything was terraformed, the grass was green and the sky was always blue, infact aside from being constantly shot at it was a rather nice place. Krath however was a red copper rock world with unbreathable air and heavy atmosphere spotted with lakes and pools, it was always hot. Shane looked down at his suit, it was an old J8, one of the cheapest suits still used by the Federation, gray steel silk and newly repainted metal. He looked at all of the equipment strapped to him; ammo clips, comm. equipment, grenades, flares, a couple of RATs, on his back he felt the air tanks and food compartments, it was odd because the extra bulk was there, but the super light materials and servos made everything strapped to his back feel near weightless.
In his deep train of thought Shane was startled when people began yelling and standing up, it seemed too soon for them to already be dropping, though he was used to drops in Canamar’s atmosphere.
“One check”
“One good”
“Two check”
“Two good”
“Three check”
“Three good”
“Four check”
“Four good”
“Five check”
“Five good”, Shane yelled out. He felt the man behind him pull on his suit to check him. The checks continued to the last man. After the final check men began moving up to the open side door and jumping out. When Huds, the man in front of Shane had just walked to the edge of the door there was a gigantic white fireball behind the door. Huds half jumped, half fell out of the carrier. Shane jumped out right afterward as the sides of the carrier begin coming off and the interior bursting into flames. On the way down Shane saw the man behind him, he’d caught a chestful of shrapnel and was depressurized and convoluting in midair. Shane looked away, he had to stay focused on getting on the ground. He fell, looking down at domes and stretches of red hills. He finally opened his parachute, which partially slowed him down. When he was just under a hundred feet from the surface he activated he back-mounted jump thrusters. He hit the ground with a crash, “FUCK, that hurts!”