Here we go with Raid on Enoc Part 2
enjoy!
Scott Kellogg
There is nothing wrong with your TML...
Do not attempt to contact the administrator...
Raid on Enoc (2)
or
Is that a gauss rifle in your pocket,
or are you just glad to see me?
- IV -
Next morning Malenkoviepr dragged them all out early to
begin training. Drert was pretty groggy, but Miakr was by far in
the worst shape.
The battle dress was amazing. Tech fifteen Zhodani battle
dress Noble-Guard model. The Zhodani consulate is primarily tech
level fourteen. What little there is above that is very rare.
In addition, the suits had all the extra features: grav pack,
near-miss indicator, light intensifier, external sensors, shock
absorbing joints, magnetic soles and palms, chameleon blending,
IR absorbing ablative capes, multi-channel radio and laser
communicators, psionic shielding the works!
"These suits were probably issued to a top elite psionic
guards platoon or something." thought Jietlshaiepr, "Where did
mercs get hold of stuff like this?"
- V -
The Ine Givar arrived three weeks into their training. A
cutter from the Broadsword came down in the afternoon. Soon
thereafter a tall lone figure stood at the top of a hill watching
the exercises of the crew with a keen blue stare. A human almost
two meters tall. Blonde hair, caucasian wearing a well worn flack
suit. The jacket was covered with emblems taken from other
uniforms: one could see Imperial insignia, League of Suns emblems,
Easmolian Confederation symbols, Sword Worlds, Darrian, Dynchian,
and others recognizable and not. His worn facee looked anywhere
from thirty to three hundred years old. The sub-machine gun he
on his arm looked like he had carried it that long: it was well
worn, and was moved as though it was part of his arm. His stony
face was expressionless with whitened scars crossing the skin. One
white scar wrapped jaggedly all the way around his neck.
But, he wore a psi-shield helmet.
Malenkoviepr studied him for a moment as he surveyed the
small group of Zhodani's exercising in their battle dress under
the tactical direction of Jietlshaiepr. "Why would a pro-psionic
terrorist need a psi-shield helmet?" he wondered.
The doctor shouldered his rifle and flew over to the
tombstone figure. "I am Doctor Mako Malenkoviepr."
The man nodded but barely glanced at him. His eyes swept
slowly from side to side followed by to muzzle of the submachine
gun. The voice that grumbled from his scarred throat was devoid of
any feeling, the voice of a killer, "Name's Roland: Roland T. Gunner."
Mako eyed him and spoke without any tone. "You are wearing a
psi-helmet, remove it."
"I don't believe that will be necessary."
"I understand the need for security, but you have nothing to
fear."
"You will be told what you need to know."
"We can afford to be more open."
"I don't believe it's necessary."
"Then, I can not trust you."
"I can live without your trust, and you already have been
paid, quite well too: seven suits of battle dress and gauss
rifles."
The Doctor thought a moment, "What about compensation for
anyone killed? I do not want to have some one die, and have no
compensation for their kin."
"What do you want?"
"100,000 credits for each crewman killed deposited in a
trust where we can get it after the action."
"Deposited where? There's not a bank within a parsec of
here."
"Then give me half that for each member of my crew. We
will settle any outstanding balance at the conclusion of the
operation."
Roland thought for a moment, "Very well. How is your
training proceeding?"
"Adequately."
"I'm here to make sure, we have invested a great deal of
money into this and I do not want to see it wasted."
- VI -
That night the assault was planned, Dr. Malenkoviepr, the
crew, Oddball, and the ominous Roland hovered over a map of the
archeological digs and guards.
"Here ya got da camp of da troops and da digs." said
Oddball, "Now, da guards to me look to be marines, Imperial,
decked out at tech level fourteen."
Niedrsha swallowed, "Imperial Marines? *We* are taking on
Imperial MARINES?"
"Yup." Oddball looked to Roland for confirmation, but got
no response. "Grrracht, dis monkey's a weird one." he thought.
Jietlshaiepr whispered to her lover softly, "Maybe now
you'll take this training a bit more seriously?"
Niedrsha nodded, "Fuck yeah..."
"Good, I didn't really want to have to withdraw all sexual
favors." she whispered, then said aloud. "I hope you all take
this very seriously. I'm lazy, and if there is one thing I hate
to do it's triage. And field surgery is a Real bore, I just
might not bother."
"Now," said Oddball, bringing up a small bottle of pills,
"For orbital bombardment headaches we have dese. Dey're short
range radio transmitters. Put dese on what ya want hit foist an'
hardest. Dey're part of a triangulating system, da short range
transmitters send a signal to a couple o' long range ones dat
triangulate on da target an' send up a signal to da gunners.
You'll need to place da long range transmitters as well, one
hundred meters from da camp in a right angle wit da bivouac right
in da center. Cause we don't want to have to deal wit any nasty
lil' tings like Tech fourteen grav tanks wit nasty little marines
in 'em."
"Our priority targets," he continued, "are dere HQ,
barracks, an' motor pool. Any vehicles and so on, youse figure
out what ya don't want to have to fight yourselves. Of course,
we'll be in dere right after da bombing stops so ya won't get
lonely. But when we do get dere, we don't want to find da marines
in any good hiding places, like da places da Ine Givar want a look
at without plasma holes in em." Oddball proceeded with a
flamboyant gesture, drawing himself to his full height and
putting his hand on his chest. "So I'd say ya all hole up in da
digs which is actually a dome o' some kind, keep 'em out until da
cavalry arrives ta save da day. Got any objections?"
"Sounds good to me, but how do we get into the dome before
the shooting starts?" asked Shtam. "I think the marines might
have something to say if we try to get into the dome while
wearing battle dress and toting gauss rifles."
"We could smuggle the stuff inside, and then go in and suit
up just before the raid." suggested Miakr.
"Yeah," said Shtam, "and hope that nobody comes in and
interrupts us. Not to mention the guards that will probably
escort us in. Imperial marines are not exactly the trusting
types when it comes to Zhodani."
"I could take out one guard psionically. But it will drain
most of my strength." Dr. Malenkoviepr pointed out.
"Leaving us with N minus one marines to face." observed
Niedrsha.
"We don't all have to just walk in unarmed." said
Jietlshaiepr.
"What do you mean?" asked Miakr.
"I could teleport in fully armed once you are ready to jump
them."
"Good call, that sounds like a good tentative plan. We can
try it and improve on it in our training." said Malenkoviepr.
"Give us three days on the surface before you start bombing them,
that ought to be enough time to prepare for the show."
"Party time!" laughed Drert slapping Niedrsha on the
shoulder.
"Ahem, yes." coughed Malenkoviepr. "What time would be best
for the attack?"
"Night." said Niedrsha and Miakr in chorus.
"Well dere's a problem dere." interrupted Oddball.
"Our equipment's only tech 'leven, deres is fourteen. Our
infrared detectors are gonna be at a disadvantage at night. And
I tink dat it's to our mootual advantage dat dere aie'nt no
survivors?"
"You want us to attack in full daylight?" asked Shtam
incredulously.
Roland spoke, "Smuggle your gear into the dome as
archeological equipment. Next day, go in just before dawn. Jump
the guards and have the teleporter standing guard with the plasma
gun while you suit up for the attack. Keep them from holing up
in the dome, we want to examine what we can without having to
blow up some impie standing next to it."
The group suddenly all looked at Roland. "Ok... Sounds
good." said Malenkoviepr. "There is an archeological expedition
from the League of Suns there now, two days after we arrive, they
will leave and then five days after that the main Imperial
investigators will arrive."
"And they'll find a smoking hole in the ground." said Roland
with finality.
"Give us three days on the surface and attack on the morning
of the fourth day at 0700 hours."
"Make dat 0657 hours, I hate even numbers." said Oddball.
- VII -
The bell on Dr. Malenkoviepr's stateroom rang: Miakr with
his evening glass of wine, late again. The young steward came in
rather nervously. Malenkoviepr thought only for a moment, he
didn't have to use telepathy to know what was on Miakr's mind,
Miakr was quite set on the raid, it was something else.
"Uhh sir?"
"Yes,"
"I was wondering..." Miakr trailed off helplessly.
"You were wondering if we need any more crew members,
specifically that sweet young vargr you have been spending so
much time with that you consistently bring my food late."
Miakr laughed nervously, then looked crestfallen. "Uhh,
yes."
"Well, what are her qualifications other than the ones she
has been sharing with you."
"Oh! Well, she's trained as a commando and a gunner and
pilot an... Oh, here's her resume."
Commando First Lieutenant Gresha
9A8B86 Age 22
Race: Vargr
Sex: Female
Equipment qualified on:
Small spacecraft, Grav vehicles, Computers
Weapons qualified on:
Battle dress, Turret weapons, High energy weapons, Combat rifles, Grenade
launchers, Heavy weapons, Explosives
Experienced in hand to hand combat
Skilled in reconnaissance and survival-1
"Well... she is quite the feisty one is she not? But we
already have a gunner, and there is only one turret."
"She's got a lot of skill at oh... lot's of things." managed
Miakr.
"Yes, I am sure she has, though I would see Jietlshaiepr
about those scratches if I were you. We can not afford to let
you get sick at the moment."
Miakr pulled at his collar, at least the rest didn't show.
"Well, we might just get into a few scrapes where we could
use her. You never know. I take it I have to supply her with
weapons and equipment?"
"Oh no, sir. She's got her own stuff, and we may get more
from this raid."
"Very well, have Jietlshaiepr give her a physical, at the
conclusion of the operation she can come with us. But be warned,
I may just have her for my steward if she proves to know more
about it than you do."
Miakr sighed heavily. "Thank you, Doctor."
"Now where are we going to put another crew member? My lab
equipment is set up in the free staterooms, she may have to share
your's."
"YES, Sir."
"Hmm." thought Malenkoviepr, "I think I made him very happy.
Still, you would think it was his first affair."
- VIII -
Niedrsha sat back it the pilot's couch as he finished up the
checklist. "Damn, It's good to get off this hotbox! I'd just
about had it sweating out there in battle dress with simulated
various power and system breakdowns, mostly the air
conditioning."
"Do you think I liked it? You really stink after a day's
exercises." Jietlshaiepr wrinkled her nose.
"Well, Jiet, you seemed to enjoy ordering everyone around."
"It's not my fault my lessons were different from yours, and
it's good to know a little bit about tactics. It just may end up
saving your ass, Niedrsha. You weren't very conscientious about
your lessons."
"A gauss rifle is almost accurate enough to point itself,
you said so yourself. With a burst you can hit a target blind."
"And suppose you don't have enough ammunition for one?
Single shots need to count sometimes. I'm going to keep you
alive if I have to kill you to do it. And if you make me perform
surgery on you, I'll put you back together just to take you
apart, piece by piece... slowly."
"Without Anesthetic?"
"Damn Right."
"Oh baby! Yeah."
"Shut up. Let's lift gravs and haul mass."
"Right-O." Niedrsha leaned forward and hit the intercom,
"Attention, stand by for liftoff, please bring your seat backs to
an upright position and extinguish all smoking materials."
A voice came over the intercom, "Niedrsha, in our departure
can you bring us within observation range of the Ine Givar Vessel
still in orbit?"
"Yes, Doctor. It might make them a bit edgy, we'd have to
come within fifty kilometers to get in visual range."
"Set course for that ship. I should like to know just what
we are dealing with."
"Doctor, this is Jietlshaiepr, from the sensor data, I read
it out at just over one thousand tons. Tough to get an ID through the
atmosphere though, not without going active."
"Then our tiny ship ought not to disturb them too much.
Niedrsha, set the course but do not chase them. If they move out
of our way we will not push them."
- IX -
"Closing on the Ine Givar ship, range 40,000 Kilometers."
Jietlshaiepr studied the instruments, "They've locked their active EMS
on us quite strong now."
"What sort of information are we getting." asked
Malenkoviepr.
Jietlshaiepr read off "Neutrino detector says she's
producing 21.875 Gigawatts in her reactor. Accurate displacement
is: one thousand, two hundred and fifty tons. Configuration:
streamlined, cone... flattened cone. Identification..."
She quickly punched up the information.
Malenkoviepr thought, "Sounds like a Kinunir class battle
cruiser."
"On the nose." Jietlshaiepr read it off, "Kinunir class
Imperial battle cruiser: four G acceleration, jump four, agility
one, fiber optic computer model seven; eight dual laser turrets,
two triple missile turrets, two particle accelerators; carries a
crew of forty five, plus thirty five marines; one thirty five ton
pinnace."
"Now how did they get a hold of an Imperial battle cruiser?"
wondered Miakr.
The 4.5th Frontier War will continue...