Command Team - Part I
Posted on Thu Jun 26th, 2025 @ 4:18pm by Lieutenant Colonel Cornelius Tremble & Captain Edmund Merrick & Sergeant Audie Fitch & Lieutenant Mira Jayna & Staff Warrant Officer Rommie & Warrant Officer Mercy Ryan & Sergeant Andrew Shy
Edited on on Thu Jun 26th, 2025 @ 8:22pm
2,816 words; about a 14 minute read
Mission:
Episode 16 - Silent Cries
Location: Surface of Wren IX
Timeline: MD010 0745
Neil’s sensor net picked up the readings of the marines as they materialized on Wren IX. Sealed up in the EAS suits, Neil always felt a sense of detachment the broken, partially crumbling remains of this city surrounded them like hulking spectors, having witnessed and possibly bearing testament to some unknown past. Neil wondered for a few beats who had built the ruins and if they’d ever been populated. He might be curious enough to review the sensor logs later, if there were any, to see if this was all a sham or another species had lived here once.
Then he shook himself. There was work to do.
The Command element had beamed in, arranged in a circle facing out. Sensors sweeping for threats. Nothing was coming upon his HUD, save for the other beam in sites.
Keying his command channel, he said, “Ed. Looks like Point is down and patrolling ahead. Deploy your flanking teams with your group in the center for now. Jayna and I have drag. Let’s get as close to going underground as we can before bringing in Team Fleet. We’re a little out in the open out here.
Sergeant Shy, once his suit ensured him that everything he was supposed to have had beamed in with him, turned to the star of AM-60 spider drones. The trunks of these spider drones were roughly chest high, with the legs reaching over three meters. Each was equipped with dual pulse phasers as fangs a MLRS photon grenade system on the dorsal abdomen. He’d have to use them sparingly, but they should give the Cure an edge if they ran into serious troubles.
They were a force multiplier.
Activating the drones, he watched them all run through a quick power check. Then with swaying movement, the AM-60’s moved out to establish perimeter positions, adding fields of overlapping fire to the beach head. Andrew’s HUD flashed slightly and then the gloom crept away as the sensors mapped the terrain and let him see in the half dark.
Always the sniper, Mercy searched the area for a good sniper's nest. There were tall stone buildings, and a few elevated pieces of land that could work. Unfortunately her HUDs told her many of the prize buildings were unstable.
"We'll find somewhere." She told 'Ruby', her sniper rifle that was slaved to her suit.
As soon as they landed, Audie looked around their environment, feeling a little uneasy at all the potential hiding places and traps. That they hadn't been attacked as yet was a good sign, and hopefully they'd get a chance to do some recon before the fireworks started!
Jayna was quiet, listening to the chatter on the comms as she looked around. She liked the HUD, but she missed the feel of a new place. Maybe it was her Vulcan heritage, or maybe it was her lifelong training, but she felt confined in the suit--even with the additional information and protection it provided. Or maybe it was simply getting used to a different way of doing things. More likely it was having to stay in the back instead of sneaking in the side. The thought made her chuckle. She switched her focus to the display of each team as it materialized and took up position so she'd be ready to act the moment Neil gave her the word.
When he materialized upon the surface of Wren IX in the center of what looked to be the city central square, Edmund drew in a sharp breath. The images that had been shown during the briefing wasn't enough to soften the blow of being in this city which for all intent and purpose was once a thriving place. Now though seeing the scarring and the crumbling buildings which surrounded them, it was jarring. He could see even better the pockmarks from the pieces of an asteroid brought down. His eyes caught movement, as he looked towards it, the HUD indicated it wasn't anything hostile. Instead it was a piece of debris which rolled across the square pushed along by the breeze that had kicked up. Dust kicked up as well, it drifting near the feet making a slight fog like atmosphere. Edmund hoped that they weren't going to be in for a dust storm.
The spider drones that Shy had initiated to pave the why for them to keep track of things, for some reason gave Edmund pause. His skin crawled, the hair on his arms rising, and he shivered slightly. Those don't normally bother him, why his reaction?
Neil's voice broke in to his thoughts and Edmund answered, "Right Neil." he clicked on his mic.
"Team One and Team Two move out. Command Team lets move as well." As they moved forward Edmund's attention was on the swivel, feeling his whole body being keyed into clocking any and all movement.
Moving in synch with the rest of her team, Audie felt the slight tingling that came with being on 'full alert', and it seemed as though her vision and hearing...all her senses...were heightened, the 'fight' part of 'flight or fight'.
Neil watched the Team's icons start to spread as he twitched between feeds on his HUD. "Spread formation," he recommended. "Go slow until Fleet lands and we can fold them in. Jayna and I will pull drag as planned. Watch your intervals and don't bunch up."
As they pushed forward heading down what used to be a road headed towards a tunnel. Edmund gave pause, he keyed in his communications. "Neil is there a timeline for when the Fleet Team is arriving down here? Why haven't they beamed down yet?"
While Neil kept tabs on the Marines, Jayna was listening to the comms from the ship. "Fleet team is coming in the Hawkeye. Something about the transporters not getting a lock on the beam down site." It was only a hiccup, but she was concerned it might mean the enemy knew they were on the planet.
"Let me know when they have landed, then we'll proceed forward. Shy, send in a drone to get a status on the Hawkeye." Merrick would feel better to know that the science and security teams were on terra firma, and not run the risk of being shot from the sky.
Neil could feel his heart beat in his ears as he scanned their landing zone. Jayne’s report on the Fleet team being forced to take the Hawkeye in made him run systems checks. Neil should have gotten the same updates…
Wait, there it was. Comm’s were being wonky. Swearing he opened his terrain mapper. Sensor reads were showing interference.
That hadn’t been there before.
“Colonel,” Rommie's voice sounded in his ear, “Sensors and communications are being interfered with. Not jamming but the channels are being flooded with feedback.”
“Which is the same thing,” Neil said the command net and said, “Roger that. Hawkeye is diverting to some sort of landing platform suggested by the Silence.”
“Rommie,” Neil ordered, “Deploy the Stilettos. Get us a better look at what we’re facing.”
Spaced around the perimeter, three large pallets popped open and three hundred SM-215 snake drones, also known as Stilettos, deployed. In storage, the drones looked like nothing so much as a 70 mm ancient earth Frisbee. Now, all of them were uncoiling, their eyes flashing ruby and appeared like quick silver flowing over one another as they all activated and swarmed out on pre-programmed destinations.
After that, the minutes dragged as they waited for the Hawkeye. It shouldn’t take the drop ship long to get the Fleet team deployed. And it didn’t.
Just over five minutes later, Rommie said. “Colonel. I’m getting feedback from the Hawkeye. They’ve landed, but I’m reading weapons fire.” A picture popped up within his HUD, electronic snow filled, grainy image showed micro-torpedo impacts and the bug entities crawling up from underneath the platform.
Muttering, Neil let the vid play for a few seconds then keyed his command net. “All Elements, Fleet Team has contact and are engaging. Looks like the Silence’s platform was an ambush. Stand by. Bringing up his combat grid, which was populating despite the interference, he said, “ Right Flank. Sergeant Major, deploy five hundred meters toward planetary south east, following your access tunnel and link up with or go get the Fleet.”
The stiletto’s were sending back enough feedback that the command net was given a decent look at the tunnels they all needed to enter. “Left Flank, Lieutenant Vale, converge along your planned route. Don’t get bogged down when you get contact. They’ll be looking to keep us separated.”
“Point Team. Gaagii. Get us a route as best you can. We’re tightening the formation for better coverage.” Pausing, Neil finished setting way points and keyed his net once more. “Command team. Ed. Get us moving. Staggered overwatch formation until we get into the tunnels.” It was Ed’s place, but Neil was too used to field command.”
Checking back to the video, he said. “Rommie, get me Team Fleet.”
He waited three beats and said, “Ja’sol. Alyssa. Rommie reported your contact. Get to the tunnels soonest. I have Lachlan converging to cover while we get Point and Command teams to link up with you.”
“Hawkeye. Shayla. Provide cover as long as you can. Then secure and jump into the drones to help out O’Rourke.”
As the command team began to form up, Neil keyed the laser feed to Pioneer. “Tremble to Pioneer. Team Fleet has engaged bugs. This planet crawls. We’re moving to engage.”
Acknowledged Colonel. Advise all teams that we are dealing with the same species as Malificus. Take extreme precaution. More information to follow. Pioneer out."
Neil muttered under his breath then ordered Rommie to send an encrypted signal out via text, hidden within the normal coms channel. >>>"All FLEET and CURE Elements. Be advised. This Species is the same as the Malificus entity. Be mindful of our previous experiences and watch each other's back. Tremble out."<<<
Once the drones had slithered off to all points of the compass, Andrew took over meshing the signals together into cohesive information. He specifically daisy-chained drones out to get within close proximity to the other teams, though it would take time. He was just finishing the mass drone chain when the Colonel began issuing orders. He could feel sweat on his palms, the tacky feeling not completely wicked away.
"Neil, we didn't consider that the entity is picking up the Silence's thoughts," Jayna said quietly. "It's probable the bugs are there because we asked the Silence how to get the team down in a shuttle. Any way we could use that to misdirect the bugs for a few moments?"
In a rather disturbing way, Audie actually felt better now that things were going a little wonky. When everything was going to plan, the tension of waiting for it to all go to hell was worse than having it go to hell, where at least you knew what you were up against. So far, they weren't having any direct contact, but it seemed that their escape routes might be cut off, and that was never good!
Mercy found a stretch of raised ground which ran along side the path taken by the others. Climbing up she figured she and Ruby could provide cover for the rest of the team until they reached the tunnels.
As the team moved, Neil lengthened his stride out to where he was running roughly eighty kph, letting his sensor pack and HUD help him navigate as he keyed his comms. "Jayna, they might have some time while they're sitting but we're a little busy. They could help with some space to ground weapons fire to clear those platforms though. Maybe."
Moving to leap over a collapsed column, Neil had to be mindful of the fifteen meter high and twenty meter jump the suit's enhanced systems let him make. He skidded as he came down and nearly went arse over tea kettle as his foot hit rubble. "Warrant Ryan, watch your six and don't get left behind if you're looking for elevation."
Jayna passed on the request for space to ground fire and a report on what they were doing. Then she picked up her pace to follow Neil. She promised to run when he told her to, but she said nothing about returning if he got injured and she wanted to be close enough if that happened.
"Careful there Neil," Edmund remarked catching the slide Tremble had made. They were now inside the tunnel following the information that Shy was getting from his drones. It looked like the tunnel branched off one heading forward He caught movement both from Team Fleet and also from-"Heads up people we've got bogies heading our way, ready to fire!" Edmund seeing several directions from the tunnel branching off from the main tunnel.
He could see some of Shy's drones be taken down by small bugs. "Fire at will; lets get this cleared out for the Fleet team!" he began to fire towards the encroaching pests. "Got to get the left passage clear for the Fleet team. Push them back!"
Mercy entered the tunnel, after securing entrance. Switching from 'Ruby', to a phaser rifle, she swept the tunnel for bogies.
Staying close with her team, Audie crouched down, blinking a few times as the suit she was wearing shifted to a target mode, making the bugs easier to spot, and directing her aim. It was an odd sensation at first, but it made her shooting far more effective!
As they were supposed to be backup, Jayna stayed close to Neil. Their job, as she knew it, was to step in only if necessary and she was going to do her best to guard Neil's flank while she was at it.
Neil held back, watching Ed deploy his element and knowing Jayna was behind him. He eyed the bugs darting about. A cloud of them testing the marines gear and reactions. His own targeting system chirped at him and he could feel the shoulder mounted phaser indexing eagerly tracking targets as they passed within the narrow scope he'd set for it.
No use giving everything away.
He let eye flickers control his CnC layers on the HUD and saw all of his teams moving as expected or reported.
Except for Vale and the Left Flank. They were behind.
Muttering to himself, he could feel what was likely to happen and he made a decision. With another eye flicker, he opened up the command channel and said, "Ed. I'm going to take Jayna and pick up the Left Flank and get them moving. Charlie Mike, Captain. I'll see you when I see you."
Edmund looked at Neil giving a nod, his eyes flicking over to where Jayna was, "Charlie Mike, Colonel, Jayna, see you when I see you." he turned back to his path, leading his team to the next part.
Switching to a direct channel, he said, "Jayna, on me. We'll only engage targets that get in our way directly" As the began sprinting at roughly sixty kph, Neil grinned. "Is this a date night or what?"
"A date with you is never dull," she quipped as she sprinted after him. "But you owe me dinner after this."
Neil quickly ordered Rommie to update his waypoints and cycled back to the terrain map and began moving. They zig zagged away from where Ed's team was was moving through the clouds of flying bugs.
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant Colonel Cornelius Tremble
Executive Officer, USS Pioneer
Battalion Commander, The Cure
Captain Edmund Merrick
Company Commanding Officer Officer, The Cure
USS Pioneer
Warrant Officer Mercy Ryan
Sniper, Team 1, The Cure
USS Pioneer
Sergeant Andrew Shy
Tactical Systems Operator, Team 2, The Cure
USS Pioneer
Sergeant Audie Fitch
Corpsman Team 2, The Cure
USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Mira Jayna
Intelligence Officer, The Cure
USS Pioneer
Staff Warrant Officer Rommie
Artificial Intelligence, The Cure
USS Pionee
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