Right Flank
Posted on Tue Jul 1st, 2025 @ 3:13am by Master Sergeant Flarn & Staff Warrant Officer Rommie & Sergeant Major Lachlan Barr & Sergeant Adélaïde Moreau & Sergeant Rairror Thoran
Edited on on Tue Jul 1st, 2025 @ 7:05pm
1,510 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
Episode 16 - Silent Cries
Location: Surface of Wren IX
Timeline: MD010 0745 hrs
Flarn materialized with the rest of the team and immediately he over rode the visual settings. The low light is perfect for the Tellarite visual spectrum. He had his rifle shouldered and swept the area in a three hundred and sixty degree circle. "All is clear Sergeant Major." Flarn stood next to Lachlan as the rest of the team circled them. "Flarn says we advance and attempt to converge with RECON. Orders?"
"I agree with Master Sergeant." Rairror said. "Let's take the fight to the enemy."
Lachlan skewed his eyes, this low lighting wasn't ideal but thankfully his suit kicked in and as his eyes adjusted he now saw how it would have appeared in normal daylight. As much as he hated the suits they did have some good uses. "Let's approach the tunnel. Eyes open people, I'm not about to get jumped on this fucking planet. Moreau and Flarn take up the rear, let's move." he indicated the small maintenance shaft. "Report anything that moves..."
Flarn snorted in response to the orders as he moved to the rear. He was used to the rear as a Tellarite's unique anatomy made them sure footed while backpedaling. "Sergeant Major we are moving. Flarn is reporting we are moving." The tone in which he spoke did not reveal whether or not he joked or not.
Static sounded over the command net and Neil's voice filtered through. "All Elements, Fleet Team has contact and are engaging. Looks like the Silence’s platform was an ambush. Stand by." More static filled the net, then his voice came back. “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.”
"Your heard the man. Let's move!" Lachlan yelled as the speed of the team picked up.
Entering the tunnel Lachlan's eyes began to adjust alongside the suit. He heard what sounded like chittering, skittering along side them, above them. They had traversed 300 metres when Lachlan held up his right arm, his fist closed to signify them to stop moving. "Do you guys hear that?" he asked as he turned on the full beam of his suits lights.
A insectoid jumped onto Thoran, knocking him to the ground. His energy weapons were all but useless in this position, the Orion a leg on either side of the insect and tore it in half. "Don't go to pieces on me." He said before discarding the pieces and rising to his feet.
Flarn saw his teammates come under fire. He spun with his weapon levelled as he attempted to see if there were any more targets. As he swept his weapon to his left a long stream of fire mixed with a lava like substance shot past his right shoulder. The amount of agility that the Tellarite displayed was surprising due to his size. But, he managed to tumble out of the way of the hot stream.
Flarn rose out of the tumble and into a crouched stance with his weapon levelled. No one could see his eyes widen as he saw a large beetle type creature the lava dripping from an antennae which protruded from its forehead. "Flarn is literally under fire." He spoke into his open comms and opened fire with two direct hits which showed little to no damage to the creature.
Thoran turned to see the predicament that Flan was in. Raising the 'Key' (his ion cannon), he targeted the bug. "Bye Bug." He said and fired.
The bug exploded in a mixture of goo and lava.
The Orion then helped the Tellerite to his feet.
The chittering grew more intense with each bug that was killed. The sound of their bodies pattering against the walls, the ceiling the walkway echoed ominously. Lachlan watched as his team unleashed a barrage of gunfire, requiring no specific aim. The creatures were everywhere.
A burst of guts and body parts erupted from the end of Lachlan's rifle. "And here's me without a can of bug spray," he quipped, activating his comms. "We need to keep pushing forward! If we regroup with the others, we'll stand a better chance! Flarn! Moreau! Move up! Switch leaders every 10 metres! Let's move!" he shouted.
Abruptly, a CnC transmission scrolled across their HUD's:>>>"All Team, all 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."
Flarn was not sure what the Colonel meant by Malificus Entity. But he knew that it did not sound like something he wanted to be around for. There was a moment where he took in his surroundings. The thrill of the battle overtook the Tellarite in combination with his new orders. He snorted out of amusement. "Everyone to Flarn. Flarn plows the road. Say hello to Mr Pig."
Thoran smiled at the Master Sergeant's words and enthusiasm. His own suit covered in bug innards, followed as they neared the Fleet Teams position. He hoped they arrived in time, to assist.
Thoran would fire at any bugs that got too close. "I'm the Exterminator." He bellowed.
As Flarn charged through the group of large ants he fired his phaser on different arcs and in quick succession. Parts of the creatures as well as a sticky substance seemed to erupt everywhere. As he ran past a t shaped intersection of caves, Flarn fired at the ceiling. A cascade of rocks fell and blocked off the passage which trapped a large number of the creatures.
Adelaide didn’t flinch as the insectoid launched from the darkness. Her rifle came up in a smooth, clinical motion and fired point-blank into its thorax. Chitin cracked, steam hissing from the cavity as it folded mid-air and dropped. Without breaking stride, she kicked the body aside and checked her HUD for movement vectors.
“Increased density ahead. We’re funnelling them,” she reported calmly over comms, keeping her voice level. “Suggest controlled bursts. Conserve energy cells.”
Another bug skittered across the ceiling. She tracked it, fired once, and moved on.
Lachlan didn’t blink as the thing burst like a sack of rotten meat right in front of him, hot muck sizzling across the cave floor. He moved low and fast, rifle firm against his shoulder. The stink would’ve made most rookies gag... but this wasn’t his first bloody bug hunt.
“Adelaide—two o’clock, on yer left. Don’t let that one sneak up on ya,” he muttered dryly over comms, eyes already tracking the next target. “Nice work. Keep it tight.”
A flicker ahead. It was Fleet. He saw the flashes of return fire, the hunkered silhouettes holding the line.
“We’ve got eyes on Fleet. Dug in and under pressure,” he said, voice sharp. “Right, we’re movin’ up. Stay in formation an don’t get clever.”
He waved the team forward, boots pounding over cracked stone. His suit filtered most of the heat, but he felt the shift in the air—the pressure, the rising sound of wings and claws and teeth.
As the corridor opened into a wider chamber, he dropped to one knee and raised his rifle. “Set up firing lanes with Fleet—layered. We’re holdin’ here.”
Another bug leapt from the shadows but he caught it mid-air with a tight burst. Goo sprayed his shoulder. He didn’t flinch.
“We’ll get our stories straight later,” he muttered, tightening his grip. “For now? Kill every last one of the bastards.”
The final stretch of tunnel widened, giving way to the Fleet team's makeshift position—barricades hastily thrown up, phaser fire strobing through the dark. One of the Fleet marines glanced over and gave a quick signal.
Lachlan raised his fist, halting his team just long enough to sweep the area. “That’s our lot,” he confirmed, stepping forward. “Fleet Team in sight. We’re linkin’ up.”
He moved in alongside the outer edge of the position, covering his sector as the rest of his team filtered through behind him. “Barr to Fleet Team—Team 2’s arrived. You’ve got backup.”
He caught one of the Fleet officers’ eyes and gave a grim nod. “Let’s clean house.”
A Joint Post By
Sergeant Major Lachlan Barr
Chief of The Boat, USS Pioneer
First Sergeant, The Cure
Master Sergeant Sergeant Flarn
Operations Sergeant, The Cure
USS Pioneer
Sergeant Rairror Thoran
Weapons Specialist, Team 2, The Cure
USS Pioneer
Sergeant Adélaïde Moreau
SAR Specialist, Team 2, The Cure
USS Pioneer
Staff Warrant Officer Rommie
Artificial Intelligence, The Cure
USS Pioneer
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