Command Team Part III
Posted on Tue Jul 22nd, 2025 @ 5:25pm by Captain Edmund Merrick & Sergeant Audie Fitch & Warrant Officer Mercy Ryan & Sergeant Andrew Shy
Edited on on Tue Jul 22nd, 2025 @ 6:47pm
1,560 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
Episode 16 - Silent Cries
Location: Wren IX Underground City
Timeline: MD010 1145 hrs
Keying the Team frequency, Andrew said, "Intercept way-pointed. We should rendezvous with the Fleet in maybe eight minutes. The net's kinda dicey." He had his twin pistols out now, working in rapid fire mode since the range was definitely danger close. "Need to move it Captain," he yelled unconsciously as he was nearly bull rushed by a pair of the black chiton armored bugs. He blew the first one apart and chopped at the second with the halfmoon blade mounted between the trigger and barrel.
The blade bounced slightly the bugs pincer like beak gripped chopped into his armored forearm, creasing it. Damage readouts began to scroll on his screen.
A shot of compressed energy impacted the beetle, causing it to explode over the wall of the cavern.
"You owe me one, Shy." Mercy said over the comms.
"I do hate things flying at my face," Audie mumbled to herself as she tried to keep her concentration and focus on individual targets, no easy feat, what with all the Yuckies coming at them in unending droves. But she knew her limitations, and that was one target at a time...
Till that target drops right on top of you.
A flying bug dropped onto Audie, claws tearing at the suit and mandibles trying to get a grip on the helmet, salvia dripping down as the it's wings beat furiously trying to lift the suit from the ground.
Letting out a startled cry, Audie swatted at the Yucky, trying to bring her phaser up, but it was too close, there was no room to get a good shot at it. Stumbling back, she swatted at the thing, but strong maws clamped on her right wrist, causing her to drop her weapon.
In the next instant, she felt herself being lifted, although her feet never quite left the ground, whether it was because of her weight or the suit resisting. Still, the sensation was disorienting.
"Get off me!" Out of really good options, she pulled her K-Bar knife and tried to slash at the Yucky's eye...eyes...wherever and what ever, but it was twisting her helmet so her vision was partially blocked. The blade sank into something soft and squishy, a good thing, right? And the deafening roar from the creature rang through her head.
In another instant, she was slammed to the ground, then jagged mandibles sank into her leg!
Mercy ran to Audie, to the bug she said. "Get away from her, you B*tch." And blasted it into pieces.
The sniper, pulled out an emergency transporter and moved the injured corpsman onto it. Activating it, Audie disappeared.
Things happened in a flash, almost too fast for Audie to process, except that she was aware of someone swearing near her, then the bug was gone, splattered all over her and the street. Before she could react, she was on a transporter, on the way to the Pioneer's Sickbay...
Mercy activated her comms. "Shadow, here, I've medvaced Magic Hands home. Shadow, out."
She then returned to making bug fricassee.
The bug jumping on Audie it was fast, faster than Edmund had anticipated. Even faster was the reaction of Mercy already obliterating the bug and sending Audie up to the ship.
The distraction was enough that Edmund almost didn't see the HUD indication of an object coming his way from the left. He turned just in time to be hit by what he felt like freight train, plowing him through the wall of a close by building. He could feel the impact of the walls then the bug lifted its horn still hooked onto Edmunds suit and going upwards, The alarms were screeching on the HUD, all Edmund could do was brace himself then he remembered soft underbelly. He wasn't where he could manuever.
The bug angled itself heading for the roof, when they broke through,Edmund activated his boots to unhook himself from the bugs horn. Just as he did so,the disco version of She's a Lady sung by Tom Jones blasted through his com.
"Hey is anyone hearing this music besides me, She's a Lady?" Edmund keying in this query. He looked up towards where the beetle hovered in mid air, seeming to keep an eye on him and the others.
"Okay, I just wonder what is going through that bug's mind." Edmund muttered,
"My phaser blast." Mercy said as she shot the bug in the head.
Edmund looked towards the bug, the shot didn't seem to affect it. "So uh...Mercy, I don't think that it affected the bug. Rhino beetles outer skin are notoriously tough and well.. I think you made it mad, Move!"
Edmund leaped off of the building landing upon the road with a decisively solid thump. "have you ever been hit by a freight train? That's what it felt like."
The bug flew down doing a zig, zag maneuver, working to keep its underbelly protected.
"Oh, Hell." Mercy said activating the suit's thrusters. "Skipper, let's see what these suits can do. Our target is Mister Horn." She said bouncing off a nearby wall. To the bug she said. "Hey, ugly, tag." and shot it in the head again.
It followed and she evaded it by bouncing off walls and and roofs. She did a few flips and spins. "Skipper, I'll be the bait, try not to let it kill me."
Andrew had his pistols on rapid fire, pivoting at the waist and occasionally shifting his feet as pulse fire smashed into the charging bugs. His HUD picked up the big bug that began tussling with his squad mates and he bit his lip. They were getting mired down in a fire fight in open space. With his HUD picking targets he continued to fire until both his pistols charge packs ran dry and he sprinted back toward his fellow marines.
Ejecting the spent packs, he felt with the bottom finger of both hands to seat the new power packs that were jutting form his utility belt into the butts of both weapons as he dodged; weaved; then used his jump pack to leap over the rhino bug. His weapons indicators flashed ready and he began stitching rapid fire along the bugs upper carapace as he sailed over, maneuvering to land and switching his fire to more of the incoming smaller bugs that swarmed at them.
Over his comm, Adnrew yelled, "Gotta move. Gotta move. We've more incoming."
Edmund ran forward watching as the bug was trying to concentrate on the attacks upon it. He kicked up his speed, gave a leap firing into the underbelly of the beetle, emptying out the battery of his rifle.
It arched its back,the wings quit fluttering. Edmund moved quickly to keep from getting crushed as the bug fell to the ground.
"Mercy lets get out of here!" swapping out his battery and widening the spread.
"Andrew is that the exit?!" Edmund catching sight of what it looked like it could be.
"Yessir," Andrew answered, double checking all of the tell-tales and follow me's were set up for the sticks HUDs. With both pistols still firing in controlled rapid fire, Andrew began moving toward the indicated exit. "That's at least the general direction and gets us away from this open area." Moving to one side of the tunnel, he holstered his pistols and pulled his rifle up from the sling and began giving covering fire with his back to the wall, his grenade launcher chuffing every few seconds to provide air bursts against the mass movement of bugs that were converging on them.
Edmund went to the other side, to help Andrew fend off the bugs that were coming their way, in order to get Mercy where they are at.
"Move it Mercy!"
When she joined them, "Nice work Mercy." Edmund giving a grin. "Drinks on me, when we get done here. For both of you."
Edmund looked up towards the ceiling "Lets bring down the roof, once we get through the exit. Go, go!" providing coverfire.
Once they were through the exit, Edmund looked at Andrew and Mercy. "Let's do this."
With the concentrated fire at the weak point of the roof, there was the trickle of dirt and stone then the roof came down, with a rumble and thudding of stone hitting the floor, dust and dirt shooting through what had been the exit. The opening being blocked. "That should hold them." Edmund drawing in a breath.
"Lets go, Mercy you take point! Edmund giving the order.
Joint Post By
Captain Edmund Merrick
Company Commanding Officer Officer, The Cure
USS Pioneer
Sergeant Andrew Shy
Tactical Systems Operator, Team 2, The Cure
USS Pioneer
Warrant Officer Mercy Ryan
Sniper, Team 1, The Cure
USS Pioneer
Sergeant Audie Fitch
Corpsman Team 2, The Cure
USS Pioneer
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