Week 6 - The Rescue of General Giffords

They were brave EEF soldiers but none of them had been on TV before. Hell for most of them they had only learned about holonet TV since coming to space. So Cpl. Leroy Jenkins had an idea. Hit the Beer tent before the game started and the drink a little bit. They weren’t on combat duty after all. And Leroy pitied the fool who would pass up a beer on an alien planet.
So even General Giffords would not be shown up by this aggressive Corpral, and they walked past the many aliens who filled the beer tent. There were Ydyara reporters from Yd Ev Nar in one corner swilling beer and popcorn. You could see the little bits of food entering their mouth and dissolving inside them.
The EEF soldiers walked past a table that had a trio of Horned Dog Cultists who gave them dirty looks.
General Giffords was suddenly happy he had ignored his first instinct to order the men to go on their own. He was sure those Horned Dogs would start a brawl. If not Leroy Jenkins would certainly do so.
The General leaned into Mitchell Jeffers and said, “Cpt. Jeffers your standing orders is to prevent those Horned Dogs and Jenkins from making an international incident out of this.”
“Sir? With all due Respect, How do I do that?” asked Jeffers, and he had been involved in some of the most dangerous fleet actions of the war.
“How about a distraction?” asked the General, seeing a Da’uhnb he recognized from the battle of Unity Core.
“Faro, Faro Macintosh, is that you, you old dinosaur,” said the General with a genuine smile.
The Da’uhnb extended his clawed hand and deftly shook the General’s hand without cutting it up. A true sign of Da’uhnb friendship, Faro had explained on their last mission together.
“General, with all do respect, who is this blue reptile?” asked Cpl. Jenkins sitting at the stool next to the General.
“You are a lucky man, Jenkins,” said General Giffords, “This is Faro Macintosh, a Da’uhnb hero of the war against the Unity. Back when the Universe knew who the good guys and the bad guys were.”
“I hear that,” growled the Da’uhnb, “Back then I was a hero, now Im running for my life.”
“What the heck you talking about? If you need Faro, I’ll talk to your CO, put in a good word with Field Marshall Strykker and have him contact your CO?” said General Giffords.
“Naw I can handle it Adam,” the Da’uhnb replied motioning to the Mekanoid behind the bar serving drinks, “Hey can I get a pint for my boys in uniform over here. Adam your men will love this stuff. Best beer within 1,000 years.”
“I don’t even know what that means,” said Jeffers as he looked down at the Mug of brown beer with obvious sediment in it.
General Giffords worried for his former ally, “What crime did you commit?”
“Tricked a spoiled brat of an I.R. aristocrat’s daughter into joining the Horned Dog Cult two years earlier than she originally did,” said Faro, “But orders were orders, and Grand Admiral Sessoren Thei’Gann is not a man to try and mutiny against.”
“Did you think the orders were wrong?” asked General Giffords.
“The alternative was worse,” said the Da’uhnb as he downed another mug of beer in one gulp, and order another, “Adam tell your little corporal to cool his heels, Im not a reptile, Im not cold blooded. We may be reptiliod in form to your eyes… “
“What is this fool talking about, Leroy Jenkins thinks this fool already drank too much,” said Jenkins as he downed his beer.
“You couldn’t keep up with me if you wanted to,” the Da’uhnb with a snarl.
“Faro ignore him,” said General Giffords.
“No, this squishy human offended me,” said the Da’uhnb as he rose up to his full seven feet of height, “He challenges me.”
“I could drink any lizard under the table,” said Leroy Jenkins with false pride.
“I’ll pay if you can drink it,” said Faro as he motioned for the Robot to bring over shots of a bubbling green liquid, “Before you ask its rare Djinni liquor called Green Smoke. If you can go drink for drink of this, then I’ll defer to you human.”
General Giffords raised a calming hand, “We can’t go round for round with you Faro, we have to judge the match in a few minutes.”
The Da’uhnb swayed on his feet a little and smiled a toothy grin, “You can watch it on the Holovid here. Then you report at the end. Me and Jenkins have some drinking to do.”
Eight hours later, Giffords and Jeffers were falling asleep watching the Da’uhnb and Jenkins pound drinks one after another. By fourteen hours, Jeffers was on watch and Giffords was asleep leaning on the bar.
“Who ever thought a twenty four hour match was a good idea was silly,” muttered Jeffers under his breath as he had another beer. Finally by eighteen hours of match he was personally past twenty four hours awake. He succumbed right as he saw Jenkins lift a final drink to his lips and pass out smaking his head on the bar.
The following morning they woke up in the empty beer tent.
Faro was standing over them, “You guys missed your time to judge.”
“What happened?” asked Giffords.
“The only problem with Green Smoke is the alcholol is slowly vapourizing. By the time we hit the third hour everyone in this tent had inhaled at least ten drinks worth of fumes coming off the drink,” said the Da’uhnb, “I assumed you guys knew that.”
Gifford grabbed the front of the Da’uhnb’s tunic pulling him closer, “You have to time shred us back so we can be part of the final ceremony. The Field Marshall with have my commission for this.”
“I’ll fix it,” said the Da’uhnb and they all disappeared in a flash of light.
However instead of ending up on the same planet a few hours before, they appeared on a battlefield on an unknown planet.
Tracer fire streaked overhead.
“Where the hell are we?” asked Giffords.
Faro turned to answer when a .50 Cal sniper round went right through his chest and dropped the Da’uhnb with a single shot.

Giffords looked out across the alien battlefield, and really hoped he survive long enough for the reaming Field Marshall Styrkker would give him. He activated his emergency homing beacon.

Meanwhile orbiting the planet Refuge

Jeremiah Strykker looked at the growing pile of paperwork and reports and requests on his desk and wondered for the hundredth time where the hell his aide Jeffers was. Jeremiah was not a man made for paperwork. Mitchell Jeffers on the other hand had a mind for details and could handle the most complex bureaucracy like most people tied their shoes. Jeffers had become an integral part of Jeremiah's office by handling most of the day in and day out drudgery which left Jeremiah free to actually run the damn EEF. Almost the hour Jeffers had set off the flow of work out of the office had begun to slow. Still sending him and Giffords had been a good idea. At least it would have been had they actually shown up. What rankled even more was that everyone seemed to assume that the EEF judges had simply blown off the event but Jeremiah knew that Giffords and Jeffers wouldn't do that, maybe Leroy Jenkins, he was a good man in a fight but not exactly the most stable member of the EEF. Still he followed orders so something must have gone wrong. They'd been out of contact for over a day but the Wren, the gunship that had carried them to Haephestom was still in orbit. So whatever it was happened on the surface. His mind started working out some disturbing possibilities when his door banged open and Captain Park rushed in throwing up a salute.
"Sir we've found General Giffords! His emergency beacon just went off."
"His emergency beacon?" Jeremiah frowned "Have the Wren make a combat drop on his position hopefully the others are still with him. We need them back here so I can have them shot for making us look like idiots." Jeremiah grinned at the joke but saw that Park didn't.
"Sir they aren't on Haephestom anymore. We're picking up the Generals FTL beacon. They're well, at least he is in the Free Systems." He said handing a Ft. Lendill produced data pad over. Jeremiah scanned the information there and looked back up at Park.
"How the hell… No it doesn't matter right now we need to move. Have four Specter Gunships go now. They should be able to slip past the orbital guns easily enough. One can land for pick up after establishing radio contact while the others fly cover. Make sure that each of them has a Leyas Generator and an anchored Energy Bridge on board in case we need to send in back up." Park saluted again and hurried from the room.

Back on Mynock 4 in the Free Systems, The three EEF officers were running across the crowded battlefield, until General Gifford commanded, “Down behind that embankment.”

They hit the ground even the normally suicidal Cpl. Jenkins.

Giffords said, “Ok soldiers we are in the shit, but that doesn’t mean command breaks down. We need to secure weapons, and hold tight until the EEF rescue party comes.”

“Wit all due respect General, waiting is for fools,” said Leroy, glancing over the embankment as a Da’uhnb Soldier of GAST behind a massive Gatlin Gun proceeded to mow down the soldiers of the Da’uhnb Queen Army.

Above them in the silence of space, a fleet of Arcturus Warships and various fighters drifted within sight of the planet, yet they held their position as they approached the full range of the its defenses. The capitol ships would go no further and instead deploy their fighter escorts to continue the path to the battlefield. One hundred and fifty Sagittae and one hundred and one Jotun fighters streamed down in line formation to conceal their exact numbers for as long as possible. The Sagittae went directly into conflict and secured the air space above the Earther forces loyal to the Queen. The Jotuns stopped to deliver the payload of one hundred and one co-pilots.

Roughly fifty of them were Beacon City Recognized with shield in hand. They scattered to all manner of positions and began to work vigorously as they shaped raw matter into spheres of metal. Several of the other pilots were clearly setting up what appeared to be Unity technology.


Shots continued to fire as General Adam Giffords and Captain Mitchell Jeffers forced Corporal Leroy Jenkins to take cover. Apparently this was not an automatic response from the Corporal when under gunfire. As if Jenkins roars of, “Im gonna get you fools!” could stop the gatlin gun from cutting him down.
The three unarmed men tried to think of a plan to evade the fire fight but five GAST soldiers had already surrounded their position.
Yet, before Leroy Jenkins could say "Leroy Jenkins", the five rebels were shot through the head. Then, from the rear of the mound crept up General Garmin Fe and a small squad of Recognized and Nano-Fusion Sages. The look on their faces was that of puzzlement. Was he time-shredded here as well?

"Ah, I'm surprised to see the three of you here. I don't suppose you are here on purpose? Anyway, doesn't matter now. We have secured the field of battle up to this point,” said General Garmin Fe, “Beyond here is Fort Hernon, the main thrust of the GAST assault. Its going to get very dangerous here very quickly. You can make your way back to Operations in that direction, though I can't say for how long any of our holdings will be secure. The enemy forces can easily slip past most of our checkpoints if they wanted to. I don't suppose you could instead make yourselves useful?"

Garmin wasn't sure about the General and the Captain, but the way the Corporal gazed longingly at the RPG held in the hands of one the sages gave him a clue.

"Soldier", said Garmin.

"Yes General", said the Sage.

"Give him your weapon. I'm sure he'll make better use of it then you will."

Receiving the launcher filled Leroy with glee, but then he looked longingly again to the soldier to the right of Garmin. Garmin glanced over. He motioned for the pilot to hand over his chain gun. For a moment the pilot resisted.

"Look soldier," said Garmin, "you see the look in his eye? That's called crazy! He's got it and you don't. Give him the gun and all your rounds, and your rifle too for that matter."

Feeling at least the desire to be armed, Adam and Mitchell looted the dead aliens for sidearms. The Ganeral Garmin Fe turned to one of his men. "Get the message to the Queen. Let her know that we've secured the first checkpoints and that I'm ready to begin my operations."

Leroy viewed the air combat and said, "Damn pansy air battles!"

But Jeffers knew better. The Sagittae were keeping a safe distance from the fight and at no point exposed a flank that couldn't be covered by an assisting ally. Whatever the reason, the air battle was a ruse. He noticed the Recognized set up field-lite platforms. "You plan on sweeping the battle with those Jotun energy lances, or perhaps take out those defensive platforms and bring the whole fleet in?"

Turning his attention back to the EEF soldiers, "Negative, that is just a ruse like the air combat."

Just at that moment they all felt the ground shift a little. "What was that?" asked General Giffords.

Garmin Fe glanced over with a smile, "I'll tell you, but only if you tell me how you would have voted in the Hephaestom battle."

Leroy Jenkins walked right up to Garmin Fe, staring the little K’iou in the face, and said, “I’ll tell you who I would have voted for. I would have voted for whomever kicked you in your face.”

“Excuse me,” said Garmin Fe in confusion, “I wasn’t one of the contestants.”

“Oh” said Leroy Jenkins, “Then…Leroy Jenkins!”

He roared and kicked Garmin Fe in the face with enough force to send the K’iou hero back by five feet. As the Recognized moved to attack Jenkins he had already turned and was racing towards the GAST position.

The Recognized looked back at Garmin Fe for orders. Despite the blood trickling down from his nose, Garmin Fe was grinning ear to ear. He began a booming laugh, “See soldiers, like I said crazy in action. Look at the Corporal go!”

Cpl. Jenkins had used his RPG to disable the GAST Gatlin Gun position and set up behind it with the chain gun he had gotten from the Beacon City army. As the weapon chugged away it began to cut down a line of Da’uhnb and their human servants who thought their trenchline was defended.

Back at the DQA lines, General Giffords and Captain Jeffers were holding position with the Beacon City forces.

A trio of Da’uhnb in royal guard armor appeared, “These Three Earthers have nearly caused an intergalactic incident. It is the Queen’s command that they are taken to the EEF. General Giffords, Captain Jeffers and Corporal Jenkins, come with us.”

They all looked towards the battle lines but Jenkins was gone, following his path of bloodshed.

“We are missing one sir,” said one of the Da’uhnb Royal Guards.

“No matter,” said their leader, “Keep on with the battle General Garmin Fe, reinforcements will be arriving soon.”

--

Rewards:

All players involved in this mission will gain

1 Mega Research Bonus: Pick one already approved Research item and it is autocompleted (must have a time listed by the Admin).
Post in the Construction thread.

Still cannot deploy ships or creatures till stats revealed.

--

Childeen stared at the ships circling the planet like moths to the flame. He knew the Da’humb on both sides on the ground must be going ape shit with this many possible threats just out of range. His course had been decided upon well before he even entered space.
The other two Vespa freighters fell into a loose formation with him. He knew all three of them were loaded to the top with weapons and armor. He hoped him flashing merchant credentials and the Vespa’s immunity to being turned away would get him in the atmosphere. After that the fun began. If not the orbital guns would tear them apart before they even knew what was happening.
The entire crew had lost fingers or had memory and DNA scans done before the mission set out. The stump of Childeen’s pinky still felt ragged and sore.
The ships wove their way through Garmin Fe’s, Fort Lendill’s, and the EEF fleets. The communications officer sent their and purpose (To sell goods) and course down to the main space port and to each fleet command. Granted the course after re-entry was a fiction, hopefully no one would notice in the heat of battle.
The Free Systems blockade was the hardest to get past. He never knew the Free Systems had dropped a pair of temporal trackers on the ship that carried a hidden squad of EEF soldiers.

Entering the no man’s land around the planet was strange. The clutter of the fleets gave way suddenly to painfully open space and the first tugging of the planets gravity. The captain got on the PA, “Listen up everyone, we will be entering the atmosphere soon, our course should keep us over GAST controlled airspace, and their guns will hopefully be warned not to clip our wings. Green team when we get to ground please meet the welcoming party and request permission to conduct your mission.”
Silence and the barely audible rumble of friction increasing on the hull filled the ship as everyone strapped in and quietly double checked their systems. Normally the ships would slowly descend fighting gravities grasp and keeping the ship in smooth slow entry with no excess friction from the atmosphere. They didn’t have that kind of time though, that kind of time allowed people to think of questions to ask the ship. So the ship started to be battered on its hot and fast re-entry, the old way.
“Sir, after we break into the atmosphere and have lost enough speed to maneuver we will redirect to FOB Hernon.” The Captain paused, “Getting out may be a problem though, if the Da’umb Queen guesses what’s up I doubt she will just let us blast off.”
Childeen nodded, “I am hoping in all the ruckus we can drop the guns, hopefully get the good guys and get out. If not we go to plan B. Besides escorting us here the S-Crow and the 30 Aegis fighters with us can EMP some of the gun emplacements and cut us a quickly closing corridor off this world.” Childeen could feel his pulse pounding as he drank deeply of the fear of everyone around him. This could go no problems or it could be a world of hurt.
As Childeen checked in with the other two Vespa’s one of the captains noted, “Are Vespa freighters really meant to act like drop pods?” All Childeen could do is shrug and hope the banking guilds obsession with clockwork precision and quality held true.

LT Cliffhaven and his squad were packed into the VESPA freighter like sardines. They were strapped in-between crates of ammo and weapons. They were in regular EEF uniforms with nothing to identify what unit they are a part of the Lions of Earth. Lt. Cliffhaven had never realized how much thought went into their uniform design compared to what the average joe got.
They got the message that they were entering the atmosphere and soon the Starfreighter was bucking. It reminded Cliffhaven of the few times he had ridden in a drop pod. That was disconcerting.
After they broke through reentry though he watched the horizon rise up to meet them with a terrifying alacrity. They flew nape of the earth all the way into a wickedly jarring combat landing.
As the back hatch opened the Lions grabbed their rifles and headed for the outside. LT Cliffhaven saluted the highest ranking person in the welcoming party. “GAST Forces, permission to rescue three of our soldiers trapped in that battle field. We will be back before the Starfreighters are ready to leave.”
The GAST Soldiers replied, “We take no responsibility for you out there.”
At that moment a chain gun cut down the welcoming party from the side. It was held by Leroy Jenkins who was screaming at the top of his lungs as he gunned down GAST soldiers.
A GAST trooper tasered Jenkins and tossed him over his shoulder.
“What are you doing?” asked LT Cliffhaven.
The Da’uhnb disappeared with the unconscious Jenkins and another turned to Cliffhaven, “We are returning him to the EEF Fleet. Do you really think the Da’uhnb Queen Army let you through without acting?”

“What do you mean?” asked Cliffhaven.

“When you take off, Lions of Earth,” said the GAST soldier, “The Pirates will be waiting for you.”

The Blackheart transaction went smoothly, and Cliffhaven got back aboard the Starfreighter alerting Director Childeen of the warning from GAST.

There was enough money in his hold, that Childeen didn’t want to risk it.
He moved all the cash to his fasted Starfreighter and piloted that one personally.
As the Starfreighters broke the atmosphere they were hit by 100 Stilettos Starfighters.
Only the S-Crow escaped, the rest of the Starfreighters were disabled and captured by Space Pirates.

The Pirates have promised to turn the Blackheart and Lions of Earth operatives over to the highest bidder. They have already contacted the Krato, and the Djinni and Ceroxis to see if any are interested. No decisions have been made yet.