Darkk and Roberts were walking towards the briefing room.

"What’s this about, Captain?"

"Its an ONI briefing- That’s Office of Naval Intelligence, before you ask. The task force is being recalled, and it has to do with my unit so I get to watch the briefing video they sent out."

"And me?"

"You’re my acting op-4. You’re this company’s Intel officer until the science vessel is reassigned and the task force returns to port."

"You can do that? I’m not even UNSN personnel"

"You’re part of the coalition, and you’re assigned to the battlegroup. I put in a request with the admiral, and he granted it. I just need your expertise, and I wanted it to be official. People ask questions."

"I see. "

Darkk paused and considered for a minute. The two stepped onto a lift. Roberts hit the button for Deck 58.

"So what are my responsibilities then?"

"Well not much really. My last op-4 was killed in combat on earth during the sweeps after liberation, and we didn’t need one for this mission so we shipped without a replacement. The Musgrave’s ONI boys have been taking care of intel better than any op-4 could, op-4 is really a field analyst, but we’re not in the field. We’re lugging around an ONI lab in the carrier, and your science vessel has been doing half the tests. You just don’t need an op-4 during these sorts of missions."

Darkk paused for a minute

" So what are my responsibilities then?"

"You’ll be our IT during station sweeps. Watch the cameras and point out anything interesting. You may even get to come with us on missions, if I can scrounge an armored suit that will fit you. I doubt they’ll be anything powered lying around, but regular armor shouldn’t be too bad. In any case, at least this way you’re in the chain of command."

"I see "

Darkk seemed somewhat dubious of his new postion, but Roberts ignored this as they were scanned, and walked past the guards into the briefing room to take their seats. This was how all the briefings went. As soon as everyone was there, a starmap appeared on the holo, and the briefing began.

"This is the planet Xrichorn. It has been under blocade for 18 months now, since before we had liberated Earth. The Cantharaan Naval Command in charge of the planet has refused to accept the mandate of the treaty signed by their government, and has refused both our offers of evacuation aid and of truce. Despite our offers, they remain hostile. There is an extensive Cantharaan Civilian population, so we are reluctant to resort to mass orbital bombardment, and we have not, up until this point, had sufficient troop strength to launch a planetary invasion on this scale while maintaining strength on our front. That has changed. Three deadlines for military surrender have passed, and so the time has come for us to act.

The landing will occur on D-Day, H-hour. These times will be announced closer to execution, but they will be within the week. The UNS Musgrave is to join the blockade to provide total orbital superiority during the length of the ground operations. Our current blockade has already achieved air dominance, and has eliminated much of their ground troop strength and orbital defense installations. The large troop ships and the reinforcements to the current blocade will arrive at H minus three hours. The invasion will occur under heavy jamming, so that surprise may be maintained throughout the landing.

The screen changed to a map of the planet’s surface.

"There will be three main landing zones for the main invasion force, consisting of the 88th and the 112th spaceborne infantry divisions. These will land one on each of the three largest continents and shall move to secure critical tactical and strategic military targets. The 76th space-mobile infantry is being rallied to participate in this drop to secure targets of greater significance, or where resistance is expected to be most fierce. You will be reinforced by elements from the 108th spaceborne rangers. These forces, with the addition of boosted orbital presence and increased fighter cover should allow all spearheads to secure their posts and allow the 115th spaceborne armored division to reinforce the landing zones before the end of D-day.

This landing will be aided by the deployment of the 76th space-mobile in conjunction with the airborne rangers at company and division strength at locations all over the planet in order to reap confusion and disrupt communications and supply lines. Charlie company will be deployed in the largest of these secondary drops with the rest of the 515th regiment, and two regiments of spaceborne rangers.

That is all that can be revealed to this security clearance. For more information search personal briefings. Thank you. Good Luck.

"So what happens to me?"

Darkk was suddenly anxious about combat on a planet’s surface as they walked out of the briefing room. Roberts was going to break the news to his lieutenants and his command staff.

"If I can’t get you replaced, you’re coming with us. When we go in at battallion strength, the division gives us a regimental ONI HQ and two Quartermaster regiments. You’re supposed to be our company’s liason to the ONI HQ. I mean we’re looking at a large regiment here. The 515th has got companies Alpha through Hotel, each one outfitted just like us, plus battallion HQ company. That’s about 1500 Marines, plus another 4000 rangers, and that’s without the ONI boys and quartermasters. We’re in a pretty big landing."

"hmm " Darkk paused in thought "So where exactly are we landing?"

"You’re not landing anywhere if I can help it. But go get yourself fitted for a suit. With an op like this going down, I bet they’re aren’t many spare Op-4s around.

(you can be any number of things if you like. They’re a huge navy coming in over the planet, should be mostly Human and Ishiman, there are two whole divisions of spaceborne to choose from, spaceborne are normal soldiers wearing nonpowered armor suits. Then there are rangers, who are l337 soldiers wearing nonpowered armor, then there are two regiments in the Space-Mobile, which consist of 1500 marines in powered armor that they control with their minds each. Captain Roberts is the CO of charlie company in the 515th regiment in the 76th Space-Mobile Infantry. Heck, you can even be cantharaan! Just pick something and write!)

(This message has been edited by Captain Pharris (edited 07-10-2002).)

Darkk sat in his chair, in front of more monitors (by 7) than he'd ever sat in front of in his life. The invasion transports were in orbit over the planet, and he'd been flipping through the helmet cameras. He'd even spotted a few of his own kind among the humans, most likely volunteers. It would be unprofessional to chat, but he noted their serial numbers.

Darkk flipped through the satalites. Suppression fire was spot-on everywhere, with only a few really well hidden emplacements needing his word. Every time his instincts lead them to something, he was rewarded with the distinctive fireball of Cantharan ground-to-orbit defense missiles exploding in their launch tubes.

(Would post more, but it's 5:30)

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"In literature as in love we are astounded by what is chosen by others." Andre Maurois