Another Day in the FiveCore - Part 4: The Battle for Solace Ridge

 

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Rain. Twas the season on the Moon of Biitas 12. It slowed everything. Farming became a pain, building stopped. In olden times military operations might ease up or cease. Not now though. Not when trying to contain these nightmarish creatures. It had been a couple of weeks since Raeburn and 1st squad had scouted Solace Ridge for an observation and containment post. A bunker and scanning centre had so far been erected, and the entire marine platoon, along with their transports were billeted here for security. 

Sat images showed three Rangers parked up in a standard storage formation. One Ranger was on watch. First squad was holding the original hab that it scouted previously. Second squad was positioned in the obvervation bunker in the centre, third squad was in and around the scanning facility on the left. Fourth squad was roughing it by a small copse, ready to spring into action as and when needed. 

 

There were also a number of contractor vehicles as this area was still very much a building site. 

Raeburn's squad had displaced the loggers for the time being. Most civilians had been removed from the area due to quarantine regulations. 

The scanners began tracing a number of signals approaching. The number grew and the signals neared. Tanor got onto the platoon-wide comms to warn the rest. Incoming. Weapons ready. Fourth squad get ready to rush into position. 

The three Rangers roared into action and repositioned themselves at the edge of the ridge. Skulking figures were working their way through the crops below. The rangers opened up with ineffectual fire. Many crops died. 

One of the creatures rushed up the ridge...into an outburst of fire from second squad. The beast was torn asunder under a hail of gunfire, rain mixing with acid blood as it sizzled into the ground.

Another rushed up and approached a Ranger. Accurate autocannon fire tore it apart in a splatter of fizzing acid. 

Shooting through the gaps in the ridge, another Ranger took down another creature as it stormed towards the base. They were getting closer, and many were passing out of line of sight at the bottom of the ridge. They could climb fast - hell they could climb, even in this rain. 

One Ranger along drove quickly to cover the open left flank. The ridge was not so high here - it was a definite weak point. One creature went down in a hail of gunfire. 

The Rangers and third squad continued raining fire down at the shadowy figure that were emerging from the crops and scrambling their way up the rain-slickened rock faces.

The creatures were closing in. Fourth squad was rushing through the rain to secure the flank, great drops of water bouncing off their equipment, it was hard to see. 

Unfortunately as fourth squad advanced, so did the creatures. One of them charged up to the marines and began ripping them to shreds. Spear point tail, claws, teeth. all made short work of the squad. 

Now holding the left flank on its own the Ranger opened up in a long stream of auto fire, killing another two of the creatures. The driver was accutely aware of how he was becoming surrounded and made thoughts to retreat. 

From around the trees another creature emerged, charging at the Ranger. Gunfire slapped into its torso and acid blood sprayed, but it kept coming. Its spearpoint tail smashed through the bullet proof windscreen, impaling Huang, the driver. Its claws destroyed the dashboard and controls. With its last breath it tried to reach Colby, the gunner, who unbuckled and threw himself to the back of the vehicle and unloaded his sidearm clip into the creature's head. It stopped moving. Colby breathed a sigh of relief.

Third squad kept holding the centre, firing at the oncoming beasts. Another was killed.

With the Ranger undrivable Colby decided to leave it behind and joing 3rd squad in the scanning facility. He opened the rear door to be met by another creature. It grabbed at him and stabbed him in the legs and arms, wildly trying to connect. Colby shuffled his way back into the Ranger. With no escape he felt at his belt. One standard issue frag grenade hung there invitingly. He pulled it off, took the pin out and waited until the beast was almost on top of...

The Ranger burst into flames, ammunition cooking off made the flames flare every now and then. Third squad reported on the comms - the left flank was open. They were going to reposition within the facility to help cover. A Ranger would be useful. 

More beasts tried climbing the ridge. More fire from Rangers killed one and sent the others down into cover. 

On the far right flank first squad and their Ranger shot down one more of the creatures. They could not see much more movement. Munroe raised Raeburn on the comms - he was going to start driving around towards second and third squads to help support their flanks. 

As Munroe put the Ranger into gear another creature leapt over the ridge and ran straight towards the vehicle. Taggart fired a few bursts and winged the beast. It jumped up onto the gun and tore the barrel clean off. In a panic Taggart and Munroe grabbed their rifles, jumped outside and unloaded into the creature, killing it. 

In the centre a creature tore its way into the bunker and got amongst second squad Reyes and Brax were killed before the rest of the squad made a run for it. Another creature jumped on Thorne and Wun's Ranger, scratching it up. However, effective fire from Wun killed it outright, then he turned his fire to the creature that routed second squad and killed it.

Third squad desperately took two creatures under fire, killing one but having no impact whatsoever on the other.

The two Rangers in the centre backed up slightly while pouring fire onto the remaining beasts. Both went down. Third squad reported no further signals and no more movement towards the outpost. It looked like they had held off the onslaught...for now.

Once the facility was once more secure a science team was called in to examine the remains of the creatures. There were plenty to examine. Casualties had been lighter than they could have been, but this was bad. The marines had fought well and held the creatures off, but how long would it be before another onslaught. 

The comms buzzed - It looked like there had been other attacks against quarantine facilities. These creatures were not happy to be contained, and likely could not be for any great length of time.