» Chapter Seven: "Landing Zone"

[Major Christene Etearna]

On:

<Christene>

Major Young and Christene were laughing softly, together, while Marines stared at the two like the most evil bitches in the universe decided to become best friends.

Which, in a way, was true.

Christene grinned at Terra. "Ahh, Young, but you're mistaken. You see, bullets the blow up people's heads would have to splinter, else the skin might not tear properly."

"No, no, you use an explosive-packed bullet--"

"That would be a grenade and a totally different setup than with a .45, my friend."

"Ah-ah, not necessarily. If you soak it in an explosive adhesive--"

"Then there would be a chance it would blow -you- up, instead of the guy's head. We don't need little Terra-bits flying around, now do we?"

"The men don't complain." She grinned, winking at a clearly disturbed marine and looking back to Christene, sitting back. "Anywho, Major... I like that locket."

Christene blinked, confused, before a small 'oh!', and reached down her shirt to take out a golden medallion of simple design, and a man with wings etched in pearl in the center.
"Thanks, Major, but this isn't a locket. Doesn't open."

"...Etearna, yes, it does." She said, leaning forwards, taking Christene's finger and running it along the edge--a hinge. Christene blushed heavily.

"It... opens?" Young nodded gently, while Christene bit her lip. "Crap... it was given to me by somebody special when I was still 16..."

"You mean Mjolnir?"

"How--"

"Nobody's that stupid, Major. And I -do- have access to your personnel files, I'm an Officer m'self, so I know that before you entered the military you lived with him as a 'temporary' arrangement with your family--"

"Nothing happened." Christene stated softly, eyes glancing away from hers.

"But you wish something did." Young said, an understanding look on her face as she sat back again.

"No. Asid has somebody."

"And when does that ever stop people, Etearna?"

<Angela>

Angela glanced at Twan, her face visibly lighting as he entered the 302. "Hey. Did you see the pilot? He looks cute, Twan, I would start to get jealllous!" She said, bouncing around gently before the inertia caused her face to fly into a marine's shoulder. The Marine glanced at her disdainfully, before she looked to her fellow Marine.

Angela sat up again, grinning. "Anywho, I didn't have time to get that report done. I made a picture of a kitten though. Then I lost it." She said, frowning.

Off:

Tag Open, Twan

[Major Twan Zoer]

On:

Twan glanced, a annoyed, at the marine who softly pushed Angela right up again. As he did that Twan looked at Angela again, with a small smile as he followed her with his eyes going up and down.

"Jealous, me?" he chuckled.

After a few minutes the carrier set down with a soft bump. Twan got up and took the lead as the soft chatter became louder. "Okay, everybody shut it!". he ordered. The chatter stopped. "Everybody out!". he oredered as he sent them to the meeting place where the scientist and marines were already standing.

He started off: "Our orders are to do a standard recon of the planet, searching for good places for an offworld base, et cetera. We'll be splitting you up into teams of an engineer, a scientist and a marine.". He turned to Christene, "Any additions, major?". he asked. It was clear that Twan wanted to start as soon as possible and liked to take the lead, and he was also curious if Christene would allow it or would take her position as Chief of staff and take seniority.

Tag

Christene

[Major Ben Shaw]

< ON >

Shaw felt the slight lag in the internal dampeners push him into the seat as he accelerated out of the PoD's Hanger. He pulled his 302 through a few sharp turns before settling slowing and taking up a holding position above the ship and out of the way of the remaining fighters being launcher.

=^= Sloan, I wanted you to take half the squadron and a Howler and start running CAP. The rest of the Squadron including myself will standby to escort the dropships when they go. =^= The CAG ordered over his comm.

=^= Copy that. =^= A small click could be heard as the Captain switched his comm channel to squadron wide. =^= Flights 1 and 3 on me, Jacobs you too. =^=

Shaw watched as half the squadron broke away and headed off to form a perimeter around the ship and keep an eye out for trouble.

< OFF >

Tag Open

[Brigadier General Karl Tenjin]

On:

Karl watched the dropships on a fold-out screen, watching the representation of the dropships and fighters go on about their duties. With a sigh, he tapped the radio transmit, and spoke into it. =^= Good luck, and be careful. Tenjin out. =^= He watched the shuttles head to the planet, while the fighters flew their patrols. ~Okay, now what to do?~

Off:

[Major Christene Etearna]

On:

<Christene>

Christene glanced at Twan, and nodded approvingly. "Good plan. Teams!" Christene barked, motioning her hand for the planetside units to come forth. "We're going to have a Scientist, Marine, and Engineer working together. Despite the fact that this mix has the potential to destroy a planet, please, if you find something, contact either myself, Major Johnston, or if it's a dire situation, General Tenjin."

Christene glanced around the groups. "Angela, Young, aaaaand..." She twirled her finger around. "Emmett." She said, pointing to a rather bulky marine with a sour look on his face. "Charleston, Reddick, and Marleston." Christene spoke, clearly putting the order in Engineer, Scientist, and Marine.

After about a half-minute, Christene had finished her groupings. "Now, group together and stay together. If there is -any-, I repeat, -any- trouble, you better light a flare before bullets come flying. If it's non-hostile to start, don't -make- it hostile. I shouldn't have to repeat this. Johnston, myself, and Kendrick are grouping together. Remember, people, we're simply searching for a safe campsite, but precautions are precautions."

Christene let out a small breath,and again, her finger was pointing. "Units," She said to those that she pointed to. "You will be going through pass alpha, you," She pointed to another set of units, "Pass Bravo, and you," She pointed to the final groups. "Will be coming with me through Pass Charlie. I suggest fanning out when through each pass, and looking around thoroughly--but smartly. Move out."

Each third of the groups slowly spread apart as marines, scientists, and engineers alike headed through the three accessible passages through the rock, a dip in the high, warm terrain.

There was hardly any brush, and it was clear they were in a bit of a dust bowl, where the rocks clumped together to create large mountain ranges. The passes in them led to god only knew where.

<Angela>

Angela stepped off the plane, heading to her respective units as Christene, in the distance, was barking out her orders. She waved to Twan, a small 'farewell' as she headed off with a separate third of the groups. Her feet crunched down on the sediments of the dust bowl, and her lips were getting dry with the arid terrain.

Young stepped up next to her, putting a hand on her shoulder and smiling.

"You're the young Etearna, I hear. It's nice to meet you, Angela, Christene said a bit about you." Angela watched Terra for a moment, confused.

"What... did she say?"

"That you have a lot of promise. I see that too, Miss Etearna." Angela smiled, gently, murmuring a 'thank you' as the large third of units continued to trudge through the rocky pass.

Off:

Tag All

[Lieutenant Colonel John Carter]

ON

<Bridge, USS Pillar of Dawn>

John sat as his station on the bridge as the drop ships and fighters headed down to the surface. He turned his head to look at the General and said "Sir, have you been seeing the casualty reports from Earth. We have been lossing a lot of good people in the last few months."

OFF

Tag: Tenjin, Anyone

[Brigadier General Karl Tenjin]

On:

"Aye, I have." Karl stared into the display screen. "Let's hope these guys can find a suitable offworld site. We lost one of ours less than a month ago. Along with several hundred personnel, and a couple ships. And a really big bomb. As well as two of the senior SGC officers."

Off:
Tag Carter
Ladies and gents, please get aposting!

[Lieutenant Colonel John Carter]

ON

"Let's hope these guys can find a suitable offworld site. We lost one of ours less than a month ago. Along with several hundred personnel, and a couple ships. And a really big bomb. As well as two of the senior SGC officers."

"Yeah, I did read the report on the Delta Site destruction. I knew some of the people who died." John said as he looked at the display screen. Unknown to the Pillar of Dawn was that there was a ship coming from behind the planet's second moon that was nearest of the moons to the Pillar of Dawn.

It was too late before they picked up the ship. "We got a contact, they are firing o..." yelled the tactical officer but before he could finish his sentence his panel exploded as the Pillar of Dawn came under fire.

OFF

Tag: Tenjin, Anyone

[Brigadier General Karl Tenjin]

On:

"Evasive manuvers!" Karl yelled out at Johansson "Up-angle, forty-five degrees, counter-clockwise spin. See if we can get the dorsal batteries into play." He turned to Carter. "Carter, please radio the air group, get them moving." He looked around for a moment, thinking. "Sound combat status throughout the ship. Seal all non-essiential sections of the ship, we don't want a blow-out." He leaned back, waiting to see reactions to his orders.

Off:
*Zenith is up, Nader is down, port and starboard are left & right respecively. Stern & aft are "backwards" or towards the back of the ship. Bow is forewards. The "dorsal" parts of the ship are the top, if I remember correctly.

Tag Carter & Johansson

[Major Christene Etearna]

On:

<Christene>

Christene, Twan, and Kendrick made their way through the rocky terrain, the third of the units' total composure that had been following them not far behind. Sliding down to what looked like a dusty basin, she frowned as she examined the arid terrain.

"What kind of 'off-world outpost' do they want to put people on? I mean, I can imagine an Asid Mjolnir-patented detention center, perhaps..." Christene turned to the units. "Fan out. There are many, many rocky ridges before us, and I want you all to crawl over each one. Keep precautions to a maximum. We're heading North-by-Northwest. If we find Cary Grant, we'll let you know."

She glanced around the confused faces as she adjusted her sunglasses. "It's an old movie. Just get your asses moving." She growled, turning on her heel. "Kendrick, Johnston, lets go." Christene spoke, motioning them forwards.

The dusty, dry terrain showed no end, as they headed forwards to large mountains, the peaks of which were covered in white, icy caps. Glancing to Kendrick's displeased face, she explained. "If the glacial runoff supports life at the base of the mountains, there's likely rivers that have spurred growth of flora."

Christene paused as her radio crackled with the reports of the Pillar. Undoing her radio, she turned to Karl Tenjin's channel. =^=General, this is Etearna, should I gather the units and return to dropships?=^=

<Angela>

Angela's team continued to slog through the terrain. Young paused as her radio crackled with a voice. Her thin eyes looking to Angela, she frowned. "Looks like the Pillar's under some stress. We'll await orders from your sister, first. For now, we should keep moving."

Angela nodded... but she was skeptical, a frown on her face. "I... I'd think we would return to the ship--"

"We won't know until we get our orders. Now, let us please continue to try and make a way through this pass..."

Off:

Tag Tenjin, Twan

[Major Twan Zoer]

On:

Twan was walking towards another patch, observing if there were any rockfaces a base could be build in. He notices a sturdy ground, no soft sand.

As he was looking around he got a gut-feeling saying something was wrong with the ship, 'Tenjin better not have scratched the paint on that ship, I just fixed the damn thing!' he though to himself.

Tag

Christene

[Major Christene Etearna]

On:

<Christene>

Christene glanced upwards, as if hoping to see the PoD through the blue, blue sky. "Hold on, handsome," Christene said, as they headed up another rock face. "You didn't paint the ship. You're an engineer." She pointed out, grimacing as she stared out to the arid, rocky terrain.

Twan didn't need a gut feeling. There were plenty of calls in from the radio, that was crackling on and off as they climbed up... to a grassy plateau, where trees lined the base of the mountain, where streams were flowing down to a lake that another third of the PoD crew were heading for.

"Now that's just beautiful."

<Angela>

Angela and her specific unit were well past the rocky pass at this point. Terra Young let out a whistle as she glanced around the vastly different landscape. Trees lined the edge of a lake, which the sunlight barely reflected from in a summerlike shade.

Angela smiled, gently. "You know, reminds me of home."

"What? Washington? Didn't look like this at all."

Angela frowned, mockingly. "Ah, true, true. Much foggier. More weeds, n' all of that."

Off:

Tag Twan

[Lieutenant Colonel John Carter]

ON

"Carter, please radio the air group, get them moving."

"Sir, we have lost communications. Also shields are down." John said as he was looking as the damage reports started to come in from across the ship. Sparks started to come from different consoles around the bridge. John's station blew and John was flug to the floor. He had major burns on his right arm and a burn on his left hand.

OFF

Tag: All

[Brigadier General Karl Tenjin]

On:

Karl stood, watching other crew evacuating the bridge. Without a word, he reached down, wrapping an arm under Colonel Carter, and dragging him up partially. "Can you walk, Colonel?" As he asked this, his other hand tapped the intercom. =^= Switch to manual control of the gun batteries. Turn on the backups for all primary systems. =^=

Off:
Tag Carter?

[Major Twan Zoer]

On:

Twan looked at Christene confused, "Are you a mind reader Christene, because I didn't say anything.".

Twan climbed after the Etearna and looked over the sight too, "Yes, it is.". He then looked at the mountain and saw the snow and ice on the peak, "That's one heck of a mountain, wonder how high it is.".

Tag

Open