"Battle for Katabatic"

Minor Installment for those who need the drug!

I know its been a while, but been kinda' busy. I took a few minutes to give you all something to chew on for a second. I also had to introduce the latest character, so here that person is:

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The howling storm outside could not be heard from inside the TRA base. The walls that formed the life preserving barrier between the elements and the people inside also served to keep the interior quiet and comfortable. The small area the warrior rested in was not as big as the standard areas for this base. She was limited to two small rooms, one serving as her bedroom/living room, and the other a small bathroom. Her door had no access panel on the inside and there were no windows on any of the walls. The furniture was fastened securely to the walls and floor. She was in a holding cell. Her comfort was looked after as far as the basic amenities. Food, clean clothes, and other necessities were provided. She worked hard to keep herself fit. Boredom being her greatest enemy, she had driven herself to establish a grueling routine of physical fitness and mental alertness. She usually worked out at least two to three hours each morning, and then began a series of mathematical calculations and reading exercises. The TRA guards felt that she posed no threat with reading material, so they supplied her with an ample supply of books and periodicals. It had been quite some time since she had been confined here. The trial had been swift and the verdict quickly given. The judge was impassive as they handed down the sentence. It wasn’t so much the sentence that had infuriated her, as it was the smug look plastered on the face of the brother of the man she had killed. She had said nothing, even when the judge had asked for her closing remarks. She had simply looked at the dead man’s brother and coolly winked. The man had nearly exploded at that. It was a small satisfaction. She still remembered that day in the gym when the man’s brother had approached her. She still remembered his hands on her shoulders as he shoved her back against the lockers, sneering and whispering his intents. She still remembered the startled look on his face as she spun out of his arms and side kicked him hard in the chest, followed by a rapid one-two hand edge to his throat. She still remembered the look of agony on his face as he struggled to draw a life giving breath, slowly dropping to his knees and then falling forward on his face. The man’s brother had died slowly, his larynx crushed and his sternum shoved into his bronchial tubes. The woman smiled a grim smile, knowing that the justice she had served was much purer than that sentencing her to the death planet. Sterile had been the Rim planets’ penal colony for the prisoners that were sentenced to death. It was a radiation blasted wasteland where the prisoners died a brutal, horrible death suffered from the effects of the odd radiation that emanated from the small star it circled. Most prisoners simply went mad within the first few months and were humans only in the basic sense. She had decided she was not going to be sent there. She had told herself, no, she had convinced herself that NOBODY was sending eMaGyN to the planet Sterile. She would die trying to escape, and she would take as many of these coward TRA with her as she could. She had sensed a change in the guards around her, lately though. It was if they were expecting something to happen, almost as if the coming of a battle was near. She had begun to wonder if one of the other Rim Clans were going to attack the TRA base. She couldn’t believe any other Clan would be so bold, as this base had tremendous firepower and the TRA Clan was not easy pickings. The only Clan she knew that might be able to pull this off would be the famed warriors of the CDL, but she had not heard that the CDL were interested in this area of the Rim. Still, eMaGyN would love to see that happen! She had heard many of the rumors of the exploits of the CDL, and she had always respected the Dragon Wolves. She had joined TRA simply because they were in this area in which she wished to serve. She had assumed they were honorable, but had found out quickly that they were nearly barbarians. She paced her small living area, the thoughts of the past few months hanging heavy. Fortunately the TRA Clan had been too tied up with other things to transport her as of yet. A thought crossed her mind just then. She stopped and turned to the pile of periodicals the guards had so lavishly given her and she began to dig rapidly through them, searching closely. She had gotten about three quarters of the way through the large stack when she smiled wide and yanked an issue from the stack, and thumbed quickly to a certain page. She opened the periodical and began to read the article on “Access Panel Installations/Repairs on Solitary Confinement Quarters”. She sat down on the lone chair in the room, leaned back and put her feet up on the small table in front of the chair. Her smile widened even more as she began to learn more. Even though the CDL occupied an area of space she was not fond of, the idea of being there was much more appealing than the planet Sterile. She wondered if the CDL’s reputation for accepting women was just rumor or fact. She intended on finding out. The warrior known as eMaGyN happily began to plan her career again.

 

The battle commences

Okay, the combatants have met... enjoy!

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Dragonfather’s bay door hung open waiting to deliver its lethal cargo on the TRA base. The dropship had reached the end of its run and the warriors inside were within seconds of performing their drop.

Dragonmother’s hull was super-heated by this time, and as she entered the clouds and swirling snow falling to the ground, steam followed behind her in a vapor trail. Her target was just below her as she dropped like a gigantic bird of prey on the TRA base below.

Rayzer, Full Otto, Ground Chuk, Mossimo and WinterKnight all gathered around the transport portal, their weapons at the ready and their armor powered and humming. They all three intently watched the yellow flashing alert pickle. They were each lost in their own thoughts, expectant of the coming battle.

The shuttle for Team 3 vibrated violently as it pierced the cloud cover that the storm had created over the TRA base. It was an ungainly ship, but it served its purpose acting as a delivery vehicle for the warriors within. She began to level out now, the last few minutes before the drop.


“MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!” the warrior shouted at the men running through the halls. The corridors were an ordered chaos, men in bulky armors rushing to get to assigned locations as quickly as they could. Some shot through the doorway lining the hall, others climbed ladders to lower or higher levels in the station. Two men broke away from the main hall and ran down a side corridor. They ran for some time, the corridor was long and ended in a series of unremarkable doors with red and white stripes painted on them running from side to side. The men approached two other men who appeared to be guarding the doors. Neither was very alert, both had just returned from the dining facility and had full bellies. They had been seated, but as the other two men approached they stood slowly, eyes narrowing and their hands creeping to their holstered weapons. Suddenly, one of the doors with the stripes quickly slid open. One of the guards started to turn when his head twisted violently back but a little too far. A sickening popping sound signaled the end of his life. The other man had just drawn his weapon and was preparing to kill the escaping prisoner when a shocklance held by scrub entered his side and his body exploded with a loud electrical crackling sound. The prisoner assumed a defensive stance, her hands held out in front of her. She was ready to pounce at any second.
“I am not here to hurt you!” scrub says quickly, raising his hands. The warrior with him mimics scrub’s actions. “We are here for something else.”
“Why?” eMaGyN asks calmly, her eyes locked on the two men. She had not relaxed a bit.
“That is none of your concern. We need simply to get to cell number four-oh-four, and then we can be on our way,” scrub answers, his hands still raised. His shocklance dangles by its strap from his right arm.
“It is my concern now, because I make it my concern. I don’t recognize either of you two. You are not TRA warriors, are you?” eMaGyN replies. Its more of a statement than question, as she figures that these men are not part of the TRA Clan. She had been with TRA long enough to recognize them. They could be new, she reasons to herself, but she is gambling that they have something to do with the commotion going on in the base. “I am a prisoner of the TRA and I can help you,” she says quickly.
“You can help us?” scrub asks in surprise. “Why would you do that?”
“Because I know something is going on, and I am sentenced to be shipped to the planet Sterile. I would prefer not having to go there,” she answers. She figures she might as well bet the pot, since she really has no other choice at this moment. To help ease the situation, she relaxes her stance, but not all the way. Scrub looks at her, then at his partner then back to her.
“Okay, I am not sure why I am doing this, but I am trusting my gut,” scrub replies. “We have to get something out of cell four-oh-four. We are working for the Dragon Wolves of the CDL. I am a TnP warrior, and this fine gentleman accompanying me is KickedOut. He was CDL up until a short time ago. He left, but his heart is true.”
“Hi,” KickedOut says, waving with one of his raised hands. “Is it cool if we lower our arms? You won’t, like, karate chop me or nothing, will you?” He glances at the one guard who is lying at her feet, his head twisted at an unnatural angle, a trickle of blood oozing from the corner of his mouth.
“Okay, well, lets go. Cell four-oh-four is right there,” she says, pointing. The two warriors relax their arms and breath a little easier. Even though the woman is not very big, she looks to be very strong, and has already demonstrated her abilities. She walks over to the cell door and accesses the panel. “Do you want to open it, or is the person dangerous?” she asks calmly.
“Ummm, well, its not really a person, per se,” scrub replies, appearing uneasy. He glances at KickedOut. The two seem unwilling to offer any further information.
“Wellll, what is it, then?” eMaGyN asks, growing suspicious. “Come on now, don’t be going shy on me, boys.”
“It’s a component that the CDL would like to have,” scrub volunteers hesitatingly. “I really can’t say more than that. I would appreciate a little trust at this time. We did help you escape.”
“I think not. I would have killed the other guard also, had you not been there,” she replies indignantly.
“Guys? We need to be moving along? The festivities are going to be starting soon, and as you know Mani, scrub, he loves to do it up in style. I personally would like to participate,” KickedOut interjects, smiling. The lights dimming slightly punctuate his statement. All three of them glance at the ceiling lights, then at each other. Scrub jabs the code into the access panel and the door slides back revealing a room very similar to eMaGyN’s old room. KickedOut walks quickly into the cell room, and proceeds to the small bathroom area. Scrub and eMaGyN remain in the hall, eMaGyN leaning to peer into the room. A sharp metallic rapping sound comes from the bathroom, and KickedOut’s grunting, followed by a scraping sound precedes his return to the hall. He is carrying a bulky looking container with a small fiber plasma window about the size of a dinner plate on one side. It glows with a reddish color, and upon closer inspection, eMaGyN realizes it is a very small banner on a pole. It seems to be suspended in a vacuum, as the banner itself stands straight out, not wavering.
“Got it, lets rock,” KickedOut says to scrub. He hefts the container onto his back, and places it in a carrying pack he is wearing, apparently for just this purpose.
“You know they realize what’s going on now, right?” scrub mentions casually. At just that moment the base alarm horns begin to sound and the alarm lights all begin to flash a bright red.
“Yes,” KickedOut says with a grin. The three begin to run down the hallway, eMa leading the way, taking them the quickest way to the surface.


The company of lancers, all positioned for the most effective defense, grimly watches the skies, knowing the CDL warriors are bound to appear at any time. What they don’t know is the actual number that will be facing them. The ruse pulled off by Manitou and his small team was swallowed hook, line and sinker by the TRA intelligence unit. Though the lancers were some of the best in the Rim system, and they had a large number in their company, it would be a brutal battle for them. They knew none of this at this point though, having been briefed they face a small component in one dropship. Just then, Dragonmother appeared out of the clouds and leveled off directly above the TRA base perimeter area, startling a few of the TRA lancers. The swirling snow and the occasional low cloudbank obscured the dropship some, making it hard to keep track of. It seemed to slow some, then speed up a little and drop altitude. It appeared to be beginning its drop run. They could just barely make out the drop doors on the side of the ship pop open and then they could see what looked like the drop seats begin to project from the sides of the ship.

Testflight held her breath and gripped her seat hard. She knew that the drop was beginning and she knew what to expect, kind of, but it was still a little frightening. She watched as the drop doors popped open and the seats began to slide outwards. Hers was last so she wouldn’t slide out until all the rest had been positioned. The coil holding the drop-arrest cables from the seats began to groan under the stress and tension. The others all were locked in drop positions now, and she could see all her Dragon Wolf brothers and sister suspended in the air outside the moving ship. Snow blew in the doors, and occasionally a wisp of cloud blew in, both to evaporate in the interior of Dragonmother. She noticed a slight drop in the temperature, although her armor heating picked up the responsibility of keeping her from freezing to death. Her seat jerked, then began to slide out, signaling that all the other seats were locked outside the ship, prepped for being released to fall suspended by their cables. She tried to look out ahead of her as her seat was moved into place. Suddenly a jolt shook the ship. It was a hard one and the ship shook pretty hard. She began to see anti-air bursts, and some rocket trails in the sky outside. It seemed Dragonmother was spoofing most of the rockets with flares and chaff, but the anti-air turrets below could not be spoofed and were very lethal. The ship’s shield absorbed most of those bursts, though. It still made for a rough ride the last few seconds of the drop. Just as her seat locked in place and the clear light flashed on her seat, a tremendous burst of anti-air struck the underside of Dragonmother, causing her to sideslip violently. The CDL warriors suspended outside the ship were flung wildly around, and testflight heard the coil holding the drop-arrest cables squeal loudly from the hard tugging. Suddenly her warning lights on the seat began to flash that the coil was overheating. If that happened, the warriors could be dropped and the cables would never arrest their fall, killing every one of them. She punched the release button, hoping that the drop would begin so that they could be away before the coil failed. The expected sensation of weightlessness associated with falling didn’t occur, and she realized her seat had not disconnected. She frantically looked at her teammates and saw Manitou jabbing a finger at his master switch, it too not affecting the problem. Manitou glanced at testflight with wide eyes. She never hesitated. She unfastened her harness and stood on her seat, hanging onto the bar holding her seat connected to the drop mechanism. The ship was pitching pretty hard and she had a hard time keeping her balance, but she reached up and grabbed the connecting rod running back into the ship. Holding that, she pulled out a grenade and not pulling the pin, she concentrated on the emergency override button in the bay. Normally there would be an extra warrior there to perform the override if this was to happen, but the shortage of troops on this drop had necessitated them not leaving a single person on board. She aimed carefully. This would be a one in a million shop with the way the ship was dropping and weaving. With a sudden flick of her arm, and swinging her body into it, she let the grenade fly. It was flying too high! The coil began to howl now, and testflight could see smoke emanating from the coil housing. She watched the grenade sail high and smack the ceiling of Dragonmother bouncing to the floor. It hit the floor and bounced off a seat leg ricocheting into the override button! The button flashed green three times and the alarm speakers began to waver signaling the ten-second countdown for the override to take place. She had to get back to her seat and fastened in before the override took affect and dropped the warriors or she would drop to her death. She looked back at her seat and glanced at Manitou. He was waving his arms wildly for her to get back to her seat and she noticed the other Dragon Wolves all doing the same. She turned slightly and grabbed the seat connector, when the ship lurched up sharply. She almost lost her grip, but managed to stay on by wrapping her legs around the arrest-cable attached to her seat. She released it once she got a better grip, then worked her way back into her seat. She had just fastened her harness back into place when the seat disconnected and she felt weightlessness. She grinned as the drop began.

Hamma was having a hard time avoiding the anti-air as he approached the TRA main compound. It had been a terrible ride in and Dragonfather had sustained tremendous damage. She was still flyable, but it took everything he had to keep it level. As he fought the sluggish and unwilling controls to the ship, he watched the drop count. Just as it hit the zero marked in green, he punched a button on the control stick and felt the weight shift as the Dragon Wolves in back began to be released.

HalftheSky felt the drop release as her chute grabbed the air and she shot out of the bay into the streaming snow and wind of the planet. She could see the ground below and she began to fall, and then the secondary chute snapping open as it caught air also jarred her. The horizon wheeled crazily as her chute began to slow her down and start her descent. She could see other chutes already open around her as the rest of Team 2 began to drop on the TRA compound. She glanced around and made sure the Jericho had also dropped, noticing that all three chutes were open and functioning. It was swinging lazily from the huge parachutes attached to it, and it seemed to be dropping fine. Anti-air filled the air and rockets went screaming by, all of them spoofed by Dragonfather’s flares. She saw Malone and Thronebeast already dropping mortars onto the ground below, selecting targets rapidly. Desperado was also bringing his mortar to bear, and between the three of them, they created quite a bit of chaos on the ground. Rubick, Darkwing and Heirax were all in light armor and were holding their fire, watching for rockets that might get through the flares released from Dragonfather. The ground was approaching rapidly and she could see enemy warriors running to meet them as the landed. They were already firing their chainguns, and Sky could hear the snapping sound as the flechettes zipped by her. One caught a part of the plated armor protecting her thigh, and ripped a small groove in the titanium-steel plate. She grimaced, knowing that the final hundred feet to the ground was the most deadly for airborne troops. Her great-great-great-something grandfather had been in the 82nd Airborne back in one of the old United States of America’s early wars. She still had his airborne patch and flash in her room displayed in a frame on her wall. She watched as Rubick, Darkwing, and Heirax began returning fire at the TRA soldiers on the ground, dropping a few as they swept the ground in exploding flechettes. She charged her chaingun and began to return fire, gritting her teeth and preparing for the hard landing. The ground couldn’t get here fast enough.