USCMRPG

Date: 17th August, 2080AD, 2100 UT
Location: Barnard's Star, PT-554 (In Bush)
Operation: Training Op
Mission timer: 04:00:00

The Recon Marines neared the tower entrance. They had disabled the Smartgun by dismantling its power unit cable. For safety measures they had also flipped it over and smeared its seeker lens with mud.

The two Marines with M42 covered the approach of the two Scoped carrying Marines. The two Marines formed the base in a triangle where the two Marines approaching where the point which was aimed towards the tower. The two Marines crawled, cautiously towards the entrance. As they drew nearer they could get a better look of the tower.

The tower was cast from metal rings which had been welded together and then painted in a thick dark green paint. The paint was crackling and large spots where unprotected from the moist climate. The metal had started to oxidize and long trails of brown ran from the very top of the high tower. The tower was slightly tilted, the crown of the spire was a small platform it seemed. From the ground it looked so high it almost touched the inky sky that rushed past above it.

The Marines on of who was Eagle were just a few meters from the tower when Eagle detected something peculiar. A thin wire was stretched in front of his face - It was incredibly thin, much thinner than a fishing line. Almost like a spider web - He instinctively knew what it was - A nano primer.

He followed the nano primer through the grass - Despite its flimsy appearance a nano wire primer could easily support several kilos weight - In addition to being strong they could also detect pressure. The wire ran for a few meters to his right and was attached to something covered by a huge leaf. Using his BiMex goggles he zoomed it. A claymore mine.

Just as he was about to mouth of a warning he heard automatic fire. Just below the crest of the hill. Two short bursts followed by a longer burst. An exchange of fire continued for at least fifteen seconds, then all became still. Only the raindrops constant drumming on the steel tower and the wind howling around its platform was all that could be heard.

"Alpha, this training mission has more hiccups in it than any of my previous missions. Its just not good. So what's the plan for the tower?"

OOC:Are we on one side of a hill, the tower is on the summit, and fire is on the other side?

OOC: You are on the summit. The fire came from the North-North-East of your position. Thus behind and right of the tower.

Just as he was about to mouth of a warning he heard automatic fire. Just below the crest of the hill. Two short bursts followed by a longer burst. An exchange of fire continued for at least fifteen seconds, then all became still. Only the raindrops constant drumming on the steel tower and the wind howling around its platform was all that could be heard.

When the fire erupted, Dar immediately kneeled, then scanned around the visible perimeter. Eagle was staring intently into the bushes to his right, at something that had his attention.

"Alpha, this training mission has more hiccups in it than any of my previous missions. Its just not good. So what's the plan for the tower?"

Dar, satisfied the fire was out of line of sight, went back to scanning the tower and looking for a way up.

"Alpha, want me to scout up with Gamma... check the tower?"

Date: 17th August, 2080AD, 2100 UT
Location: Barnard's Star, PT-554 (In Bush)
Operation: Training Op
Mission timer: 04:00:00

Damn, thought James, just what we need another bump in our road. Life couldn't get any better than this with the live rounds in sentry guns, now the area was booby trapped. He clicked on his mic to send the message out to the other squads "LT . . .

Just as he was about to mouth of a warning he heard automatic fire.

He stopped midsentence and froze in position trying to ascertain the location of the fire. The dense jungle foliage had a way of distorting sound. Luckily for him and the others years of hunting as a child had taught him how to pinpoint sounds in the wilderness. When the shots died down then and only then did he answer the questions his squad mates had voiced.
"Don't move an inch from where you are standing. There is a spiderline trip wire connected to a claymore mine to the right of our path. Somebody didn't want anyone getting to close for comfort. Bojan and Bob, I want you to return to the sentry gun. Bring here to this position. Bring the gun and the ammo. Something tells me we are going to need all the fire power we can muster. I am going to disarm this mine and pack it in my gear to put to our own use. Everyone use extreme caution from here on in where there is one there is bound to be two. Dar, I want you to cover my back as we take of business here."
James sighed deeply, "It just keeps getting better and better all the time. Papa Bravo this is November Five-Five. The rules have been changed again. Someone has mined the area with claymores and nano primers. So far I have only located one. Obviously someone didn't want something to get to close to the tower. I suggest we elevate the alertness level to red. I am going to take the tower and set up a firebase there. Do have we heard word from HQ and do we have visual contact on the firing?"

"Everyone use extreme caution from here on in where there is one there is bound to be two. Dar, I want you to cover my back as we take of business here."

"I got your back, Corporal... and if I may say so... holy shiznit, they sure this was supposed to be a training op?"

Dar stood back up, but kept his feet planted, and began a 180 scan, then carefully adjusted his position and finished the scan...

"And boss... please don't blow us up. I'm pretty sure at this range that claymore would... hurt."

"It just keeps getting better and better all the time. Papa Bravo this is November Five-Five. The rules have been changed again. Someone has mined the area with claymores and nano primers. So far I have only located one. Obviously someone didn't want something to get to close to the tower. I suggest we elevate the alertness level to red. I am going to take the tower and set up a firebase there. Do have we heard word from HQ and do we have visual contact on the firing?"

"Nothing from HQ yet," Eileen's voice came over the communicator, "The firing sounded closer to you. We're going to investigate HQ, Squad 1 will join you at the tower. Let me know when you have control of it."

"Roger that Papa Bravo! Okay men, we are going to what on the Cueballs and then we will take out this tower in a concerted effort."

James carefully moved toward the claymore and began to go through the process of disarming the device.

Disabling a claymore was a routine task, Eagle had done it many times in Force Recon training - Even with live ammunition. You just had to secure the firing pin really and avoid pulling on the tripwire.

Eagle deftly moved around the mine and approached it from behind, the Mine was a standard issue USCM claymore. A claymore is a mine that is designed to take out enemies in a certain direction. The mine is aimed with its front towards the enemy. When the mine is triggered it explodes, sending several hundred steel balls in an arc towards the enemy - It was still far from harmless being behind it if it exploded.

Eagle slowly approached the mine. He carefully swept the branch aside that camouflaged the menacing device and he leant towards the mine to grab it. Just as he inched the last foot forward to reach it he suddenly heard a distinctive "click" beneath him.

{tag eagle}

Eagle slowly approached the mine. He carefully swept the branch aside that camouflaged the menacing device and he leant towards the mine to grab it. Just as he inched the last foot forward to reach it he suddenly heard a distinctive "click" beneath him.

Tarnation, he grumbled inwardly. I forgot to think like a marine.

"Dar, I am going to need your services. Move very quickly behind me. I have stepped on a pressure plate of some kind. Either there are two triggers or there are two mines. I want you to replace my foot with your foot. We have to do this very carefully or we both can kiss our sweet derrieres good bye."

Bojan headed off carefully to get the sentry gun and make it serviceable with the help of Yonman.

Bojan said to the squad, "Hey, that fire wasn't really near either of us or the other squads. Weren't there people in our target building. I'm thinking those other dropships had troops which just took our objective."

"Dar, I am going to need your services. Move very quickly behind me. I have stepped on a pressure plate of some kind. Either there are two triggers or there are two mines. I want you to replace my foot with your foot. We have to do this very carefully or we both can kiss our sweet derrieres good bye."

"Moving in", Dar responded... and slowly approached Eagle. Knowing he had no experience other than that 15 minutes of discussion in training about how these mines could be disabled, he did exactly what Eagle asked.

"Ok, I'm about to get real personal, don't take it the wrong way."

Dar sidled up behind Eagle, and effectively mimiced his position, becoming a second body behind him. He gently layed his right food behind Eagle's.

"Ok, I'm directly behind you... I'm ready with my right foot. I'm going to slowly push your foot off the device as I replace with mine. Hope you know what you're doing boss... otherwise the ladies are about to be short two sweet derrieres."

Dar then pushed on Eagle's right foot with his own, and slid in as Eagle's foot moved, applying pressure downward as he did to replace Eagle's.

Bob sped off with Bojan towards the sentry gun, and began helping move it back to the others, he couldn't quite figure out what it was going to be used for, as they had pretty much disabled everything about it.