Duty Log | Gen. Richard Sharpe | "The Costs of the Deed"

Posted on 241505.08 @ 8:43pm by General Richard Sharpe

Mission: The Krigoran War [GQ]

=/\= Marine Forward Operating Base - Krigoria =/\=

Assembled with his staff, and the members of 2nd Battalion 9th Brigade, Sharpe stood at parade rest in his duty best uniform - as three trucks under escort arrived at the airbase. They came to a stop near the assembled body of marines, and waited.

The bodies of the three executed marines were going home.

Members of the three dead men's company came forward, and the Company First Sergeant called the detail to attention. The entire battalion plus assembled staff officers snapped to attention as one, with the loud snap of polished boots on tarmac. One by one, the caskets, draped with the flag of the United Federation of Planets, were carried from the trucks, and placed on the shoulders of four of their comrades in arms.

"Detail... present.. ARMS!" The sergeant commanding bellowed. As one, everyone present raised their right arm in salute to the caskets as they were slow-marched to the waiting transport runabout. This would take the deceased marines on their journey home. Following the caskets were the flag bearers, the Battalion standard, the MEF standard and the flag of the SFMC, all slightly dipped as they followed the brave young marines who had lost their lives needlessly.

Richard was stood just before the entranceway to the transport, and the caskets stopped just before him. Even in death, the marine discipline required that their commanding general relieve them of duty. Silently, Richard raised his arm and brought his hand to the peak of his cap, saluting the caskets - and in this gesture - dismissed the marines from his command. The caskets were then loaded aboard the runabout, and the detail was dismissed.

Sharpe waited until the marines had dispersed, as his staff officers arranged themselves around him, waiting for him. He stood impassive as he watched the runabout move off to position for departure and then soar into the heavens. After a pause, he turned to his assembled staff. "Well?"

"They've proved how far they're prepared to go, General." Intelligence replied. "We've got reports that they've dug in on the opposite river bank, and are prepared to slug it out with us."

"If they wanted us gone, they sure as hell picked the wrong way to go about it." Sharpe's G-3, Head of Operations, reported. "We've got a lot of pissed off marines out there."

"Yeah, I'm one of them." Sharpe growled. "What're we looking at here, Donovan?"

"Best analysis has their forces in some weird hodge-podge of a military. They have all the characteristics of both the Soviet military in the 1940's and a rag-tag militia not unlike those used in African and Arab states in the early 21st century. They're using both hit and run tactics, similar to militia, and they're using massive wave assaults of personnel to attempt to overwhelm our lines. The problem we have is that they're being reinforced from somewhere - because they dont' seem to stop." Brigadier General Charles Donovan replied, providing his intelligence analysis.

"So, what you're saying is that we're fighting both a professional military and a militia?" Sharpe asked.

"Essentially, but it doesn't seem as if both sides are co-ordinated properly. We've seen roadside attacks that have taken out their own military by mistake, but on the whole, its proving hard work. Thankfully, no fatalities on our side yet, beyond these three boys." Major General Carlson replied, giving his operations insight.

"I didn't come here to get bogged down fighting building by building." Sharpe growled. He then turned to General Valenar, the head of his air group. It had been awkward at first, working with yet another of his former lovers, but they were both professional - and Innovindil was too much the consummate marine to allow things like 'feelings' get in her way. "Bomb them, Inno, and bomb them into the ground."

"Yes sir." She replied, and went off to arrange it.

Sharpe then turned on his G-3. "Have every single artillery piece we have target the far river bank, and shell it to crap. Have ground forces sweep into the city centre and take control. If they meet resistance, their RoE's are to engage hostiles as they appear, but to avoid civilian deaths if at all possible. Given what we're facing, any passing civilian could be militia, so they're to exercise extreme caution."

"Yes sir." Carlson replied.

"Oh, and have Towers find me, its about time he did some proper work." Sharpe called out after Carlson.

=/\= End Log =/\=

General Richard Sharpe
CG, 3MEF