The War for Nonpo-- Prologue

[Martzin]

2186
U.S.S. Almayer

...
...

The whirring of machinery and dials filled the room's air. Around a glowing table multiple men sat, only in their fatigues and groggy from an early awakening, the room smelling like dust and coffee.
"Don't lose your focus, marines," said the officer. Reno rubbed his eyes and blinked, seeing the CO staring straight at him.
"Keep your head in the game, men! We can't have you dozing off while I'm relaying important intel to you." The Commanding Officer grabbed a mug and handed it to one of the SL's, Reno Story.
"Have some coffee sergeant, you could use it." The smell of cocoa beans and warm coffee invigorated his nose and he began to gulp it down, putting it back on the table once after taking a few large gulps.

"Alright now," the CO placed his hand on the table, pointing at a part of the screen rendering a geographical map of the area. "This is where we'll stage our landing. Suzu Beach is what it's called, we'll be the 2nd wave just after our sister companies I and L. Intel from Randal Airbase states there will be heavy resistance, spy drones spotted pillboxes and a trench system on the other end of the beach. We'll be bombing the site from orbit before the landing is staged,"

The CO continued to look over his notes he had previously written down of the information gathered and his devised battle-plan for the platoon. "The first wave will cover the second and third as they land, and once any enemy presence has been annihilated we'll work with L company on digging in a field camp. From then on, we..."
On his tidy suit was the custom name-tag right on his chest pocket; Commander Bill Carson of the U.S.S. Almayer. He wore his uniform and beret proudly wherever he went, and made sure it was always spotless and neatly creased. He was a calculating and charismatic leader, if not sometimes manipulative for his own gain.

On the opposite end of the table were the 4 Squad Leaders sitting side by side in folding chairs. Not long ago they had gotten out of their cryo-pods early to be given their orders and be briefed about the new operation they were jumping into.

"Squads Alpha and Bravo will be taken to Hawaru Island on the Normandy, and Charlie and Delta will touch down on the Alamo. That is all marines, dismissed!"
The squad leaders simultaneously saluted and walked out the CIC separately through the 4 doors they could. Reno walked alone back to the lower deck and into one of the prep spaces; Bravo Squad's area. He made his way into the SL's room whereupon he began vending all the extra equipment available and dumping most of it out the door.
The grunts can have it, Reno thought. I trust they'll put them to good use in the field.

While Reno was arming up he heard the speakers turn on with a *blip* and a voice announced: "Good morning, Marines! Get your chow and gear up quickly, we've been summoned by High Command for another op! Briefing begins at 07:15, Semper Fi!"

He could hear the loud rumbling of sleepy grunts stumbling into a line to be handed their kitchen chow before they drop. Reno was almost geared up and fastened a shin plate to his leg, smacking it twice to see if it was fitted on correctly.

As another marine walked through the doors he announced "Woo-wee, just another day in the Corps!" followed by a gaggle of his squad-mates horsing around. Some of them picked up the gear at their feet when they walked by the SL's door. The sergeant walked out observing his men as they suited up, most of them too busy with their gear or talking to notice him. He tuned his earpiece where the Command staff were discussing the mission.


The same marine who had walked in announcing himself was loading in an AP mag and checking his safety as he walked out the room. He quickly got into the Req line for some attachments, where one of his pals followed behind him.

"What're you gonna get Mack?" said the man behind him, startling the other a bit as he turned to face whoever it was.

"Oh hey Dig, I'm just getting a mag harness." He recognized him as Adan Howard, or Digger as he often went by. Mack was one of his own nick-names stemming from his last name Machowicz.

"I'm getting a quick-fire. Do you know where Harding is?"

"He was still prepping last I checked," Machowicz stepped forward as another marine left the line. "Oh," Adan responded. "I'll just see him in briefing."

Reno was sitting at the front of his squad's section of chairs studying a map and going over the landing in his mind. He was filled with determination, wanting to prove to himself that he could get the squad out in one piece, as he always felt just before any other drop. It was like a dare he always challenged himself to, but always took it very seriously. He held a heavy heart for his men all the time.

Two of his own squad-members sat next to him talking, and it finally seemed that the whole platoon was falling in to briefing. Another sat to his right, looking at the map he was holding.
"What've we been assigned to today?" said the soldier. Reno looked at him immediately recognizing his face; Ray Dubi.

"Another rebel cropping, nothing out of the ordinary."

"Another one? This is like my 5th time." Ray slouched in his chair and pulled out a black-and-gold premium cigar, definitely not a cheap brand he was smoking. "How many people damn people out there wanna rebel and leave? They never stop,"

"It's the Colonial Liberation Front, Ray. They feel like the Company can't keep them safe anymore so they want to be independent."

"What the hell are those colonists thinking? They can't fight space pirates on their own," Dubi exhaled a puff of smoke from his nose. "I'll tell you what sergeant, when they come crawling back to us after they get their asses raided by a league of space raiders I won't be there to help."

"I know how you feel Ray, but we've still got to protect them from outside threats. They're still people just trying to make a living,"

"That's their problem," Reno chuckled at this snide and brassy remark. It's clear to him this soldier doesn't give a damn as to why he's been brought here. "Not unless the Corps orders it," Story remarked.

Ray snickered back. "Yeah I guess you're right," he said as he stretched his arms, holding the cigar in his mouth.

The chatter in briefing quickly began to die down, and everyone looked toward the podium; Reno turned his head, seeing the CO standing high on his stage, observing his platoon with stern squinted eyes.

"Good morning, marines! We've been sent in to low orbit of Prides 455-- or as the natives would call it 'Nonpo'-- by Weyland-Yutani due to their trouble with some anti-corporate rebels... they call themselves the National Nonpoese Front, a Communist regime spreading across the colonies trying to give the boot to Wey-Yu and the UA military installation there. They're inciting for other colonies around them to rise up as-well, and being a general nuisance in the local star area."

Suddenly the room's lights began to dim, and a projection screen displayed a map of the local area where the landing will be staged.

"Our platoon will first be dropped off at Hawaru Island, where a military airbase has been built and where our invasion begins. The army has been holding out there for a while from Communist bombardments. From there we'll be staging an amphibious landing on an area called Suzu beach..." The CO pointed on the projection where they would touch ground.
..."They'll launch our sister companies I and L on the first wave, with this company, K company in the second wave-- in the third wave an Armored company will deploy. Spy drones have observed a trench system deep in the jungle facing the beach, as well as a series of pillboxes and other defenses. We'll be bombing the site from orbit before the invasion begins. That is all marines, dismissed!"

Quickly all the marines stood up and made their way to the Hangar, squeezing into the drop-ships claiming their seats. Reno led his squad into the Normandy, each Bravo member sitting together in a big group taking up one half of the dropship while Alpha took the other.

The PO was standing, observing just next to the cockpit door as his passengers sat. "Get ready for a rough ride down marines, go kick some ass!" yelled the Pilot just before turning around and entering the cockpit.

"Here we go soldiers," Reno announced to his men sitting around him.
They could feel the ground their feet rested on lift, listening to a muffled metallic whining as the dropship lowered from the deck into outer space; and with a violent jolt was released. A marine exclaimed "YEE-HAW!!" as the dropship began rocking the troops back and forth in their seats flying through the atmosphere.

"I am ready to facking roll!" yelled a marine in a thick Russian accent. The unique accent surprised some of the marines, as the chatter lowered for a bit and some started looking for the source. "Let's go kill Communists!" the same voice continued, and he was spotted sitting across from Adan.

"Are you Russian, man?" he queried, looking at him with a curious face.

"Yes, I am! Russian in the Corps, surprising yes?" continued the man in his extremely noticeable inflection.

"Hey, how do we know you ain't the Commie?!" Mack yelled at him.

"How do you know?!" The Russian man squinted at Mack for a second, Machowicz' face staring back at him with uncertainty. "Are you in Bravo?"

"What's it to you, Ruskie? What's your name?"

"My name is Mikhail, What about yours, zhopa?"

"What the hell does that mean?" Murdoch was irritated by this man's muddled accent and aura of dickishness.

"It means ass my friend,"

"You're a funny git, aren't ya?" Mack responded. "What else can you say Ruskie?"

"What do you want to hear?"

"Anything, say the general shit."

"Well there's ebat, cyka, piz'da... uh, mudak. What else?"

"Mudak? Kinda sounds like me."

"Haha, maybe it does!"

"Yep!" A sudden muffled pop in the air around the ship ended the two's chat. It was followed by a hurl of other muffled pops, rattling the drop-ship's hull.

"What the hell's that noise?" a marine called out. More pops increasing in rumble and noise followed, growing bigger and bigger over time. "Are we getting hit by AA?" Adan queried, looking around the dropship. Soon enough they were flying through a barrage of explosions in the sky, the Normandy taking evasive maneuvers throwing the marines in their chairs like rag dolls. Everyone grew silent in anxiousness as the explosions continued to pop around them, each one bringing the question of death to everyone aboard. But after what felt like hours, the explosions stopped. They felt the ground become solid again and the engines begin to die; they had landed. The PO opened the cockpit door and yelled "Go! We've hit the ground, go!" as the marines stood up from their seats and the doors slid open.

Both squads began to file out. They stepped out onto some paved concrete with the sound of plane engines and helicopter rotors deafening everything else around them. There were flashes and lights everywhere, it was impossible to look somewhere without a blaze of bright light completely blinding you for a moment.

Everywhere you looked there were troopers running around carrying crates, stretchers, wounded men or construction tools with craters dotting the air-strip and the the roof of a plane hangar in the far distance glowing bright orange in flames. This was Hawaru Island; the place where K company and it's sister companies would spend the night before tomorrow's D-Day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jU0GT6Ovzk

[Karmac]

Listening to Creedence while reading this was perfect. Can't wait for more. Bit of a spelling error in Ray's first sentence though.

[completelynewguy]

Pretty good prologue. So is Nonpo basically "Space 'Nam, but with Red Japs and spaceships"?

[Kavlo]

Very nice prologue, really feel like you nailed the setting and characters, I ain't got any complaints it was an enjoyable read.

[Martzin]

Pretty good prologue. So is Nonpo basically "Space 'Nam, but with Red Japs and spaceships"?

Pretty much the jist of it, yeah.

[Sleepy Retard]

good story. still hoping muh muhreen makes it into one of the chapters

[Recounted]

God damnit, things are getting juicy,hella juicy. Pretty good so far

[Nyeshivuu]

Whoa i had no idea you wrote the story