April 29, 1999, 7:01:10 hours - This Is Getting Really Fucking Old.

The Priority Alert Siren sounded, awakening the squad from their beds in the middle of the night. Bleary-eyed, they met Commander LUEshi at Hangar Alpha, then stopped momentarily as they examined some new equipment that had just arrived.

"Good morning, men. We've just received a distress signal from Calcutta, indicating that they are under attack by Floaters and Reapers. Initial reports indicate civilian casualties are high, so I'm not sure how much good we're going to do, but I have a new toy for you. On top of the training you've been doing with the Heavy Plasma Cannons that the aliens favor, which four of you will carry into battle today, we've invested in a Heavy Weapons Platform. It's capable of carrying 30 50mm armor-piercing rounds, and is entirely remote-driven...no pilot. It should be of some use in spotting and flushing out alien scum. It'll be remotely controlled from here, so you don't have to worry about that. Get out there and do what good you can. Good luck."

------

"This is getting really fucking old", muttered Crazy Howard Dean as their shuttle descended into Hell. The Skyranger touched down in the center of Calcutta, and the HWP descended the loading ramp ahead of the troops. It quickly spotted and cut down a floater with cannon fire. The troops scrambled out behind it, taking supporting positions, allowing the tank to do most of the recon work early in this mission. Their patience was rewarded when Europa reported another floater to the right of their position, which was quickly cut down with laser fire by Crazy Howard Dean. Ramza spotted another, pointing out it's location to Ansisace, who took aim with a heavy plasma cannon and blasted it, killing it instantly.

Grammar, investigating an alleyway where the HWP could not possibly hope to navigate, was momentarily surprised by a floater exiting a nearby doorway. The thing shrieked and tried to use the door as a shield, but the glass of the doorway proved no match for Grammar's laser burst, which bored holes through both glass and floater.

Sonic spotted one of the horrifying reapers near an apartment complex, and levelled his laser to fire. Spotting a floater coming out of the door, he changed his mind and threw a proximity grenade to cover his retreat, calling out the reaper's position to Shadow and Mokujin, who moved to flank.

The HWP, moving north, opened fire on another floater, but missed the mark. It had clearly marked it's position, though, and relayed coordinates through the commlink to the rest of the squad. Ramza fired a burst in it's direction, startling it for the moment that it took Child of Asuka to bore a hole in the fence between him and his intended victim, and then through the floater's brain.

Grammar moved cautiously into the shop that his most recent kill had exited from, instinctively firing a burst as a flash of purple caught his eye. His instincts saved his life, as the floater he killed fired a useless burst of plasma into the ground in it's death throes.

Mokujin and Shadow came around the corner of the apartment complex, opening fire on the reaper, Mokujin landing the killing shot with his laser pistol. The stupid floater nearby panicked at the sound and stumbled right into the proximity grenade, blowing it to smithereenes.

Suddenly, while investigating the street, Crazy Howard Dean came under fire. He reached for one of his trusty HE-pak grenades and whirled to find his attacker, spotting it behind a house. He was in the midst of throwing his grenade when a plasma bolt struck his throat. He was dead before he hit the ground, his grenade detonating and blasting his body across the street. Grammar, seeing the horrifying explosion of gore, screamed in rage and opened fire on the floater, drilling three holes through it's back.

Back near the apartment complex, the HWP was completing it's scan when it located another floater. The HWP's cannon shell blasted a hole in the wall next to the thing, startling it out into the street. It covered about three feet before a plasma blast from Ansisace cut it down.

The alien threat was no more. The casualty reports were correct...almost two thirds of the town had fallen to the invading forces. It was a grisly job to collect the remains of Crazy Howard Dean, but the squad felt that, for all the times that he had saved their lives, and all the missions that they had been through together, they owed him no less than to do the job personally. His funeral service later that evening was brief and to the point, as he had requested.

SUCCESS
Aliens Killed - 9
Corpses Recovered - 9
Live Aliens Captured - 1
Civilians Killed - 8
Civilians Saved - 5
X-COM Operatives Killed - 1 (Crazy Howard Dean)

Total Mission Kills (all missions)
The Grammar Police01 - 12
Sixty - 5
Child of Asuka - 5
Zolthag - 1
Mokujin - 4
Ramza357 - 2
Ansisace - 2
(Crazy Howard Dean) - 6 lifetime

RESERVES CALLED TO ACTIVE DUTY:
Mensco




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