Nemesis scanned the valley floor "EMP sensor suggest a 15% minefield density".

"OK people lets go, 10 metre spread line astern, Nem take the lead" ordered Drew.

Apos platoon moved out and soon found themselves on the valley floor. As expected the air was calmer and thankfully breathable.

Andromeda’s macrowave wrist-top display came to life "MAYDAY! MAYDAY! This is Tremayne Transport carrying Zeal Platoon we are under heavy fire from Strogg air units need assistance, urgent!"

"Err Drew..."
"Yea I heard it get a fix on their position and flight path they can’t be far away, Bob, Nem scan the sky see if you can get a visual".
"Roger that".
"Zeal Platoon this is Apos platooon we hear you, we can offer ground fire support at co-ord’s fourteen mark twelve, niner two zero, you copy?" Andromeda patched the expected reply to the other platoon members wrist-tops.

"Err we copy, we’re coming in hot and low, three Lizards on our tail, ETA…"
"I got a visual, due south 1 click" shouted BoB "Feck he’s coming in fast".
"…About now!"

The Tremayne streamed fire laden smoke from one of its turbines as it screamed overhead at a terrific speed.  The air was thick with smoke and dust kicked up by the transport as Apos platoon professionally readied their weapons in an attempt to bring at least one of the Strogg fighters down.  Bob cocked his ChainGun, his favoured weapon ever since the bad old days of the DOOM campaign.  Nemesis the young engineer straight from the Elite BW Academy kissed his Rocket Launcher mindful that it wasn’t jammed like earlier on the ridge.  Andromeda spitting out her ever-present gum expertly held her zoom lensed RailGun.  Drew held his beloved Rocket Launcher the one he was presented with in honour of the way he single-handedly decimated a troop of [3D] in a clan war years previous.

Hyperblaster shards fired from the Strogg fighters flew over-head tracing the Tremayne that was unable to get out of their deadly arc.  The first Strogg fighter came into view, it was just like the troopers had visualised from the training at BW Academy.   A black mechanised humanoid suit 8 feet in height with jet engines positioned on each shoulder, ugly looking hyperblasters could be seen attached to each arm. Surgically fitted thought Nemesis as he loosened off a leading rocket to get his range.

The first Strogg fighter was past Apos platoon before they could bring their weapons to bear but the second didn’t get off so lightly.  Andromeda’s keen eye brought the railgun around and caused what seemed to be a critical hit on its starboard jet engine, fragments of metal casing and gouts of flame erupted from the fighter.   Immediately it broke off it’s pursuit but Bobobski wasn’t finished.   Planting his feet firmly in the dusty ground he began firing, accepting the immense recoil of the gun.

"Whoo Hoo!! Eat this you Strogg son of a bitch" barely audible over the chatter his gun.
Bullet casings fell around his feet as the tracer bullets hit true, the fighter disappeared in a cloud of crimson mist.  The remnants of the fighter was spiralling to earth not more that 100 metres away and still Bobobski fired, some of his more wayward rounds hit the ground near where the fighter was about to crash land.  It never did crash, one of the rounds hit a landmine, the ground shuck as tons of Strogg earth and rock flew into the sky vapourising the fighter in its deathly descent.

"Keith forgives you" Drew muttered in pray to the fighter pilot. Bobobski was one mean mutha he thought.

The third fighter seeing the destruction of his comrade peeled off and circled back around the Apos position no doubt plotting the demise of the troopers.

"Feck, he’s coming around for us, spread out people and for Keith’s sake try not to step on a mine."  Drew shouted unnecessarily as his crack platoon instinctively took up defensive positions.

All they’re wrist-tops came to life simultaneously "This is the Tremayne, nice work Apos but this fighter is ripping us up big time, our remaining…",
a large bang could be heard as the transport took yet another strike.
"…Engine is also damaged, crash landing imminent and we have a casualty I repeat we have casualty."

For a second Nemesis could tell that his comrades in Apos were all wondering who was the casualty. Zeal was formed as an assault platoon with six members; Cadman, Eclipse, Mig, Nokia, Shadow, and Soler. Whilst the third New Keith Order platoon know as Disc was a crack commando unit with only four members; Astro, Kip, Creed and Venom nothing at all had been heard from them which was to be expected as they were due to be dropped in behind known enemy lines.

"NEMESIS!" warned Andromeda.

The ground near Nemesis was suddenly and violently churned up as though under attack from some invisible rampaging animal, Nemesis snapped out of his thoughts and saw the fighter unloading hyperblaster chards at him, "Shit I ain’t gonna be no casualty" he dived and rolled to his right only to feel the excruciating pain of a   chard enter his left leg.

"Arrghh, you son of a bitch" the force of the chard landed Nemesis a few yards away on his back fortunately not on a mine. Through the pain Nemesis’ eyes refocused with the Strogg fighter squarely in his sights, without thought he fired a murderous salvo of rockets and a second later the fighter disintegrated.

"Son of a bitch, son of a bitch, that fecking hurts like hell!" Nemesis cried.
"Nem you OK there?" asked Drew.
"I’ll live but what’s happened to the Tremayne?"
"Tremayne: Zeal Platoon you copy" shouted Andromeda into here wrist-top.

A few seconds passed and a response came.

"Apos this is Flight Commander Asp flying the Zeal Platoon Tremayne we are in final descent, crash landing at your co-ords, thanks for your help guys" the voice sounded resigned to the fact that they were not going to make it. The Tremayne came in to view, the damaged turbine was gone, in fact a whole wing had gone, how the transport was staying in the air was a miracle or more likely the skill of Flight Commander Asp. It’s one remaining turbine howled in protest as Asp tried to keep her level for the landing.

"NO, don’t land here it’s a goddamn minefield, repeat it’s a fecking minefield" Drew shouted in vain.
The wrist-top crackled one last time. It was clearly Flight Commander Asp "WTF!"
The Apos platoon hit the deck instinctively knowing that their comrades were unlikely to survive the firestorm awaiting them.

The Tremayne touched down and almost immediately hit a mine. The whole ground shuck as earth, rock and the transport turned into a brilliant orange and red fireball rolling along the ground. After what seemed to be an eternity it stopped 50 yards further down the valley a flaming wreck.

"Tremayne to you read me, Tremayne do you copy, Asp respond". Andromeda looked at Drew her eyes stern yet concerned and asking the one and only burning question… did they survive?