QRF/Survivors POV

  The Hornets dumped missiles on aproach, killing anything in the open. For the few survivors, a few kept to the air, using their guns to spray 20mm as the others landed and infantry dismounted. A pelican circled overhead, waiting for the all clear before landing on the corpse strewn ground.

  Infantry spread out, calling out to their NCO's. Some were ordered into the Mass Driver's buildings, and others were ordered to check for survivors.

  One squad approached a dug in Grizzly, it's turret armor slagged, but it was still moving about, controlled by its gunner. When they got there, the newer privates began to vomit. The squads sargent grimaced, and called out. "MEDICS NEEDED AT GRIZZLY 0-3! MASS CASUALTY, WE GOT LIVE ONES!" He said, before waving his squad amongst the tattered squad.

  Only 3 troopers were still standing, tending to the very few wounded still clinging to life. Two were converged on what looked like a tank jocky, the other was walking through the corpses, checking for pulses. The Sargent moved to the two, seeing a Corporal and the squads medic. And upon closer inspection, the jocky had LT marks. One of the outpost commanders?

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  "Corporal, are you..." He began, before paying attention to the downed lieutenant. She had bandages from her upper chest and above. The ones on her head were red, and in some areas, a touch yellow. Not including the browns of dirt.

  Her body was being worked on desperately. "WE NEED A MEDIC!" The Corporal called, when she heard the Sargent. The new medic ran over, and the Sargent saw the man flinch visibly. "Jesus fucking christ..." The Sargent heard.

  The medic ran faster, and the Sargent followed. "We need med-evac now. Like, fuckin' yesterday sarge. How the fuck is she still alive?" The medic asked.

  "Spite." The Corporal muttered. "She got hit with orbital bombardment, then a fuckin pod for good measure... we saw it happen... When the LT poped around the corner... then she got hit in the head... she fuckin fought on..." the Corporal said.

  "She... she saved me... one got in, an- and almost... She shot it and finally... It looked like her strings had been cut, man.... fuck... FUCK!" The Corporal yelled. Her hands shook. Her whole body shuddered. The Sargent grabbed her gently and sat her down.

  "It ok. It gonna be OK. Look, the doc's are workin' on her, see? And your ok." He said, giving her a quick check. One of her shoulder pads pas melted. He turned back to the downed officer, then back to the Corporal. She shot it before it killed her? Corporal was lucky as hell.

  The medics opened a collapsible stretcher, and put the lieutenant on it. They lifted and moved. The Sargent called out. "Hey, what are her injuries?"

  "Extreme 4th degree burns on her head and bits of chest, 3rd or maybe extreme 2nd degree burns of the lungs, trauma and internal bleeding in various areas... It's a genuine fucking mystery how she didn't go catatonic out of shock and die. Even with the experience, judging from the prosthetics on every limb..." One medic said. They hurriedly ran to the landed pelican, intaking wounded.

  The Sargent shook his head. That sounded fatal as sin, but... He sighed. He just prayed the living stayed that way.

  3 days...

  nasty.