Nexu Squad

"Quick, deadly, efficient."

SL- Gunnery Sergeant Biran Faris

ASL- Sergeant Drav "Stony" Girad (Heavy Weapons Specialist)

TRP- Corporal Vera "Eyes" Norlan (Sharpshooter)

TRP- Lance Corporal Zarn "Bantha" Teer

TRP- Bete "Red" Vias (Medic)

TRP- Private Corvin "Echo" Sarn

The gunship fell through Gergan VII's thick atmosphere, leaving a trail of fumes and heated clouds in its wake. Inside, the half dozen troopers of Nexu Squad clung to overhead webbing or gripped wall-mounted handles, various weapons clutched in their free hands or slung over their backs. From his position near the front of the troop compartment, Gunnery Sergeant Biran Faris watched his squad as it went through the standard pre-mission motions: loading rifles, running last moment equipment checks, calibrating sights and the like.

Nexu Squad was one of many stormtrooper squads that served the Vast Empire for missions that the Imperial Army troopers, colloquially known as "Greenies" by the stormtroopers both for their uniforms and their combat experience, and "normal" stormtroopers were incapable of performing. Part of Phyrus Platoon, Nexu Squad was comparatively small, composed of two fire teams of three for a squad of six.

He'd received the briefing info for this mission en-route, which had struck Farin as especially odd given its nature.

The squad leader frowned as his gaze fell upon one trooper in particular. Corvin Sharn was the newest member of the squad, something made painfully obvious by his attitude: he was constantly jerking his head from side to side and making a loud click of plastoid on plastoid each time he did so. The Private was clutching his DLT-19 tightly with both hands, and Faris was sure his knuckles were white under the gloves. The squad's Scarab-class gunship shook violently as it encoutered a patch of turbulence, and Corvin was thrown off balance and nearly hit his head against the wall. Holding onto a wall handle, the Squad Leader leaned over to the newest member of the squad.

"Better hold onto something, trooper."

"Hold on? Yes, sir!"

Faris repressed his annoyance at the trooper's reply, reminding himself that he'd just left the Academy and was a Greenie-transfer to boot. Best to give the benefit of the doubt, hard as that was becoming. Still, it took effort.

On the opposite side of the troop bay, a trooper with a pair of eye symbols painted onto her helmet clung to the net as the gunship shook again, more violently this time.

"Hey, Sarge," she called. "Any idea why Yevan's flying like he's had a few drinks?"

Vera was the squad sniper. Nicknamed "Eyes" for some reason Faris had never gotten round to asking about, she was cradling a slugthrower rifle in her arms.

Faris shrugged, then grabbed the handle with both hands as the gunship shook. There were muttered curses as the Nexus that hadn't taken a hint were forced to grab for the nearest support or were thrown about. Opening a com channel, Farin spoke to the squad's assigned pilot, Yevan.

"Baric, what's going on?"

The Iridonian pilot didn't reply for a moment, instead cursing in a language the Squad Leader didn't recognize before suddenly seeming to realize that the Gunnery Sergeant had asked a question.

" We're under attack!. Artillery and infantry. Trying to eva-"

The Iridonian was cut off mid-word as something heavy and fast struck the gunship, sending it spiralling out of control and end over end. The lights flickered and went out, leaving the troop bay lit only by red emergency glow-panels. The troopship dropped, throwing its occupants in all directions. Suddenly, the shaking stopped, and the last of the glowlights went out. The troop bay became silent with the exception of crackling circuitly and moans. The moans of his troopers, Sergeant Faris realized.

Getting back to his feet, raising a hand to his helmet and activating its light. A white circle emerged from the area above its visor, playing over the troop bay. Most of his squad were standing and seemed to be all right, although one grey figure was prone on the ground and another was clutching its leg. The five trooper's biosigns scrolled across the bottom of his HUD as it linked with the helmets of the Nexus: three were normal, although with increased hearbeats, and the other two were decidedly off.

One trooper with red-streaks on her shoulderpads and chestplate knelt besides her comrade lying on the grating, running a scanner over the wounded Nexu and removing his helmet. Bete Vias worked quickly and efficiently, pausing for a moment to nod at her superior. Called Red by her fellow troopers for obvious reasons, she'd trained in both the medic and security specs.

"Bantha's not looking good. Needs to get to a medcenter ASAP."

Faris nodded, biting back a curse. The other wounded trooper staggered towards him, starting to salute with his wounded left arm before wincing and grabbing at it with his uninjured arm. Faris almost sighed. Of course, it would have to be the greenie who got injured, making him even more of a liability than he normally would be. No time to worry about that now.

"In that case, we need to get off this rock." Switching to the fleet frequency, the squad leader tried to hail the troopship that had delivered the squad and their shuttle to the planet.

"VIS Gehant, this is Nexu Squad. We have wounded and need extraction. Please respond."

There was a long burst of static, and a panicky male voice responded.

"Nexu...unable...this time. We have...hostile...Sorry."

"Gehant, please respond. Gehant?"

There was no reply.

"Stang." Faris muttered. "Red, do what you can with Bantha. The rest of you, move out."

The two uninjured troopers moved to the rear deployment hatch, cutting it open in moments with fusion-cutters. It fell onto Gergan's soil with a metallic clatter, letting dust and light drift in through the newly-formed hole.

That was when the first blaster bolt flew through the open hatch.

"Frak!" Corvin shouted, doubling over as a blaster bolt slammed into his lower chestplate. He staggered a half-step back, then recovered and raised his rifle, which he was holding in his good hand. "Contact, sir!"

Faris resisted the increasingly strong urge to stun the man. Fortunately, Eyes had the good sense to intervene, scanning the area through her E-11 sniper rifle's scope.

"Two squads, no three. One repeating blaster in the lead squad. Mercs by the looks of them."

There was a quiet whine.

"Scratch the repeating blaster." Eyes gleefully reported.

A moment later, she threw herself to the side as a volley of blaster bolts flew through the opening, passing through the space where the Nexu trooper had been moments earlier.

"I think I annoyed them." she commented.

"Mind doing a bit more next time?" Giras grunted.

"I could push you out at them. Would that help?" Eyes shot back.

"Stop bickering, you two. No point in sitting in here and waiting to be slaughtered." Faris replied. "Get the side doors open; we're leaving."

"Roger that." Drav replied, moving to one side and hitting a button on a wall panel. Both side deployment hatches hissed, then fell, letting sunlight into the compartment.

"Out, out, out!" Faris ordered, and the Nexus able to move obeyed.

Gergan VII was a desolate world, its dusty plains all but devoid of life. The exceptions consisted of Nexu Squad and, worryingly, the raged band of mercs charging towards them.

"Nexus, fire!"

Three volleys of precisely aimed shots rang out, sending most of the lead mercs sprawling. One blaster however, didn't stop firing. A moment later, Faris realized that the new trooper had charged out of line, screaming battlecries as he fired his rifle on full automatic.

"Bloody hell." Faris muttered to himself, then shouted the next words. "Nexus, charge!"

The troopers broke into a run, firing their rifles as they ran. The idiot ,Corvin, didn't seem to even notice their presence or the blaster bolts going past him, instead yelling something about the glory of the Vast Empire. Faris was going to shoot the frakker, if he didn't get himself killed first.