“Lieutenant Walters, AFS transport command, Based out of Irendas Colony. Sir.” The colonel smiled a bit. This guy is a LONG way from home, but aren't we all?
“Colonel Sherk. Commanding officer, Gangus Forward Base. Can I help you?”
“I'm looking for someone sir. I was told he was in this area.”
“Who might that be?” the colonel couldn't think of ANY of his people who might have a drop ship pilot looking for him. The pilot looked embarrassed.
“I don't know sir.” Col. Sherk cocked his head in puzzlement.
“You don't know who you are looking for?”
“Never got his name, sir. I heard he was coming here though so I figured I'd try here first.”
“What did this unknown do to you to have you chase him all the way here?” The colonel wasn't sure what might have brought the man here, but it almost had to be bad...
As if he read the Colonel's mind the lieutenant shook his head. “He didn't do anything TO me sir, he did something FOR me, and a bunch of other soldiers. Bravest or craziest thing I have ever seen in my life.” The colonel chewed that over, then sighed and waved the lieutenant to a chair and sat himself.
“I get the feeling this will be a long story.”
“Yes sir.” The Lieutenant sat and then spoke again. “I was posted on a medevac run from Raintree Outpost in Areki Incline to Ortho Base...”
The dropship bucked as fire started coming in from a totally unexpected quarter. AFS turrets!
“The Bane just took the base, get us clear!” the call from the crewchief was unnecessary. The pilot had seen the beacons switch from blue to red and clawed for altitude. Then he dove for the deck as Bane fighterships gave pursuit. Numerous as they were, they were dumb. He ducked the hedgehog into a narrow canyon and checked his aft scanner quickly. He breathed a sigh of relief as they gave up the chase. Then he tensed again. The wounded he was carrying...
“Chief, how they doing?”
“Not good sir. We have to get them to medical. I'm doing what I can... but...”
“I know. If we divert to Mt. Hellas?” he knew the answer even before the chief responded.
“We lose at least half of them...” Lieutenant Walters had been a medevac pilot ever since he had passed flight school. He hated losing people under his care. And the bird had LOT of people in back... His comlink chirped, showing a ground based call.
“Pilot, this is Col. Deiley. We are moving to retake the post. How are your patients?”
“Not good sir...” He could hear the Colonel's sadness through the com.
“It's going to take us at least an hour to get a proper assault team up and running. Can they survive that long?” The indrawn breath over the comlink from the back was all the Lt had to hear.
“No sir.”
“And if you divert...”
“It's an hour to Mt. Hellas sir. None of the medics outside Ortho can help them sir.”
“Dang it... We will push them, maybe we can get a break...” Just then the com from the rear chirped.
“Pilot?” This wasn't the voice of the crew chief.
“What the...? Who is this?”
“I can take the base.” The pilot traded a dumfounded look with his copilot.
“If I slow to drop anybody, either the base turrets will get us or the Bane fighters will.”
“You won't stop. Can you configure the beam to drop me mid air?”
“You are out of your mind. Even if you have a parachute...” Bane sensors were good. VERY good. The AFS had learned that too many times to their cost.
“Skipper... He ain't got a chute...” the crew chief was usually a phlegmatic sort, taciturn, but he sounded shaken.
“WHAT?”
“Damndest thing I've ever seen...”
“You didn't see anything. It's classified. I was SUPPOSED to take this to Howling Maw for testing, but this is important. I need to talk to the commander on the ground and I need to be dropped high.”
“Uh... yeah we can do that... but...” The Lt broke off and connected the two circuits.
“Yes?” Came the voice of Col. Deiley. Loud gunfire, explosions and screams could be heard in the background. They were trying to take the base back, but the defenses were strong.
“Col. Deiley. I have the 'special' package. Request permission to try it out.”
“Are you insane? It hasn't been tested...”
“Yes it has, and now it gets combat tested.” The Colonel's indrawn breath was audible.
“What do you need?”
“Five minutes then a lot of noise. Don't endanger your people. Just LOTS of noise.”
“We can do that.”
“Lt?”
“Drop zone in 30 sec.”
“Roger that.”
“Green light in... 5...4...3...2...1!” She ship hesitated for a moment in midair then continued along its path, evading fire from several bane fighters. On his rear scanner he saw a grey blur dropping out of the furball. Then he headed back for cover.
He fell towards the embattled base. He double checked his HUD them his weapon.
Stealth systems operational... whoever thought this up, I want to buy a beer for... If I make it out of here in one piece.
AFS command R&D had worked hard to make a viable prototype and here he was trying it out. He banked to avoid Bane fighters and they continued on their way oblivious to the human falling through their midst. Then he came to the proper altitude and deployed the wings. Stealth armor on a paraglider, who would have thought?
He settled himself as much as he could and sighted at the base through his scope. The Bane were fully occupied with the apparent assault from the East. Soldiers were firing from cover and a Mech strode through the carnage firing steadily. Not my problem... there.
He targeted the first sentry, steadied his torqueshell rifle, and squeezed, just as he had learned from his father so long ago. Then he looked for the others. By the time his ride was on final approach the base was empty of Bane sentries. The Bane commander looked up just in time to catch a last shot in the face. The sniper landed like a ton of bricks, like he always did. At least, this time he didn't run into anything. He shucked out of his harness, made sure his stealth systems were active and moved to the control node of the base.
Col. Deiley had been watching and he had seen... something... land inside the base. Then he watched as the force field changed colors and the turrets that had been pounding his men cut loose on the Bane. The battle was over quickly. He joined his soldiers in their victory yell and then ran into the base. A man in stealth armor, holding a smoking torqueshell rifle, stood just inside the force field. He reached out a hand and the Colonel shook it.
“Lets get you and that 'item' out of here.”
The sniper nodded and they walked towards the HQ tent. They looked up as a drop ship came in for a fast landing and medics ran to offload the wounded, but the Colonel and the sniper walked on without a word.
<present>
Col. Sherk looked bemused. “what happened then, Lieutenant?”
“By the time I landed, the guy was gone, and Col. Deiley said it was classified.”
“If its classified Lt, we can't talk about it.”
“I don't care about the gear sir. I care that that sniper saved about thirty lives.” At the word 'sniper' Col. Sherk sat up straight.
“And he didn't give his name?”
“No sir.” Col. Sherk shook his head in disbelief. He held up a hand.
“Just curious... Why do you want to find him so bad?”
“I want to recommend him for a medal or at the very least I want to buy him a drink.” the colonel smiled at that. Then he sighed.
“I can't help you Lt. I have several snipers under my command, but none were in that area two days ago.” The Lt sighed and nodded.
“If I hear anything about this I will let you know.” It was a dismissal.
“Yes, sir. Thank you sir.” The Lt saluted and after Sherk returned it, the Lt walked out of the office. Disappointment colored his posture. Sherk looked after him then slammed his fist into his comlink.
“Get Gerin in here. NOW!”
<10 minutes later>
“WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?” The colonel's bellow would have been audible across the entire base, if he hadn't activated his privacy fields. “Well?” he asked in a slightly lower, but no less caustic tone. The sniper's tone was respectful, but no less focused.
“Thirty lives sir.” Col. Sherk nodded the point. 30 lives didn't seem to mean much to central command but to the people on the sharp end, it was a lot. Then Sherk fixed his stare on the sniper's face.
“You lied to Deiley. It hadn't been tested.” The sniper could have been carved of stone for all the emotion he showed.
“Yes sir.” Sherk shook his head in disbelief.
“You dropped at 5000 meters with an untested piece of tech. Something that you swore up and down would not work.”
“I was wrong sir.” Sherk felt a smile begin and ruthlessly suppressed it. He would NOT let this man make him laugh.
“Given that you tested it, and survived testing it. I am requiring you to write up an after action report on what worked and what didn't.” he pointedly ignored the sniper's look of dismay.
“As the conversation I just had was NOT classified, I am ALSO forwarding it to an interested party. Your sister.” Gerin's face was a study, he had been ready to face official condemnation, but... “Get out of my office.”
“Sir?” Sherk was doing his darndest to keep his face straight.
“Yes, Sergeant?”
“Can you shoot me instead?”
“I'm not feeling merciful today, Sergeant. Get out of here.” Gerin left the office with the feeling of a planet sized sword of Damocles over his head.
<a while later>
“GERIN YOU IDIOT!”
((I'll leave it up to the reader how they think Sara will react
)) 
Happy New Year again...sucks about SGW.