Assault : Preparations

Gunnery Sergeant Richard Sharpe moved to his objective in the hangar bay the USS Ohio. The runabout looked pretty harmless Sharpe noticed with a grim assessment, but all that was about to change. Behind him a group of ten marines had been assigned to help him.

"Lance Corporal Hendricks ?" Sharpe growled out without looking back.

"Yes Gunny ?" Sharpe winced at the term but didn't rebuke the young man. The wincing came from the fact that he felt he wasn't old enough to deserve the nickname.

"Get your team over to the Fleeter in charge and get the supplies I requisitioned." Sharpe had divided the ten men into 2-five man teams. "Corporal Mendoza, get your team over to the Ohio." Then as an after thought he added. "Strip all the Fleeter Markings, we're gonna repaint the emblem; Hell, we're gonna rename this project."

The Marines smiled and nodded as the "Yes Gunnery Sergeant !"; echoed through out the bay.

The Fleeters looked up in surprise as the five soldiers started to tear apart the panels on the runabout. Richard Sharpe moved towards the activity measurably and soon entered the ship. A Marine was tearing out panels and unneeded systems. It was time to trim down the luxuries the Fleeters needed and add firepower to it; that meant more energy needed for the weapons and shielding. Already in the data PADD he carried were the schematics he had drawn out for the re-modulation of the shields so that the mortars and the turret could fire freely without lowering shields. The mortars were on a 360 degrees traversing/elevating platform to allow full field of fire and destruction. As the interior was quickly being cleaned out, some areas for the ammunition and extra energy generator as well as some weaponry guidance systems.

Moving out of the interior, Sharpe noticed with small smile the Marine emblems ablaze on the hull. The name Ohio has been removed and in its place was the name Devastator. Nodding, Sharpe made his way to the side in time to see Hendricks and his team start the process of mounting the turret. Everything was proceeding on schedule this machine would be a weapon to be reckoned with. Moving away he made his status report.

It would be ready for the assault.