/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/ The 88th Firebirds "Official" Newsletter Website: http://ftp.sarawak.com.my/org/firebirds/ Volume Five, 15 November 1997 Part B /~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/ PART B: Interstellar Chat Radio From the Quill Pen Musings of A Guylian-Eating Officer Addresses and Sites /~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/ <^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^> Interstellar Chat Radio <^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^> Hi FBs, I just got this from Joel today. It's a little later then what I'm used to be getting from him, but anyway, point is that he has bothered to reply re: the updates I had sent him. I have a few comments: 1) "beloved Firebirds"??!! ;D 2) what projects?? 3) and he hopes that "classes are treating all of you well", so chin up all of you who are still having "classes" and x-words! :) Spar with a silly grin in her face. (always happens, so really...!) XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX > Dear Sparhawk, > > Thanks for the update on the beloved Firebirds. It seems like your > membership is growing. Tremendous! > I have been rather busy of late. There are several projects I am up > for, all of them quite exciting, so keep your fingers crossed! It could > be a busy winter or a barren one depending... > I hope classes are treating all of you well. > > Kind regards, > > Joel <^><^><^><^><^><^><^> From the Quill Pen <^><^><^><^><^><^><^> "Operation White Wing - Fight for Hill 375" (part 2) by Kingfisher The grey dawn mist surrounded the hillside with an eerie feeling. Bodies lay strewn everyhwere, humans and Chigs alike. Lieutenant Zeb lay in her fighting hole, gripping her rifle tightly. The air chilled her to bone.. The lull in fighting was a welcome relief to the Earth Forces soldiers, but they knew the fight was not over, it would never be over. The Engineering officer squinted into the distance, it would be dawn soon. The pitch black darkness played in her vision a little while longer..But, there was light, on the other side of the hill. A reddish glow potrayed the furious firefight taking place between the 6th Malaysian Armored Divison and the well-dugged in Chigs on top of the hill. The terrain was much flatter there, easier for the tanks and APC's to move, but the Chig artillery was there too. She knew, as they were, the Armored Division was taking a hell of a beating. Her musings brought her memories back to the first day of the Operation. Operation White Wing was undertaken by the 1st Asian Task Force Group. The operation was essential as the Earth Forces command committed all their manpower for this operation. Their target was Planet Boonwell, situated in the Kuiper Belt. Throughout the war, the planet was and has been controlled by enemy forces. Chig and AI's alike... and the burnt-out husk of the Icarus Mining Facility was one the reminders of a former POW camp, which was captured and subsequently destroyed when White Wing was carried out. Hill 375. Coordinates YZ234637. A heavily fortified Chig command post. They had artillery emplacements, 500mm's spewing death miles and miles into the countryside, Lidar installations, gun turrets, machine gun pillboxes, mail orders, postal service, the works, everything except door to door salesman and pizza delivery service. The planet was in the front line of the Chig advencement towards Earth. Operation Roundhammer stopped that advance as the Chigs mustered their remaining efforts to stop Earth Forces from reaching the Chig's home planet. Earth Forces had landed 16000 men and women on the planet and nearby moons. The Chig navy struck back two days later, destroying two carriers in the first of many battles fought in the Kuiper belt. Chig troops attacked the defence perimeter, but suffered heavy losses. Earth Forces then had pushed their defense perimeter out towards the western hemisphere of the Kuiper Belt. Two months later, the Chigs were able to put more troops on their front line. Their attack had came in 3 directions against Earth Forces positions. The line had held and Earth Forces began to have the upper hand. Planet Boonwell happened to be in the middle of Earth forces supply line. To leave the planet in Chig hands, would leave a disastrous effect. They could hamstring Earth Forces advancement. In order for Earth Forces to maintain air superiority in the sytem, the planet must be taken, whatever the costs. And so the Royal Malaysian Marine Corps, including the 88th had been sent along with the 22nd Malaysian Ranger Batalion to the staging area Foxtrot Charlie. It was one of many displacements of troops on the planet.The honour of taking Hill 375 was given to the Malaysian Armed Forces. The Armored Division was given the opprtunity to take the hill from the southern side. While the Marines and Rangers carried the offensive from the west. The 8th New Zealend infantry wanted to tag along, so as good hospitable hosts and knowing they needed every help they can get, the Malaysian Armed Forces Command allowed them....a hand shook her from her reverie. The 88th Weapons Officer crouched beside her. "The Major wants us to proceed with the siege," he said. "Our Armored Division has captured one of the Lidar installations and gaining yardage on the other side. When the mortar fires, we go." The Engineering officer smiled grimly at Kingfisher and readied her rifle. (end of part 2) [The complete story can be found in the Firebirds' fan fiction page] <^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^> Musings of A Guylian-Eating Officer <^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^> A Collection of Thought/Verse/Quote/Phrase/Funnee of the Day from The Morale Officer: THOUGHT: To lead people into battle without preparing them first is a crime. ~~Confucius~~ Aid a friend to the bitter end , lead the Sutra's to the West. ~~Chinese proverb~~ VERSE: "What's the ugliest part of your body? What's the ugliest part of your body? Some say your nose Some say your toes But I think it's YOUR MIND" - Frank Zappa - "Life has me at its mercy And Dreams strangle at the heels Of my Will , which knows no evil And no plain sin ... Only chances upon the silent truths Reckonings of a life lived by morphosis Manglings of the many minded soul... A thing of future form. Who shall pass from Childhood to moral infancy..... I am the dearth of the union I am the the grasping man behind the one who runs before you." ~~Egbert Stannis , Burden of Wealth~~ "We might as well give up the fiction That we can argue any view For what in me is pure conviction Is prejudice in you!" ~~Phyllis McGinley~~ QUOTE: "I do not propose to have any blush on my face for any act of my life. My life has been my own. I have nothing to apologize for." ~~Victoria Woodhull, Sept. 16, 1873~~ "Be nice ." ~~Sir Sparhawk ,The Elenium and Tamuli series~~ "Its co existence, Or no existence." ~~Bertrand Russell on Peace~~ PHRASE: Fr: Le genie cest la patience Eng: Genius is patience Fr: Reculer pour mieux sauter Eng: A step back to leap the further FUNNEE: "I have taken a vow of poverty. To annoy the hell out of me, send money." -Anon- Calvin:Do you think there's a God? Hobbes: Calvin: Well, SOMEONE's out to get me! D'ya know why life isn't fair? Do you know why the good die young and the serial murderers never get the chair? Do you know why the good and bad never balances out? Its coz' God's an accountant . -Brain Conley- <^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^> Addresses and Sites <^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^> The newsletter will be posted every fortnight (hopefully). For suggestions and contributions to both the newsletter and mailing list e-mail Garuda . I will forward any message intended for the whole squadron to the mailing list. If you want your message to be seen by the whole squadron, state it clearly and I will put it up on the Bulletin Board column as well. I am also responsible for Communications, so e-mail me if you have any other problems, except those concerning your membership in the 88th, as that falls under Peregrine's wing. /~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/ END VOLUME FIVE