Parachute's are for newbs

The trainees gathered around the briefing table after their Jaunt in the simulators with their new equipment. The Capitan wasted no time booting up the display and launching into the briefing.

"We exited warp orbiting the planet you will deploy on..." He gestured towards the planet projection. Zargeras, this jungle planet, is filled with various exo-beasts, predators, and herbivores alike. Your mission is simple. A research group recently set down here to research the local fauna and lost one of its expeditions in the field after a rockslide separated their team and destroyed the communications equipment they were carrying. Their problem is the deadly exo-beasts known as the Raza-raptors."

Borridin looked confused. "What exactly does the Raza mean, captain?"

Felicia chimed in on the briefing, "That would refer to its razor talons known to eviscerate their prey rookie."

Nodding along, Dawson continued, "The Raza-raptors had made their nesting and hunting grounds in the area the team lost due to the rockslide. Our clients and the leadership of the research team have commissioned us to insert and track the lost team and recover what remains of the expedition. Priority is given to the lives of the researchers, with the lead of the group being their prime priority as it seems to be the son of the expedition leader himself. If we are unable to find the members of the expedition's lost team or verify the unfortunate passing, we will be tasked with recovering the data."

Dawson manipulated the global map projection to highlight the research camp. "You will be inserted here via drop ship 10 kilometers from the base camp." 

Theo asked, "Sir, that landing zone looks far too small for this ship. How are we going to deploy if we cannot touch down?" 

Dawson smirked. "That's quite simple, rookie; we will drop you off. Nice and easy. That's it for the pre-mission briefing. Get geared up and assemble in the launch bay. Dismissed."

Dawson saluted the rookies and exited the briefing room, leaving Theo confused. "He didn't answer my question..."

The team assembled in the launch bay, equipped with their chosen gear and exosuit. McGregor moved around them all, ensuring the suits were sealed and the equipment was working properly while Mercy added details. 

"I will contact you throughout the mission and offer support where necessary. Once on the ground, you may find yourselves lacking a signal, so a signal booster will be available with the survivors. Either that or high altitude can clear up any interference." 

After a moment, Vessa said, "This signal booster, why not simply use it to gain contact with the main group?" 

Mercy nodded and replied, "The signal booster seems to be damaged and only giving off a faint tracking signal. You will use spare parts supplied to you in your equipment to make on-the-spot repairs and gain contact. This signal is also how we will track the missing researchers and start our search." 

Vessa nodded without another word and moved into the airlock with the rest of the rookies. 

"I think that's the first time she has spoken out loud..." Borridin mumbled.

They each got into the specific drop tubes for each of them and latched in for the upcoming deployment. They swerved close with each of them in a man-high cylinder tube and descended into launch positions.

Getting nervous, Theo said, "So when do we touch down?" Macgregor chuckled over the comm in their suits. "Didn't ya hear, lad? You are gettin dropped. This be a drop ship. An ORBITAL drop ship." 

.... "what?" the three male rookies said in unison. Vessa remained silent as if complicit. 

Sounding immediately above, the ship's intercom blared, "Prepare for drop, drop initiating in 10, 9, 8..."

Theo slumped. "I hate surprises,"...

The airlock launch tubes opened up and took the four into position before charging. Once the timer hit zero, they immediately shot open, launching the four down to the planet. 

Theo let out a wordless cry as they were flung into the planet's atmosphere. The tubes broke through re-entry quickly, only being in low orbit, and shed their outer shells, freeing the rookies in their exosuits and letting them free fall. The wind whipped past them, deafening the four to what was going on outside. Thankfully, the suits' helmets were insulated enough for communication.

Borridin fumbled around, swaying left and right, trying to regain control where Theo seemed to have locked up and was not moving at all.

Borridin chimed in over comms, "This thing has a parachute or something, doesn't it!?!" 

Vessa pressed her flight systems and stabilized her descent 3000 meters before impact.

[2500 meters before impact] The suit saw fit to warn them of their impending demise.

Azamir noticed Vessa's action and replied over the channel, "No, but it does have rockets! Engage your flight systems!"

They all palmed the flight system on their belts to arrest their momentum and control the descent to the planet. 

After a bit of flailing, the group corrected course and followed the readout to the drop point. 

[1500 meters before impact: Heat 60%]

Azamir checked the heat levels on his suit before realizing his mistake. "We need these to land! disengage the flight system and only use it to correct your fall!" 

[600 meters: Brace for impact]

With the ground rapidly approaching their faces, they all fell until about 500 meters before engaging their flight systems again, and they all landed with mixed results. 

Vessa landed light as a feather under perfect control. Azamir cut the flight and touched down with solid footing. Theo cut his flight systems a little too high and then burned again right before touching down and stumbled, whereas Borridin fell like a comet and landed hard, spraying dirt and dust everywhere. 

The team looked at him kneeling in what now looked like a mini impact crater and saw him stand and yell, "That's how you make an entrance!"

Theo kneeled to the ground, "Ugh, I think I need a second. I almost passed out from shock there."

Azamir shrugged, visually confirming the squad's state: " It's a good thing we didn't have to be silent here. I think Borridin woke the whole forest."

The group took a moment to orient themselves and look around the landing zone. They were surrounded by lush foliage with vines crisscrossing the treetops. In the wake of the loud landing, the jungle sounds were eerily quiet and slowly started to return as the group stood and readied themselves to set out for the missing research team.

Mercy chimed in as if to succinctly put the cherry on top of the situation: "Congratulations on your first successful planetfall. That last step formally makes you rookies in the Raiders' eyes as well as the MRB."

Confused, Borridin spoke immediately afterward: "I thought our rank was provisional until the end of this mission. Why the quick promotion?" 

"Well, statistically... 40% of all rookies fail their first planet-fall, which has obvious implications. The shock, quick thinking, and ability to ration your suit's flight systems are crucial to any fall, and it's a brutally efficient test at weeding out those under shock. You can thank Azamir for the warning, as we projected Borridin landing with heavy damage and Theo not landing at all." 

"Great, we're not five minutes outside the ship, and they are already trying to kill us... My new rating on being a mercenary is 5/10 stars. Cool equipment and thrills, but too many unexpected immediate threats to our lives." Theo grumbled.

"Pretty sure that's the job description, Rookie." Mercy gleefully chirped over the mic.

On that somber note, the squad oriented themselves on the weak signal of the expedition team. Their first real test is beginning.