Bait Master

As the ground rushed to meet him, Azamir engaged flight just above a reasonable jumping distance for the Raptors in the valley. Holding live bait pheromones, he did a circle around the massive group. "Dinner bells ringing, come and get some!" He yelled on the external speakers.

Seemingly stimulated enough, the beginnings of a feeding frenzy started to trail Azamir around the valley. Once he managed to gather the majority of their attention, he immediately veered towards the top of the basin... Where Theo and Borridin set up their position. Halfway up the treacherous rockslide he called it, dropping thrust and setting up the bait right below his squad mates. 

The ground rumbled with the stampede of raptors. Their teeth gnashed with each one jostling the other for a closer position as they swarmed towards their position.

"Hold... Hold. Engage Firestorm!"

[Manual override engaged]

[Target lock changed to designated environment]

[Engage]

Azamir manually triggered the fire command, linking his targeting with Theo and Borridins Firestorm launchers. Volleys of micro missiles streamed out of the launchers of their respective suits. They arced downwards and passed the approaching raptors... Detonating harmlessly on the ground around the rockslide.

"What?! how did it miss?!" Borridin exclaimed!

A great rumbling answered him, the shifting of massive amounts of rock and earth began to give way like the sound of a massive beast heralding doom on those that angered it.

"We didn't miss. I wasn't aiming for them in the first place." Azamir replied with a smirk.

As if confirming his statement, a landslide occurred right under the feet of the oncoming horde trying to make its way up the rocky slope. The Raptors' footing suddenly became unstable as the ground fell out from under them. Bestial screams of fear and anguish bleated out amongst the surprised predators turned prey as they fell and tumbled down, only to run into each other that were running up behind them. Thus began a cascading fall where the ground swept the approaching swarm back down the slope into the basin. Effectively burying the vanguard of the colony that had advanced toward the squad. A cheer broke out amongst the three of them as they admired their handywork.

"Hah! That worked! who needs bullets when a few big rocks will do!" The shout of Theo resounded amongst the squad mates.

"Not done just yet! We need to mop up and secure the zone! That made a lot of noise just now, so the faster we deal with stragglers, the sooner we can evac Ackerman! Seek and destroy! Kill or scare em off!" Azamir directed the squad members.

The rest of the group engaged flight and zipped around the expanding self-made disaster zone. Picking off the raptors that managed to avoid the worst of it. As the latter half of the swarm that had been trailing behind hesitated before the settling landslide, bullets streamed out from above. Dropping the bloodthirsty beasts by the tens. It was only for a few minutes, until the herd broke and those around the edges started making for the far tree line. Clearly deciding discretion was the better part of valor. More and more broke or fell due to the gunfire until the intimidating swarm was nothing but a bunch of chirping scared animals. Racing away from this new threat as fast as their legs could carry them.

"Evac shuttle is on approach." Vessa sounded off over the squad comms, checking the radar at the approaching signal.

"Copy that, escort the good Doctor. We will cover you from any stragglers." Azamir stated as he landed in the valley alongside Theo.

"Heh, I still think we could have taken them in a straight fight. But I do admit watching them stumble over themselves was really satisfying." Borridin landed next to the group and kept his rifle up. Taking a few potshots at the fleeing raptors, one going limp and sliding to a halt as the bullet cut into the back of its head. He hmphed aloud. "Not much of a challenge."

"That's the hallmark of a good strategy, Borridin, executed correctly it makes a hard fight swing in your favor. It felt easy because it worked." Theo snarked back at him, looking over his shoulder and back again at the perimeter.

Borridin's reply was cut off as the medivac shuttle came into view. Its retro thrusters roared the shuttle to a quick stop as it landed in the cleared basin. Vessa appeared at the entrance carrying the wounded doctor. A yelp of fear as she cleared the railing and used her thruster to descend with the both of them in a controlled fall. A sheepish look was his only reply to the squad's helmeted faces when she landed a few steps away from the shuttle.

"Th... Thank you all. I know I sounded a bit flippant earlier but I didn't really think I was getting out alive from here. I owe you all my life." Ackerman attempted to bow but failed and grasped his side.

The medical team disembarked and swarmed the survivor, "No unnecessary movements doctor, you know better for someone in your condition!" One of the medics admonished the doctor's attempt at a display of gratitude. The squad made a semi circle around the open shuttle.

"Your right, your right." The doctor was laid out on a stretcher as he turned back to vessa and the rest of the squad. "You did what I thought was impossible... Maybe.. Maybe you can save the rest of the group. I know its foolish to think everyone will make it out unscathed. But I hope you find them before anything else does."

"From your lips to any patron gods' ears," Theo responded.

"Don't you worry Doc! We got this." Borridin thumped his fist against his chest.

Vessa Just nodded.

"We will do our best, Doc. It's up to you to get better, " Azamir said, turning to address the lead medic. That's the only survivor in this zone. We seem to be hot on the trail so expect to receive more as we locate them."

The lead medic nodded. "Thank you. Your team is proving its worth for what the boss is paying. We dropped off some supplementary medical supplies for any first aid you need to do. Your job is done here at least, and ours starts now. Godspeed."

The rest of the medical team and the doctor boarded the shuttle. As the ship rose, the squad moved away from the landing zone and shot off at cruising speed back to the main expedition base.

As the shuttle disappeared over the horizon, Azamir radioed the prowler, "Raider 1, go for Mercy. Dr. Ackerman is secured and en route to the medical facility. We are continuing to pursue the remaining expedition."

"Copy Raider 1, they can't be far ahead of you. Double time it before they run into anything worse."

"Worse than 60 raptors in a colony? I swear they are trying to jinx-" Theo started complaining.

"Let's get moving," Vessa said, cutting him off. She grabbed a medic 'go bag' among the dropped supplies and began making her way back to the northwest, where the last known position of the research expedition had fled, to.

Theo looked around at the other two squad mates. Borridin just shrugged and grabbed his own set of supplies. Azamir clapped Theo on the shoulder.

"Don't let her bother you, we did good. Let's keep it up."

The squad spent the next hour, flitting above the basin and back into the jungle following the hidden tracks from the research team's escape. Each kilometer became more obvious as the team did less and less to hide their tracks. It seemed something else must have caught their scent.

Two lone rifle reports resounded in the jungle. The squad pausing at the sudden sound.

"I thought the researchers didn't have weapons?" Theo said.

"There not supposed to." Azamir responded with a pit forming in his gut. "There might be someone else here with us."

 Theo Sighed. "Yup, command jinxed it."