- "Yes, run, you ugly fucker. Corpser, two klicks dead ahead, asking for it... I'm on."
- —Major Gill Gettner, while chasing a Corpser in her Raven
Major Gill Gettner was a King Raven pilot in the Coalition of Ordered Governments Air Corps who flew KR Eight-Zero, and the highest-ranking member of the COG Air Corps by 10 A.E. She transported Delta-One during the Lightmass Offensive and Mission to Tollen, and to the island of Vectes after the Sinking of Jacinto. Gettner also flew several missions during the Stranded Insurgency and the Lambent Pandemic, during which she worked closely with Emergency Management Chief Royston Sharle to monitor Lambent movements on Vectes and helped direct the scouting of the mainland for possible relocation points for the collapsing COG. She later joined the rapid response force aboard the CNV Sovereign after Vectes was evacuated.
Biography[]
Locust War[]
Scouting over the Cressy Escarpment[]
- "Need some help, Nine-Six, or can you manage it without Mom's help?"
- —Gettner to Rothesay, after he reported being the closest to a group of Drones
Ten years after Emergence Day, Gettner flew KR Eight-Zero on a scouting mission over the Cressy Escarpment two days after the Locust attacked Estana. Gettner spotted a column of forty Drones moving towards the location of a group of 3rd Ephyran Engineers working to close off a sewer the Locust could use. She contacted all call signs and informed them, and Lt.Rothesay of KR Nine-Six responded that he was south of Shenko Falls to support the sappers, and asked how Gettner was doing today, calling her his divine flower. Gettner asked if he needed help with the Locust, or if she had to come over to hold his hand. Rothesay told her he could handle it, and would contact her again if he needed help.[3]
Battle of Ephyra[]
- "I won't be able to hold position long if the grubs spot me. You okay with that laser?"
- —Gettner to Hoffman, as they prepare to destroy Chancery Bridge
A few weeks later, the Locust began their assault on the capital of Ephyra. They used subways tunnels to pour into the city, quickly overwhelming most of the defensive positions. Gettner was ordered by Lt.Anya Stroud to come to the roof of the treasury building, which was serving as a King Raven rally point to evacuate Gears.[4] Gettner picked up Anya and Col.Victor Hoffman, who ordered her to get them to the Chancery Bridge so they could use the Hammer of Dawn to destroy it and stop the Locust from entering more of the city. Gettner headed for it as fast as she could, but Reavers were all over the city and blocking the most direct routes. Gettner tried to keep them on one flank so her door gunner, Cpl.Nat Barber, could shoot them down. Gettner apologized to Hoffman for the delay, but he told her she was doing fine. When they reached the bridge, Gettner swung the Raven around to give Hoffman, Anya, and Barber a look at what was happening. A Locust column was moving up the bridge, as the few remaining Gears clung to the suspension towers and fired Lancers and dropped Bolo Grenades and Longspears down at the Locust. Hoffman ordered Gettner to get him close to the south pier so he could target the bridge with Hammer targeting laser, and she warned him that she would not be able to hold position long if the Locust spotted her, and asked if he was good with the laser. Hoffman reassured her he was, and asked if there was any chance of winching the surviving Gears off the suspension towers. Gettner told him she was willing to try, and got into position for Hoffman to target the bridge. After he succeeded, Gettner did a strafing run on the scattered Locust column, but they began taking small arms fire. Barber recommended that they just extract the Gears instead of doing another run, and Gettner agreed. As Barber fired at the Locust, Gettner flew towards the two remaining Gears stuck on the bridge. Hoffman took over the side door gun as Barber winched the Gears up, and once he told her they were on deck, Gettner swung KR Eight-Zero around and flew away from the destroyed bridge and began heading towards Jacinto[5]
Raid on the CIC[]
- "KR-Eight-Zero to Control, we have eyes on one Reaver squadron coming in from the north as well."
- —Gettner, reporting to Control during the Locust raid on the CIC
Three years later, Gettner was flying KR Eight-Zero on patrol around Wrightman Base when the Locust began making a push in that area. KR Seven-Seven spotted six Reavers approaching from the west, but Gettner also spotted another squadron of them coming from the north, and quickly informed command. One of the Ravens managed to get through the AA fire and the Ravens to score a hit on the base, knocking out communications with the CIC. Gettner quickly took control of the situation and began directing the Ravens herself, fighting back the Locust assault. Anya eventually managed to make contact with her on an old field radio, and informed Gettner that they were in the process of relocating the CIC. Gettner told Anya that she was coordinating the response, and Anya signed off.[6]
Lightmass Offensive[]
- "Yeah. I'm losing them all today."
- —Gettner, after Dom told her he was sorry about KR Six-One
A year later, the Locust began a large push to finish off the COG. Hoffman responded by starting the Lightmass Offensive, and Gettner was selected to bring Delta-One to meet him in Embry Square. After picking up Lt.Minh Young Kim and Pvt.Anthony Carmine, Gettner diverted to the Jacinto Maximum Security Prison to pick up Pvt.Dominic Santiago after he freed Marcus Fenix. KR Six-One, KR Six-Two, and KR Six-Four accompanied her to the prison, and they encountered heavy fire from the ground, with Six-One getting shot down. They spotted the ground deforming outside of the prisons walls as they covered Dom and Marcus, who were fighting Locust in a courtyard. Gettner landed while Kim ordered for Dom to hurry up with Marcus, and as soon as they boarded the Raven, Gettner took off. A Corpser emerged below them as the Raven cleared the ground, and Gettner acidly remarked that people said women kept others waiting, and asked if the two of them were okay. Dom told her they were fine, and that he was sorry about Six-One. Gettner was silent for a moment before noting she was losing a lot of pilots that day, and asked if there was anyone else left in the prison. Marcus told her there was not, and Gettner headed for Embry Square.[7] After dropping Delta-One off, Gettner left Embry Square alongside KR-239 as the Locust began attacking, unable to assist due to local Nemacyst infestations in the airspace.[8]
Mission to Tollen[]
- "Oh, shall I go back and test your hy-fucking-pothesis, Professor? If we plummet, you're wrong. Can do."
- —Gettner, after Baird insisted a methane pocket had not sunk Tollen
Shortly after the Evacuation of North Gate a week after the Lightmass Offensive, the Coalition of Ordered Governments received a message from a group of Stranded in Tollen that the city was flooding. Delta-One was selected to investigate, and Gettner chosen to fly them there in a King Raven with Lt.Nat Barber as co-pilot. As she started the start-up procedures for the Raven, she commented to the Gears that she had not been that far south in years, and was not even sure she could find it on a chart. When they reached Tollen, Gettner had difficulty determining where they were, since she had found a large body of water, and requested that Barber check the maps. They were shocked to realize that the entire city was gone, with only a lake left behind and a few outlying ruined buildings still standing. Gettner was glad she was not the only one who was seeing the city was gone, thinking that she might have become delusional. When she noticed bubbles popping on the surface of the lake, Gettner turned the Raven around, thinking that a pocket of methane had sunk the city and would bring down the Raven if they flew overhead, and warned the others to prepare to bail out if necessary. Cpl.Damon Baird thought that the Locust had sunk the city, which Gettner found hard to believe. He argued that the lake was too circular to have been formed by a methane pocket formed from the Lightmass Bombing, but Gettner and Barber argued with him that nature did do disasters in similar natural circumstances. Baird told her to head back so they could get a better look at the sinkhole, but Gettner refused and began heading back to Jacinto City.[9]
Flying Support at Port Farrall[]
- "Corpser down. Anyone want to dance on it?"
- —Gettner, after blowing up a Corpser
Six months later, the COG was forced to sink Jacinto in order to flood the Hollow in an attempt to defeat the Locust, and the military and civilians evacuated to Port Farrall.[10] Six weeks after the evacuation, Gettner and another pilot, Eldon Rorry, piloted their King Ravens and attacked a group of Locust that had been spotted fleeing the Hollow. Gettner coordinated with Rorry to flank and kill the Locust, and reported to Lt.Donneld Mathieson at control that they were heading away from Port Farrall, and that they could be a decoy. She chased a Corpser, killing firing rockets at it until she killed it, and asked if anyone wanted to dance on its corpse. Rorry killed his targets as well, and the two flew their Ravens back to the ship they had launched from.[11] A few days later, a group of Locust ambushed Delta-One and Sigma-Four in the forest outside the city. Gettner flew her Raven over the battle site, and Marcus asked her if she could target them if they got to a clearing. Gettner told him that there was no clearing, and that she was unable to see through the trees clearly enough to shoot without risking hitting them. However, Gettner waited until the end of the battle so she could kill the remaining Locust that retreated out of the tree line, cutting down two Boomers as they reached open ground.[12]
Vectes and the Stranded Insurgency[]
Mission to Vectes[]
- "Okay, boys and girls, try not to found a cargo cult, will you? But I doubt they'll think you're visiting gods."
- —Gettner, as she dropped off Delta outside of Pelruan
Seven weeks after the Sinking of Jacinto, Gettner flew KR Eight-Zero to the island of Vectes, carrying Delta-One, Sgt.Bernadette Mataki, and Lt.Anya Stroud, with Barber as her crew chief, while Lt.Mel Sorotki and Lt.Kevan Mitchell flew another Raven carrying a Armadillo and extra supplies. When she heard Cole saying he might throw up, Gettner warned him not to do it in her Raven, and if he did, he would bag it and dump it overboard. When they reached the island, Gettner told the Gears that they were approaching, and warned them that me records indicated it was windy. They circled around the island until they found Vectes Naval Base, which looked mostly intact. Gettner contacted Sorotki and told him they were heading further inland, where they saw fertile farmland and herds of cows. They also discovered a house, and a farmer in a field spotted them and began running towards it. With confirmation that the island was still inhabited, Gettner asked Anya what she wanted to do now, since she was in charge of the mission. She told Gettner to look for an obvious center of population, and that if they tried to stay covert, it might just arouse the locals suspicions. They eventually reached a large town, and Gettner increased her attitude to avoid any small arms fire. She asked Marcus for a strategic analysis, and he looked down and saw that it was a low level of technology area and to watch out for rifle fire. Gettner got on the radio and began broadcasting her call sign on an open channel, but got no response. Gettner spotted a landing zone on a cliff outside the town, where a crowd of locals gathered as she set the Raven down. Gettner warned the Gears to be careful, and after one of the townspeople fired a shot over their heads, she suggested that maybe they should withdraw, and that Barber was covering them. Marcus told her to stand by while they tried to talk to them, and they quickly learned that the people were actually loyal COG citizens. As Delta headed into the town, Gettner told Marcus that she and the rest of the Raven crews would stay behind to prepare the Armadillo, and to call them in if they needed support.[13] After explaining the situation on the mainland and how the COG needed to move to Vectes, the Raven crews and the Gears were given housing in the town hall. After Mitchell cooked dinner, the Raven crews and Delta began to play cards, until Cole asked Bernie what the altercation she had had with some Stranded earlier that day was about. Mitchell told Gettner that they should check out the local bar, since this seemed like squad business. Gettner agreed, and they left the town hall.[14]
Stranded Raid[]
- "Drop the fucking weapons, vermin, or I will open fire."
- —Gettner, upon finding a boatload of Stranded in the waters outside of Pelruan
Their rest was interrupted when Marcus spotted an incoming Stranded attack while patrolling with Cole. Gettner flew cover for the Gears, and ordered Sorotki to take KR-239 and keep an eye on the inland road to Pelruan. She spotted several boats heading to the shore, and alerted Delta to their position. She moved overhead of the boats, and shined her searchlight on the Stranded boats as they approached the shore. She activated the Ravens bullhorn, and ordered the Stranded to drop their weapons, or she would open fire. One of the Stranded fired on the Raven with a grenade launcher, damaging it the boarding step, but Gettner opened fire on the boats and sank several of them, with Barber manning one of the side turrets and firing on them as well. After she finished taking out the boats, Gettner was contacted by Bernie, who asked her if she could see anything else out at sea. After checking, Gettner told her she could not, and proceeded inland to use her Raven's searchlight to pick out targets that had made it ashore. As the surviving Stranded fled into the woods, she and Sorotki flew after them, and shot any they could find. They then flew over the water, making sure no more Stranded attempted to approach the town.[15]
Investigating the Stranded[]
- "Okay... confirmed, no boats, no bodies, no live ones, nothing. Closest I've seen to clean."
- —Gettner, reporting to Marcus about the fires at the Stranded settlement
A few weeks after the COG completed the move to Vectes, a pall of smoke was spotted coming from the Stranded settlement, which had been abandoned after most of its population joined the COG. Gettner was assigned by Mathieson to investigate, and was put into contact with Delta, who were close to the settlement. When she reached the site, she discovered that all the huts and vehicles had been set on fire in an orderly manner, as asset denial to the COG. Gettner contacted Marcus, and told him what she had found, and said she would fly in for a closer look. Marcus told her they would follow up with a ground inspection, and she told him that there was no sign of any boats or bodies, and that she would fly inland to see if she could track the Stranded who had set the fires, since that many people had to leave signs of passage.[16]
Mission to the Emerald Spar Platform[]
- "Fuck it, we'll find out soon enough. Worst-case scenario- piracy. Most likely- floating death traps crewed by morons."
- —Gettner, on the sinking of the Nezark
A few weeks later, Gettner flew KR Eight-Zero and Delta-One to the Emerald Spar Imulsion Platform. As they approached the landing platform on the rig, Dom was worried that it would fall over. Gettner told him that he did not have to worry about that, since the platforms were meant to withstand hurricanes, but to worry about exploding fireballs. Dom told her that he was more worried about the bad state of repair it was in, which also concerned Gettner. She hovered above the landing pad so the Gears could jump out, making sure it would not collapse under the Ravens weight.[17] When Gettner picked them up, she took off in a hurry, telling them they were going to take the scenic route back to Vectes in order to investigate a missing Gorasni frigate, the Nezark. She had Barber listen in on the radio chatter between the Gorasni fleet and its CIC, and learned that they had found some wreckage, but no sign of what had caused the ship to sink. She decided to try and offer assistance in the search, but they refused, saying they already had ships in the area, and were trying to account for seismic activity and a shifting seafloor. This shocked Gettner and the others, and she asked them to explain. They suggested that it might be related to the sinking of Jacinto, leaving Gettner without a response for once. She eventually told them that she would warn off the COG's vessels from the search area, and to contact them if they did need an assist. Gettner decided she would find out was going on soon enough, and thought it would either be piracy or an idiot crew that caused the incident, believing that the idiot crew scenario was more likely.[18]
Lambent Pandemic[]
Skirmish on the CNV Clement[]
- "Fair enough. I've seen two cities sunk into holes. Nothing surprises me now."
- —Gettner, after finding out that the seabed where the Clement was searching had moved, and tempting fate
Several days later, Gettner flew KR-80 on a mission to assist the CNV Clement in searching for the wreckage of the Nezark. Gettner used a sonar buoy to keep track of the submarine, and contacted Commander Garcia when they came up to surface, asking what was going on. He told her that the seabed had changed, and all the landmarks they were trying to use to locate the wreck were gone, and they needed to start the search over. Gettner was surprised by this, but decided it was not any stranger than anything else that had happened.[19] She changed her mind a few minutes later, when a giant Lambent Stalk burst out of the ocean near the Clement. She, Barber, Marcus, and Dom watched as Baird held off Polyps coming off of the Stalk on the Clement's hull. She became worried when the Polyps exploded, but Dom told her Baird was okay. She contacted Garcia and told him what was happening, and asked if the submarine had suffered any damage. He told her that they were intact, but they were interrupted by Baird, thanking them for asking if he was okay. Gettner asked him for a sitrep, and he told her that the stalk looked like coral, and was full of Polyps. Gettner then saw another Stalk coming straight at the Clement, and warned the submarine to move. It avoided the Stalk, but many more Polyps came aboard. Baird told the submarine to go back underwater, and for Gettner to pick him up. Gettner got closer, and warned Marcus and Dom not to open fire with the machine gun in case he hit the Clement. Gettner worried about the downdrift from the Raven triggering the Polyps, and moved into position over Baird for Barber to drop the rescue sling down. Baird grabbed ahold of it, and Barber began wrenching him up while Gettner began lifting back up. Once he was safely in, Gettner told Marcus to contact Dr.Isabel Hayman and tell her that Baird may have brain damage, since he had risked his life to save the Clements crew. Baird claimed he liked the submarine, but Gettner and the others did not buy that excuse. Gettner then spotted several more Stalks under the water, and turned so that Barber could see them. He calculated that the Stalks were on an intercept course for the Emerald Spar platform, and Gettner began flying to it.[20]
Battle of the Emerald Spar[]
Gettner dropped off Marcus, Dom, and Baird at the Emerald Spar platform, and began planning for a possible evacuation of the platform with Barber, trying to calculate how many trips it would take to get all of the crew off the rig. While Delta headed below decks with the rig crew, Gettner and Barber stayed with the Raven.[21] While waiting for reinforcements to arrive, Gettner walked around KR Eight-Zero, inspecting it, and then sat behind its gun and stared out at the sea.[22] After the battle began and it became clear the COG had no hope of holding the platform, Gettner and Barber used KR-80 to help evacuate Emerald Spar alongside four other Raven's.[23]
Supplying Pelruan and Picking up Bernie[]
- "Shinies. I prefer shinies."
- —Gettner, after Barber called the Lambent glowies
After arriving back at Vectes, Gettner took KR-80 to deliver supplies to the Pelruan Garrison. On the way back to VNB, Marcus had her pick up Bernie, who had killed several Stranded and was walking back to base with supplies she had taken. Gettner tracked her position with her armors transmitter, and set down on the road next to her. Barber helped Bernie and Mac, her hunting dog, into the Raven, and Gettner warned her not to let the dog piss on her Raven as they took off.[24] After arriving back at the base, Gettner discovered she needed a fuel-line part, and found a technician to threaten until she was given one. Hoffman contacted her while she was doing this, and ordered her to go on a recon mission to find the location of the Stalks. She offered to outfit KR-80 with an extended range fuel tank and investigate the mainland as well, which Hoffman approved of, and ordered her to take Delta-One and Jack with her.[25]
Looking for the Lambent[]
- "They're not spewing shinies, and that's dormant enough for me, Corporal. What am I, emeritus professor of fucking botany or something?"
- —Gettner, after Baird asked her if she was sure the Stalks were dormant
The first area Gettner searched was the location of the Emerald Spar platform, and they discovered no trace of the platform or the Lambent. She then followed the bearing the Stalks had been taking, and was surprised to discover an island that had not been on the charts. She had the others look to make sure she was not hallucinating, and they wondered how it had gotten there. Baird checked the maps and determined they were on a fault line, and that a volcanic eruption had likely created it. Gettner flew in closer to get a better look, and ordered Barber to prepare Jack to be deployed. Cole asked if they should name the island, causing everyone to stop talking and consider who they would name it after. Baird told them they should make sure it was safe first, and Gettner continued to approach it. Once they arrived, Marcus and Barber spotted several Stalks on the island, and they deployed Jack to get a better look. Gettner was the only one who could see the images Jack was relaying, and reported that the Stalks were not moving, and that the only sign of life was a seabird. Baird wondered if the Stalks were actually dormant, and opposed Gettner when she asked if Marcus and Barber wanted to get out of the Raven and check. Gettner decided that since there were no Polyps that was proof enough for her. She flew around the coastline of the island to map it, and had Jack return to the Raven.[26]
Encounter with the Stranded and the Battle of New Jacinto[]
- "So guess what course they're on. Go on. Guess."
- —Gettner, after discovering a giant Stranded fleet heading for Vectes
Barber then reported to her that he was picking up chatter on a Stranded channel, and Marcus ordered him to get a fix on the position. Once they had it, Gettner and Barber calculated that they had enough fuel to investigate, and she began flying toward the source. They discovered a gigantic Stranded fleet, and Gettner calculated their course, determining that they were heading for Vectes, which she figured was in keeping with their current luck.[27] The Stranded fleet then contacted them, and Marcus talked with their leader, Lyle Ollivar. Marcus asked to meet with on one of his ships, and Ollivar agreed. Gettner told him not to take too long or they might run out of fuel, and hovered over a car ferry so Marcus and Dom could fast rope down. She pulled away to a safe distance, and came back in to pick them up after the meeting ended. She then flew back to Vectes, flying over the new defensive fortifications Hoffman was having built.[28] A few days later, two Lambent Leviathans launched their attack on New Jacinto, and the Stranded joined the COG in defending the island. Gettner flew KR-80 out to support the CNV Falconer, the CNV Clement, and the Zephyr in their mission to kill the Leviathans.[29]
Scouting Vectes for Lambent[]
- "Control, this is KR-Eight-Zero, contact in grid Echo Five. We've got a major stalk incursion, grid Echo Five- three stalks so far. We need some kind of firepower up here fast, Mathieson."
- —Gettner, contacting Mathieson after three stalks nearly brought her Raven out of the sky
Ten days after the Lambent attack, Gettner took Delta-One, along with Anya and Bernie, on a fly over of the island, doing a routine security patrol and mapping out the unsettled parts of the island. Gettner decided to look over the northern section of the island to help Bernie in her search for Mac. She debated with the rest of them if they should leave the island and find a place on the mainland before the fuel ran out. She also talked about how peaceful the island was now that the Stranded had left, and admired the view from the Raven, surprising the others, since she did not usually talk to them aside from yelling about something or bantering with Barber. After they flew over the woods near Pelruan, Cole spotted Mac, and Gettner set down in a field so Bernie could retrieve him. As she took off back toward the coast, the others noticed that Mac had fresh burns on him, indicating that Polyps might still be on the island. Gettner turned back towards where they had found him, and contacted Lt.Donneld Mathieson to inform him that there still might be Polyps, and he signaled an alert all over the island. They noticed a large number of cows running from an area, and flew to investigate. Gettner barely managed to avoid a Stalk that shot out of the ground, which was joined by two others. Gettner alerted Mathieson to this, and Marcus ordered her to get closer so they could get to work.[30] Gettner told Mathieson that they needed reinforcements immediately, but he asked her to confirm her position, since Grid Echo Five was inland. She told him she knew that, which is why the situation was so serious. He asked how many polyps there were, and Gettner reported that there were not any yet. She spent the next several minutes flying over the stalks, but nothing ever emerged, and Gettner eventually decided that they were dead, but Baird was wary of them. She set down at a safe distance away to allow Delta to get a closer look on foot, and Hoffman made contact with them to say he and Prescott were inbound to see the stalks.[31]
Battle of Grid Echo Five[]
- "Get out of there! Delta! Just get the hell out and let Barber hose them!"
- —Gettner, as Delta engaged the polyps
However, another stalk emerged a few minutes later, and polyps emerged from underground to attack the Gears, and Gettner quickly took off. She yelled for Delta to get out of there and let Barber fire on the polyps, but Marcus told her they could not and to just tell Barber not to hit them. Gettner cursed and told him there at least a hundred of the polyps, but Barber opened fire anyway. Gettner spotted several groups of polyps breaking away and informed Marcus, who told her to go after them. She reminded him that she outranked him, and stayed in place to continue providing covering fire for the Gears. Once the remaining polyps in the area were dead, Gettner followed one of the two groups that had managed to escape. Marcus and Bernie went after the other pack on foot with Mac, while the rest of Delta secured the site for Prescott. Once Gettner located the pack of polyps, she and Barber destroyed them,[32] but Marcus then contacted her and said they had a fatality at their location. Gettner asked if Bernie was okay, and Marcus said she was fine, but a civilian had been injured by a polyp, and they needed a casevac immediately. She located them in a farmer’s field, but the civilian had already died from his severe injuries.[33] Marcus, Bernie, and Barber loaded the body onto the Raven, and Gettner flew it back to Pelruan after picking up Dom. Gettner then played cards with Barber, Sorotki, and Mitchell as they waited for Delta, Hoffman, and Prescott to return.[34]
Scouting the Fault Lines[]
- "I'm up for going home. I really am."
- —Gettner, while talking about a possible evacuation of Vectes with Barber, Cole, and Baird
A few days later, Gettner was assigned to fly a scouting mission along Vectes' fault lines, as it was suspected that the stalks were using them to emerge. Baird and Cole were assigned to fly on KR Eight-Zero for the mission, but shortly before it began, word began spreading amongst the army that Marcus had discovered an imulsion field while on patrol. When they took off, Gettner listened to Barber mock Baird over him having said that if imulsion were discovered on Vectes, he would devote his life to charity work. Gettner turned on her comm so he could hear her laughing, and Baird told her he was so glad he could inject some joy into her life. He then stated he did not want to be a killjoy, but before he could finish, Gettner interrupted him and said he loved it, and that it was his mission in life. Baird continued that he had a theory, which annoyed Gettner, and he pointed out how the Lambent seemed to be attracted to Imulsion, and they kept finding too many connections between the two. Gettner told him she did not care, and she would arm-wrestle polyps if it meant getting fuel. She also pointed out that as long as they kept an eye out for the Lambent emerging, they could survive. Baird then pointed out how there were now dead zones emerging around the stalks, and that he was more worried about having to leave Vectes because of those. Cole said it was to premature to be thinking about an evacuation, but Gettner told them she was really up for going home, which shocked the others and stopped the conversation. Cole attempted to cheer everyone up, but after that failed, he asked Gettner what they were going to do. She told him they would do a sweep of the fissure zone, and then pick up administrative things from Anya at Pelruan, plus an overhead recon of the existing stalk emergence sites. As they flew over the fissure zone, Barber spotted a large brown zone with no stalks, and directed Gettner to it. She circled above it as Barber took recon images, but they were unable to see the ground. Baird volunteered to drop down and take a look, and Gettner agreed, but told him and Cole to not mess around and come straight back up the winch. Cole told her that it was hard to describe, and she asked him what was down there, and he told her that it was absolutely nothing, with everything in the area dead.[35] After they got back on the Raven, Gettner flew as fast as she could to Pelruan, and contacted Anya to inform her of the situation, since it was near the town. She landed as close to the garrison as she could, and sent Barber and Cole to give the recon images to Anya. After the images were sent to VNB, Gettner flew Anya, Bernie, Cole, and Baird back to the site, setting down just outside the dead zone so they could scout it.[36]
Dealing with the Lambent and Making Plans[]
- "It'll be back. He's just making sense again."
- —Gettner, after Baird claimed that Prescott not wanting to go on the mainland recon meant he was scared the Raven would not return
Two days later, Gettner worked with Emergency Management Chief Royston Sharle to prepare a report on the contamination zones and their rate of spread. They measured the spread of the zones, and found that it was slowing slightly, but would still reach two farms west of Pelruan in eight days, and Pelruan would then be cut off by land, leaving only coastal access. They ordered that the zone be checked on every four hours, and that evacuation teams remained on alert.[37] Three days later, Gettner responded to Sorotki's call for assistance when dozens of stalks emerged at the Edlar Farm. As she closed in on the farm, Sorotki desperately called out for more assistance and asked for ETA's, and Gettner told him she would arrive in two minutes, but KR One-Five reached the battle before her, and Kenyon ended it with his Raven's flamethrower.[38] Several days later, Gettner attended a meeting in Hoffman's office to discuss possible recon missions to the mainland. Hoffman and Cpt.Quentin Michaelson planned on adding long range fuel tanks to the Raven's, and Hoffman noted that Prescott was not coming on the mission after asking for volunteers. Marcus wondered if they should read something into that, and Hoffman said that Prescott told him he was not coming because if he did, it would only be out of curiosity. Baird interpreted that as him not thinking the Raven would make it back, but Gettner told him it would, and that Prescott was just making sense again by not needlessly coming along.[39]
Mainland Recon[]
- "This used to be a really busy place. Thousands of Stranded."
- —Gettner, as they flew over Corren
The next morning, Gettner flew Hoffman, Trescu, Marcus, and Dom out for the mainland recon. She informed them that they had enough fuel to cover fifty kilometers of coast north of Jacinto, and that they could head further inland some, but she did not want to take any chances. She reminded them they could always come back with a ship nearby to refuel on if something needed a closer look. Hoffman told her he understood, and the others began talking about where they would like to check out or relocate to. Trescu said he wanted to move back to Gorasnaya if they ever left Vectes, and Gettner remarked that they did not have enough fuel to check that out on this trip. Trescu said he knew, and Hoffman then remarked that he wanted to investigate Anvil Gate at some point. Gettner informed him that that was way out of range, and Hoffman said he would just like to see it again someday. When they reached the coast, they found that stalks were all over the shoreline. Gettner headed for the city of Corren, and told Hoffman that when she said they had to turn back, they would turn back, and that she was not going to take any risks. As they flew over the city, they found stalks in some areas of the city, and Gettner noted that there were no Stranded, despite the city having been one of their major camps. She flew to the athletics track, which had been a Stranded fort, but they found two stalks there and the building abandoned. Barber noted that they had not seen any dead zones yet, but Dom pointed out they had yet to look at grasslands yet. Gettner told them that they would fly over them in route to the reservoir at Hatton. As she flew, Barber commented that they were like the first explorers, except that they had maps. Marcus remarked that they had no idea what Jacinto looked like now, but Gettner told him that they had nowhere near enough fuel to check that out unless there was a good reason. They then flew over a park with a stalk, and Gettner stopped above it, and they spotted a deadzone around it. They then continued to Hatton, and Gettner hailed over all radio frequencies for Stranded to respond, identifying herself as a COG King Raven pilot. She reached a Stranded leader at the reservoir, and Hoffman offered to trade fuel for information, which pissed Gettner off, but Hoffman ignored her protests. Gettner landed a short distance away from the camp, and manned the door gun as Barber filled up Imulsion fuel cans to take to Hoffman, Marcus, Dom, and Trescu, who were meeting with the Stranded leader. After getting their information, Gettner covered the others as they returned to the Raven, and she began flying them back to Vectes.[40]
Stalk Emergence at the Reservoir[]
- "I make this well south of the end of the fissure line - about fifteen kilometers."
- —Gettner, after the stalks emerged at the Vectes reservoir
After returning to the mainland, Gettner worked with Shale to complete another report on how far the dead zones had expanded, and that nine new stalk incursions had been reported since the previous report. They also ordered that monitoring continue of all the emergence zones, and evacuation teams remain on standby for any threatened area.[41] Two days later, Gettner heard Mathieson report over the comms that there was a possible polyps incursion near the reservoir. Gettner told him she was on it, and began flying towards the reservoir, while Dom and Pvt.Samantha Byrne did the same on the ground in a Packhorse. Gettner reached the site first, but could not see anything on the ground due to the thickness of the tree cover. She told Sam that they needed eyes on the ground, and Sam told her to stay in position so they could use the Raven as a navigational marker. Dom and Sam encountered polyps in the forest, and their vehicle was destroyed. When Gettner saw the explosion, she asked them if they were okay, and if she could see the fire. Gettner spotted it, and told them that she could, and that they would winch them up. As they prepared to do so, a stalk emerged, flattening many of the trees in the area. Gettner tracked the Gears as they ran from the stalk, and yelled at them to stop so they could winch them up. Barber brought Sam up first and then Dom, and Gettner ordered Barber to get recon images of the stalks and plot where they were. She then began yelling at Dom for losing another vehicle, and he asked her if she and Baird had been separated at birth. She told him she was glad he was okay, but that SSgt.Lennard Parry was going to be furious about the truck. Dom said they could salvage it later, but Gettner wanted to make sure that the stalks were dead first. She flew around them, and told Barber to check her calculations to confirm that they were south of the fissure line. After a few minutes of calculations, Barber confirmed that they were, and that the stalks could now come up anywhere on Vectes.[42]
Collapse of the COG[]
Searching for Relocation Points[]
Not long after this, Prescott suddenly resigned as Chairman and disappeared at sea with his bodyguards, leaving Hoffman, Michaelson, and Trescu in charge of the COG. Three months after this occurred, the COG was preparing for a possible evacuation of Vectes as more stalks emerged across the island. Gettner and Sharle prepared a report on the stalks and dead zone progress, finding that all dead zones on the island had stopped expanding, but had gotten much closer to Vectes Naval Base. They then recommended that all the dead zones be continually monitored, and emergency contingency evacuation teams to be on one-hour alerts. Gettner then tasked KR-239 to fly to the eastern Tyrus coast and KR One-Five to fly to southwestern Pelles for a reconnaissance mission to locate possible evacuation points, while she would fly KR Eight-Zero to the Eastern Central Massif to inspect Anvil Gate.[43] She brought Sgt.Drew Rossi on the recon mission after taking off from the CNV Fort Andius on the Tyran coast. They reached Anvil Gate, and she landed inside the fort. Barber took recon images of the fort and surrounding area as Rossi inspected the abandoned fort, and discovered that it was still fully intact and the river was flowing into the cisterns to provide power. After picking Rossi back up, Gettner contacted the Fort Andius and told them to pass the information along to Hoffman, and began flying back to the ship.[44]
Third Battle of New Jacinto[]
- "Go right! Get to the main track! Go right! Run!"
- —Gettner, directing civilians over her Raven's bullhorn during the Lambent attack on VNB
At this point, Gettner had become obsessed with waiting for a mission, and began spending all her time in KR Eight-Zero, waiting to be called upon for a mission. Barber stayed with her, helping her pass the time by playing cards, which made them so good that no one else could beat them. A week after the recon mission to Anvil Gate, tremors were felt at Vectes Naval Base, and Mathieson put all callsigns on alert. Gettner got KR Eight-Zero off the ground in under two minutes, and took position over the south wall. Other Ravens joined her in the air, and multiple stalks eventually emerged across the base. Gettner flew over the Lambent hordes as Gears attempted to protect civilians on the ground, and she reported that there were tons of polyps, but that she could not engage due to the large number of civilians on the ground. She used her Raven's bullhorn to direct the civilians away from Lambent, shouting directions to them on where to head for safety. As the civilians got out of the way, Gettner and Barber began providing covering fire for Marcus and Dom. Marcus told them that they had the are secured, and to help Gears at another spot, and eventually all of the attacking Lambent were destroyed.[45]
Flooding of Pelruan[]
- "I think we've got at least half a million of them. God almighty. Where did they all come from?"
- —Gettner, upon seeing hundreds of thousands of polyps emerge from the Pelruan Imulsion seep
Nine days later, Gettner was alerted that Pelruan was sinking into an Imulsion seep, and that Marcus, Dom, and retired Cpl.Frederic Benten were stuck in the town. After Cole and Baird got aboard KR Eight-Zero, Gettner took off and headed for the town as fast as she could. As they passed over the Vectes Imulsion Field, she spotted the Gorasni crew still working to pump and refine Imulsion, and could not believe they were still there. Barber figured they would leave soon since they were evacuating Vectes in less than a week, but Baird told them to stop talking and work on getting to Pelruan faster. Gettner told him to shut it, and that she was going as fast as she could. As they flew over the forest, Baird wondered where Prescott had gone, and Gettner told him she did not give a damn as long as he was not making anything worse. Baird asked her if she really thought things could get worse, and after a few moments of contemplations, she pointed out how Hoffman and even Prescott had always been there to hold things together, and she was not sure how well things would work with Michaelson in charge on the CNV Sovereign. Cole reassured her that Hoffman would just be a radio call away if they needed him. When they reached Pelruan, they found Marcus, Dom, and Benten with their Packhorse on one of the few still stable pieces of land. Gettner ordered them to be winched up, and then for Baird and Barber to drop down and put a sling on the Packhorse. However, they barely managed to get Marcus out before hundreds of thousands of polyps emerged from the Imulsion seep, and she decided it was safer to abandon the Packhorse, despite Baird's objections. As they pulled away from Pelruan, they saw the true size of the polyp horde that was emerging, and Gettner was horrified by how many there were. Marcus told her they needed to find some way to slow them down, or they would overrun the island before they could evacuate everyone. Gettner flew in front of the polyps, and held position as Marcus fired a Longspear into their midst, setting off a chain reaction. Gettner flew as fast as she could away from the explosions, which carried on for a long time, and contacted Mathieson to inform of the situation, and that she was going to evacuate the drill site. However, the Gorasni had heard the explosion as well, and decided it was no longer safe and began their own evacuation. Gettner flew cover for their convoy, in case any of their vehicles broke down en route to Vectes Naval Base.[46]
Battle of Gerrenhalt[]
- "Stalks and polyps—can’t see any civvies. Damn, there's a lot of Gears down, though."
- —Gettner, as she flies over the battle at Gerrenhalt
Two months later, Vectes had been evacuated, and Gettner and Barber joined the rapid response force that was based on the CNV Sovereign that protected the COG settlements on shore. When word came in that the settlement at Gerrenhalt was under Lambent attack, Gettner was ordered to take Delta-One to help defend the city. She prepared the Raven for takeoff, and asked Barber if he thought they could make it to the town in fifteen minutes. Barber doubted they would be able to, since they were far away from the town in order to try and be in range of each settlement. After taking off, Gettner contacted the Gears at Gerraenhalt and asked what the situation was, and the commanding Gear told her that they were holding the polyps at the highway, but were close to being overrun. She told him that they would be there in twenty minutes, but the headwind slowed their progress. When they arrived, Gettner spotted several dead Gears, with a dozen others defending a choke point. She ordered Barber to open fire on the mass of polyps approaching, and dropped Delta off. Anya ordered Gettner to head deeper into the city to find where another Gear squad was defending the civilians, while Marcus, Dom, and Cole preceded their on foot. She spotted several stalks and polyps, and informed Marcus that there were a lot of Gears down, but could not see any civilians. After the battle was over, Gettner took Delta back to the Sovereign.[47]
Personality and Traits[]
Gettner had a hard and angry attitude, and Dominic Santiago thought she was one of the few people who was more "surly and acid-tongued" than Damon Baird.[48] While on missions, she and crew chief Nat Barber would often provide vitriolic commentary, but after the Lambent Pandemic began, it was often forced. Unlike the rest of the COG forces, Gettner referred to Lambent as "shinies" instead of "glowies".[49] As the Lambent Pandemic worsened, Gettner became depressed and fatigued,[50] and she began spending all her time in KR Eight-Zero's cockpit, waiting for another mission to be assigned or for the Lambent to attack.[51]
References[]
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