The Frozen Wastes

Chapter 2: Special Operations

Minsk

September 8th, 2139

The two Type 4 Doragon gunships banked hard in opposite directions, as deadly machinegun fire from the EU MK-1 Titan's topside anti-aircraft guns chased them. A TV-guided missile streaked from each of the Doragons' missile pods, sending two white trails of smoke spiralling towards the Titan's turrets. The pilots expertly guided their missiles towards both of the guns, and blew them up in a shower of hot, twisted metal.

Flight Lieutenant Vasily Kobarov breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the streaks of yellow tracer fire cease. Sending his craft into a turn and dive, he centred his Doragon's targeting reticule on the foremost of the MK-1 Titan's underside-mounted multi-shot cannons. A barrage of six rockets was enough to cause the turret to explode in a similar display as his gunner's TV missile had created from the topside turrets.

From far away, it would have been a spectacular sight. Four Doragon gunships continually harassed the helpless Titan, while six BTR-20 Yastreb air transports hovered further away from the Titan, two streaks of machinegun fire periodically lancing downwards from each transport to impale infantry or small vehicles below.

The EU Titan was visibly battered. Its defence weaponry now destroyed, the soldiers occupying it now stood on the upper decks of the Titan, firing their personal weaponry at the surrounding PAC aircraft in futile gestures of defiance. There were a few SAAW-86 rockets in the exchange, but the PAC pilots had enough skill to avoid them or deploy countermeasures against them.

All the while the Doragon pilots kept firing their quad-barrelled machine guns at the Titan's exterior, cutting down the unfortunate EU personnel attempting in vain to repel their unstoppable onslaught. With each bullet impact and each missile explosion the Titan's energy shields, already weakened from several BLOC-III anti-Titan missiles, sparked and flared.

The cluster of Yastrebs broke apart just then, and through the space they had just occupied flew another anti-Titan missile, right on course for the EU Titan. The missile struck the shield in a flash of bright blue: a tandem charge of EMP and conventional explosive.

This missile proved to be far more than the shield could withstand. It flared brightly for a second in a final blaze of glory, then sparked and dimmed before disappearing completely.

The PAC aircraft pilots responded immediately as though the stages of this kind of assault were hardwired into their memories. Now gunning their engines to full throttle, the Doragons changed their tactics. Instead of hovering nearby and sending a continuous stream of rockets and bullets at the Titan, the now regrouped into a line astern formation and started performing lightning-fast strafing runs against the Titan. While such a tactic resulted in less damage in a given amount of time, it negated the risk of them being shot down.

Meanwhile, the six Yastreb transports began to slowly advance on the Titan, their guns now trained forwards and firing rounds at the Titan whether there were actual targets to hit or not.

Anyone on the ground would have been able to see the two BTR-4 Romanov ground transport APCs which now trundled towards the Titan, and held position almost directly underneath it. Thanks to the efforts of the gunship pilots, they were undisturbed by the EU Titan's underside cannons, which now existed only as scraps of blackened metal.

Far away from the conflict zone, inside a conversely well-shielded and fully armed Type 2 Titan, Brigadier General Hoten Sousuke of the Pan Asian Coalition Armed Forces watched the events of the battle unfold on a viewscreen the size of a wall. With a sense of grim satisfaction he watched the EU Titan's armaments collapse, its shields fail, and its crew massacred. Now he felt the full weight of his power rest upon his shoulders as he knew he only need speak one word and the EU Titan's destruction would be assured.

He grabbed the microphone situated on the control panel in front of the screen and hailed the assault team's commander on it. "This is General Sousuke," he said, his Japanese accent detectable even though he spoke in Russian. General Sousuke deliberated for a while before finishing his transmission.

"Storm the Titan."

There was a slight time lag, on the order of a few milliseconds, between his speaking and the assault commander's receiving of the transmission. But it was only those few milliseconds before a voice replied through the speakers – and in that voice Sousuke could hear the assault commander's anticipation and eagerness.

"Aye, General. At once."

This part of the assault was performed flawlessly too.

The Doragon gunships broke their line astern formation, while the Yastrebs formed into two line-astern formations of three transports each. As they flew steadily towards the Titan in this formation, the Doragons regrouped alongside them, flying as escorts.

The assault commander, a thirty-year old Major Silver named Ivan Zaitsev, keyed the frequency for the team-wide channel and had a two second internal debate with himself. While a simultaneous launch of the assault pods had greater shock effect and allowed a stronger assault, it was more difficult to coordinate and was potentially dangerous. Deciding that the risk was worth the gains, he barked into the microphone "All units, launch pods only on my command."

His entire team confirmed, as of course they would. They knew their place in this assault – it was to follow orders and hopefully claim the glory. Planning and tactics was left to the commander. Ivan Zaitsev felt the weight of his responsibility on his shoulders just as Hoten Sousuke felt his. Zaitsev knew that he held his men's lives in his hands, that his decisions could kill or save a soldier.

He also knew that it was sometimes necessary to do so.

The Yastrebs, flanked by the Doragons, approached the EU Titan, while the Romanovs patiently waited below for the order to launch their Assault Pods.

Ivan Zaitsev waited for the transport pilots to radio in with a ready notice, before he once again activated the comm channel and ordered "Ground teams, launch pods!"

The two Romanov APCs on the ground below suddenly belched forth tall plumes of white smoke which streaked high into the sky. At the tip of each column of smoke was an Assault Pod, carrying a single PAC Special Forces soldier, highly trained Saboteur Recon men armed with Lambert Carbines, RDX DemoPaks and equipped with high-tech active camouflage systems that could render them 90 invisible.

When the ground team reached the peak of their flight, Zaitsev barked into the microphone again. "Air teams, launch pods!"

And four Assault Pods fell from each Yastreb transport to make a total of 32 men storming a single EU Titan. Major Zaitsev himself rode an Assault Pod down onto the upper aft deck of the Titan – he firmly believed that good leaders led their men rather than direct them.

His pod split open to reveal a flurry of activity – individual squad leaders were throwing down beacons to guide the rest of the division to the EU Titan, or otherwise activating SD-8 Accipiter drones, AI-controlled attack robots with twin anti-infantry machine guns.

Major Zaitsev immediately began shouting orders. "Squads Alpha and Bravo, insert through the air vents. Charlie and Delta, take the cargo bay entrances. Everybody shoot on sight – no prisoners! Move!"

And of course the PAC Commandos carried out his commands quickly and efficiently. Alpha and Bravo set to work breaching the air vent covers, while Charlie and Delta teams jumped down to the lower aft decks to begin an assault.

Major Zaitsev, leading Alpha, jumped down into the newly breached air vent. He knew the layout of an EU Titan – scores of them had fallen at his command. Drawing his Lambert Carbine and setting it to automatic, he motioned for the others to follow him.

All of them whipped out small, pistol-grip like objects from their pockets, and pressed buttons on them. Instantly, Alpha squad vanished from sight, concealed by active camouflage systems built into their combat gear. All that might indicate their presence were shimmers in the air like heat blurs. Invisible to anyone not looking closely.

The shimmers made their way towards the air vent located on the port side of the Titan, climbing down one after another. Major Zaitsev, who had elected to remain visible so that he could readily open fire on any hostiles, led them in, his Lambert Carbine always trained forwards.

Zaitsev crawled all the way to the end of the walkway, reaching a window which overlooked the raised portion of the cargo bay. A quick glance showed that the EU were waiting for his team and had taken defensive positions. Activating his NetBat helmet, he relayed a silent command to his team.

Vent teams, ready grenades. Commence attack on my order.

The acknowledgements came in fast from the leaders of the other three assault squads.

Zaitsev unclipped a FRG-1 grenade from his combat harness, set down his Lambert Carbine, and curled his finger around the pin. Another command to his troops.

Throw on my command. Go for the support gunners.

More acknowledgements. Zaitsev's finger tensed.

Throw, now!

And Zaitsev jerked the pin out of the grenade's body, and hurled it out of the window with a shout of "Granata!"

The seven men in the same vent as he was did the same.

The EU personnel looked round wildly, trying to figure out where the grenades were coming from-

-before sixteen successive detonations disoriented them, hurling them across the room, tearing them apart with shrapnel.

Zaitsev picked up his Lambert Carbine and barked an audible command. "All Alpha, drop!"

And Alpha squad instantly jumped down from the vent walkways, ruthlessly cutting down the EU men who tried to repel them. To watch them fight was like watching an orchestra play in symphony: each man fought precisely as he had been trained to, with such a calm, collected outward appearance that this could all have been a training exercise. Their coordination, perfect. Their marksmanship, unfaltering. Their discipline, flawless.

Alpha and Bravo decided to concentrate their efforts on breaching the first of the corridors that lead to the reactor access console. While Charlie covered their backs and Delta cleared the cargo bay, Alpha and Bravo tossed grenades into Corridor 1.

With the explosions as a distraction, two Alpha men – Zaitsev and his second-in-command, whirled into the corridor and unleashed a long burst from their Lambert Carbines, sending a full sixty rounds down the corridor. Any EU exposed were cut to pieces.

Zaitsev sprinted the length of the corridor and came to a low control panel next to a reinforced glass window overlooking the main reactor core. He withdrew an RDX DemoPak remote-detonated explosive pack from his combat harness, and placed it, along with two others just like it, onto the control panel.

Running back to where his teammates were waiting, he withdrew a remote identical to the ones used to operate active camouflage from his pocket. Without pausing for any effect or flair he depressed the large red button on it.

A loud, resounding BOOM shook the Titan, closely followed by a computer voice speaking in a language Zaitsev did not understand.

Warning: Reactor console one destroyed.

Zaitsev supposed it must be an alert to the EU personnel that he had destroyed one of their control panels. He knew that if all four were destroyed, the entryway to the reactor core area would open, allowing his team to enter and sabotage it. It was the whole purpose of their operation.

Now, having destroyed the first console, he found his team locked in a firefight with the EU forces. Lambert Carbines barked as they fired burst after burst of gunfire at the EU, and Bianchi LMGs and SCAR 11s droned as the EU retaliated.

Zaitsev took aim at an EU soldier and shot him in the head. The European dropped like a rock, but his allies noticed and returned fire, forcing the Major to duck back into the corridor.

A look into the cargo bay told him the situation. Five PAC soldiers were down so far, and they occupied the entire lower cargo bay. The upper section was mostly controlled by the EU, who were using the upper reactor core consoles as makeshift pillboxes.

Zaitsev shouted into his radio "Bravo, destroy Console 2. Charlie, cover Bravo. Alpha and Delta, suppressive fire!"

The men responded instantly, Alpha and Charlie breaking their cover and firing a barrage of bullets at the EU with their Lambert Carbines, while the men of Bravo squad hurtled towards the other reactor corridor and cleared it much like Zaitsev had.

Thirty seconds later the EU Titan's female computer voice announced the destruction of Console 2.

Zaitsev switched the frequency to one that had so far gone unused. "Backup team, attack, now!"

And suddenly overwhelming gunfire support came from the vents – not the rattling of Lambert Carbines, but the deep metallic puncture noises of Ganz HMGs and the spluttering noise of Voss L-ARs.

This was their fire support, the unit called in when extra firepower was needed to advance. Comprised of Assault troopers and Support gunners, they were the basic infantry of the Army, untrained for special operations scenarios like this one. But the aid they provided now was invaluable, pushing back the EU forces deeper into the corridors and allowing the Recon soldiers to advance.

In the Command Centre of the EU Titan, Field Marshal Gold Kenneth Taylor was pissed as hell. His first tour of duty as Commanding Officer of a Titan, the Arc Lightning, and he was making a right mess of it. Half his crew were dead or severely wounded, and now about sixty PAC soldiers were running around destroying it.

Taylor fought off the wave of despair that threatened to engulf him and strode over to a cabinet against the starboard wall of the Command Centre. From it, he withdrew a P33 Pereira revolver, a Turcotte Rapid SMG, and a light armour vest.

He'd be damned if those PAC bastards were going to blow up his ship.

Back in the cargo bay, Zaitsev's team had managed to breach corridor 3 and destroy its console, and were now using the corridor as a standoff point to trade fire with the EU who were all holed up in corridor 4. His men periodically threw grenades into that corridor, while the backup Assault troops fired PK-74 mini-rockets into it, set on airburst to catch as many EU as possible.

Zaitsev frowned, by rights console 4 should now be destroyed and the squads' combined might be turned on the reactor console. He radioed the backup team and gave them another order:

"Backup team, smoke in corridor 4, now!"

Three cylindrical objects flew into the corridor and bounced around before each one detonated in a cloud of thick, obscuring smoke. Under cover of the cloud, Zaitsev's men all primed grenades, tossed them into the corridor, and waited for the explosions to sound before pivoting into the corridor and unleashing a barrage of gunfire down it.

The final reactor console was destroyed in the same way as the other three.

Kenneth Taylor strode out of the Command Centre, his Turcotte Rapid at the ready. He spotted a PAC soldier attempting to enter the reactor console room and opened up on him, the rounds hitting the soldier's chest and head. With a sense of triumph, Taylor dashed out of the reactor console room back into the corridor access bay – a place where the PAC could not go due to the energy shielding.

Zaitsev's men had congregated outside the breached Reactor Core room, where they were prevented from entering by holed-up EU forces. They were running low on grenades, so an advance was difficult.

Taylor sprinted down the length of corridor 4 with a determined look on his face. He was going to find those fucking PAC assholes and was damn well going to kill them for what they'd done to his Titan.

Zaitsev stepped back from the side of the breached doorway and primed his last grenade. Tossing as far into the Reactor Core room as he could, he ran back to the corridor 4 entrance way to resupply his ammunition from a support soldier's ammo box.

Taylor rounded the corner that formed the entrance to corridor 4-

-to find himself staring down the barrel of a Lambert Carbine.

Bullets travel faster than sound, but slower than light. Field Marshal Gold Kenneth Taylor saw the Carbine's barrel flash, but never heard the shot before a bullet penetrated his skull and tore the life from his body.

Zaitsev lowered the Carbine and a cold smile formed on his lips. He'd shot the Commander. He'd cut off the head of the serpent, and now they were going to blow the rest of the serpent up. He reached down and grabbed the dead Field Marshal's dog tags, and slipped them into his pocket. Ordinarily this practice was only done when you managed to kill your enemy in hand-to-hand combat, but there was an exception involved with high-ranking officials and command staff.

He tossed his nearly-empty Lambert Carbine away and picked up a SCAR 11 assault rifle from a nearby EU soldier's corpse. He spent a minute searching the dead man for ammunition, finding six extra magazines, all full. He took another minute to familiarize himself with the weapon, locating all its components and functions.

Zaitsev retreated to the lower section of the cargo bay and shouldered the weapon. From this far behind, he had a clear shot into the Reactor Core room, so he engaged the rocket mode on the SCAR and – after a warning to his teammates to clear his line of fire – fired three successive shots into the Core room.

The yells of EU soldiers told him that his tactic had succeeded, so he dashed back to the upper deck where his teammates were holding up, and formulated a room clearing tactic similar to what they had used to clear out the corridor defenders.

Everybody – not just the Recon personnel, but the Assault and Support men as well – sprang into full view and let rip with their weapon. Lambert Carbines, Voss Light Assault Rifles and Ganz Heavy Machineguns boomed as they saturated the Reactor Core room with gunfire.

At the end of the onslaught, not a single EU soldier moved.

Now, this was the part that had to be done carefully. Or at least, with slightly more care than the previous stages.

Zaitsev and the roughly twenty remaining Recon personnel slung their Carbines while the Assault and Support troops, of which fifteen remained, kept their weapons trained on any possible areas where EU soldiers might appear from. Zaitsev and his men unloaded their entire remaining supply RDX explosive onto the floor, and began to affix each pack to the central Reactor Core. In total they placed about forty DemoPaks onto the Core – the rest had been used either for destroying consoles, breaching doors, clearing barricades, or simply as makeshift grenades.

"Clear the core!" Zaitsev roared, and every man sprinted out of the Core room.

When they were clear, all taking cover inside corridor 4, Zaitsev withdrew his detonator remote and three other Recons did the same.

"Detonate on my count," Zaitsev instructed, and the three others nodded. "Three…two…one…detonate!"

The four of them pressed their buttons in unison while the other men covered their ears.

A blinding white flash and a deafening thunderclap erupted from the Reactor Core room, followed by a stream of broken glass pieces as the reinforced windows shattered from the force of the explosion.

The room went silent.

Zaitsev looked confused…by rights that should have destabilized the core so much that it would go critical and destroy itself, but nothing seemed to be happening…no alarm…no internal explosions…

"Did that do it, Major?" his second-in-command asked, confused.

Zaitsev was about to answer when a voice from the rear cargo bay roared "Clear the line!"

Zaitsev and everybody else dropped to the ground instinctively, as from the aft cargo bay there came a loud thump noise followed by a whoosh.

A high-velocity anti-tank round streaked over their heads and slammed into the Reactor Core.

A loud klaxon started sounding.

Zaitsev looked up to see who had fired the shot-

"Kobarov!?" he shouted, "What the hell are you doing?"

It was indeed Flight Lieutenant Vasily Kobarov who stood in the aft cargo deck, hefting a Pilum Heavy Anti Vehicle Rifle, looking rather ragged as his flight suit had been scorched.

"My gunship was hit by AA fire, so I bailed over the Titan. My gunner's flying it back for repairs," Kobarov explained, dumping the Pilum H-AVR on the ground, "Now I suggest everybody hurry up and move before this thing blows!"

Vasily and the rest of the attack team seemed to realize where they were and began a mad dash towards the exits as deep, resounding booms travelled through the Titan's hull walls.. On the lower aft deck, four of the six BTR-4 Yastrebs waited to extract the attack team from the Titan. They were promptly loaded to full, and took off, leaving about twenty of the attack force without a space in the transports, among them Zaitsev and Kobarov.

"Alright, people! Time to jump!" Zaitsev barked, and sprinted to the edge of the Titan before flinging himself off.

Kobarov and the other remaining attack force personnel followed suit, taking care to leave space between them and the jumper closest to them. In the sprint to the edge a few PAC soldiers were caught unawares by explosions of components under or inside the aft deck structure.

Of the nineteen that had had to jump, sixteen made it off safely.

On the ground, transport had been waiting in the form of the two Romanov APCs, as well as six UAZ-8 Ocelot Fast Attack Vehicles. The attack force personnel quickly piled into the transports, with Zaitsev and Kobarov taking the gunner and passenger seats of one of the FAVs.

As the ground transports sped off, several things happened onboard the doomed Titan Arc Lightning.

A circuit breaker exploded in close proximity to the ammunition storage, setting off the explosive inside the cannon shells.

The Reactor Core coolant circuits failed, their supply lines cut by blasts. The Core, already going critical having been severely damaged, began to overheat.

A shield generator underneath the door to corridor 4 exploded, engulfing Field Marshal Kenneth Taylor's body.

The Reactor Core, normally having a bright blue column of energy in the middle of it, went black.

And then exploded outwards in a flash of pure white light and a corona of flame.

As the PAC vehicles sped away from it, Arc Lightning began to plummet.

Brigadier General Hoten Sousuke collapsed back into his chair as the symbol indicating the EU Titan's position vanished from his viewscreen. He let out a long breath in relief.

Despite the fact that this was an isolated event, Sousuke knew that every event that happened in a battle affected the bigger picture. Sousuke had been in charge of operations in the city of Minsk for the better part of six months. He knew that the destruction of Arc Lightning put the Coalition Army's advantage in number of Titans up to five versus the EU's now three. Sousuke also knew that reinforcements comprising another two Titans were on their way to support the PAC at Minsk, arriving within three days. And Sousuke knew that with seven Titans to combat three, unless the EU received heavy backup in the next week, that he would have enough personnel at his command to destroy one EU Titan every day.

Sousuke knew, in all likelihood, that Minsk would be theirs.