How many of you caught to reference to Gundam Wing in my previous chapter?
The Specials?
Tiberian Eve
Chapter 4: Jungle Warfare
The Nod armored force drove through the jungle, their commander uneasy because of the terrain. Several other brigades had lost tanks to the jungle already and he didn't want to make that mistake himself.
"All units report in," he ordered.
After getting acknowledgements from the other units, he was satisfied and looked at the tactical map. Nod forces were still fighting along the border of Brazil, but soon a breakthrough had to occur somewhere. Suddenly explosions shook his Tick Tank.
"What's going on!" he demanded.
"Enemy units attacking, looks like infantry."
Another explosion erupted, blowing up one of the tanks. The Nod troops fired into the bushes trying to hit their attacker. Suddenly recon bikes tore out of the greens and launched missiles at the Tick Tanks before driving off into the trees again. The missiles struck five of the tanks, destroying them.
"What the hell? Recon bikes, this is a Nod unit! What the hell are you trying to pull!"
Suddenly more missiles streaked from behind leaves, taking out two more tanks.
"Return fire and destroy those bikes!" the Nod commander ordered.
The Tick Tanks locked onto the heat signatures, opening fire and blowing apart three of the bikes. The bikes quickly raced through the trees away from the tanks, but the Nod units gave chase. This was exactly what the GDI commander wanted. The tanks weren't fast enough to keep up with the tanks, but the recon bikes kept returning to harass them, so it wasn't too much trouble staying with them. Finally there was a small clearing where several GDI troops waited. They threw a few discs but quickly retreated.
"Follow them!" the Nod commander ordered.
"But sir, that'll take us right out into the open! We'd be sitting ducks!"
"It won't matter. Once we get a clear shot they're as good as dead."
The Nod tanks rolled into the clearing but when eight of them were out of the trees the ground beneath them collapsed. The Nod tanks had rolled into a swampy area and their tanks were too heavy. Suddenly GDI soldiers appeared and threw discs, wrecking the tanks caught in the water. Others returned fire, killing three soldiers close together. This was when the mutant forces moved in and quickly destroyed the remaining Nod tanks with their rockets.
Major Sanders stood and looked at the carnage. The Nod troops had walked right into the ambush, though he'd lost some troops in exchange. However, this was the third Nod armored unit they had destroyed, and he knew that other teams were doing the same. Nod would have to deploy more infantry and support them better if they expected to win. The GDI and Forgotten force retreated back to the GDI base.
"Total casualties," Sanders asked.
"Twelve dead," the sergeant informed him, "Otherwise, we did pretty good."
"Okay. When we get back to base, everyone get some rest."
"Gladly sir."
The GDI forces found their APCs waiting at the designated point and boarded them. From there the soldiers were driven back to the base outside of Sao Paulo. The first thing many of the soldiers did was find the bathrooms. The heat in the rain forests forced many to drink lots of water, and now they were paying the price for it. A few soldiers had already suffered from heat stroke.
Sanders saw other standard GDI soldiers walking around. The Special Warfare Division and the Firestorm Taskforce were the only departments that trained large amounts of light fighters. The light fighters usually were more flexible and could adapt better to shifting situations. Currently there were two divisions of light fighters deployed here, all from the SWD. The FT had pulled out all of its light fighters to redeploy them in Europe.
"Major."
Sanders turned and found himself facing a young private.
"What is it?"
"General Bolivar wants to see you sir."
Sanders nodded and waved the private along. He walked over to the main building and made his way to Bolivar's office. Again he wondered if General Francis Bolivar had any relation to Simon Bolivar, that great liberator of South America. So far the general had handled the situation well. The former GDI general in charge of the South American theater had been soundly defeated by Slavik and was killed during a bombing raid. Bolivar had been made acting-commander but after several magnificent victories he was formally promoted. Most of the theater commanders were all three-stars, though the people on the command staff of GDI were all four-star generals or of the equivalent rank.
Sanders walked into the room and closed the door behind him.
"You wanted to see me sir."
"Ah, Major. It has come to my attention that your forces have been able to defeat almost any obstacle that Nod has come up with. If you and your men feel up to it, I have a mission for you."
"What is it?" Sanders asked.
"This came down as a request from General Jackson," Bolivar explained, "Nod has a massive biological and chemical weapons plant in Argentina. GDI Command wants that base taken out."
"And how are we supposed to do that?" Sanders asked, "Sir, my team is designed to take down groups of enemy troops, not attack bases."
"The Firestorm Taskforce did this in China," Bolivar pointed out, "They were also a team of light infantry."
"They had plenty of support from the Chinese military," said Sanders, "Sir, if you want my men to destroy that place, you'll have to commit at least an armored battalion to run diversion for us and air cover. The best we can do is paint the targets and have your men use napalm to burn the facilities."
Bolivar nodded. "That is very reasonable. However, this isn't just part of some operations to take down a weapons facility. If your team can actually capture that base, we will launch a general offensive into Argentina and Paraguay. I have already received more soldiers and armor. This is very possible."
"Shit," Sanders muttered, "Sir, what exactly is the objective?"
"The objective is simple. Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and the French Guiana are the only countries in South America that are free. If we can drive into Paraguay and Argentina, we cut off Uruguay from the rest of the Nod forces and surround Bolivia in three directions. Chile will fall once we take Bolivia and then there will be a three front invasion into the rest of South America. If we can pull this off, we will have secured an entire hemisphere for GDI. That way our troops can turn their attention to taking down the Nod forces in Europe and Russia and then finishing off Africa. That is why I need you to run this operation."
Sanders was rather surprised by the boldness of this operation. He took a few seconds to think it over.
"Sir, I'm not exactly comfortable with such a campaign," he finally said, "A lot of things depend on Nod screwing up."
"Not really," said Bolivar, "What we need is to destroy the 6th Shock Army. That is Nod's best force stationed here, and if we can do that we'll have a good chance of rolling through the rest of the continent."
"And how do you propose to do that?" Sanders asked.
"By taking out the Nod theater commander. You see, this base I'm talking about isn't just a biochemical facility, it also holds the command center for Nod's entire South American command."
"Fuck. And you actually expect my men to be able to break through that kind of security?" Sanders asked incredulously.
"Hardly. Major, maybe I haven't been really clear on what I want. What I want is your men to take up positions around the base to keep Nod units from evacuating. General Jackson merely wanted the weapons factory destroyed, but I'm willing to take it up a notch. Your troops specialize in taking down small groups of enemy units. Well, here's your chance. We will be running bombing missions to take out their power facilities and base defenses. Our primary objective is to actually sever their communications, making them panic. We want them to panic and lose control of the situation. From there our troops will be launching attacks into Paraguay and Argentina, though not deep enough to actually risk too many of our units. The mutant commander is prepared to deploy most of his force into the jungle to destroy communications outposts and supply lines. We need to scare them badly enough that they think this is an actual general offensive and decide to evacuate. Once they do, I want your men to pounce on them and take them out."
"What if they don't fall for it?" Sanders asked, afraid of what the answer might be.
"Then your forces are going to strike hard and fast. We're going to carpet- bomb that place and try to flatten as many communications structures, power plants, and defenses as possible. At the very least your forces will need to take out that weapons factory. Think your men can handle this mission?"
"Yes sir. But we'll need time to rest and then deploy. My men have seen some heavy fighting and they all could use some rest."
"You have two days of rest and two days to get into position. Mutant forces will be starting their raids tomorrow and we'll start the bombings once you're in position. That enough time?"
"Yes sir."
"Good. Now get to work."
Sanders saluted and left the office, wondering what it was exactly that he had agreed to.
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The GDI Orca transports and carryalls slipped past the Nod air defense networks thanks to some very heavy bombing by the air force. General Bolivar had pulled out all the stops. He had struck the main radar facility and flattened the place, blinding half of the SAM sites in the network and seriously hampering the others. Secondary sites were also struck, the amount of places hit overwhelming Nod's own air force. Also, the F-35 fighters were able to fight back against the Banshees. While most of the pilots preferred to be in the new Phantom fighters, the F-35 would have to do. The transports landed and the light fighters unloaded quickly. The carryalls detached the APCs and deployable sensor arrays they were transporting and lifted off as fast as they could. Now a large portion of the light fighters in South America were gathered together. They quickly dispersed and headed towards their positions.
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"How is South America looking right now?" McNeil asked.
"The current situation looks pretty bad for us," Jackson replied, "A lot of my light fighters are preparing to do a deep penetration strike into Argentina. They're going for the Nod command center for that entire theater of war."
"What? That's fucking insane!" Cortez exclaimed, "Nod must have at least a full regiment guarding that base!"
"They aren't going after the base itself," said Jackson, "Apparently General Bolivar wants to force the Nod generals to evacuate and he's using my fighters to ambush them and hopefully disrupt their chain of command."
"Will this seriously work?" Langley asked.
"He needs a few breaks, but hopefully it will," said Jackson, "If this does work, there's going to be a general offensive going south that'll swing up north. I personally think it's a pretty good plan."
"General Bolivar also has a good number of bombers and fighters," said Wyner, "He's got plenty of air support and just has to use it properly."
"If it works, this could turn the tables on Nod for good," said McNeil, "We could then seriously consider an invasion into Africa and Egypt."
"We can do one now."
The officers gathered in the room looked at Langley as if he was insane.
"What? Theoretically we can. Look at Gibraltar. It provides us with a port right up front with Africa, and if we can seize Ceuta, then our supply problem will most likely be solved. The European war is going decently and Berlin will most likely not fall. Besides, two battalions of the 1st Specials Division are being deployed and they'll most likely at the very least help keep Nod forces from advancing. If they're used to attack I'm pretty sure we can achieve a breakthrough."
"General Langley, you are suggesting that we launch a direct invasion into Africa while the European battle is still in question and there is a high risk of an invasion into Italy," said Bostic, "Are you serious?"
"If we can launch an invasion early enough, it will force Kane to shift the forces he was preparing to use to invade Italy to move west and defend Africa. Besides, the Firestorm Taskforce already has the necessary forces. It would take three days to move all of our forces into position. In that time, the offensive on Baghdad would begin and also the assault in South America would also start. We could destabilize Kane's military situation enough for us to gain the upper hand."
"That is a very daring plan," McNeil said, "though I'm not sure we can carry it out."
"General McNeil, I have two divisions of armored units and three divisions of mechanized infantry ready to go to Israel, Germany, Italy, or Africa. I personally like the last choice."
"That would be too dangerous," said Jackson, "I'm sorry James, but risking that many troops in such an assault is suicidal, especially since we have so little time. I can't allow you to do this."
"Now wait a minute," said Bostic, "I like this idea. The Space Force currently has two divisions of heavy infantry preparing to deploy in Europe. One division would be enough to hold off Nod if they attempted to attack Italy. The mountains make it a hell of a place to attempt to attack, but defending is far easier. I could commit an entire division to this as well as a large fighter group. What about you Tyler?"
"I could easily supply the necessary transports," said Wyner, "though fighters are in short supply right now. But if Admiral Bostic can supply at least one fighter wing, I can pitch in and give you another one. It is doable."
"You can't be seriously considering this," Jackson said, "Such an attack could jeopardize everything we have right now."
"I think I agree with you Langley," said McNeil, "This is a very risky operation, but we fought several in the Second Tiberium War. I believe we can deal a deathblow to Kane. If we can take out the Black Hand's principal army protecting Africa, we'd only have the Elite Cadre to worry about."
"Not something to joke about," said Jackson, "The Elite Cadre has the best record in the Brotherhood military and they were the ones that destroyed 7th Army in Poland, remember?"
That was a bitter memory for GDI. 7th Army, one of three armies that GDI had deployed in Europe, had been smashed by the Elite Cadre in heavy fighting in Poland. The loss of men and equipment had hurt GDI severely and it was only with the deployment of the Firestorm Taskforce on the front lines that saved GDI from total collapse in eastern Germany.
"I still think we can do it," Langley insisted, "Our opponents will be at first the Black Hand, but if we can hurt them badly, then we should be able to hold out against the Elite Cadre. By then, I'd think we'd have taken care of Iraq. From that position we could launch an invasion of Saudi Arabia and start threatening Egypt even more."
"That's a good point," said Wyner, "With the Suez Canal in our hands, Israel can already launch an assault on Cairo. Granted it would probably fail with all the military strength the Elite Cadre and Black Hand has there, but it still annoys the crap out of Kane. Besides, Jordon has also deployed its troops by the Suez to help us out."
"Let's take a vote," said McNeil, "All in favor, say aye."
"Aye," five of the six generals said.
"All oppose."
"Nye."
Kathryn was the only one.
"I still say it's a bad idea, but I'll go with it," she said.
"Okay. General Langley, you have command over this operation. What shall we call it?"
"How about Operation: Desert Shield."
"I like it. You thought of this beforehand, didn't you?"
"Yes sir."
"Okay. Let's get to work on this operation."
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Well that was interesting, Conner thought. GDI was actually going to launch an invasion of Africa from Spain. So they finally worked up the guts to do it.
Conner put down the report and considered the consequences. Most of the soldiers stationed in that part of Africa were part of the Black Hand. However, all that meant was that GDI would be fighting desperately to keep their foothold on Africa. The Black Hand was spread thin in Egypt itself, and the 14th Army of the Black Hand was still in southern Africa. They would need days to move north and join the battle. Perhaps there was a way to use this to his advantage.
Conner brought up a map that showed the positioning of all of the Elite Cadre's forces. Currently they were focused in two places. One was in Russia around Moscow, St. Petersburg, and the Crimea. The other was in Egypt and the rest of northeastern Africa. This provided him with a unique opportunity. With GDI forces launching an invasion, he had the opportunity to launch a military coup against Kane and the loyalists. The Black Hand had one battalion in Cairo itself, another battalion outside the city at the main Nod command center, and that was about it. The Elite Cadre provided most of the security for the country and kept the Israelis from attempting invasion. But there was something else too. Kane himself stayed at the Nod command center outside of Cairo, and if Conner struck fast enough, he could take Kane alive. Slavik was still in Europe and not in Russia so there was no way to effectively neutralize him right away. It would take a while longer actually. The fighting would be bitter, but Conner was sure that he could destroy the Black Hand and get the rest of Nod to follow him. He had made alliances with many Nod generals and they would have to either join him and hope to succeed or be executed anyways by the loyalists.
"GDI, you have no idea what kind of favor you are doing me."
Conner allowed a smile to appear on his face. These days, he didn't even feel the burning sensation from his scar.
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The light fighters in Brazil had gotten to their positions right now time. Sanders looked into his binoculars and saw the Nod command base being pounded by Orca bombers and what looked like F-117 Nighthawks. He was surprised GDI still used them, but you didn't discard a useful weapon just because it was a little outdated. The radar center was hit first and destroyed quickly while the power plants were bombed next. Most of them were in ruins after the first bombing runs but that didn't stop the other bombers from pounding the area more. There were several laser cannons surrounding the base, though the Obelisks and the SAM sites were dead because of lack of power. The Nod units parked closely together went up in flames as the napalm bombs exploded on top of them. Nod soldiers tried running away while others opened fire on the planes, trying to bring one down. Finally the bombers targeted the weapons factory and bombed the hell out of it. The structure went up in flames and explosions rocked it, bring walls down and destroying tanks that surrounded the factory. Sanders could see Nod troops choking on whatever they had been working on, but that was their tough luck. They shouldn't have messed with the stuff in the first place.
"All right troops, get ready. Anything that tries to get out of that base, we destroyed."
It wasn't long before a badly damaged Nod Montauk started pulling away from the base under heavy escort. If the Montauk had gone underground, the deployable sensor arrays that the light fighters had managed to sneak up would have easily detected them. The soldiers had EM charges ready to disable the vehicles if they were needed. It had been a bit tricky getting the DSAs closer, but they had done it. Somehow. A pity the effort was wasted as apparently the Nod Montauk was too damaged to go underground and no subterranean APC had survived. Or was it?
"Sir, we're detecting three stealth tanks accompanying the convoy," a sergeant informed him.
"Acknowledged. We'll take out the stealth tanks first and then destroy their tanks. Are all units ready?"
"Yes sir."
"Wait for my signal, then attack."
The convoy drove into the jungle, the Nod soldiers alert for any possible danger. Within minutes they were deep within the ambush.
"Attack."
Particle beams struck the five stealth tanks, blow them up, while discs struck the Nod Tick Tanks, destroying them as well. The Nod soldiers ducked and fired into the trees, a few getting luck and killing some GDI soldiers. The Ghost Stalkers reloaded their weapons and fired again, frying more Nod soldiers. The buggies raced out, trying to run away, but they weren't so lucky. They too were destroyed before they got too far. Finally, only the Montauk was left. Suddenly the doors opened and Nod soldiers came out with their hands up.
"We surrender!" one said.
Sanders frowned. This was highly unlike Nod soldiers, as they usually fought to the death. Suddenly, he realized his mistake.
"It's a fucking decoy! They're trying to escape another way!"
Suddenly the Montauk exploded, taking most of the soldiers standing by it. The fire incinerated both GDI and Nod soldiers, killing dozens of the light fighters. Sanders was thrown into a tree, his body badly burned. One of the soldiers ran up to him and tried to help him, but Sanders lost consciousness.
"Fuck. Major's down. Sergeant, where are those Nod bastards heading?"
"The DSAs aren't detecting any underground activity. Wait, a helicopter is taking off from the enemy base. Shit, we need to get those air units back here."
"Base, this is Lackeys. We got tricked and Major Sanders is injured, I don't know how badly. We need an evac and fighters up here. We think the Nod general is trying to use a helicopter to escape, but we aren't in position to shoot it down."
"Roger Lackeys. Dark Squadron is already in the air. They should be right there above you."
"Where? I don't see any fighters."
"Lieutenant, look!"
The soldier did and saw several fighters decloaking and opening fire on the helicopter. After three shots they struck the body of the helicopter and it exploded, taking everyone on it.
"Shit. They finally got that cloaking thing to work."
The Phantoms cloaked again and disappeared, leaving the soldiers alone.
"Lackeys, move into the Nod base. We'll get transports for you and reinforcements. We're here to stay."
"Well what do you know. The air force is good for something after all."
The soldiers carried their wounded towards the Nod base. Scouting parties entered the base and fought against the few Nod survivors, but quickly suppressed the resistance. Half an hour later dropships appeared and unloaded Titans, Wolverines, and more infantry. The wounded light fighters were loaded up quickly and returned, while the rest remained to help secure the base and the surrounding area.
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Langley was true to his word. FT soldiers landed outside of Ceuta and killed the Nod soldiers guarding the city quickly. An alert was raised but the attack had been so swift that Nod soldiers didn't get out too much information. The city was secured and the invasion troops started landing at the seized Nod base outside of the city. The soldiers started moving out and prepared to attack the Nod base by Rabat, the capital of Morocco. Control of the capital would disrupt communications and other troops were also preparing to attack Oujda. GDI forces were moving quickly.
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"All units, initiate Operation: Justice."
That order was transmitted to all Elite Cadre units. In Russia, they quickly attacked Black Hand units and defeated the surprised loyalist forces. The regular Nod troops weren't sure what was going on, but the Elite Cadre spread news that Kane was preparing to destroy Nod and kill all of the members. This caused many to switch sides and join the Elite Cadre in their battles. However, many loyalists fought back bitterly but the Elite Cadre had numbers and surprise on their side. Moscow, St. Petersburg, and the rest of European Russia fell to the Elite Cadre. They then severed the supply lines to the Nod soldiers in Europe, cutting off the regular Nod troops and the Black Hand.
Elite Cadre forces stormed Cairo and killed every Black Hand officer they encountered. The city was a bloodbath and the fighting outside the city was even worse. Conner reviewed one of his aces when he deployed a platoon of Mammoth Mark II tanks, units that the Elite Cadre had built using designs stolen from GDI bases. Black Hand troops were massacred by the onslaught, forcing them to bunker down in the command base. The soldiers attempted to use the tunnel network to escape, but Conner had closed all of them and so sealed the Black Hand and Kane inside the base. He fired several EMPs to black out the base and prepared to launch the assault. It was going to be a bloody battle.
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"What!"
"Elite Cadre forces have destroyed all of our forces in Russia and most of the troops in Egypt," the Black Hand officer reported, "Grand Marshal Kane is currently trapped outside of Cairo."
"What the hell is Conner trying to do?" Slavik asked himself.
"Sir, the Elite Cadre is broadcasting messages saying that Kane is preparing to destroy the Brotherhood and that they are attempting to save the Brotherhood."
"That is absurd, Kane is our leader! We have to get back to Egypt to help him."
"That's impossible. Our supply lines have been cut and Elite Cadre forces will most likely attack us from Russia. We're caught between them and GDI. We can't get to Egypt."
"Damn it. Conner, I will have your head for this!"
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"A military coup? Against Kane?" Langley said incredulously.
He was in another meeting with McNeil and the others, and they looked at him the moment the words left his mouth.
"I'm putting you on speaker. Tell the others what you just told him."
Langley pressed a button and the image of a rather nervous lieutenant appeared.
"Well, sir, Elite Cadre forces have destroyed much of the Nod regular army in Russia and have seized control of the country. They have also cut off the Black Hand. The Elite Cadre is fighting to take control of Cairo and apparently are preparing to attack Kane's main base."
"This is unprecedented," said Jackson, "No Nod commander has ever attempted to launch a coup against Kane."
"Wait, you said the Elite Cadre," said Cortez, "Does that mean Field Marshal Conner or did one of his subordinates dispose of him?"
"We don't know sir. We're still trying to gather the facts, but we do know this. Nod is fragmenting and the Elite Cadre looks like it will win."
End of Chapter 4
Z98
Tiberian Eve
Chapter 4: Jungle Warfare
The Nod armored force drove through the jungle, their commander uneasy because of the terrain. Several other brigades had lost tanks to the jungle already and he didn't want to make that mistake himself.
"All units report in," he ordered.
After getting acknowledgements from the other units, he was satisfied and looked at the tactical map. Nod forces were still fighting along the border of Brazil, but soon a breakthrough had to occur somewhere. Suddenly explosions shook his Tick Tank.
"What's going on!" he demanded.
"Enemy units attacking, looks like infantry."
Another explosion erupted, blowing up one of the tanks. The Nod troops fired into the bushes trying to hit their attacker. Suddenly recon bikes tore out of the greens and launched missiles at the Tick Tanks before driving off into the trees again. The missiles struck five of the tanks, destroying them.
"What the hell? Recon bikes, this is a Nod unit! What the hell are you trying to pull!"
Suddenly more missiles streaked from behind leaves, taking out two more tanks.
"Return fire and destroy those bikes!" the Nod commander ordered.
The Tick Tanks locked onto the heat signatures, opening fire and blowing apart three of the bikes. The bikes quickly raced through the trees away from the tanks, but the Nod units gave chase. This was exactly what the GDI commander wanted. The tanks weren't fast enough to keep up with the tanks, but the recon bikes kept returning to harass them, so it wasn't too much trouble staying with them. Finally there was a small clearing where several GDI troops waited. They threw a few discs but quickly retreated.
"Follow them!" the Nod commander ordered.
"But sir, that'll take us right out into the open! We'd be sitting ducks!"
"It won't matter. Once we get a clear shot they're as good as dead."
The Nod tanks rolled into the clearing but when eight of them were out of the trees the ground beneath them collapsed. The Nod tanks had rolled into a swampy area and their tanks were too heavy. Suddenly GDI soldiers appeared and threw discs, wrecking the tanks caught in the water. Others returned fire, killing three soldiers close together. This was when the mutant forces moved in and quickly destroyed the remaining Nod tanks with their rockets.
Major Sanders stood and looked at the carnage. The Nod troops had walked right into the ambush, though he'd lost some troops in exchange. However, this was the third Nod armored unit they had destroyed, and he knew that other teams were doing the same. Nod would have to deploy more infantry and support them better if they expected to win. The GDI and Forgotten force retreated back to the GDI base.
"Total casualties," Sanders asked.
"Twelve dead," the sergeant informed him, "Otherwise, we did pretty good."
"Okay. When we get back to base, everyone get some rest."
"Gladly sir."
The GDI forces found their APCs waiting at the designated point and boarded them. From there the soldiers were driven back to the base outside of Sao Paulo. The first thing many of the soldiers did was find the bathrooms. The heat in the rain forests forced many to drink lots of water, and now they were paying the price for it. A few soldiers had already suffered from heat stroke.
Sanders saw other standard GDI soldiers walking around. The Special Warfare Division and the Firestorm Taskforce were the only departments that trained large amounts of light fighters. The light fighters usually were more flexible and could adapt better to shifting situations. Currently there were two divisions of light fighters deployed here, all from the SWD. The FT had pulled out all of its light fighters to redeploy them in Europe.
"Major."
Sanders turned and found himself facing a young private.
"What is it?"
"General Bolivar wants to see you sir."
Sanders nodded and waved the private along. He walked over to the main building and made his way to Bolivar's office. Again he wondered if General Francis Bolivar had any relation to Simon Bolivar, that great liberator of South America. So far the general had handled the situation well. The former GDI general in charge of the South American theater had been soundly defeated by Slavik and was killed during a bombing raid. Bolivar had been made acting-commander but after several magnificent victories he was formally promoted. Most of the theater commanders were all three-stars, though the people on the command staff of GDI were all four-star generals or of the equivalent rank.
Sanders walked into the room and closed the door behind him.
"You wanted to see me sir."
"Ah, Major. It has come to my attention that your forces have been able to defeat almost any obstacle that Nod has come up with. If you and your men feel up to it, I have a mission for you."
"What is it?" Sanders asked.
"This came down as a request from General Jackson," Bolivar explained, "Nod has a massive biological and chemical weapons plant in Argentina. GDI Command wants that base taken out."
"And how are we supposed to do that?" Sanders asked, "Sir, my team is designed to take down groups of enemy troops, not attack bases."
"The Firestorm Taskforce did this in China," Bolivar pointed out, "They were also a team of light infantry."
"They had plenty of support from the Chinese military," said Sanders, "Sir, if you want my men to destroy that place, you'll have to commit at least an armored battalion to run diversion for us and air cover. The best we can do is paint the targets and have your men use napalm to burn the facilities."
Bolivar nodded. "That is very reasonable. However, this isn't just part of some operations to take down a weapons facility. If your team can actually capture that base, we will launch a general offensive into Argentina and Paraguay. I have already received more soldiers and armor. This is very possible."
"Shit," Sanders muttered, "Sir, what exactly is the objective?"
"The objective is simple. Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and the French Guiana are the only countries in South America that are free. If we can drive into Paraguay and Argentina, we cut off Uruguay from the rest of the Nod forces and surround Bolivia in three directions. Chile will fall once we take Bolivia and then there will be a three front invasion into the rest of South America. If we can pull this off, we will have secured an entire hemisphere for GDI. That way our troops can turn their attention to taking down the Nod forces in Europe and Russia and then finishing off Africa. That is why I need you to run this operation."
Sanders was rather surprised by the boldness of this operation. He took a few seconds to think it over.
"Sir, I'm not exactly comfortable with such a campaign," he finally said, "A lot of things depend on Nod screwing up."
"Not really," said Bolivar, "What we need is to destroy the 6th Shock Army. That is Nod's best force stationed here, and if we can do that we'll have a good chance of rolling through the rest of the continent."
"And how do you propose to do that?" Sanders asked.
"By taking out the Nod theater commander. You see, this base I'm talking about isn't just a biochemical facility, it also holds the command center for Nod's entire South American command."
"Fuck. And you actually expect my men to be able to break through that kind of security?" Sanders asked incredulously.
"Hardly. Major, maybe I haven't been really clear on what I want. What I want is your men to take up positions around the base to keep Nod units from evacuating. General Jackson merely wanted the weapons factory destroyed, but I'm willing to take it up a notch. Your troops specialize in taking down small groups of enemy units. Well, here's your chance. We will be running bombing missions to take out their power facilities and base defenses. Our primary objective is to actually sever their communications, making them panic. We want them to panic and lose control of the situation. From there our troops will be launching attacks into Paraguay and Argentina, though not deep enough to actually risk too many of our units. The mutant commander is prepared to deploy most of his force into the jungle to destroy communications outposts and supply lines. We need to scare them badly enough that they think this is an actual general offensive and decide to evacuate. Once they do, I want your men to pounce on them and take them out."
"What if they don't fall for it?" Sanders asked, afraid of what the answer might be.
"Then your forces are going to strike hard and fast. We're going to carpet- bomb that place and try to flatten as many communications structures, power plants, and defenses as possible. At the very least your forces will need to take out that weapons factory. Think your men can handle this mission?"
"Yes sir. But we'll need time to rest and then deploy. My men have seen some heavy fighting and they all could use some rest."
"You have two days of rest and two days to get into position. Mutant forces will be starting their raids tomorrow and we'll start the bombings once you're in position. That enough time?"
"Yes sir."
"Good. Now get to work."
Sanders saluted and left the office, wondering what it was exactly that he had agreed to.
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The GDI Orca transports and carryalls slipped past the Nod air defense networks thanks to some very heavy bombing by the air force. General Bolivar had pulled out all the stops. He had struck the main radar facility and flattened the place, blinding half of the SAM sites in the network and seriously hampering the others. Secondary sites were also struck, the amount of places hit overwhelming Nod's own air force. Also, the F-35 fighters were able to fight back against the Banshees. While most of the pilots preferred to be in the new Phantom fighters, the F-35 would have to do. The transports landed and the light fighters unloaded quickly. The carryalls detached the APCs and deployable sensor arrays they were transporting and lifted off as fast as they could. Now a large portion of the light fighters in South America were gathered together. They quickly dispersed and headed towards their positions.
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"How is South America looking right now?" McNeil asked.
"The current situation looks pretty bad for us," Jackson replied, "A lot of my light fighters are preparing to do a deep penetration strike into Argentina. They're going for the Nod command center for that entire theater of war."
"What? That's fucking insane!" Cortez exclaimed, "Nod must have at least a full regiment guarding that base!"
"They aren't going after the base itself," said Jackson, "Apparently General Bolivar wants to force the Nod generals to evacuate and he's using my fighters to ambush them and hopefully disrupt their chain of command."
"Will this seriously work?" Langley asked.
"He needs a few breaks, but hopefully it will," said Jackson, "If this does work, there's going to be a general offensive going south that'll swing up north. I personally think it's a pretty good plan."
"General Bolivar also has a good number of bombers and fighters," said Wyner, "He's got plenty of air support and just has to use it properly."
"If it works, this could turn the tables on Nod for good," said McNeil, "We could then seriously consider an invasion into Africa and Egypt."
"We can do one now."
The officers gathered in the room looked at Langley as if he was insane.
"What? Theoretically we can. Look at Gibraltar. It provides us with a port right up front with Africa, and if we can seize Ceuta, then our supply problem will most likely be solved. The European war is going decently and Berlin will most likely not fall. Besides, two battalions of the 1st Specials Division are being deployed and they'll most likely at the very least help keep Nod forces from advancing. If they're used to attack I'm pretty sure we can achieve a breakthrough."
"General Langley, you are suggesting that we launch a direct invasion into Africa while the European battle is still in question and there is a high risk of an invasion into Italy," said Bostic, "Are you serious?"
"If we can launch an invasion early enough, it will force Kane to shift the forces he was preparing to use to invade Italy to move west and defend Africa. Besides, the Firestorm Taskforce already has the necessary forces. It would take three days to move all of our forces into position. In that time, the offensive on Baghdad would begin and also the assault in South America would also start. We could destabilize Kane's military situation enough for us to gain the upper hand."
"That is a very daring plan," McNeil said, "though I'm not sure we can carry it out."
"General McNeil, I have two divisions of armored units and three divisions of mechanized infantry ready to go to Israel, Germany, Italy, or Africa. I personally like the last choice."
"That would be too dangerous," said Jackson, "I'm sorry James, but risking that many troops in such an assault is suicidal, especially since we have so little time. I can't allow you to do this."
"Now wait a minute," said Bostic, "I like this idea. The Space Force currently has two divisions of heavy infantry preparing to deploy in Europe. One division would be enough to hold off Nod if they attempted to attack Italy. The mountains make it a hell of a place to attempt to attack, but defending is far easier. I could commit an entire division to this as well as a large fighter group. What about you Tyler?"
"I could easily supply the necessary transports," said Wyner, "though fighters are in short supply right now. But if Admiral Bostic can supply at least one fighter wing, I can pitch in and give you another one. It is doable."
"You can't be seriously considering this," Jackson said, "Such an attack could jeopardize everything we have right now."
"I think I agree with you Langley," said McNeil, "This is a very risky operation, but we fought several in the Second Tiberium War. I believe we can deal a deathblow to Kane. If we can take out the Black Hand's principal army protecting Africa, we'd only have the Elite Cadre to worry about."
"Not something to joke about," said Jackson, "The Elite Cadre has the best record in the Brotherhood military and they were the ones that destroyed 7th Army in Poland, remember?"
That was a bitter memory for GDI. 7th Army, one of three armies that GDI had deployed in Europe, had been smashed by the Elite Cadre in heavy fighting in Poland. The loss of men and equipment had hurt GDI severely and it was only with the deployment of the Firestorm Taskforce on the front lines that saved GDI from total collapse in eastern Germany.
"I still think we can do it," Langley insisted, "Our opponents will be at first the Black Hand, but if we can hurt them badly, then we should be able to hold out against the Elite Cadre. By then, I'd think we'd have taken care of Iraq. From that position we could launch an invasion of Saudi Arabia and start threatening Egypt even more."
"That's a good point," said Wyner, "With the Suez Canal in our hands, Israel can already launch an assault on Cairo. Granted it would probably fail with all the military strength the Elite Cadre and Black Hand has there, but it still annoys the crap out of Kane. Besides, Jordon has also deployed its troops by the Suez to help us out."
"Let's take a vote," said McNeil, "All in favor, say aye."
"Aye," five of the six generals said.
"All oppose."
"Nye."
Kathryn was the only one.
"I still say it's a bad idea, but I'll go with it," she said.
"Okay. General Langley, you have command over this operation. What shall we call it?"
"How about Operation: Desert Shield."
"I like it. You thought of this beforehand, didn't you?"
"Yes sir."
"Okay. Let's get to work on this operation."
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Well that was interesting, Conner thought. GDI was actually going to launch an invasion of Africa from Spain. So they finally worked up the guts to do it.
Conner put down the report and considered the consequences. Most of the soldiers stationed in that part of Africa were part of the Black Hand. However, all that meant was that GDI would be fighting desperately to keep their foothold on Africa. The Black Hand was spread thin in Egypt itself, and the 14th Army of the Black Hand was still in southern Africa. They would need days to move north and join the battle. Perhaps there was a way to use this to his advantage.
Conner brought up a map that showed the positioning of all of the Elite Cadre's forces. Currently they were focused in two places. One was in Russia around Moscow, St. Petersburg, and the Crimea. The other was in Egypt and the rest of northeastern Africa. This provided him with a unique opportunity. With GDI forces launching an invasion, he had the opportunity to launch a military coup against Kane and the loyalists. The Black Hand had one battalion in Cairo itself, another battalion outside the city at the main Nod command center, and that was about it. The Elite Cadre provided most of the security for the country and kept the Israelis from attempting invasion. But there was something else too. Kane himself stayed at the Nod command center outside of Cairo, and if Conner struck fast enough, he could take Kane alive. Slavik was still in Europe and not in Russia so there was no way to effectively neutralize him right away. It would take a while longer actually. The fighting would be bitter, but Conner was sure that he could destroy the Black Hand and get the rest of Nod to follow him. He had made alliances with many Nod generals and they would have to either join him and hope to succeed or be executed anyways by the loyalists.
"GDI, you have no idea what kind of favor you are doing me."
Conner allowed a smile to appear on his face. These days, he didn't even feel the burning sensation from his scar.
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The light fighters in Brazil had gotten to their positions right now time. Sanders looked into his binoculars and saw the Nod command base being pounded by Orca bombers and what looked like F-117 Nighthawks. He was surprised GDI still used them, but you didn't discard a useful weapon just because it was a little outdated. The radar center was hit first and destroyed quickly while the power plants were bombed next. Most of them were in ruins after the first bombing runs but that didn't stop the other bombers from pounding the area more. There were several laser cannons surrounding the base, though the Obelisks and the SAM sites were dead because of lack of power. The Nod units parked closely together went up in flames as the napalm bombs exploded on top of them. Nod soldiers tried running away while others opened fire on the planes, trying to bring one down. Finally the bombers targeted the weapons factory and bombed the hell out of it. The structure went up in flames and explosions rocked it, bring walls down and destroying tanks that surrounded the factory. Sanders could see Nod troops choking on whatever they had been working on, but that was their tough luck. They shouldn't have messed with the stuff in the first place.
"All right troops, get ready. Anything that tries to get out of that base, we destroyed."
It wasn't long before a badly damaged Nod Montauk started pulling away from the base under heavy escort. If the Montauk had gone underground, the deployable sensor arrays that the light fighters had managed to sneak up would have easily detected them. The soldiers had EM charges ready to disable the vehicles if they were needed. It had been a bit tricky getting the DSAs closer, but they had done it. Somehow. A pity the effort was wasted as apparently the Nod Montauk was too damaged to go underground and no subterranean APC had survived. Or was it?
"Sir, we're detecting three stealth tanks accompanying the convoy," a sergeant informed him.
"Acknowledged. We'll take out the stealth tanks first and then destroy their tanks. Are all units ready?"
"Yes sir."
"Wait for my signal, then attack."
The convoy drove into the jungle, the Nod soldiers alert for any possible danger. Within minutes they were deep within the ambush.
"Attack."
Particle beams struck the five stealth tanks, blow them up, while discs struck the Nod Tick Tanks, destroying them as well. The Nod soldiers ducked and fired into the trees, a few getting luck and killing some GDI soldiers. The Ghost Stalkers reloaded their weapons and fired again, frying more Nod soldiers. The buggies raced out, trying to run away, but they weren't so lucky. They too were destroyed before they got too far. Finally, only the Montauk was left. Suddenly the doors opened and Nod soldiers came out with their hands up.
"We surrender!" one said.
Sanders frowned. This was highly unlike Nod soldiers, as they usually fought to the death. Suddenly, he realized his mistake.
"It's a fucking decoy! They're trying to escape another way!"
Suddenly the Montauk exploded, taking most of the soldiers standing by it. The fire incinerated both GDI and Nod soldiers, killing dozens of the light fighters. Sanders was thrown into a tree, his body badly burned. One of the soldiers ran up to him and tried to help him, but Sanders lost consciousness.
"Fuck. Major's down. Sergeant, where are those Nod bastards heading?"
"The DSAs aren't detecting any underground activity. Wait, a helicopter is taking off from the enemy base. Shit, we need to get those air units back here."
"Base, this is Lackeys. We got tricked and Major Sanders is injured, I don't know how badly. We need an evac and fighters up here. We think the Nod general is trying to use a helicopter to escape, but we aren't in position to shoot it down."
"Roger Lackeys. Dark Squadron is already in the air. They should be right there above you."
"Where? I don't see any fighters."
"Lieutenant, look!"
The soldier did and saw several fighters decloaking and opening fire on the helicopter. After three shots they struck the body of the helicopter and it exploded, taking everyone on it.
"Shit. They finally got that cloaking thing to work."
The Phantoms cloaked again and disappeared, leaving the soldiers alone.
"Lackeys, move into the Nod base. We'll get transports for you and reinforcements. We're here to stay."
"Well what do you know. The air force is good for something after all."
The soldiers carried their wounded towards the Nod base. Scouting parties entered the base and fought against the few Nod survivors, but quickly suppressed the resistance. Half an hour later dropships appeared and unloaded Titans, Wolverines, and more infantry. The wounded light fighters were loaded up quickly and returned, while the rest remained to help secure the base and the surrounding area.
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Langley was true to his word. FT soldiers landed outside of Ceuta and killed the Nod soldiers guarding the city quickly. An alert was raised but the attack had been so swift that Nod soldiers didn't get out too much information. The city was secured and the invasion troops started landing at the seized Nod base outside of the city. The soldiers started moving out and prepared to attack the Nod base by Rabat, the capital of Morocco. Control of the capital would disrupt communications and other troops were also preparing to attack Oujda. GDI forces were moving quickly.
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"All units, initiate Operation: Justice."
That order was transmitted to all Elite Cadre units. In Russia, they quickly attacked Black Hand units and defeated the surprised loyalist forces. The regular Nod troops weren't sure what was going on, but the Elite Cadre spread news that Kane was preparing to destroy Nod and kill all of the members. This caused many to switch sides and join the Elite Cadre in their battles. However, many loyalists fought back bitterly but the Elite Cadre had numbers and surprise on their side. Moscow, St. Petersburg, and the rest of European Russia fell to the Elite Cadre. They then severed the supply lines to the Nod soldiers in Europe, cutting off the regular Nod troops and the Black Hand.
Elite Cadre forces stormed Cairo and killed every Black Hand officer they encountered. The city was a bloodbath and the fighting outside the city was even worse. Conner reviewed one of his aces when he deployed a platoon of Mammoth Mark II tanks, units that the Elite Cadre had built using designs stolen from GDI bases. Black Hand troops were massacred by the onslaught, forcing them to bunker down in the command base. The soldiers attempted to use the tunnel network to escape, but Conner had closed all of them and so sealed the Black Hand and Kane inside the base. He fired several EMPs to black out the base and prepared to launch the assault. It was going to be a bloody battle.
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"What!"
"Elite Cadre forces have destroyed all of our forces in Russia and most of the troops in Egypt," the Black Hand officer reported, "Grand Marshal Kane is currently trapped outside of Cairo."
"What the hell is Conner trying to do?" Slavik asked himself.
"Sir, the Elite Cadre is broadcasting messages saying that Kane is preparing to destroy the Brotherhood and that they are attempting to save the Brotherhood."
"That is absurd, Kane is our leader! We have to get back to Egypt to help him."
"That's impossible. Our supply lines have been cut and Elite Cadre forces will most likely attack us from Russia. We're caught between them and GDI. We can't get to Egypt."
"Damn it. Conner, I will have your head for this!"
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"A military coup? Against Kane?" Langley said incredulously.
He was in another meeting with McNeil and the others, and they looked at him the moment the words left his mouth.
"I'm putting you on speaker. Tell the others what you just told him."
Langley pressed a button and the image of a rather nervous lieutenant appeared.
"Well, sir, Elite Cadre forces have destroyed much of the Nod regular army in Russia and have seized control of the country. They have also cut off the Black Hand. The Elite Cadre is fighting to take control of Cairo and apparently are preparing to attack Kane's main base."
"This is unprecedented," said Jackson, "No Nod commander has ever attempted to launch a coup against Kane."
"Wait, you said the Elite Cadre," said Cortez, "Does that mean Field Marshal Conner or did one of his subordinates dispose of him?"
"We don't know sir. We're still trying to gather the facts, but we do know this. Nod is fragmenting and the Elite Cadre looks like it will win."
End of Chapter 4
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