Commence! Commence! Commence!
A/N: My first naval battle. As such I have no idea about the nautical, naval, and technical terms appropriate and tried to come up with something workable in the best possible manner.
"Life as we know it has changed for us," Temedu continued. "As with our chosen vocation" - he was surprised he used that word for something that constitute a crime against humanity -"Phantom Pain has its apprentice- and internships. We were trained and sent out on small missions together to learn the ropes, test our skills and aptitudes, test our resolve. One small job I'll never forget was back in the South Pacific." His mind returned to their small little sideshow where they saved a small nation from the machinations of cliques and powers far beyond their horizon.
Two years ago
South Pacific
Republic of Jacuta
0115 Hours
It was a moonless night. The calm seas lapped against the hull of a forty-foot yacht as it cruised sedately near the coast. Inside the main cabin, everything was black except for the glow of the instrument panels as a blackout was enforced aboard the vessel. Temedu kept watch with a pair of high-powered night-vision binoculars with adjustable zoom. Seamus took the helm while Vasili manned the radar. "We have nothing on this area here. So far so good."
The republic of Jacuta is a small archipelago that was gripped by civil war. Two years ago, disputes in the election results and several scandals involving the incumbent party had thrown the country into chaos. The war was a sea war, with the several factions taking to the high seas and we took our pick. The response from the Powers was to set up a blockade to keep it from escalating with the Royal Australian Navy and Air Force working the waters, but that's about it. Jacuta is too out of the way for anyone to have real interest in keeping the peace but to Phantom Task, it's just right.
"Alright, fifteen degrees starboard," ordered Markham, captain of the vessel. Abigail, overall commander, sat next to him. Outside, one of the new guys kept watched seating next to a twin .50 covered under a tarp.
"Fifteen degrees, aye," replied Vasili, a little too eagerly. He'd always wanted to say that. He brought the vessel to bear.
Careful, Vasili," cautioned the Samoan. "We don't want to run aground on the hidden reefs here."
"You sure this is the place?" Temedu asked Markham.
"This would be the perfect spot. I used to run this route back in smuggling days. And if our intel is right, this should be the meeting place of the Sandoval People's Restoration Council and their arms supplier."
"If it is right," Wolfe pointed out.
"Are the other boats in position?" Markham asked.
"We don't know yet. Everyone is under radio silence. Farfan and Bautista's team had set up a C3 post up in the highest point to control this op."
Wolfe whistled irrelevantly. "Ah, just what we need: a remote-controlled battle."
"Don't worry. It's Felipe and Armando. They'll just guide us in. We do the shooting ourselves."
"Hope they don't get into any local trouble," piped Vasili.
"We've established ties with the local militia controlling these parts," said Abigail. ". They and the Sandovals are currently fighting for control of this sector."
"We got a radio message," Alan said from the radio shack through the intercom.
"Patch it through," Markham ordered.
The intercom cracked alive with the voice of Felipe. "All call signs. This is Eagle-Eye. We have confirmation of vessel entering Jacutan territorial waters in the southwestern portion of the outer fringe. Scanning... Hang on... Confirmed, it's our boat. Proceed slowly to meeting point. Keep to the coasts, the radar clutter will confuse them." They did not respond as radio silence was the main rule of the night.
Abigail ordered, "Shut down, radar. We are under EMCOM." EMCOM was emissions control. Radar was to be shutdown to prevent electronic emissions from detection by Australian EA-18G Growler and P-8 Poseidon aircraft as well as supporting American aircraft deployed from a carrier group and faraway Guam. The land teams face no such problem as radio and cell phones were transmitting all the time in the islands, even at this state of civil war.
"Would the bad guys be under EMCOM?" Wolfe asked no one in particular.
"If they have half a brain," Temedu responded as he continued to scan. "Or...
It was Abigail who voiced his sentiment, "They're in somebody's pocket somewhere in Washington or London." They had long been acquainted with the world of covert operations. She then added, "Markham, make speed for rendezvous point."
Markham ordered through the intercom. "Aikens, ten knots."
"Ten knots, aye," replied Aiken from below decks in the engine room. He and a new guy, a mechanic from Osaka named Toshi, brought more power to the three diesels. The engines went from humming to thrumming with power. The three propellers spun in unison as the boat sped up.
"All hands, man your battle stations. All hands man your battle stations." At that order, the tarp forward was removed and more men came topside to remove the tarps and man the hidden armaments of the boat. Temedu had a not in his stomach as he took his position at the port side, manning an MG3 with night sights.
One final radio message from Eagle-Eye, Farfan's voice. "All call signs, be advised. Cloud cover will break soon in four minutes. You'll be illuminated by clear moonlight. Electronic Warfare drones will be up in the air in two. You'll be under radio silence, limiting coms to ship to ship. Vaya con Dios." The radio squawked off.
"So much for stealth," Abigail observed. "Increase speed."
This is it. The biggest job, the biggest fight since they started. Their first naval engagement and it was against gunrunners supplying arms to a faction paid for by the Sarashikis. They had yet another crack at another bigtime player in this secret war. Other boats emerged from the coast surging in a loose formation against their target.
"The Sarashikis?" asked Tabane in mild surprise.
His face remained cold as the freezing air slowly entering their part of the complex. "Yes, they played this sort of game but we will be coming to that later."
"Speed up, twenty knots," Markham ordered. Aiken relayed the order.
"Vessels on sight, forward three hundred yards," Temedu called out. "Smaller vessels swarming out of the coves."
"Here comes the hell." She ordered, "All guns, commence! Commence! Commence!" The shooting began. The forward fifties roared to life, spitting a hail of lead on the smaller vessels as they attempt to protect the coastal freighter bringing in their cargo of supplies including the all important munitions. The some of the smaller boats veered to engage the interlopers.
"Enemy boats, bearing one oh-clock!"
"Give him hell!"
The air was alive with tracers and the clouds broke cover to light up this little naval action. Temedu immediately cocked the machinegun and started firing at the closest boat racing by him. The burst didn't seem to hit but he saw a man with a rifle go down. He concentrated on his part of the battle and fired controlled bursts at the boats shooting him. Another boat was chewed to pieces by another boat's forward fifty and Temedu let loose a long burst at his second boat, which exploded into an orange fireball.
"RPG!" screamed a gunner as the rocket narrowly missed the boat. The gunner caught a bullet to the throat for his trouble.
"Man down!" another screamed. Temedu raced for his fallen friend. Another man scambled upwards from below decks.
"Get back to your gun!" he cried at him. "I'll handle him." With that, the Congolese went back to his MG3 while the bleeding gunner was dragged below.
As the smaller skiff was about to make another pass with the RPG, the rear portside gunner loosed a volley with his M19 Grenade Launcher, the 40mm rounds wrecked the skiff completely into flying matchsticks and reddish puffs of its crew. Grunting, he fired at whatever was shooting at him, reloading a fresh belt every now and then.
Temedu's boat surged forward at flank speed to approach the freighter. They brought their broadside to bear at the small boats protecting the vessel, shooting them away. Then powerful floodlights lit from the vessel.
The sudden lights dazzled the gunners. "Ah, you bastards!" cried Wolfe.
"Put that light out!" shouted Abigail. The gunners responded wildly, shooting away at the railings where the lights where. They also blew away and/or pinned the crew as they responded with their own shooting. This had got some of the top deck crew and forced the rest to get down.
"Ah, fuck!" cried Alan as he got down as holes popped next to him, hitting some of his equipment.
"We're taking heavy fire from the freighter," Abigail radioed. "We're peeling off. Someone get that vessel." Their gunners fired as hard as they could to cover the withdrawal.
"Roger," radioed another boat. From the boat's side came to two streaks of fire, fast leaving a wake of smoke. "Redfish Two, missiles away."
"Redfish Three, missiles away!" radioed Redfish Three. The anti-tank missiles they carried board found their marks, hitting the radio hut, the lower deck where a fifty was, and the bridge. The warheads were tipped with thermobaric explosives, which increased the explosive effect, ripped their targets apart. That essentially decapitated the freighter, who already set course back into the open ocean.
"Redfish Two, Redfish Three, outstanding. Get you a case of beer for that," Abigail deadpanned in with a hint of gratitude.
"That's a roge, Redfish One," replied -Two. "Let's end this thing and go home. We'll cover."
"Markham, take her for attack."
"You got it." Markham guided the vessel again for another attack run, this time with her real main weapons: two torpedoes mounted at the side, taken from surplus naval armaments about to scrapped. "Steady, Vasili. We're gonna make it." The helmsman, Vasili, was doing exactly that as he kept course to line up their aim.
"Steady..." The boat roared down as the crippled vessel kept course, as it lost control with its bridge.
"Steady..." They were close now, they can see the panicking crew scrambling over the decks like ants on a disturbed pound cake. They were desperately jumping ship.
"NOW! FISH AWAY!" At that Vasili fired both fish and cleared off as the torpedoes rapidly streaked towards the vessel's side. By slight mechanical failure, the port fish had a skewed rudder, taking it towards stern where the engines were while the starboard continued on the center...
The freighter was rocked with a tremendous explosion as the fish hit. The port fish apparently ignited fuel bunkers while the starboard had itself a conventional fireball, briefly lighting up the predawn darkness. Some of the sailors were thrown into the air and splashed into the sea.
"YES!" hollered Wolfe. "Scratched a gunrunner!" This was followed by more cheering. Temedu, however, did not cheer as he watched through the binoculars men on fire throwing themselves overboard to douse the flames. More liquid fire spilled into the sea as those in the water tried to outswim it. He can hear faint screaming carried by the wind. It was horrible!
"What have we done?" he said to himself quietly.
Abigail watched the scene impassively. Then directed the next course of action: "All call signs. Head for home with all speed. We're done for the night." They squawked in response. "Markham, get us out of here."
"Alright, Wolfe, take us to for home." Wolfe responded, happily complied as they left seas, leaving the sailors to their fate. In the morning the sharks will have eaten most of them. Those who were still alive by them will be floating away, seeking help. Those who managed to make it to the nearest island will be marooned with the additional danger of meeting any of the fighting factions. To die in obscurity is the fate of those who live below the horizon of human existence.
"The loss of the freighter, Shishen Maru, with its cargo of weapon changed the tide of the war. Our bet had won. Jacuta has become another link in our network of support infrastructure. The Sarashikis wanted to turn the island nation into a tax haven for their more questionable schemes. Our attack is just another reminder that the advent of the I.S. did not deter others from resorting to violence, nor can it intervene meaningfully to resolve it."
"Well, I knew they'll do anything," Tabane answered. "But not that sort of thing."
"They are far from benevolent. Like everyone else, they play the power game."
A/N: The above title was an order used by the Royal Navy whenever an engagement begins. For any Far Cry palyers out there, Jacuta was the setting of the little-remembered first game, which had sci-fi elements. The chapter was mainly inspired by War Stories Issues 16-18. Now off to the Sarashikis but don't expect it to come soon. More projects.
