February 16, 2044
2310Hours (11:10 PM)
Waypoint Alpha ,Ouro Preto
Task Force SWORD landed safely on the ground. They're fitted with high-stopping power weapons so they can show Lazarus who's the boss. Rick has a SCAR-L and a Px4 as a sidearm, Sparky has the same kind of weapons equipped, both Snipy and David are both equipped with and Mk 14 Mod 1 EBR and a Px4, and finally Marcus is equipped with a .45 Vector and a FNP-.45 Tactical as a sidearm. Since Lazarus doesn't know what's coming, their weapons are all fitted with suppressors.
Rick pulls out a holographic display from his FTAH, "Okay, we're in point Alpha now." Said Rick in a low whisper. The hologram zooms out and displays the location of the anti-air artillery. A calculation of distance then appears as Rick continues to speak, "We are one klick away from point Victor. Which is also where the guns are at and that is our first objective." All the penguins nods as the leader closes the hologram. "Okay let's-" as he tries to stand up he felt a sharp pain in his back. It was undescribable.
Sparky quickly tends to his leader, "I don't think you're in good shape for combat yet, Rick."
But the penguin refuses his friend's compliment, "No, I'm ready." He continues, "Look, I don't know if I'm gonna make you guys worry, but don't be. It's far too long Lazarus had their fun."
Sparky nods and understands his leaders determination. "Agreed sir, it's time to give them hell."
"Okay," Said Rick. Since Lazarus is a well organized terrorist organization, they need to be careful and precise. "David, take point. Snipy, cover our right flank. Sparky, cover our left. I'll be on the rear. Marcus, on me. You have your orders, so let's move!" The unit then stands on their feet and proceeds to move to their objective.
From two-thousand miles away from the team, on top of a snow covered building. A two-man unit aims their rifle "Sir, just like as planned. They're here."
(One Kilometer Later)
Snipy and David are covered in a white cloth, one-thousand miles away from the artillery. David looks in to his spotting scope and spots the enemies in the area. "Sir, we have five foot-mobiles patrolling the artillery." He flexes his flipper and zooms in as he continues to communicate, "They look like humans. Mid-thirty's. Wait, I think I see something else." He squints his eye and sees a couple of penguins waddling and talking to the humans. "Sir, correction, we have five foot-mobiles and three hostages. They look like they're communicating."
Rick nods, "Understood. Marcus, Sparky, consolidate on me." The two penguins then slowly approaches their leader. "Five hostiles, three hostages. Sparky, go high. Marcus, advance and wait for the signal. I'll go low."
"Hey, Snipy," Snipy looks at David's direction, "Can you make that shot with the Mk 14?" David asked.
The penguin chuckles and looks in to his scope as he adjusts for windage and elevation. "Of course I can. Get your rifle and get ready."
"Copy that." David responded as he readies his rifle and aims it down at the artillery nest.
Rick positions himself and brings up his SCAR-L and aims at one of the humans. "Ready." He whispered through the radio.
Marcus goes prone and lines up his sight, "Ready."
Sparky slides down slowly and stops at rock as one of the humans passes by. He raises his his rifle and whispers, "Ready."
"You take the one on the left, and I'll take the one on the right." Ordered Snipy. Both penguins lines up their sights to their specified targets.
"We'll go loud on Marcus." Said Rick. Marcus takes a deep breath and steadies his .45 Vector. He slow pulls the trigger to the rear until a a whistle sound slices the air, as the bullet hits its mark. That hit was also followed by four suppressed gunshots and the humans drops down to the ground. "Marcus, Sparky, move in!" The three penguins comes out if their hiding places and gathers the three penguin hostages. "Antarctic Navy! Get down! Get down!" The three penguins, who are with the humans, lays down on the ground with their flippers on their heads.
One of the penguins quivers in fear as he looks at Rick, "Please, we don't know what's happening. We didn't do anything wrong!"
Marcus approaches one them and it appears to be a female. As comes near her, she crawls back without facing him. Marcus aims down his SMG and raises both his flippers, "I'm not a threat, ma'am. We're just here to blow those things up." He then points at the anti-aircraft weapon. "See?"
"Stand down guys. It looks like we have civvies. Put down your weapons." Rick ordered as he puts the fire selector on safe and leaves his rifle hanging on his body. He looks at one of the penguins and hopes that they're the only hostages they're ever gonna see. "Now, can you guys please identify yourselves?"
The three penguins looks at each other before looking at the military personnel. One penguin stands up, "We're actually from... FROM LAZARUS!" He holds out a knife and charges towards Marcus.
"WEAPON!" Sparky shouted out as he draws his Px4 from his holster.
Rick does the same but the penguin is now holding down the young penguin with a knife to his neck. "Put it down, now! Put the knife down!' Rick shouted.
"Sir, take the shot!" Marcus requested as he tries to break free from his captor. But the knife was already cutting down to his skin so he avoids to struggle too much.
The two penguins on the ground quickly charges towards the two penguin combatants and disarms them and commandeers their sidearm. "We have you now!" One of them stated.
Rick and Sparky draws their rifles and aims it at the two penguins who has their pistols. "Drop the gun! Drop it!" The two penguins shouted.
"Drop yours first! Or the rookie dies!" The penguin demanded.
Rick lowers his rifle and gestures to Sparky to do the same. "Now, let go of our man." Marcus takes a deep breath and headbutts the penguin behind him, making them fall off the snowy hill. The female penguin follows but was then shot shot by Snipy at the arm. But manages to get away. Rick raises his rifle and shoots other penguin in the and in the head, and falls dead on the ground. "Marcus, what's your status?" But no reply. Rick continues to radio his soldier, "Marcus, where are you?"
"Right here boss." Marcus called out as he scales back up to his team. "Got them both, sir. And I got your weapons back." The penguin hands over the two pistols to his team mates. "They almost had me but I managed to kill them with a knife."
"Good." The commander then waves his flipper at the two distant penguins. "Thanks, guys. Make sure to watch our backs." He then faces the two penguins, "Marcus, Sparky, set the charges. Let's blow it up and head down to the camp." The three penguins sets the C4s in place as the other two keeps them updated if there are enemies nearby.
"One, set."
"Two, set."
"Three, set. All charges set." Rick stands up and holds out the detonator. "Let's move out. We still have to rendezvous with the units in the camp." He then waves his flipper as he speaks in the radio, "David, Snipy, we're gonna move out. I hope you guys packed some fish 'n' chips 'cause you're gonna be here for a while."
Both penguins chuckles as they start to munch in a bag of potato chips, "Then I thought that keeping this a secret wouldn't be worth it. Don't worry boss, we'll have you on the loop if there are any activities going on around here."
"Copy that. See you later at the extraction sight." Said Rick, they then turned off their radio and walks away from the artillery as he triggers the detonator.
BOOM!
They then scale down the ruins of Ouro Preto, the buildings, houses, and other establishments are crumbled to the ground and covered with snow. Ever since that day young penguins are starting to make up ghost stories about the ruins of the old world. They say you can hear people's cries for help as the tungsten rods came thundering from the skies. Bones and blood are scattered everywhere.
The three penguins are feeling something, it feels like they're being watched by a ghost. Every time they turn around they only see feel the breeze rushing through their feathers. Rick checks the map and it is stated that they are ten feet away from the camp. And without notice, a spotlight shines over them and several penguins jumps out points their weapons at TF SWORD, "Antarctic Marines! Drop your weapons!"
"Friendly! Friendly! Antarctic Navy!" Rick shouted as a reply.
"Stand down! Stand down!" A penguin shouted as he waddles towards the three penguins. He draws his Five-seveN and aims it at Rick. "Identify yourselves."
"Commander Rick, from the Antarctic Navy. That's Sparky." He then points at Sparky and he responds with a nod. "And that's Marcus." He then points at the other penguin.
"Hey guys." Marcus greeted.
Rick then looks back at the penguin who's pointing a gun at him, "We're Task Force SWORD. We're the rescue crew."
The penguin nods and holsters his weapon and signals his team to get back. The penguin stretches out his flipper at Rick, "Sargeant Anton of the Antarctic Marines, 75th Battalion."
Rick stretches his flipper and shakes the Sargeant's flipper, "Good to meet you, Sargeant."
Sargeant Anton scans the area behind the task force before looking back at them, "Come on, we need to discuss something in my tent." He scans the environment one more time before he leads the team inside.
Before Rick forgets, he looks at the rookie of the team to give him his orders, "Marcus, hang back and scout the area."
Marcus nods as he cocks the charging handle of his Vector .45, "Got it, boss." He then waddles back to the ruins of the city.
0300 Hours (3:00 AM)
Foreward Army Camp, Ouro Preto
As the three penguins enter the Sargeant's tent, Anton quickly closes the tent's pathway. He lays down his Five-seveN on the table as he begins to talk, "I'm sorry about the unannounced private meeting, sir. But we have a situation."
"If it's Lazarus is comprised of humans and penguins, I think I'm good." Said Rick.
The Sargeant shakes his head, "No sir. It's much different. I think there are spies in central command."
Sparky squints his eye in curiosity. Antarctic Central Command is obviously one of the most impenetrable centers in the whole Antarctic Nation. Listening to this Sargeant gives Rick and Sparky a sense of denial. "That's impossible, Sargeant." Said Rick. "If there are spies in Central Command they should have been already spotted by now. What's your evidence anyway?"
The penguin then pulls out a folder of their previous assignment. "This guy," he opens the folder and points at the picture of a penguin. He continues, "before this guy died, he told me that we're not part of the game from the beginning. He also said that they have a lot of eyes in Antarctica. At first I didn't believed him of course. But hear this," He opens another folder that discusses the scouting pattern of small units across Ouro Preto, "This document dated back to last week. And the next day, we sent out units to scout the area. We gave them their search patterns and off they went. Few hours later we heard gunfire from area Zulu, after that a scouting unit came back carrying one dead guy and an injured one. And later on, the other units came back with dead bodies and injured soldiers. We followed the SOP and called in for an emergency medevac. But of course, the VTOL that should carry the wounded and deceased was suddenly shot down by their artillery. We sent in five guys, and the Colonel volunteered, to destroy the artillery. Only one came back and he told me that there's a sniper out there that has eyes like an eagle! After a while, most of the higher officers went in, but this time, none came back."
Sparky and and Rick looks at one another in concern. If there's a sniper's nest near the artillery then why weren't they engaged? "No one shot us at a long range while we were up there. It's like they want us to go there and destroy the artillery. But why do they want us to destroy it?" Rick asked but no knows the answer.
"Exactly," Said Sargeant Anton. "They want you to destroy it."
Rick nods. Since there's a mole in the system, there's no time to waste. He faces Sparky, "Sparky, get comms up and call in for the extract! Sargeant, you and I will discuss our next step. We need to outwit them." He looks at the field map one more time, "I think we're not gonna make it in time for breakfast after all."
To Be Continued...
FTAH: Field Tactical Assisstance Hologram
klick: Kilometer
SOP: Standard Operations Procedure
