Operation Vital Resolve – Day 3, Mission 1
Task – Assault and Secure
Objective – Secure abandoned airfield for use as a FARP Assault enemy-controlled airfield and secure for use as a FARP.
"One-Alpha-Two in position, ready to engage."
"One-Bravo-One is set, on your go."
"One-Bravo-Two is ready to rock."
"Two-Alpha and Two Bravo, waiting for your green light."
Ruby listened to the multiple messages over her radio, calming herself for the mission ahead. When it came to light that the airfield was inhabited and active, she had wasted no time in calling Sergeant Adel and her squad for backup. The kind of assault she was planning required the numbers.
All sixteen soldiers split up into pairs, all mounted on their ATVs and positioned around the key areas of the airfield; the hangar, tower and aircraft apron. At the go order, everyone would fire up their ATVs and proceed onto the airfield at high speed. The ATVs carrying Yang and Yatsuhashi, the two Automatic Riflemen, would seize a covering position across from the hangars and set up to provide heavy cover fire. Nora, Ren, Coco and Fox would seize the tower and have Fox set up as marksman while everyone else would assault the hangars and remaining buildings.
The best case scenario: the violence of action and element of surprise would leave the defenders confused and disoriented, resulting in minimal casualties overall.
Worst case scenario: everyone would get mowed down upon approach by hostile fire.
It was a risky move, and a move more commonly used by entire mechanised battalions and Special Forces teams; not a single lightly armed airborne infantry platoon. But inside, Ruby was confident that her plan would work.
"One-Alpha to all teams; green light. Push, push, push!" Weiss, along with all the other ATV drivers, fired up their engines and pinned the throttles, leaving the tree line behind them as they approached the target. Ruby had her G36 rifle shouldered and ready to fire as they drove closer. Through her optics, she could see that the White Fang personnel had not yet reacted to the approach. It wasn't until a burst of fire rang out from Yang, riding on the back of Blake's ATV, alerted them to their presence.
Not that it mattered much; by the time the enemy was able to properly react, the soldiers had dismounted from their ATVs and quickly dispatched the insurgents that had their weapons ready to fire. The sheer violence of action had scared the others into surrender; Ruby and Coco watching as the members of their teams effortlessly subdued and restrained the surrendered insurgents.
Ruby looked over to Coco, and saw that the older sergeant was wearing her airborne beret instead of her helmet. Coco noticed this and flashed a 'why not' smirk in return while shrugging her shoulders.
"Hey, Sergeant Rose! I think you might want to check this out!" Jaune called out from one of the hangars, the thin metal walls making his voice echo slightly. Ruby wandered over with Coco in tow as they found Jaune and Pyrrha watching over a familiar looking insurgent.
"Coco, do you have a card deck on you?" Ruby asked her fellow team leader, who started digging through her vest for a card deck that had high-ranking members of the White Fang printed on them. She pulled the deck out and started flicking through the deck until they came across a possible match. Coco handed the card to Ruby, who held it up beside the face of their prisoner and verified their identity.
"Who'd know that the Jack of Spades would be in such a remote place?" Jaune chucked as he stated the absurdity of the situation.
"Go ahead and laugh it up, kid. You'll be regretting it in the next few minutes." The prisoner responded with a cocky smirk, despite being on his back on the cold and dusty hangar floor with his hands and feet cuffed. Ruby put the card away and stepped up to the man.
"Care to enlighten us why that would be the case?" As if on cue, a radio pack on a table nearby clicked on and a distorted voice came through.
"Candlelight, you're late for check in. You have ten seconds to respond, challenge Rhino." The prisoner glanced over to the radio, and then back to the soldiers standing above him.
"That's why." He said with a smug smile, apparently satisified with the turn of events. Jaune paled as the realisation of the message sunk in.
"Ruby, that's a radio check. If they don't respond, odds are that a reaction force will be breathing down our necks in the next ten minutes. What do you want us to do?" Ruby didn't respond as she started walking towards the hangar doors, looking around and taking in the surroundings. As she walked into the open area of the apron, she looked up to where Fox and Blake had set up a wide field of cover with their marksman rifles, and then over to where Yang and Yatsuhashi had established a machinegun nest.
"Long; switch with Alistair and set up in the tower with Belladonna. Daichi; see if you can't get onto the roof of one of these other buildings with Alistair and set up a second overwatch position." She called out onto the radio, watching as the soldiers quickly carried out their instructions. "Winchester; get your squad and work on bringing the ATVs into one of the hangars as fast as you can. Everyone else; gather the prisoners into the other hangar and then establish defensive positions across the airfield."
Everyone went to work as Jaune and Coco walked up to Ruby, confused and puzzled looks on their faces. "So, Ruby... what's the plan?"
"We hold the line as best we can and wait for a miracle..." Ruby looked around for a particular soldier, and called out to her. "Nikos! Get a hold of Beacon Actual and see if you can't get some air cover or a QRF deployed to our position. We're going to need some help very soon!"
"Got it Sergeant!" Pyrrha finished running over to her cover of choosing, a parked tow tractor, and unpacked her radio to begin her transmission. "Beacon Actual, this is One-One. We've secured the objective at this time, but have intelligence regarding an enemy reaction force has scrambled and is inbound on our position within the next ten mikes. Requesting for immediate reinforcements or air cover, how copy?"
"One-One, this is Actual. We copy all; stand by as we pass it up the chain. Wait one, over." That minute felt like ages to Pyrrha, but she did all she could to contain her relief when the reply came back. "One-One, be advised; Sonic Five, a flight of two Thunderbolt Two's, has been diverted to your location. Time on station is expected to be within the next seven mikes. How copy?"
"One-One copies all, out!" She stowed the radio handset and switched to her personal radio. "Ruby, we've got two A-10s diverted to us, they should be here in seven mikes."
Where she stood, Ruby could see the morale of the two combined teams lift dramatically as the announcement was made. The A-10C Thunderbolt II, or Hog as it was called by ground crews and troops, was a massive force-multiplier and a major morale booster as well. While the Hog could carry the latest in guided ordinance, its main feature was its ugly and terrifying thirty-millimetre gun that protruded from its nose. The sound of that gun firing for just a couple of seconds is enough to make friendly hearts pump with adrenaline and the enemy's heart to sink to their feet.
"Awesome, get yourself into cover now Pyrrha. I anticipate company arriving soon!"
Michael Thorne was not having a good day.
He started the day with the news that the Vale-led military coalition had pushed further inland and had resecured their main forward base, wiping out numerous White Fang fighters in the process. Then he learned that one of the top 'colonels' would be dropping by at a nearby airfield and would be making a surprise visit to local militia cells in the vicinity. After that, word came in that the airfield where the colonel was located had failed to check in, and that Thorne's Quick Reaction Force was tasked to investigate. And worst of all: he didn't get to have his morning coffee after an overflying attack jet made him spill all of it onto his lap.
Thorn reflected on this as his convoy of six armed technicals, each carrying five insurgents each and armed with a heavy machinegun on the roll bar, barrelled through the dirt roads towards the airfield. A beanie covered the top of his head, concealing a pair of small wolf ears and protecting them from the dust and dirt being kicked up around them.
"Yo, Thornie! You sure something's wrong over at the field? Kite might have just fallen asleep at the radio again, like he did last week!" The shout drew Thorne from his thoughts, and he turned to respond to his companion who was crouching in the tray of the technical. Unlike Thorne, who's features were limited only to his ears and teeth, this man's standout features were a long striped tail of a tiger and dark-amber cat eyes. The man, Steven Card, had been in the Fang for as long as Thorne had; the two were battle-buddies of a sort.
"Nah, usually Kite responds after the third hail. We got nothing this time. Something's up, which is why the boss sent us. The fact that they've gone dark with the bossman visiting makes this all the more suspicious."
"Still, there's got to be a reason why-" Card was quickly silenced as his body crumpled to the hard metal tray, a neat bullet hole in the middle of his face where his nose used to be.
"Lead gunner disabled." Blake radioed as she shifted her sights to the gunner in the second truck. She had fitted a suppressor to her Mk 14, both to limit the visible flash and audible report of her gunfire. Though, after the first few shots, the element of surprise would no longer be available. She quickly dispatched the second and third gunners with a single round each, hitting them in the neck and upper chest respectively. While not as lethal as her headshot from earlier, it was enough to keep them down and out of the fight.
"Good shooting Blake. All Beacons, you are cleared to engage at your own will."
Thorne instinctively dove below the dashboard as Card's body came to rest in the tray. Within seconds, the vehicle he was in started taking heavy amounts of small arms fire from the direction of the airfield. He couldn't see who or what was shooting at them exactly, but it was a safe bet to assume that they were Coalition forces.
The truck veered to the side and into a small embankment by the side of the road, the driver slumped over the wheel with bullet wounds visible along the top of his chest. Thorne gathered his wits and quickly climbed out of the truck and hit the dirt in front of him, crawling away and watching his fellow fighters did the same. Amongst the gunfire coming from the field, Thorne could place the distinct rattle of light machineguns amongst the shorter and sharper bursts of rifle and carbine fire.
"Alright, on the count of three, I want half of you to leap up and get to the other side of the road and into those trees. The rest of you provide cover fire." He listened for his fighters to reply and waited for them to get ready, bringing up his own rifle and preparing it to fire at the enemy.
"Enemy has taken cover in minor defilade on the road side. All technical gunners are confirmed down."
"Copy. Valkryie, Bronzewing; see if you can't lob some forties over their heads and keep them down. Pyrrha; see if you can't get a hold of those Hogs and get them to light those guys up!"
Thorne, along with twelve other men, poked their heads up from the ground with their rifles and unleashed a long burst of automatic weapons fire in the direction of the airfield, not really caring where their rounds hit; as long as it kept those human soldiers suppressed enough to keep them from shooting back.
No sooner had he emptied his magazine, a fighter from the group that ran across called out that they were ready to cover the rest of them to cross. Thorne reloaded and mentally prepared himself to leap up when he could hear a low droning sound in the distance.
"Sergeant, Sonic is on station and is on their first run. They can see the muzzle flash on their targeting pods and are about to fire. Time to impact, twenty seconds!"
The droning turned into a low roar, and Thorne's blood ran cold when he recognised the sound approaching them. He turned to his men and screamed.
"HOG!"
"Sonic Two-One, rolling in on vector one-five-seven, weapons hot. Guns guns guns."
All that Ruby could hear in the immediate area was the sound of thirty-millimetre rounds impacting on the insurgent fighters on the road across from the airfield, followed by the trademark 'BZZZRRRRRRRRTTTTTTT' sound of the A-10C's GAU-8 Avenger. The men in Coco's second element; Cardin, Dove, Sky and Russel, they all cheered out in joy as the attack jet rained down sweet death from above, the dust and dirt kicked up from the impact of the rounds starting to settle as the jets passed overhead.
She took a sneak peak at their prisoner, whose smug grin was turned into an ashen expression of sadness as the reality of the scenario sunk in.
"Looks like you won't be getting away after all..." She said as she stood up and peered through her binoculars to give a battle-damage assessment. The row of technicals that were abandoned were now on fire and shredded to pieces, bodies strewn across the surrounding area while the few that survived writhed around in pain. Internally, she debated sending over Weiss and Velvet to go tend to them, but instead chose against it as any efforts to treat them would end up being futile, as well as put the two combat lifesavers at risk.
Pyrrha came running up to Ruby with her radio pack unslung, setting it down on the ground in front of her as the radio came to life.
"Sonic Two-One to Beacon-One-One Actual. Be advised that we will be remaining on station until your ride home arrives." Ruby picked up the handset and replied to the two aircraft that were orbiting them.
"Copy that Sonic, thanks for the assist. One-One out." With that, she changed frequency back to the battalion's net.
"One-One to One-Actual. We've secured the airfield and are awaiting reinforcements. How copy, over?"
"One-One, this is Actual. We copy all; combat engineers and three mechanised rifle platoons are on their way to assist, ETA fifteen minutes. A flight of Chinooks will arrive shortly after to collect you and bring you back for debrief, over."
"Copy that Actual. Uh, it's also worth knowing that we have captured the Jack of Spades... how do you want us to proceed, over?" The radio stayed silent for longer than expected, and Ruby began to worry that she had said something wrong.
"Are you sure that it is the Jack of Spades?"
"One hundred percent sure, Actual... he's not cooperating but he's not resisting, either... What do you want us to do?"
"Beacon One Echo-Four-Romeo... ensure that your EPW is secure and ready for transport before extraction arrives. Good work out there, One-Actual out."
Ruby absentmindedly returned the handset to Pyrrha as she pondered over the instructions given to her by Captain Ozpin. Sure, it was standard procedure to secure a POW for transport, but the way he said it; flat and unemotional, was unnerving.
"Arc, can you and Valkryie make sure that our guest is ready to fly with us?" Ruby asked her ATL.
"Can do... are you alright Ruby?" Jaune replied, concern laced in his voice.
"... I don't know... I get the feeling something's about to go down, I just don't know what."
Forty minutes later... Coalition Operations Base 'Flèche'
The mood of the entire platoon lifted as they disembarked the large CH-47 Chinook helicopters that had carried them and their ATVs back to the base. Many of the remarks made by her soldiers were those of relief and elation; most of which could be summed up as Sergeant Xiao Long's loud remark of 'home, sweet fucking home'.
And while noticing that Captain Ozpin and the rest of the platoon command element were standby by the entrance of the helipad waiting for them wasn't exactly surprising, it was the fact that they were accompanied by General Ironwood that caught Ruby off guard. General James Ironwood was the Chief of Army for the Atlas Military Forces and was the current theatre commander for Operation Vital Resolve. With the General were a couple of other soldiers, notably a young looking Lieutenant around Ruby's age whose ginger hair stood out against the drab grey-green hexagonal camouflage uniform that she wore. On her shoulder bore the patch of the AMF's field intelligence unit, known only as 'The Codex'.
Immediately after Ruby helped their EPW off the helicopter, Ironwood and the Codex operative quickly walked up to them and took custody of him, whisking him away to a vehicle with a bag over his head.
"Good work on your mission, Sergeant Rose. I shall ensure that the platoon receives some rest after such a task, you and your team definitely need it." Captain Ozpin as he approached Ruby with Lieutenant Goodwitch in tow. "Once we receive the intelligence gained from your capture, you can expect the operational tempo to increase dramatically. So rest; you've earned it."
"Will do sir."
"Thank you Captain!" Yang said as she collapsed down onto her bunk; her weapon and vest discarded on the floor at the end of the bunk. "Hey Ruby, I think we kicked some ass today!"
"Go to sleep Yang, you're tired." Was all that Ruby had to say in return as she walked past and over to her bunk, taking off her plate carrier and setting it down on the floor before sitting down on the edge of the bunk. Jaune walked over and sat beside her, patting her on the back.
"Good work out there, I don't think I could have done it any better myself."
"Thanks Jaune... I'm glad you're my ATL, I don't think I could have anyone else as my second." Ruby smiled, before yawning as the day's events caught up to them.
"No problem. I'm looking forward to the few days of rest we'll have before we jump again… we are jumping again, right?" Jaune asked, standing from the bunk as he began to make his way to his own bunk.
"Well, we are an airborne unit… so it's likely that we'll be jumping again. Though, I wouldn't be surprised if we find ourselves taking on a different role soon; either as an air-mobile unit or a motorised unit. We have to be flexible in the theatre of war. Years ago when war broke out here, my Mom was in this regiment… and she spent most of her time leading her platoon around either on foot or in gun trucks like the Beowulf."
"Right, right… wasn't Captain Ozpin a platoon commander as well back then?"
"Yeah… he was leading the platoon meant to relieve my Mom's platoon before they got hit at the checkpoint… another half an hour and she might have ended up where the Captain is right now…" Ruby sighed as she let herself fall back onto the thin mattress and sleeping bag that was her bed, faint memories of her conversations with her commander about her mother after being assigned to the regiment now starting to fill her mind.
"Hey, for what it's worth, Ruby…" Jaune spoke up, bringing her back to the real world, "from the stories I've heard from past members of the regiment, you mother was one hell of a commander. I have no doubt that you'll be just as good as her."
"Thanks, Jaune…"
THE STORY IS STILL ALIVE, YAY!
Sorry about the massive delay in chapters guys. A lot of stuff has happened since the last update: Semester finals for the year, upgrade of a computer, got a new job that is (practically) full time, and been catching up on Xbox and PC gaming (Got a One for Xmas, and a new gaming PC for my birthday.)
I'll try to find time to work on this story when I can guys, but don't expect updates too regularly.
Until next time!
