A/N: Some people are saying that this story "plagiarizes" or is very similar to other works. This applies only to several of the initial chapters. From here on out, this work will no longer draw inspiration from other sources
Demon Clans of Arnfair & Sarus #3
Ch12: Surprises
"Don't depend on the enemy not coming; depend rather on being ready for him"
Sun Tzu
New Atlimas – Point Plutonium
September 30, 2014
10:37:13 hrs
"Green light on phase two. Out."
"Copy. Out."
Vice Admiral Rourke switched off the mic, pausing for a brief moment in satisfaction at the speed and efficiency with which the advance team had eliminated the enemy forward observation campsite.
Barely an hour had passed since he gave the go-ahead for the advance team to establish forward recon and eliminate the guard post, that the team had completed their objectives.
Now they were reporting that they were holding position, ready for more personnel of JTF Gravedigger to come through.
Without wasting another moment, Rourke once again got on the mic and switched channels, this time to the loudspeakers posted at the innermost layer of security around the Gate. "This is Gravekeeper to all JTF Gravedigger elements. Advance team has reported that the enemy forward observation site has been eliminated. All units mount up and move out."
Within moments, the SOF units that had been parked around the Gate, waiting for the green light to go through, were in a flurry of movement. Most had been a little bummed out that they hadn't been chosen to go through the Gate first, but in hindsight, they wouldn't miss much. Hell, every single servicemember chosen to be part of Operation: Bloody Eagle would all be the first to go through, in some respect.
Now, they were all hyped up and ready to kick ass, as they all clambered into their ATVs and specially-modified spec-ops-variant armored vehicles.
"The advance team sure worked fast. It's barely been an hour since they went through."
"Hell, if it was easy as that, we should be done in a week!"
"Yo, if we aren't done by then, I'm buying everyone in the squad a round of beer when we get back!"
"Bet you ten bucks if this op take longer!"
The operators shared a round of chuckles as they mounted up, yet true to their nature, the soon quieted down, but the air of confidence remained. Just a little humor to lighten up the mood just before going on a potentially life-threatening mission.
Typical operators.
Even Admiral Rourke, who had heard some of the exchange over his headset, couldn't help sporting a small grin at the smug confidence his operatives possessed going in. They were all among the first heading into a literal alien world, yet they were making bets and talking about drinks like it was the weekend.
Even while Rourke sported the grin, he in the control center gave the order, and soon, the massive metal doors of the dome opened once more, with a flashing of red lights and another blaring of klaxons.
The abyss of the Gate was just as black as ever, the mysterious alure of the unknown calling to them, the very nature of the architecture almost seeming to give a subtle warning, yet that didn't stop the phantoms from stalking forward.
Within moments of the doors opening, and a sound of quiet rumbling, as a line of spec-ops buggies and armored vehicles proceeded to travel into the black nothingness.
It was quite the sight, seeing such a large concentration of special forces troops all gathered in one place at one time, devoted to a single mission.
They were all going into a literal, whole new world, after all, taking on a literal empire in scope and size, and potentially other hostile factions. That necessitated the troop concentration.
While the operatives were in transit, they remained completely stoic and silent; they had all heard what Walker and the advance team had experienced. They were listening in on their communications, after all.
After who knew how much time had passed, the lead unit called in ahead. "Panther Actual, this is Stalker 1-1. We're approaching the exit point, and are bringing the party to you. Over."
"Stalker 1-1, Panther Actual. Glad you could make it. It's starting to get boring out here. Over." Walker lazily replied over the comms.
"Glad we could lighten the mood." The operative quipped. "We'll be coming up on your six shortly, any advice? Over."
"Yeah. As soon as you cross the threshold, break towards your side flanks and make for the treelines. You can hide your victors there. Over."
"Roger. Thanks for advice."
Within several minutes, more of their phantom brethren from JTF Gravedigger emerged quietly from the black abyss of the Gate, their vehicles' hybrid-electric engines giving off very little noise as they carried forth the harbingers of a silent death.
Ruggedized ATVs were among the first to come out, whether they were stripped-down or up-armored. Next came spec-ops variants of JLTVs and M-ATVs, bringing with them the extra muscle that these isolated warfighters desperately needed.
Following Walker's advice, they split off as they emerged, some going to the left, others to the right, as they made for the trees to hide their rides from prying eyes.
As soon as the operatives parked their vics, they quickly dismounted, taking out various weapons and equipment, as well as camo nets to conceal their positions.
Although the treelines could provide great cover, whether out of habit or just training, the operatives proceeded. Although they were safely several miles away from the nearest true Imperial fortification, there was still the threat that some patrol could chance upon them. And there was always the threat of scouts riding on those Wyverns spotting them from above.
Now that all the operatives were across, their identities came to light. While a large portion of Gravedigger were from WOLFHOUND, they also included a reinforced platoon from JTF13, several squads from C.O.B.R.A, a reinforced platoon from Viper, and another reinforced platoon from S.T.R.I.K.E.
Although they knew what their overall objectives were – namely clearing the way from the main force – they had little initial intelligence to act on. They knew that there were some hostile fortifications in the area, but couldn't yet get a fix on the locations due to caution taken to ensure the enemy wouldn't detect their drones prior to their incursion.
Now they were deciding on their first moves.
"Panther Actual, Stalker 1-1. Interrogative. What's our first move gonna be? Over."
"Stalker 1-1, Panther Actual. Intel had reported that there's a main Imperial fort in the area, with multiple smaller outposts spread out. We'll have to take 'em all out before the main force can roll in."
"Copy all. So how do you wanna do this? Over."
"…With a forward observation post like this, there has to be a system of continuous reports in place. I say we hunker down, wait for the next messenger to arrive, then we pounce. We have to ensure we don't raise the alarm right away. In the meantime, we can conduct aerial recon to get lay of the land and find where those smaller outposts are. Over."
"Sounds good. We'll get to work on recon. Out." The operatives wasted no time in taking out a Scan Eagle 6 UAV, along with its launching platform. This iteration had greatly improved endurance and range, along with a whole new sensor suite, and operated much quitter with an overhauled engine and rotor system.
As the night wore on, the task force got the lay of the land within their AO, and more importantly, acquired the locations of said outposts and the main fort.
And after the sun rose as the morning came, just as Walker predicted, a lone figure on horseback could be seen making its way from enemy-controlled territory, heading straight for the camp watching the Gate.
Fort Istrus – Seven clicks from the Gate
Rapun 18, 1037 IC
09:17:26 hrs
Legion Legate Proclus Del Esdras awoke from a good night's rest, exiting his bedroom chamber.
Having a personal bedroom chamber was a luxury that was granted only to the wealthy, or high-ranking military officers, and a Legion Legate was no exception.
Here in the fort though, that luxury could be more easily be afforded.
Legion Legate Proclus was served a quick breakfast by a pair of servants, and soon finished. Afterwards, he donned his armor and cloak, and began his daily routines.
While he wasn't in charge of daily routines around the fort, as that responsibility fell to the camp prefects and quartermasters, he did hold responsibility for the readiness of his troops, and that had its own daily commitments.
Proclus was the commander of the 113th Legion. And while a good portion of his troops were stationed within the fort, most of his legion was spread out over the Arnfair region, stationed at smaller forts and camps.
This was more of a logical decision, as this region was one of the most quiet and peaceful regions within the Empire. There were few enemies to face here, aside from the occasional bandit group that popped up.
Yes, it truly was a peaceful region. So much so, in fact, that some joked that it was almost a paradise to be stationed here. Others complained about being stationed here due to a lack of action. Those who said this were younger, inexperienced legionaries, though.
Thus, it made sense to spread out the troops, in order to more effectively cover territory and respond more quickly to any bandit raids that appeared. It also enabled the commander to maintain control over the region with considerably fewer men, as all the other regions within the Empire required at least several legions stationed at any one time to keep the peace.
Here though, there were no other threats to speak of.
But that reality was soon to change.
Proclus had heard about the expeditionary force's attempted conquest to the realm beyond the Gate, as well as the fate which befell them. Now, he knew this region wouldn't remain peaceful for much longer.
Still, he was confident in the men who were sent to the observation camp only a short ways away from the Gate. The distance of the camp from the Gate, although it was relatively short, still provided a clear view, and its position offered a little protection with the terrain.
He was sure the men there would have ample time to spot whatever came across, and send messengers alerting the legion to rally.
To maintain their readiness, Proclus had ordered that a daily horseback messenger be dispatched to the camp daily, in order to receive word of any activity.
Proclus thanked the gods that the enemy hadn't come across yet.
Now, as he strode out to the fort's courtyard to begin daily drills for the men, he paused a moment to see off the daily messenger as he mounted his horse, giving him the assurance for his mundane, yet very important task.
Proclus felt a sense of calm as he saw the messenger and his mount ride out of the fort's gate on his way to the forward camp, as he galloped down the trail.
After seeing off the messenger, he returned to his daily responsibilities, namely drilling the men.
After several hours of drilling, Proclus expected the messenger to return with the latest report of activity.
Today though, there would be no such report.
"Panther Actual, Stalker 1-1. I got eyes on a single individual on horseback, appears to be making a beeline for the observation camp. Possible scout or messenger. How do you want to proceed? Over."
"…We can't let him report that the camp has been cleared out. If he reports back, we'll probably be looking at the entire troop compliment in the AO rallying at our position…Permission to engage granted. Hide the bodies when you're done. Over."
"Roger. Taking the shot." The operator lined up his rifle, putting eyes on the messenger as he rode down the trail. He put the crosshairs on him, leading the target. After several moments, a quiet wisp rang out.
The messenger was immediately killed and fell backwards of his mount. While his sudden death was quiet, his steed's reaction was not so. The poor creature halted its gallop and reared in a panicked moment at what had suddenly happened to its rider.
The horse was making such a noise that operator quickly decided to shoot the horse as well, so as to not alert any other possible patrols in the area. In the next moment, the horse too dropped dead.
"Wow. Things got a little noisy there for a second. Hope nobody heard that." The operator commented, as he flicked the safety on his rifle.
He stood up from a seated position in his buggy's driver seat and slung his rile over his shoulder. "Alright, who wants to come with me and hide the bodies?" He asked with a somewhat bored tone of voice, and after a moment, the rest of the guys rising in his buggy wordlessly raised their hands.
"Right then, help me get off this camo netting first." He put his rifle down on one of the buggy's side mounts, then proceeded to help his buddies, who were already in the process of folding up the netting.
When they were done, the clambered back into the buggy, and the hybrid-electric engine quietly hummed to life. The buggy quietly and quickly emerged from its hiding place in the trees, driving down the dusty trail, and soon reached the pair of corpses lying in the middle of the road.
The buggy parked past the bodies, and the operators quickly piled out to clean the bodies behind their vehicle. "Damn, this horse body is heavy. What the hell are they feeding them?" one of the operatives quipped as they tried lifting it.
Fortunately, their exosuits made the job much easier, and within minutes, the dead horse was hidden by side of the road. The operatives took the horse deeper into the forest to avoid the decaying smell alerting future hostiles. They also tore down a bunch of branches to hide the body. The same amount of effort didn't have to be devoted to hide the messenger's body.
"Alright, the bodies are hidden. Back in the buggy, gents." The operators then hustled back to their buggy, and were soon back to their original hiding spot in the treeline next to the Gate. They then took out the camo netting again and covered their ride.
"Stay alert, gentlemen." Walker said over the radio once the buggy was hidden. "The enemy will notice that their horseman is missing soon enough…There could be another horseback messenger or patrol sent soon enough. Keep your eyes peeled and trigger fingers itchy."
Fort Istrus
Rapun 18, 1037 IC
13:02:52 hrs
Legion Legate Proclus had finished the daily training routine for his troops, and had now moved onto other tasks.
He was expecting the messenger with the daily report from the observation camp right around this time. It had become another one of his daily routines – expecting the daily report from the observation camp.
However, the messenger had yet to arrive.
At first, Proclus wasn't as concerned for the moment. The messenger's horse could've needed a rest.
But after roughly another hour of waiting, the messenger still hadn't arrived.
Now, Proclus was concerned. He went over to one of the fort's towers. "Guard, the horseback messenger from the observation camp was supposed to return an hour ago. Do you see him on the road?"
"Hold on, sir." The guard took out his telescope, scanning the roads. After several long moments, he replied. "Nothing, sir. I don't see him."
Now Proclus was concerned. The messenger hadn't arrived, and the guards couldn't see him. Now, he was thinking of how to allay those concerns.
"Centurion, how many cavalry do we have?" He asked a passing officer.
"We have five legion turmae, and one auxilia turmae in the fort as of this moment." The officer replied.
"Send out ten men from the auxilia turmae. Have them start looking for the messenger along the same route. We need to find his report."
"Right away, my liege." The centurion jogged to the horse stables, as well as rallying the auxilia cavalry unit.
Soon, the horsemen were galloping out of the fort's gates, intent on finding the missing messenger.
Proclus hoped that these men would suffice in finding out what befell the messenger.
"Panther Actual, Stalker 1-1. Got eyes on a group of ten armed horsemen coming up the road. They're using the same road as that messenger from earlier. Looks like the Imps are looking for their buddy. Over."
"Stalker 1-1, Panther Actual. Hold fire for now. If we eliminate them now, then the enemy will know that something is definitely up…Let them pass for now. We'll see how this plays out. Over."
"Roger, holding fire." The operatives, from their hiding places in the treeline with weapons ready, observed the group of horsemen. They viewed the unfolding events with their rifle scopes, as well as above with their quadcopter drone.
The enemy horsemen appeared to fumble around for a while, and in fact, snooped around the area close to where the first messenger was shot. The looked around the surrounding area for a while, all the while sporting confused looks on their faces.
They even ventured into the treeline close to where the messenger and his horse. The operatives tensed up, afraid that the bodies might be discovered, and the alarm was raised.
They were ready to eliminate them, even though that could potentially complicate their situation.
Fortunately, after several tense minutes of the enemy searching the treeline, and the fear that the bodies would be discovered, they appeared to give up, and returned to their horses.
After mounting their steeds, the group turned tail and turned back to their fort.
The hidden operatives, who had their weapons ready, let out a collective sigh of relief.
"This is Stalker 1-1 to all elements. Hostile cavalry are leaving. You think that they'll be back? Over."
"Stalker 1-1, Panther Actual. They may not give an all clear report just yet. I say we observe further."
"Acknowledged. Out."
Fort Istrus
Rapun 18, 1037 IC
14:39:17 hrs
Legion Legate Proclus was anxiously awaiting for the auxilia cavalry return with their findings.
Finally, the ten men galloped through the gates. The Legate took note of the puzzled faces on the horsemen's faces. "Did you find the messenger? What became of him?" He inquired.
The men looked at each other, as if they were unsure of how to respond, or who would answer. Finally, one spoke up. "Sire, we searched the area, but we couldn't find the messenger, or his steed."
Now he was truly concerned. "What do you mean? You mean that they simply disappeared without a trace?"
"…It appears that is true, my liege. We simply could not find them."
Now Legate Proclus was just as puzzled as he was concerned. The messenger hadn't returned, and now his scouts were saying that they couldn't find his body and that of his steed, as if they had simply disappeared.
He didn't know what to make of it. Did he get lost? Had he been captured? Was he taken captive by bandits? Or was he killed?
The possibilities came into his head, but he wasn't one to act impulsively on assumptions. If he acted and it turned out to be a false alarm, he could be deprived of fighting men needed to watch the Gate for incursions from the other world. That was something he could not have.
"Take the rest of the auxilia turmae with you. Continue your search for the messenger."
"As you wish, my liege."
Soon, the rest of the unit was gathered, and the group of thirty horsemen galloped out the fort's gate once more.
Proclus hoped that with more men looking for the messenger, he could still be found.
But now, he was beginning to have his doubts, and even had the passing thought that this was all for naught.
"Stalker 1-1 to all. Got another group of horsemen approaching. I count thirty men this time. These Imps sure are persistent scouters. Over."
"Panther Actual to all. If that group is more persistent, they may very well find those two bodies. Over."
"Panther Actual, Stalker 1-1. How do you want to proceed? Should we still hold fire? Over."
"…I don't think we can hold position much longer. If those enemy horsemen don't find anything, their suspicions may be raised further….I think that our situation will change the same whether we let them be or eliminate them, regardless….Permission to engage. Weapons free."
"Copy all." Within moments of the affirmation, a flurry of quiet wisps emanated from the hidden operators, and the group of thirty riders, along with their steeds, collapsed onto the road.
"Panther Actual to all. Let's clean up this mess. Lose the covers." Within minutes, the operatives had packed up their camo netting covers, mounted up, and had emerged from their hiding places.
The entire group of ATVs and spec-ops vehicles drove out onto the single road, surrounding the bodies. Within minutes, the bodies of both horses and men were dragged into the treelines, much like the first messenger hours earlier.
"That's the last of them. How do you wanna do this thing now? When these suckers don't return, the enemy will definitely know something is up."
"…We should move while the enemy is still in the dark. There are several minor forts in the area. I say we eliminate them first, then gradually take out the others and strangle the supply lines to this entire region, before taking on the main fort." Walker replied.
"Sounds like a plan." It took only moments for the operators to clamber back into their vehicles, and to begin their drive into the unknown.
Fort Istrus
Rapun 18, 1037 IC
17:11:38 hrs
Legion Legate Proclus was worried.
Several hours before, he had sent an entire auxilia turmae for a rather simple task – to find a messenger and figure out what happened to him.
Now that the night was coming on, and the group still hadn't returned, it seemed like his fears that something was out there in the Arnfair region were beginning to materialize.
Although he was indeed concerned about the absence of the messenger and his scouts, he was more surprised that the messenger and his horse had completely disappeared.
It was indeed a concerning matter, but the scouts were auxilia units; it wasn't as if they were Imperial citizens. They could simply replace them.
Still, the fact of the matter remained: the messenger was missing, and now the scouts sent later hadn't returned.
Back in his bedroom chamber, Legion Legate Proclus took a moment to consider the day's events. He was surprised at the absence of the messenger and the auxilia turmae, but decided to act on it starting tomorrow. He was certain that his legion could handle whatever was out there.
Although he didn't know it at the moment, the disappearance of the messenger and scouts wouldn't be the last surprise he would experience….
To be continued…
After-Action Report:
Messenger terminated
Forward scouts eliminated
All JTF Gravedigger elements are Oscar Mike
Phase Two underway; offensive operations to begin shortly…
End Report