Operation: Flanks for nothing.
Disclaimer: Ninja Holiday will be skipped for lack of ideas. Slightly AU.
(...) indicates alien lines.
Once the Flagg's repairs are finished, G.I. Joe is notified of a Trubble Bubble shot down over one of the western-most Turkish islands. "While investigating how it got there, we found forward operating bases around the Suez canal. Based on it's flight range, we've estimated it came from the one on Crete's eastern coast." General Hawk informs them, adding that the recent activity in the region means Washington wants them to avoid sending the Flagg too far off Greece's coast. "Dusty, Recondo, and Snake-Eyes will land on the northern side with Slipstream giving aircover. In the event you are discovered; bravo team, consisting of Leatherneck, Lifeline, Torpedo*, and Lady-Jaye, will be sent in."
"But how are we supposed to get there in the first place?" Recondo asks him.
Not long after, Beachhead, and Dusty are in the office of a Greek shipping company. "I have given much thought to your Government's request, and my answer is, as you Americans put it, not a chance in hell!" Mr. Aertes tells them. "I dealt with you before. It got me mocked by business associates and hounded by investigators and the press for months."
"Naw, wait jes' a minute dere; if Cobra keeps it's hold on da Suez canal, dat'll be bad foh you too." Beachhead replies, but is ignored.
"Far from it; i will lose nothing i can't compensate for at any other body of water."
"I guess she was right; we will have to try this the hard way, Beachhead." Dusty tells him. Beachhead glances at him before agreeing.
"If that's a threat, i will have no choice but to have..." Mr. Aertes says while the latter heads to the door and motions for bravo team's extra member in the hallway. "Ατλας?" The magnate squeaks out to Beachhead after that someone walks in.
With Mr. Aertes' part of the plan carried out, Dusty and his two teammates hide their Devilfish's and make their way up the beach. "Bravo Hotel, this is Delta Tango one niner. Shoreline secure."
"Copeh d...Copy that, we see you." Beachhead tells him, covering his accent. "Now keep moving; our satellite showed the enemy camp to be 7 degrees east."
"Got'cha, Bravo Hotel."
Unbeknownst to them, or Cobra, another ship is approaching. (Captain, our hydrogen supply is lower than anticipated.) One of the crew says.
(Cancel departure vector and proceed to the nearest source.) The Captain ordered.
The ship hovers downward for the Mediterranean, where the Joes and Cobra are. (Sensors have one large-scale aquatic vessel, and several land-based structures belonging to this planet's younger sentient inhabitants in the vicinity. Each identified as potential hostiles; shall we adjust heading to avoid?)
(Negative. Their only weapons are chemically powered projectiles. Even if they could reach us, our ultra-nova shell polarizers are sufficient to ward off their attacks. Carry on.)
The ship continues on course, and another crewman speaks. (We're picking up carrier-wave signals from one of the human land sites.)
(Translate it. We can atleast get a recording of the moment their "cold war" changes it's intensity.)
The crewman does as requested, and after some garbled sounds, a voice is heard. (Dr. Mindbender, one of our hidden camera's spotted three unable to translate heading for squad 18's position.)
(Understood, Baroness. Alert them of this; i will take three Night Ravens to sink their carrier.)
As the Joe trio are running for a new place to hide, Recondo turns to Dusty. "You just had to stop and take a leak, didn't you?!"/"You try holding it on for a nautical mile, why don't you?" The two say before Snake-Eyes taps the latter's shoulder frantically. "And just what is your problem?" Dusty asks right before finding out for himself. "Aw man, not this trick again. Flagg, check the enemy comm traffic and see how many Dreadnoks are in that..." He is saying when the unknown aircraft is hit by a Cobra laser blast.
(What just happened?) The captain asks outloud as a siren goes off.
(Our ventral hull was struck by a primitive model of photon cannon right under the engineering compartment. It also seems to have dislodged a hyperdrive coil.)
(Take us above the cloud layer, and send out a distress signal. I want the humans psy-monitored.) The captain says, and two crew-people enter the minds of the Flagg's C.O., and Dr. Mindbender. (I have identified the humans on the ship as military personnel from multiple branches of the North American continent's military. They were removing a terrorist organization connected to the older inhabitants from a canal by the African continent's north-east coast. They are not yet certain of what they've seen.)
(And i have entered the mind of their opponent; but he seems to have a desiccated bio-implant.) Another says, causing a third voice to speak.
(That is property of Cobra-la. I am aware of the damage you have received. Know that we will do nothing for or against you. Conduct your repairs and remove all trace of yourselves from our world.) Golobulus tells the captain.
(Understood; we have the situation under control.)
Meanwhile, Admiral Colby, General Hawk, and Beachhead are in the Flagg's radio-room. "Um...Delta Tango one niner calling Hen-house, the snakes fell back after that UFO lost something shiny looking. Acc-according to our map and the sat-images from the briefing, it might have landed near some local ruins. Should we bring it back?" A person identified from the Admiral's memory as Ronald "Dusty" Rudat says.
"We saw it too, Delta Tango, but permission denied; too much risk of radiation. We'll contact Duke, and have him bring Airtight over. Hold that position until further orders." Dial-Tone tells him.
"Copy that, Hen-house."
The other psy-monitor is listening to Dr. Mindbender, who gives a much different story while his Night Raven is being resupplied. "Despite vhat the Baroness may have told you, Destro; the object is merely shrapnel from an enemy missile. Ve have the situation under control." He says.
"You had better. Just keep the blockade up until your reinforcements arrive."
Back on the Flagg, the Joes are being called to the briefing room. "You suppose that it's real aliens this time?" Torpedo asks Cutter.
"Nah; I bet 10 bucks that it's just a repeat."
"If you don't pipe down, I'll send you to Mars to find out." Sgt. Slaughter says before Hawk begins.
"Men, as you may be aware by now; an unidentified aircraft entered into the zone of action at 1139 hours. 17 seconds later, it was fired upon by a Cobra mini-drome, and ascended out of the Flagg's radar range, but not before losing a piece of unknown size and/or function. Duke and Flint have been appraised of this, and the former is-" The General is telling them when a sailor enters.
"Sorry to interrupt, sir; but we just got word from the bridge that Cobra is on the move again."
"Damn it. Ok...tell Dusty to keep them occupied as long as possible. Beachhead, Slaughter; take a squad and retrieve or destroy the fragment before Cobra does! Dismissed."
On the alien ship, the crew watches the activity below. (Captain, the humans are getting too close to the coil. If their weapons strike it, they may activate the time/space whirlpool!)
(Attach a micro-quantum beacon onto one of them incase that happens.)
When that scenario does occur, Duke contacts H.Q. "Flint, this is Duke. Airtight and i were just informed that the object started a glowing field approximately 200 yards in circumference...and both Beachhead's squad and Dr. Mindbender's forces were in the middle of it."
"...Ok, Duke. How much is left?" Flint asks him, not needing to turn around to see the concerned looks from the other Joes.
"That's...a bit harder to tell. Slipstream says everything was still there, but neither group was moving when he made his pass. And it gets weirder."
"What? How so?"
"Well, it wasn't until he landed that Dial-Tone told him that Beachhead reported back claiming that the space coil sent us to Ancient Greece for nearly a week; when for them, it was only four minutes." Flint hears from a different voice.
"Your sense of humor could use some work, Lady-Jaye; but good to hear, anyway." Roadblock replies.
"And which of us has the thing, now, or did the Jarhead drop it over Krakatoa?" Wet-Suit asks her.
"Ya mean Vesuvius, stupid!"
"It's back in it's rightful owners hands...or whatever they built it with."
Chapter twenty-two.
*I imagine Wet-Suit was left out to do K.P. for the La Fonte incident.