A/N: I wanted to give a shoutout to one Shockeye7665, who I found out recently placed my fics in the fanfic recs tab of TVTropes' entry on Ace Combat. I've always kind of wanted to be on there, so a big thanks to him. Go check out his stories (under the same handle mentioned), too! He's working to reach the place he wants to be in fic writing, so to him feedback is important!
Chp. 34: Burning Down the House
March 17, 2024
Northern Shimoji Islands
The FAC ducked down as one of the scout platoon's M240s opened up on a group of enemy infantry that'd decided to get bold. The grenade they'd tossed went off harmlessly short of the positions along the shallow ravine, but it was followed up by a second that tossed searing-hot fragments onto the Osean troops. Another man was wounded and went backwards, snarling and trying not to scream. One of the medics hurried up and dragged him out of harm's way, forcing the FAC to take his spot and engage the Verusean attack. He lowered after a short burst, then rose and lowered again to cover the 240 as it was fed more ammo. The FAC peaked over the lip of the fighting positions one last time, just enough to see the smoke round he'd fired from his M320 exhaling its colored contents. He switched on the device secured to his rig and raised the handset for his radio.
"Shogun 4 this is Farmer 91, look for green smoke to indicate enemy positions, IR strobes to indicate friendlies, how copy?" He said.
"Shogun 4 copies all, Farmer. Keep your heads down and don't stare at the flashes too long." The lead pilot replied.
"Heh, roger that."
Eric snapped to the right while Mark kept watch for threats and descended below the clouds. He picked a heading several miles from the spot where the green mist floated from the woods. He centered his FLIR on it and saw at least a company (against a platoon of cavalry scouts) of Verusean infantry formed in a skirmish line. He selected his GBUs and locked the targeting pod's camera and laser onto that spot. As soon as he was committed, Mark made two more laps around his station before he broke and followed a slightly different path down to the target. Eric staggered the release of his two bombs in a shallow dive before he nosed up sharply and hurried away. The blonde looked back over his shoulder and waited for a report from the Osean soldiers on the ground. The forest broke open with violent force before the FAC got on the radio again.
"Good hits, Shogun! Good hits! Go ahead and change to the east-west approach for that second group, guns only...will roll in Shaker after that." He said, explosions and small arms audible in the background.
"Roger that Farmer, coming around on the second group."
Eric extended from the battle again and selected his M61 for the job. This time, without smoke to guide him, he had to have Mark do a bit of searching until the smaller Verusean force was found. Mark slipped his friend the position and Eric again slaved his FLIR to it before he committed. This time he slowed, winged over and went into a steeper dive from higher up. He pulled back on the trigger and walked a line of rounds roughly up the length of the Verusean positions. He also made it a point to break the sound barrier as he swooped by, to add insult to injury. Two Air National Guard A-10s would take over the next few runs against IFVs dug in further back. Eric looked to the left and watched the two attack aircraft swoop down, employing their 30mm cannons against the soft-skinned IFVs. Sporadic fire continued to chase up after them, but to no avail. Eric doubted that the Verusean Air Force would show up, either. They hadn't been in the airspace that Kotoko's F-22s were responsible for, lately.
"Shogun, Shaker be advised, we've got friendly tracks coming from the southeast along the road, watch for friendly PCs on the road. Eric checked the direction to verify, and was greeted with the sight of Osean-built IFVs.
"Shogun copies all, Farmer." Eric assured.
"Shaker copies all, Farmer. You need anything more from us?" His Air Force counterpart echoed.
"Ah standby, Shaker…negative, negative we're good. Thanks for all the help."
With mechanized support close at hand, the four jets formed up and pushed northeast to hit a tanker before they went their separate ways. On the ground, two platoons of M2A4 Bradleys swept aside the forest like it was made of paper as they pressed the attack against the Verusean force who'd chased down the scouts. Behind them was the first brigade of the 11th Infantry Division, driving the Veruseans' northwards advance back more and more by the day, sometimes the hour…
Jose brought the tank to a complete stop across from the wall the Marine infantry were lined up against. There was little time to waste and the two parties had already been briefed. A company of Verusean Airborne had dug in here and was using the neighborhood's position atop a hill to direct fire onto the Osean advance. Besides clearing out every Verusean unit in the city, the advantage the Veruseans were exploiting would be just as valuable to the Oseans and Shimojis. Repeated attacks on the place had gained some ground, but not much. A company of Osean Marine infantry had been assigned to punch through this particular part of the district. The company would advance along an assigned route through the neighborhood with a tank supporting each platoon. The remaining tank would provide security for the company's mortars and HQ. Benedict would take the latter job and the others would support the grunts.
The street before them was typical of the ones in this city they'd been down before. It was big enough for an Abrams, but still snug compared to the main roads they'd spent much time on. The walls surrounding most of the houses, unless they'd been demolished, were too tall to aim the main gun over. The upper-class nature of the place meant that the houses were closer to an Osean neighborhood in spacing, though. The houses were also bigger, and would need more time and men to clear.
"Taylor, get up on the 240 and watch the rooftops on our left. If we get into it, drop down and feed Brad more rounds. Martinas, when we get the go-ahead take it slow. Keep spacing and concentrate on driving. Brad, if you see something call it out and engage it. I'll direct you onto further targets as I spot em." The Lieutenant ordered.
Izzy nodded grimly and ascended up and through his hatch, taking his Kevlar helmet with him. Kourtney was on her M2 while James had switched to the coax. Several of the grunts set out first, trotting carefully along the street in search of ambushes. On signal from the platoon's leader, Kourtney ordered Jose forward. The Abrams rumbled forward with a slight jolt, then smoothed out as Jose found the best position for the throttle. The rest of the Marines and a combat photographer followed behind. James rotated the turret back and forth over a narrow arc, sweeping the space between the two lines of Marines. The right column stopped at a house as the incline began to get a little steeper.
"Knight 3-1 this is Alpha 1 Actual, hold here while we clear these houses, then advance to that intersection about 60 meters ahead and hold while we finish this block, how copy?" The head Grunt radioed.
"3-1 copies all, 1 Actual…Driver, halt." Kourtney replied coolly.
James kept the gun forward while the two columns of Marines broke down the iron gates separating them. With their escortes' okay, Jose brought the tank forward a bit more and knocked in the gate that protected the driveway. He pulled back as the Marines went in and their compatriots opposite the house could storm another complex. James aimed the gun forward and waited for something to appear on the thermals. He zoomed in on the house at the fork in the road, where the perimeter wall had a few holes in it. Good firing ports, he figured. Jose brought the tank forward again after a few minutes as the Marines moved down the block to check the next houses. Here there were a pair of side streets, obstinately for garbage collection. James readily put his faith in Izzy and the El-Tee while he kept watch on the house and its "firing ports".
"RPG, eleven high!" Izzy interrupted.
The chatter of the 240 drowned out James's request for verification, and then the whole world seemed to explode in violence. He saw a figure on a roof at his one and swiveled the turret to engage. The figure fired and ducked back down before he could get a bead, leaving the warhead to be engaged by the frontal Trophy mounts. James still raked the spot with a burst of rounds and called out the position. Izzy had already dropped back inside and shut the hatch. Kourtney swiveled the fifty in that direction and suppressed the second position while James turned back towards the house to the front and spotted movement. Kourtney deployed smoke grenades just as James started hosing the side of the house facing them. Tracers ripped through the shroud as pre-positioned machine guns seemed to be throwing rounds in every direction. The Marines scrambled for cover while Kourtney ordered the tank forward a bit.
"Gunner identify! Position at our twelve, 65 meters!" James said, switching to the main gun. Kourtney's order was a mere formality.
"Fire!"
"On the way!"
The building flashed into obscurity as the AMP round punched through its outer wall and exploded. Izzy, at James's request, fed him another AMP round set to counter infantry.
"Alpha 1 Actual, stay behind us until we can establish fire superiority. We need you to clear out any other potential RPG teams along our route. Once we have that position suppressed, we can move forward to support you, how copy?" Kourtney radioed.
"Alpha 1 copies all, Knight...standby." Her infantry counterpart replied.
Verusean infantry sprung from concealed positions further up the road to try and pin the Oseans in place. Despite them having no effect, the Abrams was hammered by small arms fire and a grenade or two. James and Kourtney responded in kind with their machine guns; James didn't even have to worry about the recoil and was content to pick one of the positions up the road and hose it til the Veruseans manning it stopped firing. Their supporting infantry, still pinned, joined best they could with grenade launchers and frag grenades.
"Driver, advance! Advance now!" Kourtney radioed.
The tank lumbered forward into the fire, allowing some of the Marines to follow behind it towards the fork in the road. There was another house to the right of the fork that had been strongpointed; James asked for Jose to go to the left some more so he could get a good shot. The driver gunned it and knocked over a house's outer wall. Another RPG just barely missed them, though it caught some of their allies in its blast. James had the perfect retort in mind for that offense; so did his commander.
"Fire!
"On the way!"
The entire second story of the house was torn off and sent cascading backwards into the yard behind put the tank back on the street and held in position while Kourtney conferred with Alpha 1's leader.
"Alpha 1 Actual, Alpha 1 Actual what's your status?" She demanded.
"Knight 3-1 be advised we've got two KIA, three WIA. Will need to tend to them and regroup before we can advance. Standby for updates." The infantryman replied.
"Gotcha 1 Actual, orders til then?"
"Hold position and keep us covered...By the way? That last shot was pretty fucking sweet, 3-1."
"Roger that."
It wasn't the best firing position; Kourtney ordered the tank to make itself a position in the lot of the house it'd just eviscerated. Jose did just that while one of Alpha's squads moved up to help. Now it was a game of hurry up and wait while Alpha checked in on getting CASEVAC for the downed Marines. Several ran past the tank and found firing positions among the rubble around it while others set up to cover the left fork in the road. The Veruseans didn't wait for them to get comfy.
"Knight 3-1 to all Knight 3 victors, report." Kourtney spoke up as James engaged infantry up the road.
"Knight 3-2 here, nothing to pass on from my position. Advise Alpha 1 Actual that we've got a force from Bravo placed forward to receive KIAs, how copy?" Benedict reported.
"Knight 3-3 is in heavy contact with enemy forces along route...engaged and destroyed at least four strongpoints. Advance is slow, but steady." Garvin assured.
"Knight 3-4 has caught and engaged an enemy force attempting to flank Knight 3-3 and Alpha 2. Requesting support if available." Knight 3-4 added.
"Knight 3-1 copies all…Alpha 1 Actual be advised that they've got people ready to receive your wounded, how copy?"
"Alpha 1 Actual copies all…have stabilized wounded at this time. I'm sending one of my squads to escort em down the road to CASEVAC. Will advance once they're back, how copy?"
"Knight 3-1 copies all, 1 Actual."
Another attack erupted from the right fork and Kourtney decided to move her track into the intersection to allow the Marines more cover. She gave clear warning and ordered Jose to move back into the street. The process was slow and burned patience like no other fuel could. James frequently found his field of fire changing. Sometimes manageable and sometimes unworkable. Whenever he had a clear shot, he would exploit it all he could. Keep the Veruseans from organizing or digging in; that was all he could do. The destroyed buildings gave them cover, but little in the way of a height advantage. Whenever he spotted some, he kept an eye out for HJ-12 teams. One of those would do them in real good, especially in this tight space. They needed to get moving and get the infantry deployed to protect them against that. What was taking so long? The tank jerked back and forth several times, then started rotating to the left. It was enough that he was just about to key his mike to tell Jose to hold still, but his fellow Marine had a ready explanation.
"Uh El-Tee, we may have a problem here!" Jose spoke up. Oh for fuck's sake…
"What kind of problem, Martinas?" Bettz replied warily.
"Tank might be stuck on something! Can't tell; I'll either need to get out or have one of our grunt friends check!"
"Stay buckled, Martinas!"
Kourtney raised the rifle platoon leader, who in turn had one of his squads detach a member to check out the matter. Sure enough, a twisted bundle of rebar and torn up lawn had gotten lodged between the rear right road wheels. All of it was so nicely held down to the ground by more rubble. One of the Marines accessed the handset connected to the tank to relay it while another started manhandling the rebar out. Until then it was the best position James would have, and it limited his field of fire. He (and by extension Kourtney) needed infantry to cover them on the right, where he couldn't get clear shots.
"Alpha 1 Actual, I need you to deploy more of your guys on our right flank, how copy?"
"Right flank, roger that! How long til you're unstuck?"
"Ask the guys working on it!"
"Gunner identify, light tank at our one!" James interrupted as a ZTD appeared.
He didn't wait for Kourtney to yell her command and instead barked "On the Way!". Izzy, without the need to be told, relayed "AMP up!" to the gunner as soon as a fresh shot was in. The Lieutenant was constantly going back and forth with the Marines working to dislodge the tank as the newest Verusean attack seemed to wane. Support, namely ammo, was the new need. On request, Kourtney deployed a fresh round of smoke grenades to keep the Marines well covered. Knight 3-2 was ordered forward to escort a JLTV (Joint Light Tactical Vehicle) loaded with some fresh supplies from the infantry's H&S Company. A second ZTD appeared from the direction of the other fork, only to be dispatched after its shot glanced off Benedict's tank. Kourtney was in the midst of a conversation with the rest of the platoon when someone interrupted her with good news.
"Driver, we're free! Back up and get to the intersection, now!" She said, relief apparent in her voice.
The Marines cleared the tank and let it move back before it began marching up the street. James put another round into a house where he saw muzzle flashes. More grunts took the spot the M1 vacated while it pushed up to the fork and went right. Knight 3-2 went to the left while the infantry reorganized and advanced behind the cover the two tanks provided. One squad started taking ammo from the JLTV while the rest kept up the fire until the Abrams were in place and holding the line. A fresh barrage of smoke grenades and some well-placed AMPs against the sources of more RPG fire allowed the Marine infantry to start clearing houses again. The Verusean OP would come soon enough.