Hey guys, what's new? I got bored waiting around so I decided to start on the next chapter. Boredom has that effect sometimes. Anywho I've got three different projects that I'm working on right now so you can't really expect many more Speedy Gonzales updates like this. Add those to school and you have a recipe for disaster. Regardless I didn't get that many reviews for the last chapter, at least not when I posted it. I'm not quite sure how people are taking this different kind of story that I'm implementing. Please, review or message me with your comments. You have no idea (unless you're a writer yourself) what the kind of feedback that one gets from this does to a writer's muse. Anywho, let's get on with the story.\
Oh yeah, one more thing. This technically adds another crossover into the mix. I've made it almost a dozen-different story crossover already so I don't think it really matters.
October 8, 1999 – March 26, 1995; Osea
The unburied Stargate whooshed open. The human soldiers surrounding the Gate tensed, holding their weapons ready. A large blocky ship launched out of the ring. The men dove to the ground to get out of the way. Without warning a second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth ship followed, all climbing into the air and disappearing into the night. The Gate deactivated leaving them in darkness once again. High in the clouds Kane Tenant steadied his breathing, switching from looking at the dark sky and the pilot of his ship. He'd never flown in a Gateship before; not many outside Harry's personal guard (generally the SG-13 Team) had. Of course any soldiers being sent to the front would be going in Gateships. There simply was no other way of getting them there without Einherjar in orbit. Harry himself flew in the lead ship, leading the formation to the capital of one of the nations Baal and his ally, Belka, were attacking.
Kane fidgeted slightly and rubbed his left arm. Over his BDU (Battle-Dress-Uniform) Jacket was a long bracer attached to his forearm. They'd received the Hoplite System only a few hours before. The fifty that they had were prototypes straight out of R&D. When activated the bracer created an energy force-shield about three feet long and one foot wide along the forearm. Tests had shown that Staff Blasts, Zat Blasts, bullets and other such weapons would be blocked completely, so long as the unit had the power. The Asgard-Ancients that created the Hoplite System advised that the shields could take thirty Staff Weapon blasts or eighty bullets before the shield started to fail. From an empty battery it would take ten minutes for the shield to fully recharge. A small metal bar came off the bracer just below the wrist. To activate the shield one would have to grab that lever and pull it forward. This could be done with one hand and all of the Hoplites had memorized the motion. It gave them an edge over the Belkans and the Jaffa they would be fighting with.
Kane glanced into the back of the craft where his squad waited. Only about ten people could crowd into a 'Ship at any given time so in order to transport Kane's platoon they needed five 'Ships. Harry's sixth only had a few men as they would be headed to Directus, the Ustian capital, while Kane's platoon was moving to aid the frontline of Osea, the continent's main superpower. He watched as the Colonel's craft broke formation and head east, disappearing into a cloak.
"How long will it take to get there?" Kane inquired of his pilot. Having hacked into some of the planet's spaced-based spy satellites the crew of the Einherjar knew the main landscape on the continent. He didn't, however, care enough to study the entire map, only the place that they would be fighting from.
"At this speed we'll reach the target in about five minutes," the pilot replied, not take his eye of the landscape. They could see stretches of land below them filled with military troops. They were still in Belka, after all. "I'm glad that I'm not in the infantry right now. A real war isn't something I'd look forward to if I were you."
"Believe me none of us are looking forward to it," Kane agreed. "Even so we signed up because we're dedicated to the destruction of the Goa'uld. I'm more than willing to fight wars to see them brought to justice." A sea could be seen in the distance now with several ships moving away from the coast. Within a few moments the formation crossed over the sea and eventually over the fleet as well. As the sun began to rise in the east Kane could easily see the coastline and a city on it. His eyes widened in realization. The reason Harry had sent them here was because this was where the fighting would start. The fleet below them was making an amphibious assault on whatever city this happened to be. "Oh shit," Kane muttered, standing up and walking into the rear compartment. The men sitting there looked up as he entered. "Alright guys it looks like we have some bad news. These Belkans are assaulting a city with an amphibious assault. We'll be on the defensive side on the ground in the city. By the looks of it we'll barely be on the ground before the attack starts."
"We come out of one war zone and walk right into another," one of the troops grumbled, unaccustomed to war.
"Get used to it," Kane ordered. "It'll get a lot worse than this, believe me. Check your weapons and equipment one more time. You don't want to be on the ground without something." He turned and walked back into the cockpit to observe the landing.
Early risers of the city Montgomery stared up into the sky as the sun rose over the mountains in beautiful dawn. Many found the calm of early morning refreshing. The workers on the coastline, however, didn't find it refreshing at all. This was rather difficult considering the horde of tanks, infantry and helicopters that erupted from the sea. A police patrol car on the wharf didn't find the morning refreshing either as they wheeled their vehicle away, bullets riddling the area where they had just sat. Three Hind helicopters landed on the wharf with another infantry-fighting vehicle stumbling over the seawall, smashing a car in the process. Soldiers streamed out of the helicopters taking up positions of defense as they tried to establish their beachhead. The Belkan Blitz had begun.
Third Platoon of the Hoplites moved carefully through the streets, energy shields inactive. They'd landed a ways back from the coast as the invasion had already begun. Fifty men stood against an entire army and it didn't surprise them at all. The Platoon split up into its ten-man squads and scattered over the industrial sector of the shipping city, their AGR-1s brandished at the ready. First squad, led by Lieutenant Kane Tenant, moved quickly, securing a street that led directly to the wharf. The men split organized on the sides of the streets behind whatever covers they could find. Moments passed before an IFV started rolling down the street, Belkan soldiers surrounding it. Kane gave the signal and the squad popped up firing their weapons. Two Hoplites fired RPGs at the tank while their comrades assaulted the infantry. The short range rockets pierced the light armor of the vehicle, igniting the weapons inside and sending a violent explosion out any openings in the armor. The Belkans screamed orders in a similar dialect to English, firing back at the Hoplites.
A grenade flew through the air landing just short of the Belkans. Cries of terror erupted from them as they dived for cover. Kane popped out from behind a dumpster, activating his Hoplite shield. A clear-yellow energy expanded, covering his forearm and hand. Bullets slammed into it only to be disintegrated by the shield. He aimed his rifle as best he could with only one hand and fired out from behind the shield, relatively safe from harm. Reinforcements came from the wharf along with two IFVs. Seeing the situation deteriorating Kane ordered a retreat. The Hoplites activated their shields and backed away from the fighting. Their mission was to hamper the Belkan advance until local soldiers could arrive. Fifty men could not stop an entire invasion and they certainly weren't meant to. Another volley of RPGs secured their escape from the area.
The cloaked Gateship set down softly outside the President's Villa in Directus, Ustio. Two men, Lieutenant Colonel Potter and Major Folk, appeared in the garden behind the house and moved towards the villa itself. Even outside they could hear reports being screamed across the room, the sounds resonating through the walls. The two aliens slipped inside the house with little difficulty and took up positions outside the briefing room, waiting. They stood there for a few moments, waiting for the President to leave, something that would undoubtedly happen.
Sure enough the door opened and the President exited, followed by two Secret Service agents. The President walked quickly with his escorts towards the lavatory, unknowing of the two men following them. As they turned the corner Harry and his partner moved in and draped hands over the SS's mouths. They made futile movements and tried to call for help but simply couldn't overcome their assailants. The President turned and watched them with wide eyes, thinking that his life was over. After a moment the two escorts passed out from lack of oxygen and were laid down on the ground. The two aliens turned their attention to the President.
"Are you here to kill me?" he asked.
"Hardly," Larry said snidely. "Quite the opposite actually; we're here to help you. We just couldn't have excessive amounts of Secret Service dudes swarming us before we had a chance to explain ourselves."
"Very well," the President said unwavering. "Explain yourselves." They smiled.
"RPG!"
"Jaffa, three o clock!"
"Take 'em out!"
Bullets flew constantly. For every enemy killed another three took their place. Baal's Jaffa forces had joined the assault around eight in the morning and had since been pressing the assault with no regard for their own lives. Squads One and Two from Third Platoon was holed up in a shattered warehouse a few miles from the coast. Half the roof had been blown apart by a rampant artillery shell. The steel walls had more bullet holes in them than one could count. One of the walls was completely blown off by an enemy tank assaulting their position. Kane sat behind a piece of debris hurriedly reloading his weapon. It was his last magazine. They were all running low on ammunition. The soldier next to him stood and fired his Rocket-Propelled Grenade at one of the tanks. The tank exploded viciously while the soldier took a bullet to the head. Kane grimaced and lobbed his last grenade over his shoulder. The weapon exploded and he started firing through the smoke.
A tank shell exploded above his head, bringing another part of the roof down on one of his soldiers, his frightened scream drowned out by the fighting around them. He glanced around: they'd lost almost six men, half a Squad, and the rest of the Platoon was on the other side of the city. Two tanks, seventeen infantry, twelve Jaffa and three IFVs made up the enemy forces. He stared as one of the tanks lowered its gun, pointing it straight at him. No matter how angrily he screamed at his body to move it refused. His eyes focused in; he saw the shell ready to fire. Kane closed his eyes dismissively, resolved to his fate.
A massive explosion resonated in the air. Kane's eyes snapped open in time to see an Osean aircraft soar overhead, banking around for another run. A helicopter gunship rose up over the warehouses to the east, bullets firing from its gun. A missile shot forward and demolished the remaining tank. The Hoplites screamed with renewed vigor, targeting the scattering Belkan infantry before they could escape. Kane saw out of the corner of his eye a tank roll forward into the demolished warehouse and fire its massive gun. He thawed and stood up.
"Fall back!" The Hoplites all stood and ran as Osean infantry rushed forward to take their place, firing their rifles in response.
(End Chapter)
I KNOW! I KNOW! I added another crossover. Honestly I wasn't planning to. Originally I intended this Campaign to be based off The Belkan War, not to actually be it. But after looking at my first draft I figured that it would be easier, safer and BETTER to just add in the crossover rather than try and mix in lines with a war I couldn't create anyway. Trust me; it isn't going to focus on Harry and Pixie, who are based off the actual Galm Team. They'll be half the story with their missions coinciding with Kane's Platoon. As for how I'm going to work in the Ancient Technology the guys who have played the Ace Combat series probably already know what I'm talking about.
Now, the reason I ended the chapter where I did. Earlier today I jammed by middle finger extremely bad to the point where I can't even bend it. It's taped to my ring finger and it's been hampering my typing beyond belief. It took me about ten minutes to write this author's note and I can write 2000 word chapters in an hour and a half, as some of you already know. That means that I probably won't get the next chapter out until it fully heals. Until that time please review.
PS: What did you think of the Hoplites?