Chapter 12: Battle

The NID operatives were edgy, they had been told to expect regular ground forces in disorganised formations only, with about 70 SAS soldiers in support. They were all from elite forces of some sort or another they all knew they could take regular army units with no problem, but half their air support had just been smashed from the sky, by SAM batteries Intel had stated weren't there. They had more air support inbound, but it was light attack helicopters and Blackhawk's only, and the Blackhawk's carried all the pilots for the craft they were here to capture, loss of just one Blackhawk would severely compromise the mission.

The rearmost operative jerked, and fell to the ground still, joining a long line of corpses along the railway line. The new rearmost man, hearing him hit the gravel, turned his head to investigate the noise, and saw the bodies. His eyes widened with horror,

"Sniper!" he cursed.

The NID operatives all dodged for cover, and began looking for muzzle flashes, or other signs of the sniper firing. It never came, the SAS sniper realising he was blown, had moved on, leaving 12 NID corpses in his wake.

The NID crawled on, close to the perimeter fence now. Slowly, cautiously they approached the fence through a gap in the hedge line, the only place to get to the fence, it was a perfect ambush spot. They knew it, and knew any sensible officer would know it too and have it covered.

The lead operative snipped the links of the fence, as more NID operatives gathered behind him. Chris Tanner, a former member of Marine Force Recon found himself crowded into the hedge, a small rock digging into his side. He shifted, and grabbed the rock, trying to throw it out of the way. His hands didn't feel a rock however; they felt a curved man-made object. He glanced at it, and his eyes went wide, terrified,

"Claymore!"

GC, St Athan shook as a series of massive explosions rent the air.

"Sir, The SAS just detonated the claymores over at the railway line"

"Think they used enough of them?" the admiral muttered as the explosions finally finished and rapid gunfire began.

"SAS now engaging the hostiles" a lieutenant reported, unnecessarily.

"Sir, new contacts inbound, IFF beacons match those HMS Sceptre just transmitted to us"

"Well, they took there time sending the second wave"

"Not complaining Sir, the surviving Rapiers report they have fully reloaded"

"Sir, the inbound appear to be Blackhawk's and light attack helicopters"

"Tell the Rapiers to target the Blackhawk's, and tell the Stinger teams the Light attack birds are theirs"

"Light Attack Helicopters now attacking the perimeter, Stinger teams en-route"

The admiral frowned, "What about the Stinger teams assigned to the perimeter?"

"KIA already sir"

"Shit, Signal HMS Sceptre, that freighters our boy, put him on the bottom"

HMS Sceptre, Shallow, Just outside the 5-mile limit.

"Roger That, okay boys its confirmed, that boy is our target, make tubes 2 and 3 ready in all respects, including opening the outer doors"

"Tubes 2 and 3 ready in all respects aye Sir!"

"Targeting solution confirmed sir, transferring to torpedoes"

"Torpedo room reports tubes 2 and 3 ready in all respects sir"

"Fire"

HMS Sceptre shuddered as the two Spearfish torpedoes left their tubes and headed at full speed for the NID controlled freighter. Neither missed, torpedo 1 hit the starboard screw dead-on; destroying it, shattering both of the freighters drive chains, and creating a whole through which water rushed into the hull. The second torpedo went in low and detonated just 1 meter beneath the hull. The result was catastrophic; the freighters hull snapped in two, both ends went vertical in seconds, crushing a Blackhawk between them before diving to the bottom of the sea.

"Periscope depth!"

HMS Sceptre surfaced and began searching for survivors, finding only 12.

St Athan

The tempo of the gunfire increased, the NID becoming savage and desperate. They knew the craft they had come to retrieve were there only way out now, and they were not going to end up in a foreign jail.

The Blackhawk's and light attack helicopters had successfully co-ordinated their attacks wiping out the last of the Rapier SAM batteries, several of the helicopters falling in the process, now they were mercilessly hunting the stinger teams down. Several more helicopters fell from the sky, thanks to the quick shooting of the stinger teams, but they were running out of stingers. Now, two new players made their presence known, in style.

The 5 Longbow Apaches swept into St Athans airspace, bouncing a Blackhawk / Light Attack tag team and tearing them to shreds, before taking their guns to the vicious fire fight between the SAS and Royal Welsh defenders, and the NID.

A pair of US Marine F/A 18 Hornets also arrived, having been diverted from their ferry mission as soon as they heard St Athan was under attack by Helicopters. It didn't matter to their commanders that RAF St Athan was not one of their bases, it was an allies, and that was enough. The Hornets blazed through the battlefield at just under mach 1, taking down the last Blackhawk and a Light Attack Helicopter with sidewinders.

Slowly, but surely, the Royals were winning.

GC, St Athan

"Sir, priority signal from Thundersdawn Sir, they are under attack!"