Part 9 – Delayed Departure – Part 2
That night, the team gathered up their gear to head for their objective.
They were gathered just outside of the vehicle depot where they would be departing for their transportation.
When they joined the Knights, they were told that since there would be so few of them, there was no oversight of what they would carry into battle, so they were allowed to carry any kind of weapon that the U.S. Military had in stock. That is of course when the U.S. didn't need plausible deniability.
Sai carried a Mark 14 MGL (Multi-shot Grenade Launcher) for any explosive needs, and as a backup carried a suppressed MP7A2 with a PEQ-IR designator, a MARS red-dot sight, and a forty-round magazine.
Shino was sporting a suppressed FN MK48 with a PEQ-IR designator, an angled foregrip, and a Trijicon ACOG sight.
Naruto customized an M1A with an EOTech MPO III close/long-range sight, a PEQ-IR designator, and a suppressor.
Sasuke meanwhile managed to get his hands on a SIG Sauer MCX Rattler Canebrake (integrally suppressed), painted black, and customized with a G36-style carry-handle sight, a Beretta GLX160 grenade launcher, and a PEQ-IR designator.
As he was twisting the suppressor onto the end of his rifle, he saw Neji walking up to him, "Good evening, Captain," Sasuke said.
"Indeed," Neji said as he placed his SCAR onto his shoulder, "Still enjoying that MCX?"
"You know it," Sasuke said as he placed the magazines for the MCX into the slots on his vest, "You still enjoying that SCAR?"
"It works for what I need," Neji said as he pointed to the spot beside Sasuke, "May I?"
"Go ahead," Sasuke said as he pointed at the spot.
"What are you planning to do when you get to Mammenda Airbase," Neji asked.
"Blow shit up and don't apologize for it," Sasuke said.
Neji and Sasuke chuckled, "I have a similar plan," Neji said, "Standard sidearms?"
"If you haven't noticed," Sasuke said as he tapped the handle of his FN Five-Seven, "This unit is anything but standard."
"I figured," Neji said, "Did she look beautiful," Sasuke looked over at Neji, "Hinata? When you gave her away?"
"Very," Sasuke said, "You'll get to give her away when we rotate back home."
"Indeed," Neji said as he held his arm out which Sasuke grabbed, "Good luck, my friend."
"Back at you buddy," Sasuke said.
Sasuke and Neji walked toward their transports where their teams were waiting, and yet they both got very different responses when they returned.
The team needed to keep their pilots safe, so the obvious choice for them was a Pilatus PC-12 NGX. The plane was modified so that it would look like a civilian aircraft flying the flag of the Congolese Confederacy.
Naruto asked Sasuke as he walked up the stairs into the plane, "You ready to rumble boss?"
"Always brother," Sasuke said as he closed the stairs, and Naruto handed him the face veils the team hung from their helmets, similar to the ones used by Danish Frogmen.
Neji's team's breacher, Sergeant Ramone 'Zombie' Winters spoke up as Neji boarded their plane, "Whose the horny boy you were talking to earlier," he asked.
"A better man than you'll ever be," Neji said as he sat next to him, "That was Lieutenant Sasuke Uchiha. Saved my life on multiple, multiple occasions," he looked over at Ramone, and pointed at him, "He's one of the best, but they didn't put him in the Green Berets because he's red and has horns."
"You're going to stick up for him," Ramone asked.
"Like I said," Neji said, "He saved my life multiple times. Never let skin-color dictate how you look at other people. You'll go far in life if you obey that rule."
"Yes, sir," Ramone said as the plane began powering up.
Two hours later…
"What's this make boss," Sai asked, "Thirty, forty jumps?"
"I've lost count," Sasuke said, "Maybe we should start a tally system."
"On what," Shino asked, "We couldn't possibly do anything to our weapons."
"What about our bodies," Sasuke asked as he looked back at Shino, "You've got enough free real-estate on your body. Maybe we could set up a tattoo plan?"
"Maybe," Shino said, "By the way, what's the word on calls to home?"
"General White has given us free-range," Sasuke said, "You'll be able to be there for your child's birth."
"I wish I could be there in person," Shino said.
"We all do," Naruto said as he put his hand on Shino's shoulder, "You're forgetting how long human and goliath, or in your case, half-goliath gestation periods are. It's been four months, and the baby isn't due for another six. We'll be home by then."
"I hope," Shino said, "Life has a way of turning things around on you."
"Tenten's a healthy woman," Sai said, "You've been through this once. Don't forget that Hine was born while you were on deployment. You still got to witness her birth."
"I still should have been there," Shino said, "She's my wife."
"You'll be there," Sasuke said, "You don't have to worry."
The pilot turned back toward Sasuke, "Lieutenant," he said, "Drop zone in five mikes."
"Got that," Sasuke said as he turned to the team, "They're playing our song boys. Let's get our hats on."
The team replaced the 100% oxygen tanks with the standard-issue oxygen bottles on the HALO/HAHO breathing masks over their faces, and opened the valve on their oxygen tanks.
"First big operation," Naruto said, "Let's do this."
"Let's represent the Knight boys," Sasuke said as he held his fist out to them.
"Represent," Naruto, Shino, and Sai exclaimed as they connected their fists' to Sasuke's.
"BREAK," they all yelled.
"Three mikes," the pilot said.
Sai stepped out of his seat and crouch-walked into the area in the back where they would jump.
Shino joined him, followed by Naruto and Sasuke who took their parachutes as the Air Force Sergeant on deck passed them out.
"Equipment check," Sasuke exclaimed as he tapped the straps of his chute.
Naruto turned around as Sasuke quickly examined his chute while Shino did the same for Sai.
As soon as he confirmed, he turned around so Naruto could do the same, and Shino turned around so Sai could check his chute.
After they were confirmed, the pilots spoke up, "One mike!"
The Sergeant looked at Sasuke who nodded, he then undid the latch on the cargo door, and as he lifted it, the team was blasted with the sensation of going almost 300 miles an hour. The plane instantly felt it as it bumped slightly, the Sergeant would have probably gone out the window if he wasn't strapped in.
Sasuke lined up at the front of the group, cardinal rule of the Knights, CO always goes first during a HALO jump.
The pilot reached up and flipped the jump light on. As soon as Sasuke saw that green light, he was out the door and was followed by Naruto, who was followed by Shino, who was then followed by Sai.
A HALO jump is very risky on a count you have to keep an eye on your altitude. A freefall from 12,000 feet is over in about thirty seconds. Shino being half-goliath and in essence, a walking wall of muscle weighed about two hundred and sixty-one pounds in his equipment. At top speed, he would reach 864.49 (rounded up) miles per hour during his freefall. All of this meant that his fall would only be about ten seconds (rounded up) longer than a free fall from 12,000 feet.
As a rule, Sasuke made sure that Naruto wore an altimeter at all times, being he was a sniper, he knew what to look for.
Naruto kept an eye on his altimeter, and once it got to just above 3500, he grabbed the cord on his chute and yanked it.
Sasuke followed suit, then Shino, and finally Sai.
The trees they floated into were thick-brushed, and very high, which makes it a good thing that they didn't get caught in the limbs on the way down.
As soon as they landed, and they shrugged off their chutes, they gathered up their weapons, and rallied on Sasuke who pressed the talk button on his radio, and asked, "TOC, this is Knight 0-1, the griffin has landed."
"Roger 0-1," Rock said, "Be advised, you have four hours before the hammer drops. Command is getting antsy."
"Copy that," Sasuke said, "We're moving the Round Table."
The team picked up their gear and proceeded toward Mammenda Airbase.
One hour later…
Most of the goblins that lived in Kandra were either green or orange, most of the goblins at this airfield were green, but there were a few orange ones mixed in.
Two of them were patrolling the north perimeter of Mammenda Airbase which was covered in a thick wall of trees.
Both of them were green, had black hair, but carried different weapons.
The one on the right barely had time to finish his sentence before the side of his head exploded like a water balloon.
His partner turned only to have a 4.6x30mm round slam into his chest which opened his back like a watermelon being dropped onto solid concrete from a two-story building.
Shino and Sai quickly ran out, grabbing the bodies, and tossed them into the tree cover as fast as they could.
"Knight 0-3 to Command," Shino said, "Two hostiles down."
"Copy 0-3," Sasuke said, "You can move up, we'll cover you."
"Copy," Shino said as he signaled Sai out of their cover.
All four of them had covered their faces with the veils to break up the silhouette of their faces and shoulders so they wouldn't be recognized in uniform.
The planes the goblins would be using were old Soviet-bloc Foxhounds and Fencers. Being as they were about two feet shorter than the smallest person that ever flew one of those planes the little beasts raised the seats and pulled the steering column back. They also welded extension bars onto the pedals.
The helicopters they used were old Hips and Hinds, and they had given the choppers a very similar treatment that they had given the planes.
What was obvious about the aircraft was that the Soviet star was painted over with the symbol of the Kandra Revolutionary Army which was a black war mace that had four blunt flanges, and a single spike on the head against a red background.
Shino and Sai jogged up to one of the choppers, right about now there were no pilots around, so Sai went to work on their sabotage efforts.
One pound of plastic explosives, strapped to a five-minute timed detonator, hidden inside the wheel-well of the helicopters parked on the runway.
Meanwhile, Sasuke was spotting Naruto who was keeping an eye out for the two of them.
"Target in the tower," Sasuke said as he focused his M151 spotter scope on the goblin standing on the top of the control tower, "Range: three hundred and fifty meters. Wind slightly out the east, eight miles-per-hour."
Naruto adjusted his scope for three hundred and fifty meters, "Got it," he said.
"Send it," Sasuke said.
One squeeze of the trigger and the goblin flopped sideways onto the roof of the control tower.
"Target down," Naruto said.
"Knight 1, this is TOC," Rock said over the radio, "Command wants an update."
"Knight 3 and Knight 4 are working as fast as they can," Sasuke said, "At least seven helicopters are marked. We're working as fast as we can."
"TOC copies," Rock said.
"Knight 0-1 to Knight 0-3," Sasuke said.
"Go ahead, 0-1," Shino said as Sai began strapping the final chopper with one of their charges.
"Command is getting antsy," Sasuke said, "Give me status on the choppers."
"Knight 0-4 just finished," Shino said, "We're moving to the hangers."
"Roger," Sasuke said, "And you know we won't be able to cover you in there, so watch yourself."
"Copy that," Shino said.
As soon as Sai crawled out from underneath the chopper, Shino helped him to his feet, and the two of them proceeded to the hanger.
Arriving at the hanger, Shino reached up to turn the handle: locked.
"Knight 0-4 to 0-1," Sai said.
"Go ahead 0-4," Sasuke said.
"The drawbridge is up," Sai said, "Attempting to lower."
"Copy that," Sasuke said, "We'll cover you."
Sai knelt down to the door and pulled out a skeleton key, and as he twisted it in the lock, the door simply swung open.
"Knight 0-3 to 0-1," Shino said, "We are entering the castle."
"Roger that 0-3," Sasuke said.
The two of them entered to see the hanger had a couple of Goblin soldiers sitting with their back turned toward them. They were currently watching the African soccer league playing Brazil to advance to the finals.
Sai reached into his pack, pulled out two charges, and whispered, "We'll have better luck if we split up. I'll take the two on the left, you get the two on the right."
"Ok," Shino said as he let his MK48 hang from the strap, and pulled out his sidearm: a suppressed .44 magnum Desert Eagle with a black matte finish, "If you're compromised, shoot: sidearms only."
Sai pulled out his own sidearm: a suppressed Glock 17L MOS with a Leupold Delta Sight and a SureFire X300 weapon light.
Shino made a very careful effort not to make any kind of sound as he crouch-walked over to first of the planes, and attached the explosive inside the wheel-well.
As Sai was placing his, he looked up with his Glock when he heard something, only to see one of the goblins had dropped his drink.
Shino lowered his own weapon and signaled Sai up to the next set of planes.
After attaching the last of the charges, the hurried back over to the entrance as one of the goblins turned around to look at the plane.
To be continued…