Chapter 5

Caspian Sea, off the coast of Kazakhstan

Onboard the GDS Tsar's Redemption

September 11th, 2011

0900

A cold and biting wind swept over the large battleship, bringing with it the first signs of the coming autumn. Mark Lancaster shivered slightly as he stood on the deck just outside the bridge of the ship. It was a Russian made warship in service to GDI, and tasked with patrolling the Caspian Sea. A job that would be unnecessary in the very near future, as the sea was slowly drying up, both due to an old Soviet era irrigation project, and from the environmental effects of Tiberium. But it would seem that the Tsar's Redemption would get one final hurrah before the sea dried up, as they were currently preparing for an invasion. He took one final look out across the water to see the Tsar's sister ships, the Kiev's Pride, and the Rasputin.

Mark finally turned and walked back into the bridge, escaping from the cold sea air. The crew was silent as they manned their stations, all with stoic faces as in mere moments the assault would begin. All save for the Captain, who had a wide grin hidden under his thick beard. Captain Boris was a jolly old Russian, having served the former Soviet Union, and now the Initiative. He had thick arms and a thicker stomach poking through his GDI naval uniform along with a beard of steel grey, dark brown eyes, and with what little grey hair he had left hidden under a cap. He turned his gaze to Mark as he walked in and his smile grew even larger.

"Enjoy your fresh air Commander? Nothing like the smell of open water eh? Oh to be a young sailor again!" Captain Boris gave a hearty chuckle which seemed to warm the mood of the other crew, including Mark himself.

"A little cold for my tastes." Mark replied as he stepped over to the Captain.

The big man put a meaty hand on Mark's shoulder and stared out at the dark blue waters, the shoreline barely visible on the horizon.

"I'll make a Navy man out of you yet Lancaster." The Captain chuckled again, but Mark stayed silent. He found himself deep in thought again as the shore loomed larger and larger.

Kazakhstan had fallen into chaos with countless riots and Nod fueled unrest. The United Nations had attempted to keep the peace, but failed, and now that most of their powers had been shifted to GDI, one of the new Board of Directors' first directives was to restore peace and order no matter what. Up to and including, a full scale amphibious invasion. With their primary target being a large training ground for Brotherhood forces. Fresh memories flooded him of his first command, back during the war. A young and inexperienced commander leading an assault on Nod controlled Estonia. He smiled to himself at the mental image, and the realization that the more things changed, the more they stayed the same.

"Captain, Commander, we are now in optimal firing range. Sat feed confirms considerable enemy shore fortifications." One of the bridge technicians reported.

"Excellent! Let's see how the Brotherhood fares under our guns! You best get your men ready Commander, while there is still a beach to land on!" Boris was acting like a little boy ready to play with some new toy. That toy of course being three massive ship grade cannons.

Mark was the one to laugh this time as the Captain's eagerness was infectious. He activated his tacpad and spoke loud enough for the bridge crew to hear as well.

"Lieutenant Andreas? We are green light to launch. Repeat, green light to launch. Good hunting Lieutenant."

"Copy that Commander. Launching in five minutes." Sergio replied.

Mark turned to the Captain and nodded his head. Boris' smile somehow grew even larger.

"Fire all guns! Remind the Brotherhood who is in charge here!"

In response to the Captain's command, all nine barrels of the three cannons fired, rocking the ship and sending ripples across the water. The ship had drawn close enough that Mark could make out the plumes of sand and dust that the shells had kicked up, while the outlines of concrete bunkers and turrets set into the cliffs overlooking the beach could be just barely made out. The guns fired again, and once more large plumes were sent up.

The bombardment continued for a few minutes before a message flashed across Mark's tacpad. The hovercraft had launched from their berths below the ship, as the Tsar was serving the triple function of command vessel, artillery support, and carrier. Just as the guns fired again, Mark could see the ten Hovercrafts speeding across the water towards the shore. Eight of the craft were smaller infantry carriers while the other two were the larger armour carrier variants. This was just the first wave that would make landfall; there were another two waves ready and rearing to go, as well as a special surprise that Mark had brought along with him.

"Adjust elevation by 3.7°. Space out firing by 40 seconds instead of 30. I believe the Commander would prefer we don't hit his men." Boris commanded. He received an acknowledgment from the officer in charge of the guns, and Mark watched the heavy cannons raise slightly higher before firing again.

Mark brought up a satellite feed onto a console in front of him: now he could watch the progress of the Hovercraft as they neared the beach. Shells continued to rain down on the Nod fortifications, and he witnessed several bunkers and turrets be transformed into smoking ruins.

"ETA until landfall about two mikes." Sergio reported over the radio.

"Adjust aim 17° to the right, decrease elevation by 1.2°. Give me three more salvos then cease fire." Boris ordered.

"Aye Captain! Three salvos then cease fire." The weapons officer repeated.

Mark counted down the seconds between each volley, knowing that after the final one his men would be given a baptism of fire.

"Those bastards are dug in deep. They're stubborn, I'll give them that. Not common for someone to survive such a beating." Boris commented with a huff.

"Don't worry Captain. Our new friends over at Otani-Lincoln have given us some new toys to test out."

Boris just harrumphed and said.

"We didn't need fancy toys and gadgets back in my day. All you needed was a rifle and a belly full of vodka and someone to point you in the right direction!"

The Captain gave a boisterous laugh and Mark was quick to join in. It lasted until Sergio reported in. They had made landfall. The battle had just begun in earnest.

… … …

Robert McCoy stood inside the Hovercraft shoulder to shoulder with other GDI infantrymen. The craft swayed and jumped every time it crashed through the waves. The craft was silent save for the breathing of dozens of soldiers waiting to rush straight into enemy fire. The sight brought back memories of his first real combat mission, also an amphibious assault on an enemy controlled beach. He was nineteen at the time, nothing more than a scared kid, barely able to keep himself from vomiting. That day had changed his life forever, and now, almost fifteen years later, he was completely calm, going so far as to even have his eyes closed as he waited for the moment the ramp would lower.

Private West, on the other hand, was not doing so well. The man actually looked green in the face and seemed to be fighting with himself every time the vessel hit a wave. He unfortunately lost that fight and as Tony vomited that morning's breakfast all over the deck, two nearby soldiers jumped backwards and knocked into the men behind them at the sudden discharge. Tony's face went from green to red as he looked incredibly embarrassed and McCoy felt a surge of pity for the young man. The two men who had been closest to West suddenly began shouting in his face, drawing everyone's attention.

"Yo what the fuck is your problem man?" A dark skinned soldier asked.

"You got puke on my boots faggot!"

The second man, a rough looking man with light skin, looked as though he was ready to punch Tony, and judging by how terrified Tony looked, he thought the same thing. McCoy pushed his way through the throng of soldiers standing idly by as the altercation went down.

"You two stow that shit now or you both can swim." McCoy stated sternly.

The two men looked up and instantly paled when they noticed his sergeant's rank insignia. They both looked sheepishly around before backing off. Tony gave him a nod in way of thanks and McCoy simply moved back to his original spot.

"T-minus 60 seconds." Major Wilson shouted from the front.

The cramped compartment was abruptly filled with the sounds of people checking over weapons and equipment, or offering prayers to which ever deity they worshipped. Unlike the rest of the men, McCoy instead was busy writing a disciplinary report in his mind for the two soldiers who had threatened one of his men: he did not take kindly to that sort of thing.

The sixty seconds went by in the blink of an eye, the Hovercraft surged onto the sandy beach and lowered its ramp. Sunlight and a chilly air rushed into the compartment, as did the sound of heavy machine gun fire. The Major shouted for them all to move but it proved unnecessary as they all rushed out before he even finished. McCoy immediately scanned the beach and spotted a large blackened crater a few feet away from them. He also noted that most of the bunkers were still intact, and dozens of Nod troops were waiting for them behind sandbag barricades. McCoy fired off a quick burst from his rifle as he made his way towards the crater, stopping only long enough to wave for the others to follow.

"Join on me! Take cover in that crater!"

McCoy quickly jumped down into the blackened hole, semi cautious of the jagged bits of shrapnel still littering about. Moments later the other four members of his squad joined him, as did the two men from earlier. He paid them no attention as he peeked over the edge and fired off two more bursts before ducking back down. The others likewise traded rounds with the Nod soldiers, as the heavy guns in the bunkers continued to fire down at them. McCoy stood back up for a moment, but not to fire his weapon. He quickly scanned the beach until he spotted the Major hunkered down in another crater further up the beach.

The GDI forces were slowly moving their way up, but the Nod forces weren't making it easy. One of the Hovercraft exploded when a Javelin rocket slammed into the open compartment. Thankfully it had managed to deploy its compliment of troops before its untimely death, however the same couldn't be said for the pilots. McCoy was about to lay out a plan to make their way to the Major's hole when one of the soldiers from the Hovercraft, the rough looking one, collapsed backwards, blood spilling from a bullet hole in his throat. Reed dropped down and tried to stabilize him by holding his hands over the wound, but it was a wasted effort as the man's eyes glazed over. Reed lifted his hands away; they were now covered with blood and he tried to wipe them off with sand.

McCoy and the others stood up in unison and fired a long stream of bullets, firing until they all emptied their mags. They managed to take out a squad guarding a pathway that led up the cliffs to the top, thus allowing friendly forces to move forward. As he was reloading, McCoy glanced back towards the water in time to see the last of the Hovercraft land and unload their occupants. More soldiers ran out to join their comrades hiding in the shell craters. But it was what came off the larger heavy Hovercrafts that caught his eye. Two M270 MLRS rolled off the carriers and trudged up the beach, bullets bouncing harmlessly off their armour. Both launchers deployed themselves and moments later were obscured by thick clouds of smoke from the rocket exhaust. Dozens of rockets flew into the air before crashing down into the concrete bunkers. Explosions sent large chucks of flaming debris raining down onto the Nod defenders. The M270s shifted their aim to another bunker and let loose another salvo. King gave a hearty cheer at the destruction as the squad continued to trade fire with the dwindling Nod forces.

McCoy tore his gaze away from the destructive exchange and took aim through his weapon's sights. He was about to target a Nod soldier manning a heavy machine gun when he disappeared mere seconds later. High calibre rounds turned the soldier into shredded meat and blew apart the sandbag barricade. McCoy turned to see where the rounds had come from, only for his jaw to drop open.

Emerging from the heavy carriers were bipedal machines, roughly ten feet in height. They had an almost egg like shape with thick gold plated armour, and a cockpit style canopy for the sole operator. A large chain gun was attached to the right arm, while the left arm had a thick, vaguely human like hand. The Powersuits slowly lumbered onto the beach, firing their massive weapons and completely obliterating any foe in their path. McCoy kept watching in disbelief: he had seen some crazy things during the war, but this took the cake.

"Now that is what I call firepower! Suck it Noddies!" Reed shouted.

"Ain't no kill like overkill!" King quickly added.

West and Rodriguez simply stood and watched with amazement while the other man in the crater with them gave a loud whistle of approval. McCoy quickly snapped out his daze when bullets impacted around their cover. He brought up his rifle and fired random bursts in the direction of the enemy. His bullets fell short of hitting anything, but it didn't matter as the Powersuits moved further up the beach, ripping apart anyone they came across. GDI soldiers began emerging from the shell craters, charging forward as the Nod forces beat a hasty retreat.

All the remaining bunkers were destroyed by the twin M270s, and the new Powersuits quickly secured the beach. The first step of the invasion was a success, although they didn't walk away totally unscathed. McCoy looked around the ruined beach and noted a fairly large number of dead GDI soldiers strewn amongst the sand, as well as the destroyed Hovercraft which was still burning. As he continued surveying the beach he eventually spotted Major Wilson walking towards him, alongside one of the egg shaped Powersuits. McCoy's squad climbed out from the crater and stood beside him, all eager to get up close with the new tools of carnage.

"Sergeant, how are your men holding up?" The Major asked in way of greeting.

"We're green and mean sir. I have one KIA from another unit." McCoy turned as he said that and looked down to the bottom of the crater. The dark skinned private from the Hovercraft was hunched over his friend, carefully removing his dog-tags.

"Damn shame. But we don't have time to mourn. New orders from Command, we need to secure an area to set up a FOB. Intel shows that there is a large Nod base on top of the cliffs, just outside the city. We will need to secure it before we can take out those training camps."

"You make it sound easy sir." McCoy replied, a hint of unease in his voice.

"It should be with these new X-0 power suits." The Major said, indicating the Powersuit standing beside him.

The large canopy opened to reveal a single occupant inside, a woman. She smiled down at them, noting the attention she and her machine were getting from McCoy's men.

"No need to worry Sergeant. We can make short work of those Noddies." She said enthusiastically.

She then held out her hand for a handshake, but inadvertently caused the X-0 suit's hand to also extend out, nearly crushing McCoy's skull.

"Oops! Sorry Sergeant, still working out some kinks. My name is Corporal Myers." She retracted both her and the Powersuit's hand. McCoy took a quick step back.

"No harm done Corporal."

"Come along people, we have a job to do." Major Wilson chided.

"Sir yes sir!" Myers replied quickly, and closed her canopy. She then stomped across the beach to where the other six X-0s were waiting.

McCoy and his men followed behind the Major as the GDI forces advanced to the left side of the beach. Stopping by the two M270s where the remaining GDI soldiers had gathered, Major Wilson walked to the head of the unit and began addressing all of them over the radio.

"Goliath Squad will take point. Our objective is a Nod base located just at the top of these cliffs. We need to take it out so the Commander can send reinforcements. Prometheus 1-1 and 1-2 will provide artillery support. Let's move it out!"

The seven X-0s spooled up their chain guns and moved up the path with stunning speed. The infantry were quick to follow as the M270s redeployed at the base of the cliffs. They encountered no resistance as they made their way up, and McCoy was careful not to glance at the blackened bunkers.

They immediately came under fire the minute they reached the top of the cliff. Bullets bounced harmlessly off the Powersuits as they let loose a lethal stream of metal. McCoy quickly took cover behind a rocky outcropping, joined moments later by his squad. He peaked around to get a look at the layout of the enemy base, but ducked back as bullets impacted around him. The base was far smaller than the main complex that was their primary objective. However that didn't mean it wasn't well defended. Stinger sites and tunnel networks surrounded a series of barracks and warfactories, and all of it surrounded a large stockpile of vehicles. Scorpions, Rocket buggies, and even Chinese Type 99 tanks.

McCoy tried to peak around the rock again and this time managed to fire a prolonged burst before retreating into cover. The other four were likewise having difficulty firing at the enemy due to the sheer volume of bullets being thrown their way. Even the Powersuits were getting slowed down now that the Nod troops had brought anti-tank weapons into the mix.

"We need to take down those Stinger sites! Focus on any close to you!" The Major shouted over the radio.

McCoy quickly looked around and spotted one such site nearby, trying to keep the X-0s pinned down. He pointed it out to the squad and hunkered down to lay out a plan.

"I counted five tangos operating the site. At least one armed with heavy ordnance. We need to take it out, West you move up and use your grenade launcher. The rest of us will provide cover. Got it?"

"Yes Sergeant." West replied shakily.

"You got this kid." Reed surprisingly reassured.

McCoy took Reed, King, and Rodriguez back down to the cliff edge where they then made their way around the Stinger site. Down below, he could see the M270s waiting patiently with their weapon systems raised. He also noted a disturbing blanket of dead bodies all along the beach.

He focused back on the mission and took his men into a small patch of foliage. It gave them a clear line of sight on the enemy hard point. He raised his hand and began to count down from five. When he hit one, he closed his fist and then stood up.

In unison they fired on the Stinger site, bullets ripping into sandbags or punching through camouflage netting. The five men inside quickly turned and fired back at them. The foliage would offer no real protection, so McCoy ordered his men to fall back. The Nod soldiers continued to fire into the bushes. McCoy anxiously waited to hear an explosion go off, seconds ticked by and he began to wonder what the hell West was doing. His question was answered by a grenade flying through the netting and exploding right in the middle of the Stinger site. A split second later, more explosions went off as the ammunition for the AA and AT launchers cooked off. The entire structure was set ablaze, and nothing was left of the men inside. West jogged over to them a minute later, a look of pride on his face.

"Good aim Private." McCoy said approvingly.

"Nice one dude! You cooked those assholes." Reed said gleefully.

Conversation was cut short as one of the X-0s trundled over to them, its armour dented and scorched. It stood before the squad and its pilot spoke to them through external speakers, giving the female voice a slight mechanical tinge.

"Sergeant, I need your men to come with me. Target is another Stinger site at the far end of the base." Myers voice boomed out.

"Lead the way Corporal." McCoy replied.

Myers' Powersuit moved deeper into the enemy base, Nod forces forming their defence around the vehicle stockpile as GDI pushed their advance. Several of the Type 99s slowly came to life, with Nod soldiers scrambling up the sides to man the turret mounted machine guns. One of the tanks fired at the GDI forces, hitting an X-0 dead center. The Powersuit violently exploded, leaving only two stubby legs standing.

The base was now lined by burning Stinger sites and collapsed tunnel networks, but the Nod forces had reacted faster than GDI was prepared for. Two squads of infantry moved to intercept McCoy and his unit, and he quickly snapped up his rifle and held down on the trigger. He managed to kill two and wound one more soldier before Myers brought her weapon to bear. The sound of her heavy gun firing nearly caused McCoy's ears to bleed from how loud it was. The Nod soldiers were torn apart like wet paper, one man literally being dissected in two. He tried to ignore the gruesome scene and keep pushing towards their objective, noting as they went that more enemy vehicles were joining the fray.

"Prometheus 1 and 2, I need immediate support! Fire at marked position now!" The Major's frantic voice cut over the staccato of gunfire.

"Copy, beacons are active and position marked. Firing for effect."

Three Scorpion tanks and two Type 99s had started pushing the main GDI force back towards the beach. Of the seven X-0 Powersuits, only three remained including Myers'. McCoy watched the tanks roll forward as more tank crews raced to get the other vehicles running; an eye blink later, the entire base was obscured by a wall of smoke and fire. McCoy and his men ducked behind Myers machine as the wall passed by them. Seconds later it cleared, and the Nod armour was now nothing more than scrap metal scattered across the field.

"All targets neutralized. Thanks for the assist." Wilson said over the radio, tension having drained away.

That didn't mean the fighting had ended. Nod troops were still putting up a fierce resistance, and McCoy still had a Stinger site to take down. Myers moved ahead of them, quickly mowing down a squad that came rushing from a nearby barracks. At this point McCoy and his squad were serving as little more than back up to the Powersuit.

Their target was in sight and McCoy was preparing to lay out their plan of attack, when Myers' Powersuit began taking hits from her right flank. A Nod Technical came racing around the ruins of a tunnel network, its heavy calibre weapon turning a bright red as it fired nonstop. Myers tried to turn around to face the vehicle, but was knocked to the ground when the Technical rammed right into her. McCoy was running towards her, weapon shouldered, but he could tell he was already too late. The Nod gunner quickly recovered from the crash and fired point blank into the X-0's cockpit, shattering the glass and splattering blood everywhere. Anger flashed through him as he unloaded into the gunner, blowing holes through his chest and causing him to fall off the vehicle. McCoy then fired the remainder of his magazine into the cabin for good measure. Rodriguez rushed over to the Powersuit, but stopped when he got close enough to see inside. A simple shake of the head told McCoy all he needed to know.

They pushed onwards, the Stinger site directly ahead of them. Six soldiers huddled inside, two armed with Javelin missile launchers, one manning a large machine gun, and the others armed with rifles. Had they still had Myers' Powersuit, it would have been an easy job of turning the Nod troops into minced meat, but without her it would be a hard fight.

They took cover behind a large pile of dirt and sand, the refuse from the underground tunnels. The squad quickly checked over their ammo, and when they reported that they were all good to go, McCoy laid out the plan.

"Rodriguez, you and me will distract that gunner. Everyone else, fire grenades, aim for the center. Got it?" He received four nods.

"Good. On my go."

King, Reed, and West loaded their underslung grenade launchers, then moved to a position that would give them a clear shot. McCoy led Rodriguez around the mound of earth and readied himself, taking deep breaths to calm his shaking hands. Rodriguez gave him a pat on the back, indicating he was ready, and with one final calming breath, he stood up to fire. Time seemed to slow as he fired short, clipped bursts at the enemy soldiers. Two Nod riflemen spotted them and quickly brought up their own weapons, however one was struck in the lower abdomen by Rodriguez as he opened fire as well. By the time it took the gunner to take notice and swivel towards them, McCoy and Rodriguez had killed two riflemen and wounded one of the Javelin troopers. McCoy went to push Rodriguez out of the way just as the gunner let loose with a stream of bullets, with most impacting the mound of earth in front of them, but one managed to graze McCoy's left leg.

Both men fell to the ground and quickly scrambled into cover as the ground around them was ripped apart. The heavy gun continued to fire for what felt like hours, but in reality was only a couple seconds, before three grenades impacted the center of the Stinger site. The explosion sent a vibration through the ground, and sent thick smoke into the air, adding to the other burning sites that now acted as funeral pyres. The sound of gunfire and explosions began to grow more quiet, until eventually stopping all together. West and the others rushed over to McCoy as he brushed himself off, the bullet wound having only cut the skin.

"Sarge you okay?" West asked.

"I'm fine. Good work team." McCoy said as he got to his feet.

Without wanting to hear any more questions about his wellbeing he walked off towards the center of the ruined base, ignoring the pain in his leg. The battle had cost GDI heavily: only one X-0 had survived and dead bodies were strewn about. But they had won, and at the end of the day that's all GDI cared about. They were just cogs in the machine after all.

McCoy spotted Major Wilson arguing with a field medic as he bandaged the Major's arm into a cast. McCoy made his way towards them but stopped when he heard the sound of vehicle engines, and turned to see both M270s struggle up the steep path and onto the field. The other GDI soldiers were busy picking through the ruined base or patrolling the perimeter; there were more Nod forces lurking in the cliffs and they couldn't afford to be caught unawares. McCoy finally walked up to the Major just as the medic finished his work.

"And how am I supposed to fight with this thing on? Do you want to get court-martialled?" Major Wilson seemed incredibly aggravated as he tried removing the cast. The Medic sighed and shook his head in annoyance.

"Your arm is broken sir. I'm just doing my job. Now if you'll excuse me there are other wounded I need to attend to. Sir." The Medic walked away without even acknowledging McCoy. Major Wilson tried to fiddle with his radio with one hand, letting out a string of profanities the entire time.

"Everything alright sir?" McCoy asked. The Major looked up at him, seemingly surprised that he was there.

"No, everything is not alright. My arm has a bullet in it and now it's fucking useless. And I need to radio command." The Major let out a long breath and tried to calm himself. McCoy held out his hand and indicated the radio.

"May I sir?" Major Wilson tossed him the radio and McCoy caught it mid-air. He quickly set the right channel, then handed the radio back.

"Lieutenant come in? This is Major Wilson. Objective secured, area is clear, repeat, area is clear. You can bring your birds down."

The radio crackled with static for a moment, then someone with an Italian accent responded.

"Copy you loud and clear Major. Setting down in sixty seconds." Lieutenant Sergio said.

Wilson gave an aggravated sigh and surveyed the destruction around him. The fires were beginning to die down, and for the moment it seemed that the GDI force was being left alone. But both men knew that wouldn't last for long. On top the second line of cliffs was the Nod training grounds, and potentially hundreds of enemy combatants.

After a moment, the sound of rotor blades could be heard rapidly approaching. McCoy looked up to see three V-22 Osprey VTOL aircraft come into view from over the water. In moments the aircraft were hovering over the remains of the Nod base and descending to the ground. Major Wilson made his way towards the new arrivals and McCoy followed behind, with his squad falling in line behind him. Two of the Ospreys opened and unloaded two squads of infantry, as well as two more X-0 Powersuits. The third VTOL started unloading a crew of officers and technicians, as well as materials to set up a forward operating base. When the Ospreys had finished offloading their occupants, they lifted back into the air and returned towards the small fleet.

Lieutenant Sergio was busy directing the technicians to establish the FOB, and yelling at officers to organize a proper defence. As he issued out his orders, he then indicated, towards a Nod barracks, apparently deciding to use it to serve as a field command post. The area was quickly filled with a controlled chaos as the new arrivals went to relieve the soldiers from the initial invasion.

Major Wilson walked up to the Lieutenant, who was busy typing into his tacpad. McCoy was still following behind so he'd be nearby to receive new orders. The Lieutenant looked up from what he was doing and snapped off a quick salute to which Major Wilson quickly returned.

"Major, sir, are you alright?" Sergio asked as he took notice of the cast.

"The only thing hurt is my pride. I won't be able to lead from the front at the moment. You'll have to handle the field work."

Sergio looked stunned for a moment, looking down at the Major's cast again, then back to his face. The shock passed quickly and was replaced with a stoic face.

"Understood sir, I'll get the job done. I suppose that means you will take my place here at the command post?"

"I'll handle coordinating things from here, yes." Major Wilson looked resentful at having been relegated to a rear line position.

"In that case sir I should inform you that the Commander has sent some additional support for the operation." Sergio gave both men a knowing smile.

McCoy raised an eyebrow quizzically as the Lieutenant led both men back towards the cliff. The three of them stood at the top of the pathway leading down to the beach, where McCoy could see two heavy Hovercraft landing. They each deployed a Crusader tank before quickly moving back out to sea. The tanks then started making their way up towards the FOB, struggling up the steep incline. However it was the Barge making its way towards the beach that caught McCoy's eye. The large ship stopped just before the shore, lowering the large ramp into the water. McCoy whistled as he watched a Mammoth tank roll off the Barge and into the water, easily driving through and up onto the beach. It followed behind the Crusaders, water cascading off its sides as it dug deep tracks in the sand.

"Commander is pulling out all the tricks for this OP." Major Wilson said with an approving smile.

"He also gave the go ahead for use of whiskey papa."

Wilson turned to face Sergio with a horrified look, before it faded into an expression of disappointment.

"I see. Then I guess times really are changing." Wilson said sorrowfully.

McCoy was suddenly lost as to what was going on and he tried to figure out in his head what the Lieutenant was referring to. He didn't have time to figure it out as the Major began walking away. Sergio fell in step beside him and McCoy followed behind them. They walked back to the command post where technicians were setting up computers and communications gear, while two soldiers were setting up a portable generator onto the roof to power the field post.

The base itself was more organized now as the fires had been put out, and soldiers were quickly digging trenches or setting up sandbag barricades. A group of engineers were busy loading the M270s with new ordnance, but McCoy didn't pay attention as he spotted his squad sitting on an overturned Attack Buggy. He left the Major and the Lieutenant to their business and made his way towards his men. They waved him over just as the Mammoth tank made its presence known with a roar from its massive engines.

"Holy shit we have a Mammoth tank?" Reed exclaimed excitedly.

"What's going on Sarge? We moving out yet? Or are we just gonna sit on our asses?" King asked.

"For now we will do what you guys do best: sit on our asses." McCoy replied.

King groaned while Reed hastily pulled out an MRE. Rodriguez and West were busy watching the massive tank as it took position with the two Crusaders at the front of the base. McCoy just sat and appreciated the massive war machine, enjoying the brief calm before he would once more be thrown into the fight.

… … …

The down time continued on for another half hour with the GDI forces busying themselves by setting up defences or clearing away rubble. The field post was fully operational, now serving as GDI's first foothold in the country.

News quickly filtered its way down to the rank and file. The U.N. embassy had been burnt to the ground and the regional government had publicly announced its loyalty to the Brotherhood. Things did not look good, but that was why they were here, to restore order.

The calm and quiet ended when Lieutenant Sergio's voice sounded over the radio. Men dropped what they were doing and quickly prepared themselves for the order to push onwards. McCoy was happy the waiting would be over. He didn't look forward to being thrown back into conflict, but it was better than waiting for Nod to attack them.

"Attention all GDI forces. Command has just confirmed major enemy troop movement inside the main Nod base. Our current orders are to secure the coastal town before Nod forces can launch an attack on our beachhead. Alpha and Bravo Company are to take point, Goliath Squad will join you."

The radio fell silent and McCoy got to his feet, he clicked the safety off his rifle them boomed out.

"Let's move it people!"

The GDI force moved past the ruined Nod base and made their way to the adjacent town, leaving behind the heavy armour. Two companies of infantry plus the three X-0s walked with weapons at the ready. McCoy didn't like the idea of meeting the Nod forces inside the cramped streets of the town as there were too many spots for an ambush. They passed the outskirts of the town and entered onto the main street, passing vacant buildings and abandoned cars. It was eerie how empty the place felt, and the heavy footfalls of the Powersuits reverberating down the streets didn't help things either. The town was small, barely above being called a village. McCoy quickly loaded a grenade into his underslung launcher in anticipation. Things were so silent that McCoy nearly jumped when his radio crackled.

"Alpha and Bravo Companies, be advised enemy forces are nearing the other side of the town. Sat feed shows several armoured units and fifty plus foot mobiles. Pull back and regroup now." Sergio commanded.

McCoy turned to relay the order when a loud boom echoed through the streets, and in the same instant the canopy of an X-0 exploded. Glass and blood showered the street as the powersuit fell forward.

"Snipers! Get to cover!" McCoy yelled as loud as he could, but the warning came too late.

More sniper rounds and automatic weapons fire suddenly exploded from everywhere at once. Soldiers fell to the ground before they had time to register which way to run.

McCoy however didn't waste any time and ran for a nearby alleyway, closely followed by his squad. As the ducked into the narrow alley, a door suddenly swung open and three Nod soldiers emerged. Without thinking McCoy fired his grenade launcher, which arced over the Nod soldiers and exploded against the alley wall. Dust immediately clouded his vision and filled his lungs. He staggered backwards as he coughed violently.

As the dust settled he could see that the Nod soldiers had been buried under a ton of rubble, effectively blocking the alley. McCoy pushed his men back to the main street, where dozens of GDI soldiers lay dead. The two remaining X-0s were filling the adjacent buildings with lethal, searing hot lead. Entire walls crumbled under the intense barrage, but still bullets pinged off their armour or tore up the street around them.

McCoy tried to look for better cover, and noted that the other squads had taken refuge inside one of the buildings. Flashes from the windows indicated that they were fighting Nod tooth and nail for ownership. He quickly realized that to try and cross the street would be suicide, but staying where they were wasn't any better. The enemies focus was still on the X-0s, so McCoy finally settled on a decision.

"We need to move. We can rally with the others in that building across the street. When I say go, we all run for it. Got it?"

"Sarge are you nuts? We'll never make it." Reed protested.

"Would you rather stay here?"

No one argued the point further. McCoy looked back out to the street to find the X-0s had moved forward into the intersection, redecorating more houses with bullet holes. He didn't know how well the other squads were doing, but the building was still their best option. He looked back to his men, his friends, and took a deep breath.

"Go!"

They all ran across the street, running behind the X-0s, and moved straight for the open doorway. It felt like the road stretched on forever, the other side growing farther away rather than closer. It was in that odd sense of slow motion that McCoy was able to notice the two Scorpion tanks rolling down the street. McCoy nearly stopped at the sight but pushed himself to run faster. One of the X-0s disappeared in a cloud of fire and metal as the Scorpions opened fire. The second X-0 turned to the face the new threat, but even its high calibre rounds did little to puncture the armour. McCoy managed to reach the door just as the final Powersuit was destroyed.

McCoy quickly took position by the door and began firing randomly at the buildings, hoping to hit something. With the X-0s gone, all the focus would be on his men. First through the door was Reed, who all but fell into the room beyond. Just behind him was West and King who both made it at the same time. West likewise moved inside but King took up position and added his fire. The last to make it was Rodriguez, at least he should have been. He was almost on the sidewalk when a loud boom sounded over the roar of gunfire. In the blink of an eye Rodriguez went from running towards McCoy, to dead on the street with a bullet hole right through his skull.

McCoy just stared in horror as Corporal Pablo Rodriguez laid dead just a few feet away, blood and bits of bone pooling around him. He wanted to scream, to find the man responsible and rip him apart with his bare hands, but instead he was dragged inside the building by King and Reed. The four of them were huddled in the centre of the room, too shocked to do anything, when a voice shouted down the stairs.

"Sir we have contacts on the bottom floor!"

McCoy broke from his daze and quickly shouted back.

"Friendly! Blue! Blue!"

Two men came down the stairs with their rifles raised, but quickly lowered them when they spotted the haggard squad. One of the two men was a Japanese man that McCoy recognized as Staff Sergeant Hikowa. Hikowa quickly looked over McCoy and his squad before asking.

"What the hell is going on out there?"

"Scorpion tanks, just down the road. Took out both walkers. And there's still at least one sniper out there." McCoy's voice was filled with hatred as he filled Hikowa in.

"Fuck. Where the hell is our backup?"

As if to answer his question, the wall suddenly exploded inward, filling the room with smoke and debris. McCoy got to his feet and looked out of the newly made hole to see the two Scorpion tanks taking aim at them. Without hesitating he began shouting.

"Upstairs! Go!"

Everyone complied and booked it back up the flight of stairs to the second floor. Other GDI soldiers were still trading fire with Nod troops hiding in the other buildings. One of the tanks fired again, and the building shook from the impact. At this rate McCoy figured the building would collapse with them all inside.

"We need to get out of here." McCoy observed.

"There's nowhere to go but up." Hikowa replied grimly.

"Tangos moving up!" The sudden warning came from Reed, who was standing by one of the second floor windows.

McCoy rushed over just in time to see three squads of Nod soldiers running past the Scorpions and right towards the GDI force. They were going to try and storm them. The GDI soldiers kept firing despite the overwhelming odds; they would not give up so easily. McCoy was about ready to move his squad to defend the stairs, when one of the Scorpions exploded into a brilliant fireball. He didn't even have time to register what had just happened before the second tank exploded as well. Suddenly the Nod troops began to retreat, until several of them were cut down by a heavy machine gun. The radio burst to life and McCoy heard the sweetest sound he had ever heard.

"Alpha and Bravo Companies, this is König. Be advised we are rolling up the left hand street to assist. Not much room but we'll make do. Any special requests?"

Hikowa quickly grabbed his radio and started calling out targets for the Mammoth tank, a wide grin stretched across his face.

"König, be advised we have Tangos in the buildings. Snipers are keeping us pinned. Targets are left side hardware store and right side apartments."

"Copy that. Target left building. GDI construction crew coming through!"

The Mammoth fired both barrels and blew up the entire second and third floor of the store. Fires quickly engulfed what was left, and any gunfire coming from that side instantly stopped. The massive tank then rotated its turret and fired again, reducing the next building to a pile of rubble. The fighting subsided and now the only sound was from the massive tank's engines.

"Think that just about does it. Königmoving forward. Have a nice day folks."

The Mammoth rolled down the street, easily plowing through the debris and wrecked Scorpion tanks.

McCoy and the other GDI soldiers made their way back outside. More troops were coming up the same street as the Mammoth, followed by the Crusader tanks. McCoy noticed Lieutenant Sergio making his way towards them, but he ignored the man as he went to retrieve Rodriguez's dog tags. The other three members of the squad came to pay their respects, but the moment of mourning didn't last long, as Sergio called them over.

"Sergeant McCoy, I'm sorry to hear about your man." Sergio nodded his head in Rodriguez's direction. "CASEVAC units are on the way to retrieve the dead. However we need to keep moving."

The sound of cannon fire punctuated the Lieutenant's order. McCoy could make out the sound of the Mammoth's large guns and the smaller Crusaders. The sound of return fire from Nod Scorpions followed closely behind. The infantry began to jog towards the engagement, leaving behind the ruined buildings and fallen soldiers. The day was far from over, but all McCoy wanted to do was crawl into bed and hide.

When the infantry pushed past the outskirts of the town they arrived to see the aftermath of the tank battle. All three GDI tanks were unscathed save for a few dents and scorch marks. On the other side however was four burning Scorpion tanks and two twisted Rocket Buggies. The Mammoth took the lead and continued rolling towards the hills. McCoy followed along with the others but stopped when he heard vehicle engines behind him. The M270s emerged from the town and moved to catch up. McCoy nodded approvingly. It would be nice to have some artillery support. The entire force moved ahead without any further resistance for about fifteen minutes. Then they spotted a Tiberium refinery just ahead, defended by two Stinger sites. The GDI forces instantly grew more tense at the sight of the green cancer.

The Nod forces must have spotted them first as three Javelin rockets streaked straight up into the air, before plummeting down into the Mammoth tank. The heavy tank took all three rockets and kept moving, but black smoke started to billow out from the jagged holes that had been blown into its armour. It fired both barrels in retaliation, disintegrating one of the Stinger sites. The two Crusader tanks both fired in unison at the second Stinger site, however only one shell hit its target. A large hole was blown into the defensive wall, and flames began to consume the camouflage netting, but one of the Javelin soldiers had survived as he fired another rocket. It streaked into the sky then came barreling down and struck a Crusader tank in its turret, the explosion ripping through the compartment. A split second later the tank erupted into flames as the ammunition ignited.

The second Crusader fired again, and this time destroyed the Stinger site. The Mammoth then moved up the small incline and past the burning defences. It began pummeling the Tiberium refinery, ripping apart the building and sending blackish-green smoke into the air.

McCoy and his squad took cover behind one of the Mammoth's massive treads, and began to trade fire with Nod soldiers as they emerged from the refinery. McCoy fired small bursts towards the fleeing targets, and managed to kill two soldiers before he was forced to duck down as bullets pinged off the tank armour. The Mammoth fired again, causing every bone in McCoy's body to vibrate. He stood back up and fired again, taking down another Nod soldier. West and the others managed to kill the last of the enemy defenders, as the rest of the Nod troops fled across the small bridge, and behind the safety of more Stinger sites and automated turrets.

The Mammoth tank rolled towards the bridge but stopped just short of it. The refinery was in ruins, and McCoy could see a Tiberium harvester up in flames in the center of the Tiberium field. McCoy and his squad moved to join the rest of the unit as they took position by the bridge. One of the Nod turrets fired at them but the shell fell short, and harmlessly exploded in the river. The GDI force kept just out of range as the two M270s moved into position. McCoy looked across the river to see the Nod base. It was massive, well defended, and it also wasn't as run down as most Nod bases were these days. Instead of the typical barracks and warfactories, he could see Hands of Nod, power plants, communication buildings, and even a large temple. And although it was difficult to make out from his position, he could see extensive training fields and obstacle courses.

"Prometheus 1 and 2. Confirm whiskey papa ordnance?" Sergio's voice cut through McCoy's thoughts and he turned to see the two M270s deploy their weapons.

"Confirm ordnance loaded. Targets locked in, ready to fire on your command Lieutenant." One of the operators replied.

"Fire!"

McCoy watched as both M270s fired two rockets each, they raced into the sky and left behind thick contrail clouds. The rockets then exploded in midair and dispersed thick white clouds above the Nod base. It was in that moment that McCoy came to a terrified realization: whiskey papa was white phosphorus.

The white clouds erupted into brilliant flames, and the entire base was consumed in hellish fire. The M270s fired again and covered even more of the base in fire. GDI soldiers cheered as the Nod base went up like a bonfire, but not McCoy. His whole body began to shake and sweat poured down his forehead, but not from the heat. There was one thing that he had never wanted to hear again, and that sound came wafting over the bridge, the sound of people burning to death. His hands were shaking violently but he balled them into fists, and then he went searched from the man responsible for the horror.

Lieutenant Sergio stood watching the flames, a smile stretched across his face as he seemed proud of the carnage. McCoy moved towards him just as Sergio spoke into his radio.

"Commander, enemy base neutralized."

McCoy didn't hear the reply as he was filled with anger and fear. Sergio turned to face him just as McCoy punched him in the face. Sergio's head snapped back and blood sprayed from his broken nose. Two soldiers nearby instantly drew their weapons and aimed them at McCoy. Before he could do anything else Reed ran up and grabbed him from behind, screaming in his ear.

"Sarge what the fuck are you doing!?"

Sergio was helped back up, blood covering his face, as he stared at McCoy with murder in his eyes.

"Are you out of your mind Sergeant? I'll have you court martialed! I'll have you shot! I'll-"

"You son of a bitch! We don't burn people! We don't do that shit! We aren't Nod." McCoy was on the verge of hysteria, the shaking was almost uncontrollable.

At some point during the confrontation King had placed himself between Sergio and McCoy. Reed still held on from behind, as the other two soldiers lowered their weapons. Sergio wiped the blood from his face, which was contorted in anger, with the raging inferno behind him adding a sinister look to his features.

"Sergeant Robert McCoy. For striking a superior officer, you are being immediately removed of your command and are unfit for duty. Someone remove this man from my sight!" Sergio tried to sound authoritative but ended up coming across as an angry child.

"We will Lieutenant." King said passively.

Reed finally let go of McCoy and gently guided him by the shoulder. King picked up McCoy's rifle, which he must have dropped at some point. West followed behind, and looked shell shocked from the whole exchange. McCoy had already forgotten about it however, instead he was focusing on trying to not vomit, as the smell of burning flesh assaulted his nose.

… … …

Mark Lancaster was busy typing away at his laptop, sitting on a cheap fold out chair and equally cheap table. He had hastily built his office in a prefabricated building, located in the remains of the smaller Nod base near the beach. The area had become a hotspot of activity since the battle ended yesterday, V-22 Ospreys and Chinooks were constantly deploying troops and supplies, as engineer crews worked to establish a more permanent base of operations. Hovercraft continued to drop off vehicles and heavy armour from the small GDI flotilla that now controlled the dwindling sea. He was ready to begin his push to reclaim Kazakhstan, but there was one small issue he had to deal with first.

He saved the report he was writing for General Granger, then opened the personnel file for Robert McCoy. He quickly glanced through it, then sighed before pressing a button on his tacpad.

"EVA. Send in Sergeant McCoy please."

"Yes sir." The mechanical voice replied.

Seconds later the door to his office opened and the haggard and exhausted looking Sergeant stepped in, an MP closely behind. He stood ramrod straight and saluted before saying.

"Sergeant Robert McCoy reporting as ordered sir!"

"At ease Sergeant, and take a seat."

McCoy sat in one of two fold out chairs arrayed before Mark's desk. McCoy continued to hold his rigid posture and Mark sighed again.

"So Sergeant. We have ourselves an issue. Striking a superior officer is a pretty serious crime. I could have you thrown into prison, and that would be the best option. Lieutenant Andreas had some…colorful suggestions for your punishment."

"I'm willing to face the consequences sir." McCoy spoke like he was a machine, devoid of emotion.

"Why did you do it Sergeant? You have a flawless record, served GDI for years. You're even one of my veterans from the war. I need to know why son."

"Because sir…because we don't burn people! That is a Nod tactic. We are better than them sir. What the Lieutenant did was-" McCoy suddenly became animated but Mark had to cut him off.

"Was well within my orders. I approved the use of white phosphorus ordnance."

McCoy looked stunned at the revelation. His mouth opened and closed as he seemed to be searching for the right thing to say. Finally he closed his mouth and lowered his head. He seemed so sad and Mark couldn't help but feel guilty.

"Why sir?" McCoy had said it so softly that Mark almost didn't hear it.

"We are still at war Robert. And in this war, I will do whatever is necessary. I know you suffer from PTSD. You have never missed an appointment with your psychiatrist, and as I said, you have a flawless record. So I am not going to punish you. But I will not have my commands, or the commands of my staff, questioned ever again. Is that clear Sergeant?"

"Yes sir."

Mark looked into those sad eyes for a moment, then nodded his head.

"You are dismissed."

McCoy shot to his feet and saluted, he quickly reached into his pocket and placed something on the desk, before turning and walking out of the office. Mark reached down and grabbed the object, and felt a pain in his heart as held the dog tags in his palm. He read the name etched into the metal, P. Rodriguez. The small tag felt like a brick in his hand as he respectfully placed it back down. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a long breath. It was people like McCoy who forced him to remember that he wasn't commanding pieces in some game, he was commanding real, living people with souls. And so were his enemies, people with families and dreams he had just condemned to death.

He pushed those thoughts aside. They were a luxury for peacetime. Mark Lancaster still had a war to win.

… … …

Author's note: Only three more chapters to go for this short story. Obviously there are several missions from Generals and Zero hour that have been cut out, and as is always the case when I cut out missions from the games, it's for story and pacing reasons. If your favourite mission isn't in this story, then I'm sorry.

Until next time.