SAO:BTFL- Chapter 2: Operation PTSD Returns

Operation: Safe Passage
Benghazi Outskirts
Northern Libya, Africa
June 13th, 2021 9:56 am EET (Eastern European Time Zone)
Day -514 of SAO

"Echo 3-1 to Crossroads" I called over the radio.

"Go for Crossroads 3-1"

"Echo 3-1 with Ghost Actual are in position"

"Copy that Echo 3-1, here's your mission briefing, Ultranationalist Forces are moving chemical weapons out of Benghazi and transporting it to a place close to Tripoli, your mission is to ambush the Convoy with Loyalist Forces, who are standing by for your order"

"Copy that crossroads, Echo 3-1 out"

I moved to look over at Ghost Actual, a Japanese Female by the name of Rin. Ghost Squad was a secret Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force Special Forces Group stationed out of the Ministry of Defense Building.

"So?"

I smiled "Oh, just watch for a Convoy of Vehicles and then ambush"

"Easy in easy out" Rin replied.

"Yep"

I was an Agent with the Defense Intelligence Headquarters, a Japanese Defense Intelligence agency modeled after the US Defense Intelligence Agency, who had been working with Ghost Squad for over three months now, they had become like family to me.

Ghost 1-2, a male by the name of Shiro grabbed my attention by pointing out toward the road we were overlooking. A convoy of Russian jeeps came barreling down the road.

"Confirm?"

Ghost 1-3, a male by the name of Yu nodded confirming that it was the shipment.

I radioed in "Echo 3-1 to all Loyalist Forces, Ambush is green"

A sniper shot rang out-

Town of Beginnings Inn
Town of Beginnings
Floor 1, Castle Aincrad
Sword Art Online
November 10th, 2022 4:00 am AST
Day 2 of SAO

I woke up with a start, shooting up and panting hard. I started playing SAO's beta originally to get away from my PTSD, it was a good thing, my psychologist said, but now that I was trapped in here, all it did was make my PTSD return.

"Fucking Benghazi" I spat.

I got out of bed, knowing that I was never going back to sleep now, equipped some clothes and walked out of my inn room. Downstairs in the inn's bar I found a teenager, a beautiful girl with long chestnut hair. I sat beside her, pulling a water bottle I had brought before I went to bed out of my Inventory and started to drink it. The teen turned in my direction to which I turned in her, giving her a sad smile. We were all trapped in here, so we might as well as get to know each other.

"SeanCityNavy, aspiring Info trader, you may call me Sean" I said before turning back to my water.

Now I wasn't expecting a response, however the teen gave me one.

"Asuna" she said just quiet enough to where I can hear it.

I gave her a nod. "Nice to meet you Asuna"

She returned the nod and continued to stare at where the NPC Bartender would be. She was surprised when I slid a water bottle her way.

"He isn't gonna be back for a while" I said shrugging.

She thanked me and started to drink from it. I smiled and continued drinking mine. When I finished the bottle, I slammed it hard on the table, shattering it into light fragments before making a audible huh sound and getting up. However, I turned around to the girl and gave her a little advice.

"I'm sure you don't know about this" I started, she turned around and looked at me "but i'd suggest concealing your identity, boy's lose it when the see Gamer Girls and I don't want to see such a nice girl like yourself get… well you know, what horny boys think about doing to girls. Have a nice night Asuna"

Before I leave however, I hear the opening of her menu and the sound of something being equipped. I turn around to see her in a full cloak completely hiding her identity, a few seconds later I see that Friend request screen pop up for the second time ever reading Asuna has sent you a friend request I looked at her puzzled.

"You said you were an aspiring info trader, right? I don't understand what that means just yet, but I'm sure I'm going to need your expertise down the line." She clarified.

I only nodded and then accepted her Friend Request.

"Good Night"

I responded and then retired myself back to bed.

―――

I woke up 3 hours later, still drenched in a cold sweat. I logged myself out of bed, redressed myself and walked into the bar area. I automatically saw the teen from earlier sitting at the bar, she gave me a nod before getting up and leaving for the day. I spotted the Corporal and her friend sitting at a table drinking tea, I ordered some from the innkeeper and joined them.

"Ahh, good morning Master Sergeant!" Yua said.

"Why are you so chipper this morning Corporal?" I asked.

"No reason Master Sergeant"

I turned to the friend that's been with her since day 1 "I never caught your name"

"and me as well"

I chuckled "Of course, SeanCityNavy"

"Sachi" she held out her hand and I took it.

"Call me Sean"

"Will do"

―――

"Alright, everyone understand?"

Several yeses rang throughout the square. I was at a meeting for a huge exploration mission of the First Floor of Aincrad. I had nothing better to do and I didn't feel like being left behind so I volunteered.

"Mr. Navy"

I looked over at the person who called my name, the leader of the exploration was a big-name Video Game Journalist, Thinker, an Administrator of the popular net gaming news site MMO Today.

"What can I help you with sir?" I asked.

"Your good to head on your own? I can detail someone to you, you know for protection" He pointed towards my dagger.

I shook my head "I'm all good mate, thanks for the worry tho"

Thinker nodded before walking towards another group. I sighed heavily and got up walking out of the town of beginnings and heading out

―――

"Okay, mark that" I set a marker to the edge of the floor and measured the distance from the middle of the floor which was a marker set in the middle of the town of beginnings. "6.2 miles…. Wait what's that in kilometers?"

I was never good at math and I had nothing to help me, so I just went into settings and switched my measurement system to metric, "Ahh, 10 Kilometers" I wrote that down on a piece of parchment paper that thinker had given to me.

I got up from where I was sitting and moved more inland, I was just outside of the Medai Village. I've been staying there for a few days, was able to complete the Annual Blade quest which is now sitting in my inventory. A grunt caught my attention, one was because it wasn't me and two because the squeal of a dying boar came right after it. I unsheathed my dagger and held it in a X-formation, kind of like how the FBI or any Federal Agents hold a pistol and a Flashlight. My top hand turned into a finger pistol as if it was nature and my bottom hand holding the dagger. I crouched and started to move toward the noise.

"Ha! That's right" I heard.

The voice was famine which was very rare. I continued forward till I found myself on the edge of a clearing, in the middle of the clearing was this beautiful brown-haired girl slicing boars in half. I stared in fascination as she ran her blade left into a charging boar causing it to burst into light fragments. She had now sighed seeing as that was the last boar and then started giggling. I found her laugh cute in a way. However, I must have let my guard down because as soon as she sat down, my hands unintentionally lowered, and my body weight was shifted to me feet causing a twig underneath my right foot to crack.

"Fuck" I whispered and got back into my alert position, hoping that she didn't hear, however to my luck ran out.

"Who's there?" she questioned out loud.

I sheathed my dagger and got up, my hands above my head. I walked into the clearing where the girl pointed her sword towards me.

"Tell me your name"

I stopped several feet away from her "Tell me yours"

"I asked first"

"Fair enough, Jack"

She gave me a look over before shaking her head "Don't fuck with me boy"

I laughed "Sadly, I don't know who you are, so I don't feel comfortable enough to share my name"

"Even if it's just your gamer tag?"

"Especially if it's my GT"

The girl sighed.

"Sayori Maple" she said.

"SeanCityNavy, can you now please put your sword away, I feel like your going to take my head off"

Sayori nodded and sheathed her sword "Tell me then Mr. Navy, why are you here"

"I plead the 5th amendment"

"The 5th amendment? Come on now, this isn't an American Server"

I chuckled "I don't think America has any SAO Servers more or less anything with Full Dive tech, especially not after this event" I gestured around us "The public will be to afraid of these things that if any store was to sell a Full Dive rig it would be burned to the ground"

"That's fair"

Sayori sat down, gesturing me to come sit in front of her, which I did.

"Tell me Mr. Navy, what is it that you do in this game?"

"I'm an Info Trader, well aspiring anyway, you?"

Sayori gave me a once over before nodding "Yeah, you don't look like you'd be good at battle"

I waved her off and she giggled.

"Alright Ms. Maple, what about you, what is it that you do in this here game?"

"I'm an adventurer, you know, what most people in this game are by default"

I got up and nodded.

"Well, have a good rest of your day Ms. Maple"

A Friend Request screen popped up in my face for the third time, I was starting to get tired of these notifications Sayori Maple has sent you a friend request I looked back at her for an explanation, only to see she was right behind me.

"I feel, as the only American's in this server, we should stick together, I could be like, your bodyguard since you aren't doing much with that" she pointed towards my dagger.

What was it with my dagger that screamed "I can't protect myself" also, how the hell did she know I was an American? I shook my head and accepted the friend request.

"Fine, do as you wish" I sent her a party invite and she joined. Her HP Bar appearing underneath mine. "Just don't get in my way"

Sayori nodded and followed as I left.

Medai Village Inn
Medai Village
Floor 1, Castle Aincrad
Sword Art Online
November 16th, 2022 9:00 pm AST
Day 7 of SAO

I honestly couldn't tell you when I started becoming an alcoholic, maybe it was the second day, or was it the third day? I honestly don't remember; all I know is that I was currently chugging down a pint of beer. However, this was my second and that was enough to knock me out.

"You're a lightweight" Sayori commented.

I waved her off for the second time and got up heading to bed.

―――

NATO Operation: Activate Rebellion
Ayerodrom Sevastopolya
Sevastapol
Crimea, Ukraine/Russian Federation
March 4th, 2020 4:00 pm Moscow Standard Time
Day -988 of SAO

I found my self staring at the airfield, just staring. Until I was shook by a hand, I turned to see Rin smiling at me.

"3-1 you good?" she asked.

"Yes actual, I'm good"

"Good, get ready, the plane is almost here"

I picked up a pair of binoculars. A plane was meant to be flying in from Switzerland filled with weapons for a rebellion NATO was building up. Since 2014, Crimea had been a disputed territory between the former Soviet State of Ukraine and the Russian Federation, NATO and by extension the United Nations have been against the Russian occupation of Crimea but won't go to war with them, so the best thing was devised. In 2019 a delegation of NATO Nation Members, NATO Partners and Major Non-NATO Ally's decided that funding and arming a revolution in the Crimea was the best way to end the illegal occupation by the Russian Federation. The US backed out of this talk, but the rest of NATO agreed that it was the best plan of action. Which leads us to right now.

A prop plane had touched down on the runway and was now unloading crates of weapons into three stolen Russian Army Trucks. I watched over the unloading through my bino's, beside me Shiro had his sniper out making sure that no Police Officials stormed the area. As I moved my binos over I spotted two Law Enforcement officers I pointed it out to Shrio who nodded. Two shots rang out and the two officers collasped.

"Good kills" I called.

I dragged the binocs over to the road and spotted three GAZ-2975 "Tigr" sporting Russian Police emblems "Shit, it's the SWAT".

Rin took the binocs from me and looked towards the road. "Uhh Ghost actual to Crossroads"

"Go for Crossroads"

"Be advised… the Russians knew, rebels have SWAT inbound, I'm sure BTR-9's aren't far behind"

"Copy that Ghost Actual, you have a Predator Drone ready and on station, however, only use to clear a path for evacuation"

"Copy that Crossroads, ghost actual out"

Rin looked at me and then at Shiro. "listen to me, shrio, thin as much as you can. We are evacing out of here"

Shrio nodded, but before he could open fire a tank shell flew above our heads and hit behind us.