❖Status- Declassified
❖Operation Result- Failure
❖Deployment Base- Red River Base
❖Start Date- July 23rd, ZAC 2122
❖End Date- July 28th, ZAC 2122
❖Conflict Location- Boarder at Red River; unidentified Imperial instillation
❖Unit Deployed- RZ-010 Pteras, "Cirrus" unit
❖Operation Objective- Gather intelligence about Imperial movements at the boarder. Determine the number/type of units being deployed to the area before combat results so appropriate counter units can be deployed. Surveillance mission.
❖Operation Overview- Although initially successful, the mission was declared a failure after then-Lieutenant O'Connell was shot down in a surprise attack by the Imperial Eisenbeck unit. The original duration of the operation was supposed to be July 23rd-26th ZAC 2122 but it was extended until July 28th ZAC 2122. This extension is a result of then-Lieutenant O'Connell being captured by Imperial forces and held as a prisoner of war until he managed to escape and return to his base of deployment.
❖Additional Notes- At 7:31 PM SRT July 26th ZAC 2122, then-Lieutenant O'Connell was quietly added to the MIA list. This was not publicly announced, his name only listed in Red River's mission boards, to preserve the secrecy of the mission. Due to the nature of this mission, no rescue party was dispatched to collect him and his damaged Zoid after his downing was confirmed.
"Picking up on anything, Cirrus?" it was now day three of the mission; the final day. The previous days had been filled with flying survey patterns and staring at the ground. In other words, nothing. Lots and lots of nothing. He had managed to locate the Imperial unit, but just what they were doing was still unclear. There hadn't been any movement over the past three days; it really was starting to look like they were just stationing units at the boarder, and nothing more.
A quiet chittering from his Zoid brought him out of his thoughts. /Nothing yet, sir/ came his Zoid's reply, the Pteras banking slightly to begin the sweep again. A few more passes and they would be done, which meant he'd be able to return to base with more than enough time to attend Rob's party. Hopefully he'd even be back before Toby got there so he could greet him alongside Rob.
"Cirrus, you don't have to call me sir when we're on our own." Brandon chuckled a bit, tilting the stick a bit and angling the Pteras down to get another look at the units. With the cumbersome Radar Unit affixed to his Zoid's back, maneuvering was a bit more strenuous than he was used to. The large piece of equipment made turning a chore, and his usual showy moves would be not only extremely difficult, but dangerous as well.
/Sorry, sir/ Cirrus chirped back, deactivating the Radar Unit as they approached the Imperial units again. With the clouds creating a barrier between them and the enemy, they didn't have to worry so much about being spotted. Besides, from what they had seen, they didn't have any aerial units. Brandon sighed a bit quietly at his Pteras, but didn't press it further. Cirrus had been used in combat long before he had joined the military, so it was likely just a forcive habit. Nothing worth arguing over.
The pair circled above the Imperial unit, spotting glimpses of the Zoids through breaks in the cloud cover. It was a rather large unit, but what struck him as odd was the large number of Gustavs. Their cargo was mostly covered, so whatever they were hauling, be it Zoid or supply, was well hidden. As he tried to get a better look without compromising his position, he heard the intercom crackle to life.
"Hey Black Angel, did you see that bluebird up there?" it must have been an Imperial in their Zoid. Their tone held a joking quality; some soldiers must be chatting to pass the time. "I thought I saw it yesterday, too. Seems I wasn't seeing things. But you saw it right?"
"Yeah, I saw it. Pretty odd seeing one this far east. Wanna get a closer look?" another replied, which was followed by a chorus of affirmatives. Brandon's eyes narrowed slightly. Why were they so interested in a mere bluebird? As his Pteras passed over the unit again, he glanced down through the thinning clouds to where the Gustavs were. This time, the covered trailers were now empty. That was… unusual. Now on alert, he gripped the controls more tightly and activated the Radar Unit. Something just didn't seem right. Minutes passed in tense silence, the radar silent. Maybe he had been overreacting, it was probably just his nerves playing tricks-
/Proximity warning- target closing at 200 meters/
"What?" he thought aloud, turning around in his seat to get a look through the cockpit cover. That was when he spotted it; a group of black Redlers. The Eisenbeck Unit. What were they doing all the way out here, and how had they found him? Brandon's heart skipped a beat when the realization set in- the bluebird they had been talking about, it had been him and Cirrus. "Cirrus, move!" he shouted, pushing the controls forward. The Pteras screeched in fear at the approaching Imperial Zoids, wings folding flush to his body and he dove, trying to gain speed. Brandon hoped to lose them in the cloud cover, but he realized in horror the Radar Unit was causing a high amount of drag. They couldn't get away fast enough.
The Redlers descended upon them in an instant. They folded their wings and dove after them, catching up with them quickly due to the drag acting upon Cirrus. Brandon activated the Combat System, knowing all too well the fact that he was carrying no arms. One of the Redlers swung close, and that was when he made his move. Cirrus's wings swung open, the Zoid rocketing skywards as a result of air resistance. A great weight pressed on him from the G forces, but it only lasted a few moments and he was able to keep from losing consciousness. The confused Redlers faltered and clumsily pulled out of their dives, but by that time Brandon and Cirrus had ducked into the cloud cover. Visibility dropped drastically, but the Radar Unit and Cirrus's instruments aided him in navigating.
"Red River, this is Setter, I've been spotted. They're engaging; I need backup and now, over!" Brandon had opened a communication line back to Red River, knowing that he was in serious trouble. He was on his own, without weapons, and with a cumbersome piece of machinery attached to his Zoid's back. He didn't stand a chance. Silence was his only answer for the longest of moments, before the link filled with static and a solitary voice responded.
"Setter, this is Red River. I'm afraid additional units cannot be dispatched due to the nature of your mission." a female voice responded, and the blood ran cold in Brandon's veins. What? They were going to leave him? "Return to Republican airspace immediately." she added, "Or you'll have to handle the situation on your own, over."
"Red River that's a negative. I'm surrounded and I don't have any damn weapons!" the pilot's patience was wearing thin, "I need someone with weapons! It's the Eisenbeck unit and by the Gods I don't stand a chance without something to shoot them with, over!" he shouted, eyes focused on the radar and altitude indicator to keep him from getting disoriented. He normally didn't let himself appear so panicked, but he was honestly scared; he had never been caught out on his own, unarmed, against a feared enemy unit. His heart skipped a beat when he heard command's response: there's nothing we can do.
That was when the situation began to deteriorate.
Alarms sounded suddenly, the displays flashing INCOMING MISSILE in bright red letters. Brandon cursed loudly and jerked the controls, Cirrus rolling to the left, avoiding a pair of missiles by mere feet. Glimpses of black armor flashed through the clouds on both sides; they were trying to surround him. Brandon pulled back, Cirrus's wings flaring, slowing him instantly and leaving the Redlers to scramble to slow down far ahead of him. One tried to dive down on top of him, and Brandon reacted immediately. The Magnesser wings cut out, the Pteras rolling onto his back and plummeting from the clouds.
The Redler's wings folded, diving down after him with impressive speed. Perfect. A split second before the two Zoids collided, Cirrus unfurled his wings slightly and tilted so his nose pointed to the ground, legs lunging forward, claws sinking deeply into the Redler's belly when they reached the same latitude. The Imperial Zoid screamed loudly as its underbelly was torn from it, Cirrus angling his wings and diving out and away from the crippled Redler, taking armor and Core with him. One down. The Pteras released the chunks of metal he had torn free, winging away in an attempt to escape back into Republican airspace.
No such luck. The rest of the unit was soon converging on his location, and with the bulky Radar Unit on his back he couldn't maneuver well enough to escape them. "C'mon, Cirrus!" he shouted, pushing the controls hard as he struggled to gain speed and altitude. He needed to get back into the clouds and fast. Cirrus screamed defiantly at one of the draconic Zoids, the Redler approaching at fast speed from the side. In a split second reaction, Cirrus wheeled off to left, kicking his right leg out and ripping the left wing clean off of the enemy Zoid as it shot past them. A piercing scream ripped through the air as the Imperial and his machine plummeted towards the ground. Two down
Tail flicking suddenly, Cirrus swung to the right, avoiding a Redler as it attempted to drop down on top of him. The two Zoids missed by mere inches. The Imperials were starting to regroup; they needed to get out, and fast. His luck wouldn't hold out much longer, and Cirrus was exhausted from running grid patterns. A flash at his right was all the warning he had before one of the draconic Zoids swooped down, blade deployed. There was no hope of avoiding, and the sharp weapon clipped Cirrus's wing, the Pteras shrieking loudly in pain. The impact caused him to careen off to the right, colliding with one of the Imperial Zoids. Talons latched onto flailing limbs, both Zoids dropping from the clouds in a tangle of wings and claws. Using his larger wingspan to his advantage, Cirrus flung his wings open, rolling on top of the Redler and kicking out, launching the smaller Zoid out and away from him.
Struggling to regain control, Brandon jerked the controls, rolling Cirrus back onto his belly, wings fully extended as he attempted to slow down. His altitude was too low; he couldn't maneuver properly. Another Redler appeared suddenly below them, and with a single motion his Pteras folded his wings, dropping down onto the black Zoid like a hawk snatching a songbird in flight. Cirrus's legs buckled as the Zoids collided, claws ripping into armor and wing structure. Fanning his wings, Cirrus pulled away and banked off to the left, nose pointing to Republican airspace. So close, they were so close. The Redler he had divebombed recovered and swung back, circling around to get the Pteras in his sights. Within moments he had a lock, and that was all it took to seal the fate of the young pilot and his Zoid. Proximity alarms screamed within Brandon's cockpit, but it was far too late.
INCOMING MISSILE. INCOM- BANG
Cirrus screamed in pain as his body was enveloped in fire, an Imperial missile scoring a direct hit on his right side. The impact slammed Brandon against the controls, knocking the air from his lungs. A sudden sharp pain made itself evident near his temple, the hot dampness of blood following as it ran down his face. Damnit. Damnit all. Alarms blared and sirens blasted their warnings, displays flashing red as damage was assessed. The force of the explosion had blown the Pteras onto his side, the Zoid falling from the sky in a trail of smoke and fire. Systems failed one by one, the cockpit darkening as his Zoid lost power.
"Cirrus? CIRRUS?!" It was no use. His Zoid was stunned from the blast, unable to move, and unable to spread his wings. The Magnesser system was failing, the Zoid plummeting like a stone towards the waiting ground. "Cirrus, wake up! We're gonna hit! WAKE UP!" his panicked cries went unanswered, the Pteras lapsing in and out of awareness, unable to respond. Brandon was a stubborn pilot; he refused to leave his Pteras to die and eject. They had gone through hell together, and he wasn't going to leave his partner, but the situation was growing more desperate as each second ticked by. With controls locked and systems disabled, Cirrus began to tumble, spiraling towards the surface in an unrecoverable trajectory that Brandon, even with all his expertise, couldn't hope to correct.
The ground loomed larger and larger through the cockpit, jagged rocks along the river shore eagerly awaiting to catch the wounded Zoid. The intercom crackled, one of the Imperials claiming the kill. "Like hell I'm your kill." Brandon hissed through his teeth, slamming his fist against the controls. Electricity arced and displays flickered, before suddenly light was restored. Cirrus had regained consciousness. Brandon could have sighed in relief, but he knew it was already too late. They were too low. Far too low.
With a hard pull on the controls, Brandon rolled his Pteras back onto his belly, wings flinging open as a result of the inertia. The drag increased dramatically, slowing the crippled Pteras down a considerable amount. The G forces about knocked the young pilot out, but he just barely hung onto his consciousness. It was too little too late. The ground was right there and there was no way they could pull out of the dive. Cirrus screeched in fear, throwing his legs out in a vain attempt to cushion the blow, wings spread fully and spine arched, but it was useless. In those moments before impact, everything went silent; Brandon couldn't hear the screeching of the altitude indicator or the voice of the Red River ATC as she tried to confirm his situation. Everything was silent and seemed to move in slow motion.
Crash
The next few seconds bled together, little more than the horrific sounds of metal crushing and tearing and stone cracking apart under the impact, followed by the feeling of a great, oppressive weight slamming down on him. Cirrus's piercing scream was deafening, but it was suddenly silenced as his body broke from the force. Brandon's consciousness only lasted a few moments; just long enough to hear his Zoid scream in pain, and to listen to his own back break before everything went black.
"Setter, this is Red River, come back." command tried to raise him, but there wasn't any answer. "Setter, come back. Setter?" the link between the downed Pteras and Red River began to deteriorate. "Lieutenant O'Connell? Radar indicates your unit is at unsafe levels and is stationary. Have you landed?" the woman on the other end went suddenly silent, before her voice muffled as she turned to speak with her superior officer, "… we've lost him. He's downed."
