Chp. 2: Of Great Value
January 22, 2005
Headquarters of 6 Squadron SAS, Rocky Island
Jamie sat down with the other Troop Leaders while one of the Squadron's intelligence officers, Damien, shuffled through some recon photos next to a projector. Fellow Captain John Yorke leaned over and held out a cigarette for his friend. He leaned the other way and gave one to a blonde named Harold Monroe, the other Troop commander present.
"Got 'em last time I was on the mainland. Local resistance put 'em in some supplies they gave us." He explained.
"Excellent hospitality." Jamie quipped to his doppelganger, pulling out his lighter.
"Gotta han'it to the Aucks, they make good cigs." Monroe agreed.
"Ten-SHUN."
The Captains frowned, but hid their cigs and stood up as Major Browden walked in, wearing his sand-colored beret and gentlemanly beard. He returned their salutes and let the room settle before he announced the reason for the sudden gathering.
"Lads, we've gotten word that the invasion is on. GHQ has given final approval for Operation Bunker Shot to commence, and we've been given our orders in support of the assault." He declared.
The mood grew notably enthusiastic, and the unspoken response seemed to be along the lines of "about time". In its 64 years of existence, the Special Air Service had never had to abandon its home base to any enemy, let alone its home country. Like a lot of those in ISAF's special forces community, they were eager to stop raiding and start retaking. The Squadron's Intelligence Officer, Damien, put up a slide of a bear of an Erusean officer in service dress. The lights dimmed and Browden tapped the picture on the projection screen.
"Lads this is General Prodan Andric, the man in charge of what the Eruseans call District 190. He essentially acts as the Chair and sole member of the county council, presiding over the southeastern quarter of Aucklin. Orders have come directly from GHQ to mount an operation to capture or, if left with no other options, eliminate the man. He's got a growing list of things to answer for. Among them sanctioning torture, stealing wealth and valuables from the locals, and responsibility for the Fredlehurt massacre in January of 2004. Overall an exemplary gent." Browden said, words dripping with sarcasm.
To drive the point home, the Troop Leaders were shown smuggled images of his activities. Few were of high quality, but it was obvious that under his direction some less-than-moral things had been going on. Jamie felt his jaw tighten as one of the images showed trucks loaded with random possessions. A long-range photo that followed showed an execution of some kind. Local resistance Jamie surmised. Browden glanced at Damien, who jerked his head up and down before standing up.
"His psychological profile and intelligence provided by SIS indicate his actions are a form of retribution against ISAF.'s member states Within the Erusean political scene, he is a staunch supporter of a return to a monarchy and is affiliated with the ethno-nationalist Jedinstvo Party. Based on that, he likely blames countries like Lenshire and the Aucklin-Skully Commonwealth for the influx of foreign refugees." The thin, mousy man revealed.
He hurriedly changed slides again to an image of a long convoy going down a city street. Behind two layers of BOV armored cars and UAZs was a black executive sedan. It was led by another and a third trailed behind.
"General Andric is always guarded by two platoons of motorized troops and a varying number of SSD agents. He never uses MPs; fearsome reputation aside he has little military training. He is neither a soldier nor a tactician and relies on those under his command to do the thinking for him. His service has been exclusively with the Erusean intelligence service." Damien said, explaining the metaphorical parade of vehicles. Jamie raised a hand.
"Does he wield any actual power over Erusean troops in his area? With all due respect Major, what's the man's value?" He asked.
"That's above our paygrade Jamie, but if you need an answer this man has been a menace to the people of Southeast Aucklin. Removing him from the equation would be a boost to their morale and a way to hurt the Erusean command structure. Good enough for you?"
"Yes sir."
"What I wanted to hear. Damien?"
"Yes sir. As I was saying, the man is under heavy guard at all times. Additional intel shows he spends much of his time in this Edwardian-era estate outside Bruincape, so this is where we intend to secure him. The timetable of the operation is to coincide with air raids across the region in preparation for the landings. This is to prevent his escape; 4 Squadron will attack the airport nearby both as a diversion and to prevent him fleeing by air. The local resistance, assisted by SASR's 1 Squadron, will cut off the roads leading out of the area. Our objective will be the estate, codenamed Objective Peacock…"
The Troop commanders were given their own folders with copies of everything Damien had or would let them have. More photos of his protection, more photos of him, a compilation of his recorded service based on what could be figured out. Damien, meanwhile, switched slides again. Jamie flipped through the provided map and satellite imagery as the intel man laid out their insertion.
"...You will be inserted to these three landing zones via a HALO jump, from which you will have five hours to reach the manor and establish your positions. The terrain is mostly woodland broken by a handful of fields. However, it's the closest to your objective we can safely get and offers the most immediate cover. From there, avoid contact with Erusean forces and proceed to the estate. The exact details of your route are yours to determine; the area is rich with trails for hiking and horse riding. Erusean patrols tend to stick to the roads and as for helicopters, the most frequent type seen are Jet Rangers to assist them with spotting trouble."
The Major took over to hand out specific objectives. The job of Jamie's 6 Troop would be cutting off his escape and taking out the guard barracks near the estate's garages. Monroe and 3 Troop would be the closest help as his men swept the outer buildings and secured a landing zone. Yorke would help secure the estate and trap Andric inside. While Jamie started forming a plan of action in his head, 4 Troop's Leader (and the one who'd get to take Andric) Mike Rupert raised a hand.
"Major, I would like to put forth we start hammering that one out now. Better coordination, fewer headaches, and less time spent on the radio." He proposed.
"Reason why you're my favorite, Roop." Browden agreed.
"Should still make contact when we land, just so everyone knows everyone else is alive…or dead." Jamie added.
"Right, Damien you got a dry-erase pen on you?"
"And at the risk of sounding like a loon, I would advise we stay on the trails when we're deep in the woods. Thrashing around in all that foliage will attract attention and we're on a schedule." Jamie suggested.
"Noted…Whatever we do, we should be able to reinforce one-another in a reasonable amount of time. Maintain half a kilometer from one-another and move roughly parallel. Treat this part like a recce mission would be the best way to put it. I would recommend our sniper teams cover the rear, then close up and create overlapping engagement zones to cover us when we move in."
"This tower right here would be a good place for a sniper to hole up, so we should have our snipers keep a close watch on it." Yorke chimed in.
"MG nests seem to be sparse. One at the main entrance, two at the far sides and one in the rear. Are these dots on the IR images patrols, Damien?" Munroe observed as he pulled his cigarette back out.
"Yes sir. The ones on the roof, too."
"Looks like that bloke right there is guarding a Strela on a seat mount. Gotta be a second one at least."
Jamie stood up and held out one of the photos he'd been provided.
"Second one is next to the barracks, looks like they just repurposed some of the stables." He pointed out. Rupert took the image and looked over it alongside Yorke.
"Must be where Andric's personal guards sleep. Those SSD agents are probably in the main building so they can reach the good General." The latter mused.
"I'll draw the majority of them since my Troop's target is the barracks and the vehicles on the property. Damien, how soon could reinforcements arrive at the estate? After the shooting starts." Jamie said.
"Anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, and the size may vary." Damien estimated after a glance at the ceiling and his laptop.
"So I'll need to be in and out in no more than 20 minutes." Rupert noted. The Major stepped forward to bring attention back to himself.
"Once the man is secured, X Squadron will send in a flight of Hips to extract you. From there, you'll be flown to the old Maunsell Fort out near Glencove so the birds can refuel, then back here to hand off Andric to SIS and DIS. Take these photos and blueprints and study them every minute you aren't gearing up. Sergeant Major Bourne has been ordered to make available all armaments for this operation, and you are all advised to prepare enough equipment for a long-range operation. In the event you cannot be extracted as planned, you are to fall in with the local resistance, the South Volunteer Guard, until extraction can be arranged. Should Andric prove a liability at any point, do away with him."
"Or just threaten to hand him over to the locals, sir?" Yorke asked with a brief grin.
"Yes, but remember that our friends in the intelligence services would very much like him alive."
Browden glanced at Damien, who cleared his throat and stood up.
"Do be aware that he's a hardcore nationalist. He may not break so easily." The man insisted. The threat of death can shake a lot of beliefs, though, Jamie thought.
"If there is nothing further to discuss, I want you four to gather your men and get them briefed. Further coordinate your actions as needed." Browden interjected, raising his voice a few octaves. The Captains saluted him one final time.
"Yes sir!"...
"Alert!"
Six machine gun crews and a similar number of anti-tank teams emerged from the bunkers and hurried down the trench. They kept their eyes forward as they passed a short, intimidating man watching over them. Major General Danko Ikov watched them bolt in different directions and hurry into smaller bunkers. He walked to the trench that connected the fortifications and looked both ways as the barrels of heavy machine guns began to poke out from their firing slits. Almost directly in front of him, the crew of a Metis-M launcher were just finishing setting up. One man put his eye to the sighting system while the other, rifle at the ready, hunkered down next to a pair of readied rounds. The Lieutenant in charge of the support platoon ran down the line to ensure everyone was in position, then took his place in his command dugout. General Ikov looked at his Operations Officer, Major Salo, as the man made something of a spectacle of halting a stopwatch in his hand.
"Just over 53 seconds, sir." He explained.
"The expected time, Major. Especially when the men are sitting ready in their barracks." Ikov commented. He looked down into the dugout as he walked inland.
"Still, your unit shows proper cohesion and procedure Lieutenant Bozic. Keep up the good work leading them and tell them that this drill is the standard they should hold themselves to." He added.
"Thank you sir…should we run it again with less preparation?" Bozic replied.
"No, no, no need to do that. Return to your routine procedures and run drills at your discretion after consulting your immediate superiors."
"Yes sir."
Ikov turned and walked back to a group of armored vehicles sitting at the bottom of the mound. His adjutant emerged from a Pasi APC and exchanged salutes with the General.
"You'll be happy to know that General Andric had to cancel dinner. His reason was he needed to attend an important function to secure cooperation with the local populace." Colonel Mikhal Iivari announced.
"Good, we still have two more sites to visit." Ikov replied.
The trio walked to his XA-185 and slipped inside via the rear doors. The General pulled off his helmet and accepted a Yuktobanian-style tanker helmet.
"Pavvo, give the order to mount up and move out to our next destination." He instructed via the throat mic.
While the man in charge of his escort carried that out, Ikov shifted over to the radio and map board. The Pasi's engine rumbled to life and the small convoy of vehicles raced off towards where sand turned to pavement. Ikov leaned over the map table in the center of the compartment and ran a finger along the coast.
"Observing that weapons platoon, I intend to execute a large-level exercise sometime in the next few weeks. This piecemeal inspection doesn't give me the perspective I needed." He said over the sound of the engine. Iivari leaned back and pulled a courier's bag to his side.
"According to this morning's intelligence reports, ISAF's amphibious forces remain near the Comona Islands. Our sector would be a very likely candidate for any operation, but so would several other spots. Most of which have gentler terrain; my assessment is that attacks against us would be a distraction." He explained.
"So our main worry would be commandos and small landings. Harassment to wear us down."
"Likely, sir…you disagree, Major?"
Salo's head stopped shaking, which he tried to pass off as being from the bumpy ride in the vehicle. A few seconds under Ikov and Iivari's gazes convinced him otherwise.
"Sir, with all due respect ISAF lacks the manpower to conduct anything of significance. They're simply biding their time. I support your desire to conduct an exercise, but I am confident in my belief that ISAF cannot force a breakthrough here. Colonel, does that report include the position of ISAF's other naval assets?" He declared. Ikov constantly fought the urge to reprimand him, but relented.
"ISAF's naval forces, those in theater, remain spread out across three major flotillas. The one nearest us is the biggest, as it has four of ISAF's carriers." Iivari explained.
"Certainly that's a result of focusing power to protect Comona, especially after the attack last month."
"An attack that was ultimately unsuccessful. ISAF has been emboldened by their ability to keep us on the mainland."
Ikov nodded in agreement with his adjutant.
"We are still at war, Major Salo…Iivari, if commando raids are the most pertinent threat, then what would be their likely targets?" He added.
"Communications, logistics, air defenses and our anti-ship missile batteries."
No sooner had he mentioned that then they all heard an explosion outside. The crewman manning the vehicle's machine gun yelled "RPG" and turned his weapon to the right. Ikov put his eyes to a viewport above one of the firing ports. Through the dust glass he saw muzzle flashes in the hills above the road. Another rocket flew down and raced just overhead, but hit nothing.
"Fire the smoke grenades and get us off the road!" The General ordered over his headset.
Ikov grabbed an M92 as the driver turned the wheel and moved the APC towards the edge of the road. The items on the map table slid off as it plunged into a field, bounced, then went nose down again and came to a stop. Other than a second of confusion, everyone was moving about fine. Ikov drew in a calming breath as he got his mind where it needed to be.
"All Orao elements, all Orao elements deploy and repel the ambush. I want a base of fire on the left side of the road as soon as possible." He ordered. The man looked to his radio operator, Sven, who was already putting on his radio pack.
"Sven, I'll lay down covering fire. Get behind something and start requesting help." He added.
Sven let out a quick "yes sir" and grabbed his RK 95. Iivari opened the back door and poked his M92 over the top to lay down covering fire with Ikov's runner and his interpreter. The gunner kept up the fire, even as bullets sporadically thumped against the APC's side.
"Driver, what's our position?" Ikov asked as he grabbed a fresh magazine.
"Last KM marker I saw said 12, sir." the man replied as he wrestled with the controls of the Pasi.
"Vehicle's stuck, can't get it to move." The sergeant added.
"Forget the vehicle for now. Grab your weapon and get outside." Ikov ordered.
The General kept firing until his weapon ran dry. He pulled his webbing gear to him and gave the M92 a fresh magazine. The driver bailed out through his own door, leaving Ikov to beckon Salo after him. The two leapt from the back of the vehicle and sprinted around to cover. Iivari and the others were quick to follow. He looked both ways in search of the rest of the convoy. They'd come to a stop in a field next to the road, and the Pasi had gotten jammed in an irrigation ditch of some kind. The driver was being helped up the slope, groaning in pain. Salo was looking from side to side with his CZ 99 in hand, either trying not to panic or trying to find the strength to muster a charge. Ikov took a knee next to Sven and peered through the smoke.
"Get anyone?" He asked.
"We have a friendly helicopter inbound to help, and the nearest patrol is heading towards us." The young man replied.
"Good, contact Pavvo and get a situation report. Make sure our allies know our location."
One of the RPGs finally found a target. Ikov's gaze snapped to one of the escorting BOVs as its top half was consumed by flames. He crouched behind the rear of the Pasi and tried to see where the shooting was coming from. He crouched so he could shoot under the rear door and let off a few rounds. Several came back in return, ricocheting off the pavement and forcing him back down. Iivari took a knee next to the man and snorted.
"Do they even know where they're firing?" He asked.
"I can truthfully say they don't. Okay, let's organize things and flush them out once the helicopter is here. Sven!" Ikov replied, looking over his shoulder. The radioman hurried up and handed over his radio's handset.
"All Orao elements, this is Orao 1, request current situation." He said.
"Orao 2-1, we have one dead and two wounded. We have established a skirmish line and are awaiting further orders."
"Orao 3-1 has two dead and two wounded. Awaiting further orders, sir."
"Orao 1-5 is trying to move towards your position, 1." Captain Paavo added.
"Standby, friendly helicopter is inbound to assist. Stay in cover, enemy fire appears to be coming in haphazardly. Advance when support has arrived."
He received an acknowledgement from each squad leader and their superior as the deep thrum of rotorblades filled the air. He'd expected to see a Jet Ranger, but was instead greeted by the beautiful sight of a Ka-29 assault helicopter. The aircraft flew by high and fast, then began to circle around.
"Orao 1 this is Susi 3-03, we believe we have your position and are trying to get the exact location of the enemy fire. Request assistance." A gruff voice asked over the radio.
"Susi 3-03, fire on the treeline to the right of the road. Come around nose inland and attack the treeline on the right side of the road. Use the burning APC as a reference point until we can deploy a smoke marker." Ikov relayed.
Upon hearing the words "smoke marker", Sven pulled a green smoke grenade from his webbing gear and handed it to the General, who traded it for the radio handset. The Ka-29's blades grew louder as it came back around and dropped to a lower altitude. The pods hanging from its stub wings lit up as it peppered the trees with rockets. Ikov watched as it banked away and gained altitude once more. He threw the smoke grenade and took the radio handset once more.
"Susi 3-03, excellent job. Request one more run, then take up orbit until you reach minimum safe fuel." He instructed.
"Understood Orao 1." The helicopter pilot acknowledged.
The firing had largely ceased just before the arrival of the helicopter, but he wanted to be certain. His troops had also ceased as they waited for targets or orders. Ikov, feeling a sense of indignation overcome the rush of adrenaline, keyed the radio once more as the helicopter made another run.
"Orao 1-5 this is Orao 1."
"Orao 1-5 reporting." Paavo replied.
"Have Orao 3 form a single line and push half a kilometer into the woods. Orao 2 will secure a perimeter and establish an aid station until help arrives."
He paused, then hit the transmit button again.
"Orao 1-5, if you find any survivors don't shoot them yet. I want to know why I've been insulted with such a terribly sloppy ambush."
"Yes sir."