Operation Silver Nightmare, an Operation Runestone Thriller
Prologue
It's January of 2024, for many it's a year of hope for new beginnings. A chance to reflect and change. But for the members of Special Operations Teams and the Private Military Companies, it's just another day at the office. Especially in the Republic of Chernarus, where a civil war has been being fought by the government supported by NATO and separatists of the Chernarussian Movement of the Red Star or ChDKZ, a former ally now turned enemy of Russia. Another complication was the emergence of the radical Islamic terrorist organization known as Al-Nidal Aljadid or The New Struggle from Takistan. Leading to the reluctant formation of Task Force Armistice, a joint Russia-NATO alliance. But now TF Armistice has fractured and the Russian Federation has left Chernarus completely leaving only their PMC proxies to continue the fight against radical Islamic and Ultranationalist factions. With the promise of glory and rewards. But now they had to fight their former allies and it made some of them uneasy.
0300, North of Uzda, Republic of Chernarus, January 6th, 2024
The elite operators of Shadow Company's D Troop moved silently through the woods. The briefing by Philip Graves himself was simple. Go into Uzda and kill or capture Inner Circle cell leader Yegorov Foma, a former member of GRU's Alfa Group before joining the ultranationalist group. The other goal was to gather actionable intelligence for further operations in the region.
D Troop or Disciple is a highly elite unit within Shadow Company and one of four units that are primarily used for Foreign Internal Defense contracts. For this mission four members of D Troop including two BC Assaulters, One Breacher, and an Assault Tech, a highly trained drone operator are integrated with a CDF-SSO squad codenamed Eagle. An elite hunter-killer Spetsnaz unit of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Chernarus. Tasked with capturing or killing high-value targets. The BC Operators were armed with black suppressed FN MK 16 rifles chambered in NATO 5.56 while the Chernarussian Special Operations Team were armed with suppressed AK 105 chambered in Russian 5.45.
The shadows knew that they'd probably fight against their former TF Armistice allies. But they had no qualms with it, Task Force Armistice could never last long term and they always did what they were paid to do, and right now that probably meant killing former allies. That's just how wars are fought today. One day you were allies, the next you were shooting each other.
Up above them was an AQ-9 Reaper armed with AGM-114 Hellfire Missiles along with ISR capabilities. It was needed to track targets and provide real-time information to those on the ground, especially if their former Russian PMC friends arrived.
A gloved hand rose that signaled to the team to halt.
"TOC, this is Disciple 9-1. We arrived at Rally Point Delta. Proceeding to the target location." the man said on the radio
"TOC copies all. Good hunting."
With their night vision on and IR lasers showing. It was time to get to work. Spotting two guards having a smoke in the woods, he ordered Disciple 9-2 and 9-3 to eliminate them silently. Brandishing their knives, D 9-1 saw them grab the unsuspecting guards months and with the other plunge the knife to the base of their brain stem. The Inner Circle members jerked before going still.
"Good work. Let's keep moving."
0310, East of Uzda, Republic of Chernarus, January 6th, 2024
The Russian Contractors knew their objectives. To kill the ultranationalist commander in the area. But they were uneasy about potentially fighting their former Shadow Company allies. They fought together, the ones having the hardest time with this realization were the members of Chimera Unit 31. Their other PMC counterparts known as the Jackals didn't care either way. Many Chimeras felt uncomfortable working with the Jackals. Their being on the terrorist lists of multiple Western nations didn't ease the tension between the groups.
Gripping his HK G36K the Chimera team leader Konstantin pulled down his PVS-15 night vision goggles. To be able to see in the pitch-black darkness of this godforsaken country. His team was armed with various weapons. Russian-made AKs and American-made M16s. Looking at his Jackal counterpart, he told him to move to his left. To hit the village to his west. The plan was to attack on two sides and kill the ultranationalist commander. It seemed simple on paper, but he hoped Shadow Company didn't show up.
0315, Village of Uzda, Republic of Chernarus, January 6th, 2024
The lone Inner Circle sniper named Alexi lay still in his sniper perch in the bell tower of the bombed-out church. The makeshift command center was used by Yegorov to plan surgical strikes within the region. Looking at his thermal scoped FN FAL he saw movement within the trees. Getting on his radio he called it in.
"This is Victor 1-1. I'm seeing movement in the treeline north of the town."
"Of course there's movement you idiot." His commanding officer said, clearly irritated by the question "We have patrols in the woods around Uzda."
Feeling embarrassed by his mistake. He felt his whole body light up in red.
"Understood Sir. My apologies."
Feeling the need to stretch his legs after hours of being still, he got up and placed his rifle down. A mistake that moments later would cost him his life. He felt a thwack and dropped to the ground dead.
0320, North of Uzda, Republic of Chernarus, January 6th, 2024
Disciple 9-1 looked at the CDF Spetsnaz Leader codenamed Eagle 1-1 who had taken the shot and nodded in approval. Getting out his ATAK device, he saw what appeared to be a barracks. The single to assault the AO was a drone strike on the barracks hoping to wipe out most resistance while they slept. Intelligence from sources on the ground noted that Yegorov never left his command center in the church. Turning toward his assault tech nicknamed Sickle.
"I want a single hellfire on the barracks in two mikes."
"Copy that 9-1" he responded. Looking at the drone feed from his ATAK device. "I'm seeing multiple foot contacts on thermals from the East of the village. Possibly our Russian counterparts."
Taking a slow breath, 9-1 analyzed the situation and figured he could use two hellfire missiles. One in the village and the other on the incoming hostiles. Plus it appeared that Russians were after their target. What he did know was that all hell would break loose once he ordered the drone to fire.
"Do it. Fire on the barracks then fire another missile on the woods in the north."
"Understood Sir."
Hello everyone. I'm sure some of you are waiting patiently for the next part of my Ghost Recon Crossover. Don't worry that's coming soon. But with writer's block, I'm writing a shorter story based on the Arma 3 fan campaign titled Runestone. Check out Projext Phoenix on Instagram for more information.
