Chapter 9: USCC Maryland

David

July 25th, 2017

11:28 AM

Meridian Prime Warzone

Meridian Prime Airspace

Cayce and I fly thousands of feet in the air with our altitude heightened enough from the island's ground to steer our course to the Maryland currently under siege by ConDef boarding parties. I handle all the flight controls in the front cockpit. Cayce handles guns and missiles in the cockpit behind me. Then HQ radioed us for another update on the Maryland's status.

HQ: (comms) HQ to Madsen. Do you read?

David: I copy. Report.

HQ: We've confirmed the Maryland's crew has lost control of the dreadnaught. All crew members KIA and refugees are being held hostage. You'll now have to get on board the Maryland itself and regain control of the missile link. It should be on the bridge of the carrier.

David: Thanks, HQ. Madsen out.

Cayce: Oh, goodie. We now gotta do this ourselves. Take on dozens of ConDef just to recapture a ship. This day just gets better and better, doesn't it?

David: This is what a one-way trip looks like, Cayce. Either we go down or those Titans do and if retaking that ship with just the two of us is our ticket to the latter, we'll do so.

As Cayce and I fly past land and above the Meridian waters with warships and jet fighters amidst the battlefield, we approach our designated target. Ready to strike back at the Chrysalis freighter under ConDef siege.

HQ: (comms) HQ to Madsen, you're approaching the Maryland. ConDef has taken control of its defenses. Arming the anti-aircraft artillery at their disposal. Take out those guns first before you land.

Cayce: One plane against an entire carrier? Does that even sound possible?

David: We'll make it possible? How's your aim?

Cayce: Never better, Commander.

Cayce armed up his targeting screen. Ready to drop missile strikes on target. Which would dispose of the AA guns on the Maryland. I take an immediate left turn on the jet toward the ship and we begin our attack run there.

The ship is surrounded by ConDef gunships in the air and they had to be taken down with the hacked AA guns. I destroy the enemy attack choppers using the harrier's heavy caliber guns. Most of them go down in an instant with guns and a few heavy caliber bullets fired down on them. Blowing them off their altitude and into the Meridian waters. Cayce targets the AA guns and fires every missile available on our bird to neutralize them. As disheartening as it was to fire on the guns of our ship, it was the only way to retake the ship from the enemy.

Once every AA gun and attack chopper was shot down, we were cleared to land. But not before enemy jet fighters were approaching our way.

David: HQ, this Madsen. All anti-aircraft guns have been neutralized. We're clear to land.

HQ: (comms) Negative, Madsen. You have enemy harriers approaching your position. You'll need to take them out first.

Cayce: Just terrific.

Once we spot the three ConDef fighters, I go full throttle to outrun them all. This wasn't going to be an easy dogfight. It was a one-on-three assault for the two of us on this bird. While the ConDef harriers pursued us, a missile lock alerted us on our flight computer and I launched the flairs to counter the missile trajectory. The enemy missiles evaded us as the flairs behind us went off flanking the speeding projectiles. It was time for a trick to take out our enemies.

I reduced our throttle to slow ourselves down. Allowing the ConDef fighters to fly past us and above us. Then I immediately punched the throttle forward for full speed as soon as the fighters were now flying in front of us. Now that we were on the enemy's tail, Cayce locked onto the two of the three fighters on launched two missiles for the two of them. The missile hit their targets and the jet fighters came crashing down into the Meridian waters. Then finally, I lock onto the last target and destroy the last fighter with the heavy guns. With the last fighter neutralized, it was time to land.

HQ: (comms) All enemy fighters destroyed, Madsen. You're cleared to land.

Cayce: Alright, now we can get to that targeting computer on the ship. Find a place to land, Commander.

I find a place to land the bird and decide to land it gently in a space on the Maryland's flight deck. As I begin to dock, HQ contacts us again.

HQ: (comms) HQ to Madsen. The boarding party is launching the missiles and targeting the fleet. The missile countdown has already started. Find the control unit on the bridge and stop the launch. You have four minutes to stop it. You can reroute the targeting coordinates to the Titans back on the island after. Then save the hostages on board.

Cayce: Roger that, HQ. We're on it.

Cayce and I hopped out of our harrier once I finished landing it. We get out our rifles and start shooting down ConDef in our wake. The two of us clear out the infantry on the flight deck and make it inside the interior of the aircraft carrier.

Down the halls are the bodies of the crew. Mostly ensigns. Others were troops like us. All who fought like hell to defend the Maryland only to no avail. Cayce and I checked our corners and shot down anything that moved. The whole crew was considered hostile to our eyes and they were. We clear out the halls and finally make it to the bridge.

Together, we breach the door to the bridge via charges. The charges go off, the door blows down, and we all spray bullets at the stowaways inside. All threats were eliminated and the bridge was ours. The targeting computer was now in front of our eyes. With two minutes to spare, there was no more time to lose. I took the helm of the targeting controls to commandeer the missiles. Rerouting their targets from the Chrysalis fleets to the Titans on the mainland.

David: Madsen to HQ. We've retaken control of the missiles. All threats were neutralized in the CIC room. Over.

HQ: (comms) Roger. We're sending in backup to aid you with those hostages once the Titans have been hit. There should be a key in that room to trigger the missiles. Do you see one?

David: I see it, HQ. I'm contacting Valor right now to link up the missiles. Madsen out.

Cayce: There's always a key to turn, isn't there?

David: Madsen to Caulfield. Come in M. Caulfield. Do you read?

Max: (comms) It's me, David. Did you find the controls?

David: I'm at the computer now. Sending you the uplink to yours.

I hack into the targeting computer and link it up to Max's computer at the checkpoint on the island. My fingers tap the buttons as I do.

David: Got it. Do you have it?

Max: (comms) I've got it. We can target the Titans right now!

David: Rerouting the targeting coordinates now.

With the coordinates rerouted and now targeting the Titans, at least four missiles fired away from the ship's cannon. Launching out of their silos and towards the island. Each of the missiles sped at thousands of miles per hour as they zoomed over the trees and through aircraft in the middle of dogfights.

The missiles themselves were approaching their targets closer and closer. Aimed at the four Titans guarding the northern, southern, eastern, and western sides of Mount Genesis. Then in just a matter of seconds, the missiles hit their targets and the Titans all went down with a big boom. Some missiles hit the Titans by their heads. Others by their abdomens. Either way, the Titans themselves all exploded into crumbling concrete with the debris of their body parts crashing down towards the island floor. Chrysalis troops on the ground cheered and chanted with their rifles waved upward. Even Max and the rest of the team witnessed the downfall themselves. Max let out a smile for this minor victory in this major battle.

Max: (comms) That's it, David! You did it!

HQ: (comms) HQ to Madsen, direct hit on all Titans! I repeat, direct hit on all Titans!

David let out a sigh of relief.

Cayce: We did, Commander! We took them down!

David: Copy that, HQ. Glad we could serve.

HQ: (comms) Looks like it's a confirmed kill on all Titans. Your reinforcements to rescue those hostages are approaching now. HQ out.

Helicopters with our reinforcements had arrived on the scene. Docking on the flight deck with additional troops hopping out. We join our reinforcements and enter the Maryland's refugee deck. David and I get against the corners of the doors to the deck between our support troops, plant some charges to blow the door open, and the door bursts open with one blow.

Everyone yells "clear" and it's only the hostages on takes. Most of them with tied up, gagged, and blindfolded. We reassured the refugees they were safe now and all ConDef onboard were eliminated.

David: HQ, this is Madsen. Hostages are secure. Looks like all ConDef onboard have been neutralized. The Maryland is ours again.

HQ: (comms) Roger that. You may proceed away from the Maryland effective immediately.

Max: (comms) David, it's Max! Do you read?!

David: I hear ya. What is it?

Max: (comms) I don't think we got all of them. More Titans have just risen out of the ground! One of them is headed to the checkpoint right now!

David: We'll be back there momentarily. Just hang tight while Cayce and I get offboard.

Cayce and I get back on our harrier and take flight back towards the island. On the way over, Max contacts us again.

Max: (comms) David, come in. I think I found a way to take out the Titan in front of us.

David: Go on.

Max: (comms) The computer at this checkpoint can link to a harrier's targeting system for its missiles. If we could link up to your bird, the missiles on it could home in on the Titan in front of us. Which is blocking our path toward the portal to Mount Genesis. We take out the Titan, it's our ticket to Mount Genesis. I link up to your homing missiles, that's our ticket to destroying the Titan. It's going to take time though. Lieutenant Heard said she could handle it.

David: Copy that. Just let Heard do the work. She's the tech expert. She'll know what to do.

Max: (comms) She's already on it, David. Max out.