Cascadian Dragoons, East of the Border Post
Kuwait, 2088
"Commander, Clover and Opal elements have engaged the wanderers. Lines are holding and hostiles falling at a rapid rate." the EVA unit spokes.
"Hostile Casualties?"
"300 entities and rising. Mostly larger ones"
"Hmmmmmm," Veda "Ripping" Walters scratched his chin from the seat of his own Mammoth Mark V, High Hiker, as it and its counterparts rolled forward. It was just the normal Railgun variant but it still packed a punch and the munitions it carried were still extremely versatile.
"Alright then, let's see if we can draw these things away from Clover and Opal," Veda tapped his command console. "All Okanagan Elements, this is Okanagan Actual, listen up. I want our Sandstorm MRLS to move up ahead and launch an opening salvo, see if we can get them to react."
"I want Alpha Company of the 2nd Armour to follow them in. If the Sandstorms attract their attention, cover them and fall back steadily until Waypoint Zeka. If not, engage are your discretion."
"Everyone else, we will establish a combat line at Grids 29.05 by 47.12 and 29.03 and 47.16, designated Waypoint Zeka. We will wait until we get these thing's attention before moving to engage."
"(Comms) Wilco/Copy that/Heard your last/Yes sir!" a flurry of replies acknowledging the order came back.
"Longarm, I want you positioned behind the line. Get our guns supporting the fight. And I want Creeper to sally out to call in strikes from fleet with Alpha and Typhoon."
"(Comms) Understood/Acknowledged," the artillery and recon detachment of the dragoons reported.
"Alright people, let's get to work. Okanagan Actual out,"
He felt the ground churning underneath the treads of High Hiker, crushed under hundreds of tons of armour, guns, missiles, and micro-fusion reactors. He was seated on a fairly comfortable command couch with hundreds of thousands of credits worth of electronic computing power.
He tapped his console, bringing up a strategic map of the entire battlezone, allowing him to see every allied and GDI unit in and around Kuwait. From the engaged 71st and 2nd Mechanized armour to the fleet offshore.
A combination of drone, camera, satellite observation, and AI-generated information painted the map of present and believed locations of hostile forces. He could see the massive wave of red trying to push against units highlighted in blue, causality estimates from friendly ordnance, and the location of the other formation.
And he noted several blue Icons coming from the East, which were his MRLS, Recon elements, and Tanks he sent forward. Taking a moment, Veda tapped into the company's communication channels.
"(Comms) This is Typhoon 16. We're moving into guided missile range. You with us Alpha 6?"
"(Comms) This is Alpha 6. We're trailing you by 400 metres. Push up ahead of us. We'll catch up."
"(Comms) Understood. We'll advance a dozen more klicks before firing. Get ready, we'll see how much we poke the Mastermind."
"(Comms) Copy that. Which part of the swarm are you planning to hit?"
"(Comms) Gonna see if I can Grid-smash the rear. Take out those mobile laser bugs in the process."
"(Comms) Wilco. Creeper. Can you get on the horn with Longarm?"
"(Comms) On it, Alpha 6."
Veda shifted back a regimental overview, watching the icon and holographic models roll over sand and dust.
"Commander, I have relayed a message from the Pacific Rim Actual. The Fleet is ready to recommence railgun bombardment. GDS Kongo is on station to support." the EVA unit spoke.
Veda nodded. "Have them hold fire for now but tie them into Creeper's link. Want to feed these wanderers some 152mm shells first. Hold fire until ready."
"Acknowledge Colonel. Update, over one thousand five hundred wanderer entities neutralized"
"Clover's going to have way too much fun. Typhoon 16, this is Okanagan Actual. When can you fire off?"
"(Comms) Okanagan Actual, this is Typhoon 16. We'll be within effective range in 4 mikes."
"Try to expedite that Typhoon. Clover and Opal are going to murder everything soon."
"(Comms) Acknowledged that Okanagan Actual. Give us one more mike, pushing our engines to the max."
Veda turned back his holographic display and swapped to a divisional overview. Finally, he could see the Wanderers having managed to inch past the wall of fire coming from the Mammoths and Juggernauts further back, only for the smaller formers to be hacked down at the two-kilometre range by Armadillo 30mm Railgun fire and the 120mm Railguns of the smaller Paladins tanks.
Now it was seeing if with the Zone Troopers, the Wanderers would be halted before the lines ran out of ammo.
"All Elements, change of plans. Reorganize at the line but drop all plans for defensive maneuvers. We're going provide the hammer for Clover."
"(Comms) We're not digging in, sir?" One of the infantry commanders asked.
"Negative we're not. Saddle up, let the tanks lead."
"(Comms) Understood/Wilco/Copy that/Heard you sure."
Veda toggled back to one of the company comm lines.
"(Comms) Alpha 16, this is Typhoon 16. We're in range."
"(Comms) Understood, we're trailing behind. Clear to fire, we got you covered."
"(Comms) Wilco. Preparing for Grid Suppressing Fire."
"(Comms) Creeper, this is Longarm. We're ready to provide fire support."
"(Comms) Understood, standby for fire mission. Wait one."
"..."
"(Comms) Longarm, this is Creeper. Fire Mission, Coordinate November two niner one seven, Hotel four seven two two. 18 guns, 90 Rounds, HE, ECM."
"(Comms) Creeper, Longarm. Confirm fire mission. November two niner one seven, Hotel four seven two two. 18 guns, 90 Rounds, HE, ECM. Firing for effect."
Veda didn't need to know that his Overseer Self-Propelled Guns, old 152mm cannons fitted onto Gaurdian APCs, were already firing. His organic artillery firing round after round into the alien horde.
The screen shifted to the camera view of one of the Sandstorm MRLS, the successor to the Hover MRLS of the second Tiberium War.
"Typhoon 16, this is Okanagan Actual. Clear to fire when in range."
Sandstorms slowed to a crawl, their repulsors keeping them aloft over the ground.
"(Comms) Copy that Actual. This is Sandstorm, firing!"
From the 16 Sandstorms's twin missile pods, the exhaust of dozens of Thunderbolt III missiles promptly rocketed outwards, exhaust trails rapidly dissipating as missiles rocketed forward.
Veda mindlessly listened as Typhoon ordered every to pull back, swapping to the camera of one of the missiles. He was greeted with a point of view of sandy and rocky terrain roaring past the camera.
Uphead, he could pick out the faint dots of the Wanderers, blue lasers flashing upwards trying to intercept the incoming artillery barrage from both Juggernauts and Overseers, and the occasional Particle Beam and Railgun trails lighting up the sky.
Veda simply waited, waiting as he could finally pick out the larger wanderer beasts from the Camera, as laser fire seemed to intensify. As-
The Camera suddenly pitched upwards before levelling out and accelerated over the horde before pitching downwards towards one of the creatures.
And Veda was given a brief sight of a Laser Class before the Camera winked out.
Across the rear of the Beta horde, explosion rippled across as Thunderbolt missiles, guided by both drone and AI, prioritized and found targets in the laser class. In a few short seconds, the number of laser class were cut by 98%.
"(Comms) Confirm hits on target!"
"(Comms) We're seeing less laser fire. I think you got most of those lasers"
"Typhoon, this is Okanagan Actual. Did you draw anything from the horde?"
"(Comms) That's a negative Actual. Looks like they're still streaming towards Clover."
"Copy, stand by."
Veda toggled to the fire support channel. "Kongo, this is Okanagan Actual. Requesting Fire Mission. Railgun slugs, rear of the Pack. Hostile anti-air has been degraded to combat ineffective."
"(comms) Hai! Battleship Kongo has received fire mission. Salvo Fire commencing!"
"Understood Kongo, fire for effect." Veda once again shifted comm channels. "Typhoon. Get back behind us and rearm. All other Okanagan Element, form into battleine and prepare to advance."
Veda heard all the verbal confirmations from his subordinates, watching the holographic screen as he noted the blue icons representing Typhoon's Sandstorms pulling back.
"(Comms) All units, all units. This is Pacific Rim Actual. Enemy AA fire is no factor. The skies are clear. You have full artillery and air support, Black Eagle is moving to engage. Call upon them for support."
Veda had to sigh a breath of relief. "Air Cover? This party just got a bit livery now!"
()
Black Eagle Airwing
Skies above Saudi Arabia.
The humble Orca Gunship was as much a symbol as much as a weapon. A symbol that GDI would and always be able to contest the skies.
The A-18 Orca wasn't exactly revolutionary nor an airborne monster. Mostly a platform that integrated the newest in airborne powerplants, repulsor engines, railguns and laser weapons, shields, and electronics. On any other front, it would have just been a humble cog in GDI's War Machine.
Right now though? Black Eagle Actual, Colonel Ona "Yedo" Yo-Jing, might as well be flying a monster in the skies.
"All Black Eagle Elements, this is Black Eagle Actual. Report in status."
"(Comms) Stork Lead, we're all good here."
"(Comms) Osprey Lead, we are ready."
"(Comms) Shrike Lead, Standing by."
"(Comms) Drongo Lead, squadron standing by."
"(Comms) AWACs Soyha. Ready to support."
"All Black Eagle Elements, this is Actual. You all know the drill. Ground Pounders are fighting for their lives down there and need a bit of help from the skies. Typhoon did us a favour by taking most of the Anti-air. Let's return the favour," Ona stated, flicking console switches and priming everything to combat capacity.
"Shrike. You have the Wanderer's eastern flank and cover the Dragoons. Shrikes, fly along the west and saturate anything left of their AA. Drongo, gain altitude, orbit, and be ready to pummel their frontlines. Soyha, keep us posted. Stork, follow me in. Clover and Opal need her help. Clear?"
"(Comms) Understood ma'am," Drongo Lead replied, followed by all the remaining squadron leaders.
"All Black Eagle Elements, Break and Engage. Get's knock them down."
In the skies, 73 Orca gunships broke off into three separate squadrons, their engines pushing them faster than the top speeds of most helicopters.
Ona eased up on the stick, the corner of her HUD listing off requests for close air support. One stuck out as a priority.
"(Comms) This is Tailpipe 3 to any CAS Elements. We are engaged on the entire line. Engaged with 2,000 plus foot mobiles plus 2 heavy walkers. Requesting CAS, over." It was a radio broadcast from a fire support combat controller attached to the 71st, embedded with the tanks.
"(Comms) Should we go after that request Actual?" Stork lead asked.
"Of course we are. All Stork elements, we're going for a frontline Saturation," Ona tapped her screen, accepting one of the requests.
"(Comms) Affirmative ma'am. Your word."
"Tailpipe 3, this is Black Eagle Actual. Squadron of 25 Orca's coming from heading 164. Laden with Hive and Daggers. Lase targets of priority and we'll hit them."
"(Comms) Understood Black Eagle Actual. Targets have been designated. Northeast of phase line Zeta. Try to bring down the big walker one first before it hits our lines."
"Wilco Tailpipe 3. We have targeting information. Time on target, 30 seconds," Ona replied, scanning through the network's data and noticing two giant walker-like bugs. Almost like ZOCOM's Mastadons but bigger, lacking guns, and having a nasty stinger tail.
"(Comms) Understood. Watch your tails though, fleet and cannon lockers are engaged and shells are falling."
"Stork 5, 6, 7, 8. Form up with me and arm your Daggers and railguns. Everyone else, pick your targets from Tailpipe 3's targeting data."
Ona wordlessly cycled out the replies from her temporary flight mates and wordlessly cycled through target data.
She ignored as the other 20 Orcas broke off from her own flight as they prepared to run their own attack courses.
She pulled up on the stick and gained some altitude as she and her flight flew over the lines of Juggernaut Walkers and they kept flinging round after round after into the sky.
She watched as the giant multi-legged towering bugs came into view, standing hundreds of metres behind the vanguard of the Wanderers and kilometres away from the 71st's line.
She watched her Orca's targeting computer achieved a missile lock-
"(Comms) Stork 6, I have a lock."
"Fire!"
From the five Orcas came a ripple of Dagger ATGM missiles from underslung Pylons. Dashing outwards, two dozen missiles raced toward the giant leviathan walkers.
The largest of the Wanderers, known as the Fort class in another world, should have been immune to most forms of conventional artillery. Tough, hardy, and capable of carrying other combat forms into battle.
When nearly a dozen Dagger Anti-Tank Guided Missiles crashed into the forts, a dozen a piece, they proved less immune than usual.
The Dagger had been the designated replacement for the Sidearm air-to-ground missile. Designed to puncture the hull of Scrin Warships or Nod Purifier Mechs while being light enough to carry on Orcas.
The missiles all successfully slammed into the Forts, Plasma Warheads effortlessly puncturing their way into bio-organic armour and liquefying their internal systems.
As Ona and her flight flew over the lines of the 71st, the Forts were already toppling downwards and dead as swatted mosquitoes.
"(Comms) Good kills Black Eagle Actual. Both walkers down."
"Keep your heads down Tailpipe 3. We just got started," Ona replied as she pulled back on the stick, gaining a bit of height, and then flipping her bird.
Across the line, hundreds of rockets and missiles streaked in and impacted wanderers left and right. Already depleted of their heavier Destroyer class (or fat elephants as Shano called them) and being gouged out by railgun fire, Wanderer lined practically collapsed as their smaller strains became easy pickings.
"(comms) Black Eagle Actual, this is Tailpipe 3. Good hits on targets, both heavy walker types and 500+ footmobiles KIA," the on-ground combat controller reported as Ona brought her Orca back over the lines of the 71st.
"We're done just yet," Ona unslung the Railgun-Laser turret and her HUD switched to the camera view of her chin-mounted weapons.
"Guns guns guns," the underslung chin railgun spat out 40mm slugs into the unprotected smaller Wanderer forms as Ona pulled the trigger.
Slugs began cutting into lifeforms left and right, her eyes tracking targets and death rained down on them.
Her fire was added by the four other Orcas that followed her in, rapid bursts of railguns tearing left and right into the broken horde.
Across the horde, explosions and beams ripped through the line as the division worth of Wanderers were pummeled from air, sea, and land. Long-range railgun howitzers, juggernaut artillery shots, mammoth-fired missiles, and the occasional laser bad particle beam line.
Death and destruction weaved through the area in front of Ona as held down the trigger, the coaxial Blue Pulse laser burning away targets.
By the time she let her finger off the trigger, neither Ona nor her onboard EVA could identify any moving beast.
Everything seemed to fall still, besides the occasional artillery shell or rocket.
"(Comms) All units, all units. This is Pacific Rim Actual. Cease fire, cease fire. All hostile units were destroyed. Rearm and resupply if you need to."
"All Black Eagle Elements, all Black Eagle Elements. Disengage," Ona glanced at the display showing approximate combat readiness. "RTB if you have expended all pylons. Everyone else, form up on me."
"(Comms) That's it? We didn't even get into position yet!"
Ona smirked. "You'll get your chance to smash Drongo. Have your gunships remain on station just in case."
The Korean pilot switched off her HUD and surveyed the battlefield in front of her, drifting her Orca over the carnage.
Nothing, just craters, leaking fluids, and the Carcasses of 12,000 dead creatures
()
Pacific Rim Actual's Mammoth, Saudi Arabia
Coen watched as the camera moved up the now-plastered highway leading into Kuwait.
Everything was dead. A one-sided slaughter.
A slaughter that GDI came out of untouched and with two undeployed regiments.
"That…. that's almost like the Highway of hell."
"Ironic isn't it? The last time GDI was here, we smashed the highway north of here. We did it again here. Only against aliens," Coen replied to the InOps AI.
"Anyways. That's one thing done. Lion. Have your bots move into the target zone. Ensure nothing in there is alive besides your own. Griffin, get your people in there and help Lion out. Tag any samples that are intact enough for use."
"(Comms) got it sir, bots are mobile."
"(Comms) Boss you want me to go into the slaughterhouse to do what now?"
"Tag and clear Griffin. Help Lion ensure everything dead in there stays dead and see if there's anything for the scientists to poke at."
"(Comms) Uh copy that Boss, but we're engineers, not biologists or xenologists. How the hell am I supposed to know something is scientifically interesting?"
"I'm some divisional doctors your way. They'll see if anything is worth poking at. Cover them as they do their work."
"(Comms) Copy, moving in."
"All Opal, Clover, and Dragoon elements take this chance to top up on ordnance and fuel. One horde down doesn't mean they're gonna stay away."
"Mapuche, Red, your units have yet to be engaged. Move to waypoint Granby, dig in, and stand on overwatch."
"(Comms) Understood/Wilco," the Twin reply from the pair of mechanized regimental commanders responded.
"Lion, send an MCV with a light escort to Waypoint Granby. Let's get a base up and running-"
"Alarm, Alarm! General we have new visitors exiting the portal!"
Reacting to Lumini's cries and snapping off the camera view, Coen tapped and the screen shifted to a new drone view of the portal.
The portal could have been described as a giant floating swirling whirlpool. A swirling mass of energy with seemingly no power source. And now hundreds of creatures were pouring out in force.
It was a new swarm pouring out of the portal, more of the fat elephants, more of those creatures with giant mouths and faces, more scorpions, more of…everything. Coming out by the hundreds in an unending tide.
The drone feed cut off as the disposable Recon UAV was shot out of the sky by a laser.
"Another wave. Red, Mapuche, Lion, belay previous orders. Move to waypoint Friction instead and dig in. We're moving onto the next round."
"General, the Air Force reports it has several squadrons on standby. 3 squadrons of Aurora Strike Bombers, 3 Squadrons, 2 Squadrons of Nova-Hawks, and a squadron of Laser Apollos. Shall I have them prepare to launch a saturation strike?"
Coen paused, musing for a second, and pulled up data from the network. Especially on the estimates of laser strength.
"General?" Lumini asked.
"Hold them off for the time being. Get Space Force on the line, and ask them if they are interested in testing their Ion cannons on these things."
InOps Report…GDI's Navy
Unlike the other branches of GDI's Armed Forces, GDI's Navy never really had a proper predecessor. GDI mostly relied on using the marine assets of other nations like the United States, the European Alliance, and the Pacific Front for heavier assets, not operating vessels larger than gunboats, assault ships, Landing Pad Docks, and the occasional destroyers.
The navy mostly came together during the collapse of the nation-states of Earth before and during the Second Tiberium War, cobbling together the leaderless national naval forces with the still mostly littoral marine forces of GDI. Still, thanks to controlling most of Earth's remaining decent shipbuilding infrastructure and natural harbour, GDI effectively ruled the ways after the Second Tiberium War.
The Navy would contribute heavily in the Third Tiberium War, especially in the early stages of the conflict where its carriers and warships provided necessary launching platforms for various operations. That being said, its role is often overshadowed by that of the Ground Forces and Air Force, with the navy's capital ship fleet slashed by losses both from fighting NOD and Scrin.
Still, like all branches of GDI's military, the Navy received and continues to receive major improvements and augmentations in light of the Scrin Invasion and subsequent post-war environment. Among them is the mass deployment of new light hydrofoil patrol vessels to better guard the coasts of Blue Zones in the tumultuous early years of the 2050s. Subsequent developments include the mass production of the Governer Class Cruiser, mass implementation of laser and shield tech, expansion of hulls in the water, and increased usage of technological advancements to increase efficiency and reduce crew size.
Nowadays, GDI's navy is virtually unmatched. While certain NOD factions do maintain their formidable maritime forces, none can match the quality and quantity of the modern Eagle's Blue Water Force. Totalling over a thousand proper war and support ships and many more light hulls, the Navy seeks to be one of Earth's Last lines of defence against either an NOD or Scrin attack.
Much of GDI's proper striking power comes in the former of its carriers and battleships. Specifically the Spirit Class of Fleet Carriers and Radion Class of Battleships. The former dwarf's previous vessels like the GDS Pathe and GDS London, are closer in line with actual military bases than carriers. Spirit classes can field entire regiments and wings of strike craft while doubling as major command posts and anti-air fields.
By contrast, the Radion class battleships (succeeding the Summit class) were built to go toe to toe with both Scrin and Nod forces. Most variants are armed with 20 heavy railguns and hyperonic missiles, both of which can target both air and surface targets (though the next iteration of the Radion will see 8 of those cannons removed for Ion Beam Cannons). Many of these battleships can use their turreted weapons to strike things in low earth orbit, ensuring that even above the seas, space isn't safe.
However, while these capital ships are extremely powerful, the bulk of the fleet comprises smaller warships. Most frequent are the latest variants of the Governor class of Cruisers, Shark and Thunderhead Class of Frigates, Valiant class of Destroyers, Island Class of Assault ships, and River Class of Escort Carriers. Making up the vast majority of the fleet with over a hundred (or in the case of the Thunderhead and Shark, hundreds) hulls built per class, they aren't the most powerful warships but can hold their own in a fleet battle with their railguns, missiles, and laser weaponry.
GDI has also invested heavily in its littoral combat vessels. Most frequent are the various models of Hydrofoil light attack vessels usually armed with no more than an Anti-air laser, a pair of box missile launchers, and anti-sub weapons. That being said, they are speedy and cheap to make, perfect for GDI. GDI's navy has also begun to introduce cruiser-sized Monitors and various forms of defence sea platforms with missile and railgun turrets with sea-based torpedo launchers.
The Submarine force is possibly the NA's weakest chain. While it operates a force of nuclear boats, the fleet has more than four dozen full hulls, with another hundred smaller mini-subs. Where all can carry cruise missiles, light drone aircraft, and commando teams, they pale somewhat in operational success when compared with some NOD fleets.
The Navy also operates a formidable airwing, main naval versions of the Orca A-18, Nova-FireHawk Fighters, V-35 Oxs, and even former variants of the NOD Caryalls. In addition, the navy has also accepted the new Century Heavy Tactical bomber service, which is useful in both anti-shipping and anti-submarine warfare. That's also not including the myriad of drone and Wingman air platforms.
The Navy is also involved in the production of the Kodiak line of Aerospace Cruisers. A flying cruiser capable of operating in atmospheric and space conditions regardless of the planet, the Kodiak is GDI's first proper step into a proper spaceborne armada. Of course, due to arguments and jurisdiction issues, it was decided that the branches involved, the Navy, Air Force, and Space Force, would all operate different Variants of the Kodiak. Thus, GDI's navy has introduced the 200 metre-long Kodiak ModelS into its air fleet, marking the first use of proper airships since the Pacific War of the 1940s.