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Post by Kurt Fletcher on Aug 6, 2012 1:26:22 GMT
Crimson Shores 2-4-1
The smoke from the explosions filled the dreary sky. Debris littered the ground, and the noise of the massive AU guns dominated one's ears. Volly after volly of shells came out from the deck guns of the ships. Kurt lowered his binoculars from his eyes, as he monitered the bombardment of the island. Another direct hit, he thought as he saw a bunker meet it's fate from a lethal volley of shells. Kurt felt a tap on the shoulder and saw Daniel behind him. Daniel motioned for him to follow him beneath the deck into the interior of the A.U.S. Brigham. They ended up in one the briefing rooms of the ship. It was filled with charts of the island and screens monitering the progress of the bombardment of the island. There was a table with ten men lounging around it. Kurt recognized Lucius, and some officers in charge of the operation. Fortunately the admiral was not present. One of the officers stood up and began a general review of the plans. "The bombardment stops in two hours. We move exactly when it stops." The general idea of the plan to Kurt was simple, a little too simple, and from the look on Daniel's and Lucius' faces, they felt the same way. When the briefing ended, Kurt, Daniel, and Lucius all gathered for a brief moment. Kurt spoke, "Well, we're just in an assualt helo with 9 other men, nothing special about this one." "Yeah" Daniel replied, "But, it's still just as dangerous, we are sitting ducks to those turrents on the beach...oh well, be at the flight deck in an hour or so. Then, turning to Lucius, Daniel made sure he was aware of his duty's in the operation. "Lucius you cover our backs from the helicopter." Lucius nodded in agreement. "Shouldn't be an issue" and smiled. Kurt slapped him on the back nodded to Daniel; he then walked away back to his spot on the deck of the ship. He leaned up against the rail, and raised the binoculars to his eyes. A smile broke out on his face, there were 2 hours left of the bombardment,...might as well enjoy it.
"I'm Colonel Daniel Fletcher, I will be your squad leader for this assualt..." Daniel fought for his voice to be heard over the constant humming of the helicopters propellers. "When we hit the beach, there is going to be a lot of confusion on the shore. We will be under heavy fire , keep calm and keep your head down. Remember our objective, the bunkers. The bunker for our squad is bunker 5, remember its the only bunker that has two levels to it and its in the dead center, not to mention its the biggest. There is one other squad assigned to take down bunker 5 as well. So, we will have some help. The shelling did miminal damage to its interior. Kurt thought to himself, all that shelling did do damage, but it was only minimum damage at most. The exteriors were designed to absorb the shock of shelling and other explosions, so although they might look bad on the outside, the insides were still intact. Not to mention the turrents inside the pillboxes that were equiped with infared camera system, were probaly untouched. Those would make an invasion by any army difficult.
Lucius turned to Kurt and nudged him. "You okay?", "Yeah , yeah im fine, just in deep thought", Kurt replied. Lucius smiled, "Oh, thinking about that admiral?" Kurt frowned, "No, I like to think positively before my missions, If I thought about him, I would just get angry, and when I get that angry....things could just get bad, and then their might a reneagade AU colonel who killed an Admiral......" Lucius grinned, "The AU would probaly give you an medal; I know I would!" They then both shared a laugh momentarly, but soon set their focus on the more important matters at hand.
"We are two minutes out!" screamed the co-pilot holding up two fingers. Daniel nodded to the co-pilot and looked at his watch. The first wave of troops in the transport boats should just now be hitting the beach. He could faintly hear sounds of gun-fire and explosion, even admist the noise of the helicopter. A grim look formed on Daniel's face, he was well aware of the slim chance of survival for the first troops to set foot on that beach. He quickly shook those thoughts off and focused on the present. He could begin to see the beachhead, and the men in the helicopter began to look out of the helicopter and take in the scene unfolding before them. "One minute!" yelled the co-pilot. The scene though, that was developing before there very eyes on the beach was horrendous. Kurt could make out the wreckage of transport boat burning on the sand, explosions going off everywhere, and the yellow burst of bullet tracers coming from the bunkers. Kurt looked at Lucius, and then to Daniel. Things were about to get rough. "GO, GO, GO". The soldiers quickly repelled down the helicopter's fast rope to the sand. After Daniel made sure everyone was off he nodded to Lucius and went down the rope. Lucius could see that they all got off safe, but his vision was soon obstructed by an explosion and then smoke. The helicopter flew off to a safe distance from the battle. Lucius then located bunker #5, on the beach, picked up his rifle, and went to work.
Kurt fired a quick round of shots at the small slit of bunker 5, and quickly put his head down. Daniel and his men had found cover behind the wreckage of an assult helicopter, that unfortunately had been shot down, including the men still inside of it . The squad was pinned down from the rapid fire of the turrents in the bunkers; with high-tech infrared target systems, the soldiers could barely make a move in the open before they were gunned down. Making things worse, the turrets camera systems were nearly impossible to disable. The weapons worked with a deadly precision. Kurt saw men try to rush out of their cover and gain some ground, only to have their movement detected by a turrent and to be shot down. Kurt glanced around him. Only one word could even begin to describe the scene. Complete and utter chaos. Men lay dead everywhere, helicopter parts and transport boats fragments were strewn across the beach. The shelling from the AU fleet had no apparent effect on the APM defenses, besides the random craters in the beach's sand. For the moment the AU were pinned down, and losing men at a startling rate. Daniel had lost three men just in the time it took him to find cover. "What's the plan boss man?!" yelled Kurt. "Nothing so far, just keep your head down until I think of something " responded Daniel. Kurt popped his head over the cover of the ruined helicopter and quickly scanned for a target in the bunker. He couldn't make out any potential targets in the time he felt safe with his head exposed to the turrents and squatted back down. He repeated this several times until finally he spotted a APM soldier. Kurt mentally prepared himself for what he was about to do. Pop up over the cover aim and fire, it would have to be done in a matter of seconds. 1.....2......3 Kurt popped up, aimed, got the soldiers forhead in his scope and the soldier grabbed his forhead and fell dead before Kurt could fire. Kurt squatted back down and spoke into his com-link. "I hate you, Lucius!". He heard a chuckle on the other end, "You just aren't fast enough Kurt", Kurt sank down and his position and a smirk formed on his face. He looked around at the weary faces of the men in his squad and at the battle going on around him. Kurt did then, the only thing he could do at the time.........wait.
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Post by Lucius Alar on Aug 12, 2012 3:41:19 GMT
Crimson Shores 2-4-2
The scents and sounds of battle saturated the high-noon air on the shores of the Crimson Isles. Daniel had ordered his men to remain behind the wreckage of an AU helicopter, hidden from the infantry-killing auto-sentries that the APM had placed within their well-fortified positions just beyond the scorched beach. No one, not even Kurt, dared look above the top of the chopper's burned tail rotor to see if there was a chance to move. The APM's auto-turrets would almost immediately gun down anything that carried a heat signature, or even anything that moved in the open. For the majority of the battle, Daniel had kept his men safely behind the thick metal remains of a downed AU helicopter, as he knew that to order them anywhere else was suicide. He intended to keep his squad as mobile and ready as possible, just in case there was a break in the battle, as if that would ever happen. This is why, after only a few minutes behind the helicopter, Daniel and Kurt agreed that their best choice of action was to conserve ammo and energy; they stopped all offensive action and just sat. And what reason did they have to move? High-caliber machine gun rounds hit the helicopter every few seconds, courtesy of APM soldiers trying to suppress their enemy, and since the APM were dug-in with bunkers, trenches, and turrets, they weren't going to risk losing their chance at a successful defense by abandoning their strong bunkers and trying to flank the crippled AU assault. No, the APM were just as happy to wait out the AU offensive as Daniel, Kurt, and the rest of the squad were, and even though the battle raged around them, the two veteran soldiers felt relatively safe behind the large, smoldering chopper. After all, they had managed to snag the largest piece of cover on the beach, considering most other AU soldiers had to utilize the craters from poorly-aimed artillery shells as make-shift trenches.
From the sky, however, things were more surreal. Pillars of smoke rose from the tropical landscape covering the Crimson Isles, and everywhere, tracer bullets cut the air like short flashes of lightning. Soldiers fighting for their lives on the beaches looked like mere ants, struggling in the midst of a gargantuan conflict. Though Daniel, Kurt, and the rest of the squad were fine on ammo, since there wasn't much they could do to safely contribute to the fight, Lucius, on the other hand, felt as if he had come close to melting the barrel on his sniper rifle numerous times as a result of frenzied requests from across the beach, pleading for sniper support; he was running quite low on bullets. The seasoned sniper was used to firing from stable positions, but now he stood on the edge of an eight-man squad helicopter, held by a single clip and cable a hundred feet above water, taking standing pot shots at APM soldiers entrenched almost 500 meters away from him, while also trying to compensate for the fact that the chopper he was on never stopped moving. It was a challenging task to say the least, and Lucius was struggling to meet the high demand for rounds down-range. Even though he was not the only sniper, the soldiers on the beach could do little but attempt to suppress the APM positions. The communications for sniping support exploded the moment the soldiers hit the beach, and they hadn't showed any signs of stopping. Coupled with the ridiculously numerous support requests was the fact that hitting his marks was a nearly impossible task. Lucius had somewhere around fifty to sixty targets marked, and he had only managed to drop eleven of them. His low ammo count was matched by his faith in the battle, which had ended before it had really ever begun. He was frustrated when he asked the pilot of his chopper to move in a little closer to make his sniping more effective; the officer just laughed at him and pointed to the remains of several AU helicopters under the water who had tried the same. But, what annoyed Lucius even more was that fact that he was not on the beach himself. His friends and comrades were pinned down in the middle of the fight, and there was almost nothing he could do about it. The door gun on the helicopter, a mounted mini-gun, was left unused because of the range which the helicopter had to maintain from the beach. The door gunner just made himself useful by giving Lucius fresh mags whenever he needed them. Lucius continued to try his best at making what amounted to be a futile effort to ease the minds of the troubled AU soldiers stuck on the beach of the Crimson Isles.
Daniel and Kurt's minds were still flashing through every single combat situation they had been in; nothing they could remember matched the hopelessness of their current. They let their squad rest while they conversed with each other, trying to figure a way out of their current predicament. "We could try smoke grenades, or even just regular grenades to create a diversion." Kurt suggested, trying his best. "No, that just won't do," Daniel retorted, yelling over the sound of gunfire, "Bravo squad tried the smoke approach already, they got gunned down by those turrets...must've had thermal systems as well. And as for a diversion, what could our squad do that would be significant enough to attract attention in a battle of this size? I mean, there are explosions and shots being fired everywhere, if anything we're the smallest squad out here. I doubt, that's a good choice, but points to you for trying!" Kurt smiled a little bit at his brother's last remark, but the good mood didn't last. The communications soldier in the squad crawled over to Daniel and yelled, "Sir!" "Yes, Pvt. Wilson, what is it, son?!" "You better hear this!" With that, the young soldier patched the communications feed from the A.U.S. Brigham to Daniel's headset. Admiral Carter's panicked voice nearly blew out the speakers in Daniel's headset, "All units! RETREAT! I repeat, RETREAT! The Brigham is under attack! APM jets are strafing us...all forces back...." The communication feed started to break apart, and finally, with a loud, booming noise, ended. "That didn't sound good," Daniel said. Kurt and the rest of his squad looked worried, even some of the squads across the beach showed noticeable reactions. "Alright Wilson, call our bird back down here, we are scheduled for evac NOW!" Daniel yelled. With a nod of approval and a "yes, sir" Wilson radioed the chopper.
"LAST MAG! MAKE IT COUNT!" the door gunner of Lucius' helicopter shouted. Lucius regained his balance on the side rail of the helicopter, leaned forward and resumed firing. He managed to down three enemy soldiers with the five rounds left to him. Well, at least my last mag was my best mag. He thought. The door gunner grabbed the back of Lucius' bullet proof vest and pulled him in the helicopter with a little force and said, "That's it, you're done, man, nice work." "Thanks," Lucius replied noticing the helicopter pitch toward the beach, "Whoa, where are we going?!" "Co-pilot just said that we gotta' pick up the rest of the squad for a full retreat to the Brigham, something about an APM flanking maneuver. Whatever it is, it's bad. We are going in low and hot, so strap yourself in and give me some room around that door gun, I've had an itchy trigger finger this whole battle." Lucius complied and just before the gunner opened the side gun port completely the sniper yelled over the sound of rotor blades, "Wait, I never got your name!" "Griggs! Staff Sergeant!" "Well, Staff Sergeant Griggs, thanks for the magazine assists." "Your welcome,sir, just doing what I can to..." The staff sergeant was interrupted, as a burst of APM machine gun fire from the now nearby beach ripped through the helicopter; Griggs fell to the floor, as Lucius ducked in his seat. The helicopter took a sharp banking turn to avoid more APM rounds, the only thing that held the now limp door gunner in the helicopter was the cable which was hooked securely to the floor of the chopper and to his vest. When the pilot corrected the helicopter and continued in toward Daniel and Kurt's squad, Lucius unstrapped himself from his seat and pulled Griggs back into the aircraft. The wounds to Griggs were massive, he had been hit four times in the torso and once in the left arm, "Staff sergeant! Stay with me! We have a medic in the squad on the ground, he can stabilize you!" Lucius screamed, trying to give the young man some hope, but he knew this soldier's chances were slim. Lucius still gripped the hand of the door gunner who barely clung to life, coughing up blood. The young man struggled for a few seconds, but finally tensed his neck for a moment and loosened his grip around Lucius' hand; he was gone. Lucius stared at Grigg's face for only a moment. This...This was the true face of war. A face of fear, innocence, and pain. A young, innocent life, cut short...
Lucius sat back and saw the beach getting ever closer. He had never been that close to someone as they passed on. He had seen so much death, but this one still shook him. The pilot yelled, apparently unaware of the death of his door gunner, "Where's my covering fire?! You expect me to land this bird with nothin'?! Those star-board barrels better be red-hot by the time this chopper touches the ground!" Lucius knew what he had to do; he grabbed the handles on the door mounted mini-gun and went to work. Thankfully, Griggs had fully armed the gun, because if he hadn't, Lucius would not have known how to. Lucius utilized the large grouping-reticule for a sight mounted on the top of the gun and pulled both triggers. His aim was poor, as even though the mini-gun was mounted, the weight of the six rotating barrels and the torque created by the motor feeding this machine was enough to throw off Lucius' aim. However, at 3000 rounds a minute, this monster required very little precision. Besides, Lucius only goal was to spray the APM bunkers and trenches in order to prevent APM soldiers from getting solid shots on Daniel, Kurt, and the rest of squad who now ran to the door of the helicopter. The barrels on the mini-gun began to glow red hot, and Daniel's face showed some surprise at the sight of Lucius' manning the gun. The group managed to get inside the chopper which promptly lifted off and gained some altitude before being hit by another spray of enemy fire. The chopper lurched and everyone inside was thankful they were strapped into their seats. The pilot yelled, filled with worry, "We're loosing hydraulic pressure! Some lines must have been cut by that last hit!" "Can we make it?" Kurt yelled back. "I think so, the ship isn't too far. But, once I land this bird, she's not gettin' airborne again for sure." "Just do your best...." Daniel said and turned his attention to Lucius.
"I didn't know you could use a door gun, Lucius!" Daniel yelled trying to be heard over the sound of the chopper. "I can't!" Lucius replied, paying attention only to the struggling medic on the floor of the helicopter. The medic was doing his best to revive Griggs, but the soldier was long gone. With a shake of his head, the medic stood and then collapsed into his seat. "Poor kid was dead before the chopper landed..." the medic said with a heavy New York accent. Not another word was said for the rest of the flight back to the fleet. Columns of smoke rising from the horizon gave away the AU fleet's position; they had been hit hard. Still, there was a noticeable lack of chaos among the ships; the fleet had been able to successfully repel the attack. However, the APM jets knew that there primary target was the A.U.S Brigham's communications tower, where Admiral Carter had been. That tower now resembled a pile of scrap metal. When the helicopter landed, the pilot didn't get a chance to power down the machine, the engine just stalled out. The bewildered soldiers stumbled off of the chopper and headed over to help put out a nearby oil fire. Kurt, Daniel, and Lucius, however, headed straight for a familiar face, Captain Benson, second-in-command on Raynor. The Captain looked weary but filled with an odd air of determination. "When those APM fighters appeared on the horizon, I thought we were done for. But, our reserve troops here reacted to perfection; we couldn't have hoped for a better outcome than this." Daniel nodded, "I'm glad, but it really looks like you all were hit hard." "Oh, we were, Colonel Fletcher, we were...but, so was everyone today. It was a bad day for the AU, but we will recover. I am just thankful we managed to pull back our assault force in time to save most of you guys." "And what of the Admiral?" Kurt asked, remembering what an enormous annoyance that man was. "Well," said Benson, "As you can see the comms tower was strafed hard. The Admiral was severely wounded, but he managed to pull two sailors from the fires and man a triple-A gun, dropping two APM fighters. He's in the infirmary; doc's expect him to make a recovery, but not a full one..." Daniel, Kurt, and Lucius were stunned. "He'll probably end his career with several medals of valor and 'thank you' letters from the families of those he saved. He's scheduled for honorable retirement and transport back to Earth-2 as soon as possible." Captain Benson said. Figures...Lucius thought. "That makes you Admiral then?" Daniel asked. "Yes...yes, it does." Admiral Benson said. Relief washed over Daniel, Kurt, and Lucius. "Excellent, maybe we have a fighting chance after all." Lucius mumbled. "What was that?" Benson said "Oh, nothing, admiral, congratulations!" Lucius replied, relieved that Benson was in command.
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Post by Daniel Fletcher on Aug 13, 2012 21:21:13 GMT
Crimson Shores 2-4-3
Daniel wiped the sweat off his brow after carrying the last soldier to the sick bay. He allowed himself a brief rest as he leaned against the wall. It had been a rough day. After the retreat from the assault debacle, the transport vehicles had been straggling in with just as many casualties as uninjured soldiers. Daniel, Kurt, and the now Admiral Benson had been assessing the damages caused because of the failed attack. It would be a rough recovery. The reinforcements that had come with Daniel were basically non-existent after the assault and they were back to square 1. “Except they weren’t back to square 1” Daniel thought, “They now had Benson in command and from what Daniel could tell was that Benson was a young man who although didn’t have the experience of some of the veteran Admirals, he had a level head on his shoulders and could make good decisions.” It made Daniel furious just to think about how frivolous the Admiral had been with the lives of the men under his command. Daniel was careful to keep his anger under control … but there were times when Daniel was close to justifying some serious repercussive actions against the Admiral for what he did.
“Daniel, you alright?” Daniel looked up to see Kurt looking at him. Daniel shook his head, “You know what I am thinking about.” Kurt nodded in agreement with a solemn expression on his face. He was about to speak when he was interrupted by a sailor who walked up at the moment. “Colonel Daniel Fletcher?” Daniel nodded his head, “What do you need sailor?” “The Admiral would like to see you in the infirmary.” Kurt made a move to follow but the sailor stopped him. “The Admiral stated explicitly that it was just Colonel Fletcher to come.” Daniel and Kurt both thought that was odd but agreed passively and Daniel followed the sailor to the infirmary.
After entering the infirmary and walking through the rooms, Daniel realized that the sailor was not referring to Admiral Benson. They entered into a dimly lit room with only one bed. “Leave us sailor.” A voice growled. The sailor left and closed the door behind him. “Come closer Fletcher.” Daniel made his way closer to the bed and stopped just short to see the Admiral. The doctor was right about the Admiral not able to make a full recovery. There were several burns running down the man’s face and upper body along with several cuts and bruises.
They stared at each other for a good deal of time before Daniel broke the silence. “Glad to see your alive Admiral” The Admiral spat back in return, “Don’t patronize me Fletcher! Don’t think for a moment that you are going to get all the glory for this campaign after all the many years I have spent pouring my entire life into!” Daniel replied, “Admiral I have no desire to take credit for the many lives that you lost in this campaign whether it be a success or not.” The Admiral continued without even listening to Daniel’s statement. “And don’t think for a moment I am going to let you get away with the failure that you caused on the battle field today.” “My mistake? If I recall it was your plan and your execution, I conceded command to you, remember Admiral?” Daniel said spitting out the last word. The Admiral started yelling in a fever pitch, “No matter what happens to me Fletcher! I will make sure that I have my vengeance on you for causing me to fail. Whatever campaign I went on, you came to make sure that I failed and you got all the credit. Not this time Fletcher! I am going to make sure that you pay for all that you have done.
At that time several doctors and nurses ran in as the Admiral passed out in his bed. Daniel watched as the Doctors and nurses starting attending to the Admiral. One of the doctors came up to Daniel, “Sir I am going to have to ask you to leave. The Admiral has worn himself out and will continue to do damage to his body until he can rest adequately to heal his injuries.” Daniel replied coolly, “Don’t worry Doctor I was just leaving.” And with that statement Daniel turned on his heel and left the sick bay and made his way back to his quarters where he dropped into his bed and fell into a deep but troubled sleep.
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Post by Lucius Alar on Aug 19, 2012 18:06:12 GMT
Crimson Shores 2-4-4
The A.U.S. Brigham left the Crimson Isles that day and began it's pattern of circling the Raynor seas. This was done to prevent APM forces from getting a solid lock on the location of Brigham and its fleet. Unfortunately, this also meant that the AU forces among the fleet had to cease their siege on the Crimson Isles; however, this was a necessary evil. After the incredible defeat of Admiral Carter, who was now safely back on Earth-2, the fleet and all its crew had been making minor raids on APM ships and small island outposts in order to replenish its supplies and further repair the damage done by the APM counter-attack on that fateful day in the Isles. Within a few months, the Brigham and fleet was declared fully operational and after delivering much needed supplies to the AU fleet detachment quarantining the APM forces in Oceanis, the large AU ship and its guardians found themselves once again on the doorstep of the Crimson Isles. The landscape was still scarred, but noticeable repairs had been performed to the static APM defensive structures, though the bunkers themselves were only fixed not improved.
The new Admiral Benson stood in the top floor of the command tower on the A.U.S. Brigham, where he examined a map of the island where the AU had failed so impressively before. Daniel, Kurt, and even Lucius, despite his relative lack of authority, were there with the Admiral, as part of his advising counsel. "No doubt," said the Admiral, "Attacking this island is our only option. Believe me, I'd love to take care of Oceanis, but we need a stronger foothold on this planet before we try something that big..." "I completely agree, Admiral," Daniel replied, "But, we need to find a way around those APM defenses; there's no point in assaulting the beach if all we can do is sit in a fox hole or a trench and hide from unmanned defenses." Kurt now spoke up, "The issue here is a matter of exposure. Those turrets and really any of the bunker MG nests sit just beyond the treeline; we have to cross at least 50-100 meters of open ground before we can get around those bunkers. In addition, we can't use air support with ground penetrating weapons to remove those bunkers because of the anti-air emplacements; we would have to clear each bunker with infantry before moving on the anti-air emplacements." "Even if we managed clear those bunkers and then take down the anti-air, we would lose a lot of men going building to building like that....not to mention we would no longer have the need for air support after we brought down the bunkers." Daniel mentioned.
"This...this is a quandary...." The Admiral sat deep in thought for a moment and said, "Literally, all we have is infantry and, of course, the ships' guns, which did not help a whole lot last time. I know for certain that I do not want any helicopters to be providing air support, those MG nests tore our birds apart last time...It is better if those choppers move in to drop off infantry and then pull out a safe distance. But, then, what do we do about infantry...Lucius, do you have anything? You've been quiet this entire time." Lucius sat up in his chair. He had to admit that he almost dozed off from the exhaustion of the past few months. "Well," Lucius said slowly, buying himself some time, "Whenever I am on a mission, as a sniper, I can not risk being exposed in the open. So, if I have to cross a field in a heated battle, I throw out a smoke grenade. It hinders my vision, but it also blinds my enemy to me. Puts us both on a level playing field, no matter how much I'm out numbered." "Thanks...for that..." Kurt said almost sarcastically. "Wait!" The admiral looked like he had a stroke of genius, "I've got it!" He turned to two of the crew members in the room, "You! Check the fleet's total ammunition count and tell me if we have any "IR smoke shells" and, if so, tell me how many we've got. Quickly! And you, I need the forecast for tomorrow ASAP, specifically wind velocities and chance of rain." "Admiral, what are you planning?" Kurt said in a slightly worried tone. "Something crazy enough to work!" the Admiral replied.
"Admiral," one of the crew members returned from a computer, "We have several tons of IR smoke shells in storage across multiple destroyers and cruisers, as well as a few on the Brigham." "They are heated, metallic-fleck, correct?" "Yes, admiral, standard issue." "Excellent, and you, any word on the weather?" Another crew member presented himself to the admiral, "Sir, weather forecasts are showing little chance of rain and wind speeds of zero to five miles an hour for tomorrow sir, then speeds pick up to their normal velocities and rain chance increases to 70-80% for the next week." "We have to move now!" The admiral was in a hurry as Lucius and Kurt sat confused. But, Daniel knew what was going to happen. He decided it was best not to get in Admiral Benson's way right now, so he motioned for Kurt and Lucius to follow him to the flight deck on the Brigham. Several flights of stairs later, Lucius could not help but ask, "Okay, what is going? Daniel, you look smug. Tell me, now." "Yes, Daniel, bestow your wisdom upon us." Kurt said in a sarcastic tone. "Well," Daniel said with a smile on his face as he motioned for the two to look at the island off on the horizon, "That island is very well defended by APM forces stuck in a static position with infrared, heat-tracking, auto-turrets. Take away those turrets, and you've got a generic MG-nest defense, not too formidable--but still a problem..." "Continue..." Lucius goaded Daniel. "However, take away the eyes on those machine-gunners, and you can walk right through that line of bunkers because since bunkers can only be accessed via underground tunnels with entrances a mile away; the enemies will not be able to run out of the bunkers to search for you. So, the Admiral is going to use these IR smoke shells to create just such a situation."
"What do they do, exactly?" Lucius asked, seeing that Kurt already knew the answer, "Well, Lucius, an IR smoke artillery shell, upon impact with the ground, acts like an enormous smoke grenade, but it is slightly different. For starters, the smoke itself is made up of particles designed to hang in the air for much longer than an average, personal smoke grenade. They are not as affected by wind. But, the reason the Admiral is so interested in using these shells is that, once detonated, the smoke released by an IR smoke shell contains heated, metallic flecks which are small enough to float in the air with the rest of the dense smoke. The flecks are often used in conjunction with smoke defenses on tanks as a way to defeat laser or thermal guided anti-tank weapons, but the principle here is the same. Those auto-turrets track individuals by thermal optics which detect the difference in surrounding air temperature and the outline of a human body; that's how they discern the difference between what to shoot at and what is just a tree or a rock. Once those IR shells hit, the tracking systems will start detecting the thousands of tiny heated metallic particles floating in the smoke, which will create a giant thermal smoke screen. The turrets won't be able to discern the air temperature from the humans walking through it. Regular thermal optics will just show a giant white screen because of the IR smoke, so the soldiers in the bunkers will be blind as well. Motion detecting defenses are disable because of the reflective capabilities of the metal particles. However, the admiral wanted to make sure it wouldn't rain, because that could ruin the effectiveness of the smoke. So, since tomorrow is a dry day, we will probably be moving pretty soon..." "Wow..." Lucius was still a bit confused, "So, we will probably just walk right past them?" "Well," continued Daniel, "If all goes perfectly, we should meet little resistance. All we would need is for the main force to wait on the beach while a few squads go in and take down the anti-air emplacements. Then we drop bunker busters on those pill boxes and that would destroy most of the APM force. Then we clean up." Kurt replied, "That's great and all...but, I don't like the idea of breathing in heated metal dust..." "Remember those gas masks?" Daniel said with a smile, "The Admiral is probably going to put those to use..." The three headed back to their quarters to prepare themselves and their gear for the battle ahead; after all, they knew what was coming. After a short night's rest, the bombardment of the island began, and soon a dense smoke cloud covered almost the entire APM base on the island. For the second time, AU helicopters were being loaded on the Brigham for the assault of the Crimson Isles. If the AU could win this, they would be able to island-hop up the Isles and then to the APM HQ, were they would have a launching point to anywhere on Raynor. Though it was risky, this battle would be different. A plan this crazy, just had to work.
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Post by Daniel Fletcher on Dec 22, 2012 4:42:22 GMT
Crimson Shores 2-4-5
"Shelling will commence in 30 seconds..." Daniel heard on his com-link. He quickly spoke to the rest of his platoon on the landing craft. "Shelling in 30 seconds get ready for landing." Instead of risking the anti-air ripping through the helicopters again, the Admiral had decided on using the limited amphibious landing craft that majority of the larger ships of the fleet possessed. Although it would take longer and would present more time for something to go wrong on the open water between the fleet and land that was being assaulted, both Daniel and the Admiral agreed that it was the lesser of two evils. Daniel heard the crafts engine begin to rumble beneath his feet as the engine began to propel the craft from its previous idle state.
Daniel looked around at the platoon of men sitting or standing around him. All were doing different yet similar things. The similarity rested in the apparent nervousness that was think in the air. Daniel could tell that the new soldiers assigned to his platoon, who had previously served elsewhere in the fleet, had a slight distrust for anyone in leadership after undergoing the rigors of the previous Admiral's command. The men that had come with him to reinforce the fleet were nervous due to the new environment and challenges this strange aquatic planet presented. The difference, however, lied in the way that each of these men handled the nervousness. Many just stared off into space with quiet contemplation. Others tapped, shook, or in some ways moved a body part in a repeated nervous habit. A few hummed a tune, until silenced by a glance from those sitting near by. The one thing that Daniel could not discern was the thoughts that would be going through each of these young soldier's head.
Daniel once again thought about the horrors of war, and how often glamorized was only realized by those who went through it to be a living nightmare … his thoughts were interrupted by Kurt's hand on his shoulder. Daniel knew by Kurt's look that he knew exactly what he was thinking. They had often had talks regarding what a soldier thought about before going into battle. Especially how each beginning might be the quick beginning of the end. Daniel still could not understand how despite the many harrowing times they had come to death, they had escaped. It was often a topic of thought that Daniel and Kurt discussed. The only conclusion that they came to each time was that God must have a plan that was much higher than their thoughts.
“Landing Execute!” Daniel immediately sprung into action galvanized by the command from his com-link. He nodded at Kurt and being shouting orders. “Open the bay doors now! Squad Leaders, remember your specific assignments! Let's GO! Move! Move! Move!” And the doors of the craft began sliding open Daniel could feel the vibrations from the explosions of the shelling. Daniel prayed that the plan would work otherwise … they would all be torn to sheds before they reached the beach. “Gas-Masks!” Kurt yelled “You are going to be going through smoke as well as heat so remember you most likely won't be able to see anything until you get right on it. Remember the landmarks you are to use as way-points to your squad's objectives. Be careful not to get lost or you might get in a crossfire of your own platoon.”
Usually when the landing doors of the craft open, there is a brief moment of adjustment for the eyes because of the bright light. However, when the men starting streaming from the craft, the sun was blocked by a cloud of smoke and metal particles sent up by the shelling by the fleet. Daniel waiting until the other squads sprinted up the beach nodding at Kurt as he took his own squad toward their objective. Daniel took a deep breath, motioned for his men to follow him, and plunged forward.
Daniel allowed himself a small sigh of relief. They had made it to the beachhead relatively unmolested. There had been no resistance thus far, although Daniel could hear frantic shouting from where he assumed the bunker and auto-turret emplacements were located. His squad had made it to their first checkpoint, one of the downed aircraft from their previous assault. Daniel looked around his squad to make sure that everyone was accounted for. He missed not having his brother in his squad. There was no real cause for this concern. Kurt was a very competent commander in his own right and Daniel had undergone several campaigns separate from his brother. However, Daniel always enjoyed having someone he trusted watch his back.
Daniel looked to his navigator in his squad. “Which direction to our next objective?” The navigator looked at the compass and map and pointed with his hand. “That direction until we get to a lone palm tree and then we head straight to the bunker.” Daniel nodded his ascent and started moving in the direction specified by the navigator. By the time they made it to the tree Daniel started hearing the report of gunfire and more confused shooting form the location of the enemy defenses. Daniel knew that it was only a matter of time before the emplacements were ordered to begin just unleashing a torrent of fire until the smoke cleared. The last thing Daniel wanted was his squad making it just in front of the bunker to get mowed down by random gunfire.
He ordered his men to double time to the location of their target bunker. It was only a brief jog until Daniel could tell that the shouts were only a few feet from their location. He motioned for his men to slow and to follow him carefully with no talking. The squad made their way until they were right up on the bunker. Daniel motioned for the demolition specialist to start laying the explosive to the front of the bunker that would create the diversion that would allow the soldier to make their way into the rear of the bunker unhindered. Daniel split the squad into two teams and motioned for one team to follow him and for the other team to stay with the specialist.
Daniel's team made their way around the bunker attempting to locate the rear entrance. With the myriad of barb wire, sensors, a land mines, it was slow work to reach the rear of the bunker. Once there Daniel sent two men to the other team to escort them to their location. All the while the squad members keep a constant vigil to make certain they would not be happened upon unawares. By the time the entire squad was back together Daniel was hearing the sounds of a escalating conflict. Daniel spoke into his com-link, “This is Slyfox, the gift has been wrapped, let us know when the present needs to be delivered.” As Daniel waited for a response the entrance to the back of the bunker opened and two men walked out and closed the door behind them. Before they had time to look up they had already been knifed by the two men Daniel had placed as sentries to the door.
Daniel heard an answer to his message as he nodded at the two men quick actions. “Copy that Slyfox, be aware that there are some gifts having a more difficult time being wrapped, will proceed in 2 minutes regardless of progress on others locations.” Daniel replied in a lowered tone “Affirmative, in 2 minutes action will begin, Slyfox out.” Daniel conveyed the message to the rest of the team and settled down for the brief wait. As the squad waited out the two minutes, a group of enemy soldiers drove past in vehicles coming within several feet of their position. The squad had tensed and was almost forced to open fire, but fortunately the group had moved on.
Daniel finally gave the order “detonate the package.”
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Post by Lucius Alar on Dec 24, 2012 6:28:48 GMT
Crimson Shores 2-4-6
The sound wave of a massive explosion from the APM bunker line rocked the landscape surrounding the APM compound on the southern island of the Crimson Isles. Lucius remained steady, laying prone in grass below a palm tree. He was hidden not only in the IR smoke dispensed by the AU artillery shells, but he had found himself a small, grass-covered knoll behind which to take cover. He and the other squads which remained in front of the APM bunker line were waiting to hear the massive diversion which would be caused by all of the squads behind the APM defensive lines. Daniel's squad's charge detonation signaled the initial success of the venture, followed by the other flanking squads' explosives detonating in a rapid pattern along the entire line of APM bunkers showing the successful completion of the first phase of Admiral Benson's plan to take the Southern Island. From Alar's standpoint, all he could do was wait patiently for the second phase of the plan. This phase involved the forward squads, like Daniel's squad which had flanked to the rear, penetrating the APM defenses within the compound after the front-line diversion and disabling the anti-air measures therein. Lucius was to wait on that grassy knoll in the smoke before he or any of the other squads would venture forth. Assuming all went well, there would be a signal given over communications, bunker busters would be dropped on the APM defensive pillboxes, and the squads waiting just short of the beach would be able to walk right by the APM lines.
Daniel, still behind the lines with his squad, waited stealthily behind a few fuel barrels on the edge of the APM compound as he waited for the enemy forces to run forward to the front lines. The diversion created by the squads like Daniel's were so effective that despite his position behind explosive barrels, Daniel remained relatively calm, and soon he was able to signal his fellow squad member to follow him forward across a small road and behind a set of sandbags near a now empty APM bunker. The cover he was now hidden behind was much less volatile than those last not-so-consolatory fuel drums. He knew that he did not have much time before APM soldiers started wondering what was happening and began questioning whether or not they were being flanked. So, he communicated to his squad, "Hendricks, Vasilli, meet me and Wilson by the APM bunker labeled '5', do you copy?" "Copy that Slyfox, we just finished up, we will rendezvous in less than 20 seconds, Vasilli out." replied Private Vasilli, a recon expert assigned to Daniel's squad. He and private Hendricks were only paces from Daniel's position, but the prerequisite for stealth added additional time to their short journey to meet up with their squad leader.
Now, the four soldiers, Daniel, Hendricks, Vasilli, and Wilson, had met up and moved inside the barracks by which Daniel and Wilson had taken cover only moments ago. They had cleared the barracks and were now quickly formulating a plan to eliminate the anti-air emplacement "Delta" to which they had been assigned. "Private Wilson, you're our resident assault expert; give us some ideas." Daniel said, trying to help the personal growth of a younger soldier. "Sir, we are only a few yards from the emplacement; I believe it is right on the other side of this wall." Wilson said as he tapped on the corrugated metallic inner walls of the barracks the squad now inhabited. He continued, "I think it would be best for Vasilli and me to cover you and Hendricks from here. You both can exit from the rear of the barracks, and on your go, sir, you can assault the small crew by the anti-air turret. While Hendricks is working on disabling the emplacement with his electronics kit, we can provide cover from this barracks. Enemy fire from one of their own barracks will be the last thing the APM will expect. If we're lucky, they may even turn their backs to us, sir." Daniel was surprised by the private's well-thought out strategy, but he responded like any squad leader trying to keep his team humble, "Not a bad plan, private. But, you should also make sure that Vasilli is keeping an eye on the entrance to the barracks; you have to remember that we are in the middle of an enemy compound. Just because you are taking cover in a building does not mean you are safe. Remember, this is their turf; they have the keys to this bunker if they need to get in. Regardless of that though, Hendricks and I will start our maneuvers immediately; keep 'em down, son." "Yes, sir" replied Wilson, with a somewhat boosted level of confidence.
Daniel motioned for Hendricks to follow him as the two exited the barracks and made their way underneath a corridor of camouflage netting and sandbags. They took cover below the supporting metal beams for an APM landing pad which was immediately adjacent to the automatic anti-air turret that was already being thoroughly programmed and checked a group of APM technicians. The enemy soldiers were lightly armed, but that did not mean that they did not pose a serious threat. If they were not taken out soon, they would be able to arm the turret, and Daniel's squad did not have more explosives to destroy the turret with. Hendricks' electronics prowess was the only way they could disable the turret; the chances of his successfully accomplishing this task diminished greatly once the system became active. Daniel spoke to the rest of his squad which was with the demolitions specialist on the front lines; they had been patiently waiting for orders from him after they had gotten a safe distance from the explosion. "Bravo-2 Squad, come in." A reply echoed over his headset, "This is Bravo-2 squad, we hear you, sir." "Are you with the bulk of the forces in the front lines? How copy?" "Negative, Slyfox, we moved behind enemy lines and are awaiting further orders near the rear entrance to the target bunker." "Excellent, Bravo-2 Squad; remain in position. Once bombs are dropped on targets, catch any stragglers that exit the rear of the bunker." "Affirmative, Slyfox. Over and out." Daniel was confident in the other half of his squad's ability to execute on their half of the objective; however, he knew he needed to focus on the current situation with his squad.
"Wilson, come in." Daniel said. "Copy." replied Wilson. "On my mark, I want you and Vasilli to drop the two technicians that just walked around to the front of the turret. Be ready." "Copy that Slyfox." Daniel switched to another channel on his radio and spoke, "Kurt? This is Daniel, do you read me?" A voice crackled over the headset, "Roger that, good to hear a familiar voice. What is your squad's progress, over?" "My squad is in position, what about yours, how copy?" "In position, just waiting for the Brigham to give us the go." Kurt replied. "Right. See you in a few, over and out." Daniel waited only a few more moments before he finally heard the Brigham cut through all of the radio chatter, "All squads are in position to commence Phase 2 of Operation Crimson Shore. Repeat, all squads in position. Begin Phase 2, repeat begin Phase 2 now, Brigham out." Phase 2, the disabling of the anti-air turrets, began with a few rounds being fired in the distance; not all of the AU squads were equipped with suppressors on their weapons. Daniel signaled Wilson and Vasilli who fired a few rounds off toward the APM technicians in front of the AA turret; at the same time, Daniel jumped up from cover and fired two rounds from his suppressed AUC-X7, one for each of the APM soldiers behind the turret.
"Hendricks, move; move now!" Daniel whispered intently, as he motioned for the electronics specialist to move to the turret. "Copy that, sir." replied Hendricks, moving to a small console on the rear of the turret. Thankfully, Daniel's squad was fully equipped with suppressors as he would accept nothing less; the lack of noise made by his squad as Hendricks disabled the turret caused them to be ignored by APM soldiers rushing to the other anti-air emplacements. Hendricks, after a surprisingly short time at the turret console, turned to Daniel and said, "Sir, the turret is down." Daniel looked at the turret with a puzzled face, "It doesn't look 'down', Specialist Hendricks." Just then the turret's console sparked and started spewing puffs of smoke violently. "Never mind, good job." said Daniel recovering from his previous statement. "Thank you, sir." said Hendricks with a smile on his face. Daniel and Hendricks retreated inside the barracks where Vasilli and Wilson awaited them. "Slyfox to Brigham, Bravo squad has taken objective Delta. Birds are clear, over and out." "Roger that, Bravo squad; AA is down, repeat AA is down. All squads prepare for Phase 3." AU strike fighters carrying large earth-penetrating bombs known as "bunker busters" flew across the horizon just above the APM base, which did not retaliate whatsoever. Then, another string of much larger explosions tore across the APM line of bunkers. Since APM soldiers had moved into the bunkers after the initial explosions set off by the AU demolitions teams, the damage was massive to say the least. Now, all Daniel and his squad had to do was survive in the APM base as AU soldiers began advancing through the thick clouds of IR smoke toward the compound.
Victory was indeed close at hand.
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Post by Daniel Fletcher on Jun 14, 2014 17:23:13 GMT
Crimson Shores 2-4-7 Although Daniel knew that the APM defenses on the beachhead were crippled, there was still a solid core of APM soldiers in the center of the island that would be responding to the distress calls from the bunkers. This core group of troops would pose a problem for the scattered strike squads who had just finished Phase 3 of the operation. The strike squads next goal was simple ... Hold their positions until the bulk of the AU army could land safely on the shores and press forward to completely take the island. Daniel and Kurt had been strategizing earlier that day what would be the best way for the small strike squads to defend such a broad area. Their conclusion ... Confusion. “Alright Gents, this is phase 4, hold this area from all APM tangos that come within striking distance. We need to spread out throughout this area and proceed with our Maneuver Warfare. Any questions?” No one had any. “Alright, let’s spread out!” Daniel’s men begin taking up hidden locations throughout the area that the now disabled anti air gun was located. Daniel contacted the other portion of his squad via the com-link “Bravo-2 Squad, do you copy, what’s your situation?” “This is Bravo-2 Squad, we are good to go, all stragglers have been eliminated.” Daniel responded “Affirmative, take defensive positions in your area and wait for our friends to join the party.” “Copy that Slyfox, Bravo-2 out.” As Daniel had finished his conversation with Bravo-2 he started hearing APM soldiers and vehicles approaching. He crouched lower behind the sandbags he was hidden behind and took stock of where the rest of his squad had positioned themselves. Vasilli, and Wilson , had positioned themselves in the APM barracks, one on the second floor and one on the bottom. Hendricks had placed himself also in the barracks guarding the second entrance. Daniel was the only one positioned outside. He radioed Kurt, “Kurt, status Report.” “We are in position and ready for the fire storm, expect heavy resistance from light vehicular assistance and assault troops.” “As expected, keep in mind that we do have birds in the air to provide assistance.” “Roger, the party is about to begin, over and out.” Daniel again switched channels “Rifle 3-7 this is Slyfox, status on the overwatch over?”
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Post by Lucius Alar on Jun 17, 2014 0:27:55 GMT
Crimson Shores 2-4-8
Heated IR smoke, sand, and concrete dust mixed in a lethal firestorm as bunker-busting smart bombs leveled the APM line. The sound of screeching AU strike fighters split the coarse air over the now smoke-covered beach. This plan to take the Crimson Shores was not only working, it was succeeding with deadly efficiency. Indeed, the bombs had caused so much destruction that from the air, the island would have looked like is was splitting in half had it not been for the obscuring cloud of smoke and flame. Lucius was sore from remaining prone for so long, but the shock wave from the most powerful bombs he had ever encountered cleared his senses and brought him back to an alert mindset in moments. He knew what he had to do.
He ran.
Lucius had not sprinted like this in ages, but he knew his time was short. In only a matter of moments, APM troops would be falling back into their base, discovering the sequestered and scattered squads of AU soldiers therein, and combating them with far more numbers than those few squads could handle. It was the job of Lucius and others on the beach to keep pressure on the retreating APM soldiers, distracting the reeling enemy and diverting their attention away from their rear flank, where the AU tactical strike squads were holding out--stalwart but outnumbered--in enemy territory.
After a solid minute of running, the sniper began to feel the effects of his race to war, and his gas mask did not aid his already taxed breathing. Despite this, he reached the line of APM bunkers, where he climbed a mound of rubble and carnage along with hundreds of other AU soldiers, thirsty for battle. Smoke enveloped the entirety of the AU force along the line of broken sand, but it had thinned--a few stray bullets landing in some concrete near Lucius reminded him that the smoke was not as thick as he thought. A shift in winds was common on Raynor, a tumultuous planet known for it's unpredictable weather. The AU were lucky that their predictions the day before had remained true, but now the all-encompassing volume of smoke and dust and death was receding. It was disappearing. It was revealing the AU forces to the routing APM in the quickest manner.
The disoriented forces of the APM took this as a good thing, they could now halt the AU--they believed. The focused advance of the AU understood what this change in the air truly meant--they now had clear targets. "Rifle 3-7 this is Slyfox, status on the overwatch, over?" Lucius' radio crackled with the sound of Daniel's familiar and stable voice; he sounded as if he was back on the Brigham sitting on his bunk. "The wind has changed," Lucius said plainly. "I can see everything."
Daniel smirked.
"Cover us."
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Post by Daniel Fletcher on Jun 27, 2014 1:31:49 GMT
The Crimson Shores 2-4-9
Daniel smirked when he heard Lucius' reply. He knew that their chances of survival were much greater with over-watch keeping their tail secure. "Cover us." He replied as he saw the first squad of enemy soldiers approaching. He took stock of his surroundings, his camouflage helped him blend into the dirt and foliage around the barracks and behind the sandbags he was located. However, because it was daytime and the smoke and debris were clearing, he would still be fairly visible close range. His other squad mates were more secure in the building, unless they were surrounded, which in that case, there was no easy EVAC point from the building. Bravo-2's role was to secure their flank while they held this position until the rest of the AU Landing force could reinforce them and take the rest of this island.
Daniel readied his silenced assault rifle, confident that he could take out several APM soldiers before the element of surprise was lost. He took aim and was about to fire when the man he was aiming at fell to the ground dead. Daniel already was on the next target firing off a three round burst taking out two assailants. Daniel spoke in his comlink as he sighted in the next target "Nice shot Lucius, beat me to it" "Did the same for your brother earlier, thought I'd be fair." "Oh by all means", Daniel quipped "please continue."
By the end of Lucius and Daniel's banter, the point APM squad of 10 men had been eliminated before they knew what hit them. Vasilli spoke on the comlink "That was too easy, when are we going to get some of the action!" Daniel spoke grimly "Don't worry soldier, you will get more than your fair share." As he finished speaking he began to hear more troops coming and this time with vehicle support.
Daniel wasn't as worried about the firepower or armor of the vehicles. Intel stated that the vehicle support was light jeeps and hovercrafts. However, what concerned Daniel was the flanking power that the mobility of these vehicles provided. If they just went around Daniel's position, then that would be equivalent to getting overrun at this position. Daniel needed a way to stop the vehicles from progressing past this point.
He quickly looked around and saw something that caught his attention.
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