Location: Facility 1, West Falkland

Unit: GOU

Date: 20th February 2023 CE

James wandered the hallways. He noticed it was almost pristine. Looking at recoated walls, he stopped and looked closer. While there were mistakes here and there, it was nothing major. As he looked back down the corridor, he noticed a hooded skull symbol pasted across the wall, like it had been tagged by a graffiti artist.

As he continued down the corridor, noticing a figure curled against the wall smoking. He edged forward to get a closer look at the smoker.

It was Richards.

James stood up straight, walking towards him, "Something happen?"

Richards hid the cigarette, standing up, "Perfectly fine."

James walked closer, "Never seen you smoke before, and while I don't smoke personally, I do know it's an outlet for some people."

Richards slumped back onto the wall, "Huh, you really do know how to read people," he paused, looking forward, "I got a report an hour ago... it was from the air force," he exhaled, "My brother was confirmed dead," he let out a small chuckled, "of all the pilots in the great US air force it was him who died!"

Thompson sat next to him, "I'm sorry."

Richards laughed, "Not your fault kid, shit happens in war."

Thompson looked forward, "Wanna talk about it?"

Richards looked at him, "what's there to talk about? He was shot down over enemy territory a week ago, I asked to go on a solo recovery mission, but Mclaw rejected it, then when Kyton attempted to push it through, it was denied by the US government, at that point I seriously considered going merc and using what Mclaw trained me to do, to start my own unit, we'd be guns for hire, sounds insane doesn't it?"

He paused as James sat next to him, continuing, Richards took a puff, "Then this morning, his crash site was confirmed in China. His body should be on its way home already."

Thompson finally spoke, "What's there to say?! He was a hero to humanity, and all of the fallen were. If he was your brother, I bet he deserves at least a medal of honour!"

Richards laughed, breaking the downhearted mood, "Better be spelling that honor without the u."

James stood up, retorting, "Only if you get your own language first!"

The two laughed as Richards climbed to his feet, crunching the cigarette in his palm before tossing it in a nearby bin.

A call came over the intercom, "Thompson, you are needed."

James looked up to the speaker, "Of course..." he sighed, "See ya around, Richards, and thank you."

Richards nodded, "I should be the one thanking you..." he paused, "If I don't see you before we roll out, don't die."

The two exchanged a glance before they both left in opposite directions...

***

A few hours passed. Entering the mess hall for dinner, Zeller looked around, "Anyone seen the Runt?"

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

As she queued up, she grabbed the large spoons from the pots, lifting multiple roast potatoes and greens, she poured them onto her plate.

Mabasa shrugged, "Probably late."

Zeller grabbed a knife and fork before going to sit down at the table.

As she placed the tray down, she noticed a white envelope, in the middle of the table. She tilted her head reaching out for it.

On the front, she noticed a few words, 'To the Global Operations Unit...'

She gulped as she gripped it. Slowly pulling her knife she opened the letter. Revealing a handwritten piece of paper she started to read it. She read the lines carefully as Mabasa walked over and sat down, "What is it?"

Richards sat next to him, confused at Zellers reaction to the contents.

Zeller placed the letter down, "He's gone."

Richards tilted his head to the side, "What?"

Zeller sat down, "Thompson's gone," she paused, "He's already on his way back to England, to start his course at Sandhurst."

Baker chuckled, "They grow up so fast."

Zeller composed herself, "Seems so," looking over the final line once more, she noticed the last line reading in her head.

She sat down sighing.

The meal was quieter than usual. It lacked a certain aura. They all knew it.

But then they heard a set of footsteps, all turning to the entrance, Mclaw was queuing up for a meal. Expecting him to leave immediately afterwards, they all turned back to their meals.

But then he sat down at the end of the table, he started to eat as the GOU all stared in shock, then Mabasa spoke, "What's the special occasion, sir?"

Mclaw nodded, "Call me Jonathon."

Mounts choked on his fork full of food as he hit his chest, looking up, "Captain?"

Mclaw stared him down, "You lot deserved it, however, I'm going to warn you, we are going into the most dangerous battle of the war, this will not just decide who wins, but how far away that ending will be," he paused as the table went quiet, "so call me Jonathon, you all deserve it."

Mabasa stood up, "So call me Tian then!"

Zeller stood up next, "Names Sophie."

They went one by one, all saying their first names...

Mclaw smirked, "Well then boys and girls, let's get ready to go back into combat."

***

A Helicopter flew above the ocean as it headed to the icy continent. As Mclaw looked out the windows, he noticed the sky grow darker and darker as they got closer.

Turning back to the GOU, he looked at them. They were all wearing the newest invention from the coalition. The Ice pack. Well, that was its nickname at least. The 'Ice Pack', also known as Project All Weather Mountain Gear (AWMG).

AWMG keeps the wearer's temperature at a survivable level by receiving power from the multiple power cells hidden in the back plate. As well it has an improved version of Mclaw's heads-up display, turning the previously insane weight into less than half a kilogram.

One of the members had a blacked-out face plate, but as they clicked the side of their helmet the darkness retracted revealing Zeller's face, "So Jonathon, wanna leave the plan till any later?"

Mclaw nodded pulling up his wrist pad, "I'm sending you our orbital scans of the target," he pressed his pad as several images popped up across each of their pads, "By the end of the Op, this facility will be destroyed. That is a given."

He looked around the helicopter as the other members nodded, "However, to do this, we will need to gather intel, memories timings and be perfect, understood?"

The GOU nodded, "Yes sir!"

Mclaw looked back and forth, "When the heli lands we will rendezvous with a recce team who have provided us with the NZA's troop movements so far, they will be our only supply route and contact to headquarters."

Mabasa asked, "What are the exterior defences?"

Mclaw pulled up the map, "Few hundred personnel. Twenty close-range AA guns. Seems like the NZA's version of C-RAMs to me. Ten long-range missile launchers. Few Arty positions. Snipers everywhere. Multiple smart minefields, we've cracked them already... don't worry. And finally a tank."

Turner chuckled, "It's no small order."

Mclaw nodded, "We also believe there to be a decently sized naval presence there, we aren't sure why... but that's something we will have to find out."

Richards spoke up, "Do we even have the tech to take that much on?"

Mclaw replied with a confident look, "We have everything we need, anything else we need we will have to improvise."

He turned back to the map, "I expect it to be at least -40*C and night the whole time we are there, so I've already set sleep schedules for all of you, the suit will mimic a day and night cycle, with your NVGs and Thermal visions, but you will still have to get used to the lack of natural sunlight."

The pilot turned around, "30 Seconds!"

Mclaw nodded, "Hook up, red light!"

The ramp started to drop as red lights flashed in both their visors and around the heli. Each loaded a magazine cocking a bullet.

Mclaw spoke, "Hoods up!"

They pulled their snow-white camouflage hoods over their full-face helmets as they left them loose.

They stood in wait as the snowy ground came into view from behind them.

The pilot put down the helicopter as the red light flipped, "GREEN LIGHT! GO GO GO!"