Meanwhile, on the airspace surrounding the MOB, two Lockheed U-2 were en route to gather photographic information on the unknown air units that were picked up on Radar and to monitor their activities to determine whether they were a threat or not. One of the aircraft went to survey the position of the unknown air units while the other went to survey west of the position where it is believed that they came from.
"Command, Casey 1. Approaching the site where unknown bogeys are last detected, beginning mission. Current altitude is 45,000."
"Roger that Casey 1. Be careful out there."
As it approached above its destination, the pilot looks at his camera viewfinder and was shocked by what he discovered. He saw what appeared to be a huge gathering of flying monsters with bat-like wings was basically and what appears to be a long tail at the back. Even though it's nighttime, the light from the moon and the stars serves as enough illumination to the abominations. He hurriedly took several photos, capturing the figures that were flying fearlessly in the night sky and reported his findings to Command.
"Command, this is Casey 1. You're never gonna believe this, unknown bogeys are spotted to what looks like a flying reptile with bat-like wings. I have reason to believe that these are dragons as stated in myths. Requesting further orders, over." the pilot reported.
"...Casey 1, no changes in the mission. Surveil the area and take as much photographic intelligence as possible. Keep an eye out for any anomalies and report them back. How copy, over?"
"Solid copy, Command. Resuming the mission, out."
This went on for the rest of the night where the U-2 pilot took as much photo as he can to monitor the supposed Dragons. This incident would later be known in the base's history as "Dragon's Calling" where the Air Force's Dragon Lady first encountered an actual Dragon in the other world.
As Casey 1 was doing its mission, the other U-2 was busy at work too. Approximately 200 kilometers west of the dragon gathering, the pilot spotted what appears to be an artificial structure similar to a fort where the dragons came from.
"Command, this is Albatross 1. Spotted what appears to be a man-made structure approximately 200 clicks west of the dragon sightings. It looks like the place is inhabited as it's full of activities, with a few dragons occasionally coming to and fro. How do I proceed, over?" the second pilot reported
"Albatross 1, Command. Maintain surveillance on that structure, find out if it is human-populated or not. Capture any details you can about that place and report any findings you can."
"Albatross 1, roger wilco."
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As the hours pass by, dawn soon approaches the horizon lighting up the land. The dragons that gathered up, soon made their way to land in a nearby clearing and the U-2s also returned to base to process all the information they found.
This will serve as crucial intelligence for Arnold and his men as this information show that there are not only on the ground but in the air as well, giving them the necessary steps to plan for future actions.
"My leader, according to the pilots sent to gather information, the large number of dragons detected by radar are staying at this specific location which and has never strayed far unless hunting for food. We currently have no idea what purpose they are doing this." Charlotte said as she recounts the information given by the U-2 pilots.
"On the other hand, the artificial structure west of the dragon gathering, we saw what appears to be a huge congregation of...monsters of all sizes." Charlotte paused before reporting the findings.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Looking at the presented images, Arnold was shocked before turning solemn as the large number of monsters gathered can pose a threat to his base.
"How many monsters can this structure hold, Charlotte?" Arnold said, not addressing her rank.
"My leader, according to the size of the structure, it can hold about 200,000 troops in our standards. However, according to the U-2 pilot, there were more monsters gathering from its surroundings before returning to base to refuel so the exact number is unknown." Charlotte reported as the other officers discussed with each other based on the information while Arnold was deep in thought.
'Holy shit! If that amount of enemies suddenly show up out of nowhere and attacked us, our base will be overrun no matter what technological advantage we have. It's like the Soviets against Germany. Wait...if there is one place where monsters gather like that, then who's to say there aren't other places.'
"Charlotte! Put the base on high alert! I want all reconnaissance aircraft in the air to keep an eye out for any spots where monsters gather like this that can pose a threat. Also, increase the number of soldiers for each recon team and have them scout 30 kilometers from the base, you have my permission to use any resources needed to make it happen. We cannot be caught unprepared if a huge army of monsters suddenly attacked us. Also, inform the Naval Base to be on alert in case we need their support." Arnold commanded with urgency as the appearance of a monster camp put him on edge.
"At once, my leader! Also, the other officers and I recommend observing how the situation will go first before we act against the dragons and monster camp, going into battle without the necessary intelligence is tantamount to suicide. If the monsters move to our position, the Department of Defense will formulate plans to halt or slow them down before reinforcements are summoned." Charlotte replied.
"Mhm, we'll go with that idea. For now, have our factories up 24/7 to produce munitions and resources in case I am unable to use my summon ability for a brief time. This mission will now be officially known as War Plan Orange in anticipation of a war against monsters, of all reasons." said Arnold as he gave the okay to his department to plan for the worst.
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More than a week has passed since the order was passed. During this time, the 10 U-2 and 5 F-15A reconnaissance aircraft were working hard, surveying the surroundings within a radius of 1,000 kilometers from the MOB where another monster camp was discovered 300 kilometers Southeast of the base, although this one is smaller in scale compared to the last one which only amounts to about 30,000-40,000 in size.
Meanwhile, on the recon teams, each team is composed of 30 soldiers and attached with 2 M59 APC, 1 M41 Bulldog and 1 M38A1 Willys. Besides the first encounter of orcs a few weeks ago, they never had another encounter with monsters despite going deeper in the forest. It was eerily quiet...as if it were the calm before the storm.
Another alarming discovery was that both of these monster camps are dangerously close to what appears to be a small town of humans judging by their architectural style. The monster camp in the north is approximately 80 kilometers away southwest of the town, while the monster camp in the southeast is 50 kilometers away north of the town.
Seeing this, Arnold decided to not be a hero and save the two towns as he is responsible for his men's lives. With a heavy heart, at the massacre that was about to happen in the near future, Arnold gathered all his important officers to deal with the monster camps to prevent them from growing bigger. Some proposed dropping a nuclear bomb right then and there but was ultimately rejected and will only be used as a last resort. A showcase of power like that is sure to alarm the magical residents in this world, and instead of showing his trump card without knowing theirs, Arnold decided to learn more about them before making his moves. Underestimating your enemies, no matter how primitive, is sure to bite him in the ass in the future. The Vietnam War can serve as a history lesson for that, one that he hopes to avoid with the existence of magic in this world which he has no information of except in fictions and animes.
And then, on the twelfth day, as if on cue, both monster camps came alive with activity. The one up north split into two groups followed surprisingly by the dragon formation in the air as if they were under the command of something. One group composed of tens of thousands of monsters were heading in the general direction of the town while the other, which was composed of hundreds of thousands seem to branch away as they travelled down south.
The monster camp in the southeast headed towards the town near it with clear intentions to attack it. Luckily, unlike the other monster camp, this camp is directly focused on moving together and did not head in the MOB's direction.
Seeing this, Arnold gathered all of his officers, from the army to the air force to the marine. They will now deal with the monster army.
"Everyone, we will now begin Phase 1 of War Plan Orange."
With this, Arnold's first massive battle for survival in this world has begun.