On LHA-01 Iceberg an Iceberg class helicopter assault ship.
"Hey, Julia you said that the guy you fought was he but also said he was she," said Corporal Sonata
Technician Fifth Grade Julia replied, "He said he was a she but in reality, the douchbag said he was a she just to make fun of transgender people/ I told him to knock it off because well I'm a tomboy even though I don't identify myself as a male. But he kept at it and in class, I told him if he didn't knock it off but in class, he kept it up and the teacher noticed. He'd said whoever cries first loses and I whipped that asshat's ass into next month. But that assclown met his match."
There was a loud rumble.
"What the hell was that?" asked Julia
Sonata replied, "I don't know. You go check it out and I'll move your shitheel of a brother somewhere safe,"
The two split up but Sonata hit her head on a steel valve door, and door frame and it hurt a lot due to its reinforced steel.
***
In the interrogation room
"Alright Joshua on your feet," said Cpl Sonata, "I don't got time for your chickenshit games,"
Joshua replied, "I still can't wait until my guys hunt you down and rape you to death! You'll be hunted down like the capitalist pig you are!"
"One you sick fuck," said Sonata, "Whatever you bought makes you a capitalist too dumbass. Also on you on your fucking feet! Last fucking warning! People like you shouldn't have children! People like you are the reason why the world is fucked up! But knowing you are you'd probably impregnated a lot of women by now in your circle jerk or is it your "sewing circles"? Either way, you're done for when we reach home!"
Joshua replied, "I want to say I'm not going back to that Statocratic-Secular state- Police state- conscripted and professional army- happy childhood-Guarded Haven-Open Society- Planned Economy-Strategic Sector nation. But I don't know those words,"
"42,400,230 people are happy living on Little Bird you're only a part of the two percent that doesn't like it and the rest of that 848,004 are in prison for committing crimes or executed for crimes against the state!" said Sonata, "Also a Statocratic government is run by people headed by military chiefs and all branches of gov't are administered by military forces! A Secular state allows all religion, a police state is where its gov't institutions exercise an extreme level of control over civil society and liberties and more or less the police can commit police brutality anytime they want but who gives a damn! Happy Childhood is where labor laws are standard and balanced not forcing age restrictions, a Guarded Haven yes our country an island of 1977 miles makes it hard for people to emigrate and to immigrate from Little Bird. Open Society people have freedoms and everyone besides terrorists have rights! A planned Economy is where we have experts that plan our economy and the Strategic sector is where our laws to protect our strongest and most vital industry raising the price when we export something. Now get your ass up or I'm going to crush your damn balls in my hand and drag you like that!"
Sonata got close to Joshua to bring him somewhere safe but she got cold-cocked by him.
***
A few minutes later.
Technician Fifth Grade Julia Vance entered the Interrogation room and saw Sonata laying on the ground but rubbing her head.
"Damn that's painful!" said Sonata, "When I get my hands on that fucker I'm going to tear him a new asshole!"
Julia helped Sonata up and took her to the armory.
***
In the armory
Sonata got her X16 where she just slid the charging handle back and got her Phoenix pistol and racked the slide back.
Sonata also doubled up on ammo instead of 630 bullets in reserve she doubled it so now 1270 and instead of 56 .45ACP bullets, it's now 112 .45 ACP bullets. Julia also got her Special-System or S-System for short with an aimsight and M053 40mm grenade launcher (M4 Carbine with M68 Aimpoint red dot scope and M203 grenade launcher), and her Phoenix Pistol.
Julia also picked up an Mk 83 Mod 2 belt-fed magazine-fed light machine gun and cocked the charging bolt.
"If these terrorists want to dance," said Julia, "Let's dance!"
CPL Sonata opened a valved door and they walked by dead terrorists with Soviet-made weapons and dead sailors armed with X16s (M16A1), Semiautomat Service Garand (M14 Battle Rifle), Automatic Service Garand (M14E2/M14A1 Rifle), CT759mm/Counter-Terrorist 1975 9x19mm (MP5A3), AR63/Automatic Rifle 1963, and AR-16/Automatic Rifle model 16 a three-round burst rifle with jungle camouflage, green reflex/scope with a green dot.
"We got to get up to the bridge and find a way to help," said CPL Sonata
Julia replied, "It'll be better if we find our platoon well mix of a half platoon and be organized than running throughout this 45,700 ton Landing Helicopter Amphibious Assault Ship! Wouldn't surprise me if the 1700 Marines on board already secured an area,"
"This is Romeo 1-5 we've secured the sickbays," said a Marine over the PA system
"Let's go to the bridge," said Sonata
Julia and Sonata went to the bridge and climbed the stairs but kept their eye up so if they saw any terrorists they would be able to open fire and kill them.
***
On the bridge.
Sonata used her fingers and counted down from three to one and they opened the door and blasted the terrorists on board the bridge. And they did it without hesitation.
Julia walked over to a communications thing.
"Anything?" asked Sonata
Julia replied, "Negative! They destroyed the communications! What about you?"
"Steering been destroyed!" said Sonata, "Where are we headed anyway?"
Julia replied, "Siracusa, Sicily, Italy! The terrorist wants to capture our ship and ram it into an Italian city. What does this ship have?"
"My guess is two gas turbines, to shafts with 140,000 BHP, two N4D nuclear reactors, four geared steam turbines, and eight auxiliary backup turbines," said Sonata
Julia replied, "How bad is that?"
"With the two nuclear reactors imagine Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Chornobyl all rolled up not one, not two, but ten. That's adding all the power combined not adding the aviation fuel, anything combustible, munitions, and all that. They'll think it'll be state terrorism against them backed by our own government. We need to find a way to warn them or sink this ship!"
Julia replied, "How in the fuck are we going to warn the Italians or NATO or our own forces! No communications!"
"Isn't all naval warships in the Little Bird Navy supposed to have other ways to communicate? Besides searchlights?"
Julia replied, "Yeah but they probably destroyed those too!"
"We got to try or thousands of innocents will die and WW3 would probably start!" said Sonata
They did a search but did find a working phone and Sonata used it.
"Hello is anybody on here?" said Sonata
Someone replied, "Who's this? Identify yourself!"
"This is Sonata Nicole Jackson Fifth Special Forces Group apart of Squad Phantom 1-2," said Sonata, "Who's this?"
Someone replied, "Admiral of the Navy Megan Harding, Little Bird Navy"
"Admiral we got terrorists on board attacking the LHA-01," said Sonata, "And we need help right away!"
AN Megan replied, "Give this communication device to Commander Lawrence Lawford or Captain Matthew Powers!"
"That can't be done ma'am I mean Admiral of the Navy," said Sonata, "Terrorists killed them."
AN Megan replied, "Alright I'll get back to you soon."
***
A few minutes later
Sonata picked up the phone thingy.
"Hello?" said Sonata
AN Megan replied, "Hey Sonata. The good news is reinforcements are on route. The bad news is they won't be able to get there within twelve hours they're coming from Southern France and estimated they won't be there within twelve hours!"
"Don't you think it would've been better to contact the Italians and get their Navy or NATO and have the countries in that military alliance send help?" asked Sonata
AN Megan replied, "We're working on that but the British and the Italians did offer support, where the British SAS are en route also the Royal Navy, is en route as well to stop the terrorists from using our ship as an act of terrorism. My guess's probably a thank you from WW2 when we stationed our fighters in England to help out with the Air battle for England and The Blitz,"
"Wonder why the Americans didn't get involved after all we did a lot for them," said Sonata, "Like in the begging of WW2 we gave them four out of our twenty-four Cadence class aircraft carriers, twelve out of thirty-six of our Flurry class escort carriers so they could have airpower at sea. The Allies were lucky we were on their side and not the Axis because our WW2 C-15 bombers could fly from San Diego, California to St. Johns, Canada back and forth twice without refueling. And where our country we more or less sat in the middle and our bombers were within range of the Central United States aka Alabama, Western Tennessee, Illinois, Michigan, Western Kentucky or reach Japan and back and fly high enough where fighters like the P-38 and Ki-87 couldn't intercept them. After all, if we did side with the Axis we could've invaded Hawaii with ease in '42 then Southern California and push East and North."
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
AN Megan replied, "Well we're still working on it. But I've given them orders to sink the ship if nessacary after all friendlies have abandoned ship,"
"Roger that ma'am," said Sonata, "Corporal Sonata out,"
The door opened and Sonata and Julia pointed their weapon only for it to be friendlies.
"Who are you!?" asked Julia
A man replied, "Friendlies don't shoot,"
"Who are you?" asked Julia again.
The man in the black wetsuit replied, "Navy SEALS,"
"Thank goodness," said Sonata, "Well we need your help Terrorists got on board somehow and taken over a majority of the ship. But there's more of them than there are of us. Wait how did you get on board?"
The Navy Seal pointed to an MH-60 Seahawk where more SEALs are coming aboard.
The terrorists don't know that the American's arrived to help but they still got some time until their plan could pay off or not even though they don't know that Italy and NATO know about their plans.
"Something doesn't feel right," said Julia
Sonata replied, "What's wrong?"
"How did the terrorists know where The Iceberg Is?" asked Julia, "How did they know we were going to ride throughout that town? Our missions are carefully planned out and what routes and backup routes and all that where no one else knew where we were besides the Admiral of the Navy and General of Special Forces. I want to say it was a setup or they wanted us to capture Joshua and he can tell them where The Iceberg is. I'm not a conspiracy theorist but do you think there's a connection?"
Sonata replied, "Ever heard of the term "Best laid plans"? It means the most carefully made plans even the best-laid plans sometimes go wrong,"
"Yeah but look at the Third SFG in Southwest Asia," said Julia, "A sixteen-man team went to go on a hostage rescue mission and all of them were annihilated and nobody knew they were there. The Fourth SFG had a sixteen-man team to go on a Special Reconnaissance mission in the country of Georgia and they were annihilated. Tell me that,"
Sonata told her the same thing that not everything goes to plan made is perfect and has holes in it.
"But I think someone at the War Department is leaking our troops' deployment for money," said Julia
Sonata replied, "If that's true how do you find the right one? There is at least twenty-four thousand military and civilian personnel working in the building not adding four thousand non-military personnel working in the building. And they add up to a lot of departments. You have the Department of the Army, Department of the Marines, Department of the Navy, Department of the Air Force, Department of Special Operations, Department of Cryptology, Department of Homeland Defense, and Space Administration. Where in the hell do we look at?"
"That's the billion dollar question there," said Julia, "But our government has multiple anti-corruption teams who look at corruption in all government and military services,"
Sonata replied, "Well let's figure that out after we get done with this,"
***
In the hanger bay.
"Hey who are you?!" asked Sonata
A man replied, "You two are fucking dead!"
The man fired two golden MAC-11s at them and they took cover while the third had an AK series rifle and the two women were able to kill the terrorist guy.
They then climbed down and found a laptop with a floppy disk (USB Drives weren't invented yet) and it was an eight-inch floppy disk.
"Let's see what's on it," said Julia, "Shall we?"
Julia inserted it into the 1980's laptop on the table and accessed the floppy desk.
Greetings XXX-XXXXXXX-XXXX
Remember the price we agreed to? $35000 each squad of Little Birden Special forces soldiers killed.
First and Fifth Special Forces Companies are going to ride through Qalehtol. Coordinates 31.6326 degrees North and 49.8889 degrees E. The Fourth will be at 41. 976646 degrees North and 42 54 35.9 degrees East and Third SFG will be at 17.235507 North 106.123450 degrees East.
I'd expect my $140000 by next FRIDAY at 11:59 PM UTC-1100!- XXX-XXXXXXXx-XXXX
"Who the hell are all these X's?" asked Julia,
"Move I got this," said Sonata, "Watch my back,"
Sonata got onto the laptop due to Computer Literacy at this time was a lot rarer and she knows the basics.
"These bastards have an auto-decoder on it," said Sonata, "And there. It says it'll take five minutes for it to be decoded,"
Julia replied, "I don't think we got five minutes,"
"Don't worry," said Sonata, "Yeah we're on a collision course but we have about twenty-two hours,"
***
Five minutes later.
There was a beep and Sonata checked the laptop and it was revealed to be the General of Special Operations named "General Nate Valentine".
"Wonder what his excuse is," said Sonata, "Probably the classic "I needed the money" or something like that. Whatever it is. It ain't going to excuse what he did. How many fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, sons, and daughters he killed? Just to earn 35 stacks,"
Julia replied "Stacks?"
"A stack means one thousand dollars," said Sonata, "thirty-five stacks is thirty-five thousand dollars,"
Sonata then ejected the floppy disk and placed it on her somewhere safe.
The two then left climbing up a ladder and out a door that lead to another room.
***
In a room.
"Hey a welder," said Sonata
Sonata went over to a cabinet and got an arc welder and a welder's mask and she cut a big enough circle in the floor and the two jumped down but while Sonata was cutting Julia looked the other way so the light wouldn't overwhelm her iris and blind her.
"Let's go," said Sonata
The two pressed on and moved to another part of the ship.
***
In another hanger.
"Alright how about we overload or overwork the ship's engines!" said Julia
Sonata replied, "Not going to work. The moment they reach a certain temperature the ship's automated system will shut them down to cool down with the nuclear reactors being the first to go so "The China Syndrome" doesn't happen and I'm not talking about the '79 movie with the same name."
"The China Syndrome?" asked Julia
Sonata replied, "A nuclear meltdown. Theoretically, nuclear rods during a meltdown event will boil up the water around it and when the water boils away it'll melt through the steel, through the concrete, and burn all the way to China but it'll reach underground water first, and when that happens. It'll throw up radioactive particles into the air and blow wherever the wind is blowing.
Sonata took a sip from her canteen.
"Nuclear power isn't the best due to if something goes wrong like Three Mile Island, and Chornobyl for example, nuclear waste, expensive to build, health risks, and targeted by the terrorist. Not adding six hundred thousand people would have to evacuate and an area about half the size of the state of Pennsylvania would have to leave." Sonata continued
Julia replied, "But it'll take some time to shut off each system one by one and there's how much do we need to shut down?"
"Honestly I don't know," said Sonata, "Three, four. I don't know. The only thing I'd know is it'll get hotter than a kitchen in summer with the oven and stove on,"
Julia replied, "I got a better idea. Do you think we can detonate a lot of ordnance at once to sink the ship?"
"Yeah but we'll need about a hundred bombs and place them in the center of the ship," said Sonata, "And anything explosive to add on it like aviation fuel,"
The two then headed down to the hanger again and did exactly that.
***
In the hanger bay after a couple of hours.
"Hey AN Megan," said Sonata, "The terrorists are taking over this ship real fast and we're going to scuttle the ship,"
AN Megan replied, "Alright but I don't know how long until evac will be. But I've contacted the fifth fleet and they're sending several UH-80 "Hawks" over now. But get to CIC and shut down the M57 AMADS CIWS and M58 AMADS LRMS so they don't shoot down our friendly helos,"
Julia replied, "CWIS? LRMS? AMADS?"
"Roger that AN," said Sonata, "Julia replied CWIS means Closed-in weapon system, LRMS is Long Range Missile System, AMADS is Automated Minigun Air Defense System and Automated Missile Air Defense System. Come on T5G,"
Julia replied, "T5G?"
"Technician Fifth Grade," said Sonata.
The two then ran to CIC.
"Hey Sonata what does CIC mean?" asked Julia
Sonata replied, "CIC means Combat Information Center. Come on we got to shut it down,"
***
In CIC
Sonata and Julia killed the terrorists in the room but Julia tried but she didn't know how to use a computer due to computers in Little Bird society are usually seen in white collar jobs aka government, academia, business, accountancy, engineering, finance, human resources, and the rest of white-collar jobs and not required to learn it.
Sonata knows how to use computers due to one of her uncles taught her computer literacy because he works in the BCLBLFDF Logistical Corps and keeps 5,000,000 active Little Birden Soldiers, Blister Canyon with 2,185,000 active soldiers, and Lava Falls with 1,388,100 active soldiers supplied, and 4,500,800 reserve Little Birden, 2.5 million Blister Canyon, and 1,250,000 Lava Falls reserve soldiers supplied.
"I'd would hate to be your uncle," said Julia, "Imagine all the paperwork he has to do day in and day out. Do you think he gets writer's cramps every day? And typer knuckle?"
Sonata replied, "Julia you write two papers for each soldier and officer that comes in wanting something. One goes to the soldier/officer and he keeps one by going into the back and typing it up and he does that from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM and makes $7,763 and thirty-nine cents a year. He only makes $149 a week to support five daughters and three sons and pays $89.40 per week for permanent alimony and his ex is a junkie whore who spreads her legs all the time. But his second wife she's pregnant too. Alright Julia you have to do you have to shut down those missiles and rotary canons."
Julia tried but she had beginner's luck and was able to do it.
Sonata and Julia decided to go to the bridge
***
On the bridge.
Sonata went over to the PA system and picked up a phone.
"All Little Birden sailors and marines and American soldiers prepare to abandon ship within thirty minutes," said Sonata, "I repeat all Little Birden Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines and American soldiers abandon ships within thirty minutes!"
***
Thirty minutes later
Friendly UH-80 "Hawks" landed on the LHA-01 and all of them got on board. When they got far enough Sonata pulled out a detonator and pressed a button and there was a huge explosion.
LHA-01 ripped in half and the center part broke and the right side of the front half and the left side of the back have was in the water first with the bow and aft in the air sinking slowly.
Well there goes a 761 million dollar ship we won't get back, Sonata thought, Well it's for the best that it went out like that over being used in an act of terrorism!
***
The next day June 17th, 1995
The City of Chocolate.
Sonata and Julia got out of a 1942 Nash Ambassador Army with a dark olive green body color and an azure blue star on the driver's door and front passenger door and the hood on both sides says "LBI W67071"
Sonata and Julia both walked into the War Department.
Now if we need more hard evidence against General Nate or the MP's won't help, Sonata thought, Well I'll go down into the server room and Sonata can do whatever she wants that doesn't involve attracting attention.
***
Down in the server room.
Sonata had to knock out a few MP's due to she doesn't have any clearance down there and she got onto a terminal.
Sonata was able to find the General's calls which go to an outside number multiple times so she decided to print it and she walked over to the 1980's printer and get the form of continuous form paper. But the printer did make noise from those old-styled printers while printing.
Sonata then put the piece of paper into a billfold and headed back upstairs.
***
On the main floor.
Sonata saw a man in a black leather jacket standing against the wall.
"Excuse me, sir," said Sonata, "Can I help you?"
The man replied, "Just waiting for a member of my team to dig up the mole,"
"Well I can help you," said Sonata, "It's General Nate,"
The man replied, "General Nate? That's absurd. Where is your evidence?"
Sonata handed him the leather folder and floppy disk where he opened the folder and read it then went to a computer in the security room and accessed the floppy disk and he couldn't believe it.
He returned.
"Okay, General Nate will be walking by through here any second now," said the man, "But I don't know how this got past me,"
A few minutes later.
"There's General Nate," said Sonata
The man walked up to General Nate
"General Nate," said the man, "Just how long have you been spitting on Mother/Father Little Bird??
General Nate replied, "Excuse me? Do you know who you're speaking to?"
"I do now your medals and fame won't protect you now. Empty your pockets onto the counter," said the man
General Nate replied, "Have you lost your fucking mind Lt-Gen?"
General Nate placed his stuff out of his pockets onto the counter.
The Lt-Gen then called over four Military Police Officers in dark olive green M-1958 Field Uniforms but they have a black armband on their upper right and left upper sleeves with white "MP" on it.
"Take him and place him in the holding cells," said the Lt-Gen
General Nate replied, "I ain't going nowhere!"
He then pulled out a pocket pistol an FN Model 1903 and shot one of the Military Police officers before fleeing but Sonata was able to get a shot off with her Phoenix Pistol and the Hollow pointed .45ACP.
There was now a city-wide manhunt out on General Nate but it only took two hours until he was captured by the City of Chocolate Police Department after he killed a cop and a female cop kicked him right between the legs to subdue him.
***
A couple of hours later.
"Hey general mind me asking," said Sonata, "Why did you do it?"
General Nate replied, "Because I needed the money damn it! Do you know what it's like to see your wife in the hospital with terminal cancer but got mounting hospital bills? Bills quickly piling up and you're losing more money than you make."
"But yet you're willing to have our own soldiers killed so you could make a buck," said Sonata, "Simple greed. Well, those special forces soldiers had families and to them, you saw dollar signs. Oh, you know him?"
General Nate replied, "No I don't. Should I?"
"That's Lieutenant Vittorio Pasqualone a third-generation Italian-Little Birden. Married had a wife, a son, and a newborn on the way. But after all that baby, their son and his wife won't see him again." said Sonata, "Him he's Captain Bob Smith yeah he may be gay but he and his husband had an adopted daughter. Her. She's Captain Melissa Willard
she had a daughter back home who she wrote to all the time but she'll never see her daughter grow up and she won't see her walk down the aisle."
General Nate replied, "Ok so?"
"Him he's Lieutenant Crosby Lucas you know your best friend since kindergarten," said Sonata, "You don't care that your own best friend is dead?"
General Nate replied, "Nope,"
"How about her remember her?" asked Sonata
General Nate replied, "What if I don't,"
"You should," said Sonata, "She's your sister Major Linda Valentine-Thompson. Wonder what she would say that you'd her killed after her husband was killed in a car accident leaving their son whom she named after you. But he and your niece will become wards of the county. Wonder what she would say that you had her killed with her team just for thirty-five grand? Was it worth it?"
General Nate replied, "What was I supposed to do? I needed the money fast!"
"So killing three hundred and four Special Forces Operators from the Special Forces Groups and five hundred Operations Department Specialised Troopers for thirty-five grand," said Sonata, "You earned $2,733,600 and had soldiers who were fathers and mothers, husbands and wives killed so you could earn more money. The sailors and Marines onboard the Iceberg hope they can rest easy knowing that they were killed so you could just fatten your paycheck per week and hope to earn that $357 a week was worth it from the Gov't. Now you're being tried for treason,"
There was a knock on the door.
"I want to say that's my JAG lawyer," said General Nate
Sonata replied, "Try again dipshit,"
Sonata opened the door and it was a woman in an Army Service Uniform. She'll be prosecuting General Nate for the following charges of treason and selling Top Secret information to terrorists for money,
"Well Ms. Jackson aren't you hypocritical," said General Nate, "You say I'd killed those men and women but yet we do the same including you. Our soldiers are killers not them,"
Sonata replied, "If someone is charging at me with an explosive vest wanting to blow me up I'm going to kill that son of a bitch before I get blown up. They're also murderers. Remember what happened in Empire Bay in '93 by The Butchers terrorist group? No, let me refresh your memory. Joshua Vance and a team of four terrorists walked into a birthday party at a restaurant and killed everyone. Men, women, children as young as three, pregnant women even the restaurant's staff just for no fucking reason. How does shooting up and killing everyone at a five-year-old's birthday have to prove to have morals or not? Sgt Zampella told me in Las Adventure that we can try to save everyone but it ain't going to happen. But the terrorists you work with how they treat women they capture that they treat them as brood mares. I hope they execute you painfully! Before I go I got this to say and that is sexist people are a lot fucking friendlier than you are."
Sonata then left.
***
In Dillimore.
Sonata got out of a car with Julia and they entered a fifty's diner.
"Hello stepdad are you here?" said Julia
Soon a caucasian man with dark brown but graying hair appeared.
"Julia!" said the man, "Welcome home!"
Julia and the man hugged.
"Stepdad," said Julia, "This is my girlfriend Sonata,"
Sonata went to go and give Julia's stepdad a handshake but he hugged her instead.
"I see that you're a mongrel," said the man, "No offense. But take care of Julia she always gets into fights,"
Sonata replied, "No offense? None taken I'm a mix of American and Native Little Birden my grandfather was a rifleman in the American 31st Infantry Division from Florence, Alabama a white man, and my grandmom was a Native Little Birden from the Aroura tribe. From what I'd heard the 31st Infantry Division was on its way to the New Guinea campaign. If you're going to ask he was a part of the Eighth Army, XI Corps, 31st Infantry Division who was killed during the Battle of Mindanao in the Southern Phillippines."
Julia walked into the kitchen and made some food.
***
After sometime.
Julia came out with a try with a couple of cheeseburgers but she walked over to the booth Sonata was in and she sat down and the two ate the cheeseburgers with tomato and lettuce with Curley fries and with a root beer float that the two shared.