The dank vegetation of tropical jungle festered under the summer sun. The extreme heat and humidity ensured few predators ventured into the bright and sunny day. Hosts of insects buzzed beneath the jungle canopy, clinging to any creature they could find. Rifle Second-Class or "R-2-C" Mike Perelli stalked through the shadowy underbrush. He was thankful that his tightly sealed armor did not allow ingress of any of the bitey jungle crawlers; even if he was being cooked alive by the sweltering heat. He still had 3/5 of his hydration bladder left. The patrolling soldier wiped the front of his ballistic faceshield after walking through a large spiderweb. His HUD readout informed him that he was exactly one thousand feet from his objective. In this godforsaken jungle, it might as well have been miles. He scanned his flanks to check for his squadmates. His HUD highlighted the friendly units. Without it he wouldn't have seen them at all in their adaptive camouflage. The Rifle Adaptive Tactical Armor, or "Rat Suit" in colloquial terms, was a thing of beauty. Entirely modular, the same basic frame could be modified for assault, recon, support, CBRN or any other kind of warfare that the rifles found themselves engaged in. Perelli's squad was outfitted with recon gear. It was light-weight, stealthy and came with better optics for their helmets. The skin of the suits utilized adaptive camouflage that changed hue with the shadows and various shades of foliage. As long as it was green or brown, they blended in seamlessly. If they found themselves in a desert, though, they would have to exchange skins.
Perelli saw the three other men of Alpha team spread out in a diamond formation. None were closer to eachother by less than 4 yards as they advanced through the foliage. They were well-ahead of the main element. He checked his rifle, another thing of beauty. The HR-15 was heavy, chunky and could function well as a load-bearing support beam at a Pennsylvania steel mill. But it was accurate, tough and it hit hard. It was fed by a 50-round drum magazine by default, and it was chambered in .30-06. The ammunition utilized by the Vanguard was exceptionally "hot", meaning it had much more propellant than necessary. Perelli's rifle was currently loaded with an alternating armor-piercing/high-explosive combo. It was a rifle designed to utterly obliterate it's target. "The enemy can't scream if he has been liquified" was the logic; Geneva Convention need not apply.
Perelli's team advanced cautiously as they approached their target. He raised a hand up to head level and then extended his arms out to the side, parallel to the ground; giving the signal to stop and form a line parallel to him. The Rifles wordlessly moved into formation. Perelli checked his radio encryption before keying it,
"Kingsnake, this is Pathfinder. Over."
"Pathfinder, go ahead. Over."
"Route Kilo-Victor has been sanitized. All clear. Break... Hard Terrain identified. Recommend deployment of dozer. Over."
"Roger. Wilco. Out."
Radio report made, Perelli gave the signal to advance. The four man squad stood up and moved out. They didn't get far before all of his men called out movement ahead. Perelli immediately keyed his radio. Just as he did so, the trees ahead came to life with movement and shouting. All four men got down just as the air was filled arrows being slung in their direction. Two-foot long and metal-tipped, many embedded themselves into the tree right behind where Perelli had been standing. He called out, "Pathfinder, Contact, contact! Multiple hostiles north of my position firing arrows. Request immediate mortar support," over the radio. Alpha team opened up with their HR-15's while Perelli rattled off grid coordinates to the weapons company mortar team. The air was so thick with projectiles any move to expose himself would have been met with immediate delivery of puncture wounds. This didn't matter for Perelli's teammate, Milo, however. The huge man poked out from behind the cover of a thick tree and poured accurate fire on the enemy. His heavy rifle boomed and kicked up dust with every shot. One's feet had to be firmly planted when firing the HR-15. He fired steadily and accurately, like a metronome. Perelli couldn't see, but he knew every shot was a dead hostile. Not long after the engagement had begun, the whistle of incoming mortars could be heard. Heavy 81MM shells impacted the position they were being fired on from. Dirt and vegetation was thrown sky high. Shockwaves raced across the jungle floor, washing over Perelli and causing his heart to skip a beat. "Good effect on target." He reported.
The enemy fire slackened and Perelli popped up to return their initial gesture. Through his scope, he got his first look at their attackers. Dozens of tribesman in green paint camouflage were scattering back into the jungle, using trees and foliage as cover. In seconds they had disappeared back into the bush. Perelli didn't fire, opting to conserve ammunition. The jungle fell quiet again.
"Pathfinder, this is Kingsnake. Status? Over." It was their commanding officer making sure they weren't dead.
"Kingsnake, Pathfinder. Have been ambushed. Hostiles fled. No casualties sustained by my team. Enemy fled into the jungle, bearing true north. Over."
"Roger, Pathfinder. Continuing advance. Break... Be advised, similar encounters reported along our axis. Sky Eye can't see them. Your eyes are my eyes. How copy? Over."
"Pathfinder rogers. Out."
Alpha team advanced into the enemy position. Deep craters had been left by the mortar shells. Splintered trees and ruined vegetation was strewn about. There were plenty of weapons left by the enemy, but no bodies. Those they had taken with them. But judging by the amount of blood that stained the trees and mud, Alpha team had inflected plenty of casualties on the enemy. Milo picked up an arrow and brought it to Perelli. The arrow had an artificial shaft and a high-quality metal head. It had wicked barbs, and when Perelli balanced it on his finger the weight was perfectly distributed.
"Schaft, get over here." He called out.
"Moving." Junior Rifle Kurt Schaft ran over.
Perelli handed him the arrow. "Knowledge check. What does this mean?"
Schaft studied the arrow. "Titanium head. Not possible with their level of tech. Also, see the sheen? It's poisoned. Turkey feathers on the tail. Last I checked, turkeys are not native to this region. The shaft is fiberglass. These grooves," He pointed to them. "are typical of CNC machine shaving. Someone with expertise made this."
"And that implies?"
"The tribe didn't make these. They don't poison their arrows and they don't like using them in combat. They like using their clubs. Somebody is making them use these. Based on the intel brief, they're the ones we're looking for. And we're not far from their hidey-hole. We should expect heavier contact going forward. If you were the CO, I'd recommend bringing up the rest of the element."
Perelli nodded approval. "Good." He took the arrow and snapped it in his hand. "Reconnoiter the area. We'll wait for Kingsnake to get here."
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Alpha team didn't have to wait long before Kingsnakes mechanized column reached them. Lead by a bulldozer, the tracked vehicles made short work of the jungle terrain. Mud caked their tracks. An IFV with wicked twin autocannons pulled up alongside Perelli. He noted the arrowhead that had managed to embed itself into the canvas shawl that covered the gun mantlet. A tanker with arms as thick as anchor chains lifted the hatch. The rank insignia on his collar denoted him as a captain. His skin was pale and greasy, typical of the armored core's operators, who were basically mobile basement dwellers. Kingsnake-Actual ordered a halt and the vehicle came to a stop.
"Sir." Perelli acknowledged him.
The officer surveyed the scene. "Lovely hike, R-2-C?" He used Perelli's abbreviated rank.
"Until the locals had a go at us, Sir." Perelli replied.
"Our orders are to halt here. Sky Eye found the enemy temple."
Perelli frowned, "They can't track enemy movements, but they can find the whole nest we've been looking for this entire time?"
Kingsnake shrugged, "They said they had it from a good source. Apparently it's another 2 clicks up, you would have stumbled right onto it." Perelli expected an "attaboy" for putting them on the enemies trail, but none came. Kingsnake continued, "Regardless, Fifth and Sixth elements have been tasked with sieging it. We've been placed on QRF. If the bastards run, we pursue. If Fifth and Sixth need help, we go."
"Aye, Sir." Perelli didn't come to attention or salute. If the enemy was watching, and they probably were, he didn't want to mark his CO as somebody important for the enemy.
For the next hour Perelli monitored the wider battlenet. Dismounted infantry now secured the entire area around their 7 armored vehicles and dozer. His squad saw to the replenishment of their ammo and water. Perelli had not even fired a shot on this operation. His trigger finger was getting itchy.
His squad leader approached him. Chief Rifle Laramie was a thin guy; not terribly experienced, but not junior to his role either. He oversaw Alpha and Bravo teams, as together they made up an 8-man squad. "Good tracking, Perelli. I'm glad I let you be point on this one."
"Thanks, Chief. Feeling a little blue-balled to be honest. I'd like to have pursued those guys." Perelli had made the decision to wait for the rest of the element out of pure tactical practicality and per his standing orders, but he still didn't like giving up the hunt after finally meeting the enemy. Especially not after slogging through the jungle for the past 3 goddamn days.
"Well, they'll get theirs soon enough. The other elements are having a hard go at it. The Fifth can't force the entry to their temple, so they're getting ready to gas them out. This OP'll be over soon."
"The U.N observers aren't gonna like that." Perelli commented.
"They're gonna have to deal. They wanna fight vampire cultists, they're gonna have to learn that they don't fight like us. Fighting unfeeling monsters with super-speed, strength and poisonous fangs in close-quarters means you're gonna have to cheat. Otherwise it's suicide." CR Laramie knew Perelli knew this, but he said it and Perelli listened anyways. RC went about his business and Perelli continued monitoring the radio.
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Perelli stood by the back hatch of an IFV with the rest of his squad strewn about, eyes on the jungle. He looked to the rest of his squad and pointed his finger up in the air and made a circular motion. Alpha team gathered around him. He shared his radio audio with them. After only a few seconds, R3C "Milo" Milovovich started bouncing on his heels. "Hohoho! We're in it now bay-bay!" Half a second later, Kingsnake called out from his commander's cupola, "All units, mount up! We are moving out!"
With that, the big diesels fired up and belched carbon dust as the vehicles engines revved. Alpha squad loaded into an IFV like the rest of the dismounted infantry. Four vehicles moved out, leaving two with the dozer. The convoy moved without regard for wildlife and they picked up speed moving through the brush. Small trees and big bushes were crushed beneath them. Engines roared as they moved with haste.
Kingsnake briefed the element, "All units, Kingsnake. Situation is as follows: The Fifth fed CS gas into the cave and the fuckers came running out of a hidden exit. We have a dozen hostiles running free into the jungle. Sky Eye has picked up a couple and is vectoring us to the nearest group. Ready up, because we're not stopping. We'll fight'em in a rolling gun battle. Out."
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Perelli popped a hatch on top of the Infantry Fighting Vehicles troop compartment and stuck his torso out, along with a couple other Rifles. Despite his armor fully encasing him, the wind felt good on his body. Next to him, Milo rested the bipod of a machinegun on the roof next to him. It was similar to their HR-15's, but with a higher rate of fire, belt-fed and a longer barrel. "Sugar, Sugar" was written on the barrel shroud. Perelli admonished him, "What did I tell you about commandeering equipment from the normies?" 'Normies' was a term used by specialized troops to describe the rank-and-file regulars. It could be either derogatory or a term of endearment depending on the context.
"What? You know I'm good with it." Milo replied.
Perelli shook his head at his subordinate, then refocused on the jungle. He had to hold on as the vehicle lurched and shuddered as it navigated the rough terrain. They were moving at a pretty good clip and the whole vehicle rocked when it slammed through large stumps, pulverizing them and sending woodchips into the air. Some bounced off of his ballistic faceplate.
His RAT recon loadout had better optics, but despite this, someone else picked up the enemy first.
"Contact! Contact! zero-six-five relative! 9 individuals!"
Immediately, all guns shifted right. Perelli reached up to his helmet to switch on thermals, but thought better of it. Vampires didn't give off body heat. He picked up on their formation quick enough, anyways. There were nine individuals in a dead sprint. Usually, vampires were good at blending in with regular humans. But some covens were observed to have unique quirks. This one liked to LARP as 18th century English nobility, so their black Victorian coats stood out from the camouflaged green tribesman that they ran with. Which in itself was odd. The vampires could easily outrun these baseline humans, but were slowing themselves to stay with them. They weren't usually that compassionate towards their cultists/slaves.
The IFV's turret could be heard as the autoloader shifted belts, queueing up a belt of canister rounds. Perelli checked his breach to confirm the red band of a high-explosive cartridge, then released the safety. The order came, "Riders hit the cultists. Cannons hit the suckers. Open Fire!"
The autocannons on the IFV's opened up and spewed, what were essentially, 30mm shotgun shells downrange. Perelli picked out a leader. He could see the man's facial features through his magnified optic. He pulled the trigger and a second later the man was tumbling across the ground, bisected by the .30-06 high-explosive round that impacted his sternum. Milo made short bursts with the machinegun, picking off stranglers in groups of two. With their combined firepower, the formation of tribesman were cut down, leaving only one plus one of the vampires, who had evaded death so far. Perelli watched as flechettes nailed the jungle around them, but failed to land a blow. Suddenly, one of the IFV's fell out of formation, claiming a thrown track. Even though the engagement had only lasted seconds, it was frustrating that their combined firepower hadn't killed their primary target yet. The vampire evaded their fire by ducking into bushes and jumping over or through fallen trees. The Rifle's were practically salivating like dogs on a hunt. These must have been big fish.
"R3C, Stabilize me!" Perelli demanded.
"On it boss!" Milo grabbed the back of Perelli's armor and acted as a shock absorber to stabilize his teamleader, minimizing the sway of the armored vehicle. Perelli lined up the shot. He reduced his breathing. The Rifle felt every bump, jar and lurch, attempting to anticipate the unpredictable. Time felt to slow as he placed his crosshairs over the base of the vampires spine. His finger hovered over the trigger, light as a butterfly. He squeezed suddenly. The rifle bucked and the armor-piercing round flew. It struck the bloodsucker right at the base of spine. The thin round wasn't as devastating as a high-explosive. It went in one side and out the other. The vampire fell as his legs stopped working. The tribesman stopped with him.
The convoy was called to a halt, and infantry quickly dismounted and ran to hunt down the remains of their kills. Confirmation was everything. They searched the underbrush to find the remains of the first vampire, it's head vaporized by a flechette dart. The body was immediately set aflame after being searched.
Alpha team ran towards the vampire that Perelli had shot. They found it lying on the jungle floor. It turned out to be a woman. She wore excessively frilled period clothing. Her, at one point manicured complexion, now ruined by mud. A tribesman stood over her, bearing his spear as alpha team approached. Their armor auto-translated his strange language. It didn't matter, Schaft shot him in the head and his body crumpled as all signals to the brain ceased. They cautiously approached the vampire body. It was hard to tell when they were truly dead. They didn't breath, they didn't give off body heat and they were really good at staying still.
"Schaft, check her." Perelli ordered.
"Aye, boss." Schaft affixed his bayonet and milo moved behind him and grabbed the back for his armor. If the vamp was playing dead, he could pull the junior Rifle out of harms way. Their fourth member, J3C Tora, and Perelli covered them. Tora was the silent type. Perelli could never get much out of the Japanese man, but he was smart as a whip.
When Schaft and Milo got close, the vampire turned and lunged with inhuman speed. Milo pulled Schaft back and vampires claws swiped the air right where Schaft had been standing. She only missed him by a hairs width. She was betrayed by her lack of legs. She attempted to crawl forward, but was greatly weakened. Evidently, she was not the kind of vampire that was used to fighting for her life constantly. All of Alpha knew what that meant: Big Fish!
Perelli called it in, "We got a live one." He slung his rifle over his shoulder and pulled his sidearm from it's holster. Bagging a vampire was risky business. One wrong move and it'll disembowel a member of your team.
Perlli shot her in the head a 9mm ball round. The small round wasn't enough to even break the skin of a vampire, but it did disorient the hell out of them. Just as he did that, Alpha descended on her. Metal wire was used to tie her hands and legs, and a hard and slightly-too-big clay ball was inserted into her mouth; this neutralized the fangs. No one really cared if the living corpse was comfortable.
"Kingsnake, Pathfinder. Hostile sucker secured. Alive. Over."
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Salvo Island
A giant monitor showed overhead drone footage of four members of the Terra Vanguard standing around a captured enemy combatant in the jungle of Peru. The young German U.N representative's aid, Amelie Wagner, watched intently. She did not judge, for that was not her place. Her job was to analyze; the tactics utilized, the equipment, the demeanor of the soldiers. One could tell a lot from how an armies soldiers carried themselves. The Vanguard's Rifle's were unlike anything she had seen before. They did not display the sloppiness of Russian conscriptiki or the bravado of American "Good ole' boys". They exhibited precision and discipline in the face of extreme danger. The skill displayed impressed her.
Amelie's assessment was not shared by her superior, U.N Representative Olga Schweppes of the United Nations Human Rights Committee, who watched with disgust. Everyone thinks diplomats are supposed to have an eternal poker face, and never show emotion because it betrays intent. The opposite is true. Emotions are worn much more outwardly, often exaggerated. If you were disgusted, you showed disgust; if you felt hate, you showed it. It was a classic magicians trick. Make it look like you're planning one thing, but you're actually planning something entirely different. A diplomat using their poker face is one that's been caught off guard.
Her disgusted look was in stark contrast to the celebrating man across the room from her. The lights in the control center were dimmed, but it was still bright as day due to all of the screens, workstations and monitors and were aligned in neat rows before a massive monitor that displayed real-time data about the Vanguard units deployed on the ground. Over-Commander Julius Tycho nominally the second-in-command of the Vanguard, congratulated his team, giving them pats on and back. Though cheery about the successful mission, there were a few issues he had observed. The unit numbers, and names had already been filed away in his memory for later. After a few words, he turned around to face the U.N delegation. The representatives of various committees were not happy. He didn't care. They weren't here for him to please, they were here for him to provide clarity.
He said, "And there you have it, a battalion level deployment to a remote location, dangerous hostiles prosecuted with extreme prejudice, with zero losses of our own. We even took one prisoner. This was a highly successful operation, showcasing a high degree of command and control, battle-tracking, warrior prowess and ingenuity."
Representative Schweppes did not know where to begin. "And you violated the Geneva Weapons protocol of 1993. You-you utilized chemical weapons against enemy combatants, Commander. I am, frankly appalled at the blatant disregard for human life your troopers showcased. In addition to your appalling and brazen disregard for U.N protocols, your men also shot unarmed individuals that were possibly non-combatants. Your band of..." she gestured broadly with a wave of her hand "mercenaries, have only demonstrated why we, the United Nations, should brand your organization as a dangerous rogue power." There were nods of agreement amongst the delegation.
Tycho stood with hands clasped behind his back. Tycho was not a politician, even at his high rank, he had no care for such games. The Vanguard's culture held outright contempt for political maneuvering within the ranks. His disinterest was genuine. "Actually, representative, the Terra Vanguard is not a party to any of the Geneva Protocols or related documents therein. Additionally, Vampires are not human; and those protections do not extend to non-human entities."
"All the more reason. You need oversight, Commander. The world cannot have an entity with your capabilities operating uncontrolled."
Tycho raised an eyebrow, his gaze unwavering. "Oversight implies a level of authority that the Terra Vanguard does not answer to. We operate independently, under our own mandate to protect humanity from threats that extend beyond conventional understanding."
Representative Schweppes folded her arms, a frown creasing her brow. "Your arrogance is astounding, Commander. You believe yourselves above the laws and regulations that govern civilized society?"
"We believe ourselves above the limitations that hinder effective defense," Tycho countered, his voice steady but increasing. "The world is changing, Representative. Conventional warfare is becoming obsolete in the face of extraterrestrial threats, supernatural incursions, and technological leaps. The Terra Vanguard can -and has- adapted to these challenges."
A murmur of discontent rippled through the delegation, but Tycho remained unmoved.
Amelie spoke up, "Excuse me Commander, but can you explain, strategically, why your troops utilized tear gas? If vampires are living corpses, then why were they effected?" She received a sideways glare from her superior.
Before Tycho could reply, a man and a woman in Vanguard red/black camo fatigues stepped from the darkness of an adjoining hallway into the control center. The woman was short, but her demeanor was serious. Her hair was done up in a tight bun and wore a black beret with the Vanguard's insignia, a shield with crossed rifle cartridges emblazoned on the front. She held a large datapad and walked slightly behind her male counterpart.
The lead man was unassuming. His features were average in all respects, like a random tradesman from any part of the world. He was groomed to the tightest of military tolerances with short hair, clean shaven and a spotless uniform. The rank insignia on his collar denoted his station. A golden wreath surrounding a shield, the rank of Leader-Commander. His nametape read, "Tambor".
He interrupted, "Excellent question, miss..."
"Amelie Wagner. Defense Analyst. Bundeswehr - Streitkräftebasis." She replied.
Tambor nodded. "Though Vampires do not breath, they have heightened senses of sight and smell. Tear gas effectively blinds them. And it is immensely painful, 10 times more-so than that of a human. In every observed instance of it's use it has resulted in a rout."
Amelie nodded, understanding. The information was immediately filed away in her mind. The German Ministry of Defense would likely refuse to use this information, but like Commander Tycho had said, the world was changing. She may have only been an analyst, but she recognized the need for the conventional armies of the world to adapt. She would push her superiors as hard as she can.
"Representatives, if you'd please follow your guide, the Lieutenant," Tambor gestured to a nearby soldier. "he will show you our communications array. If you'd please." He then gestured to the exit, politely.
Once all of the disgruntled diplomats were gone the woman with the tablet, a lieutenant herself, swiped across her screen and new information was displayed on the main monitor.
Tycho and Tambor exchanged casual salutes.
"So what's the situation, Over-Commander?" Tambor asked, nonchalantly.
Tycho frowned, "We got a situation developing." The main monitor displayed a map of the Pacific ocean. "The Russian's lost track of a nuclear cooler off Guam. She was tracking an American SURTASS vessel that also went missing."
"What's the source?"
"Our own nuclear cooler, Stormfiend... who has failed to check in at the scheduled interval."
"So 2 missing subs and a spy ship." Tambor rubbed his chin, "Sounds like it's time to deploy the fleet."
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"We've identified the Salvo Archipelago as a cluster in the Pacific, consisting of three main islands—Salvo, Azure, and Verde—plus two large offshore structures. Salvo, the largest, features diverse terrain with mountains, plains, and fortified coastal defenses. The two smaller islands, Azure and Verde, support additional military installations, including a high-security subterranean prison and a key power generation facility. The offshore structures serve as hubs for the Vanguard’s sky carriers and include a formidable railgun array with anti-orbit capabilities. It’s worth noting that our orbital reconnaissance asset suffered a malfunction over the eastern mountains of Salvo Island, cause unknown. The entire area is heavily fortified, and the infrastructure is substantial, though its full purpose remains unclear." -USGS Survey