TFA1 2.9 - Unknown Flight
Berril Plain, 32 km northwest of Magwurt City.
08:30, 23 Mar 2025
At one corner of Berril Plain a unit of LAV Shorad took position. Its mission was to participate in the early warning network around Magwurt City. And if necessary, it had to neutralize any threats long before they arrived in Magwurt City.
Ideally, for this mission the LAV Shorad should be accompanied by another LAV Shorad or two M1151 Rippers. Unfortunately, due to the limited resources, each check-point around Magwurt City was only guarded by one LAV Shorad or a pair of M1151 Rippers.
The crew dug a hole as deep as ⅔ LAV Shorad while the excavated soil was stockpiled around the hole’s edge. That way the camouflage net could be installed as low as possible. And because LAV Shorad was not equipped with air conditioning, when in a static position the driver's hatch and the two rear doors would be opened.
Up to a radius of 50 km LAV Shorad could receive data from the nearest radar station. However, the nearest radar station was at FOC South 860 which was 70 km away, therefore the Multi-mission Hemispheric Radar 272 was on full operation.
MHR 272 had detection capabilities including:
Medium-Size UAV: 23 Km
Heavy Transport Aircraft: 60 Km
Fighter: 34 Km
Helicopter: 23 Km
Pedestrians: 10 Km
Medium Vessel: 23 Km
Large Vessel: 40 Km
Apart from its adequate detection capabilities, MHR 272 also had other advantages over similar products. It did not require periodic maintenance when being fielded. The maintenance could be done when the carrying unit was being pulled out to the base.
LAV Shorad required three crews to operate it. The Commander Vehicle was also the sensor operator, the gunner who was also in charge of maintaining the weapons system, and the driver who was also in charge of maintaining the vehicle.
Like any other quiet day, while sitting in the Vehicle Commander seat and fanning his face, Sergeant Dwight observed the sensing result from electro-optic and MHR 272. Meanwhile, his gunner and driver were busy playing deck cards to ward off boredom. However, the calm mood inside the LAV Shorad was broken when a radio call from radar station at FOC South 860 came in.
The driver immediately turned on the engines, put it in reverse gear, and was ready to take LAV Shorad came out of the hiding holes if situation demanded it. Meanwhile, Gunner returned to his seat after closing the rear door tightly.
[Sierra Romeo 8-6-0 to Blaster 2-2, comes in.]
Sergeant Dwight pressed PTT button before answering the call, "Blaster 2-2 to Sierra Romeo 8-6-0, loud and clear, over."
[Blaster 2-2, be advised, you have an unknown flight, 78 km northwest, at altitude of 600 meters, speed 260 km/h, over.]
"Receive and understood, requesting permission to engage the unknown guest, confirm."
[Blaster 2-2, negative, do not engage unless your position is threatened, let the unknown guest in, over.]
Since the command center at FOC South 860 wanted to know the guest's intentions, Sergeant Dwight could only comply. "Sierra Romeo 8-6-0, understood, the door will be left open, Blaster 2-2, out."
Time continued to flow before finally a blip appeared on the MHR 272 screen. A few minutes later the display tablet that worked in daylight mode displayed the unknown flight. Without delay, the gunner immediately marked the target then selected the weapon to be used.
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The armaments carried by LAV Shorad were:
FIM-92 Stinger, 4 units were ready to fire, and 12 units stored in the cabin.
AGM-114L Hellfire Longbow, 2 units were ready to fire, and 2 others stored in the cabin.
Chain-gun M230 30 mm, with Air Burst Tracer or Armor Piercing Tracer in a dual feed-system.
Medium Machine Gun M240 7.62 mm, with full metal jacket and incendiary tracer.
To welcome the approaching unknown guest, the gunner selects Chain-gun M230 with Air Burst Tracer or AB-T round. Once the weapon was selected the locking system was automatically activated, taking aim at targets that casually entered the M230’s effective range.
---
Rider Orka wanted to curse when this morning he got an order to conduct aerial reconnaissance on Magwurt City.
"What do they want to see from a dying city?" Rider Orka grumbled as his Cloud Hawk glided across the cloudless sky at moderate speed.
Magwurt City's location was too close to the entrance of Desolate Land. Therefore, he may meet a herd of Black Eagles that came out from Desolate Land to hunt him. Given that the giant eagle was very aggressive and territorial in nature. If that happened, it was unlikely that he would come home alive, considering that Black Eagle was much faster and stronger than Cloud Hawk.
Without realizing that an angel of death was peeking at him from a corner, Rider Orka flew across Berril Plain, until he finally arrived above Magwurt City and instantly sank into shock.
Dozens of large and small iron carriages ran without being towed by horses. A smooth, wide, and neat street, extended between massive buildings that rose to five floors.
"Am I lost without realizing it?"
Without delay, Rider Orka compared the landmarks around Magwurt City with a map he was carrying. The results turned out to be quite astonishing. He was not lost.
"The reconnaissance order is not ordinary order."
Rider Orka immediately took out crystal recorder, and then he recorded various pictures that he considered vital. When he realized there was a wide and smooth road that led to the east, without hesitation he followed it even though he realized it led to Desolate Land’s entrance.
---
Western Wall of Magwurt City
As soon as Tuscan Region's higher-ups heard that an unknown flight was approaching, an alert was issued. The residents immediately entered the emergency shelter under the Apartment Block, while Tuscan Guard personnel readied ballista’s crew and scattered bowmen on the roof of apartment blocks or other high-rise building.
Even so, every member of Tuscan Guard was aware that they were at a disadvantage, as Riders could shower their positions using arrows from a height they could not reach.
From above the city walls, Centurion Kallie looked at Cloud Hawk that circling Magwurt City, before looking at Amethyst Merchant personnel who were doing their usual activities.
"Amethyst Merchant personnel seemed unaware of how dangerous the Riders were. A Squadron of 20 Riders could easily scatter a thousand-strong ground force. They must have never heard the phrase 'The best defense against Riders is another Rider.'"
Centurion Kallie sighed silently before murmuring again.
"Unfortunately, before Tuscan Guard rebuilds its aerial capability, an enemy has come knocking."
Centurion Kallie still wanted to complain, but the Rider who circling Magwurt City suddenly flew eastward until he was out of sight.
---
Settlement 116
08:35, 23 Mar 2025
As usual, every two days Vex would check the progress of Settlements 116, and then teach the children in the settlement.
"Sir." Lieutenant Kim Dong-chun saluted Vex who had just disembarked from an M1152, and then reported, "Vegetables are ready to be harvested, while fruits still have to wait a little longer. Production of milk, cheese, meat, eggs, and other animal products has also started.
The quality of livestock we buy from Lionel Region is a little below our standard, but we can still maximize it. The residents here are also fast learners."
Vex smiled before cheerfully saying, "Yes, I've read the report. When Settlement 116 production capacity reaches a full rotation, we can reduce the food imported from earth by 14%."
Lieutenant Kim Dong Chun nodded. "I heard that apart from a dam and a few other facilities, we are also planning to set up a second farm and ranch in the mountains south of Magwurt City."
"Yeah, but it seems like we have to postponed it until next year becau---"
Vex stopped his words when he saw a communications NCO running toward him hastily.
"XO, you're asked to return to Harley Quinn right now."
"Lieutenant, ask someone to take my place to teach the kids."
Vex then boarded the M1152 and immediately stepped on the gas, heading to Harley Quinn.
*****