TFA3 4.1 – Night Hunt
Just a minute after the sun fully downed in the west, 4 V-22 Ospreys made a landing in Jack Sparrow. Three Ospreys carried missile package and disassembled parts of Multi-mission Launcher, while the other one carried back-up flight crew for Viper and Venom.
Without further ado personnel from Logistic and Support Group unloaded the new firepower that had just arrived, and delivered it to engineer crew who were responsible to put it online.
As for the back-up flight crew, a senior ground crew took most of them to underground hangar. The exception was Captain Reyes and Lieutenant Ashley, a pair of Viper’s flight crew. Major Alfred personally welcomed the two and took them to the freshly armed and ready to fly Viper.
In a glance Major Alfred could tell that Captain Reyes and Lieutenant Ashley were fully ready to carry the attack mission, and it was not just from the neat flight suit they wore but also from their calm expression. Even so, Major Alfred still had the obligation to confirm their combat readiness and he had no plan to skip this protocol.
“Are you two sure you are ready?” Major Alfred calmly asked.
“We are,” Captain Reyes firmly replied.
“With all respect Sir,” Lieutenant Ashley added. “After arriving at Woodpecker a month ago, we didn’t just sit and do nothing. Other than carving every piece of intel we have to remember, both written and visual, into our head, we also regularly use simulator to simulate various mission we have to carry.”
“LT, I know what the chopper crews have done while they were staying in Woodpecker. I read the report,” Major Alfred calmly said. “However, the report doesn’t mention your last second combat readiness, and that’s my job to confirm it.”
“We are fully ready, Sir,” Captain Reyes repeated his answer.
“Good,” Major Alfred happily replied.
Wasting no time Captain Reyes and Lieutenant Ashley hopped in into Viper’s cockpit. Then, they exchanged glance with Captain Russell and his gunner who had entered the other Viper’s cockpit since a moment ago. The pilot and gunner slightly nodded to each other mirror before putting their helmet on.
A moment later, both Vipers took off and went straight to north at full speed while gaining altitude. Major Alfred waited until both Vipers disappeared from his sight before returning to Command Center.
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In the Command Center, Colonel Meyer and Major Alfred calmly observed an air strike launched a pair of MQ-9 Reaper. The target was a Cloud Hawk pen, located in a steep ridge 300 km west of Makai Royal City.
It was a standard protocol that when building a Cloud Hawk pen located outside of a fortress, it had to be built in a location that couldn’t be reached by land. Therefore, almost every Cloud Hawk pen outside Makai Royal City was a legitimate target for Jack Sparrow as it was far enough from population.
As he watched a huge Cloud Hawk pen that now was no more than rubble of charcoal and ash along with everything inside it, Colonel Meyer said, “That’s a good hit.”
“Four Hellfire in one go is always as effective as ever,” Major Alfred expressed his agreement.
Colonel Meyer and Major Alfred couldn’t help but celebrate every Rider and Cloud Hawk kill they could harvest, because Makai Riders and their Cloud Hawk were still the biggest threat to Jack Sparrow. Moreover, more than a thousand Riders and their Cloud Hawk managed to retreat from today battle safely, and no one knew when they would launch another air raid along with new arrival Riders.
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At the same time, even though ACG managed to muster eight Ospreys to airlift the missile package and Multi-mission Launcher from Woodpecker to Jack Sparrow, it was still not clear how many missile they could deliver in one night airlift operation. Therefore, every Cloud Hawk kill counted and Woodpecker sent six Reapers to participate in the night hunt.
Then, a communication operator suddenly turned his gaze to Colonel Meyer and said, “Sir, our Vipers almost arrive at their first objective and one of Reapers on the hunt coincidently fly in the area.
Do you want to get the footage?”
“That will be nice,” Colonel Meyer casually replied. “But don’t contact the Vipers’s crew. Let them carry out their mission peacefully.”
“Aye Sir.”
In a blink, the main screen in the Command Center displayed an aerial footage from Reaper. It was Cloud Hawk pen, located 89 km north of Makai Royal City, right on top of a rocky hill. Without lowering their altitude or speed both Vipers approached it.
Then, each Viper launched a pair of Longbow Hellfire. It formed an arch as it approached the pen, and then made a nose dive and scored a perfect hit. For a second a dazzling light enveloped the whole pen, and then dimmed down and revealed a fully burnt huge pen, along with anyone and anything inside it.
“That’s another good hit,” Major Alfred happily said.
Colonel Meyer nodded in agreement. “Yeah, if we can maintain this pace for the whole night, we will nullify the threat from opposing Cloud Hawk, and gain enough time to finish the airstrip and strengthen our air defense.”
“Aye Sir.”
At the same time, as Colonel Meyer and Major Alfred continued observing the night hunt, two opposing ground elements were approaching Penna Hill from two directions. One was a massive and open approach to east cliff wall, while the other one was swift and silent approach to west cliff wall.
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In the edge of west cliff, Lieutenant Cobain and his platoon carried the night watch silently and without campfire or any illumination. While sipping his coffee, Lieutenant Cobain recalled his journey to join TF Amethyst. He was former member of 10th SFG ODA, the Green Beret front line combatant that was stationed in West Europe.
His unit was regularly trained with Germany mountain ranger and Scotland Royal Marine Commando in high-altitude mountain warfare, both on conventional combined arm warfare or specific unconventional mission for special force.
As team sergeant in his unit, Lieutenant Cobain was the most senior and experience combatant and was the dude in charge of how a mission had to be carried out. In short, he was not the team captain who made the decision about where the team would go and what would they do, but without his consent nothing could be done.
When TF Amethyst sent him an invitation to join in and go through an officer candidate course to become CO of light infantry platoon that specialized themselves in mountain warfare, he flatly rejected the offer. He loved his life as Green Beret so much. However, the promised that he would be able to send both his children into a good medical school if he could graduate from the officer candidate course changed his mind.
And so, Sergeant Cobain became Lieutenant Cobain, a CO of light infantry platoon part of Ground Combat Group, 3rd Mountain Infantry Brigade, and had been stationed in Jack Sparrow for the past few months. Lieutenant Cobain and his platoon was also the second unit who was air dropped to Penna Hill, only one hour apart after Combat Control Team.
Then, as Lieutenant Cobain casually enjoyed his coffee under the silent night, a radio call suddenly came in.
[LT, we have company.]
Wasting no time Lieutenant Cobain pressed PTT button in his chest. “How big?”
[Two hundreds at most, and they carry climbing equipment.]
‘It seems their climber is trying to sneak in.’ Lieutenant Cobain muttered before radioing Command Center. “West Ward to Command, do you copy?”
[Loud and clear, go ahead, West Ward.]
“Command, we have opposing climber try to climb cliff wall in our sector, requesting permission to engage, confirm?”
[West Ward, you have green to engage and use lethal means, but keep in mind that currently we have limited ammo.]
“Receive and understood, West Ward over and out.”
Lieutenant Cobain then ordered his men and Tuscan Guard personnel who were attached to his unit to throw dozens crates of Molotov cocktail to Makai Guard climber on the foot of the hill, followed by a few flares.
In an instant sea of fire engulfed Makai Guard climbers, followed by heart wrenching screams. As for climber who already started their climb, a squad of Tuscan Guard nailed them one by one using rapid-loading crossbow.
A few minutes later, the silent night returned to the west cliff wall of Penna Hill.
*****