The Odd Angry Shot (Attn GD, Semi-Open)

[Morrdh]

Southern New Empire, Greater Dienstad

It had been many months since a joint Morridane-Stevidian force had thwarted an attempted invasion of the anarchic lands of New Empire and land grab by the Stratocracy of Dukopolious, though with great cost on both sides. The Allied forces had responded in kind and launched an offensive into the Stratocracy, resulting in that nation falling and being replaced by the Mandate of Windburnia under Lyran control. Even with the war over Morridane troops had stayed in New Empire helping with security and rebuilding infrastructure to get the country back onto its feet.

As part of the reconstruction effort a section of sappers from the Royal Morridane Engineers were putting up power lines in order to bring electricity back to this area, with the fighting long over flak jackets and helmets had been discarded in favour of berets or bush hats and fatigues. Though they still kept their SLRs to hand, but there was little need for them since most bandits steered well clear of the sight of military uniforms. Generally things were pretty lax and frequent patrols were taken for granted, after all the Dukopolians had been defeated.

Least that what the sappers thought until they came under gunfire...

---

Morrdun, Commonwealth of Morrdh

"Enter!" Called out Nathan Hay, the Morridane Minister of Defence, when he heard a knock on his door and a clerk entered carrying a telegram. "What is it?"

"Urgent message sir." Replied the clerk.

"Right, lets have it." Hay muttered and took the telegram before reading it, then paused for a moment. "Get me the Prime Minister's office at once!"

[Morrdh]

COBRA Room, Morrdun

"Gentlemen." Announced Nathan Hay. "My apologies for calling this meeting at such short notice, though recent developments in New Empire require our urgent attention."

"Then please bring us up to speed." Replied Prime Minister Edmund Vermillion.

"Of course." Hay nodded. "As you all are well aware our forces, in co-operations with the Stevidians, repelled an invasion of New Empire conducted by Dukopolious a year ago. Since then we've been providing some much needed assistance to New Empire to get it back on its feet, chiefly repairing infrastructure and some security. Though over the past twenty-four hours there has been a recent spike in attacks against our forces."

"Not just bandits getting over-eager?" Asked Vermillion.

"No sir, I have good reason to suspect its the work of Dukopolian remnants." Answered Hay. "There has been some Intelligence reports citing movements across the border of the Windburnian Mandate, thats what is left of Dukopolious and is under Lyran control, of both former Duko soldiers and weapons."

"So are we talking about an insurgency back by what's left of the Duko old gaurd?"

"It certainly looks like that, regardless it couldn't come at a worst time....I mean our forces have been committed elsewhere and the Rhonddan Bush War continues to eat up our reserves. Not to mention current tensions with the Killians on our southern border."

"Hm, very bad timing indeed." Muttered Vermillion. "Guess this time we'll have to ask for help from our allies and others in the region, Gedney I believe you're more than capable of that?"

"Yes sir, I am." Nodded Sir Gedney Hill, the Foreign Secretary. "I'll get onto it right away and contact my counterparts in the various Dienstadi governments."

[Imbrinium]

The under sectary to the prime minister knocks on the door to the PM’s office. The PM told the under sectary to come in.

“What’s going Proserpio?”

“Sir I have just got off the phone with Sir Gedney Hill the Foreign sectary of Morrdh, They are requesting our help in an insurgency in New Empire.”

“Really is it that bad down there?”

“It appears to be sir they wouldn’t just ask for help otherwise.”

“Ok let me contact the crown and you call the MOD and let them know what’s going on and that I’m on my way over in a few”

“Yes sir at once”

As the phone calls were made and things start to move they moved quickly the crown cancelled his plans for the afternoon and came to the MOD to work out plans for what to do. In the deep command and planning centers for the MOD the numbers where being looked at, the number of troops in New Empire and the estimated number of insurgences in the country. The losses of Morrdh military in other conflicts have drained their reserves.

The Crown ordered a plan of action to be drawn up, and orders given as soon as possible. Within hours the MOD had come up with a plan and it was quickly approved by the Crown.

The orders went out to the special operations command, a SAS team and a regiment of Commandos will be ordered into New Empire, along with a Naval Assault Fleet.

[Stevid]

1st Battalion the Royal Wiltshire Rifles (1 RIFLES (W))
101 Company
Volta Platoon
North of DMZ Parallel – New Empire


Captain Jason Posner was indeed a veteran if there ever was one, seasoned from combat in the former Merkar Republic (Now Ath Isles), Guffingford and Safehaven; he was also fresh out of operations in New Empire. Attached to the remaining peacekeeping forces north of the parallel that was occupied for Lyran forces, the Royal Wiltshire Rifles were enjoying a downturn in contacts throughout their tour. Not that it mattered to Captain Posner, for being part of such a historical and battle-hardened unit was thrill. The company was bred for war, 1 Rifles were supposed to be at the forefront of any war and they had been almost since the beginning of Stevidian military history. Nevertheless, combat fatigue affected all, the Rifles were no different but it did not mean they relaxed or became complacent on the ground.

As forming part of the combat HQ and signals section of the platoon, he was a good 100m away from the point man of the patrol when far to the east several cracks of automatic fire could be heard. Not an unusual noise to the men of Volta Platoon, but unusual considering the atmospherics of the theatre. A shot hadn’t been fired in anger in months.

“Contact! Wait out!” Came over the comms, the accent clearly Morridane, Stevidian allies in this theatre and joint peacekeepers.

Captain Posner ordered the Signaller in his section to filter non-essential radio traffic and monitor the situation as it progressed. The noise intensified as the Morridane combat patrol brought their weapons to bare on the enemy as a heavy fire fight ensued. But the radio belied any panic as a contact report came from the Morridane troops within a minute of the contact starting: Small automatic arms fire, potential high-calibre weapons, with an enemy force numbering no more than 2 sections. Troops from Morrdh were no stranger to war or combating guerrilla warfare; a Morridane platoon on the ground would easily smash a section sized attack with ease – depending on casualties.

Just as the Signaller was relaying further information to Captain Posner he was cut off. Several loud cracks of small arm weapons drowned out all speech as Volta Platoon took fire. The Signaller slumped to the floor with a neck wound, his body lifeless and the radio headset dangling by his side.

The enemy fire was effective and had caught the platoon completely by surprise. Several soldiers cried, “Contact left!” as round pinged and kicked up dust around their feet. Further shouts of, “Man down!” came from the front of the patrol as two more were KIA. Captain Posner leopard crawled to the signaller and screamed down a contact report of his own, desperately using the body of the Signaller as cover from the rounds bouncing around his body, inches from finding their target.

Suddenly there was a very large explosion as a shoulder launched missile impacted with the ground, followed by pangs of agony and “Man down!” calls.
Four, perhaps five KIA and the platoon was still taking intense small arms fire.

“0, this is R10A, we now have four confirmed KIA. No details on enemy losses. Enemy numbers approx. 10 infantry with small automatic arms and RPGs. Requesting immediate close air support.”

“0, Roger, CAS approx. 6 minutes. Over.”

Posner cursed silently as the body he was hiding behind shuddered with further round impacts. Close air support would take time; they were no longer on instant standby because of the lower threat level. 6 minutes would be too long. A withdrawal would mean going back the way they came down the proven route… east, towards the enemy contact with the Morridane troops. Further west and north were unproven and, given the situation, probably hostile. South was towards the DMZ, unavoidable and patrolled by Lyran troops.

“R10A, any fucking suggestions! OVER!”. He replied finally losing his cool. It was unlike him, though this was easily the toughest scrape he had been in since the seeing action against The Golden Throne and Merkar in during the War.

“0… Roger your last R10A… RAF has UAV 1km north of you. UAV will divert and help ID enemy positions… over…?”

Posner didn’t reply but wasted no time on informing his own men of the situation. Despite the heavy fire they were taking and the fact their position was zeroed in with effective fire, Volta Platoon were still getting the rounds down. Several bangs erupted through the brush and shrubberies as grenades were thrown by Volta. The enemy must only be metres away, but with heavy weapons fire too it mean that they were being advanced on or worse out flanked.

“All round defence. Get the rounds down, grenades too! Keep them pinned until aerial support arrives!”

The Captain’s voice of experience roused the troops and return fire was fierce, gratifying calls of, “Target down” followed this as Volta Platoon started to inflict casualties of their own. But a further large missile explosion shook the earth beneath the platoon as another soldier was killed outright. This time Posner heard the swoosh of the missile and interpreted the direction of travel. It came from a small bern or rise in the ground from were he was taking fire. The rounds had stopped being directed at him the previous minute, the firer supposedly believe he had been killed. Using this moment he grabbed his own rifle shuffled into a firing position towards the bern. The soldier with the missile launcher was in the prone position but not in cover in order to get a visual of the combat zone; Posner steadied his position and breathing, his finger tightened on the trigger and he gently pulled as his optical sights lined up with the enemy’s head. He kept the trigger depressed not snatching the shot for the perfect marksman’s shot. The enemy missile operator convulsed as the round destroyed his face and he too lay motionless like several of Posner’s men.

Posner started taking rounds again but they were inaccurate and fired only at his general position. He shuffled back behind the corpse of the signaller and awaited the call from 0 over the radio for confirmation of targets from the UAV.


Camp Algiers, 20km north of DMZ Parallel
15 km north of current combat zone

It was here where the Army Air Corps were now rushing around. Stationed at Camp Algiers were four Apache gunships of the Stevidian Army, Morrdh used the Army airfield too for their own equipment, currently the Stevidian unit on the ground had request airborne assistance and this AAC squadron was on call.

Within four minutes two Apaches were in the air and enroute…

[Morrdh]

Southern New Empire

"This is Corporal Hudson, Royal Morridane Engineers, Holdfast Four-Two." Cried out over the radio the section leader of the sapper who'd been ambushed. "We're under bloody attack and request backup!"

"Seagull responding." Crackled the radio. "Acknowledged, Hawkeye Two being directed to your position. ETA fifteen minutes. Over."

"Copy that Seagull, Holdfast Four-Two out!" Corporal Hudson replied before turning to the rest of his surviving men who'd had sought shelter in a partially flooded ditch. "Air support's on the way lads, ye got long enough for a quick smoke before the fireworks."

"Bloomin' marvellous." Grumbled one of the sappers. "Just like the air force to take its sweet time."

"Can it." Snapped Corporal Hudson. "Just keep yer lid on and yer eyes peeled, don't want 'em buggers outflanking us."

"Who the bloody hell are they anyway? Thought we'd gave the Ducks a right old boot up the backside?"

"Damned if I know." Admitted Hudson. "Just fire a couple of shots back at 'em if any of 'em decides to be braver than what his pay grade requires."

"Right oh Corp." One of the sappers replied before blindly firing a few shot off from his SLR over the lip of the ditch. "Wished it were the dry season though, I don't trust this water we're sitting in."

Hudson sighed and shook his head as he picked up the radio earpiece and listened to the various radio transmissions, it sounded like they weren't the only unit to had been unexpectedly come under fire. Some were fairing better than others, but the initial surprise was starting to wear off as the various units recovered their wits and started to react. Even Command seemed to be in the dark as to what was happening as much as anyone, though to give credit were it was due it was organising a defence and attempting to stabilize the situation.

---

Camp Algiers

A couple of squadrons of the Royal Morridane Air Force shared the Stevidian airfield, though these were a transport and helicopter squadron respectively mainly involved with supporting the peacekeeping effort. There was however a flight of Douglas Skyraiders, though vintage aircraft they had proven themselves to be both well rugged and capable in the close air support role. Being piston-props they had the advantage of being able to scramble quicker than their jet counterparts, as they were proving now as they were hastily scrambled to respond to the sudden and unexpected ambushes on Morridane and allied troops.

At the same time the Morridane helicopters were being prepared to transport some troops to where the fighting was fiercest.

---

Port Morgan

Located on the western New Empiric coastline was Port Morgan, a medium sized naval base that had been constructed by the Royal Morridane Navy to provide port facilities. It was here where Major Wharton had been ordered to report to along with details of his new assignment, namely acting as a liaison for the Imbrinium forces he'd been told would be arriving soon. It wasn't an assignment he really wanted, but orders were orders and thankfully Port Morgan was removed from the skirmishes that had broken out over the past day or so.

[Stevid]

The dispatched Apaches left shortly before the Morridane air force took off; although New Empire was coalition effort between the Holy Empire and Morrdh, Stevidian policy in terms of close air support was that of prioritisation and ‘first-come, first-serve’. Captain Posner’s men would be tended to first then the Apaches would swing north and mop up anything that the Morridane Air Force had left (if anything).

The two gunships made good time and soon the smoke in the distance near the DMZ marked the battle zone.


1 RIFLES(W), 101 COMPANY, VOLTA PLATOON
NORTH OF DMZ

A stream of live video feed from a Predator drone was being relayed to a command Dii laptop in Volta Platoon. Captain Posner couldn’t remember who had it, but due to the combat stress and casualties it had probably changed hands once or twice already. Regardless, the thermal imaging showed the surround contact zone and where the hostiles were located. From this the Corporals and Lance Corporals gave ‘fire control’ orders for the platoon.

The effect was noticeable and impressive as this platoon, once ambushed had become confused and chaotic, was now efficient in its firing. This body of individual men become a single unit, able to adapt to a change in circumstances, counter flanking attempts, knew where to shoot, how far and how much. Targets were prioritised and eliminated with ruthless efficiency expected from a world class Army that was veteran of many conflicts.

Despite this, numbers do the talking, no matter the skill or experience. Volta Platoon now had five men KIA and four fighting wounded, enemy numbers had depleted but numbered at least ten. Without air support the platoon would be overrun and annihilated.

Capt. Posner no longer cared about the circumstances, or the close air support, in the here and now, this was Stevid’s final stand. 1st Battalion The Royal Wiltshire Rifles had taken part in every major Stevidian campaign since the founding – if Volta Platoon, honoured for its service during the Holy Panooly Civil War, was to be wiped out, then foreign blood would flow for every man taken.

The combat high that the men of Volta Platoon were in the throes of muffled the noise of the approaching gunships, though the engine and rotor blades had ben redesigned to reduce overall engine and rotor thumping noise. They did not here the gunships approach nor provide smoke to mark their location, however the gunships worked off the same video stream of the drone which had tagged friendly IFF signatures on the positions of Volta Platoon.

Without prior warning or flypast, the apaches pounded the enemy positions with hellfire missiles and rocket pods. The explosions were deafening and destructive as the Stevidian Army Air Corps knew no fear and cared little for the enemy. Save for two hellfire missiles each and half a drum of 50. Calibre rounds, the gunships unleashed their full combat power against the guerrilla fighters surrounding Volta Platoon, caught helplessly in the middle of what could only be described as Armageddon.

“Hello 0 this is Dragons 4-1 and 4-2. Area sanitised. God Save the King.”

“0 Roger. Move to waypoint Charlie-2 and assist Morridane Air Force if required… out”.

* * *

Volta Platoon regrouped and shuffled through the terrain. The border with the former Duke Empire and New Empire was stark compared to the nuclear oblivion in the North, now however the comparisons were eerily similar. The gunships had literally scorched the Earth, the flora was either burnt or burning and there were no more signs of life.

Capt. Posner examined the devastation carefully though grimly as he recognised the signs of an organised guerrilla movement and professional ambush strategies, similar to those in Liberated America- Stevid’s bloodiest guerrilla war yet. His fear were confirmed when a young Lance Jack called for him. As he bolted over to the calling soldier he saw a corpse of a fighter killed in the attack. Posner immediately recognised the uniform, the weapon, the flashes and patches on the arms.

“Elite Duke and New Empire soldiers? Why are they here fighting? They’ve lost the war…” Asked the Lance Corporal.

“A better question is ‘how’ are they still fighting? Stevid and Morrdh pounded them back across the border and made sure that any elements left behind here would be unable to fight.”

“Lyr…” The Lance Corporal started before he was cut off by Posner.

“Do not jump to conclusions Corporal, besides your guess is unlikely – it wouldn’t be in their interests to support this activity. Only supply, and there is a lot of Lyran equipment on both sides of the border. They are probably fighting without foreign intervention…. I hope.”

[Morrdh]

"Holdfast Four-Two, Hawkeye Two." The radio crackled to life. "Keep yer heads down boys, gift from up high inbound."

"Copy that Hawkeye Two." Corporal Hudson replied, nodding to one of his section to throw a smoke grenade. "Smoke thrown."

"Roger, smoke is...red?"

"Confirmed smoke is red."

"Copy that, starting attack." Crackled the radio before the Douglas Skyraider came in low, four 20mm cannons firing and kicking up dirt as the plane did a strafing run. There was also brief screams, cut short by the cannon fire and the roar of the Skyraider's piston engine. As the aircraft climbed back up into the sky, the radio crackled again. "That should've ruined their day, holding up at one angels. Over."

"Copy that Hawkeye Two, thanks fer the support....expect a pint later."

"Roger that."

---

Overseas Commonwealth Land Forces (New Empire) HQ, Port Morgan

The normally placid Operations Room was in uproar, there was a dim of radio chatter and voices as the admin staff reported the latest Intel update. After initially being caught off-guard by the surprise attacks the Commonwealth and Stevidian forces were beginning to stabilize the situation, though questions were being asked as to where this wave of attacks came from?

For Field Marshal Arthur Norwell, the New Garrack general who'd led the Commonwealth part of Operation Star Gazer a year earlier, the answers would have to wait. He was more focused on securing the Commonwealth's area of operations and keeping order amongst his troops, the last thing he needed right now was for the troops' morale to crash as they had to watch their backs. Least they were making progress and the requests he sent to Morrdun for reinforcements had been acknowledged and a reply sent to expect additional troops by the end of the week. Likewise he had had a great deal of success co-ordinating things with his Stevidian counterpart, though their joint New Empiric allies left something to be desired.

[Imbrinium]

Just shortly before dark at an airbase in southern Imbrinium massive cargo planes took off. These aircraft both C-10 and C-17s were loaded with a SAS teams to recon a base of operations leaders found on UAV and satellite photos. The SAS team would drop in almost 5 hours before the 4th Regiment of the 2nd Commando.

The objective was to recon an old airport or airbase inside the reported area of operations on the insurgency. The night was to be a long one they SAS was to drop in and recon the base and the Para-commandos where to drop in and assault the base and seize it. The next phase of the operations was to have marine Para-commandos would arrive into port and move into the interior with convoys of vehicles to setup a supply route and clear the route to the base.

Air support will be provided by heavy bombers over the country. The air tasking order will be twenty bombers on call for twenty four hours a day. There will be five bombers over the country and five headed home and five and prepped and five in the air headed to New Empire. Along with that would be the full support of support aircraft and drones. When the air base is ready close air support missions will be ran from the base.

They command will work closely with Morrdh military operating in the country. A message of the operation was sent to the Morrdh government and the commander of Morrdh forces in New Empire.

[Stevid]

“Medicus! Medicus!” A shrill came down from the crypto radios at Camp Algiers. Similar calls had been sounding into the camp control room all day, the MERT Chinook helicopters where now flying round the clock delivered both Stevidian and allied casualties back from the fighting the to medical facility within the camp.

The escalation of violence had prompted a reallocation of resources towards the DMZ. A squadron of 3 Scorpion ground attack fighters and the arrival of a further four helicopter gunships had arrived at the camp making it one of the busiest and most defended camp in New Empire. Furthermore, the chain of command had been reshuffled to now include the Stevidian Lieutenant General Sir Jonathon Waters, operational CO of Operation Star Gazer back during the final weeks of the war against the Dukes. He was due to fly out to port Morgan and meet Field Marshal who he worked closely with during Star Gazer to further discuss the situation brewing in the south of New Empire.

The Lt General crossed the dusty ground towards the RHQ of the Rifles to meet with the CO of the Regiment concerning the recent and on going engagements. Overhead flew three Stevidian Apaches in close formation against a backdrop of jet black clouds that refused to send rain. In the distance he heard the abrupt thumps of artillery from 8th Battery Royal Artillery in FOB Clarity over five miles away, pounding enemy positions closer still to the DMZ. It was as if the war here had never ended…

After his meeting at the RHQ, Lt Gen Waters returned to his office to collect his paperwork and stats for the Morridane Field Marshal. Though he was outranked, they looked at each other as equals – nevertheless he respected the rank and what it signified. To be afforded the rank of Field Marshal is usually withheld (at least in Stevid) until war required full battle groups and Army Groups to be deployed in theatre. Morddh’s commitments to New Empire were to be admired. Among his statistics contained the most up-to-date casualty reports that were ever changing by the hour.

Stevid’s stood at 103, after only two weeks of fighting this guerrilla war…

“Madness…” Waters muttered to himself. “How do we combat this madness?”

[Imbrinium]

Operation: Savage Burn

Just after 0100 four C-10s where over their drop zones when the ramps opened and dropped. The vehicles and gear where first to go and then the soldiers jump. Thanks to GPS guided and avoidance systems on the vehicle chutes they will land close together but not hit each other.

Minutes after the four teams jumped they were the ground and getting everything ready to move out. Once everything was ready to move the teams called into command to report the status, and then moved out on their missions.

Bravo 21 moved up to the airfield in the cover of night and dismounted and moved slowly up to a vantage point where the team could watch the base. As the recon teams moved around looking through their NVGs and thermal imagers looking for insurgences. The team only had at the most an hour before the commando regiment would be jumping in, the teams moved up slowly everything looked quite and as abandoned as it looked. Be radio came to life as the first aircraft came into range the combat controller talked to the incoming aircraft and the infrared red signals guided the aircraft in.

40kms south of Bravo 21, Bravo 24 was driving down a narrow road when the radio on the support channel opened up.

“Any Bravo element this Lancer 44, we are on station and ready to fight.”

“Roger Lancer 44 this is Bravo 24 we read you Lima Charlie, Bravo 23 is moving to Co-op to link up with Co-op they will be your POC unless we call for bangers”

“Roger Bravo 24, Lancer 44 flight will be on station and on call for the next 4hrs”

Bravo 23 was moving fast to a link-up point with Morrdh forces to use the RIAF bombers to hit insurgences.
Bravo 22 was headed to the border with Lyras to check on the border crossing.

Back at the airfield the first of the commandos where hitting the ground and securing the airfield. As soon as they can secure the airfield the sooner cargo planes can land and move in vehicles and more troops if needed.

[Morrdh]

OCLF(NE) HQ, Port Morgan

Since the attacks started the Commonwealth's casualty lists had been slowly growing, thankfully they were mostly wounded soldiers with mercifully few KIAs. Though Field Marshal Arthur Norwell wondered how long that would last, if they weren't careful it could turn into a bloody and drawn-out conflict. Certainly his troops were in high spirits, but how would they be after months of brutal skirmishes and seeing most of their mates shipped home in body bags?

But War was a nasty business no matter how you looked at it.

Still they had the Stevidians and Imbriniums fighting alongside them, something that Norwell was grateful for as both had widely respected soldiers that the Commonwealth had fought alongside, or against, before. What concerned Norwell was that there had been some tensions between the Commonwealth's two allies, last thing he wanted was for those tensions to boil over during this conflict and so to that end he submitted a proposal to the commanders of both forces. First and foremost was the creation of a joint intelligence service to keep everyone informed on enemy movements as well as co-ordinating intelligence gathering. Secondly was his suggestions to divide New Empire into three sectors; the Stevidians would get the south with the border with the Windburnian Protectorate, the Commonwealth would get the central region and the Imbriniums would get the north. Each force would have total control over its own sector and allow to conduct operations as it saw fit, also meant each force could focus its efforts as well.

The Commonwealth's strategy was already being put into motion, a series of outposts and fortifications were being established to create a boundary on the Commonwealth's sector eastern border. Within the sector itself patrols would be conducting regular sweeps to flush the insurgents out, also the various settlements would be fortified as well and have a night-time curfew imposed upon them in an attempt to deny the insurgents any support amongst the local populations. Norwell's objective at this stage was drawing a line of Commonwealth troops between the insurgents and the locals, Hearts and Minds would come in further down the line.

[Imbrinium]

Northern New Empire:

As the MOD ordered the royal Imbrinium marines took over the mission in New Empire and the two commando regiments where now under the command of the marines. Since they now had a few vehicles they could move outside of the base and look at the land around them there had been dismounted patrols but they where limited by time and supplies.
Now units can move into the closest village. As zombie 6 and his platoon moved slowly down to the road to their first village and get some interaction with the locals. The lead scout vehicle zombie 2 approached slowly they didn’t see much activity they were about 200meters in front of the main body with zombie 3 in between, as zombie2 approached the village a group of insurgence opened fire from roof tops and shot a missile which hit the light armored and exploded flipping the truck.
Zombie 3 stopped and opened fire and called over the radio.

“Contact front! Zombie 2 hit and on fire, need support now!”

“Roger zombie 3 where moving up into a covering position”

“This is zombie 6 to all zombie units move up provide cover fire to rescue zombie 2!”

“Nomad TOC this is zombie 4 FLASH TRAIFFIC follows need immediate suppression of TANGOS at grid 16D FD 48762 58643! We have a vehicle hit and possible injuries!”

“Roger zombie 4 we are tasking a bomber to you at this time, MEDEVAC Denied you will have to CASEVAC.”

“Roger Zombie 4 out”

Within minutes a B-90 was overhead on station, ready to destroy the threat. Meanwhile on the ground the commandos blew their screening smoke and moved up to recover the crew of zombie 2. With the smoke screen covering the action of the other crews to rescue the down soldiers. Within seconds of the down soldiers being rescued they place a 40lbs charge to blow the truck in place. Zombie 4 sent the grid to the B-90 and one by on the JDAMs fell from its external pylons. Seconds later as the Zombie elements where making a dash back to base with the wounded the concussions from the first blasts was felt as the village and all of who resides there was now gone.

[Morrdh]

Outpost Fox, Morridane Sector

Located on the New Empiric frontier where it met the borders of the Windburnian Protectorate, and that of Lyras, sat a group of forsaken ruins marked on the map simply as 'Outpost Fox'. The ruins were what remained of some settlement, presumably destroyed during the atomic scourging that befall New Empire a great number of years beforehand. However the ruins come to be it mattered little to the Commonwealth troops stationed there, they had standing orders to maintain a hidden observation post here to watch over one of the supply routes known to be used by the insurgents. Their job was to simply watch for and then report any movement they saw, it would then be up to command whether any action was to be taken.

However roaming patrols of the Morridane SAS had use the outpost as a forward operating base, mainly to stealthily take out an insurgent supply column or to quietly abduct an insurgent under the cover of darkness. These activities quickly led to the insurgents calling the Morridanes the 'ghosts in the night' as well finding the Morridane controlled sector a very uncomfortable place for them to operate, more than one insurgent patrol found itself the victim of an ambush against them by the very same Morridane troops they were hoping to ambush first. Things very quickly developed into a cat and mouse game between the insurgents and their Morridane opponents.