A Little Powderkeg (MT, Closed, ATTN Aelarus)

by **Doppio Giudici** » Sun Oct 26, 2014 12:31 am

Zerschmettert was what the locals called it, a vast region that had around half a billion souls in it. One of the most unstable places in the world, it was estimated that the area supplied enough drugs to trouble around 20 billion people. It had so many ethic groups and so any ideologies, so that it was believed that no family or region would refrain from a violent civil-war in less then ten years. Weapons from ruined militaries were passed around, while guns poured in from first world countries and raided arms shipments. There was XM8s lying next to G3s and AKs made in peoples houses, even children were making Uzis and Stens for their fathers to shoot their neighbors with.

Communism, Fascism, Racism, and Greed filled the minds of the warlords and presidents that watched over the land. They remained in power by ether having well paid thugs and killing off anyone who was competent enough to replace them. It was to bad, nothing could be done for those people. It could take a lifetime to help any of them in any way thought of. All the food was pretty much brought in with drug money, there was nothing left.

There was one problem that reached out into the world and that was that a cruise ship of Aelarusian disease scientists were kidnapped by the private socialist guard of president for life, Arthar. He was holding them hostage with over a whole company of loyal mechanized infantry, supported by four T-72 monkey models. His hopes were that with their help he could make a bioweapon powerful enough to load into a missile and crush the nations around him, allowing him to step past his infertile mountains to the fertile drug hills and plains. His nation was very hard to get and there were many places where the land split, where earthquakes had shattered the land.

His only weakness was from the air and he placed technicals with AA guns accordingly, pickups packing guns that could put enough lead in the air to shoot down a heli. This was provided they could turn fast enough. Besides that he had the mountains and the rivers to aid him, along with plenty of heavy surface to air missiles he had stolen from another ship. It would be hard to regain the scientists, but you could always try.

by **Aelarus** » Sun Oct 26, 2014 1:43 am

Five C-130s streak across the starry sky near Zerschmettert. Two F-16CJs pulled off from the group to begin scanning for activity.

The lead Viper rolled around and began following a radar signal.
"Command, this is Valk-1, I have confirmed lock on a contact at my 3 o'clock , looks to be a KUB."

"Copy Valk-1, you are cleared hot."

"Magnum."

An AGM-88 slides off its rack and shoots out into the darkness. Far off in the distance, a SAM blows sky high into the air. Another blip appears on Valk-1's HUD. Urgent beeping fills her headset.

"I've been locked onto. SAM on my 9 o'clock, it's fired, breaking left."

The F-16 pulls into a fierce horizontal roll and begins throwing chaff out behind it.

"This is Valk-2, I have solid lock on contact."

"Cleared hot Valk-2."

"Magnum."

A HARM streaks out past Valk-1, who's Viper was just pulling out of a turn as a KUB missile sailed past her cockpit.

"No contacts. I repeat no more contacts."

The abrupt capture of valuable Aelarisian scientists had forced Aelarus to deploy an airmobile company to Zerschmettert to attempt to recapture the scientists.

The C-130s dropped altitude, troops of the 52nd Airborne leaping out into the darkness. Two C-130s pulled down to ground level, performing flawless LAPES procedures to drop two Stykers onto a small field not far from the area where the scientists were believed to being held. The parachuters were landing in and around the field by 0300. A total of two platoons of men had been dropped off along with two Strykers and two ATVs. The AS Gauntlet was approaching the AO, with an expected arrival by the morning, in which time they would serve as a supply source and helicopter base.

Operation Sharp Spear had begun.

by **Doppio Giudici** » Sun Oct 26, 2014 11:12 pm

The Two Kay One Two Kub. It was a pretty serious system for taking out aircraft, with rotors. For everything else besides passenger jets it was becoming outdated and a little useless. It certainly was not a land-based S-300P, which the "president for life" had one of stationed close to his high up fortress. The "Kub" could lock on to things and fire missiles, but flares sadly were much newer in technology then it's design was. They were mainly for the other factions in the region so when the "Peoples' Favorite" found out about it he quietly cursed to himself and finished his cigar. If he could stall them for just a little longer, he could sell half scientists off to another faction or perhaps sell their findings.

He assumed that meant that a somewhat capable force had moved to free the scientists, likely the nation that he had kidnapped them from. If that was the case he wouldn't have any problems dealing with whatever forces they could muster in such a short time. His "Favored Company" would take over an hour to get to the forces that were likely deployed, going down the bitter roads and attempting to stay in some kind of formation. For this reason he had his base put on high alert and told them to spend the next several hours digging in. The time his enemies spent getting up the mountain would likely be enough to outmatch then.

A small "Loyalist Militia" platoon was ordered to move in after any hostile forces. After half an hour of looking around, the platoon's two squads fired a round each from their RPG-16s, followed by another volley of two rounds. They all hit the ground with a quieter bang then the RPG-7, but managed to be quiet intimidating while being much more accurate. None of them were sure till the dust cleared if any of the rockets were a hit, so they fired off some shots, popped smoke, and left in random directions to split off into separate squads. It would be foolish to follow any of them but you could always try. That didn't mean their wouldn't be more patrols later on you would run into.

by **Aelarus** » Mon Oct 27, 2014 5:24 pm

The soldiers were establishing a secure perimeter before moving when rockets shot out from a ridge line. Two rockets lit the night, streaking towards a rumbling Stryker. One hit the dirt beside it, creating a small crater in the ground, while another, from the high attack angle, managed to impact the upper roof armor at a shallow angle. It detonated with a blast that caused the remote turret to jerk back and then slump. Two more rockets followed, another hitting the ground while the fourth blew up against the slats of the hit Stryker without effect.

The second Stryker began returning fire, .50 cal streaking across the ridge line with the assistance of thermal optics. Another rocket streaked at the second Stryker, but only succeeded in bouncing off the side of the slats.

Small arms fire started to rain down on the infantry who by now, had already moved behind the Strykers for cover. They returned fire with two SAWs, still behind the vehicles (propped up, blind fire). Smoke popped up, but did not hinder the Stryker's remote gun in the slightest, until the last of the hostiles vanished behind the ridge.

A soldier quickly jumped up to check the condition of the lead Stryker. The remote gun's sight had been blasted off and the traverse no longer functioned. He quickly stripped the gun off of the useless turret and with the help of the crew, placed it on a spare mount for manual fire.

A UAV was launched, and began looking for the scientists. The vehicles that had been spotted carrying the scientists were parked inside the city, and the building they had originally stopped at was easily found by its irregular shape.

The troops boarded the Strykers and began moving to the scheduled stop. The AS Gauntlet was only an hour away from being able to conduct helicopter operations. The two F-16s touched down many miles away at an airbase in a country with another one in between it and Zerschmettert. Two F-18s launch from the carrier. The first carried four Mavericks and Sidewinders on its wingtip mounts while the second carried two HARM missiles and Sidewinders as well.

by **Doppio Giudici** » Thu Oct 30, 2014 11:58 pm

Popping smoke was only so effective at reducing losses, one of the milita took 50 cal to his leg. The wound was so bad that it completely shattered his leg, causing severe trama to his blood vessels and managed to send him into shock from the pain. There was nothing they could do, besides loot him quickly and toss a frag over him to hide the remains. A second militia lost his hand to another round flying past, but for the most part they stopped the bleeding. The other squads were for the most part intact and they scattered accordingly. Morale was dangeriously low and about to completely fall apart, so it was good that they fell back right away as soon as possible.

The UAV revealed that on top of the plateau was a heavily dug in trenchline, with a tank dug in at every corner. Past all of that was a large fortified mansion and several barracks attached to it's sides. The path up to it was jagged and could take up to four hours to reach the top of, by solid wheels. The forces that they had been fired upon were scattered in another direction clearly, as they weren't seen by the UAV on it's trip up the mountain. One thing that stood out on the mountain besides the buildings and tanks was the S-300P launcher that was set up. Such a system would cost millions and be extremely hard to defeat, but could only fire three missiles at most.

They couldn't risk three fighters in a row like that right? Knowing it could track two of them at once from a long range?

by **Aelarus** » Sat Nov 01, 2014 12:05 pm

The two Strykers drove quickly on, unloading on a slope on the plateau that placed them behind cover and out of site from the T-72s. The infantry quickly dismounted, and pulled several Javelin tubes from inside the Stryker. Two teams went up to the ridge line and switched on their CLUs. Thirty seconds later, they could see the white hot outlines of the T-72s. Both fired, two streaks of fire shooting up into the dark predawn sky. The teams quickly fell back into cover. Another team was already moving up to a small rise far to the right of the parked Strykers with a laser designator and an AWC G2.

The two Hornets flew low to the ocean, they passed the thirty mile mark and the second Hornet called a HARM launch. The missile streaked off in the direction of the engagement zone, waiting for the S-300 to turn on its seeking radar.

A quick call to the infantry on the ground notified them of the Hornets' estimated arrival in three minutes. The scout team pulled the laser designator up and marked the large trenches dug into the ground, waiting for the Hornets to get in range.

by **Doppio Giudici** » Sat Nov 01, 2014 1:33 pm

The S-300 was readied and it turned in the direction of the incoming plane, with strict orders to not fire till the jet was in range. Several infantry from inside the bunker quickly grabbed stinger launchers from their desks and rushed up the stairs to assist the S-300 in keeping the aircraft away. The two T-72Ms burned on the front lines with their turrets missing, while the other two had their crews ditch them out of fear. The remaining defences were Kord machine-guns poking out of the firing slots in the main bunker, along with the attached barracks. The trenches were filled with men armed with AK-103s and various RPK-103s to go with them.

In all around a platoon each was guarding each of the four sides to the compound. The three RPG-7 Tandem Heat teams loaded their launchers and got them ready in the event that the Styrkers would be foolish enough to attack them head on. Everyone waited in silence for the coming attack, unsure if the combined defenses would hold back the aircraft and thus ensure that the trenches would slaughter the enemy infantry. Everyone checked their weapons in the silence and waited for the other side to make their move.

by **Aelarus** » Sun Nov 02, 2014 12:04 am

Twenty infantry men peeled off from the Strykers and began moving along the ridge and waited. The Strykers themselves drove off in the other direction, toward a shallow portion of the plateau that would allow them to move quickly up to the target building.

Both Hornets quickly gained altitude roughly forty seconds to the target, the first launched its Maverick payload, targeting the trench line, remaining T-72s, and the S-300 which was now well in range of the AGM-65s. The second fired its last HARM in the direction of the S-300 and began dispensing chaff behind it as both aircraft peeled off back to the carrier, its ALQ-99 working to fill the S-300's radar with false signatures.

The Maverick explosions cast the night in a bright light as the two Strykers pulled up onto the ridge and began firing, quickly traversing parallel to the trenches at 800 meters while pouring MG fire onto the trenches. The twenty infantrymen moved in after them, heading into a crater created by a Maverick impacting a trench. They threw smoke grenades over the lines and rushed into the breach. The two scouts began taking shots on the enemy, focusing on MG gunners and potential officers.

by **Doppio Giudici** » Sun Nov 02, 2014 1:20 pm

The front trench took a severe beating and their was no defense as the trenches were simply not deep enough. Helmets and body armor kept alive anyone who merely dealt with shrapnel. Six of the men had gotten to the roof with their Stingers and they all fired their missiles as the Hornets turned away, unsure if they would even hit the planes. The S-300 was burning, but the buildings behind were still intact. Two whole trenches, faced each other with the burning S-300 in the middle. They all pulled out their weapons and lifted them up, placing RPK-103s on the dirt to stabilize their firing.

Everyone started firing at once, including the Kords still inside the intact building. Kords were highly sought machine-guns because they were the most precise Russian machine-gun ever made. Trained soldiers fired on the ruined trench and into the smoke, reloading their mags from the piles of ammo at their feet. Casket-mags with 60 rounds were plentiful and so was the fire, which insisted on each man bleeding thru at least four magazines right now. The RPG-7 teams got into place and looked for the Stykers, firing on them where seen. Some soldiers close by fired on them as well around the tires and optics, trying to pin them down. The fighting was getting brutal.

by **Aelarus** » Sun Nov 02, 2014 2:39 pm

Two men took hits from the blind fire through the smoke. One was hit in the neck, instantly dying, while the other took two bullets through the leg. The NVGs of the soldiers were filled with muzzle flashes as the fighting instantly grew into a full firefight. Another soldier was hit during this time, falling to the ground clutching his shoulder.

The two Strykers stayed back from the fight, taking advantage of their MGs and for the undamaged one, its thermal optics as well. RPGs landed left and right, making the ground pockmarked with craters. The Infantry focused fire on enemy strongpoints, putting close up rocket rounds into the fortified positions.

The two Hornets were greeted by lock alerts as they broke off. Being at such a low altitude did nothing to help them, as they quickly rolled over and under in an attempt to out turn the missiles, spewing flares all the while. One of the Stingers hit and caused the second Hornet to falter, but regain altitude soon after. Frantic radio chatter removed all doubt that there wouldn't be a second sortie with that much concentrated MANPAD power.

The Stryker with the damaged turret rolled into effective range of the rockets and continued to pour MG fire onto the positions. The men in the fired grenades into what spaces they could reach and an into the building complex, taking two casualties as they went which were then covered by the Stryker, its peer still strafing around the compound.

by **Doppio Giudici** » Sun Nov 02, 2014 2:58 pm

For a bit it seemed like they would bleed their foes dry, or at least that's what the "Presidential Guard" thought. Men fell to the ground and piles of ammo were detonated, but there was enough of them that it would soon matter. Morale dropped when the palace and barracks took several rockets and bitter machine-gun fire widdled down the concrete. The PG would refuse to fall no matter what happened, they were willing to martyr themselves for their leader. They were going to kill so many of the dirty foreigners in the process no matter what happened. Another rocket was fired at the Stryker, then another. Two were fired at the filled trench filled with shell holes, this time packing HE rounds.

Then there was a pop and four mortar rounds landed on the left trench, the one furthest way from the Strykers. Two piles of ammo and several rockets went off at once, sending men and parts into the air all around. The trench burst into flames and there was screaming, there was blood everywhere. Men from the last trench got out of their defenses and fled, being unable to see the fighting but being able to hear it broke their will. The remaining soldiers yelled their surrenders and tossed their weapons over, after four small rockets hit the fortified bunker from the trench now empty thanks to cowards. A series of yellow flares were fired onto the platau and the roof of the building.

by **Aelarus** » Sun Nov 02, 2014 8:13 pm

Several bright flares illuminated the sky. Several of the soldiers who weren't yet under cover of the building cursed and stripped their NVGs which were filled with white light. The team quickly breached into the first buildings, systematically working along the way, followed by the first Stryker, its gunner twisting around to engage every fleeing fighter he could get a bead on.

The team eventually reached the building the scientists were held in, blew the door with a breaching grenade and rushed in, shooting at any fighter carrying a gun in the room.

by **Doppio Giudici** » Wed Nov 05, 2014 10:50 am

After all the flares went out and the area slowly faded into darkness, another two XM930 illumination rounds landed into the middle of the area. The area was bathed in blue light this time and there was the sound of an engine rumbling as it moved closer, in the silence that a lack of gunfire created. As the two rounds went out another two replaced them, this time they were red. This happened four more times, going green, blue, red, and white finally. After enough time had passed, the sound of whispers and people trying to whisper filled the air. A flare pistol was fired into the air somewhere in the darkness and it lit up the air.

The sound of a chopper was heard, coming closer and closer. It landed some distance away and then grew silent, before flying away without any other sounds but the sounds of it's rotars. There was more waiting after that, followed by the sound of several people reloading their weapons. A man stepped out into the darkness that the lack of flares created and stood there, quietly looking around with his bare eyes. He held his AK derivative close and muttered to himself, before speaking up suddenly.

"Hello, can anyone hear me!" He called out "You wouldn't be locals now would you?"

He held his rifle close and removed the hand on his handguard to touch the sacred cross that he wore on his necklace.

"Are you friends of the Benefactors?" He yelled, looking around quietly

He quickly half-crawled/half-hurried over to the clift he had been hiding behind. The road of that area was small and wouldn't hold a Styker, but clearly was holding something as the sound of an engine was coming from it's direction.

A mega-phone clicked on and from that area his voice or someones voice went on.

"Okay, you have two minutes to respond or we will be forced to shell the area in order to liberate the hostages." His started voice spoke "We have two M1064 mortar carriers, M120 mortars in M113A3 carriers. We know you have some two APCs around here somewhere and we know you have some troops in the trenches."

Someone else took the megaphone, and they continued.

"Give us back our pastor and release the scientists so we can return them to their homes." A woman yelled "You really don't want to piss off a bunch of crusaders! We will fucking kill every single militant and conscript that gets in our way, don't even think about doing anything stupid! We're calling in two more platoons right now."

There was the sound of gunfire in the distance, which was replied to by both the mortar carriers firing a few rounds in that direction each. A series of explosions sounded off in the distance, before the soldiers moving with the unknown speakers opened fire on someone else unseen. The two parties were clearly firing at each other and engaging in hostilities, there was a lot of factions with a foot in this area.

by **Aelarus** » Thu Nov 06, 2014 9:58 pm

The team was having a rather frantic radio conversation as this went on.

"Damn, the hell is he saying?", came the voice of the Bravo squad leader.

"I don't know, I don't speak Pashto", said a second voice.

"Fuck, Alvar's dead too."

"Then what do we do?" Another voice, from one of the Strykers.

"I don't know, let's just say we mean no harm and ask them to stand down. Erik, blow his head off if he starts shooting."

"Wilco." The sniper team pulled their sights on the man and his companions.

One of the infantrymen stepped out to the edge of the still blazing trench line, and yelled out from behind cover in very broken Pashto, "Hello! Please identify or stand down now!"

The Strykers remained idling back as the scientists were herded into one of them. A radio call went out to request extraction, but required them to move on to a different LZ.

by **Doppio Giudici** » Thu Nov 06, 2014 10:26 pm

"That sounds like Persian, but it's not Persian?" One of the men muttered "Clearly they have no idea what we were saying."

"That's bullshit, everyone here speaks Persian." The officer replied "I would know as I'm from this area. My persian was perfect too..."

"So we have operators or something here?" his second in command wondered "I caught the word 'benefactors' in the trade language"

"Well, they could be radicals." One of the younger soldiers proposed

"Likely, but I don't think so as they speak what little Pashto they have." The officer rejected "I' going to see if they speak tradesmen like most of the planet."

"Good old trade language, everyone speaks it because everyone likes selling things." The second muttered with a chuckle.

"We don't speak Pashto!" The officer yelled "English, English!"

A series of fighters passed by not to far away so that his last two words were not heard. One of the mountains about a click away caught on fire from being covered in napalm, as a loud boom echoed through for miles and miles.

"Son of a bitch, move!" The officer yelled

The entire group jumped in the trench filled with dead bodies and covered their heads. The M113A3s moved back out of the way quickly, as a missile landed right where they were and sent shrapnel in all directions.

"Thank god for PASGT armor" one of them muttered

by **Aelarus** » Sat Nov 08, 2014 1:57 pm

"Well damn, they speak English", said a squad leader. "Nial, ask them if they're allies!"

The soldier who had shouted previously called out again. "We're part of ASOC (Aelarisian Special Operations Comm)! Are you guys friendly?"

"Incoming!"

A missile detonated outside the complex, scattering the unknown force and bathing the scene in a flash of bright light.

The carrier buzzed with activity as two helicopters began pre flight checks in preparation to lift off.

A Little Powderkeg (MT, Closed, ATTN Aelarus)

A Little Powderkeg (MT, Closed, ATTN Aelarus)

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