Colonel Sven Moller
Alnus Hill FOB, Falmart
Field HQ
The tent was a hive of activity as officers and liaisons dealt with the monumental logistical challenges of operating the UN operation while trying to gather all information on the new world. Half a dozen radios were being operated at once, communicating with everything from guards patrolling the FOB perimeter to command bases back through the Gate. The Colonel sat stoic by the communications station ignoring the chaos of his surroundings, a radio headset placed firmly against his ear. His brow was furrowed as he listened to the voice on the other end of the line, occasionally nodding at the unheard words.
“Yes Sir, I understand Sir, but we may not have such a good opportunity again. The enemy is low on morale and disorganised, if I can have authority to launch a frontal assault then we would be able to overwhelm their lines –“ The Colonel stopped as it seemed he was interrupted. “No Sir, I didn’t mean to question your – of course not, Sir.” Sven’s features were blank, not giving away any hint towards the other side of the conversation as he sat in silence. “Very well Sir, as you command.” The line clicked dead, the Colonel left listening to nothing but static. With a sigh, he handed the headset back to the communications officer, thanking the woman as he did so.
Shit.
Rubbing his brow with his forefingers, Sven let out a deep breath. He had been dutifully listening to his superiors for the better part of an hour, their opinions of his actions so far and their expectations for future operations having been made painfully clear. As it stood, it seemed as if they were intent on having him wage war while having his hands tied behind his back. The Colonel glanced up at the clock hung on the tent wall before pushing the conversation to the back of his mind. Pushing himself to his feet, Sven snatched his beret from the table, placing it firmly upon his head as he exited the tent and headed for the mess. With politics and image taking the front seat, his job just got a whole lot harder – but he owed it to the men and women under his command to see them through it. They all had work to do.
Osira scowled at the dwarf as he passed, but couldn’t manage a retort before he’d marched out of earshot. The smug grin that was etched into the creature’s features only served to further sour her mood. She knew that he was purely trying to get on her nerves, to irritate and annoy her. The problem was that he was succeeding.
“Apologies for the delay.” The Colonel announced as he pushed aside the tent flap, walking into the Mess hall and addressing the gathered soldiers. He immediately waved down anyone who made to salute, Mikkel following closely behind him with a clipboard and briefcase. The Norwegian logistics officer placed the case on a free table, opening it up to reveal a series of laminated documents. “For those of you who have not yet been formally introduced, this is Captain Mikkel Nystuen of the Forsvaret. He’ll be coordinating the logistics of your operation and will be your point of contact on the base.” Mikkel nodded calmly towards the gathered soldiers, recognising some of the faces present – be they from past interactions or from their personnel files.
“We’ve all got work to do and the enemy isn’t going to give us the luxury of time, so I’ll cut straight to the chase. It’s been a month since we walked through that Gate and 85 days since this war began with the attempted invasion of Stockholm and the massacre of innocents. We’ve managed to establish a foothold and have repelled the enemy’s attempts to regain lost ground, but we won’t be able to put a stop to this fighting by sitting idly on this hill. You all represent some of the best that your countries can offer, and have been selected to represent our world on the first major reconnaissance mission into the Special Region.” Sven allowed the words to hang in the air, not that they should have been much of a surprise for any of those gathered. Rumours had done the rounds of command becoming increasingly impatient for more intel, and any recruit knew that the UN needed to get some boots off the hill eventually. “You will be heading out with a Bradley taking point along with two Iveco LMVs. Mikkel has your Rules of Engagement and maps for the initial route you will be taking, but this mission is being granted a high degree of flexibility by command. You’ll likely drop out of radio range by the second day and won’t be expected to check in for at most two weeks. But I’ll be frank with you: that flexibility is a direct result of us not knowing a rat’s arse about what you’ll be driving into.”
“This will be a reconnaissance mission first and foremost, and your primary objectives will be to gather information on the local culture, population and landscape in preparation for a possible future advance.” Sven looked at the gathered soldiers with his next words, emphasising their importance. “You are not to engage the enemy unless they directly impede your mission or threaten your safety. Your primary response to attack will be to disengage and find another way around. This is an instruction from on-high, and I hope you all take it to heart.” The Colonel paused for a moment before continuing. “That being said, if your life is in danger: give them hell.” Sven turned towards Paul Gardener. “Captain Gardener will be leading this operation. Now, if you have any questions this is the time to ask – you’ll be headed out in the morning.”
