The Green Union wrote:Driving back into the narrow, sheer cliffed Cabra Pass, CA-aligned mercenaries are met by a familiar sight as armed locals with Kalashinikovs and bolt action rifles stare down at them grimly from their village gates. As always the local self-protection groups have remained cagey about allowing the mercenaries past their makeshift roadblocks, instead angrily directing them to take the long way around while continuing their journey deeper into local forces territory.
But one thing is new. While passing one village, the entire column was suddenly jolted awake by a devastating explosion. The lead Vesna armoured vehicle was suddenly engulfed in dust and debris, its occupants rocking violently under the blast. The mercenaries hastily disembarked, scanning the shrubbery and cliffs for their assailant. But there was nothing; an investigation of the site showed an improvised explosive had been set on the roadside, the IED going off near the front right axle and doing little appreciable damage. The mercenaries loaded back up and continued their drive.
That was until right near the heart of the pass on a particularly perilous bend in the road they found their route blocked for good. This checkpoint was much more permanent, seeing the usual rusty pickup trucks and tire barricades augmented by heavy rubble barriers, machine guns, and a sign in Spanish threatening the presence of mines. The Vesna troops saw them well ahead of time thanks to their drone coverage, and were quick to identify the presence of September Island tricolours and around a platoon’s worth of insurgents on the checkpoint, in addition to more than a company occupying fighting positions on the cliffs overlooking this part of the pass. These also weren’t the Mosin-weilding militia from further west. Many of these SPF fighters were seen with what looked like Flax-Core commercial optics on their modern AKs and Sevevillian M4 rifles, with many dug into the cliffs with ancient mortars and a motley collection of old binoculars and cutting edge night vision devices.
Vesna was expected. As their vehicles turned the corner a thick bearded man in a ratty old Kamooko Pact uniform clambered up onto the barricades, gesturing angrily to the Caution: Mines! sign while gesturing for them to stop. The local islanders behind him stared daggers at the newcomers, the whole valley holding its breath.
Captain Czjzek
Vesna Gruppa, Czjzek Battalion
Cabra Pass, September Island
Vesna convoy comm chatter was a buzz with what the next course of action was going to be. They’re predicament was perilous, and the IED explosion had already made the mercs anxious. Getting schwacked on some Spanish speaking backwater island was not how most of these men wanted to go out. Nonetheless, Captain Czjzek’s booming voice cut through the almost tangible fear of the chatter and calmed their nerves. A veteran of the civil war, Czjzek’s experience was a great boon to Lieutenant Colonel Bakal and a source of relief for the common merc. With the tension choking Cabra Pass, Captain Czjzek radioed command and apprised them of the situation. Support would be needed for what was coming, fast and hard hitting. A request that was quickly acknowledged followed by a hint that something else was coming. No doubt that Lieutenant Colonel Bakal was already watching over the situation via drone and HAPs footage. With command apprised, Captain Czjzek gave clear and concise orders which reverberated throughout the convoy radios, a simultaneous acknowledgment followed. With haste, APCs of the convoy reversed back up the perilous bend of the road. The CROWS system atop the APCs swiveled back and forth in an attempt to cover the numerous SPF fighters taking cover within the hills. Whilst the APCs fell back, Captain Czjzek had the remaining IFVs keep overwatch over SPF fighters. The IFV turrets slowly oscillated back and forth whilst the CROWS system copied the pattern, but in the opposite direction. When the APCs were an adequate distance away the external speaker on one of the IFVs came to life with static.
Captain Czjzek’s calming voice seeped out of the speaker, “Thank you for informing us of the hazardous conditions. We appreciate the info.”
At the end of the sentence, the remaining IFVs main 30mm auto-cannons and CROWS system holding the HMGs erupted in gunfire. Carefully, the crews of the IFVs, targeted SPF forces with weapons that could disable or destroy the armored carriers. SPF forces with small arms were left untouched. As the cacophony of gun fire and cannon fire continued, the most forward IFV popped smoke which quickly created a screen of billowy thick smoke in front of them. With haste the IFVs reversed down the same path as the APCs; using the smoke as cover. Despite falling back, the IFV crews continued to fire through the smoke at SPF targets through the use of FLIR.