[center][h1]Effortless Assault[/h1]
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As the intense duststorm swept over the middle east, covert operations began to work all over the Empire. From Kurdistan to Oman, supplies dropped days before were collected by either operation groups belonging to central command, or by individual militias that agreed to help the war effort. For days now, military units have converged upon central stations, even going as far as to leaving some civilian areas unprotected. But for the greater good, everyone knew that they had a job to do. Every soul knew there was a war coming. Everyone, expect the ones that would soon be waged a war upon

[b]Alexandria, Terminal 18[/b]
[i]Early morning[/i]

"Move those crates to tent!" A man shouted in the thick of the sandstorm to a few other soldiers carrying boxes. It was early in the day, but the dust was too thick for anyone to notice that the san has come up. The man was wearing long scarfs and other textile material above his suit to cover himself from the extreme weather. "We gotta get these crates unpacked before the assault!" The man, clearly an officer of somekind, pulled away a wing of the tent's entrance, making way for the soldiers carrying the boxes. The motioned with his ahnds to pick up the pace, and then entered the tent after the last box was secured.

Inside the tent, a dozen more crates were stacked up next to each other on the floor, and about 20 people were standing inside, waiting for something. The ones that jsut came in took their places next to the ones already waiting, and began chatting quietly. The air was still despite the weather outside, and nobody seemed interested in the crates.

After a few minutes of waiting, the entrance suddenly flopped open as four barely visible figures carried a final, different crate inside the tent. As they entered, their bodies became more and more visible, until they put down the crate in the middle of tha tent, and removed the scarfs from their faces. They were the squad that departed last night into Alexandria. Lt Jamie smiled at the group and pat the back of his squad as they took their places in the tent, sistematically removing their Hayalet gear.

The lieutenant clapped his hands together and then rubbed them together in excitement as he looked at the crate they had just brought in. "Well done gents! This is one fine catch for our small fishing party." He looked at his team and Arpeg stepped out of the line to help open the large container. "Let's see what the almighty gods of war have graced us upon this today." The party laughed at the notion, and they all looked at the crate in anticipation as Jamie and Arpeg lifted the top of the crate to reveal the contents of the care package.

Inside them were dozens of small circular metal canisters, about the size of water bottle, embedd within a firm gel. Next to them lied an equal number of remots made of simple plastic and a small piece of paper. "My men, we have hit the jackpot." The rest of the people in the tent all moved closer to get a better look at the conents of the container. Jamie lifted one of the tubes from the gel along with the paper and held it up eye heigh so the others could examine it. He quickly read the paper and then threw it back into the box. "I'm sure you all know what these are, but lemme brief you, as pre the instructions that came with them. These are all remotely controlled explosives filled with some nasty chemical mixes that pack a serious punch. The techs like to call them X-22 RDEs, but I just call them "Whack a Fort"-s for obvious reasons". The group smiled, but they didn't take their eyes off the silver canister. "Anyways, we have to plant these babies in key locations around the city. When the attack comes tomorrow, we need to be able to make a way for our armored troops, and take out enemy defenses. Thankfully, we'll know when th enemy is nearby thnaks to these handy motions sensors on the bombs. All we have to do now is plant them."

The group nod in agreement, and Jamie put the RDE back into the box. "The other boxes contain more ammunition and replacement guns. Make sure your gear is ready, becase we'll be getting ready at 1500 to plant these devices, and we have to finish by 2000. it will be a joint operation with the squads from 19 and 25, so I want you to all look like proud eighteens!" He looked at his clock and then continued the sentence. "You have roughly 8 hours to get ready. I advise everyone to stay inside the tents from 1200 to 1430 just in case those earthshakers go off in the proximity. I'll check on you all at 1450 in this same tent. Dismissed." With that, Jamie turned around and left the tent with his squad, leaving the others to unpack their boxes.

[hr]

[b]Fort Masada, Vehicle Bay 2A[/b]
[i]roughly the same time[/i]

The tanks were at the ready. The JUNO engines whirred under the vehicles, distoring the air with intense heat. The IFVs were all lined up, and men were getting ready to board the vehicles assigned to their squads. Shouts rose from all over the place, both from mechanics preparing vehicles and squad leaders preparing their squads. It was the beginning of a alrge scale operation like no other in the history of the Persian Empire. Soldiers from Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Jordan all gathered in the hallowed hangars of Masada to get ready for this crusade.

Not long after, the lights began to dim, and red warning lights lit up along the walls. The commander in charge of the whole operation, General Canalis, then appeared on a catwalk raised high above the ground, all eyes focused on him. He cleared his throat, and began his speech.

"Men! You are here on this day to write history. A year ago, invaders from another plane of existence have overrun Cairo, and destablizied our eternal empire! An insult we will never stand for!" Behind him, a large fabric was lowered and a projector from the other side of the hangar dispalyed the map of the region onto it. "For months now, we've been preparing for this exact window of oppurtinity to act. We've dropped supplies to remote resistance groups from our position all the way to Alexandria. We've waited for the duststorm to hit the region so we may move concealed. We've trained extensively to prepare for what is to come. Now I'll tell you exactly what we've been waiting for."

[i]some explaining later[/i]

The soldiers all looked at the map, examining the general as he finished explaining the exact details of the operation. "And that is how we will retake the Cairo area. We'll move swiftly like the wind, gather the rebels in the area as the storm, and then blow over our enemies with the unyielding force of a duststorm!" The men started cheering, but the general held up his arm, showing that he wasn't finished. "Don't celebrate just yet. We lack intel, and we may not be able to properly communicate with our rebel cells until the last moment. As such, we expect high casualites. But I expect all of you, every single men under my command to willignly give up his life for the greater good. Because after today, the world will remember all of us as great warriors! Crusaders of Allah who have liberated our ancestral homes from alien beings. So ready your guns and hold your heads high as we embark on this crusade against the forces of evil. For Allah!" 

[i]"For Allah"[/i] the chants rise up in the entire hangar, and soldiers hold up their guns into the air as the large metal gates of the hangar slowly open up, dust immideatly starting to blow in. The general leaves his palce from the catwalk, and the soldiers finish embarking their vehicles once they stop cheering. The army slowly begins to move out into the storm, their moral high, and their goals clear: to liberate the Cairo exclusion zone!