(Have to say it now- the Brits use Apaches as the AH1 (our designation) too, not SuperCobras. That's a US Marine bird.) (Long as fuck posts-sorry for this. It's going to stay with Natalie/Victor from now on.) Andrew looked over at Nolan, as he cut the line. "Probably. We need to tool up. They're deploying us into the mountains. Just beyond...those..ones." Andrew said, pointing out the window, into the distance. Snow was just about on their peaks, but it didn't coat it. It looked cold, and unforgiving. The fact was, they were going beyond 5,000m high. In fact, Mount Noshaq was at 7,500m, and at this time of year, would be freezing cold. Though some snowmelt would exist, it wouldn't be much, and Andrew could only expect having to deal with serious altitude sickness. The middle of the corridor was a relative river-valley, with some plains that were dry, but the mountains was where he knew the SF were going. The ground-pounders had already gone in already, if Andrew knew how briefings had worked vaguely. They had torn that part apart, and now, the Marines, the British Paras and US Rangers were going to flood the place, going from settlement to settlement, village to village, and entirely sweeping until they got to the Chinese border and turned around and repeated. FOBs would be created, it was a huge operation that had every political sanctioning. This was huge- and while it wasn't the invasion of a country, the fact that the Chinese were even having their heads high meant something was up. But it made Andrew think. If the spooks higher up had realized something threatened Chinese intrests...didn't that mean that this group wasn't just targeting the West specifically? Something more sinister sat in his head- but he knew it wasn't his to think. "Hurray for us." Andrew simply said, chuckling as he checked his Mk18, looking out still. They'd be gone soon. --------------- 2200 Hours H-Hour+12 Bagram Airfield "Good to see you boys made it. And your friend here." Merlin said, a figure of about 6"0 and was dark-skinned, though his voice was a relatively neutral one from what you would expect from his skin tone. Clambering out of the RAF Merlin helicopter, Andrew looked back at Nolan, aware of what next for Konstanin. He was taken away by two inconspicuous soldiers, as he was carried off on a stretcher, tied to it of course. "Come with me, you two. We need to get consulted. As you know, Operation Cinder Block is underway in the concentrated area of the Wakhan Corridor and basically all of surrounding Badakhshan Province. Marines, Rangers, you name it is on the ground. Qila-e Panjeh, and Sarhad-e Broghil are two villages that in the last six hours, were bombed the literal shit out of, and then Delta and SEAL teams cleared in advance of Rangers and Marine forces to sweep and completely destroy any insergent activity. Langley is working overtime for us- and every intelligent agency has got so much dirt, it's unreal. But we ain't got that much in reality on what the fuck the group is, and who has the money, who has the contacts, and who makes it so slick. We have a lot of dead Taliban, and a lot of Russian-supplied and Chinese, even Israeli and a few South American arms. This, is fucking perculiar to say the least." Merlin said, as they walked on, off the helipad. "What about other forces Sir?" Andrew asked, as Merlin responded. "Good question. Russian Ground Forces are being deployed on an emergency mandate from the Tajik Government in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province, on the other side of the Corridor. We're talking several VDV brigades, and they've done a hell of a lot of damage. What it seems Team Knight found in the Southern region of Tajikistan was only the start. No less, the PLA has deployed it's own Airborne Infantry and Special Forces in Xingjang province, and it's all in an effort to stifle them in that one little rathole through a chesegrater of a trap. Intel was completely blind- this has caught us with our pants down, so we are retaliating. In here." Merlin said, looking back, the suited spook leading them into a tent, in which three figures could be seen. All three seemed all too familiar. "Alright?" Ross said, his helmet off and his Mk48 in his hands, with Jenny the same and with an MG4. "Fuck me, you came out of nowhere. Good to see you guys, shit. How'd you get into this sucker's influence?" Andrew asked, as Merlin laughed. "The moment that I had all the available and well-combat experienced assets that apparently is using Juggernaut-standard when it comes to armor. Keep a lid on it, Andrew- we need to get your asses debriefed, and remind you what's next. For now, you can't come under regular command- it means too much paperwork and no real work. So you're with me." Merlin said, as he implied to them to take a seat with the other Juggernauts. "Good to see you lads then. Been waiting on our sorry asses for too long for you." Andrew simply said, as he checked his Mk48, the three Juggernauts well armored and well toothed for what next. (Play [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GUhG8U6dlw]this[/url] for extra effect, just to remind of how scary it is.) "I've brought Andrew and Nolan up to speed. You three already know. But the fact is, we've made good progress. And intelligence wise, we've done nothing. This could pop up in Helmand tomorrow if it wanted to, or they could hit another city. Shanghai, New York, London, Paris, you fucking name it, it's being watched. And there is nothing we can do. This is an appearance to the public of a response. You think spooks know everything? We know the coffee you drink, but Goddamn, we don't know a fucking clue of what they want. But we know they have lots of guns, new ones, and a comprehensive list of shit that makes our Second Amendment look like a pussy's list. We're talking military-grade, modern equipment and gear. And scarily still, from what Nolan and Andrew picked out in China, it makes shit even worse." "They've got armor. The programs won't be revealed by Beijing or Moscow, and we know that it's beyond any doubt, beyond any security needs to share what it is. But they say that they're working on it themselves. Which means nothing to us. Now, we did get a few post-shots of Goliath, what you encountered in China, Nolan and Andrew." Merlin said, changing the slide. "I won't go into details. But we're looking at programs beyond your recognition. This is "Goliath"- what we revealed to be a ventilated Brazilian operator, who worked as the guard to Konstantin's friend. It's a mechanized suit of armor, with a couple of inches of composites, and a graphene/nanotech encoated kevlar layer. I'm no fucking physicist, but that needs a lot of power. They had a fucking portable hydrogen cell capable of huge volumes of energy. What I'm trying to say is...is that the enemy we face isn't exactly some under-powered, terrorist organization. These people change the status quo. They'll do their best to only keep it as their Joker in the pack, they would never reveal it. But our priority, fuck, our need is to figure out what the fuck we are facing, before the next attack has something like this walk into Times Square and make Brussels look like a joke. Because there won't be a next time for this world. Collapse, the total disembowelment of society will occur when they get what they want when they tell the people over whatever medium they want that it ends when we give a certain thing to them. Nuclear codes, the capability to unify entire continents in arms against the Free World, or even the submission of us to terrorists. I sound like I make a big deal with this. Gents, you may fight just an insurgent force when you go out into Wakhan. But the Taliban are an inconsistent cog in a huge machine, that could completely blow out at any second." Merlin said, skipping onto the next slide, a close up map. "This is Mount Haras, close to the triangulation point of China, Pakistan and Afghanistan, at the end of the Corridor. The peak is 5,900 m high with several high mountains and the occasional river valleys close by, with several well guarded camps, which UAVs have identified to be of particular interest. You'll be working in a huge area around that. We've got two PMC contacts that will also assist you- and due to the secrecy, I can only say on a need to know basis, that they are better armored than you three, Team Knight." "Fuck me, it can't be..." Jenny said, realizing in her head who it had to be. "Well, if it is who you think it is, then you'll know camp ghost stories aren't all bullshit. It's a several-pronged operation. Nolan, Andrew, you'll be first in. You both need FLIR-optic based sniper rifles with your regular shit, and use Quadbikes to get around, eliminating mortar and rocket-attack encampments and undermining their operations along with anything that is bringing up stuff via trucks into the mountains to use an elevated position to hide, or bomb us from. There are tracks, but the few that exist are going to be locked down by Taliban, Al-Qaeda, Uigur and the unknown force we know of. You could be there for an extended period of time, but any orders for you to stay longer we'll post you up with. You'll be based around what you'll construct as Camp "Vulture", close to the peak of Mount Haras as a staging area. Ross, Carl, Jenny, you'll be taken via V22 into this area, with the Osprey dropping you and a M1161 Growler ITV in once Team Cordite does what it needs to in order to eliminate AAA sites and rocket-attack positions. The snipers snipe and engage targets at a range, wheras Team Knight is direct action and will hit larger encampments using brute force and eliminating groups." "Affirmative. What about..well, Brute and Bear? Those two freaks?" Ross asked, aware that he was maybe using weird language. "Again, need to know basis. All I can say is this- expect them at Vulture, and to be involved in your later operation. Once we know that the mountains around Mount Haras are cleaned and shiny with their blood, and any intel you have found, you're to mount the assault on Fort Sarawak, or in British terms, Fort Tempest. That was the former colonial name of a British and Afghan-fortification built in the 1860s by the British here, against potential local enemies or Russian Empirical conquests. It's a significant mud-brick fort- it's large as they get, and is further down the mountains. It's a major encampment, with ammunition caches, and is in sorts, a staging area for forces to wage war against the locals and us- with it being almost impossible to hit by our teams without too much collateral damage to the local town or killing too many of our guys in an assault. We expect a garrison of at least 200, maybe 400. Could be even more, if shit goes badly. But it's significant enough- and the reason it needs to be taken after the mountaintop encampments and garrisons are eliminated are since we know that they'd be the first place that they'd run. Or towards the Chinese, which is fucking ridiculous. We cut the head off the forces, find intel, HVTs, anything we want to pick from here if we are fast and know that we have them pinned. Bear and Brute will lead the assault, and you'll be aiming to fully displace the enemy and rout them into the valleys. You'll carry on, with Team Knight involved in assaults in local towns, mainly co-ordinated by British forces in this sector- with the USAF's A10s, AH-64s and various other aerial supports. Though the valleys are still steep and hard to move through, we'll have Mechanized units on hand, with Strykers and FV510 Warrior vehicles being on standby. This is a purge- and you kill every fucker you see. Make no mistake, the high ground here is a goldmine for intel- and is our next step to unraveling what we do in response. It is mainly an Anti-Insurgency operation, to completely destroy any force that occupies this region, and stop this escalating throughout Afghanistan- undoing years and years of security work. We prove we got the metal here boys, and we make sure that we buy time. Time we simply don't have. One pretty key detail to know is that the two contractors are boots-on-the-ground right now, and clearing this." Merlin said, pointing to a weird part of the map. "Need to know basis again. All you need to know, is that right there, the command nerve centre of the Taliban forces and the unknown militants in Eastern Wakhan region, deep in the mountains. Another reason why this area is of such importance to you guys, and before you ask, why you're specifically there, is to disrupt command and the structure of any significant opposition that stems from this particular area." "Andrew, Nolan, you'll have time to sleep on the next C130 out to FARP Talulqan, and then be redeployed into the mountains by 0300 Hours, tomorrow morning. Should be enough to freeze your balls to their core, so kit up accordingly, though be prepared to be in more warmer climates once you come down the mountains in the day. You'll have three hours in this area," Merlin said, waving his hand around the map on the screen that was around Mount Haras, before continuing. "The Osprey with Team Knight paradrops into here at 0500 hours sharp. Make damn sure the LZ is secure, or they'll get torn apart. In terms of mobility, you go with what Andrew and Nolan have performed reconnaissance on, and hit hard, brutally, and without no question, decapitate their forces in the mountains. You return to Camp Vulture, and await Brute and Bear's arrival. There are several DEVGRU and Delta and SAS teams working in the area, and will be setting up similar camps both higher and lower than you. The mountains need to be cleared before fighters fall back into Pakistan or anywhere else- and trust me, every single asset that is Special Forces, or is trained in mountain warfare, is going to be sharing the Hindu Kush with you. It's just that you'll be in the epicentre of shit, where we know that you're going to be critical to our continued assault into Eastern Wakhan. The West has been mostly recaptured and is now in the process of having the second sweep roll in- though the East of the province is still untouched, due to the fact we're bogged down. It's why you need to be on hand, ahead of the main force. Yourselves, you'll have gun runs, and continuous air support of any kind. Call it, you get it." Merlin said, aware he had gone on. "It's a lot to take in. But this is it, gents. You've got an hour of R&R/loading up, and you're on the first C130 out of here. Then you'll be dropped two by two by Callsign "Omega"- our Osprey serving you guys. You know what you need to do. Go ahead and do it. Dismissed." Merlin said, looking at all five of them, as Ross stood up, and simply yelled. "Hoorah!" He knew he wasn't a Marine, but he knew that the rest knew what was going on, as he led the way out, helmet in one hand and his Mk48 just about held in the other, as they all headed out of the tent, and they knew what they sort of were doing. -------------- Natalie watched Victor completely tool up, as she took out both nozzles, and ejected a tiny amount of flame from both, scorching the high concrete ceiling with a bright blue flame, as she let out a scortcher form her rear too, as she walked up to Victor, putting her own visor up quickly as Victor came close. She hugged back, raised and tight as she pulled as hard as she could, feeling her ribs bend and her pair be squished as she felt his arms come round like a vice, and hers do the same. She hissed, smooching him on the cheek before slapping what was the rear of his suit. "For another day in the office? I was born ready." Natalie said, smirking as she put her visor down, turning around and heading for the exit, kicking the stiff door open with a low kick, as she walked out into the baking sun, seeing the briefing room close-by, and knowing what it vaguely was. Time for as direct as revenge got. --------------------- 2200 Local Time (Afghanistan) The C17 flew high above the area of operations, Natalie and Victor inside a smallish container of some sort within. A small red light sat inside, knowing full well that they were here for good reason. Outside the C17, about forty 101st Airborne men along with a Stryker with a Mk19 stood ready to Static Line into the valleys in North-Eastern Wakhan, who were told not to look at the container and prep for a jump. They had been going for hours, Natalie keeping her rear end shut, the pressure building up on her natural valve however. "Ohhhh..when I jump, there's going to be a flame like you've never seen! Fuck me, it feels big." Natalie said to Victor, laughing quietly in order to not spook the Paratroopers outside the container. "I suppose one day I'll tell you why it happens, but till then, it is my one secret, Brute. And there's forty paratroopers out there. If I was in the VDV, I'd be in command, but I guess this is very different. They have no idea we're inside. No reason to check what's inside, they say it's coming with them on the drop. How wrong they are- we're not even coming on this one." Natalie said, looking at Victor, as she clicked her neck. "We'll get the radio from the jump crew for when we get out of this sticky container and into the cargo bay- we're static lining, drifting like a pair of dandelions to our LZ, which is right on top of the command centre. We can't risk a HAHO since it's too long a journey, or a HALO since we'll be far too direct and have no time to make a combined assault, being cut off if things go wrong, and a helicopter would be too risky on a place like this for now. Chutes wise, they're two circular parachutes- hard to steer, but they stop you dead, and you can fire from above. Yeah, I like the sound of that too- they won't even know where the bullets will come from." Natalie said, as she looked at the GPS on her forearm. protected by an incredibly thick layer of bulletproof glass. She could control it via her HUD, if needed, and she already had it activated. "They're sending a bunch of other Juggernauts and a sniper team, Teams Knight and Cordite, that will meet us at some place called "Camp Vulture", where they'll use as a Forward Staging Area. And in terms of the command center, seems like it's half above ground, in a recently constructed encampment, and the rest being inside a cave network. That's where my flamethrowers will really heat the place up- I know it's caves again, but the fuckers really do like them. We just need to destroy the place completely- and it'll ruin any command structure in this localized region, hopefully. We'll kill every man alive- this is all about scorching earth, and securing intel- and we can see about the bodies later, yes? There's a nice little list of HVTs, both Taliban and suspected from the group to be here, so let's see what we get so that we assault Fort Tempest easily later on to get the hammer blow- giving the Taliban forces on the ground no idea of what to attack and what to do as well as finding what we want, hopefully at least. We'll leave the place before anything else hots up, since we've got five km to move to a point where a Chinook will pick us up from. We might need to keep our parachutes handy, in case shit hits the fan and we have to reinsert into an area the pilot has no hope of landing in due to AAA fire from what I hear." Natalie said, adjusting herself in the suit, as she looked at her gauntleted arms, feeling heavy yet well protected. "Got your warpaint Victor? I just need to apply mine quickly- you'll see what I have in mind." Natalie asked, bending over as she knew a vague design she'd put on her face with the red and blue paint. Something a little more representative of herself, as she tucked her hair back into it's neat and straightened format, her helmet in her hands. She could just about hear the light change, as the door opened at the rear, the C17 at 2,000ft AGL and now dropping it's load. What sounded like every man pouring out happened, as a sudden jerk of the floor also sent the Stryker, armed with it's Mk19 and M240B mounted atop it along with an Trophy System, also join the men that were being paradropped. The plane suddenly jerked, as the door shut again slowly, Natalie hearing the voice in her right ear. Parachutes and old-style ZSUs were pouring fire into the sky, but many were far too innacurate to hit the plane let alone the 101st men that were dropping down and assaulting the border region, with their Stryker following suit. "It's clear. We're clambering up into the mountains, you've got ten minutes to your drop. Fucking spooks." The jumpmaster said, as Natalie looked over at Victor, tutting. "Hmm, wonder how long he'd last if I threw him out the plane. I'd rather not find out- I say we get ready for our jump, Big Boy." Natalie said, done with the paint, as she revealed a "Lightening" sort of pattern with the blue and red paint respectively, having branches of electricity as blue and the rest as red and mixed shades, something she felt adamant about, as she got her heavy self up. Walking up to the edge of the container, she opened it up, faceplate on and HUD activated, as she walked into the empty and huge cargo bay of the C17, gaining altitude to maintain 2,000 AGL rate as it headed higher and higher above the mountains. She spoke through her speaker, rather than comms. "I think last time I throw the jumpmaster out of a plane was Chechnya, after he said I had nice features. Don't fall into the same trap- we'll get set, you open the door and we go if you think little of us, Mister." Natalie said in her coldest Russian accent, the Jumpmaster putting his hands in the air as he shrugged it off, Natalie giggling like a girl over the comms to Victor.