Ghost Recon - Operation Echo Solace
Chapter 12: Chapter 11 - A Preemptive Strike
Previous Chapter Next Chapter"Damn, it's cold out here. What's the temperature, anyway?"
"42 degrees, give or take, 30K." Kozak replied to his teammate, looking up from his MRT. "Besides, it's not that much colder then when were in Siberia, securing oil-drilling ships for the Russian Resistance. Remember that operation?"
"Do I ever." 30K grumbled.
"Cut the chatter and rally up." Hunter Lead said. "Cyclone, check in."
"We're here." said Cyclone Lead. "Ready to go."
As the two Ghost Teams emerged from a hidden tunnel beneath the surface of the tundra, Kozak went through the mission parameters in his head one last time. The Eqaharians had amassed a large force south of the Crystal Empire, equipped with heavy siege weapons, after word of the failed negotiations reached those forces. While the Crystal Empire was still waiting for American air support to arrive, which consisted of an AC-130 gunship and fighter escort, the four Ghost units would have to split up for now.
As Kingslayer and Aegis teams stayed back to help defend the line and direct close-air-support, Hunter and Cyclone teams would flank the opposing army, infiltrate their camp, destroy or disable as many of their siege engines as possible, and capture their kill their commander.
The Ghosts had done similar missions before, such as Operation Valiant Hammer, where they rescued General Douka's forces from Raven's Rock, but this mission held significantly more risk.
Because if the Eqaharians reached the Crystal Empire before the two away teams could accomplish their mission, the Empire would be forced to unleash a massive, sub-zero temperature blizzard as a last resort, to flash-freeze anyone outside their defensive shield.
And that included the Ghosts if they didn't either accomplish their mission, or should the target commander escape, get past the shield before the blizzard would reach full strength.
At most, the Ghosts had two hours to finish this mission and return safely to the Empire.
"No pressure, gentlemen." Griffin had said once the two away teams had deployed aboard a helicopter about an hour ago.
"Alright Ghosts, we're on the clock here in t-minus three, two, one...now." Hunter Lead ordered as the Ghosts set their clocks. "We all know our orders, so let's get to it."
"Understood, sir." the other Ghosts replied. As the Ghosts headed out for the ridge that lay above the Eqaharian's siege camp, Pepper took aim with his M110, surveying the camp's four guard towers and four entry checkpoints.
"It's not going to be easy getting in." Pepper noted. "Any alert going out will signal them to start the attack on the Crystal Empire. We can't be seen or heard here."
"And we can't drop any hostiles either." Fury added. "In a camp that size, any bodies we drop are going to be found pretty quickly. What's the plan, Hunter Lead?"
Hunter Lead was silent for a few moments, before he spoke up that he had an idea.
"What might that be?" Cyclone Lead asked.
"That siege engine there's our way in." Hunter Lead motioned to a very large, wheeled object equipped with a mounted repeating crossbow that was being assembled outside the camp. It was made from wood and metal plates, and had two entry doors on the left and right. Through his scope, Pepper could see it was being connected to a troop transport wagon.
"That probably has room for all eight of us." Fixit noted. "We probably can't be detected if we're inside that thing."
"Plus, it's their own tech." Kozak noted. "It won't seem out of place once we get into the camp."
"Then let's move." Hunter Lead said. "Double time it."
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The two soldiers guarding the dig site were occupied by playing a board game of some kind that resembled mancala, and the engineer working on the connector between the battlewagon and the transport cart was focused on his work.
So focused, that he didn't hear the muffled groans of pain from the pair of guards, who had been sync-shotted by Cyclone Lead and Hunter Lead. Kozak quickly grabbed and secured the engineer with zip-ties as the other Ghosts boarded the battlewagon.
"You can understand what I'm saying, right?" Kozak whispered. The engineer nodded back quickly.
"You're going to get us inside, and take this thing to whoever your commander is. If you try to give us away, we'll shoot you and do it ourselves. Got it?"
The Guard nodded frantically in response. Kozak shepherded the engineer inside, and one he was secure, the Ghosts soon found this siege engine was powered by a railway lever cart's pull-bar, and both Fixit and Kozak stepped up to work it, and Hunter lead took hold of the steering bar.
"Let's go." Hunter Lead said as the Ghosts brought the battlewagon into the camp. Through the viewports, the Ghosts could see soldiers stockpiling melee weapons, racks of bows, and quivers full of arrows.
Also visible were racks of their obsidian armor, and a prisoner stockade lined with chains and pillories. Fury growled in displeasure, remembering the brothel where they rescued Fluttershy had similar instruments in its dungeon.
"Quiet, Fury." Cyclone Lead said. "We're here to make sure that no one else has to go through that. Focus up."
"Yes, sir." Fury replied, settling back into her seat. As the engine approached the command campsite, they were stopped by two Guards in armor.
"You're up." Cyclone spoke to their prisoner, who quickly informed the Guards that the siege engine was ready for a personal inspection by "General Madras", and the Guards allowed them to pass.
"General Madras, huh?" 30K said. "Is that who's in charge here?"
The engineer quietly said yes, after being prodded by the stock of Hunter Lead's HK417.
"What's he look like?" Fury asked. The engineer replied that the Generals all wore a command sash of gold and red, and their armor was painted with similarly colored stripes.
"Thanks for that." Fury said, knocking him out and gagging him with the engineer's own sweat towel. "Get ready", she added as they came to a stop. "Looks like their inspection team is here."
As four soldiers looked over the wagon, a stallion wearing the armor described by the engineer came out and began to speak with one of the soldiers, demanding to know why the wagon wasn't with the other siege engines at the front of the camp.
"Cover's about to be blown." Vasily said. "Should we set up sync shots?"
"Negative." Cyclone replied. "Keep it quiet. We've got one chance at this, so let's make sure it's all we need."
The Guards responded that they didn't know, and that the driver told them that it needed to be inspected by the General himself. The General scoffed and began to look it over from the left, and as he approached the right side entrance door, the Ghosts already had their weapons ready.
There were five suppressed gunshots, and all five hostiles fell dead. The Ghosts dragged the bodies inside the wagon, and then radioed Griffin to report that General Madras was KIA.
"Good work." Mitchell replied. "Now see what you can do about the remaining siege engines before getting out. You don't have much time."
"Check." Hunter Lead said. As they moved towards the exit for the command camp, and then towards the siege engines' staging area, Cyclone Lead began prepping the Ghosts' parting gift for the Eqaharains.
A remote-detonation capable package of thermite. As they stopped next to an array of siege engines like the one they currently occupied, Cyclone quickly opened the door to the adjacent wagon, tossed the thermite in, and set the charge.
"Let's book it." he said simply. As the Ghosts moved out on foot, cloaking themselves for good measure, they soon reached their exfil point, a clearing above the ridge, invisible to the Eqaharian camp.
A Blackhawk soon landed, and as the Ghosts boarded, Cyclone Lead readied the detonator for thermite charge.
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The Eqaharians were in quite a panic as the Ghosts safely reached the Empire. Upon realizing their General was nowhere to be found, they began searching the entire camp, every inch of it, for him or his guards. The General was the only one that knew their unit's direction of attack for the assault on the Empire, and not finding him would be catastrophic.
After all, the other two units in the assault were relying on their siege engines to break the line and clear a path for the infantry to take the Crystal Empire.
As they checked the interiors of all the siege engines, two soldiers found the General's body, along with the bodies of his personal guard. But before they could raise the alarm or even scream…the thermite charge detonated.
The resulting fire began to spread very quickly, consuming the wooden frames of the other siege engines. As the alarm went out and the soldiers began attempting to combat the flames, it was soon realized they were too late.
The siege engines, once thought to be the key for an Eqaharian victory, were reduced to smoldering timbers, still-burning ash, and burnt metal. Not only that, the fire had begun to spread to other sections of the camp. Including the medical tent, the armory, and the command center.
It took quite some time to extinguish the flames with magic, and the remaining soldiers looked on in despair. Then, the messengers sent to alert the General to begin his assault arrived...and promptly turned and ran back to wherever they had come from.
Later, Prince Hector would look upon the remains in fury and shame, as he realized that he had failed his father for the first time. The siege engines were lost, along with the materials to rebuild them.
Their weapons, medical supplies, and their command center were scorched beyond any use.
It was a near-total loss. The Prince, in his rage, decimated the remaining soldiers, executing one out of every ten soldiers that remained alive, and shamefully gave the order for the two remaining units to retreat to safe territory.
For all their preparation and hopes to conquer the last Equestrian holdout had been lost in the fire. As the Eqaharians returned to Canterlot in defeat and disgrace, Hector's heart seethed with fury, a wish for revenge, and above all, fear.
Fear for what his father would do to him as a result of his failure to take the Crystal Empire.
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As the Crystal Empire celebrated into the night, the Ghosts conferred with Lt. Colonel Mitchell and Prince Shining Armor.
"Good work, gentlemen." Mitchell said. "We've gotten the upper hand, but there's still more to do. We have two of the Elements of Harmony still to recover from the enemy in Manehattan, Princess Twilight is still a prisoner in Canterlot, and King Diomedas, along with Prince Hector, still hold power."
"But we've finally been able to declare the Crystal Empire secure from further attacks. There have been mass breakouts in multiple hostile prison camps, the Eqaharian army is spread thin, and we've got a solid advantage in this fight."
"Enjoy this party while you can, because tomorrow, we hit Manehattan and secure the Elements of Laughter and Generosity. We leave at dawn, so don't stay up late. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!" the Ghosts replied.