Chapter 171

Mountains surrounding Jaffa stronghold

Military operations are known throughout history for their precise timing, and incredible level of organization. This simple truth was the same today as it had been when the mighty legions of Rome had ruled over the lands surrounding the Mediterranean. Had Julius Caesar been alive today, he would have been impressed with the effort being displayed by the Tauri on Goronak. Instead of crossing the English Channel in wooden triremes, the forces of NATO arrived on foreign soil courtesy of Asgard technology.

This same Asgard transport beaming technology made possible the fortified camps dotting the mountainsides above the Jaffa. Large camps dotted the peaks, while smaller camps formed a defensive line below the larger ones. Ringing each of these camps was an intricate series of mine fields. Beyond these mine fields lay rows and rows of concertina wire and spring steel razor wire. Trees preventing clear fields of fire were also beamed out and put to use reinforcing the construction of each camp.

The walls of these camps were composed of Hesco barriers. These heavy wire barriers were lined with thick vinyl sheeting. Each of these eight feet tall and six feet wide wire boxes was filled with soil, rock, and other fill dirt leveled by the transporter to create each encampment. Piles of excess soil were also present to act as filler for the myriad of empty sandbags eagerly awaiting their arriving guests.

Highest of all on the mountain rage sat the artillery encampments. These camps were as heavily fortified as those that would be home to infantry troops. Where they differed was in the leveled areas inside the fortifications meant for each howitzer that would be on the ground shortly. Soon, M777 howitzers would rest on these earthen pads, ready for the fire missions sure to come. Similarities between the two types of camps could be found in the room like areas formed with Hesco walls and timber roofs. Clearly the two Athena's that had brought the Rakkasan's to Goronak had been busy during the wait for the remainder of the ground force.

Nine miles behind this series of fortifications lay a third and unique encampment. Referred to in military parlance as an Airhead, this encampment would be home to the assorted rotary wing assets each NATO unit was known to travel with. Soon, Blackhawks, Chinooks, Apache's, Kiowa Warriors, and Medevac birds would dot the mountain valley turned fortress. Army air power had come to this corner of the galaxy in a big way.

In spectacular displays of silver light, men began to appear in their assigned encampments. While men of the 1st Battalion of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment appeared in their new homes, miles away on another ridgeline the men of 45 Commando 3rd Brigade Royal Marines appeared in their own enclave. Artillery and Aviation units also soon began to appear. On high mountain peaks Patriot antiaircraft batteries of the Air Defense Artillery were next up. The race to establish the largest forced entry of Allied forces since WWII was on.

Silently stalking through the wooded mountainside, far below the action unfolding in the expanding Tauri area of operations, was a five seven man patrol from Bravo Company, 3/187th. Having arrived on Goronak as the vanguard of the Tauri invasion, the soldiers of 3rd Brigade 101st Airborne Division had maintained constant patrols while holding their landing zone. Unsure of Jaffa activity, the seven man patrol delved into the bush and formed their LGOP, otherwise known as little group of paratroopers.

Five hours into a nine hour patrol, the men had seen nothing but trees, more trees, with a smattering of trees thrown in for good measure. This type of monotony was the worst sort of punishment a soldier could endure. Everything continually looking the same, the men soon found themselves drifting into the drone zone; that wakeful state when your body is active but the brain begins to tune out. Had the men been more alert, they might have taken note of the sudden hush that came over the birds in the area.

Sergeant Mike Linder had other things on his mind at the moment. The timing of this deployment simply didn't work for him. After months of effort, the twenty two year old Sergeant had finally made headway with the cute girl who worked at the GameStop outside of Ft. Campbell. She was a gamer, he was a gamer. He liked movies, she liked movies. She was hot, and he liked hot women. It was a match made in heaven Linder thought. Being deployed for who knows how long, Linder was more than irritated at the thought of some local townie 'getting up on his lady' as he put it.

Five years before, at the rip old age of seventeen, Linder had enlisted in the Army with the idea that he was hardcore. Biding his time at the School of Infantry in the blistering South Georgia heat, he had breezed through initial training. From there it was on to Airborne School, and after that Ranger School, both on Ft. Benning in that same South Georgia heat. Graduating with his Ranger tab, he came to a stark realization. All the things that look cool in movies are not so fun when you had to do them in real life.

This one revelation forever altered Linder's chosen career path in the Army. Instead of accepting the posting to 2nd Ranger Battalion that was offered, he instead went another way. From high speed to low speed was how he liked to put it. He found himself assigned to the 101st, and it was there he wanted to stay, until a recruiter slot came open that is. Thinking it over as he patrolled the mountainside, perhaps he should have taken that assignment in Korea he had fought so hard to get out of.

The tone of an infantry squad is set by its squad leader. In some cases that is a very good thing, but in this case it was far from that. Five hours into the patrol, Linder lost all concern over noise discipline and spacing between his men. The new boot Private, straight out of the Infantry School, was walking beside his Sergeant. So far the conversation had covered everything subject from what the real words to most Pearl Jam songs really were, to the ongoing debate about what the ingredients in a McRib really were.

Brining his foot over a fallen tree, Linder was going on at length about the merits of the Taco Bell late night menu when weapons fire erupted from the upslope of the mountainside. A raspy gasp could be heard in the air. Turning his head towards the Private, the Sergeant saw the smoking hole in the now dead young soldier's chest.

"Ambush!" Linder yelled.

Training taking hold, the remaining six men dove for cover. Opening up with their M4's and the lone M249 Squad Automatic Weapon they had with them, the men sought out their attackers. Scanning their fields of fire, nothing was visible. As the men settled in for a firefight, energy weapons fire erupted from the direction the squad had just come from. The nearest three soldiers to this new attack oriented in its direction and opened fire.

Rising to a knee while leveling his M4 at the Jaffa rushing from the flank, Linder attempted to rally his men. He had to live! He had a hot girlfriend! He had preordered Uncharted 3 for Playstation! Somehow, someway, he would pull his men out of this threat. In his field of view he took note of three Jaffa felled by weapons fire. Knowing he had lost the initiative in this battle, he had to act. In his periphery he saw a flash of movement. Turning his head to take sight of what it might be, the butt end of a staff weapon slammed into his face, and everything faded to darkness.