TF Amethyst

TFA1 1.4 - Operation Little Guest

Vex was on his way to Aviation Combat Group HQ, when two M1152 Personnel Carrier dropped a dozen children in front of Medic Quarter. He immediately rubbed his eyes to make sure there was nothing wrong with his vision.

"Why did OPL personnel let a group of children entered this place?" Vex said as he hurried up toward the Medic Quarter's lobby.

"Well well well, Mr. Vex, what can we do to help you?"

A man in his early 30s, wearing a multicam combat dress and a white coat that signified he was a doctor greeted Vex with a friendly tone, but it was clearly visible that his smile did not reach up to his eyes.

Meanwhile, dark lines appeared on Vex’s forehead. He got a feeling that the officer who was in charge of Medic Quarter was deliberately guarding the lobby in anticipation of his arrival.

"Major Shade, how could a dozen children enter this facility?"

"A bunch of kids got lost near OPL. The personnel on duty didn't know what they had to do and brought them here. Now, we're making sure they're all right."

"What if the children are herded by a party who wanted a justification to come in here?"

Major Shade shrugged his shoulders before casually speaking, "Well, it’s above my pay grade, and I believe GCG will take care of it."

'This is the reason why I can’t get along with idiots from Medic Quarters. They do exist to save lives, but they don't differentiate between friends, strangers, or even opposing personnel who should be sent into afterlife,' Vex muttered inwardly before saying, "The children must be returned to where they were found."

"XO, they're not a bunch of puppies you find by road side."

"I know."

"XO, currently these children no longer have home or parents. Give me a few days to arrange a place for them, and I'll make sure there won't be any accidents the next time you get hurt and being treated here."

Vex ignored Major Shade's threat before walking towards the ward where children's voices could be heard, and as soon as he passed the door his gaze immediately met a girl who was talking to a female paramedic.

In an instant, Vex's heart trembled violently. The little girl blonde hair and blue eyes reminded him of Nicole, his only daughter who he had last seen was around nine years ago, when she was only four years old.

"I must be hallucinating," Vex muttered before taking a half-run out of Medic Quarter. 

Vex then continued his walk to ACG HQ. However, in the middle of the road he turned his steps into a hangar, or to be precise to the telephone attached next to its door.

---  

Main Operations Control Room, 3rd of Floor Main Building, Harley Quinn MOA

General O'Neil was observing activity around FOC South 860 when the phone on his desk rang. Without delay he immediately grabbed the receiver.

"O'Neil here."

[I have to mobilize some elements, and it will speed up the discovery of Harley Quinn's presence.]

General O'Neil was silent for a moment. He recalled that Vex had an authority to mobilize 1200 composite personnel without his permission. It was enough to form a Battalion Landing Team or Airborne Combat Battalion. Therefore, question marks filled his mind to the brim. 

"Vex, how big power projection do you need?"

[Three QRF squads with support for aerial observation, air cover, and airlift with fully armed escorts.]

"I don't see why you need my authorization to mobilize that power."

[My action could get TF Amethyst into a major conflict before Operation Southeast Triangle is complete.]

"Well, my job is only to determine where we will hit the opposing force and how much damage to be made. You are the one who has to think about the assets to be used, the personnel to be involved, the deployment method, quota of ammunition, fuel, or other technical details.

If a conflict occurs before our preparations are complete, then your task will be three times more complicated, but if you don't have a problem with that, so do I."

[Understood, and thank you.]

"Okay."

Click!

General O'Neil hung up the receiver before casually looking back at the monitor, as if the conversation with Vex had never happened.

---  

Main Operations Control Room, 3rd Floor of Main Building, Harley Quinn MOA

Lt. Colonel Julius was pensive. He couldn’t shake the image of the captured villagers. Then, a captain came over to him and handed over a high-priority Deployment Order.

'Is XO kidding me?' asked Lt. Colonel Julius before once again he checked the Deployment Order.

=== // === // === // === // ===

Deployment Order A1

Call sign: Little Guest

Target: A group of horsemen who attacked the settlement west of OPL.

Executor: 3 Squads of QRF elements, 4 personnel of Para rescue, support elements.

Configuration: hot pursuit, hostage rescue, the potential use of sound suppressor, the potential use of NVG, airstrike using smart ammunition.

Support:

 => Aerial Observation: MQ-9 Reaper, P-8 Poseidon

=> Aerial Cover: 4 units F/A-18E Super Hornets

=> Airlift: 3 units CH-47J Chinooks, 1 unit UH-1Y Venom

=> Escort: 1 unit OH-58N Kiowa Warriors, 1 unit AH-1Z Viper

Briefing: QRF Hangar, by XO.

Signed, XO.

=== // === // === // === // ===

'I have to hurry. Reapers will need operations supervisors, pilots, sensor operators, and intel analysts. I also need a communications specialist, an IDG officer, a QRF officer, and a few other personnel.'

Lt. Colonel Julius immediately rose to his feet, and as he turned to look at General O'Neil, the old general gave him a small nod. In steady steps, Lt. Colonel Julius then rushed to one of backup Operations Control Rooms.

---

A patch of triple-canopy forest, 10 km west of OPL W115

A 9-man infantry squad moved with extra vigilance under the shadowy forest. The first layer consisted of 5 personnel who spread out 2 meters from each other, led by Corporal Twig the deputy of squad commander. The second layer consisted of 4 personnel who took a distance of 5 meters behind the first layer, led by Sergeant Heins the squad commander.

The target of this infantry squad was a settlement located 800 meters from their positions. The settlement was surrounded by open space except on its west side, where the triple-canopy forest was located.

The OH-58N Kiowa Warrior which escorted their deployment detected six heat signatures at the center of the settlement, and an indescribable weak heat signature at the eastern end.

However, thermal sensor on OH-58N couldn’t penetrate the dense of triple-canopy forest on the west of the settlement. So Sergeant Heinz decided to approach the settlement through the forest in order to simultaneously comb and neutralize any potential surprises.

Sergeant Heinz's decision was correct. Corporal Twig who was in front of him suddenly gave a stop sign and asked him to come closer.

"Para-para, 50 meters at 1 o'clock, largest tree, third branch from below, approx. 2 weasels. Semi-bunker, 70 meters at 11 o'clock, next to a small hump, approx. 4 weasels."

Sergeant Heinz switched the low-light scope on his HK416A5 to thermal sensor mode before observing the two locations Corporal Twig mentioned. He then gave instructions by pointing out the weasels' locations before drawing a horizontal line around his neck.

Without delay, Corporal Twig then moved forward with a HK MG416 gunner and an HK M110A1 shooter. At the same time, Sergeant Heinz ordered the rest of the squad to take a wide formation and watch the movement around the area.

---  

Semi-bunker, Weasels’ Lookout.

Ritz was watching the area while calculating the money he would get from the slave hunt. Over the past month, his group managed to send hundreds of captures to slave traders in Rowane Region. As for today, his group got an additional 46 villagers who would arrive at their base this afternoon.

After the contingent was sent to the slave traders, the hunting would be completed and he would receive his reward.

'Well, the girls I enjoyed during this operation were quite satisfying. But the main appeal of this operation is still money. '

Ritz cheerfully made plans for the money he would receive, when repeated short flashes suddenly appeared not far from his position. In the dimly lit forest, a single spark could be seen from a great distance. So the flash was striking even though he heard no sound. 

A moment later, Ritz's two colleagues who guarded the para-para fell to the ground along with wood chips, twigs, and leaves, and then lay motionlessly. But Ritz did not panic, he was sure the opposing force had not yet realized his position. He immediately warned his colleagues who were lazing around.

"Enemies, 60 meters, one person is spotted."

Without delay, Ritz's colleagues quietly prepared their crossbows. Altogether they had 4 crossbows and 60 bolts. Their basic set up was two men would shoot and the other two would reload so that the shot could be fired without pause.

"Now, we just have to wait until they get into crossbow's range."

Ritz calmly muttered when another flash appeared from a different position, and suddenly the colleague beside him squeezed his chest while moaning, then fell into a huddle and stopped moving.

Followed by a second flash that caused blood to gush from the back of his other comrade's head. Then, the third flash that made his last comrade clutches his neck and chokes on his own blood. And finally the fourth flash, followed by his fading consciousness.

Within three seconds, Ritz and his three colleagues were being sent across into afterlife.

---

When the four glowing silhouettes displayed by thermal sensor turned black, the HK M110A1 shooter immediately gave a hand signal that the four weasels had been eliminated.

Meanwhile, Sergeant Heinz and the rest of the squad carefully swept the area using thermal sensors, but they had to be disappointed. There was no movement other than the birds that were flying to all directions.

"Do body checks, record the lookout structures, and maintain vigilance as some weasels may escape our surveillance."

Wasting no time Sergeant Heinz's men executed the orders. Body checks were being carried out carefully while the para-para and semi-bunker’s shape and size were documented in detail, complete with sketches. The shooter even recorded both weasel’s lookouts using video feature on his rifle scope.

Not long after that the movement was resumed. However, until they reached the outer boundary of the settlement they encountered no other opposition.

*****