TF Amethyst

TFA1 3.5 - Versus Contact

Air Space, 20 km north of Harley Quinn.

09:00, 12 April 2024

Four C-130J Super Hercules flew at an altitude of 480 meters above the ground in two rows. Each Hercules carried two logistics pallets, an LAV Shorad, and the LAV's crew. In short, the flight of Hercules was carrying an armored reconnaissance element with callsign Willy Fox. Its objective was conducting a jump on full combat load, and then patrolling Outer Protection Line on the north of Harley Quinn.

In the lead Hercules on the left, Captain Stark sat quietly while chewing gum. When he was still an active duty in 82nd Airborne Division, he participated in several combat jumps with LAV-25 in the mix. Therefore, he was aware it was not a simple jump and quite dangerous actually.

Years ago, in a night airdrop on the border of A-Stan and I-Ran, he was tasked to lead the security element. He and his men had to jump first and provide the physical space for the vehicles and its crew so they could do the combat preparation in a sterile area. In other words, the vehicles were dropped inside the security element's Dropping Zone.

In his life, Captain Stark had never ran so hard to move away from a Dropping Zone, when someone shouted that they were bringing in several LAV-25 with the wind went in the unwanted direction.

If the LAV dropped correctly, he had thirty seconds to see to which way the wind was blowing and stepped away from the drag track. However, if the LAV's parachutes didn't bloom perfectly, he only had ten second before an LAV pounds him like a hammer.

Then, relief instantly filled Captain Stark's heart as he managed to dodge the falling LAV-25. But a moment later, he heard over the radio that two of his company members had mishap.

One was a platoon commander. An LAV-25 hit him and half of his body turned into tomato sauce. The unfortunate Lieutenant dislocated his right ankle during the landing, and failed to step away from the drag track.

The second fallen soldier was a private who joined his unit a few days before. The unfortunate private was still trying to take off his parachute when an LAV-25 fell on him. That very day, Captain Stark stopped praying to God.

Airborne operations were inherently high risk and complex operations, and the dangerous level went up several folds when heavy assets like armored vehicles were added to the mix. Even US Army top brass would only launch airborne operations when Jarhead was not available for a hundred miles from the area of operation.

Then, finally the light on Hercules’s cabin turned red, while the ramp door slowly opened. In an instant, Captain Stark let out a deep breath.

'At least TF Amethyst using a procedure where the personnel jump last.'

Without delay, Captain Stark then ordered the final check.

---  

Other than Vehicle Commander, Driver, and Gunner. LAV Shorads usually also carried a pair of scout snipers, whose job was to check and prevent choke points from being used as ambush site by opposing force. As soon as they arrived on the ground, each personnel immediately carried out their designated duties.

Scout Sniper immediately secured the perimeter. They knelt down, watching the sector they were responsible for and ready to receive warning from MQ-9 Reaper circling in the sky.

Meanwhile, the driver filled the fuel tank and started the LAV Shorad's engine. At the same time, the commander vehicle and gunner worked hand in hand to install RIwP remote turret, followed by weapons, sensors, radar, antenna communications, before finally turned the integrated digital system and network on.

Within 12 minutes, all LAV Shorad were ready for combat and connected to Command Center on Harley Quinn. Willy Fox’s personnel also left nothing. They folded the parachute they just used, and then tied it to the side of LAV Shorad, along with neatly bundled pieces of wooden pallets.

Wasting no time, the four LAV Shorads were closing in and form a defensive perimeter. Then, Captain Stark had just reported to Harley Quinn that the jump was successful when Reaper sent a warning.

[Sky Eye to Willy Fox, be advise, multiple unidentified bowmen closing in from your left, 200 meters, do you copy?]

'What the… How did they sneak up on us so close undetected?'

Captain Stark grumbled and he just about to press PTT button when one of the scout snipers shouted a warning.

"Contact left! Incoming arrows!!"

In an instant, all Willy Fox’s personnel docked and knelt on the right side of LAV Shorad. With pounding hearts they waited for the salvo of arrows raining down their positions to stop. Then, they immediately scrambled to enter their LAV Shorad.

"Sir, requesting permission to launch retaliate fire, confirm."

"Light them up!" Captain Stark calmly replied.

The Gunner immediately directed the 30 mm M230 Chain-gun at the bushes where the salvo of arrows came from, then selected Air Burst – Tracer round, and pressed the trigger.

The 30 mm AB-T projectile was guided by a laser range finder and computer, where the detonation could be set at a distance of 0.5 - 3 meters from the target. Its damage potential was equivalent to a high fragmentation grenade. However, with a velocity at 805 m/s, the damage potential increased four times.

Even though he didn't see any human silhouettes, Gunner occasionally saw a light pink mist spraying to the air and it made him excited. At the same time, Captain Stark ordered two LAV Shorad to press forward, followed by two others with a slightly wide formation, ready to respond to an unexpected surprise.

However, the salvo of arrows last only for a few seconds. After Reaper confirmed that there was no more opposition in the area, the scout sniper carried out a site inspection, and all they could find were minced meat and pool of bloods made from around 40 humans.

One of the Scout Snipers then brought Captain Stark to examine a hole connected to an underground tunnel.

"No wonder they managed to sneak up on us. Fortunately, we suffered no casualties from their ambush.”

"Yeah." The scout sniper nodded slightly, and then pointed to a trail of blood near the tunnel entrance. "Two people, 15-20 minutes before their death. I can catch up to them, give them medical treatment, and then interrogate them."

Captain Stark firmly shook his head.  "Negative, we have no intel about opposition in this tunnel. Let’s wait for Command Center to decide the next step.”

"Roger."

The scout sniper was disappointed, but he said nothing further.

*****