The Great War - Part Three
#3 of The Great War
A little time has passed. News reports will keep you up to date on the smaller events unfolding in the world. Again, this is a melting pot of ideas. A big thank you goes out to Tom Clancy for the inspiration to write certain parts of this chapter, and to do some research into some of the places that events in the story take place in. If you are underage, go directly to Google. Do not pass go, do not collect $200.
Part 3 - Into the Motherland
CNN Broadcast, July 2012 - With the deaths of 16 million in Tehran and the near annihilation of the 75th Ranger Regiment, the White House announced today the recall of US troops to bases in Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Saudi Arabia, saying that a regroup is needed to stem the tide of "new terrorist" cells which are to blame for the destruction of Iraq and Iran, who had just started cooperating with US efforts in the region.
Fox News, July 2012 - The USS Enterprise was attacked today in the Persian Gulf while aiding in the hunt for Somalian pirates. While the carrier and her escorts were able to drive off the aggressors, casualties in the fleet are not yet released to the public.
Fox News, August 2012 - Mysterious attacks have started happening in Kuwait and Afghanistan with no survivors reported from any attack. US forces seem powerless to stop these attacks, with a squadron of F-16 fighters lost already from responses to calls for aid. Also, in what is called the biggest run-away fire in recorded history, a warehouse fire is reported to be the cause of the fire that is now burning its way thru Mogadishu in Somalia.
Associated Press, October 2012 - Reports from the White House indicate a complete troop withdrawal from the Middle East and Africa to be completed in five days. The apparent link between this withdraw and the August fire in Mogadishu, the attacks in Kuwait and Afghanistan, and the attack on the USS Enterprise in the Persian Gulf by unknown forces are fueling rumors that there is much more to this situation than meets the eye.
MSNBC, November, 2012 - In a shocking announcement to Congress today, the President has requested that a total of $14 Billion be put towards military research and development, stating a future need to combat the enemies of the United States and the free world. Given that Afghanistan and several bordering nations have gone silent, Congress immediately approved the measure.
January, 2013
Saphyra hums to herself as she flies in the night air, looking around. They had finally left the desert behind, and were now in semi temperate land. Russia, This is what the humans called, A nice place. Cynder is flying with her, along with another dragoness, a pure white Crystal dragon named Diamond. She tilts her head towards Saphyra. "You're humming those human songs again." She says. Saphyra blinks, and realizes she was. Somehow she knew the name of the song. 'Dust in the Wind by Kansas. She wonders what a Kansas is. It's obviously a band, but did they name themselves after something? She looks back at her friend.
"Sorry. I don't know how these songs keep getting into my head. I've never heard them before." She says, then focuses on her flying.
"You're a bit off ever since you tried taking that human." Cynder says, the same thing she said yesterday, and two days before, when they found Saphyra humming songs she couldn't know.
Saphyra shrugs. "I'd much rather hum songs and have you think I'm losing my mind than have that bastard trying to touch me again." She says, shuddering. A slight chuckle comes from above, where a red Inferno is flying. A smaller dragon, but one who specializes in throwing out fire.
"Yeah, that scar will last a while, tho." Gharna says to her. "And everyone will see it, which makes it that much better." Saphyra growls a little at the memory.
"Perhaps he'll learn to not try it again." She indulges in a few choice curses about the general before looking around. "Anyone see a place for us to stop at?" She asks, to which Diamond nods, turning off, the others following her in for a landing behind a hill nearby.
"The refinery should be just beyond the horizon over that way." She says, motioning. Saphyra nods.
"Get to work then."
Sitting back on her haunches, Diamond focuses, her energy rippling around her as she calls up her magical power. Then, with a flick of her finger, she releases it, and fifteen golems pop out of the ground. "Go." She says. "Run fast and far, past the refinery, and draw the attention of its guards." She says. The golems turn as one and thunder off towards the distance.
"How much should this hurt these humans? 45% of their refining?" Gharna looks at Cynder, who she thinks knows the answer to her question.
"More like 60%, if those Afghans we captured are not lieing to us." Saphyra shakes her head.
"We took their minds. They could not lie. These humans are foolish to put most of their precious oil refining machines in one place. We will make them pay for it. Without their war machines, we can finish them off quickly."
The golems run straight and fast, and upon sighting the refinery they are to skirt passed, stop and hurl parts of themselves straight at the guard post, hitting one of the buildings and flattening it, along with the three men inside.
The noise does not go unnoticed, and the alarm klaxons start going off. Soon men and helicopters are moving out, chasing the golems east, and away from the four dragons coming in low. "If I remember right, oil is really flammable." Diamond says. Saphyra grins in her wolfish way.
"Cynder, Gharna, light it up." She orders. "Diamond, come high with me, we'll take down any of the human fliers who come close to us." With that, the group splits in two, Cynder and Gharna going in low, bathing lines full of oil and petroleum products with fire, moving fast enough that as the pipes go up, one at a time, they are not caught themselves. It only takes them one pass, and the chain reaction is started. All four dragons get clear, no human air cover harassing them at all, and watch as the refining complex is wracked with explosions, millions of gallons of oil and fuel going up, and the central control room itself exploding, the fire raining down from the sky into the nearby worker city, turning Nizhnevartovsk into a single massive fire.Gharna and Cynder meet up with the other two.
"I think that's the biggest explosion I've ever made." Gharna says, unable to stop grinning, getting Diamond and Saphyra both to roll their eyes.
"Come on, time to leave before the humans come back here in force." Saphyra says, promptly turning and heading south, the others not far behind, their shapes obscured in the night sky thanks to the inferno behind them. Soon enough, Saphyra starts humming again, even singing some, and this time, it's a song the others have heard before from her. "I've got faith...of the heart..."
"I'm goin' where my heart will take me!" Captain Davis sings, badly, in the shower in time with the song on the radio, unknowingly echoing the dragoness all the way across the world as he washes his hair. He has gotten himself some leave time after seeing his squadron wiped out and eaten in mid-air over Tehran, and it's just about over. His being shot down over Tehran got him sent to a new squadron, and his downing of two dragons with a combination of all his missiles and cannon shots got him command of said new squadron. The only thing with a new squadron forming up is that you have to name it and train it. But what to call his squadron? His flying and his affinity for Ace Combat 5 had already gained him the call sign of 'Razgriz', but now he had a whole squadron to come up with a name for, and since the squad name in the game was taken...An idea hits him, and he looks to his face in the mirror with a grin. It was so obvious a squadron name it probably wasn't taken. "Rogue." he says to the face, grinning. The grin is still there, amazingly, when he gives the idea to the base commander.
"You're kidding, right?" He asks, to which Davis shakes his head.
"No sir. It makes perfect sense. We're all gathered up from the few squadrons who have fought the dragons." He says. The commander sits back and turns, looking out the window at his base, Holloman AFB, and all the desert of New Mexico beyond.
"It's so obvious that I am sure no one has taken it." The commander smirks. "I never took you for a Star Wars fan." He turns to face Davis. "Very well, congratulations on your new command. Make sure Rogue squadron lives up to the hype." he says. Davis salutes.
"We will sir." He says. The commander, a full bird colonel, salutes back, and Davis turns to leave. "By the way, sir." Davis says, stopping with the door half open. "I was always more partial to Star Trek." He says.
"Get outta here." The commander says, dismissing him with a smile and a wave of his hand. Davis is gone, striding down the hallway with a big idiotic grin on his face.
The grin lasts about as long as it takes him to get to the television in the squadron lounge, where a story about a terrorist attack on Nizhnevartovsk is being aired. "The reports are still coming in, but it's estimated that all four hundred thousand of the residents in the nearby village were killed in the fire resulting from the explosions that killed everyone on the field." Davis knows better. He knows its not a terrorist. As do all the other squad members, all of them having seen combat against the dragons at one point or another. "What do you think?" Davis asks. "A celestial? Maybe one of their burners?" The squadron's second nods.
"Makes sense. Maybe a Crystal or two to bring up a distraction." Davis watches the news report for another fifteen minutes before he stands up.
"Alright Rogues, we got us a squadron full of F-22s with a bunch of experimental shit in them." He says, everyone getting up, and more than a few looks shooting off towards him at the squadron name. "We gotta go out there and see if we can't make them work." A hand goes up. "Yeah, what's up Svenson?" The young pilot grins at him.
"Who's Luke and who's Wedge." Davis scowls a bit, putting on a show.
"Here I thought we had a good squadron, and we end up having a Star Wars guy. Get your asses out to your planes." He says, laughter coming along as they all head out towards the hangar.
Saphyra lands with her three wing mates before Slate in the morning, the general looking at Saphyra. He still has eyes for her, but then again, he still has the visible scars, which draw a few looks from Gharna and Diamond, discreetly, of course. "Excellent work at Niznevr...Nizhvor...at the refinery, Saphyra." He says, giving up on the Russian name. "Now, I want you to link up with a detachment of our ground force slaves and a set of golems here." He says, showing a point on a mental map he has sent out by a Terra dragon nearby to all in a small radius. "With them, you will advance to here..." Another point. "...and annihilate any humans foolish enough to get in your way. Questions?" Saphyra doesn't even look away from the map.
"Do we take more 'volunteers' for our ground forces?" The general grins toothily. "Only those who surrender, but don't put yourself out." He says. Saphyra nods and turns. "Oh, and Saphyra." He says. "The Queen tells me that I should tell you to be 'more feminine.'" Saphyra growls at that and looks at the general.
"You can tell my mother that she should know better than to think I'd ever be interested in such a pompous ass as yourself." With that, she leaves, her three wing mates following.
Everything is silent until they are in the air and out of sight of the dragon gathering. Cynder is the first to speak. "I'm sure your mom didn't say anything of the sort." She says, trying to reassure.
"I know." Saphyra says. "It's just aggravating how much he lies. It's like he knows how much political power he has." She says. "One day, he'll pay for it tho." She puts on more speed, eager to reach this new point and find out if that human was going to fight her today. She could think of nothing better than to win out against that human's resistance and have him serve her for the rest of his short life. That makes her feel better, but then, why wouldn't it? It's pretty much the only obstacle she's ever had in her life that she hasn't overcome.
Five hours later, after meticulously planning out how she would take over the human and make him into her pet human, and along the way meeting up with her force and marching them along, she brings the group to ground before the ground force, which promptly forms up around them. "Make bed for the night!" She calls out with her mind to her underlings. They immediately mill about a bit before clearing patches to sleep on, an even dozen going out to hunt for their smaller groups. Saphyra settles down, knowing the ground commander will bring food for the dragons. Sure enough, deer are brought, and after all the dragons eat, the girls settle in for the night, discussing things such as where they are going, what they'll do when they get there, and then, Saphyra's budding obsession in capturing that human, much to her dismay. Even with all of that, however, Saphyra goes to sleep with a song in the far corner of her mind, after going all day without one.
The sun's morning rays wake Saphyra, along with her entire contingent of troops. Yawning and stretching, she rises up. "Up girls." She says, bumping Diamond under her neck. "We have a little ways to travel today if we are to meet up with the army outside Moscow."
The Russians, knowing their oil supplies were dwindling very quickly, did something very smart. They withdrew their Army to their cities, setting up in defensible locations where the tanks wouldn't need to move much, and preparing to fight off what they believed to be a ground based force. They expected light air cover, and missile fuel was one thing they had an abundance of. Foreign journalists swarmed all over the city's defenses, sending off reports to their home countries that Russia was ready to fight the invasion and could hold out until foreign imports of oil arrived to allow them to pursue the beaten enemy back to where they came from. An American reporter was standing near a T-90 tank and its guarding infantry platoon, giving a live report about how these troops are more than ready to fight to the American people.
"Although these terrorists were enough to carve a path of destruction thru the Middle East, leaving no survivors and only few standing structures, the Russians are confident they can hold the line here at Moscow, where it seems the next attack may come at, despite the raid on Russian oil refining assets further inland." The cameraman sweeps the camera over the troops nearby, who wave happily, and takes in a few of the defensive positions nearby, including several missile emplacements. "The troops here are in high spirits, even with reports coming in daily of small villages and towns going dark, and the now ever present dark horizon along the south. This is Audrey Fairbanks, CNN News."
The draconian army approaching Moscow was a very stirring sight to behold. Fifty dragons in the air, with countless thousands of hybrids on the ground and several hundred golems, and not a couple of Terra dragons, ones who have no wings but especially thick scales. They knew, from maps taken in the Middle East, and also from the minds of those who they had ensnared, that Russia used to be a superpower among the human nations. Even though it had fallen considerably from power, they were taking no chances. General Shale was there himself, and had planned his attack as if they were fighting these 'Americans', who were the current existing superpower. They had intentionally kept their forces spread out, but no air strikes came in against any of their groups.
Now, with his forces closing in on the capital city and its ten and a half million humans, he contacts all his commanders, including Saphyra, and gives his orders. A strong frontal attack with Saphyra and her group, and other celestial dragons securing the air and destroying the airports in the city, Finally a third of his forces going around and coming in from the opposite side. As the city comes into view, the crystal dragons begin their summoning, bringing up golems to march in ahead of the hybrids, who were vulnerable to tank fire from a distance, and gryphons to deal with the helicopters. Two minutes later they were under artillery fire from the city as Russian guns began engaging them.
In the city, as the large 155mm cannons opened fire, raining death on the advancing enemy, air raid sirens start going off, turning the city into a madhouse as Russian soldiers rush to their equipment and vehicles while Russian civilians hide in their homes, clutching to broom sticks and crowbars, and some to better weapons like swords and guns, while hiding in small spaces, hoping to survive the battle ahead. Mi-28 and Mi-24 attack helicopters stationed at the airports turn their engines over, their propellers starting to beat the air, but none lifting off yet, wanting to wait until the enemy entered the outskirts of the city, which had been evacuated. Russian officers train out their binoculars and gape at what they see once the enemy is close enough. "I see them!" One calls out. "They're..." And he stops. "...not...human..." He says as he slowly lowers the binoculars. "AIR ACTION RED!" Another calls out as dragons are spotted in the air, the warning being received by a missile shot from a MiG-35 interceptor as it streaks overhead. Gun crews switch on their infrared trackers and search out targets while SAM crews scan the skies with powerful radars, quickly finding targets and launching their missiles at the hostiles.
Davis was sitting in the base lounge with a friend he had met in Iran, Sergeant John McLintock, talking about how things were going when the regular slapstick comedy of the Three Stooges was replaced by a news anchor with a mustache. "We interrupt this program for a breaking news story. Fighting has broken out in Moscow as Russian Army forces engage the terrorists who were reportedly coming right at them. We now take you live to the scene with Audrey Fairbanks. Audrey?"
The view shifts over to a night time view of a city, the red haired reporter in the middle of the camera. Tracers are reaching up into the sky in the cityscape behind her, and every now and then an explosion can be seen from high above. "Thank you, Rob. This is Audrey Fairbanks reporting live from Moscow. As you can see behind me, the Russian forces are throwing everything they've got at these invaders." The camera pans around, and explosions and tracers can be seen in the night sky very clearly, as well as an aircraft maneuvering high above after something, though the camera doesn't stay on it for long.
"Audrey, where are you at?" Asks the anchor.
"We are in the American embassy right now, on the helipad. This is incredible. Just after sunset the enemy started attacking. We haven't been able to see exactly what's attacking yet, but as you can see, the Russians are responding with deadly force." The cameraman zooms in on a tank as it fires off its main gun towards the horizon, infantry firing from nearby it, missiles and rifles firing off.
"Audrey, are you safe?" The anchor asks, seeming worried.
"I feel safe right now." She says. "We've got some US Army troops here, green berets, so we're pretty well guarded, and the Russians..." The camera zooms in as she talks. "..seem to be holding their own..." The reporter falls silent, as in the screen the infantry is slowly moving back as a large beast lands on the tank, roaring out loud, feathered wings spread out wide, and then promptly rips a man out of the turret, the strong beak biting him in half and throwing what's left of him into the side of a building nearby. Audrey is quiet, as a rocket from an infantryman hits the beast, taking off a leg, his comrades peppering the gryphon with bullets, until another missile from a helicopter overhead downs it. The camera zooms out and gets a view of the chopper, as it starts to maneuver for another shot.
"OH MY GOD!" The reporter screams, pointing as a massive blue dragon comes down and swats the helicopter, ripping its tail off, sending the bird spinning down to explode in the roof of the parking garage next door as the dragon lifts away, the camera following the severed tail as it falls into the street, wrecking the embassy's wall. The view shifts quickly as the sound of jet engines pass nearby, blotting out all sound on the television aside for it, and nearly blasting the speakers. The dragon turns and crosses the screen, the rapid tracers of rounds from an aircraft's rotary cannon following it as a MiG chases it. Davis watches in fascination as the camera follows the fighter and dragon as they loop around and away from the embassy. As the dragon spins in on itself, Davis yells at the TV, telling the pilot in vain to break right, but too late, the dragon fires off a beam of energy and destroys the fighter, the pilot never having a chance to eject as the beam hits his craft dead in the nose and ripps straight thru it, detonating the fighter a split second after the impact of the beam, the explosion lighting the reporter, her hair waving in the wind, shock and fear written plainly on her features.
"Come on!" A voice comes, as a soldier in US Army ACUs and a green beret comes up, another soldier with him, shooting at something nearby with his rifle. The cameraman follows the soldier's line of sight, seeing a gryphon trying to land, hind legs on the helipad they were recording from, screeching loudly at the men on the building. It never lands completely, the first soldier joined by another, the bullets having a good effect on it. The gryphon bellows in pain and falls back off the building a second or two after it first touched down.. "We're leaving!" The sounds of explosions are now gone mostly, and the sounds of roars, screeches, screams, and gunfire in the distance are strangely loud as the microphone adjusts to get them on its own. Occasionally a tank fires its massive 120mm cannon, and a fresh explosion would come up as a vehicle explodes. The reporter runs, and the cameraman gets one last shot of the street, of the infantry fighting for their lives against hybrids, of men being torn apart, some eaten alive by a dragon who landed or ran into the city, and of fires starting from buildings hybrids leave dragging men and women from, before running, the camera still recording as they all run down the stairs before cutting off to show a shocked anchorman.
Turning from the television, Davis rushes off towards the base command building, thinking any new information will come to him there, leaving McLintock to go to his men and tell them of what he just saw on the television.
Saphyra was enjoying herself far too much. These humans had fighters, enough for all the celestials and even some non-celestials to mix it up with. She had already downed five of them, and even caught a human helicopter. That had gotten her fifth aerial kill, since one of the human fighters chased her after she destroyed it. Gharna was dealing with the airports, already half of them were burning, and the ground forces were surging into the city, chasing down the humans.
They had taken losses, especially in golems. They hardly stood a chance against the human tanks, whose rounds ripped them apart. But they had served their purpose and gotten their hybrid infantry into the city. Thanks to the air cover, human air power could not bomb their allies on the ground, and overall, things were going well. Cynder was off to her right, using her light breath to collapse a building on top of a group of human defenders, and Diamond was soaring high above in the frigid upper air, out of the way, ready to heal anyone who took a bad hit. There were a few, some from dog fighting, others from the ground fighting, but all received quick attention, if they weren't killed outright. She can see the Kremlin burning, and for the next few hours, she plays her part in helping the city fully catch fire. After the airports were ablaze, and most of the human defense was wiped out, she got permission from Shale to bring her dragons back to rest. After making sure all her charges had set down, she lays herself down next to her friends and quickly falls asleep.
Saphyra's dreams are, for once, not about glory on the battlefield or making her mother proud. No, she actually sees something else, life thru someone else's eyes. She is in a dark room, a movie theater, she knows, somehow, surrounded by humans. A movie is playing, a movie about action and adventure and a bit of comedy. She is fascinated by it, having never really seen a movie before, even if it is a human being depicted in it. As the movie ends, and the humans start to rise, she wants to stay, but finds herself getting up anyway and moving. Someone is talking to her, a human, and suddenly, a revelation comes to her. With a jolt she wakes up and after a moment to gather herself, she can't help but feel smug. The link was successful. She will know where he is at all times. Right? She can't be sure...but there is one way to find out...Gathering all her will, she reaches out, searching...
Davis has had a good night so far, even with the disaster in Moscow. Once he had briefed his men about Moscow being overrun and the city starting to burn, he had needed to get off base. To enjoy his life while he was still living. He even has started contemplating going to church again, something he hasn't done since he was twelve. Right now, tho, he's in the shower at home, after seeing the new Die Hard with 'Skywalker', as everyone calls Rogue's number 5 pilot, and McLintock. Die Hard movies are always good and there's nothing like mindless violence to put a man right. He gets out, scrubbing his head with a towel and looking at the mirror. Rubbing his chin, he smirks. "You are one sexy beast." He says to the figure in the mirror. "Thank you. You're not too bad yourself." He says in response, grinning at his own joke. Picking up the shaving foam, he covers his chin and upper lip, and starts cleaning himself up.
Three minutes into his shave, after rinsing his razor, he looks up to the mirror to see a blue dragon staring back at him, her eye sparkling as she looks him over. "I've found you..." She says. Davis whirls around, expecting to see a dragon, and to hopefully shave her eye a little bit, but only sees a wall. Turning back around, he sees only his reflection in the mirror. "You will be mine, human." The dragon says in his head.
"I will be NO ONE'S!" Davis calls out. "Show yourself!" The voice chuckles. "Soon enough, my pet. Soon enough..." The voice fades, and a cold shiver runs down Davis' spine.