06-05-2014, 06:41 PM
"There is to be no offensive. We are here to evacuate. This war is yours to win on your own."
Capitan Hakim glanced back as one of his men outside relayed they had encountered their VIP target for the terminal location; Mr Trano had arrived in the company of a group of CCD special operatives and with his registered assistant as well. At Captain Miko's confirmation that these were the last survivors to be found, it was time to leave.
At his signal, buses were fired up and rolled into place in the concrete lot outside the Fortress, the area secured at least for the moment by the Legionnaires. The evacuation was quick and orderly, mostly because they had no interest to put up with an argument or any strife with the civilians. They were all important people in the CCD to have warranted being at the airport that day to begin with, but to the Legion, at the moment, they were just cattle to be herded. Politely, but sternly.
The fighting around the Fortress intensified as the rebels realized what was going on, and began to press further against the Legion line. Over the roar of weapons fire and the fanatical screams of the rebels, none heard the distant thumps of mortar fire.
They certainly heard the mortars detonate though. Six tubes reigned 60mm mortar shells onto and around concentrations of rebel fighters, and their affect on the fanatics was stark. Unarmoured flesh gave before the explosives and the reign of shrapnel they tossed. Men screamed in the night with each detonation, and their sudden-found intensity melted away, at least for the moment.
It took far longer then Capitan Hakim would have liked to get the civilians loaded onto the buses; the remaining CCD troops, like the Legionnaires, had the unenviable task of moving alongside to cover the vehicles' movement. The assault group over-extended itself away from the Fortress and towards the fires that raged on the distant tarmacs, and soon enough the vehicles were thrown into gear and started towards the waiting planes.
Mr Trano and his assistant Reed were put onto the lead bus, with Capitan Hakim and his men showing no interest to listen to whatever arguments they had to offer to the contrary. The lead vehicle would likely be the safest in this case, only for the fact that it was the first one away and fastest moving, letting it outdistance the enemy soonest.
The run to the fire-base and waiting planes wasn't without incident. The enemy pressed them the entire way, and due to limited ammunition the mortars were unable to keep them scattered and suppressed. Their rounds would be needed in the next phase of the plan.
That left the brunt of the work to the CCD troops and Legionnaires of the assault group, moving on foot or in the backs of a few captured service trucks, and there were casualties along the way, although blessedly few. The inexperience of the rebels, and their growing exhaustion from having been fighting for long hours already, was greatly outmatched by the training of professional soldiers fresh to the field.
The assault group followed the buses till they reached the fire-base's location, and then they turned to bolster the perimeter, outside the blinding light of the flames. With the fires to their back, they were hard to see and the view ahead was illuminated to at least some degree, allowing them to lay an effective field of fire. Aided by the till-then silent .50 calibres of the fire-base, they were again able to drive off the rebels for a time.
The buses had taken some fire in the run, and the wounded were quickly seen to the plane marked for triage, while the pilots were escorted to their posts.
And among it all, Jacques Danjou stood in the light of the fires and the glow of out-of-date computers of his command and control point, flanked by junior officers and specialists, coordinating the scene.
And, apparently, on a conference call with the Chinese government.
"I understand your desire to keep your ambassador safe, but in light of the current climate, I suggest mutual support. My Legionnaires are moving into the Moroccan embassy as we speak, with members of the legally elected government. Should they be killed, the situation in Sierra Leone will only destabilize further."
"I do not see how a band of African mercenaries are of any use to us at this time. Our embassy has not been, nor is likely to be, attacked."
"Yet. It shall be. The Temne tribes hate outside influence on their country, and China owns most of the mining operations and processing plants throughout the country. To them, you are stealing their wealth straight from their pockets. They have turned on the government because of deals made with yourselves and the Americans. Should they win, you will be providing the Temne with very nice factories that you shall no longer see a dime of profit out of."
"Do not let CCD propaganda sway you to thinking we are so weak that we fear this minor uprising of bankrupting us."
"Do not think I do not realize that Sierra Leone provides one of the only untapped sources of rhodium that is not already owned by the CCD. They will have no qualms with buying the mined product from the Temne even at a huge mark-up just to deny it to your industries. The elected government understands the importance of these industries being foreign run. The Temne do not."
The Chinese representative was silent a moment. Then the bursts of .50 fire opened up in the not-so-distant background. "Mr Danjou, can you explain again what exactly is going on there?"
"My current location is of no concern to our conversation, sir. Back to the topic at hand..."
Jacques turned away from the camera for a moment to talk to one of his assistants, confirming orders for a team in Sierra Leone to move on another possible government member's location, then turned back, "Assist in securing the embassy district. My men already hold the security contracts for many of your country's assets in Sierra Leone. Your men's actions there will allow me to focus my men on keeping your factories and mines secure. It's mutually beneficial. And, you will have this show of support to the legal government to better negotiate future terms with them."
The Chinese were silent again for a short time, discussing his argument among themselves then they finally gave in. Their embassy's security detail would keep the other embassy's secure, at least for the time being, in exchange for added Legion presence at their facilities throughout the country. He passed the call onto his staff at the home-office after some farewell pleasantries, with word to home-office to write up the new contracts. They were now legal in sending more men to Sierra Leone.
Then he stepped away from the command point and approached Capitan Hakim, Captain Miko, Reed and Trano, nodding to the group. "This is everyone? So be it. I want these planes of the ground ASAP. Their flight-paths are secure and cleared. Once they are gone, we begin phase 2."
Capitan Hakim saluted and moved away to start readying his men. Runners brought boxes of ammo out to the assault group, who in the current respite began reloading their magazines. There was precious little ammunition left already, but it would have to do. Each man carried far more then normal.
"Captain Miko, yes? Your men are clear to quite the field. There is room on the planes. I will take volunteers, however. Understanding that you will be under my command exclusively until this operation is complete. I have no ammunition for your weapons, so strip what you can from your wounded before they are evac'd. And where the hell is my satellite and comms access? A CCD specialist was supposed to meet me on the tarmac."
"Monsieur Trano, Mademoiselle Reed. I understand you are both causing quite a stir. I do not know what it is you are capable of doing, but please keep it in check. And should you run off again, do not be surprised when I do not spare a man to die for you again."
To Trano and Reed in turn. He did not know what Trano could do, or even what exactly he had done, but until he could be properly briefed, the man was an unknown. And Jacques did not like unknowns. If he were a weapon, he came with no instructions and was untested in real combat. He had proven capable under the heat of the moment, but that heat and pressure could shatter a quickly fired pot. And he could only hope Reed would not insist on taking things into her own hands again. He did not like unknowns, and DV had proven to be full of them.
Capitan Hakim glanced back as one of his men outside relayed they had encountered their VIP target for the terminal location; Mr Trano had arrived in the company of a group of CCD special operatives and with his registered assistant as well. At Captain Miko's confirmation that these were the last survivors to be found, it was time to leave.
At his signal, buses were fired up and rolled into place in the concrete lot outside the Fortress, the area secured at least for the moment by the Legionnaires. The evacuation was quick and orderly, mostly because they had no interest to put up with an argument or any strife with the civilians. They were all important people in the CCD to have warranted being at the airport that day to begin with, but to the Legion, at the moment, they were just cattle to be herded. Politely, but sternly.
The fighting around the Fortress intensified as the rebels realized what was going on, and began to press further against the Legion line. Over the roar of weapons fire and the fanatical screams of the rebels, none heard the distant thumps of mortar fire.
They certainly heard the mortars detonate though. Six tubes reigned 60mm mortar shells onto and around concentrations of rebel fighters, and their affect on the fanatics was stark. Unarmoured flesh gave before the explosives and the reign of shrapnel they tossed. Men screamed in the night with each detonation, and their sudden-found intensity melted away, at least for the moment.
It took far longer then Capitan Hakim would have liked to get the civilians loaded onto the buses; the remaining CCD troops, like the Legionnaires, had the unenviable task of moving alongside to cover the vehicles' movement. The assault group over-extended itself away from the Fortress and towards the fires that raged on the distant tarmacs, and soon enough the vehicles were thrown into gear and started towards the waiting planes.
Mr Trano and his assistant Reed were put onto the lead bus, with Capitan Hakim and his men showing no interest to listen to whatever arguments they had to offer to the contrary. The lead vehicle would likely be the safest in this case, only for the fact that it was the first one away and fastest moving, letting it outdistance the enemy soonest.
The run to the fire-base and waiting planes wasn't without incident. The enemy pressed them the entire way, and due to limited ammunition the mortars were unable to keep them scattered and suppressed. Their rounds would be needed in the next phase of the plan.
That left the brunt of the work to the CCD troops and Legionnaires of the assault group, moving on foot or in the backs of a few captured service trucks, and there were casualties along the way, although blessedly few. The inexperience of the rebels, and their growing exhaustion from having been fighting for long hours already, was greatly outmatched by the training of professional soldiers fresh to the field.
The assault group followed the buses till they reached the fire-base's location, and then they turned to bolster the perimeter, outside the blinding light of the flames. With the fires to their back, they were hard to see and the view ahead was illuminated to at least some degree, allowing them to lay an effective field of fire. Aided by the till-then silent .50 calibres of the fire-base, they were again able to drive off the rebels for a time.
The buses had taken some fire in the run, and the wounded were quickly seen to the plane marked for triage, while the pilots were escorted to their posts.
And among it all, Jacques Danjou stood in the light of the fires and the glow of out-of-date computers of his command and control point, flanked by junior officers and specialists, coordinating the scene.
And, apparently, on a conference call with the Chinese government.
"I understand your desire to keep your ambassador safe, but in light of the current climate, I suggest mutual support. My Legionnaires are moving into the Moroccan embassy as we speak, with members of the legally elected government. Should they be killed, the situation in Sierra Leone will only destabilize further."
"I do not see how a band of African mercenaries are of any use to us at this time. Our embassy has not been, nor is likely to be, attacked."
"Yet. It shall be. The Temne tribes hate outside influence on their country, and China owns most of the mining operations and processing plants throughout the country. To them, you are stealing their wealth straight from their pockets. They have turned on the government because of deals made with yourselves and the Americans. Should they win, you will be providing the Temne with very nice factories that you shall no longer see a dime of profit out of."
"Do not let CCD propaganda sway you to thinking we are so weak that we fear this minor uprising of bankrupting us."
"Do not think I do not realize that Sierra Leone provides one of the only untapped sources of rhodium that is not already owned by the CCD. They will have no qualms with buying the mined product from the Temne even at a huge mark-up just to deny it to your industries. The elected government understands the importance of these industries being foreign run. The Temne do not."
The Chinese representative was silent a moment. Then the bursts of .50 fire opened up in the not-so-distant background. "Mr Danjou, can you explain again what exactly is going on there?"
"My current location is of no concern to our conversation, sir. Back to the topic at hand..."
Jacques turned away from the camera for a moment to talk to one of his assistants, confirming orders for a team in Sierra Leone to move on another possible government member's location, then turned back, "Assist in securing the embassy district. My men already hold the security contracts for many of your country's assets in Sierra Leone. Your men's actions there will allow me to focus my men on keeping your factories and mines secure. It's mutually beneficial. And, you will have this show of support to the legal government to better negotiate future terms with them."
The Chinese were silent again for a short time, discussing his argument among themselves then they finally gave in. Their embassy's security detail would keep the other embassy's secure, at least for the time being, in exchange for added Legion presence at their facilities throughout the country. He passed the call onto his staff at the home-office after some farewell pleasantries, with word to home-office to write up the new contracts. They were now legal in sending more men to Sierra Leone.
Then he stepped away from the command point and approached Capitan Hakim, Captain Miko, Reed and Trano, nodding to the group. "This is everyone? So be it. I want these planes of the ground ASAP. Their flight-paths are secure and cleared. Once they are gone, we begin phase 2."
Capitan Hakim saluted and moved away to start readying his men. Runners brought boxes of ammo out to the assault group, who in the current respite began reloading their magazines. There was precious little ammunition left already, but it would have to do. Each man carried far more then normal.
"Captain Miko, yes? Your men are clear to quite the field. There is room on the planes. I will take volunteers, however. Understanding that you will be under my command exclusively until this operation is complete. I have no ammunition for your weapons, so strip what you can from your wounded before they are evac'd. And where the hell is my satellite and comms access? A CCD specialist was supposed to meet me on the tarmac."
"Monsieur Trano, Mademoiselle Reed. I understand you are both causing quite a stir. I do not know what it is you are capable of doing, but please keep it in check. And should you run off again, do not be surprised when I do not spare a man to die for you again."
To Trano and Reed in turn. He did not know what Trano could do, or even what exactly he had done, but until he could be properly briefed, the man was an unknown. And Jacques did not like unknowns. If he were a weapon, he came with no instructions and was untested in real combat. He had proven capable under the heat of the moment, but that heat and pressure could shatter a quickly fired pot. And he could only hope Reed would not insist on taking things into her own hands again. He did not like unknowns, and DV had proven to be full of them.