Creole Beach, Louisiana
August 12, 2133
26Please respect copyright.PENANA1fOOZ9tmVq
I sat upright and propped my rifle on the dirt. I kicked Daniel and said, “we got contacts!”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAtUU6T6JB4I
He nodded, picking up his rifle and getting beside me. My hands shook with fear and my breathing was irregular. He asked, “you know what to do?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAruv895O3Bj
I took a deep breath in, resetting my breathing rate, “I hope so.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAF8jX0vrRyI
When the trucks came into view, I put my finger on the trigger and began to pull. Zach called out to us, “don’t fire! Those are our guys!”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAcSuRYOeWSP
I let go of the trigger guard and switched my rifle to safe. A half-track and a minivan drove to the trenches. I walked over to the two vehicles and saw Tent shaking hands with a green-uniformed soldier. He had dirt in his skin and blood soaking in his jacket. Streaks of ripped cloth were all over his jacket. His ammunition belt was filled with Confederate made 7.44 cartridges and grenades.
26Please respect copyright.PENANApkdOS7OhVc
Tent asked, “you hungry?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAQongV8qslv
He patted his stomach, “starving. Got filets?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAZRO2eITyB4
Tent chuckled, “best I can do is a roast beef MRE.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANA2QBhecRBHA
Tent and the soldier walked off into one of the trenches while William helped some of their wounded out of the minivan. One of the standing wounded, who had a bandage wrapped around his upper torso, walked over to me with an open hand. He said, “names John.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAQsYlOUCe01
I shook his hand, “Rogers, Matthew.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAY4skB39enQ
He looked out at the beach and said, “you do that?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAOsxKxxpOeO
I looked at all the dead bodies we had piled up, and the wounded who were crying for their mothers or wishing for a bullet. I nodded, “we did that.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAaysmiHx8f7
He smiled, “no shit?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAExQJ7KMuD8
He too was covered in dirt and washed in blood. However he seemed more cheerful, and full of life. He also looked like he had already killed. We both had killed. I was only seventeen. He was only eighteen by the looks of him.
26Please respect copyright.PENANApu2l4uHnHb
He asked, “you got any water?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAz4mICrp2lN
I reached for my canteen and handed it to him. He said, “thank you.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAj67p2MUxz3
He sat down in one of the craters and swirled the canteen. I sat across from him and asked, “where were you?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAgvJtFUd5l6
‘Where were you’ became a popular saying after the Invasion of Creole. The Invasion of Louisiana was so large, consisting of about nine different landing zones or beaches with over 200,000 troops involved from the NCC and CFR, just saying you were a part of it didn't mean much. Each beach had its ups and downs. Creole just happened to be the worst. Which is why the Invasion of Louisiana was more commonly referenced by the Invasion of Creole.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAMFzGDBx3ew
The invasion was set to be an easy battle. Take the beach and move inland. No one expected the Confederates to build bunkers and enforce defense on the beaches. That was the first blowback. It only got worse as we moved farther and farther inland.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAIsGhwkJXLo
The strategy was simple. Take the beach and secure a landing point. Again, no one expected a tough defense. Instead of having multiple reserve troops after the landing, we had just the initial force. Confederate air planes started targeting our landing ships after the fog resided, forcing our ships to retreat. We were left alone, undefended and exposed. CFR and NCC forces supposedly took out all Flak Towers, but we later found more, smaller ones, in the countryside. Our superior Air Force, the Raleigh Air Corps, couldn’t even make it to the dogfight without getting shot down. We lost over a hundred planes in the first weeks of the invasion, more than what was ever thought.
26Please respect copyright.PENANA6BUdnd3x65
Luckily for us, the CFR had been dropping in paratroopers ever since 2128. These paratroopers probably spooked Confederate Generals, causing the defenses to be built in haste. However, the CFR paratroopers were sent in to disrupt Confederate operations. They sabotaged supply lines, sunk harbored ships, burnt down factories, and even went as far as forming an anti-TUC militia. This militia was still going strong by the end of the invasion, who all later became a part of the CFR Lion Killers or Patriots.
26Please respect copyright.PENANA1K5YPWbXYw
Lion Killers were some of the CFR’s finest and deadliest soldiers. There weren’t many, kind of like our Trench Raiders. Although they were small in numbers, their actions spoke volumes for them. Unlike Wilmington Rangers, Lion Killers targeted soft targets like off-duty officers, civilian supporters, or undefended towns. Patriots on the other hand preferred the more traditional warfare. They didn’t target civilians and fought face to face with Confederate forces.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAwTqplPcplE
The first initial invasion wave was made up of about 14,000 people. Over 10,000 0f them would die in the first hours. After that, reinforcements came in but it seemed like they went everywhere else except to us.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAyzvGAUb1Cw
John sighed, “we landed outside of Alexandria a few weeks ago. We’ve been on the run since.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAtecoUja8v4
“What happened?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAmJcyuXKzJC
“Well, half our planes got shot down and the landing zones got all mixed up. Half our guys got lost or landed right on top of enemies.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAm57NkO5tXX
“Any of them get captured?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAMdmeVDjVG1
“I sure hope not.”
The Confederates were known as brutal prisoner keepers. They wouldn't torture you, they would just forget about you, lock you up in a cage and leave you there to rot. Most Rangers preferred getting killed by their own in order to save themselves from the cruel methods of the TUC.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAVqksjgC29F
Tent walked over to the hole and asked John, “you prepped guy?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANA4gExaNy8WY
John nodded, “I can still fight.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAtrDK8GQxZF
“Good. We need everyone we can get.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAGPHeeL1tsz
I asked Tent, “are we attacking Creole Sargeant?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANA6AcgsKFl1A
He sighed, “yeah. Fleet won’t be back for another three days. They lost a few landing ships and need to rearm.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAGkST9GPuWj
My heart dropped. We were about to take a town by ourselves. Just a few guys, not even enough to take a bunker. John handed me my canteen and went to grab his gear. I did as well, waking up Daniel in the process. He glared at me, “what?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAtBvSW0fu46
I jerked my head, “we’re moving out.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAF9wxGd1wPD
He grabbed his bag and groaned. We met Tent and the others on the road. There were only eighteen of us. How the hell were we supposed to take a town? We didn’t have a choice. I didn’t want a Confederate to slit my throat while I slept to be honest.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAFNvb6kbful
Tent nodded, “alright. This is it. Move out in a single filed line. Hopefully the Feds already got wind of us and are running away. But, stay frosty.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAcq013eWEXR
We started to march on the road. While walking, Zach asked William, “how’s Lukas gonna be?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAsOrj68jyQY
William replied, “he’ll be fine. Republic’s got good medics.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAHR5fiNkE0G
Daniel scoffed, “that’s cause their guys get shot up all the time.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAdfBFe7R3aH
The CFR commander looked back at him, snarled, and looked forward again. The nine CFR troops were battle hardened and well equipped. Having them on the team made me feel a bit safer and a bit more confident. We also took two guys from Fourth Squad, who were not wounded and not medics. Everyone else who survived the initial landings stayed back to defend our wounded.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAH4d1KgIoFT
We entered the town late at night. We stayed on the outskirts for about twenty minutes, scanning the area and looking for hostiles. There was no movement, but house lights were on. A man stepped out of his house and walked down the street towards us. About halfway to us, he stopped. I heard Daniel clutch his rifle's grip. I looked over to see determination and evil in his eyes. He was about to shoot that man.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAlFuKsFDXl1
He stood up, but I pushed him to the ground. His rifle fired, hitting the dirt in front of the man. The man fell and started running away but one of the CFR troopers tackled and restrained him. Daniel pushed me off him and asked, “what the hell are you doing?!”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAmHEC8gd6Di
A light flickered in one of the houses. The second it did, the CFR trooper and man were both blown up by a grenade. I pointed my rifle at the window where the light flickered and shot four times. Daniel stood up and began shooting as well. Another grenade exploded ahead of us, forcing us to retreat into the roadside ditches.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAVwY5oc2KZW
Tent was in the ditch and turned around, “what the hell happened?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAGE0a5xvNe2
Daniel shook his head, “Rogers pushed me out of my stance.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAdsq0F4j4JL
I scoffed, “he was going to shoot that man!”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAhawPJm1xBx
“Look at him now! He’s pink mist and so is one of our guys!”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAPEuWEThb5f
Tent smacked Daniel in the mouth and pointed, “lock it down. Both of you. Get moving up and take out that gunner.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAg2RWjDJdCp
Daniel and I shortly set aside our differences and crawled through the ditch. Grenades exploded all around us, but somehow I couldn’t stop. Hell, I wanted to stay but my muscles kept moving forward. Daniel stood up, collapsing soon after. I pulled him to my side, seeing a fragmentation round to his chest.
26Please respect copyright.PENANADkEapznZxe
I opened his first sheet of kevlar and looked for any bleeding. His second sheet caught the bullet. It saved his life. I told him, “you’re fine.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAoyu5YC1z9g
All he could do was nod. Even though it didn’t kill him, it probably hurt like hell and knocked the wind out of him.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAKqzuBw9RXd
I kept going through the ditch and to one of the buildings. I recognized the hostile building from the road and moved in through a window. I slid my left leg in first, leaned to check the first room, and then brought the rest of my body in. I was standing in some kind of fortified living room.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAz6z7ORoxpN
The cushions were used to block one of the windows to slow down shrapnel and the frame of the couch was used to barricade the back door. I crept through the dark house and found a staircase leading to the second floor. I started moving up the stairs. One of the boards creaked. I stopped, readying my rifle. A figure appeared at the top of the stairs and held what looked like a I-22. I shot the figure twice, once in the right leg and the other in the left leg. I didn’t want to shoot a civilian if I didn’t have to. Afterall, he probably thought I was a Confederate coming to kill him and his family.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAjTtIAjrmJL
I hopped up the stairs and slid the rifle away from his body. He then reached for a handgun, making me put a bullet in his chest to kill him. His lungs emptied with a groan. A woman then ran at me with a M32 MGL. I ducked, dodging an incoming grenade. The grenade didn’t explode, probably because it hadn’t reached its minimal arming distance.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAbwvvGP2ZiO
I shot her in the lower abdomen. She fell limp, crying in pain. I walked into the room and saw another man with a scoped I-22. He was aiming right at me. He looked like a boy. Didn’t look a day past fifteen. While I was physically shocked at a boy fighting us, he shot at me.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAUPjanZEhIv
The round whistled past my left ear, skinning the back of my head as it did. I put four bullets into his chest, putting him down. I stood above the girl as she coughed up blood and gagged. Daniel came up the stairs, holding his chest. He shot the man at the top of the stairs and then the girl below me.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAAwmZYoWVrz
He looked at the kid, walked over to him, and then looked at me. He said, “you’re hit.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANA0mHLZWk2SX
I nodded, reaching to the back of my head and feeling a piece of skin missing. I told him, “it’s just a skin. Nothing to worry about.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANA8etrZnCw3p
He picked up the rifle and asked, “this all they have?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAEdseYMJQPc
“Yeah.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAaDi3HkCZTX
“What kind of townspeople are armed with standard issued Fed weapons.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAynZF0ZbatW
I shrugged my shoulders, “maybe they are Feds.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAsThv2mjLXg
Tent came up the stairs and told us, “good job Marsh. At this rate you’ll get a medal.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAD2noKAA3ie
Daniel jerked his head towards me, “all him. I got done in early.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAdDQf0jxwaj
Tent noticed my bleeding and asked, “you hit?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAaq14JcmpwY
“It’s just a scratch.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAkNU7WCsCIs
“Alright. If that starts pulsating let William know.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAVpWD8ePkNQ
I nodded, “will do Sargeant.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANALRtT73hset
Before leaving, he turned to us and said, “good job boys. Keep up the goodwork.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAKaPtUXZnTG
I nodded, feeling accomplished. We stayed in the building and waited for daybreak. Tent didn’t want to risk another surprise. Civilians walked the streets with rifles in hand. They didn’t know we were in the building. If they did, they would surely storm it and overwhelm us.
26Please respect copyright.PENANA9mvXyteJ4o
We waited and waited. A few times a civilian would call up into the house. “Marsha?! Jim?! You kids better not be messing around up there ya hear?!”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAkThgtBQc4v
At dawn, we removed the barricade and stepped into the street. Tent formed a plan the night before to capture the church in the center of town and try to reach Command in the steeple.
26Please respect copyright.PENANA1SiygA1TFB
I was following a CFR trooper when an explosion went off in front of me. I fell back, ears ringing and head throbbing. I looked up to see the CFR trooper had disappeared. Only his boots and shins reamined. They stood upright like he was still there.
26Please respect copyright.PENANASIgOIiuzJ8
Down the street was a Texas United Five ‘Tiger’. The barrel of the beast stuck out of a building. I couldn’t tell if they built the Tiger in the building or built the building around the Tiger, but it was still haunting to see. Timothy grabbed my vest strap and pulled me into the house.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAr0RQBY7gKQ
The TU-V ‘Tiger’ was one of the Confederates' prized weapons. With impenetrable frontal armor, two MG60s on the turret roof, a coaxial 12.7mm, and a devastating 225mm cannon, the Tiger struck fear into its enemies. The TU-Tiger was closely modeled after the WWII German Tiger, having the same look, just modern upgrades and beefier shape. Similar to it’s predecessor, the Tiger often ran out of ammo before being destroyed. The only way to destroy a Tiger was to take out the tracks and quite literally burn the crew out. It boasted an impressive 520mm of frontal armor with 380 on the sides and a decent 120mm on the back.
26Please respect copyright.PENANA2GvkVjy5N0
Timothy asked me, “what the fuck was that?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAYDwuc3FqQM
I shook my head aggressively to clear the ring, “it’s a goddamn Tiger.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAAJUdLAXpKY
Timothy’s face drained of color, “oh.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAXzc7BL0n3q
Tent, already across the street with Daniel and Que, signaled for us to come. Daniel threw a smoke grenade into the street to conceal our movement. Timothy pushed me, “go go!”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAmvXgq3NuNh
I ran out of the house and across the street to Tent. As I passed the CFR trooper, I stared at what was left of him. There wasn’t even blood. The 225mm shell moved so fast and hit so hard it vaporized him.
26Please respect copyright.PENANANPgGTQMont
All seventeen of us crowded in an alley. Que pointed to the steeple and told Tent, “if I can get a grenadier up there we can bring the building down on that bitch.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAk5xP7ESzOX
Tent nodded, looking at John, “okay son. Follow my man and take that bitch out.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANA4N96IhW6Kz
John looked at his commander, who nodded. His commander unclipped a belt of 40mm High Explosive rounds and handed it to him, “goodluck Ranson.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAodueg64FIO
John smiled, “I was born lucky chief!”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAdSaRaE6a16
Que and John ran towards the church. When they left, we started coming under fire from civilians in windows. Tent and the CFR commander didn’t know what to do. Daniel did. He shouted, “contacts!”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAOs4DRAm7D8
He dropped to his belly and started laying down suppressive fire. I stayed with Daniel while everyone else moved down the alley to more cover. Once they were in cover, I patted Daniel’s shoulder and ran to my team. I turned around to see Daniel collapse.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAuNro24lNDK
I stopped, shot at my enemy, and grabbed Daniel by his vest strap. He rolled himself over and began shooting at the buildings while I dragged him. I dragged him to William, who jabbed morphine into his leg. Daniel looked at the back of his thigh, where a bullet went cleanly through his flesh. William wrapped his thigh with a bandage and said, “don’t worry it’s just a flesh wound!”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAkHWlwgz92d
The dumpster we were behind didn’t offer a lot of protection. Every other bullet pierced the metal. The rest of the team had already moved into the buildings but William stayed behind for Daniel. I pushed the dumpster to horizontally face the incoming fire, so William could have more room. I mounted my rifle on the edge and shot into a window. I saw the occupant of the window jerk back and fall down. I aimed at another window and shot that occupant. I just kept shooting. Until I heard the chamber lock back.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAsXqCSzcUF7
I threw out my empty mag and slid a full one in. I pulled back the charging handle, sending the first shell into the chamber and then at my next target. William wrapped Daniel’s arm around his neck and yelled, “moving!”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAvfVWfNOjfC
I put my ass to William’s ass and shielded him with my body. He wrapped around another dumpster, giving me enough time to reload. Once I reloaded I told him, “go.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAZ6YlktEmy8
We moved again, ass to ass. William entered the building on his right and laid Daniel down on a nearby table. It looked like we were in a bar. Daniel puffed, “Rogers get me some Whiskey!”
26Please respect copyright.PENANALZnttRX1n9
I nodded, opening some of the nearby cabinets. William told Daniel, “stay off it yeah?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANA8O9hReCOwc
Daniel shook his head, “I ain’t done yet.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANA9aYVdS7m1m
William chuckled, “buddy you been done a while ago.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAU6BePeW6rg
On the third cabinet, I found whiskey. I handed him the bottle and he popped it off. He took a large gulp and offered some to me. I denied, trying to stay focused on the mission.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAqzy4s0CoHW
I went upstairs where Zach and Timothy were laying down fire. Two CFR guys were setting up a M240 machine gun. Once the gun was set up on a table alongside the window, they started sending 7.62 rounds downrange. One of them operated the machine gum while the other fed bullets into the chamber by holding up a belt and fixing any interruptions.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAt2a65QSROW
I looked out the window to see the Tiger moving it’s barrel towards us. I yelled, “get back!”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAcdpODoiYeT
I jumped away from the window, seeing Timothy and Zach fall beside me. I looked over at the CFR soldiers to see them disappear with a cloud of smoke and debris. Their window and floor beneath them collapsed into the street.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAVXs4HjrIcE
Timothy dragged Zach downstairs and I followed behind them. The Tiger fired again, hitting the room we were just in. The pressure from the shell pushed me down the stairs. I hit the floor with a splat, seeing two civilians preparing their weapons. I rolled to my side and shot the civilians.
26Please respect copyright.PENANA5CqRYx3xKd
Timothy shot them as they were falling, picking up Zach and handing him his rifle. Timothy asked Zach, “you good?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAJqIbR5P63m
Zach nodded, “I just love getting a concussion from overpressure.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAeP0ADfT9SE
I shook my head, shaking the pain away. I too was affected by overpressure I felt a warm liquid flow down my neck and into my jacket. I rubbed the liquid and looked at it in my hands. It was blood. Thinking I was hit, I put a roll of bandages against my ear. Timothy told me, “your ear.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANABAsMIBvNFq
I sighed, “am I hit?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAUkrJK5cD3K
He shook his head, “just some overpressure Kid. Nothing like bleeding out the ear. C'mon. We gotta get to Tent.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAY4pEqyoikG
I put my bandages back and picked up my rifle. Thank God it wasn’t shrapnel. I followed Zach and Timothy out to the alley. Daniel was sitting against a wall, laying down suppressive fire. I picked up Daniel’s arm and carried him into the other building. I asked Daniel, “you see where Tent go?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAshAGs7Rx7h
He shook his head, “no. Fuck this hurts.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAQQK5DX8GG5
“Where’s William?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAUM8r5Fgt2Y
“He heard someone screaming and went to get them.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAoCYIeWabcB
“Okay. You alright?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANA7fbI93fc1N
“Oh I’m peachy.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAdCtWb16UGY
“Aren’t you always?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANA9jqjdSPN6B
Zach and Timothy came into the doorway. Timothy asked me, “he alright?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANA97AWw6577u
“Yeah he’s peachy.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAZDNam0msRf
“Good. We gotta fallback to the church.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAGSYYXQleot
Zach sighed, “ah. You do understand our line is the opposite direction. Right?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANA4muJUbwMUE
Timothy nodded, “yeah I know. But right now our line is blocked by a damned Tiger. Daniel? You mobile?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAH40do27iku
Daniel scoffed, “yeah. I might need some help.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAmQArUZzyyI
“Okay. Kid, help him out.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAJkaN1UP6EV
I picked Daniel up by his arm and wrapped my arm around his torso. Timothy continued, “okay. Okay okay. Everyone ready?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAeuk9kXvTBP
Zach checked his mag, “any chance I can get a head start?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANANiESbcpRKh
Timothy smiled, “okay then. You’re point man Zach. I’ll watch our rear.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAehNEQPdQqG
Zach stepped out of the building while Timothy leaned out of the doorway, firing his rifle down the alley. I carried Daniel out and followed Zach down the winding alleys. Eventually, Zach stopped, looked down an alley and waved his hand. The CFR commander came around the corner with two of his guys and one of the guys from Fourth Squad.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAhZw1X7RXCq
Zach asked him, “where’s Que?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAJf58HxOkyX
The commander replied, “they’re pinned down at the church. We’re on our way there.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAvfeWpPDu3R
The commander looked at me and asked, “is he okay?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAp7IMXvqCoO
Daniel nodded, “yeah I’ll hold.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAeYYF8zMURO
We moved down the alley towards the church. On our way there, two A-10s screeched overhead. Zach looked up with a wide smile, “hell yeah! Those are the Wolf Angels baby!”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAd4llE96dra
The A-10s fired their guns and dropped bombs ahead of us. I felt the shockwave of one of the explosions, which meant we were close to the target. Timothy asked, “do they know we’re here?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAg7EFxYI5n6
Zach pulled the radio from his pack to his mouth and said, “Wolf Angel 4-1 this is Devil Dog Division. We’re here on the ground inbound to the church. Do not fire on the church, how copy?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAQP6BgYPsve
We stopped at the back door of the church. Zach nodded, “roger that. Out-” He looked at me, “we got 10 minutes till we get AC-130 support.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAZMLudIeJWA
An AC-130? The tank of the sky. Armed with a 25mm chain gun, a 45mm auto-cannon, and a 105mm cannon. An AC-130 could take out a Tiger with enough concentrated fire. Maybe this was the turn of the battle.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAqdRIQpUSLb
The CFR commander smirked, “an AC-130? Been awhile since I worked with one of those.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAqAgajWa8AP
One of his troopers chuckled, “yes sir.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAYCIlc1paah
I handed Daniel over to Zach and followed the guy from Fourth Squad. While entering, he jerked to his right but was shot in the chest. I quickly took his position and killed his shooter, who was fortified on the stadium. I looked down at the soldier to see him still breathing. A CFR trooper pulled him out of the church and joined me at my hip.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAEdyneR4hnt
Together, we walked around the stadium to the stairs. Que and John came up from one of the pews, tired and annoyed. Que said, “he had us pinned.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAGiSUaIV9IX
The trooper and I started walking up the steps, keeping our eyes to the right-stadium-and the left which was a door. The door slowly opened. I stepped to my right to square up with my target and shot four times through the door. My target fell down, but I heard him get back up. I strafed through the wall twice, hearing him drop again. I dropped to my knee and reloaded my rifle.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAspfSCYMjIM
I laid my hand on the troopers shoulder, listening for any sounds. When I thought it was clear, I gave his shoulder a pat. He opened the door. Before he even stepped in, a spray of MG fire ripped him apart. First, his forearm flew off, then a large piece of his chest, and then pieces of guts from his stomach.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAdS9w87zw1c
I unclipped a grenade from my belt and pulled the pin. I counted to three, and tossed it into the room. When the grenade detonated someone cried in pain. Then the shrapnel hit the walls and even shot through the door, landing in one of the stadium fort pieces.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAEx0FWMjUZG
I stormed in, seeing the MG operator and his partner. Both of them held their hands up. One had a piece of shrapnel in his neck, while the other was missing a foot. I shot both of them in their head.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAEM4xifA2XO
I slowly crept up the church steeple. Que followed behind me, with John behind him. A burst of large rounds struck through the steeple. The sound of an A-10 screeching overhead rattled the church, causing John to stumble. John rolled his shoulders, “are we sure this is a good idea?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAy5w4ejcnIG
I kept moving up. That Tiger needed to be taken out or at least disabled. When we got to the steeple, I mounted my rifle on a railing and started shooting at enemies down below. John loaded his small, single tubed grenade launcher while Que shot at enemies to our rear. John shot one grenade, which landed just in front of the target structure. John flipped the tube out, exclaiming, “fuck I missed.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAglA9OEjl48
In the distance, towards the beach, I saw two Su-27s approaching us. The jets broke off, targeting the two A-10s. Su-27s were superior to our aircraft. Our aircraft could hold up in a dogfight, but the TUC mass-produced their own ‘copycat’ aircraft and mass-imported Su and MiG aircraft. We made our own aircraft and used them, but the United States stockpile lasted us for a few decades. This meant the TUC could flood skies quicker than we could.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAOySJ8Gh7WC
One of the Su-27s swiftly took out an A-10. The A-10 crashed into a field with a ball of fire. The other A-10 maneuvered and dodged it’s chaser.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAsovRdFvIgn
John shot another grenade, this one landing on the target and collapsing the wall. John cheered, “yes!”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAlrLu87MjAi
I watched as the A-10 flew towards us, but was hit by a burst of cannon fire from the Su-27. The A-10 stayed on it’s path towards us, smoking and catching fire. I calculated the path of the A-10, seeing it would hit the steeples base. I looked back at John and Que, “get out!”
26Please respect copyright.PENANASBKuDD66Xh
The A-10s wing sliced the steeple in two. I felt the floor beneath me rumble and shake. The A-10 crashed into a building on the street below us. Thinking we were safe, I relaxed. Nothing happened. Then, after a few seconds of quietness, the steeple snapped with a loud pop. I grabbed onto the railing beside Que.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAJUNP3ffLpo
He hooked himself to the railing, giving me the idea to do the same. I yanked out my rope, but the steeple started to fall before I could hook myself up. I managed to grab a hold of the railing in time. John fell out of the steeple, colliding on the roof. The steeple fell on top of the church roof, not breaking through but just barely denting it.
26Please respect copyright.PENANA3Wv02BGwil
The wind had been knocked out of me and I didn’t know what just happened. Que quickly unhooked himself and crawled out through a small gap. I followed behind him, the roof underneath me shaking. I crawled out before the steeple collapsed through the roof, sending up a large dust cloud.
26Please respect copyright.PENANA8RRIZdxHkt
I crawled backwards to Que. He chuckled, “that’s a first.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAOVGAmuO4qS
I gulped, “not for me.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAYfCiZ68aW3
He nudged my shoulder, “I like you already Kid.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAtoAz1xK1Ox
John crawled over to us and rolled onto his back. He sighed, “damn that was awesome. You guys okay?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAY4OXYrgMv6
Que nodded, looking down at his rope burned hands, “yeah. Kid?”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAKn8mGFK038
At least this time I didn’t get crushed by concrete, “yeah I’m good.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANATZXsMjzc2I
We climbed off the roof and regrouped with the rest of our team in the church. The two Su-27s flew over again, reminding us they were here. Tent shook his head, “air support is inbound.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAzGn62PA88s
We went to a window in the church and waited for our airsupport. About six minutes in, I saw four F-16s glister in the sun. The Su-27s boosted to the F-16s. One F-16 was shot down immediately. Then the two Su-27s were blown out of the sky. One Su-27 exploded midair. The other collided with the ground.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAwhjGscQH3O
Reinforcements came in early. The Wolf Angel Air Wing cleared the skies of enemy hostiles, allowing our ships to come back safely. With air cover, the civilians quickly turned in their arms and gave up. We later found out that the Tiger had escaped from the building and Creole. Our AC-130 support didn’t see the Tiger leaving, but Timothy and I found the tracks. We weren’t going to hunt down a Tiger though.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAJ2ocIxS8um
We were reinforced by six more Divisions. All of whom started setting up a Forward Operating Base in Creole. If a building was intact, we used it. Armor was air-lifted in, which there were two Armor Divisions. One Division consisted of light armored tanks like Bradley’s and LAVs, the other had more heavily armored tanks like the Abrams.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAWkYuwhV0C6
The tanks that got stuck on the beach were salvaged for extra ammo and parts. We couldn’t risk the Confederates using our own armor against us.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAujUvgnAhIV
For a few weeks we stayed in Creole with a steady flow of troops and supplies coming in. We quickly rebuilt Creole into a fortified FOB. Abrams managed to pull out the A-10 with a tow cable and we picked up the dead bodies. Anybody who wasn’t on our side we tossed into a ditch outside the town. Our own guys we buried in a grass field. We marked their graves with their disabled rifles and their helmets. I buried Arron.
26Please respect copyright.PENANAePzj1SHkxg
He always told me if he did die to take him back home and bury him underneath his mother’s apple tree. He said his father had died from a heart attack under that tree, and he wanted to be a part of him. Sadly, we didn’t have time to send our dead back. Helicopters were for wounded and reinforcements only.
26Please respect copyright.PENANABycD5YeG2j
After we buried our dead and dumped the CFR dead, Tent gathered us at their graves. He cleared his throat, “I’ve said this too many times in my career. Too many times I’ve said ‘these men died heroes’. The men in front of us didn’t just die as heroes. They were more. They were so much more and no one other than us will know their sacrifices, the heart, and the drive they put into this mission and the men beside them. They’re more than heroes. More than we’ll ever be until our time comes. But we move on.”
26Please respect copyright.PENANAIriKjqFhSa
Daniel sniffled, wiping his eyes. I patted his shoulder and gave him a nod. He nodded back. Tent continued, “I am glad to have served with these men and women. I am glad to call them my teammates ten years down the line. Instead of mourning these men who died, we should thank God that these men ever lived.”
ns 172.69.58.84da2