Camp Schwab: Okinawa Japan, 12:01am

The team waits in their barracks for any communication from Jack or the CSI team. About an hour later, the barracks phone rings, it's Jack.

"Hey. No time for chit-chat. Grab your personal field gear and meet me at Kadena Air Base, Hangar 15 in 20 minutes. Dress is black BDUs. Weaponry and equipment to be distrubed in-flight."

Jess receives the order with a stoic expression on her face and retreats to change into the requested uniform at once.

Kadena AFB, 12:21am

Artis pulls the Hummer up into the hanger, where a Blackhawk is being prepped for takeoff. Auxillary fuel tanks and miniguns are being installed on its hardpoint areas. The team spots Jack talking to a aged man in a Navy uniform, with Rear Admiral insignias on his epaulettes.

When Jack spots the team, he motions them over to them.

"Let's dispense with the saluting and get to work. Gentleman and ladies, this is Rear Admiral Gremminger, CIC of Naval Ops in Japan. I'll let him give you the briefing."

Thank you, Colonel. (pointing to a map on a nearby table). About 30 minutes ago my people detected heat sources moving towards an uninhabited island just off the coast of South Korea. This would normally be of little consequence since the South Korean military frequently use it as a training ground for amphibious assaults. In this case however, current intel indicates that there are no allied military training exercises currently going on in that area.

Jack breaks in.

"Pardon me, sir. What the good Admiral is trying to say is that the North Koreans are up to no good and in lieu of current events dealing with our missing SEALS, you're here to investigate what exactly they're doing on a blasted piece of coral in the middle of the night. And since we're going to be infringing on South Korean sovereign territory, this is being classified as a clandestine operation. Fortunately for you, through a semi-legal arms exchange with the some Russkie friends of mine, my men have procured a small inventory of non-American weapons for your use. You gotta love a free-market economy."

Brian plays with a pen, thinking.

"And just how are you depositing up on this island? Or did you have some other way to go sticking our noses in the North Korean's affairs?"

"We can't fly you in by plane, the South Korean radar is almost as good as ours. That's why we're outfitting that Blackhawk with auxillary tanks. You'll fly in, skimming the deck the whole way. Waves are less than 10ft, so you should be able to stay well below their radar net."

(Edited by Dieter at 2:31 pm on Mar. 25, 2003)

"Makes sense."

Privately, to the team later, Brian is going to suggest changing the flight time, or the helocopter we go on...someone has good enough intel to know when there are going to be HALO drops. I didn't want to forget about it.

*Ullungdo Island (No.5), 12:31am local time*

Through her NV goggles, Carla could see the landing crafts of the Peoples Republic of North Korea coming into full view about 500m offshore. Colonel Wade had told her to expect them, but his numbers were a bit, well...small compared to what the latest Intel was figuring.

Carla was doing a LRRP (Long-Range-Recon-Patrol) in anticipation of her reinforcements that we supposedly to arrive within the next hour or so. She thought to herself,

Cripes. All this over a few Navy SEALS??? What the hell were those guys doing in North Korea? No time to think about that now. I gotta get that missing haversack...the GPS says it shoud be...

Carla pulls out her triangulator and homes-in on the GPS beacon.

...Just as I figured...on a direct intercept course with the landing crafts.

Kadena AFB, 1:01am

The Blackhawk takes off in the middle of the night and heads for Ullungdo Island. Everything is going well as the helo gets within visual range of the island. Surface radar begins to pick up 3 contacts just offshore. From this range (about 2km), they appear to be amphibious vehicles.

Brian doesn't think much of it, until his military background kicks in.

Those things couldn't cross open water without the help of a mother ship.

As the thought passes through the agents heads, Artis sees tracer fire coming up from the vehicles. As the pilot goes into an evasive approach, the windscreen is struck, impaling the pilot with a 30mm AP in the flak vest. He slumps over his control stick as helo takes a nosedive towards the water (100ft) below.

Jeez, what I wouldn't give for a nice rocket launcher with some A/T rounds right now. I hope I don't have to rescue my reinforcements. Scratch that, I hope I have reinforcements to rescue.

The chopper pilot's helmet smack into the forward control panel sending a momentary sure through the helo's systems. Artis' worst-case scenario training takes over and he initializes the back-ups as Brian grabs the pilot and pulls him back into a neutral posture.

Most of the systems come back online as Ayumi clips herself into port gunner's position. She goes to spin up the minigun and finds that power has yet to be restored to guns.

As all this is happening, Kyun retrieves his camera and attaches the telephoto lens.

Carla hears the distance sounds of a helicopter coming from offshore.

That's a Blackhawk. I hope that's my support team.

She heads for cover as the miniguns on the chopper finally come to life, its barrels spinning up in a whirl. Ayumi flips off the gun safety and lets loose a long burst of 7.62mm death upon the landing craft.

As Carla climbs a tree for a better view, she sees a stream of tracers rounds snaking down from the helicopter towards the shoreline. One of the landing crafts gets peppered with bullets as its crew and personnel attempt to escape from a watery grave.

She thens sees a reply to the helicopter's attack in the form of a soldier carrying what appears to be a shoulder-fired missle launcher. Its backblast is clearly scene by Artis whom also gets a missle warning light on what's left of the front control panel.

(Edited by Dieter at 1:09 pm on April 9, 2003)

The missle goes wide as Artis banks the Blackhawk out of harm's way. As Ayumi continues to pepper the landing crafts, Brian clips into the other gun chain and spins up the barrels.

Kyun's observation (via the telephoto lens) of the ground activities shows at least a two platoons (about 60 men) deploying from the boats and heading for the treeline. Carla (obviously) sees this too.

The comm channel comes alive, it's Jack.

Alpha One, this is Papa Bear. Satellite intel is showing a large naval contact in your vacinity, three miles out, bearing 2-7-0. It may be the mother ship of those landing vessels. Recommend that you pick up Bravo One (Carla/Threadbare) and proceed to those coordinates. Do NOT engage ground forces. Repeat...Do NOT engage ground forces.

(Edited by Dieter at 11:24 am on April 10, 2003)

"Those aren't fireworks they're shooting at us!" I yell back into the radio, after which I steer the Blackhawk towards "Bravo One"'s position.

"Looks like 60 or so guys are down there." Kyun says not looking up from his camera, "Let's not stick around to introduce ourselves."

Goose pilots the Blackhawk towards a semi-secluded part of the beachhead as the flak and missle fire intensifies.

The combined small arms and anti-materiel fire streak across the windscreen like fireflies, but with the help of Ayumi and Brians suppressive bursts at the ground targets, Goose aptly avoids directly being hit with the chopper taking only some minor cosmetic damage.

Through her NV goggles, Carla sees the Blackhawk on an approach vector about half a click away. She moves to the edge of the treeline and prepares to run like hell as soon as the chopper gets close enough.

Amidst a steady stream of small arms and anti-aircraft fire, Artis lands the chopper with little trouble.

With Ayumi operating the minigun (ably backed by Brian and his rifle), Carla beats feet for the landing area as the enemy troops close in on their position.

The Blackhawk takes a series of small hits to non-vital areas as Carla closes the distance. Ayumi keeps the bad guys' heads down as Brian takes pot shots at the cowering soldiers. Brian gets a head shot on one soldier as Carla makes it to the chopper with Goose making an expeditious dustoff.

"Hey, the cavalry comes to the rescue for a change." Carla says with a smile. "I'm Bravo One, obviously, but you can call me Carla."

"Ayumi. The rest will have to wait."

At that, Ayumi squeezes off another long, loud burst of cover fire.

Brian yells over the roar of the automatic weapons, and the distinct crack of his own, not yet fitted with its silence.

"Let's get moving, before they get their act together!"

"Glad you guys are all business." Carla says as she straps herself in. "Last team I was with thought this was a game. They got torn to shit in Timor."