Re: Life - Business & Technology

Chapter 44 - Battle Of Dehdadi

February 2013, Dehdadi Forward Operating Base.

A heavily armed and armored caucasian man in his 30s was giving orders around the FOB.

"Get all of our Dragonflies in the sky to keep tabs on the enemy. And have all the operators man defensive positions around the base. Price estimates 1,000 insurgents are coming armed with rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, and driving NSTVs." Felix instructed an officer.

[The estimated arrival of our reinforcements is 45 minutes while the insurgents will come into contact in 30 minutes. It's cutting it close, but we'll manage.] Felix contemplated.

Half an hour passed, and a horde of pickup trucks could be seen on the horizon. The scene looked like a sandstorm as all the sand was dispersed by a thousand tires.

The Future Arms M1156 precision guidance kits weren't installed at the forward operating base yet, leaving Felix and his men lacking artillery fire.

The insurgents were attempting to gain some ground while the FS operators were maintaining gunfire. The enemies were fearless in their assault as they ignored their fellow insurgents' cries for help after getting shot.

It took ten minutes before the enemies were within RPG range. FS snipers attempted to kill any enemy carrying heavy weapons, but one brave soul got close enough to destroy the base's entrance before dying to a headshot.

A mass of 800 men aimed to swarm the breach in FOB's defenses while machine guns mounted on trucks provided cover fire for the insurgents.

FS operators killed the enemies as they ran through the breach, but their sheer number allowed some of them to get through.

The insurgents had never raided a forward operating base so brazenly before with such large numbers.

The FS operators slowly retreated to more defensive fortifications in the middle of the FOB while the insurgents surrounded the area.

"Cowards! Come out and fight us!" an insurgent shouted in Arabic.

Plenty of insurgents were cheering as if they had already won the battle.

[This should teach the infidels the folly of their ways.] So Ashkan thought while commanding the attack from the rear.

While some insurgents were looking for undamaged RPGs to blow up the main fortifications, they heard loud propeller noises in the sky.

Five Chinook helicopters carrying unfamiliar vehicles that looked like tanks from afar were heading towards the open area outside the FOB.

"Altitude is good. Confirming drop sequence." Farukh communicated to the Chinook pilot in English.

"Dropping!" replied the helicopter pilot.

The insurgents expected the helicopters to go low as they readied RPGs to shoot them down but were dumbfounded watching the tank-like vehicles being dropped from so high.

[Dumb Americans. They'll destroy their own equipment just like that?] Ashkan thought.

Their expectations were completely off as the FAV-1s started hovering in the air while gaining speed.

Farukh piloted his FAV-1 flawlessly, positioning the vehicle at just the right angle to provide a clear view for both his gunners.

Three FAV-1s were raining cover fire while the other two landed and dropped the troop reinforcements on the ground.

The insurgents were receiving heavy fire from the air, flank, and central fortification in the FOB.

The moment Ashkan watched the FAV-1s glide through the air effortlessly, he knew they had lost the battle.

[Our flanks are compromised. There's no hope for this fight.] Ashkan pondered as he drove away, far from the battle dejectedly.

Future Security took no prisoners and slaughtered the entire enemy force.

The men cheered after winning an outnumbered battle before thanking the reinforcements for their quick response.

Felix performed a death and injury check and found two FS operators dead and eight wounded.

The FS operators mourned the death of the two brave comrades who didn't make it back to the central fortification in time while cleaning up the battlefield.

The Chinook helicopters took their dead and wounded back to Kandahar with the FAV-1s in tow.

[War is cruelty, there is no use trying to reform it; the crueler it is, the sooner it will be over.] a quote by William Sherman, Felix thought while gathering the enemy's dead bodies.

The Global Hawk recon drone continued to follow a fleeing pickup truck in the sky, unbeknownst to Ashkan.

[Where do you think you're going?] Price thought while using his computer.

Price ordered the remaining five FAV-1s to be ready for deployment before contacting the US military commander.

"Our forces at Dehdadi were able to repel the 1,000 man-strong assault. My recon drone is following an escapee. I was wondering if the army would like to join us in our retaliation." Price offered to the colonel.

"Good work in eliminating those bastards. We've been trying to find their local base for years now, and they rarely come out and play in such high numbers." The colonel replied.

"The reinforcements saved the day. Thank you for lending us your Chinook squad." Price said sincerely.

"That's no problem. Let me know if you find anything interesting by following the escapee. The marines were telling me how bored they were with peacekeeping." The colonel replied before bidding farewell.

Price then called Vince to notify his boss about what happened.

Vince picked up his phone, and Price started explaining the situation in detail.

"We'll start a fund for our dead's families. They don't deserve to live a life without a husband or a father." Vince said solemnly.

"They knew the risks of war, Vince. Nevertheless, they fought bravely and won an outnumbered battle." Price replied reassuringly.

"I'm glad most of you guys are safe. Transfer the injured to Future Med Hospital here at Austin. We'll do whatever we can to treat them." Vince instructed.

"They're already enroute. I want to request for Future Security to join an offensive mission outside of our military contract scope." Price replied.

"Revenge is not always the way, Price. Yet, in this case, it is. So do what you will but don't get the men killed for no good reason." Vince instructed.

"You said it yourself, Vince. We'll win this war ourselves if we have to. Thank you for caring about the men. They'll be touched to hear about your new fund for our inevitable casualties." Price replied before Vince ended the call.

The Global Hawk recon drone sent a video of Ashkan driving into an almost invisible cave entrance in the Registan Desert a few hours after the battle to Price.

Price studied the footage and sent it to the stationed colonel.

He deployed the five reserve FAV-1s to scout the area of interest with Dragonflies.

The cave complex showed signs of daily use but was now almost entirely empty. Instead, FS operators found Ashkan gathering all his valuable belongings, planning to escape the region.

Ashkan attempted to flee as soon as he saw a Dragonfly at the end of the cave corridor. He tried to shoot it down when the Dragonfly got closer but was shot with a tranquilizer dart before hitting it.

FS operators arrived and apprehended the unconscious insurgent leader before investigating the cave complex.

Computers and documents in Arabic were scattered around the area.

An FS squad leader carried a data access node from a FAV-1 into the cave's server room.

"Director, we've found some interesting things down here, including a rebel leader. I've installed a Node in one of the server rooms for your nethunters to use." The squad leader said over his communicator.

"Good work. I'll be sending reinforcements from the colonel to relieve your team in a few hours. Stay on high alert before they get there." Price replied before contacting his nethunter team.

An Asian-American man in his late 20's received a call from Price.

"Anthony, I have a mission for the nethunters. First, find out anything you can from the newly raided cave complex. FS installed a Node already. I'll grant you access now." Price instructed.

Anthony was a young SOCOM operator when Price met him. Price mentored him for years while serving in the Special Forces and eventually found a job in the NSA after his three tours in the Middle East.

He specialized in cybersecurity, specifically intrusion and espionage. Price granted him a squad leader role within Future Security after the expansion.

The nethunter team worked out of the Austin Headquarters and had access to any tool they needed within their offices.

[Their data security is so-so. On the other hand, ten minutes of penetration time isn't too bad.] Anthony thought.

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