Informant in Zaros

Those who served:

Caverick (Cav)
Ivan
Powderman (Dan)
Smoke (Aaron)
Malchrntyne (Christian)
Thirsty Derivative (Osea)
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Malchrntyne and I crept up to a low wall and squinted at the roadblock. The patrolling guards lingered under some floodlights that washed out our NVGs. The land bridge they guarded was the only way west to the AA site and hostage VIP, our objectives.

"That attack boat to the west could be a problem. Maybe we should get Osea to line it up with a rocket before we assault the-" <BLAM!>

Gunfire cut the pre-dawn darkness. After a furious exchange Christian, Ivan and I cut down the roadblock guards and dealt with the gunboat. An Ifrit responded but was dispatched by a fine AT shot from Osea.

We advanced to the roadblock and swept it, and I liberated a PMCL rocket launcher as the rest of SPLAT joined us. Ivan moved up our Stomper UGV, and we headed along the beach to the wreckage of the attack boat.

Who swung their gun around, blew up the Stomper, peppered us like a bunch of n00bs and took me down with a volley of grenades.

After a hard lesson on the value of communication, SPLAT took out the boat gunners and advanced along the coast in a loose wedge formation, Aaron owning his role as a medic and keeping to the rear. Osea gained the attack boat guns and fired to the north.

We knew an HMG Ifrit defended the village ahead, and advanced with caution. I spotted it stopped at a bridge with one wheel over the edge (possibly having been driven there by Osea's fire) and supported by troops. I lifted the PMCL and got lucky, taking out both the vehicle and troops in a fireball.

SPLAT ran through a gully and assaulted the village beyond, meeting some fierce opposition until we were able to reach the buildings. We swept west toward a small military base, which inflicted casualties until it was overrun. The spoils were worth it, though. Aaron found a shiny new HMG Ifrit fuelled and ready to go.

From our new vantage point we could see across the valley to the town of Zaros. The hill to its south was sprinkled with patrols and topped with the cherry of an AA site, our first objective.

Dan, in his role as a scout, crept down along the beach to find us a way to the town. Osea scaled a tower. Christian, the only one with a marksman's rifle, engaged at long range. Ivan climbed into the Ifrit as Aaron's gunner and they took the more direct route, roaring across the valley and firing on enemy positions. This worked well, but from the hill I was on I could see them drawing more and more enemy fire. Knowing how this usually ended, I suggested they pull back and Aaron spun the vehicle around, gunning it back across the valley with fire on their heels. He reached us and swung the Ifrit behind a house, and a second later an AT rocket slammed into the building.

Having thinned the enemy, we advanced across the valley on foot. We'd reached a gully when the enemy kicked it up a notch. Several notches, in fact. We were notified that a column of tanks approached from the northeast!

Caught in the open like a roach on lino, SPLAT ran for some ruined buildings, the nearest cover. I readied my PMCL launcher, but the enemy were too smart to give me juicy targets. They roared offroad into thickets of bamboo, and their APCs disgorged troops in concealment.

Successfully drawn out, I swung to the east to try and get an angle on the armour, but it was no use. I had to move in closer, hiding when I saw troops looking my way, and continuing when they moved on. I was deep in bamboo when one of their troops found me. I fumbled for my assault rifle but he was on point and I was on the ground.

Teamwork saved the day; SPLAT had moved up together. Aaron was at my side in moments, but had no option to revive me. He and Ivan were able to KIA my assailant and bring me around, and we moved into Zaros together. The armour had seemingly disappeared, making our approach even more tense.

Aaron and I engaged a squad to the north, the others faced a patrol at the south end. Aaron and I took down all but one of the enemy, who hit me before Aaron got him.

A furious fight had erupted high on the hill as the main force of SPLAT assaulted the AA objective. Ivan and I pressed north, fighting up the main street to where it swung to the west. Peeking around a corner, we saw the imposing sight of our missing column of tanks. Ivan and I, however, were the right guys for the job: we were both carrying PMCL launchers.

Working like musketeers of old, we sent a volley of rockets down the street. While one stepped out and fired, the other stepped back and reloaded. Tanks erupted and smoke billowed, but one of the supporting troops hit Ivan. I dragged him to safety, but had used my last medikit.

I ran back to find a body and scrounge some medical supplies. When I got back Ivan was gone. The enemy chose that moment to counterattack in force. I took fire from everywhere, scrambled into a house and saw that the enemy was on all four sides. I was completely surrounded.

I tried to return fire through the windows, but couldn't even locate the hostiles. I attempted to break out and head south to join up with my squad, but took heavy fire as soon as I was in the open. I found myself outside flattened against the north wall of the house, unable to move without being a sitting duck.

With cinematic timing, the garden wall fell down and there was Aaron in the Ifrit. I threw myself in and he gunned it out of there with bullets drumming the hull. As we sped across a field to the east we drew the attention of a soldier, and my eyes widened as he lifted a long tube to his shoulder. Aaron moved the Ifrit inside the turning circle of the first rocket and I thought we'd also evaded the second, but there was a hollow bang and Aaron was thrown out. The Ifrit lost power and slid to a halt in a field.

I jumped out and ran for it, anticipating another rocket, but it didn't come. When I turned around Ivan was already on the scene and reviving Aaron. We'd taken damage, but we were out and safe.

"Now that", said Aaron, "is how you do an extraction".

The AT soldier had already been dealt with. We moved up to stop the counterattack. I hit one or two of the enemy, but was hit by another and had to respawn.

I found myself miles away with Dan, who had met a similar fate. After running along a road we found an abandoned hatchback.It was smooth and comfortable, and as we travelled I drifted off to sleep (afk).

When I woke up I was alone. The hatchback had been nicely parked in a garage, and when I climbed out I found that I had returned to the part of Zaros I had left, where we had engaged the counterattack. It was now quiet, and we had moved on.

I found the rest of SPLAT in the main street near the football field, the rough location of our hostage VIP. SPLAT had commandeered a tank, driven by Aaron, and the squad moved systematically through the buildings. Sweeping, clearing and marking each building, we searched for the VIP.

The enemy fought back hard with the arrival of new troops, the toughest yet. Under fire from multiple directions, SPLAT pulled together near the church. By laying down smoke and covering each other as we revived, we were able to fight our way clear. I burst into a house to find the VIP with two hostiles. I winged one before being cut down.

Dan cleared the room and revived me, and the VIP joined us. Our task was now to "Get Evac", accompanied by some garbled information that told us we were supposed to get a helicopter and fly it 7km south to a ship. The intel, however, told us nothing about where or how we were supposed to do this.

I had an option to call in a helo, but it was only reserved for CAS. It hassled the last tank as the VIP bellied after us to the football field.

Ivan hunted down the tank and blew it up while the rest of us wandered around looking for a helo. There was no sign of one, nor a helipad or airport. While this pointless and frustrating exercise continued, the VIP wandered off and encountered a wayward tank crewman who shot him.

SPLAT acquitted itself honourably, but Mission Failed. Mission designer failed.