Up through the forest they climbed. Encountering very few challenges along the way, the resistance from unsuspecting security forces lessened upon approach to the sewer entrance. Entering the sewer, Captain Tord motioned for increased microwave interference applications to disrupt electronic devices there inside. Without great difficulty while advancing, the chief extraction team slipped along, quickening their pace in the slimy waste clinging about here and there.

Suddenly, half of the team was forced to engaged in a vicious fire fight with two robotic war mules. The mules entered the giant sewer tubes, attacking the extraction unit from behind. The mules chose to roll toward the rear of the team, then assumed standing upright position with guns ablazing. Inside the enormous pipe line, the two mules slowly progressed, screaming forth their lethal projectiles at the the intruders. Losing precious time, the extraction team had to maintain tempo in order to abscond the President traveling above. Tord’s team suffered the stubborn resistance and shelling, from the two robotic war mules, put upon them all, inside the giant tubes. It is times like these, Tord thanked the research done in CT labs in advances in battle armor. The direct fire and ricochets from the war mules injured one Dragon and almost skinned the rest of them alive. The team must extricate themselves from this newest aberration.

It was Jock Doc, who removed the threat. By short circuiting them out with automatic fire from his well aimed side arms. Jock Doc immediately shot down dangling insulation wires filled with loose energy coils and wall masonry on the war mules, disabling their chaises dramatically. The remaining commando elements raced forward vigorously, desperate to advance into the darkness of the huge tubes ahead. There cool temperatures embraced them the further the team entered its deep silence. The tunnel extraction team at last turned a corner, to the junction where above them were the portals to the tunnel road. The motorcade rolled above. Thermal imagery above revealed eight vehicles of different types decelerating at any ever suitable pace…. ideal for the extraction team to execute. Was the plan working? Was the surprise attack from skyward momentarily diverting the coup army’s attention?

Locating two of the three personnel locators planted on the President, by the chaplains at the capital city, broadcasting above, Captain Tord’s confidence swelled. At last the team, discovered the ramps leading upward to the ladders to the tunnel surface. Quickly setting the charges, five Dragons plus the Captain blow open a wall and two sewer hatches inside the tunnel. Meanwhile, Jock Doc and three other Dragons terminated their very aggressive negotiations with the two war mules, in the sewer tunnel overcoming them at last. Finding themselves only 50 yards behind the Captain’s team, they heard the explosions just ahead. The Dragons burst forward laying smoke, pepper bombs and various types of sensory concussion grenades. The sum of these weapons really, do not do much harm. But they make sure everyone of the enemy, is concentrating on doing something besides fighting them.

With Jock Doc finally in tow, Captain Tord and his Dragon engineers, bored through the side of the limousine. Dropped ion gas pellets and it was nighty-night for all of those in the President’s car. The other three Dragons played a serious game of tag ….your it, ….for real! The game of tag went like this. Twenty-five dazed and somewhat confused, coup escort soldiers fighting in the mist with three determined, hyped Augtouke Dragons with superior fire power rated weapons. No contest! The tag score: Augtouke Dragons – 25, Coup Armed Escorts – 0! “” Never come at your enemy with a weapon like a bat , when you can strike them with a thin metal shaft with a small metal head. Always , always apply superior force in a smaller area , it creates more damage. “”

As instructed by Captain Tord, the Augtouke Dragons, left little psychological messages everywhere. Fear is also the name of the game. The Dragons created fear into these soldiers. The Dragons disabled rather than killed whenever possible. Placing stosoimite bomb canisters in computers equipment, on the roofs of buildings and or on the hoods of vehicles wherever the Dragons could. This forced portions of the enemy to consider their options, when dealing with Augtouke Dragons. These canisters when ignited, ate right through just about everything very deep into the ground. A fired up stosoimite canister is fully capable of melting through two or three floors of a building and on through the next.

The drop calculations provided by the logistic team on board the battle cruiser, proved to be damn near perfect. The coup motorcade advanced to the exact point of no return inside Big Top hill, as the ambush arrived from on high. This enabled Tord and his team to attack from below. From the moment the drop began, two or more Dragon cut off groups, moved behind the motorcade invading from the woods. The cut off groups surgically separated the escort column in two sections, blasting a wide chasm in the wood shrouded road. These Dragons communicated to Captain Tord and the Master Gunnery Sgt. Noals, early warnings of any encroachments of the disorganized army’s movements, in case they received reinforcements. Their continuous fire power prevented the quarry from escaping back to assets, of the coup escort force, who may desire to struggle across the huge cavity carved into the woods and road just beyond.

The Dragon elements atop of the first hill, Big T, delivered brutal fire power in the group to the rear of the column also, forcing the enemy back, to the other side of the wooded chasm. Overhead, four of the ten Blue Firebolts constantly strafed that same beleaguered stretch of road. Making any attempt to cross this line of demarcation, which was the beginning of the assault zone, utterly impossible! Therefore ,1st Sgt Yozape, could destroy the entrance to the second hill, Small T with ease. Yozape’s arrival through the air soaring with the rest of the winged Dragon, was not nearly so easy. Flying about he now bled from three minor wounds. His fellow unwounded Flier teammates internalized their 1st Sgt.’s wounding. They smote many installation soldiers guarding each communications facility and the maintenance operations depots.

As the extraction mission neared the six minute mark, Captain Tord grievously considered that this action was taking too long. Too long. Way too long. Jock Doc revived the President and Captain Tord quickly reassessed the team’s situation. He called out to the Master Gunnery Sgt. and the 3rd Sgt. Major to prepare for their arrival to the traction zone. The 3rd Sgt. Major directed more fire on the west slope of Little T, in front of the tunnel, where the President should emerge. 3rd Sgt. Major Tothon and his deadly team ‘cleaned’ each coup soldier in the way, as he moved steadily down to the road below. Four of the 3rdSM’s assets, blasted their way to the left side of the tunnel. A few of the chemically overcome enemy escorts, began to stir about on the ground or stumbling around, but the Dragons manually induced these groggy soldiers back into unconsciousness with the butts of their weapons. More help arrived in the form of Dragons snipers and their team members rushed into the tunnel to meet up with Captain Tord’s group and their prizes. These elements from 2nd Lt. Gricks and the Sgt Major made ready - to go out into the open once more.

Four of the seven V-220’s were on the ground, to receive the President and his staff. Continuing the last of resupply, it was time to blast out of the extraction zone. Doc Jock received 1st aid for a serious cut on his leg, from shrapnel. The other D2 from the Master Gunny’s team, helped out quickly bandaging Doc Jock, while ducking sporadic enemy fire. Captain Tord’s extraction team casualty count remained at ten personnel, at nine minutes into the mission. Two minor injuries, six major injuries and two confirmed dead Augtouke Dragon from 2nd Gricks CCT unit.

The incensed 2nd Lt. personally annihilated an enemy war mule assault team, headed to the CCT area accompanied by thirteen humanoid ground units from the mountain fortress. It was a fool hearty expression of desperation on her part – motivated by frustration and uncontrolled rage. In that moment of insanity 2nd Lt Gricks decided, she could not lose anymore of her people. Lobing two concussion grenades, the 2nd Lt. stepped out into the open without any cover, decimating the enemy faction with two automatic weapons on each hip, emptying the munitions of each weapon into her adversaries. She knew that the Captain would beat her up about this stupidity later. Gricks could hear the ass whipping already from the Captain. Captain Tord may even involve his superiors in this situation. ‘ She was the brains! Who would take charge of the LZ if the CCT is dead? How many more lives would be loss because you can not control yourself? ‘

Will 2nd Lt. Gricks, the Combat Controller team leader keep control?
Is the extraction area secure for action?

Read Chapter Twenty