Manifest Fantasy - 24 Operation Upper Hand Part 1

Nobian Capital City, Nokk

Month 6, Day 23

12:30 A.M.

A slight fluttering was the only sound that could be heard in the dead of night, aside from occasional chatter and idle noise from within the city. Half a mile from the outer walls, a UH-60 Black Hawk landed in a clearing, positioned conveniently behind dense foliage. The machine slowly descended as a carefully crafted wind barrier redirected the sound of the helicopter blades away from the city. As the Black Hawk touched down, the wall of wind dissipated and the occupants exited.

“Wow, that’s a pretty neat trick,” Donnager remarked as he checked his equipment.

Kelmithus nodded at this, his action barely visible under the faint moonlight. “I concur. How did you accomplish such a magical feat?”

Alpha Team, geared up with dark, tactical equipment began their journey toward the wall, moving quickly and quietly.

As they walked, Jones replied. “Well, it’s quite simple really. Oppenheimer and Tesla have been helping me combine magic and science. Omnis also helped out a lot, with his Matrix brain powers. I basically just used the principles of sound waves. Sound needs a medium to travel through. So, I just make a vacuum in front of the chopper to make it quiet. But, I do have to make sure not to interfere with the rotors, since they’re needed to create lift in order for the craft to fly.”

“Shit, we could combine that with cloaking magic and incorporate it into our stealth tech. Maybe we can get the Comanche program back again,” Ryan said, his thoughts leading away from the task at hand.

“Cut the chatter, we’re almost there,” Donnager ordered.

—

“If General Nosh truly believes an event is going to transpire tonight, then why is our section guarded so lightly?”

Guardsman Narano looked over to his fellow guard, slightly annoyed by this question. “What do you mean? Must you ask so many questions?” He scoffed, “I grow weary of this pestilence.”

“I mean nothing of it; I simply wish to know. Besides, conversation would be fruitful in staving away the desires of sleep.”

“Speak no further of this! You are annoying. And anyway, you should feel no drowsiness during the night. We are Nobians! This is our domain!”

“Narano, you are too tense. It is not as if we will be experiencing an enemy attack at such an hour. After all, only we maintain such strategies. As you have said, the night is our domain. So relax; enjoy an easy job and a conversation with one of your brothers in arms.”

Narano loosened up a little, relaxing his muscles as he thought of a reply. Just as he was about to respond though, a gloved hand was suddenly placed over his mouth. Eyes wide, he looked over to his fellow guardsman, who was also under a similar attack. The attackers were dressed in all black, as if they were assassins from the Dark Shadow. Could they be rogue members from the organization? He did recall hearing a rumor of Director Tempos’ disappearance and whispers of a coup attempt. Unfortunately for Narano, his thoughts drifted as he became unconscious, his lungs unable to access the sustenance required due to an arm blocking his airways.

—

Alpha Team silently crept up along the wall, finding the auxiliary gateway through which they were supposed to enter. Only two guards were stationed by this area, and they were easily taken out by Donnager and Owens, who had snuck up on the unsuspecting guards.

“Wouldn’t it have been easier to just slice their throats?” Kelmithus whispered.

“Well yes, but they’re just gate guards. Most likely they’re fathers or husbands who have taken up a job to support their families. Besides, they won’t be able to get out of that room we just shoved them into. Come on, let’s keep moving.” Donnager answered.

Emerging on the other side of the wall, Alpha Team began moving toward their designated target. The holding facility which housed Prince Lonad appeared to be heavily guarded, posing a significant challenge for Alpha Team’s objective.

“Director Tempos never mentioned this many guards…” Ryan said.

“Someone must have tipped off the Nobians,” Owens deduced.

“How are we gonna get in?” Alex asked.

“Kelmithus and Jones have been experimenting with cloaking magic. We thought something like this could happen so we prepared in advance. Remember, this is the first field test so we need to maintain our cover and remain hidden, as if we were conducting this operation normally.” Donnager explained.

Then, Jones and Kelmithus finished their incantations, rendering Alpha Team invisible, only detectable by their IFF tags which displayed each invisible member on the heads-up display present within their helmets.

“Wow.”

It was difficult to determine who spoke, since none of the team could see each other, but everyone recognized the voice as Sarah Hayes’. The next voice that spoke was distinctly Donnager’s.

“We don’t know how long this spell will last so let’s get moving. Try not to bump into anything.”

—

Holding Facility Dungeon

12:55 A.M.

“Owens, time?” Donnager asked.

“Sir, 0055 hours. 5 minutes until Keyes is scheduled to begin the assault.”

“Alright, let’s hurry up. Hayes, where are we?”

Sarah glanced at her tablet before replying. “Sir, Prince Lonad is in an isolated cell just up ahead.”

“Got it. Owens, get the prince outta there. We’ll watch the corridor for any guards coming in.”

“On it, sir,” Owens replies as he snuck toward the cell.

—

Owens walked down the hallway, carefully checking each corner with his MP5. Alpha Team had already cleared this section, killing four guards, but there was no telling if more were in the vicinity, hiding behind corners. Torches illuminated the path ahead as he continued toward the prince’s cell. As he edged closer, he stopped, having heard the shuffling of armor. Slowly, he peeked the corner and spotted two guards in front of the prince’s cell and immediately executed the guards with his weapon.

The prince yelled in response, having never before seen such weaponry.

“Shh! I’m here to bust you out!” Owens whispered.

The prince nodded and pointed toward the dead guard on his right. “Keys.”

Owens grabbed the keys to the cell from the dead guard and freed the prince. “Lead the way,” he said, stepping out of his cell.

—

Owens returned to the corridor that Alpha Team was holding, finding two additional bodies by the doorway toward the exit.

“Took you long enough,” Donnager said.

Ignoring this remark, Owens replied, focused on the mission. “I’ve got the prince. Let’s get out of here.”

“Right.”

Having studied the schematics of this facility, Alpha Team experienced little issue with regards to escape. They ran until they finally reached the back exit, only to find themselves surrounded by a hundred guards.

“Well ain’t this a cliche,” Jones commented.

“Can we even beat this many?” Richard asked.

Donnager, unsure about the situation, looked at his watch. He smiled, a stupid, but potentially brilliant idea forming in his mind. To his teammates, he whispered, “When you see the signal, we charge left and cut through their lines.”

The rest of Alpha Team, confused, asked about the signal. Apparently, according to Donnager, they would know when they see it. Having said this, Donnager needed to buy time.

He stepped forth, announcing himself to the crowd of Nobian guards. “I am the mighty wizard Hoodini! You all will drop your weapons or face my wrath!” The time on his watch was displayed as 12:59:30. Thirty seconds left.

“I have not heard your name; you must be merely an apprentice! You are surrounded. You are in no position to make demands,” the guard captain sneered.

“Ah, but you see, I control the powers of light!” Donnager pulled out a flashlight and began turning it on and off.

The guard captain stared at him, unamused by his parlor tricks. “Do you think us to be fools? Any mage can do that!”

Five seconds left.

“Fine, then for my next and final act, I shall demonstrate the explosive power of the gods! Behold!” Donnager raised his arms, as if casting a magnificent spell. Simultaneously, massive explosions occurred throughout the city, creating bright flashes of light that caused the guards to look up into the sky. Understanding this was the signal, Alpha Team tossed stun grenades toward the crowd of guards.

BANG!

Alpha Team dashed left, running toward the designated extraction zone at the Nosh Courtyard. The guards, realizing that they’ve been duped, immediately began pursuit after they recovered from their disorientation. Unfortunately for them, Alpha Team has a considerable head start thanks to Donnager’s act, placing the guards at a massive disadvantage.

As he ran, Donnager radioed command, informing them of their status. “We’ve got the package but he’s slowing us down! We could use some support!” He looked back, seeing Prince Lonad struggling to keep up. Indeed, years in a cell without any opportunity for cardio would result in such low stamina. However, Lonad tried his best, seeing that his life was on the line.

“Alpha Lead, this is Taxi Lead, request is acknowledged. We are still trying to hold off assaults on our position. You’re on your own until we clear out this area.”

“Roger. Thanks for the heads up.”

As he took his hand off the radio, he fired at a charging Nobian guard who was able to get dangerously close to Prince Lonad. Alpha Team

continued to run until they received a transmission from the team holding down the extraction zone.

“We’re close to being overrun! There’s way too many of them! What’s your position?”

“We’re half a klick out; should be there in about 4 minutes.”

“I don’t think we’re gonna last 4 minutes, Donnager.”

“Alright. I’m sending a Viper to your location.” Donnager then patched into the network for requesting air support. “Firefly 1-1 this is Alpha Lead Actual, requesting close air support on the extraction zone.”

“This is Firefly 1-1, we copy.”

Up ahead, Donnager could barely make out a mass of Nobians, their silhouette against the raging flames allowing him to estimate their numbers. From the looks of it, Taxi was being pinned down by hundreds of archers and footmen, plus a handful of mages. For a 12 man team, they were holding fairly well, but not well enough to secure the extraction point. Incoming arrows and fireballs deterred the Chinook from landing, as it was too risky to stay on the ground.

—

“Fall back to secondary defensive line! Use the fountain for cover!”

“Agh!”

“Whitman is hit! Medic!”

The injured soldier was dragged to safety by a brother in arms, allowing Taxi Squad’s medic to rush over and treat the wound. It was another lucky hit; the area to which the American defenders retreated was lit poorly, and thus the Nobians couldn’t see them. The only indication of their presence was the firing of their weapons. Enemy archers, seeing the muzzle flash of their firearms, would fire an arrow in that general direction. Once in a while, the Nobians would land an arrow near or on an American soldier. Thanks to the night vision goggles of the Americans, they were able to strike down targets with little challenge. Eventually, the Nobians figured out that they were visible to the Americans and sought cover behind various walls that lined the courtyard.

“We need to disrupt their cover as much as possible; use grenades!” Taxi Lead yelled.

Following the instructions of their commanding officer, the combat-capable soldiers of the unit began lobbing grenades and firing their launchers. Unlike the Americans, whose main weapons were dependent on line of sight, the Nobians could fire over walls, while still remaining in cover. The parabolic motion of arrows enabled the Nobians to randomly fire at the Americans, which didn’t change much since they were firing randomly in the first place. Unfortunately for the Americans, they did not have the luxury of being able to waste ammunition on blind fire. Eventually, they will run out of grenades to fight back with. On the other hand, the Nobians could continuously fire arrows at their position, winning this battle of attrition.

Their firepower, even with explosives and light machine guns, was not overwhelming enough. Amidst the staccato of weapon fire and explosives going off, a faint thumping sound was heard in the distance, getting louder as seconds passed. Upon seeing the machine, the American soldiers cheered and intensified their barrage against the Nobians.

The Nobian lines began to falter as their cover was rendered useless by the hovering machine of death. Hydra rockets were unleashed upon groups of archers hiding behind the stone walls that lined the perimeter of the courtyard, obliterating the cover they had and rendering the survivors vulnerable to the defenders on the ground. The onslaught continued for another minute until all the attackers were routed. The helicopter remained in the air, guarding the vicinity as the Chinook descended to pick up the ground teams.

—

“Damn,” Donnager said as he arrived at the extraction point. “That’s a lot of damage.”

“Not even flex tape can fix this,” Alex remarked.

Alpha Team and Prince Lonad boarded the Chinook, followed by the members of Taxi Squad. Six Taxi Squad members were secured inside before another battalion of Nobians marched into the courtyard.

“Firefly, you still got anything to throw at ’em?” Donnager asked.

“All out of explosive ordnance, but I still have the chain gun.”

“That’s good. Light them up.”

The Viper lined its 30mm gun turret toward the marching force while the Nobians readied a volley of arrows. It was too late for the Nobians. The chain gun spun up, spewing pure death at the enemy.

BRRRRRRRT!

With one sweeping motion, the finely organized Nobian lines were shredded. Nothing remained but a bloody mess with dismembered body parts strewn across the area of the courtyard where the Nobian battalion once stood. Inside the helicopter, Prince Lonad had a look of horror on his face, having witnessed the destructive power of the metal dragon floating above him.

“By the Moons… It is a flying metal monster!”

“I’m sorry you had to see that, Your Highness. I know they were your people, but I hope you understand that this is the price that must be paid in order to save your country from the likes of your father,” Kelmithus said in an attempt to console the young man.

“Your words carry great wisdom, Sonaran,” Lonad replied with a shaky voice. Regaining his composure and sitting up straight, he continued, “I understand what must be done.”

All personnel within the helicopter stared outside as it took off, the tension within them starting to be relieved. Donnager looked over to Lonad, who was still trembling at the massacre he just witnessed. He then looked over at his teammates and fellow soldiers. They were glad, especially since no American lives were lost in this operation. The helicopter’s blades began to turn as it prepared to take off. A sudden jolt as it ascended slightly unnerved the prince.

“Ah, this is most unnatural! I wish to travel by horse instead!”

“We both know it’s not safe enough to do that, Your Highness,” Donnager said. “Just stay in your seat.”

“My, how does this thing fly? I admit, I have little faith in the integrity of this machine. How often do you ride in this?”

“Personally I’ve had over 20 rides in Chinooks like this. I guarantee you, it’s safe. Just relax, and enjoy the view outside.”

—

Soon, the helicopter was in the air, almost over the city walls, at which point Lonad looked out of the window to see the view.

Fires raged in numerous places within the city while thundering booms occasionally penetrated the hull of the Chinook and assaulted Lonad’s ears. The eastern wall of Nokk was completely obliterated in some sections. He surmised that this destructive feat was accomplished by the metal behemoths on the ground, with their long cylindrical noses. The skies were filled with metal dragons similar to the ones he saw at the Nosh Courtyard. A group of four of them were breathing fire upon a section of the ground. He shuddered at the implications of this; the dragons were most likely massacring thousands of defenseless soldiers below.

He wondered, how could the Americans have achieved such air superiority? What happened to all of the Capital’s wyvern forces?

He got his answer as he watched a pair of arrows in the distance, their outlines barely visible thanks to the lights on the tips of their wings. In the city, four wyverns emerged to greet some of the metal dragons that plagued the skies of his beloved city. Compared to the arrows, the wyverns were extremely slow. Suddenly, he saw the arrows unleash smaller arrows that had trails of light. A few seconds later, the wyverns that had been deployed were obliterated, causing Lonad to gasp in shock. The larger arrows were followed by several more, who ventured into the city.

Moments later, flashes of light erupted throughout the city; explosions somehow caused by the large arrows were decimating buildings within his city. Lonad’s heart sank, and he wished to yell for them to stop, but he knew they could not hear him.

The city grew smaller as his craft flew away, and his wish was mysteriously granted. The flying machines of the Otherworlders began to retreat, following them home. The explosions on the ground ceased. Seeing this, he silently thanked the moons for hearing his prayers.

Unbeknownst to Lonad, the Americans ceased their assault not because of his wish, but because they had succeeded in their objective. His extraction represented the beginning of the end for Emperor Novus, and the sparks of life for a new empire, built in the image of a shining city upon a hill.

—

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