Dr. Creepen's Dungeon - S4 Ep184: Episode 184: Navy Seals and US Marines Horror Stories

Episode Date: September 12, 2024

Today’s phenomenal opening tale of terror is all four parts of ‘The Navy Seals Uncovered a Secret from The Sea’, an epic work by Taxi Dancer, kindly shared directly with me via my sub-reddit and narrated here for you all with the author’s express permission. https://www.reddit.com/user/Taxi_Dancer/ Today’s second tale of the bizarre and wonderful is ‘From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Ancient Rome: The Empire Vs. The Eagle, Globe and Anchor’, an epic work also by Taxi Dancer, kindly shared directly with me via my sub-reddit and narrated here for you all with the author’s express permission. https://www.reddit.com/user/Taxi_Dancer/

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We believe OCT scans are so important they're included with every standard eye exam. Book an eye exam at Spexsavers.cavers.ca.ca. I exams are provided by independent optometrists. Visit Spexsavers.caver to learn more. Welcome to Dr. Creepin's Dungeon. Stories about Navy SEALs and Marines captivate us because they showcase extraordinary physical and mental resilience, bravery, and the human spirits triumph over adversity. These elite military units operate in high stakes, often life or death situations, which heightens the drama and tension. Their experiences often reflect themes of honor, sacrifice and teamwork, all of which resonate deeply with audiences.

The mystery surrounding their secretive missions, along with the intense training they undergo, that's an element of all, making their stories both inspiring and thrilling. As we shall see in tonight's two tales of fascination and terror. Now, as ever before we begin, a word of caution. Tonight's story is making train strong language as well as descriptions of violence and horrific imagery. If that sounds like your kind of thing, then let's begin. This story is respectfully dedicated to the memory of the U.S. Navy's SEALS of Extortion 17. The Navy SEALs uncovered a secret from the sea.

Part 1. Oh, gay gentlemen, said the Navy officer, as his team turned their attention to the screen, blizzard up. This is the Chinese artificial island called Fiery X-Reefe, coordinates 9 degrees, 32 north, 112 degrees, 52 east. The Chinese government began building up the reef back in 2014 in the south. China Sea and today the islands a fully functional base that holds 12 hundred in shelters with retractable roofs from mobile missile launches and contains enough hangars to accommodate two dozen combat aircraft. The Chinese also built a 10,000 foot runway on the island's north shore that's capable of launching Chinese heavy transports and bombers. The base's estimated military complement is between 200 to 300 to 300 personnel but can potentially hold up to 1,200 to 1,500. Yeah, it

Members of our unit, second squad, second platoon, sealed Team 7, were crammed inside the wardroom of the USS Wyoming, an Ohio-class boomer submarine. The skipper of the Wyoming had secured the space for this classified briefing, and our squad leader for this mission, Lieutenant Jake Wolfe, was behind a sipernet laptop, which was connected to the projector. The image on the screen showed a narrow razor-blade-shaped island, roughly 1,200 feet long running from southwest to northeast in the South China. sea. On the island's north-eastern end, an artificial rectangular-shaped lagoon, roughly 4,000 feet long and 3,500 feet wide, was carved nearly a third of the way into the center of the island where, within the bay, docks were constructed, which would accommodate several Chinese destroyer-sized warships. Various buildings and facilities were constructed on the southern part of the island, which also included air-defense missile systems, as well as close-in weapon systems, or sea-wis,

rotary cannon emplacements. Ostensibly, the Chinese government claims that the fiery eggs reef belongs to the Chinese oil conglomerate, RG Petroleum. We know from the satellite photos and intercepted Chinese naval communications that the reef is actually under command of the Chinese military, in particular the people's liberation army and navy. Lieutenant Wolfe advanced the slide and a picture of a white painted ship which looked to be some sort of large civilian research vessel appeared on the

screen. This is Yanghong-09, one of 60, 370-foot-long vessels which displaces 4,425 tons, but the Chinese say they used for oceanic research. About four months ago, the Yang Hong 09 left-winged out with an experimental deep-sea mini-submarine aerodecks and headed towards the Baltic Sea. About a week ago, our satellites captured this picture of the Yang Hong docked within the artificial lagoon inside fiery X-reef. minus the mini-sull. Less than 24 hours after the photo was taken, all communication with the island had ceased.

Lieutenant Wolfe advanced the slides a few more times. Technically, Fiery X-Reefe is located within Philippine territorial waters. Continued Lieutenant Wolfe, but the Philippine Navy is hardly in any position to challenge the Chinese. In fact, the Chinese military has ordered a 50-mile exclusion zone around the reef and have forbidden any Philippine naval vessel to enter it, even when the Philippine Navy reported that there were distress calls coming from the facility. Oh, his latest photos, which were taken a week ago by Philippine Navy drones,

shows a whole of being blown into the side of the Yang Hong in what appears to have been a failed effort to scuttle the ship. The next series of slides were taken at varying angles by the drone and showed somewhat blurry but unmistakable images of the research vessel Yang Hong-09 docked inside the lagoon at Fiery X-Reefe, listing to one side, black and brown smoke pouring from a gaping hole in the starboard side of the ship. More disturbingly, plumes of black smoke could be seen rising from various other areas of the base. And, continued Lieutenant Wolfe, the Philippine Navy was also able to capture this footage

before the Chinese Air Force chased their naval frigates away. Luzhen hit the play button on the video which was embedded in the slide briefing, which displayed the image of Fiery X reef taken from somewhere east of the island. The footage was shaky as the video was filmed from aboard the Philippine frigate, Jose Rizal, roughly two miles from shore. Zoomed in, however, the video showed two light-grave fighter aircraft descending on the reef from northeast to southwest, before dropping several bombs, which exploded along the entire northern coast of the Chinese base. In the background, the reverberating sounds of jet engines could be heard, followed by the muffled

of explosions as the bomb struck the base. Voices of alarmed and confused Filipino sailors could also be heard, followed by frantic warnings and alert sirens, as the two fighter jets pulled up and banked around, headed directly towards the Philippine Navy frigates. The video then ended abruptly. Our intel confirmed that the two jets which hit the Chinese base, the Chinese Shenyang J-15 fighters, launched from the carrier Shangdong, cruising 30 nautical miles north of fiery X-Reaf, continued Lieutenant Wolfe. They hit the airstrip with anti-runway ordinance, making it completely unusable. The Chinese haven't mentioned anything about the incident yet, but it's a sure bet that the state-run media is already preparing a story to blame either the United States.

States or the Philippines for the attack on their base. Why are the Chinese attack their own base? That's big petty office of first-class Paul Gemsby. A bravo team leader. This guy was built like a brick bulldoves, even by seal standards. They afraid we'll capture it and use it to land aircraft? With one of their two aircraft carriers in the vicinity and with a 15-mile exclusion zone which the Chinese have placed around the island,

I don't think they're too concerned about folks landing on the reef, said Lieutenant Wolfe, and he furried his eyebrows as if realizing something. If anything, I'd say they're concerned about anyone trying to leave the island. That would explain why the Chinese tried to scuttle the Yang Har, I said. But do we know why she set sail for the Baltic Sea in the first place? That's not exactly a short or easy journey from Quingdao to the Baltic, nor is it someplace where we'd usually expect to find Chinese research vessels. Do we know what the Chinese were doing there, LT?

Lieutenant Wolfe scanned over his notes. We know that the Yang Hong crossed the North Sea into the Baltic Sea two months ago and anchored some 50 miles south of the Alan Islands in the middle of the Baltic between Sweden and Finland. She remained anchored there in international waters for approximately five days, with the mini submarine still on her deck. However, Swedish naval Osce Sound surveillance systems picked up an unusual, so-no context at a point due north of the Alland Islands, which they didn't recognize as a military submarine,

but was definitely some type of submersible craft. You saying that the Chinese may have moved north of the Allied Islands, plop their submersible into the water, and then moved back south with a fake submersible on their deck? asked petty officer second-class Harold Johnson. Harry was a running back with the UCLA, but postponed the opportunity for a shot at the NFL to serve as a seal first.

That would sound like some world-class conspiracy theory shit, Harry, said the lieutenants, but that's exactly what naval intelligence believes. The Chinese knew to be at that exact location right when our satellite passed overhead. Then, after dark, they pulled up, Hanker, to drop off their seat. submarine on the north side of the Alland Islands, before retiring to their original position,

before our satellite passed over the area just in time to get their picture taken with a fake submersible on the deck. Well, assuming that our intelligence data is on point, I said, that still doesn't explain what the Chinese were doing in the middle of the Baltic Sea. What's so important in the waters north of the Alland Islands that the Chinese would want to sneak a submersible there? Hmm, good question, Chief, answered the lieutenant. Have you ever heard about the crashed Millennium Falcon that the Swedes found buried in the ocean there? My name is Chief Petty Officer Corey Priddy, United States Navy.

And the minute L.T. Wolf mentioned some crash science fiction spaceship at the bottom of the Baltic Sea. My mind flashed back to my grandfather, Mr. John B. Pretty. Grandad was a sergeant first class who served as an infantry platoon sergeant with the famous First Infantry Division during the V. Vietnam War, and boy did Grandad have some unbelievable stories to tell me about his time in a region of South Vietnam called the Iron Triangle. Now, to tell you the truth, I didn't believe him when he told me those crazy tales before I joined the Navy. Ironically enough, I think he'd be the only one who'd actually believe me if I ever got around to telling this story to anyone. Anyway, Grandpa Johnny had three children, all of them girls. Don't get me wrong, by all accounts, he adored all three of his kids.

Without only having girls left him endlessly frustrated, as if his beloved gods of war had abandoned him. He wanted at least one son to carry on the pretty family legacy of serving in the United States Army infantry, but having no boys, the dream of carrying on our warrior family tradition

seemed to have eluded him. Grandad had six grandchildren, however, three boys, although I am the only one who joined the military. Grandpa Johnny was like a father to me Since my own dad wasn't really around much When I told him I was joining the Navy to become a Navy seal Grandpa Johnny grunted

Why the hell do you want to go and be a wet marine Haven't I always told you kids that infantrymen hate to get wet? Why do you think the military will never allow women to go into combat? Grandpa, I said You do know that we have females serving in the infantry rights What? Spat Grandpa Johnny. His cigar flying from his mouth.

Hang on, Corey. You won't believe me that Vietnamese Bigfoot hates commies, but you expect me to believe that we got dames serving in my beloved infantry. You know they test for weed right, Corey. Grandpa, I said. You know that I don't...

Granddad hugged me tightly and said, Ah, go on, boy. Go get it. out of Ohio, go be a wet marine. Get out of here and fall off the back of an aircraft carrier. Whatever the hell are you Navy Seals do. The next morning, Grandpa Johnny Pretty drove me to the Naval Recruiting Station in Akron. The pride in his eyes that day only surpassed 32 months later when I finally earned the Golden Trident of the United States Navy Seal at Coronado, California. That was 14 years ago and although Grandpa Pretty didn't live really.

long enough to see me pin Chief Rankon. I'm pretty sure he's smiling down on me from heaven as he leads a platoon of boozed up angels fighting against those damn comie demons. Come again, L.T., I said. You said the Swedes found what at the bottom of the Baltic Sea? The Millennium Falcon chief.

It was a YT. 3,000 Karelian light freighter that had gone through several owners. Set out part black, part Vietnamese, Petty Officer Second Class. Terrell, Terry, Noyan. Our tall, designated medic,

took everything seriously, to the point that a lot of our jokes went right over his head. One of the most famous owner was Hans Solo, who made the Kessel run in... Ah, geez, Terry, said petty officer second-class, Vincent Vinnie Anders.

Chief knows what the damn Millennium Falcon is. His old house has seen the original Battlestar Planet Trek Galactic at Wars of the Apes when they first came out in driving theaters, right chief. Addie, Vinny, my set. You shitbro's done, said the L.T. He wasn't mad, he knew that when his seal joked,

we actually knew how serious the upcoming mission was. I've worked with L.T. Wolf long enough to know that when he didn't allow his seals a little levity, the explosive diarrhea had already hit the fan, and the shit was messy. So this was not good. What the media has dubbed the Crash Millennium Falcon, said Lieutenant Wolfe, has also been called the Baltic Sea Anomily. In 2011, a Swedish dive team named Ocean X were diving in the vicinity, looking for sunken treasure, when they discovered an unusual stone formation, 300 feet underwater on the ocean floor, which they described as resembling the Millennium Falcon.

That's the name. The popular scientific theory is that the stone structure is some type of anti-demean. Deluvian temple. Antidiluvian, said Vinny. That means before the great biblical flood in Genesis, Vinny. I said it. Yeah, said Wolf. The structure is antediluvian, which means it's over 5,000 years old, if not older.

And we know the Chinese did at least five secret dives to the side in a period of three years prior to this last major incursion into the area. What prompted them to deploy a full-on research vessel, and an experimental mini submarine for the last trip, though. That's still a mystery. So, they want us to go in and find out what the temple is all about, sir? Asked Petty Office of First Class Darren Hillard, our alpha team leader. No, Lieutenant Wolfe shook his head. Sack Deft couldn't give less than two shits about sunken temples.

The Chinese did all the hard work already. We're going to fiery eggs reef to find out what the Chinese brought back. Now, most operators will tell you that battles are won or lost in the planning stages long before the battle were conducted and the first round was fired. A lot of folks look at us and think that we make shit look easy, but trust me, there is no easy day for a seal. The only easy day for a seal was yesterday. L.T. Wolf knew this, which is why he's damn good at his job and why men like me will follow him. Wolf went over in meticulous detail the mission analysis and most recent intel data on our objective, including our assets available, resources available, and the time available to accomplish the mission

and extract out the target area. On top of this, we went over our planned courses of action to get into fiery X-Reefe, actions on contact, risk mitigation strategies, contingency plans should things go south, and a myriad of other minute details which couldn't be overlooked. Afterwards, LT demanded that every member of his team, including me, the team's senior NCO, back-brief him on everything which he'd just discussed in the past two hours to ensure that everyone on the team was on the same page.

Despite the Sears' reputation, we couldn't afford to have Johnny Freaking Rambo's on the team, pulling lone wolf bullshit and jeopardising the mission. Okay, gentlemen, you know the drill. You have a fiancé, girlfriend or newlywed wife, dump her. If you're an expert and father, deny you're the dad, concluded Lieutenant Wolfe. No goose's. No gooses, we all replied in unison.

Having been dismissed by LT, the rest of the team got up to leave the wardroom to get some chow. Our newest and youngest member of the team Petty Officer Second Class Blake Peoples walked up to me He was from Ohio Same as me I was so agreeing that he'd yet to serve in Iraq or Afghanistan Well the kid still had some baby fat on him

Hey chief got a minute I looked at the lieutenant who said Oh head chief I'm going to hit the head and grab a pop Back in three I nodded Okay Blake You got me for three. What's up?

I was just curious, said Petty Officer Peoples, as he waited for the L.T. to leave the wardroom. What does Lieutenant Wolfe mean when he tells us to break up with our wives or girlfriends right before a mission? He's not being literal, is he? Why does everyone say, no goose is? Jeez, Blake, I laughed. You've never seen Top Gunn. Tom Cruise, Kelly McGuinness. The guy who played Batman. You ain't ever seen war movies?

Yeah, Chief, said the young seal. I mean, I like war movies. Saving Private Ryan, Black Hawk Down. You know that kind of shit. I just can't get into the Hollywood war movie crap where the hero always comes home at the end. Well, not always, I said. The hero most definitely doesn't always come back home at the end.

You see in Top Gun, Tom Cruise didn't fly the Tomcat alone. Maverick had a Rio or Radio Interest. except officer aboard his F-14, also known as the gearball guy in back. That guy's name was Goose, and he'd just gotten married and had a kid, or some shit like that. Guess what happened to him? He died, said Petty Officer Peoples. Splattered all over the canopy of his tomcat during ejection, I replied. Same thing happened to the newly married guy when Charlie Sheen made that god-awful Navy Seal movie out of Little Creek.

Charlie Sheen made a Navy SEAL movie, said Peoples. Yep, it sucked hard, my answer. I'm talking sucked hard like a golf ball through a garden hose. I recall that they fire a stinger missile from inside of a moving vehicle at a tank or some stupid shit like that. Anyway, the point is, the newly married bachelor or the foob that's getting ready to be a dad for the first time always gets his ass handed to him. So, if we break up with our signature, other or she's pregnant and we deny it's our kid we sort of break that curse said

people's well that's how it works i replied does it really work chief i smiled i did a combined six tours to iraq and the gang with the l t and you know how many guys we lost we lost one his name was goose or rather his name was gusma let me guess chief said people Goosman was just married and found out he was going to be a father right before he deployed. You got it, kid, I said. Ever since then, the LT has been having everyone break up or divorce their significant other and abandon their kids before every op. He doesn't mean it literally, unless that's what you literally had to do to keep your head in the game

without getting it shut off. What LT means is that you have to divorce yourself from your family, and remember who you are and what you're doing. doing when you're out there. If you spend two seconds in La La Land, worrying about if Mary Jane Roddencroft back home is showing Jody a good time, you'll get yourself and your team killed. Roger that, Chief, said Peoples. I'm tracking. So Blake, I asked. How's your fiancé, tenissue, is it? Well, just found out she was pregnant before we left San Diego, Chief, he replied.

No. I said, you aren't engaged to be married, and you aren't going to be a father, at least not until this mission is over. Got it, Blake. Roger, Chief, understood. But what should I think about if we're on standby and not on mission status? What occupies your mind, Chief? Got any hobbies, peoples, I said. I mean, do you have any interests outside of what you do in the Navy?

Well, I do enjoy fishing, Chief. good i answered as l t wolf returned to the wardroom you can go think about fishing i'll get the fuck out of here and get some chow and some rest i still have to discuss contingency plans with the l t lieutenant wolf waited until petty officer blake secured the hatch of the wardroom behind him before walking over and setting an ice cold dr pepper next to me we lost one guy he said as he took a seat across from me I fudged the numbers a bit, L-T, I said, popping the top of the soda can while remembering all seven of the Navy SEALs we'd lost in the past four years. Three K-I-A, four W-I-A. They were all good men, the best warriors in the world. They did everything right, but we still lost them anyway. I understand, Chief, said the L-T. You have to keep their heads in the game.

The young ones like peoples were full of Pearson Vinegar, and hitching to prove themselves to the team. You have to reel them in, while the vets like Hillard, Gimsby, and Johnson, can get overconfident and complacent, so we have to get back to basics with them. It's a constant cycle. I don't envy your job, Chief,

even though you're one of the best in the business. Lieutenant Wolfe popped open the top of his sprite and took a sip. Hell, remember when I first took over the team, three months into our first tour of the gown, I was still a cheery-ass lieutenant junior grade Lieutenant Wolfe sat back Must in thought for a second Wolf was a 26 year old African-American

Lean with broad shoulders and legs like tree trunks He looked every bit the part of an anti-gun Hollywood war hero action star which we all hate the fuck out of Except that Wolf was a real hero Whose haunted eyes had seen more horrors than a thousand Hollywood action movie stars combined Yeah, I was right after a lot of Lieutenant Guzman got killed, continued Lieutenant Wolfe. Here I was, not even four months being a lieutenant junior grade.

Greener shit, and now I was in charge of a squad of Navy SEALs in Kabul. I don't know what I would have done without you, Chief. You didn't do too badly, sir, I said. By the time we left the gun, Captain Taliban and his band of Mary lunatics had a 200,000 bounty on your head. they had a $350,000 bounty on yours chief, laughed Lieutenant Wolfe. We should all be so lucky, sir, I said. Nothing like being the most hunted guy in all of Afghanistan.

We both had a good laugh at our own gallows humor. I liked Lieutenant Wolfe. It's a great thing when the command and the senior NCO of unit meshed together well. It means we get shit done. We get shit done with none of the egos, biased, or any of the other bullshit which prevents other units from accomplishing their missions. Chief, said Lieutenant Wolfe, suddenly turning serious. I've worked with you long enough to know that you've got something on your mind.

I think I know what it is. Corey, but go ahead. Well, sir, my side as I put down my soda. I was just thinking about Panama back in 89. Operation Just Cause. You're talking about SEAL Team 4 at Piteer Airport, said Lieutenant Wolfe. Yep, I said. The operation to capture Noriega.

The SEALs had to secure his private airstrips though that he couldn't escape. That was a US Army Ranger mission all the way. Well, they had the numbers and shit to quickly and violently take and hold Pitea Airport. That's their mission. That's what they do. But instead, the brass-sacenhaned. sent in 40 seals when we usually only operate in teams of eight. They ended up getting ambushed by a militia element with the Panamanian Defense Force,

and we lost four seals, killed, and nine wounded. And you're wondering why they're only sending an eight seals into a heavily fortified military Chinese base, where we'll be outnumbered hundreds to one, when dropping in a battalion of army airborne rangers would make more sense. Lieutenant Wolf leaned back. the look in his eyes telling me that he was thinking the exact same thing and, just like me, had no good answers. What do you think, LT?

Were the sect death's orders really so vague that they read, find out what the Chinese brought back from the Baltic? The Chinese brought back a research ship. Then they tried to scuttle it. Yeah, chief, said Wolf. That's it. That's all the sect death gave us. There isn't anything specific that.

they want us to look for, so we don't have a targeted objective. That makes it difficult to satisfy the needs of our political masters, but it also gives us free rein to dictate how we're going to carry out this mission. Our mission is simply to find whatever it was that the Chinese brought back from their secret expedition to the Baltic Sea, and apparently, according to the Segdev, we will know it when we see it. Even if this mission might start a war with China? I asked, Sir, if we raid the highly secured fiery X-Reefe looking for something that we have no idea what it is, there's a million and seven percent chance that will probably come into some type of contract,

which will involve fingers squeezing triggers. Is Washington really willing to risk going to war with the people that are funding the current anti-Trump movement? Well, apparently they are, conceded Lieutenant Wolfe, taking another sip of his sprite. But you have to admit, Chief, we've received far more vague op-horts than this in the past. Remember when the politicians told Dev Gru to send us into Pakistan to look for some tall guy with a beard? Yeah, we've had a fair share of bullshit missions based off of half-assed intel, I answered. But to tell you the truth, sir, if I'm going into a secured Chinese military facility in the middle of the ocean, to look for something that they brought back from a freaking crash millennium falcon at the bottom of the ocean.

I'm going in looking for Chewbacca. Chewbacca, said Lieutenant Wolfe with a dour smile on his face. Chief, if I'm going to search for what the Chinese brought back from the Millennium Falcon, I'm looking for Princess Leia. Can you believe that shit? That was the extent of our mission. Go into a place where you're outnumbered 20 to one. Go find something.

We didn't know what the fuck that something was, but you'd better not damage it whatever it is. Somehow get the fuck out of the hole we sent you into. Bring whatever the hell it is back. Then go disappear and shut the fuck out for a few years until you write a book that becomes a bestseller at Barnes & Noble. Yep. Welcome to Seal Life 101.

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BetMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with Eye Gaming Ontario. Anyway, the USS Wyoming cruised into the South China Sea and remained undertaken for a couple of days as we closed in on our objective. Okay, so, now here's the deal. A good describe all of the hoo-ha shit that we did to get the team into fiery X-Reefe undetected. How the Wyoming slipped into the South China Sea and easily penetrated the Chinese naval fleet blockade, and how we used SDVs to launch the Wyoming to the north shore of the fiery X-Reefe. But I'm not going to, because fuck you, Cormy, bitches.

You jokers can keep drowning your spec ops folks out in the ocean while trying to imitate how Navy SEALs do what we do. Anyway, it was approximately 0400 in the morning and still dark when we hit the north shore of Fiery X Reef. Lieutenant Wolfe and I were the command element of the squad. P.O.1 Hillard was in charge of Alpha team with Harry Johnson and Terry Nguyen, while P.O.1 Gimsby had Bravo team with Vincent Anders and Blake Peoples. None of us had to say a word. Our training was so that we could communicate with just our eyes, every seal able to anticipate and predict the actions of the next,

moving inexorably forwards and capable of producing a continuous flow of firepower and dead bad guys should the situation dictate. With the waves crashing on the coral reef masking our movements, we rapidly secured and camouflaged our SDVs at a location on the shores, which hit them from casual view, and quickly took up defensive firing positions on the sandy embankment, which bordered the runway. In front of us was an area of open beach

that stretched nearly 50 metres, ending in a surprisingly well-maintained grassy area. Hilliard's team was on the right of our line, Gimsby's team on the left. Wolf and I were in the middle. It was pitch black, the peaceful and tranquil sounds of the ocean splashing behind us.

Thermals revealed absolutely no signs of life across the runway and no movement anywhere inside the base. There were lights. on in various structures further south, but those lights were dim, some red, indicating that they were on due only to back up generator power. Though there were lights on the runway, none were lit, encasing the immediate area in pitch darkness. Clear, whispered Hilliard. Clear, said Gimsby. Low, said Wolf. Hilliard's team of seals got up and raced across the black runway,

weapons at the high, ready, followed by me and Lieutenant Wolfe. Seconds later, Gimsby's team followed. As I raced towards the tarmac, I noticed several deep craters in the runway, at least 10 feet in diameter and 6 feet deep, the result of the Chinese bombing strike several days earlier. To my left with several hangars where at least four Chinese fighter jets and three transports were housed. There was no way that any of them could have used the runway to leave. The question quickly popped up in my head. Why would the Chinese bomb their runway before getting their fighters out first?

Why were they in such a hurry? When we reached the north side of the runway, which faced the beach, we again went to the prone in the sand, each seal having their weapon raised and scanning for potential threats. There were two sandbag emplacements about 30 metres in front of us, one protecting a surface-to-air missile emplacement, one protecting an air-defense gun emplacement. Both appeared to be unmanned and abandoned. After only a few seconds, the team leaders again announced,

Clear, after which we immediately assaulted the two air defence emplacements. We found both to be unoccupied, although we did find that each were covered with dried brown splotches of liquid, and the smell of rot and metal mingled in the air with the pungent scent of dead fish. None of us had to say a word. We knew from experience that the air defence emplacements, was saturated with a dry blood and flesh, and that it was at least a week old. Sir, I whispered.

The Yang Hong is a click southeast of us, still docked inside this artificial lagoon, replied the lieutenant. That's the first thing that the Chinese blew. That's our first stop. Infiltrating into fiery X-Ref through the artificial lagoon would have been the easiest route for us, especially since our first objective was to investigate the Yang Hong that was docked there, but that would have left us and our SDVs critically exposed and vulnerable in what was likely the most secured spot on the base. The route which we'd planned to take across the base was considerably more difficult, but ultimately, tactically more sound.

The easy way will always get you killed, which is why we never take the easy way. Easy is lazy, and lazy is body back. The team moved swiftly in a wedge formation, Alpha to the right, Bravo left, with me and the LT in the center of the formation, every seal scanning their sectors as we crossed the bombed-out tarmac. The only sounds that I could hear were the waves calmly slapping the beach, fading steadily behind us, and the muffled clutter of combat boots that went from beach sand to grass to pavement. The area seemed totally bereft of any living soul, except us, as we quickly crossed the runway and stacked against what appeared to be a large maintenance hangar at the far side of the tarmac. Though it was pitch dark, our night vision devices illuminated details of our surroundings, as if it were broad daylight.

Harry and Terry from Hiliad's alpha team swiftly entered the bay door which hung open from the hangar, instinctively making sure that our six o'clock was clear of threat. It seemed like an hour had passed since we landed on a fiery axe, but in reality it probably only took us no more than five minutes to get from the shore and across the runway to breach the outer perimeter of the base. It's clear, L.T., came Hiliard from inside the hangar. He was whispering onto his earpiece that provided our main internal communications. Ah, this place is a mess. They got a helicopter in here, but it looks to be damaged. Also, a lot of the world. of bloodstains and... And... The mite went silent for a second before Hiliard came back up.

Oh, looks like there was a firefight here. Terry found a bunch of AKs on the ground and spent shell casings, but no bodies. Plus, the place smells like rotten fish, just like those defensive emplacements back at the beach. Carby, replied the L.T. We both pulled out our high-power monoculars and began scanning the terrain ahead of us. The team was at the southwest corner of the hangar, looking roughly east across another sandy open danger area, about 50 metres wide, before it hit an auxiliary runway, which ran parallel to the main runway. Across from this was a main road with what looked to be several rows of one-story housing billets on the other side.

Several of the doors to these buildings were wide open, a few dim red lights showing from within. Behind them were several other two-story buildings, these more spaced ends. What you got, Corey? Ask the LT. Control tower and side buildings is 200 meters right. Barracks and operations building is 100 meters direct front. No movement. No movement of the lagoon, whispered the lieutenant into his earpiece.

Main observation tower is north of here. Looks like two random structures and a weather radar station located at the mouth of the lagoon. No movement detected there. Bound to be the barracks area. Bravo, move. The entire reef was as flat as a postage stamp with structures space far and wide apart. It's going to be like sneaking across the deck of an aircraft carrier.

Gimsby's team race forwards across the open area, then took cover halfway across, providing cover as the rest of us sprinted the rest of the way to the cover of the barracks area. As I closed in on the barracks, I could see that some type of firefight had taken place here as bullet holes pockmarked the concrete walls and shattered windows. Again, dry blood, flesh, and the stench of rotting fish was everywhere.

Once we'd secured the perimeter, Gimsby's team dashed the rest of the way to regroup with the team. In less than three seconds, the team had established a tight perimeter with 360-degree security around us. Where are the bodies? I whispered. There are signs of a fight, but no bodies. They couldn't have just gotten up and left. said Hilliard.

He was at my shoulder, peering around a corner of the barracks building, his MK-14 EBR up and searching for targets. Most of the team carried Heckler and Colk, HK-416 battle rifles, but I preferred my trusty M-203-40-millimeter grenade launcher attachment. Well, L-T. I knew that the L-T and I were thinking the same thing. Where were the bodies? Where was everyone?

Up to now, this was way too easy. As Murphy's Law of War states, if your advance into enemy territory seems too easy, it's a trap. Okay, he said, checking his watch. We're actually ahead of schedule. Gimsby, your team check this barracks out for any bodies or survivors. Hillyard, your team check the one on the left. Chief and I will take the one on the right.

back here in three mics move unlike the other barracks buildings the barracks door which l t and i were checking was closed although i could see a dim red light through the small broken window set in the door i went in first and faced a long dimly lit corridor the air reeking of death and rotting fish i swept right down the corridor why l t wolf swiftly entered the corridor to the left there were four sets of double door lines lining each side of the corridor, while the entrance door at the far side of the corridor was wide open. Going through the first set of doors to my right, my night vision devices revealed that this was a bay room, roughly 20 feet wide by 50 feet long, lined with simple lockers and narrow bunk beds. Itry clothing and gear littered the space, along with personal shower and toilet articles,

although the beds were relatively neat and made up. It looked as if the inhabitants of this bay had left in a hurry, but I saw no signs of a struggle or blood. There was a strong scent of decay and rotting fish in the air, but it wasn't emanating from this room. I backed out of the bay just as L.T. came out of the opposite bay room. It's a true bay, whispered Lieutenant Wolfe. Messy, but no signs of a struggle. Same here, I said. Wrecked, like a drill sergeant threw shit everywhere, but no casualties. We quickly went up to the second set of bay doors, but the results were the same. The two bays were messed up, bunk beds turned over and several windows smashed out. But no size of casualties, although the smell had got worse.

The third set of doors opened into the restroom and shower stalls. I found large splotches of dry blood in a couple of the shower stalls, and bloody handprints as well as pulled down shower curtains, but again no bodies. judging by the toilet article scattered on the sinks and floors, I concluded that this was the female restrooms and showers. The fourth set of doors on my side of the corridor were wide open, and long brown, dried stain spilled from the room, as if something had been dragged from the inside of the room to the outside.

The horrific smell was coming from inside of this room. With my M4 at the high, ready, and fighting back the urge to puke, I stepped inside. of the charnel house. Dried chunks of flesh and bones were splattered across the room, mingled with the padding and springs of the flimsy mattresses from the cheaply made bunk beds which had been turned over. Warlock has also knocked over as if someone had desperately tried to create

some kind of ineffective barrier against some unknown attacker. Unlike before, here in this room, I found what was left of a few bodies. Arms, legs, torsos all ripped a part of a part of. and seemingly with large chunks torn out of them as if something had feasted on the unfortunate victims. The head of what appeared to have once been a female stared at me with dead eyes from the corner, the entire bottom half of her face looking as if it had been completely torn away. I was glad that I could only see the grisly details from within the limitations of my night vision goggles which showed things in various shades of green. I was absolutely sure that this room

I had been colored blood red. I took it step back. I was startled to run into a body. Holy shit, whispered Lieutenant Wolfe. What the hell happened here? Looks like some folks tried to create a barrier to hide behind. I shuddered.

Oh, looks like it didn't work, answered Wolf. Whoever did this drag the remains outside, I whispered. Look at the blood trails. We follow the trail of thick, blood and gore out the back door and into the street. I was grateful to be out of the stench of that stifling barracks and in the relatively fresh night air. We linked up with the other two teams. Each of them also reported discovering the horrific carnage which overcame the unfortunate people who'd stayed inside these barracks, but finding no evidence of what violently did these people

in except for the thick bloody dragmasts which seemed to come out of each barracks building. We also observed bloody drag marks that emerged from the multi-story buildings behind the barracks. Whatever had happened to these people had happened quickly, with only very few of them seemingly prepared to defend themselves. All those blood trails seem to be heading in the same direction, L.T., I said. Yeah, Lieutenant Wolff nodded. They've all gone in the direction of the lagoon. Okay, let's move out at the Yang Hong. "'Ava, take point. "'Try to stick to the shadows.

"'We can assume that we're alone on this reef. "'Hilliard's team led the way across the concrete pavement, "'sticking to the cover of buildings where they could, "'but the far spacing between structures left us exposed in the open most of the time. "'Still we remained unmolested as we came to yet another empty hangar "'at the end of the auxiliary runway. "'We were close to the lagoon now, only 400 metres away or so, when Hiliard's team reached a main intersection in the road.

All of a sudden, petty officer Noyan stopped and kneeled in front of a large street sign at the side of the road, with arrows written in Chinese pointing in different directions attached to the pole. Without having to say a word, the rest of the team went prone, weapons facing out, while I rushed forwards to where Noyan and his team leader Hiliard were kneeling. What you got, Terry, I whispered. "'Hey, Chief,' said Noyan, "'this is supposed to be a military base right.' "'The arrow, at least, that's what we were told.'

"'Well, chief,' said Noyen, pointing up with the street sign, "'this directional sign says that that facility over there to our left "'with the two randoms is actually a restricted to the research facility. "'Check out the panel underneath the arrow. "'It says, authorised personnel only. "'Only Juan Tonguo 776. cardholders permitted. Hmm.

Yuan Tonguo 776 card, I said. That's the Chinese equivalent of an above-top-secret security clearance. I looked in the direction that the arrow was pointing, where a narrow road ran parallel to the lagoon and ended about half a click away at the compound at the extreme eastern part of the reef, where the mouth of the lagoon opened into the sea. The compound was surrounded by a high chain-link fence,

topped with rolls of razor wire, behind which sat two randoms and the weather station. At a separate dock which I now noticed could only be accessed from the secure compound, sat the listing hole of the Yang Hall. Minutes later, Lieutenant Wolfe had us in an office on the second floor of the hangar, looking out over the lagoon. Surprisingly, there were a few white lights still on at some parts of the compound in which the research facility was located, meaning that some generators were still running there.

We scanned the target area for a few minutes, looking for any sign of movement. Despite having a relatively clear path up to this point, the LT wasn't taking any chances, nor was he going to lead his men into the trap due to complacency. Well, he said, taking his monocular from his eyes as he ducked down behind the windowsill. I still don't see any movement,

but from this vantage point, looks like the majority of the fighting took place at the research facility compound. Both Gimsby and Hiliat scanned the area using the powerful scope of their advanced battle rifles. Yep, no movement here either. I can't see where the fencing on the side closest to the lagoon had been ripped down, whispered Gimsby. Spent inwards, like whatever tore it down tried to get in from that side. The main front gate to the compound is also torn down, added Hiliuio. only the gate looks like it was forced outwards, as if they were trying to get out of the compound.

I guess this answers the question of why they only sent in eight seals instead of a battalion of rangers, I said. She supposed that Hire suspected that this base would be deserted and didn't tell us, L.T. I wouldn't surprise me, Chief, the lieutenant responded. So, wait, whispered peoples. The sect deaf and folks in Washington would send us on a highly classified mission without giving a all the intel that they have. New guys catching on, chuckled Anders. Sometimes, man, the folks in charge only have partial intel or incomplete data.

In those cases, we'd be sent in with orders to either verify the intel. In those cases, we'd be sent in with orders to either verify the intel that they have or disprove it. Or, in this case, to steal it? said peoples. We don't steal peoples. I correct it. the Navy SEALs never steal

But we'll sure as hell acquire a bunch of shit, right, Chief? Added Johnson Well, if they have a line around, I replied. Well, our sun's going to be up in an hour and a half to two hours, said the lieutenant. We need to be off the beach by then. We'll use his hangar as our rally in point in case anyone gets separated or if she goes south. Okay, let's move out and see what we can acquire. Leaving the hangar behind us, we moved in a wedge formation across the uncomfortably open ground towards the research facility compound,

until we got to within 100 metres of the wide-open front gates. From there, the squad transitioned into a bounding over-watch maneuver, where one element of the seal was rushed forward, while the second element stayed low to provide covering fire. After a couple of bounds, we were past the front gates of the compound, rushing past two light poles which shone a dim light upon a blood-sub, splattered guard shank. Two AK-47 rifles lay outside amid a sea of empty shell casings, but, as before, we saw no signs of the bodies. Lieutenant Wolfe was with Bravo team, and had secured a corner of a small structure which looked to be a utility building.

I was with Alpha Team, which was across the street and had taken up positions at the base of the smaller of the two red-on buildings. We were again engulfed in shadows like ninjas as we stopped to scan our surroundings before proceeding. It had indeed been some type of heavy firefight here, as the ground was littered with spank casings, dropped weapons and torn military clothing with ripped flesh still attached. Pools of dry blood also tarnished the pavement and sand, and everywhere was evidence that the dead had been dragged towards the lagoon. I looked around, trying to see if any of the security cameras appeared to be active, when I

saw the ones that were mounted on the light poles that we had just passed. clear said hillyard clear said the lieutenant hey um wait up l t i said what's up chief just give me a second l t i responded i want to check something out real quick terry come with me the rest of the team stayed put scanning their sectors for any signs of threats which we might have missed as noyan followed me while i raced into the small concrete gar chat inside two overturned chairs faced a desk with half a dozen monitors and a public address microphone all of the security monitors were black but a faint green light at the base of the monitor control board was still on indicating that there was still power going to the security cameras what's up chief asked noyan can you get these security monitors up i asked hold on said noyan reading the labels of the

control board under the monitors. Yeah, I think so, he said as he began typing into the keyboard connected to the main security monitor control board. Immediately, three of the security monitors came to life, one showing the grey-green tinted view of the area just outside of the garchaik, as well as the torn down entrance gate. The second one showed only a dark grey screen and the last showed only static. Okay, Chief, said Terry. These first two scenes are showing a feed from wherever those cameras are mounted. That third one with a static has power still going to it,

but it looks to have been knocked out somehow. I see. Hey, I could wave your arm out of the door real quick, will you? Noyem did, as he was told, and I saw his arm waving outside of the guard shack on the first monitor screen. Okay, so these monitors are showing a live feed then. Come on back inside, Terry.

Can you see if you can pull up any recorded video? Say, um, from the last week? "'Depending on what kind of recording system they used and their data storage memory base,' said Noyan, as his fingers again danced over the keyboard. "'I might be able to—oh, there, got it.' The first monitor, the one connected to the camera mounted on the pole just outside of the guard shack, showed the timestamp on the video being taken at 1830 hours, seven days prior when the shadows were growing longer as the sun began dipping towards the ocean. It was a top-down view given the height of the camera angle and the bottom third of the video was obscure by the edges of the guard shack itself.

But what the camera did pick up was a scene of utter panic as people in both civilian and military clothing could be seen fleeing out of the entrance gates, all of them with horrified expressions on their faces. There was very muffled audio that accompanied the video and the sounds of screams along with automatic weapons firing could be heard. But who was shooting and what they were shooting at could not be seen. All of a sudden, a searing hiss could be heard,

followed by the body of a Chinese soldier falling backwards into the camera frame, eyes wide with shock and fear, his bloody hands clutching his abdomen which had been ripped open. This was followed again by a snake like hiss, and the body of the Chinese soldier suddenly being pulled out of the frame by some powerful unseen force. The second monitor showed the feed from a camera, camera, which was apparently mounted atop one of the entrances of the research facility.

The video again showed dozens of panicking people, this time wearing mostly civilian clothing and several wearing clinical or medical scrubs, pushing and shoving to leave the building. Behind them, unseen from inside the building, came more screams intermingled by the sounds of weapons being fired along with more of the unexplained hissing sounds. The third monitor, the one which showed only static, came alive with the footage of when it was active a week ago. The security camera was apparently mounted at the dock nearby, pointing towards the lagoon and the Yang Hong tied to the dock. The research vessel was belching smoke and fire and was already beginning to list to one side. But that wasn't the most alarming thing from the video.

In the waters next to it, things were. were rising out of the lagoon. All of a sudden, a large, webbed claw smacked down the camera, and the video immediately turned to static. Hey, LT, I whispered into my earpiece. You need to come see this. Part three. The lieutenant and I were staring at the monitor as Noyan replayed the footage. There are at least ten of the things rising out of the lagoon, but the bubbles and rippling coming from the water behind them

indicated that there were many more coming to the surface. The things were hunched over and stood about six to seven feet tall. They were coloured in mottled shades of dark olive and brown, humanoid in appearance and looking to be an unholy amalgamation of aquatic

creatures. Their bloated bodies and heads looked like that of a horn toad. Their Thin but muscular arms and legs ending in large, flat, webbed hands, and feet at least two feet wide, which ended in claws. A large spiny dorsal fin extended from the top of their toe-like heads and ran down their backs, ending at their lower back where it turned into a large cordal fin that was flat like that of a dolphin. Lieutenant Wolfe exhaled as the monitor went to static again. Terry, can we get a copy of the video footage? said the LT.

Not from here, sir, he answered. The actual video feed recordings are probably stored at a separate location, probably a main security room somewhere in this facility. Okay, said the LT. Let's get everyone in here to get a look at this. The mission hasn't changed, but at least we have some idea of what we're supposed to be looking for. In a few minutes, everyone on the team got a look at the video footage and had seen what we were up against.

With everyone's weapons at the high ready, I led the team down the street past the two research facilities and down to the docks where the gates are being crushed inwards. The Yang Hong was still there. The 35-foot hole blasted from its side was facing us, but the gangplank was still connecting the ship to the dock. The bottom of the ship is resting on the bottom of the lagoon, I said. That's why it didn't sink.

Bravo, secure our six, said Wolf. Chief, Alpha, with me. Using the gangplank, L.T. Wolf, Hiliad's team and I quickly made our way up onto the ship. The going was tricky as the ship was leaning 30 degrees to starboard, and the decks seemed to be covered in some type of thin slime, much like that which covers fish. We were after the ship when we clamoured on deck, Lieutenant Wolfe taking Hiliard and Noyent up to investigate the main superstructure, or Johnson and I went below decks where the hole had been blown into the side of the ship.

The bottom third of the ship was filled with water and I wasn't particularly thrilled to go down where those things might be lurking and the lack of peripheral vision by our night vision devices didn't help things any. I flipped on the maglight mounted on the side of my weapon and the light mounted on the side of my ballistic helmet and took the lead down the steps to the second deck

with Johnson close behind me. This level was relatively above water level and contained the ship's small galley, restrooms and living quarters The damage to the Yang Hong notwithstanding, there were signs of a struggle that had occurred before the Chinese tried to sink the ship. As before, there was blood everywhere, and signs in the living quarters that the occupants had vainly attempted to barricade themselves inside. Still, we found no signs of survivors or the things that had attacked them.

Making our way past the forward quarter deck, the side opened up to the outside due to the hole blasted in the hull, the explosion occurring in the deck below us. Much of the floor was blown away here, so Johnson and I had to carefully climb around the gap without falling through the hole to the lower deck and the water below. Once across, we passed the restrooms and, now near the front of the ship, we entered a relatively large medical bay, where we encountered the greatest signs of carnage and savagery. Lab equipment, monitors, vials, and surgical tours were not only violently thrown apart, but smashed and deliberately destroyed. It. Hey chief. Lieutenant Wolfe's voice came over my earpiece.

We got nothing up here. A lot of scientific research equipment, but all purposefully destroyed. Computer towers, hard drives, everything regarding what the Chinese were looking for is either been removed or destroyed. This place has been sanitized of anything we can use. Yeah, I said. This deck is the living quarters and it looks just like the barracks. Signs of a struggle.

blood, but no solid intelligence that we can use. We're in the medical bay now. It's trashed, but... Chief, look here, said Johnson. He shone his light on a gurney laying on its side on the floor. Hey, sir, I said. I'm looking at a medical bed here with heavy restraints attached to the sides. Those restraints had been ripped off their mountains. There was a hesitant pause before Wolf said. Okay, I understand.

Let's get out of here. There's nothing for us to find here. Hey, sir. It was Gimsby's team outside. We got eyes on a light up in the second story of the larger research building. Looks like someone shining a flashlight down at the ship. Okay, said Wolf. Keep her eyes on.

We're done here, and we'll be out shortly. A few minutes later, the team had rallied at the fence and was moving towards what we assumed was the main research building. The glass double doors of the building. the main entrance were broken, the heavy doors hanging open on their metal hinges. On entering the building, Bravo team swept left across a wide lobby littered with papers, broken glass, spent shell casings and dried pools of blood, while Alpha swept right, weapons at the high ready. By this time, we switched to white lights on our weapons and our helmets,

giving ourselves better illumination. Clear, said our team leaders. The random we were in was approximately 150 metres in diameter and two sets of steps wound around the sides of the facility up to the second floor ignoring the rooms on the first floor i led bravo up the left-hand set of steps while l t led the rest of the team up the right side once on the second deck our two teams circled around the corridor checking and clearing rooms that we passed until we came to a set of double doors which curiously had a heavy wooden desk and file cabinet stacked in front of it as if someone were trying to keep something inside of the room.

With no words needing to be said, big petty officer Gimsby quickly stepped forward and shoulder tackle at the free filing cabinets and desk, shoving them aside but creating a teeth-shattering screech as the heavy impediment slid across the tile floor. The second that Gimsby cleared the door of obstructions, I was the first one through, followed closely by Hiliard and his team.

We were immediately greeted by a high-pitched scream. I shone my light down on a Chinese female wearing a soiled laboratory coat lying on the ground, a fading flashlight next to her on the floor. She was wearing a dark blue skirt which didn't hide a nasty looking scratch on her upper left eye. She had apparently tried to bandage it with strips of her clothing. United States Navy Seals, Mom, I yelled. Are you alone? Where are you hurt? Behind me, Terry Moyen repeated what I said in Chinese.

The Chinese female held up her hands to shield her eyes from my life. My name is Huizhang. Your English, Americans? I can speak English. Tears flooded the young lady's eyes as she pressed her hands together in gratitude. Thank you. Thank you for coming to rescue me. I wasn't able to get out with rest after one of the mayors scratched my leg.

My colleagues barricaded me inside this room. I don't even know for how long. I'm a research biologist. I can help. Something is wrong. I feel wrong. The research biologist, probably in her mid-20s, looked up at me with wide pleading eyes. She was emaciated and dehydrated, and the room reeked of bodily waste. Please, I'm very thirsty. Have you any water? I reached behind me and pour a canteen from out of my pouch and carefully approach the girl.

Her eye is grateful. The scientist raised her hands towards me. They took all of the data with them and tried to destroy it when the mirrors came up out of the sea. But up there, on the counter, my laptop, my... A small hole appeared in the middle of Zhang's forehead, though the back of her head was completely blown away. She was just an empty face with no head behind it. People's, I yelled. What the hell?

Her hands, Chief, people replied, moving forwards with his rifle raised and pointed at the young female scientist he'd just killed. What the fuck is going on with her hands? Look, said Johnson, what the hell's going on with her body? We all watched in shock silence as her arms and legs slowly darkened and grew scales. Her body expanded rapidly, the scientist's clothes ripping and falling away as dorsal fins emerge from her bloated. head and legs. In less than a minute, what was once Hugh Zhang was gone, and in her place lay one of those aquatic horrors that we'd seen in the security footage. Johnson low his rifle. Damn, it's my cheated ex-wife, only prettier. Shit, chief, said Noyan. Did she scratch you?

I looked down at my arm. As she was changing into that thing, she'd managed to nick the part of my uniform sleeve covering my right forearm, causing a small rip, but fortunately just barely scratching my skin. Oh, I'm fine. She didn't even break the skin. Blood Terry disinfected, chief, said the LT, just in case. As Noam began cleaning and disinfecting what amounted to a minor scratch on my arm, our tech guru, Vincent Vinnie Anders, went to the laptop which the scientist appointed to. The room we were in was in total disarray. It appeared to serve as some type of operation centre, with two of the three rows of tables and chairs knocked over. Paper littered the room as if the Chinese were trying to grab up as many notes and documents

as they could before they fled. Okay, I'm in, said Vinny, but the battery is low. Terry, you want to see what you can find? Noyenne, who was moderately fluent in Chinese, patched me out quickly and we joined the LT and vignette the laptop. Nooyne's fingers danced over the keyboard before he found something useful. She's got a lot of files here. Most go way over my head. Wait, here. She kept a file of personal notes.

Okay, hang on. Okay, here we go. Research ship Yang Hong deployed three men submersible to the anomaly. Ha, look, the Chinese. colonies call it the crash Millennium Falcon 2. Okay, submersible recovered. Three-man crew had encountered some type of biological organism at the target area. Two crew members deceased, one injured.

Right, let's see. Okay, five days after the Yang Hong left the Baltic Sea, they have the infected crew member restrained in the medical bay. Okay, now something happened with the patient en route back to fiery reef. mutation is the word they use. Captain orders the submersible tossed overboard to prevent additional contamination. Now, the Chinese Navy fires the Yang Hong adrift about 15 clicks to northeaster here. Initially, they find no one on board and the lifeboats are still attached,

but then they find one survivor hiding inside one of the lifeboats. The Chinese Navy tows the ship back to fiery X-Reefe, where the insane-sounding survivor, who turned out to be the ship's cook, was treated for a bite on his shoulder by something that looked like. it had needles for teeth. Right, the survivor, whose name is Chen, raves about, in the course of about ten days.

The injured crewma that they pulled from the submersible slowly changed and mutated into some sort of giant toad-fish creature, either killed or infected the rest of the crew. Ah, right, okay, now she skips ahead a few days later. She now describes Chen as having mutated into something she called a mere and he escaped the lab and into the lagoon. Along the way, the mere killed two lab assistants and injured two orderlies and two security guards.

Yeah, right. Next morning, she writes that firing was heard on the north side of the base at the airstrip, where nine soldiers are found killed and half Eden while 11 soldiers are missing. And here. Okay, this is two days later. The two orderlies and security.

security guards were terminated before their mutations were completed, attacks increasing during the morning and evening, mirrors dragging their prey into the sea. And at that, the computer screen went black as the battery finally died. So, that's what we're looking for, said Lieutenant Wolfe. A mutagen. What the Chinese found and brought back from the Baltic Sea was some kind of biological mutagen. Hang on. Are you so? You saying that everyone on this base was transformed into those things, asked Hilliard. Why did it take so long for the girl to change? Well, her natural immune system kept whatever mutagen that infected her from completely transforming right away. Remember, she only suffered a scratch on her legs, I said. But after she was killed,

the mutagen transformed her fully into that creature. Fortunately, she was already dead when it occurred. Okay, people, said Wolf. I'm open to suggestions. Any theories on what that mutagen might be. Well, said Anders, calling that anomaly the Millennium Falcon might not be so far off after all. Explain, I said. Okay, started Anders. So let's assume that before the great biblical flood, there was some technologically advanced antediluvian society.

Like Atlantis, said Johnson. Yeah, sure. whatever, answered Anders. Anyway, this advanced civilization realizes that the end is coming, so they create a biological mutagen that transforms their bodies to quickly adapt to living underwater. Like mermaids, said Johnson. All sports illustrated swimsuit models, replied peoples.

Thanks, asshole, said Johnson. I'm never ever going to date another Sports Illustrated swimsuit model ever again now. Waiter. If they transformed on land, then made their way into the sea, said L.T. That probably means that they're amphibious. And that would mean that their first order of business would be to try to spread the mutagen as far and as wide as possible, I agreed. That's why the Chinese had been trying to isolate this reef in the first place. They couldn't leave shit alone, and now we've got sea goblins running around, said Noyen.

fucking sea-goblins. All right, jans, said Lieutenant Wolfe. We got the laptop. Our intel guys can wrap their brains around whatever the hell it is contained in there. Let's get back to the SDVs, people. The sun was just beginning to rise above the horizon, illuminating the area enough so that we no longer needed our night vision devices. Our SDVs were hidden in the shoals about a click and a half to our northwest,

and we booked a more direct approach to the beaches, even though it meant manoeuvring around more open ground. As our surrounding slowly grew brighter, we could see more of the carnage which had befell the base as the evidence of weapons fire and even explosions from grenades were more extensive than we previously observed. What bodies we encountered along the way were almost totally consumed and reeked with the smell of decay. Well, to be honest, the closer we got to the beach, the better I felt. as I didn't see any dead bodies of those mutated fish things. It's got me to wondering how effective the Chinese military weapons were going to be against those things. Gimsby's team was on point.

When they reached the two air defence emplacements, which we passed when we first came ashore, Gimsby took a knee next to the sandbag surrounding the air defence missile launcher and held up a fist. Staring out towards the beach, she said, LT, we have a situation. Wolf and I rushed towards where Gimsby was kneeling, and I could already see what had startled the Big Seal. My heart sank.

Our SDVs looked as if they'd been tossed 30 feet from where we'd hidden them. They lay on their sides like beached pilot wells, with huge gouges ripped into their holes. Contact left, yelled people suddenly. Contact right, came Johnson. Emerging from the waters and half-hopping. Half-looping towards us from the beach came dozens of those creatures which the dead Chinese scientist had called mirrors. Their eyes were completely black and the gaping mares of their toad-shaped heads hung open, revealing row upon row of teeth,

shaped like curved needles sunken into their fleshy gums. The reek of dead fish poured from their mouths as hissing sounds bellowed up from their gullets, making the beach sound like a pit of vipers. "'Weapons free,' yelled Lieutenant Wolfe, as he brought his rifle up, flipping the lever to fire, and firing a burst of three rounds into one of the mutated creatures that were steadily approaching our position. On cue, the rest of us opened up on the things which were no more than 50 to 100 meters away, pouring hundreds of well-placed shots into the heads and torsomes.

"'We're hitting them, but they're not dropping,' yelled Hiliard, who was off to my rights. his heavier caliber enhanced battle rifle barking loudly as he took his shots. He was right. I had already put 12, 556 rounds into the creature nearest me, and while it was taking chunks out of its body, the thing was barely slowing down as more of the things crept up behind it. It became immediately evident that we might be able to kill these things, these mirrors, but we were on open, flat terrain on the beach,

and the creatures, of which there were easily a hundred, were beginning to outflank and get behind us. L.T., I yelled. We're too exposed here. Fall back to the rally point, ordered Lieutenant Wolfe. Get back to the hangar we were in earlier. I hear Gimsby on the back of his shoulder and yelled, move.

He got up and bounced back along with Anders and Peoples as I kneeled and launched a 40-millimeter high-explosive grenade into a gaggle of three of the things at 75 meters. My tube gave a satisfying, as the round fired, and a second later, I was rewarded with the sight of one creature absorbing the shot, the resulting explosion obliterating it and those closest to it. So they can die, I thought, as I turned and sprinted back to join the rest of the team. I saw that we dropped about a dozen of the creatures,

and several of the others stopped to devour those we killed. But more of them were emerging from the waters, as the lieutenant directed us across the sandy beach to an olive-colored, expandable trailer, which had a radar in place next to it, with the dish still slowly spinning. The team formed a hasty perimeter around the emplacement, while the lieutenant grabbed Nway in and poured him into the expandable trailer. I took up a firing position at the door, turning to see that although the mere creatures were bulky and ungainly,

they still loped along at a steady pace of a slow jog. They'd reach our position in a matter of minutes. What's up, L-T? I yelled from the door. This is the remote control station for those air defense emplacements, answered Wolf. Still has Juse run into the weapon control systems. I looked at the slowly rotating tracking radar, as Wolf said. Terry, can you translate what I'm looking at here? Yeah, boss, answered Noyan.

This is the master arm switch. That locks the sights. This controls a gunned weapon systems, and this is the master arms control. Nothing's happening, Terry, said the lieutenant, who was at a control station with a remote camera and a joystick. On the monitor, I could see that he was attempting to target a mass of the creatures that were just clamoring ashore. Hang on, sir, said Noir. I forgot to hit the manual override. The manual override switch armed.

The picture on the monitor screen moved as the lieutenant sighted. in on his targets, much like a first-person video game shooter. Looking back across the beach, I saw the emplacement 50 metres away, where the air defence gun suddenly began traversing towards the approaching mutated horrors. It was traversing slowly, probably because the backup batteries were failing. But eventually the lieutenant got the shot alignment he was looking for. The weapon came to life as the rotary cannon spit forth a deadly torrent of a hundred thirty-millimeter high explosive rounds of the creatures, followed shortly by the reverberating sound of a buzzsaw which echoed across the beach. At least 50 of the things lay dead or dying on the beach,

while many of their companions stopped to consume their flesh. However, though their advance had stopped briefly, those creatures which remained continued their inexorable approach to our position. The rotary cannon fired again, but stopped after a couple of seconds. Shit! yelled Noyenne, looking at a red light flashing on his control station. The battery power is too weak. The feet system's jammed. That's okay, said the lieutenant, grabbing Noyan and pushing him to the door. They gave us enough time to put some distance between us and those things.

Let's move out. Fall back to the hangar and get to the roof. Bart four. Once again, I was Tailn, Charlie, as I popped two smoke grenades behind us as we ran, back to the hangar, where we'd scoped out the research facility earlier. Dense clouds of purple smoke bellowed behind us, causing our pursuers to slow down and get confused. The hangar which the lieutenant had chosen to be our rally point was about two-thirds of a kilometer back the way we'd just come. We'd pass the other multi-story buildings along

the way, which were closer, but we'd no idea what was inside of them or if there was a way to the roof. Additionally, these buildings were located almost in the center of the region. where there would be multiple avenues of approach to our position. The hangar which we were running to was near the end of the auxiliary runway at the northeast part of the reef. While it was harder to get to since we were all running with 80 pounds of freaking lightweight gear, the hangar's location limited our pursuers to only one avenue of approach over hundreds of meters of open ground. And since our SDVs were destroyed, our only extraction was going to have to be by air. The large flat roof of the hangar was the most suitable option.

Lieutenant Wolfe calculated all of that, took in all the risk versus reward factors, and made his decision in a split second. We were all pretty winded by the time we reached the hangar on the northeast point of the reef. Fueled by sheer terror and adrenaline, I bounded up the metal stairs behind the rest of the team, up to the second landing which overlooked the hangar

and passed the ramshackle office. We were just in a few hours earlier. Our boots clanged down the end of the walkway made of steel grating to a short metal ladder bolted to the wall that led eight feet up to a trap door which opened to the roof. Johnson, our speedster, raced to the ladder first, throwing open the trap door and clearing the roof. I emerged onto the roof last and slammed the trapdoor shut behind me, looking around for something heavy to place on it. Think that trapdoor will hold off the fish things? asked Andrews. I don't know. When do you sit on it?

I said, breathing heavily and taking a long sip of water from my hydration pack. Drink water, people. Check your ammo. Vinny, how's that laptop? Still secured in my pack, chief. Peoples, yelled the lieutenant. Here's the radio, said Peoples, passing Wolf the hand mic to the radio with a secure comms channel to the USS Wyoming. Thanks, Blake.

Reynolds Six Alpha. Reynolds, Six Alpha. This is Ryan Aitual, over. There was a second of static while Wolf repeated. Reynolds 6 Alpha, this is Ryan Aitual, over. Ryan Acher, this is Reynolds, 6 Alpha, came the voice of the skipper of the Wyoming. Roger Alpha, said Wolf, be advised that our sleds have been compromised. I say again, our sleds have been compromised.

Requesting immediate spies' extraction from a hangar roof northeast of the auxiliary runway. grid location to follow. I'll copy, over. Roger Aitchell, came the sub-skipper. I understand you're requesting immediate spies extraction. Are you in contact? Negative alpha. We're good for now, but we are definitely been pursued by hostiles.

Wolf said calmly. Roger Acher, said the skipper. Be advised that I was instructed to open an immediate secure channel to Washington, D.C., once you initiate. radio contact. Are you in position to take the call? Lieutenant Wolfe looked at me and shrugged, mouthing the words, Washington, D.C. Yeah, sure, Alpha, set Wolf into the radio.

We're secure for now. Roger, replied the sub-captain. Wait one. Lieutenant Wolfe motioned for me to come over and listen in on the conversation as the Wyoming skipper changed frequencies to the top secret line with Washington, D.C., connecting Lieutenant Wolfe with whomever was on the other end. Sir, Lieutenant Wolfe is on the secure channel. Thank you, came the voice from Washington. Hello, am I speaking with Lieutenant Jake Wolfe?

Speaking, sir, replied Wolf. Who am I addressing? Lieutenant Wolfe, you're speaking with Secretary of State Tim Terry. I glanced at Lieutenant Wolfe as he motioned Peoples to turn up the volume of the radio. Secretary Terry? He mouthed. Now I need for you to listen very closely, said Secretary of State Terry. Was fiery cross-reef abandoned?

Did you encounter any survivors? Lieutenant Wolfe paused. We only found one survivor, a female Chinese scientist who is now deceased. Okay, Lieutenant Wolfe, continued the high-ranking American politician. Did you happen to recover any intel on some? something that the Chinese named the Mirrors Project. The Mirz Project, sir, answered Lieutenant Wolfe. The Chinese scientist directed us to her laptop, and she did mention the word mirrors before

she died, but I'm not... We want that laptop, the old Secretary Terry. You need to bring us that laptop at all costs. Do you understand, Lieutenant? Your country is depending on you. Roger, sir, replied Lieutenant Wolfe. but what exactly are me and my people dealing with here? That's need to know information, said Secretary Terry.

And you don't need to know. I'm working on a very limited time schedule here, and you need to get that data on the laptop out before we destroy the reef. Say it again, Secretary Terry, replied Lieutenant Wolfe. Did you say you're destroying the reef? The Chinese will allow us to destroy the reef, yes, but they want something in return. said the secretary.

What the hell do the Chinese want in return for us destroying the mess they created, sir? demanded Lieutenant Wolfe. They want us to scuttle the USS Bonham Richard, answered the politician. What? The USS Bonham Richard is an assault carrier and poses a great threat to Chinese military expansion in the South China Sea. Secretary Terry replied, especially since the Chinese have lost contact with a few of the other artists. artificial reef bases they created down there.

The Chinese are feeling particularly vulnerable now, so the Chinese want the USS Bonhomme Richard out of their way. You have got to be shitting me, sir, said Wolf, completely beside himself that the United States would agree to this. This is a fair exchange, insisted Secretary Terry. We hit fiery cross-wreath with B-52 station out of Guam, and the Chinese don't have to worry about the Bonham Richard. But we ultimately come out on top because we also have that laptop you discovered.

By the time of his voice, it was clear that Secretary Terry obviously believed in this line of logic. But the Chinese unleashed this biological nightmare. Sir, why are we sacrificing one of our assault carriers to please them? Said Lieutenant Wolfe angrily, not caring that he was speaking to one of the highest-ranking members of Congress. Because China is too big to fail, Lieutenant. Let's face it. Making America great again or putting America first is a thing of the past.

We need to wake up to progress and move on and realize that without China the United States could be finished. We need every advantage we can get, meaning we need that laptop, lieutenant. Does the President know about this? Ask Lieutenant Wolfe, frankly. President Trump is not entitled to know everything we have.

Secretary Terry then stopped him. himself, suddenly realizing that he'd said too much already. Then, dropping his voice to a whisper as if afraid someone might hear, he continued. Look, Lieutenant, we're going to destroy fiery cross reef for the Chinese, and that's final. It's your choice whether or not you'll be on that reef when it happens. So you'll call, Lieutenant Wolfe. Now, does your country get that laptop, or don't we? So, replied Lieutenant Wolfe, not backing down from the...

the politician. American politicians are protecting China from the backlash of revealing that the Chinese government released a harmful mutagenic virus into the world's population. Where have I seen that before? Okay, sir, you got your laptop. Good, exclaimed Secretary of State Terry. The USS John McCain is steaming four miles to yourself. Your extraction helicopter and the bombers are and bound. They'll be over your location in one hour. Good luck, Lieutenant. Lieutenant Wolfe gave the receiver back to Peoples, shaking his head at me with an exasperated expression. Let's hope the chopper gets here before the bombers do, I said. Don't worry, sir, said Peoples. He and Anders were at one corner of the roof, watching the approaches to the hangar

to our south and east. I think those mutated fish things will be gone before the chopper arrives. Really? said Wolf. Explain. So if the mutagen turned them into those fish things. What did that girl call them? Mirrors? Then their feeding habits are similar to those of most fish, meaning they usually feed in the early morning or evening. Okay, said Wolf. Yeah, continued people.

So fish are cold-blooded, meaning that when surface temperature is hotter during the day, they move out into open water where it's cooler. That's why the best time to go fishing is early morning or early evening. That would explain why they attacked late in the afternoon and early in the morning. So you're saying those things will be leaving once the temperature gets hotter, I asked. More than likely, answered peoples. They'll probably head back out to sea once the temperature rises in about an hour, then come back later in the evening.

Also, their brains are small, which is probably why they can absorb so much punishment. Their brains don't register that they've been so strong. severely wounded. How do you know about all this stuff, Peoples? said Wolf. Well, chief that told me to break up with McGill and think about fishing, answered Peoples. No goose is right, LT. Yeah, laugh Lieutenant Wolf, no goosees. So, um, we wait for those things to head out to see and we pull out?

Asked Anders. Let the buffs come in and sink the whole place. No, said Wolf. We need to make sure that all those damn things are on this reef when the B-52s do their bombing run. We can't afford for any of those mirrors to get on any mainland and start spreading that mutagen. So we need to make sure that every one of those things are packed as tightly as we can in one location. That means we have to act as bait until the very last second. If we calculate that there are 300 personnel on permanent duty here,

plus the personnel for their air assets, maintenance, security, combatant air defense, along with the civilian research staff and the crew of the Yang Hong. I'd say that they had as many as 1,200 personnel on the reef at the beginning, taking into consideration that about a quarter of them were killed in Eden instead of mutating. I'd say that leaves about 800 of those things left. A hundred to one and we hold the high grounds? I'll take those odds, L.T., replied Hilliard. Yeah, well, it was a better ours than we had at Ramadi, agreed Lieutenant Wolfe.

Extractions in one hour. The buffs won't be too far behind. Let's drop some of them and let those fish folks know we're here. The mere creatures were milling around aimlessly below us, obviously not knowing where our team was located. Using their enhanced battle rifles, Hiliard and Gimsby each dropped two of them with headshots straight through their eye sockets, while I splattered two more with a 40mmy-mile-assplosive grenade.

Like chum in the water, this brought more of them into view, the mutated creatures loping in from around the corners of the distant buildings as they began to feast on their dead. But immediately, we knew we had a problem. Um, LT, there's considerably more than 800 fish people coming at us, yelled Johnson. Yep, looks maybe like a few thousand. said Gimsby.

I liked Harrod's better when we were in Ramadi. Where did they all come from? said Noyan. Did they already hit the mainland? I don't think so, I said. All of the mainland countries are still too far away. Remember when Secretary Terry mentioned that the Chinese have lost contact with their other artificial reefs? Those reefs are only a few dozen clicks from here.

Well, still doesn't change our mission, jens. Said Wolf, firing his rifle down at the the seething mass of mere creatures starting to gather below our position. We have to still get all of them here to ensure that the bombers hit them all. The stench of rotting fish was becoming more unbearable as the growing numbers of mutated sea terrors began to gather. By now we killed about two dozen of the things which, for better or worse, started attracting more of the mere creatures to the wide open space in front of our hangar.

Because Lieutenant Wolfe had chosen our position so well, we only had to defend the south and east walls of the hangar, allowing us to concentrate fire and catch the majority of them in a crossfire from our elevated height. Still, it was obvious that we were facing a force of thousands, and while many had stopped to feed on the growing number of their own dead, many more of the mutated horrors were loping towards our hangar. We opened up with all weapons blazing. This was combat in its purest form,

where steely-eyed trained warriors stopped thinking about death and relied strictly on their training to keep them alive. This was where the amount of adrenaline being pumped into your veins could keep you awake and alert for weeks, where calm, focused aggression ruled amid the sounds of automatic weapons fire, grenades exploding, the yells of reloading, and the incessant hissing of the mere creatures. Before I knew it, I was out of 40-millimeter high explosives

and anti-personnel grades and was now down to firing a 556. We'd killed hundreds of the things and hundreds more had stopped to eat their dead. But still, the tide of thousands crept closer to our hangar. They were now only a few dozen metres from the entrance. Hey, yelled Gimsby. Are those fuckers getting bigger?

At first I thought it was my mind playing tricks on me, but now I could see what was happening. The more the mere creatures ate their dead and ingested the mutagen in their systems, the more they began to grow. Someone now as big as 10 to 12 feet, and the more I can only describe as a fit of roid rage from the massive infusion of the mutagen in their system, they began attacking and devouring the smaller mere creatures around them. Collectively we all realized it would take more ammo to bring those ones down. That volume of fire increased, and then came the sound that I was

dreading to hear. Out. I'm out. You have one. one of my seals. Reloading, last mag, yelled another. I distributed my last six full magazines to the two seals who went blank on ammo. I forget who they were while yelling, Pop smoke, drop it over the edge. Hiliard and Gimsby popped their smoke grenades and dropped them over the edge of the roof. The billowing clouds of red and purple smoke caused the mere creatures to hack and wheeze. The mutated horrors backed away, but we all knew that there was only a temporary reprieve. Once the smoker cleared, they would storm the hangar. Chief, yelled Peoples. When's that extraction going to get here?

Tomorrow, I answered. Today is the easy day. I'm black on ammo, yelled Gimsby, slinging his rifle around his back and drawing his combat pistol. Black on ammo, yelled Hiliard, also drawing his pistol. Black, announced Noyan and Johnson, as they drew their... air pistols. The protective smoke screen which we laid out began to dissipate and swirl around us as the air began to thump. In the distance we could see the grey-coloured shape of a US Navy SH-60 Seahawk diving towards us. The Seahawk helicopter was equipped with a spy system or special patrol insertion and extraction system. It hovered low over the hangar, a very thick and

sturdy rope dangling beneath it, which the helicopter pilot skilfully lowered to the hangar. a roof. Attached to the rope were harnesses to which our seal team attached themselves. First Hiliard and his team, following a Gymsy and his team, then me and finally Lieutenant Wolf. The Seahawk lifted the entire team up into the air. Eight warriors dangling one on top of the other suspended from a rope at the bottom of the helicopter. Lieutenant Wolfe was the last seal lifted off the roof, just as the access door burst open and those mutated fish things tumbled out. The pilot banked the helicopter in a gentle turn south towards the open ocean and the awaiting destroyer, the USS John S. McCain. I looked northeast, hearing the rumbling

of powerful jet engines even above the noise of the Seahawks rotors and down draft of wind. Not even two miles away, I could see our three B-52 bombers that have flown out of Guam, opening their bomb bay doors, heading for the Chinese base at a fiery cross-reeve. Well, that was freaking intense, yelled Peoples into his earpiece. This, oh, this is nothing, I yelled as the Seahawk banked over the South China Sea. You should have seen what we encountered in the caves of Afghanistan. It wasn't even a week later, after the destruction of the reef and after our team had returned to San Diego, that news of the USS Bonhomme Richard began hitting the airwaves.

August 26th, 2020, U.S. Navy Times. Arson suspected in USS Bonhomme Richard fire, defense official says. April 14th, 2021, Fox 5, San Diego. Fire damage USS Bonhom Richard decommissioned in San Diego ceremony. August 4th, 2021. U.S. Navy Times. Sailor accused of starting USS Bonham Richard fire identified.

Almost immediately after I returned to Coronado, second squad, second platoon, seal team seven, was swiftly disbanded, and each member of the team was assigned to different seal teams on either the east or west coast. Lieutenant Wolfe was assigned as an instructor to Bud-S, the basic underwater demolition seal training course at Coronado that creates new seals.

I ended up on the east coast with the Seal Team 6, or the loss of the reef with all personnel was eventually blamed on a freak underwater volcano. Anyway, it wasn't until a month after I arrived in Norfolk that we discovered an interesting side effect of the mutagen. The mutagen, when delivered in quantity such as in a bite, would turn a human into one of those sea monsters within minutes or hours, depending on how much and how quickly the mutagen was absorbed into the bloodstream. But when delivered in a very small and controlled dose, such as a scratch which barely broke through my skin,

this strange mutagen could have some very unexpected benefits. For example, it's now winter, and I've been swimming here for hours in the open waters of the Chesapeake Bay, eight miles off the coast of Norfolk. I'm neither tired nor cold, and the destroyer USS Cole, which has been escorting me on this little experiment, has tracked me swimming at approximately 27 knots,

or about as fast as the speed of a dolphin. Oh, did I mention that I've been swimming underwater with absolutely no scuba or any other underwater breathing apparatus? If the folks at Bethesda can somehow harvest the mutagen from my blood, I truly feel sorry for the poor bastards who have to face the next generation of United States Navy SEALs. From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of ancient Rome. The Empire versus the Eagle, Globe and Anchor. But what? Okay, hear me out.

This is going to sound strange, but what if... What if my theory is actually true? It would explain a lot of things and answer a lot of questions that are plaguing us right now. Let's imagine for a moment that the Earth, alone in the galaxy, or perhaps even the universe, has been chosen to be nothing more than a giant chessboard. A chessboard where both time and space do not hinder or help in the outcome of the game. Now, let's imagine that there are two diametrically opposing forces at either end of the chessboard. Lord. Let's label them good and evil, light or dark, whatever you wish, who at critical times

in cosmic history will take individuals or perhaps even entire military units and place them at strategic locations during crucial moments to affect the outcome of the timeline. What if these chess moves, a lack of a better term, has changed the course of our history over and over again? What if Abraham Lincoln actually lived? But a chess piece had been moved to assassinate him? What if Hitler had been killed in World War I, but a chess piece had been moved to save him? What if a chess piece had been moved to save Trump from assassination? Excuse my French, said Colonel Solomon Gabriel. What are you freaking shitting me, chaplain Johnson?

The 48-year-old Marine Corps colonel, with skin-tight buzz cut and the low flat top of prematurely white hair glared at the chaplain of his 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Colonel Gabriel wasn't a religious man. Three tours of Iraq and two in Afghanistan pretty much convinced him there was no gods, at least not a loving one, despite what his Marines might have seen and experienced in the last few days. Chaps have the entire Miu, spread out on the beaches of the Reggio di Calabria,

on the southern tip of Italy and trapped 2,000 years in the past. I ordered this command and staff meeting to complete all of the intel that we've been able to gather so far. That includes you briefing me on what the hell that thing was we saw. I need answers on how we're going to get my 2,400 Marines back where they belong, not a lecture on some metaphysical Doctor Who bullshit or some ancient alien theory about Jesus, the lightsaber wielding Jedi. Sir, I'm just offering, said the chaplain, Major Brent Johnson.

Sir, interrupted Captain Tanya Tonelli. the me US 2 intelligence officer and one of the few female officers serving in the unit there are historical records of entire units vanishing without a trace they're relatively young for her rank terneli's retired u.s marine corps command sergeant major father had toughened her up and while she could take a good ass chewing like the rest of them if she knew she deserved it captain tinelli never took any unwarranted shit from anybody during the battle of gallipley in world war one a british unit named the not Norfolk regiment, made up a 250 men and 16 officers, charged across open territory towards enemy positions when a thick cloud bank descended on them. When it rose, the entire unit had completely vanished from the battlefield. The event was reportedly observed by several witnesses, including soldiers from the nearby New Zealand army. And in 1939, when the Japanese invaded China, continued Captain Tunnelli, a Chinese military force of 3,000 soldiers was deployed to defend

the city of Nanjing. They vanished without a trace. The list goes on an answer. The five Avenger torpedo bombers lost without a trace in 1945 after World War II, Korea, Vietnam, reports go back to this time period where entire Roman legions vanished and even back into ancient Egyptian history. Captain Tenelli stopped when she saw Colonel Gabriel turning red and lower his head. She could tell from experience that the angry and frustrated expression on Colonel Gabriel Gabriel's face, that the information she was providing wasn't what he wanted to hear. For his barks, Colonel Gabriel had to grudgingly admit to himself that if Captain Tenelli was a young, intelligent, good-looking, physically fit male intelligence officer, he'd probably be ripping him

a new arsaw right now. If he'd wanted a briefing about shows the History Channel played during ratings week, he would have asked for one. But since Captain Tenelli was a young, intelligent, good-looking, physically fit female intelligence officer, he knew he had. to tame his anger. Granted, Colonel Gabriel wasn't a fan of the new politically correct and over-sensitive military which was infecting his beloved corps like a plague, but he'd also proven that he was a staunch opponent of racial bias, sexism, and the creation of a hostile working environment which always rotted and decayed the units once they infected.

Those Marines who had been found guilty of disappearing in the Warrior Code soon found themselves to be ex-marines. Colonel Gabriel was more than happy to be the one signing their dishonourable discharge from the Corps. Thankfully, such cases were very few and far between in his Mew, and motivation was always high among his young warriors. The 13th Mew had one of the highest retention ratings in the Marine Corps, a testament to the unit's high morale, dedication and trust in their junior and senior leadership. What Colonel Gabriel couldn't stand were the new congressionally mandated training,

training briefings in which he was forced to sacrifice over a quarter of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit's total yearly training time to such briefings as sensitivity training and training sessions in which social justice warriors encourage Marines to get in touch with their easily offended inner liberal. His Marines patiently sat through those hours long death by PowerPoint briefings in which each Marine was lectured by bleeding-heart liberals on how Marines were brutish monsters. unless they change their negative and intolerant attitudes towards people who identified this house as winged unicorns of rainbow and sprinkled-colored freedom fighters. Well, if a marines first thought at zero dark 30 when they woke up in the morning wasn't, how could I embrace and love grown adults who have no idea which public restroom to use, well, that Marine didn't have his priority strains. While each of Gabriel's Marines dutifully rated each briefing a five out of five in relevance,

importance and promoting social justice. At least they'd be labelled as brutish monsters by their civilian slave masters. In reality, most of it marines considered such constant and repetitive briefings tedious drivel to the point of being aggravating. They would have rather spent their training time doing something more relevant and important to promoting social justice, such as training to kill the shit out of the bad guys. Colonel Gabriel inhaled deeply as he spoke, and Captain Tennelly winced unconsciously, expecting an ass chewing in front of her fellow

staff and command officers who were crowded inside the large tent that was serving as the unit's talk, tactical operation center. Instead, in an aggravated, though, calmer and collected tone, Colonel Gabriel said, Look, Captain Tenali,

I'm not doubting whether or not those occurrences actually happened. Well, we're stuck two thousand freaking years in the past. But what I need to know are quantifiable and scientific theories of how we got here and what that thing was who said he was God. Most of all, I need to know how we're going to get the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit back to where we belong, or at least of the 1960s. That was a fun, freaking decade. Captain Tonelli smiled inwardly, knowing that her plan to readjust the colonel's thinking might be working.

Sir, if matters regarding a theological answer, I'm afraid Major Johnson is far more qualified than I am as your subject matter expert. She smiled gently, telling her head to look at the chaplain. Chaplain Johnson returned her conspiratorial gaze. Okay, I get it. You and Chaps have been plotting against me. Colonel Gabriel leaned back in resignation. All right, chaps, let me hear your theory.

What was that guard we saw out there last week? Chaplain Johnson thought back to last Friday, when the 13th Mew was conducting a joint forces NATO exercise with the premier regimento San Marco, the elite Italian Marines. The start of the training operation would be done in typical Marine Corps awesomeness. The US Navy amphibious assault ship USS Kyrsage and the Italian Navy amphibious assault ship, San Justo, was steaming two miles off the coast of southern Italy, roughly 50 cliques northeast of Sicily. In the mystic blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea, the most elite fighting forces of the United States and Italy were training together,

conducting an amphibious assault of the rocky beaches of Reggio di Calabia at the tip of Italy's boot. This was just a training exercise. It was no less an awe-inspiring sight, as a full combat battalion of Marines encased aboard amphibious assault vehicles slowly rumbled to shore, two water jets propelling in the large green-and-brown-colored boat shaped armored vehicles through the relatively calm waters, columns of white fuel-fed smoke

billowing behind the assault marines. Following the Marine A-AVs, other combat Marines were aboard large air-cushion landing craft, known as Elkax, which thundered to shore propelled over the churning waves by two powerful and incredibly noisy fans mounted at the aft of the vessel. These Marines crammed aboard the Al-Cax, brought with them the meat. use main fire support weapons consisting of light-armoured vehicles called Lav 255s, a battery of 655mm-m-m-7-7-7-toed howitzers, and even a platoon of four M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks. As the Marines charged over the waves towards the shoreline, AH1Z Viper attack helicopters and UH1Y light attack helicopters flew below overhead, looking for hostile targets inland that might hamper

the breach landings. Behind the hunter-killer viper and venom pairs of helicopters, unusual-looking MV-22 Osprey tilt-rode aircraft flew about a mile behind, carrying more assault marines and equipment. And far above the marine helicopters and ospreys, four Marine Corps aviate harrier jump jets circled protectively, awaiting their call to drop their ordinance on enemy positions. To the east of the US Marines,

their Italian counterparts were also conducting similar amphibious landing operations supported in the air by their own AV8 Harriers and AW101 Merlin helicopters. Colonel Gabriel stood on the bridge of the lead Elkhak, just behind the first wave of assaulting Marines, watching with visible pride as his young Marines neared the shoreline of Reggio di Calabria, each team and squad all the way up to battalion-level command team operating like a well-oiled killing machine. Once the two assault forces landed ashore, The American and Italian Marines would link up to begin a six-mile road march following the main seaside road east to a pre-aside location where they would consolidate and conduct 11 days of joint training exercises.

His Marines would enjoy the site of the Mediterranean Sea off to their right as they conducted their six-mile road march. It was, thought Colonel Gabriel a great day to be a Marine. Chaplain Johnson was with Colonel Gabriel on the El Cax Bridge, along with the sea, senior command staff. Johnson saw the phenomenon before the Alcax Navy captain said, Sir, looks like we got clouds rolling in. The Italian and American Meteor folks had previously reported that it would be clear today, high thin clouds and 100% visibility. There were absolutely no clouds in the clear late spring skies over the Mediterranean, but right here in front of him, the force of AAVs just half a mile in front of the following Alcax is.

just vanished in a cloud bank so thick that it appeared that they disappeared behind a white wall. Before Chaplain Johnson could blink twice, then the opaque cloud had already swallowed the El Cax, and for the Marine Chaplain, time literally stood still. Johnson tried to blink and turn his head, but found that he could do neither. The cloud had enveloped everything in such a thick haze that Johnson couldn't see anything except the curtain of white. His fellow Marines standing now, next to him having completely vanished. He felt as if he was submerged in tar, straining every muscle that he had just a blink.

Even the rumbling of the Al-Qaq had completely stopped. And though everything seemed deftly still and calm, Johnson's mind was racing. Time has stopped, Chaplain Johnson realized in shock. Time stopped. Lord, what's happening here? No sooner had that impossible thing. thought crossed his mind, then a bright flash of light seemed to suck him forward.

Chaplain Johnson would have screamed and raised his arms if he could have, in a vain attempt to protect himself from being smashed to a pulp against the armored glass window of the Elkak Bridge. However, instead of being splattered against the inside of the bridge, chaplain Johnson saw his body phasing through the solid glass and instantly transported to the shore, where he stood on the beach amidst a slowly dissipating cloud. He found that he now had control of his movements again, and he looked around nervously, seeing that he was surrounded by his fellow Marines, were also looking around with shocked and confused expressions on their faces. One second ago, they were driving A.A.Vs over the choppy water to the shore,

or sitting in the passenger compartment in the back, getting seasick and throwing up. One second ago, they were piloting gunship helicopters, Ospreys or Harrier jump jets. One second ago they were aboard armed vehicles on the landing craft, waiting to rumble off onto the beach. Now it appeared that the entire 13th Mew was standing on the beach, and Chaplain Johnson could see the questioning eyes of several Marines staring at him, not out wondering if this was what heaven was supposed to be like. If Chaplain Johnson could speak, he would have said,

I don't know. The beach at Reggio de Calabria, if in terms, Indeed, that is where the Marines were, was made of coarse sand and smooth around stones. Visibility had improved some, though the sky above them and the seas behind them remain shrouded in a cloudy haze. Less than half a kilometre in front of them, the beaches led to a series of low foothills which overlooked the shores and the sea. A glowing being about 300 feet tall stood on the foothills, looking down and regarding the assemble Marines with white flaming eyes. instinctively several Marines raised their weapons at the angelic entity taking up whatever firing positions they could find on the open beach

while the security squad of recon Marines took up defensive positions in front of Colonel Gabriel no orders had to be shouted though scared and confused the Marines deployed to deal with the potential threat propelled strictly by hard training and warrior resolve part two stand down Marines "'Your Colonel Gabriel, his gruff voice breaking the eerie quiet, "'which seemed to envelop the scene. "'Oy weapons and stay frosty. "'We don't have live rounds anyway.

"'Fear not, my valiant warriors, "'for thou stand before the god of this land.' "'The being spoke to the Marines with a beautiful voice, "'its tone calming, almost hypnotic, "'and Chaplain Johnson could only describe the human-shaped giant "'as glorious. "'It was a male figure with a chiseled. and muscular chest, barely hidden by a golden flowing robe. The being's legs were also very muscular,

and his feet were hidden under clouds of swirling smoke. The being, which called itself God, had a head which shine like the sun, flowing white hair wreathed in lightning, framing a young and impossibly handsome face. They are safe here, my champions, considered the being calling itself God. Chaplain Johnson realized that the being wasn't speaking to them in the conventional term, but actually communicating with each Marine through its faults. My name is Solomon Gabriel, Colonel, United States Marine Corps. yelled Colonel Gabriel.

I am the commander of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. I am aware of who thou art, Colonel Gabriel, said the being, sounding somewhat annoyed at being interrupted. They were at the Legion Legate, a commanding officer of one of our history's most elite warrior classes known as United States Marines. Colonel Gabriel put his hands on his hips as he looked up with a glowing deity on the hill. You don't need to be a guard to know that, he yelled. The being laughed humorously. Ah, arrogant and fearless. I have chosen well.

But have a care how you speak, Colonel Gabriel. I am the god of this land and I shall brook no insubordination from my warriors, no matter how daring and bold. Oh, please don't tell him that these aren't his warriors, thought the chaplain. Please don't tell him that these warriors belong to the United States Marine Corps. Chaplain Johnson instead breathed a sigh of relief when Gabriel said instead, Are you the one who brought me and my Marines here? Where exactly is here?

"'Thou art upon the shores of Erecheon, which thou now call Reggio di Calabria,' said the being. Chaplain Johnson gasped. "'The Redshaw d. Calabria hasn't been known as Rheum for over a millennia,' he thought. "'Ah, indeed,' said the being, as if it had read the chaplain's mind, "'this land has not been known as Eredium for many areas since your births. There was a tinge of anger in the being's tone as he spoke. Several things have changed since the Karav Bahia appeared.

You still haven't answered my question, sir. It pained Colonel Gabriel to call the thing sir, but he was an atheist and would be damned if he'd addressed the thing as God. Marines would have come ashore at Reggio di Calabria without your help. Indeed, Colonel, said the being, but thou would not have arrived at the time in which thou were most needed. You and your warriors stand on the beaches of Rehium. That is true, but thou standeth on the beaches two thousand years in your past.

Forty days air the fulfillment of the Kohav Bahia prophecy. Are you freaking kidding? Started Colonel Gabriel. Sir, the old chaplain Johnson, putting his hand on Gabriel's shoulder and shaking his head in panic. If you really did bring us back to the biblical area, maybe we need to hear what God has to say before we encourage his wrath.

Colonel Gabriel exhaled angrily, glaring at the chaplain, but said nothing. Surprisingly, the being claiming to be God gave Chaplain Johnson a displeased expression, but spoke cordially with Colonel Gabriel. You are indeed wise to hear me out, Colonel Gabriel. Forty days hence, a great calamity will occur, will shatter the very pillars of the world.

Started the being. Cultures will crumble and empires will fall, and the effects of such a world-destroying event will touch even thine own lives many millennia in the future. This must not stand. Therefore, thou and thy mighty warriors have been chosen, amongst all others, to keep this calamity from occurring and affecting the world with its power. It is the only way that you may be allowed to return to your proper time. Hmm, is that so? said Colonel Gabriel.

And what is it that you're asking the 13th meal to do? The being suddenly radiated a feeling of accomplishment that bordered on sexual satisfaction. He smiled and his body shone even brighter. The prophecy of the Kohav Bahia must not be allowed to occur. The great pillars must not be allowed to fall. In order to prevent this, thy Marines must destroy the military legions of the Roman Empire. "'Hm, with all of your great power,' said Colonel Gabriel, "'why can't you do that yourself?

"'Why couldn't you prevent the prophecy of the yabba-dabba-do?' "'Do not try my patience, mortal.' "'The glowing beings seem to diminish in its brightness and glory, "'its beauty replaced by a moment of ugly rage. "'Still, Colonel Gabriel stood his ground. "'I am the god of this land, "'therefore the Roman legions are my children. It is not for me to carry out this task.

For the sake of your world and for your future, this is a task which can only be accomplished by the United States Marines. Well, chaps, said Gabriel. Was that or wasn't it God that we saw three days ago? Chaplain Johnson gulped. In my opinion, sir, the answer would be no. If it were, then none of us would probably be alive as no man could set eyes on him and live.

Okay, then, I'll bite, said Gabriel. Was that some sort of angel of his? Again, sir, I'd have to say no, replied Johnson. Angels have been said to be so glorious that those who saw them were either so struck with fear that they collapsed or they fell in worship of them. Neither of those events occurred amongst the Marines, and I noticed that since no one fell in worship at that being,

well, it caused it some consternation. In the Old Testament of the Bible, angels would always say that they were not God, but his servant and messenger. That being on the hell said that he was the God of this land. If you were truly God, he would have announced himself as the God of the universe. To put what that being said in perspective, he'd be like he was admitting to be the God of Toledo, Ohio. So, who do you think that was, Japs? The deep-sounding voice came from command sergeant major Jacob, Jake Tunstall. The veteran Black Marine had been the unit's senior-ranking NCO through their last two deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Angel of Light. The devil. I'm not certain, Sergeant Major, said Chaplain Johnson, though I did suspect that he didn't like me being here, as if he considered me as an adversary. What was it that being said? continued Sergeant Major Tunstall. He mentioned something about the prophecy of Gohav Bahir not being allowed to occur. What does that mean? I haven't heard about a prophecy of the Carthapha here, admitted Chaplin Johnson. It doesn't sound like a Latin phrase, nor does it sound like anything from the modern Italian language, but it sounds familiar. We don't have internet here, obviously, so I can't reference it online.

We're running out of time, folks, said Colonel Gabriel. Whatever that thing is, it said that the veil hiding us from the rest of Roman eyes will be lifted in three days, after which the powers of the Roman legions will be unleashed upon us. That three-day alibi ends in 12 hours, and we have to assume that after that we'll be in direct combat with at least one Roman legion. The Marines of the M.E.U were assembled on the beach, along with their combat, combat support,

combat service support, and logistical vehicles. All of the marine vehicles had somehow been parked neatly in rows on the hard-packed ground of the beach. Above the beach and a low hill of similarly hard-packed ground, but which lacked the smooth stones and rocks which might have harmed them when they were launched, were part of the Mew's Vipra attack helicopters, and the Venom Light attack helicopters, as well as the Ospreys and four Marine AV-8 Harrier jump jets.

Their quartermaster equipment, including the water purification equipment and the 500-gallar water containers were also located there, as well as the tents and the field kitchens. Aside from that, mountains of pallets stacked high with ammunition, MREs, bottle water, fuel blivets, extra tires and everything else that could sustain an entire mew for a high-intensity operation that was supposed to last no more than two months also awaited the M-EU on the beaches, although the Marines had no idea how those had got there. Unknown to them, an airdrop ammunition resupply of 155mm how it's around,

dropped from C-130 Hercules transport aircraft to the 82nd Airborne's artillery battalion vanished into thin air, while material from the military storage facilities located across the world had almost mysteriously disappeared only to reappear on the beaches of Reggio de Calabria. The personnel frantically searching for the tons and tons of missing fuel, munitions, and Class 1 supplies never knew that the missing materials could be found 2,000 years into the past. The being that had called itself God had only transported those Marines into the past who were essential to fighting the Roman legions. Those Marines whose military occupational specialties involve signals and intelligence, satellite communications, electronic warfare, naval gunfire liaison, and any other specialty which relied on modern technology outside of that which was organic to the Mew were left behind, as the technologies required, did not exist 2,000 years ago.

Aside from the Navy corpsmen, who were also allowed to remain, the Mew would be acting as a separate, self-sustaining combat element. The glowing being had also granted the Mew three days of grace in which it said that the area five kilometres around where the Marines now stood will be blind from detection from the Romans, although the Roman Emperor Tiberius had been forewarned of the coming of the Marines. This will give the Marines three days to prepare their defences and prepare for the coming campaign. At that, the glowing being departed from the Marines, and the misty haze which surrounded them lifted, revealing a bright, clear and warm morning. Watches which ran on battery still worked, and although the hours were off by a couple thousand years, Colonel Gabriel saw that only a few seconds had passed since he and his Marines had been taken from their timeline.

Immediately, Colonel Gabriel sent out his light-armoured reconnaissance company to scan the surrounding area, informing them that under no circumstances were they to engage the local population, and if they should encounter hostile Roman soldiers to pull back and readjust course. He didn't like his position on the beaches, and ordered the mew to prepare to move to a more secure location once it was located. As soon as the infantry combat elements had traded in their blank rounds, for live ammunition from the stocks which had mysteriously appeared on the beaches, they were to move out by company to secure a one-kilometer perimeter around the area, while the armored vehicles loaded ammunition, fuel and provisions for the anticipated move off the beaches.

Colonel Gabriel kept his air assets grounded for the moment, not fully trusting the being when it said it would shield them from sight. Did that also apply to high-flying, long-ranging aircraft? Instead, Gabriel ordered his scouts to make extensive use of the recon drone assets available to them. Fortunately, they had no shortage of modern one-to-50,000-scale area maps of the area, since they had no GPS or satellite tracking capabilities. This meant that the Marines would be navigating overland, using the old map and compass method. By mid-afternoon, the scouts reported back that they were just within the five-kilometer boundary,

and that they'd seen no other signs of human life or habitation, though they did find several roads made of smooth brick which ran east to west. The beach at which the Marines had landed was surrounded by rocky foothills, but about two kilometres from that, the land levelled off to flat rolling plains and fields which gradually dipped into a wide and shallow valley.

This valley extended for several miles before sloping up again into more foothills, and gradually towards taller mountains. The infantry units also reported no contacts or signs of human habitation, so Gabriel ordered them to push out another kilometre. Part 3. By late afternoon, the first platoon recon patrolling to the east reported that they had what looked like several villages under observation,

but that they seemed to have been uninhabited and abandoned recently. Order to proceed and investigate with caution, but were the same rules of engagement that none of the local population were to be engaged and if hostiles appear the marines were to retreat. 30 minutes later the recomb platoon reported back to the talk that all of the villages had been abandoned seemingly in a very organized and deliberate manner. Colonel Gabriel ordered them to hold in place at one of the larger villages which contained a number of abandoned homes and buildings made of the same smooth white stone used to construct

the roads. Using his map, Colonel Gabriel saw the that the villages were north of what is modern-day Melito de Porto Salvo, an area of grassy higher ground, which then led down into the more traversable valley going north. It was a very strategic location for the ancient Romans for fishing and farming, Gabriel wondered why it had been abandoned. A while later, the recomb platoon scouting north and northwest, reported very few signs of habitation upon the rocky foothills

and few places where the Mew vehicles could maneuver. ordering his recon marines to hold place and maintain observation he ordered first platoon at Milito de Porto Salvo to secure the area and prepare for the Mew's arrival, paying special attention to marking areas which the aircraft could land. Not wanting to move in the evening, Gabriel called his command and staff officers into his tent, informing them that he was going forward to assess the situation at Milito de Porto Salvo

to see if it was a suitable site for the Miu. If he determined that it was, Gabriel informed his commanders that the Mio would be moving off the beaches at 10,000 hours the next morning, following breakfast. In the meantime, Gabriel admonished his combatant commanders to ensure that their equipment was serviceable and accountable, and that their units be ready to move within 24 hours. Normally, Gabriel would take the UH-1 Venom helicopter to do an aerial recon, But instead he travelled overland with his reconnaissance platoon to link up with the first platoon at Milito de Porte d'Orsoul. Utilising the recon platoons up-armoured Humvees to cover the short five-kilometer distance, Colonel Gabriel was amazed at the sophistication of the ancient paved Roman roadway.

Though it was hardly capable of accommodating any of his vehicles, much less their tract and armored vehicles, it was still an impressive feat of ancient road construction, though the way was narrow and rocky and many places, the marine vehicles could traverse the route, proving their worth as they had in the rocky mountains of Afghanistan. The thing that bothered Gabriel was that this wide and obviously major travel road was abandoned of all people, and as his recon elements had reported, so were all of the villages and habitations surrounding the marine landing point for five kilometers. This could only confirm that Emperor Tiberius had ordered the evacuation of this part of southern Italy, and the only reason why he would do this was because he was fully aware

that the US Marines had landed. Admittedly, despite being thrust in such an outlandish and otherworldly situation, he was actually looking forward to matching his wits and warriors with the great Roman military generals of ancient times. On schedule at 10 hundred hours of their second day in ancient Rome, Colonel Gabriel ordered the 13th Mew to move out. The move from the beachhead to the abandoned village north of Melito de Porto South over the next morning, went off without a hitch, with second platoon recon leading the way, and third platoon recon bringing up the rear. Gabriel's biggest concern, his air assets, had launched successfully from the beaches and turned south over the Mediterranean so that they wouldn't be travelling overland

and flew up to their landing area approaching from the south. Colonel Gabriel didn't start to breathe again until the last of his AV8 Harriers and Ospreys had touched down near the southern perimeter of the temporary base camp and had shut down. The entire mew was encamped on a relatively flat, elevated spot of land, roughly one square kilometre, with a large abandoned village immediately to their west. To their east and west were the rocky foothills which gradually rose to mountains. To their south was the Mediterranean Sea, while directly north was the wide valley which led through fertile farming,

Lands. Colonel Gabriel gave instructions that they would not be occupying any of the abandoned structures in any of the villages and ordered the 13th Mew to begin setting up their temporary operating base camp while the scouts were ordered forward again. Gathered again inside the large tent being utilized as the MEU TOC, the assembled command and staff gathered around the tactical map covered in Laminate to discuss the current situation and develop the initial KONOP, concept of operations. First and foremost, all of their mission was to destroy the military

legions of the Roman army. The Marines wanted to leave a smaller footprint as possible on the timeline. The being that had called itself God had given them a relatively simple objective. From the Reggio di Calabria, the Marines would follow the coast road northeast to Sibaris

in what is modern-day Sabari 200 kilometers away. From there the mule would turn north, north-west headed inward towards Venusia, located in what is now known as Northern Potenza. From there the Marines were to travel northwest again to northern Neapolis, known today as Naples. From there the Marines would turn north towards the heart of the Empire, Rome. All told, a straight road march taking that route was 700 kilometers, some 440 miles. The glowing being promised to provide resupplies of munitions.

provisions and fuel along the way, in the same manner in which he had supplied the Marines on the beaches of recu. Okay, said Major Alexander Easter, the S3 operations officer, as he addressed the staff. Assuming that the entity is true to his word and will provide the necessary resupply, then we'd need to resupply twice for fuel, preferably at Potenza and Naples. Going over the mountains as we'd have to, we'd be burning 30 to 50% more fuel than we would during normal operations. That includes combat maneuvering.

Still, even given the fact that there are no established roads that will hold our vehicles, we should be on the outskirts of Rome in less than a week to three days. Though we should plan for longer if we have to deal with civilian traffic and combat operations. Weather? said Colonel Gabriel to Captain Tenali. Since the Meteor specialists relied on current satellite data, they'd not been included in the meal. Therefore, it was left to Captain Tenali.

to Nellie to make her best guess based on known historical data. Assumptions remain the same, sir, replied Tonelli. If we're transported here during the same month that we were taken, then we're still in the spring season between April and May. We can expect temperate climates of around 65 to 70 degrees with an expected rainfall not to exceed four inches and mostly sunny and clear skies. Hmm, perfect vacation weather, grunted Gabriel, or to begin a military campaign.

Gabriel exhaled and put his hands to his chin. Is it just me, or does anyone else find it odd that we were given 40 days to accomplish this mission? If we assume that Emperor Tiberius was forewarned that we were here, it should also be safe to assume that he has recalled some of his legions from around the known world to defend Rome. Forty days would allow them to prepare defensive positions while allowing other units to get into blocking positions along our route of might. March, said Major Easter. So you're saying that the entity is playing both sides then, concluded Gabriel, for warning Tiberius that we were coming and providing him with our route of March.

Instead of making us hunt all over the known world to engage the legions, said Major Easter grimly, the entities using Tiberius to bring them to us. Sir, said Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Arch Wainwright, the ground combat element. commander. What about the moral and ethical issues that we're asking our Marines to face? We're looking at a total enemy force structure of around 200,000 men. Killing just one of them may alter the course of our timeline. Plus, several of our Marines have Italian ancestry.

Captain Tonelli winced at that last comment. Sir, we need to take that into consideration which to begin this operation, continued Lieutenant Colonel Wainwrights. Colonel Gabriel nodded in agreement On the beaches the other day He told the entity that he was not going to allow his Marines to be used as a tool Whether the entity was God or not The Marines were bound to uphold the constitution of the United States

Well it was still two thousand years coming The entity went white with rage and for a moment It looked as if it would have struck down Colonel Gabriel for his insolence But it held its wrath "'Thou remind me of other heroes of this age, which hath opposed my will, "'so I will give you this generous concession, Colonel Gabriel. "'Follow this route to Rome, but do not cross her boundaries. "'Stay there south of the city until forty days passes.

"'Once forty days and forty nights have passed, "'I shall return you back to your proper time and to your homes.' "'Colonel Gabriel crossed his arms, refusing to be bullied. and if I refuse The entity calling itself God sneed Then forty days shall become 40 years, shall become 400 years that you and your

warriors shall be trapped here, long dead and forgotten, here your bones are discovered. In the meantime shall I bring forth upon the shores of Rhaerhium another marine expeditionary unit, and if their commander is as insolent and unwise as you, I shall bring

another and another and another until one of your kind has the wisdom to see the reason of his holy quest, which is to stop the catastrophic prophecy which would destroy kingdoms and lay low empires. Colonel Gabriel still didn't believe the entity's claim of being God, but he did know that it had the capability to snatch up entire military units from modern times and transport them to the past. If he refused, the entity would just discard the 13th Mew and simply grab another unit. though Colonel Gabriel graduated third from his command and staff college, and first in war college,

nothing that he'd been taught prepared him for the Star Trek Captain Kirk Bullshit he was facing now. With the greatest reluctance of his life, Gabriel accepted the entity's offer. Ultimately, Colonel Wainwright, said Gabriel, I take full responsibility for every action which my Marines will be forced to take what was stuck in this timeline, including every casualty we inflict. I haven't said that. It's not my intent to engage in offensive operations against any military unit here,

Roman or otherwise. Sir? said Colonel Wainwright. I only agreed to move our forces to the south of Rome, taking the route which the entity gave us, said Gabriel. I never agreed to conduct offensive operations along the way. If we're forced into combat, it'll be a defensive battle.

Gabriel walked to the map which hung on the inside of the tents. Okay folks, first of all, I need to know what exactly we're facing. Specifically, what's a Roman Legion of this time period's tactical organization and equipment? Colonel Gabriel turned to his ground combat commander. Colonel Wainwright, you seem to know a little bit about ancient Roman Legion numbers. Can you share what you know? "'Cast, Colonel,' said Wainwright. "'Besides, who hasn't fantasized matching wits and warriors

"'against the great Roman military generals of ancient times?' "'Colonel Weinwright walked to the map next to the shorter but stockier, Colonel. "'Wainwright was a tall, white, senior officer "'with wavy brown hair and tan skin, "'with an athletic build and absolutely no body fat, "'the very recruiting poster of a relatively young Marine senior commander.' "'Wainwright began his brief. briefing, having anticipated what information Colonel Gabriel will be looking for.

A single Roman legion consisted of between 4,000 to 5,000 soldiers, roughly equivalent to a modern combat brigade. They were further subdivided into units called cohorts, or battalion-sized elements which were in turn subdivided into Centurius, which were company-sized units. Depending on the ground in which we chose to defend, we could easily overmatch several legions, However, if the grounds open to maneuver, say, by a large force of cavalry, we might be at a disadvantage. Our route of March limits their approaches to us up to Patanza. Said Gabriel, studying the map, we'll have the mounds to our left and the sea to our right. However, once we get to Patenza and head across the peninsula at the Naples, we'll be in relatively open territory.

The goreem will be considerably more difficult from there. Captain Donnelly, Colonel Gabriel spun around. addressing his intelligence officer, give me that report on their capabilities. Captain Tonelli stood up to give her report. She would usually have done her briefing on PowerPoint, but now it was written on her notebook. She wasn't as big an expert on ancient Roman military structure and tactics as Colonel Wainwright, and was grateful when he offered his assistance to her. Sir, she began.

The Roman legions we can expect to encounter are equipped with specialized formations, Same as ours. Each Legion has a cavalry element of some two to three hundred skilled horsemen used for reconnaissance in outflanking maneuvers. They have a light infantry section used primarily as scouts, skirmishes and javeling casters. The main combatant elements of the Legion are comprised of the heavy infantry which are themselves subdivided into novice, competent and experienced soldiers, with the novice soldiers usually filling the front ranks of an engagement. We can also expect auxiliary units, similar to our combat support units, or siege weapons ranging from ballistic to catapults, which may not harm our heavier armored vehicles, but are a threat to our light-skinned vehicles.

We can expect these range weapons to be effective out to 200 meters, their bows also having the same effective range. Thank you, Captain, said Gabriel, turning to address his officers. Marines, less than 12 hours, the grace period which we'd been afforded is set to expire and will literally be stepping out to make or rewrite history. There's a lot yet which we don't know, but we do know this. We are Marines. We will uphold our duty to the Constitution and to our country. We will not be aggressive, nor shall we seek out any aggression.

We will fight only when the fight is brought to us, and if we can save lives, we'll do so at every opportunity. We will stand at the gays of Rome, but do so peacefully, waiting out the remainder of the 40 days. Sir, said Command Sergeant Major Tunstall, what if that thing we saw on the beach doesn't fulfill his end of the bargain? Then me and Chaplain Johnson are going to have a serious come-to-Jesus moment with God, said Gabriel. Sir, interrupted S-6 communications NCO as he ran into the talk. Sorry, sir, but Scout 1 and Scout 2. made contact.

Colonel Gabriel lowered his binoculars. He was standing at the first scouts' positions, two kilometres to the east of the EU. One mile to the east, a force of at least 5,000 Roman soldiers were advancing over the rocky foothills. To their north, second scouts were reporting

that a force of 5,000 Romans were approaching up the valley about one and a half miles distant. The second scouts to the north had reported that the Roman Legion seemed to be setting up camp for the night, while Gabriel could see that the Roman Legion to the East was still advancing across the rocky foothills

towards the Marine Base Camp. Get my indirect fireboys on the radio, Arty and Morton's, said Colonel Gabriel, and have my ready flight of Harriers and Vipers ready to launch. Sir, you still have the blind cover for several more hours, said Colonel Wainwright, who was standing with the Colonel, along with Major Easter. It appears that they're looking in our direction,

but I can't see us. Once we send anything out of that five-kilometer blind spot, we'll be visible to anyone. I know Arch, said Gabriel, if we allow that time to expire before we react, we hand over the initiative to the Romans. No, the Romans know we're here, and they know we're a threat,

so we're taking the initiative now. Besides, I'm through playing by that entity's rules. Part four. Senator Furius, Camulus strode hesitantly across the polished marble floor of the chamber that Emperor Tiberius was using as his grand courtroom. Camelus walked past a row of armored Praetorian guards and nervously handed the scroll to his emperor. Emperor Tiberius had travelled from Rome all the way south to the military garrison in the mountains west of Crotona to be close to the battles. More news from our forces in Rehium, my liege, Camelis said.

Tiberius unfurled the scroll, his brows furrowing in anger almost immediately. Legion Legate, Marcus Lollies. Legion Il Parthica. Hail Caesar Tiberius. The Legion Il Parthica has met the invaders as we crossed the foothills over the shores of Rekium. My scouts led the vanguard of the Legion, but at the place where we had been informed the invaders had made camp, My cavalry commander, Captain Castors, informed me that naught could be seen upon the high plains except the villages we had ordered to be evacuated.

The shadows were growing long by the time the rest of the Legion Ilpathica arrived and we made to start camp for the evening. Already we received word from Legion XVI Gemina that they had already made camp in the valley along the northern approaches to the beaches. However, ere Apollo could complete his trek across the sky, the veil of secrecy was lifted over the plain and we could plainly see the invaders. Though they were still far distant, we could see that they were giants, each clothed in some type of strange green and brown armor which made them appear to blend with their surroundings,

and they rode upon terrible dragons of many sizes, and they were colored in either shades of sand or in colors of green and brown. I was only afforded a moment's view of the enemy When there came the sound like that The rumbling of the oceans from an angry Neptune From where the invaders stood And all about us came a terrible whistling Then the earth before the Legion was ripped and torn apart

As if by lightning strikes from Jupiter himself With every thundering blow to the ground The earth screamed and shook so much That even the goddess terror must have trembled The hearts of even my bravest veteran warriors Melted in the face of such power And they ran from the field Dropping sword and shield

And covering their ears as they flare But that was not the end of our horrors For in the skies above us Two terrible winged dragons Roared in fury Diving upon us And terrifying warrior, rider and horse With the grey-armoured dragons

Flewleyed dragon's Giant Armoured Locusts Whose beating wings served only to spread terror as they spit, stinging slugs around the Legion as we fled for our lives. Although not a single one of my soldiers lost their lives, the brief attack upon us caused the entire Legion Ilpathica to flee the field, all of us looking over our shoulders with nervous eyes, hoping that the fearsome dragons and locusts were not in pursuit. My Emperor, it is my belief that what had been unleashed upon us is but a very small example of

the invaders' power. I hesitate to call them gods, but they command terrible dragons and fire from the heavens, and it is a power that a single legion cannot hope to match. Currently, Legion I amethyst is in retreat to the mountains in the West. I fear that the best we can do is keep the invaders in sight and observe their movements. I remain your faithful servant, Legion Legate, Marcus Lollius. Legion, I'll Parthaca. Emperor Tiberius tossed the scroll aside in anger. This damned message repeats the same message which you brought to me from Legion 16 Gemina this morning, Senator Camelus.

My liege, stammered Cameros. I am simply the messenger. I... Who are the camp prefects of Ilpthaca and 16 Gemina? Interrupted Tiberius. Titus Lassius from a 16th. in Gemina and sent to Lucius Cornelius from Elpherica, answered Senator Kamis. Send them congratulations, said Emperor Tiberius.

They have been promoted to Legion Legat. Tell them that their first task is to arrest their former Legion commanders and try them for treason and cowardice in front of their troops. Only their heads need to be returned to Rome. Once that has been done, tell Lagarty Connollius to move Ilpathica west and reinforce Legion 2 Italica at Crotona, order legata, Lassius, to take 16 Gemina south and trap the invaders between them and Crotona.

The invaders are limited in their movements, with the mountains to the north and the seas to their south. The legions are to crush them on the southern roads. Yes, of course my leech, nodded cameras. Also, said Tiberius, send this order to every single soldier serving the empire, I decree that any soldier, no matter what rank or social standing, who takes one step backwards in the face of the invaders, has forfeit their own lives.

The only way is forward to either victory or death. Colonel Gabriel had watched with satisfaction when the northern and eastern force of Roman legions had broken and fled in panic. His combined mortar and artillery strikes had landed far enough away to not have inflicted any casualties, but close enough to shake the ground while his hands. Harriers and vipers added to the panic of the two Roman legions. He'd allowed his Marines to get whatever restless sleep they could that night, before moving off the beaches as planned in the morning.

Once again, his scouts led the way, while his air assets circled overhead. Well, they were a great asset to the Marines. Colonel Gabriel had neither the aviation fuel nor did the aircraft have the endurance to maintain flight indefinitely. Right now, the primary mission of the Mew was to find an elevated and defender area, which his air assets could land and use as an air base that could still support them a use movement to roam. He'd have to leave a security detachment force to defend the airbase, but that couldn't be held. It was decided that the most likely place for a suitable temporary

air base would be located north of Potenza. So Gabriel sent his venoms and three platoons of marines aboard Ospreys to locate a suitable site. Coordinating so many moving parts was risky, especially keeping communications with all separate elements, but Colonel Gabriel didn't want to risk keeping the Marines on the beach and allow the Romans to regroup. The ground movement of the Mew was unopposed but slower than expected. The roads and passages sometimes became too rocky or too narrow for large vehicles, and already the armored vehicle launch bridge had to be employed

so that the Mew could cross over flowing bodies of water. And for the first time, the Marines were encountering local civilians. several towns and villages dotted the southern roads and as the Roman civilians saw the powerful invaders approaching, riding their growling tanning green dragons with their terrible grey dragons circling overhead, they fled in panic. Gabriel would call a halt to allow the civilians ample time to gather their belongings and leave. By the time they reached the outskirts of a large town in what is now modern-day Sovarato, Colonel Gabriel ordered a halt south of a narrow flowing river. they'd only travelled 100 kilometres from the beaches. The area which they halted at was on a flat field and wide enough to allow ample space for the entire mew

to form a defensive perimeter while their air assets could land in the middle. Two well-constructed stone bridges cross the river which could sustain the weight of the mew's lighter vehicles but would not hold the weight of the tanks. Gabriel sent two-hour Lav 25s and a platoon of marines over the bridge to secure the far south. It was late afternoon and Gabriel wanted to allow a full day for the civilians living in the town surrounding their route to advance to evacuate while his scout's search for a place narrow enough for the heavier machine vehicles to cross.

The main force me would camp here for the night while the detachment searched for a suitable airfield further north. If all went well, they'd make Sibari by the next day where the entity promised a resupply of fuel awaited them. While his Marines were busily setting up night defensive positions, Gabriel received word that his scouts had located several potential areas north of the potential region, which could be suitable for a forward airfield. Gabriel sent his executive officer, Lieutenant Colonel Bradley, Brad, lively, to check out the potential sites aboard his personal helicopter, instructing him that he wanted his assessment as soon as possible as the air assets were vulnerable at this location. Colonel Gabriel then boarded an Osprey to do an aerial recon of their forward march route the next day. The roadways were choked with civilians moving east and north. That would be a problem, along with the two choke points he saw along the way to Zibari. The meyu could turn off and travel cross-country around the civilians,

but the choke points, a place where the mountains closed to form a narrow passageway, would be a different story. He returned from his reconnaissance mission in time to receive the assessment from Lieutenant Colonel Brad lively who reported that he'd found the best place to establish the airfield in a flat elevated area at the base of a valley surrounded on the east-south and west by mountains and having a commanding position of the surrounding area. The downside was that the elevated plane appeared to be part of a large farming field as there were several isolated farming villages located around the valley. Rather than waste aviation fuel to fly out and assess the area,

Colonel Gabriel instead chose to trust his Ex-O's assessment and put him in charge of establishing the airfields. Within two hours, the Harriers and Rotowing assets were taking off again, heading north towards the newly established airfields. Along with them, Gabriel ordered a security platoon of Marines and a detachment of four of his eight 81mm motors to bolster the Marines already there. Unknown to Gabriel, however, the Mew was also under observation.

Four cavalry scouts of Tupathica, now under the command of Lagart Cornelius, had observed the invaders as they moved, noting that while their dragons were indeed fearful, they were also clumsy and difficult to control. They could not traverse over land as easily as the Legion's horses and had extreme difficulty crossing rivers. This information would be vital to Lagart Cornelius and the Roman scout leader sent one of his riders back to Sibaris. They may yet be a way to defeat these invaders. The next morning, the mew moved out again towards Sibari, crossing over the armored vehicle-launched bridge again at a narrow point in the river. They travelled unmolested for over an hour until the first choke point appeared in the distance. This choke point was a narrow passageway, about 20 metres wide,

running approximately 100 metres long where the two rocky ridge-lines met. Beyond the choke-point, the ground opened up into the road. wide grain fields. Colonel Gabriel halted his column seven kilometres west of the first church point. The recon marines, which had been dropped in overwatch positions, reported that Roman forces had been arrayed in battle positions at the opposite side of the choke point. Again, the Marines utilised their recon drones and Colonel Gabriel was treated to a panoramic view of the Roman forces opposing him beyond the choke point.

There are at least 10,000 Roman soldiers facing them. two legions arrayed in disciplined formations of combatants, while their cavalry was arranged behind them. On their flanks were large Scorpio-heavy dart-launches, Onager quick firing catapults and ballistae of every size. Then placed the howitzers and set the mortar tubes of firing, ordered Gabriel, prepared to drop rounds 100 metres in front of their vanguard.

Unlike before, the Roman soldiers stood firm as the helicopter circled over their formation, However, as the artillery marines struggled to rapidly emplace their six-toed howitzers, one of the circling venom helicopters transmitted a warning. Six, we have a calmer Roman soldiers approaching your position from about a mile to your rear. They must be encamped out in the mountains to our north. They're coming at you with a dead run. Gabriel looked behind him, seeing nothing but the road bending around the mountain range which they just passed. The rear force of Roman soldiers had waited until the marines.

Marines had rounded a long bend, using the mountain to mask their movements until the last second to get as close to the Marines as possible. Still, that would have necessitated them to run at full speed to catch the invaders as they were stopped at the first choke point. The Marine logistical and support elements were at the rear of the column, followed by a rear security detachment. Gabriel smiled. It was a classic hammer and an anvil maneuver, with the Romans using their maneuverability

to capitalize on the Marines' limited movement ability in this terrain. Still, although the Marines were outnumbered nearly 8 to 1, they still possessed overwhelming speed and firepower. Weapons free, weapons free, Gabriel said to his venom pilots, You clear to fire, but fire only at the ground in front of them. I don't want any Roman casualties if we can help it. Roger, we're rolling hot. The two UH-1-Y venom helicopters disappeared behind the ridge,

diving low to fire on the advancing Roman Legion, the hollow sounds of machine-gun fire echoing across the hills. The two Venom helicopters appeared again in the sky to the north, from behind the ridge, circling around for another pass. No good, six, said the lead, Venom pilot. The few Legion soldiers who turned tail and ran were cut down by the guys behind them. Their cavalry is actually behind the Legion, hurting them forwards. Roger, understand, said Gabriel.

standing to one side of the column and scanning the rear of the column with his binoculars. The bend was about three-quarter miles behind the last vehicle in the Marine column. Give them another firing pass, but make sure you hit the ground in front of them. Once again, the helicopters dived towards the pursuing Roman soldiers, and the sounds of machine-gun fire rattling sounded closer. The helicopters pulled up, circling to the south. They're not stop in six, announced the lead pilot. sir came a warning over the command radio net

it was a scout team leader watching the choke point one of the legions is moving towards the choke point understood scout said Gabriel switching channels to the combat net arch the legion is moving towards the choke point try to dissuade them from engaging us make sure they don't block that passage

Roger six answered Colonel Wainwright In seconds, the artillery and 81mm motors barked, sending smoke grounds hurtling over the choke point to crash in front of the advancing Roman lines. To the Marines rear, the security detachment leader radioed. First elements of the Roman Legion have rounded the bend. They're not slowing down. Sterebrasty, warning shots only, demanded Gabriel. The rear elements had by now turn their vehicles around, pointing the 50-caliber heavy machine-guns.

back towards the way they came. Several of the machine guns barked, chewing up the ground in front of the charging row and shoulders. But they came on regardless, boldly waving their gladius or spatha over their heads. A 40-millimeter automatic grenade launcher from the marine lines came alive with a chung-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-and high-explosive rounds exploded in front of the Romans,

but they still courageously pressed onwards, closing the distance with the invaders to only half a month. mile. In minutes the Marines will be in range of their arches. They're still pressing on, six, reported the Venom pilot. We can only stay on station for a few more minutes

before we go to critical on fuel and have to pull back to the airfield. Colonel Gabriel exhaled in fury. He cursed the entity for putting his Marines in this situation. He cursed the entity for forcing those courageous Roman Legion soldiers to charge bravely

to their deaths. before this is over you son of a bitch whispered colonel gabriel thinking about the glowing entity claiming to be guard i'm gonna kill you his voice heavy with regrets gabriel grabbed the radio mic and angrily yelled weapons free weapons free use of deadly force is authorized take him down take him down but if their forces break he sees fire roger understand said the Venom pilot with absolutely no enthusiasm whatsoever. Roll in heart. The two Venom helicopters dove on the Romans one last time from behind the Marine lines and firing their four forward mounting machine guns, while Pods rained 70mm hydra rockets down into the Roman ranks,

cutting the exposed Roman soldiers down in droves. As the helicopters pulled up, the door gunners continued their firing, adding their mini-gun fire to the carnage. The two helicopters pulled up and turned north, making for the newly established airfield and leaving behind the bodies of nearly a 200 dead or dying Roman soldiers scattered on the field. Still, despite the carnage which the Legion had just suffered, their losses were only a small handful of their total strength, and the Romans advanced even faster. The Marines at the tail of the common opened fire at the Sea of Armacled Romans charging towards them. Five and a half miles to the east, artillery and mortar smoke rounds crashed in front of the main force of Roman soldiers,

comprising two full legions. Unlike before, when the legion to Pathica faced the invaders, however, very few soldiers turned and ran as the billowing white smoke crashed before them, and those that did run were gutted by their comrades following behind. They had taken the hint, six, reported the scouts at the choke point. The Romans are still moving to seal the choke point. Should we drop smoke again? Negative, responded Gabriel.

We need to secure that choke point before they close it. Drop H.E. on their heavy weapons. I say again. Drop high explosive on their heavy weapons. Arch, let's get those tanks move into the choke point. Seconds later, the units four M1A2 Abrams tanks roared forward towards the narrow choke point. since anti-tank rounds

would be virtually useless the tanks were armed with a mix of high-explosive shells and anti-personnel rounds a special shell designed to fire 1,100 tungsten steel balls into master enemy formations behind the tanks came the wheeled LAV-25s

with their 25mmeter bushmaster cannons and behind them rumbled the tracked amphibious AAVs filled with marine assault troopers beyond the choke points the forward observer attached to the scouts methodically walked the artillery rounds towards the Legion's Scorpios, Onagers, and Ballistae, blasting them apart with every round that landed. Meanwhile, the 81mm mortars dropped amongst the Romans, advancing towards the choke point, causing horrific casualties

among the formations marching over open ground, but not slowing them down. Part 5. The passage was barely wide enough to allow two tanks to travel abreast. as they charged into the opening, one tank slightly ahead of the other. A squared formation of Roman soldiers had close to 300 meters to the mouth of the choke point, when the lead tank fired its coaxial machine gun into the front rank, followed closely by the hollow-wsh of an anti-personnel route. A thousand tungsten steel balls screamed towards the Legion formation, devastating them as the lead tank burst through the other side,

followed closely by another tank behind it. The second tank immediately swung its turret to the right, firing an anti-personnel round into the second formation of Roman soldiers at close range, vaporizing nearly 50 of them in an instant. The third tank emerged a second later, traversing its turret to the left and firing another anti-personnel round at the Roman formation closing from that direction. The fourth tank emerged from the gap, quickly joining the lead tank in firing round after a round of anti-personnel shells into the masses of Roman soldiers. who had advanced to close range. But instead of stopping to engage the Legion, the tanks roared on, crushing dozens of Roman soldiers under their treads

as they carried their momentum to the Second Roman Legion who had as yet not been engaged. Ten laugh twenty-five emerged from the gaps shortly afterwards, their 25-millimeter chain guns ripping ugly holes into the Roman ranks, still trying to valiantly reform after the punch which they'd taken from the tanks.

And though the Roman lords, Legion far outnumbered the invaders and had managed to rain thousands of arrows and slings against their terrible fire-breathing dragon beasts. No weapons which the Romans possess seemed to stop them. Even when one of the Legion's views surviving ballista struck one of the invaders' dragons head on, it continued forwards as if it never felt the powerful blow and continued to spew forth fire and death. So terrible and ferocious was the initial assault that the valiant men of two patika faltered and fell back as yet another type of demon emerged from the gap. These fearsome dragons opening up their rear ends and spearing out dozens of the giant green and

brown-clad warrior invaders. And to add to the horror, two of the invaders' winged dragons had returned. The first Harrier pulled up after dropping its payload of C.B.U. Cluster bomb units on the Roman Legion which was attacking the reins from the rear. The bomb separated. into hundreds of smaller bomblets which rained down over a wide area. The ground around the Legion attacking the Marines, rear flank literally erupted and exploded as the Harrier how'd deafeningly overhead, blowing the Romans apart as they faithfully but fruitlessly pressed forwards. But the attack of the first fearsome dragon had hardly ended when a second one appeared behind

the first, continuing the reign of death at the first dragon had begun. The 16 Gemina's Legion Legat, Titus Larsius, had fallen along with the camp prefect in the fires of the first dragon attack. With the loss of their leadership, the second attack of the fearsome invaders' grey dragons caused the legion to lose its nerve as the broken bodies of almost a thousand of their number littered the ground. For the second time, 16 Germina turned and fled in the face of the invaders, none of their number getting any closer than 100 metres to the Marine lines. As instructed, the Marines on rearguard stopped firing as soon as the Romans lost their nerve and ceased to a retreat. The Marines quickly mounted back aboard their vehicles and cautiously made for the choke point.

With Marines now so close to the Roman lines on the far side of the choke point, Gabriel ordered a ceasefire of the artillery and mortars. The Lavte 20 fires had widened the perimeter that the time, tanks had initially created, and the follow-on Marines and the A-AVs had formed a skirmish line, forming a perimeter which allowed the remainder of the truck-borne ground combat element Marines to emerge from and to add their fires to the assault, unable to breach the lines created by the invading warriors, and their powerful black lances which spit forth fire and death, the two Parchica finally broke. To their credit, however, the two Italica, which had yet

to be committed to the battle and had withstood the pounding of the marine artillery, by an advancing forwards on the Marines. Their cavalry leading the charge, however, rising above the charging Roman horsemen hovered four Marine H-1-Z Vipers, their forward-mounted 20mm cannons firing. Colonel Gabriel stood in the middle of the smoking battlefield, looking around him with sadness at the carnage which the battle had wrought. His heart ached as he looked at the bodies of thousands of night. noble Roman soldiers littering an area of almost one square mile, many of the courageous warriors

having fallen in disciplined formations. He felt sick to his stomach. There was no glory or honor in such a slaughter, and Colonel Gabriel's determination to bring low that goddamn thing, calling itself God, grew with every breath of air stained with the scent of blood and cordite that he took. The screams of hundreds of wounded and dying Roman soldiers filled the air, And though Gabriel's men were doing everything that they could to treat their grievous injuries, they were far too many wounded, more than his medical resources could treat. The fact that the Marines suffered no casualties outside of their typical scratches, bumps and bruises, did little to quiet the screams in Gabriel's heart.

Far too many of the Romans wounded. The only mercy which the Marines could offer was a quick round to the head to end their suffering. Before long groups of Roman soldiers emerged from the surrounding tree line, and began taking the field once again. They stood facing the Marines across the field of battle, first by the dozens, then hundreds. They stood still, with their shields stoically raised above their heads. None of them were armed.

Arch, whispered Colonel Gabriel to his ground combat commander. What is that? Lieutenant Colonel Wainwright stood next to his Humvee, also observing the odd spectacle. It's the ancient Roman symbol of surrender, much like raising the white flag. Captain Tarnia Tonelli and Major Alexander Easter also stood next to Colonel Gabriel. I don't think they're surrendering, sir, said Captain Tonelli. I believe they're healers and physicians.

They're asking for permission to treat their wounded. They'd taken a solemn oath to treat their injured warriors and would rather die than to break that oath. Gabriel nodded, lowering his head in shame and admiration at the courage of these Roman physicians and healers, their loyalty to their wounded brethren mirrored by the loyalty of the Marine Corps itself. Let's leave them to their task, he whispered. Aerial recon revealed that there were no more legions in the area, and two hours later the 13th Mew consolidated again and pushed on unmolested to Sibari. except for radio communications by the scouts radio traffic was at a minimum each marine in the mew seemingly lost in thought of the battle though many had seen combat in iraq and afghanistan this one was different it felt wrong as if the roman legions weren't the real enemy perhaps no one was more conflicted than chaplain johnson though his heart was telling him that the glorious entity on the hills was god his head was telling him

it was not. Discovering the entity's true identity was the key to solving everything that was happening. Chaplain Johnson was a servant of God, yet the God on the hill seemed to view Johnson with contempt. He spoke almost in fear of the prophecy of the Kohav Bahir, though Johnson had never heard of such a prophecy. The word sounded familiar. That was the key. Gohav Bahir was the key. for his part Colonel Gabriel realized that the Romans had made a terrible tactical error instead of using one legion as the hammer

and two legions as the anvil the Romans should have allowed his marines to cross the choke point using the one legion to close it off behind the marines making that the anvil while the two legions were the hammer the outcome would have been the same with the Marines coming out victorious

but they would have been in more dire straits and the Romans would have had a much better chance at inflicting casualties The mew was delayed twice, once when an A.A.V. threw a track and another when a Humvee overheated. News of the defeat of three legions had already spread rapidly, and the civilian population was fleeing before the invaders and their armoured dragons which could shrug off the blows and the most powerful of the Rome's weapons. Still there were a few brave souls who stood on cliffs and hilltops, fearfully hoping to catch a glimpse of the invaders and their beasts. Among them were

the Legion scouts. By early evening the mew had reached the outskirts of the city called Sibaris, which is modern-day Sibari. The main roadways led through the ancient city, and the people were still evacuating. As the entity promised, there were several blivets of aviation and diesel fuel located in a wide, rolling farming field to the west of the city, along with pallets of heavy and small arms ammunition as well as A and B ration mules. The Miu had travelled 150 miles and, as they'd only about one hour of daylight left, Colonel Gabriel called a halt, forming a night defensive position around the resupply, and pushing out his security teams.

As his Marines worked into the night breaking down pallets and replenishing their stores, the cooks got to work setting up their field kitchens to prepare a hot meal. Mechanics and crews were also busy getting their vehicles fully mission-capable, working under spotlights hooked to portable generators while the mortar teams emplaced their tubes readying them to fire illumination rounds throughout the night. At his Humvee, Chaplain Johnson and his chaplain's assistant held an impromptu service which was attended by an unusually large number of marines.

Colonel Gabriel called Colonel Lively at the Forward Airfield, informing him of the day's battle and of his intention to remain at their current positions for the next few days. priority would be vehicle maintenance, consolidation of the airfield, and extensive reconnaissance from the push to Potenza 100 miles to the northwest. The ground would be more open with the rivers Agri and Bacento needing to be crossed. Finally, he told lively to have the Mews four-attached CH-53 super-stallions ready for launch in the morning as they'd have to pick up the tents for the airfield and the much-needy aviation fuel that was here at Sibari.

Emperor Tiberius read the report once again, about the 20th time since he and his entourage had abandoned their positions and began the trip back to Rome. The reports from his scouts about the invaders' conduct of battle were as disheartening as they were intriguing. All totaled, the three Roman legions faced the invaders with 15,000 soldiers. However, though the invaders' numbers were woefully inferior to that of the legions, the almost godlike powers of the invaders had been.

proven that the forces of the Legion were woefully inadequate. Rome's forces were soundly defeated. Still, before the invaders unleashed their terrible beasts on his legions, they first gave them a demonstration of their weapons' awesome powers. Had his forces fled as they had on the beaches of Rekhium, Tiberius knew that the invaders wouldn't have pressed their attack against his legions. The invaders had been forced into battle just as Tiberius had planned. Given all of the information that had been reported by his most trusted scouts and field commanders,

Amber Tiberius was forced to come to a most shocking conclusion. His enemies, the invaders, had acted with the highest of honour, displaying not only great power but great restraint and mercy. Of his 15,000 soldiers, only 6,000 had been lost, either killed or wounded. Not only did the invaders choose not to destroy the entirety of his legions, the invaders had attempted to heal the Roman wounded, even allowing his Roman healers to tend to the injured unmolested. The invaders could have destroyed all three of his legions. They'd chosen not to do so, allowing them to retreat and regroup and treat their wounded.

Emperor Tiberius was struggling with one thought that was haunting him ever since God had ordered him to destroy the invaders who threatened the Roman Empire. By all evidence, the invaders didn't want to wage war with Rome at all. The invaders had only attacked when the legions had forced them into aggression. The thought that God had instructed him to defend the empire against such a noble foe greatly disturbed the Roman Emperor. Tiberius was also loath to admit that it was a mistake for him to have taken personal command of the three legions away from his more experienced commander, Imperial Legat, Flavius Aetius, who was originally an overall command of 16 Gemina, to Apatica and to Italica.

After the first battle with the invaders, Tiberius returned command of what remained of his decimated legions to Etyos, ordering him to consolidate their forces and form the defences around Neapolis as quickly as possible. The Mew had to deviate from their course by 20 kilometres to find a narrow enough crossing to ford the River Agri. The scouts had discovered a stout and well-constructed stone bridge which could support the weight of most of the marine vehicles. The AVs forded the river as the wheeled. vehicles crossed over the bridge. Colonel Gabriel did not trust the bridge to hold the weight of his tanks. The M1-A-2 tanks could for a depth of six feet, so Gabriel sent his scouts to find a spot shallow enough for the crossing of the

Agri. Two hours later, his scouts reported that they'd found a shallow enough crossing about five feet deep and 100 metres wide, but somewhere in the middle of the fort, the depth dropped to eight feet. It was decided to have the tanks cross the ford until it dropped, then deploy the AVLB track to launch the bridge to cover the gap. Except for the tanks, the rest of the Mew had crossed the Agri River. Gabriel stood on the far back, watching with binoculars the crossing operation of his tanks.

His ground combat commander, Colonel Wainwright, by his side. The AVLB had successfully launched and had bridged the gap, though the bridge was five feet underwater. Each tank was to cross individually. with guide stationed on each bank. Collapsible markers marked the center of the scissor bridge and the tank commander of the first tank stood on the front hull of the Abrams, looking down and acting as a second pair of eyes

for the nervous driver who was slowly driving into the flowing waters. Agonizingly slowly, the first tank reached the spot where the armored launch bridge had been positioned and tentatively began the crossing, the waters of the agri splashing over the front hull and into the driver's compartment. still the tank continued forwards and succeeded in making it across the bridge. Minutes later, to the relief of the tank crew,

the soaking wet Abrams tank emerged on the opposite bank of the Agri River just as the second tank entered the water behind it. It was when the third tank entered the water, when the pilot of a circling viper helicopter warned, Six, we got company, Roman catapults and cavalry approaching from yourself about two clicks out. Gabriel raised it been on. Oculus, seeing the low hill which they crossed that hid the Romans from his line of sight.

I don't have eyes on target. How many cavalry? How many cataports? We're looking at a few hundred cavalry and about ten catapults, reported the viper pilot. Roger, said Gabriel, into the radio. Break, break, break, archer four, archer four. Colonel Gabriel radioed the last remaining tank still on the far side of the river. Get back up the hill and engage the Roman cataports, said, Gabriel. I'll say again, just target the catapults. Roger, came in response. We're moving. Archer four spun around and the tank raced back the way they come, easily climbing up the

gentle slope of the hill. Gabriel turned to his combat commander. Arch. Mortars? asked Colonel Wainwright. Yes, said Gabriel. On the way, said Wainwright. Part 6 With the Viber helicopter acting as the forward observer, the mortars fired a few adjustment rounds over the hill to mark the targets before finally dropping the Marines' new non-lethal indirect fire munition, a round that disperse its flashbang sub-munitions over a wide area to temporarily stun and daze people.

The rounds fell amongst the charging Roman cavalry with a devastating effect, terrifying both horse and riders. The concussive force of the munitions, coupled with their ear-shattering blast noise that accompanied it, scattered the charging cavalry, horses rearing up in fear and tossing their riders to the ground. In minutes, the charge had fallen apart as the Abrams tank, now at the top of the hill,

began belching smoke and fire. One by one, 120-millimeter high-explosive rounds smashed into the Roman trebyshees, with the shipwipar pilot mistakenly identified as catapops. The Roman soldiers and horses, which had been struggling to bring their mighty weapons to bear against the invaders, fled in terror as soon as the first two trebishes had been smashed seemingly by the hand of the powerful dragon which stood upon the hill before them.

It took only minutes for the invaders to smash the Roman cavalry and heavy weapons, even though most of the invaders never even laid an eye on the Roman attackers. And despite the power of the invaders, which broke their attack and injured many Roman soldiers, not one of them had lost their lives two hours later. A 13th mew was on the bank of the Basento River, two wide and well-built bridges capable of supporting the weight of Gabriel's tanks spanning the water, and positioned in the rolling fields before the marines, took formations of thousands of Roman soldiers.

The Romans stood stoically, unit penance flying in the breeze, almost defiantly daring the invaders to cross. Once again, the mortars were in place for firing while the old. artillery battery also unhooked from their trucks, their tubes facing almost straight up as the Romans were only two miles away. Gabriel had his tanks at the foot of the two bridges to provide fire support and arrayed his Lav 25s and A.AVs and AVs to cross the two bridges. Imperial Lagat Gaius Marius, commander of Legion 16 Gallica and the Legion 8 Macedonia, 10,000 soldiers and all, studied the invaders from his chariots. They were of

smaller number than his men, just as the scouts had reported. But their dragon beast looked fearsome indeed, no matter what size they were, and they chewed up the ground over which they warped. But nothing seemed more fearful than the flying dragons and locusts which circled the invaders protectively overhead. Still, the reports from the healers said the invaders were behaving strangely, showing mercy, even kindness to those Roman soldiers who had been wounded in battle, treating them with strange poultices, medicines and bandages to stop bleeding and save lives. And of the civilians, the invaders neither slaughtered nor took slaves or demanded ransom, instead allowing them to leave unmolested ere they crossed the land.

The invaders made displays of power to the legions which opposed them, as if in warning that they did not wish to fight, but would defend themselves if attacked. Imperial Lagat, Gaius Marius, knew he was taking a big chance, and he prayed he was not wrong. He knew that his decision was a fatal one for him, but he was a dead man anyway, after he'd made up his mind. It was the lives of his men which concerned him. From the bridges the dragons roared and rumbled across, moving faster than Marius could ever have imagined. Behind them the invaders caught upon their thunder weapons as the great gray flying dragons and locusts dived upon his formations. Meanwhile, a ground too. A ground too.

200 meters in front of his forward formations erupted with noise and explosions, as if an army of volcanoes were being formed right in front of the legions. Many of his men faltered at the power of the gods. Stand your ground, the odd Marius. Stand your ground. Show these invaders that neither smoke nor noise nor even dragon will shake the hearts of the men of Rome. Haya! Marius raised his spear above his head, shaking it in defiance. His legions did the same, and a loud roaring like that of a lion raged back at the Marines.

Let these invaders know that they shall not cross this land without our permission. Once again the legions roared in defiance. Two of the invaders' giant flying locusts hovered in front of the Legion commander, but Marius stood on moving, staring defiantly back. Filled with both fear and defiance, Marius pointed his spirit at them, yelling, go back locusts you shall find no fear in these hearts and then the locusts turned and flew back to where the invaders were positioned across the river the dragons were still approaching but they'd slowed once they'd cross the river over the bridge imperial legat gaius marius caught to his trumpeters and signals captains signal the legion of legioners he ordered tell them to retire their men from the field the ringing sound of trumpets signaling a and the legions to withdraw, blared across the field, and in very disciplined order,

the formations of Roman soldiers marched to the left and to the right to the field, creating a wide path through which the invaders could pass into the valley beyond. Imperial, I got Gaius Marius, said Marius's shocked second in command, Bidonis pedophilus. What are you doing? This is not what we planned. Marius turned to look at Podophilus, waving his hand, in a sweeping motion towards the low hills surrounding what was to be the battlefield. Hold your tongue, Tribune Bidness, Pidopheles.

Look around you, at the hills, commanded Marius. Tribune Bittophilus, a politician and not a warrior, did as he was told, seeing that thousands of civilians, mostly women, children and the elderly, had assembled on the hills. They were looking down at the legions, looks of worry and despair on many of their faces. The men of the legions come from this area, said Marius. Those people shall not see their husbands, fathers and sons die on the field today. This decision will mean your life, Marius, said Podophilus.

This is treason. Marius looked across the field. He invaded as dragons had stopped, just as he had expected. From behind the large dragons, a small as sand-coloured dragon crossed the bridge and approached his chariots. so be it then my life is a small price to pay for the lives of my legions imperial legat gaius marius stood confidently upon his chariot as its driver held the horse to a slow gallop towards the invaders marius was flanked to his left by a chariot where rode his tribune the legion's second in command and a chariot to the right ridden by his camp prefect the legion's third in command though outwardly legat marius displayed an air of regal confidence. Inside of him, his rapidly beating heart hinted at a tinge of self-doubt. What if he was wrong about the invaders? What if they were barbaric animals, after all, and this was a trick to cut the head from the snake? The dragon beast separated from its brethren

and rumbled slowly towards the Roman commanders. It was smaller than the others, and its color was like that of sand. It matched the pace of Marius's chariots and stopped in the middle of the field. As Legat, Marius's chariot slowly closed the gap. The dragon opened four of its mouths and from its step four of the invaders, each clothed in their fearsome green and brown clothing, just as the reports are described, but none carrying the dreadful black lances that spit fire and death. Marius's eyes narrowed as he realized that the dragon wasn't a dragon at all, but rather a strange mechanism which the invaders relied on for their transportation,

and the invaders, while taller than most Romans, were not giants, but humans. Marius studied the four invaders, who had emerged from their strange contraption, which needed no horses to power it, as they walked slowly towards him. He ordered his chariots to halt, and he stepped down. Flanked by his tribune and camp prefect, Marius strode towards the four invaders, three of them were men and one a woman, What is this?

The invaders count women among their number of warriors. The sight stunned Marius, but he did his best not to show it. He approached the one invader who stepped forward, the invader's eyes and forehead bearing the familiar wrinkles that come with commanding warriors in battle. The invader removed his helmet, revealing a head of short grey hair, framing a wrinkle-brow heavy with responsibility.

Marius removed his own helmet, also revealing a head of short, grey hair framing a wrinkle-brow heavy with responsibility. Legatus, Augusti, pro-Pretore, Gaius, said the Imperial Lagarde. Colonel Solomon Gabriel, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, United States Marine Corps, replied the invader. Though we did not know what strange tongue he spoke, Marius assumed that the invader had given him his name and the name of his mighty warriors. Colonel Solomon Gabriel, said Marius. Misere, deus Pgnarant, deis. Colonel Gabriel turned to his right where Chaplain Johnson stood.

Japs, care to a hobbler what this gentleman just said. I'm a little rusty on my laden, sir, said Chaplain Johnson, but I believe he's asking for mercy for his men. He added that only gods should fight guards. Colonel Gabriel tightened his lips, nodding to the Roman Legion commander. Miscerary, Gabriel said. Does anyone know anything appropriate to say in Latin? Said the one called Colonel Solomon Gabriel.

You already know the perfect thing to say, sir, said the woman warrior. Colonel Gabriel smiled. I believe you're right, Captain Tonelli. Then, coming to attention, Colonel Gabriel saluted the Roman Legion command. for he outranked the Marine Colonel. Semper Fidelis, he said. Imperial Lagarde Gaiaus Marius nodded and smiled. Saluting the invader, Marius responded with,

Semper Fidelis. The two commanders parted ways and returned to their respective units, and that is how the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit crossed the Basento River Valley and passed the positions held by the Legion 16 Gallich. and the Legion 8 Macedonia, without loss of lives on either side. By morning of the next day, the Mew had left the last of the Apennine mountain ranges behind them, and crossed into Podenza and the valley where Lieutenant Colonel Brad Leibly had established the airfield.

For Colonel Gabriel, it was good to have his unit back together in one place, though it would be a temporary arrangement. They have at least one legion to the north-west of our current position, reported Colonel Lively that morning to Colonel Gabriel, They've taken up blocking positions on all the main roads leading to Naples. They also got several cavalry units surrounding us, though they haven't come closer to us than one mile. They're probably keeping us under observation.

Not much we can do to stop that, said Gabriel. Good job setting up the airfield, Brad, but after we find a suitable location north of Naples, I'm afraid you'll have to pull up stakes and move again. Just let me know when, sir, answered Colonel Leip. "'Marius has failed us, my liege,' said Senator Furius Camus, "'handing Emperor Tiberius the scroll brought by the rider. "'Tiberius threw the scroll away in rage.

"'He retired from the field without engaging the invaders,' "'you know Tiberius. "'If word of this treason reaches of the other legions, "'they may also follow suit. "'Has Marius been dealt with?' "'Yes, my liege,' said Cameris. "'He has been played with?' He's been placed under arrest, and the Tribune Bidonis Pedophilus now leads the two legions.

Ah, rid me of that fondling fool, said Tiberius. Pedophilus is no leader of warriors. Have the commander of Legion 16 Gallica take command of both legions. Have them pursue the invaders. If the invaders mean to take Neapolis, then 16 Gallica and 8 Macedonia will strike them from the east. Yes, my liege, say Kavis. Also, said Tiberius, sent word to recall the Legion 17 and 18 and 22 Primigenia from Germania and three Italica from Rome. Tell them to make haste to Naples. They will strike from

the north. Finally alert Legion 22 Deo Tarania in Egypt to start movement from the south towards Neapolis. Should we also recall Legion 10 Frantensis from Jerusalem and Legion 6 Ferata from Galilee as well to bolster the attack from the cell? Say Camelis. Emperor Tiberius rubbed his chin. No, not yet. Nonetheless the tide of war turns against us. For now we shall leave those legions in the land of the Jews. The next couple of days, Colonel Gabriel sent his scouts out again, this time to wreak on a site at what is now modern-day Benevento, 50 miles northwest of the 13th Meuse current location, which they could use to establish a forward firing base that could cover the approaches to Naples to the west and Salerno to the south. This firebase would be the jumping

off point for the Marines as they make their final push to Rome. Part 7. After two days, the scouts had located several positions to the west, which may have been tactically feasible as a firebase. Instead of ordering his ex-o to establish the firebase, Colonel Gabriel went out himself aboard an Osprey, with a security squad of Marines to recon the potential sites. By the end of the third day, the last of the five sites which Gabriel surveyed turned out to be the best. It was located atop a relatively flat but rocky ridgeline south of Benevento, where three major roads intersected with Naples to the west and Salerno to the south. His plan was to have his engineers use their dump trucks and bulldozes to build the road

which would lead from the road up to the firebase. Meanwhile, he would airlift three of his six howitzers, along with four of his eight 81mm motors and a company of infantry for, security to the top of the rich where they would keep overwatch of the roads as well as the engineers who would be constructing the road to the firebase. On the morning of the fourth day since their last encounter with the Roman legions, the Marine Security Company and the mortars have been airlifted to the site of the new firebase and were given instructions to prepare the site for the arrival of the three howitzers. Meanwhile, a ground element of engineers,

scouts and a security element of Lav 25s and armored Humvees departed the airfields, for the new firebase over 50 miles away. Late in the morning, the Marine convoy was stopped as it travelled down a narrow road through a rocky hillside. In front of the lead scout vehicle lay a Roman soldier.

His neck broken when the horse he was riding on through him. The Roman soldier had been pushing his horse hard as they charged down the roadway. As they turned the corner of the hillside they came face to face with one of the invaders' small dragons. The horse had reared up in fear,

tossing its rider, then sprinting up the embankment, disappearing into the field on the other sides. The scout marines slammed on the brakes of his arm at Homvee as soon as the rider rounded the corner. He stood over the body of the dead Roman soldier, who looked to only be in his mid-teens. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, said the young Marine, a private first class by the name of Hendrik. He knelt over the young Roman soldier's body. He came round the corner so fast. didn't see him in time. Nothing you could have done about it, Hedrick,

said his squad leader, a sergeant by the name of Ellis, who was standing next at PFC, Hedrick. The way he was pushing his horse, he was probably a messenger. Look, he has a leather messenger pouch over his shoulders. Hedric, he didn't do anything wrong. He just came around the corner end.

An arrow penetrated Sergeant Ellis' his throat just above the neckline of his body arm. The Marine Scout team leader jerked up and fell back. backwards onto the rocky ground. Sergeant Ellis, screamed PFC Hedrich, just as two arrows hit him, one bouncing off his frontal body armor and one penetrating his left arm. Hedric grabbed his left arm, yelling in pain

as a second arrow hit him square in the face. PFC Hedric fell backwards, his body lying motionless next to that of his squad leader. In the fields to the right of the Marines and the hills in front of them, hundreds of Rome's finest archers emerged, having camouflaged themselves by hiding patiently under sheets dyed green and brown. They stood up and reigned arrow after arrow upon the invaders and their fearsome dragon beasts. Marine gunners on the vehicle spun their turrets and immediately returned fire with machine gun, 40mm grenade, 25mm machine gun and small arms fire, swallowing the Roman archers in a a carcophony of deadly explosive firepower.

The Viper and Venom hunter-killer helicopters, which had been circling overhead, dived towards the Roman ambush, with Viper vengefully firing its entire payload of rockets into the Roman arches, facing the Marine convoy, while the Venom reigned the field next to the Marines in machine gunfire.

Only moments later, after the Romans had initiated their ambush, it was over. The positions in which they had been hiding, now shrouded in smoke and fire, and littered with the dead and dying bodies of the courageous Roman archers, and knew that by the time Apollo had ended his trek across the sky, they would indeed be dining with Hades tonight. Medical evacuation helicopters arrived to take the six Marines who have been wounded

by the Roman arrows that had found the gaps in the marine body armour. Fortunately, of their wounds were painful, they were not life-threatening. With the bodies of PFC Hedric and Sergeant Ellis, the wounded Marines were airlifted to the aid station back at the airfield, along with the scroll which the Roman scout had been carrying. Soon the Marines were on the move again. The radio was silent as they mourned the deaths of two of their courageous scouts. Lieutenant Gabriel sat alone at his desk in the top,

playing himself for the loss of his two recon marines. Of his entire mew, he had pushed his scouts the most. What could he tell? to Sergeant Ellis and Private Hendricks family. How could he tell them that their Marines died in the service of a country that hasn't been founded for nearly 2,000 years? Though he was proud that his Marines did everything that they could to treat the wounded Roman archers who had ambushed the condoie,

Gabriel's rage against the entity that had brought them here was growing with every second they were trapped in the past. Sir, said Captain Tonelli as she and Chaplain Johnson entered the top. "'I have it here.' "'That was fast,' said Gabriel. "'Well, between me, Chaplain Johnson and the three privates who we found that are taking college classes in ancient languages and cultures, we were able to translate the scroll that was recovered from the dead Roman scouts.' Chaplain Johnson set a canteen of fresh-brewed coffee in front of Colonel Gabriel.

"'You really should have something to eat, sir,' said Chaplain Johnson. "'I haven't seen you eating days.' "'Later, chaps,' said Gabriel. "'Okay, Tanya, spill it. Watch your guards.' "'They're movement orders,' said Captain Tonelli. "'They're signed by Emperor Tiberius himself.' "'She'll be worth a fortune on eBay,' said Gabriel, with no humor in his voice, as he took the scroll from Captain Tonelli.

"'Go on, Captain.' "'Yes, sir,' answered Captain Tonelli. "'What we believe the scroll says is that Emperor Tiberius has recalled three Roman legions from Germany and one from northern Italy. They're setting a trap for us at Naples, planning to hit us with three legions attacking from the north,

two to our west, two to the east, and one legion recalled from Egypt to hit us from the south. Hmm, say Gabriel. That's 40,000 to 2,000. We should be honored that the Romans think so highly of us. Take it the two legions attacking from the west

are the two legions that let us pass in the Pasanto River. Does this cross say anything about what happened to their command of Marius. Only that he's been arrested, sir, replied Chaplain Johnson. The last part of the message says that the Roman legions garrisoned in the Holy Lands will remain in place pending the results of the coming battle. I see, said Gabriel.

I'm assuming that multiple messages have been sent out to the separate legions, so one of them isn't going to get it. Still, Gabriel paused, looking at the map. Let's get the command and staff here. Okay. Here's what we got. Started Gabriel as his command and staff officers had arrived in the talk. Tiberius is planned to commit at least eight legions against us in the open plains east of Naples.

It's a good plan tactically to engage us in force far from Rome. The entity wanted us to destroy the legions of Rome within 40 days. I told it that we stand at the gates of Rome until the 40 days is up. It was my intent to avoid combat as much as possible, but it appears that Emperor Tiberius is full. forcing our hand again. Do you think that Tiberius is working with the entity? asked CSM Tunstall.

To destroy his own military, said Gabriel. I don't think so. I'm still going with the assumption that the entity is plain us and the empire against each other. It's still a mystery why it wants the Roman legion is destroyed. I don't think it matters to the entity where the legions are destroyed, as long as they are, said Major Alexander Easter. That entity is pulling all the strings here.

I agree, said Gabriel, but we aren't going to play his games anymore. I don't know what's supposed to happen when the 40 days is up. We aren't going to be doing our part in preventing some prophecy from recurring. Gabriel then pointed at the map. Changing the operations plan, folks. I'm moving up the timetable of our move to the new site to tomorrow. It's a more defendable position than our current location, and because it's at a major crossroads,

we can hit the bridges and overpasses that the legions will have to cross. Once we established the firebase and the airfields, we go over to the defensive, using air and artillery to interdict any room information. Hey, S-6, what's our fuel in POL status? Currently, we're at about 75% motor gas, about 3,000 gallons. We're down to 50% fuel for the generators and 60% aviation fuel, answered the S-6 supply officer. By the time we established the new position, we'll be critical. on fuel and POL. Colonel Gabriel nodded.

I understand. What about Class 1 supplies? Currently, you have a week to 10 old days of MREs and rations, but only about a week of potable water, answered the supply officer. The water purification unit is operational, however, so if there's a water source at the new site, we should be good. Colonel Gabriel, said Colonel Archwayne writes. We're going to need a re-rength. supply once we get there. That means we'll have to trust the entity to make good on his promises. Oh, no arch, conceded Gabriel, but embedded into the entity needs us more than we need it.

The Marines worked through the night breaking down the airfield, loading supplies and equipment onto vehicles, and breaking down tents in preparation for the morning's movement to the new location. At first light, the first chawks of helicopter flights airlifted the first Marine Infantry Company to the new Ford operating base, along with the remainder of the 155mm howitzes and their crews. Upon arrival at the new firebase, the Marine Infantry Company secured the designated landing zones, and those aircraft not directly involved with convoy security flew to the new site. Meanwhile, the remaining Marines rolled out of the airfield, headed for the new Ford operating base over 50 miles away. The convoy road marched to the new site

went unmolested by the Romans. The only delays coming from vehicle breakdowns which had to be towed, and by late afternoon, the Marines moved to the new location had been completed. Part 8. There was none of the resupply

that the entity had promised at the new site, as it had been in Sibari over a week ago. Still, Colonel Gabriel couldn't allow that from stopping him from establishing the now consolidated operating base, though they would have to ration the use of Morgas, and especially GP8 aviation fuel, which they were down to less than 35%. To limit the movement of the legions, Gabriel and his harriers and engineers blew all of the bridges to the southern and east approaches within a five-mile perimeter of the base,

leaving only the three larger bridge crossings to the northwest of his position leading to Naples. It took two days for his engineers to create and improve the hard-pack road, which led up a gentle 300-meter slope to the main firebase located on a. commanding position 50 metres on the top of the ridge. At the base of the ridge, where the engineers had constructed the road, Gabriel had designated it as the airfield, where his air assets would be launching. Two streams ran parallel to each other on the base's southeastern perimeter, where the water pre-reification marines busily began restocking the Mews 500-gallon water containers. By limiting and conserving fuel usage, Major Alexander Easter, the Operation,

officer estimated that the mew had a week to ten days of fuel left assuming that the marines went over to the defence Gabriel hated giving up the initiative to the Romans as it allowed them to maneuver and consolidate their forces and Gabriel had no doubt that was exactly what the entity wanted to happen it was pulling the strings which would force one climactic encounter between his Marines and the Roman legions still Gabriel once again sent out platoons and Marines to scow the surrounding countryside, looking to see if they could find any signs of the entity leaving a resupply depot. After two days of searching, in which time the Marines were consolidating and improving their defensive positions, it became apparent that

there was no resupply to be found. Although the patrolling Marines did report heavy Roman movement to the west and south, and especially nor, where the legions were looking to consolidate in South Naples, already they were either bypassing or repatriated. pairing the bridges which have been blown. By Major Easter's estimation, they'd be in South Naples and ready to move against the Marines in about one week's time

when the Marines will be critical in fuel. Six days later, Colonel Gabriel and Lieutenant Colonel Wainwrights, the ground combat commander, were in a UH-1 Venom helicopter, circling the rolling flatlands four miles west of their position. Oh, that son of a bitch,

that damned glow in the dark, son of a bitch. Below them was a massive supply depot that had appeared overnight with pallets of fuel, POL, stores, munitions and rations, enough to sustain the 13th Mew for weeks. The process to transport the supply depot would probably take a few days, even using their assets. The problem was the entity had left the supply depot behind the lines of six full Roman legions, a force of over 30,000 soldiers. If the Marines wanted it, they'd have to come and take it. it from the Romans.

Arch, said Gabriel. What do you think? Can you secure it? Maybe, said Colonel Wainwright. It'll take every Marine we can spare that can carry a weapon. We'll need to be quick. We need to be violent.

We'll need to use every weapon at our disposal. And, sir, we cannot afford to show mercy. There'll be lots of casualties on both sides. Gabriel nodded, silently watching us, the supplies. which his Marines sorely needed, rotated below his orbiting helicopter. Sir, said Wainwright,

I don't like it that the entity is calling the shots, bending and twisting circumstances to fit his needs. First chance we get, I want permission to engage and kill it. Permission denied, said Gabriel. If that opportunity arises, I reserve the honor of ventilating that reject from ancient Beagate

creepy pastor myself. The last of all, the available aviation fuel was fed into the Harrier jump jets and the viper and venom helicopters which would be participating in the assault. What was left over was put into the Ospreys and sea stallions. Their rear ramps dropped to allow a 50-Cal machine gunner to fire out of the back. Their mission was to hit all of the Roman heavy siege weapons, which have been lined in three rows, each row a half-mile long and facing the charging marines. As usual, the M182 Abrams tanks would lead the assault, followed by the Lave-25s and the AVs. These would be followed closely by armoured Humvees, mounting miniguns or heavy machine guns,

and these, in turn, were followed by seven-ton trucks, loaded with two companies of infantry who would secure the supply depot. Meanwhile, the full complement of the Marines' artillery and mortars would hit the Roman lines to clear a path to the supplies. No warning shots this time. The indirect fire marines set the fuses of their high-explosive rounds to air burst, which would cause them to explode over the heads of the Romans, inflicting the widest casualties over the widest area.

Meanwhile, the tanks and Lave-25s were to hit the front lines of the Roman legions with everything that they had, including the dreaded anti-personnel rounds, punching holes into their ranks as quickly and violently as possible. Gabriel hoped that a quick, massive display of overwhelming firepower would shatter the legions' will to resist and cause them to flee. Though this would regretfully cause a massive amount of casualties to the Romans, their casualties would be far lighter than if the battle were allowed to be reduced to a protracted battle of attrition. Normally for a battle this size, Gabriel would be in the air in his own command and control helicopter. instead he chose an elevated spot on the ground to observe the battle allowing that fuel to put another gunship in the air

the three bridges spanning the Benevent-Hontal River each stout enough to hold the weight of his tanks was one mile down the ridge to his southwest the Roman legions were arrayed in the fields to the west of the bridges only three miles away the entire battlefield could be observed from Gabriel's vantage point Chaplain Johnson and his chaplain's assistant selling their Humvee, having no part to play in the coming battle

something was eating at the chaplain Though everything about the marines being transported to biblical times felt wrong There was something particularly troubling about this day And especially this climactic battle Johnson rubbed his forehead He was tired He hadn't had any sleep and had been living on coffee for the past few days "'Kohab Bahir,

"'cohav Bahia,' said Chaplain Johnson. "'What is that? That's not Latin. "'It's not modern-day Italian. "'Almost sounds like Hebrew. "'If only he'd studied up more on his ancient Hebrew. "'You're right, sir,' said Lance Corporal Recupero, "'Johnson's chaplain assistant. "'It does sound Hebrew.

"' Sort of like when we're a bright star.' "'Chaplain Johnson thought back. remembering how we'd taken a long dreamed-off trip to Jerusalem last year after the 13th Mew participated in an annual joint training exercise with the Egyptian military named Operation Bright Star. Bright Star, that's it! Chaplain Johnson jumped with excitement to recalling. The Israeli soldiers who'd be now tall guys called Operation Bright Star Calf a year. Chaplain Johnson's mind was racing. Okay, so it's the prophecy of the bright star.

The bright star was the star of Bethlehem which signalled the birth of the Christ child who is Jesus, who was destined to walk with man and be crucified by the Romans. Then, after three days, he would rise in fulfillment of the scriptures. That's it. The entity is trying to stop the crucifixion of Jesus

by removing Rome from the Holy Lands. The Roman garrison in Jerusalem is to defend Rome against the Marines and therefore does not order and carry out the crucifixion of the Christ. The Christ is not crucified as is written in the books of the New Testament, and therefore does not rise again in three days, thus nullifying the prophecy of the Ghorha of Bahia, the bright star which led the three wise men to the birthplace of the Christ.

With the prophecy unfulfilled, the rise of the Judeo-Christian faith never occurs. And the worship of the Roman god Jupiter will continue into the future. Ironically, for the being known as Jupiter to survive, the man called Jesus must not fulfill the ancient Jewish prophecy by dying. The destruction of the Roman legions by the Mew would be a small price to pay for a dying god like Jupiter who needs the worship of his land to survive. Startled by this new revelation, Chaplain Johnson jumped out of his Humvee and ran towards

where Colonel Gabriel had set up his command post to observe the coming battle where the ground combat element was waiting for the green light to go weapons free. Oh, I don't have time for this, chaps, the old Colonel Gabriel. I got the entire Roman army closing in on my reins. Sir, the old chaplain Johnson, you have to pull our Marines back. You need to retreat. What are you talking about? Responded Gabriel angrily.

If we give up the initiative now, we may not get it back. Don't you make me choke murder, you, Brent. Colonel Gabriel, said Chaplain Johnson. The prophecy the entity was talking about refers to the crucifixion of Christ. At the end of 40 days, the man who is now in Jerusalem named Jesus will be put to death by the Romans for treason. Three days after that, he'll rise again in fulfillment of the scriptures. He'll then send out his disciples across the non-world and a new religion will be born, one which will completely destroy the entire pantheon of Roman gods.

if we destroy the legions here. Emperor Tiberius is forced to recall the Romans from Jerusalem, and Jesus never gets crucified. Thus the prophecy never happens. Answered Colonel Gabriel. Is that what you're saying, chaps? Yes, sir, answered Chaplain Johnson. And if the prophecy never happens,

that son of a bitch you kidnapped us remains in power. Said Gabriel, anger etched on his face. Yeah, that's correct, sir, said Johnson. Okay, chaps, what if I pull my Marines back? Said Gabriel. What if we cease operations right now and I tell the entity to go screw himself? Is your guard going to return my Marines back to where they belong?

I don't, I can't answer that, sir, admitted the chaplain. All I can tell you, sir, is that if Jesus dies, the entity also dies. But Jesus rises again, the entity doesn't. Gabriel looked down at the battlefield. His Marines across the bridges and were arraying themselves to assault into the Legion's first battle lines as soon as the artillery lifted. The supplies that the Marines so badly needed lay only half a mile behind the Legion's positions. I can't believe I'm doing this, chaps, said Colonel Gabriel. I hope you're right, Brent.

Colonel Gabriel got on the radio, battle net. Colonel Wainwright, Arch, recall the attack. I say again, retreat. Pull our Marines back across the bridge. Gabriel then switched the radio to his air command net. Break, break, break, break. Wait until the last Marine crosses back over the bridge to our side, then blow it up. He ordered his AV-8, Harriers circling overhead.

I'll say again, wait until the last Marine crosses over the bridge, then blow it up. Switching to the artillery network. He ordered his artillery commander. Thunder, thunder, thunder. when we blow the bridge I need your red legs to drop ordinance on our supply and say again

hit our resupply once the bridge is down Gabriel dropped the radio hand mic and turn to Chaplain Johnson when you get a chance chaps tell Jesus he owes us a favour He put his binoculars to his eyes

Watching as his marines were already falling back across the bridge His harrier pilots Arming their paveway bombs In order to collapse the bridge Once the last Marine element had crossed next to Gabriel, the artillery marines were adjusting the tubes of their howitzers, preparing to hit the resupply depot with high explosives rounds as soon as the Harriers dropped the bridge.

The legions had stopped advancing, the Roman soldiers cheering in victorious relief as the invaders withdrew. Their prayers to their gods had been answered. The deity known as Jupiter screamed with anger and rage, realizing that he'd chosen very unwisely. Yes, the US Marines were deadly warriors. Yes, the US Marines were the most elite fighters of their time. But the Marines were also honourable. The Marines were virtuous. Worse, the Marines had proven that they had the ability and the character to think and act for themselves,

loyal as they were to the accursed US Constitution and dedication to their espri decor. The Marines had completely destroyed the carefully laid plans of the entire pantheon of Roman guards. Jupiter would not make the same mistake again. There were still a few days before the prophecy of the Kohav Bahia would be fulfilled. The man who was Jesus, the Christ, still had not been crucified, as was foretold in the scriptures. There was still time to prevent his crucifixion and thus prevent his resurrection, for with the rising of the Christ from death, the very pillars of the pantheon of Greek and Roman gods would crumble and collapse, awakening the world to the knowledge of the one true God.

This must not be allowed to happen, and though Jupiter knew that what he was about to do would drain his powers considerably, he had no choice. The US Marines must pay for their disobedience. Jupiter looked far into the future, far past the timeline where he snatched the 13th M.E.U., looking for fearsome and deadly warriors with absolutely no mercy or morality,

reaching forward in time with the last of his season, strength, he called forth those warriors. Then the deity known as Jupiter fell to its knees, defeated by the decision of one Marine commander. Jupiter sighed, knowing for the first time in its long life the fear of mortality on the beaches of Regium. Two thousand Chinese Marines suddenly appeared. Giant laser weapons mounted upon the shoulders of their very heavy battle armor, thermal targeting crosshairs imprinted in their irises, scanning, for something to kill. And so once again, we reach the end of tonight's podcast. My thanks as always to the authors of those wonderful stories and to you for taking the time to listen. Now, I'd ask one small

favor of you. Wherever you get your podcast from, please write a few nice words and leave a five-star review as it really helps the podcast. That's it for this week, but I'll be back again, same place and I do so hope you'll join me once more. Until next time, sweet dreams and bye-bye.