CTF Haymaker

by totallynotabrony

Chapter 11

King Coal sat rigid in the helicopter seat, fingers beginning to bend the metal. It was easier to just bring him to headquarters and get fully spun up on the developing situation than try to communicate back and forth with the castle. He'd even been eager to ride the helicopter, but that enthusiasm was gone shortly after takeoff.

Still, it was a short flight and they arrived at the makeshift base in a swirl of dust. Candless squinted and set off through it, only to suddenly turn around and grab Coal by one horn, yanking his head down beneath the rotor blades as he exited the Huey.

"Sorry," Candless shouted, "I just didn't want you to get your head chopped off."

He forgot the language barrier for a moment, but Robert Fantone the translator helpfully jumped in.

The language was the last thing on his mind as he strode into the command center. A Captain handed him a file. "Sir, here's what we have."

They were screenshots from a drone video. Candless went through them. "Are we sure the dragons have kidnapped minotaurs?"

"Calfnapped," Fantone said quietly.

"Who do we have in the area?"

"One CI team." A Major, wearing combat gear with an M16 slung across his chest, stepped up. "They're almost in position to give us eyes. We're also launching another ScanEagle."

Candless did a quick count of the dragons and minotaurs around the gem mine. "Get two platoons, airborne insertion, backed by Harriers. Go friendly, but condition one."

The Major turned away to make it happen.

Candless stood for a moment, and then turned for where the classified communications were kept. "Get me the PACOM J3. J3 Actual, if you can."

The Pacific Command Director for Operations was a Navy Rear Admiral. Naturally, he'd been following the situation in Tauros and accepted the video call.

"Sir," Candless began. "We have a developing situation here. If needed, how fast can we get strike assets into theater?"

---

Flash Sentry had never been aboard a ship before, particularly not an American aircraft carrier. Well, this one was technically not an aircraft carrier, but it was a ship with aircraft on it. He had never had the chance to get a talk shop with human aviators, either.

"The engine ducts out these nozzles to lift the get vertically into the air," the Marine Captain was showing him as they walked beneath the wing of a Harrier. "The engine's made by a company called Rolls-Royce." He chuckled. "The model of the engine is 'Pegasus.'"

Flash started to ask a question, but a booming voice from a speaker somewhere ordered "Attention on the flight deck. Now launch the ready 15."

Near-simultaneously, an Air Force pegasus appeared, pausing briefly to ask the armed sentries for permission to come aboard, and then made a beeline for Flash.

"Sir," he saluted. "Colonel Spitfire wants you to go with the Marines on a mission to rescue minotaur hostages from dragons.

Flash and the Marine pilot next to him both reacted to the news with surprise. "Where? Now?"

"Yes sir. You're flying on..." The other pegasus checked a notepad and read off the callsign of an Osprey. "They should be taking off from the ship soon to pick up the fighting forces at HQ, and then straight up into the mountains. Apparently some dragons are keeping some minotaurs to do work for them." The airpony shrugged. "It's all I know sir, they might tell you more on the way."

It was still painfully little information, but Flash had orders from Spitfire. He dashed across the flight deck to pick up his spear from where he'd left it leaning and headed for the Ospreys that were just spinning up.

---

Henry lay on his belly, binoculars just peeking over the final ridge between his small team and the mine below. The Humvee was well back from the ridge, but if a dragon decided to fly high enough, they would still be easily spotted.

Orders were still slow in coming. At the moment, it seemed the plan was to approach peacefully and inquire as to the situation. If it was determined that it really was what it looked like - dragons forcing minotaurs to mine gems - then the force would arrest the dragons.

That was the part of the plan Henry was most skeptical about.

Off in the distance, he heard a faint sound of propellers. Scooting back off the ridge, he gestured for the rest of his team. The Humvee rolled forward and picked him up. They crested the ridge and headed down into the valley just as the two Ospreys came into view. Henry kept his eyes on the sky and was rewarded with the sight of a pair of Harriers making lazy circles at altitude.

The dragons appeared to be taking notice now. The two Ospreys titled their propellers up for landing, making a slow pirouette to position their aft ramps towards the mine. As the tailgates opened, Henry wasn't surprised to see a mounted .50 stationed on each.

Henry directed his driver to rendezvous with the incoming troops. He had the minotaur translator. Dragons usually spoke the same language as ponies, so they'd brought a pony.

The force had landed within three hundred yards of the mine. The dragons - eight of them - were still hanging back, warily watching and keeping the minotaurs behind them.

Henry's team was rolled into the infantry force and the Equestrian they'd brought to translate. He checked his rifle, putting a round in the chamber and clicking the safety on.

Fifty men and a pony started the walk across open ground.

Comments

[arcanelexicon]

hmm...wonder if youve seen the anime ‘Gate’ where they fought against the dragons

[totallynotabrony]

8967664
Well, I definitely saw the scene with the F-4's.