Crown City Conquest

Log Title:  Crown City Conquest

Characters: Destro, Interrogator, Major Bludd

Location: Al-Alawi, Middle East

Date: August 2, 2011

TP: Al-Alawi Invasion TP

Summary: Cobra make their grab for Al-Alawi's capital.

Al-Alawi - Middle East
A Middle Eastern nation situated between Iraq and Iran. Al-Alawi possesses great oil reserves for such a small nation.

Major Bludd stands near a group of gathered soldiers, giving instructions. He gestures periodically, pointing in one direction, sweeping an arm in another, but these motions seem halting, almost hesitant.

Destro exits the medical tent, looking much better then the day before. He watches the gathered soldiers. "Seems like you might need some help for the next few days." He comments.

Interrogator sees Major Bludd giving orders and approaches. He stops a respectful distance away, salutes, and says, "You wanted to discuss the air support for the upcoming misson with me, Sir?"

"That's it, lads," Bludd concludes. "Go to standby status." He glances over his shoulder at Destro. "What makes you say that?" At Interrogator's words he turns fully to face the other men. "Yeah, that's next," he replies.

Destro murmurs. "I am pretty sure you can handle the locals. Its when the Gi Joes return that I'm worried about."

Interrogator says, "I am here when you are ready. How are you feeling today?"

Major Bludd grunts, nodding. "Possibly," he replies to Destro. "For the moment I think we're safe. The Joes won't try another attack on the heels of their resounding defeat." He chuckles, looking to Interrogator. "Not so bad," he says, unconsciously straightening a bit. "Pain's more'n manageable."

Destro nods "We must be perpared. I am ready to lend my assistance, personally." He looks to Interrogator and Major Bludd. "It is tollerable, yes." he says.

Interrogator says, "It is good that you are both doing well. Cobra needs both of you to function."

"Be glad to have you aboard," Bludd replies cordially, with a nod to the Scottish laird. "As for the air support," he says to Interrogator, "we'll discuss that with the rest of the pilot crew." He begins a slow walk toward the makeshift airfield, motioning to Destro as he does so. "You're welcome to come along if you like."

Destro also heads to the airfield. "Excellant. It will be a good test for the Sand Serpent."

Interrogator walks with the rest of the group to the air field, saying, "My gunners will be happy to be more active."

The swirling breeze stirs up the ever-present dustlike sand, even without aircraft activity to exacerbate it. Bludd squints against it, frowning, as he stalks out to where a group of pilots are gathered. "Quicker we get set up in Crown City the better," he mutters. "I've about had it with this so-called airfield."

Destro nods "I agree. Soon you will have what you have worked so hard to achieve."

Interrogator says, "This sand is awful, it gets into everything."

Major Bludd spends a few minutes briefing the pilots on the upcoming attack on Crown City. "We don't expect much if anything in the way of air resistance," he explains, "but ground troops and armour can always use a friendly eye -- and gun -- in the sky." He goes on to point out some of the more vulnerable and strategic objectives the pilots ought to focus on.

Destro chuckles. "Indeed." he says. "We should make easy work of them."

Interrogator listens carefully, making notes in his head.

"Right, let's get this show on the road," Bludd says, rubbing his hands together. "Will you be joining the ground or the air units, Destro?"

Destro murmurs. "Since the ground defense is supposedly strnger, I can join the ground defense. I will of course, defer to your strategies."

Interrogator says, "I will be with the air units, Sir."

Major Bludd nods to Destro. He takes out his handheld computer, taps a few commands, and shows its screen to the laird. "I'll assign Troop Diamondback to you, then," he says, indicating a group of HISS tanks. "Diamondback will be covering the western area of the city." He nods absently to Interrogator. "You're in Flight Gamma, overflying the Palace district."

Destro looks at the screen. "Diamondback. Allright. I'll keep them in order."

Interrogator says simply, "Yes, Sir!"

 Major Bludd says, "Crown City assault groups, go to ready status! We leave in ten minutes!"

 Destro says, "Ready when you are, Major."

Major Bludd nods in satisfaction and puts in a call over his radio to the troops. "I'll leave you to your Mamba," he says to Interrogator, heading for the assembled armour groups near the center of the camp.

 Interrogator says, "Yes, Sir!"

Destro also moves to assemble his squad near the camp. He murmurs. "should be interesting at least."

Interrogator enters the Mamba and waits fo his gunners to get into their molts.He goes through preflight, radioing his gunners to be sure they are ready.

Major Bludd climbs aboard the lead HISS in Troop Adder, wincing slighly as he raises his fist in the air and twirls it in a circle to rally the tank crews into motion. The tanks head out across the desert sands toward the capital, Crown City.

Destro also climbs into a Hiss, ready to lead the Dimondbacks. "Ready when you are." He radios.

Interrogator takes off and joins Flight Gamma's formation as they fly to Crown City.

In less than an hour the Cobra forces arrive at Crown City. The blue-uniformed infantry, backed up with HEAT-Vipers, clear the streets of citizens while Alley-Vipers go house-to-house and terrorize the occupants. The HISS tanks follow up, powering down the city streets. Overhead Rattler jets and Mamba helicopters cover the ground forces, keeping the small bands of armed soldiers and citizenry who show their faces pinned inside buildings, where the ground troops can finish them off. It's clear Crown City is not prepared to defend against such a formidable assault.

Crown City - Al-Alawi
Crown City is the capital of Al-Alawi. It is situated near Dukhan Lake, in roughly the center of the country.

Destro moves his Hiss unit into position, following the plans. Quick and easy, this is almost too convenient.

Interrogator leads Flight Gama into the Palace district. He radios to the rest of the Mambas, "Keep your eyes open for rocket and missile launchers, especially on the roofs."

Major Bludd's HISS troop makes its way into the palace district. A troop truck screeches to a halt fifty metres ahead of the tanks and uniformed soldiers spill out, opening fire. The tanks lob shells at the truck and the others which join it a few moments later.

Destro murmurs. "This is it. Company, open fire on the troop trucks!"

Interrogator sees the ground battle that has erupted and fire a mini missile at the group of trucks. He orders the rest of the squadron to open fire as well.

The local troops scatter as the ordnance explodes in their midst. Not all are quick enough to get away unscathed, and several lie motionless as the dust settles. The survivors run past the tanks, taking potshots at the commanders in the turrets.

On a nearby flat-topped roof, a pair of soldiers pulls aside a tarp covering a missile launcher. Shouting in Arabic, they launch the weapon at the Mamba group.

Bludd ducks down into the turret as bullets spray the side of the tank. Grimacing from his wounds, he tosses out a grenade, which lands at the feet of the soldiers dashing by. The fragmentation grenade leaves the group of soldiers a bloody mess as the tank rolls onward toward the palace.

Flight Gamma scatters as the missile speeds towards them. Interrogator whips the Mamba into position and fires a missile back at the roof top launcher.

The soldiers manning the missile launcher aren't quick enough to escape the incoming missile from the Mamba. They and their launcher, which still has a missile on its rack, go up in a fireball that shakes the building.

One of Bludd's tanks steers too close to a building and clips a support pole, bringing the upper floor tumbling down onto itself. Bludd shouts grouchy orders at the tank's crew as the rest of his troop advances down the main road to the palace.

Interrogator orders the Mambas to assume a more spread out foundation and repeats his orders to watch the rooftops closely. They fly closer to the palace, covering the ground crews and scanning the roofs as they go.

Throughout Crown City, Cobra infantry and Alley-Vipers are causing havoc among the populace. The poorer sections of the city are reduced to rubble as HEAT-Vipers in combat with scattered groups of soldiers and vehicles set buildings alight and bring them crashing down. People flee into the neighbouring countryside to escape from the terror.

The HISS troops are forced to line up double-file as they proceed down the main road, but with the air cover above, Bludd's not worried about the vulnerability this formation will cause. One of the tanks near the back of the line explodes unexpectedly, the victim of an undetected roadside bomb. The remaining tanks press on. Bludd smiles as the lake and the palace loom ahead.

Interrogator radios, "Should I have the Mambas prepare for a bombing run, or are we trying to take the palace intact, Sir?". He scans the palace's rooftops for any more surprises as he radios.

"We want the palace as intact as possible," Bludd radios, sending the message to all the troops in the immediate area. "If it means the difference between keeping the place standing and losing the objective, then do the damage. We must secure the palace. We can repair it if necessary."

Interrogator radios to the troops in the attack on the palace, "Understood, Sir. Mambas, prepare your missiles and only aim for any launchers on the palace."

The tanks roll up to the palace and Bludd climbs down from the turret. In a few minutes the infantry arrive and disperse toward their assigned objectives. Bludd goes into the palace with his squad of blue-shirted troopers. Shouts in Arabic, English, and other languages ring out along with automatic weapons-fire.

"This is Gamma Five, we see tarps on the West wing of the palace!"

Interrogator radios, "Engage with caution, Gamma Five!"

Gamma Five fires a missile as the tarps com off and begin firing at the Mambas.

 Interrogator says, "Sir, we have anti aircraft guns on the West wing!"

Within the palace, the Cobra troopers flood the grand atrium, the elaborately-tiled hallways, the exquisite ballroom. Everywhere they go, they leave fallen Al-Alawi soldiers in their wake. Despite their superior numbers, there are pockets of stiff resistance. Bludd finds himself pinned down with half his squad in a corner of a hallway near the royal suites. He radios for backup even as he lobs his final grenade down the hall toward the opposing troops.

 Major Bludd says, "Take them out, Interrogator! Patrols Skiff and Zeta, divert to the royal suite!"

The Mambas fire, and their missiles hit the anti-aircraft guns, silencing them. Interrogator curses to himself as two of the Mambas are struck and only one makes an emergency landing as the other explodes in midair.

The grenade shatters a floor-to-ceiling mirror at the end of the hall and brings a multitude of tiles crashing down from the walls, but when the dust settles, the guards' guns have been silenced. Bludd snarls at a shrapnel wound in his shoulder but urges the troops to finish their sweep of this floor.

Elsewhere, Cobra troops take losses but gather up a smattering of enemy soldiers who've surrendered. The tanks outside stand guard, fighting off a last-ditch effort by some civilians in a battered Toyota truck who harry them with AK fire. At length, the sounds of battle cease.

 Major Bludd says, "Well done. Make a survey of the palace area and be sure we're alone. We don't want any nasty surprises."

 Interrogator says, "Yes, Sir!"

Interrogator orders half of Flight Gamma to patrol the area. The Mambas fly off, encountering only a little anti-aircraft fire, which they quickly take care of.

 Major Bludd says, "Cleanup time, lads and ladies! You know the drill. The Palace will be our new headquarters. Everyone go to security status and report in when your sector's secure."

Major Bludd and his squad secure the royal suits and the upper floors of the palace, where the prince and his bodyguards once slept. As cleanup crews take the bodies from the building, Bludd takes a moment to personally peruse the prince's old rooms. As he looks over the elaborate tile floors, colourful curtains, and the view over the lake, he smiles, forgetting his wounds for the moment. "A fitting reward," he mutters to himself, "for a job well done."

Interrogator sends the rest of the Flight to patroling as he stays by the palace to guard it. He radios to Major Bludd, "How long do you think it will take to get everyone resituated?"

Major Bludd clears the suite, though the squad just cleared it ten minutes ago, steps out, and shuts the door behind him. "We've got a lot of men and machines to move," he radios Interrogator. "It'll be orderly, but it may take the better part of a week."

Interrogator radios as he patrols, "Understood Sir. Do you think Cobra Commander will visit us once we have the city secured?"

Major Bludd chuckles to himself at the radio message. He replies, "Could be, Interrogator."

Inside of his helmet, Interrogator smiles and flies to help another Mamba coming under heavy fire.