Lightning streaked across the pitch black sky and the waves smashed against the sides of our RHIB as we neared the USS Draco. It stood as an even blacker smudge in the night that was flashing with red and blue lights. I found my mind whacking out, thinking of all the ways this could possibly go wrong and plan an infinite number of back up plans for each different possible way this could mess up.
There was a mist spraying against me that I hadn't felt since my time in The Great Pacific. The spay coated my entire body and the rain was running down my crest, the sides of my muzzle and down my neck and back. The coolness of it made me feel alive. I felt like I was back in the Marine Corps.
“Feel's good doesn't it?”
I turned around, half expecting to see Jackson, but instead, it was my shy friend Val.
“It's been a long time since the Ocean had a go around with me”, I laughed.
“Five minutes out everyone”, Hudson said, “get your shit and get ready.”
Our human friends began checking over their equipment while Syralth ran through his stuff and then helped my vest onto my back. I thought it was somewhat lighter than normal, but I was sure it would get heavy as the mission went on.
Soon the RHIB began to slow down. With the stop, the dragons drove over the side while the humans began climbing the side of the carrier. We surfaced on the other side and flew up, perching ourselves on the control tower. There was one guy in the control room watching Everybody Loves Raymond and a small, blue Arctic cub sleeping under a table. Fireclaw had given us everything, patrol routes, shift changes, who was where and when, everything.
“Talk to me Tyro”, Hudson called, “we have negative contact, your intel was solid Fireclaw.”
“Of course it was”, Fireclaw replied, “I'm awesome.”
“Negative here too”, I replied, “I'm staring in at the control room now, one guy watching TV and a small cub sleeping underneath a table”, In smiled to myself, “remember the drill old man?”
“Sound suppressors on”, Hudson said mimicking my accent, “fuck yes I do.”
I turned my attention on the sound of a metal door creaking open, two humans walked out, having a conversation about the New York Giants.
“Right on time”, Sozenn stated, “let's do this.”
Our black vests gave us perfect cover to approach the un aware humans. With one swift motion, we dropped them, clean and quick.
“Let's move inside”, I said, “Fireclaw on point, Sozenn follows me.”
Fireclaw slowly pulled the door open and we followed him in. The carrier was dimly lit, like what you might see in a closed store. We ducked from shadow to shadow to evade detection from humans as well as a few cubs who had decided that it was a good idea to go out after their parents had fallen asleep. We continued down the long hallway, waited for a few guards to pass and then entered the cell blocks.
“We got zip shit on this end”, Hudson called, “what you guys got?”
“Entering the detention blocks now”, I replied, “what cell is our package in?”
“Cell 321”, Hudson replied, “end of hallway 219.”
“That's where we are”, Ator said, “out.”
The cell was at the end of the hall, just like Hudson said. I could see a dragon inside, one fitting the picture to the letter. He was muzzled, chained and asleep with a snore, telling me he'd be sedated.
“I'm in position Tyro”, Syralth called, “lemme know when to kill the power.”
“Do it”, I said.
Everything went so dark it made me shiver just a little.
“Night vision now”, I said.
Everything around me went green as my HUD went to night vision. The dragon in the cell had stirred and was staring at the door with a fear filled look in his eyes. That's when I noticed a second occupant. There was a light blue female in the cell with him, his mate by my guess. Both dragons new we were there, but since they couldn't see us they had backed themselves against the wall.
“Don't worry”, I said softly, “I'm Major Tyro Serelath, leader of Strike Force Raven, were with the Draconian Resistance and were here to rescue you.”
“You are?”, the female asked.
“Yes mam”, I replied, “both of you, can you still fight?”
“I can yes”, the female said, “but he can't, they gave him something that rotted his muscle out, he can hardly move.”
“So that's how they do it?”, Sozenn asked as he lifted the red dragon to his back, “they just give you a shot and leave you to rot to death?”
The female nodded.
“Son's of bitches”, Sozenn said with disgust.
“We'll worry about that later”, his mate said, “my equipment is in the contraband closet, I can shoot a 20mm very well.”
“We'll get it for you then”, I said, “for now, follow me and keep quiet.”
As we were moving out of the cell, I dialed out Hudson.
“HVI had his mate with him”, I said, “both are safe and secure.”
“Great”, Hudson said, “were return...”
The lights came on. The sound of gunfire echoed over the coms. A loud siren began to wail.
“Shit were compromised!”, Hudson yelled, “go loud, go loud!”
The door at the end of the cell block flew open and a herd of Navy Seals swarmed in.
“Fire for effect!”, I shouted.
There was a hum as Sozenn and Ator stepped up and spooled up their Dillon and ripped into the seals. There was mass screaming over the sound of the chainsaw like sound. We darted through the hallway and out of the cell block, engaging several more teams of Seals before reaching the flight deck.
It was like walking into a mushroom cloud. There was a heavy wafer of gunsmoke hanging over the deck and I could hear the bullets fired from M16's and dragon weapons ricocheting off the metal of the carrier.
“Bout motha fuckin' time!”, Hudson shouted, “what you do stop off for coffee?”
“Shut it Hudson!”, I shouted over the rip of my 48, “Ill have none of that right now. Either put some of that rage down range in the form of bullets or go away!”
I'd been in some pretty thick firefights before, but none like this. There was such a dense cloud of smoke hanging over the aircraft carrier that I could actually see the path the bullets were taking. Hours seemed to pass. It brought more gunfire and more Seals. Our ammo reserves began to run low. It got to the point where I borrowed .30-06 ammo from Logan to keep my 48 ripping.
“No way were getting out of this one!”, Hudson shouted groping his vest, hoping he still had ammo, “not alive anyhow!”
“Say that again I'll kill you myself”, I shouted, “were Marines!”
“Marines never quit!”, Issac shouted.
I saw that look, the look that only Hudson got, only when he was ready to fight to his last breath, I'd only seen that twice in my life. After Jack was murdered, and when I entered HDR.
“Damn straight they don't!”, Hudson shouted.
That was when Ator took a bullet to the chest. He cried out in pain and fell over. Trent raced over to help him, taking a bullet to the head as he did. He fell to the ground, lifeless.
“No!”, Fireclaw shouted, “Trent's KIA!”
I gritted my teeth. I never wanted to hear those words again. Jackson had been enough. Val went down next, then Logan, the Sozenn, Fireclaw, Issac and then Wyatt, followed by Syralth. Now it was just Hudson and I. Hudson had burned through the ammo for Issac's M16, Trent's slug gun, Logan's 48 and even Syralth's M14. He was in the process of picking up Wyatt's SCAR when he took a bullet to the shoulder. Hudson, being the wall of meat that he is, held up the rifle with one hand and fired.
“Give it your all!”, he shouted.
He took another round to the leg and collapsed. Now it was just me. The Seals began to close in as my Mk-48 went click. Gritting my teeth, I transferred controls to the 105 and pointed it dead center of the mass.
“Goodbye”, I stated, “this one's for Jackie.”
Click.
I felt my heart literally stop, just stop. The HUD was registering my 105 as 0/20 rounds carried. With nothing else to do, with dragon and seal teams approaching, I fell back on my fire. I began to hose down the entire deck like a flamethrower. The Seals caught fire immediately, their ammo cooking off in their vests. The dragons however, simply tossed off their vests and pounced on me, holding me so tightly I couldn't even move. The remaining Seals closed the distance, chained and muzzled me before leading me below deck.