GATE - War of Two Worlds Part 1

V03 - Chapter 33 Elias Forest Campaign RM

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--- Elies Forest ---

May 24th, 2025

Early in the morning at the American campsite. Sharpe is with the other officers from third platoon, his Vanguard team and Vanguard-3. Charles, Johnson, and Peterson at the small command tent that was quickly set up right next to an M1162 Stryker.

The four of them have spent most of the night devising a plan to recover Larson, assuming he is in the fort. The main force will act as a distraction as a smaller team break the fort form one of the sides and retrieve their captured Ranger.

During the night it he decided to send a Joint Light Tactile Vehicle out to recon the enemy fort. The team that was chosen is from the Vanguard-3 unit.

Everyone is watching them as they begin their report. Peterson platoon deployed a RQ-11 Raven drone for short range intelligence and battlespace communication. This has allowed him to see the recon team through their NW(1) camera.

"I will admit, I am impressed," Charles said as he looks at the laptop.

What they all see is this large fortification with tall stone walls. There seems to be this large courtyard with a what looks like a three-story keep to the right of the fort. They also can see many kinds of projectile weapons like ballista and catapults.

"I would guess, brigade strength?" he said, thinking out loud. A standard NATO brigade is about five thousand soldiers however, that can vary.

"Maybe," Peterson said. "With the Stryker's we can take it."

Johnson looks carefully at the screen. "Sergeant, can you get a better look at the courtyard?"

There is a short delay over the radio. "We can hold on."

"What are you thinking Charles?" Sharpe asked. He sees that Charles was about to respond and remembers that both of their first names are Charles. He then looks to Charles. "Sorry, not you Captain."

"Doesn't it look a bit empty? I thought it was horsemen who attacked Vanguard-5. The Stables look pretty empty for a base this size," Johnson replied.

The others look carefully. The recon team moves to get a better view of the fort courtyard and that is when everyone else sees what Johnson saw.

"Your right, the stables are pretty empty. Maybe their cavalry left?" said Charles.

That is when Peterson brings up a point no one wants to hear. "Or maybe the soldiers we are after were never here. So far all we been doing is guessing."

There is a short silence after Peterson said that. If what he said is true, then that pretty much is an end of their mission.

"Unless we have solid proof that he's not here we are going in," he said.

"I want to get him back too, but we can't just bust the door down for nothing. We cannot fight them all and do a search of the area," Charles said.

"Or he is in there and the cavalry left. They have to know we are out there somewhere," he replied to Charles.

A short debate begins between the four officers, trying to decide the best course to proceed.

After a short period of time, they all hear the recon team speak.

"Be advised, we got movement inside the fort. We see seven, no eleven Imperialists by these posts that look like crosses.... That is very strange... wait there are people on those things!?" Said one of the Rangers on the recon team. "It looks like they are bringing someone to the post."