K-day + 72 | 21st Armored Cavalry Regiment, 1st Recon battalion “Viboras” | “Antares” Sector, Cratenia’s border|
Now Playing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ubol9NyLWZc
The rain season has just started, the sound of water hitting the Tarp rigged to his vehicle over my head reverberated and around me rainwater filled the scene as if the dense grey clouds came down to earth.
I’m a lieutenant of a recon group, we have been ordered to map the Cratenian border, as of right now we’re still in the battalion encampment, awaiting equipment and the go-ahead order, I just hope the roads didn’t turn into quagmires.
“I’m telling you man, this shit right here is a fucking gold mine right beneath our feet you should be happy to be here” Said Fernando, the young loader, sat on a ammo can
“I don’t care, this shit is boring. We've been here in this sector ever since the re-location , at least in Rio-Seguro we had something to do.” Replied Raimundo, the driver, leaning over the Sucuri wheeled AFV.
Both men wore camo overalls and black berets
“Ey, news came in” Said Rafael ,a cascavel commander, completely soaked wet and with a transparent plastic bag filled with paper in one hand, he entered the tarp
“News? go on, be the orator” I said, and had to raise my voice thanks to the rain.
“From Brasil: Separatists rebels in the Northeast have laid siege to Recife and Fortaleza, the fleet and the Marines alongside the 2nd and 3rd Fatherland volunteer motormech brigades are being sent to quell the rebels.
Enemy incursions in the North have stopped thanks to the large number of casualties incurred by the forests on Lord’s Hahykim forces, although their air assets still infest the skies over the Amazon.
Rafael took a breath in the middle of his reading
From the ‘Otherside’: The first native regiment in the ‘Otherside’ has been raised in Rio Seguro; the 1st Rio Seguro Fatherland volunteer light infantry battalion is part of the 21st armored cavalry regiment and is composed by native volunteers who have been given training and top of the line equipment, although small number of native volunteers have been employed as guides and advisers or as small specialized combat units, the 1st battalion is the first combat unit large than a platoon completely composed of natives.”
“That’s enough, any new orders?” I interrupted him
“Yes sir, we are to move out at 1200 hours and return at 1600 hours, doesn’t seem like enough time to me, sir.” He replied and commented
The rain started to diminish and the fog was clearing up, revealing lushy rolling hills a small river and on the other side a expansive savannah-like biome, enough to cover the horizon with it’s brown earth and tough and sparse vegetation
“Why are we even here, didn’t the flyboys already map this whole place last month?” came a voice from inside the Sucuri, through a small circular hatch used to dispose of spent shells, Roberto the gunner, voiced his indignation towards… having to work
“Ground reconnaissance is 3 times more accurate and makes sure the officers get a good picture of the damn place.” I answered Roberto
It’s 1145 HOURS right now, standard Rio-Seguro time.
“Rafael, prepare your crew and brief the rest of the guys about this, I don't wanna be behind schedule today.” I commanded
“Yes sir” He saluted and moved out of the tarp
“We move out in 15 minutes, get ready!” I yelled to my crew
Now playing: https://youtu.be/U7T_d5HzJWI
The recon group has 9 vehicles: 1 Sucuri tank destroyer (my vehicle, 105mm gun) 2 modernized Cascavel armored cars (90mm guns and 2 ATGMs) one of which is commanded by Rafael, 2 Guarani APCs (one of which carries a 81mm mortar) and 4 marrua jeeps (equipped with computers, mapping equipment, AT4s and medium machineguns) Callsigns are “Vibora” 1 to 9; the recon group is also known as mechanized infantry squadron this is the army mainstay maneuver force, the amount of firepower at my disposal is no joke the same way Cratenia is no joking matter, they are officially neutral towards us but they are fighting a extermination war against the eastern undead nobles, this mission main objective is to map their border sector but the chances of we facing enemy formations are, as always, ever present.
The squadron was in formation at our side of the river the land was still wet thanks to the rain, a relaxing foggy dew was present, behind us the battalion encampment, in front of us a river shallow enough for us to pass and Cratenia
My watch beeped signalling that it’s is now 1200 hours
“Operation start, exploradores lead the way! maintain formation until 250m into the other side” I commanded over the radio.
On-top of the tall wheeled tank destroyer i had a privileged view, the jeeps moved forth and crossed the river, splashing water as they gone then it was the time for the vipers to cross the water
“Raimundo, go ahead” I said over the intercom, the Sucuri charged ahead, the rumble of the Scania engine filled the air, we crossed the river with no problems, behind us the two Cascies and guaranis, their infantry had their heads out of the hatch, some taking photos of the scenery and the crossing with their phones.
The guidons fluttered in the wind while we crossed the wet savannah, my Sucuri had a Brazilian flag attached to one of the radio antennas, a reminder that we were from the “big empire” in the other side of the portals to the natives, around us the scenario was a call-back to the plateaus in central brazil, although colder thanks to its proximity to the North pole but no matter how close it was to the pole it’s equatorial vegetation stayed, scientists couldn’t explain, and i didn’t care if there was an rational answer to that, it’s beautiful nonetheless.
As we moved the terrain was mapped by the jeeps, in my MFD screen I could see the map gaining it’s form, even the elevation and depressions in the terrain were present.
The sun was shining bright, clouds of dirt raised as we moved in the distance, we could see a big mountain, smaller hills surrounding it.
