For a summary of the plot, see: Wrapping up Dominance V
Phase I
“The two seized planes started their engines, the rescued crews tasked the unenviable experience of trying to escape the besieged city before the rebels could respond and try to pluck them out of the sky.”
— Jacques Danjou, No Russian
A second group dropped on the runway area (firebase group, 50 strong) and secured it for the CEO of Legion Premiere, Jacques Danjou’s jet to land. Evacuees from the Fortress were escorted to the fire-base and escaped in captured planes. Planes were set aflame prior to this to cover the evacuation and to hide the fire-base team.
The fire-base team hid in the smoke and flames with Jacques, acting commander on the ground, while the assault group fled the airport to the west in captured emergency and service vehicles. They proceeded west for a time, then swung south as if heading for the naval base. The assault group then stopped at a school and rescued some students, as well as seized a bunch of heavy equipment vehicles.
They seemed to continue south towards the navy base, but instead turned east suddenly towards the hospital where Dr. Weston had taken Commander Vellas after he was wounded fighting an ijiraq, and where they were subsequently captured.
“The question was, what were they going to do with her? Did Hasan know she was there? Or was an underling with their own intentions secreting the news from him? The waiting was the worst, though. Alone in darkness, her head and face ached her mood sour. “And for shit sakes, can we get this over with?””
— Torri, Wounds
The hospital was secured with minimal resistance, and a squad stayed back to hold the enemy off at the beginning of this phase. (NPC Sergeant Wilks and his team).
“Sergant Johnathon Wilks fell back against the hood of an abandoned taxi, gripping his rifle tightly to his chest, eyes squeezed shut. He was exhausted, barely able to take in a breath, and his chest felt as if it were on fire. His squad of eight was down to just the four of them, and one quick glance told him they were in the same state as he.”
— Sgt Wilks, Wounds
Phase II
After rescuing the VIPs at the hospital, they continued east towards a mall and major intersection and stopped there to rescue more CCD tourists and civilians.
“Three hot coals were embedded in his flesh. He tried to lift his right arm but it wouldn’t work. People always liked to say that in the heat of battle, you didn’t even feel it when you got hit. They were lying bastards. ”
— Nolan Trace, No Russian
It was nearby that the group from a small CCD regional prison (led by LCol Romanov) were discovered, as a large force of hostiles moved out of the censored portion of the satellite feed of Jeddah. The assault group pressed north towards the airport, a detonating the gas station along the way to hold the enemy back, and crossed the highway onto the airport. Additional Legionnaires stayed behind to slow the enemy’s progress. Back at the airport, Nolan Trace offered his wizarding services to Jacques to aid in destroying the airport’s electric-grid and maintain smoke-screen that obscured friendly movement from the enemy. He was shot after hours of channeling. The spy, Julie Reed, who had been accompanying Trace throughout his tenure in the CCD, made sure he was taken to Jacques’ jet as it was the most likely means of extraction.
“Adrian’s chest was a mess of blood. Torri swore at the dumb kid under her breath. He’d lied about his injury and with the more gruesome soldier to tend, she’d passed over doing a full examination, trusting to his assessment of himself. She knew better than that. ”
— Torri, Wounds
They dug in at the airport while the VIPs and evacuees reached the fire-base group, where by that time the air vehicles with a CCD extraction team had arrived. The fresh soldiers, supplies and aircraft were promised to Jacques as part of the Custody of Defense deal to resuppply what was spent by the Legion, but everyone soon came to realize that the CCD brought the wrong ammo. CCD military uses caseless ammunition, a cutting-edge, advanced technology not employed by the Legion. The fresh supplies were useless to Legion rifles and weaponry.
The assault group dug in and was bolstered by members of the fire-base team. When Dr. Weston and Commander Vellas arrived with the convoy from the hospital, Michael disembarked to unleash a hell of his own.
“Ever does man betray…Just as the Brothers did. Ungrateful, envious, poisonous. This field reeks of traitorous blood.Michael nodded to himself.
They would destroy the world in their arrogance. But no more…”
— Michael Vellas, Wounds
LCol Romanov’s prison convoy passed the assault group during this display and reached the evacuation point but two aircraft were shot down trying to cover the LCol’s convoy before it reached the airport, tipping the enemy off in advance that the airport wasn’t abandoned after all.
“Jacques’ hand squeezed slowly into a fist, thumb brushing the grip of his holstered pistol. The screens on his Landwarriors were filled with the images of his men dying so this bastard would live. But they didn’t do it for the Lieutenant Colonel. They did it for the civilians. For the cause.”
— Jacques Danjou, No Russian
After a dazzling display of power, Michael left to the fire-base with the rear vehicle of LCol Romanov’s convoy. The assault group dug in and prepared to repel the enemy. Everyone met up at the fire-base, loaded onto aircraft and escaped.
Jacques’ personal jet was the last friendly vehicle off the ground, and the remaining members of the assault group were overrun. The enemy’s command disintegrated and the revolt dissolved somewhat. Spent of ammunition, wounded, and fatigued, the city huddled what remained, and as dawn broke, the next push of CCD military presence flew overhead. Artillery had finally arrived.
Aftermath
“He drew his knife and sliced the palm of his left hand deeply, before grabbing a fist of sand and dirt, working the soil into the open wound. “My childrens’ blood stains this soil, Sergent. This night shall forever haunt me.””
— Jacques Danjou, No Russian
To the legion, this day would go down as the Battle of Jeddah, one of the most important engagements in their history. Almost every Legionnaire involved were killed or mortally wounded, but in one night, Jacques Danjou secured a higher payment than years’ worth of the Legion’s entire budget. The propaganda will be immortalized, and Jacques Danjou, as commander on the ground, will become a world-wide name. He flies to Sierra Leone with Trace and Reed on board his jet.
“Nikolai would never consider this disturbance a war, such was beneath both him and the Custody. Whatever it was, he was going to make sure it ended as soon as possible, but he’d be dealing with the aftermath for years. Come dawn, the Custody was going to swat aside this ripple from the night. ”
— Ascendancy, No Russian
To the Custody, this day would become known as Operation Jeddah. Very little in the way of Custody lives and money were spent to secure the Dominance. Although the economic and political ramifications would be ongoing, the CCD lost very little in terms of military manpower. On route back to Moscow, the Ascendancy was already hard at work crafting a spin to the CCD advantage.