Gate: War Of Two Worlds

It is early in the morn at the American campsite. Sharpe is with the other officers from third platoon and Vanguard-3, Captain Charles and Lieutenants Johnson and Peterson at the small 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 Staff Sergeant Larson, assuming he is in the fort. The main force will act as a distraction as a smaller team would break the fort form one of the sides and retrieve our captured Ranger.

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

Everyone will be watching them as they begin their report. The recon team has a camera so they can see what they see. What is on the laptop will appear on a laptop that is by the four officers.

"I will admit, I am impressed." Captain Charles says 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 different kinds of projectile weapons like ballista and catapults.

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

"Maybe. With the Stryker's we can take it." Lieutenant Peterson says.

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

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

"What are you thinking Charles?" Sharpe will ask his second in command. He then looks to the Captain. "Sorry, not you."

"Doesn't it look a bit empty? I thought it was hors.e.m.e.n who attacked Vanguard-5. The Stables look pretty empty for a base this size."

The others will look more carefully. The recon team will get a better view of the fort courtyard and that's when everyone else sees what Johnson saw.

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

That's when Lieutenant 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." Says Sharpe.

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

"Or he is in there and the cavalry left. They have to know we are out there somewhere." Sharpe says back at the Captain.

A short debate would begin 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!?" Says one of the Rangers on the recon team. "It looks like they are bringing someone to the post."

"It's a crucifixion." Says Lieutenant Johnson. "Saw it on some historical streaming channel on Minds before."

"Ok, I heard of it before but what is it?" Lieutenant Peterson asks, watching the screen.

"It is when you nail someone's hands to the cross and let them bleed out, starve or die from a lack of hydration." Says Sharpe, crossing his arms.

"Damn that's brutal." Lieutenant Peterson says.

"Wait! We have a visual." Says the Ranger team over the radio. "We see the package. What the f.u.c.k are they doing to him?"

Everyone will stay quiet and watch the screen. They can see Sergeant Larson down there with that crowd of Imperialists, that is the good news. As they watch, they will see them giving Larson a crucifixion.

"F.u.c.k we can hear the screams from here." One of the Rangers said over the radio. "Orders?"

None of the officers could hear the screams over the radio but the situation is perfectly clear.

"Guys, come back to base for orders." Captain Charles says over the radio.

"Belay that. I want them out there and keep giving us updates." Sharpe says.

Before the other officers could say anything, he would continue speaking. "Were scraping the original plan and attack the front. The Stryker's will provide cover fire and the main force advances on the front gate on foot. Once we get him, we bring the vehicles up, load up and get out of here."

"Shouldn't we just do that anyway?" Lieutenant Peterson asks. "We can spare at least one APC going in."

Lieutenant Peterson platoon only has three Stryker's and three JLTVs. All armed with the M2 browning .50 caliber except for one. One of the Stryker's is armed with a 30mm autocannon. That weapon right there can easily destroy their stone wall and any defensives they have, a balance equalizer against their numbers.

"I prefer but as Johnson brought up, their cavalry is out there somewhere. Well, keep the bulk of the JLTVs on guard on the left and right of the Stryker line. They will keep watch; I don't want us getting flanked because were to focus on the fort." Sharpe explains. He will think for a second. "But keep the one in reserve, just in case we need one. Questions?"

Sharpe takes a look around and sees no one brings up any question. It is not the best plan in the world but any good option they had just went out the window.

"Good. Charles, you and I will move into the fort after a short barrage. Peterson, have your men take out as much of the fort defensive as they can before we go in. Have the .50 caliber lays suppress fire until we breach."

"Who is taking point?" Asks Lieutenant Johnson.

"Rory. The rest of us will fall in behind. Charles, you'll be half you men. I will do that same. Johnson you in command of both Vanguard teams while we are gone. I will lead the bulk of the infantry into the fort. We leave in five." Sharpe finishes and then everyone will leave, beginning to break camp.

As everyone starts to get everything ready, Sharpe will walk directly to his men. Once he got there, he sees everyone gathering their things, getting ready for battle.

"Alright everybody. Lieutenant Johnson will be in command of the unit. Scott, Randy, Jerry and Rory you're with me in assaulting the fort." Sharpe says to them all. "We will be riding in the Stryker and disembark once we attack the fort. The rest of you will be providing rear guard for third platoon."

Randy jumps off one of the vehicles. "I take it we found our guy?"

"Yes Sergeant Major. Vanguard-3 recon unit found him, he's on the far side of the fort, being crucified. Jerry, once we got him, your responsible for his health."

Once Sharpe said the word crucified, the mood would dramatically change. The gravity of what's happening would hit them all. Everyone will be wanting payback.

"Last, there might be a large cavalry unit out here somewhere. Once the fighting starts, expect them to be rushing back here. Keep a good eye out. We move out in two minutes. You three let's go." Says Sharpe.

Lelei quickly rushes up to Sharpe when the meeting ends. "Major Sharpe!"

He will stop and look at her. "This got to be quick Lelei, we got to go."

"I know. I want to come. I can help." Lelei says to him.

He shakes his head in disagreement. "Sorry, I want you back here…"

She will interrupt him, determine to get on the strike team. "I know you are trying to protect me, but I can handle myself. I…"

This time he will interrupt her by holding his figure up. "Lelei, I know you can handle yourself. I need you here because I need someone I can trust if something happens. This isn't about you, it's me. There's a large enemy force out there somewhere and if they come, I need someone I can trust that can handle the situation."

She stands there and thinks. Then she will give him a nod. "I understand."

Sharpe nods his head and lightly pats her shoulder. He would try to say something, but the words wouldn't come together He would then walk away.

As Lelei walks back to the vehicle, Alicia walks over. "That is a bit strange."

Lelei looks at her and nods. "I think he is overcompensating for something."

"Yeah…. Maybe." Alicia thinks for a second. "Get ready, I'm going to make a few calls."

***

"Did you get a chance to see the Other Worlder before they nailed him to the cross?" A guard says as he leans against a stone pillar on the wall.

"No, I did not. I was stuck up here, covering your shift again." The other guard says as he stays close to the fire pit, wanting to stay warm. "But I did hear the screams."

"Yeah, he was a screamer. It was so funny wanting his struggle. I don't see what is so threatening about them. They don't carry a sword, just a small dagger. They have these strange toys that don't seem to do anything in a fight." The first guard would say.

The other guard looks at him. "I was told that they all use bow's, so they don't have to use swords."

"Well, I didn't see a bow on him. He had this long black metal thing, but the engineers couldn't figure out how to put an arrow in it." The guard would say.

"They are strange people. But I… want is that?" The guard says as he looks out into the distance.

The other guard looks in that direction and what they see are them strange 'things' just quickly appear.

"Were under… ahh!" He says as he gets blasted away from the enemy attack.

***

"I am honored that you picked me, Sharpe. Emroy is going to be thrilled today." Rory says as she looks at Sharpe. Like everyone else, she is in the back of the M1162 Stryker.

"Don't go too crazy Rory. This is a rescue mission." Sharpe says.

"I know. Still doesn't mean I can't have some fun." Rory says. "Don't worry boys, I know you all have my back. At least I know one of you do." After saying that she glances at Sharpe and winks flirtishly. She is referencing the battle of Itilica when Sharpe rushed and 'saved' her before their helicopter killed all the Empire soldiers she was fighting.

Sharpe looks at her and then glances back. There would be his men that he handpicked but some others from Lieutenant Peterson platoon. He could see them confused, not understanding the context. All they see is this child flirting with a grown man.

He looks forward. "No commit." That is when they hear the Stryker's and JLTVs opening fire on the fort. The weapon fire sounds very intense, they are letting everything they have on the fort. As long as they take out the first layer of defenses then everything else should go to plan.

"Alpha-3, adjust fire. Engage the battery on the east side of the wall." Lieutenant Peterson says over the radio.

"The fort gate is down; I repeat the fort gate is destroyed." One of Peterson men would say.

"Two forward batteries are down; first-line defenders are falling back." Says another one of Peterson men.

"Alright Major, deploy." Peterson says. "Begin providing suppressing fire on the rest of the fort."

The sound of their heavy weapons wouldn't be lightening up, only growing more intense. Everyone wants to bring down the hammer to these guys after what they have done to Vanguard-3. The back ramp of the Stryker will open up.

Once open, Sharpe and everyone else rushes out from the back end up the Stryker. He moves around the side of the vehicle and begins charging towards the fort. To his left and right there will be American Soldiers all charging the fort as their heavy weapons give the fort lead. A few of the soldiers would stop to fire at some of the enemy soldiers that are still alive on the wall however thought there wouldn't be must resistance moving forward.

As they rush closer, the wall looks completely destroyed. He can see three breaches already and many more massive holes. "Captain Charles!" Sharpe yells and then points to one of the breaches. Charles sees him see the order and then rallies some men around him to that breach.

Rory, of course, would outrun all of them. Once she gets close to the front of the wall, she jumps up to the top of the wall and then over it. As he and everyone else reaches the gate, they can hear many screams of what sounds like people dying from a gruesome death.

Sharpe looks to everyone that is around him. "You six storm left and clear. Everyone right and engage. Cover Rory as we advance."

"Can believe you are letting a child fighting." One of the soldiers says right before they hear more screams.

Randy will reply to him. "Kid, you're about to get a crash course on Rory 101. She's causing all those screams. She's worth ten of us."

Right then all the soldiers will move through the destroyed gate and engage any enemy soldiers that were right there. On the other side, they all see about thirty dead Imperialists all around Rory. She is just laughing about the slaughter she just gave.

Some of the soldiers will stop seeing that, all shocked at what they are looking at. It is a sight that only sees on some amine show but it is happening right in front of them. For a lot of them, there would be their first real combat mission in this world.

Sharpe will walk up to them and yell. "HEY, GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME. GO!"

They will acknowledge his order and begin to engage the enemy.

After getting his men in order, he will see hundreds of Imperialists all around. There is a line of about two hundred soldiers forming up. All behind their shields and slowly being marching to our position.

That wouldn't be the only issue, on the far side of the wall, the other ballista's that we could destroy is being turned around to face them. "Form a firing line and engage."

As his men form a line and were firing into the incoming force, he gets on his radio. "Captain Charles, your location?" He sees some troops that are by that breach but not as many as he thought there should be.

"This is Charles. I am on the wall. We found a staircase." Captain Charles says back to Sharpe.

"Roger, secure the walls and engage the batteries on the other side of the fort." Sharpe orders to Charles.

"Roger." Captain Charles says. It wouldn't be long as Sharpe hears fighting going on top of the wall.

He will see tracers from Captain Charles team form the wall fly through the air, towards the Imperialist on the other side of the wall. Providing suppressing fire to the two ballistae. That is when he sees a rocket fly and hit one of them, destroying it.

Sharpe would begin firing at the soldiers that are in the courtyard. The two hundred Imperialists would mostly be dead from the hail of lead penetrating their shields.

After spending a few minutes clearing out the closest threats, Sharpe will look to at one of the teams. "Your team hold here and hold the gate. Everyone else let's move.

Everyone begins moving down the courtyard, engaging anyone that tried to attack them. The sounds of gunfire will be everywhere.

Slowly everyone is moving forward through the courtyard. Anyone who even tried to charge their firing line would be massacred. The bigger problem is the arrows that are beginning to fly at their lines. Most of that arrow fire would be coming from the keep. It seems we just walked into the firing range.

After killing a soldier, Sharpe will then rush to one of the soldiers that has a radio unit on his back. "Soldier get Peterson on the line. Lay down suppressing fire on that keep."

"Sir." The radioman says as he begins relaying the order to his lieutenant.

Sharpe then takes a look around and then beings providing suppressing fire on the keep. It would only be a few moments before 30mm fire from that Stryker begins raining down lead into the keep. '

There will then be two Javelin missiles that would be flying through the air until they hit these two points on the keep, killing many archers. The FGM-148 Javelin was designed to destroy tanks and other vehicles but during the War on Terror, it was used as an effective bunker buster for infantrymen.

After the two Javelin missiles hit the keep, taking out the main archery points, Sergeant Major Randy would be telling everyone to hold fire and regroup.

"Hey Randy, let's move up." Sharpe orders.

Randy acknowledges the order, and everyone begins moving down the courtyard, heading to where the crucifixion posts are at.