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The wind whipped around Maj. General Cornelius De Cortuga as the helicopter lifted off behind him. His entourage and key staff had flown with him into the Aaigu city center, where the helicopters swarmed before descending into a Borgar Superstsore parking lot to drop off members of the 21st Airborne. Securing the supermarket, the force of around 100 men fanned out into the city, block to block ensuring a zone of control for the AO.

General De Cortuga wasn't required to be present for the operation - his headquarters was safely aboard ZNS Crater Bay, along with the majority of his airborne force. It was typical nowadays for the old and tired Light Helicopter Destroyers of the Royal Navy to be forward operating bases for Zokesian Army units, and this was the second time she had been used to support the 21st's special forces insertion, the other time being the operation to capture Dr. Effrey Sexstein in Little Fish. He wanted to see firsthand the situation in Taiala, and determine the reports of Dorvic infiltration into the masses of protestors that had taken over the city. If it was foreign-backed, this situation could escalate into a regional conflict should force be used. If not, he was more free to use less than non-lethal methods of crowd control.

That was how he saw it anyway. To General De Cortuga, the Taialans were a bunch of half-breeds, beggars, and immigrants fleeing for a free handout, and he was being forced to restore order and save them from themselves. The laveskan contingent of his squad landed nearby, and he walked over to speak to the Laveskan interpreter team. They would be vital to translating and reasoning with the locals to allow for soft-power to do the work for them, but if that failed the 21st had more than enough ordinance to blow most of the rebels to hell as soon as things turned south.

"Artyom, how are ya?" The general said shaking hands with the laveskan translator.

"Great sir, looks like we've got the area pretty well locked do-" as he spoke, an RPG slammed into the front entrance to the supermarket, its gray smoke trail lingering in the air as debris rained down. It came from an apartment building a mile or so south of the parking lot, and the nearest ZH-66 DAP gunship turned sharply and began laying 105mm rounds into the building. whoosh! whoosh! whoosh! whoosh! the sound overpowered the noise of the helicopters and the squads still in the parking lot ducked for cover, firing in return at the building with accurate machine gun fire. Artyom ducked down behind the command vehicle, covering his helmet with his hands.

"Get up, Arty" was the voice he heard from above him. General De Cortuga was standing straight up still, unfazed and hands on his hops looking at the now smoldering apartment building. "Taks cant hit the broadside of a barn. I'm surprised they even hit the Borgar." He smiled and pulled out his command phone. It was going to be a long night, but they would have a handle on the city before the sun rose.