General Haddat
05-10-2006, 22:41
Gun-fire rippled through the air like a maelstrom. Lead zipped through the air as thick as a sand storm. Explosions rocked the earth as if God himself had taken it upon himself to shake the world. Very literally the capital of Mogashu was a living hell.
"Move! Fire to the right!"
An officer with golden stars on his shoulders was waving his pistol at a nearby building where a burst of fire came from. The dozen or so soldiers around him aimed their AK-47s and let loose a hail of return fire. Another man stepped forward to the edge of the building and sent a rpg round rocketting into the window, blowing it apart. Fire from the building ceased.
The officer got up and ran across the street through a cloud of dust to the other side. He leaned against it and motioned over to his men. They followed, frog hopping up the street. An armored personnel carrier with a cannon atop it followed the group of infantrymen around the corner, a few bullets richocheting off it's hull.
The officer held a communications head set up to his ear. "Jemal, where the hell are you?" The radio buzzed for a minute before a reply came.
"I am right across from the Presidential Palace, General."
"The rest of the regiment?"
"Coming up the road from Humbasa. We ran into some trucks with cannons on their backs," replied Jemal.
"Colonel, get your men moving and into the Palace! If we don't take it today this will all have been for nothing!"
"Yes General Haddat."
General Haddat threw the radio headset over to a waiting trooper. He turned his head and looked out over the front. They were less than a block from the east entrance to the Presidential Palace. He could see vaguelly through the smoke and haze the great metal gate.
He also saw the large road block sitting in front of it with gun flashes erupting from it everywhere like fire-flies.
Another machine gun opened up and Haddat slid to the ground as bullets hit the wall where his head had been. "Fuck!" Three soldiers were moving up beside the APC when they were hit in the path of the bullets. It ripped them apart.
The rocket trooper edged out again and fired another rpg. It blew a small hole in the barracade and for a moment the enemy's fire was halted. Haddat scrambled to his feet and ran to the rear of the APC. He slammed his fist on it until it opened, a young corporal sitting inside the door, his assault rifle on his lap.
"Sir?"
"Tell your gunner to blow the hell out of that barricade ahead of us! Now!" Haddat shouted over the din of the engine. The regiment only had seven of these APCs and they were old and sometimes not always reliable. All of them however could be relied upon to make a lot of noise.
"Yes General!" The corporal scooted through a few stacks of ammunition boxes and tapped the leg of a man whose upper body was hidden by the cannon turret. Haddat watched as the two had a hurried conversation, the corporal pointing through the wall of the craft in the direction of the barricade. Haddat trusted his orders would be carried out and he jumped out of the APC.
He looked around and saw about thirty or so of his soldiers huddled in what ever cover they could find. He walked crouched over to a sergeant who sat quietly cursing whichever gods he happened to believe in.
"Sergeant, get your men ready to move," said General Haddat. He clicked the side of his pistol and let the clip slide out. He slammed in a new one and looked at the sergeant. The man had a grim set to his jaw. He looked into General Haddat's eyes and nodded.
"Yes General," he answered. He shifted to look back at his men. "Get ready to move forward, stay on my ass and watch out for snipers!"
The soldiers began moving forward some and into position. Haddat looked around the corner of a building just in time to see the APC's cannon open fire. The round slammed strait into the center of the barricade. The explosion ripped a huge gap in it and scattered debris as well as bodies.
"CHARGE!"
With a yell the soldiers ran forward, firing as they went. A few threw grenades ahead of them to either side of the street and further confused the defenders. Only a few managed to return fire before the soldiers were at the barricade and shooting anything that moved or held a gun. None were spared.
General Haddat climbed on top of the APC and sat next to the turret. He watched as his soldiers made it through the gates and entered the Palace grounds. He saw another explosion far across the park to where the west Gates were. Colonel Jemal had entered as well.
Haddat slapped the lid of the drivers compartment. The driver popped it open and looked out. "Take us into the compound. We've a victory to celebrate."
"Yes General."
The APC rumbled forward and General Haddat happily rode it forward to his destiny.
"Move! Fire to the right!"
An officer with golden stars on his shoulders was waving his pistol at a nearby building where a burst of fire came from. The dozen or so soldiers around him aimed their AK-47s and let loose a hail of return fire. Another man stepped forward to the edge of the building and sent a rpg round rocketting into the window, blowing it apart. Fire from the building ceased.
The officer got up and ran across the street through a cloud of dust to the other side. He leaned against it and motioned over to his men. They followed, frog hopping up the street. An armored personnel carrier with a cannon atop it followed the group of infantrymen around the corner, a few bullets richocheting off it's hull.
The officer held a communications head set up to his ear. "Jemal, where the hell are you?" The radio buzzed for a minute before a reply came.
"I am right across from the Presidential Palace, General."
"The rest of the regiment?"
"Coming up the road from Humbasa. We ran into some trucks with cannons on their backs," replied Jemal.
"Colonel, get your men moving and into the Palace! If we don't take it today this will all have been for nothing!"
"Yes General Haddat."
General Haddat threw the radio headset over to a waiting trooper. He turned his head and looked out over the front. They were less than a block from the east entrance to the Presidential Palace. He could see vaguelly through the smoke and haze the great metal gate.
He also saw the large road block sitting in front of it with gun flashes erupting from it everywhere like fire-flies.
Another machine gun opened up and Haddat slid to the ground as bullets hit the wall where his head had been. "Fuck!" Three soldiers were moving up beside the APC when they were hit in the path of the bullets. It ripped them apart.
The rocket trooper edged out again and fired another rpg. It blew a small hole in the barracade and for a moment the enemy's fire was halted. Haddat scrambled to his feet and ran to the rear of the APC. He slammed his fist on it until it opened, a young corporal sitting inside the door, his assault rifle on his lap.
"Sir?"
"Tell your gunner to blow the hell out of that barricade ahead of us! Now!" Haddat shouted over the din of the engine. The regiment only had seven of these APCs and they were old and sometimes not always reliable. All of them however could be relied upon to make a lot of noise.
"Yes General!" The corporal scooted through a few stacks of ammunition boxes and tapped the leg of a man whose upper body was hidden by the cannon turret. Haddat watched as the two had a hurried conversation, the corporal pointing through the wall of the craft in the direction of the barricade. Haddat trusted his orders would be carried out and he jumped out of the APC.
He looked around and saw about thirty or so of his soldiers huddled in what ever cover they could find. He walked crouched over to a sergeant who sat quietly cursing whichever gods he happened to believe in.
"Sergeant, get your men ready to move," said General Haddat. He clicked the side of his pistol and let the clip slide out. He slammed in a new one and looked at the sergeant. The man had a grim set to his jaw. He looked into General Haddat's eyes and nodded.
"Yes General," he answered. He shifted to look back at his men. "Get ready to move forward, stay on my ass and watch out for snipers!"
The soldiers began moving forward some and into position. Haddat looked around the corner of a building just in time to see the APC's cannon open fire. The round slammed strait into the center of the barricade. The explosion ripped a huge gap in it and scattered debris as well as bodies.
"CHARGE!"
With a yell the soldiers ran forward, firing as they went. A few threw grenades ahead of them to either side of the street and further confused the defenders. Only a few managed to return fire before the soldiers were at the barricade and shooting anything that moved or held a gun. None were spared.
General Haddat climbed on top of the APC and sat next to the turret. He watched as his soldiers made it through the gates and entered the Palace grounds. He saw another explosion far across the park to where the west Gates were. Colonel Jemal had entered as well.
Haddat slapped the lid of the drivers compartment. The driver popped it open and looked out. "Take us into the compound. We've a victory to celebrate."
"Yes General."
The APC rumbled forward and General Haddat happily rode it forward to his destiny.