SPANISH INQUISITION

(PLAN 055X Destroyer Nan Chang, Spanish waters, May 2134)

"Sir, convoy is reaching the harbour!" reported a soldier.

Captain Gao Gang of the ship looked into his binoculars, looking at the distant Madrid. Smoke is rising out, signalling that there is a battle is taking place.

"Enter level 2 combat readiness!" ordered Captain Gao.

The alarm is raised in the ship. PLAN forces ran out of their cabins in full gear and armed, stepping onto the deck of the ship.

The ship's armaments are also activated, placed on standby.

The Chinese navy convoy sailed into the harbour. Based on the UN mandate, the Chinese, French and Indian navies that were patrolling the Red Sea in anti-piracy operations are tasked with evacuating civilians and foreign nationals by sea.

An entire UNSSD SOC task force, consisting of 4 Tier 1 squads, including Squad Artemis are stationed on the ships, led by Xiao Tian. Their role, together with the naval special forces operators stationed on the Chinese, French and Indian ships are to escort and protect the civilians.

Due to the lack of manpower on the Spanish side, Spades International contractors are also employed by the Spanish government to assist their military and law enforcement in evacuating the civilians.

A Bethorian woman is standing in the control tower of the Madrid Harbour, wearing the shoulder patch of Spades International. She is 2.40m tall. She has a right eye with a purple pupil, and a cybernetic left eye. Her skin is orange, lacking visible ears and having no hair but instead tendrils that sprout from the back of her head which acts as motion and auditory sensors.

"Ma'am, the 3rd batch of US foreign nationals have arrived in the harbour safely, the last batch is setting off soon," reported one of her men on her holo-projector.

"Good," she replied curtly.

Her Earth name is Charlotte, which is what her colleagues call her, as her Bethorian name is simply impossible for humans nor Sellardraxians to pronounce.

Being the head instructor and a team leader in Spades International, this 76 years old Bethorian lass is a brutal matriarch. She is cold, unforgiving and bossy. The contractors under her do not listen to her out of pure respect, but rather respect mixed with fear. This is not considering how she is also a member of the board of the company, and is also held in high regard by the heads of the company.

Feeling a little stuffy, she took her harmonica from her pocket, playing it. The tune is rich and lively, but if one hears it carefully, there is the emotion of sadness inside.

After all, she thought she can reunite with a certain Lita UNSSD operator at this operation, dismayed to find out that he is not involved, meaning that she has to go ask for a refund for the gifts she had bought.

(Madrid Harbour)

Aya, Xiao Tian, Xu Qing and Captain Yang Guo Ping of the PLAN "Jiaolong" Commandos chatted at their sentry zone.

Captain Yang tapped Xu Qing on the shoulder.

"You have ranked up quite fast since I last saw you!" commended Captain Yang. "If you had stayed with Jiaolong you will be a Captain by now."

Xu Qing chuckled.

Aya turned to Xiao Tian. "I am curious, both being China's most elite special operation units, is your PAP Falcon better or their PLAN Jiaolong better?" she winked at Xiao Tian.

Xiao Tian laughed. "Now that's a long discussion."

"Shall I call in the Spanish Inquisition to rule?" joked Aya.

The 4 laughed.

(US Embassy in Madrid)

Spades International Contractor Shirley Miller, ex CIA GRS, walked up to Ambassador George Cooper.

"Sir, everyone on the name list has arrived," she reported, her red eyes dry from working non-stop.

Ambassador Cooper gave the Lita some eye drop, which she promptly applied to her eyes.

"Alright, let's go!" he said.

A embassy worker next to him headed to the reception room, yelling at all everyone inside to get ready to leave.

Outside the embassy, US Marine Corp Sergeant Henry Winters readied his squad, escorting the civilians boarding the minibuses parked outside.

The convoy set off. It consists of 2 minibuses ferrying the civilians and staff, 1 armoured SUV belonging to Henry's squad, and 2 armoured SUVs belonging to Shirley and her fellow contractors.

They drove past the Spanish police sentries in the area, heading in the direction of the harbour.

A Spanish police officer looked at the motorcade leaving, making a call on his phone, ensuring that none of his fellow officers can see him.

"The American ambassador has left," he said.

A Sellardraxian terrorist belonging to Vanguard hanged up his phone.

"Target acquired, move!" he ordered. He and his men readied their vehicles and set off.

The US motorcade drove into an empty street.

Suddenly, the leading Spades International SUV is blown up by a roadside IED. Its burning wreckage is thrown up and then violently landing back onto the road, leaving a burning pile of metal.

The motorcade came to a halt. Horrified screams resonated in the minibuses. Shirley loaded her Noveske N4 rifle, knowing that her colleagues in front of her are dead.

"Don't stop, charge forward!" she ordered.

The driver immediately stepped down the accelerator, charging forward. The rest of the vehicles followed suit, charging across the Spanish city reverberating with gunshots.

The motorcade moved forward at full speed on the route given by the Spanish police. Shirley frowned when she realised that the gunshots are not getting softer, but louder.

Just as she feared, the motorcade turned left into an alley, driving right into the middle of an intense firefight between the Spanish forces and insurgents.

The driver slammed the brakes, stopping the motorcade before it charged into the gunfire.

"REVERSE! REVERSE!" she shouted in to the radio. "Go to route B!" The driver immediately keyed in a new autopilot destination.

"Quick, reverse!" Ambassador Cooper said.

The last vehicle in the convoy, the armoured SUV belonging to the US Marines reversed.

Henry then saw something that caused his blood to run dry.

"HOSTILES BEHIND US!" he warned.

Vehicles carrying Vanguard terrorists stopped behind them, armed terrorists disembarking and readied their vehicle weapons.

"Contact the UN convoy at once!" yelled Ambassador Cooper.

The Spades International contractors and US Marines disembarked from their vehicles, guns loaded.

"Set up a defence perimeter!" yelled Shirley, leading contractor and Marines towards the broken down vehicles on the roadside behind the motorcade, exchanging shots with the terrorists that had opened fire on them.

She took cover behind the engine area of a vehicle, returning fire with her Noveske N4. One of her fellow contractors is shot in the arm, his blood spewing onto her black and white skin.

Henry disembarked from a minibus, holding his M27 IAR, using his body to cover Ambassador Cooper who had also disembarked with him to observe the situation.

"STAY INSIDE, DON'T COME OUT! GET DOWN!" he yelled at the civilians in the minibuses. He tasked a Marine with covering Ambassador Cooper, then rushing towards the firefight, opening fire once he is in range.

The terrorists opened up heavy machine guns, spraying gunfire. The 2 XM250 light machine guns of the contractors and Marines are quickly overpowered.

Shirley looked around, finding an open second-floor window to their left, out of sight to the terrorists.

"We are sitting ducks here!" she roared at Henry. "Retreat into the building to our left!" she yelled.

Henry concurred. They immediately popped smoke grenades to block the terrorists' vision.

"Quick, everyone off the vehicles!" yelled a Marine, ushering the civilians towards the building. "Keep your heads low!"

2 contractors climbed onto a broken down vehicle, one using his body to shield the civilians, while the other helped the civilians up into the window.

The other contractors and Marines gradually shrunk their defence perimeter, withdrawing backwards to cover the civilians and embassy staff.

A Vanguard terrorist moved to a corner where the smoke is dissipating, seeing what is happening.

"The Americans are trying to hide in the abandoned bank," he radioed his peers.

(055X Destroyer Nanchang)

In the bridge, Captain Gao looked at the alert he received from Ambassador Cooper, and the reply from the Spanish government. He grabbed the phone, calling.

Aya and Captain Yang answered the call at the helicopter base hanger of the vessel, where Squad Artemis and Jiaolong Team 1 are resting in.

"Artemis 1," answered Aya in Chinese.

"Just got a SOS from US Ambassador Cooper. He and the last batch of American civilians evacuating were ambushed and trapped by terrorists. The Spanish government is unable to provide manpower to rescue them, but they have given permission for UN and naval personnel to go in and rescue them. The Spanish will provide transportation."

Aya and Captain Yang hanged up, relaying orders to their respective units.

Soon a motorcade of Spanish armoured vehicles flying the UN flag sped out of the harbour, driving towards the smoking city area of Madrid. The road they are on is mostly empty, except for a few Spanish soldiers and police officers taking guard.

The road opposite them that heads into the harbour is the complete opposite. It is packed like sardines, with countless vehicles and people trying to enter the harbour under the watchful eye of the Spanish police.

Seeing this contrast, Sean once again is reminded of their responsibilities as soldiers: keep hell away from the people. Now, in his first mission after rejoining Squad Artemis, he is going to pull people out of hell and back into paradise.

In a vehicle, Aya and Captain Yang looked at the live 3D map made with footage from a drone flown by Vasily, after agreeing on a plan, Aya radioed all of the combatants.

"The street the bank is in is inaccessible to us now. Instead, we will enter the bank via roping from the rooftop of the adjacent shop house. Artemis 2, 4, 5 and 9 to remain outside, set up a vantage point. The rest of Squad Artemis will enter the bank," ordered Aya.

"Jiaolong Team 1 to guard the vehicles and reinforce the US Marines fighting outside," added Captain Yang.

The vehicles sped forward, passing by one final Spanish army checkpoint, heading into the war zones. The sound of gunfire became louder and more intense now.

"What?" exclaimed the driver in the lead vehicle to the AI navigator. "We have lost the avenue?"

"Turn in from the Seafood street, got it," he said, confirming the autopilot's new trip.

The armoured vehicles drove past a street filled with burning wrecks and dead bodies. Aya looked at the carnage, frowning at the horrors of war.

The vehicles drove past a platoon of Spanish soldiers rushing forward to reinforce their comrades.

There is an intense firefight in front of them, Spanish forces in fortified positions and tanks opened fire on insurgents attacking them with heavy firepower, both sides taking heavy losses.

"DON'T COME OVER!" yelled a soldier at the vehicles in Spanish upon seeing the UN flag. He desperately pointed rightwards to a detour they can take.

Just as the vehicles turned right, a chain of rockets fired by the insurgents landed in the fortification behind him, obliterating the entire area in a giant explosion, shock waves also shaking the leaving vehicles.

Sean looked back at where the soldier was standing, horrified to find an empty crater littered with charred body parts belonging to at least 5 people.

"ETA 5 minutes, everyone ready!" ordered Aya.

All of Squad Artemis readied their guns, pointing outside alertly. They also activated their mini maps, individual radars and aim assists on their Exo-suit HUDs.

The vehicles arrived at the street, seeing US Marines firing at the terrorists. To their side is the street where the US motorcade had been ambushed. Spanish soldiers and insurgents remain locked in a fierce battle there.

Captain Yang and the Jiaolong Commandos disembarked from the vehicles, rushing forward to reinforce the Marines.

Henry took out a terrorist with his rifle, but soon, he is shot on from another direction, flooring him.

Fortunately, Captain Yang had appeared behind him, firing his QBZ-192 rifle at the terrorists ahead.

Another Jiaolong Commando pulled away the wounded Henry. More Jiaolong Commandos arrived, helping the US Marines and pulling away the wounded ones.

The .50 machine guns on the armoured vehicles opened fire, suppressing down the terrorists, while the Marines and Jiaolong Commandos focused their attention on terrorists armed with rocket launchers and grenade launcher.

The vehicles stopped. Squad Artemis and Spanish soldiers disembarked, raising their guns forward at the fighting in front of them.

"Smoke grenades, coming up!" yelled Electra, she and others fired smoke grenades as Squad Artemis advanced towards to shop house.

The 12 operators of Squad Artemis advanced in urban fighting formation, alertly checking all of their surroundings as they moved.

They reached the door. Walter activated his battering ram, smashing the door open. Liu Zhong remained outside with his QJY-201 machine gun, guarding the entrance as the rest of them entered. He entered once everyone else did.

Maia entered first as the point man, raising her X95 rifle, turning on the weapon light and aiming at the stairway in front of her. She advanced up the stair. The rest of Squad Artemis followed after her, all of the had their weapon lights on, alertly checking every area of the building as they climbed up the stairs.

The reached the rooftop, turning off their weapon lights, spreading out and covering all areas.

Once the rooftop is cleared, Frederica, Sean, Cameron and Meari jumped to the building beside, heading inside to the 4th floor.

Sean grabbed a laser cutter, carefully cutting open a small hole in the walls, just enough to accommodate for a sniper rifle barrel and scope.

Frederica took a prone position behind the hole, lowering down her TAC-50A anti-material sniper rifle, deploying the bipod, aiming through the hole. She cycled the bolt, loading in an armour penetrating .50 cartridge. She is careful to ensure that her barrel is not sticking out of the hole, pointing it in the direction she needs to cover.

Sean on the other hand hid himself among the debris in the room, looking out through the window with his monocular. Meari did the same, after setting up a tripwire grenade trap at the entrance, while Cameron set up her MRAD sniper rifle through a narrow opening in a window.

The 4 readied their sniper nest, aiming down at the firefight below them, ready to provide precision fire cover.

The rest of Squad Artemis launched ascension cables from their Exo-suits, which was then AI guided and locked onto the bank rooftop, they abseiled down, reaching the bank rooftop.

On the ground below, the Vanguard terrorists have managed to find an secluded entrance into the bank.

At the same time, they are getting increasingly fed up with the Spanish defences.

Hence, they chained a human whom they had kidnapped into a car, setting up the autopilot to stop at once it reaches the Spanish Army position.

The man struggled, trying to get free, stopping once he see that a Draco pointed an ice dagger at the neck of his son who was kidnapped with him.

"DADDY HELP!" cried the boy.

"OK! I WILL DO IT!" yelled the man, crying. "Please don't hurt my son."

The terrorists forcefully locked his foot onto the accelerator. There is a Cosmic Energy amplifier on his neck, designed to allow a user to channel a ranged Cosmic Energy magic around it, a stupid way to go around the 20m limit of most ranged magic.

The entire car is filled with 4 concentrated Cosmic Energy ores, once they blow up, the energy released is akin to a 105mm HE tank shell.

The terrorists stopped firing, allowing the car to drive forward at full speed.

It stopped in front of the Spanish position. Puzzled, the commander ordered his troops to cease firing. 8 soldiers stepped out, alertly raising their G36 rifles.

Sean also focused his attention on the car, puzzled.

"A civilian seeking help?" he thought.

Seeing the human driver looking at them in both guilt and fear, a soldier darted down to the Cosmic Energy ores underneath the seat, realising to his horror what is happening.

So did the commander, who rushed out to stop the remaining soldiers from going over to the car.

"Vehicle bomb! STA—" the car instantly exploded before he can finish his sentence, enveloping the entire area in flames, throwing charred human remains and debris all over the place. The 4 soldiers close to the car were instantly killed, the rest were blown into bits, whimpering in excruciating pain as they lay dying on the ground. The commander only managed to pull one soldier away in time, and both are toppled by the blast.

"Oh my god..." muttered Sean, horrified to see such an atrocity. He can feel his blood boiling in rage.

"If the f***er who did this survives this battle, he better not fall into my hands, for I will beat him up him so bad that he will wish that the Spanish Inquisition had caught him for heresy instead," thought Sean.

"There is an explosion outside, what happened?" asked Aya.

An equally angered and horrified Cameron answered. "Terrorists attacked the Spanish position with a vehicle bomb, they took heavy losses."

Aya is stunned too. She quickly radioed Captain Yang.

"Guard the motorcade, not matter the cost!" she said.

Captain Yang replied that he will through gritted teeth.