The European Front

Chapter 1: Operation Blue Ice


The flight of European Enforcer Corps EC-22 Gadfly Troop Transport Helicopters and EC-660 Whirlwind Heavy Vehicle Transports descended through the thick covering of clouds towards the insertion point on the southern edge of the Brenner Pass in the heartland of Central Europe, which had since fallen to the Russians in the first wave of attacks.

Once a thriving transport network serving industry and commerce between Northern and Southern Europe the sparsely populated pass now served as a sector of the frontline between the contested European and Russian Federations. The establishment of the Space Land Air Missile Shield (SLAM) and the Uplink network which controlled it had seen the end of Nuclear Warfare. With their nuclear arsenals now defunct each superpower quickly became reliant upon their elite ground forces to capture and hold strategic locations anywhere in the world. Captured by their forces they utilized the Uplinks to enforce electromagnetic dominance over a region, turning a nuclear firestorm into a long and bloody ground war, a lesser of two evils. The geographic location of this sparsely occupied, frozen stretch of land allowed it to serve as the conduit into the heart of the European Federation and the Russian Territories. That simple fact alone made this desolate stretch of mountain a prize worth fighting for.


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European Enforcer Corps Captain Brianna Dark, Battlegroup 1 Special Operations, felt the sudden shift as the Gadfly Troop Transport descended over the peak of one of the smaller mountain ranges which lined the contested territory. Brianna had been assigned to lead European Enforcer Kommando Platoon Saber, currently inbound to the dropzone at Uplink node Alpha.

Brianna could feel the pre-battle tension resonating through the tight compartment of the helicopters crew compartment. Brianna sat upon the bench welded along the length of the long bay, scorning every jostle of unexpected turbulence which threw her against the armoured shoulder of the soldier beside her, momentarily breaking him from his pre-battle ritual of checking the condition of his weapon for the unknown repetition. The compartment was alive with such activity, each soldier talking with a squad-mate, checking equipment or silently anticipating their movements for the battle ahead. Brianna was content to busy herself with avoiding breaking her arm on the soldiers shoulder guard.

Suddenly the roughness of the ride ceased, the compartment ceased to jostle and buck beneath her feet. The revelation could only mean one thing; they had arrived at their destination. Briannas suspicions were confirmed when the piercing wail of a siren resonated through the crew compartment accompanied by the sudden up wash of frozen air replacing the warm, stale environment of the crew compartment as the hatch in the floor opened, opening the isolated soldiers to the cold touch of the frozen tundra hanging precariously beneath them.

The drop ropes descended through the open hatch in the deck, the weighted tip of the rope digging into the soft snow. The Kommandos simultaneously rose from their seats, using the overhanging straps for support as they gathered towards the open hatch. The first Kommando clasped the drop rope tightly in his gloved hand, calmly stepping over the lip of the hole and descending down into the frozen bowels of the windswept terrain beneath them. The rest of Saber Platoon quickly followed suit, each following their comrades into the maws of the frozen tundra. Brianna stepped forward to take her place at the precipice, clasping the drop rope tightly in her hands she stepped calmly into the abyss.

Brianna descended down into the open space, the sudden intense up wash of frozen air nearly forcing her from the drop rope, forcing Brianna to tighten her grip as she descended. Brianna’s boots struck the thick snow with a harsh crunch beneath her feet. Brianna dropped into a roll, breaking her descent and bringing her weapon to bear in one fluid motion. Brianna rose to her feet, the sight of her E3000 Assault Rifle up to her eye, the advanced optics integrated into her helmet scanned the terrain before her for any signs of enemy movement.

The final remnants of Saber platoon touched down onto the snow, the up wash of air accompanying the rhythmic hum of the helicopters engines as the Gadfly banked over the southern mountain range, departing towards the perimeter of the operation zone in order to return to base to retrieve the next formation of reinforcements, leaving the platoon to their fate.

All around them the rest of the first assault force moved towards their individual objectives, a column of four Panther tanks rolled powerfully down the steep slope into the valley escorted by a formation of Cheetah Gunships flying overhead. A platoon of Enforcers Grenadier Engineers marched towards the objective at Uplink Alpha. Engineers were the heavier counterparts to Enforcer Kommandos, whilst Riflemen were the superior marksmen capable, of neutralising at ranges of several kilometres, Engineers capabilities to utilize drones, advanced computer equipment and heavy weapons allowed them to contend with a variety of objectives. It was a choice of reach against flexibility.

Saber platoon however had been assigned their own objective to accomplish, which was currently disembarking from one of the Whirlwind Heavy Vehicle Transports which had accompanied them into this frozen warzone.

A formation of AMZ-50 Marksman Mobile Artillery vehicles rolled down the loading ramp onto the snow, their specially engineered tires digging into the soft white powder, giving the vehicles the necessary traction to remain on the track despite the lack of traction. Saber platoon had been tasked with escorting the Artillery column Scorpio along a small access road which snaked across the rear of the engagement zone towards Uplink Sierra.

“Saber” Brianna activated her communication headset, contacting the communicator in-built into her platoons’ helmets. “Scan the area and secure the Mobile Artillery. We move out as soon as the transports have unloaded”

With their orders clear Saber platoon jogged towards the idling transport, leaving their Captain to survey the surrounding terrain. Brianna allowed her eyes to flutter closed, likely for the final time until the operation had been completed, her mind becoming consumed by thoughts of the coming battle, looming worries for the soldiers under her command, thoughts of what the repercussions of the outcome of this battle would have on the European war effort as a whole.

Brianna suddenly felt a hand fall onto her shoulder, she responded instantly, drawing her serrated combat blade from her belt she turned sharply on her heel and brought the blade up to face her assailant. In the instant she had to see had to process the thought she could make out the dark outline of a figure; she directed the weapon towards her attackers’ throat. Brianna’s adversary blunted her movements; clasping an iron grip around her forearm they stopped the blade short of their throat. Brianna resisted their hold but found her resistance fruitless. With the red cloud of anger temporarily lifted from her eyes she finally gained a clear look at her assailant.

The revelation struck her like a 50 cal bullet to the chest, Brianna quickly realized that rather than a Spetnaz assassin the individual was instead garbed in the sea blue armour of the European Enforcers Corps, their face concealed behind the Heads Up Display HUD and the weather face mask used to hold back the touch of the biting cold. With his free hand the soldier reached up and pulled back his helmets optics, his deep chocolate brown eyes piercing into Brianna’s soul. “Jumpy?”

“Only when I am standing in Russian controlled territory where there could be an enemy sniper hiding in every tree and I have an annoying Engineer creeping up on me” Enforcers Grenadier Alex Shaw had been Briannas best friend for years during their time serving in Team Rainbow. Upon the establishment of the European Federation scarcely two years ago the Federation had made a call to arms for the best and brightest amongst all branches of the European Military, Counter-terrorism and Law Enforcement agencies. As Team Rainbows Demolitions and Technology expert Alex had enlisted into the Engineering Corps while Brianna, as their resident sharpshooter, was assigned into the Special Forces, specialising in Advanced Energy Rifles and Urban Warfare.

“Lieutenant, Mainframe platoon is green, sir” The platoon of Enforcer Grenadier Engineers formed behind their leader.

“Excellent work, trooper. Secure Uplink Alpha, I want that position under Enforcers control in five” Alex ordered his platoon, each soldier obediently jogging off to complete their objective, the surely intense burden of their additional equipment was expertly concealed beneath patriotic determination.

“You keep a firm hold on them” Brianna spoke.

“Whatever keeps them safe” Alex clasped his rifle tightly against his chest, taking his first steps back. “Sorry I cannot stay and talk. You know, computers to hack, tanks to blow up”

The formation of four Marksman Artillery vehicles of Scorpio rolled into position behind Brianna, escorted by Saber platoon marching alongside the convoy. “That will be my ride. Got to go save all of Europe, you know how it is” Brianna jogged to catch up with the vehicle leading the convoy, reaching out to clasp onto the handhold and stepping up onto the side of the vehicle she was granted a far clearer view of the winding pass ahead of them. “Teams move out. Saber Platoon I want guards tight on either side of Scorpio formation, one squad per vehicle. Let’s go clear some Russians out of our front yard!” a choir of inspired cheers resonated through their shared COM link, Saber platoon forming alongside the convoy in escort formation. Brianna waved her arm past her head, signalling her soldiers forward. “Move out”

The vehicles engines came to life in a crescendo of primal metallic roars, the heavy tires digging into the soft snow in an effort to gain traction before they finally began to roll through the abandoned passage, the elite Riflemen of Saber platoon keeping pace as their escorts.

“Just to let you know” Alex’s voice suddenly emerged on a secure COM channel. “It’s lovely inside this heated Uplink node. I do hope you enjoy your frozen hike into the wilderness”

“Yeah laugh it up techie” Brianna responded. “But I’m sure that Saber will end the battle with a far higher Russki count than all your guys records put together” Brianna ended the banter. The battle for Brenner Pass was about to begin in full.


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Brianna would have preferred to be within the heart of the main battle against the Russian Spetnaz Brigade, instead she found herself operating from the sidelines. After escorting Scorpio across the rear access road Saber platoon had continued towards the other side of the operation zone to secure satellite Uplink node Sierra at the mouth of the access road leading from drop point Alpha. The hilltop which the site rested upon allowed Brianna a clear view of the battle now raging fully in the valley before them. Though the soldiers of Saber clearly yearned to be in the heart of the battlefield, to help their contested brothers and sisters and drive forward the cause of European endeavour against the threat of the Russian Federation, it had been necessary for them to escort the artillery to avoid the unfortunate situation of being caught against an enemy tank column without artillery support. For now the platoon had been ordered to assist in holding the line against the building Russian counterattack.

Brianna Dark stood before the defensive wall surrounding Uplink Sierra, watching the main bulk of the battle unfolding before her eyes. Disregarding the clearly looming threat of Russian snipers concealing themselves amongst the snow swept mountainscape Brianna had instead chosen to stand defiantly before the structure, silently watching as the armies of two of the greatest superpowers in existence openly fought and scraped over this inhospitable strip of frozen terrain.

Brianna eventually forced herself to tear her gaze away from the looming battle and returned her attention to more immediate developments. The reinforced doors of the Uplink node opened silently before her, allowing the accompanying wash of cold air to snake devilishly into the regulated environment of the room housing the nodes controlling mainframe. Brianna stepped inside of the secure building, the spacious room was alive with the sounds and movements of the Enforcers Kommandos installing the European systems into the Uplink mainframe combined with the rhythmic hum as the environmental systems worked tirelessly to reregulate the interior temperature against the outside cold which had seeped into the room with Briannas entry.

Brianna clasped her helmet in her gloved hands, pulling her the heavy apparel from her head, allowing her long brown hair to cascade down her back in a tranquil wave, her fingers running through her loose strands. Brianna stepped into the centre of the control room dimly lit by the tranquil blue glow of the vast array of computer systems dominating the western wall. Brianna stepped forward, looming over the shoulder of one of the technicians overseeing the installation of the European systems. “What is the status of the Uplink network?”

One of the EEC Riflemen assigned to reconfigure the Uplinks systems turned to address her with a sharp salute. “The integration of this Uplink is nearing completion. We have received confirmation that Mainframe platoon succeeded in their objective to secure Uplinks Bravo and Delta on the western perimeter of the operation zone. With this Uplink node we now only require one more node to secure full spectrum dominance-”

A thunderous explosion tore through the air all around them, puncturing the delicate silence in one fell swoop. The blast of the initial explosion tearing through the silence was quickly followed by several smaller detonations. The communication channels erupted. “Captain, we have incoming tanks. Russian T-100 Orges are inbound from the west, they are within weapons range and are opening fire on the-”

Without hesitation Brianna snapped her helmet back into place, un-slung her rifle and charged out of the open Uplink bulkhead door.

The sight which greeted her upon emerging from the regulated environment of the Uplink node was one of chaos and destruction. The regimented soldiers of Saber platoon were pressed tightly into the cover of the Uplinks defensive wall as fiery explosions bombarded the surface of the Uplink. Brianna dropped into cover alongside her platoon, listening to the looming roars as the engines all around her rang harsh with the wrath of explosions accompanied by the harrowing cries of injured soldiers, she would have to stem the tide of this unending cycle of death and destruction. Brianna reached over and placed her hand onto the shoulder of the Rifleman beside her, the soldier snapping around to face her at the sudden touch, his adrenaline fuelled muscles tightening with fear at the unexpected feeling of contact. “What is the situation here?”

“Not good Captain. A formation of Russian Orge tanks has rolled up the bank to the west from the main battle; they have opened fire and are quickly tearing apart the Uplink. I don’t know how long we’ll be able to hold out here” the Rifleman reported.

“What about support, reinforcements?” Brianna asked.

“I have requested reinforcements from command, Captain. Air Support is incoming from Rovaniemi Airbase. Estimated time to delivery of support is five minutes” A lifetime away in the heat of battle, but for now it appeared that their only choice was to toe the line and pray that the reinforcements arrived before more of the Spetnaz could.


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“Kommando platoon Saber. Repeat, Kommando platoon Saber this is Panther Tank formation Mont Blanc. Are you receiving?”

Brianna finished emptying the clip of her assault rifle into the armoured turret of the closest T-100 tank before descending back into cover behind the shield of the Uplinks defensive wall. “Mont Blanc, Captain Dark leading Kommando platoon Saber. It is good to hear your transmission. We are pinned down at Uplink Sierra by Russian T-100 Orge Tanks. Air Support is en-route but any assistance you could offer would be invaluable in holding the line”

“Affirmative Saber Platoon, Mont Blanc will approach from the west and flank the target. Be advised that while we may be able to outmanoeuvre the enemy tanks in a straight clash we will be unlikely to survive long against their superior armour and firepower”

Brianna knew they spoke the truth. The Russian T-100 Orge was the heaviest tank currently deployed anywhere in the world, the Russian values of blunt force combined with rock solid defence was at the core design of the T-100. The heavy main turret of the vehicle had sufficient firepower to tear apart any armour which confronted them whilst the reinforced skin of the tank could easily shrug off sustained impacts from lighter calibre weapons.

The Enforcers Corps Panther on the other hand had been developed with its design being based around the concept of ‘High speed, low drag’ approach to warfare in which firepower and armour had been sacrificed in favour of a lighter, more manoeuvrable vehicle capable of engaging a target in a series of hit and run strikes whilst manoeuvring outside of the enemies weapons range.

It soon dawned on the European formation that an engagement in which the target remained stationary whilst the Panthers manoeuvred around them made their superior speed and manoeuvrability something of a moot point if the enemy was not forced to pursue them. The heavier main gun of the T-100’s quickly overwhelmed the Panthers shields and began bombarding the tanks armour plating. The Panthers meanwhile had barely succeeded in scratching the surface of the Russian tanks reinforced shell, their swift retaliatory strike was quickly becoming little more than a delaying tactic.

“Saber platoon, Mont Blanc is initiating a retreat before their firepower completely tears us asunder. We are sorry that we could not be more help”

Brianna knew the futility of their situation, with their tank support neutralized and with Air Support still en-route an unknown time away she finally realized how rapidly the situation was deteriorating. With the Panthers now out of weapons range, and lacking the necessary speed to pursue them further, the Russian tanks returned their turrets to face the suppressed Rifleman platoon, ready to deliver the killing blow.

But just as the day seemed its darkest of the overcast skies heavenly angels prepared to deliver the fury of the heavens, a flight of Hailstorm Strike Fighters came like angry furies descending in a sharp arc to engage their target, the crafts main laser weapon on the underside of their fuselage glowing brightly blue with the might of the Enforcers. The fighters discharged their weapons, the first barrage overloading the vehicles crude shield systems and leaving their armoured hulls vulnerable to attack. Realizing the looming threat the T-100 tanks turned their guns skyward in a vain attempt to shoot down the agile fighters, the weak accuracy and slow rate of fire of the weapons prevented the tanks from neutralizing the threat and upon their next pass the Hailstorms once again unleashed the full wrath of the Enforcers upon the weakened formation, their armoured skins exploding in a flurry of fire and torn metal.

Brianna and her platoon wearily rose to their feet, holding their weapons aloft in triumph. “Saber leader confirm delivery of support?” the lead pilot of the Hailstorm formation requested via the communication link.

“Support was on target pilot. Thanks for the assistance; all targets in our sector have been neutralized. You are free to return to base”

“Very well Saber platoon. I wish you good luck and bon voyage” the flight of Hailstorm fighters tore through the skies over the battlefield, the thunderous display drawing the gaze of every European soldier of Saber platoon with the exception of one, Private First Class James Allen. His gaze was set squarely down the sight of his JO-2 50 calibre sniper rifle at the two figures that had climbed out of the broken wreckage of the T-100 tank. “They are mine” his finger hovered over the trigger.

“Private Allen” his gaze never faltered even as the voice of his Captain rang heavily in his ear. “Private Allen, stand down”

“They are our enemy, they just tried to kill us” Allen’s grip on his weapon tightened. “I have to do this”

A Russian MI-55 Locust Troop Transport Helicopter descended over the peak of the western mountain range, idling over the broken chassis of the crippled tank formation, lowering drop ropes to evacuate the surviving crew members. “I said stand down Private, this is not our fight” Brianna clasped her hand tightly on the Kommandos shoulder, reinforcing her words as an order, Brianna could feel the soldiers muscles beneath his armour plating, but he did not pull the trigger.

With the Russian survivors evacuated the transport helicopter turned sharply on its axis and made best speed out of the operation zone. Private Allen followed the crafts trajectory through his weapons sight, only once the helicopter finally disappeared out of weapons range Allen allowed the rifle to fall limp in his arms.

Private Allen rose sharply to his feet, turning to face his platoon leader. “Do you think that they would have shown us mercy?”

“We cannot become them or we are no better than them. Those soldiers were beaten and were evacuating; there was no need to leave two more wives without husbands and children without fathers” Brianna turned, her gaze lowered to the ground to avoid meeting the eyes of the rest of her platoon.

“You mean like they just did to Josephs wife and daughters?” Private Allen called out behind her. Brianna allowed her gaze to glide across the scene of fresh destruction which had been etched across the Uplink node, the broken bodies and dry blood scorched into the surface of the battlefield. The loss of at least one squad of Kommandos left the platoon severely weakened as a whole.

“Saber platoon. Enforcers command initiating contact with Saber platoon. Request status of Saber platoon” European command contacted the platoon via the Enforcers communication network.

Brianna activated her helmets COM link. “European command, Captain Dark leading Saber platoon. We have lost one squad but we are fit to fight”

“Saber platoon standby for orders” a thick silence loomed over them for several seconds. “Saber platoon new objective, we have just received confirmation that Grenadier platoon Mainframe was incapacitated while defending Uplink Delta. The site is now assumed to be under Spetnaz control” Brianna bit her lip and resisted the urge to ask about Alex. “We require the capture of Uplink Zulu in order to achieve full spectrum dominance; we believe that the Russians are planning a similar manoeuvre and your platoon is currently in the best position to secure the objective. The majority of the Russian forces have retreated towards Uplink Foxtrot, resistance should be minimal. For the preservation of the European Federation you must not fail. Enforcers command out”


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It was a short hike to reach Uplink Zulu. Though the battle seemed to have slowed for the moment, with the emergence of an unbreakable stalemate both armies had chosen simply to return to the perimeter of the operation zone before more troops and equipment were needlessly sacrificed.

Briannas pace slowed to a walking pace, staring down at the frozen valley spread before them. The cold, windswept strip of land nestled a small scattering of remote villages and ski resorts, in less than twenty four hours this idealistic wonderland had been turned into a savage battleground. The clear white snow had been stained with the bodies and burning chassis’s of European and Russian vehicles, the surface scorched with the craters of heavy cannon fire.

Even though the battle seemed to have ended hours ago the sounds of gunfire still lingered on wind, another sound suddenly began to grow louder. Brianna stood frozen in place, listening to the sounds of the wind which howled through the open valley. “We need to find cover” Brianna ordered. The remainder of Saber platoon came to a stop, their weapons rising sharply in unison, unsure of what threat had startled their leader into action. “Move into cover!” the danger suddenly emerged to greet them, a formation of Russian KA-65 Howler gunships appeared out of nowhere, their rotors slowing as they idled above the frozen wasteland.

As the minigun on the nose of the craft began to rotate the Riflemen were left completely exposed to the vicious steel rain which began to descend upon the European Enforcers Kommandos and tearing through their advanced shields and armour through the sheer overwhelming force of their barrage of bullets. Saber platoon charged into cover amongst the cluster of trees, the thick bark catching several stray bullets whilst the overhanging canopy concealed the soldiers from the pursuing gunships. Saber platoon returned fire on the gunships hovering overhead, the bullets ricocheting harmlessly off of the armoured cockpit, greater firepower would be necessary to pierce their armoured hulls. Brianna drew her sniper rifle from her back, centring the sight of her weapon onto the Gunship, hoping to strike an important control surface, severe a critical component, even neutralise the pilot. However the first shot merely struck the crafts outer skin, succeeding only in drawing the attention of the pilot, quickly forcing Brianna back into the cover of a thick tree trunk.

Brianna realized that they could not survive for long under this intense bombardment. “Enforcers Command, Enforcers Command. Saber platoon is requesting Air Support. Designated targets are Russian gunships overhead our position”

“Negative on Air Support Saber, Hailstorm Strike Fighters is currently en-route to base to rearm. We have deployed alternative support to eliminate the enemy gunships. They should reach your post-” the remainder of the Commanders’ transmission was consumed by the high pitched roar of vehicle engines reverberating off of the high valley walls. A formation of four AMZ-26 Badger Infantry Fighting Vehicles burst over the snow bank from Sierra in a flurry of snowflakes, the vehicles leaping gracefully over the frozen terrain. The Badgers slid to a halt, forming a defence between the Russian Gunships and the European Kommandos. The IFV’s aligned their heavy batteries and unleashed a volley of anti-aircraft missiles into the formation. The precision ordnance honed in on their targets, striking the most vulnerable components, severing key control and power conduits. A few precision strikes were sufficient to cripple the weapons and other critical systems of the wavering craft, their only choice being to retreat whilst they still had the necessary capabilities to do so.

Yet another victory was won for the European Federation, the triumphant European soldiers rose out of cover into the warm light of the sun finally settling behind the mountain range. “Kommando platoon Saber this is Vistula lead. The Russians appear to be falling back for the time being. Night is closing in and command has ordered all forward elements to return to Uplink Alpha to reinitiate operations in the morning”

“Affirmative Vistula lead, Saber out”

Brianna turned to face the remnants of her platoon. “Board the Badgers, we are returning to Uplink Alpha”

Saber platoon jogged towards the idling transports, the vehicles loading ramp dropping into the soft snow, the Kommandos clambering up the ramp into the crew compartment. Brianna was eager to be clear of this location before the inevitable Russian counterattack.

As the last soldier before Brianna loaded into the Badger IFVs a wailing scream resounded off of the high cliff walls, silenced by the primal, thundering crash as the artillery round smashed into the thick snow beside them. “Move” Brianna yelled, charging up the snow bank towards the idling transports. The vehicles engines engaged, the tires dug into the soft snow as they attempted to clear the incoming artillery barrage.

Brianna continued to charge her way up the snow bank, refusing to allow herself to break her stride as she followed in the wake of the final Badger, the loading ramp still lowered, one of Briannas squad leaders clasping one of the overhanging straps for support as they held their arm outstretched from the rear of the transport. Brianna began to close in on the vehicle, her muscles straining against the exhaustion, the thick snow gripping to her legs and the sheer weight of her equipment collapsing down upon her shoulders.

An artillery round struck the snow bank a few metres short of the formation, the sudden up wash of dirt and snow threw Brianna off of her feet and threatened to topple the rear Badger, its advanced suspension countering the up wash and maintaining the contact between the tires and the surface as it accelerated to draw level with the rest of the convoy. Brianna was sent rolling down the bank through thick snow, only coming to a painfully sudden stop when she finally reached the bottom, her vision slowly receding as she became consumed by the harrowing darkness.


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The frozen touch of the night air crept across her small patches of exposed skin. Briannas eyes fluttered open, blinking repeatedly to clear her blurred vision. Brianna flexed her finger tips, the sudden wash of blood circulating through her returned the feeling to her extremities, accompanied by the inevitable burn of the dull pain which began to throb throughout her reawakening body.

Brianna’s senses gradually returned to her, her mind finally beginning to acknowledge the array of data and readouts which her HUD bombarded her strained eyes with. Brianna dared to pull herself up onto her feet, the thick patches of snow clinging to her armour. Brianna glanced up into the horizon, seeing the sun dropping beneath the mountain range she knew that night would soon fall over the valley. Brianna opened her COM link. “European Command, Saber lead Captain Dark over” An unbroken wall of static returned over her COM link. “I repeat European Command come in”

Once again nothing besides static greeted her responses; Brianna eventually abandoned her attempts entirely. Brianna’s tactical mind began to interpret her situation. She could feel the cold air lashing against her, she resisted the urge to allow it to overcome her, the increased wind combined with the harsh touch of the cold of the night would form a snowstorm which would likely prove deadly to any caught in it unprotected, to survive she would have to find shelter.

The obvious choice would be to return to Uplink Sierra which, as far as she knew, remained under European control. However despite the Uplink being mere klicks away the treacherous snow bank she had collapsed down would prove far more dangerous obstacle to ascend. Her training in the Enforcers would advise operatives caught in this situation to construct a suitable shelter from salvageable materials; however Brianna suspected that she lacked the necessary resources to construct a shelter sufficient to survive the incoming storm. The final looming choice for her was to travel to the west; although the frozen village had been torn apart by the Russian-European battle the Uplink node at the edge of the town appeared operational. Without access to European battle network Brianna had no idea of the current situation at Uplink Zulu. For now it appeared as though she had little choice but to march forward into the darkness of the unknown.


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The bulkhead door slid silently open, allowing a flurry of snow to spill out onto the metallic floor. Brianna snapped into the centre of the doorway, her rifle held tightly to her chest scanning for threats within the spacious control room before her. When no immediate threats presented themselves she dared to step into the facility, the heavy doors closing shut behind her sealing out the freezing cold.

Brianna finally dared to allow her rifle to fall slack in her arms, slowly stepping into the centre of the spacious room. Brianna stared at the complex array of computers which lined the wall of the Uplink node; Brianna did not have the required equipment to activate the dormant computer systems. With the storm now growing Brianna knew that she would not be able to reach the European staging area until morning. For now she sat down in the centre of the room, her weapon held loosely in her arms as she finally allowed herself to drift into a light sleep.

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A sharp hiss of hydraulic actuators resonated though the Uplink node, Brianna’s military instincts forcing her awake and on her feet in one fluid motion, her rifle drawn and scanning across the room. The bulkhead door on the far side of the room slid silently open. Brianna snapped around sharply, seeing the figure standing before the roaring snowstorm which still roared outside the Uplink.

The figure stepped forward into the Uplink, Briannas muscles tightening as she noticed the modified AK-47 held tightly in her mystery visitors arms. Despite the biting cold the woman was dressed solely in the forest green pants and shirt of a Russian Rifleman, a beret donned with the Bear of the elite Spetnaz Brigade holding back their flowing blonde hair. The bulkhead doors sealed tightly behind the visitor, the two of them sealed in perpetual silence.

The woman spoke with a forceful tongue, Briannas best translation of the womans strong Russian words were “Who the hell are you?”