On each continent, large commercial spaceports similar to shipping harbors now stood. Interstellar containerized cargo carriers offloaded and reloaded in the majority of docks. At others, interstellar grain carriers arrived, and began transferring their bounty into silos teaming with wheat and oats. Still other docks were home to live animal transport zones, where cattle destined for slaughter were offloaded.
The security of this world was of paramount importance to many nations of Earth. While Russia, China, and France moved to blaze a separate path of their own throughout the Milky Way, the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and Australia installed a permanent military presence on Langara. Joint Base MacArthur, as it came to be known, was soon the largest military reservation in the galaxy, second only to Fort Hood on Earth.
Instead of just a garrison force, Joint Base MacArthur served also as a training base similar to the US Army's National training Center, and the Air Force's Red Flag range. Training Langaran ground units in the art of maneuver warfare was the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment; the famed Blackhorse Cav. Air Force Aggressor squadrons filled the same role in the air. Besides F-302's and FB-302's, the aggressor squadrons also maintained contingents of Goa'uld Death Gliders, Wraith Dart's, and Ori fighters to broaden the training experience. Adding to the training cadre were units from Great Britain, Canada, and Australia. Initial training of new systems received by the Langaran's was conducted on Earth. This cadre of trained personnel returned to Langara, would form the new backbone of the Langaran Defense Force, on the ground, in the air, and at sea.
As the primary off world training site, Langara was playing host to the largest peacetime military exercise ever conducted. Exercise Pinch Hitter would serve as a validation of the Langaran training effort. It would also serve as the validation exercise for the myriad of new systems and equipment added to the US and British militaries. The Pentagon had high hopes for this demonstration, and careers would be made or broken in the coming hours.
Acting as aggressors, the red team was built around a joint US/British carrier task force. Accompanying the task force was the amphibious ready group deployed from Little Creek, Virginia. Aboard the BC-310 Veracruz class transport ships was the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade. Army units would also be involved, in the form of the Grey Wolves of the 4th Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division. Several other units were rumored to be involved, but that portion of the exercise roster was unconfirmed. The end target of the exercise was the unpopulated city built in the Joint Base Training Range, for Military Operations in Urban Terrain training. Overall, it promised to be a show worth watching.
At the Range Control building of Joint Base MacArthur, in a room referred to as the Star Wars room, here, observer controllers would grade the exercise, while tossing in unexpected variables to both sides of the exercise. Sensors imbedded in every piece of equipment from capital ships to that carried by low ranking infantrymen would report to this room. An Asgard designed computer would simulate the use of real ammunition, in place of the low powered lasers employed. While not a true simulation of war, it served the proper purpose. To keep the Langaran's in the game, cloaking and other systems used by the red team would be degraded greatly. Like a sprinter training with weighted ankles, in time of true war this would make the Tau'ri forces far more dangerous to an opponent.
In the Star Wars room, a good collection of personnel from Earth and the Langaran military establishment stood ready for the exercise to kick off. To allay any fears of the local population, a steady stream of announcements and public forums had reached out to prepare the Langaran's for the sights they might see. Surprisingly, the response was overwhelmingly positive. To the average person in Langara, he finally felt as if he were an equal to those from Earth.
"Ladies and gentlemen, if I can have your attention for a moment." Colonel Cody Dumfries announced.
Those milling about the room turned to face the Colonel. A hush fell over the collection of people present.
"Pinch Hitter will begin in the next five minutes. As a forced landing exercise, the red team commander is under no constraints to begin at that time. We could have incoming hostiles the moment this begins, or he can take his time. This is a loaded exercise in favor of the red team, so we are here to die valiantly. The important thing is to squeeze every last drop of knowledge out of this scenario. Now, let's go see if we can defend Langara." Dumfries urged.
Across the base, long-range sensors detected the arrival of four vessels near Langara. Quickly, notification of this passed to Brigadier General Aaron Eckhart, commander of the 1st Strategic Wing, onboard the Athena. Arrayed around the Athena were the Ajax, Ares, and Hermes. The new arrivals transmitted Identification Friend or Foe codes, and visual inspection confirmed the four craft were freighters arriving slightly ahead of schedule for delivery of goods to Langara.
Continuing along their course, the four freighters descended into the atmosphere. Langaran piloted F-16V fighters moved to intercept. Once a second visual inspection was performed, the freighters would be cleared for their final leg into the docks awaiting their arrival. Approaching the freighters, the American built fighters looked miniscule in comparison. In turn, the flight of four F-16's circled each new arrival. Matching the markings they had been told to expect, the fighters broke contact and began their trek towards the tanker aircraft in the distance. Not all was what it seemed, but they could not have known that.
"The phantom vessel generator works as advertised." Colonel Kevin Boyle, the lead Chimera pilot exhaled.
"So far so good. Ever notice that every planet looks like Washington State?" The copilot asked.
"More like Vancouver I think." Boyle responded.
"If we ever go to war with British Columbia, we are going to kick ass." The copilot laughed.
"Ok, let's move to phase one. Drop the decoy generator. Valkyrie flight, separate in ten seconds." Boyle said into the communications net.
Receiving word from the flight commander, flight crews on the four bombers and sixteen transport aircraft readied themselves for action. Were one looking at the freighters passing overhead, they would have been taken aback when the freighter suddenly vanished. In their place, were tightly packed aircraft. Onboard each aircraft, incredibly powerful jammers activated. Adding to this, the Chimera's activated their onboard electronic warfare suites, initiating Langara's first cyber attack. Sending out powerful pulses of electronic code, a virus specifically designed to attack ground and airborne AESA radar's leapt onto the airwaves.
"Virus is away Colonel. Is this one a repeat of the Hello Kitty virus we used at Area 51?" The copilot asked.
"Worse. This one is a five-minute loop of The Notebook. Painful and mean." Boyle replied with a frown.
On radar surveillance stations both on the ground and in the air, radar operators leaned in towards their screens. When the jamming began, their screens were filled with false targets in all directions, while electronic noise greatly degraded their radar's effective range. Jamming and spoofing were standard procedure in most exercises, but what came next was as unexpected as it was laughable. Screens suddenly filled with teary-eyed dialogue from The Notebook. Clearly, someone had a sense of humor.
The Chimera's and transport aircraft scattered. Two of the bombers climbed rapidly, with the remaining two maintaining altitude and continuing. The transport aircraft dove for the ocean thousands of feet below, while accelerating quickly. Meters above the wave tops, they would race for their destinations. Four of these turned towards the cargo ship docking facility. Four others angled towards Joint Base MacArthur and its large airfield. The remaining eight targeted the roads of march towards the MOUT purposed cityscape.
Chimera's one and two leveled off at sixty thousand feet. On each, free electron laser spheres lowered from within the wings. In quick succession, simulated shots were fired at enemy airborne tanker aircraft in the distance. From there, they moved on to volleys aimed at now ineffective radar and sensor stations. While one man targeted the FEL fire, the other coordinated simulated launch of hypersonic cruise missiles, aimed at bridges, power stations, and governmental buildings.
Transport aircraft were closing in on the airfield of Joint Base MacArthur. Strangely, no combat air patrol aircraft stood in their path. Jump Masters in each aircraft signaled thirty seconds to exit to the chalks of airborne troops before them. Passing over the outer perimeter fence of the sprawling base, rear cargo doors lowered on each transport. Slowing to one hundred and fifty knots, troops began to pour out of each aircraft as they flew over the airfield complex. Hundreds of parachutes filled the sky from a height of eight hundred feet. From that altitude, each jumper had but time to swing left, then swing right, before hitting the ground.
Often tasked for other missions, few people were aware that the 75th Ranger Regiment's primary purpose is airfield seizure. Second to none, the Regiment was the premiere airfield seizure unit in the United States military. Those watching in the distance instantly took note of these new arrivals noticeable bulk, and incredible speed. Instead of traditional combat uniforms, the Ranger's were equipped with several new pieces of kit. The most noticeable was the Mark II exoskeleton combat system.
Fully sealed, each Ranger was incased in a temperature-controlled environment. Ballistic protection came from a super strong trinium carbon composite shell. Adding to each soldier's strength and speed, each suit was outfitted with dynamic fast action servo's. In the helmet display in each suit, holographic displays of the sensor data from aircraft overhead and generated by each suit were displayed. These readings were shared among every soldier, as they were all networked together. Parachutes were reeled in to hard case bulges on the back of each suit. As the Ranger's formed a perimeter around both ends of the two massive runways, their adaptive camouflage systems engaged, and their exoskeletons began to alter their coloring to blend with surroundings. Taking aim with their individual shoulder fired rail gun weapons, the Ranger's were ready to fight back any attempt to reclaim what they now considered their real estate.
At the cargo docking facility, a similar yet different scene played out less than a minute later. Instead of an airborne drop, the four transports assigned to this target lowered their landing gear and set down on the concrete quays beneath them. Dropping the rear ramps, troops from one aircraft, also in exoskeletons sprinted towards several sections of the facility. From the remaining three aircraft on the ground, electrically driven tanks similar to the M-1 Abrams exited, and moved off in different directions. Unlike the Abrams, these tanks were also fitted with rail gun technology in their main gun, and outfitted with armor of a naquadah/trinium/ carbon blend. In less than two minutes, the entire facility was sealed, and fully in the new arrivals control.
High above the fray on the ground, Athena and her three companions were in orbit. Tasked with planetary defense, they were unaware of what was unfolding beneath them. The incredible amounts of jamming, and electronic noise severing their radio links with ground commanders caught their attention. Instead of focusing on this, the Athena and her group kept their sensors and focused aimed on space beyond visual range, hoping to detect an incoming wave of ships. This focus was their undoing.
Instead of exiting hyperspace, and engaging an enemy that was ready for their arrival, the two vessels slipping up on the unaware Athena's had taken a different tactic. Exiting hyperspace outside of the Langaran system, these cloaked vessels stalked towards their prey at sublight speed. Though their cloaks effectiveness was degraded for the purposes of the exercise, the jamming emanating from the planet more than made up for that weakness. USS Cutlass and USS Reuben James belonged to a new class of vessel.
Belonging to the Crossbow class, these frigates were smaller than the Daedalus class. One hundred and twenty four meters in length, and arrowhead in shape, each armed to the teeth. From their exterior bristled twelve ion cannons of Asgard design, four particle cannon's, two plasma beam weapons, twenty four anti-fighter energy weapon turrets, and twenty four vertical launch cell's able to hold an array of missiles. One of their most potent weapons was not on their hulls; so much as, it was the hull itself.
The four powerful Athena class vessels in orbit were unprepared. Instead of raising shields, they were occupied with attempting to detect any who might approach in hyperspace. Cutlass was poised to strike, as was Reuben James. Cutlass maneuvered in between Athena and her companion, with Reuben James did the same for the remaining two Athena's. Instead of firing off the actual weapon, computers in the Star Wars room on Langara registered simulated activation of Cutlass's Pulse Wave Generator. Less than a second later, the Star Wars room notified Athena of her loss of all power aboard, and the same for her wingman. As this happened, Reuben James deactivated her cloak, and simulated a crippling volley of ion cannon fire along the length of both of her targets. Langara was now defenseless from orbit. Though victorious, the Star Wars room added both Cutlass and Reuben James to the growing list of casualties during this engagement.
From one side of Langara, the battle group centered around the Prometheus class carrier USS Benjamin Franklin exited hyperspace. On the other side of the planet, the British Prometheus class carrier Illustrious did the same. Both carriers began launching endless waves of UCAV's. These small craft set course for the planet below, tasked with eliminating any aircraft that stood in their way.
Hyperspace window's behind the Franklin battle group tore open. From these dimensional tears, six vessels emerged. Each of these vessels belonged to the BC-310 Veracruz class of amphibious assault ships. Passing close aboard the Franklin, these vessels settled into orbit near the now administratively dead Athena's. From energy shielded hanger openings in the hull of each Veracruz, twenty-five smaller drop ships carrying fifty Marines apiece exited. From a belly opening, six much larger drop ships carrying six tanks or infantry fighting vehicles apiece exited. These small craft formed up behind a leading wave of UCAV's for their flight to the ground below, and their target. Securing this target would mean victory.
Living up to Colonel Dumfries words, the blue team defenders of Langara died in spectacular though simulated fashion. In all honestly, everyone involved in the Pinch Hitter exercise knew this test was overwhelmingly weighted in the red teams favor. While validating the new systems in use by the United States military had been achieved, this test served a secondary purpose. The Langaran's had just seen how quickly the Tau'ri could overwhelm any enemy that stood in their path. Though those involved would never admit it, they hoped that these systems would never be called upon to perform their designed and intended functions.