Counterfeit Hero

Chapter 32 - 32 New Plan

”We can’t wait any longer. If the Federation has another internal mishap, these people will lose their lives here,” Tian Xingjian commanded [Antenna] to contact Rashid immediately after he realized this. They needed his assistance for the next step of their plan.

Very soon, Rashid sent over detailed information about the Imperial Logistics Base and agreed with Tian Xingjian’s route of advance, providing advisories on areas requiring special attention.

Halfway through a journey of a hundred miles is the hardest part. If the final stretch falls flat, all previous efforts would be wasted. Tian Xingjian replied to Rashid, asking him to contact the Supreme Military Commander at the front line, Admiral Bernadotte, to minimize any intermediaries in the intelligence chain.

Even if Tian Xingjian hadn’t mentioned it, Rashid would have done so. Ever since the forged order incident, the front-line command was almost completely on lockdown, with everyone’s files scrutinized from top to bottom. Due to the Supreme Command Department and the President’s Office’s involvement, the rescue operation for the escape unit had been elevated to the highest level of execution. Two Air Brigades, three Special Forces Camps, an Aviation Marine Corps Mecha Division, and a transport squadron had been assembled. To maintain domestic morale, shape international opinion, and give an explanation to the frontline soldiers, this unit had to be rescued at any cost. The greatest pressure was on Admiral Bernadotte, all intelligence regarding the escape unit was classified as top-secret, and orders for the rescue operation had to be personally signed by him. Anyone obstructing the rescue or neglecting their duties, regardless of rank, would be arrested for treason.

This news brought relief to Tian Xingjian, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit proud for causing such a commotion, taking pride in the involvement of the Supreme Command Department and the President’s Office, and gloating over the urgency it caused Bernadotte, who had sent him to the frontline.

At three in the morning, Tian Xingjian and Rashid finalized the action plan. Admiral Bernadotte personally approved it and ordered his subordinate units to execute it immediately.

Since this operation received full support from the frontline command, Tian Xingjian abandoned his original idea of attacking the logistics base for mobility and supplies. The new plan still included attacking the logistics base, but the objective had changed. Since the area was flat and had an airport capable of landing medium-sized transport ships, they could completely evacuate everyone within six minutes. Thus, the base remained an attack target.

If they didn’t attack here, the medium-sized transport ships couldn’t land in the mountainous regions and would have to use lift systems to bring people up slowly, making them easy targets during prolonged hover time. Missiles and enemy aircraft would make it impossible to protect the transport ships.

With propulsion systems, Mechas evacuating from behind enemy lines was still a challenge for the Special Forces, not to mention infantry who couldn’t jump more than a meter off the ground. Moreover, the anti-gravity devices of medium-sized transport ships hovering at low altitudes could turn infantry without Mechas beneath them into minced meat.

Before ten o’clock the next day, two Federation Air Brigades would open a corridor from east to west in the air, connecting directly to the enemy Logistics Base at coordinates 1201.2210. Enemy bases with a fifty-kilometer radius around the coordinates would be within the airstrike range. Suspicious targets along the corridor sides would be cleared through missile forces’ covering fire. Three Special Forces Camps would airdrop into the base after the air corridor was formed, occupy the base, and ensure they could withstand an attack from a Mechanical Division for longer than half an hour.

The escaping team would set out at dawn, moving east and reaching the predetermined location before ten in the morning. Tian Xingjian would lead five [Demon Tigers] and a Mechanical Armor Team to infiltrate the base, sabotaging anti-air weaponry and detection interference devices to support the Special Forces Camp’s assault.

The operation’s early phase would be covered by another Federation air raid and rear enemy disturbances, opening the air corridor and clearing ground threats. The mid-phase would focus on controlling enemy forces within fifty kilometers around the base and occupying the target. In the final phase, everyone would retreat within half an hour. The total mid- to late-phase action time would be less than two hours, making this a full-force lightning-fast rescue.

There was only one chance. If they failed, the Federation wouldn’t be able to organize such an operation again in the short term, and the exposed escaping team wouldn’t have another chance to flee.

At three twenty in the morning, Tian Xingjian led the entire Mecha team into action. During these few hours, the escaping team wouldn’t have Mecha protection, but luckily, this area had already been marked as searched by the enemy’s SkyNet System. As long as the signal deception lasted, they could remain hidden.

Five [Demon Tigers] were assigned to five Special Reconnaissance Soldiers. Operating different types of Mechas was a basic part of Special Forces training. Even though they hadn’t seen these Mythical Army Mechas before, their control systems weren’t too different from other beast-shaped Mechas. Within half an hour, the [Demon Tigers] moved with complete proficiency. The spare five Warrior Pioneers were assigned to the five best Mechanical Technology soldiers selected from the team. They would participate in the sneak attack.

Heading east out of the canyon, the Mecha team traveled fifteen kilometers and finally entered a hilly area. The terrain gradually transitioned to a plain, and in five more kilometers, they would reach the enemy logistics base. After ordering the team to activate Mecha stealth mode, Tian Xingjian turned on [Logic]’s holographic radar. Based on the numerous anti-detection interference devices, it was clear the logistics base had been rebuilt. The previously hoped-for open space was now a fantasy; they could only hope the base wasn’t heavily garrisoned.

Holographic radar results showed the base’s defenses weren’t very tight, bringing a slight relief to Tian Xingjian. Using gathered heavy particles, they cleared the hidden sentries around the base and, led by Tian Xingjian, the Mecha team reached the base smoothly.

This logistics base was located within a mountain range, at a convergence of high-grade transport roads connected by numerous tunnels and bridges. Traffic between four medium-sized cities and a large city passed through here. Two of these cities had already fallen, while three were still heavily surrounded by Imperial Army forces.

Geographically, this place was naturally a logistics hub. Besides having mountains on all sides providing barriers, transportation was convenient, also allowing medium and larger transport ships to take off and land. No wonder the enemy had rebuilt it after it was destroyed.

Tian Xingjian left the Federation Mechas in the forest, deciding to only take five stealth-capable [Demon Tigers] to destroy the detection interference devices. Before ten o’clock, he had to find all the detection interference devices and install timed bombs on them. Otherwise, the air combat planes couldn’t strike the area, and the medium transport ships couldn’t land here, forcing Special Forces to airdrop outside the ten-kilometer detection range.

Transforming [Logic] again, the six [Demon Tigers] used stealth mode to place timed bombs on all interference devices around the base perimeter and reached the base’s south gate. In the brightly lit searchlights, they swaggered past the gate.