Black Oktober

October, 1995

Somewhere near Moscow, Russia

 Red Star walked through the corridors of the new Oktober Guard base, trying not to seethe. The Guard had been moved out of their old base west of Moscow after it was bombed by the Red Shadows during their offensive known to the West’s media as ‘The War of the Red Shadows’. The base had been too big a target, someone in the Russian Defence Ministry had argued. Better to follow the idea of the American GI Joe team and hide the base in a more low-profile place. Thus, the team had been moved to this old, decommissioned archives facility south of the city.

That wasn’t what was annoying Red Star. Nor was the fact that during the mission that had ended the immediate threat of the Red Shadows Molot, the Guard’s paratrooper specialist, had been killed whilst Ruslan the unit’s demolitions expert had been wounded and spent five months convalescing.

No, what annoyed Red Star was that despite his being promoted to Lieutenant Colonel when the Guard had been expanded, he’d recently had a general put in charge of the outfit over his head. The Defence Ministry had decided in its infinite wisdom that due to the Guard’s role as defender of the former Soviet states against Cobra and the Red Shadows, a general officer was needed to deal with the issues of international co-operation that might arise. The fact that the Guard was almost by default an arm of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, since their respective formations, had effectively demanded a general officer in command. Mostly, the general had left Red Star to get on with the upgrades this base needed, as well as recruiting a replacement for Molot and a new reconnaissance and infiltration expert. However, he’d infuriated the field officer when he’d sent Sergei, the Guard’s covert ops specialist on a mission without informing Red Star.

Red Star reached the door to General Iron Bear’s office, knocked once and then entered. The general looked up from some paperwork.

“Ah, Colonel. Good morning.”

“Sir,” Red Star replied in a grudging tone that conceded it was indeed morning and that, yes, some might call it ‘good’.

“Be seated.” Iron Bear could see this wasn’t going to be an easy conversation.

Red Star sat and Iron Bear leaned back in his seat.

“I have some news you’re not going to like, particularly,” Iron Bear began. “As you know, Sergei was deployed on an undercover operation four months ago.”

Iron Bear paused, but Red Star didn’t react.

“He was sent to Azerbaijan to investigate reports of a mercenary group operating down there.”

“Iron Grenadiers?” Red Star interrupted.

Iron Bear shook his head, “No, not Mayhem’s men. These are another group. They’ve been identified as ‘Black Dragons’. I’ve done some digging in the classified records. Black Dragon mercenaries were reported to be working for the Chinese during the 1960s. There are even reports of them working for the Nazis during the Great Patriotic War. Whoever they are, they’re reputedly highly trained in demolitions, sabotage, assassination and martial arts. They’re quite the threat.”

Red Star frowned, but said nothing.

“Sergei was sent to Azerbaijan to try to infiltrate them and see what their objective was. He went incognito as a disgruntled ex-Russian Army soldier looking for mercenary work. He was involved in a few missions related to this Nagorno-Karabakh region. Someone apparently took notice and he was recruited to the Black Dragons. That was two months ago. Since then, he’s been moved around the southern republics, between various camps. Two weeks ago, he reported he was heading to Azerbaijan to a village there. He has since stopped reporting in.”

Red Star’s frown deepened. Iron Bear didn’t know what he was thinking, but knew it wasn’t going to be good.

Iron Bear went on, “Initially, Sergei was reporting in on a weekly basis. Once he was in, he was reporting on a three-day basis, thanks to him being able to utilise a radio when no one was around. He has missed his last three check-ins.”

Red Star finally spoke up, “You want us to find and rescue him?”

“Yes. I’ve got coordinates for the location of the village in Azerbaijan. Send in Nikolai to recon the area, then take your team in and rescue him. I’ll get clearance from the Azerbaijani government for you to use a Mi-24 for the extraction and an Su-25 for Berkut to provide air support.”

“They’re that well-armed, we need an anti-tank jet?” Red Star asked, concerned.

“Unfortunately, yes. Sergei last report indicated they had at least two HISS tanks at the village.”

Red Star swore under his breath. “I’ll get on it right away,” he said louder.

“One more thing, Colonel.”

“Sir?”

“I’m sorry I went over your head and sent him out without consulting you. I shouldn’t have done that. This is your team, after all.”

“You’re the general,” Red Star replied.

“Nonetheless, I should consult with you on missions.”

Red Star saluted, “Is that all, sir?”

Iron Bear nodded, “Dismissed.”

Two days later, Azerbaijan

02:00 local time.

The Oktober Guard moved quietly and slowly through the field toward the road. Yuri was on point, leading the way. Big Bear was close behind, an RPD machine gun in his hands. Lt. Gorky and Wong came next, the half-Asian carrying an SVD Dragunov rifle. Behind them were Katya, Red Star and Sgt. Misha, each carrying an AKS carbine assault rifle.

Yuri reached the hedge separating the road from the field. He signalled the group to stop as he pushed through the hedge. Crouched on the other side of the road, Nikolai flashed a small light at him.

Yuri turned back to the others, “There’s Nikolai, let’s go.”

The soldiers jogged across the road to where Nikolai was waiting near a petrol station.

“Sergei’s in the village,” Nikolai reported. “I’m not sure where, they’ve moved him at least twice whilst I’ve been here. There are a lot of Black Dragons around.”

“Very well, move out,” Red Star said. Nikolai nodded, and moved off, leading the way.

Nikolai, Red Star reflected, was a hard man. A member of the Spetsnaz who, like Yuri, Red Star himself and Big Bear, had served in Afghanistan. He’d been toughened and forged into a fierce soldier in that war. He’d also become an expert at infiltration and recon work, sneaking in and out of enemy territory, frequently leaving several dead enemies in his wake.

Yuri had served with Big Bear in the 103rd Guards Airborne Division. He’d been with the Guard now for three months and Red Star still didn’t know much about the taciturn paratrooper. He was a good soldier, from what Red Star had seen in training, but didn’t say a lot.

The team headed up a steep path away from the main road, toward the village. Nikolai waved them to a halt.

“There’s patrols around here,” he warned.

“What about villagers?” Red Star asked.

“The Black Dragons massacred them,” Nikolai replied. “I found two mass graves in fields near the farm. They seem to be planning to use this village as a major base.”

“Yeah, well, not for long they’re not,” Lt. Gorky said, cocking his rifle in a rather dramatic fashion.

“Where’s Sergei?” Red Star asked.

“They’ve moved him around,” Nikolai reminded the colonel. “He’s not likely to be in the church, but he could be in that barn,” he indicated a distant structure, “the tavern, one of those two houses or at the farm.”

Red Star turned to Wong; “I want you in the church tower on over-watch. Warn us of any trouble approaching and if a fire fight erupts, give us sniper support.”

Wong nodded and trotted off toward the church. Red Star turned to Nikolai. “Let’s go.”

Wong was an odd man in a group of admittedly eccentric soldiers. His father was a Chinese immigrant who’d worked on a farm on Sakhalin Island. There, the elder Wong had met and fallen in love with Wong’s mother. Alexi Wong had grown up working on the family farm and learning English from American Westerns he watched on TV thanks to broadcasts the farm picked up from Alaska. Wong had become obsessed with them, learning to lasso and even managing to get hold of a genuine American Stetson.

He entered the church, making his way around several crates of weapons and ammo, before climbing a ladder into the top of the tower.

Wong set up his rifle, then tied his rope he carried to a nail before tossing it down past the ladder. He’d be able to make a faster exit that way, if needed.

“Wong, in position,” he reported over his walkie-talkie.

Katya clicked her radio in response. Red Star waved Nikolai forward as they approached a large house.

Three soldiers were standing on the veranda as the Guard approached. Nikolai halted the team with a raised fist. One of the Black Dragons was standing at one end of the veranda, smoking, facing away from the commandos. The other two were deep in conversation facing toward the soldiers.

Red Star used hand-signals to direct Nikolai to take out the smoker, whilst he and Sergeant Misha shot the other two. One a whispered count of three, all three fired one round, dropping the Black Dragons with headshots. The squad moved up to the door, which stood open.

Nikolai led the way in, his rifle at the ready. Two Black Dragons charged out of the doorway leading to the kitchen. Nikolai dropped them both with short bursts as Yuri and Red Star moved into the short corridor leading to the bedrooms. Misha and Gorky followed them, moving to one room as the others moved into another. Black Dragons were quickly shot one after another.

“Clear,” called Misha.

“Clear,” Red Star replied.

“Kitchen’s clear,” Nikolai answered.

“Building clear,” Red Star confirmed. “Let’s move on.”

The commandos moved outside to rejoin Big Bear and Katya. The group then moved swiftly across the village toward another house.

“''This is Wong. You’ve got a foot patrol moving toward you from the direction of that ruined house, watch out!”''

Wong’s warning came across the team’s radios just as Nikolai waved for them to halt. It was too late.

The Black Dragons opened fire, utilising sub-machine guns, as the Oktober Guard returned fire.

The sound of automatic weapons fire echoed off the building as the Guard quickly cut down the six Black Dragons. Somewhere, an alarm began to sound.

“Move it!” Red Star barked. “Get to the next building!”

The soldiers sprinted through the village as the Black Dragons began rushing from several of the houses.

Red Star led Nikolai, Misha, Gorky and Yuri into the second house as Katya and Big Bear crouched behind the garden wall and fired at the approaching Black Dragons. Several of the mercenaries were cut down by Big Bear’s extended bursts of automatic fire, whilst Katya fired shorter bursts.

“This building’s clear!” Red Star shouted to them. “We need to get to the barn!”

The team began moving around the house, firing bursts at the Black Dragons to make them duck for cover as the team ran.

Within minutes, they reached and cleared the barn, doubled back across the village to the tavern and cleared that.

All that was left was to assault the farm.

The Oktober Guard fought their way through to the edge of the village, where the farm was located. Big Bear took up a covering position at the end of the track leading to the farmyard, whilst Red Star led the rest of the team to the buildings, Nikolai and Gorky assaulted the house as Sgt. Misha and Red Star stormed the barn. Yuri and Katya covering them.

Sergei was in the barn, strapped to a chair. His clothes were torn and bloodstained. Red Star shone a torch over his body, as Yuri moved in.

Sergei had clearly been tortured. His nose was broken and had dried blood caked under it. His arms were broken and both shoulders dislocated. Several fingers had been broken as well.

“Sergei? Are you alright? Yuri, cut him loose,” Red Star spoke.

Yuri moved forward as Sergei raised his head, his bruised eyes barely open.

“Yuri?” Sergei asked, through swollen lips. “Who the hell is Yuri?”

“I am, Comrade,” Yuri replied as he pulled out a combat knife and cut Sergei’s bonds. “Your new friend in the Guard.”

Yuri and Red Star helped Sergei to stand up, before he half collapsed into Red Star’s arms.

“I didn’t tell them der’mo, Colonel,” Sergei managed to say.

“Good man,” Red Star said, lowering Sergei to the straw covered floor. “Katya, get over here and help him, for God’s sake.”

Nikolai and Gorky entered the barn as Katya knelt next to him. The radio operator took a medical kit Misha handed to her and shrugged off her radio pack.

“Big Bear’s still covering the approach, Colonel,” Gorky reported. “Farmhouse is secure.”

Red Star nodded. “Good.”

The commanding officer moved to the radio set and contacted Daina, who was waiting at an Azerbaijani airfield several miles away.

“Daina, this is Red Star, we’re ready for extraction.”

“We’ve got a problem, Colonel,” Daina replied. “''Tanya and I were doing our pre-flight checks and we’ve got problems with the engines. It’s going to take at least another hour to repair.”''

Red Star cursed under his breath, looking at his watch. It was now 03:45.

“Can’t you come and get us in another helicopter?” he asked.

“''Negative, we’re stuck at this fighter base and the nearest helicopters we could get to are Mi-28 attack birds.”''

“Copy that,” Red Star answered. “Tell Berkut to be ready to launch and provide us with air support, we might have to fight off a counter-assault.”

“''Roger that, Colonel. I’ll tell him.”''

Red Star clicked off the radio as Sergei screamed in pain as Katya reset his dislocated left shoulder. She quickly reset the right one. Sergei cursed in a long string of Russian invective.

“How is he?” Red Star asked.

“He’ll live,” Katya replied. “He needs proper treatment. I’ve reset his shoulders, but he needs his arms and fingers seeing to properly.”

“Well, we’ve got plenty of time to wait,” Red Star told the group, “Daina’s helo has engine trouble. We’re stuck here for a while.”

Nikolai and Misha swore under their breath.

Red Star turned to Nikolai. “I want you and Misha to check out the buildings for weapons, ammo, anything that might help us fight off a counter-attack. Take Big Bear with you.”

Nikolai and Misha nodded and headed out the door.

“Yuri, I want you to stay here and guard Katya and the radio. Katya, do what you can for Sergei. Gorky, you and I will attempt to figure out how we’re going to defend this place.”

The soldiers broke up and began setting about their tasks.

Before Red Star and Gorky moved out of the barn, Red Star contacted Wong.

“Wong, keep watch. Daina’s helo broke down, so we’re going to be stuck here a while longer.”

The marksman acknowledged the report with a terse ‘Da’ and nothing else.

Half an hour later, Red Star inspected his forces’ deployment. The Ukrainian was impressed. The church had yielded a large number of OZM anti-personnel mines, as well as plenty of ammunition, shaped charges and other equipment. Utilising the arsenal, Big Bear, Nikolai and Misha had set up two firing lines, wired with the mines and shaped charges rigged with tripwires. They’d also set up remote-detonated explosives in other parts of the village. A UAZ jeep, with a DShK machine gun in the back had been found, with the engine removed, and rolled out into a clear area in the village, to serve as a fixed firing position and rally-point.

Gorky and Red Star’s radios squawked. Both stepped away and pulled the walkie-talkies from their belts, listening.

Gorky moved up next to Red Star, “Just got word, colonel, ETA on the chopper’s half an hour.”

“No good, we’ll be corpses for ten minutes by then. Wong just informed me: there’s a convoy on the way. Every Black Dragon in the area is on the way. Out for revenge for their mates.” Red Star looked around. “Get Misha, Big Bear and Nikolai. We hold them off at phase line alpha on the southern side of the hill, fall back to phase line bravo before delaying them all the way back to the farm. We hold our ground there for extraction in the fields.”

Gorky moved off to find the other three soldiers.

As they moved toward the southern side of the hill, Wong reported in.

“Large convoy of trucks pulled up at the gas station. Confirmed, Black Dragons getting out in large numbers. They seem to be getting ready to move up the hill.”

Red Star, Misha and Gorky moved to take up positions at one side of the hill, Nikolai and Big Bear at the other.

Suddenly, a voice could be heard shouting over a loud hailer.

“Surrender at once and your lives will be spared! I am sure you will make right choice given the circumstances!” There was a pause. “Drop your weapons and surrender at once! You will not be harmed if you surrender.”

Red Star keyed his radio. “Ignore that load of yerunda. Their counterattack is imminent.”

“Sir, they’re slowly coming up the hill,” Nikolai reported. “Just say when.”

“Do it.”

Big Bear pressed the button on the detonator he had in his hand. “Ka-boom!”

Explosions ripped through the Black Dragons as shaped charges went off, followed by the OZM landmines as debris hit the tripwires.

“Open fire!” Red Star ordered over the radio.

Wong, in the church tower, began firing, picking off Black Dragons with his Dragunov. Gorky, Misha and Nikolai opened fire with their AKSM carbines. Big Bear and Red Star opened fire with RPD machine guns.

Bullets ripped through the undergrowth and bushes decorating the side of the hill. Black Dragons were cut down in waves as they attempted to rush the hill.

Red Star stopped firing his RPD to change ammo boxes and heard a Black Dragon below. He keyed his radio.

“Squad, hold your ground, they think we’re a larger group than we are.”

“Copy,” Big Bear replied.

Red Star finished reloading and began firing again, he estimated over two hundred of the Black Dragons had died so far.

Suddenly, a mortar shell detonated behind the Oktober Guard.

“They’re targeting our position with mortar fire!” Big Bear called over the radio as more shells landed behind them.

“Time to fall back,” Red Star agreed over the radio net. “Nikolai, get on that DShK!”

“Wong, get out of the church!” Gorky radioed. Seconds later, a mortar shell landed on the roof of the southern wing, blowing off part of the roof.

“Roger that!” Wong answered.

The Guard soldiers sprinted back toward the tavern. Nikolai detoured off to the parked UAZ jeep.

More mortars rained down, destroying the church and much of the area where the Oktober Guard had been positioned near it.

“We’ve got a problem here,” Misha warned Red Star as he darted into the tavern. “Heads up.”

Red Star turned back to the doorway and saw five Mi-8 helicopters flying in.

“Holy… That’s a lot of helicopters, isn’t it?” asked Gorky.

Nikolai saw the five helicopters fly toward the village, before halting to hover over the church and the western edge of the hill.

Nikolai wasted no time, he swivelled the DShK around, raised it and opened fire. The 12.7mm bullets rippled out, every fifth round a tracer, to smash through the cockpit canopy of the helicopter over the church. The bullets tore through the instrument panels and the pilot. The dead pilot slumped forward, shoving the helicopter’s controls forward, pushing the Mi-8 toward one of it’s sister aircraft as the co-pilot fought for control. He never got a chance to gain control as Nikolai pumped more rounds into the transport’s engines, which exploded. Nikolai pivoted around, firing more rounds into the Mi-8 that had nearly been hit, destroying its engines. A third burst obliterated the tail boom of another of the helicopters, sending it into a uncontrolled spin. The first helicopter crashed to the ground and exploded even as Nikolai opened fire on the fourth helicopter, riddling its cockpit with bullets.

The second and third Mi-8s plunged from the sky, on fire as the fifth tried to turn away, the rear clamshell doors still open. Nikolai fired at it, hitting two Black Dragon troopers in the rear cabin. The next stream of bullets smashed apart the tail rotor.

All five helicopters were out of commission inside five minutes.

Unfortunately, Nikolai’s actions drew the ire of the Black Dragons on the ground. They started firing in his direction.

Nikolai dropped the DShK’s barrel, pivoted around and liberally sprayed the oncoming troopers with fire in return.

“''Nikolai! Get off the gun! We’re falling back! Move!”'' Red Star hollered over Nikolai’s radio. The recon specialist threw a smoke grenade at the advancing troops, scrambled from the jeep and ran for it.

Seconds later, the second phase line erupted in explosions as Nikolai charged past the tavern. Misha, Gorky and Big Bear passed him at a dead run. Nikolai glanced around and saw Red Star close on his heels, Wong just behind him.

''“Red Star, this is Berkut, standing by to provide close air support, over.”''

“What’s your position, Berkut? Over”

“''Inbound from the east at flight level two-zero-zero metres altitude, speed 250.”''

“Roger that, Berkut,” Red Star gasped out as he ran. “The entire southern side of the hill is a free-fire zone. We are holding the barn on the north side of the village.”

The Guard soldiers ran into the farmyard and began taking up preset positions. Seconds later, the Sukhoi Su-25 screamed across the valley, dropping two free-fall bombs.

Huge explosions lit up the early morning sky as the bombs detonated, flattening what remained of the church and two nearby houses.

''“You’ve got two HISS tanks moving in through the village,”'' Berkut reported as the straight-winged jet looped around. “''Stand by.”''

Moments later, the anti-tank jet came racing back down the valley, launching a pair of KH-25 missiles, which streaked down and destroyed the two HISS tanks.

“''Tanks destroyed. I’m setting up for another pass.”''

Black Dragon troops were clearing the village and running toward the farm’s perimeter fence.

“Hold this position!” Red Star shouted. “First wave, full auto suppression fire! Second wave, pick your targets, semi-auto!”

Nikolai, Big Bear, Gorky and Misha needed no further orders, opening up with sustained fire from the positions next to a cowshed, a chicken coop and a pig sty.

The Su-25 roared over once more, dropping another pair of bombs.

Red Star checked his watch. Forty minutes had passed since Gorky had reported Daina to be thirty minutes out.

The colonel darted back to the barn where Yuri, Sergei and Katya waited. Red Star grabbed the radio handset.

“Daina, where the hell are you?” Red Star demanded.

“''Four minutes out, be ready for pick up. We were delayed by an air defence site''.” Daina sounded cool, which was far from how Red Star felt.

The colonel turned to Yuri and Katya. “Daina’s four minutes out. Get Sergei out to the field and be ready for evac.”

Red Star turned his attention to the barn’s hayloft. “Wong, get your skin down here, Daina’s inbound!”

The sniper simply jumped from the upper floor to a pile of hay on the ground and then scrambled up and headed out.

“''This is Berkut, I’m coming in for a gun pass. Danger close.”

 Once more, the Su-25 raced in, this time, the 30mm cannons roared as the pilot passed over the road outside the farm fence.

Red Star headed out of the barn last, as Sergei was helped toward the field by Yuri and Misha.

“Fall back to the LZ!” Red Star yelled.

Gorky fell back first, covering Big Bear, Misha and Nikolai from the field gate as one by one they fell back.

The sound of heavy rotors began to beat the air as Misha hollered, “I’m out!”

The sergeant dropped his AKSM, allowing it to swing from its sling, drew his Makarov and fired at a Black Dragon trooper.

“Last mag!” Gorky shouted as he reloaded.

Any further conversation was cut off as the MiL-24 flew overhead, pivoted and the 20mm GSh-30 gun opened fire, spraying liberal amounts of ammo across the farmyard, shredding several Black Dragons.

Daina brought the MiL-24 down to hover inches off the ground. Yuri opened the rear door/ramp and stepped aside, allowing Katya to help Sergei in as Nikolai and Red Star fired at several Black Dragons attempting to reach them.

The commandos quickly boarded the helicopter, then Red Star used the intercom to tell Daina to get them out of there.

Gorky slammed the hatch shut as Daina lifted the helicopter up.

“Feel free to use some of the remaining rockets, Tanya,” Daina said to her weapons operator. The other woman laughed as Daina lowered the nose and she opened fire with the S-8 rocket launchers. Most of the barn, farmhouse, pigsty, cowshed and chicken coop were destroyed, along with several dozen Black Dragons.

Daina accelerated the MiL away, turning in a sharp curve, and headed north.

Red Star looked toward Sergei, who was slumped in his seat. He hoped the covert ops specialist would be okay. He hoped even more that the intel he’d developed was worth the suffering he’d gone through.