Operation Red Dragon and the Unthinkable

Clash for the Kodiak

The massive Chinese fleet began their final approach to Alaska, with their next stop being Kodiak Island. A smaller PLAN fleet and landing force was securing the Aleutian Island chain and peninsula, while the main fleet sailed closer to Kodiak and the inlet that would lead them to Anchorage. The goal was to secure Kodiak Island and turn it into a land base and logistical hub for the main invasion of Alaska. They needed to secure the city and the airport nearby; then they could move on and capture Shuyak Island State Park, Ushagat Island (in the center of the channel), and Kachemak Bay State Park. Once these locations had been secured, the Chinese Navy would begin to ferry in millions of PLA soldiers and equipment. From there, a gravy train of supplies and troops would be sent from China directly to the frontlines.

As the fleet moved closer, the five Chinese Supercarriers began to launch their air wings of drones and manned fighters to begin battling for control of the skies. While the fighters were mixing it up in the air with the Americans, the Naval Task Force began a massive rocket and missile barrage of the entrenched American positions throughout the state parks, islands and Anchorage itself. Hundreds of amphibious landing crafts were disembarking from their Motherships, and began heading towards the beaches and various landing sites in a well-orchestrated and massive invasion.

As the landing craft neared the city of Kodiak, they started to receive enemy fire from numerous heavy railgun positions. Short-ranged rockets and mortars were starting to be launched by the hundreds as the invaders continued to get closer and closer to the shoreline.

Corporal Chang stood in the leading vessel wearing his specialized exoskeleton combat suit; he was ready to kill Americans. This was Chang’s first time using this new combat suit and he was eager to see if it lived up to its reputation; it was also his first time facing the Americans. Everything he had heard was that the Americans fought like men possessed by devils. He had been told this would not be an easy landing, and that he should not to take the Americans for granted. They all knew the 1st EF had been defeated in the Middle East; no one wanted to repeat that history.

The PLAN infantry had been given priority to receive the suits first, since they would be leading the amphibious assault against America. The suits gave their users an incredible advantage over their adversaries. Aside from being able to run at close to 30 mph and lift nearly 2,000 pounds, the suit’s wearer was sheathed in the newest generation of Dragon Skin body armor. This was the same body armor that the American soldiers used. The blueprints had been stolen years ago, and the Chinese saw no need to change the name. The name fit its design. The Dragon Skin was essentially bullet proof against all current modern day assault rifle ammunition, with the exception of the Americans’ new M5 AIR. The soldiers’ arms, legs and neck were still somewhat exposed, leaving the suit still vulnerable in certain areas.

As Chang’s landing vehicle began to get closer to the targeted site, they began to take heavy enemy fire. Dozens of bullets were bouncing off of the armored shield on the front of the landing vehicle; the craft itself was being bounced around by artillery and mortar rounds landing nearby. Geysers of water began to spout and soak the troops on the landing vehicles from nearby misses. Fire and shrapnel would consume others who were not so lucky. Chang looked through one of the bullet proof window slits in the landing craft to catch a glance at the shore. What he saw was nothing short of spectacular horror.

Tracer rounds could be seen crisscrossing between the landing crafts’ heavy weapons and those of the Americans entrenched near the shore. It was like watching a laser show, with the sheer volume of terror being unleashed between the two sides. Rockets continued to hammer the American positions while heavy mortars and artillery continued to land amongst the amphibious fleet that was nearly to the shore now.

A voice came on the radio (barely audible over the growl of the engines and machine gun fire) to let Chang’s squad know they were about to make landfall and that they should be ready to exit the rear of the vehicle quickly because they would not be sticking around very long. The landing vehicle needed to head back to the mothership and pick up the next wave of soldiers. Suddenly, the vessel hit the gravelly beach, and the back door dropped down for Chang’s ten-man squad to exit the vehicle and make for their objectives. Chang’s squad had been assigned three gun emplacement positions to secure before moving inland to engage other targets.

While they were exiting the rear of the vehicle, a mortar round landed nearby and exploded. It knocked Chang off of his feet and threw him a couple of feet back into the water. The rest of his squad began to fire their rifles at the American positions and advanced in good order, just as they had been drilled and trained to do. Chang quickly got to his feet, and ran after his squad. Just then, the landing vehicle began to back up where Chang had been just seconds earlier. The roar of all of the machine guns and explosions was almost deafening. As Chang neared a disabled Chinese tank that his squad was using for cover, he ordered them to advance to the first gun emplacement 100 meters to their front. Two of the soldiers in his squad moved forward ten meters while the remainder of the squad provided covering fire.

When the first two had moved ten meters and found cover, they dropped down and began providing covering fire along with the rest of the squad as two more advanced. Within seconds, the American gunners quickly saw what was happening and turned their machine gun towards Chang’s advancing squad. While Chang’s crew was advancing towards the gun emplacement, four other squads began to advance as well. The machine gun crew was manning a .25mm machine-railgun spitting out nearly 600 rounds a minute; they swept their gun back and forth between the advancing groups, hitting some while missing others. Other men in the trenches were also firing tremendous volumes of fire in their directions as well.

Several of Chang’s men and men from another squad got within 30 meters of the gun emplacement and the trench line. All of a sudden, a massive explosion occurred and blew eight Chinese soldiers apart. The Dragon Skin armor generally did a good job of protecting the core of a soldier’s body; however, the explosion ripped their legs and arms right off. The screams they made as they thrashed around on the ground, calling for help, were horrendous. The Americans had detonated three Claymore landmines they had put into place earlier. A nearby Lieutenant ordered everyone in the area to advance at once towards the gun emplacement and try to overwhelm the defenders.

As the soldiers in the area rose to advance, the machine-railgun came alive again, cutting dozens of soldiers down. The exoskeleton suits enabled the Chinese soldiers to advance quickly towards the American lines; as they got within 20 meters of their positions the Americans triggered another series of Claymore mines, killing and maiming dozens of additional Chinese soldiers. In seconds, Chang was in the American position, and found himself face to face with an American soldier. Chang quickly brought his gun to bear, and was able to shoot the American in the face, exploding his head before he was able to use his M5 (which would have cut through Chang’s body armor).

Chang called out to the others in his squad to form up around him as they continued to clear the trench network they were currently in. An American jumped out from one of the bomb bunkers and threw a grenade towards Chang and his men. Without thinking, one of Chang’s soldiers jumped on the grenade just as it exploded. The soldier died immediately, but he had saved half a dozen of his fellow soldiers. One of Chang’s men charged the American bunker, while another soldier shot his grenade gun into the entrance. A small explosion could be heard, along with a quick burst of several machine guns from both Chang’s men and the remaining Americans in the bunker. In less than a minute the conflict was over, and Chang’s men began to shift their focus to their next objective.