Red Phoenix Burning

Chapter 20 — Strange Bedfellows

At first, Rhee didn’t like it. It jarred. He understood why Cho Ho-jin needed to keep a low profile. The army agreed. They had even made up a fake ID card for him. Or maybe not so fake. How was he different than the other Northerners who had answered the call to join the United Han Army? But then they really were soldiers, not just someone playing the role. Maybe it was because Cho wore a sergeant’s stripes. He hadn’t earned them, the way Master Sergeant Oh had.

Cho was earning his pay now, though, assuming they were paying him. Rhee had been allowed to sit in on Cho’s debriefing by army intelligence. He’d be betting his life on what Cho told them, after all.

The intelligence people were using one of the purpose-built trailers that had been brought to the base. It was electronically shielded, and had map displays and other equipment that let the analysts fit Cho’s information into the bigger picture. And he was filling in a lot of blank spots.

In addition to Rhee, representing the operators, there were regular army intelligence officers and a counterintelligence specialist from the National Intelligence Service. Everything Cho said was recorded, both on video and paper. That was good, because Rhee thought it would make a great book.

The Russians had trained Cho well, from his early teens, according to what Lieutenant Hak had heard. Cho could speak Russian fluently, and decent Chinese, but very little English. He’d demonstrated an excellent memory, and when pressured by the intelligence types, had responded calmly. They couldn’t rattle him.

Using many false identities, and with currency supplied by his Russian patrons, he’d operated successfully in one of the most repressive police states in the world. He’d been a peddler, a farmer searching for a runaway child, a soldier many times, and of course different government functionaries. Cho had bribed, deduced, and tracked down information the Russians wanted from the time he was twenty-two until now, twelve-plus years later.

He’d remained alive by never staying in one place too long, never forming any attachments, and by total dedication to one goal: revenge against the Kim regime. Rhee was proud of what he’d done as a special operations soldier, but as he listened to the former spy, he had to admit that he could not do what Cho had done.

Cho used a digital map, zooming in to show fine detail, to trace his movements, where he’d gathered information, and where the clues had led. In his travels, often by foot, he’d found roads and rail lines that weren’t on any map, and signs of construction in narrow mountain valleys. Tracing power lines, in that energy-starved country, was a good technique. Crisscrossing the entire DPRK, he’d noticed long-term changes that hinted at deeper meanings. Once, he’d discovered the remains of a thriving village that had been forcibly moved, for no apparent reason.

The spy — former spy, Rhee corrected himself — had been all over the DPRK in the course of his work, but of course intelligence only needed to know what he had seen in the area occupied by the Kim holdouts. Cho knew about several installations in the area, including three bases that intelligence already knew about.

Although they could not possibly serve as the hiding place for the missiles, the intelligence people questioned him at length about those locations as well. Comparing their information with his was a good way to establish his credibility, and his capabilities.

He’d also located two installations that intelligence hadn’t known about. One was a facility for producing bootleg drugs, the other an extensive complex with several oversized armored doors, surrounded by pillboxes and other ground defenses. He’d interviewed locals in nearby villages, who, for a little food, were glad to share their stories of being blindfolded before being taken to work underground excavating huge chambers. It had to be the place, and Cho was confident of its location. He’d been close enough to see the pillboxes and the carefully camouflaged doors. Rhee listened carefully to every detail.

The debrief had lasted for hours, and they’d taken occasional breaks outside the van. The air outside was warm and thick, but the windowless van felt confining. Seeing the sun and taking more than three steps in a straight line refreshed them all.

Of course, there was no shoptalk outside the van, but during one such break, Rhee found himself standing next to Cho, the ex-Russian spy he was slowly coming to respect. Although they’d been introduced when the debrief began, Rhee had listened and said very little. Now, standing next to Cho, he felt he had to say something.

Feeling a little uncomfortable, Rhee asked, “Have you actually joined the army?”

Cho quickly shook his head. “No, Colonel. The uniform just helps me blend in,” he replied formally. “I’m sorry if it…”

“No, it’s fine,” Rhee responded. “For what it’s worth, you’d make a good sergeant.”

Cho smiled, recognizing praise when he heard it. “Thank you, sir.”

After only a moment’s pause, Rhee added, “Your father was a good general. The last war was a hard fight. He deserved better.”

Cho’s smile disappeared but he said “Thank you” again, then added, “May I ask you a question, Colonel?”

Rhee nodded, and Cho asked, “You’re going to plan the operation to capture the missile complex, aren’t you?”

“Plan it, and lead it, if I have any say in the matter,” Rhee responded firmly. “I may not have the same personal grievance that you do, but I won’t rest until the Kim regime is wiped from the earth.”

“Then take me with you,” Cho answered suddenly. “I’ve been through Russian infantry school and parachute training. The Russians even sent me to some of their special operations courses. I’m not as physically fit as your troops, but I’ve been on the ground where you’re going.” Rhee had heard dozens of new recruits with the same desperate tone, but he knew Cho’s determination came from a different place. “I have to be there,” Cho finished, almost begging.

Rhee paused for a long moment, but answered, “I’ll consider it.” After another pause, he added, “If I think you’d increase the chance of the operation’s success.” And after another pause, the colonel warned, “And as long as you’re not bent on personal revenge.”

Cho shook his head, “No, Colonel, although once, I might have been. Now, I have things to fight for, not fight against.”

The headquarters tent was larger than the intelligence section’s trailer, but it was becoming just as crowded. Many had heard rumors about a “special asset” arriving at the base, but the counterintelligence people had spread so many false rumors that nobody knew what to believe. In spite of tight security, many of the headquarters staff had found reasons to be at the briefing.

It was clear something was up. In the assembly area, there was more “hurry up and wait.” Fuel and ammunition stocks were being topped off. Stragglers were being quickly recalled. A few units had “relocated” that morning, supposedly to some other part of the area, but nobody seemed quite sure where.

Security was going to extremes. No new personnel were being allowed on base. Anyone away from their unit had to have a reason, and the orders to back up their story.

For the briefing, the headquarters tent, located near the center of the base, was surrounded with jammers that would scramble cell phone and other UHF frequencies. Several nearby tents were cleared and then occupied by security personnel, and anyone who had business near the tent had to have it cleared with the chief of staff.

Most drastic of all, the headquarters tent’s side flaps, normally rolled up to take advantage of any cooling breeze, had been lowered. Fans and portable air conditioners had been set up in their stead, but it was not completely effective. The temperature in the closed atmosphere was not helped by the high number of attendees.

Rhee would give his brief after the intelligence section. Although his Special Forces were only one part of Operation Kut, his team would have the final and most important role. A kut was a Korean cleansing ceremony. Performed by a shaman, usually a woman, it exorcised evil. The name hadn’t been Rhee’s suggestion, but he completely agreed with the choice. Anyone who had grown up in the South would feel the same way.

Cho’s arrival and information had triggered a series of events that was still cascading outward. Within minutes of concluding Cho’s debrief, Rhee and Kwon had retired to the SOF planning cell to rough out an attack plan. The intelligence staff began their own work, analyzing and then preparing the many reports that were needed by the air staff, the ground forces, even the navy.

Less than an hour later, General Kwon had assured General Sohn that the complex could be taken, and Sohn had issued warning orders to ground and air units all over Korea, then summoned his commanders.

While he waited for the higher ranks to arrive, Rhee continued to work on what was an uncomfortably rough briefing. Special operators tended to be detail men and perfectionists, because the details could be just as important as the big picture. He liked to have answers to any questions his audience might have. Rhee wasn’t alone, though. Two chairs over, he could see the deputy G2, a colonel like himself, typing furiously.

But they couldn’t afford to wait. They didn’t know what the holdouts’ timetable was. All they could do was move as quickly as possible. While Rhee gave his brief, General Kwon was taking their general concept and turning it into a proper operational plan. The colonel couldn’t think of anyone he’d rather have putting the plan together.

According to the chief of staff, General Sohn was ready to come in, but wanted everyone else there first. All Rhee could do was work quickly, and hope that they wouldn’t mind a few “to be determined” on the slides.

Kevin Little, representing the US forces, had arrived some time ago, but except for a hurried nod in greeting, Rhee had ignored his old comrade. He had work to do.

General Long had also arrived, with his interpreter. He was deputy commander of the Chinese Southeast Security Force, and had arrived late last night as the Chinese liaison. Rhee took the presence of a high-ranking Chinese officer as a good sign. Long was senior enough to make decisions, and not just relay everything back to headquarters and wait for a reply.

Long had also brought a gift: a list of all the installations known to Chinese intelligence related to any of the DPRK weapons of mass destruction.

It was foolish, but Rhee took some pride in knowing that while the new information filled in some gaps, they hadn’t known about Cho’s site, either. The Chinese also confirmed that they had not found any nuclear devices at the locations they had occupied.

The two Chinese representatives had spent the morning at the operations center, coordinating communications and making sure that the two armies, now cooperating, wouldn’t shoot at the wrong people. Luckily, the geography of the Kim redoubt area made it simple. The Chinese would attack from the north, across the Chongchon River, while the American and Han armies would attack from the east, west, and south. The three sides also shared intelligence about the redoubt and its defenses, and coordinated reconnaissance.

The two Chinese had come over from the nearby ops tent within minutes of General Sohn’s summons. Now Long sat quietly, studying the map on the large flat-screen display and making notes. Evidently, Long spoke excellent Russian, and passable French, but no Korean or English, so everything would have to be relayed through the young captain who sat at the general’s elbow.

General Tae, who had been out in the assembly area, finally arrived and bowed politely to the Chinese general before taking his seat. Neither man smiled.

Moments later, General Sohn entered and, even as everyone came to attention, waved them back into their seats. Evidently warned about the Chinese interpreter, Sohn spoke in short sentences, with frequent pauses. He managed to get his point across.

“We know, with high confidence, where the Kim faction holdouts have their nuclear weapons hidden. What we don’t know is their timetable. Therefore, we will move tonight.” That got a reaction. A major operation like this would normally take days to organize. “We cannot wait any longer. If the enemy learns of our preparations, they may launch another missile attack before we can stop them. Tonight, it ends!”

Taking a lead from Sohn’s urgent tone, Colonel Won, the deputy intelligence chief from Sohn’s staff, quickly walked over to the flat-screen display. It showed the area held by the holdouts, now described with the Chinese term “the Redoubt.” He said simply, “The missile site is here, about fifteen kilometers northeast of Sukchon. The area is mountainous and heavily wooded.”

He pointed to a place on the map almost in the center of the area controlled by the holdouts. A long valley formed by two high ridges ran north and south. A narrow road, little more than a track, ran the length of the valley. There were no signs of habitation in the valley, but a military base occupied the north end, and the Sunchon air base sat at the southeast corner. Won pointed to a symbol in red a third of the way up the valley from the air base. “It’s here.”

The intelligence officer pressed a key and the map was replaced with a rough schematic showing a tunnel network that extended well within the mountain and ran three stories deep. The colonel began pointing out different parts of the installation: the missile magazines, the liquid fuel tanks, a storage area for the multi-wheeled launch vehicles. There were strong defenses both outside and inside, including pillboxes guarding the entrances and even a series of decoy tunnels…

General Tae was amazed and interrupted the colonel. “This is very detailed information. No one on the General Staff was aware of this place. Are you sure your source is reliable? Can any of this be confirmed from other sources?”

In the meantime, Won had looked to General Sohn, who gave a small shake of his head. The colonel answered Tae, “Collecting more information has been discussed, sir. We’ve avoided sending UAVs or other aircraft into the area, to prevent tipping our hand. The air base at the southern end has been attacked several times, as have some of the other nearby installations, but this missile complex itself has remained untouched and unnoticed. A special operations team would take too long to get in, collect the data, and get out. And then there is the risk of them being discovered, which is assessed as being high.”

Rhee agreed emphatically with Won’s explanation. He’d been asked earlier in the day by Sohn’s staff about the feasibility of a Special Forces scouting mission, but it simply couldn’t be done quickly enough. They’d have to wait until dark to even begin, cover many kilometers of rough, wooded country to get into position, and then wait till first light to actually get a good look at the complex. It would mean postponing the attack for at least two more days, and a recon team couldn’t do much more than confirm the site’s location and any outer defenses. It just wasn’t worth the delay.

Through the interpreter, Long asked, “Then could we interview the source ourselves? Ask him some questions to determine the accuracy of his statements?”

To see if you believe him, Rhee thought. It was not unreasonable, but General Sohn was more direct this time. “His information has been confirmed to the best of our ability, in the time available. We will move using what we have.”

Won started again. “We can’t tell how many missiles, or even of what type, they have inside, but the complex is large enough to hold about a dozen BM-25 Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missiles. Since they’ve launched five missiles already, we’re looking at possibly seven to eight missiles in the storage bunkers. Alternatively, there could be about half a dozen Hwaseong-13, or KN-08, intercontinental ballistic missiles. We have reason to believe that some KN-08 missiles are there, because during Ga Seung-ho’s debrief, he said that the people who summoned him were concerned with ‘progressive guidance errors over long ranges.’”

Kevin Little’s Korean was good enough to keep up with Won, but he was still grateful for the pauses that gave the Chinese interpreter a chance to work. General Long reacted strongly to the phrase “over long ranges,” but Little could see him work to control it. The BM-25 and KN-08 were both crude by modern standards, but the former could cover almost all of China, as well as Japan. The latter could hit targets as far away as European Russian and India. Neither had been tested before the civil war, but four Musudan missiles had managed to find their way to Guam — operational test completed satisfactorily.

As for payloads, he’d heard a lot of speculation since the crisis began about how many nuclear weapons the DPRK possessed, or how big they were, or what they could fit into the nose cone of a missile. To Kevin’s thinking, it didn’t really matter. A nuclear explosion anywhere, of any size, would be a disaster. He found it hard to imagine the calamity more than one would create.

Won had moved on to the defenses in the area. There was the Sunchon air base nearby with a squadron of MiG-29 Fulcrums. Like so many military installations in the North, most of it was underground, with only the runway and a couple of hangars vulnerable to attack. Based on other such installations, the entire squadron could be sheltered underground. Both the runway and taxiway had been pummeled during earlier strikes.

The air defenses also included an unknown number of surface-to-air missile launchers that emerged from behind concrete doors just long enough to fire, and then were retracted to reload. Batteries of radar-guided guns were emplaced in hidden revetments on the hillsides, with mobile AAA guns that could be set up for aerial ambushes, and then moved before they could be targeted.

The Chinese, Koreans, and Americans had all lost both UAVs and manned aircraft to the air defenses. Cruise missiles had a difficult time threading their way through the terrain to reach their targets, and even if they could, they didn’t have the ability to penetrate the hardened bunkers. It was just as hard for manned aircraft as well. Flying at a safe height would expose them to the full force of the defenses. Missions were still being flown, but bringing the pilots back safely meant choosing their targets carefully, and giving them a lot of support they wouldn’t usually need. And even with Cho’s information, the striking aircraft lacked the exact coordinates to put GPS-directed weapons onto the bunkers — a near miss just wasn’t good enough.

The colonel was winding up his part of the brief, and the captain-interpreter relayed, “General Long would like to know if the source you mentioned earlier had any information on the holdouts’ timetable.”

“No, General,” Won replied apologetically. He explained, “The working theory has always been that they were having problems with the ballistic missiles’ guidance systems. Our capture of the ballistic missile expert Ga confirmed this, but it is much harder to gauge the holdouts’ patience, especially about something as irrational as revenge.”

General Sohn spoke up. “I believe that the remnants of the Kim faction have no expectation of survival. History has often shown the military forces of a dictatorship collapsing when they sense that the end is near. That is not the case here.

“I believe these troops are defending the last bits of their territory so fiercely because they are buying time for their leaders to prepare a retaliatory strike. I realize that this is an assumption based on another assumption, but what evidence we have fits this theory.”

Rhee barely waited for Colonel Won to sit down before beginning, and he spoke so quickly that Kevin wondered if there was a getaway car behind the tent with its motor running.

“Operation Kut will begin just after dark with an assault by the Chinese all along the Chongchon River front, concentrating on Anju in the northwest. This will occupy the holdouts’ attention while US forces to the south and Korean forces to the west and east move into final attack positions. Two hours later, regardless of Chinese progress, the American and Han forces will attack, concentrating on taking the towns of Sukchon in the southwest and Sunchon in the southeast. Both are road junctions and the largest towns in the area. They are important military targets in their own right, but the attack on Sukchon will hopefully mask our operations near the real target.”

As he explained the first part of the operation, Rhee tapped the keyboard. A long blue line appeared along the Chongchon River, and then a second line appeared marking the western edge of the redoubt, and two more bordering the south and east. “All forces will have heavy artillery and air support.”

General Tae spoke up, asking, “What kind of losses do you expect to your air support?” Little was impressed with Tae’s diplomacy. The subtext to the question was “Remember the air defenses? You could lose a lot of planes.”

“Much of the first wave will be air-launched decoys. Both the Americans and Chinese have them in numbers, and some are being transferred for use by Korean aircraft as well. They can mimic the flight path and profile of a fighter. We expect the holdouts to waste missiles on them, and hopefully reveal any camouflaged gun emplacements.

“We will expend almost all our stocks of decoys, and will also have many of our remaining UAVs in the area to observe. The UAVs are smaller and won’t be flying attack profiles, so they should live long enough to do their job.”

Rhee nodded toward General Sohn. “Once the commander is satisfied we have identified as many of their air defense installations as possible, he will signal a massive artillery barrage. This will use every long-range tube we have, and the multiple-barrage rocket launchers as well. We will not use aircraft to attack the air defense positions, although we’ll use any surviving UAVs to check the results.” He smiled. “It’s best not to hunt duck hunters with ducks.”

He nodded toward the Chinese general. “I apologize for not sharing this plan with you before the meeting, but to be honest, we’re still working on the details. It means a lot of your heavy artillery will be out of position to support your own troops, but it should reduce your aircraft losses significantly.”

Through his interpreter, Long answered, “It is satisfactory, although I would suggest that any artillery positions that are discovered also be targeted.” Sohn nodded his concurrence.

Rhee continued, “My team will follow the artillery strike in, and land here.” He marked a spot on the map just two kilometers from the missile bunker. “We’ll be using a full company from my Ninth Special Forces Brigade for this attack. We’ll approach the landing zone from two different routes through the mountains. This will increase our chance of success, just in case one group runs into functional air defenses.” He traced paths that wound through the landscape from the west. Both ended in a meadow that was shielded from the bunker’s view by a sharp ridge.

“In addition to our flights, attack helicopters will supplement the troops’ advance with close air support strikes along the outer defenses, and the air base here”—he tapped the location at the south end of the valley—”will also be attacked by Korean special forces and aircraft. All this is in addition to the general attack by Korean, Chinese, and American troops into the Redoubt itself.”

General Long spoke again, this time asking, “This is a sound plan, but what if the simple fact of an attack makes them decide to launch the missiles? How much warning will we have if they intend to launch?”

Rhee frowned. “It depends on the missile type and number of missiles… maybe forty-five minutes, possibly an hour.” He called up the schematic of the missile complex again. “The missiles are likely assembled and mated to their transport-erector-launcher, but they won’t be fueled, since this would make them too heavy to raise to launch position. The TELs will have to emerge from one of these three doors, which are all armored, drive a few hundred meters away, and bring the missiles vertical before they can be fueled. If they’re clever, they’ve already prepositioned fuel and oxidizer tanks, and pre-surveyed the launch coordinates down to the centimeter.”

He paused for a moment, and Colonel Won added, “At the very best we’re looking at an hour, tops.”

Rhee then picked back up. “However, once my team arrives, we can bring any launchers that emerge under fire, and before we get there, the UAVs will be watching. If there is any sign that the launchers are setting up before we get there, General Sohn will order a continuous hold-down barrage of the area. That will obviously affect the ground troops’ support…”

Long interrupted. “The ground attacks are simply holding exercises — not feints, but secondary to the real objective. I concur. But what if the barrage is not successful?”

Rhee responded, “Colonel Little has confirmed that several US radar planes will be watching the area closely. They’ll be supporting the attacks, of course, but they can also track any ballistic missile launches. They will quickly calculate the impact area and provide a warning.”

Then the colonel shrugged philosophically. “After that, the nation that is targeted will have to respond to the threat separately.”

Kevin smiled grimly. Not only did China have dozens of potential targets, but their best antiballistic missiles were purchased from Russia, and were barely enough to cover Beijing, and perhaps a few other cities. Even the vaunted Russian S-400 couldn’t guarantee a sure kill, and nobody had forgotten about the unsettling appearance of decoys in the earlier missile attacks. He fervently hoped North Korea hadn’t developed any other surprises.

“Then I wish to propose an alternative plan,” Long began. He stood, and the interpreter relayed his words. “You have developed a fine plan, with as good a chance for success as any military operation can have, but nothing is certain. All we can know for sure is that it will be a desperate fight, with many losses.

“However, in this situation, there is a need for both urgency, and certainty. With the permission of the Korean government, and on their behalf, I believe that the surest and simplest course is to use a ballistic missile, which cannot be intercepted or shot down by the Kim holdouts. Our DF-5 can place a five-megaton thermonuclear device within half a kilometer of that missile complex, and no amount of rock will be enough to shield them.”

Rhee, appalled at the suggestion, stood openmouthed for half a moment. He wanted to reply, but in that pause Tae, sitting next to the Chinese general, stood and backed away, recoiling from the very idea. “Absolutely not! You can’t protect yourself by destroying half our country!”

Long didn’t need the interpreter to understand that while Tae’s was the most extreme reaction, nobody was nodding agreement. Evidently, he’d expected this, because he calmly replied, and then waited for his interpreter to relay his response.

“Seoul, even Anchorage are at as much at risk as Beijing if the missiles are the longer-ranged Hwaseong-13, what the Americans call the KN-08. The mountain valleys will contain the blast, and the region is thinly settled.”

Long continued quickly, before anyone else could reply. “If I relay these coordinates to our rocket forces, they can have a missile targeted and ready to fly in less than half an hour. Flight time will be something less than fifteen minutes.”

He’d been speaking to the entire group, but now he turned and addressed General Sohn directly. “Consider my suggestion carefully, General. It doesn’t have to ‘end tonight.’ It can end in an hour, and how many lives will be saved?” Long sat, still holding Sohn in his gaze, and waited for an answer.

Nobody spoke. Finally General Sohn stood. He spoke carefully, as if still forming a response. “I will speak for the Korean government and unilaterally reject your proposal. You oversimplify the decision. While such an attack would solve the military objective, I’m fighting for the future of a newly united Korea. This weapon would create a wasteland not just from the impact, but the fallout the bomb would create.

“Even this ‘thinly settled’ region holds tens of thousands of civilians. Should they all perish because of the holdouts’ desire for revenge? This operation is not designed to annihilate our opponents. With some luck,” he nodded toward Rhee, “the colonel’s plan will destroy the missiles and frustrate the diehards’ plan for revenge. I am sure that Colonel Rhee’s men, even in the center of the holdouts’ resistance, will accept the surrender of anyone who offers it.”

Sohn’s voice rose a little. “Our war has always been one of liberation, not conquest. I know that some of my men will become casualties, but they know they are fighting to save the rest of our countrymen. He gestured to General Long. “Some of your men will become casualties as well, but that is the price China pays for her security. Buying your safety with thousands of Korean lives is simply unacceptable!”

Long nodded his understanding. “We respect the decision of the general and completely understand his rationale. But I must inform you, with all respect, that of necessity I will pass the information on the target’s location back to my commander. While we will spare no effort to make tonight’s operation a success, I already know that my government will spend a sleepless night monitoring our progress.”

Long took care to look in Kevin Little’s direction as well as Sohn’s. “Please inform your governments that if we detect a missile launched from within the Redoubt, whether it is aimed at Beijing or not, our rocket forces will unilaterally respond with an attack as I’ve already described. If your operation fails, if the Kim holdouts begin launching, then China will act, for the protection of our country and all of Asia.”

Rhee rose defiantly, insulted as much by the Chinese general’s recommendation as his innuendo that Rhee’s plan wasn’t good enough. Staring straight at Long, he said tersely, “We won’t fail.”

“This is no way to run a railroad,” muttered a frustrated Tony Christopher. He shifted about the overloaded desk, lifting one folder after another until he found the spreadsheet he was after. Supply issues were whittling away at his F-22 contingent as one ship after another dropped offline due to maintenance gripes. And even though the requisition for the repair parts had been submitted, there weren’t enough of them on hand to keep the aircraft up — more parts had to be shipped from the contractor in the US. Just in time maintenance my ass, thought Tony.

His bad mood wasn’t caused solely by the USAF’s annoying maintenance system; no, the main source of irritation was that he was a fighter pilot flying a desk during a war. It wasn’t that Tony didn’t appreciate the importance and necessity of what he was doing; “experts study logistics,” or so he was told. But it didn’t change the simple fact that he would much rather be strapped into a jet, hip deep in a furball in contested skies. It’s what he did… emphasis on did.

“Saint!” shouted General Carter as he strode into the ops center.

“Yes, sir.”

“I need you to get your butt to Kusan, ASAP. We just received a mother of a strike package and I want you down there to help organize it. This is a maximum force effort with a tricky time-on-target schedule; we can’t afford any screwups. You leave immediately.”

“Understood, General,” replied Tony as he quickly turned to leave. Since the beginning of the conflict, he kept an overnight bag packed in his office, and it would take him only a minute to grab his gear. He was just reaching for the doorknob when Carter called back to him.

“And Saint, no shenanigans. You’re to keep both feet firmly on Mother Earth, clear?”

“Of course, sir. No shenanigans.”

“Good. Now off with you.”