Verron_Birth of a Nation

by Douglas Varnell

  A plan was implemented in the short time Paul had to put it together. He couldn’t very well take a squad of Verron Marines in full body armor into Russia, at least without things getting messy, but he also needed to make certain that the Russians did not get disturbed, harassed or arrested as they congregated in the warehouse waiting for Paul. Much to the disapproval of worried parents, he decided to use Hunter, Amber and Katelyn as his protection team. The whole purpose of their mission was to protect the migrating Russians without killing any of the FSB, Military or Police. He then recruited Dalhia, who was anxious to do something with her military skills, to join them. They would need a minimum of four outside the building to handle any approaching adversaries and one inside capable of holding open a large enough gateway to move as many people as quickly as possible. Dalhia was disappointed that she had been chosen to be the one making the gateway, but she saw the logic. She had more experience making them than anyone else, and no one was certain how long it would need to be held open.

  It was time to go. Paul and his four commandos were in matching charcoal gray. Dalhia loved being considered an Honorary Dragon. She was even allowed to wear one of their hats. They reviewed the warehouse layout one more time; everyone looked at the drone thermal images showing a full warehouse and more arriving, a second drone showed soldiers in several locations preparing for an operation. No doubt there was an informant either among the migrants or most likely someone who was asked to go and decided to stay, collecting a few rubles for his information. The third drone was over the Federal Security Services Building that now housed over a hundred detainees rounded up during their massive manhunt for their alleged terrorists. No doubt most were in the church the night of the incident. Paul had no intentions of leaving them behind. This time he and the Guard were armed, but only for emergencies. They carried whitematter powered stun-guns with a built-in resistance measurement control, you could stun something as small as a snake or as large as a Tree Bear. The capacitor would determine exactly how much power was needed based on the mass of resistance.

  Paul made a gateway directly into the warehouse. People pulled-away in fear when five people in commando gray suddenly appeared among them. Vladimir spotted them right away and rushed to Paul. He looked at a woman, a young man and two children and commented, “This is your Army?” Paul smiled and replied, “I use these for the easy stuff, no point in bothering real soldiers.” Then he added, “Dalhia here trained me and I trained these three. All of us can do what I did at the church.” Vladimir looked sternly as he said, “This Verron is a strange place.” Paul asked, “Is everyone ready to go? How many do we have?” Vladimir beamed with pride, “I have 3,742 ready to go. We regrettably must leave over 100 behind. They are being detained by FSB.” Paul spoke loud enough for everyone to hear, when he declared, “None will be left in the hands of the FSB. Once you are safely through the gateway, my team and I will go get those being held. Now Commander Dalhia will see you all through what we call a gateway to Verron, the rest of my team will keep the military and police away while you move out, then we go get the rest.” He looked to Hunter, Amber and Katelyn and commanded, “Positions.” The four of them disappeared.

  An astonished group of Russians were directed in an orderly fashion by Vladimir through the gateway as Dalhia held it open, as she constantly scanned the group for any potential trouble from possible spies planted by the FSB. The other four positioned themselves on the four corners atop the old brick and steel warehouse. It was only slightly higher than the surrounding buildings, but offered a good clean view of the approaching streets and the river that flowed behind the warehouse district. Amber and Katelyn were on the river side, Paul and Hunter covered the streets. They got into position just in the nick of time. Evidently someone inside had signaled the FSB upon his arrival. It looked like half the Russian police and army were moving in on the building. Each had to respond immediately upon taking their position. Amber and Katelyn quickly took and assessment of what was coming across and up the river. At first they both wanted to run from the awesome force that was coming their way. Paul had told them to only use violent force if necessary, he only wanted to keep them away long enough to allow the people inside a chance to escape.

  The girls had their work cut-out for them, there were 2 huge Zuber Class Hovercraft coming across the river, each capable of carrying 375 well equipped troops. Coming up the river were four Riverine Gun Support Boats armed with 30mm Auto-cannons and two 7.62mm machineguns. From the other direction came 2 of the much heavier Svetlyak Class patrol boats, armed with two of the 30mm cannons and two machineguns and torpedo launchers. Thinking fast, Amber hoped the soldiers on the hovercraft could swim, she lifted one craft at a time telekinetically into the air and turned them upside down, dumping the troops into the river, she then dropped both boats into the river nose first. Katelyn immediately decided to handle the two larger ships first. Vehicular traffic had been stopped in the area, and a long suspension bridge, crossing the Oka, was between the two Patrol Boats and the warehouse. She decided to block their path. Hurling plasma balls combined with a heavy wind directly at the two support towers, she hit her target just where the towers connected with the piers. The plasma balls blasted the steel structures apart, while the wind made certain that it would fall in the direction of the on-coming Patrol Boats. While Katelyn was blocking the patrols, Amber created a large water spout and aimed it directly for the oncoming Riverine. Katelyn quickly joined her and created another right beside it. There was no way around the two torrents of destructions. The four smaller vessels raced for the shore and beached their crafts as quickly as possible, abandoning their boats just before they were torn apart by the heavy winds.

  Both Paul and Hunter had a major challenge for them as well. Hunter had what looked like 500 soldiers spread out and coming toward the warehouse as they followed behind four older model tanks and one of the their high tech T-14 Armata Battle Tanks, armed with a 125mm smoothbore cannon and two turret mounted 12.7mm heavy machine guns. Scattered among the men were several of the BTR-80 APC, with 14.5mm machine guns. Flying above were two Mil Mi-24P Gunships with double mounted 7.62 Gatling Guns that fired 6000 rounds per minute and carried 6 Spiral Anti-Tank Missiles. Hunter decided to deal with the helicopters first, since they can cover the short distance much faster and were the Russian eye-in-the-sky. He created a tornado strength wind that began to hurl debris composed of lose sheet metal and roofing tiles at the two aircraft. Between attempting to fly in the heavy wind and damage caused by crashing into tiles and sheet metal, both helicopters turned back to safety. He then began to collapse every building between the warehouse and the oncoming militia, making sure the rubble fell into the path of vehicles and soldiers, blocking their progress.

  It wasn’t easy to stop a tank, especially the T-14, but he decided that if Paul Verron could stop a 10-ton Tree Bear by exploding the ground, he should be able to at least slowdown a 57-ton tank. He immediately began creating eruption after eruption in front of the approaching tanks. What troops had been brave enough to continue forward, were now moving as far from the flying eruptions of dirt and concrete as possible. He found that it was slowing them but they could still maneuver through the gullies he was forming. He decided to make an example of the T-14 and hoped the smaller tanks would back off. He combined a tornado strength wind and explosion simultaneously, directly under the T-14, instead of in front of it. It lifted straight up in the air and teetered for a moment, then fell backwards onto its gun and cannon turret. It was as helpless as an upside-down turtle. The other tanks came to a complete halt along with the soldiers and APC. They were having second thoughts about completing their mission.

  Paul was faced with almost the identical force of man and machine as Hunter. He also decided to eliminate the approaching Mil Mi-24P helicopters first as well. He projected a telepathic interruption to the minds of the pilots and caused them to temporarily freeze. Then he decided to get really creative. He focused on just one sh
ip and began to subliminally take control of the pilots muscle functions. No matter how hard he tried, the pilot could not resist what Paul was making him do against his will. Paul made the pilot turn and fired one of his Spiral Anti-Tank Missiles at the T-14, missing it intentionally. He then opened fired with the double mounted Gatling guns, spraying the buildings in front of the approaching soldiers. None of the soldiers were going to face a heavily armed Mil gunship and headed for the closest form of cover or retreated. He released his control of the pilot just before the other aircraft was about to shoot him out of the sky. The terrified pilot did a hard landing in the middle of one of the wide streets and immediately abandoned ship.

  Dalhia had only a few refugees left to get through the gateway when three men with guns encircled her and declared she was under arrest. She must have been hanging out with Paul’s youngest daughter recently since she did a perfect Marie Verron eye-roll and ignored them. She continued to hold the gateway open until the last person was through. She was so angry that these idiots thought they could intimidate her with little 9mm Makarov pistols, she at first laughed at them then melted their pistols right in their hands, all three suffered 3rd degree burns, but managed to run from the warehouse with their lives. Dalhia stepped through the gateway satisfied with a job well done. Paul and the other three regrouped on the warehouse roof. He and Hunter decided that the FSB Headquarters was not a good place for Amber or Katelyn and decided to send them back to Verron. They didn’t want to disobey an order, but Amber did point out that the two of them could cover the outside and hold off any new arrivals, while Paul and Hunter went inside to rescue the detained men and women. Paul posted the two girls on roof tops opposite the front and back of the FAB compound. He decided to take the direct approach. He and Hunter did a jump directly into the lobby of the building and began to walk quickly through the long hall to the rear stairs that led down to the detention cells in the basement. As soon as the Russians around them realized they should not be there, the two men began to use Jxansa Gha as they did speed jumps from one person to the next. One well-placed jab was all it took for each. The hall was filled with petrified security officers completely unable to move. Paul briefly recognized the same sergeant he had incapacitated on the street.

  They quickly removed the keys from an officer guarding the heavy steel door and headed down. There were very few people in the building, since almost everyone had been sent to the warehouse district to arrest the terrorists. Paul and Hunter began to open the holding cells. He knew that not everyone was part of the Verron recruitment group, but he figured that anyone in one of these cells would be glad to be free. In a loud voice he announced, “All of you who were planning to go with your families to Verron follow me. Any others who would like to get permanently out of Mother Russia, your welcome to come.” He had Hunter form a gateway and take 130 men and women through; he obviously pick-up a few extras. He then headed immediately to the outside of the building, collapsing the exterior walls around the doors to slow the men inside when they recovered from the temporary paralysis. Just as he stepped out, one of the Mil Mi-24Ps was about to touch-down on the helipad in front. It was obviously carrying the FSB commander in charge of the operation since there were a dozen groveling Majors and Lt. Colonels awaiting the ship near the pad. Just as the wheels touched the pad it suddenly began to tilt sideways so far that the rotors slammed into the ground, sending broken rotor blades flying in every direction. The awaiting ground party dove for the pavement or behind the closest vehicle, while the terrified pilot fought helplessly to control his doomed bird. Paul looked up to see Amber smiling gleefully on the roof-top across the street. He jumped to get her and then got Katelyn, who had turned over a couple of slow-moving APCs returning home. He formed the gateway and the three stepped into a busy reception center in Mountain City’s hanger bay. They were greeted by an excited Dalhia, a smiling Hunter and the happiest he had ever seen; Vladimir. Almost four thousand new arrivals applauded their King and the Dragon Guard for a job well done. There were hugs all around between the five commandos and an off handed compliment from Vladimir, “Maybe Spetsnaz should have used women and children in Afghanistan. Thank You! ” He respectfully saluted each of the Guard and turned to join the rest of the Russians.

  The Russian Rescue Team, as they were being called by those new and old to Verron, was the talk everywhere on Verron. General Zarman and Colonel Hall and the rest of the Dragon Guard reviewed the footage shot by the three drones that were in the area giving support. Not one single Russian had died. A few almost drowned, some were injured by falling or flying debris, three had third degree burns on their hands, property damage was however in the millions; destroyed hovercraft, tanks and helicopters do not come cheap and a 1500 foot suspension bridge dropped on the bow of a ship is not replaced easily. Since Vladimir Putin controlled the press, television networks and the FSB, the embarrassment they suffered was not widely publicized. Lucy was closely monitoring the Secret Police, FSB and Military communications to gather as much intelligence as possible on the whole situation. After a lot of discussion with his staff, the Dragon Guard and the new Russian residents, he was not about to abandon his recruiting efforts in Russia, but he had no desire to go through something like this every time some of Putin’s citizens decided they didn’t want to live there anymore. He especially didn’t want those Russian’s who went back on recruiting trips to be constantly at risk of being arrested or worse. Something had to be done. He spent the next couple of days running, and praying as he contemplated the plan he hoped to put in place. He hoped it worked. He didn’t want to be in a constant war with the Russians, who no doubt had already declared war on him. It was a simple plan and only he could be involved in it. It was time for Vladimir Putin to “Man-up.”

  A few interesting developments occurred during the in-processing of the Russians. The small dose of Kahlan administered along with mandatory inoculations of antiviral, antibacterial and antipoison revealed four more Russian spies. Before they could be killed by the immigrants themselves, Paul quickly removed them back to Russia. He had National Security take their identification papers and money. He personally made the gateway back to Russia; Yakutsk, Yakutia Siberia, Russia, the coldest city on Earth. He escorted them out into a remote area along the Lena River. It was 14 degrees. He hoped they didn’t freeze before they walked to town. If it had been winter, with the 40 below temperatures, they wouldn’t have made it 100 yards dressed like they were. They were a long way from home in a Russian state the size of India, with only about a million residents, but he did promise to return them to Russia unharmed and he did. Another interesting development was the fact that his new friend Vladimir was a medically disabled and retired KGB agent. He had made it to the rank of Colonel in the Spetsnaz then spent 20 years working in Bosnia, Africa, Cuba and Central America as a KGB operative. He had become a devout Christian after his retirement and renewing his acquaintance with his old friend and fellow Spetsnaz, turned Orthodox Priest, Father John. Twelve of the 24 men in Father John’s photo had migrated to Verron, the rest died in Afghanistan.

  There was a mix of vocations, ranging from miners, cooks and garbage men, all the way to nuclear submarine engineers and aircraft designers. Almost a fourth was unemployed farmers, who had moved to the city looking for work. One very interesting individual was a retired man with four PhDs; Chemistry, Genetics, Polymer Resin Science, and Physics. At 82 years-old he was still a professor at the Institute of Physics and Technology. Paul decided to wait until Vladimir was out of the rejuvenation tanks and ask him for his assistance in what he intended to do before anyone else was sent to recruit in Russia.

  Hunter, Amber, Katelyn and Dalhia were the center of attention not only from the rest of the Dragon Guard but from the younger Russians who knew them to be their rescuers. The Guard decided to let Dalhia keep her Dragon Cap, which she wore proudly as she continued in her training of future aviators, several would soon be Russian. Paul decided that instead of the parent
s of the Guard members getting everything second hand from the rumor mill, that he would gather Renee and Joshua, Marcus and Danyel, Michael and Rachel, along with the Dragon Guard and allow them to view the drone footage of the entire Russian Liberation. Colonel Hall, Hunter and Amber’s biological father had seen it several times and decided not to come. This would be the first time the parents of the Guard would witness the things their children were now capable of. Other than a few gasps when the bridge fell on the Gun Boat or the tank lifted ten feet into the air and fell harmlessly upside down, there was little comment from the parents during the viewing. The first words spoken were, “Good God, that’s amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it. The kids are like X-Men,” as Josh looked in astonishment at his two step children. Danyel gave Katelyn a motherly hug and told her, “Just because you can flip over ships and make tornadoes, does not mean you’re too big to keep that mess of a room clean; that goes for the rest of you too” she said to Chase and Tala. Renee, with tears in her eyes, held Joshua’s hand and muttered, “Who would have every thought that our two kids would be able to do things like that. Verron is almost a magical place.”