Rebirth of the Praetorians
Disclaimer: I don't own the Net, the Guardian, nor do I own G.I. Joe or the Misfitverse. The characters of the G.I. Joe Tactical Rescue Unit are my creation. This is based off the alternate ending of the Guardian, where Ben Randall survived. In this reality he was promoted to Master Chief.
Further Author's Note: This fic takes place at the same time as my X-men Evolution fic: Secret Agent Forge and shortly after my fic Aftermath.
Summary: Ace forms the Combat Rescue Unit to bolster G.I. Joe's Search and Rescue capability and shortly after forming this unit, they are tested by the rise of a new foe known as the Praetorians...
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G.I. Joe Combat Rescue Unit Roster
Col. Brad 'Ace' Armbuster, USAF - CO
ASTCM (NAC/SAR) Benjamin Randall, USCG - NCOIC
CPT Martin Samuel Travis, USAF - Combat Rescue Officer
Master Sergeant Sammy Chong, USAF - PJ/First Sergeant
Technical Sergeant Jake Koester, USAF - PJ
Staff Sergeant Harold 'Roldie' Cho, USAF - PJ
Senior Airman Kumar Patel, USAF - PJ
Senior Airman 'Hightower' Occam, USAF - PJ
Senior Airman Artie Wayland, USAF - PJ
Technical Sergeant Darryl Aiden, USAF - CCT
Staff Sergeant Carl 'Drape' Draper, USAF - CCT
Senior Airman George Strickland, USAF - CCT
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"Attention on deck!" Master Chief Aviation Survival Technican (NAC/SAR) Ben Randall bellowed into the room. The ten men sitting in the rec. room stood to attention as Colonel Bradley Armbuster, callsign 'Ace' walked into the room.
They were part of a newly formed detachment from the US Air Force's Special Tactics branch, specialists in search and rescue and combat control.
"Good morning gentlemen." Ace said, "I understand there are a few questions as to why each of you is here. I know you've been training with one another for a least six weeks here at the Pit and some of you have served with one another or trained alongside each other before. You are part of an initiative to boost our unit's Combat Search and Rescue ability. We will be sending you guys in detachments over the next few weeks for training and support of various G.I. Joe operations out in the field."
"Master Chief Randall will be coordinating your various missions from our SAR Control Center along with myself and Master Sergeant Chong." Ace said, "You've all trained with each other for almost six weeks. We can deploy you in either detachments or as a whole group."
"See this globe." Randall said, pointing at the map in the briefing room, "This is your area of responsibility. As the Colonel says you guys can be deployed forward or in support of different operations for this unit. Most of you come from a Search and Rescue background, with the exception of one or two of the combat controllers. But our priority is the lives of survivors of any disaster. Gentlemen make no mistake. It is our intention to send you into harm's way for one purpose: So Others May Live."
"Your training will start immediately. Draper, Strickland, Patel and Koester. You four are headed to SOCCENT Airbase in Qatar to assist operations in the area. Think of it as getting your feet wet." Randall continued. "The remaining four of you will stay here on ready-five status..."
---
Combat Search and Rescue Control Center, the Pit: "Where are Draper, Strickland, Patel and Koester now?" Ace asked.
"They're at SOCCENT Airbase, Qatar." Randall replied, "They've got a training mission in the area with Deep Six, Torpedo, Wetsuit, Falcon, Leatherneck, and Gung Ho."
"Have them on alert, there's some new intelligence I got regarding possible COBRA activity off the Iranian coast." Ace replied.
"Already done, sir." Randall replied, "I got wind of that report of that COBRA transmission, about launching a ship with a hold full of Heartless at the Iranian coastline."
"Sir!" Senior Airman Ahmed said as he ran into the CSAR Control Area.
"What is it?" Ace said as he turned.
"Latest transmission. Merchant Vessel Heidelberg Star is to be commandeered for Operation Pinafore. And there's one more puzzling thing, a pi symbol..." Ahmed said.
"Get the CSAR asset in the area online, now." Ace began.
"Yes sir. Already on that. Diverting Stingray 3-0 to tasking." Randall replied.
Meanwhile Ahmed had headed towards the Pit's Intelligence Section where he'd filed the report of the strange 'pi' symbol.
Scarlet stopped him in the hallway. "Good job Airman Ahmed."
"Sergeant?" Ahmed said.
"We ran a trace on that pi symbol you indicated in your report. It was linked to a very promising lead." Scarlet replied, "It was linked to a series of computer occurrences at the turn of the century and a computer programmer by the name of Angela Bennett was able to bring them down. But evidently they seem to have resurfaced. Congratulations Airman Ahmed, your find just helped a major operation that's underway..."
---
SOCCENT Airbase, Qatar. 0800 Local Time: "What time is it back in Utah?" Senior Airman Kumar Patel asked as he and Staff Sergeant Carl Draper were sitting at
"I'm not a hundred percent sure, I think it's still midnight." Draper replied as he took a long swallow of water, "I'm gonna see if I can't call my folks in a few hours."
"Yeah, my family still hasn't moved in 100%." Patel said, "Vanessa wasn't too thrilled knowing that I was going bye bye when we haven't even unpacked everything yet."
"Welcome aboard guys." Deep Six said, as he sat down at the table where the four Air Force Special Tactics men were sitting.
"When'd you get married?" Draper asked Patel.
"We got married shortly after Indoc." Patel said, "I'd been seeing Vanessa since we were both in college."
"No shit, another college kid?" Draper asked.
"Yeah." Patel replied.
"Where did you go to school?" Draper asked.
"University of Pennsylvania. You?" Patel asked.
"Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL." Draper replied, "I studied aeronautical science to be an air traffic controller."
"What made you come into the service?" Deep Six asked.
Torpedo came running over to the table just then. "What's up boss?" Deep Six asked.
"Get the team together pronto." Torpedo said, "We've got a mission coming up. I'll brief you guys as soon as I get out of the T.O.C. (Tactical Operations Center). Get everything ready to go."
"I'll go grab the codes." Draper said as he got out of his seat and headed to the communications tent."
"Get your breakfast down first. You're no good to us if you're down with hypoglycemia mid mission." Torpedo said.
"He heard about the incident from Indoc huh?" Patel laughed.
"Fuck you." Draper said with a half-smile.
"Let's here this."Torpedo said.
"Draper didn't have anything to eat before we had a timed swim." Kumar began.
"Shut up." Draper said.
Acting as if he hadn't heard Kumar continued, "He completed the swim and came out of the water shaking. He made it two steps before he fainted right on top of our lead instructor..."
Laughter at Draper's expense filled the table.
"Ha ha ha." Draper said sarcastically.
---
Torpedo walked into the Tactical Operation's Center where Colonel James Fenwick, USMC was waiting for him. "Some more intel on your latest assignment."
"What is that sir?" Torpedo asked.
"Well, warrant officer, some higher ups informed me some new terror group called the Praetorians has reared its ugly head once more, regarding the Heidelberg Star. An organization called CIC sent one of its field agents here to assist you guys with dealing with the Preatorians." Fenwick replied.
"When's he getting here?" Torpedo asked.
"She has already arrived." Fenwick said as a Marine ushered in a dark haired woman in her late twenties or early thirties wearing a Northwestern University sweater and jeans, "She was doing some computer work at one of our bases in Kuwait when we heard about this terrorist group. I arranged to fly her here."
"Torpedo I assume?" The woman said as she put her hand out.
At Torpedo's quizzical look Fenwick added, "I briefed her about you guys on the satcom before she got here."
"This is Angela Bennett, an agent of the CIC, some cyberspace crimes agency." Fenwick added, "I thought she'd be an added help for the mission."
"Right." Torpedo said as he took her towards the tent where the team was gathering to brief. They passed by Staff Sergeant Carl Draper who was on his way to sign for the codes in the back area of the TOC.
Draper then noticed a brunette woman in jeans and a sweater headed their way at about the same time she noticed him. She hadn't changed one bit since he last saw her.
Angela was taken aback as she noticed one of the cluster of airmen sitting around a planning table. His dark hair had grown out just a bit more than when she'd last seen him, his face having a little less of that eager youthfulness about it, but there was no mistaking the man talking to the others. He saw her at about the same time.
"Sergeant Draper, Miss Bennett, do you two know each other?" Torpedo asked.
"Yes." Angela Bennett said.
"No." Draper replied coldly.
Torpedo was sure to file that incident away in his head, making a mental note to talk to Draper before they got on the mission.
---
Torpedo stopped Draper as he was loading his radios into various bags, "What was that earlier?"
"Nothing that will affect the mission sir." Draper replied.
"Are you sure?" the SEAL asked.
"I'm sure." Draper replied.
"What's the history, as I could see you didn't exactly react well when you saw Miss Bennett. Something I should know about?"
"Nothing more than a youthful indiscretion." Draper replied.
Torpedo headed off, not one hundred percent convinced that Draper was telling the truth.
---
Angela Bennett took the center position in the briefing tent where the G.I. Joe unit of Marines, SEALs and four Air Force special tactics men were sitting. She glanced quickly at Carl's face. No real expression was there, just a flat neutrality.
"The Praetorians are a terrorist organization with a wide reaching area of influence." Angela began, "Ranging from illegal organ harvesting to drug trafficking. Their modus operandi deals largely with cyber crime and through proxy agents that often have no idea who they really are working for. They are secretive and will resort to any means necessary to maintain their secrecy. That included erasing my identity and trying to kill me on numerous occasions."
"What interest do they have in this ship in particular?" Draper asked.
"The Heidelberg Star, like many newer freighters has a computer navigation and autopilot system." Angela said, "This particular model has a remote internet connection enabling its electronic charts to be updated almost instantaneously. I believe that is how the Praetorians hijacked the vessel's autopilot and simultaneously jammed its communications."
"That's where we come in." Torpedo began, "We'll board the Heidelberg Star using an MH-60 "Pave-Hawk" helicopter by fast rope. After we secure the bridge, engineering and sweep the holds we will steer the vessel away from Iranian territorial waters where her present course places her."
"Opposing forces?" Gung Ho asked.
"According to Intel Reports there is a strong possibility there may be COBRA Crimson Guard operatives onboard." Torpedo said, "Or it may just be that they put the crew in this helpless position and are using them to provoke the Iranians into violence. There have been intelligence reports of COBRA's Operation Pinafore. Cargo ships are to be filled with Heartless and launched towards Iranian shores..."
"Heartless?" Angela asked.
"Beings without hearts." Torpedo replied, "They seek the hearts of other beings and if you lose your heart to them, you turn into a Heartless. Check your PDA it should be on your brief."
"OK." Angela said, feeling somewhat flustered.
"Right. The Heidelberg Star is 294 meters long and is a Panamax freighter with four large cargo holds. She is registered under a Danish flag and is under the Maersk group. The Master is Peter Rosenthal..." Torpedo said.
"The bridge team will consist of myself, Leatherneck, Draper and Patel. Miss Bennett since the computer terminal is located near the bridge, you'll be with us." Torpedo said, "Falcon, you, Gung Ho, Strickland, Koester, Deep Six and Wet Suit will search the main deck area. Deep Six, you, Wet Suit and Koester will then break off and secure engineering secure engineering. Falcon you take Gung Ho and Strickland and sweep every space on the ship."
Torpedo turned to Angela, "Are you armed?"
"Yes. I have a Sig P226 and three magazines." Angela replied.
"You stay close to us. Patel, keep an eye on her." Torpedo said, "Move out in twenty minutes..."
---
"What was that for?" Angela asked Draper when they were alone.
"What was what for?" Draper said as he continued packing magazines into his pouches, "Do you have any clue what I went through after you left? Especially when Air Force Office of Special Investigations was banging down my door an hour later questioning me about Elizabeth Marx."
"If you even bothered to read about how I lost my identity...I thought my letter explained everything." Angela replied.
"You really expected me to believe that? You really expected OSI to believe that? I'm lucky I wasn't thrown out of the Air Force." Draper replied.
"You never tried looking me up afterward?" Angela replied.
What Angela didn't know was that Draper had her letter in a plastic ziploc in the cargo pocket next to his left thigh. She didn't know many nights since she left he had read that letter and it had served him well through hard times as a source of strength.
"I saw you graduate..." Angela said, "I watched you when you earned your scarlet beret..."
Draper stopped for a moment, blinked his eyes, as he regarded the lovely brunette before him. Emotions raged inside him, anger at her deception, sorrow at having broken off contact, the connection and love he still felt from stolen moments of intimacy.
"I've got a lot of work to do." Draper said as he headed off to the communications tent to get his radios and codes.
"Can you promise we'll talk?" Angela said.
"If you're still here after we're done with the mission." Draper replied. I'm just a fool...a fool in love with you.
Angela regarded Draper's retreating form. Part of her wanted to hit him upside the head for that comment. Another part of her really missed seeing him after all this time. And still another part of her was plain terrified. Sliding down a rope on a helicopter was not something she had ever trained to do before.
---
Draper did one of his two pre-combat rituals as he headed for the bird. First he checked the knife he jokingly called his 'Challah' on his battle rattle. At Kumar's curious look, "Checking to see if my challah is nice and sharp."
"Hey Draper." Koester said, "Gonna circumcise some COBRAs with that?"
"A challah's a bread knife, shithead." Draper replied.
"Hey, I didn't know, I'm not Jewish." Koester said.
"No one's prefect." Draper replied.
Draper's comment caused a couple chuckles from Kumar as the group boarded the helicopter. Kumar couldn't help but notice Draper's stony expression when the civilian, Angela Bennett boarded with them, sandwiched between him and Draper.
The helicopter lifted high into the air. Angela wasn't the biggest fan of flying by any stretch of the imagination and the way this hot-shot Air Force Special Tactics pilot was flying low over the South Arabian Gulf at the aircraft's top speed with buffeting winds wasn't helping her already frayed nerves. She heard, despite the earplugs, Draper was singing.
"Hava nagila. Hava nagila. Hava nagila ve nis'mecha." Draper started.
Strickland noticed Angela's nervous face and quizzical look at Draper's singing, "That's just one of his weird little rituals. He'll sing that Jewish celebration song every flight."
"Heads up! Merchant Vessel Heidelberg Star dead ahead."
After circling a few times to determine enemy presence the crew chiefs kicked the two ropes over the side. Leatherneck went down one rope and Falcon down the other. Draper followed right after Leatherneck, still singing verses of the Jewish celebration song. Wet Suit went down the other end. Angela grabbed the rope with the unfamiliar leather gloves and slid down until she hit the steel deck. She felt a strong arm drag her away from the rope, "Watch out."
Thud! Kumar landed heavily on the deck and Torpedo followed him. After they all deployed the teams moved out to their respective locations.
As they reached the bridge Torpedo nodded and Leatherneck used his shotgun to breach the door.
The team moved onto the bridge, finding nothing but two dead bodies of the master and first mate. The controls on the bridge were smashed thoroughly.
"Room secure. Bennett, do your stuff." Torpedo said.
Angela headed over to the computer room in the chart house and started to punch away at the keyboards. Draper got on the radio, "Got comms with SOCCENT and the Pit online. We have two Apache gunships for our control."
"How long until we reach Iranian territorial waters at our current speed?" Torpedo asked.
"We have about five hours. So if we can't get control back online before dawn, we're Guests of the Ayatollah." Angela said, "Damn it...it looks like the Praetorians really encrypted this net."
"How long will it take you to untangle all this?" Torpedo asked.
"I'm no expert, but maybe about six hours." Angela said.
"You know we don't have that kind of time." Torpedo said.
"Look. If I screw this hack up who knows what nasty surprises the Praetorians put on this thing." Angela replied as she started to punch away at keys.
"Sweep Team this is Bridge. Status?" Leatherneck said on his interteam radio.
---
Wet Suit let a Crimson Guard trooper who appeared around the corner have it with a burst of fire from his MP5 sub machinegun.
"Torpedo this is Falcon. Holds One and Two swept. In process of sweeping Hold Three. So far we've neutralized three hostiles in Hold Two and one in Hold Three. Crimson Guard regulars it looks like and..." Falcon replied as a bullet smacked past his head.
Gung Ho let the Crimson Guard regular have it with a burst of buckshot from his Benelli 1012 shotgun.
More gunfire sounded as Wet Suit, Deep Six and Koester entered the last hold, fighting it out with another two COBRAs.
"Hold Four Secure!" Wet Suit shouted, "Heading for engineering..."
"Roger!" Falcon said and relayed the information to his team leader.
"LT?" Strickland said, "You might want to take a look at this."
Strickland was pointing at the Crimson Guard regular whom Gung Ho had practically decapitated with his shotgun.
"He looks like he was gonna trigger something." The CCT said.
"It doesn't look like any IED I've seen yet." Falcon said as he glanced at a remote control lever in the hand of the dead Crimson Guard.
There were large cargo containers in each of the holds with electro-mechanical locks attached to them. From the containers the sound of movement, of unnatural screeching and chittering could be heard.
"Strickland, check the container out. Gung Ho, cover him." Falcon ordered.
Strickland pulled the cargo container open slowly with one hand, his side arm out and aimed at the crack. Standing on the other side was a large contingent of creatures about four feet tall with inky black skin, antennae, clawed hands and glowing yellow eyes.
"Fuck!" Strickland shouted as he fired off several rounds from his 9mm handgun and slammed the door closed. Several Shadow Heartless had escaped into the room. Gung Ho let two of them have it with bursts from his shotgun and Strickland recovered quickly, shooting down another Heartless.
"What was that?" Torpedo's voice echoed on Falcon's radio.
"Torpedo. All the cargo containers in the hold are full of Heartless..." Falcon said. "We accidentally released six of them. We've killed three but the others beat feet out of the room."
"Don't open any more containers. Keep an eye out for any more of those Heartless." Torpedo said.
"Roger." Falcon said.
---
Deep Six kicked open the door to Engineering and Wetsuit and . Koester raced down the ladder.
The team searched their way through the engineering plant. Aside from the occasional spatter of blood the room was eerily silent. Lights flickered on and off.
"Looks like they jammed the rudder for our present course and speed." Deep Six said and passed the information to Torpedo.
"Unnngghhh." Came a groan.
Koester turned to see a man in the blood smeared coveralls of the chief engineer. "Hey...it's OK we're here to help."
"Too late to help...Ungh...Destroy the ship...Aagh..." The Engineer screamed.
Koester bent down at the man's side. He checked the airway, he was breathing and he was bleeding badly at his abdomen. Blood was seeping sluggishly from behind intestines that were clutched in his hands.
"I've got you man. You'll be fine..." Koester said as he laid the engineer on his back. He took a dressing and wet it with one bag of IV fluid, placing it onto the guts in a grotesque taco before he tied the dressing off.
He started an IV on the man. "Hey we've got a case-evac down here..."
Wet Suit passed the news to Leatherneck and Torpedo on the bridge.
---
"Draper." Torpedo said, "Let the Pit know on the Satcom."
"Roger." Draper said, "Guardian Angel this is Manta One. Over..."
"Manta One, go ahead." said the comms watch at the CSAR Control Center.
"We have one case-evac. He's the engineer onboard the Heidelberg Star. Suffering one evisceration. So far we've encountered five tangos. Crimson Guard Regulars..." Draper said.
"Manta One this is Guardian Angel. Negative your request. Area's too hot. We have reports of an Iranian Mod Kaman PTG operating in your vicinity. We've received indications that it's powered up its anti-aircraft systems. Additionally we have reports of an IRGCN Surface Action Group of two Tir Torpedo boats and four Boghammar gunboats undergoing an ammo onload at Bandar Abbas."
"Torpedo. Sky Raider Lead just radioed me. They've only got a couple hours of flying time before they gotta divert." Draper said.
"Draper...we might be needing those gunships. Either to scuttle this tub or to fight the Iranians off." Torpedo said.
"No need to tell me twice boss." Draper replied, "I'm getting on the air to see if I can't divert a tanker to us..."
"Good. Let me know the status when you get it." Torpedo said.
"Hey." Leatherneck said, "I'm getting reports of a laptop computer found near one of the dead Crimson Guards.
"Right. Get it up here and see if Miss Bennett can't see what our friends were up to." Torpedo said.
"Sweep Team this is Leatherneck. Bring that computer up topside." Leatherneck began.
"Roger. Enroute..." Falcon said.
"Fucking asshole." Draper said.
"Hey, Draper calm down." Torpedo said.
"The jackass controller at SOCCENT isn't willing to release Romeo 112 to my control. She's got enough gas to refuel both of Sky Raider flight." Draper replied.
"Keep trying." Torpedo said.
"I've found something on the computer. It's a private log of some sort. There's a reference to some character named Zartan...Does that mean anything to you guys?" Angela asked.
"Zartan. He's a shapeshifter who works for COBRA. The same ass clowns that are apparently colluding with your Praetorian buddies." Leatherneck replied.
"Did it say anything else?" Torpedo asked.
"Only that there were fears of COBRA operating in this area..." Angela replied, "Other than that nothing else I can access for now."
---
A gray Crown Victoria was parked overlooking a cliff. Its sole occupant was a man with wavy dark hair and intense dark eyes. His face was a handsome sort of face with a sinister air to it.
The computer screen in his vehicle read: "Is the Diversion in place?"
"Yes." Sean Trelawney typed the reply, "Your man Zartan is certainly adept at subterfuge."
"It's his stock and trade." his COBRA contact replied, "What of your hacking into the security system?"
"In progress. I should have access in less than an hour and your virus will be uploaded into the system." Trelawney replied.
"Good. There is much useful data the Jugglers have hidden away in the installation's mainframe. And many links to our own research and programs that cannot be allowed to be released to the world. This installation has outlived its usefulness." The reply flashed across Trelawney's screen.
"Once your virus is uploaded all its data will be erased and will be copied to a designated hard drive I have in my possession. Once you have the assessed fee, it will be yours." Trelawney replied.
"Good. Inform me when you have uploaded your virus." the COBRA contact replied.
Seam Trelawney scratched at the scar on the left side of his face, just below his left ear and running down to his jaw. This had happened after the Praetorian Headquarters had been destroyed by one Angela Bennett and Jacob "Sorcerer" Resh. He was tempted to ask for the deaths of both individuals, but decided that killing them was to be his pleasure and his alone. Especially Angela Bennett...
---
"I cracked into the laptop's hard drive." Angela said. "It seems that these COBRA regulars were to release all the Heartless in the cargo containers inside the hold when the ship ran aground on the Iranian coastline or when the ship was destroyed, whichever comes first."
"Go on." Torpedo said.
"At the same time a news report was to be released that the crew of the Heidelberg Star had been attacked by the Iranians and killed to the last man. But I can't quite figure out what either the Praetorians or COBRA would stand to gain from this." Angela said, "It's almost as if this wasn't really an important mission."
"I agree sir." Draper said, "I radioed the Pit with the biometric data of the COBRAs we killed. It seemed that they weren't exactly top of the line Crimson Guard recruits."
"A ruse. I get it. But a ruse for what we'll have to find out later." Torpedo said.
"I've gotten Romeo 112 under my control. She's now refueling Sky Raider lead...and not a moment too soon. We've got that Iranian Surface Action Group underway and heading right for us. Their ETA should be within the next two hours."
"This doesn't add up." Angela said, "Bottom of the barrel operatives. A cargo hold of Heartless. And a scheme that seems doomed to failure."
"I'm afraid we'll have to figure that one out later on..." Torpedo said, and passed a radio call, "Stay on the alert for Zartan but don't actively seek him out. Be prepared to get off this ship in a hurry."
---
To Be Continued...
Up Next: The team faces the Iranians and discovers that the Heidelberg Star was really a feint for the Praetorians' true target: Area 51.