Operation Leviathan Down

Operation Leviathan Down was the Agathos Reform Coalition code name for the Battle of Ravenhold, where a combined ARC and Filonian force sought to prevent the USC from advancing further into the Agathonian interior. The USC fielded the majority of the 1st Army Group against the defenders, supported by the MARCS-class chip Salvation. Allied forces fielded roughly an army-sized collection of units from a variety of coalition factions, also with MARCS-class support in the form of the Reconciliation. Overall troop count saw allied forces outnumbered approximately three-to-one. DGCL rangers were used heavily in the course of the battle, particularly during Operation Ruby Fall, the sub-operation code name for a large airborne effort that saw several regiments placed behind enemy lines in an attempt to commandeer AAA assets to target the Salvation.

Members of Seraph Squad, at least at the outset of the battle, were attached to the UFPF's newly formed 1st Airborne Regiment. They executed a HALO jump using conventional parachutes. While heavy casualties were taken by the regiment as a whole (as well as other airborne units), Seraph Squad landed scattered across battle sector Ro-303 with only minor injuries. The squad fought or evaded small USC infantry detachments that had been sent to intercept them and rendezvoused at the hamlet square of Quibham.

Seraph Squad continued to nearby Gotham Park where their primary target, a portable AAA battery similar to the Black Widow, was installed. After reconnoitering the area the rangers round a small USC fire base had been setup to defend the most obvious angles of attack, as well as a sniper hidden atop a nearby Ferris Wheel. Launching their attack, Seraph Squad called for an artillery strike on the Ferris Wheel, but it was intercepted by the AAA battery. The ranger Nexus was able to dispatch the commanding NCO with a long range rail gun shot, however.

Acting as a shocktrooper, ranger Ruckus charged the enemy positions and disrupted their lines. Nexus neutralized the sniper while the rest of the squad picked off targets of opportunity. The battle descended in a grueling slog for each inch of ground, but the membership guard eventually routed and the remaining regulars were eliminated. Though they suffered minor injuries, Seraph Squad successfully secured the site. Nexus hacked the AAA battery and trained its entire payload, some 8000 micro-missiles, on the Salvation's drone swarm.

Their primary objective complete, Seraph Squad moved to battle sector iota-485 to join the rest of the 1st Airborne Regiment and assist with their next objective. On their way they learned that the primary defense lines at the river Fhanis had fallen, and that allied forces were regrouping at the outer bailey.

Col. Petros Mappanisia had secured Hornswatch Mill, an ancient watchtower for Ravenshold that had been converted to a large windmill. Though his unit had met heavy resistance from the USC's 93rd Mechanized Infantry Division, he held his ground rather than retreat to friendly lines due to the fact that the mill housed a USC battle network nexus point. Federation IWAR engineers were working to disrupt the USC center battle group for as long as possible to provide maximum effect to the front lines. This had given the enemy time to encircle his position, however.

Reporting in after reaching the site, Seraph Squad offered their assistance. Col. Mappanisia ordered them to cross the lines and hunker down at the mill since an attack from the rear would be effective, but could bring the entire division down on the squad afterwards. They would help hold the line until the Colonel saw their odds of breaking out of the encirclement reach a tipping point, when he would order a focused counter attack and a general retreat back to allied lines.

As Seraph Squad approached the USC lines, the Salvation launched an all-out attack with their drone swarm against the Reconciliation, trying to overwhelm the ship at close range before it could ready another main gun attack. With a full volley of micro-missiles from the Reconciliation in return, the fighting caused a roar of explosions that deafened all on the battlefield - a precious opening for the rangers to make their breakthrough.