The Llywellyn Chronicle: Dark Duty - Part II

12 January 1983
How he was talked into actually leading this operation was beyond Davyd Llywellyn. No. That was not entirely true. It was that bastard Brigadier Richards and his blood-freezing stare. Now, Llywellyn found himself promoted to Captain and in charge of the Wraiths – a Welsh special operations unit – for Operation Asp.

"Black Team is in position now, sir," said the sergeant looking through the night-vision binoculars, crouched next to him.

Llywellyn peeked over the hill as if to confirm this with his own eyes. Though at a distance of five hundred metres, trying to pick out details with the unaided eye was an exercise in futility.

"It’s about time," Llywellyn whispered. "Signal Red Team to take aim at these coordinates." Llywellyn doled the numbers out, one by one, ensuring that they were understood by having Red Team repeat them back. Once they were confirmed, Llywellyn began slithering down the hill they were situated on, not waiting for the sergeant.

"Where to, Captain?" Llywellyn’s partner asked in a nearly inaudible whisper at his shoulder; he had caught up most efficiently and was pacing Llywellyn. Ignoring the man, Llywellyn led them swiftly through the grounds, utilizing the trees for cover. A patrol chopper sent them into the shadows twice along the way, but it was loud enough that they had plenty of time to conceal themselves once they had heard it. When they reached their destination, Llywellyn signalled for a halt.

"Assemble the rifle, Sergeant."

"Yes, sir."

Taking the headset from his partner, Llywellyn settled into position. The sergeant finished his assembly work and assumed a prone firing position as Llywellyn commanded readiness acknowledgments from his teams one last time. He checked his chrono.

"Red Team, stand ready to fire."

Around a corner, leading into the ruler’s residence, came a line of Hummers and SUVs – the Hyperbian leader’s motorcade. The third Hummer came into view.

"Now!" Llywellyn rasped into the headset. From somewhere in the garden near the front entrance came a volley of RPG fire. The SUV in front of the third Hummer and the two vehicles behind it exploded in a shower of metal and fire, effectively blockading the target vehicle. The follow-up small arms fire from Black Team peppered the Hummer, drawing out the soldiers inside. Exactly as predicted.

Reinforcements formed up from the following vehicles and moved into the garden with alarming alacrity to extinguish the assault. One soldier, dressed in Hyperbian army officer combat fatigues, emerged from the Hummer and opened fire in the direction of Black Team, using the door for cover.

Visible through the flaming wreckage of the vehicle in front of the Hummer, and through the now-open door, was the Hyperbian leader.

"Fire," ordered Llywellyn.

The Llywellyn Chronicle: Dark Duty

26 December 1982
Deep inside the military headquarters of the 5th Division, a tall officer approached a non-descript and unguarded door. Waving his ID card in front of the scanner, Lieutenant Davyd Gruffudd Llywellyn waited for the door to open.

The room appeared to be a large office, fugaciously decorated. In the centre was a large desk and behind it was the only person Llywellyn would ever admit to being afraid of.

Henry Richards looked up from the computer screen, fixing Llywellyn with a piercing, one-eyed gaze. The other eye was covered by a patch the colour of dried blood, affixed with three screws embedded in the bone around Richards’ socket. Llywellyn got the distinct feeling, as he always did in Richards’ presence, that that gaze had him weighed and measured, and found barely adequate.

"You have a report, lef-tenant?" The rank was pronounced after the fashion of the British Commonwealth.

"Yes, Brigadier. From the Wraiths in Hyperbia. They confirm receipt of two hundred CR-08 rifles."

"Traceable?" Richards’ gravelly voice carried a rising menace, promising great suffering for an unfavourable response.

Llywellyn swallowed in spite of himself. "No, sir. The weapons were routed through some of the more, shall we say, anarchic nationstates. Our support will not be traced without alerting us to the effort – an effort we would squash."

Richards returned his gaze to his computer, effectively dismissing Llywellyn. The lieutenant was more than amenable to taking the opportunity to leave.

Once back in the corridor, safely on his way back to the upper levels, Llywellyn’s fear abated and his ambition reasserted itself. He had once hoped to work closely with the formidable Brigadier Richards, to benefit from Richards’ knowledge and experience. Now, Llywellyn hoped to one day supplant him. Such was an accepted method of advancement in the Wraiths.

But that concern was for another day; today, Llywellyn needed to coordinate the placement of special forces operatives from Wales into Hyperbia. A supply depot had been raided and punishment had to be meted out. Perhaps the messy destruction of a few public buildings would be sufficient to send the message to the Hyperbian leader - his time in office was over and his succession was overdue.

Prima Refera - The First Post: Introduction

This blog is to be a series of entries accounting the goings-on within and surrounding the fictitious nation of Cymrea. Posts will generally appear as first- or third-person narratives, intended to be contributive to Earth II. While I welcome any comments, bear in mind that I am most interested in those from fellow Earth II nations.

These post, where appropriate, will be mirrored in the Earth II blog.