Ravenwatch Compromised: A Ranger 8 Flash Fiction Sci-fi Story
a mission in the shadows
2042: A world on the brink. In Ukraine, covert operators risk everything to turn the tide of war. But when the mission is compromised, one soldier must make an impossible choice…
From Fiction to Reality: The Unexpected Parallels Between Writing Ranger 8 and Real-World Events
In my experience writing fiction is a funny thing. It requires a certain degree of disassociation from my normal life experience into a strange liminal space where entire universes can be concocted through the power of thought. When I record these created thoughts through the written word, I am neither present in the world I know nor am I apart from it. Perhaps this strange creative state is best represented by C. S. Lewis’s wardrobe. Through the power of the mind, we can step into new realms, and like the roar of a mighty lion create new kingdoms on the face of never-before-seen worlds.
This creative phenomenon isn’t the “funny” part. It is my opinion that every human has access to the endless wellspring of infinite imagination. What strikes me as peculiar is that there seems to be a degree of similarity between the real world and the worlds I create. For example, I started writing Ranger 8 Book One in 2021. It had been agreed upon by all involved that this story would be a contemporary speculative science fiction story that would portray a world as close to ours as possible. This ethos had carried into character creation, the descriptions of technologies and the political dilemmas the characters found themselves in… to the best of our abilities, at least.
In the beginning when I was creating Adrian Bowman, I decided that I wanted him to be a decorated war hero. I thought to myself, writing about an untold future is so convenient! I can make up whatever war I want without being restrained by the confines of an accurate retelling of history. For some reason, I do not know why, but in the Fall of 2021, I chose to make Adrian Bowman a veteran of a Ukrainian civil war. My original idea was to have communist and capitalist interest backing proxy armies motivated by propaganda and the promise of elevated status upon victory. While Ukraine was fighting itself the first world powers were conducting clandestine operations in the region to thwart the opposition. Adrian was to be a pilot who completed a covert mission despite incredible adversity, awarding him the Airforce Cross.
By the time I was done writing the first draft in the spring of 2022 Russia had invaded Ukraine. Thanks to my editor I realized that my timeline didn’t match current events and would be confusing for the reader. To correct the issue, I kept the Ukrainian conflict in this story purposefully vague. The following scene depicts Liam Kelly early in his military career as a special forces operator, conducting a clandestine operation in Ukraine. It was removed from the final draft of Ranger 8 Book Two: Path of Vengeance to avoid the confusing Ukraine war narrative that differed from real world events. I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope you enjoy reading it.
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ravenwatch compromised: A Ranger 8 Flash Fiction
The year 2042 was a year that would act as a catalyst for developing the UN policies that would lead to the inception of the Ranger Program. At the time Ukraine was a hotbed of social and political conflict. It could be argued that the country had been waging a civil war for decades, with minor military conflicts erupting every few years. These conflicts were fueled by the financial and social manipulations of both Russia and North Atlantic Treaty Organization, better known as NATO. With Ukraine’s populace continually being influenced through propaganda and coercion the nation was gradually being transformed into a pressure cooker with no feasible outlet.
Only when the Ukrainian government was finalizing a landmark agreement that would bring the nation into NATO’s ranks did the pressure cooker erupt, leading to Russian forces invading Ukraine with the support of local communist factions. At first, western powers supported the Ukrainian military from a distance, supplying money and weapons as needed. As the conflict dragged on hawks within NATO called out for decisive action against Russia’s aggression. The global political climate was beginning to simmer, just as Ukraine had been for the last decade.
By mid-2042 Russian forces had seized control of the southern and eastern borders of the country, constituting sixty percent of its territory. Fearing defeat western powers resorted to conducting covert operations within Ukraine to upset Russian strategic advantages. These operations were extremely dangerous and if the operators were discovered to be western forces a third global war would be all but inevitable. To conduct these covert missions required orbital support for communication and intelligence. The conflict instigated a surge in orbital infrastructure and all parties involved had developed robust space forces. However, the conflict also brought chaos in orbit and humanity was at risk of locking itself within its own atmosphere thanks to orbital debris.
By the start of 2043 the US, UK, France, and Germany were all conducting covert military operations within the borders of Ukraine to halt the spread of communism. In this theater of war many heroes like Adrian Bowman were quietly made and stories of many others were abruptly ended. By 2045, the seemingly unstoppable Russian advance was halted, and the conflict ended with Ukraine divided and Earth’s orbital space in relative chaos. To avoid catastrophic war the UN declared that policies to maintain orbital balance be implemented and the UN-appointed Ranger program would be created in the following decades.
Futuristic Covert Warfare in 2042 Ukraine – A High-Tech Night Operation. Inspired by the world of Ranger 8, where advanced warfare meets the future of tactical operations.
The roar of the C-130J Hercules engines was the only sound that broke the enforced silence aboard the aircraft. Six special operators double-checked their gear. A red bulb near the C-130s cargo hatch began to flash, signaling that it was time for the team to execute their jump. The cargo hatch lowered, revealing a black expanse broken up by grey wisps of cloud. The team silently got into position and one by one the six operators fell into the frigid open air above eastern Ukraine.
The drop was long, and the operators monitored their altitude, only opening their chutes at the very last moment as the dense forest canopy rushed up to meet them. One operator, the team leader on the mission collected his chute, moving awkwardly at first. He wasn’t used to the Ukrainian uniform, the fabric fit tighter and was less flexible, a product of cutting corners in manufacturing cheap equipment for a military that was organized in a matter of weeks to respond to an unexpected invasion. The team leader quietly gathered his team. Although he wasn’t a native of the country his team members were. He instinctually suppressed thoughts of failure and capture. If it was discovered that he was covertly operating in a theater of war that his country had officially expressed neutrality towards…
The operator focused in, and the six-man team moved silently through the dense wood on the outskirts of Donetsk Oblast, a region that had been the center of conflict in the country since 2014. The region was now securely under communist control thanks to a well-fortified outpost that served as a key separatist command center and supply hub that the team had designated Objective Raven. Their mission was reconnaissance. They were to obtain as much data on troop numbers, defensive emplacements, and weapon capabilities as possible.
The approach to Objective Raven went smoothly—until a group of four civilians armed with AK-47s loudly approached. The operator guessed they were separatist militia conducting a routine patrol. The four men were young, and they conversed openly while they stomped through the foliage of the forest. The poor saps were so tangled up in ideology and righteous vindication that they never considered the idea that they were being made into fodder by greater powers. The team leader was first to fire his silenced HK416, a variant of the M4 Carbine. Upon hearing the first thud-hiss of the suppressed weapon the rest of the team took their shots and in a matter of moments separatist patrol was neutralized. After a quick search of the fallen militia, the team moved on, eventually adopting a low crawl as they came within sight of Objective Raven.
Stealth Military Night Infiltration – Special Forces Paratroopers in Covert Operation. Inspired by the world of Ranger 8, where advanced warfare meets the future of tactical operations.
From what they could see the perimeter of the encampment was lined by hesco barriers, large rectangular containers made of textile and wire, filled with gravel and earth. The main entrance to the encampment was well guarded by half a dozen uniformed Russian soldiers and a T-14 Armata tank. The team leader also strongly suspected that drones were patrolling the perimeter. However, there was only one way to know for sure.
The team leader gave a silent nod, and his operators began to split off, low crawling through the forest foliage to various positions around the encampment. Along the way his operators hid sensors amongst the trees and foliage. These sensors could detect RF signals, radar and other signal intelligence. When his team was in place and conducting their scans the team leader set up a compact satellite relay that could stream the collected data in real-time to a NATO-owned satellite in LEO. When enough signal data was collected the team leader determined that, despite the risk of detection, high-definition imagery collected at low altitude would be invaluable. Carefully and quietly rummaging through his field pack the operator produced a mini-camera drone. Lying on his back he tossed it into the air and the noise-dampened propellers activated. Using his handheld controls the operator sent the tiny drone soaring high above the encampment, taking snapshots and short video recordings. The drone, too, sent its data to the compact satellite relay on the ground and it was then sent to low earth orbit.
In under half an hour, a team of covert operators were able to collect real-time signal intelligence and relay it to their command halfway across the world. When the mini drone returned to the team leader he began to pack up and prepare for exfiltration. As he was securing his compact satellite relay the operator froze, tensing every muscle in his body as his eyes fell upon the telltale flash of a camera lens in the moonlight floating in the branches of the forest canopy above him. Acting on instinct he brought his HK416 to bear and fired one well-aimed shot, destroying the patrol drone above him.
Stealth Military Infiltration – Special Forces Operator in Night Recon Mission. Inspired by the world of Ranger 8, where advanced warfare meets the future of tactical operations.
“Ravenwatch compromised—proceed to the extraction point with all haste.” The team leader whispered into the wireless communicator he wore in his ear. As the team leader jumped to his feet, he heard the shouts of Russian soldiers and the sound of vehicle engines firing up. He ran hard in the direction of their extraction point about a mile and a half to the north, just outside of the heavily wooded area.
The plan was to have his team converge out of sight away from the encampment and they would make their way to the extraction point together. With that plan out the window, the team leader ordered his team to check in via their wireless communicators. Four of his men checked in, sounding as if they were moving fast. To his right the team leader heard the rhythmic report of an AK-47. Through the heavily wooded darkness he could see the muzzle flash not far from him.
“Ravenwatch-Five taking small arms fire—” He heard his last man say before the communication was cut off.
“Everyone proceed to the extraction point—do not wait for me or Ravenwatch-Five, that’s an order.” The team leader said as he veered right in the direction of the small arms fire. The team leader knew that of all the members of his team his capture would be the most catastrophic, but he wasn’t about to leave a man behind on his first mission as a team leader. As he ran through the forest he supposed if it came down to it, he would make sure they didn’t take him alive.
He shook the thoughts of death from his head and instead focused on the task at hand. Emerging into a small clearing the team leader found two dead Russian soldiers and a trail of blood leading into the woods at the opposite end of the clearing. The sound of vehicle engines rumbling to life emanated from behind him, growing louder.
The team leader, rushed into the dark woods, his eyes scanning for his last man. After a moment he heard a groan from the shadow of an old oak tree.
“Don’t worry about me, Kelly. You gotta get the team out…” The young man groaned, clutching his stomach, blood seeping out from between his fingers.
“Shut up Petrenko, you’re going home too. Can you walk?”
“I think so, but not fast…” The young man’s voice shuddered as he tried to stand. Kelly draped the man’s arm over his shoulder and the two began to make their way to the extraction point slowly. Kelly knew there was no way they were going to outrun their pursuers. He needed to shift the balance, make it look as if they were stronger than they were. Maybe that would buy them enough time to cross the main road and get to the extraction point. Kelly stopped at the rotting trunk of a fallen tree.
“Sit here, shoot anyone that comes our way.” Kelly said as he lowered Petrenko to the ground. The man looked pale, and his eye lids were heavy, but he grimaced and brought his weapon up to bear. Just as Kelly began rummaging through his field pack, he heard the suppressed fire of his last man’s weapon followed by the louder, automatic fire of multiple AK-47s. Kelly heard 7.62 rounds impacting wood and earth all around him. He ignored his mind’s desperate call to flee from imminent death and instead pulled a medium-size drone from the main pouch of pack.
He then produced a small black rectangular device that magnetically adhered to the metal casing of the drone. With the device attached to the drone, Kelly launched it and expertly wielded the controls from behind the fallen tree.
“I don’t know how far you think you’re going to get that drone; they love shooting those things down,” Petrenko said. He was holding his own in the firefight, keeping the enemy from advancing but more were soon to come, and He looked as if he was leaning heavily, against the log, allowing it to support him.
“That’s the idea.” Kelly replied. “Almost there come on…” There was a well-used dirt road that bisected the forest region where the separatist encampment resided. Kelly and his team were careful to avoid it on their way in and now, just beyond the tree line Kelly could see two Russian personnel carriers coming to a halt on the road. As predicted, the moment the soldiers saw the drone they began to fire at it, shooting it down. One soldier went to retrieve the drone and brought it back to the personnel carrier. Only then did Kelly flip the detonation switch.
The black device Kelly attached to the drone was a remote explosive charge used for breaching armored doors. The explosion was powerful enough to blast half a dozen soldiers back and make the rest think twice about advancing on their foes.
Drone Explosion in a Covert Military Operation – Tactical Warfare at Night. Inspired by the world of Ranger 8, where advanced warfare meets the future of tactical operations.
“Let’s move Petrenko!” Kelly shouted as he helped his man up. They limped across the main road in the direction of the extraction point. They were out of the woods now, crossing a grassy field that led to an abandoned village that was irreparably damaged during the war.
“This is Ravenwatch-One requesting immediate extraction!” Kelly glanced back over his shoulder and saw the second, undamaged personnel carrier emerged from the tree line. Kelly knew the vehicle would be on them in less than a minute.
“Way ahead of you Ravenwatch-One.” The voice of Ivanov, designated Ravenwatch-Two, came in on Kelly’s communicator. The grassy field that Kelly and Petrenko were traversing sloped up to a hill whose crest was adorned by a ruined chapel. From the half-collapsed rooftop of the chapel, Ivanov sat behind partial cover looking over the field. He switched his comms to a different channel. “Viper 1-1 this is Ravenwatch-Two, over.”
“Ravenwatch-Two, Viper 1-1, send it, over.” The gruff voice of a man responded.
“Viper 1-1, be advised, enemy armor spotted at grid Sierra Tango 1353, laser is hot.” Ivanov said as he pointed an infrared laser in the direction of the troop transport.
“Visual acquisition confirmed, I’m inbound, weapons hot, stand by for strike, over.”
Kelly was practically dragging Petrenko who was barely conscious. He could hear the rumble of the Russian personnel transport growing louder. His eyes scanned the hill and spotted Ivanov on the roof of the ruined chapel. Just then Kelly saw the silhouette of a Su-27 streak from behind the hill and bank right before firing a tactical air-to-ground missile. Kelly didn’t bother to look back, instead quickening his pace to put as much ground between them and the impact. He heard the brief hiss of the missile’s accelerant pushing it toward its target. Kelly felt the concussive blast of the explosion push into his back and he and Petrenko went sprawling. Kelly draped the unconscious Petrenko over his shoulders and charged up the hill with everything he had. As he reached the crest of the hill, he saw a UH-60 Black Hawk landing in the courtyard in front of the ruined chapel. When all three men were loaded the Black Hawk took flight and completed one of the hundreds of covert missions that would be conducted during the Ukrainian Civil War.
Aboard the Black Hawk Kelly breathed a sigh of relief as a medic got to work stabilizing Petrenko. Kelly was grateful that Ivanov stayed behind, but he found himself questioning how much longer he could sustain this kind of work.
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