The Sunlight burned my eyes as it came through the small window of the black hawk chopper.  I allowed myself a moment of peace as I looked at the other members of my team all crammed in the small chopper. It was 6 short hours ago we received our go orders back to Alberta. 
  I was still in disbelief that I was going back. Almost a year to the day I lead my first command of the Shadow Squad into Alberta to recover the downed SDU's and failed, a Subsequent mission also failed. We now know that the Europeans have sent in their Special Forces, Europa to counter our recovery mission and we have orders to eliminate any and all resistance.

Operation: Clean Sweep - 0945hrs
  The plan was simple enough deploy a 2 man forward unit code named "sniper" via little bird to secure LZ Bravo and scout the area known as Upper and lower Zulu. My Team would arrive 5 mikes later and employ RDF sensor equipment to track down the missing unit. The weather was typical northern Canadian weather, Cold & wet it's been raining for hours but surprisingly as we reached the LZ the weather began to break. The flashing red light over the side door glowed green signifying we were at our destination. The doors slid open the Ropes were deployed and two by two my team fast roped down to earth.

  With all men on tera-firma and in defensive positions the ropes detached from the chopper and disappeared into the gray skies. I had my radio man Prvt.Gunn raise Sniper team to locate there position. I was surprised to find they have already moved though Golf and are now heading past phase line gamma towards Upper Zulu. I then ordered Specialist Glenn Alvarado to deploy the RDF unit. Spec. Alvarado advised me to obtain the best reading we would need 3-4 points of reference starting at LZ Bravo.

Prvt. Mark Gowen took point as we moved to south towards Delta. As we reached the area known as Delta. Glenn Advised me of an extremely strong signal coming from the area between upper and lower Zulu. Just then a radio transmission from sniper team made out blood run cold. “Sniper Team to Shadow…. Do you copy?” “Go ahead Sniper” Gunn replied. Be advised we have hostiles in the area they look to be Europa team they are crossing phase line Gamma between India and Golf, unit strength looks to be three” I thought to myself “This operation just got a whole lot more interesting” I ordered Gunn to acknowledge Sniper team and to keep me informed. We moved east towards phase line gamma under golf when we were contacted by command for and sitrep. I advised Command we have a general fix on the location between Upper and lower Zulu but we were not alone.

  Command advised us we had permission to proceed past Phase line Gamma and remove any obstacles in our way namely Europa. My team proceeded east, below the road that was Phase line Gamma. As we reached the phase line we heard movement. Prvt. Gowen gave the signal to stop and take cover. At that moment Mark and  Prvt. Ed Denebeim cut down a Europa  trooper. Then from seemingly every angle we took fire. I raised my weapon and cut down an advancing europa soldier just as a round glanced off my helmet knocking me down the embankment. Climbing up the other side I met up with others from my squad.

  We quickly re-assembled and continued with the mission. We continued down Phase line Gamma to just below lower Zulu then Glenn advised me he had a strong signal to the north.  We continued north following Glenn equipment to an area between lower and upper Zulu. Just then Sniper team reported a large Europa force heading towards our location, I knew our time was running out. I ordered the squad to fan out and look for the unit. As ice fell from above we scoured the area knowing Europa could attack at any moment. Just then Prvt.Gunn gave me the signal I hoped to see. We located the down SDU.

  I contacted command and advised them of our find and requested and immediate extraction. Command advised us the only suitable extraction point was back at location Bravo. I contact the Sniper squad and asked them to rally at location Kilo where we would join them and move together as a squad to Bravo. The Sniper team advised Kilo was compromised and requested to move to Bravo to clear the extraction point. I gave them the go ahead order and we began our over land trek back to Bravo. As we crossed Phase line Gamma we came under a hail of Europa Fire I ordered the squad to fall back along phase line Gamma where Gamma and Hotel cross, once regrouped I received word that Extraction zone Bravo was clear of Europa activity and requested to check area golf for as that would be the likely location for an ambush. I acknowledged the request then sent Prvt. Gowen ahead on phase line Gamma to scout the area. Prvt Gowen ran back to report that the entire Europa force was sweeping down Phase line Gamma looking for us. I ordered the men over the side of the gorge into the deep cravas below, the team slid down the side and climbed up the other. As we climbed the opposite canyon wall we heard automatic fire come from the road, Europa was onto us and hot on our tails. I ordered the men to fall back to extraction point Bravo, we moved as fast as humanly possible in the wet conditions. Exhausted as we reached area Delta, I called Sniper squad to advise them we were coming into Bravo from the south and to secure the Extraction point.

  As we arrived at Extraction Bravo I ordered the men into Defensive positions. I attempted to contact command….Dead silence….just the sound the static. I continued to try and contact command over and over. After what seemed to be an eternity the Radio fuzzed and Popped and command was requesting a Sitrep. I advised Command that we have our SDU and are rallied at Extraction point Bravo awaiting extraction. Command advised Helios were 5 mikes out. I ordered Prvt. AL Domingo to deploy smoke to mark our position. He walked down the path about 20 yards, popped the while signal smoke when the silence was broken with the sounds of automatic gunfire. I snapped my neck around just in time to see Al fall to the ground in a heap. I then saw soldiers converging on our position; Europa had caught up to us. I ordered my men to open fire!

  I then contacted command and advised them we were under heavy enemy fire. Command advised choppers are two mike out and to hold steady. The fighting was fierce I fell 2 Europa soldiers attempting to flank to our right.