Operation Water Stable

*This article is about an in-universe event. For the in-game mission, see Uphill, Every Way.*

## Details

### Outcomes

**CIF victory*** Federation offensive repelled
* Wild Boar Regiment rescued

Strength|  **Sicario*** Hitman Team (late battle)

**Cascadian Independence Force*** Cascadian Army
	+ Wild Boar Regiment
		- 31x Tank
		- 5x Mobile AA
		- 9x AA gun
		- 3x Bunker
		- 2x SAM
		- Firebase Graeme †
		- Kenli
		- Uni
		- Rudmere
		- Risso
		- Adrian
		- Sneeringer
* Cascadian Air Force
	+ 3x EP-215
	+ 4x F/C-16
	+ 2x gunship C/T-17s (late battle)
	+ Silverback †
	+ Ixiom †
* 2x F/C-15 †
* 2x F/C-16 †
* 3x Sk.25U †
* 8x P.28 †
* 3x SV-37
* 4x F/E-18

Federation Army* 30x Artillery †
* 16x Tank †
* 5x Bunker
* 8x SAM †
* 11x AA gun
* MANPADS
* Jameson
* Ben Serano
* Nick

*"This is General Elizabeth of the Independence Force to anyone on this net, we need immediate fire support!"*
― General Morgan Elizabeth
**Operation Water Stable** was an operation conducted by Sicario to relieve a Cascadian Independence Force battalion led by General Morgan Elizabeth in the Salvemini Vineyards.

## Prelude

*"Launch and lift the siege. If that battalion falls, our forces won’t have enough manpower or command to organize again."*
― CIF unit briefer
The Cascadian National Guard's pro-independence elements had been dispersed by Pacific Federation forces in the early days of the Cascadian Conflict, with over 30% of its active forces eliminated during the first month of the conflict. While the military situation was desperate, the Independence Force strongly desired to maintain a regular military force in the field rather than resorting to guerilla or "revolutionary" activity as commonly seen in the Periphery, believing that this would increase their legitimacy in international opinion.

The Wild Boar Regiment, led by General Elizabeth and possessing a large amount of firepower, had been driven to the Salvemini Vineyards by a Federation offensive, with only a squadron of F/C-16s for air support. J. Griffiths tasked Sicario, at the time one of the only mercenary groups capable of sufficiently supporting aerial operations, with rescuing the Cascadian forces there.

The Solana Communications Array, now fully-operational, had begun jamming communications outside of the immediate AO. As a result, entire CIF fronts collapsed from lack of proper battle coordination. This led to weeks of defeat after defeat for the Independence Force, and places like the Aleutian Islands were completely lost. Regardless, the Wild Boar Regiment, owing to its ironic Oceanian War experience, fared better than other, greener CIF military units.

## Battle

*"Why did it have to be mercenaries?!"
"You complaining? We’re about to be overrun!"*
― Rebel soldiers
Sicario's Hitman Team, along with other aerial units, arrived to a Federation combined arms assault on Wild Boar's position, catching the offensive forces off guard with their swift annihilation of Federation forces. Although Elizabeth and some others were displeased at the prospect of accepting help from mercenaries, they designated targets for close air support. The battle was fierce, with entire firebases falling and rebel troops moving through buildings. The Federation's own troops in general received rather fierce resistance from Wild Boar, some of them unfamiliar with the General's tactics. Some rebels would take much-needed alcoholic breaks in the middle of the chaos.

### Counterattack

*"Okay, that’s a vote of confidence for the mercs! Push the counteroffensive!"*
― Rebel soldiers finding new resolve after mercenaries turn the tide
As their allied troops ran dry on anti-tank ammunition, the reinforcements neutralized the Federation armor, artillery, and aircraft attacking Elizabeth's position, giving the CIF room to maneuver, and then proceeded to repulse the rest of the Federation offensive despite the Federation's redirection of bomber squadrons and temporary withdrawal. The remaining Federation units were routed, and the rebel troops celebrated their survival, wondering if they can thank the mercenaries with tips.

## Aftermath

*"We’re home. Been about a decade, but we’re back, fighting the goddamn new world order."*
― Peter Kennedy
The rescue of Wild Boar allowed the CIF to continue fighting a conventional war against the Federation, stabilizing their territory. Additionally, mercenary forces have begun assisting CIF ground units all across the country concurrently with this battle. Elizabeth himself would report as well that Hitman played a major role in saving his men and equipment.

Hitman's success made an impression on both CIF and Federation personnel, with Federation command recognizing the mercenary forces (especially Monarch) as a noteworthy threat. Furthermore, Monarch's own wingmen and AWACS, though at first nervous at taking on a superpower like the Federation, were now more confident, especially with his high kill count in the sortie along with others.

## References

1. ↑ Sector D2 Limited. (2020). *Project Wingman* [Video game]. San Francisco, CA: Humble Games. Files Archive → Factions: Cascadian Independence Force
2. ↑ Sector D2 Limited. (2020). *Project Wingman* [Video game]. San Francisco, CA: Humble Games. Files Archive → Pilot Entries: Wild Boar Unit