Operation Broken Chain

*This article is about an in-universe event. For the in-game mission, see Clear Skies.*

## Details

### Outcomes

**CIF strategic victory*** Federation aerial supply train disrupted
* Federation accrued international backlash

Strength|  **Mercenaries*** **Sicario**
	+ Hitman Team
* Other mercenaries

**Cascadian Independence Force*** Cascadian Air Force
* 8x F/D-14 †
* 12x Sk.27 †
* 12x C/T-17 †
* Other transports

Federation Intercept Specialists* Churches †
* Triplication †
* *Gladeus* †

*"What?! What just happened?!"
"I’m tracking a cargo plane that was just shot down!"*
― Civilian aircraft
**Operation Broken Chain** was a mass aerial intercept operation carried out across Cascadia by Cascadian Independence Force-aligned fighters during the Cascadian Conflict.

## Prelude

*"One of the vast advantages that the Federation has over Cascadia is their absolute control in logistics routes. Factories and states that we can't even touch are pumping out equipment and supplies for them at a pace we'll never be able to match. However, they all have to get in-country somehow."*
― CIF unit briefer
Despite the seizure of the *Eminent Domain* and its usage for sabotaging naval supply routes, the Pacific Federation found a way to circumvent it by shifting the focus to aerial transport. Furthermore, the CIF was outnumbered and outgunned by the Federation's immense industrial capacity as an alliance of nations whose facilities were beyond the reach of the rebels at the time.

Because of this, the CIF had staged a large-scale intercept operation conducted by both mercenary and regular pilots to completely knock out Federation resupply efforts. Not only this, but the rebels wanted to shake up the Federation's sense of security, especially under the cover of civilian air traffic, which had notably internally stayed the same due to censorship by the Solana Communications Array. Civilian and military traffic were mingled together in accordance with Federation Charter law.

Sicario's Hitman Team, down one member again, was deployed to the Briggs Range, located in the Zhirov Air Corridor, one of the country's primary global trade highways which is famous for hosting 15% of the global tourism industry and economy. Like all other fighters, they had to avoid civilian casualties or else they - and the IF as a whole - would take a blow in reputation as perceived by the world. Multilocks were frowned upon as they posed a high risk of inadvertently locking on civilian air transports.

## Interception

*"Woah, uh, what's going on?!"*
― Civilian passenger
Hitman Team received seven Federation aerial convoys to intercept. At first mistaken for more Federation military escorts, they began opening fire on the first convoy in sight, shooting them down. Because of this, the Federation Aviation Agency ordered all civilian airliners to forward IFF data, and escorts vectored to engage the two mercenaries immediately. The panicked civilians shut off all windows, though had to contend with photos by confiscating personal cell phones.

The ensuing dogfight confused and shocked the civilian passengers, who believed the Federation's reduction of the war all along. Furthermore, with more and more transports going down, Federation Regional HQ scrambled every air unit available while the Agency above grounded all civilian flights immediately and ordered them to follow all orders from Federation military units, one of which involved descending or ascending to certain altitudes based on transport model.

Hitman Team encountered Federation AWACS planes likewise, but took them down as well and continued on with the mission. The Federation pilots locally attempted to scramble reinforcements, but HQ stated they were hampered by other intercepts. The civilians deduced that the Federation really was lying, though followed instructions calmly, with airships landing at places like Prospero.

## Reinforcements on the way

*"Ah, it's that crowned pilot. We'll show Crimson 1 what's what."*
― One of the Federation aces
Right after Hitman finished up, a Federation Intercept Specialist detachment engaged them in retaliation, in a final effort to maintain control of the airspace as well as attempting to shoot down Monarch, who had been a bane on the Federation's side.

Hitman had difficulty contending with the more experienced fighters, but eventually outsmarted and bested them. Once the FIS forces were dealt with, Hitman left the airspace before further reinforcements showed up.

## Aftermath

*"Wew. Hah, see, real easy, I can do this with one hand behind my back. Yep, that's me. [sighs] Thanks for the carry, Monarch."*
― Peter Kennedy
The international community received news of the IF's precision strike on the Federation air train, and the Federation itself consequently was forced to deal with two problems: The loss of their aerial supply route and the backlash to their endangerment of civilians. Hitman Team's intercept was deemed the most successful of the operation.

## References

1. ↑ Sector D2 Limited. (2020). *Project Wingman* [Video game]. San Francisco, CA: Humble Games. Files Archive → World Entries: Zhirov Air Corridor