Chapter 50: The Operational Commander
It was a bright morning in 2015 when Scott walked into DEVGRU headquarters, dressed in his impeccable uniform. He was accustomed to leading Echo on missions around the world, but today would be a different day. Command had requested his presence for a formal meeting, something that didn't happen often.
As he entered the meeting room, Scott was greeted by the admiral in charge of Navy special operations, accompanied by several high-ranking officers. The room was silent, but the atmosphere carried an energy of expectation.
"Lieutenant Commander Walker, please be seated," the admiral said, pointing to a chair in the center of the room.
Scott nodded, his expression neutral but his heart racing. He sat down and held his posture steady as the admiral began to speak.
— "Scott, throughout your career, you have proven time and time again that you are more than just an exceptional leader. Your actions in Abbottabad, Iran, and on numerous other missions are the embodiment of the SEAL ethos. Your ability to make decisions under pressure and lead men in impossible situations is something few can match."
The admiral paused and looked around the room, making sure everyone in the room was paying attention.
— "That is why today, I am honored to announce your promotion to full commander of the United States Navy."
The room fell silent for a moment before the officers began to applaud. Scott was momentarily speechless. He had known he was being considered for the promotion, but he had no idea it would happen so soon, especially while he was still on the job.
— "Thank you, sir," Scott finally said, standing. "It is an honor and a privilege to continue serving with the finest men and women this country has to offer."
The admiral smiled and approached Scott, handing him the commander's insignia.
— "This promotion is not only a recognition of what you've done, but of what we still expect you to do. You are the only serving commander who is still actively operating. That's a rare thing, Scott, but we trust your leadership and judgment."
Scott thanked him again, shaking hands with each officer before leaving the room.
That same day, Scott went straight to his parents' house to share the news. Michael and Jennifer were in the kitchen when he arrived, still wearing his uniform.
— "Hey, son, I'm glad you came!" Michael said, smiling as he dried his hands on a dish towel.
Jennifer, always attentive, noticed something different in Scott's posture and pointed to his uniform.
— "Wait a minute... is that insignia new?"
Scott gave a shy smile and nodded.
— "Yes. I was promoted to commander today."
Jennifer's eyes filled with tears instantly. She rushed to hug her son, while Michael, clearly moved, reached out for a firm squeeze before pulling him into a hug.
"We're so proud of you, Scott," Jennifer said, wiping her eyes. "You deserve all of this."
Michael nodded.
"Commander Walker. Sounds good, huh?"
Scott laughed and shook his head.
"It still sounds weird to me, but I think I'll get used to it."
A few days later, Echo hosted a small celebration in honor of Scott's promotion. They gathered at a local restaurant, renting a private room to avoid prying eyes.
Adam Seaver, now the leader of Alpha Team, was the first to raise a toast.
"To Commander Walker, the best leader I've ever had the honor to serve. May he continue to guide us through crazy missions and, most importantly, bring us back alive!"
Everyone laughed and raised their glasses in a toast to Scott. He stood up to thank them.
— "Thanks, guys. I don't know what to say other than that everything I've accomplished so far is because of you. A team is only as good as its members, and I'm lucky enough to lead the best team in the world."
— "That's true," DJ Shipley said with a playful smile. "But now that you're a commander, maybe you could ask the Navy to upgrade our equipment, huh?"
The room erupted in laughter, and Scott took the moment to relax. It was rare that he got the chance to disconnect from work and enjoy the company of his team outside of the stresses of missions.
That night, back at his apartment, Scott sat on the balcony with a glass of whiskey in his hand. He looked out at the waves crashing on the shore and let his thoughts wander.
The promotion was a great honor, but it also brought more responsibilities. He knew that the expectations of him would be even higher now. Command trusted him to lead in impossible situations, and he couldn't fail.
He picked up his phone and texted Jane Tennant:
"Hey, I got promoted to commander today."
Jane responded instantly:
— "Wow! Congratulations, Scott! That's amazing. You deserve it."
Scott smiled as he read the message. Jane always supported him, even from a distance. He then sent one last message to the Echo group before going to sleep:
— "Thanks for everything, guys. I'm nothing without you."
And with that, he allowed himself a rare moment of tranquility, knowing that, as commander, the challenges were just beginning.
Chapter 51: The Jump in the Dark
It was a moonless night in Pakistan, the kind of darkness that seemed to swallow everything around it. High atop a C-17 Globemaster transport plane, Scott, now a commander, and his team were ready for a risky mission: a HALO (High Altitude Low Opening) jump over an area heavily guarded by the Pakistani military.
They were equipped with everything they could carry: compact rifles, silenced pistols, lightweight body armor, communications equipment, and night vision devices. Every detail had been meticulously planned by the CIA, which needed Echo to take out a terrorist cell hidden in the mountains north of Abbottabad.
"Echo, time to shine," Scott said, adjusting his helmet as he checked on his team one last time.
DJ Shipley, now Echo 2, smiled faintly.
"I've always wanted to visit Pakistan… I just didn't think it would be like this."
— "Better than a guided tour," Echo 3 joked, snapping his night vision goggles into place.
Scott chuckled softly. Despite the tension, he knew that keeping the team's morale high was essential. The C-17's loadmaster signaled that they were less than two minutes from the jump point. The rear ramp began to slowly descend, revealing the vast black sky. The roar of the wind filled the cabin, and everyone fell silent.
— "Check altimeters and confirm load," Scott ordered over the radio.
One by one, the Echo crew members confirmed that they were ready.
— "Echo 1 to all: stay in formation. See you on the ground. Good luck."
With that, Scott led the jump, plunging into pitch black. The icy wind bit Scott's face as he controlled his fall. At 35,000 feet, they were breathing with the aid of oxygen masks. The mission was clear: get to the ground undetected, infiltrate the terrorist compound, and eliminate it with surgical precision.
"Altitude 15,000 feet," DJ said over the radio.
Scott checked the altimeter on his wrist. Everything was on schedule. They were flying in formation, perfectly aligned, as they had practiced countless times.
When they reached 3,000 feet, Scott gave the command.
"Open parachutes… now."
One by one, the parachutes opened with a gentle tug, and the sound of the wind was replaced by near silence. Scott looked around, locating his team members by the infrared lights on their helmets.
They floated smoothly into a clearing in the mountains, landing with precision.
"Everyone on the ground. Report in," Scott said as he stowed his parachute and checked his surroundings.
"Echo 2, good here."
— "Echo 3, intact."
— "Echo 4, I'm in."
— "Echo 5 and 6, we're good."
— "Good work. Diamond formation. Let's move."
With their weapons at the ready, Echo began to walk silently down the mountain trail. Using their night vision devices, they could see every detail of the terrain, while the real world remained shrouded in darkness.
CIA intelligence had reported that the compound was guarded by about fifteen armed men, but Scott knew that numbers were rarely accurate.
— "Echo 1 to all: Maintain complete silence until objective. No alarms."
They approached the compound, a small collection of rudimentary buildings built into the mountainside. Muffled voices could be heard coming from inside, and two sentries patrolled the perimeter.
Scott raised his hand, signaling for the team to halt. He made quick gestures with his fingers, instructing Echo 4 and 5 to eliminate the sentries silently.
Within seconds, the two operators had snuck up on the guards and neutralized them with precise knife strikes.
"Perimeter clear," Echo 4 whispered over the radio.
"Echo 1 to all: go in. Clear room by room. We'll end this quickly."
The team split into pairs, moving in a coordinated fashion. Scott and DJ led the infiltration, while Echo 3 and 6 brought up the rear.
As they entered the first room, Scott found two armed men playing cards. Before they could react, he and DJ fired silently, taking them down.
"Room 1 clear," DJ reported.
For the next few minutes, Echo worked like a finely tuned machine, eliminating targets with precision. There were no alarms, no gunshots to draw attention to.
In the last room, Scott found the leader of the terrorist cell attempting to destroy documents. He pointed his gun at the man.
"Hands up. Now," Scott ordered in a low but firm tone.
The man hesitated, but eventually raised his hands. Scott signaled Echo 6 to arrest the target.
"We have the package," Scott radioed. "Gather at the extraction point."
With the target captured and the documents collected, Echo quickly left the compound, moving through the mountains toward the extraction point. A Chinook helicopter waited, its blades silently turning in stealth mode.
As the team boarded, the pilot gave the signal for takeoff. As the helicopter pulled away, Scott looked back, watching the terrorist compound disappear into the darkness.
— "Good job, Echo," he said over the radio. "Another clean mission."
DJ gave a slight smile.
— "Mission clean, but I bet we'll still hear complaints at the debrief."
Everyone chuckled softly, relieved for another successful mission.
Back at base, Echo was met by the CIA intelligence team. Kaitlyn Meade, the agent in charge of the operation, was waiting.
— "Walker," she said, shaking his hand. "Good job. The target is being debriefed, and the documents you brought are already helping to fill in important gaps."
— "We do what we have to do," Scott replied.
Before leaving, Kaitlyn glanced at him and his team.
— "You guys are the best for a reason. Thank you for your service."
When the team finally had a moment to rest, DJ turned to Scott.
"So, Commander, do you think they'll give us a break after this?"
Scott smiled.
"Probably not, but we can always dream."
As the operators laughed and relaxed, Scott knew another mission was already on the horizon. But for now, he would enjoy the moment, grateful to have brought everyone back safely once again.
Chapter 52: Shadows in Morocco
The sun had already set as the C-130 military transport plane flew low over the mountains of Morocco. On board, Scott, known as Echo 1, stood next to his team. There were six of them in all: Echo 1 through Echo 6, each specialized in combat, infiltration, and intelligence. In this mission, names didn't matter. Only numbers and efficiency.
The briefing had been clear: an extremist group was using a remote village as a base of operations to coordinate attacks against Western targets. The CIA needed a quick and discreet solution, and Echo had been called in.
Scott glanced at his team members as he adjusted his vest. Despite the usual tension before a mission, everyone seemed focused and ready.
"Echo, this will be a clean and quick infiltration," Scott began, reviewing the plan one last time. "No alarms, no mistakes. Our objective is to eliminate the leader of the group and gather intelligence on future operations. You know what to do. No mistakes."
"Roger that, Echo 1," Echo 2 replied confidently.
Scott smiled slightly. This was his team. Faceless men to the world, but essential to global security.
As the C-130 approached the drop point, the pilot radioed, "We're two minutes from target. Good luck, Echo."
Scott signaled to the team, and they all stood, adjusting their parachutes and checking their equipment one last time. When the light in the cockpit turned green, one by one, they jumped into the darkness.
The wind was fierce, but each member controlled their fall with precision. The village, lit only by a few dim lights, loomed below. When they reached the correct altitude, they opened their parachutes and landed silently in a nearby dune area.
"Echo 1 to all," Scott whispered over the radio. "Regroup at Point Alpha."
The team quickly dismounted and stowed their parachutes before heading into the village. Using night vision devices, they advanced in formation, moving like shadows through the narrow streets.
The village was made up of mud and stone houses with flat roofs and weathered walls. The smell of spices and dust hung in the air, even at night. Scott led the team through the alleys, checking every corner before moving forward. Echo 3 pointed to two armed sentries near an entrance. Scott signaled for Echo 5 to take care of them. With quick, silent movements, Echo 5 eliminated the sentries with her knife.
They continued forward, entering the main compound where the target was hiding. Scott stopped and gestured for the team to split up. Echo 2 and 4 would stay at the entrance for cover, while the rest would advance inside. Inside the compound, the voices of several men talking could be heard. Using her listening devices, Echo confirmed that the target was on the second floor.
— "Echo 1 to all," Scott whispered. "Move in. Absolute silence."
They advanced in formation, eliminating any resistance they encountered. On the upper floor, Scott spotted their target: a man with a thick beard, surrounded by maps and documents. He was distracted, apparently discussing something with his subordinates. Scott gestured to Echo 6. Within seconds, the man was neutralized.
"Target eliminated," Scott said over the radio.
"Collect everything. We need those documents." As Echo 5 and 6 gathered intelligence, gunfire was heard from the lower floor.
"We're compromised!" Echo 4 radioed.
Scott ordered the team to prepare for exfiltration.
They descended quickly, encountering resistance on the ground floor. A group of armed men tried to block the exit, but Echo responded with deadly precision.
— "Echo 1, we need to get out now," Echo 2 warned as she eliminated another enemy.
Scott led the team out of the compound, moving through alleyways while avoiding ambushes.
When they reached the extraction point, an unmarked vehicle was waiting for them.
"Get in!"
the driver, a local CIA contact, shouted. Echo climbed into the vehicle, which sped off into the desert.
Back at the forward base, the team delivered their documents and reports to the CIA. Kaitlyn Meade, the mission manager, was waiting for them.
"Walker," she said in greeting. "Mission clear. The documents you brought back are pure gold. Good work, as always."
Scott nodded. "We do what we have to do."
As the team rested, Scott reflected on the operation. They had accomplished their mission, but he knew another would be just around the corner. For them, this was the never-ending cycle of duty.
DJ Shipley, now Echo 2, approached.
— "Hey, Commander, do you think we'll ever stop doing this?"
Scott smiled slightly.
— "Probably not. But while we're here, we're going to do it right."
Echo had accomplished yet another mission, disappearing again in the shadows as it always did.
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