Chapter 42: Scattered
*The Elyos fought far from home in hostile territory while we fought at home on our own lands. Despite this, we were unable to say when it all ended. Sitting on a rock upstream I observed the factory in the distance, there was certainly no more smoke but it was a lost point for us. In a frantic movement I contented myself with wielding my knife with my hand.*
-Are you still planning to watch them for a long time? *Lars asked as he sat down."
He had two cups of coffee with him.
-Thanks for the coffee...
- Oh no, both are for me. I have hell of a headache.
-Ah.... Do as you feel. *I say sullenly*. By the way... Where's Jessie? *I asked a guard next door.*
-I'll find out, boss.
He left us quickly leaving me with Lars.
- Are you worried about her?
-Of course I'm worried. She's not on time and that's what bothers me. I hope she is well... If not...
12 hours earlier.
Maggie's team had been tasked with infiltrating the factory and shutting down the power. Her sabotage team was the best we had, it wasn't the first time she did this, her biggest success was when she managed to place a bomb under the chair of an Elysian commander. right in the middle of his office. The bugger went to pieces the minute he put his buttocks on his chair.
-It's good, we're here. *Said one of his guys."
-Let's go and do it well.
Maggie encountered resistance at site, but nothing she couldn't overcome. With 8 of her guys she entered and eliminated everyone in the building. They then placed the charge to destroy the generator and the emergency generator.
-Charge set.
Once finished she left 3 guys in charge of making sure that the explosion had had the expected effect and above all he had to recover the classified documents left in the office upstairs. Unfortunately we never heard from the 3 guys she sent. Other teams blew radio relays to isolate the plant and its communications.
10 hours earlier
After Maggie's attack on the factory an assault squad led by my father and his friends and other young people had been dispatched to the scene. I was supposed to be the one leading the assault on the factory but my father insisted that it was up to him. Earlier in the day Aisha had followed him to the factory, he would have discussed with the person in charge of the place but I don't know more.
-I'll take care of the factory, you'll take care of their cannon. That's the real danger.
- But dad...
- This is non-negotiable Nahel. You're running out of people so I'm giving you a hand.
My father succeeded in his assault only when he returned 2 hours later there were a few things that bothered me.
-Why... Why didn't you eliminate them all? *I asked furiously.*
-They took refuge in concentric circles in the center of the factory, impossible to pass such a defense with the numbers we had.
- But you had destroyed their train *said Aisha.* you would have...
-Only one compartment the other parts of the train still work. And worse if there had been soldiers in these empty compartments we would all be dead.
Frustrated I still tried to answer.
- But that was not the case. And they were on a static position you could have used the cannon and...
-This gun doesn't reach that far and our rockets are really low. And before you argue any more we were out of ammo.
He sat down on a tree trunk and leaned back, that's when I noticed, he took two bullets in the stomach.
-FATHER. *yelled my sister.*
We rushed at him but he stopped us with one hand.
-It's ok, there are people who are worse off than that.
-Who... Who did this to you? *she asked.*
-A rather gifted little guy I must say. A true warrior as young as you.
-If I find him I...
- You won't do anything... Go and help the wounded, you'll be nice.
9 hours earlier
While my father was attacking the factory, I on my side launched an assault on the isolated outpost. It served as a fire support base for the Elysian expeditionary corps. Their commander knew exactly what he was doing but he also knew that when the firebase is stormed no one can save it. This is where I first bumped into someone strong.
-Who hurt your throat? *Clarisse the doctor had asked me.*
- A guy a little too talented to be a simple soldier.
Clarisse stuck me thoughts under the amused gaze of Lars. She was two years older than us and she was an improvised nurse. She had been treating people here since she was 12 years old. She was cute with her curly hair and her skin was fair as a mestizo.
-And you killed him? *She asked me curious.*
-Nope.
This guy was skillfull, a little too much even, his way of fighting was more advanced than the techniques of the simple soldier. But not only that, all the guys in the outpost were seasoned fighters. Besides, the emblem of this unit is unknown to me.
-By the way, do you know where Jessie is? *I asked Clarisse.*
-Nope. *She said finalizing my bandage*. I'll see what I find.
6 hours earlier.
After the failed assault on the outpost, we put the lid back on but those bastards from Elysien defended themselves well, it was normal this time and they had no reason to hold back, their artillery was still cutting us to pieces. Artillery, if only they didn't have those guns. And yet I am well placed to know to what extent possessing such weapons is vital for the success of a battle.
-You couldn't have known that the fire was going to come from somewhere else this time. *Says Lars.*
- No, I should have guessed. If this war is like Vietnam it is not impossible that the enemy uses particular weapons.
-Special weapons?
A heavily armed airship, a copy of the angel of death AC-130. I should have guessed when i saw the armored train. This thing forced us to retreat away from the outpost but we paid a heavy price. I think that altogether a thousand of our people perished on this hill because of this weapon alone. He fired indiscriminately and decimated the trees and the forest. My father stayed behind but knowing him he must have got away with it.
-So Nahel.... Verdict.
- We are not winning.
Lars stared at me surprised to see me so pessimistic.
-But.... We are not losing. We dealt them a hard blow but we too are taking a lot of casualties. The problem with us is different.
-Er can you explain to me what is the problem? *Asked Dimitri who had just arrived."
- Oh there you are. If you want I will tell you.
Our problem was more complicated than the casualties and the wounded. It was the psychological state. No one here had been exposed to an artillery barrage before yesterday and I include myself in the lot. Only if I was mentally prepared for it, the majority of the fighters were afraid, all of them were afraid of these guns, their aggressiveness in combat diminished. Unlike the Elyos soldiers who were trained and educated to face death here it was different, we wanted to live. We all want to live so no one will do suicide charges or kamikaze missions. Result each time Elysion retaliates brutally....
- Our allies will become fewer and fewer.* Fit Lars.*
Arianne was right, by dint of always winning it became impossible for them to accept defeat or rather to endure difficulties. A man who has always had ease in life will easily collapse at the first difficulty, the same goes for armies.
- Your problem is morale? Are you kidding me ? *Dimitri laughed*. The guys are ready, they just want to fight it out.
- Of course, but if we don't take care of our Elysian friends quickly, they will end up leaving us.
-That damn airship is supplying the outpost. *Said Dimitri*, pointing to the Hill.
-You see, they're going to treat their wounded, replenish their ammunition. Their logistics are much better than ours. *I explained.*
- In this case we only need to cut this logistics.
His answer was simple and stupid, but stupidly true. Only we couldn't afford to take down an airship. I stood up from my rock and dug my hands into my jackets.
-Gathee the teams around the firebase. We will regroup and reorganize.
At that moment one of our guys came rushing in to make his report.
- So... Where's Jessie?
8 hours earlier
*What happened to Jessie was different from the other scenarios. She had been spotted by some unknown means. After which she had to withdraw into the forest. In the early morning a convoy of vehicles had arrived at the enemy combat post. The Elysians had received ground reinforcement with trucks and vehicles. Only the assault group that had originally seized HQ was the only ones that left in the direction of the factory. Jessie seizes this opportunity and traps them on the road. From what I was told these soldiers were courageous and disciplined, they didn't stop once and the configuration of the convoy differed from the standards. With all these armored vehicles impossible to know where the commander was. So Jessie dropped trees on the convoy. Several of her men died trying to approach. Aaron Asamoi would have succeeded in wounding a nco and a few soldiers but he had to fall back when the tanks targeted him. Brenda and Jessie managed to sneak up the road and blew up the tracks of the Halftrucks and tanks forcing the convoy to a halt. Only the 3rd tank was intact. So Jessie got on the turret with a grenade in her hand but when she opened the hatch she took a bullet above her shoulder. Remaining firm she was about to throw the grenade but the officer came out of the hatch and seized her by the wrist. They both fell rolling in the snow. Jessie dropped the grenade, which rolled into the ravine and shattered a tree. Later in the report the guy described to me a hand-to-hand fight between her and the officer in question. I know Jessie and I know that very few of us can stand up to her in close combat so I was surprised to hear that this officer stood up to her. Thing noted in this officer it seems that despite his short hair he looked a lot like a woman. While they were fighting Brenda took the opportunity to blow up the tracks of the last tank. Objective accomplished and convoy immobilized Jessie disappeared in the snow with her team. His attack cost him the life of 7 of his men but in front there would be about twenty victims.
-That's all Jessie, always focus on the goal. *I said.*
-And thanks to her we won't have to deal with armored reinforcements, it's a godsend. *Added Lars.*
That said, mayhem at the entrance to the camp caught our attention. We rushed there and I found my uncle Omar covered in blood. He had been beaten, which means he had been captured.
-Nahel... I want to talk to Nahel.
He explained to me everything that had happened when the airsjip showed up and how he had escaped. An Elysian soldier would have tortured him before letting him return here with a message. "Tell whoever is in charge that we have your boss, so you better keep quiet".
-They have your father Nahel. Him and the others. I'm sorry it's my fault if... *He coughed up blood.*
- Please don't say anything more. Clarisse, ANO
The two doctors rushed up to us.
-Take care of him. And above all, don't let them die.
-ROGER.
I entrusted my uncle to them then I headed for a tent. Lars and Dimitri followed me while I looked extremely furious.
- Nahel... Nahel... Nahel what are you planning to do?
I picked up a jeep and put my rifle in it, then I turned to them.
-Don't go, it's suicide. *Says Lars."
-If you want to free your father on your own, that's out of the question. *Dimitri added."
-No no no. Nothing of that.
*They stared at me surprised.*
- Xhat... But then what.
-Dimitri will have you do something for me. Lars, I entrust you with the outpost.
I approached Dimitri and whispered his instructions in his ear.
-What are you sure? I mean are you really serious?
-We're moving up a gear. And take Aisha with you.
I got into the Jeep alone and start the engine
- They will learn to not mess up with Rashford family.
End of the chapter