Chapter 5

Daud sat across in his chamber with E.D.I.T.H., the AI interface on his own Stark glasses. He looked tense, his eyes fixed on the monitor. E.D.I.T.H. could sense his anxiety and spoke in a soothing voice.

"E.D.I.T.H., we need the plan to acquire all the logistics and ships that the Dutch troops have," Daud said, his voice low and urgent.

"Understood, Daud. How do you propose we accomplish this?" E.D.I.T.H. replied.

"We'll use the drones in coordination with our Acehnese troops to attack the Dutch troops and kill them as they try to escape. We'll save the forced labor slaves and all the women. We can't let them fall into the hands of the Dutch," Daud said, his eyes blazing with determination.

"Very well, Daud. I will devise a plan and coordinate with the Acehnese troops," E.D.I.T.H. said, her voice calm and reassuring.

Daud knew he couldn't gather troops without risking his secrets being revealed. Instead, he decided to use his connection with E.D.I.T.H. to send a mysterious letter to His Uncle the Sultan, telling him of his plan to acquire all the logistics and ships that the Dutch had. In the letter, he claimed that a mysterious organization was responsible for a recent incident that had happened to a Dutch soldier.

"E.D.I.T.H., can you draft a letter for me to send to the Sultan?" Daud asked the AI.

"Of course, Daud. What would you like me to include in the letter?" E.D.I.T.H. replied.

"I want to tell the Sultan of my plan to acquire all the logistics and ships that the Dutch have and that a mysterious organization is responsible for a recent incident that happened to a Dutch soldier. I want to make it clear that Aceh is not afraid of the Dutch East Indies," Daud said.

"Understood, Daud. I can make it seem like the letter is coming from a secret organization that no one has heard of before. It will be the perfect cover for your plan."

Daud smiled. "Excellent. Make it so."

E.D.I.T.H. got to work, using her advanced programming to create a letter that would seem both mysterious and ominous. She made it seem like the organization is the one who help them take down a Dutch platoon mysteriously, and that they were planning to do much more damage in the future.

Once the letter was complete, Daud read it over and approved it. He then had E.D.I.T.H. send it off to the Sultan.

A few days later, a reply letter arrived at the decoy home, bearing a message from the Sultan. Daud eagerly tore open the letter, reading Sultan's response.

"I agree to your plan," the Sultan had written. "I fear the power of this mysterious organization and believe it is best to work with them to drive out the Dutch."

Daud grinned. It had worked. He now had the support of the Sultan and could move forward with his plan to acquire all the Dutch logistics and ships.

He called out to E.D.I.T.H. once more. "Let's get to work. We have a lot to do if we're going to make this plan a success."

On the day of the attack, The Acehnese troops waited patiently in the shadows, waiting for the Dutch to make their move. Suddenly, they heard the sound of footsteps and looked up to see a group of Dutch soldiers making their way toward the ships.

"Now's our chance! Attack!" Panglima Polim shouted.

The Acehnese troops charged forward, firing their weapons and throwing grenades. The Dutch soldiers were caught off guard and many were killed in the initial attack.

Meanwhile, the drones flew overhead, firing their weapons and providing air support.

"By God, what in the world is happening?" cried one Dutch soldier, peering through the smoke and debris.

"Looks like we've been caught with our pants down," replied another, frantically reloading his rifle.

The Acehnese troops moved quickly and efficiently, taking out the Dutch soldiers with ruthless precision. The Dutch tried to fight back, but their heavy weapons and armored vehicles were no match for the guerrilla tactics of the Acehnese and Drones support.

Despite their initial success, the Dutch troops put up fierce resistance, firing back with their weapons and artillery. The battle raged on for hours, the sound of gunfire and explosions echoing through the morning.

As the battle raged on, Major-general Johan Köhler, found himself cut off from his unit. He hid behind a pile of rubble, his heart pounding with fear.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" taunted a voice from the shadows.

Köhler gripped his pistol tightly, his knuckles turning white. He knew that he was the last man standing and that he had to hold out until reinforcements arrived.

"Show yourself, you coward!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the deserted streets.

But there was no response - only the sound of gunfire and screams in the distance. Köhler waited, his nerves frayed until finally, he heard a voice behind him.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" said the voice, and Köhler spun around to see a group of Acehnese troops surrounding him.

"You're a brave man, I'll give you that," said one of the troops, his face hidden behind a bandana.

"Who are you?" demanded Köhler, trying to sound defiant.

"I am Teuku Nyak Raja, Imam Lueng Bata, And We are the sons of Aceh," replied the soldier. "And you are the enemy."

Köhler tried to raise his pistol, but before he could fire, he felt a searing pain in his chest. He looked down to see a Rencong buried in his ribcage, and blood pouring out of the wound.

"Goodnight, my friend," whispered the rebel, as Köhler slumped to the ground, his vision growing dim.

As the battle came to a close, the Acehnese troops gathered up their spoils. The Dutch troops were all dying from the devastating raid, their ranks destroyed and their morale shattered. And as for Köhler, he lay there, alone and dying, his last thoughts drifting back to his home in the Netherlands.

As the dawn approached, Panglima Polim and his troops emerged victorious. They had managed to acquire all the Dutch logistics and ships, save the forced labor slaves and all the women.

Daud couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and satisfaction at what he had accomplished.

But there was still one ship left, the one carrying officer Frederik Nicolaas Nieuwenhuijzen and his crew. Daud knew that if he let them go, they would report back to the Dutch East Indies and they would come back with a vengeance.

"Let them go, but make sure they know that Aceh is not afraid of the Dutch East Indies. We'll leave one survivor to spread the word," Daud said.

E.D.I.T.H. accepted and quickly coordinated with the drones to take out all but one of the ship's crew. They let Frederik Nicolaas Nieuwenhuijzen live but made sure he knew the message they wanted to send.

As Panglima Polim and his troops made their way back to Kota Raja or Banda Aceh with their spoils of war, they couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at what they had accomplished. They had shown the Dutch East Indies that they were not to be underestimated and that Aceh was a force to be reckoned with.