By September 2405, the Red Nation had encircled the Kerman region. After routing the central motorized royal army brigade at Meymand, they prepared to strike Dasht-e Lut, one of the wealthiest provinces and its capital city. But after pillaging the city, they ceded the eastern region to Shangri-laa, who promptly began seizing Emerald League territory from the east.
The constant threat of conflict weighed heavily on the soldiers. Even hardened veterans were questioning their purpose in what seemed like an endless war. In a makeshift workshop filled with the clang of metal and the sounds of vehicle repairs, the mood was somber. An older Emerald League mercenary tried to offer some words of comfort to his comrades. Then, a frail old man with a white turban spoke, his voice carrying through the din:
"Work for your world according to your position in it. Work for your other world according to the length of your remaining in it. Work for Allah the Exalted according to your need of Him. And work for the fire according to your endurance of it."
The message resonated with the diverse group of mercenaries, despite their varying faiths.
"We may face setbacks," someone added, "but the sign of the real thing is in giving up regard for the work, not in giving up the work."
An Eastern soldier, sharpening his blade, murmured, "Letting go of desires and expectations to reduce suffering and find inner peace."
A man with tanned, dark skin added, "Working without seeking reward… from the Bhagavad Gita: performing one's duties with detachment and equanimity."
Nods and quiet smiles spread through the group.
meanwhile, Nara leaned back against the cool metal of the tank, her eyes half-closed as she took a moment to catch her breath. The chaos of battle had faded into a distant hum, replaced by the rhythmic thumping of her heart and the occasional clank of machinery. Just as she was about to drift off into a well-deserved nap, a familiar voice broke through her moment of peace.
“You know… I know you,” Major Yu said, approaching with a smirk. “You and Panji… now it all makes sense. You’re the one who defeated the blackheart and james in the Watery Grave!”
Nara blinked, momentarily confused. “Huh? You mean… New York?”
Yu nodded, her grin widening. “Correct! I was once the leader of the Rats. I’m Phoenix.”
Nara furrowed her eyebrows, trying to recall any details. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know… all I remember is we were just… like… destroying random pirates or slavers or something.”
Yu rolled her eyes dramatically. “Never mind. You were still a dumbass merc back then, weren’t you?”
Nara pouted a bit, crossing her arms defensively. “Hey, watch your tongue!”
“Hah! But it’s all gone now. Did you know what happened when Panji wreaked havoc in New York, Nara?” Yu leaned in, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
“I don’t know…” Nara shook her head, genuinely curious.
“Zion’s army came and annexed that place, especially after Tharig was dead,” Yu said, her grin turning sly. “The reason I’m not in the farms is that I don’t have a fetus.”
Nara coughed, nearly choking on her own surprise. “Sorry, what?” She blinked, trying to process the absurdity of the statement. “Uh, yeah… the Free Nation is indeed a weird one. When I was in the military and in the arena, they saw us women as objects…”
Yu’s expression softened slightly, the humor fading as she recognized the weight of Nara’s words. “Yeah, it’s a tough world out there. But you know what? You’re not just an object anymore. You’re a warrior. You’ve fought hard to earn your place.”
Nara smiled, feeling a flicker of pride. “Thanks, I guess. But it’s still frustrating sometimes. I mean, why can’t we just be seen as equals?”
“Welcome to the club,” Yu replied, crossing her arms. “In this world, it’s all about proving yourself. You’ve got to show them you’re not just a pretty face with a bat.”
Nara chuckled, shaking her head. “Well, I’m definitely not just a pretty face. I’ve got a bat, and I know how to use it!”
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“Exactly!” Yu laughed, the tension between them easing. “And if anyone tries to underestimate you, just remind them of the time you took down a whole pirate crew. That’ll shut them up.”
“Right?” Nara grinned, feeling emboldened. “I’ll just say, ‘Hey, remember that time I single-handedly took out a bunch of pirates? Yeah, don’t mess with me!’”
“Now you’re getting it!” Yu clapped her hands together, her enthusiasm infectious. “Let’s show them what we’re made of. Together, we can change the narrative.”
Nara nodded, her determination rekindled. “Yeah! Let’s do this. No more being underestimated. We’re warriors, and we’re here to fight!”
As they stood together, the sounds of battle resumed in the distance, but for Nara and Yu, the chaos felt a little less daunting. They were not just fighting for survival; they were fighting for recognition, for equality, and for a future where women like them could stand tall and proud, side by side with their comrades.
“Alright, let’s get back to it,” Nara said, her spirit soaring. “Time to show the world what we can do!”
By mid-September, the Red Nation had turned its attention to Shangri-laa, routing their army and forcing them to retreat to Balochistan. By late September, Shangri-laa had dug in among the mountains there, holding their ground against the relentless Red Nation advance.
Weeks after the initial Red Nation push, on the Shangri-La side, Light was called back to take command of the battered soldiers and mount a counter-offensive. He sighed, knowing he had no time to rest. The war seemed never-ending. As Light took control of the army, he noted the reports on enemy movements.
Meanwhile, at the Red Nation's base, one of the Wardogs, Wraith, approached Zion with a surprising request.
"Let me fight my old little friends, Shangri-laa," Wraith said, his voice filled with eagerness.
Trickster raised an eyebrow. "You've become talkative now, Wraith."
The other Wardogs were surprised by Wraith's sudden request to face off against the Shangri-laa forces. They turned their attention to Zion, waiting for his approval. Zion was both surprised and delighted by Wraith's request but knew he had to consider the potential consequences of letting him go alone.
Meanwhile, on the Shangri-laa side, Light was called back to take command of the battered soldiers and fight back against the Red Nation army. He sighed, knowing he had no time to rest. The war seemed never-ending.
As Light took control of the army, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when he looked at the time. It was late in the afternoon.
Wraith, with his extensive experience in mountain warfare from his time living with the Himalayan monks, was leading a Red Army division through the Balochistan badlands. His high-precision mortars, special troops with jetpacks, and ruthless strategy of slaughtering settlements to discourage resistance made him a formidable opponent.
“So,” Wraith began, a predatory gleam in his eye, “about those monks… they owe me. Big time. Remember that time they locked me in that meditation cave with no Wi-Fi for three months? Three months! I almost had to resort to reading. This isn’t about strategy, it’s about revenge. And maybe a little light looting. Mostly revenge, though. Definitely mostly revenge. And that is for contain me on the prisoner without proper internet you fools, then i will make your entire nation go without internet forever!” wraith intertwined his finger when look at destruction of his army.
meanwhile A monk scout reported to Light, "Sir, the Red Army division is led by a man named Wraith. His division commands around 30,000 troops and is spearheading towards our territory. Meanwhile, their army group consists of around 200,000 to 300,000 troops still far behind Wraith."
Light's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expected the Red Nation to still try to attack, but he understood their strategy. They wanted to split his group and make them easier to defeat.
"How much time until they arrive?" Light asked.
"Their army group is still around Sur Bandar, and their vanguard division is in Pasni. They are separated by over 100 km. They took the road near the shoreline of the Arabian Sea," the scout replied.
Light sighed. "It will still take some time for their reinforcements to reach here, but we can't just wait for them either."
He pondered how to stop them from reaching his territory. "Does the path they take have any obstacles?"
"We can take care of them after they pass Pasni. The valleys and gorges of Balochistan will be our natural stronghold," the scout said.
"I see. That makes sense," Light said, then had an idea. "We should fortify the Balochistan Pass. It’s the ideal chokepoint."
The engineer leaned back, a smirk on his face. “With a small team, we can modify one glider into a wind rider a day. We’re reinforcing the frames with scavenged durasteel and mounting salvaged rocket pods and light autocannons for both anti-air and ground support. Roughly a week to finish them all.”
Light raised an eyebrow, half in disbelief and half in admiration. “One glider a day? Impressive! But what about ammo? Do we have enough for those gliders?”
The monk chimed in, “If we go on the counter-offensive, we can scavenge from our pillboxes.”
“Great! So we just need to prep the gliders and wait for reinforcements,” Light said, but then his expression shifted. “Wait a minute… what about fuel? Do we have enough to move our troops and those gliders?”
“Relax,” the monk replied, waving a hand dismissively. “We’re on home turf. Our troops know the hidden passages for supply runs.”
Light sighed in relief. “Good to hear. But what about that Wraith division? When are they going to attack? Do we have time to modify the gliders into anti-air units?”
After a long pause, the monk replied, “If I were the Wraith, I’d keep moving until I captured Karachi, then methodically head north through the mountain passes. So, we can assume they’ll attack during the Karachi siege.”
Light’s eyes lit up with a sudden idea. “What if we create a small force as a distraction? A lure, if you will?”
A grin spread across his face. “We could trick the Wraith into splitting their forces by making them think we’re resisting on the coast. Then, we can use the gliders to attack them. That should reduce their numbers!”
“Lure? Absolutely! We can use our most agile units for that,” the monk agreed.
“Perfect! So, we prepare the gliders for anti-air while using the warrior monks and partisans as bait. We’ll let the enemy think we’re resisting their advance on the coast, forcing them to split their forces. Sounds good, right?”
“Definitely,” the monk confirmed.
“Then that’s our plan! We also need to secure our position in the Balochistan pass with the anti-air gliders while using fast ground units for support against ground attacks.” Light felt a bit more at ease but still worried about the plan’s execution.
“So, we’re preparing the gliders and setting up the warrior monks and partisans as bait while securing our position from enemy air attacks. Is that everything?”
“Yes,” the monk replied.
“Alright, we have a plan. Now we just need time and enough supplies to execute it.” Light took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. “Once we secure our position and set the lure, all we can do is hope it works.”