I canned the original version due to a variety of reasons but mainly because I had written several points I just could not figure out how to finish along with coming to hate some of the points. So instead of sitting on an unfinished story I scrapped it all and restarted.
A Follower of the Warrior Monk: Rewritten
Chapter One: The Crossing
September 23rd, 2021, Ukraine, 200KM South Of Kiev, II MEF, Lieutenant Joseph Kowalski
The Dnieper was laid out before them, a pontoon bridge connected the 82nd's bridgehead to the II MEF and its accompanying Ukrainian and NATO forces. So far the Russian military had yet to respond to their successful crossing south of Kiev after several months of the stalemate. Lieutenant Kowalski awaited his platoon's turn to cross. They were sitting atop tanks and APCs of the 1st Tank Brigade of Ukraine who were to cross with his men. It was slow going with designated groups only being allowed to cross after the previous one and any hint of an attack on the other side would halt crossing attempts.
"Group Twelve! Move across the bridge to point six-four!" the T-84 he was sitting upon fired up. It was still a bit odd for him to be sitting on hull of a Ukrainian MBT. Six months was the difference between sitting on a FOB in Afghanistan bored out of his mind and partaking in the largest military operation since Barbarossa. Two platoons of US Marines, one T-84 Oplot-M, three T-84 Oplots, four BMP-2s, and a pair of ZSU-23 Shilkas started their way across the pontoon bridge. The T-84's commander, a Major Illya Kosh called up through the open hatch, "Keep an eye out for those damned robot tanks!"
The Uran-9 has been a pain in the ass since Russian troops rolled out of Donbass and the Crimea. It was a far cry from subpar performing one seen in Syria. Already it had required new tactics by armored forces throughout NATO. Russian forces when retreating loved to set them up in the oddest spots, it didn't matter if it was an expensive platform if the damn thing knocked out four tanks before dying. Not even in friendly territory were they safe without electronic warfare teams. Kowalski had already fought several in newly reclaimed territory and he couldn't wait for the Russians to run out of them. He knew most of NATO felt the same.
"Don't worry Kosh, our boys scoured every inch of this stretch overnight," he could just make out the hidden American paratroopers on the Russian held side of the Dnieper. 82nd Airborne troops had spent the better part of the night securing their side while engineers worked overtime to get the bridge done. It shocked everyone that the Russians had yet to respond to the crossing. Once the initial shock of the invasion had worn off and the battleline in Ukraine had been set at the Dnieper it was assumed offensives would have to be done in the north out of the Baltics or Poland. Perhaps the VVS in Ukraine had been whittled down to nothing.
Unfortunately for Kowalski's thoughts and the expectations of everyone, the VVS appeared. The shouting started at the rear with the Shilkas as the convoy reached the center of the pontoon bridge. Soon though it engulfed the entire convoy, "Contacts to the south! Fast and low!" He hopped off the tank and loaded his rifle. Five black dots to the south were growing fast. It was the worst possible situation for them to be caught in, in the middle of a pontoon bridge with low flying aircraft bearing down on them. No cover and no where to run, they could only stand and fight.
Every vehicle on the bridge turned their turrets to face the now clearly identified Frogfoots. Chaff spewed out the back of them as the Shilkas opened fire. One Frogfoot burst into flames and crashed into the river, four to go. Soon enough his skull rattled as the T-84s opened fire followed by the BMP-2s. It wasn't enough however, the Frogfoots released their rocket pods, striking the entirety of the convoy and sending them all into the river. Despite his training Kowalski panicked and found himself sinking unable to swim upwards, a T-84 passed him and hooked him via his rifle sling. A few more seconds of struggling were all he managed before falling unconscious.
Time Unknown, Location Unknown, USMC-Ukrainian Army Force, Lieutenant Joseph Kowalski
Death was odd, he woke up on a river bank hacking up water alongside the others. They were no longer on the Dnieper once he looked around, there wasn't enough vegetation or soldiers. Oddly enough the Ukrainian army vehicles were scattered along the bank, upright and dry unlike the infantry. He shouted out, "Delta Platoon form up on Major Kosh's tank!" A variety of replies along with people furthering his request answered him. He grabbed a hold on Kosh's tank and hoisted himself up to bang on the hatch, "Kosh, it's me, Kowalski! Open up!"
It took a moment but the hatch flung open to reveal the bewildered and dry Ukrainian. Kosh looked around before speaking, "My idea of hell was different." He laughed at the man's response before getting serious, "Any idea where were at? My phone is to..." he pulled his phone out to find it damp from his clothing but still working. Instead of having taken a dunk in the Dnieper it was like it'd been stuffed into a wet pocket momentarily. Kosh was just as bewildered as him at the phone. Regardless of it's apparent survival he opened the map app on it where a message popped up saying it was unable to find his location. Instead it directed him to his last known location, a few miles west of the Dnieper. He cursed the phone and stowed it.
A cough came from behind him, the entirety of Delta Platoon was assembled before Kosh's tank. He wasn't sure what to do seeing as they were no longer within sight of allied forces. Though it would be prudent to establish security, "First and Second squads set up a perimeter. Third go scout and find us a road, Fourth and Fifth go around and check up on people, find Lieutenant Sutherland as well." The marines nodded and started to disperse when a loud growl engulfed the riverbank. A trio of large black bears with bones sticking out slowly lurched out of the tree line. One of his marines spoke, "Yo, the fuck are those!?"
"Fuck if I know marine, shoot them!" the entire platoon as well as Kosh fired on the critters. They broke into a sprint torwards the convoy only to be cut down in seconds as the BMPs and other tanks joined in. He was about to order someone to investigate when the bodies disintegrated into dust. "Giant Black Bears with bone armor and red eyes, what kind of fucking X-files shit is this?" the words from a sergeant garnered a few laughs while the rest eyed the tree line.
Kowalski changed his orders, "First and Second set up a perimeter and find Lieutenant Sutherland. The rest of you find a road, if you see any more of them things fall back to here. Check in every twenty minutes till you find a road or more bears." The three scouting squads were out of sight before he could turn around. He asked Kosh what his fuel was like, "We're all topped off plus what we have in the racks can go about four hundred klicks before we need to find supplies." He nodded, hopefully they could find supplies or at least some used cooking oil and a conversion kit. Kosh buttoned down into his tank with barely a word leaving him alone.
Their situation wasn't great, no allies in radio range, no supply lines, some freaky wildlife, and a lack of Russian aircraft. The last bit wasn't great either but at least it'd confirm they were alive and not in a weird purgatory. Kowalski didn't think they were dead despite some oddities like his phone and the Ukrainian vehicles being dry. Just to be sure he jumped off the T-84 and kicked the track, hard. Assuming pain didn't exist outside of hell and life they weren't dead. Him prancing for a second trying to ease the pain allowed Sutherland to sneak up on him, "Joe, where the hell are we?"
He shrugged and asked Sutherland how his men were, "We're all accounted for as well as the convoy. Seems like all of Major Kosh's men are here as well." All things considered they were in a good spot, while not quite an M1A3 or T-14 the T-84 was a formidable foe and BMP-2s weren't anything to scoff at. Combined with two platoons of fresh US Marines and a platoon of Ukrainian infantry that have fought the Russians for years meant they could bring the pain. It was just a matter of their supplies lasting. "Rich go get your men to set up a perimeter with mine. I've sent some scouts out so we should have an idea of where we're at soon." Sutherland left him to his own devices. The Ukrainians had Kosh to lead them, the Americans not so much. Both him and Sutherland were twenty-one, served the same years, and held the same rank. They'd need to figure something out eventually, he'd be fine with letting Kosh do everything seeing as the man was the equivalent of an American Major. On the other hand if he was selected to act as the liaison to Kosh then he would.
His radio crackled, "Delta Lead this Is Delta 5-1. We found a dirt road, requesting permission to advance down it and look for signs." Kowalski cleared them to do so, hopefully they had somehow just magically went down stream a hundred miles or so and everyone washed up within walking distance of one another. Kosh popped his hatch open, "Officers! Get up here!" Alongside himself and Sutherland were two Ukrainians. "Either of you Americans heard of a place called Mistral?" He looked to Rich who shrugged and motioned for him to answer, "Never heard of a place called that, just the French MANPAD." One of Kosh's subordinates suggested it being the name of a French base. It was a possibility but as far as he knew the French were mostly focused in Estonia and Latvia.
Kosh held a thoughtful look as silence settled in among the NCOs. It was interrupted by his Radio, "Delta 5 has made contact with hostiles. Look like some kind of poorly armed militia, maybe bandits based on the way they acted." Everyone around him along with himself were confused at Fifth Squad's description. Bandits didn't make a whole lot of sense, this wasn't war torn Syria or Afghanistan and even then bandits weren't that common. "Say again Delta 5," of course he knew what they said but maybe something got lost in the transmission. "Confirmed that hostiles are bandits not militia. Tribal markings and tactics confirm it," he told the three squads to return to them. Both Rich and the Ukrainians were silent. Wherever the hell they ended up was an odd place.
It took the three squads roughly half an hour to get back to them. They brought one of the bodies and the captured weapons to prove that they had fought bandits. Sergeant Vance explained the events, "One of my boys had to take a piss so we covered him. Guess these Billy Badasses thought they'd jump him and didn't see us." He picked up a one of the weapons, a large bore revolver. It held a three round cylinder and the bullets themselves were something else. Two were a cherry red color and looked like a crystal while the other was just plain lead.
"Did they get any shots off?" Vance shook his head. Kowalski inserted one of the red bullets and aimed at a tree. When he pulled the trigger there was a sizable hole in the tree after a small explosion. He looked at the revolver, it had barely kicked despite the result. "Did anyone follow you?" Vance shook his head. Kosh spoke, "We can travel four-hundred kilometers before needing fuel and we're in territory with firearms that can punch through my BMPs. I suggest we move before those bandit's friends come looking for them." Everyone agreed with Kosh. Wherever they were was just as dearly as Ukraine. It didn't take him long to set the roles, "Captain Kravets and his platoon will act as our scouting force while the Americans will guard our vehicles. I don't want one of these weapons getting near us until we can regroup with NATO or Ukrainian forces, if that's even possible."
Sunset, Location Unknown, USMC-Ukrainian Force, Lieutenant Joseph Kowalski
They'd put a fair distance between them and their point of origin. Kravet's and his men had scouted out a town to their East while the main force had set up camp on a hilltop. Without supply lines their vehicles couldn't be refueled but Kravets had noted the town held a gas station yet couldn't discern if it held diesel or not. It was something they'd need to scout out come morning. He was digging his own little hole in the meantime. Kowalski and his platoon were given first watch followed by Sutherland and then Kravets. They hadn't ran into any more bandits though there was evidence of them in the form of a looted horse drawn cart with the occupants dead and horses missing.
The other threat, the black bears were more of an issue, though after running into a vaguely wolf looking one the Ukrainians has started calling them demons. It was like they were attracted to the group. Attacks had subsisted later on in the day but before that it was a real concern they'd be out of ammo within a few days. The lack of contact with NATO, Ukraine, or even Russia was starting to concern everyone. Surely by now someone would've noticed the force via satellites or aircraft, they had stayed out in the open hoping to be seen but no aircraft had flown over.
"What the hell happened to the moon!?" His head shot up, the moon was shattered. The camp came alive with the news. He heard Kosh yell for everyone to quiet down and call for the officers. A tent had been set up against the side of his T-84, large enough for cot and the officers to gather. Kosh started the meeting, "Gentlemen, I don't think we're on Earth anymore. At first I thought maybe we somehow washed up much farther south but the lack of NATO or Russian transmissions combined with the moon and wildlife have made it evidently clear we are no longer on our world." A general agreement with the statement went around the tent. He couldn't argue with it, now the question was where exactly they had ended up.
"Kravets," the man's body stiffened, "I want you to take a squad of Americans along with a squad of your men and enter the town. Try and find a local that'll speak with you." Kosh looked at the rest of them, "Keep alert the rest of you. We no longer have allies, supplies, or support and our situation will deteriorate until we can find this city of Mistral where hopefully the local government can help us." They all nodded and saluted the Major with his silent dismissal. He didn't say much to his men but the news spread quick. A few of his own asked him about it and he told them what Kosh had said. Some were disheartened while others didn't seem to be affected. For Kowalski he didn't really care, he was single and an only child and while he would miss his parents he had already made peace with never seeing them again after being deployed to Ukraine. His only goal now was to ensure he and his men survived, no more worrying about Uran-9 ambushes or Russian artillery. He finished digging his firing hole and slipped into it for his watch.
Morning, Location Unknown, USMC-Ukrainian Force, Sergeant Charles Vance
Vance yawned as they strolled down the road. Captain Kravets was leading his squad and a squad of Ukrainians into the town. The night had been uneventful which was good as an attack might've scared the locals. A few marines claimed to have woken up to voiced but Vance hadn't heard anything. It could've been bandits possibly but they'd have to be incredibly dumb to try anything. His mental wandering was cut short as Kravets told them to be on alert.
The town was surrounded by a stone wall about ten feet in height and no more than two feet thick. The locals were thankfully human like them instead of weird aliens. Unfortunately the locals seemed a bit skittish, like they thought the Ukrainians and Americans were trouble. Kravets however wasn't going to be deterred and asked the first person not to shy away something in Ukrainian. He got a blank stare in return resulting in Vance stepping up, he spoke slowly unsure if the girl would understand English any better. He asked them where Mistral was and if they had diesel. Unlike Kravets they understood him but she was almost hostile in answering, "Mistral is to the east and we don't have any diesel for your Atlesians to steal."
"Atlesians? Lady I don't know what the hell that means. I just need some diesel for my ride," despite his words the woman held strong in her stance that they were 'Atlesians' trying to steal fuel under false pretenses. He shared a look with Kravets who handed him a slip of paper with questions written by Kosh. "Alright lady you can keep your diesel but I do have some important questions," when it came to the diesel he'd just wander over to the station and look for the nozzle, if they had one. He looked at the paper, "Where is this Mistral place? How far to it from here?" The answer dismayed both him and Kravets, to the east and at least a few days of walking. That was far out of range of their vehicles without refueling.
"You guys have any problems with bandits?" If the woman wasn't skittish before she was now. She quickly answered no and walked off. Kravets laughed a little bit, "Does Ukraine have trouble with Russians? No!" Even Vance could appreciate the joke. It appeared with their question about bandits had spooked all the nearby locals who spread the word. Everyone Vance tried to talk to shied away or told them to leave. At the last person to turn them away Kravets spoke a little louder than he usually did, "Let's check the station for diesel. I'd like for our vehicles to be able to move in a fight." It took Vance a few seconds to realize what he was doing. He wanted to draw the bandits out and cut them down. Considering they had tried to jump one of his men without checking for others it would likely be a slaughter.
Still they did have to check the station since the locals were unhelpful. It was just a little two pump outpost which didn't surprise him with the lack of vehicles. If it even had diesel he wouldn't bet more than a hundred gallons in the best circumstances. When they got to the station they heard an engine start up behind them. A man on a dirt bike shot past them in the direction the women had pointed torwards earlier when discussing Mistral. If his guess was worth anything they would have company soon enough. Kravets ordered them back to the camp after a quick look showed no diesel pumps.
Shortly After Noon, East of Mistral, USMC-Ukrainian Force, Lieutenant Joseph Kowalski
His leg was starting to cramp waiting for these bandits to make their move. About an hour after Kravets and Vance returned their men watching the town reported a three platoons of bandits entering it. Two had taken to setting up defensive positions as the entrances while the other one had started questioning the locals. Josh had quickly set up a trap, him and Kravets remained on the hill in the established defenses. Sutherland and him were further down in hidden firing holes they'd dug when the bandits showed up in town. He was uncomfortably crouched down in a four foot deep hole waiting for Kosh to say they could spring the trap.
The watchmen radioed the bandits were heading torwards them via the road. Kosh confirmed he had sight a few moments later. All the bandits had to do was come up the hill right between him and Sutherland. Hopefully they could capture one or two and get a better picture of where they were. "Americans standby, hostiles are inbound," he gripped his rifle a little tighter as his head rate picked up just a hair. It was twenty minutes to village at a walking pace, five from the road to their position. He counted down the seconds between Kosh's last message and when heard footsteps, eleven minutes. The slit between the ground and his cover allowed him to view their legs as they cautiously advanced up the hill.
"Hit them now Americans," like a Pacific War flick his platoon sprung up from the ground. Around the hill Sutherland surely did the same. The bandits were positioned right between them. They had probably expected two well armed squads escorting a caravan instead of what they actually faced. What was a platoon sized group got rapidly cut down to the size of a squad who threw down their weapons. Shouting came from Sutherland's direction, "Cease fire! Cease fire!"
Him and his men clambered out of their holes. Bodies laid everywhere in the killing field created by them. A few bandits stood with their hands up shaking uncontrollably, one was even silently sobbing. "Restrain the survivors and look for a leader, dead or alive," he himself searched a few bodies but came up empty handed. One of Sutherland's men found a note describing the plan of attack but was otherwise worthless. Their only sources of information would be with the surviving prisoners. He grabbed the oldest looking one and dragged him up the hill ahead of everyone else.