Chapter 2: Knothole Force...Deploy
The Paladin, a state of the art black, sleek jumbo jet designed and built Charles Hedgehog and Nicole Lynx, now parked at King Frederick Airport started to rev up its engine and roll its wheels along the runway of the airport. Once in place, the aircraft sat on the runway for half a minute until the Air Control Tower gave it the permission to take off. The Paladin accelerates its velocity and roll its wheels until it reached the "Curve shot" point of the runway and take off into the air. Nicole piloted the aircraft's on board flight control computer to fly at the height of 15000 feet above sea level, a safe altitude where the aircraft it self won't become target for AA defenses. Back at the passenger seats at the back of the aircraft, a light symbol of seat belt unbuckled was switch on, signalling the six passengers that they are clear stand up and walk around the cabin. Elias and his friends open the air locked door into the command and control cabin of the aircraft, where Nicole rush up to gave Shard a hug and then a kiss. Silver and Elias were greeted by Harvey Who in his usual attires, a red and blue robe, while then sir Charles was in his brown vest with brown gloves.
"Good to see you again Elias. Along with the Secret Freedom Fighter. But now, at trying times like these we must change the way we work. The way we fight and even our name sake. We are not just freedom fighters now, we are...the Knothole Force. A Tier 1 Special Force unit created to fight terror that pose a serious threat to the lives of our people both directly and indirectly. Our first priority is the terrorist group called the Consortium. Their terrorist attack on the mall and Fort Acorn simultaneously proved that they are professional, highly trained and well equipped. They must have had inside jobs to help them get inside Fort Acorn and commit a bold attack like that. Some of the captured fighters following the attack two days ago were identified as terrorist fighters of the Mobius Liberation Army, the military force of the Consortium. Right now an active cell of the MLA has been detected in the oil rich region of Al Alamat. They currently waging an effective guerrilla war against the government force. Nicole." Harvey Who briefed Elias and the now reformed Secret Freedom Fighter the volatile situation at hand.
Nicole then open the photo files of her computer database, and shows a mug shot and a dossier of the leader of the MLA cell in the Al Alamat region, a coyote with large mustache and blue eyes, as she began to fill in the quick information about the subject. "This is Heidar Mahmood. He is also known as the Ghenghis Khan of Mobius. His charismatic leadership is only match by his ruthlessness to prisoners of war who are unlucky enough to fell into his hands. He has overthrown the legitimate government of president Anwar Sadat. The remaining peace keepers are struggling to stem back his forces from entering the safe zone. A suspected arms dealer that was under protection of Royal Acorn Intelligence Agency was kidnapped from his safe house and is now being held at Heidar Mahmood's stronghold in the city of Arbala." Nicole then shows the the photo she snatched from the Royal Acorn Intelligence Agency. A Mobian weasel with a bowler and a pair of glasses, then she shows the map of an area the city of Arbala where the weasel is suspected to be held and finally a satellite photo to show the team how difficult are the streets of Arbala. The city itself is like a maze with more roads for walking than driving, the walkways with stairs for different elevation represent challenging pathways and narrow houses.
Elias raised his hand up to ask Nicole an important question, "What kind opposition are we facing?" Nicole then gave them a quick and frank answer, "You'll be facing militias armed with modern weapons and equipment, they have chocolate chip desert camouflage, they have AKs assault rifles, PKs light machine guns, RPG7V2 rocket launchers, and the area you'll infiltrate have a T72 tank on patrol. Also be careful with enemy machine gun nest and other infantry threats." Nicole's answer was more than enough to let them know that their enemies aren't just simple terrorists, they are an army with formal organization and disciplined fighters. Harvey Who finished the briefing with a clear reminder of what will happen to the team should they get capture by enemy or what will happen if their mission is a failure. Either that the kingdom's only hope of vanquish the terrorist threat will be extinguish, or the only lead to know the terrorist's weaponry and their leaders will gone forever.
"We still have 12 hours of flight until we came into Al Alamat's beach,, that's where you'll parachuted in. Until then i suggest that you better prepare your weapons and equipment. Go to sir Charles, he'll provide you with all the necessary gears that you'll need. But the rest of the skills and experience that required to defeat our foes, you will have to hone them in combat." Elias of course felt the burden of the leader of his team but the same time his kingdom. And so he brought his team upstairs to sir Charles's workshop. There sir Charles first gave them their new and improved watch/ communicator/ Strategic Mission Interface, their night vision goggles with multi vision upgrades, their new combat suits designed to let operate them easily in the hot desert environment. But the most important part of their gears is of course their weapons. Sir Charles reveals to them the armory on board the plane, which of course is sealed behind secured concrete doors that can only be open with Nicole's authorization. Inside the armory, there are modern assault rifles, light machine guns, sub machine guns, sniper rifle, carbines, shotguns, pistols, grenade types as well as attachments for each weapons. There are also camouflage paint scheme for the team to perfectly blend in with their environments.
The Knothole Force strike team geared up for their first mission as Tier 1 Special Forces, the atmosphere for them was tense, for they have never executed an assignment quite like this before. Although they did stop Naugus from take over the minds of the Council of Acorn, but this mission is something of much higher danger and even more serious threats to their lives than ever before.
But while then, in Al Alamat's capital city, Marawat, the wise, benevolent leader, president Anwar Sadat was tied to a chair in his own palace. The room where he was held was dark, there were only a table in front of him and a light bulb to keep the room barely lit. Then came a deep, male voice, it Heidar Mahmood, "El ta teir de hulium hamar de humilomet. (I met with your cabinets this morning, Mr. President.) Mo tom mo de mun kel al du wunnian. Namde de how we ar de havir. (Most were obliging. Others...well, we settle our differences.)" Mahmood's spills fear and anarchy into the heart of Sadat, he knew that a brutal person like Heidar Mahmood would kill anybody who stands in his way. "Ekber de taef? Keif? (What did you do to them? How?). Lenal fak kemin touf...(I've know you since we were...)" The wise's president words were cut short by the one's of the possibly childhood friend, now ruthless dictator Mahmood. "Ahhh-hhhh. Belek dukir de akmun Sadat. (Your country is burning Sadat.) Munut dukaiel de bujun. Wulut de saef de hakmin da bujuf. Wule hakmun tu dine nujun. "Your troops are dying. The peacekeepers are outmatched. Your government doesn't even exist anymore."
"Mael al de hawin, mael el dejif. (I will not cooperate with terrorists.)" But as hard as President Sadat held his defiance toward Mahmood, words alone isn't enough to stop a brutal dictator. Soon Sadat was taken out of the room, out to the bright light of the square in his presidential palace. In front of Sadat's eyes were troops of Mahmood, they were highly trained, armed with modern day tanks, helicopters, gunships,...A fully loaded army who have no problem with brushing a side the peacekeepers and Sadat's loyalists. On the balcony of Sadat's office, Mahmood comes fourth and proclaimed his speech to his troops. "Lettel aham nef shuf! (Let no one question my patriotism!) Taktal heiel wundu di am! (Together we shall built a powerful nation!) Dam danel kimnar wadi maam! (But outside force dare to question my authority!) Du ree no kafer de am no uwi! (They seek to isolate us, cut us off from the outside world!) Hem du nuriam duri um dumaya kimana? (How many of your wives and children must die to their embargos?) Kamtenun fesher al farun. (Our country is suffering at their hands.) Jari de buri an daba khun! Yambun naja al rahi, dera tek khone rokhala! (Their coalition breed slavery! But we shall not be enslave!) An jemun de tenher al mer! (This is my answer to their demands!)" Mahmood's executioner came to Sadat with a pistol pointing at the president's head, and pull the trigger, splattering the president's head on the ground, leaving his body lying lifeless.
