Ajay sat by his table drinking his morning coffee after he had updated his investigation chart. It was vital to him planning his actions out carefully, the past few days in this new timeline had taught him on thing. The future is always uncertain.
The fall of Stronghold Ratu Gadhi, the 'sky-tiger', an arms dealer switching sides! These were all instances that didn't match the line of events from his past life. The major change in this timeline was him, him staying in De Pleur's Mansion led to not meeting Sabal and instead he delivered his mother's ashes right then and there. If the past him knew of this route he would be tearing the hairs from his head.
There were also things he didn't know about Kyrat then, the people in the North were truly not against Pagan as he did treat them with the basic amount of human dignity despite being crazy. Perhaps broken was a better word used to describe him. It couldn't be helped, he had been brought on the first day thinking he was a psychopath and the 'savior' was the Golden Path. Of course he would only see things from their perspective! Thinking the north regions were enslaved by him and his army, the propaganda department was to blame for making a too glorified image of Pagan which was entirely different from his idea of Pagan then.
Ajay was glad he died then, he deserved it!
But now there were changes in the history he was familiar to.
It meant that this was no longer the Kyrat he was familiar with, he had to thread carefully. But it wasn't all that bad for him, he still had his skills he learnt from the past and he had a detailed account of every single person that played a key part in the civil war with a few exceptions, their personality and their motivations. Just like when he visited Longinus, his past knowledge came in handy knowing what Longinus was in Kyrat for. Presently the arms dealer had set up shop within the Royal fortress and distributing arms across the Army formations, his supply of arms unfortunately wasn't enough to cover all units but would at least re-equip the frontline groups and elite forces, the rest had to be rationed with the low priority areas.
"Samar and Longinus seem to be hitting off well!"
"I'm afraid the African might try to convert him into an equally crazed nut!" Bipin confided his concern.
Ajay laughed at the thought of them roaming the battlefield as machine-gun preachers.
"That's not funny!" Bipin tried to make it sound serious.
"Right! Right! Anyway I hope you've rested well these few days."
"Thank you for your concern, Ajay! It's safe to say my injury has fully recovered and I'm ready for active duty!"
"Good to hear! Because I'll be sending you to do heavy lifting soon." Bipin immediately regretted presenting too much confidence in his recovery, he had only just taken off the bandages now Ajay was going to work him hard. He had seen the way he slaved his sister's group and gulped a few mouthfuls of saliva."
Ajay looked at his chart again. Most of the people he hoped to meet were in the South-West region which was still partly Golden Path territory with the exception to Paul and Noore's places. But they were too far and remote for him to travel there without encountering armed Golden Path patrols, it needed to be unofficial. There was a chance someone might actually recognize his face and who he really was and spread it.
"Looks like in the end I'd still need to travel south..." Bipin caught him murmuring his intentions to go to Golden Path protected areas and immediately became adamant with Ajay he should not go.
What Ajay needed was a different face to go along his fake alias. But where to find that face?
"So have you heard about the Yalung killings recently, a terrible manslaughter of his victims. He always leaves behind a mask of Yalung in the crime scene and a note saying it was dedicated to quenching Yalung's thirst." Bipin talked about the recent news in hopes to change the subject and dissuade Ajay from going.
"That's it! The face!"
"What face?!" Bipin asked confused.
"Get a jeep ready, we're going hunting!" Ajay said grinning deviously
Bipin regretted ever opening his big fat mouth.
The goat was up early in the morning, it was wasteful not waking up before sunrise to begin one's daily routine. Those who say otherwise deserve to die!
Life in the Army barracks was simple and Spartan, always about doing something meaningful. The goat liked this style of life although the same ideals were not shared with his colleagues, he had the mind to slid their throats at night but proved too much of a hassle if they couldn't report back. He'd bide his time for the right moment until then.
The life he once had as a clergy in the monastery was now distant memory, he remembered the day his fellow clergyman ganged up against him and convinced the head priest to excommunicate him. His crime was being too extreme in his teachings.
-They were too feeble!-
Spending their days doing nothing but praying and receiving alms for doing absolutely nothing in society. While others hunger in the streets, sacred animals are hunted for their valuable fur, and a civil war still goes on they sit in a corner being indifferent.
-They are the biggest sinners here!-
"Dhami! The boss has a job for you!"
"Oh- Ok! I'll be right there!"
"Be quick about it! We want you to take over our shift on schedule."
-Little snottish prick!-
"Yes! I'll be right back!" The goat left his bunk.
The lieutenant had assigned him as a message courier to the recaptured Stronghold Ratu Gadhi from their base on the other side of The Valley of Death. The Goat had served as dispatch in the Royal Guards for some time now. Often, it was the most avoided job because it meant traveling out without protection or backup, but to the Goat it was perfect. It gave him the liberty to roam around as he please, his home and lair were also located between his deliveries points.
Bouncing around in his bag while he was riding lay the mask of Yalung, the signature item he left behind on his sacrifices to appease Yalung. So why did the former holy man become a killer?
A vision.
One night in the monastery the Goat had a dream. Monsters roamed the mountain slopes slaughtering all in their path led by the dominant and intimidating Rakshasa. On the opposite side, a torrent of blood gushing out from the awakened demon Yalung. These two forces clashed with an unimaginable force that Kyrat burned brightly like a star, then he woke up from his vision. He questioned himself why he had such a dream. His analysis, an impending apocalypse, it was punishment for the evil that man had done on Kyrat. Day in day out people were killing each other over ridiculous reasons, ideals, greed or simply insanity.
So what could he do to stop this catastrophe from happening, he was just but one man. He had no idea what the Rakshasa was but it wasn't the case for Yalung. His teachings taught him of the sacrifices needed to appease Yalung with goat. The Goat thought long and hard about it, the nightmare was imminent, he knew it and had to act fast but what could he do?... Sacrifices! If he could appease Yalung the monster need not appear on the battlefield and in doing so, neither will Rakshasa! So the Goat sacrificed a goat everyday hoping his contribution would keep Yalung in slumber, that's probably when his colleagues started to notice something off about him and became more distant.
One of his colleagues approached him to ask why he was doing what he did, should he tell him? He asked him to meet under the roof of an abandoned house on the Valley of death, they met and he confided in him the details of his dream. But the colleague dismissed him as going insane, the Goat didn't know why but a sudden anger welled up inside of him. He was actively trying to prevent a tragedy and his colleague chose to remain ignorant to it despite knowing about it from him. Before he knew it he had smashed his colleagues head inside out with a stone, the Goat had killed for the first time.
Nervous from committing the crime he tried to hide the body throwing it into the well belonging to the house. But he failed to hear the splash from the body hitting the water, instead there was an echo like a cave. He rappelled down to investigate, the well had been empty or was simply a cover for something more significant within. He held the torch up at the vastness of the cave, lo and behold, a humongous statue sitting in lotus position of none other than Yalung
Then it became clear to him, he was brought here for a reason. The reason was to appease Yalung, to do that he had to make the sacrifice, and the choice of sacrifice became apparent from all the skeletons lying around the great statue idol, human skeletons. Therefore, what Yalung preferred was Humans. But the Goat wasn't as vicious as he thought he was, he needed to kill but only those he thought deserved to die the most, thieves, poachers, smugglers, those who do not live up to his expectation of how one should live should all die, should all become sacrifices!
So the Goat killed out of necessity and went on his rampage, but how would his kills be differentiated from mere manslaughter. The Goat crafted masks of Yalung to go with the victims, so that Yalung would be watching over the killings and know they were his sacrifices.
He was excommunicated on the pretense he was involved in his late colleague's murder but they lacked proof, only an alibi they were together before his disappearance. The head priest could only dismiss him from service as a clergy, the Goat left and joined the Royal army. Hoping to get into action and claim kills in the name of Yalung. He worked hard and trained harder, eventually being selected to join the Royal Guards but was sadly disappointed when he was posted to the quiet outpost near the Valley of Death. At this rate, the event would take place in the near future. Luckily there was a courier duty available which he took to allow him to roam the place looking for victims while he was on duty.
Coming back to the present. He checked his bag, there was only one mask left. He would have to make more, so he took the detour to the house where the statue was. He parked the ATV and slid down the rope, before him was his base of operations. A table lined with tools to cut open the still living victims before the statue, the wall was lined with pictures of potential sacrifices all waiting to give up to Yalung. He did not have much time to waste, the row of Yalung masks were before him stacked neatly. He just needed to take a few and be off-
"Hello, Goat!"
The Goat immediately turned to the sudden voice in the dark with his pistol drawn. An iron grip caught his shooting hand and a knife plunged into his chest where his heart was. The critical wound left the Goat in a dying state as he collapsed to the side.
-Not like this, I still have sacrifices to give up to Yalung! To prevent the massacre!-
The Goat tried to make out the face of the assailant but the light was too dim. Another person appeared next to his killer speaking in a soft but cautious voice. His assailant picked up a mask from the rack and examined it. He placed it upon his face, making small adjustments to fit him and walked over to the Goat.
The assailant who wore the Yalung mask crouched down before the dying Goat.
"You've been sloppy in the way you killed. I'll be taking that face from now on! Continuing where you left off. By spreading the same terror of Yalung onto my enemies!" The assailant said with delight in his voice.
-Taking the face?... Before you're enemies?-
Then the thought rushed to his head, the enemy of the mask of Yalung was Rakshasa. His person was the one in his vision, Yalung! His enemy meant Rakshasa. The Goat made sense of this terrifying hypothesis and dreadful truth, that regardless of what he or anyone did, war was coming to Kyrat.
-It was all for nothing….-
With his death, the Goat had made the final sacrifice for Kyrat.
The constant hammering of steel against each other resounded throughout the armory under the Royal Palace. Where this sound was actually coming from was the forge and the one working at it was Ajay. Under the supervision of the King's Armorer Samar and the extra hands from Bipin Kadayat, Ajay forged a piece critical to his progress in the Southern Regions.
Bipin sat waiting anxious, Ajay had taken him out to find a certain place on the Valley of Death. Incidentally there was a secret cave under the well which they came down to, watching over the cave was an idol of Yalung. Ajay said it was the staging area of the Yalung killer from the masks that seemed in production there. They waited for the killer to come down, which wasn't long and Ajay killed him there and then. How he knew where the killer was, Ajay never said. But Bipin figured he had access to an undisclosed intelligence network to find out the location and the killer which turned out to be one of the Royal Guards.
Bipin sent a report to the office informing them of the identity of the Mask of Yalung killer from the papers in his jacket, Dhami was his name. But it no longer mattered.
Immediately upon returning Ajay brought the mask he recovered to the armory to replicate.
Samar assisted in the early sketches and outline while Ajay casted the metal and hammered it. The process occupied the whole day but was making quick progress.
Ajay dosed the hot molten steel into the oil to quench it, he walked over with the quenched steel held but metal thongs and placed it in front of Bipin.
A half completed the mask was fashioned like a bushido mask from japan but shared similar aesthetics but more streamline to the previous Yalung Mask which was bulkier. Bipin now understood that Ajay merely wanted to use the mask of Yalung as a basis. But lighter, stronger, more durable and more face fitting for him. Ajay intended to wear it.
"Ajay, why are you doing this?" Bipin could no longer keep it within him.
"There's a chance someone might know how I look like and it'll jeopardize everything. So I need a means to conceal my face."
"But even so…. Why the Mask of Yalung?" It was highly inauspicious to wear a visual manifestation of the demon Yalung.
"Does Yalung scare you?" Ajay asked.
"When I was a kid, the director of the orphanage told me scary stories about the demon and its thirst for Goats and warned not to act foolish or he might develop a taste for children instead. When we were a lot older the picture still stayed in our minds."
-It's the Kyrat boogeyman after all!-
"I bet the Golden Path fighters who follow tradition even more closely fear him even more!" Ajay said hammering another portion with Samar holding it in place.
"Ah!-" Bipin finally understood why he went for this as a template.
"Unfortunately, someone else was holding the 'trademark' to the design so I had to get rid of him so he wouldn't interfere with or impersonate me later." Ajay explained why he went for the Yalung Killer.
Bipin was finding it hard to keep up with Ajay, the man was too focused on the task at hand. Rather, he always seemed to know what he was doing.
Ajay had Samar's ingenuity at metal works to thank for the brilliant craftsmanship. The mask was entirely Samar's design from the old one.
"You wanna help?" Ajay asked Bipin who was sitting around in idle.
"What do you need?"
And so, Ajay and Bipin with the help of Samar supervising the project proceeded with the ironworks until the evening came.
Samar returned from his break and volunteered to continue on with the project overnight. "Both of you get some chow, it's later!"
"Right, thanks for helping me out!"
"For you, Ajay… anything!" Ajay guessed Samar's attitude was due to the introduction of Longinus to him. While Longinus was a little nutty, they shared a common interest in guns albeit for different reasons though. Samar could talk weapons all day with Longinus and the latter would not get bored, it was the same vice versa so Samar was grateful to Ajay on this.
Accepting Samar's offer they turned in for the night.
Bipin returned to the Royal Fortress while Ajay went to have dinner with Pagan. Pagan was enjoying his favorite Crab Rangoon for the evening and it was served by a chef who seemed pretty familiar.
"Back in time for supper, eh? Patrick, cook up something for the boy will you."
"Yes, your highness!" The chef went back into the kitchen to brew up something.
"Please, sit Ajay!" Ajay took his seat across Pagan.
"So how's my boy been doing?" Pagan asked about his day as he gracefully cut the crab meat with his knife.
"I'm doing just fine. Currently prepping to go into the South incognito. Just wanna ask… what do you think of Yalung?" Ajay asked Pagan.
"Mythical boogeyman. Most of the religious hookies are terrified of him! Why do you ask?"
"Does that include the Golden Path?"
"I guess….. something you want to talk about?" Pagan wasn't so sure himself then asked again what it was on.
"It's nothing, just a little experiment I'm doing… So how's things on your end?"
"To be honest Ajay, things are getting shittier by the day! Seems Solomon-"
"Who?"
"-our former arms supplier was confirmed to be supplying the Golden Path with armored vehicles now. It's completely absurd! He didn't even offer it to me!"
"Pagan. I suspect there is a third party involved. They're standing in the background behind the Golden Path to get what they want."
"So I wasn't just imagining it, eh?" Pagan seemed to have the premonition regarding the changes.
"I don't want it to happen but there might be a reality of a war looming about. If the civilians to get involved-….."
"Well then, we'll just have to think of something eh, Ajay?" Pagan let loose his sly grin.
"Yes! I think we're have to do some about it!" Ajay smiled in kind.
"I'll be attending a war council in surprise tomorrow, I'd like you to be there to…. Add a little spice!"
"I'll be there. And I'll make them tango if you want!" Ajay assured Pagan.
"Sir, your Crab Rangoon in congee. Enjoy!" The chef delivered Ajay his dinner and he began filling his stomach with food fit for a king.
The next morning, Ajay was down the basement to check on the completion of the Yalung Mask. Looking around he found Samar dozing off next to a finished end piece which was already polished up. The man was really dedicated when it came to his job. Ajay tested the fitting and when he was satisfied he left a note thanking Samar for his help.
Entering Mr. Chiffon's workshop as his next stop.
"Oh! Morning, Ajay!"
"Morning! Say, Mr. Chiffon-….. what do you think goes with this?" Ajay placed the Yalung mask in front of the work table.
"Ohhhh!" Mr. Chiffon was impressed with the workmanship of it and looked at Ajay instantly imagining what type of clothing would it go with.
"It's time the Golden Path learns the true meaning of fear!"
Durgesh Prison was cold all time around, the guards on duty and the prisoners in their cells were freezing their asses off. While Maya enjoyed the warmth of the fire place in Yuma's office. Yuma read the file Maya consolidated on Ajay while the latter sat opposite waiting patiently.
Despite propaganda claims Yuma retook Ratu Gadhi, it was clear she didn't neither did she authorize any of her forces to retake it. It was entirely done by Ajay, from the report Maya believed he could have done this entire op on his own but intentionally brought them along to use as publicity cover. The made Yuma reassess Ajay on his intelligence. But by far the most intriguing was the report on killing the Tiger with his 'barehands'. His character demonstrated foolhardiness, planning, bravery and relentlessness. Yuma actually admitted these traits but had he not been born to that whore she would have accepted him.
Yuma was frowning more often than once upon reading the accounts regarding Ajay's combat prowess but she trusted in Maya to speak the truth on these accounts. Yuma was on to the last account, she read carefully on the final lines.
"Become king? Hmph! Naïve!" Yuma tossed the file towards Maya.
"You did well, dear! Couldn't be more proud!" The smile Yuma gave to Maya was akin to a mother praising her daughter. Maya was glad Yuma appreciated her work, she wanted nothing else.
"Thank you, mistress!"
"So what do you think of him personally?"
"Mistress? He still is rather intolerable, stubborn at times. But thus far his actions can justify his arrogant behavior!" Yuma scanned her protégé to determine whether she was telling the truth.
"Is that really what you think?"
"Yes!"
"Mmmm…..I don't want you falling for him midway." Women's hearts were always vulnerable to this sort of man. Ajay had qualities to be a womanizer so Yuma just wanted to double confirm.
"F-Far for him?! I- No! That is just impossible, I'd rather swallow cyanide than become his plaything!" Maya declared adamantly.
"I never said plaything." Stated Yuma to tease her protégé.
"Urgh!" A slip of tongue caused Maya to turn red with embarrassment.
Yuma smiled wryly at her adorable behavior despite being one of her most valuable subordinates.
"But you're not wrong, Maya! To some men, we're just playthings! But in most instances they don't realize the same can happen to them." Yuma said as she played with the little figurine of Pagan. Maya just silently listened. Yuma studied her body and facial appearance under the light as she made rounds around Maya.
"I wonder, Maya. If you have what it takes to seduce him!"
Maya couldn't believe what her mistress Yuma had just asked of her.
"Y-You want me to…. Seduce him?"
"Test him out, play the waters with him. I want to see how long he keeps the charades of 'becoming king' going with him! If there's any change let me know."
"O-Oh! Ok!"
"Good girl! Please take care of your body as well. I don't want you down with a cold or flu, especially from up here!" Yuma showed her care and concern for Maya once business was out of the way.
To her, Maya was like the daughter she never had. More precious to her then she actually lets on. If Ajay stole her as well, there's no telling what she would do when she finds him personally. His mother had already taken away someone she loved, and yet he might do the same.
"Ah! Mistress, concerning the current weapons stockpiles-…" Although Longinus had already begun distributing his arms, they were insufficient to support the bulk of the Royal Army.
Yuma rubbed her temples at the thought of their turn coat partner.
"Solomon…. Pok Gai! She cursed their former associate and sighed.
"We'll watch and see what Ajay does about this problem! He seems to have a knack for this sort of guerilla warfare." Since she figured Ajay was on the job why not see how he responds to it.
"Yes, Mistress!"
"Right, we're done for this week. Return to the palace and had a good rest!" Yuma smiled to her.
"I will, thank you Mistress. Good night!"
"Good night, dear!"
When Maya disappeared behind the door she breathed out a big sigh of relief, due to all the stress of maintaining a poker face.
When it came to things concerning Ajay, she wasn't sure herself. Initially she hated his attitude but found no fault in it but merely misunderstood it, she felt quite comfortable around him as a matter a fact. Her confusion of how to treat Ajay was what she was afraid to show to Yuma less she interprets it as having feelings for him. But it was when Yuma asked her to attempt to seduce Ajay that she really felt confused with herself. But when it came to doing it for her mistress she would of course try to make it happen. It's just that-
"Even if you ask me, how am I supposed to seduce him?"
The war council, an assembly meaning for the Royal Army Chiefs to meet and discuss on changes within the political geography. Today they were all here to address the stance they should have the army take towards the imminent Golden Path offensive.
"Reports indicate a buildup of forces and what appears to be an armored convoy amassing at several 'muster' points recruiting and gathering manpower for a major push into the Northern regions."
"What is the current status of the arms distribution?"
"Barely sir, only the frontline and quick reaction forces have received barely adequate resupply of weapons and ammunition. The rest are on their reserves and are expected to use up by next month if things go as they are."
"….."
Arjun, the Chief of Army pressed his hand against his forehead. It was problem after problem, the worst part was the insufficient arms to handle the bulk of the army forces.
"We should pull out all forces from the south to fortify the north pass King's bridge!"
"Are you crazy?! We'd lose two of the most important strongholds that gives us a foothold in the Southern regions in the first place!"
"At this rate, if we don't bring back those forces in time they'll be wiped out!"
A clash of high ranking officers between the conservative and steadfast approaches exploded into a fiery debate between the two sides.
"Order! Gentlemen, I will not have you forget your role as officers you need to uphold." Arjun silenced their arguments.
"While the Golden Path grows stronger day by day, it should not allow us to shy away from challenge! We are the Royal army of Kyrat, I think that role speaks for itself."
Arjun had always been the pragmatic sort of person when it came to situations. When Pagan had taken the crown he believed his loyalty was still to the throne, which Pagan held. His fellow Royal Guard companion Mohan thought otherwise and chose to rebel against the new rule, Arjun didn't think he was wrong in what he did. But as time went by Arjun felt Mohan's intentions were becoming more to sought the throne for himself using his wife's position as Tarun Matara to claim it as by tradition. Arjun's loyalty was also to the people and he would not let Mohan's rebellion threaten the safety of the people he protected from the civil war he started.
"Quite right, General!" Pagan came into the conference room announcing his presence by commending Arjun on his stand.
"Your Highness!" Arjun had not expected the sovereign to appear at today's meeting, all the other officers stood up to greet the king.
"Arjun!... Everyone, take a seat." Pagan motioned them to sit. While he took his seat at the chair overlooking everyone else.
"Please… continue!" Pagan told them.
"Yes your highness. As I was saying, we will not be considering falling back on any of the territories within the Southern regions. Period."
With the use of Arjun's authority to enforce their actions, the officers were left with the 'stand and fight' alternative which was anything but pleasant at present.
"I have a suggestion." All faces turned with hope towards the person who said that.
"There is a way we can mitigate the imbalance between the supplies we can allocate and the army we can support. The army cannot shrink that is a given, but we can reorganize the system such that there are strong points that supply a certain area in its circumference instead of spreading out the weapons and supplies. This will allow the distribution only when the patrols detect suspicious activity. And that ends my suggestion on managing the defense of the Northern Territories with minimal arms allowing the Southern forces to be fully equipped. Although this would only be a temporary measure." The commander spoke was Saraswati Roka. His beloved daughter and the jewel of his life.
Like him, she aspired to become a protector of the crown and the kingdom. She had initial struggle with breaking the culture barrier where women could not take up a man's job, but she went with the blessing from her father to do what she thought was right in her heart. Despite these obstacles, she was able to progress on her own to a unit commander. It pleased Arjun in his heart.
-If only she could have been a man, then these lazy twats would be more useful and respect her authority.-
Arjun sighed to himself, it wasn't like he could just change fate.
"Interesting suggestion, Captain Roka! But unfortunately that leaves many roads unprotected and majority of the forces with a slower reaction time to the threats available." Said the Commander of the Royal Guards obviously out of spite.
"I don't expect the commander of the Royal guard who sits his ass in the fortress all day to understand what we are attempting to achieve here!" Saraswati coolly returned the comment.
Sugun, the Commander of the Royal Guard grit his teeth in silence because what she said was true.
"I'll give your daughter credit, Arjun she really sets the mark for the Royal army!" Pagan said chuckling at the inner strife going on in his army.
"You're too kind your highness!" Arjun bowed respectfully.
"As for the idea of passing weapons only when needed, I dunno….. What do you think, Badala?" Pagan called out a name none of the officers including Arjun had heard before.
"I guess that covers the defensive aspect of the territories but I've yet to hear anyone talk about attacking the Golden Path in this golden opportunity!"
All the officers gazed in amazement as a person appeared from the shadow of the dark in the room, but it wasn't his guile they were wordless to. It was the mask that the man wore, with the purpose of concealing his identity and something else they rather not know. The mask had a demonic design to it, made in a similar way to the old samurai masks. One name pops up in your mind upon looking at the mask.
Yalung.
They had all seen it in thangkas as children or in their adult life. There were even the recent killings with a mask not dissimilar to it. The officers could not help but tremble before the wearer.
Arjun admired the person for having the grit to wear something so inauspicious, but it gave the desired effect to the wearer. And that was fear, the frighten his enemies and those who dared to raise a hand against him.
"Attacking the Golden Path?" Sugun laughed uncontrollably. "Someone get this idiot out of the conference room." He jeered the masked man Badala.
"You must be truly blind to not notice that the Golden Path is more vulnerable than it ever was for a week."
Sugun frowned as he was treated as if he was incompetent, but from the way Badala spoke about the situation it made it seem as if it was general knowledge. Saraswati giggled at Sugun's foul mood.
The other officers were more curious about how the Golden Path was more vulnerable, he seemed to have confidence in the way he spoke.
"The Golden Path has always used guerilla warfare on the Royal army because it had neither the strength nor manpower to directly confront conventionally armed forces, always hit and run but never a direct assault like now. But to think they brazenly muster forces in open grounds, aren't they asking to be attacked with their pants down?"
The way Badala explained it to be simpler, made the officers realize there really was a chance they could prevent the full on assault. Why hadn't they thought of this sooner?
"Personally I couldn't blame you all for missing this point, you've all fought a guerilla army for the past two decades without any other type of warfare." Badala even went to the extent of justifying their lack of ideas, preventing them from looking like idiots.
Arjun was sure he did it to prevent the army officers from looking badly on him. It brought a smile to his face that there was another brilliant strategist willing to protect not just Kyrat's people but their dignity.
"Hmph!" Although Sugun had a different perspective regarding Badala. Arjun probably guessed he saw him as an eyesore trying to climb the ranks and was therefore inferior to his noble prestigious background. Sugun was the scion to an elite warrior family in Kyrat, protecting the kingdom for generations. Arjun wondered how their great dynasty had come to this annoying tick.
"So what will you do?" Badala posed the question to the entire conference. His sentence suggested he was merely giving his opinion and not attempting to take control of them, the officers felt a little easier.
"We should attack while the opportunity is ripe, give those Golden Path bastards something to remember!"
"A chance to strike a blow they might never recover from!"
"I think Sir Badala's suggestion has a valid point!"
"As do I! General what are your orders?"
Invigorated, the officers' attitude towards fighting the Golden Path had been renewed. Arjun stared at the mysterious man for a long while, he tried to read him behind the mask but his attempts failed not because of the ornament blocking his face but those determined eyes through the eye slits. He could feel that he had good intentions towards protecting the people and was therefore a friend.
"I'm curious what other ideas you might be keeping in reserve, please share them! We're open to suggestions as it is, one more won't hurt right?" Arjun wanted to see if Badala really could turn the table on their predicaments.
"Bahh! General, there is no need to waste our time on someone who has yet to even enter the battlefield or actually understands strategy!" Sugun apparently had his own ideas about Badala, but his words caused some contradiction in the officers' thoughts, was Badala really a tactician or was it just words.
"I wouldn't be so hasty to judge!" No one could disguise their surprise that it was his highness that spoke up for Badala.
"Especially you Sugun. After all he was the mastermind behind the capture of Ratu Gadhi!"
The conference room burst into loud discussions and surprise of the truth being revealed to them. For a while they were under the impression that it was Sugun that authorized the successful recapture of the stronghold herald as invincible. But it seemed that it wasn't the case, Sugun was even more so shocked by this new. When he heard that the stronghold was retaken by his Royal Guards naturally he thought to bathe in the glory that his subordinates achieved.
"This truly is an astonishingly new discovery! Please, if you have anything-….." Arjun asked again.
Badala thought for a moment whether to say anything.
"Haven't you all felt that the situation has reversed with the Royal army and the Golden Path? It means we can now do what they had done to us for the last twenty odd years, and that's guerilla warfare on the Golden Path. Launching raids on their muster points, commandeer their weapon supply convoys to use their weapons against them, attack to drain their morale."
Badala expressed his opinion that they should think the way the Golden Path had thought for the entirety of the civil war until now.
"For now, they won't expect an attack on them. So you'll have the element of surprise."
"Sir, let us go with what Sir Badala says!"
"Agreed, he has some interesting theories! I can't wait to see the surprise on the Golden Paths' faces!"
Badala had won overwhelming support from the military to conduct any operation he desired. For the next half hour, the officers listened attentively to Badala as he explained what he would do if he was in command. They treasured his valuable opinion as they returned to their bases to see what they could do about the situation, their subordinates noticed them hard at work for the next two weeks.
As the last camp commander left, Badala was left with Pagan, Arjun and his daughter Saraswati who stayed behind out of interest in him.
"Well, I've heard enough. Take care of things for me, Badala!" Pagan winked at Ajay as he left him to the general and his daughter.
Ajay turned to them and said.
"Just as his highness says, will there be anything you require of me?"
Arjun laughed heartily while Saraswati was giggling lightly under the cover of her hand.
"Modest as always! I thought you were meant to have an intimidating presence under that mask!"
"Only to my enemies, unless you want to become one…."
Arjun waved his hands in front of Ajay to say it wasn't what he meant.
"In any case, how will we communicate in future? I know! Saras, come over here!" Arjun motioned his daughter to come over.
"This is Captain Saraswati Roka, a commander of one of the forward bases in South Kyrat. I'm hoping that she would be your liaison officer in your campaign!" Saraswati was shocked by her father's move but guessed what he was trying to do, which was keep a close watch on Badala. There weren't many her father thought highly of and he wanted to get even closer to him, naturally she thought the same and didn't refuse.
"Nice to meet you, just Badala will do!"
"Hello Badala, you can just call me Saras. All my friends do!" She smiled kindly.
Arjun placed his hand over Ajay's shoulders in a friendly way and said into his ear. "She's also my daughter, so if anything happens to her-…."
"You're free to come by and visit me in the South." Ajay said causally. He wasn't intimidated by Arjun's warning.
"Making an old man like me go down south, you sure are cruel boy!" Arjun broke out laughing again from Ajay's humor.
"Well! I'll leave you both to it, best of luck!"
As Arjun was leaving he made a quick glance at Saraswati who looked back and winked. Satisfied he finally left.
Ajay had actually seen the contact they had, but pretended he didn't. Sighing internally.
What kind of military political strife will this father-daughter pair drag him into?