Author's Notes:

Nothing but fight fight fight this chapter.


The report landed on the desk of Arjun and his eyes widened in disbelieve and resentment for the lax in surveillance on their part.

A major airborne force was detected flying over Pacchim Valley. The AESA radars and EWACS balloons mounted on the mountainside of the S-site provided perfect vantage point to survey the whole of Kyrat's airspace. They had been installed once the commencement of the S-program began and the lateral high-technology agreement Ajay made with the Israeli officials through the Mossad agent Paul Ferenc. They procured these airspace monitoring equipment from them at the right time or they would have never known the intrusion. The radar was working as it had been intended, the anti-aircraft batteries weren't operational yet either. Only they didn't expect anyone to actually monitor the weather and attempt to breakthrough the when the winds died down.

Worse was that Arjun had ordered all aircraft to remain in their hangars. The quick-reaction force couldn't react quickly. There was still no telling when the winds would pick up again.

It was too late to regret it now.

"IFF identified seven US airforce C-17s passing over the Golden Path Recruitment Camp. They ignored our flight control warning dropped a considerable tonnage of cargo there as they flew by. IAF's Adampur fighter squadrons scrambled early this afternoon and are on-route to apprehend for violation of airspace." The air surveillance officer reported. The direction was from Balochistan, Pakistan where the Shamsi Airfield was located. A known US airbase was situated there.

"Any guesses on what they dropped?" One of the war council members asked.

"The PMC group in affiliation with the CIA." Responded Arjun, the equipment dropped was substantial so it could only be. This unsettled the group, seven heavy airlift cargo planes could easily drop a full-strength battalion or 500 tons of equipment or supplies, airtransportable vehicles were also a possibility.

"Call the Dragoons and Hussars to apprehend them!"

"And risk the unknown? You saw the reports on the PMC group. They're a major invester in the United States military economy! There's no telling what they have in store for them."

"Tsk! Are we just going to let them invade Kyrati soil?"

"No." Arjun responded adamantly. The United States was seriously meddling in their affairs, it was earning the full-on animosity of the Kyrati Military and Monarchy. The CIA had gone too far. There was no salvaging this, ever.

"Call for Badala, and point him a target!" Arjun said with a ruthless tone, contrary to his usual composed self. The war council knew he was more than angry.

"Who will support him then?"

"I've called Amita to provide pathfinding, the Hussars will accompany his grace to raid them."

The commanders nodded in approval and went about making calls to the appropriate parties. Arjun looked out into the valley.

"It's time they learn the true cost of invading Kyrat."


Ajay was in the midst of planning further construction areas in the uncomplete fortress Lanka at the time of the message from High Command. Donning his Mk. 2 armor and weapons he regrouped with Anish and the Battalion commander of the 1st Hussars Armored Battalion at the Crazy Cock Bar in the town Hubris, off Baghadur and between the airport and the upcoming super fortress Lanka.

"Your grace!" The battalion Commander from the last time saluted as did his officers in the presence of Ajay.

"Why here?"

"Because down here, none of the words will leak. It will simply be taken as wild drunk jabbering." Said Anish. They actually booked the outdoor temple bar for them to discuss their strategy.

Anish self-helped a pair of pints from the faucet. "Drink?" But Ajay pushed the hand holding one aside.

"I can't believe you still have the mood to drink! We're actually facing an invasion by a foreign power and you want to bullshit your way to the pub?!" Although it was an honest plan to discuss in the bar so that it wouldn't escape out, Ajay had criminalized their actions because of 1st Lieutenant Anish. Anish gave in and raised his hands.

Seeing Badala frustrated was unnerving for the officers of the 1st Hussars. But they'd been called upon to conduct a high-profile mission that required their immediate attention. Ajay took a seat at a table and everyone else sat around that table where their Battalion Commander whose name he still didn't know, Anish and another seat for-.

"I'm sorry for being late! I had to attend to- Badala?!" Entering the bar was Amita, she had not expected Ajay to be present. Expecting him to be working diligently on the fortress project.

"Have a seat, we're just getting started. And get that thing out of my fucking sight!" Ajay shouted at Anish who was gulping down the pint still.

"So what's the situation, your grace?"

"At 1300 hrs today, seven C-17 military transports diverted off route from Shamsi Airbase in Pakistan and passed over Banapur. Radars caught a significant tonnage of metal drop in that area. It definitely isn't Solomon nor is it another airdrop on Willis's account. Lynch from the CIA's eastern theatre is here and he's brought the pmc's with him."

"How many?" An officer asked.

"We don't know, analysts guess its somewhere between 100-150. Unlike the SOCOM marines that were only equipped to extract Willis and get the hell out of Kyrat these men have equipment to stay indefinitely most likely."

"So High Command wants us to sent a statement?" Anish asked no longer touching the beer.

"They want us to test the contractors and be off. We have zero intel on them, it'll be a hit and run op, but hit hard we will. Right now we have the advantages in element of surprise and their infamiliarity with the landscape. The storms haven't fully cleared so their GPS won't work and neither will their satellites get a scan of the area."

"What can C-17s carry?" Whispered one of the men.

"I heard they could carry a tank." Said another.

"Really, no kidding."

"Then let's load old Shami with the HEAT rounds." Some NCOs discussed their ammo loads for the 90mm cannon variants of the Ratel IFVs they have been operating for nearly two months.

The Ratels had undergone significant overhaul the last time they used them in conflict in the retaliation in Banapur as Ajay ordered.

Originally the lacked various ammunition types as well as troop provisions on their vehicles. Now they were equipped defensively as well as offensively.

The 90mm and 20mm cannons had High explosive ammunition available to them for maximum damage on human targets. Where the machine gun mounts were without gun now had them, the 12.7x108mm NSV Heavy Machine Guns from India's ishapore ordnance factory. For defensive measures, the smoke dischargers were now functional. The Ratels were initially brought out of mothball so they had most features inactive. The vehicles were surrounded by cage armor to detonate the plentiful RPG rockets that the Golden Path might use to disable the vehicles in ambush.

But the real update from before was their latest edition. The workshops had finally modified one of the Ratels to mount the unused Spike NLOS missiles that required a vehicle of decent tonnage to launch from.

The Spike variants need not be in the engagement area but with the mortar variants pummelling the enemy from afar. All they needed was someone to laze the targets with the IR designator they were issued and the missile would fly to the target. Laser-guided missiles.

"So what's the plan of attack?" Amita asked. She came because she wanted to assist in striking the Golden Path since this was the region she was most familiar with and that was the Golden Path recruitment Camp.

Ajay recalled long ago when Amita and Sabal fought with one another over the dumbest of reasons. Save the people inside or retrieve the intel. In the end, he went for the intel which was important as it pertained an attack in Chal Jama monastery. But that was then, now he was leading an attack on the Golden Path.

"High command probably wants us to hit their equipment so that they get stranded like the marines before them." At least Anish was smart enough to tell that.

"It's as Anish says, we're here to give them a mighty Kyrati welcome." Ajay grinned deviously.

Some of the men chuckled humorously.

Ajay picked up the wooden forks from the holder and the salt pepper shakers as representations.

"How many will you spare?" Ajay asked Amita on the number accompanying them.

"Around eighty, I'm sorry it isn't a lot." She looked apologetically.

"That's fine, it's enough."

"We'll divide into three elements. Element one consisting of um-." He still didn't know the battalion commanders name till now.

"Kuber, sir." Noticing his struggle the battalion commander introduced himself.

"Sorry it took so long for me to ask." But Kuber waved it was alright.

"Commander Kuber will assault them directly on the Northern route with the direct fire support vehicles and mechanised infantry. Anish will take the long route around to the Eastern side and ford the river to pincer them, while you have an indirect fire battery remain at the rear to provide smoke and mortar fire support. Amita, you and your fighters will play an important role."

"Ok?"

"You'll not play a direct combat role in this fight but equally important nonetheless. You'll scan through the PMCs equipment from afar and out of sight, marking them for demolition. Once you've done that, rejoin Commander Kuber and leave." Ajay left her the responsibility of using the IR designators to precision guide the missiles to destroy their supplies and vital equipment. They would have to teach her and her men along the way.

"What will you be doing?"

"I'll be at the heart of it, lighting flares at their locations for you to mark. So keep and eye out for them cause they'll do every thing to blow them out. They're familiar with this sort of stuff." Ajay was going right into the hornet's nest to visibly indicate the critical weapons areas for Amita's forces to mark.

"Understood, we'll try our best."

"Your grace, that would mean you're going into heavy enemy concentration! I must protest!" Kuber worried for his wellbeing, like the last time he did when they levelled Varshakot.

Ajay ignored his comment and stood up, facing all the officers, Royal army and Tigers. Seven hundred men assembled in front at the moment to listen to his words.

"Men, never in a thousand years has a foreign power set foot in Kyrat. The CIA has meddled here for too long and have become overly-ambitious and arrogant, to think they can ignore legitimate border jurisdictions. Our responsibility is to remind them who's country this is. Spare none and hold nothing back. They're mercenaries, paid by the coin to ravage the lands at a client's beck and call. No International law protects them! They've earned every right to be trampled upon the moment their boots touched Kyrati soil! So follow me and for the first time in generations, be the first to fulfil your duty as Kyratis-… united as one!"

The soldiers and fighters alike let out a war cry that shook the foundations of the old temple and the mountains filled with snow trembled.

Kyra had called upon her children to repel the foreign aggressor.


The CNS operatives had spent their first day in this haven behind the Himalayas called Kyrat. Almost all of the operatives had never even heard of this place until their briefing on the plane by Dominic a.k.a Field Commander Crow.

The containers that were used to store their equipment and them during the drop were reused as shelter as they re-arranged them to form pre-fab housing for the one hundred and seventy five contractors. The scouts had done a perimeter sweep and found nothing in ten miles of their location. The Golden Path and case officer Huntley spoke of outposts dotted around the country and a type of fort known as a stronghold dominated the regions and asserted power over that place. Currently there were three with names that he couldn't even pronounce or be bothered to learn.

The men were complacent as executive Lynch, the most recent board member of the main branch office. He wasn't a hands on man yet he pretended to be one just to impress the board. But the man was a clown, the company would accept no responsibility for the ops Lynch authorised for a place in the board of directors. He played the spy game and executive office game but he hadn't fully understood corporate thinking and was therefore their puppet.

Still, it was his responsibility to bring him back safely as the old man had instructed. Unless he becomes a hindrance to the companies interests.

Dominic found it unsettling that he was the only one feeling unnerved. Before he left the plane, the co-pilot told him they were being hailed for airspace violations. The intel Lynch gathered from the analysts at Langley said Kyrat had no provisions to handle planes bigger than a Cessna and had no radar to monitor that air. But apparently the co-pilot said otherwise.

It meant, they were already detected by the local army here and could expect an attack any moment. But Lynch trusted the reactions of the Golden path too much. Relying on local intel was good but it had its limitations. He couldn't hail satellite imagery because of the thick clouds and the GPS was no good either.

"Where's Lynch?" Dominic asked his subordinate Mitchell, the one called Lieutenant Hank.

"Dozing off in the lounges. You need him for something?" Dominic cringed, he asked for this op and he was not even asking questions like where is the blackboxes or what are the nearest concentration of troops near their position. How the hell did he reach the appointment of Director in Langley?

"Keep the men on passive alert, we're threading on unknown grounds."

"Something wrong?"

"It's too quie-(BOOM)" He said too soon. "What was that?!" As he and Mitchell dashed out of the quarters made from the containers to investigate.

(Pop) (Boboboboboom) Cluster munitions detonated and vaporised the vehicles parked out in the front along with some men. It was a sign of a direct attack.

"We're under attack!"

"No shit!"

"Silhoettes spotted, three o clock!" The looked to the road ahead. A row of armored vehicles were moving towards them.

"Get those ICVs running! And bring out those rockets!" Dominic became taking command of the troops to face this adversary they had no intel on accept from Mitchells documentation that they were the Royal Army and a demon was among them. Hardly the thing you wanted to hear from superstitious folk.

The men begun to run for cover as they donned their armor and weapons. Taking refuge in behind the sandbags and containers walls.

Another mortar barrage sounded.

"Take cover!"

(BoooM) But instead of explosives it was smoke chaff that airburst over their heads. Their surroundings were now covered with thick smoke.

"Use thermals! Don't let them out of your sight!" Dominic reminded them of their basic thermal visors intergrated into their helmets.

"Mitchell, take the stalkers out into the forest to get a better vantage."

"Right, moving! Stay in contact, right?" Dominic nodded.

They entered firing range of their weapons, so the operatives opened fired on the vehicles and the soldiers hugging their vehicles for advancing cover.

"Sir, they've got 90s and 20s!" An overhead sniper matched the silhouettes of the vehicles through his scope.

(BOOM) One minute he received the report, the next the sniper overwatch was killed by a direct hit from the 90mm High explosive shell from the Ratel IFV.

"Fuck! Where are those LAWs?!"

The men came out with the rockets and anti-material rifles but were forced into cover by the heavy machine gun and rapid 20mm cannon fire that penetrated the cover and killed some more men.

By now the ICVs were ready and rolled out onto the field to protect their own soldiers and fire back its high velocity shells into the armored vehicles that the attack which was most likely the Royal Army.

Lynch came running towards him from cover.

"How the hell could you let this happen?! Answer me!"

"Answer you? You made no apparent orders to secure and fortify the area in an unfamiliar zone. Relying on crap intel from weeks ago! Don't tell me how to do my job, deskjockey!" He retorted harshly despite Lynch's rank in the company. And turned to settle the current battle taking place that had higher precedence.

Then another audacious attack happened from the other side of the river.

"Multiple targets twelve o clock crossing the river!"

They were being pinchered. The Royal Army wasn't taking kindly to their arrival. He witnessed his men being pinned behind cover from heavy fire. Their enemy could also see them through the smokescreen

"Dane! Answer me!"

*Yes, boss.* Answered his calm and composed colleague.

"Flank around the the forest from the West and take those vehicles in the North out!"

*On it.*

"I-… why the hell do they know we're here?!" Lynch couldn't understand it but it was clear as day the Royal Army did. Dominic didn't want to converse the subject about the hailing from a ground control. Now his highest priority was keeping Lynch alive.

"Stay down if you don't wanna-"

"Sir! Target approaching two o clo- Arrrghh!" Dominic turned to investigate what became of his spotted that turned out had screamed out his last.

"Get him! Get him!" The operatives fired through the thick smoke to try and maim there target a single shadow that darted around. The thermals on Dominic could see the outline of that person but not his appearance. Moving at lightning speed, it shrew his men like twigs as it approached him with extreme prejudice.

"God no! NO! Arrhhh!" The last man in Dominic and Lynch's vicinity died.

(Pooff) A flare popped off in the smoke and dropped to the ground.

Another six more were ignited while the killer was mowing down those in his way. And now it was heading towards him.

Dominic let rip his machine gun at the target. The shadow vaulted into cover as he sprayed the movement of the shadow. Two more operatives backed him up while the rest were attending to the attackers, adding to his firepower. From the engagement that occurred just now, the assailant preferred melee over range. It was that type of thinking that cost him the lives of two more with the sound of thunderous cracks of shots.

Eviserating the men that were protected by composite nano-crystal steel plates to get pulverized into mush. It said a lot about the big stick the shadow was using.

Dominic grabbed Lynch by the collar and hurled him into cover. The shadow was closing in on him, he unslung his automatic shotgun and blazed away to his front.

Then an iron grip held his shotgun up away from the front. There he stared straight as a mask filled with gore on its black metal finish. The design spoke of meticulous effort to bring out a dreadful image of a demon.

"Ah!-." His moment of hesitation cost him as he was flung to the floor from a hand twist. Dominic slammed into the ground with a thump and the shotgun was discarded. It was Lynch's turn to be scared stiff. As the masked man stared at him grinning.

"Welcome to Kyrat, Mr Lynch!" He said as he lit a flare and threw it at the stockpile of electronics. Then it hit him, this crazy bastard busted his way through their defense lines to mark their equipment. He ran for the flares but received a rifle butt to the back which pinned him to the floor.

"You've really made it too easy for me. Or perhaps Willis actually set you up here without immediate support to humiliate you. Ha!" Lynch's eyes widen and he cursed under his mouth, Willis was getting back at him for that time. But since this man was taking the opportunity to talk to him he could convince him to help him look for what he came here to look for.

"Maybe we're not so different after all, Mr. um-."

"Badala, Duke of Lakshman. Or what those shits in the Golden Path call the Northern Demon."

This was the demon the Golden path were so afraid of? The thought rushed into their head but the local fighters fears were justified, just look at what he did to them here.

"Badala, perhaps we can come to an agreement, we're here to-."

"I know why you're here, Paul Lynch. You came to sweep your filth under the rug again. But that doesn't matter to me, you're all equal in my eyes. All dead ducks." He ejected the shell casings from his massive double barrel and threw in new slugs without fumbling with the shells.

"I'll be sure to sent Willis your way soon." He raised his gun to blast the unprotected Lynch apart.

For the first time in a long while, Lynch felt powerless and helpless to change his outcome. He'd come so far only to be pushed aside for another's success and progress. He shivered despite his wealth of power and knowledge he could contribute. He wanted to declare his allegiance to this man, he would swear he would had him all the sensitive information on Langley and Willis if he so wished. But that man's eyes said he wasn't the least bit interested in what he had to offer, that man was a real demon.

(Bababaam) A stream of automatic fire rippled the area around Ajay from muzzle flashes in mid air. At first, he was puzzled by the absence of shooters in that direction. He could almost make out faint ripples in the air. Lynch let out a complacent grin, it was the newest type of system in the CNS operatives' possession. Near-perfect uncooled optical-thermal camo cloaks made it such that the soldiers could do their wet work without being seen or noticed. This technology hadn't been released yet so there was no way this Badala could know.

But he figured it out soon enough.

Lynch underestimated Ajay, as did the stalker operatives. Ajay sensed people not by sight alone but by presence, sound that couldn't be masked and his experience in over hundreds of unexpected firefights. He shot at the ground sending a huge pile of dirt in the air and it caked the 'stalkers' with dirt over their optical camo cloaks. His suspicions were confirmed. Just because they couldn't be seen didn't mean they weren't there. He fired the second shot at one which eviscerated him and shocked the others that he could see them despite the null thermal reading their cloaks gave. Dominic took this opportunity to break off Ajay and attempted to wrestle with him for the dangerous gun. The latter rifle butt him in the gut and took out his kukri which he used to impale him with.

Dominic grabbed the knife with his hands to prevent it from damaging more critical areas. But his attention was taken again as another fist struck the side of his head and knocked him to the ground.

"Dominic! Damn it!" Mitchell cursed as he fired at Ajay beneath his camo cloak.

Ajay fired his grapple hook at thin air which wrapped around Mitchell and he fell to the floor caught.

Mitchell tried to break free but couldn't, the wire was high strength triple weaved composite wires. Cutting off the wire, Ajay took out his grenade launcher loaded with incendiary and shoot in the general direction of the remaining cloaked 'stalkers'.

The screams of burning men could be heard as the cloaks weren't fire retardant to the burning magnesium of the rounds phosphorous mix. Ajay turned back to a white as a sheet Lynch.

"Parlor tricks aren't enough for you to outdo me, Lynch." He said with an intimidatingly glare while he stood menacingly over Lynch who was backed up against the walls of a container shivering at a junior in front of him.

"Then what about me then?" Came a deep and powerful voice. With a knife swinging by Ajay as he backed off on reflex.

Another player had entered the firefight.

Dominic and Mitchell looked up to the person that forced this masked overlord to back away hastily.

"I've waited long and patiently for you to show up, Badala!" The man exclaimed.

Ajay recognised that man from the photos Gary had handed to him.

Mohan had deployed his strongest of Devas to fight Pagan's Demon.


A change had taken place in the battlefield due to the appearance of a third party, the Golden path. Here to aid the CNS operatives in their desperation.

Vasu stood between Ajay and Lynch.

"Former Major Sen I presume." Ajay said cooly.

"You bastard Demon! I'll never forgive you for what you did at Banapur!" He charged at Ajay with kukri ready.

"Banapur? Humph! Compared to countless atrocities of Golden Path I think that was barely a blimp on Mohan's ego!" Ajay flipped out his kukri at the ready and 1911 pistol at his side.

He fired at Vasu who dashed towards him like a raging bull. Ajay fired at his back a few times as he had little time to waste and had to get out before the missiles fell which was in one minute.

His shots struck Vasu in the back and Ajay thought that would be the end of it. Only he didn't expect Vasu to turned around like nothing happened and charge once more. Ajay had no time to be shock at whether his eyes played tricks or not. And emptied the clip into Vasu. The latter was struck around his body but made no show of discomfort of agony from the bullets hitting him. Vasu swung down his blade at Ajay who raised his kukri to counter, only he misjudged the strength that was delivered. It hit him so hard it forced Ajay into a kneel to his disbelief.

"I'll take pleasure in ripping you to shreds!" He roared at Ajay. Quick to disengage from the lock, Ajay hooked his leg to kick him off his feet to break off the lock as well. Vasu jumped over his slide and Ajay rolled away when it failed to bring him down. As he got up he immediately faced a thrust from Vasu's kukri which he parried with difficulty.

-Fuck! Were all the Devas' this strong?!-

Ajay knew he himself was almost inhuman in speed and strength but it was clear the Devas were outclassing him in these two categories. And this was only one of them, albeit the strongest but only one. How did Darshan fight five at the same time?! He had to rethink his strategy and fast.

He noticed the odds changing in the combined Golden path and CNS operatives' favour.

Reaching down he grabbed Mitchell, much to his surprise and fear as Ajay held him over his shoulders after delivering a chop to his nape to knock him unconscious. He then threw incendiary bombs to cut off the road between him and the Deva whom he now understood was a terrifying foe to cross with the blazing viscous fuel prevented Vasu from crossing with even his new physique.

"We'll meet again, Major Sen. But I must ask you, was that strength yours or was it borrowed?" Ajay said before he left with a kidnapped Mitchell who Ajay thought was a mere special soldier was a camoflauge cloak which he thought was important to review.

"Wait! Badala!"

The moment Ajay retreated away, the whistling sound of missiles which were approaching their target could be sighted in the horizon. Vasu acted quickly by grabbing Lynch and Dominic by the biceps and ran out of the vicinity.

(BOOM) (BOOM) (BOOM) (BOOM) (BOOM) (BOOM)

The Spike Missiles came raining down at precise targets and demolishing valuable equipment and supplies. Although they would only know about the Royal Army's intentions later on. Now they were counting their lucky stars they survived such a vicious assault.

The Royal Army mechanized elements began a full-scale withdrawl and the operatives and Golden Path did not pursue. They didn't want to after all that had happened.

"T-Thanks, buddy." Dominic got out asking before he coughed violently and falling flat on the ground from fatigue and rested flat.

"You're welcome, the names Vasu, Vasu Sen. I'm one of Mohan's lieutenants sent when we found out about the raid."

"Who was that?" Dominic asked. This was the first time he'd seen anyone like that.

The attire he wore had little affect on his opinion of how he'd actually be. He overpowered all of them in mere seconds with the luxury to talk. When Mitchell returned to aid them under the stealth of his camo cloak hoping to jump him like it did with all the other insurgents, terrorists and other black ops operatives from Russia and China they fought against. He turned the tables so quickly they didn't have time to react as he killed all of them except Mitchell. He now knew the existence of this expeditionary forces most valuable trump card and would definitely inform the rest of the army to stay on their toes. There were several camo cloaks still in their crates that were unused for them to carry out future missions with less difficulty. But only if he wasn't there. That man's presence was imprinted deep in Dominic's psyche, his movements and fighting style was like he'd fought in more battles than everyone of the Operatives combined.

Vasu read all of this from Dominic's expression of thoughts and stated the truth of their matter.

"That is the Golden Paths greatest enemy."


The vehicles of the 1st Hussar had successfully withdrawl a safe distance with the Tigers safe and sound. They had suffered a considerable number of casualties, the weapons these mercenaries used weren't like anything they'd ever seen. Kuber's eyes nearly popped when he was getting reports that gunfire was penetrating the hulls of the Ratel IFVs and men with body armor were shredded anyway.

About eighty lost their lives today and two Ratels were knocked out of commission, it was the highest toll they had ever gotten with Badala at their side even. It went to show how dangerous these mercenaries were and the weapons they carried with them.

Despite these setbacks, they had fulfilled their ultimate objective. Which was to cripple their supplies and equipment to limit possible attacks on them or the Tigers in the immediate future. Sure they would resupply somehow but it would take time till that happened.

Most of the dead had been retrieved and those that weren't able to, they took the ID tags to verify their deaths. There was however some luck in their fight, they managed to retrieve an intact corpse, weapon and equipment of one of the operatives that was blown towards them by a 90mm High explosive shell from cover. Kuber knew how important it was to gather data on the strengths and weaknesses of the CNS operatives. His men had reported many times to him that they swore they hit their adversaries dead in the chest but failed to penetrate and kill them. Their body armor was like nothing they'd ever seen for the lack of bulk it had on the operatives.

Now they waited for their hero to return from the most dangerous job he appointed for himself.

"Sorry I took awhile." They turned to the direction of the voice and were relieved to find him safely returned.

"No, your grace. Having you back was of greater concern."

"I brought back a souvenir." He dropped the operative from his shoulders to the floor and bent down to retrieve something from the unconscious operative. A cloak with hexagonal webbing design and a watch that seemed to have some link to it as it blinked.

Once Ajay retrieved the item he wanted to loot he went over to Kuber and Amita who had lots to tell and hear from him. The soldiers removed the knocked out merc and tied him up and threw him in the back of the armored Ratel.

"Your men did well with painting the targets for the missiles. Thanks for the help, Amita." He said to Amita. But the latter shook her head.

"No, thank you. You've prevented a potential tragedy from taking place in our home ground."

"I had a friendly chat with Lynch. He's no serious threat to us as the Devas that interfered. Vasu Sen was there. Urgh….." A sudden pain began to set in on his shoulder which he used to defect Vasu's vicious hammer strike.

"Badala!"

"Your grace!"

Amita and Kuber undid his armor as he sat crosslegged on the ground.

"Internal bleeding and one hell of a bruise, but no cracked bones." Amita felt through his skin to tell that. Ajay was still wondering why Amita was beyond her usual practical self, this started happening ever since the New Year intrusion. Did she make some new year resolution to stop being such a stuck up bitch of something? She was also awfully chummy with him every chance encounter.

-So weird.-

"I'm fine, just me being careless and complacent that's all."

But still, how was that Deva so strong. He'd encountered people before that were way larger than that middle-aged man and hit with exceptional hardness, but not like his. It was like getting hit by a car or a rhino. It worried him, if all other Devas were just as strong in close quarters. He even shrugged off an entire clip of .45 ACP without stumbling. Why didn't he aim for the head, Ajay wondered?

"Let's go. Ladies and gentlemen, you've done your country proud. I'll forever remember this and those that died today. Forever."

The soldiers and fighters alike saluted him with the most profound earnestly.

Ajay, Amita and Commander Kuber sat in the Command Vehicle as the convoy of Ratels and other armored vehicles drove off. Their destination was Baghadur, to drop Amita off and finally home. They would report the success of the operation to High Command and the attention it needed to give to the CNS operatives in future as well as the Devas on Ajay's coming report.

Ajay allowed Amita who offered to treat his shoulder apply the balms and remedies to the injury while he studied the cloak.

Its ultimate function was to mimic the surrounding environment like a chameleon which it did exceptionately well, almost too well. When fighting those operatives, they did their best to make sure they only seemed like passing wind. It was a dangerous tool to have in their possession and he was sure there were more from where that came from. Would they distribute it to the Golden Path too? Who knew. Until now he thought it was merely a fictional product but seeing its capabilities he knew it was every bit a fact. He'll have Samar take a look at it and the equipment of the operatives to appraise.

It was troubling as it neither picked up on the thermal optics. Just how high tech was this military manufacturing giant to produce and actually field these types of equipment that he was sure the US army had barely even touched onto? He stepped onto a dragon's tail, there was no going around it other than slaying the dragon.

Willis was slippery as ever, not a single word of his location from the informants in Banapur or Tirtha. He'll need to capture a senior commander or executive to acquire some clue as to where he was. Perhaps Solomon was a good start. Or maybe- (Screech) The vehicle halted to a stop.

"What happened? And attack?!" Kuber popped the cupola hatch to investigate.

"There are these foreigners blocking the road!" The lead vehicle commander shouted. "Oi! Get lost!"

"Now now. Don' be like that lad. We're just a bunch of hitchhikers, man. Our ride's gone kaput and we need a lift to the nearest auto shop. How bout you be a sport and give us a lift, ok? Help a fellow who's freezing his arse off here in this cold."

"Yeah, come on!" The other man said like a little kid asking to get a ride.

"This is a military convoy, so the answer is already clear! Move or we will be forced to use-."

"Let them sit in the middle vehicle." Ajay told the lead vehicle commander so he didn't question and let them hop on board the ratel to sit with the troops who were ready to return home.

"Is that your boss? T-Thanks buddy! You're a real help!"

"Yeah! What my bud said!"

Ajay turned to Kuber.

"Have your men in that vehicle ensure they don't leave it under any circumstance. We'll take them back to the Royal Fortress to interrogate." Kuber understood and didn't question Ajay's intentions that obviously had good meaning. He whispered his instructions to the vehicle commander to keep them under arrest till they returned to the Royal Fortress.

Then he tapped the vehicle to carry on.

Still, Kuber wondered.

What could these two Englishmen possibly have that Badala wanted?


Author's Notes:

More high tech goodies to come.