Colonel Candy Corn rubbed his eyes as the next night had settled. He expected there would be nothing to look forward to again as the guards rotated. The war had apparently stopped with an unofficial cease-fire ever since his victory from the second battle. While the Candy forces were given a significant boost in morale, they were also afflicted with boredom like the fire elementals. Lanterns were dimmed across the trench emplacements and many of the infantry units took the opportunity to sleep.
"(yawn), this sucks," commented a candy soldier.
The colonel shook his head, "Winning a war involves patience sometimes. But even I don't like the idea of sitting around too. Sooner or later, the enemy will strike again. If not, then we'll be faced with attrition from the lack of resources."
"Somehow I doubt that her majesty would simply surrender," the trooper remarked.
The superior nodded, "I don't know what's going on in that mind of hers, but whatever she's planning will hopefully get us out of here. These technologies she's sent us can only last for so long before giving out."
The two stared at the night sky aimlessly until the subordinate said, "Well, thermal imagery's up. I think I'll hit the sack while we have the chance. I hope we do something else other than have a staring contest with the enemy because I feel like I'll lose my mind if this keeps up."
The colonel placed a hand on the man's shoulder in understanding, "Everyone's losing their mind, son. Get some rest, you'll need the energy for tomorrow."
"Yes, sir."
"This has got to be the strangest, strategic maneuver in Fire Kingdom history," Maddox commented with his arms crossed.
"And yet," the Supreme General replied while staring at the field. "We are going with it nonetheless. I believe it's better than just sending everyone out in the killing fields, don't you think?"
"Our forces are known to win battles one-on-one," the major said. "The Candy Kingdom will give out eventually if we persist."
"I couldn't agree more," SG nodded. "But fighting harder isn't always the answer. And if this works, we'll have the outskirts sooner before you know it."
At the battlefield, a squad of 5 elementals made their discreet trek towards the Candy defenses. Each of them were outfitted with dark hooded cloaks, balaclavas, and matching gloves. The only drawback was that they could not survive direct combat since their clothing lacked armor. In addition, each elemental had a flame shield casted on their person, which gave them a dark blue complexion instead of the usual bright red or orange. This would also give them the ability to conceal their heat signatures at the cost of disabling their powers temporarily.
"Move slowly and maintain radio silence from here on out," the squad leader whispered before moving farther.
The others nodded and continued to move while crouching. They were lightly armed with daggers, grenades, and crossbows for self-defense. As the squad advanced, their footsteps made a faint shuffling noise. This was fairly negligible however since the sound of crickets was actually louder than anything else.
With the night sky settling the vast field, the leader motioned everyone to follow in an "I" formation. His only guide to reach his intended destination was the map he memorized thoroughly in his head. After a few moments, he moved downward towards one of the craters and crawled near the opposite edge. He peeked over cautiously and noticed he was still far away from the trench line. The watchtowers had searchlights roaming near his general location and he quickly ducked before being spotted.
After a few moments, the light drifted away. The squad leader peaked over again before motioning his team to advance. When they moved further into enemy territory, the group went into a prone position and crawled slowly.
Hands clawed the dirt as the elementals began to see the trench line in sight. They breathed slowly in anxiety, knowing that one sudden movement would mean their end. The team carefully assembled into a "V" formation and paused periodically to reduce any noise they were making. Fortunately for them, the enemy troops remained unaware of their presence. Once the squad moved forward a certain distance, they stopped altogether and remained motionless.
Phoebe's brother wrung his wrists as he watched the squad make their infiltration across the battlefield. Timing was critical in this mission because the men only had the darkness to conceal their position. Once the sun peeks over the horizon, they would virtually have no chance to fight or retreat. It had been a while since the men disappeared from the Fire general's line of sight, but he knew they were still out there.
Suddenly his communicator went off and heard 3 distinct clicks from the receiver. He lifted his head in realization and quickly switched to a different radio frequency.
"Insertion team's in position," the Supreme General announced whispering. "Status?"
"Motar units standing by," replied one Fire soldier.
SG looked through his binoculars and found several other groups hiding within the craters, behind the main squad. "Hold position and wait for my mark," SG ordered.
The general checked the time on his phone and noticed it was 3 in the morning. "Two hours left," he thought to himself.
"You are certain this will work?" Maddox asked as he gazed at the field.
SG was trembling a little and said, "Hopefully the motars will create a distraction long enough for the team to make it across. Once they get through, they should be able to disable whatever's stopping our artillery. I also have the main infantry divisions stationed in the backfield, so they could get a head start before the defenses would zero in on them."
The general paused with an exhausted sigh, "It's taken almost the entire night to setup everything. I can't guarantee this will be a smooth operation, but I am anticipating we'll finally control the outskirts by today. Speed is crucial in this next step and we'll need all the luck we can get."
The major nodded and replied, "It comes down to your call, sir."
SG grunted in acknowledgment and stared at his phone. A lifetime had passed as his thumb rested over the button that would initiate the mission. Slowly but surely, he applied pressure until he connected with the mortar teams. The call was received in silence as the men anxiously awaited SG's orders. Finally, SG took a breath and said, "Initiate the ruse."
The call ended shortly and from that moment the entire area was met with dead silence. SG tightened his fists and frowned knowing that this next maneuver would ultimately determine his kingdom's fate. If they succeed, the Candy outskirts will allow SG to follow up with another attack that will virtually bring a swift end to the war. If they fail, the Fire Army will sustain heavy losses and a significant decline in morale in which they will have no choice but to withdraw back into the homeland.
A few seconds later, a loud thud was heard across the battlefield. The Candy soldiers who were half asleep immediately jumped from the sudden noise and watched a red speck fly upwards at the night sky. A dull, sparkling trail followed from the object and moments later several more specks were launched into the air. After a few seconds, each of the objects exploded with a deafening bang, leaving bright colors in their wake.
"WHAT'S GOING ON?!" Colonel Candy Corn asked as he sprung from his personal tent.
"Thermal's pickin' up too much light exposure," exclaimed a Candy guard. "We can't confirm visual with the enemy!"
"Glob-darn it, just open fire!"
A hail of bullets were flung towards the Fire Army's general location, but no one sustained casualties. Tracers illuminated the field briefly before striking into the dirt. Moments later, the tanks stationed among the Candy defenders began to fire as well. Shells whistled menacingly for a split second and struck the ground with a resolute boom.
"All units, report," Candy Corn radioed.
"Active protection units are running at full capacity," replied one trooper. "All defenders are well and accounted for."
"Colonel," another added. "The enemy has not returned fire. The attack's a sham! It's nothing more than a fireworks show."
The superior frowned in confusion and thought, "What in the Sam Hill are those guys up to?" He shook his head and said, "Have you spotted any hostiles within the field?"
"Negative, sir. Scanner's not picking up any heat signatures."
"Huh? That can't be right. Someone's gotta be setting those things off. Maintain fire on the range and-"
Suddenly, the rockets stopped and smoke obscured the distant horizon.
Candy Corn brought his communicator back up and said, "All units, hold fire! I want a routine sit-rep and I want this base on high alert, now!"
The fighting subsided gradually and once again an unnerving silence roamed the field. Little did the defenders know, however was that a lone squad made its successful entry into the breach.
