After the successful operation in Chefchaouen, Templar activity in Spain and its colonies were reduced by a great load. Darko took the time to catch his breath and improve on his skills.
It was now early August of 1923. The Assassins in mainland Spain, led by Mentor Antonio Rovera, had managed to re-establish their main base in Spain since their previous headquarters in the Peñagrande neighbourhood of Madrid had been raided by policemen sent by General de Rivera. The Spanish Assassins' headquarters was now not actually in Spain, but rather in Andorra la Vella, capital of the Principality of Andorra.
Having received a letter written by Antonio himself, Johnny read the contents of the letter to his Assassin comrades – Darko, George, Gautier and Dhamir.
"The raids on our Assassin dens in Madrid happened less than half a year ago, and the memory is still fresh in our minds. Hence, we have decided not to re-establish the Spanish Assassins' headquarters in Madrid, but rather in the nearby Principality of Andorra. Rather strange, isn't it, for the headquarters of the Spanish Assassins not to be in Spain at all. Do come and visit me in the headquarters in Andorra la Vella, capital of Andorra."
Antonio could not have chosen a better place to re-establish the Assassin headquarters. Andorra la Vella, despite being a capital, was not well-known to the rest of the world. It was so unnoticed that Andorra, which had declared war on Germany in World War I, though they did not send any soldiers into the conflict, was not included in the Treaty of Versailles, simply because it had not been noticed.
Modernisation was slow to come to Andorra la Vella, probably because of its location, which was high in the Pyrenees and that not many came to the place. Most of its buildings were made out of stone or brick, and the height of those buildings rarely reached above two floors.
"Welcome, welcome!" Antonio said, gesturing for the four Assassins to come in.
Entering the brick building, Darko sat on a couch, removing his trench coat, folding it up and putting it on his lap. Andorra la Vella was pretty cold all year round, hence the Assassin base had been fitted with a fireplace and gas lighting to keep it warm.
Johnny said, "Looks like a good place for an Assassin base. Safe, quite isolated, yet in a capital."
"The Templars must've thought the same way," Antonio said. "We didn't know this when we established our base here, but the Templars also have a base in Andorra. It's located in nearby Les Escaldes, less than an hour from here. They have had their base there for nearly one hundred years, while ours less than one year."
"Being long-standing doesn't mean it's better," Gautier pointed out. "Why don't we go and take down their base. This place being quiet and all, it should take a while before word spreads."
"Take your time with it, alright? I'm going to feel bad for asking you all here to relax, yet you all end up doing our dirty work," Antonio said sheepishly.
"Oh no, just think of it as an exercise to warm ourselves up, especially since this place is quite chilly," George chuckled.
The Templar base was a rundown Renaissance-style cathedral built on a quiet hillside. Inside the cathedral was a preaching priest, who was more than delighted to see two men walk in. The cathedral probably received little visitors.
"Ah, visitors! Allow me to introduce myself, I am Friar Gabriel Goya de Zaragoza, head of this cathedral. Excuse my excitement, it is not everyday the cathedral receives visitors."
"Which form of Christianity is this cathedral dedicated to?" George asked. "Orthodox? Protestantism? Catholicism?"
"Neither," Friar de Zaragoza said. "This cathedral is dedicated to a deity not as well-known as the others, yet equally, if not more powerful. He is the Father of Understanding, a benevolent man who seeks only peace and order. The Father of Understanding helps those that have pledged allegiance to him by guiding them through life, showing them the path they must take, and what they must do to achieve the greater good for humanity."
"General de Rivera awaits you outside," Gautier simply said. "Bring everyone inside this cathedral with you."
Right outside the cathedral, a masked man with a Templar ring on his finger stood, guarded by a second masked man with a shotgun. Soon Gabriel walked out of the building, with a group of four men in robes.
"My men are all here, Grandmaster," Gabriel said with a short bow.
Darko, who was masquerading as the Templar Grandmaster, gave the Assassins a short nod. In near unison they drew their weapons and Darko threw off his mask.
Surging forward, Darko thrust his Hidden Blade into Friar de Zaragoza's heart. "A pity your Grandmaster couldn't be present today. Rest in peace, Templar."
Meanwhile, Gautier took out the Friar's four men while George and Johnny kept watch, ensuring that none of them escaped. As much as they did not like it, those men were very likely Templars-in-training and also they did not want to leave witnesses.
"The job is done," Johnny said as the four Assassins returned to the Assassin base in Andorra la Vella. "The Templar base has been cleared, and Friar Gabriel Goya de Zaragoza, man-in-charge of the base, has been eliminated."
Antonio Rovera nodded, satisfied. "Spend the next few days here, alright? Take a breather, enjoy the sights, whatever you want to do here except Assassin work."
The four of them ended up spending one entire week in Andorra la Vella before leaving. From there they returned to Morocco, but this time it was French Morocco rather than the Spanish one. Dhamir had sent them a telegram from his home in Melilla, informing them that the Assassins there needed aid.