"Political power grows out of a barrel of a gun." Mao Zedong.
Part III: The Eastern Front
(Events during the third year to fifth year at war)
The sun shone brightly in the cloudless sky. The desert heat can be punishing; high temperatures and low humidity. A group of Nationalist troops were carrying supplies on camelbacks, walking across the Arabian Desert to reach their destination; the Nationalist-controlled city of Baghdad. A radio signaled in to one of the soldiers.
"Better hurry your sorry ass here or we're going to kick it for ya. Our invasion on the city of Jerusalem is tomorrow," reported the radio.
"Yes sir," replied the soldier in exhaustion. He took out his canteen and started drinking from it. As soon as the canteen reached his mouth, a bullet came passing through his head.
"Incoming fire!" yelled one of the soldiers as they took cover behind the camels. Several people with rifles that look quite futuristic for its time came out from behind the dunes and fired at the troops. They were wearing a cloth over their heads and face; the goggles were the only things visible. They were wearing Kevlar, skirts and boots; much too informal for a normal soldier or conscript. The insurgents tried not to shoot the camels, just the infantry that manned them.
"I chose a bad day to die," commented one of the Nationalist soldiers as he fired at the incoming insurgents. The insurgents shot him, with a bullet directly through his head. Then the insurgents ran down the dunes and shot the soldiers in close quarters. One tried to escape, but one of the insurgents tripped him down and stabbed him with a knife. After killing the man, the insurgent took out the cloth that covered the face and lifted the goggles up. It appears to be a young, Caucasian girl, with waist-length brunette hair and a very tall build. She commanded her teammates.
"Ok girls. Take these supplies to Jerusalem," she commanded. The others also removed their covers, revealing themselves to be an all-female team. A blonde Caucasian girl with her hair tied up to a bundle spoke.
"Roger that, Rina," said the blonde girl. A tomboyish Asian girl with short black hair asked.
"Why do we need this, Arthuria?" she asked. The blonde girl turned to the black haired girl.
"Because we're depriving them of their resources, Saya. Furthermore, it would be of good use to us," she replied. Saya nodded in agreement.
"Quickly, we must go now or their choppers will be here any minute," said Rina. They all quickly left with the camels.
They received a hero's welcome at Jerusalem, where Israeli and Middle Eastern troops were united for one thing; the fight for freedom. The troops quickly helped them unload the camels; there were enough supplies and armament to last them for 3 weeks. An Arabian commander came forth to thank them.
"Rina, you and your team did well. This war has brought us closer together after 80 years of war fighting over land that can be shared," said the commander, pointing at all the Arabians and the Israelis. Then Rina spoke.
"We don't have all day, Al Said. We intercepted a message, telling all Nationalists personnel to be ready tomorrow. There will be a siege on Jerusalem," said Rina. The commander was surprised at the report.
"Well, what do you propose we do?" asked Al Said.
"Are there reinforcements nearby?" asked Rina.
"The nearest is Turkey, but they'll take too long. A day or two the most."
"Well then, I will need some troops."
"They are all yours to command, Rina. You have stalled their movements, cut their supplies; you even helped us to train our soldiers."
"Give us two squadrons of six. The best you've got."
"Aviv and Al Jawf are the best Jerusalem has to offer." The two commanders of the teams came forward to Rina.
"I'm Mozi Asyav, commander of Aviv," said the commander.
"And I'm Ikhwan al-Abbas of Al Jawf," said the other commander.
"Okay, Mozi and Ikhwan. Here's the plan. We're going to drop into Iraqi territory and head to the command centre in Baghdad. If we can disable their command centre, there will be no coordination among the troops around the area. Mozi, you and your team will go and land at the Suez Canal and disrupt their supply depots there. Ikhwan, you will go and hit Umm Qasr, the port supporting the Nationalist cause. If we manage to disrupt their supply chain, that'll be enough to make them halt their attacks. Got it?" explained Rina. The two commanders nodded. Then Rina turned to Al Said.
"Get the reinforcements from Turkey. We must not waste time. If they're ready for a second strike, Jerusalem may not stand long enough," said Rina.
"Yes, my lady," said Al Said. He said something Arabic to his subordinates as he walked through the crowd. Rina signaled the two commanders to get their teams geared up and head to the helipads. Then Rina and her team left and head to the helipads. During the walk, a girl who had long hair and looked identical as Saya spoke to Rina.
"You look like shit, Rina," she said.
"What makes you say that, Diva?" asked Rina.
"Well, you haven't slept for three weeks. You eat two meals and drink a cup of water a day. You are dehydrated, hungry and tired. You should take a break sometimes, you know, let Arthuria assume command for a while."
"But war doesn't take a break, and one person means a whole lot difference in the battlefield."
"Do you still feel sorry for what happened to our little sister?" asked Saya. Rina didn't reply. She continued walking through the quiet streets of Jerusalem, towards the helipad on the opposite side of the city.
"We don't blame you, Rina. You did what you had to do," said Diva. Rina just kept going. After that, she stopped at a bar nearby.
"You know what, you go ahead. I'm going to get something to drink," said Rina. The rest of the team continued. Rina stepped into the bar and ordered a slushie. She took a sip and the drink rejuvenated her entire body. She didn't feel tired as the slushie was coffee; the caffeine woke her up. Then three big guys stepped in, like bullies. The customers started to sneak out and the bartender was shivering in fear. These outlaws appear when the war tore up whole governments. Many of the policemen that were patrolling the cities were called up to serve in the army. These thugs came down to the bartender and ordered for a drink.
"But sir, we don't have any alcohol," said the scared bartender. The thug held him the collar and pointed a knife at his face.
"Let him go. He says he doesn't sell booze, he doesn't. Go to another bar," said Rina. The thugs turned to Rina who spoke for the bartender.
"You're a brave little lass in here who dared to challenge me?!" said the thug in a high tone. He then continued.
"I'm a man; you're just a little girl. What can you do to stop me?" said the thug as he grabbed her by the Kevlar armor.
"Get your filthy hands off me," warned Rina in a very dark tone.
"What are you going to do? Bitch-slap me?" challenged the thug.
"Yes..," she said, grabbing his arm and twisting it, making him wail in pain and letting go of her. She then landed a kick on his belly and punched him in the neck and brought him down on a table. The second thug drew out his knife and tried to stab Rina. She grabbed his hand, disabled it and locked it behind his back. She kicked him towards the wall with a thundering crash. The third thug drew his revolver out and tried to shoot Rina. He pulled the trigger, but luckily Rina pushed his hand away in time. Little strands of hair flew in the air, with the bullet passing through inches off the side of her head. She then disabled him and threw him out of the window. She then walked back to the bar and handed some money.
"Sorry for the bar," said Rina as she left the bar. The people that were watching outside cheered, but Rina kept moving faster and faster. The crowd noises got dimmer and dimmer as she ran to the helipad. She was running late.
The helicopter was chugging away from the night horizon. Everyone was sleeping soundly except Rina. Rina did try to take some naps but couldn't as she was haunted by the memories that almost cause the twin's little sister's life.