Commando Part 47

Maurice held the phone piece feeling some hint of hope reemerge. They had just repelled a large force of gunslingers, goons, thugs, and hired guns who numbered over six-hundred. He wondered how many of their attackers were left. Losing that much of your force meant you probably spent too much time relying on cocky, overconfident, blind, and foolish brigands wielding guns. The Caligari Syndicate must have sent most of their forces after them while gathering all the goons, and gunslingers all over the region. Maurice was certain these hired hands of the Caligaris were either wiped out or had smaller numbers. He commanded for the rest of their soldiers and allies to gather around for a head count.

            They had seventy-seven men still standing to hold off any more attacks. With permission from Segun Maurice sent out their Jumbo Cat riders to scout out the area for any signs of their attackers. He then sent out parties to loot the corpses of the gunslingers, and goons for ammunition, new weapons, money, other supplies, and allowed them to take anything they saw valuable. The rest of their forces kept an eye for the parties and the scouts. With a tank and a fortified position in a marshy area he felt confident in repelling another attack. He prayed none of the locals or natives would come after them for trespassing onto their lands. For a few hours they waited for the parties to return during the next day. As they waited a force of 102 soldiers led by nine Uxane came up to their encampment from the west on the backs of bearing news. Seeing this large force riding military vehicles gave them more hope for survival, yet more questions.

            Maurice, Segun, and Owun met with their leader while their parties returned with many prizes, guns, ammo, and supplies. The leader was an exiled soldier from Miccado, a long-lost ally in this war against the invaders. He did not give his name, but a nick name dubbed Automan. His entire army consisted of exiled soldiers, outcasts, and members of the nations that were conquered by the invaders. This exiled army of rebels came to warn them the Caligari Syndicate has made a pact with a few high-ranking invaders. A force of 63 Nazdar troopers, 88 Gantronese, 95 hired thugs, 25 remaining Caligari hired guns, and a large force of supporters of the invaders was heading this way from the north. A force of Grussians should be here any moment with some sky pirates from Cydnam.

            All this news came as a mixture of good fortune, bad luck to them. Not only were they getting more allies, but the Caligari Syndicate was gaining friends among the invaders. Their new friends did not know the full story of how the Caligari Syndicate was able to get the Gantronese and the Nazdar on their side. How the Syndicate was able to get the empires on their side was not important right now. What was important was getting out of this area, and preparing to fight off the invaders. Automan ordered his troops to prepare defenses using the multiple vehicles they brought with them. Whoever these rebels are, they had half-tracks, tracked trucks, troop transporters, supply trucks, and various weapons from different factions including the Vestrisian Republics. These rebels also wielded weapons from all corners of the world. There were weapons from the other side of the world such as the Nevoran L-34 rifles, and these sub machine guns called Cobra 96’s.

            Automan’s small company formed a barrier around the encampment just as a small airship arrived that drew attention from everything else. It had the shape of a sea ship kept in the air by a bomb shaped balloon. This balloon kept the vessel afloat in the air, but what made this ship go forward was a set of sails, and a propeller system. Everyone watched the airship come down on the other side of the road. A force of thirty-two Grussians, and a crew of pirates who wore various uniforms from other factions. To their greater fortune none of them wore any Vestrisian uniforms, or those of the alliance against the invaders. Automan stepped up to greet these new comers. He briefed them on what was about to occur. Both pirates and Grussians rushed to grab what was needed to fend off the attacking forces. In a hurry the two new groups prepared a loose defense around the encampment alongside the rebels. The pirates left five of their crew members with machine guns, and small cannons to use against infantry and vehicles. Their defenses felt rushed, yet they had little time to prepare.

            Maurice looked at the Captain of this vessel, and recalled how many wounded soldiers they had. His eyes rested on the Captain who had on a long leather pirate duster over a green shirt, black vest, striped trousers, and boots from a Nazdar Trooper. To Maurice’s surprise this pirate captain was a female Drow known as Inaleth. Her hair was not white like most Drow, but dyed a brownish color. On her head she wore a wide high fan hat. There was something on it that appeared to be scratched off. He could not make out what it was. Whatever this symbol or icon was it did not matter now. Maurice returned his attention to the female Drow. She gave him a slight smile showing her teeth a little. Inaleth revealed they were once members of a well-known pirate who turned into a privateer for the Vestrisians. For years they sailed under their banners until something happened, and the crew went their separate ways. She and a few other crew members found themselves under the employ of the Caligari Syndicate, which paid well. For two years they raided, plundered, and harassed some cities in the mountains, and along the borders of the Gantronese Empire. It was a few weeks ago did they decide on a mutiny and join the Vestrisians again. That was all she said before letting Maurice explain what he wanted from her. He gave her the location of the Gantronese fort they were using as a base. There should be more Vestrisians, and their allies heading there now if they had not arrived already. As if asking permission from a teacher, Maurice requested for their wounded to be loaded onto her ship. She glanced at him, glanced at the wounded, and at her own ship. The pirate captain nodded her head and agreed only one condition. Maurice’s own military organization would have to give her a Vestrisian Uniform, and her crew any blades from their arsenal. In a heartbeat Maurice agreed to this, but warned her that his commanding officer Colonel Bryce may not agree just yet.

            Both Captains shook hands, and the wounded were loaded onto the pirate vessel. Every one of their fighters who were wounded had to be carried over to the ship via stretcher that the rebels had on hand. Nearly half an hour passed before they got all the wounded on board Inaleth’s vessel. Right as the last of the wounded were being loaded the enemy began their attack. No more than a small battalion’s worth of Nazdar troopers, Gantronese soldiers, thugs, gunslingers, goons, Grevaskii, and loyalists appeared out of the trees. Without hesitation both attacker and defender opened fire on each other.

            The exchange of fire became sporadic in the marshy field. In force the attackers made an advance that was soon forced back with aid from the airship and the tank. After the first wave was forced back the defenders rushed the pirates to leave the area. Captain Inaleth’s vessel, the Red Dagger, began its ascension under fire. It fired a few rounds in return destroying the earth, and the trees. Maurice had no doubt there were a few more casualties among the enemy. Within a short span of time the invaders, and hired guns sent in the thugs covered in black, all the Grevaskii and loyalists to attack the encampment. This second wave had the bulk of their forces. More than four hundred charged from their positions, shooting wildly at the defenders. Every personnel available fought to keep the line from crumbling. Their attackers managed to reach them for close combat, which they did engage. Up close the Grevaskii, and Loyalists looked more like half-starved creatures dragged over with many diseases. It was only a mercy to kill the wretches. Despite the advantage of machine guns, a tank, and a few cannon turrets the defenders still suffered a heavy blow. However, their losses were nothing compared to the enemy who managed to get barely a hundred men out of there. All day they returned fire with the invaders who crept up on them slowly gaining ground against the encampment. During this stretched out battle the defenders slowly began to dwindle whereas the invaders lost many of their own.

            In the late evening the invaders appeared to have given up when from the trees an anti-tank missile was launched. This projectile flew straight for the tank followed by a few more. One of the projectiles hit the tank forcing the crew to jump out. In reaction the defenders returned fire giving everything they had remaining. There was no stopping or letting down on the amount of fire they sent into the forests and grass of the marshy landscape. Here it did not matter how many anyone lost if the pirate allies arrived on behalf of Maurice Viyamor’s unit. He sent five shots into the ranks of a group of shadows. Several went down causing him to get drawn into the fight. Out of instinct he stood up and fired another round. Maurice picked up another revolver, and rifles as bullets went past him. Several skimmed his body. At this moment he did not care as he loaded the firearms. He fired a few more shots before he himself was hit in the side then the leg, and the arm. Maurice Viyamor fell backwards landing on a few corpses, and a defender still drawing breath. His gaze was clouded by the shock of getting hit numerous times. At first, he thought he could see the souls of the dead rising and bullets flying over him. Each one looked like a cloud of smoke, and the bullets speeding objects zipping through the air. Maurice did not black out, he simply watched the skies as a few large objects came down.