Commando Part 50

He stood in the room with all eyes staring at him as if he was crazy. All his fellow countrymen gawked at him, the Uxane squinted their eyes at him with suspicions of him being possessed, some of the exiled soldiers looked at him scared, a few raced out of the room. Each of the superior officers just looked at him saying just sit down with their eyes. Many of the mercenaries laughed enjoying this scene, Maphai rolled her eyes, a few of the pirates took interest as did the remaining knights. Bryce stared at him long and hard. Maurice knew his wounds had not healed entirely. Everyone could even the new arrivals. The wounds were gunshot wounds, but even that could slow you down, depending on where you were hit. If you were lucky the projectile did not hit the bone or a vital organ otherwise you would die, be severely wounded, or crippled. Colonel Bryce placed a hand on his shoulder urging him to sit down. He understood Maurice’s eagerness to kill those goons and to secure a path for any more countrymen.

A wave of realization swept over Maurice. He had been hot headed over the goons going after his countrymen. This drove him to stand up and demand permission to be granted to resume his mission. Although he could walk well enough, running and riding would have to wait a little longer. Bryce suggested Maurice to choose one of his men or soldiers to seek out the rest of the Vestrisians or at least send out word. Maurice pondered over this for a few moments. Dina entered the room with a glass of water. She paused wondering what just happened. One of the mercenaries told her trying not chuckle. The agent nearly hit him but chose to stay her hand. The IBOIS agent stormed over to the commando with the glass. Handing it over to him she begged him not to go as if she was a lover. The whole room were blown away by this. For the past few weeks the pair of them got to know each other a little more.

She hailed from Damis and had relatives in Cydnam. He gave her hints as to where he was from, and hardly spoke to her about his past since that was behind him now. While he had been struggling she had helped him along the way. Her organization was organized to combat the spread of the invaders, and those who collaborated with them inside most of the free nations of Calorn.

            Dina handed Maurice the glass of water then offered some for the Colonel as a sign of respect on behalf of her boss. Bryce declined relieving her of the task. He ordered all eyes to avert their attention from the scene. Maphai did the same as did Odeliah and the Knight leader. Maurice looked at the new leader who acted as Owun’s replacement while he healed from getting his leg cut off and getting slammed to the ground. He prayed for the Knight to have a full recovery. Many of the exiled soldiers still glanced over at him with some interest and others concern until an officer barked them out of the room. The room emptied save for the wounded, and those tending to them. With everyone’s eyes away from them and the room mostly emptied Bryce looked at Maurice requesting that he choose a strike team to go out and clear a path or intercept the goons. Maurice called for Eyanosa, Oraceth, Amonif, Hilastes, Vincent, Forgiir, and one of Zomere’s men. She was shot in the shoulder during the battle. Other warriors, and soldiers came up filling the room with extra bodies. They included the Zema Ilam, Grussians, and the exiled soldiers from former allies who fell to the invaders.

            Maurice studied these men, and women who stood before him. Each one stood straight in formation ready to volunteer for the task. He counted on Captain Zomere to take his place, but she was in another bed not too far from his own. In his mind he knew they could send out signals to other radios, however it would mean draw attention to the fort. The Caligari Syndicate was now allied with the invaders or perhaps a faction within the two empires. It would be a few more weeks before he could fully recover. He handpicked three groups of five to head out and intercept the goons Caligair kept sending. Maurice allowed the Colonel to select the Uxane, and the Eothans to head out in search of more Vestrisians and rally them to the fort. Once the groups and tasks were assigned each group raced out of the fort.

            A full week went by before another group of Vestrisians arrived with one of the parties sent out. One of the intercepting parties came back with reports of an ambush that was botched near Tsubib Pajibe. Their new pirate friends managed to follow them and aided them. Maurice and his superiors took this as a sign that the enemy was aware of their own mission. Several more groups came to the fort with similar reports and that each corpse was returned to the Caligari Syndicate. Two days after hearing the reports of the goons being sent back Sorrowmind’s own unit came to their fort. He was greeted with serious faces, and salutes since high ranking officers were present. They arrived with a few other Vestrisians they found closer to tribal village who were labelled as hairy demons by the locals. This made most of the soldiers laugh bringing some enjoyment to the grim atmosphere. Maurice forced himself to stand up and greet his countrymen who were extremely happy to see him. Sorrowmind patted him lightly on the arm that was hit before reporting to the higher ranks. He heard another group and come in from Dina when Sorrowmind left the room. She checked his wounds making him sit back down before doing anything else.

            By the time a few more days passed they rallied 65 more Vestrisians to the fort. With a full battalion that could turn into a small brigade the Vestrisians, Exiled forces, Uxane, and mercenaries gathered. Bryce and this mysterious figure stood before them. Maurice stood among his own unit of Unseen Bears, a Tuxir, and the Ranger who were all that was left of his unit. He only needed four to command, yet his rank as Captain required him to command a squad or a platoon of troops. Minerva, and Toberis stood next to them. Owun’s own men stood behind them, and Maphai had to stand further away since her mercenaries formed a grouping of their own that joined the Vestrisians. Segun was not hard to identify due to his appearance and height.

            Now that they had gathered a large force to take on the Caligari Syndicate it was time to check her defenses. The mysterious figure stepped to reveal themselves to the whole battalion of warriors, and soldiers. They pulled back their hood revealing themselves to be a woman. She appeared to be half Forsythan and half elf with a hint of human. Her identity was Colonel Brianna Tenno, the colonel who orchestrated all of this. She was the one who went the furthest into the Unknown Lands where she and her own units were attacked by the Caligari Syndicate and the Gantronese forces still lurking in the area. She explained to them what they should do now, and that their allies in the Sarcagos will arrive to aid them. All they had to do now was scout out the area past Waikun and Kilscar Orvain. Scouts were to find location of the Syndicate and come back with knowledge of where the Caligari Syndicate was.

            Maurice maneuvered his way to the front of the crowd of soldiers and warriors who made a path for him out of respect. All eyes were on him now, even the Colonels and the Majors. He claimed this task to be his mission. His small unit and others who were willing to join would head out to scout the area in search of the Caligari headquarters. Tenno looked like she was about to cry but kept her composure. Maphai, and her unit stepped up to the plate, Captain Odeliah handpicked herself and the crew members she travelled with stepped up, Toberis and Minerva chose to go with him. Sorrowmind and a few his own small unit of men chose to go as well. Even Vincent, and Fitz came up to join Maurice on this mission.

            Twenty-two warriors, Soldiers, pirates, and mercenaries stepped up to join Captain Maurice Viyamor. He observed his hand-picked team wondering how they would get to the headquarters without drawing attention. They did have these airships that could carry them over in the air, yet the Caligari could have Gantronese send aircraft to shoot them down. Bryce and Tenno ended the meeting dismissing their soldiers. Odeliah sent her pirates to work on their ships, Maphai dismissed her mercenaries sending half of them on patrol, Director Garrett Riggs, and Brigadier General Liluth Gilhorn ordered for their own people to disperse or head to their designated stations. Gilhorn brought a force of 632 exiled soldiers and warriors from their bases, whereas Director Riggs brought sixty-five of his own people who set up office in an empty bunker they found near the fort. They spent a few days clearing it out, forced to kill strange looking creatures, and cleaning it out. Just the idea of the invaders being involved forced the sky pirates, and their new allies with airships to be cautious with air travel.

            For a good portion of the day they packed up for another long journey and gathered the mounts they needed. Each member of Maurice’s party received either a Jumbo Cat for a mount or the strange reptile looking creatures. Odeliah offered her own ship as transportation to as far as Waikun. As leader of their assembled party Captain Maurice Viyamor thought it would be wise to take the road by mount. Dina came up to the assembled party hoping to get a word in with Maurice before he departed. He turned to her and nodded a hello feeling speechless and feelings build up inside. Odeliah smacked him to get his attention. She offered an alternative to Maurice’s idea to reach the Caligari Syndicate. His attention was ripped away from Dina who seemed a little outraged by this. She made a disgusted face and stormed off to her own quarters. Maurice turned to catch her attention, but Odeliah stopped him. She told him to board one of her ships, and that she would take them as far as twenty miles past Waikun. Without warning the pirate Captain gave him a full mouth kiss in full view of Dina who turned to glance back at him. Maurice did not know what to do than to restrain himself from hitting the pirate who would shoot him if he tried to punch her. Odeliah escorted him and his party aboard their ship. Their journey would not begin until the very next day. Maurice kept thinking of how mad and outraged Dina was. The only thing that kept him from thinking of her at this moment was his duty.