Chapter 93: Total War

*Smack*

Jack felt the world collapse around him long before he lost control of his legs. He sat there on the ground, struggling to gain control of his vision.

One second, two, three, thirty, five minutes? Ten? It felt like in that moment each passing second was a minute in length as he struggled to get back to his feet.

He tried to stand… but his legs didn’t agree. He was drunk, intoxicated, and slipped the moment he tried to get back to a standing position, falling back onto his ass.

All the while his vision wobbled, shifted, and settled on Aidan standing in front of him shouting at him, while Jack’s men restrained the man and the gun in his hand.

“You motherfucker! You killed my men, I’ll have your head for this!”

The words reached him before their meaning did. Each word spoken was slow and slurred until at once it came crashing down around him. The clarity feeling more sped up than stable.

And then it was back… The strength in his legs, the speed at which the world moved around him. Completely normalized save for the lingering sensation that something wasn’t quite right.. wasn’t quite still inside his own head.

When Jack finally realized that he had just been decked and dropped he instantly became enraged.

But he couldn’t do anything, he was pulled back instantly by his men who weren’t currently disarming and restraining Aidan.

“What the hell is wrong with you? You think I did this you blind retard? Did you even look to the sky there was a fucking drone there! When do I have access to drones?”

Drones…. The word snuffed all the rage and certainty from Aidan’s body. There was only one known actor in the region who had access to such advanced technology.

He stood there in astonishment, the strength having completely dissipated from his body.

“Paradise Falls….”

The words caused all the men to suddenly become soft, even Jack. He was still enraged by the sudden and abrupt attack just now. But he understood it… It took him a few moments longer to think it through.

But it made sense why Aidan jumped to such conclusions. They were internally at odds, none of his men were attacked, and in a moment of intense rage, grief, and fear, Aidan had thought that meant he was responsible.

After all, how could an outsider pull off such an elaborate attack? There was just one problem with this reasoning. Jack’s men weren’t targeted because it was not their day to make the runs.

He sighed heavily and shook his head.

“Dammit Aidan, you almost gave those fuckers exactly what they wanted! You’re supposed to be our leader, but look at you! You’ve completely lost your ability to think in a moment of crisis!”

Aidan lowered his head in absolute shame. Jack was right… He had automatically jumped to the conclusion that it was internal sabotage and assassination. He was unfit to be their leader….

Mick was dead, half of his own supporters were gone with him, and all of their men. They, as a collective, had taken an extreme blow to their strength and numbers today.

And he had not only failed to capture the perpetrators but also instantly attacked one of his fellow captains.

Jack however, sighed and shook his head. His thoughts were still a bit jumbled and slow. It felt both normal and slow at the same time in an almost paradoxical state of existence.

“I didn’t want to do this… I had wanted to stay out of this fight… My men and I were simply going to run collections while you and that fucking mad dog of yours started a war with whoever started this mess.”

Aidan gritted his teeth and hissed, he knew Jack’s plan all along, and it had only further added fuel to the fire which he felt burning in his heart at this very moment.

But Jack then continued and said something which shocked the man.

“But… those assholes in Paradise Falls have made a huge mistake. Ambushing Marcus was one thing, but taking out Mick and the others right in front of us by sabotaging their helmets? It means that our tributaries have conspired with the enemy. I’m afraid we need to remind them of why they pay tribute to us in the first place. So how about it, Aidan? Shall we go raise a little hell?”

Aidan stared in silence at Jack, the two men didn’t smirk, they didn’t sneer, they were completely emotionless and unmoving like statues. Until they reached forward and shook their hands.

—

Zach knew that after the attack one of two scenarios were likely to occur. Either the internal struggles they had silently observed between the major players of the Raider Federation would split into civil war.

Or they would head out and begin a punitive expedition against their tributaries. Either way, they needed to withdraw back to Elysium and resupply for the next fight.

The peltasts fled the scene immediately after their attack, leaving a drone behind only to watch the enemy’s movements.

A drone which withdrew after confirming what needed to be seen. They hadn’t brought the level of firepower with them that was necessary to sustain a conflict with the Raiders.

And as they drove back, as fast as they could, dashing through the snow on the backs of their snowmobiles. One of the men called out over the wire.

“Hey Perseus, are we really abandoning those villages to the raiders?”

Zach remained silent for a long while. The exact shape of his expression concealed beneath the skull balaclava that he wore.

And when he finally spoke his words were as chilling as the frost-laced wind that lashed them by.

“We promised them we would give them the means to liberate themselves, not that we would protect them from the aftermath of their actions. The price of freedom is steep, over and out.”

Zach said nothing more while they approached the gates of Elysium.

—

With the fortifications surrounding Elysium made from bastion barriers of frozen soil, chicken wire, and winter camouflage textiles. The settlement blended in almost too perfectly with the surrounding area.

If one didn’t know exactly what they were looking for, they would be the target of 81mm light mortars long before they ever realized they had intruded upon sovereign territory of a heavily armed and paranoid population.

Luckily for Zach and his men they belonged to this community, and because they belonged they knew all too well how to signal their advance before they accidentally found themselves the subjects of a mortar barrage.

They alerted the Hoplites defending the walls that they were arriving and then pulled it. Zach taking his helmet and balaclava off after parking his snowmobile in the Agoge’s garage complex.

There he found Daniel, Todd, and Dean waiting for him. They were all dressed in their fatigues and stood waiting for his arrival.

Zach did not stand on formality and immediately got to the point.

“The attack was successful. We have successfully disrupted the enemy’s leadership. And have whittled their numbers down to manageable levels. Reprisals are expected against proxy forces, but that was always within expectation.”

Daniel, Todd, and Zach all watched Dean closely. He didn’t react, not at first, and finally there was a subtle nod.

“Good, we have taken the first step in our operation to disrupt the largest threat to our stability in the region. Now what we need to do is ambush them on their way to and from reprisals. We can’t save all the proxies from a gruesome fate, but what we can do is ensure them that we are on their side and trying our best to aid them. Our numbers are limited, and they know that.”

Zach nodded his head, and Todd did the same, but it was ultimately Daniel who directly qusitoned Dean’s judgement, an action which swiftly gained a sharp glance from the other two Captains.

“Dean. If they suffer losses because of our attacks, won’t they blame us? Why would they continue to work alongside us if doing so yields such negative results?”

Todd stepped forward with his fists curled and his teeth grit.

“Why you-”

But he was stopped as Dean raised his hand. Causing the young man to fall back to his place. Dean looked over at Daniel, he wasn’t stern, nor angry. He simply spoke with an air of inevitability.

“Because they have no other choice….”

He let the words sit just long enough for dramatic effect.

“They have already thrown their lot with us, and struck back at their masters in a way that guarantees things cannot go back to the way they were. They can kick, scream, and cry foul all they want. But at the end of the day, their only path to survival lies in binding themselves to us.”

A glint of understanding appeared in Daniel’s eyes as he lowered his head in deference to Dean’s knowledge and expertise. Something he expanded upon immediately after.

“They didn’t have to accept our offer, or sabotage the raiders’ helmets. They made a choice, and now they have to accept the consequences. And those who survive the turmoil to come will be stronger for it. And Elysium can only afford to look after the strong if we are to survive this winter. Now, get some rest ,and enjoy the night, because tomorrow morning, we are officially in a state of total war.”

Dean left without saying another word. Leaving his three captains to themselves to discuss their plans for the next phase of their military operation.

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