A New Beginning

by Alexander W Meurant

  Sain opened his folder then and looked at the first page. There were forty names on it and the names were all broken up into groups of five. Finding his name, Sain realized he had been assigned to Luto's unit and put in the Echo designation. He smiled at that. At least he would be with someone he knew. All the other members of his unit were people he interacted with regularly. Three of them were people in his room, including Ronald.

  "When we are inserted via drop, the first objective will be to surround the village completely on all eight points of the compass. North, North East, East, South East and so on. Unit placement will be clockwise from Alpha to Hotel" Travos continued as Sain and all the others looked at the map on the wall. Travos clicked his remote again and the map changed to another map that had various markers covering it.

  "Intelligence indicates that there are approximately one hundred and twenty militia men in the village, as well as a number of civilians. These civilians are there voluntarily and are not hostages. The main objective is to eliminate Rana and his three sons. Each of his sons is in command of a platoon sized force. These are the militia men. Turn to the second page and you will see the pictures of the targets" Travos stated and waited for all his soldiers to do so.

  A rustle sounded as people flipped pages, Sain included. Seeing four pictures on the second page, Sain looked them over, noting their targets.

  "Rana is Target A, the sons are B, C, and D. This is not a capture mission. It is extermination. Any militiamen that surrender are to be incapacitated. Do not give the targets any chance to surrender. Now, as for the targets, their exact locations are unknown. We believe Rana, target A is located in the largest building, in the center of the village, but the other three targets could be located in any of the other dozen buildings of the village, or the old foundry” Travos stated as he stepped forward and indicated a large building in the north east of the map.

  “We will have no choice but to go from door to door until all targets are neutralized. There will be drones flying overhead to provide combat information. This information will be coming directly to me on the ground. Make sure you keep your ears open and ear pieces up loud" Travos stated and looked around at his soldiers, a tight-lipped expression on his face. His gaze came to Sain and the youth felt the Major's gaze linger for a few seconds before moving on. Sain just gulped as Travos started speaking once more.

  "I can see a few confused looks on a few faces. I'll put you at ease because I can guess a few questions. Command has no intention of bombing the village. They want visual confirmation of the target's deaths. Each of your unit commanders will be equipped with a live stream body camera for that purpose, as well as each of you wearing the standard recording camera. Also, there is a limited time frame for the operation. When we start, it is expected for enemy reinforcements to be mobilized. There are around four thousand militiamen within a radius of forty kilometers, but these forces will be intercepted by Union airships. It is possible that some may evade and get through the blockade however" Travos said. Sain sensed a wave of relief and tension wash over a large number of those around him and he smiled weakly. They were all magi but he guessed even the best of them didn't like the idea of putting forty magi against four thousand militia.

  "Once the targets are confirmed deceased, extraction drop ships will approach from the south and land a half kilometer from the village in the southern fields. Are there any other questions? If not, then you are all dismissed. So go prepare for the operation" Travos ordered and looked around. Seeing movement to the front, Sain watched a colleague he didn't know raise a hand even as everyone else remained silent. Travos nodded at the man, giving him permission to speak.

  "Sir, do you know if there are any magi in the village?" the man asked and a collective murmur seemed to erupt among those gathered. Travos raised his hands and made a motion with them, as if he was patting the air, causing the murmuring to die down.

  "We believe there are magi, or more correctly, persons with some magical aptitude in the village. Rana refused to hand command of his mages over to the Union military as that was a condition of the negotiations. Old intelligence suggests a half dozen such people in the militia. But they will not have even half the training you lot do. It will be like fighting a child" Travos stated and smiled wryly, a few chuckles sounding from around the room.

  "Alright, are there are no more questions?” Travos asked with a brow raised in query. When no more voices piped up, Sain shifted uncomfortably, not too sure what he was supposed to be doing now. Travos looked grim and nodded when no one else spoke.

  "Then get to it people. You have a good few hours to gear up and relax. Dismissed" Travos stated and then turned to talk to Lesha quietly. The scrape of chairs being slid on the floor sounded as those around Sain stood up, all of them tucking the folders under their arms or still reading them as they made to walk out of the room. A small hub bub of noise sounded as they began to talk quietly to themselves and Sain gulped again, feeling a wash of nervousness as he stood up also, folder in hand.

  Feeling a hand on his left shoulder he turned to look and saw Luto staring at him.

  "Come with me lad, I'll show you where you can get all your gear. First missions are always tough" Luto stated as he let go of Sain’s shoulder and made his way out of the room, Sain gulping and hurriedly following after him.

  * * *

  Looking around him with eyes open wide, Sain sat strapped into his seat as the drop ship vibrated and occasionally shuddered whilst it flew. Around him sat nine other people from his platoon. They were the people that had been assigned to the Echo and Foxtrot units and the two groups that were getting dropped into the south.

  Sucking in a breath Sain looked down at his gloved hands, clenching them in his lap. He just stared at the fingerless gloves and swallowed hard. He was dead nervous and tense to the point he felt almost panicked and a little sick in the stomach. Seeing a hand come into view from his right and then feeling it punch him softly in the thigh, Sain looked up to its owner. Luto sat on Sain's right and was almost unrecognizable in his body armor. He was wearing black body armor over his dark green military uniform and flight suit, and all his joints were covered by armored pads as well. The man wore a scarf around his neck and his helmet sat on his lap, goggles attached. All over his body were small pouches as well as a number of bullet magazines. Sain could just see the glint of light coming from a number of crystals also sewed into various parts of the man’s clothing.

  Sain smiled at Luto weakly, figuring he must have looked just like the man, seeing as Luto had helped him gear up. Luto stared at Sain, a small yet grim smile on his lips.

  "Take it easy lad. We are not far from the drop. Once we land, stick close to me or Roland. I know you haven't done any breach training, but it's fairly simple. Once of us will blow open the door with magic, three of us will go in and take care of anyone inside the buildings. Two will stay outside and watch our six. I want you to stay outside with Roland. Listen to what he says. He has done this a few times" Luto shouted over the noise of the drop ship engines, his eyes locked on Sain. Sain nodded sharply to show he understood. He flitted his eyes around the dropship and noticed all other faces turned to look at him and Luto. He gulped.

  "But I will be surprised if we actually have to go into the buildings. It will depend on how good the enemy sentries are. If it turns into a firefight through the village, keep a barrier up at all times and keep it close to your body. That's something you have trained for" Luto shouted and nodded himself, helping to drive home the information. Sain grit his teeth and nodded in reply. He felt awkward as well as nervous now. Only experience would help him get over this. Hearing scuffling, he looked up towards the source and noted how all the other soldiers looked as well. They all stared at the door leading to the cockpit as a flight officer appeared.

  "Five minutes to drop people. Unstrap and gear up" the man yelled out, his voice just audible over the dropships engines. As the man disappeared back into the cockpit all the sol
diers undid their seat belts and stood up. Helmets were pulled on and strapped tight, rifles collected from next to the seats and slung over shoulders, various straps from the body armor being used to secure it tight to the body. Sain followed suit and stood up, picking up his rifle from where he had laid it next to his seat. He secured it to his body and felt a strange comfort from it.

  He pulled at the straps and buckles of his helmet, making sure it has tight to his head and then he reached under his chin and felt for the black fabric face mask he had been given. He pulled it up over his chin, mouth and nose and sucked in a breath. It was a stretchy fabric and quite breathable. Using both hands he reached up to his helmet and slid down the goggles that sat on top of the helmet. He secured them against his eyes and grimaced as his vision became somewhat poorer. They were meant for night vision after all, possessing both infra-red night vision and thermal, depending on what setting he set it to for use. Right now, neither of those were in use seeing as he was in a somewhat gloomily lit up dropship.

  "Alright Echo unit to the front, we jump first on the green light. You know the rest" Sain heard Luto shout out as the man brushed past Sain and headed to the back of the dropship, his left hand reaching up and grabbing the rail that ran along the roof. Sain saw Roland step in behind Luto and Sain started forward, coming in after the man. He sensed the other two of his unit step in after him and he heard Foxtrot unit shuffling about as well.

  Looking forward Sain stood a bare few centimeters behind Roland and he swore he could smell the man. Lifting his left hand, he grabbed the rail on the roof also and looked up, seeing the three lights that indicated when to jump. Right now, it was on red.

  Feeling a rush of cold air, Sain flicked his gaze down and saw the rear of the dropship opening. The cold night air whipped around him and he felt its harshness on the few exposed bits of skin he had. His face above the mask and around the goggles. The back of his neck and the tips of his fingers. He shivered slightly hating the fact he had to wear those fingerless gloves. But he would need them if he wanted to be able to draw magic from crystals.

  Hearing a loud piercing beep Sain looked up and the red light changed to orange. He sucked in a breath and exhaled slowly. His eyes stayed locked on the light as he waited. Sixty seconds later it changed to green and he heard shouts.

  "Go! Go! Go!" the shouts came from all around him and Sain seemed to phase out as he stepped forward in line with the others. He didn't see Luto go, but as soon as Roland went Sain was left staring at empty dark sky. He hesitated only a moment before he jumped and felt a rush of exhilaration, adrenaline racing through him as he tumbled through the air.

  Everything was black around him except for the stars and a few lights on the ground. It was a moonless night alright. Straightening himself in the air Sain got control of his fall and then lifted his left hand up to his goggles. Pressing a button his vision lit up slowly in green as the night vision kicked in and he caught sight of his surroundings as he fell.

  Seeing Luto and Roland not far below him he watched as they both pulled on the cords that held the webbing of their flight suits shut. And Sain did the same. Instantly he felt the air pull and his descent slow sharply. Spreading his limbs, he felt the fabric catch the wind fully and he began to glide through the air, making sure to follow the path Luto and Roland took. Glancing to the right he saw a cluster of lights off in the distance. Around the lights was just darkness. Jungle and long grass.

  Turning his gaze back to those in front he followed Luto and Roland, and started to bank to the right, aiming for those lights in the distance. As he focused on his flight the minutes passed by silently, the village lights drawing closer and closer before they were less than a kilometer or so away. Seeing Luto take a spiraling turn, Sain followed suit and before long the ground was rushing to meet him. Curling his left hand in to make a fist, Sain felt for the air crystal secured to his palm. Feeling his finger come into contact he drew the energy forth and created a rush of air beneath him even as he closed his legs, cutting off the air flow to the webbing between them. The rush of air caught the webbing at his arms and slowed him to a near halt as his feet shot forward. He stumbled a little as he landed and heard others come in behind him.

  Looking around his landing point, Sain saw the other four of his unit and guessed the Foxtrot unit had flown a bit further on. Hearing tearing cloth Sain cast his gaze to his fellows and saw them using knives to cut the webbing of their flight suits away. He looked at them numbly for a moment before remembering a previous lesson after one of his earlier jump's. The webbing would just get in the way during combat now. Taking his combat knife from his right thigh he cut away the webbing also, letting the scraps fall to the ground.

  "Echo landed, moving to position. Over" Sain heard Luto say and looked up as he slid his knife back into its sheath and undid the straps holding his rifle to his body. He unslung it and held it loosely, waiting for orders. The other three seemed to be waiting also. A slight crackle came back over the others radio's and Sain blinked as Luto and the others turned and started jogging. Sain started after, coming in behind Roland even as he realized he had his radio's volume down. He lifted a hand to his chest where the control was and found the volume. He turned the dial up and instantly voices from the other units came into his ear piece. Good thing he had realized this now. Didn't want to be in radio silence when the fire work’s started.

  Listening to the short words spoken between the other units as they got into position, Sain just grit his teeth and jogged along with his unit. He was practically oozing nervousness and fear, as well as a slight excitement that he could feel just bubbling at the surface, waiting to explode.

  Chapter 16

  * * *

  Sain lay down in the thick ferns, his rifled pointed out in front of him. He suddenly wished the rifle he carried had a scope so that he could make longer and more accurate shots, not that he had actually practiced sniping before. Focusing again, Sain stared forward and could just see through the foliage of the ferns, barely making out three people lounging under the awning of a building ahead of him. It was one of the buildings on the most southern perimeter of the village and was about fifty meters' from Sain’s position. Either side of him were members of his unit, all staring fixedly at the three people as well.

  They appeared to be on watch duty but were not at all taking it seriously. They lounged around passing a bottle of some sort of liquor between themselves whilst a flood light on the building’s roof swung slowly from left to right, lighting up the night for somewhere between thirty and forty meters and creating an eerie light that seemed to bounce off the very ferns Sain and the team were hiding under. Listening to the chatter on his radio, Sain gathered there were other such positions all around the village.

  "We won't get in without being seen Sergeant" Sain heard Roland say, breaking the somewhat uncomfortable silence.

  "I know. It is going to be messy. Would have thought intelligence would have a lot more information on this. It seems like a rushed mission. But then again, most of our missions are" Luto replied with his eyes locked on a point past the sentries even as the others chuckled slightly. Sain followed where his superior was looking and noted a makeshift tower further inside the village, positioned at the south west corner of the foundry.

  The latter was a massive structure that loomed above the buildings, and was like a gloomy shape in the darkness, barely visible as not even a single light lit up its surface. Sain could just see a gaping hole, and imagined the structure as a massive stool, with four legs splayed out, with a number of building’s situated under and around it.

  Looking back to the tower flanking the foundry corner, Sain could just see at least two shapes in there and he guessed both people would be likely carrying long distance rifles. He felt his heart sink as the unit fell back into silence. After a few minutes Sain heard Travos over the radio.

  "All units advance. Flush them out and take them out. Keep it simple and keep your barriers up. Drones s
how a tower on each corner of the foundry. Watch out for those in the towers" came the command and Sain blinked as he looked around at those either side of him.

  "Let’s go lads. Sain, stay with Roland" Luto commanded as he stood up and started walking slowly as he lifted his rifle to firing position, the ferns rustling as Luto passed through them. Sain stood also and felt a mixture of terror and excitement flood through him. He felt all tingly, like butterflies were having a party in his stomach. It was reminiscent of the feelings he had had when fighting with magic. Thinking about magic he sucked in a breath and brought his attention to his magical core. Pulling on the energy he wrapped it around himself and created a barrier tight against his body. Hearing mumbles from around him he surmised the others were doing just as he was.

  As they walked slowly forward Sain counted down as they approached the border of the flood light, its light creating an eerie, almost bluish sheen on the wide leaves of the ferns. Once Sain and his fellows were in that light, that would be it. There would be no going back.

  "I will take out the lights, you guys take the sentries. Once the lights are out switch back to night vision" Luto stated and then picked up his murmuring again. Sain gulped and trained his rifle sights on one of the lounging sentries even as his thumb flicked the safety off.