April 25, 139 New Era

At 0600, the soldiers all got up and lined up outside the dormitory. I was about to go into the dormitory to clean up when I realized that not everyone was getting ready for the morning exercise. There were about three squads gathering at the operations center next to the command post, and among them were the long-winded recruits.

"Why, didn't you say we didn't have to work hard?"

"This is really going to the battlefield, will you die?"

"My mom and dad are so unreliable!"

To be honest, I also want to complain. What kind of task is it to get them to play? According to past experience, recruits who have undergone three months of basic training are capable of participating in combat, but they are estimated to have only one chance of dying.

My curiosity got the better of me and I wanted to follow and see, but Jade was cold in front of me, a large open hand almost covering my face.

"Even if it's you, if you don't participate in the action, you can't just go by."

"Major, is there a combat mission?"

"yes, didn't the Intelligence Department say that the other day it would take over the command? This operation was planned by them, and it seems that they also gave a code name to the extermination operation against the 'poisonous snake', what is it called? Jade looked up in thought.

"But that's a 'viper,' not just a terrorist, and you know how dangerous they are."

"We're not sending ordinary soldiers, haha." Jade didn't answer my question directly, as if he was joking, but quickly changed to a serious expression, "And it's an order, we can only do it." You're right, Vipers aren't your average terrorist, but there should be nothing to worry about on this mission. I'll go first, work hard"

Looking at Jed's back and tasting the tone of his voice when he spoke just now, although it was the same as usual, I vaguely felt that there was something unusual in it.

*****

On August 29 last year, the armed group Vipers, based in the Alpha region, launched an attack on the northern town of Braviken and transformed it into a stronghold, thus announcing the official start of their activities in the Alpha region. Since then, the Vipers have launched a series of operations, but their targets are not limited to the military, but also other terrorist forces. By the end of last year, only the Viper, a military organization, remained in the Alpha region.

In the eyes of the general public, the so-called terrorists are nothing more than crazy people who rush into the crowd with bombs strapped to their bodies, indiscriminately fire guns in public places, or drive a boat full of gasoline into a seaside playground and set it on fire, and this is indeed the case.

We've seen countless terrorists in the past in battle, one race at a time. Although their armament is not advanced, and their tactics are not high-end, they have an unrivaled fanaticism - they do not think about their own safety at all, and they are ready to die at any time. Under the brainwashing of the so-called "holy war", many people are proud of their death in battle and ashamed of not being able to sacrifice their lives for the "holy war".

The audacity of the terrorists is inseparable from their purpose. Religion, territory, political factors, etc., they choose to use terrorist attacks in exchange for the world's attention, and only in this way will their ideas not be forgotten.

But the "Viper" is different.

Their actions are organized, their operations are in order, and they do not fight in a nonsense manner. Every time a strategic target is attacked, it can be seen that it has been carefully planned in advance. Moreover, their equipment is much higher than that of ordinary terrorists, and their combat effectiveness is very strong, on a par with the regular army. That's why we haven't been able to completely defeat them for so long.

Curiously, however, to date, this group has not made any political statements. There is no fanfare for any assertions, no claims are made to the Government, and the vast majority of its combatants are not native and do not appear to be related to the religion of the territory.

What exactly are they for?

While pondering this, I walked towards the dormitory, and my phone rang, and it was the colonel calling.

"Akeya, stop what you're doing and come to my office."

"Yes, Colonel."

*****

Ten minutes later, I rushed to the colonel's office, knocked on the door and entered the house. The Colonel sat behind his desk, staring at a piece of paper in his hand, and Tokar stood next to him. I saw the projection screen hanging on the wall behind the Colonel, which was glittering, presumably on a mission, so I immediately walked up to the Colonel and stood upright.

"Akya Trosimi, report for duty."

The Colonel gestured to the couch next to him and motioned for us to sit down. Tokar and I had just sat down when the Colonel straightened up as he placed the paper on the table.

"Akeya, I think you have also seen that there is a combat operation today, and it is a task assigned by the Ministry of Intelligence. As before, let's get a feel for what the battle is about."

"Understood. But there is something unclear in his subordinates, and he wants to consult the colonel. ”

"Let's talk about it."

"My subordinates saw that the recruit team was also in the operation center, did they want to participate in the operation?"

The colonel smiled slightly: "If you don't participate in the operation, how can you let them in?" ”

Before I could speak, Tokar, who was leaning back on the couch, bounced up.

"Recruits into battle? Really, Colonel? I think that garbage is just going to die. ”

"Pay attention to your words, soldiers never go to war to die." The Colonel reprimanded Tokar, then added, "This is also the meaning of the Ministry of Intelligence, from the soldiers to the commanders, they are all chosen." ”

"Aren't we barracks for soldiers? How much experience can the Ministry of Intelligence have in the matter of war, and it will be their turn to intervene? ”

"The commander of the intelligence department has been sent." The colonel said, completely ignoring Tokar's complaints, "It was the recruits who took part in this operation, as well as the second and fifth assault squads. These two squads are experienced in combat, so there should be no problem. ”

I said, "That also depends on the content of the operation." ”

"Well."

The colonel tapped the keyboard on the table a few times, and a map appeared on the projection screen.

"This is where our mission will be."

Tokar and I looked at it closely, and almost at the same time said in surprise: "Area F? ”

To facilitate action, we have divided the Alpha region into six zones. Area F is the southwest corner of the Alpha region, west of the base, and is the most barren of all areas. But in the past, it was arguably the richest place in the Alpha region, and as a result, it became the focus of contention between the two countries during the Myari War of Independence, where several major battles were fought.

Ironically, after the war, it became an inaccessible wilderness, where not even a few intact houses could be found, and now it is a place of minimal military strategic significance.

The Colonel saw our confusion and continued to explain.

"Last night, the battle plan came from the Ministry of Intelligence. At around 2 p.m. yesterday, they spotted a group of armed elements entering this area of Area F. ”

As he spoke, the colonel gestured on the projection screen.

"There are ruins of some villages there, and they must have stayed inside. The size was about 100 people, and judging by the heavy weapons they carried, it should be 'poisonous snakes'. The Ministry of Intelligence concluded that they were temporarily stationed there for some purpose. ”

"Ha, temporarily stationed." Tokar sneered and shrugged, "And then? The whole area is uninhabited, there are no resources, and the land is full of weeds. ”

"That's the problem, and the Intelligence Department wants to figure out why. So the main goal of this operation is not to annihilate the enemy, but to figure out what they are doing. ”

Listening to the Colonel's words, I sensed that something was wrong.

"Colonel, does the Ministry of Intelligence have other ideas?"

"Why?"

"If it is to find out the enemy's purpose, then it is only necessary to send a small force to reconnoitre, use drones from the air to carry out surveillance, and combine the intelligence of the two, and it is not difficult to draw conclusions. Why send three squads of troops, it is easy to arouse the vigilance of the enemy. ”

The Colonel nodded in satisfaction, "You're right, Akya. But the dispatch of three squads was also an instruction from the Ministry of Intelligence, and a team of recruits was specifically designated. Needless to say, I also know that I want to help those recruits get results. If it's just reconnaissance, you don't have to worry about losing your life. ”

In the end, it's still that bureaucratic operation. I glanced at Tokar next to me, his arms folded and his head tilted, not sure whether to accept the statement or to suppress his grumbling. The colonel got up and pressed a button on the wall, and the image of the projection screen disappeared and began to rise slowly.

"Finally, the Intelligence Department is looking for ways to infiltrate the 'Viper', and the operation is codenamed 'Hunt Medusa'. For this we need to cooperate in the frontal battlefield, that is, as usual, understand? ”

"Yes!" "Understood."

Tokar and I both understood what I meant. We saluted and exited the room.

*****

1600, the troops set off on time.

Tokar and I, who had finished the day's work, were about to take a break when troop carriers drove by. Except for the recruits, the other two teams were all soldiers who had been in the army for at least three years. Besides, the number of enemies is small, and it is unlikely that they will fight desperately for such a strategically important area, so this mission should be easier.

However, the reality is far more cruel than I thought.

Around 1800, when I came out of dinner, I saw the medical team urgently assembled in the base compound. At first, I wasn't surprised, casualties in battle were common. But I was taken aback when a bullet-riddled and tattered personnel carrier came to a halt. The damage to the vehicle reached this point indicates that the troops were under considerable heavy attack.

It was the recruits who crawled out of the carriage. If Tokar had seen this, he would have gloated. The entire recruit team is 40 people, and less than half of them are back. Blood flowed everywhere on their bodies, their clothes turned red and green, and they kept making loud noises, crying for their fathers and mothers. There are also people who don't even have the strength to scream, lose too much blood, are too badly injured, and their lives are hanging by a thread.

The ready medical team lifted the wounded into the ambulance and drove to the hospital outside the base in a puff of smoke. More than ten minutes later, the cars of the second and fifth squads also returned. They were obviously in much better condition than the recruits, but they didn't have much energy, and it seemed that the battle was quite embarrassing.

I never expected this to happen, what happened? I ran to the hospital as fast as I could.

Out of the east gate of the base, not far from the hospital. There were quite a few people standing in front of the door, and Tokar was watching from the sidelines, and he had a smile on his face.

"Why are you so happy?"

"It's a purification of the team."

If the Colonel was here, Tokar would not have been scolded. Fortunately, the colonel arrived in a few minutes by car, and without saying a word, he got out of the car and walked straight into the hospital. Tokar and I were about to go in and were stopped by Jade who got out of the car later.

"You two don't have to go in."

"What happened?" Tokar asked, "The command post should have received the report a long time ago, right?" ”

"Yes, but the details will have to wait for the colonel to ask for clarification."

"Let me guess then. For example, I was ambushed on the way, and then the garbage in the hospital panicked, and I couldn't help but became a burden, and finally had to flee back in embarrassment, probably like this? ”

"Guess it's your freedom, Tokar."

"Hmph."

Tokar sighed in a disdainful voice and turned to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"Pack your things."

He staggered away. Jade made a helpless look and said to me, "I'll have to clean up too, what about you?" ”

"I'd like to ask the Colonel something."

"Okay, don't get too tangled, fool yourself up, see you later."

After about an hour of waiting, the colonel came out, surrounded by several squad leaders. They were talking to each other, and they were supposed to be dealing with the aftermath. I thought about it and didn't catch up. At this time, a cleaner stops a colonel, and no matter how you look at it, it will make people feel that there is a problem.

I went back to the command post and waited. It was already dark, and there were still lights inside and outside the command post. If this happens, no one in the building will want to sleep well. I thought about what had happened in the afternoon, but I couldn't figure it out. After a while, the colonel appeared in the courtyard in his car.

He also saw me and got out of the car and came to me.

"What do you want to ask, Akeya?"

I have so many things to ask, but first to figure out what's going on.

"Colonel, what the hell is going on?"

I was dumbfounded by the Colonel's next words, and I was amazed at Tokar's accurate guess. The troops were ambushed in the woods a few kilometres east of the village, and as soon as the two sides moved, the recruits were thrown into disarray. Apparently the enemy also saw that it was a soft persimmon, so they opened fire on the recruits. The dead and wounded of these usually carried away guys, the ghosts and wolves howling and rolling on the ground, are not useful at all.

In fact, the second and fifth squads alone could have fought a battle, but the commander from the intelligence department ordered the troops to protect the waste first, and the enemy's location and combat effectiveness were not clear, so they withdrew in a daze.

"I think they must have been spotted by an enemy sentry on the road." The colonel voiced his conclusions.

"Sentry?"

"There are three roads leading to the village, all of which are dirt roads that come out of weeds and sand. Ambush a few people on the side of the road, report to the team in the village at any time, and then let the team come out to block it, that's what happened. ”

I have always trusted the Colonel's judgment, and it must be so. The Ministry of Intelligence may have wanted the recruits to graduate right there, but some of them didn't even graduate. With this confused energy that can't figure out the enemy's combat effectiveness, can you still lead the operation of "Medusa hunting"?

"Colonel, my subordinates don't understand, why do you want the Intelligence Department to arrange manpower? As a combat unit, we should only accept tasks, and we are responsible for the deployment of personnel and on-site command. Judging by today's results, the Intelligence Department can only mess things up. ”

Because I was really confused, I had a lot to say, but the colonel only replied.

"Soldiers must obey orders."

Hearing this, I said no more. Yes, military men are to obey orders, no matter what kind of orders they are. The Colonel saw that I had not spoken, and leaned over to say the last sentence.

"Go, Akeya, and get ready. Meet at 0:30. ”

*****

Seventeen years ago, the plague swept through my hometown. During that time, I happened to be at the home of a relative in another country, and when I returned, I saw a deserted village, and the once peaceful and peaceful scene was gone. There were a lot of people walking around the village, not familiar neighbors, but a group of unfamiliar faces.

A couple of well-dressed men told young me that there was a plague here, and that it was breaking out quickly. In order to control the disease, the government had to isolate and purify the village, and no villagers survived. I didn't know what plague, purification, and quarantine were, only that I would never see my parents and brother again.

Those people were going to send me to an orphanage, and I wanted to go back to my relatives' house. But for some reason, my relatives, who had been smiling at me a few days ago, suddenly turned around after this incident, and no one was willing to take me in. As a result, I became a member of the orphanage.

Life in the orphanage is quiet and uneventful, with a bit of a homely feel. The teachers who took care of us were kind and the other children were kind to me, and it took me a year to settle into this new environment. On my 6th birthday, my teachers and children spent the whole day with me, and I felt like I had shaken off the shadow of the past. Maybe I'll live like this all the time in peace and inactivity, if I hadn't met the Colonel.

When he was 7 years old, the colonel took several people to the orphanage to offer condolences. Later I learned that this was one of the many image projects of the Silver Wing. When the dean stood next to the tall, gray-haired, spirited old man and introduced him as a hero for the defense of peace, the children cheered him stiffly with their hands raised. He also smiled and waved to the children.

One of the tours is physical education. At the request of the teacher, the children clumsily do one movement after another. I noticed that the old man was smiling and watching with relish. After gym class, he disappeared for a while and then called Tokar and me to a room alone.

There were only three of us in the room, and the old man said something that I can't remember, only the last question was still engraved in my mind.

"Do you want to be like me?"

Listening to the old man's words, Tokar agreed. I hesitated for a while, but agreed. Half of that was because I didn't want to lose Tokar as a good friend.

The other half, I can't say well. But I can be sure that I have an inexplicable admiration for the person in front of me, probably because his identity has influenced me.

If I have the ability to protect others, I will not let the tragedy of the village repeat itself.

As time went on, my admiration for the colonel grew. He was a soldier of integrity, standards, and my goal in life. To carry out the colonel's order, there is no need to hesitate at all.

If the colonel wants me to obey the orders of my superiors, then I will obey. Now he wants me to gather in the early hours of the morning, indicating that I am going back to business.