Dharma Chakra : Kalinga's Battles with Destiny

Chapter 4: The Technological Kingdom

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Central Calendar 17th Day of the 1st month of the Year 1635

Muri village, Southern Kalinga

The small coastal village of Muri was celebrating a wedding ceremony. Hindu culture dictates that the wedding of smallfolk should be celebrated after sunset and the entire village was lit up that night.

Unknown to them, about a hundred soldiers had just landed on the coast 2 kilometers away. These men were lightly armored and carried swords and shields much like medieval soldiers. The men followed the bright lights of the celebrations and landmarks designated by scouts to get to the border of the village. They split up into several smaller groups with each moving on to kill any unfortunate civilian sleeping in their homes. On reaching the village hall the groups reassembled, blocked all exit routes and charged at the unsuspecting unarmed villagers.

The villagers tried retaliating however they could with improvised weapons but they were mere farmers facing cruel soldiers. Despite their resistance, every villager in the hall was cut down. The leader of the troop stepped towards a wounded man. "Was there a wedding going on? My my, didn't we pick the worst possible moment to attack?"

"You spineless bastards! How have we ever wronged you?" A downed villager snarled.

"Eh beats me. I have been tasked to take some lives, and that's what I am gonna do. But first, some entertainment! Men, bring me the bride."

The atrocities continued till late midnight. After making sure that no Kalingan drew breath anymore in that village, Commander Aden ordered his men to torch it all down. The soldiers retreated back to the ships that had brought them here, celebrating a job well done.

A week after the incident, the Block Development Officer who usually toured the village to keep in touch with the locals and their issues was overcome by the rotting stench of bodies. The horrifying sight made him and most of his retinue lose their lunches. The incident was reported immediately to the Secretariat and Birju called for an emergency meeting.

The Secretariat, a week after the Muri Massacre

"We have confirmation that this was indeed a Lourian attack on our shores. The sailors in our prisons recognized the weapons and equipment left behind by the raiders."

"This must have been revenge for all those ships sunk by our navy." Krishnan growled. "If only someone managed to exercise restraint" He glowered at Vivek.

"I am not going to hold my men responsible for the incident. The Lourians attacked first, killing several of our shipmates. The punishment was just."

"And what about this, Vivek? Is the Massacre of Muri justified? After all, they only took revenge for the sailors that YOUR men killed?"

Birju tried to break up the argument before it could devolve any further. "That's enough, both of you. No matter how much you bicker, it does not change the fact that the damage is done. People would be looking at us for an appropriate response."

"We cannot afford an escalation, Mr Chief Minister!" Krishnan said. "We don't have nearly as many men as we need to mount an assault."

"Who's talking about a frontal attack, Krishnan?" Birju chided "How are our chemical industries coping with the transference? Have there been any problems?" He asked as he started writing furiously on a notepad.

"They have stopped production citing the non-demand of chemical reagents as most of our major industries have been operating at the bare minimum capacity as well as unavailability of raw materials." Nitesh replied.