Summoning the Countries

Chapter 42

About six months later, Sergeant Viktor Statnik sat inside his squad's BTR-82A as it rumbled down the dirt road. They were heading to Novac where they were told they'd be protecting the town from a cult that had previously attacked. Last week, news outlets had reported battlecries coming from the small town, the government was quick to assert it as a terror cult like the Mistress's Followers. Apparently the town was still at risk of further attacks and so more forces were needed to prevent them. Viktor didn't believe this excuse for a minute.

According to the government, the terrorists had been dealt with by the royal knights. So why were they sending the military? And even if the threat was that great, two entire motorized rifle brigade of Russians and Ukrainians seemed like complete over killed. Beyond that, the entire cult excuse was awfully suspicious to Viktor. Novac was a small town in between borders of the Kitsune Empire, the Feline Empire, and King Alexander IV's kingdom, surely any cult activity would take place in a more largely populated area.

There was one last thing. Before they'd been sent out, the soldiers and marines had been given brand new equipment. While Viktor knew the Russian Ground Forces and the Ukrainian Marine Corps were being given modernized equipment, they hadn't expected this for at least another year or so. Their old AK-12s were replaced by new AK-24s. New uniforms, armored vests, helmets, and communications systems had been handed out to the two brigades. This was not the sort of stuff you sent to deal with terrorists.

It was all making his head spin.

Viktor had to get his head together. A jumbled mind led to bad decisions and quick mistakes, as squad leader he couldn't let that happen. His eight man squad relied on him being a capable leader.

Shaking his head, Viktor looked around the BTR. Most of his men were either sleeping or deep in thought like he just was. One of them, his second in command Demian Muratov, made eye contact.

"Сержант, могу я задать вам вопрос?"

"Конечно Муратов, все что угодно." He backed up his response with a response with a reassuring smile.

"Ну Статник." There was a hint of hesitance in his voice. "Как вы думаете, мы увидим бой, подобный Демонам и Империи Кве-Турн?"

Viktor thought on the question. None of their squad members had seen action in any of the recent conflicts. Because of this, there was strong wish in all of them, even Viktor, to get some experience. Unlike many soldiers, marines, airmen, and sailors of New Russia, they were volunteers.

He finally came up with a suitable answer. "Возможно, нам еще представится шанс подраться, но я бы не поставил на это ни рубля."

The BTR suddenly lurched to a stop, they'd arrived at their destination.

"Все вверх!" Viktor's yell woke up anyone that hadn't been awake from the sudden stop. "Двигайся, двигайся, двигайся!"

The squad scrambled out of their seats and out the BTR's hatches. Viktor was the last to go and he was greeted by the sight of an empty town being flooded by fellow Russian soldiers and Ukrainian marines. Checking to make sure he had all his equipment, Viktor signaled for his squad to follow him and started jogging to the center of town with the other squads.

The town was completely void of any civilians and there were signs of the damage that would have come with a terror attack.

"Солдаты Новой России и морская пехота Украины!" Major General Marka Rozovsky's voice boomed out of a loudspeaker. "Примерно неделю назад мирные жители и рыцари подверглись нападению врага, подобного тому, с которым большинство сражалось два-три года назад. Королевство Циндао. Чтобы сдержать панику, оба наших правительства объявили это терроризмом. Но не заблуждайтесь, это были кровожадные народы, стремившиеся уничтожить родину наших союзников!"