The battle in the Depsang Plains, Ladakh Region north of New Delhi was stalled, but not finished. Premier Wing would not give up so easily. For the next two days, the Chinese Army waited for reinforcements that included new tanks with Direct Energy Weapons (DEW) that used laser beams to counteract the drones. On the third day, they attacked again.
Colonel Martin commanded a 1000 troop battalion on the front line. All were experienced combat troops supporting Indian Armed Forces numbering 90,000 fighting an estimated 100,000 Chinese troops increasing in strength every day. He knew they could not hold the line against such a large enemy force.
Captain Hood’s voice broke through the roar of battle over Martin’s headset, “Colonel, we’re taking heavy fire from the Chinese tanks. My troops can’t hold out much longer!”
Luis received similar Sitreps from his other company commanders and knew they were all in trouble. “Copy that, Captain. The Indian Army is issuing orders to withdraw in ten minutes. Hold your position until then before moving your troops from your line. We’re retreating ten miles back over the river. Do you copy?”
“Copy, sir. Over and out!”
Luis realized the war with the Chinese Army was only going to end one way; and that was not in favor of the Indian Army or the World Federation peacekeeping troops assigned to the region. “Shit!” he said to himself in disgust. It seemed this same situation was happening all over Asia and the rest of the continent. Only a few Provinces in the old European Union were still free of Eurasia Federation control.
“Colonel Martin, come in!” The voice belonged to General Clark at the field headquarters tent behind the front line.
“Martin here, sir,” Luis responded.
“You need to move your troops back. We’re retreating now!”
“Understand, General. I’ll pass the order to my battalion to retreat now. Over and out.”
Luis took one more look out over the battlefield. Indian Army tanks were firing shells at the enemy troops attacking them in a fierce fire fight. They fought bravely for their country, but the Chinese Army kept advancing even though taking heavy casualties. Tank after tank was destroyed by Chinese anti-tank missiles and now from heavy DEW vehicles that showed up after the first drone attack. The few drones left in the battle had run out of weapons and were forced to return to the military base at Jaipur for resupply.
Competing with the fire and smoke from the battlefield, was the heavy gray colored smog that began to settle over the area. Smog with its deadly air pollutants had become a silent killer in many regions of the world due to the Climate Crisis slowing destroying the planet. Thus, the reason for the protective facemasks every soldier had to wear most days. The facemasks provided ballistic protection, good visibility and air pollution filters. Without it, they would find it too hard to breathe the air and still fight. Luis knew as well as anyone that the world was dying in spite of what anyone could do to stop it. He even knew it was becoming pointless for nations to continue to fight each other for whatever reason. They were all running out of time and war was not going to solve the bigger problem.
A Sixth Mass Extinction Level Event was upon them. It was all due to the fault of humans. Science proved it beyond a shadow of doubt. Experts in the field even said humans would die out within the next 10 years unless a solution could be found to save the planet from overheating. Extreme measures were called for, but Luis knew war was not the answer.
Just then, artillery shells began to fall behind their front line. The enemy was breaking through Indian Army positions once again.
“Everyone fall back!” Luis yelled through his headset to anyone who could hear. He grabbed his rifle and gear and ran for his Humvee parked behind some rocks. By the time he opened the door and threw everything he carried inside, the enemy shells were exploding all around him. Luckily, none of the fragments hit him or the heavily armored Humvee. He managed to start the engine and race from the rock formation away from the exploding shells.
“Colonel Martin, we need help!” Luis recognized the voice of Captain Hood.
“I hear you. I’m on my way!”
Luis drove half a mile down rough, rocky terrain, toward a ravine that ran alongside a small stream. He saw two soldiers helping a wounded female soldier walk towards him. He screeched to a stop alongside them. Captain Hood and a corporal were helping the wounded female soldier as two other soldiers fired their rifles at enemy targets rushing towards them.
“Get in, quickly! Man the machine gun on top!” Luis ordered one of the soldiers as the other continued to provide cover fire with his MK30 automatic rifle.
Jason and the corporal managed to get the wounded female soldier inside the back of the Humvee. Once the soldier on top started firing the laser guided M2 .50-caliber machine gun and MK 40 mm grenade launcher, the enemy soldiers were violently eliminated.
The last soldier, a sergeant, jumped in back with the others. Jason hopped in front with Luis. “We’re good to go!”
Luis spun the Humvee around and headed south. He touched the LED screen to bring up the GPS guided navigation map. The route through the valley was highlighted.
“How’s the wounded soldier?” Luis asked as he drove through the blackish smoke billowing up from burning tanks. The terrain was bumpy and pounded the Humvee rocking the passengers side to side. Luis did not slow down to ease the rough ride.
“She’ll live. It’s only a shoulder wound. I stopped the bleeding, sir!” the corporal sitting beside the wounded soldier said over his headset.
“We should reach a field hospitable soon. We’ve been ordered to fall back another ten miles. The Indian Army has reinforcements heading this way. Maybe they can slow down the Chinese.”
“I doubt it, sir. There are too many of them.” Jason commented trying to see out the front windshield. Visibility was still poor.
“How long can the Indian Army hold them back, Colonel?” the sergeant asked from the back seat.
“Not clear, Sergeant,” Luis responded. “The Chinese Army is building up in strength every day. The Pakistani Army with Chinese troops has re-crossed the Line of Control in the west. The Indian Army is stretched too thin. There are reports the Chinese are also entering India through Tibet in the south. Their aim is to capture New Delhi and force India to join the Eurasia Federation controlled by Premier Wing.”
“Great! We should pull out of this godforsaken country!” the sergeant muttered.
Luis didn’t respond. He silently agreed with the sentiment. It was only a matter of time before the World Federation decides to pull its peacekeeping troops out of India. They could only do so much and this was not the area to try and save from the inevitable collapse of Asia.
The Humvee made good time retreating from the front line along with countless other military vehicles filled with Indian and WF soldiers. They would make one more stand to try and hold back the Chinese invasion of the disputed Kashmir region of Ladakh which contained the Depsang Plains. The Chinese claimed the western portion while India claimed the eastern portion divided by the Line of Actual Control. The LAC seemed immaterial now. India was fighting for its sovereignty.
Luis found the field hospital which was still treating the wounded before it too would have to be moved.
“Take the soldier inside. Captain Hood will come with me. The rest of you wait here. I’ll send another platoon leader to pick you up. We’re going to the general’s headquarters to find out what’s going on.”
Jason hopped back inside the Humvee while the other soldiers helped the wounded female inside the hospital tent for treatment. He didn’t like leaving his soldiers behind. They had been through hell together and it didn’t seem right.
“I would rather stay with my team, sir.”
“You’ll be back with them soon enough once we find out our new orders.”
Luis made a swift turn to avoid another vehicle full of soldiers. “I think our company is pulling back from the front lines this time. I need to verify with the general.”
Jason didn’t respond at first; then spoke, “I hope it’s true, sir. We aren’t going to be able to stop these Chinese unless the UAC sends more troops from the EU.”
Luis was too busy driving the Humvee to answer back. He looked at the NAV screen and saw the field headquarters was two miles up the gravel road. He gunned the engine and they rode the final distance in silence. Up ahead through the haze of smoke and smog, Luis finally saw the blue and white World Federation flag blowing in the wind. He pulled to a quick stop in front of the long, desert colored tent. They both exited the Humvee and entered the command center.
People were racing around inside packing up everything in sight. Luis found General Bradley Clark staring at a real terrain map on a wooden table. He was alone at the moment and didn’t hear Luis and Jason approach from behind.
“General Clark, Colonel Martin and Captain Hood from Company A reporting in person, sir.”
Clark turned around holding a small laser pointer in his hand. He didn’t seem surprised by their presence. He knew both men personally since they all came from the same military base at Fort Leonard Wood in the state of Missouri. “Are your soldiers retreating as ordered, Colonel?”
“Yes sir. I had to bring a wounded soldier to the field hospital near here, so I decided to check in personally, sir.”
“I’m glad you’re here, Luis, Jason. I may have a new assignment for you.”
Bradly pointed to the map on the table. “WF troops are pulling out of India. We’re going to Jaipur to be airlifted to the EU Province near France. I need a company to head to New Delhi to escort the UAC Ambassador and maybe WF Deputy-Director to Jaipur before the Chinese Army captures them. Can you do it, Colonel?”
Luis looked at the map. It would take a few days to reach the capital of India from here, but it looked easy enough. He asked, “Certainly, sir, but can’t they just fly out of New Delhi?”
“Not anymore. No more commercial flights in or out of New Delhi. The megacity is in turmoil and the airport is shut down. The Chinese Army is invading from the south through Tibet. The Indian Army is not able to stop them. I believe India will fall in five days.”
Luis took one more look at the map and said, “I’ll leave today, sir.”
General Clark looked Luis and Jason in the eyes. He knew he could count on both of them. “Be careful, Colonel, Captain and good luck. I will meet you in Jaipur.”