Rescuing the villagers

Mukesh, realizing the confrontation was inevitable, readied himself for the fight.

The soldier lunged forward with his sword for a downward strike, and Mukesh swiftly dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the blade. 

He ducked under a horizontal slash and seized the opportunity to land a powerful elbow slam to the soldier's midsection, forcing him to stagger back.

"You're fast, villager, but it won't save you," the soldier growled, regaining his balance.

The soldier attacked again, his strikes becoming more aggressive as he attempted to slice wider.

Taking side steps Mukesh easily dodged another downward strike followed by an upward slash and exploiting the momentum he used his left forearm into the blunt spine of the blade, deflecting it with a satisfying clang.

Then delivered a quick jab to the soldier's jaw, disorienting him momentarily.

Mukesh followed up with another swiping left kick to the soldier's knee, causing him to collapse slightly.

However, in the heat of the fight, his foot slipped on a loose pebble, sending him sprawling to the ground.

The soldier, seeing his advantage, moved in for the kill, raising his sword high.

A flying dagger pierced down his throat, just as he was about to bring down the sword.

The soldier collapsed, dropping his sword as he struggled for breath.

Mukesh looked up in surprise to see Rajesh standing behind the fallen soldier with a smug grin.

"How long are you planning to sleep, Should I arrange a bed?" Rajesh taunted, offering his hand to pull Mukesh up.

Mukesh grabbed Rajesh's hand and got to his feet, breathing heavily. "Thanks... I felt like Yama gazing into my soul."

"Lucky kid" Rajesh taunted.

"The others have already assembled at the meeting point. Since you were late, I was sent to find you."

Mukesh smiled in relief. "Let's not keep them waiting any longer."

The two men quickly made their way to the entrance while keeping themselves in shadows.

Outside the Mughal camp

Colonel Amit stood with his men on the outskirts of the Mughal base camp under the shadows of forest, anticipation etched on his face.

The night air was thick with tension as he surveyed his troops: 50 royal guards, each equipped with a lantern shield and spear, and 100 crossbowmen (four platoons) armed with repeating crossbows.

The lantern shields are the newly invented shields with customised lanterns in its core based on the model used by italian police.

It glowed faintly, providing vision in the dark and provide a unique mechanism to on or off in the middle of the battle. It' name and design has never seen or heard in indian subcontinent. The royal guards equipped with this new weapon were particularly excited.

Amit's heart raced. He was eager to prove himself, knowing his colleague Nilesh had already carved a name in their ranks.

Suddenly, a fire crackled in the distance: the signal they had been waiting for.

"Men, prepare to charge!" Amit commanded, as the adrenaline coursing through him.

The pigeon post had specified their target: the village entrance gate, located on the right side of the stables, which would be confirmed by flares.

As the stables ignited and a second explosion rocked the camp, Amit's excitement grew.

He raised his spear, the lantern shield casting a glow around him. "Charge!"

"For the samrajya!"

"For the prince."

With a coordinated movement, his men surged forward. The area around the stables was ablaze, adding to the confusion among the Mughal soldiers.

Amit's forces encountered minimal resistance, as many enemies were absent for unknown reasons, but that didn't matter for now.

"Stay in formation! Flash the lights!" Amit ordered.

The royal guards formed a defensive line, their lantern shields casting a bright, blinding light across the battlefield. The sudden illumination disoriented the Mughal soldiers, momentarily blinding them and disrupting their coordination.

Taking advantage of the confusion, the crossbowmen positioned themselves behind the protective line of shields and unleashed a relentless volley of bolts.

The superior range and rapid rate of fire of their repeating crossbows decimated the Mughal ranks before they could regroup.

Panic spread among the Mughals as they struggled to shield their eyes from the glaring light while simultaneously facing a hail of deadly bolts.

The few who managed to advance were quickly cut down by the disciplined spearmen behind the lantern shields.

In a matter of minutes, the battlefield was littered with the bodies of fallen Mughals. It was a swift victory with almost no noise.

Reaching the village entrance, Amit found a clear passage amidst the surrounding Mughal tents. He led his men through, the lantern shields casting an eerie light on the surroundings.

Inside the village, a group of villagers approached, identifying themselves as spies. Their leader, Balwindar, stepped forward, carrying an unconscious villager.

Balwindar took out a silver medal like object , its surface etched with symbol of swastika as a prearranged token of trust.

"Colonel Amit, I presume?" Balwindar greeted, his voice strained but composed.

Amit nodded, his jaw clenching slightly. "Yes. What's the situation?"

Balwindar met his gaze with an unflinching stare. "Large force. Scouts estimate nine to ten thousand Mughals."

"Standard Agra army - spearmen, crossbowmen, archers. Cavalry neutralized." He gestured towards the burning stables with a curt nod.

A flicker of approval crossed Amit's face. "Good." His expression hardened again. "What about Villagers?"

Balwindar's reply was devoid of emotion. "Central square. Main Mughal command structure is being taken care of."

A furrow creased Colonel Amit's brow as he sacnned balwindar's men.

"The enemy presence seems suspiciously low," he rumbled, his voice heavy with suspicion. "The entrance felt too easy. Is there anything you haven't told me?"

Suraj, eager to contribute, blurted out, "The low numbers are thanks to our special herbs, Colonel. They've caused some indigestion - "

"Suraj!", Balwindar cut his voice, with a sharp but controlled voice, as he held a clear annoyance at the interruption of the chain of command.

"The herbs were a necessary tactic," he followed up with an unwavering gaze.

"However, a direct assault is no longer feasible. We must anticipate stragglers - soldiers potentially concealed within houses or observing from tree branches, ready to ambush anyone approaching the square."

He reached into his pocket and retrieved the same medallion, its surface catching the moonlight.

"To mitigate this threat," he continued with straight face, "we've marked their potential hiding places with this symbol."

A tense silence followed. Finally, Balwindar spoke again with a grim tone. "Time is critical, Colonel. The fires may distract the Mughals temporarily, but the commotion at the entrance won't remain concealed for long."

Colonel Amit's gaze flicked towards Priya, disguised as a villager. A flicker of concern crossed his features for a fleeting moment. Before Amit could speak, Balwindar's voice cut through the silence.

"Local recruit," Balwindar stated flatly. "Sustained minor injuries during the infiltration."

Colonel Amit stood silently, his mind racing as he weighed the risks and the necessity of a swift, coordinated operation. With a decisive nod, he decided to divide his forces into three groups.

"Platoon Commanders Harish and Jagmohan," he bellowed. The two men stepped forward with hardened expression.

"Harish," Amit continued, pointing towards the eastern side of the alleys leading to central square of village, "you'll lead your crossbowmen with five royal guards. Secure the rooftops there and eliminate any threats from a distance.

Jagmohan, your platoon and five royal guards will take western point, clearing the marked houses systematically. Time is of the essence, so you will have to hurry."

He turned towards his remaining men with steely resolve. "We'll create a diversion at the western entrance. Expect heavy resistance."

"Commander Balwindar," he said, his gaze meeting the other man's, "provide us with guides familiar with the marked houses and flanking routes."

Balwindar, dipped his head in a curt nod.

"Rajesh and Mukesh, you will accompany guide for the houses."

"Anil and Shaurya you'll be with Harish's crossbowmen."

"And Suraj you will stay by my side" he turned to amit and added, " we will guide you to the square."

Few moments later

Colonel Amit's group moved through the village in a snake formation, slipping silently through narrow alleys and utilizing the cover of darkness.

As they approached a main street, a patrol of enemy soldiers appeared. Amit quickly signaled his men to hold their positions behind cover.

The enemy patrol advanced, unaware of their presence. At the last moment, Amit's men sprang into action.

The lantern shields blinded the enemy as the crossbowmen unleashed a volley of bolts. The rapid succession of shots overwhelmed the first wave. The royal guards, with their shields raised, formed a protective barrier, allowing the crossbowmen to continue firing. The enemy patrol was swiftly neutralized.

Meanwhile, Platoon Commander Harish and his crossbowmen positioned themselves near the marked trees, using them as cover while scanning the area for any signs of movement.

Harish spotted an enemy sentry hiding in a tree. With a single, precise bolt from his crossbow, he took the sentry down with a thud

Moments later, another enemy emerged from a house. The crossbowmen aimed and fired simultaneously, striking the enemy down before he could shout for an alarm.

As a small group of enemy soldiers attempted to flank them, Harish and his marksmen quickly adjusted their positions.

Harish took aim and dropped the lead soldier, causing the others to retreat, only to be picked off by the repeating bolts of the crossbowmen.

Platoon Commander Jagmohan led his men through the village, checking each marked house for hidden enemies. They moved cautiously in column formation , covering each other back.

Jagmohan approached the first marked house and signalled his men to take positions. The door was kicked in, and the royal guards entered first with shields raised.

An enemy soldier, hiding in the darkness, fired a shot through his crossbow. The shield deflected the projectile, and the crossbowmen quickly returned fire on the same.direvtion, neutralizing the threat.

In the second house, Jagmohan's men encountered a more fortified position. Several enemy archers were using stack of furniture like tool, bed and even small wooden almirahs as barricades in the dark

The royal guards formed a shield wall with flashing lights and advanced steadily.

Crossbow bolts flew over the shields, striking the enemies behind their cover. The rapid fire of the repeating crossbows quickly suppressed the defenders.

A final rush cleared the house, ensuring it was secure.

'Boom! Boom! Boom!'

Suddenly, explosions reverberated throughout the camp, shaking the earth beneath their feet.

The launch of rockets illuminated the Mughal tents positioned at the outskirts of the village. Chaos ensued, and Amit felt a pang of panic as they realized they were only halfway through.

"We need to rush! There's not much time!" he bellowed, urgency lacing his voice.

They charged forward, facing hordes of stationed soldiers, but nothing could halt their advance. Incoming arrows clashed against shield defenses, and even in the midst of melee skirmishes, the enemy was neutralized by the flashing of lantern shields, blinding them, and the relentless onslaught of repeating bolts tearing through their ranks.

Despite some inevitable losses, their swift assault brought them to the village square.

There, they found villagers huddled together, fear and distress etched on their faces, especially the women whose tears streamed down their cheeks.

They swiftly cut down their ropes, freeing them, and formed a protective diamond formation(stretched size of square formation ) around them.

Balwindar inquired, "Now, which direction do we take? It seems the prince has begun the attack."

Amit replied, turning to face Balwindar, "Follow my lead to the entrance. Yes, the plan is to choke from three prolonged sides; the fourth side must be open. We can make it..."

They changed to wedge formation as Harish's and Jagmohan's groups provided covering fire while Amit's group led the extraction, moving swiftly through the village and towards safety.

However, as they approached the entrance, they were met with hordes of Mughals attempting to flee from that side as well.

Despite the overwhelming odds, it seemed manageable.

Amit bellowed, "Kill them whoever comes in the way"

They surged forward, unleashing repeating bolts upon the unsuspecting Mughals who didn't anticipate an attack from within.

After an initial engagement, they scattered in different directions, clearing the path for their escape. Finally, with everyone safe and sound, they finally crossed the village, leaving the chaos behind them.

But as they regrouped to move towards the base, a question hung in the air: What exactly was the purpose of attacking three sides keeping one side open?