Enemies must die
Later that night in Bintan
The once vibrant Bintan, home of crystosis, crystal mining, and mineral refining, was burning all over. Chaos reigned across the entire city as explosions rocked it from one end to the other.
The army of the usurper Jai was currently outside its gates, trying to breach the city. Their assault had begun the night before when, all of a sudden, the defenders noticed an army in the distance—something they weren't expecting. Led by the unwavering General Khalifa, who had grown bored of babysitting the city, and Meliesse, who was doing gods-knows-what, they quickly organized themselves to prepare for the siege. Luckily for them, they had all they needed to defend the city. Rashid had ensured the city was well-supplied and equipped for such a crisis—how ironic. Although their first attempt at defense barely held, the failure was not due to the siege weapons Rashid had left behind.
With the help of Majeed, Rashid's son, General Khalifa gave her men orders and quickly organized them to repel the army. Majeed also helped organize the people in the city to prevent it from descending into complete chaos. Those who could help were assigned chores to support the army, while others were hidden in tunnels all around the city. It took a while to organize themselves, and the enemy was already upon them before they could fully get their bearings. However, the defenders of the city stood firm during the first assault, fighting their way through thick and thin. Although many lives were lost, they managed to repel the enemy on the first night. It was a chilling and daunting battle. One of the city's gates was almost destroyed, but they triumphed in the end.
General Khalifa and Meliesse would have loved to open a celebratory bottle for their second victory in two days, but they knew all hell was about to break loose. It didn't take long for the rebels to return, this time with a more chilling strategy. They attacked from two places simultaneously: the damaged gate in the south and the main gate in the north. They kept hammering the damaged gate with bombardment cannons, hoping to destroy it completely, while their main force assaulted the main gate. It was difficult to keep the main force from entering through the northern gate, but the southern gate—already heavily damaged—was likely to fall that day, forcing the defenders to face the enemy in mortal combat.
At this rate, they were going to lose Bintan. General Khalifa stared at the men responsible for her current dilemma. She could see how organized and smart their enemy was. It was both amazing and disastrous at the same time. She was familiar with this kind of prowess and strategy in the army.
Each of the Sands was led by generals who specialized in different tasks and functioned differently. For example, her Tenth Sand, the shock cavalry, were referred to as the Iron Hooves. They could fight from horseback while moving rapidly across the battlefield, devastating their enemies. Then there was the Sixth Sand, the unit specializing in sieges and breaching cities, led by the infamous General Hammed. They were known as the stone breakers, the Sixth Sand—dangerous, calculating, and incredibly capable. She had seen their work in the past, and she didn't like it one bit. She could almost taste the ashes of cities they had left in ruins, and it was quite bizarre to now be on the receiving end of their assaults. But here they were. She couldn't allow them to add Bintan to their growing list of conquered rubble.
Seeing how persistent the enemy was, General Khalifa decided to lead her men onto the battlefield to meet them head-on. Since the enemy was skilled at tearing down armies, she would hit them with what she was best at. Leaving Majeed and Meliesse to hold the gates and coordinate the defense within the city, General Khalifa led her shock cavalry into battle. The Iron Hooves burst forth from a different gate, surprising the enemy with their sudden assault. Like a tidal wave, they rode with fury, smashing into the Sixth Sand from the side. Cutting through the enemy ranks with speed and ferocity, their steeds thundered like beasts of war, and their weapons reaped lives left and right.
Their mission wasn't to defeat the enemy—that wasn't possible with their current numbers. Their goal was to disrupt the enemy's coordination and slow their advance, giving the defenders precious time to regroup. General Khalifa and her men tore through the battlefield relentlessly. When they reached the enemy's main unit, they charged straight into its flank, throwing it into disarray. Chaos erupted as the defenders of Bintan fought with renewed vigor, while the enemy struggled to recover from the unexpected assault.
But the enemy wasn't caught completely off guard. They regrouped quickly, attempting to counterattack and neutralize Khalifa's momentum before it completely destroyed theirs. A fierce clash ensued. The air was filled with the sounds of tearing flesh, breaking bones, and desperate screams. The battlefield became a sea of carnage. Some of Khalifa's men were dragged from their steeds, forced to fight on foot. Those who could hold their ground did so valiantly, but others were quickly overwhelmed. They knew their mission was to keep moving forward, not to linger in prolonged combat. Khalifa kept the head of the spear moving, breaking through the enemy's formation and shattering their momentum.
After successfully completing their objective, General Khalifa led her men back to the city through the gate they had exited earlier. Some enemy troops pursued them, but they were swiftly cut down by defenders on the city walls. With their mission accomplished, Khalifa and her men returned to defending the gates, preventing the enemy from breaching the city.
The city continued to burn, explosions lighting up the night as chaos raged all around. But Khalifa's assault had not been in vain. The enemy's attacks were less vigorous now, their morale shaken and their plans disrupted. General Khalifa could almost sense it—the rebels would soon call it quits and retreat. Almost.