Durgama Takeover

Having been embedded with this small Hassassin unit for a little over a month at this point, I had become surprised as to how droll the actual day to day affairs of such a unit are. Lieutenant [REDACTED], perhaps sensing my disappointment, had even assured me that patrols, intelligence gathering, and reconnaissance was 90% of the work done by a standard Hassassin - the covert special operations and assassination being more of an exception than a rule.

However, in terms of excitement, I was about to get far more than what I bargained for.

The assignment handed down to the team was relatively standard - a group of scientists and civilians were due to arrive at a transit terminal on the outskirts of the Alfunta Terraforming Studies Unit, with three Hassassin Fidays, including the infamous [REDACTED] among them as intelligence gathering operatives. The team was to watch over the civilians, and secure the Fidays for extraction and debriefing.

But just as the team was arriving on the scene, a short, terse message would be relayed from a Fiday - forces from the Jurisdictional Command of Corregidor were storming onto the soon to be battlespace, and were equipped for high octane combat. A Diablo lead fireteam, the hulking dog-man mercenary Tearlach McMurrough, and even a fearsome Gator TAG were reported.

With protecting the civilians the priority, and the intent of the Corregidor forces unknown, the team was given the go ahead by command to engage the Nomad forces, despite being outgunned.

Attempting to take the initiative, two Fiday operatives opened the engagement by attempting to stunt the Corregidor advance - with one attacking McMurrough, and the other targeting what was believed to be the unit's lieutenant.

Unfortunately, for one of the Fiday, the dog-man's senses were simply too sharp - perhaps he had already caught the scent of the viral cocktails of his would be assassin, and was waiting for him to strike. With savage brutality, the Fiday was smashed to the floor, barely alive. The other Fiday's blade struck true - the target was utterly unaware - but their estimation was incorrect, for the trooper was a fireteam leader, not a Lieutenant. Still, they had no qualms for martyring themselves for such a task - for fearlessness in the face of certain death is the key strength of the Fiday.

Undeterred by the failure of the Fidays, the rest of the unit springs into action, moving to protect the central area of the station, and deter any aggressive push.

To accomplish this, a squad of Barid hackers deploy their pitchers, and a Muyib and Asawira take an overwatch position from the train.

Not wanting to miss a thing, I of course also move up - even the face of danger and death, you can count on Jessie Wilfred to be right in the thick of it!

With several guns all bearing down on the point of attack of their foes, the Hassassins thought that Corregidor forces would have to employ caution, being forced to bring up their TAG, potentially exposing it to the hacking network of the Barids.

However, they did not account for the ferocity of the dog-man.

With a lightning dash and blood-curdling battlecry, McMurrough charged through a hail of bullets, and before succumbing to the wounds inflicted on himself, blasted the Hasassins Barids and a brave Muttawi'ah into smithereens, clearing the path for the Gator to advance without fear of being hacked.

Meanwhile, a scouting Muttawi'ah on the other side of the transit station came under sudden heavy fire from a fireteam led by a Diablos.

Keeping their wits about them and recognizing this foe was beyond them, they delayed the enemy for as long as possible, attempting to jam their comms and break up their fireteam - while it is not up for me to decide, it is my humble opinion that this brave warrior has earned their Gefr, and that their name should be enshrined as a hero of Haqqislam.

Apparently feeling the coast is clear, the Gator moves into the center of the station, expecting to engage a single Muyib - a potentially deadly opponent, but not in isolation.

As the Gator moves to engage, a trap is sprung! A Nadhir - a fearsome infiltrator and skirmisher - reveals himself, and engages upon the TAG with his Flammenspeer, while the Muyib engages with a Heavy Rocket Launcher.

However, the ploy fails - the Gator is simply able to weather the storm of rockets, and returns the favor with a hail of bullets that puts down the Muyib - and with this failure, the Hassassins quickly realize they lack the firepower to deal with the encroaching, emboldened Corregidor forces.

The situation quickly escalates from bad to worse as the Diablos led fireteam advances, taking down a Farzan skirmisher, before coming face to face with yours truly!

Unfortunately, I was wounded in the engagement, and my handheld camera footage was lost, leaving me only with what I captured from the drones. It was about half an hour after the battle that I was given first aid by relief forces. I am in the process of raising a formal complaint with the Jurisdictional Command of Corregidor over their use of lethal force against a war correspondent wearing easily recognizable attire designating myself as a journalist.

With the Diablos nearing the civilians and Lieutenant of the unit, the Asawira springs into action, and brings the full firepower of his mighty Spitfire to bear - but is cut down himself in the process.

In a desperate final attempt to force the Corregidor forces to retreat, the last remaining Fiday makes a brave, but ultimately doomed attempt to ambush and destroy the Gator.

The Asawira, hurt, but far from defeated, simply stands back up, and readies his rifle as the next challenge comes hurtling at him and the Ghulam in the train with him - as the Gator charges forward to finish the job.

Taking bullet after bullet, the Asawira bravely defies the TAG, but simply cannot take any more punishment, and slumps over again, as their body attempts to recover from the intense beating it has taken.

Seeing this, the Ghulam boldly blocks the doorway, draws his knife, and invites the Gator to try to get past him. Even against overwhelming odds, the Hassassins do not show fear, and do not believe in futility. Despite the bravado of this brave soldier, he is easily disposed of.

A final stand is made - another Nadhir peppers the Gator with point black SMG fire as it enters the train, as Lieutenant [REDACTED] sends a message to command informing them of their complete defeat - just as the Gator is unleashes a final burst of fire from it's Chain Rifle, and silence sets in across the battlefield.

Relief forces arrive soon after, but not fast enough to intercept the Corregidor unit - a quick analysis of the battlefield revealed that they had abducted several scientists, although as to what ends is still unknown - or at the very least, classified to me.

Most of the fallen forces of the unit were recovered via Cubes, or emergency medical attention at the scene, but more permanent losses were still taken - a sore day for the Hassassins indeed.

Still, for the first engagement I have seen while embedded with this unit, I was impressed - even in the darkest hour and most dire situation, the conviction, bravery and clear-headedness of the Hassassins shone through. While the sheer ferocity of the Corregidor forces caught them off guard, I am almost certain that this unit will not make the same mistakes twice, and any future engagement is likely to look very different.

This has been Behind the Lines with Jessie Wilfred - every Monday evening, at 9PM, available exclusively on Channel 9.