Paul Christopher - The Templar Legion

“Vanguard One will be responsible for seizing the Fourandao airport and any operational equipment they find on-site, including two Kamov Ka-50 Werewolf attack helicopters known to be based there. Vanguard Two will be responsible for destroying the microwave repeaters at the airport as well as the satellite uplink. Except for the low-signal shortwave signal from the presidential compound in the city, this will effectively cut off Kukuanaland from the rest of the world, including Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic.

“With this accomplished, two twenty-man platoons, one from Vanguard One and the other from Vanguard Two, will remain behind to secure the airport and a possible line of retreat, although it is unlikely that this will be necessary. These two platoons will be code-named Van A and Van B. Following this, the remaining men of Vanguard One and Vanguard Two will enter Fourandao from the north following Avenue Forno da Cal, as shown on the map, a copy of which will be provided to each man.

“The objectives of Vanguard One and Vanguard Two are the Plaza de Revolution de Generale Kolingba, the offices of the Kukuanaland Ministry of the Interior (located above the Bank of Central African States on the north side of the square) and the walled blocks of flats directly behind the Trianon Palace Hotel. These flats likely house the bureaucratic cream of the Kukuanaland crop and are well guarded. The guards are to be killed on sight, but the occupants of the buildings are to be kept in their flats. Any attempt by any one of the occupants to escape should be stopped with all necessary force.

“One hour before the arrival of Vanguard One and Vanguard Two at the Fourandao airport, the rest of the force will arrive on the Kotto River seven miles downstream from the Fourandao pier at the southern end of the town. They will arrive on the Kotto River in two refitted Short Shetland WWII transport amphibians carrying one hundred men each. They will have the code names River One and River Two and will also assemble in Mopti, three miles north of the town on the Niger River.

“From their landing sites, marked with GPS coordinates on their orders, River One and River Two will travel upstream to the city in ten-man Zodiac Minuteman inflatables, which will be referred to as Zodiac A through V for the purposes of radio transmission. Zodiac A and Zodiac B to remain with the two aircraft on the river. Zodiac A and Zodiac B will contain the pilots, copilots and flight engineers for both planes.

“On arriving at the Fourandao pier, squads Zodiac C through Zodiac V will reassemble into their requisite companies, radio confirmation of their arrival to Vanguard One and Vanguard Two, and having done so will travel north on Rue de Liberdad to the Plaza de Revolution de Generale Kolingba and seize and hold the southern side of the plaza and the surrounding streets.

“Since the beginning of the incursion takes place well beyond the eighteen-hundred-hour curfew in Fourandao it can be assumed that anyone you meet will be part of the enemy forces and the incursion force will act in accordance with this fact. Anyone assumed to be a civilian during the period of the incursion is to be treated in the same manner.

“On consolidating the incursion force and with the synchronizing of the four company commanders’ watches the main attack on the presidential compound will begin, commencing with a mortar attack from zero minutes to zero fifteen minutes. At the same time LAWs rockets will be fired at the corner guard towers of the presidential compound walls and there will be a concerted attempt to use LAWs rockets to destroy the shortwave antenna tower on top of the compound’s main building.

“Concurrently sharpshooter teams from all four companies will fire on any members of General Kolingba’s compound forces trying to escape from the compound. It is known that there are a number of armored personnel carriers within the compound. Any of these not destroyed in the initial mortar attack must not be allowed to leave the compound and any attempt at this is to be stopped with as much force as necessary, including the use of RPGs, LAWs rockets and the distribution of M-21 antitank mines at the intersection of all streets leading away from the compound.

“There have been a number of rumors that there is an escape tunnel leading from the presidential residence to a building outside the compound. While doing his initial surveillance, Colonel Lanz saw three buildings that seemed in extremely good repair when compared to their neighbors, and one of which, a pharmacy, appeared to be either under surveillance or being guarded by two men in a vehicle wearing plain clothes.

“A study of the methods employed by General Kolingba’s second in command, Olivier Gashabi, a.k.a. Oliver Gash, point to an escape tunnel as a very real possibility. Immediately at the beginning of the mortar attack on the compound it is suggested that the pharmacy building be destroyed with the use of incendiaries and RPG fire. Even then a watch should be kept on the ruins.

“It is estimated that half to two-thirds of the forces within the compound will have been killed or wounded within the first hour after the commencement of the attack. Any attempt to surrender is to be forcibly refused, even if the surrender is offered by Kolingba himself. ”

“It is estimated that there are three thousand members of the Kukuanaland armed forces scattered in small garrisons around the territory, while all command and control functions, including resupply of these garrison troops, is done from Fourandao. ”

“The four-hundred-man incursion force is neither strong enough, large enough nor well enough supplied to hold off a consolidation of these garrison forces for very long, so it is imperative that the head of the snake, so to speak, be killed immediately and completely. The incursion force has no ability to take prisoners or guard them. The destruction of the compound forces must be one hundred percent.”

“What about the civilian population?” Matheson asked.

“The civilian population is entirely cowed by Kolingba. The man is a despot. If he is killed the initial response of the local population will be one of relief.”

“The bureaucrats in the flats?”

“They are to be kept under house arrest,” replied Faulkener. “Brigadier General Nagoupande assures me that there are enough members of his loyal government in exile to fulfill any functions presently being handled by the occupants of the three buildings.”

“And after the brigadier general has formally taken the reins of power?” Matheson asked.

“That will be entirely up to Brigadier General Nagoupande,” answered Faulkener, his voice bland and without emotion. He knew precisely what would happen to them, because Nagoupande had described in vivid detail what he would do to each and every one of them, man, woman and child. There was no need to burden Matheson with the same lurid and obscene information.

“Quite so.” Matheson nodded. “How long is our force supposed to last before they are relieved?”

“Six days,” replied Faulkener, his tone brisk. “This is the amount of time we project it will take for news of the brigadier general’s return to travel by word of mouth throughout Kukuanaland.”

“Jungle drums?” Matheson smiled, lighting a cigar.

“A company called InterMedia did a study several years ago that showed in countries with difficult-to-reach populations, such as those in Africa, Kukuanaland in particular, word of mouth is still the optimum method of communication. According to the study we can expect seventy-five percent penetration within four days and eighty percent within six.”

“And the result of this happy news?” Matheson asked.

Nagoupande spoke for the first time that evening. “I am Banda; you knew this?”