Day of the Puma

Hazier took out the missile system and the 2 extra missiles as the Puma stopped on the next hill. He got out and quickly scanned the area for a decent firing position, once the 3rd BCT Commander found one; he quickly set himself up and ready his weapon as he is followed suit by his men.

"Okay Major Espinosa we are ready," said the man next to him.

"Here they come. Lock onto them and open fire," as the words left his mouth, he fired the missile launcher once he have a good lock and re-loaded.

He brought his weapon to bear against another MI-35 helicopter gunship and fired as his first missile found the target and turned it into a fireball. Abner re-loaded his missile launcher once again as his second missile streaked towards the target. As he aimed and locked onto the third helicopter, he saw a glimpse of explosion which has engulf his second target. He exhaled steadying himself and fired his weapon. His anti-aircraft missile streaked out of the launcher and maneuvered to intercept the target, a few seconds passed as it impaled itself onto the belly of a MI-35 helicopter gunship and detonated. The aircraft tumbled to the ground as a falling ball of inferno.

"Alright pop your third missile and let's go!"

His men fired off their last missile and dashed towards their CFVs. From the air, 4 helicopters and 4 drones appeared. Their air-support engaged the remaining helicopters of the Scimitars as the raiders make their escape. Hazier slumped back into his command chair and keyed in his communication channel.

"Raider One to air-support. Thank you for coming in a hurry."

"Not a problem Raider One. But we cannot hold them off for long, so hurry out of here before then," replied the flight leader of their air-support.

"Copy that," Hazier keyed in his digital map and placed his raider's route onto the quickest way to their destination, "Alright gentlemen let's go. The rest of the battalion is waiting for us."

The surviving 10 Pumas raced through the desert while not far from them their enemy the Scimitars pursues with every tank and armored vehicles they have left. Over 45 minutes passed before the raiders finally arrived and Abner breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Raider Commander to all units," Hazier called out the rest of his battalion, "get ready, the Scimitars are not far behind us."

"Self-Propelled Battery is in position."

The artillery detachment composing of 6 Self-Propelled Howitzers with 150mm guns and 2 MARS Medium Range Rocket System hidden from the enemy and close enough to provide the fire support needed for this trap to work is a vital element of Abner's plan.

"Tanks are in position sir."

17 Leopard 2 A6EX Main Battle Tanks hidden with their camouflage is the hard hitting element that would spring the trap against their opponent, the Scimitars.

"Infantry is in position Major Espinosa."

An infantry detachment is composed of a 6-man team, each team have with them 2 anti-tank shoulder fired missiles. This element will give support to the tanks as the trap is commenced.

"The APCs are in position to support the infantry, sir."

Each APC have the capability to carry the 6-man team of the infantry detachment. With their ability to transport the infantry troops quickly and efficiently, they are an important element that will flank the Scimitars as they arrive.

"Good, wait till they come and open fire," Hazier told his men.

The Pumas positioned themselves as the screening force ready to block any retreating Scimitars once that the battle starts. While they wait for the enemy to arrive, Hazier and his Puma crew opened up their MREs and started to eat replenishing their strength for the upcoming battle. Finishing his meal, Abner took threw away the empty bags of MREs and scanned his console.

"Scouts to the battalion, ETA of enemy forces in five minutes," one of the Fennek Combat Cars reported.

"Keep an eye on them and stay out of any encounters," Hazier replied.

"Copy that sir."

The Scimitars sent out their BRDM-2s as a scout followed by the Ramses II Main Battle Tanks. Behind the tanks are the BMP-3s. BMD-3s and BTR-3 while on their flanks the infantry slowly and cautiously advance alongside their armored contingent.

"Wait for them to entirely enter the kill zone men. Do not fire unless I gave the order."

"Copy that sir," the men of the 3rd BCT replied over the communication channel.

Overhead the UAVs and UCAS roam the sky, searching for any other threats that would pose against Hazier and his battalion.

"Major Espinosa, we found their artillery sir."

"Good, hit them and don't let anyone of their artillery pieces survive," Hazier responded.

That moment the UCAS flew above the Scimitar's 2S19 Msta 152mm Self-Propelled howitzers and 20 BM-27 Uragan 220mm Multiple-launched Rocket Systems, dropping their deadly payload of laser guided bombs. Accurate, devastating, and deadly the bombs found their targets no matter how hard they maneuver. The UCAS double backed and unleashed their deadly salvos of air-to-ground missiles and 20mm cannon's high explosive armor piercing rounds. The Uragan's was riddled by the 20mm cannon fire exploding into a fire ball. While the surviving 2S19 Msta 152mm Self-Propelled Howitzers received the deadly delivery of missiles from the UCAS. As the UCAS left the area, burning debris and charred hulk of metal littered the desert below. Then the UAV's armed with 8 air-to-surface missiles and 20mm Gun Pod dived in from the cloudless sky, their silhouettes sparkle from above. Within a few more seconds, the UAV's unleashed havoc on the ammo carrier and fuel trucks left from the UCAS strike. Their missiles tore through their thin armor as a hot knife cuts through butter, explosions rocked the area as the missiles detonated. Climbing back into the sky the UAV's dived once again and strafed vehicles, equipment, and men again and again the diving metal birds of prey spitted out their 20mm ammunition until they run out. As the drones left, nothing was left un-touch, every vehicle is ablaze, and carcasses of their crew littered the landscape.

"Major, the drones have taken out the enemy's artillery sir," reported the flight leader of Hazier's air-support detachment.

"Good," Abner replied quickly checking the distance between the Scimitars and his artillery's effective range.

Finding that the enemy are now in full view of his artillery and thus cannot escape, he keyed in his communication equipment.

"Artillery, fire your main battery at the given coordinates!"

A pair of MARS rocket launcher systems loosed their deadly cargo of rockets as they darted towards the sky to rain down at their enemy. Then 6 PzH 2000 150mm Self-Propelled Howitzers fired their cannons, their crack of thunders echoed throughout the desert as their 150mm shells joins the rockets to rain down death to their enemy.

"Tanks and infantry get ready. Once the first salvos hit then open fire."

From the rear of the Scimitar's position the rockets pounded the area. Explosions caused the ground to shudder as the deadly warheads punctured through armored vehicles before detonating. In the center of the enemy's position the 150mm shells came down, 12 rounds per minute for every PzH 2000s equates to 72 rounds falling down on the Scimitars every minute. The first 6 rounds pounded the unsuspecting tanks of the Scimitars, lifting the Ramses II Main Battle Tanks from the ground as it is engulfed by a fireball, by the time the tanks were slammed back into the desert floor. There was nothing left but a smoldering heap of wreck. A few seconds passed as another salvo of 150mm shells landed claiming 6 more armored vehicles. At that moment Abner decided the time to strike.

"All units open fire and attack!"

From the flanks of the Scimitars, infantry troopers of the 3rd BCT fired their anti-tank shoulder launched missiles, the 36 missiles darted towards their targets, thrusting deep into the armor before exploding. Immediately, 3 dozen armored vehicles became burning coffins for the crew inside. From the front 17 Leopard 2 A6EX Main Battle Tanks of the 3rd BCT open fires with their devastating 120mm main cannon. in a matter of milliseconds 17 Ramses II Main Battle Tanks of the Scimitars was turned into flaming wreck. The Rim-Cat's main battle tanks charged in from the front, while their foes couldn't maneuver effectively due to the wreckage among their ranks, from the flanks they once again took fire from the troopers armed with anti-tank missiles. Suddenly from above the Leopard 2 A6EX tanks of the Rim-Cats was joined by 2 MD 250s and 2 Bell 214s helicopters, their anti-tank missiles streaking down towards their targets.

"My GOD," Flight Leader Jerison Montalban exclaimed as he watched the carnage from the cockpit of his MD 250 Combat Helicopter.

Within a matter of minutes the Scimitar as a fighting force ceased to exist, their combat vehicles destroyed, their tanks obliterated, and their infantry pulverized by .50 caliber gunfire and 40mm grenades from the Rim-Cat's Boxer APCs. The remaining survivors became mad, some digging holes on the desert floor hiding their head as an ostrich would have done to escape the reality of their defeat, while others call out to their mothers as explosions engulf them. Never such carnage was witnessed in world history since the last global war over 60 years ago, the Zion Wars of 50-40 years ago, and not even the recent Desert Wars of 10-20 years ago that such brutal armored warfare was last seen.

"Major, we just broke their back sir. The Scimitar is no longer an effective fighting force," the tank commander reported, "Survivors are retreating now sir."

It is during the last Desert War that toppled the evil regime of Ar'Raq's last dictator and hence a fledgling democracy emerges. Without the protection of elite warriors, such a grand experiment of democracy in the region of the Middle-East may not survive. As long that the government of Ar'Raq keeps hiring the Rim-Cat Mercenary Regiment, then their security either it is internal destabilization or external threat will be secured by this elite warriors of the Far East. Among those warriors is the commander of the 3rd BCT.

"Copy that. Pumas and Fenneks are in position."

From the rear of the Scimitars 20 Pumas, 8 Fenneks armed with .50 caliber machineguns, and 4 Fennek armed with 80mm mortar waited for the retreating enemy.

"Enemy within mortar range," declared the mortar element commander, "Firing mortars!"

Mortar shells started to drop down over the head of the retreating Scimitar troops, and then the 30mm cannons and .50 caliber machineguns added their firepower to the barrage. By the dozens, the Scimitar troopers fell, either being torn apart by 30mm sabot rounds, .50 caliber machinegun rounds, or blown to pieces by the mortars. "This is not a battle Haizer. This is a massacre," commented his Executive Officer, "How did you come up with this plan?"

Hazier squeezed the trigger and riddled half a dozen Scimitar troopers with his deadly 30mm cannon.

"The Mongols of Genghis Khan used this tactic before. He used his fast moving horse archers to attack the enemy and retreat, thus frustrating the enemy and enticed them to pursue the horse mounted archers. Then the horse mounted archers will lead their pursuers towards the kill zone where the rest of the army is waiting in three flanks, the front, the left flank, and the right flank. The trap will be sprung and the pursuers are met with a deadly force. Afterwards the horse mounted archers will swing from the rear and cut off any retreat, this in turn ensures a route of the enemy or annihilation."

Abner swung his turret to the left and fired his 30mm cannons again. The sabot rounds tore a group of 12 Scimitar Troopers to chunks of meat.

"That is murderous and yet it work," Hazier added.

Within a few minutes the remaining survivors lifted their arms up as they dropped their weapons.

"Hold your fire. The enemy is surrendering."

The Rim-Cat's infantry quickly and efficiently collected the Scimitar's weapons, herded the survivors in one area, and placed them as prisoners of war. One of the Arab Mercenary Officers wanted to meet the commander of the 3rd BCT. Escorted by a 6-man team, Hazier exited his Command Puma CFV and met the officer.

"I am Abdullah Sekhmet, an Emir of one of the royal families of the Middle-East. These are my servants and I am their commander. Who is it that has defeated my great army with such a small force?"

Abner looked at the man before he speaks, gazed around taking in the aftermath of the carnage which he have devised with his staff.

"I am Major Abner Espinosa of the 3rd Battalion Combat Team of the Rim-Cat Regiment. It is not I who have defeated you, but the men under my command."

"Very humble and modest you are Major," the leader of the Scimitars commented, "It is GOD who decided the outcome of this battle. I see you are loved by HIM."

"GOD does not know me Mr. Sekhmet. Not anymore," he turned around walked away from the leader of the mercenary group whom he has defeated.

"If not, then how would you have done the things you've done major?"

Abner stopped and looked back, he recalled the times of hardship, his past when he is with his family attending church, and he was once active in a church. But then again fate was not kind and he broke away from the church. Asians are a spiritual culture, he have inherited that from his family. It was trials in life that he stopped praying and has convinced himself that GOD is not with him anymore.

"It was my fate and destiny Mr. Sekhmet. It was meant to be," Hazier finally replied.

Though the enemy that surrendered numbered over 200 men, he has lost 12 Pumas, 4 tanks, 6 APCs, and 42 infantry troopers. It was not a bad trade off in a military point of view. But to him each one of his men is a family member. It is they whom risked their life for him and his for them. As it is said by Colonel Marcus Dangal, their overall commander, 'We are family here. We are fighting for each other as well as giving our love ones back home a better future with our earnings.' With that statement, he would never ask his men to do something that he himself will not do.

"Treat him well and his men. Feed them. Give them something to drinks and medical assistance," Abner instructed the prisoner's guard.

"Yes sir we shall," the Rim-Cat infantry trooper saluted and followed his order.

'GOD...every time I try to get away from you. You always have a way for finding me.'

In his own way the 3rd BCT commander gave his thanks to the Supreme Being and is happy to have survived his ordeal. Now he just wanted to return back to his H.Q. and be in the arms of Fatima once again

"You know that guy is right Abner. GOD is with you," said his gunner.

"Bud, shut up and get back to work."

The gunner laughed and did what was told of him.

"Yes sir major sir."