Desert Hunt

Templar Combat Battalion, TCB

Colonel Marcus "Mumbatik" Dangal

Personal Combat Battalion of the Regimental Commander

On the open top of my command cupola of the command tank, I enjoyed the breeze that the night wind is blowing, as the Leopard 2A6EX 145mm main cannon tank rolled through the desert of Ar'Raq. I have set the viewer of my HUD to separate view screen one is night vision while the right side is thermal. Technology has done great wonders and my visor of the helmet I am wearing contains such a HUD system along with other tools needed to simplify my job. Not far from me and slightly to my right is my battalion executive officer, Major Rolando Katapatan and his tank. Among the regiment he is known as "Marangal", the righteous one.

"Colonel, I'm sending you the latest intelligence report we got from H.Q."

"Go ahead Marangal," I replied.

A few seconds later I lowered myself into the turret, closing, and locking the hatch. Raising the visor, I looked at the main view screen and studied the latest data collected by the UAV RECON drone. I was surprised to see the makeup of a new tank built in the Middle East itself. It was the Parthian Army's newest unveiled monstrosity. It was the Zulfigar Main Battle Tank.

"How the hell did those tanks crossed the border without the coalition knowing about it?"

"The coalition wanted to pull out Colonel. They want us to handle this problem for the Government of Ar'Raq."

"That's going to be a big problem, because our numbers is barely enough to control the insurgents themselves."

"We have to find a way to stop them from either assisting the insurgents and/or stop them from pouring across the border," said Rolando.

"Alright, what we need to do is to be quick, fast, agile, and hit them hard. It is time to try out the smart rounds for 145mm main cannon."

I planned out the best type of approach and contemplate how to hit an armored regiment of 60 brand new main battle tanks with a complement of 120 wheeled and tracked turret mounted CFVs. One thing I am certain of and that is to use the UAV as a platform, they will be needed to track down the enemy tanks and armored vehicles for the Leopard's main cannon smart shells. In a tank battle a tank can fire directly against another tank, but in this case my tank crew and I will do what is only an experimental theory. Oh well it is time to put that theory to test.

"All tanks, load smart rounds and prepare to engage!"

Switching the reload knob, a tank gun shell is loaded into the 145mm cannon. The gun readied and whirled to action, ready to fire at a moment's notice. Three UAVs have started to fly over the battleground and have determined the location of the enemy tanks. Our foes are just over the bend and I knew they may be expecting our arrival. I aimed the cannon high in an elevated position and fired, trusting the UAV's laser designator to aim the deadly silver bullet for me. Sixteen Leopard 2A6EX tanks fired their main guns as it roar into action, in four seconds another round is set and ready to be fired from the main gun. Again I fired the massive cannon, for a minute I have let loose 12 rounds and waited for the enemy is within five miles away. The UAV's pin-pointed each shell from our tanks' guns and as it stated to shower the enemy armored column with tank killing shells. From the distance I can see the night lighted by fiery explosions, soon the thunder of the exploding shells can be heard as our rounds found their mark. Over half of the enemy combat vehicles were destroyed in just a short period of time as our tanks entered the bend.

"Pumas and Boxers, flank the enemy," I shouted over my tactical communication gear, "Leopards, hit them hard."

In quick succession within fifteen seconds I have fired 3 shots at the massing enemy armor, because of the firepower a 145mm cannon have, one shot is enough to puncture through the enemy's protected armor and for the shell to detonate inside the soft interior of the enemy's tank. Three Zulfigar burst into flames as my tank's rounds found their mark, searching for another target. I set my sight out for a BTR-3 firing my laser guided round onto the lightly armored wheeled combat vehicle. The BTR-3 blew up in a massive fireball spewing out sizzling hot metal around the battlefield. Enemy ground troops started to fire their rifles madly at my Leopard tank, squeezing the trigger of my joystick. I let the 50 caliber machinegun rip a group of three enemy soldiers in a medium sustained burst.

"Infantry, disembark and engaged enemy ground troops!"

Not wanting a surprise ambush by the enemy, I let my infantry troopers seek out and destroy any pillboxes, potential fox-holes, and hiding spot for the infantry of the enemy.

"Colonel, these men aren't insurgents," reported an infantry officer, "Sir, these men are Parthian soldiers."

"No shit Sherlock," I replied.

"Take them out and make sure they will not pose a threat to us."

The Templar's six man team did their solemn duties to eliminate the threat for our armored units FN-SCAR rifles, Minimi SAW and machinegun, and snipers started to mop out the enemy ground troops as I focus on finding more armored vehicles for my tank's gun to set it's sight on. Parthia's army started their withdrawal out of the battlefield and towards their border.

"No you don't," I pressed down the firing button and let 145mm main gun boom to life.

A fleeing tank burst into flames as I smiled my death smile upon the fallen victim. Six enemy ground troops falls into my sights and fired the two machineguns of the tank, each Parthian ground troop was cut to pieces by the long burst of two 50 caliber machineguns.

"Colonel, my Pumas can cut off their line of escape," suggested the Puma element commander.

"Good, do so Captain Montano," I replied.

The twenty Templar Puma CFVs rushed out firing their 30mm SABOT round cannons at the remaining enemy armored vehicles. They divide themselves in two groups of ten Puma CFVs and started a wheeling maneuver causing the Parthian forces to melt, from behind came the Leopard 2A6EX firing their tank killing 145mm cannons. The Rim-Cat's infantry troopers took out their shoulder fired anti-tank missiles, took their positions and started to snipe on any remaining vehicles. The Parthian infantry troops flee in disorder from our shock and awe effect, it was not they were expecting. Though the client government may lack experienced fighting men, it is supplemented by mercenary forces, that they gave to us the Rim-Cat Mercenary Regiment.

"Three remaining Zulfigars left colonel," informed my gunner.

"Let our infantry take care of them," I have replied.

Our infantry troopers took pot shots at the remaining Parthian MBTs and as soon as the battle started it was over in less than an hour. Parthia and its military brass was humiliated by such a defeat from a small but well trained, organized, and equipped force. Calls started to come in from open frequency that the Parthians were lost and they were there for military maneuvers.

"Bull shit, they send them across the border to harass us and support their friends in the insurgency," remarked Major Rolando Katapatan.

"I know Marangal," I replied, "We have decimated their regiment. It's enough and let the survivors return to their lands to spread the word of what has happened here."

The rest of the battalion stood down and let the remaining Parthian soldiers walk across the border. Their face told their story, the story of defeat by a small group of professional mercenaries.

"Escort them to the border and confiscate their weapons," I ordered.

The defeated troops lay down their arms sadly and yet glad that they will be heading home. I knew what can be in their mind, revenge. I know that soon enough they will send another group here to face me and my regiment. It will be a tougher battle than it is early morning. Now they know why they have lost and will hatch out some plan to counter what just happened.

"Sir, what of the weapons we confiscated?"

"Sell them to the client government for a low price," I answered, "They will need the hardware to arm their new army."

"Yes Colonel."

I opened my cupola and raised my command chair, standing up I felt the breeze of dawn on my face drying the sweat of adrenaline and excitement off my face. I watched the Parthians walked off to their homeland as they are greeted by their own medical units and lightly armed escorts. The Parthian government will never admit what has happened and this incident will go down in history us an unfortunate misunderstanding between Ar'Raq and Parthia, I shook my head at the thought of politics. Better to be a soldier that a politician, better it is to know whom to fight and forget about the bull shit of just cause that the politicians have uttered out of their mouth. Either it be for their "Allah", to counter capitalistic empire expansion, or their sense of justice such as getting the Zionist out of the Fertile Crescent, I don't truly care. What I know is that the client government o Ar'Raq is in need of highly experienced elite regiment to watch their country and keep it safe until their own army is strong enough to be a force that can defend their own country. To me it's just business as usual, they need to be protected, and I give them the best protection that money can buy and the best personnel to do the job. The Templar Combat Battalion was meant to be hunted by the Parthians, in the end it was they who have been hunted in the night.

Back in Headquarters a 25 year old female intelligence and special operations officer of the Rim-Cat is at the front of a computer monitor. Petite with the nice set of breast, young and even younger looking, at a glance she can be mistaken for a teenager and yet she is not. Dangerous she is for her skills as a special operations personnel and only 102 of them are available that are dedicated in that capacity in the Rim-Cat Mercenary Regiment, Marie Macie Curtis smiled as her hand guided the joystick which controlled the three UAV's around the battlefield and provided the eyes for the Colonel. As the Templar Combat Battalion returned to base, she flew the UAV drones home and landed them safely.