The light of the trodden

Backstory Part 2

"Okay now, listen to me people." Brother stood in front of his platoon "Now this expedition, may end the war. So needless to say it's of utter importance. This war that we've been at for four years have robbed many people of their homes and many women have been left widowed because of this war, many children have been orphaned because of this very war. So right now I stand in front of you and declare that if this mission gets messed up due to any one of you. I'll make sure that you receive a worse punishment than expulsion from the army. A much worse punishment. Bear that in mind."
Brother walked away from the platoon, towards the General's platoon.
"So how's it going?" Brother asked.
"Horrible. They don't understand hard-work. They don't understand discipline..." General started.
"I meant with the plan." Brother interjected.
"Ohh that, great but there's one problem." General replied.
"What?"
"There's a fool who was just told that her wife's expecting but he's still not taking a leave which I would be more than happy to give him." General punched Brother.
"Okay, just tell me one thing. If it was any other person than me, what would you tell him? And no lies okay." Brother smiled.
"I would tell him that his baby would be proud that his dad fought for his country and if he went now then he would forever regret this decision as a decision made out of cowardice." General looked down.
"Look you know this better than I do that you and I are both needed on this mission. Anyway this will be the final mission won't it?" Brother put his hand on General's shoulder "Look Gen, I want to go home. More badly than you want me to but right now you can't be left alone. I don't trust you enough." Brother joked.
"Ah, brothers, comforting to know the trust they put in you." General mocked. "But this act seems less brotherly and more daddily."
"Daddily?" Brother laughed "Daddily? Seriously your jokes suck."
"Well, I just hope that you don't suck at being a daddy." General retorted.
"That's what she said."
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"Okay, mission about to commence." General said "Brother what's the status?"
"Same as before. A scout team on standby which is completely surrounded. As soon as you commence the attack, the scout team will be routed." Brother smiled, looking through the magic square.
"Keep the magicians from being too overconfident, okay?" General cautioned "And listen, be careful. You have a baby on the way, no matter what happens even if we lose the war. I don't care, I want you to be safe."
"Wow, the feared General actually cares for someone." Brother mocked "Don't worry, I know better than anyone that I have to return."
"Okay then, see you when I do." General waved his hand across the screen and Brother's face disappeared.
"Okay, let's put on a show that history will remember." General smiled "This is gonna be easy."
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"WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PLATOON?" General screamed at the one survivor from his brother's platoon.
"Sir, as soon as the attack commenced on your side we attacked but sir due to the incompetency of the other army, we found that there was another convoy passing through. We were utterly defeated and the commander of the platoon was taken away as a prisoner of war." The survivor explained. General took a step back.
"Guards, tie his hands behind his back and strip him down to his very skin then tie him to a horse and make the horse run wild." General ordered as he leaned in closer to the survivors face "Did you really think that I would believe the idiotic, incompetency story. Do you think me to be a fool? I know this was an inside job and I know that they spared you because you informed them."
As the soldiers took him outside to carry out General's orders another messanger entered the camp.
"Sir, there is a message for you from the enemy camp." Messanger said, handing General a scroll.
"About time. What would they ask for, I wonder?" General opened the scroll.
'Greetings, General.
I am the Commander of the Domister Army and I extend you a negotiating offer,
I want the cube which your science team has kept as top secret. I also want the technology for making more cubes of the similar kind. I know that your brother as a hostage won't seem much in exchange for that information therefore I also promise that the war between our respective countries shall end for all purposes.'
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"The cube is a highly important object, General and it cannot be given to the enemy." The head scientist firmly stated after presenting various blueprints and diagrams to the General.
"You might think me a fool, scientist, but I'm not." General gave him a piercing stare "Even after presenting various diagrams, you still haven't explained what exactly does the cube do?"
The head scientist removed his spectacles and massaged his head.
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"He then told me the entire story of how the cube came into existence and the effect of it on the world. The scientist that was murdered a month ago was the exact same scientist who had built the cube." General said.
"A top secret project in the science department. I had heard rumours of those." Alex remembered "The cube was the energy producer right?"
"Yes. And how the Domister empire came to know of it is a mystery."
"Well, what happened then?" Zane asked.
"Well. We're nearing a island so the story will have to wait." Navigator yelled from the top mast. General looked at the horizon and an island greeted his sight.
"We're at the sight of your fight." Shadow took a sip from a bottle of rum. Somehow he had found a barrel of rum onboard and had nearly emptied a quarter of it.
"You mean our fight, Shadow." Zane shook his head.
"Nope. I mean your fight. The people on the island are my comrades, my dogs you know. They would have done the same for me." Shadow smiled at Zane.
"Wipe the drunken smile off your face, Shadow. It's not very warrior-like." Lionheart crossed his arms.
"Let's go and meet this person whom Shadow reckons will beat us." Zane smiled "Before that I've got to tell you all about my power."