CHAPTER 52: HOSTAGE RESCUE OPERATION

Gideon nodded, agreeing with what Norton had said. In the village, his soldiers were already working together to set up a military tent. They had asked for Noelle’s permission, and the old woman allowed it.

Inside, Gideon and his team clearly saw the space filled with several military furnishings: buckets full of spears, wooden chairs, a meeting table, and even a complete map of Moko.

Right! He felt like he was inside the command tent of a fantasy army, where battles still relied on sheer numbers of soldiers. The more troops they had, the greater their chance of victory.

Norton was not alone. Inside the tent stood many squad leaders gathered together. There were not just one or two, but six men, all with firm and serious expressions.

The six men each represented six squads of Commander Norton Ashfield’s elite soldiers. The strength of one elite squad was equal to that of two hundred regular soldiers.

"Come in," Norton said.

Gideon nodded and walked inside, with the eyes of the six squad captains all turning toward him. They already knew who he was. Some of them had even stayed in Nemora village under Norton’s orders.

He didn’t feel too awkward, but seeing their serious and disciplined manner made Gideon feel a little uneasy compared to them.

"As we all know, King Moko has given this special mission only to this elite unit. If we fail, not only will our reputation be ruined, but our families will not live in peace afterward."

"We must work together to make sure this negotiation goes exactly as we hope," Norton explained.

"We understand, My Lord."

Norton stepped closer to the meeting table, where a large map of the Moko Kingdom lay spread out, with markers placed in several positions.

The southern area was the main focus of this mission, because the negotiation was to take place outside Mischo territory.

Gideon and Luke looked at the map. For some reason, it reminded Gideon of Operation Black Crown. He nodded.

What Norton wanted was more or less similar to that mission, only the targets and objectives were different.

Norton explained that the target of this mission was marked with a yellow marker, while six red markers represented the small elite squads.

There was one blue marker placed in a different location. That was where Gideon’s team would be.

"And you, Captain Gideon. You and my team will be the mission executors," Norton said.

Hmm... he probably wants me to target the rebels with a sniper rifle.

I don’t mind that, but the distance from the hill to the road is pretty far. I’m worried the bullet will miss and accidentally kill Princess Allanar instead.

Norton noticed Gideon’s silence as he explained the team’s position. Gideon nodded in agreement, but he still needed more information about distance, wind speed, and wind direction.

That data was necessary to adjust a ballistic shot with the wind. Norton was making everything sound too simple.

"What do you think?" Norton asked.

"Killing a man from such a distance is very difficult, maybe even impossible for me," Gideon explained.

"Then, what do you suggest?" Norton asked.

Gideon stayed silent, trying to recall the roads and conditions in that area from his trips to and from Mischo. Norton kept watching Gideon’s face, furrowed as he thought hard about something.

"Instead of killing the rebel leader, what if we focus on rescuing the hostage?" Lena cut in, interrupting the discussion. She stood beside Gideon, making him reflexively turn toward her.

"Do you have a plan?"

"Of course."

"Maybe we can make camo for our uniforms," Lena answered.

"Besides, the negotiation is set at night. Lighting will be poor, and with camo uniforms we can ambush and neutralize them."

Gideon froze. Lena’s plan made far more sense than the idea of killing the rebel leader.

By rescuing Princess Allanar, Norton and his soldiers could then launch an all-out attack to wipe out the rebels. Gideon had no reason to reject Lena’s idea.

"What do you think, Captain Gideon?" Norton asked. Lena’s attention shifted toward Gideon, watching his face that stayed serious and intent.

Gideon remained silent, his eyes fixed on the map as if he was calculating something. Lena narrowed her eyes, watching him closely, curious about what he was thinking.

"It’s possible. Her plan is more realistic than yours."

"Of course. She’s your teammate. She understands military tactics like you do, better than I ever could," Norton replied.

Lena gently patted Gideon’s left shoulder. "Do you already understand the landscape and the mission priorities?"

"Of course. Thank you for helping me, Lena."

"You’re welcome."

She stepped back, standing beside Lyra and directly behind Gideon. The three of them stood quietly, facing forward and watching the six squad captains and Commander Norton.

"Can you give me command of this operation?" Gideon asked.

Norton was shocked, as were the six squad captains. They knew who Gideon was and his military capabilities, but this mission had been assigned to Norton Ashfield. Naturally, he was supposed to lead it.

The room erupted in noise, with the six captains refusing the idea and insisting Norton remain in command. Norton raised his hand and clenched his fist, a signal for his captains to stay silent.

"Gideon and his team are the spearhead of this mission. The success of this operation depends on them."

"To maximize the outcome, it will be far better to give him command."

"But aren’t you the one who—"

"I will explain everything to His Majesty the King," Norton interrupted one of his elite captains.

The man fell silent, stunned, unable to argue further. Then he turned his eyes on Gideon, carefully watching the man’s face. Luke smiled, convinced that giving Gideon command was the right step for mission success.

"Thank you, Commander Ashfield."

Gideon picked up the markers and placed several of them in unexpected positions. He smiled. He believed that modern strategy was still effective for medieval-style battles like this.

Two squads were placed behind the hill, out of sight from the negotiation site, two squads behind the southern gate of the city, one squad on the city walls, and the last squad at the final forest crossroads, the last route for Princess Allanar’s evacuation.

"But isn’t that too far from—"

"We don’t want them to detect us. Besides, this way they’ll be surrounded."

"When Princess Allanar is secured from the rebels, a yellow light will flare up in the sky."

"That will be the signal for you to move," Gideon explained.

"As simple as that."

The squad captains could not believe what Gideon had just planned. How could he outline something so simple for a mission to rescue the Moko Kingdom’s princess, the King’s third daughter?

"Are you sure? You don’t sound convincing," Norton replied.

"That’s all from me. The rest, leave it to my team. Our coordination is far more efficient than yours."