Parahan, 2nd Edition Page 9

  It seemed he suddenly faced a huge wall.

  How can I get through this…?

  The sides had been equal when neither of them could make a direct blow until they got closer to each other. However, the soldiers of the Guard of the Leadership were in a superior position now. Again Taehan tried hard to think of a countermeasure. However, he could not come up with a brilliant plan to overcome this crisis.

  “Retreat! Protect yourself with the shield!”

  The Capital Defense Unit took the bullets raining down on them and desperately started to retreat. Morale sank like a lead balloon., for they knew their lives were still in danger at this distance. Once they’d retreated a sufficient distance, Taehan ordered them to stop. He informed Hanmoo about the situation and asked for help and then they waited, neither advancing nor retreating. The Guard of the Leadership could not come after them, for surely they had noticed the main troop waiting in the rear. Instead, they kept firing intermittently.

  Then he received a message from Hanmoo.

  “Taehan! Order the officers to prepare ‘Urgent Scream’ immediately!”

  “Urgent Scream?”

  “The officers will know what to do when given the order. It is one of the regular exercises the Capital Defense Unit practices and it is the best way to overcome the current situation. The men will divide into groups of three. Two of the men in each group will grab an enemy soldier and remove part of his armor. The third man will shoot him.”

  “Alright, I will do it immediately.”

  “The 200 men at the left and right sides of the building will advance first. They will inform the main troop when the operation is successful. Join the main troop when I give you the signal, and we will charge together!”

  It was a simple, yet risky, operation. And it was highly possible they could suffer a massive loss. However, there was no other way to overcome the present disadvantage. They could lose a lot more men if they hesitated or tried to implement a lukewarm plan that the men had never practiced before. After the soldiers on both sides advanced and created some turmoil, Taehan’s men and the main troop join the attack. The battle would be over when they subdued the enemy in its entirety.

  Hanmoo’s troops were put into action when he gave the signal. The men waiting at the left and right sides rushed into the leadership building and the Guard of the Leadership quickly descended into chaos. People on the outside could see this as well. Then the main troop led by Hanmoo rushed into the building. When he received the signal from Hanmoo, Taehan and his men joined the other forces and charged into the leadership building. When they passed the point where the two soldiers were killed shortly before, he could see a few soldiers on the front line fall; shot down by the compressed air guns. The rest of the men did not hesitate because they knew the intention of the operation. Rather, they rushed even faster to the gate of the building. At that moment the main troops arrived at the gate and jumped over the barrier to enter the building which had fallen into chaos with soldiers battling it out in hand-to-hand combat.

  It had seemed like an even fight when they initially entered the building. However, it did not take long until it was obvious which side was winning. In these close quarters, the compressed gas gun was just a loud weapon. When out-numbered, the compressed gas gun was not effective. ‘Urgent Scream’ was effective; the enemy was overwhelmed and fell helplessly.

  Shunda’s company was remarkable as well. They had never trained with the Capital Defense Unit, but they had more actual fighting experience than anyone else. It was clear they reigned terror on the Guard of the Leadership. Wherever they went, guards screamed helplessly, losing their life quickly at the skilled hands of Shunda’s company.

  Although the Capital Defense Unit suffered losses, the Guard of the Leadership losses were much higher which effectively collapsed the enemy’s morale. As the situation grew more and more unfavorable for them, the guards began to surrender.

  Taehan and Hanmoo confirmed the victory by entering the main building with some troops. On the first floor of the main building was a large staircase leading to the second floor. A few soldiers were guarding the stairs and ram at them desperately. Although their resistance was unexpectedly strong, it did not last long. They were quickly overpowered and became prisoners of the Capital Defense Unit.

  Taehan and Hanmoo hastened up the stairs. Guards were waiting higher up on the stairs and on the second floor, but were scared out of their wits and began to flee even before the Capital Defense Unit reached the top of the stairs. Taehan let them run away and rushed into the chamber with Hanmoo, kicking the door hard with his foot. It opened with a thud before slamming back against the wall and then falling from its hinges.

  Daekhan was the only person still sitting at the table. The rest of the supreme and deputy leaders were crouched under the tables, and like a turtle coming out of its shell, they stuck their head out from under the table and welcomed the Capital Defense Unit.

  Daekhan rushed to Taehan and said, “Calan ran! He escaped through some secret door at the back of the chamber that only he knew about!”

  Daekhan could not have stopped him since he was supposed to hide his identity until the Capital Defense Unit successfully stormed the building.

  “Damn it!”

  Frustrated, Hanmoo and his men ran through the door after Calan while Taehan ordered his men to arrest the members.

  “I will explain this to you later. I hope for your cooperation for a while, senators.”

  Taehan looked around at the senators in the chamber. Only Calan was missing among five supreme leaders and among the twenty-five deputy leaders, two were missing.

  “Since we besieged from outside, we will catch him soon,” Taehan said to reassure Daekhan who looked concerned.

  “We must make it happen,” Daekhan said knitting his brow.

  Out into the World 12

  Members of the organization, Shunda and some of his men, and some of the Capital Defense Unit came to the chamber. Everyone reported that the Guard of the Leadership had been subdued.

  “Shunda was amazing, and so were his friends!” Sochan shouted at Daekhan in the midst of all the people who had just arrived.

  Shunda from Kubaisen was standing with a group of several people that looked similar to him.

  “Thank you, Shunda!” Daekhan said, noticing other members of Congress who were gathered in a corner. They looked frightened.

  He turned toward Taehan with an anxious look and said, “Let’s wait for Hanmoo. He went after Calan.” Things could get very complex if Calan’s escape was successful.

  Just then Hanmoo ran in through the front door of the chamber and his colleagues turned to him with expectant stares.

  “I lost Calan!” he said.

  Taehan sank into a nearby chair, shocked. While the mission had succeeded, with Calan on the loose there was an obstacle.

  “I found two deputy leaders,” Hanmoo said pointing at the two men held by soldiers with their hands tied behind their back, “but only after Calan disappeared. These two swear they don’t know where Calan is.”

  “Well, we cannot wait here for Calan to show up.,” Daekhan said. “We have to employ the backup plan. Calan most likely went to the commander of the Planet Security Unit for help.”

  “I will contact Yachan of the Special Operations Force!” Hanmoos said and waited for Daekhan’s instructions.

  “Ensure there are communication lines between the soldiers in the leadership building and those who are outside. Then, contact Yachan. We have one more battle to win.”

  “Yes, Daekhan!” Hanmoo said and walked out the door.

  “We will have to organize the remaining soldiers and prepare to join the Special Operation Force,” Daekhan said shooting the data stored in his bandan into the air in the center of the chamber to remind his colleagues of the plan.

  An image appeared of the entire area around the leadership building, including its geographic features. Various scenarios played out for eve
ryone in the room to see. Daekhan picked one and stopped the slideshow. The image depicted the arrangement of the Capital Defense Unit and the Special Operations Force.

  Hanmoo rushed in just then shouting. “Daekhan! Emergency!” Everyone in the room noticed his face was red and he was trembling. Taehan had known him for a long time and never seen him this nervous. Everyone held their breath and waited for his next words.

  “I cannot get in touch with Yachan! I think he is not picking up intentionally!”

  Daekhan stiffened and asked to confirm, “Are you sure he does not answer your call intentionally?”

  “Affirmative. The communication line I used to contact him is the emergency line any and all troops must answer. Moreover, I told him to be prepared for my call around this time.”

  “Did you contact him through bandan?”

  “Certainly.” Hanmoo’s voice was still trembling.

  Taehan knew the consequences of this and could not think of any countermeasure. He looked at Daekhan who said, “Did you say that the Planet Security Unit can deploy around 20,000 men?”

  “If they bring units together from all over the capital the capability is 20,000. But at short notice, they can pull together at least 10,000,” Hanmoo said, “way more than we can take on with the 400 men we have left. Each of our men would have to eliminate more than twenty dorans. And they are trained for security, not war; we are too badly outnumbered.”

  “Reorganize your troops,” Daekhan said. “I think Yachan betrayed us. Calan could be involved too.”

  Daekhan looked out over the crowd in the room. “We only have two choices now. We either have to escape this building and hide for the rest of our lives, or we fight to the end right here.” Daekhan seemed determined, but no one spoke either for or against his idea. A stunned silence settled over the room.

  Looking at Santan and Sochan he said, “I must ask you two to be in charge of an important mission.”

  “What is it?” Santan said.

  “Please meet with the commander of the Planet Security Unit and announce that a new leadership has been established. Please actively persuade him to follow our command. It is a very dangerous task and most likely Calan has already spoken to them before you arrive. However, I have to ask you to do your best since the fate of the whole organization depends on whether you succeed.”

  “Yes sir!”

  Santan and Sochan left the chamber with ten other men. Daekhan ordered the remaining colleagues in the room to move to the main auditorium on the first floor of the building and prepare a situation room.

  It took more work than expected to reorganize the troops and complete the security arrangement around the leadership building. In the meantime, everything was quiet. However, everyone instinctively felt this was the calm before the storm and felt the weight of fear even more than they had earlier while rushing the building.

  Taehan tried hard to relieve the anxiety by closing his eyes and taking deep breaths.

  Is it the difference between attacking and being attacked…

  Out into the World 13

  The sun rose on a new day but they still had not heard anything from Santan or Sochan; nor did they answer when Daekhan called. This only increased the anxiety of the colleagues gathered at the leadership building. All they could do was attempt to contact them from time to time.

  Fortunately, Calan and the Planet Security Unit did not show up during the night. The majority of the members had not slept well during the darkest hours of the night, so now most of them dozed lightly right where they sat.

  Suddenly, the bandan on Daekhan’s neck rang loudly in the silence. Daekhan pressed a button and a round screen appeared with the image of Santan. His face conveyed negative news.

  “How are you doing? Has Calan arrived?” Santan asked.

  “Calan? Isn’t he where you are?”

  “No! Calan and the commander of the Planet Security Unit have left to find you. They will be there any minute if they have not yet arrived. Sochan and I were arrested, and we just barely escaped a few minutes ago; that’s why we couldn’t contact you earlier.”

  Even though the last light of hope was extinguished now, Daekhan’s expression was serene, as if he already knew what Santan was going to say.

  “Please hide in a safe place. We will take care of things here,” Daekhan said darkly, as if he was the captain of a ship going down. He touched a button on the bandan around his neck and ended the call.

  Just then they heard gunfire outside, as if it was waiting to punctuate the moment their biggest fear came to pass, for they were totally outnumbered. Hanmoo ran outside and Taehan remained inside with Daekhan, who was lost in thought. Everyone knew there was little chance they could reverse the current crisis. Daekhan sighed deeply; a sigh of resignation.

  An officer rushed into the situation room with news that they were falling to the enemy.

  “Please run, Daekhan! Dorans are about to enter the building!”

  Daekhan looked at the officer with a casual look. His face seemed to be calmer than ever, as if he was already ready to accept defeat.

  “To where can I run? Go back and fight your best fight…” Daekhan said, darkness falling over his face as he gave what might be his last order.

  “Yes, sir!” The officer bowed deeply and ran out of the room.

  Sometime later the gunshots stopped and the screams died down and there was only silence. Taehan desperately wished it would be a peaceful victory, but knew there would be heavy consequences to pay for what they had done.

  The door of the situation room banged open with a crash. Twenty or so armed dorans poured through the door. They could see Calan and the commander of the Planet Security Unit among them. Calan held Hanmoo by the arm; his hands were tied behind his back.

  “Surrender, Daekhan!” Calan said. His sharp eyes pierced through each person in the room before settling back on Daekhan. “Did you expect your revolt would succeed so easily?”

  Daekhan closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them, his mouth hardened. “Give me the chance to accept the consequences myself, Calan!” His hand rested lightly on a pistol tucked into his waistband.

  “Do as you wish,” Calan said after a short pause.

  Daekhan put the muzzle of the pistol near his temple. Calan looked at him, waiting. He seemed to be silently urging Daekhan to fulfill his own last wish. Taehan was filled with helplessness in that moment, and something else that went beyond fear. Everyone in the situation room seemed frozen, focused on the gun in Daekhan’s hand.

  Taehan was determined to follow Daekhan’s lead. He gripped his gun tightly. Hanmoo looked at Daekhan. Devastation, sadness and hopelessness were etched into every line of his face. Daekhan kept the gun muzzle pressed against his head while he made eye contact with each of his colleagues. When his eyes came to rest on Hanmoo, a soldier who looked like an officer of the Planet Security Unit hurried inside with two dorans.

  “Commander! It’s an emergency!”

  “What’s going on?”

  “Our forces are being attacked by parantans!”

  “Parantans?”

  Taehan held an arm out to Daekhan in an unspoken plea to hold off, and Daekhan slowly lowered the gun, waiting to see what would transpire with this new turn of events.

  “Why on earth do parantans attack us?” the commander of Planet Security Unit shouted, his face contorted in anger and disbelief.

  “I believe the Planet Total Defense Force is helping the rebellion!” the officer cried out in agitation.

  “Chanman is helping the rebellion?” the commander asked, his face turning white with fear.

  “What is the situation now?”

  “We have been pushed back somewhat, but it is hard to judge what will happen because we outnumber them!”

  “Get out there and stop them!”

  “Yes, sir!” the officer answered and disappeared, taking the dorans with him.

  Taehan sighed with relief, thinking they ha
d somehow dramatically escaped the worst outcome that could possibly have happened.

  But why is Commander Chanman helping us?

  Taehan was very curious about Chanman’s sudden emergence, as were his colleagues. Clearly, they had not planned this in advance.

  The sound of gunfire and fighting just outside the walls of the leadership building intensified, sounding more violent than the earlier battle between the Capital Defense Unit and the Planet Security Unit. Suddenly they heard a loud thud and then the room shook just as the gate and rear wall of the situation room collapsed Three large parantans plodded in and were immediately attacked by twenty or more dorans. The parantans swung their arms with such force that the dorans bounced off the ceiling and walls as if they were puppets. The sickening sound of breaking bones filled the room.

  It all happened so fast Calan had little time to do more than watch, a horrified look creeping over his face as he understood there would be no salvaging this situation. No escape for him. Certainly not with parantans blocking the only way out.

  A few seconds later Daekhan had the situation room under control while the rest of the resistance could do little more than stand their gaping, so surprised were they at the unexpected reversal. One of the parantans walked closer. It approached Daekhan and Taehan and stopped. An opening appeared vertically along its chest and Chanman stepped out.

  “I’m glad I made it in time. Boy, that was a close call.” He spoke off-handedly, as if he had almost missed a dentist appointment or something.

  “Are you insane?” Calan shrieked. “Helping the rebellion by using the Plant Total Defense Force?”

  Chanman ignored him and spoke to Taehan. “I’ve been thinking about the attitude and behaviors of the leadership for a long time and then considered the situation when I heard about the revolution. Should I sit and continue allowing the wrong leadership to have their way? Or should I find a way to remain ultimately faithful to the duty of the Planet Total Defense Force? I could not in good conscious just follow the corrupt leadership blindly. I concluded that simply following orders is not a soldier’s duty.”