10. Strange Bedfellow's

QUEEN ELIZABETH & Lenin were sharing one HQ. Not only was it supposed to create a sense of unity between the armies but also it was practical.  Information could be exchanged easily. The English and Russian soldiers were not entirely comfortable with one another, having been fighting each other only recently, however, they followed their orders, and the losses they suffered at the hands of the Indians united them. The campaign had been organized rapidly- Lenin’s troops pouring through English territory towards enemy fortifications. English units converged alongside the Russians, East of them. Supply lines guarded and every troop mobilized the two column poured towards the Indian lines. They had expected to hammer through this thin line of musketeers at a few points, cutting off the others, and then marching along roads Gandhi seemed to prepared for them on a zigzagging course through many cities, ultimately leading to Delhi. They were the hammer. Meanwhile Mpondo’s forces would slowly advance, razing everything in site and demanding attention from the Indian armies- he was the anvil.
Already though the hammer was being blunted. Whilst some victories had been, they would not be able to get past the Indian lines in time, the Indians had bought themselves the opportunity to retreat. Ultimately it should not matter- musketeers were not very mobile, and now they would have to fight on battlefields of The Anglo-Russians alliances choosing- still, Lenin & Elizabeth both had fears about what lay ahead- they knew so little about Indian technology, these cannons they had unleashed had proved devastating... No plan ever survives contact with the enemy.
This place brought back many unhappy memories. The Indian musketeers had lined up on the ridge. They had poured volley after volley into the dense ranks of the Zulu first elephant unit. It had been an elite veteran unit- riders had trained long and hard- but they had never reached the enemy. Instead volley after volley had ripped the unit to shreds.
Now it was a different campaign and his enemy had retreated before him. Morale was high once again, and humiliation of 2 years ago had disappeared.
Mpondo was supposed to raze all before him but Mpondo rejected that idea. He would fight Indian soldiers but not Indian civilians, following the lead set by the Indians themselves. Meanwhile he had to track down an enemy to fight. The Indians were content to give ground in the knowledge that eventually Mpondo would face supply problems, and they were right, however his analysts had concluded he could capture 2 cities before he was forced to consolidate his gains- although, a part of his brain quoted a phrase to his mind which sent a shiver up his spine; "No plan ever survives contact with the enemy"
Gandhi looked at the maps- his forces had made contact with the enemy and so far everything was going to plan. Gandhi had expected his units to the South to be far worse off than they were now, instead they were still a very effective fighting force. It was odd to thing that this put his plan in jeopardy, but the problem was easily solved as the musketeers next movement would be to the flanks away from where he wanted the English & Russians to go. Meanwhile, on the Zulu side his forces had retreated. Soon they would wheel and stay put- forcing Mpondo to deploy in his battle formations and attack. His forces would fight and retreat- fight and retreat and harass the Zulu’s, who had not put as much thought as the English & Russians into supply lines- ironically it could be Mpondo's miscalculation that saved him.
In the din of everyday life the little explosion was not heard- York was a busy city- The English had gunpowder.
The Indian first riflemen had not trained at any of the academies like other troops- they had been hidden away- a neat little experiment. Now the first riflemen unit was leading the new rifle brigade- 8 units strong.... they marched along the straight road- so they raised little dust. The straight road led to the heart of the enemy formation.
"What the &%#! is that!!"
The Russian knights were approaching what appeared to be musketeers- the musketeers started aiming at well beyond their optimum range- the knights cantered along- preparing to jeer the Indians for their foolishness- then half of their number died- suddenly the Indians did not appear so foolish.
The year was 1380- Lenin & Elizabeth were surprised when the Indian musketeers had moved to the flanks- maybe Gandhi realized they would be defeated by superior numbers and so wanted them spared the full force of the battle. This suited them fine!!
Then they had met a large contingent of musketeers- bolstered by what they saw as a victory both English & Russian forces charged towards their foe. The alliances elite units were sent forward to clear this obstacle as soon as possible. When no word came more forces were sent forward- the alliance could not foresee anything less than total victory. Then reports came back, and a map could be drawn from these reports. The 'riflemen' as they called themselves had not been touched, the elite units had been shattered beyond repair, and now the riflemen were advancing. The Indian musketeers behind the alliances force had not moved around to the front, instead they had retaken fortifications behind the alliance- Lenin almost laughed out loud when he realized they were the anvil whilst this new force was the hammer. The entire attacking force of the Russian & English empires was trapped between an unbeatable enemy, and a fortified near unbeatable one. After defeating them the Indian force could smash through English defenses to capture the English empire- and they could carry on, capturing the Russian Empire at the drop of a hat- it was going to be a long day.
Frederick had received confused reports. First it appeared that the Alliance was winning, that the Indian empire was being beaten- if it was it was bad news, but Frederick had already made a secret alliance with the Zulu’s- even if the alliance won their attacking strength would be pathetic, and they would have little to defend what was the Indian empire- The Zulu's & the Germans could take a share of it, ensuring that if other civilizations ganged up against them they would have a suitably large population and production to survive.
On the Zulu front it seemed like Mpondo was paying dearly for the ground that he won, but slowly he was grinding down Indian forces.
Suddenly, the English & Russians suffered a disastrous defeat, Mpondo swiftly withdrew his armies from Indian territories, paid huge reparations, and starting fortifying his units well clear of the Indian border.

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