September 6th, 2023, 15:00 (Kurdistan Standard Time 09:00)

  Maku, West Azerbaijan, the Republic of Kurdistan

  The city of Maku was at the western border of Iran with a mainly Kurdish population, and unlike other cities, it was established along a canyon 150m wide and 10km long.

  The city was under the territory of the Republic of Kurdistan, but it was dangerous and often attacked by Iranian militia that opposed the nation’s independence.

  Vrooooom~

  The rough sounds of engines firing up broke the morning, and four desert-camouflaged armored vehicles started to move along the Maku-Bazargun roads in formation.

  The armored vehicles were all from the 3rd mechanized infantry company’s reconnaissance force stationed 10km northeast of Bazargun. The 3rd mechanized infantry company had been tasked with keeping the peace at Bazargun, and Maku had been additionally assigned to them. The armored vehicles under the 3rd company were headed towards the city to make their rounds.

  The four K-23P-M Hyun-mu armored vehicles were just about to move through the gates of the international university at the fire-free zone when the platoon commander came on the radio-

  This is the platoon commander. This is our first time entering the city of Maku, so be on high alert. Vehicle 312 is to join up with the men from the republic and maintain the peace at the designated areas, over-

  Vehicle 312, confirmed!

  Soon, Vehicle 312 left the convoy’s formation and stopped to let the other cars move to downtown Maku. When the vehicle commander gave the order to dismount, the rear hatch opened and the soldiers aboard started to split into two groups to form a defensive perimeter-

  Sergeant Kim! The soldiers from the republic are approaching. Do everything by the book and come back safely from the recon.”


  The vehicle commander saw the group of republic soldiers and alerted Sergeant Kim Han-ho-

  Yes, sir. We will take it from here.

  Sergeant Kim Han-ho finished speaking to the vehicle commander and checked the group of soldiers approaching them. Twelve soldiers showed up on his shield glasses, and the X-K01 console screen marked them as soldiers from the republic guards. The Corean military had given them the friend or foe cards so they could be identified by the Corean equipment.

  “Squadron leader’s team at the front and the rest are to guard our rear. Move out!”


  Squadron leader Kim Han-ho gave the order and walked towards the republic guards.

  “Habal! Nice to meet you. I am the captain of the Maku guards, Arin Mirukan.”


  Sergeant Kim Han-ho was shocked. It was a woman in her 30s with black hair. She was one of the soldiers from the Kurdish women guards he had only heard about in the news and internet.

  “Hello. I am the reconnaissance squadron leader Kim Han-ho. Nice to meet you.”


  Sergeant Kim Han-ho saluted out of habit and glanced at the other guards behind the captain. There was one more woman guard behind Captain Arin Mirukan.

  “Corporal Kim, sir! There are women soldiers. Wow. They’re really cool, don’t you think?” Private First Class Gwak Young-hwan, the squadron firearms operator, whispered to Corporal Kim Sung-ho, the grenadier.

  “Yeah, I’ve only seen them on the news, but they’re really prettier in person.”


  “I suppose this mission will be better than we expected. Hehe.”


  Vice-squad leader Sergeant Lee Jin-tae’s cold glare fell on both of them.

  “Hey! Focus on your surroundings!”


  “Sorry, sir.”


  Eight Corean infantrymen and 13 Maku guards all moved as a group to patrol and keep the peace within the 2.5km stretch they have been tasked with.

  “Squad, we’re going on the move. Corporal Kim, deploy the drone.”


  “Yes, sir.”


  Following the squad leader’s orders, Corporal Kim Gil-tae, the drone’s operator, pulled out a case from his pack and threw something into the air. The drone the size of an adult’s palm quietly rose to the sky.

  The new light-weight reconnaissance drone was designed to replace the Spider-II drone that had been used by units of companies to be used by squadrons. Its official name was the SI-Q (Super eye reconnaissance drone) and it could rise 3km and thoroughly scan an area up to 8km away.

  “Sir! Everything is good to go,” Corporal Kim Gil-tae placed the controller with a display on his neck and reported in while manipulating the drone.

  “Okay! Corporal Kim stay close behind me and keep scanning.”


  “Yes, sir. I’m right behind you.”


  When the men arrived at a T-section, the squadron leader’s team, the vice-squadron leader’s team, and the Maku guards split into two groups and continued their mission of patrolling and maintaining the peace within the city.

  When the group split into two, Corporal Kim Sung-ho from the vice-squadron leader’s team tapped Private Youn Ho-jin on the shoulder and pointed to the female soldier of the Maku city guard. Private Youn Ho-jin hesitated for a moment but ended up walking up to her after being glared at by Corporal Kim, and asked a question to her sheepishly.

  “Uh, hey! My superior told me to ask. What’s your name?” When Private Youn Ho-jin asked the woman in English, the woman armed with an AK-47 and wearing a black turban did not seem to understand and gave him a blank look.

  Private Youn Ho-jin asked once again slowly. “What’s your name?”


  When he pointed to his name tag on the uniform, she finally seemed to have understood him and introduced herself.

  “Habal! Rosarin!”


  “Ah, Ro, Rosarin. How old are you?”


  Smack!

  “Hey! You idiots here on vacation? Corporal Kim, act your damn rank!” Sergeant Lee Jin-tae, the vice-squadron leader, smacked Private Youn Ho-jin at the back of the head and glared at Corporal Kim Sung-ho. Private Youn glared at Corporal Kim for being scolded for doing what he was ordered to do by him.

  However, Corporal Kim Sung-ho averted his gaze and started complaining. “Damn it! He does everything by the book! I really can’t do this any more thanks to him.”


  The squadron leader’s urgent voice came through the headset equipped on the helmets. “Squadron! Mortar strikes! Take cover!”


  The squad leader’s shouts and a whistling sound came through the radio, then the entire city of Maku shook with pillars of flames rising everywhere.

  Boom! Boom! Boom!

  The infantrymen of the second squad would not be in harm’s way as long as they were not directly hit by the mortar rounds, but the Maku city guards did not have any protective suits and were in danger.

  When the falling mortar rounds fell near the vice-squad leader’s team, shrapnel started to fly everywhere with an explosion and small rocks rained down on them.

  Wooosh~

  “There! We will move there to take cover.” The vice-squad leader pointed to the tougher buildings. The Corean soldiers and the Maku city guards all started to run to the building while ducking.

  Boom! Boom!

  As time passed, the number of rounds falling on Maku increased, and the mortar rounds started to land on the building the soldiers were taking cover in.

  Boom!

  When the mortar rounds started to fall near them, the buildings made out of dirt and rocks started to shake, and the ceiling started to collapse and poured debris everywhere.

  “We, we’re getting out of here!”


  The vice-squad leader’s shouts were drowned out by the explosion and they were covered by the building’s debris. A dust cloud filled the interior of the building. When the dust settled, the vice-squad leader checked on everyone.

  “Everyone all right? Anyone injured?”


  “Argh! Private Youn Ho-jin. Cough! Cough! I’m fine, sir.”


  “Private Gwak Young-hwan, I’m also fine, sir.”


  “Corporal Kim Sung-ho, my, my leg……”


  “Corporal Kim! What about your leg?”


  The vice-squad leader looked for Corporal Kim Sung-ho with his shield glasses. Corporal Kim was on the floor and being crushed by the debris.

  “Private Gwak! Private Youn! Get over here and help me!”


  “Yes, sir.”


  The building’s half-broken pillar was crushing Corporal Kim Sung-ho’s leg with the other debris.

  “One! Two! Three!”


  The men pushed the pillar off of Corporal Kim’s leg. Corporal Kim now started to move around a bit and stood back up after being freed.

  “Are you alright?”


  “Yes, don’t worry about me, but……”


  Rosarin was unconscious at the place Corporal Kim was at. When the ceiling fell from the mortar strikes, he threw himself on top of her. The debris had fallen on top of him and Rosarin.

  “You did that to save her……”


  “Please check on her status, sir.”


  The vice-squad leader wanted to yell at Corporal Kim Sung-ho, but he held back the urge and checked on Rosarin. She did not have any external trauma and only seemed to be unconscious from the explosion.

  “She’s just unconscious. She’s fine.”


  “Ah, what a relief. Ha ha.”


  Private First Class Gwan Young-hwan, the squad’s firearms operator, said to Corporal Kim Young-ho, “Corporal Kim, sir! That was amazing. I guess the power of love is great.”


  “Shut up! I only save her out of instinct. Damn you!”


  The sound of 50mm photon cannons and Black Dragon missiles being launched by the armored vehicles came from a distance. It seemed the squad leader’s team had detected the source of the mortar strikes with their reconnaissance drones and sent them to the four armored vehicles nearby.

  * * *

  September 6th, 2023, 17:30

  The North State, Pyeong-yang City, Daedong-gang County, Pyeong-yang General Hospital (the old Josun Goguryeo Hospital), special patient’s ward

  Knock! Knock!

  “Who is it? Come in.”


  Kim Jong-un, who had been spending his days watching TV while laying down except for the two hours he spent on remedial exercising, had a visitor. The door opened and multiple men in black suits and a man in his late 50s came in.

  Kim Jong-un got up from the bed.

  “Hello. I am Lee Youn-yeon, the prime minister of Corea.”


  “The prime minister? My, I finally have a high-ranking visitor. Come on in.”


  Kim Jong-un got out of bed and shook the man’s hand.

  “Yes. Nice to meet you. Could I have a moment to sit down and talk?”


  “Yes, let’s. Please take a seat.”


  Kim Jong-un pointed at the circular table and chairs.

  “So, what’s the purpose of your unannounced visit?”


  Kim Jong-un cut straight to the chase after sitting down. In truth, he was very uneasy about the fact that no high-ranking South Korean government official visited him despite a month passing since his recovery. He thought they were ignoring him.

  Chief Secretary Kim Jong-won must have read his mind and answered with an apologetic look on his face, “We apologize for our late visit. We figured it would hinder your recovery, so that was why we are coming to see you now. We hope you understand.”


  “Well! No matter. Please tell me why you are here.”


  “The president will visit you soon. She would like to discuss the future of our nation when she does.”


  “What use would that be to speak to a man with broken wings. I don’t need any of that. I would just like to say one thing.”


  Kim Jong-un seemed uncomfortable in the chair due to his size and continued after adjusting himself, “I am no longer interested in politics. What use would I be to anyone waking up 8 years after? Don’t you agree? I will stay quiet for the rest of my days. Please make sure you tell that to the president.”


  “Yes, I understand. We will deliver your statement word for word.”


  Kim Jong-un had precisely identified the purpose of the prime minister’s visit. Therefore, he only spoke the words they wanted to hear.

  “Once I’m done with my recovery, I would like to spend the rest of my days at the Gal-ma Villa. Would that be possible?”


  The villas owned by Kim Jong-un were all bought out by private companies to be used as resorts once the nations were unified. The Gal-ma, Hye-san, and Samjiyeon Villas were being run by the government.

  “Yes, I could speak to the president and have that prepared for you as well.”


  “Thank you. I appreciate it.”