November 12th, 1655.
Dakshin Bharatiya Empire, Satavahana state (Maharashtra), Nashik.
This chaptđr is updated by freeÏebnovÄl.cà«Šm.
The atmosphere in the city of Nashik has become very lively; people are in a much more cheerful mood than before. This change is due to Nashikâs transformation from an offensive stronghold of the empire to a defensive stronghold and a transit station between the state of Satavahana and Gujarat, putting the people more at ease as well as being happy due to the increase in trade.
Before, during the midst of the battle, the city resounded with the symphony of warfareâsounds of distant clashes and the relentless thunder of artillery fire. Yet, with the occupation of the Gujarat region, the barrage of artillery ceased, leaving behind a relieved group of citizens.
Although there were still sounds of soldiers honing their skills in training exercises, and these sounds still made some people restless, the majority of people were not bothered by it, with a rare few finding it comforting. However, this frequency has further dwindled in recent months.
Furthermore, With the opening of the borders, some curious people from the empire even travel to the new area of Gujarat in order to see what it is like. Overall, in conclusion, the citizens of Nashik are happier now than they were before. In this lively city, with the escort of the guard unit responsible for ensuring the security of the royal family, Vijay arrived in a carriage.
There is a reason for Vijayâs arrival in the city of Nashik today. It is for the formal establishment of two special units of the military, one in the army and one in the Navy.
As the time for taking action was only a few days away, Vijay quickly wanted to formalize these units. Currently, in the military base, nearly 12,000 people are standing in a queue.
These soldiers were divided into three different groups, two of them wearing a brown camouflage uniform and the other wearing a blue camouflage uniform, while everyone carried a flintlock rifle.
These uniforms were made with the addition of different types of threads to make them somewhat durable when compared to the military uniforms of the future.
Initially, Vijay planned to utilize spider silk to manufacture these uniforms, but that turned out to be a lost cause. During the raising of spiders, their cannibalistic nature was brought out, leading them to kill each other. Even when left alone, the amount of silk produced by a single spider was not substantial enough to be used for mass production.
On top of that, even the small amount of spider silk that is produced after a lot of trouble has proved to be harder to utilize than anything else the textile experts have dealt with in the past.
So, although the current uniforms are not as strong as those in the future where synthetic materials like polyester and nylon are available, they are relatively advanced for the era with their composite multilayer cloth stitching.
Vijay, standing in front of the soldiers with his hands tied behind his back, was very satisfied with what he was seeing. These were the people who were the offensive specialists in the empire, the best individual soldiers the empire could produce.
"Good Afternoon. I hope youâve had a pleasant couple of weeks, as your days are going to get pretty uncomfortable for the next few days," Vijay said as he patrolled the area in front of the soldiers.
"By the way, congratulations! You have reached the top 1% of the soldiers from the Army and the Navy. You are the best of the best the empire could offer and produce, so you should be proud of yourselves," his voice calm and composed, stating what he believed to be a fact.
Hearing the words of his majesty, which contained a hint of grandeur despite his neutral tone, a sense of pride emanated from their posture as they stood tall and attentive.
"Weâve gathered here today to establish two specialized units," Vijay began, his voice carrying a hint of dignity. "I trust youâre all aware of this, having been informed beforehand. Some of you may have already participated in operations in Gujarat, while others may be newly recruited, chosen for your proven competence.
Understand, however, the inherent risks of such roles, where the task is to confront the enemy head-on or infiltrate their ranks directly."
Despite the daunting prospect of the risks involved, the soldiers remained steadfast and unmoved. They had willingly chosen this path, fully aware of the challenges it presented, and their determination remained unwavering even under the scorching afternoon sun, which beat down with unyielding intensity at 40 degrees Celsius.
Vijay, with a serious expression, waved his hand to a guard who understood the intent of his majesty and brought over a few things.
As Vijay handed the two flags to Dinesh Reddy and Lingesh, designating them as the official leaders of the Bharatiya Commandos, he bestowed upon them the rank of brigadier general, each entrusted with commanding a brigade of commandos. With the Bharatiya Commandos comprising 8,000 soldiers, the responsibilities of Lingesh and Dinesh Reddy extended far beyond those of typical brigades.
Within each squad of the brigade, specialized positions were allocated, reflecting the unique and distinct role of the commandos within the army.
The Bharatiya commanders donned light brown camouflage uniforms, tailored specifically for the daunting task ahead, which involved navigating through the sandy and hilly terrain of the Baluchistan region. Such uniforms were typically customized to match the specific environment and terrain where the commanders operated, ensuring optimal concealment and adaptability in their missions.
Vijay methodically handed over the flags one by one, each emblazoned with the distinguished emblem of the Bharatiya Commandos. With precision, he affixed them to the generalsâ hats and ceremoniously bestowed upon each general a Dagger of Honor, symbolizing their valour and commitment to duty.
With a firm pat on the shoulders of both Dinesh Reddy and Lingesh, Vijay conveyed his support and well wishes. "Best of luck, Brigadier General Dinesh Reddy and Lingesh," he said, acknowledging the weight of their upcoming operations.
With their injuries healed after a month of recovery, Lingesh and Dinesh Reddy were eager for action once more. As they received the flags, adorned the helmets, and equipped the Dagger of Honor, their backs straightened, and their eyes sparkled with renewed passion and determination.
As a sign of gratitude, Dinesh Reddy marched forward two steps and roared a command, "Prathi gaath!" The soldiers, who were previously at ease, immediately snapped to attention.
Lingesh, seeing Dineshâs action, also stepped forward and shouted at the top of his lungs, veins popping on his neck, "Vande shastr!" Following this command, the commandos executed a neat and practised drill with powerful actions, intensifying the atmosphere so much so that dust floated up in the air.
Finally, with the shout of "Gath!" the guns were brought forward with their hands straightened in parallel to their chests, executing the Present Arms! in respect to Vijay.
Vijay was a little taken aback by this impromptu ceremony, but he was nonetheless satisfied. He then proceeded to present honours to the other unit as well.
"The next unit is one which has been responsible for our victory in the battle for Gujarat," Vijay proudly announced. "It is the unit that single-handedly turned the tides of the battle by enabling the landing operations of the navy and the army. This unit is headed by Commander Sarvesh himself and will now be known as the Bharatiya Marines."
With a solemn expression, Vijay retrieved the flag, adorned with a lionâs head against the waves of the ocean, with the nationâs flag serving as its background. He then handed it over to Sarvesh, the newly appointed leader and commander of the Bharatiya Marines. As Sarvesh accepted the flag, he felt the weight of new responsibilities settling upon him.
Afterwards, without delaying any longer, Vijay adorned Sarvesh with the commanderâs cap and the ceremonial dagger, representing his authority.
Sarvesh accepted them with pride and a sense of honour. Although his unit had shrunk from a fleet to a brigade of only 4000 soldiers, he felt more comfortable in this unit. On top of that, the benefits he was provided with were not reduced; on the contrary, they were increased.
He had also maintained the same rank as his previous job and received a promise from Vijay about the expansion of his new unit with time.
*Step, step, step*
The ceremonial drill was performed once again.
"Now, I hereby announce that the two units of Bharatiya commandos and Bharatiya Marines are now established and officially part of the military organization in the Empire."
*Step, step, step*
*Bang*
The ceremonial drills were repeated, but this time there was a gunshot at the end.
Completing the procedures here quickly, Vijay went over to meet Gangadhar, the admiral of the Navy, who is currently stationed in Mumbai.
The reason for his visit? Well, it was because he had to decide on who would be the new commander of the Navy since Sarvesh had been given another task to do, for which he was better suited.
While Vijay was in transit, the Bharatiya commandos moved to the port of Vapi, as their next mission was in the region of Baluchistan, in the far western frontiers of the Mughal Empire.
Within a few hours, Vijay reached Mumbai and met up with Gangadhar.
There were the usual pleasantries at the beginning, after which Vijay got straight to the point. "So, is there any candidate for the commander of the Navy?"
Gangadhar nodded his head and replied, "You are aware of him, Your Majesty. It is the same person who was responsible for capturing the port of Karachi and securing the coastal regions of Baluchistan. He is the newest graduate of the Naval Academy, and he is only 24 years old: Prasanna Nayar. Lieutenant Commander of the 5th battle group was his prior designation."
Vijay nodded his head, indeed knowing the kidâs name, as he was impressed by his quick thinking and battle capabilities. He remembered the attack led by Nayar on the coastal regions of the Mughal Empire along the coast of the Arabian Sea, near the regions of Sindh and Baluchistan, and he was even more impressed when Prasanna flanked the Jamnagar fleet of the Mughal Navy at the Gulf of Khambhat.
Seeing that Gangadhar was still not playing favourites, Vijay was satisfied and nodded his head in approval. "Prasanna Nayar is indeed a very good candidate. So, I totally agree with him being promoted from lieutenant commander to commander. Unfortunately, we canât hold a grand ceremony like before, with the battle looming. But since Iâm here, letâs get on with it."
Afterwards, a ceremony was held in the port of Mumbai immediately, where a fleet of ships composed of three frigates and ten sloops were used as the eye candy of the event, stationed at the port while the event was ongoing.
The man from a rural village in Kerala was unable to believe that he currently held the highest post in the Navy of the Empire, second only to his excellency the Admiral. He was overwhelmed, but he had worked very hard to reach this position, so he put on a brave front and went through with the ceremony.
After the event, Vijay secretly travelled to Ahmedabad. Why was it a secret, you ask? Well, it is because the next headquarters of the upcoming Balochistan War would be in Ahmedabad, which is closer proximity to Balochistan. But Vijay did not want his actions to give the Mughals any clues, so in order to be careful, he sent away his customized raya mobility carriage with a body double.
Meanwhile, he took a common carriage with a normal military uniform and travelled to Ahmedabad.
By the time Vijay reached Ahmedabad, Dinesh and Lingesh had also reached the coast of Baluchistan. It was already 7:00 PM at night, so they did not initiate their operation and rested at the outpost of the empire on the coast of Balochistan, which is currently occupied by the empire.