Chapter 106: Preparation For The Battle Part:1
Vijayanagara Empire:
In the royal capital, inside the royal palace, Vijay stood on the balcony, staring worriedly into the void as if contemplating something important. Vijay was thinking about his attack plan on the Mughal Empire. When he was in deep thought, he heard his wife call, "Vijay, come and eat; lunch is ready."
Woken up from his contemplation, Vijay left the balcony to have a peaceful lunch with his wife. He greatly enjoyed these moments, as they were the only times he could truly be free from all the duties of the emperor and the burdens from the future, which always weighed heavily on him.
After Vijay had his moment of peace, it was time for him to return to his work. Seeing Vijay becoming so busy and restless in recent days, Kavya was also worried about Vijay's next actions, as she could vaguely guess what was about to come, having already experienced Vijay acting the same way when the Dutch invaded.
Concerned, she took her charming steps and gently hugged Vijay's hand, inquiring, "Is it another war? Will it be dangerous?"
Hearing Kavya's inquiry, Vijay slightly smiled as he gently ruffled Kavya's hair and responded, "Yes, we are about to be raided by the Mughals."
Hearing this, Kavya tightened her grip even more, growing visibly pale in complexion, and her hands kept vibrating in fear. She still remembered how their kingdom was raided by the Mughals and how her little brother and father had to sacrifice themselves for the kingdom. This incident had cast a deep shadow in her heart. Now, hearing that they were about to face the same situation, she could not think of any positive thoughts; only horror was written on her face.
Vijay, feeling that his arm was visibly tightened, glanced at Kavya, only to see her shaken to her core. Remembering how her kingdom and family were ruined by the Mughals, he kind of understood her predicament and comforted her by stroking her head. "Don't worry, Kavya. We have made adequate preparations for this day, and Vijayanagara is more than capable of taking on these invaders from foreign lands. I won't give them the chance to have the last laugh. Please place your trust in me and watch while I get revenge for you," Vijay promised, looking straight into Kavya's eyes with burning determination.
Kavya, looking into Vijay's eyes, saw no falsehood. Shaken by Vijay's determination, after regaining her composure and confidence in her husband, she quickly went into the shrine in the palace. She performed all the rituals for Devi Durga, the goddess of war, praying for the defeat of her enemies and the glorious return of Vijay Deva Raya, the emperor of Vijayanagara, her husband.
Her previously scared appearance was nowhere to be seen as she was filled with confidence and a hint of aggressiveness. Remembering the death of her father and beloved brother, she walked out of the shrine with majestic steps, as though Durga had incarnated into the world through her. She got to Vijay and put the tilak on him, then she handed him the Talwar of the royal family.
"Comeback, Victorias," Kavya said, her head held high, showing no doubt about Vijay's victory.
She soon went back into the shrine to pray until the battle was over and until Vijay came back victorious.
The next morning, Vijay, clad in his armour with the Talwar by his side, left the palace with determination and confidence. With Kavya overseeing the palace, he felt reassured. Surprisingly, Kavya's brother, the former Prince of the Maratha Empire, stood in the palace hallway as if anticipating Vijay's departure. Seeing him, Vijay's expression turned complicated, fully aware of his brother-in-law's intentions. The loss of his father and brother, coupled with his own escape, had taken a toll on his brother-in-law's mental state.
Despite understanding that preventing his brother-in-law from joining the battle would be the prudent choice, considering the Bansal family's leadership rested solely on his brother's shoulders, Vijay also knew that stopping him now would condemn his brother-in-law to a lifetime of self-blame. Vijay recognized the desperation in those black eyes, a longing for solace, any form of relief from the internal guilt eating away at him. Resignedly, Vijay nodded, acknowledging that his brother-in-law too would now join the battlefield.
Soon, a meeting was convened, gathering all the generals and the head of the Secret Service, Roshan.
"1, 2, 3."
"1, 2, 3."
In the bustling military barracks of the Vijayanagar army, a symphony of crisp and rhythmic sounds echoed through the air. Soldiers diligently carried out their duties—some immersed in physical exercises, while others engaged in precise drills. The ordered ambience faced a temporary disruption with the arrival of a sophisticated carriage. None other than Ramaiya Senapati stepped out, marking the commencement of a series of arrivals.
Following suit, carriages carrying Narasimha Nayak, Yogendra Singh, and Kiran Poojari made their entrance. Among them, a plain, unassuming carriage, seemingly an ordinary merchant's transport, pulled in for Roshan, the head of the Secret Service of Vijayanagara. The sequence of arrivals continued until, after a full hour, Vijay, accompanied by Logananda, made a grand entrance in his royal carriage adorned with the emblem of the royal family.
With everyone in attendance, Vijay got straight to the point as the meeting began. "Gentlemen, I'm aware you've all got word of the looming threat from the Mughal Empire. Our purpose here today is to talk about how we're going to tackle this challenge."
This mode of meeting had become a staple since Vijay introduced it during the Dutch war, proving its effectiveness. Generals had also adopted similar discussions within their respective divisions, simulating battles and strategizing to conquer strategic locations. As Vijay outlined the day's objectives, a focused energy permeated the room, with everyone sitting up attentively, ready to absorb the details.
Vijay continued, his tone serious and focused, "We have concrete evidence that the Mughal Empire is poised to launch an attack within a week. Despite our thorough preparations, the sheer magnitude of our border with the Mughals poses a strategic challenge. Even with intelligence assistance, we face the inherent difficulty of focusing defences on a specific location. The Mughals maintain the initiative, allowing them to select their point of attack at any given moment."
Everyone, including Marshal Yogananda, fell into contemplation as they considered Vijay's words. "So, I propose that we take the initiative and launch the attack first. From the latest intelligence reports that we have received, we can confirm that we have better equipment than them. If we launch a surprise attack, I am positive that we will catch them off guard before they are fully ready."
"So, here are the tasks that have to be completed before we make our move: Roshan, you need to prepare the exact time and date that the southern border of the Mughal Empire is the weakest, along with all the information on all the strongholds on their southern border. As for Marshal Logananda, after we have all the information, your task is to plot an attack strategy to win the battle as soon as possible. We will be stretched on our resources as we are just getting out of the Dutch war, so whatever we do should be swift and precise."
"I need the generals to cooperate with the intelligence brought by Roshan to formulate as precise a plan as possible."
After receiving Vijay's orders, everyone left the room in order to get their job done. Soon, with the regret of the merchants, Vijayanagara was put into the military economy once again. The economy of Vijayanagara, which had been steadily improving with the newly added Sri Lanka, was plunged into an environment of war once again.
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