We rolled out of Mus with less of a security problem and food eating problem, for them, than when we arrived. There is little good that soldiers can do but we can, occasionally, reduce the bad.
So much for the Turks having "control" of the whole road. Also so much for the road being open. It was just as choked as the little ass ones we'd crossed. Just a bit wider which was nice.
We still lost two Abrams and a carrier trying to get to Ankara. And the HERCULES of course, but that wasn't really anyone's fault but the Nepos.
I forgave them two days later.
We were just out of Erzincan near the town of Goyne. This, by the way, was, like, the headwaters of the Euphrates. There had been a route up that but it looked worse. Probably was.
Anyway, lots of little valleys and pretty major rivers. All frozen solid. Ish. The road we were on had good bridges, thank God. Turned out the Turkish military had a big mountain-training base not too far away, pre-Plague.
And apparently a depot or something in the area. Because as we came up to the pass, lo and behold it was defended.
Our first inkling of this was the Scouts yelling like hell and backing up. And then, over the yells, we heard the echo of a big gun firing.
Up in the pass were a couple of tanks. Dug in. Getting up to it was a long damned switchback. They had it covered.
We tried Javelins. They couldn't get a lock. The tanks were in revetments looking down at us. The Javs needed more of a view.
The Abrams guys looked at the situation and shook their heads. They'd go. But they figured they were going to get whacked and whacked hard. Most of the way to where they could get a good firing position they'd be driving with their flank to the enemy. And if those were Turkish tanks, which was the only thing that made sense, they were Leopards. And Leopards are just about as good as Abrams. (Just about. Not as good. I don't care what the Krauts say.)
Get some infantry up on the pass? Brother, those mountains were steep! And high. It would take a couple of days. And my guys weren't trained mountain troops they were . . .
Wait.
It took me, seriously, about ten minutes to slap my forehead. Sometimes, most of the times, a solution that easy comes to me fast. Then other times I'm pretty damned dense.
"Samad!"
Assault the pass? Tanks? Possible infantry? Carry Javelins up there where eagles dare? Of course, Sahib. I will arrange.
Ever seen a goat trail? I mean one in a mountain?
They're switchbacks, too. And about two inches wide. Back and forth, back and forth, occasionally punctuated by spots that the goats jump lightly from the path to a small rock and then on to the path again. There being no other way to make their way across a sheer cliff.
Ever seen guys trot up a goat path. For hours? Carrying, like, more than their body weight of gear? I mean, the Nepos were carrying not only personal weapons but Javelins, which are heavy motherfuckers, and medium machine guns and ammo and even some light mortars. It was a motherfucker of a load.
I began to understand Sherpas. Even the Kurds, who looked a bit pissed at first to be left out, were getting impressed quick. They were "mountain" fighters, they thought. The Nepos were still referring to these as "hills."
There was an area to the north that it looked like the guys up on the pass couldn't observe. Goat path up to the ridge. Ridge up to the cliff overlooking the path. Presumably Javelin into the pass. Trot, trot, trot . . . Who is that I hear trotting on my ridge?
Wait, hope they're not Turkish military. That would be embarassing.
I called ahead.
No, they are not ours.
I thought you said this road was a) clear. Which it is not. And b) under control. Which it is not.
I thought you were going up the Adana road. Why are you in Erzincan province? We haven't even tried to get control in that area. All the roads are blocked by the snows!
Mus looked closer and I thought you said the Van road was open and . . .
Fuck me.
We're going to be a while.
Did I fuck up? I don't know. I do know that there wasn't Kurd control over to Adana and from what I gleaned later the "control" of the Adana road was spotty. But . . .
And I swear he'd said the Van road. I didn't keep a copy of the conversation, though, so it's his word against mine.
Clearing the pass.
We parleyed while the Nepos climbed.
The Avesi Alliance now owned this patch of ground. You will pay a toll of all your vehicles, those are nice tanks by the way, and equipment. We'll let you leave with a couple of trucks and fuel and enough food to get you back to those heathen Kurds. Oh, you have some heathen Kurds with you? Well, take them back where they came from. These are our lands!
I appreciate your sentiment. However, my orders are to proceed through this region on the way to complete a mission of some importance. Move or I'll move you.
How?
I have great and wonderful powers you cannot begin to understand. And if worse comes to worse I can get airstrikes. Move.
Fuck off and die.
Okay, Burger King, you can have it your way.
The Avesi are not really the most violent people in the world. Most encyclopedias talk primarily about their contribution to Turkish music. (By the way, that sort of makes them violent in my opinion. I'm not a fan of Turkish music.) They're a branch of Shia that are related to Sufiism and . . .
Ah, Christ. Go look it up.
"After Action Analysis" indicated that a former infantry captain (hey, look at me!) took the name as a way to build local support. He'd established a little feudalism in Sivas province. I don't think he was actually doing bad things, unlike some of the bandits and others we cleared out. At the time I didn't really care. And the Turks did reestablish order in the region after we passed through. Having someone clear out all your troublemakers makes that easy. When we got done the Van Road was pacified with a capital P.
The Nepos got up on the ridge about nightfall. They made it to a good firing point around 2100. Yes, they had night vision gear.
I called up the local commander.
Yo, dude. You've got two Leopard tanks and three trucks up there.
Wait, how did you know about the trucks?
I have mysteeerious powers. Look, surrender, now, and I'll leave you the use of your legs.
Hah, hah, you are very funny . . .
Then one of the trucks blew the fuck up.
What have you done?
Blew up one of your trucks. Don't try to move the rest of the shit. Just lay down your guns and surrender. I have wondrous and mysterious powers. Don't make me kill you all.
So they pointed the tank guns to the rear and we drove up and accepted their surrender.
We left some Kurds to guard them and the pass while we sorted things out. They promised not to kill and eat anyone. We picked up the Nepos down the road so they never knew what my "mysterious powers" were. (Javelins. Low signature.) It was less of a walk for the Nepos. But that's where Samad slipped on his way down, something of the ultimate insult to a Nepo along the lines of drowning in his fucking bathtub to a SEAL, and turned into a human snowball. Very scary at the time, very funny in retrospect. Made for great cinema.