Tribal Conflict

"Fire!"

Bang... bang... bang...

"Second rank, prepare!"

An hour earlier.

Lake Malawi, Karonga.

The Sixth Squad had engaged in fierce firefights with the locals immediately upon arrival. After parting ways with the Fifth Squad in Mbeya, they had traveled south together.

The "Laita" tribe here was large, numbering in the thousands, and located northwest of Lake Malawi.

The arrival of the Sixth Squad instantly alerted the Laita tribe. As the dominant power in the region, the Laita tribe had been undefeated throughout the Karonga area.

Their leader, Haru, was an ambitious chieftain who had embarked on a campaign to conquer the Karonga region since taking power.

Small tribes of a hundred or so, or even just a dozen people, were no match for the Laita tribe, which boasted hundreds of warriors.

While Haru was basking in his perceived invincibility, the arrival of the Sixth Squad presented him with an opportunity.

A Portuguese expedition team had once visited this area and was annihilated by the Laita tribe. The Portuguese made no move, as explorers were high-risk individuals during that era, and they assumed the explorer had likely wandered into the wilderness or become prey to wild beasts.

Thus, the Laita tribe, having had a "taste" of foreigners, did not take this force of only a few hundred men seriously.

Upon receiving reports from their subordinate tribes, Haru decided to lead the charge himself. All the tribe's warriors were summoned, and after a ritualistic cleansing with holy water by the high priest, the Laita tribal army set out.

They intercepted the Sixth Squad's path along the shores of Lake Malawi, and a standoff ensued. Haru, leading the Laita warriors, observed the strength of the Sixth Squad opposite them.

The Sixth Squad's clothing was made of cotton fabric, a rarity in Karonga's textile industry, worth its weight in gold. Karonga tribes could only acquire a very small amount through trade with tribes in the Zimbabwe region.

Therefore, in Haru's eyes, the Sixth Squad was prey. As for the flintlock rifles the Sixth Squad was equipped with, Haru simply mistook them for a special type of "spear."

Haru had never seen a flintlock rifle. A Portuguese man his tribe had killed previously carried a pistol, but it was unloaded. Haru fiddled with it for a long time but couldn't figure it out, eventually hanging it as a trophy in his "royal palace."

Haru blew his horn, and the Laita tribe charged forward with a roar, "Wah, awoo..." Haru led the charge, brandishing his spear, and attacked the Sixth Squad.

Haru's spear was made from the dagger of that unfortunate Portuguese man, wrapped with rope around a shaft. Haru meticulously sharpened the spearhead daily.

Clutching his "divine weapon," Haru felt confident. The fools opposite them had actually lined up and were holding their "spears" horizontally.

Haru had never seen the "spear" used in such a manner. His own spear was sharp and long. The "fools" opposite had no blade in front of their "spears," and they were short, merely strangely shaped sticks. An inch longer, an inch stronger. Haru intended to teach these savages who didn't even "understand" their weapons a lesson.

The Laita tribe charged like a boar. To the Laita warriors, this was an opportunity to gain some wealth, and they rushed forward, eager for battle honors.

The commander of the Sixth Squad, Yuri, was stunned! He had never encountered such arrogant and overbearing natives before. Who gave them the courage to launch a frontal assault on a modern army with such a small force and such primitive weapons?

If these natives had used the terrain, the forests, and engaged in guerrilla warfare, it would have been troublesome. If they had twice as many men attacking directly like this, Yuri wouldn't have felt any pressure.

Yuri calmly commanded the Sixth Squad to prepare, aiming their rifles at the natives. Although their training time was short, the squad members could still aim their flintlock rifles by instinct. They formed three lines and began a volley fire.

Bang... bang... bang...

Haru was startled by the gunshot, but his past experience made him instinctively charge forward. Courage in battle!

With their leader still charging, the morale of the Laita warriors was boosted. Though they didn't understand the loud noises, they followed their leader Haru forward.

After the first volley, the distance was still considerable, and only a few natives were injured. Commander Yuri remained unperturbed.

"Second rank, prepare! Third rank, prepare! First rank, reload."

"Fire!"

Bang... bang... bang...

As smoke rose from the muzzles, the native warriors at the forefront this time fell to the ground, one after another. Haru was also hit, his arm wounded.

But Haru was truly a brute; even wounded, he didn't lose his composure. At this point, the morale of the troops was already wavering. Haru put on a calm expression and said, "Warriors of the tribe, do not panic! The enemy is not far now. If we just run a little faster, their weapons will be useless!"

At this moment, Haru realized the enemy's weapons were for ranged attacks. But he couldn't hesitate now. As long as they could close the distance with the enemy, there was still a chance; otherwise, it would be a complete rout.

The Laita tribe lived up to its reputation as the overlord of the Karonga region, not giving up easily even when facing the enemy's terrifying weapons.

Yuri remained unfazed, watching the native tribal soldiers speed up. He ordered, "Third rank, fire!"

Bang... bang... bang...

This time the results were better, with over twenty natives falling to the ground. But Haru, again by sheer luck, narrowly escaped death. However, his soldiers were now thoroughly panicked.

After three volleys, nearly fifty men were incapacitated, and some began to flee.

But Yuri gave them no chance: "First rank, fire!"

"Second rank, prepare! Others, fix bayonets!"

Two consecutive rounds of attack resulted in another forty casualties for the natives. For the Laita tribe, with only a few hundred warriors, their only option now was to flee.

Before they had even touched the enemy, they had lost nearly a sixth of their force. While they could still theoretically fight, seeing their comrades fall one by one put immense pressure on them. Haru could no longer hold them back; their morale collapsed, and the entire force descended into chaos as they searched for a way to retreat.

"Pursue!" Yuri drew his saber, raised it, and led the charge.

The tide of battle had turned. The Laita tribe, having lost all organization, was now being chased and slaughtered by the soldiers of the Sixth Squad. The Chinese soldiers, having tasted blood, were in a frenzy.

Dusk fell, and the battle was over. Yuri began directing the cleanup of the battlefield. The Laita tribe suffered over three hundred casualties and sixty-two captured, including the wounded chieftain Haru. The Sixth Squad, during the battle, had only two men wounded in combat, and one twisted his ankle during the pursuit.

Without a doubt, this was a great victory, and the first recorded victory for the newly formed Chinese troops in the East African colony.

Regarding the disposition of the Laita tribe, the Sixth Squad took no further action but chose to disperse them. The leaderless Laita tribe fled in the direction of Zimbabwe.

Due to the battle, the Sixth Squad had not had time to set up camp, so they simply occupied the Laita tribe's villages.

The houses in these villages were mostly one-person high structures made of mud plastered onto woven vines. Only Haru, as the chieftain, had a slightly larger hut. The squad members had to make do for the night.