A Twofold Tale

Before breakfast, Asra and Aziz are playing a round of chess on the bed. They’re almost finished when Fatima Zahra comes out of the bathroom in her birthday suit, combing her long black hair. She glances at the board and smiles. “Whose turn?”

“Mine.” Asra winks at Fatima Zahra.

“Then just one more move and it’s checkmate for Aziz.” She winks back.

“What?” Aziz doesn’t see it.

“That’s right.” Asra moves her knight to f7, “Checkmate. You have to admit that we’re both better at strategy than you are! My turn in the shower.”

Fatima Zahra sits on the bed and leans over to kiss Aziz. “That’s OK. We’ve all got our strengths. You know, most people think that chess is about attack versus defense.”

“It’s not?”

“That’s just a small part of it. It’s also about strategy, tactics, opening moves, middlegames, endgames, the king’s safety, pawn structure, psychology, intuition, and above all calculations each time a move is made. For example; there are 169 octillion, 518 septillion, 829 sextillion, 100 quintillion, and 544 quadrillion ways to play the first 10 moves. Finally, the number of moves possible in any given chess game is larger than the number of electrons in the known universe.”

“Wow. Mind blowing. Speaking of strategy, do you have any ideas on how to get Asra and me out of town? Our mugshots are everywhere, and we have to get to Ait-Ben-Haddid by tomorrow.”

“Yes dear, I’ve already thought about that. Shams Aitouli is coming to transform both of you, she’s a costume maker and make-up artist who works in cinema. No one will recognize either of you when she’s finished. First, I thought that it’d be better to travel by night, but actually it’ll be better to make the trip in broad daylight because they’ll be expecting you to move around at night. We’ll have your ID cards tonight, Insha Allah. That’s strategy. Shams will be here early tomorrow morning, and you’ll have all day to drive down. Abdel Lemziri will go with you, so he can start setting up the electromagnetic emitters in the mountain camp. He doesn’t need to be disguised. He’ll come and pick you two up in his car.”

“Looks like you’ve taken over as the leader of the movement in Ali’s absence, and you’re doing a great job! No one even realizes that he’s gone. I don’t know how you get so much done.”

“I was busy working while you were busy playing the lute for Asra yesterday! I’ll make breakfast.”

The next day, they set out for the fortress. Aziz has aged some 30 years, with a long pepper and salt beard and greying hair, and he’s playing the part of a typical stereotyped religious Muslim with a djellaba, skull cap, and pointed babouche slippers. Asra is in a black burqa and as a precaution, just in case the police want to check behind the veil, her face has been made up to appear 30 years older too. Abdel is playing the part of their son.

They leave the city by the highway at 9am, and there’s a traffic jam because of a police checkpoint. It’s the same in every direction; no matter what route they would have taken they would have had to pass through a roadblock, but they’re not stopped and don’t even have to use their fake ID cards.

Just as they are pulling off of the main road onto the small road which leads to the fortress, they run into another roadblock, but it’s their own rebel forces that have installed it to prevent tourists from coming to the site. They’re told that all of the tourists who were at the citadel were driven away for their protection.

Arriving at the caravansary of the Ait-Ben-Haddid fortress in the afternoon, they get rid of their make-up and disguises and pitch their tents along with hundreds of others. Asra and Aziz share a tent. There are more of the indigenous nomads than before, and all of the escaped prisoners. Mass Anazar Ait Tamdoult’s tent is easy to find. It’s a prodigious round one, right in the middle of the enormous courtyard. He welcomes them with the customary serving of atay, they give him an update, and introduce Abdel. Abdel takes out his PC and a portable emitter and proceeds to show all of them how the electromagnetic waves can be used to locate the army troops and to disable drones. He’s showing them a solar energy plant on his screen at about 15 miles distance to the East when they all get a surprise, there is what appears to be a troop of soldiers camping at an equal distance to the Southwest near a barrage. There are helicopters, trucks, artillery, and drones. This has to be more than a simple coincidence.

“Ali,” Asra questions “At the meeting the other night, when you mentioned Homeboy, Nadim Nurani, you didn’t let on that he was perhaps an informer, did you?”

“You’re right, I didn’t want to give out that information.”

“I believe someone must have spoken to him. How else could the army have known we would be here?”

“I think you’re right Asra. Thank God I didn’t mention where we would be moving to from here. What are we going to do about it now?”

Abdel speaks up, “I can disable the drones and disrupt their communications with our material, but I can’t do anything against the soldiers, the artillery, and the helicopters.”

“When you disrupt their communications, will it also disrupt ours? I mean, can we still use our phones?”

“Yes, and we can also use short wave radio link, walkie-talkies that is. The interference will be on their drones. They won’t be able to communicate with them.’

“Great, I’ll call an emergency meeting now.” Mass Anazar assumes his natural role as the leader. He’s responsible for the lives of his tribe members and all the others there. He sends a message to all the appointed squad commanders to come immediately to his tent.

“Do you really think that they’d attack the citadel? It’s a protected site because of its cultural and historic significance.” Asra is astonished.

“Yes, I’m sure that they wouldn’t hesitate. “Mass Anazar responds grimly. “To be able to say that they squashed a rebellion before it started, what are a few old stones? Be prepared to be called terrorists, because that’s what they’ll label us as soon as anything is in the news.”

When all the commanders are present, he speaks, “God has granted us an unforeseen advantage over our enemies. Somehow our position here was leaked to the national security, we do not know how, but it’s certain. We now have technology that has shown us a troop with artillery only a few miles away. When we attacked the prison, we had the night and surprise as our allies. They think that the same are their allies now, but they’re mistaken. They will certainly attack tonight when they believe we’re all sleeping here in the caravansary. Our tents will be here, but most of us will be gone. Spread the word; pack up everything now but leave your tents pitched and campfires burning so it appears that we’re still here. Leave as quickly as possible and disperse. We’ll all meet again at Tizi-n’Talout. Asra, take charge of your squad now, lead them to the mountains and start training them. The men who’ve been handling our arms will move them, except for a few. I need 4 squads to stay here at the fortress and return fire when they attack. We’ll leave 40 of our best men with assault rifles, grenades, and hand-held ground missiles.” He signals out 4 commanders. “Go now, eat a good meal, then report to me here in an hour with your men.” Then he turns to Abdel, “We’ll need to set up your equipment on a site away from here where it can’t be destroyed. How far is it effective?”

“It has a radius of about 50 miles.”

“Can the security forces tell where the waves are coming from?”

“Not without special equipment. They couldn’t know that we have this emitter, it’s very recent technology.”

“Good. Go with my friend Yadras” He motions at the young man to come and puts his hand on Yadras’s shoulder, “Yadras, take Abdel to the Mosque at Afilat, you know it, right? It’s about 15 miles to the west, you have to go south to the main road first. Ask for the Imam Youssef Ben Ali and mention that I sent you, he’s a friend. Tell him that Abdel has to take refuge in the mosque. Abdel, you set up the equipment there and call me when everything’s operational. Here’s my number.”

Everyone leaves to carry out Mass Anazar’s orders. Back at their tent, Aziz looks longingly at Asra. “We just pitched camp and we have to leave it already; I guess a change is as good as a rest! You’ve got your work cut out for you, but I don’t know what to do. I’m lost in all this. I’m not a combatant, I’m not even particularly strong. All I know is how to make music. What can I do? Where can I fit in?”

“You were strong enough to hold out in prison for a month. Everyone thinks you’re Ali. Ali is a leader, and you must play the part for the sake of the movement. Each piece on the chessboard is necessary for the game, so let’s reflect on how you can use your skills. Fatima Zahra told me that when you gave a mini concert the night before we got snatched, the night after you switched places with Ali, it was a real boost for the group. She said it was just what was needed to give a lift to their spirits. Our situation is so hard, singing helps to keep us motivated. Here’s what I propose: First, while everyone is preparing to leave or to do combat, Go up on the parapet above the caravansary, now, and use your lungs. Your voice will carry well as there’s no wind and it’s hot. Call out for everyone to sing with you and sing ‘You gotta move’. I’ll be here below in the courtyard, and I’ll start singing with you. We’ll get everyone singing. Believe me, it’ll be a great help for motivating the troops.”

“Thanks Asra, I needed that. And after that, any ideas where I can fit in?”

“You can join my squad and I’ll teach you basic combat skills, if you don’t mind joining a group of ladies that is.” She smiles and winks.

“That’s better than anything I could have imagined. I wasn’t happy at the thought of not seeing you for God knows how long. I’ll inform Mass Anazar that I’m joining you.”

“Great! We’ll eat dinner and leave as soon as you come back down from the rampart wall. I will have gathered my squad together by then.”

Aziz climbs up to the top of the parapet wall overlooking the courtyard where all of the combatants are preparing either to fight or disperse. Asra is moving around below, pointing him out to people so they notice. He shouts out at the top of his lungs “I want every voice to be heard! Come on and sing with me!” More than a hundred voices join to sing their revolutionary hymn, and the effect is like magic. Before singing, the troops, mostly men, had been moving around silently, speaking in hushed tones, and brooding about the coming attack of the armed security forces. They weren’t at all confident before, and now they are reassured and unfaltering. The spirit of the revolution is back in their hearts.

While Asra and her squad, accompanied by Aziz, are making their way on horseback towards Tiza, a site some 25 miles North in the mountains, Abdel has set up his emitter and calls Mass Anazar to tell him that the drones have been disabled. The supreme chief tells him to alert them as soon as there is any movement of the armed forces.

After nightfall, at around 10 pm, Captain Hassan Fassi, the Command Post Officer of the national security force company stationed at the Tiuwayna Barrage, orders for the drones to be launched and directed over the Ait-Ben-Haddid fortress. His mission is clear. The drones are equipped with infrared cameras, and stunners are to be fired first. If necessary, more aggressive means are to be used. The rebels must all be either taken prisoner or killed. None are to escape. The security of the prison near the Barakat Shajarat Alzaytun oasis has been reinforced, and escape is almost impossible now.

Not ten minutes later, the lieutenant in charge of the drones calls the captain with his radio link. There’s a problem. The drones aren’t responding to the commands. Enraged, he shouts at no one in particular, “These bastards are more prepared than we thought! I don’t know how they managed this, but things will only be worse for them now!” He gives the order to advance with the whole company under his command, about 150 soldiers, and to take the fortress by force. Going straight across the terrain, they’re at the target in less than half an hour. Abdel has already informed Mass Anazar as soon as the armed forces started to move. Missiles are fired at the fortress, and the 40 rebels who stayed return the fire with hand-held ground missiles. The battle is on. The supreme chief himself has stayed at the fortress to set an example of courage to his men. The battle is over quickly, as the rebels are well protected, and the soldiers are easy targets. Captain Fassi is forced to call a retreat and abandon the mission, having lost over half of his troops. Only after the soldiers have retreated do the rebels leave the citadel, which has suffered some damage. Only 4 rebels have lost their lives and another 12 are wounded. At Anazar’s orders, they disband and spread in different directions.

Mass Anazar calls his squad leaders to inform them of the battle’s outcome, then heads out to the mosque at Afilat to join Yadras and Abdel, taking the dead and wounded with him. Nearing the village, they fall into the hands of the army troops and are captured.

In the news the next day the headlines read “Terrorist Cell Eliminated in Ait-Ben-Haddid”. The article mentions that the head of the group, Mass Anazar Ait Tamdoult, has been captured. It also says that no tourists or locals were killed or injured and that the 400-year-old historical site suffered some collateral damage. No mention is made of the defeat or the losses incurred by the army.