Syria, a land in the Middle east still rich with Oil, and life was now in the wake of destruction lead by the Grand Army of the Empire.

It had been a week since the Georgian and Turkish Army was defeated at Schelizk, but the idea was to group together, with the English, and fight the Grand Army as one. This plan was surely damaged, but not broken....the plan was still in set, but now they would retreat and delay the enemy until they reached their final point where they could only hope to hold, Frame and his men......Cairo.

Cairo was their only hope in holding back the Grand Army, if Cairo wouldn't stop them.....then by god help them all.

Though now, Nathan wished he would catch a break from the constant, Attack's made by the Grand Army. They were relentless in their pursuit in getting to Spain by land, by god the Disease and Sickness in their Rank's didn't even stop them.

Yet, Nathan did notice something. They said Frame was a careful and strategic Commander when it came to his Campaign's and Battle's, but the latest Battle's were sloppy, and some were will done in a fashion he would have used, by many were sloppy and poor other than anything else.

It was almost as if though, Frame wasn't leading these battle's at some point's, but the one's that were carefully thought out he knew were lead by him. Yet, Nathan and his Army never had to chance to fight the Grand Army, just small pocket's that managed to keep them back again, and again while the main force destroyed their Allie's and kept moving.

Though when he heard the sound's of Artillery barrage's hitting near the town he and his men were resting at, he slowly arose from his bed and grabbed his equipment, only to hear the sound's of Battle outside.

"General, It's!" Nathan sighed as he heard Jonas burst through the door of the house he was in, dust, and such covered his uniform in many places.

"I know, Jonas it's them again..." Nathan sighed heavily again, but when he put on his hat, he noticed the loud boom and crashing of the wall's collapsing.....his building had been hit.

"Better get back out there Jonas, I'll be there soon." The Commander nodded his head and quickly left, he wanted to leave that building after what happened to it a second ago.

What a horrible week or so this was becoming now, was the only thought going through Nathan's mind as he walked out of the Building, getting ready for today's battle.

****

"To the Front!!" The last word's of the English Captain, rung throughout the Camp as his life and word's were ended short by the Artillery round that finished him.

"Get that Battery up here now!!!" Jonas screamed out to several men, but it didn't take long for them to rush forward with an Artillery Battery ready to go.

"Fire!!" The Artillery Commander's screamed over the sound's of Explosion's and gun fire, the English weren't prepared for today's surprise attack, but they all knew and were thankful this wasn't the Grand Army in whole, only the little lickspitters who they sent out to delay them.

"I want the twenty fifth Company ready to go in two minutes!" Jonas screamed out above the Artillery firing, yet he didn't have to wait long as the men of the Company ran out of the Building's and from fighting to form a line, but two more joined them forming line's behind them.

"Jonas, our current situation?" Nathan asked calmly as he looked around at the battle before him, many of their men were scrambling to get to fighting.....most were still getting dressed as they rushed out to join their fellow's.

"Currently we are still at three hundred thousand men, but the enemy attacking us range's from fifty thousand to sixty, though a considerable amount it is not the main force." Nathan nodded at the result, so this was the same force again that was hounding them for day's now. He sighed in frustration at the thought, the only reason being he was to group up with their Allie's and fight the Grand Army together, but every chance they got....Frame was one step ahead of them.

Ibrahim was meant to group up with them after his loss and escape at Schelizk, but he never got the chance....The Grand Army was hounding them and their Allie's on the way to Egypt.

Thing's were going to hell quick, but by god, Nathan was considering on marching to the coast and going home, yet there was nothing he could do but wait and watch to see what happens.

"Tell the Left Batteries to fire on their flank, and then when their weak enough focus on the Center." Jonas nodded to Nathan's order's as he ran off to give them, but as he did the order for the Division's to move forward, was given.

Nathan watched as every single man in the three Company's moved forward, but as they were spotted the men were clearly being targeted now.

"By God if they make it through this, i'll be damned." Nathan silently spoke to himself as he watched the men march forward, to Victory, or to their doom.

******

"Here They Come!!" A Lone Soldier yelled out as the Artillery continued to rain hell upon the English, but when Brandon noticed the English Division's approaching he had to do something.

"Form up at the Fence's!!" Brandon shouted out as hundred's of men had followed his order's lining up one by one at the Fence's before the hill they stood at.

The First line would be firing, the second would fire after them, and third line would do the same as the other two, the English called this "Fire in Rank's" a efficient way for all the men to fire. Along with them were a few Tank's, and Machine Gun's.

"When the enemy show themselve's do not hesitate to fire, Men!" Several Captain's shouted the same thing over and over to the men at the fence's and the Stone Wall's around them, but now they were just waiting for the English soldier's to show up.

All they could hear was their own Artillery and the English Artillery firing at one another, along with the sound's of music coming closer and closer to them....fear didn't strike their heart's, not one bit.

Though after a minute or so they laid their Eye's on the English Soldier's approaching them, three division's....quite a few just for the first wave they supposed.

"Ready!!" One of the Commander's screamed in the confusion, but it didn't take long for the men to ready themselve's.

"Aim!!" He screamed again and this time very fiercely as the Many Soldier's in the first line, Aimed their Weapon's, but the Tank's and Machine Gun's were ready to go as well.

"Fire!!" As soon as the order was given the sound's of Automatic's and Laser Musket's firing could be heard, along with the Tank's and the Machine Gun's.

As soon as the men had fired, the next two line's fired after them, along with the Machine Gun's and Tank's. Though for what seemed like a few minute's the English Soldier's had enough and ran for their lives', they hadn't even made it near them to begin with.

Yet almost instantly the men at the Fence's started screaming and cheering in joy, most had their hat's off as they watched many of their Enemies' retreat, the enemy they all knew had stalled them to allow Nathan's army to retreat again.

"I Hope, Frame has it better than us..." Brandon sighed heavily as he wiped the dust and sweat off his face, once again Nathan had slipped away from them, Where was Malcom when he needed him, where were the troop's he needed when he wanted them? This was a hell of a mess from the beginning, first The Skirmish attack's, then the word's spreading of one of the Marshall's betraying them, and finally one of the worst thought's he could think of....Frame's Condition.

At First he thought when they had passed into the Turkish Territory he was just stressed and tired a lot, but that wasn't the case when during one battle he almost completely puked himself to death as he collapsed before his friend, lucky that only he was there to see it.

The Sickness, that was the only explanation....the Disease and Sickness had been following their Army for over two week's now, and it was slowly killing them, but the fact that, Frame had the sickness the one that was slowly killing their men over time....that was worrying at best.

If Anyone found out he had this, it would not only mean a decrease in Morale, but maybe the whole Army completely, they needed him, but for several night's since that day he never went to sleep, at night's he'd stay up vomiting and paranoia was getting the better of him a lot.

It was the one reason he was out of these battle's a lot, he would retreat to the forward base saying he that he would be going over the Battle plan's and updating them, but Brandon knew what was really happening, he would try to go to sleep, or try to rest....with no success.

Cairo.....By god they hoped they could get their quickly enough, this Campaign was devastating at best, but they refused to lose....if it ever came to that anyway.

*****

"How, Long until the fifth division return's?" Frame asked as he flipped a coin around on the table propped for him. The Grand Army had pushed deeper into Syria, along with the line of dealing with the English's Allies along the way, but the constant Skirmish attack's and Sickness throughout the Army was killing them slowly, along with this small Battle's.

"Only a few minute's, but the enemy are pushing soldier's along the road here, and will soon be upon our Soldier's at the middle." The Commander who had been staying with Frame at his command tent, had used a small rod and pushed the small figurines on the map.

"Small amount's, just tell our men to hold their position, and tell Marshall Magruder to attack them from behind." Frame held a hand up to his forehead as he sighed heavily, he was thinking like himself, and he wasn't doing the best either.

"Of Course, Sir." The Commander Saluted, before he walked off having to push his way past the set of Guard's that lined themselve's around the Tent.

Frame raised a shaken hand to his face as he slumped back into the chair, his breathing was slow and hitching at best. He knew he had it, he just didn't know how long he could go on with it was the problem, was he dying? They couldn't tell, was he sick? Most definitely, but this was worse than being Sick, he and Brandon had realized.

These Day's was a living hell, lately. At This point he just wanted to let go and die, this Sickness was killing him in more way's than he could imagine, but there was the one thing that was bothering him....Betrayal.

By now the entire Army was being aware of what was going on, but they didn't know who it was....all they knew was that it was a person called 'The Vile Marshal.' And then there was the Skirmish Attack's, by god, if he could get one damn day without having to deal with the excuse's and constant attempt's in trying to stop he and his Army.....it was Pathetic.

Though here he was sitting in a chair while a battle was being fought and lead not by he, but by Malcom....mostly. His Army of Experienced, Well Trained men were dying from Bullshit reason's, but he couldn't blame the sickness and disease that plagued them. What choice did he have, go back and face judgement to Steven, who would probably kill them all before he hesitated?, no he wouldn't.

They were truly alone in this fight....no Reinforcement's, no Help, no Nothing, and here they sat fighting battle over battle, Day by Day, Night by Night, and their Army was dying of Mistrust, and Sickness, the Battle's hadn't even killed as many men as the other two did.

Once they cleared Cairo....he would see that the Marshal he and everyone else knew would be tossed out into the nearby gutter for bringing this dispute into their Army....he'd rather have this person hang then get thrown out, but by bitter judgment from Brandon and Malcom he stayed his hand.

They once thought they were fighting to liberate the world, but now they didn't know what to think. Friend's turning against each other for personal gain, other's because they were blinded corrupted....by god was that what happened to them? He Surley hoped not.

Yet what could he think of at this point....nothing he knew. All he could do now is hope they could get to Cairo in time, if they could anyway.

"Frame...." He heard the whisper and nearly didn't want to uncover his face, but he did to see Malcom standing there his hat in his hand's as he tilted his head down slowly.

"What.....is it?" Frame asked clearly tired as he watched the man sit down infront of him, weariness in his eye's as he did.

"Presley....had to retreat again, he engaged Ibrahim and his force's at North Road's, but he once again slipped past us, with more than a large portion of his Army....i am happy to report that over sixteen thousand Turkish Soldier's have been killed in this battle, and only seven thousand of our's dead." Malcom said quietly, almost as if though it was like it was a whisper..

"Yes.....that is good, but i fear Ibrahim will continue to rally his troop's and will continue to meet with Nathan." Frame stated as he raised his free hand to his lip's as he sighed and breathed into it.

"Have the men treated again, but i want the entire Army ready to move again, we are close to Sinai and i wish to make encampment there....and we shall rest there for a bit." Malcom nodded slowly, but silently to Frame's statment, yet his only response after was him slowly rising from his chair, giving a pat on the other man's shoulder, and then he walked out.

"Yes....Sinai.....Perfect..."