India, March 13, 1990 — PMO, New Delhi
Aryan stared at the large digital map on the wall, the screen dotted with red markers in the northeast.
ULFA. NSCN. Years of insurgency. Generations lost to hidden wars.
Defense Minister Col. Prithvi Rao walked in briskly, holding a classified DRDO file.
"Sir, DRDO just finished the prototype. It's ready."
Aryan looked up. His tone sharpened.
"Sahastra-Net?"
Col. Rao nodded.
"All eight units, field-ready. Mounted on jeeps and drones. We can triangulate encrypted radio signals to pinpoint command centers and movement patterns."
"Shall I issue orders?"
Aryan stood silent for a moment.
"First: civilian zones must remain untouched. Second: any operative caught harming noncombatants is to be court-martialed. Understood?"
"Understood."
March 15, 1990 — Assam/Nagaland Borderlands
In the deep forests of Tinsukia and Mon, camouflaged forces waited like a still breath:
1,500 soldiers
100 Assam Rifles
80 Ghatak commandos
50 Para SF operatives
20 RAW agents
300 trained Naga defectors
Operation codename: Trinetra — The Third Eye of India.
March 16, 1990 — 7:53 PM
The signal flared green.
Eight Sahastra-Net units activated across the zone, silently decoding hostile frequencies.
Within minutes:
5 ULFA hideouts located
3 NSCN bases triangulated
2 weapons convoys intercepted mid-jungle
March 17, 1990 — 2:12 AM
Gunfire. Surgical strikes. No sirens. No media leaks.
By sunrise:
108 insurgents neutralized
5 ULFA commanders KIA
3 top NSCN leaders down
No civilian casualties
9 soldiers injured, none dead
Arms cache worth ₹400 crores recovered
March 17, 1990 — PMO, 7:00 AM
Aryan read the top-secret report with trembling hands.
He didn't blink.
"This war... we finished it without a war."
A soft ding.
[Ding! Task Complete. Reward: Indigenous UVA (Unmanned Vehicle Aircraft) Technology Blueprint.]
He barely noticed.
Col. Rao arrived with a grin.
"Sir. The mission—complete success."
Aryan breathed out and nodded slowly.
"Don't tell the public. Not yet. Secure the borders, deploy relief workers to the villages, and explain to them that the nightmare is over."
"They must see soldiers giving medicine, not guns."
Col. Rao hesitated.
"Should we brief the opposition?"
Aryan looked straight at him.
"Not yet. Panic is still stronger than truth in this country."
March 18, 1990 — Rashtrapati Bhavan
President Dr. Sivaprakashan Veeramani placed his signature on the Industrial Licensing Amendment Bill, smiling as he spoke into the phone.
"Aryan, it's done. Congratulations on your first legislative strike."
Aryan hesitated for a beat.
"Thank you, sir. But there's more... Last night, we ended the ULFA and NSCN insurgencies. Operation Trinetra — a 100% success."
The President paused.
"You ended 20 years of unrest... in one night?"
"No, sir. Science did. Radio triangulation. Drones. Ground intel. It wasn't me—it was reason."
The President chuckled.
"Perhaps that's why America and the USSR became what they are. They chose science over suspicion."
March 19, 1990 — Army Headquarters, Assam
All troops were ordered to provide:
Free food rations for one week
Mobile clinics
Psychologists and school counselors
Civic explanation leaflets in 9 regional languages
The war was not just over — the healing had begun.