Zeppelin's company arrived at the bridge just in time to see the revolutionary group unloading their explosives and prepping to set them up on the foundations of the structure. The bridge was built over a river and the only way to get to its base was to go over the edge and lower themselves via rope to just above the water. From her position, Zeppelin also spotted that the local Marine patrol that should have been keeping watch over the area was captured and tied up on the side of the bridge. Five guards watched over the group, each one armed with a musket. At least twelve others were scattered around the bridge and the road while another five were prepping ropes for their operation. She made a mental note that the Marine patrol's lives were spared instead of being killed outright. Either the revolutionaries were pacifists or they had some reason for wanting witnesses to be present to see their deeds.

In terms of troop count, the odds were definitely not in their favor. Her small squad was outnumbered almost two to one. Perhaps releasing the captive Marines would help, but pulling off such a rescue in broad daylight without getting caught was a tall order. Your average strategist would have foregone the rescue for later and focused on stopping the bombing. But Zeppelin was not your typical strategist. Her first thought was to come to the rescue of the prisoners and foil the revolutionary plot all at the same time. The risk was high though, but the fact that the Marine patrol was captured and not killed increased the chances of success. She went over the positioning of the enemies again before turning to her boys to discuss the details of their operation.

Zeppelin laid out on the ground two large pieces of paper. One of them was the blueprint for the bridge's construction. Normally this would be kept secure in the government office, but she was certain the revolutionaries somehow got a copy of it. They would have needed it to figure out how to bring the bridge down efficiently. The second was a map of the bridge's vicinity. The bridge was the only major crossing over that river for miles, making it a prime target to disrupt supply routes for Marines and the local government. But that's not what Zeppelin had her eyes on. Less than a mile up the river was a small dam that kept the river's flow in check. There were several of these at fixed intervals around the river so that water supply could be controlled.

"I was keeping this plan in reserve as the conditions to ensure its success were highly situational. I am not sure if we should consider ourselves lucky or unlucky that it is actually going to see some light."

There were nervous smiles all around. She did not need to tell the men for them to realize they were in a tight spot. It was her job to lead them out of it though.

"Based on the amount of explosives they are carrying and the locations they are preparing to plant them in, they are going for the minimal amount required to bring the bridge down. It is a prudent decision resources-wise, but it necessitates them to be a little daring and lower themselves as much as possible to base of the bridge to fit the explosives there."

"I can tell from the looks on your faces that you are expecting us to perform the same dangerous stunt and go down below as well to disable the bombs. Allow me to reassure you now that it will not be necessary."

On the vicinity map, Zeppelin pointed at the dam upriver.

"Three of you will be making their way to the dam to open the floodgates. Our goal will be to use the revolution's plan against them by raising the water levels and disabling the bombs that way. If we're lucky, we might even snag the daredevils with the fast current if they are still down there at the bridge's base."

"Timing is key here. If we open the floodgates too soon, they will figure out our plan and plant the explosives elsewhere. We have to be certain that the bombs have been affixed to the bridge to be swept by the river."

The men nodded. The plan was a bit unorthodox but the actions required to pull it off was within their capability so they had little reason to complain. The problem was how to get the timing right when the dam group would be a good distance away from the others during this operation.

"Let's take a leaf our of their own book and use gunshots as the signal. The moment you hear them, open the floodgates."

"Still someone does need to get down there and get a good look at their operations to get the timing right. I'll take care of that. The signal would be me taking off my hat. Open fire to alert the dam group and then commence the attack as soon as the water comes in. It should cause a decent amount of confusion and give us an opening to liberate our allies. They can then assist in putting down the enemy forces."

According to plan, Zeppelin stepped out on the road alone. She approached the bridge with her hands above her head indicating an intention of surrender and was almost immediately spotted by the revolutionaries who proceeded to surround her.

"Good day to you too. As you can see I'm unarmed. I'd like to negotiate the release of my captured comrades."

One of the revolutionaries ordered two others to quickly check the surrounding forest for other Marines. But Zeppelin already anticipated this and instructed her squad on the positions to take to avoid capture. They were hiding up in the trees. The revolutionaries were not the only ones who knew a thing or two about guerrilla warfare. The scouts sent out returned having found "nothing" to report. Zeppelin was then tied up and led to the other captured Marines.

"Is there a chance I can speak with your commanding officer? It would truly be in your best interest to come to an agreement with us."

As she talked, she kept an eye on the revolutionaries making their way down the bridge via rope, watching as they installed the explosives at the base.

"Empty threat, government dog. My men have checked the surrounding area. Wherever your back-up is hiding, they are a long way from here and will not be able to stop us."

"There's no need for harsh words. I merely wanted to give you a chance to resolve things peacefully. Destroying this bridge would be a blow to the locals to you know?"

The revolutionary lieutenant laughed.

"You seem to be under the false impression that the locals are still on your side Marine. This is a sacrifice they are willing to make. In fact a number of them are assisting us with this operation by keeping watch on the roads."

Her suspicions about the farmer from earlier were confirmed.

"That's quite unfortunate. We were working so hard for them too. I suppose it can't be helped now. Don't say I didn't warn you."

Noticing that the revolutionaries at the bottom of the bridge seemed to be making the final checks to their bomb installation, Zeppelin shook her head to cause her hat to fall off. Operation start.

Suddenly gunshots rang out from the surrounding forest, surprising the revolutionaries who were suddenly on guard, trying to identify where the shots came from. A few seconds later, the unmistakable sound rushing water could be heard down below. The lieutenant's eyes widened with shock.

"Get our men out of there!"

The revolutionaries hanging from the ropes had almost no time to react as the violent currents arrived. They tried to hold on as best as they could to the rope but a couple of them were carried away by the river flow which also ensured the bombs they installed were now underwater, unable to go off. The men on the bridge were in panic and scrambled to try to pull the men up.

Taking advantage of the confusion, Zeppelin signaled the captured Marines that now was the time to act. Zeppelin's squad provided covering fire from the trees, injuring the guards still keeping watch over the prisoners. Seeing the opening, the captured Marines stood up and tackled the distracted revolutionaries, causing a few of them to fall into the river. Zeppelin herself took down the revolutionary closest to her and got a hold of his knife, using it to cut herself free from her bonds.

Having freed themselves and incapacitating a number of revolutionaries, the Marines began targeting the ones on the edge of the bridge trying to pull their comrades up. They were not exactly playing fair doing this but that's just how the world worked. Caught between trying to fight back and saving their teammates, the revolutionaries were unable to put up much of a struggle as the reinvigorated Marine troops took control of the situation and pinned them down.

The lieutenant was in shock at how easily his men were routed. Or rather how the unexpected circumstances caught them off guard so much that they couldn't properly respond. In anger, he cut down and disabled the two Marines closest to him as he made his way towards Zeppelin, whom he deemed was the one responsible for the sudden chaos. He swung his saber and attempted to take her head off but she was ready for him. Displaying great focus even in that precarious moment, her footsteps became light and quick, avoiding every blow by a hair as the revolutionary lost himself in his rage. It did not help him that Zeppelin's men continued to take potshots at the struggling revolutionaries from under the cover of the trees and they now turned their attention to him. He was caught between engaging Zeppelin and avoiding getting shot.

Zeppelin figured it was about time she ended the fight. The lieutenant lunged at her with a thrust which she again managed to dodge. She then grabbed his outstretched arm and, using his own momentum, threw him. His back slammed hard against a nearby tree. He landed badly on his head and was knocked out as a result.

With their commander out of commission, the rest of the revolutionaries were subdued fairly quickly, unable to organize themselves after that surprise attack. The situation was now reversed. Ten revolutionaries were captured and tied up while the rest of their comrades were either swept away or fell into the river below. A few others also managed to flee but Zeppelin felt it was too dangerous to try and recover them given their manpower was stretched a little thin. She settled for what they had. At the very least they captured the commanding officer. The Marine patrol thanked her for her assistance and agreed to accompany them back to base to turn over the prisoners.