What if... Dostum actually tried to kill Atta? A '12-Strong' Fan-fiction Story
At the end of the Nicolai Fuglsig movie 12 Strong, the Warlord General Abdul Dostum, ally to the team of 12 sent by the United States to take down Taliban leader Mullah Razzan rides off to an apparent confrontation with his rival, Muhhammad Atta who has also received some assistance from the US. However, while Captain Nelson races after him on horseback, intent on preventing the fight and breakup of the Northern Alliance, it turns out he's not needed at all. Dostum merely shakes Atta's hand and comments to Nelson, "I'll let him have the city today". But what if it wasn't so? What if Dostum produces a gun on the spot and tries to kill his rival, surrounded as they were with Atta's men? How would 12 Strong have ended?
"Has anyone seen Dostum?" Captain Mitch Nelson screamed into his radio, over the immense noise of the medevac chopper lifting up and the sounds of the aftermath of death and destruction all around him.
"Eye in the sky says full retreat over here," a voice called back over the radio. It was "The whole gap is clear. They're bugging out all the way from Mazar."
"Does air visual have eyes on Atta's militia?" he called back.
"Yeah. They're approaching from the East."
Nelson's heart sank. If Atta's militia was already at Mazar-I-Sharif, this could only mean one thing. "Dostum's going for Atta!" He yelled into the radio. "This whole thing falls apart if the Northern Alliance breaks. We have to get to Dostum first! Head to Mazar!" He dropped the radio and beckoned to the four in his own unit. "Let's go!"
They all mounted horses and took off. Nelson didn't wait. He knew what was at stake here. The most important diplomatic job in the free world, as his comrade Hal Spencer had put it. The city Mazar-I-Sharif had been long held by Mullah Razzan, leader of the Taliban forces, and opposed in his country by what the US had termed the Northern Alliance, an uneasy truce struck between General Dostum and Muhammad Atta. To take down Razzan, the US had been forced to partner with Dostum, with the understanding that he would hold the city once it fell. However, the going was slow, and so they decided to send another team to partner with Atta and attack from the other side, meaning that if Dostum could take down Razzan in the Gap, Atta would easily take the city without any losses of his own. And they both knew he would never give it up. Unless he was dead. And if the NOrthern Alliance broke, it would be a whole new war in a country that had already had too much of it. Nelson spurred on his horse and galloped even faster, leaving all the rest behind. He had been raised on a ranch and knew horses well. The rest had only begun learning 20 days ago.
Atta's men were indeed at Mazar. Nelson rode in hard through the held up traffic of vehicles full of people celebrating, looking around for Dostum as he did. He wasn't hard to find, riding up towards what was undoubtedly the centre of the army where a man who could only be Atta stood on the ramps of a pickup turck, surveying his new turf with apparent satisfaction.
"General, wait!" He yelled.
But Dostum did not stop, and Nelson knew that if he rode in any closer, he would be mmediately gunned down by either Atta's or Dostum's men.
"General Atta," Dostum called. Atta turned around leisurely to face his rival, his eyes narrowing. All around them, both their men watched to see what would happen. They would take their cue from their leaders. Behind Nelson, his own men were riding up but he did not turn. His eyes were fixed on the scene in front of him.
Atta did not speak. Dostum rode up even closer. The men guarding Atta clutched their muskets a little tighter.
"I fought for this city, General," Dostum rasped. "I lost men taking the gap. It is mine for holding."
Atta regarded him coldly. "Then hold the gap, General," he replied. "You took it, it iss yours. But Mazar-I-Sharif... Mazar is mine."
"General, you know how this plays out. We have just won a great victory. Don't let us do this now."
But Atta only smiled coldly and turned away, raising his gun and shouting in celebration to his men. All around him, the men replied, their voices loud and reveberating. A few shots were even fired into the sky.
Milo rode up beside Nelson. "Captain, what do we do?" He whispered.
Nelson didn't respond. He had promised to get all his men back home. Promised Jean, promised Fichtner, promised Spencer. Against impossible odds, they had done it, taking Northern Afghanistan back from the Taliban. Now this...
Dostum face contorted in anger. Nelson saw what was going to happen before it did. So did the men watching Dostum closely.
"General!" One called to Atta, whipping his gun up towards Dostum. The effect was instantaneous. All around them, the celebrations ceased and guns were raised, some towards Dostum, some towards Atta, some towards the men themselves. For a moment, no body moved. But Nelson could see it was inevitable. And his first duty was to his men.
"Come on, guys," he whispered. "This isn't our war."
Slowly and as one, they turned their horses about and marched away. Before they went far, the gun battle erupted, but they were already away from the battlefield. All they could do was listen, and mourn the end of a peace that hadn't even begun.
But now, it was time to go home.
12 Strong was directed by Nicolai Fuglsig with Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon, Michael Pena and Navid Negahbah starring. It was based on the book 'Horse Soldiers' by Doug Stanton, which was in turn, based on declasified real life events related to the War in Afghanistan.
The movie recieved a 51% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and 54 out of 100 on Metacritic.