Friday, February 1, 2013

Supernova (Part Two)

The scene could have been pulled from any war movie. The road was rubble pocked with odd craters where explosives ripped the asphalt apart from below, fallen trees blazed across the enemy combatants at every turn. Men and women screamed, their thin cries lost against the uneven staccato of heavy gunfire. 

It was easy enough to tell the actual soldiers from the conscripts; the former held tight and barked commands. The latter died much faster as they broke ranks or froze in terror. Nearly half the UAS invaders died in the first ten minutes, but those that were left were the best trained, the most dangerous. It was the remainder that pulled together under incredible danger to rally and take the only shot they had at survival. 

Moving their vehicles out of the maelstrom was out of the question. The explosives expert with Ketill had done her job well, laying out a pattern of destruction to make mobility only possible on foot. The idea was to frighten the UAS soldiers into rabbiting, but the hard core of disciplined warriors had other ideas: they couldn't drive out, but the guns in those vehicles still worked just fine. 

Fortunately for the westerners and the Dragoons, their spotters saw the mounted guns swivel and take aim. It was one of the possibilities and well planned for. There was a small but obvious gap in the line at the southern flank, the only real weakness to be exploited. Radio transmissions were picked up by our people as the big guns converged on that point, and the allied forces scattered as a volley of overwhelming fire let loose on that spot. 

The allied forces called a partial retreat. The Dragoons pulled back into the shattered woods around the weak spot, seeking the cover of the trees. Pressure from the north increased at the same time, pushing the UAS toward the gap. It's fair to say that some of the seasoned veterans on the side of the enemies saw what our people were doing, but didn't have much choice in the matter. 

From all accounts, the UAS fought bravely. It may surprise you to hear me say it, but the truth is not something to shy away from. Though our people and theirs were and are enemies, there is no shame in saying what was clear for anyone to see. Every battle has at least two sides and points of view. That theirs opposed ours doesn't change the fact that in the heat of battle, the remaining soldiers fought on for what they believed. They held dear to life for every moment they could. 

A quarter of those brave soldiers actually made it through the gap. A handful remained to cover their retreat in the vehicles. Again, I'm certain some of them knew it was a setup, but the only other option was to try to fight their way through ranks of soldiers. 

Though there was snow all around, the morning itself was mild. In fact, the previous day was very, very warm. And all the human activity in the area made it worth the while of the local undead to rise from their creches and see what all the warm blooded humans were doing. The narrow strip of dense woods the escaping UAS soldiers ran to--were herded into, to be frank--was the last trap we had waiting for them. Four dozen undead including sixteen New Breed waited there, held in place not by chains or rope but by the deterring smell of ammonia all around them and the fresh corpses of ten deer. 

I wonder if any of those brave soldiers smelled the end coming. That sharp chemical aroma might have triggered something in their heads. Then again, maybe not. No one knows if the UAS has used the same methods we have to control the undead since they came out of their holes. We do know that six or seven of the UAS forces managed to escape that trap. With any luck half of that handful made their way to the nearest UAS outpost a hundred miles distant. I expect they did. Despite their origin, those men and women were survivors in the nest senses of the word. 

We let them go. Oh, yes, there were shooters in the trees and flying companies patrolling all over. The allied forces could have easily killed those last few and left the UAS to wonder what had become of one of their three major assault forces. I could have refrained from writing these posts and maybe stretched this peaceful time out for longer. 

No. We want you to know the truth. Friend and enemy alike. If you are with us, you now understand the lengths we will go to in your defense. The allied forces lost three hundred lives in this battle. Three hundred out of a combined population--Union and western groups--of better than sixty thousand. 

If you are our enemy, then remember this fight. When your surviving soldiers recount the horrors of it to you, understand that this is not the worst we can do; it is the very least. There are reasons several of our allies haven't been talked about lately. A low profile is best when you're on a war footing. Now isn't the time to get into the details, I have next week for that. But we are ready for anything you have to throw at us. We are prepared for war, in materiel and in heart. 

Your move. 

9 comments:

  1. Jesus, what the fuck is wrong with humanity? We have become an endangered species and yet we still wage war. Why? Hasen't there been enough death already? Don't we all still have to worry about the zombies? Do we all really need another cause for death? I just don't get it. The old world is dead and gone, we are all just living off it's corpse. We should all be working together or at the very least be leaving each other alone. This is madness!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I agree it is madness, madness to take from each other what we need to survive. That the UAS is attempting to subjugate those of us who have fought so hard to survive is unacceptable.

    We warned them, told them no, and they still encroached on territory and communities that had refused to join them. They thought there was no one to stop them from swallowing up whole communities at will.

    It would be wonderful if they would leave us alone. They didn't and they are still planning on attacking us again. They believe they can take whatever and whoever they want.

    We will not allow this, we will not say it again. We will fight you with whatever it takes, and you will not see it coming. We are ready, we will not be taken.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Well if we tought we could make it up the Mississippi without getting attacked by the UAS we would set up a trade, but these boats are deep draft compared to the river craft...That and the buggers are still chasing us. If you have trade caravans along the east coast I have a bunch of ammo to trade. If we can navigate around the Florida reefs and shoals...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Of course they're still chasing you, dude. You stole their boats! Doesn't matter if the UAS are overstepping themselves. You still took their property.

    To the blog, I really don't know how to feel about this whole war. The UAS needs to realize that they're trying to bring back a dead way of life and that just doesn't work. I just wish there was another way to do it rather than starting a war. I get the UAS moved first, but they were just bloodlessly expanding territory. I really wish there was a way to meet with the heads of the UAS themselves. Put a human face on the Union and the Western territories and talk them down from their entitlement.

    Wow. The world has ended and apparently I'm still a naive optimist sometimes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Is stealing from thieves stealing?


      If they wanted these boats not to be stolen they should have left guards and well it was a poor oversight on their part and as my old Chief used to say if it ain’t guarded then it’s free. Seriously they are running around stealing territory and people. They forgot that We the People have the right to choose who we want as Leaders, they may have been elected before the Fall but I think that their term has expired a long time ago.

      Also I think that they want the weapons more than the boats. A friend of mine a Jarhead had given me an inventory of the gear we have below and it is quite impressive, while we don’t have any AT-4’s or LAWs we do have a rather large supply of ammo for the three M-2’s and one of the freezers is filled with ammo cans that all say 5.56mm on them and there are several cases of M-16’s. The other boat is reporting that they have 240-Bravos and the 7.62 ammo for them. Jarhead is training some of our people on how to operate them.


      Delete
    2. If you make it up to New Haven, stay there and wait for me and the rest of the Dragoons to make it home. We'll help you train and stuff.

      Delete
    3. They were just bloodlessly expanding territory?

      Anon,
      Tell that to the people that were removed from their homes and taken into servitude. Tell that to the other communities that were being cut off and primed for take overs. Would you think that was okay if it happened to you and your community?

      Yes, it would be nice it talking with the UAS worked. It didn't. How many more have to be taken in slavery and their homes and supplies forfeit before you feel it is not okay? Would it only be okay as long as it wasn't you and yours?

      The UAS is not about a better world, it is about taking over, and taking what they want. We don't need them, and there is nothing at all they have that is worth our freedoms. We refuse we are Union, we are free and plan on staying that way.

      Delete
    4. Oh, believe me, I agree with everything you said. But their takeovers have been bloodless so far. That's not to say I approve or that their takeovers are morally defendable. Just that no one got killed. I know that talking wouldn't have done anything. I just wish it could have. Even in this harsh world sometimes I like to pretend that even enemies like the UAS can see reason. I think it helps me hang on to the person I used to be before all this. But I know that hitting the UAS was necessary.

      Regarding the other comment, though, yes stealing from thieves is still stealing. More easily justified, but still taking something that does not belong to you. That there weren't guards is the same justification a burglar would use to rob my house just because I forgot to lock the door. UAS are punks, no doubt. But who knows, maybe they didn't' actually steal that stuff. Maybe it actually belonged to them. Not defending the UAS, but let's just call things like they are.

      Delete
  5. You know I'm thankful that there are working cell towers on some of oil rigs are working.


    The question was rhetorical, once they opened fire upon me they opened themselves up to the Navy Rules of War. We will take away supplies from the enemy. I was a sailor in my youth and later in life I put on marching boots and joined the Army l.


    Ketill,it's been a while since me and my Jarhead buddy have used belt fed weapons, and while i admit that I keep forgetting palm up on the changing handle we feel that we can burn through a couple hundred rounds of 7.62 ammo the Ma-duce is something I want to hold off shooting mainly because we don't have Tue proper mounts for it...

    ReplyDelete