Gentle

The motto of my mother's family in the latin is Felis Demulcta Mitis. In English it means 'gentle in peace, fearless in war.'

It's hard to sum it up any better than that. Estimates put the incursion of UAS forces onto Union soil somewhere tonight if they keep moving. It will take them a while to reach any of our communities, but they don't have to even do that much to be a threat. I could go over the particulars over and over, why their presence is a problem even if they aren't hitting our towns, but I don't have the energy.

I'm all for a peaceful solution if it's possible. We're at a point right now that requires a change in gears. This isn't a hypothetical nor is it a situation with many variables. The fighting is going to start soon.

So I'm just going to ask one more time for the UAS to withdraw. Do not come across the border, don't threaten our people. We don't want to kill your soldiers and you don't want them to die. The lives of thousands of people are worth more than a pissing match because of your wounded pride.

There, I said it. Moving on...

Patrick is going south for sure, now. He'll be taking the chopper as well as helping coordinate some of our ground teams. The fact that a huge contingent of soldiers is on their way helped spur the decision to go. Haven can spare people for a joint effort to fight the UAS, and Will has been working with the leadership from the other communities to put together a coalition defense force. Pat will be part of it, and his experience and intelligence will serve our...military? very well.

Steve will still be coming home. He has been away for so long, and Courtney just got back last night from her extended trip. The two of them will remain here for the near future. I'll worry about Patrick but it will be a relief to know that the majority of my friends will be home where it's relatively safe. We're far enough inside the border that we'll know long before the UAS comes anywhere close.

I know the properly dramatic thing would be to tell you about the frog in my throat and the cold ball in the pit of my stomach. I wish I could appease you, but we've been living with this for so long that it's actually a serious relief to know it's happening. Now we can get on with the business of it. The only major variable in our lives (other than the undead) has become a constant. The equation is set. Now the only thing for us to do is solve it.

Oooh, that sounds pretty tough, doesn't it? It isn't meant to be. The more I spend time with the people around here, mostly K and my wife, Will and my other friends, the more I remember that we're all people. K and my wife don't talk to each other very often since Jess is usually working when he's here, but I couldn't help but laugh at the two of them--both very awkward and quiet--trying to get through breakfast the other day when Jess stayed home from work. For two intelligent people, both culturally similar even before The Fall, and physically similar, they acted like teenagers trying to ask each other on a date. It was adorable, really. I'd forgotten how much enjoyment can be had watching other people fumble for small talk.

The people coming for us are no different on an individual level. I have no doubt that I could like any number of them, have interesting conversations or learn incredible new facts. Or maybe just enjoy their company. I'm willing to bet that most of the people in their army--which outnumbers us--are to one degree or another fascinating, good human beings.

But they are and army. I may hate the fact that we'll have to fight, I may lose sleep over the fields that will surely be carpeted with bodies before much longer, but I will absolutely not flinch when the moment comes. This is my home, and the Union is our home. I'll be happy for UAS soldiers to defect, surrender, or even switch sides. But none of us will hesitate to pull the trigger to wait for that to happen.