A.N.: Hey everyone. I don't usually do these, but I just wanted to apologize for the long-ish hiatus between the past two chapters; real life kinda caught up with me for a while there, exams and whatnot. I seem to be back on track with regular updates, though, so those should be coming through once or twice a week again. Also, thanks to the reviewers, especially ChocolateTeapot, for the support -check out their cool stories, btw, especially the cool Civ ones.
Anyway, here's the next chapter.
-Oswald
Chapter 11: Pink Chariots and Orange Cavalry
At this point, we were running low on money. But there was still enough for me and Trade to buy the Phalanx in New York, and the Barracks in Washington -there was a weird sort of relieved smirk on Military's face when we didn't have them switched to Chariots at the last minute again; though of course once the Barracks were done both New York and Washington immediately began to work on Chariots.
We were preparing for war, big time.
With the Chariot we did have, the first thing we did was to attack a nearby Russian Militia. We obliterated them. Then, there was a Phalanx in the vicinity as well, and our Chariot unit attacked and defeated them too: Pink Star-Spangled Banners (we'd made our flag more elaborate) fluttering in the breeze, we trampled their Bronze spears underneath our Chariot Wheels.
It really seemed that Chariots were all they'd been hyped up to be, and more. On the next turn, the Chariot attacked a third Phalanx that also showed up, as if Stalin were desperately trying to keep some control of the area in any way he could.
It was in vain; our Chariot defeated that one too.
We were on a roll. After winning that Battle the Chariot got promoted to Veteran status. And they pushed forward, moving towards Leningrad.
Everyone was very optimistic. Chariots were awesome. And not only would we get Leningrad; but soon, we'd even have Moscow!
Leader Joe said this was exactly how war was supposed to go. And he wisely also added that the most important part was us conquering Russia before they conquered us, or before they got their own Chariots.
He seemed right. I believed him, and so did Trade.
Indeed, that was what everyone believed at the time.
But then, something went wrong: and as luck would have it, just where our Chariot moved foward, it found, next to it, a unit of Cavalry. It wasn't too different from the old Barbarian Cavalry. But it was Orange, and thus Russian.
It turns out Russian Cavalry wasn't all that useless... to put it mildly...
The way my agents reported that confrontation, it was a massacre. It was near dusk, right on the endless Russian planes, the sun shining Orange over them, when, in the distance, galopping was heard. The Chariots quickly drew up into formation, but the Russian Cavalry was already on the horizon. The Chariots prepared a charge, but it was too late. They were the ones defending; and the Cavalry was attacking.
It was a fierce battle, Veteran Charioteers against, usually, much weaker Cavalry. But you see, Chariots are worse at Defence than they are at Attack. And thus, the Cavalry spears lanced through the Wheels of the Chariots, and what used to be their speed now became their demise as the Charioteers were stuck in place, and generally unmanvoeuverable compared to the attacking Cavalry. And, although many of them fought valiantly, in the end, the Cavalry mowed them down as if they'd been regular militiamen.
When this news reached Washington, there was a great panic, even greater than the euphoria that had preceded.
No-one slept that night. Military was up in arms, and Trade wondered in private to me whether, if things really went downhill, the Barbarians might benefit from a Trade and Intelligence Advisor.
And of course, things were even worse in the place that everyone knew would be the next Russian target now that our offensive had been unexpectedly foiled: New York.