Davenport, Orange Star, 8/7
Theobald heard crashing explosions behind him as he set out for the capital on foot. But not the kind that come from a firing gun, or the kind that emanates from a fast-moving piston engine. He looked back and saw artillery cannons being smashed to pieces by enemy gunfire. He looked ahead again, and saw muzzle flares from the city. Small swarms of dark orange were now pouring out and entering the forests ahead of them.
"Sergeant! Sir, you said that we were past their line of defense!"
"Well, I don't know what the hell is going on."
"What should we do, sir?"
"Engage them at will!"
The orange masses had now been absorbed into the forest, but as they approached, bullets began to pour at them. Theobald barely believed what he saw when his friends started dropping from all sides. Artillery and rocket fire bore down on them, cutting into his ears, but he was quick to retreat. But as he ran back, he faced a terrible surprise.
"Sir! We have to retreat, sir!"
"Sorry, soldier, but you're not going anywhere. Olaf said to fight to the death, and that's exactly what we'll do," he said as he pointed his mounted machine gun at Theobald's chest.
Theobald looked at the sergeant, then turned foreword, sighed and ran with his comrades. Dreading the Blue Moon policy of fight-or-die, he fell into a group, while another group began to scrabble across the open field unprotected. He couldn't save them, two artillery shells fell and made them disappear into a cloud of dust.
He briskly strode through the woods, scraping up against the trees. Hearing the shriek of a missile, he ducked behind a fallen log. The missile crashed a few yards away, knocking down trees and causing mud to erupt into the air. Theobald quickly got up and moved out of the cloud of smoke to see that he was practically all alone. He kept moving, and noticed that the missile units had stopped firing. His happiness was cut through by the roar of jet engines above him.
He looked up to see an Orange Star bomber cruising low over the trees, then it swept out into the meadow and dropped its payload, destroying an APC and an advancing artillery piece. Blue Moon guns fired to take it down, but it maneuvered back until it was right over where he was. He broke into a sprint, and jumped to the side as he saw it dip slightly to drop more bombs, which crashed somewhere in the foliage to his left. More bombers screamed overhead, but they ignored him. They closed in on the advancing Blue Moon battalion, when missiles struck two of their fuselages and sent them crashing and plowing into the forests.
The fight in the background had died down, but Theobald heard crashing in the brush. He looked to see if it was his fellow soldiers, but ducked upon seeing the orange-and-red cameo uniforms. They scuttled past and heard them begin firing something. Without looking back, he cleared the last layer of trees to come out into the open, the Orange Star HQ right in front of him. Firing away to his right side were artillery and dug in tanks, oblivious to his presence. He ran up and hid behind a support pole, keeping sure to stay out of the window's range of sight, and crouched.
There were machine gun emplacements to either side of him, but they seemed deserted. The door opened, and a group of five Orange Star soldiers ran out. They ran past, and he hurried inside the swinging door. He crept silently into an empty office with a large window up front that let him witness the battle first-hand. Blue Moon's units had bogged down in the middle of the field. There were piled of wreckage, barely a unit still stood its ground, and most of what remained of his army had was retreating. Scattered dead bodies in puddles of mud and charred earth littered the plains.
Theobald had been left behind. He didn't know what would become of him, or what the Orange Star's POW regime was like. He laid down his rifle and prayed.
"Freeze!"
An Orange Star officer stood behind him and drew his pistol. He gave him a calculating look, not the expected look of murderous death you might give someone who's race is invading and trying to seize your homeland.
"Stand up and put your damn hands on your head!" he said.
Theobald put his hands on his lavender box helmet, then stood silently for a few seconds. The Orange Star officer pulled out, with his other hand, a walkie-talkie.
"Guys! I've cornered a Blue Moon soldier down here in the briefing room! What the hell do I do?"
"Just shoot him! We've got no time for POW's!"
The officer looked at him again. Theobald gave him a stiff, scared look, and the officer put his walkie-talkie away. He put down the gun and ushered me back out the door.
"Where are we going?" asked Theobald.
"I don't want people to hear the shot and get all freaked out inside the building. I'm going to shoot you outside," he said.
Theobald walked outside, and as soon as he cleared the door, he ducked to the side and pulled out his army issue handgun. The officer ran out, and Theobald shot him in the leg. He fell over and dropped his good. Satisfied with his doing, Theobald held him down and removed his officer's garb. The pants were similar enough, thankfully, so he forewent prying those off the struggling man. Zipping it up, he jokingly thanked the officer and re-entered the building.
He faced three Orange Star soldiers, let them pass by, and hoped they would take the injured officer for crazy. Not quite knowing where to go, he left the office to a bustling corridor. Soldiers followed him, coming in from outside. People were breaking out bottles of Clover Keys sweet Champaign, obviously from the victory. Theobald walked briskly down, trying to be casual, but looking out for an elevator. He came to an elegant landing of stairs in front of a large window. Damn. Richer, but somehow less lazy.
Five floors up, he came to an elevator marked 'private'. It was locked. He'd luckily remembered to take the officer's keys. Fumbling around for the key labeled 'private elevator', he plugged it in and whistled a Blue Moon opera tune he'd heard before. He went to the second-highest floor, beneath the observation deck. As he stepped out, the air of the building changed completely. The metallic corridors became furnished plaster walls and colorful wallpaper. Stepping through, he heard voices chatting in a large room ahead. Pulling out his handgun, he peeked inside. It was dark and dusty, and there were two tall, heavily built men and a young blonde congratulation a small man in a red mechanic's uniform.
The woman was Nellie Sarcowsky, the president or Orange Star and daughter of Olaf, his senior commanding officer. He felt a leap of joy. But then he was hit with the realization that he could do nothing. Olaf specifically said that he would not like her killed. But he had no army with him; all his comrades had retreated. He couldn't make her surrender, since the guards and kid were probably armed. Here he was, in the highest level of the country, ready to make the biggest name for himself in the short Blue Moon history, and he couldn't make his move.
"Freeze!"
One of the guards had spotted him. He dropped his gun behind the door and put his hands up.
"You know that you're not supposed to be up here at this time," he said.
Theobald was speechless. But Nellie spoke up for him.
"Oh, don't worry. I'm sure he just got lost or something."
"Wait a minute," said the boy. "Take off your vest."
I looked down. A bit of my blue uniform was stuffing out from beneath the vest. I pretended not to notice.
"Why, sir?" I asked.
"Don't play blind with me. Unzip it!"
I had no choice. I unzipped it, and hoped they wouldn't recognize my shirt as that of a Blue Moon infantry. They did.
"He's the enemy. How did he get that far up?" asked Nellie.
"It doesn't matter. Lock him away," said the boy as the guards hauled him off.
Theobald heard crashing explosions behind him as he set out for the capital on foot. But not the kind that come from a firing gun, or the kind that emanates from a fast-moving piston engine. He looked back and saw artillery cannons being smashed to pieces by enemy gunfire. He looked ahead again, and saw muzzle flares from the city. Small swarms of dark orange were now pouring out and entering the forests ahead of them.
"Sergeant! Sir, you said that we were past their line of defense!"
"Well, I don't know what the hell is going on."
"What should we do, sir?"
"Engage them at will!"
The orange masses had now been absorbed into the forest, but as they approached, bullets began to pour at them. Theobald barely believed what he saw when his friends started dropping from all sides. Artillery and rocket fire bore down on them, cutting into his ears, but he was quick to retreat. But as he ran back, he faced a terrible surprise.
"Sir! We have to retreat, sir!"
"Sorry, soldier, but you're not going anywhere. Olaf said to fight to the death, and that's exactly what we'll do," he said as he pointed his mounted machine gun at Theobald's chest.
Theobald looked at the sergeant, then turned foreword, sighed and ran with his comrades. Dreading the Blue Moon policy of fight-or-die, he fell into a group, while another group began to scrabble across the open field unprotected. He couldn't save them, two artillery shells fell and made them disappear into a cloud of dust.
He briskly strode through the woods, scraping up against the trees. Hearing the shriek of a missile, he ducked behind a fallen log. The missile crashed a few yards away, knocking down trees and causing mud to erupt into the air. Theobald quickly got up and moved out of the cloud of smoke to see that he was practically all alone. He kept moving, and noticed that the missile units had stopped firing. His happiness was cut through by the roar of jet engines above him.
He looked up to see an Orange Star bomber cruising low over the trees, then it swept out into the meadow and dropped its payload, destroying an APC and an advancing artillery piece. Blue Moon guns fired to take it down, but it maneuvered back until it was right over where he was. He broke into a sprint, and jumped to the side as he saw it dip slightly to drop more bombs, which crashed somewhere in the foliage to his left. More bombers screamed overhead, but they ignored him. They closed in on the advancing Blue Moon battalion, when missiles struck two of their fuselages and sent them crashing and plowing into the forests.
The fight in the background had died down, but Theobald heard crashing in the brush. He looked to see if it was his fellow soldiers, but ducked upon seeing the orange-and-red cameo uniforms. They scuttled past and heard them begin firing something. Without looking back, he cleared the last layer of trees to come out into the open, the Orange Star HQ right in front of him. Firing away to his right side were artillery and dug in tanks, oblivious to his presence. He ran up and hid behind a support pole, keeping sure to stay out of the window's range of sight, and crouched.
There were machine gun emplacements to either side of him, but they seemed deserted. The door opened, and a group of five Orange Star soldiers ran out. They ran past, and he hurried inside the swinging door. He crept silently into an empty office with a large window up front that let him witness the battle first-hand. Blue Moon's units had bogged down in the middle of the field. There were piled of wreckage, barely a unit still stood its ground, and most of what remained of his army had was retreating. Scattered dead bodies in puddles of mud and charred earth littered the plains.
Theobald had been left behind. He didn't know what would become of him, or what the Orange Star's POW regime was like. He laid down his rifle and prayed.
"Freeze!"
An Orange Star officer stood behind him and drew his pistol. He gave him a calculating look, not the expected look of murderous death you might give someone who's race is invading and trying to seize your homeland.
"Stand up and put your damn hands on your head!" he said.
Theobald put his hands on his lavender box helmet, then stood silently for a few seconds. The Orange Star officer pulled out, with his other hand, a walkie-talkie.
"Guys! I've cornered a Blue Moon soldier down here in the briefing room! What the hell do I do?"
"Just shoot him! We've got no time for POW's!"
The officer looked at him again. Theobald gave him a stiff, scared look, and the officer put his walkie-talkie away. He put down the gun and ushered me back out the door.
"Where are we going?" asked Theobald.
"I don't want people to hear the shot and get all freaked out inside the building. I'm going to shoot you outside," he said.
Theobald walked outside, and as soon as he cleared the door, he ducked to the side and pulled out his army issue handgun. The officer ran out, and Theobald shot him in the leg. He fell over and dropped his good. Satisfied with his doing, Theobald held him down and removed his officer's garb. The pants were similar enough, thankfully, so he forewent prying those off the struggling man. Zipping it up, he jokingly thanked the officer and re-entered the building.
He faced three Orange Star soldiers, let them pass by, and hoped they would take the injured officer for crazy. Not quite knowing where to go, he left the office to a bustling corridor. Soldiers followed him, coming in from outside. People were breaking out bottles of Clover Keys sweet Champaign, obviously from the victory. Theobald walked briskly down, trying to be casual, but looking out for an elevator. He came to an elegant landing of stairs in front of a large window. Damn. Richer, but somehow less lazy.
Five floors up, he came to an elevator marked 'private'. It was locked. He'd luckily remembered to take the officer's keys. Fumbling around for the key labeled 'private elevator', he plugged it in and whistled a Blue Moon opera tune he'd heard before. He went to the second-highest floor, beneath the observation deck. As he stepped out, the air of the building changed completely. The metallic corridors became furnished plaster walls and colorful wallpaper. Stepping through, he heard voices chatting in a large room ahead. Pulling out his handgun, he peeked inside. It was dark and dusty, and there were two tall, heavily built men and a young blonde congratulation a small man in a red mechanic's uniform.
The woman was Nellie Sarcowsky, the president or Orange Star and daughter of Olaf, his senior commanding officer. He felt a leap of joy. But then he was hit with the realization that he could do nothing. Olaf specifically said that he would not like her killed. But he had no army with him; all his comrades had retreated. He couldn't make her surrender, since the guards and kid were probably armed. Here he was, in the highest level of the country, ready to make the biggest name for himself in the short Blue Moon history, and he couldn't make his move.
"Freeze!"
One of the guards had spotted him. He dropped his gun behind the door and put his hands up.
"You know that you're not supposed to be up here at this time," he said.
Theobald was speechless. But Nellie spoke up for him.
"Oh, don't worry. I'm sure he just got lost or something."
"Wait a minute," said the boy. "Take off your vest."
I looked down. A bit of my blue uniform was stuffing out from beneath the vest. I pretended not to notice.
"Why, sir?" I asked.
"Don't play blind with me. Unzip it!"
I had no choice. I unzipped it, and hoped they wouldn't recognize my shirt as that of a Blue Moon infantry. They did.
"He's the enemy. How did he get that far up?" asked Nellie.
"It doesn't matter. Lock him away," said the boy as the guards hauled him off.