Bacharth Posted April 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2011 The High General's army reached the city just before dawn, and made sure the city was surrounded before the sun rose too high in the sky. [i]"Artillery, fire a warning shot."[/i] The artillery, which sat behind the infantry and IFVs, made a very loud noise as artillery shells were fired and loaded. They exploded in the sky above the city, filling the entire city with the sound of an explosion. "All right, comms officer, get me into the city's warning speaker system." The comms officer typed a few things into his computer and then looked at the High General. Longstreet picked up his radio and began to speak so the entire city could hear him. [i]"Attention Terrorists, I am High General Longstreet of your military. The city will be invaded tomorrow at dawn, unless you turn over the Grand Duchess and any internal leaders you may have. This rebellion will be crushed soon, and the only difference between you handing the Grand Duchess over now rather then letting us invade would be that your city will not be levelled, and the Grand Duchess will be placed in a prison with no male population."[/i] The soldiers stood at attention in front of the city, awaiting the orders to invade. For fun, the IFVs in front fired rounds into buildings and cars on the street, anything to relieve their boredom. [b]I84 Eastbound[/b] The Cascadian Army was now an impressive force. Two divisions of Cascadian troops in green and white uniforms, following dark green and black armor. In the center, a group of five hummvees carried the Major General of the force. They were in Baker City now, the only rural Oregonian city that was in full support of the Cascadians. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Tintagyl Posted April 12, 2011 Report Share Posted April 12, 2011 Having been awoken at dawn when the first line of Kaskadenlander soldiers had appeared at the gates of Boise, Angelika slipped out of the room she shared with the young soldier the night before and quickly redressed and headed back towards the Snake River border. Skimmel and Dudek awaited her at the front, along with the light artillery batteries that were aimed over the river at the enemy forces beginning to build up. Standing at the breech as one of the ancient Austrian generals of the Napoleonic Era and looked over the fortifications at the Kaskadenlanders and through the spy glass, a frown crossed her face. "They've already taken control of everything on the opposite side of the river. We are completely surrounded, Your Grace." Dudek sighed. "We can still escape into the mountains or at least, we can make sure of your escape." "Most definitely not. I'm not going to abandon my city when it needs me most. Have they offered terms?" "The surrender of Boise to Kaskadenland and your imprisonment." Said Skimmel. Angelika laughed and handed the spyglass back to Dudek. "Have we replied?" "No, Your Grace, we've waited for you." Dudek stood at attention and looked out at the enemy lines. "Then we'll give them a rather easy response to understand." Angelika pushed herself up to the breech and stood alone, one woman seemingly against the legions of enemy soldiers about to invade her home of two years. She put her hands cupped over her mouth and took a deep breath. "Longstreet! You want my surrender? You're going to have to come in here and kill me before Boise falls! I'm not some little girl you're going to boss around! I'm a Hapsburg! I am a Daughter of Austria and I am Grand Duchess of Idaho-Montana! We would rather all die before the likes of you and your Ultra-Nationalism take over this last vestige of Austrian Tolerance! The Count has destroyed my legacy! I'm fighting to return it to the right!" She turned back down towards the artillery at the shore of the river. "On my mark, fire." "Ready, Your Grace." "Fire!" She screamed and put down her arm as the Austrian batteries shot across the river at the encamped Kaskadenlanders and Angelika disappeared back behind the breech. The Battle of Boise had begun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bacharth Posted April 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2011 The artillery shells scattered the soldiers. All of the soldiers ran back behind the artillery away from where they thought the shells would land. There was a handful of casualties on that volley, but now the soldiers were scattered. "Hah," Longstreet said, "she acts all grown up, but lets see what happens whe-" He was interrupted by a scout officer. "Sir, I have bad news." "Give me the news then, Sergeant." "We've spotted an incoming force about two hours out. It's the Cascadians." On the horizon, the Austrians and the Kaskaders could spot the incoming Cascadian army, and could hear their borrowed [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8FnzSSQGrI&feature=related"]march song[/url] beginning as they neared the city. The soldiers began humming when they got closer, marching in time with the beat. [i]"INTO THE CITY!" [/i]Highstreet yelled into the radio as the Cascadians marched closer. The IFVs headed into the city and began engaging enemy targets. The soldiers rushed into the city and couldn't decide how to take cover. Highstreet's regiment remained orderly as they hunted down the Grand Duchess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Tintagyl Posted April 12, 2011 Report Share Posted April 12, 2011 It would not be a simple march for the Kaskadenlanders to breech the fortifications erected along the Snake River by the Austrian defenders. Longstreet's forces would have to weather through volleys of light artillery fight from behind the wooden and stone walls, hastily placed as they might be, but offering covering for the Duchess' defenders. The lines would fill will smoke from the discharge of rifles and the near constant buzz of machine gun rounds being pumped into the advancing invaders. A grouping of some seven bridges would have to be the focal point of the Kaskadenlander push against the city center, unless they choose to head miles up the Snake River Valley for a flanking motion, however, by that point the Cascadian reinforcements would arrive, with their bagpipes blazing amongst cheers from the Austrian fighters. Yet, if the enemy pushed against the bridges in full force, the Austrians would only be able to hold for so long. Angelika's defense, while potent and courageous was nonetheless at a technological and material disadvantage. She had at her command some light artillery, perhaps a regiment total of soldiers ready for combat, and the citizens of a loyal city. But the Austrians had no armor support, no heavy guns, no permanent fortifications and within a matter of time the Kaskadenlander assault would push through the defenses and attack the city center. From the bridges only a total of two thousand feet separated the enemy from the focal point of Angelika's resistance, the Boise Capitol Building. However, even after breaking through the breech, the narrow streets and multiple rows of houses, stores and other buildings would prove to be a proverbial hornet's nest for the advancing army. Meanwhile, fearing for the Grand Duchess' safety, both Skimmel and Dudek advised and forced, nearly at sword point for Angelika to return to the Capitol Building. She was too valuable to lose. Though as she stood there, in the grand hall, under the rotunda, looking out at the battle taking place through the window, the windows began to fall apart from the bombard of artillery fire from across the Snake River and the hail of bullets that pierced into the stone. "It was a sneak attack! They're assaulting the Capitol from behind!" She heard one of the guards shout and the hail of machine gun fire come from somewhere very near to the main hall. Dudek who was with Angelika, turned back around from the entrance of the building and grabbed her hands. "How did this happen? Where did they come from?" "Probably from the south sir, when the bridges began to fall. We didn't have the forces to cover every one of our flanks. There was a chance that more soldiers poured in than we had previous thought." "Dammit it all! Your Grace, come, we have to..." "No! Dudek! I can't keep running like this. Where am I going to go? Upstairs? Defenseless? Waiting for them to find me and kill me or hold me hostage? No! I'm done running." She said and drew her sword and pistol. "When the enter into this building, I'm going to fight and die along with the rest of you." "Your Grace..." Dudek sighed then nodded and turned towards the floor of the great hall. He stood with the Grand Duchess on the marble staircase leading towards the upper rooms, while the Austrian regulars stayed down at the door, firing, falling, dying, as the enemy came closer. It would only be a matter of time and then Angelika would find herself engaged. She closed her eyes in the last moments of peace and said a prayer. "Maria, Theresia, Franz. If I don't make it. Know that I love you all very much and that I died defending the honor of our ancestors." Then she opened her eyes and pointed her pistol at the door and held her rapier at her side. "Let them come! I said let them come!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bacharth Posted April 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2011 The battle was loud, so loud that some soldiers found citizens blasting loud music to drown out the sounds of gunfire. The Kaskaden army was wasting no time with cover or trying to move in carefully. The tactic was to rush in with their many IFVs and few tanks, blowing up every enemy position possible before the Cascadians reached the city. It wasn't enough though, the Cascadians quickly caught up to the Kaskaden army, and soon, Longstreet's last crusade found themselves in a hail of crossfire. The enemy lines were cut through like a warm chainsaw through a very dry, brittle wood. But Longstreet's squad was not interested in the city. No, they wanted the Duchess. To bypass the enemy lines, they had entered the sewer system, taking a page out of Erik Betrakte's book. "Hutton, you've got the GPS, where are we right now?" "We are right under the lobby of the capitol building, sir." "Good. McClurg, charges." A young man in a slightly modified Austrian uniform placed an explosive charge in a pipe, and armed it. The squad moved far enough away to stay out of the blast. Hopefully some sorry son-of-a-!@#$%* wouldn't be using the toilet they chose to blow through. When the...waste...cleared and cooled off, the squad climbed up into the bathroom. Longstreet went on ahead and left the bathroom, entering the lobby. He laughed when he saw Angelika's sword. "It's 2011 now, and we've invented something called gunpowder. Is your family really that far into the past?" He reached into his holster and took out a very large revolver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Tintagyl Posted April 12, 2011 Report Share Posted April 12, 2011 Angelika stood on the top of the staircase, rapier in one hand, pistol in the other and while the screams of the Austrian defenders were far away and she had sent Dudek with the main forces of defenders she hadn't expected for Longstreet to appear in front of her. Though in truth, she welcomed the challenge. "I thought I smelt !@#$ coming into the room. I didn't know that I was going to have to take the smell literally. Oh and as to the Hapsburg family living in the past, we most certainly do." She raised the pistol to her eyes and zeroed in on Longstreet before he could take a shot from his own revolver and with keen precision shot the revolver clear out of his hand. "You modern warfare people think its hard to press a button and watch a missile drop. Try living in exile for twenty years of your life, you learn to enjoy the chance to fire weapons. Maria and Theresia never did, but then again, you aren't dealing with some little girl." She threw her pistol to the floor and listened to it bounce upon the marble as the Duchess rose the rapier in line with her arm. "Now, my forces are already defeated but the Cascadians are going to be showing up any moment now. Either way, one of us is dead. Why not settle it the old fashioned way. Back when warfare mattered more on how you fought and not on the size of your weapon." Angelika looked out at the revolver Longstreet once held. "And by the looks of it, yours isn't that big to begin with." The Duchess smirked. "En Garde!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bacharth Posted April 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2011 Longstreet put his right arm over his left shoulder and retrieved a short sword from a scabbard behind his back. He instructed his men to leave the building and await prisoner transport. [i]This should be interesting, [/i]he thought as he allowed the sword to rotate in his hand effortlessly as he pointed it at Angelika. "I think I'll put you in Cell Block D with all the gangsters I've rounded up in Seattle." As he said the word "rounded", he twisted his foot and allowed his body to spin and drop a little. It was almost as if the insult continued with the squeak of rubber and the sound of wind whistling past a sword. The sword swung down and towards Angelika's legs. He wasn't interested in the kill, just a living body he could stick in with the worst criminal offenders, just to send a message to the Hapsburgs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Tintagyl Posted April 12, 2011 Report Share Posted April 12, 2011 As Longstreet dropped to the marble floor to slice at the Duchess' legs, Angelika tried to jump back as fast as she could, but she was only fast enough to avoid him cutting into both his legs. The short sword cut into her right legs khaki pants with a tear and the flesh wound began to pour out down her thigh. She grunted and then buried the sword towards the ground to deflect the continuation of Longstreet's attack. If the parry was successful, his sword would come to a grinding halt against her own and then given that the Kaskadenlander was so near to the ground, he would find a black boot coming right for his face. If Angelika landed the kick then it was sure to leave Longstreet, at he very least, unbalanced and perhaps at most on the ground bleeding from his nose. No matter what the outcome, it would be her turn to launch an attack. Angelika's rapier would burn towards the center of Longstreet's figure. It was a daring attack and one that she had to be careful about as it would be all too easy for Longstreet to simply parry the thrust and pull her in as to run her through. The Duchess wouldn't let that happen and was all too ready to jump back in defense at the first sign of trouble. "You're not going to have the time to take me anywhere. The Count's dead and your forces will be too in a matter of hours. But there's no way you're throwing me into some rotting prison. I'd rather be dead." And she began her charge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bacharth Posted April 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 The blade was stopped by Angelika's, and Longstreet did in fact lose his balance. He was kicked backwards and slid a few feet away on the floor. He planted his feet onto the floor to keep himself steady, readying himself for Angelika's next attack. [i]Ballsy,[/i] he thought as she lunged for Longstreet's torso. He had two options, deflect the attack and get her on the ground as well, or roll out of the way and gain the upper hand. It was obvious what road he chose. As she lunged downwards, he rolled out of the way onto his front, and pushed himself on his feet. He waited as Angelika would fall to the ground or do something else, and would hopefully have his sword in her back in the next few seconds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Tintagyl Posted April 14, 2011 Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 The attack missed and Angelika watched as Longstreet rolled away from her and the momentum was too much to stop. Try as she might, the Duchess felt her feet sliding out from underneath her as she began to tumble down to the ground. It was all over then, once she hit the ground, she wouldn't have the speed to jump back to her feet and parry the next attack, even while she was falling, Angelika waited with defeated eyes for the sword to push through her chest. But she couldn't give up yet, she couldn't die without at least wounding him, she couldn't abandon Boise, abandon Austria without at least shedding the enemy's blood. So as she fell towards the ground, the Duchess twisted her feet and in turn twirled her body and pushed her sword towards the front. When her back finally hit the ground, the sound of metal tearing through flesh echoed through the capitol building and drops of blood began to drip from Longstreet's mouth onto Angelika's forehead. She looked up and found that in turning and thrusting her sword blindly through the air, the rapier had impaled the General and she held him up like a pike off the ground. Angelika gasped as her whole body began to shake. She had never killed anyone in her life and now she was looking into the eyes of her enemy. The blood that had dripped onto her forehead made her shiver and almost vomit, but somewhere deep inside of her body, she was happy. Longstreet had been defeated, Boise had been saved and she wore the blood of her victory. "May God Bless you in the afterlife in that he could not bless you here." The Duchess said as she slid him off the sword and dropped the General to the ground. She stood up and wiped the sweat off her brow and took a deep breath. Boise and Cascadia were saved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bacharth Posted April 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 Longstreet bore a look of surprise, the first emotion anyone had ever seen him show. He had been bested by a girl. He laid on the ground, half alive, staring at the ceiling. He gasped for life, trying to cling on to the light left in his body. He could feel the darkness encroaching upon his sight though. He managed to speak a few words, "Please, no, I don't want to die. God, no. Help..." he couldn't get the word "me" out before succumbing to the darkness. The room was in silence for a few moments, until the sound of a machine gun could be heard from the front door. Someone kicked the door open, and when their eyes adjusted, a military squad was standing there, commanded by a young man with what looked like a cigar in his mouth, and there seemed to be a very skunky smell coming from around him. He took off a pair of dark sunglasses to reveal very red eyes. "Sergeant Chris Bogart, at your service M'lady," he fell to a knee and acted very chivalric, averting his gaze downwards. There, he saw Longstreet with a bloody hole in his core. He looked up in amazement to Angelika. "Well damn," he said. "I wanted that one." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Tintagyl Posted April 14, 2011 Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 Angelika breathed a genuine sigh of relief as she took a step towards Chris and then nearly falling over her feet, exhaustion and fatigue catching up with her, collapsed into body and into his arms. Shaking her head and then freeing herself from the Sergeant's surprised grasp, the Duchess straightened herself. "I'm sorry, it's been a rather long day for me, after the city gets back to normal I'm going to be taking a very hot shower and clean off the blood." Looking back at Longstreet's dead body, she closed her eyes and then turned back to Chris. "Mister Bogart, you know I've heard things about you. I believe you talked to my friend, Colonel Skimmel a few months back, before all this chaos happened. But you don't have to bow to me or show me any kind of such respect. I'm the one who should be thanking you, you and your country, if it weren't for Cascadia, everyone in Boise would have been wiped out and I probably would have been laying on the ground like our friend here. Though sorry I took your kill, he would have been better for you, I wanted to get my hands on that snake, Phillip Rudolph, but you Cascadians took him before I could sink my claws into his back." Reaching down, Angelika removed the sword from out of Longstreet's dead hands and handed it to Chris. "For the real hero of Boise. Thank you. I and all of Austria are in your debt." She leaned over and kissed him lightly on the cheek as her smile beamed heavenly through the grit and grim of battle and fatigue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bacharth Posted April 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 Chris had a very strong urge to make a comment about the shower, but his buzzkill gland reminded him that she was royalty, and that sort of talk was profane. Instead, he offered a, "I hear blood is in this year." He was quite flattered that she would say he's the hero of Boise, the only thing he could be blamed for in this whole Cascadia thing was inventing the national identity in the first place. "You know, none of us really know who the Count's killer was, because we never released that guy from prison. Straden managed to talk LaFonde out of it. So, that's all up in the air. If you wish, we could embalm his head and send it to you on a stake." He grinned, hoping for a laugh, but instead she just reached for the sword of Longstreet. He knelt again thinking he was going to be knighted. She turned around, and he was confused when she handed the sword to him, until she gave him his title of the Hero of Boise. "I could get used to that," he said. He stood up and left the building, holding Longstreet's sword up to the Cascadian troops, who were in the thick of battle. Chris shouted, "Hail the Grand Duchess, who slayed the dra...I mean...Longstreet!" The military cheered and fired their guns in the air. Chris took another puff of the cigar-looking object. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Tintagyl Posted April 14, 2011 Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 Angelika laughed as she watched Chris' comrades fire their guns and make quite a victory show of Longstreet's defeat, but it was time to celebrate, at least until she walked outside the Capitol Building and saw the sheer destruction that had been done to her once proud capital. Boise was in ruins from the battle, artillery strikes had torn through the buildings, great craters filled the streets, and the wounded and dying, both civilian and military lay strewn across the city. Sheathing her sword, the Duchess rested a hand on her hip and gazed out towards the horizon and then watched as Chris joined her out on the staircase leading into the city itself. "So I've been told that the new Cascadian Republic considers itself a part of the Austrian Commonwealth, just like your predecessor. You know, Chris, when I told my sister that our North American brothers and sisters were still family with Vienna, even after Rudolph's faux pas, she was rather impressed. I was too, but I try to hide my excitement a little more. Nevertheless, I think you, I, and both of our countries are on the beginning of a long journey that is really going to change the world for the better and it all starts here." She turned and looked into his eyes. "Though I have to ask, what is the future going to be? Where is the Republic going now that the wars are over and stability has been restored? Because when a mother hurts her child, as Vienna has done, she still wants to care for him. Perhaps you can introduce me to President Straden personally? I would like very much to see a future that is favorable to both of our nations, to prevent something like Rudolph from happening again, while meeting the ambition that I know our peoples both have." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bacharth Posted April 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 The city was destroyed for the most part. The residential areas saw the least destruction, as Major General Monte managed to keep everyone away from the homes of innocent lives. Still, Longstreet's recklessness had spilled innocent blood. "This will be a chance to turn Boise into the industrial hub that it wants to be. This will be a chance for rebirth," Chris said before he almost coughed up a lung. "Both Europe and North America will see a new dawn. Hopefully the North American powers can come to a conclusion with the European powers over this. They've always been wary of each other, although North American countries have a bit more reason to be afraid of colonization, only for history's sake." He took another puff, and then put the flame out on the ground. "We're a strange people. We tend to see past silly !@#$%^&* like association, and see the individual. In Randolph's case, we saw that he was just a conservative trying to impress the Hapsburgs. Sort of like a second child that tries too hard to impress their mother." "I know President Straden personally, he was one of my favorite professors at U-dub, and I know I could introduce you two, even though I think he would clear out pretty much anything to meet any of the Hapsburgs. Plus, he doesn't know it yet, but he owes me one. We were going to wait until [i]after[/i] we had conquered the land before freeing the government. I suggested we do it sooner than later." He laughed, but he knew he wouldn't hold that over his head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Tintagyl Posted April 14, 2011 Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 "I think the Empress, my sister Maria, would be thrilled to receive an audience with President Straden and I would be equally honored. Perhaps in a few days after things begin to settle down around her, Maria and I can make a trip to wherever Straden sets up his new government and have a meeting about the future of Austria and Cascadia. From the letters she's been sending me, I don't think that she's quite done with North America yet and I know for a fact that means I'm not going anywhere any time soon." Angelika chuckled. "What can I say, I am the right arm of my sister." Leaning over, she kissed Chris again and bowed her head happily. "But if you'll excuse me Herr Bogart. I'm afraid that though blood might be in this season, I'm not a particular fan and need to get myself cleaned off. Send a missive to my associates when the audience with President Straden can be arranged and we'll get the rest of this mess cleared up. It was a pleasure meeting you and I hope we'll have the chance to work together again." With that, Angelika bowed again and began to walk down the steps of the Capitol building and disappeared amongst the crowd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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