The attack came out of nowhere.
The sentries had been assiduously monitoring all known potential enemy targets and their corresponding approach routes but were nonetheless completely caught out by the speed and ferocity of the attack.
Not just Shadowbombs on this occasion. The Shadowbombs were followed by what appeared to be a new type of weapon which unleashed an unimaginable torrent of destructive liquid, capable of causing unusual and unprecedented amounts of flood damage in a very short space of time. And this in broad daylight under a cloudless blue sky.
“Situation report!”
Everyone in the room stood to attention as soon as the colonel entered.
Major Bjornsen turned on her heal, snapped a sharp salute before pausing as another volley of Shadowbombs struck nearby before moving off to target another part of the city, the percussive sounds and accompanying vibrations lessening as the attack moved further away. She waited until the worst of the newly dislodged dust and debris settled before launching into her report.
“A major attack Ma’am! Zones Mike, November, Papa and Quebec appear to have taken direct hits from multiple Shadowbomb strikes. We have reports of severe flooding in Zones Romeo and Sierra.”
“Casualties?”
“Awaiting final confirmation, Ma’am. It’s not looking good. Initial reports indicate the complete loss of all facilities, including the storage silos in Zones Romeo and Sierra.”
“Has The Earl been informed?” They both ducked instinctively as volley of Shadowbombs struck close to the control room, releasing another avalanche of dust and debris from the now comprehensively damaged ceiling. Neither of them could stop themselves from looking up and assessing the state of the ceiling as soon as the shockwaves from the latest Shadowbomb attack subsided.
“Yes Ma’am, The Earl has been informed and is on his way.” The Major replied as she attempted to brush the latest addition of dust from her face and shoulders.
“Thank you, Major. At ease. I’ll need a full list of casualties and a full damage report before The Earl arrives.”
“Yes Ma’am.” Major Bjornsen turned smartly, leaving the Colonel to her thoughts. She made her way across the large control room, joining the signal corps at the huge situation screen that covered the entirety of the back wall.
“Sit rep, Sergeant!” She snapped the command at Sgt Sorensen as she approached.
“It’s bad, Major. Severe damage reported in Zones Mike, November, Papa and Quebec. We have confirmation that they all took numerous direct Shadowbomb hits. Casualties will be in the hundreds. Sentries report a single entity attack. All defensive Divisions have been deployed” Sorensen paused for a moment before continuing. “Ma’am, Sentries also report that the enemy has deployed an unknown type of weapon which is what caused the flooding in Zones Romeo and Sierra.”
“Casualties in Romeo and Sierra?”
“The severity of flooding is catastrophic. We don’t expect to find any survivors in Romeo or Sierra.”
Bjornsen blanched at the thought of so many lost lives. “Deploy Sentry Divisions IV and VII. I want a full external situation and damage report. Do we have any casualty reports from the defensive divisions?”
“No Ma’am, none so far.”
“Deploy the Sappers as soon as we have confirmation that the enemy has withdrawn.”
Bjornsen was glad that it wasn’t her who would have to brief The Earl when he arrived. They hadn’t sustained this many casualties from a single attack in living memory, certainly not since The Earl had taken overall command of the city’s defences. The deployment of a new type of weapon that could cause so much damage in so little time was even more worrying.
“Ma’am, we have just received confirmation that the enemy has withdrawn. Scout Division IX is in pursuit. Shouldn’t be too long before have some information on the enemy’s intentions.”
“Thank you, Sergeant. Keep me updated.”
Bjornsen crossed the room, re-joining Colonel Schmidt.
The Colonel looked up from the cipher she was studying.
Major Bjornsen briefly appraised the Colonel of the current situation.
“Thank God for small mercies. At least the enemy has withdrawn for the time being. How long before we get an update from the scouts”
“Shouldn’t be too long, Ma’am.”
“Atten-Shun!”
They both turned and faced entrance of the control room as The Earl, resplendent in full ceremonial dress, entered the room.
“At ease.” He barked, addressing no one in particular as he came to a halt in the middle of the of the room, drawing all eyes in his direction.
“Colonel, Major; Sit-Rep.” A church-like hush fell across the room as all ears strained to hear first-hand the report which The Earl as about to receive.
“Major Bjornsen, if you would be so good.” Bjornsen, who had always been very much in awe of The Earl, blanched again for the second time since the attack had started. Her mouth went completely dry at the thought of having to directly brief The Earl. Standing this close to the devilishly handsome Earl it was easy to see why he was the Queen’s favourite.
“Of course, Colonel.” Bjornsen stood ramrod straight, tried, and failed, to swallow before starting her report. “Sir, a single entity began its attack shortly after 15:00 hours.” She began somewhat unnecessarily. After all, everyone in the entire city had heard the percussive impacts that heralded the start of the enemy’s engagement. “Initially deploying Shadowbombs before deploying a second type of weapon which is capable of releasing a massive torrent of some sort of acrid liquid, causing severe flooding in a very short space of time. Casualties from Shadowbomb damage assessed to be in the hundreds. We don’t expect to find any survivors in Zones Romeo and Sierra which were both subject Shadowbomb damage as well as extensive flooding.”
The Earl of Festland initially thought that he had misheard the nervous Major standing in front of him. “At ease, Major. Start at the beginning.”
Bjornsen tried to relax her shoulders and adopt an at ease stance. No easy thing to do with The Earl’s piercing stare locked onto her face at very close range.
“Sir, the sentries report that the attack came from The Great Southern Plain. Units at the western, northern, and eastern boundaries reported no unusual activity prior to the attack. The attack appears to have been initiated by an unknown, very well equipped enemy that can cover great distances at speed. The enemy has withdrawn at the same speed at which it attacked. Scout Division IX is in pursuit. We are still awaiting a sit rep from the scouts. Sappers have now been deployed to make a full assessment of damage to all affected Zones. Initial reports suggest that Zones Romeo and Sierra are completely lost.”
“Any more information on the type of weapon the enemy deployed capable of causing such widespread flooding?”
“Not yet, Sir.
“Very well, Major. Keep me updated. Who’s in charge of Scout Division IX?”
“Sergeant Nilssen, Sir.”
“Ah, Nilssen. I’ve had the pleasure of working with her before. Excellent choice, Major.” Bjornsen’s face flushed at the unexpected complement from the commander in chief.
“Thank you, Sir.”
“I want Nilssen’s report as soon as it arrives. Good work, Colonel.”
Schmidt and Bjornsen simultaneously snapped a salute before turning on their heel and returning to the far end of the room where the Signal Corps should be receiving the latest updates any at moment. Now that that there was no conversation to eavesdrop on, the general hubbub of the gathered officers and their staff resuming their tasks meant that the background noise level quickly returned to its usual volume. They were able to continue their conversation as they traversed the room without fear of being overheard.
The Earl remained standing in the centre of the vast control room, eyes and ears scanning, trying to assess the morale of the soldiers as they worked at their stations. The younger ones would never have experienced of an attack of such ferocity. The casualty numbers, if confirmed, were truly alarming. The Earl was horrified to hear that they had lost two entire Zones to flooding.
Vowing to learn from previous mistakes, he had been painstaking and meticulous in his approach to choosing the site of the new city after the previous one had been destroyed by unexpected flash floods. All the rules of best practice were followed. The new site was easily defensible. Not so far from any of the frontiers to stretch supply lines should one of their neighbours become overly ambitious, but far enough to reduce the number of skirmishes that patrolling divisions were sometimes party to. The site of the city itself was about halfway up a gently sloping bank in a naturally sheltered position. Not so close to the flood plain that it would ever be threatened by rising waters, yet not so near to the brow of the hill that it would be fully exposed to the prevailing westerly winds. The Great Southern Plains were sufficiently far away to make an attack from that direction a logistical improbability.
Until today, that is. Just who was this new, exceptionally well equipped enemy who could transport a huge arsenal across the vast, inhospitable plain at such a fast pace?
The Earl was so completely engrossed with his thoughts that Colonel Schmidt had to noisily clear her throat several times to attract his attention.
“I do beg your pardon, Colonel. Was miles away there.” The Earl, courteous as ever, must still have been, at least partly, away with his thoughts as he spoke. The continued unconscious stroking of his rather resplendent facial growth testament to that.
“I take it you have an update for me?” The room had once again fallen silent.
“Yes Sir. Sergeant Nilssen has sent a runner. They have located the enemy’s camp and have begun a full reconnaissance. The camp is located on The Great Southern Plain. Initial reports indicate that the camp is newly constructed, well provisioned, and lightly guarded. The enemy must be confident that we are in no position to mount a counterattack.”
“We’ll see about that.” The Earl was now fully engaged with their conversation and spoke with his usual brash confidence.
A quiet murmur began to creep around the room. The defenders of the city would soon be called on to do what they were trained to do. Excitement began to build.
“Sergeant Nilssen expects to have reconnoitred the enemy’s camp within the next thirty minutes.”
“How long a march is it to the enemy’s camp?” The Earl had resumed his subconscious stroking. His reputation for swift decision making was well known to everyone in the room. An unnatural hush had once again descended, and all eyes were on the small cluster of officers in the middle of room.
“Sergeant Nilssen suggests that the attack divisions could cover the distance in fifteen to twenty minutes at a quick march. There are no major obstacles along the route. A division of Sappers should be able to establish a clear route with little delay.”
The Earl considered this latest piece of information for a moment or two. Everyone in the room knew that he had reached a decision when he stopped stroking his impressive beard and stood a tiny bit straighter, taking one last look around the room.
The tension rose another notch or two.
Finally The Earl spoke.
“Dispatch the Sappers. I want a passable roadway to the enemy camp established immediately. Muster all available attack and transport divisions. We march within the hour!”
A huge cheer went up across the room. This is what they trained for. The opportunity to avenge such a brutal attack was what every person in the control room was hoping for. The Earl had judged the mood in the room well.
Major Bjornsen acknowledged the order with a brief salute and enthusiastic “Yes Sir!” before returning to the Signals Corps station to give the orders.
The cheering subsided quickly those as gathered noticed Sergeant Sorensen hastily making her way across the room, cypher in hand.
She saluted the group of officers before handing the cypher to Colonel Schmidt. “The latest update from Sergeant Nilssen, Ma’am.”
“Thank you Sergeant, at ease.” Schmidt replied automatically as she quickly scanned the cypher.
“Good news, Sir.” She looked up and addressed The Earl. “Sergeant Nilssen reports that the enemy’s camp is currently unguarded, and more importantly, extremely well provisioned. Her unit has already breached several storage silos all of which appear to be well stocked. She recommends a raiding party be despatched immediately.”
“Who am I to argue if that is what the good Sergeant recommends our course of action should be, Colonel?” The Earl said with a twinkle in his eye. “Muster the Transport Divisions. I will address the troops in an hour!”
A hearty cheer went up from every throat in the room which was quickly replaced by excited chatter.
The main door banged open as the commanding officers of each division required to carry out the raid filed into the room, surrounding The Earl, and standing by to receive the battle plan.
The sun was still high in the sky as The Earl, now attired in full battle dress, mounted the rostrum that overlooked the parade ground. Thousands of troops had mustered, each standing rigidly to attention, patiently waiting of The Earl give the order to march.
Once again, The Earl took a moment to read the mood of the gathered troops. No need for a long rousing speech, he thought to himself. Just tell them to fight valiantly and courageously. To take their opportunity to avenge so many deaths and so much destruction.
The Earl’s short speech was well received. It didn’t take him long to join the vanguard at the of the head of the column and give the order to begin the march to the enemy’s camp.
The Sappers had left well before the main column and had cleared the route of obstructions, creating a smooth, clear path to the enemy’s camp, The Great Southern Plain spreading out on either side.
They had marched for just over fifteen minutes when they met a Scout Division coming in the opposite direction.
Sergeant Nilssen stood to attention as The Earl approached.
“At ease, Sergeant. A pleasure to see you again.
“The pleasure is all mine, Sir!”
“I take it you have some good news for me, Sergeant?”
“Yes Sir.” Nilssen beamed, full of the satisfaction a natural born raider felt whenever they discovered a good source to plunder. “Very good indeed. We may have underestimated just how well provisioned the enemy’s camp is, Sir. My unit located a second set of storage silos just as large and well stocked as the first. We’ll easily be able to replace everything we lost in the attack…… and more!”
“Good work, Sergeant.” The Earl turned to Colonel Schmidt. “Give the order to advance, Raiding units to the fore. Transport Divisions to follow. Establish supply lines back to the City.”
Colonel Schmidt acknowledged the orders and instructed Major Bjornsen accordingly, who quickly set off to carry them out.
“Do we have any further need for the Sappers here, Sergeant?”
“No Sir, the storage silos were easily breached.” The raider’s smirk flashed across her face again. “The Raiding Units and Transport Divisions should be able to handle it from here, Sir.”
“Very well, Sergeant.” The Earl addressed Colonel Schmidt again. “In that case send the Sappers back to the City. We’ll need to replace the storage silos we lost in Zones Sierra and Romeo if Sergeant Nilssen’s assessment is correct.”
He clapped Nilssen on the shoulder. “Good work Sergeant. Now take me to this camp you’ve found. I want to see for myself if your assessment of the amount of plunder you say they have stands up to scrutiny.”
Those that saw The Earl as he spoke this last sentence would have said he had something of the raider’s smirk plastered across his face as he set off towards the enemy’s camp.
The Earl and his retinue had found themselves a good vantage point from which to observe the raid on the enemy’s camp.
The camp itself was vast, far bigger than their own city, and though only temporary in nature, the enemy had taken time to cover the inhospitable terrain of The Great Southern Plain with some sort of flexible material that made the going much easier than they would have thought possible.
The storage silos were stocked with all manner of provisions, most of which had a very high sugar content. Just what was needed to replenish the city’s depleted supplies.
The Earl stood slightly to one side, stroking his beard as he was want to when deep in thought, proudly observing his well-drilled troops setting about their business. The transport lines stretched back to the City, huge quantities of plunder making its way there, rapidly filling the new storage silos that the Sappers were hastily building to receive such unexpected bounty.
The Earls moment of quiet contemplation came to an end when Colonel Schmidt hurried over to where he was standing.
“Sir! Sergeant Nilssen report that the enemy is returning. Two entities, rapidly crossing The Great Southern Plain. ETA in less than five minutes.”
The Earl had been expecting just such a report and had already given the matter a great deal of thought.
“Have all Attack Units standing by on the camp’s southern perimeter. Order a full attack as soon as the enemy enters the camp. Let’s delay them for as long as possible to allow the Transport Divisions to get as much back to the city as they can before we order a full retreat.”
Colonel Schmidt turned, shouting out orders to the members of the Signals Corps as The Earl turned towards the south, waiting expectantly for his first sighting of this formidable new foe.
The Earl heard them before he saw them. Or to put it more accurately, he heard the metronomic thudding of Shadowbombs striking The Great Southern Plain as the enemy continued its return march to its temporary camp. The sun had continued it stately march towards the southwestern horizon throughout the raid, sitting much lower than it had when they had left the City.
The long shadows cast by approaching enemy finally reached the southern perimeter of their camp. The Earl checked the Attack Division’s deployment, ready to commit his forces as soon as the enemy entered the camp. The Earl could now also make out the sound of the enemy’s footsteps, still accompanied by the sound of falling Shadowbombs.
A long pause ensued. The enemy halted their march before reaching the camp’s perimeter.
The Earl made another assessment. The Raiding Parties and Transport Divisions had done sterling work. Reports from the City indicated that they had more than recouped the losses brought about by the enemy’s attack and that the Sappers were struggling to keep ahead of the flow of goods arriving to fill the new storage silos.
Why risk his best troops? A final look around the enemy’s camp convinced him that now was the perfect time to sound the retreat.
“Order the Attack Divisions to fall back and assist the Raiding Parties and Transport Divisions to get the last of the plunder back to the City.”
“Yes Sir!” Colonel Schmidt passed the command down the line, turning to observe the enemy’s actions.
The enemy hadn’t advanced any further. The rain of Shadowbombs striking the Great Southern Plain continued unabated.
Yes, thought The Earl, take advantage of this stand-off, and retreat to the safety of the City.
“Goodness me, just look at this mess!” The larger of the two entities exclaimed as soon as she saw the carnage wreaked onto their ‘camp.’ “Jordan, I thought I had asked you to close all the containers while I changed Billy’s nappy. Our picnic is completely ruined. Everything is covered in ants!”
“Sorry Mum.” The smaller of the two entities was totally engrossed by the industrious activity taking place in front of him. “I guess I must have been a bit distracted by the thought of getting an ice cream.”
“You’re always distracted by something or other. Now put that ball down and help me get tidied up. Looks like I’ll have to put Billy into his buggy. He’ll be eaten alive if I put him down on that blanket!”
“Do you think the ants would really eat him?”
“No, sweetheart, it’s just an expression. Now, why don’t you go and empty what’s left in the containers at the edge of the field. May as well let someone enjoy the rest of our tea, even if it’s only a bunch of ants.”
“Even the sponge fingers?”
“Yes, even the sponge fingers. I don’t want you opening any of the containers on the way home. The last thing I need is a car full of ants.”
The Earl was standing at an observation post at the southern frontier. The enemy had begun breaking camp not long after the retreat had been sounded. Initial reports indicated that the Transport Divisions had returned virtually unscathed.
A few Raiders had been lost. Nothing unusual in that. Raiders always found it difficult to leave even the smallest morsel behind. The Attack Divisions hadn’t faired too badly either, despite it taking far longer than it should have for them to acknowledge the order to retreat. Always up for a good scrap, the Attack Divisions.
“Sir!” Colonel Schmidt had climbed up the observation post and stood beside The Earl. “Sergeant Nilssen reports that the enemy has dumped a large quantity of their supplies at the boundary between the southern frontier and The Great Southern Plain. Sentries report increased activities at the eastern and western frontiers. Looks like our neighbours have spotted a raiding opportunity.”
“Well, we can’t have that, Colonel, can we.” The Earl replied with a gleam in his eye. He had earned his stripes in the Attack Battalions and was always, like most of his compatriots, spoiling for a good fight. “Order the Attack Divisions to set up a perimeter around the supply dump. We’ll not have any of those scroungers mounting a raid in our territories.”
“Jordan, could you please come over here and help me shake out the blanket? It’ll be dark soon and I want to get away while it’s still light. I suppose you’ll need the toilet before go?”
“But Mum, there’s millions of ants over here fighting over the food we left. Come and have a look.” Jordan shouted over, without bothering to look up from the action taking place in front of him. “And besides, I had wee over there before we went for our ice creams.” He added, pointing towards the tree lined bank.
They both hunkered down and watched the skirmishing ants for a while.
“Come on, we’d better get going, before it gets completely dark.”
“But can’t we stay and watch the ants for a little longer?”
“I wish we could sweetheart, but we need to get going. Let’s let the ants get on with doing what nature intended.”
“What, fight with each other?”
“No, clearing up the mess that we humans make. Imagine how much uneaten food and rubbish would be piled up everywhere if we didn’t have ants and other insects to clear it all up for us.”
She ruffled his hair. “It’s just as well you didn’t disturb them doing such important work by bouncing your ball on them, isn’t it?
Jordan looked anxiously at his mother.
“I mean, how would you like it if a huge shadow suddenly blocked out the sun just before you got squished?”
She gave him a stern look.
“And I know you would never wee on one their nests either, would you?”
Jordan suddenly decided that they had better get going, and said as much.
“OK, let’s go then.” His mother said, trying to hide her smile as they both stood. “You can tell your father all about your afternoon at the playing fields when we get home.”
The End