I got Civ3 for Christmas - My First Game!!!
- Thread starter VegitaU
- Start date
AT BARRIER JUNGLE - Mpende's grip on his musket tightened as the horses trotted through the jungle. The undergrowth brushed up against his black boots as the regiment drove toward India, following the Green River (which starts in the mountains near New Beijing). To the west was New Nanking and to the south lay the nation of Zulus. So far, the regiments were still in friendly territory. All that would soon change...
---------------------------
PINE SPRINGS - Deep in the palace War Room, where all military decisions were made, Shaka and his major generals were strategizing the attack.
With the Chinese pouring into India from the Great Isthmus, the eastern battlefront was covered. The Zulus would not be outflanked or suprised at Junglepost or Northbay. The task left to the Zulu cavalry was to smash all resistance in the west. With the destruction or capture of every Indian city, the northern empire would soon become trapped between the Zulus, Chinese, and the ocean.
The first target would be New Lahore on the northern fringes of the Great Barrier Jungle. It was a strong, well managed city surrounded by lush farms. The Chinese were marching several detatchment regiments to reinforce the defenses at New Beijing and prevent a northern flanking.
The intial force of eight regiments had been boosted with an additional two supplementary regiments. New Lahore boasted little more than two musket regiments and a pike detatchment. What was on Shaka's mind, however, was what was lurking nearby...where an army can hide until it's needed...in the deep jungle.
----------------------------
BARRIER JUNGLE -
A rider galloped ahead of the regiment toward the officers.
"Do you hear something?" he asked them as they pressed forward through the vegetation. The air was so damp and heavy, the men were shirtless and cooling themselves off with wet towels from the river.
The officer, unpleasant and irritated by the heat, gruffly answered: "No! Get back to your post!"
The rider, sure he'd heard something in the deep, rode forward, ahead of the regiment. The officers at the head of the regiment called for him to come back, but were soon losing sight of the rider.
"What's going on? What's he doing?"
Suddenly, a rumble shook the jungle ground as the officers rode forward to see what was happening. A trumpeting noise blared through the trees, followed by two musket shots, and a 'twang' of arrows. The officers raced back to the regiment!
"WAR ELEPHANTS!!!" they yelled as the Zulu regiment quickly primed their muskets. The officers, carrying hand pistols, brought them out and waited. Suddenly, they saw the first elephant charging in. The officers fired, but the beast didn't slow down. Several other men aimed their muskets and fired. Finally, one shot hit the rider at the top and the beast turned away.
"Battle formations!" the officers ordered. The regiment organized themselves in several lines and rode forward, slowly with their weapons ready. Mpende, in the second line from the front, gripped his musket tightly, listening to every sound that came from the jungle.
Just then, a tremedous rumble (like an earthquake or explosion) let out from deeper in the trees. The regiment charged forward faster, ready to counter the threat. "Hit the rider at the top of the elephant and you'll have a better chance of steering it away from danger," the main officers commented. "Never panic. Always stay with the regiment. If you're cut off, work from where you can until you find a way back to your regiment."
"Yessir!" the men yelled, including Mpende.
The crashing and snapping sound of trees breaking neared as the men rode forward. Finally, several of the trees ahead seemed to sway. Several fell. The elephant lines approached...
Mpende aimed his weapon high. He soon saw the first grey elephant, tusks at the ready, charging forward, snapping trees in the way. He fired at the rider and missed. Several of his comerades shot the elephant, enraging the animal. The rider, only about 30 yards away, fired his arrows at the regiment. Some Zulu were hit while others continued to fire. Finally, someone shot the rider, but the elephant continued and trampled two riders in its path.
The Zulus charged all-out as the elephants approached.
"Zulus...hold! Aim......FIRE!" the officers cried.
The jungle filled with white musket smoke as the riders emptied their guns. Several Indian riders fell from their posts above as the Zulus scrambled to get out of the way of the elephants. Many were trampled before the lines crossed each other.
Turning around, both regiments rode forward again, and did battle. The quicker cavalry soon did away with the elephant riders, killing most of the survivng Indians. With the surviving elephants dissapearing into the jungle, the battle was over. The regiment was at 1/2 strength now, losing many of its numbers.
Subsequent battles continued as the Zulu regiments were ambushed by war elephants or archers on their way through the jungle. Managing to counterattack the survivng war elephants, the Zulus soon dispatched the threat altogether and left the forest, arriving on the borders of New Lahore.
The battle there was not terribly brutal...the poorly trained Indians fell almost immediately. The city was given to Persia by Shaka, in an unprecedented move, as a way to assuage the Persian-Zulu War tensions that remained.
With the first city dead, the Zulus moved further west, primed to take every city that remained. In the east, the Chinese were already moving their troops in to flank the Indians. The war heated up, but Shaka, pleased with the results, saw a nearby threat and wanted it crushed......
---------------------------
PINE SPRINGS - Deep in the palace War Room, where all military decisions were made, Shaka and his major generals were strategizing the attack.
With the Chinese pouring into India from the Great Isthmus, the eastern battlefront was covered. The Zulus would not be outflanked or suprised at Junglepost or Northbay. The task left to the Zulu cavalry was to smash all resistance in the west. With the destruction or capture of every Indian city, the northern empire would soon become trapped between the Zulus, Chinese, and the ocean.
The first target would be New Lahore on the northern fringes of the Great Barrier Jungle. It was a strong, well managed city surrounded by lush farms. The Chinese were marching several detatchment regiments to reinforce the defenses at New Beijing and prevent a northern flanking.
The intial force of eight regiments had been boosted with an additional two supplementary regiments. New Lahore boasted little more than two musket regiments and a pike detatchment. What was on Shaka's mind, however, was what was lurking nearby...where an army can hide until it's needed...in the deep jungle.
----------------------------
BARRIER JUNGLE -
A rider galloped ahead of the regiment toward the officers.
"Do you hear something?" he asked them as they pressed forward through the vegetation. The air was so damp and heavy, the men were shirtless and cooling themselves off with wet towels from the river.
The officer, unpleasant and irritated by the heat, gruffly answered: "No! Get back to your post!"
The rider, sure he'd heard something in the deep, rode forward, ahead of the regiment. The officers at the head of the regiment called for him to come back, but were soon losing sight of the rider.
"What's going on? What's he doing?"
Suddenly, a rumble shook the jungle ground as the officers rode forward to see what was happening. A trumpeting noise blared through the trees, followed by two musket shots, and a 'twang' of arrows. The officers raced back to the regiment!
"WAR ELEPHANTS!!!" they yelled as the Zulu regiment quickly primed their muskets. The officers, carrying hand pistols, brought them out and waited. Suddenly, they saw the first elephant charging in. The officers fired, but the beast didn't slow down. Several other men aimed their muskets and fired. Finally, one shot hit the rider at the top and the beast turned away.
"Battle formations!" the officers ordered. The regiment organized themselves in several lines and rode forward, slowly with their weapons ready. Mpende, in the second line from the front, gripped his musket tightly, listening to every sound that came from the jungle.
Just then, a tremedous rumble (like an earthquake or explosion) let out from deeper in the trees. The regiment charged forward faster, ready to counter the threat. "Hit the rider at the top of the elephant and you'll have a better chance of steering it away from danger," the main officers commented. "Never panic. Always stay with the regiment. If you're cut off, work from where you can until you find a way back to your regiment."
"Yessir!" the men yelled, including Mpende.
The crashing and snapping sound of trees breaking neared as the men rode forward. Finally, several of the trees ahead seemed to sway. Several fell. The elephant lines approached...
Mpende aimed his weapon high. He soon saw the first grey elephant, tusks at the ready, charging forward, snapping trees in the way. He fired at the rider and missed. Several of his comerades shot the elephant, enraging the animal. The rider, only about 30 yards away, fired his arrows at the regiment. Some Zulu were hit while others continued to fire. Finally, someone shot the rider, but the elephant continued and trampled two riders in its path.
The Zulus charged all-out as the elephants approached.
"Zulus...hold! Aim......FIRE!" the officers cried.
The jungle filled with white musket smoke as the riders emptied their guns. Several Indian riders fell from their posts above as the Zulus scrambled to get out of the way of the elephants. Many were trampled before the lines crossed each other.
Turning around, both regiments rode forward again, and did battle. The quicker cavalry soon did away with the elephant riders, killing most of the survivng Indians. With the surviving elephants dissapearing into the jungle, the battle was over. The regiment was at 1/2 strength now, losing many of its numbers.
Subsequent battles continued as the Zulu regiments were ambushed by war elephants or archers on their way through the jungle. Managing to counterattack the survivng war elephants, the Zulus soon dispatched the threat altogether and left the forest, arriving on the borders of New Lahore.
The battle there was not terribly brutal...the poorly trained Indians fell almost immediately. The city was given to Persia by Shaka, in an unprecedented move, as a way to assuage the Persian-Zulu War tensions that remained.
With the first city dead, the Zulus moved further west, primed to take every city that remained. In the east, the Chinese were already moving their troops in to flank the Indians. The war heated up, but Shaka, pleased with the results, saw a nearby threat and wanted it crushed......
Erik Mesoy
Core Tester / Intern
Keep going! Vet Cav vs. reg muskets is pretty easy. But it will be a lot harder if you let that city get to size 7. So block the wheatfields!
New Lahore was captured three days ago and already, the Zulu cavalry regiments are on the move. Additional supplements are heading to the area to bolster Chinese and Zulu strength enormously. Japan has refused Indian requests that the country declare war on China. While the Chinese hit the eastern outposts, Zulu troops are marching across the southwestern Indian coast, liberating cities as they go......But in Delhi, the Indian capital, a heinous plan is forming...
------------------------
DELHI, INDIA - Gandhi approaches the mysterious visitor, dressed in foreign cloaks. "Welcome to Delhi," the Indian ruler greets the visitor. "I trust your journey was comfortable."
The visitor nods, adding, "Quite...but I'm here to aid you in the struggle against the Zulus."
"I heard you were a Persian defector, but who are you?"
"My name is Erik Mesoy. I was the Persian military secretary under Xerxes. Our nation suffered greatly after the Persian-Zulu War and Xerxes did not want to continue fighting. I had been planning an assault on the Zulu empire itself, but Xerxes said it was 'too risky.' So I've defected my country and pledged allegiance to yours. I want Shaka dead and the Zulus enslaved!"
"Good. Me too...but what do you have in mind?"
"I have agents in many cities. Zulu included. They're usually dormant until I call for their services. I have organized a squad in Pine Springs. They wait for my command. I've formulated a plan to kidnap Shaka and hold him for ransom."
"WHAT?" Gandhi said, perplexed.
"Your armies and cities will never be able to withstand the fury of the Zulu cavalry. China you might be able to defeat, but not the Zulus. If we can get Shaka, we can force a peace agreement between the nations and end the war before the entire empire falls. Stop the Zulu advance, and you can concentrate all your forces on China. That weakling nation's riders will fall to your war elephants and peace will be declared. Then, the Zulus can pay reparations for our losses in exchange for the safe return of their king."
"Unbelievable! Can you do this? Are you certain you can?"
"If my men strike in the dark of the night, we can almost certainly reach Shaka."
"Do it. Call up your men! Take him and escape to New Karachi."
"Where's that?"
"It's a small city on an island west of those blasted incense fields. We built it there as a jump point for a possible invasion, but were never able to get enough troops there. The city is protected by a war elephant regiment as well as a spearman one."
"Good. With no navy in the western sea, the Zulus will be helpless. Have a ship waiting for me on the mainland. We'll cross one day after the kidnapping."
"It will be done. Thank you!" Gandhi shook Mesoy's hand and left.
--------------------------
PINE SPRINGS - The crickets chirped outside as Shaka got ready for bed. He stepped into his room and blew out the oil lamp beside his bed. Pulling back the sheets, he prepared to get in. Suddenly, a cord or rope caught him by the throat and pulled him back. He fell on his back to the floor and felt the rope get tighter on his neck. Still breathing, he tried to reach for his sword (which he wore everywhere). Several hands grabbed his arms and legs and he was lifted away. He felt his sword being pulled away and tried to call for help. Suddenly, a sheet of some sort covered his mouth completely and gagged him.
Shaka felt the cool breeze of the Pine Spring autumn and realized he was outside. Just then, as he was about to try and wrestle free, a club hit him on the back of the head and everything went black...
------------------------
THE SHORE OF THE MAINLAND - Shaka awoke and saw the western sea churning before him. A small canoe was waiting on the beach and the distant hills of a foggy island were visible in the horizon. He realized he was being kidnapped by Indians and tried to escape.
He turned to run and found his hands chained to his feet. Shaka stumbled to the sand, among the laughter of his captors. He turned to fight, but found too many enemy soldiers and no weapon in his scabbard. The Indian captors threw him into the canoe and set off for the misty island. Shaka saw as his mainland shores became more and more distant...
------------------------
STALLIONVILLE, ZULULAND - The Zulu war minister looked at the regiment commanders straight in the eye as he inspected them. Finally, satisfied, he began, "You have been ordered here to answer the injustice of India! Our great king has been captured and you must return him safely. No one in the empire knows this but the men in this room. We cannot lose our King and we cannot bargain for his return. Understood?"
"YESSIR!" the men shouted, standing at attention.
"Now we choose our cavalry leader. For his outstanding bravery in combat, the title goes to KittenOFchaos!"
KittenOFchaos nodded. Relieving the men, the regiment officers immediately led their two cavalry regiments toward the awaiting galley. It had been a mistake by the Indians to boast that the Zulus had no navy in the western sea. In fact, Stallionville was the main producer of western-bound ships. And now, the perfect transport for the rescue force.
Loading the horses and weapons on board, the ship set sail in complete secrecy, slinking off toward New Karachi. KittenOFchaos would soon have another chance to prove himself, as he tried to rescue the Zulu king......
------------------------
DELHI, INDIA - Gandhi approaches the mysterious visitor, dressed in foreign cloaks. "Welcome to Delhi," the Indian ruler greets the visitor. "I trust your journey was comfortable."
The visitor nods, adding, "Quite...but I'm here to aid you in the struggle against the Zulus."
"I heard you were a Persian defector, but who are you?"
"My name is Erik Mesoy. I was the Persian military secretary under Xerxes. Our nation suffered greatly after the Persian-Zulu War and Xerxes did not want to continue fighting. I had been planning an assault on the Zulu empire itself, but Xerxes said it was 'too risky.' So I've defected my country and pledged allegiance to yours. I want Shaka dead and the Zulus enslaved!"
"Good. Me too...but what do you have in mind?"
"I have agents in many cities. Zulu included. They're usually dormant until I call for their services. I have organized a squad in Pine Springs. They wait for my command. I've formulated a plan to kidnap Shaka and hold him for ransom."
"WHAT?" Gandhi said, perplexed.
"Your armies and cities will never be able to withstand the fury of the Zulu cavalry. China you might be able to defeat, but not the Zulus. If we can get Shaka, we can force a peace agreement between the nations and end the war before the entire empire falls. Stop the Zulu advance, and you can concentrate all your forces on China. That weakling nation's riders will fall to your war elephants and peace will be declared. Then, the Zulus can pay reparations for our losses in exchange for the safe return of their king."
"Unbelievable! Can you do this? Are you certain you can?"
"If my men strike in the dark of the night, we can almost certainly reach Shaka."
"Do it. Call up your men! Take him and escape to New Karachi."
"Where's that?"
"It's a small city on an island west of those blasted incense fields. We built it there as a jump point for a possible invasion, but were never able to get enough troops there. The city is protected by a war elephant regiment as well as a spearman one."
"Good. With no navy in the western sea, the Zulus will be helpless. Have a ship waiting for me on the mainland. We'll cross one day after the kidnapping."
"It will be done. Thank you!" Gandhi shook Mesoy's hand and left.
--------------------------
PINE SPRINGS - The crickets chirped outside as Shaka got ready for bed. He stepped into his room and blew out the oil lamp beside his bed. Pulling back the sheets, he prepared to get in. Suddenly, a cord or rope caught him by the throat and pulled him back. He fell on his back to the floor and felt the rope get tighter on his neck. Still breathing, he tried to reach for his sword (which he wore everywhere). Several hands grabbed his arms and legs and he was lifted away. He felt his sword being pulled away and tried to call for help. Suddenly, a sheet of some sort covered his mouth completely and gagged him.
Shaka felt the cool breeze of the Pine Spring autumn and realized he was outside. Just then, as he was about to try and wrestle free, a club hit him on the back of the head and everything went black...
------------------------
THE SHORE OF THE MAINLAND - Shaka awoke and saw the western sea churning before him. A small canoe was waiting on the beach and the distant hills of a foggy island were visible in the horizon. He realized he was being kidnapped by Indians and tried to escape.
He turned to run and found his hands chained to his feet. Shaka stumbled to the sand, among the laughter of his captors. He turned to fight, but found too many enemy soldiers and no weapon in his scabbard. The Indian captors threw him into the canoe and set off for the misty island. Shaka saw as his mainland shores became more and more distant...
------------------------
STALLIONVILLE, ZULULAND - The Zulu war minister looked at the regiment commanders straight in the eye as he inspected them. Finally, satisfied, he began, "You have been ordered here to answer the injustice of India! Our great king has been captured and you must return him safely. No one in the empire knows this but the men in this room. We cannot lose our King and we cannot bargain for his return. Understood?"
"YESSIR!" the men shouted, standing at attention.
"Now we choose our cavalry leader. For his outstanding bravery in combat, the title goes to KittenOFchaos!"
KittenOFchaos nodded. Relieving the men, the regiment officers immediately led their two cavalry regiments toward the awaiting galley. It had been a mistake by the Indians to boast that the Zulus had no navy in the western sea. In fact, Stallionville was the main producer of western-bound ships. And now, the perfect transport for the rescue force.
Loading the horses and weapons on board, the ship set sail in complete secrecy, slinking off toward New Karachi. KittenOFchaos would soon have another chance to prove himself, as he tried to rescue the Zulu king......
ISLAND OF NEW KARACHI - The Zulu galley finally dropped anchor off the island shore. The Zulus had always ignored this blemish on the western sea. This speck of dirt in the water was one of the most resource-less places on Earth. The island was almost completely barren desert, except for a grassy expanse on the western side. There was an old, volcanic, worn-down hill in the south and a mosquito-infested jungle in the north. New Karachi lay in the grassy area, protected by an elephant regiment and a spearman one.
KittenOFchaos looked at the island with an intense focus. Full of determination and anger, he swore he'd rescue the king or die trying. Unloading his two regiments, the force travelled farther inland, heading toward the city. The yellow sand dunes blew quietly as the regiments marched. To his right, KittenOFchaos saw the small grass-covered hills of an old volcano that rested millions of years before. There were ruins of some old, barbaric tribe half-covered in grass and moss. Flowers blossomed on the north side of the hills, their white and yellow petals fluttering in the breeze. A soft, dry wind blew through the regiments as they contuned.
Slowly, sandy desert was becoming patched with grassy tufts. The hardy plants were rooted into ever-thinning soil. Finally, sand altogether dissapeared and a grassy covering of scraggly leaves remained. Thistles waved in the breeze...some horses paused briefly to enjoy the unexpected treat. The rough grass soon became softer as the land became slightly more humid. The soil beneath the riders was now black, rich in nutrients and prime for development. Maybe having a settlement here to establish a Zulu presence would not be such a terrible idea, thought KittenOFchaos.
----------------------------
As the regiments marched, different battalion commanders took positions around the main group to oversee the surroundings. It was unfortunate, then, that ProPain (the 217th Battalion Lt. Colonel). ProPain was a quiet, yet decisive man who never believed in "half-assing" anything.
As he was marching ahead of the entire regiment, his horse trotted over a small hill. Suddenly, he was struck by an elephant rider and fell dead. The Zulu regiments suddenly gaered for battle while KittenOFchaos rode to a better vantage point. The small hill rolled down into another valley set before New Karachi. Several elephants were already beginning a charge up the hill toward the Zulus.
KittenOFchaos calmly got off his horse and aimed his musket at the elephant archer on top. Firing, he struck the Indian and the elephant slowed down and left harmlessly, the dead driver still limp across its back. KittenOFchaos fired at another charging driver. Another hit. More and more elephants began a full charge. Seventy feet away, the nearest ones approached. KittenOFchaos fired once more. A hit!
"Battalion commanders," he yelled back, "form a line for battle. Prepare to charge, weapons up!"
Elephants began trumpeting as they neared...fifty feet away. The ground began to rumble. KittenOFchaos got on his horse.
"Battalions load weapons!" The order was repeated down the ranks. Clicking sounds were heard as the muskets were cocked the powder was lighted. The Indians were forty feet away...arrows began raining down.
"CHAAARGE!" The Zulus bolted forward, raising their guns. The elephants approached. Arrows flew down, hitting several cavalrymen. They fell onto the grass, dead.
"FIRE!" KittenOFchaos yelled as the first elephant passed by. The horses, terrified reared back. Some unwary cavalrymen fell back and were trampled by charging elephants. The others dischared their weapons in a symphony of thunder and smoke! Indian drivers fell in droves. The Zulus charged through the Indian lines and soon, turned for another pass.
Blood covered the trampled grass and slowly dripped from the bodies of the dead. The opposing forces clashed one more time, slaughtering hundreds of Indians. Arrows, it seemed, were now relics of the past. The musket had proven itself, finally in battle. The war elephant regiment fell apart and was scattered throughout the island's four corners. The Zulus pressed forward, now battle-ready.
Clashing with the spearmen, all the battalion did was fire several volleys into the defending lines before the Indian spearmen saw the absurdity of resistance. The settlement was renamed in Shaka's honor as "Shaka's Island Resort" and KittenOFchaos entered the small settlement and began his search for Shaka.
Coercing many enemy captured into confessions, KittenOFchaos determined Shaka had been taken into a nearby courthouse serving as a jail. He and a small squad of battalion commanders followed into the courthouse. The small Indian-style building was black (made of volcanic obsidian found nearby) and engraved in cultural patterns and statuettes. The wooden door opened easily to KittenOFchaos as he entered. Making his way to the lower cells, he began looking at each one.
The first. "Get a torch in there," he ordered one of the jail deputies. Compling, they saw an empty cell...
The second cell. "Get a light in there, deputy." A petty theif caught trying to steal milk from the marketplace.
The third cell. "The torch...c'mon!" Empty.
The last cell. "The torch. Give it to me!" A ragged man lay crouched in a corner, half-asleep. "Open the door.......NOW!" The deputy nervously jangled away with his keys. Before long, the cell door opened and KittenOFchaos walked in. Bringing the torch closer, he lifted the hood of the prisoner and looked into his face......
"SHAKA! King!" he proclaimed, bowing. Shaka, tired from receiving meager rations of food and water for the past week, barely recognized anyone. He mumbled something and cried softly. Saddened by Shaka's appearance, KittenOFchaos lowered his head. As he did, his eyes came to rest on his own sword. An idea shot into his head like a fire. Leaping out, he took a sword away from one of his commanders. It was a sword they'd found in Shaka's chambers the morning after his kiddnapping.
"Shaka...look! Do you recognize it?" KittenOFchaos asked, extending the silver broadsword out. Shaka looked up and stayed quiet. Nobody spoke. The only sound was the still breathing of the men and the flickering of the torches. Finally, Shaka's hand extended out, the skin callussed and sickly. His fingers prodded the pommel, grip and crossguard (all beautifully engraved in gold). An old light flashed into his eyes and he stood up, receiving the heavy sword with renewed strength. He held it up to the torch's light, the reflection shining into his eyes. He felt a new strength overpowering up...empowering his body......
He raised the sword high, nearing the stone ceiling smiled. Finally he spoke: "I knew you'd come!...my royal scabbard lies in the city treasury vaults at the governor's hall."
"I will get it for you," KittenOFchaos said.
"I want to return to Pine Springs now. I feel I've been gone long enough......there is no curse in Zulu, Indian, Chinese, Persian, Babylonian, or Japanese for this kind of barbarism! India will burn for this act and I swear I will kill Gandhi with my own hands for this! Get all our forces into the northern sectors...if India wants a war, I shall give it to them!"
KittenOFchaos looked at the island with an intense focus. Full of determination and anger, he swore he'd rescue the king or die trying. Unloading his two regiments, the force travelled farther inland, heading toward the city. The yellow sand dunes blew quietly as the regiments marched. To his right, KittenOFchaos saw the small grass-covered hills of an old volcano that rested millions of years before. There were ruins of some old, barbaric tribe half-covered in grass and moss. Flowers blossomed on the north side of the hills, their white and yellow petals fluttering in the breeze. A soft, dry wind blew through the regiments as they contuned.
Slowly, sandy desert was becoming patched with grassy tufts. The hardy plants were rooted into ever-thinning soil. Finally, sand altogether dissapeared and a grassy covering of scraggly leaves remained. Thistles waved in the breeze...some horses paused briefly to enjoy the unexpected treat. The rough grass soon became softer as the land became slightly more humid. The soil beneath the riders was now black, rich in nutrients and prime for development. Maybe having a settlement here to establish a Zulu presence would not be such a terrible idea, thought KittenOFchaos.
----------------------------
As the regiments marched, different battalion commanders took positions around the main group to oversee the surroundings. It was unfortunate, then, that ProPain (the 217th Battalion Lt. Colonel). ProPain was a quiet, yet decisive man who never believed in "half-assing" anything.
As he was marching ahead of the entire regiment, his horse trotted over a small hill. Suddenly, he was struck by an elephant rider and fell dead. The Zulu regiments suddenly gaered for battle while KittenOFchaos rode to a better vantage point. The small hill rolled down into another valley set before New Karachi. Several elephants were already beginning a charge up the hill toward the Zulus.
KittenOFchaos calmly got off his horse and aimed his musket at the elephant archer on top. Firing, he struck the Indian and the elephant slowed down and left harmlessly, the dead driver still limp across its back. KittenOFchaos fired at another charging driver. Another hit. More and more elephants began a full charge. Seventy feet away, the nearest ones approached. KittenOFchaos fired once more. A hit!
"Battalion commanders," he yelled back, "form a line for battle. Prepare to charge, weapons up!"
Elephants began trumpeting as they neared...fifty feet away. The ground began to rumble. KittenOFchaos got on his horse.
"Battalions load weapons!" The order was repeated down the ranks. Clicking sounds were heard as the muskets were cocked the powder was lighted. The Indians were forty feet away...arrows began raining down.
"CHAAARGE!" The Zulus bolted forward, raising their guns. The elephants approached. Arrows flew down, hitting several cavalrymen. They fell onto the grass, dead.
"FIRE!" KittenOFchaos yelled as the first elephant passed by. The horses, terrified reared back. Some unwary cavalrymen fell back and were trampled by charging elephants. The others dischared their weapons in a symphony of thunder and smoke! Indian drivers fell in droves. The Zulus charged through the Indian lines and soon, turned for another pass.
Blood covered the trampled grass and slowly dripped from the bodies of the dead. The opposing forces clashed one more time, slaughtering hundreds of Indians. Arrows, it seemed, were now relics of the past. The musket had proven itself, finally in battle. The war elephant regiment fell apart and was scattered throughout the island's four corners. The Zulus pressed forward, now battle-ready.
Clashing with the spearmen, all the battalion did was fire several volleys into the defending lines before the Indian spearmen saw the absurdity of resistance. The settlement was renamed in Shaka's honor as "Shaka's Island Resort" and KittenOFchaos entered the small settlement and began his search for Shaka.
Coercing many enemy captured into confessions, KittenOFchaos determined Shaka had been taken into a nearby courthouse serving as a jail. He and a small squad of battalion commanders followed into the courthouse. The small Indian-style building was black (made of volcanic obsidian found nearby) and engraved in cultural patterns and statuettes. The wooden door opened easily to KittenOFchaos as he entered. Making his way to the lower cells, he began looking at each one.
The first. "Get a torch in there," he ordered one of the jail deputies. Compling, they saw an empty cell...
The second cell. "Get a light in there, deputy." A petty theif caught trying to steal milk from the marketplace.
The third cell. "The torch...c'mon!" Empty.
The last cell. "The torch. Give it to me!" A ragged man lay crouched in a corner, half-asleep. "Open the door.......NOW!" The deputy nervously jangled away with his keys. Before long, the cell door opened and KittenOFchaos walked in. Bringing the torch closer, he lifted the hood of the prisoner and looked into his face......
"SHAKA! King!" he proclaimed, bowing. Shaka, tired from receiving meager rations of food and water for the past week, barely recognized anyone. He mumbled something and cried softly. Saddened by Shaka's appearance, KittenOFchaos lowered his head. As he did, his eyes came to rest on his own sword. An idea shot into his head like a fire. Leaping out, he took a sword away from one of his commanders. It was a sword they'd found in Shaka's chambers the morning after his kiddnapping.
"Shaka...look! Do you recognize it?" KittenOFchaos asked, extending the silver broadsword out. Shaka looked up and stayed quiet. Nobody spoke. The only sound was the still breathing of the men and the flickering of the torches. Finally, Shaka's hand extended out, the skin callussed and sickly. His fingers prodded the pommel, grip and crossguard (all beautifully engraved in gold). An old light flashed into his eyes and he stood up, receiving the heavy sword with renewed strength. He held it up to the torch's light, the reflection shining into his eyes. He felt a new strength overpowering up...empowering his body......
He raised the sword high, nearing the stone ceiling smiled. Finally he spoke: "I knew you'd come!...my royal scabbard lies in the city treasury vaults at the governor's hall."
"I will get it for you," KittenOFchaos said.
"I want to return to Pine Springs now. I feel I've been gone long enough......there is no curse in Zulu, Indian, Chinese, Persian, Babylonian, or Japanese for this kind of barbarism! India will burn for this act and I swear I will kill Gandhi with my own hands for this! Get all our forces into the northern sectors...if India wants a war, I shall give it to them!"
Ancient Grudge
Its all in this life
carry on please and hurry up now 
a very good story
a very good story
NEW KOLHAPUR, INDIA - The small village rested on the shores of an unamed gulf, surrounded by high peaks. The Zulu regiment prepared itself for an easy charge (the village was barely held together by a spearman regiment). Mpende never heard of Shaka's kidnapping, but wondered why in the recent weeks, thousands of Zulu troops had marched northward from the main cities.
There were already enough forces travelling westward to capture the Indian cities. New Kolhapur was about to fall and a few miles further west, another weak Indian town (New Calcutta) would never withstand the Zulu invasion......Why then, Mpende wondered as he rode into formation, had Shaka thrust all of the Zulu miltary to the north?
----------------------------
PINE SPRINGS -
"No, Mr Ambassador. You can't." Shaka shook his head.
"I am sorry. But the Chinese cannot be a part of this any longer."
"But we are so close to a victory...you know what the Indians will do if they succeed. Invade China and spread their malice. Mr. Ambassador, you must stick with us."
"Our treasury is almost depleted. Hundreds are starving back in Nanking and Shanghai, at the expense of industrial production."
"Fine...just don't send troops. Simply remain in the alliance. We can take care of it."
"No...India would see fit to attack us if we remained in alliance."
"You cannot leave!"
"I'm sorry...I see no other option." The ambassador walked up to leave. Shaka leaped from his chair. "Mr Ambassador," he spoke, loudly. "If you leave, the friendship is over! We will see you as an open target for war. When we have destroyed India, we'll come and destroy you!"
The ambassador laughed at the remark, adding, "You cannot destroy China." He left, with Shaka remaining behind, holding back his rage! China and India declared peace the next day. The Zulus were on their own!
-------------------------
NEW CALCUTTA, ZULU-OCCUPIED - The city had fallen, along with New Kolhapur, without much resistance. The cavalrymen had destroyed much of the Indian will to fight. All elephant reserves had been expended and the empire now relied on fighting a defensive war from inside their city walls.
A large detatchment of Zulu 78th and 21st Companies had marched to the most western Indian city, New Bombay, and had captured it without trouble. With another Zulu corp having captured Ganges in the north, all forces converged on Punjab.
Here, the cakewalk into the north would end. The Indian scientists had finally discovered the art of gunpowder. With a source of saltpeter in the north, the Indians had mass-produced muskets and sent them to every tactically-important city. Punjab, the large city remaining in the southern areas, was the first city the Zulus encountered with musketmen.
A local Chinese presence in the area kept some units from charging to the front. Mpende was not one of them. His regiment had the task of taking or destroying the Indian city. It lay at the foot of an enourmous, bare-rock mountain. A river flowed through the city and out the northern end toward Bangalore. With two musket regiments garrisoned deep with the city, the task of removing this threat would be enormous.
---------------------------
OUTSIDE MADRAS, INDIA - KittenOFchaos was back in action! Having returned to the mainland after rescuing the king, he was now in charge of the newly formed VI Corp. This was made up of every cavalryman the Zulus had. Everything that Shaka had pushed to the north was in response to his kidnapping. China would not be needed in the east anymore (not that Shaka expected an eternal alliance).
The VI Corp's first assignment was the capture of Madras. This city was key if the Zulu regiments were going to take the capital, Delhi, in due time. Madras rested across a major river, surrounded by rich plantations and a few small hills outside the city. The garrisoned Indian army comprised of two regular musketman regiments plus an additional pike. Although not terribly well-defended, the Indian population there was famous for its jingoistic (extremely patriotic) character.
KittenOFchaos readied his men for the charge. He knew the city would collapse soon enough...An hour later, he was leading the barrage against Madras' green musketmen. One of KittenOFchaos' regiments was shaken badly, but the remaining three succesfully wiped out the defenders. KittenOFchaos marched through the gates and took down the Indian flag...
-----------------------------
PUNJAB, INDIA - The battle was particualarly fierce. Mpende's regiment was almost totally wiped out. Additional reinforcements mounted their assaults and fell back, routed. Finally, a nearby veteran regiment was forced into the battle by the generals and broke the musket lines, allowing for an infiltration and shattering of the city's resistance.
Unfortunately, the heavily-brainwashed Indian troops refused to surrender easily and continued fighting in small pockets throughout the city. It became so aggravating to regiment commanders, that, two days after the attack started, the order was given to raze the city. Cavalrymen encircled the city while platoons and squads torched the city along the resisting populace.
Having wiped out Madras, the Zulus continued, supplemented by two cavalry regiments, toward Bangalore. The battle there was harsh, but quick, and the city fell to a new Zulu military govenor. At the same time, a Zulu amphibious regiment, landed in the frozen wastelands of a distant penninsula to the northwest and captured two minor settlements there.
---------------------------
All that remained of India now was the famous "Indian Bloc", a name given to the last eight cities. All except the isolated New Delhi were heavily defended. All housed major government organizations and all were important targets. In the east, VI Corp was marching toward Delhi with a force of eight regiments. A small detatchment from Pune (a recently captured town) was marching toward Bombay to test the defenses. The war had been a smashing success so far...but the Indian Bloc remained to be tested. And Gandhi refused to surrender...the Incense War dragged on......
There were already enough forces travelling westward to capture the Indian cities. New Kolhapur was about to fall and a few miles further west, another weak Indian town (New Calcutta) would never withstand the Zulu invasion......Why then, Mpende wondered as he rode into formation, had Shaka thrust all of the Zulu miltary to the north?
----------------------------
PINE SPRINGS -
"No, Mr Ambassador. You can't." Shaka shook his head.
"I am sorry. But the Chinese cannot be a part of this any longer."
"But we are so close to a victory...you know what the Indians will do if they succeed. Invade China and spread their malice. Mr. Ambassador, you must stick with us."
"Our treasury is almost depleted. Hundreds are starving back in Nanking and Shanghai, at the expense of industrial production."
"Fine...just don't send troops. Simply remain in the alliance. We can take care of it."
"No...India would see fit to attack us if we remained in alliance."
"You cannot leave!"
"I'm sorry...I see no other option." The ambassador walked up to leave. Shaka leaped from his chair. "Mr Ambassador," he spoke, loudly. "If you leave, the friendship is over! We will see you as an open target for war. When we have destroyed India, we'll come and destroy you!"
The ambassador laughed at the remark, adding, "You cannot destroy China." He left, with Shaka remaining behind, holding back his rage! China and India declared peace the next day. The Zulus were on their own!
-------------------------
NEW CALCUTTA, ZULU-OCCUPIED - The city had fallen, along with New Kolhapur, without much resistance. The cavalrymen had destroyed much of the Indian will to fight. All elephant reserves had been expended and the empire now relied on fighting a defensive war from inside their city walls.
A large detatchment of Zulu 78th and 21st Companies had marched to the most western Indian city, New Bombay, and had captured it without trouble. With another Zulu corp having captured Ganges in the north, all forces converged on Punjab.
Here, the cakewalk into the north would end. The Indian scientists had finally discovered the art of gunpowder. With a source of saltpeter in the north, the Indians had mass-produced muskets and sent them to every tactically-important city. Punjab, the large city remaining in the southern areas, was the first city the Zulus encountered with musketmen.
A local Chinese presence in the area kept some units from charging to the front. Mpende was not one of them. His regiment had the task of taking or destroying the Indian city. It lay at the foot of an enourmous, bare-rock mountain. A river flowed through the city and out the northern end toward Bangalore. With two musket regiments garrisoned deep with the city, the task of removing this threat would be enormous.
---------------------------
OUTSIDE MADRAS, INDIA - KittenOFchaos was back in action! Having returned to the mainland after rescuing the king, he was now in charge of the newly formed VI Corp. This was made up of every cavalryman the Zulus had. Everything that Shaka had pushed to the north was in response to his kidnapping. China would not be needed in the east anymore (not that Shaka expected an eternal alliance).
The VI Corp's first assignment was the capture of Madras. This city was key if the Zulu regiments were going to take the capital, Delhi, in due time. Madras rested across a major river, surrounded by rich plantations and a few small hills outside the city. The garrisoned Indian army comprised of two regular musketman regiments plus an additional pike. Although not terribly well-defended, the Indian population there was famous for its jingoistic (extremely patriotic) character.
KittenOFchaos readied his men for the charge. He knew the city would collapse soon enough...An hour later, he was leading the barrage against Madras' green musketmen. One of KittenOFchaos' regiments was shaken badly, but the remaining three succesfully wiped out the defenders. KittenOFchaos marched through the gates and took down the Indian flag...
-----------------------------
PUNJAB, INDIA - The battle was particualarly fierce. Mpende's regiment was almost totally wiped out. Additional reinforcements mounted their assaults and fell back, routed. Finally, a nearby veteran regiment was forced into the battle by the generals and broke the musket lines, allowing for an infiltration and shattering of the city's resistance.
Unfortunately, the heavily-brainwashed Indian troops refused to surrender easily and continued fighting in small pockets throughout the city. It became so aggravating to regiment commanders, that, two days after the attack started, the order was given to raze the city. Cavalrymen encircled the city while platoons and squads torched the city along the resisting populace.
Having wiped out Madras, the Zulus continued, supplemented by two cavalry regiments, toward Bangalore. The battle there was harsh, but quick, and the city fell to a new Zulu military govenor. At the same time, a Zulu amphibious regiment, landed in the frozen wastelands of a distant penninsula to the northwest and captured two minor settlements there.
---------------------------
All that remained of India now was the famous "Indian Bloc", a name given to the last eight cities. All except the isolated New Delhi were heavily defended. All housed major government organizations and all were important targets. In the east, VI Corp was marching toward Delhi with a force of eight regiments. A small detatchment from Pune (a recently captured town) was marching toward Bombay to test the defenses. The war had been a smashing success so far...but the Indian Bloc remained to be tested. And Gandhi refused to surrender...the Incense War dragged on......
DELHI, INDIA - Gandhi looked out from his palace balcony toward the eastern horizon. The sun was rising slowly, and the spring's chill could be felt as he tightened the warm blanket around his body. His thoughts rested heavily on the war and the mistakes he had made along the way. He finally realized the strength of the Zulu war machine and how settling on the incense fields had been a bad idea.
Anger overcame him as he remembered the dealings with Erik Mesoy. India had been so stupid, he thought, to participate in Shaka's kidnapping! Not only had the whole thing failed, but the Zulus had struck with renewed ferocity! He looked down toward the city streets and noticed several squads of musketmen marching toward the city limits. He wondered why the city was conducting training exercises this early in the morning...
---------------------------
OUTSIDE DELHI - KittenOFchaos clicked the breech of his 1897 Shaka-Standard Cavalry Musket and let it rest on his lap. The rest of his regiment was already lining up for the charge. He looked west and saw what Shaka had been desiring all this time: Delhi, the Indian capital! Only if Delhi fell, could the Zulus be assured of victory. The recent weeks had brought much success to the Zulus, but one outpost remained. Gandhi, resting peacefully in his great city, had been too reliant on his mucketmen to repel the cavalry.
The fool would soon realize, KittenOFchaos thought. He signaled the rest of his regiments to move behind. Taking one last look to see everything was in order, he began a paced march toward Delhi. The land here was totally flat, lying right in the North River Valley. There were few hills or other terrain features nearby as the closest features were the central mountains seperating Delhi from Lahore. The city limits finally came into view. The sun, rising behind them provided an excellent advantage to the cavalry (much as it had before at Antioch).
A chilly wind blew in from the north. Although it was mid-Spring, the effect was not lessened by the fact that Delhi rested relatively close to the northern tundras. KittenOFchaos continued his march, despite the cold. He signaled for a quicker pace and began a quick trot forward (though, not yet a charge). The Indian musketmen crouched down to avoid the rising sun, and took aim. KittenOFchaos drew his musket, followed by the other regiments.
In total, Shaka had sent four cavalry regiments against the two musket. Gandhi had requested additional troops, but his generals had failed to deliver in time. The fall of Madras had caught everyone by surprise. Bombay had fallen in the last few months and it (along with Bangalore) had been given to the Persians.
KittenOFchaos finally reached a target distance and raised his arm. The regiments stopped and the Indians readied themselves. He looked at the city for a second. The buildings displaying their Indian purple banners proudly. In the distance, he could see the palace and inside he knew Gandhi dwelled. His horse nickered under the cool morning as the grass glistened with last night's dew. He looked back, his regiments all poised to strike...
KittenOFchaos threw down his arm and the charge began! A rumbling of horses overtook the land as the Zulu raised their guns. The Indians began firing, their hands shaking in fear. The Zulu fired back in a massive volley and fell nearly every musketman uncovered. The braver Indians stayed and fired back, in vain, while the majority fled...the city was taken!
---------------------------
By the time the small pockets of resistance had fallen, Gandhi had quickly fled and established a capital-in-exile at Lahore. His last orders before he fled were instructed to begin an uprising at Madras. The Indian agents came through and reported the loss to the citizens of Madras, exaggerating stories of civilian brutality. The citizens, enraged by the propaganda, rose up against the Zulu garrison, and overwhelmed the force. In response, KittenOFchaos dispatched two regiments from Delhi to put down the rebellion.
After a brutal battle, the city was totally burned to the ground and nothing remained except enslaved workers and the two tired regiments.
---------------------------
After a short, two-week rest, Shaka renewed the offensive in the north. After an argument with his old nemises, Xerxes, Shaka took Banagalore and Bombay back by force. There was no real "war" to speak of...but Persia and Babylon would never trust one another again...
---------------------------
Just as Shaka had predicted, the fall of Delhi had shattered the Indian morale and assured a final victory. The remaining garrisons all but surrendered when they saw Zulu forces coming and Lahore (the new capital) was quickly taken by KittenOFchaos. In the west, Mpende (who became a regiment commander) took New Delhi on the western penninsula, and was marching toward Jaipur. Shaka had established a colony of iron (pretty much worthless now) in the north, and began squeezing the last two remaining cities.
----------------------------
Finally, Jaipur fell without much trouble, and the frozen Indian outpost of Bengal was left. Shaka travelled north to Jaipur and met up with his old stepson, Mpende, to congratulate him and to honor his vow and kill Gandhi.
From his last icy refuge, Gandhi surrendered, offering several intellectual advances and money. Shaka took them, promising an everlasting peace...but when the treaty had been signed and the scientific advances delivered, Shaka marched three regiments under KittenOFchaos' command to Bengal.
Shaka, among the troops, invaded the last Indian city and found Gandhi, hiding among the refugees. Pleading with Shaka to spare him, the Zulu king brought him out to the town square and corraled all the civilians together. In response to his kidnapping months before, Shaka layed down charges against human decency and condemnded Gandhi for his actions. In addition, he made it clear that everyone had to respect Zulu authority.
After the charges had been made, and Gandhi thought it was over, Shaka came back with his beautiful silver longsword, lined in gold, to honor the vow he'd made in the Indian prison. He beheaded Gandhi and clearly warned all the Indian people never to challenge Zulu authority. With the warning, he left the frozen city for his capital at Pine Springs. The Incense War, which had lasted a little over a hundred years and cost almost 100,000 Zulu lives was finally over......
Anger overcame him as he remembered the dealings with Erik Mesoy. India had been so stupid, he thought, to participate in Shaka's kidnapping! Not only had the whole thing failed, but the Zulus had struck with renewed ferocity! He looked down toward the city streets and noticed several squads of musketmen marching toward the city limits. He wondered why the city was conducting training exercises this early in the morning...
---------------------------
OUTSIDE DELHI - KittenOFchaos clicked the breech of his 1897 Shaka-Standard Cavalry Musket and let it rest on his lap. The rest of his regiment was already lining up for the charge. He looked west and saw what Shaka had been desiring all this time: Delhi, the Indian capital! Only if Delhi fell, could the Zulus be assured of victory. The recent weeks had brought much success to the Zulus, but one outpost remained. Gandhi, resting peacefully in his great city, had been too reliant on his mucketmen to repel the cavalry.
The fool would soon realize, KittenOFchaos thought. He signaled the rest of his regiments to move behind. Taking one last look to see everything was in order, he began a paced march toward Delhi. The land here was totally flat, lying right in the North River Valley. There were few hills or other terrain features nearby as the closest features were the central mountains seperating Delhi from Lahore. The city limits finally came into view. The sun, rising behind them provided an excellent advantage to the cavalry (much as it had before at Antioch).
A chilly wind blew in from the north. Although it was mid-Spring, the effect was not lessened by the fact that Delhi rested relatively close to the northern tundras. KittenOFchaos continued his march, despite the cold. He signaled for a quicker pace and began a quick trot forward (though, not yet a charge). The Indian musketmen crouched down to avoid the rising sun, and took aim. KittenOFchaos drew his musket, followed by the other regiments.
In total, Shaka had sent four cavalry regiments against the two musket. Gandhi had requested additional troops, but his generals had failed to deliver in time. The fall of Madras had caught everyone by surprise. Bombay had fallen in the last few months and it (along with Bangalore) had been given to the Persians.
KittenOFchaos finally reached a target distance and raised his arm. The regiments stopped and the Indians readied themselves. He looked at the city for a second. The buildings displaying their Indian purple banners proudly. In the distance, he could see the palace and inside he knew Gandhi dwelled. His horse nickered under the cool morning as the grass glistened with last night's dew. He looked back, his regiments all poised to strike...
KittenOFchaos threw down his arm and the charge began! A rumbling of horses overtook the land as the Zulu raised their guns. The Indians began firing, their hands shaking in fear. The Zulu fired back in a massive volley and fell nearly every musketman uncovered. The braver Indians stayed and fired back, in vain, while the majority fled...the city was taken!
---------------------------
By the time the small pockets of resistance had fallen, Gandhi had quickly fled and established a capital-in-exile at Lahore. His last orders before he fled were instructed to begin an uprising at Madras. The Indian agents came through and reported the loss to the citizens of Madras, exaggerating stories of civilian brutality. The citizens, enraged by the propaganda, rose up against the Zulu garrison, and overwhelmed the force. In response, KittenOFchaos dispatched two regiments from Delhi to put down the rebellion.
After a brutal battle, the city was totally burned to the ground and nothing remained except enslaved workers and the two tired regiments.
---------------------------
After a short, two-week rest, Shaka renewed the offensive in the north. After an argument with his old nemises, Xerxes, Shaka took Banagalore and Bombay back by force. There was no real "war" to speak of...but Persia and Babylon would never trust one another again...
---------------------------
Just as Shaka had predicted, the fall of Delhi had shattered the Indian morale and assured a final victory. The remaining garrisons all but surrendered when they saw Zulu forces coming and Lahore (the new capital) was quickly taken by KittenOFchaos. In the west, Mpende (who became a regiment commander) took New Delhi on the western penninsula, and was marching toward Jaipur. Shaka had established a colony of iron (pretty much worthless now) in the north, and began squeezing the last two remaining cities.
----------------------------
Finally, Jaipur fell without much trouble, and the frozen Indian outpost of Bengal was left. Shaka travelled north to Jaipur and met up with his old stepson, Mpende, to congratulate him and to honor his vow and kill Gandhi.
From his last icy refuge, Gandhi surrendered, offering several intellectual advances and money. Shaka took them, promising an everlasting peace...but when the treaty had been signed and the scientific advances delivered, Shaka marched three regiments under KittenOFchaos' command to Bengal.
Shaka, among the troops, invaded the last Indian city and found Gandhi, hiding among the refugees. Pleading with Shaka to spare him, the Zulu king brought him out to the town square and corraled all the civilians together. In response to his kidnapping months before, Shaka layed down charges against human decency and condemnded Gandhi for his actions. In addition, he made it clear that everyone had to respect Zulu authority.
After the charges had been made, and Gandhi thought it was over, Shaka came back with his beautiful silver longsword, lined in gold, to honor the vow he'd made in the Indian prison. He beheaded Gandhi and clearly warned all the Indian people never to challenge Zulu authority. With the warning, he left the frozen city for his capital at Pine Springs. The Incense War, which had lasted a little over a hundred years and cost almost 100,000 Zulu lives was finally over......
Mah' bad! I was away from the computer for a few days...I'm back and there's still another part to the story......
----------------------------
BANGALORE - The city was now the regional capital for the Northern Indian Territories acquired during the war. Shaka was currently visiting the newly formed Post-War Offices in charge of consolidating power through the occupied cities. The north was weak and its resources were depleted or destroyed in the war. Now, the south was left to bear the burden of paying for the war reconstruction. All acquired cities were kept under martial law until Shaka was sure the populace was satisfied with Zulu control. But that was only superficial...
There was another reason Shaka was in the north. The treachery by Mao to pull out of the war in the time of need had hurt Shaka profoundly. The "greatest insult" (as he put it) would soon be avenged. Within the Post-War Offices, there was a secret committee appointed to be in charge of handling the preparations for a new war...
China was the target. It rested on the northern areas of the Eastern Continent with Japan and Persia south. Shaka was preparing to strike deep into Chinese territory and ravage the lands. His economy was too weak to handle an occupation-style war where troops would garrison captured cities. Instead, Shaka wanted everything razed and the people slaughtered.
But it would take time... Five Chinese cities already rested within the Western Continent. These would have to fall first in order to avoid a direct strike. In addition, the Chinese military had a large amount of Riders in their possesion. This fact kept Shaka from unleashing his troops at once. He wanted to make sure, first, that no Chinese troops would ever enter the Western Continent.
So, in the grassy plains and fields between Northbay and Hakodate, the Zulus prepared the most eleaborate, expensive defensive barrier in history. The so-called "Shaka Line" was meant to seal the Chinese within their territory if a Zulu invasion failed. By the summer, twenty years after the Incense War had ended, the line was nearly complete and, already, cavalrymen were moving in near the Chinese borders ready to strike...
----------------------------
Fifty years had passed since the war's end... The Shaka line was complete and more cavalrymen were poised to strike. KittenOFchaos, now a Shaka Medal winner and a commissioned officer in the Cavalry Corp, was in charge of the 75th Cavalry Regiment, already on the Chinese borders near the Shaka Line. Mpende was second-in-command under KittenOFchaos. The regiment (one of the finest in the empire) prepared itself to lead the invasion.
Finally, on an August day, the royal messenger rode into the Zulu camp.
"It is war. Your orders are here," he said, handing KittenOFchaos a sealed envelope. Opening it, KittenOFchaos read off the orders:
Department of War - Direct Order #45766 - Colonel KittenOFchaos - 75th Cavalry Regiment
To KittenOFchaos: Your cavalry will proceed across the Chinese border and strike at the ancient city of Ur. Your orders are to hold, NOT destroy, the city if at all possible. Use any and all force neccessary to quell resistance. The 13th, 16th, 17th, 25th, 29th, 205th, and 67th Regiments will support your position after the objectives have been completed.
Signed,
Volker - Department of War Chief of Staff
Shaka - King of the Zulus
----------------------------
"Well," KittenOFchaos said to his men. "That's it. Our objective is Ur. Regiment, MOUNT!" The soldiers mounted their horses and prepared to march. "Regiment, fall in for direct march!" The regiment assembled in a predefined order. "Regiment, MARCH!" They rode off, out of sight from the Shaka Line, and into the horizon passed the Chinese border.'
At the same time, a massive strike took place within the Western Continent itself, capturing all Chinese cities. New Nanking, New Tsingtao, Kolhapur, New Beijing, and a nameless frozen settlement far away all fell to Zulu cavalry.
----------------------------
OUTSIDE UR -
"Look at it, Mpende," KittenOFchaos said, "the last refuge of the Babylonians. Even after centuries of occupation, some families in that city still consider themselves direct descendents of Hammurabi!"
"Amazing," Mpende responded, his eyes fixed on the city gates. The regiment rode up to a nearby hill and surveyed the defenses. A minor obstacle of two musket regiment was all that standed in the way of the first trully offensive victory!
KittenOFchaos didn't bother to organize the men in any way special. He simply shouted: "CHAAARGE!" at the earliest moment and the Zulus let loose. A thunderous force rolled toward the Chinese defenders and soon, the battle was over. A smashing victory with very few losses established the first foothold in Chinese territory and the first step on the road to a promised annihilation. The Revenge War had begun...the heart of China lay ahead......
-----------------------------
TrailblazingScot
I was kittenOFchaos
This KittenOFchaos fellow seems to be doing alot of the hard work 
I've been away on holiday in Norway (skiing), nice to see how this game has progressed!
A conquest victory should be well within your grasp if you hurry it up as 2050 isn't that far away!
So less musketeers and more cavalry
I've been away on holiday in Norway (skiing), nice to see how this game has progressed!
A conquest victory should be well within your grasp if you hurry it up as 2050 isn't that far away!
So less musketeers and more cavalry
Erik Mesoy
Core Tester / Intern
Holiday in Norway? Where? I live in norway, maybe I could have seen you!
PINE SPRINGS - Shaka was old. His life had lasted nearly six millenia and the old energy of the past was all but extinguished. He spent his days discussing the war with his advisors and rarely going out in public. He knew his reign was ending, but before he retired, Shaka wanted to fight his enemy, China, in war...the final war that would establish the Zulus as the dominant civilization......
--------------------------
CANTON - Mpende lifted his musket and fired at the lone Chinese soldier on a nearby balcony. The rogue resistance was finally over. KittenOFchaos and Mpende prepared to torch the city. As soon as the city was ablaze, the Zulu regiments pulled out to continue their war of attrition.
--------------------------
KYOTO, JAPAN -
"Mister...ah, Mesoy?" the Japanese Emperor Tokugawa asked the lone visitor in his palace. The man stood up and shook the emperor's hand.
"Yes," he said, "my name is Mesoy. Erik Mesoy...and I have a proposition for you."
--------------------------
THE ROAD TO NAGASAKI, CHINA - Mpende and KittenOFchaos were charging toward Nagasaki, the once-Japanese, now-Chinese town in the south. While several regiments were sieging Tientsin in the west, the two regiment leaders were ready to isolate Beijing from the east and leave it open to attack.
The road was deserted. It wound through fertile plains, rich with resources, but the mines and irrigation farms were mostly abandoned. The war had terrified the citizens and drawn them into hiding at the cities. A misty cloud covered the sun as the men marched, leaving a dull light throughout the area. Looking to the western horizon, Mpende saw hills rising up and some mines on the slopes. Once the regiments had rounded the hills, they would be ready to strike Nagasaki.
Suddenly, a crackle (like thunder) sounded over the plains. Mpende looked around but saw no storm that would've given off the sound. Suddenly, his horse reared up, nearly throwing Mpende off. Coming down, he saw the body of a soldier and the bloody gunshot wound in his chest!
He grabbed his musket and looked all around. Finally, he saw a lone rider coming toward them, a musket in hand. The rider fired again...another Zulu cavalryman fell off to the right. Mpende rode forward and aimed his musket. He fired a well-aimed shot and fell the rider. The horse, riderless, trotted off. Mpende approached the enemy rider and dismounted. The rider, defenseless and wounded, reached into his pocket and grabbed a small shiny tube. Putting it in his mouth, he sounded off a loud, high-pitched whistle. Mpende killed the rider, but it was too late. The whistle had given away their position!
KittenOFchaos came up to Mpende and said, "I didn't know the Chinese had cavalrymen!"
Mpende shook his head. "Look," he said, pointing to a samurai sword laying on the ground several feet away. "He's Japanese, not Chinese. We're at war with Japan now!" A rumble erupted from a distant point over the hills. "We're under attack! Regiment form defensive positions...NOW!"
-----------------------------
-----------------------------
Mpende grabbed the reigns of his horse as hard as he could and pulled himself up. Collapsing on the saddle, he relied on his horse to follow the survivors away from the bloody battlefield. The first Japanese-Zulu clash had been tremendous and savage. For the first time in world history, cavalrymen had fought cavalrymen. The Zulus were no longer the only cavalry-equipped nation. Japan now had the "fire horse" (as the Chinese called them), and the Battle for Japan began...
None of this was on Mpende's mind however. The battle had wiped out most of the regiment. He, KittenOFchaos, and about thirty other survivors were limping away from the battlefield into neutral territory to heal their wounds and regain their strength. The Japanese regiment had broken itself and scattered into the lands. Nagasaki was allowed to live...at least for the time being.
KittenOFchaos was now ordered to direct his forces on Beijing, the captial, in hopes of crushing Chinese resistance in order to focus totally on Japan. In addition, he had been promised that reinforcements and additional troops were being formed for a direct assault on Japan.
--------------------------------
Meanwhile, Tientsin had fallen and lay in smoking ruins. The victorious Zulu regiments had been pulled away for the assault on Beijing. Some came under Japanese attack. On the Western Continent, however, Shaka directed his anger brutally on the Japanese colonial settlements. All were taken or destroyed quickly and Kyoto was left without any power in the West. All its forces would have to be directed on the Eastern Continent.
After several months in recovery, the Zulus had finally regained their former strength and began the attack on Beijing. The battle was bloody, costing three entire regiments to finallize, but the captial fell in the end and was spared destruction by a direct Order from Shaka. Mao fled to Nanking and set up the new capital there.
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
With Mpende and KittenOFchaos securely entrenched in the ruins of China, more regiments poured in to finish off the Chinese. These cavalrymen moved quickly across the Great Isthmus and into the old Chinese territory. All the troops moving this way were ordered to destroy China. With the empire half-dead and tactically inferior, many realized it wouldn't take long to finally destroy Mao's regime.
However, Japan was increasing its incursions to the north. With Nagasaki and New Canton remaining, KittenOFchaos worried about how to defeat or distract the Japanese cavalrymen.
Suddenly, word came into the Military HQ at Beijing that Shaka had made good on his word to directly attack Japan. Just outside of the Japanese port town of Nara, a Zulu galleon dispatched by Shaka himself was approaching unnexpectadly with four cavalry regiments on board... war had come to Japan......
--------------------------
CANTON - Mpende lifted his musket and fired at the lone Chinese soldier on a nearby balcony. The rogue resistance was finally over. KittenOFchaos and Mpende prepared to torch the city. As soon as the city was ablaze, the Zulu regiments pulled out to continue their war of attrition.
--------------------------
KYOTO, JAPAN -
"Mister...ah, Mesoy?" the Japanese Emperor Tokugawa asked the lone visitor in his palace. The man stood up and shook the emperor's hand.
"Yes," he said, "my name is Mesoy. Erik Mesoy...and I have a proposition for you."
--------------------------
THE ROAD TO NAGASAKI, CHINA - Mpende and KittenOFchaos were charging toward Nagasaki, the once-Japanese, now-Chinese town in the south. While several regiments were sieging Tientsin in the west, the two regiment leaders were ready to isolate Beijing from the east and leave it open to attack.
The road was deserted. It wound through fertile plains, rich with resources, but the mines and irrigation farms were mostly abandoned. The war had terrified the citizens and drawn them into hiding at the cities. A misty cloud covered the sun as the men marched, leaving a dull light throughout the area. Looking to the western horizon, Mpende saw hills rising up and some mines on the slopes. Once the regiments had rounded the hills, they would be ready to strike Nagasaki.
Suddenly, a crackle (like thunder) sounded over the plains. Mpende looked around but saw no storm that would've given off the sound. Suddenly, his horse reared up, nearly throwing Mpende off. Coming down, he saw the body of a soldier and the bloody gunshot wound in his chest!
He grabbed his musket and looked all around. Finally, he saw a lone rider coming toward them, a musket in hand. The rider fired again...another Zulu cavalryman fell off to the right. Mpende rode forward and aimed his musket. He fired a well-aimed shot and fell the rider. The horse, riderless, trotted off. Mpende approached the enemy rider and dismounted. The rider, defenseless and wounded, reached into his pocket and grabbed a small shiny tube. Putting it in his mouth, he sounded off a loud, high-pitched whistle. Mpende killed the rider, but it was too late. The whistle had given away their position!
KittenOFchaos came up to Mpende and said, "I didn't know the Chinese had cavalrymen!"
Mpende shook his head. "Look," he said, pointing to a samurai sword laying on the ground several feet away. "He's Japanese, not Chinese. We're at war with Japan now!" A rumble erupted from a distant point over the hills. "We're under attack! Regiment form defensive positions...NOW!"
-----------------------------
-----------------------------
Mpende grabbed the reigns of his horse as hard as he could and pulled himself up. Collapsing on the saddle, he relied on his horse to follow the survivors away from the bloody battlefield. The first Japanese-Zulu clash had been tremendous and savage. For the first time in world history, cavalrymen had fought cavalrymen. The Zulus were no longer the only cavalry-equipped nation. Japan now had the "fire horse" (as the Chinese called them), and the Battle for Japan began...
None of this was on Mpende's mind however. The battle had wiped out most of the regiment. He, KittenOFchaos, and about thirty other survivors were limping away from the battlefield into neutral territory to heal their wounds and regain their strength. The Japanese regiment had broken itself and scattered into the lands. Nagasaki was allowed to live...at least for the time being.
KittenOFchaos was now ordered to direct his forces on Beijing, the captial, in hopes of crushing Chinese resistance in order to focus totally on Japan. In addition, he had been promised that reinforcements and additional troops were being formed for a direct assault on Japan.
--------------------------------
Meanwhile, Tientsin had fallen and lay in smoking ruins. The victorious Zulu regiments had been pulled away for the assault on Beijing. Some came under Japanese attack. On the Western Continent, however, Shaka directed his anger brutally on the Japanese colonial settlements. All were taken or destroyed quickly and Kyoto was left without any power in the West. All its forces would have to be directed on the Eastern Continent.
After several months in recovery, the Zulus had finally regained their former strength and began the attack on Beijing. The battle was bloody, costing three entire regiments to finallize, but the captial fell in the end and was spared destruction by a direct Order from Shaka. Mao fled to Nanking and set up the new capital there.
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
With Mpende and KittenOFchaos securely entrenched in the ruins of China, more regiments poured in to finish off the Chinese. These cavalrymen moved quickly across the Great Isthmus and into the old Chinese territory. All the troops moving this way were ordered to destroy China. With the empire half-dead and tactically inferior, many realized it wouldn't take long to finally destroy Mao's regime.
However, Japan was increasing its incursions to the north. With Nagasaki and New Canton remaining, KittenOFchaos worried about how to defeat or distract the Japanese cavalrymen.
Suddenly, word came into the Military HQ at Beijing that Shaka had made good on his word to directly attack Japan. Just outside of the Japanese port town of Nara, a Zulu galleon dispatched by Shaka himself was approaching unnexpectadly with four cavalry regiments on board... war had come to Japan......
NARA - The Zulu cavalry, fresh off the galleon fleet, engaged the two riflemen regiments embedded in the coast city. After a brief, bloody clash, the Zulus razed the city and proclaimed a major victory in the Japanese lands themselves. Long ago, the Zulus had been on these shores...as friends heading off to war against the Persians. The cheers of Osaka and the Japanese people as the Zulu knights charged by ages ago had now turned to screams of horror as Zulu cavalrymen torched their homes. Thousands clogged the roads and byways, homeless refugees left to find their own way to survive.
For the Zulus however, they turned north toward Isa, another small fishing village near Kyoto. A better-garrisoned opponent, the city proved difficult to take, but eventually fell...costing the lives of one Zulu regiment and weakening three others before being incinerated...
But out of the ashes and the bloody fields, came a new realization...Kyoto was now all alone on the western flank! The time to strike would be now...
---------------------------
CHINA - While the Zulu cavalry in the south were battling the Japanese in the city of Edo, south of Kyoto, Mpende and KittenOFchaos were smashing the last enclaves of Chinese culture. After the fall of Beijing, Nanking had become the new capital, but the bulk of the Chinese force had been wiped out. Now, only spearmen and some pikemen regiments left over from ancient wars remained to defend the cities. Old men and young boys barricaded their towns, ready to make the last stand...
Across a small penninsula to the north, the Zulus turned to destroy the major remaining Chinese threat. No offensive forces remained and all the Chinese could do was beg Shaka for forgiveness. But the leader was old and a deadly cold lingered in his heart for the old betrayal of the Incense War. His troops smashed Tsingtao and Macao in the penninsula, leaving Hangchow and Shantung to try and fend off KittenOFchaos' fury...
-----------------------------
But then something happened that the Zulus did not expect......Japan retaliated! Across the wrecked plains and the old roads, a rabble of Japanese cavalrymen steamed northward toward the Great Isthmus. The Shaka Line (the great defended barrier) was more than ready to cope with the threat. But the Japanese did not try to engage the line and break through to the Zulu empire. Instead, they took the ancient Babylonian (now-Zulu) city of Ur!
The two cavalry regiments, not accustomed to defensive maneuvers, fled or were crushed under the fanatical Japanese. Zulu response was swift...all incoming cavalry regiments would first stop off at Ur to destroy the city and kill any defender. The Zulus obeyed with excellence, crushing resistance and burning the age-old city to the ground. At the same time however, the brilliant Japanese plan (drawn up by Erik Mesoy) took action...
The lack of reinforcements across the isthmus (due to the Ur problem) temporarily cut the regiments in Japanese territory from tactical support. Given this window of opportunity, the Japanese struck out from places no one in the Zulu empire imagined they still had strength. From every city, it seemed, the Japanese counterattacked and the Zulu regiments in Japan were almost completely shattered. This great loss completely rid the Japanese of Zulu troops in the area. With time on their side, they could rebuild their forces for another major strike. Shaka witheld all troops from attacking Japan indefinately. Many believed he was ready to make peace with Kyoto...they were wrong.
-------------------------------
It took many months to organize. By this time, all the major Chinese cities had fallen. Mpende and KittenOFchaos were called back to the Western Continent homelands. They believed they had seen the last of war. But, finally after many months it was done. The troops had all assembled on the eastern shores of the Western Continent, ready for Shaka had in store. No one (not even KittenOFchaos) could have imagined the scale of what was about to happen......the greatest military amphibious invasion in Zulu history was about to take place. Three galleon fleets holding twelve of the most well-trained, well-disciplined cavalry regiments in the empire were about to land on the shores of Japan once more...Shaka would never let Japan forget its traitorous acts.
------------------------------
JAPANESE SHORES NEAR KYOTO -
KittenOFchaos kept reciting the old verse in his head as his longboat approached the pebble beaches of Japan. He was commanding the largest Zulu force in history with Mpende by his side. Without a doubt, he knew the Japanese were aware of their presence...but the land was strangely still. Not a breath of air could be felt under the steadily darkening sky. The far off hills lowly thundered with a remote storm, but the shore was abandoned. The regiments unloaded and began marching toward Kyoto. No Japanese effort was made to counter the impending force. KittenOFchaos crossed the grasslands unchallenged and finally reached the capital, Kyoto, and the seat of Japanese power.
Within, however, rested not the emperor, but the massive Japanese army! After a battle of gods, the Zulus emerged terribly battered, yet victorious (if you can call it that...). Kyoto was completely demolished and KittenOFchaos pressed on. The Battle for Kyoto had cost him almost half his twelve-regiment force.
Reaching Osaka (the old city that once cheered the Zulu troops), KittenOFchaos brutally annihilated the populace and defenders. But still, no Japanese troops would leave the city to meet him. He now prepared his dwindling force to march south toward Tokyo, the new capital of Japan. Many men had lost their lives, but victory was within reach. The troops charged south toward the last resisting cities. A small Zulu detatchment force had landed and burned a minor settlement to the ground. Now Tokyo lay exposed to attack from all sides. Tokugawa knew the time had come for Japan to show its full strength. The months spent away from Zulu threat had been used wisely. An enormous force rumbled within the city, ready to break out and unleash its wrath upon the Zulu invaders. Finally, the black gates of Tokyo opened and the dark force flew out, marching straight for the incoming Zulu...
For the Zulus however, they turned north toward Isa, another small fishing village near Kyoto. A better-garrisoned opponent, the city proved difficult to take, but eventually fell...costing the lives of one Zulu regiment and weakening three others before being incinerated...
But out of the ashes and the bloody fields, came a new realization...Kyoto was now all alone on the western flank! The time to strike would be now...
---------------------------
CHINA - While the Zulu cavalry in the south were battling the Japanese in the city of Edo, south of Kyoto, Mpende and KittenOFchaos were smashing the last enclaves of Chinese culture. After the fall of Beijing, Nanking had become the new capital, but the bulk of the Chinese force had been wiped out. Now, only spearmen and some pikemen regiments left over from ancient wars remained to defend the cities. Old men and young boys barricaded their towns, ready to make the last stand...
Across a small penninsula to the north, the Zulus turned to destroy the major remaining Chinese threat. No offensive forces remained and all the Chinese could do was beg Shaka for forgiveness. But the leader was old and a deadly cold lingered in his heart for the old betrayal of the Incense War. His troops smashed Tsingtao and Macao in the penninsula, leaving Hangchow and Shantung to try and fend off KittenOFchaos' fury...
-----------------------------
But then something happened that the Zulus did not expect......Japan retaliated! Across the wrecked plains and the old roads, a rabble of Japanese cavalrymen steamed northward toward the Great Isthmus. The Shaka Line (the great defended barrier) was more than ready to cope with the threat. But the Japanese did not try to engage the line and break through to the Zulu empire. Instead, they took the ancient Babylonian (now-Zulu) city of Ur!
The two cavalry regiments, not accustomed to defensive maneuvers, fled or were crushed under the fanatical Japanese. Zulu response was swift...all incoming cavalry regiments would first stop off at Ur to destroy the city and kill any defender. The Zulus obeyed with excellence, crushing resistance and burning the age-old city to the ground. At the same time however, the brilliant Japanese plan (drawn up by Erik Mesoy) took action...
The lack of reinforcements across the isthmus (due to the Ur problem) temporarily cut the regiments in Japanese territory from tactical support. Given this window of opportunity, the Japanese struck out from places no one in the Zulu empire imagined they still had strength. From every city, it seemed, the Japanese counterattacked and the Zulu regiments in Japan were almost completely shattered. This great loss completely rid the Japanese of Zulu troops in the area. With time on their side, they could rebuild their forces for another major strike. Shaka witheld all troops from attacking Japan indefinately. Many believed he was ready to make peace with Kyoto...they were wrong.
-------------------------------
It took many months to organize. By this time, all the major Chinese cities had fallen. Mpende and KittenOFchaos were called back to the Western Continent homelands. They believed they had seen the last of war. But, finally after many months it was done. The troops had all assembled on the eastern shores of the Western Continent, ready for Shaka had in store. No one (not even KittenOFchaos) could have imagined the scale of what was about to happen......the greatest military amphibious invasion in Zulu history was about to take place. Three galleon fleets holding twelve of the most well-trained, well-disciplined cavalry regiments in the empire were about to land on the shores of Japan once more...Shaka would never let Japan forget its traitorous acts.
------------------------------
JAPANESE SHORES NEAR KYOTO -
KittenOFchaos kept reciting the old verse in his head as his longboat approached the pebble beaches of Japan. He was commanding the largest Zulu force in history with Mpende by his side. Without a doubt, he knew the Japanese were aware of their presence...but the land was strangely still. Not a breath of air could be felt under the steadily darkening sky. The far off hills lowly thundered with a remote storm, but the shore was abandoned. The regiments unloaded and began marching toward Kyoto. No Japanese effort was made to counter the impending force. KittenOFchaos crossed the grasslands unchallenged and finally reached the capital, Kyoto, and the seat of Japanese power.
Within, however, rested not the emperor, but the massive Japanese army! After a battle of gods, the Zulus emerged terribly battered, yet victorious (if you can call it that...). Kyoto was completely demolished and KittenOFchaos pressed on. The Battle for Kyoto had cost him almost half his twelve-regiment force.
Reaching Osaka (the old city that once cheered the Zulu troops), KittenOFchaos brutally annihilated the populace and defenders. But still, no Japanese troops would leave the city to meet him. He now prepared his dwindling force to march south toward Tokyo, the new capital of Japan. Many men had lost their lives, but victory was within reach. The troops charged south toward the last resisting cities. A small Zulu detatchment force had landed and burned a minor settlement to the ground. Now Tokyo lay exposed to attack from all sides. Tokugawa knew the time had come for Japan to show its full strength. The months spent away from Zulu threat had been used wisely. An enormous force rumbled within the city, ready to break out and unleash its wrath upon the Zulu invaders. Finally, the black gates of Tokyo opened and the dark force flew out, marching straight for the incoming Zulu...
KittenOFchaos, meanwhile was hundreds of miles away, passing through the Gap of Osaka between the two towering mountains of Japan. This beautiful landscape captivated him and he joked with his men as if the war were half a world away. No enemy troops were seen nearby and none were expected. The Gap of Osaka rolled down into meager foothills and then a small valley further south. The air on that particular morning was warm, yet not exhaustive. The sky was clear and devoid of any clouds, as if a great breath from the heavens had pushed them all away. The sun shone down brilliantly through the clear air and the grassy hills sang softly in the gentle breeze coming from the west. To the men, it was a refreshing opportunity to wonder at the beauty of the East and marvel at the landscapes away from home.
Mpende rode alongside his commander, KittenOFchaos as they began their slow decline down the hillsides. The day had drawn into a warm afternoon, prime for taking it easy. There was no urgent need to rush down and do battle with Tokyo. For the Zulu men, it seemed, Tokyo and Japan was of little importance anymore. A sense of eternal peace came over the troops that afternoon riding down the hills. The land itself seemed to welcome them. The hills now leveled out, revealing a vast grassy valley ahead. The clear air revealed all in the distance. For miles, the valley stretched and welcomed. Far in the south, a small forest could be seen, cool and friendly...a wonderful place to look forward to after their open march was done.
But just then, something caught Mpende's eyes. Just off to the right, in the grassy valley near the tree line, a cloud of dust or sand seemed to rise from the earth and pollute the crisp air of the day. Mpende could not be sure, but the cloud seemed to be moving north in their direction. However, the beautiful day had lulled their cautious senses and the men rode forward, dismissing the clous as a windstorm or some other trivial phenomenon. It was not until about half an hour later, as the last of the regiments left the hillsides, that Mpende took another look at the cloud. Now level with the brownish smog, he peered into the horizon. The cloud was now uncomfortably close and racing forward at uncomfortable speed. He finally caught sight of a dark esence at the root of the cloud. A horse and a horseman...an enemy coming straight at the Zulus!
------------------------------
KittenOFchaos quickly geared his men for battle. His regiments lined up for a charge into the approaching cavalry. Two massive armies, each of virtually equal strength. One Zulu, one Japanese. The afternoon sun began to decline in the sky as the armies came forward to battle. The Japanese were about a mile away by the time KittenOFchaos was satisfied with his troop formations. He waited...
The steady rumbling of approaching cavalry grew uneasy on the Zulu horses. They neighed and rocked back, requiring a steady hand to calm. The Japanese force was almost half a mile away and KittenOFchaos signaled to begin the charge. His strategy was to quickly cut into the force and hit the leaders. He could not see who they were, but he could recognize the color gaurd nearby waving the dark green banners of Japan. He brought his hand down and kicked his horse forward...the Zulus charged......
Now a terrible rumble overcame the valley as the two armies faced each other in the biggest battle on earth. In Mpende's ears, however, the land was silenced as he drew his musket. He looked around and saw his fellow soldiers doing the same. All ready, all waiting for the perfect moment...
A quarter of a mile...KittenOFchaos yelled, "AIM.........FIRE!!!" The order was repeated down the ranks but it was drowned out in the explosive, unearthly thunder that erupted from the front lines. Mpende discharged his weapon and was blinded instantly in a wall of smoke and fire. He waved his hands and reloaded his weapon. As the men rode through the smoke, they could see some Japanese cavalrymen already dead and trampled. The Japanese fired back...
Only about 500 feet away, the shots rang off in the distance and a second later there was the sickening smack of bullets on bodies. The unfortunate fell and were hideously covered in hoof, fire, and ash. Finally, the lines clashed and shots rang out everywhere. Hand-to-hand combat ensued and the soldiers beat each other savagely with their muskets. Bodies fell everywhere and no one could tell who was winning.
Mpende tried to keep up with KittenOFchaos, but soon lost sight of him in the sea of men and horses. He fell an enemy and shot another. Trying to force his way through the lines, he beat off Japanese after Japanese until his gun was red with the spilt blood. And still, he could not find his commander. The armies worked themsleves down, leaving the ground red and almost impassable. Mpende grew tired and his body sagged with the weight of battle and grief. He made his way through the lines and to an open area behind the battle. The sun was now glowing orange on the horizon and the evening was drawing near.
Finally, the battle closed a victor emerged...the Zulus! The last Japanese were thrown down and the results were clear. From a beautiful valley that was present in the morning, a horrific transformation had occured. Bodies of men and horses covered everything. The grass was caked in red blood and sweat. Only a small number of Zulu cavalrymen remained. KittenOFchaos was among them and Mpende rode back to greet his commander.
Suddenly, a thunderous scream was heard to the south. The men looked back...the Japanese were not through! Another force was marching forward! KittenOFchaos swerved around and organized his weary men for their final stand. The numbers were too great and his too few. His men too tired and too demoralized, could not win. He could see the color guard again and beside rode an enemy he did not expect: Erik Mesoy! A great anger filled his heart and he ordered his small group forward into the hell of the incoming Japanese!!!
----------------------------------
KittenOFchaos raised his weapon at the approaching enemy and fired. Mpende followed, felling several men. The Japanese retaliated wiping out several dozen Zulu. But Erik Mesoy was in KittenOFchaos' eyes and he bolted forward. The two men approached, each only fifty feet apart. A shot rang out from the enemy's gun and Mpende witnessed the horrible scene: KittenOFchaos' horse violently pivoted around and fell, its rider bearing the lethal wound in his chest...
KittenOFchaos fell, his gun peacefully loosened from his grip. He gave one last look at Mpende, knowing his time was up. As the world began to fade and all became darker and his breath drew short, he remembered the beautiful words of long ago: one man will rise above the rest and smash the enemy on his own lands, on his own terms, and with a strength not seen on Earth for centuries. There, it is said, on that field in the East, a great leader will rise and be granted the power to destroy the Japanese enemy...so say the old legends.
KittenOFchaos made one last effort to grip his slipping musket and raised it into the air in front of Mpende as he rode. He smiled as was gone......
Mpende took up the musket and saw his leader die on the field. The Zulus were silent, all viewing the terrible horror! Mpende glanced at Mesoy, dealing a hideous, hateful, incomprehensible rotten smile. A fire lit in the heart of Mpende and he felt strength returning to his limbs. The voice of KittenOFchaos rang in his ears as an anger never before felt overcame him. It was the anger of his fallen comrades. Of the people at home supporting the wars. Of the thousands lost to preserve the Zulu way of life. Of the families who lost loved ones. Of the country he loved so much. Of Shaka. He drew his musket and KittenOFchaos' musket and brought them forward, each in one hand. In a steady second, he aimed all his anger onto one target. Gripping the musket triggers, he fired into the head of Erik Mesoy, enemy of the Zulu!!!
The hated rider fell back, dead, and Mpende kicked his horse forward, yelling, "FIIIIIIRRREEE!!!" The surviving Zulu all aimed their weapons and fired brilliantly. The Japanese fell and the Zulus rode forward! With a new strength and a will of steel, they smashed the astonished Japanese. Crashing through enemy lines, they fought with the strength of ten armies, routing the enemy to the forests of the world...the Japanese had finally lost their offensive edge!
The smoke cleared over the battlefield and all became quiet as they searched for Mpende. Shouting his name, they looked over every body but didn't find him. Finally, after hours of searching the dismal scene, they found him hunched over the body of KittenOFchaos. Giving the fallen leader a few parting words, Mpende stood up, proud and victorious...the legend had come true! For the first time in Zulu history, a great leader had emerged!!! He walked victoriously back across the East and into his homelands...
Mpende rode alongside his commander, KittenOFchaos as they began their slow decline down the hillsides. The day had drawn into a warm afternoon, prime for taking it easy. There was no urgent need to rush down and do battle with Tokyo. For the Zulu men, it seemed, Tokyo and Japan was of little importance anymore. A sense of eternal peace came over the troops that afternoon riding down the hills. The land itself seemed to welcome them. The hills now leveled out, revealing a vast grassy valley ahead. The clear air revealed all in the distance. For miles, the valley stretched and welcomed. Far in the south, a small forest could be seen, cool and friendly...a wonderful place to look forward to after their open march was done.
But just then, something caught Mpende's eyes. Just off to the right, in the grassy valley near the tree line, a cloud of dust or sand seemed to rise from the earth and pollute the crisp air of the day. Mpende could not be sure, but the cloud seemed to be moving north in their direction. However, the beautiful day had lulled their cautious senses and the men rode forward, dismissing the clous as a windstorm or some other trivial phenomenon. It was not until about half an hour later, as the last of the regiments left the hillsides, that Mpende took another look at the cloud. Now level with the brownish smog, he peered into the horizon. The cloud was now uncomfortably close and racing forward at uncomfortable speed. He finally caught sight of a dark esence at the root of the cloud. A horse and a horseman...an enemy coming straight at the Zulus!
------------------------------
KittenOFchaos quickly geared his men for battle. His regiments lined up for a charge into the approaching cavalry. Two massive armies, each of virtually equal strength. One Zulu, one Japanese. The afternoon sun began to decline in the sky as the armies came forward to battle. The Japanese were about a mile away by the time KittenOFchaos was satisfied with his troop formations. He waited...
The steady rumbling of approaching cavalry grew uneasy on the Zulu horses. They neighed and rocked back, requiring a steady hand to calm. The Japanese force was almost half a mile away and KittenOFchaos signaled to begin the charge. His strategy was to quickly cut into the force and hit the leaders. He could not see who they were, but he could recognize the color gaurd nearby waving the dark green banners of Japan. He brought his hand down and kicked his horse forward...the Zulus charged......
Now a terrible rumble overcame the valley as the two armies faced each other in the biggest battle on earth. In Mpende's ears, however, the land was silenced as he drew his musket. He looked around and saw his fellow soldiers doing the same. All ready, all waiting for the perfect moment...
A quarter of a mile...KittenOFchaos yelled, "AIM.........FIRE!!!" The order was repeated down the ranks but it was drowned out in the explosive, unearthly thunder that erupted from the front lines. Mpende discharged his weapon and was blinded instantly in a wall of smoke and fire. He waved his hands and reloaded his weapon. As the men rode through the smoke, they could see some Japanese cavalrymen already dead and trampled. The Japanese fired back...
Only about 500 feet away, the shots rang off in the distance and a second later there was the sickening smack of bullets on bodies. The unfortunate fell and were hideously covered in hoof, fire, and ash. Finally, the lines clashed and shots rang out everywhere. Hand-to-hand combat ensued and the soldiers beat each other savagely with their muskets. Bodies fell everywhere and no one could tell who was winning.
Mpende tried to keep up with KittenOFchaos, but soon lost sight of him in the sea of men and horses. He fell an enemy and shot another. Trying to force his way through the lines, he beat off Japanese after Japanese until his gun was red with the spilt blood. And still, he could not find his commander. The armies worked themsleves down, leaving the ground red and almost impassable. Mpende grew tired and his body sagged with the weight of battle and grief. He made his way through the lines and to an open area behind the battle. The sun was now glowing orange on the horizon and the evening was drawing near.
Finally, the battle closed a victor emerged...the Zulus! The last Japanese were thrown down and the results were clear. From a beautiful valley that was present in the morning, a horrific transformation had occured. Bodies of men and horses covered everything. The grass was caked in red blood and sweat. Only a small number of Zulu cavalrymen remained. KittenOFchaos was among them and Mpende rode back to greet his commander.
Suddenly, a thunderous scream was heard to the south. The men looked back...the Japanese were not through! Another force was marching forward! KittenOFchaos swerved around and organized his weary men for their final stand. The numbers were too great and his too few. His men too tired and too demoralized, could not win. He could see the color guard again and beside rode an enemy he did not expect: Erik Mesoy! A great anger filled his heart and he ordered his small group forward into the hell of the incoming Japanese!!!
----------------------------------
KittenOFchaos raised his weapon at the approaching enemy and fired. Mpende followed, felling several men. The Japanese retaliated wiping out several dozen Zulu. But Erik Mesoy was in KittenOFchaos' eyes and he bolted forward. The two men approached, each only fifty feet apart. A shot rang out from the enemy's gun and Mpende witnessed the horrible scene: KittenOFchaos' horse violently pivoted around and fell, its rider bearing the lethal wound in his chest...
KittenOFchaos fell, his gun peacefully loosened from his grip. He gave one last look at Mpende, knowing his time was up. As the world began to fade and all became darker and his breath drew short, he remembered the beautiful words of long ago: one man will rise above the rest and smash the enemy on his own lands, on his own terms, and with a strength not seen on Earth for centuries. There, it is said, on that field in the East, a great leader will rise and be granted the power to destroy the Japanese enemy...so say the old legends.
KittenOFchaos made one last effort to grip his slipping musket and raised it into the air in front of Mpende as he rode. He smiled as was gone......
Mpende took up the musket and saw his leader die on the field. The Zulus were silent, all viewing the terrible horror! Mpende glanced at Mesoy, dealing a hideous, hateful, incomprehensible rotten smile. A fire lit in the heart of Mpende and he felt strength returning to his limbs. The voice of KittenOFchaos rang in his ears as an anger never before felt overcame him. It was the anger of his fallen comrades. Of the people at home supporting the wars. Of the thousands lost to preserve the Zulu way of life. Of the families who lost loved ones. Of the country he loved so much. Of Shaka. He drew his musket and KittenOFchaos' musket and brought them forward, each in one hand. In a steady second, he aimed all his anger onto one target. Gripping the musket triggers, he fired into the head of Erik Mesoy, enemy of the Zulu!!!
The hated rider fell back, dead, and Mpende kicked his horse forward, yelling, "FIIIIIIRRREEE!!!" The surviving Zulu all aimed their weapons and fired brilliantly. The Japanese fell and the Zulus rode forward! With a new strength and a will of steel, they smashed the astonished Japanese. Crashing through enemy lines, they fought with the strength of ten armies, routing the enemy to the forests of the world...the Japanese had finally lost their offensive edge!
The smoke cleared over the battlefield and all became quiet as they searched for Mpende. Shouting his name, they looked over every body but didn't find him. Finally, after hours of searching the dismal scene, they found him hunched over the body of KittenOFchaos. Giving the fallen leader a few parting words, Mpende stood up, proud and victorious...the legend had come true! For the first time in Zulu history, a great leader had emerged!!! He walked victoriously back across the East and into his homelands...
Reddwarfian
E're now! Whats all this?
Wow. Nice job. I like the story. Very well written.
TrailblazingScot
I was kittenOFchaos
Nice story...
BUT you only went and got me killed
BUT you only went and got me killed
china444
Ain't no thang
Any more?
GOLD NUKE:)
Chieftain
- Joined
- Oct 27, 2002
- Messages
- 27
Nice! Mpende reminds me of someone..... Story in smilies!
:saiyan:
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:saiyan:
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