Fem War II - Prologue

07. Prologue

 

The long train of lorries crept along deserted roads and by-ways, under the cloudy and stormy sky from the system that had been in place for a few days now.  Perfect weather for this mission of secrecy and which held the honour of being the first to strike at The Enemy that was seeking to bring down The Empire with sanctions on fuel and technology.

 

President Adelpha Hilter had personally sanctioned this mission, in her usual way of controlling totally from the top - an approach that many considered excessive micro-management and even somewhat insulting, coming as it did from one who had little experience at the top of any military operation and who was mainly a political animal.

 

‘Corporal’ Hilter, the Empire military heads called her, for her two years of National Service during the Crisis in the Middle East when the petroleum was about dried up, and the line had to be held at any cost.  Some felt that the cost, that of having Hilter take over the reins of the burgeoning new Republic based in California, and which was now seeking to establish itself on a par with the Republic in Washington, was way too much, and Hilter’s often unbridled ambitions and bombast were going to lead them all into destruction.

 

In any case, this was her plan - hit The Enemy first, and then negotiate a separation from the United States - just the right to go their own way in peace, that’s all they wanted, nothing more!  And to get that right to go their own way in peace, they’d go to war, though Hilter didn’t seem to see it that way, feeling, as she did, that one good blow would bring that whole house of cards in the East toppling down and put President Serena of the United States out on her arse!

 

THEN The Greater South West Co-Prosperity Californian Republic, which Hilter expected to incorporate Oregon and Washington State, known as The Empire of The Rising Moon, could go its own way and be at peace within itself and strong enough to repel any who opposed it.

 

The long trucks stopped and set up on a long and lonely stretch of old highway, paved and still solid despite the neglect of the near lack of petroleum and the Greatest Depression that it had caused.  Perfect for their needs!

 

Quickly teams of men and women opened out the truck trailers and dragged from them small aircraft with folding wings - and fuel bladders and what looked like bombs - and quickly swung the wings into place, locked them, and fuelled and armed each aircraft.

 

The wind was just perfect - straight down the long stretch of road, and the aircraft fired up, then lined up one after the other, and one at a time, began their takeoff runs, lifting into the still dark dawning sky….

 

Once aloft, they groups headed West while forming up into organised groups and squadrons…. the pilots noting as they did so, that the full moon had broken through the clouds and shown a beautiful spread of moonlight across the dark sky, something which the pilots took as a good omen for their mission.

 

Turning East in their squadrons, they headed towards their sleeping target….it was Saturday, 7^th December 2041………..

 

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