The Xeno
27-07-2006, 06:29
Northport, New Feluca
Something amazing was in the works. All of the television networks had been informed that a major event would be taking place at Northport, something that would steal away the breath of the world.
Northport's police force had gone through Main Street earlier that day and closed down the wide lanes, directing traffic to use the underpasses and overpasses, but Main Street would remain closed and vacant.
Word was spreading. Thousands of citizens lined the street, the crowd already near to a million. And more were pouring into the city from the suburbs, while a billion pairs of eyes looked eagerly to their television screens as news anchors excitedly speculated on what would be happening in Northport.
The city's Mayor stood on the steps of City Hall at a podium with a group of representitives, pre-warned of what was about to occur.
..... there was a rumble across the horizon and an excited hush fell over the city. Then.. another rumble. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
It was a steady, rythmic sound that reverberated down Main Street. Heads turned to look, and saw marching shoulder-to-shoulder ranks of Felucan soldiers dressed in their standard black body armor and faceless helmets. Except for heights and builds, the almost identical soldiers were indistinguishable from the next as they stepped in perfect unison, marching through Northport.
The first group was the honored 1st Felucan Light Infantry Division, and the guideon carried at the head of the ranks bore a dozen battle streamers. The 1st Light had participated in every fight in the western campaign to liberate Feluca.
The second group wore the same uniforms, but their armor had special clips on the shoulders, back and chest for parachute equipment. This was the 4th Airborne Infantry Division, and following them came the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Marine Divisions.
Thousands upon thousands of anthros marching in perfected glory, their A-1 rifles held to shoulders, legs lifting straight before stomping back down in a thunderous march.
Rolling among the ranks of soldiers were formations of tanks. The rugged, but aging M1 Gryphons and the ultra-heavy M2 Chimeras. Also on display were Armadillos and Redwoods and Pinetrees and even towed artillery pieces.
The full regalia of warfare was on parade throughout Northport and overhead flew entire wings of fighter aircraft. An elite team of pilots did a flyby in their brand new F-2 Peregrines, the menacing black jets turning and dipping wings in precise flying formations.
And onwards they came, Division after Division, Corps after Corps, millions of Feluca's finest.
And from the harbor came another parade, these dressed in white uniforms without armor, the sailors and naval aviators of Feluca.
The two columns met at City Hall, and a silence fell over the city as the mayor of Northport stepped aside, letting General Dmitri, supreme commander of all Felucan military assets step up to the podium. Dmitri was an honored veteran, he had fought viciously in the campaigns to win independance, and had never once lost a battle.
The General, although somewhat short, certainly had the regal look of a tiger. He was wearing his old body armor, and carried an outdated M16 strapped over his shoulder. A symbolic gesture.
When he spoke, he did so into a microphone and his voice reached out to a billion Felucans, and billions of others around the world...
"Tah day has dawned dark once more. Tah sunlight has trouble cuttin' through the mist and the fog of deception, tah wickeness of heartless nations which commit crimes upon tah innocent."
"Yor all know mah. I'm Dmitri, I'm ah fighter. And I ain't never stood down from ah challenge, especially when tah innocent are ah risk. Ah threat has bloomed up, 'n it's time we put ah end to this. Ah present, Major-General Skar."
Dmitri stepped to the side, and a towering figure, a bengal tiger anthro wearing current Felucan armor stepped to the podium. General Skar stood nearly seven feet tall, and the muscle rippled under his armor. Fierce green eyes scoured the crowd as he spoke in a deep, growling rumble.
"The enemy is Blackhelm. They have raped and pillaged, they have hidden behind innocents, they have used women and children as shields. They claim to be a legitimate fighting force, yet time and time again they are driven from the battlefield and resort to sniping from windows and alleyways like cowards!"
"Now I know that you all want a piece of them. And you're gonna get it! We're gonna fuck 'em up, and fuck up their allies, and fuck up anyone that's ever had a good thing to say about them!"
The voice rose louder, the speakers on televisions and at City Hall vibrating,
"We will stand as one, we will bleed as one, we will be victorious as one! And we will walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and we will fear no man, we will have no fear, because our soldiers will be the baddest and the evilest mother fuckers in the whole, god damned valley!"
The crowds roared.
"Make no mistake. People will die. Some of us will die. But if you keep your head up and your eyes open, you can make damned sure that if you're gonna die, you take as many of these bastards with you as you can! Your country expects no less of you. Your service expects no less of you. And I expect no less of you."
"Army. Marines. Navy. Air Force. Coast Guard. Go get some."
The columns turned and marched towards the harbor where an armada of grey warships waited.
Something amazing was in the works. All of the television networks had been informed that a major event would be taking place at Northport, something that would steal away the breath of the world.
Northport's police force had gone through Main Street earlier that day and closed down the wide lanes, directing traffic to use the underpasses and overpasses, but Main Street would remain closed and vacant.
Word was spreading. Thousands of citizens lined the street, the crowd already near to a million. And more were pouring into the city from the suburbs, while a billion pairs of eyes looked eagerly to their television screens as news anchors excitedly speculated on what would be happening in Northport.
The city's Mayor stood on the steps of City Hall at a podium with a group of representitives, pre-warned of what was about to occur.
..... there was a rumble across the horizon and an excited hush fell over the city. Then.. another rumble. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
It was a steady, rythmic sound that reverberated down Main Street. Heads turned to look, and saw marching shoulder-to-shoulder ranks of Felucan soldiers dressed in their standard black body armor and faceless helmets. Except for heights and builds, the almost identical soldiers were indistinguishable from the next as they stepped in perfect unison, marching through Northport.
The first group was the honored 1st Felucan Light Infantry Division, and the guideon carried at the head of the ranks bore a dozen battle streamers. The 1st Light had participated in every fight in the western campaign to liberate Feluca.
The second group wore the same uniforms, but their armor had special clips on the shoulders, back and chest for parachute equipment. This was the 4th Airborne Infantry Division, and following them came the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Marine Divisions.
Thousands upon thousands of anthros marching in perfected glory, their A-1 rifles held to shoulders, legs lifting straight before stomping back down in a thunderous march.
Rolling among the ranks of soldiers were formations of tanks. The rugged, but aging M1 Gryphons and the ultra-heavy M2 Chimeras. Also on display were Armadillos and Redwoods and Pinetrees and even towed artillery pieces.
The full regalia of warfare was on parade throughout Northport and overhead flew entire wings of fighter aircraft. An elite team of pilots did a flyby in their brand new F-2 Peregrines, the menacing black jets turning and dipping wings in precise flying formations.
And onwards they came, Division after Division, Corps after Corps, millions of Feluca's finest.
And from the harbor came another parade, these dressed in white uniforms without armor, the sailors and naval aviators of Feluca.
The two columns met at City Hall, and a silence fell over the city as the mayor of Northport stepped aside, letting General Dmitri, supreme commander of all Felucan military assets step up to the podium. Dmitri was an honored veteran, he had fought viciously in the campaigns to win independance, and had never once lost a battle.
The General, although somewhat short, certainly had the regal look of a tiger. He was wearing his old body armor, and carried an outdated M16 strapped over his shoulder. A symbolic gesture.
When he spoke, he did so into a microphone and his voice reached out to a billion Felucans, and billions of others around the world...
"Tah day has dawned dark once more. Tah sunlight has trouble cuttin' through the mist and the fog of deception, tah wickeness of heartless nations which commit crimes upon tah innocent."
"Yor all know mah. I'm Dmitri, I'm ah fighter. And I ain't never stood down from ah challenge, especially when tah innocent are ah risk. Ah threat has bloomed up, 'n it's time we put ah end to this. Ah present, Major-General Skar."
Dmitri stepped to the side, and a towering figure, a bengal tiger anthro wearing current Felucan armor stepped to the podium. General Skar stood nearly seven feet tall, and the muscle rippled under his armor. Fierce green eyes scoured the crowd as he spoke in a deep, growling rumble.
"The enemy is Blackhelm. They have raped and pillaged, they have hidden behind innocents, they have used women and children as shields. They claim to be a legitimate fighting force, yet time and time again they are driven from the battlefield and resort to sniping from windows and alleyways like cowards!"
"Now I know that you all want a piece of them. And you're gonna get it! We're gonna fuck 'em up, and fuck up their allies, and fuck up anyone that's ever had a good thing to say about them!"
The voice rose louder, the speakers on televisions and at City Hall vibrating,
"We will stand as one, we will bleed as one, we will be victorious as one! And we will walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and we will fear no man, we will have no fear, because our soldiers will be the baddest and the evilest mother fuckers in the whole, god damned valley!"
The crowds roared.
"Make no mistake. People will die. Some of us will die. But if you keep your head up and your eyes open, you can make damned sure that if you're gonna die, you take as many of these bastards with you as you can! Your country expects no less of you. Your service expects no less of you. And I expect no less of you."
"Army. Marines. Navy. Air Force. Coast Guard. Go get some."
The columns turned and marched towards the harbor where an armada of grey warships waited.