Forgotten War

[DoF Archive]

Date: 8/4/1998 7:34 PM Central Daylight Time
From: MilesDarby

Mother-



It's impossible that you're getting these anymore. Communications have been silent for weeks now. Nothing coming in, perhaps nothing going out. God knows if anyone will ever come to this place to bury us. Yet, I still feel compelled to write you, even if you never read these words.

Mom; I want to come home. God, I'd give anything…anything to be anywhere but here. You tried to tell me. Caddy tried. Sarge tried. But back there, back home, I wasn't doing anything. I didn't see how I was helping to win this war. The glory of combat called and I answered, welcomed it with open arms. Empty promises, falsity. That's all I found, mom. There's nothing glorious about this. About sacrificing a hundred men to overtake a hill
that we only lose the next day. The price of real estate is high here--paid in blood, free flowing, never ending, all too precious blood. I don't think that even the highest bidder will win this one.

Why is it so silent here mom? Why haven't we heard anything? No supplies, no relief, no anything. It's like we've been abandoned here, forgotten. Did they leave us here to die? For ten years people have been dying, mom. Ten years. The ground here littered with bodies and weaponry and the stench of death. How many hundreds of thousands have died here? How much blood stains this ground? A ground that's red…I'm not sure if that's natural
or if it's us; you, me, all of us. Humanity. Dead and dying here in the dirt, the mud, the caked over blood. Look mom, I can still rhyme. Even here.

I speak of silence, yet in my head the noise never stops. Nobody lives long enough to become friends anymore. I used to try and remember the faces of everyone I knew that died, everyone under my command that won't ever see home again. But I can't; there's too many of them. All I can remember are the screams, the wailing, the cries to make it stop because it hurts so much. That is the legacy they leave me, the only thing that they leave
behind. They're not even individuals anymore, mom. It's like a chorus, a dark haunting chorus that doesn't stop to eat or to drink or even to die. And they're calling to me, mom. They seek my soul, they want my voice. Every day they call and every day I run. But every day I watch the numbers in that chorus grow and grow, and every day it becomes harder and harder to evade them. Soon, mom, they'll be here. I won't be able to run anymore.

I'm tired, mom. Tired of everything. I want it all to stop. I want it all to be over. But here, in this place, there's only one way that will happen. I don't fear death, mom. But I don't welcome it. I don't want to die, not here, not like this. There are so many names, so many we've stopped keeping track. The corpsmen collect the names of the lucky ones, the ones who still have bodies we can find. They store them somewhere I suppose,
but nobody's ever going to know who died when and where and how. People will want to know how their daughter or son died and all that letter will say is that they gave their life for the Confederation with courage and bravery. If anybody ever comes here to sort through all the dead that is. We're not brave, mom. We're not courageous and we're not heroes. We're determined. Determined not to let all the blood that lies here count for nothing.
Determined to do what we came here to do, even if those who sent us here have forgotten about us and no longer care what happens. They told us to fight and we'll fight until there are no more of us left. It's that simple, and it's that difficult. If we leave, we lose; if we stay, we die. There's no victory here, not anymore, no matter who wins.

I have to go now, mom. The chorus is only two ridges away, and the call is loud. Tell Caddy that I love her, tell her that for me. I miss you, mom. I want to come home.



Your Loving Son,



Miles


((Author's note: Certain elements of this story are based on the game Wing Commander designed by Chris Roberts and the Origin team)).

[DoF Archive]

Date: 8/4/1998 7:49 PM Central Daylight Time
From: MilesDarby

(Ten Years Earlier: 2254.285)



From: Dillard, Barbara Col.; Post Commander, Gelhart Marine Station, Acrux

To: Hordeski, James Capt.; Commander 201'st Division, Gelhart Marine Station,

Acrux





Jimmy,



I'm sure you've heard by now of the disaster that occurred four days ago at Repleetah. I've just been in contact with Confed. HQ; they're going to be sending us in to exterminate the cats. They don't expect the fight to last too long, but the cats are dug in pretty deep down there and it's going to be hell trying to get them out. I know what you're going to ask and I've already asked it. HQ says they can't spare any ships from the front lines
to do an orbital strike. We've just taken the Venice system and the Navy boys are being directed to reinforce Confed's position there in case of a counter-offensive. HQ says Repleetah's our problem, at least for right now.

Get your men combat-ready. Two supply ships will be arriving within the next twelve hours with some more men and weapons; you'll ship out in thirty-six hours. Your first jump will be to Rigel where you'll rendezvous with Drayman's holding the 309'th and the 102'nd. After that, you'll be behind Kilrathi lines and on your own. Once there, you're to establish a defensive perimeter around your position and await reinforcements. Those should
arrive in two more days. I don't yet know who your Operational Commander will be; supposedly he'll be arriving on one of those supply ships.

Jimmy, get in, take care of the cats, and get out. I can read between the lines as well as you can. HQ doesn't want to spare anything they don't have to. I don't know how many of the cats are down there but there'll be more of them than there are of us. I don't like this scenario any more than you do but the cats need to be taught a lesson. And they need to learn it here. You're a good teacher, Jimmy. Let's just make sure the cats do their
homework.



--Barbara


((Author's note: Certain elements of this story are based on the game Wing Commander designed by Chris Roberts and the Origin team)).

[DoF Archive]

Date: 8/4/1998 7:51 PM Central Daylight Time
From: MilesDarby

2254.285

Terran Confederation News Net Broadcast (Public), Special Report



"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, I'm Peter Hambly reporting to you from Eta Carinae. Earlier this week we reported rumors of a Kilrathi attack on the small research planet of Repleetah, a neutral world dedicated to scientific discovery. Kilrathi and humans both work on Repleetah, the war a distant thought and often forgotten in the drive to further science. Though a neutral planet, the jump points around Repleetah offer access to planets
and systems within the Confederation and Kilrathi territories. The strategic value of this planet is possibly priceless as a staging point of attack for both sides. Whether for this reason or something else entirely, the war has become harsh reality and Repleetah is now the latest battlefield in the Terran-Kilrathi conflict.

Four days ago, Kilrathi military insurgents attacked the scientific delegation from Earth. Using biological weaponry developed in their research facilities there, the Kilrathi wiped out the Terrans in a matter of minutes leaving the planet under Kilrathi control. TCNN has just learned of a military operation, to be launched soon, designed to take back Repleetah and establish a strong Confederation presence close to the Kilrathi border. There
is no word yet on what forces are being committed to the attack, but sources say an orbital bombardment from one or two Exeter-class destroyers would be sufficient to destroy the Kilrathi contingent on the planet. Thus, a small number of marines should be enough to hold the planet until reinforcements arrive. Troop warfare will most likely be avoided altogether and Repleetah should be under Confederation control within a few days. We'll
keep you updated on this and the rest of the latest war news as we receive it. Until then, this is Peter Hambly on Eta Carinae wishing you a pleasant evening."


((Author's note: Certain elements of this story are based on the game Wing Commander designed by Chris Roberts and the Origin team)).