Comm-Link #013

Day 4,172, 14:40 • Published in Ireland Japan • by Violence Seth

Last Episode: Comm-Link #012
Our Discor😛 https://discord.gg/REEjJ2q




Alice Hayes Journal: We've been posted up outside of an old mental asylum. We've eyes and guns in front of them from nearly every window. Our Head Commander has been "stressed" recently and it's having a top down effect on everyone in the Fighting 69th.

We haven't seen any real action in weeks, just minor skirmishes with local Partisans mostly. Every time I lay down to try and get some sleep I can almost hear our Comm-Link about to go off before it does. "Three in a Jeep, N.W, 1 and a half clicks from base!" I'd slump out of bed, wrapped in my sheets. "Roger that. Keep an eye on them, it's probably just Civs heading south". I'd be drifting off back to a lucid sleep then suddenly a loud static again. "Roger that Commander!".

It looks like the weight of the world is on Nathaniel. He refuses his food and says the strangest things, like "we're pawns but the game's already been played." I tried to bring him some supper, the Spring evening was quiet, the air warm and drowsy, no bombing raids so far. It seemed like the whole war was at rest as the sun was going down. He took it from me and placed it beside him. "Go get some rest Commander Hayes. We may be moving out soon."

I placed my bowl of stew on his lap. "You need to eat, Shrap." He looked up wearily but eventually he began eating. "I heard some N.G.O types got lost nearby, care to take a look with me?" he asked, working slowly at his food. "Sure Commander, let me get set up." He shot me a look with his big grey-blue eyes. "Don't take too long." He set his bowl down and began cleaning his rifle.


Enniskillen, Fermanagh
Croatian Occupied Northern Ireland
Day 4172, 13.00 eRT

I've been waiting for something to happen here the past four days. We'd dug fox holes and set up barricades. Commander Hayes even had the Unit survey the area from above. It must have been the weather. Sure, each night there’d been a few dogfights above and the odd aul Partisan crowd tried nicking our gear or "meeting us in battle" but nothing else really.

I was getting older and I'd seen my fair share of war, from Newry to New Zealand and back again. I'd witnessed some truly incredible acts of bravery, cunning and sheer reckless abandon. I'd also seen the cruelty, sadism and another type of sheer reckless abandon I wish I'd never witnessed. Or been apart of. It had all started to become a blur. Action, inaction. That was all there truly was out in the field. I was hungry to fight on but I didn't know why anymore.


I used to think it was for Ireland and to fight was to honour our ancestors. I thought that for the longest time. Then when that wasn't satisfying enough, it was for the Civs, so they could make a better world once we'd finished burning it down. That feeling lasted as long as you'd expect. I finally committed myself to fighting for my Unit and myself. There was nothing left after that for me really. I sit and think when I have the time to. My Unit thinks I'm depressed. I'm just going through a change again I suppose. This time I'll try not to guide it, I'll let myself slip down whatever stream lays ahead and hopefully become stronger for the Fighting 69th in the process.


I'd asked 2nd Commander Hayes along with me on a quick sort of sortie. We'd have to move quickly though, if the line from the Irish Army was true, we were the closest to the targets and the Croatians, Brits and the Irish could stand to make money from capturing three loose Goshawk agents, either safely or not. Hayes asked our look-outs if they'd seen a plane drop any caches or Paratroopers recently, casual as you like. I didn't want to cause a commotion, nearly everyone of my men and women were bored stiff here and would be coming running out of our base if they thought there was something dangerous to do.


We zeroed in on the three Goshawk agents in the woods of Ballycassidy, on the grounds of an abandoned hotel. We could see smoke from our 11 o'clock. We tried to get visual confirmation before trying to approach. Suddenly they had a blazing fire lit. Seemed like a green move but I nodded to Hayes and gestured it could be a trap. We flanked them. I could hear them talking. It was almost dark.


I approached, once I seen Hayes had two others just within her range. "Irish Military, hands up." They stood up slowly and both Hayes and I moved in. "You have any buddies taking a p*ss out there? asked Hayes, her gun pressed into the back of a very fidgety one."Any more of you?" I clarified, the Northern accent is hard to understand to outsiders at the best of times. "No, we're lost." the one in front of me said in a light Munster accent. "Line up, we don't mean to harm you but you know the drill soldier, we will if we have to." I said to the Irish one, prodding him in the back towards his two comrades. "What do they call you son?" I asked the Irish one. "Blackie, this is Gad and this one here is Flinch. We're from Goshawk, Veritas Unit."

I'd heard stories about this lad, the Black Hound. I'm sure they were all exaggerated but I'd never seen such a young soldier with such a ominous name.

"We'll, friend. I'm Commander Shrap, I mean I am First Commander Nathan Shanahan, of the Fighting 69th. My comrade behind you is our Second Commander, Communications Officer Alice Hayes." There was a tense moment before the young Goshawk agent warmed. "The Fighting 69th? Like the ballad? I've heard of you guys!" he said with a touch of boyish excitement. "Listen Commander Shanahan, we give ourselves up freely. You can lock us up in shackles and all the rest but please tell me, have ye got any food or water on yiz back at yer base?" He was a wily one, I'll give him that. We zip-tied them and once they were secure we made our way carefully back to base.

Once we were back, we bundled them into my quarters and freed their hands so they could eat some cold stew and stale bread. They went at it like starving dogs. The young Goshawk agent noticed me looking then eyed his men to comport themselves. "Thank you Commander." he said once he'd finished his meal. I'm not sure what to do with them now. Only Goshawk would pay for them.

"You're free to go boys, be careful out there." They looked suspicious. "G'wan, f*ck off before I change my mind." We let them out of the base but before they were gone I handed the young Agent a weapon. My side-arm, an old Colt .38 decorated with the Fighting 69th's insignia." He looked at it with reverence. "Six in the clip, one in the hole." I said to him, motioning for him to leave. "Careful out there boys!" I called out.

Nathan "Shrapnel" Shanahan
Commander of the Fighting 69th, 1st Regiment


Created by Cat Sith and Sethesin

Thank you to Chance Harrison and Amaryllis Bloom for their competition entries. Jointed 2nd! Congratulations!