Brother against Brother

Chapter I
A Union Divided

Celestial energy, a debate that has been going on nonstop in the senate. Many northern nations believe that the usage of celestial energy is immoral because the planet as well as every living thing on Igros needs celestial energy to live. While many southern nations depend on celestial energy as a way of life.

June 2, 2460
The senate is in another meeting arguing on the issue of celestial energy and also getting ready for the presidential elections. The first senator, Andrew Jones, a senator for the southern nation Uplian has the privilege on speaking first.
‘People of the senate and sons of Igros,’ Jones said looking over his papers for a second, ‘I hear you saying that celestial energy should be ban because it is killing the planet but is forcing so many nations to stop using it any better? My nation Uplian depends on celestial energy to keep are people fed and housed and without it we would surely die. Is this not the United Nations of Igros that was formed to keep its people safe? Is this not the same United Nations of Igros that swore to protect its people from harm? Thank you.’
Jones sits down but a northern senator from Maldarian stood up, Chris Smith and he took the stand.
‘I hear you Senator Jones and your pleas,’ Smith said, ‘and I shall answer your question with my own question. Is it truly so noble to allow all to suffer then just a few. The north faced the hardships of banning celestial energy and for decades we were poor and hundreds died but we survived. Celestial energy is immoral and it is slowly killing the planet and everyone on it. Can you honestly say that your greediness is more important then every living soul on Igros? This is the United Nations of Igros and it was formed to save all its people from the worse enemy and at the moment you are the worse enemy by taking the planet’s celestial energy. Thank you.’
At that moment every senator for the usage on celestial energy started to stand and protest while the ones against the usage on celestial energy also stood to argue their case. President John Quiin, who is from the southern nation of Toran and who is for celestial energy, stands.
‘Order! I shall have order!’ Quiin yells and then everyone falls silent, ‘I will allow the usage of celestial energy for all I see is that the north is afraid that it is no longer the strongest nations. In two weeks the presidential race is about to begin and I shall run for president a second time and win for the glory of the south! I shall not stand by and watch the north try and destroy my beloved south just because they believe it is immoral when in fact the planet restores all its lost energy in twenty hours.’
‘But you are taking too much energy!’ an unknown person shouted.
‘Enough!’ Quiin yelled and looked around at the senators angrily, ‘the south shall continue to use celestial energy until they decide to stop using it. That is all.’
Many southern senators begun to shout and clap and scream for joy as the northern senators left with anger and sorrow. If the north can win the presidential election this time they can ban celestial energy for good. Their candidate is Serrago.

June 15, 2460
Serrago and Quiin have both started the presidential race and have gone to many nations giving speeches on the issues that the United Nations of Igros faces. Serrago has much of the support in the northern nations while Quiin has much of the support from the southern nations. It appears to be equal but the northern population is more then twice the size then the south.
Now the north doesn’t depend on celestial energy for they created hydro plants and even discovered electricity as their main power source with vast factories everywhere. The presidential elections for Igros isn’t just two people running against each other any more but now it’s north and south running against each other.
Igros is made up of fifty nations and thirty, also known as the northern nations, are for Serrago and his views on banning celestial energy while the remaining twenty, also known as the southern nations, are against the banning of celestial energy and because so they are for the current president, Quiin.
In fact the only nation in the south, Hyland, is in the top ten most populated nations on Igros coming in sixth. The next most populated area in the south is the fourteenth populated nation, Hon. Hyland has around thirty thousand people and the most populated is Gandriar coming in first with one hundred twenty thousand people. Gandriar is considered to be a northern nation with more then ninety percent of the people against the usage of celestial energy. Serrago is easily winning in the polls in the north which is all he needs to win.
Many southerners believe that if Serrago wins their way of life will be for ever lost. They will have to go through decades of hardships and even have to face hundreds of deaths. Wealthy southerners will become poor and unable to buy food and clothes for himself and his family. The south has a strong military belief and it is considered to be immoral if a man doesn’t go to a military academy. Because of this the south has a stronger military person wise but number wise the north outnumbers them by more then double the south’s number.

September 12, 2460
The presidential race is drawing to a close for next month is October and that is the month where the people vote for who the president is. Many in the south now see that Quiin shall not win this election and some even plan to secede from the union. Now the polls read that seventy percent of the people favor Serrago in the election but the south still holds its hope.

October 3, 2460
Election Day and thousands of people are voting for either the current president, John Quiin or the new candidate, James Serrago. In the month of November the winner will be decided and in January the new president will take office in Gandra. Quiin sees now that winning the election is slime and even his vice president, Will Solomon, has little hope in the outcome.
‘I see hardly no way in God’s name that you can win Quiin. I see that are way of life in the south is for ever doomed,’ Solomon said to Quiin in the office of the president in Gandra, ‘I can already tell you that if James Serrago wins then he will surely do everything in his power to ban the usage of celestial energy. We cannot just sit by and let him destroy the south.’
‘Celestial energy is just one of the issues Solomon,’ Quiin said, ‘another issue is that with me I give the many nations the right to choose their own laws but Serrago believes that every nation should have the same laws and it should be decided here. We did not create this union just to be bossed around by some president. We created this union to allow the nations to decide what is best for their nation.’
‘That is a reason we should secede at once from the union,’ Solomon responded.
‘We shall see what happens before we decide Will…we shall then decide and not a moment sooner,’ Quiin said.

November 20, 2460
Everyone is waiting for the results on who won the presidential election. Finally newspapers begin to be given with the winner and the articles and even the data on the polls:

SERRAGO WINS PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION!!

Serrago won in a landslide. No one could believe that a new comer to politics could win by so much. The outcome was Quiin, twenty two percent and Serrago was eighty eight percent. Serrago will take office January 1, 2461 and will begin to change the laws with the support of the senate.
Quiin and Solomon sits now silent after reading the newspaper. They do not say a word for a while knowing now that the south will be forced into a life of peasants. Finally Solomon breaks the silence.
‘So…this is how the south falls. With the north laughing at us like we’re some kind of slave to them,’ Solomon said.
‘We cannot be allowed to fall like this. Are way of life is simple and promising and yet they still think they’re superior to us. Solomon, you were always their to counsel me and now I ask you, what can I do?’ Quiin asked.
‘Leave it to me Quiin…leave it to me,’ Solomon said.

January 1, 2461
‘Do you, James Serrago, hereby do everything possible to up hold this union and its people?’ a news reporter asked.
‘Of course I do as God as my witness,’ Serrago responded. Quiin stepped out of his office for the last time and greeted Serrago with a handshake.
‘Congratulations on your victory president,’ Quiin said as Serrago smiled.
‘It is so nice to see that you are not going to hold this election and the fact that I won against me and become one of those bitter old men like those who lost before,’ Serrago responded, ‘I do hope we can become friends for you led are government for four strong years and I could use the counsel.’
‘I will do everything in my power to assist you President Serrago. If there is anything you need feel free to contact me back at my home in Hon,’ Quiin said.
‘You’re from Hon? Nice nation, been there once or twice myself. What part of Hon?’ Serrago asked.
‘Mayberry Town,’ Quiin said, ‘very nice and peaceful place. I would do anything to keep it like that. It is a shame what a simple law or change in the law can do to hundreds, even thousands of people. I just wished that nothing could change the way the south and its many lovely cities and nations are. You have had to live there at least once to really love the south.’
‘I have lived in the south once…Fongon nation in Jerricho. Lived there for three years before moving to Gandriar. It was a peaceful little place with not too many people,’ Serrago said. Quiin smiled and nodded and then walked off. Serrago entered his office and looked around with joy and sorrow for now he doubted a little about banning celestial energy but knew it had to be done since he promised so many that he would.

February 4, 2461
Hyland has just seceded from the union followed by Gravince, Uplian, Fongon, Hon, Silcon, Vice, Toran, Maldarian, Deltatin, and Bethial. That leaves only thirty nine nations in the union and even another nine threaten to secede. People now believe that the nation is at the break of war with the south. The United Nations of Igros fears the worse but believes that a quick victory can be achieved.

March 9, 2461
Bellock, Godric, Esccon, Callton, Koalton, Marvince, Lincoln, Bathalin, and Rorth have just seceded from the union giving the total number of nations that have seceded to twenty. Now the twenty have formed their own form of government to form the Confederate Nations of Igros with Will Solomon as their president.
At once the confederate army begun to take federal forts, courts, and other federal buildings. The union has now just two forts in the south, Fort Falton in Hyland and Fort Summer in Hon. Hyerland Hyland has been declared the capital of the Confederate Nations of Igros. At once the confederacy begun to make a name for themselves in the north.

Chapter II
Civil War, Siege of Falton

April 3, 2461
The growing confederacy has given the union troops in Falton two choices; either give them the fort by nightfall or face a confederate army that is gathering just south of the fort with nearly fifty cannons. Admiral John Johnson knows that he cannot abandon the fort or ask for supplies so he will have to face the confederate army with the eight hundred troops under his command. If he is lucky he can hold up in the fort for six weeks.
At nightfall the confederate army led by General Rufus Kajak attacked Fort Falton with one thousand men. For six hours cannons were fired between one another with neither side willing to give in. By ten Kajak ordered his forces to pull back to prepare to invade the fortress. Admiral Johnson knew now that he wouldn’t last the week.

April 4, 2461
At dawn, General Kajak ordered all cannons to fire on the fortress again. This time it was to distract the union forces for confederate soldiers with battering rams to break down the gates of the fortress.

Confederacy
‘Listen here,’ Kajak said to his soldiers, ‘those union boys up in that fortress over wander, they think they still own us when they don’t. We are free from them and we shall never head their laws again. We formed this confederacy to free us from a single person in Gandra from ruling.’
‘Admiral O’Neil has arrived general,’ a soldier said.
‘Good, where is he?’ Kajak asked.
‘Admiral Jack O’Neil at your order general,’ Jack said walking up with five hundred men behind him. General Kajak demounted his horse and approached the admiral.
‘Good day admiral. Listen well cause I don’t want to go and repeat myself ya here? Now then we have been bombarding Fort Falton for about three hours now and those Yankees refuse to come out so we need to go in,’ Kajak said, ‘General Hyrum Chambers will be here in two days with four thousand men and if we don’t have that fort by then we will have it in three days. We estimate around twenty five cannons are in that fort with seven hundred men. Now we have sixty cannons and a thousand men admiral so the odds are with us. Now then you will take five hundred men with three battering rams and you break down that gate, ya here me?’
‘Yes sir General Kajak,’ O’Neil said, ‘shall I begin the attack now or wait for are cannons to do a little more on their defenses?’
‘Wait a little for are cannons to break their defenses,’ Kajak said, ‘when you here the cannons’ ceasefire that is your cue to begin your attack and admiral, do be careful. If you are being slaughtered don’t be stubborn, retreat.’
‘Will do general,’ O’Neil said and walked off. A bunch of soldiers begun to break away from the main group and started to form in between two very large hills just southeast from the fortress. Admiral O’Neil rode in mounted on his horse and he looked around at his soldiers and then at the fortress. Fire was beginning to rise from inside.

Union
Admiral John Johnson ran down the stairs followed by a group of union troops. The admiral ran through the courtyard and over to the northern wall of the fortress. He gazed as far north as he could.
‘Where are my reinforcements?’ Johnson asked, ‘I asked for more men six days ago. We cannot hold here much longer if we do not get some reinforcements.’
‘Admiral Johnson,’ a union soldier said walking up, ‘the confederate army is mobilizing. We believe they are trying to attack the gate now. If we do not reinforce the gate or at least get every soldier down there it will be overrun in a few hours.’
‘They’re striking against us sooner then I hoped,’ Johnson replied, ‘get every available soldier to the gate as soon as possible. Now when those enemy artillery ceases fire that will be the infinity’s cue to begin the attack. We must hold here as long as possible.’
Artillery fire ceased after a few moments. Admiral Johnson ran over the wall and came to the southeastern ride and looked as confederate soldiers begun to move forward.
‘This is when it begins,’ Johnson said softly to himself. At that moment union soldiers on the walls begun to fire into the crowd of confederate soldiers who returned fire. Three battering rams begun to hit the gates, ‘brace the gates! Hold them at all costs!’
Every soldier not on the wall was at the gate trying to brace it as the confederate soldiers continued to plow on the gates. Admiral O’Neil moved to the front of the lines and whispered to his men special orders. Union troops moved some cannons over to the gates and fired unto the crowds of confederate soldiers. Finally the soldiers pulled back and returned over the hills from whence they came.
‘So we won this day but tomorrow is another day and a day I do not think we can win,’ Johnson said to himself. He knew that the confederate army wouldn’t attack again this day but tomorrow it will begin again.

April 5, 2461
Union
Admiral Johnson had every soldier up before dawn to prepare for any and all attacks. Still there is no sign of ally reinforcements and so Admiral John Johnson begins to worry that none will ever come. Johnson’s younger brother, Captain James Johnson is there to help comfort his brother.
‘General Eschere said six days ago that his forces would arrive in four days,’ John said to his younger brother in the dining hall, ‘at this rate we will be outnumbered when confederate reinforcements arrive. I don’t think we can keep this fort for much longer.’
‘Don’t worry admiral. General Eschere will be here with reinforcements and we will push back the confederate army and win this war,’ James said.
‘Eschere will be here alright,’ John said, ‘just like a bank gives you a loan when you get out of debt. Eat up James…today will be another long day and that much I can tell you.’
‘Try not to do anything…stupid brother. I know you too well and when you’re backed into a corner you usually do something completely stupid,’ James said.
‘That was when I was a teenager. I grown up since then,’ John replied. Soldiers came and went heading to the wall and to the gate to defend themselves like before.

Confederacy
‘Admiral O’Neil,’ Kajak said, ‘we will try to give you some artillery to help weaken the gates this time around before you make your charge.’
‘Thank you general,’ Jack said, ‘I lost one hundred and twelve men yesterday sir and ten are wounded. It would be best to wait for General Chambers to arrive then we can win.’
‘No we can’t afford to wait so long,’ Kajak said, ‘what if union reinforcements arrive and we get overrun? If we can take that fort we will at least have a better chance of defending ourselves then if we were in open field. Now you will take that fortress today and you will fly the confederate flag instead of that union flag we see now.’
‘Yes…general,’ Jack said and walked off. Jack walked over to his position in between the two hills where his soldiers were gathered. Captain Lance Smith greeted Jack.
‘Admiral, what are the orders?’ Smith asked.
‘We are to fire upon the gate and then charge and take that fort,’ Jack responded, ‘I pleaded to wait for General Chambers and his men to arrive but he Kajak wouldn’t listen. What has happened with General Logan Prosser in Hon with Fort Summer?’
‘We haven’t had word on the outcome sir,’ Smith replied.
‘Begin to fire the artillery at the gate. Wait for my single to stop then send in all infantry units. We must take that fortress today captain,’ Jack told him.
‘Yes sir,’ Smith said and ran off. After a moment of silence fifteen cannons begun to blast at the gates. Further in the southwest, twenty five more cannons opened fire on the fort. Union troops took cover anywhere they could as more and more cannons fired back and forth from the fortress. At last after ten minutes the cannons stopped. The gate of the fortress was extremely weakened now and the infantry ran towards with battering rams.
‘Charge sons of Hyland! Attack, attack!’ Jack yelled as he ran with his troops. Union troops emerged on the top of the walls and fired upon the advancing soldiers with their rifles and muskets. Confederate soldiers fired back at the union troops and the gates begun to take a mighty beating from the battering rams. With nine hits the gates broke open and behind the gates fired more union troops.
Admiral Johnson and Captain Johnson arrived at the breached gate and fired upon the soldiers. Admiral O’Neil led his men into the fortress and at that moment General Kajak sent in more soldiers to aid the attacking confederates. Finally Kajak ordered the cannons to open fire on the walls. Three hours later the confederate flag flown in the wind above the fortress.
Admiral Johnson, Captain Johnson, and one hundred and eighty union troops fled the besieged fortress and the confederates did not give chase for they believed the union troops were trying to draw them into a trap.

April 6, 2461
Confederacy
General Chambers and four thousand confederate troops arrived at Fort Falton at noon with General Kajak and Admiral O’Neil to greet them. General Hyrum Chambers was pleased to see that the confederacy has won their first victory.
‘General Chambers sir,’ Kajak said.
‘General Kajak, I’m glade to see you managed to take the fortress from those union soldiers. I’m glade that you led your forces to victory,’ Hyrum said. General Chambers is seventy one this year and is very well looked upon from both union and confederate troops.
‘Thank you sir but I did very little,’ Kajak responded, ‘it was Admiral Jack O’Neil who led the soldiers to victory.’
‘All I did was just run with my men general,’ Jack said.
‘Well then admiral, I will have to watch your career. I see high hopes for you,’ Hyrum said, ‘now then…reinforce the gates and repair the walls as much as possible. Put in supplies and ammunition and be prepared for union forces. I do not want them to take back this fortress ever again.’
‘Yes sir,’ Kajak and Jack said.
‘Dismissed,’ Hyrum said. Kajak and Jack saluted and left into the fortress. General Chambers looked up and saw a flock of birds flying south and all the old general could do was smile. When he rode by on his horse the soldiers fell silent and gazed on the general like they just saw an angel that the lord has sent. Finally a massager came up.
‘General Chambers,’ the scout said saluting.
‘What is it son?’ Hyrum asked.
‘We just received word that General Prosser has just taken Fort Summer in Hon. All union forces have pulled out of the south but we have found that they are mobilizing at the northern borders,’ the scout said.
‘Thank you, you are dismissed,’ Chambers said. The scout rode off.

Chapter III
Getian River Campaign

May 1, 2461
Union
With the fall of Fort Falton in Hyland and Fort Summer in Hon, union forces have now decided to take a new strategy. Admiral Adam O’Donnell will take one thousand-five hundred men and go down the Getian River to split the confederacy in two. Chances are that Admiral O’Donnell will have to face his best friend who is almost his brother in the battlefield, Admiral Jack O’Neil.
‘Admiral O’Donnell. If we take this road we will reach the Getian River in two days. The river runs directly down Hyland and Hon and joins at the Igrian Ocean. If we can take the river we would have separated the confederacy,’ a union soldier said.
‘Then let us separate the confederacy,’ Adam replied. With that he walked ahead to a group of union soldiers sitting around a tree for some shade, ‘get up come on. We have a long way to walk.’
The union soldiers stood up and leaned on their muskets. Captain Jimmy Page walked up to the admiral.
‘Admiral sir, we are ready to move out,’ Page said.
‘Then let’s go,’ O’Donnell said. The soldiers lined up and started their march down the road. Adam walked with the men. The day was cloudy and hot but had a cold wind.

Confederacy
‘General Logan Prosser sir,’ a confederate soldier said in Fort Summer, ‘we have sent out three scouts this morning. If the union army is moving against us we will know.’
‘Very good,’ Prosser said. The eighty year old general smoked his cigar. Confederate soldiers begun to enter the fortress with artillery, food, and ammunition. The fortress had now about two thousand infantry, maybe more. Not much will happen this day or maybe the next, ‘um go get Captain John Paul Jones.’
‘Yes sir,’ the soldier said and ran off. After a few moments the young captain, John Jones entered the general’s tent.
‘You called for me general?’ Jones asked.
‘Captain Jones…I do fear that the union army is moving against us and are scouts will not report it in time,’ Prosser said, ‘so please do me a favor. Take two hundred men and form a small defensive line and hold back the union army. Once you engaged them in combat send word to me at once.’
‘Will do general,’ Jones said.
‘And do be careful,’ Prosser said. Jones nodded and headed off. In two hours he marched off with two hundred soldiers moving north along the Getian River.

May 2, 2461
Union
‘Shall I wake the soldiers?’ Page asked just before dawn.
‘No, let are boys have some more sleep. They’re going to need it,’ Adam said. Page saluted and walked off. Adam walked through the campsite but froze upon hearing a loud noise like thunder. Smoke flew behind him and when the admiral turned around, a tent has been destroyed, ‘we’re under attack…’
The union troops all heard the noise and at once they grabbed their rifles and muskets and formed up. Captain Page led them up the hill where three cannons sat with about a hundred confederate soldiers. All the confederate soldiers fired upon the union army and they evened fired their cannons at them.
‘Ready!’ Page shouted, ‘aim……….Fire!’
The union army fired back.
‘Fire at will!’ Page shouted. The soldiers then traded fire with one another and O’Donnell with three men turned a cannon around and fired it at the confederate army. The confederacy begun to retreat.
‘Do not worry about them,’ Adam said, ‘they lost too many to attack again. We have some time before we reach Fort Summer.’
‘Yes sir,’ Page said.
‘Give the men some breakfast and be prepared to move in an hour,’ the admiral said.
‘Yes sir right away sir,’ Page said and ran off. Union troops were taking ammunition from the dead and wounded. They had no confederates wounded only union troops. An hour or so passed and the union troops marched south along the Getian River.

Confederacy
Captain John Paul Jones makes his way up the river with two hundred confederate soldiers. He came across a bunch of trees and decided to set up the campsite here. He is now seven miles from Fort Summer which would give them plenty of time to prepare for the union assault.
‘I want three people up on the top of that hill behind those rocks to keep an eye out for the union army,’ Jones said, ‘when you see them do not shout, run down here and tell us so we can set up an ambush.’
‘Yes sir,’ three soldiers said and ran up the hill. Jones looked at the Getian River and saw a salmon swimming through the water.
‘We got all day to prepare…make sure every rifle and musket is loaded,’ Jones said. Three soldiers ran off after hearing some orders. A couple of confederate soldiers sat in a circle playing cards.

May 3, 2461
Confederacy
One of the three soldiers on the hilltop came running down a little before noon and came to Jones.
‘Captain, the union army is in sight,’ the soldier said.
‘Good, go around and have all the soldiers hide behind a tree, rock, bush anything they can hide behind,’ Jones said.
‘Yes sir,’ replied the soldier and ran off.

Union
Admiral O’Donnell led his forces down the river still as the sun came out from behind the clouds. The soldiers walked in rows of five heading down the road.
‘Admiral,’ Page said walking up next to him, ‘something is not right. The confederates should know that we are heading for Fort Summer by now and yet all we met were a couple dozen soldiers.’
‘The confederacy doesn’t have as many people as we do captain,’ Adam replied, ‘they can’t afford to give up so many men. It’s like this. Say you have twenty people and ten die. That’s a lot but now let’s say you have twenty thousand people and ten die. That’s not that many. You understand what I mean captain?’
‘Yes sir I do admiral,’ Page responded. The union army continued walking along side the river when confederate troops emerged from behind trees, rocks, and bushes and opened fire on the soldiers.
‘Ambush! Soldiers! Fire at will!’ Adam shouted. Jones fired his pistol at the union forces and sent two scouts back to the fortress. The confederates used everything they could find as cover as the union forces were stuck in the open, ‘attach bayonets!’
All the union soldiers pulled out their bayonets and attached them on their rifles.
‘Charge!’ Adam shouted and with that the union army ran forward. The confederates all fired two more rounds and then started to flee back to the fortress for they were vastly outnumbered. Some union troops opened fire on the fleeing confederates and then at last the federal soldiers stopped, ‘good work men. Reform the lines.’