Interesting Times, Dangerous Places #344: “The Angel of Death” 01/06/3133
INN - Interstellar News Network
Over the years, I have garnered something of a reputation with the armed forces of
the various nations, lordlings and factions of the Inner Sphere and Periphery. For
some reason, they seem to believe my presence heralds a coming conflict, regardless
of what their political masters may be telling them. Some are good-humored about it;
others downright hostile. On Mansu-ri, I was welcomed with beer and food, the
Oriente soldiers willing to share all they had with this reporter despite the predations
of the Andurien attackers. On Tapachula, however, I was forced to disguise myself
as an old woman to avoid the attentions of irate soldiers, who believed my presence
had damned their cause. Indeed, many soldiers call me the “Angel of Death,” believing
I must have some great insight that allows me to predict when and where conflicts
will take place. There’s no mystery, however— just a combination of far-reaching
contacts and more than thirty years of experience as a field journalist. It certainly
wasn't anything more that prompted my latest trip to Ankaa.
Renowned as a major site of heavy industry—the largest employer is DiNapoli
Industries, a subsidiary of Bannson Heavy Industries—Ankaa is of great importance
to the Republic. Even before I heard rumors of a campaign targeting the world, it
seemed likely that one of the petty lords seeking to exploit the recent problems with
interstellar communications would target the strategic resource. I was at Tybalt,
returning from the recent contretemps on Shedar, when rumors of a Wolf strike force
heading deep into Prefecture IV came to my attention. While there were plenty of
other possible targets, Ankaa struck me as the most likely—a prelude to a wider war
in the region. I quickly called in a number of favors and arranged transport.
That was how I came to be sitting in Anqabad, having sweet mint tea with a Nova Cat
Sufi. On the surface, the serene aura of this predominantly Muslim world is
unchanged, but in the suks people are already talking of the war that is looming ever
closer. Rumors have reached me that the Wolves are inbound—the general populace
is not yet aware of it, though many suspect—and will be here in six days, their long
trek from the jump point a side effect of the system’s intense white sun. Will Kal
Radick's forces land a hammer blow on the pacifistic population, or will Ankaa simply
be incorporated into the Steel Wolves’ domain? As much as I would like to believe
that blood will not be shed here, decades of experience have amply demonstrated the
futility of such hopes.
INN is pleased to announce a syndication deal with Black Border publications for the
rights to publish articles by famed political and war correspondent Cameron Shaw.
Mr. Shaw is best known for his coverage of the ongoing conflict in the former Free
Worlds League. His knack for being in the right place (or the wrong place, depending
on your point of view) at the right time has put him in the thick of many of the great
engagements of recent years. He reported from Albi on Manihiki as forces of the
Regulan Fiefs seized the city, and from Sophie’s World when the Oriente Protectorate
and Marik-Stewart Commonwealth clashed for control of that strategic world. He is
known for his long-running syndicated diary “Interesting Times, Dangerous Places,”
in which he portrays the great events of our time with a mix of humor and pathos.
INN - Interstellar News Network
Over the years, I have garnered something of a reputation with the armed forces of
the various nations, lordlings and factions of the Inner Sphere and Periphery. For
some reason, they seem to believe my presence heralds a coming conflict, regardless
of what their political masters may be telling them. Some are good-humored about it;
others downright hostile. On Mansu-ri, I was welcomed with beer and food, the
Oriente soldiers willing to share all they had with this reporter despite the predations
of the Andurien attackers. On Tapachula, however, I was forced to disguise myself
as an old woman to avoid the attentions of irate soldiers, who believed my presence
had damned their cause. Indeed, many soldiers call me the “Angel of Death,” believing
I must have some great insight that allows me to predict when and where conflicts
will take place. There’s no mystery, however— just a combination of far-reaching
contacts and more than thirty years of experience as a field journalist. It certainly
wasn't anything more that prompted my latest trip to Ankaa.
Renowned as a major site of heavy industry—the largest employer is DiNapoli
Industries, a subsidiary of Bannson Heavy Industries—Ankaa is of great importance
to the Republic. Even before I heard rumors of a campaign targeting the world, it
seemed likely that one of the petty lords seeking to exploit the recent problems with
interstellar communications would target the strategic resource. I was at Tybalt,
returning from the recent contretemps on Shedar, when rumors of a Wolf strike force
heading deep into Prefecture IV came to my attention. While there were plenty of
other possible targets, Ankaa struck me as the most likely—a prelude to a wider war
in the region. I quickly called in a number of favors and arranged transport.
That was how I came to be sitting in Anqabad, having sweet mint tea with a Nova Cat
Sufi. On the surface, the serene aura of this predominantly Muslim world is
unchanged, but in the suks people are already talking of the war that is looming ever
closer. Rumors have reached me that the Wolves are inbound—the general populace
is not yet aware of it, though many suspect—and will be here in six days, their long
trek from the jump point a side effect of the system’s intense white sun. Will Kal
Radick's forces land a hammer blow on the pacifistic population, or will Ankaa simply
be incorporated into the Steel Wolves’ domain? As much as I would like to believe
that blood will not be shed here, decades of experience have amply demonstrated the
futility of such hopes.
INN is pleased to announce a syndication deal with Black Border publications for the
rights to publish articles by famed political and war correspondent Cameron Shaw.
Mr. Shaw is best known for his coverage of the ongoing conflict in the former Free
Worlds League. His knack for being in the right place (or the wrong place, depending
on your point of view) at the right time has put him in the thick of many of the great
engagements of recent years. He reported from Albi on Manihiki as forces of the
Regulan Fiefs seized the city, and from Sophie’s World when the Oriente Protectorate
and Marik-Stewart Commonwealth clashed for control of that strategic world. He is
known for his long-running syndicated diary “Interesting Times, Dangerous Places,”
in which he portrays the great events of our time with a mix of humor and pathos.
| January 6, 3133 |