Interesting Times, Dangerous Places: #348 “The Midnight Sun” 01/20/3133
INN - Interstellar News Network
In the chaos of the Swordsworn’s withdrawal from Anqabad, it wasn’t much of a
challenge to slip out of the city. There were a few hairy moments when I had to
circumvent Wolf patrols (I’m sure Sadia didn’t want me wandering around too
much), but my local guide, who doesn’t want to be named for obvious reasons, knew
the best places to lie up and wait until they passed. The time taken in the endeavor
almost cost me dearly—not in the physical or monetary sense but in the currency of
my job: the story.
The Swordsworn didn’t just disengage from the Wolves at Anqabad; they made a
mad dash in an effort to put breathing room between themselves and Sadia Wolf’s
forces. Diane Jameson should’ve known better—the young officer I knew back in the
League wouldn’t have bolted that way—and I can presume only that she was rattled
by the carnage in the city. Rather than winning her breathing room, this apparent
flight convinced the Wolves that the Sworders were on the brink of collapse. This
awakened in them the predator instinct of which many Clanners are so proud,
particularly hardliners like Sadia Wolf—those who were once called “Crusaders.” As
with any canine, running prey made them only more determined to pursue, and by the
time I was free of the city, the front lines had moved dozens of kilometers. It would
be a struggle to catch up.
Luckily, some of the planetary militia, drafted into service by the Wolves as rear-
echelon convoy security, were more than happy to give me a lift in exchange for a
chance to hear news from elsewhere in The Republic. I expected a trip of a few
hours, but as the battle lines moved steadily north, we were forced to journey ever
onward. The soldiers provided me with food and shelter during the long trek—a
degree of hospitality in adversity I’d hardly been shown in any of my prior travels. As
ever, a few were ingratiating, wanting me to mention them in ITDP, but most were
genuinely friendly and helpful, even if they didn’t understand my reasons to
voluntarily live my life in one war zone after another. That’s something I’ve already
discussed in the column, so I won’t repeat it here, save to say that our discussions
were lively and entertaining.
On the third day, by which point the warm/temperate climate had begun to give way
to arctic conditions, we finally caught up with the trailing elements of the Wolf force
and learned that the Swordsworn were attempting to take refuge in the icy hills and
canyons of the Great Maze. Even my resources would be hard-pressed to get me into
that frigid wasteland and support me for any length of time. The militia certainly didn’
t have the knowledge of or equipment for the arctic wastes, and so we parted
company. I then began to seek the services of a local guide to take me to the fighting.
Finding someone who knew the lands around the Great Maze wasn’t a problem.
Finding someone who knew the Maze itself, or who would admit to having this
knowledge, given the military value of that information, was another matter. It was
another two days, this time in less-hospitable company, before I found a willing guide
whose fee was, in polite terms—not those I used when I first heard his demands—
extremely outrageous. But now at least we were heading into the heart of the Maze,
into the heart of the battle.
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
In the chaos of the Swordsworn’s withdrawal from Anqabad, it wasn’t much of a
challenge to slip out of the city. There were a few hairy moments when I had to
circumvent Wolf patrols (I’m sure Sadia didn’t want me wandering around too
much), but my local guide, who doesn’t want to be named for obvious reasons, knew
the best places to lie up and wait until they passed. The time taken in the endeavor
almost cost me dearly—not in the physical or monetary sense but in the currency of
my job: the story.
The Swordsworn didn’t just disengage from the Wolves at Anqabad; they made a
mad dash in an effort to put breathing room between themselves and Sadia Wolf’s
forces. Diane Jameson should’ve known better—the young officer I knew back in the
League wouldn’t have bolted that way—and I can presume only that she was rattled
by the carnage in the city. Rather than winning her breathing room, this apparent
flight convinced the Wolves that the Sworders were on the brink of collapse. This
awakened in them the predator instinct of which many Clanners are so proud,
particularly hardliners like Sadia Wolf—those who were once called “Crusaders.” As
with any canine, running prey made them only more determined to pursue, and by the
time I was free of the city, the front lines had moved dozens of kilometers. It would
be a struggle to catch up.
Luckily, some of the planetary militia, drafted into service by the Wolves as rear-
echelon convoy security, were more than happy to give me a lift in exchange for a
chance to hear news from elsewhere in The Republic. I expected a trip of a few
hours, but as the battle lines moved steadily north, we were forced to journey ever
onward. The soldiers provided me with food and shelter during the long trek—a
degree of hospitality in adversity I’d hardly been shown in any of my prior travels. As
ever, a few were ingratiating, wanting me to mention them in ITDP, but most were
genuinely friendly and helpful, even if they didn’t understand my reasons to
voluntarily live my life in one war zone after another. That’s something I’ve already
discussed in the column, so I won’t repeat it here, save to say that our discussions
were lively and entertaining.
On the third day, by which point the warm/temperate climate had begun to give way
to arctic conditions, we finally caught up with the trailing elements of the Wolf force
and learned that the Swordsworn were attempting to take refuge in the icy hills and
canyons of the Great Maze. Even my resources would be hard-pressed to get me into
that frigid wasteland and support me for any length of time. The militia certainly didn’
t have the knowledge of or equipment for the arctic wastes, and so we parted
company. I then began to seek the services of a local guide to take me to the fighting.
Finding someone who knew the lands around the Great Maze wasn’t a problem.
Finding someone who knew the Maze itself, or who would admit to having this
knowledge, given the military value of that information, was another matter. It was
another two days, this time in less-hospitable company, before I found a willing guide
whose fee was, in polite terms—not those I used when I first heard his demands—
extremely outrageous. But now at least we were heading into the heart of the Maze,
into the heart of the battle.
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 20, 3133 |