GWOT VI - A Few Good Men
Apr. 8th, 2022 11:25 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
drewkittyGWOT VI - A Few Good Men
I'd scrubbed in a bucket, changed uniforms, moved to the next objective. Revising our vehicle control points to provide some limited anti-armor protection. Reaffirming with our snipers that "anyone trying to open the gate" includes the short soldiers.
"Sir, you gotta see this."
This was an official video feed from Army of God, pushed to their social media.
###
A convoy of Army of God arriving at a church complex.
I counted. Crap. Six armored cars. Two tanks on lowboy transporters. Real tanks with turrets. Hard trouble. Would cut through a vehicle control point like a hot knife through butter.
Trucks, trucks, troops, troops.
Another meet and greet. The church was very happy to see Army of God.
Army of God was not, however, happy to see them.
The church troops were two platoons of militia and a platoon of what might in peacetime be generously called Boy Scouts. In this war, their existence was a war crime.
As I watched, the tank turret lifted, spun and pointed at the hosts. Army of God leveled their weapons.
The Boy Scouts were required to drop their weapons and put their hands onto their heads.
The other two platoons were machine-gunned as the horrified congregation was made to watch.
###
I paused and watched again. Army of God had just attacked a church irregular group.
Very professional about it, too.
###
"We fight in the service of God. We do not make war with children. We do not make war _on_ children. We are civilized men and women defending our community and the Body of Christ. We will not tolerate those who commit atrocities and by so doing have fallen into Satanic hands. We have saved them from further sin. May God have mercy on their souls."
###
"Intel confirms. That was the church the school bus came from."
Holy. Shit.
The officer commanding the Army of God detachment addressed the former child soldiers. They were then searched and made to board the trucks.
"Army of God accepts an obligation to shelter, succor and retrain for a normal life all child soldiers in this conflict. If you are a child soldier, make your way to the Army of God and we shall take you in. This offer applies to all child soldiers of any alignment including any who may have served with the illegal G forces."
That was a safe offer; they wouldn't get many takers.
But they made the offer.
Killing takes a moment and costs about a quarter per round.
Feeding, housing and schooling children - for years and years - that's expensive.
The Army of God had found a bribe that I had no choice but to accept.
I had my PR team draft a press release reaffirming the combatant status of AoG, the cease fire between AoG and California, and our thanks for taking in the children.
They may have done the right thing only in terror for their homes and families.
They still ... did the right thing.
May we all.
I'd scrubbed in a bucket, changed uniforms, moved to the next objective. Revising our vehicle control points to provide some limited anti-armor protection. Reaffirming with our snipers that "anyone trying to open the gate" includes the short soldiers.
"Sir, you gotta see this."
This was an official video feed from Army of God, pushed to their social media.
###
A convoy of Army of God arriving at a church complex.
I counted. Crap. Six armored cars. Two tanks on lowboy transporters. Real tanks with turrets. Hard trouble. Would cut through a vehicle control point like a hot knife through butter.
Trucks, trucks, troops, troops.
Another meet and greet. The church was very happy to see Army of God.
Army of God was not, however, happy to see them.
The church troops were two platoons of militia and a platoon of what might in peacetime be generously called Boy Scouts. In this war, their existence was a war crime.
As I watched, the tank turret lifted, spun and pointed at the hosts. Army of God leveled their weapons.
The Boy Scouts were required to drop their weapons and put their hands onto their heads.
The other two platoons were machine-gunned as the horrified congregation was made to watch.
###
I paused and watched again. Army of God had just attacked a church irregular group.
Very professional about it, too.
###
"We fight in the service of God. We do not make war with children. We do not make war _on_ children. We are civilized men and women defending our community and the Body of Christ. We will not tolerate those who commit atrocities and by so doing have fallen into Satanic hands. We have saved them from further sin. May God have mercy on their souls."
###
"Intel confirms. That was the church the school bus came from."
Holy. Shit.
The officer commanding the Army of God detachment addressed the former child soldiers. They were then searched and made to board the trucks.
"Army of God accepts an obligation to shelter, succor and retrain for a normal life all child soldiers in this conflict. If you are a child soldier, make your way to the Army of God and we shall take you in. This offer applies to all child soldiers of any alignment including any who may have served with the illegal G forces."
That was a safe offer; they wouldn't get many takers.
But they made the offer.
Killing takes a moment and costs about a quarter per round.
Feeding, housing and schooling children - for years and years - that's expensive.
The Army of God had found a bribe that I had no choice but to accept.
I had my PR team draft a press release reaffirming the combatant status of AoG, the cease fire between AoG and California, and our thanks for taking in the children.
They may have done the right thing only in terror for their homes and families.
They still ... did the right thing.
May we all.
