It was relaxing, sitting out in the spring weather, not too hot, not too cold just the perfect medium that we so rarely experience but within a fringe of a year, depending where you are in the world of course. In Alcatha it was like this often, and Rodrick Huntinsen was working the local farm, the harvest was coming up and almost all the cannabis had grown in. At 24 years old he was a teenage soldier in the revolution, only fighting in two major battles though, being wounded in one. That scar still stared back at him at times when he would shower after the days work, an odd patch of deformed skin where the bullet of the monarchy passed through and into his stomach. Years ago, those times are long forgotten by most, only to be renewed sooner than expected.
Rodrick had wanted to go with the Volunteer brigade in their campaign too some revolution in a far off land, but was personally asked by Dallas Alcatha to help with this year's harvest, as it was going too be one of the largest in awhile, the farm had expanded recently after merging with a corn field. "Rodrick." a voice called to him.
"Yes?" Rodrick said without seeing who it was.
"Wrapping up for the day, feel free to keep harvesting if you wish but if you want to come eat with the rest of us
drop your tools and let's go." Dallas told him.
Once Rodrick had realized this was Dallas he immediately dropped his tools and headed off with the rest of the farmers. They were all apart of the National Marijuana Farmers Union, a fairly large union of 45,000 workers. The largest being the weapons manufactures and the second the Water Treatment Workers. Of course many communes and syndicates existed, however the smallest only had 10 workers Rodrick had heard and the largest having above 100,000 which was the weapon workers. Anyway, today was different, he had to memorize the unions and their current representatives which could change at anytime the majority workers demanded a vote, for he was going to become an officer of the Farmers Militants, a force made up of all the farmer unions totaling about a 350,000 man fighting force, which would be used as a defensive force in the event of an invasion. Only during times of war did the ranks have any true meaning and even then they were open too inquiry from the workers.
The eating went well and at night the Farmers Militants meeting had commenced, resulting in Rodrick's becoming an officer winning the vote almost unanimously as some of the older officers still thought he needed more experience. Either way, all accepted his position and congratulated him, the night ended with drink and music, most of the farming community had come out for it, even some of the weapons workers and sex workers from nearby communes and factories. Rodrick drank heavily and blacked out, awaking the next morning too a female escort lying on his chest and the sound of rumbling approaching.
He poked his head out and nearly pissed, day one of being an officer he thought.
Helicopters were soaring overhead, uniformed so clearly not Alcathan. An anti air SAM from the weapons factory down the road screeched through the sky before striking a helicopter and sending it and it's crew to the ground. The Escort had awoken now and pulled out a pistol that Rodrick had no idea she had. Fuck, Fuck, I have to get to the farm, my platoon.SHIT he thought, the escort told him to follow her but he shook his head and dashed for the front of the farm, out of the field. Dallas was in formation with some of the forces, a platoon without an officer was in formation.
"Commander Dallas." said Rodrick.
"Comrade Rodrick, the fascists and corporations would rather see you dead than an officer, look what they sent too stop you!" Dallas proclaimed to the laughter of the others as two Alcathan Volunteer Pilots shot overhead to engage the enemy aircraft.
"Who's sore at us this time?" Rodrick asked Dallas "Cleventon? Statists?"
"APEX" Dallas responded before tossing Rodrick an AK-47. "Take your platoon east, the Sex Workers Militia is already engaging and the Weapons Union is deploying tanks and anti-air as we speak. We'll follow up for now it's your platoon in the 2nd Column now go catch up with them." Dallas said.
First day as an officer and I already get left behind by the column, the platoon must feel eager. Rodrick thought. Rodrick faced his men who all began busting his balls about being missing when the column left. "Yeah yeah, laugh your dicks off and if you don't have dicks I guess you already have." He said to both female and male troops as they marched toward the smoke on the horizon. As they closed in, some troopers from APEX began opening fire on them, Rodrick peaked out from cover and fired 3 short bursts in return. The Sex workers Militia was nearby, as he could see some of their troops with red armbands on one arm and a rainbow one on the left. War had broken out indeed, and the fighting just beginning, none of the workers guessed how the long this one would last, the mission was too defend Alcatha, the motherland, the free land and Rodrick couldn't feel more of a desire to fight than he felt now as he pumped two rounds through an APEX trooper's chest and watched the red spray into the air.
