There’s nothing like a bright spring morning, new leaves the brightest green you’ve ever seen. At least where there are leaves. After two weeks of playing for the National Laurel, there aren’t too many trees left standing to have leaves.
It was pretty much your average play-offs. South California got their team in again. That’s seven years running now, so it was no big surprise. I mean they steal all the good players outta the Mexican League. We kinda snuck in the side door with the expansion teams draining off the talent pool. Like Pops Spangler said at the start of the season, this is our year.
Not that we didn’t have some set-backs. Right off the blocks, we lost Gerheardt and James to the Kentucky squad. Luckily it was before we advanced to live-round games, or we might not have gotten them back. That would have clobbered our strike threat. Then Hernandez took that flechette burst right in his chest. The ceramics cracking was really what put him down, not the actual hit. But whatcha gonna do? Dorsey busting the bunker single-handedly was something to see, but then she just grabbed the boobied flag like a rookie. She was on the Olympic team for Bog’s sake. Stupid mistake like that and she took all 50,000 volts. Good thing Miller was right behind her, so we picked up the win. All in all it was a good year. Now? Not so good. But any year you make it all the way to Nationals and can still walk and all that.
We, of course set up our patented Interdiction defense. We have the flag standing tall in Poweshek County, with Tama, Benton, Iowa, Mahaska and Jasper Counties as clear as we can manage. It sucks up the head count, but we don’t have a dedicated Support Squad so it all balances out. The Calis went with their Bunker Plan, of course. They have their backs to the wall up in Osceola just daring us to come in after them.
The first 18 hours were one highlight vid after another. We took out their Mechs with Armour. Which immediately got pounded with Airborne. Which in turn got torn outta the sky with Rocket Artillery. Which was then blowed up by Sappers for no good reason since by then we have diddly-all to shoot at with it. It came down to Infantry on defense and Cav on offense for both sides just like every year. Feint and block, feint and block, just waiting for the other guys to make a mistake. At least I’m with Infantry and got all dug in. Those Cav nut-jobs run around all in the open just asking to get waxed. But without the Cav, how would we win? Wouldn’t, that’s how.
Finally Steiner and Moralez had had enough and pulled up their squads for a last hit. All or none, and some of them weren’t going to go home to their mommies. A long quiet sneak then a quick rush. The Bunker was hit until it cracked and then they poured in. Of course the Calis were following it all on ComBand so they poured in on our end, just so we wouldn’t win on the cheap. Same as we would do in their boots, but man! It sucks having them scream up on you like that just to get popped outta the saddle. Little Grima got in and took the win. It was a close one, outta the 10,000 we each started with it wound down to 480: Us, 527: Them plus our 500 Flag Bonus. We even beat the spread on this one since everyone just looooooooves los Calis.
You know what the best part is? Even better than the endorsements, the creds, the breeding rights and the fame? For winning the Nationals we get the privilege of wearing short pants that don’t come down past our knees. It’s a little sad, ya gotta kill and maim 9,473 Cali schmucks just so you don’t have to wear dorky pants in the summer. But whatcha gonna do? Way back in the 2000s you couldn’t get decent short pants no matter who you killed.
-Rue.
Just because I can’t find decent shorts this weekend, that’s why.
