The Whisky Occupation [Tankiverse fanfic]

[Hippin_in_Hawaii 639]

The Whisky Occupation

Fanfic in the Tankiverse by Hippin_in_Hawaii

 
Fresh after graduation, Fred was given his first platoon. He kept Al and Liza in his own tank, of course. Larry, Chip, and Alba, formerly of Golf Echo Nine, crewed Bravo tank; Nienna, Nancy, and Nester, formerly from the Blue regiment, rode in Charlie. Both Fred and Chip commanded lightweight tanks with exceptional speed and maneuverability; Nienna was in charge of their Big Gun.
 
Fresh after graduation, Georgina was given her first squad. She, and her second-in-command Phil, were responsible for twelve other soldiers, all selected from their training regiment. They were quite a mix of attitudes and abilities, but she felt they were a solid lot. Georgie’s Dozen, they liked to call themselves.
 
The units were merged as a team, and the team was given an objective: Operation Greenway. Intelligence reported a seditionist stronghold just inside their borders. The compound was to be taken with minimal damage; the seditionists and any sympathizers were to be captured for questioning.
 
“It’s a cornfield,” said Phil.
 
“And those?” asked Georgina, finger pointing at several structures in the southeast corner of the property.
 
“Residence. Warehouse. Residence. Silo. Distillery. Warehouse. Garage.” listed Phil, his finger moving from outline to outline on the map. “It’s forty square kilometers of corn and a family-run business.” He snorted. “While I can’t speak to their political affiliations, there is no evidence whatsoever of a seditionist stronghold.”
 
“There could be weapons or even tanks hidden in those warehouses,” pointed out Nienna.
 
“I’ve actually been there,” said Chip. “I grew up in this area, went to school with one of the Hederson boys. His family owns the place. We played there sometimes.” He shook his head. “It’s a distillery and a farm. Nothing more.”
 
“Look,” said Fred, “it may be a mistake, or it may be correct, but we have our orders. We are going to take the objective, and we are going to do it with as little damage as possible.” He looked at Chip. “That way, when this gets straightened out, the Hedersons will have a home to come back to.”
 
Chip snorted. “You really think this is going to get straightened out? The government is annexing that property. And what do you think they want with a forty square kilometer parcel of land just three clicks from the border?”
 
Georgina stood. “We are doing this. We have no choice, and talking isn’t going to change that. We are not here to debate policy; we are here to discuss tactics.”
 
“This ain’t right,” muttered Chip. “This ain’t right.”
 
A silence settled in the command tent. The single light illuminated the table with the aerial photos and map carefully laid out. Around the edge of the table, five shadowy figures each pursued their own private thoughts.
 
Fred nodded. “Here’s what I’m thinking. We’ll take the tanks in a column straight up the main road here, then up the driveway. That will minimize any damage to the crops. Nienna’s heavy will lead the way. Infantry should follow the last tank in a dispersed column to protect them from possible sniper fire. We’ll assume the approach is mined, so we’ll proceed with full ground-clearing protocol.”
 
Georgina looked at him as if he were crazy. “Seriously? Mines? Snipers? Do you expect any of that from a family-owned farm? Not to mention that they’ll see us coming, quite literally, a mile away!”
 
Fred shrugged. “I don’t see how it can be helped. Intelligence reports a seditionist stronghold,” he said, emphasizing the last word. “We must act accordingly. Clearing that approach will take us at least three hours.” He nodded thoughtfully. “We’d better not rush it. Seditionist traps can be hard to spot. Best to be sure. We’ll check every step twice. Six hours. Maybe seven.” He rubbed his chin, then looked around the room. “I don’t see how it can be done any faster.”
 
Georgina started to open her mouth, then something flickered in her eyes. She nodded thoughtfully. “Yes. Absolutely. We will not risk losing a single soldier to traps set by seditionist swine. In fact, I want that approach triple-checked before I allow my soldiers to set foot on it.”
 
“So, nine hours?” asked Phil.
 
Georgina scowled at him. “What, do you think I place so little value on my soldiers’ welfare? If one gets so much as a stubbed toe, I will consider this mission a failure. Twelve hours. Not a second less. We will be safe, and we will accomplish the objective without incident.”
 
“What about drones?” asked Phil.
 
Georgina frowned and tapped her pursed lips. “It would clearly be negligent of us not to use drones to monitor the compound and any people inside.”
 
There was a thoughtful pause. Feet shuffled. People looked at each other.
 
Nienna finally cleared her throat. “Um, boss?”
 
“Yes?” acknowledged Fred.
 
“Didn’t we get a directive a little while back about the drones? Firmware updates or software updates, something like that? I don’t recall us ever installing those.”
 
Fred frowned. “I don’t seem to remember that.”
 
“I’m, um, I’m pretty sure if you check the logs, maybe tomorrow when you’re not so busy, that you’ll find a directive in there from, oh, say a couple of weeks back.”
 
“Come to think of it, I do believe you’re right. Thanks for bringing that up.“ Fred looked at Chip and Nienna. “It would also be negligent of us to try and use our drones on such a sensitive mission without first installing and thoroughly testing any outstanding updates.”
 
“Agreed.” “Yes, sir.”
 
Phil harrumphed and looked at Georgina. “You’ll recall I reported the same thing to you a few days ago.”
 
“Indeed,” said Georgina. “I’ll make sure your recommendation appeared in my log. That’s a real shame, a technical glitch interfering with our ability to assess enemy strength or movement. We should all make entries in our logs. It just reinforces the need for caution.”
 
Fred, Phil, Chip, Nienna, and Georgina all exchanged looks and nodded. “Right. Mount up!” said Fred.
 
Half a day later, the column crept to the front door of the largest residence. Inside, in the entryway, was a stack of three crates labeled Hederson Special Reserve with a bow on top. Strangely, the residence, and all of the other structures, were completely vacant. Not a single Hederson, or worker, or seditionist sympathizer was to be found. The garage was half empty; the heavy farm machinery was still there, but no personal vehicles or cargo trucks were present. The warehouses held some corn, but no whisky. Most of the clothing and personal effects seemed to be gone from the residences as well.
 
Georgina and Fred distributed the “captured” bottles of whisky liberally, keeping aside five. Later, as the leaders met to debrief after their successful action, they each signed every bottle. “This is a solid,” declared Chip. “No matter what happens, there will never be a time when we are too busy, too involved, too locked in opposition, to stop and share a drink.”
 
Operation Greenway was listed as a success. The government did indeed annex the land; the crops were razed; the buildings, demolished; construction began on a new “community service” project.
 
The soldiers involved did talk, as soldiers do. The story that spread was not one of an assault on a corn field, nor was it one of escaped seditionists. The story that was told was about two commanders, tank and infantry, who valued the lives and welfare of their soldiers so much that they, themselves, worked to clear the road of mines and I.E.D.s. Out in the hot sun, working side-by-side with the grunts, on a gravel-paved farm road nearly a kilometer long, they literally left no stone unturned.
 
 
 
 

Mahalo (thank you) for reading; I hope you enjoyed! This story is part of a series. Information on the series, and links to the other stories, can be found here.

Edited October 17, 2018 by Hippin_in_Hawaii

[tweezers 1,034]

Approved.

 

Lovely, as usual. I'm liking the character development!

[Crip 4,735]

Tweez is clearly no-lifing article approvals today.

 

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Nice work. Is this part of a series or something? I want to read the others if this is the case.

Edited January 15, 2018 by Savage

[tweezers 1,034]

Tweez is clearly no-lifing article approvals today.

 

---

 

Nice work. Is this part of a series or something? I want to read the others if this is the case.

All of the others are in the AWS, I'd highly recommend that you read them from the beginning, since they're all as good as this. 

 

 

Four articles approved in 45 mins LET'S GO BOIS

 

 

[Destrod 2,634]

It makes me feel all warm and cozy inside, reading this. If this guy takes to professional writing, Hippin in Hawaii will be Swippin' in a Bugatti.

[You.Have.to.die 519]

Tweez is clearly no-lifing article approvals today.

 

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Nice work. Is this part of a series or something? I want to read the others if this is the case.

Likewise, I really like the character development. Good work, the future looks bright!

[Hippin_in_Hawaii 639]

Thanks for the friendly words, all!

 

 

Nice work. Is this part of a series or something? I want to read the others if this is the case.

 

This is actually the 10th installment of the series so far. If you look up my threads in this forum, just read them in the order they were posted. 

 

I've been debating starting a thread that would link to all of them, and sort them both by order of posting and by order in the timeline.  I have three more stories already written, and pretty clear plans for three beyond that. Well, pretty clear plans for one beyond that, and the beginnings of ideas for two more.

[r_trooll15 827]

Thanks for the friendly words, all!

 

 

 

This is actually the 10th installment of the series so far. If you look up my threads in this forum, just read them in the order they were posted.

 

I've been debating starting a thread that would link to all of them, and sort them both by order of posting and by order in the timeline. I have three more stories already written, and pretty clear plans for three beyond that. Well, pretty clear plans for one beyond that, and the beginnings of ideas for two more.

Q: is this your book? Also, you should become a reporter

[Hippin_in_Hawaii 639]

Q: is this your book? Also, you should become a reporter

No, the book I was working on is a space opera thing.  I still can't believe I haven't gotten around to finishing it... well, yes, I can totally believe that. I don't quite know how it ends yet, and I'm to the point where I can't move forward without that information ;)

 

 

The book actually wasn't ever meant to be a book. Back in high school and college, I did a lot of role playing, and had a preference for Sci-Fi games and adventures. I was a huge fan of the Space Master system from ICE. I built a universe, and within that universe, I sculpted a campaign, a huge one. Probably would have taken two years to play. Unfortunately, my friends and I all graduated and had to get on with earning livings and such; the game never even got started. But, many years later, I woke up one day with a story in my head, as if characters in my universe had set forth on the inaugural adventure. I sat down to write, and it just kept going, and going, and going. 70,000 words later, they've played through all of the main story arc and the side adventures. But, since it was a game, the ending was never established; the actions of the characters would merely have shaped the next campaign. I can't really end the book with "And they came home to wait for the next adventure."

 

 

I see people talk about reporters, and I confess, I don't really know what that means.

[Viking4s 10,791]

No, the book I was working on is a space opera thing.  I still can't believe I haven't gotten around to finishing it... well, yes, I can totally believe that. I don't quite know how it ends yet, and I'm to the point where I can't move forward without that information ;)

 

 

The book actually wasn't ever meant to be a book. Back in high school and college, I did a lot of role playing, and had a preference for Sci-Fi games and adventures. I was a huge fan of the Space Master system from ICE. I built a universe, and within that universe, I sculpted a campaign, a huge one. Probably would have taken two years to play. Unfortunately, my friends and I all graduated and had to get on with earning livings and such; the game never even got started. But, many years later, I woke up one day with a story in my head, as if characters in my universe had set forth on the inaugural adventure. I sat down to write, and it just kept going, and going, and going. 70,000 words later, they've played through all of the main story arc and the side adventures. But, since it was a game, the ending was never established; the actions of the characters would merely have shaped the next campaign. I can't really end the book with "And they came home to wait for the next adventure."

 

 

I see people talk about reporters, and I confess, I don't really know what that means.

About reporters see https://en.tankiwiki.com/In_depth:_Reporters

Also read the newspaper and special edition.

[LOLKILLERTOTHEDEATH 1,921]

It makes me feel all warm and cozy inside, reading this. If this guy takes to professional writing, Hippin in Hawaii will be Swippin' in a Bugatti.

No intent to flame, however he wouldn't ride a Bugatti.

 

His ride'd be a 52 million USD Ferrari 250 gto.

[Blackdrakon30 2,943]

Thanks for the friendly words, all!

 

 

This is actually the 10th installment of the series so far. If you look up my threads in this forum, just read them in the order they were posted. 

 

I've been debating starting a thread that would link to all of them, and sort them both by order of posting and by order in the timeline.  I have three more stories already written, and pretty clear plans for three beyond that. Well, pretty clear plans for one beyond that, and the beginnings of ideas for two more.

I recommend putting a spoiler tab at the bottom of each article, with links to each chapter organized in it. It's nice and easy compared to compiling a whole new thread. However, if you did want to do something like a new single thread, be my guest.  :P 

[Hippin_in_Hawaii 639]

I recommend putting a spoiler tab at the bottom of each article, with links to each chapter organized in it. It's nice and easy compared to compiling a whole new thread. However, if you did want to do something like a new single thread, be my guest.  :P 

If I use a spoiler tab at the end of the story to link directly to the other stories, then every time I add a story, I'll have to go back and edit each previously-posted story again. If I had a thread that was just a consolidated list, then I would only have to edit that one thread each time I posted a new story.

 

Seems to be a moot point through.

Edited January 17, 2018 by Hippin_in_Hawaii

[GrandExecutioner 1,403]

I agree with the others ^

 

Your characters have been developed really well.

[Hippin_in_Hawaii 639]

I agree with the others ^

 

Your characters have been developed really well.

Mahalo! I appreciate that!

[Hippin_in_Hawaii 639]

I recommend putting a spoiler tab at the bottom of each article, with links to each chapter organized in it. It's nice and easy compared to compiling a whole new thread. However, if you did want to do something like a new single thread, be my guest.  :P 

Following up...

I put in a post such as I wanted. It never appeared and I never received any notification, so I assumed that it hadn't been approved and was gone. Thus my earlier comment about the moot point. Today, for reasons unrelated, I was looking through the FAQ, and there was my consolidation post! So I've gone in and added the spoilers. 

 

Sure wish I'd received some form of notification! I spent days being bummed over that :(

Edited January 19, 2018 by Hippin_in_Hawaii